Chapter 1

"I'M DONE!!"
The young man ripped off the VR headset and collapsed onto his bed.
"Haa, haa."
He wondered why he was panting so hard from just playing a virtual reality game. But he was that excited.
"Finally beat it."
The young man blankly stared at the video playing on the large TV linked to his VR headset.
[The end.]
The TV screen displayed the word "End" along with a CG montage of his gameplay highlights, accompanied by gentle music.
Watching it through the VR headset would have been nice too, but at least for this moment, he wanted to enjoy the ending with his own two eyes.
"Finally."
The young man seemed moved, savoring the ending.
He'd seen this ending countless times over the past year. But at this moment, watching it felt incredibly new.
"...Hehehe."
Past gameplay moments flashed by next to the ending credits.
In the flashback CGs, triggered by the player's actions in the game, the young man's avatar and a blue-haired girl shared affectionate moments in their daily lives.
"Right. There's no way an uncapturable heroine would exist."
The young man quenched his thirst with flat soda. A scene of the girl smiling at him with a straw in her mouth flashed on the screen.
"The heroine's story was amazing... truly."
Azure Phoenix.
A character from a VR dating sim RPG made by a certain company, and the 'uncapturable heroine' that no one had managed to romance in the year since the game's release.
A mid-boss who was harder than the final boss.
A scenario where she awakened the protagonist and his party through self-sacrifice.
A flawless appearance compared to any other heroine in the game, and voice acting that was praised as soul-stirring.
Countless gamers who bought the game had tried their best to capture this character, but for the past year, no one had succeeded.
Achievement rate: 99.99%. No one could fill that remaining 0.01%... except for the young man.
The young man launched an app on his smartphone to check his game records.
[Blue Sky of Deathdinas]
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[Achievement Updated... 100%! Platinum Trophy Acquired!]
"Hehehe, hehehe."
The young man checked the notification that popped up in the upper right corner and couldn't stop laughing, imagining the community about to explode.
Achieving the final 0.1% meant he had succeeded in capturing Azure Phoenix.
"I wonder if they took down the buying post yet?"
The young man checked a bookmarked site on his smartphone.
On a foreign gaming community site, he found a post that he had seen earlier: "Looking for a 100% clear save file for Blue Sky of Deathdinas."
A game-crazy Middle Eastern prince had offered a fortune to fill that 0.1% gap. A crazy amount of money, close to 200 billion won in Korean currency.
"Hehehe. 200 billion. Hehehe."
The world was buzzing about how someone could spend 200 billion on a game, but his obsession with completing the 100% clear rate seemed to defy common sense.
Especially for a 19+ VR open-world dating sim RPG that had unofficially reached GOTY (Game of the Year) status.
"Those cruel developers. Setting it up like that so no one could enter her route."
The developers were truly twisted, designing the game so that the more you tried to find Phoenix's route, the more the entry flags would break.
"Let's see. The post I wrote on the community last time..."
The young man searched through a Korean community to find a post he had written before.

[Title: I think I might have entered the Phoenix route.]
[Picture]
[Can you guys see the screenshot? Have you ever seen this CG?]
[-Reply: Yeah, next fake.]
[-Reply: We all know you made it with Custom Girl.]
[-Reply: LOL, there's still someone lying about entering the Phoenix route LOL. I'll believe it if you send me the save file LOL.]
[-Reply: Wow, Phoenix is so pretty... Is this fanart? Please tell me it's real.]

"Heh."
It had been over a week since he posted it, and all the replies denied that he had entered the Phoenix route.
That was because there were tens of thousands of gamers, both domestically and internationally, who had lied about entering the Phoenix route.
'If you don't have proof, you're treated as a troll.'
Even now, with the game's first anniversary approaching, attention-seeking users were still actively trolling about the route.
'But now I have proof?'
And now that his achievement had been updated, gamers around the world would know that one user had fully cleared the game.
The young man reopened the community. As expected of a community full of game addicts, the news spread quickly.

[???? WTF, who is this guy with 100% achievement??]
[Someone appeared who cleared Deathdinas]
[Wow, 200 billion won. Jackpot!]
[Which country is that guy from?]
[There was a guy who was trolling about entering the Phoenix route a while ago]

"I should verify it."
They had dismissed the CG he posted as fake. As a petty revenge, the young man hadn't shared any information about the strategy until he cleared it.
Click.
He erased his account nickname to avoid trouble and took pictures of the trophy information and the collection data rate in the in-game memory room.
"Ah... right. I should upload this too."
The young man selected a memory scene from the memory room that he had truly admired and took a picture.
A blue-haired girl standing on a rooftop with her arms outstretched, looking back and smiling softly. The blue light contrasting with the sunset was like a fairy, even after seeing it again.
In-game screenshots were blocked, so he was just taking pictures of the screen with his phone, but the content of the memory scene was enough to prove that the young man had entered the Phoenix route.

[Title: Just finished the Phoenix route]
[Picture] [Picture] [Picture] [Picture]
[Is this enough to be recognized?]

"What are you going to do if you don't recognize it? Hehehe."
The developers who made Blue Sky of Deathdinas had created a Hall of Fame for "all-clear gamers" on the official website.
For over a year, no user had been listed in the hall, earning them a lot of criticism for essentially mocking the users, but now there was one nickname listed.
[BlueBird.]
The young man was moved that the only nickname in the Hall of Fame, his avatar's nickname, was there.
"Keeeeeeeuuuuuuuuu."
Some of the nickname was appropriately censored, so the full name wasn't visible, but the fact that his name was in the previously empty hall was proof that the young man had seen the ending.
Almost as soon as he refreshed the page, replies started pouring in on the post he wrote.

[Reply: Give me the save file, you bastard]
[Reply: I'm sorry I didn't believe you a week ago, please give me some hints...]
[Reply: It's the first time I've seen Phoenix smile]
[Reply: Developer: There is no uncapturable heroine (actually said that)]
[Reply: Do you have sex with Phoenix?!?!?!?!?!?]

"What a load of crap."
The young man frowned at the last comment.
'I'm curious about that too!'
Of course, it was a 19+ game, and it was true that there were many steamy and ah-ha moments with the heroines in the game, but the story with Azure Phoenix was too sublime and beautiful to think about such carnal desires.
"...Oh, wait a minute."
The young man quickly checked the announcements on the official website.
News that an 'H-scene' of one of the heroines would be distributed as DLC for the 1st anniversary.
Gamers had assumed that the H-scene of the character who had won first place in the recent popularity poll would be added, as Azure Phoenix was virtually branded as uncapturable.
"Could it be."
However, the hints for the H-scene target were not significant enough to identify anyone. The three keywords given did not refer to any heroine.
"Wow, amazing."
But the young man, who had immersed himself in the Azure Phoenix route and finished it thoroughly, sensed that the H-scene DLC was for Phoenix.
Gulp.
The young man swallowed involuntarily.
There were definitely moments where such a scene could have happened. However, there was no separate 'scene' that transitioned into such a situation. It was just a passage of time and then waking up together the next day.
If he received that DLC, loaded his clear data, and re-entered the route, he could enter that moment again-
"...Hehehehehehehehehe."
He couldn't stop laughing.
As a VR-linked virtual reality game and RPG, the game's quality alone was enough to crush all other current-generation games, but if you had to pick the best part of this game, it was definitely the 'H-scenes'.
To see the 'scenes' with the heroines, you had to take each heroine's route.
Thanks to the existence of these scenes, which boasted a 99% sense of immersion, this game's nickname wasn't 'a game you play with alimony money'.
The young man chuckled as he watched the comments explode with each refresh, but his eyes stopped on one comment.

[Reply: Finally, someone who has fully cleared it has appeared! Congratulations! I sent you a 1:1 message on your device, could you please check it?]

"The developer?"
The speed at which replies were being posted started to pick up as the developer made a direct appearance in the already noisy atmosphere.
The young man put the VR headset back on and manipulated the motion controller to check the message.
"They actually sent it."
The message was sent around the time he received the trophy. He must have missed the message because he was watching the ending on the monitor.
[Congratulations! We are truly grateful that you have become the first all-clear gamer of our 'Blue Sky of Deathdinas'!]
"...What should I reply?"
While the young man hesitated to answer, another message arrived.
[Really congratulations!! But excuse me for asking, are you planning to release or sell the all-clear save file...?]
"Ah. So that's why they contacted me so quickly?"
The driving force behind Blue Sky of Deathdinas's reign at the top for a year was, of course, the hidden piece about Azure Phoenix.
If that was revealed by the young man, it would definitely have some impact on the developer.
[If you want money, we'll try to accommodate you, but honestly, we can't afford to give you more than 200 billion won ㅠㅠ]
"That's true."
It was a case where a company on the verge of bankruptcy poured its last bit of soul into making a game that became a huge hit.
The total revenue from game and content sales would exceed hundreds of billions of won, but they wouldn't have that much money on hand right away, and what would make them trust the young man enough to give him more than 200 billion won and sign a non-disclosure agreement?
If it hadn't been for the developer's message, the young man would have definitely enjoyed the afterglow and sold the information for 200 billion won.
[So, what our team would like to ask BlueBird is]
[Could you please not release any information about how to enter the route?]
As soon as the young man sent his thoughts in a message, a sharp reply came back.
[Yes!!!!]
"......Haa."
The young man was in a dilemma.
If he sold the all-clear save file, he would have 200 billion won in cash.
If the young man revealed the conditions for entering the Phoenix route, the developer might suffer a major blow.
The aftermath could affect additional DLCs - and even the production of the next game.
Could another company create a game like Deathdinas even if they poured all 200 billion won of development funds into it?
No, do I even need to worry about that? What if the game company sues me?
As the young man's worries deepened, another message arrived.

[Ah, we can't force BlueBird to choose... but instead of selling the all-clear file or keeping the route entry information a secret, would you be interested in receiving a special 'DLC' right now?]
"DLC?"
Suddenly, the young man's ears perked up.
[If it's a DLC, are you talking about the 1st anniversary H-Scene?]
[Yes! As you may have guessed, the DLC scheduled for distribution includes an H-Scene with Phoenix!]
"...Includes?"
The young man tilted his head at the subtle difference in nuance. The young man's mouth went dry at the producer's next message.
[We were planning to distribute not only the DLC we announced for the 1st anniversary, but also an 'expansion pack'~ A very spe!!cial!! expansion pack that only those who have cleared the game can use!]
[Could that be?]
[Yes! If you only look at the playtime, it's bigger than the main game! I'm just telling you this, but it was supposed to be in the main game, but we cut it out because we didn't have enough budget...ㅠㅠ But the original work was a hit and the budget problem was solved, so we were able to put everything in as we wanted! It's practically the complete edition!]
"Awesome."
The young man clicked his tongue.
A company that stakes its life on quality, so much so that it's called a master of game development, is putting back in the content it had to give up due to budget issues. The already perfect game is about to become even more perfect.
'This is enough, but a complete edition?'
Even if you take out the 50 hours I spent clearing the Phoenix route, the playtime is over 1900 hours, and it's even bigger than that.
[Actually, we were slowly planting the seeds for the Phoenix route entry at the 1st anniversary event and were going to distribute this complete edition, but it just so happened that you cleared the game now... Ah! I'm sorry! I'm not blaming you at all. We just didn't expect anyone to actually do that and enter the route.]
[It's okay. I understand.]
Well, they must have planted some pretty crazy flags. The young man couldn't help but laugh at the producer's long-winded explanation.
[Ah, haha, thank you for understanding. Otherwise, I would have had to write a letter of apology ㅠㅠ My salary would have been cut, I would have been kicked out of the company, and I would have had an indefinite period of unemployment...]
Listening to the producer's somewhat self-deprecating message, the young man stretched for a moment.
Ding-
[ has sent you a file. Would you like to receive it?]
"Yes."
The young man downloaded the file from the production company and straightened his posture.
As if to prove that the volume issue was not a lie, the amount of data being downloaded was almost as large as the main game.
[Please enjoy it~ A new world will unfold when the download is complete! Thank you for playing the game of '(Ltd.) Cthulhu'! Please continue to 'enjoy' it hahaha]
"He's a lively person.""
The young man closed the other person's excited message and quietly closed his eyes, confirming that the download was complete.
Whoosh-
Along with the blue light emanating from the VR device, the young man's consciousness was sucked into the device.
.
The young man smiled as he saw another phrase added to the title he had played dozens of times.
'Wow. It looks like you can choose other characters besides the main character.'
I don't know the details, but I'll be able to find out more when I get into the game. With an excited heart, the young man clicked the 'Start' button, and his consciousness sank into the game.
And when he opened his eyes, he was in magma.
"......?"

Chapter 2

〈 Episode 2 〉 Part 1, Chapter 1 (1)
When I regained consciousness, I was in magma.
'What kind of start is this?'
There was no scene of being transported in a prisoner carriage upon opening my eyes, nor did a doctor with world-renowned knowledge appear to explain the world's lore in detail.
If I had to compare it, the game started at the airport.
The game begins with the protagonist returning to Korea from the United States.
But no matter how much I looked around, it was red. Red, red, and more red. I was standing in the middle of a completely red world.
'What's with this game start?'
To understand the situation, 'I' first raised my hand to open the status window.
'Status window... huh?'
The hand that was about to open the status window to pause the game stopped in mid-air.
The snow-white fingers, so flawless they could be described as delicate, were as white as snow without a single blemish. And it was clearly different from my game avatar's hand or my rough, real-world hand.
'Is this really my hand?'
I bent each finger one by one according to my will, made a fist, and raised only my middle finger while folding the others.
Except for the different appearance, this hand was definitely mine.
'Is this some kind of DLC-exclusive avatar?'
It was a bit unsettling that it was small and delicate like a young girl's, but I decided to wait with a happy heart, considering it was an expansion pack sent by the developers.
Like an early adopter writing the first unboxing review of a new product, I waited for a new event to appear.
'....'
'.......'
'......It's late.'
I had waited for at least 10 minutes, even by a conservative estimate.
However, no interface or NPC to help with character creation appeared, and not even a prologue event was in progress.
'An event where you have to find a helper NPC yourself?'
Perhaps I had to find someone in this vast red sea, or I had to escape this red sea for the story to progress.
'Then at least give me a direction marker.'
I decided to leave a review demanding convenience in guidance with at least a quest marker upon logging out, and I moved my body little by little.
'Something's strange.'
The speed was fast for swimming in the sea.
But the strangest thing was that the current sensation was so 'realistic' that it was chilling, unimaginable as a VR virtual reality device.
'Almost there.'
After ascending for several minutes.
Unlike the red sea just before, I instinctively realized that the place where I saw a slightly dark color was the surface where this red sea ended.
"Phew-ha."
I came up above the water and took a deep breath. The air was a bit humid, but there was no major problem breathing-
"........"
Bubble, bubble.
Bubbles were forming. Bubbles? No. It was the heat-filled flames boiling. Where and when had I seen this before? It was just like something I'd seen in disaster movies about volcanic eruptions.
"Aaaagh!"
I splashed around, swimming to find land.
I couldn't even afford to think calmly, like, 'If I'm already in lava, isn't it basically over? Why is my body normal?'
Fortunately, I found land quickly. A small piece of land like hardened rock welcomed me.
"Haa, haa."
I was out of breath. It felt like the blocked blood vessels due to excessive tension were being released. And suddenly, I felt like I had become a fool.
'Well, I couldn't have died when I was in there until just now.'
From the visual graphics to the tactile sensation, the texture of the magma was implemented.
If VR was implemented to this extent, I thought that older people could have a heart attack if they weren't careful-
"Is this really a game...?"
I touched the part where my vocal cords should be and made a sound.
"Huh? Uh-oh?"
The voice I heard only after getting out of the magma was clearly the voice of a young girl, different from my own.
And it was too similar to the voice of the game character I had heard countless times while clearing the game.
"Ah-ah---Iced Americano---"
It was clearly a sound that came out according to my will, but the voice was not the one I knew.
"...!!"
No way. It couldn't be. No matter what, wasn't the protagonist fixed?
'Face.'
I grabbed my face with my fingers and touched it roughly. Instead of rough skin that hadn't been properly cared for, it was smooth skin like a newborn baby.
It wasn't a mannequin-like face, but clearly the face of 'some being.'
'No way.'
And when I lowered my gaze, there-
"!!"
I instinctively turned my gaze to the two mounds that boasted a huge presence. No, is this my avatar right now?
"...Hmm."
This is an irresistible force. It's just an unavoidable confirmation process, absolutely not a perverted act filled with impure thoughts.
Squish.
My face was burning up with the cozy sensation I felt even with my eyes closed. But what was clear was that this 'avatar' was a distinctly female body.
'It has to be an avatar. Yes, um. It's an avatar. Could it really be 'that'?'
I opened my eyes slightly and shook my head, and a blue something caught my eye.
I raised my trembling hand, picked up the blue something, and held it up in front of my eyes.
"It's hair."
A color that seemed to contain blue flames. At least it wasn't black hair.
As I stared blankly at it, blue flames flared up in front of my eyes.
"Eek?"
I was so surprised that I fell backward and landed on my butt, but I realized that the flames in front of me were actually 'made by me.'
"No way."
The sensation of 'Mana' leaving my body. That sensation, which I had experienced countless times while playing as the protagonist, became real and created clear, blue flames in front of my eyes.
Azure Flame. The purifying flame that burns contaminated Mana.
And there was only one being in this world who could wield that Azure Flame.
"Me?"
Azure Flame Phoenix.
* * *
Azure Sky Desdinus.
This game, created with the common settings of Mana, Monsters, and Espers, is the story of a protagonist who defeats the ambitions of a world-conquering group called the 'Dark Legion.'
Dark Legion.
This group, whose name alone stimulates a flamboyant sensibility, is an evil organization that tries to conquer the Earth by controlling Monsters and mutants.
And Azure Flame Phoenix is one of the seven executives of that group, holding the title of the strongest among the executives.
Officially, the 4th strongest in combat power in the game.
Considering that the 1st is the awakened protagonist, the 2nd is the true final boss, and the 3rd is the fake final boss, Phoenix is virtually the strongest in the story.
'The problem is that I'm a subordinate of the final boss.'
Moreover, I'm a doomed existence who will have my brain fried by the final boss after successfully conquering the Earth.
Have you ever heard of being discarded like a hunting dog after the hunt? That was the fate of the seven executives, including Phoenix.
'Can I take him down alone?'
Impossible. Phoenix is clearly superior in combat power, but the leader of the Dark Legion, the fake final boss who is only 3rd in combat power, is the one who 'brainwashed' the executives.
'They're not even executives of an evil organization in the first place.'
Spirits.
The Dark Legion began when the fake final boss, a being called 'Star Lord,' invaded and conquered another world called 'Terra,' and brainwashed beings called 'Spirits' in that world to make them his subordinates.
'In other words, I'm originally brainwashed.'
They are vanguards who destroy other worlds, loyal to Star Lord, without even knowing that their original world was destroyed by Star Lord.
And they become doomed existences who will be boiled in a pot by destroying the Earth.
'A Reincarnation Log, they said....'
Isn't this too much? Of course, I'm grateful for being reincarnated into the body of the strongest, Phoenix, but reincarnating me into a villainous character instead of the protagonist is too malicious.
'Fortunately, Star Lord isn't active right now.'
If Star Lord was on Earth, I might have seriously hidden my identity under Star Lord and worked hard to destroy the Earth, but fortunately, Star Lord is not on Earth.
'Because he came alone and got beaten to a pulp by the Earthlings and ran away.'
Thank you, Earthlings! As someone who has now become an otherworlder, I felt infinite gratitude to the Earthlings who had given me a way out.
'If I want to survive without being discarded by Star Lord....'
I have to find him.
The protagonist.
'But Phoenix gets killed by the protagonist.'
"Aaaagh!"
I screamed. Thanks to the scream, the magma flowing gently in the cave surged. But Phoenix's body was unharmed.
"What should I do?"
The reason why Phoenix has never been targeted as a heroine until now is simple.
'Because the story's finale begins with Phoenix dying and passing her power on to the protagonist.'
The six executives are defeated by the protagonist one by one, and Phoenix, who finally steps up, defeats the protagonist's companions one by one.
In the end, she fights the protagonist 1:1 and is about to win, but the brainwashing is undone by the aftermath of the battle.
'She goes berserk, feels self-loathing, passes her power on to the protagonist, and disappears.'
A character who must die.
A tragic heroine who must die for the story to progress, who cannot be targeted even if you want to.
That's me now.
"Hoo."
A sigh came out involuntarily.
'There's still a way out.'
It's not that there's no way to live at all. Not groveling like a dog to Star Lord to beg for my life, not living on as the protagonist's power after my existence is erased, but living as 'Azure Flame Phoenix.'
'I targeted it.'
Phoenix Route.
That's the only way to live.
'I can't die like Phoenix. I can't kill Phoenix.'
I already realize that the current situation is not just a realistic VR virtual reality game.
At the very least, my body is imprisoned somewhere and I'm trapped in the game in a brainwave state, or in the worst case, it might be the usual otherworld reincarnation.
"Hoo."
This world is real, and I have become Azure Flame Phoenix.
That was the conclusion that I couldn't deny no matter how much I tried, as a result of fully operating my brain circuits without sleeping since regaining consciousness.
"They said it was a game made by grinding up aliens, so I guess the GMs really are alien-like bastards...."
They're the only culprits.
Sending me a message as soon as I cleared the game and tempting me with an expansion pack, and becoming Azure Flame Phoenix as soon as I ran the expansion pack they sent.
Maybe I'm in a situation like The Truman Show.
The production company is streaming my trapped appearance in the cleared game character, and gamers around the world are enjoying watching it, like a hidden camera.
"Haha, ha."
With a dry laugh, 'I' got up. No matter what the situation, there's only one thing to do in the end.
'Seduce the protagonist and become his companion. Absolutely don't get targeted as a heroine!'
Even if I become a heroine, I refuse to be pinned down by a man and moan.
'First, let's get out of here.'
Since realizing that I am 'Azure Flame Phoenix,' I have roughly grasped how to use my powers.
Whoosh.
Wings of blue flame spread behind my back. Like Icarus escaping from prison and flying over the sea, I looked up at the ceiling and took a breath.
"Ah. Icarus fell into the sea and died while flying, didn't he."
'...Then, I'm embarrassed, but let's correct it to an angel.'
The expression 'angel' isn't completely wrong. In Japanese communities, they jokingly say 'Phoenix-nyan Maji Tenshi (PMT).'
'If they knew the reality, would they really say that?'
I couldn't help but laugh. Now that I have become that Phoenix, the original cannot be found even if you want to.
"Hoo-ah."
Taking a long, deep breath, I moved towards the center where the magma was flowing down like a waterfall.
The only place where the magma flows downwards in the cave like a river. The only passage leading to the surface in this vast underground.
"........"
When I actually tried to crawl back into the magma, I hesitated.
I had simulated it countless times in my head, but I had no idea how much I would have to go against the magma to get to the top.
"...It'll work out somehow."

It wouldn't be as big as Everest. I lightly tapped my cheek and reached into the flames. It was as warm as soaking in a hot spring, but I couldn't stay here.
"Let's go."
I shouted briefly as if making a resolution, and I—Azure Flame Phoenix—strongly flapped my wings upwards.

<April 1, 2020, 4:00 AM, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.>
A researcher in a white coat was sitting in a chair, arms crossed, dozing off. He hadn't showered properly for days, and he looked haggard with a thick beard.
"......Snore."
The dark circles under his eyes showed how hard he was working.
"...Ugh. I dozed off."
It was already his third night shift, and he was even on duty. Senior Researcher Maxwell blinked and stretched.
"Haaah."
It was already four in the morning.
It was bittersweet that he had fallen asleep even after drinking coffee only thirty minutes ago, but it couldn't be helped. There were signs of volcanic activity in a dormant volcano that had shown no activity until now.
"Why do they keep telling me to check when it's not going to erupt anyway..."
Maxwell reached out to drink the remaining coffee.
Rumble rumble rumble
"Huh?"
Did I turn on the vibration on my smartphone? Surprised by the stronger-than-expected vibration, Maxwell was startled and almost dropped the cup.
"What!"
The observation gauge began to move, albeit slightly, but violently.
A huge vibration was rising from deep underground. Until now, it had only been a very weak seismic wave, but the vibration was gradually getting stronger.
Clang!
A glass bottle on the shelf fell to the floor.
"Huh."
It was something that had been secured to prevent it from falling. Maxwell turned pale and checked the temperature observation program window.
"It's going to explode?"
The temperature was gradually rising from underground. In particular, the place where the temperature was rising rapidly was the center of the towering mountain peak.
Kwaaaaaang!
With a huge explosion, a red light bloomed outside the window. Maxwell rang the emergency alarm and stared blankly at the mountain peak outside the window.
"...Huh."
A huge explosion of red magma erupting through the rocky mountain. In the eruption of magma, a small human flapping blue wings was visible.
"A person?"
It was hard to see clearly because it was a very long distance to see with the naked eye, but the shape was definitely human. The shape of the wings was different, but it was similar to his favorite hero, 'Thunder God'-
"Damn it! This is not the time for this!"
Maxwell hurriedly packed his bags.
Since the dormant volcano had suddenly erupted, other dormant volcanoes might also erupt, and even this research institute, which he thought was a safe zone, could be affected.
"The helicopter...!"
It was already too late to ask for an emergency helicopter. The outside was clearly full of volcanic ash, obstructing the view-
"...Huh?"
It was clean. The night sky was so clear and transparent that the constellations were visible, making it hard to believe that a volcanic eruption had occurred.
"What is-"
Maxwell, puzzled by the unusual natural phenomenon he was experiencing for the first time in his nearly 20 years as a researcher, suddenly came to his senses and turned his gaze to the top of the volcano.
"It's gone?"
The blue-winged human who had been floating in the air a moment ago was gone. Maxwell felt like he was possessed by a ghost and collapsed to the floor.
"Haha, ha."
The amount of magma that had been flowing out when the volcano first erupted seemed to have been a mistake, and the earthquake gradually subsided, and the amount of magma flowing out also decreased.
The volcanic activity stopped. Maxwell watched the helicopter flying in from the research institute's heliport in the distance and lost consciousness with relief.

Chapter 3

〈 Episode 3 〉 Part 1 Chapter 1 (2)
The head of the evil organization Dark Legion and the root of all evil in this world, the 'Star Lord'.
A priest of the God of Destruction, he summoned the God of Destruction to his home planet and destroyed the world, traveling to various planets and destroying them.
The world he destroyed just before coming to Earth was Tera.
The Star Lord, who summoned the God of Destruction to a world where Mana had developed instead of science and destroyed it, captured and brainwashed Tera's seven spirits, and tracked down the faint connection Tera had with Earth to discover it.
The Star Lord immediately flew to Earth for the sake of the God of Destruction, but in accordance with the 'prophecy', he was severely injured in a battle with the twelve heroes waiting for him and was defeated.
The gifted.
Heroes of mankind who awakened Mana and gained superhuman abilities.
Fighting against the strongest 12 of those heroes, the Star Lord barely managed to defeat the 12, but was struck by an unexpected blow and retreated.
A deep wound that required him to be stuck in a capsule for decades, focusing solely on recovery.
Eventually, reaching a situation where he could not step forward himself, the Star Lord disguised the seven spirits he had brainwashed from Tera as executives and dispatched them to Earth. After dispatching from the first executive to the last executive—Phoenix—the Star Lord fell into a deep sleep for treatment.
'So, the Star Lord can't possibly detect my movements right now.'
The fact that Phoenix was already in the magma proved this. Phoenix was the ultimate weapon that the Star Lord had painstakingly brainwashed until the very end, compared to the other spirits, before sending him down to Earth.
If the Star Lord had been awake, he would have already noticed my abnormal behavior.
'Then he would force himself to come down and brainwash me again.'
Regardless of combat power, just making eye contact would turn me into a state of 'Hyaaang, Star Lord, you're amazing!' That is absolutely not an option.
'The Star Lord finishes his treatment in the latter half of the original story.'
Ironically, the time when the Star Lord regained consciousness was the moment when the protagonist and Azure Flame Phoenix were fighting.
'Actually, the Star Lord is also responsible for Phoenix's awakening.'
The Star Lord regains consciousness and fires his brainwashing beam to check the status of the ultimate weapon he dispatched to Earth.
Unfortunately, he gets hit by the brainwashing beam again during the battle with the protagonist, causing a great backlash, and as a result, Phoenix goes berserk and regains himself as a 'spirit' rather than a Monster or an executive.
The protagonist and Phoenix fighting is in the latter half of the story. Therefore, the first thing I need to do is just one thing.
'Check the timeline.'
Isn't that what characters who time travel usually do? Grabbing a passerby and asking what year it is. I needed that kind of moment right now.
'But there's no one here.'
It's been 10 minutes since I broke through the volcano and came outside. Even though I keep flying in one direction, all I see is the sea, the sea, the sea.
'Should I have just looked for it on the deserted island where I was first?'
The island I scanned when I first came out was a deserted island with no trace of humans.
There were other islands nearby, but they were far away, and I couldn't see any signs of people in my field of vision, so I decided to fly to find a city or people somewhere.
'Judging by the distance, I think I've flown quite far.'
I don't know the exact distance, but I've definitely flown hundreds of kilometers. A rapidly passing scene. The speed of my own flapping wings.
It felt like I was going at least as fast as a decent sports car.
"Change direction... Huh?"
Beyond the horizon, I see a color that is not the sea.
I infused Mana into my eyes to enhance my eyesight, and what I saw was a modern port city. The acrid smoke rising from the factory chimneys and the forest of asphalt were a scene that seemed to be a direct copy of a city in reality.
'The implementation of each city in the open world was really amazing. But.'
I would have just thought so if it weren't for the red flags fluttering all over the city.
'China?'
I stopped flapping my wings abruptly. I had been flying in one direction without any sense of direction, and I had arrived at a coastal city in China.
'Where did I fly from, then?'
I didn't know where I was originally, but I just rushed out and set out to find a city anywhere.
'China is a bit much as a starting city.'
It's not that I dislike the country of China. I'm just worried that the 'crazy bitch' there might notice me. Especially since I wasn't moving while hiding my Mana.
Swoosh--
I retracted the residual Mana emitted from my body and folded my wings. If I entered the city like this, I would definitely be caught by the 'Great Monster Radar'.
'Should I change direction for now?'
Assuming that the city in front of me is a city in China, if I fly along the coastline, I will eventually reach Korea. I can go and see 'that area' of ​​the problem on the way.
'I can smuggle myself in to a place where there is no Monster radar.'
I can't rashly enter the human realm until I completely hide my Mana. Then there is only one route that will not be caught by the radar.
'The [Monster's Road] that goes down from the old North Korea. There's no other way.'
It's just a setting in the game, but in this world, North Korea has collapsed. Not because of a regime or war, but because of a 'Monster rampage'.
A Monster born from a nuclear weapon, 'Nucleon'.
One Monster, notoriously known as a 'hidden boss more difficult than the final boss', wiped Pyongyang off the map and is sleeping somewhere in North Korea.
Of course, Phoenix is ​​ten times stronger and a hundred times cuter than that...
'Let's get a grip. That Phoenix is ​​you now.'
Whenever I think about the various elements of the game, I often forget that I have entered another world disguised as a game.
I shook my head violently and flew quietly along the coastline.
'I'll just keep going up and fly appropriately from where I pop out, right?'
I often dozed off during history class, so I don't know the details, but I often played the Age of Exploration.
Thanks to that, even if I don't know anything else, I know that if I fly east from the part that protrudes from China towards the West Sea - later found to be called the Shandong Peninsula - I will reach Korea.
Tingle, tingle.
The barrier of Mana surrounding the outside of my skin tingles. Phoenix is ​​uniquely sensitive to Mana, even among the mutants.
'Did I get caught? ...I got caught.'
The strong Mana flowing on the wind had a clear hostility mixed in. The enemy definitely noticed me.
'I should have been careful.'
Fortunately, there is not a single cloud in this location.
Pshhhhh-
I released Mana and synchronized with the surrounding environment. Phoenix's unique concealment technique that can hide his body anywhere the sunlight reaches. The enemy may feel the remnants of Mana that I have left behind, but they will not be able to easily find its true form.
'Should I run away?'
I don't know who the 'enemy' is yet. But what if the owner of that hostile Mana coming on the wind is a hero who can pose a threat to Phoenix - in the worst case, the protagonist or one of the 12 heroes?
'No. Let's think positively. This is an opportunity.'
I went through countless simulations in my head, but I needed to know how much of Phoenix's power I had gathered in the magma.
Unlike the game, if I die in this world, I might end my life as it is.
"Hoo, hoo."
I took a deep breath and flicked my fingers.
Phoenix is ​​definitely worthy of being called the strongest, but the person moving that Phoenix's body right now is 'me'.
A long-term driver with a supercar. To put it in perspective, is that exactly what it is?
'He's coming.'
The strong wind is now approaching, reaching my skin directly. The more I focus on my hearing, the closer the sound of hooves gets along with the sound of the wind-
"...Huh?"
The sound of hooves? Did I hear wrong? In doubt, I glared at the dot visible in the distance.
Clatter, clatter!
A red horse running through the air like a wilderness.
And a green robe on top of it. The two eyes under the red mask with a long black beard were clearly looking for me.
"Ah, damn it."
A tutorial boss that's too strong - no, bitch - appeared. I knew it, but I didn't know that her Mana sensitivity would be this outstanding.
Clatter, clatter!
A warrior riding a Red Hare, wielding a glaive.
Hero name, 'Yun Zhang'.
China's strongest warrior and one of the 12 heroes who stopped the Star Lord's first invasion. Later, he would also be called by another name, 'God of War'.
That Monster is now feeling my true form hidden in the sunlight and is about to swing his glaive. Towards me.
"The tutorial boss is too strong!"
I let out a shrill scream and wrapped my whole body in blue flames.
* * *
The Hangzhou branch of the Hero Association was in a sudden state of chaos.
"Monster reaction on the radar! Moving north along the coastline!"
Everyone in the situation room was silent at the report from the employee monitoring the 'Great Monster Radar'.
"Damn it! What kind of Monster is it?!"
"It's a pattern I've never seen before!"
"Observing with satellite imagery! No Monsters are visible!"
"That can't be! It's a Monster above S-class! It must be at least 20m tall!"
The branch manager, Liu Yaohu, bit his nails at the answer from his panicked subordinate.
A type of Monster he had never seen before. If he succeeded in hunting it for the first time, he could contribute greatly to the Party, but he couldn't help but be frightened by the size displayed on the radar.
"The satellite?! Still can't find it?!"
"I'm, I'm sorry! I've scanned the entire Yellow Sea, but I can't see anything..."
"There's no way you can't see it when the reaction is so big! Look again!"
At the branch manager's roar, those watching the satellite screen began to scan the video again.
He verbally pressured his subordinates by calling it S-class, but the size of the sphere marked on the radar was even larger than the existing danger level 'S-class'.
'...Damn it.'
The branch manager recalled.
The S-class Monster 'Black Scorpion' that terrified the entire branch, no, the entire China, when he was a rookie. Even that incarnation of disaster, which devoured a million people and destroyed cities, did not have that much Mana.
'Is this a Monster?'
A walking castle, so to speak. Considering the characteristics of Monsters, where Mana and size are generally proportional, there was no way it would not be visible on the satellite.
'If it's invisible-'
A thought flashed through his mind, and the branch manager hurriedly shouted to his subordinates.
"The sea! What about below the surface of the water?!"
Some of those in the situation room were impressed. If there is a Mana reaction but it is invisible, then of course the Monster would be in a position where it is invisible.
Judging from the Mana reaction, it would be about the size of a huge island.
"Check the submarine thermal source reaction right away! Contact the Navy!"
"Yes!"
The branch manager bit his nails again and fell into thought.
'So, what are you going to do after you confirm it?'
It's difficult to deal with an S-class Monster on land, let alone an S-class - or higher - in the sea.
'Can we handle it with the current forces here?'
Impossible.
As a Chinese person who boasts that China has the most heroes in the world and that the heroes registered in each branch are more than the heroes in the entire other countries, there are more than enough heroes registered in this branch alone.
However, considering the special battlefield situation of naval combat, more forces are needed.
And the main forces of the branch are currently being dispatched inland.
'Contact the military?'
The Hero Association was created and there was a lot of friction with the military - or rather, the Party - but to save the tens of millions of people in this area, he had to borrow even a cat's paw.
If the Monster is not moving along the coastline at that speed, but attacking the city-
'Guide it towards the Korean Peninsula as planned...'
Beep beep beep!!
The branch manager was startled by the sudden call.
[This is . Respond, Hangzhou branch.]
A heavy voice filled the situation room. With the appearance of the person stroking his beard under the red mask, the branch manager greeted him with a bright smile.
"Ah, 'Lord Mei Ran', sir!"
[...I told you I don't like that title.]
Indeed, one of the 12 heroes - belonging to the heroes. He seemed full of composure even in the face of a Monster above S-class. The branch manager quickly corrected the title and explained the situation.
"...This is the situation. Yun Zhang, where are you now?"
[Hangzhou sky. I came with , so I will arrive at the target point soon.]
The branch manager was impressed. As expected of the owner of Red Hare. Although the person riding Red Hare now is not the God of War but the God of the Army, his individual martial power could be boasted as the strongest in China today.
"Reaction on the radar again! The target's Mana reaction is starting to decrease rapidly!"
"What?!"

The sphere on the radar shrank rapidly, quickly dropping below C-grade before disappearing completely.
"Radar signal lost...?!"
"Crazy!"
There was no way there was a problem with the radar. The signal disappearing in a matter of seconds meant only two things.
It had been defeated—
"Intelligent being?!"
[This is troublesome.]
It had suddenly concealed that massive Mana, which was above S-grade. Unlike other stupid Monsters, it was proof that it had the 'intelligence' to hide its Mana signature.
He didn't know why it had revealed its Mana from the moment it appeared in Shanghai, only to hide it now, but the important thing was that it had disappeared from the radar.
"The satellite?!"
"S, still nothing is visible!"
"There should at least be a shadow in the sea, right?! Find it!"
"We'll search!"
At the Head of department's roar, the subordinates turned their eyes back to the satellite screen, but the Masked Warrior quietly shook his head.
[...I'll intercept it first.]
"Huh?! Yes?!"
[Don't worry.]
Yun Zhang's voice, speaking gently, was clearly overflowing with confidence.
[I'll be back soon with the enemy's head.]
Static. The Head of department could only stare blankly at the black screen as the communication was unilaterally cut off.

Chapter 4

〈 Chapter 4 〉Part 1 Chapter 1 (3)
"Are you sure about this?"
The resonant voice of the middle-aged man who had been conversing with the branch manager just moments before echoed in the air.
The surprising part was that the voice didn't come from inside the mask, but from the mouth of the red horse clad in Mana armor.
"The opponent is at least an S-class."
The masked warrior silently nodded.
"...Yes."
A faint, almost inaudible voice of a woman. Yet, the veins on her hands gripping the glaive's shaft stood out.
"The opponent is a Monster with Mana exceeding that of a Black Scorpion. If it were in the sea, even I couldn't go-"
"It's in the sky."
The woman's voice, cutting off Red Hare, was certain.
"The enemy is in the sky."
Her eyes, fixedly staring in one direction, held a blue light.
"Indeed. Have you already found it?"
"No. I felt it."
"I see. If it were in the sea, it would be a problem, but-"
Red Hare snorted and spurred its pace even further.
"'If it's a place where I can run,' there's no place this Red Hare can't run---!"
Red Hare's Mana armor began to glow red. Its movements became even faster than before when it was running through the sky, and its rider was headed towards the unidentified enemy.
"...Hoo."
The woman regulated her breathing, lowering the glaive's blade to the right.
The hotter the air became as she sliced through the wind. It felt as if her whole body would burn from the increasingly stifling heat, as if she were flying towards the sun.
"...Heh heh, hoo."
The more it was like that, the more worthy the opponent would be to compete with.
She had set foot on this land as a woman, but from the moment she awakened as a hero, she had become a 'warrior' transcending gender, nation—and even race.
"Come... show yourself...!"
The God of War suppressed her increasingly boiling blood, scanning the remnants of Mana scattered in the air.
The intense Mana that tried to hide but couldn't. The heat that felt like it would burn her brain just by sensing it.
A Monster? Or a villain disguised as a Monster's reaction? Or both? The opponent wasn't visible right now.
Then, she had no choice but to make it appear.
"Haaa---"
She took a deep breath, gathering her Mana.
If the opponent was a petty coward trying to hide and avoid the fight, she would just have to make them reveal themselves.
Crackle, sizzle.
She amplified her vision by surrounding her eyes with Mana. Within the remnants of the massive Mana flowing in her sight.
'I see it.'
Straight ahead.
An existence hiding its body with wings of blue flame. It hid itself within the shimmering light, but the heat it emitted was unmistakable.
'I'll just slash it first.'
Mana flowed on the surface of the glaive held by the God of War. A massive slash carrying Mana from the crescent-shaped blade. If she unleashed the slash with a short charge, it would reveal its true form-
Whoosh.
She felt heat that seemed to burn the hair hanging down from under her mask. The God of War quickly turned her horse away from the direction where she felt the Mana.
Woooooong----!
A massive Mana was exploding and burning in the sky.
There, a giant bird of flame was spreading its wings.
□□□□□□!!
It was truly like a phoenix from legends. The heat from its mere presence made her skin tingle, and even Red Hare stopped in its tracks.
"........"
And in the very center, there was a girl with blue hair.
"......Are you going to fight?"
Red Hare kicked at the air and moved its neck from side to side. The tension that he had never felt in any battle he had experienced while roaming the battlefield with her was buried in his voice.
"Yes."
The God of War responded by nodding. Red Hare sneered, stomping its hooves in the air.
"Anyway, you and that guy are the same when it comes to liking to fight."
"You're the same."
"That's right!"
The God of War kicked Red Hare's waist and gripped the shaft of her glaive tightly.
"If the opponent is a villain!"
"We won't lose!"
Red Hare began to run towards the blue-haired girl.
* * *
Fast. The aura of red and green flashed past my eyes, and at the same time, the blade of the glaive aimed for my neck.
Clang!
The barrier made of Mana collided with the blade. Thanks to cramming in a ridiculous amount of Mana, the barrier didn't break, but the problem was that the slash wasn't going to end with just one strike.
Clang! Clang!
If it hit my back, it would strike my side in the blink of an eye. The moment I misjudged by even 0.1 seconds, the glaive would flash its blue blade and tear my body apart.
'Of all people, it has to be Unjang.Unjang (Cloud General). An ability user based on Guan Yu, the God of War from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
'From the very beginning, it's the strongest in China.'
As befitting her name and motif, Unjang was flying through the sky with overwhelming speed, threatening me. The driving force that allowed a mere human to dash through the sky was the warhorse she was riding, Red Hare.
Clang!
Red Hare's hooves tried to stamp on the crown of my head. I reached out to burn the hooves, but Red Hare had already gracefully slipped out of my reach.
"Slow!"
"......That's."
How audacious, a provocation. No matter how much she boasted about the martial prowess of the unity between man and horse, discussing speed in front of Phoenix was like showing off wrinkles in front of a silkworm.
'Let's see how you do.'
As long as I had the barrier up, I would never get hurt.
Woooong-
I pulled the barrier away from my body until it almost touched my skin, and spread my wings to chase after Red Hare.
"You're chasing me?!"
I could hear Red Hare's surprised voice all the way here. I could vividly hear Unjang holding her breath.
'You've probably never been caught up to in terms of speed before!'
I flapped my wings once, powerfully. The Mana spewing out from behind my wings accelerated like a jet propulsion, successfully catching up to Red Hare's tail.
"Red Hare!"
At that moment, Unjang grabbed the reins. A red aura spewed out from Red Hare's body.
"Tch!"
I moved my wings and sharply changed direction upwards. Red Hare, running through the sky while scattering red Mana, turned its horse at 'three times the speed' as before and charged straight at me.
Swoosh!
"Kuuh!"
Unjang's glaive flashed. The glaive, imbued with blue Mana, horizontally cut my right wing.
"......Heh."
I could hear Unjang laughing at me from under her mask. I also smiled back at Unjang.
Brrrr-
The feathers of the severed wing began to tremble. I could feel shock filling the green eyes behind the red mask.
"Bang."
I playfully clapped my hands, and soon caused a chain explosion in each feather from the severed wing.
Kwaaaang----!!
A massive explosion of Mana engulfed Unjang and Red Hare. The man and horse fell vertically towards the sea, and just before crashing into the surface of the water, Red Hare barely managed to stop its body by stepping on the air.
"Tch. Too bad."
I should have just trusted my barrier and detonated it more powerfully.
'I was scared of my own power and detonated it as weakly as possible.'
I knew it in theory, but actually experiencing it made it even scarier.
The manifestation of Phoenix's power was incineration and explosion. I had already detonated my wing before Unjang cut it, and Unjang, unaware of this, cut the wing and triggered the explosion.
"Cough, cough!"
Unjang coughed roughly. Even though the explosion just now wasn't very strong, it must have dealt a great blow to Unjang's low Mana reserves.
'Her Mana control is excellent, but her absolute Mana reserves are very low.'
That was the chronic problem that prevented Xiao Lin, the strongest in China and a hero belonging to the 12 Heroes—the Round Table, 'Unjang,' from reaching the ranks of the strongest in humanity, the SS-class.
'The development of the heroine route is related to overcoming that weakness.'
Why hide it? That Guan Yu cosplayer looking up at me from below, burning with fighting spirit, was one of the 16 main heroines.
"Normally, the first battle is with a combat power measuring device, but...."
Did she hear me? She must have heard me. I spoke with Mana, so she must have heard me clearly with her excellent Mana sensitivity.
"It's not bad to gauge my strength by fighting you."
"...How insolent!"
Unjang's Mana became rough. Red Hare also snorted, explosively releasing Mana.
'She took the bait properly.'
Because she had unwavering confidence in her martial prowess, she absolutely couldn't stand someone looking down on her from above.
'It's a little early, but.'
'But this is the limit right now.'
Unless she met the protagonist, experienced the event, and completed her 'awakening,' she was just an ordinary hero who had reached her limit.
Unless she shed the shell of Unjang and was reborn as a true God of War, she couldn't defeat me.
Whoosh. Flames bloomed from the wound, and feathers sprouted again.
"It even regenerates?!"
Red Hare screamed in surprise. It wasn't actually regeneration, but there was no reason to correct the misunderstanding.
I spread my wings wide, showing off my well-being.
Whoosh, whoosh!
"Kuh!"
Xiao Lin groaned at the powerful Mana storm that resonated just from spreading my wings.
"Strong...! But I can definitely cut it-"
♩♬♪ ♬
With my small cry, numerous spheres of flame were created under my wings.
"Usually, those kinds of attacks are guided missiles."
Red Hare said, grinding its teeth, and I smiled.
"Correct!"
Paaat-!
Like hitting a baseball with a bat, I strongly struck the fireballs with my wings.
"Damn it!"
There were a total of eight fireballs. The flames of Mana drew their own trajectories like missiles, chasing after Xiao Lin.
"Fast!"
Red Hare once again displayed its ability and ran with swiftness, but the fireballs also chased after them with comparable speed.
"I'll intercept them!"
Xiao Lin spun her glaive around and cut apart the fireballs that had come close.
Kwaaaang!!
The fireballs exploded at the point of interception, and Red Hare's legs momentarily faltered, but it quickly regained its posture and dashed through the air.
Kwaaang!
In the meantime, Xiao Lin cut down one of the fireballs that had approached from the side, and then held the glaive horizontally and knocked away another fireball with the flat of the glaive.
Kwaaang! Kwaang!
The knocked-away fireball collided with an incoming fireball and self-destructed. The number of remaining fireballs was four.
"I'll detonate them all at once!"
Blue Mana began to condense once again on Xiao Lin's glaive. Red Hare, which had been zigzagging, ran in a straight line, and the fireballs chased after it, gathering in one place.
Xiao Lin didn't miss that moment and unleashed a slash.
"Haaat-!"
---------------!!
The four fireballs exploded at once, creating a massive explosion. Just considering the power of the explosion, it was a spectacle that made me think it was at the level of an ordinary bomb.
Woooong---!
Xiao Lin, who had deflected the explosion with the wind pressure by spinning her glaive amidst the explosions, held her glaive with fighting spirit burning in her eyes.
"Oh my. Do you still think you can win?"
"......There is no defeat for the God of War."
"Fufu, then shall I fix that arrogant temper of yours!"
Whoosh.
I created flames in each of my right hands. Like throwing a baseball, I threw the fireballs I had clenched in my hands.
Whizz---Kwaang!
The fireballs exploded, blocking Red Hare's path. Blue flames erupted, and white smoke rose.
"Tch."
I regenerated my wings again and soared high into the sky.
Paaang--!
Unjang appeared, tearing through the white smoke. It seemed that she had entrusted the maneuvering to Red Hare and concentrated on intercepting the fireballs with her glaive.
"Then one more."
I created another fireball and threw it in Red Hare's path.
"Hee-hee-ing!"
Perhaps because it had anticipated it this time, Red Hare dodged the fireballs by running in a zigzag pattern through the vertically running sky.
"Aww."
"Don't mess around!"
"Then should I get serious?"
Pat. In the blink of an eye, I created dozens of fireballs in the air. Perhaps Red Hare and Unjang were also stunned by this spectacle, as they stopped in their tracks and looked up at me.
"Ah...."
There was definitely fear in Unjang's voice, which sounded like she was about to cry.
♪♬
A whistle came out on its own. I smiled refreshingly and pressed.
"You told me not to mess around."
Whoosh, whoosh.
The fireballs seemed to self-replicate, doubling, quadrupling, and octupling. Each time they multiplied, their size decreased, but each one contained the destructive power of the fireballs that Unjang had intercepted.
"Wh-What is this...."
Even Red Hare opened its mouth wide and was at a loss for words. Seeing that, I almost said something to them, but barely managed to hold back.
'I kind of understand now why villains say those things.'

It was a moment where I understood the feelings of the final boss, no, the not-quite-final boss, who would cast meteors with timed delays against the rabble.
Clatter, clatter!
Xiaolin was blankly trembling, and Red Hare was instinctively trying to get away from me, running at full speed towards China.
"Ah, how can you just leave?"
'Fleeing' would be the accurate term, but for his pride, I silently prepared to shoot a fireball.
'Still, she's the main heroine, so you're not planning to hurt her?'
I have no intention of killing her, nor of hurting her.
However, I have some memories of being tormented in Xiaolin's individual route, so I just want to torment her veeeeeery slightly.
Absolutely, absolutely not holding a grudge.
'Okay, then, I'll fire... Huh?'
I feel an unpleasant Mana from the direction Xiaolin is fleeing. A discomfort that touches my instincts. That presence was rapidly shooting towards me from beyond Xiaolin.
'Something's flying towards me really fast?'
I extinguished all the fireballs obscuring my vision, confirmed something passing by Xiaolin, and blinked.
'...?'
A steel stake? A drill? I don't know what it is, but the object flying towards me was enough to blank my mind.
'A missile?'
They shot a missile? Now? At me? From where?
'First, block it-'
Clang!!
"Puh!"
The tip of the missile pierced my stomach. It didn't hurt because of the shield, but I had to fly along the missile's path.
"Sh...it...."
If I forcibly stopped it, it felt like it would explode. But if I evaded it as it was, the missile might hit the Korean peninsula's sea.
'Is this going to cause a Sino-Korean war because of me?'
Even if the side that fired the missile first was responsible, 'China in this world' was likely to use it as an excuse to pick a fight and start a war.
'Let's detonate it here.'
I scattered Mana around my abdomen. The cyan flames flowing along the missile wrapped around it like a snake.
'Trusting in the shield's durability... Detonate it!'
There was no reason to create problems unnecessarily. I watched as the flames began to crush the outside of the missile, and strongly enveloped my entire body in Mana.
'It's going to explo-'
KWA-----ANG!
The missile, unable to withstand the flames of Mana, caused a massive explosion. Most of the explosion was violently absorbed by the cyan flames, but the aftermath of the explosion covered my body's shield.
"Hiiiiek?!"
I was bounced off in the air with the shield intact. My body plummeted straight into the sea.
'Getting missile-belly-punched less than 30 minutes after coming out....'
It was so absurd that I even laughed. The guy who suddenly fired a missile, and Phoenix's power to block the missile's speed and explosion with just Mana, made me chuckle in disbelief.
'This is ridiculous.'
Glug.
I sank straight into the seawater.

Chapter 5

The branch manager frowned as he watched Yunzhang's battle.
The opponent was "a pyromancer-type villain disguised as a Monster reaction." Probably a fool trying to smuggle a Monster Core.
Yunzhagn clashed with such a fool. The branch manager gritted his teeth while watching the video equipped on Red Hare's Mana armor.
'...Is he struggling on his own?'
His years of experience commanding heroes in Monster battles were telling him that Yunzhang and Red Hare were being toyed with by the nameless villain.
"As expected of Guan Yunzhang!"
However, the employees who didn't realize the truth were mistaken, thinking that Yunzhang was unilaterally overwhelming the villain.
Kwaang, kwaang, kwaang!
Explosions echoed in the situation room. Every time Yunzhang struck the villain's shield, the subordinates chanted Yunzhang's name, convinced of his victory.
'If I even mention that he's at a disadvantage here...'
Yunzhang was a 'hero' in the Chinese hero world. To put it nicely, that's what he was, but in reality, he was a propaganda tool of the Party.
Just ordering Yunzhang to retreat or requesting support because he was at a disadvantage would result in the Public Security barging into my house, accusing me of damaging Yunzhang's prestige.
'What if Yunzhang dies?'
That wouldn't happen, but if there was even a 1% chance, people would naturally become anxious.
Just as the branch manager was worrying, Yunzhang tore through the villain's wings.
[Kwagwagwagwang!]
A thunderous explosion. The relay device broadcasting their battle was destroyed by the force that seemed to shake the entire area.
"What happened?!"
"The relay drone seems to have been damaged by the explosion just now! We'll switch to the video from Red Hare's Mana armor!"
The monitor operator hurriedly switched the video feed to Red Hare.
The camera on Red Hare's helmet showed a girl ready to fire a fireball.
"T-This is..."
"Damn it!"
The branch manager slammed the table and shouted. At the same time, the branch manager's terminal rang loudly.
Ttiring-
'Hup.'
The branch manager, who was about to get angry at who had bypassed security to call in this urgent situation, quickly straightened his posture and answered the phone.
"Yes! This is Liu Yaohu, the Hangzhou Hero Association branch manager!"
[Enough with the greetings. I'll give the order directly.]
The branch manager could only listen in a submissive posture to the other party's overbearing attitude, as they cut off the branch manager's words and tried to get straight to the point.
The other party was known as the most powerful person in China, second only to the chairman.
[A missile has been fired at the 'Monster' fighting Yunzhang. You take care of deleting the battle footage.]
"Yes? Monster, the enemy is human-"
[Monster, I clearly said.]
What did I just hear? The branch manager momentarily panicked and involuntarily asked back.
[What are you so surprised about? Wasn't it your idea to get rid of a Monster by launching it into another country?]
Click. The other party hung up, and the branch manager stared blankly at the terminal.
A strategy to chase away Monsters that were difficult to handle in the border area and pass them on to other countries to deal with. That was definitely a plan that the branch manager had submitted to the higher-ups when he was at headquarters.
'But a missile? They already fired it?'
The branch manager clenched his trembling fist.
'The Party has finally recognized me!'
He had been banished to a remote place. His body was with the association, but his heart had left the association long ago.
Swallowing the rosy future of entering the Party's central government someday, the branch manager quickly instructed his subordinates.
"Stop the video! Yunzhang is going to use his 'Esoteric Art'!"
"Yes!"
The subordinates hurriedly stopped the video.
Yunzhang's Esoteric Art was a strategic state secret directly managed by the Party, so the subordinates stopped the playback of the video being transmitted to the situation room without any suspicion.
"Huh?"
One of the monitor operators stopped his hand just as he was about to cut off the video. The villain was filling the sky with spheres of fire, as if toying with Yunzhang.
Click.
The branch manager, who had rushed to the vicinity, stopped the video.
"You."
"Y-Yes?!"
The employee replied, his face pale.
"There was a reporter who tried to film Yunzhang's Esoteric Art and upload it to the news before, wasn't there? You know what happened to him, don't you?"
"...Hic."
Despite the appearance of Monsters and the status of the Hero Association, the power of the Public Security in China was formidable.
The branch manager smiled kindly and patted the employee's shoulder.
"That's good. It's fortunate that you stopped it. Even the association wouldn't be able to help you if you saw any more than this."
Leaving behind the employee, who was pale and nodding, the branch manager shouted to everyone in the silent situation room.
"Yunzhang will defeat the enemy with his Esoteric Art! So you guys should immediately find out where and why the enemy from just now appeared in this sea!"
"Yes!"
Watching the employees regain their senses and return to their roles, the branch manager glared at the employee who was diligently organizing the video with cold eyes.
'All I have to do is erase that later.'
The branch manager licked his lips, imagining himself wearing the Party's medal.
* * *
"Get a grip! Red Hare!"
Xiaolin pulled on Red Hare's reins, who was agitated.
Heeheeheehing?!
Even though she had squeezed out the remaining Mana to strengthen the reins, Red Hare was not regaining his senses.
However, Xiaolin, realizing that Red Hare's strange behavior was "the instinct of a herbivore in front of a predator," was unable to actively turn Red Hare around.
'Am I scared? Me?'
She, who always burned with more fighting spirit in front of the strong, had dropped her weapon in front of the enemy. Her heart, which was pounding violently, showed no signs of calming down.
'But I can't run away like this.'
Xiaolin gripped the Crescent Blade tightly with her trembling hands.
What if an enemy that even she couldn't handle landed on a coastal city and started rampaging? What if the villain who missed her landed on another city as a way of venting?
'I have to stop it.'
She might die, but she had to stop it. That was the mission of a hero who had an evil person in front of her.
"Red Hare, please! ...?!"
Just as she was about to pull on Red Hare's reins again and turn her gaze to the Azure Flame Phoenix, Xiaolin's face turned pale as she saw an object passing over her head.
"What is that?!"
Xiaolin sensed it as she watched the missile flying towards the enemy.
The Party, judging that Xiaolin alone could not handle the villain, had made the extreme choice of firing a missile to drive the enemy away.
"Ah."
Red Hare was still not regaining his senses and was moving away from the enemy. Xiaolin couldn't take her eyes off the missile until the warhead hit the enemy.
'Did she smile?'
The girl with blue hair was smiling even at the moment the missile hit her.
Soon,
Kuuuuuuuuung!!
With the girl being blown away with the missile stuck in her stomach, Xiaolin lost consciousness in the midst of a massive Mana explosion.
* * *
No matter how much I thought about it, it was absurd.
'Aren't these guys crazy?'
It was common sense in this world that existing conventional weapons were completely ineffective against Monsters.
A very thin Mana barrier that acted on the Monster's outer skin.
Monsters were born under the influence of 'Magi' from Terra, which flowed out of the dimensional gates that the Saint opened indiscriminately to find a new world to destroy. Under the influence of this Magi, Monsters gained an invincible barrier that could not be defeated by the pure power of Earth alone.
'Only the gifted can defeat Monsters.'
Of course, Earth also created heroes who gained supernatural powers in response to that Magi in order to counter such Monsters. Therefore, the main tasks of the modern military were maintaining public order, evacuating residents, and buying time until the heroes arrived.
'But they shot a missile at me?'
I cooled my head for a moment in the cold seawater. As expected, I could breathe without any problems even in magma, and there were no problems in the sea either.
'I ended up testing my defense skills.'
A technique to defend against external attacks by surrounding the whole body with blue flames - 'Azure Flame', 'Azure Flame Veil'.
This skill, which had the terrifying ability to absorb and store the power of fire-attribute attacks, was now wrapped around my entire body like silk.
'I ended up carrying a missile around.'
The existence of Phoenix alone was enough, but if I released the veil in the middle of the city, a terrible situation would occur.
'I'm not a suicide bomber, so there's no need to do that.'
I held the veil tightly so that it wouldn't scatter and checked the Mana flowing through my body.
'Let's not act rashly.'
I got hit by a missile because I didn't properly understand Phoenix's abilities.
In addition, I played around with one of the 12 Heroes without knowing that I would be this strong, so the whole world would soon know about Phoenix's existence.
'No. Mystery is important to Phoenix.'
It was a character with a strong sense of mystery, as he didn't show himself until just before the boss fight, before all the executives were defeated. Wasn't his first appearance the scene where he spread his wings and took off from a US Navy aircraft carrier just before the boss fight?
'I should live quietly now, even if it's late.'
If I didn't appear on the ground after being hit by a missile and falling into the sea, they might misunderstand.
That I drowned in the sea.
'First, let's hide my Mana thoroughly.'
I carefully sealed it so that no Mana leaked out, and I piled up and hid the Mana deep inside my body so that even the Mana inside my body couldn't be felt.
'No one will know now, right?'
Although it would be difficult to use Mana immediately, I didn't want a situation like the one with Xiaolin to happen again.
'Then let's move slowly now.'
Fortunately, the bottom is sloping. If I go up the slope, I'll reach land.
I gently placed my feet on the ground and walked forward, cutting through the water.
'It feels new again, like scuba diving.'
Thanks to the possession, I swam in magma and flew through the sky like a fighter jet.
'Well, how else would I get hit by a missile with my bare body in my life?'
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurd things I had experienced.
The one who fired the missile was probably Mao Zedong, the second-in-command in China and the main villain of the Xiaolin event, the director of the Great Monster Management Countermeasures Headquarters.
'Who else but that guy would commit such a crazy act?'
He was a man with the ambition to unify the world with China using Monsters.
If the missile had affected the Korean Peninsula, he would have used it as an excuse to start a real war. Later, he was a warmonger who launched missiles without a declaration of war, saying that he didn't care about justification.
It's hard to believe that such a beautiful girl came from such a man's seed-
"Huh?"
The feeling on the soles of my feet is strange. It feels like something has passed my chin. Even the feeling of the sand is a little damp.
'Oh. Wait.'
I stopped in my tracks and recalled my experience in the original work.
Was it the 7th playthrough? In a mission to defeat a Monster in the sea, a female colleague I had worked hard to raise fell into a trap and died. I was quite angry, so I thoroughly killed that Monster in the next playthrough.
That Monster's name was 'West Sea Weapon'. It usually hid in the sand, and when prey passed by, it quickly put it in its mouth and sprayed acidic liquid.
'It's only A-class, though.'
Azure Flame Phoenix is officially set as an S-class or higher Monster.
As long as it's an animal, West Sea Weapon will instinctively know the danger of Phoenix-
'Ah. Am I really an idiot?'
I hid my Mana so thoroughly because I was worried about being harassed by Xiaolin.
A strong person like Xiaolin would feel the hidden aura, but a moderately strong guy would feel it as just weak prey.
'T, then let's release it just a little-'
Just before I was about to draw out the Mana that had been stored in my body.
Suuuk!
The floor collapsed and huge walls were erected around me. I lowered my head at my own stupidity at the sight of the ceiling closing like a dome.
'Ah, really, nothing is working out from the start.'
Was the luck stat of Azure Flame Phoenix officially set to E? I created a fireball at the sudden surge of annoyance and fired it into West Sea Weapon's mouth.
Kwang! Kwagwang! Kwang!
Kyaooooooo!
"Shut up and just di-"
Ah.
I swallowed water.
* * *
Hero Association, Shinseoul Branch, Great Monster Observation Network.
As always, an anomaly came into the eyes of an employee who was addicted to cigarettes and coffee and watched the radar 24 hours a day.
Bleep, bleep.
"West Sea?"
Far west of Incheon. A very weak but intense Monster reaction flickered for a moment.
"......?"

The employee blinked, doubting his own eyes. The concentric circles, which grew according to the size of the reaction, were clearly of S-class or higher.
"Huh? Now it's gone again?"
Did he see it wrong? The employee was doubtful and was about to pick up his paper cup when a new reaction appeared.
"Eek?!"
A-class. A Monster capable of devastating an entire city was flying from the sea towards the land of the West Sea.
"Emergency, emergency-"
Beep.
This time, the A-class reaction also disappeared. Whether it was S-class or A-class, the reactions of both Monsters had completely 'evaporated' without a trace.
"...What the hell?"
The employee hesitated internally, wondering if he should report it, then shook his head and closed his eyelids again.
"It's because I'm sleep-deprived...sleep..."
The employee nodded off again, mumbling in his sleep.

Chapter 6

〈 Episode 6 〉 Part 1 Chapter 1 (5)
Ryu Yo-ho, the branch manager, stubbed out his burning cigarette in the ashtray.
"Hoo."
He knew better than anyone how harmful cigarettes were, but the person he had to call now was someone he couldn't face sober without the help of nicotine.
Turu-ru-ru-
The phone rang several times. With a click, the other person's voice came through.
[You've worked hard, Comrade Ryu.]
"No, CEO."
He swallowed hard. His whole body stiffened with tension.
[The Chairman is quite satisfied with these results as well.]
"Is that so?"
The branch manager breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
[Indeed. When I told the Chairman about your ingenious plan to send the unidentified Monster toward Joseon, he was impressed. Of course, we figured out the specific execution method on our end.]
The branch manager was still bothered by that execution method. He fully understood that the other party harbored ill feelings toward Korea and even called it by a different name, but this time it was too much.
"Yes. You... fired a missile, right?"
[Of course, that alone wouldn't harm an S-class Monster. But it's enough to send the Monster flying, isn't it?]
"...An S-class Monster?"
[Huhu. No one knows anymore whether it's a villain or a Monster.]
A low laugh came from the other end of the line.
[The news will report that Unjang was the one who was active. A Monster, heavily damaged by Unjang's ultimate technique, fled toward Joseon. What can we do? The Monster has already crossed into Joseon's airspace. We can't break international law, can we?]
"Yes, that's right."
As Monsters began to appear all over the world, and as their corpses and cores became new resources, the world made a single promise.
'The sovereign nation of the territory is responsible for subduing Monsters.'
An international agreement that grants the sovereign right to subdue Monsters within its own territory while excluding interference from other countries. The Hero Association, a transnational organization, naturally protested, but it had no choice but to comply with the agreement due to the ongoing problem of disposing of Monster byproducts.
The branch manager exploited that agreement to push the Monster from China's territorial waters into Korea. Now, the primary responsibility for subduing that blue-haired girl villain, or rather, the S-class Monster, has been passed on to Korea.
"It's been a while since an S-class Monster appeared. Korea is truly blessed."
[If they can hunt it, that is. Heh heh.]
The branch manager smiled along with the CEO's sneer. Eight years ago—in 2012—after the 'Pyongyang Incident' that shook the world, Korea's status in the hero community plummeted.
[Anyway, our Party can't rashly mobilize heroes right now. As you know—]
"Yes. A black scorpion hatchling appeared in the desert."
[That's right. Most of our forces are inland. Fortunately, thanks to our War God taking charge of the coast, we were able to 'drive away the Monster' without any problems.]
There was a brief pause in the conversation. The branch manager, still concerned, opened his mouth to speak.
"By the way, what if Korea manages to hunt down that Phoenix?"
[Don't say such unlucky things. Weren't you the one who devised the strategy of sending an unmanageable Monster toward Joseon to make them beg for our assistance?]
"Yes, that's right. But..."
The branch manager recalled the two S-class heroes in Korea registered in the Hero Association's database.
But what if the two of them joined forces and succeeded in catching that girl—
[Don't talk nonsense. You just need to quietly manage the branch. Isn't it about time you came to the Central?]
"Ah, yes! Yes! That's right!"
[Good. Continue to work hard for the Party in the future.]
Click. As the phone disconnected, the branch manager's body relaxed, and he leaned back in his chair.
"Headache."
As the existence of Monsters became a threat to the world, the status of the Hero Association, the organization responsible for countermeasures, also rose.
What sets China apart from other countries is that the power of the Party, called the Central, especially the 'Monster Management Countermeasures Bureau,' is higher than that of the Association.
'The Association has many heroes, but the Headquarters has the War God.'
Unjang is only one person, but he is currently the strongest in China and a hero to all the people.
The Association wants to register Unjang with the Association at all costs, but the Party is instead trying to seize control of the Association by leveraging Unjang's power.
'It still looks like the Association's connections are stronger...'
He is currently affiliated with the Association, but he is prepared to transfer to the Headquarters at any time. That's why he is currently using his authority as branch manager to delete the combat data of Unjang's battle today.
[Data deletion in progress... 90%.]
The black box installed in the Red Hare's armor. The video containing the battle with the girl was being erased by the branch manager without anyone having a chance to see it.
"But..."
The branch manager grabbed a new cigarette and lit it. The end of the battle video he had played out of curiosity.
Unjang's last action, with the swarm of fireballs embroidering the sky before him, was closer to 'escape' than 'retreat.'
"...There's no way."
For Unjang to be frightened and turn back would be something that would get him dragged away by public security. The branch manager sucked on his cigarette and deleted the video.
* * *
Yeongjongdo, Eulwangri Beach.
Old Man Park took a walk along the desolate beach, now deserted by people, every day.
Everyone in the neighborhood had evacuated to a safe place because it was a dangerous area where Monsters appeared, and even the military had withdrawn, but the old man couldn't leave this neighborhood yet.
"Those damn Monsters."
The old man shivered in the cold sea breeze and turned on the radio.
The telecommunications companies, which had been taking fees like ghosts, cut off the signal as soon as Incheon was occupied by Monsters, and the smartphone he had been using became a brick.
In the end, Old Man Park took out the radio that had been sleeping in the warehouse. Fortunately, the radio's frequency reached this place without any problems.
[...We will now replay the announcement from the Ministry of National Defense spokesman.]
As the announcer's words, filled with fatigue, ended, a man with a solemn voice began to speak.
[The Ministry of National Defense has confirmed that China fired a missile into the West Sea...]
[...That's what the government said. What do you think, Professor Do?]
[No, the Chinese government denies it, doesn't it? Logically speaking, what country fires a missile at a Monster?]
[It's clear that China fired a missile. This is something that the United States has also acknowledged! They definitely fired it!]
[So where did that missile explode? The missile exploded in the middle of the West Sea, but where is the evidence?
Professor Do, who had been sneering, continued with a mocking tone.
[If a missile had really been fired, there would have been an explosion somewhere. But there isn't a single place like that on Earth. Did the surrounding Monsters even get agitated by the missile and start rampaging? As far as this issue is concerned, I think our Ministry of National Defense has made a big mistake—]
[There was an explosion! Hero Unjang fought a Monster off the coast of the West Sea at that time!]
The person representing the Ministry of National Defense interrupted and shouted. He was a former career soldier and currently a hero dispatched from the Association.
[Although Unjang is affiliated with China, he is clearly one of the 12 Heroes, so he would have somehow dealt with the missile fired from his own country—]
[You know yourself that's an absurd claim, don't you? You might as well say the Monster ate the missile.]
"Talking nonsense."
Old Man Park turned off the radio amidst the increasingly heated debate between the two panelists.
"What's the point of military dogs or anything else when the world is in this state?"
The south may be peaceful, but the area that used to border North Korea is a separate hell.
"When I was young, they made a fuss about the communists coming down, but they're all dead, and now only Monsters are coming down like swarms of dogs."
Since the tragedy that occurred in Pyongyang in 2012, so much has changed in this country. Old Man Park recalled the memory of that day at sea—
Kugugugugu--!
"Wh, what is it?!"
The ground is shaking. The intense shaking, enough to make one think it was an earthquake, caused Old Man Park to collapse to the ground.
"A Mo, Monster?!"
Paaaaat---!
Before he could even think of running away, a huge shadow soared from the sea. The shadow of a giant water snake leaping out of the sea. Old Man Park screamed when he saw the identity of that shadow.
"West Sea Weapon?!"
Kuuung!
Why did an A-class Monster living deep in the West Sea appear in a place like this? Before Old Man Park could even think of escaping, the West Sea Weapon slammed its snout into the beach.
"...Mph?"
He had been a fisherman for decades, so he could tell at a glance whether a fish was dead or alive. The same was true for the Monsters that used to be fish, and he sensed the condition of the giant sea dragon-like Monster as soon as he saw its eyes.
"Is it dead?"
There's no way. It was such a cunning creature that it never came out of the sea, so it was practically impossible to capture. But now it was lying on the beach with its tongue sticking out.
Moreover, from the middle of its body, it was tattered as if a bomb had exploded inside, exposing all its hideous flesh.
"Is it my time to die now...?"
The radio was saying that the missile had disappeared or something, and now a sea Monster appeared dead before his eyes. Old Man Park grabbed his throbbing head and got up from his seat, cautiously approaching the West Sea Weapon's corpse—or what he presumed to be its corpse.
"Gulp."
He swallowed hard, grabbed a broken soju bottle from the beach, and walked step by step toward its snout.
About ten steps away.
Jjeo-eok
"Ugh, damn it!"
Startled by the West Sea Weapon's snout suddenly being raised, Old Man Park instinctively threw the broken soju bottle.
The green-tinted weapon spun several times and struck the head of the blue-haired girl who had emerged from the snout.
Thud.
"Uh, uh?"
Her build was similar to that of his granddaughter, who was about to enter high school. However, the Mana barrier that floated above her hair upon colliding with the soju bottle quickly revealed the girl's identity.
"A He, Hero?"
In response to Old Man Park's question, the girl silently crawled out of the West Sea Weapon's mouth. The body revealed beneath the light green veil clinging to her body was so seductive that it would have tempted the old man if he were 10 years younger.
The girl looked blankly at Old Man Park and the West Sea Weapon, then opened her mouth.
"...Kkeueu."
The girl's vision swayed back and forth. Old Man Park rushed to the girl and sat down.
"Are you okay? Did you get eaten while on some kind of raid?"
"Ugh."
The girl suddenly covered her mouth. Old Man Park avoided her, based on his experience.
"Uwaeeeeeeeeeck!!!"
The girl violently vomited seawater from her mouth. The pungent, sour smell made Old Man Park take another step back.
"Mao...."
The girl, her focus returning, reached out her hand toward Old Man Park and said.
"Mao Zedong shi...."
The girl cursed at the current head of China's Monster Management Countermeasures Bureau and collapsed, burying her face in her own vomit.
"......Who's Mao Zedong?"
Old Man Park tilted his head, but still dragged the unconscious girl out of the West Sea Weapon's snout.
Jjigeok, jjigeok.
"Ugh?!"
Old Man Park slipped and let go of the girl's arm as he was pulling her. The girl's head remained buried in the seawater she had vomited, and she was still unconscious.
"Ugh...."
Should I carry her? If I touch her, won't I get into big trouble later? Even as the old man's worries deepened, the girl continued to drool seawater from her mouth while unconscious.
"......How did she end up like this?"
The old man felt sorry and lifted the girl's body. The girl, who was a head shorter than the old man, who was of average height, was much smaller and more petite than his granddaughter.
"Poor thing."
He didn't know the details. She might not be a hero. But Old Man Park's conscience wouldn't allow him to leave the unconscious girl on the beach to be eaten by Monsters.
Even if the world was being destroyed by Monsters, people should help each other, shouldn't they?

"So don't die, just live. I don't want to deal with any more corpses."
The old man carried the girl on his back and trudged home. Perhaps it was from the jostling, but the girl began to regain consciousness, groaning.
"Hngh, uhh...."
"Ah, are you coming to?"
"Uuurgh----"
"........"

