Chapter 173
Ye-Jin and Bok-Dong were walking together at the examination site. Ye-Jin frowned as she shook her wet hair and squeezed out the water.
"Why is it raining all of a sudden?"
"Yeah, I know, right?" Bok-Dong also wiped the water off his head and looked up at the unpredictable sky.
The heavy downpour had gradually turned into a drizzle, and the clouds that had been a terrifying pitch-black gradually lost their intensity.
Irritated, Ye-Jin complained, "I’m super annoyed. It's hot and humid at the same time."
"...”
Bok-Dong just nodded silently. He felt that if he answered and ended up saying something out of line, her annoyance would be directed toward him.
Although the two of them were walking around the examination site as safety officers, they occasionally gave assignments to students, giving out tokens as a reward. Essentially, they had taken the roles of both safety officers and examiners.
They hadn’t walked together from the beginning—they just happened to bump into each other and decided to go together. Of course, it wasn't just a coincidence. Bok-Dong looked restless throughout their time together, sometimes looking at Ye-Jin and sometimes staring at the ground. It seemed like he had something to say.
"If you have something to say, say it now."
"Uh... How did you know?"
Ye-Jin furrowed her brows and expressed her annoyance.
"Who wouldn't when you keep acting like that? I'm getting frustrated from just watching you."
Bok-Dong scratched his short hair and hesitated.
"...I heard that you submitted your resignation letter."
"Did Do-Jin tell you?"
Do-Jin was obviously the culprit. Ye-Jin hadn't told Bok-Dong about her intention to leave her job, as Bok-Dong had been avoiding all forms of contact, using his solo training as an excuse.
Bok-Dong shook his head and answered, "No, it was the Chairman."
"What... the Chairman?"
"Yes. It seemed like he was hoping you’d change your mind,” Bok-Dong said in a low voice.
Ye-Jin let out a bitter smile.
"Everyone seems to like me too much."
"Hm, well... I guess so."
Ye-Jin glared at Bok-Dong from the corner of her eyes.
"Why did you hesitate?"
"No... I didn’t." Bok-Dong replied, flustered.
Looking at his reaction, Ye-Jin smiled brightly.
The two walked in silence. The rain slowly decreased in intensity and finally came to a stop. The wet ground was slowly drying under the warm sunlight.
Ye-Jin wiped off the wet and tangled hair stuck to her face. Her downcast eyes were filled with sadness.
"I just feel like I’m not qualified enough."
"Hmm?" Bok-Dong raised his head in surprise at her sudden words.
Ye-Jin continued without paying attention to his reaction, "I blamed Sung-Hyun when he was expelled. Why did such a kid have to be in our class, and why did he have to be the class president?"
"..."
"Now that I think about it, I seem to be the problem. Even when the incident happened."
Although she was referring to the incident involving Jun-Hyuk, she didn't directly mention it since other students might be passing by within earshot.
Rather than saying something, Bok-Dong nodded instead. He seemed to understand what she wanted to say. However, he couldn't think of what to say in this kind of situation. It was neither fit for him to console or give her a piece of his mind.
Yejin didn’t wait for Bok-Dong’s response.
"I'm not qualified enough to teach someone else. So, I should retire from teaching."
“...You’re not wrong in that part of it was your fault,” Bok-Dong said.
His tone was cautious yet firm. He nervously played with the back of his head as he continued, "But you cannot lead every child in the right direction. There are always some kids who go astray."
"It's not just sometimes. In one semester alone... two of them, and they both were in our class," Ye-Jin replied.
"You weren’t the reason why they went astray. They were already like that."
"It was my role to guide those kids back on the right path, and I failed."
“Some people just can’t be changed. Trying to force them to change will only have the opposite effect."
"Then why do we have teachers?"
"Because there are people who can be changed."
Ye-Jin turned her head to face Bok-Dong.
"There will always be kids who go astray no matter what you do, and there are also kids who can be corrected with just a little bit of attention."
“...”
"...I believe that it is the role of a teacher to give them that little bit of attention. We can't pour our whole heart and soul into every single student." Bok-Dong lowered his gaze to the floor as he added, "...I don't even know what I'm saying anymore."
Ye-Jin stared at Bok-Dong in surprise. His face clearly showed his conflicted emotions. He also wanted Ye-Jin to stay as a teacher.
"I understand what you’re saying," Ye-Jin said.
