Part 1, Chapter 9, Section 4

My anger towards that bastard Mao was brief.

I calmed my anger and decided to truly rest, and all the monstrous humans of the Azure Syndicate also returned to their Cores and went into standby mode.

“Why? We came all the way to Beijing, can’t we do some sightseeing?”

“I’m also curious how a place like this became the capital. I’d like to see it with my own eyes, though.”

Two monstrous humans earnestly wished for a late-night Beijing sightseeing tour, and with an uneasy heart, I asked Bonghyo to give them a tour of Beijing. Fortunately, Bonghyo readily accepted, and after learning the identity of the Black Scorpion monstrous human, he became quite polite.

“Then, we’ll be back.”

“Be careful not to get caught.”

Xiaolin also became a spirit body and followed behind them. I pointed out the window to the two remaining heroines.

“Aren’t you going out?”

“If Gaeul goes out.”

“Leaving you alone?”

Hwanryong sat on Gaeul’s lap. Gaeul seemed to have finally given up, hugging Hwanryong like a doll.

“We’ve come all the way to Beijing. Since we have local guides, I think it would be nice to see the night view.”

“Who you go with is what’s important, isn’t that right?”

Gaeul’s words were blunt. I nodded, agreeing with her, but I had no intention of deliberately leaving the hospital room to enjoy the night view.

“……I want to be alone.”

“Why? Did you become more sensitive after awakening him?”

“Sometimes, you just need a day like that. Ah, I see.”

I made a gesture of tipping a glass.

“Since it’s a commemoration, would you like a drink?”

“…You drink alcohol too?”

“I was refraining myself. Since I just awakened Hwanryong, how about we raise a small toast?”

“The intention is good, but where would we get alcohol-“

“I can get it!”

Hwanryong raised a hand with sparkling eyes.

“Gaeul, let’s go together!”

“What? What about money?”

“If you tell Bonghyo, he’ll get it for us!”

“……He’s having a tough time. Really.”

Gaeul helped the excited Hwanryong up. Hwanryong chattered happily while holding Gaeul’s hand, then looked at me cautiously and stuck out his tongue.

“I’m going out for some night fun with Gaeul, so don’t look for me if I don’t come back!”

“That’s a shame. I was hoping to have a big drink together for once.”

“……Th-then I’ll think about it a little! Gaeul, let’s go!”

Hwanryong wavered, then pulled Gaeul’s hand and threw himself out the window. Hwanryong, who had become a spirit body and passed through the window, was beckoning Gaeul to come.

“…Then I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere secretly.”

“Is the rooftop okay?”

“If it’s just to get some fresh air.”

Gaeul glanced me up and down and hesitated, but because Hwanryong was knocking on the window from outside, she had no choice but to leave the hospital room.

“…….”

Are they gone? Are they all gone? I quietly got up from the bed and put on my slippers. Since I was forcibly changed into a hospital gown, I’d rather not get caught by a nurse or an Association staff member and be forced back to my room.

Since I could get caught in the hospital room. I checked the Cube hidden inside my body and sighed in relief.

“Then, should I go on a date…?”

Beyond the special hospital room, the general area of the Association building was quite noisy. The murmuring of people filled my ears, and the flustered voices of the staff could be heard even here.

“…….”

Today, I was the only patient in the special hospital room. The Association’s special hospital rooms were created for various reasons, but the primary intention was for the isolation of key figures like Cheonghwa.

Thump, thump.

I heard footsteps and ran into the room. I dove onto the bed, pulled the blanket over myself, pressed my back against the headboard, and relaxed my entire body. Then I closed my eyes and scanned the mana of those approaching from outside the room.

Two superpowered individuals. A pair, a man and a woman, both seemed to be A-class superpowered individuals.

Knock, knock, knock.

Even the sound of the knock was polite. I cleared my throat.

“Who is it…?”

“It is Cheonja.”

“…….”

I was so flustered that I couldn’t speak properly. My watch was automatically translating, and automatic in-brain translation was occurring through the power of mana, but no matter how much I thought about it, the designation ‘Cheonja’ was his actual name.

“Who did you say you were?”

“Ah, I apologize. I am the Chairman of this country.”

“……Ah, yes.”

