Chapter 53
Azazel had been predicting her victory for a long time.
It wasn't just a simple superiority of ability, but because of the rules of the world they previously belonged to.
'I've been cultivating power longer than that trash.'
In the original "Possessed by an Idle Game," time was crucial. The characters in the novel grew stronger according to the time invested, as per the idle game setting.
Basically, they would get stronger even if left idle, but manual control was needed for a steeper growth curve.
'I can definitely win...!'
Azazel showed a confident attitude, gently raising the corners of her mouth. Unlike Kang Si-woo who spent every day fooling around with women, she had continuously cultivated her power in the northern monastery.
If she could seize victory at the end, Bing Yeon would think of her differently too. She regretted not realizing what a good man he was earlier.
'And so, I'll slowly make Brother fall for me. This time, I want to experience being loved, not just one-sided love.'
The person who had scolded Kang Si-woo for his verbal abuse and comforted her. For Azazel, who had no one to rely on, it was a great comfort.
She wanted to someday bewitch her master Bing Yeon, making him unable to suppress his feelings for her.
- Azazel, do you think you can win?
While she was indulging in happy fantasies, the tentacles on her back wriggled and spoke to her.
Mordegian, the Outer God who had shared joys and sorrows with her for a long time, couldn't shake off an uneasy feeling.
Things were going too smoothly.
Even though the opponent was Shub-Niggurath, that Outer God.
A god of outer space beyond human comprehension, despite being an Outer God like himself, there was still a difference in class.
"Of course, Lord Mordegian."
Azazel spoke while recalling the martial arts she had learned from Bing Yeon so far. She had swung her fists until the protruding parts bled and calluses formed.
Hadn't the other disciples who had competed before done the same?
It was just a third-rate martial art, equivalent to beginner-level magic in magical terms.
But in this world, there were certainly those who had risen to the position of tower master with it. Endless repetition of the basics allows one to see beyond them.
"If I don't win this time, who else will bring medicine to Brother?"
Azazel could feel the heated atmosphere of the martial arts tournament as she stepped onto the arena.
People's expectations for the finals had risen as a draw occurred for the first time. Originally, the rules were set for best of three matches, not anticipating this situation.
It was the current Ice Dragon Flower Banquet that had broken this for the first time.
"If I lose, Brother might have to fight. I'm at least aware of that much."
- Yes, no matter how strong that man is, he can't defeat Lord Shub-Niggurath, the Outer God.
"Besides... I personally want to beat up that horny bastard."
Azazel clenched her fists together, building up her fighting spirit. Unlike others, she had tentacles on her back, making it advantageous for her to learn fist techniques.
Bing Yeon knew this too, which was why he had recommended the Six Harmonies Fist to her.
"The technique used by the person Sister Bi Wol fought earlier was the same as what I learned."
Azazel had seen with her own eyes how powerful the martial art was while watching Kim Hyul's movements earlier. With this, she could easily subdue Kang Si-woo without using the Outer God's power.
"Today, I'll put an end to this wretched ill fate."
Kwak─!
Azazel's tightly clenched fist was filled with power.
Waaaah─!
As Azazel walked through the passage and onto the arena, cheers and shouts from other martial artists erupted.
It was also because Verdandi, who had the appearance of someone from the Western Regions, had used the Six Harmonies Sword Technique to make plum blossoms bloom in this space.
Bing Yeon had protected the martial artists' pride, who thought the Dragon Phoenix Gathering might end with Western mana or magic.
"The finals of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering...! This heated atmosphere is now heading towards its finale!"
Cheon Cheonmu was commenting in a loud voice using sound techniques, as if responding to such reactions.
"The person from the Ice Dragon Flower Banquet is Azazel from the Western Regions, who is said to use the Six Harmonies Fist like Kim Hyul earlier!"
Azazel showed a slightly shy attitude as she heard this explanation. Had she ever imagined she would fight while receiving such expectations from so many people?
It was something she wouldn't have experienced if she had been alone in the northern monastery.
"And her opponent is Kang Si-woo from the Seongyeong Gate...!"
Eventually, as a familiar name was heard, a black-haired man stepped onto the stage. For Azazel, he was the object of her one-sided love, and now an enemy worse than any other.
"...Kang Si-woo."
"Azazel, I'll tell you one last thing."
Kang Si-woo opened his mouth with a sly smile as he looked at Azazel.
"Are you really going to follow that sickly chicken of a man instead of me?"
Azazel clicked her tongue as she watched him smile, seemingly immersed in some ominous energy that was rippling.
She had thought things were going too smoothly. Perhaps he had used the same method as she had, making a contract with an Outer God.
However,
"Brother Bing Yeon is not someone a horny dog like you can speak of carelessly."