Chapter 7

I had a dream.
Azure Flame Phoenix.
The heroine I could only meet after dedicating nearly half of a long year.
The human form revealed on the official website was my ideal type, and I fell in love at first sight.
That Phoenix was flying around with a foolish expression,
Being an unlikeable person to Xiaolin, getting hit by a missile fired from China,
Suppressing her presence as much as possible, only to be mistaken for a minor character by the West Sea Monster and eaten whole.
What is this? The Azure Flame Phoenix I know isn't such an idiot.
'That's because you're an idiot.'
Turning around, Azure Flame Phoenix was making a very displeased expression.
Her blue eyes, looking at me, were mixed with contempt.
'Idiot.'
* * *
"Ugh! No!"
The girl screamed and sat up. The cold sweat flowing down her forehead seemed to show how terrifying the nightmare she had in that short moment was.
"Ah... what kind of dream was that...?"
Feeling as if she had suffered a great wound to her heart, the girl placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.
A light green veil wrapped tightly around her entire body. Coming out of the water, she looked as if she was wrapped in seaweed, and she flicked her finger to create Mana.
Whoosh-
The Mana flowing from her finger wrapped around the veil. The veil, which had been like a long, stretched silk, wrapped around the girl's body like a dress in response to the Mana.
'Azure Flame Veil (Explosion Edition) kind of feel?'
If a dangerous moment comes, she decided to release the veil and run away.
'Anyway....'
It seems someone saved her while she was unconsciously.
'It looks like a very old country house.The wallpaper and door conditions felt like a guesthouse in a remote countryside, but the furniture and items placed inside had a fresh, young girl's taste.
'......It's surprising that I lost consciousness, but.'
She didn't know why she suddenly lost consciousness, but she remembered blowing up the inside of the West Sea Monster and rising to the surface of the water.
After that, her head hurt after the West Sea Monster's head was stuck on the beach. She vomited a lot of water and seeing an old man who found her was her last memory.
'Then is this Grandfather's house?'
With an awkward feeling, she carefully opened the door. The sound of the old hinges scraping echoed in the living room.
The savory smell of rice wafted from the connected kitchen.
"Oh. You're awake?The old man was stirring porridge while wearing an uncharacteristic pink apron.
What should she say? The girl scratched her head for a moment and bowed.
"Th, thank you for saving me."
"Saving you? What can a dying old man do? Other than treating the hero who took down the West Sea Monster.The old man laughed heartily and put the rice cake soup in a bowl and placed it on the table.
"Sit down and eat. Even though I look like this, I've been cooking for 30 years and feeding my son and granddaughter."
"Yes."
The girl sat at the table following the old man's guidance. At the old man's gesture to eat quickly, the girl awkwardly nodded and picked up a spoon.
"I was wondering because of your hair color, but are you Korean?"
"Ah, yes."
"Okay. Koreans need rice to live. But I haven't heard of a hero like you...."
Ah. That's right. The girl took a spoonful of porridge and said with a smile.
"I haven't officially debuted yet. I fell alone during a combat ability test...."
The girl rolled her eyes and continued.
Anyone who knew a little about the industry's trends would realize that most of what she said was full of holes, but unfortunately, the only thing the old man could use to communicate with the outside world was an old radio.
"Oh ho. A young lady who catches the West Sea Monster alone. Following Snow White Princess, another lucky charm has been born in this country. Ehehe!"
The old man poured barley tea into a cup and laughed heartily. The girl just smiled awkwardly and continued to eat rice porridge.
"Have you ever seen Snow White Princess? Our only two in Korea...."
"S-rank hero, right?"
'Snow White Princess'. A hero with the nickname given for her freezing ability and beautiful appearance.
"That's right! Wow. About 5 years ago? I saw her active before I stopped watching TV, and she was really beautiful. She wasn't even an adult yet, but the sight of her sweeping away B-class Monsters was truly-"
"'A fairy dances in a field of ice flowers,' people said."
As the girl put down her spoon and focused on the old man's story, the old man continued excitedly.
"That's right! The power to freeze the Monster group trying to cross from Gangbuk in one blow! It's no exaggeration to say that she is the strongest in Korea-"
The old man waved his hand when he saw the girl's expression turning bitter.
"Ah, no, well! I'm definitely not trying to compare her to 'Light Sword'!"
"It's okay. I'm not really interested in who is stronger between the two."
The girl shrugged and picked up her spoon again. The old man took a sip of tea for a moment and nodded.
"Well, if you survived the West Sea Monster, you're definitely above B-class. You said you haven't registered yet? At least B-class is confirmed, and if you accumulate some achievements, you can become A-class."
"You know a lot about hero ranks?"
When the girl asked in surprise, the old man smiled and pointed to a photo placed at the end of the table.
"My granddaughter studied to become an association employee. Before Incheon became like this, she used to come here often...."
There was a sense of resignation in the old man's eyes. The girl hesitated for a moment and asked carefully.
"Why are you still here, Grandfather?"
"Ah. Are you asking why I'm holding out in a place that has already become Monster territory? I've told my granddaughter to come down to New Seoul more than dozens of times."
The old man laughed heartily and continued.
"...My son went out to sea and went missing."
"Ah."
The girl's expression hardened.
"The guys who went with him somehow came back alive, and they said. A guy like an eel attacked the ship, and that idiot, well."
The old man spoke calmly as if he had heard someone else's story.
"He said that his friend's leg got caught and was about to be dragged into the sea, so he jumped into the sea with a harpoon to save him? That crazy guy saved his friend and sent him back onto the ship."
There was even some pride in the old man's voice.
"He said he had hero talent, but he took over the fishing business.... Anyway, the ship returned to the port, but the person didn't return. That was already seven years ago."
The old man pointed to the oldest photo among the photos. There was a young man who looked exactly like the old man and a high school daughter holding his hand tightly.
"Fortunately, I had saved enough money to send Soyeon to college and get her a job in New Seoul. She said she would earn money, so she told me to pack my bags and come down to New Seoul from this dangerous place. That little kid has grown up! Hahaha!"
The old man stroked a photo of the girl wearing a college hat and laughed loudly.
"Well, thanks to Incheon being in this state, I can't see my granddaughter anymore. She probably thinks I'm dead? Hehe. The old geezer doesn't interfere with her dating anymore, so she should catch a rich man and live well. Cough, cough!"
The girl quickly poured tea into a cup and handed it to the old man.
"Ah, thank you. It's been so long since I've met someone, so I've been talking too much."
"He's alive. Your son."
The girl said in a confident voice. The old man smiled and ruffled the girl's hair.
"You even know how to comfort an old man. Huh? Your parents raised you well. You'll be a good hero."
"It's true."
When the girl showed a slightly sulky expression, the old man nodded as if he understood.
"Thank you for the kind words. But don't you have something you need to do now?"
"Something I need to do?"
At the girl's question, the old man pointed out the window.
"You need to recover that Core."
At the end of the old man's finger was the corpse of the West Sea Monster lying on the beach.
* * *
"Haaaat!!"
The glaive draws an arc and cuts through the air. The blue Mana-infused slash cut through the steel pillar as if cutting through straw.
"Hat!"
With a shout, the glaive drew a new trajectory and cut the steel pillar next to it in half. The upper part slides diagonally.
Slash!
The masked warrior cuts the pillar again,
Slash! Slash!
He cut and cut. The continuous slashes, as if he would cut the entire pillar until it became iron powder, ended as the Mana on the glaive subsided.
"Haa, haa!"
The warrior leaned the end of the glaive on the ground and breathed heavily.
"This is not enough...."
The feeling of fear that he felt for the first time since wearing the mask of the God of War. Even after a day, the blue flames flickered before his eyes.
"---!!"
The glaive, quickly swung horizontally, cut through the blue flames. But it was the remains of the steel pillar that were still there.
"Ah...."
The warrior - Xiaolin - gathered the remaining Mana and took a breath.
"This won't work."
The fear he felt from the enemy. But what twisted Xiaolin's heart even more than that was the laughter of that blue girl, codenamed <Phoenix>, imprinted in his memory.
Puhuhu. Puhuhu.
'She laughed. Definitely.'
She narrowly avoided the slashes and taunted him and Red Hare with homing fireballs. And as if the first attack was just a taste, Phoenix created dozens of fireballs and taunted him.
'Was I afraid?'
To put it coldly, it wasn't that the attack was scary.
What was really scary was the endless amount of Mana that she had left even after creating so many fireballs.
Xiaolin was crushed by the huge Mana that burned infinitely like the sun.
"...Haaaat!"
With a shout, he poured all his Mana into the glaive. The ability to enhance weapons was fully demonstrated, and the entire glaive began to glow blue.
"Heuh, haak!"
The light became even stronger, scraping up to the limit of Mana, but Xiaolin squeezed out even more Mana and put it into the glaive.
'It doesn't reach.'
Even though all the Mana had been recovered for a day, the amount of Mana scraped together to the end did not reach even half of the fireballs that Phoenix had created.
Pabababak!
"Ugh?!"
The glaive, unable to withstand the overloaded Mana, shattered. Broken fragments flew into the hand holding the spear, and red blood flowed.
"This won't work."
Although he fought with Red Hare, the Mana of one's body is Xiaolin's own problem.
The lack of Mana is a clear limitation that Xiaolin has felt for the past few years.
Until now, he had been able to defeat Monsters sufficiently with this small amount of Mana, but after meeting that blue Phoenix, he desperately felt the need to break the limit.
"This, this won't work...."
Change was needed. But there was no one around Xiaolin who could advise him on this situation.
[Xiaolin. It's a call. A press conference has been prepared, so come out of the accommodation in an hour.Xiaolin clenched his blood-stained hand tightly and picked up the green training uniform hanging on one side of the training room.
* * *
The by-products of Monsters include various elements such as their bones and skin, but among them, the most helpful to mankind is the 'Monster Core'.
It plays the same role as the heart, but it is a completely different organ from the heart. A trace of ability that circulates Mana throughout the body.
"In simple terms, it's an organ where the Mana of a Monster is accumulated."
"Who are you talking to?I simply ignored the old man's interference and stood on top of the West Sea Monster's head.
"Now. From now on, I will find the 'Core' from the West Sea Monster's corpse."
"Ah. Is that the broadcast you do on that U-tube or whatever?"
I put my hand on the West Sea Monster's scales and emitted a small amount of Mana. My Mana, flowing through the corpse, wrapped around the entire corpse like a fuse.
"But how are you going to find the Core? With a Monster of this size, I don't think you can do it alone without professional dismantling workers."
"I'm going to burn it all."
Whirrrrr!
"Wh, what?!"
The old man stepped back in surprise. Blue flames rising from the West Sea Monster's entire body began to burn both bones and flesh.
"Ah, what are you doing now that it's a waste?!"
"I only need the Core."

While heroes and humanity might find various byproducts useful, from the perspective of an executive in an evil organization, Monster byproducts are nothing more than troublesome garbage.
What I truly need is only the Core. The ashes rising from the burning scales soared into the sky.
"Ah, found it."
I located the point where the flames consuming my entire body were dying down. Thanks to intentionally minimizing my Mana output, I managed to avoid burning the Core completely.
I ran across the still-burning spine and stopped where the Core was located.
Click.
With a snap of my fingers, all the debris around the Core burned and vanished. Just as the Core, momentarily suspended in the air, was about to fall to the ground due to gravity, I quickly snatched it and held it in my hand.
"T-that's the Core of this thing? That tiny marble?"
"The sizes are all different. Especially for an A-grade like this…"
Oops. Slip of the tongue. I flicked the Core toward the old man.
"Ugh?!"
The old man was startled and tried to catch the Core, but ended up dropping it back on the ground.
"It's okay. It's just a Core."
"My heart isn't okay! Why are you throwing around something worth tens of billions like that!"
"...Tens of billions?"
In the late game, A-grade Monster Cores were so common they were used for marbles. The sudden change in prices made me, who had thrown the Core, feel even more awkward.
"That's right! Just catching a B-grade Monster is enough to turn your life around, but you, miss, just got an A-grade Monster Core! If you take that to the Association, rich people will come running barefoot, offering extra money to buy it!"
"Ah… is that so."
To think something like this is worth tens of billions is simply astonishing.
Not that I have any intention of selling it.
Crackle. Crackle.
It took several minutes for the blue flames to completely burn away the remains of Seohae Weaponry, leaving nothing behind.
I neatly straightened my attire, picked up the Core, and stopped as I was about to put it in my pocket.
'Ah. I don't have pockets.'
In the first place, I had simply wrapped a long veil around myself like a dress.
"Miss. Do you have anything else to wear besides that flimsy outfit?"
"...I guess not."
If I went to the city like this and it slipped off, I'd be labeled a pervert for sure. I need to get to the city center no matter what, but I can't start my otherworld debut with a public indecency charge.
More than anything, I couldn't let other guys see Phoenix's naked body. This body, sculpted by David, is for my eyes only.
"Then take that Core and let's go back to my house. The size should be about right."
The old man roughly scanned my body up and down and turned back toward his house.
I followed behind the old man, fixing the shape of the veil with Mana to prevent it from slipping.

Chapter 8

〈 Episode 8 〉Part 1 Chapter 1 (7)
Damn it. How did I end up in this situation?
I was facing the forbidden object before me, caught in the biggest dilemma of my life.
"Perhaps it doesn't fit? Oh dear. Well, my granddaughter is quite well-endowed."
I barely resisted the urge to flip off Grandpa Park through the wall after his subtly lewd and sexually harassing remark, and instead lifted the thing before me.
I didn't know exactly how to put it on. But after examining it this way and that, I roughly figured it out.
All that remained was to wear it.
"Gulp."
I put it on with more tension than I felt when facing Xiaolin.
'It's a little tight.'
As expected of Phoenix. Grandpa Park's granddaughter was quite large, but Phoenix was a step above.
"Ummm...."
I turned my body this way and that in front of the full-length mirror in the corner of the room. The light sky-blue color, matching my blue hair, clearly covered the important parts.
"I resent that this is a dating sim, just for today. Seriously."
It felt like looking at a beautiful work of art, but the owner of that body was me. I had spent a night with Phoenix in the game, but this was the first time seeing her naked.
'I need to put something on top quickly.'
If I kept this up, I might get a nosebleed from looking in the mirror.
I threw open the box that Grandpa Park had left. The only complete outfit among the clothes his granddaughter had left behind before leaving.
"...God."
I picked up the set of clothes carefully placed in the box and squeezed my eyes shut.
* * *
"Thank you for everything, Elder."
The girl bowed her head and greeted Grandpa Park.
"What for? Thanks to you, I felt like I was living in a human world. Heh heh. Next time, don't get separated from your group and stick together. Don't get eaten by the likes of Seohae Mugi again. Got it?"
"I'll be careful."
The old man didn't know that even if Seohae Mugi ascended to become a dragon, it wouldn't reach the girl's toes.
But every time he saw the girl, he was reminded of his granddaughter who had lost her father, so he couldn't just leave her alone.
Even her subtle actions of trying to take care of the old man while pretending not to.
"Well, if you're okay with it, I'll escort you to the terminal-"
"I told you I'm fine."
The old man waved his hand and made a disgusted face.
"Where would I go, leaving the place I was born? I'll die here. And you know...."
The old man turned his gaze to the sea and continued.
"There should always be someone to welcome my son when he returns, shouldn't there? If he comes home to an empty house, how heartbroken would he be? If I want to receive some filial piety from my son who doesn't even show any, this old man has to wait here. Until someday, until he returns."
"What if a Monster attacks?"
"Then that's the day I return to the sea. Ah. Monsters wouldn't understand, would they? I want to tell them to scatter my ashes in the sea when I die."
"...Unless this world is destroyed, you won't die from a Monster attack."
The girl's voice was filled with conviction. The old man found it somewhat amusing that the girl would sometimes say ridiculous things to comfort him.
"Yeah. Is it because of the clothes? You look just like someone your age."
"Ugh."
The girl glared at Grandpa Park with a sulky expression.
"I'm twenty-five...."
"Alright, alright. Go on now. Don't do anything stupid here and go straight to Shinseoul to register as a hero."
"Yes. I understand."
The girl bowed her head deeply and turned away.
"Stay healthy and live long. Until your son returns."
"This one, really.... Alright. I may not be able to smear poop on the wall, but I'll be alive until I can smack my son's head when he returns. Is that enough?"
The old man shook his head as if he was fed up and went inside.
The girl, Phoenix, stopped smiling and lightly jumped in place.
...
Thump.
She jumped over more than ten buildings with the leg strength enhanced by Mana.
Phoenix, who had hidden in a building that was now no more than a haunted house, roughly wiped the dust off the table and placed the Monster Core in the center.
'Let's see. According to the setting....'
Mana wrapped around the Core like a thread.
Crackle. Crackle.
The Core, which was like a small bead, floated in the air in response to the flame Mana. The flame gradually spread out, taking on a human form.
'I have to do it.'
Phoenix, I took a deep breath, recalling the scene of 'Monster Creation' that the executives did in the original story.
"The sun commands. You, cast off the shackles of the winged beast and be reborn as an intelligent being. I am the one who blesses your birth. I am the one who will take your death. Azure Flame Phoenix."
I gently placed my hand on the Core and infused a little more Mana. The blazing flame became scales like an outer shell, firmly enveloping the entire body.
'Add a piece of veil there.'
I tore off a piece of the veil wrapped around my neck like a scarf and put it into the Core.
The Monster's body shone and began to take on a cyan color. I tried to straighten my curling fingers and thought of any lines that came to mind, adding a few more verses to the incantation.
"You are the one who has set foot in two worlds. You shall become the flame spear that illuminates and protects the world."
The Mana eaten through the Core was Mana, but the consumption of mental strength was no joke. I don't know what the executives in the original story were thinking, doing this ritual live on TV around the world. Don't they have any shame?
I took my hand off the Core and flicked my fingers.
"Appear. My servant."
The end of the incantation. A fierce Mana storm swept through the house.
[......A servant born from Azure Flame greets you. Master.]
Speaking in a voice like a string of electronic sounds, the Monster, no, the Monster Seohae Mugi knelt on one knee.
"Oh. Yes. But you can speak in human language."
"If that is your will, Master."
The mask-like mouthguard opened, and a heavy voice rang out.
Monster.
They are too early to appear in this world, but in the original story, they are villains who gradually reveal themselves. Unlike villains who are heroes who have fallen and commit crimes, they are beings whose reason for living is to kill humans and destroy the earth.
Of course, that's because the spirits who think of themselves as executives of the evil organization made them that way.
I put my hand on the shoulder of the Monster Seohae Mugi and asked.
"What is the reason for your birth?"
"As your servant, I will protect the world according to your orders."
That's why the wording of the incantation is important when creating a Monster. I patted his shoulder and asked again.
"What are you protecting the world from?"
"...Uh, um. Are you protecting the sea? From humans who throw garbage?"
Perhaps because he was originally a fish, his perception of the world has not yet left the sea. I grabbed my throbbing head and stepped away from Seohae Mugi.
'I don't have time to teach him everything. Did I create him for nothing?'
It's a little disappointing that an S-class Monster would show intelligence beyond humans. But it was a waste to discard the first Monster I had created. There was also a role to play.
I should just make something up. I pointed to the ground with my finger and gave an order.
"To protect the world from the threats that will come someday. You will build your strength here in Yeongjongdo. It would be good to become the master of this island."
"Does that mean?"
"There is an A-class Monster in Silmido, south of Yeongjongdo. Kill it and occupy this entire area of Yeongjongdo. And prevent the Monsters coming down from the north from passing through here. If heroes come to defeat you, hide and never get caught. And the humans living in this area..."
"Can I eat them?"
This bastard is interrupting me. I raised my hand and slapped Seohae Mugi's head.
"Leave the humans alone. The 'human race' is also included in the world we will protect in the future. Do you understand?"
"Yes. I understand."
Seohae Mugi fiddled with the dented scales and spread them out.
"But what if I get caught by humans? You seem to want my existence to not be revealed."
"There probably won't be any, but don't ever talk to civilians and just hide. Never get caught by humans. Do you understand?"
I neatly straightened the clothes that were fluttering in the wind and turned around.
"What I said earlier is your code of conduct. The first thing you need to do above all else is-"
I unfolded the photo crumpled in my shirt pocket. There was an old man, a granddaughter, and a smiling young man.
" "
Seohae Mugi was staring at the photo without saying a word. I pretended to be calm and pointed to the old man in the photo.
"Watch over this old man. Do you understand? Occupy Yeongjongdo and defeat the Monster of Silmido while this old man is asleep."
"Yes. But what is the relationship between this human and you, Master?"
Seohae Mugi's voice cracked.
"I am indebted to this human. I can't stay on this island right now, so I want you to repay this debt instead. He is waiting here for his 'son' who was lost a long time ago."
With those words, I pointed in the direction of the old man's house and left the ruins. Seohae Mugi couldn't even think of seeing me off and was staring at the old man's house beyond the window.
"Ah."
The old man, who had just come out to sweep the yard, found me and waved his hand. I glanced at the ruins and raised my hand.
"Stay healthy."
That was all I could say. The old man wouldn't be able to hear it.
" "
Seohae Mugi put his hand on the window and waved his hand.
"This world is a tragic world."
It is known that only plants and animals turn into Monsters.
But sometimes people turn into Monsters. Like in the case of swallowing a Monster Core for some reason.
"...If I had known, I wouldn't have done this."
I grabbed the hands that had blown up Seohae Mugi with Mana and walked along the road.
* * *
The Monster thought.
The order from the master who created him.
A strange order that suppressed even the instinct to kill humans or destroy them as he pleased.
He gave all sorts of strange instructions, but the root of it was the order to watch over that insignificant old man.
The Monster thought.
The order from the creator is absolute.
He, who was already reborn as a Monster, had only inherited the name 'Seohae Mugi' and was born on this land as a completely new being.
But suppressing the instinct to kill and destroy as a Monster, and the order to watch over people,
"Aigoo, my back."
It wasn't bad.
The Monster sat on a tree on a hill overlooking the white sandy beach and observed the old man's every move.
Drip.
Seawater flowed from his eyes. Could it be that the remnants of when he was a sea Monster still remained? But I should be an existence born from the Core.
The Monster wiped away the continuously flowing water and bared his teeth, turning away from the old man entering the house.
Grrr.
A wolf-type Monster hiding in the mountains was lumbering down towards the village. The Monster jumped off the tree and pounced on the wolf's back.
Crack!
The Monster's sharp fist pierced the wolf's chest. At the same time, a small flame burst from the Monster's hand.
The Monster died without even screaming, and the Monster pulled out the clenched heart and jumped back onto the tree.
"......Huh?"
Grandpa Park frowned at the fishy smell of blood. He was very nervous, wondering if Monsters were coming down this far, so he picked up an iron skewer lying on the road and walked forward cautiously.
"......Damn it."
In Grandpa Park's eyes was the corpse of a dead wolf Monster. The Monster had its heart torn out, and was slowly being cooked from the pierced hole.
"Is that kid's doing?"
Grandpa Park's teeth were chattering. If the blue girl had killed all the Monsters around to help him and left, it would be a very big problem for Grandpa Park.
"I saved a Monster."
Grandpa Park crossed his arms and trembled as he went into the house. The Monster was still silently watching the old man enter the house from the tree.
Caw...!

The burning smell of the wolf Monster caused the other Monsters to slowly stir. The Aberrant realized that there were still 'small fries' left that the master hadn't dealt with, and quietly leaped into the air.
Yeongjong Island.
Land that had become a Monster nest.
It was the moment a new ruler appeared on that small island.

Chapter 9

〈 Episode 9 〉 Part 1, Chapter 1 (8)
Incheon International Airport.
Once the largest airport in Korea, it had become a massive dungeon, a haven for Monsters.
After the Pyongyang Incident, the military and the Association tried their best to stop the Monsters coming down from the north.
But people grew weary of the relentless tide of Monsters, and eventually, the capital itself was moved, leaving the islands off the coast of Incheon and the northern part of Gyeonggi Province utterly 'abandoned'.
The old airport, now untouched by human hands. This place was now the Monsters' domain. A demonic realm where even S-class Heroes hesitated to tread.
That place was now being ravaged by a single predator.
Kyakyaooo!
A Monster resembling an eagle lunged forward, its claws gleaming. Its talons, spread wide as if to snatch prey, aimed to seize the opponent's head, but,
Kkaang!
They were deflected by a veil of verdant green. The girl swung the veil, binding the Monster's claws, and the eagle Monster couldn't tear through it. Rather, the Monster's ankle was caught by the girl's dainty hand.
Kwaaang!
"Kyaaaak?!"
The eagle was slammed to the ground, its ankle held fast. The eagle Monster lost consciousness for a moment from the pain of being smashed into the ground hard enough to dent the asphalt.
Seogeok.
That was the eagle Monster's last memory. The opponent sliced off the eagle's head with a sharply grown fingernail on her index finger.
"...Keung."
Purple blood from the Monster splattered on her cheek. The girl, Phoenix, wiped the blood away with a flick of her veil. The veil absorbed the blood like a sponge but didn't lose its original color.
Poouk!
Phoenix plunged her fingernails into the eagle's corpse. The flames that bloomed from her fingertips incinerated the twitching blood and flesh, still stiff from rigor mortis, in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only a Core the size of a baseball.
"Twelfth one."
Phoenix dropped the orb into a sports crossbody bag she had placed on the ground. Inside, it was already filled with things of similar size to the Monster Core she had just put in.
'Is it still not enough?'
Phoenix, with the crossbody bag slung over her shoulder, stepped inside the building, crunching on broken glass.
One of Korea's seven major dungeons. This dungeon, centered around the international airport, was the highest difficulty dungeon in Incheon, even in the original story.
"I told Seohae Weapons to occupy Yeongjong Island, but...."
Phoenix clasped her hands together and shook them out. Already, inside the building, Monsters were beginning to show themselves, their mouths watering in response to the faint Mana Phoenix was emitting.
"There's no problem if I do a little farming on the way, right?"
'I'm their owner, what can they do about it.'
Phoenix swallowed the words in her heart and brought her hands together, then pulled them apart.
Wuoowoong-
Blue flames bloomed from her hands, enveloping Phoenix's fists.
It looked as if she was wearing gauntlets of blazing fire.
Kiaaaaaak!
The closest Monster, sensing an ominous Mana from the flames, leaped forward with a start.
"Heup!"
Just before the tiger-like Monster could swing its massive forepaw, Phoenix ducked down and slipped beneath the tiger Monster, then shot upward, thrusting her fist into the sky.
Barely avoiding the forepaw, her fist reached the Monster's chest, piercing its tough hide and reaching its innards.
Kkeueueueueong?!
The Monster thrashed in the air from the tremendous impact felt in its chest, but Phoenix wiggled her fingers, snatching the Core hidden within its ribs.
"Thirteen."
Phoenix gripped the Core tightly and slammed her remaining fist straight into the Monster. The Monster, its Core torn out, flew through the air and crashed through a window, falling outside.
"Ew. It got on me."
Purple Monster blood splattered on her clothes. Phoenix pulled at her veil and rubbed it over her clothes, and the veil greedily sucked up the Monster's blood.
"It's a gift, so I shouldn't get it dirty."
She had swallowed her pride and somehow managed to wear it, but she planned to buy new clothes as soon as she entered Seoul. Until then, she had to make do with this one outfit.
"So, why don't we fight like gentlemen?"
Phoenix smiled sweetly, but the Monsters still showed hostility. At that sight, Phoenix wore an even deeper smile, not at all intimidated.
'As expected, this output is just right.'
If she revealed too much, the whole world would be put on alert, and if she hid too much, she would be eaten by Seohae Weapons.
So, she adjusted her output to emit just the right amount of Mana.
B-class Monster Phoenix. Since Monsters didn't exist in this world, she would be called B-class Villain Phoenix. Anyway, considering the actions she would be taking in the future, she was a million light-years away from being a Hero.
'I'm one of the executives of an evil organization anyway, so what.'
In response to the Monsters, who bared their teeth and claws and lunged at her, Phoenix clenched her fists.
"I'm in a bad mood today, you know?"
Phoenix shouted, throwing off the veil she had been wearing like a scarf.
"So, I want to relieve a little stress...!"
Honestly, she hadn't been able to properly gauge her strength against the tutorial boss. Therefore, she needed to figure out the 'right amount to control her strength' while living in this world.
Phoenix unleashed her surging Mana.
"Come on, you combat power measuring devices! I'm going to strip your flesh and blood and build a building in Seoul with my name on it!"
The Monsters charged all at once.
Kuoowoong!
A massive pillar of blue flame erupted in Incheon Airport.
* * *
Even though Incheon had been occupied by Monsters, its infrastructure was still functioning.
The long front line stretched from Wolmido to Gimpo Airport. In the past, the 38th parallel was the front line with North Korea, but now, northern Incheon had become the front line with the Monsters.
As a result, most of those living in Incheon and the Seoul metropolitan area packed their bags and fled to the safer south. What drove the final nail into the coffin of this exodus was the relocation of the capital to New Seoul.
In the end, those who remained in Incheon were either those who had not yet been able to flee, or the hunters who came to hunt the Monsters that appeared in Incheon.
"Madam! Get your luggage down!"
"Please, let me! I can't go without that!"
"Then get off! Other people are waiting!"
A quarrel between a terminal employee and a passenger was in full swing. Despite its small size of only 28 seats, people were scrambling to get tickets for the bus to New Seoul, which ran only twice a day.
"It's really a mess. Really."
"Everyone's just trying to survive, what can you say."
The ticket office employees sipped on vending machine coffee in paper cups with bitter faces. The woman, who stubbornly clung to her bundle, was eventually forcibly removed by the security guard the employee had called.
"No, no! My daughter is waiting! I promised to go down today!"
"Take a new number! Next! Is number 1925 here!"
"Here!"
As soon as his number was called, a man with a haggard face pulled out his ticket and ran towards the bus. The woman, with superhuman strength, pushed past the security guard and clung to the man's pants leg.
"Please! I'll leave my luggage! So please!"
"Let go! It's overweight! You had the slowest number, you should have left your luggage and boarded!"
The man kicked at the woman's hands and boarded the bus. He tried to hide his flushed face and avoid the gazes of others.
"No, no! No!"
While the woman was gathering the bundles that had rolled onto the floor, the bus doors closed. The hand that tried to catch the bus was blocked by the security guard, and the woman stared blankly at the departing bus before collapsing on the spot.
"Euheoheo, euheoeoheo."
Leaving the woman crying as if the world had ended, those gathered at the terminal platform scattered one by one. No one comforted the woman.
The world was too harsh to even talk about compassion. The ticket office employee clicked his tongue at the bitterness of the overly sweet sugar coffee.
"I wonder how the world is going to turn out now...."
"We have to trust the Heroes. Thanks to them, this neighborhood is still safe, right?"
"Yeongjong Island got wrecked, though."
Although the military had retreated from the front line, the Hero Association was maintaining it to the end.
In the case of Incheon, they had long since given up the Gimpo area and Yeongjong Island, and solidified the defense line by cutting off the Yeongjong Bridge and the Incheon Bridge.
"Who would have known that the Han River would become the border between humans and Monsters."
It was absurd to use the expression 'border' to describe the boundary with the Monsters, but that was how much South Korea was at 'war' with the Monsters coming down from the north.
"Anyway, it's all because of those North Korean bastards. If they hadn't stupidly detonated that nuke...."
"Seonbae, do you believe the government's announcement?"
The Hubae employee lowered his voice.
"North Korea accidentally detonated a nuke while handling it? And as a result, the Monsters are fleeing from the effects of the radiation? ...Seonbae, you must have heard something, right."
"Hey. Watch your mouth. I'm letting it slide because it's me, but if you get caught by the 'Pine Tree Unit', you could disappear without a trace."
"I don't own a car. And I don't eat ramen."
The Seonbae employee sighed, watching the Hubae employee jokingly zip his lips.
"...Hey. Honestly, you want me to believe the story that they sent Heroes to assassinate the North Korean leadership, and Kim Jong-il detonated the nuke to survive?"
"Oh. Seonbae, do you support the assassination theory? I think the North Koreans were trying to raise Monsters, and the government sent a special forces unit, and that Monster went berserk."
"Either way."
Officially, the government attributed the cause of the Pyongyang Incident to 'North Korea's self-destruction due to failure to manage its nukes', but there were all sorts of gossip about the real cause.
"Anyway, stop talking nonsense and get to work. Don't let strange rumors spread and get you taken away. You need to leave Incheon too, right?"
"Hehe. That's true."
The two employees stopped talking as they saw a user approaching the window.
"......."
A girl with blue hair wearing a translucent turquoise scarf. The beautiful girl, who even exuded a mysterious atmosphere, was staring at the bus schedule with her arms crossed without saying a word.
"Uh, um? Student? Do you need something?"
At the Seonbae employee's words, the girl quietly turned her gaze and sighed.
If the Hubae employee's memory was correct, the clothes the girl was wearing were definitely the uniform of a high school on the outskirts of Incheon.
"...I'm trying to go to Seoul."
At the girl's words, the employees looked at each other with an expression that said, 'Here it comes,' and pointed to a corner of the terminal.
"If you want to go to New Seoul, you have to get a number over there."
In the direction the employee pointed, the middle-aged woman who had been causing a ruckus earlier was walking listlessly, looking as if she had lost the world, and receiving a number ticket.
Number of people waiting: 4930.
"...I'm sure you know that there are only six buses a day to New Seoul, right? That's why the government ordered us to sell bus tickets on a numbered basis."
Considering that an average of about 200 people could leave Incheon for New Seoul per day, it was an absurd number of people waiting, but there was nothing they could do.
"The maximum amount of luggage you can bring per person is 15kg. If you don't board 30 minutes before your turn's departure time, your turn will be passed on to the next person.... There are a few other regulations, but the details are listed at the number ticket issuing place, so please go and check there."
It was too much of a hassle to explain the regulations one by one now. The employee pointed to the number ticket machine and lowered his head again.
"......Seonbae, Seonbae!"
When the Hubae called out in a small voice, the Seonbae employee raised his head with a frustrated expression.
"......."
The blue-haired girl was tilting her head with a puzzled expression. The employee preemptively pulled out the second countermeasure out of the five countermeasures for such cases.
"If you're looking for a bus to a nearby regional city, there aren't any. All the intercity and express buses have been destroyed, so the buses that are currently running are barely moving with Heroes on board...."
"No."
The girl shook her head, interrupting the employee's words.
"Seoul."
"So, the bus to New Seoul is... huh?"
The employee asked back with a dumbfounded voice. The girl pointed to a faded spot on the map in front of the window and said.
"I'm trying to go to Seoul."
The employee was momentarily speechless. Where did she say she was going? Seoul? A place more like hell than Incheon, where Monsters appeared more often than homeless people?
When the Seonbae employee lost his words, the Hubae employee approached and answered with an awkward smile.
"I'm sorry, ma'am."
The employee shook his head.
"There are no buses to Seoul. You could all die on the way."

Chapter 10

〈 Chapter 10 〉Part 1 Chapter 1 (9)
"Wow. How can there be no bus to Seoul?"
I picked up a newspaper that was lying around on the terminal's rooftop and examined it. The newspaper was full of all sorts of news, especially information about 'Monsters' and 'Heroes.'
'I need to get a smartphone quickly.'
In an information society, there's nothing more out of touch than being disconnected from the electronic world. Isn't the 21st century a modern society where the world changes overnight in just a short year?
"But this place is...."
I scanned my surroundings. Overall, it had the typical appearance of a developed modern city, but here and there, there were traces of destruction from the aftermath of battles.
The city is dying.
If a metropolitan city right next to Seoul is in this state, it was obvious what the other cities would be like.
'There are even places where Monsters have nested in city hall.'
Fortunately, Incheon was in a better situation because the Association's Heroes were stationed there, using the city hall as a base. Of course, at the start of the original story, they wouldn't be able to hold out any longer, and Incheon would also become Monster territory.
'Five years left?'
The newspaper's publication date was April 3, 2020.
Assuming this is today's newspaper, there are about five years left until the start of the original story.
'It's going to be tighter than I thought.'
It wasn't the worst-case scenario—the original story already having started—but five years wasn't as long as I thought.
The start of the original story is definitely in the spring of 2025. Unless something special happens, the original story will definitely begin then.
'I have to recover all the fragments and find a way for me to survive.'
I'm newly amazed at the protagonist's extraordinary abilities. During the one year of the original story—actually, about 10 months—the protagonist gained wealth, power, and love, and also saved the world.
'If I had my way, I'd just let it flow according to the original story....'
No matter how much of a protagonist he is, the foundation of this world is a dating sim. There are correct 'choices,' and you have to follow the correct route to reach the true ending.
In the game, I played as the protagonist, but now I'm not the protagonist but an evil executive A who sacrifices for the protagonist.
'If necessary, I might have to raise the protagonist myself.'
Becoming a Princess, no, a Hero Maker. I neatly folded the newspaper and got up from the chair.
"......?"
Suddenly, a shadow falls over my head.
"Student. I heard you're looking for a bus to New Seoul?"
Suddenly, a slender, blonde young man appeared with a friendly smile. His skin was slightly tanned, as if he had been sunbathing at the beach.
'What's this bastard?'
I tried to ignore him and pass by, but I changed my mind and responded to the man.
"Yes. I have some business in New Seoul...."
"Did you get a number? Let's see. Ugh. In the 5000s? No way. It'll take at least three months, no matter how early you are."
"Oh, really?"
I asked again as if I didn't already know, and the man patted my shoulder and smiled brightly.
Should I just cut him off?
"Yeah! Thousands of people say they want to go down to New Seoul every day. You saw it, didn't you? That Unni was kicked off earlier and was crying and making a fuss."
The man lowered his voice.
"So, we have vehicles to New Seoul for those unfortunate people...."
"Isn't that illegal?"
I interrupted the man, and his eyebrows twitched slightly. But the man shrugged.
"If the country says so, it's illegal, right? But come on. Are they really going to shoot people who came down because of the Monster damage? We're all Koreans, right?"
That's true. They won't shoot. They won't shoot.
"I won't force you if you're a good kid from the new country who upholds the law. But student. Among the guys running vehicles to New Seoul in this neighborhood, I can give you the cheapest price."
His appearance of smiling brightly while pinching his thumb and forefinger was ridiculous, and I snickered inwardly. Of course, I pretended to be full of caution on the outside.
"...Are you really going to New Seoul?"
"Yeah! If you have just a little bit of money. In that sense, student, how much do you have right now?"
I took out the bills I had stuffed in my pocket. Two King Sejong bills that Grandpa Park gave me for travel expenses.
"This is all I have...."
"Ah. That's a problem. It's nowhere near enough."
The young man subtly scanned my body up and down. I thought about gouging out his eyes, but I was startled by my own cruelty and calmed myself down.
Just the thought of him looking at my lovely angel Phoenix with lecherous eyes.
"Is, is there any way?"
"There is a way, but student. Do you have parents? Or a guardian?"
"...I have a cousin Unni in New Seoul. I don't have parents."
When I said that in a tearful voice, the man looked sympathetic. But his sunken eyes were full of lust.
The man scratched his head as if he was troubled and grabbed my wrist, leading me away.
"I have no choice. Let's go for now. I'll try to plead and ask-"
"Excuse me."
I smiled, grabbing the hand that was tightly holding my wrist.
"Who said it was okay to touch me?"
"What?"
The man frowned for a moment with a dumbfounded expression.
I just gave him a soft smile and then
Thwack!
I let go of the hand holding my wrist and kicked him.
Crack
""
With the sound of something precious being crushed, the man collapsed to the floor without even screaming.
"Seok-pil!!"
"This crazy bitch?!"
One by one, the men who had been hiding behind the door appeared and supported the blonde young man who was foaming at the mouth.
'Since when did they notice?!'
'From the beginning.'
'How! The plan was perfect?!'
I could already see this conversation unfolding.
I sighed inwardly and just looked at the blonde young man with pitiful eyes.
'Blonde hair and tanned skin, it's 100% a Hitomi angle.'
To be clear, the foundation of this world is not an open-world RPG or a post-apocalypse, but a 19+ dating sim.
It's a world full of all sorts of 19+ tags, not a 100% pure love story. You can't survive without rolling your eyes intensely.
"I'd rather wait than follow people who might do something to a penniless high school girl. I'm going to call the police."
Now. Let's unleash the flames of justice (public power) towards the thugs who dared to covet Phoenix's sacred body-
"Hey, you crazy bitch! If you don't have money, ask your cousin Unni to send you some!"
"Huh?"
In the eyes of the colleague supporting the unconscious blonde young man, I felt a sense of injustice.
"Um...what happened?"
A woman appeared from the bottom of the stairs with a bundle. She was the one who had been forcibly kicked off the bus earlier.
"N, Noona. Just a moment. Right now, Seok-pil is...."
"Gasp?! Wake up!"
In the terminal's passageway, a man was lying on a chair, screaming silently. I could only stand by their side, fumbling around without saying anything.
"T, This isn't it...."
I wiggled my fingers and looked up at the sky.
The sky was clear without a single cloud.
* * *
"Nice to meet you. Student. My name is Kim Sang-ah."
The middle-aged woman who introduced herself as Kim Sang-ah took out a business card from her wallet as if it were a habit and handed it to me.
The words 'Law Firm Raon, Attorney Kim Sang-ah' were beautifully engraved on the gold-plated business card.
"You're a lawyer? But...."
Kim Sang-ah smiled bitterly at my surprised question.
"You saw something you shouldn't have, right? I'm sorry. This is really precious."
Kim Sang-ah took out an album from her bundle.
"It's my ex-husband and daughter. After the divorce, my husband went down to his hometown of Busan. My daughter is with her dad now."
"Are you going to New Seoul perhaps...."
Kim Sang-ah nodded.
"Yes. Before Pyongyang was destroyed, my daughter's dad took her to see Busan for a while. Since then, she's been living in Busan."
Kim Sang-ah's hand, which was stroking the photo, was full of calluses, making it hard to believe she was a lawyer.
"...Then I thought Incheon wouldn't be safe anymore, so I decided to go down there. I feel bad for my ex-husband, though."
"I see."
Unlike New Seoul, it would be difficult for a lawyer to earn money as before in a neighborhood where Monsters were rampaging for three days and nights.
Judging by her shabby clothes, she probably hadn't worked as a lawyer for almost a year and had been doing odd jobs. Then she ran out of money and was going to rely on her ex-husband.
"So...what brings you to New Seoul, student? Are you also evacuating?"
At Kim Sang-ah's words, I told the background I had set up in advance.
"My cousin Unni works in New Seoul."
"What about your parents?"
"......."
"...I'm sorry. I misspoke."
It was convenient that if I pretended to have a story, they would misunderstand on their own. Is this the power of a school uniform?
"But your hair color is very unique. Are you perhaps a Hero?"
Kim Sang-ah smiled brightly and tried to continue the conversation.
Well, she would. Anyone would be uneasy being alone in a shabby office that looked like it was straight out of a gangster movie. It might be that she was trying to ease that anxiety by chatting like this because I was there.
"It's dyed."
"Ah, I see. The color is the same as your eyebrows, so I thought you had awakened as a Hero. Princess Snow White's hair is also the color of white snow."
"I guess so."
It's a common story that the color of a Hero's body hair changes under the influence of their power after awakening their abilities. Thanks to that, my blue hair was a bit noticeable, but not to the point of being particularly strange.
"Hero awakening."
Grandpa Park mistook me for a Hero. The thought of registering as a Hero and becoming active briefly crossed my mind.
"Ah. Do you also want to become a Hero, student?"
"...It's better to have power, after all. In this crazy world."
Kim Sang-ah took a sip of green tea and nodded.
"That's right. The world is no longer a place where everything can be solved with money like before. Do you know how Heroes are treated in the United States or Europe?"
"Human butchers managed by the state?"
I recited the same answer that the protagonist chose in the original story. Kim Sang-ah wagged her index finger with a condescending look.
"Idols. Superstars. Idols. Surpassing all of that, they are literally the 'Heroes' of humanity. You need to have a little more sensitivity."
I almost argued, wondering why she was picking a fight with someone she had just met, but I held back.
"I guess so. Sensitivity."
"That's right. The more desolate the world is, the more we need to share love for humanity between people...."
"Excuse me. Can I ask you something?"
I deliberately interrupted Kim Sang-ah. Kim Sang-ah had a rather unpleasant look on her face, but I didn't care at all and asked.
"How should I live as a person in this desolate world?"
"......That's a really sudden question."
When Kim Sang-ah fell into thought, I made the situation a little more specific.
"For example, like this. When all I have is my body, but the world is too hard to live in. How would you want to survive in this crazy world, Attorney?"
"Well. ...It seems to coincide with my situation."
Kim Sang-ah hugged her bundle with a self-deprecating look.
"If it were me, I wouldn't care about the means or methods. I'd use any means to go through New Seoul and down to Busan. To where my daughter is."
"......Hmm."
"Ah. Just so you don't misunderstand, I'm clearly saying that I'll do it within the legal framework. Would I ever violate the law? I'm a lawyer, right?"
"I see."
I turned my head to the window and closed my mouth. Kim Sang-ah seemed anxious and tried to talk to me, but I ignored her and kept my eyes on the window.
'Without caring about the means or methods.'
Does that include committing inhumane crimes? I wanted to ask that outright, but I decided to hold back.
'I'll find out soon anyway.'
Kim Sang-ah and I silently waited for them in the office that the young men had led us to. Whether they were really a group of brokers going to New Seoul, or whether it would be the first case showing the dark side of this rotten world.
'I don't care either way.'
"Because I can just kill them all if they piss me off."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, I was just talking to myself. Don't worry about it."

I waved my hand at the surprised Kim Sang-ah to reassure her. Kim Sang-ah was slowly scooting away from me on the sofa, widening the distance between us.
"So, the student is also an esper...?"
Bang.
The office door burst open. I glanced briefly at Kim Sang-ah, then smiled gently at the young men entering the door.
"I've been waiting."
I really have.

Chapter 11

〈 Episode 11 〉 Part 1 Chapter 1 (10)
"Oops. Sorry I'm late!"
The door opened, and a young man entered carrying a box. Behind him, a blond youth—Seokpil—entered with a pale face, glaring at me.
"........"
"........"
I felt a chill from his gaze and subtly turned my head away.
"Hey, you. Young man? It was a situation where misunderstandings could easily arise, so please understand."
Kim Sang-ah stroked Seokpil's hand and patted his shoulder. Seokpil entered the room with a hunched back and stood awkwardly, then sighed deeply so that everyone in the room could hear.
"...500,000 won to New Seoul."
"What? Wait a minute. Didn't you say it was 150,000 won earlier?"
Kim Sang-ah's face showed embarrassment. Indeed. He started with a low price and then exploited desperation to rip them off.
The young man next to Seokpil blocked Kim Sang-ah, smiling with a friendly demeanor.
"Calm down, Madam. You know this business has various behind-the-scenes aspects, right? I just got a call from friends in New Seoul, and they said the military and police movements have become a bit strange. Like they're looking for something."
"Probably looking for a murderer."
Seokpil said sarcastically. I sipped my tea without a word. It was a cheap tea bag in a paper cup.
"...Hmm."
One sip.
"No, still, raising the price more than double suddenly... We're not digging up the ground to do business either. We told you, we only take enough to make a living. The 350,000 won isn't just for our profit. It's because we really need that much more for expenses. To get into New Seoul through the back door, we have to bribe a lot of people."
"But that kid doesn't have any money."
Seokpil said sarcastically, and the young man next to him cautioned Seokpil and waved his hand at me.
"Ah, haha! Student! This friend is narrow-minded, so please understand! Hey, you bastard, you started the business because you felt sorry for him, and now you're ruining the deal?"
"I don't know. Who knew he was someone who'd go around castrating other people's balls."
"Hey!"
Seokpil and the young man argued. Meanwhile, Kim Sang-ah seemed to have made a decision and rummaged through her wrapping cloth, taking something out.
"...It's pure gold. Would this work?"
On Kim Sang-ah's palm, a golden ring sparkled. The size, glancing at it, was just right for Kim Sang-ah's ring finger.
"Well, we do take cash, but..."
Seokpil's eyes gleamed. After exchanging signals with the young man, Seokpil stood up awkwardly.
"We guys don't know if it's real. Let's go to a jeweler we know nearby. It could be a scam."
"S-Scam?! I'm a lawyer with an office, even though I look like this-"
"Let's go."
As Seokpil left, Kim Sang-ah hesitated, grabbed her wrapping cloth, and followed Seokpil out.
"...Haha. Sorry. He's a bit petty."
The young man smiled and sat across from me. I stared at the young man for a moment and then put the paper cup to my lips.
"........"
The young man's eyes went back and forth between my lips and the half-empty paper cup.
Well, Phoenix is kind of pretty. With looks surpassing most celebrities and wearing a 'high school girl's uniform,' it was understandable that he'd be excited. I was too, after all.
"Anyway, you heard the price. 500,000 won. The money you have now is..."
"20,000 won."
"Right. 20,000 won. Even if it were a charity, we'd be at a loss. Even after taking what we get from that lawyer lady."
The young man took out a Bacchus drink from the table and opened the cap.
"Unless you have something you can exchange for money, student, cough. We can't do it just like that. Our business is always 100% prepaid."
"Then what should I do?"
At my question, the young man flipped over a piece of paper scattered on the table as if he had been waiting for it.
"Haa..."
I clutched my head with one hand and snatched the paper.
"'Contract,' huh."
"Well, yeah. It just means you'll repay the missing amount with labor."
The young man glanced at his wristwatch and waved his arms around, making excuses.
"Ah, it's not the kind of weird thing you're thinking! You know the fast food restaurant in front of the terminal? That's Seokpil's place, and you'll work there for the amount you're short."
The young man seemed thirsty and chugged the Bacchus again.
"We can only give you the minimum wage. You only have to work eight hours a day. If you change your mind and quit in the middle, we'll pay you for the hours you worked."
I sank into the chair. The veil wrapped around my scarf covered up to my nose.
"What about sleep? I don't have a place to stay right now."
"What? ...Uh, I think you'll have to talk to Seokpil about that. If you talk to him well, he might let you sleep at the store."
"Hoo..."
I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Heh. Hehehe."
Ah, I can't take it anymore. I struggled to hold back the giggles that were leaking out and pulled the veil up even tighter.
"Well, okay. If I don't have money, I'll have to work to earn it. So how much do I have to work?"
"Uh. Since we're paying you the minimum wage...you'll have to work for about a week? I'm not good at calculations either."
The young man glanced at his watch again. I even felt sorry for him and covered my face with the contract.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
I lowered the contract to about the bridge of my nose and glared at the young man.
"How many idiots have fallen for this so far?"
"...What?"
The young man's expression hardened. I grabbed the ends of the contract with both hands and tore it in half the other way.
Rip-
"No, I mean, how many have you scammed like this? Even kids don't fall for this these days. This isn't the 80s."
"What are you talking about-"
"Why do you keep looking at your watch?"
At my words, the young man's actions stopped momentarily.
"This is, well, business-wise-"
"Why? Is it weird that I'm still awake when the drug should be kicking in?"
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
"Did you put the drug in the water? Or the tea bag? Ah, did you smear it on the paper cup? Change your methods. How were you planning to drug me if I didn't even take a sip of water?"
* * *
Kim Sang-ah instinctively hugged her bundle and looked around.
"Um, are you sure this is the right way?"
The further she walked following Seokpil out of the office, the deeper she went into dark alleys. Dark alleys where no one would come even if she screamed.
"We're here."
Seokpil glanced back and opened an old iron door and went inside.
'What should I do?'
Sang-ah, left alone in the alley, was lost in thought.
Her instincts were telling her of danger, but her reason was speaking.
If she didn't follow that young man inside, there was no way to get to Busan where her daughter was. More time would be wasted waiting aimlessly.
"......Right. The world isn't that harsh yet."
Sang-ah took a deep breath and took out a self-defense electric shocker from her bundle and followed Seokpil inside.
Squeak-
The heavy gray iron door opened, revealing a small room. Across from Seokpil was a middle-aged man polishing a watch intently.
"What are you trying to do again?"
"Just want to check a ring."
Sang-ah sighed in relief and bowed her head to the middle-aged man.
"Ring."
The man held out his hand without a word. Sang-ah placed the small ring on his thick hand.
"...Wedding ring, huh?"
The man's voice rose. Sang-ah couldn't meet his eyes and just kept her head down.
"Well. Who in this world doesn't have a story?"
The man examined the ring this way and that without a word. He turned it this way and that in the light and checked it on a device, then picked up Kim Sang-ah's wedding ring again.
"Seokpil-ah. It's genuine."
"Oh, really?"
Seokpil welcomed the man's words and straightened his posture. Sang-ah fidgeted with her fingers and asked the man.
"Uh, how much is it?"
"Around this much...300,000?"
Ah. Sang-ah's face contorted. There was nothing else worth selling among the items in her bundle now.
The man chuckled at Sang-ah's expression and said.
"Don't be so disappointed. I'm in a very good mood today, so I'll give you 50,000 won more."
The man smiled broadly and took out cash from the safe. Seokpil counted thirty-five notes of King Sejong, licking his fingers as he did so, and grinned.
"Thank you every time. This fills it up perfectly."
"Yes. Thank you so much. Really, just-"
Sang-ah's body froze momentarily.
She had become desensitized after working hard for over a year, but at this moment, the instincts of a first-rate lawyer were sounding an alarm.
She was short 350,000, and it was filled up with exactly 350,000 won? You're thinking that's a coincidence right now?
As Sang-ah fumbled for her back pocket with a hardened expression, the man approached with the ring.
As expected. Seeing the man's thick hand approaching her, Sang-ah raised her right hand to the hidden electric shocker.
Just as she was about to shock the man with electricity if he tried anything funny.
"Why are you so scared?"
The man picked up Sang-ah's left hand and put the ring on her ring finger.
"Huh?"
"Why are you so surprised? It's a wedding ring, right? No matter how short you are on money, you shouldn't sell your wedding ring."
The man said brusquely and flicked the forehead of Seokpil, who was focused on counting the money.
"Hey, Ddongpil. No matter how greedy you are, you shouldn't rip off a married woman's wedding ring."
"Ah! Hyung! How was I supposed to know she was married?!"
"Shut up, you punk."
Watching the two men bickering, Sang-ah sighed in relief. Right. Even if the world was dirty and difficult, it didn't mean she had to despair completely.
"Oh, right. Since we met, nice to meet you. I'm Park Ho-cheol."
The man, Park Ho-cheol, held out his right hand. Sang-ah smiled and shook his hand. Ho-cheol's thick hand was full of warmth.
"I'm Kim Sang-ah."
"Kim Sang-ah. Sang-ah, huh. What a pretty name."
Ho-cheol grabbed Sang-ah's arms, made eye contact, and grinned.
* * *
The young man jumped up from his seat. At the same time, the door burst open, and thugs slowly entered the room.
"What happened?! The drug isn't working at all!"
"I told you. This kid seems to have really quick senses."
"No! Right now! Can't you see here?! He definitely drank the drug!"
The last thug who entered locked the door.
I turned my head and checked beyond the tinted glass window.
Indeed. Burglar bars were installed so that even if the window was broken, I couldn't escape outside.
"Aren't you going to answer? I'm really curious how many people have sold their bodies with this shallow method."
"Listen to this little brat talk."
One of the thugs with a shaved head smiled, clenching his fist.
"Hey. Do you even know what kind of situation you're in right now?"
"Why wouldn't I? You're roughly trying to drug women with sleeping pills and then rape them, right?"
The young man and the thugs' expressions contorted at my calm words.
"...Hey, kid."
"Why."
The bald man pushed the young man away and sat across from me. His breath was almost touching me.
"If I answer, will you answer one of my questions? I'm so dumbfounded right now."
"I wouldn't mind answering several, not just one."
The thug scoffed and beckoned to the young man.
"Hey. How many has this kid made, including this one?"
"...69 in total. Hyung."
"Wow. Amazing."
I was genuinely surprised.
"No, 68 people fell for this ridiculous method?"
"Listen to this little brat talk..."
It was a funny situation where everyone was dumbfounded. I pointed to the door leading outside and asked the thug.
"Is that lawyer lady from earlier also in on it?"
"No. That lady is going to get laid by Seokpil and the others...What am I even saying. Hey."
The bald man got up from the sofa and crossed over the table. His breath was almost touching me.
"Now let me ask you one thing. What are you relying on to be so cocky?"
"........"
I quietly raised my finger and conjured a flame over the thug's face.
Whoosh.
The bald man was startled and pulled his face back.
"Relying on this?"
A fireball spun around following my finger. The thugs who saw my flame each took a step back and were laughing.
"Huh?"
"Yeah. So that's all you've got, huh?"

The body of Shoulder, whose eyebrows were almost singed, began to swell. The bodyguards beside him cheered Shoulder on as his already massive frame doubled in size.
"Hyung-nim! You have to take it easy!"
"Don't break his arm like last time! My dream was to get a handjob from a high school girl!"
"Uwaaaaaah."
I cast a contemptuous glance at the youth who was so openly revealing his true nature, and then met the eyes of the Baldy, whose head was now touching the ceiling.
"Uh, time out? Can I have a moment to think?"
"Too late, you bitch."
Baldy's fist rushed toward me.

Chapter 12

<text>Chapter 12 Part 1 Section 1 (11)
[Villains]
These are the villains who have awakened the abilities of heroes, but they use those abilities solely for their own gain.</text> There are many villains around the world who live hiding their awakened abilities. If you discover a villain, please call the association's reporting number 17539 immediately!

-Tips for games that are helpful to read. 164.]

A fist slammed into his face.
Kwaaaang!
A straight punch that created a gale inside the office. He had long since sent several Monsters to their graves with this fist.
But for the first time, that fist was blocked.
Whoo-oong-
The veil around the girl's neck had risen up and was blocking the bald man's fist.
"D-Deokbae Hyung?!"
The goons around him shouted the name of the man who threw the punch. Deokbae blushed and pulled his shoulder back.
It wasn't just a simple punch, but a full-force punch that put the power of his shoulder and waist into it. It was a fist that could shatter a C-rank Monster in one blow, and it looked like it would crush the girl's head.
But the fist didn't even scratch the girl, let alone penetrate the veil.
Koo-oooong!
"Aaaaargh!"
Deokbae clutched his shattered fist and collapsed onto the sofa.
"W-What?"
The goons beside him could only be bewildered. The sight before their eyes was the unbelievable moment when Deokbae was pushed back by that thin piece of cloth and his fist was shattered.
The girl, Phoenix, lowered the veil covering her face and crossed her legs.
"So, just stay still for a bit. I'm thinking right now."
"You monstrous bitch?!"
One of the men raised a golf club and swung it at Phoenix's head.
Clang!
Likewise, the golf club was bent by the veil that had been pulled up to the back of her head. The man dropped the golf club and collapsed, his grip tearing in pain.
"Kkeueoeoeok!"
"V-Villain?!"
The young man was terrified and pressed himself against the corner of the office.
As far as he knew, there were no high school girl heroes with blue hair in Korea.
But there were no such villains in this neighborhood either. After all, their boss, Deokbae, was the villain who had a tight grip on this area.
"No. I'm not a villain. Ah. Should I just say I'm a villain?"
While Phoenix was frowning and deep in thought, Deokbae, who had regained his senses, stood up again, clenching his fist.
"Kuaaaaaak!"
The fist he threw with a roar was aimed at Phoenix's abdomen like lightning. It was faster than the movement of the veil.
Thud.
Phoenix's small hand blocked Deokbae's fist. Phoenix slightly gripped Deokbae's fist with the tips of her fingers like a hook, as if holding a basketball.
"Aaaaargh!!"
Deokbae screamed in pain. Phoenix laughed in disbelief and let go of his hand.
"For someone so big, you sure are dramatic."
Phoenix picked up a paper cup with half of its contents remaining and threw it towards the entrance.
Whoosh! Thwack!
The paper cup that cut through the air grazed the bridge of the man's nose who was trying to escape through the door and embedded itself in the wall. Concrete debris fell from the wall where the Mana-infused paper cup was embedded.
"Ugh, heoeok."
The man whose nose had been cut couldn't even make a sound and collapsed to the floor. His crotch became damp and began to emit a pungent smell.
"Tsk."
Phoenix frowned for a moment, then closed her eyes.
"...I was really trying to live quietly."
Phoenix got up from the sofa and squatted down in front of the man who had wet himself.
"Hey. I have something to ask you."
"Yes! Ask me anything!"
The man knelt down and looked like he was about to bow.
"Usually, the next step in this kind of situation is to drug and rape, right? What happens to the women who are raped?"
"W-Well, that is...."
The man looked at the others, especially Deokbae. Phoenix smiled, creating a small flame in front of the man's eyes.
"If you don't answer, you'll die~♪"
"We sold them! We took turns with them and then handed them over to Madam!"
"Wow. What about the men?"
"M-Men have no commercial value, so we just took their money and buried them...."
"Wow. You guys were real trash."
Phoenix nodded as if impressed, then spread her fingers.
"Okay. Then here's another question. If I had been drugged and subdued, what would you have done?"
"Huh?"
"Beep. Fail."
Phoenix snapped her fingers with a smile.
Whoosh!
"Aaaaargh!!"
Blue flames erupted all over the man's body. The man screamed in pain and moved around the office. The other goons were too busy trying to avoid him to even think about helping him.
"Haaaaak!"
Even as he was burning, the man tried to open the window and jump out, but he despaired when he saw the bars on the window.
"Didn't at least one person do that? Try to escape through the window and then get frustrated when they see the bars. I thought it was really cruel when I saw that they even put film on it so you couldn't see outside."
"Kyaaaak!"
At Phoenix's sarcasm, the man kicked off the table and lunged at Phoenix.
"Tsk."
Phoenix clapped her hands. The man's entire body burst into flames and turned to ashes, just as he was about to lunge.
Fuss.
Only the ashes piled on the carpet remained as evidence that the man had existed. Even that was burned and disappeared by Phoenix's wave of her hand.
"M-Monster!"
The young man trembled in the corner and shouted. The girl had casually erased a person from the world, literally.
"Who are you calling a monster? You're just trash wearing human skin."
This time, Phoenix approached the man with the torn grip. The man dragged his butt backwards and crashed into a cabinet.
"Okay. Then it's the same for you. If you don't answer right away or say things like 'Huh?' or 'Nandatte?', you'll die. Got it?"
The man nodded his head vigorously, as if it would fall off.
"Same question as before. If I had been drugged and unable to resist, what would you have done?"
"W-We would have taken turns with you, starting with Deokbae Hyung, s-sexually...."
"That's rape. Why are you trying to sugarcoat it like you're so great? Just talk like you normally do. Or I'll kill you?"
"W-We were going to take turns with you! All day long! Until our balls were empty and not a single drop came out!"
The man was spitting as he spoke, desperate. Phoenix continued the questions with a kind smile that was still hard to read.
"How? In what positions?"
"A-Ah, that, well, aaaaaaargh?!"
"You can't answer right away. Fail."
No sooner had he stammered than the man with the golf club burned to ashes. This time, Phoenix approached the corner of the wall.
The young man swallowed hard, loosened his belt, and took off his pants. Phoenix stopped in her tracks without a word at the bizarre behavior.
"I-I was going to stick it in your mouth first! Then after I came once, I'd turn you over-"
"I don't want to know."
The young man couldn't even scream and was engulfed in flames and disappeared.
"So, now there's only one left. His name is Deokbae? Pfft. So, Deokbae Ajusshi. How were you going to eat me?"
"...I wasn't going to do that."
Deokbae glared at Phoenix, his two shattered fists hanging down. Phoenix raised the corners of her mouth as far as they could go and sneered.
"Wow. I should have said that I'd kill you if you lied first."
"Do I look like I'm lying? Sorry, but I don't have sex with crazy bitches like you."
"Oh my. Look at the way this bastard talks."
Phoenix faced Deokbae.
"What, you're saying you're different from them? You're still a human trafficker who kidnaps people and sells them, aren't you?"
"...It's different. I just-"
"Even if you say some are for recycling and some are for incineration, trash is still trash, right?"
Deokbae bit his lip at Phoenix's words.
Red blood flowed from his trembling lips.
"Fine. Kill me. It's my fault for meeting a monster like you."
"Who said I was going to kill you now? Ajusshi isn't for incineration yet."
Phoenix grabbed Deokbae by the collar and threw him against the wall.
Kwaang!
The wall collapsed and Deokbae rolled into the hallway. Phoenix lightly jumped over the rubble and nudged the fallen Deokbae with her foot.
"Ah. I know you're alive, so get up. Ajusshi still has one thing to do."
"...What if I don't want to?"
"Huh? You don't want to? I might even spare you if you do it well. Really."
Deokbae's pupils shook greatly at Phoenix's words. It was embarrassing that he had shown a composed attitude in the face of death, but when the lifeline of survival came down, his will wavered endlessly.
"You said recycling, right? I also give preferential treatment to those with abilities. Whether you'll be used again alive or thrown away without being used is your choice. Okay. Answer within 3 seconds. Will you do it or not? Three-"
"I'll do it."
Deokbae staggered to his feet. Phoenix could only smile at the sight.
"What do I have to do?"
"Ah. Well. It's nothing much."
Phoenix looked around and asked.
"Where is that bastard who took Kim Sangah earlier?"
* * *
Hocheol lit a cigarette. On the shabby bed, a naked woman who had fainted was trembling.
"Hyung, is it good?"
Seokpil asked, sounding bored, and Hocheol lay down on the bed and replied.
"You don't know the taste of a married woman yet. A woman's taste is at its peak in her ripe 30s...."
"Yes. I don't deal with women over 20 or grandmothers."
"You crazy pedo bastard."
Hocheol stroked Sangah's back, who had collapsed, and adjusted his position.
"So, are you really not going to do it? I'm in a good mood for once, so I'll let you use her backdoor."
"I really don't care. And...."
Seokpil licked his lips and smirked.
"I told you? I also caught a fresh high school girl besides this ajumma. If Hyung sees her face, you'll sell this ajumma to Madam right away, you know?"
"Is she that good? Wow, shit. Can I go right now?"
"Get permission from Deokbae Hyung. He decided to take care of her first."
"Deokbae 'Hyung'? Bullshit. ...Why are you suddenly talking about that bald bastard?"
"Hyung, you still haven't made up with Deokbae Hyung?"
"Hey. Honestly, aren't we both selling people to make money?"
Hocheol leaned back on the bed and adjusted his position.
"We're getting laid, uh! We're getting high, uh! What's wrong with getting some if we're going to sell the whole world anyway! Huh! I really don't like that bastard acting like a Confucian scholar just because he awakened some good ability! Shit! His dick is like a baseball bat stuck in there!"
"Deokbae Hyung doesn't sleep with women, though."
"A man, uh! He's making money by selling people! Shit! If that bastard ever registers as a hero, I'm going to expose all the evidence I've collected. Anyway, once I catch him-"
"Wow. He's not even worth the trash."
The door burst open and a girl with blue hair strode in. She covered her nose at the pungent smell of chestnut blossoms, but her gaze was on the unconscious Sangah.
"Yes. There's no need to ask."
When Phoenix snapped her fingers, flames erupted all over Hocheol's body.
"Kuaaaak!!"
Hocheol screamed and threw Sangah, whom he was holding, onto the bed. He collided with things in the narrow room and rolled on the floor trying to put out the fire, but it was no use. The flames quickly roasted Hocheol.
"Kkeueoeoeok...."
Phoenix just watched Hocheol burn, and when he turned into charcoal and dropped his head, she turned her gaze to Seokpil.
"Hello. We've met before, right?"
"Shit! What is it!"
Seokpil picked up a camera stand next to him and pointed it at Phoenix. The smartphone attached to the end was shaking violently and recording the scene.
"...Haa."
Deokbae, who had just followed Phoenix in, frowned at the pungent smell of burning. Seokpil cheered for a moment at Deokbae's appearance, but soon realized the truth.
"Shit, you bastard! You betrayed me!"
"I'm sorry."
"You disloyal bastard! Hocheol Hyung picked you up when you were dying in history! You betrayed me just because you awakened a high ability rank!!"
"It's noisy."
When Phoenix snapped her fingers, Seokpil was engulfed in blue flames. Deokbae was dizzy at the sight of him burning without leaving even ashes, just as he had seen several times in the office.
"Is it my turn now?"
"You could say that."

Phoenix clicked his tongue briefly, looking at Sang-ah, who had collapsed on the bed as if dead.
Clap.
Flames erupted around Sang-ah's body along with the clap. Deok-bae was startled for a moment, but he was even more surprised when he saw what the flames were burning.
"Cleaning complete."
The blue flames accurately burned and extinguished only the traces left behind by Ho-cheol. Phoenix shook Sang-ah's shoulder to wake her up.
"Wake up. Get a hold of yourself."
"Uh, uh..."
"Attorney Kim Sang-ah."
"Ah! Aah."
Sang-ah woke up, regaining her senses. At first, she stared blankly at Phoenix, then, seeing her own state, she recalled what had just happened.
"Aah... Aaaaaaaaargh!!!"
She screamed like a wounded beast and buried her face in the blanket. Phoenix glanced at Deok-bae and left the room. Deok-bae simply followed Phoenix out in silence.
The wind was bitterly cold.
"Hoo."
Phoenix looked at the cloud-filled sky and smiled with a complicated expression.
"How is it? Seeing someone suffering because of you guys."
"I'm feeling sorry."
"Really? Then why did you do this?"
Deok-bae avoided Phoenix's gaze and answered.
"I needed money... a lot of it."
"If you need money, is it okay to do something like this?"
Deok-bae clenched his bruised fist.
"I won't make excuses. It's just that this was the fastest way to make a lot of money."
"Hmph."
With that conversation, the two stood silently outside the door for a moment.
"Hmm."
Phoenix glanced into the room and pointed inside to Deok-bae.
"Let's go in now."
Phoenix opened the iron door and entered the room.
"...Thank you for saving me."
Sang-ah was wrapped in a blanket, her head bowed on the bed. Ho-cheol's corpse, lying on the floor, was so mangled that it was impossible to recognize its original form. Phoenix smiled softly at the sight and made eye contact with Sang-ah.
"Did that relieve your anger?"
"...Anger? With this?"
Sang-ah glared at Phoenix, grinding her teeth.
"If that bastard was alive, I would have chewed him alive. Him, and the bastards who helped him."
Deok-bae involuntarily took a step back at Sang-ah's eerie words. Phoenix shrugged at Deok-bae and pointed him out to Sang-ah.
"This man was his accomplice."
As soon as she heard those words, Sang-ah kicked off the blanket and lunged at Deok-bae. Sang-ah, who had already changed back into her original clothes, held a stun gun in her hands.
Seeing Sang-ah rushing towards him, Deok-bae quietly closed his eyes.
"Uh-uh. Not yet."
Phoenix reached out and stopped Sang-ah. Sang-ah tried to dodge his hand and run towards Deok-bae, but Phoenix grabbed the back of Sang-ah's neck and threw her onto the bed.
"Aaaaaaargh! Don't stop me!"
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down. I'm trying to make a 'deal' with you."
Phoenix stretched one hand out in front of him.
"If you want, I can kill this man while inflicting pain greater than any other pain in this world. Pain so agonizing that you'd rather just die. Pain that would make you say 'please kill me' hundreds of times, let alone 'save me'."
"Then kill him right now!"
Phoenix shook his head, looking at Deok-bae, who was hanging his head like a sinner.
"Well, this man is a gifted esper in his own right. He seems to be a physical enhancement type, and his talent seems outstanding. Even trash can be recycled, you know."
"What are you talking about?! Kill him! Kill him, I said!"
Sang-ah screamed and pointed at Deok-bae. Sang-ah clung to Phoenix and sobbed at his continued smiling face.
"Please, kill him. You're a person too, aren't you? Then you know what those bastards did!"
"Ah. Well, that's the thing."
Phoenix grabbed Sang-ah again and threw her back onto the bed. His still-smiling face made Sang-ah feel that he was not human at all.
"I'm a very insensitive guy, you see? So I value 'efficiency' very highly. In that sense, I have a question for you. Depending on the answer to this question, I'll decide whether to kill this man or spare him."
"What kind of thing is that?!"
"This kind. If you don't like it, too bad. Deok-bae, let's go."
Deok-bae was even more surprised by his action of turning around without hesitation and pulling Deok-bae's arm.
"Wait a minute!"
Sang-ah ran with superhuman strength and blocked Phoenix's path.
"I'll answer the question! I'll answer anything!"
Sang-ah glared at Phoenix and Deok-bae with murderous eyes. Phoenix rubbed his hands together and smiled with a face full of anticipation.
"Good. Any question is fine, right?"
Phoenix spread his arms wide and smiled brightly. Paradoxically, Sang-ah felt that the smile was too beautiful.
"I'm thinking of using this man as a subordinate, so what can you give me in exchange for not killing him? If it's more profitable than saving this man, I'll kill him."
It was a beautiful, devilish smile.

