The Contract
Under a clear night sky, two people tumbled onto the vast meadow, locked in a tight embrace.
"Gah…!"
"Master!!!"
I clung to my fading consciousness, battling the agonizing pain in my chest and the fact that my mana reserves were completely bottomed out. This was my Simsang. I had chosen this place hoping that, since it was connected to my physical self, it might provide a flow of mana. But...
'I guess that's not happening.'
It seemed my physical body out there and my body here were truly, definitively separated.
"Kuhk…!"
If I had mana, I could have protected my vital organs while the blade pierced me, stopping the bleeding and avoiding any real damage. But without mana, even simple hemostasis was a struggle.
"Mana… is…."
A metallic, rattling sound—the kind that signals the end—leaked from my throat, which was already filling with blood. As my vision slowly dimmed, I felt the end of my life approaching.
Whoosh—!
Just then, warm mana surged into me, slightly delaying the inevitable.
"No…."
"…."
"You can't die…!"
As my vision cleared, I saw Yuna, her lips bitten raw, pouring her own mana into me. Her eyes were brimming with tears, her brow furrowed in desperate concentration. Seeing her so pained and earnest, I summoned every ounce of strength I had left and pulled the sword from my chest.
"Gah…! Huff…!"
I used my mana and aura to cauterize the wound.
"Huff…. Ha…. Huff…."
I gasped for air, desperately trying to pull my fading consciousness back to the surface. A few seconds passed. As my vision returned and the surroundings sharpened, I shifted my body from its side to lie flat on my back. Yuna’s face came into view; even as she trembled, her eyes were locked onto mine.
"Thank… god…."
Thud—
With those final words, Yuna collapsed.
"Ha…. Haa…."
Her lips, tinged with a faint blue, let out ragged breaths. Not only had her cultivation been forcibly elevated by the moon, but my intervention had shattered her Simsang as well; the toll on her body and mind must have been astronomical. I held her hand, transferred a sliver of my remaining mana, and let out a sigh of relief once I felt her breathing stabilize.
"Phew…."
Now, what to do? At least we’d both survived. Since I’d pulled Yuna out from the moon’s influence, her physical body out there should be stabilizing as well. If I kept her protected within my Simsang, she wouldn't lose her reason again as long as I was here.
'But that’s not the end of it.'
The red moon signified the Baekgwi-yahaeng—the Night of the Hundred Demons. Starting with the appearance of a single leader, countless creatures would go berserk, driven by the sole instinct to kill humans. By now, the outside world must be in chaos, struggling to hold back the monsters pouring in and out of Alven.
Of course, Derban was out there, but if this disaster could be stopped by a single Hwaguk-stage warrior, the world I fell into wouldn't have been destroyed. At the very least, they would need another Hwaguk-stage warrior or a high-level mage of the 7th Circle.
…Wait, 7th Circle?
'Listen well. Drink all the potions, go around the arena, and find a mage of the 7th Circle or higher. Then, give them the Division Stone and tell them to open the interrogation!'
The interrogation I’d initiated right after deflecting Yuna’s attack. Opening an interrogation for a specific target was a feat only a high-level mage of the 7th Circle or higher could perform. If there hadn't been a high-level mage, it wouldn't have been easy to enter Yuna’s Simsang in the first place.
"Haha…."
What was I worried about? I felt a little more at ease, and when I turned my head, I found Yuna, who had been lying next to me, staring right at me.
"…Master."
"Yeah."
"Why did you go this far…?"
Small tears welled up in Yuna’s eyes, which were trembling as if she truly couldn't understand.
"You could have just abandoned me. You could have ignored me, passed me by, just…."
"…."
"…You could have killed me."
She whispered the words, her hands shaking so hard she could barely hold them still. Seeing that, I instinctively turned and grabbed her trembling hands. Besides, asking "why" was such a difficult question to answer.
What should I say? That I promised Chang-sa I’d save you? Or that seeing you cry so sorrowfully reminded me of my own younger self?
…No, that wasn't it.
"That’s simple."
It was probably because—
"A child's hunger clock is precious."
It must be because of something I couldn't explain any other way.
