Was This Your Plan All Along?
The mass media was in a frenzy day after day.
Kang-ho lay comfortably on his bed, scrolling through his smartphone to gather the latest info.
Bzzz-! The group chat started buzzing.
Kang-ho picked up his phone and replied.
With that, Kang-ho finished chatting and looked straight ahead. Theo sat fidgeting on a log chair at the table.
"Hm."
Kang-ho tilted his head slightly at Theo.
"Hmmm..."
"Yeah?"
Theo hurriedly corrected himself. It was still rude, but Kang-ho didn't mind and spoke up.
"So, you were rank 4 out of the 72 demon lords in the Demon Realm?"
Theo glanced nervously and corrected again.
"Speak casually. I won't mind."
For some reason, Kang-ho felt like smacking him, but as he sat up, Theo flinched again.
Never mind.
"You lost to Baal, the number one, got most of your demonic energy stolen, and crash-landed here?"
"You don't know much about this world's demons?"
Theo nodded and added,
"Lately?"
In Earth time, it's been 50 years since Daybreak.
Kang-ho's hunch was turning into fact. Fifty years post-Daybreak, the number of secondary dimensions connected to Earth had definitely increased. One of them was Theo's world—the Demon Realm.
A sudden curiosity struck him. Kang-ho asked Theo,
"What's the power level like there?"
Theo crossed his arms, eyed Kang-ho, and shrugged.
"Can't gauge your level accurately in my current state. Mana detection's off."
It happened when the mana gap was extreme.
They were decent SS-rank beings.
Baekya's Lee Hyuk was one of Earth's SS-rank Awakeners, too.
Higher level than I thought.
Kang-ho pondered deeply.
"Is combat an everyday part of life in the Demon Realm?"
His curiosity piqued.
"What's your ability?"
Anticipation gleamed in Theo's eyes. Kang-ho stared blankly at him.
Flinch!
Theo met Kang-ho's gaze and backed off. He'd probably read the should I smack him? thought.
But soon, Kang-ho spoke.
"I was thinking of releasing you anyway."
"Yeah. Come outside."
Kang-ho stepped out with Theo. Far off, Seol-a frolicked happily with the Thunderbird chicks.
"Yeah."
Theo marveled anew at his surroundings.
"......"
Kang-ho stared at Theo, then placed a hand on his chest. Soon.
Kwaaaa-!
The mana Kang-ho had used to seal Theo's mana hole vanished. Thick demonic energy poured from Theo's body, saturating the air.
Theo cheered.
Definitely.
Kang-ho sensed it again.
This isn't like the old demons' energy.
So what was the connection between demons and the Demon Realm?
As he pondered, papapapap-!
Seol-a came dashing from afar. As if waiting, she joyfully chomped down on—
Crunch!
Theo's ankle.
Theo looked at Kang-ho. Kang-ho smiled and nodded.
"Yeah."
"A White Fang subspecies."
Smooch smooch. Seol-a's eyes widened in delight as she sucked in Theo's pure demonic energy. It flowed rapidly from him into her.
Theo collapsed bonelessly. Kang-ho told Seol-a,
"Seol-a, come here. That's enough."
Seol-a's body was already overflowing with the chaotic, absorbed energy.
Ng-! Her whole body was puffed up to the point of bursting. Digestion would take time.
Krrk- Seol-a waddled over, bloated like a balloon. Kang-ho scooped her up and eyed Theo.
Theo asked with a sullen face.
"...Halfway?"
Theo's face filled with despair.
"......Show me your ability."
At Kang-ho's words, Theo nodded. He stood, glanced around, and nodded again.
Kang-ho's eyes lit up.
"Corpse?"
Demonic energy surged from Theo. Soon, the ground twitched afar.
Gugung-
Small skeletons burst from the earth. Kang-ho watched calmly, recognizing the familiar forms. Grotesque—thigh bones as horns on skulls, left feet on right arms, etc. Two skeletons total. They eyed each other, swapping and fixing bones.
Clack clack clack!
Soon, they restored each other and high-fived. Raccoon-like, a bit bigger than Seol-a, but just bones. Their original name: Ratcoon. Common monsters around here.
Theo gestured; the skeletons clattered over, performing flips and dances for Kang-ho—dancing, tumbling.
Theo grew sullen. Kang-ho, meanwhile, was genuinely impressed.
Didn't expect this ability.
No Earth Awakener had necromancy. Straight out of old games.
Definitely, Demon Realm beings had unique powers.
Interesting.
Suddenly, Kang-ho tilted his head again. Pure mana gathered around Theo.
The pure mana seeped into Theo, settling in his demonic mana hole.
It was exactly the amount Seol-a had sucked out, now purified.
Kang-ho glanced at Seol-a in his arms. She'd converted the devoured demonic energy into pure mana.
Theo freaked out; the skeletons cheered, dancing around wildly.
His demonic energy got purified...
Kang-ho narrowed his eyes. Seol-a had purified and returned exactly what she'd taken.
Then, Seol-a shuddered, converting and absorbing the remaining energy.
Hwaaak!
Light burst forth.
Of course.
Kang-ho nodded. She'd devoured tons from the Pocheon Gate and now Theo's—growth was inevitable.
Radiance poured out as Seol-a grew slightly. Her legs elongated, and her fur lengthened, shimmering lushly. Her eyes sparkled more brilliantly, and her teeth and claws sharpened.
Ng! Stars twinkled in Seol-a's eyes.
Growth.
Kang-ho activated Beast Eye.
Nice.
Her attack went up from E to EE, and her defense from EE to D—one rank each. Her fur was now ridiculously long, dragging on the ground when she stood still.
Ng!
Seol-a bounced around, then spun and charged Theo again.
Crunch!
Theo's shoulder this time.
"......"
Kang-ho couldn't help but grin.
Kang-ho just nodded.
Useful guy.
Flinch! Theo had proven his worth to Kang-ho.
......
Baekya Guild's base was in Yongsan. The old massive electronics market now served as their headquarters.
Baekya's guild master, Lee Hyuk, rubbed his forehead, deep in thought.
"So."
"Yeah!"
"What 'yeah'."
Before him sat King, eyes black-and-blue, cheeks swollen like steamed buns.
"What's up?"
"Came to say goodbye."
"......?"
"Hey, what's a bro?"
"Chi-in-gu?"
Lee Hyuk scowled.
"Technically, I'm four years older than you."
"We graduated Awakener Academy together—bros."
"......That's why you can't talk to uneducated punks."
Lee Hyuk shook his head. King clenched his fist.
"So I made a decision!"
"What decision?"
"I've been too narrow-minded."
"......"
"I'm going on a training journey."
King's eyes sparkled. Lee Hyuk watched him.
Something's changed.
Not the cocky thunderbolt kid anymore. Felt a subtle shift.
"What do you think?"
Lee Hyuk shrugged wordlessly.
"Good, now we're talking fun."
King pulled out his phone.
Click!
He posted a pic of his steamed-bun face next to grumpy Lee Hyuk on SNS.