Chapter 13

〈 Chapter 13 〉Part 1 Chapter 1 (12)
The protagonist of Azure Sky Desdinus is an extremely heroic figure.
A hero who returned to his homeland to save the world, despite being hurt by people and betrayed by the country. He was truly a superhuman worthy of the word "hero."
Then, what position should I take against that hero? What should I do to survive?
The only conclusion I reached after agonizing over it without sleep for three days in the magma was:
'Let's become trash.'
Act like the original, but become a villain beyond the original. That thought became firm when I realized that the current point in time was a whopping five years before the original.
'Not just a production factory for Monsters and weirdos, but leading a real evil organization.'
To recover the fragments scattered around the world, a huge force is needed. No matter how strong Phoenix is, it was impossible in terms of time to fight against the entire Earth.
'A villain organization operating in the underworld of Korea, the main stage.'
But as I said before, five years is not a very long time.
So I decided.
To become a real 'villain'.
To survive in this hellish world.
I wanted to save it, no matter what.
* * *
"Oh my. What are you so surprised about? Since you're an intellectual, Attorney Kim Sang-ah, I'll give you a one-time offer. Originally, I kill you right away if you can't answer."
"Don't talk crazy!"
Sang-ah shouted, her voice cracking.
"What? Use that man as a subordinate?! Listen carefully! That's human trash! They're bastards who make money by drugging, raping, and selling people! If you're not careful, you'll be subjected to those beasts...!"
"That didn't happen, did it? So, what can you give me? Oh, should I write a contract for you since you're a lawyer? Would you like to sign a contract with me and become my subordinate?"
"......Shut up. You crazy bitch."
Sang-ah cursed in a venomous voice and took out a small marble from a bundle placed in the corner and threw it at Phoenix.
Swish.
Vail, catching the marble, placed it on Phoenix's palm as if sliding it down a slide.
"Oh. A Monster Core?"
"D-class. It'll be worth 30 million won."
Sang-ah pointed at Deok-bae with trembling fingers.
"That's what you ability users like the most, right? Isn't that worth more than that trash? So, kill that bastard with it. The most painfully in the world, as you said."
"Hmm."
Phoenix held out the marble to Deok-bae and asked.
"Do you think your life is worth more than 30 million won?"
"...I don't know. Fuck. Just kill me if you're going to."
"See! That bastard wants you to kill him too! Kill him!"
Phoenix fiddled with the marble in his hand and leaned against the wall.
"No matter how I think about it, 30 million won for one ability user like that is a bit of a loss."
"What?"
Sang-ah asked blankly with a lost expression. Phoenix put the marble in his school uniform pocket and moved his hands around before taking them out.
"Tada! Marble magic. One Monster Core has instantly increased to four."
Marbles were stuck between Phoenix's fingers. Cores of a larger and clearer color than the marble Sang-ah gave.
"Do I really need to receive the Monster Core that Attorney Kim Sang-ah has stashed away?"
"Then what do you want me to do! That's all I have!"
Sang-ah shouted in a fit of anger. Her bloodshot eyes looked like they would shed tears of blood at any moment.
Phoenix erased his grinning smile. His eyes contained sincere pity.
"It's a pity that you don't realize there's something more valuable. Then there's nothing I can do."
Phoenix put the Monster Core back in his pocket, approached Deok-bae, and put his hand on his shoulder.
"It's a pity. Attorney Kim Sang-ah sold your future. For 30 million won."
Deok-bae closed his eyes silently.
Whoosh.
When Phoenix tapped Deok-bae's shoulder, blue flames erupted from Deok-bae's entire body.
Fwoosh.
The flames burned Deok-bae's entire body in an instant. Deok-bae couldn't resist in any way and collapsed to the floor.
"Okay. Done. Then goodbye."
Phoenix, with a lighthearted face, tried to go out the door. Sang-ah rushed out, turned Phoenix's body around, and grabbed his shoulder.
"What are you doing! You said you'd kill him! The most painfully in the world!"
"That's true, but I'm also a high-quality workforce. I burned him as much as I received. 100 million per second? I burned him for 30 million won."
"Don't talk nonsense!!!"
"Ah, really."
Phoenix pushed Sang-ah's arm aside and put his hand on Sang-ah's shoulder.
"H-Hik?!"
Having seen with her own eyes how Deok-bae had died right in front of her, Sang-ah trembled all over and was terrified.
"Why are you bothering me so much, Kim Sang-ah? ...Making me want to get rid of you."
" "
Sang-ah's face turned pale. Phoenix tapped his fingers on Sang-ah's shoulder as if playing a piano, then smiled again.
"Just kidding. I never kill anyone 'unnecessarily'. So smile. Smile! Why are you acting like someone's going to kill you?"
Sang-ah trembled her lips and raised the corners of her mouth.
"It's not like I'm a crazy person who can't kill someone. It's the same now, right? They're trash who are involved in human trafficking in the 21st century. They deserve to die, right? Right? Ah, please answer since I'm asking."
"Y-Yes! Yes!"
Sang-ah nodded her head so that her chin touched her collarbone. Phoenix straightened the clothes that had slipped off Sang-ah's shoulder and smiled.
"Right? They were trash who weren't even human. I cleaned them up. For the beautiful and peaceful world that will unfold in the future. Love and peace!"
Phoenix took out one of the marbles in his pocket and held it tightly in Sang-ah's hand. It was the D-class Monster Core that Sang-ah had paid as the price for Deok-bae's life.
"So, I won't take this. I don't give money for cleaning up trash lying on the street. Right? In a world where people live."
Sang-ah smiled, following Phoenix. It felt like something terrible would happen if she didn't smile.
"Yes, yes!"
"But you know."
Phoenix held Sang-ah's hands tightly.
"If you hid this Monster Core in your bundle and got on the bus, what would have happened next~?"
"......Gasp?!"
Sang-ah struggled to pull her hands out. But her hands, held by Phoenix, didn't budge as if caught in a snare.
"Monster Cores are delicious prey for other Monsters. If they consume the Core, they absorb its power as it is. Hiding it is useless. Even the weakest Monster has an amazing sense of smell for Cores that aren't covered with a barrier that blocks Mana. How much they rushed at me while crossing the airport."
Phoenix let go of her hands. Sang-ah, hitting the wall from the recoil, rolled on the floor and ran towards the door leading outside, grabbing her bundle.
Thump! Thump thump!
The door wouldn't open. A barrier of blue flames was spread outside the door.
"You said it was a D-class Monster Core, right? Wow, if you had taken this on the bus, something fun would have happened while going down the highway. Right? You surrounded it so much because you were afraid the smell would leak out if you hid it on your body. Even if a hero was on board, it's useless if a swarm of Monsters comes."
"Aaaah! Aaaah!"
Step, step. Phoenix walked past Deok-bae's corpse and approached Sang-ah.
"So here's a question. Compared to the trash who tried to sell people, is the person who almost made all the passengers on the bus food for Monsters also trash who deserves to die?"
"Shut up! That kind of thing will never happen!"
"Oh dear. There's no 'never' in the world."
Phoenix stood right behind Sang-ah. Sang-ah gave up opening the doorknob and crawled on the floor, fleeing to the center of the room.
"Please answer me. I'm very seriously curious right now."
"Stop talking nonsense! You're not even human!"
"...Heh."
What was so funny about that? Phoenix suddenly started laughing like a madman.
"AHAHAHA! HAHAHA! Cough, not even human, she says! AHAHAHA!"
The way he trembled, clutching his stomach, was like that of a madman seen in a musical.
An actor immersed in his role, expressing excessive emotions and laughing wildly.
"Aha, hahaha. Haa...."
Phoenix laughed like that for several seconds before panting. Phoenix, grabbing the sofa and straightening his posture, flicked his finger at Sang-ah.
"Who are you calling not even human?"
Snap.
Sang-ah was engulfed in blue flames. She flailed her arms in the air, trying to put out the fire somehow, but it was useless.
"Aaaah...."
Just like everyone else, including Deok-bae, had disappeared, Sang-ah also made a rattling sound and collapsed to the floor. The time it took for the flames to rise and subside was exactly the same as when Deok-bae had burned.
"Okay, then...."
Phoenix picked up the smartphone that had fallen on the floor. Even with the end of the case slightly scorched, the smartphone was still recording a video in shooting mode.
"Even filming? You've done everything."
When he stopped the video recording, the filmed video was saved in the gallery. The album was full of numerous photos and videos, excluding Sang-ah, who had just been filmed.
"Ugh."
Phoenix frowned and closed the gallery.
'I'll format it and delete it later when I have time.'
He couldn't be misunderstood as someone who carries illegal videos on his phone, but he had to use it temporarily until he got a proper one in Seoul.
Beep beep beep.
"Huh?"
When he checked the warning sound from the smartphone, it indicated that the battery was depleted.
"Oh dear."
The battery showing a red light. Phoenix hurriedly searched near the drawer, found a charger, and connected it to the smartphone.
"Fast charging in 1 hour?"
Phoenix checked the clock that came to mind. 4:12 PM. Time was constantly being delayed when he should be going up to Seoul as soon as possible.
'I should have just left without doing anything else....'
Phoenix twisted Vail with his fingers.
Should he just leave this place, or wait an hour and take the smartphone?
'...It's better to have it, since I'm bored.'
Brainwashing himself that it was a good opportunity to explore information about this world while using data on the way, Phoenix placed the smartphone on the table and stretched.
"Then what should I do for an hour...."
Phoenix, who was twisting the Vail around his neck, scanned the room and his gaze reached Deok-bae's corpse.
A man with a simple ability called physical enhancement, but with high potential. A neighborhood villain who never appeared even once in the original.
What would happen if I made this into a Monster?
"........"
Phoenix quietly took out the Monster Core.
* * *
Jo Deok-bae.
The name, which seemed somewhat old-fashioned, was a name his parents had given him carelessly.
The result of a one-night stand between a day laborer and a woman who worked in the water business.
Deok-bae's life, whose first memory from childhood started with being slapped by the director at the orphanage, was truly a disastrous life.
But didn't they say that even a rat hole has its day in the sun?
On the day Deok-bae reached the age where he could no longer stay in the orphanage, he left the orphanage and wandered the streets. He was sleeping rough in the history when he was taken in by a man named Park Ho-cheol.
Seeing his physique, Ho-cheol, who was trying to entrust him with the management of his business, began to treat Deok-bae like a subordinate, and Deok-bae simply lived a life of following his orders.
A turning point came in Deok-bae's life.
The awakening of ability.
The ability of <Physical Enhancement>, which awakened while running across the Yeongjong Bridge to escape from the Monsters that attacked Yeongjong Island, should have been a blessing, but it became a new shackle for Deok-bae.
'Hey. You're going to be a hero? Don't be ridiculous. If a guy who used to be a water business shoulder becomes a hero of mankind, this country is over, over. Give up on your pipe dreams and go collect money. You want to find your parents, right? Then you have to make a lot of money?'
Ho-cheol, who had also awakened his own ability, began to expand his business more and more using Deok-bae's power. They, who were just neighborhood shoulders, took root in the no man's land of Incheon's back area and solidified their power.
Gather as much money as possible before Incheon explodes.
And pay the collected money as tribute to join the 'Villain Union', the largest organization in New Seoul.

Duckbae was a loyal dog who followed Hocheol's orders. Although he wasn't greedy for women, he had earned a notorious reputation in the Incheon underworld as a 'Skinhead.'
Recently, his power had grown so strong that his subordinates followed him, distancing him from Hocheol, but in any case, Duckbae had managed to amass a lot of money.
'It was all for nothing.'
All of it was burned away by a crazy serial killer he had the misfortune of running into. Duckbae's life was sold for a mere thirty million won.
'Good thing it was thirty million won. My life, that is.'
You can't put a price on a human life, but Duckbae couldn't help but laugh at the fact that he agreed his life was worth just that much. A piece of human garbage's life couldn't be worth any more than that.
'If I'm reborn, I want a more valuable life.'
I don't need to be born into a wealthy family, but I want to live happily with both parents in a harmonious home. And I'd like to have an annoying little sister, too.
'But am I not dead?'
Blue flames obscured his vision, and he lost consciousness with pain he had never experienced before. That was probably Duckbae's thirty-million-won death.
'Is this the afterlife, then?'
"Jo Duckbae. Jo Duckbae."
Is my name going to be called three times before I'm dragged to the underworld? Duckbae chuckled to himself and answered the sweet voice that called his name.
"Which hell am I going to be trapped in?"
"It's reality, Duckbae."
A girl with blue hair was smiling brightly. Duckbae was so shocked that his heart seemed to stop, and he lost consciousness again.
* * *
"...What is it? Why is this bastard passed out again?"
I tapped Duckbae's cheek, who had lost consciousness. His skin, which had turned to stone, was clearly alien, not human.
'He was a Rock Monster.'
I examined the Monster Core—a remnant left by Sang-a—embedded in Duckbae's heart. The Monster Core, shining with a murky gray light, had dyed Duckbae's entire body like stone.
'Should I have just used the one I picked up at Incheon Airport?'
Monster Cores placed all over his body. The spoils I had obtained by catching and beating up Monsters at Incheon Airport were all at least C-rank or higher.
'It was actually harder to find D-ranks.'
Because they only reeked of B-rank smell and Mana, the A-ranks thought they were weaker than them and attacked, the B-ranks thought they were equal and attacked, and the C-ranks thought they had a chance and attacked.
The D-ranks and below must have been scared, because they hid on their own. Thanks to that, I was too lazy to find them all, so I just walked past them and came to the terminal.
'This curiosity of mine, again.'
Curiosity killed the cat, they say. Unlike the Seohae Weapon, I scratched my cheek at the second Monster I had created without a plan.
'What do I do with this?'
In the original story, there were no executives who turned 'Heroes' into Monsters. It was impossible in the first place. But just in case, I tried embedding a Core into the corpse, and this happened.
'I didn't really think he would come back to life as a Monster.'
So should I see this as a Monster? Or should I see it as a human? He died and came back to life, so a zombie? A Hero Monster? A Monster Villain?
'I don't know. Let's just lump it together as a Monster.'
I'm too lazy to divide Monsters and Villains, and creating a new classification is a waste of mental energy. I decided to leave the definition of the term 'Monsterization of Humans, Heroes' to the academic world someday, and shook Duckbae's face back and forth again.
"Jo Duckbae. Jo Duckbae. Mr. Jo Duckbae?"
He doesn't seem to be waking up at all. I can't help it. I'll just have to wait until my smartphone is fully charged.
If he doesn't wake up by then, I'll have to kill him again and leave.
"99%...."
"Unfamiliar ceiling."
Duckbae regained consciousness. I was almost impressed by the timing, which felt like a trick of fate.
"If it was even 1% later, I would have killed you again."
"???"
Duckbae's expression is full of bewilderment. I cleared my throat and composed myself, then spread my arms wide and gave a kind smile.
"Welcome back to this world. My second minion."
"...Why are you suddenly talking in such an awkward tone? Are you drunk? You burned me to death for thirty million won and followed me to the afterlife. You bitch."
Should I kill him? I smacked the back of my impudent subordinate's head.

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.

Chapter 15

〈 Chapter 15 〉 Part 1, Chapter 2 (1)
How did it come to this?
"...Kuh-ooh."
I stared at the black-haired beauty lying on the sofa in front of me, sleeping like the dead, and dropped my head in frustration.
How on earth did things get to this point? If I could turn back time, I would go back 10 minutes, no, even just 1 minute ago.
"Why are you here?"
She wasn't supposed to be here at this time. She wasn't supposed to be a character appearing at this timing. So, I just helped her without thinking when she was being attacked by the Monsters.
But I guess that was a flag.
One of the main heroines was supposed to fall into distrust of humanity and awaken her powers in an awakening event.
But because I saved her, she couldn't awaken.
"The original story is twisted...."
Because of me.
How did this happen? I retraced my memories from this morning.
* * *
<April 4, 2020, 9 AM, a shabby office near Incheon City Hall.>
"So, you want me to exchange all of this for cash right now?"
Baek Sang-woo frowned as he looked at the various beads in the crossbody bag.
"Yes. Can you do it right away?"
The person who brought the trouble, Phoenix, grinned and pointed to the beads on the table.
"They're fresh goods that haven't even been made into Cores yet. Look. They're lively, right? Not a single scratch, right?"
"Yeah. They're all so clean that it feels like a Monster is going to attack this place any minute now."
When Sang-woo saw Phoenix take out the Monster Cores, he seriously considered running away immediately. With his years of experience as a fence, he had reached the point where he could identify the grade of a Core with his naked eye, and his intuition assured him that the Cores in front of him were C to B grade.
If this wasn't near City Hall, which was guarded by A-grade heroes, Monsters smelling the Cores would have rolled their eyes and rushed into the city.
"The quantity is...."
If a B-grade Monster ate all of this, wouldn't it evolve into an A-grade soon? Sensing Sang-woo's concern, Phoenix waved her hand and laughed.
"Oh, no. That will never happen. Right, Deok-bae?"
"...Yeah."
Deok-bae, who was standing behind the sofa where Phoenix was sitting, took off his hood. Inside the raised hood was a grotesque figure whose entire skin was covered in rock.
"A villain?"
Of course, since grotesque figures hadn't been revealed to the public yet, Sang-woo mistook Deok-bae's skin for a villain showing off his abilities. Phoenix nodded and explained.
"As you can see, my bodyguard is an ability user. If you just go to northern Incheon, there are plenty of places to hunt Monsters, you know?"
"Well, that's true, but...."
Sang-woo looked suspiciously back and forth between Deok-bae and the bag of Cores. He seemed too weak to have collected this many Cores.
"Then, maybe you too?"
"You could say that."
Phoenix shrugged. Sang-woo racked his brain to remember if there was a woman with abilities in front of him.
Distinctive blue hair.
Among ability users, whose hair color tends to change upon awakening their powers, it was a particularly unique color.
But he didn't remember such an ability user. Could she be a rookie who recently awakened her powers?
"Well, whether you killed someone who caught Monsters and stole them, that's not important."
"You quickly grasp the customer's needs. Hehe."
"If you were a properly registered hero, you would have gone to the association's window, right? If an ability user brings something like this here, it's obvious."
In the first place, this was a place that sold things through illegitimate routes. Sang-woo put on white gloves and examined the Cores one by one.
The white gloves moved among the dark gray beads, stroking the surface.
"They really seem to be C-grade. And this one."
Sang-woo carefully took out three Cores placed inside the bag. They were larger than the other Cores at a glance.
Above all, unlike the C-grades, they had a slight 'color'. The form of green lines twisted like a DNA sequence and emitting light was clearly the Core of a B-grade Monster.
"B-grade. It was hard to catch."
"It must have been tough for the two of you to catch a B-grade. Didn't you get caught by any heroes or hunters? If you stole it from a guild, I can't do business."
"It's okay. There's no way we'd get caught. We got it from Yeongjongdo."
Pfft!
An employee who was drinking coffee at another desk sprayed coffee on the monitor. The stuffy smell of coffee spread throughout the room.
"Did you just say that as a joke?"
"Whether you believe it or not is up to you. So, how much will you give me?"
"Hoo. This is frustrating. Can I have a cigarette?"
Phoenix nodded. Sang-woo took out a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and looked for a lighter.
Fwoosh.
"...Huh?"
Gray smoke rose before his eyes. A tiny flame was burning like a dance on Phoenix's index finger.
"Oh. I thought you were looking for a lighter."
"Hehe."
Sang-woo took a puff of the cigarette and swept his hair back with his hand.
"Is this like saying you'll kill me if I don't give you a good price?"
"Do you think it's a threat? It's kindness."
"Just because a tiger plays with a rabbit doesn't mean they're friends."
Sang-woo tapped the ash into the ashtray. It seemed like the cigarette was burning faster than usual, but it wasn't just his imagination.
"...To get to the point, I can't give you cash."
"You can't give it to me 'in cash'?"
Phoenix tilted her head.
"Of course. How much do you think all of this is worth? The market price for D-grade is around ten million won."
"Isn't it thirty million won?"
Deok-bae, who had been silent, chimed in. Phoenix clicked her tongue, and Sang-woo flicked his index finger with a more relaxed face.
"That's when you sell it through the official association route. If you sell it to a fence like me, it's obvious you won't get the full price."
"The value has decreased by 1/3, Deok-bae."
"Tch."
Deok-bae frowned at Phoenix's sarcasm. Sang-woo took a puff of his cigarette and continued.
"So, I'll give you 5,000 per C-grade. And 500 million for the B-grade."
"...? You're giving me that much extra? How does that make business sense?"
When Phoenix asked with a puzzled expression, Sang-woo stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. He barely managed to hold back a sigh and sneered at the employee who was busy wiping up the coffee.
"See? I told you she's a pro. We'd all be dead if she had ripped us off."
"Oh, I wouldn't kill you."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure. So, we'll give you 2.2 billion won, leaving us with the bare minimum of profit. Is that okay?"
"Okay."
When Phoenix coolly nodded, Sang-woo glared at Phoenix with a wary look and took out the contract.
"No more negotiations? I'm recording? Put your stamp on the contract?"
"I'm not interested in that. More than that, it's only 2.2 billion won? And you can't give me cash?"
"Yeah. I sent a large sum of cash to New Seoul a while ago."
Sang-woo took a sip of his instant coffee. The smell of cigarettes and instant coffee mixed together, creating a rotten smell.
"If you're going to be our customer in the future, you should know this. The money earned in this remote office all goes to the headquarters in New Seoul, except for the minimum expenses. The transaction money is also paid from the headquarters. We're just like a brokerage."
"Oh ho. So?"
Sang-woo pressed down on his throbbing head and pointed to the Cores.
"I think you're making a big mistake, so let me make it clear."
Sang-woo twisted his lips towards Phoenix with a pathetic expression and pointed to the smartwatch on his wrist.
"Who carries cash around these days? Everyone puts it in here."
"Ah."
Phoenix frowned for the first time, looking troubled. Sang-woo licked his lips and smiled like a snake.
"Customer, don't tell me you don't even have a virtual account? No, in this 21st-century smart era, were you really going to carry around bundles of cash and scatter paper? You might get away with that in New Seoul, but if you do that in Gyeongin, you'll get dragged somewhere shady and ripped off."
"Just a moment for a strategy meeting."
Phoenix raised her hand to buy time, then turned her head and gestured to Deok-bae.
"Do you have an account on your smartphone?"
"I do, but it's Hyung Ho-cheol's account. If you don't do biometric authentication, the account will be frozen immediately. The police will track it right away."
"What about your account?"
"I don't have one. I didn't make one."
"...Ah, damn it. I should have cut off a finger or something."
'Shouldn't have burned it.'
Phoenix smacked her lips regretfully and made eye contact with Sang-woo again.
"Okay. Since we're doing business anyway, can you give me some extra service?"
"This sounds like it's going to be a very troublesome story for me."
Phoenix clapped her hands.
"Resident registration card. Virtual account. A smartphone in that name. We're going to be doing business together in the future, so you can do that much, right?"
"Isn't that your real purpose?"
"It's a bonus. Hehe. So, you can't do it?"
Sang-woo shrugged his shoulders and acted cocky.
"200 million."
"Deal."
"??"
"????"
Cognitive dissonance occurred in Sang-woo's brain. Did I just mishear?
"Did you misunderstand? Did I say it too briefly? Instead of doing it under the conditions you said, I'm going to reduce the value of the Cores in this bag to 2 billion won. I just ripped you off for 200 million won. Do you understand?"
"Yes. Is there a problem with that?"
When Phoenix asked as if she really couldn't understand, Sang-woo looked back and forth at the others in the office. Deok-bae, who was with her, turned his gaze away as if he wasn't interested, and the employee had already stopped all actions since earlier.
"Hoo."
Sang-woo lit another cigarette. Naturally, a blue flame rose and the cigarette burned. It was a small consideration, but he didn't want it.
"......Hey. It's funny for someone in the money game to say this, but I'm telling you because we'll be seeing each other in the future. Listen carefully."
"Then you don't have to tell me."
Sang-woo pointed at Phoenix with his cigarette.
"Know the value of money. Huh?! Even if the world is dominated by heroes, the value of money remains the same. No, it's gone up even more! New Seoul is now a place you can't enter without money. 2 billion won? It's not even enough for a 10-pyeong apartment on the outskirts of New Seoul. And honestly, would it cost 200 million to create a fake identity? If you try to make it through Chinese routes here in Incheon, it won't even cost 100 million. Miss, you don't know the world too well...."
"Wow. Is this what they call a boomer?"
Sang-woo barely managed to stop himself from throwing the cigarette. Anyway, the other person was an ability user. He was powerless.
"Can I get angry now? Now? She's really living life recklessly. Wow, I really have a lot of money, but I'm holding back because I don't have power."
"I'm just kidding, heehee."
Phoenix covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled, then straightened her posture and answered with a serious face.
"I don't care if you rip me off for 200 million or strip me of all 2.2 billion won. I only need to earn as much money as I need. So, can you get me an ID card, an account, and a burner phone right away? I'd like to receive it by this afternoon at the latest. Oh, I almost forgot. While you're at it, please create a 'Black Market' account for me too."
"Haa, that's it. You'll only come to your senses when you're starving and struggling because you don't have money. Ye-seong! Bring the documents!"
"Yes, CEO!"
The employee who had been wiping between the keys on the keyboard with a wet tissue stood up from his seat and started rummaging through the cabinet. Sang-woo put out his cigarette, glanced at his watch, and muttered.
"Hmm. If I spend 100 million more, I can make it before 3 o'clock...."
"Then please do that."
"Ye-seong!! When you order lunch today, add a large sweet and sour pork dish!!"
"Yes!!!"
Ye-seong smiled brightly and ran around the office, gathering various things.
"The city is in this state, but they deliver?"
"It might be different in Seoul, but this is Incheon. Haha. Okay, then, customer. Would you please wait a little bit? I'll put the remaining 1.9 billion won after deducting 300 million won into your account. If you need anything else, please tell me. I'll bring it to you right away."
"...Didn't he suddenly change?"
"Hahaha! I can do anything for our sucker, no, our customer, who gave us a 300 million won discount! I could even kiss the end of your shoes if I wanted to! Hahaha!"
"Oh? Did you just say you can do anything?"
Phoenix's eyes sparkled as she put her hands together.

Baek Sang-woo felt a chilling sensation running down his back, and his fingers trembled involuntarily.
"So, within the scope of what I can do—"
"We'll be trading often in the future, so would you mind selling these as well?"
Phoenix grabbed the three Cores from his pocket and pulled them out. They were Cores with a clear color that was distinctly different from C-grade and B-grade.
"Pretty, right? If it's an A-grade Monster, the Core strongly reveals each attribute and covers the whole thing in its own color... Huh? Hello? Are you listening?"
Baek Sang-woo rubbed his eyes, wondering if what he was seeing was real. An A-grade Monster's Core, raw and intact, was right here in the middle of Incheon.
"CEO Baek Sang-woo~ Are you listening?"
"Why."
"Pardon?"
"Why isn't the Monster alarm going off? At this level, Monsters should be smelling it from Yeongjong Island and flying over here, shouldn't they?"
Lee Yeseong had already fled the office. Phoenix, who had been blankly fiddling with the beads for a moment, pondered Baek Sang-woo's words and understood his thoughts.
"Ah. Why aren't Monsters attacking this place when there are this many Monster Cores?"
Phoenix smiled brightly, slapped his shoulder with his palm, and tossed the Cores into his bag.
"I told you. There's 'absolutely' no chance of a Monster attacking this place."
Baek Sang-woo met Phoenix's eyes.
Blue flames were burning in his round pupils.

Chapter 16

〈 Chapter 16 〉 Part 1 Chapter 2 (2)
<April 4, 2020, 10:00 AM, Park near City Hall.>
In the end, I couldn't sell the A-rank Monster Core.
'In the game, I just sold S-ranks and stuff.'
Why does it have to be so realistically enforced in a place like this? Baek Sang-woo vehemently refused to buy it, expounding on the dangers of an A-rank Monster Core.
'There's no point in me eating it.'
At the apex of the Monsters are the Seven Executives. And the one with the title of 'Strongest' among those Executives is Azure Flame Phoenix.
If I were to eat an A-rank Monster Core carelessly, my pure Mana would only be contaminated.
'Then should I feed it to Deok-bae?'
That was also rejected. His growth is so slow that he hasn't even properly absorbed a C-rank, let alone an A-rank. If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have hesitated to use an A-rank to create a Monster.
'If I knew it would succeed, I would have made it an A-rank no matter what.'
Next time I have the opportunity to create a Monster, I should definitely use an A-rank, or even an S-rank Monster Core. I glared at Deok-bae intently and then turned my eyes back to my smartphone.
'What should I do now?'
There's no need to go to New Seoul right away. So, first of all, I had to go to Seoul, and among them, Yeouido first.
'Because that thing is in Yeouido.'
Fragment of God. A divine object of an Otherworld God that Seong-ju brought to summon the Otherworld God, but was destroyed and scattered all over the world.
That, which could also be called the Core of the Otherworld God, was scattered into 27 cube fragments and settled in various places around the world.
'Half are being researched by associations in each country, and the rest are hidden.'
The size of one fragment is only about the size of a sugar cube. To find that object, which cannot be found even with Mana detection, by traveling around the world would require a huge amount of manpower.
'Destroy them all without leaving a single one behind.'
If I kill Seong-ju, the final boss, the story ends.
But that's just the usual normal ending, and only by defeating the incarnation of the Otherworld God that Seong-ju summons can I reach the true ending.
If Seong-ju is a fake boss, then the Otherworld God is the true final boss. And Phoenix only survives in the true ending.
'Ending with the normal ending means it ends unsatisfactorily.'
It ends as if the Otherworld God has captured Earth and will come over someday, leaving a phrase.
Even if you kill Seong-ju and reach the ending, the Otherworld God will come to Earth someday. The clue to that is the Fragment of God, the cube. Before it comes to Earth in search of traces of its body, I had to recover and destroy all the fragments.
'First, let's find the ones with clear locations.'
There are a total of three fragments sleeping on the Korean Peninsula.
One in Daejeon, one in Pyongyang, and one in Seoul-Yeouido.
'But Yeouido is a bit uncomfortable to go to.'
Even if I want to go, I don't really feel like it.
A small island in the center of Seoul. This island, where the Fragment of God is hidden, is a battlefield that plays a major role in the main story among the battlefields taking place in Korea.
'The place where Azure Flame Phoenix dies.'
In the game, Phoenix, who flew across the Pacific Ocean, lands on the ruins of the National Assembly Building, and the battle begins.
After a battle with the protagonist's party throughout Yeouido, the protagonist, with all his companions fallen, faces Phoenix.
The protagonist, prepared for self-destruction, unleashes the power he had sealed.
Phoenix, who went berserk and became aware of his identity as a spirit.
Seong-ju, who tries to re-brainwash Phoenix, who is just waking up and being unbrainwashed.
Amidst the rampage of these three beings' powers merging in one place, Phoenix gives all his power to the protagonist for revenge against Seong-ju and disappears.
'I could experience such a future.'
A place where I might die.
I really don't feel like it, but to recover the cube, I have to go to Yeouido.
'Okay. Let's collect the cubes first and then think about it.'
Growl.
"...Okay. Shouldn't I eat first?"
I haven't eaten anything properly since leaving Yeongjongdo. I rummaged through my pockets and took out two bills.
'20,000 won should be enough for two people.'
I got up from the bench and approached Deok-bae, who was sitting on the bench across from me in the distance. Deok-bae was still motionless, as if he had fallen asleep for a while, and a small sparrow was pecking at his hood above his head.
Chirp chirp.
Perhaps because he is a Monster based on natural objects, wild animals do not discriminate against people. Those birds really think of Deok-bae as a large rock.
Flap.
As my hand approached, the bird was startled and flew into the sky. At the same time, Deok-bae opened his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Were you awake?"
Deok-bae straightened his hood and stood up from the bench. His height was close to 2m, and a shadow was cast over me.
"I wasn't sleeping in the first place."
"Is that so? Then let's go eat now."
"…. Eat?"
I nodded.
"That's right. I'm thorough when it comes to employee benefits, if nothing else."
"You're buying?"
I smiled and pointed to the building across the park.
"Yes. I'm going to teach you various things while killing time."
* * *
"Goodbye."
Gi-woo greeted the leaving customer without even looking at them and sat down in his chair. It was the first customer to visit in two hours since he sat at the counter, but Gi-woo wasn't very happy.
'Today's a bust.'
When Incheon became like this, Gi-woo insisted to his parents that they move down to the countryside. To the countryside in Jeonju where his Grandmother's house is.
But that day, Gi-woo was hit by his father for the first time. It was because they couldn't just leave behind several buildings in Incheon and the shopping district in Yeongjongdo.
'Are those buildings more important than people's lives?'
Gi-woo couldn't understand. They could just go down to the countryside for a while and then come back up. If they just avoided the disaster for a while, the Monsters would be defeated and Incheon would be restored to its original state.
This convenience store was also one of the buildings owned by Gi-woo's parents. They had more than enough money to hire a part-time worker, but no one said they would work part-time even if they were paid twice the minimum wage.
"We need to run away too."
Gi-woo, who grew up spending money lavishly under his parents, never thought of disobeying his parents' orders and running away alone. Thanks to this, he was forced to protect the convenience store without a part-timer, even though he didn't want to, and became a store owner, which was not in his destiny.
"Is there anything fun to do?"
The only thing that could pass the meaningless time was YouTube.
The building's internet line had not been cut off yet.
"Popular videos...oh."
Among the thumbnails full of various heroes, a video with hundreds of millions of views caught his eye.
[China's God of War! Slashes an S-rank Monster with one blow?!]
"What kind of TV is this again?"
Gi-woo played the video. He skipped the unpleasant comments appropriately and stopped at the part where the real video began.
"Awesome."
A great man with a green robe and a long beard under his mask. The great hero of China, Guan Yunchang, the God of War that no Korean man could not know, who has become a hero in modern times.
Yun-jang silently walked across the desert with his guandao. At the end of it, a black Monster was raging violently.
"Black Scorpion?!"
It was definitely an S-rank Monster, the Black Scorpion, although it was smaller than the one I had seen before. A vicious Monster whose poisonous stinger on its tail could take down even a B-rank hero in one go.
Yun-jang approached the Monster without any fear, twirling his guandao. The Black Scorpion, enraged by his leisurely walk, lunged at Yun-jang, opening its two pincers.
Just before the tail pierced the mask. Yun-jang's guandao, which had been spinning, drew a blue line and created a vortex.
Slash! Slash!
Kieeeek!
The Black Scorpion's tail was cut off like weeds being cut by a lawn mower. The venom on the end of the tail was scattered to the side by the wind pressure created by Yun-jang.
Pshuuuk.
The extremely poisonous venom, which could even melt the sand of the desert in an instant, did not touch Yun-jang's body at all. Yun-jang gripped the guandao he was spinning tightly and raised it diagonally.
"Wow! Finishing move!"
A 'finishing move' that can be called a signature for each hero. Since 'Jeon-gwi', a great hero of China before Yun-jang, called his finishing move Musou, Yun-jang also inherited that finishing move.
Slash!
The guandao drew a crescent moon and split the Black Scorpion. One blow. Yun-jang stopped in his place with just one swing.
"Huh?"
Gi-woo recalled Yun-jang's finishing move that he remembered. He definitely swung the guandao while rotating three times like a figure skater performing a triple axel, didn't he?
What's wrong. Is he not in good condition?
Kyaaaaak....
As soon as he had that thought, the Black Scorpion stopped moving, letting out a scream like a death rattle. Its upper body slid to the ground along the trajectory of the guandao's slash.
"Wow!"
What did I just see? Gi-woo covered his mouth with his hand and stopped the video. Goosebumps rose all over his body, and the thrilling shivers that ran down his back were enough to stop his thoughts.
"What, what!"
Gi-woo replayed the video. In the video, Yun-jang split the Black Scorpion in half with exactly one slash.
"Heeya. Seriously. The Round Table has gone too far."
The Round Table.
A world-class hero that transcends gender, age, skin, country, and ideology. This group, named under the leadership of the British hero Sir Gawain, was an organization dedicated solely to 'world peace'. Some, like China's God of War, were heavily influenced by their countries, but they were definitely heroes who could boast of being the best.
"China and Japan each have one...sigh."
It was the moment when the pride competition in East Asia collapsed. Unfortunately, there were no Koreans among the 12 Round Table heroes.
"What would have happened if the only two we had had disappeared? Sigh."
Gwanggeom and Seolhwa Princess. The only two S-rank heroes in Korea.
"It would be really nice if we had even one more S-rank."
Because they are such rare talents, they are being protected like treasures in the key areas of their respective countries.
Gwanggeom is in New Seoul, and Seolhwa Princess is in Busan.
If there had been a hero in Seoul or Incheon comparable to these two, the central region would not have been so devastated.
But people moved to the cities where they resided in search of safety, and Seoul in particular saw the fastest population decline. This was because Gwanggeom moved his residence to New Seoul at the request of the government.
In the end, only two types of people remained in Seoul, Incheon, and southern Gyeonggi Province. Those who did not have the wealth to move to other cities, or those who remained in the city for some reason. Gi-woo's family remained in Seoul for the reason of 'real estate' among the latter.
Tring tring~
"They say an apartment in the outskirts of New Seoul costs 2 billion won...."
Should I try the hero coin too? I'll film any hero on the hero channel and give them a lot of support, and then that hero will hit the jackpot. I still remember the news from an acquaintance who earned hundreds of times his sponsorship money if he did well.
"Hey. If I became a hero, I'd hit the jackpot."
They say that even the lottery is won by close to 5-6 people every week, but becoming a hero is even more extremely rare.
The mechanism of hero awakening has not been revealed yet, to the extent that some people say they awakened while sleeping and others survived a Monster attack. If he only knew the method of hero awakening, he would try that method even if it cost him billions.
"That's right. Hero awakening is actually nothing special. There are seven types of Mana, you know? The way to awaken as a hero is whether or not you can feel the Mana that suits your constitution among those seven types of Mana."
What kind of novel nonsense theory is this? Gi-woo checked the tablet, wondering if a strange video was playing. Beyond the tablet with the video paused, there was a blue-haired high school girl with a pile of food and daily necessities stacked on the counter.
"Wh, who are you?"
Gi-woo was so surprised that he even bit his tongue. The girl pointed to the cup noodles and triangular gimbap on the counter.
"Please calculate this."
"Ah, yes. Yes."
He tried to calm his pounding heart and scanned the barcodes of the products one by one.
It's definitely not because he's glancing at the girl in between that his hands are slow.
The girl was constantly chattering while looking at the giant who came with her. Gi-woo thought that her voice was like the chirping of a bird.

"Mana has something called 'attributes.' Have you played any games? Oh, you haven't. Do you know about the Four Elements theory that Aristotle proposed? You know, the one where elements are composed of things like warmth and humidity? Apparently, what Aristotle discovered weren't the characteristics of elements, but the characteristics of Mana. Simply put, fire, water, wind, earth—the four Mana of fire, water, wind, and earth. Actually, that's not really it, but that's the setting in this world. They just twisted the setting unnecessarily."
The girl continued her explanation, then, as if her throat was dry, she picked up a latte drink that was nearby. The giant glanced at the drink and picked up the drink next to it as well.
"What is it? Your favorite drink?"
"...1+1."
At the giant's voice, which sounded like scraping metal, Gi-woo was startled and dropped the canned cola he was about to scan. The can rolled across the floor and bumped into Gi-woo's shoe.
"I, I'll exchange it for you! Just a moment!"
Realizing his mistake, Gi-woo rushed to the refrigerator, took out the same drink, and returned to the counter. He felt like the giant, who had pulled his hood down low, was glaring at him, and his hands trembled as he brought the canned cola.
"Hmm. Anyway, those four Mana are the most common attributes. Even if the attributes are fixed, how the abilities manifest differs from person to person. If I had to say, you could be considered endurance."
Gi-woo paused. At the girl's words, Gi-woo rolled his eyes diligently. Did that mean that giant was a hero?
"Huh? Me? Of course, I'm fire. If I'm not fire, what attribute would I have? Blazing blue flames! The sun itself! That's me."
Watching the girl stretch her hand to the ceiling as if she were acting in a play, Gi-woo felt like his heart was about to explode. Her confident smile was so lovely.
"...Nonsense."
The giant seemed displeased with the girl, turned around, and began to browse other products. The girl froze for a moment, then lowered her arm and made eye contact with Gi-woo. Gi-woo was just about to scan the last barcode.
"Should I put it in a bag for you?"
"Yes. ...No. Wait a moment."
The girl looked at the counter and frowned at a phrase she saw. Even that frown was beautiful.
"Bag fees, really. They even do things like this the same way."
The girl pointed to the mountain of food with slumped shoulders.
"...Please put it in a bag. Ah, really."
Gi-woo even thought about not taking the money and putting it in a bag for free, but he soon gave up. After Incheon went bankrupt, his parents meticulously charged for every single bag. If he got caught, it was death.
"That's 22,100 won in total."
"...Uh."
For the first time, a look of bewilderment appeared on the girl's face. The only cash she pulled out of her pocket were two green bills.
"J-Just a moment."
The girl rummaged through her pockets haphazardly and then froze. Only dust came out of her pockets.
"Ah, haha, ha. ...How many should I take out?"
The girl glanced at the price tags on the shelves where she had taken the products and began to take things out of the plastic bag. Her neck, half-covered by a teal scarf, was turning red.
"...Wait."
The giant returned to the counter. The girl looked at the giant and smiled brightly as if she had seen a savior.
"I knew it! You're helpful too... uh. What's that in your hand?"
The girl bit her lip as she looked at the two hot bars in the giant's hand. It looked like she was about to unleash a barrage of profanity.
"Ugh. You've already picked up too much, and now you're adding more when I have to take some out...."
"Move."
"Huh?"
"I said move."
The girl stared at the giant with wide eyes. The giant shrugged and put the hot bars on the counter.
"Huh? Wait a minute. I told you I don't have enough money right now? Are you a fool who can't even count money?"
Was it Gi-woo's imagination that he heard the giant snicker?
The giant took out 5,000 won from his pocket and snatched the money from the girl. Gi-woo received the three bills and began to tap on the register to get the change.
"Received 25,000 won."
"Keep the change."
The giant picked up the hot bars he had grabbed as if it were natural.
"...Is this for real?"
As the girl stared in disbelief, the giant peeled off the wrapper of the hot bar and said,
"Warm it up yourself if you want."
He shoved the hot bar, which hadn't even been microwaved, into the girl's hand, grabbed the bag of food, and turned around and left the convenience store.
"Excuse me."
The girl stared at the hot bar in her hand and asked Gi-woo.
"If I hit him with this, will he die?"
"...No?"
When Gi-woo asked back, the girl nodded and left the convenience store.
Jingle jingle.
The swaying bell announced that a customer had left. Gi-woo, feeling like he was possessed by a ghost, slumped down in his chair.
"There are still people who use cash these days."
Gi-woo rubbed the back of his neck and suddenly came to his senses.
"Excuse me! Take your change!"

Chapter 17

〈 Episode 17 〉 Part 1 Chapter 2 (3)
<April 4, 2020, 1 PM, Abandoned Taekwondo Gym near Incheon City Hall.>
"The four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind. Then what are the other three elements?"
I unleashed a Mana-infused punch. The pure Mana wave grazed Deok-bae's rocky skin.
"Kugh! I don't know!"
Deok-bae dodged and charged at me, his body lowered. The shoulder tackle, utilizing his bulk, felt as imposing as a charging bull.
I just need to avoid it.
"First correct answer. One is light. The Light Sword is a prime example."
I slightly pulled my foot back and twisted my body. Deok-bae noticed this and tried to change the direction of his fist, but my elbow was already stabbing into Deok-bae's side.
Thwack!
Deok-bae flew through the air and rolled across the floor. I waited until Deok-bae regained his posture with a tumbling recovery, then tapped the floor with the tip of my shoe.
"Second is darkness. Most Monsters have this attribute. It's also a common attribute among villains."
In one step, I kicked off the ground and leaped into the air, raising my leg high. Deok-bae, realizing it was too late to dodge, crossed his arms above his head. His rocky skin had grown firmly, as if Mana was imbued in his arms.
Koo-oong!
Deok-bae's entire body sank slightly from the Mana-infused downward strike. Having successfully defended, Deok-bae wore a triumphant smile between his crossed arms.
"Got you!"
Deok-bae's hand tried to snatch my ankle. Too slow.
"You should say that after you've caught me!"
His hand swiped through the air. Flames were already erupting from my back, forming wings.
"!!"
Deok-bae raised his guard again as soon as he saw my wings. Good judgment. It was already too late to dodge. I flapped my wings and repeatedly slammed into Deok-bae.
Bang! Thwack! Bang!
An explosion resounded each time my shoe struck his arms. Deok-bae's feet began to break through the marble floor.
"Now, let's go big!"
I flapped my wings hard and spun my body halfway around. From a vertical attack to a horizontal roundhouse kick.
"Tch!"
Deok-bae quickly lowered his guard to the left. His rocky skin was already tattered, but the cyan Mana threads were shining.
Defense focused on concentrating Mana at the point of impact. I slightly raised the Mana on my entire instep.
Whoosh!
Blue flames erupted from my foot, startling Deok-bae. The Mana, which should have been tightly woven, momentarily unraveled.
Koo-oong!
Deok-bae's body, struck by the roundhouse kick, flew straight into the wall. Fortunately, there was a pre-arranged Mana net on the wall, so the impact wasn't too great. Probably.
"The last is the illusion attribute. Illusions, hallucinations, things like that. Telepathy or mind-reading, psychic abilities? They all fall into this category."
I clapped my hands, creating seven flames in front of Deok-bae's eyes.
"People react to their own unique attributes, but sometimes there are people who have talent in multiple attributes. Those people are born with composite attributes, or they manifest as completely different attributes. Like the hero 'Lightning,' who awakened the ability of lightning and thunder by mixing fire and wind attributes."
"Haa. Haa. Stop, stop with the explanations."
Deok-bae gathered his Mana and deactivated his rocky skin. As the rock that covered his entire body disappeared, Deok-bae's bare body was revealed.
His skin was still grayish-white, and cyan Mana conduits were exposed like blood vessels. His hood had fallen off, and his head was shining, reflecting the fluorescent light.
Indeed. Even if you become a Monster, your hair doesn't grow back. New knowledge gained.
"You look like you're thinking something unpleasant?"
"Not at all. Let's take a break first. It's been three minutes."
I removed the triangular Gimbap that I had placed on top of the cup ramen, which I had pre-filled with hot water—water that I had boiled with my flames. The brands were completely different from those in my original world, so it felt new somehow.
Deok-bae slyly sat across from me and bit into a warmed hot bar.
"And you know what? Jo Deok-bae, your attitude towards your superior is terrible. How can you embarrass your master like that in front of other people? Is that the attitude of Subordinate Number Two?"
"Hey, can't you just shut your mouth and eat when we're eating?"
Deok-bae snapped, biting into the hot bar.
I had something to say that was right at the tip of my tongue, but I pushed it down into my stomach along with a mouthful of ramen.
To clear up one misunderstanding, I didn't just ransack the convenience store for food just for myself. If I'm going to be a master, shouldn't I provide at least the bare minimum of welfare?
I ordered Monster Number One to be self-sufficient, so he'll probably eat even better on his own. Even a C-class Monster is tastier than top-grade Korean beef for a Monster.
I grabbed Deok-bae's wrist as he reached for the latte drink on the table.
"Hold on. The strawberry one is mine."
"...Ugh."
Deok-bae frowned and grabbed another drink next to it.
"If you want to eat that so badly, I'll give you a quiz. If you get it right, I'll give it to you."
"You're so cheap, seriously."
His words were harsh, but his body was honest. Deok-bae put down the drink he had picked up.
"Then, a quiz. People commonly think of the color of flames as 'red,' but why are my flames 'blue'?"
"...? Come to think of it, why?"
Deok-bae fell into thought. In the meantime, I tore open the strawberry milk.
There's no way he'll get it right. Even I heard the answer directly from Phoenix after entering the Phoenix Route. Now the strawberry milk is mine. Hahaha.
"Because you like blue?"
"........"
Without a word, I threw the strawberry milk at Deok-bae.
* * *
<2 PM. Baek Sang-woo's Office.>
"Here. The items."
Sang-woo handed over a backpack.
"ID, virtual account, and a cell phone. The smartwatch is a service."
"Wow. Thank you."
Phoenix carefully examined the items in the bag and put the smartwatch on his wrist.
"As I said, there are 1.9 billion won in the account. The headquarters rejected the deal for the A-class Core. They said that Cores with unknown origins can't be trusted or distributed."
"It's our first transaction. I understand."
Phoenix fiddled with the three Cores in his hand and then roughly shoved them into the bag.
Sang-woo was dizzy from Phoenix's reckless behavior.
"If your reputation grows and we build trust, we might be able to trade Cores of higher grades than B-class. Come back with an A-class then. If you're still alive."
"Reputation, huh?"
Phoenix examined his ID back and forth. A place he had never been to in the outskirts of Incheon and an age of 00 years old.
And the name 'Phoenix.'
"Yes. And the account for the black market is..."
Sang-woo manipulated his smartwatch. Phoenix stood there blankly, then followed Sang-woo's lead and manipulated his own smartwatch.
Buzz-
Light emanated from the device, which was smaller than an egg. The light, shot in four directions, created square images between the two people.
"You can connect like this with the function on the watch. Of course, you can only connect, and you need a 'recommendation' from an internal member to join."
As Sang-woo tapped his terminal screen here and there, a small notification window popped up on Phoenix's screen.
"'[IncheonPeddler] has invited you to a chat room'?"
"That's me."
"I know that, but I just have to accept this, right?"
"Yes. But there's one thing you have to do first."
Phoenix selected the notification window and accepted the invitation. The screen flickered for a moment, then began to quickly download some data, and the screen turned black.
"That's the black market. A place where you can buy and sell stolen goods, Cores, Monster byproducts, information about heroes, and all sorts of things."
Sang-woo pointed at Phoenix and continued.
"What you need to do is set a 'nickname' to use in this black market. You can't change it once you set it, so make it carefully."
"Then it's simple."
Phoenix quickly typed on the keyboard that appeared on his screen. Sang-woo, who was looking at the already blackened screen, was lost in thought as he looked at the nickname of the person he had invited.
"Done. Is that okay?"
"[AzureFlamePhoenix]? What's with this nickname? Is it trendy for ability users to have chuunibyou-like codenames these days?"
"Chuunibyou? That's my real name."
Sang-woo scratched his beard and nodded.
"Well, it's unreasonable to expect common sense from ability users. But are you sure about this? Judging by your personality, you won't be doing any proper activities, and if you get labeled as a villain and a bounty is placed on your head, this nickname will be posted, you know?"
"That's what I want. I don't want to hide it at all. Oh, while we're at it, teach me how to 'register an organization,' too. Can we do it right now?"
"You're trying to get everything for free."
"I'll sell the Cores I collect to CEO Baek right away later."
"I appreciate the lip service. First, go to this tab and..."
While Sang-woo and Phoenix took turns looking at each other's screens and exploring the black market, Deok-bae, who was leaning against the wall, stared at the back of his master's head, who was chattering like a fish in water, and was lost in thought.
'What the hell is this guy?'
He didn't fall from the sky, and he didn't spring up from the ground, so where did this monster come from? Deok-bae was so annoyed by Phoenix's attitude, which was like a child marveling at new things, that he wanted to leave this place right away.
'If it weren't for that damn order.'
He could revive dead humans and turn them into Monsters, but he couldn't force loyalty. So Deok-bae tried to rebel in a small way within the limits of his will, but in the end, he was used by Phoenix as he pleased.
While Deok-bae was lost in thought, Sang-woo finished all the explanations.
"Hmm. I see. So, all I have to do is decide on an organization name, right? Hehe. It's fun, like creating a guild."
"It's not something to take so lightly... Haa."
Sang-woo sipped his coffee and raised his index finger.
"Listen carefully. Registering as an organization in the black market means you're operating as a 'villain' with your real name on the line. If you act carelessly, you'll get caught by bounty hunters and go to jail. Especially newbies like Phoenix who jump in like moths to a flame..."
"Yes. I understand. I'll keep that in mind."
Phoenix quickly registered the organization name. Sang-woo shook his head, but still checked the newly registered organization list.
"[Azure Blossom Clan]?"
"Yes. It's a pretty plausible name for a villain organization, right?"
Phoenix was still smiling even as he called himself a villain.
* * *
After finishing the transaction, we left Baek Sang-woo's office and entered a cafe near City Hall.
Deok-bae seemed quite awkward entering such a cafe, but he successfully managed to bring the drinks on the tray, following my orders.
"This is amazing."
I tapped the smartwatch on my left wrist. Unlike when I entered the black market, the screen that popped up small to the side showed the payment details from the cashier a moment ago.
"It's like this even in Incheon, so it must be a whole new world in New Seoul, right? Cars flying around on autopilot?"
"Is that a joke?"
"Of course not."
Devices powered by Monster Cores have brought great advancements to human civilization. Despite having the enormous obstacle of Monsters, humanity, having gained access to a new energy source called Mana, was on the threshold of moving into a new era.
However, that was limited to major cities like New Seoul and Busan, and the outskirts, where Monster attacks were frequent, were relatively underdeveloped.
"If Seoul was functioning properly, there would be no reason for New Seoul to exist, right?"
"So, what does that have to do with going to Seoul?"
Deok-bae pointed out, as if he didn't like the idea.
That's right. After organizing the Azure Blossom Clan, I told Deok-bae the destination I had to go to.
"There are many reasons, but if I were to explain them all one by one, we'd have to stay up all night here. For now, just remember this. The purpose of the 'Azure Blossom Clan' is to collect the countless treasures and artifacts scattered around the world. Among them..."
I picked up a sugar cube and unwrapped it.
"To find a cube about this size. You'll know it's an extraordinary object at a glance because it has bizarre patterns engraved on it."
"So, collecting that is your goal."
Deok-bae poured the coffee into his mouth, ice and all.
"Was there a reason to kill and revive people just to collect toys?"
"Toys? Pfft. Listen, even just one of those toys can destroy the Earth. That's what kind of thing it is."

It's not called the Core of God for nothing. I dropped a sugar cube into my coffee.
"Amplification of supernatural abilities, awakening of supernatural abilities, extraction of infinite energy. Based on the research so far, that's all we know, but..."
I pointed the teaspoon on the tray at Deokbae.
"Creation of Monsters, turning humans into freaks, mind control, destruction of nature. It's a magical item that allows you to exert all sorts of supernatural powers when it falls into the hands of an S-class. That's what it is."
"Could the reason you're trying to get your hands on it be..."
Deokbae swallowed hard. I put down the teaspoon and stirred my coffee.
"Yes. For world peace—"
"Are you going to use it to conquer the world or something?"
"...What do you take me for? Do I look like that kind of person?"
Deokbae contorted his already fierce face and mumbled. He looked like he wanted to say something but was barely holding back.
"It's okay, tell me. That's an order."
"A Monster who burns people to death like bugs, what world peace, hiss."
Regardless of Deokbae's will, his true feelings poured out. I put down the teaspoon and took a sip of coffee.
Bitter. Why is it so bitter even though I put in sugar?
"I need to clear up one misunderstanding. I'm going to say this clearly now."
I slammed the coffee cup down and said,
"This is all for the peace of the world."

Chapter 18

〈 Episode 18 〉 Part 1 Chapter 2 (4)
<April 4, 2020, 6 PM, OO Building Underground Parking Lot.>
Since the fall of Seoul, there was only one way to get there: 'on foot.'
Vehicles, subways, airplanes—all modes of transportation carried the risk of Monster attacks, so it was only natural that Seoul's transportation facilities had ceased operations.
Therefore, hunters venturing into Seoul either walked or favored trucks that could navigate the relatively intact roads. This way, if attacked on the road, the ability users in the back could respond immediately.
"Still, this is a bit much."
Deokbae eyed the deuce-and-a-half truck before him with unease. Phoenix, on the other hand, seemed thrilled, negotiating with the broker.
"Hey, this was military, right? Hehe."
The truck was covered in thick layers of green paint, but traces of the original white peeked through the chipped areas. The broker, wearing sunglasses, waved his hands dismissively and chuckled.
"Oh, no, how could that be?! No citizen of the Republic of Korea would steal and sell military supplies, would they?"
The broker whispered, bringing his hand to his lips.
"This was abandoned on the roadside. It became an unclaimed item."
"So you're selling lost property for five thousand? What's your conscience like?"
"Haha! I couldn't do this business if I had a conscience! And weren't you the one who agreed to buy it for five thousand? It might look a bit rough, but the performance is great. Hey, you there."
The broker tapped the headlight. The loosely attached glass fell to the ground with a thud.
"...Want a discount?"
"No, it's fine. We're only using it temporarily."
Phoenix tapped the screen of the Black Market interface, transferring the agreed-upon amount. The broker's smartwatch immediately chimed, confirming the deposit.
"Wow, CEO! You have a cool alias and a cool transaction!"
"Right? But..."
Phoenix tapped the broker's shoulder and smiled.
"What's our deal?"
"Huh? Deal? Was there such a thing?"
Phoenix nodded and lowered his hand at the broker's nonchalant attitude.
With that, they passed each other as if they were strangers.
"Is it okay to just let him go like that?"
Deokbae pointed at the quickly disappearing broker. Phoenix climbed onto the deuce-and-a-half, a military medium-sized truck, and examined it.
"It's fine. If he scammed us, we can track him down by his Black Market nickname and deal with him. Hmm, he could have at least wiped off the bloodstains before selling it."
Phoenix frowned at the hardened stains under the seat and snapped his fingers. A small blue flame engulfed the entire truck, burning away the foreign substances.
"Looks like he picked up something that was attacked by a Monster."
"You shouldn't drive a car that's been in an accident."
"It's okay. Judging by the remaining bloodstains, the person who was in it didn't die. Come on, let's go."
Phoenix smoothly entered the driver's seat and patted the seat next to him. Deokbae scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and sat in the passenger seat.
"Do you even have a license?"
"I have the skills. How many trucks do you think I've driven?"
Phoenix started the car with ease and fastened the seatbelt.
"Are you like one of those military-obsessed high school girls or something?"
"?? No. Not really."
Phoenix turned on the navigation app on his smartphone.
"I just happened to have the chance to drive them before. I used to work as a delivery driver. I've delivered hundreds of packages from England to Germany with this thing."
"...With a deuce-and-a-half?"
Phoenix opened his mouth to explain something but chuckled and mumbled.
"You wouldn't understand even if I explained it, so let's just go. Oh, right."
Mana flowed from his hands gripping the steering wheel. The paint covering the truck burned away, revealing cyan flame patterns.
"It's okay if a Monster attacks the truck on the way. So you can relax until we get to Gwangmyeong."
"...? You said Yeouido. Can't we just go straight to Yeouido?"
Phoenix frowned as he fiddled with the gear stick.
"There's no need to go the long way, but if we go through Guro, things will get annoying. At this time..."
Deokbae couldn't ignore Phoenix's muttering.
"It's the time when the Lighthouse appears in Guro."
The sun was setting outside the underground parking lot.
* * *
<April 4, 6:20 PM, Top Floor of a Building in Guro.>
The man woke up and immediately looked for water.
"Ugh..."
He felt heavy with a hangover. Beyond the tattered blinds, the window showed that darkness was already beginning to fall.
"Ugh."
The man covered his eyes with his palms. Naturally, his vision turned black. In that dark world, a new image emerged according to the man's Mana response.
"Hmm. Interesting."
A bird's-eye view as if a bird was looking down from the high sky. The vision, as if taking aerial photographs, showed the entire Guro area where the man was at a glance.
"No Monsters."
The clearer the vision became without sunlight, the more it didn't miss even an ant crawling through the alleys of Guro.
"Hehe, heh."
With this ability, the man became the leader of the vagrants left in Guro.
Although its range was limited to Guro and he could only properly use his ability at night, the fact that they could be safe even at night from Monster attacks was a great blessing and comfort to the vagrants.
<Lighthouse Keeper>.
The vagrants in the Guro area, only about 200 people left, revered the man as their savior and were grateful to be alive.
'The guys who tried to use me are all dead.'
Of course, there were those who tried to use the man's ability. But the man cleverly used his ability to make them food for the Monsters, and this small Guro became a world entirely for the man alone.
"Huh?"
The man tilted his head at the bustling movement felt throughout Guro.
The vagrants who had not yet submitted to him were all packing their bags and starting to flee west.
Knock knock knock!
A hurried knock was heard from beyond the door. The man lowered his hand, releasing his ability, and shouted irritably.
"What's going on?!"
"Chairman!!"
The young man who called the man Chairman continued, panting.
"In Gwanak Mountain! Something big?!"
* * *
<10 Minutes Ago, S University near Gwanak Mountain.>
"No matter how I think about it, this isn't right."
Cheon Ga-eul slammed the tumbler filled with coffee onto the table, irritated. The annoyance she had been expressing since leaving New Seoul had not stopped even now, just before filming.
"Ga-eul, what is it now?"
The manager was embarrassed but smiled, his lips trembling. No matter how good a person is, being next to someone who is constantly annoyed for half a day is bound to make them angry.
In that sense, Cheon Ga-eul's manager was a saint. Without a coordinator or assistant manager, he had to endure Cheon Ga-eul's hysteria alone.
"Oppa. Do you think this is normal right now?"
But Cheon Ga-eul also had many excuses. No matter how much the director valued reality above all else, it was not reasonable to risk people's lives to film.
"The first date scene is at S University? Great. Two people meeting on the campus of Korea's top university. And the first kiss under the school gate? Great picture. Really."
Cheon Ga-eul squeezed the script, twisting it like a rag. The script, stained with pen marks, had numerous question marks drawn near the phrase 'Location: S University.'
"But that doesn't mean we actually have to come to Seoul. This isn't a place where people live anymore. It's a place where Monsters could pop out at any time. It's a death zone. It's just a kiss scene. We could have done it in Busan."
To put it bluntly, a Monster could burst through the asphalt from underground at any moment. It was like filming a war movie in an actual war zone.
"What's the point of getting the number one viewership rating? Reality? If someone gets attacked and killed by a Monster, are you going to make good use of that and broadcast it? Actress Cheon Ga-eul! 28 years old! Died in Seoul after being attacked by a Monster while filming!!"
"That's why Seung-hyung came prepared. Relax."
"That's what I don't like!!"
Cheon Ga-eul shouted, hitting the seat.
"If you're an A-class Hero, act like one. Why are you even acting? Huh? Oppa, let's say Shin Kyung-joon got the part as originally auditioned. If the announcement came out that Shin Kyung-joon was being taken to Seoul, the director would have disappeared from the planet by now. Even Japan's world-class Hero certified that he was a fan of Shin Kyung-joon. Isn't it because Lee Seung-hyung said it was okay that the association reversed its decision not to go? If you're a Hero, think about the hearts of ordinary citizens!"
"What can we do? The Hero Association is the number one sponsor. Lee Seung-hyung's visuals are better than Shin Kyung-joon's. He's a much better actor. More than anything..."
The manager swallowed and chose his words carefully.
"Lee Seung-hyung seems interested in you."
"Don't talk crap, Oppa."
Cheon Ga-eul harshly criticized the manager and took out a chocolate from her pouch.
"Heroes are more successful than celebrities. Why would someone who earns a building for every B-class Monster they catch like someone like me? Oppa, you've watched too many Cinderella stories."
"What's wrong with you? Cheon Ga-eul, the nation's unrequited love!"
"What's with the twenty-eight-year-old act? That's enough. People need to know their place to survive anywhere for a long time. A commoner like me with no abilities just lives as an actress as I always have. Got it?"
Cheon Ga-eul sighed deeply and took out a hand mirror. She checked her haggard face for any smudged makeup and turned on her smartphone with a bright smile, greeting the smartphone.
"Hello, Ara Live viewers. You all know where I am right now, right?"
Chatters quickly rose at the bottom of the live chat screen showing her face.
"That's right. Seoul. And I'm at S University! The best university in Korea! Oh, does this compare to New Seoul University? Sorry, New Seoul officials! Please don't hate me~~."
Cheon Ga-eul casually delivered the prepared lines and opened the van door, stepping outside.
The car parked in the parking lot filled the screen with the scenery of S University.
"It's desolate, right? I used to walk here as an undergraduate student eight years ago... Yes, that's a boast. I've never gotten below a B? I never missed a class. What? Anything less than an A+ is trash...? You're too much, really."
Amidst the wave of laughter flooding the chat window, a chat that made her frown passed by.
- Are you dating Lee Seung-hyung? Lee Seung-hyung's eyes are practically dripping honey.
A provocation that she would normally laugh off bothered her more than usual today. It wasn't just Cheon Ga-eul who was bothered, as the chat participants all criticized the person who wrote the chat, and Cheon Ga-eul waved her hands, trying to maintain her smile.
"Lee Seung-hyung and I? Oh my. It might be better than I thought—just kidding. We're not dating. So don't tease me like that. I'm not yet-"
"Ga-eul-ssi!"
The man in question came running from afar, waving his hand. Cheon Ga-eul cursed inwardly and showed her smartphone to the approaching man.
"You came just in time. Seung-hyung-ssi, would you like to say a word to your fans?"
A hint of disappointment flashed in Lee Seung-hyung's eyes as he held the coffee he had just brought. Disappointment? As Cheon Ga-eul blinked in confusion, Lee Seung-hyung smiled brightly and greeted the smartphone.
"Hello, everyone who is waiting for <Last Love>! I'm Lee Seung-hyung, the actor playing 'Jeongmin'!"
Lee Seung-hyung then handed the coffee he had brought to Cheon Ga-eul.
"Yes. Are you worried that Seoul is dangerous? It is dangerous. But it's okay! We're only going to film one scene and then go straight back to New Seoul. So we shouldn't have any NGs, Ga-eul-ssi?"
"Yes, yes."
She didn't want to have any NGs either. Whether he knew her intention to complete the kiss scene in one take like a professional or not, Ga-eul put her lips to the straw, watching Lee Seung-hyung, who seemed as excited as if it were his own live broadcast.
Slurp.
"......?"

Caramel macchiato. There was no way there would be a café around, so he must have prepared it in advance, and not just any Americano, but her favorite drink? Cheon Ga-eul looked at him with suspicious eyes, and Lee Seung-Hyung, sensing her gaze, smiled playfully.
"Ah. What should I do, everyone? I think Ga-eul doesn't trust me. Ga-eul-ah, don't you trust your Hyung?! ...Oh, that was a comment that's hard to trust. Then please trust the A-class hero, <Grizzly>! The hero is doing his best today for the safety of all citizens!"
Lee Seung-Hyung, who was acting ridiculously, winked at Cheon Ga-eul, out of the camera's view. Cheon Ga-eul snorted and snatched the smartphone.
"Yes, yes. Thank you for your efforts for world peace, Grizzly."
"Ga-eul-ssi."
Lee Seung-Hyung grabbed Cheon Ga-eul's wrist and said with a serious expression. The camera captured Lee Seung-Hyung's face as it was.
"No matter what happens, I will protect you."
The chat window froze at the sight of his smiling face as he finished speaking. Cheon Ga-eul couldn't even think of a comment to make, stammering at the heat flowing down the back of her neck.
Pfft.
Lee Seung-Hyung raised his hand and laughed mischievously.
"Ugh! So cheesy! My hands and feet! But I think I'd be good at this kind of role too? A man who protects his woman! I should ask them to get me a role when I get back to New Seoul."
"...Ahem."
Cheon Ga-eul tried to hide her burning face and focused the live chat screen on Lee Seung-Hyung. If her face were shown live now, it might remain as a permanent embarrassing meme. With a name like 'Common_Girl_Confessed_to_by_Lee_Seung-Hyung.avi'.
"Well, then, Lee Seung-Hyung-ssi. Thank you for your special appearance. The director is starting to give us the eye. He must think we're already practicing the scene because of Lee Seung-Hyung-ssi. Hehe. Then we'll end AraLive now-"
Eeeeeee--------
An ear-splitting siren. In an instant, the set became a scene of chaos. The director, who was about to pick up the megaphone, shouted into it.
"Calm down! It's everyday life in Seoul! Check the alarm location!"
Fear descended on the entire set as the alarm continued to sound. The cameraman, who was the first to check the alarm notification, turned pale and shouted.
"'Dimensional Gate' alarm?!"
Silence fell on the set in an instant. Not just two or three D~C class Monsters appearing, but a sign of disaster with B class or higher Monsters mixed in, appearing in hordes. The appearance of a Dimensional Gate that created cracks in the air and spewed out Monsters completely plunged the set into panic.
"Location?!"
Lee Seung-Hyung shouted with a voice filled with Mana, and the chaos subsided a little.
But that calm was shattered by the cameraman's next words.
"...Gwanak Mountain!"
A huge Dimensional Gate had opened on the mountain.

Chapter 19

〈 Episode 19 〉 Part 1 Chapter 2 (5)
"Huh?"
An irritating sensation pricks my skin. I quickly pull the car over and focus on the energy I feel from far away.
"Argh! Can't you drive properly?!"
Deok-bae, who wasn't wearing his seatbelt, gets his neck snapped back violently. Just as I'm about to point that out, my smartwatch starts ringing like crazy.
Eeeeeeeeee----
"Monster alert. Where, Gwanak Mountain? Dimensional Gate? Oh my. It's gonna be a mess."
Deok-bae looks out the window and snorts.
"Gwanak Mountain, huh...."
It's not that far. The fragment of God sleeping in Yeouido isn't going anywhere if I'm a day late. And if a Dimensional Gate opened in Gwanak Mountain, hundreds of Monsters would come pouring out.
I glance at the crossbody bag on top of Deok-bae's feet, then stomp on the accelerator.
"Hey! The tires will burst! Don't step on it!"
"I can reinforce them with Mana! Let's go for a ride, shall we!"
Seeing the speedometer quickly pass 100, Deok-bae quickly puts on his seatbelt.
* * *
Chaos.
Seung-hyung, who should be making cool-headed, rational decisions in any situation, doesn't know what to do with the turmoil in his heart and shouts at the staff on set.
"Everyone! Run to the west!"
Everyone starts to calm down at the sound of the A-rank Hero's voice, infused with Mana. Seung-hyung clears his throat and shouts again.
"I'll block the Dimensional Gate! Support will be here from the Association soon. Everyone, escape to Gwangmyeong City however you can!"
Gwangmyeong City hasn't fallen yet. Since there aren't many people, they can drive back the way they came and overcome the immediate crisis.
"W-What about Seung-hyung?!"
The director stammers, asking about Seung-hyung's intentions. He seems intimidated, perhaps because he feels responsible for Seung-hyung coming to S University, but the Hero's sharp senses clearly tell him what he's really thinking.
"I'm sorry, but I can't help you right now."
Whoosh.
Red flames erupt behind Seung-hyung's upper body. The shape of the flames, like a bear skin he's taken off and put on, clearly shows why his Hero name is 'Grizzly'.
"I'm going to close the Dimensional Gate right now."
"O-Okay. Let's see each other alive!"
Starting with the director running away, all the staff on set start running to their vehicles. Seung-hyung approaches Cheon Ga-eul, who's standing pale-faced among them, and clasps her hands tightly.
"Ga-eul, it's okay. I told you, didn't I? I'll protect you."
Ga-eul, who had been staring blankly at Seung-hyung, regains her focus. Ga-eul avoids Seung-hyung's gaze and pulls her hands away.
"...Yes."
Ga-eul's gaze falls on her high heels. The killer heels she's wearing to compensate for the height difference would make it difficult to run down a slope. Seung-hyung makes a fuss, trying to take off Ga-eul's high heels.
"I'll take you to the van. No, I'll take you to the station first. Just a-"
"No. It's okay."
Ga-eul's small hand pushes Seung-hyung's shoulder. That small hand, about half the size of his, lifts Seung-hyung up like a mountain.
"Seung-hyung, go close the Dimensional Gate. That's what a Hero should do, right?"
"But."
"I have legs too. I can take them off if it's too hard. I'm a good runner. You know I'm two years older than you, right?"
Seeing her clench her fists and strike a fighting pose, Seung-hyung can't help but smile.
Ga-eul lowers her hands, puffing out her cheeks, and flinches at Seung-hyung's gaze.
"Ga-eul."
"?!"
Ga-eul, who has lived with acting for over a decade since she was a child actor, has a natural sense for human emotions. The product of that talent and effort is telling her that the man in front of her is being 100% sincere.
"I'll close the Dimensional Gate and come right back. There's something I really want to say when I come back alive... Will you listen?"
"Hmph, I'll listen."
"Hehe."
Seung-hyung smiles like a child, gets up, and runs towards the top of the mountain like a bear. Ga-eul, blushing at the intense emotion Seung-hyung left behind, heads to the parking lot.
"...."
Ga-eul's neck is red.
* * *
Dimensional Gate.
The countless other-dimensional gates Seong-ju opened from Terra to Earth. The Monster wave phenomenon that occurs when Seong-ju goes into recovery and control is lost, causing them to open randomly.
The Dimensional Gates that spring up like mushrooms leave traces of heterogeneous Mana at the point of origin, signaling their approach.
Humanity has learned how to detect that unidentified Mana - the Mana of Terra contaminated by the Outer Gods - and alerts people to the danger through notification apps that are essential on smartphones and watches.
'And the Heroes and Hunters nearby step up.'
Dimensional Gates are a race against time. If you don't hunt the Monsters that pour out and quickly destroy the gate, stronger Monsters will appear from the gate.
Heroes step up to block the Dimensional Gates to protect humanity, and Hunters hunt the Monsters that cross the Dimensional Gates to obtain Cores.
'So I have to clean it up quickly before an S-rank appears.'
Now that a Dimensional Gate has appeared, even the government, which is usually slow to act, won't be able to resist sending the Gwanggeom.
'It's a bit much to pick a fight with the Gwanggeom already.'
A hero who hides his power for some reason. If he finds out my identity and attacks me to the death, I can't guarantee my life.
Either he dies, or I die. I have no intention of dying or killing right now.
"So, are you going to go wild in Gwanak Mountain? I thought you were going to take care of the Yeouido job and hide for a while to increase your power?"
"It's a Dimensional Gate. If an S-rank Monster appears in Seoul, it'll be a problem for me."
"I feel like you're just going to burn them all to death."
I shrug. The truck, with blue flames in its bumper, rams straight into a Monster that jumps out onto the road.
Kwaang!
"If I wanted to, I could. But that would provoke the whole world. My identity would be revealed. Do you think I created the Cheonghwadan for nothing?"
Screech--!
I quickly make a right turn at the intersection, causing the Monster clinging to the side of the truck to fall off. The Monster rolls on the ground and slams its unmentionables into the guardrail.
"I need to collect the fragments quickly, but the enemies will know I'm collecting them, right? Then I don't know how each country will react. They might hide them at the bottom of the Mariana Trench to make it hard to find, or even launch them into space on a rocket so I can't find them at all. To piss me off."
"Isn't that a bit of an overestimation?"
"No, it's true."
The production company must be crazy, using the actual rulers of each country, all of whom are famous for being crazy, as motifs. The Prime Minister of Germany has the name Adolf Wilhelm, so there's no need to mention the other countries.
"The Cheonghwadan needs to have enough power to fight and win against at least an entire country. Within 5 years."
The truck rumbles loudly. A Monster trying to jump out by opening a manhole cover gets its face crushed by the reinforced tires.
"Maybe that'll be the United States or Russia."
"...That Cheonghwadan thing is a more messed up organization than I thought."
"You're a member of that organization too."
I turn the truck and break through the guardrail. The truck falling from the overpass slides forward on the asphalt.
Screeeeeech!!
Deok-bae, holding on tightly to the car body, turns his head towards me and shouts.
"Hey!!!"
"I'm not deaf. The navigation is telling us to go back, so I'm taking a shortcut."
The navigation seems to hesitate, as if the data connection was temporarily lost, and then re-searches the route.
"Oh? Ah. It's telling me to go this way because I set the destination as the mountain."
I close the app, guided by the navigation that shows the honest national highway, and open my senses wide.
Woo woong--
A direction where I feel an indescribable unpleasantness. I recall the map shown on the navigation one last time and unfasten my seatbelt.
"Okay, get ready, Jo Deok-bae."
"Ready for what?"
Deok-bae frowns, but unfastens his seatbelt, following my lead. I drive the truck straight ahead and lower the window.
Kyakyaaaaaak!
Behind us, Monsters are running down the road like zombies. Even though they felt my B-rank level energy, the reason they're chasing us this far must be because of the A-rank Monster Core in the bag Deok-bae is carrying.
"...Hmm."
I tap the steering wheel, withdraw my Mana, and slam on the brakes. The car slides to a stop in front of the embankment due to inertia.
Deok-bae, as if he expected it, puts strength into his whole body and withstands the inertia. The somewhat triumphant look in his eyes is a little annoying.
"Jo Deok-bae. Can you give me the bag?"
I receive the bag from Deok-bae and open the zipper. I move aside the miscellaneous goods I bought at the convenience store and take out the necessary items.
"Here."
"...Huh?"
As I put the veil around my neck, Deok-bae receives the bag and rummages through it. A moment later, Deok-bae is holding a Monster Core dyed red in his hand.
"What's this?"
"What do you think? It's an A-rank Monster Core that I couldn't sell and went broke."
I spread wings of fire behind me, jump over the truck, and knock away the Monsters rushing at me.
Kyaaaak!
The Monsters, seemingly frightened by the sudden release of my Mana, can't easily approach and keep their distance, growling. Even though they're blinded by the A-rank Monster Core, they seem to have instinctively felt the power of a predator stronger than them.
"Jo Deok-bae. As you can see, these little beads are magical items that enchant Monsters. Right?"
"I can tell just by looking. But?"
The Monsters surrounding me and Deok-bae are all drooling and seem to be out of their minds. They're already intoxicated by the drug-like smell of the A-rank Core.
"I'm going to close the Dimensional Gate in Gwanak Mountain. But oh? Annoying Heroes are running towards the Dimensional Gate. It'll be a pain if my identity is revealed already, right? But I can't just leave it to the Heroes, because I don't trust the Korean Heroes yet, right? Oh no, I have no choice but to go! So Deok-bae needs to draw some attention. I'll close it quickly."
"In other words, you want me to draw aggro. Can't you say it shorter?"
"Yes."
I clench the two beads I'm holding in my hand. With the grip enhanced by Mana, the Cores gradually crack on the surface, and then,
Pasaasak!
They burst like balloons. Deok-bae's mouth drops open in surprise.
"You... that... right now...."
"Hehe. Take a good look. This is another one of your master's powers."
The fragments of the Core that floated above my hand create wind and soar above my head. The original color disappears, and the fragments, now imbued with Phoenix's unique property, blue flames, become jewels of pure Mana.
"Spirit Stones. I made them, but they're pretty. It's a waste."
Deok-bae's gaze is fixed on the jewels and won't leave. I barely manage to hold back my bursting laughter and approach Deok-bae with the jewels in my hand.
"Then, Minion No. 2. You'll have to be my guinea pig again today."
"...Guinea pig? Hey, you don't mean to-"
I answer with a smile.
The blue jewels emit a massive blue flame and engulf Deok-bae.
"Keoeok?!"
Deok-bae screams in agony and thrashes. But the blue flames emanating from the jewels don't care about Deok-bae's screams and wrap around Deok-bae's entire body, gradually increasing in size.
"The pain is only temporary. Soon, when you come to your senses, your perspective on the world will be different. Hehe. Then, please take care of the annoying things."
After confirming that the blue flames surrounding Deok-bae are taking on the form of a giant human, I quickly run towards Gwanak Mountain.
"Kyaaak!"
"...Hmm."
I see a group of Monsters blocking the way. The Monsters hiding in the asphalt jungle of Seoul are agitated by the appearance of Monsters much stronger than them and start to flee in a hurry.
"I need to collect D-rank Cores and sell them to Baek Sang-woo…."
Yelp!
I grab the head of a panther-type Monster that lunges at me with its claws bared. The Monster can't do anything and flails its four feet in the air, and I throw the Monster forward.
Kieeeek!
"Annoying…."
Mostly D-rank. I can see some C-ranks here and there, but they're all small fry that I don't like.