She looked up at the clear sky, lost in thought. Priesthood had been unexpectedly hierarchical. There were no overt power struggles, but the community was riddled with subtle power dynamics and political games. Ye-Jin couldn't adapt to such an atmosphere, so she left priesthood and became a teacher.
However, the school environment was equally challenging to adapt to. There were many students to teach, and each had a unique background and circumstance. The students were struggling in the midst of inevitable competition and incidents that had happened in rapid succession. Several students requested counseling after deciding to drop out due to the previous incident.
And what about the teachers? Instead of wholeheartedly helping the students, they were more concerned about the qualifications and accolades of the students receiving commendations. Ye-Jin felt powerless in this situation. She felt lost. She couldn't distinguish between which path was wrong or right. She couldn't guide the students on the path they should take as a person when she couldn't even find her own path.
"I understand what you're saying, but still..."
BEEEEP–!
The words that Ye-Jin finally decided to say were cut short. The electronic watch she had put on before the exam started beeping loudly. It meant that one of the students taking the exam was requesting help. It was a function installed in the students' watches to prepare for any potential danger, such as wanting to give up during the exam or if they were suffering from a severe injury. The students could call for help with the press of a button. Due to this, many students pressed it by mistake. But this time, it was different. The electronic watches on Ye-Jin and Bok-Dong's wrists beeped not just once but dozens of times.
They couldn’t be from mistakes.
When Bok-Dong realized this, he immediately drew a blessing array and prepared to rush toward the location of the student requesting help through the watch. However, Ye-Jin blocked him.
"Why? If you have something to say, say it later!"
"It's not that. I'm going with you! Don't go alone like last time!"
Ye-Jin wasn't as fast as Bok-Dong and Do-Jin. The two of them would leave Ye-Jin behind and go to the scene by themselves during dire situations. This time, they shouldn't allow that. The problem at hand could be one that Bok-Dong couldn't solve by himself. Bok-Dong nodded and turned his back toward Ye-Jin.
"Hurry up and get on!"
"Okay!" Ye-Jin climbed onto Bok-Dong's back.
Bok-Dong frowned, taken aback by the unexpected weight on his shoulders.
"Ugh, I didn't mean to climb on top of me like this."
"Is that really important right now? Just run!"
Bok-Dong started running. Ye-Jin balanced precariously on top of him. The two of them looked like a rider and their tamed wild horse.
*
Jin-Seo was facing the demon. Strangely, the demon didn't attack right away. If the demon wanted to, or rather, if the Satanist controlling the demon wanted to, Jin-Seo wouldn't have even lasted a few seconds and would’ve met her death.
The demon didn't even chase after the fleeing girl. Its demonic red eyes stared at Jin-Seo, and its bony fingers were glued to her. Judging by its actions, Jin-Seo concluded that the demon's purpose was to take her captive. She didn't know why they wanted to capture her instead of killing her. She couldn’t understand the intentions of the Satanists using common sense. For now, she just needed to remember the fact that they were trying to capture her.
"Hoo."
Jin-Seo calmed her breathing. She was barely able to regain her composure. Once she calmed down, her lost senses and consciousness returned all at once. Before she knew it, her eyes had turned cold and serene.
"Jin-Seo... let’s go together."
Swish!
The demon swung its arms widely, attempting to grab Jin-Seo. Its arm was so long that Jin-Seo had to take multiple steps back to avoid it. Divine power, which had yet to turn into a blessing array, shimmered at the tips of Jin-Seo’s fingers.
"..."
Jin-Seo was prepared to draw a blessing array at any moment while quietly observing the demon’s movements. The demon wasn't as fast as she thought. Joseph had been so fast that she couldn’t comprehend his movements. Compared to that, the demon's movements felt slow. She drew a blessing array, and she could see its weakness: the two glowing red eyes.
The other parts were surrounded by a tough leather-like substance, which seemed to be impervious to even a sword. However, she might have a chance if she aimed for the eyes.
Jin-Seo drew a blessing array. Enhanced strength, upliftment, and other blessings that were necessary for combat, she used them all to the extent that her abilities permitted. Her odds of defeating the demon would decrease as the battle dragged on. She planned to pour everything she had into this one opportunity.
Swish.
Jin-Seo’s hair fluttered slightly the moment the demon raised its shoulders.
Shaaak!
The dirt beneath her feet scattered in heaps. In an instant, Jin-Seo disappeared from the demon's sight. The demon rolled their eyeballs around to find her. However, Jin-Seo was faster than the demon's eye could follow.
