Tartarus 2. [No Need to Search. I Already Know.]
Without much expectation, I'd tossed out the question, but Beelzebub knew U Mi-young's house.
"How do you know?"
"Fleas everywhere I go... so they were your drones?"
"Like the Beggar Clan or Haomen from wuxia novels? You filthy bastard."
U Mi-young's house was a villa not far away. I didn't pry further into how Jejeop knew it. He was definitely hiding something from me. This guy already knew U Mi-young crossed gates. Otherwise, why would he have scoped out her place specifically?
Observing U Mi-young was crucial for me.
The U Mi-young who'd returned to the real world through the gate seemed to be the very same one now hospitalized in a coma.
It was 11 p.m. now. From the rooftop of the house next to her villa, I watched her. The living room curtains were wide open, making observation easy. It was like viewing through binoculars—every detail crystal clear.
"This has to be at least 9.0 vision, right?"
Sure enough, as Jejeop said, there was chili powder smeared by U Mi-young's lips. But... the baby she was tending to right now.
"She's raising a kid?"
A baby crawling on all fours. But... I thought I'd seen wrong, rubbed my eyes, and looked again.
"Fuck..."
The crawling baby's expression was off. A Joker Smile.
The baby grinning a Joker Smile at U Mi-young...
"That's a shell world's baby, isn't it?"
"Did the baby she was raising here die or something?"
I couldn't presume to judge since I didn't know a parent's grief over losing a child. U Mi-young, a survivor in T-16, had coincidentally returned here through a gate. With her own baby.
"Do shells grow?"
"But inside, it's a demon."
"Is that even possible?"
"U Mi-young's soul must've entered a shell body in T-16. Otherwise, no way she'd bring the baby back here."
"So, are all the coma patients from that weird disease the same? Their souls all crossed to T-16?"
Sure enough, a case like mine.
"Then O Nangryun's somewhere in T-16 too?"
Wait... then what about Han Areum? The Han Areum I slept with was actually human... pretending to be a shell?
"Ah... fuck, that's why... There was a reason our conversations with Han Areum felt so contextual."
Looking back, I'd wrongly assumed Han Areum made dialogues feel grounded.
"Belphegor's doing?"
"Why? No way... Is this Belphegor's way of recruiting apostles?"
"Preparing for Baal's invasion like you mentioned?"
Belphegor was like a god in the shell world. Selecting strong 'apostles' by giving quests to survivors brought to T-16. The idea of Belphegor moving against Baal perked my ears.
Baal, devastating the real world with drugs. I instinctively knew he was the final boss, but too massive a wall for me alone. With Beelzebub and Belphegor's power, maybe I could fight?
I shook my head.
Interesting. Demon kings opposing Baal. If my salary got cut and I was demoted, I'd fight too.
"So, awakened superhumans in T-12 are Baal's underlings?"
"Demon kings toying with humans through quests..."
"How does Baal mass-produce awakened?"
"Late to the party, churning out One Piece fruits, huh." I clicked my tongue. Meant there could be tons of superhumans with powers in the real world.
Intriguing how demon kings' apostle recruitment differed.
"Baal feeds fruits for tournaments... Belphegor kidnaps souls from other dimensions?"
"Is U Mi-young Belphegor's apostle?"
"From Baal's view, U Mi-young crossing here makes her Belphegor's underling—an intruder?"
"Aha... so that's how you knew her house? You've been watching for Belphegor."
I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh. U Mi-young, potential apostle and Belphegor's underling, had slipped back to T-12 via gate. Probably snuck back due to maternal instinct, without Belphegor knowing. Seeing her breastfeed the shell baby was heartbreaking.
"Jejeop, don't you have apostles?"
"Can I command your minions?"
I smirked, gazing down at U Mi-young. Pretty as hell. Couldn't picture her as a mom. "Interesting."
U Mi-young picked up the baby to nurse. Breasts so gorgeous, I envied the kid. Gulp. Throat suddenly dry.
More shocking than her being Belphegor's underling: her being a mom. Smart, pretty women turn me on. My kids' brains follow maternal IQ, so it's instinct and desire pulling me to clever women. Same reason for my crush on Hamster, my Korea University junior U Yu-jeong.
"No way it's Section Chief Choi Dong-jin's kid?"
I stared hard. Motherhood's just brain chemistry and hormones. U Mi-young nursed, patted the baby, singing a lullaby.
"Time's..."
She'd arrived an hour before me. Same 24-hour limit. My head's countdown meant she'd return to T-16 in an hour and a half.
U Mi-young was Belphegor's underling. Couldn't approach rashly. Belphegor was Beelzebub's friend. If they teamed up, who knows the variables. Moment Belphegor learns I trapped Beelzebub in a Quantum Trap, he might become a new enemy. Rage over me, try killing me to free Beelzebub.
