Phoenix of the Flame – Chapter 14

〈 Chapter 14 〉 Part 1 Chapter 1 (13)
There was a debate that once caused a big issue in the community.
‘What kind of heroine is Azure Flame Phoenix?’
Users who usually produced walkthroughs or memes all acted as if they had earned a Phoenix PhD, and an agora unfolded.
‘Look at the human form on the official site. Isn’t it obviously a pure love type?’
‘Yeah, next noob. Isn’t she obviously carnivorous? Do you want to go back and watch her appearance scene again?’
‘I think she’s a mature woman type. She’ll warmly embrace you with Azure Flame.’
It was a time when all sorts of speculations ran rampant, burning for three days and nights. I extracted the attributes of the other 16 heroines and inferred Phoenix’s personality set by the developers using the process of elimination from those attributes. Surprisingly, the developers put a lot of effort into the heroines’ personalities, and the core attributes didn’t overlap much.

-What do you think, BlueBird?

A community acquaintance asked. At that time, I hadn’t even entered the Phoenix route, let alone found a clue.

–
It’s a bit hard to say, but don’t curse after listening.

–
Hehe, it’s okay. I won’t curse. A healing type like Iuna? A violent type like Shuri?

–
Kkussare. (T/N: Kkussare is a derogatory term for a woman who is sexually aggressive and manipulative.)

–
That’s blasphemy!

I lost a friend that day.

“Mr. Jo Deok-bae. Does this place still feel like the afterlife to you?”
“…How.”
Deok-bae blankly opened his mouth and looked around. The place where he opened his eyes was clearly Ho-cheol’s studio, where he was right before he died.
Was he not actually dead? Deok-bae tried to awkwardly raise his body, but his hand came into view.
“Ugh?!”
Deok-bae screamed and shook his hand. Gray, bizarre substances covered his entire arm. Something turquoise flowed like threads between the cracks, like a dry desert.
“Should I put in the incantation after all?”
Phoenix fiddled with the veil with her finger.
There are three main things needed to create a Monster.
A fresh Monster core that has not been turned into a ‘Core’ by human hands.
A little Mana from the executive/spirit who will be the Monster’s master.
And a ‘spell’ that makes your hands and feet curl up so much that you’ll be sucked into the storm of space-time.
Phoenix performed the ritual by roughly mixing the spells of the executives that remained in her memory while creating the West Sea Weapon Monster. It would have been a dark history that would have made people tear their blankets in their sleep if others had heard or done it, but anyway, she successfully created an excellent Monster.
But making Deok-bae a Monster was not in the plan.
‘There was no case of using the corpse of an Esper as a material.’
In the first place, only Monsters could become Monsters in this world’s ‘setting’. But how was Deok-bae reborn as a Monster even though he died?
“Mr. Jo Deok-bae. Do you remember me?”
When Phoenix asked, crossing her legs, Deok-bae bowed and took a step back.
“What did you do to me?”
“Oh, you seem to remember. It’s nothing, I just revived you. As a Monster.”
“What?”
Phoenix conjured a flame in the air. The blue flame that floated between them began to take shape. The flame had the appearance of Deok-bae before he was burned, when he was human.
“First, Villains. Those who have awakened their abilities and use their power for their own private gain instead of acting as heroes. Well, Deok-bae, you’re a Villain too, so you know that well, right?”
When Phoenix flicked her finger, the shape of the flame changed. A human covered in grayish-white rock all over his body. That appearance was clearly Deok-bae’s current appearance.
