Part 1 Chapter 10 32

The world was dyed entirely in flames.

The first strike Changyeom chose was a meteor fall. Even though it was a mental world, three gigantic fireballs falling from the sky, filled with immense heat, plummeted towards me.

Their size was such that if the three combined, they could destroy half of Yeouido.

First, I spread my wings and hastily flew up from the park.

Kwa—–ang!!

Three meteors fell in the middle of Yeouido. Even though I was flying high in the sky with my wings spread, the vibrations from the meteor fall traveled through the air and shook my body.

It was strange.

Why would they use such a skill, knowing it wouldn’t hit me? A display of power? ‘I can make meteors fall freely?’

‘I’ve never fought Changyeom’s Phoenix in human form, so how would I know!’

They said that when they conquered America, they rampaged as a gunslinger, but after passing that skill on to me, they seemed to be attempting long-range magical combat, faithful to a pyromancer. If my prediction wasn’t wrong, fire arrows or fireballs would soon come flying.

“Ah.”

Changyeom’s subsequent attack was an overwhelmingly destructive act that far surpassed my expectations.

Kwa—ang!

A red pillar of fire shot up from beneath my feet. I quickly moved my wings to dodge, but one of my wings caught fire.

“Isn’t fire catching fire a bit much!”

I quickly extinguished the fire on my wing. Just as I used Changyeom’s flames to burn others’ mana, Changyeom also burned my mana.

Kwang! Kwa—ang!

The pillars of fire didn’t stop at just one. Pillars of fire, tens of meters high, continuously shot up from the craters where the meteors had fallen, each one aimed and spewed at me.

“This is insane!”

Every time I dodged a pillar of fire, Yeouido was covered in erupting magma. Buildings burned down, emitting acrid smoke, and I had to fly in the sky with no place to land. Fortunately, Seoul stretched out widely around Yeouido.

‘Surely they’re not making all of Seoul a battlefield?’

Could it be that they couldn’t fully unleash their power with just Yeouido? Changyeom hid their presence after the first strike, tormenting me by only spewing pillars of fire from underground.

Kwang! Kwaaang!

Even when I dodged by folding and unfolding my wings, pillars of fire shot up towards my predicted path as if firing anti-aircraft guns. It was as if the entire ground wasn’t Changyeom’s pistol or something-

‘No way.’

Are they directly shooting pillars of fire from underground? And not just pillars of fire, but magma that flows out when they burst?

‘Aren’t they taking this too seriously?’

It seemed they were determined to kill me. I dodged the pillars of fire that were coming from left and right and flew high into the sky.

“Yeouido is already gone, huh.”

Yeouido, seen from a hundred meters above, was riddled with holes like basalt. Magma erupted from underground through the holes, covering the surroundings, and Yeouido instantly became a sea of fire.

Pshiiii–

The magma flowed into the Han River, creating massive steam. I escaped the heat of the steam and took refuge above Dongjak.

‘Surely pillars of fire won’t shoot up even from Dongjak-‘

Kwaang!

Another pillar of fire shot up. Just like in Yeouido, it was a sniper shot, precisely aimed at me.

Tang!

I aimed the gun I had crafted from mana at the pillar of fire and fired a magic bullet. The magic bullet, possessing immense destructive power, accurately hit the pillar of fire’s trajectory, and the magic bullet and pillar of fire canceled each other out, exploding in mid-air.

‘Are they telling me to intercept?’

Pillars of fire were shot from all directions. Dongjak, Guro, Gangnam, even from the bottom of the Han River. Pillars of fire erupted from every conceivable angle, targeting me, and tried to sweep me away in a parabolic arc.

I flew between the pillars of fire, firing magic bullets. I dodged the pillars of fire aimed at my side, severing their ‘waist’ with gunfire, and just before the pillars of fire aimed at my wings could reach me, I deactivated my wings and free-fell. Just before plunging into the magma, I spread my wings again and glided through the air, briefly landing on the melting top of the 63 Building, which was submerged in magma.

“This is practically a monster.”

They were only using techniques more malicious and destructive than Changyeom’s Phoenix from the original work. It wasn’t just dropping fireballs onto the ground like a bomber; Changyeom seemed to be trying to use every skill they possessed against me.

Just as I had gauged my strength against Jo Deokbae, Changyeom seemed to be using me as a guinea pig.

“I’m not happy about this at all.”

Changyeom soon showed a new pattern. Small blue bubbles popped up from Yeouido’s magma, and soon, eggs hatched, and Mini Phoenixes spread their wings above the magma.

“They’re not mini?”

