Chapter 87: The Book and the Trap (1)

This was the only chance.

The reason was simple.

The real Go Geonho would never hand over the Book of Fate, no matter what.

In the early days of the Great Change, he had endured the people’s scorn for manipulating the dead and wielding blood magic. Now, he sought to preserve his own life, to reignite the flickering flame of his vitality. He would never burden someone else with his burden.

It wasn’t simply because of who that person was.

Even if it were a vile villain who had committed unspeakable acts, he would still refuse to shift his burden onto another. That was just the kind of person he was.

Therefore, to remove the reaper from his shoulder, I had no choice but to confront it directly and deal damage.

“I want that Secret Tome,” the Being wearing Go Geonho’s face muttered.

Yet there was no anger in his voice. His eyes, fixed on me, gleamed with greed, and his voice trembled slightly with excitement.

This confirmed it. The Being within the Book of Fate was interested in me. This was the variable that could have been a stumbling block in my gamble.

If the Being was satisfied with Go Geonho’s current body, there would be no need to covet another vessel or take any risks.

Still, I viewed even this variable positively. It stemmed from a chat I’d had with Aalnam before I dealt with the Skeletons blocking my path and arrived here.

This was because of the following content:

The Mage before me already possesses sufficient power to seize a human body.

Even if I contracted with it now, it would completely corrupt my body in three years, just like it did with Go Geonho.

So this was an opportunity.

Instead of providing power to that twisted, withered body for thirty years, I could transfer to a young, fresh body that I could make my own for the next few years.

“How did you find the Secret Tome?” Go Geonho asked in a low voice.

“While searching for the Undead Skill Book, I noticed a small indentation on the bookshelf. Out of curiosity, I pressed it, and a hidden compartment appeared,” I lied smoothly.

Of course, the Heavenly Blood Book wasn’t hidden so carelessly that it could be discovered by such a trivial mistake. A real Go Geonho would undoubtedly have been suspicious.

“I see,” Go Geonho nodded.

At this point, how I found it wasn’t particularly important. A faint smile played on my lips as I stared at him.

“Could you hand it over?” I asked calmly.

Would he seize this opportunity?

That’s what I asked.

“Let’s descend.”

The Demon replied.

He would seize the opportunity.

The opportunity to lead me to ruin.

“If you’ve truly found the Heavenly Blood Book, bring it here yourself.”

Go Geonho spoke as he approached the Secret Vault.

Knowing its exact location, there was no need to use the Status Window’s functions.

Behind the bookshelf lined with various Skill Books, he found a barely perceptible groove, just wide enough for a thumb. Pressing the hidden switch inside…

Creak!

With the sound of wooden panels grinding, the space between the bookshelves split in half, revealing a hidden compartment.

And within it, the glass case containing the Heavenly Blood Book.

”…It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this.”

A chilling voice suddenly echoed from behind.

Go Geonho had silently moved to stand behind me. He leaned over my shoulder, staring intently at the Heavenly Blood Book and murmured:

“Since this body took possession of it, there’s been no need to look upon it directly.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, genuinely puzzled.

Go Geonho shook his head and smiled.

“Nothing. Do you know what this is?”

“I have a rudimentary Item Appraisal Skill. I used it to examine this. It’s a Skill Book that grants the ability to wield Blood Magic.”

“Correct.”

In the darkness, Go Geonho’s eyes glinted.

“This is the Secret Tome containing the essence of all Blood Magic in this world—the Heavenly Blood Book. You’re asking me to hand it over.”

“Yes. At first glance, I believed this to be the most valuable Artifact in the Secret Vault for Lord of the Nine Heavens. That’s why I didn’t even mention finding it.”

“But…”

“But I couldn’t give up.”

I repeated word for word what I had told the real Go Geonho just yesterday:

“I have to become stronger—far stronger than I am now.”

My eyes met Go Geonho’s across the empty space.

The musty smell of accumulated dust, the creaking of the bookshelf panels, and the faint squeaking of mice somewhere in the shadows.

A sticky silence brushed past.

“You’d pay any price for this, wouldn’t you?” the demon asked in a hushed voice.

“The Heavenly Blood Book could make you far stronger than you are now. But it demands a price commensurate with that power.”

