Chapter 78

“If it’s Hayan, of course he’ll pass.”

“Hmm? Among zero-year members, only Alexei was allowed through by the gatekeepers.”

“He’s the strongest mage in our unit, so maybe it’s possible?”

“Hmm, that’s true. Let’s just wait and see.”

The predictions from seniors and peers were almost evenly split.

However, the side believing he would pass had a slight edge.

I stepped forward.

As arrogant as it might sound, I was confident that, in terms of mind, body, and even supernatural ability, I far exceeded their standards.

What worried me more was whether they would recognize my true identity.

When we attacked the Necropolis, the ones who had fought me directly were demons on the surface, but others might have seen my face too.

Above all, although I usually suppressed my magic, they possessed the ability to see the essence of a being.

Even if they stabbed my robe with their staffs, deep inside me, my true nature would be as pure and transparent as eternal snow—but one could never be too careful.

They might discover that I was the Apostle of the Outer God.

For now, I pulled my robe down deeply.

And just in case, I readied the Tentacle of Suggestion within the folds of my robe.

“Finally, the time has come. Being evaluated by demons isn’t exactly pleasant, but this is an experience, isn’t it?”

『Fear not?』

“You have nothing to worry about. I will pass all three standards with flying colors and enter proudly, so that Mala-nim’s name is not shamed!”

『Not… fear… 』

Unexpectedly, my Outer God seemed uneasy.

She shivered as she burrowed into my sleeve.

Am I really that untrustworthy?

It was true that, after arriving on Earth, my tension had somewhat eased.

Yet, I was healthy enough to have never been sick, my intellect was unparalleled, and in terms of supernatural ability, I had reached heights no one here could match.

Both mind and body were more than sufficient to enter the Temple of Gamigin.

There was not a trace of fear.

“Now, come. Let everyone watch and be amazed!”

『… 』

The three gatekeepers approached me.

The ones holding staffs carved from Deathblack Wood, a tree native to the Demon Realm, poked at my body through the robe.

Thunk!

At that moment, it was as if time itself had stopped—every movement of the gatekeepers froze.

I had never seen a reaction like this.

Had they discovered my identity?

Or had they accidentally poked Mala-nim hidden in my sleeve?

As I, tense, prepared a group hypnotic suggestion, the gatekeepers simultaneously withdrew their hands.

Then, wiping the tips of their staffs, they uttered shocking words.

“The muscles of childhood melted by abuse and violence… a body repeatedly broken and repaired until it is little more than rags…”

“Potential not visible even in the smallest sprouts… talent that could never be wielded without the aid of a great one…”

“A self worn down by repeated death and a hellish life… a fragile soul unable to stand alone without relying on others…”

Yet, there was nothing about being the Apostle of the Outer God.

What the gatekeepers saw was not me.

It was the life of a boy born without parents, steeped in crime, falling into the Demon Realm, and meeting his end there.

As if deeming further discussion pointless, they denied me entrance to the temple.

A silence fell among the observing unit members.

“H-Hayan had a really tough time before meeting us! I knew it, yeah. He said he was from the Black Magic Tower.”

Surprisingly, the first to speak up quickly was Yoo Se-byeol.

She naturally revealed my identity and pulled me away from the gatekeepers.

“Is that really true, Deputy Commander?”

“Of course~ The seniors who were trapped in the Gate earlier this year already knew. Right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. At the time, when Deputy Commander Park Mu-cheol came to the Central Hospital, he told us not to blabber about it, so we stayed quiet until now.”

“I wonder, is there anyone among the members who actually has a sound mind, haha.”

Except for Kang Ha-neul, the other senior members had met me inside the Gate, so they already knew where I came from.

Perhaps that was why they didn’t seem too shaken even after hearing the gatekeepers’ evaluation.

To be precise, they were probably just hiding their unease skillfully.

Yoo Se-byeol, who had been the first to protect me, was no different.

She draped her arm over my stiff shoulders and led me to a corner.

“Don’t pay too much attention to what they said. Earlier, they told me I had extreme thoughts, or that I was surviving on sins, or some other nonsense.”

“…That’s true.”

“It’s obviously because management didn’t handle things properly. These are the ones left in a place like this—what did you expect? Besides, it’s strange to believe everything the demons say.”

“That’s correct. They are beings born from the Black Magic Tower, after all.”

Despite nodding, my mind didn’t agree with her words at all.

The gatekeepers’ evaluation had been accurate.

Even if I wanted to argue, I couldn’t open my mouth.

Physically, I was insignificant; to others, I seemed mentally unstable; and I had never been born with any innate talent.

Whether all that misfortune began after falling into the Demon Realm or had been there from birth, I didn’t know.

Either way, if there had been a third party watching my life from near or far, my existence would have been no more than a short story unworthy of distinguishing between comedy and tragedy.

I wiped the tears that kept welling up with my sleeve.

In the process, I lost my balance and staggered, and Yoo Se-byeol, startled, steadied me.

“A-Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry… I just can’t calm down…”

“It doesn’t look like there are any dangerous monsters around here, so you can rest. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You don’t need to bother with someone like me. You should go ahead and enter the temple with the other members.”

Her expression darkened at my words and actions pushing her away.

She had seen countless comrades leave the Special Unit due to injuries and trauma.

