Chapter 5: Supreme Bond

#5

[‘Oriax,’ the demon of ‘Lemegeton,’ writhes in agony, clutching their eyes and rolling on the ground!]

‘What an exaggeration from a high-ranking demon,’ Han Dokyeom mused.

Han Dokyeom dismissively brushed away the words that materialized in the air. In truth, he hadn’t always possessed such a strong constitution.

When he first arrived in the vast cavern, guided by the team leader, the stench of monster blood had been overwhelming. It had paralyzed him, leaving him barely able to cover his mouth.

The cavern had been filled to the brim with minotaur carcasses. All of them lay mutilated, bearing sword marks, their tongues lolling out in death.

Sword marks.

Traces of a blade.

Being pushed to work among the corpses was one thing, but what came next was the true challenge. Despite his skill, the constant dry heaving as he sifted through the monster remains left him disoriented.

He eventually resorted to digging blind, almost bringing a pickaxe down on his own foot. Unable to watch any longer, Oriax had sighed and used their divine authority, 【Eye Realm】, to obscure part of Han Dokyeom’s senses.

It was thanks to Oriax that Han Dokyeom could now calmly eat bread amidst the decaying piles. And it was also why Oriax was currently throwing such a fit.

Oriax had taken away Han Dokyeom’s sight and smell. The corpses appeared blurry, as if shrouded in mist, and his sense of smell registered nothing but the scent of the wind. Consequently, the work proceeded smoothly.

Seasoned laborers would exclaim in admiration as they passed by, but Han Dokyeom had no time for pleasantries. His stomach perpetually growled; the sheer number of carcasses meant he was hungry again before he could even satisfy his previous hunger, a cycle that repeated endlessly.

[‘Oriax,’ the demon of ‘Lemegeton,’ shudders, urging you to hurry. They also clutch their eyes with a forepaw, begging you to stop rummaging around!]

“Alright, alright. I’ll just finish quickly then,” Han Dokyeom conceded.

Wiping away the sweat, he turned his stiff neck to survey the now-cleared surroundings. The seemingly endless task was finally nearing its completion. The bustling work site only quieted when the foreman’s final shout rang out, allowing everyone to let out ragged breaths, signaling the end.

Only then did Han Dokyeom release a rough sigh and set down the pickaxe he had gripped for hours.

“Alright, everyone, let’s get out of here quickly! The gate is about to reset!”

And now, Han Dokyeom was exiting the gate, wiping monster blood from his cheek with his arm. Other laborers, their work done, gathered their equipment and trudged exhaustedly towards the exit, like a weary procession.

Fortunately, thanks to the continuous influx of external workers, the task was completed before sunset. In the empty dungeon, stripped of all its structures, only the wind howled like a mournful dirge.

“Ha… I’m going to die…”

Han Dokyeom patted his aching lower back. Indeed, having experienced it firsthand, this kind of work was unbearable. It wasn’t just a matter of a weak stomach; living like this, his body might soon shatter. He found himself profoundly impressed by the laborers who performed such tasks daily.

[‘Oriax,’ the demon of ‘Lemegeton,’ snaps at you, declaring there won’t be a second time!]

Han Dokyeom silently gazed at the words blooming in white. It was true that he had greatly benefited from Oriax’s help this time.

Oriax was an unusually attentive demon to their contractor. In truth, such loyalty was rare among demons, yet Oriax’s actions deviated significantly from others of their kind.

This wasn’t born from any particular favor towards Han Dokyeom, but rather from Oriax’s inherent nature as a demon of ‘Lemegeton.’

A high-status messenger.

An ancient, revered demon who had once received the worship of humans.

They were renowned for assisting humans without expecting any reward.

It was said that before becoming a demon, Oriax had been deeply beloved by people. Consequently, their pursuit of evil differed slightly from other demons. No, rather, popular rumor suggested they might even lean closer to good.

“Great work, everyone!”

As they exited the gate, applause and words of appreciation erupted from all sides. A deep twilight had already settled across the sky. The heavens, split as if day and night were divided by a precise line, prompted a long sigh from Han Dokyeom.

Han Dokyeom pulled off his gloves, inhaling deeply of the night air. He had taken precisely three steps, exhaling, when it happened.

*Crunch.*

A small but distinct sound reached his ears from somewhere. Turning his head towards the source, he first spotted hair as black as night. The sound emanated from the hand of a man rolling a crimson magic stone.

The man’s appearance was a stark contrast, like day and night: black hair paired with a pristine white shirt. Bloodstains, dried and neglected, clung to the shirt, remnants of a fierce battle. Han Dokyeom paused, his gaze fixed upon him.

