The Chain of Souls
Although Ilyang's physical body had changed when he ascended to this higher dimension, his soul remained that of the once-mighty Archmage.
Thus, when it came to mind-altering magic, his resistance was nothing short of absolute.
The three-tailed fox had no way of knowing this.
"I truly intended to negotiate in good faith. But you were the one who started this, correct?"
His face wore a bright, cheerful smile.
Yet, it was not his expression that startled the fox.
It was his eyes.
He was undoubtedly a human child.
A mere boy who could not have lived more than a decade.
And yet, those eyes possessed a profound depth, as vast as an ancient lake and as unyielding as if they had weathered centuries.
I've been had.
Only then did the fox realize the truth.
This boy had never fallen under the influence of her Hundred Pleasures Art from the very beginning.
He had merely feigned vulnerability to close the distance.
Tricked again! I'm such a fool.
The great Sovereign Cheonho had warned her so sternly about the cunning nature of humans.
She had been far too complacent.
But hadn't Cheonho said the Hundred Pleasures Art was infallible against males?
The fox felt hot tears welling up at her dire predicament.
"I was rather curious about what kind of magical beast you were, but now I see. To think you would attempt to cast the mind magic of the succubus clan on me. How utterly foolish."
Ilyang remained entirely unmoved, regardless of whether the adorable fox was on the verge of tears.
In his past life, he had resisted the charm magic cast directly by the Succubus Queen through sheer force of will.
To be perfectly honest, it was a close call back then.
His companions in the Hero's party had spouted nonsense, claiming he only survived because he was an inexperienced virgin or a cold-blooded monster incapable of love.
But they were wrong.
It had been a battle of pure, unadulterated mental fortitude.
And Ilyang had emerged victorious.
Tsk. How could mere mortals ever comprehend a battle fought on such a high intellectual plane?
Suddenly, for the first time in a very long while, the faces of those ignorant fools from the Hero's party drifted through his mind.
Though they were now legendary figures immortalized in history books,
in Ilyang's memory, they were simply a bunch of idiots.
Well, despite everything, those days were quite enjoyable.
It had been his first experience living as part of a group.
While it brought plenty of headaches, truth be told, his memories of that time were filled with genuine warmth.
To have companions to whom you could trust your back...
It was then he first realized just how incredibly precious such a bond truly was.
One cannot travel very far alone.
Selfish and dogmatic though he usually was,
Ilyang understood perfectly that to reach greater heights, trustworthy allies were indispensable.
Even if they aren't true companions, I need subordinates or disciples.
A clear objective crystallized in his mind.
He would construct a Magic Tower in this world as well.
And through that tower, he would gather every scrap of magic and mystery this realm had to offer.
To achieve this, he needed reliable hands above all else.
A spirit, bound securely by a soul contract, would serve as the ultimate, infallible asset.
Just then—
Scratch, scratch!
"Yip! Keheg!"
The fox, her scruff firmly gripped in his hand, thrashed wildly in an attempt to break free.
She raked her hind claws repeatedly against his forearm.
However,
such a feeble struggle posed absolutely no threat to him.
Ilyang brought the fox up to eye level and whispered softly in a child's gentle tone:
"You were the one who initiated this conflict. And yet, you lost. The battle is decided. From this moment on, you must comply with whatever demands I make of you."
"...!"
An absolute, unilateral declaration.
As the fox stared directly into Ilyang's eyes, a vivid terror slowly bloomed within her pupils.
This tiny human was dead serious.
He held her life in his hands, but this was more than a mere threat.
He was the type of person who would carry out his threats with cold, mechanical precision.
He was a being capable of executing such violence without a shred of hesitation.
To think a male could completely withstand the Hundred Pleasures Art...
This was a monster beyond her wildest imagination.
Am I really going to die like this?
Even when she had been captured by that monstrous female swordsman and the old spellcaster from the Namgung Clan not long ago,
she had felt a similar despair.
They had openly discussed, right in front of her,
how they would use her alive as an ingredient for some ritual.
The memory of that terror crept back into her mind, chilling her to the bone.
What does this human brat intend to do with me? Is he going to rip out my inner elixir right now?
The fox curled her toes tightly, cursing her own foolishness.
She was utterly terrified.
How could she have looked down on humans so easily, especially after being captured so helplessly just days ago?
She had let her guard down simply because he appeared to be a small child.
She had been deceived by his outward appearance.
I deserve to die.
If only she had fled to the very ends of the earth...
If she had done that,
the humans wouldn't have been able to pursue her so easily.
As the fox drooped her ears in absolute terror, her eyes brimming with unshed tears,
Ilyang remained completely indifferent to her adorable display.
