Chapter 4: A Pact Forged in Blood

Lee Doha, who moments ago had been uncharacteristically docile and somewhat dazed, felt a sudden heat rush to his head. A stiff tension seized the back of his neck, making him wonder if this was what people called ‘hwa-byeong’—a surge of pent-up anger. A furious indignation welled up within him.

Kim Yoon-hye, however, merely shrugged with an air of profound interest, completely unfazed.

“It’s just a hypothesis for now, you understand. Since you, Mr. Lee Doha, are an Insodouble and he is the Emperor of Iristyrium, I doubt an opportunity to confirm it will arise. But if you’re curious, feel free to test it out.”

“That’s a bit…”

“As I said, there’s no precedent for such a pact, so nothing can be confirmed. Only the Emperor of Iristyrium would have seen such things in ancient imperial texts. As for IERA, we’ve decided to keep it under wraps for now.”

“It will be treated as classified information, so Mr. Lee Doha, please don’t go around discussing it with anyone.”

Presuming she had conveyed all necessary information, Kim Yoon-hye pushed her chair back and rose. Lee Doha, too, felt an overwhelming fatigue wash over him. He couldn’t discern if it was due to the mental shock or the lingering effects of having all his blood drawn.

He simply yearned for about twelve hours of deep sleep. As he pulled up the soft duvet, a sudden thought struck him. The astonished eyes he had met just before being sucked into the summoning circle flashed in his mind.

That passerby, the one who had held up their phone, might have been the very person who reported him.

“The person who reported me must have seen that red summoning circle. What are you going to say to cover that up?”

“Cover it up? We’ve already taken care of their memory.”

Kim Yoon-hye replied, her tone utterly nonchalant. Lee Doha was somewhat taken aback by her casual admission.

“…You can do that…?”

“It’s more reliable than the hassle of bribing them. I’m turning off the lights, so get some more sleep. You might look fine, but summoning after-effects and receiving that much blood isnion’t a minor matter.”

“Oh… right. Ah.”

“What is it?”

Kim Yoon-hye, about to switch off the light, turned back with a hint of annoyance.

“So, what happens if I’m summoned now? Do I have to go no matter if I’m taking a dump, eating, or sleeping?”

“I told you, I don’t know. But there definitely won’t be any summons for about a week, so just sleep.”

“You said you don’t know?”

“Given your condition, do you think he’d be perfectly fine? He’s probably worse, if anything. I heard he still hasn’t even been able to get up, and even with a contract, summoning an Insodouble would consume an enormous amount of magical power.”

“He’ll need time to recover, won’t he? There won’t be any summons for a while, so until then, why don’t you have a farewell party?”

“A farewell party for what?” Lee Doha asked, bewildered.

“‘Farewell to my ordinary life.’ Something like that. It’s exactly the kind of thing you’d do, Mr. Lee Doha.”

‘It’s like she can read my mind.’ Lee Doha, who had indeed briefly entertained such a thought, felt a pang of shame. Seeing him sit there speechless, Kim Yoon-hye suddenly remembered something and asked.

“By the way, isn’t that Emperor supposedly incredibly handsome? A living miracle, they say.”

“He’s a mummy. A zombie.”

Lee Doha had not yet shaken off his embarrassment. He abruptly pulled the duvet over his head and grumbled. He wasn’t wrong, of course.

Regardless of whether he was a living miracle, what Lee Doha had seen was a person drained of blood, as pale as a mummy.

“You should try drawing him. I’d like to see.”

“Oh, I thought you told me to sleep?”

“You’re such a child.”

“You’ve never even been to elementary school.”

“Pocket monster.”

“Hey!”

Click.

Kim Yoon-hye turned off the light and swiftly exited the hospital room. “Ugh,” Lee Doha grumbled, letting out an exasperated sigh as he buried his head in the pillow.

However, the bright, sunny window bothered him. Too lazy to get up, he used his ability to close the blinds from his lying position, then pulled the duvet over his head. Silence reigned for a moment.

But the stillness was short-lived. A little later, Lee Doha kicked off his blanket with a furious rustle.

‘Farewell to my ordinary life. Something like that. It’s exactly the kind of thing you’d do, Mr. Lee Doha.’

After fuming for a long while, the pale face of the Emperor came to mind. That smiling face, seen beyond the shimmering red light.

‘Hello.’

