A woman of impossible beauty emerged, tall and regal. Silken green hair cascaded down her back, contrasting with her flawless, fair skin. Her gown—an open high-slit black dress embroidered in gold—flowed around her like it obeyed her will. A fur-trimmed cloak hugged her shoulders, and her golden heels clicked softly on the cracked stone below. Her eyes—one gold, one cyan—gleamed with unsettling hunger.
[Image Here]
Jinwoo couldn't move.
She walked straight toward him, hips swaying, a soft, dangerous smile on her lips. Her presence pressed down on him harder than Shiraori's bloodlust ever had. It wasn't killing intent—no, it was ownership.
She leaned down, her hand lifting Jinwoo's chin with a tenderness that felt mocking.
"Hmm…" Her voice was velvet laced with poison. "How handsome you are…" she purred.
Jinwoo's eyes twitched. Every part of him screamed to back away. To act. But he couldn't even shift his gaze. Her aura crushed his body, his Spirit, even his soul. He felt like a butterfly pinned to a display board.
"W-Who… are you?" he managed to rasp.
The woman giggled, eyes sparkling.
"Oh? You can still talk?" she cooed, her voice tinged with delight and menace. "Mmm… I'm getting even more jealous of that bitch Rosalia now… her contractor is so handsome and strong…"
His eyes widened. "Y-You k-know Rosalia?"
At once, her amusement cracked.
She froze. Her smile twitched, and envy surged in her dual-colored eyes like a tidal wave. "Why?" she whispered, venomously sweet. "Is she more beautiful than me?!"
A sudden pressure twisted around Jinwoo's chest. He couldn't breathe.
Her hand glowed with emerald power, coating her fingers in translucent green light.
"Oh… what a waste it would be to kill you…" she sighed, as if disappointed in fate itself. "But I can't just let the one who killed my new contractor walk away."
She leaned closer again.
"Maybe…" she purred, "if you leave that bitch Rosalia… and come under me instead… I'll let you live. What do you think, handsome?"
Her nails traced the line of his jaw gently, possessively.
Jinwoo was sweating. Even his willpower was being devoured.
"C-Contractors…? What are you talking about?!"
"You don't know what contractors are?" she asked, genuinely confused, tilting her head like a curious cat.
"Y—" Jinwoo started, but then—
[Great exposure to magic detected!]
[The skill "Magic Resistance" has ranked up: A → S!]
A rush of clarity burst through him. The pressure smothering his limbs began to lift.
Jinwoo didn't hesitate. In one explosive motion, he grabbed Shiraori's unconscious body and dashed toward the dungeon's exit, lungs burning, heart pounding. He didn't know who that woman was—but staying here was suicide.
"Shit… shit… shit—" he muttered, every step desperate.
She was behind him.
He could feel her eyes on his back like a spear made of lust and hatred. And then—
Emerald magic flared behind him.
A low rumble echoed through the dungeon walls. Above him, chunks of stone dislodged and crashed toward the exit.
"You're not going anywhere," she said coldly, her voice now devoid of teasing.
CRACK!
Jinwoo spun mid-run, twisting his torso. With a grunt of effort, he hurled Shiraori across the last few meters—straight through the narrow opening—just as a landslide of debris slammed down.
BOOM!
The entrance was sealed shut.
Dust billowed. The world went quiet.
Jinwoo stumbled to a halt in front of the blocked exit, panting.
"Impressive reflexes," the woman said behind him.
He turned slowly.
She was floating just above the ground now, a goddess cloaked in shadows and emerald fire.
"But you should've saved yourself instead," she added.
Jinwoo clenched his fists. His Magic Resistance had ranked up. He could move now. He could fight—barely.
But he had no idea what this woman was.
And she was looking at him like a child with a new toy.
"I'll give you one more chance," she said, hovering closer. "Swear yourself to me. Body and soul. Abandon that whore Rosalia."
A pause.
Then she smiled cruelly. "Or die."
Her hand lifted. Magic gathered again, this time forming an emerald spear that pulsed with condensed hatred.
Jinwoo's thoughts raced. He didn't even know what a "contractor" was, but if he didn't act now, he'd die without finding out.
His eyes narrowed.
"...Then I choose a third option."
He dropped into a stance.
The woman blinked, amused. "Oh?"
Jinwoo's lips curled into a savage grin.
His eyes began to glow—bright pink, unnatural, crackling with barely contained power.
"Yeah," he growled, lifting his hand.
And gave her the middle finger.
"I'll make you my bitch."
To be continued...
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How was this chapter? liked it?
Also, sorry if this chapter is short, I have had a really tight schedule this week and this was all I could do.