Chapter 59
“S-rank is exceptional even in its color.”
The S-rank magic stone was in his hand.
It glimmered darkly like obsidian, exuding an overwhelming aura.
“How much time was left exactly?”
He looked at the sleeve of his left arm in the bathroom mirror.
When he lightly rubbed the pattern with his hand, a message immediately appeared.
[Training Room Upgrade and Mana Supply: 82/100…]
“Ha… will it be enough?”
Only 18% of the Training Room upgrade remained.
One trip through an A-rank gate had usually filled nearly 10%.
As he pondered briefly, Ju-hyeok picked up the magic stone again.
A new message appeared immediately.
[Consuming this magic stone will immediately upgrade the Training Room!]
“Phew.”
A sigh of relief escaped instinctively.
He had been worried about where to find more S-rank stones if this one wasn’t enough.
But with a single S-rank stone, the upgrade would be complete, relieving some of his concerns.
“I don’t have to worry about the upgrade anymore… but the real question is whether I should enter the artifact now.”
Only two weeks remained until the promised date.
It had been three weeks of real time since entering the artifact with the contaminated Dream Grass.
“If I go in and can’t get out in time, I’ll have to wait again.”
Could he really come out of the artifact within two weeks?
The exit timing was not under his control, making it a significant concern.
“Even if it’s a maintenance date, there might still be some modified demons left behind.”
No fool would leave the gate completely empty during maintenance; a few guardians would remain.
Was he strong enough to defeat them now?
“No… absolutely not.”
He hadn’t even been able to defeat a mid-to-lower S-rank hunter in six hours.
With that body, facing multiple dangerous modified demons?
Mephisto had said this was the most feasible date, but not guaranteed.
“If I die there, it’ll be pointless.”
Failing could mean dying in the artifact without achieving the goal.
Should he train more before entering the artifact?
“If I can’t exit in time, I’ll have to live for a year in this unstable body that could explode anytime.”
No symptoms yet, but the infection from Dream Grass meant his body could explode at any moment.
And there was no guarantee someone wouldn’t discover the artifact while he was inside.
“…What should I do?”
He held his head, torn between two choices.
After much deliberation, Ju-hyeok decided on the most rational option.
“Let’s go in.”
His body wasn’t yet ready to face the modified demons.
Though Mephisto said he’d be fine, it was safer to strengthen himself more first.
He realized this after the duel with Ki-eon last time.
“Still too weak.”
Even if others praised him as an F-rank irregular for his achievements, opponents didn’t care about titles.
Mephisto could have been wrong, so becoming stronger was safer.
“If I can’t get out in two weeks, I wasn’t qualified to face Garisto anyway.”
With that in mind, he swallowed the S-rank magic stone.
The rough stone slid down his throat, and soon a message appeared.
[Mana absorbed.]
[Training Room upgrade and operation now available!]
[Do you want to enter now?]
A familiar message welcomed Ju-hyeok.
As always, he agreed, and his vision went dark.
Desire.
I wanted to grow stronger.
A fragile life, like a fly, vulnerable to the upper demons.
A low-level demon without the power to open gates or consume human souls.
Even so, such a tiny being always dreamed.
How great it would be to become as strong as the upper demons.
A demon famous among humans, whose name was known in legends.
Not only to survive like a famous demon, but to live following my own desires.
One day, the demon heard a rumor.
The Count Garisto, who could make even the weakest demon strong.
Anything he touched could become a massive meteor instead of a stone.
At first, the demon dismissed it as nonsense, but the rumors grew and piqued his curiosity.
A life barely surviving day to day had grown tiresome.
The demon sought Count Garisto’s mansion to live a new life.
And then…
“P-please… mercy, Count!”
The demon regretted it within five minutes of meeting Garisto.
Kneeling and begging for strength, Garisto greeted him with a faint smile.
A sweet smile.
He shouldn’t have trusted it.
By the time he was in the lab, seated and tied to a chair, it was already too late.
“Mercy? Isn’t this exactly what I’m doing for you?”
On the desk lay strange items—potions, herbs, cube-shaped objects—all scattered, yet Garisto’s hands moved purposefully.
“You came on your own, seeking strength, and I’m helping. Why such a scared expression?”
“I… I do want strength, but…”
“You called that determination? That’s pathetic.”
A subtle madness in his tone.
“Then it feels like an insult to me.”
“….”
It was over.
Even if the artifact was refused now, Garisto would use him as a test subject.
Seeing the modified demons in the mansion, he should have fled immediately.
His bravado had led him here.
“Then I wish you luck.”
“Ugh…”
Unable to scream, the demon touched the artifact and soon collapsed into the air, tied to the chair.
