“Who are you?”
“What?”
I immediately noticed.
They’re speaking with Tay’s voice, wearing Tay’s face.
But this isn’t Tay.
This is not something Tay would say.
Of course, I know Tay has a strong desire to improve her skills.
She’s been keen on Black Mana Stones because they are excellent for raising her abilities.
But at the same time…
Every time she entrusted me with the Black Mana Stone, she showed a fear of ruining the processing due to her lack of experience.
This time, that fear was gone.
The timid aspect of her had completely vanished.
Only an obsession with the Black Mana Stone seemed to remain.
This is not Tay.
Or more clearly, Tay must be possessed by something.
I reached that conclusion.
The moment I turned my gaze to her chest,
something strange caught my eye.
‘Demonic Energy?’
Inside Tay’s chest,
deep inside her, the demonic energy was swirling.
It was demonic energy that I couldn’t have spotted before learning the curse technique.
As soon as I realized it, cold sweat began to flow.
I immediately grabbed Tay by both shoulders.
“What do you mean… ugh?!”
“Tay doesn’t hesitate to engage in physical contact, yet she blushes every time I get close. But you, even with my hand on your shoulder, show no reaction and only display confusion on your face. You are NOT Tay.”
Whack!
I gave her a headbutt.
The impact knocked Tay out.
I hurriedly loosened her clothes and began examining the demonic energy inside her chest more closely.
“… Yoo Jin. Right now, it feels extremely… criminal.”
“Shut up. I’m focusing.”
It’s bizarre.
To think demonic energy was dwelling inside Tay’s chest.
Was it like this from the beginning?
For now, I have no way of knowing.
Until now, both Mi Jeong and I had bodies that could barely sense demonic energy.
Sometimes, we could only detect it when it overflowed to an excessive degree.
In other words, until recently, we were just regular people.
The moment I was able to properly ‘see’ demonic energy, observing its color and shape, was after gaining the trait of ‘curse technique formation’.
For Mi Jeong, that happened after she learned the formation from Gui Ho.
What is it? If it’s coming from her heart, is it demonic energy leaking from the curse technique?
Even now, knowing how to handle demonic energy, its shape appears quite grotesque.
There’s definitely demonic energy present, but…
its presence feels very small.
Rather than being demonic energy itself, it looks like it’s unintentionally leaked out from the formation.
But if I were to ask if there’s a curse affecting the demonic energy in Tay’s chest, that isn’t the case either.
This demonic energy is simply residing inside Tay.
It has a sticky and unpleasant texture.
The more I looked closely at it, the more likely I felt I would throw up.
It seemed filled with an unpleasant malice, resembling a black abyss.
Whenever I tried to probe it with my own demonic energy, it offered a slimy, discomforting sensation.
Even worse, extracting it wasn’t an easy task.
If I tried to forcibly pull it out, it would suddenly cling to Tay’s heart…
It’s just demonic energy, yet it feels almost like a living entity.
An entity that only retains its primitive desire to survive.
This is definitely not something Tay originally possessed.
Someone deliberately put it inside Tay.
That conclusion was reached.
Good thing I knocked her out.
If I had noticed that Tay was acting differently, I should have pretended not to know and engaged in conversation to extract information.
But in a moment of panic, I blurted out, “Who are you?”
Now that I’ve been found out, I have no idea what the opponent might do to Tay’s body.
I had a terrifying thought that she might self-harm, which led me to knock her out urgently.
It could have been worse; she could have burst her heart and died.
If I hadn’t knocked her out, I might have been regretting it deeply by now.
“Mi Jeong. How does it look to you?”
“… The little lady is… touching Yoo Jin’s chest.”
“No, look inside.”
“… Chocolate-colored… touching the chest-”
“I mean the inside of her chest. The demonic energy inside it. You should be able to see more than I can. Please.”
“… Okay.”
Swish.
Mi Jeong approached and placed her hand on Tay’s chest.
There’s virtually nothing I can uncover on my own.
I have only barely cracked through the 0-level formation thanks to my trait, I’m a total rookie as a curse caster.
On the other hand, Mi Jeong has reached the level of 1st level formation through her own power.
And naturally, if our ranks differ, our line of sight must differ as well.
Mi Jeong will surely find something in that demonic energy that I’m unable to see.
