Envy's Prey

The moment I emerged from the trial, I immediately checked the artifact's effects.

Double movement speed, a special skill, and a free stat on top of it all—with absolutely no strings attached.

"This is insane…."

I never expected a balance-breaking item like this to come out of a trial about climbing over walls.

With these, I'll be able to use it freely until I obtain the real thing.

I equipped the item and stepped out of the test gate.

Come to think of it, how long has it been?

Any sense of time had long since abandoned me, so I pulled out my phone and checked the date.

"Ugh, a whole week's gone by?"

Somehow, an entire week had already passed since I'd begun fighting.

I called my mother right away.

- Jin-ah?

"Mom, I'm out."

- Good work. Get home soon.

Maybe it was because I'd warned her in advance this time, but I couldn't sense any killing intent in her voice.

I hailed a taxi nearby and headed home.

"O Envy…."

"What is it."

Envy answered Ramen's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠summons flatly, without a shred of warmth. Ever since the Death Hound incident, Ramen had lost a considerable amount of her trust.

I have to win it back somehow.

To a demon bound to a faction, the master of that faction was nothing less than a god. A being who suddenly lost a god's favor could only sink into despair.

"I've found the C-rank man who interfered with our plan."

"Is that true!"

At that single sentence, Envy's voice changed completely. Once someone caught her eye, she couldn't see anything else until she caught her prey.

"Yes. His name is Han Jin. He's the very bottom of the C-ranks."

Ramen frowned as he read through the report. Judging by its contents alone, there was simply no way this man could have killed a Death Hound.

"Why did you stop reading?"

"Ah—my apologies, I'll continue."

Flustered by Envy's irritation, Ramen hurriedly resumed reading.

"He's currently sponsored by the Geumgang Guild, and his trait has not been identified."

With every line he read, Ramen's head throbbed harder. The report was utterly devoid of realism.

And this is what he calls a report?

He was irritated at the informant who'd submitted it. Still, he forced himself to keep reading.

"As for family, he has a younger sister and both parents. He awakened less than half a year ago."

"Is that so."

Having finished the report, Envy grinned.

The moment Ramen saw that smile, cold sweat broke out across his back and he began babbling.

"I'll find whoever submitted this report at once and punish him accordingly."

A report with zero realism. Anyone who heard it would think it was a joke. And he had delivered such a report to his god. Wiping his sweat, Ramen desperately tried to dodge the blame.

It was then that Envy spoke.

"Why would you punish him."

With that one line, all responsibility evaporated. Not that there'd been any fault to begin with.

"So you think this lacks realism, do you…."

Envy rose from her seat and slowly approached Ramen.

"Reality died a long time ago."

As she spoke, demonic energy flared around her.

"Then wouldn't you say we Seven Great Demons are hopelessly unrealistic as well?"

"F-forgive me."

Ramen apologized instantly. The Seven Great Demons were indeed utterly unrealistic beings. Each of them already rivaled S-rank, and some had surpassed it entirely. Beings who had thrown realism to the dogs.

"If you're sorry, then bring that man before me. Quickly."

That is what the Seven Great Demons are.

"Understood!"

Ramen sprang up from his seat and rushed out of the room. Left alone, Envy laughed.

"Hahahahaha!"

She simply laughed.

Envy had always envied S-ranks—those stronger than her, rolling in money. But now she had risen to a position rivaling those very S-ranks. She had lost her object of envy.

S-rank strength hidden in a C-rank body, hm….

Her interest sharpened, inch by inch. Was he a being like herself—or simply a genius?

If the former, she would gain a companion like her. But if the latter….

I'll kill him.

A C-rank sponsored by a major guild. No one had ever managed that before. And a genius like that deserved, more than anyone, to be envied.

"How long will I have to wait, I wonder."

"What is this?"

I stared at the secretary sitting across from me, holding out a sheet of paper. Two days ago, I'd finally finished the test and broken into level 100. I'd gained the new stats Blood Qi and Daoist Power as well. And I had just been about to settle into a well-deserved rest.

I finally get to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠relax, and then a sudden summons?

One phone call this morning had dragged me out of bed, and the instant this secretary saw my face, she'd shoved a paper into my hands.

"Please review it."

You haul me in first thing in the morning just to say 'please review it'?

My long-awaited plan to sleep in ruined, I flipped through the pages with a touch of irritation.

"This is…."

But the moment I saw what was on the paper, I couldn't stop my expression from twisting. I hurriedly turned to the next page, then the next.

"…."

A crimson magic circle, drawn in blood-red ink. It was burned into my memory.

"A demon summoning circle…."

The words escaped my mouth before I could stop them.

"So you do recognize it, as expected?"

"…Where exactly was this found?"

