Part 1, Chapter 4 (13)

The Azure Flame embedded in my heart.

As the root of fire-attribute mana, it infuses its wielder with near-infinite mana, but I can also make the mana dissipate and backflow according to my will.

‘This power wasn’t given for that purpose, I suppose.’

By dealing with the Shadow Phoenix-the one called Fire Dragon-that Hero’s usefulness was exhausted.

My investigation revealed that he had quite the background. He was President Seonui Cheol’s nephew, an A-rank Hero, and the male lead actor who filmed a drama with Cheon Gaeul.

‘How arrogant.’

The guy who became S-rank with my power blew away the Hellhound unit I was commanding in a single strike.

And I didn’t like his refreshing, soda-pop-like smile, so I immediately activated the bomb in his heart.

I wanted to detonate it right then and there, but I was worried Unsa Park Raon might get hurt, so I stopped at merely making the mana backflow.

‘I never considered them a significant enemy force to begin with.’

I could eliminate them from the fighting force with a mere flick of my finger, so why would I let them run wild?

There was no reason for me to move directly yet.

– The Heroes in Guro are retreating. Should I send out our subordinates to attack them?

Jihwa watched the retreating Heroes, who were running along the road for a while. Unsa had absorbed too much mana and was unconscious.

‘Surely, that won’t be the reason for their retirement, will it?’

In the original story, the setting was that they simply ended up injured in a battle with a monster. Their mana would only increase, so a trial of this level wouldn’t be a reason for retirement.

‘The original story, it’s really driving me crazy.’

Ever since I saved Cheon Gaeul-no, ever since I burst out into the world-the original story has practically been ruined.

Should I follow it, or should I just act according to my own thoughts?

‘Oh, screw it.’

There’s no point in worrying anyway. Who knows when another original heroine like Cheon Gaeul might pop up and break a flag?

Whoosh-

A cool, chilling wind from the south brushed against my cheek.

“Hup!”

I stood up and went to the rooftop railing.

“Ugh.”

I stretched to loosen my stiff muscles. It didn’t have much effect, but it felt like a necessary action.

“Beacon. From now on, Beacon will issue the commands.”

– Yes? What are you suddenly talking about?

Beacon was startled. From my perspective, having watched how they commanded right next to me, it was embarrassing for them to be so surprised.

“I think it’s time for me to put down the baton and enter the battlefield as a single unit.”

– Excuse me, could you explain that in a way I can understand?

Gaeul’s puzzled face appeared on the screen. I waved at Gaeul and snapped my fingers.

Hwaruruk.

My vision changed. My entire body transformed into blue flames. I could feel the mana circulating within me burning faster and more intensely.

Transformation.

From human form to monstrous human form. After consulting with Gaeul, we decided to publicly announce my transformation into a monstrous human as my ‘superpower’.

I couldn’t speak. But I could convey my intentions. Since I wasn’t nearby, the Mini Phoenix placed inside the Parliament Barrier conveyed my intentions for me.

– You must absolutely not come out of the Barrier, okay?

‘Should I just go and tell them myself?’

Even if I ran from here, I’d be inside the Barrier in 10 seconds. Gaeul let out a hollow laugh at my concern.

– You’ve said that almost three times already, haven’t you?

‘Ah, this won’t do.’

I immediately jumped off the 63 Building. My body, pulled by gravity, vanished into thin air, and my mana flowed towards the Mini Phoenix, transferring me next to Gaeul.

Hwaruruk.

I revealed my body, erupting in flames. Gaeul, turning her head at the strangeness, saw me behind her and jumped up in surprise.

“You son of a…. *Ahem!* How did you get here…?”

Gaeul subtly glanced at Jihwa. Even though Jihwa had covered her eyes with her hand, she saw me with the eye on the back of her hand and her jaw dropped.

My intentions were conveyed to Gaeul through mana.

[Be careful.]

I neatly adjusted the veil Gaeul had wrapped around her neck with my hand.

[I wish I could put you somewhere safer, but the current situation isn’t easy. Understand that.]

“Well, I… I understand, but…”

I placed my hand on Gaeul’s shoulder. Though I had no physical form, the mana of the blue flames burning would surely convey warmth to Gaeul.

[So, just wait for a moment.]

“So, where are you going…?”

“…! An abnormal reaction at the peak of Gwanaksan!”

Beacon hurriedly connected the Mini Phoenix’s vision. Frost began to settle over the entirety of Gwanaksan.

As expected. The presence I felt from beyond the mountain wasn’t a mistake.

[Kim Jihwa!]

“Yes, yes!”

[I’m entrusting Cheon Gaeul to you. Protect her with your life.]

“…Yes!”

Kim Jihwa nodded countless times. Even if she was a non-combat ability user, she should be capable of at least minimal combat. If she could just buy time and hold out inside the Barrier, which even an S-rank couldn’t easily enter, I could return and protect her.