“… It’s a bad feeling. Trying to control… but it’s useless.”
“I couldn’t manage either.”
“… And, this… demonic energy… seems familiar.”
“Familiar? Where from?”
Just as I was pondering, Mi Jeong raised her finger.
“… Over there.”
What Mi Jeong was pointing at was my waist.
To be precise, the sword hanging from my waist.
Or more accurately, she was pointing at the mana stone on the hilt of the sword.
And this mana stone is…
“Belphegor?”
It’s a mana stone made from Belphegor’s demonic energy.
When did it start?
Tay occasionally mentioned hearing voices ringing in her head.
At first, she suspected divine possession or an evil spirit.
But those doubts quickly faded.
I want to grow stronger.
I need the Black Mana Stone to grow stronger.
I need to get my hands on the Black Mana Stone.
The whispers reflected Tay’s honest and raw feelings.
Perhaps from being awake for so long, her mind had become hazy, enabling her to hear her subconscious.
Tay thought little of it and decided to take it lightly.
Somewhere in the world, a Black Mana Stone might be found again!
So let’s increase the amount of work!
Take on more commissions and work without a break!
However, as time passed, the voice became increasingly talkative.
It began to say things that strayed further from Tay’s true feelings.
Tay even found herself having short conversations with the “voice”.
Yet at that stage, she was completely unaware of the abnormality.
The “voice” had completely occupied Tay’s subconscious.
But Tay’s mental strength remained firm.
The “voice” could never breach the realm of Tay’s consciousness.
The “voice” couldn’t spy on any of what Tay saw, heard, or felt.
But it could cloud her consciousness.
When consciousness blurs, that void is filled naturally by the subconscious.
Although the “voice” couldn’t possess Tay’s body, the subconscious filled with the voice’s desire allowed it to control Tay’s body in a similar fashion.
“I want… the Black Mana Stone…”
The brainwashing was effective.
Before long, Tay completely forgot why she wanted the Black Mana Stone.
She became obsessed with the Black Mana Stone itself, completely detached from the desire to improve her skills.
With only the voice in her heart instructing her, Tay took on commissions endlessly to wear her body down.
The more mana stones she encountered, the higher the chance she had to obtain the Black Mana Stone.
As she became more famous, an even greater variety and number of mana stones would flock to her.
Unbeknownst to her, Tay was being manipulated by the “voice”, obsessively working herself to exhaustion.
But to those around her, Tay just looked like a normal artisan working too hard.
Some worried glances and a few comments were exchanged, but that was it.
No one seriously observed her.
No one noticed the demonic energy dwelling inside Tay.
And then one day…
The “voice” read the overwhelming enthusiasm within Tay.
It was brighter than ever.
Even though it couldn’t hear or see directly, the “voice” was certain.
Tay was definitely on the verge of obtaining the Black Mana Stone.
At this point, nothing could stand in the way.
Rage. Use any means necessary to obtain the Black Mana Stone. Just holding it once is enough!
The “voice” scattered Tay’s consciousness, stripping away her reason.
Only her unconsciousness moved her body.
Even if that meant using words and violence that didn’t come from her heart to seize the Black Mana Stone.
Bam!
Huh? She fainted?
But the result was completely unexpected.
Tay lost consciousness.
And at that very next moment…
The “voice” shivered with a chilling sensation.
Someone was staring directly at the inside of Tay.
“Who are you?”
Carefully hidden, even mages wouldn’t be able to find it.
Only the eccentric researching formations should be able to see it.
The “voice” fell into panic.
…
…
…
I get the gist of it.
The moment it was revealed that the master of the demonic energy was Belphegor, most of my questions were answered.
Belphegor is also a type that operates avatars, like Seo Gong.
Belphegor possesses the lowest combat power among the Four Heavenly Kings.
Even weaker than a necromancer, whose body is an undead army, so that’s saying something.
Given that, it’s only natural for Belphegor to be adept at creating avatars.
And creating avatars always comes with a price.
For Seo Gong, he had to share the power of his main body.
Belphegor is no exception.
However, there’s a way to create avatars without losing the main body’s strength.
That method is to borrow another’s body.
An example would be taking the body of a contract demon like Lawrence.
Of course, this method also has two limitations.