'Still, I need to clean up the trash.'
I'll have to do a major cleaning of Seoul later anyway. Whether it's people or Monsters, I had to cleanly sweep away the misfortune that had settled on Seoul, which had already gone to ruin.
Kyaaang?!
Burn, kick their heads, and pluck out their claws to throw into their eyes. Before the blood splatters and stains my clothes, I conjure flames to burn it away, advancing little by little.
'Should I raise the output appropriately?'
Even if S-class is too much, B-class would have less risk. I slightly increased my Mana and reached out towards the charging Monsters.
Click.
I pressed the air with my thumb as if lighting a lighter. And at the same time, blue flames ignited on the Monsters' bodies.
Kyaaak!
Driven mad by the pain, the Monsters rolled on the ground. I stepped on the corpses of the Monsters and jumped onto the roof of a building, running straight towards Gwanak Mountain.
Kkeueong!!
Burning away all the Monsters that dared to attack Phoenix.

Chapter 20

〈 Episode 20 〉 Part 1 Chapter 2 (6)
<April 4, 2020, 6:40 PM, near Gwangmyeong City Hall, 'Hunter's Rest'.>
Ability users are largely divided into heroes or villains, but there are those in between, like shades of gray.
Those who have awakened their abilities but do not act as heroes. Yet, they do not commit evil deeds using their abilities.
Except for a very few, those who do not belong to either side hunted Monsters using their abilities. People called those who reported their abilities to the government and registered their names in the government-managed database as:
Hunters.
Those who made a living by hunting Monsters and selling their byproducts. The association was troubled by them, but under the common goal of 'catching Monsters', they formed a symbiotic relationship with the hunters.
In particular, the alliance is more prominent in the occurrence of dimensional gates like this time. While heroes focus on removing dimensional gates, hunters deal with the Monsters that come out.
"Hey! Pack your bags!"
Kim Seong-oh urged his fellow hunters and re-checked his equipment. There were countless parties of hunters stationed in Seoul besides them.
"Boss! The association sent a map!"
At his subordinate's words, Seong-oh tapped his smartwatch to open the map.
A bird's-eye view of Gwanak Mountain was drawn in a flat plane, with red arrows indicating the direction in which Monsters were expected to descend.
"The guys in Gwacheon are going to have an easy time. Tch."
Most of the Monsters descending along the hiking trails created by humans headed south and east. The Monsters heading northwest towards Seoul National University were sporadic in number, but for some reason, they were marked as dangerous.
"What is this? A dangerous species?"
"It seems so."
"Damn it. If we don't earn a Core, we'll be in the red this month."
Seong-oh spat on the ground and climbed into the back of the truck. Trucks modified to be able to cope with Monster attacks at any time were essential for hunters.
"If only a B-grade would come out..."
"Boss! There!"
At his subordinate's shout, Seong-oh was about to swear but lost his words.
"What is that?"
A huge pillar of fire rising from the south.
The huge blue pillar of fire was easily visible from the hunters' base, which was 2 km away, and was easily dozens of meters high.
"...Are they already spewing out Monsters like that?"
Should we run away? Seong-oh, who was licking his lips, frowned at the newly ringing Monster appearance notification, then opened his mouth wide.

-A-grade appearance near Doksan Station! Danger! Please evacuate quickly!

Seong-oh and the hunters looked at each other and nodded.
"Jackpot!"
The hunters' trucks heading towards Gwanak Mountain all turned their steering wheels towards the pillar of fire at Doksan Station.
* * *
"Haa, haa!"
Chun Ga-eul ran down without looking back. If she didn't run, she would be eaten by the Monster.
"Aaaagh!"
One of the filming staff, surprised by the speed of the Monsters coming down the mountain faster than expected, screamed and fell. Those who were running away together did not have the mind to help him up, even as they saw him fall, tangled in his legs.
The staff fell into despair as he watched his colleagues abandon him. The mental pain of being abandoned by his colleagues, with whom he had shared meals and lived together, was greater than the pain of his sprained leg.
Vroom!
Starting with the director of photography, those who got into their cars hurriedly left the parking lot. The staff swallowed his resentment at the sight of the car he had come in abandoning him and leaving the parking lot.
A hand appeared, pulling his arm.
"What are you doing! Get up!"
A beautiful hand that she had only seen through the camera. Chun Ga-eul struggled and pulled the staff's arm.
"Hey! Are you crazy?!"
"Help me instead of swearing!"
The manager stamped his feet and stuck next to Ga-eul, supporting the staff.
"Can you run?!"
"I, somehow!"
He had to run away, even dragging one leg. Because the hero who could help them right now was heading to the top of Gwanak Mountain to prevent a greater danger.
"Lee Seung-hyung...! He could have just helped us and left!"
As the staff said, sobbing, Ga-eul, who was running while supporting him, shook her head and said.
"If it was just a Monster, he would have. But it's a dimensional gate."
She didn't even know why a dimensional gate appeared, or that its real name meant a connection to another dimension, but humanity clearly knew that if dimensional gates were left alone, Monsters of greater danger would appear.
"There are still many people living in Seoul. For their sake, it's right for Seung-hyung to go and block the dimensional gate."
"Then we're all going to die now!"
The manager shouted as he ran to the van parked in the corner of the parking lot. Ga-eul bit her lip tightly and supported the staff, dragging him to the van. The other cars had already left the parking lot and headed down the main road.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Behind them was a Monster that had already come down to the university grounds. The Monster, which resembled an orangutan, beat its chest on the roof of the building and screamed.
Kyaaah---!
"Heok?!"
The staff lost consciousness and collapsed at the roar that the Monster emitted with Mana. Dark red blood flowed from his ears.
"Ugh?!"
Ga-eul barely straightened her swaying body. The thought of abandoning the unconscious staff and jumping onto the van immediately flashed through her mind, but she gritted her teeth and put her hand on the staff's shoulder, pulling him into the van.
"Hey! Get in quickly!"
The manager turned the car key with a very anxious look. His trembling hands failed to start the engine several times, whether it was due to tension or the fear of death.
Vroom-
A low engine sound rang out and the car started. Ga-eul, who had used all her strength to lift the staff into the car door, gasped for breath and shouted at the manager.
"Help me, Oppa! I can't do it alone!"
"What? What are you...?!"
Kwaang!
The Monster, which had already jumped close by, jumped down from the building. The manager panicked at the shock of the heavy van floating for a moment and then landing, and shouted while changing gears.
"Hey! Abandon him!"
Ga-eul was momentarily shocked and froze.
The words to abandon the staff. It was the same as saying to run away using the staff as bait.
"B, but...."
"But nothing! Those who want to live have to live!"
The manager shouted, even spitting. But Ga-eul's hands would not let go of the staff's shoulder.
Kugugugung!
The ground shook and the Monster began to run. Ga-eul's one hand, which was holding the staff, instinctively reached for the car door at the Monster's overwhelming presence as it ran towards her, but the manager stepped on the accelerator faster than that.
Guwaaaaang!
With the sound of sudden acceleration, the car body lunged forward and Ga-eul's hand grabbed at the air. The staff, who had been half-hanging on the car door, was dragged along by the car as it rotated and bounced out of the parking lot.
"Ah."
Ga-eul watched the car leaving the parking lot in vain and sat down on the spot. The manager, who had been living with her since she was a child actor, didn't even look back and drove away alone.
Krrr.
Ga-eul turned around with trembling eyes. There, a Monster with dark purple fur, looking back and forth between Ga-eul and the departing car, was approaching right in front of her.
Krrr.
Was it Ga-eul's delusion that the Monster was twisting its lips and smiling? The Monster, which puffed out its nostrils, crouched down,
Kyaaaang!!
And jumped high into the sky with a scream. The Monster, which jumped high enough to cross a lecture building, landed right in front of the car trying to leave the parking lot.
"Aaaagh!"
The manager was surprised by the Monster that suddenly appeared in front of him and turned the steering wheel to the side. The Monster stretched out its arms and blocked the car trying to pass by its side with its body.
Squeak....
The car, which pushed the Monster's body back slightly, stopped there. The manager stepped on the accelerator as much as he could, but the car didn't budge.
"Ah, ugh."
The manager made eye contact with the Monster through the window. The Monster seemed to enjoy the manager's fear, spitting at the window and laughing, then raised its fist high into the sky and struck the driver's seat.
Kwajik!
The sound of something being crushed and dented was not just the sound of the car body.
Ga-eul covered her mouth with both hands at the sight of the manager's left arm falling weakly through the torn car door.
Krrr. Krr.
The Monster, which wiped the blood on its fist on its fur, stomped its feet and slowly approached Ga-eul. Ga-eul's legs were already weak and she couldn't even put any strength into them.
Keureuk.
The Monster looked at Ga-eul like that and put its hand into its crotch. The pillar taken out by the hand inserted between the thick fur was disgusting and hideous.
"Ugh."
Ga-eul endured the nausea rising to her chin and turned her body. The warning coming from her survival instinct allowed Ga-eul to turn away from the Monster and run away with superhuman strength.
Keureureuk. Keureuk.
" "
But in front of her were two more Monsters that looked exactly like the Monster from before. Ga-eul burst into tears at the reality she didn't want to believe.
"That's why I said I wouldn't come to a place like this, sob!"
She didn't want to die. So she scraped together all the money she had and dragged her parents into New Seoul. But why did this happen?
Keureureuk.
The voices of the approaching Monsters seemed to be mocking her situation, so Ga-eul wiped away her tears and stood up. Ga-eul, who took off her high heels and held them upside down, threatened the Monsters by swinging the heel of her shoe.
"D, don't come!"
Keureukeuk.
A clear mockery. But Ga-eul did not let go of the high heels she was pointing at the Monsters, even as her hands trembled.
Thump.
A huge shadow loomed over Ga-eul's head. Ga-eul, startled, turned around and saw a Monster that was two to three times bigger than the other Monsters staring at her.
The Monster grabbed Ga-eul with its large hand and lifted her into the air.
"Aaaagh!"
Even as she was being held, Ga-eul held the high heels upside down and repeatedly stabbed the Monster's hand. She couldn't even break the skin, let alone cause any damage, and it kept slipping to the side, but Ga-eul stabbed again and again until she lost her strength and dropped the high heels.
Keureureuk.
The giant Monster threw Ga-eul, who had dropped her high heels, to the ground. Ga-eul, who rolled on the asphalt, coughed as she collapsed on the ground from the intense shock.
"Ugh! Keoeok!"
Blood mixed with her cough and splattered out. Ga-eul looked at the approaching giant Monster in her fading consciousness and mocked herself.
'I don't want to die yet.'
A man came to mind in the memories that flashed through her head like a panorama. He, who was in a much higher social position than her, had been constantly showing interest since the day they were reading the script.

-No matter what happens, I will protect you.

She even thought that he might come to save her. Like a fairy tale, a prince who defeats the Monsters and comes to save the princess in crisis.
But in reality, there were heroes but no Cinderellas.
'Right. As a hero, he should go and block the dimensional gate.'
Ga-eul had always thought that it was more important to eliminate factors that threatened the lives of Seoul citizens and humanity as a whole than the life of one person. So Ga-eul made an effort to act strong and made Seung-hyung head to the dimensional gate.
Not even dreaming that her words to fulfill his duty as a hero would lead to her death.
'If I see him again alive.'
She stared at the giant Monster's fist rushing towards her head until the end, then turned her head.
♩♪♬----!!
At that moment, a sound like a bird's cry shook her eardrums. At the same time, the giant Monster's body was engulfed in an explosion.
"Phoenix Kick!"
A dropkick that pierced the giant Monster's chest through the smoke of the explosion. The giant Monster flew towards the lecture building with its size intact.
Kwaang!
The Monster, which had flown dozens of meters, fell down, breaking the wall of the building. Ga-eul, who turned her head, was lost in the blue flames burning in front of her eyes.
Kyaaaak!
The Monsters, which had begun to go wild, quickly covered the girl who had appeared in front of Ga-eul. The eyes of the Monsters, which were rushing in with sharp claws raised, even showed a determined will to kill her even if they died.
"You're slow."
Blue flame wings spread out behind the girl's back.
The Monsters were blown away by the pressure of the wind alone, just like the giant Monster, and were thrown to the ground.
"What, it's Chaos attribute. Their Cores won't come out. I'm screwed."

I couldn't understand what the girl was saying. But the warmth radiating from those intensely burning blue wings was so comforting that I felt myself involuntarily relaxing.
"I'm busy... Incinerate."
The girl flicked her outstretched fingers.
Snap.
WHOOSH!!
With a light, crisp sound, blue flames erupted from the Monster, instantly reducing it to ashes. Even the massive Monster, which looked to be at least 3m tall, was reduced to ashes in a single blow. I reached out towards the girl.
"Huh?"
The girl, her skirt caught, turned her head. I was stunned by the girl's face, so serene as if she were out for a stroll.
"Angel...?"
With those words, my consciousness faded.

Chapter 21

〈 Episode 21 〉 Part 1 Chapter 2 (7)
"Did you take something?"
I uttered a strange sound and kicked the hand of the unconscious woman with my foot. The hand that was holding my skirt fell away, and she collapsed to the floor.
"She doesn't seem like a vagrant."
For a vagrant who had sneaked into S University—no, S University—she was subtly clean. Her clothes also gave off a slightly plain college student vibe, like a freshman who had just come up from the countryside.
"Tsk."
I didn't know the reason, nor who she was, but for some reason, I felt uneasy just leaving.
"I can always make another veil."
I sprinkled the lingering scent of my Mana on the veil around my neck. I had imprinted my presence on it, so if it was a Monster, it would notice it and never approach the veil.
Rustle.
I casually tossed the veil over the woman.
'Why did I have to be so nosy on the way?'
It had been a while since I burned the Monsters that were attacking people fleeing while I was coming up here. Some of the Monsters that come directly from Terra are influenced by the Otherworld God and gain the 'Chaos Attribute,' and the resulting destructive will and intelligence are used only to manipulate and 'slaughter' humans.
A crushed van caught my eye in a corner of the parking lot. There was nothing I could do about the people who were already dead.
"Well, then, now..."
As I fiddled with my now-empty neck and was about to spread my wings, I was subtly bothered by the woman at the edge of my vision.
A wide parking lot. A fallen woman. A veil carelessly thrown over her.
"...Ugh."
I picked up the woman and laid her on a bench near the parking lot. Surrounded by the warm heat emanating from the veil, the woman was breathing soundly like a baby bird in a cradle.
I wrapped the long veil around the back of the woman's neck and let it hang down over her body all the way to the end. I took a step back from the woman and examined her face.
"Hey, she looks a lot like Chun Ga-eul? Wow."
I chuckled and straightened the woman's disheveled hair. If you took away only the venomousness and hatred for the world from Chun Ga-eul, this is exactly what she would look like. With a few more wrinkles, and a bit more mature charm.
The possibility of her being the real person? None. Chun Ga-eul doesn't look this young. To compare, she's at least 10 years older.
"...Nah. No way."
I slapped my cheeks with both hands to clear my mind.
Masquerade. One of the heroines with the alias of Masquerade.
There's no way that witch, who thinks killing people is a joke, would be such an innocent person. I dismissed the absurd assumption that came to my mind and quickly jumped between the buildings.
...But then turned back again. Fortunately, no Monsters appeared in the short span of about 10 seconds.
'Let's hide her somewhere for now.'
If she's really Chun Ga-eul, then the dimensional gate doesn't matter anymore.
I picked up Chun Ga-eul (presumed) in the middle of the parking lot and ran into the relatively intact lecture building.
* * *
<April 4, 2020, 6:35 PM, Hero Association Republic of Korea-New Seoul Headquarters.>
"How many Heroes have responded to the call?!"
"Seven from Gwangmyeong! Five from Anyang! No one from Seongnam has responded yet!"
"Call them on their cell phones or whatever! We need to establish a defense line to prevent them from coming down!"
Kang So-yeon bit her nails with her thumb in anxiety. The third dimensional gate to appear in Korea had unfortunately appeared in the middle of Seoul, where it was most difficult to deal with.
"Damn it...!"
So-yeon couldn't hide her resentment as she reconfirmed the area where the dimensional gate had appeared on the screen. The dimensional gate was one thing, but that location was the very place they were supposed to go to film today.
"Team leader! We're getting constant inquiries!"
"Don't answer them! Just ignore them!"
The phones at the association's external windows were already ringing non-stop. From the press, individuals, and even agency officials, the call history was flooded with inquiries from countless people.
So-yeon turned on her smartphone with trembling hands and checked the first screen of the portal. From the search rankings to the breaking news, everything was lined up with stories about the dimensional gate.
[Breaking News] Dimensional Gate Appears in Gwanaksan Mountain (3rd Report)
[Breaking News] <Last Love> Filming Crew Loses Contact in Gwanaksan
[Breaking News] Association Promises to Destroy Dimensional Gate by Mobilizing Nearby Heroes
[Related News] Drama Filming in Seoul, Lack of Crisis Awareness Still Persists
"Aaaargh!!"
So-yeon ruffled her hair and threw a tantrum. Everyone in the headquarters sympathized with So-yeon's hysteria but avoided her gaze.
"I told you this was absolutely not going to work! Why do you always do what you're told not to do and cause such a mess!!"
The drama <Last Love>, which is currently enjoying the highest popularity in Korea. The PD requested cooperation, saying that he wanted to film the first date scene of the drama's protagonists at S University. So-yeon vehemently opposed, arguing that filming in Seoul was impossible, even to the point of having a nosebleed.

-Is filming in Seoul...that difficult?

The president, who is an alumnus of S University, expressed regret that the first date scene was not filmed at S University, according to an association official who was summoned to the government.
Even so, So-yeon adamantly insisted that it was impossible. It was none other than Lee Seung-hyung, the person involved in the filming, who passionately argued for the possibility and pushed for filming in Seoul.
"When he gets back, I'm going to break his knees, that bad guy."
So-yeon calmed her boiling stomach by drinking cold water.
"Team leader! It's BH!"
"...Agh."
So-yeon, who had been handed the phone by an employee, straightened her posture and answered the phone.
"Yes! This is Kang So-yeon from the Hero Association's New Seoul Headquarters!"
[Nice to meet you, Agent Kang So-yeon.]
Hmph. So-yeon gritted her teeth at the voice she heard in her ear.
"...Yes, Minister."
[The...VIP has made a special request. To ensure that there are no problems with this filming....]
So-yeon gritted her teeth. A dimensional gate has appeared, and now they're talking about filming?
"Yes, Minister. Heroes have already responded to the emergency call. New Seoul will also be dispatching Heroes soon-"
[That's your problem. I hope to see our Agent Lee Seung-hyung safely back in New Seoul without getting hurt. Is that possible? Heh heh.]
"Minis-"
Suddenly, someone snatched the phone that So-yeon was holding. A middle-aged man with dark circles under his eyes took over the phone.
"This is a state of emergency due to the occurrence of a dimensional gate. Unnecessary communication with the outside world is prohibited for efficient operation."
[What? Hey! Who are you!]
"If you have any business, please send an official letter. Goodbye."
Click. The man hung up the phone, turned off the smartphone completely, and handed it to the employee.
"Don't answer unnecessary calls during work."
"How can I not answer a call from the Minister?"
"Are you a public official who gets paid by the country's taxes? Tell them to come in person if they have any complaints. Or deport you. I'm already busy enough...."
The man nervously opened a can of coffee and drank it. The name tag on the chest of his dry, white gown read 'Hero Association Tactical Planning Team Team leader <Yoo Young-ho>'.
"Kang So-yeon. Microphone."
"Yes, yes!"
Yoo Young-ho took the microphone that Kang So-yeon handed him, put it in his ear, and brought up a virtual map in front of him.
He was a Hero with overwhelming power and also had the talent of a 'commander' who directed those Heroes.
"This is enough below the mountain."
He moved the signals of nearby Heroes as if surrounding Gwanaksan Mountain. The movement orders through the map were quickly transmitted under the relay of the operators, and the Heroes in each area moved to their positions according to the orders.
"Ah, this is <Praetor> speaking. Closing the dimensional gate. Everyone act according to the orders. Don't die. Over."
Unlike Young-ho's indifferent words and expression, his hands were moving so fast that his fingers were invisible, selecting the placement of each Hero and delivering orders.
Chzz, chzz.
In the center of the map, a green Hero signal was detected on the mountainside. It was the signal of an A-class Hero registered with the association.
"What is it? An A-class? Who is that?"
The huge Mana wave spreading from the center of the dimensional gate interfered with the signal.
Kang So-yeon quickly brought up the Hero's information and answered as Young-ho tapped the screen like a woodpecker because the Hero's information was not coming up.
"Hero Bulgom was here! We can't contact him because the signal is not being detected, but he must have gone to block the dimensional gate."
"Bulgom? ...Lee Seung-hyung?"
Yoo Young-ho clicked his tongue and checked the time.
About 15 minutes had passed since the dimensional gate occurred. Based on the last location of Lee Seung-hyung and his abilities, Yoo Young-ho ran a simulation in his head.
"And it's still not closed?"
For a Hero, it would take less than 10 minutes to get from the S University site to the top of Gwanaksan Mountain. Even for Lee Seung-hyung, a physical enhancement Hero, it was a distance that could be covered in 5 minutes.
The fact that the dimensional gate had not yet been closed meant two things.
Either he was tied up by a powerful Monster that came out of the dimensional gate, or he was going around rescuing people who could not evacuate due to the dimensional gate.
"But why is Lee Seung-hyung in Seoul right now? I heard he's busy filming a drama. Did he go out on a Monster subjugation request?"
"Well, that, that's...."
So-yeon hesitated and mumbled her answer. She didn't want to bear the aftermath when the man in front of her found out the truth.
"Ah, I see without you saying it. Never mind."
Young-ho quickly caught on and took a breath. He had personally picked him out based on his passion, but he was a Hero who was quite troublesome in terms of ability and background.
"Lee Seung-hyung...sigh."
Yoo Young-ho recalled the lecture on the day he first saw him. A spirited young man who confidently declared in front of his peers that he would go to block the dimensional gate.
And judging by the senses of the Praetor, who had trained and commanded many Heroes, humans like Seung-hyung often did things differently from what they had said in actual situations.
Nerdy types tend to cause big trouble when they do. That was Young-ho's theory.
'I have to close it quickly. Korea can't afford to grow the dimensional gate and eat it up.'
In Hero powerhouses like the United States, they deliberately grow the dimensional gate to scrape together the Monster's core to the limit, but in reality, Korea lacked the Heroes with the deterrent power to commit such an act.
Therefore, he set the tactics under the assumption that the dimensional gate would be closed quickly.
"...Should I trust him?Young-ho fell into contemplation.
Plan 1. Deploy all the Heroes to block the dimensional gate.
They could destroy the dimensional gate quickly, but they would have to endure the attacks of Monsters leaking through the gaps between the Heroes.
Plan 2. Spread a huge Monster defense network under the assumption that Seung-hyung would close the dimensional gate.
The dimensional gate would be closed quickly with the power of an A-class Hero, and the casualties would be close to zero due to the Heroes who had established the defense line.
In his head, he thought that Plan 2 was the most efficient and appropriate, but that damn sense was shouting a hint of 'distrust' towards Lee Seung-hyung.
"......I have to trust him."
Please let my senses be wrong. Young-ho quickly stretched out the placement of the Heroes in a regional defense format and waited anxiously for the signal.
Beeeep---
"What's that signal?!"
It's not a signal that the dimensional gate has been closed. One of the operators shouted in a pale face.
"Monster reaction near Deoksan Station! It's an A-class!"
At Yoo Young-ho's direction, the images showing Deoksan Station were displayed on the screen all at once. A pillar of blue flames soaring high into the sky.
Gooooooo----
The pillar of flames, which was at least 40m tall, gradually took on a human form and blazed.
"What suddenly?!"
Kang So-yeon screamed. It was truly like a bolt from the blue when an A-class Monster appeared. Even if an S-class Monster appeared in the middle of New Seoul, it wouldn't be this surprising.
"Team leader! The Hunters have turned their direction towards the Monster!"
"Which Monster?!"
"The A-class at Deoksan Station!"
The small marks flashing on the map all moved towards Deoksan Station. They were allies, but the Hunters only moved to places where they could make money.
"Change of instructions!"
Yoo Young-ho shouted into the microphone, infusing it with Mana.
"Assume that there is no support from the Hunters! We will establish a defense line among ourselves as we always do! Divide the Anyang team into teams A and B! Team A will intercept the A-class at Deoksan Station, and Team B will maintain the defense line! We will cover the area vacated by Team A!"
Yoo Young-ho's fingers moved busily.
"Hold on until Bulgom closes the dimensional gate! Over!"
A dimensional gate that opened without warning.

A 40-meter-tall giant Monster suddenly appeared.
Was it a coincidence? Yoo Young-ho couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling.
'I need insurance.'
If, by any chance, Bulgom failed to close the dimensional gate, or an unprecedented situation like a Class A giant Monster occurred, Seoul would be engulfed in flames.
"Kang So-yeon."
"Yes!"
"Tell that person about the situation."
"That person?"
Yoo Young-ho shouted in a desperate voice.
"Gwanggeom!"

Chapter 22

"Greetings, prospective heroes. I am Yoo Young-ho, a hero known as 'Magistrate.'"
The man bowed, and the auditorium filled with applause. The faces of the young people filling the seats were filled with respect and trust.
"Haha. Thank you for coming to the special lecture today. Shall we get straight to the point?"
Yoo Young-ho tapped his smartwatch to change the screen. The image filling the wall displayed the large text: 'How to Respond to the Appearance of Dimensional Gates.'
"Dimensional Gates. A phenomenon that has appeared all over the world since 1999. Many scholars are debating whether this is a natural phenomenon or an artificial one, but nothing has been clearly revealed yet."
Yoo Young-ho changed the screen, and several photos appeared. Mountains, seas, cities, even school playgrounds. The dimensional gates, emitting a bizarre magic as if circular holes had formed in the air, grew larger and larger as the photos progressed.
"On average, one or two times a month. Dimensional Gates, which can appear anywhere in the world at any time, are a threat to humanity that the Hero Association is most concerned about and manages."
Click. As the next slide appeared, silence fell over the audience. The size of the dimensional gate taken from the satellite was similar to the area of the baseball field next to it.
"Do you remember the 'Dodgers Gate' incident that occurred in Los Angeles, USA, two years ago? That incident where three S-class monsters appeared. It was a human tragedy that caused so many casualties that as many as six Knights of the Round Table rushed to the United States."
Yoo Young-ho made the sign of the cross to commemorate the victims, and the audience bowed in silence. Yoo Young-ho cleared his throat and continued the lecture.
"Why have dimensional gates become so large? You all know that the longer dimensional gates exist, the larger they become, and the wider they become, the stronger and more monsters they spew out into our world."
Yoo Young-ho played a short video. A collective melee unfolded between the S-class monsters that appeared at the time and the six Round Table Heroes. Against the monsters rampaging and destroying the entire city, the heroes systematically subdued the monsters and succeeded in closing the dimensional gate.
"If it weren't for the Round Table Heroes, LA might have become a land of monsters like the Amazon by now."
Yoo Young-ho took a sip of water and continued, pointing at the screen.
The photo on the slide showed a CCTV screen with a very small dimensional gate.
"This dimensional gate was actually the smallest size that would only produce D-class monsters when it first appeared. The hero who first discovered it was..."
Yoo Young-ho swallowed, his throat burning even after drinking water. It was painful to talk about this topic every time.
"He happened to be watching a baseball game at the stadium with his family. While the hero was struggling to close the dimensional gate, one of the monsters he hadn't caught attacked the hero's son."
The audience all sighed. It was a dilemma that all heroes facing dimensional gates faced.
"Yes. The hero went to save his family just before completely destroying the dimensional gate. However, the incompletely closed dimensional gate began to run wild and exponentially increased in size. He succeeded in saving his son, but the hero, who caused hundreds of casualties, could not overcome his guilt and took his own life on the spot where the dimensional gate was destroyed."
Yoo Young-ho continued with the somber atmosphere.
"So you have to think about it. What if this situation happens to me? What should I do if the time comes to weigh my family and the future of humanity? The more you are prospective heroes, the more you should think deeply about this and remember in your head what actions to take."
Yoo Young-ho pointed to a young man sitting in the front row with sparkling eyes.
"You, the agent in the middle row? Number 38? Please stand up. What would you do, agent?"
A microphone was handed to Agent 38.
"Let's assume a dimensional gate opened where the agent is. And next to you is the woman you have a crush on. A lovely woman for whom you would give everything. What would you do then? Would you evacuate the woman to a safe place first? Or would you go to close the dimensional gate?"
Agent 38 hesitated for a moment before answering in a determined voice.
"I will go to close the dimensional gate without hesitation!"
"Oh ho. That's resolute. Why?"
Even with Yoo Young-ho's sarcastic question, Agent 38's eyes were shining brightly.
"Because that is the first thing to do for the peace of humanity!"
"What if your love is attacked by a monster in the meantime?"
"I will close the dimensional gate and quickly go save her!"
"...Your words are eloquent."
Yoo Young-ho looked down at Agent 38 with a stern expression. All the audience's attention was focused on Agent 38, who had frozen.
Gulp.
The sound of swallowing in tension could be heard from here. Yoo Young-ho chuckled inwardly and asked.
"What's your name?"
Murmur, murmur.
The auditorium suddenly became noisy. In the academy, where everyone is called in the format of 'Agent XX' for the sake of fairness, it was a clear violation of the rules for a special lecturer to ask for an agent's name.
"It's okay. You're all graduating soon anyway, right? I'm going to quit after this year too. I'm going to go out into the field."
The gazes of those who were looking at Agent 38 were mixed with envy and jealousy at Yoo Young-ho's bombshell statement. For Magistrate to ask for his name was tantamount to declaring that he would openly pick you in the 'application for transfer' ahead of graduation.
And the young man was not one to miss that opportunity. He put strength in his stomach and shouted loudly.
"Agent 38! My name is Lee Seung-hyung!!"
"Good. Then would Lee Seung-hyung, prospective agent, read this?"
At Yoo Young-ho's guidance, Lee Seung-hyung shouted out the phrase displayed on the screen.

-When a dimensional gate occurs, the top priority of all heroes is to destroy the dimensional gate.

[Hero Code White Paper Chapter 5, Crisis Situation Response Manual]

I guess this won't work. Seung-hyung, who was climbing the mountain path, stopped and turned around.
"Hoo. Seung-hyung, get a grip. Have you forgotten what Hyung Young-ho said?"
He slapped his cheeks with his hands, recalling Yoo Young-ho's words and regaining his composure. The hero's mission in front of the dimensional gate. The recurrence of tragedies like Dodgers Gate must not happen again.
'But...!'
The monsters, noticing Seung-hyung's presence, cleverly avoided Seung-hyung and fled down the mountain. Regardless of whether the dimensional gate was blocked, they were going to attack the people down the mountain.
I could die. The image of Chun Ga-eul's corpse, bleeding and collapsed, flashed through Seung-hyung's mind.
Seung-hyung gathered the magic power in his body and checked the remaining magic power. There was some depletion due to several battles while coming up, but the magic power flowing through his body was still enough to go back and forth across the mountain at full power a dozen times.
Step.
Seung-hyung unknowingly took a step down the mountain.
At the same time, Yoo Young-ho's face, proud of him, from the lecture came to Seung-hyung's mind.
Halt.
Seung-hyung's body turned halfway, heading towards the top of the mountain. The ominous magic power, which even made his skin tingle, seemed to be located about a minute's run away.
Should I go? What if I'm attacked by a monster?
But what if I escape safely from the monster's attack? What if I'm lucky enough to get help from a hero or hunter who arrives soon?
But what if the dimensional gate doubles in size while I'm going down? In the worst case, what if I ran towards Ga-eul, but Ga-eul is already dead, and in the meantime, the dimensional gate expands beyond any way to stop it?
A series of conflicts tore through his mind. The face of the CEO of his agency came to Seung-hyung's face as he grabbed his throbbing head.
The CEO of the entertainment agency, who used to be a model. He answered Seung-hyung, who was struggling with other reasons, like this.

-If you're going to regret it anyway, do what makes you feel comfortable.

The moment Seung-hyung closed his eyes and tried to turn his head, a pine tree that had fallen towards the hiking trail stabbed his eyes.
"Agh?!"
Even if it's reinforced with magic power, pain is pain. Seung-hyung glared at the pine tree, suffering from the pain.
"Ah."

-Seung-hyung, please go block the dimensional gate. That's what a hero should do.

Was it a stinging punishment for trying to pursue his own desires while suppressing the hero's mission? At the very moment he was engulfed in dark desires, Chun Ga-eul's image came to mind from the pine tree that stabbed his eyes.
"...Okay."
Seung-hyung rotated the magic power in his entire body again and turned his eyes to the summit.
"I will close the dimensional gate."
Chun Ga-eul will be fine. She is a strong woman who has survived as a child actor even in the harsh entertainment industry.
That's why he fell in love. Every moment, from the moment he saw her on the screen to every moment he acted with her, was lovely.
"When I get back-"
I will definitely confess. Seung-hyung's steps, running straight up the mountain, ignoring even the hiking trail, became even faster.

I opened my eyes.
Blink, blink.
'What is this place?'
The world looked different. The scenery of Seoul came into view at a glance, quite far away. Like watching from a high lighthouse.
'Surely, at the end-'
The pain that made me want to say, "Just kill me," ended, and I briefly lost consciousness. Deok-bae looked around to find Phoenix and moved his feet.
Thud-!
'…?'
Was my footstep this loud? Deok-bae's gaze naturally turned to the floor, and
' '
He screamed silently. His leg - or what was presumed to be his leg - was engulfed in blue flames, burning fiercely.

-Your perspective will change.

Deok-bae remembered the words Phoenix had left behind. Considering the bizarre and unconventional behavior Phoenix had shown so far, and his current appearance, there was only one conclusion.
'Is this Gulliver?'
If this wasn't a special effects filming set, then the land in front of him was definitely Seoul, and he had become a giant whose entire body was burning with flames. Deok-bae chuckled and moved another step, even louder.
Thud--!
'I can't help but attract aggro.'
A shabby house was completely crushed under his foot. Deok-bae clenched and unclenched his fists, turning his gaze to the north.
'…Whoa.'
He could see his reflection in the glass windows of the building.
A giant of blue flames, to say the least. He could see a gray rock sphere embedded near his solar plexus.
'That's definitely where I am.'
There was a high probability - no, 100% certainty - that the place where his original body was located. Since even the owner was trying it for the first time, Deok-bae had no choice but to judge for himself.
'Annoying. Really.'
What am I supposed to do now that I've turned into this giant in the middle of Seoul? Should I just run at full speed?
Bang--!
Something struck the back of Deok-bae's head.
Deok-bae, who barely managed to avoid falling by stepping his right foot forward, checked what had hit the back of his head.
"Hahaha! You're just big, nothing special!"
A hunter wearing flight equipment spun a rope made of magic power and threw it at Deok-bae.
Whoosh!
Blue flames erupted from Deok-bae's arm, burning the rope of magic power. The hunter's eyes were filled with panic, and he retreated.
Whoosh---!
Deok-bae waved his hand as if chasing away a fly. The hunter barely moved his thrusters and fled.
"Hehehe! Stupid bastard! That's why it's fun to tease you monsters!"
'You're really pissing me off.'
Flying around like a fly and chattering away, just like his owner.
"Oh, it's hunting time! I'll take the core!"
"Find the weakness! You can only strike with magic power!"
Hunters got out of the truck, unpacked their equipment, and smacked their lips as they looked at Deok-bae.
Deok-bae felt a surge of anger at the thought that he was like a wild boar being hunted.
'You want me to draw aggro, right?'
Then I'll do as you say. Thoroughly.
Deok-bae bent his knees and jumped high into the sky.
"Uh, uh?!"
A giant the size of a decent building stretched out his arms above his head in the air. The hunter, who had just filled the thrusters with magic power, saw the sight and said.
"Diving body press?"
Thud-----!
A huge cloud of dust rose at Doksan Station.

Chun Ga-eul.

As a villain and also a chapter boss in the early story, this woman was nicknamed "Newbie Slayer" or "Wall of Lamentation."
Her ability was a top-tier illusion-type power that could copy the opponent's appearance, voice, memories, and even a portion of their abilities.
Even without considering that the boss battle field was inside a building with no lights, making it hard to see, she would disguise herself as a comrade and ambush the allied heroes.
I had recruited that woman as a companion exactly twice. I had suffered so much in the beginning that I analyzed all her patterns and managed to subdue her easily and lock her in prison.
And that was when the "villain companion" craze was a hot topic in the community.

-
Dude, I recruited a murderer as a companion lol. I kept teasing her because she was sulking, but she killed me and it was game over lol.

-
Pungma is "real."

-
I'm going to mince Jason in a chainsaw!


As expected, there were many perverts in the world, and some even cleared the game by forming a party only with villains. After all, the executives were originally villains, so there was no reason to prevent players from recruiting villains as companions.
Even the developers acknowledged it.
'It is possible to recruit villains as companions! So, players, please enjoy the game with peace of mind.'
In the original story, she was recruited with her abilities nerfed under the guise of "re-socialization," and her reputation wasn't good, but since her performance was similar to other companions, it didn't pose a significant problem in terms of difficulty.
It was simply a question of whether or not people felt repulsed by recruiting criminals with inhuman cruelty as companions, even in a virtual reality game.
And among them, Chun Gaeul was one of the most villainous women, ranking in the top three for pure evil.
"But why are you here?"
I brought the unconscious Chun Gaeul to the lounge in the lecture building and laid her on the sofa. The Azure Flame Veil wrapped around her neck covered her body like a thin blanket.
"This isn't a fake, is it?"
I had found an ID hidden in Chun Gaeul's smartphone case. It was a 'Shin Seoul Resident Card,' completely different from a driver's license or an ability user registration card. Inside, it contained Chun Gaeul's profile and address, and the profile matched my memory exactly.
"........"
I took out a drink from the vending machine in the hallway.
To be precise, I didn't pay; I just shoved my hand into the vending machine and grabbed any drink that was stored inside.
Clang-
The clear sound of the can opening filled the hallway. The refreshing feeling flowing down my throat was clear, but my head became even more complicated.
'Should I just throw her outside right now? Let her awaken as an ability user? No. It's already too late. Besides, she saw me. Then should I kill her? To prevent her from testifying that an Azure Flame ability user saved me? But the event that the protagonist has with the main heroine happens because of her? Before that, she's the main heroine.'
If she were just some random villain, I could burn her without a second thought. But the fact that Chun Gaeul wasn't just a villain but a main heroine with an individual route was quite unsettling.
I recalled the evaluations people had discussed before Chun Gaeul became known as a main heroine.
Her notoriety is quite high, but her performance is good.
Her bare face without makeup is passable.
Her figure alone is the best among Korean heroines.
A substitute to be immediately deployed when you can't get the companion or enemy you want.
'Who would have imagined that she would be a main heroine with an individual ending?'
At best, she was an ability user with a C-grade ability. The minimum cut-off for the revealed heroines was 1.5 tiers - there were even members of the Round Table - so the fact that a character who was merely a supporting villain was a main heroine was shocking even to me, and I immediately attempted to conquer her in the next playthrough.
'Before that, is this lady even the villain I knew?'
Clutching the veil tightly like a chick, Chun Gaeul was sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the world.
It's frustrating. If she would just wake up, I could at least ask her.
"Why are you here, of all places, today?"
I looked at Chun Gaeul, who was occupying the sofa in the lounge and sleeping, then covered my face with both hands.
'Are you comfortable? Are you sleepy right now?'
Of course, she could be relieved that she narrowly survived being killed by the monsters, but as someone who knew the future developments, I couldn't help but feel anxious.
'You need to awaken so I can do something with you.'
The reason the protagonist from America gains the trust of the Korean Hero Association is thanks to the achievement of capturing Chun Gaeul.
All sorts of events where affection flags with the early companions are raised are intertwined with Chun Gaeul.
"Should I not have saved her?"
I regret it, but there's nothing I can do. If she failed to awaken her ability and died, it wouldn't just end with one person dying, but the true ending itself would be blocked.
"Not only is the original story not enough, but now I have to block all the death flags from five years ago? Seriously."
Isn't it too hard on me? She's a woman who just wanted to bury the past even when I was on her route. So the fact that this woman I saved without thinking happened to be Chun Gaeul was so scary and chilling.
What if I had ignored the dimensional gate alarm?
What if I had gone straight to Yeouido?
What if I had ignored the monster attack and not saved her?
"Isn't the world being too harsh on me?"
I want to go back. But I don't know how to go back.
Maybe I can go back if I clear the game. But if I'm trapped in this world forever, I have to find the only way for me to survive.
"True ending, survival flag... sigh."
Enough with the complicated thoughts that are making my head explode.
I quietly went up to the roof of the building, being careful not to wake Chun Gaeul. The monsters wandering around the university grounds noticed my energy and cautiously avoided the lecture building.
"The Hunters will be distracted by Deokbae."
I don't even need to see it to know how much he's cursing me in his mind. When else would he get to use the power of an A-rank? All of this will be a good experience that will become Deokbae's flesh and blood.
"Then Chun Gaeul... let's protect her with this."
I manipulated the magical flames like clay, carefully shaping them into a small, round bead the size of a candy.
Monster production, which could be said to be the identity of the Dark Legion executives. But since I had already awakened as a spirit, I could create lower spirits instead of monsters. Humans would see them all as the same monsters, though.
"Light up the night, child of the sun."
Whoosh. The roof of the building was filled with intense heat, and the bead began to writhe.
Crack, creak!
The flames that burst forth as the bead shattered took the form of a small bird.
♩♬
"Yes. Good. That's right."
The small bird perched on my index finger. It was about the size of a canary, but as its name was 'Mini Phoenix,' it would certainly fulfill its role as a guardian.
"Protect the humans inside this building. Got it?"

-I got it

To ordinary people, it would sound like a bird chirping, but I could clearly hear the words as a spirit. Did I hear wrong?
"And if a monster tries to attack the building, you can chase it away."

-Can I eat them?

They say that lower spirits resemble their masters, but why is it like this? I nodded and sent the Mini Phoenix into the sky.
"Hoo, then."
I heightened my senses and scanned the magic power around Gwanak Mountain. Heroes had set up a defensive line against the monsters pouring out like a cornucopia. From the efficient deployment, I sensed that there was a commander directing the heroes.
'They're setting up a defensive line? What are they thinking?'
It was the optimal deployment for the purpose of surrounding the mountain by gathering all available resources. There were gaps in the Hunters' formation because I had told Deokbae to cause a ruckus, but even as someone who had commanded thousands of battles, it was a tactic I could praise.
But wouldn't this mean they were just leaving the dimensional gate open?
'It must be one of two things.'
Either they're intentionally delaying closing the dimensional gate to gather the cores of the pouring monsters, or they're quickly dispatching a powerful hero to close the dimensional gate and having the rest protect the civilians.
The intention felt from the deployment wasn't the former.
'Then that means someone broke through the monsters alone to close the dimensional gate?'
I perked up my ears at the alien energy rushing towards the summit of the mountain amidst the ominous magic power. The amount of magic power itself was abundant, but more than anything, its attribute was more concerning.
"Fire attribute?"
Why is fire attribute magic power

Chapter 23

〈 Episode 23 〉 Part 1 Chapter 2 (9)
<7 PM, just below the summit of Gwanak Mountain.>
"Haaap!"
Seung-hyung's fist collided with the Monster's fist. Despite being clad in the Bulgom's fur, the giant Monster, much larger than him, immediately seized Seung-hyung's wrist with its other hand as soon as their fists met.
"Keuk?!"
The giant Monster's grip began to tighten around Seung-hyung's wrist. Seung-hyung quickly cut off the Mana flowing through his arm and pulled his body backward.
Whoosh!
The Bulgom's wrist, now free, was crushed by the Monster. The Monster looked at the flames on its hand, then rubbed its fingers together as if dealing with a matchstick, extinguishing the fire.
Kyaahahaang!
The Monster, charging to devour him, lunged at Seung-hyung with its tongue lolling out. The power from its bulk was stronger than Seung-hyung's, and even its Mana surpassed Seung-hyung's.
All that remained was speed.
"Hup!"
Before the Monster's hands could reach him, Seung-hyung instead dove beneath the Monster. Sliding through the legs that opened as it leaped, Seung-hyung swung the Bulgom's claws wide.
Kyaaaak!
The Monster, its ankle half severed, screamed and fell. Like a decades-old tree felled by an axe, the Monster tumbled across the ground as it fell, its eyes gleaming fiercely as it searched for Seung-hyung.
"Hup!"
Seung-hyung climbed onto the Monster's chest. The Monster raised its hands above its chest, trying not to lose its prey.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The Bulgom, blazing behind Seung-hyung, swung its arms wide and struck the Monster's shoulders.
The Monster, momentarily weakened, ground its teeth and put strength back into its arms, but the Bulgom's descending fists continued until the Monster's arms hung limp.
Kyaaaak!
The Monster raised its head, trying to swallow Seung-hyung. The Bulgom's arms still held the Monster, unmoving.
"Hup!"
Seung-hyung gathered his breath and wrapped Mana around his clenched fist. The fire fist that bloomed on Seung-hyung's fist, separate from the Bulgom's, shattered the Monster's teeth as it approached and burned the Monster's head.
Gyaaaaak...
The Monster died with a final scream. Seung-hyung reattached the Bulgom's arms to his own and ran toward the summit.
"Hoo, hoo!"
Running up the rocky path in one breath, he began to see the Gate to another dimension floating at the summit of Gwanak Mountain.
"Thank goodness, haa."
Reaching the high ground where the entirety of Seoul was visible at a glance, Seung-hyung took a deep breath and tapped his smartwatch. The signal was poor due to the Gate's influence, but it was enough to convey his situation.
Thwack!
Crushing the Monsters that had just popped out of the Gate with a single punch, Seung-hyung shouted into his smartwatch.
"Bulgom Lee Seung-hyung, reached the Gate! Will destroy it!"
The flames clinging to Seung-hyung's back grew in size, taking the form of a giant bear. The crimson, blazing Flame Bear twisted its waist, ready to shatter the Gate's core at any moment.
Static, static. The signal was transmitted to Seung-hyung's smartwatch.

-No! Agent Lee Seung-hyung, don't destroy it!

"Minister?"
There was even urgency in the voice coming from the watch. How could this person be responding on the Association's channel right now?

-Cut the call! Lee Seung-hyung, destroy the Gate immediately!

"Young-ho Hyung?!"
Another voice was heard. It was Yoo Young-ho, Seung-hyung's Seonbae and head of the Tactical Planning Division.

-
That's why we didn't discover the Gate early! Let's get some cores from the Monsters coming out of the Gate too!

-
Who has time for that!


Lee Seung-hyung! What are you spacing out for?! Close it now!

-
Yoo Young-ho! Even hunting Monsters for just one hour will get you over 2,000 cores! Are you going to give up that bonanza on the assumption that a few people might be in danger!

-
You crazy bastard! People have already died! Shut up if you're not going to send me a light sword!

-
What? You, you...


Static. The Mana from the Gate grew stronger, and the signal was cut off. Seung-hyung quickly processed the situation.
The Association side—Yoo Young-ho—wants the Gate closed immediately.
The government side—the Minister—wants to hunt the Monsters coming out of the Gate and close it at the appropriate time.
"...Hoo."
If Seung-hyung had a little more leeway, he might have supported the government's opinion. His family, which could be considered his background, held a position of great influence in the current government.
But Seung-hyung had no more hesitation in fulfilling his duty as a hero.
"I'm going down soon, Gaeul."
The Bulgom's fist hurtled toward the Gate's core.
* * *
In the wind from another world flowing beyond the Gate, the aura of 'that' which should not exist was felt.
Blue flame.
The highest priority enemy that must be eliminated before anything else. A spirit.
Tingle.
The Monster flung itself toward the Gate.
* * *
<At the same time, at the Hero Association Headquarters.>
"Gate reaction lost! The Monsters' reactions are starting to disappear!"
At the operator's report, Yoo Young-ho clenched both fists. There was an uneasy feeling, but Lee Seung-hyung had ultimately succeeded in destroying the Gate, fulfilling his duty and mission as a hero.
[Yoo Young-ho! Do you know what you've done?!]
A speaker icon flashed on one side of the screen, and a roar was heard. Below the screen that read 'SOUND ONLY' was the phrase <Republic of Korea Government Monster Countermeasures Department>.
"I know. I closed the Gate. Is there a problem with that?"
Young-ho, having calmed his excitement, replied in a calm voice. That irritated the other party even more.
[Problem? Prooooooblem?!]
"Yes. Shouldn't the President himself have said that the Gate must be closed by any means necessary?"
Young-ho mentioned what the President had said during a TV debate when he was a candidate. During a debate on the topic of 'the efficiency of opening and closing Gates', he quoted the then-candidate President verbatim.
"I admit that I agree with the President's words, if nothing else-"
[Do you know that Lee Seung-hyung is the President's nephew, and you're still talking like that?!]
Young-ho clicked his tongue inwardly.
[What? You sent him alone to close the Gate? I told you to close the Gate, not to send Lee Seung-hyung alone! If Lee Seung-hyung gets even a scratch! You're all fired, fired!]
"I'm sorry, Minister. The signal is cutting out due to the Gate's aftereffects. Static."
[You greenhorn, are you playing games with the Minister now-]
Young-ho infused Mana into his hand and smashed his smartphone. The operator, who had only passed on the call that came to his smartphone, swallowed his tears as he thought about the remaining installment payments, then hurriedly connected the signal to the rapidly flashing signal.
"This is HQ! Agent Lee Seung-hyung?!"
Lee Seung-hyung's face appeared on the HQ screen. He looked quite anxious and restless for someone who had closed the Gate.
Yoo Young-ho instinctively realized that something big had happened.
"What's wrong?!"
[Th, this is Bulgom! I closed the Gate! But....]
"But what?!"
Yoo Young-ho shouted irritably. Lee Seung-hyung hesitated and turned the screen of his smartwatch to the sky.
[A new Gate has appeared in the sky! And something, something keeps coming out of it! It's not a Monster, it's like a sharp hook-]
Clang!
With the sound of something breaking, Lee Seung-hyung's signal was cut off. A moment of silence fell in the HQ situation room.
"........"
Yoo Young-ho crushed the coffee can with his trembling hands. The Dodgers Gate incident video, which he had watched dozens or hundreds of times. It was definitely not a mistake that the video suddenly came to mind.
"Check for Monster reactions! Immediately!"
"Y-yes!"
The operator, flustered, quickly rescanned the Mana distribution near the Gate. A system that estimates the grade of a Monster by identifying the Mana scattered in the atmosphere.
The operator looked back at Yoo Young-ho, horrified by the numbers on his monitor.
"Estimated S-class over...! It's a 'Demon Species'!"
Yoo Young-ho's vision blurred.
* * *
Lee Seung-hyung couldn't believe the sight before his eyes.
'Why?'
He had succeeded in closing the Gate. The fist unleashed by gathering the Bulgom's abilities to the fullest had cleanly destroyed the Gate's core.
But suddenly, right above that Gate. A sign of a new Gate appeared in the sky.
Crack, crack!
A purplish-blue claw that had emerged from a rift in the void was forcibly widening the rift. One claw was the size of his torso, and Seung-hyung made the Bulgom behind him grow even larger and struck the rift.
But that punch collided with the Monster's claw, and Seung-hyung was instead thrown back.
"Ugh!"
Seung-hyung, who had rolled over rocks and crashed into a tree, spat out blood. More than just bruises, he was suffering from internal injuries from being crushed by overwhelming Mana.
"N, no way!"
Seung-hyung instinctively sensed that the ominous Monster was a greater disaster than any he had ever seen. It was a conviction as a hero who had devoted all his passion to saving the world, as a human who felt the instinct for survival better than anyone else, and as a user of the 'Flame' ability.
Crack!
The claw gripped the rift in the world and tore it open wide. The Monster thrust its head through the opening.
"A bird?"
The head of a bird, containing purple flames, popped out from beyond the dimension. The monstrous bird looked around, then thrust its head further forward.
Zzzzzzt!
The rift tore open wide. The monstrous bird's body burst out of the rift at once and landed on the summit of Gwanak Mountain.
Thud!
The Gate that the monstrous bird had torn open was tattered, but it quietly disappeared, filling the rift as if it had fulfilled its role.
■■■■■■.
It planted its two legs in the rock and spread its wings. The purple flames blazing between its feathers spread to the surrounding trees, causing a huge firestorm.
Whoosh!
Gwanak Mountain at night, after the sun had set, began to blaze with purple flames. Seung-hyung was speechless at the tragedy unfolding before his eyes.
'It's my fault.'
He could have closed it sooner. But because he kept hesitating, there was a delay, and he couldn't close the Gate properly. As a result, such a Monster had set foot on Earth, in Seoul.
■■■■?
Seung-hyung made eye contact with the monstrous bird. It was a brief eye contact that lasted less than a second, but Seung-hyung's Bulgom withered like a weak match flame in the face of its overwhelming Mana and presence.
■■■■■■.
The monstrous bird soared high into the sky, as if it was too much trouble to even lay a hand on such a trivial being. Seung-hyung could only watch in horror as the monstrous bird rose into the sky.

Chapter 24

〈 Episode 24 〉 Part 1 Chapter 2 (10)
<Doksan Station.>
KWA-BOOM!
The Flame Monster slams its fist down. The building collapses, kicking up dust and dirt all around.
"Hey! Get out of the way!"
"How can an A-rank be so reckless?!"
The hunters dodge the Flame Monster's attacks, surrounding it from their respective positions.
"Die, you dumbass!"
Kim Sung-oh raises the Mana cannon slung over his shoulder and fires a Mana bullet. Gun ownership is still illegal in Korea, but those with abilities related to weapons like Kim Sung-oh are granted special licenses to prevent them from leaving the country.
<Mana Cannon>.
That ability, which turns Mana into bullets and fires them, boasts outstanding firepower against giant Monsters.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The Flame Monster swings its fist at the cannonball flying towards its solar plexus.
"Uh, uh-oh?!"
As if hitting a dodgeball with its fist, the Flame Monster strikes the cannonball. The Mana cannonball, narrowly missing the Flame Monster, reaches the river and smashes the bridge.
"Hyung, Sung-oh Hyung."
"I didn't do that on purpose!"
Sung-oh, annoyed by his fellow hunter's sarcasm, gathers Mana again.
"He's terrible at attacking, but his defense is amazing!"
The Flame Monster was so bad at attacking that it seemed like it was deliberately missing. Even now, the Flame Monster's kick only tore through the empty air and destroyed a shopping center.
The moment the Flame Monster rolls on the ground, a hunter jumps from the rooftop of a 15-story apartment building. He grips an axe with both hands, aiming for the Flame Monster's head.
"The A-rank is mineeeeeee!!"
Mana frosts the edge of the axe as he slams it down on the Flame Monster's head.
Thwack!
"Huh?"
The axe, forged with Mana, is embedded in the Flame Monster's crown. The Flame Monster grabs the man faster than it has shown at any point so far.
"Ugh, cough!"
The man, gripped tightly in its hand, struggles desperately to escape the Flame Monster's grasp. But the blue flames are already quickly searing his body.
BOOM!
The Flame Monster throws the man, axe and all, into the river. Then, suddenly assuming a stance, it leaps powerfully towards the road.
"Ugh?! Get out of the way! Another dive!"
The Flame Monster flips backward and lies down on the main street. Kim Sung-oh turns the muzzle towards the Flame Monster sprawled out on the road.
"Let's see if you can block this while lying down."
An alert appears on the display next to the barrel, indicating that Mana is fully charged. Kim Sung-oh pulls the trigger and fires the Mana cannon.
"Got it!"
The Mana cannonball, arcing through the air, falls towards the Monster's solar plexus.
KABOOOOM!!
A massive Mana explosion erupts from the chest of the Flame Monster, which was just about to raise its upper body. The Flame Monster's head is thrown back by the explosion, and the back of its head slams into the ground.
"Did we get it?"
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Sung-oh frowns at his fellow hunter's words. The hunter who delivered the cliché line chuckles, rechecking his weapon.
"Anyway, Hyung's Mana cannon has really weak firepower."
"Hey. I'm still a B-rank, okay? My firepower is rated A-rank!"
"What good is a bore that takes 15 seconds to reload?"
While the hunters joke around, the dust settles.
Silence.
The Flame Monster lies motionless on the ground.
"Huh? Really? Sung-oh Hyung killed it?"
Sung-oh is still uneasy, even though the Flame Monster has fallen to his attack.
"It's dead."
"Hyung, I think that was a fluke shot? Look over there."
A gray rock is slightly exposed in the Flame Monster's solar plexus. It was obviously the Flame Monster's core to anyone who looked at it.
"See the size of that core? It looks like it's right at the end of A-rank? I thought it was S-rank."
"Jackpot, Hyung. Even if you only get 10% of the final hit, you can leave Korea, right?"
It's a common saying among hunters active in Korea. Save up a lot of money and immigrate to a country with Round Table Heroes.
Sung-oh swallows hard at the golden future unfolding before his eyes.
"The Dimensional Gate is really amazing. I wish only these things would pour out."
"I wish more would pour out? Hehe."
The hunters chuckled as they approached the Flame Monster. Sung-oh salutes sloppily as he sees a woman approaching him.
"Loyalty! Hunter Kim Sung-oh reporting to the Association Hero."
"...Why does it have to be you."
The green-haired woman turns her head as if disgusted as soon as she sees Kim Sung-oh. Kim Sung-oh grins slyly and approaches the green-haired woman.
"What's wrong? <Storm Girl>?"
"I told you, I changed my Hero name to <Tempest Lady>!"
"Everyone in the world knows you as Storm Girl, Chun-ja."
"Don't call me by my old name! I told you, Yang Seon-woo!"
Yang Chun-ja, no, Storm Girl, no, Yang Seon-woo shouts. Kim Sung-oh laughs until his stomach hurts and waves his hand.
"Sorry, sorry. It's been a while. Heh heh. But what about the Dimensional Gate? Did you come straight here?"
"An A-rank went to block the Dimensional Gate. I came to deal with that. I was lucky."
Yang Seon-woo is relieved to see the fallen Flame Monster. The other Heroes who came with her control the hunters gathering near the Flame Monster and begin to tie the Flame Monster to the ground.
"Ah. So, the Dimensional Gate is closing? That's a shame. I thought I could hunt more."
"Unless it's near New Seoul or Busan. It's too dangerous here. And you even put in the A-rank finishing blow, right? That alone is a fixed 10% stake."
"How does our Chun-ja know so much about the hunters' work? Are you doing a side job? Or a full-time job?"
"I'm going to live as a Hero! And don't call me Chun-ja!"
When Yang Seon-woo gets angry, her face turns red, and Kim Sung-oh pats her on the shoulder and laughs. A fellow hunter who was watching the two's conversation cautiously asks Kim Sung-oh as he approaches.
"Who is she, Hyung? This?"
When the fellow hunter spreads only his pinky finger and shakes it, Kim Sung-oh hits the hunter on the back of the head with the Mana cannon.
"Hey. How dare you insult me. Me and her? Hmph. That's like saying I'm marrying the Light Sword Snow White."
"........"
Yang Seon-woo's hair flutters, and the wind rises. Kim Sung-oh swallows hard at the wind rising from Yang Seon-woo and raises both hands.
"Chun-ja? Um, Seon-woo? Shouldn't we solve this with a conversation? We ended on good terms, so fighting like this is-"
"Get out of the way, you idiot!"
When Yang Seon-woo stretches out both arms, a strong wind surges. Kim Sung-oh, who quickly rolls on the ground with his fellow hunter, is stunned by the tremendous heat behind him.
"I knew it wasn't dead."
The gale, powered by Yang Seon-woo's Mana, blocks the Flame Monster's hand. The Flame Monster had been trying to snatch Sung-oh by reaching out its hand while lying down.
Thud, thud.
The restraints made of Mana fall off easily, and the Flame Monster raises its upper body.
The Heroes each use their abilities to prepare to fight at any time, and the hunters raise their equipment to support the Heroes one step behind them.
Silence.
The Flame Monster raises only its upper body and turns its gaze to one side. At the same time, the gazes of the people around it follow the Flame Monster.
"......What is that?"
Kim Sung-oh drops the Mana cannon as he looks at the appearance of the summit of Gwanak Mountain at the end of his gaze.
Fwoosh!
A huge Dimensional Gate floats in the air. Its size is so large that even the Flame Monster in front of them could easily pass through it.
"An A-rank went?!"
"......Emergency!"
Yang Seon-woo checks the signal on her smartwatch and quickly reads the message. The other Heroes also check the signal, and their expressions harden.

-
Dimensional Gate going berserk.

-
S-rank 'Hazardous Species' Mana reaction confirmed.


Berserk? Why? Did Bear fail?
Yang Seon-woo checks the following signal and falls into despair.

-Evacuate Seoul immediately.

"Ah, aaaaaah!"
The hunters scream and start to run away. They already know too well how the Dodgers disaster in the United States started.
And Yang Seon-woo saw that incident on the scene. When her heart breaks, her legs give way, and she kneels down.
"Ah...."
"Snap out of it!"
Kim Sung-oh approaches and shakes Yang Seon-woo's shoulder. But when it seems like she won't be able to come to her senses, he slings Yang Seon-woo over his shoulder like a Mana cannon and shouts to his fellow hunter.
"Start the engine! We're leaving Seoul!"
"Uh, where to!"
"Damn it, we have to run to Incheon or North Korea or somewhere!"
No sooner does Kim Sung-oh shout than the Flame Monster stands up.
Silence....
As if it had finished recovering in that short time, the exposed core was once again engulfed in blue flames and could not be seen. Kim Sung-oh's mouth dries up.
"It's my unlucky day, I'm going crazy."
I should have suspected it from the sudden appearance of the A-rank. Kim Sung-oh continues to shake Yang Seon-woo, abandons his weapon, the Mana cannon, and climbs into the back of the truck.
KWA-BOOM.
The Flame Monster takes a step. Sung-oh swallows hard, thinking that it is a sign that it is about to run wild.
KWA-BOOM.
The Flame Monster takes another step. Sung-oh is puzzled that the direction of the second step has been turned.
KWA-BOOM!
The Flame Monster stomps its foot hard and jumps up. Sung-oh tilts his head, thinking that it looks similar to the way body enhancement ability users enhance their bodies and charge.
"That's towards Gwanak Mountain?"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The blue flames burning all over the Flame Monster's body begin to burn fiercely. Gwanak Mountain was in the path of the Flame Monster, which was running in a straight line, stepping on buildings, and destroying apartments.
"What the hell, ah."
Sung-oh is lost for words.
On the summit of Gwanak Mountain, a giant bird burning with purple flames is spreading its wings and flying.
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!
The purple Monster bird reveals its presence with a screech that sounds like scratching a chalkboard. Sung-oh covers Yang Seon-woo's ears at the powerful Mana wave that seems to burst eardrums.
"Ugh!"
Sung-oh's head is dizzy from the shock that feels like it's shaking his brain directly, and he collapses backward.
"Ugh...."
Even in his fading consciousness, the Flame Monster is running towards the summit of the mountain.
* * *
<At that time, on the West Sea.>
The sea is lined with ships. The coast guards on the patrol boat guarding against illegal fishing boats were trembling at the sight of a man and horse confronting them.
"This is...a disaster."
A disaster like no other.
A Dimensional Gate occurred in Seoul. According to international agreements, if the country where the Dimensional Gate occurred fails to close it within one hour, there is no problem for Heroes from neighboring countries to step in.
"Hey! What happened to Seoul?!"
"They say an S-rank Hazardous Species has appeared."
"Crazy...."
The coast guards felt fear at the presence of the S-rank Monster that would be rampaging in the heart of Seoul behind them.
And whether they recognized the S-rank Monster or not, the coast guards felt awe at the S-rank Hero who appeared just outside the territorial waters as soon as the Dimensional Gate occurred.
"This is the territorial waters of the Republic of Korea!"
"I know."
The voice carrying Mana was louder than the voice through the microphone. The other party's dignified and low voice was overflowing with majesty.
"If Korea fails to close the Dimensional Gate, I will deploy immediately."
Jeokto snorts and steps on the waves. Unjang was riding his horse as if he had come out for a stroll, and his position was the shortest distance to Seoul.
"It's good if only Unjang comes out."
The coast guard swallows hard as he looks at the numerous dots captured on the radar.
"But you're not going to mobilize hundreds of amphibious assault ships, are you!!"
Is it called human wave tactics?
The Chinese Heroes, who filled the West Sea, were linked to the military and were gripping their weapons on the decks of the amphibious assault ships, anxiously waiting for the time to pass.
One hour after the Dimensional Gate occurred.
After that time, they would have to open the way for the amphibious assault ships that would arrive soon.
"Damn it.... Damn it!"
There was nothing they could do. They could only hope that the Dimensional Gate would close quickly.
* * *
"Your Excellency."
A secretary in a black suit cautiously asks a man sitting on the sofa, lost in thought.
"The Governor wants you to mobilize Light Sword."
"......Why?"
The man collects the information coming in every moment and gets annoyed at the secretary's words.

"Just a simple Gate, isn't it? Then we can just let those in Seoul handle it."
"...Th-They said an S-Class Monster appeared too...."
"Then that's even better."
The man adjusted his glasses, twisting the corner of his lips.
"Isn't this the stage for Lee Seung-hyung to become the protagonist?"
"...With all due respect, Bulgom is just an A-Class Hero-"
"He'll awaken when he's in danger. Isn't that what Heroes always do?"
The man sipped his tea with a leisurely expression, sneering.
"Well, if he dies in the process, just use him as propaganda. Hero Lee Seung-hyung, died a glorious death defending Seoul."
"......Yes. And a report from the West Sea."
The secretary showed another photo. Unjang, an S-Class Hero and one of the Knights of the Round Table, was poised above the sea, ready to rush towards Seoul at any moment.
"Those damn bastards."
The man trembled, monitoring China's movements.
"The international treaty clearly stated one hour, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then close it at 59 minutes."
"......Then what about Seoul during that time-"
"Is there a problem?"
The man grinned, joking.
"It's already a ruined city. What difference will it make if it gets even more ruined?"

Chapter 25

〈 Episode 25 〉Part 1 Chapter 2 (11)
"Wow. It's a fake."
Halfway up the hiking trail, I looked up at the purple avian Monster floating in the sky—Shadow Phoenix—and marveled.
Seongju was brainwashing spirits in Terra, extracting their Mana to create inferior Monster knockoffs. In the original story, these were fodder that appeared as enemies of the respective spirits when entering individual routes targeting the executives who joined as companions.
Although each one was B to S-class, by the time you entered individual routes, the game was already in its late stages, so these counterfeit Monsters were just experience point sources for the protagonist's party.
'But I didn't expect there to be a Phoenix one.'
I never imagined I'd have a new experience not found in the original story. I felt a bit awkward watching the Shadow Phoenix proudly spread its wings.
'That's exactly what I was doing in the West Sea, isn't it?'
I suddenly felt ashamed of Shadow doing the same thing I did when showing off my wings to Unjang Xiaolin.
I put my hand to my ear and infused it with Mana.
"Jo Deokbae? Can you hear me?"

-What?!

Judging by his surprise, the connection was good. I checked the location of Deokbae, who had become a fire giant, and waved my hand.
"You know where I am, right? Run over here."

-There's something weird there, isn't there? It looks really strong at a glance.

"Ah. It's nothing. It's just a copy of me. You don't have to be so scared."

-...If it's a copy of you, isn't it super strong?

I swallowed my words at Deokbae's remark. The estimated Mana level felt from the heat transmitted through the air was top-tier even among S-class.
"...Um, it's about Fenrir level? But compared to me, it's not that strong. I could win even if I just played with it for five minutes?"

-I still don't know what you're talking about, but I get the gist. It's damn stronger than me, anyway.

"Well, yeah, it is, but it's not like it's overwhelmingly strong or anything...."
I was just a little uneasy that my copy had the power of the other executives. Where on earth did the Shadow come from?
'Is it me again?'
Shadows appear, drawn by the Mana of the original spirit beyond the dimensional gate.
The instinct of copies to eliminate the original, take its core, and surpass the original.
Shadow Phoenix must have also read the traces of Crimson Flame that I had been constantly spreading and forcibly broken through the dimensional gate.
'I don't want to fight.'
I could win, but right now, I needed to think about and consider future plans calmly in a quiet place rather than fighting. I also didn't want my appearance to be exposed due to battle.
'The dimensional gate is closed.'
Not only the initial dimensional gate but also the one Shadow came through had burst, unable to withstand Shadow's Mana. Now, the only threats left in Seoul are the small fry Monsters and Shadow.
I thoroughly concealed my Mana and hid behind a tree near the mountain peak. The owner of the fire-attribute Mana who had followed was now staring blankly at Shadow, his mentality shattered.
"What? It's not."

-What? It's not? Is it stronger than you?

"I wasn't talking to you. Run over here first."
The fire giant—Deokbae—hesitating at Doksan Station caught my eye. While Deokbae was running, carefully avoiding buildings, I racked my brain, looking at the man who was almost crying.
'Definitely not the protagonist.'
Even if the original story was twisted, the premise itself was wrong. The protagonist was currently an incompetent person who had lost all his abilities. Therefore, he would be walking the path of a commander who could help defeat Monsters even as an incompetent.
Still, I wondered just in case. Fortunately, it wasn't him.
'Then is he just an unintroduced character?'
A-class fire-attribute male hero. I had recruited over 1000 companions, but there was no such hero among them. He must have died or retired before the original story began five years later.
'I came all this way for nothing.'
I had confirmed it, so there was nothing more to see. I quickly descended the mountain to the west and greeted Deokbae, who was running towards me.
"Stop now."
□□□□?!
Deokbae, who was about to step forward, was startled to find me right below him. The fire giant, trying to stop abruptly, lost his footing and tumbled down the mountainside.
Thump!
A giant human shape was imprinted on Gwanak Mountain. Unlike Shadow's flames, Crimson Flame didn't set fire to the surrounding trees.
Clap.
As my two palms met, the blue flames of the fire giant quickly subsided. In the short time it took to take a breath, the fire giant disappeared, leaving only a gray boulder rolling down the slope.
Whoosh.
Invisible residual Mana flowed on the wind and entered between my palms. The Spirit Stone, forcibly fitted to Deokbae and using only his power, solidified into an empty crystal.
'Completely empty.'
I fiddled with the solidified Mana crystal between my palms and descended the mountain. A gray boulder was caught on a large pine tree below the slope.
Thud, thud.
"Solid. If you don't come out in 3 seconds, I'll smash you like a watermelon-"
"Aaaargh!!"
Deokbae burst out from between the gray rocks, a fist protruding. His gray skin had already faded.
"Oh. C-class, I guess. You evolved?"
"More than that, that thing seems to be looking this way?"
The direction Deokbae pointed to was where Shadow Phoenix was glaring at us, or rather, the area around where the fire giant had disappeared.
"Ah. It's looking for my traces."
"Then aren't we going to get caught now?"
"Eventually, we will."
I sighed deeply and clenched my fist. If I erased my presence and hid, the mini-Phoenix and Cheon Ga-eul (assumed) left in the S University building might be attacked by Shadow.
"It's okay. We can take care of it quickly."
"Didn't you say Cheonghwadan should stay quiet for a while?"
"Yes. I won't fight."
"...??"
I clicked my tongue and pointed to the mountain peak.
"Basically, Shadows have simple brain structures, so they recognize the strongest original's presence as the original."
"So."
Deokbae replied.
It seemed he was slowly giving up on arguing.
"I'm hiding my Mana to the extreme, so it won't be able to find me, and it's mistaking the fire giant that Jo Deokbae just fell and exploded into for me, right?"
Shadow was flapping its wings in the air, still searching for its prey—me. Its gaze was slowly approaching the bottom of the mountainside.
"So we need another target to draw its aggro. We have to run away to Gangwon-do with a person now. Stopping by Yeouido in the middle."
"Going to Gangwon-do? That dangerous...no. Would it be more dangerous than you? More than that, a person?"
"Hehehe. Yes. Someone I know...or used to know? Anyway, I have to take a woman with me. That's why I'm not fighting that thing right now."
I grabbed Deokbae's hood and ran towards the mountain peak. I entered Shadow's field of vision, and Shadow recognized me.
■■■■■■!!
Shadow screamed and flew towards us.
"Hey! You said you weren't going to fight!"
"Yes!"
"Then why are you running at that thing?!"
"It's trying to hit me first, I can't just take it!"
Shadow was aiming directly at me, raising flames. The purple flames were clearly a copy of me, contaminated by the influence of the Otherworld God. Weak, though.
"Hmph!"
I threw Deokbae forward. As Deokbae, suddenly thrown forward, struggled in the air, I grabbed his ankles tightly and infused them with Mana.
Whoosh!
Deokbae's rock skin quickly activated, and blue flames erupted from the Mana between the gaps. As a Monster infused with my Mana, my Mana was easily transferred. Deokbae, infused with Mana, stiffened like a statue at attention.
■■■■■■■■■■!!
Seeing the brilliantly burning Deokbae, Shadow flapped its wings even harder, as if jealous of the beautiful blue flames, and fell from the sky.
"Sorry, but!"
A pitiful artificial spirit driven mad by Seongju. Nevertheless, I couldn't forgive its audacity in trying to devour Phoenix and become Phoenix itself.
I swung Deokbae like a baseball bat behind my shoulder and jumped up.
■■■■■!
The avian Monster opened its sharp beak wide. Disgusting viscosity dripped thinly from between its beaks.
"I'm a little busy!"
"Aaaargh?!"
Deokbae covered his face with both arms. I spread my wings and slightly moved aside.
Crack!
Shadow bit the air. In that brief moment of passing each other, Shadow and I made eye contact.
"Oh?"
Purple flames were burning brightly between its translucent eyes. I smiled brightly in response to that clear hostility.
"How dare you!"
I swung Deokbae diagonally and slammed him down on Shadow's back. Deokbae's shoulder slipped, scratching Shadow's wing joint.
Kwa---ang!
A crisp impact sound like an explosion. Shadow, its back dented by the flaming rock bat swung by my Mana, was planted on the mountainside and began to roll. The blue flames connected to the impact area touched Shadow's wing joint and began to burn the wing.
"It's rolling well."
I smirked at Shadow, which was rolling endlessly down the mountain due to its inability to overcome its speed, and then placed the bat—Deokbae—in my hand on the ground.
"Huff, huff, huff!"
Deokbae, who had regained control of his body as the Mana was released, breathed roughly. I shrugged my shoulders.
"Are you okay? This is a system called 'Monster Weaponization'...."
"Hey, you son of a □□!! How can you swing a person around like a bat! Would it kill you to say something first?!"
Deokbae was angry. He even overcame the order not to swear—although it was filtered—and I was surprised and clapped my hands.
"If I say something, can I do it more in the future? I still have 13 things to experiment with."
" "
Deokbae's mouth dropped open, and he lost his words. I patted Deokbae's shoulder and laughed.
But he flinches again.
"It's okay. One of them isn't for you to experiment on."
I walked up the rocky path and pointed to the unconscious man.
"I'm going to put aggro on him and run away, so don't worry."
If I just buy time with that, Gwanggeom will take care of it. I infused Mana into the empty Spirit Stone and smiled brightly.
"Jo Deokbae, do you like acting?"
* * *

-My son. You must grow up to be a pillar of this country someday.

