Chapter 129: Contract (6)
Chapter 129: Contract (6)
Unlike the general public or ordinary Awakeners, most powerful Awakeners holding high positions in large clans viewed Wolyeong as a thorn in their side.
The fact that she had defeated powerful demons didn't resonate much with them.
Even in Japan, which had been utterly devastated by the demons, rumors began to circulate that they had only suffered such a one-sided defeat in the first battle because they were caught off guard.
Initially, no one dared to speak up due to the prevailing atmosphere. However, as frustration mounted over their inability to excavate artifacts, the mood began to shift. People started questioning if they should view the situation differently, and soon, dissenting opinions began to surface.
"I admit Wolyeong and the Otherworlders are strong, but honestly, if we had prepared properly and fought, I think we could have stopped them eventually..."
"Exactly. In the first battle, we lacked information, and it was our first time in a large-scale engagement. That played a huge part."
After seeing Wolyeong and the three Otherworld Awakeners win the second battle without significant losses, many began to think the demons' strength had been exaggerated.
Although they had felt the four individuals' power firsthand during the fight, the crucial point was that the demons didn't seem as formidable as they had in the first encounter.
In the first battle, the attempt to use powerful magic before engaging had failed completely, and they were crushed, unable to effectively counter Baal’s demons as they descended from the sky.
However, in the second battle, Laysia’s declaration of Sacred Ground had stripped the demons of their buffs. This led many Awakeners to believe that facing the demons head-on was actually manageable.
For these reasons, as the atmosphere grew increasingly hostile toward the restrictions on artifact excavation, voices claiming that the strength of Wolyeong, Knight, Grace, and Laysia was exaggerated began to grow louder.
Combined with the inability to properly excavate artifacts, some even began to harbor resentment.
As the head of the Korean branch of the Awakener Association, Park Min-woo was well aware of these rumors.
"Those shameless bastards..."
Thanks to his extensive network, Park Min-woo knew exactly what kind of talk was circulating, not just in Korea but abroad as well.
He knew the reality—that the large clans had become overly dependent on artifacts—and he had agreed that some level of compromise was necessary. However, seeing them belittle Wolyeong and those who had come from another world to help Earth filled him with irritation.
It was especially infuriating to see Japan, which had received direct help, already turning its back on its saviors so soon after the incident.
Through his work meeting and coordinating with many people, he had learned just how selfish humans could be.
Park Min-woo could usually tolerate such behavior, having grown accustomed to it.
But hearing such things said about Wolyeong made him even angrier.
Sigh... How am I supposed to explain this to Lady Wolyeong?
It wasn't something he could keep secret forever, and the thought gave him a headache.
However, Park Min-woo’s worries were quickly becoming irrelevant.
Under the leadership of Mammon’s demons, Ego Artifacts from the dungeons began to be transmitted to Earth, spreading among humans like poisonous mushrooms.
★ ★ ★
The Goryeo Clan was currently in a state of emergency.
They were secretly transporting an artifact discovered in their latest dungeon raid to their clan house.
After the demon incident in Japan concluded, artifact excavation had been suspended for a while. Once it resumed, they had entered the dungeons with renewed vigor and searched for artifacts.
What they found was a necklace-type artifact.
However, the Awakener who held it in his hand heard a voice in his head—a voice he had never heard before.
[What happened to the demons?]
"W-What the—!"
The male Awakener from the Goryeo Clan jumped in surprise at the female voice whispering right in his ear. His nearby comrades looked at him strangely.
"What's wrong?"
[Do not be alarmed. I am an Ego Artifact, designed to make my owner stronger.]
Only then did the Awakener look down at the necklace in his hand.
The gold necklace had a blue gemstone embedded in its center. He realized no one was playing a prank on him.
The people around him were comrades he had fought alongside for years. The voice was that of a woman he didn't know, and she had introduced herself as an Ego Artifact.
Just to be sure, he handed the necklace to a comrade who was asking what was wrong.
"This necklace is talking. See if you can hear it too."
"What are you talking about... W-What the!"
The second Awakener had the exact same reaction.
It wasn't a normal conversation; it felt like a whisper directly into the ear, leaving a lingering resonance in the mind. The sensation was distinctly different.
The Goryeo Clan Awakeners, having obtained a necklace that claimed to be an Ego Artifact, hurried to report to their superiors. They immediately received orders to return to the clan house.
