Part 1 Chapter 9 10

After an hour of rest.

We seriously continued with the next agenda. As there was sensitive information that could not be exposed externally, only core members were present to discuss the issues.

The agenda:

‘After controlling and defeating the monsters, how will their Cores be distributed?’

“Of course, Cheonghwa-yang must take all of them. Wasn’t it your side that failed to defeat the S-rank monsters? Naturally, the ownership belongs to Cheonghwa-yang, and it is entirely Cheonghwa-yang’s personal property.”

Seok Harang, as a representative of Korea before being a member of the Round Table, strongly asserted that the ownership of the Cores belonged to Cheonghwa.

“Even if the monsters are on Chinese soil?”

“They’re on Chinese soil, but China doesn’t own them, do they?”

Seok Harang confronted Yu Hwang-suk. Monster Cores were a more sensitive resource than oil, and naturally, disputes over them often escalated into delicate international conflicts.

“Even if we requested support from the Round Table, Seolhwaryeong’s approach is an overreach. Is Seolhwaryeong a Korean Hero, or a Round Table Hero?”

“I’m a Korean Hero. If you have a complaint, take it up with the Round Table.”

“Hmph…”

Realizing there were no cameras, Seok Harang, though polite in tone, quickly revealed his true colors. I silently entrusted Seok Harang with the external negotiations and, as a Spirit, attempted to negotiate behind the scenes with Hwanryong.

[Are you going to keep sleeping? What are you doing right now? Don’t you know you need to step up, finish this meeting quickly, and go hunt monsters?]

[It’s really annoying. Will it get sorted out if I step up?]

[We talked about possessing that body to sort things out, didn’t we?]

“Hmm.”

Mao Zeping merely sipped his tea in silence, savoring it. I was so frustrated my insides were burning, but Hwanryong, as if enjoying my frustration, took his time.

[What’s the rush…? It hasn’t even been a day since I possessed this body.]

[The time we’re wasting here is precious. That’s why.]

Thump. Seok Harang slammed his palm on the table, drawing the attention of those present.

“Alright. If you keep being difficult, I’ll just catch them all myself and leave.”

“That’s an outrageous act of violence. How could you possibly commit such a thing?”

“Then, can we take that as the will of the Association and China? That Chinese Heroes will step up first to deal with the S-rank monsters, and if they fail, we can control them or kill and revive them as we please?”

“Strictly speaking…”

Yu Hwang-suk averted his gaze. His rabbit ears twitched, pointing towards Mao Zeping. Mao Zeping set down his teacup and spoke.

“It is the will of the Party. Unless the monsters escape abroad, they are still monsters on Chinese soil, aren’t they? If the situation were reversed, would Seolhwaryeong have tolerated it?”

“Tsk.”

Seok Harang was genuinely choked up. It was a sound argument, undeniable, but the fact that it came from Hwanryong, wearing Mao Zeping’s skin, angered him even more.

[What’s with him? Why is he interfering? Did Mao Zeping perhaps devour him in reverse?]

[That’s impossible. That’s definitely Hwanryong. Can’t you feel the Spirit’s aura?]

[Then why does he keep interfering?]

Seok Harang isn’t a very patient person either. I’m not someone with a particularly low boiling point, but Hwanryong’s childish antics were quite annoying and infuriating.

“Director Mao-nim.”

I called him first. People looked back and forth between me and Mao Zeping, as if thinking, ‘Finally, it’s coming.’ I ignored them and even released mana to pressure Hwanryong.

“Right now, we only know the approximate locations of the monsters, but they could suddenly awaken, couldn’t they? Perhaps even at this very moment.”

“……Yes, that’s right. If the ‘Good Morning’ sound rings out again, the sleeping monsters will be extremely enraged. Enough to want to kill whoever woke them.”

“Then, before the monsters suddenly rise up across the entire continent, I believe we should take advantage of their sleep and defeat them individually. Well… I only have one body, and it takes some time to command monsters as my subordinates.”

“Indeed. Are you saying some kind of ‘ritual’ is necessary? I understand. Then we will need to prepare everything required for that ritual. Currently-“

“What I mean is,”

I raised my voice strongly, cutting off Hwanryong’s words.

“It’s not too late to discuss the Core distribution later, so I meant we should go defeat the monsters right now.”

To put it simply:

[Shut up and finish quickly.]

“……Heh heh.”

Hwanryong finally gave up. Hwanryong, who knew nothing but possession, neither countered my mana nor got angry and fought back.