Turning U Mi-young ally via talk seemed tough. Working together, she always looked down on me.
Kill her for Soul Harvest? A mom with that maternal love? She taught me gates were safe.
Tough call. For now, observe till 24 hours pass, see how she returns to T-16. That's my gain here.
My mind raced.
"Baal's underling?"
At Beelzebub's warning, I scanned around. Then, fast movement in view. Someone scaling the villa wall like a long-legged dust spider.
Crash!
The black figure shattered the living room window, invading U Mi-young's home. Happened in a blink.
The intruder stood tall in the living room. Yellow hair, tight black long-sleeve crop top. U Mi-young looked shocked. No audio, but her fury suggested a fight brewing.
The baby beside her wailed. U Mi-young drew a long whip. Like a circus beauty tamer, she cracked it on the floor—snap! She struck first, whipping at Baal's underling.
"Whip user? Not bad."
Jejeop was right. U Mi-young moved with inhuman flexibility. Long legs kicking sharply, whip dominating all directions.
But the intruder was faster. She closed in instantly. Close range nullified the whip. Yellow Hair elbowed U Mi-young's gut. Insane speed.
U Mi-young spat blood, doubling over. "Oho... pretty quick."
Elbow strike flowed into an upward palm to the air. Thwack! Palm heel smashed U Mi-young's jaw. Her body straightened, launched airborne, then crashed pathetically.
"Flashy techniques."
Yellow Hair's attacks: simple, brutal. U Mi-young crumpled unconscious. Yellow Hair froze in victory pose.
One exchange, fight over. "Waaah! Waaah!" Baby wailed, U Mi-young out. Yellow Hair smirked cruelly, approaching for the kill. Black blade extended from her arm.
Even as Belphegor's, U Mi-young and I were friendly. Couldn't let her die so pathetically.
"Soul Summon: SpongeBob, Kuma, Pu, Quickshit."
Sent SpongeBob, Kuma, Pu first. Summons are convenient.
"Kill that yellow-haired bitch down there."
My command: over-2-meter hulks leaped from rooftop. Fireballs ready in hands, but held fire. Burning the room risked U Mi-young and baby.
SpongeBob, Kuma, Pu smashed through window frame into living room. Yellow Hair startled by unexpected intruders. Face hidden by smooth white egg mask.
"Hiya!"
Yellow Hair unleashed flashy kicks like a martial artist, pressuring SpongeBob. Wind whistled even from afar. SpongeBob's heavy punches whiffed against her agility.
Kuma and Pu tried tackles. She backflipped effortlessly.
Then, landing from flip, she looked up at me on the roof. Her eyes gleamed, locking mine.
"Oh? You see me too?"
White mask hid expressions, but her sharp gaze pierced. 'You're their master.' That's what her eyes said.
Yellow Hair glanced at SpongeBob and bears, then wall-ran toward me.
"Intriguing?"
If charging me, I'd fight. But I'm a summoner. Summons are my power.
"Soul Return: SpongeBob, Kuma, Pu."
Summons recalled instantly to my wrist tattoo. Resummoned right in front.
"Soul Summon: SpongeBob, Kuma, Pu."
Summons' perk: instant repositioning. They blocked her charge as I fired fireballs.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
She dodged nimbly, but froze at massive fist incoming. The monster she'd faced below now before her. No—staring at my face, she nodded knowingly, shaking head laughing.
"Oh come on! It's Chef Park Woojin!"
Baal's underling knew me?
"Chef Park. Why'd you do it? Coming here, wrecking Nam Seohee's hideout."
Her coquettish voice echoed.
"!!"
How'd she know I trashed Nam Seohee's hideout?
"Think we'd miss such a big mess? Should've stayed stuck in dimension 16... Now protecting Belphegor's underling too?"
What the fuck?
"How'd you know I came from 16?"
"I just killed the Park Woojin who wrecked Nam Seohee's hideout. The one hospitalized?"
Thud... Stomach dropped.
Killed T-12 me? Weird feeling. No—seething rage.
"Killing a defenseless patient and bragging? You fucking cunt?"
"Oh my. Rude to a lady."
"Mask on, who knows if you're a lady or gay dude."
"Hey. Thanks to you, prosecutor general's fired, all my connections fucked. All for Lord Baal's plan..."
"Turn it into a drug kingdom, explode dopamine? For Baal?"
"Hohoho. You know? Drugs aren't bad. Dopamine blast. Pleasure boost. Want an LSD tab? I'll suck you off too. I'm good at it."
I growled at yellow hair. "I'll kill you myself."