They were told to be extremely careful not to let any information leak. Security was tightened to the maximum, and personnel were even dispatched to escort them.
Artifacts with their own consciousness were thought to exist only in the realm of imagination; none had ever been discovered until now.
The Goryeo Clan was stunned that they were the first to obtain one.
Furthermore, the claim that it could make its owner stronger made its value immeasurable.
Most of the executives were gathered in the Goryeo Clan’s briefing room, with Clan Leader Baek Yong-gi sitting at the head of the table.
The executives who were absent were those Baek Yong-gi trusted most, having been sent to escort the team returning with the Ego Artifact.
Baek Yong-gi was a large, muscular warrior. Even in his current suit, his muscles were prominent.
With a crew cut and rugged features that perfectly fit the description of "masculine," he was known publicly as a boisterous, stereotypical macho man.
In reality, however, he was greedy and petty, harboring even the smallest grudges and seeking revenge in any way possible.
Of course, he was the type to handle things completely in secret or wait for the perfect opportunity so as not to damage the image he had built.
The Goryeo Clan, led by Baek Yong-gi, was ranked second.
The first was the Yuseong Clan, led by Lee Jeong-jin. In reality, the gap between first and second place was enormous, while the gap between the second-ranked clan and those below it was narrow.
Baek Yong-gi’s goal was to surpass Lee Jeong-jin and make his Goryeo Clan number one.
It was a goal he had, of course, failed to achieve until now.
Lee Jeong-jin and Baek Yong-gi had both been active since the early days of the portals, but Baek Yong-gi had always been pushed aside by Lee Jeong-jin, forced to remain the perpetual runner-up.
He tried everything to beat Lee Jeong-jin, but Lee Jeong-jin was always one step ahead.
Even the Yuseong Clan was clearly stronger than the Goryeo Clan, outclassing them in business acumen, promotion, and every other aspect.
Because of his boisterous macho image, he couldn't show it outwardly, but Baek Yong-gi was incredibly frustrated by this situation. His constant goal was to defeat his rival.
Now that his subordinates had excavated an unprecedented artifact—one that guaranteed the owner's strength—his expectations were sky-high.
Fortunately, the Goryeo Clan’s security held firm. As intended, the necklace arrived safely at the clan house and was presented to Baek Yong-gi.
Inside a black storage box lay a necklace made of gold-colored metal with a blue gemstone embedded in it.
To Baek Yong-gi, its appearance didn't seem particularly special.
He slowly reached out to the necklace to verify it.
Since it had already passed through the hands of his subordinates and been confirmed safe, he reached out with confidence.
[Is there something you desire?]
Just as his subordinates had reported, a woman's voice whispered in his ear.
Hearing the voice that seemed to vibrate within his head, Baek Yong-gi realized that this artifact was truly different from any other discovered so far.
"You all did excellent work!"
Baek Yong-gi immediately praised the subordinates who had brought it.
In truth, the Goryeo Clan Awakeners who had personally handled the necklace on the way there felt a secret sense of regret.
After all, the Ego Artifact had explicitly stated it would make them stronger.
However, it was impossible to secretly pocket or embezzle an artifact under such strict scrutiny. Besides, Baek Yong-gi becoming stronger wasn't necessarily a bad thing for them.
For the Goryeo Clan to reach the top, Baek Yong-gi ultimately had to overcome Lee Jeong-jin.
In that sense, if this Ego Artifact could make Baek Yong-gi stronger, it would significantly narrow the gap between him and Lee Jeong-jin of the Yuseong Clan.
"Can you make me stronger?"
To an onlooker, it looked like he was talking to himself while holding a necklace, but he knew better now.
[Of course. That is my function.]
When the answer he wanted came immediately, Baek Yong-gi clenched his fist in joy.
Seeing this outward reaction, all the Goryeo Clan executives in the room felt elated.
Baek Yong-gi immediately informed everyone that the Ego Artifact had said it could make him stronger, and cheers erupted instantly.
"Nice!"
"Congratulations, sir!"
The room was filled with celebratory remarks as they basked in the joy.
Similar scenes were unfolding not only in the Goryeo Clan but in other regions across the globe.
The Ego Artifacts—or rather, Mammon’s demons—were extremely satisfied that their plan was unfolding exactly as intended.
One might have suspected it was a demonic trick, but among the Awakeners of the large clans, the atmosphere was such that no one could even voice such a suspicion.