translation by mourningmoor
I’m not attached to this world.
I’m indebted to it.
That was the only thought running through my mind as I left Yoo Noah and headed back to the company.
I’m not attached. I’m indebted.
And that thought grew stronger as I learned more about Bartholomeus’s actions.
In the end, it was me who brought that monster to this world.
Using the magical energy stored in my hair, he gathered the minimum amount of mana and inscribed magic circles on people to extract more mana. That’s how he sustained himself for 312 years, slowly building up his power while waiting for me to descend to this land.
Since the mana of this world doesn’t respond to him, he wants to return to his original world. But at the same time, he can’t bring himself to abandon this world, shaped by mechanical civilization.
I can’t just let that happen.
“Director.”
As soon as we arrived in front of the company, I called out to Kim Chanyeong.
“Huh?”
Kim Chanyeong, who had just finished parking, turned to look at me.
“Do you want to grab a beer?”
“I thought you couldn’t drink?”
“I tend to talk nonsense when I drink, but you already know everything, so it doesn’t matter, right?”
At my words, Kim Chanyeong made a slightly troubled expression.
“Well… yeah, but you’re not going to start using magic or anything, are you?”
“Got it. I’ll restrain myself.”
We stopped by a convenience store and bought a few cans of beer.
Then, we went into my studio and popped open the cans.
Just in case, I slightly heightened my senses and took a sip of the beer. With my magical energy restored, my body shouldn’t be easily affected by alcohol.
One sip, then another. By the time I was halfway through the can, I started feeling a slight buzz.
“Are you okay?”
Kim Chanyeong asked with concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I can handle a can or two.”
“Let me know if you feel unwell.”
Kim Chanyeong also drank his beer. Then, he handed me some dried squid as a snack. As always, the food in this world is delicious, even with beer. The squid legs are tasty too.
“Did Gyuhyung hyung get home safely?”
I saw Kim Chanyeong talking to Gyuhyung on the phone earlier.
“Yeah. He said he had dinner with you and went home, but he made a fuss because his necklace was missing.”
That Demon King bastard must have cleaned up Gyuhyung’s memories well.
“So, I told him we’d look for it at the company.”
“I’ll give it to him tomorrow.”
Then, I handed Gyuhyung’s necklace, which was in my pocket, to Kim Chanyeong.
I also upgraded the magical energy level of Gyuhyung’s necklace to the highest level. Now, he won’t easily fall for the Demon King’s temptations. I even added a mental reinforcement spell.
“Director, please, for my sake, wear the anklet, okay?”
“Hey, everyone else has necklaces, rings, and earrings, but why do I have to wear an anklet? It makes me look like a criminal.”
Kim Chanyeong’s voice was full of dissatisfaction.
“What are you talking about? The design is different.”
Then, I flicked my finger and lifted Kim Chanyeong’s leg.
“Hey!”
As his leg suddenly lifted, Kim Chanyeong let out a shout.
“I told you not to use magic recklessly! Ugh, you made me spill my beer.”
“Sorry. I just wanted to upgrade the level.”
I also upgraded Kim Chanyeong’s anklet to the highest level.
After opening another can of beer and drinking half of it, I took out my phone.
“Is Wooyoung asleep? I need to upgrade Wooyoung’s ring too. And Hanul hyung’s.”
At that moment, Kim Chanyeong snatched my phone from my hand.
“Kang Ichan, you’re drunk. Let’s go. I’ll take you back to the dorm.”
“I’m not drunk. And it’s urgent. I need to upgrade everyone’s levels first. My mom too…”
Ah, what should I do?
Should I go to Samcheok?
“I need to upgrade my mom’s level too.”
“Take it slow. It’s not like we’re in immediate danger.”
Kim Chanyeong also took the can of beer from my hand.
“I understand what you’re worried about, but we’re not that weak. We can wait. So, take it step by step. Don’t push yourself too hard. Okay?”
Damn. I feel like crying.
I rubbed my face with both hands and steeled my resolve.
It might be a bit crude, but I think the Demon King was right.
I let out a long sigh and stood up.
“Director, let’s call it a day.”
Then, I teleported away.
* * *
Every day was filled with anxiety for Aki.
She had recently started seeing a psychiatrist again, but since she couldn’t reveal the truth, it wasn’t helping at all.
The anxiety began when a spontaneous combustion incident, suspected to be a terrorist attack, occurred at H-NET, involving CEO Lim Jingyu.
The police left the possibility of terrorism open, but it wasn’t that.
It was the Master’s execution by fire.
It was the sixth execution by fire she had witnessed since joining the Circle.
But this was the first time it involved a celebrity, and it was truly terrifying.
What was even more frightening was that CEO Lim Jingyu’s execution had failed.
The Master had promised freedom to anyone who survived an execution, and due to the contract, he couldn’t touch Lim Jingyu. While it was reassuring that the promise was kept, she was shocked by the appearance of someone stronger than the Master.
At the same time, she desperately hoped it was just a coincidence.
Someone stronger than the Master? That was just another source of fear.
But Natalie Grace proved it wasn’t a coincidence.
A core member of the Circle, no less.
“So what? That’s not the important thing. Maon is on the verge of collapse.”
It was all because of that bastard Kang Ichan.
Somehow, he had gotten his hands on Maon’s top-secret information and handed it all over to Music Q, completely turning the company upside down.