“Hopefully, you’ll return this time.”
The scene faded, and darkness consumed everything.
Soon, a landscape whiter than a winter snowfield appeared.
“…What?”
It felt like watching a film.
The experience mirrored his first entry into the artifact.
“Does it sometimes show visions like this?”
Confused by the memory he had just seen, Ju-hyeok surveyed the surroundings.
The scenery was all white.
Unlike forests, caves, or swamps previously shown, there was no environment visible this time.
The vast, featureless white landscape could drive someone insane if they stayed too long.
“…Where’s the doll?”
No sign of it.
Even the sword at his feet was gone.
“Could there be a glitch in the Training Room?”
Worst-case scenario.
Had he become trapped inside the artifact with no way out?
As he pondered this calmly…
“Where… is this?”
A voice came from behind.
Turning around, he saw a small demon with tiny horns.
At first glance, the horns were barely noticeable, almost human, but his red eyes betrayed his demonic nature.
“Y-you… who are you?”
The demon looked utterly miserable.
Even the voice sounded hollow and empty.
“Why does he seem so familiar?”
Despite his tattered clothes and scars, Ju-hyeok had seen him recently.
A long face, small eyes, and the habit of twitching his thumb when talking.
“The demon from the vision?”
The demon had struggled against Garisto and turned to dust inside the artifact.
Yes, this was the same demon.
“Why… why is it a human and not a doll?”
Muttering to himself, he stabbed his forearm deeply.
Blood dripped, yet he didn’t flinch.
“You can speak?”
“…No.”
“You… can?”
Startled, the demon opened his eyes sharply, rushing at Ju-hyeok.
“How did you get here? Captured by Count Garisto? Even if so, how did a human get in?”
“….”
Despite speaking, he continued stabbing his own arm.
Blood splattered everywhere, making Ju-hyeok frown.
“Stop that awful self-harm.”
“This?”
Blood-soaked arm.
The demon ignored him and continued.
“If I stop, I’ll turn into one of the dolls soon.”
“Dolls?”
“Yes. Dolls.”
His expression twisted.
“Beaten and trampled a million times.”
His lips trembled.
“Being told to kill them a million times… it’s madness.”
He raised both arms dramatically, like a theatrical performance.
“I was about to give up, but the artifact started to consume my mind.”
Hugging his head with raised arms, fear shimmered in his eyes.
“So it keeps hurting me.”
He lowered his arms, made a new wound.
It wasn’t a show for applause.
“Trying to make me a doll… but I won’t become Garisto’s doll willingly.”
“Make you a doll?”
“Yes. A doll!”
He tilted his head, curious.
“Then why are you fine?”
“…Because I’ve been out of the artifact before.”
“Been out? Huh?”
He chuckled.
“You really killed that doll a million times?”
“….”
Ju-hyeok silently confirmed.
The demon’s chuckle faded into seriousness.
“…Really?”
“Yes, I killed it and left.”
“Lies!”
He screamed and stabbed violently.
The demon, grimy face forward, demanded:
“Lies? Do I look that stupid?”
Ju-hyeok remained calm.
The demon stopped self-harming, looked serious, and stepped back.
“You’re strong.”
Finally somewhat composed, he spoke clearly.
“I have a feeling… I can get you out of here.”
Tears welled up.
The demon collapsed to the ground, desperate.
“Save me! Please!”
A demon kneeling to a human—a rare sight, though hardly pleasant.
“I’ll be your footstool if I have to! Just save me!”
Desperate, begging for survival.
“I’ll get you out… so let me escape this hell too!”
“….”
“Or I won’t let you out!”
He threatened, pleading—a chaotic mix.
I need to get out of here first.
“Fine. Let me out.”
“Promise you’ll save me!”
“Alright. I’ll do my best.”
“Words aren’t enough!”
“Then what do you want?”
“….”
The demon, still prostrated, reached into his chest and pulled out a magic stone covered in blood and flesh.
“Eat this.”
“…What?”
“A contract.”
Madness in his gaze.
“If you break the promise, it will explode inside you.”
“…Do we really have to go this far?”
“You must! Otherwise, I won’t let you out!”
“….”
The stone gleamed silently.
Was it really necessary to consume it to secure help from the artifact?
But no other option existed.
“Fine. I’ll eat it.”
“Wise choice.”
He swallowed the stone.
No messages appeared this time.
Unsure, Ju-hyeok swallowed it after removing some flesh.
“Hehe… done.”
“Your creepy laugh makes me second-guess this.”
“Now, I’ll let you go.”
As he said this, his vision shook.
The demon waved and spoke as the scene blurred.
“See you next time!”
