Chapter 302 - The Seed Of Corruption Is Growing Rapidly

"What...?"

Oh Kang-Woo looked at the message window in confusion.

The quest had not been completed, but it had commenced without him even having done a thing.

'Did I do something?'

However much he thought about it, he had not done anything.

"Hm?"

Just then, he saw that Han Seol-Ah was holding his smartphone.

"Oh, thanks."

Kang-Woo grabbed his smartphone from her and checked his messages. He couldn't help but frown.

'So this is what happened.'

Uriel had sent him an explosive amount of messages.

After going through the messages, Kang-Woo was able to tell why the Seed of Corruption had bloomed out of nowhere.

'This must be why.'

Likely because he was sure that the Seed of Corruption had been sown in Uriel, the messages that were no different from what Uriel sent on the daily felt meaningful in some way.

"... Kang-Woo."

"Hm?"

At that moment, he heard Seol-Ah's voice calling him. He turned around and saw her smiling brightly at him. He could feel her characteristic warmth from her smile.

"Who is... Yuriel?"

"Did you see the messages?"

Seol-Ah lowered her head while giggling.

"I'm sorry. It popped up on the display, so I ended up pressing it by mistake."

"No, I mean... there's no need to apologize." Kang-Woo smirked. "It's Uriel."

"Uriel... is the angel who has been spending time with you lately, right?"

"Yeah. Oh, and apparently this heart mark at the end was a typo."

"It's fascinating how an angel can use a smartphone."

"He's better at it than you think. Take a look at this. He has a profile picture when I don't even have one."

Kang-Woo clicked and zoomed in on Uriel's profile picture.

As Seol-Ah was looking at the profile picture in fascination, she said with a slightly sunken voice, "Come to think of it... he's the one you kissed before, right?"

"Oh, yeah."

Kang-Woo naturally grimaced as a memory that he wanted to forget popped up. Although it was an unpleasant memory, it hadn't been that bad considering how it had turned out. After that incident, Seol-Ah had become more assertive in terms of skinship, and their relationship had developed into one that casually exchanged kisses.

'We haven't been able to get any further than that, though...'

Kang-Woo sighed.

He was absolutely hopeless in terms of romance, so he had no idea what to do to make some more progress in their relationship.

"Hmm." Seol-Ah narrowed her eyes and looked down at the smartphone in Kang-Woo's hand.

She slowly put her hand on his thigh. Kang-Woo flinched.

"You seem to be... very close with Uriel," she said in a chilling voice.

Kang-Woo shook his head in denial. "No way. I'm basically being forced to hang with him. He's a massive bother."

"Ah, is that so?"

"Yeah. He's more enjoyable to talk to since he isn't as uptight as Raphael, but our relationship is purely business."

"... Does Uriel feel the same way?"

"Well..." he slurred and scratched his head. "Probably not. It's a bit weird for me to say this myself, but... he's really taken to me for some reason."

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Uriel was like a baby bird following its mother.

"I... see." Seol-Ah nodded while making an awkward smile.

Kang-Woo stood up. "In any case, you don't have to worry about a thing."

He was able to easily guess why Seol-Ah was asking about Uriel so much.

"You're worried about something like the incident with Shalgiel happening again, right?"

"... Pardon?" Seol-Ah flinched. "Ah... Y-Yes."

"I'll make it so that something like that will never happen again, so you don't have to worry."

"... Okay," Seol-Ah replied in a low voice. She looked like she had many things to say, but she kept her mouth shut after her lips quivered a little.

"You have what you got from Lilith, right?" Kang-Woo asked.

"Yes. She said it's an item that can conceal the sacred power in my body..." Seol-Ah pulled forward the pendant on her neck.

"Don't forget to wear it at all times."

They had yet to test whether or not it could completely conceal Seol-Ah's sacred power, but it should theoretically be able to conceal Seraph's soul as long as she was just seen with no physical contact. None other than Lilith had said it, so it was credible information.

"Okay, I will."

"Right then..." Kang-Woo said while standing up. He had been planning on sleeping with Seol-Ah, but the situation had changed. "Seol-Ah, I'm sorry, but let's sleep separately for a few days."

"Pardon? Sleep... s-separately?" Seol-Ah's eyes widened, and she trembled.

"There's something I have to focus on," Kang-Woo replied as he nodded.

'If the Seed of Corruption is blooming in Uriel...'

He had to draw up a plan immediately. No, he first had to decide where to take this.

'Should I... make Uriel fall from grace or should I stop it?'

"..."

Kang-Woo's eyes sank.

Each choice had its pros and cons.

'Making him fall would be the correct decision if I want to complete the quest and fulfill the final condition of becoming a Demon God.'

But if he did that, his plan to earn the angels' cooperation through Uriel would crumble. It was a simple yet difficult decision. Since he had high hopes for the angels, he could not make a rash decision.