He was handsome, alright. Incredibly handsome. Even as a man, Lee Doha had been captivated by his face. The childish phrase, ‘a living miracle,’ suited him perfectly.

But what good was a handsome man to him?

‘That thing, about dying on the same day, at the same time.’

‘Damn it. Surely not.’ To have his own life mortgaged like this, just because he saved someone else’s? He couldn’t help but curse. Kim Yoon-hye had said it would be quiet for a while, but if he were summoned again, he’d give the Emperor a friendly punch first.

And if, by some twisted fate, he truly had to answer every one of the Emperor’s summons, then he’d knock out those perfectly aligned, pearly white teeth too.

As he fumed and vowed, Lee Doha unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

[Breaking News]

At an emergency press conference held today at 6 PM, the Korean branch of the International Esoteric Research Agency (IERA) officially announced that Individual Lee (24), one of only three Insodoubles worldwide, has responded to a summons from Oz and become a contractor.

This contract marks the second Insodouble contractor since Ursula, the German Insodouble who signed a contract in 2001.

A witness reported seeing Individual Lee (24) being drawn into a summoning circle around 1 PM. After their return, Individual Lee (24) was immediately transported to a hospital, then subsequently moved to IERA by officials.

At the press conference, IERA stated that Individual Lee (24) was taken to the hospital due to summoning after-effects, and while initial examinations showed no major abnormalities, a detailed examination would be conducted soon.

Reporter Lee Seo, SORPT@seoulns.com

Seorabol News. Unauthorized redistribution prohibited.

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[Breaking News]

Today at approximately 6 PM, IERA held a press conference to officially announce that Individual Lee (24), one of only three Insodoubles worldwide and the sole one in Asia, has become a contractor. The magical power required to summon just one Insodouble (immeasurable, incomprehensible, infinite) is equivalent to the magical power mediated by about a thousand ordinary contractors.

Should the government contact Individual Lee (24) and acquire this power sequentially through cooperation with Energen, South Korea would secure roughly a year’s worth of energy resources. Furthermore, depending on the use of their unique ability, millions, or even tens of millions, of magical power currently in circulation are expected to be mediated.

Experts agree that this contract is undoubtedly a national boon, but simultaneously express concern about the possibility of a sudden magical power shock. The government has stated its intention to control the distribution of magical power cautiously and systematically to prevent such a shock, and to prepare relevant legislation and policies.

Energen also announced that it would engage in close discussions and meetings with the government regarding the magical power distribution structure resulting from this Insodouble contract. Criticism is mounting against the government’s complacency for not having prepared for such a situation, despite Individual Lee (24) being diagnosed as an Insodouble at 19, meaning a specialist with such an ability brazenly existed domestically.

Reporter Kim Ji-yeon, jiyun@todaynews.com

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[Breaking News]

One of only three Insodoubles worldwide, and the sole one in Asia, from South Korea, has become a contractor. Given that summoning a specialist from Oz typically requires the most immense magical power, it can be inferred that an incredible amount of power was needed for this Insodouble’s contract.

Public opinion is abuzz with speculation about the identity of this magical power’s owner. While there has been no direct announcement from Individual Lee (24) and IERA remains cautious, some speculate that Emperor Siohan Orphenos of the Iristyrium Empire is the most likely contractor.

Emperor Siohan Orphenos is known to have been born with one of the most remarkable magical powers in history. However, the prevailing opinion until now has been that there was no compelling reason for the Emperor of the vast Iristyrium Empire, which controls most of Oz’s territory and enjoys an era of peace, to summon a specialist.

Consequently, the idea that another unknown magical power user in Oz is the contractor is also gaining traction. If Emperor Orphenos is indeed the contractor, experts are closely watching how the political landscape of Oz might shift, as this would be a highly unusual and unexpected choice.

Reporter Lee Ji-won, EasyONE@Dailym.com

Copyright holder. Unauthorized redistribution prohibited.

Comments (2811)

Domestic Insodouble Contract… How Does It Differ from Germany’s Ursula?

Insodouble Contract: “Will Taxes Disappear?”

Wow, this is insane, truly insane. We’ve really become an oil-producing nation. A magic-producing nation, better than an oil-producing one! Thank you, God, Allah, Buddha, Shiva! I’ll live a good life from now on. Now, please eliminate taxes. And student loans, too… Oh, and a Lamborghini for my car.

– You crazy bastard, LOL! I’d like a Ferrari, please.