From her tone, the secretary had clearly anticipated that I would recognize the circle. A demon summoning circle activates by using human blood as its catalyst.

At this size, it must have taken the blood of at least fifty people….

If someone had gathered that much blood to power a summoning circle, the entire surrounding area would have been in danger.

"Fortunately, we discovered it before the circle could be activated, and destroyed it."

"I see."

Her words brought me quiet relief. If that circle had actually been activated, a baron-class demon might well have emerged.

"And through this subjugation operation, we were able to learn where their 'king' is located."

"Their king…?"

Demons bound to a faction would divulge their faction's name if pressed, but never the location of their stronghold. Where on earth did they get this? Even before my regression, demons had been so loyal to their factions that they would kill themselves rather than break under torture.

"There was a civilian who had been blackmailed into forcibly cooperating with the demons."

While I was mulling it over, the secretary explained the situation. Demons did occasionally enslave humans who caught their fancy, so it was entirely plausible.

"But are you really allowed to show me classified material like this?"

Information precise enough to locate Envy was top-secret. This was not something a mere guild member—let alone an outsider—should be permitted to see.

"The Association and we have agreed to assemble a large-scale subjugation force for this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠operation."

At my question, the secretary adjusted her glasses and answered.

"We would like you to join that force as part of a special detachment."

"Me?"

There was one hole in her proposal. I had only just crossed level 100—and Geumgang didn't know that yet. They want to put someone below level 100 on a special detachment? This made no sense. Even less so for an operation being run jointly with the Association.

"The Guild Master personally recommended you for the detachment."

The moment I heard that, everything clicked into place. Somehow, I could believe that Guild Master of all people would do exactly this.

"What exactly does the detachment do?"

"While the rest of the subjugation force handles the demons, your unit infiltrates the heart of the stronghold and kills the king."

My head started to ache. It wasn't a bad deal for me—far from it—but the situation was almost too convenient. It felt as though someone knew my plans and was quietly clearing the path for me.

"Are you sure about this? Adding an awakener who hasn't even reached level 100 yet?"

"We already knew you reached level 100 two days ago."

Should I call it typical? Geumgang had known about my level all along. That's honestly a little terrifying. A chill ran down my spine. I'd drifted off for a moment, but I picked the conversation back up.

"So the Association agreed to it too?"

"Yes. The Guild Master personally persuaded the Association President."

Apparently this Guild Master simply had no brakes—he'd gone straight to the top and lobbied the Association President himself. The whole thing made my head swim, but it wasn't as though refusing was an option.

"I'll join—on one condition."

"And that is?"

The secretary handled my proposal as smoothly as if she'd seen it coming from a mile away. Having every one of my thoughts read like an open book wasn't exactly pleasant, but it did make negotiations easier.

"Get me elixirs. As many as you can."

"Elixirs?"

Apparently this was the one thing she hadn't predicted; the secretary faltered for just a moment.

"Attribute and grade don't matter. Just bring me as many as possible."

Potency and attribute meant little to me right now. Thanks to my Elixir Addict trait, even weak elixirs could be cranked up to powerful ones. Quantity first. With enough volume, I could compensate for quality.

"…Understood."

After a long deliberation, the secretary finally accepted my terms. I silently rejoiced inside.

"Then let's be off."

"I'm sorry—what?"

Barely giving me time to celebrate, the secretary rose from her seat. Of course, she didn't mean anything like an after-party.

"You've agreed to join, so all you need to do is follow me."

"…."

I offered no argument and simply fell in behind her. Considering they were throwing in elixirs too, I could manage this much.

I should never have followed her.

It was too late for regrets now, but I still wished I hadn't trailed that secretary when I had the chance.

"So you're the awakener Min-jun went on and on about, hm?"

So said the man before me. He looked to be in middle age, though his actual age was roughly the same as Han Min-cheol's.

"Haha."

I couldn't manage any real ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠answer. I just laughed. Awkwardly.

"The detachment will consist of you, Min-jun, and Team Leader Woo Sang-shik."

This man, rattling off the detachment's roster as if it were nothing, was the very pinnacle of Korea's awakeners.

Association President Bang Hak-shik.

Perhaps because his name was so amusing—literally 'School Vacation'—he was a wildly popular awakener.

Barely minutes ago, the secretary had parked me in this room and slipped gracefully out the door all by herself. What a terrible personality. I could see it all too clearly—that woman had set me up. She was definitely smiling with her eyes!

Gritting my teeth inwardly, I focused on the Association President.

"You're a C-rank, I hear… Did you falsify your rank assessment?"

There it was. The question I'd been waiting for. If I was joining the detachment, there was no way it wouldn't come up.

Whew.

I organized my answer in my head, and opened my mouth.