Azazel wasn't one to be scared by such things. An Outer God's divinity is too great and powerful for a mere human to handle.
Even Azazel herself had lived in seclusion for years to refine and control Mordegian's power.
There was no way he could have perfectly made it his own in just a few hours.
"Oh, so that's how you're going to be?"
Kang Si-woo burst into laughter seeing Azazel's resolute attitude. He still seemed to think of her not as a living human, but as a character he could play with as he pleased.
Unlike other protagonists, Kang Si-woo had no experience of standing on the brink of death, and had merely been sucked into this world while playing a smartphone game in the real world.
"...You'll regret this."
"You're the one who should regret."
The two glared at each other as if they could kill each other, and prepared for the fight.
Kang Si-woo was similar to Verdandi as a hero now, but in reality, he was completely different. He had neither a sharp holy sword nor holy armor to protect against all attacks.
His ability was to 'command' the characters in his smartphone, just like the hero he had played in the game.
A game format where if left alone, it would earn resources, use those resources to draw characters, and then push events or stories again.
That was the setting of the original "Possessed by an Idle Game," where Kang Si-woo and Azazel came from.
'But that's probably ancient history now.'
Azazel gritted her teeth as she watched Kang Si-woo immediately take out his smartphone. Originally, companions who had stayed with him there would have popped out.
'We can't be commanded without affection.'
Kang Si-woo as a player and Kang Si-woo in the real world were characters with completely opposite personalities.
Like a libertine swinging his lower body around recklessly, there seemed to be no one who would follow his orders that treated people like Azazel as mere tools for his use.
"As expected, it's not working."
Kang Si-woo, who had shown his smartphone to Azazel and used his command ability, ended his words with a disappointed tone.
"It's a shame, but your scheme has failed."
If she had had a certain level of affection, he could have commanded Azazel to give orders or move her as he pleased.
"...Because I hate men like you the most."
Her affection towards him had been reduced to the point of going into negative numbers. Azazel found it unpleasant just to be exchanging words with a man like Kang Si-woo.
Kwaaang─!
Azazel's fist and tentacles struck out simultaneously. The tentacles curled like an iron mace were Bing Yeon's clever move for using the Six Harmonies Fist.
Utilizing existing elements like this was one of the essential qualities of a writer.
"Kheuk...!"
Kang Si-woo let out a short groan as he was hit in the solar plexus and face. His nose bone was broken and bleeding, and he immediately sat down on the spot, seemingly unable to stand up anymore.
- Azazel, something's strange.
Noticing the dissonance, Mordegian used his tentacles to bind Kang Si-woo's arms and legs. It was a precaution in case he might call companions by touching his smartphone.
"What is? He's incredibly weak, even more than I thought. As expected of trash..."
- Doesn't it seem like the opponent took your attack without any response?
At Mordegian's question, Azazel's expression changed as if she had realized something. Just a moment ago, he had seemed to be receiving power from Shub-Niggurath.
'Why didn't he resist at all?'
A chill ran down Azazel's spine.
It was because the opponent had fallen too easily, as if aiming for this situation.
Feeling the danger immediately, Azazel even took measures to wrap Kang Si-woo's smartphone with her tentacles and break it.
"Hu, huhahahahaha..."
Seeing this, Kang Si-woo was laughing while looking at the sky like a person possessed by madness. Starlight dwelled in his black pupils looking up at the sky.
Despite it being broad daylight with the sun up.
- It's dangerous, Azazel. Something's not right...!
"If I can at least knock him unconscious, it should be fine."
Azazel calmly attempted to strike pressure points using her tentacles. The Six Harmonies Fist uses all parts of the body as weapons.
No matter how much power of an Outer God one had, there were limits to what could be manifested through a mere human vessel.
"Knock me unconscious? You?"
Tuk, tuduk.
Even though she had struck the acupoint that should have caused unconsciousness, Kang Si-woo's consciousness didn't fade. Rather, he was twitching the muscles of his face as if finding it amusing.
"...Oh my, you've already given up on being human."
Azazel realized something as she pressed the acupoints. The man called Kang Si-woo had already become Shub-Niggurath's toy, turning into a creature different from humans.
His outward appearance was the same as before, but what constituted him and his soul were filled with something completely different.
"Because I can do anything to get a limited character...!"
"You're spouting nonsense quite well."
Azazel drove another straight punch into his chest as she watched Kang Si-woo speak while bending his neck 90 degrees.
"Haha! Your cotton fists don't even hurt! If you lose here, you won't be able to save the life of that Bing Yeon or whatever cripple, right?"
He continued to speak as if nothing was wrong, and soon the pieces of the smartphone that Azazel had broken floated up.
"Well then, let's see you struggle."
The smartphone pieces reassembled into their original form. Watching this, Kang Si-woo laughed like a madman.