Chapter 130: Contract (7)
Chapter 130: Contract (7)
Since Han Shin was the first Proxy of Tiamat, it followed that Kang Yujin was the very first person to become a follower through a Proxy.
Perhaps because of this, there was a clear difference between Kang Yujin and the others, Grace and Laysia.
First and foremost, she did not have a personal Sanctuary like they did.
Yujin closed her eyes and tried to focus her mind. According to Grace and Laysia, one should naturally realize how to access their Sanctuary once they became a follower.
However, Yujin felt nothing.
Opening her eyes again, she spoke. "I tried again, but I still don't feel anything."
"Then… it’s likely because Lady Tiamat is currently asleep, so you haven't been granted a Sanctuary yet," Grace offered a cautious guess.
Her intuition was correct. There was bound to be a distinct difference between Tiamat exercising her power directly and a Proxy doing so on her behalf. While Tiamat had granted Han Shin the authority and strength to create followers, he did not yet possess the power to manifest a Sanctuary for them.
"Let's see if you can enter ours, then."
The four of them moved to Grace’s Sanctuary.
With a sensation of floating, Kang Yujin was teleported through space. She set foot for the first time into a Sanctuary constructed of white walls and elegant pillars. She looked around in wonder at the vast, luxuriously designed space.
"So this is where Shin trained every day."
Looking at the sprawling training grounds, Yujin inspected every corner, imagining Han Shin practicing there. She saw a massive library filled with various books, a bed, a bathroom, and more. Everything felt brand new, and she found the spacious, convenient facilities quite to her liking.
Slowly, Yujin’s thoughts drifted toward sharing intimate moments with Han Shin.
Whenever she cleared dungeons in other countries under her alias, Wolyeong, she had always hesitated to throw herself into his arms because of the prying eyes of others. Even their recent embrace had been a calculated risk she took because she was becoming a follower of Tiamat; fortunately, no one had interrupted or peeked.
Regardless, she felt a pang of envy knowing that Grace and Laysia had been able to freely embrace Han Shin in such a vast, clean space, far from the gaze of the world.
‘Now I can do it with Shin here, too…’
Yujin was delighted that she could now enter the Sanctuary. Seeing her reaction, a smile played on Han Shin’s lips. He, too, was glad they could come here together.
‘Now we can move as one.’
Having already clashed with demons once, it was reassuring that Yujin had become a follower of Tiamat, gaining the ability to use Holy Power and hunt alongside them.
Even after becoming a follower, Yujin didn't feel any significant change in how she handled her psychokinesis. She could still use it according to her will, and from her perspective, the power felt the same as before.
With Yujin joining them as a follower, the pace of clearing portals in the Siberian region accelerated. They no longer needed to move separately; they could stay together, and through Han Shin’s Manager App, they could enter distant dungeons as a group.
As Han Shin leveled up, the range within which he could access dungeons increased, allowing them to completely wipe out the portals in the area.
After finishing all the regions requested by Russia, it was time to return home. However, there was no longer any reason to take a plane. Yujin had no desire to endure a long flight when she could simply return home immediately with Han Shin, Grace, and Laysia via the Sanctuary.
"We will be returning on our own, so please go on ahead."
The Association staff member supporting Wolyeong blinked in surprise at her unexpected words.
"If you need our assistance with anything…"
"No, it’s fine."
Faced with Wolyeong’s firm refusal, the staff member had no choice but to comply. They had to cater to her wishes, after all.
The Association had provided a private plane for her convenience and she had always returned with them before. The staff member’s mind began to race, wondering why she was suddenly insisting on parting ways here.
‘Could it be another country…?’
Naturally, the most worrying possibility came to mind first. Wolyeong’s value had grown exponentially. The Korean Branch of the Awakener Association was well aware that other countries had been eyeing her for some time. They knew she had been offered far better treatment than what she received in Korea, and they were inwardly grateful that she had turned down all those proposals.
But now, her sudden declaration that she would return independently was enough to throw the staff member, who had supported her for the past two years, into a panic.