In his hazy consciousness, Seung-hyung recalled his father's face. He, who had lifted and hugged Seung-hyung with hands as big as pot lids, had been killed by a Monster after being deployed in the Pyongyang incident.

-You're good with abilities, just like your Hyung. They contacted me saying it would be good to make you the party's figurehead.

A face resembling his father's came to mind. The King of New Seoul, whose status had fallen a lot, but whose name could not be easily called now. He seemed to cherish Lee Seung-hyung but used Lee Seung-hyung as he pleased.

-You were that human's nephew? Geez.

Yu Young-ho, his teacher and mentor, was dumbfounded by Seung-hyung's background but treated him as a hero, not as the president's nephew.
For Seung-hyung, Young-ho was like his father, who had passed away in his childhood. Under him, he began to save people and become a true hero.

-Nice to meet you. I'm Cheon Ga-eul.

And Seung-hyung realized love. At some point, the man in the mirror was making the same eyes as the women who had rushed at him, saying they had fallen in love at first sight.

-Are you listening? Do you know how dangerous your position is in the acting industry? A handsome hero, ahem! A rookie actor with solid acting skills is just targeting his seniors' roles....

He wanted to be in the same drama as Cheon Ga-eul, so he stole the role. The words of concern as a Seonbae, even while grumbling, were lovely,

-Is your leg okay? Tell me if filming is too hard.

He wanted to keep forever the eyes that worried about how she knew he was injured in Monster subjugation,

-I love you, Min-soo.

He wanted to become 'Lee Seung-hyung', the Min-soo who heard the words "I love you" from Ga-eul's mouth.
He was going to block the dimensional gate, return, confess, and even consider marriage if she accepted.
■■■■!
But all those dreams were engulfed in purple flames and faded away. Seung-hyung felt deep fear and succumbed to the Monster that had newly appeared above the dimensional gate.

'Because I hesitated.'
He hesitated, weighing duty against love. In that wasted time, the Monsters blocked Seung-hyung's path.
'Because I was weak.'
He thought being an A-rank, praised and revered by those around him, was something great. But the dangerous species that appeared intermittently cornered Seung-hyung and blocked his way.
'Because... I'm weak.'
A giant Monster bird that tore through the dimensional gate. The purple phoenix form was a notorious dangerous species from dimensional gates around the world, including Dodgers Gate—an 'Demon Species' boasting a danger rating of S-class or higher.
'I'm sorry.'
The Demon Species didn't even glance at Seung-hyung. Even in that humiliation, Lee Seung-hyung was relieved that he hadn't been killed, but he was also angry at himself.
'Because I'm weak...'

-Do you desire power?

Seung-hyung raised his head at the thick male voice.
A large man in a gray hoodie and jeans. But the brightly blazing blue flames obscured the man's face.

-The power to defeat that demon. I can give it to you if you wish.

'Who are you?'
The large man knelt on one knee, making eye contact with Seung-hyung.

-...Apostle of the Sun. Knight of the Azure Flame, illuminating the dawn. The world shall call me the 'Azure Colossus.'

"Ah."
Seung-hyung was mesmerized by the blue flames. Beside the large man, a woman who appeared to be his servant bowed respectfully. The woman, her face hidden by a blue veil, wore a cyan and white priestly robe.
-.......
Without a word, the large man took the spirit stone from the woman's hands and handed it to Seung-hyung. Seung-hyung involuntarily reached out to the blue flames seething within the transparent gem.

-Do you desire this power?

"If I have this power, can I kill that demon?"
The large man's gaze briefly returned to the woman. The woman, who had been bowing, straightened up and gave a faint smile.

-Of course. The Azure Flame will dwell in your heart and become the heart that burns your body. It will become a purifying flame that burns even the polluted Mana emitted by that demon.

"The price, what is the price?"
Seung-hyung asked, clutching the spirit stone tightly in both hands. The large man turned his gaze back to the woman. The woman's lips curved upward even more.

-The peace of the world.

The large man stood up. A massive tremor began to echo from beyond the mountainside.
■■■■■■!!
The Monster bird, with one wing torn off, ran up the mountain like an ostrich. Blue flames were constantly burning on its dangling wing stump.
The large man gestured to the woman, and she bowed and disappeared.
■■■!!
The Monster bird began to tear through the mountain, chasing after the woman's trail. The large man seemed lost in thought for a moment before turning to Seung-hyung and continuing.

-If you don't intend to eat that, I recommend dying here. Seriously.

"Yes?"
Was it Seung-hyung's imagination that he saw a somewhat pitiful look in the blue flames that obscured the large man's face? The large man shook his head and walked down below the summit.
"Wa, wait a moment! Azure Colossus-nim!"
The large man's steps came to a halt. Seung-hyung stepped off the ground, stood up, and bowed deeply.
"Thank you! I won't forget this kindness!"
-...Hmph.
The large man—the Azure Colossus—disappeared down the mountain after saying those words. The Azure Colossus vanished so stealthily that even Seung-hyung, who was sensitive to movements, couldn't notice.
"...Okay."
He was suspicious. But Seung-hyung wanted to cast aside his doubts and trust the man who called himself the Azure Colossus.
'For the peace of the world.'
Seung-hyung poured the unknown gem he held in both hands into his mouth.
"!!!!!"
Heat erupted from his esophagus. The blue flames within the gem that had gone down into his stomach burned fiercely, as if to incinerate Seung-hyung's body from the inside.
"Ugh!"
Seung-hyung clenched his teeth and moved all the Mana in his body. The red flame bear that blazed behind him absorbed the Azure Flame and grew even larger.
Kuooh!
The flame bear roared on the summit of Gwanak Mountain, as if to overturn the world. The bear, shining with blue light in its eyes, burned with hostility towards the Monster bird climbing up the mountain.
■■■■■!
The Monster bird screamed and charged towards Seung-hyung to devour him, reaching the summit of the mountain.
Flash. Seung-hyung's eyes began to glow blue.
The flame bear, which had grown large enough to overturn the mountain, was quickly sucked into Seung-hyung's body. It was the moment when the limit of his ability, which he had been wearing like a coat because he couldn't accommodate the flames in his body, was broken.
Awakening. A stage where a stagnant ability moves to the next level.
"Hoo..."
Seung-hyung stood on a rocky path where he would roll straight down if he missed a step. The Monster bird charged at Seung-hyung, burning the hiking trail.
"Just wait a little longer, Gaeul-ssi!"
He was no longer afraid. Seung-hyung's fist burned red and collided with the Monster bird's beak.
Kwaaang!!
A red pillar of fire soared into the sky on Gwanak Mountain.

Chapter 26

"Aha ha ha ha!"
Azure Flame Phoenix, having descended from the mountain path and taken over the rooftop of the lecture building, laughed so hard the building seemed to flip. Following behind, Deokbae's ash-gray skin was red to the point of bursting.
"The Azure Giant of Qinghua, pfft. Ah, so funny!"
"You decided on all the lines yourself. Did I say anything?"
"I didn't say a word, did I? All the sounds from the mouth were made by Mr. Jo Deokbae."
Deokbae offered a timid retort. But as usual, Phoenix didn't care, giggling while leaning against the wall before solemnly extending a hand to Deokbae.
"Do you desire power?"
"Yes. As much power as it takes to sew your mouth shut."
"Ah, that's a bit..."
Phoenix shook his head, looking serious. Deokbae firmly resolved to sew up that chatterbox's mouth someday, pointing towards the summit of Gwanak Mountain.
"So, are you really going to leave it to that thing and run away?"
At the mountain's peak, Shadow Phoenix was fighting Lee Seunghyung. Despite losing a wing, Shadow Phoenix flaunted its power, and Lee Seunghyung was desperately dodging attacks, looking for an opportunity to strike.
"Yes. He's fighting well, isn't he? As expected of fire attribute. It seems like he can buy some time."
Phoenix clicked his tongue, watching Lee Seunghyung deflect the attacks better than expected.
'No wonder the protagonist got stronger after obtaining Phoenix's power.'
Phoenix's origin is Azure Flame, the Mana of the fire attribute itself. The small flame directly received from the origin awakened Lee Seunghyung's potential and opened the blocked channels of Mana.
'He might even become an S-class if he does well?'
His potential was rapidly blooming as he fought Shadow. Lee Seunghyung, absorbing the Azure Flame stored in the spirit stone like an elixir, now began to fight back, meeting Shadow's claws with his fists.
"Isn't he getting too strong?"
Deokbae muttered with a worried voice. Phoenix chuckled slyly, pointing to his heart.
"That's why I planted a bomb in his heart. So I can detonate it whenever I want. Kaboom!"
The Azure Flame nestled in his heart did not extinguish, adding strength to Lee Seunghyung's flame. But that Azure Flame was Phoenix's unique Mana, which Lee Seunghyung could never control on his own.
Snap.
Phoenix snapped his fingers, and Lee Seunghyung clutched his chest and stumbled. Seizing the opportunity, Shadow Phoenix swung its remaining wing, sending Seunghyung, who was floating in the air, flying down the mountain.
Crack!
Seunghyung, who flew through the air, snapping trees like pillars, gathered his Mana and leaped up from the slope. Regaining his posture in the air, he drew up his Mana again and charged at Shadow Phoenix.
"See? Just now, the Mana was briefly cut off due to the influence of Azure Flame. He has to live with that for the rest of his life unless I deliberately release it."
"There's a real devil here. What is God doing, not catching things like you?"
"?? I am God, you know?"
"You're God?"
Deokbae prepared to unleash all sorts of blasphemous remarks in his head without uttering a single curse word. Phoenix blinked for a moment, then smiled and replied.
"Aha ha. I am the creator God who made Jo Deokbae. So hurry up and praise me. Disciple number 2."
"Just kill me instead."
"Hey. I still have so many uses for you, why would I abandon you, Mr. Jo Deokbae? I'm going to milk you dry, milk you dry, and milk you dry again. He he he."
"Until when?"
Deokbae asked with a stiff expression. Sensing Deokbae's serious mood, Phoenix erased his smile and replied.
"Until the peace of this world is secured."
Deokbae couldn't understand Phoenix's words any better. He didn't even know what intention he had in saying such things, and he didn't want to know, but he was certain of one thing.
The monster before his eyes was surprisingly and genuinely pursuing 'world peace.'
"...Never mind. I shouldn't have said anything."
As Deokbae sighed deeply, Phoenix, having regained his smile, folded and unfolded his hands and chattered again.
"Then shall we head to Yeouido now? I don't want to waste any more time here."
"Are you really going to leave that thing alone?"
Deokbae pointed to Seunghyung, who was brawling with Shadow Phoenix, which was moving with the ferocity to burn down the entire mountain.
"What if that thing becomes an S-class hero? What if it gets so strong that the constraint you put in its heart is released? Do you have a plan?"
"Why would you think like that?"
Phoenix tilted his head.
"It's a good thing if a Korean hero gets stronger, isn't it?"
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"If another S-class is born, where do you think they'll come? Wouldn't there be talk of gradually reclaiming Seoul? Then what will happen to the villains who were hiding in Seoul? Not the ones who run away, but the ones who still have lingering attachments to Seoul."
Phoenix glanced towards Guro and licked his lips.
"...A powerful center is needed, right? He he."
* * *
National Emergency.
According to the manual, the appearance of a 'Demon Species' was a crisis that warranted the declaration of a national emergency.
"Multiple hero responses beyond the Yellow Sea! Chinese heroes!"
"Responses near Dokdo in the East Sea! It's Japan!"
Yoo Youngho threw the crushed can to the ground.
"Just deal with it within an hour! You jackals!"
The worldwide agreement made after the Dodgers Gate incident. In the event of a failure to close a dimensional gate and the appearance of a Demon Species, intervention from other countries is permitted regardless of national borders—a near-tyrannical provision. Korea was also a signatory to that agreement.
"<Praetor> order! All heroes are to gather at point S8! Stop them in Anyang!"
Youngho's command, shouted with spittle flying, was broken down by the operators. The signals of heroes spread throughout southern Gyeonggi Province began to converge on Uiwang City.
'Even if all of Anyang is destroyed...!'
If he had his way, he would have evacuated every single resident before engaging in combat. But the timer relentlessly ticking at the top of the monitor already showed only 55 minutes remaining.
'China and Japan must not intervene!'
Hasn't history already proven it? The two countries sharing borders were always ready to harass Korea and bring it under their influence if they had the pretext. The figure of a warrior riding Red Hare was also visible among the transport planes in the Yellow Sea sky.
'<Guan Yu> even came. China is serious right now.'
Just as heroes were beginning to gather at the designated point, a signal that grated on Youngho's ears was heard.
"What?!"
"Emergency call from the Monster Response Division! Dispatch of <Light Sword> is impossible...!"
"Are those crazy bastards?!"
Youngho was genuinely furious, even uttering curses. To think they would retaliate in this way for him cutting off the minister's call under the pretext that the transmission was not clear.
"Kang Soyeon! Contact BH directly or do whatever it takes to call Light Sword!"
"Yes?! But if the Monster Response Division has rejected the dispatch—"
"Do you think I don't know that bastard Son Jinkwang?! That trash will lie to BH that everything is fine and rush to Busan to catch a flight to Japan!"
Youngho's language became increasingly violent. His old personality, which he had honed in the field before becoming the team leader of the Tactical Planning Division, was slowly resurfacing.
"Abnormal reaction from the Demon Species?!"
An operator, who was concentrating on the screen detecting Mana, shouted. Youngho tapped his watch to enlarge the screen.
An image revealing the form of the Demon Species. The radar analyzing the Mana pattern showed that the left wing of the monstrous bird was heavily damaged.
"Who is it?!"
"No hero response! Not even a hunter!"
There was no way a Demon Species would hurt itself while rampaging alone.
But where in Seoul was an ability user strong enough to kill a monster of S-class or higher, a Demon Species?
'Could it be a villain?'
A villain who had escaped the Association's notice was in Seoul, and that villain had injured the Demon Species?
It was unbelievable. At the very least, there had to be information that could serve as a basis for judgment.
"Satellite! Turn on the satellite feed!"
If the Demon Species was damaged, the satellite image would surely be captured again. As Youngho expected, the Mana waves emanating from the Demon Species had weakened, and the satellite image began to appear faintly.
"What... the...."
One wing of the Demon Species monstrous bird was broken. The monstrous bird, which had rolled down the mountainside, barely righted itself and was running towards the mountain's summit.
The summit of Gwanak Mountain. Youngho realized who was there.
"Lee Seunghyung!"
The trademark bear form was gone. But the flames rising from his entire body showed that he had reached a new level.
"Check Lee Seunghyung's Mana! Immediately!"
At Youngho's words, the operators busily moved their hands. The operator shed tears of emotion at the results displayed on the screen.
"Estimated S-class! Agent Lee Seunghyung has awakened!"
Wooooaaaaahhhh!!
The entire headquarters was swept up in cheers. Youngho also clenched his fist and cheered without anyone seeing.
"Lee Seunghyung! Respond, Lee Seunghyung!"
[This is Bear, cough!]
Lee Seunghyung's voice echoed in the headquarters. While dodging the Demon Species monstrous bird's attacks, Lee Seunghyung continued to struggle to communicate with the headquarters, and finally, contact was made.
[It's strong! I still can't do it alone!]
"Can you lure it?"
Youngho marked a route on the southern side of Gwanak Mountain. At the end of the path down the mountain was a half-ruined stadium.
"Hero 40 is on standby near Anyang!"
[Yes! I can. This guy, definitely!]
Lee Seunghyung jumped back greatly. The Demon Species monstrous bird, which had rolled down the cliff, flapped its other wing and chased after Lee Seunghyung.
[It's targeting me! I don't know why!]
"Is that a hunch?!"
[Yes!]
"Then lure it along my route!"
Youngho had come to trust the senses of S-class heroes, which could not be logically explained, after going to the battlefield with Light Sword several times.
"Request support from the hunters! We'll handle the Demon Species in Anyang, so tell them to catch the remaining monsters that aren't dead yet!"
If they could only deal with the Demon Species, the hunters' hunt would continue. As expected, the Demon Species burned down the mountain and chased after Seunghyung's tail, heading south.
"Prepare for the raid! A bird-type monster with a broken wing is just chicken! Don't fear the Demon Species!"
Yoo Youngho took a deep breath. Giving a newly awakened hero a nickname was the duty of the commander directing him.
Youngho recalled the alias he had prepared for him long ago.
"We have a new S-class hero, <Fire Fist>!!"
* * *
"Oh. He's going down. I can't watch anymore. What a shame."
I expressed my condolences to the fake Phoenix disappearing beyond the mountain and jumped off the rooftop railing. The flowing priest's robe was fixed with Mana to prevent the unfortunate event of it flipping over.
Although it was the height of a 4-story building, I landed in the flower bed without any problems and entered through the open window.
"Then."
Clap. As I clapped my hands, Azure Flame burned away the dirt on my clothes and smoothed out the wrinkled parts. The priest's robe, with a design that seemed to contain Azure Flame as it was, was neatly spread out.
'Hooray for skins.'
A DLC of various job-type cosplays that were meticulously produced according to the individuality of the main heroines. With the release of this DLC, which had a total of 17 outfits, one for each person, it was revealed that there was one more heroine besides the 16.
Among them, Azure Flame Phoenix had a priest's robe skin based on the concept of 'Saintess.'
'I didn't know how to implement it, so I was wearing a school uniform.'
Deokbae is useful in many ways. Thanks to experimenting with Deokbae, I became increasingly skilled in handling Azure Flame, and I was able to actually use some of the elements in the game one by one.
Weaponizing the monsters' weapons by injecting Mana into Deokbae, or giving Azure Flame to clothing to transform it into the form of a skin.
Of course, the school uniform hasn't disappeared. If you release the densely woven Mana, the priest's robe returns to the school uniform.
'Viva, magic.'
It felt like I could do anything if I only had magic that ignored the laws of nature. Turning the Mana back and changing the priest's robe back into a school uniform, I smiled brightly and carefully opened the door.
Creak.
Even though I opened it carefully so that there wasn't even a hinge sound, the old door creaked and pushed open.
Snore, snore.
"She's really sleeping well."
Chun Gaeul was hugging the veil as a pillow and sleeping.
I sat at Chun Gaeul's bedside and stroked her tangled hair with my hand.
'It reminds me of the old days.'
The 13th playthrough? Or was it the 14th? I was starting to get confused. Just then, Deokbae was about to stride in through the door.
"When are you going to leav-"
"Shhhh."

I raised my index finger with an empty hand and put it to my lips. Deokbae looked at the woman sleeping next to me with a sullen face, then frowned.
"I've seen that face a lot on TV."
"Do you know who she is?"
"No. But why did you kidnap her?"
I manipulated Mana and shoved it into Deokbae's mouth.
"Kidnap? I saved her life, you know?"
"Kuh, cough. Okay. Let's say that's true. So what are you going to do now? Carry her on your back all the way to Yeouido?"
"No. I'm going to wait until she wakes up. I can wait that long."
I stroked Chun Gaeul's hair.
"Because she's precious to me."
The first piece for the true ending. She was as precious to me as my own life.

Chapter 27

"...What?"
Autumn felt like her chest was about to explode. Was that her? That vulgar woman who was strangling a man to death, panting like a dog?
Thump, thump, thump.
Her pounding heart showed no signs of calming down. The long, long night of passion under the moonlight was more sensual, bewitching, and poignant than any experience Autumn had ever had.
Just who was he?
No matter how hard she tried to remember, she couldn't. All she could recall was the warm, blue flame that had embraced her; she didn't know the man's face or name.
Only that blue flame remained in her mind.
"...Ah?! Ahh!"
Why had she forgotten this? Autumn was startled and sat up.
"I'm alive."
Autumn touched every part of her body, confirming that she was alive. Her hand grasped a soft cloth.
"What's this?"
A translucent, turquoise silk cloth. Autumn hugged the veil around her neck and stood up from the sofa. Instead of her missing high heels, a pair of fluffy slippers that fit her feet perfectly were neatly placed on the floor.
'Who is it?'
Judging from the situation, someone must have rescued her and laid her down here. Autumn retraced her memories before losing consciousness, and a girl with blue hair came to mind.
'She was really pretty.'
Even Autumn, who was known for her beauty in the entertainment industry, couldn't compare to her stunning looks. The wings of blue flame blazing behind her looked like an angel descending to earth.
...Blue flame?
"Ah. So that's why."
They say that the desire for survival and reproduction intensifies right before a person is about to die, and Autumn was so ashamed that it had manifested as a wet dream that her face was burning up.
'To think I mistook a girl for a man. Ugh, was I into that kind of thing?'
She was also confused about her own sexuality. Autumn rubbed her cheeks with her palms to clear her head. As her complicated thoughts gradually cleared, she had the leisure to look around.
"This is..."
A worn-out sofa and a table with crooked legs. And some supplies and old curtains. It looked familiar.
"The men's lounge?"
She had never been inside when she was an undergraduate, but she had briefly visited it for a shoot. The abandoned lounge was so dusty that she had to return to the car to prepare.
That lounge was spotless, without a speck of dust. As if a cleaning fairy had visited.
"The Gate...is it over now?"
Even though she had often heard Monster alerts before entering Shinseoul, it was the first time she had faced a Monster directly. Autumn reached for the smartphone in her coat pocket.
"It's broken."
The screen was shattered, and the power wouldn't turn on no matter how many times she pressed it. Autumn thought it must have been broken when she was attacked by the Monster and carefully got up, wearing the slippers.
"You better not come out."
"Eek?!"
Autumn was startled by the voice that suddenly came from beyond the door and collapsed back onto the sofa.
Thump, thump.
A hooded giant lowered his head and entered the lounge. The man's skin, illuminated by the fluorescent light, was a gray color like slate.
"An Ability User? A hero...are you?"
"No."
As Jo Deokbae strode inside, Autumn slowly retreated.
"Then a Hunter?"
"Not that either."
Autumn hid behind the sofa, scanning for an escape route. An Ability User who was neither a hero nor a Hunter. The man was a villain.
"W-What are you planning to do to me?!"
"I'm not doing anything. I'm not."
Deokbae plopped down on the sofa opposite where Autumn was hiding. He seemed to have no interest in Autumn, just sitting and closing his eyes. He even crossed his arms and leaned his head back against the sofa, as if waiting for someone.
"...H-Hello?"
"What."
Autumn asked, peeking her head over the sofa.
"By any chance, the person who saved me...wasn't you, right?"
"It wasn't me. That..."
Deokbae lowered his head and bit his lip. He couldn't think of an appropriate word to describe it.
"Phoenix probably saved you."
"Phoenix?"
Deokbae glanced at his smartwatch and checked the time. 7:12 PM.
"Is that Phoenix the one with the blue hair...?"
"An Ability User who wears a high school uniform."
"Ah!"
Autumn clapped her hands in surprise. The angel she had seen before losing consciousness was not a hallucination but a real Ability User with wings of blue flame.
"Then are you her colleague?"
"......."
Deokbae closed his eyes without saying anything. Autumn took it as a silent affirmation and came out from behind the sofa, sitting across from him.
"Thank you for saving me. I won't forget this kindness."
"I told you I didn't save you. But can I ask you something?"
Autumn swallowed hard at Deokbae's words.
'Should I tell the truth?'
So, he was finally going to ask the question she had been worried about. Autumn decided to admit it honestly since her identity would be revealed anyway.
"Yes. I'm actress Cheon Ga-"
"Who are you to know Phoenix?"
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, what's your relationship with her? That crazy bi...ahem. This is the first time she's ever given anyone special treatment."
Watching the way he brushed Autumn's hair, Deokbae ran to the bathroom and gagged. Phoenix's eyes, as she looked at the sleeping Autumn's face, were even wistful.
'What did she think of me at first?'
Human trash. A bug she didn't even want to touch. What kind of person would be so precious to someone who used not only himself but everything around him as a tool for his own purposes?
"So how did a kid like you get to know someone like-"
"I'm not a kid! I'm 28 years old!"
Now Deokbae was speechless. Autumn huffed and took out her ID card, shoving it in Deokbae's face.
"Here! Look! Shinseoul Resident ID!"
"...Fake?"
"Shinseoul Resident IDs are issued by the government in conjunction with the Association, okay?! It's impossible to forge them! Look! The official mark with the Mana reaction!"
"No. I know that, but your condition..."
Even though her clothes were worn and torn in places, as if she had been through a rough time, Autumn looked like a college student in her early 20s to Deokbae.
"Are you lying about your age?"
"Heh, heh. I'm just famous for not looking my age."
Autumn, who was almost thirty, continued with a triumphant look on her face, as if proud of Deokbae's suspicion about her age.
"But don't you know me? Cheon Ga-eul, the nation's first love, the child prodigy, who is enjoying immense popularity for her role as Hyun Ji-yeon in <Last Love>?"
"...You mean the one from <Ajumma>?"
Cheon Ga-eul clapped her hands and laughed.
"Ah! How did you know about that? That was my debut work! It flopped so badly that many people think my debut work was something else."
"......Just."
Deokbae swallowed his words. That movie was what the director of the orphanage had played while abusing him. Watching a young child of a similar age being cruelly abused in the movie had given him a lot to think about.
"But are you really Cheon Ga-eul? Why is an actress in Seoul?"
"That's what I'm saying!"
Perhaps because the conversation had eased her tension, Cheon Ga-eul began to complain about her unfair near-death experience.
"No matter how high the ratings are and how much they want to be accurate, how can filming a drama in Seoul make sense? Not even Incheon! They could have just filmed the scene on any university campus..."
Deokbae raised his hand to interrupt Autumn. One talkative chatterbox like Phoenix was enough.
"Stop. I get it, so stop. Anyway, you're really Cheon Ga-eul, right."
Deokbae stood up from the sofa and pointed out the door.
"She's waiting for you."
"Ah."
Autumn followed Deokbae at a quick pace. She kept a slight distance so she could run away at any time, like a wary cat.
Deokbae went up the stairs and stood in front of a lecture room on the second floor, pointing inside. Autumn looked back and forth between the door and Deokbae before gently opening the door.
"Hello...?"
Inside the lecture room, a girl was sitting cross-legged on a desk, staring intently at the blackboard. Even with her face scrunched up and a marker in her mouth, Autumn found her so pretty that her heart skipped a beat.
"...? Ah."
Phoenix, who saw Autumn standing in the doorway, quickly flicked her fingers. A blue flame flared up on the blackboard.
"Eek!"
Autumn was startled by the sudden flames and stepped back. The flames burned away the numerous inscriptions drawn on the blackboard.
Bang!
Phoenix clapped her hands together as if in prayer, and the flames vanished in an instant. The blackboard was as shiny as if it had just been made.
"Cheon Ga-eul?"
"Y-Yes?"
Phoenix clicked her tongue at Autumn's response. Deokbae, who had followed behind, shrugged.
"I was hoping it wasn't her."
"She says she's Cheon Ga-eul. If she's not the person you thought she was, just kill her yourself?"
What? Autumn was startled and leaned against the wall. Phoenix let her legs drop from the desk to the floor.
"Congratulations, Cheon Ga-eul. You're alive because you're Cheon Ga-eul."
"What would you have done if I wasn't?"
Phoenix chuckled and stretched.
"Killed you. Jo Deokbae would have."
"...!!"
Autumn was sure. These two were villains.
"What's your purpose in saving me? Money? A Shinseoul Resident ID?"
"Cheon Ga-eul, you watch too many dramas."
"Of course, I'm an actress! No, that's not the point right now!"
No way. Deokbae internally mourned for Cheon Ga-eul, who was slowly starting to run her mouth.
"Um...to be exact, I didn't save Cheon Ga-eul."
Phoenix fidgeted with her fingers on her shoulder and frowned.
"I just happened to see a Monster and killed it, and it just so happened that you were about to die at that moment. The reason I brought you here was because I wondered if you were someone I knew."
"...Have we ever met?"
Autumn racked her brain. She had met countless people during her time in the entertainment industry, and there were hundreds of beauties she could never forget.
But no matter how hard she thought, she didn't remember the person in front of her, 'Phoenix.'
"Plastic surgery, maybe?"
"It's natural."
"Then...gender reassignment?"
"Maybe yes, maybe no. More details later when the time comes...just kidding, we've never met. But."
Phoenix got off the desk and approached Autumn. Autumn leaned her back against the wall and stood on tiptoe. Even though Autumn was already tall, with only a finger's difference in height, Phoenix's eyes were now near her neck.
"H-Hello? Who are you to-"
Suddenly, she was pulled into an embrace.
"?!?!"
Phoenix hugged Autumn. She wrapped her arms around Autumn's waist and buried her head in her collarbone.
"T-There, there?"
The body heat transmitted from their close contact felt like warm sunlight. Autumn rolled her eyes, unsure what to do with her arms raised in the air.
"Ugh!"
Deokbae was already running down the hallway, feeling nauseous from the sight. Autumn, suddenly left alone with her in the empty lecture hall, paused at the subtle trembling that was transmitted through her clothes.
"......."
The girl was crying. No, it was as if she was forcibly holding back a burst of tears. Autumn hesitated for a moment before lowering her arms and hugging the one called Cheonghwa.
"S-Sorry. I really can't remember..."
"...Haa."
Autumn shuddered at the deep sigh that was transmitted through her clothes. The breath, which seemed to contain a sense of relief and longing, made Autumn's face flush and her body heat up.
Thump, thump, thump.
She had already had a dream that she couldn't even put into words while she was sleeping, and now this sudden encounter. The demon that had been dormant in Autumn's subconscious awakened and whispered.
'Possible.'
The demon laughed, clashing two pairs of scissors together. An angel who was watching him pitifully from across the room whispered to Autumn.
'Wouldn't it be okay if there's love?'
"??!?!!?!?!?!"
Autumn unknowingly swallowed hard at the increasingly rapid heartbeat. The sound was so loud that it seemed to fill the lecture hall.
A snicker was heard from somewhere. Phoenix patted Autumn's waist as if comforting her and raised her head.
"Don't think strange things. I was just checking the Mana affinity in Autumn's body through Mana resonance."
"...Huh?"
"Food, air, water. The Mana accumulated in nature is only a small part of what is accumulated in the human body. The human body only absorbs the Mana of the attribute that best suits its constitution. That's what triggers humans to awaken as Ability Users."

Suddenly, the lecture began. Autumn fell into a state of panic at the new type of teaching method that indiscriminately poured out new knowledge unknown to academia.
Of course, the professor's explanation didn't stop even at the mental breakdown of the undergraduates.
"Since the maximum amount that can be accommodated varies from person to person for each attribute, each person's Mana has its own unique properties. This is expressed as 'affinity' for each attribute, and when expressed as data, it's like Fire attribute 17%, Water attribute 72%. Unless you're a doppelganger, Mana affinity can never be exactly the same."
<Phoenix of Azure Flame> raised his head, made eye contact with Autumn, and smiled.
"So, you can't possibly not be Cheon Ga-eul. Fire 2, Water 17, Wind 68, Earth 31, Light 8, Dark 37, Illusion 88. It's the same as the numbers I remember. Hehehe."
"Uh... excuse me...."
"Ha. It's really a shame. If you had just over 50% Fire attribute, I could have forcibly awakened your ability. In this case, it's difficult to awaken your ability until I undo the brainwashing of the other kids. Hmm. More than that...."
"So, what are you saying...?"
<Phoenix of Azure Flame> released the hug and took two steps back, scanning Cheon Ga-eul up and down. Cheon Ga-eul instinctively pressed her arms to her chest at the strangely lecherous gaze.
"No. It's just... your Mana stats are the same, but you seem like a completely different person. Is it because of the age difference? Your figure seems similar, though. Cheon Ga-eul-ssi, can I touch your breasts?"
"Are you crazy?!"
Cheon Ga-eul shouted, panting. <Phoenix of Azure Flame> blinked in surprise, then waved his hand and laughed.
"Ahaha! I'm sorry. If it were her, Darling would have made even more sexual jokes and told me to touch her more. Hehe. Then, um... just a moment. Since it's our first meeting...."
<Phoenix of Azure Flame> neatly gathered his hands in front of his forehead. Unlike his previous frivolous appearance, Autumn became reverent at the atmosphere as if he were seriously performing a ritual.
Whoosh.
The school uniform that <Phoenix of Azure Flame> was wearing turned into Azure Flame, swirling around <Phoenix of Azure Flame>'s body. Autumn covered her chest and gasped, catching glimpses of his pure white nakedness between the flames.
The Azure Flame scattered into Mana and turned into fluttering silk. A priestly robe with a sapphire-melted blue surface decorated with luxurious white embroidery in a burning flame pattern. As <Phoenix of Azure Flame> spread his hands and swept his hair back from his forehead, the Azure Flame scattered like sparks and became a semi-transparent veil that fell to his waist.
"...Ah!"
Autumn realized who the turquoise veil around her neck belonged to. <Phoenix of Azure Flame> gently placed his right hand on his left shoulder and bowed his head in greeting.
"Nice to meet you, Cheon Ga-eul-ssi."
"Ah, yes! Nice to meet you too. Um...."
"The Avatar of the Sun. The eternally unquenchable blue flame. I am called <Phoenix of Azure Flame>."
"...Uh, okay?"
Autumn, who had heard several names in an instant, fidgeted, unsure of what to say. <Phoenix of Azure Flame> approached Autumn, clasped her hands, and smiled brightly.
"Just call me Phoenix."
"Ah, okay. Nix-ssi."
"Phoenix."
"...Yes."
Autumn held the clasped hands in reverse and bowed her head to Phoenix.
"Anyway, thank you for saving me. If it weren't for you, Phoenix-ssi, I really would have died."
"It's okay. You're alive like this, aren't you?"
"Wow, look at the gender discrimination?"
Deok-bae, who had returned from the bathroom at some point, entered the lecture hall with a twitching face. His grayish-brown skin was cracked in places due to Mana backlash.
"...When did I tell you to interrupt when the atmosphere is good? Minion Number 2?"
"No. It's just absurd. Right now. A villain who burns people to death, cough!"
A lump of flame shot out like light and hit Deok-bae's mouth. Autumn tried to turn her gaze away, but barely stopped her head from turning at the force coming into her hand.
"Hehe. It's perfect timing. That lump over there is Jo Deok-bae. He's my Minion Number 2."
"...Minion, is it."
Autumn felt a little sympathy for Deok-bae, who was rolling on the floor in agony from the Azure Flame attached to his face. Deok-bae, who had restored his Mana and regenerated his Stone Skin, picked himself up and threw the chair he was holding on the floor.
"You son of a b*tch!"
Deok-bae shouted something, but the sound didn't come out. Phoenix shrugged his eyebrows and pointed to Autumn at Deok-bae.
"Let me introduce you. This is Cheon Ga-eul-ssi."
"Ah, I'll do it. I'm an actr-"
"She's our new face from the Cheonghwa Troupe."
"Excuse me?"

Chapter 28

〈 Episode 28 〉 Part 1 Chapter 2 (14)
That brief moment before Autumn awoke.
I used the blackboard in the empty lecture hall to organize my complicated thoughts.
From the plans I had made in the magma, I wrote down the urgent tasks that needed to be dealt with immediately, prioritizing them one by one.

-Retrieve the Cube from Yeouido.

I know the location of the Cube. A free dungeon where an S-class field Monster is hiding. I just need to go, take its head, and retrieve the Cube.

-Unite the villains of Seoul.

Originally, I was going to slowly increase my power by subjugating them one by one, like a land grab.
However, due to the unexpected occurrence of the Dimensional Gate, I had to drastically revise my plan to place the villains under the Cheonghwa Order.
'I can't let them easily run away because they're afraid of the Dimensional Gate.'
The villains need to act as a breakwater against the Monsters coming down from the north. The Monster in Pyongyang constantly produces Monsters with the power of the Cube, and these Monsters are mostly D to B-class, making them a perfect source for Core trading.
'And that money will be used to raise the protagonist.'
I also have some very secondary goals, such as buying land and buildings in New Seoul, opening a cafe, starting a rental business, and driving a supercar, but massive funds were needed for world peace.
'I have to travel all over the world, after all. Hmm. Innocent. No problem.'
And I have to collect all the Cubes. There are 24 outside the Korean Peninsula, so I would have to travel by plane or train countless times for five years to collect them all.
Why can't I just fly there myself? I never want to get my stomach pierced by a missile like Mao Zedong again.
'And the last thing is....'
I looked at Cheon Ga-eul, who was holding my hands and blinking her eyes, with a satisfied smile. Cheon Ga-eul was quite taken aback by my "new face" remark.
"Cheon Ga-eul-ssi. Are you an Esper?"
"...No?"
Cheon Ga-eul is powerless. If she awakens her ability and grows properly, she has the potential to be in the top ranks of A-class Espers based on her 88% affinity with the Illusion attribute.
But I'm sorry. I broke that flag.
"Yes. She's powerless. She may be outstanding as an actress, but can she safely make her way to New Seoul alone?"
"That's where Phoenix-ssi can help a little bit?!"
"Why. Would. I. Do. That?"
I deliberately said each word separately. I could feel a slight tremor in the hands I was holding.
"What benefit do I get from helping Ga-eul-ssi? To be taken to the Hero Association? As you might expect, we're villains."
I let go of Ga-eul's hands and spread my arms wide over my shoulders.
"Wow! Ga-eul-ssi is repaying the favor of saving her life with enmity! I'm just a passerby who saved someone and handed them over to a hero out of goodwill, and now I'm about to be imprisoned!"
"Then, send me to the Hunters! The Hunters are okay, right!"
Ga-eul started to tremble all the way to her shoulders. I stood on the chair that Deok-bae had kicked over and stood on one foot.
"Deok-bae-ssi, what do the Hunters like the most?"
"Money."
"What if we have a bounty on our heads?"
"They'll report us right away."
At Deok-bae's answer, I gestured as if to say, "See?" and kicked the chair to set it upright.
"Oh, my. Then the Hunters won't do either. They'll report us as soon as they see us. Then we'll have to run away, and the Association will start a relentless pursuit, right? I don't want such troublesome things. All that's left is...."
I pointed alternately at Deok-bae and myself.
"Villains like us, would you be okay with that? I'm not interested in that kind of thing anymore, and Deok-bae is impotent—Ow! I was surprised. Go stand against that wall with your hands up."
My eardrums were about to burst. I punished Deok-bae. Deok-bae was huffing and puffing, but he moved like a robot and raised both hands while facing the wall.
"Ahem. Anyway, most villains won't leave Ga-eul-ssi alone. Do you know how many scumbags there are in the world who would drug her with sleeping pills or aphrodisiacs, knock her unconscious, and then rape her? Right, Jo Deok-bae-ssi!"
"...Mmm."
Now that he knows that the soundproofing filter is in place, he's trying to swear outright. It's proof that his Mana has increased as he evolved to C-class, but it's presumptuous.
I decided to give Deok-bae a more restrictive order soon and approached Cheon Ga-eul, who was turning pale.
"H-Hik?!"
"Let's assume that you can miraculously avoid the villains. Then what's left?"
Now, Cheon Ga-eul was trembling to her teeth and terrified. I hugged Cheon Ga-eul tightly like before and patted her.
"Among the Monsters, there are some that consider humans as sexual playthings, not just as food. Oh, and there's no distinction between men and women here? There are more than a few Monsters who will stick it in anywhere there's a hole. Later on, there will be humans who say they can stick it in a Mutant... Oops. Cut."
Mutant-related remarks are still NG. I cleared my throat and patted Cheon Ga-eul's back. Fortunately, her pounding heart was gradually slowing down.
"So, I've been thinking. There's a way for Cheon Ga-eul-ssi to return to New Seoul safely without me having to escort her!"
"...Hoo. Okay."
Cheon Ga-eul subtly pushed me away. I responded to that weak force and broke the hug, creating some distance.
"Tell me. I'll do anything I can. I'll repay the favor, too. I won't repay you with enmity like Phoenix-ssi said. Never."
"Well, there's nothing special. It's simple. It depends on Cheon Ga-eul-ssi's efforts."
I spread the wings of Azure Flame behind my back. I deliberately increased their size to fill the entire lecture hall, showing off my power.
Ga-eul was startled, even though she tried not to show it. Her fingers, which had been fidgeting with anxiety, were frozen.
"If you have power, you won't be attacked by Monsters or villains, right?"
"...Yes."
Ga-eul herself must be feeling that deeply. She almost died from a Monster just now.
"Then you just need to gain power, right?"
"It's not that simple, is it?"
Ga-eul clenched her fists tightly. Her moist eyes showed a sense of injustice and determination.
"All I can do is 'act.' Wealth? All I have is a house in New Seoul. Power? What power does an actress have?"
"You have a body, don't you?"
Slap.
My cheek was tingling. My head didn't turn, but Ga-eul's palm was touching my cheek. Or rather, in the empty air 1cm away.
"Ah...!"
Ga-eul grabbed her hand and groaned in pain. A very thin wall of Mana had already been created between Ga-eul's hand and my cheek.
No matter who the opponent is, even if it's Cheon Ga-eul, I can't let her touch Phoenix's sacred body.
"I understand your will. You don't want to sell your body, right?"
"Of course! What woman would sell her body if she didn't want to! If there's another way, I'll choose that!"
I felt strange that those words came from Cheon Ga-eul's mouth, of all people.
"Hoo. So, a person who has nothing but her body doesn't even want to sell that?"
I sat on the desk. I was reminded of the hatred and screams towards the world when I first welcomed Cheon Ga-eul as a colleague.
"There was a woman."
A woman who couldn't get help from heroes, who was betrayed by people and left alone in the middle of Monsters. A commoner who was gang-raped by Monsters for her first experience and treated like a toy, barely surviving.
I didn't hear it directly, but Cheon Ga-eul's past that I heard from the community. I recited the fragmentary stories she had experienced for five years one by one.
"Miraculously, she survived the Monsters thanks to passersby, but alas! The tragedy didn't end there. The people who saved the woman were vagrants living in the underground. The beast-like men took the woman as a trophy and gang-raped her for years. The legacy of that... how many times was it?"
I don't even remember if it was three or four times. I didn't hear it directly from Cheon Ga-eul, and it was an unpleasant setting just to read the summary.
But Cheon Ga-eul's expression is gradually hardening. Is it because she's hearing about the future she almost experienced?
"After living like a slave, the woman awakened her ability. The men, like the Monsters, played with the woman like a toy and then abandoned her to the Monsters again. The men hid and watched the woman being attacked by the Monsters, giggling."
When Cheon Ga-eul's past setting was revealed and it was known that she was the main heroine, the community naturally burned.
Even though it's a game, did they really have to inflict such severe pain on a human being?
"But the woman who was about to be killed by the Monster miraculously awakened her ability at that moment."
Masquerade. Ga-eul instinctively copied the ability of the man who was mocking her, killed the Monsters, and killed the men. That was Cheon Ga-eul's day of awakening and her first night of murder.
"The woman took the lives of those who had forcibly taken her. Well, there were women as well as men among them... but that's not important."
I deactivated my wings and turned my gaze to the window. The Mana waves felt from afar seemed to indicate that Shadow Phoenix was having a big battle with the heroes.
The heroes' Mana waves are a mess, so I should have beaten them up a bit more. I twisted my veil and continued to speak.
"Do you know what the woman learned the most during those years? How to use her body. To flatter, to be coquettish, because her body was the only value she had. Fortunately, the woman had a good figure."
I thought of my time in bed with Ga-eul. It was hard to believe that she had gone through so much hardship for five years, as Ga-eul was thorough in taking care of her body.
One of my colleagues who made anti-aging jokes to Ga-eul in the game knelt down and apologized after learning about her past.
"...That."
Deok-bae looked at me with a distorted expression. I didn't like that, so I flicked my finger and blew Deok-bae away. Deok-bae broke through the wall and rolled down the hallway.
"......."
Ga-eul's expression was now about to cry. The medicine seems to be working.
"Okay. This is the end of the story. I'll end it at the right time because I don't want to hear any more. ...Is it long? Hmm. I could do more if I wanted to-"
"That's enough!"
Ga-eul shouted, even crying. I nodded and smiled, thinking that Ga-eul's heart had been broken.
I hope she doesn't say she's going to wander around Seoul alone after hearing this much.
"Then let's go back to the original topic. Anyway, Ga-eul-ssi needs to unleash your strongest 'power.'"
"Th-That, my body-"
"No. I know you have a good figure, but your Illusion attribute affinity. Do you know how much 88% is? It's the highest level of A-class. To what extent is this? If you raise it by just 2% with something like a panacea, it's S-class-"
"Wait a minute!"
Ga-eul waved her hand and interrupted me.
"So, what Phoenix-ssi is saying is that I have the talent of an Esper?"
"Yes. Ah. It's a bit difficult to express it as talent. Everyone can awaken as an Esper-"
"So, in the end, you're saying that I should awaken as an Esper and return to New Seoul on my own? And until then, I should stay as a member of the same organization?"
"......Yes."
I suddenly felt depressed. It felt like someone had taken the strawberries that I had deliberately saved to eat last on my strawberry cake.
"...As Cheon Ga-eul-ssi said. You must stay with our Cheonghwa Order until Ga-eul-ssi awakens as an Esper."
Ga-eul lowered her head as if lost in thought. I was worried that I had pushed her too hard, so I comforted Ga-eul.
"That.... Don't be too hurt. It's just a story that such things can happen. However, you also need to understand that the ways to help Ga-eul-ssi awaken as an Esper are limited right now."
"Help me? Awaken as an Esper?"
I created Azure Flame and made it round.
"You also have a Wind attribute with over 50 affinity, right? Not to mention the Illusion attribute. Just like I can awaken people with over 50 Fire attribute affinity as Espers, the same goes for Wind and Illusion attributes, right?"
"What?!"
Deok-bae, who had just come back in, froze as if he had received a big shock.
"There are seven attributes of Mana?! Are you saying there are six more guys like you besides you?!"
I clapped my hands and praised Deok-bae.

"Wow! Jo Deok-bae, your class attitude is poor, but your comprehension is excellent! Yes. There are six others like me besides myself."
The 7 Executives of the Dark Legion. By now, they would be operating secretly in various parts of the world, hiding their identities and building their own forces. Brainwashed.
"Anyway, if you just meet them, Chun Ga-eul can also become an Esper, that's what I'm saying."
"I... become an Esper?"
Gaeul covered her mouth with both hands in shock. I approached Gaeul and straightened her crumpled veil.
"I wish I could make you an Esper right now and send you to New Seoul. But if I send you like this without the power to protect yourself, I think I'll feel really uncomfortable."
What if she gets attacked by a Monster again and is in danger of dying?
Currently, Chun Ga-eul is the only main heroine who is not an Esper. I plan to keep her around until she has the power to protect herself.
Twitch. A huge Mana wave spread from the south. It seems the battle is starting in earnest.
"...5 minutes. I'll give you 5 minutes to think. So let's think about it during that time. Whether to follow us, or just escape Seoul alone."
I walked to the window and shattered it with Mana. The cold night air was starting to settle down.
"Jo Deok-bae, protect Chun Ga-eul. If you do anything weird, you'll really be in trouble, you know."
"......Okay."
Why is he trying to create a mood again? I grabbed the window frame and jumped towards the rooftop.
"Oop."
I grabbed the railing and stepped onto the rooftop. I moved my Mana to call Mini Phoenix, who was flying in the sky. At my call, Mini Phoenix quickly flew to my hand and landed.
"You feel it in the south, right? The place where the fake is fighting. Fly over there."
-Got it.
Mini Phoenix spread its wings and flew south, towards the place where the battle was raging. Through the connected Mana, my vision was linked to Mini Phoenix.
Down below, riding down Gwanak Mountain, at the end of the path Shadow Phoenix made as he ran down the mountain, a battle was in full swing.
"There's nothing as fun as a fight between noobs."
I moved my Mana to create a rocking chair and lay down on it.
It would be nice if I had some popcorn.

Chapter 29

"...Did you know?"
Autumn's voice trembled as if she would burst into tears at any moment. Deokbae groaned and shook his head.
"I didn't."
It was the moment Phoenix's massacre in Incheon became understandable. Every word Phoenix uttered dug into Deokbae's heart, which had hardened like a rock.
"Phoenix…"
Autumn wiped away the flowing tears with her sleeve.
"How can she be like that after going through something like that?"
It was a matter that someone who hadn't experienced it firsthand couldn't speak carelessly about. But Autumn could immediately guess who 'that woman' was, the one Cheonghwa had mentioned so calmly.
"I don't know."
Deokbae could only let the words slip by. Until just a few days ago, Deokbae had been engaged in something similar to what the perpetrators in the story had done.
"I don't know much about that, but I know one thing."
Deokbae placed his hand on the window frame where Phoenix had left.
"Even though she seems like she's missing a few screws, her Mana ability is top-notch."
"To what extent?"
"...I wouldn't be surprised if she's on par with the Round Table."
The burning Monster that used him as a weapon, beat him down in one blow, and broke his wings. It was definitely a Monster called a Demon species.

-Enough to win even if I only play with it for 5 minutes?

Phoenix had confidently said that to such a Monster, and she had actually toyed with the Monster. Considering Phoenix's behavior so far, Deokbae was convinced that her saying she was too lazy to fight wasn't a joke but the truth.
"The Round Table…"
The best heroes in the world. How hard would she have had to work to become stronger than them? Autumn, having wiped away all her tears, stormed out of the lecture hall.
"Where are you going?!"
"I've made up my mind!"
Autumn's eyes, climbing the stairs with large strides, were filled with determination.
* * *
<7:10 PM, Former Anyang Sports Complex.>
"The pressure is no joke."
A-Rank Hero Usa adjusted the Mana fluctuating from the vibrations coming through the wooden staff planted in the ground.
"Can we really catch this thing?"
The image on the smartwatch showed allied heroes descending the slopes of Gwanak Mountain, with the signal of the Demon species chasing behind them continuing to move south.
The end of the path, running straight down the mountainside and avoiding residential areas, was the ruins of the old Anyang Sports Complex, where Usa and several other heroes were waiting.
"We have to catch it. What else can we do? Heh heh."
An old man with snow-white hair, Pungbaek, loosened his body by swinging an iron stick like a golf club. All the other heroes were also preparing to welcome their guest, each adjusting their weapons and Mana.
"A Demon species subjugation. Do you think you can do it without the Light Sword or Snow Flower Princess, old man?"
"Didn't that bear cub become an S-Rank? We have to believe what the Governor said."
"A rookie who hasn't even been awakened for an hour?"
Usa clicked his tongue. The reason why a promising talent as an A-Rank Hero suddenly decided to become an actor was a famous piece of gossip known to everyone in the hero world.
"A guy who's fallen for women and abandoned his heroic duty, what's with the Fire Fist? Do you think it's right for that Seung-hyung to inherit that name, old man?"
Even if the commander had the authority to determine the nicknames for each hero rank, the name value of Fire Fist was enormous in Korea.
Fire Fist.
The Korean S-Rank Hero who died in the Pyongyang Incident.
"Heh heh. Isn't it not the name that matters in the end? What's important is whether that child has the ability to inherit that name."
"Old man. Who made Fire Fist die? It's all that President-"
"Stop. Don't say any more."
Pungbaek created a gust of wind to erase the sound. After twirling his stick around and gesturing, heroes wearing the same uniform gathered in groups of three or five. Their shirts had a pine tree badge on the collar.
Usa clicked his tongue and turned his eyes away.
"...Government hunting dogs."
"Isn't there a name called the Pine Tree Unit? This old man likes it because it reminds me of the 70s."
"Don't bullshit me. Isn't that when your leg got messed up, old man?"
"What does it matter! They're all dead anyway. I've lived half my life limping, but I should be grateful that their Mana ability taught me the fun of running around even in my old age! I want to throw a soju bottle at their graves if I find them. Heh heh."
"Yeah, yeah. Do whatever you want."
Usa grumbled and raised his staff to generate Mana. The Mana flowing from his body amplified as it spun around the staff and spread into the air.
"Spirits, have mercy on your sinful servants and bestow your grace upon us."
The atmosphere became humid. Tiny droplets of water began to form on the weeds in the stadium track.
"The sky is clear and bright, but your people are trembling in fear."
Usa's trembling staff automatically plunged into the ground. Usa spoke into his smartwatch.
"This is Usa. 'Rainmaking Ritual' preparation complete."
[Governor's order. Start the 'Chicken Party' as soon as the target enters.]
"Understood."
Usa, having received the order from the operator, chuckled as he mulled over the operation name.
"What's with the operation name being Chicken Party? Couldn't they come up with something cooler?"
"Isn't it a good day! Heh heh. Another S-Rank has been added, what else could it be but the prosperity of this country. We should all raise a toast on a happy day."
Pungbaek unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and stepped into the air with wind wrapped around his legs. Usa frowned at the plastic bottle Pungbaek had on his waist.
"Don't drink makgeolli, old man. You'll collapse from alcohol poisoning again."
"Keuheoheo! This is the source of my Mana!"
Watching Pungbaek stroke his beard and gulp down the white liquid in the bottle, Usa turned his eyes to the map.
"They're coming down fast."
Before he knew it, the enemy marked with a red dot had passed through the arboretum and entered a residential area.
"Then it's about time to... huh?"
Usa turned his head towards the yellow dot entering the stadium. There stood A-Rank Hero Tempest Lady, still in a state of confusion, and the hunter Kim Seong-oh, supporting her.
"Mapo, what are you doing here?"
"It's been a while, Usa Hyung."
Kim Seong-oh pointed to the screen on Yang Seon-woo's smartwatch.
"The summons signal went off, but she's still like this."
"...Keueung."
Usa contacted headquarters.
"Usa requesting A-Rank Tempest Lady's exclusion from the front line."
[Why?]
"She seems to have trauma. Mapo came instead, so inform the Governor."
Seong-oh was startled by Usa's tyranny, who naturally tried to throw him into the Demon species hunt.
"No, Hyung! I'm a hunter!"
"You used to be a hero. The mortar you're carrying on your back is what you used to use when you were active."
On Seong-oh's back was the mortar he had used before retiring as a hero. His hands were holding Yang Seon-woo's trembling hands tightly.
"Keuheoheo! Look at him taking care of his wife so she doesn't get passed over for promotion!"
"Ah, Pungbaek! I'm telling you, she and I have nothing to do with each other?!"
Beep beep beep!
The smartwatch sounded an alarm indicating the enemy's approach. Seong-oh quickly lifted the mortar he had brought onto his shoulder.
"Make sure you settle the accounts properly later. I'll definitely support you with firepower."
"Okay. I'll give you money even if the government screws you over with my own money."
Seong-oh handed Yang Seon-woo over to Pungbaek and ran to the outskirts of the stadium. Hunters like Seong-oh were already stationed on the outskirts.
Hunters who risked danger and came to support, separate from the heroes. They were eager to participate in the 'raid' to fight the Demon species in a group battle and receive participation fees from the association.
■■■■■!!
Finally, the Monster's roar began to be heard here. All the Mana users on the battlefield raised their weapons and drew out their Mana.
[Before the battle, listen carefully.]
The Governor, no, Yoo Young-ho, delivered the order directly in person.
[Never die. It's okay to get hurt, it's okay to fall. But you must never die. Understand?]
"...Bastard."
Usa took a breath as he listened to the voice of his friend, who was putting on a facade of ice-cold composure. The lives of the heroes on his shoulders amounted to 40 in this place alone.
"Old man. Did you hear that? Don't die."
"Keulkeulkeul. I have no intention of meeting the King of Hell before sending that octopus bastard to his coffin, you rascal."
Pungbaek pulled down even his tie and took a stance to run. Usa raised both hands on the staff planted in the ground and shouted.
"Raid preparation! Move according to the manual for Demon species!"
Uooooooo!!!
The heroes and hunters shouted and raised their morale.
At the same time, a man ran to the north gate.
"Uaaaaaaah!"
Seung-hyung, running with all his might while screaming, left embers on the path he stepped on. It was like a red carpet welcoming the huge guest that would soon appear.
Kwaaaang!
■■■■■■!
The Monster, having smashed the entire north gate and entered the stadium, was still pointing its beak at Seung-hyung.
[Usa!]
At the sound of Yoo Young-ho calling him, Usa immediately raised his staff high. An enormous mass of water began to gather and compress above the staff, which stood like a totem pole high in the sky.
"Bring down the rain!"
Usa grabbed the staff with both hands and slammed it into the ground. At the same time, the mass of water, which had grown as large as a house, burst like a balloon and scattered across the entire field.
■■■■!!
The Monster became agitated as Mana-infused water splashed on its body. It didn't do any damage, not even a scratch, but it was significant that the entire field was covered with water-attribute Mana.
['Aquatic Field' established! A Team, start attacking immediately!]
At Yoo Young-ho's command, the heroes' attacks began. Bullets, arrows, Mana spheres, and all sorts of attacks poured down on the Monster.
■■■■...!
The Monster burned it all away by swinging its remaining wing horizontally. Usa clicked his tongue and spun his staff around.
"A Team, recharge Mana! Sharpshooters, shoot as soon as you're ready!"
The sharpshooters took a step back and charged Mana. Just as the Monster was about to crouch and jump, a large explosion occurred near the Monster's head.
"Shoot! We'll fill the gap!"
Under Kim Seong-oh's command, the hunters began shelling in unison. Most of them were modern weapons, so they couldn't damage the Monster, but it was enough to buy time.
Young-ho didn't miss the gap.
[B Team, approach! Don't think about dealing damage, just draw attention!]
"It's the old man's turn, keulkeul!"
Pungbaek grabbed his iron stick and ran. At the same time, six other heroes also threw themselves towards the Monster.
Ssaeeeaeek!
Pungbaek, riding the wind and cutting through the smoke to pass by the Monster's head, gathered Mana at the end of his stick.
"Heup!"
The cold wind gathered at the end of the stick covered the Monster's eyes. The cold wind scratched the Monster's eyelids and exploded, and the Monster turned its mouth towards Pungbaek.
■■■■!
"Oops!"
Pungbaek slipped and ran along the Monster's side, dodging the flame breath the Monster shot out. Traces of purple flames were on the hem of his suit jacket.
"Oh no!"
Pungbaek threw off his suit jacket and ran through the air as it was.
Young-ho shouted at the precarious movement of passing through the Monster's tail feathers.
[Be careful, Joo-ong!]
"I'm still going strong, you rascal!"
Pungbaek, leaning on the wall of the spectator seats, recharged his Mana, while the Monster rolled greatly on the ground.
Kkiaaaaaaaa-----!
A desperate scream as if hating the world. The sound wave attack filled with Mana struck the heroes' eardrums.
"Keuk?!"
Usa's Mana, who was about to prepare a big attack, shook greatly and the spell was interrupted. The water that had been surging around him scattered on the floor in an instant.
[Usa, recast! Prepare for the attack after the shout!]
As soon as Young-ho's order fell, the Monster's body wriggled. A new wing was spread on the Monster's side, where purple flames of Mana were gathered.
Kwajik!
The Monster flew into the sky with asymmetrical wings. Rather than flying, it jumped like a chicken taking off.
"Disperse!"
The heroes in the line of fire quickly ran to the side. The Monster took a deep breath in the air and released Mana.
Kyaaaaaaaak!!
Breath. A unique attack of the Demon species. The trajectory of the destructive ray that scraped the stadium floor and destroyed the spectator seats was burning with embers and emitting steam.

"Administrator! As expected!"
[That's it! A new species!]
A form and Mana pattern exhibiting completely different characteristics from the existing six types of Demon species. The tentative prediction became a certainty with that flame breath just now.
[From this moment on, the enemy is confirmed as 'Fire Demon Dragon'!]
The heroes were suddenly faced with a new species of Monster, the Fire Demon Dragon, without any strategy guide.
"You fiend!"
Pungbaek, who reorganized his Mana the fastest, ran through the sky. The aerial dash, with the Mana of wind wrapped around his legs, reached a point higher than the Fire Demon Dragon floating in the sky.
[Old man! It's dangerous!]
"There's no time! I can't bear to see those Japs set foot on this land!"
Pungbaek slammed the wind wrapped around his legs directly onto the Fire Demon Dragon's wings. The whirlwind scraped the Fire Demon Dragon's back.
■■■■?!
The Fire Demon Dragon let out a painful screech and flapped its wings.
The wind Pungbaek unleashed was weak, but it caused a very small spark of azure flame on the Fire Demon Dragon's wing joint to flicker.
A flame so small it was barely visible. It was shaken by Pungbaek's wind and grew as large as a torch.
"...!"
Pungbaek hurriedly raised his smartwatch.
"Weakness found! Wing joint on its back! There's a different colored flame burning there!"
[Evacuate!]
"What?!"
The Fire Demon Dragon lost its balance from the impact and fell to the ground. In the process, its wings thrashed wildly, covering Pungbaek.
[Cover him!]
"Old man!"
Wusa struck the ground with his staff, shooting out a thick stream of water. The stream, sharpened like an awl, succeeded in piercing the Fire Demon Dragon's wing, but its feathers were still about to sweep Pungbaek away.
"Tch!"
Pungbaek hurriedly created wind around his legs to avoid the feathers. But the Fire Demon Dragon's feathers were already shot to within inches of Pungbaek.
'Damn it.'
Pungbaek glared at the feathers trying to pierce his heart with wide eyes. The tips of the purplish-red burning feathers were sharp like spears.
Whoosh!
Pungbaek's body was grabbed by someone's hand. The feathers brushed past Pungbaek's feet and embedded themselves in the wall.
"Are you alright?!"
Seunghyung came into Pungbaek's dazed view, having snatched him away. Pungbaek chuckled, seeing Seunghyung flying around, leaving embers in his wake.
"How strong have you become that you're overflowing with so much Mana?"
"I don't even know myself!"
Seunghyung's body, which had leaped up, fell to the ground due to gravity.
Pungbaek wrapped wind around his legs again and landed safely on the ground. Wusa shouted angrily.
"Old man!"
"Ah, yes. Sorry."
The weakness was discovered, but it would all be for naught if he died. Youngho secretly sighed in relief and sent all the images taken from Pungbaek's watch to everyone.
[The Fire Demon Dragon's 'weakness'! Focus on attacking it!]
In the enlarged image, a blue flame was burning like embers near the wing joint.
Kim Sungoh smiled wryly.
"...Could this be?"
The flame giant he had dealt the final blow to. That giant had run towards the dimensional gate and suddenly disappeared. And the blue flame of that flame giant remained on the Fire Demon Dragon's wing.
"........"
Sungoh's eyes glanced at Seunghyung and then back at the Fire Demon Dragon.
"The barrier hasn't been broken yet, has it?"
Wusa asked in bewilderment to himself.
The magical flames covering the Fire Demon Dragon's body. Only by destroying that Mana shield would its true form be revealed. Pungbaek threw the makgeolli bottle behind him and gripped the iron stick again.
"It's not the kind of weakness we know. But I do know one thing."
The Fire Demon Dragon fell in the middle of the stadium. An earth-shattering tremor shook all of Anyang.
"That flame will be our lifeline. Don't you think so, boy?"
"Yes!"
Flames erupted in Seunghyung's two fists.
"<Hwagueon> informs you! The blue flame on the Fire Demon Dragon's back! We must use it! Not destroy or erase it, but make that spark grow bigger!"
He could feel it instinctively.
That blue flame would become the 'spark of hope' left behind by the Cheonghwa's Colossus himself for the heroes of Seoul who were lost in the dark.
The Fire Demon Dragon, dragged down to the ground, glared and spread its wings. The purplish-red flames that rose from its back spread out, trying to cover the blue flame at all costs.
Youngho sensed it. At the same time, Seunghyung felt it too.
"The Fire Demon Dragon can't extinguish that flame itself!"
[A Demon species has a weakness?]
Youngho lost his composure to the point of blurting out his thoughts directly into the microphone.
The current time is 7:20 AM. There are now only 10 minutes left until the 'countdown' that started at 6:30 AM ends.
'We can do it.'
They don't have to struggle to break the barrier. Youngho stretched the screen wide to the side and moved his fingers busily.
[We'll catch it within 10 minutes no matter what! I don't think there are heroes here who can't even catch a Monster with a weakness!]
"""UOOOOOOOOOO!!"""
The heroes were encouraged and rushed in according to the order. The Fire Demon Dragon crouched down, facing the heroes rushing in from all directions.
In the sky above that battlefield, a tiny blue flame canary flapped its wings and looked down on the battlefield.
* * *
"Ah. Damage over time."
Phoenix sighed.
The azure flame he had inflicted while wielding Deokbae was still gnawing away at Shadow Phoenix's barrier.
"At this rate, they've practically caught it."
Phoenix regretfully opened a canned coffee from the vending machine on the roof and gulped it down. Of course, the vending machine was smashed.
"Then."
The heroes rushed towards the Shadow in the very center. At the forefront was the fire-attribute hero whom Phoenix had implanted with the azure flame.
"What's going to happen in the second phase?"
Black flames erupted from Shadow Phoenix's entire body.

Chapter 30

〈 Episode 30 〉 Part 1 Chapter 2 (16)
All executives, meaning battles with the brainwashed spirits, are fought a total of two times.
In the first phase, you fight the brainwashed executive, and if you win in the second phase where they start to go berserk, the brainwashing is undone.
This stage applied to Shadow Phoenix as well.
If the first life is a slaughter machine trying to kill humans, the second stage is a weapon of destruction trying to destroy the world.
'It'll turn into a dragon.'
In the setting, the name for what are called demonkin is Attribute-Ma-Dragon. In phase 1, they take on the form of the original spirit, but in phase 2, the berserk stage, they take on the form of a 'dragon.'
'Well, let's see how to catch it.'
I threw a canned coffee. The moment the can, arcing through the air, hit the rooftop floor.
KyaoooOOOOOO!!
Shadow Phoenix, the Fire Mana Dragon, howled.
* * *
"Kugh?!"
Lee Seung-hyung covered his face, crossing his arms against the heat emanating from the Fire Mana Dragon.
An enormous Mana wave that made it difficult even to stand. The black flames unleashed by the demonkin halted the heroes' advance.
Krrr.
The monstrous bird that had been burning with formless purple flames disappeared, and a dragon whose entire body was dyed black was gnashing its teeth.
"......Wyvern?!"
A Monster also called a wyvern. The Fire Mana Dragon resembled the appearance of an A-class Monster rampaging in Europe and elsewhere.
The difference was that it was spewing black flames from between the scales of its entire body.
[Snap out of it! It's actually a good thing! It released the barrier on its own!]
The heroes came to their senses at Yoo Young-ho's rebuke.
The fact that it had changed its form into a dragon meant that the demonkin had shed its barrier and revealed its true form.
The reason it threw away the barrier on its own was unknown. But there was a guess.
"<Overseer>! There are still flames left!"
A membranous wing protruding like an arm from its side, not its back. The Fire Mana Dragon was not using its asymmetrical wings to fly into the sky, but to cover its back.
Seung-hyung could feel the blue flames hidden by that wing.
[Are you sure?]
"It's a hunch!"
Seung-hyung answered with a confident voice. The heroes looked back and forth between Seung-hyung and the Fire Mana Dragon with uneasy eyes.
[.......]
Yoo Young-ho was silent. Unless those wings of the Fire Mana Dragon were removed, it was impossible to know if the blue flames, judged to be its 'weakness,' remained.
If the blue flames had disappeared after changing into dragon form. If Lee Seung-hyung was mistaken.
Young-ho shook his head. A commander should not waver without definite information.
[Lee Seung-hyung.]
"Yes!"
[I trust you.]
So Young-ho decided to trust Lee Seung-hyung. An S-class's senses. He was certain that there was something to be seen from a realm that Young-ho could not reach.
Recalling the Light Sword and Snow White Princess, and the memories of the S-classes that had now disappeared.
[All heroes, prepare for a full-scale attack! The opponent is a coward hiding its weakness with its wings! Usa! Poongbaek!]
"You don't have to tell me!"
Usa waved his staff. A stream of water gathered in the air and became a sharp spear.
Swaeak!
The water spear that Usa shot drew an arc and grazed the Fire Mana Dragon's neck. The tip of the spear pierced the gap between the wing and the body exactly.
Hwareureuk!
Black flames blazed up. The Fire Mana Dragon unleashed excessive Mana even at an attack that was close to a feint.
At that moment, the wind grazed the Fire Mana Dragon's horns.
"Old man!"
"Ooh-nya!"
Poongbaek, who had already run up to its back, spun both legs in the air and kicked. The gale wrapping around his legs soared, skimming under the membrane.
Kyaaaaak!
The Fire Mana Dragon swung its tail at Poongbaek. But Poongbaek dodged the attack with ease and slid downwards.
[Fire users, draw the Fire Mana Dragon's attention! Ability users, shoot at the target point!]
"Did you hear that?! 3, 2, 1, fire!"
Along with Sung-oh's countdown, the hunters' gun barrels spat fire. The bullets bounced off the Fire Mana Dragon's scales, but succeeded in scratching the Fire Mana Dragon's nerves and turning its attention.
Sung-oh inserted a shell into the muzzle of the mortar carried on his shoulder. Gas exploded from the firing pin-pierced propellant, and the shell fell onto the Fire Mana Dragon's wings.
Kwaaaang!
The Mana mass inside instead of gunpowder struck the Fire Mana Dragon's back. One of the Fire Mana Dragon's legs buckled.
Hwaaaak!
The Fire Mana Dragon raised its head and opened its mouth. Young-ho shouted at the Mana reaction condensing above its extended tongue.
[Breath!]
Young-ho's fingers moved quickly, marking the predicted path that the breath the Fire Mana Dragon would fire would cover.
"Ugh!"
The heroes who were in the line of fire hurriedly retreated from the line of fire and dodged. A fellow hunter who had followed Kim Sung-oh looked for Kim Sung-oh next to him.
"Hyung?!"
Kim Sung-oh was running along the line of fire towards the gymnasium wall. At the end of the line of fire was Yang Sun-woo, who still hadn't come to his senses.
[What?!]
Young-ho, who noticed Sung-oh's strange behavior, was horrified.
[Why is he still here?!]
Following the decision to remove him from the front lines, he had ordered a D-class hero to take Yang Sun-woo and leave the battlefield. When Young-ho quickly tracked the disappeared signal, the D-class hero was leaving Anyang alone.
[Poongbaek!]
Even before Young-ho called out, Poongbaek was already running with the wind. But the Fire Mana Dragon had already lowered its head, and,
Kwaaaaaaa----!!
It scraped the floor of the stadium and fired its breath. The breath was faster than Poongbaek's quick footwork.
"!!"
Sung-oh, who was supporting Yang Sun-woo, squeezed his eyes shut at the black flames being fired and embraced Sun-woo.
'Am I going to die?'
A huge shadow loomed in front of Sung-oh.
[Lee Seung-hyung!]
"Heuaaaaa!"
Seung-hyung, who had come here at some point, wrapped his fist in flames and struck the ground in front of Sung-oh.
Kwang!
A pillar of red fire soared through the gap that split the ground. The Fire Mana Dragon's breath collided with Seung-hyung's flames.
"!!"
The Fire Mana Dragon's breath failed to penetrate Seung-hyung's pillar of fire and glanced off. The blackish-red streams of fire spread to both sides and scattered.
[Lee Seung-hyung!]
Young-ho's scolding voice echoed in the watch. Seung-hyung caught his breath and raised one knee that had been kneeling. Flames were still wrapped around Seung-hyung's fist.
Pshshsh....
The black flames, unable to overcome Seung-hyung's Mana, lost their power and went out. Black flames were still burning the stadium on the path that the breath had swept from the Fire Mana Dragon to Seung-hyung.
* * *
"Oh. He's making good use of it for his level?"
I fiddled with my veil and admired. The fire-attribute young hero was actively drawing out the Mana of the Azure Flame embedded in his heart.
The unique attribute that only Azure Flame possesses, 'purification.'
The pure flame that burns the impure is the hard counter to the Otherworld God, which has Mana tainted by impurity as its source.
That's why the original protagonist, who fully inherited the power of the Azure Flame, was able to kill the Otherworld God.
"...Ah, damn."
I felt bitter for no reason. If I wasn't a 'spirit,' I would have invaded Terra and burned the Otherworld God without leaving a single handful.
Only a human who has inherited the power of the spirit can kill the Otherworld God.
But the young man who is now intoxicated with the infinite firepower that the Azure Flame is spewing out cannot defeat the Otherworld God. Only the protagonist can fully contain the Azure Flame in his heart.
"Ah. I've got a good idea."
I moved Mini Phoenix's Mana and changed its form into a spark. A very fine Mana particle that would not be visible to humans, let alone ability users.
I remotely moved that particle towards the fire-attribute hero.
"After all, intuition is the most fun."
* * *
"Are you okay?"
Seung-hyung turned his head and asked. Sung-oh nodded vigorously.
"Thank you, thank you!"
"It's nothing. It's only natural."
Sung-oh's emotions welled up at the sight of Seung-hyung's back, smiling brightly and moving his steps forward, reminding him of the old Fist Demon.
"You're very fearless."
Poongbaek, who landed next to Seung-hyung, tapped Seung-hyung's head with his stick. Seung-hyung smiled awkwardly at the worried scolding.
"Ahahaha."
[Lee Seung-hyung! What dangerous things are you doing?!]
Young-ho's shout echoed through the watch.
[Who's the crazy bastard who tries to face the breath head-on! Even the Round Table tells you to avoid the Mana Dragons' breath!]
"I'm fine."
Flames wrapped around Seung-hyung's legs. In front of him, where he was walking step by step, embers of black flames still remained.
Pshshsh....
Wherever Seung-hyung's feet touched, the black flames died down helplessly. Seung-hyung spoke into the watch.
"With this power, it's possible. There's not much time left now."
The Giant God of Qinghua said. It is the flame of purification that burns the contaminated Mana.
"With the flame inside me, I can do it!"
Seung-hyung ran forward. His speed was so fast that even Poongbaek was surprised, to the point where Young-ho couldn't even give an order.
Kyaaaaak!
Seung-hyung checked the time on his watch.
7:28 AM. It was already 58 minutes since the 'countdown' was activated, which allowed foreign heroes to intervene following the appearance of the demonkin.
If he didn't defeat the monstrous bird within the next 2 minutes, the heroes from China and Japan who were waiting outside the territorial waters would come running.
'In one blow!'
Seung-hyung took a big step forward and squeezed out Mana.
The Mana running through the blocked blood vessels of his entire body was like a runaway locomotive. Seung-hyung's skin turned crimson, and heat haze rose from his entire body.
"Ugh!"
Overheat. A Mana runaway phenomenon that occurs in ability users with fire abilities. The field, filled with moisture, was rapidly vaporizing and gasifying around Seung-hyung.
"Overseer! Lee Seung-hyung is overheating!"
[Stop! Lee Seung-hyung! Stop! We can find another way!]
Young-ho dissuades him. No matter how urgent the time was, he could not sacrifice a young man with a bright future, especially one who had just awakened as an S-class.
But their words were not heard by Seung-hyung, who had already jumped into the air.