'I'll think some more in my room.'

Kang-Woo turned his head and saw Seol-Ah trembling as she looked at him.

"K-Kang-Woo."

"Hm?"

"Umm... Y-You didn't come to dislike sleeping with me... right?"

Seol-Ah grabbed his clothes with eyes filled with anxiety. Even her teeth were clacking.

Kang-Woo smirked and shook his head. "Of course not. I just got some things I have to do urgently."

"R-Right? There's no way you would dislike it, right?"

"...?"

Seol-Ah was being more sensitive than he expected.

Kang-Woo tilted his head and answered, "Of course I want to sleep with you too, darling."

"Then...! We could just sleep together... can't we?"

"Haha. I have a lot to think about. I probably won't be sleeping at all tonight."

"Then what about tomorrow...?"

"Probably not tomorrow either."

He needed to focus for the moment on whether to make Uriel fall from grace or to stop it. Sleeping with Seol-Ah was like killing two birds with one stone since he would improve his demonic energy control while also feeling good, but his body did not require sleep, so it was perfectly fine for him to skip a couple days of sleep.

"..."

Seol-Ah subtly trembled while squirming her feet. She had a very uneasy look on her face. Kang-Woo smiled and stroked her hair.

"Just bear with it for a couple days, darling."

"... Okay," Seol-Ah nodded while making a sad expression.

Kang-Woo turned around and went into his room.

Clack.

He closed the door.

"..."

Seol-Ah stared blankly at his closed door. She just stared...

And stared...

And stared...

And stared...

* * *

"Right, then."

After he entered his room, Kang-Woo sat in his chair and looked down at the Key of the Demonic Sea on his right middle finger.

'Clear the quest or maintain good relations with the angels?'

He couldn't decide rashly, but his mind was already more or less made up.

"... It's a huge waste to give up on the quest."

He wouldn't be hesitating so much if giving up on the quest only meant that the Key of the Demonic Sea wouldn't grow any stronger. However, like the message window had indicated, strengthening the Key of the Demonic Sea was connected with the final condition of 'Road to Becoming a Demon God.'

'Giving up on strengthening the Key of the Demonic Sea is also giving up on the third condition to becoming a Demon God.'

No matter how long he thought about it, the pros and cons were not balanced. The angels' cooperation was important but nowhere near as important as becoming stronger.

'I can't give up a gun for a hound.'

He counted on his own power the most.

'I'm not exactly sure what the road to becoming a Demon God is, but...'

Considering the massive boost in power after achieving the Ultimate Demonic Body and Demonic Soul, it couldn't hurt to get it. No, he had to get it at all costs.

"Which means I have to make Uriel fall from grace..."

Kang-Woo raised his smartphone and slowly read through Uriel's messages again.

Yuriel ?: [The hell? Why aren't you answering when you read it?]

Yuriel ?: [Is this the thing known as leaving someone on read?]

Yuriel ?: [Why aren't you sending anything?]

Yuriel ?: [I'm starting to get annoyed.]

Yuriel ?: [Hey, answer me.]

Yuriel ?: [Sorry. I'm sending too many messages, aren't I?]

Yuriel ?: [...]

'Wouldn't it be fine if I just leave him be?'

Reading through the messages was a spectacle—it felt like Uriel would fall even if Kang-Woo left him be.

Riiing.

[The Seed of Corruption is growing rapidly!]

A message popped up to confirm his thoughts. Kang-Woo shook his head and laughed in disbelief.

"I don't even have to lift a finger."

It felt like the quest would complete itself just by lying around in bed doing nothing.

'It's a bit anticlimactic, though.'

It was a bit too good. Everything was going smoothly without him lifting a finger.

"Darliiiiing!"

Kang-Woo ran out of his room with a bright smile. If there was nothing for him to do and Uriel would fall from grace all on his own, there was no need to stay up all night thinking of a plan.

"K-Kang-Woo?"

"Hmm? You weren't asleep?"

"Ah... no." Kang-Woo grabbed Seol-Ah's hands as she was standing blankly in the living room. "Come. Let's sleep together."

"Didn't you say that you had something to do?"

"Yes, but after thinking about it some more, I don't think I'll have to step up."

"R-Really?" Seol-Ah smiled brightly.

His heart beat faster as he saw her smiling as if a flower had fully bloomed.

"Okay, then let's sleep together," Seol-Ah replied.

She gripped his hands tighter and walked toward his room.

* * *

"Wha..."

Kang-Woo grabbed his head after waking up the next morning. He read the blue message window in front of him.

[The Seed of Corruption's growth has halted.]

"What the fuck is wrong now...?"

The Seed of Corruption had suddenly stopped growing on its own.

Kang-Woo grabbed his smartphone and sighed.

"Haaa."

He was back to square one. If he wanted to make Uriel fall...

"I'll have to tell my darling that I'll be busy."

He had no choice but to take action himself.