It’s always like this, but when characters who don’t appear in the original work, or who were extras or minor characters in the original, suddenly change and approach me, it’s disorienting. Cheonja was also a figure on the verge of being overthrown by Mao Zeping, and I had never heard any mention of him awakening as a superpowered individual.

It’s either the world’s correction, or he was originally a superpowered individual but couldn’t awaken until his death. It must be one of the two, but he awakened as a superpowered individual. Thanks to me.

‘For those who awaken, it’s called the Baptism…’
“I’d like to meet you briefly and talk, would that be alright?”
Cheonja’s words were extremely polite. Perhaps because of his awakening as a superpowered individual, his voice was full of confidence, and I found his voice quite pleasant to listen to. Is it because he’s a Fire-attribute A-class? Lee Seung-hyung is also like that, so are Fire-attributes all just outstanding individuals?
‘The pinnacle of that is the Azure Flame Phoenix. Hmm, indeed.’
I composed myself and quickly replied before the door opened.
“I’m currently changing clothes….”
“…C-cough, cough! I apologize.”
Cheonja apologized with a trembling voice. I lowered my voice and continued to ask.
“What brings you here?”
“How rude….”
A woman’s voice was heard from beside him. This voice was familiar. The A-class Dark-attribute superpowered individual who stepped forward claiming to protect Cheonja from Mao Zeping, Rabbit.
“Please don’t, Yu Hwang-suk-gong. It was I who was rude by coming unannounced.”
“……I apologize.”
Cheonja, on the contrary, rebuked her. I was even surprised by how much their relationship had changed. After receiving Yu Hwang-suk’s – that was her name – apology, he stated the main reason for his visit from beyond the door.
“Ahem, ahem. …Although Director Mo initiated the invitation, Cheonghwa-yang, you are a guest of this country. Therefore, I intended to host a welcome for you even this evening, but my thoughts were shallow.”
“No, it’s alright. I’m just a bit weak…”
“So, tomorrow morning, I’d like to hold a small welcoming party as an apology. Would you be able to attend?”
“Huh?”
Did he come all this way just to say that?
“Thank you. I will send someone tomorrow morning.”
“Uh, uhh…?”
Did he take my flustered reply as an affirmation? I rushed over and pulled the doorknob.
“Gasp…!”
Cheonja froze when he saw me. The rabbit-eared woman, Yu Hwang-suk, who had been grumbling beside him, widened her eyes when she saw me. I bowed and greeted Cheonja again.
“Um…. Thank you. It must have been difficult for you to come. I felt it would be impolite not to come out to greet you.”
“C-cough, cough. No, not at all. It’s fine.”
Cheonja glanced at me and blushed. Phoenix’s beauty was recognized not only in Korea but worldwide, so he couldn’t help but blush.
“I’d like to offer you a cup of tea if I could…. but I’m like this right now.”
“No! No, please rest. Rest. It’s my fault for coming at this hour.”
Cheonja waved his hand and quickly put distance between us. I bowed to him once more.
“Then please go carefully, and have a peaceful night.”
I slightly bowed my head, and carefully closed the door. Then I stumbled and collapsed onto the bed.
“……Hehehe.”
It felt like I was being overly charming, and it made my stomach churn, but it was a great relief that the first stage of the plan seemed to have worked well.
‘Even if he awakened, can a person change so much?’
“Anyway, he’ll certainly gain popularity among people.”
The rarest double A-class of Fire and Illusion attributes, a handsome face, lineage, and the position of the country’s top leader he held from the beginning.
-Since it’s difficult to overthrow Mao Zeping, let’s help his political rival grow.
Bonghyo’s brilliant strategy came to mind. If it goes well, it’s the best plan to resolve everything very peacefully.
-It’s about making Chairman Cheonja himself keep Mao Zeping in check. To keep the second-in-command, who covets the first-in-command’s position, in check, the first-in-command must step forward directly. I strongly agreed with that, and based on that, the Azure Syndicate laid the groundwork for the operation.
“I can’t believe he actually came himself.”
If he had come just 10 minutes earlier, the entire Azure Syndicate would have seen him. I caught my breath and looked around. There’s still no one here.
“Then, perhaps it’s time to….”
Creak.
The window opened. Gaeul, who had Hwanryong wrapped in her tentacles, came into the room carrying a pile of canned beers. I quietly withdrew the hand I was about to put into my chest.
