Necromancer Survival

Chapter 425

Chapter 425

T.w. Self Harm

"...Jo...Jo Chan-young?"

After moving to this unfamiliar place, I found Jo Chan-young, unconscious and chained.

I hesitated for a moment, remembering the strange expression he had worn earlier. But when I saw the monkey clinging to his feet, whimpering and struggling, I wasted no time and ran over.

"Hey! Are you okay?"

[......]

[OooKkeeKee!]

The monkey held Jo Chan-young's ankle and shook him continuously, making what seemed like a crying sound.

Only then did I notice that Jo Chan-young's body was starting to dissipate, as if tiny grains of dust were falling away from him bit by bit.

‘No way, this contract...'

I shook Jo Chan-young again, anxious at the thoughts that were darting through my mind. But despite my urgent efforts, he still didn't stir; his eyelids remained heavy and unmoving.

‘Will this work...?'

I gave up trying to shake Jo Chan-young awake and tried to slash at the chains with the dagger I was holding.

Clank–!

However, all I heard was the sound of the dagger striking the chains. Not a single scratch appeared on them. Frustrated, I noticed something shifting beneath Jo Chan-young’s feet.

"W-What is that..."

The floor beneath Jo Chan-young's feet was transparent. And, underneath the floor, lay a huge snake.

The snake, with its jet-black head, was pressing against the transparent floor as if it were trying to push its way through. Upon closer inspection, I saw it was holding something in its mouth. Hanging from a thick, round ring was a dull, heavy key.

"That's the key...?" As if possessed, I approached the snake and reached out my hand. But, of course, I couldn't remove the key because I was blocked by the transparent floor. The result was the same whether I pounded on the floor with my fist or stomped on it with my feet.

Clang–!

The dagger I had briefly slipped into my pocket, fell out and rolled across the floor. Since I was trying everything, I tried to split the floor with the dagger, but I couldn't even make a dent. It was just as futile as with the chains.

Just then, the black snake underneath looked at me as I stomped the area above its head. At first, I couldn’t understand what it was trying to signal. But soon, I realized what the snake was trying to tell me.

"......"

After a momentary silence, I took a deep breath and pressed my palm down on the blade of the dagger.

As round beads of blood formed in my palm and dripped onto the transparent floor, the blood seeped into faint cracks I hadn’t noticed before. A magic circle began to activate, and, at the same time, a dark light wrapped around Jo Chan-young’s dissipating body.

I realized that this was my last getaway, and I stabbed deeper into my palm.

Slice–!

[Excuse me.]

‘What?'

His lips had already touched my wound before I could fully comprehend his words. Startled, I tried to pull my hand away, but his warm tongue was quicker, gliding over the cut.

"W-Wait a minute!"

[......?]

Jo Chan-young looked at me as he licked my blood. Looking at his face full of innocent confusion, it seemed that I was the only one who found this uncomfortable. Why on earth would he do this...?

[I'm just encouraging hemostasis.] 2

"...What?"

Just as he said, the spot he licked was only slightly red, and the terrible wound was nowhere to be found. My throbbing pain had also disappeared.

I widened my eyes, staring at my healed palm.

[Was it unpleasant?]

"...N-not really, I was more startled than anything..." After seeing that I had been healed, I couldn't really say I disliked it.

Jo Chan-young didn’t press for an explanation as I stammered awkwardly. After licking my other palm to heal it as well, he calmly released my hands.

I stared blankly at my palm that was now free from any sticky residue, and I bit my lips tightly to rid myself of my embarrassment. "Thank you. But... We need to sign the contract."

I thought it would be better to get to the point quickly, so I cut to the point. But, for some reason, Jo Chan-young remained silent. He stared at me quietly for a moment before speaking slowly.

[If you sign a contract with me, you'll die.]

"....."

[It'd be silly to use what life you have left as a sacrifice.]

His tone wasn’t gentle, but hearing him speak so matter-of-factly about the harsh reality made my face scrunch up in frustration. My chest felt tight.

‘I know. However...Then, how long will Dawon-ie have to wait...'

Did my expression belie my hidden thoughts?

Jo Chan-young clicked his tongue softly before lifting my chin up.

He stared at my anxiety ridden face. Then, as if he couldn't understand, he muttered to himself.

[Always...Dawon, Dawon, Dawon...You think about him all day long... Have you gone crazy?]

"W-What did you say?"

[I'm saying that your head sounds noisy. Why are you getting anxious over things that haven't happened yet?]
TL: I love Jo Chan-young.

An Imugi is a mythological beast that's most akin to a lesser or proto-dragon. Hemostasis = stopping blood flow.