-Do you want this power?

A voice that sounded like a whisper. At the end of the vision, blurred by burst blood vessels in both eyes, was a giant bird burning with blue flames.
The Phoenix of Azure Flame, burning purely and clearly beyond comparison with black flames.
Seung-hyung felt a warm energy burning inside his heart.
'The flame of purification that will burn even the contaminated Mana.'
Seung-hyung entrusted himself to the hot Mana rising from inside his chest. The red flames that had been rising from his entire body instantly turned white.
"Uaaaaaaaa!!"
With a roar mixed with pain and joy, Seung-hyung swung his fist back greatly behind his shoulder. A faint light cyan color began to appear between the white-burning flames.
Kyaaaaaak!!
The Fire Mana Dragon felt the spirit's energy lingering in Seung-hyung's flames. The entire head of the wyvern was burning with black flames.
Thump!
The Fire Mana Dragon's neck lengthened in an instant and swallowed Seung-hyung. Seung-hyung's flames, like a match flame, were devoured by the huge black flames.
"!!"
Pitch-black darkness without a single point of light. Seung-hyung felt like his heart would break from the energy of the black flames burning even inside the Fire Mana Dragon's mouth.
In the midst of only the dregs of all the negative emotions of this world, anger, murderous intent, death, hatred, Seung-hyung felt only one intense will from those black flames.

-I will destroy everything in this world.

Black flames wrapped around Seung-hyung's entire body. The white flames of his clenched fist were slowly turning black. His eyelids drooped heavily, and his vision darkened.
Suddenly, a figure flashed through his mind.

-Is that all you've got?

The woman in priestly robes who was with the Giant God of Qinghua. She, wearing a veil, reached out her hand to Seung-hyung. A small blue flame was blooming on the palm of her hand.

-Is that all you've got to protect the world?

Seung-hyung received the blue flame that the woman was offering. The woman's body was engulfed in blue flames and disappeared.

-So please, try a little harder.

Flash!
Seung-hyung opened his eyes with a blue glint in his eyes. The Azure Flame was burning brightly in his blue-tinged eyes.
Hwareureureuk!
The black flames wrapped around Seung-hyung's body even more. A sweet temptation to corrupt Seung-hyung and make him destroy and burn everything in this world.
Seung-hyung did not succumb to it, and recalled the price of the power he had received.
The peace of the world.
"U A A A A A!!"
Seung-hyung thrust his fist forward with a shout.
The light cyan flames, as if containing the color of the clear sky, pierced the Fire Mana Dragon's neck.
Kwaaaaang!
A huge pillar of fire soared through the back of the Fire Mana Dragon's head.
7:29 AM on April 4, 2020.

Unidentified Demon Species, 'Blazing Dragon'. Subjugated.
* * *
Ga Eul opened the tightly shut rooftop door.
Creak.
The rusty iron door slowly slid open with a metallic screech. The cold night air brushed against Ga Eul's cheeks.
"It's a beautiful evening, isn't it?"
Phoenix leaned back in a rocking chair woven from flames, gazing at the night sky. As the sun disappeared and the moon began to rise, stars gradually appeared in the night sky.
"It feels like it's been a long time since I've seen the Seoul night sky so clear."
"...Is that so?"
Ga Eul looked up. The clear sky was without a single cloud. Phoenix rose from the chair. The cassock was spread out without a single wrinkle.
"So, have you made up your mind?"
"Yes."
"Oh ho. What will you do?"
Ga Eul placed her right hand on her chest. Her wide eyes showed no wavering.
"I will follow you."
"May I ask why?"
Phoenix walked over and stood facing Ga Eul. Ga Eul almost stumbled backward from the force emanating from Phoenix, who was smaller than her by a fist, but barely managed to stop herself.
"Because there are things I want to protect."
"Things you want to protect?"
Ga Eul tapped her chest with her palm.
"My body, my family, my dreams."
"Ga Eul-ssi's dreams?"
Phoenix tilted his head and asked. Ga Eul closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I will make everyone in this world know the actress Chun Ga Eul. The best actress in Korea. So that everyone in the world thinks of 'Chun Ga Eul' when they think of an actress."
Phoenix opened his mouth in admiration. He did not know the dream that Chun Ga Eul possessed.
All that Chun Ga Eul, as he knew her, had wanted was to live with the person she loved and forget the terrible memories of the past.
"An actress, you say."
"Yes. There are still many roles I want to play. I want to have a ten-million-viewer movie in my filmography, and I want to go to Hollywood. The reason I came to Seoul was ultimately because of my desire to show my acting to more people."
The actress who should have shone on the screen had been thrown into the gutter. In order to survive, Chun Ga Eul's 'acting,' which she had cherished like her life, had become a means to kill people.
Phoenix bit his lip. He wanted to say something, but the words did not come out easily.
"So, I want to go back to where I belong. So, please."
Chun Ga Eul lifted Phoenix's face, which was hanging down. Phoenix's beautiful eyebrows were contorted, and he looked like he was about to cry.
"Please make me an ability user. So that I can go back to my place and continue acting."
"Even if you become an ability user, you will continue to be an actress?"
Ga Eul simply closed her eyes.
"Hoo, really...."
Phoenix smiled as if he was about to burst into tears.
"Really, you are so different from the person I knew."
"Yes?"
Phoenix hugged Chun Ga Eul again.
"So, thank you so much. For letting me know about you. For preventing me from choosing to kill or abandon you."
"Were you really thinking of doing that?"
"Yes. The story of the woman I told in the lecture hall earlier. Who do you think it is?"
Ga Eul hesitated to answer.
"P-Phoenix-ssi, isn't it?"
"No. It's your story."
In that moment, Ga Eul's heart sank.
"......Yes?"
"If I hadn't saved you, you would have been gang-raped by the Monsters. After the dimensional gate closed and the Monsters lost their power, the hunters would have hunted them down, taken Chun Ga Eul, and gang-raped her underground."
"......No way."
"You don't have to believe it if you don't want to. But don't forget this one thing."
Phoenix hugged Ga Eul even tighter.
"I will be by your side. So that you don't have to experience such a painful future. So that Ga Eul-ssi can spend her whole life with the person she truly loves and not give up on her dreams, I will be your strength."
"Uh, th-that, well...."
Ga Eul's face flushed red. An emotion far more intense than what she felt for Lee Seung-hyung tickled Ga Eul's heart. Phoenix brushed Ga Eul's bangs back with his left hand and cupped her cheek.
"Chun Ga Eul-ssi."
"Y-yes?!"
Phoenix smiled, stood on tiptoe, and kissed Ga Eul's forehead.
"So, you're going to have to die."
"Huh?"
Azure flames pierced Ga Eul's heart.
Ga Eul's blood splattered on the rooftop.

Chapter 31

〈 Episode 31 〉 Part 1, Chapter 2 (17)
Seunghyung opened his eyes to the warm sunlight on his face.
"??"
It was a familiar ceiling. The special ward of the hero-exclusive hospital attached to the Association headquarters. This ward, accessible only to those ranked A or higher, was one Seunghyung had already frequented several times.
Seunghyung tried to sit up, but the feeling of pressure crushing his entire body made him collapse back down.
"They said it's Mana exhaustion."
Across from him, a blonde woman sat on the bed, her face gaunt as she greeted Seunghyung. An IV drip filled with pale green fluid was stuck in her arm.
Seunghyung dredged up the woman's name from his memories of a few years ago.
"Storm Girl, Yang Seonwoo?"
"Tempest Lady. I beat up my commander and changed my name."
"...Ah."
Once a hero name was decided, it rarely changed unless they reached S-rank. Seunghyung, guessing the reason why Yang Seonwoo, only an A-rank, had changed her name, closed his mouth.
Yang Seonwoo's age started with a 3 this year—
"You seem to be thinking something unpleasant."
"Not at all."
Seunghyung, barely managing to sit up, held out both arms. His right arm was wrapped tightly in white bandages.
"Uh...."
"Burns, apparently. I'll be darned. It's the first time I've ever seen a Pyrokinetic get burned. How strongly did you slam your Mana in there?"
"Ah, hahaha."
Seunghyung scratched his neck with his left hand. He had just been thinking about defeating the Monster, pouring in Mana beyond his limits.
"Ah! The Fire Demon Dragon?!"
Seunghyung was startled and tried to get out of bed. But soon, the pain from his legs made his strength give out, and he collapsed back down.
Seonwoo looked at Seunghyung with a mix of admiration and pity, then pointed to the TV placed between the beds. On the news channel she had turned on, a man with a familiar face was entering a press conference hall.
"Ah."
"That's your uncle, right?"
Seunghyung nodded.
Standing in front of the microphone in the conference hall was a middle-aged man. With a generally sharp impression, the man had a long scar below his left eye.
[Greetings, citizens. I am President Seon Euicheol.]
Lee Seunghyung clenched the blanket with his left hand.
A ruler of iron and blood. A cold-blooded man. A man who wouldn't hesitate to get his hands dirty in the name of national interest.
A ruthless strategist who packaged his fatherless, wandering son as just a rookie Awakened who had experienced an unfortunate event, using him to boost their approval ratings.
Despite being his uncle, Seunghyung hadn't voted for him. But having built a massive power base in Shinseoul, he had risen to the presidency on the strength of Shinseoul's residents.
"He's capable, but his face is so off-putting every time I see it... Ah, sorry."
"It's alright."
Seunghyung turned his gaze away from the TV with an understanding smile. The clock was already pointing to 10 AM.
"How long have I been asleep?"
"A half-day and then some."
"That long?"
Even when he was being thrown into Monster subjugation sites, he was fine with only three hours of sleep a day. Seunghyung was surprised that his Mana had been depleted to that extent, and he placed his left hand on his chest.
Thump.
Thankfully, his heart was beating strongly. More precisely, the blue flame felt inside his heart hadn't gone out yet.
"Hoo."
Seunghyung let out a deep sigh of relief. The traces of the blue flame that seemed to burn his entire body were still vivid in his mind.
"Oh? Seunghyung, your eyes?"
"Yes?"
Seonwoo pointed to Seunghyung's pupils. Seunghyung was surprised when he saw his pupils reflected in the screen of his smartwatch.
The irises embedded in the whites of his eyes were dyed blue.
"Seunghyung, your Awakening is really unique. Other people have their hair color change or something, but your eye color changes."
"......I guess so."
Seunghyung gave a vague answer, trying to gloss over the topic. Seonwoo didn't know, but Seunghyung had clearly confirmed the flames burning in his pupils.
"Ah! The Fire Demon Dragon?!"
Seunghyung was restless and didn't know what to do, so Seonwoo pointed to the TV. The President was telling people to look at the screen next to him during his speech, and he played a video.
A shaky view. Black flames burning, and white flames running through the smoky evening sky.
The desperate cries of the heroes and the roars of the Demon species Fire Demon Dragon made viewers tense.
The man running through the black flames jumped high towards the Fire Demon Dragon's head. The Fire Demon Dragon thrust its head forward and swallowed the man.
"It's scary even when I watch it again. What were you thinking, charging in like that?"
"Ah, hahaha."
Seunghyung smiled awkwardly and placed his hand on the bandage on his right arm. In the video, the heroes' desperate screams of despair echoed.
And then, for a moment. White flames soared out, piercing the back of the Fire Demon Dragon's neck. The video's brightness even dimmed momentarily to protect viewers' eyes.
"It's really white. Do you know that all the nicknames your fans use in the community have the color white in them? White Flame Emperor, White Flame, and so on."
"...Really?"
Seunghyung's eyes widened. Of course, white was strong. But wasn't the light blue flame that bloomed inside that white flame more noticeable?
"Ah. Is the name <Fire Fist> better for you, Seunghyung? It's also the name your mentor, the Magistrate, gave you."
"Ah, yes. The name is better, but..."
"That's good to hear."
Seunghyung tried to straighten his posture at the voice heard at the door, but he collapsed back onto the bed due to muscle pain.
The man who came in with the scent of coffee, Yoo Youngho, scanned the hospital room with eyes that had dark circles under them.
"Where are the others?"
"They went to review the battle footage. I got stuck here."
"I told them to do that after you recovered."
Seonwoo tapped her smartwatch and pointed at Youngho with her chin. Seunghyung immediately understood what she meant.
"You were waiting for me to wake up?"
"I couldn't forcibly wake up the great hero who defeated the Fire Demon Dragon."
Youngho looked for a place to sit, then frowned when he saw the TV screen. When the video ended, the President's face returned.
[Rest assured! South Korea is safe!]
Click.
Youngho cut the Mana line connected to the TV.
"It ruins my mood from the morning."
"You still hate the government, Magistrate. Oh, right. What happened to the Minister of Countermeasures?"
"He already ran off to Japan. If he has any conscience, he won't be able to return to Korea forever."
Youngho sat roughly on the bed next to Seunghyung. The two eyes reflected between the sips from his tumbler were scolding Seunghyung.
"Lee Seunghyung."
"I'm sorry...."
Too exhausted to even turn his head, Seunghyung could only look at the ceiling as he answered.
"You know how many times you almost died, right?"
"...Yes."
It was a close call that was hard to describe as a miracle. He directly confronted the Demon species, lured that Demon species from Gwanak Mountain to Anyang, took the breath head-on, and detonated Mana inside the Demon species' mouth.
"You even ignored orders at the end."
"I saw how much time was left, and I got impatient..."
Like any hero active in Korea, he hated the heroes from China and Japan, east and west, setting foot on the Korean Peninsula, even for simple travel or friendly relations.
Especially when he thought of those who had abandoned Korea and naturalized in those two countries, Seunghyung was grinding his teeth.
"I regret it. But if there's another moment like that, I'll do it again."
"Why?"
Seunghyung closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. A faint white flame was burning in front of his forehead.
"For those who entrusted this power to me."
"...What?"
Youngho's expression hardened. Seonwoo stared at Seunghyung as if he were possessed by a ghost.
Seunghyung looked back and forth between them with a puzzled look.
"Why are you doing that? You all know. The person who gave me strength when I closed the Gate on the top of Gwanak Mountain."
"Seunghyung... what are you talking about?"
Seonwoo's voice trembled. Youngho leaned down and made eye contact with Seunghyung.
"What did they look like?"
"Uh, well."
Seunghyung rummaged through his memories. Suddenly, his head throbbed and rang, and he frowned.
"Ugh...."
"Don't push yourself, try to remember slowly."
As Youngho patted him, Seunghyung blinked and said the impression that came to mind.
"A hooded, giant man in a gray hoodie. His face was covered, so I couldn't see it. He called me... ugh."
Due to a sudden dizziness, Seunghyung's body momentarily convulsed. With that, Seunghyung couldn't recall the images of those he had encountered at the top of Gwanak Mountain.
"Lee Seunghyung. Look at this."
Youngho tapped his smartwatch with a stiff face and brought up the screen. Youngho tilted the screen so that Seunghyung could see it even while lying down, and pointed to the center of the image.
"The top of Gwanak Mountain at the moment when the Gate closed and the Demon species, the Fire Demon Dragon, appeared."
The first satellite image. The satellite image was heavily distorted due to the Mana waves generated from the Gate.
"And this is a scan of the Mana waves at the time."
A huge red circle and a very faint green dot. Seunghyung knew the owner of the Mana pattern emitted by that green dot very well.
"That's me?"
"Play it."
The frozen image was played as a video. The Fire Demon Dragon was rampaging around, and Seunghyung's signal was stopped in place. And after a while, Seunghyung's signal became stronger and began to move south towards Anyang.
Seunghyung's expression hardened. Something that should have been there was missing.
"The Demon species and you. There were only two Mana patterns on the top of Gwanak Mountain that day."
"But... that man was definitely."
"The phenomenon that people experience while Awakening to S-rank is different for everyone. Some people just Awaken, some meet their dead parents, and some have a third person give them strength. It seems like you had a hallucination of someone handing you power."
"Ah. Is that so?"
Seunghyung smiled in relief. The giant who gave him strength and asked him for world peace. He was just a figure in a hallucination that appeared as he underwent his Awakening.
"But is this something to be so surprised about?"
"...Seunghyung. Listen carefully."
Yang Seonwoo said, tearfully.
"Most of the filming crew from the last drama you were in survived."
"That's good, most?"
Seunghyung sat up in anxiety. His whole body was screaming, but Seunghyung endured the pain due to the anxiety that was smoldering in his chest.
"...Three people died."
Youngho swiped the screen. There was a newspaper article ranked third in the entertainment section.
「Actress Chun Gaeul, dies at the age of 28.」
"Ah?"
Seunghyung even forgot the pain.
"You're kidding, right?"
Seunghyung pressed the screen with trembling hands. In the mosaicked photo, there was a celebrity vehicle attacked by a Monster.
"You're just joking around as a S-rank, right? Right?"
Seunghyung scrolled down the article.
- ...On this day at dawn, the joint investigation team discovered two bodies in the parking lot of S University. Staff member Kwon and Shin, the manager of actress Chun Gaeul, were found dead...
"Look, it's not Gaeul."
- Meanwhile, a large amount of blood was found on the rooftop of the lecture building near the parking lot. The Association's investigator <Profiler>, who analyzed the traces dragged from the rooftop door, determined that the owner of the blood was actress 'Chun Gaeul' based on Mana analysis....
Seunghyung's vision went dark.
But Youngho's words were not over.
"And this is a photo of the rooftop where Chun Gaeul is presumed to have been 'murdered'."
Red blood scattered all over the rooftop. The bloodstains that seemed to be dragged from the iron door led to a huge pool of blood.
"...Chun Gaeul is dead."
God does not ask for a price.
If you want a price for power, it is a demon who deceives humans with sweet words.
The demon took away the love that Seunghyung wanted to be the last of his life.
Seunghyung lost consciousness.
* * *
<West Sea.>
"We missed."
Xiaolin turned the ship's head with Mana in the sea breeze that brushed against her mask.
"To think that someone would Awaken to S-rank."
"Isn't that a good thing as a hero?"
Jeokto blinked as he walked on the surface of the water. Xiaolin affirmed by nodding.
"It doesn't seem like other people think so."
Xiaolin recognized that the heroes on the deck were about to explode at any moment and clicked her tongue inwardly.
"Ah! What the heck is this!"
"Ugh! Joseon deceived us!"
If they had waited a little longer, they would have been able to land on the peninsula, but the sudden Awakening of an S-rank hero had made landing impossible. Some measure would have to be taken to quell the heroes' dissatisfaction.
"......It's going to be a mess when we get back again."
"But we still have to go back."

"Yes......."
Xiaolin's head turned back, glancing at the distant land.
"......."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing...."
Suddenly, goosebumps erupted on her back. It felt like her back was burning away in a hot blaze.
"......."
No way. It couldn't be. Hadn't the reaction disappeared after falling into the sea?
"Is something the matter?"
"...As soon as we return, training. Giddy up!"
Cheokto began to run on the water's surface. Unjang wanted to wield his spear in the training ground right away.
To shake off the fear.
With Unjang's retreat, all the amphibious assault ships turned their sterns and headed back.
* * *
"They've gone back."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"No, it's just that a scary woman was glaring at me."
Phoenix chuckled and infused Mana into Chun Gaeul, who was lying on the floor. The pure Mana of the spirit settled into Chun Gaeul's body, dramatically boosting her body's recovery and regeneration abilities.
"Can't you just heal her? You could use something like Heal."
"I'm a DPS dealer, so I can't."
"......So you're saying you can't heal at all?"
"Yes."
Phoenix placed both hands on Gaeul's chest, regenerating the wounds on Gaeul's body. Deokbae, who had closed his eyes at Phoenix's command, pointed out,
"Then what are you doing now?"
"I'm just faking excessive bleeding and patching it up with Mana. It's a temporary fix, so I can't use it twice."
Phoenix smiled wryly.
"Okay, that's the end of the treatment! Let's move while Gaeul is regaining consciousness."
Phoenix picked up Gaeul. Phoenix looked somewhat comical as she held a woman who was much larger than her.
"Where are we going?"
"Isn't it obvious? To our original destination."
Phoenix pointed her chin to the west.
"Guro."
"......Wasn't our original destination Yeouido?"
"Yes. Guro then Yeouido. Hehehe."
The smile never left Phoenix's lips.
"There's someone I have to kill."

Chapter 32

Okay, here's the translation of the Korean novel excerpt:
〈 Episode 32 〉 Part 1, Chapter 3 (1)
<A short while later, a high-rise building in Guro Digital Industrial Complex.>
"Aaaagh! It's coming!"
The man covered his eyes, which had been gazing towards Yeouido, and hid under his desk. The ability of the <Lighthouse>, forcibly enhanced by someone, reached beyond Guro to Yeouido, and the burning National Assembly building was clearly visible.
"That crazy bitch who set the National Assembly on fire is coming!"
Lighthouse, Kim Ji-hwa, was terrified, recalling the strangers who had attacked his territory the day before yesterday.
It's time to become a monster!
In broad daylight, while Ji-hwa was sleeping, they broke through the window and invaded, instantly turning Ji-hwa into a monster and subjugating his organization. And they issued all sorts of orders to Ji-hwa—now the monster <Lighthouse>.

-I'll light a beacon when I get back, so be ready to prepare lunch.

'Who the hell sets fire to a national building as a beacon!'
Even though New Seoul had been created, Seoul was still the capital for Ji-hwa. Although his territory was limited to Guro, he had never destroyed or touched the nation's foundational buildings.
The man, once called "Chairman" in Guro, was reduced to the life of an overworked office worker by an irrational monster.
Crash!
At the sound of the window breaking, Ji-hwa buried his head between his knees. There was only one person in Ji-hwa's memory who would break through the window of the top floor of a 20-story building.
"Huh? Where did he go?"
Ji-hwa's heart sank at the voice carried on the cold wind. It was definitely that guy's voice.
"Mr. Kim Ji-hwa~ You're not playing hide-and-seek with me right now, are you?"
'Please, get lost!'
Kim Ji-hwa even covered his ears with both hands. So he didn't hear the sound of sparks flying.
Snap.
That finger snap sound that made his heart tremble. Ji-hwa instinctively kicked the table away.
"Haa, haah!"
As expected, blue flames were burning on top of the table. The desk, made of the finest ebony wood, turned to ashes in an instant.
"Monster No. 3 may have talent as a chaser, but he's terrible at hiding."
"Hic, hic!"
Ji-hwa was terrified of Phoenix, who was perched on the chairman's chair. A slender, white hand landed on Ji-hwa's shoulder.
"Don't scare him. He's your subordinate, isn't he?"
"G-Gaeul-nim...!"
Ji-hwa looked up at Gaeul like a savior, his eyes shining brightly. Gaeul, with her demonic eyes where the black and white were reversed, subtly turned her gaze to Phoenix.
"No, I didn't mean to startle him..."
"Considering how you killed him, it can't not be a trauma."
Deok-bae shuffled over and plopped down on the sofa. That only seemed to stimulate Ji-hwa's trauma even more, as his body trembled even harder.
"But he died in one go, so if he dies again, it'll hurt less than the first time, right?"
"You can't know what it feels like unless you die yourself."
As Deok-bae sneered, Phoenix brought his middle finger and thumb together. Just as he was about to flick them using magic, he caught Gaeul's glare.
Phoenix subtly rubbed his two fingers together and slid his foot across the floor.
Screech.
The chair scraped across the marble floor and moved in front of Ji-hwa. Ji-hwa's intense trembling traveled through his hand to Gaeul.
"Hey, Mr. <Lighthouse>. How far can you see now?"
"I-I can see all of Guro and Yeongdeungpo! If I push myself a bit, I can see about 8km in radius!"
"Not bad. We should give his growth a little more momentum."
Phoenix took out a monster's core from his pocket. The un-cored cores sparkled in the sunlight.
"Then it's time for some 'Strange Candy' grinding."
"Yes, yes!"
Ji-hwa, who had been trembling, changed his posture, even panting through his nose. He looked like a puppy waiting for a treat, even kneeling.
Phoenix reluctantly handed Ji-hwa a core. Ji-hwa took the core, inhaled its scent deeply like a drug, and put it in his mouth.
"...So, are the subordinates preparing well?"
"Haa, yes! They still think of me as 'Chairman' and aren't particularly suspicious yet."
Deok-bae recalled the events of the past few days, seeing Ji-hwa, who had been submissive and even groveling before Phoenix out of fear of death.
As soon as Phoenix entered Guro, he flew to the floor where Lighthouse was and attacked Ji-hwa. The glass shattered, covering the sleeping Ji-hwa with shards, and Ji-hwa was grabbed by the collar by Phoenix, suffering in pain.
Phoenix mentioned that Lighthouse was a necessary talent for him.
Plea-Please spare my life, guaaah.
Because his personality was a typical example of being tough on the weak and weak on the tough, he tried to subdue him with force, but the strength in the grip on his collar was so strong that he accidentally killed Ji-hwa.

-So I created a monster with a B-grade monster's core I picked up along the way.

Ji-hwa, who had suddenly become a monster from being the chairman of Guro, was flustered but quickly succumbed.
He, who had been nothing more than a cog in the company until he awakened his ability, could not resist the violence of the immense irrationality that was Phoenix.
"Hmm. Are they doing everything I ordered?"
"Yes! They were flustered at first, but they've all been hunting monsters smoothly. They even caught a D-grade yesterday. The pyromancers that the Commander awakened are the most obedient."
"Good. Keep growing them like that. They'll be used as the lowest-ranking combatants in our Cheonghwa Unit."
"Then...if my subordinates are the lowest-ranking, then I am..."
Ji-hwa was hesitant but his eyes were full of anticipation. Phoenix sighed and promised.
"If you can find out the location of this 'meeting,' I'll create an executive position for you."
"Thank you, Commander!"
Ji-hwa even bowed as he left the room. Deok-bae couldn't understand, watching Ji-hwa.
"Why does that guy like it so much? Is the position of an executive in an evil organization that good?"
"Even though the organization was taken from him, he still wants to be higher up than his subordinates. Like how everyone under the president is an employee, but there's still a hierarchy among those employees."
"...That's not it."
Gaeul shook her head.
"He knows that if he doesn't do that, you'll kill him again. He's scared."
"Hmph. I see."
"I see? You're saying that after killing someone?"
Gaeul snapped. Phoenix tilted his head.
"Huh? Why? I was going to negotiate with Lighthouse at first? That man ignored that and tried to send his subordinates to kill me."
"That doesn't change the fact that you killed someone!"
"...It's really jarring to hear you say that with that face, but I'll talk about it anyway."
Phoenix kept turning the chair and stopped towards Gaeul.
"This place, Guro, is where the future Cheon Gaeul experiences a terrible future. The vagrants who picked you up were refugees from this Lighthouse. You were under Lighthouse's thumb for years. I've prevented you from experiencing that, right? As a result."
"As a result, yes. But."
Gaeul clenched her fists and glared at Phoenix.
"Even so, I think it's contradictory for someone who thinks and acts like killing people is no big deal to talk about world peace. Even if you're a villain."
"...Tch."
Phoenix scoffed and jumped out of the broken window. Judging by the blue wings spreading behind him, he was probably going to the rooftop again.
"Haa."
As Gaeul released the tension, her legs gave way and she collapsed. Deok-bae got up from the sofa.
"Why are you trying to persuade him? He's not the type you can talk to in the first place."
"I know. I really feel like I'm getting weirder the more I talk to him."
Gaeul was terrified by the sincerity in Phoenix's expression. It wasn't a statement made out of feigned wickedness, but Phoenix really did regard human life as insignificant.
"Are you okay, Deok-bae? You're being bullied a lot."
"...Well, I'm a monster too, so I can't refuse orders. I've already given up."
Deok-bae shrugged. He had already given up on everything the moment he blew up everyone he had been with.
"I'm more curious as to why he hasn't killed you yet. What are you to him? Are you his lover from a past life or something?"
"How would I know? He says he knows the future and acts like that."
Gaeul messed up her hair and tore at it. She regretted being deceived by the angelic appearance that had saved her in the S University parking lot.
Phoenix was a killer in angel's clothing.
"Why did I make such a stupid bet..."
Gaeul resented herself for the day she was charmed by Phoenix.
That ridiculous bet that he would send her to New Seoul if she awakened as an ability user.
Gaeul had not yet awakened as an ability user.
* * *
"......He doesn't know what's going on with me."
I leaned back as I sat on the railing. The sky was full of dark clouds, looking like it would rain at any moment.
"I'm already feeling down, and even the sky is cloudy."
I reached my hand towards the sky. Phoenix's hand was as white and beautiful as jade.
"How much more blood will be on this hand in the future?"
Those who block the way, those who must be fought, those who must be killed.
There are dozens of people who immediately come to mind. They don't know that the shards of God are seeds that bring destruction and won't let go of them. I had to take it away even if it meant cutting off their hands.
So I found it very awkward and strange that Cheon Gaeul, of all people, kept picking fights.
I can die for you.
The appearance is different, but the essence is the same. Cheon Gaeul as Masquerade followed my opinions without any objections. To the point where she might have actually died if I told her to.
'No. Let's get a grip. The current Cheon Gaeul is not the woman you knew.'
She is a human from a pure time before experiencing a terrible past. And I am the one who made Cheon Gaeul such a human.
'I have to understand. Understand.'
I got up and stood on the railing. The setting sun in the west had not yet disappeared below the horizon.
"Hoo."
Let's think about the relationship with Cheon Gaeul later. Right now, I need to focus all my attention on the information that came in through the black market.
"So it's starting."
The Seoul Recovery Operation.
Four days remain until April 15, the execution date of the operation I bought from Baek Sang-woo.
* * *
<Same time, New Seoul Government Complex.>
"This way, Hero Lee Seung-hyung."
Following the guidance of the chief of security, Seung-hyung walked down the hallway. From the moment he entered the government complex, everyone who noticed Seung-hyung whispered about him.

-
Oh my god, it's Lee Seung-hyung? Why is he here?

-
He's the president's nephew! They must have called him because he became an S-class.

-
He's really handsome.

-
He's acting like he's Cheon Gaeul's next of kin.


Surprise. Envy. Aspiration. Hatred. The voices and emotions of the people pierced Seung-hyung even more intensely.
"......Hoo."
Seung-hyung took a deep breath and calmed his boiling heart. The man he was about to meet was someone he had to meet with composure.
"It's inside."
The chief of security pointed to a small room beyond the door. Seung-hyung entered the room with familiar steps.
"You've come?"
The man who had been moving his pen in the small office, Seon Ui-cheol, put down the file and stood up.
Seon Ui-cheol's height was so short that he barely reached Seung-hyung's chest, but he had already become the leader of this New Seoul.
"Sit down."
"Yes."
Seon Ui-cheol naturally sat in the seat of honor, and Seung-hyung sat next to him.
"First of all, congratulations on becoming an S-class."
"Thank you."
Seung-hyung bowed his head and paid his respects. It had already been a week since he became an S-class, but Seung-hyung had not yet met Seon Ui-cheol directly. Or rather, had not.
Seon Ui-cheol frowned, looking at the name tag hanging on Seung-hyung's chest.
"Are you still going to insist on your mother's family name?"
"...It is also my father's wish."
The name, which was originally supposed to be Seon Seung-hyung, followed his deceased father's will after the Pyongyang incident and took his mother's family name.
Seon Ui-cheol still didn't like it.
"People's imaginations are truly amazing. An uncle and nephew with different surnames. Some even say he's an illegitimate child."
"........"
Seung-hyung simply remained silent. It was also a silent protest to get to the point quickly.
Seon Ui-cheol clicked his tongue and brought up the screen of his smartwatch.
"Sign it."
"I refuse."
Seung-hyung met Seon Ui-cheol's eyes. Seon Ui-cheol flashed his sharp, three-white eyes and shouted.
"Sign it!"

"I refuse. I am a hero affiliated with the Association, not the government of the Republic of Korea."
"Are you trusting the Association and acting up right now?"
No matter how transnational the Hero Association was, it couldn't completely ignore the influence of the government of that country.
Especially in Korea, the government still held more power than the Association. After the Pyongyang incident, as the Association reduced its support for Korea, the government's power paradoxically increased.
"This is an opportunity to recover Seoul! With the new arterial railway connecting Seoul, New Seoul, and Busan, we can rise again!"
"I understand the intention. The plan to revive Seoul by deploying me to Seoul, which has become a land of Monsters. But, you see…"
Flames ignited in Seung-hyung's eyes.
"Does the President really intend to recover Seoul to save the refugees of Seoul? Isn't the President thinking more about the other benefits he would gain from recovering Seoul?"
"I won't deny it."
Even with the force of an S-class hero, Seon Ui-cheol didn't even blink an eye.
"Boosting the morale of the entire nation following the recovery of Seoul, the Cores of the Monsters scattered throughout Seoul, a President who succeeded in recovering Seoul. There are tremendous benefits besides."
Seon Ui-cheol tapped the armrest with his fingers and continued.
"But those are only secondary benefits. The ultimate goal is the wealth and power of this nation, the Republic of Korea."
Resentment began to mix into Seon Ui-cheol's voice.
"Do you understand how I felt, knowing full well that China launched a missile and not being able to say anything? How long must we live, caught between China and Japan, being ignored? If we recover Seoul, the whole world will pay attention to us again."
Seon Ui-cheol's finger pointed at Seung-hyung.
"Just like you are being mentioned as the owner of the vacant seat at the Round Table."
"...That's absurd."
The embers burning in Seung-hyung's eyes died out.
"I'm just a fledgling who couldn't even save one person properly. So, I ask that you cancel this operation that was planned around me."
Seung-hyung closed the screen. Seon Ui-cheol nodded as if he expected it.
"Alright. But remember this."
Seon Ui-cheol twisted the corners of his lips up.
"You will definitely be at the forefront of the forces advancing into Seoul in four days."
"That will never happen."
Seung-hyung jumped up and left the room. Their conversations always ended like this, hurting each other's feelings in a short amount of time.
"........"
Seung-hyung glanced at the General manager and aimlessly left the government building.
The sky of New Seoul was gloomy, just like Seung-hyung's heart.

Chapter 33

Chapter 33, Part 1, Chapter 3 (2)
A week had passed since the dimensional gate appeared.
The birth of a deity.
The reincarnation of Fist of Fire.
A new generation of hero.
The Republic of Korea's third S-Class hero.
Everywhere you went in Korea, the only topic was Lee Seung-hyung, Hwajeon.
"Made S-Class because of connections."
<Iron Plate> Park Sung-tae stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. As a fellow A-Class hero, and one who had been stuck in A-Class longer than Lee Seung-hyung, he didn't like Lee Seung-hyung.
A fire mage with a rare ability worldwide.
A likable appearance that would stand out even in the entertainment industry.
A hero directly under the command of Korea's top commander, Yoo Young-ho.
A terrifying background as the current president's nephew.
Even if the world was unfair, Lee Seung-hyung had it all to an extreme. Even his common A-Class status was transcended as he awakened to S-Class, placing Lee Seung-hyung in an unrivaled position without a single flaw.
The Dragon Slayer.
The feat of single-handedly defeating the Fire Demon Dragon in one blow ignited the hearts of many heroes and hero fans around the world.
We can't leave such a hero as he is! We must recommend him as the 13th hero of the Round Table as soon as possible!
There was already premature excitement in the public about elevating him to the vacant seat of the Round Table.
We will consider it.
Sir Gawain, the Round Table Hero of England, acknowledged Lee Seung-hyung's prowess but politely declined, saying it was 'too early,' but even that was enough to send Lee Seung-hyung's stock soaring.
"Ptooey."
Spit landed in the ashtray. Park Sung-tae used his magic to dispel the lingering smell of cigarettes and straightened his tie.
Park Sung-tae was at a funeral hall. Having been suddenly assigned to guard the funeral hall, he found Lee Seung-hyung, who even volunteered to be the chief mourner, extremely annoying.
* * *
"Thank you so much, Hero Lee Seung-hyung."
"We really wouldn't have been able to without Hwajeon..."
"No, Mother, Father. Please speak comfortably."
Lee Seung-hyung led the elderly couple in black mourning clothes to the lounge. The middle-aged mother waved her hand, which had been pushing the wheelchair.
"Oh my, how could we do that?"
"You even volunteered to be the chief mourner in this old man's place... We are truly grateful."
The elderly couple's attitude towards Seung-hyung, who was less than half their age, was excessively polite.
"Thanks to Hwajeon, we were able to send our child off peacefully..."
Seung-hyung was going crazy from the people treating him so excessively. If anyone treated Seung-hyung like that in a mocking way, he would slowly explode.
But Seung-hyung couldn't do that to these two elderly people. Seung-hyung had committed a sin, though not really, against this elderly couple.
"I shouldn't have allowed the filming in Seoul..."
"Oh my, don't say that. Gaeul ended up following anyway. Who would have expected a dimensional gate to open in Seoul on that day?"
"These old folks are just grateful that Lee Seung-hyung is watching over our daughter's path... So you don't have to feel so guilty. You've become a new pillar of this country."
Lee Seung-hyung almost burst into tears and turned his head away. The elderly couple, who had lost their only precious daughter and were heartbroken, were instead comforting Lee Seung-hyung. Lee Seung-hyung was even more choked up by their comfort, which reminded him of Chun Gaeul.
"So, let me ask you for just one favor."
The old man in the wheelchair grabbed Seung-hyung's hands. His wrinkled hands were calloused.
"Please, when you go to Seoul this time, make a grave for our Gaeul, or at least find her body, or even her belongings."
"........"
Seung-hyung could only close his eyes.
The coffin in the funeral hall was empty, without its owner.
* * *
<April 11, 2020. National Assembly Building, Yeouido.>
"Aaaaaah!!"
Chun Gaeul screamed and clung to Jo Deok-bae's arm. Slimy, sour-smelling goo brushed against Gaeul's hair.
"That's what you get for following me!"
Deok-bae picked up Gaeul like a piece of luggage and jumped to the side. Something that whipped like a tentacle from the ceiling brushed past Gaeul, blowing away the desks in the main conference hall.
"I didn't know it would be like this! Aaaaaah! It's coming again!"
Something whipped down from the ceiling again. Deok-bae rolled Gaeul under the main conference hall and dodged.
Slurp.
Slimy liquid dripped down and licked Deok-bae's rock skin. Deok-bae barely suppressed his disgust and knocked away the crimson object, a tentacle, with his elbow.
Pshhhh....
The rock skin melted away from the strong acid. Gaeul's eyes widened.
"Are you okay?!"
"I'm not okay, so get out of here!"
Deok-bae, restricted by language after the filtering, tried to kick Gaeul out with a very wholesome request, contrary to his true feelings.
"But, but there are monsters outside too-"
"Even if hundreds of those things came, they'd be weaker than that!"
"I don't have any powers yet!"
Deok-bae, momentarily heated, wondered if even a monster could get high blood pressure. Deok-bae, who had knocked away a tentacle falling from the ceiling with his arm, grabbed Gaeul's cardigan like a pair of tongs.
Gaeul was wearing a school uniform.
"Ouch! Be gentle!"
"Does it look like I can be gentle right now?!"
Deok-bae dodged the tentacle brushing over his head and ran to the entrance of the main conference hall. The traces of the tentacle's rampage were everywhere in the hall.
Whoosh-!
The only tentacle aiming for Deok-bae and Gaeul. The dozens of tentacles wielded by the monster attached to the ceiling of the main conference hall were aiming for the blue girl flying below - Phoenix.
"She looks like a child left out in the water."
Phoenix flew leisurely through the sky as if taking a walk, dodging the tentacles. If a tentacle aimed for Gaeul too much, she would immediately fly over and cut the tentacle with her fingernails.
"There are only two S-Class monsters in Seoul. 'The Master of the Han River' hiding in City Hall, and the hidden boss 'Tentacle Toad' hiding on the ceiling of the National Assembly Building."
Phoenix raised a blue flame, illuminating the dark ceiling.
Croak?!
On the ceiling, a truck-sized toad with dozens of tentacles on its back hung upside down. The toad licked its tentacles and turned its gaze towards Chun Gaeul.
Mwahahaha.
"Aaaaaah!!"
Gaeul screamed again at the overwhelming sight. It was more of a physiological revulsion than a fear of death. Phoenix turned off the flames and explained to Gaeul while flying around, dodging the tentacles again.
"It's a monster that hides on the ceiling and melts the humans it catches with its tentacles in its mouth. A substance that brings the eaten humans to climax is released in its mouth..."
"Stop explaining! Please take care of it quickly!"
Gaeul screamed, and Phoenix raised the corners of her mouth as if she expected it. Phoenix stopped flapping her wings and hovered in the air, and all the tentacles rushed towards her.
"Then."
Phoenix spread her wings and flew vertically. Barely dodging the tentacles, Phoenix placed her palm on the back of the Tentacle Toad and unleashed her magic.
Whoosh!
The blue flames that erupted from Phoenix's palm enveloped the entire body of the Tentacle Toad. The acrid smell of burning protein filled the main conference hall.
Keeeek....
The mucus of the suction cups attached to the ceiling dried up from the heat of the blue flames. The Tentacle Toad fell to the ground, pulled by gravity.
Thud!
The S-Class monster died like that. Phoenix, who had subdued a monster that could easily destroy a city, folded her wings and came down, and began to rummage through the goo of the Tentacle Toad's corpse, sticking her right hand in and stirring it up.
"Can't you just burn it and take what's left?"
At Deok-bae's remark, Phoenix wiggled her finger with her other hand.
"Tsk tsk. That's why you newbies can't even catch an S-Class. Listen carefully. S-Class monsters."
Phoenix, who was about to continue with the explanation, made eye contact with Gaeul. Phoenix quickly continued, feeling uneasy that she would somehow lose her words.
"The core of a monster is so delicate that-"
"It's like digging for wild ginseng."
Crack. Phoenix clenched her hand inside the goo. The hand that burst the Tentacle Toad's intestines, though not visible to the two, was trembling.
"Haa. Anyway, Gaeul. Stop with the crazy idea of ​​awakening your powers in a crisis..."
"No way!"
Gaeul refused, stretching out both arms.
"The future me said I awakened in a crisis! So if I experience a crisis in the same way, I'll awaken as a power user, right?"
"...Did this woman lose her mind because she couldn't become a power user?"
Gaeul didn't even pretend to hear Deok-bae's remark. Deok-bae had already heard the truth about the woman Phoenix was talking about from Gaeul.
"Let's say the reason you awaken as a power user is a monster attack. So do you think it's right to do this now? Huh?"
"It's been a week since I almost died from a monster attack. Did you forget? What's the rush?"
Gaeul closed her mouth tightly with an anxious look. Her eyes were fixed on the smartphone hanging on Phoenix's wrist.
Phoenix noticed and covered her wrist.
"No way."
"It's not a phone call! Just one text message is enough!"
"Even one text message will let them know you're alive. Especially if they're your parents. Then a rescue team will be deployed to Seoul and they'll track Gaeul. Not yet."
"That's...."
Gaeul lowered her head. In the news of New Seoul that Deok-bae had secretly told her, Chun Gaeul was already a deceased person.
Deok-bae watched from right next to her how much Gaeul cried as she clung to the coffin without even a body.
"Let me do it for even a moment, even for a minute. I'm in Seoul now. I can't go down right now. So please wait a little. You can do that much, right?"
"I can't. I'll let you contact them when you awaken as a power user."
So Deok-bae thought Phoenix was a really cruel person. Gaeul turned around and ran to Deok-bae's smartwatch.
"Ugh!"
The hand that was about to reach for Gaeul was raised. Gaeul, reading from the expression that it was not raised voluntarily, glared at Phoenix.
"I've already ordered Jo Deok-bae. Don't help me except for awakening as a power user. Especially that contact."
"...Phoenix is a really bad person."
"Wait four more days. Until the Cheonghwadan settles down. If you still can't awaken by then, I'll take you to New Seoul myself."
"...You promised."
Phoenix shrugged her shoulders and pulled her right hand out of the Tentacle Toad. The body of the Tentacle Toad, which had lost its core, scattered like sand. Gaeul sat on a chair and buried her face on the desk.
Deok-bae carefully approached and asked.
"Do you have to push her this far? Can't you just drop her off in New Seoul for a while?"
"I can't be by her side forever. I can't send her without the power to protect herself. Never."
"In my opinion, you're obsessing over Chun Gaeul too much. Unnecessarily."
"...Be quiet."
Clunk.
Something inside the Tentacle Toad's body fell to the floor. Phoenix quickly snatched it up.
"Isn't that a National Assembly member's badge? But why is it so big?"
"Yes. A National Assembly member who didn't go down to New Seoul turned into a monster. This is just the outer shell. The outer skin that protects the core of the Tentacle Toad."
Phoenix squeezed the badge that filled her palm and burned it. The badge, melted by the ultra-high temperature of the blue flames, flowed down Phoenix's hand and onto the floor.
Whoosh.
The badge fell to the floor and caused a red flame. Deok-bae was startled and went to find a fire extinguisher.
"There's no need. I'm setting it on fire on purpose."
Phoenix smiled and kicked the embers. The fire, fueled by fire-attribute magic, spread violently as if pouring oil on it.
"This is the National Assembly Building!!"
"It's just an abandoned place now. And there's something working properly in New Seoul, so there's no problem now."
Phoenix shoved her clenched fist into her cassock pocket.
"The Tentacle Toad is a monster that is not known to the outside world at all. But the government knows about its existence but neglects it. The existence of the Tentacle Toad is a disgrace to them and a dark history that should not be known."
"What does that mean?"
Gaeul raised her head and asked. Phoenix made the flames bigger and burned the Tentacle Toad's goo.
"It's one of the dark pasts of the current president, the person who was the leader of the second opposition party at the time."
Phoenix stood at the entrance of the main conference hall.
"A person who didn't care about the means and methods to eliminate political enemies. If you only look at his actions, you could say he's a villain."

The purpose and intention can be packaged as grand and sublime, but the process is riddled with all sorts of blood and darkness. Autumn gave a wry smile at Phoenix's story about the President's secret history.
"Then that toad monster, could it be..."
"Enough with the depressing stories. Well, it's almost lunchtime, so..."
Phoenix tapped his smartwatch and smiled.
"Shall we head back to the hideout?"
Guro-gu appeared on the screen.

Chapter 34

Bbibibibik.
"It's finally here."
I checked the alarm on my smartwatch. The sender of the message delivered through the black market was someone I knew.
[IncheonBooty]: I've made the appointment you requested. The Chairman wants to see you. I'll send you the coordinates, so come here.
"Oh, in person?"
'He's not quite as sedentary as the President, but he's still got a pretty heavy ass.'
I immediately got up from the railing.
'Is this the third time already?'
The previous two weren't intentional meetings, but I decided to approach this one first.
"It's our first meeting, so I should bring a gift."
I tapped on my smartwatch to call Beacon. He must have been about to go to sleep, because he was lying in bed and jumped up in surprise, straightening his posture.
[Yes, yes! Did you call for me, Team leader!]
"Yeah. Weren't you about to rest? Did I wake you?"
[Haha, what are you saying? I was just having a cup of coffee and about to start working. Is there something you need me to do?]
"I called because I have some business to take care of elsewhere."
[Where are you going? How long will you be gone?]
It seemed like the bloodshot eyes of Ji-hwa, with his inverted demon eyes, suddenly regained their vitality. I brought up another screen to check the coordinates sent by Incheon Booty, Baek Sang-woo.
"I'm going to Incheon for a bit. He's going to be the supplier who provides our organization with supplies and funds."
[Ah! You're going on a business trip to a client! I understand! I'll take good care of the instructions so there won't be any problems while you're away!]
"...Well, I was thinking it wouldn't be good to go empty-handed."
I thought of the report Ji-hwa had submitted.
"I'm going to pack some gifts, so put them in a bag and bring them to the rooftop. All of them."
[...Now? All of them?]
Ji-hwa's eyes twitched.
* * *
An S-class hero is the national power of a country.
It was no exaggeration to call them human nuclear weapons; S-classes were that strong. And based on the original work, there were fewer than 200 S-class heroes in the entire world, making them a rare breed.
Surprisingly, Korea had eight S-class heroes. With such a small landmass and a population of fifty million, having eight S-class heroes put Korea in the ranks of advanced hero nations.
Then, in 2012, the decline began.
The total mobilization of S-classes in response to the Pyongyang situation. The seven S-classes, excluding the then-elementary school student Princess Seol-hwa, crossed the 38th parallel to deal with the situation in Pyongyang.
The result was annihilation. The monster of Pyongyang devoured five of the seven S-classes.
Korea's best hero, Gwanggeom, was seriously injured and barely escaped Pyongyang, returning to Shinseoul. Another S-class disappeared without even a body being found.
In the end, the only S-class heroes left in Korea were a scarred hero whose return was uncertain and a young child who wasn't even a teenager yet.
There was a widespread opinion that it was skeptical to bet the future of the nation on those two, and the then-President resigned, taking responsibility for the Pyongyang situation, and the capital was moved to Shinseoul, causing Korea's national fortune to decline significantly.
Fortunately, Gwanggeom recovered from his injuries, and Princess Seol-hwa grew up well and made a name for herself. In response, Seon Ui-cheol, who was then the leader of the opposition party, gathered forces in Shinseoul and appealed to the people.
- Let's put Gwanggeom in Shinseoul and Princess Seol-hwa in Busan and build up our strength. We will train heroes based on these two base cities.
Monsters feared S-class heroes. The mere presence of the magical power they emitted prevented monsters from attacking the cities—territories—where S-classes lived. Just like a hyena would run away without touching a lion's territory.
And Shinseoul and Busan became safe.
Only Shinseoul and Busan became safe.
- We can live without worrying about monsters if we just go to Shinseoul and Busan!
This was the catalyst for the overpopulation of Shinseoul and Busan. Seon Ui-cheol shouted to the residents of Shinseoul and Busan, who had been liberated from monster attacks.
- When we have built up our strength someday, then let's recapture Seoul. Let's regain the glory of the past.
The moment we regain the glory of the former S-class superpower, we will also regain Seoul. That zeal became a reality in the 'Seoul Recovery Operation,' which had only existed as a plan for the past several years.
* *
<April 11, 2020, Shinseoul Hero Association Headquarters>
"Nice to meet you. I'm Shin Jin-gwang."
The man with short white hair saluted with proper form. The smell of the military was strongly embedded in every action.
"Nice to meet you, Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department. I am the Governor, Yoo Young-ho."
"I have heard of your reputation. That ingenious tactic you used in Gangwon has become a good textbook for our military as well."
"So you were from the military."
"That's right. I was appointed as the Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department from the last seat of the defunct military, so I must do my best with all my heart and soul. I look forward to working with you, Governor."
Yoo Young-ho shook hands with Shin Jin-gwang with a bitter expression.
"...I say this out of concern, but tactics against monsters are different from general modern warfare tactics. Especially when it comes to commanding heroes."
"Enough. I've already been criticized countless times in the hearing about that part. I don't want to hear any more."
Shin Jin-gwang released his grip. Yoo Young-ho sighed inwardly.
'He'll be replaced soon.'
He couldn't even remember how many ministers this man was after the Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department who had fled to Japan. Young-ho sat facing Shin Jin-gwang.
"So, Minister, what are you going to do about this Seoul Recovery Operation?"
"Since the President has ordered it, we must carry it out, mustn't we? We can't leave Seoul in the hands of monsters and villains forever. Haha. This operation will succeed without any problems. Haha."
Young-ho's brow furrowed slightly. Among the many ministers he had seen as the head of the Association's Tactical Planning Team and the representative of Korean commanders, the first impression of the half-bald, gray-haired man in front of him was the worst in many ways.
Young-ho barely suppressed the urge to jump up and leave.
"The Association also plans to cooperate as much as possible. We already have over 80 heroes who have volunteered after hearing the rumors of the Seoul Recovery Operation."
"Good. The more, the merrier, isn't it? The more heroes, the better."
"Gwanggeom is also among the volunteers."
Shin Jin-gwang, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly froze. He looked visibly uncomfortable.
"Absolutely not. Gwanggeom must protect Shinseoul. If he leaves Shinseoul, who will protect Shinseoul?"
"Isn't Lee Seung-hyung there?"
Shin Jin-gwang snorted as if he was dumbfounded.
"Ha! You're being too lenient with a kid who's not even thirty yet. Even if he's the President's nephew, it's no good. Do you really believe that the Polar Bear can fill the void even if Gwanggeom goes to Seoul?"
"He's Hwagueon. The Dragon Slayer. Gwanggeom himself has publicly stated that he has reached the realm of S-class."
"Enough. I've heard that Gwanggeom highly values him. But the President doesn't want Gwanggeom to go to Shinseoul. He wants Lee Seung-hyung to go to Seoul."
Young-ho gritted his teeth. He had already talked to Seung-hyung about this issue a long time ago.
"Are you aware that he doesn't want to go? Isn't it almost impossible to carry out the Seoul Recovery Operation without an S-class? You'll need at least two S-class-level forces to deal with the monster in City Hall."
Shin Jin-gwang smiled at Young-ho's point.
"The President will persuade Lee Seung-hyung. That's what the President has guaranteed. And another force...you already have an idea, don't you? From the moment the Association announced that it would send you to Busan."
Hmm. Young-ho's expression hardened.
"...You're not thinking of bringing that child up, are you? She's just become an adult."
"She has more experience than you. And...."
Shin Jin-gwang brought up a screen and scrolled through it. The blood drained from Young-ho's face.
"Princess Seol-hwa has already expressed her intention to participate. That's why you're being assigned to Busan, to fill that void. By this time, she should be...that's right."
Shin Jin-gwang smiled as he pressed the alarm on his smartwatch. The breaking news with only a short title had been uploaded just 10 seconds ago.
[Breaking News] Princess Seol-hwa Seok Ha-rang Heads to Shinseoul.
* * *
<Same time, container at Incheon Port pier.>
Crack, crack.
Electricity sparked, illuminating the darkness inside the container. Baek Sang-woo coughed as he entered, kicking up accumulated dust.
"Oh, Sang-woo, you're here."
"I'm sorry to have made you come such a long way, Chairman."
A burly man sitting on a drum greeted Sang-woo. Sang-woo sat across from the Chairman, receiving the gazes of the men next to him.
"The core you sent me last time was well used. The condition was perfect. Have a piece."
The smell of pork belly grilling over charcoal tickled his nose.
"Is this being deducted from my salary?"
"No. From your bonus. Hahaha!"
Sang-woo looked at the ceiling for a moment before picking up his wooden chopsticks. The Chairman was still stingy.
"If you charge me for the expenses of coming all the way here, Chairman, I'm going to flee overseas."
"Can't do that. You can't leave Incheon until your contract is over. It's a shame to end it like this when we've met such a big spender, isn't it?"
Big spender. Sang-woo chewed on the meat, thinking of that problematic villain. Even though it was top-quality and well-cooked, it didn't chew well, as if something was stuck.
"I'm sorry I cursed at you last time after hearing the report about the three A-classes. You understand that, right?"
"I understand."
Sang-woo himself couldn't believe it even after seeing it with his own eyes, so how much more would it be for those who received the report with photos from Shinseoul?
"What was the name...Phoenix of Changryeol? That pseudonym sounds stingy, but he's a very generous customer, hehe!"
The Chairman stroked one of the A-class cores placed next to him like a treasure.
"Giving something like this as a 'gift.' Sang-woo, what kind of person is he? A man? A real man? Heh, I almost fell for his coolness. Who else would throw an A-class core at the Incheon branch just to ask them to take good care of future transactions? Hehehe."
"...He has a truly unconventional personality."
Sang-woo recalled the actions of the person who had swept through his office. And the attempted disaster he had committed in the black market three days ago flashed through his mind, causing Sang-woo to unknowingly gulp down a shot of soju.
"Huh? You don't drink, do you?"
"...I don't think I can greet that guest sober."
"Oh, so you're a heavy drinker? You'd have to drink a whole crate to clink glasses with me—"
Thud!
The Chairman suddenly jumped up from his seat. The pork belly and charcoal all rolled onto the floor, but no one pointed it out.
"Were we tailed?"
"No."
The Chairman put the core in his arms at the answer of the woman in a suit standing next to him.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knocking sound on the ceiling. It clearly meant that someone was on top of the container. The Chairman glared at Sang-woo with yellow eyes.
"Sang-woo. Did you betray me?"
"...Chairman."
Sang-woo shook his head and covered his ears.
"It must be that guest."
"What?"
Kaboom!
Part of the ceiling collapsed with an explosion. The ability-user subordinates next to the Chairman used their abilities and rushed towards the collapsed ceiling.
Sang-woo slipped to the container wall and leaned against it.
Clap.
With a cheerful clapping sound, the subordinates' bodies exploded and fell.
The Chairman gritted his teeth at the carnage visible through the smoke.
The elite subordinates he had brought were defeated in one blow. The former A-class hero, whom he had paid a high price to hire, was writhing on the floor, his entire body scorched.
"Ugh. Who grills pork belly in a place like this? It's going to give me cancer."
The Chairman looked at Sang-woo with a sullen smile at the woman in a blue priestly robe, Phoenix, who was walking through the smoke, waving it away.
"Is that him?"
"Yes."
"He looks like a religious fanatic to me?"
Sang-woo scratched his cheek at the Chairman's remark. He wondered where the high school uniform he had seen last time had gone. The customer who had broken through the ceiling was wearing a full-fledged priestly robe with a veil on his head.
"...Whether they're heroes or villains, the trend these days is concept characters, isn't it? In China, Guan Yu has even been resurrected and is slicing monsters with the Green Dragon Crescent Blade."
"That's true."
"What are you whispering about?"
Phoenix stomped her foot, and the smoke and dust filling the container escaped through the hole in the ceiling. The Chairman clicked his tongue at the delicate magical power control that had spread through the stomp.
"He has a pretty face."

"This face is a bit pretty, isn't it?"
Phoenix had two large duffel bags slung over his shoulders. Baek Sang-woo felt a sense of déjà vu looking at the lumpy shapes protruding from the dark green fabric.
"Here, a gift. I was only going to give you one, but I'm giving you both."
Phoenix untied the two duffel bags and threw them at Chairman. Chairman recoiled as if he didn't even want to touch them, and shouted.
"Ugh! Where did you get this sweaty trash...?"
Thump.
Something poked out from the torn fabric and rolled onto the floor. As if possessed, Chairman picked up the translucent marble that had touched his shoe. The marble was covered with a blue film.
"I've taken all the measures Boss Baek told me to so that Mana doesn't leak out. Now, you just need to go to the workshop and turn them into Cores."
"...Both of those?"
Baek Sang-woo pointed to the two duffel bags alternately. Phoenix nodded and smiled.
"Yes. I scraped them all up from Guro, Yeongdeungpo, and Yeouido. Uh... about 200 D-rank ones? Something like that."
Chairman tore open the side of the duffel bag with trembling hands. Inside, Monster Cores shining in various colors were emitting light, covered in a blue film.
Phoenix approached Chairman and extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Chairman."
"Oh, uh, yes?"
Chairman dazedly shook his hand. A hand like a pot lid almost swallowed Phoenix's small hand whole.
Chairman was surprised by the immense heat emanating from that small hand and almost pulled his hand away without realizing it. But Phoenix's hand did not let go of Chairman's hand, like the talons of an eagle seizing its prey.
A grin.
Phoenix raised the corner of his lips, placed his right hand on his left shoulder, and bowed his head.
"I am the <Phoenix of Azure Flame>."

Chapter 35

〈 Episode 35 〉 Part 1 Chapter 3 (4)
The Black Market, being a hub for illicit transactions, thrives in areas beyond the government's reach.
A prime example is Monster Cores that aren't officially reported to the Association.
Poorly managed Cores are a major factor in attracting Monsters, making them a subject of close government scrutiny and special management.
Three days ago, Baek Sang-woo was browsing the Black Market when he saw a sales post and scoffed at the seller.

-Selling Monster Cores. 100 D-grade, 50+ C-grade. B-grade and higher available upon request.

The comments were all dismissive, accusing the seller of joking or being an attention-seeker. Sang-woo would have said the same if he hadn't seen the seller's username.
Azure Flame Phoenix.
The villain who sold Monster Cores, including three B-grades, for 1.9 billion. He couldn't even buy the A-grades because Sang-woo lacked the authority.
Sang-woo immediately contacted Phoenix.
'Did you post a sales ad on the Black Market?'
'Yup'
'Take it down and deal with me. I'll buy them right away.'
'Too much hassle anyway, OK'
And so, the two met again. Phoenix invited him to Guro, and it happened to be the day Phoenix conquered the Guro Digital Complex.
Seeing Phoenix wipe out all the Monsters in Guro and bring the entire area under his organization, Sang-woo was convinced.
He could hit the jackpot with this villain. Sang-woo immediately contacted headquarters, and after a video call, the headquarters rushed to Incheon to acquire the A-grade Cores.
Headquarters naturally wanted a connection with the seller, and the customer also wanted to speak with someone from headquarters. Sang-woo acted as a mediator between the two.
The result was this meeting in the container.
"So, your organization is called , and you want to do business with us?"
"Yes. This is a gift."
Phoenix, dangling his feet from the drum, kicked a duffel bag. Seeing the Monster Cores inside slosh around, the Chairman of Milky Way swallowed hard.
"All of that?"
"Yes. All of it. You came all the way here, Chairman, so you deserve some travel expenses."
The Chairman cleared his throat and took out a Core from the duffel bag. The blue Mana membrane surrounding the radiant Monster Core was as beautiful as a jewel.
"The safety and loss rate with this amount is something to consider later. The important thing is..."
The Chairman tossed the Core to Phoenix. Phoenix didn't catch it with his hand but flicked it with his instep back into the open duffel bag.
"Can you really supply A-grade or higher Cores regularly, not just this petty stuff?"
The Chairman turned the duffel bag upside down. Monster Cores rolled and scattered across the container floor.
"You won't make money selling this junk. Collecting coins won't amount to a check. You know that a truckload of D-grade Cores is worth less than a single B-grade Core, right?"
"Of course."
"Right. That's why we want B-grade and A-grade Cores, so we don't have to bother moving this stuff."
Phoenix put his hand in his pocket.
"Like these?"
In Phoenix's hand were orbs filled entirely with green Core. The Chairman immediately sensed that all four Cores were A-grade.
"One from Guro. Three from Yeouido. If I go to Gangbuk, I'll sweep them all up, right?"
"...Right. Once you cross the Han River, B-grades are as common as ants."
The Chairman scratched his head vigorously, then looked surprised as if he had remembered something.
"Wait. I heard there's an S-grade danger in Yeouido? Is that just a rumor?"
"...Hehehe."
Phoenix put his hand inside his inner pocket and took something out.
"Already caught it."
A round, black gem smaller than a quail egg. The Core, placed on Phoenix's index finger like a Go stone, had a mesmerizing allure.
The Chairman swallowed hard and asked.
"How much do you want for it?"
"Not selling this one. Are S-grades common enough to dig up from the ground?"
"I've heard that Seoul is in chaos since the Gate opened, but I haven't heard that the S-grade hiding in Yeouido has been defeated? The most recent news is that the National Assembly building caught fire a few hours ago..."
The Chairman stroked his chin and smiled.
"Did you do that?"
"Yes. It was a Monster with a weakness to fire."
"An S-grade was in the National Assembly building? ...This is getting more interesting."
The Chairman smacked his lips and recalled information from his memory.
The leader of the main opposition party at the time, who couldn't abandon Seoul and run away. He raised the main opposition party to first place in approval ratings with his strong will to remain in Seoul, but he politically died when the government took Light Sword to New Seoul.
Currently missing. Last seen at the National Assembly building in Yeouido.
Starting with his disappearance, the National Assembly building became a mysterious dungeon where people disappeared as soon as they entered.
"...The biggest political rival of the then-second opposition party leader—the current President. Did the President know?"
"Who knows. But he benefited greatly in many ways, right? His political rival disappeared, the residents of Seoul went down to New Seoul out of fear of the Monsters, and the value of New Seoul increased. It was a great benefit for the current President, who is based in New Seoul."
"Intentional? Or coincidence? Either way, he used it well. A scary person, Sun Eui-cheol."
"Um, I think we're getting way off topic here."
Baek Sang-woo interrupted the conversation, which was straying far from the original subject. He couldn't keep up with the flow of the conversation anymore.
"If we're here to trade Cores, we should be thinking about how to supply them in the future and how to trade, not talking about the President and political rivals."
"......Right?"
"...Ah. Sang-woo, pretend you didn't hear that."
Phoenix and the Chairman looked at each other and chuckled.
"Let's talk more about this later if we have time, and for now, let's do what this guy wants. So, how do you plan to supply them in the future?"
"I'm going to take over the south side of the Han River, centered around Yeouido. I'll gather the vagrants and eliminate the Monsters."
"Is that all?"
"Of course not. Once the organization is properly established, I'll push the Monsters back to northern Gyeonggi. And then set up a line of defense at the old 38th parallel. When the Monsters come down, I'll hunt them and regularly supply Cores."
The Chairman shook his leg with a sour expression.
"Everyone's plans sound good until they get beaten and cry. Will you really have time to take over the south side of the Han River? Over a hundred Heroes will be coming up for the Seoul Reclamation Operation, you know?"
"It doesn't matter who comes. I'll win against them all."
Phoenix boasted, and the Chairman pointed with his chin at the screen as if to show him.
"Can you beat Snow White Princess?"
The screen showed an S-grade Hero who had appeared in New Seoul. The following article also featured Hwa-kwon Lee Seung-hyung.
"Hmm. Snow White Princess and Hwa-kwon... huh? So, two S-grades are coming?"
"Yeah. I heard that Hwa-kwon has the talent of a Round Table member."
"AHAHAHAHA!"
Phoenix laughed, clutching his stomach. The Chairman was embarrassed by his reaction.
"Did you lose your mind because your plan went awry?"
"Ahaha, no. It's not that."
Phoenix waved his hand, barely managing to calm down.
"I was worried about Light Sword coming up, but this is good."
Phoenix chuckled softly.
"I can play with both of them with one hand."
* * *
The white-haired girl was listening to music with earphones in her ears, her eyes closed.
♩♬♪
Humming along to the song, she exuded the youthfulness of her age. Seung-hyung, knowing the nature of the song, felt uneasy.
"Why do you have a military song on your smartphone, you."
The girl frowned. Taking one earphone out of her ear, the girl opened her eyes.
"Do you have a problem with that?"
The girl's eyes were a deep navy blue, like the deep sea.
"I just put on any random song. Do you want to listen?"
"No. You're just playing military songs to tease me."
"Tch."
The girl clicked her tongue as if disappointed. The reveille coming from the removed earphone made Seung-hyung's mouth dry.
"Stop joking around and tell me quickly. Why did you come here?"
When Seung-hyung asked with a serious expression, the girl also turned off her smartphone and adjusted her posture.
"Of course, I came to reclaim Seoul."
S-grade Hero, Seok Ha-rang. More famously known by the alias Snow White Princess, she had temporarily left her hometown of Busan and set foot in New Seoul.
Naturally, New Seoul and Busan had mixed reactions.
New Seoul cheered at the surprise visit of the S-grade Hero who had been holed up in Busan, and Busan trembled at the increased risk of Monsters due to Snow White Princess coming up to New Seoul.
Moreover, considering that her purpose was 'Seoul Reclamation,' Ha-rang might be away from Busan for quite a long time.
"You're an S-grade now too, right, Ajusshi? We can't just leave Seoul to the Monsters forever. Strike while the iron is hot, right?"
"...Haa. Really."
Seung-hyung rubbed his temple with his index finger. Ha-rang's attitude, striking a fighting pose, was as light as if she had come out for a stroll.
Even so, Ha-rang was burning with fighting spirit. Perhaps because they had reached the same level, Seung-hyung's eyes narrowed at the fighting spirit conveyed by Ha-rang's Mana.
"You're doing this because of the dragon at City Hall, right? To get revenge."
"Ugh."
Ha-rang wrinkled her nose as if she had been hit where it hurt.
"I, is there a problem? I'm just going to finish what I couldn't catch!"
"There are many. You're throwing a newly adult kid into the battlefield in the middle of Seoul. Risking your life. A twenty-year-old."
When Seung-hyung pointed out Ha-rang's age, Ha-rang slammed the table with her palm and retorted.
"I'm one year older, so I'm 21! You're 26 too, Ajusshi! There's not much of an age difference!"
"There's not much of an age difference, but you're calling me Ajusshi? Isn't that a bit much?"
"Hmph. Ajusshi's heart is too old. If you want to hear me call you Oppa, become stronger than me and come."
"Don't say things that will get you into trouble...."
Seung-hyung sighed, looking at the other Heroes and reporters nearby who were perking up their ears and listening to their conversation.
"Why did they assign me to be her escort...."
"You're going to Seoul with me. The government is the government, but the Association is also very desperate this time."
Ha-rang took a long sip of her iced tea with a straw and continued.
"Of course, we're also saving the vagrants and people who haven't escaped from Seoul, but they're also planning to root out the villains who have infiltrated Seoul this time."
"Villains?"
Ha-rang nodded.
"The Gate, the Fire Demon Dragon. Since even greater dangers have arisen in already dangerous Seoul, will the villains who value their lives the most really stay in Seoul? They'll somehow escape Seoul and spread to Incheon or southern Gyeonggi."
Ha-rang pointed out the villains' behavior and talked about the current situation.
"Villains who were wanted in Gwangmyeong and Seongnam have already started to be discovered. The villains' exodus is beginning."
"...That's terrible."
In fact, almost all of South Korea's villains are currently concentrated in Seoul. It is a lawless zone where the government has given up, and it is also a place where you can make a fortune by hunting Monsters and obtaining Cores.
If those villains start to leave Seoul, the situation will spiral out of control.
The villains had to be caught, and the Monsters that were going south to take their place also had to be dealt with.

Let's arrest them all before any troublesome incidents occur. And let's 'resocialize' the useful ones among them and utilize them as assets.
"That's why the Association sent the Magistrate to Busan and pushed me up here."
"You're going to freeze all the villains?"
Harang shrugged. The lukewarm iced tea, warmed by the sunlight, turned cold again at Harang's touch.
"No. Villains must be arrested. Freezing to death is only for Monsters."
Harang chuckled softly, and Seung-hyung felt a chill. It felt like the surrounding temperature had momentarily dropped by a degree or so.
Tap.
Harang swirled the iced tea, then raised the straw and pointed it at Seung-hyung.
"So, uncle, don't bother refusing and come to Seoul with me." You won't get another opportunity like this to become an S-class and practice Mana control."
"Thanks for the advice."
Seung-hyung raised his cup and took a sip of coffee.
"But is it really necessary for both of us to go? Wouldn't one person be enough?"
"...Gwanggeom-nim said. All three of us must go."
Harang pouted and poked at the ice with the straw for no reason.
"He said a great danger has appeared in Seoul, so we need to gather as much strength as possible. Even though I'm enough on my own."
Harang's eyes, as he smiled coolly, overflowed with confidence.