“……You came early.”
“Fortunately, it wasn’t that far. …Why do you look like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
My disappointment seemed to have shown. I, who had been full of thoughts of quietly enjoying a date by myself, forced myself to swallow my true feelings, and accepted the canned beer Gaeul offered.
“I bought as many different kinds as possible, is that okay?”
“Okay. So why did she bring him wrapped in tentacles again?”
Hwanryong was carried in, his waist wrapped in Gaeul’s tentacles. His face was flushed with intoxication, and his head was bowed; he looked exactly like someone who had passed out from excessive drinking.
“He became like this after just one sip. Is he usually weak to alcohol?”
“Liking something and having a high alcohol tolerance are different things. Hwanryong, to me for a moment.”
“What are you going to do?”
Gaeul obediently placed Hwanryong in front of me. I hugged Hwanryong, who was already drunk and disoriented, and patted his back.
“At this rate, we won’t even be able to raise a toast to his awakening.”
“……Hiccup. Who are you…?”
Hwanryong, who had half-regained his senses, looked up at me with bleary eyes and grumbled. I continued to pat Hwanryong’s back.
“Sober up. You should possess another human’s body to drink; you can’t just drink recklessly like this.”
“……You’re right. Hic!”
Hwanryong couldn’t get a grip, even hiccuping. If someone were to carry him away like this, he’d quickly fall for them again and go crazy-
“Hey.”
Hwanryong grabbed my face. His breath carried the scent of alcohol.
“Do you truly believe you can defeat Seongju?”
Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, but Hwanryong began to speak his true feelings while drunk. He’d probably realize what he’d done to me once he sobered up and kick his blanket in regret, but since he was confronting me with such sincerity, I had to answer him with sincerity as well.
“Of course. I wouldn’t have started a fight I couldn’t win.”
I stroked Hwanryong’s head. His curly, light gray hair brushed against his shoulders and swayed, and Hwanryong obediently felt my touch and burst into laughter.
“Knowing who’s behind him, how can you be so confident…?”
“■■■.”
Hwanryong’s face turned pale. Hwanryong, who heard his true name, which even I had filtered, seemed so surprised that his drunkenness vanished.
“Y-you know that, and yet you-”
“It’s alright. It’s not him. And even if we can’t win now.”
I ran my hand over Hwanryong’s back. I pressed on the spot where his heart, his Core, was beating.
“We can win if we reach the realm of myth. You, me, and the other five. When all of us ascend to godhood.”
“……You’re right. Then we might actually be able to win. Then what’s the method? Do you know the method?”
“Love.”
“…You.”
Hwanryong made a disgusted face and snapped.
“Are you kidding me? If loving something could make you ascend to that realm of myth, I would have fallen in love with sleep long ago and become a god of sleep.”
“The myth I’m talking about isn’t like that.”
I pulled Gaeul’s hand, who was hesitating beside me.
“Not an individual Spirit, but becoming one with a human through love. It’s called ‘synchronization’.”
Thump. Thump. I could feel the pulse of Gaeul’s Core beating through my hand. Hwanryong also seemed to feel that sensation, and looked back and forth between Gaeul and me with a jealous expression.
“…What, then you can just do it with Gaeul.”
“She won’t do it.”
Gaeul sat on the edge of the bed and pressed her body against mine. Even when she launched a ‘physical attack’ by resting her head on my shoulder and pressing her body against me, my heart barely thumped.
“…….”
Considering efficiency, I’d want to synchronize with Gaeul right away, ascend to SSS-rank, and take down all the executives, the Round Table, and Seongju.
However, my true feelings were directed towards someone other than Gaeul, and the owner of my body was adamantly refusing synchronization with Gaeul. I couldn’t reveal my current state.
“Wow. You’re totally playing the field. You’re like trash.”
“Not ‘like trash’, you *are* trash. Trash who plays with people’s hearts.”
Hwanryong and Gaeul cursed at me simultaneously. Since it was true, I couldn’t refute it.
“Gaeul. Do you want to just synchronize or whatever with me? Don’t we make a pretty good pair?”
“Well, if you wish for it, it wouldn’t be bad, but….”
Gaeul hugged Hwanryong and asked me.
“What do you think? About leaving this bad person who doesn’t look at me, and going to find someone who will love me?”
Gaeul’s eyes, looking at me, were deeply sunken.
“…….”
I couldn’t answer immediately.