And I had to go stop that S-rank right now.

[I’ll be back.]

My body ignited in flames again. My consciousness, like light, transferred to the Mini Phoenix at the peak of Gwanaksan, re-forming the monstrous human body.

[…….]

An immense chill swept in from the south side of the mountain.

The Ice Art User who wielded water-attribute mana best in the entire world. Korea’s only S-rank female Hero. And one of the main heroines.

[Seok Harang.]

Seolhwa Princess created a path of ice in the air and crossed the mountain.

A flowing one-piece dress.

Pure white hair, as if covered in snow.

I was reflected in her ice-clear eyes.

“Who are you?”

I shot blue flames without a word.

***

5 minutes ago, Anyang Command Center

The command center was in utter chaos due to the sudden resurgence of Hellhound hordes.

Guro and Gangnam.

The forces divided into Team A and Team B were clearly not weak. As the highest power a nation could mobilize, they shouldn’t have struggled this much against mere Hellhound hordes.

Yet, the reason why A-rank Unsa fainted from successive battles and Heroes suffered the humiliation of being abducted by monsters was simple.

“Fire Fist went to Guro! So you should send me too, shouldn’t you?!”

The white-haired girl screamed at the top of her lungs at a man much older than her, old enough to be her father. Shin Jingwang was flustered by the girl who rushed at him without restraint.

“No, I mean, one person has to guard the command center…”

“Don’t you trust the Heroes guarding this place? Gangnam is in chaos right now too!”

Lee Seung-hyung went to Guro. In that case, there was naturally only one other reinforcement: Seolhwa Princess, Seok Harang.

“Seriously! If it were the Praetor, they would have already sent me to break through Yeouido!”

*Crunch.* Shin Jingwang gritted his teeth.

Even before Shin Jingwang was mentioned as a candidate for Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department, the name that was always on everyone’s lips as a ministerial candidate was Praetor Yoo Young-ho.

Compared to the Praetor, who was famous enough to be sought after even overseas, Shin Jingwang, who only had decades of military experience, was compared to the Praetor from his very hearing.

Rather than a mountain to overcome, it was a name he hated to hear. Shin Jingwang reminded himself that his opponent was one of only three S-rank ability users in the country, and barely suppressed his anger.

“Hmph, listen carefully. It seems you’re still young and don’t quite understand these matters…”

“What are you talking about?! I’ve been hunting monsters since I was twelve! Have you ever seen monsters care about seniority? They try to kill everyone, regardless of age or gender!!”

The atmosphere in the command center fell silent. The operators shivered as the chill flowed over their skin.

*Crack, crackle.*

Frost settled on the monitors. Harang’s hair was slightly lifted. It was proof that she had unconsciously released mana.

“H-Hero Seok Harang! Using your abilities in the command center is insubordination! It’s a clear abuse of power!”

“……Tch!”

Harang bit her lower lip and suppressed her mana. The temperature in the command center rose slightly again.

To Villains, she was often called the Ice Witch rather than Seolhwa Princess.

The Ice Art User, who showed no mercy to her enemies, was famously known for her terrible personality, unlike her superpower. In a bad way.

Fortunately, a brave soul appeared to break this atmosphere. Seung-hyung’s face appeared on the command center’s large screen.

– This is Fire Fist! Command, please respond!

“What now?!”

Shin Jingwang snapped and yelled, then realized his opponent was Lee Seung-hyung and tucked his tail.

Even if they were both S-rank, his opponent was the nephew of the nation’s highest authority, who had placed him in this position.

“Ahem! What is it, Agent Lee Seung-hyung!”

– I request access to the mana patterns of the missing Heroes!

Access to what? Shin Jingwang was flustered internally. He had diligently studied to be well-versed in Heroes, but this was something he didn’t know.

He felt like he’d heard it somewhere before. But since Lee Seung-hyung was requesting it, it must be fine. With that thought, Shin Jingwang shouted confidently.

“Wait!”

– You can’t!

“Are you crazy?!”

Tempest Lady shouted via video call, and Harang shouted verbally. Seeing Shin Jingwang’s hardened face, Harang immediately realized he was ignorant about mana patterns and explained briefly.

“Mana patterns are the unique properties of Heroes! They’re top-secret information that even the country can’t look up, only accessible with the Association’s cooperation! Do you think this is like a resident registration number?!”

As Harang argued, Shin Jingwang cowered.

Having been in charge of managing secrets, he realized he had almost made a huge mistake, and furthermore, he was dumbfounded that Lee Seung-hyung, of all people, had made such a request.

Who was supposed to take responsibility?

Surely, the country wouldn’t be crazy enough to arrest an S-rank Hero for leaking national secrets.

It would be Shin Jingwang himself whose head would roll.

Then, magical words that would alleviate Shin Jingwang’s burden struck his ears.

– If any problems arise, I will take full responsibility.

