Chapter 122
The [Jar of the Crimson Soul] began to tremble as the ritual commenced.
With both hands pressed firmly against his forehead, Dagon closed his eyes and whispered softly.
“O holy Reaper of Souls who governs the Abyss. I offer this soul jar and tribute, and beg that you guide the lost and wandering soul of Balzac to a better place.”
It was like a shamanistic rite.
Though not flashy, Dagon was a demon.
A demon, performing a solemn ritual for someone else.
Even Park Chan-woo had never seen such a sight before.
Roooooar—!
The jar began to float into the air, shaking violently.
Then, the gold trinkets Dagon had offered inside it began to evaporate.
It was the offering.
A preparation to summon the Reaper of Souls, and guide Balzac’s soul to the proper realm.
Park Chan-woo silently watched the scene unfold.
‘Only demons can summon the Reaper of Souls who governs the Abyss.’
Reapers are beings who govern the laws of the Abyss.
Among them, the Reaper of Souls was one of the highest-ranking.
It was speculated to be far above even the Reaper of Oaths in the hierarchy.
However, only demons could summon it through the [Jar of the Crimson Soul].
And the reason Park Chan-woo was performing the ritual for Balzac was simple.
‘Balzac… I was momentarily connected to his mind.’
As their synchronization rate rose and the domain unfolded, he had glimpsed Balzac’s mind.
His past, his grievances, his deep hatred for demons.
‘If Balzac hadn’t regained clarity, I wouldn’t have been able to kill the Immortal Cursed Lord, Arbanil, directly.’
At the end, Balzac had refused to become a puppet.
Even on the brink of becoming a True Demon, he had clung to a sliver of reason.
It showed just how high his mental fortitude had been.
And it revealed the sheer cruelty of Lord Arbanil, who had turned such a man into a half-demon.
If Balzac had given in, Arbanil would’ve survived.
That’s why Park Chan-woo didn’t want him to suffer after death.
There was no deeper reason.
He simply wished to repay the help he had received.
Rumble! Roooooar!
Lightning crashed through a clear sky.
Shhhhhh!
Dark clouds surged in as torrential rain poured down.
Ssssshhh—!
Amid it all, the [Reaper of Souls] revealed itself.
Smaller than other reapers, it wielded a scythe and gently laid the [Jar of the Crimson Soul] atop it.
“Bal-zac.”
The reaper spoke its first word.
Craaaack!
A massive bolt of lightning struck the jar.
Balzac’s broken, shattered soul—once trapped in the Abyss—was called forth.
Park Chan-woo watched quietly.
It was his first time witnessing a [soul ritual].
Honestly, he was overwhelmed.
There was nothing he could do but observe.
Though he had seen many reapers, none exuded the same awe as the [Reaper of Souls].
‘A reaper that can speak…?’
Reapers cannot speak.
To speak implies free will.
But reapers only act in accordance with the laws of the Abyss.
Therefore, they lack self-awareness and cannot speak.
Yet this one spoke.
Even if it was only a name, it still broke the norm.
It was proof that the Reaper of Souls stood above the Reaper of Oaths in rank.
The world of reapers was strange.
Demons, the Twelve Species, and all others lived under their rule.
Then it happened.
“You. Are?”
“…?!”
The Reaper of Souls suddenly extended its scythe toward Park Chan-woo.
Dagon’s eyes widened beyond belief.
‘W-What…? Why is the Reaper of Souls interested in Lord Sephiro?’
The Reaper of Souls only calls the name of the soul it must guide.
It does not concern itself with others.
Yet now it did.
As a merchant, Dagon had witnessed many [soul rituals].
It was a kind of business.
Demons who purchased the [Jar of the Crimson Soul] and conducted rituals were usually Lords with good reputations.
High-ranking demons would gather to witness the ceremony, and the Merchant Association would send many merchants to leave a good impression.
Those events were always thrilling, but never had he seen something like this.
For the reaper to address someone entirely unrelated to the ritual…
“Who… are… you…?”
It asked.
A question.
What did it mean?
But the idea that the Reaper of Souls wouldn’t know who Park Chan-woo was didn’t make sense.
It reads souls.
It knows their true names.
Even the hidden [true names] that the Dragonkin cherish and protect.
That’s why the Dragonkin feared the Reaper of Souls.
So then—how could the reaper not know the name of someone with a soul?
And yet, it tilted its head in clear confusion, pointing at Park Chan-woo.
‘What the…’
Dagon froze in shock.
He could speak endlessly of how amazing Sephiro was, but even he had never expected a reaction like this from the Reaper of Souls.
Adora froze as well.
Even as a witch, she knew well what kind of being the Reaper of Souls was.
But regardless, Park Chan-woo responded without hesitation.
“I entrust Balzac’s soul to you, O Reaper of Souls.”
He bowed his head.
Calmly. As if the reaper’s question meant nothing to him.
And truly, his name didn’t matter in this moment.
What mattered was Balzac.
