A lantern show flashes through the mind of a person on the brink of death. It’s our brain conjuring hallucinations to numb the agony born of terror. There was some pseudoscience like that, but sure enough, Lee Taebaek had never bought into it.

The reason for this lengthy preamble was that, in this very moment, he was retracting that claim. Death in human form was drawing near.

Click, clack.

The sharp report of high heels struck the rhythm into the lantern show flickering past his eyes. His mental vision and real vision overlapped and scattered endlessly, never quite aligning.

Feeling his soul tremble, he closed his eyes.

Lee Taebaek’s accomplishments were nothing short of remarkable.

Barely past twenty, not long after arriving in the City, he had managed to hold his own against one of the Seven Masters, if only briefly. Sure, it came with conditions, but ordinarily, just locking eyes with one would leave you flailing, and pissing yourself wasn’t uncommon.

The endless praise for his infinite potential that people had showered on him was starting to invade reality, as if the words themselves had taken on power. Lee Taebaek could surely usher in winds of change to the City. He had already stirred up several storms, but the upheaval to come would dwarf them all…

What Lee Taebaek needed above all was time.

Until now, he had to avoid clashing with those of higher tiers at all costs.

And now that a battle with one of the Seven Masters had come to pass, there were only three beings in the City he absolutely could not face. Coincidentally, all three were women, and one of them now stood before him. Lee Taebaek cracked his eyes open lazily.

The Grim Reaper.

Death took the form of a beauty so dazzling it hurt the eyes. No wonder every man in the City, regardless of race, was obsessed with her. Lee Taebaek understood instantly.

“Whoa—your face is insane. Such a shame to waste it rolling around in this line of work.”

The Art Master grinned slyly as she spoke. Her hollowed collarbone and the black fur nestled in her armpit rippled like the scent of death.

“With a face like that and toughness to match. Pretty girl, you’re gonna make a lot of women cry from here on out. Or maybe men?”

“…….”

“Kidding, kidding. Why glare at me like you want to kill me? If you keep that up,”

The Art Master’s eyes gleamed red with bloodlust.

“I’ll have no choice but to claim self-defense.”

Goooooo!

The arena’s occupants blanched.

Even those who always held their chins high shrank before the Art Master. Of course, if they all rushed her at once, even one of the Three Calamities would be in danger. But at least two would end up as her cozy companions on the road to hell.

There was no reason to gamble their lives, especially since her backer was Haragusa, topping the market cap charts. Squaring off against her over some petty excuse like bruised pride from her intimidation? That would be the act of a madman.

And yet, that madman existed. His family name was Lee, given name Taebaek—a patriot broadcasting the majesty of Mount Taebaek far and wide. He opened the salvo.

“…I want to make a deal…”

“A deal? What kind?”

The Art Master was right up in his face. Circling him teasingly, she said,

“I’ve only ever taken from people, never given. I’ve had high standards since I was a kid. But who knows? If you pitch something that catches my fancy, maybe I’ll bite.”

“Art Master, I want you to buy shares in Daesung Group. Enough to make you an outside director.”

“…What?”

She looked genuinely flustered. Gasps echoed sporadically from the crowd. Even Saber Master Muyachi, the epitome of stoicism, had his pupils dilate slightly.

It was understandable.

Telling the Art Master, who fed from Haragusa’s payroll, to buy stock in a rival megacorp. Not offering it for free—practically forcing it on her.

This is the only way.

His short-term goal? Aid Executive Director Ryu in inheriting Daesung Group. But the internal enemies outnumbered expectations.

The lady of the house was just the beginning. Even if she vanished without a trace, her lingering faction would keep squeezing Ryu. Lee Taebaek’s own time tied up in Daesung would drag on.

No thanks. Daesung was part of a grander scheme. He had no intention of wasting years there.

So, he planned to bring in outside help to clean house at Daesung. Contractor: Three Calamities Art Master.

Leverage her halo to wipe Ryu’s political rivals from Daesung. It was a plan so bold it bordered on unhinged.

“Ha.”

A hollow laugh.

“Hahahahaha!”

The Art Master clutched her belly, doubling over. She wore a crop top that bared her abs. Fur and crop tops? Reycons fashion needed an overhaul someday.

“…….”

“Oof. Oof, my stomach.”

The Art Master straightened up.

“This is fun. Real fun. Your attitude’s so brazen, I thought for a sec it was all upside for me. But nope? You’re trying to sell me on it?”

“Long-term, it’s a win for you, Art Master.”

“Entertainers shouldn’t think that far ahead. Our careers are too unpredictable.”

“That’s exactly why you need insurance. Why do you think celebs dabble in side businesses?”

“Hmm.”

The Art Master made a strange hum.

She’s a pro at making people anxious.

After a brief pause, she suddenly hoisted her knee up to her solar plexus. Her lips split into a meaningful grin.

“Guess it’s time to drop the local broadcast vibe?”

Boom!

The moment her heel slammed into a Tremor Stomp, the tornado whirling above scattered in a flurry. The next instant, the Bow Master, in tatters, dropped right in front of Lee Taebaek.

Bones protruded through his skin, one eye socket a black void. Half-blind, it was a devastating blow for an archer.