From experience, she knew that a member whose mental state had collapsed could never be left alone in such a situation.

Yoo Se-byeol hurriedly scanned the area.

Among the rubble of the destroyed building, she found a safe spot completely surrounded by walls.

Perhaps it had been a temporary stop before the demons left the city, or maybe someone had come to exhume this abandoned tomb—the traces of a fire remained.

She first laid out the tarp we had brought to set up a camp and then tapped my side.

“Come here, Hayan.”

“…….”

“Sit here.”

Her kindness was deeper than usual.

It was not just the concern for a valued subordinate, but also a reflection of another emotion buried within her.

“No matter what kind of past you have, I don’t care. Everyone in Division 3 is the same comrade.”

“Deputy Commander… can you really accept someone like me?”

“Of course! We’re… superior and subordinate, right? Despite complicated circumstances, we’ve done well so far, and that won’t change.”

“…….”

“Or… D-Do you want it to be different?”

The shadows along the wall created a space just for the two of us.

It felt as if the world outside was completely cut off.

Yoo Se-byeol sat beside me with her knees bent.

My senses absorbed everything about her.

Even though the inside of her collar wasn’t tense, she was drenched in sweat.

Through her jet-black bangs, her eyes looked at me, a mix of regret for words spoken and determination not to retreat now.

One hand in her pocket fidgeted with something.

I mustered the courage to speak, almost spilling the words out.

“I… want to change.”

“R-Really?”

“What do you think, Deputy Commander?”

“I… I want that too.”

Feet. Blushing. Silence shared between us.

At last, everything aligned as a single path.

Clink. Something fell from Yoo Se-byeol’s pocket.

I couldn’t see it from where I sat, but judging from the sound, it seemed to be made of rubber and leather.

“You dropped that.”

“I threw it away. I don’t need it anymore.”

When I held her hand, her face flushed.

Our faces slowly drew closer.

Coincidentally, I also had something in my pocket I no longer needed.

I took it out slowly and placed it on her hand.

Her hand, graceful and beautiful despite the calluses, perfectly matching the ripeness of her cheeks.

“Then next time you fulfill the Oath, please step on this.”

“Huh?”

It was a bunch of red grapes.

Even if tentacles had sprung from my pocket, her expression probably wouldn’t have stiffened this much.

After about five minutes of standing still, she finally asked me:

“You… want me to step on it?”

“Yes. I want to make wine from grapes stepped on by Deputy Commander Yoo Se-byeol’s feet.”

I wanted to change things.

Not just a superior-subordinate relationship that gives rewards, but a producer-consumer relationship.

If wine were made from grapes crushed by her feet, it would surely be filled with traces of her essence.

This, after all, was the traditional method humanity had used before the appearance of the Gate.

Efficient, quick, and even more hygienic than one might expect.

Some foolish people might call it a perversion that transcends dimensions, but for me, the Apostle of the Outer God, Mala-nim, that level of criticism meant nothing.

I would drink the results every morning, turning their scorn into cheers.

“You weren’t… feeling down, were you…?”

“Me?”

“No, I mean, the gatekeepers earlier…”

“What did they say about me?”

Feeling down? Me?

I had barely passed the personality and aptitude test with No Yeon-hwa’s help.

There was no way I would have been discouraged after failing the exam where all my other peers had been rejected.

Even without hearing it from the gatekeepers, I already knew perfectly well what kind of person I was.

A being no different from the tentacles that grow anywhere in the Demon Realm—that was me.

“Anyway, we had a meeting before coming here.”

“And?”

“I happened to slip and get stepped on by Commander Ha Yeri, and that’s when the thought came to me…”

“Oh, so I wasn’t the only one, huh.”

“Huh?”

“You were just sucking up to everyone. Even now… even with Commander Ha Yeri… I see.”

“Deputy Commander Yoo Se-byeol?”

“No, yes. Got it.”

Yoo Se-byeol answered in a slightly stiff tone, then stood up.

She quietly picked up the object she had dropped moments ago and leaned toward me.

Now I recognized it—the band we had worn during the three-legged race when entering the Tower of Proof.

The cold touch of the band pressed against the back of my neck after her gentle hands.

When I came to my senses, the collar had been fastened.

“Deputy Commander Yoo Se-byeol? This is…?”

“Nothing. I just felt the need for a ‘new relationship,’ as you wanted, Hayan.”

“New relationship? What exactly do you mean by that…?”

“I should go check on the others quickly! Rest here. Should I go ahead?”

Yoo Se-byeol turned and left immediately.

I couldn’t see her expression clearly, but all the tentacles lying in her path screamed in unison and played dead.

A strange, ominous feeling crept over me, but the operation had succeeded.

I rubbed my uncomfortable neck and opened a channel to speak to Mala-nim.

『It’s a bit bothersome, but it can’t be helped. This is also part of negotiation skills. How did I do, Mala-nim?』

『Thanks to you, my identity remains hidden, and I can now absorb traces far more systematically.』

『Although I refined it once, I felt bad giving you Deputy Commander Yoo Se-byeol’s bodily fluids directly, Mala-nim.』

『Fear? Are you asleep?』

No answer came.

Yet, I felt as if a colossal being somewhere high in the sky had let out a deep, resigned sigh.