Chapter 142: An Existence That Provides Benefits

“I decided to go hang out with Ian sunbae.”

Ian was the leader of Novior.

During Novior’s concert, the members of each team had greeted one another.

Among them, Ian and Tae-young, both being leaders, communicated well and had maintained a close friendship.

“We’re busy too, but Novior is even busier. We only meet very occasionally, and today is that day.”
“Is that so.”

But how on earth did Zion pop up every time he was called? It seemed his worship deserved even more praise.

“Then I shall go with you.”

“Shall we? I’ll get ready and come out.”

Since the Demon God had already been to the company to meet Bryce Kim, he was ready to head out just as he was.

While Tae-young went into his room, the Demon God didn’t just wait around; he headed to the front of Yoon-seo’s room.

Lately, Yoon-seo was investing almost all of his time into composing.

He had declared he would figure something out, and he was currently doing his absolute best to put those words into practice.

To encourage such a Yoon-seo, the Demon God whispered against his door.

“I am watching you.”

– Uwaaaah!

A startled scream from Yoon-seo echoed from inside the room.

The Demon God’s whisper could not be blocked by a mere door. It seeped right through the crack and reached Yoon-seo’s ears precisely.

– Sun-woo hyung? Is that you, hyung?

“Heh.”

The Demon God chuckled and stepped back.
If Yoon-seo ever felt the urge to slack off, this whisper would surely come to mind.

Ji-ho, who had been blankly watching this spectacle from the living room, pointed it out.

“Since you’re blocked by the door, you aren’t actually watching him, are you?”
“Let us forget such trivial details. The attention is what matters.”

Just then, Tae-young finished getting ready and came out.

“Shall we go?”

***

They headed straight down to the mansion’s garage.

The shutter door leading outside from the garage was open, and the company vehicle was just heading out.

“Hmm? I should catch that car.”

Rather than calling and asking them to stop for a moment, the Demon God decided to run and catch up to the car. In the Demon God’s realm, this was the simpler method.

The moment he put strength into his legs.

“Let’s just take my car.”

Tae-young pointed to a car remaining in the garage.

The Demon God wasn’t interested in cars so he didn’t know much, but it was an older version of a model known as a national sedan. Still, it was so well-maintained that it looked as good as new.

“What? It is Tae-young’s car?”
“To be exact, I received the one my father used to drive so I could use it as a beginner.”

Then, he asked the Demon God.

“I told you a while ago, don’t you remember?”
“Ah. Now that you mention it?”

Back then, Tae-young had only said he might bring a car from his family home. He hadn’t realized he had already brought it into the garage.

“If so, will Tae-young be driving himself?”
“Since no one else is going to do it for me, that’s a given, right?”

Since becoming an idol, the Demon God had always only ridden in company vehicles.

He conceptually knew this was possible, but seeing Tae-young, a fellow member, actually about to drive a car felt novel.

“Is a personal vehicle necessary?”

“It depends on the situation. I thought it’d be good if at least one of the members could drive just in case it’s difficult to use the company car, so I brought it.”

“Hoh.”

Even his reason for acquiring a car was very leader-like of Tae-young.

Indeed, a leader was a special existence in a team.
Tae-young was performing that role incredibly well.

“Tae-young, it is difficult to imagine Pantheon without you as the leader.”

“Really? That’s surprising. I thought you would’ve imagined yourself as the leader, Sun-woo.”

“I am separate. It is composed of me, the subordinate leader Tae-young, and the other subordinates. That is how it is structured.”

“Ah.”

Beep, beep—

The car unlocked with an electronic sound.

The Demon God sat in the passenger seat next to Tae-young and fastened his seatbelt with a sense of wonder.

Then, he threw a question that terrified Tae-young.

“Is it possible for me to drive a car as well?”

“What?”

“Why are you surprised? I am asking if it is possible for me to drive.”

“Ah, well.”

Tae-young hesitated greatly.

Of course, driving was possible.

Since he was an adult, the process would be over once he got a driver’s license and bought a car.