“I’m prepared for the consequences,” I replied, my face calm but resolute.

Finally, the demon nodded. “Very well. I’ll give you the Heavenly Blood Book.”

“But this Secret Tome is different from ordinary Skill Books. In exchange for granting you free mastery of Blood Magic, it will demand a price, as I mentioned earlier.”

“What kind of price?”

“That is something the Heavenly Blood Book itself will reveal to you.”

I smirked inwardly.

Reveal itself?

To speak in the third person while being the Heavenly Blood Book itself…

Must be tough playing two roles at once.

“So what should I do now?” I asked, feigning ignorance like a clueless chick.

“You don’t need to do anything,” the creature, disguised as Go Geonho, replied with a sinister grin. “From now on, simply follow the voice resonating in your mind.”

The moment those words left its lips…

Swish, swish, swish…

The surroundings plunged into darkness in an instant.

It wasn’t that the Secret Vault’s lights had gone out, nor that this particular area had become unusually dark.

Only the space before my eyes had darkened, as if I were wearing a blindfold.

If anyone had been beside me, they might have been startled.

My eyes must have looked completely pitch-black, devoid of any white.

And then, suddenly…

A voice flowed into my ears.

Before I knew it, most of my five senses had vanished.

Thus, my consciousness drifted, struggling like a body trapped in a pitch-black swamp.

In that state, I slowly opened my mouth and spoke.

“Who are you?”

Now, the creature no longer needed to hide its identity.

Therefore…

Finally, the demon revealed its true form.

“I am also the one who will grant you new power. So, I ask again: Will you make a contract with me?”

The pitch-black vision brightened, allowing some distinction between light and shadow.

Then, a figure began to emerge.

A being shrouded in a black robe.

However, beneath the robe, a complete darkness prevailed, making it resemble a reaper summoned to sound the death knell.

Had Go Geonho truly spent thirty years with such an entity?

“I’ve heard that a contract requires a price.”

“This body will reside within your flesh, using the Heavenly Blood Book as a medium. Your task is simple: provide a small amount of nourishment continuously to keep this body conscious.”

“Is that all?”

“Everything. That alone will give you the essence of Blood Magic.”

Nourishment… It’s the human soul.

To be precise, it’s vitality and mana.

Moreover, I hadn’t mentioned the most crucial price yet: the fact that he would soon infiltrate my consciousness and seize my body.

Perhaps he wouldn’t reveal that until the formal contract was signed.

But at that very moment…

“Stop. Unless you want your soul sold.”

A voice came from the opposite direction.

Turning my head, I saw a figure made entirely of pure white mist, standing opposite the mage who resembled an evil spirit.

Both the voice and the form were as hazy as smoke.

”…You’ve regained consciousness, Nine Heavens Bone King.”

It was the consciousness of Go Geonho, whose body had been usurped by the mage.

“Don’t wag that filthy tongue, Azazel. Even tearing you apart right now wouldn’t satisfy me.”

Azazel.

That seemed to be the true name of the entity enshrined in the Book of Fate.

Yet the entity sneered at the current Contractor.

“The unauthorized invasion of my body, and your attempt to savor the souls of innocent humans… I can’t condone it, but I’ll try to understand. It’s partly my fault for failing to sate your hunger. But…”

Go Geonho spoke, his voice trembling with rage.

“I warned you. I told you not to extend those filthy hands to Taejun.”

The Evil Spirit’s head tilted toward me.

He was the one who reached out first. He asked for the Heavenly Blood Book.

”…What?”

Go Geonho’s figure twisted as if disturbed.

He turned his head toward me.

“How did you get the Heavenly Blood Book? No, wait. Is what it said true?”

“Yes, it is.”

”…Then there’s no more to say. Stop this immediately.”

“Lord of the Nine Heavens…”

“The Heavenly Blood Book… No, making a contract with that demon will lead to your ruin.”

Before I could say anything, Go Geonho’s figure approached and continued.

“That demon will devour you whole. Its powerful blood magic is just bait. It will use that bait to corrupt your soul and make your body its own.”

Don’t take that human’s words at face value. Most of it is lies.

“What…?”