“Me too. If anyone questions it, tell them to talk to me. I’ll help you. If you’re really worried… I’ll even ask my master for help.”

With the requests of two S-ranks, and even the supporting fire from Korea’s top Hero, there was nothing to fear.

Under Shin Jingwang’s instruction, the operators retrieved the mana patterns of the missing Heroes.

“Pattern analysis confirmed! Detecting mana in the atmosphere to determine their movement paths!”

It was already a well-known fact worldwide that Heroes each possessed unique mana patterns. And Heroes naturally released mana from their bodies, spreading it into the atmosphere.

If they could just read only those unique mana patterns from all the mana in the atmosphere, they could find out where the Heroes had disappeared to.

While the operators were scanning the mana, Harang subtly tapped her smartwatch.

Terrestrial broadcasts, media, internet. All of Korea’s attention was focused on this Seoul Reclamation Operation.

The number of viewers for a live stream by someone using equipment like a telescope in Gyeonggi Province alone exceeded 200,000. Even an ordinary person’s broadcast garnered such explosive interest, and terrestrial broadcasts and media were already providing near real-time coverage.

The key topic was, of course, the resurgence of Hellhounds. Not only Korea but also foreign countries began to pay attention to the Hellhound zombies moving again, imbued with blue flames.

“What the hell is this situation… seriously!”

Harang tore at her hair.

Having spent more than half her life in the Hero world, Harang also realized that this operation was a government scheme to make Lee Seung-hyung the protagonist.

But Harang wanted to shake off her past bad karma, even if it meant intruding on such an operation.

*Beep.*

The interim results of the mana detection appeared on the monitor. Fortunately, the life signs of the missing individuals continued without interruption.

“They’re alive, they’re alive!”

Shin Jingwang let out a sigh of relief and shouted to another operator.

“Inform the media immediately! Tell them the Heroes are alive and Lee Seung-hyung went to rescue them!”

“Yes!”

At that moment, bad news came from Guro.

– Fire Fist has collapsed!!

“What?!”

On the monitor, Seung-hyung appeared, clutching his heart and coughing up blood. Everyone in the command center held their breath.

Had an enemy capable of defeating an S-rank in one blow appeared? No. Then why on earth?

As everyone fell into chaos, Shin Jingwang regained his composure and issued a withdrawal order.

“…….”

Harang kicked open the command center door and walked out. The sunlight was warm enough to scorch skin.

“The weather’s nice, but it’s an absolute mess.”

“Agent Seok Harang-nim! If you suddenly leave…!”

An operator followed her out. Beyond the door, Shin Jingwang could clearly be seen, his face red, shouting.

“Hey! Are the scan results out?!”

Harang ignored Shin Jingwang. The operator, sensing the tension between them, subtly transmitted the data.

“Thanks.”

Harang tapped her smartwatch to confirm the Heroes’ locations and frowned. Fortunately or unfortunately, all the abducted Heroes were in the same place.

Yeouido National Assembly Building.

“…Wasn’t this place rumored to be where that S-rank was hiding?”

A strong candidate location where the S-rank monster, previously only a rumor, was hiding.

“If I just kill this S-rank, then the monsters’ command will disappear too!”

Harang closed the screen and released mana throughout her body.

“Agent Seok Harang! Get back in here!”

Shin Jingwang called out to Harang, even coming out the door. Harang’s body was already slightly floating in the air.

“Excuse me, Minister-nim. It seems there’s one thing you don’t know, so I’ll tell you briefly.”

Harang swept her hand through the air. A massive path of ice was created north of the Sports Complex.

“S-ranks basically have super senses, so they have independent operational authority in the field, you know?”

“What?!”

Harang stepped onto the ice path.

“So, there’s no reason for me to follow your orders, that’s what I’m saying!”

Harang waved at Shin Jingwang and ran along the ice path.

Thump, thump, thump!

With each step, she ran tens of meters along the ice path. If the path seemed to end, she immediately sprayed mana forward to connect the ice path.

An icy climbing path leading to the peak of Gwanaksan. It was a feat only possible for an Ice Art User overflowing with mana.

Harang subtly looked down. On the mountain ridge, there was a very long, clear trace of something having rampaged through.

‘This is the path the Fire Dragon descended…!’

Against a demon species she had never faced, Lee Seung-hyung defeated the Fire Dragon in a single blow.

As a fellow Hero, she respected him, but she also felt jealous. For whatever reason, since Lee Seung-hyung had collapsed, another S-rank Hero, Seolhwa Princess, had to fill that void.

Hwareuk.

“!!”

The moment she crossed the mountain peak, blue flames erupted in front of her.

Kkigiii—-ik!

Harang imbued mana into the heel of her shoe, creating friction with the ice path. Harang’s body stopped precisely at the end of the ice path.

Black armor covering his entire body.

Blue flames rising from within an eagle-shaped helmet.

“Who are you?”

The opponent began to attack without even introducing themselves.