T.w. Self Harm
"…Jo…Jo Chan-young?"
After moving to this unfamiliar place, I found Jo Chan-young, unconscious and chained.
I hesitated for a mont, rembering the strange expression he had worn earlier. But when I saw the monkey clinging to his feet, whimpering and struggling, I wasted no ti and ran over.
"Hey! Are you okay?"
[……]
[OooKkeeKee!]
The monkey held Jo Chan-young's ankle and shook him continuously, making what seed like a crying sound.
Only then did I notice that Jo Chan-young's body was starting to dissipate, as if tiny grains of dust were falling away from him bit by bit.
‘No way, this contract…'
I shook Jo Chan-young again, anxious at the thoughts that were darting through my mind. But despite my urgent efforts, he still didn't stir; his eyelids remained heavy and unmoving.
‘Will this work…?'
I gave up trying to shake Jo Chan-young awake and tried to slash at the chains with the dagger I was holding.
Clank–!
However, all I heard was the sound of the dagger striking the chains. Not a single scratch appeared on them. Frustrated, I noticed sothing shifting beneath Jo Chan-young’s feet.
"W-What is that…"
The floor beneath Jo Chan-young's feet was transparent. And, underneath the floor, lay a huge snake.
The snake, with its jet-black head, was pressing against the transparent floor as if it were trying to push its way through. Upon closer inspection, I saw it was holding sothing in its mouth. Hanging from a thick, round ring was a dull, heavy key.
"That's the key…?" As if possessed, I approached the snake and reached out my hand. But, of course, I couldn't remove the key because I was blocked by the transparent floor. The result was the sa whether I pounded on the floor with my fist or stomped on it with my feet.
Clang–!
The dagger I had briefly slipped into my pocket, fell out and rolled across the floor. Since I was trying everything, I tried to split the floor with the dagger, but I couldn't even make a dent. It was just as futile as with the chains.
Just then, the black snake underneath looked at as I stomped the area above its head. At first, I couldn’t understand what it was trying to signal. But soon, I realized what the snake was trying to tell .
"……"
After a montary silence, I took a deep breath and pressed my palm down on the blade of the dagger.
As round beads of blood ford in my palm and dripped onto the transparent floor, the blood seeped into faint cracks I hadn’t noticed before. A magic circle began to activate, and, at the sa ti, a dark light wrapped around Jo Chan-young’s dissipating body.
I realized that this was my last getaway, and I stabbed deeper into my palm.
Slice–!
As I began to rub my bloodied palms on the floor, I felt incredibly dizzy, as if my blood was being drained away in waves and chunks. The black snake beneath gradually raised its head higher, and the floor beca engulfed in an intense, eye-piercing red glow.
Cr-r-r-ack–!
Finally, the transparent floor split in half. The snake pitched its head upwards as if it had been waiting for this mont.
Bang–!
I quickly stepped back, and the snake was able to push so of its head up out of the floor.
The snake, now free, shot a nacing glance with its predatory eyes, but it didn’t seem to have any intention of harming . Instead, it slowly slithered forward and opened its massive jaws wide, and it began to chew through the chains that bound Jo Chan-young’s limbs, one by one.
Jo Chan-young's eyes finally opened only after all four chains were broken.
[…Where am I…?]
He raised his head; his face was lined with fatigue. He looked at the snake…no, Imugi…surrounding him. 1 From his expression, I could infer that the Imugi's appearance wasn't unexpected.
[Screeeech–!]
On the other hand, the Imugi seed incredibly happy that Jo Chan-young had regained consciousness. Its long body wriggled in joy, and its black, forked tongue flickered over Jo Chan-young's head, scanning him.
[OoKkeKkeeKkee!!!]
The monkey, too, leapt around Jo Chanyoung in sheer delight. It even hopped onto his foot, then, in an instant, perched on his broad shoulders. The monkey clung to the back of Jo Chan-young's neck, as if it were peppering the man with kisses.
Jo Chan-young didn't seem to mind nor shy away from the monkey and the Imugi's exuberant actions; he accepted them without protest nor surprise and accepted them silently.
[SSsssssss….]
At that mont, the Imugi flicked its tongue into Jo Chan-young's ear. Then, I heard a whistle-like sound, which didn't sound like any recognizable language to , but Jo Chan-young nodded weakly as if he understood the Imugi's words. At the sa ti, Jo Chan-young's gaze turned towards for about a second before looking away.
anwhile, the monkey, perched on Jo Chan-young's shoulders, didn't seem to be making any noise, but it tugged at his hair energetically. At first glance, the monkey looked like it was pulling at random, but, upon closer inspection, it was carefully selecting strands as if it were plucking out gray hairs.
Leaving the monkey to do as it pleased, Jo Chan-young closed his eyes for a mont before opening them up again. Then, he slowly approached
[……I'm in your debt.]
Jo Chan-young thanked with a shallow bow. Though… the bow was a little too detached to be called proper gratitude, but I didn't see any hostility in his gaze. He was likely influenced by whatever the Imugi had communicated to him.
Only then did I feel relief course through , so I was able to muster up the courage to greet him. "I… I'm Choi Lee-kyung, a Necromancer. I don't know if you know who I am…Though, I guess you might not…"
[I know. After you invaded my mind…I began to regain bits and pieces of my consciousness.]
With that said, Jo Chan-young gently held my still-bleeding hand. I was a little flustered by the way he scanned my wound, but I remained silent.
Jo Chan-young said, in a blunt tone–
[You need treatnt.]
"Ah…Yes. Well…" I wanted to talk about the contract first.
However, Jo Chan-young spoke first–
[Excuse .]
‘What?'
His lips had already touched my wound before I could fully comprehend his words. Startled, I tried to pull my hand away, but his warm tongue was quicker, gliding over the cut.
"W-Wait a minute!"
[……?]
Jo Chan-young looked at as he licked my blood. Looking at his face full of innocent confusion, it seed that I was the only one who found this uncomfortable. Why on earth would he do this…?
[I'm just encouraging hemostasis.] 2
"…What?"
Just as he said, the spot he licked was only slightly red, and the terrible wound was nowhere to be found. My throbbing pain had also disappeared.
I widened my eyes, staring at my healed palm.
[Was it unpleasant?]
"…N-not really, I was more startled than anything…" After seeing that I had been healed, I couldn't really say I disliked it.
Jo Chan-young didn’t press for an explanation as I stamred awkwardly. After licking my other palm to heal it as well, he calmly released my hands.
I stared blankly at my palm that was now free from any sticky residue, and I bit my lips tightly to rid myself of my embarrassnt. "Thank you. But… We need to sign the contract."
I thought it would be better to get to the point quickly, so I cut to the point. But, for so reason, Jo Chan-young remained silent. He stared at quietly for a mont before speaking slowly.
[If you sign a contract with , you'll die.]
"….."
[It'd be silly to use what life you have left as a sacrifice.]
His tone wasn’t gentle, but hearing him speak so matter-of-factly about the harsh reality made my face scrunch up in frustration. My chest felt tight.
‘I know. However…Then, how long will Dawon-ie have to wait…'
Did my expression belie my hidden thoughts?
Jo Chan-young clicked his tongue softly before lifting my chin up.
He stared at my anxiety ridden face. Then, as if he couldn't understand, he muttered to himself.
[Always…Dawon, Dawon, Dawon…You think about him all day long… Have you gone crazy?]
"W-What did you say?"
[I'm saying that your head sounds noisy. Why are you getting anxious over things that haven't happened yet?]
TL: I love Jo Chan-young.
An Imugi is a mythological beast that's most akin to a lesser or proto-dragon. Hemostasis = stopping blood flow.
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