She didn't distance herself from the demon. Instead, she closed the gap between them. She rushed toward the demon with her body lowered and swung her whip, fully transmitting the rotational force generated from her feet into it.
Whizz!
The rope wrapped around the demon's ankle. Gripping the rope tightly, Jin-Seo pulled with all her strength. The demon lost its balance and started to tilt to the side.
Thud-!
The demon crashed into the dirt. The flying soil and gravel splashed into Jin-Seo's eyes. However, she didn't flinch. Her determined eyes still stared sharply at the eyes of the demon, clearly filled with anger.
“Gya... You, you...!"
The demon tried to get up, using its arms to push itself off the ground. Following Do-Jin's teachings, Jin-Seo drew another blessing array and activated it instantly. The ground beneath her feet sank deeply as she leaped. Once again, she disappeared from the demon's sight.
Thud!
Reappearing with a chilling, bone-crushing sound, Jin-Seo kicked the demon precisely in the middle of its chest as it tried to regain balance.
Thud!
The demon lost balance again and collapsed to the ground. Jin-Seo walked on the demon's stomach, past the neck, and loomed above its head.
She was limping. It felt like her ankle was broken from the kick. The pain made her feel like she was going to die, but she was still alive. She gritted her teeth as blood flowed down her mouth. By focusing on the pain in her mouth, she was able to forget the pain in her ankle. She raised her leg with the broken ankle and stomped down on the demon’s eye.
Crack.
Her broken legs were already useless. So she thought she might as well use them even if it meant she wouldn’t be able to use them any further. It was reckless, but there it was, the only way to victory. Smashing the demon's eyes didn't mean the battle was over. Jin-Seo grabbed the handle of the whip and struck the demon's other eye.
Stab!
"Kieeeek–!"
The demon let out a strange shriek and thrashed around. She had aimed to put an end to the demon’s life by piercing through the eyes to get to the head, but she was too weak.
Jin-Seo pulled out the whip stuck in the eyes of the demon and stepped back. She distanced herself far enough that the demon’s attacks couldn’t reach her and checked her condition.
"..."
Her ankles were already so mangled to the point that they were no longer functioning, and there was the taste of blood in her mouth. Every time she took a breath, she felt a pain in her chest. It felt like someone was stabbing her heart and lungs with a needle. Even taking a step was not an easy task. Her steps were heavy. She felt as if she was being weighed down by lead.
Nevertheless, she stood up straight. She had entered the battle with the expectation of dying. Even if she died, she was determined to take the demon in front of her down with her. She raised her head and looked up. Despite the storm that had shaken the heavens and the earth, there was not a single cloud in the sky. Sunlight poured down like a blessing from the blue sky.
"Adonai, who guides my night."
She started to recite a prayer, and divine power flowed from several parts of her body. It looked as if she was surrounded by a brilliant suit of armor. The light surrounding her was so intense that it was difficult to distinguish whether she was trying to replicate a miracle with a spell or if a miracle itself was taking place.
Jin-Seo's hair floated around her. A gentle breeze blew. It seemed as if all the wind was gathering around her. The surrounding light gradually took shape and finally began to flicker like flames.
"...Grant me the light of the wilderness─"
Her prayer was reaching its climax.
Keeeeeeek─!
A creepy sound rang out. The sound didn’t come through her ears, but it resonated in her mind. It felt like the source of the sound was coming from her brain.
Jin-Seo stopped praying. She couldn’t get herself to speak. Instead, blood came out of her mouth. Thick tears of blood flowed from her eyes and the flowing blood dropped onto the floor. Her vision was tainted red with blood.
In the midst of it all, she stared at the demon, her eyes wide open. Against her will, her gaze followed the demon’s eye. A third eye had grown between the demon's brows. The hazy eye didn’t seem to have a clear distinction between the pupil and the sclera. Its gaze pierced through her.
The sunlight that shone on the earth like a blessing and the beautiful and mysterious breeze were gone. In their place, a terrifyingly deep silence flowed.
Blink.
The demon blinked its third eye.
"Ah, h-hak...!"
As it did, Jin-Seo couldn't breathe. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed. Jin-Seo collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest. Blood continued to flow from her mouth and eyes. She tried to catch her breath, but it was impossible to do so. The roaring sound still echoed in her head. Every time her heart beat, the pain intensified twofold. She thought she could die at any moment. She couldn’t help but think death would be more pleasurable than this.
Thud, thud.
