05. Deal with the Devil (5)

Absolute command over the devil.

Of course, it was not without restrictions as strong as the effect.

First, the demon to give the command must be in a state where only the soul remains. It doesn’t work on demons with bodies. Kertatus is parasitic on my body, but I have control over it, so it seems to meet this condition by a narrow margin.

Second, the command is once a day and should be intuitive. For example, commands that force a single action, such as “Go to sleep” Or “Attack that thing,” Work well, but commands that are too broad, such as “Obey,” Do not work.

Third, you cannot annihilate demons or weaken their power. For example, using a ring to give commands like “Die” Or “Hand over power” Doesn’t work.

Perhaps the original Solomon’s Ring was stronger and less restrictive than this. However, even considering all the limitations, it was definitely encouraging to have a card that could be used against Kertatus.

[Hey, kid… our conversation….]

Yeah I don’t listen.

I put a magic stone ring engraved with Solomon’s seal on my left index finger. It was made to fit my finger size from the beginning, so the size was perfect.

As soon as I put the ring on, I could feel the power of Kertatus being suppressed, probably because it was made of a magic stone.

[Wait, wait! Wait! Ugh… !]

“After….”

As long as I wear this ring, I don’t think I’ll lose my body as easily as before. It would be good to drive this momentum and negotiate with Kertatus now.

But I had more important things to do.

“Seo-hee. It’s exponential.”

“Huh?”

“… ?”

I hugged them both in my arms.

“Thank you.”

And I expressed sincere gratitude to the two of them.

“Lee, Lee, Lee, Lee Jinah!?”

“… !”

I wouldn’t have been able to make this ring by myself if either of Seohee Yoon’s aura and Jisu Baek’s magical knowledge were missing.

I couldn’t express myself in front of the two of them, but to be honest, I was afraid too. Of course.

The fact that there is a being other than myself in my body. That it could be taken away and disappear at any time by that being. Because that wasn’t too different from saying I was dying.

Even though I tried to win, even if I pretended to be strong, I felt the demon inside me grow stronger. I tried to be calm and ignore even the thought of fear, fearing that Kertatus would read it, but even so, a vague feeling of anxiety came over me whenever I thought about the future.

It may have collapsed at some point because of the compulsion to hurry up and find a way to control the demon.

The only reason I couldn’t do that was because the two of them tried to be my strength.

Yoon Seo-hee saved Seongsu for me. Baek Ji-soo also learned a new spell.

I did not have to resist Kertatus alone. The two of them were also trying to help me from a place I didn’t know.

I was very grateful for that.

In my arms, Yoon Seo-hee, who was caressing her face reddened, lowered her head and said in a voice like a mosquito crawling.

“Compared to what you gave me, this arrangement is nothing… I always… I wanted to repay you.”

“Thank you. It’s Seohee.”

Baek Ji-soo was looking up at me with her rabbit-like red eyes wide open, her eyelids twitching quietly. Her expression, which was always expressionless, had changed so distinctly that no one but me noticed.

Surprised for a while, Baek Ji-soo smiled softly and said quietly.

“As a friend, I decided to give you something in return.”

“Right. It did.”

I was talking about that too.

It was really rewarding beyond my expectations.

Tap the shoulders of the two people lightly and let them go. An awkward, embarrassing, and unfamiliar atmosphere pervaded the workshop, but for some reason, this atmosphere did not feel bad.

At that moment, I felt a familiar presence outside the workshop.

“Lee Jin-ah! The light just now… Yes?”

My grandfather, who had just returned home, entered the studio with a look of urgency and opened his eyes wide when he saw the three of us.

“Aren’t they Seohee and Jisoo? Did Lee Jin come to see you?”

“Hello, Grandpa! I’m sorry for coming to you without contacting you.”

” … Hello.”

Yoon Seo-hee greeted her brightly, and Baek Ji-su politely bowed her head. The grandfather also erased his surprised expression and accepted the two people’s greetings with an empty smile.

“Come. Say something like that. I’m friends with Lee Jin, so it’s okay if you come anytime. But….”

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Grandpa looked around the studio lightly.

It was a mess with all the things turned upside down by the strong wind.

“How did the studio come to be like this?”

“Ah… Ahahahaha.”

I couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly.

–

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Grandpa also came, so he naturally became the mood to have dinner together.

Yoon Seo-hee couldn’t be a nuisance because of her manners, so she tried to go back, but agreed to her grandfather’s gentle suggestion.

Is this the second time the four of you have dinner together? The dinner table, which had always been quiet just the two of us, felt exceptionally lively, and I was able to forget everything about demons and destruction for the first time in a long time and had a good time.