This was the Hunter who had cleared the gate. He was also one of only three S-rank Hunters in Korea.

Geon Ita. The protagonist of this world, and Han Dokyeom’s very first creation, crafted with more affection than any other.

To see that creation before his eyes… it was like having his entire being laid bare and examined.

Geon Ita’s jet-black hair swayed, as if swimming in the wind. A crisp, almost grassy freshness emanated from him. His skin was flawless, his shoulders broad, and his clothes fell in neat lines. Even the demon’s seal, barely visible inside his tightly cinched sleeve, was exactly as described.

He was precisely as if he had stepped straight out of the printed word: languid, precarious, and utterly dangerous.

‘What should I do about him?’

Han Dokyeom pondered for a long while. After a moment, the man tilted his head, and their gazes instantly locked.

His languid eyes curved into a faint smile. The man stopped rolling the magic stone and opened his lips, almost whispering.

“Who are you?”

It was a quiet smile. The magic stone, flicked from his fingertips, shattered. This was a habit of Geon Ita’s, especially when something had twisted his mood.

After clearing a gate, he always rolled the magic stone extracted from the first monster he killed, as if savoring the lingering aftermath. It was a way to dilute his heightened emotions, or perhaps to soothe them.

Immediately, his long leg stretched out towards Han Dokyeom.

“Look at this Hunter I haven’t seen before.”

In the original story, Han Dokyeom and Geon Ita first met here. From that day forward, Han Dokyeom harbored a sense of admiration for Geon Ita. It was simply the worship of a greenhorn Hunter, yearning for what they lacked.

Even Han Dokyeom, who usually only wrote supporting characters’ narratives when necessary, had painstakingly elaborated on ‘Han Dokyeom’s’ story during this particular encounter.

Geon Ita, still in his suit, also had blood splattered on his cheek. It was monster blood, not his own. The man, now standing directly in front of Han Dokyeom, immediately tilted his head, meeting Han Dokyeom’s gaze. Their eyes locked, intertwining.

He was so excessively handsome that it was difficult to maintain eye contact.

“I distinctly remember hiring a Hunter company without the ‘Lemegeton’ seal, didn’t I?”

“Ah… yes. I asked the foreman for work and was deployed to the site as a guerrilla worker.”

“Why?”

Geon Ita asked, maintaining his perpetual smile. It was a terrifyingly beautiful face. Geon Ita always wore a quiet smile. He smiled often, but not out of emotion.

For him, a smile was like erecting an invisible wall. He smiled to conceal himself, or perhaps to mock his opponent. Just like now.

“Because I’m broke. They offered 500,000 won a day, so I took the job.”

“A Hunter is broke?”

“Well, I’m an E-rank Hunter. My reputation is so bad I can’t even get part-time jobs, so I have to take anything I can get. Of course, a successful S-rank Hunter like Mr. Geon Ita wouldn’t understand.”

“Right, setting that aside. But…”

Geon Ita closed the distance, now right in front of him. In an instant, Han Dokyeom’s chin was seized, almost crushing it, and two jet-black eyes met his at an inch’s distance. Geon Ita’s hand delicately brushed near Han Dokyeom’s seal. A shiver ran down Han Dokyeom’s spine, his neck stiffening.

“Why have you been avoiding my gaze?”

The soft voice seemed to scratch at his insides. Han Dokyeom offered a slight smile and spoke.

“I haven’t avoided your gaze.”

“You haven’t?”

It was the moment their eyes fiercely locked. In an instant, Han Dokyeom’s world inverted without warning. The world turned pitch black, like storm clouds gathering, stifling his breath. White letters, spreading like ink across the dark void, revealed the cause of this phenomenon.

[‘Trait Skill’ is preparing to bloom.]

Bloom.

And, Skill.

Countless scenes that Geon Ita had experienced, and was yet to experience, flashed through Han Dokyeom’s mind.

*Rustle—*

The sound of cards shuffling could be heard from somewhere. In tandem with that sound, Geon Ita’s past, present, and future churned and settled like waves. The countless fleeting scenes circled back, stopping at a particular juncture.

This very moment, when Geon Ita had spoken to Han Dokyeom.

Before his eyes, the blooming words unfurled completely. This was a ‘skill,’ something Hunters gained through experience and fortunate encounters.

[‘Trait Skill’ 『Supreme Resolve』 has bloomed.]

Time, which he hadn’t even realized had stopped, now flowed back into the world’s current from that pivotal point. It reverted to the moment before he saw the word ‘bloom.’ It returned to that precise instant when Geon Ita’s precariously touching fingertip was about to invade Han Dokyeom’s seal and push it up.

It was also the moment Oriax’s urgent pronouncement had obscured his vision.