After meeting with Tae-Shik, Gi-Gyu felt much more at ease, knowing that the Yeoksam situation was well under control. Since Gi-Gyu knew Lucifer shared his vision, he didn’t discuss much sensitive information. Still, his head was filled with thoughts from this meeting on his way home.
Oddly enough, Tae-Shik seemed almost too confident that Lucifer wouldn’t harm Gi-Gyu’s family. Tae-Shik said during their meeting, “She won’t touch Su-Jin or Yoo-Jung.”
When Gi-Gyu asked why he believed this, Tae-Shik explained, “Because Lucifer has rarely ever harmed a civilian. The only civilians she punished really deserved to be disciplined.”
Since Tae-Shik was busy enough without Gi-Gyu bothering him, Gi-Gyu didn’t ask for details despite wanting to.
“I’m home,” Gi-Gyu announced as he entered. Right now, his fatigue was at an all-time high because he hadn’t had proper rest in a while.
“There you are, Gi-Gyu!” his mother greeted brightly. After a quick hug, he walked into the living room. He was going to go straight to his room, but the scene in the living room made him pause.
“What’s up!” The infamous and dangerous Lucifer was sitting on his living room sofa and eating a bowl of bibimbap[1]. She was wearing a pair of very short shorts and a shirt, which looked like they belonged to Yoo-Jung.
Gi-Gyu asked, “What are you doing?” The resemblance between Soo-Jung and his little sister, Yoo-Jung, was almost disturbing. After seeing her looking so comfortable and casual, he couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“I’m eating dinner, of course. Your mom is an amazing cook!”
“Haha, I just mixed a few things to make that bibimbap, that’s all. It’s nothing fancy,” replied Su-Jin with a pleased blush. Gi-Gyu didn’t know how to react. Should he be impressed at how quickly Soo-Jung adjusted to her new surroundings? Or should he be thankful that Soo-Jung made his mother feel good? Uncertain of what to do, he just went inside his room.
‘When did she become this close to my family?’
Knock, knock.
A sudden knock brought him out of his reverie; he heard Soo-Jung’s excited murmurs from outside the door. “Come to the basement after changing. We’ve got work to do…!”
There was something strange about her voice. Gi-Gyu didn’t respond and continued to change his clothes when he noticed the full body mirror beside him.
‘Is she using the evil eye to see me?’
Hesitantly, he asked, “C-can you see?”
Immediately, he heard her reply. “Yup. Nice body, dude.”
‘Damn it! I really gotta do something about this shared vision thing!’
***
“I want you to get rid of our shared vision,” Gi-Gyu demanded firmly. Before he found out Soo-Jung could see everything, this wasn’t a problem. But now… Ignorance really was bliss.
“Are you serious?” Soo-Jung seemed very surprised by his request. She asked, “Do you really think I can do something about that?” She spoke as if her hands were tied, but her playful tone made Gi-Gyu suspect otherwise.
“Tsk, you’re no fun.” Soo-Jung clicked her tongue when Gi-Gyu didn’t react. “Ahh… Since I wanted to know what was going on with you without contacting you, accessing your vision was the only option I had.”
If something sounds and feels like an excuse, it’s an excuse. Shaking his head, Gi-Gyu replied, “I’m not blaming you. I just want it gone now.”
Soo-Jung asked slowly, “Umm, are you sure you’ll be okay with that?”
“Hmm? What do you mean?” Gi-Gyu couldn’t understand what she was asking. Was she worried he would miss sharing his sight with her? Why would he?
Soo-Jung explained with dripping seduction, “Giving you my energy and taking it out from you are two very different things. On top of that, you developed the evil eye from what I gave you. So to extract my energy from you, I must…”
She seductively walked toward him, while Gi-Gyu just stared at her. Her charm didn’t bedazzle him—he just felt uneasy due to her tone.
Gi-Gyu was sitting on a chair when Soo-Jung leaned toward him.
Ba-dum, ba-dum…
His heart pounded wildly; he murmured, “W-what are you…?!”
Smooch~
It was a simple kiss, but Gi-Gyu’s face turned bright red.
Fwooosh~
Suddenly, he felt something, some sort of energy, leaving his right eye through his mouth. It was out of his control, and it entered Soo-Jung’s mouth. After some time, she took a step back and whispered, “That was pretty good, huh?”
Gi-Gyu thought, ‘If she were a man, I would’ve beaten him up.’
‘Couldn’t she have warned me?!’
“And it doesn’t look like you hated it either.” When Soo-Jung said that, Gi-Gyu couldn’t help but cough awkwardly. He didn’t say anything; now, it was her turn to feel uncomfortable. Suddenly realizing why he was silent, Soo-Jung stammered, “T-that wasn’t your first kiss, ri-right?”
“...”
Soo-Jung was shocked, and a short silence fell before she herself broke it. “Really? First kiss…. With that face? Huh, this is…”
“Just stop already. We don’t share my sight anymore, right?”
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“You got it. Soon, your eye color will return to normal. You won’t lose your evil eye; it’ll just revert to its dormant form."
Gi-Gyu couldn’t use his evil eye effectively even with Lucifer’s energy, so he wasn’t actually losing anything. Consequently, he was glad his eyes would now not attract attention due to their unusual color.
In an almost inaudible whisper, Soo-Jung murmured, “But you can someday awaken it on your own.”
Slowly, her face turned rigid and serious. She no longer looked playful; instead, she looked determined yet seductive: It was Lucifer’s true face.
Soo-Jung announced, “Now, it’s time to start your lessons.”
***
All high demons were experts in the black magic, and Baal, being one, was able to strengthen the basement barrier further. With the barrier and spells, including the space expansion and intensity control magic, Gi-Gyu’s basement now looked similar to the association’s basement training hall.