“This body resides within the Contractor’s flesh, but that is merely the extent of my power. I exist solely to bestow the essence of Blood Magic upon the Contractor.”

Azazel whispered in a voice as sweet as honey.

“True, I desire human souls in exchange, but the Contractor’s soul and body are separate. To be frank, the Nine Heavens Bone King who descended with you earlier was none other than this body temporarily borrowing a vessel. I was famished and had to find sustenance myself.”

”…”

“However, I never normally invade the Contractor’s body. So that creature is merely spouting nonsense.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Or perhaps you don’t want the absolute power you wield to be fully transferred.”

“Azazel—!”

With a gasp, Go Geonho’s form violently trembled.

But it didn’t last long.

“Quiet, Nine Heavens Bone King. I have no business with you now.”

“Hunter Taejun, you dare…!”

Like a candle being extinguished, his figure completely dissipated along with his voice, leaving behind only emptiness.

Once again, it was just Azazel and me.

“The choice is yours,” the demon whispered. “What will it be? Will you contract with me?”

“If I contract with you, will Lord of the Nine Heavens be harmed?”

“There’s no physical harm to worry about. You won’t be able to use Blood Magic anymore, though.”

“But I’ll be able to fully control Blood Magic?”

“That’s right. You’ll obtain the Heavenly Blood Book and the power to freely wield the Blood Magic contained within the Secret Tome. Of course, mastering it all will take time.”

Then…

“I accept this contract.”

“Agreed.”

Simultaneously, the Heavenly Blood Book materialized before me.

Swish!

The leather-bound book of parchment pages unfolded before my eyes, stopping on a page adorned with a crimson hexagram, as red as blood.

“Write your name in the center of this hexagram. With this, you shall obtain the power contained within the Heavenly Blood Book.”

Suddenly, a fountain pen emitting an ominous aura appeared in my hand. I hesitated for a moment, then without hesitation, inscribed my name in the heart of the hexagram.

“Ahh, good.”

Immediately after…

“The contract is complete. Now…”

Azazel gathered the floating Heavenly Blood Book and slammed it shut with a thud.

“You belong to me now.”

A voice as weak as a rat’s squeak:

The contract is complete.

Then, if you’ll excuse me for a moment…

Immediately after, a strange sensation washed over my entire body.

It felt like an unpleasant liquid enveloping me from the tips of my toes upward.

At the same time, my clear consciousness began to fade gradually.

I should at least see the body that will become my new abode.

Even as my consciousness slipped away, I smirked at the Contractor’s smug mutter.

…You fool.

If only I could see the look on your face when you ‘confirm’ that… Now that would be worth seeing.

“Ugh!”

Go Geonho opened his eyes with a pained groan.

He had regained consciousness only a few hours earlier.

Yet he remembered everything that had happened during that time with crystal clarity.

That’s why…

“Hunter Taejun!”

He sprang to his feet, scanning the area as if screaming for help, desperately hoping that what he had just witnessed was all a dream.

But in one corner of the Secret Vault, he spotted the Heavenly Blood Book crumpled on the floor, and Taejun standing blankly before it.

“T-Taejun Hunter!”

Go Geonho hurried over and reached out to him.

But before his hand could touch Taejun’s shoulder…

“Ah, you’re awake, old companion.”

Taejun turned his head.

Or rather, the Being that had invaded Taejun’s body turned its head.

”…No… no…”

Despair etched itself into Go Geonho’s face.

Had he finally done it?

Despite all Go Geonho’s warnings, had Taejun sold his soul to this Demon?

Go Geonho’s knees buckled, his despair overwhelming him.

Azazel, possessing Taejun’s body, smirked as he observed him.

“Don’t worry too much. I have no immediate plans to take over this body. For now, I’m simply… exploring. After all, this vessel will eventually belong to me.”

“Azazel, you bastard…”

“I’m truly grateful to you. To think you’d offer this supreme vessel to me at the very end. Even just being in this body, I can sense its mana, power, and potential. It far surpasses yours.”

Having muttered this, Azazel opened his mouth.

“Then why don’t we see just how magnificent this body is with our own eyes?”

But immediately after…

“Hmm? Why… why… why would this man do this…?”

The mage’s eyes, suspended in mid-air, widened in shock.