But for some reason, he had a bizarre feeling that Sun-woo shouldn’t be allowed to drive.

If he drove according to his personality, chaos would surely befall South Korea’s traffic order.

“Sun-woo, if an idol wants to drive a car, there are a few precautions.”

“?”

“You have to follow traffic laws strictly. Not causing an accident yourself is a given, but you also have to avoid any ambiguous situations.”

“I know that.”

“Drunk driving is absolutely out of the question, of course.”

“I know that as well.”

“Really?”

Even so, Tae-young didn’t say it was possible.

“Excuse me, Tae-young?”

Tae-young answered as if he had made up his mind.

“Still, let’s put it off for a bit, Sun-woo. If there’s somewhere you really want to go, just tell me instead.”

“Is that so? Well, I am more accustomed to that way anyway.”

As a Demon God who had lived with his own coachmen, unless he was heading to a battlefield, his means of transportation were always driven by someone else.

“Phew—”

Unaware of Tae-young’s relief, the Demon God threw his next question.

“What do you converse about when you meet Ian, Tae-young?”
“You’re curious about that? I’m curious about what you and Zion talk about. No, wait, do you two even converse?”
“It works out well. I command, and Zion obeys.”
“So you don’t.”

I said it works out well, though? The Demon God tilted his head.

“Ian *sunbae* and I have a lot to talk about. For example, concerns about the group’s direction.”

A very leader-like conversation.
However, the Demon God’s doubts weren’t resolved, so he tilted his head again.

“Hm? Doesn’t our group just need to follow me?”
“…….”
“What else do you talk about?”

Tae-young, who had been silent for a moment, answered.

“Like concerns about members who cause headaches.”
“…….”

This time, the Demon God was silent for a moment.

Tae-young looked at him, wondering if the Demon God had actually understood.

“Right, everyone aside from me requires a lot of care. Tae-young, you must have a lot of worries.”
“…….”

He hadn’t understood at all.

*No, you require the most care. You’re the most worrying, and the most precarious!*

His responsibilities as a leader had multiplied several times—no, several dozens of times since Sun-woo arrived.

Tae-young stared at Sun-woo for a long time with eyes filled with a complex feeling—

“Pfft.”
“Why are you laughing?”

But on the other hand, Sun-woo was also the most reassuring member, and the one he sought out the most.

Above all, he was a stimulus.

Yoon-seo was able to pour more passion into composing because Sun-woo was there. Tae-young himself, as well as Ha-gyeom and Ji-ho, also worked harder because of Sun-woo. Seeing Sun-woo grow at an incredible speed in dance, vocals, and rap made them unconsciously tense up.

“It’s nothing. More than that, I feel like our upcoming album will do well since you’re with us, Sun-woo.”

“You speak the obvious. Of course it will do well since I am with you. Rest assured about such things.”

It was a Demon God whose confidence was not just overflowing, but piercing the gods in the sky.

Tae-young chuckled lightly and asked.

Come to think of it, there was a question he should have asked Sun-woo as a leader.

“So, Sun-woo, why are you going to Zion’s?”

***

“Sun-woo! Sun-woo! Sun-woo!”

“Call me just once.”

The Demon God wore a slightly exhausted expression at Zion’s eager hospitality.

“Hi to you too, Tae-young!”

“Hello. Thanks for hanging out with Sun-woo from time to time.”

“What? I am the one hanging out with Zion.”

It was said that the Novior members commuted back and forth between their own homes and the dorm. There were days when no one was at the dorm, but today, several members could be seen.

“Sun-woo, tell Zion off a bit. He literally filled an entire room with your merch, you know?”

“Thanks to Zion, we’re worshipping too. But it really does help us sleep well and eat well.”

“It seems the joke your fans make is actually true.”

“Worship me even more, everyone. Various benefits await you in the future as well.”

At the Demon God’s confident reply, the Novior members burst into laughter.

“Tae-young, you’re here? Sun-woo came with you too?”