‘I need to report this to headquarters immediately.’
They couldn't exactly force her onto the plane, nor could they stalk her if she chose to move on her own.
In reality, Kang Yujin simply intended to go straight back to her house in Korea comfortably with Han Shin, but since the outside world had no way of knowing that, they interpreted it in an entirely different light.
Park Min-woo, the Head of the Korean Branch of the Awakener Association, received the report instantly. He was already nursing a headache because of the shameless people in other countries who were downplaying the achievements of Wolyeong and the Otherworlders—or even resenting them. Hearing this news sent a chill down his spine.
‘Could Lady Wolyeong be considering another country…?’
While there were shameless detractors, there were also many who held her in the highest regard. He knew all too well that places like the USA were desperate to dig up information on Wolyeong and recruit her. Park Min-woo had been the one bearing the brunt of the pressure coming through various channels.
‘Sigh… I need to ensure she’s treated even better…’
Park Min-woo worried that Wolyeong might leave for another country, a fear shared by all the Association staff who heard the news. An emergency meeting was convened immediately to discuss how to prevent her from defecting.
The problem was that they were at a disadvantage. It was impossible for them to match the financial terms offered by wealthier nations. The meeting dragged on for a long time, but no one, including Park Min-woo, could come up with a definitive answer.
★ ★ ★
An Awakener standing nearly 200 centimeters tall, with muscles so imposing they commanded respect from anyone who saw him, walked into a large room with his upper body bare.
It was Baek Yong-gi, the leader of the Goryeo Clan.
His body was covered in scars from fighting monsters, and his bulging muscles were massive, with veins standing out prominently. Around his neck hung a necklace made of golden metal, featuring a glowing blue gemstone.
This was an Ego Artifact that Baek Yong-gi currently wore. He kept it on at all times, seeking advice from the entity within that called itself Jacquin.
True to its claim of making the wearer stronger, Jacquin was a great help in empowering Baek Yong-gi, a warrior who possessed immense physical strength and utilized Qi.
The artifact allowed him to utilize the byproducts obtained from monster corpses. Earth’s Awakeners had researched these materials but concluded they were of little use; however, Jacquin used them to strengthen the physical body.
The place Baek Yong-gi and the other Goryeo Clan Awakeners had entered was the basement of their clan house. Originally used as a simple gym, it had been cleared out and repurposed into a secret storage facility for monster byproducts. Whenever the Goryeo Clan cleared portals, they would smuggle out monster corpses whenever they were out of the public eye and pile them here.
"This place is already getting full. We’ll need to set up another one."
"I’m already looking into purchasing a nearby warehouse to turn into a storage facility."
"Good work."
Baek Yong-gi grinned at his subordinate’s proactive move. This was only possible because the subordinates were also reaping the benefits of becoming stronger thanks to the Ego Artifact.
In the center of a complex, circular magic circle, they had piled the corpses of Orcs and Gnolls—the ones they had smuggled out today.
[Then, let us begin.]
When Jacquin’s voice echoed in his ear, Baek Yong-gi nodded.
"Do it."
The blue gem on the golden necklace flared with light, and mana flowed out to activate the magic circle. The circle, drawn on the floor using monster bone meal and blood, began to glow.
Soon, the corpses in the center began to evaporate as if melting, turning into a mist. This mist flowed into Baek Yong-gi and the other Goryeo Clan Awakeners who had entered with him.
"Hehehe…"
"This is it…!"
Drunk on the sensation of growing stronger, they all laughed and cheered in delight. The Awakeners of the Goryeo Clan accepted the fact that they could grow stronger using previously useless monster corpses through Jacquin without the slightest hint of revulsion.
No one in the room realized it. Though there were no major outward changes, the Awakeners of the Goryeo Clan were slowly being stained by demonic nature.
As expected, Jacquin was using the desires of these human Awakeners, who were obsessed with power, to gradually inject them with demonic influence.
While Han Shin and his party were unaware, the demons were steadily progressing with their work to turn Earth’s Awakeners into their minions.