He merely noted that she had become submissive,
while focusing entirely on suppressing his own rising excitement.
The current situation is highly favorable. Because she approached me so clumsily, a clear hierarchy has been established. Perhaps I can establish a formal contract.
However, he had never contracted with a spirit possessing a physical vessel before, so he was curious about what the reaction would be.
It would be troublesome if there was a rejection response, or if she resisted fiercely during the process.
Fortunately, looking at her now,
this fox did not seem to possess the courage to resist.
A spirit of wind possessing a physical body...
Even now, while firmly in his grasp,
she seemed to be attempting to use wind transformation magic to escape.
Futile.
Ilyang was a master at reading the flow and arrangement of surrounding mana.
As long as she was held in his hand,
she was effectively subjected to a continuous state of Dispel Magic.
To the fox, this was a source of overwhelming, existential dread.
My arts aren't working at all!
The fox felt as though she were facing an insurmountable wall.
For some reason, even her innate, instinctual techniques refused to manifest.
After a brief moment of mutual probing,
Ilyang felt the tension completely drain from the fox's rigid body.
Good. She is ready for the contract.
Reading her total surrender, Ilyang spoke.
"If you swear a covenant of oath, I will release you."
"?"
Instantly, the fox's drooped ears perked up.
"Well? Will you swear a covenant with me?"
The fox realized she had been thrown a lifeline.
She had expected this tiny human to devour her inner elixir at any moment,
so she was willing to agree to absolutely anything.
She blinked rapidly in assent.
Ilyang let out a slightly sly chuckle.
"Excellent. It is my first time performing this in this world, but it shouldn't be too different."
A brilliant, pure white light erupted from Ilyang's eyes.
In an instant, the fox felt every muscle in her body seize up.
Huh? What is this?
She had felt this sensation once before.
It was the exact feeling she had experienced when she met the Great Yokai Sovereign,
the nine-tailed fox Cheonho, in her dreams.
An absolute, crushing pressure that demanded total submission
when confronting a higher existence.
As the fox tucked her tail between her legs in sheer terror,
Ilyang gently released his grip on her scruff.
[Ilyang]: "What is your name?"
[Fox]: "Name... I do not have a name yet."
[Ilyang]: "Then I shall bestow a name upon you."
[Fox]: "...Fine."
[Ilyang]: "Geum-ok. From this moment forth, your name shall be Geum-ok."
[Geum-ok]: "Geum-ok... My name is Geum-ok."
"From this moment forth, Ilyang and Geum-ok shall be bound by the chain of souls. Whenever either is in need, they must do their utmost to aid the other."
An intermediate spirit without a name?
Ilyang frowned slightly at this realization.
Bestowing a name upon a spirit consumed a significant amount of mana.
The moment he named the fox,
her very status and grade might elevate.
I should give her a name that suits her nature.
He couldn't simply throw a random name at her as he had done with the mindless Blood Jiangshi.
For a brief moment,
Ilyang burned his mana to maintain the Word Magic as he fell into deep thought.
Staring quietly at the fox's reddish fur and sparkling golden eyes, he spoke.
Now that he thought about it, the Succubus Queen who had died by his hands also possessed golden eyes.
While Ilyang was briefly lost in thought,
the newly named fox's eyes glazed over.
At that exact moment, Ilyang gasped as an immense torrent of mana was suddenly drained from his body.
Ugh...! I must complete the contract before it's too late...
Sensing the rapid changes occurring within Geum-ok's body, Ilyang spoke in a rush.
The covenant activated smoothly, and the fox's golden eyes began to tremble violently.
As Ilyang stumbled backward, putting some distance between them,
a brilliant light, reminiscent of the rising morning sun,
began to leak from the fox's body.
"So you just let the brat go? My, my... our Gwang-sik has truly grown old. It's time for you to retire. Shall I set up a shop for you?"
The Bright Moon Sword, Song Gwang-sik.
He wore an embarrassed expression as he addressed the red-bearded, middle-aged man before him.
"Though I couldn't stay by his side, Shopkeeper Seo of the Jinseong Express is keeping a close eye on him. We will be able to gather information through him. I've already made the necessary arrangements."
"And? Do you honestly think that old man Seo can uncover the truth behind the Blood Jiangshi?"
"Of course not."
"You bastard! Then this is completely pointless!"
"Ah! But we did learn one thing for certain, Elder."
"And what would that be? That our Gwang-sik is finally ready to retire?"
"That the little monster isn't an uncontrollable villain. At the very least, he is a rational individual."
"And how can you be so sure of that?"
The Chusal Daeju, Bright Moon Sword Song Gwang-sik, massaged his aching shoulder as he looked at the peak master sitting across the table—the Lightning Swordsman, Namgung Hyeok.
