Ch.4115. New Ancient Gear (1)

I entered Flame’s archives.

Soso had called me there. She sent me a message saying there were documents to organize.

‘But why did she call me here?’

Despite summoning me, Soso hadn’t said a word.

And today, Soso’s outfit was unusual. A tight gray dress that revealed all her curves. Over it, she wore a beige cardigan.

She sat in a chair in the archives, silently staring at me.

‘The atmosphere feels strange somehow.’

Since our last business trip, Soso’s demeanor had definitely changed. And within Soso, the vanished Blood Demon had come alive again.

‘Could the Blood Demon be controlling Soso?’

I felt instinctively uneasy. But since she wasn’t doing anything suspicious, I just raised my guard slightly while cleaning the archives.

However, the archives were already well-organized, so there wasn’t much to do. Then I stopped in front of a file with a particular name.

[Records of the Ains Academy 19th Class Graduation Ceremony]

The moment I saw that title, my body froze.

Flame’s archives required access authorization. Soso, being a core member of Flame, had no problem accessing this place and brought me along. But this file was Flame’s classified information, not disclosed to outsiders.

I glanced at Soso. She looked at me standing in front of the file but said nothing.

‘I guess she’s saying it’s okay to look.’

I opened the file. The record of those unforgettable days. Fortunately, there were no parts where my memory had distorted things.

Despite losing consciousness for a year and two years having passed already, the memory of the Ains tragedy, that incident, remained vivid.

I carefully compared my memories with the documents in the file. The only difference was in the records about Soso.

The author of this document was Yuri. So the record of when I broke free from Yuri’s eternal barrier and confronted Soso wasn’t as detailed as other records.

When Soso and I, or rather the Blood Demon and I, confronted each other, only the two of us were present. The fact that this record existed meant Yuri had heard Soso’s testimony.

– Suspicion Demon’s mental manipulation ability. Yeon Soso, under the strong suggestion of that ability, attacked Lee Minsu.

That was the summary. But the cause of Soso awakening as the Blood Demon was ultimately not the Suspicion Demon, but me.

I don’t know if Yuri knew that fact. Even if she did, she wouldn’t have recorded the shameful truth about the heir of the Mu-guk noble family, the Heavenly Demon Child.

The battle records after that were exactly as I remembered.

Soso’s Heavenly Demon Divine Technique after awakening as the Blood Demon. I had to risk my life against her tyrannical swordsmanship. Still, I managed to push back the Blood Demon and persuaded Soso at the end.

To bring back Soso’s mind, which hadn’t yet been completely taken over by the Blood Demon, I embraced her tightly.

‘That part isn’t in the record.’

I still remember what the Blood Demon shouted then.

– If you cherish this woman even a little, show it before me. Then I will disappear willingly.

What I attempted then was a kiss. Just like when I first joined Flame, when I stopped the awakened Blood Demon with a kiss.

I still remember the Blood Demon’s gaze and atmosphere. A dangerous look full of killing intent.

But it was also a beautiful and bewitching atmosphere that seemed capable of seducing any man at once.

‘And Soso now?’

I glanced at Soso. Her appearance and beauty would turn heads anywhere. But it was completely different from her usual somewhat blank atmosphere.

An infinitely serious expression. But thankfully, there was no eerie feeling characteristic of the Blood Demon I had seen a month ago. It was definitely Soso.

And at that moment, Soso, whose eyes met mine, finally spoke.

“You are truly a frivolous man.”

***

I was taken aback when I heard those words.

‘I’m frivolous?’

Not understanding what she meant, I hesitated. Meanwhile, Soso stood up. She went to the door of the archives and locked it.

“This way, you can’t run away cowardly.”

It was as if she was going to imprison me. After saying that, she approached me again. I tried to shout at Soso, but the words wouldn’t come out.

‘She’s… suppressing my body with mana?’

As if paralyzed, I couldn’t move at all. I could feel mana boiling around Soso’s body.