After the meal, Yoon Seo-hee grabbed her grandfather and she seemed to be talking about something alone, but when she asked what they were talking about, Yoon Seo-hee said she would find out later, and she didn’t tell.

Should I ask her grandfather? No. If it’s important, I’ll tell you later.

The two went home before it was too late, but they didn’t let go of their worries about me until the end.

“Lee Jin-ah, are you really okay? Would the ring be enough?”

“Don’t worry. It’s quiet now, and I think I’ll be fine for a while now.”

I told them about the ability of the ring, which they had forgotten to tell about, and they were surprised by the ability of the ring, which was superior to their expectations, but put their minds at ease.

Last night it was an awkward atmosphere with my grandfather, but today he was only concerned about my body. I was able to return to my room only after diligently explaining to my grandfather that everything was fine again and that I was fine now.

“Whoa….”

I told my grandfather that it would be all right now.

That included leaving the house abruptly like yesterday.

I don’t want to add more lies to my grandfather. So the next conversation will be very important to make this true.

“Hey, Certatus.”

[…] ….]

Deep in my head, I felt Kertatus’s consciousness creeping up.

Mysteriously, from the moment the ring was completed, Kertatus remained silent throughout. Normally, when I was talking to Yoon Seo-hee or Baek Ji-soo, I was the one who would spit out double curses for no reason.

Did you look at me by any chance? Through the connected consciousness, I could tell that he was very uncomfortable with this situation.

“Did you ask to talk to me? Ok, let’s talk But if you talk nonsense, this will put you to sleep all day.”

The index finger of the left hand flicks. The magic stone ring heavily showed off my presence.

Certatus said in a broken voice.

[I never thought this body would end up being threatened by humans… I’ve lived for thousands of years, but I’ve never experienced such humiliation. I thought human magic was an insignificant skill, but it doesn’t seem useless at all. Heh, if you think about it, that half-half girl isn’t even a pure human, so if you put it in a strict way-]

It bothered me that his way of talking was still cocky.

“Go to sleep….”

[Wait, wait, wait! Why not! Suddenly? You haven’t even started talking yet!]

“Now that I think about it, I think we should check how long this order lasts. How long do you want to stay asleep if I tell you to sleep? If it stays on for more than 24 hours, wouldn’t you be able to take my body for the rest of my life even if I just send an order to sleep every day?”

[Uggeuk… ! I get it. I’ll be careful with my words… Calm down for now.]

I lowered my left hand with a sullen expression.

“If you talk about half and half girls again, I will really put you to bed.”

[This bastard doesn’t even care about swearing at himself, but he’s sensitive about that… But are you saying you’re not paying attention? Do you have unusual tastes?]

“What are you talking about? Stop talking nonsense and get to the point.”

Because I’m leaning more and more toward using the ring.

[Kuh… ! I get it. Boy, after watching for the past few days, you and I share the same purpose.]

“What? You and me?”

[Yes. Do you want to prevent destruction? I want to get rid of all the demons who betrayed me. It’s not particularly vengeful, but if you’ve been beaten, you have to return it, right? But I have no body, and you lack strength.]

Not enough power, ok.

That’s the part I’ve been keenly aware of lately.

It reminds me of the gate incident or the terrorism at the fair. Even now, it’s hard to follow them, but will I be able to properly support them when they climb to the top?

Yoon Seo-hee will become much stronger than now. Baek Ji-soo will one day regain the status that was achieved in the future.

But I… No matter how good a weapon can be made, it is only a blacksmith.

[You are ordinary… No, it’s not normal, but it’s not a warrior. And not even a wizard. On the other hand, demons are strong and even cunning. The numbers are also crowded.]

“… Therefore?”

[I admit that those people named Yoon Seo-hee and Baek Ji-soo have usable talents, but at least there are only two of them. Can they catch all the demons together? Do not assert impossible. The devil is not so easy. I don’t know how many devils I know among the ninety-nine, but even if I put the weakest guy I know with you, you wouldn’t last even one second.]

One second. No matter what, if I hold the three-person sword, for more than one second… !

No, let’s face it.

Is the devil stronger than Cha Soo-hyuk? At least it won’t be weak. If I had to face the world’s strongest hunter… It must be a miracle that he could survive even for a second. Even if you deal with a demon as strong as Cha Soo-hyuk, the result will be the same.

[Yes, you know. Weapons and numbers are important, but the most important thing is absolute power. That’s the only thing you don’t have.]

Certatus spoke softly in a serious tone.

[That power, I will give it to you.]

The devil’s whisper echoed in my head.