Chapter 6
Yeon Suji sighed inwardly.
‘Father, do I really have to do this?’
As a third-year at the Academy and a team leader, she was at her busiest time, yet she had been summoned home, only to be told to get along with a guy.
Get along with him? Dad, are you serious?
She nearly felt like a rebellious daughter at that moment.
Fortunately, it wasn’t an order but a suggestion, so she was able to hear the reasoning behind it.
In short, her younger brother Yeon Jae-hoon had caused a mess, and the person involved was Park Ki-hyuk.
Park Ki-hyuk, the son of the Optimum Agent’s CEO and the youngest of the Swordsmanship Clan.
…This useless idiot.
By the time the name “Park Ki-hyuk” came up, Yeon Suji was already stepping on Yeon Jae-hoon in her mind.
Park Ki-hyuk was the super rookie who had turned the entrance exam upside down.
And her brother had made an enemy out of him?
But the funny thing was, her father saw this as an opportunity.
It was indeed fitting of a ruthless businessman.
Though it had started poorly, he thought this was still an opportunity and suggested that she get along with him. Strengthening her relationship with the top scorer of the entrance exam would be beneficial for her as well.
In a roundabout way, he was implying that he wanted Yeon Suji to get close to Park Ki-hyuk.
In the Chilseong Group, her father’s commands were absolute, so Yeon Suji had spent her morning at the beauty salon, preparing to use her charms.
Perhaps because the meeting began with her brother’s apology, the atmosphere was good.
They were of similar age and shared common interests. Coupled with her outstanding appearance, it seemed things could indeed develop positively, just as her father had hoped.
See, I’m not out of the game yet.
In fact, as she gazed at Park Ki-hyuk’s broad back, she thought, ‘He’s not bad.’
But as they stood before Chilseong Group’s treasure vault…
To be more precise, as she observed the ornaments displayed in front of the vault…
Park Ki-hyuk’s delight became distinctly noticeable.
Unlike the polite smiles he had shown earlier, this time he was genuinely thrilled!
…What? Did I just lose to a bunch of corpses?
Yeon Suji began to reconsider her father’s suggestion.
“Wow, this is amazing.”
“It was my late grandfather’s hobby. He liked to decorate with the heads of the bosses he defeated.”
“Was he a superhuman?”
“Yes, he was a hunter. They say he was quite famous back in his day. He’s the one who built the Chilseong Group to what it is today.”
“A remarkable person indeed. It makes sense—someone with such a sophisticated hobby must have been extraordinary.”
“Is that so…”
“If you don’t mind, could I take a closer look?”
“…Feel free to enjoy.”
“I won’t hold back then.”
My gaze shifted to the decorations hanging on the walls.
Gone was the casual tone I had used when indulging her flirtations.
‘This is really something.’
There’s a Blood Orc Shaman, a Troll Champion. Oh, look, a Twin-Headed Ogre. And there’s a Siren… Why is that one over there…
It seems the claim about his skills wasn’t entirely false. From what I can see, these were all formidable foes.
But among them, the one that caught my eye was this one.
A goat-headed creature with grand, imposing horns. The only one here that I haven’t personally fought.
But those completely blackened eyes… No matter how I look at it, this one’s a demon, isn’t it?
“What’s this one?”
“That’s a Baphomet, a demon boss. It appeared in Paris, France, and was only defeated after four raids.”
“Wow.”
“Due to the heavy casualties it caused, the gate it was found in was nicknamed ‘The Cursed Red Moon.’ As you might have guessed, yes, it was a ‘Red Gate.’”
Red Gate.
I’ve heard of it. An emergency gate that spews out monsters the moment it appears. It’s considered the worst disaster and is one of the reasons why the ‘Knights’ were formed.
“I don’t know the details myself since it was so long ago. But my grandfather mentioned it in his autobiography as one of the most notorious bosses he ever faced.”
“I’m sure it was.”
If it still exudes such a dark aura…
“I’ve enjoyed the tour. This is an impressive ‘collection.’ Let’s move on.”
“Shall we? This way.”
Yeon Suji had confidently stated that once they entered the treasure vault, I wouldn’t even think about the decorations.