Unlike the canaries I handled, their size was that of an eagle, easily as large as a typical large SUV. Seeing that they were deliberately making such a comparison to show the difference between their power and mine, Changyeom was a considerably malicious being.

Mmmmmm.

And all that malice was concentrated on me. Hundreds, no, thousands of eagles rose from the ground, aiming their beaks at me.

“They want me to shoot them all down!”

I fired magic bullets at the eagles in front of me. Each time a bullet was expended, three or four eagles exploded, but the eagles flew up from all directions, pressuring me.

“This is really-!”

I flew vertically upwards and spread my wings as wide as possible. Not only did I fire the magic bullets held in my two hands, but I also indiscriminately shot fireballs created from my feathers at the ground, intercepting the eagles.

The entire area of Yeouido was engulfed in the heat of explosions. Even though I squeezed out my mana and bombarded them with a massive amount of magic bullets and fireballs, only about half of the eagles died.

Mmmmmm.

“I’m screwed.”

The eagles formed a formation and flew towards me. I disconnected from the enlarged wings and leaped high into the sky.

New wings spread behind my back, and the wings I had left beneath my feet began to tremble unstably as their mana connection was severed. The eagles scattered in all directions, trying to avoid my wings, but they were already within the explosion’s radius.

Ttal-kak.

I snapped my fingers, and the wings, tens of meters wide, became a booby trap for the eagles. Eagles that couldn’t escape in time plunged their beaks into the wings, and a chain explosion occurred in mid-air.

“Even after this, there are still some left… huh?”

The remaining eagles slowly began to gather in the air. I instinctively knew it was a new pattern and took a breath, and the eagles transformed into tiny canaries, forming a single human figure.

“Quite impressive, aren’t you?”

Changyeom reappeared. Dressed in a white gown and holding a golden staff, Changyeom looked down at me with eyes more noble than ever.

“This is too dazzling; I can’t look directly.”

“I’ll commend you for dodging and intercepting. When you fight bosses, a pattern of unconditional dodging is bound to appear, isn’t it?”

“So, is it over now?”

“Meteors, volcanic eruptions, and a flock of eagles. This much is enough for a warm-up, right?”

“This is a warm-up?”

I pointed at the ground.

“If you warm up three more times, all of Seoul will be gone, you know?”

“I went easy. I didn’t even intend to kill you, so what’s the big deal?”

“……Let’s just say that’s true.”

I aimed my gun at Changyeom. Changyeom also placed their staff directly in front of them.

“Oh, right. About you.”

“What now?”

“They were incredibly embarrassed by this.”

Changyeom tapped their staff in the air, getting angry.

“Changyeom Gaejin.”

“……That, what was that….”

I felt somehow embarrassed and scratched my head with the muzzle of my gun.

“It just came out when I was trying to follow your incantation….”

“Incantations aren’t for any other reason. They’re a way to draw out the mana within your body more powerfully. There are individual differences, but originally, magic is stronger with an incantation than without, isn’t it?”

“That’s true.”

“So don’t be embarrassed when you use incantations. Be proud, even. When executives use their abilities or create monsters, they use incantations as an instinctive means to exert their maximum power.”

“…….”

I decided. From now on, I’d shout it where others couldn’t see me. But Changyeom tilted their head as if they couldn’t understand my embarrassment.

“Why aren’t you doing anything?”

“Well, I was dumbfou-wait. What?”

“Yes. Why aren’t you dodging?”

Changyeom pointed at the sky.

“I just used a skill, you know.”

“When did you-“

“Changyeom Gaejin. It’s just a skill that pours out flames, but.”

Changyeom spread their arms wide and smiled brightly at the rain of blue flames falling from the sky.

“In the original work you mentioned, I incinerated all of South America with this skill, you know? You remember, right?”

“This is insane.”

The entire world began to be dyed in blue flames.

In the end, I couldn’t do anything and was swept away by the rain of blue flames, losing consciousness.

***

“Ah. Now that I think about it, it was a hidden setting in the original work. My apologies.”

Changyeom laid my head on their lap. Although it was embarrassing to be given a lap pillow after an overwhelming defeat, I couldn’t exert any strength.

“The loser has no say. Right?”

“……I concede.”

“Then just shut up quietly~ Puhuhuhu.”

Changyeom stroked my cheek with their thumb and laughed. Their face, bowed towards me over their ample lower chest, was smiling brightly.

“I think I’m more grateful for this.”

“It’s a reward for victory.”

“Your victory?”

“No. Your victory.”

“……?”

What was Changyeom talking about? I couldn’t understand. I had never won against Changyeom before.

“What trick did you pull again…?”

“Hehe. A trick that will make you unable to resist coming to find me again.”

