Part 1 Chapter 5 (21)

Seoul, Azure Syndicate’s Hideout.

[As expected, Phantom-nim seems to possess the qualities of a villain.]

“You seem to really like this now?”

Phantom, Gaeul was fed up with Yooishin’s particularly joyful-looking actions. Although she had no neck, Yooishin was fully expressing her joy with her body.

Yooishin again tapped on the virtual keyboard.

[For someone from the Pine Tree Unit, there won’t be a single person who wouldn’t want to kill Cheongsong.]

“Anyway, you guys aren’t much different now.”

Gaeul pointed at Yooishin’s lower abdomen. It also had the Azure Syndicate’s symbol drawn on it, by the Tattooist copied by Gaeul.

[That’s not true. This is….]

Yooishin stroked the emblem on her lower abdomen as if it were lovely.

[It’s a Stigmata. It’s a symbol of grace that God has bestowed upon me.]

“…….”

Gaeul forcefully swallowed the words that rose to her chin.

The former Pine Tree Unit Heroes, officially named ‘Dullahan’ by the Association, pledged loyalty to Phoenix despite being murdered themselves.

[God saved us from the curse of that wicked Cheongsong and Seonui Cheol. As those who wished to die because they couldn’t commit suicide, it was already overwhelming that He granted that wish, and He even brought us back to life, didn’t He?]

“You like that?”

[Of course. And honestly speaking….]

Yooishin raised a finger and placed it on Gaeul’s back. When they wanted to have a conversation that wouldn’t be recorded, they exchanged words like this.

– From the start, we are Villains. Survival of the fittest. This side suits our aptitude better.

“……I really can’t understand it.”

For Gaeul, who was fundamentally a good citizen, it was an incomprehensible way of thinking.

“If they’re just strong, you follow them even if their personality is trash?”

[Is Phantom-nim blaspheming God now?]

“I didn’t specifically say who, did I?”

Yooishin paused her actions for a moment. And then immediately stuck to Phantom’s side and began to act cute.

– I’ll work harder. Please don’t cut me offㅠㅠ

“I won’t cut you off. Everyone else is a man besides you, how can I take them around? So stop it now.”

A headless woman constantly clinging was like that in many ways. Gaeul pushed Yooishin away and then tapped her smartwatch.

“Ah, sirs. If you’re done, don’t play around and come back to the hideout quickly.”

Simultaneously, signals came back from various places.

[This one finished it all by himself and is taking it easy, just…!]

[Gaeul-ssi, could you please come support us here? I’ll give you some Cores later, so please support us… haha.]

[It’ll be over soon.]

Mapo, Jongno, Seongdong.

At the signals from three places, Gaeul chuckled and cleared all the screens away.

“It seems they’ve forgotten the agreement to each subdue one.”

It’s already been a week since they attacked the snake in the City Hall.

The Azure Syndicate officially began the recovery of the area north of the Han River.

* * *

Seoul, Namsan Tower.

“Everyone’s doing well.”

Standing at the very top of the tower, I looked around in all directions and checked the war situation.

Although the S-rank Monster Raid was successful, there were still plenty of monsters hidden inside buildings or underground in northern Seoul.

All the executives except Architect roamed every corner of Yongsan and Jongno for the past week, exterminating monsters, and now were finally gradually expanding their territory beyond that.

‘As expected, people only work hard when rewards are given.’

Deokbae, Beacon, Haneulseong, Phantom. I gave each of the four a unit and ordered them to subdue their respective administrative districts.

Instead, I offered as a reward that all the monster Cores obtained from it could be used at the discretion of that executive.

Deokbae and Haneulseong moved the most diligently, and Beacon did not come to the front and exterminated monsters using only his subordinates.

Phantom wanted a quick rest and chose Yongsan, where there were relatively fewer remaining monsters.

Yongsan was already a place the Azure Syndicate had turned into a wasteland and passed through.

Beep. An alarm rang. The other party was Eun Yuha.

[YU☆HA★ : V]

“…Really?”

I couldn’t believe it. Did Gwanggeom really accept the contract with Eun Yuha? I quickly called Eun Yuha. Eun Yuha’s triumphant face appeared on the screen.

“Did you succeed?”

[Of course. With this, I’ll be commanding Gwanggeom-nim. Oh, Gwanggeom-nim asked me to call his monstrous human name Dark Lord.]

“What kind of alias is that?”

[It’s the alias Gwanggeom-nim himself hopes for. Saying he has to live hidden in the darkness now. What on earth could it mean?]

Eun Yuha subtly asked me the reason.

After the suspicion arose that I had gotten Seok Harang pregnant, Eun Yuha almost certainly concluded that I was an Infinite Reincarnator.

Considering it’s only the 17th clear and countless game overs in between, it wasn’t entirely wrong, so I just gave up and let them think what they wanted.