Well… If that turns out to be true, then great.
But I wonder if that will really be the case.
I cast a lingering glance at Baphomet’s head as I followed her inside.
That night.
After receiving his reward from Chilseong, Park Ki-hyuk returned home, while lawyer Choi Ha-neul headed to Optimum’s headquarters.
“So, this… This is what Ki-hyuk chose?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Kim Yeon-hee adjusted her glasses and stared intently at the tablet.
The first item displayed was a 100-square-meter subspace pouch. To put it simply, it was a subspace pouch with a 100-pyeong capacity.
A 100-pyeong space is excessively large for personal use. As such, these kinds of artifacts are typically used by corporations, specifically those that deal with transporting large monster carcasses, like large-scale agents.
Indeed, it’s not a bad choice, considering how rare and valuable this artifact is, but…
That’s only true from a general perspective.
Behind Park Ki-hyuk stands Kim Yeon-hee.
She is the owner of Optimum, one of the world’s top five agencies.
“If he needed a subspace pouch, he could’ve just asked. There was no need to waste this opportunity… Team Leader Choi, couldn’t you have dissuaded him?”
“I tried my best to persuade him.”
“And yet he still insisted on choosing this. Was the Chilseong Group’s treasury really that lacking?”
“While it certainly didn’t compare to our resources, there were still a few noteworthy items.”
“Such as?”
“To name two, there was the modified club of the level 7 boss ‘Karanka,’ known as Karanka’s Punishment, and then there was the item you’ve been searching for.”
“Don’t tell me… The ‘Ignis Core’?”
“Yes, the Ignis Core was there in its original form.”
“It was there?!”
The Ignis Core is a spirit stone of the highest grade, produced in minuscule quantities from the top-tier fire spirit, Ignis.
For superhumans who handle fire attributes, it’s a natural elixir and an essential ingredient for forging high-grade weapons, making it a perpetually scarce resource for agents.
A 100-square-meter subspace pouch versus the Ignis Core.
Ask anyone on the street, and they would tell you the Ignis Core is far more valuable.
“Oh, he should have taken that.”
The reason she had been so eager to find the Ignis Core was all because of Park Ki-hyuk.
All of it was for him, and yet he chose to take a useless subspace pouch instead!
Kim Yeon-hee already felt a twinge of regret in her gut.
“But, Director, I’m not sure if I should mention this…”
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
“Well, on the way back, I mentioned the Ignis Core to Park Ki-hyuk. I told him that you were planning to forge weapons for him with it.”
“So the surprise is ruined. Go on.”
“He said something interesting.”
“What was it?”
“…He said he could make it.”
“…!!”
Make… a spirit stone?
A spirit stone, which is considered more advanced than a magic stone?
“Did I hear that right? Make a spirit stone? Haha. I didn’t know our son was such a braggart. Just like his father in that regard.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Team Leader Choi, let’s pretend we didn’t hear that. He’s still young, after all.”
“That’s true. At that age, kids tend to exaggerate.”
The conversation ended with both of them laughing.
But neither of them knew.
That Park Ki-hyuk would indeed create a spirit stone, once again shaking the world with Optimum’s name.
“Phew, well, it’s fine. Whatever Ki-hyuk chooses as his reward is up to him. But…”
No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t understand.
“Baphomet’s head? Why would he take something so hideous? Do you know anything about this?”
“Well…”
Choi Ha-neul scratched his head awkwardly.
“He said… He’s going to make an ‘arm’…”
“An arm? As in, left arm, right arm? That kind of arm?”
“Yes, an arm.”
The two were silent for a while.
I’ve always thought that time flies.
It feels like just yesterday that I took the entrance exam, yet the fifth exam has already concluded. The TV channels are filled with news about promising talents, and finally, the buzz about me has died down.
I’m relieved. It was getting annoying. Now that I think about it, reporters here are much more persistent than I expected.
They wanted to know what I eat, what kind of exercise I do, and even dug up a story about a neighbor I greeted, claiming she was an old lover or something.
Are they insane? She’s just a student! Why are they turning me into a criminal?