“And ‘Monster’. An existence in which an ordinary human absorbs a Monster’s core and is reborn in human form without becoming a Monster. They gain the power of the underlying Monster, but as a result, their abilities are altered or reborn. Would you like to try using your ability once?”
Deok-bae moved his arms around and drew out his ability. The turquoise lines flowing between the cracked rock skin gradually thickened, making the rock skin even harder.
“That’s your ability as a Monster. Petrification of the skin. It’s softer than marble now, but…”
Phoenix took out a Monster core from her pocket and shoved it into Deok-bae’s chest.
“Keugh!”
The Monster core, which pierced through the skin of his chest as if digging through tofu, reached Deok-bae’s heart and melted. Like flowing water, Deok-bae’s core, which was embedded in his heart, ravenously devoured the new core.
Thump, thump, thump!
The core’s beat quickened, and Deok-bae began to pant. The turquoise lines between his skin emitted an even stronger light, and the rock skin gradually began to change into a texture like steel.
“Tada! Level up! This is the difference between a Monster and a Villain. A Monster can become stronger and stronger by using a Monster’s core as its nourishment.”
Phoenix cleared her throat and continued her explanation.
“The core you just absorbed belonged to a Monster classified as B-grade. It will take a long time to absorb it all with a D-grade vessel. But with this much power, you won’t be getting beaten up anywhere.”
“So, haa. You’re saying I’ll get stronger?”
Deok-bae straightened his posture. The rock Monster raised his arms as if boxing.
Just as Phoenix was about to say something to him. Deok-bae threw a jab like light. The speed was so fast that Veil couldn’t react.
Thwack.
“……!”
The rock fist, which covered even the back of his hand, touched Phoenix’s index finger. The wind pressure caused by the punch only swept back Phoenix’s hair and could not make any scratches.
“That will to test your strength right away is good. Deok-bae student. But since I’m explaining it after all.”
Phoenix pushed Deok-bae’s fist away with her finger.
“Azure Flame commands. <Kneel.>”
Thud!
Deok-bae’s knees touched the ground. A huge shock covered Deok-bae’s knees, but Deok-bae was more mentally shocked that his body followed the command regardless of his will.
“Ahem. And as you just felt, Monsters must absolutely follow the commands of their ‘creator’. The one who made you a Monster is me. Azure Flame Phoenix.”
Phoenix raised her head and showed off her ability. Deok-bae contorted his face at his knees, which did not budge.
“I hate being dead, but now I have to live following the orders of a chuunibyou psychopath killer?”
“…Listen carefully, Deok-bae-gun.”
Phoenix approached Deok-bae and tapped him on the shoulder. Deok-bae felt so creeped out by those beautiful fingers, as if they were the rope of the gallows strangling his neck.
“I can tolerate you cursing at me. But.”
Phoenix lifted Deok-bae’s head and met his gaze.
“I will not tolerate you cursing at Azure Flame Phoenix. Do you understand? Second command. <Do not curse.>”
“What the hell, keugh!”
Phoenix flicked Deok-bae’s chin with her finger. Deok-bae, who screamed in agony, fell backward and hit the floor.
“…Should I have made subordinate number 2 a smart person after all?”
Phoenix scratched her head, looking at Sang-ah’s charred corpse.
“No. I can’t make just anyone a subordinate. The minimum cut-off is A-grade…”
Phoenix licked her lips and glared at Deok-bae, who had fallen to the floor. The West Sea Weapon, who was a Monster, understood all my commands and went into the mission less than 10 minutes after being born as a Monster, but Deok-bae, who was a human in his lifetime, seems to be of no use at all.
Is it right to dispose of him after all? If it weren’t for curiosity, Deok-bae would have been destined to die like the people in this room.