At least he was breathing. Tough bastard. Lee Taebaek subtly stepped forward to make contact.

If the Bow Master died, things would get messy. The Right Luminary had been shredded by the Heavenly Demon before he could intervene, but the Bow Master could be saved.

Sizzle.

Flesh began regenerating bit by bit. The Art Master paid him no mind. The Bow Master, forehead planted on the floor, arduously turned to stare at Lee Taebaek.

He mouthed something, then collapsed again from exhaustion. Yeah, stay down. Once you’re up, this madwoman won’t let you off easy.

“Why should I become Daesung’s outside director, pretty boy?”

The madwoman asked.

“…Haragusa’s doomed soon.”

“Ha—”

A bigger laugh erupted than before. Two others joined in. Lee Taebaek felt like a conspiracy theorist.

“Pretty boy, you’ve got talent for this side too? Oof, my abs are gonna pop without the diet. So what? Haragusa’s going down? That Haragusa?”

“It’s going down.”

“Do you know Haragusa’s market cap?”

Roughly in the quadrillions of won. Enough to buy several proper countries on Earth with change left over.

“Even conspiracy theories need evidence. The basis for this wild claim that Haragusa’s collapsing.”

“The project Haragusa’s staking its existence on.”

“…….”

Her lips, stretched to her ears, snapped into a straight line.

“…Pretty boy, how do you know about that…”

“It’ll fail.”

“…….”

He drove the nail home.

“It’ll fail because of Kergel Magic Tower, and then you’ll have to face off against the Heavenly Demon.”

“…….”

Lee Taebaek had named Haragusa’s long-cherished project. At that point, she knew it wasn’t hot air.

Once it went public, all-out war between Kergel Magic Tower and Haragusa was inevitable. The Art Master would have no choice but to measure herself against the Heavenly Demon. She chewed her lower lip briefly.

Her eyes blazed with unbidden fury.

“Pretty boy. Think I’m scared of that magical girl?”

“You won’t be scared. You’re one of only two who could even force a fight with the Magic Tower Master. But forcing a fight doesn’t guarantee victory.”

No.

She would definitely lose to the Heavenly Demon. The Art Master could take two of the Seven Masters as companions even if they swarmed her.

The Heavenly Demon, however, could annihilate all Seven. It might be a stretch now, but she grew stronger by the day. He could indirectly sense her absurd growth through the Heavenly Demon’s curse flowing in him.

“You.”

The Art Master growled low.

“You’ve got a knack for piquing interest. Shame. That’s prime material for our side.”

“I’m not planning to be an entertainer.”

“You’re a riot. So cocky I want to snap those legs right now, but something stops me. My blood’s boiling. I’ll think about it. But deals need give and take—this feels like I’m the only one losing.”

“No. It’s a gain for you.”

Lee Taebaek shook his head.

“As long as Haragusa pursues that project, conflict with Kergel Magic Tower is inevitable. You’ll have to fight the Heavenly Demon either way.”

“So—.”

“I’ll fight by your side then.”

Faces paled all around.

Ever since crashing into Reycons, he’d pondered it endlessly. Why was he so obsessed with rooting out bugs? The outline had eluded him.

But he had a rough idea of the source. Magic Tower Master Heavenly Demon. She warped the world line.

It made sense. The Heavenly Demon had been intentionally excluded from the scenario because her very existence was a bug. As the bug’s host grew in power, cockroaches infested the City.

Thus, she had to be subjugated someday.

Impossible alone.

Lee Taebaek touched his dantian.

With just the curse lumped in his lower abdomen like a clot, he couldn’t picture soloing her. She needed to be ganged up on. That was his grand strategy, and the first step was recruiting the Art Master as key firepower.

Lee Taebaek’s gaze darkened gravely. The mirth faded from the Art Master’s expression, hardening into steel.

“To say something like that, we’ll need to check your skills first.”

Another proof-of-value demand. City folk never took anything at face value.

Still…

During their talk, Lee Taebaek had focused on recovery. He’d slapped heavy nerfs on his other stats to max out [Faith] and [Life]. Thanks to the explosive rebound, his condition was back to normal.

“Ten exchanges.”

The Saber Master flinched at Lee Taebaek’s words. A sidelong glance showed his face was decent. Déjà vu must be hitting hard. Muyachi was probably recalling their thrilling first encounter.

“If I survive ten, accept the deal then.”

“Ten it is. Fine.”

“Then let’s start right—.”

Killing intent prickled at his jawline. From the Art Master. His earlobe burned. His eardrums must have burst from the shockwave. When did that happen?

“One.”

Her sleek leg smashed softly.

Crunch!

A sound like his dantian shattering. It didn’t hurt. The kick that shredded his guts had wrecked the pain receptors clustered along his spine.

A few single frames flickered by. For a moment, he confused it for the lantern show. Then Lee Taebaek’s surroundings shifted.

It was dead silent around him. Noisy below. Neon signs plastered to the ground twinkled.

As Lee Taebaek felt himself floating, a massive presence loomed beside him. The Art Master, kicking off the air to soar, swung her leg.

“Two.”