That his soul would ascend and escape its suffering.
“…Bal-zac.”
The reaper paused briefly, then spoke Balzac’s name again.
Its purpose was not to uncover Park Chan-woo’s identity.
Then—
“He… re-fu-sed.”
It uttered something strange.
Park Chan-woo frowned.
“What did he refuse?”
“He… will… stay… with… you.”
Whoooosh!
A black hole-like rift swirled around the Reaper of Souls as it vanished entirely.
The sky cleared, and the rain stopped.
As if nothing had happened.
But something had changed.
Clink!
The [Jar of the Crimson Soul] shattered.
Then, a small wisp of smoke emerged and circled Park Chan-woo.
《‘Soul of True Demon Balzac’ is now lingering near you.》
The soul of True Demon Balzac.
He had chosen to remain in this wretched world.
In the Abyss, beside Park Chan-woo.
Why had a man who once begged for death decided to stay?
—Please make sure no one else ends up like me.
Balzac’s voice rang out.
A tone far clearer than before.
Once wrongfully turned into an [Incarnation], transformed into a half-demon and then into a True Demon, and thoroughly tormented.
He had every reason to hate the Creators.
“Is that enough for you?”
—Yes. That is enough. Please save those like me. No—prevent anyone else like me from ever existing again.
He bore no hatred.
He only wished to protect others.
Now it all made sense.
Balzac.
Why he had been able to become a True Demon.
‘A beautiful soul indeed.’
He was beginning to understand the conditions for becoming a half-demon.
They took those with radiant souls—and corrupted them.
But Balzac had taken it a step further, nearly becoming a final form no Creator could replicate at will.
He stood at the brink of something far greater.
“I understand.”
Park Chan-woo nodded.
He would see it through.
He too didn’t want beautiful souls to become demons.
Then—
Swooooosh!
Zoom! Zzzzoom! Zzzzzzzzoom!
Beams of light began falling from the sky.
And not just one—many.
“What… What is this light?!”
“…The Abyss has torn open.”
Dagon asked in shock, and Adora answered.
As the Creator of this [Creator Abyss], she immediately sensed that a breach had formed.
But what she couldn’t understand was that breaches never contained light.
And yet now, beams of light were pouring through the rift in the sky.
Even more bizarre, they were all converging around Balzac’s soul.
“…I’ve never seen light in the Abyss like this. It’s beautiful.”
Dagon was mesmerized.
A demon, enraptured by light?
It was absurd—but that’s how enchanting it was.
Adora said nothing, simply gazing in silence.
Step.
Park Chan-woo stepped forward.
He could see what Dagon and Adora could not.
‘Who are you…?’
Before Balzac stood a figure made of light.
It looked human—but felt entirely alien.
Then the light-being raised its hand.
Park Chan-woo instinctively reached out.
Fwoosh!
In a flash, the light-being vanished.
Instead, Balzac’s soul began to change.
The beams of light merged into one, then grew brighter and brighter.
And then—
Balzac’s soul became an [egg of light].
A glowing egg gently landed in Park Chan-woo’s hands.
Ding!
《Astounding.》
《This has never happened before since the emergence of the Abyss.》
《A ‘non-demon’ has conducted a soul ritual with a demon.》
《Even more so, a demon’s soul has been saved.》
《Even more so, the saved soul refused ascension and chose to remain!》
《Unbelievable.》
《A miracle not even the Creators foresaw has occurred!》
《‘Easter Egg’ has activated!》
《‘Soul of True Demon Balzac’ has transformed into an Easter Egg.》
《You have discovered ‘Easter Egg (002)’!》
—
That day—
During the Second Night—
While everyone was preoccupied, a few Creators noticed something else.
—A divine beast has appeared.
—It has contracted with a human.
—I clearly sensed the presence of the Destroyer, Cygnus.
—If it has contracted with a human, we must capture it.
The Destroyer, Cygnus.
A monstrous divine beast that had destroyed hundreds of Creator Abysses, mocked Lords, and devoured demons.
They had sensed its terrifying presence.
If it had contracted with a fragile human, it would be weakened and easier to subdue.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
No one knew why it had made such a choice, but it didn’t matter—they could steal it through a [Sniper Abyss].
—There’s something else strange.
—Cygnus was carrying something.
—A child?
A divine beast carrying offspring?
It intrigued them even more.
If they captured Cygnus and took its child, they would never need to fear rifts again.
They could gain tremendous power instead.
—It’s been ten thousand years since Cygnus last appeared.
—Even Dragon God Sephiro failed to capture it.
—This time, we’ll take it.
—We’ll divide the spoils fairly afterward.
—First, we capture it. It could vanish again at any moment.
—Let’s keep this between us.
Realizing this, the Creators formed a secret alliance.
They kept the information tightly sealed.
But as with all things demonic—secrets never last.
A few demon merchants learned the truth, and through Dagon, it finally reached Park Chan-woo.
Something the Creators never could have imagined.