Changyeom took out a small orb. It was a glass orb, different from a Core, with blue flames fiercely burning within it.

“This is your memory. The memory of your victory is contained here.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re deleting the record because you lost, aren’t you? Give it back.”

I tried to reach out, but I couldn’t exert any strength. Changyeom had taken control of my body as the price for their victory, forcibly placing my head on their lap.

“I don’t want to give it back, you know? If you want it, you’ll have to come find me yourself next time.”

“You mean summon you with a cube?”

“Yes. And if possible, with a strawberry shortcake. Then I’ll return this memory to you.”

“……How on earth did I win against you?”

I simply couldn’t believe that I had won against Changyeom.

“I won against someone who can launch meteors, erupt volcanoes, and incinerate the world? Is that for real?”

“Yes. If I were to give you a hint.”

Changyeom leaned their upper body down and brought their lips to my ear. Their ample bosom covered my face.

“Your gun… it was really hot, you know?”

“What.”

“That’s all for the hint. If you want to know how you won, use a cube next time. Understood?”

Changyeom snapped their fingers. The world began to collapse.

“Hey, hey, hey! Are you just going to send me off like this?! Are you kidding-“

Changyeom covered my mouth.

I couldn’t say anything.

I merely thought of the soft sensation on my lips until my consciousness faded.

***

“……Ah.”

As soon as I woke up, I fiddled with my lips. Perhaps because I had seen such a shocking scene at the end, I couldn’t believe if it was a dream or reality.

“……I must be crazy to think that. Hmm.”

I brainwashed myself and shook off my delusions. No matter how obsessed I was with Changyeom, how could I have such a thought?

“Let’s just think that my mind went somewhere due to the shock of being defeated by the executives. Hmm.”

That was better. It was better for my mental health to think that I was so embarrassed about being utterly defeated by the Stage 1-2-3 bosses that I had fantasized about playing ‘sse-sse-sse’ with Changyeom in my mind to gain strength.

“…Right. This happens because I fight so much that I almost die. Hmm, okay. I need to be more careful from now on.”

I tapped the triple Barrier that confined my body as if knocking. The Barrier, made of darkness, air, and stone, looked as if three executives had restrained and sealed me.

“……How long have I been asleep?”

My Magic Gear wasn’t working either. My heart sank at the thought that I might have slept too deeply.

“…….First, let’s get out of here.”

I lightly tapped the ceiling with my hand. Fortunately, the seal wasn’t strong enough to truly confine me.

“……Changyeom-“

Since no one was around, I shouted it loudly enough to make the world shake.

“Gaejin–!”

My fist, imbued with Changyeom, pierced through the ceiling.

***

Pasa-sak!

The concrete pillar shattered. The ability users gathered in small groups were startled by the self-shattering pillar.

“W-what is it?”

“Is it finally opening…?”

Kwa—–ang!

A blue pillar of fire shot up into the sky. The pillar of fire, soaring high into the night sky, was easily hundreds of meters tall.

Eu-deuk, Eu-deuk!

Concrete, several meters thick, began to crack from the inside. Ten pure white fingers burst out of the concrete, and a blue-haired woman emerged, forcibly prying open the coffin-like structure left and right.

“……What year, what time is it now?”

“Is that the first thing you say as soon as you wake up?”

Seok Harang, with her white hair disheveled, wiped away tears with the back of her hand and laughed. Phoenix, flustered, grabbed Seok Harang’s wrist.

“W-what is it? Why are you crying?! Surely, how long has it been since I fell asleep?! Five months?! Surely not five years?!”

“Five minutes.”

Seok Harang tapped her smartwatch and scoffed at Phoenix.

“It’s been five minutes since your signal went out, you dummy.”

“……Hul.”

Phoenix was speechless.

* * *

??? Realm.

“They fight really well. Eh.”

Changyeom held a glass orb in their hand and clicked their tongue.

“I can’t believe I’d start by losing from the very beginning….”

‘He’ wouldn’t know. Why he kept losing. Changyeom felt anew about his abilities and held the glass orb to their chest like a precious treasure.

“Ah.”

Changyeom, who had been buried in the glass orb, opened their eyes wide and parted their lips.

“I forgot to tell them that. It’s the most important thing.”

Changyeom stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time, then quietly closed their eyes, holding the orb containing the match with ‘Phoenix’ to their chest.

“……Well, it’s not my fault, so I’ll just tell them when they come next time. They’ll figure it out on their own anyway.”

Changyeom swam inside the glass orb, grinning foolishly.

“The Ark must have already departed, I wonder when they’ll call me again~ Puhuhuhu.”

Changyeom’s voice did not reach him.