"To be frank, if he had wanted to, he could have slaughtered all of us right then and there. But he didn't. That means he isn't some bloodthirsty madman. While his background and origins are highly suspicious, he possesses a fundamental level of reason."
"But the Mosan Sect claims they have no idea who he is."
"Well, we will have to uncover that slowly. Without provoking him, of course."
"Mmm... if it were up to me, I'd go pay him a visit myself..."
"Aren't you currently under house arrest, Elder? If the Clan Leader finds out, he'll break your legs. The rumors have already spread everywhere."
At Song Gwang-sik's words, Namgung Hyeok's reddish-black eyebrows twitched upward.
"You cheeky bastard! Who do you think got me into this mess in the first place?!"
"Oh? Are you suggesting this is my fault? I am truly hurt. I merely shared some valuable information with you out of the goodness of my heart... To think you would use me like this and then blame me—argh!"
Grab!
"You insolent brat!"
Namgung Hyeok had closed the distance in the blink of an eye, grabbing Song Gwang-sik's head and shaking it violently. Song Gwang-sik immediately began to apologize.
"Aaaargh! Argh! I'm sorry, Elder! I deserve to die!"
His brain rattled inside his skull, and the world spun before his eyes.
Subjected to Namgung Hyeok's nausea-inducing physical discipline, Song Gwang-sik quickly bowed his head in submission.
"Sigh... I don't know how many times I've let my curiosity get the better of me and fallen for your tricks."
At Namgung Hyeok's sighing lament,
Song Gwang-sik steadied his wobbling footing and let out a sly grin.
"...But honestly, wasn't it entertaining?"
"Well... that is true. You wicked bastard. Your only problem is that you know my tastes far too well."
The two men looked at each other and chuckled.
By participating in the intriguing incidents Song Gwang-sik brought to him, Namgung Hyeok had not only spread his name across the Jianghu but had also secured quite a few handsome rewards.
Song Gwang-sik, in turn, had used Namgung Hyeok as a reliable shield to resolve highly complex cases.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
"In any case, the Mosan Sect truly knows nothing about this boy named Ilyang."
"I figured as much."
The Mosan Sect.
The only orthodox-aligned cultivator sect specializing in corpse-handling and talismans.
The Namgung Clan had contacted them directly, and the reply they received confirmed that they had absolutely no record of anyone named Ilyang.
"And I heard they are sending someone here directly?"
"Yes, they're taking this opportunity to pay us a visit. Apparently, the fifth disciple of that old monster, the Land Demon of Mosan, is on his way."
"I see. Once he arrives, I shall accompany him to meet the boy."
"I wish I could go as well..."
"Haha, but since you are bound by your own karma and cannot move, there is nothing to be done."
"Are you mocking me right now? Anyone else might get away with it, but not you. Understand?"
Before Namgung Hyeok's eyes could flare with anger again, Song Gwang-sik quickly interjected.
"I will gather as much information as humanly possible!"
"I want to see him with my own eyes, damn it!"
After patiently enduring the childish complaints of the clan's youngest elder, Song Gwang-sik asked cautiously,
"What... what will happen to Young Master Namgung Min?"
"Ah, that boy. He really crossed the line this time."
"Losing a three-tailed fox is indeed a massive blunder."
In this day and age, spiritual beasts had practically gone extinct, making them incredibly rare.
To capture such a creature alive was an extraordinary feat; its value was virtually limitless.
"As it turns out, that spiritual beast was captured by my second older sister at the risk of her own life. She spent months setting traps alongside a female priestess from the Mosan Sect just to catch it. Since it's a fox spirit, it was exceptionally cunning."
"Ah... of all people, it had to be the work of the Heavenly Phoenix Swordswoman."
The Heavenly Phoenix Swordswoman.
The only female swordsman in the Namgung Clan to have achieved the rank of a peak master.
"Yes. Losing a beast that was already captured and bound... that boy is utterly ruined. My sister's temper is legendary, after all."
"Dear me..."
It was a pity, but ultimately, it was none of his business.
He simply offered a silent prayer for the young master's soul.
"Anyway, make sure to keep in touch regularly while you're out. I'm dying of boredom these days. Got it?"
Namgung Hyeok.
Despite having already passed his sixtieth year,
this childish old man reluctantly let Song Gwang-sik go.
"Yes, yes. I will keep you updated constantly."
"How strange. Your response sounds incredibly insincere."
"Good heavens, how could I ever..."
After barely managing to extricate himself from the youngest elder's persistent nagging, Song Gwang-sik stepped outside.
Exhausted, he arrived at the Chusal Squad's office within the main estate,
only to freeze instantly upon hearing the latest news.