I deduced the most reasonable answer, considering Gwanggeom’s age group, preferences, and the historical background.

“Lord V***r?”

[Huh?]

“No. It’s my first time hearing such an alias too. For Gwanggeom himself’s honor, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

Or not.

[Alright. But….]

Eun Yuha smiles with a sly face.

[Can you just leave your wife alone? After getting her pregnant? You’re a complete piece of trash, my dear customer-nim.]

“I told you it’s not true.”

[Are you coolly forgetting your past life’s connection now and looking for someone new? Huh? But my dear customer-nim, you said you’re sold out.]

“Be quiet. Just switch to Gwanggeom.”

[Hehehe, alright. Then I’ll leave that for next time’s enjoyment.]

Eun Yuha turned the screen with a satisfied face. A moment later, a man with golden hair and golden eyes popped out with a sullen face.

[What is it, trash.]

“Why did you accept the deal? Given Eun Yuha’s personality, she must have explained everything before making the deal. Did you have a chance to die again?”

[I don’t talk to a brother-in-law who gets someone else’s daughter pregnant.]

“Ah, sh*t…. Ahem! I told you it’s not true. I didn’t get her pregnant, but….”

Gwanggeom’s eyes sharpened.

[It’s another guy then. Right. Who is it?]

“No, when people share love, a child can be born too! You were also devoured by Rusalka, weren’t you! You pedophile! Lolicon!”

[……Ahem! Ahehem!]

He probably never imagined that I would know all the circumstances. Gwanggeom, whose face reddened for a moment, tilted his head.

[But how do you know that?]

“…I told you, didn’t I? I found out by tracing Rusalka’s death marks. Do you think I brought up the grave for no reason? I saw everything there.”

Actually, I came to Korea after getting lost and wandering, but fortunately, everyone else understood on their own.

“Rusalka is already dead, and to fully awaken Seok Harang as a Spirit, there was no other way but to extinguish Rusalka’s power within you.”

[Then of course I would die too. …It’s outrageous that you didn’t even think of finding another way, but I have no choice but to accept it.]

Fortunately, Gwanggeom understood my explanation full of excuses.

“Right? Otherwise, you would have been consumed by Rusalka’s power and gone berserk, or even if you committed suicide, Harang would have gone berserk-“

[Harang-i?]

“……No, but she’s like a niece, is there a problem?”

[……Enough. If we keep going like this, it’ll never end. But what do you plan to do now? Harang will think of you as the enemy who killed me.]

Gwanggeom still hasn’t revealed the truth to Seok Harang. Seok Harang will naturally suspect the monstrous human of Gwanak, that is, my monstrous human form, as the primary suspect for killing Gwanggeom.

“For now, it’s fine. Because I win. The problem is after she fully awakens as a Spirit, but….”

[Just in case, I’m asking.]

Gwanggeom’s voice was full of worry.

[Rusalka won’t awaken or anything like that from Harang’s body, right?]

“Are you worried about Harang, or do you wish for Rusalka to awaken?”

Gwanggeom openly frowned.

[Of course, it’s Harang. …Honestly, I do want to see Rusalka again, but I can’t meet her anymore, can I?]

“That’s true. But it’s fine. Because she’s just awakening the sealed Spirit power. You can just think of it as reaching a higher level.”

[That would be fortunate, but….]

Gwanggeom hesitated and swallowed his last words.

[Why hasn’t she awakened yet?]

“……Indeed. I don’t know that either.”

[What do you want me to do if you don’t know?]

“What do you want me to do? What do you want me to do. I really don’t know either.”

Two weeks have already passed since Gwanggeom’s death.

Seok Harang still hasn’t awakened her Spirit power.

[If it was going to be like this, why did you kill me?]

“No, I also just thought if you died, she would naturally awaken.”

[…….]

The video call clicked off. Soon, Eun Yuha, scratching her cheek, was connected. Eun Yuha was already openly listening to the conversation with Gwanggeom. While Gwanggeom went to get another drink, Eun Yuha whispered very softly, so Gwanggeom couldn’t hear.

[My beloved customer-nim. It’s a lie, isn’t it?]

“Huh?”

[It’s obvious when you lie, customer-nim. So which is it? Do you know the method to awaken her, or has she perhaps already awakened?]

“……Oh, dear! A call from Gaeul-ssi?!”

I made a fuss and waved my hand at Eun Yuha.

“Miss Eun Yuha, I’m sorry, but next time! I think an A-rank monster has appeared!”

[…Hmph, alright. If you don’t want to talk, just say you don’t want to. I’ll just find out myself then.]

The sulking Eun Yuha lowered the screen. I let out a sigh of relief and raised my head to the sky.

“If I explain this, I might get beaten to death….”