-Charging complete. Please disconnect the charger.

An alert message rang from the smartphone. Phoenix took out her smartphone as it was, but her expression hardened.
“Haa.”
It seems that subordinate number 2’s lifeline is more tenacious than I thought. Phoenix blinked her eyes and pulled up Deok-bae, who was in pain.
“Okay. The first mission for Monster Jo Deok-bae.”
Phoenix’s face, holding out her smartphone, was slightly flushed.
“…Do you happen to know how to unlock this?”

“All aboard?! The vehicle is departing!”
The bus driver quickly got on the bus and closed the door. Fortunately, the evening was a peaceful departure without the same misfortune as the morning.
The ticket office employee looked at the bus leaving the platform and picked up his smartphone again.
“Let’s see. Today’s news is… Wow. The stock price has crashed.”
The stock price, which had already plummeted, showed no signs of rising, but today it was particularly severe. After losing about 10 million won while investing, he realized why the market was shaking.
“Well. Who would invest in the hellfire peninsula where Monsters appear all the time?”
The news was full of stories about missiles said to have been fired from China every day.
The Chinese side was not responding to this at all. They were just heavily promoting that the hero ‘Unjang’ had succeeded in defeating the black scorpion’s cub that appeared in the desert a few hours ago.
“That’s why all the foreign capital is packing up and running away.”
There is no answer for this country anymore. The poor who have not entered New Seoul should somehow raise money and run away overseas.
“But these guys still haven’t contacted me after trying to hook up with two women.”
The man shook his legs and checked the text messages. Those who would contact him still hadn’t contacted him.
“Did they get caught?”
He is not part of their gang, but the man is also involved in that world. There is no better location than the ticket office to find ‘goods’ to be sold to the gangsters who have settled in the terminal.
“Should I just call… Huh?”
A familiar face appeared beyond the window.
“Welcome. …?”
He dropped his smartphone when he met the eyes of the high school girl with blue hair who appeared in front of him.
“Hello?”
The girl’s sharp impression from yesterday had disappeared, and she was full of vitality like spring flowers.
“Oh, oh. Yeah. Hello.”
“I’d like to buy a ticket.”
“…Haa. Student. I told you, you have to get a number to get on the bus to New Seoul.”
The girl covered her mouth with her fist and chuckled at the man’s attitude, who pointed to the number ticket window as if he was annoyed.
“I was mistaken from here. I thought I said it wrong. Hehe. Okay. Thank you for letting me know.”
The girl turned her back without regret. The man tilted his head, watching the girl disappear beyond the passage.
“What is it? Did those Ho-cheol guys not touch her?”
The man swallowed hard, remembering the girl’s disappearing back. Should I ask for a chance to do it this time instead of money?
“Ah, shit. Bathroom.”
He must have drunk too much water. The man tapped and woke up the junior employee who was sleeping face down next to him, and then ran to the bathroom in a hurry.
Pee…
“Oh, that’s refreshing.”
“Jeong-won Hyung.”
The man, Jeong-won, was startled by the sound coming from the toilet stall.
“Oh, you scared me! Is that you, Deok-bae? Don’t scare me!”
“….”
Deok-bae didn’t say anything. Jeong-won, who had roughly shaken off his hands, knocked on the tightly closed bathroom door.
“What are you doing? Taking a dump? Why aren’t you talking?”
“…….”
When Deok-bae continued to remain silent, Jeong-won scratched his head and held up his smartphone and shook it at Deok-bae.
“It’s good timing. Why haven’t you guys contacted me yet? I even sent you a hot ajumma. Then you should at least contact me before the sun goes down, right?”
“I’m sorry about that.”
What does that mean? Jeong-won was bothered by the sound of Deok-bae speaking itself rather than the content. A thick voice as if he had disguised his voice.
Kwaang!
Jeong-won, who was about to ask what he was sorry about, was grabbed by the collar by a huge shadow that burst out through the wall.
“Keu, keuheok!”
Jeong-won, who was lifted into the air, struggled and tried desperately to loosen the collar he was grabbed by. Below, with a reddened face, he looked down with difficulty and saw Deok-bae wearing a gray hoodie.
“Don’t, don’t let go?!”
“I’ll say it again, I’m sorry about that. But.”
Deok-bae took off his hood. Grayish-white rocks were hardened on the outside of his skin.
“It’s an order, so I can’t refuse.”
“What? Hey!”
Jeong-won, who was pushed against the bathroom wall with his collar grabbed, screamed when he saw Deok-bae raise his remaining arm and clench his fist.
“You crazy bastard! You’re committing murd-”
Thwack.

With a single blow, Jeongwon’s head was crushed. Red blood splattered on Deokbae’s face, dripping and falling to the floor.
Thud, thud.
Deokbae exited the restroom in silence. In the hallway, a girl with blue hair and a light green veil draped over her arm was intently looking at her smartphone.
“Ahem, hmm.”
Deokbae cleared his throat to announce his presence. Phoenix turned off her smartphone, stood up from the chair, and handed over the light green veil.
“Good work. Wipe yourself off.”
“….”
Deokbae took the veil and wiped his face like a wet towel at a barbecue restaurant. The red blood that soaked his face and body seemed to dye the veil a bright crimson. Phoenix frowned.
“How is it? Will you admit it now? That you have to follow my orders for the rest of your life?”
“…Yeah. I see now that there’s no point in resisting.”
Deokbae had hoped that Jeongwon wouldn’t come to the restroom. But Jeongwon came, and no matter how much he tried not to, his body moved automatically according to the girl’s command.
He didn’t want to kill him. But his body, like a program, followed the order to ‘kill all human traffickers and their associates,’ crushing Jeongwon’s head with a single blow.
“I told you. Those trash involved in human trafficking. We’re going to get rid of them all and go up to Seoul. No loose ends.”
“Can I ask you something?”
Phoenix nodded at Deokbae’s question.
“Yep.”
“…Why go through the trouble of killing them all? Compared to the power you have, guys like us were just ignorant fools.”
Jeongwon was the last, making a total of thirteen. The number of humans whose heads Phoenix had ordered Deokbae to crush was thirteen. Using the smartphone opened through Deokbae, Phoenix called her subordinates to the hideout and ordered Deokbae to kill them one by one.
“I know you’re a monster. But why?”
“Jo Deokbae.”
Phoenix smiled mockingly.
“If even one of them survives, who knows what the consequences will be? If even one person is alive to report to the police, it’ll be a bit of a hassle. And if my face gets out and a bounty is placed on my head, it’ll restrict my future activities.”
“Is that why you told me to kill them all?”
“There are several reasons, but the ultimate reason is…”
Phoenix shrugged and continued.
“Justice?”
“What?”
“Hehe. Sorry. Just spouting nonsense. Anyway, are you done with your questions? We’re busy, so let’s move quickly.”
Phoenix snatched the veil from Deokbae, sniffed it, and stuffed it roughly into her crossbody bag.
“Hmm, hmmhm♪♬”
Following Phoenix, who was humming and tapping on her smartphone, Deokbae pulled his hood down tightly.
‘She’s crazy.’
Truly, she was an insane being.