Soo-Jung stood in the middle of the basement as she explained, “I warned Ironshield before to steer clear of Korea because it’s where you live. I have also punished him for daring to harm me.”
After a short pause, she continued, “So Ironshield planned a sneaky trap. Ignoring my warning, he used the Korean branch as an excuse to send Rogers Han and his players here, probably expecting me to retaliate. And to prevent that retaliation, he used Lee Sun-Ho.”
Gi-Gyu asked, “But you gave Lee Sun-Ho the elixir. Doesn't that mean you’re free of Lee Sun-Ho now? What’s stopping you from going to the U.S. and killing Ironshield?”
Gi-Gyu wanted to kill Ironshield himself, but he was still curious about what was stopping Lucifer from doing it. With a lopsided grin, Soo-Jung explained, “It’s not as simple as that. Lee Sun-Ho and I are archenemies, so we can’t exist together. I haven’t been in Korea much, even though it’s my home because it’s Lee Sun-Ho’s territory. For a reason I can’t disclose, I have been staying hidden. It’s also why I didn’t contact you until now. And have you ever wondered what’ll happen if your identity as my heir and disciple becomes public? You will be in grave danger.”
Lucifer and Lee Sun-Ho being archenemies was news to Gi-Gyu. Walking in a circle around Gi-Gyu slowly, Soo-Jung continued, “Well, because of Ironshield, Lee Sun-Ho figured out our situation. I had no choice but to make this deal with him, but the deal only included one-year protection for you, not me.”
“...”
“We’re okay here because of the barriers, but we can’t hide from Lee Sun-Ho anywhere else in Korea. If I try to leave Korea or try something funny, Lee Sun-Ho will come after me with an elixir-fueled, much-improved body. And this is exactly what Ironshield wants.” With an irritated frown, Soo-Jung added, “Ironshield is trying to keep me from moving since I’m exposed here. Even as we speak, I’m sure he's preparing for our next fight.”
Gi-Gyu quietly stored all of this information in his head. With a laugh, Soo-Jung shrugged and said, “Well, that doesn’t mean I’m easy prey for Lee Sun-Ho. He may be powerful, but he won’t come out unscathed if he ends up fighting me.”
Soo-Jung finally stopped circling Gi-Gyu. She continued, looking at him, “That is why you must become strong. You’ve to become someone even Lee Sun-Ho is wary of. You’ve to become strong enough to make him think twice before making a move against me.”
Her dainty lips closed quietly. After a moment of silence, she said, “If you can’t become as strong as Ironshield in a year”—with a teasing look, she ran her thumb across her neck—“you’ll die.”
“...”
“You’re growing at an explosive speed. Even faster than Lee Sun-Ho. I’m sure he’s monitoring you with interest already. It was another reason I had no choice but to make an appearance.”
Soo-Jung smiled at Gi-Gyu’s dazed look and asked, “It’s a bit complicated, isn’t it?”
“Quite so.” Gi-Gyu scratched his cheek, giving up on understanding the situation. “In simple words, I need to get strong, right? I don’t think there is any reason to think too hard about it. It sounds pretty simple: Become powerful.”
“Hehehe.” Soo-Jung laughed loudly and announced, “I gotta admit that I picked the right man to be my pupil.”
Suddenly, a black flame appeared in her hand, while Lou and El materialized in Gi-Gyu’s hands.
***
“There isn't much I can do to help you grow,” Soo-Jung stated.
Clang!
Soo-Jung added, “If you had passed the 50th-floor test and gone through the secondary job change, things would’ve been different. But for now, this is all I can do. Got it?”
Lucifer’s black flame crashed into Lou’s purple smoke, creating a loud explosion. Despite the booming sounds, Gi-Gyu could hear Soo-Jung’s instructions clearly.
Soo-Jung continued, “After clearing the 50th-floor test, a player gains new skill and strength that’s truly out of this world. Honestly, defeating all those Iron Guild members without going through secondary job change is an incredible feat. I’m so proud to have you as my pupil.”
Soo-Jung looked playful, but she never stopped attacking Gi-Gyu. Meanwhile, Gi-Gyu was having a hard time just blocking her sword, not to mention actively attacking her.
She murmured, “An ordinary player would be satisfied with where you are, but you are a unique ability holder. When unique ability holder goes through a secondary job chang—”
Crackkk!
Soo-Jung’s black flaming sword struck Lou as if it wanted to gnaw at it. Surrounded by purple smoke, Lou fought back with determination.
“Not only does it strengthen a player’s attributes, but also their unique ability. In some special cases, it’s even possible to gain another unique ability.” Soo-Jung smiled and took a step back, her black flame sword glowing dangerously.
Impressed by Gi-Gyu’s defense, Soo-Jung complimented him. “Wow! No wonder you’re my pupil! I can see your great potential. Or maybe this is Lou’s power? After all, he is the original.”
“Haa… Haa…” Gi-Gyu huffed, covered in sweat, failing to make a sound through all that heaving. Suddenly, Soo-Jung opened her other empty hand and another black flame sword appeared in it. She smiled and dashed forward. “The only thing I can do for you now is to give you some good sparring matches and advice.”
Then, with a nod, she made black flames erupt all around Gi-Gyu with a nod. With a fearful flinch, Gi-Gyu rolled away from them. Her grin becoming wider, Soo-Jung announced, “So do your best to survive my lessons and not die. If you do, you’ll definitely become stronger.”
Gi-Gyu’s hellish training was just about to begin.
1. Bibimbap is a Korean rice dish topped with sauteed vegetables, gochujang, and a choice of protein. ☜