Chapter 36

〈 Episode 36 〉 Part 1 Chapter 3 (5)
A moment later.
"Then let's make the contract like that. We'll supply the Cores and Monster byproducts, and you'll send us supplies according to the price. Agreed?"
Phoenix stood on top of a drum. The Chairman read the contract with serious eyes.
"Something's strange."
The contract prepared on the screen was a standard contract directly prepared by Milky Way. Nevertheless, the Chairman carefully examined the contract several times to see if there was anything wrong.
It was natural since the contract involved hundreds of billions or trillions of won, but Phoenix immediately wrote her name on the signature line. So much so that the Chairman explained the contract from the beginning step by step.
The Chairman whispered to Baek Sang-woo, who was standing behind him.
"Sang-woo. Don't you think there might be a trap? What do you think?"
"They wouldn't be able to make this kind of contract without absolute certainty about Core supply. ...I think it's okay. We can also secure the quantity without having to pay extra because of the association and hunters."
"Right? That's why I'm more suspicious."
The Chairman, turning his gaze, pointed at the screen and said to Phoenix.
"Hey. Are you really sure you can secure this amount of Cores within three months? This quantity is enough for the entire Republic of Korea to use for a year."
"It's enough. And we agreed to give you an S-class Core if we can't get it, right?"
"It's just that you're losing too much. How much would food, clothing, and relief supplies cost? Are you planning to set up a refugee relief center in Seoul or something?"
The Chairman pointed out what Phoenix had proposed as the payment method. Phoenix requested that food and relief supplies be sent to Seoul regularly instead of a huge amount of money.
"A refugee relief center? Seoul, you see, is a place to be used as a forward base."
"If you're fighting against the Korean government, I can tear up the contract, right?"
Phoenix smiled and shook her head.
"I'm not fighting against the Korean government. I'm Korean, so why would I fight against the Korean government?"
"...You're Korean?"
Suspicion filled the Chairman's eyes. It wasn't that there were no Koreans with the surname 'Pi', but the girl in front of him, whose name was 'Phoenix', didn't look like an Asian at all.
"Yes. Well, my identity is... just think of me as someone who needs to launder their past. Hehe."
Phoenix glossed over it appropriately. The Chairman's expression became serious.
"You don't have a grudge against the current president or anything, do you? Or a tragic past? But you returned to Korea for the sake of your country or something."
"That's not me. Think whatever you want. The important thing is that we've formed a partnership."
Phoenix approached the Chairman and extended her hand. The Chairman shook hands with a reluctant face.
"I look forward to working with you in the future. Miss Chairman of Yoosung."
"...?!"
Bewilderment settled in the Chairman's eyes. At the same time, the female secretary next to the Chairman quickly took out a gun and aimed it at Phoenix.
Bang!
The trigger was pulled without warning. The Mana-imbued bullet rushed like light towards Phoenix's forehead.
Swish.
The end of the veil hanging over Phoenix's head wrapped around the bullet. The 9mm bullet was caught by the veil and crumpled powerlessly.
"Good response. Did you bring two just in case?"
Whoosh.
The flames that rose from Phoenix's hand engulfed the Chairman. The Chairman panicked and tried to pull his hand away, but Azure Flame engulfed the Chairman's entire body even faster.
[Function...halt....]
Crackle. Crackle.
With the smell of burning oil, the Chairman, revealing only a skeletal appearance, fell to the floor with only a mechanical skeleton left. Phoenix threw away the mechanical arm of the Chairman, who had been shaking hands with her.
Thud.
The crumpled mechanical arm brushed past the shoe of the female secretary next to the Chairman. Golden starlight sparkled in the eyes of the female secretary, who was still aiming the gun at Phoenix.
"......Who are you?"
"I told you. Azure Flame Phoenix."
Phoenix jumped off the drum and escaped through the hole in the ceiling. The female secretary chased after her with lightning-like movements and escaped out of the container.
"...."
Phoenix greeted the female secretary, enjoying the cool sea breeze. Small wings of flame were attached to her back.
"My Black Market nickname is the same, so contact me often if you're bored. Next time, I'd like to talk to you directly, not the doll."
With those words, Phoenix soared high into the sky. The female secretary lowered her gun at the speed that could not be followed with the naked eye.
* * *
"......What is that?"
The girl threw off the VR device and got up. The line connected to the large man of the 'Automatic Doll-Xroid', which was connected by Mana brainwaves, was cut.
"Baek Sang-woo. Did you know?"
[…I'm sorry, Chairman. I didn't know either.]
The girl rubbed the sheet on the bed and fell into thought. The hair, as if melting gold, was scattered like a mess.
"Then that means they know my identity to some extent...."
[I'll take care of the mercenaries I brought as escorts for now.]
"No. Just erase the traces and collect the dolls. They fainted without even being able to use their skills, so cut the contract fee in half."
[Yes.]
The girl cut off the communication and fell back onto the bed. Her hair, as if melting gold, was scattered like a mess.
"I already have a headache because of the company...."
She was just surprised to herself, but the other person was excited and blurted out the secret story about it. The ridiculous information she got by giving the right reaction was something that would cause a big backlash if she acted rashly.
"Hoo."
The girl searched the Black Market and found the other person. Azure Flame Phoenix. Already, the Black Market SNS was filled with all kinds of curses and criticisms.
The girl's finger barely stopped before pressing the 'Add Friend' tab.
"...Okay. There's no need to touch it unnecessarily."
The important thing is the huge amount of Cores that he will supply to this side. There is no need to dig into the back and make a fuss.
If necessary someday, she can meet him directly and dig out information. Maybe he'll be excited to blurt out high-quality information or secret stories like just now.
If it's close to the truth, she can take advantage of it, and if it's a lie, she can dismiss it as gossip.
Knock knock knock.
"Miss. There's a call from BH."
"What? C, what's the matter?"
"They've invited business leaders including Yoosung, KS, and UJ. I think they're asking for investment in the Seoul recovery operation."
"...Ugh. Okay. I'll get ready."
The girl got up from the bed. Starlight was flowing in the right eye of the girl who had cut off all connections with the dolls.
"When I see you next time, I'm going to ask you to pay for the doll."
* * *
The sunset is setting.
The view of Seoul from the rooftop of the 63 Building feels new again. Perhaps it's because I'm meeting the Chairman of the group later called the Yoosung Republic, one of the heroines, that my emotions are mixed.
Woo-oong-
So, as soon as I arrived in Seoul, I took in the scenery while enjoying the breeze from a high place.
'If you look to the south, it still feels like a place where people live.'
The facilities are so destroyed that the moment I turn my head to the north, it reminds me of the ruins of a war.
The reason why the north and south are different based on the Han River. It's because of a Monster that has nested in the Seoul City Hall.
'The owner of Seoul.'
A great Monster that cannot be compared to the Seohae Weapon. The S-class great Monster has taken its place in Seoul City Hall and has taken the entire northern part of Seoul as its territory.
The Monsters naturally did not set foot in the Monster's territory. Instead, they avoided the area and came down south of the Han River along other routes.
Through the bridges.
Numerous bridges are placed between the Han River. All the bridges except the Mapo Bridge, which connects Yeouido to Seoul, were destroyed.
Some bridges were destroyed by the aftermath of the battle between heroes and Monsters.
Other bridges were destroyed by calling in engineers to blow them up with tears in their eyes to stop the waves of massive Monsters.
In the end, when the bridges that were built for the benefit of humans became the land invasion route for Monsters, the president at the time made a radical decision while giving up New Seoul.

-Before the withdrawal from New Seoul, blow up all bridges passing through Seoul.

There was a lot of opposition to the shocking decision to add to the transfer of the capital to New Seoul, but the operation was carried out due to the wave of Monsters coming in.
Seonui Cheol insisted that at least one bridge should be left, and all bridges except the Mapo Bridge in Yeouido, which could not dispatch engineers, sank to the bottom of the Han River.
Are you going to abandon all the people who haven't crossed the bridge yet?!
I take responsibility and step down from my position.
The president resigned himself in New Seoul due to the ruthless decision to abandon all the residents north of the Han River.
Seonui Cheol's forces filled the vacancy, and Seonui Cheol used his wit to become president.
"It already feels more like a lifetime leader than a president."
Seonui Cheol's abilities and charisma were too outstanding for the constitution, such as the single-term system or the prohibition of re-election, to exert its power.
Seonui Cheol's forces, who seized control of the National Assembly, attempted to amend the constitution to abolish the re-election restriction of the incumbent president with pinpoint accuracy, and Seonui Cheol is enjoying his second term with the support of many residents of New Seoul.
'The lame duck will come properly in five years.'
The Pyongyang Incident in 2012, the transfer of the capital in 2014.
By 2025, the original work, for as many as 12 years, Seoul has not been recovered, and even New Seoul has begun to become unstable, so naturally the president's position has become precarious. But now it's 2020.
'The power is still strong.'
He is not the king of New Seoul for nothing. And the king will pour all his energy into reclaiming Seoul.
"Seolhwa Princess and Hwawon."
Seolhwa Princess, Seok Ha-rang.
A female hero and an S-class at the same time, one of the main heroines. Like Unjang, she is a heroine who is an S-class from the recruitment stage, so it is difficult to fight, but since she has become an enemy, I have to deal with her.
And Hwawon. A hero named Lee Seung-hyung.
"...He was in a relationship with Cheon Ga-eul."
I took out my smartphone and looked at the search history again.
[Comprehensive] Hwawon Lee Seung-hyung, takes on the role of chief mourner for the late Cheon Ga-eul
[Alliance] Who will be the local station role? Production company "Nothing has been decided yet"
The hero I planted a bomb in his heart was filming a melodrama with Cheon Ga-eul until just before the dimensional gate opened, and was even about to have a kiss scene.
Crack.
My left hand, which I placed on the railing while sitting on it, broke the rooftop railing.
I put down my smartphone and slapped my cheek.
"Let's get our act together."
'It's not like Cheon Ga-eul is my ex-girlfriend.'
If I start caring about all the heroines' pasts, my head will explode. The meeting in the game is just a game. So let's never be childishly jealous. Never.
Beep beep beep.
An alarm rang on my smartwatch. Deokbae's face was on the screen.
"What's wrong? You're even calling me."
[Lighthouse found it. The place you were looking for.]
"Oh, really?"
I got up from the railing and jumped off. At the same time as jumping off the railing, I spread my wings and flew to the hideout in Guro.
About 10 seconds to hide in the evening glow that has not yet disappeared and land at the hideout. Deokbae, who saw me coming in through the broken window, hung up the phone.
"Where have you been?"
"I was just sightseeing in Seoul from a high place for a while. But where is Kim Ji-hwa?"
No matter how much I looked around the chairman's office, I couldn't see the Lighthouse. Deokbae pointed downstairs.
"She collapsed from overwork. I told you not to push her too hard, even if she's a monster."
"After all, it was too much to leave it to one person, right?"
"She was a former assistant manager. It's abnormal if she doesn't collapse since she was entrusted with the work of running an entire organization."
I entrusted her with a lot of work compared to her abilities, but she must have been pushing herself because of the obsession that she had to look good to me.
"I'll have to give her an A-class Core later. Then you know that place, Jo Deok-bae?"
Deokbae nodded and tapped his smartwatch. On the screen that appeared on my watch was a map looking down on Seoul from the sky.
"As a result of looking around the Gangnam area you mentioned, this place is the most likely."
Gangnam, where there are still a few heroes and hunters stationed and a very small number of people living, in the middle of it, the mark that the Lighthouse put on was stuck in a building that was familiar to me.
"Oh."
It roughly matches the information in the original work in my memory.
The so-called 'Villain Alliance' liked to hold meetings in places where people could come and go without being suspected, and the secret meeting place that the Lighthouse found also met those conditions.

"And the man with the description you mentioned."
A gentleman in a black fedora, as if attending a funeral, was seen entering the building from the parking lot.
"That's him."
<Sky Castle>, affiliated with the Villain Alliance and the head of a massive Gangnam faction.
The building he entered was a hospital. I subtly checked the time.
6:30 PM.
"The meeting will be around midnight tonight."
A gathering of villains usually takes place at night.
* * *
<At the same time, conference room of the New Seoul Government Building.>
Eun Jae-min, the Chairman of Yoosung Group, was nodding with a pleasant smile.
"...Therefore, I hope for the assistance of many people from the political and business world, as well as the Association, in this Seoul Recovery Operation..."
President Seon Ui-cheol's long speech, sitting at the head of the conference table, came to an end. Before the detailed content that would follow, there was a short break, and Eun Jae-min subtly rose from his seat.
"Hmm? Jae-min, where are you going?"
The Chairman of KS, who was sitting next to him, asked. He, who had stood in the photo line in a wheelchair, was now sitting in the conference room with a very lively face.
Invigorating tonic made from energy extracted from the Core. The result of the KS-affiliated pharmaceutical company, which succeeded in incorporating Core energy into all kinds of health foods and supplements, was immediately evident in the Chairman himself.
"...I'm just going to the restroom."
"Is that so? Heh heh. I understand."
At Eun Jae-min's chilly words, the KS Chairman immediately started talking to the participant next to him. Eun Jae-min subtly avoided the gazes directed at him and left the conference room.
"........"
Eun Jae-min's steps, heading towards the restroom, came to a halt. A white-haired girl was blocking his path.
"Where do you think you're running off to?"
"...Can't I even go to the restroom?"
Seolhwa Princess, Seok Ha-rang, blocking the way while chewing gum, pointed towards the men's restroom.
"Unni, you know going in there is a minor offense, right?"
Eun Jae-min's gaze quickly scanned the surroundings. Confirming that they were the only two around, Eun Jae-min sighed deeply and said.
"...Ha-rang-ah. I think I told you to match my ability when I use it."
"There's only two of us here."
Light flowed from Eun Jae-min's eyes. On the screen projected from the mechanical eyes, a blonde girl with a tired expression appeared.
"Let's go somewhere quiet for a moment first. It's a bit difficult to talk here."
Eun Yoo-ha, who was remotely manipulating a doll that looked exactly like Eun Jae-min, pointed to the lounge at the end of the hallway. Ha-rang pointed to her smartwatch with a playful face.
"Unni, do you want another scandal with me?"
"Shut up. I don't have the energy to deal with your jokes today, so hurry up and follow me."
Ha-rang followed behind Yoo-ha's doll, walking with heavy steps, and entered the lounge. Fortunately, there were no other occupants in the lounge.
Pour, pour, pour.
The pungent aroma of coffee brewed from a high-end coffee machine filled the lounge. Ha-rang spat the gum she was chewing into a tissue and threw it in the trash can, then sipped the coffee.
"Ugh, bitter."
"Just drink it. Do you know how hard it is to get these beans these days?"
"If it's coffee, can't you just drink canned coffee? I think even instant mix is delicious."
Yoo-ha's hand, which was about to lift the coffee cup from beyond the screen, trembled. Ha-rang, who unconsciously spoke in dialect, cleared her throat with a dry cough.
"Listen carefully. It seems like you don't know much about coffee, but..."
"Yes, yes. It's a world that a country bumpkin like me doesn't want to know about, so never mind."
"You're dead when I become an S-Class, you hear? I'll control you with Mana and make you drink only coffee instead of water for every meal."
"Pfft. You? ...Okay, okay. I'm sorry."
Yoo-ha's anger subsided at Ha-rang's attitude of putting her hands together and bowing her head. Ha-rang was playful, but she knew her limits well.
"How did I get my identity exposed to someone like her..."
"I'm not the only one who knows, you know? Gwanggeom knows too. The S-Classes who meet Unni will feel it right away."
Ha-rang clenched and unclenched her hands, releasing Mana.
"When you become an S-Class, you can read people's Mana even if you don't want to, right? But the dolls that Unni controls have Mana, but it feels like they don't have any life in them. No matter how elaborately made a doll is, an S-Class will know right away. Ah, something's wrong with that. Then, if you touch it, you'll know immediately. Unni, you shook hands with me and got caught."
"Ah."
Yoo-ha put down her cup as if she had realized something. The Azure Tyrant had definitely asked to shake hands as soon as he met her doll.
"...Then, really?"
As Yoo-ha fell into her own thoughts with a serious expression, Ha-rang moved her Mana to purify the water in the air and pour it into her cup. The concentrated espresso was turning into a coffee-flavored drink.
At the moment when even Eun Jae-min's doll took a thoughtful pose, the door to the lounge opened.
"Ah. You were here. As expected...Chairman of Yoosung?"
The man who opened the door and came in was Lee Seung-hyung. Ha-rang hurriedly shouted in a loud voice.
"Oh, I'm just saying in case! Chairman Eun Jae-min and I are not in any kind of relationship!"
"No. That's not it..."
Seung-hyung's eyes were half-closed. Ha-rang stiffened as the white light blazed in his eyes. She hurriedly got up from the table, spilling coffee on the floor.
Clang.
The cup shattered on the floor, and coffee splashed on the lounge floor. Ha-rang froze.
The coffee that splashed on the floor soaked the hem of Eun Jae-min's white suit pants.
"......Huh?"
Golden starlight flashed and disappeared from Eun Jae-min's eyes, who had been blankly staring. Eun Jae-min's expression hardened as she looked back and forth between Ha-rang, the floor, and the newly arrived Seung-hyung. Lee Seung-hyung. S-Class.
"Excuse me."
Seung-hyung raised Mana and created flames in his hand. Eun Jae-min was mesmerized by the white flames that had blown away Hwama Ryong in one blow.
The white flames incinerated the coffee and coffee cup on the floor as they were. It was as if they were burning away their existence without any ash or soot.
"Excuse me."
Seung-hyung's white flames also touched the hem of Eun Jae-min's pants. The pure white flames accurately burned away only the coffee stains without any soot.
"Oh, it's real. A huge incident."
Ha-rang clapped her hands in surprise. Yoo-ha, who was watching the situation through Eun Jae-min's doll, also clicked her tongue inwardly.
"There's really a different color flame inside? It's pretty."
"Right? So you can see this too."
"...Excuse me?"
At Yoo-ha's question, Seung-hyung smiled and raised the flame on his index finger again. The flame seen through the doll's eyes was clearly pure white without a single stain.
"It seems like you can see it when you become an S-Class. Haha. Oh, right. Ha-rang-ah. The Vice Chairman is urgently looking for you."
"Really? What time is it...Oh no. I'm screwed."
Ha-rang straightened her clothes and was about to open the lounge door when she pulled on Seung-hyung's clothes. Seung-hyung was dragged out of the lounge by the force of her hand, which was infused with Mana.
"Huh? Uh oh? Um, Chairman-"
"The Chairman said she has some business to worry about! Come with me and help me! If I go in alone, they'll give me a lot of flak!"
The two S-Class heroes left the lounge and quickly walked towards the conference room.
Eun Jae-min, Yoo-ha, who was left alone, continued to worry with a serious face.
Phoenix's words kept swirling in her head.
"Plays with those two in the palm of his hand?"
That villain, who had shown arrogant confidence against monsters of talent in a realm that she could not even approach, made her feel uneasy for some reason.
What if he really ruined the Seoul Recovery Operation and planted his flag in Seoul?
The scene of the three of them fighting in the middle of Seoul kept being drawn in her head. Yoo-ha, who had been lost in thought, nodded her head and raised the doll from its seat.
'The side that makes money is my side.'

Chapter 37

〈 Episode 37 〉 Part 1 Chapter 3 (6)
<7 PM, Guro Cheonghwadan Hideout>
No one knows how to awaken as an ability user.
The academic world has put forward numerous hypotheses, but none have presented plausible evidence, and numerous experiments to awaken ability users have all failed.
So, after hearing Jo Deok-bae's explanation, Cheon Ga-eul couldn't help but look at him with suspicious eyes.
"That's it?"
"Yeah. That's all I heard."
Deok-bae told Ga-eul about the 'attribute of Mana' he had heard from Phoenix while being beaten.
"I really can't get a grasp on it. Attribute of Mana? How can I draw out an attribute when I can't even feel Mana in the first place?"
Ga-eul tore at her hair and bounced on the sofa. Deok-bae felt sorry for her.
"Why don't you just wait a few more days and go down to New Seoul quietly?"
"No way!"
Ga-eul shouted and stood up from the sofa.
"Deok-bae, do you trust Phoenix? Do you think he'll keep that promise?"
"...Half?"
The person who notarized the bet between Phoenix and Ga-eul was none other than Deok-bae.
"How did Jo Deok-bae awaken? You said you were an ability user from the start."
Ga-eul asked, gulping down water. Deok-bae, who had been lying on the opposite sofa, touching the fragments of rock that had fallen from his skin, straightened his posture.
"I was working as a gangster and got into a fight with a gang from the next neighborhood. I almost died after being hit with a steel pipe, but then a Monster attacked Yeongjong Island. I ran away from there and miraculously awakened my ability."
"...I won't ask about your past. But did you feel anything special? Like energy inside your body or something."
"I didn't. How did you awaken?"
"Eek?!"
Kim Ji-hwa, who had been sitting with his knees on a stool, was surprised when Deok-bae looked at him. From the moment the 2-meter-tall rock Monster confessed that he was a former gangster, he had been keeping a low profile.
"I only have a cheap physical enhancement ability, but you have a special type of ability, don't you?"
"...? Isn't that Deok-bae's ability?"
Ga-eul pointed to the rock fragments that had fallen from Deok-bae. Deok-bae paused for a moment and then said.
"This isn't my original ability. The rock skin is an ability that came about when I became a Monster."
Phoenix had told him. His original ability and the Monster's core had mixed together and transformed into a new ability.
Of course, in the process of hearing that explanation, he had listened for a full 30 minutes without a break, but Deok-bae summarized it very briefly.
"Um...that Monster thing. Am I like that too?"
Ji-hwa asked, pointing to his eyes.
He had told his subordinates that it was a change that came about as his ability leveled up, but he couldn't help but be bothered by the way his subordinates flinched whenever they looked at him.
"What is a Monster in the first place?"
"...Reviving a dead person by implanting a Monster's core? Like a zombie."
"...Eek."
Ji-hwa's eyes trembled. According to Deok-bae's explanation, he had already died once, and a Monster's core was implanted in his heart.
"It's more like resurrection than a zombie. Zombies don't have reason, but don't Deok-bae and Ji-hwa act rationally?"
"Yes, yes! Um, you say I'm dead, but I don't really feel it. I just opened my eyes and felt like 'Oh, my ability has gotten stronger'."
Suddenly, Deok-bae laughed fiercely.
"Hey. Kim Ji-hwa."
"Yes?!"
Ji-hwa swallowed hard and tensed up. According to the boss, he had risen to the level of a B-class ability user, but for some reason, he kept feeling intimidated whenever he met Deok-bae, who was said to be at the C-class level.
"Have you ever killed anyone?"
"Deok-bae?!"
Ga-eul was surprised and glared at Deok-bae.
"To suddenly ask someone if they've ever killed anyone—"
"...Are you talking about before I became a Monster, or after?"
Mana sank low from Ji-hwa's demon eyes. Even though Ji-hwa was keeping a low profile, he had the highest amount of Mana among the three in the Chairman's office right now.
"........"
Ga-eul closed her mouth at Ji-hwa's words. Kim Ji-hwa was also a villain. According to Phoenix, a villain who had used the future Cheon Ga-eul as a sex slave for several years.
Deok-bae stroked his chin and asked.
"I've never killed anyone before I became like this, so I can't compare. Do you usually feel indifferent after killing someone?"
"Of course not."
Ji-hwa shook his head violently.
"...The first person I killed was my superior. The Head of section who always made me get his coffee and nagged me. Once, I was so tired that I said I couldn't work overtime, and he kicked my shin with his shoe."
Ji-hwa clasped his hands together.
"But that day, a Monster attacked the office. There was no alarm. All the lights were turned off, and the blinds were down on the windows, so they probably thought everyone had left from the outside."
"Ah. That Guro Incident...."
Ji-hwa nodded. Deok-bae had already heard of the incident.
"Was it 4 years ago? A Monster came into the building at night. A building with no one on the first 5 floors."
"There were people from the 6th floor. Everyone was hiding in the office pretending to have left work."
Ji-hwa picked up his cup and quenched his thirst.
"Anyway, a Monster attacked our floor and everyone was in chaos, but the Head of section hid in the pantry and tried to kick me out. There was a scuffle. The Monster was in front of us. I don't know how I had such strength at that time."
"...Was that the awakening of your ability?"
Ga-eul asked with a queasy look on her face. Ji-hwa denied it.
"No. The awakening was after that. It was good that I ran away from the Monster and locked the pantry door, but I had no way to see the situation outside. My smartphone was in the office, and my watch was broken. I managed to survive for a few days with the things in the pantry."
Ji-hwa covered his eyes and continued.
"After losing consciousness and collapsing, I woke up like this. At first, I could see outside the door, then above and below the building. Later, I could see the entire Guro. But when I finally got out, the Monster had disappeared, and 4 years had passed."
"Does that make sense? A person was unconscious for almost 4 years without any nutrition?"
"Mana makes everything possible."
Phoenix added an explanation with a warm smile. Ji-hwa hurriedly stood up and bowed.
"You've arrived!"
"It's okay. After hearing your story, I'll become like the Head of section if I do that. Make yourself comfortable."
"No! I'm comfortable like this!"
"Are you going to stab me in the back like you did to the Head of section later? ...I'm just kidding. So don't tremble so much."
Ji-hwa was sweating and trembling with fear. Phoenix put the coffee he was holding on the table.
"Let's talk while drinking."
"...Where did you buy this?"
"In Incheon. The Star Cafe in front of that bus terminal."
"...?"
Deok-bae turned on the map in his head. From Guro to Incheon.
"Didn't you tell me to meet you 30 minutes ago and gather here?"
"Yes. It's close, so I went and came back quickly."
The four drinks in the cardboard box were all different. Deok-bae, who was calculating the order time, just emptied his mind and picked up an Americano.
"Go ahead and grab one each. Tell me in advance if you want something."
Phoenix picked up a yogurt with fresh strawberries blended in.
"........"
Ga-eul made eye contact. Phoenix subtly put down the strawberry yogurt.
"Thank you."
Ga-eul took the strawberry yogurt. Ji-hwa hesitated and stood there, then made eye contact with Phoenix.
"Choose first."
Ji-hwa took the iced tea and sat on the stool.
"........"
Phoenix took the remaining cafe latte. He took a sip, and his gaze briefly brushed over the yogurt and iced tea before returning.
"Then let's start the strategy meeting."
"Suddenly in this atmosphere?"
Phoenix nodded.
"S Hospital in Gangnam. The place where the villains are holding a 'meeting' tonight at midnight. Thanks to Ji-hwa's hard work, we were able to find the place without being late."
"Ah, haha. It was nothing."
Ji-hwa still had dark circles under his eyes.
"But midnight? I haven't heard anything about that."
Deok-bae also nodded at Ga-eul's question.
"I was going to ask earlier, but how did you know it was midnight?"
Phoenix put down his cup and clapped his hands.
"Well, you know, villains gather at night? This is a universal law no matter where you go in the world. We gathered after sunset, right? The Villain Alliance is the same. The villains in Seoul set the date and place of the meeting at the black market. The Villain Alliance's pattern is—"
"Can you just get to the point?"
Ga-eul interrupted, putting the yogurt on the table. Phoenix spun his hand like a waterwheel and then froze.
"...According to the investigation, they will gather at Gangnam S University tonight at midnight."
"Good. So are we going to raid it?"
Deok-bae asked, tilting his head. Ji-hwa was frightened again and waved his hand.
"No, <Sky Castle> is hosting it! A monstrous villain who is almost a quasi-S class!"
On the screen displayed on the table was a man in a fedora getting out of a car in the parking lot of S University Hospital. Phoenix calmed Ji-hwa while quenching his thirst with his drink.
"Ji-hwa. There is no such thing as a quasi-S class in the world. It's an artificial distinction made by ability users who couldn't move on to the next stage and were stagnant. To move on to the next level, whatever that level may be, you need awakening...."
Phoenix looked at Ga-eul. Ga-eul surprisingly nodded as if telling him to continue.
"You're not stopping me this time?"
"I was wondering if there might be a hint of ability awakening."
"......Then I don't want to explain."
"What? How can you say that?!"
Phoenix shrugged and tried to continue.
"If you're going to say something like there's something here, just shut up. It pisses people off."
"...I'll explain after the strategy meeting. Okay?"
Phoenix gritted his teeth and bowed his head. Ga-eul smiled softly at Deok-bae, and Deok-bae turned his head to the side, embarrassed.
"What. Why. What."
"Ah, it's nothing."
Ji-hwa fixed his gaze on the iced tea. Phoenix cleared his throat and led the conversation again.
"The meeting that the villains gather for is nothing special. Hey, two S-class heroes are coming to Seoul. The government is sending heroes to Seoul on a large scale this time? Are they going to wipe out all the Monsters? Are we going to get swept away or arrested too? That's why they're gathering out of concern."
"They don't want to run away, but they're gathering to see what happens."
"That's right, Ga-eul. The Villain Alliance doesn't have a central figure in particular right now. It's just a grand-sounding alliance, but in reality, it's just refugees who have settled in each region of Seoul. Ah, I don't mean that Ji-hwa's organization is like that."
"It's okay."
Ji-hwa smiled bitterly. It was none other than the Monster in front of him who had turned 400 refugees into Guro's self-governing force in an instant.
"The riffraff have already left Seoul. The guys who are joining the Villain Alliance now are the ones with considerable power among them. And the guys who can't leave Seoul."
"...They can't just abandon ten apartments in Gangnam and go down to New Seoul. They probably don't have any cash either."
"Yes. The facilities south of the Han River haven't been destroyed by Monsters yet, so they can regain the value of their real estate if it's restored."
"But."
Ga-eul raised her hand.
"If it's just a matter of real estate in Seoul, can't they just wait for Seoul to be restored? The country will compensate them."
"That's...."
"The guys who stayed in Seoul can't be in their right mind like you. At least they've killed one person like this guy."
"...Seoul is already a lawless zone. It's land that the government has already abandoned. Even if it goes back into the government's arms, it won't go back to the good old days. The penthouse in Gangnam where I'm living illegally right now, the owner will reappear when Seoul is restored. I'll be homeless again. That's what it is."
Phoenix leaned back in his chair at Deok-bae and Ji-hwa's explanation.
"...The residents of Seoul have already been greatly isolated from modern civilization. They've become accustomed to crime, and their way of thinking itself has changed. Even Deok-bae and Ji-hwa here are like that, right?"
Phoenix pointed to the two of them alternately.

"One was barely scraping by in a failing city, while the other was practically a refugee. Even though it was just a one-hour trip between Incheon and Seoul."
"...Why has the government left Seoul in this state until now, anyway?"
Gaeul asked, sounding dumbfounded.
"As Phoenix says, the President is trying to reclaim Seoul. Because Seung-hyung, Hero Lee Seung-hyung, has awakened as an S-class, so he has the power."
"I'm also a bit curious about that. Is it because of the dimensional gate? Or is there another reason?"
"For the sake of a strong nation."
Phoenix said sarcastically, causing others to look at him questioningly. Phoenix crossed his legs and said,
"They had the power to reclaim Seoul, but there was no need to do so. President Seon Uicheol's base is all in New Seoul, and Seoul is just a burden."
Phoenix tapped on his smartwatch and projected a map onto the table.
"A buffer zone between humans and Monsters. The Monsters that are still being created in Pyongyang and regularly come down become food for the S-class Monster stationed in Seoul City Hall, so Seon Uicheol thought, 'Let's leave Seoul as it is.'"
Phoenix flicked his fingers, and several flames rose into the air. The flames each took on a shape.
"A place where Monsters coming down from Pyongyang have new prey.
A place where Monsters stationed in Seoul have prey swarming from above in the form of Monsters, and from below in the form of humans.
A hunter's paradise where they can mine Monster cores.
A lawless zone where villains can freely express their desires and run wild.
With all the bridges destroyed and a huge crisis in the form of an S-class Monster stationed in northern Seoul, a very strange balance has been created based on the river. Seon Uicheol used that to the very end. Because New Seoul is safe."
"...Then why is he trying to reclaim Seoul now? Is he trying to show off because one more S-class has appeared? Because he's Darling's nephew?"
"No. That's absolutely not the reason."
Phoenix put his hand into his inner pocket.
"Deokbae. Did I ever tell you about the purpose of our Cheonghwadan? At the Incheon cafe."
"...The toy cube that we need to gather for the peace of the world?"
Phoenix grinned.
"Someone who becomes the leader of a country will inevitably learn something, even if they don't want to. Seon Uicheol already knew about the existence and value of that cube back then. However...."
Phoenix zoomed in on the map. At the end of Yeouido, where satellite images were being displayed in real-time, was the National Assembly Building, burned to the ground, with only the skeletal remains of the building left.
"During the Seoul retreat operation, someone stole it from the President without his knowledge and fled here. It was a member of the National Assembly who was having an open-hearted conversation with the President at the time."
"What? Wait. Are you saying that toad..."
"As expected, student Deokbae, your reasoning skills are good. That's right. A fragment of God that can create Monsters and awaken ability users. The National Assembly member, who stole it out of greed and ran away, became a Monster due to the cube's influence. I told you, repeatedly. We need to go to Yeouido."
Phoenix raised his fist, which he had taken out of his inner pocket, in front of him.
"Now. The National Assembly Building, where the cube in question was sleeping, has burned down. So, what will the only person who knew that this was sleeping in the National Assembly Building try to do now?"
"...I heard that the former President committed suicide at his home in New Seoul, unable to overcome his conscience."
Phoenix opened his clenched fist.
"It's really fortunate that the President wasn't an ability user. Otherwise, he would have come to find this a long time ago."
In Phoenix's hand, who was smiling mischievously, was a cube with bizarre patterns drawn on it.

Chapter 38

〈 Episode 38 〉 Part 1, Chapter 3 (7)
<9 PM, New Seoul Hero Association Headquarters.>
"........"
Seunghyung collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. The top-quality mattress in his headquarters' accommodation embraced his body like a cradle.
"This is driving me crazy. Seriously."
He couldn't understand why the day was so long. And why so many people kept asking him if he would participate in the Seoul recovery operation.
"Seon Uicheol...."
To him, Seon Uicheol was already just a stranger with shared blood. Yet, he tried to manipulate Seunghyung like a puppet, using that blood tie as a shackle.
Beep. It's 9 PM.
Seunghyung activated the screen on his smartwatch upon hearing the alarm. A woman in a suit stood in front of a news desk.

-Good evening, this is JBS 9 PM News.

Watching the news amidst his busy schedule was one of his small hobbies. To stay informed about the world, even just a little.
"Ah. Seriously."
The moment he saw the first headline displayed in the subtitles, Seunghyung's face contorted.

-President Seon Uicheol officially declared the Seoul recovery operation through a press conference today. Many heroes, including Princess Seolhwa and Hwawon, have announced their participation....

"So, they're coming at me like this, huh?"
Seunghyung rose to his feet. His participation had already been presented as a fait accompli by the media.

-...Governor Yoo Youngho, who is heading down to Busan today, posted on social media that "The participation of heroes is entirely up to the heroes themselves." We will now discuss this with Professor Do, a hero expert.

A professor with a greasy face and glasses filled the screen.

-
Welcome, Professor Do. Do you think the Seoul recovery operation is justified?

-
Of course. What is Seoul? It was the capital of our Republic of Korea until eight years ago. We have already had the painful experience of losing our capital countless times in history, but we eventually regained our capital and our country. Now, the target is not another country, but Monsters. I believe that recovering Seoul is the mission of our heroes, and by extension, of the Republic of Korea. We will also regain our status as a hero superpower.

-
Then, what do you think about the Governor's SNS post, which is currently causing controversy?

-
There are two ways to interpret it. One is as a message encouraging heroes to participate in the Seoul recovery operation. The other is as an expression of dissatisfaction with some hidden intention that is not well known to us. I think it's the latter.

-
...The latter, you say?

-
It means that Hero Lee Seunghyung is inwardly reluctant to participate in the Seoul recovery operation.


The comment section at the bottom of the live video was in chaos. From insults about the opinion to insults about the professor's appearance.
Seunghyung turned off the comment section and focused on the professor's voice.

-Hwawon has only awakened for a week. I believe he had very affectionate feelings for the actress, the late Cheon Gaeul. To the point where he even acted as the chief mourner. What Agent Lee Seunghyung needs right now is not the will to participate in the Seoul recovery operation, but time to grieve the loss of a loved one....

Knock knock knock.
"Yes!"
At the knock on the door, Seunghyung turned off the news and straightened his clothes. He tapped his watch, and the door slid into the wall and opened.
"Am I interrupting?"
"Ah, no, Seonbae-nim!"
Seeing the middle-aged man blocking the doorway, Seunghyung quickly got out of bed and straightened his posture. The middle-aged man in a suit was holding a plastic bag in his right hand.
"Let's have a drink today."
"Seonbae-nim, drinking inside the headquarters is...."
As Seunghyung mentioned the regulations and fidgeted, the man chuckled and raised his hand to the CCTV in the corner of Seunghyung's ceiling.
Whoosh-
A cloud of light, shimmering with white light, formed in front of the CCTV camera. Seunghyung clicked his tongue in admiration at the phenomenon, which didn't even feel like Mana.
"As expected, Seonbae-nim's Mana control is truly amazing. I can finally see it now. Just the tip of that meticulous control. I really respect you."
"Guys like me who are short on Mana have to consider efficiency. You have plenty of Mana, so what's the point of considering efficiency? I'm sure of it. Among the current S-class heroes, you have the most Mana."
"Seonbae-nim, that's...."
Seunghyung didn't know what to do. The man entered Seunghyung's room as if it were his own home and sat down next to the table.
"Your accommodation is so bleak. No decorations at all. I recommend you save money quickly and escape this accommodation. This is not a place for people to live. It's a prison."
The man took out snacks from the plastic bag and chewed on the squid legs. Seunghyung knelt neatly opposite the man.
"Sit comfortably. What are you doing?"
"How dare I sit comfortably in front of a Seonbae-nim like you...."
"If you don't sit comfortably right now, I'll recite that line to Harang in front of you."
Seunghyung's posture relaxed as quickly as light. The man chuckled and handed him a can of beer.
"Drink up. You'll need it."
Seunghyung took the can, which felt like it had just come out of the freezer, and lowered his head. A very weak Mana energy remained in the coldness he felt in his hand.
"...I tried to hide it, but I guess I was found out."
"Just as you sense us, we sense you. It's tiring once you become an S-class hero. People should get to know each other by experiencing each other, but because we instinctively feel the nature of Mana, we end up reading each other's thoughts and feelings even if we don't want to."
Seunghyung tried to control his Mana. He had already been exposed, but the traces of Mana he emitted were filled with deep sadness.
Clang.
The cap was popped open with a refreshing sound. The man smiled as he pushed the can of beer he was holding towards Seunghyung.
"For this poor young man who gained power and lost love."
"...Isn't that a bit much coming from you, Seonbae-nim?"
The man shrugged.
"It's a sadness that only those who have experienced it know. A time when you resent everything in the world, and if there is a god, you want to grab him by the collar and throw him into the mud. A time when you hate yourself for having this power. Am I being nosy?"
"...No. You're close."
Seunghyung clinked his can of beer.
"When I awakened, someone appeared. They said they would give me power and asked me to work for world peace."
"Whoever it was must be a very righteous person. But do you know what?"
The man pointed to Seunghyung's heart and smiled.
"Awakening is a different phenomenon for each person, but the essence is the same. The self in your subconscious appears in some form and becomes objectified. It's like meta-cognition of your ability. You don't even realize it normally, but you only become aware of it when you awaken."
"How did Seonbae-nim awaken?"
At Seunghyung's question, the man frowned. Seunghyung quickly lowered his head.
"I'm sorry. I misspoke...."
"Love."
"Yes?"
The man's face was filled with bitterness and longing.
"I loved. A very short love that I will never forget for the rest of my life."
"...Was it your first love?"
The man nodded. Seunghyung thought the man in front of him looked like a natural person who had escaped from the world and attained enlightenment.
"So, Seonbae-nim has been single for 20 years-"
"You're being a bit rude. I was married to that woman. I loved her so passionately for 10 months that I could have burned the world down."
"I know you didn't register the marriage."
"How could I register it when the community center was destroyed by a Monster? Hehe."
The man crunched on the squid leg. The tough squid leg, infused with Mana, was cut in an instant.
"...How can I embrace another person when she's still in my heart? That would be disrespectful to everyone. To me, and to her."
Seunghyung took a breath at the man's serious words. He wasn't getting drunk from the alcohol due to the influence of Mana, but he felt like he was getting drunk on the sadness that the man exuded.
"How did Seonbae-nim overcome it?"
"...Overcome? There's no such thing. You carry it like a burden for the rest of your life."
The man said in a cold voice.
"You keep it in your heart for the rest of your life. So that you can meet her with dignity when you meet her in the afterlife. I don't know if there's an afterlife, though."
"...Is that so."
As Seunghyung fell into thought, the man scratched his head and added.
"You're still young, so you'll be fine. Maybe someone you love more will appear, or maybe you'll have someone you can't forget for the rest of your life like me. You can ignore it as the ramblings of a sentimental old man."
"...No. I'll keep it in mind. But."
Could someone who could give such passionate love really appear again? Seunghyung was inwardly certain that it wouldn't happen.
"Seonbae-nim."
"What."
"I heard from Princess Seolhwa. Princess Seolhwa, me, and Seonbae-nim, all three of us have to go to Seoul unconditionally."
The man's hand stopped.
"Why is that? It seems like you didn't just come here to comfort me today."
"...Are you already starting to sense Mana? That's fast. I don't know why all the pyromancers are so talented."
The man, who had been grumbling, met Seunghyung's eyes.
"Okay. I came to persuade you and go up to Seoul myself. I already heard from Youngho that you don't want to go to Seoul."
"I didn't hear about Seonbae-nim from Youngho Hyung...."
"Of course not. Because I didn't tell him. This is the second time I'm telling you. I wish I hadn't met that Harang at the City Hall. Tsk."
The man clicked his tongue and grumbled about Princess Seolhwa's actions. Saying that the girl was not modest, frivolous, and had no sense of propriety.
Seunghyung interrupted the man's muttering and asked.
"Harang has the purpose of finishing off the Monster at City Hall. But what is the reason for Seonbae-nim to participate in the Seoul recovery?"
No matter how much Seon Uicheol wanted him, he wouldn't let the man in front of him out of New Seoul. The man himself knew that well.
Nevertheless, the fact that he was talking about wanting to go to Seoul meant that there was some reason for the man to go that required him to leave New Seoul vacant.
"Are you curious?"
The man's eyes flashed. Flames began to rise in Seunghyung's eyes as well.
Seunghyung felt a huge aura from the man, who was much smaller than him. Blades of light that seemed to pierce his neck at any moment seemed to be constricting Seunghyung's entire body.
Gogogogo-
The flames in Seunghyung's eyes disappeared. The man immediately released his aura.
"Haa, haa!"
"...I guess. I can't tell you after all."
The man clicked his tongue and got up from his seat. Seunghyung was flustered by the man's suddenly cold attitude.
"Seonbae-nim?"
"It's a truth that even the President and Harang don't know yet. You're still too weak to handle this truth."
"...I'm not weak. Even if I am weak, I can be of help. I can beat the Hwama Dragon even if it appears again."
Seunghyung burned with fighting spirit. The man scoffed at the fighting spirit and opened the door.
The light that had covered the CCTV disappeared at the man's gesture. Before the door closed, the man left Seunghyung with a single word without any expression and disappeared.
"Do you really think that the true crisis of this world is dimensional gates or demon spawn?"
* * *
<At the same time, rooftop of the Cheonghwadan Guro hideout.>
"Mr. Jo Deokbae. Did I say something too shocking?"
"Of course. President Seon Uicheol was rumored to have a good personality, unlike his appearance. You stirred up that illusion and exposed the truth."
Phoenix sat on the rooftop bench and swung her legs back and forth.
"Appearances are really scary. Even if you do image making through the media, you can see the essence with your senses."
"Is that also the future knowledge you told Cheon Gaeul about?"
Phoenix smiled bashfully and nodded.
"That's right. Anyway, Seon Uicheol won't be able to capture Yeouido even in 5 years. He'll lose the entire Seoul instead. So, I took care of it in advance. It's too good to give to that human."
"That guy must be pissed. But...."
Deokbae pointed to the cube that Phoenix was fiddling with and asked.
"You said last time that you can awaken ability users with that, right?"
"Yes."
"Then why don't you just awaken Cheon Gaeul with that?"
Phoenix's actions stopped.
"You said it can do almost anything. A guy with the ability to revive even dead people as ghouls is holding a treasure like a magic lamp, so why bother Cheon Gaeul herself to awaken?"

"A magic lamp? Jo Deokbae, your taste is quite old-fashioned. To get to the point, it is possible. But..."
Phoenix said in a firm voice.
"Cheon Ga-eul must awaken on her own. Ability awakening through the Cube has a very low growth limit. Even ordinary people without talent can grow to C-class, but paradoxically, even people with A-class talent can only awaken to C-class."
"You think Cheon Ga-eul's talent is wasted? Is that all?"
Deokbae scoffed.
"What do you even want from Cheon Ga-eul? Just enough to protect Darling self? Even if Darling only becomes C-class, the country will take care of Darling with open arms. Does Cheon Ga-eul really need to rise to A-class or higher?"
"Of course. Considering what will happen to those who awaken their abilities with this in the future..."
Phoenix swallowed the rest of his words. Deokbae found it strange to see him, who loved to talk, reluctant to explain.
"I'm just... uneasy about using this. I'm worried about what might happen if something goes wrong with Cheon Ga-eul."
"Alright. Don't say it if you don't want to. You'll excitedly tell me later when you feel like it."
"...I won't."
"Sure. Anyway..."
Deokbae turned his head and continued.
"If you have any worries, tell me even a little. Don't keep it all to yourself and cause a big accident that you can't handle. You know, many hands make light work."
"What about too many cooks spoil the broth?"
"You're not the type to hand over the steering wheel to someone else, are you? Right?"
Phoenix's eyes widened. Deokbae seemed embarrassed and kept looking at his watch before turning away.
"Anyway! It's almost time. If you've rested enough, come down and let's make a plan. Don't even think about going alone and causing a ruckus."
"......Tch."
Phoenix scoffed and turned his head. Deokbae clicked his tongue, thinking about the future where Phoenix would have rushed to S Hospital like a moth to a flame if he hadn't pointed it out.
'Will it be okay?'
The Cheonghwadan car only has an accelerator, but no brake pedal or navigator. Cheon Ga-eul is the only one acting as a brake, but will it really be okay after Cheon Ga-eul is gone?
"Not my problem."
He had already died once. He was living without being able to die even after being resurrected, so Deokbae didn't care much about what happened to the world.

Chapter 39

〈 Episode 39 〉 Part 1 Chapter 3 (8)
<April 11, 2020, 22:00, Azure Flame Clan Guro Hideout.>
"In that vein, I'd like to gather some good ideas for barging into the Villain Alliance meeting."
At my words, Deokbae frowned.
"Why? You said you wanted our opinions."
"Tch."
Deokbae picked up a billiard ball and threw it at Jihwa. Jihwa was delighted, holding the C-grade Core in his hand.
"Hehehe. See? The President is a reasonable person."
"...I didn't even think of playing billiards with a Core. But were you betting on me? Just now?"
"Is there a problem? I gave it to you as a reward anyway."
There was no problem.
Even Cheon Gaeul was lying there, hugging a bunch of Cores.
"Ugh... if I do this, I can Awaken..."
The Monster Core, wrapped in my Mana, was a safe object that wouldn't attract Monsters like it did in Incheon. I placed a round table in the middle of the lounge and brought a chair to sit down. The others also brought their own chairs and sat down.
"So, if you have any good ideas, tell me. Think carefully about what I said earlier."
"Making the Villain Alliance a subsidiary organization of the Azure Flame Clan, and using them as subordinates to confront the heroes in the Seoul recovery operation... that's what you said, right?"
Cheon Gaeul rose with a somewhat uneasy look.
"Yes. So that the Villain Alliance and the heroes can destroy each other. And the Azure Flame Clan will stand above the weakened Villain Alliance. And then we occupy Seoul."
I had a plan in my head. I had already told my subordinates about the plan.
"At today's meeting, we need to announce the existence of the Azure Flame Clan and get them to join the Alliance. And we need to induce the villains to fight instead of running away."
"How are you going to do that?"
I raised my fist.
"By threatening them?"
"Suppressing them with force isn't good. Even if they are villains, they are still people. Unless Phoenix makes them all into Monsters, they will betray you someday. Fear is only temporary."
"It's good in the short term. But wasn't your goal to occupy all of southern Seoul? In the end, they'll be running away because they're scared of you, not the Monsters."
I nodded in agreement. It wasn't wrong.
"Then should we try to win them over? If you join us and fight, we'll give you Cores. Something like that?"
"Villains aren't mercenaries or hunters. If you offer them Cores, they'll try to take them from you with a knife."
"Um..."
Jihwa raised his hand, and I gestured for him to speak.
"I think it's not bad to whip them first and then give them a carrot. Show off the President's overwhelming power, and then tell them about the benefits they can get by joining the Azure Flame Clan."
"That's not bad. Hey, what can you give the villains?"
I thought about the carrot that Jihwa mentioned.
"Immortality when they become a Monster? Ah, not immortality. They can still die."
"If they're killed by heroes, they die?"
Jihwa looked a little scared, and I shook my head.
"No. I can revive them as long as I recover their Cores. If I die, the Monsters I created will also die."
"I will protect you for the rest of my life! President!"
Deokbae clicked his tongue at Jihwa's almost excessive loyalty.
"Rejected. What's so good about becoming a Monster if your life is held hostage?"
"Um, then how about safety from Monsters?"
Gaeul pointed at me and said.
"Phoenix will personally step up and defeat the Monsters. And then distribute the byproducts of the Monsters to the organizations."
"Isn't that more like a hero than a villain?"
"Do we have to act like villains? In the end, we're trying to rebuild Seoul into a city where people can live, not turn it into a paradise for villains, right?"
"We used the word 'occupy,' but that's what we're doing."
It was frustrating that villains were a necessary evil, but we didn't have any forces to mobilize right now. I wanted to mass-produce Monsters and confront the Association, but that would attract the attention of the whole world and start a war.
Monsters and evil organizations suddenly appearing in Seoul. It was the perfect provocation to attract the aggro of heroes from all over the world.
"The villains are independently interfering with the Association's operations, and at the same time, the Azure Flame Clan just looks like a simple villain organization... it's difficult. If I received this kind of script, I would immediately call out the writer."
"Well, it's because someone insisted on taking the difficult path instead of the easy one."
"...You're not talking to me, are you?"
Deokbae and Gaeul avoided my gaze. Jihwa seemed to be lost in thought.
"Um? Mr. Kim Jihwa. Do you have something on your mind?"
"No. I suddenly thought of a story where someone barges in and takes over the local organizations as his subordinates. Just like that movie."
"Oh, I think I know what you're talking about. It's an American movie, right? It came out at the very end when superhero movies were disappearing."
Gaeul raised her index finger and lifted the corners of her mouth. I clapped and praised Jihwa.
"Does that exist here too? Wow. It's implemented unnecessarily well."
"...What are you talking about?"
Deokbae couldn't join the conversation and just rolled his eyes. I guess he doesn't know.
"Subordinate Number 2, I order you to watch it later. It's something that any villain can learn from, so take notes."
"As an actor, I respect him, but seeing it used as a reference for becoming a villain... ha. It's bittersweet. That it became a textbook for villains."
"I think it's the perfect impact to refer to in the current situation."
After that, Jihwa, Gaeul, and I decided on the plot. From the appearance to the lines, actions, and even the coordination. Deokbae didn't say a word until the end of the conversation, which lasted about 10 minutes. Useless guy.
"Okay. The concept is confirmed. Hehehe. What kind of magic should I show? Pencil magic? Incineration magic?"
"...Phoenix. You're not going to kill someone there again, are you?"
Gasp. At Gaeul's remark, my heart sank.
"Oh, oh. Wouldn't it be good to have a strong first impression? Like swinging a whip once."
"You're going to annihilate everyone in the meeting, not just the low-level members."
Gaeul put her hand on her chest.
"Okay. I'll go. Pretending to be the representative of the Azure Flame Clan. I'll create the situation the way Phoenix wants without killing anyone."
"Gaeul's brain is reliable, but..."
I looked back and forth between Deokbae and Jihwa. I couldn't help but sigh.
"I'm worried about sending Gaeul alone. I'd rather go myself than send a non-combat B-grade or C-grade Monster."
"Um, I don't think that would be a good idea."
Jihwa said with an uncharacteristically confident voice.
"Someone who wanted me to participate in the Villain Alliance came to me, so I know. I've even been there once. Those people think of abilities as a caste system from the Joseon Dynasty. The higher the ability, the higher the person is. People who don't have abilities are treated worse than humans. They're practically slaves, especially women, who are treated as sexual playthings..."
Gaeul's face crumpled.
"Are you saying that? You, Lighthouse?!"
"Yes? Ah, no! I think you're misunderstanding something, but I haven't done anything like that yet! What power do I have to do something like that!"
Jihwa vehemently denied it, even getting up from his seat, and Gaeul gave me a look asking what happened.
"...So, you were the catalyst?"
"Ha. Seriously. You expect me to believe that?"
I asked Jihwa. It was an order.
"Jihwa, answer the question."
"Yes, yes! Ask me anything!"
"How old are you now, Jihwa?"
"Thirty-two!"
"How many girlfriends have you had so far?"
"I, I haven't had any."
"Have you ever had sex?"
"......N-n-no."
I shrugged at Gaeul as if to say, "See?" Jihwa's trembling demon eyes were bloodshot. Gaeul bowed her head to Jihwa with a very pitiful look.
"I'm sorry. Jihwa. I misunderstood."
"It's okay. Sob. I'm married to overtime, sob."
I suddenly felt sorry for Jihwa, who was trembling and holding his breath. I should give him an A-grade Core as compensation later to soothe his heart.
A little later.
Jihwa somehow calmed down. His insides must have been turned upside down, though.
"...So, I don't think it's a good idea for the President and Cheon Gaeul to go to the Villain Alliance together. Cheon Gaeul is one thing, but the President is also good-looking, so those guys will definitely ignore you as soon as they see you. One hundred percent, they'll try to suppress you with force."
"And then she'll get pissed off and try to kill them all."
Deokbae pointed at me. I didn't deny it.
"Then what should we do? I don't want a fight to break out. Phoenix, don't you have any ideas?"
"You're asking me for ideas now, ha... really. There is one way."
I tore at the veil.
I really didn't want to do that. It was too difficult to ignore Gaeul's gaze, which was shining brightly and sending me expectations.

I pointed at Deokbae and asked Jiwha,
"Jiwha. What do you think about a 2-meter-tall monster, about the size of Subordinate Number Two, escorting Cheon Ga-eul? Skill-wise, around S-class... or even higher?"
"...I think it would be threatening enough. No, it would be more than enough. Even though the organization of Sky Castle is large in terms of power, they don't have any S-class subordinates."
Deokbae tilted his head.
"Are you going to make a new monster? That S-class Core you got from catching the Tentacle Toad?"
"No. I have to use the resources I have."
I got up from my seat and glared at Ga-eul. Ga-eul, seeing my gaze, flinched and stepped back.
"Cheon Ga-eul. I'll ask you one last time. Are you really confident you can succeed? Do you believe in your acting skills enough to bet your life and future?"
"...Of course."
I had already seen enough of her will. I took off the veil, threw it to Deokbae, and moved to the window.
"I'm really taking a big risk and believing in Ga-eul."
The Mana in my body began to stir. Blue flames rose from my human form and turned into Mana.
"I really didn't want to change into this form."
Azure Flames burned away the priestly robes and wrapped around my body.

Chapter 40

〈 Episode 40 〉 Part 1 Chapter 3 (8)
<April 11, 23:55, Gangnam S Hospital Parking Lot.>
"Haaahm."
The man yawned deeply and stretched. Even with a gathering of villains from all over Seoul, the man felt no tension.
"Hey. Are you sleepy right now?"
"What else would I be doing at this hour if not sleeping? I'm a morning person."
The man fought off the pouring sleepiness and checked his watch. Five minutes before midnight. The meeting would start soon, and it would take at least three or four hours to end.
"Did everyone who's coming arrive?"
"Yeah. We're done if that Gangseo ttanggae is here. Guro's Lighthouse is too much of a coward to come out of his castle."
"What about Yeongdeungpo? No one from that side came."
"Don't know. Haven't been able to reach them for a few days. Probably got eaten by a Monster."
The man leaned against the wall, mocking the dead. It was no different from standing night watch, but no crazy bastard would attack this place.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The sound of women's heels that shouldn't be heard nearby. The sound was definitely getting closer from the darkness.
"...Hey. I'm not hearing things, am I?"
Clang. In response to his colleague's question, the man answered by drawing his sword from its sheath.
Thud, thud.
Along with the sound of high heels, came the sound of heavy footsteps. The man quickly raised his flashlight and shone it into the darkness.
"A woman?"
The flashlight beam, sweeping from bottom to top, clearly showed the silhouette of a woman.
Black high heels, light jeans. A black t-shirt tucked into the jeans that went up to her hips. And a luxurious cyan and white robe draped over it.
The woman wore a veil of a similar color to the robe, covering the lower half of her face as if draped over the bridge of her nose.
"Who are you! Why are you here?"
"...Why else would I be here, I came because of the meeting."
The woman spoke through the veil. The man thought he had heard that voice somewhere before. The woman pointed to the sword aimed at her.
"How long are you going to keep aiming that at me?"
"I'm sorry, but where are you from? I haven't heard anything about someone coming on behalf of someone else."
"Guro."
The man and his colleague chuckled. Guro was where the biggest cowards in all of Seoul gathered. So much so that Sky Castle had given up on Guro after hearing they wouldn't come.
Having learned the other party's background, the man's attitude immediately became frivolous.
"Look here. Did Lighthouse send you? Sorry, but there's no seat for Lighthouse here."
"I'm not Lighthouse."
As the woman finished speaking, blue flames flared up. The man raised his gun at the flames that brightly illuminated the surroundings in the darkness.
Bang!
A bullet was fired from the silenced pistol. The magic bullet, spewing gunpowder smoke and cutting through the night air, flew accurately towards the woman's forehead.
Clang!
With the sound of metal colliding with metal, the magic bullet disappeared. Only then did the man see the huge doll burning with blue flames.
Krrrrr.....
A giant about 2m tall, far taller than the man.
Its entire body was covered in jet-black armor, with blue flames burning between the joints. Cyan and white feathers surrounded the shoulder line. A helmet in the shape of an eagle was on its neck, and the eyes burning through it flashed as if ready to devour the man.
"Stop."
At the woman's command, the Monster withdrew its hand. A crumpled magic bullet fell from the Monster's hand, which was spread out on the floor.
Gulp.
The sound of the man swallowing filled the parking lot. The woman laughed at the man and took a step forward.
"Move. I have business with your boss."
As the man and his colleague hesitated at the woman's forcefulness, the woman walked into the building, making the sound of high heels. The Monster following behind her glared at the man and turned its head.
"...What is that?"
There was only blue flame inside the helmet, no human head. The man fainted on the spot.
* * *
[Is that such a surprising face?]
The Monster sneered. Gaeul laughed inwardly and interjected.
"Everyone is surprised when they see you for the first time. Deokbae-ssi, Jihwa-ssi, and I were all very surprised. Is that your ability?"
[No. It's called Monstrous Transformation. I'm just taking on a human form normally.]
"So, is that your true form?"
At Gaeul's words, the eagle-shaped helmet moved from side to side.
[I have a separate true form. I don't want to take it out.]
"Even your tone changes completely."
[When I'm in human form, I just act according to that appearance. Now that I've changed my form to a Monster, there's no need to maintain that tone. And it doesn't suit me to say that in this form.]
"...Is this communication through Mana? Is that it? It's hard to tell because there's no sound."
Gaeul turned her head and met the Monster, Phoenix's eyes.
The blue flame burning under the eagle's beak was clearly 'staring at Gaeul,' Gaeul felt.
"Your tone is definitely like a man's. How about talking like this usually?"
[...This is not something I can control. It changes depending on the form.]
"...Hmph. I understand."
Gaeul stopped in front of the hallway. At the end of the hallway was the restaurant where the heads of the criminal organization were gathered.
"......I'm a little nervous."
[You can give up now. I can change to human form and go in.]
"I'm just nervous, not saying I don't want to do it, okay? Just."
Gaeul's hands trembled. The moment the man shot at her just now, Gaeul clearly felt the fear of death.
Phoenix's black gauntlet gripped Gaeul's hand tightly.
[Don't be afraid.]
The blue flame flowing out from between the metal-like textured gloves warmly wrapped around Gaeul's hand.
[At this moment, you are the safest person in the world.]
The flame in Phoenix's helmet flickered. It looked like a smile, and Gaeul opened her mouth as if possessed.
[I will protect you by your side. Remember. That I am by your side.]
With those words, Phoenix disappeared. The magic of invisibility, invisible to the human eye. Gaeul lowered her head, feeling the warm sensation of her hand being squeezed tightly.
[What's wrong? You seem a little feverish.]
"........"
Gaeul's pace quickened.
* * *
<April 12, 00:00, Gangnam S Hospital Restaurant.>
"Is everyone here?"
A middle-aged man in a fedora looked around the people sitting in the restaurant.
Those sitting at the table responded by raising their hands or nodding. The man asked the villain sitting next to him in an empty seat.
"What about the Guro and Yeongdeungpo guys?"
"We didn't contact Guro, and Yeongdeungpo is out of contact."
The middle-aged man, Sky Castle, stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
"Cowards. They ran away."
Sky Castle's eyes shone under his fedora. The representatives of the organizations gathered from each region swallowed their breaths at the force emitted by the Quasi-S-Class.
There were a few A-Classes, but no man was closer to S-Class than Sky Castle. That was also the reason why Sky Castle was the de facto representative of this alliance.
"That's why I said we shouldn't accept cowards..."
"It's wise. It's strange that they didn't run away when they were making a fuss about two S-Classes coming, isn't it?"
The man sitting at the end of the table mocked Sky Castle. The only man in this alliance who kept rebelling against Sky Castle was the head of the organization that integrated Gangseo-gu, Ttanggae.
"Shut up, ttonggae."
Ttanggae raised his index finger and shook it from side to side. They, who had the huge forces of Gangnam and Gangseo in the east and west, always disagreed and bickered.
In fact, the alliance was divided into two factions.
"Let's look at reality. The Seoul recovery operation? It sounds good. Isn't the reality that they're coming to catch and arrest the villains?"
Other leaders made sounds of agreement at Ttanggae's point. As he said, the heroes of New Seoul would not end the operation simply by defeating the Monsters.
"What will happen if we are arrested by the heroes and go under their feet? Half of us will rot for the rest of our lives in the New Seoul underground prison, and half of us will become government hunting dogs and wear pine trees around our necks. Heh heh."
Ttanggae pointed to his neck. There was a pine tree-shaped scar left on his neck where the skin had been peeled off. Sky Castle raised his Mana and pressured Ttanggae.
"So, are you going to run away with your tail between your legs? Without even trying to fight?"
"Of course, we have to run away if we lose if we fight. I think we should pack our bags and run away right now, not gather like this."
Ttanggae also began to generate Mana. As the names Sky and Ttang were different, their thoughts were poles apart.
"Seoul is land abandoned by the country. We became the owners of that land, so why should we have to give it back? What have the New Seoul guys who blew up the bridges and ran away done for Seoul all this time!"
"They haven't done anything. But if you don't have the power to protect your land or money, you have to save your life. It's absolutely impossible for mere peripheral criminal organizations to take on the country. Sky Castle, you're old enough to know, the war on crime. Isn't that right?"
Ttanggae scanned the audience. Already, the heads of other organizations were slowly wavering.
"Stop it. We didn't gather here today to run away. This is a meeting to think about how we can fight."
"Tsk. The Gangnam landowner, Sky Castle, can't give up, can he? A villain alliance? It sounds fancy, but it's actually just a bunch of neighborhood gangsters. Do you think we can win against the heroes if we unite and fight?"
Ttanggae tapped the table.
"Wake up. The answer is to liquidate everything and flee overseas. Seongnam and Incheon have already put a bounty on us and issued an arrest warrant. We have to somehow gather money and flee to China or Russia. That's the only way to survive now."
"Then why are you still here?"
Ttanggae shrugged.
"I've already liquidated everything and come here. I'm going to watch you guys screw up and run away. Gangseo is now a no man's land. Heh heh."
Ttanggae smiled bitterly, pointing to the inside of his vest. The heads of the organizations began to waver properly at the fact that Ttanggae, who valued protecting his property more than taking care of his parents, had finished preparing to run away.
This wouldn't do. Just as Sky Castle was about to change the atmosphere, a voice came from beyond the door.
"Oh my. That's great."
Tap. Tap.
The sound of high heels coming from the restaurant entrance. The eyes of the villains gathered in the restaurant turned automatically.
"I was going to try to occupy Gangseo anyway."
The villains began to panic at the sudden appearance of a woman in the restaurant.
"How did you get in?!"
"Of course, I walked in through the front door. So, you were the owner of Gangseo?"
The woman glared at Ttanggae with her eyes, even though she was covering half of her face with a veil. There was ridicule and mockery mixed in her gaze.
"Can I say hello in advance? That land is ours now."
"You crazy...!"
Ttanggae kicked the table and jumped up.
Crack!
At the same time, stone thorns burst out of the floor and rushed towards the woman.
"This...!"
Just as Sky Castle was surprised and tried to move his Mana, a huge Mana moved in front of the stone thorns.
Koo-oong!
With the flow of enormous Mana, the stone thorns exploded and scattered. Ttanggae, who was following the stone thorns behind, rolled on the floor, covered in the aftermath of the explosion.
"Kuaaaak!"
The woman, who pushed Ttanggae with her shoe, who had needle-like rocks embedded all over his body, checked her seat.
"Nameplate? It's really formal."
The woman pushed aside the chairs of Yeongdeungpo and Gangseo among the areas placed on the table and sat proudly in Guro.
Sky Castle, who stopped the agitated villains with his hand, asked.
"Where is Lighthouse?"
"He's busy cleaning windows in Guro. Now Guro is 'ours'."
"Is Yeongdeungpo your doing too?"
"Oh my. You're smart? As expected of a Y University professor?"
Sky Castle made a sound of agreement. The other party already knew his identity. No one gathered here knew Sky Castle's identity.
"...Who are you from?"
"The guys outside were asking that too, so I guess they're subordinates. Since we're meeting, I'll introduce myself."
The woman stood up, placed her hand lightly on her chest, and bowed her head.
"I'm Masquerade of the Qinghwa Clan, a villain organization that has occupied the entire Guro area. I came to discuss something with you villains ahead of the Seoul recovery operation."

Looking at the woman before him, Haneulseong doubted the flow of Mana he felt.
An Incompetent. But the chilling aura emanating from behind her proved that there was something beyond his level of understanding.
Of course, only a select few within this coalition, those at the A-rank level, could sense it. The B-rank leaders were displeased with the woman who had suddenly appeared and was acting like the master.
"Hmph! I don't know where you crawled out from, but if you're new, you have to go through an initiation ceremony!"
A man in a tank top cracked his knuckles and charged at Masquerade.
The woman, without a flicker of movement, stared blankly at the man's fist.
"...!"
Haneulseong saw it. The gigantic Monster that was closely guarding the woman. The Monster, revealing its presence for a fleeting moment to protect her, grabbed the man's fist and flung him out the window.
Crash!
The leaders began to panic as they watched the man fly several meters and get thrown out of the building.
"A, an esper with telekinesis?!"
No. Haneulseong was certain. The Monster behind the woman, which had concealed itself again, was especially glaring at him among the many members.
"A bizarre...human?"
His instinct as a scholar surged forth, trying to define the being. A human possessing ferocity akin to a Monster. A human with monstrous Mana.
If one couldn't call it a 'freak,' then what else could it be?
Bang!
The woman slammed her palm on the table, drawing the attention of everyone present.
"Then, let's begin the discussion. About how to protect Seoul."
Beneath the veil, Cheon Gaeul's smile was full of confidence.

Chapter 41

〈 Episode 41 〉 Part 1, Chapter 3 (9)
"The government has officially declared that it will reclaim Seoul. None other than President Seon Uicheol himself."
As Gaeul spoke, the villains listened intently. Whether it was due to her mysterious aura or their starvation for beautiful women, the villains were captivated by Gaeul's voice.
"So far, the number of heroes who have expressed their intention to participate, both officially and unofficially, exceeds 100. In effect, the heroes who were in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon are now advancing towards Seoul. And they're not just mediocre C and B-ranks like you guys, but seasoned A-ranks with extensive combat experience against Monsters."
"Are you looking down on us-"
"I'm talking here."
One of the villains got angry and stood up, but when Gaeul raised a finger and pointed it at him, the villain meekly sat back down.
"And I hear two S-ranks are coming along with them. Do any of you have an S-rank? Anyone here, speak up."
The villains all fell silent. Only Haneulseong confidently opened his mouth.
"If the entire organization rushes in, we might be able to do something. Can your organization beat two S-ranks?"
"Of course. It's possible. Both of them."
At Gaeul's confident assertion, Ttanggae, who had just finished healing his wound with Mana, stood up and shouted.
"Bullshit! There's no ability user in Korea who can beat that Ice Block! Or that Fire Fist or whatever his name is!"
"We came here because we can win. If you fight under our Cheonghwadan, we can beat heroes? The Association? It's simple, isn't it?"
Ttanggae pointed to his neck as if he was dumbfounded. The scar where his skin tissue had been peeled off had a pine tree pattern branded on it like a mark.
"Do you know what this is? It's the slave brand of villains who were captured by those damn government bastards and 're-socialized.' The one who arrested me and threw me in jail was Saintess Seolhwa!"
"That's because you were weak and got caught, right? We're different."
"Ha, if you can win, then your organization should take care of it themselves. Why are you here causing a ruckus?"
Gaeul crossed her legs. The line of her jeans revealed as the cassock slipped down made Ttanggae gulp.
"I'm giving you a chance. A chance to join our Cheonghwadan. Anyone who joins right now will be recommended as an executive. How about it?"
The villains burst into laughter. The smile never left Gaeul's face.
"A chance? Hahaha! Who do you think we are, some beggars from the neighborhood!"
"Just because you can use a little telekinesis, you're acting all high and mighty, lady. If you're older and weaker than Saintess Seolhwa, then shut up. Don't be jealous."
The corners of Gaeul's lips twisted slightly. Rough Mana rose from her trembling shoulders. Gaeul casually placed her hand on her shoulder.
"Without wasting any more time, I'll ask you now. Is there anyone who wants to join our Cheonghwadan?"
Of course, no one raised their hand. Gaeul shrugged her eyebrows as if she had expected it and continued.
"Okay. It's understandable that it's difficult to make a decision when I suddenly ask you to join our organization. You all have your own organizations and pride. So, I'll give a chance to just one person, just one person."
Gaeul's eyes scanned the villains. Gaeul's hand, which had been walking her index and middle fingers across the table, pointed to the man across from her.
A piece of paper with Songpa, Black Goat written on it was attached to the man's seat.
"You, you're a B-rank, right?"
"No? I'm an A-rank?"
Gaeul smiled at Black Goat's composed attitude.
"Even if you're on the edge of B-rank, it's different from A-rank. It's not like they'll pass you if you get 79 points on an 80-point cut-off exam, right?"
"Okay. I'm just a B-rank who hasn't become an A-rank yet. So, what do you want to say?"
Black Goat stood up. Crimson flames soared from his hands.
"Tell me if you want to burn to death right now. I'll burn you all without leaving a single bone-"
"Our Cheonghwadan will raise your ability. To A-rank right now."
Black Goat's flames went out. Black Goat's eyes shook as he looked around, stunned by the shocking declaration. The others were also speechless, dumbfounded.
"Th, this is a seriously crazy bitch. Haneulseong! How long are you going to let this go on? Let's get rid of her right now and start the meeting properly!"
"...Wait."
Haneulseong raised his hand to stop the other villain and pointed to Black Goat, who had stood up. The torn eyes beneath his white eyebrows were staring at Gaeul, and then at her back.
"Cheonghwadan of Guro, you said?"
"We're also in Yeongdeungpo, but yes. It's Cheonghwadan."
"If you really want your organization to gain a voice here, prove your strength."
"How?"
Haneulseong calmed his trembling Mana and pointed to Black Goat, who had stood up.
"As you said, make that man an A-rank right now."
"Really? Easy."
Gaeul immediately climbed onto the table. The men swallowed as her high heels walked across the table and her legs were revealed through the robe.
"Head."
Gaeul stood in front of Black Goat and reached out her right hand. Black Goat, as if being baptized, was dumbfounded and asked Haneulseong.
"Haneulseong, do I really have to do this?"
"Do it. I'll move right away if you do anything weird."
"If you say so, brother."
Black Goat overcame his anxiety and put his hands together in a sarcastic manner.
"So, which god should I believe in now? God? Buddha? Allah? Ah, did you create a new religion or something?"
Gaeul frowned for a moment.
"...Sun."
"What?"
Gaeul raised her veil further with her left hand and continued. Gaeul's neck, visible through the veil, was slightly reddened.
"Say 'Hail the Sun' once."
"Puhahahahaha!"
Black Goat grabbed his stomach and fell over. The other villains were not much different.
"Heh, the country has the Pine Tree Unit running wild, and now a cult has entered Seoul! Heh, okay. Is this how you do it?"
Black Goat knelt on one knee and stretched out his arms towards Gaeul as if he was being knighted. His face was full of mockery.
"Hail the Sun! Heh, hahaha! ......Huh?"
The Mana inside Black Goat's body was boiling. The skin all over his body cracked and dandruff flaked off. Crimson flames began to burn on Black Goat's body.
"I knew she was crazy-"
"Stooooooop!!"
Haneulseong immediately froze the men who were about to stand up with their weapons, as he raised his Mana with a roar.
"What the hell!"
Ttanggae looked back and forth between Gaeul and Black Goat with disbelieving eyes. The gaze he exchanged with Haneulseong made it clear that they were thinking the same thing.
"Is it really an Awakening?"
The growth of an ability user to the next stage. Ttanggae, who had personally experienced how much time and effort it took to go from B-rank to A-rank, could not believe the scene before his eyes.
"Oh, oh, oh! Hyaaaaa! Keuoooooeeoooooeeoooooo!"
Tears flowed from Black Goat's eyes as he let out a bizarre scream that was difficult to express in words. The crimson flames burning all over his body were a clearer color than the murky color before.
Crack.
Black Goat's skin, which had burned away even the dandruff and waste on his body, became as smooth as a newborn baby's. And the villains could feel it.
"He...evolved to A-rank…?"
Those who were in B-rank realized that Black Goat had risen to a higher level than them, and those who were in A-rank realized that someone who was below them had risen to the same level as them in an instant.
"Ha, Hail the Sun!"
A villain from Gangdong jumped up from his seat. There was a desperate look in his eyes as well. The other villains looked similar.
"Hmph. The last bus has left."
Gaeul ignored the gaze and went down from the table and sat back in her seat.
"Can we resume the meeting now? I think this is enough."
All the participants nodded, then looked at Haneulseong. Haneulseong didn't seem to be stopping Gaeul anymore, and was instead as anxious as the others.
Haneulseong was the most frustrated of them all, as he was the one who had not been able to reach the next level. Haneulseong asked urgently.
"What method did you use to forcibly Awaken the ability?"
"I can't tell you that. If you want to know."
Gaeul pointed her index finger to the ground.
"Join our Cheonghwadan. Then, we'll give you appropriate rewards according to your ability and contribution. And don't forget that the Awakening of your ability is also...included in those rewards."
"Then why did you just Awaken that guy!"
Ttanggae was angry at the unfairness. Gaeul snickered at him, hiding her laughter.
"The promotion is over, you idiot. You guys know best how difficult Awakening is, right? In that sense, you're lucky. Because you had the courage to step up as a guinea pig."
At Gaeul's words, Black Goat knelt down and was deeply moved.
"Pl, please take me with you! I'll join your organization!"
Black Goat's eyes had been captivated by Gaeul since earlier. The other villains glared at Black Goat with sullen expressions.
"Without any loyalty...."
"Shut up! She's the one who made me an A-rank! She's a Saintess sent by God! No, she's a God!"
Even Gaeul was fed up with the fanatical behavior. It reminded her of the materials she had referred to when she filmed a drama about a cult in the past.
Gaeul gathered her attention with a dry cough.
"Ahem. If you want to join us, come to Yeouido at noon tomorrow."
"Yeouido? That Demon Realm?"
Ttanggae sneered.
"Hey. That's the island where the S-rank Monster lives. The only passage across the Han River. Even suicidal people don't go to Yeouido anymore."
"Don't come if you don't want to. We don't need cowards."
Gaeul got up from her seat.
"You don't have to fight to rebel against the country. You can run away if you want to. But...."
Whoosh.
When Gaeul put her hand on the table, blue flames erupted all over the table. Gaeul smiled as she watched the surprised villains quickly get up from their seats and step back, and raised her hand.
Her delicate and beautiful fingers pointed to the villains one by one.
"Songpa, Gangnam, Seocho, Dongjak, Geumcheon, Yangcheon, Gangseo.... Is Gwanak missing because of the Dimensional Gate incident last time? Hmm."
Gaeul made eye contact with the villains representing each region one by one. As if she was going to remember their faces.
"When our Cheonghwadan occupies Seoul, those who run away without fighting will never be able to set foot in Seoul again."
The villains were silent at the firm warning. Just as Gaeul was about to turn around and leave, Ttanggae blocked her way.
"Where are you going! Th, that's right! You're actually a spy from the Association, aren't you?! You're planning to call us to Yeouido and arrest us all! And then you'll brand us with the Pine Tree Mark!"
"Haven't you been having too many delusions since earlier?"
"Shut up! Saintess? God? Don't talk nonsense! This bitch is a witch! A witch who will drive us to our deaths!"
Ttanggae, who was spitting as he swung a sword made of concrete, seemed somewhat insane. Gaeul shook her head as if she felt sorry for him.
"I don't want to kill you. I want to save you."
"Stop talking bullshit!"
Ttanggae rushed at Gaeul with his concrete sword. Haneulseong and Black Goat were surprised and tried to rush in, but Ttanggae was faster than them.
"Dieeeee!"
Gaeul simply lifted her robe slightly.
[.......]
Halt.
Ttanggae dropped the sword he had raised high. His eyes were frantically following the beads hanging from the inside of Gaeul's robe.
"If I wanted to kill you, I would have released these and killed you a long time ago. Wouldn't I?"
When Gaeul took off her robe, countless beads rolled across the restaurant floor. The villains were horrified when they saw what the beads were.
They were all C~B rank Cores.
"Why are you so surprised?"
Gaeul picked up one of the Cores and threw it at Ttanggae. Ttanggae threw himself and caught the Core cutting through the air with both hands. And he opened his mouth when he saw the blue membrane surrounding the Core.
"This is...a Core?"
"Unless you intentionally tear it, it won't be detected by the detectors. I brought plenty, so take them with you when you're done. It's an invitation to come to Yeouido."
Gaeul waved her hand and walked out of the restaurant. After the owner who scattered the invitations left, the villains began to look at each other, eyeing the dozens of Cores rolling on the floor.
"......M, me first!"
"You bastard! This is mine!!"
The villains jumped up from their seats and began to pick up the Cores. Only Haneulseong sat in his chair with his eyes closed, suffering.
* * *
A little later, in the sky above Gangnam.
"Gaeul, be honest with me. You have a lot of experience, but you've never won a Best Actress award, have you?"