“If Cheonghwa-yang’s will is that strong, then there’s nothing we can do. However, does Cheonghwa-yang have someone to substitute for negotiations?”

“Ugh.”

Seok Harang frowned. If Seok Harang stepped up as the negotiator, Korean influence would be involved, making negotiations drag on. But if I stepped up, I would lose face. Yet, not negotiating was also not an option.

“……Then it’s time to call in a negotiation expert.”

“Is there such a person?”

Hwanryong’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

[Not Cheon Gaeul.]

[Then tell him to get lost….]

[Is he trying to die?]

Although I often act on my own accord, I had brought in the best negotiator in the world, someone who wouldn’t be outmatched anywhere, just for situations like this.

“There is such a person?”

“Yes. They’ve probably arrived in Beijing by now.”

Because I called them yesterday. I drew the Big Dipper constellation under the table towards Seok Harang, who quickly smiled with his eyes and nodded.

“Then I’ll go back with you.”

“…I don’t really recommend it.”

Seok Harang probably wouldn’t like it for his image. After the strategy meeting, I sought understanding from the Central Party.

“Um, I’d like to bring in a negotiation expert….”

“Is it a government official? Then according to diplomatic procedures….”

“No. They’re just an ordinary salaryman.”

“…A salaryman, you say.”

Hwanryong and other Central Party officials frowned, falling into thought. Hwanryong, knowing my nature somewhat, knew they weren’t an ordinary person, but others seemed to disagree with a mere salaryman handling S-rank Core issues.

“Isn’t this too much for us? Cheonghwa-yang said she was a refugee from Seoul. So, a salaryman, you say…?”

“Steel your heart, Chairman-nim. No matter what, you must prioritize the people.”

Cheonja and Yu Hwang-suk whispered secretly, but I heard it all. Both of them were despicable, so I should suggest to the negotiation expert to fleece them for at least 3%.

“Then I will leave everything after this to them. So, as for us….”

Bzzzt.

All watches chimed simultaneously. A warning sound announcing the appearance of a monster, and a question surged within me.

‘There shouldn’t be any monsters appearing near here?’

“Hey. What is this?”

Seok Harang hurriedly pushed a screen towards me. The screen was filled with breaking news, along with a video of a monster rampaging alone on the surface of a lake.

[Urgent] Dongting Lake, S-rank monster appeared. Presumed to be Jiparyong.

“W-what is this?”

“……Hmph.”

I deliberately took a deep breath. The Central Party officials tensed at my annoyance, and among them, Mao Zeping in particular lost his composure, his eyes twitching.

“Haa.”

Jiparyong is a monster sleeping deep within Dongting Lake. It was a calm existence that hadn’t even reacted to my ‘Good Morning’ terror, and in the game, it was classified as a non-aggressive field boss Earth Dragon.

Such a monster was rampaging on the lake’s surface. At first glance, it looked like it was performing a solo Shadow Raid against thin air, but in reality, the monster was fighting against hundreds of ghost forces.

[Hwanryong.]

[……Why?]

[Where is Bonghyo?]

[…….]

Hwanryong raised his teacup. With a slightly trembling hand, as if his throat was parched, Hwanryong moistened his lips and smiled faintly.

“Heh heh.”

CRASH!

“C-Cheonghwa-yang?!”

I couldn’t stand it anymore. I sprang from my seat and strode purposefully towards the exit door.

“Where are you going?!”

“To save people!”

CRASH!

I flung the door wide open. The staff waiting outside for the meeting to end were flustered by my sudden action, unsure what to do.

“…….”

Right behind me was Xiaolin, following like a ghost. Unlike Seok Harang, who was as bewildered as the others, Xiaolin was remarkably quick-witted, commensurate with his mana sensitivity.

People began to gather slowly due to the commotion I caused. Most were Central Party or Association officials, but the commotion they relayed would also reach the reporters waiting in the press room.

“Cheonghwa-yang! What’s with this sudden-?!”

“Even at this very moment, monsters are rampaging, and people must be terrified! I can’t just stand here like this!”

Thump-thump!

I ran down the hallway, causing a huge fuss. The Association staff couldn’t even think of stopping me, and the reporters waiting outside were surprised to see me running.

“Haa, haa.”

Having reached a fairly wide open space, I bent over, panting for breath. Xiaolin, whose breathing was completely undisturbed, looked puzzled but didn’t interject.

“What is this?!”

“I’m going!”

“Going, how-“

I held up a bead I had hidden in my inner pocket. The bead I had hastily hidden from the reporters who came to film my hospital room-the Core of the Black Flame Dragon.