An A-rank awakened. And the highest level mana acceleration technique. An A-rank hunter who had mastered the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique.

Although I could use some mana now, I couldn’t overcome the immediate difference in our levels.

Above all, the ominous atmosphere from Soso, which felt almost evil, reminded me of that familiar name.

‘Is it the Blood Demon?’

Otherwise, I couldn’t explain her sudden behavior. Perhaps the Blood Demon had taken control of Soso for a moment.

“Stay still like this.”

Soso pushed against my body.

She drove me toward the table in front of the chair where she had been sitting earlier, making me sit on the table.

Then, whether it was Soso or the Blood Demon, she lightly touched my lips with her fingertips.

Then she firmly grabbed my shirt and the tie I was wearing over it.

Our faces came very close. And Soso spoke in a low, subdued voice.

“At Ains, you used Yeon Soso’s, this woman’s, affection to become even closer to Yuri Tarkovskaya. I thought you were a man so deeply in love with one woman that you would ruthlessly use another’s feelings. But now you’re playing around with another woman, kissing her. A woman who isn’t even Yuri.”

At that moment, I realized why Soso was acting this way. Since the last business trip, Soso had changed.

Perhaps, that night in the dungeon, she had witnessed the kiss between Arin and me.

‘Why was Soso there?’

Of course, Soso had participated in the dungeon for supervision. But there was no reason for her to secretly look for me at night.

No, she might have had a reason. Like when she held my hand during the Hong Kong trip. Soso still had feelings for me.

‘So… after seeing me with Arin, the Blood Demon again…’

If that was the case, it was dangerous. The instinctive fear I felt from the murderous Suspicion Demon. But the source of that fear couldn’t compare to Soso, who was born with the fate of the Thousand Killing Star.

The difference between pursuing slaughter for pleasure and existing for slaughter itself was a fundamental difference in the vessel of fate.

‘I need to stop Soso.’

But my body still wouldn’t move. Still holding my tie, Soso placed the tip of her other hand on my lips again. She kept touching my lips.

Then finally, she brought her lips to mine. Our lips met. I could feel all of Soso’s breath.

After a light kiss, Soso said to me.

“Haa… Yes. These are the lips I wanted… No, what I wanted was you. This woman has wanted to have you for a long time.”

I tried to resist by moving my body, but Soso, no, the Blood Demon, increased her control over my body.

“No need to resist. If you accept my feelings willingly, I won’t harm you. I like you. No, I love you. So much that if I can’t have you, I want to destroy all of you. Haa…”

With that, she pressed her lips against mine again. After pulling away, she touched my earlobe and continued speaking.

“I know your situation. With your personality, you must feel guilty about this woman. And I also know that for your revenge, you desperately need this woman’s sword, that Heavenly Demon Divine Technique.”

The Blood Demon looked into my eyes with an even more intense gaze.

A seductive face that couldn’t possibly be the usual Soso. I wanted to escape from her, but at the same time, I wanted to be bound by her.

‘What am I… thinking…?’

It wasn’t just my body. Soso’s, no, the Blood Demon’s mana had entered my mana road.

Previously, because of Elder Yeon Munwoo’s secret technique, she had directly examined my mana road. So it wouldn’t be difficult for her.

So, the Blood Demon might be casting a suggestion as if controlling my mind. But deep down, I couldn’t deny the Blood Demon’s words.

My guilt toward Soso is great. And it’s also true that I desperately need her power to take revenge on the Red Lake.

The Blood Demon’s words bound those shameful feelings like chains. But I sharply focused my mind.

And I became afraid that the Blood Demon might harm Yuri and Arin.

Resisting the feeling of being almost entranced by the Blood Demon, I managed to open my mouth and shout.

“Don’t say… strange things… Yuri and… Arin. They have nothing to do with me…”

At those words, the Blood Demon gripped my tie even more strongly.