Normally, I wouldn’t have cared. I would have just thought, “Wow, this world is really obsessed with superhumans.”
I would have laughed like a kindly old man, “Haha, these youngsters.”
But right now, this body is busy. I’m in the middle of creating an “arm,” and I’m extremely sensitive. So when reporters started getting in my way, I was infuriated.
If their interest hadn’t waned, I would have exploded eventually.
Luckily, this whole process is finally coming to an end today.
I’ve prepared everything.
“…”
Dragging.
I pull a pile of goblin corpses over and throw them into the heap.
Into the massive pile of goblin bodies.
“666 of them.”
I’ve finally gathered the number it requested.
What a troublesome creature. I dust off my hands and sit atop the corpse pile as if it were a chair.
Yes, this place is inside a gate.
A level 1 gate called “Goblin Village.”
I’m not supposed to be here. Legally, you need a license to enter a gate.
But how did I get in? Come on, don’t be naive. Do you really think the world runs according to the law?
If a superhuman can sense mana and has a sponsor, they can observe inside a gate.
In other words, as long as you have the right connections, you can enter a gate. It’s not illegal. Just a privilege.
“The others train like this too.”
Apparently, rich and powerful people often train in gates like this. Just so you know, the reason my mother didn’t suggest this method to me was simple.
She thought I might fail.
She didn’t want to burden me, especially if I didn’t pass.
“Lack of faith, lack of faith.”
Anyway, thanks to my mother’s help, I have this gate all to myself today.
Today, no one will know what I do here, whether I dance naked or slaughter goblins as I am now.
No one will know.
Even if I summon a demon.
“So let’s have a nice chat.”
The subspace opens, and something emerges.
A grotesque horned head resembling a goat.
The lord of the Red Moon that once terrorized Europe.
The demon responsible for countless deaths, devouring dozens of S-rank hunters and knights.
“Baphomet, here is the tribute you desired.”
At last, the dormant Baphomet opens its eyes.
Its pitch-black eyes reveal the true “demon” within.
And at that moment, the world is engulfed in darkness.
Humans are ignorant.
Weak and foolish.
But Baphomet, who had so disdainfully looked down on humans, was killed by them.
No, it was “hunted.”
It was humiliating.
It was shameful.
For a great demon like Baphomet to be hunted down by mere humans was unbearable. It couldn’t even close its eyes in death.
Fortunately, the humans only thought of Baphomet as a mere “demon” and were complacent after a few purification rituals.
Foolish humans, I, Baphomet, swear by my name.
When I awaken again,
I shall be your doom.
So Baphomet waited. It swallowed its pride and became a trophy, waiting for the chance to exact its revenge.
And finally, after years of waiting,
The opportunity arrived.
“What’s this?”
The creature that took it was as stupid as its enormous body.
Without fear, it took the head and even spoke to it.
Wake up!
Words have power.
Baphomet, who had been slumbering on the edge of death, awoke to those words.
At last, it awakened from death. Its soul, having transcended death, pulsated with newfound strength.
But it held back. It wasn’t strong enough yet.
Baphomet demanded a tribute of 666 lives. It cunningly promised the fool power in exchange.
The fool foolishly prepared the tribute. Truly, humans are fools.
Baphomet laughed in the darkness.
Once it regains its strength and seizes the body,
It will be the end.
It will slaughter humans, killing them mercilessly.
The world will call me their doom.
With a heart full of joy, Baphomet began to merge with the fool’s body.
…Something was wrong.
There was nothing. It could see nothing.
All it saw was perfect darkness.
Baphomet moved forward, but it felt nothing.
Where is this? What is this darkness?
Am I moving forward? Or backward? Am I even walking?
I must escape. I need to get to the destination. Dest…ination…
Where is the destination? What was I here to do…
But…
“Who am I?”
The world is relative.
Stars vanish before the sun, and darkness is consumed by an even greater darkness.
This is the truth of the world.
Baphomet was consumed by darkness.
For a mere demon, the darkness of the Demon King was too vast to endure.
“Creature, do you wish to know your name?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Your name is Baphomet. My right hand.”
The Demon King smiled in the darkness.
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