Ian, the leader, came out of his room a little late and welcomed Tae-young and the Demon God.

The Demon God also looked at Ian and greeted him, but…

“Hm? Ian, are you not worshipping me?”

Something strange caught his eye.
Unlike the other members, only Ian had slightly hollow eyes and dry skin.

To look like this when the authorities of deep sleep induction and hydration provision were present?

“I am worshipping. Because of Zion, you can’t avoid worshipping you in our dorm.”

The Demon God nodded in satisfaction and asked.

“Then what is this fatigue cast over your face?”
“Ah, does it show?”

Ian stroked his face. Zion explained on his behalf from the side.

“Ian hyung has a solo song coming out this time. He’s been stressing a lot lately because of the preparations.”

Novior was a senior group compared to Pantheon. It was time for the members to release solo albums.

The first batter was Ian.

“Pantheon is preparing for a winter comeback too, right?”
“If the songs come out, we will.”

It was natural for idols to have a rough annual plan set for their activities.

“Then our promotion periods might overlap.”

Ian asked lightly.

“Sun-woo, you should release a solo album later too, right?”

It was a choice anyone could make once they accumulated years of experience and had sufficient capability.

But the Demon God shook his head.

“No, I shall consider team activities as my priority.”

‘As an idol, bring happiness to humans.’

Since idols were generally a team, he was unsure if a solo album was included in that. It seemed like it might be, but he couldn’t be certain yet.

Therefore, he should prioritize the team.

“Sun-woo, you really….”

The Demon God’s answer brought a wave of emotion over Tae-young.

Although Sun-woo was unpredictable, he was a born idol, sincere about idol activities, and a member who prioritized the team this much.

He could never hate him.
Rather, he found him endearing.

“I’ll make sure to tell the members about this.”

“You do not need to, though?”

I am prioritizing the team to fulfill my punishment, so why go out of your way to pass that on?

The Demon God gave Ian one last piece of advice.

“Even if it is difficult, worship me even more. Only then will your fatigue lessen.”

“Pfft, hahaha. Okay. I got it, so stop.”

Ian laughed cheerfully and went into his room with Tae-young.

“I mean it, though?”

At the Demon God’s mutter, Zion clenched his fists.

“Don’t worry! I’ll keep telling Ian *hyung*.”

“Hm. Repeat it and repeat it again. Brainwashing is important.”

“Of course!”

While making the remaining members laugh with this conversation, the Demon God and Zion also entered Zion’s room.

“Ugh.”

Zion’s room was still plastered with the Demon God’s photos, bromides, and merchandise.

And on the desk, there were two beautifully wrapped gift boxes.

“You showed them to me through photos, yet you still went out of your way to wrap them?”
“Because they’re gifts.”

Seeing Zion’s proud expression, the Demon God couldn’t say anything more.
He just quietly unwrapped them.

*Rustle.*

A crude-looking doll made of straw, feathers, and tree bark emerged.

“Zion, do you know the purpose of this doll?”

“I don’t know that much. I just bought it because they said it was an extraordinary item.”

“Did you experience anything dangerous on the way here?”

“No. Just in case, I attached a picture of you, Sun-woo, and brought it like that.”

“You did very well.”

“Heh!”

The Demon God’s eyes carefully examined the doll before coming to a conclusion.

“Zion, would you step out for a moment?”

“Huh? Why?”

Despite asking, Zion stood up and went outside without any complaints. He was truly a fervent believer following an oracle.

Only two existences remained in Zion’s room.

One of them. The Demon God examined the doll again.

“…….”

And the other existence. The doll also examined the Demon God with its eyes made of attached pebbles.

– …….

Their gazes tangled.

And the Demon God voiced his conclusion.

“Annihilation followed by absorption.”

– Kieeeek!

The doll, possessed by an evil spirit, let out a shriek.

“I shall enjoy the meal.”

The doll’s body would have a separate use. It felt like he could already see the scene of his familiars rejoicing.

After all, this body was a Demon God who provided various benefits.

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