“What a cute lie. I am not soft like Yeon Soso, this woman. How dare you lie before me…”

“Ugh… That’s not true. Until… until I put all of Red Lake on the gallows… I decided… not to give my heart to anyone… Don’t misunderstand… on your own…”

At that moment, the ominous energy surrounding the Blood Demon subsided slightly.

“… That statement. It’s not a lie, is it?”

“Like this… with you dominating my mana road… you can feel it. Whether my words are lies or not…”

As I said, feelings for Yuri, Arin, and Soso definitely exist within me.

But I had resolved not to let any of those feelings cross a certain line. That was my atonement for causing the death of the most beautiful lover in the world.

‘Siwoo and… Mina…’

Then, truly injecting mana, the Blood Demon directly confirmed the trembling of my mana, my breathing.

Soon, the pressure squeezing me began to ease. Now I felt like I could at least speak.

“It’s really not a lie. Then why did you… kiss Seong Arin a few days ago…?”

I couldn’t answer that question. That kiss was the maximum I could give in response to Arin’s devotion.

And I didn’t particularly want to tell the Blood Demon about that fact.

“I’m a man too. Even without dating, I can do that if the mood strikes. In today’s world.”

At those words, the Blood Demon’s eyes trembled for a moment. But she soon gave me a provocative look.

“You speak like a playboy. Well, fine. If you’re really such a frivolous man, then even this insignificant woman has a chance.”

“Stop talking nonsense. End this game now and release Soso. It’s work hours now.”

“I don’t want to. Since it’s a rare time with you, I want to have more fun… If that’s how it is.”

Then she smiled seductively and wrapped her arm around my neck. Her upper body pressed gently against me.

“Well, if you show me sincerity, I can grant your request. And as I said before, you owe this woman a debt, don’t you?”

I could feel the Blood Demon’s breath up close. And the arm embracing my neck was as firm as an inescapable purgatory.

‘Damn it. I have no choice.’

I know what the Blood Demon wants. And I also know that leaving the Blood Demon like this for too long is not good for Soso.

I finally embraced her neck. And then a deep kiss began between the two embracing people.

It was an intense kiss, with our lips intertwining. The demonic energy emitted by the Blood Demon grew stronger.

For a moment, I almost felt my heart waver at the Blood Demon’s breath, which seemed wickedly beautiful. But I desperately resisted.

After the long kiss continued, the Blood Demon finally disappeared. I tightly embraced Soso, who collapsed into my arms, losing consciousness.

“Self-inflicted… consequences.”

I let out a deep sigh. And I waited until Soso regained consciousness.

We had a business trip scheduled for the afternoon anyway.

***

That afternoon, Yeon Soso felt complicated.

She was in a car with Lee Minsu, an intern at Flame—no, now confirmed to be a regular employee.

While other interns had completed their Ancient Gear purchases, Minsu hadn’t used that budget during the Hong Kong trip.

However, due to the Ancient Gear he had acquired as a reward and through betting during the intern program trip, they needed to stop by Pyongyang, the former North Korean capital.

It seemed that not only was he selling that gear, but there was also some Ancient Gear there that Minsu needed.

The two, having departed from Seoul, were already halfway there. Minsu, who was driving, spoke to Soso sitting in the passenger seat.

“You can take a nap if you’re tired. Would you like me to play some music if you’re bored?”

“I’m fine. You must be more tired since you’re driving.”

“Alright. Ah, there’s a rest area coming up soon. Shall we stop by? For a quick snack or something…”

“… That… that would be good.”

She couldn’t bring herself to speak first to Minsu as they drove together. It was understandable for Soso. She had done something to him.

– Blood Demon, you crazy woman! What have you done?!

Because of what happened in Flame headquarters’ archives that morning, Soso kept calling out to the Blood Demon. But the Blood Demon remained silent for a long time.

Finally, just as she was about to give up on getting an answer, Soso heard an unexpectedly cold voice in her mind.

– How shameless, Yeon Soso. I did nothing, said nothing to Lee Minsu. I was merely watching you.

Soso’s heart sank. The Blood Demon continued.