"…Pfft. What is that…."
***
It was when I was sitting up with a somewhat calmed Yuna, watching the stars. Or, to be precise, with Yuna leaning against my shoulder.
"Hey… Yuna?"
"Yeah?"
"…Never mind."
If you're happy, that's enough…. With that thought, I shoved the lowest-grade recovery and mana potions from my inventory into my mouth. That was when I felt a breeze enter through the interrogation gate opening behind me.
"My apologies for barging in during such a lovely moment, ladies."
Blonde hair, flowing from a black top hat down to his waist, shimmered. His black dress pants and jacket were clearly high-end. A red tie crossing over a white shirt at the center of his chest added a splash of color. He was the picture of a bourgeois gentleman. And that face, which didn't have a shred of trustworthiness, was approaching with a smarmy grin.
"…Who are you?"
Opening someone else's Simsang without permission for no reason was incredibly rude. It was even more offensive than walking into someone's house with your shoes on.
"Grrr…."
As I raised my aura, Yuna followed suit. The smarmy, blonde, squinty-eyed man waved his hands in a panic.
"Whoa, wait a second! I have no hostile intent! I just have something to deliver."
"…Something to deliver?"
"Just a moment…. Ah! Here it is! This."
The man reached into his subspace and pulled out three green bottles.
"…Where did you get those?"
"Grrr…!"
The man, sensing our gazes sharpening, waved his hands again.
"Whoa, please, don't get angry! Just listen to me for a second! Just listen."
"Go on."
"Some bard came up to me and asked me to open an interrogation because they’d give me a Division Stone, right? So I opened it. But do you know how rare Division Stones are? So I asked if there was anything else they wanted besides opening the interrogation, and they asked if I could send these to Baldojang! So, ta-da~"
"…You brought them."
"Ta-da~"
Ta-da, my foot. I felt a strange sensation at his blatant, slick behavior and rubbed my forehead.
"Ha…."
'What kind of guy is this….'
A Simsang is a small world of its own. Especially the Simsang of a high-level warrior, which is so complete it’s practically another dimension. That’s why a high-level warrior's Simsang can't be opened easily unless the owner permits it.
'And yet, he opened it this easily.'
A high-level warrior's Simsang isn't affected by how injured or exhausted their physical body is. Besides, this wasn't even my real body. In other words, this guy could enter anyone's Simsang if he wanted to.
'He doesn't seem like a Star-rank. Then he must be a 9th Circle mage.'
A 9th Circle mage of the Heavenly Flower stage. Those who have already transcended human limits and entered the realm of the superhuman are practically walking natural disasters.
'I wonder what such a person is doing here, but, well, whatever.'
It’s impossible to guess what people that high up are thinking. Besides, there were things I needed to ask first.
"…Fine, I get it. More importantly, what happened outside?"
"Ah. I was just about to tell you about that…."
"…What is it? You're making me nervous."
"…."
"The outside is currently filled with unprecedented monsters…."
"…I think I get the situation."
At my reply, the mage stroked his chin and hummed.
"Hmm…. Then, could I perhaps ask for your help?"
"I’d like to, but my body is in this state."
"Don't worry about that! I’ll heal you perfectly. And of course, I’ll top off your mana, too."
Snap—
As the mage snapped his fingers, a green magic circle appeared above our heads. The moment the light from the circle touched me, every wound on my body vanished without a trace. My mana was, quite literally, topped off.
"And! Drink this, too."
I took the Ascension Potion the mage offered and downed it, feeling my magical power surge.
Magical Power: 8 → 23
'That’s a big boost.'
I channeled my mana, feeling a distinct difference from before, and stretched my body to loosen up.
"Are you having any problems?"
"No, thank you. By the way, who are you?"
"Hehe…. Once this matter is concluded, I shall officially reveal my name, Lady. Now, let’s head outside."
"Wait a second."
"? What is it?"
Sal-gwi (Yuna) has developed an affinity for you!
Would you like to tame Sal-gwi (Yuna)?
Static—
Would you like to form a contract with Sal-gwi (Yuna)?
"There’s something I want to try."