Firstly, those who make contracts with demons are, by nature, foolish like Lawrence; stealing their bodies isn’t very beneficial.
Secondly, even if one attempts to seize it, a large amount of demonic energy must be poured into the contractor for a long time before it can be forcibly taken.
With the gain being low and the time investment high, it’s extremely frustrating.
As such, the most satisfying method for Belphegor would be to directly create avatars.
A homemade avatar would allow Belphegor to draw out the full capacity of the body, unlike a human one.
If it could be created using minimal mana, practically for free…
If I thought of that method, Belphegor probably had already conceived it and put it into practice.
It takes a massive amount of mana to create a body of Belphegor’s main level. The amount required can only be gathered with hundreds of mages working for years.
From Belphegor’s standpoint, there aren’t many methods to acquire such a huge amount of mana.
One of them…
The easiest way would be to seek the Black Mana Stone.
The Black Mana Stone is composed of mana from the avatar that he once lost or the remains of a fallen fellow Four Heavenly King.
If the mana is broken down into its elemental form, it will yield an astronomical amount.
Without a doubt, Belphegor would strive to regain the Black Mana Stone.
And when it comes to mana stones, there’s a recently rising star making waves across the globe.
That star is Tay.
Famed as the best artisan, Tay is regarded as one who handles mana stones that pour in from all around the world, increasing the probability of her obtaining a Black Mana Stone.
Belphegor must have stealthily slipped his demonic energy into her to manipulate Tay’s psyche.
And the moment Tay eventually lays her hands on the Black Mana Stone and detects a substantial amount of mana…
That minuscule mana will instantly transform the Black Mana Stone into an avatar.
Then, starting from that day, the nightmarish “Belphegor 2x Event” begins.
Oh wow. Just the thought sends shivers down my spine.
How cunning. If I hadn’t learned the curse technique and if Mi Jeong hadn’t reached the 1st level formation, I might have missed it completely.
It was very challenging to notice.
It was definitely Tay, but the feeling was different.
I wondered if I was unsure since it was controlling Tay from the depths of her subconscious.
If the demonic energy had controlled her from the surface, I would’ve caught on quickly.
It’s a malevolent yet intelligent kind of brainwashing.
“So what should we do about this?”
“… Ugh.”
The problem is that just knowing the identity of the demonic energy doesn’t reveal the solution.
Though Mi Jeong is currently trying her utmost to extract the demonic energy.
The demonic energy remains stubbornly attached to Tay’s heart.
The more forcefully I try to pull it out, the more it clings to her heart.
I can’t see any way to remove it without bursting Tay’s heart.
“This is maddening.”
The only silver lining is that the demonic energy’s performance seems limited.
Perhaps in an attempt to keep it undetected, only a small amount was injected, so it hasn’t completely taken over Tay’s body yet.
Moreover, it doesn’t seem like there’s a real-time communication feature.
There’s no chance that this situation is being communicated to Belphegor.
But if my calculations are correct, the energy of this demonic entity might allow for one unidirectional communication.
That one opportunity will be utilized to send a notification the moment Tay gets her hands on the Black Mana Stone.
“How convenient it would be if it just popped out on its own.”
“… If it comes out on its own?”
At that moment, Mi Jeong paused, her head tilted while stroking Tay’s chest.
Wondering why she was acting that way, I suddenly realized.
Looking at me, Mi Jeong murmured with an expressionless face.
“… Just… make it come out.”
“How?”
“… Just give it what it wants.”
“Ah.”
I understood what Mi Jeong meant.
What this demonic energy desires.
That would be the Black Mana Stone.
In other words, if I handed the Black Mana Stone to Tay…
It would seize the Black Mana Stone to create an avatar and pop out on its own.
And at that moment, it would contact Belphegor’s main body.
I’ve finally found the Black Mana Stone. I’ve completed the avatar!
Then, if I track that communication back…
I could also find Belphegor’s main body.
“Mi Jeong, are you possibly a genius?”
“… Piss.”
I’ve got it.
Belphegor must be grinning at the thought of acquiring an avatar for free,
but due to the lack of a conscience, it backfired.
“Let’s do this. Just let the mana stone out.”
It’s a chance to face Belphegor’s main body.
I’m his biggest fan after all.
There’s no way I could pass up a precious fan-signing event.