That brat had been bad news from the start, and now he’d caused this mess.
Because of him, even the SS Group withdrew their investment.
Timothy Gordon, the head of the Circle and a senior executive at the SS Group, called directly and was furious.
[Is this how you handle things while receiving support from the SS Group? Even if you’re a distant relative of the Master, this is unacceptable.]
A distant relative of the Master. That was her position within the Circle.
Of course, it was just a connection she had stumbled upon without realizing it. A distant relative of the Master? At first, she was just stunned when she heard it.
Anyway, that one fact had given her a solid position within the Circle and allowed her to receive tremendous support. But now, that position was being completely shaken.
“The execution isn’t the problem. We need to think about survival first.”
Then, she scrolled through her phone’s contact list.
She needed to leave Maon and find a new nest to attract the SS Group’s investment. HS Group didn’t seem like a good option either.
That’s when it happened. Suddenly, all the electricity in the house went out.
“Huh? What’s going on? A blackout?”
There’s no way the electrical system in this high-end apartment would fail. Was there a city-wide issue?
“Even so, there’s no backup power?”
She got up and turned on her phone’s flashlight.
She thought she should check the circuit breaker.
As she turned toward the entrance, she was startled.
In the dark hallway, she could see the silhouette of a person.
“Wha-what, what is this?”
She was so shocked that her voice wouldn’t come out properly.
Then, the figure spoke.
“You should worry about the execution first, not survival.”
Slowly, the figure walked into the light of the phone’s flashlight.
Even though they were indoors, it felt like a cold wind was blowing. The pressure was overwhelming.
As the light illuminated the figure’s face, she realized it was someone she knew.
“Ka-Kang Ichan?”
Why is he here? No, how did he even get in?
Shocked and speechless, Kang Ichan walked right up to her.
“You, you, what are you doing here? How did you…?”
At that moment, Aki’s left hand was suddenly lifted and extended toward Kang Ichan. She let out a scream.
Only then did she realize. The executions of CEO Lim Jingyu and Natalie Grace—it was all Kang Ichan’s doing. So, Kang Ichan was an existence equal to, or even surpassing, the Master.
Her mouth went dry, and her legs felt weak. Her heart sank.
“P-please, spare me.”
He was definitely going to touch her ring.
If he touched the ring, she would die. There was no way to escape the Master’s execution.
CEO Lim Jingyu also couldn’t escape the execution itself. Kang Ichan was right beside him, and it seemed Kang Ichan had taken some measures.
The media reported that Kang Ichan had used an ice bucket to put out the fire the moment it started, but there was no way that fire could have been extinguished so easily.
The person before Lim Jingyu had jumped into water but still ended up burning to death.
“Please, spare me. I don’t want to be executed.”
At that, Kang Ichan smiled coldly.
“I won’t kill you.”
He won’t kill me? Really?
I know that Lim Jingyu and Natalie Grace didn’t have a bad relationship with Kang Ichan. Lim Jingyu had always shown favor toward Kang Ichan, and Natalie Grace was known to be a fan.
But her… She had multiple layers of bad history with him.
There was no reason for him to spare her.
That’s why his words, “I won’t kill you,” felt even more terrifying.
“Why, why?”
Mustering up her courage, she asked for a reason.
“If you’re not going to kill me, does that mean you’ll spare me from the execution?”
If that were the case, it wouldn’t be so bad.
The fame she had gained through the Master’s magic would disappear, but at least she would gain her freedom. Plus, the anxiety about the execution would be gone.
But Kang Ichan’s answer was different.
“I won’t spare you from the execution either. I’m not going to destroy your ring.”
“Th-then?”
Kang Ichan grabbed her left hand, which was still extended toward him.
A blue light flickered at the tip of Kang Ichan’s finger.
“I’m just going to tweak the magic circle a bit. I’ll cut off the mana supply.”
Mana? What are you talking about?
Before she could ask, part of the magic circle twisted.
The fear reached its peak as Kang Ichan effortlessly crushed the magic circle.
She was so scared she could barely breathe.
Having crossed paths with such an existence, the future looked bleak.
Once he was done, Kang Ichan released her hand. The tension that had been pulling her hand forward snapped, and her arm dropped limply.
“You can no longer supply mana to your Master. Conversely, you also can’t use the mana you received from the Master.”
A sinister smile spread across Kang Ichan’s lips.
“But the danger of execution will always remain. You know that, right? The moment the ring is removed, you’ll burn.”
She was doomed. It seemed like only the worst parts were left, and everything else had been taken away.
“Th-this, this can’t be. Please, spare me too. I want to live. I want freedom too…”
“Why should I spare you? You’ve done things.”
She couldn’t argue back.
She had learned that in times like this, she had to be humble. She had to survive no matter what.
Aki immediately dropped to her knees.
“Please, spare me. I was wrong.”
She begged desperately.
Tears streamed down her face. Seeing that even her nose was running, it seemed like the situation was truly dire.
“Please, spare me. Please.”
At that moment, Kang Ichan bent down and sat in front of her.
“If you want to live, bring me the list of magic circle owners you know. If even one is wrong, you’re dead. Got it?”
“Ye-yes, yes. I’ll do it. I’ll do it.”
Crying and pleading, Aki nodded in agreement. By the time she lifted her head, Kang Ichan had already disappeared.