Chapter 132: Contract (9)
Chapter 132: Contract (9)
The Association received Wolyeong with the utmost reverence the moment she arrived at the appointed time.
Kang Yujin, however, didn't pay much mind to the Association's sycophancy. Her thoughts were occupied by the strange sensations she had picked up on her way there—a nagging, unpleasant feeling of repulsion that she couldn't quite shake.
‘What on earth was that...?’
It was a negative sensation unlike anything she had ever experienced in her life.
Because of this, she couldn't properly focus on what Park Min-woo was saying. Her distraction made Park Min-woo even more anxious, as he worried that Wolyeong might be considering leaving Korea.
After some hesitation, he cautiously asked if someone had made a mistake or if something unpleasant had happened.
"Pardon?"
Startled by his sudden question, Yujin blinked in confusion.
Taking her reaction as a sign of trouble, Park Min-woo began rambling about the rumors circulating among the large clans and confessed his fears that she might leave the country.
"I have no intention of going to another country, so don't worry," she said.
Her casual tone was music to Park Min-woo's ears. It seemed their fears had been a mere misunderstanding, and while it made their worrying look foolish, he much preferred this outcome.
"Has anything strange happened lately?" Yujin asked.
"Nothing of the sort has been reported yet. If anything, the situation is looking up, as the large clans are all aggressively clearing dungeons."
"I see..."
Yujin had asked because the sensation she felt continued to bother her, but since he claimed there were no issues, she had no way to investigate further. She couldn't exactly act on a mere hunch, nor could she decide on a course of action without more information.
After a bit more light conversation, Yujin saw no reason to linger and headed home.
*
"Good job today."
"Welcome back, Noona."
"You worked hard."
Han Shin asked a casual question, surprised by how quickly she had returned.
"Why did the Association call you in?"
"It was nothing major. I think they were just worried we might leave for another country."
"I'm glad it was nothing serious, then."
Han Shin didn't mind that the Association clearly cherished and doted on them, but he didn't give it much thought either. More than anything, he was just glad there was no bad news.
As they walked into the living room together, Yujin spoke up.
"Oh, but I felt something strange near the Association today."
Laysia responded immediately. "A strange sensation?"
"Yeah. How should I put it... it was irritating. Unpleasant... even repulsive."
The gentle smile that always graced Laysia’s face vanished, replaced by a look of gravity.
"You felt that even though there were no monsters nearby?"
"Yes."
Seeing Laysia’s reaction, Han Shin realized this wasn't something to be taken lightly. His expression hardened as well.
"Laysia, do you have something in mind?"
"When I was defending Bürg, I felt something very similar to what Yujin described."
"Really? Under what circumstances did you feel that, Laysia?"
"I felt that sense of rejection and unpleasantness from those who betrayed us—those who turned to the demons and received their power."
Han Shin’s eyes widened. In short, Yujin had sensed humans who had sided with the demons.
"They were near the Association, and based on their attire, they looked like Awakeners," Yujin added.
Hearing Laysia’s explanation, Yujin realized the severity of the situation.
"Should we assume a demon has secretly crossed over to Earth?"
They had confirmed that the demons who poured out of the purple portal in Japan were all killed. A thorough search of the surrounding area had followed, and it was officially announced that every demon had been eliminated.
"That shouldn't be the case. Back then, our senses didn't pick up anyone escaping, and we killed every demon present."
"Then... that means new demons have crossed over to Earth..."
Han Shin found it hard to understand. Not only his group, but the Awakeners of Earth were now aware of the demons' existence. Everyone was clearing portals with increased vigilance, and it was reported that not a single portal was being left uncleared. Furthermore, there had been no news of the purple portals—the ones containing demons—appearing anywhere else since then.
"I'll check with the Association again to see if there are any traces of demons."
"Okay."
Laysia had experience dealing with demons who tempted humans, corrupted them, and turned them into minions by granting them demonic nature. However, with the Dimensional Barrier in place, it shouldn't be easy for demons to come to Earth. At the very least, crossing over secretly without leaving a trace seemed impossible given the barrier's existence. She assumed they would have to use a portal.
If that wasn't the case, there would be no way to monitor or stop demons from entering Earth.
Grace had also fought demons and seen traitors, but she hadn't been a follower of Tiamat at the time. She had only become a follower by contracting with Tiamat just before Nippur fell, so she had never experienced the specific sensory perception Laysia had.
"I think it would be best if I went out and saw for myself to be sure," Laysia said.
She felt she needed to meet them in person to confirm her suspicions rather than letting it slide. However, Yujin had been on her way to the Association at the time and hadn't realized how serious it was, so she didn't know their identities.
"But... I don't know who they were. I didn't look into it..."
In the end, they had no immediate way to find them. Yujin looked a bit dejected, blaming herself for not being more thorough.
Laysia smiled warmly at her. "It's alright. We'll be able to find them soon enough."
"She's right, Noona. You saw them near the Association, and if they're Awakeners, there's a high chance they live in Sejong City. We can take our time and look for them," Han Shin added, comforting her.
It was only natural to conclude that Yujin couldn't have known to identify them in that situation.
Grace, who had been silent, spoke to Han Shin. "I believe it would be best for us to go out and find the Awakeners Yujin saw."
Han Shin immediately agreed. "Yeah. I think Grace is right. If there really are Awakeners who have betrayed us and joined the demons, it's a serious matter. We need to find them quickly."
Normally, they avoided going out to keep their identities hidden, leaving only Yujin to handle outside affairs. But given the gravity of the situation, they had to take the risk.
★ ★ ★
It could be considered a stroke of luck that Kang Yujin encountered the corrupted Awakeners while visiting the Association, but in truth, it was an inevitability.
The Goryeo Clan wasn't the only one.
Though they kept it hidden from one another, the Geumwa Clan was in almost the exact same situation.
Everyone harbored the ambition to be the best, and no Awakener lacked the greed to become stronger. The Geumwa Clan had acquired an Ego Artifact around the same time as the Goryeo Clan and was being stained by demonic nature without even realizing it.
With two out of the five large clans in Korea in such a state, it was bound to happen that Yujin would run into them near the Association.
Kim Gi-joon, the leader of the Geumwa Clan, was a mage who specialized in water-attribute magic. Unlike Baek Yong-gi of the Goryeo Clan, who was obsessed with physical strength, Kim Gi-joon was obsessed with acquiring new magical knowledge.
In reality, Earth's mages were at a disadvantage when it came to learning magic. Because the history of magical research was so short, the variety of spells available to them was limited. Unlike other worlds where magic was practiced systematically, Earth's mages relied on a few spells they understood instinctively. They lacked the foundation to research and create efficient magic circles like mages from other worlds.
In such a situation, magical knowledge from another world was worth more than any amount of gold to a mage.
When the Ego Artifact identified itself as Raulo and claimed to be an artifact containing the knowledge of ancient mages, Kim Gi-joon rejoiced, thinking he had stumbled upon a fated stroke of luck like those found in old martial arts novels.
The Geumwa Clan, believing Kim Gi-joon had been blessed with incredible fortune, kept the discovery a state secret—just as the Goryeo Clan had. They were now busy collecting monster corpses and conducting all sorts of magical experiments.