The foundation of this world is a dating sim.

There’s only one way to awaken brainwashed executives.

Love.

Only true love can break an executive’s brainwashing. That was a common rule for all, including the Dark Legion’s seven executives – including the berserk Seok Harang.

‘Whether Rusalka’s brainwashing was broken, only she would know, so it’s impossible to know.’

One theory is that though they shared love, Heo Yun-hwan didn’t have the talent of a commander like the protagonist, so she couldn’t awaken as a Spirit.

Another theory is that she awakened as a Spirit but sacrificed her life for Heo Yun-hwan and their child.

Another theory is that it wasn’t love with Heo Yun-hwan but a game, but while giving birth to Seok Harang, she felt love for her child and died as a mother.

Another theory is that for Heo Yun-hwan, she gave birth to a child as he wished, but seeing her monstrous human form and shocked by the sight of him saving the child, she voluntarily died.

Besides these, there were all sorts of theories, but nothing was properly revealed. The production team also deliberately kept quiet about it.

‘Anyway, awakening as a Spirit is love.’

That’s right. That’s the problem. I swallowed a groan at the immense water-attribute mana felt from Busan.

From Busan to Seoul, to the extent that its aftereffects could be felt, Seok Harang’s mana was covering South Korea.

“How can she awaken by herself?”

Seok Harang has already realized her power as a Spirit.

The problem is who Seok Harang loved to awaken as a Spirit.

“Who could it really be?”

Is it a past lover, or a current connection? Or is she a narcissist?

Anyone who makes even a slight mistake might be sliced into three by Gwanggeom.

“…..Ah, I don’t know. I’ll have to ask directly.”

I spread my wings and flew up from Namsan Tower.

* * *

Busan, Seok Harang’s Residence.

“Whew.”

Seok Harang was playing by fiddling with an ice doll placed on her desk.

Her pure white index finger shook the human-shaped ice doll from side to side. Copied even more precisely than a 3D printer, the ice doll had the appearance of a woman.

[…Hahaha, then Lee Seung-hyung-ssi, when did you last feel love?]

While sculpting, Lee Seung-hyung appeared on the TV that was carelessly left on. In a special feature commemorating the completion of Last Love, he answered the reporter’s question with an awkward face.

[Well….]

At Lee Seung-hyung’s distant gaze, the audience sighed. Within that, anger towards the thoughtlessly questioning reporter and pity for Lee Seung-hyung were mixed.

[When I was at my most difficult, they were the one who gave me strength. For me, that was my last love.]

“Isn’t that right?”

Seok Harang chuckled and leaned her head on the desk. Her thumb, which was touching the ice doll, stroked the doll’s face.

“……But this is a love that shouldn’t be, isn’t it?”

Mana flowed down from Seok Harang’s eyes.

[Hahaha, then regarding Group NTL’s leader, Na Baekhap-yang, who was cast as the female lead at the end, publicly declared her love for Lee Seung-hyung-ssi-]

[Woooooo—-]

At the reporter’s question, the audience poured out criticism. Someone even swore and was restrained.

Lee Seung-hyung raised his hand, calmed the people, and grabbed the microphone.

[It’s alright. How can a person control where their heart goes? However, if the other person doesn’t accept that love and I force my love upon them, I believe that is violence.]

“…Hmph.”

Seok Harang turned off the television and fell asleep while lying face down. The ice doll tightly held in her hand did not melt even with body temperature and maintained its original shape.

The ice doll exactly resembled Eun Yuha.

* * *

“Achoo!”

Eun Yuha suddenly coughed. Sitting across the table, Gwanggeom, who was drinking alcohol, put down his wine glass.

“Is it a cold? Be careful. You are human.”

“Haven’t you adapted to being a monstrous human too quickly, Elder-nim?”

“It seems quite alright. The fact that I don’t get drunk no matter how much I drink, you see. I’m truly grateful to you. Thanks to you, I can drink such expensive alcohol to my heart’s content.”

Heo Yun-hwan raised his wine glass and savored the taste. Even though he was Korea’s best Hero, his spending habits were very frugal.

“Still, drink in moderation. Harang was incredibly worried, you know.”

“Are you worried now too? It seems I’ve gained another daughter. …Hmm.”

Heo Yun-hwan looked at Eun Yuha with half-closed eyes.

The de facto owner of Yuseong Group. Her superpower is also A-rank. Her appearance is flawless. Effectively, the person with Korea’s best financial power.

And most of all, that audacity of staking her entire body and life to submit a marriage registration form with Seok Harang to Gwanggeom.

“I approve of this marriage.”

“……Huh?”

Gwanggeom picked up the wine bottle and stood up from his seat. Eun Yuha, left alone in the office, dropped her fountain pen with a dumbfounded expression.