With graceful steps, the demon approached Jin-Seo. The hazy eye seemed to gaze satisfactorily at the sight of her suffering from the pain. The armor of light that surrounded her had long scattered and disappeared.
"Stay still," the demon said.
More precisely, it was the third eye between the demon's brow that spoke. The voice belonged to someone other than the demon. Someone beyond the pupil was speaking to her.
"It's okay."
"Ah, ah...!"
"Don't resist. It won't hurt. Look into my eyes. It won't hurt..."
Jin-Seo didn't want to hear it. However, her gaze remained fixed, and she couldn’t take her eyes off the eye. The uncomfortable feeling in her chest deepened with each blink of the demon’s eye, but the pain gradually subsided. If she tried to get up after the absence of pain, the pain intensified, but when she stayed still, the pain slowly disappeared. In the cycle of pain and relief, Jin-Seo's will was breaking down and wearing thin. She became afraid of moving and found solace in staying down.
The demon was now crouched in front of Jin-Seo, looking down at her.
"Yes, good girl..." The demon spoke in a gentle voice as if it was soothing a child.
Tch, tch.
It opened its mouth wide. The sound of its jaw tearing and splitting echoed eerily. It looked like the demon was going to swallow her whole.
Snap!
Jin-Seo tightly gripped the handle of the whip. It was her last resort. The handle’s broken edge was sharp and uneven, and a spike from the handle pricked her hand. Along with a tingling pain, she regained consciousness for a moment.
The pain that awakened her distant mind was more painful than that.
Stab.
She raised her wet hands and stabbed the broken handle into the demon's upper gums. The handle did not go in that deep because of her lack of strength, but Jin-Seo used the last remaining ounce of strength she had to push the handle in. The handle dug deeper into the gums.
“Kee-ahhh–!" the demon screamed and retreated.
The demon put its hand in and felt around its mouth to pull out the handle, but it failed repeatedly. The more it touched the whip, the deeper the handle was embedded in its gums.
Black blood dripped from the handle. A bloody streak appeared in the demon's pale eyes. Jin-Seo took used this as a chance to crawl on the floor to distance herself from the demon. She didn't plan to run away. She couldn't inflict any meaningful damage on the demon with her bare fists, as they would break against the demon’s tough skin. She was thinking of picking up pieces of glass or branches, or even a rock to attack the demon.
Even though she was crawling around in the wet mud in the rain, Jin-Seo's eyes were busily darting around. It didn't matter if mud or blood got into her eyes.
"...I wanted to take you away unharmed, but you are resisting too much."
The demon reached out and pressed down on Jin-Seo’s legs as she tried to escape.
Break!
Jin-Seo's ankle snapped quickly when the demon exerted force. Her body trembled in pain. She couldn't even scream—only silent screams escaped from her open mouth. It didn't take long for her body to collapse to the ground, powerless.
As if it were catching a bug, the demon grabbed Jin-Seo with its fingers and observed her with curious eyes. She stared back at the demon with eyes devoid of strength.
"Well, now you're finally behaving."
The demon brought Jin-Seo close to its mouth. Inside its open mouth, two long and thin tongues intertwined like dancing snakes. Thick, black saliva dripped from the hundreds of tightly packed teeth. From the darkness beyond the throat, it seemed like the sound of someone screaming could be heard.
Thud.
At that moment, the demon stopped moving. The pale eyes on its forehead moved around rapidly as if searching for something.
Left, right, up, down.
The eyes that had been moving non-stop suddenly came to a stop, staring at the ground. The eyes were not looking at the ground but rather at something moving beneath it.
Kugugugugu...
The ground trembled and vibrated. The vibrations shook the ground, trees, and eventually the air. The vibration resonated from deep underground and gradually rose to the surface. The demon’s pale eyes were filled with shock. It quickly opened its mouth, attempting to devour Jin-Seo.
Craaack-!
Right then, the ground split open, and the demon's lower body disappeared.
Splatter!
"Ugh!"
At the same time, Jin-Seo's body was flung onto the dirt floor. She bowed her head and coughed repeatedly, occasionally coughing up blood. Gasping for breath, she barely managed to lift her head. The demon's lower body hadn't vanished. Something long and massive emerged from the fissure, wriggling and swallowing the demon's lower body.
It was a snake.
Its iridescent scales shimmered in the sunlight, and its eyes, sharply focused on the demon, were piercing and venomous.
Beyond mere confusion, fear now decorated the demon’s pale eyes.
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