It’s hilarious how the media is blatantly trying to cover up who it is. Heaven knows, Earth knows, even my cat knows, but they keep saying ‘Individual Lee, Individual Lee,’ blah blah blah, mumble mumble. What are they doing? LOL. Is this really okay for a contractor’s human rights?

– Seriously, it’s also hilarious how they keep going around interviewing people close to them. What do they want to hear that they bother people around them to dig up personal info?

– But how long are they going to keep saying ‘Individual Lee, Individual Lee’ and mumble? Contractors like Oh Han-ul and Yoo Seo all use their real names and appear publicly.

– That’s because they officially announce it themselves and even shoot commercials; they’re practically celebrities. There are many contractors who aren’t like that. A lot of contractors don’t even reveal their faces, and honestly, if they don’t reveal it themselves, it’s right not to disclose it.

– Even so, it’s just a blatant cover-up. L.D.H. is in a different league than those random contractors, so do they really think mumbling will hide it?

– Hey, why are you suddenly attacking Oh Han-ul, who’s just minding their own business? That’s absurd.

– LOL, does Oh Han-ul have a five-minute standby team or something? They always show up like this, revving their engines.

– This comment has been reported.

– This comment has been reported.

Damn, this is so infuriating. If contracting with just one L.D.H. is enough to discuss international affairs and domestic economy, and even the elimination of taxes, shouldn’t they have contracted them sooner, humanistically speaking? If they’re an Insodouble of such a high caliber, there’s no risk of them dying out there, so would it kill them to do it a little earlier? What kind of motherf*cking personality refuses a contract when the national economy is at stake? They hit the genetic lottery and act like they’re hot stuff, those bastards.

– ? You’re probably worse than the personality of you, who’s dropping slurs. Are you a psychopath?

– Oh, I can smell the alcohol and stale cigarettes from this comment. Damn, it’s the same smell as my boss.

– Hey, don’t cry, just talk.

– Mind your own business, you beggar. Begging so hard.

– F*ck, a psychopath is sitting at the table discussing the national economy…

– Isn’t it because of bastards like this that the Ji-yu Law and Yoo-seong-ho Law were enacted? Did you entrust your life to them? What an absurd jerk. Don’t specialists have human rights?

So, who is L.D.H.’s contractor? Is it His Majesty Emperor Siohan, or not?

– His Majesty the Emperor, LOL! Did you come from Oz? Do you live in Iristyrium?

– Hey, is he your friend? Of course, you call him His Majesty, what else?

– Show some respect. Do you just call a foreign emperor by their name? Were you taught manners with chopsticks?

– How absurd, are you crazy?;

– Let’s just live a little more casually.

It’s probably Emperor Orphenos. When L.D.H. was confirmed as a Double, it was already considered an unprecedented event to have three Doubles appear simultaneously in that era. It’s unlikely there’s anyone else in Oz besides Emperor Orphenos who can summon a Double. The question is why he summoned them. So, how handsome is Emperor Orphenos?

– What’s the conclusion, you crazy person LOL!

– But I’m genuinely curious: what kind of face is this ‘miracle’s reincarnation’ that Yoo Seo saw and couldn’t sleep for a month because it kept appearing in their mind? Why can’t we take cameras into Oz? Why can’t we take pictures?

– Can’t L.D.H. draw?

– You can’t take cameras into Oz? Not even phones? Damn, how do they live without getting bored?

– Can’t you use film cameras? Then what are those Oz photos circulating?

– Those are old ones, from when Alkiora copied contractors’ memories. Since Alkiora died, no new Oz photos have come out, only drawings or CG reproductions based on stories.

It’s also ambiguous to say there are three Doubles at the same time. America’s Hamilton Black is over a hundred years old now, and Ursula is past her prime and practically retired, isn’t she? Ursula’s ability isn’t even physical; L.D.H. is practically the only all-rounder, so it could be seen as a generational shift.

– Hamilton Black is 122 years old. Is their special ability longevity?

– No, you crazy person LOL!

– Hamilton Black isn’t even a contractor and has never been involved with Oz, so they should just be considered a civilian. There are many rumors about their special ability, but nothing is known.

– What, is their special ability really longevity?

– Was Ursula’s special ability prophecy? What’s L.D.H.’s?

– Telekinesis?

– Ursula’s official special ability is ‘Returning Gear.’ L.D.H.’s hasn’t been officially announced yet, but it’s likely telekinetic.