“Re….”

I forgot something very important. Resurrection itself was simply possible, but I needed to make people aware of the process leading to that resurrection. But should I do it now, at a time when the eyes of the whole world were focused?

“……Hmph.”

It’s not that I *should* do it.

I *have* to do it. I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them, raising my voice to the sky.

“Azure Flame Unfold!”

…Yes, I know. Everyone flinched and twitched their hands. But this was an unavoidable force majeure.

“Oh, single flame that blooms in the pitch-black darkness!”

Xiaolin’s expression soured. Seok Harang, who followed, completely covered his ears and moved away. Everyone was horrified by my desperate scream, but I had to finish the incantation first.

“Now your master commands you, rekindle that flame upon this land! Manifest!”

Hwaruk.

Flames began to erupt from the Core I had floated in the air. The blue flames began to take the form of a giant dragon, and soon, black scales started to grow on its fiery body.

Flash!

The Black Flame Dragon opened its eyes. Having become a Core, it was revived as an S-rank monster by my incantation, and I quickly climbed onto its arm and then onto its back.

“Let’s go!”

Kyaaaaaa!!

The Black Flame Dragon roared and spread its wings. The people gathered in the open space turned their heads from the wind generated by the Black Flame Dragon’s wings, and the Black Flame Dragon pushed off the ground, slowly ascending into the sky.

“Isn’t the resurrection penalty too strong?”

Xiaolin, who had settled beside me, was barely holding back a laugh, his face looking as if he was about to cry. On the ground, Seok Harang, hidden inside the building, was waving at me with his face covered.

“…He did worse himself.”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing.”

Since we were out of earshot, I decided not to pretend anymore. I glared at Xiaolin and questioned him.

“Are you in on this too?”

“Of course not. Hwanryong gave me only one command.”

Xiaolin thumped his chest with his fist.

“‘Do whatever you want.’ That’s what he said. I’m just acting as I please.”

“……So you weren’t ordered by Hwanryong to tie my hands?”

“What a hurtful thing to say.”

“……Never mind. If you had participated in such a shallow trick, I would have noticed immediately.”

Xiaolin isn’t good at lying. Even if the absolute command authority over monstrous humans was used, it couldn’t change Xiaolin’s personal nature. For example:

“SR6974.”

“!!!!”

Xiaolin froze. I met Xiaolin’s gaze and asked.

“Was it you?”

“………………..Y-yes.”

Xiaolin replied in a voice barely audible. Since he couldn’t lie at all and valued truth, anyone who knew his nature as well as I did would have excluded Xiaolin from their schemes and carried out the operation.

“Damn it. Hwanryong, this bastard….”

Whatever Hwanryong himself might be, all members of the Hwanryongdan, led by Bonghyo, are Chinese. Hwanryong also followed Bonghyo’s opinions more than mine, so if Bonghyo had stepped up and stabbed me in the back, Hwanryong would have abetted him.

“That… Ugh.”

I secretly raised my middle finger towards Hwanryong, who was looking up at me and the Black Flame Dragon from the ground. Hwanryong didn’t seem to understand what it meant, but I threw my feelings out there and turned the Black Flame Dragon’s head.

“South! Let’s go!”

[Understood, my God!]

Kwaaaaaaa!!

The Black Flame Dragon shrieked and began to fly through the sky.

Our destination: Dongting Lake. And Jiparyong, sleeping within it.

While Hwanryong acted as a decoy, stalling for time with the state guest invitation event, the Hwanryongdan had used a shallow trick to acquire the S-rank Core first.

‘I can’t let them take it. Absolutely not.’

Jiparyong. Muljigi. Heuksagal.

The gimmick is that the moment all three are killed and their Cores are offered as a sacrifice to the altar, the problematic fourth S-rank monster, Calipella, appears. Therefore, no matter what, Jiparyong’s Core cannot be taken.

And besides,

‘There are two Cubes involved!!’

One is assigned to Calipella, the last boss. The other is randomly assigned to one of the three. A total of three Cubes were scattered across China, and one of them, torn from the corpse of the God of War brought by Xiaolin, was entrusted to Gaeul.

‘I need to meet Changyeom and confront him…!’

At least one of them had to be secretly used by me. Or both had to be secretly hoarded by me to use during my one-on-one date-no, conversation-with Changyeom.

“So faster! More!”

[I will show my God the maximum speed-no, a speed that transcends it.]

The Black Flame Dragon soared towards Dongting Lake, transcending even the speed of sound.