"Are you ignoring my acting right now?"
Autumn pouted, and Phoenix burst into a hearty laugh. From the moment they left S Hospital, Phoenix had transformed into his human form, scooped Autumn into his arms, and slowly flew towards Guro. Blue flames flickered from his wings in the night sky.
"I'm not ignoring it, but if it's about threatening people, I think I'd be better at it."
"...Not acting?"
"Nope. For real."
Phoenix smiled, twirling his veil. Autumn, startled by the sudden, powerful flapping of his wings, tightened her grip around his neck.
"B-but won't we get caught if we fly around with our wings out like this at night?"
Behind Phoenix, who had returned to his human form, smaller wings than usual fluttered.
"It's okay. I've cast an anti-detection spell, and we won't show up on satellites. We've climbed high enough that no one can see us with the naked eye."
"Magic...? Just how many abilities can you use, Phoenix?"
"Whether it's an ability or magic, using Mana is all the same. Hmm, I can use almost all of them except for healing magic. Healing magic is exclusive to water attribute users, and it's incompatible with me."
"...You're rambling again, aren't you?"
Phoenix blinked, smiling. He seemed to be searching for a different topic.
"I've cast a warming spell on you, Autumn, can't you feel it? It must have been cold already, since we're so high up."
"...How high have we climbed?"
"Where airplanes fly?"
"Eek." Autumn pressed herself closer to Phoenix. Although she was being carried in a princess carry, Phoenix's arms supporting her felt weightless.
Unfortunately for Autumn, Phoenix was much smaller than her.
"Can't you just hold me in your monster form instead?!"
"No. That's only called a 'humanoid' monster form, but it's not human, so my way of thinking and intentions change drastically. It's like I'm not myself."I guess your tone changes too." Ah."
Autumn exclaimed as if she had realized something.
"The bet! What happens to the bet?! I did everything you told me to, but it just ended with telling me to come to Yeouido!"
A script had been prepared, but basically all of Autumn's statements were actions and words dictated by Phoenix from behind the scenes.
Phoenix would speak, and Autumn would improvise her statements. Of course, it wasn't Autumn who awakened the villain in Gangdong, but Phoenix, who was hidden behind Autumn in invisibility.
"The bet is on hold because we failed to persuade the villains. We succeeded in showing off the Cheonghwa Order's power to the villains, but we didn't exactly recruit them as subordinates, did we? Your villain acting was so bad, Autumn, that I was just going to accept them later, so I postponed it-"
"Hey!"
Autumn shouted, cutting off Phoenix's long-winded speech. Phoenix momentarily stopped flapping his wings in mid-air and stood still.
"Are you messing with me right now! I said and did everything you told me to, and that's why things turned out this way! If I did as you said, you should take responsibility for the results... right...?"
Autumn's voice trailed off. Phoenix looked at Autumn without a word, then lifted her upper body.
Thump. Autumn held her breath as their faces drew closer.
"Cheon Ga-eul."
Phoenix whispered in her ear.
"You can speak casually when it's just the two of us."
"Huh?"
Phoenix spread his wings wide and increased his speed.
"Then shall we return to the hideout and prepare for the next step?! Do you like roller coasters, Autumn?"
"Eek! Stop, stop! Why are you suddenly going so fast?!"
"I'll tell you the results of the bet when we get to Guro! If that's the case, we should go faster, right?"
"What?! Hey, hey! Kyaaaaaa!"
Autumn screamed, clinging tighter to Phoenix as he performed acrobatic maneuvers, going left and right, up and down, and even spinning around.
Phoenix's face was full of mischief.

Chapter 42

〈 Episode 42 〉 Part 1 Chapter 3 (10)
<April 12, 2020, 5:00 AM, Government Complex, Presidential Office.>
Creak.
The door to the office, which should have been empty, opened. Normally, the alarm should have gone off when the office door opened at this early hour, but it didn't. The person inside was already at work.
"You've come."
The man inside the office, Seon Ui-cheol, offered the man a seat. The middle-aged man in a suit hesitated before plopping down. A strong smell of alcohol emanated from him.
"What's so important that you had to drag me here?"
The man's tone was extremely blunt. It was hard to believe he was talking to the President of a country; he didn't hide his animosity towards Seon Ui-cheol.
Seon Ui-cheol silently accepted the animosity and offered the man tea.
"Drink up. It's Mana herbal tea made in Yuseong. They say it's perfect for recovering from fatigue."
"I'm not tired, so get to the point."
"You're an S-Class Awakened, so you can fly around all day, but a powerless person like me needs this to work after sleeping only two hours a day. I even quit coffee after drinking this."
"Just get to the point."
A golden light flickered in the man's eyes. Seon Ui-cheol calmly put down the tea, unfazed by the man's open display of Mana-fueled irritation.
"Don't go to Seoul."
"I refuse."
Twitch. Seon Ui-cheol's eyebrows furrowed. It was as if a rabid dog, chained and unable to leave the yard, was lunging at its owner, ready to sever its own leash.
"Do you know what you're saying? You're refusing my order?"
"I know. But I still have to go."
"...Fine. There must be a reason you're being so stubborn."
Seon Ui-cheol took a sip of tea. The refined Mana in the herbal tea invigorated his body.
"Explain it to me. Explain why you have to go to Seoul, even if it endangers the safety of five million residents of New Seoul."
"New Seoul won't be in danger just because I'm gone, will it?"
"Do you know how many citizens of the Republic of Korea are hanging on your every word?"
The man gritted his teeth.
"I'm just a half-crippled hero who got injured on the Pyongyang front and can't even fight properly anymore. So why are you so desperate to restrain me?"
"Nevertheless, you are still the nation's greatest hero. As the kids say these days, 'Form is temporary, but class is permanent'... or something like that? And besides,"
Seon Ui-cheol grinned like a predator. Ever since his days as a potential presidential candidate in Yeouido, his sharp features had been reminiscent of a snake.
"It's not like your form has declined in the first place; you're just hiding it. Enough Mana and power to easily join the Round Table."
"...I thought we agreed to keep that a secret."
Gwanggeom's Mana turned cold. Seon Ui-cheol felt a momentary tremor from the blade of Mana that seemed ready to stab him.
"Killing me won't do you any good. That secret you're hiding... if I die, it will spread all over the world. Do you think only you will suffer? Gwanggeom was actually in Pyongyang..."
"Surely you haven't told anyone."
"Of course not. It's just that if I die, that information will be leaked to the black market. Would I break the promise I made with you? I put a leash on you even while giving up the title of a Round Table hero-holding country."
"...Now that Lee Seung-hyeong is here, just leave me alone. Can't you just make Lee Seung-hyeong a hero, like you've been doing so well?"
Seon Ui-cheol shook his head at Gwanggeom's words.
"Lee Seung-hyeong isn't ready yet. He doesn't have as much experience as you, nor as many achievements. Do you think Lee Seung-hyeong can replace the name of Gwanggeom, Heo Yun-hwan?"
"So that's why you brought up the Seoul Reclamation Operation with those achievements? Is the feat of killing the Hwama Dragon not enough?"
"Listen, Yun-hwan."
Seon Ui-cheol took off his glasses. The scar below his left eye twitched.
"No matter how many Demon Species you catch, it doesn't resonate with the people. They can't understand the fear unless they experience it themselves. But Seoul is different. The sorrow and anger of losing the country are already etched in our people's genes. It's just that this time, it's the capital."
"If that's the goal, you can just send Lee Seung-hyeong. Why did you even call Seolhwa Princess to Seoul?"
"Hahahaha!"
Seon Ui-cheol laughed loudly, uncharacteristically. The guffaw, accompanied by knee-slapping, echoed throughout the office.
"Even the great Gwanggeom is still human! So, that's what's bothering you? You're too worried about sending Seolhwa Princess to Seoul!"
"...I won't deny it. You know how a father feels about his daughter, don't you?"
"Seolhwa Princess isn't your daughter. I was so suspicious of your overprotectiveness that I even secretly looked into getting a DNA test. You care for your disciple like she's your own daughter. Whoever her real parents are, they must be envious. Seolhwa Princess is."
"........"
Gwanggeom drank the tea as if his throat was parched. As Seon Ui-cheol said, the herb containing Mana extracted from the Core invigorated his body.
Seon Ui-cheol also took a sip to moisten his throat.
"I'll say this clearly so you don't misunderstand. The government didn't call Seolhwa Princess."
"......What?"
Gwanggeom's eyebrows furrowed deeply.
"What do you mean? If the government didn't call her, why would she come all the way here from Busan?"
"I knew it. I knew it. You talked to Seolhwa Princess directly, didn't you? So she was so determined that she even lied to her master. Heh heh."
Seon Ui-cheol quickly continued as Gwanggeom's aura intensified.
"We spread rumors through various channels even before officially announcing the Seoul Reclamation Operation. In fact, Seolhwa Princess wasn't in my plan. This Seoul Reclamation Operation is supposed to be a stage solely for Lee Seung-hyeong to be the protagonist. But...."
Seon Ui-cheol licked his lips. It was just like a snake eyeing its prey.
"She requested it herself. She asked to participate in this Seoul Reclamation Operation. So much so that she even asked me to keep it a secret from you."
"Seok Ha-rang, that little...!"
Gwanggeom was displeased that Seok Ha-rang had deceived her master, but at the same time, he was surprised that his disciple had reached a level similar to his own.
Seok Ha-rang had already reached an incredible level, even hiding her emotional exposure from her master.
"I don't know if she's grown rapidly recently or if she's gained enlightenment and reached a higher level. But if she's actively trying to clear her past trauma, how can I stop her? As a citizen, I've just given her as much support as possible. If things go well, she might even get rid of that cunning snake in City Hall."
"...I understand. Then let's do this."
Gwanggeom finished his tea and slammed the cup down.
"Remove Seolhwa Princess. I'll go instead."
"No. Absolutely not. Didn't you hear what I said? This operation is for Lee Seung-hyeong-"
"If that's not possible, I'll go with them. All three S-Classes."
Seon Ui-cheol's hand, which was about to pick up the cup, froze at the extreme statement. He was puzzled by the feeling of impatience he sensed from Gwanggeom.
"What are you so afraid of? Has the Monster in City Hall become stronger than an S-Class? Is it that rumored SS-Class Monster?"
"That guy is nothing. Hwaryeong and Seolhwa Princess can easily defeat that Monster. But...."
Gwanggeom swallowed his words. He seemed to be trying to explain something, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Seon Ui-cheol chuckled at Gwanggeom's uncharacteristically anxious appearance.
"Haha. Gwanggeom is just worried about letting his children go near the water. It would have been a disaster if you had gotten married and had kids. Heh heh."
"........"
Seon Ui-cheol drank the last drop of herbal tea.
"Don't worry. Lee Seung-hyeong isn't just my nephew; he's a guy with real strong will and ability. And you've been watching Seolhwa Princess for a long time, so there's no need to say anything more. Those two should now become the two-headed chariot leading the new generation."
The generational shift of heroes is faster than expected. This is partly because so few people awaken as heroes, but also because most are injured in battles with Monsters and retire before reaching a high level.
"How long will we continue to entrust national affairs to you, Pungbaek, Usa, and Unsa? China has already begun a generational shift centered around Unjang. We need to move in line with that as well. The new generation. What a wonderful word."
"...I understand. So please let me go."
"......Since when has Gwanggeom been so clingy and baring his teeth to his owner?"
Seon Ui-cheol's eyes twitched slightly.
"Is there even a Monster that you and two S-Classes can barely defeat? Did the Monster from Pyongyang come down to Seoul without me knowing? I don't understand. Why are you being so stubborn? Give me a reason to send you to Seoul, even if it means breaking my plan. A reason that all five million people in New Seoul, including me, can agree with."
"...I can't say."
Seon Ui-cheol waved his hand, dismissing him.
"Then it's absolutely impossible. You need to stay in New Seoul. What on earth is making you so afraid?"
Gwanggeom closed his eyes. The faint energy that he kept feeling from Seoul. It was a sign of death that was all too familiar to him.
Should he reveal everything? But Gwanggeom couldn't trust Seon Ui-cheol in front of him. It was a secret he hadn't even told Yu Young-ho yet. Gwanggeom quietly walked out the door and said to Seon Ui-cheol at the door.
"I understand. But promise me this one thing."
"What is it now?"
"If anything happens to Lee Seung-hyeong and Seok Ha-rang, send me to Seoul immediately."
Seon Ui-cheol picked up the cup, ready to throw it, but barely managed to put it down. Calming himself, Seon Ui-cheol swallowed his anger and spat out the words.
"No."
* * *
<April 12, 2020, 5:00 AM, Guro Cheonghwadan Hideout.>
"Seon Ui-cheol will never let Gwanggeom go up to Seoul. The safety of New Seoul is one thing, but the moment Gwanggeom knows the origin of this cube, he'll immediately rush to New Seoul and cut off Seon Ui-cheol's head."
I pointed to the cube on the table. The cube was sealed like a capsule by my Mana, preventing anyone from touching it.
"Gwanggeom and Seon Ui-cheol each hold each other's weaknesses, but Seon Ui-cheol currently has a stronger leash. So, you can assume that the S-Classes coming to Seoul this time are Hwaryeong and Seolhwa Princess."
"I know the cube is dangerous, but why does Gwanggeom want to kill Seon Ui-cheol? Even if New Seoul is in danger, if this is so important, I would send all three S-Classes."
Deok-bae asked, holding up the capsule. Only Deok-bae and I were in the room.
"Do you remember the Tentacle Toad? The congressman who stabbed Seon Ui-cheol in the face and stole the cube and ran away."
"Yeah."
"He's Gwanggeom's close friend. Almost like a sworn brother."
"...Gwanggeom and that Tentacle Toad are sworn brothers?"
I chuckled and nodded.
"Even if they grew up in the same place, they have different environments and meet different people after coming out into society. You know it too, right? How different people can become depending on their environment. Just like Cheon Ga-eul isn't Masquerade."
Guro, which had become a living hell, became a haven where Cheon Ga-eul could rest for a while. Deok-bae put down the capsule.
"So, what happened to the bet in the end? Cheon Ga-eul went straight into the room as soon as she arrived."
"I let her do what she wanted. I was proud of her for going into a criminal den even though she was so scared, and she conveyed my intentions perfectly even while putting on that terrible acting. Above all... I was grateful that she reminded me of the old days."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's something like that."
Just like her Mana level was the same, Cheon Ga-eul was Cheon Ga-eul.
"I wasn't really planning on receiving any compensation for the bet, even if Cheon Ga-eul failed. In the first place, I'm just taking her to New Seoul in three days, and that's the end of it."
"...Does the danger disappear if you take her to New Seoul?"
I smiled, pointing to my veil.
"I'm going to give her this as a farewell gift. This thing defends against all attacks below S-Class like a charm."
"Why don't you just stick by Cheon Ga-eul's side and live there?"

"Will that happen later?"
"......?"
Deok-bae's bewildered expression is always amusing to see. Until Chun Ga-eul woke up, I excitedly talked about what would happen after the work in Seoul was over.
* * *
"Huh? Dad. Yeah. Sorry for calling so late."
"Isn't it almost dawn there? Does Mom not have work? What? ...Don't do that. I can come back soon. I'll go straight into filming when I get back."
"Yeah. The person who saved me here said I can probably get out of Seoul in three days. Because of the dimensional gate, a Monster is blocking the road, so I have to go around a bit. Just bear with it for three days."
"So just wait a little longer. Don't bother trying to find me. Just make me some soybean paste stew when I get back. It's been so long since I had Mom's soybean paste stew that I can't even eat rice anymore."
"Funeral? Insurance? ...The death certificate has already been filed? Why is Lee Seung-hyung the chief mourner?"
"What? Really? Wow, I didn't see him like that, he's such a sly fox. When I was doing well, he was all 'Unni, Unni' and said he liked me, but as soon as the audition came up, he put his profile in right away? That's amazing, really."
"Yeah, okay. I'll be careful. Huh? No, it's a woman. The person who saved me. She's an ability user...strong...cool...but her personality is a bit strange."
"...Mom, your daughter isn't into that kind of thing, okay? What? Where does that exist in this day and age? Dad says he's okay with whatever? Is that something you should say to your only daughter? ...Ugh, never mind."
"Okay. I don't think I can call anymore. This was hard enough to get.... Yeah. Let's definitely see each other alive."
"Sorry. I really have to hang up now. Yeah. Take care of yourself."
"Love you."
Beep, beep, beep.

-The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check the number and...

Chapter 43

〈 Episode 43 〉 Part 1, Chapter 3 (11)
<April 12, 2020, 7:00 AM. Hero Association Headquarters.>
"So this is what being an S-Class is like..."
Seunghyung moved his face this way and that, observing his reflection in the mirror.
It was definitely different from when he was an A-Class. Even though he hadn't taken proper care of himself due to fatigue these past few days, his skin was smooth and flawless. As if reading Seunghyung's mind, who found grooming his beard bothersome, the stubble he used to trim every three days had vanished without a trace.
So much so that the company's stylist, who had come since dawn to do his makeup, only matched his clothes and then disappeared listlessly. He returned to the company, his shoulders slumped, lamenting the loss of one of life's joys.
7:00 AM, alarm.
A news screen popped up on his smartwatch along with the alarm. Seunghyung tidied his hair, listening to the news.
- Today, at 9:00 AM, the Association will officially announce the heroes participating in the government's Seoul Reclamation Operation. According to the information received so far, Princess Seolhwa is highly likely to participate, while Hwawon has yet to express any intention...
"Is it because I didn't do an interview?"
On the last day of Chun Gaeul's funeral, there was a reporter who shoved a smartphone in Seunghyung's face at the funeral hall, asking if he would participate in the Seoul Reclamation Operation.
Seunghyung politely declined, saying that he was in the middle of a funeral and would respond to an interview later, but because he frowned without realizing it, those around him chased the reporter away.
After the funeral, he looked for the reporter to do an interview, but the reporter had gone on vacation after receiving a torrent of abuse and criticism. Since then, no one or any media outlet had officially asked Seunghyung about his intentions through official channels.
"What should I really do?"
Thinking as a hero, he had to participate unconditionally. Even now, residents who couldn't leave Seoul were becoming refugees, suffering amidst the Monsters and villains.
But he didn't want to go to Seoul right now.
"Because of me..."
The place where Chun Gaeul died. Seunghyung couldn't shake off the guilt towards Chun Gaeul until the very last moment of the wake.
"Gwanggeom is living with this for the rest of his life..."
Seunghyung's Mana leaked out involuntarily. After reaching A-Class, his Mana control had never been disrupted by emotional turmoil, but ironically, now that he had reached S-Class, his emotional changes were even more severe.
The Director suggested taking a break and receiving psychiatric counseling. Seunghyung also thought it wasn't a bad idea.
He knew one person would be quite reluctant to hear that an S-Class hero was receiving psychiatric counseling, but he didn't care. PTSD among heroes was now commonplace.
"Hoo, let's get some air."
Seunghyung left the room and walked aimlessly down the hallway. He grabbed a can of coffee from the refrigerator and deliberately took the long way to the terrace for a walk.
Saaah--
As he stepped onto the terrace, a cold morning breeze swept through his hair. The sunlight was beginning to rise in the sky, but Seunghyung felt a chill in his side.
As he took a deep breath, absorbing the Mana in the air, Seunghyung frowned at the news flowing on the opposite electronic display.
- This is Baek Gidae, a reporter from the entertainment department. The production company of the drama <Last Love> officially announced last night that they are looking for an actress to continue the role of 'Hyun Jiyeok,' which was played by the late Chun Gaeul. As the filming schedule for the drama has been delayed due to lead actor Lee Seunghyung's participation in the Seoul Reclamation Operation, they are holding auditions to find a replacement for Chun Gaeul in the meantime...
"They're doing all sorts of things. Really."
Seon Uicheol's influence must have been involved. Seunghyung felt unpleasantly as if a noose was tightening around his neck from all directions.
"It makes me want to scrap the drama."
From the beginning, Seunghyung became an actor for only one reason.
To be Chun Gaeul's co-star. For her sake, he even snatched the spot of the male actor who had been confirmed for casting in Last Love. Now that Chun Gaeul was gone, could he really whisper words of love to a woman who wasn't Chun Gaeul, even in acting?
The reporter, unaware of Seunghyung's feelings, continued to recite the article.
- As a result, the number of celebrities and heroes who have announced their participation in the audition through their agencies, personal SNS, etc., has exceeded thirty...
"......Crazy."
Seunghyung involuntarily swore, something he didn't usually do. The faces of the actresses appearing in the archive footage looked like sly foxes coveting Chun Gaeul's place, making him feel unnecessarily depressed.
Seunghyung shook his head vigorously.
"Get a grip. It's a good opportunity for those people. They must be desperate."
Just as Seunghyung had swallowed his pride and asked Seon Uicheol for a favor to get the role opposite Chun Gaeul, they too must be desperate in their own positions.
A national drama with an average viewership rating of 30%. With about two episodes left until the end, they would become leading stars if they could overcome that brief pressure.
Sip.
"Ah. I should have brought more."
The can of coffee was already empty. Seunghyung grabbed the bottom of the aluminum can and slightly activated his Mana.
Fwoosh.
White flames blazed inside the aluminum can, evaporating the remaining liquid inside. This Mana control training, which Seunghyung had developed himself since his academy days, was still useful even now that he was an S-Class.
A win-win training method that also protected the natural environment.
"The can...is over there."
There happened to be a can-only trash can next to the vending machine on the terrace. Seunghyung gathered his hands above his head as if shooting a basketball.
The distance to the trash can was about 20 meters. Just as he was about to concentrate on his senses to create a clean arc with Mana, he heard a familiar voice.
- ...and you're not saying our Gaeul is alive! Please, just tell them inside! Please!
- Elder! You can't just do this...Haa. Chun Gaeul is dead. We even had a funeral.
- That's why I called last night! Hey, hey! I even talked to her yesterday!
- You didn't record it, and looking at the number, it's a burner phone that wasn't even opened in New Seoul. Haa. If we do this, we'll have to call people...
"Father!"
Seunghyung leaped and landed in front of the gate where the commotion was taking place. The old man in the wheelchair, who was clinging to the security guard as if begging, dragged the wheels of his wheelchair with joy as soon as he saw Seunghyung.
"Oh, Hero Lee Seunghyung! You've come at the right time!"
"Hwawon-nim. I'm sorry from the morning. That...."
"This old man!"
Chun Gaeul's mother, who had rushed over from afar, took the old man's hand. The old mother repeatedly bowed her head and apologized to the security guard and Seunghyung.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry. He hasn't come to his senses yet...."
"Ah, no. I understand. How great must be your sorrow. I'm even more sorry."
"She's alive! Our Gaeul is still in Seoul!"
The old man in the wheelchair shook off his wife's hand with surprising strength. There was even a hint of madness in the old man's eyes as he dragged the wheels of his wheelchair towards Seunghyung.
"Please, go to Seoul and find our child! Didn't you promise! Consider it the last wish of an old man before he dies...."
"Oh my! Old man!"
The old mother grabbed the old man's hand tightly. The old man's will faltered at the sight of his wife's determination to subdue him, even if it meant hitting him. The wife whispered very quietly in her husband's ear.
"...Gaeul told you to keep it a secret!"
"But shouldn't they know? What if something goes wrong within three days...."
"What if something bigger happens because of you...!"
"What did you just say?"
Seunghyung approached the elderly couple. No matter how quietly they spoke, a hero, especially an S-Class, could hear even the smallest whisper as clearly as if it were right next to him.
The old man, who had been momentarily dazed, suddenly became focused as if he had come to his senses.
"Ah, it's nothing...Hehe. It seems this old man's dementia has returned. I've shown you something unsightly from the morning. I'm sorry to the young people."
The old man bowed his head to Seunghyung and the security guard, sweating profusely. The elderly couple were trying to maintain their composure, but Seunghyung could somehow sense their true feelings immediately.
It was acting.
"Mother, Father."
Seunghyung took both of the elderly couple's hands.
"Let's go inside to a quiet place for a moment. I would like you to tell me the details."
* * *
<Same day, 8:50 AM, Association Briefing Room.>
"So you're telling me to announce this and leave?"
Yoo Youngho, who had just finished preparing and was about to leave for Busan at dawn, shook the briefing materials with a clearly displeased expression.
"W-Well, we can't help it! Should I do it then?"
Kang Soyeon was almost on the verge of tears. Originally, it was the job of the public relations team in charge of external affairs or a high-ranking official, but everyone ran away, saying they couldn't do it because of the content they received at dawn.
In the end, the briefing role went through the hands of many people and returned to Yoo Youngho's hands. Youngho crumpled the briefing materials.
"Fucking hell, so you're telling me to be the punching bag? Since I've already been cursed at, it's okay to eat more curses?"
"There are reporters outside, Director! Y-Your words and dignity...."
"Where is that Association Chairman bastard! He took the Chairman's seat to step up at times like this!"
Youngho growled as if he would devour the Association Chairman in an instant. Soyeon, who was suddenly on the receiving end of that anger, teared up as if she would cry.
"He went to play golf with the Prime Minister-"
Bang!
Yoo Youngho kicked the wall. The heel of his shoe was embedded in the concrete building from the Mana-infused kick.
"W-What's going on-"
A reporter cautiously opened the door and entered. Youngho showed the reporter his devilish face as it was and shouted.
"Who comes into the waiting room without permission! Can't you see I'm preparing!"
"S-Sorry!"
The reporter hurriedly closed the door and disappeared with a pale face. But the sound of reporters buzzing beyond the door was already audible inside the waiting room.
"Is the Director really pissed right now?"
"Is the rumor true? That Lee Seunghyung isn't participating in the operation?"
"It's just a rumor. The President declared it. Why would Lee Seunghyung be crazy enough not to participate? It's not like he's gone into a rebellious phase just because he became an S-Class."
"Lee Seunghyung isn't participating? Wow, he's really throwing dirt on the President's face, isn't he?"
"Did Yoo Youngho tell him to do it? That guy hates the President so much."
"...Those bastards, I wouldn't be satisfied even if I ground their bones to dust."
As Youngho gritted his teeth and tried to step out into the conference hall, Soyeon blocked him with a physical attack.
"Please bear with it! If you cause another accident, Director, I'll get fired!"
"Who cares! Just take responsibility! I have a lot of money!"
"That's good in its own way, but that's not the problem right now!"
Youngho tried desperately to open the door to the conference hall, but Soyeon clung on tenaciously, preventing the devil from being broadcast live to the entire nation. Both of them were ability users, but Soyeon was physically stronger.
"Get out of the way! I'm going to ruin everything here today and fly overseas! Damn it!"
"Don't say things you don't mean when you can't even speak a word of English! Ah, really!"
Thud.
Soyeon punched Youngho hard in the stomach.
" "
Youngho couldn't even breathe and collapsed, clutching his stomach.
"That's it! If you don't want to do it that much, give it to me! I'll announce it and get cursed at!"
"...Hah, no way."
Youngho hugged the briefing materials to his chest and got up, panting.
"I'd rather do it myself than make my subordinate be the punching bag. Tsk. Ah, shit. That really hurts. You've been eating really well these days, haven't you?"
"......Did it hurt?"
"If you're sorry, announce it and run straight back here, so wait in front of the door and lock it as soon as I come in. Ah.... Hey. Can you delay it for 5 minutes? I'd like to rest for a moment."
"Are you okay, Youngho Hyung?"
Youngho, seeing the face of the man who had entered through the staff passage, forgot his pain and jumped up, waving the paper and pointing his finger.
"You! You bastard.... Hoo. No, I shouldn't keep swearing. It's not your fault. It's my fault for being powerless and not being able to stop the President's tricks."
"I will participate."
"What, you son of a bitch?"
Youngho had no intention of hiding his face at all. Soyeon refused to describe Youngho's face at all.
"I'm sorry. But I have a reason to go to Seoul."
"G-Gasp, Haa. Kang Soyeon. Tranquilizer."
Kang Soyeon hurriedly took out medicine from her pocket and handed it to Youngho. Youngho poured the bottled water into his mouth in one shot.
"Hoo, hoo, okay. I understand."
Youngho opened the briefing materials and pointed to the phrase at the bottom.
- Hero Hwawon, Lee Seunghyung, will not participate in this Seoul Reclamation Operation due to personal reasons.

"I won't ask why. You must have a reason for coming all the way here to talk. But,"
Youngho checked his watch. 8:59 AM. Only one minute left until the scheduled press conference.
"If you're going to change your mind again, decide within one minute. Once I walk out that door, you're really going to Seoul. You'll become a toy manipulated by Sun Uicheol's intentions. You'll end up trapped for life like Hyung Gwanggeom. Do you understand?"
Seunghyung nodded.
"If you wish, I will go up to the conference myself. My will is unwavering now. If Phoenix Hyung excludes me from this announcement..."
Seunghyung clenched his fist tightly.
"I will ask President Sun Uicheol to send me to Seoul, even if it means joining the Pine Tree Unit."
"Hey, Lee Seunghyung!"
Youngho shouted, his face reddening. Soyeon realized the sound had carried to the conference hall outside and closed her eyes. The reporters were probably holding their breaths, focusing on the sounds leaking through the door.
"Hoo, hoo."
Fortunately, thanks to the tranquilizer he had just taken, Youngho quickly calmed down and continued in a low voice.
"...You clearly stated it. You said you'd go to Seoul with your own mouth. If you go back on your word, don't even think about being on the same battlefield as me for the rest of your life. I'll order you to shove your head into a Monster's maw."
"I'm prepared."
Youngho opened the door with a bang and entered the conference hall without looking back. Soyeon gently closed the slightly opened door.
"...I'm sorry. Team leader Youngho is going through a lot of mental anguish right now, even if it's not as much as Seunghyung-ssi."
"It's alright. It's my fault."
Seunghyung would apologize to Youngho after the operation and ask for his understanding.
Go to Seoul, save Gaeul, and propose to her. With the Magistrate officiating the wedding.
'...Wait for me, Gaeul-ssi.'
Thinking of Chun Gaeul in a pure white dress, Seunghyung steeled his resolve.

The reporters' camera flashes lit up the screen. Yoo Youngho stood wearily at the microphone on the podium and bowed his head.

-Good morning. I am Yoo Youngho, the <Magistrate> of the Tactical Planning Division of the Hero Association's Korean Headquarters. I will now begin the briefing on the First Seoul Reclamation Operation. Following the relocation of the capital to New Seoul in 2014, Seoul has...


"Oh, it's starting. Jo Deokbae-ssi, turn up the volume a bit."
"How can you listen to the news while beating someone up?!"
"It's training!"


-...Accordingly, the operation will commence at 09:00 on April 13th, departing from New Seoul...

"Hyung. What do we do? The operation is scheduled for tomorrow morning."
"...What time are we meeting at Yeouido?"
"Noon today, at the National Assembly Building."


-...The total number of Heroes participating from the Association is 152. Leading them will be Minister Shin Jingwang, the current Minister of Monster Countermeasures...

"152 Heroes? That's a quarter of Korea's Hero force! Is Cheonghwadan going to be alright? I hope nothing goes wrong."
"How can Jiwha-ssi not trust her master? ...Trust Phoenix. He said he can win. He's a man who keeps his promises."
"Yes.... But Gaeul-ssi, didn't you sleep? Your eyes are a little swollen-"
"Shut your mouth."


-...12 A-ranks, and two S-ranks: Princess Seolhwa, Seok Harang, and Hwagueon, Lee Seunghyung will be participating...

"Harang-ah. Let's have coffee now. Unni won, right?"
"N-No way. I'm sure the Mana sensitivity wouldn't go that high..."
"What are you talking about? Haven't you tried Luwak coffee? This is civet..."


-...The government promises to eradicate the roots of the villains and Monsters occupying Seoul...

"I almost screwed up."
"Pardon? What did you just say?"
"It was nothing, Chief Secretary. Make sure there are no setbacks in preparing the Pine Tree Unit for deployment to Yeouido."


-...The Association promises the people that it will do its best to reclaim Seoul.

This concludes the briefing. Thank you.

Chapter 44

〈 Episode 44 〉 Part 1, Chapter 4 (1)
<April 12, 2020, 11:55 AM, Subway Line 9.>
In Seoul, Monsters pop out everywhere. Among them, the most dangerous path is the underground passage where the subway runs.
Avoiding the Heroes and Hunters who come and go above ground, the Monsters hid in the darkness of the underground, where there is not a single ray of light. Having become the masters of the underground, they filled their bellies with the foolish ones who set foot underground.
So, the Monsters openly made noise and attacked those who walked through the underground passage. As always, to make them their prey.
However, the predators were not the Monsters, but the four ability users walking through the underground passage.
"Heh heh! Burn in the darkness!"
The man who was once Black Goat, now Azure Flame Phoenix, covered his left eye with one hand and created a dark crimson flame. The bat-type Monster hiding in the ceiling had its skin burned off along with the smell of burning protein.
Ke-reureureuk!
Smelling the Core flowing out from between the Monster corpses, Monsters rush in from the Yeouido Station direction.
"Hahaha! How pathetic!"
Azure Flame Phoenix leaped forward at the attack of the Monster groups surrounding the four who entered the underground passage, as if to surround them from the front and back. The black flame opened like the jaws of a snake and covered the Monsters.
Kyaaang!
The wolf Monsters, in pain from the fire on their bodies, smashed their heads against the wall. The bat Monsters had their wings catch fire and plummeted to the ground.
Hwareureuk!
Azure Flame Phoenix did not miss the gap. He gathered all his Mana in his right hand and unleashed it, and a vortex of flames swept away the Monsters all at once.
"Heuhaha! This body is A-class! Who dares to challenge me!"
"I wouldn't have believed it if it weren't for that."
A black-haired woman wearing shaman robes threw a talisman behind her. The blood-written words on the yellow talisman emitted light.
Kereuk?!
An amorphous Monster that was about to pounce on them was hit by the talisman. The talisman emitted electricity and destroyed the Monster, and the Monster slid against the wall and spat out its Core. Saintess Sunmudang, who recovered the talisman with Mana, complained.
"Azure Flame Phoenix. Can't you do it moderately?"
"What? The Saintess will surely desire it as well. For this Seoul to be cleansed by flames!"
Azure Flame Phoenix rushed towards the reappearing Monster group. Given Seoul's characteristic of having many transfer stations, it was quite frequent for Monsters who were incredibly sensitive to the smells flowing through the underground to attack from all sorts of routes.
"Are we really supposed to go to the National Assembly Building? Isn't this a trap?"
Saintess Sunmudang pointed to the Monster corpses strewn around and grimaced.
Gangnam Azure Sky Fortress, Gangdong Azure Flame Phoenix, and Songpa Saintess Sunmudang. They are villains representing each district, and now all three have reached A-class, and they came all the way to Yeouido representing their respective districts.
But no one came out to greet them, only Monsters and corpses.
"You can leave if you're suspicious. No one will say anything."
At Azure Sky Fortress's words, Saintess Sunmudang snorted and lit a cigarette. Cigarette smoke could attract Monsters, but because of the Monsters that Azure Flame Phoenix had already burned, the cigarette smoke had no effect.
"Already about half of our neighborhood has fled to Seongnam. At least the guys under me believe in me and stay put. Hey, Azure Sky Fortress. How many are left with you?"
"70 people."
"...That's a lot. Are the rich landowners in Gangnam unable to give up their land after all?"
"They don't trust the government. They don't seem like they'll recognize ownership before the capital is moved."
The government already had a precedent of doing the same thing while recapturing Jeju Island.
Since most of the Seoul landowners have already disposed of their land and are living lavishly in New Seoul, it was obvious that if they came back to Seoul, they would demand that their original land and buildings be returned.
The country will never take the side of those who remain in Seoul. At least, that was the case with Seonui Cheol's Republic of Korea.
"Azure Sky Fortress. But is that true? What that woman said."
"What are you referring to?"
"She said she was a professor. At one point, Saintess said Darling was a member of the National Assembly for the district."
"...Do you believe that?"
"Looking at what Saintess says and does, I think both are true."
While Azure Flame Phoenix was rampaging, the three had already arrived at the National Assembly Station. After walking the subway line 9 from Gangnam to Yeouido and killing many Monsters, they were finally able to arrive.
"...It seems like they were waiting for us."
Saintess Sunmudang took out her fan, her weapon, and folded and unfolded it. Beyond the platform of the National Assembly Building, a man holding a blue flame like a torch was greeting them.
The man in a blue tie and black suit had an eye patch over both eyes. Azure Sky Fortress immediately recognized who the man was.
"Lighthouse?"
"It's been half a year, Azure Sky Fortress."
"Weren't you dead?"
"...I was reborn in the Cheonghwadan. Lighthouse of the Cheonghwadan, that is my newly reborn name."
Lighthouse scanned the three who entered the platform and nodded.
"It's enough. I was worried about what to do if not even one person came."
"Are there any other guests besides us?"
"They all ran away. Except for 'Architect' of Dongjak."
"This seems like it's rigged? Isn't it ruined?"
Azure Flame Phoenix retorted angrily at Saintess Sunmudang's sarcasm.
"Then are you going to throw away everything in Seoul and run away like this? After protecting Seoul for 6 years, without receiving any compensation? The gods promised to protect us!"
"First, we have to save our lives. ...Hey Lighthouse, did you invite those guys too?"
As Saintess Sunmudang mocked, Lighthouse turned around. Monsters were running from the opposite track.
"Oh. There were still some left. Come down!"
As Lighthouse raised his hand, those who were waiting on the platform came down to the track and stood in a row. Regardless of gender or age, they each held weapons, such as bows and spears.
Azure Sky Fortress doubted his eyes. They are not ability users. But they definitely had Mana. To be exact, the afterglow of Mana was felt from their weapons.
"Prepare for battle."
Lighthouse slightly lifted his eye patch. The demonic eyes that had been closed flashed and visually confirmed the Monsters running on the track. The number of Monsters that could be seen clearly even in the darkness, as if wearing night vision goggles, was three. All of them were C-class quadrupeds.
"Take up your weapons, prepare to fire."
As soon as Lighthouse's instructions were finished, the shooters each took up their weapons. Some held plastic model guns, and some held toy bows that could only be seen at festivals, but Azure Sky Fortress was horrified to see the blue Cores embedded in those weapons.
"Core Weapons?"
A new type of weapon that uses Core as an energy source. Before he could even think, 'How did such a weapon get into Lighthouse's hands?', Lighthouse shouted.
"Start firing!"
Pabababat!
The Mana extracted from the Core was transformed into bullets and arrows and fired towards the other side of the track. The pure Mana bullets tore apart the bodies of the Monsters that were running with their mouths open.
Kieeek...
The beagle-like Monsters smashed their heads into the rails with the inertia of their run. While the first row of shooters quickly reloaded, the second row of shooters shot bullets into the fallen Monsters again.
Confirmation of kills from a distance, and the reloaded first row carefully approached and performed a second confirmation of kills at close range. The shooters did not let their guard down until Lighthouse's instructions were given.
Lighthouse blinked his eyes. After confirming that the movement of Mana flowing out of the Monster, like a thermal imaging camera, had stopped, Lighthouse lowered his eye patch again.
"Death confirmed. Disassemble."
As soon as Lighthouse's instructions were given, the shooters drew their swords and began to disassemble the Monster's corpse. They all expertly disassembled the corpse like skilled veterans and took out the Core from the Monster's heart.
A boy who seemed to be the leader of the shooters put the Core into a translucent, thin vinyl bag that he took out of his pocket.
"Keueung. Hey."
Azure Sky Fortress groaned and called out to Lighthouse.
"What exactly is this organization called Cheonghwadan? Where did this organization come from? Is it a foreign organization trying to dominate Korea? Japan? China? Russia?"
"...So far, it is a purely Korean organization composed of pure Koreans."
Lighthouse guided the three A-class villains to the platform. The three villains walking after him were lost in their own thoughts and left the station without saying a word.
The moment they came up to the ground where the darkness of the underground was gone and the sunlight was shining, the blackened National Assembly Building greeted them.
"......It's really all burned down."
"Come this way. The President is waiting."
"President? Your boss?"
"Yes. ...There's one thing you should keep in mind."
Lighthouse said, sounding somewhat tired.
"Answer the questions sincerely, but try not to ask anything if possible."
"What's the reason?"
"Our President's style is a bit like the Head of department's style."
Before they knew it, Lighthouse had reached the main gate of the National Assembly Building. The door, which was clearly marked with traces of fire, was barely attached to the wall as if it had just been repaired.
Squeak-thud.
The door, which was half-open, fell off the wall and slid to the floor. Azure Sky Fortress was lost in the tragic state of the completely burned-down main conference hall.
"It's completely burned down. Ugh, what is this?"
Saintess Sunmudang, who was touching the desk, took her hand off an unidentified mark. The mark, which even smelled disgusting, was physiologically impossible to approach.
Pat.
Flames soared above the Speaker's seat, illuminating the surroundings. Two masked men and women were sitting in the members' seats near the podium.
"Ooh, Saintess!"
Azure Flame Phoenix looked at the masked woman, Masquerade, and approached her and knelt down. The Cheonghwadan, which had already raised him to the realm of A-class, was a huge object of faith for him.
"You came."
The man sitting casually in the front seat waved his hand. The modernized Hanbok, as if he had jumped out of a high school history class, clearly revealed his personality.
Saintess Sunmudang clapped her fan in her hand and greeted him.
"Architect Hyung is here too?"
"Call me Architect. Why are you using foreign words when we have our own?"
"Bullshit. Hyung's name is 'James Lee' from the start."
"Eat shit."
The blond, blue-eyed man, Architect, had a thick beard growing wildly on his lower face. Saintess Sunmudang chuckled and took a seat appropriately.
"Today is a free seating arrangement. Go to the seat you want."
Lighthouse moved to the corner of the top seat. Azure Sky Fortress hesitated and headed to a place that was somewhat familiar.
"........"
The place that used to be his seat was shattered without a trace, as if something had fallen from the ceiling.
"The number of members of the National Assembly is 300. Now...there are 8 of us."
Hmm. The villains belonging to the alliance started to raise their Mana and be on guard at the sudden beautiful voice.
"Okay. I didn't expect to be full from the first spoonful. This is enough."
"Above?"
Azure Sky Fortress raised his head at the voice from the ceiling.
"...Sun! Hail the Sun!"
There was a blue burning sun. An immeasurable amount of Mana. A blue flame that seemed to blind you just by looking at it.
Tak.
Phoenix, with its wings folded, stood on the Speaker's podium that had not been burned by the fire.
"Welcome to the Cheonghwadan's conference hall, stranger villain. I am Azure Flame Phoenix, a villain who strives for world peace today."
"......Crazy bastard."
"Oh my. Rock Golem. I told you that your swear words now come out in correct and pretty words."
Masquerade, who was wearing sunglasses as if trying to hide her face even indoors, clapped her hands.
"It's 12 o'clock. Just start."
"I told you to speak comfortably when it's just the two of us...."
"Start."
"...I understand. Haa."
Phoenix twisted the veil, cleared his throat, and gathered his gaze.
"Ahem! First of all, thank you for coming. Let's see. In order, Architect, Saintess Sunmudang, Azure Sky Fortress, Azure Flame Phoenix, right?"
"Thanks to your grace, this humble one has been reborn as a dragon, O Sun! Please call me Azure Flame Dragon from now on!"
"...Ah, yes. Anyway, up to Azure Flame Dragon. Three combatants and one production type. Good. This is enough preparation. From now on, we will-"
"Are you really."
Azure Sky Fortress interrupted.
"Are you sure you can beat the Association's Heroes? Can you beat two S-class with this much power?"
Ssheeuk. Phoenix raised the corners of his mouth. Lighthouse tried to sigh, but barely held his breath.
In an instant, Azure Sky Fortress was shocked by the hot sensation flowing down his spine. Behind Phoenix, who was playfully standing on the podium, something huge appeared like an illusion.
A Phoenix with blue flames. Azure Sky Fortress immediately realized.
"I see. You were there at that time too."

"I guess you could feel something since you're right before S-Class. That's right. I was at that meeting too. Behind Masquerade."
When Dark Flame Dragon looked at Masquerade, Masquerade shrugged nonchalantly.
"Our boss cherishes the executives a lot, you know."
"I'm known for my executive love wherever I go."
"□□□□□□□."
The Rock Monster said something, but no one understood. Phoenix subtly raised his Mana and met the villains' eyes.
"Are you asking if we have the power to face two S-Class?"
"Heup!"
Suffocating. The blood flowing under the skin began to boil. Sweat flowed all over the body, and the mouth went dry. Even trying to move Mana to release this pressure, the Mana didn't move like a hardened stone.
A prey in front of a predator. Even if only one second passed, a hawk would fly in and slash its throat with its claws.
Clap.
As Phoenix clapped, the four villains gasped for breath. The subordinates called by the Lighthouse immediately brought bottled water and placed it at the villains' seats before disappearing.
"I think this is enough to prove it."
"...I haven't heard that there's an S-Class villain like this in Korea."
Sunmuddang drank a 500ml bottle of water in one go and raised both hands as if surrendering. The momentum of purely suppressing and pressuring four A-Class with Mana clearly proved that he was at the level of S-Class—perhaps even beyond.
"Okay. I get it. You're a damn strong villain. But is that all?"
"Although limited, I can awaken non-powered people into ability users, and I can also raise existing ability users to a stronger level. As the Lighthouse has shown, we have also provided a means for talentless non-powered people to fight Monsters with guns."
"...I have many questions, but first, let me ask. How did you awaken Dark Flame Dragon to A-Class?"
"Do you want to know?"
Phoenix raised the corners of his mouth wide. Masquerade raised his hand first and answered.
"We can't tell you unless you join the organization. Even if you join, we won't tell you right away."
"Oh, it doesn't really matter if I just tell them... I understand. I'll just tell you the source simply. It's a technology developed by the Cheonghwadan itself. The original is here."
Phoenix tapped his temple.
"If you join, I'll tell you everything. In detail, from A to Z."
Sunmuddang subtly put his hand on his smartwatch.

-What do you think? I think it's doable.

Sky Castle looked at the message flowing on his watch and met Phoenix's eyes.
"Just one more question."
"As you wish."
"If Princess Seolhwa and Hwawon, two S-Class, try to fight together in sync, is there anyone in this force who can handle them?"
"Of course."
Phoenix stretched his finger high into the sky,
"Me."
Pointed to himself.

The year 2020, five years before the original work.
The world still doesn't know that there is a 'SS' class above the S-Class.
The difference in ability level is absolute, to the point where even if 20 A-Class attack, they can't even make a scratch on an S-Class.
And SS-Class above S-Class.
That's me.
Azure Flame Phoenix.

Chapter 45

〈 Episode 45 〉 Part 1 Chapter 4 (2)
"I'm sorry, but I can't trust those words."
Phoenix nodded at Sky Fortress's statement. There were still many things lacking to gain trust so easily.
"I agree. What can we do to earn your trust?"
"Anyone can win with words. It seems certain that you're S-class, but I've never heard anything about you. Can you tell me about any significant battles you've fought?"
"Explaining that would take all day, and the story would get longer until the Association heroes arrive, you know? Just believe me. Blessed are those who believe."
"...You're impossible to talk to."
Sky Fortress took off his fedora. His forehead, hidden by the brim, had several jagged scars.
"Alright. Let's say you handle those two. Does your side have enough power to deal with the remaining 152 heroes?"
"Hey. I think there's a big misunderstanding between us right now."
Phoenix twisted his lips. It was a clear sneer meant to provoke.
"No matter how many heroes come, our organization can beat them all on its own. We can even win if Light Sword comes along."
"You must be possessed by some crazy spirit."
Shaman was fuming, ready to throw salt, and stepped out into the passage.
"What? Beat Light Sword? If you had that kind of power, why are you here? You'd be in New Seoul, cutting off the heroes' heads."
"Hehehe. Exactly. Let me be clear for the sake of smooth communication."
Phoenix snapped his fingers. All the doors leading out of the main conference hall were blocked by flames.
"There's only one reason we're asking you to become our subordinates. We're planning to take over all of Seoul, so don't think about jumping in later to take credit. That's it."
"If you join the Cheonghwa Unit and fight, we'll recognize your control over your respective districts later. But the land of those who flee will be occupied by our Cheonghwa Unit."
"Kuh...."
Shaman stood still, unable to move, at Deokbae's additional explanation. The fan he was clutching tightly looked like it would crumble from the force of his grip.
"The Kangseo dog has already tucked its tail and run away. The others are the same. So, what will you do? Will you fight, or will you run?"
"Fight the heroes with this power? It's impossible."
Sky Fortress slammed his fist on the desk behind him. Shattered pieces fell to the floor.
"The heroes will invade from New Seoul tomorrow, and the villains will all run away. When has a rebellion in this land ever succeeded? They're always suppressed by the country! It's the same thing!"
"Rebellion? You're evaluating yourself too highly, Sky Fortress."
Phoenix tapped the podium.
"We're villains. A band of thieves occupying Seoul, which has become a no man's land. Those who refused to enter New Seoul and broke free from Seon Euicheol's rule. Isn't that the essence of the villains who remain in this Seoul land?"
"Some are like that. But we're different. Different."
Sky Fortress's voice became agitated.
"When the government abandoned Seoul, did they take care of the Seoul residents? No! They abandoned the people again! They blew up the bridge even though people were crossing it! Do you think they'll treat those who remained in Seoul as citizens if they come in? Absolutely not. We abandoned the law and took up swords to protect ourselves and survive!"
"Aren't you too distrustful of the government?"
"I know Seon Euicheol well. That man is by no means a good person. If he occupies Seoul, he'll take back the land without an owner and redistribute it to his supporters in New Seoul. He'll suppress the existing Seoul citizens by mobilizing the Pine Tree Unit."
"I agree with that."
The meeting had already turned into a debate between the representatives of the two groups. Phoenix of the Cheonghwa Unit urging them to fight, and Sky Fortress, the representative of the Villain Alliance, unable to make a hasty decision about it.
"We have to fight. If there's something we want to protect, we have to fight. But we can't blindly trust you and put all the people in our area in danger. We—"
"Okay. Let's do this."
Phoenix clapped his hands, drawing attention.
"I'll lend you Core Weapons. Lighthouse! How many spares do you have right now?"
"We have 80 model guns and 30 sword types."
"Send them all. You know how to use them, right?"
"Is that okay? It'll attract public attention if that gets out."
Rock Monster, who had been silent, interjected. Phoenix waved his hand as if it was okay.
"They're just temporary, one-time use items anyway. They become useless decorations once the Core energy is used up. And will they have time to care about Core Weapons?"
"If that's the case."
Lighthouse tapped his watch and gave instructions to his subordinates. Shaman covered his face with his fan and asked. He had already left the passage and returned to his seat.
"Why are you helping us this much? You're not just helping us for no reason. Are you really telling us to jump in now instead of being sneaky later?"
"I told you from the beginning. We're giving you a chance to join the Cheonghwa Unit. We want to consolidate our forces without having to fight troublesome battles, like Architect here."
"It's Architect, I tell you."
Architect shrugged his eyebrows when his eyes met Sky Fortress's.
"It's not bad for me. They're saying they'll protect our people."
"Indeed. You persuaded them with that."
The promise of reaching a higher level for those stuck at the A-class threshold, and safety for those who wanted it.
Sky Fortress put his fedora back on.
"...Alright. We'll form a joint front. But I won't take orders from you."
"That's all for now, right? Okay. I understand. But...."
Phoenix bit his lower lip and raised the corners of his mouth.
"You'll need the Cheonghwa Unit's help. Contact us whenever you need our command."
* * *
<April 12, 2020, 13:00, Cheonghwa Unit Hideout in Guro.>
"Why did you lie like that, President?!"
Jihwa put down her spoon and shouted at me. I stopped the hand that had just stuck a spoon into the ice cream.
"I didn't lie?"
"What else is it if not a lie! No matter how strong President is, you're Snow White! The world's number one water attribute user and the strongest ice mage!"
Jihwa was about to go crazy. I picked up the spoon and put the ice cream in my mouth.
"Ice can be melted."
Three pairs of eyes focused on me. I pointed at myself with the spoon.
"Basically, all battles are about elemental matchups. The matchups according to the seven attributes of Mana. No matter how difficult a boss is, they become a fool if you hit their weakness. The same goes for Monsters."
"If it's that simple, why has humanity been so helplessly defeated by Monsters until now?"
At Autumn's question, I divided the flame into seven.
"They haven't discovered the attributes of Mana yet. It'll be officially announced in academia in about 2-3 years, but who knows right now? Still, the heroes in the field probably know it roughly through experience, right? Like how a fire attribute hero can't stand up to a water attribute hero."
"So, can President, who seems to be a fire attribute user, beat Snow White, who is a water attribute user?"
I shook the spoon left and right at Jihwa's question.
"Overcoming matchups is about level, right? The one with the higher Mana rank wins. Unless it's an extremely hard counter. Has there ever been an S-class fire mage until now?"
"That's true, but.... Then can Phoenix beat Fire Fist and Snow White...can he?"
I clicked my tongue at Jihwa's worry.
"Of course. If not, I would have immediately come up with another plan and fled from Seoul to another country. Anyway, let's talk about the correlation of Mana next time, and continue the meeting on how to set up the front line now."
I erased the flame on the table and brought up the screen. A map of Seoul visible at a glance.
"The government has heavily promoted this operation. So they'll probably come up through these two routes."
"A route that bypasses Gwanak Mountain?"
"Is there no possibility of them coming from Incheon or Gangwon?"
"There is. But it's low. Heroes are people too, so New Seoul will transport them by car to the vicinity of Seoul using the highway. Or relaunch the high-speed train."
Another screen appeared on the table. The enemy had already kindly announced the list of heroes participating in the operation without missing a single one.
"2 S-class, 12 A-class, 27 B-class, 51 C-class, 60 D-class. The D-class are practically supply or medical teams, so we have to face 92 in reality. If we exclude the two S-class among them, we have to face 90."
"...This seems like a very unfavorable fight."
Deokbae ran his hand over his neck.
"How much power do you think we have without you? Are you planning to smash them all alone?"
"Mr. Jo Deokbae. Who said I'm running wild alone? There's an organization called the Cheonghwa Unit."
My flame spread to various places on the screen.
"We're going to wage a thorough guerrilla war. A street fight set in Seoul."
"Are you planning to turn all of Seoul into a sea of fire?"
Autumn retorted. As much as she was cooperating with the Cheonghwa Unit on the condition of rebuilding Seoul, she seemed concerned about the idea of fighting while destroying Seoul.
But it's okay. A redevelopment expert has joined our side.
"It's okay to destroy all of Seoul. If we supply Architect with time and Mana, he'll restore everything. We have plenty of Core, right? We can just go up for a while if we run out."
"Is that man that great?"
Jihwa looked somehow awkward. Since she had set up a base in Digital Complex, she must have been somewhat aware of the abilities in Dongjak next to Guro. I clicked my tongue again at Jihwa's suspicion.
"You don't know what's going on under Dongjak right now, do you? That man has created a small city underground for six years. Most of the Seoul refugees are probably there."
Architect's ability is that he can build structures in a snap as long as Mana is provided. Cheon Ga-eul was surprised as if she had remembered something.
"The story about the underground refugees wasn't a rumor?"
"They're thoroughly hidden. Architect is digging tunnels towards New Seoul every time his Mana is charged. But more refugees are flowing into the underground than his recovery speed, so they can't escape. Because he's building tunnels."
"He was recruited on the condition of providing them with weapons and safety."
"Fortunately, he was a person who was easy to talk to."
I tapped the table to draw attention.
"Anyway, there's no need to spare the facilities. Architect won't come out of Dongjak until the battle is over. He's joining on the condition that there's no damage to Dongjak underground. So we need to limit the battlefield to here and here."
Two red circles were drawn on the map.
Guro in the west, Gangnam-Seocho in the east.
"Is there any guarantee that the enemy will come this way?"
"We'll make them come. By setting traps and bait. Jihwa, how much Core did I give you last time?"
"40 D-class and 20 C-class. There are no B or A-class."
"...Phoenix? You're not thinking of something like that, are you?"
Autumn's face turned pale. I smiled, subtly taking out the S-class Core from my pocket.
"We're just trying to make it easier for each other. Mobbing. You know? The heroes can handle the Monsters all at once, and we can gather the heroes in one place to confirm the battlefield."
"Are you planning to turn Gangnam and Guro into a Monster paradise?"
"It would be nice to gather and burn the cockroaches of Seoul in one place. Those two places happen to be places we can control...after evacuating the people in advance."
I subtly looked at Autumn. She didn't show it, but she seemed a little relieved.
"Will Sky Fortress cooperate?"
"We have to make him cooperate, right? He'll have to fight even if he doesn't want to if Monsters are running wild in his front yard and heroes are invading."
"How are you going to support them? Are you really just going to support them with weapons?"
"We have to, right? He said he doesn't want to listen to orders. It's on hold until they request it themselves."
I marked the administrative districts on the map of Seoul. All areas except those where the Cheonghwa Unit had planted its flag.

"Even though they're all villains with bounties on their heads, they're a little different if you look closely. There are real bad guys like the Gangseo Digger or the Gangdong Black Flame... Dragon, but there are also survival-type criminals like the Dongjak Architect. They're the kind of people who would do anything to survive until their dying breath, not pushovers who listen to orders."
"What about the Guro Lighthouse?"
"You were a potential sex offender. Reform yourself in the Cheonghwadan, Monster No. 3."
"I will keep that in mind...."
I scooped up the ice cream again and moistened my mouth. It had already melted slightly and was flowing like cream. A strong strawberry scent spread in my mouth.
"One thing we need to make clear is that we must never kill a hero. If we kill a hero for no reason, it will only make things more difficult for us. We're trying to occupy Seoul, not weaken South Korea's national power."
If we kill a hero for no reason, China or Japan will try to interfere.
"The opponents are trying to arrest us, not kill us. This isn't a war. Villains may have terrible camaraderie, but you know how tight-knit heroes are, right? It'll be like, 'You killed my colleague OO, I won't forgive you!'"
"So, you're saying it's better to take them hostage than to provoke them. ...Yes, that would be better."
"Oh, I didn't have that idea. Thank you, Cheon Gaeul. You're so smart."
"Cancel that! I take back what I just said! Don't take them hostage, let them go!"
Beep.
I lightly ignored Gaeul's resistance and tapped my smartwatch to acknowledge the alarm. I had already contacted Eun Yuha, Chairman of Milky Way, a black market dealer, through the black market.
I didn't expect them to send me a message first.
[Milky Way]: I'm reminding you about the contract. You know what will happen to our deal if the Seoul recovery operation is successful, right? For whatever reason, I will receive the promised quantity. Of course, I trust you, my client ^^7
"Look at her playing both sides."
I was about to send a message right away, but I met Gaeul's eyes.
"Who is it?"
"......Um, a business partner?"
Gaeul's gaze is unsettling. She probably feels uncomfortable that she barely managed to contact her parents, but I'm contacting people without any hesitation.
I closed the message window. The others also seemed uncomfortable with the chill emanating from Gaeul.
"Ahem! Okay, let's wrap things up."
At my words, Jihwa displayed the meeting contents she was organizing on the screen. I cleared my throat and pointed to the screens, saying.
"The battlefields are Guro and Gangnam. The lure is the Monster. Gather all the Monsters in Seoul in Guro and Gangnam, and then ambush the heroes who come to deal with them."
"The key to the tactic is guerrilla warfare. The Cheonghwadan will follow my command. The Gangnam side will be left alone unless they request support first. Start commanding when a command request comes in. It doesn't matter if they're annihilated, as long as Dongjak isn't breached."
"The deployment of our forces is simple. Deokbae will be in the Guro battlefield, and Jihwa, Gaeul, and I will naturally be at headquarters in Yeouido."
The Cheonghwadan's command headquarters, marked with a star on the map.
That place is the National Assembly Building, where Seon Uicheol is desperately searching for the cube.
"Then let's get ready. Let's prepare a surprise attack that will shock the country."

Chapter 46

〈 Episode 46 〉 Part 1, Chapter 4 (3)
The day of the decisive battle dawned.
A subjugation force of the largest scale that Korea could mobilize, drawing 1/4 of all heroes in South Korea and two S-class heroes.
Shin Jin-gwang, who was in command, received the baton directly from President Seon Ui-cheol and expressed his aspirations for the operation.
- I will reclaim Seoul.
With those words, the heroes boarded vehicles heading for New Seoul.
April 13, 2020, 09:00 AM.
The Seoul Recovery Operation began.
* * *
<April 13, 09:20 AM, Gyeongbu Expressway.>
"Do we really have to go to Seoul like this?"
Ha-rang frowned at the rattling seat. It was fortunate that she had subtly created a cushion with Mana under her buttocks; otherwise, she would have suffered a buttock injury before even reaching Seoul.
"We have no choice. The road conditions are terrible."
Seung-hyung gripped the handle tightly with a bitter expression. The military truck lurched violently as it drove over the corpses of Monsters left on the road.
"Ugh. A Monster corpse appears every ten minutes!"
"Hunters hunted them as they came and went. There's no Core."
"Then they should clean them up before going!!"
She seemed to be deliberately dropping honorifics while getting angry. Seung-hyung averted his gaze from Ha-rang, who was starting to become hysterical, and looked beyond the road.
"......I can do it."
He clenched and unclenched his hands, checking his internal Mana; no problems. Seung-hyung and Ha-rang had left the banquet hall at the right time to conserve their strength.
"Ugh. This old man is showing off again. Old man, this isn't a filming set...."
Ha-rang couldn't continue. Seung-hyung shook his head and gave a gentle smile.
"It's okay. Now."
"I'm sorry. It's just that your vibe is somehow...."
Ha-rang struggled to express the feeling she had. Until recently, he had been acting like he was dying. But now, he was full of resolve, like a tragic male lead lost in melancholy.
"Well, everyone has different ways of overcoming things, but you'll be okay. The future is bright.... Ah, I'm sorry. This is my first time dealing with something like this."
"It's okay. I understand."
She was a young lady who had grown up under strict management since she was young. As a promising talent who had shown S-class abilities since childhood, she was like a hothouse flower who had lived in a world far removed from the deaths of those around her.
Hence, Snow Flower Princess. Ha-rang, as transparent and pure as an ice flower, lacked experience in the world.
"Let's talk about the operation. The command headquarters is in Anyang, right?"
"Yes. The stadium. Where you defeated the Fire Dragon. It can accommodate 152 heroes and their equipment, and it's also a place where Monsters don't come. Maybe it's because the Fire Dragon's energy remains."
Seung-hyung found it strange to be setting foot in the place where he had last been in Seoul. But with a little more thought, the reason for placing the command headquarters in Anyang was clear.
Seon Ui-cheol. He was trying to imprint on people's minds by placing the command headquarters there. The hero who defeated the Fire Dragon was going to reclaim Seoul.
"We'll be divided into three teams in Anyang. The west team, centered around Tempest Lady and Unsa. The east team, centered around Pungbaek and Usa. And you and I are the support team."
Ha-rang puffed out her cheeks, expressing her dissatisfaction.
"Does that make sense? Seriously. Conserving our strength until we cross the Han River."
Shin Jin-gwang, the Minister of Monster Countermeasures who came as commander, divided the forces, mainly A-class heroes, to deal with the snake in City Hall.
The advance team would go around Gwanak Mountain to the left and right, join up in Yeouido, and then cross the Han River with the two S-class heroes who had maintained their strength, gathering their forces to defeat the S-class Monster in Seoul City Hall.
That was the primary plan for today. Ha-rang didn't like it.
"We're not using much Mana against those small fries anyway."
"Using is using, so you have to understand."
"Are you bragging about having a lot of Mana right now? I only have a very, very slightly larger amount compared to you, okay?"
Ha-rang pouted.
"What do you usually eat to have your Mana explode like that as soon as you awakened? Did you eat some Mana-grown ginseng or something?"
"It's not like that, I just became desperate.... How did you become an S-class?"
Ha-rang made a flower shape with her hands around her face and shrugged.
"I was an S-class since birth. I didn't know because I grew up in an orphanage until Phoenix found me."
"...Is that a boast, or a sad past?"
"Both! Later, when I find the parents who abandoned me, I'm going to say this! Mom and Dad! The child you abandoned has returned as an S-class! Hehe."
"Oh, um. Okay. That's great."
Seung-hyung scratched his cheek and looked up at the sky.
The sky was clear without a single cloud.
"So, you see, first I'm going to show my parents my assets...."
Seung-hyung regarded Ha-rang's excited chatter as white noise and fell into thought. Cheon Ga-eul, who would be somewhere in Seoul.
The spring sky in mid-April was as clear as an autumn sky.
* * *
<10:00 AM, Rooftop of the 63 Building.>
"It's perfect weather for being a villain."
I lay on the rooftop of the 63 Building, basking in the sunlight. Sunlight is a good source of replenishing my depleted Mana.
- Preparation is complete.
At Deok-bae's words from the smartwatch, I brought up a screen over my eyes.
"What about Lighthouse?"
- Lighthouse, preparation complete.
- .......
Ga-eul, who would be with Lighthouse, didn't say anything. I urged Ga-eul to respond.
"Ga-eul? Can you hear me?"
- ...Masquerade, preparation complete. But what am I supposed to be preparing for?
"Of course there's something to prepare. A pledge to never come out of the barrier?"
Ga-eul on the screen was sitting on the sofa in the Speaker's office inside the National Assembly Building. A barrier of flames was set up at the door of the Speaker's office, preventing outsiders from entering.
- You've even put surveillance on me, so what are you so worried about?
- Ahahaha. If you call it surveillance, my position becomes a little....
"You're watching the entire battlefield and you're worried about surveillance? Ga-eul. If Lighthouse tries to attack you, poke his eyes out. I can fix it later."
- I think my treatment is getting worse....
Ji-hwa put his hand to his eyes and sniffled. But it wasn't wrong to say that he was watching the battlefield.
♩♩♬♪
A small canary flying in the sky landed on my finger. Besides this one, dozens of mini-Phoenixes, modeled after my main body, were deployed throughout the battlefield.
They all became Mana relays to assist Lighthouse's abilities. Lighthouse was now sharing the vision of all the mini-Phoenixes.
A message was delivered from a mini-Phoenix - hereinafter abbreviated as Minix - watching the south of Seoul from the summit of Gwanak Mountain. Something must have caught its eye.
- They have arrived.
"Lighthouse!"
On the back of Lighthouse's hand covering my eyes, a pattern of blue and white eyes was drawn, relayed by the Minix.
Whoosh.
Blue flames in the shape of eyes blazed on the roof of the National Assembly Building. By linking the Minix to Lighthouse, Lighthouse had reached a higher level of reconnaissance.
The ability of far-seeing to grasp the entire southern region of Seoul at a glance. Right now, Lighthouse is a CCTV and satellite that illuminates the entire battlefield.
"What is the enemy's location?"
- They have set up a command headquarters in Anyang Stadium. Judging by the situation, they will divide their forces into three. It seems they will be coming up in three directions.
"Why there...well, good. Then where are Fire Fist and Snow Flower Princess?"
- There is no movement. They are waiting in Anyang.
I was puzzled by Lighthouse's report. What could be the reason for keeping the two strongest forces on standby?
'The opposing commander is from the military. If I consider his capabilities as a hero commander to be terrible....'
There's something going on. Tens of thousands of possibilities flashed through my mind and disappeared. If I had to guess the most likely scenario-
'Let's think simply. There's no need to think complicatedly. It's force preservation.'
They will use C~B class heroes to deal with the small fries, and deploy A class or higher against named or dangerous species. If S class is needed throughout Seoul, there is only one case.
'They are trying to preserve their strength until they attack the snake in City Hall.'
"Lighthouse, what about the movement of the opposing forces? Is there any change?"
- The personnel have been divided into approximately 1/3 each. A large mass is split to the left and right, and most of the non-combatants remain at the command headquarters. It doesn't seem like they will cross Gwanak Mountain.
"Is that so?"
Assuming that the existence of the Cheonghwa Unit has not yet been revealed, the enemies that the heroes are wary of will be only Monsters or villains.
Since they are trying to recover the entire Seoul, they will try to preserve their strength for the recovery of the area north of the Han River, which is relatively more difficult.
I draw the enemy's expected route on the map.
'Even if the enemy is a veteran commander....'
Go around Gwanak Mountain to the left and right and head north. Defeat Monsters and arrest villains along the way.
The dispersed forces will join in Yeouido, where there is the only way to cross the Han River.
"I was worried about them crossing Gwanak Mountain, but this is good. Let's proceed as planned. Are there any enemies we should pay special attention to on their side?"
- Storm Girl is there. Most of them seem to be young.
"Oh ho. Does that mean?"
- As you said, Pungbaek and Usa of the Three Masters have been assigned to the east unit. Unsa is on our side.
The heroes who went east headed to Seocho as expected.
The heroes who went west moved as if they would come up to Yeouido along the Line 1 route.
Fortunately, the opponent moved as expected.
"Then let's start slowly. Jo Deok-bae, can you hear me?"
- Why do you call Kim Ji-hwa Lighthouse, but me Deok-bae?
Deok-bae grumbled beyond the screen. He hated the code name Rock Golem so much, but he was a little embarrassed to be called by his name.
"The Cheonghwa Unit is ability-oriented, so everyone below B-class is just a regular member. You can get an executive nickname from B-class. So do your best, Minion No. 1."
- Seriously.
Deok-bae was about to throw away the object in his hand in annoyance. I chuckled as I watched Deok-bae, who only made gestures and couldn't actually take action.
"Don't get angry. If you handle this one properly, I'll give you some of the Core that comes out."
- So you're saying I can cause another riot.
"It's different. Unlike last time, Deok-bae was running wild."
I drew a route on the map and sent it to Deok-bae. A zigzag route heading north towards Guro, tearing through the entire Geumcheon-gu from the four-lane road to the alleys.
At the end of that was Guro's Digital Complex.
"Right now, you have to drag all the Monsters hiding in the alleys out onto the main roads. Got it?"
Deok-bae held a spirit stone charged with Mana in his hand.
* * *
<10:10 AM, Anyang Command Headquarters>
Shin Jin-gwang tried to hide his trembling hands by gripping the baton tightly.
Tension? No. Not even fear.
'This is an opportunity...!'
Exhilaration. A sense of responsibility for being entrusted with a heavy task. A sweet dream of the honor and power he would gain after successfully completing the mission.
And what made Shin Jin-gwang happier than anything else was the baton in his hand itself.
"Team A, respond."
- This is Team A, <Unsa> on standby.
"Team B, respond."
- Team B <Pungbaek> here.
Shin Jin-gwang disconnected the microphone plugged into his ear and laughed silently. Just a few weeks ago, the A-class ability users, whom he had revered like the sky, were answering and moving like soldiers according to his orders.
He wanted to make the soldiers run around the parade ground if he could, but Shin Jin-gwang's power and confidence were not yet sufficient to do so. Shin Jin-gwang, who had decided in his heart that he would do more when he recovered Seoul and advanced into Pyongyang someday, tapped the map on the screen with his baton.
"Team A, move along Gyeongsu-daero. Team B, move towards Gwacheon according to instructions."
- Instructions confirmed. We will report any unusual signs while heading north.
- Heh heh, make it easy for the old folks to go.
Shin Jin-gwang frowned at Pungbaek's sarcasm. He was an A-class ability user and older than him, but Shin Jin-gwang was clearly the commander in the current operation.
"Be careful with your words, Agent Pungbaek. This is a warning."

"What do you hope to gain from tormenting a dying old man? Are you planning to put him in an electric chair? Hahaha! Understood. I shall obey, Krahaha!"
"...I apologize, Commander. Please direct B Team's orders to me."
"Change B Team's Team leader! Transfer authority to Usa!"
At Shin Jin-kwang's irritated command, the heroes in the situation room hurriedly took action. Most of the heroes, mainly ranked D, were operators who relayed orders and searched, as always.
"What are you doing! I said change it!"
The operators frowned, unseen, at the outrage of replacing the on-site supervisor for using improper language. However, knowing about Poongbaek's past and Shin Jin-kwang's background, they had to follow the order, even if they didn't like it.
"Transferring on-site command of B Team to Usa."
"Roger. ...Speaking to the Commander. Directing heroes is different from directing a regular army—"
"Signalman! Cut it off!"
The operators stared blankly at each other before hurriedly cutting off the communication. Shin Jin-kwang's face turned red from his neck to the top of his head.
"This bastard and that bastard...!"
The baton trembled as if it would break. The operators, speechless at his fierce momentum, fixed their gazes on their respective screens.
Someone needed to break this icy atmosphere. Fortunately, a report that would appease Shin Jin-kwang's anger came in.
"This is Unsa. Monster wave detected 200m ahead. Class C."
Good. At least this was somewhat pleasing. Shin Jin-kwang cleared his throat and tapped the map with his baton.
"A Team! Initiate the attack with the prepared heroes!"
* * *
"Unsa, are you from the military?"
"No. I'm just accommodating him appropriately."
Unsa tapped her watch. Among A Team heading north on the western route, no one had more hero experience, or in other words, more seniority, than Unsa.
"The criteria for dividing the teams are blatant, aren't they? I just have the most experience here, so I'm taking the lead."
"Unsa is younger than me, but she's like an Unni."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Poongbaek, Unsa, Usa. Among the A-class heroes, they were veterans among veterans who had been active since before the Pyongyang incident.
Among them, Unsa was a rising star who had been active as a hero in the body of a young middle school student.
Kiaaaaak!
The Monster's cry rang in their ears. The Monsters gathered in groups of three or five on the main street discovered A Team and began running down the street.
"A Team, begin interception. The Monster in front of you."
Unsa, gripping the spear she carried on her back, dashed forward. At the same time, close-combat heroes charged forward with Unsa.
"Let's kill them all, without leaving a single one alive."
The heroes rushed towards the Monsters.

Chapter 47

〈 Episode 47 〉 Part 1 Chapter 4 (4)
<11:20 AM, Siheung Intersection.>
Thwack!
The Monster, struck in the head by Unsa's spear shaft, collapsed onto the asphalt road.
Unsa alone had already felled twenty-three Monsters. Adding up the entire A Team's kill count, it was now over a hundred.
"No more, right? Still, don't let your guard down!"
Tempest Lady issued instructions to the perimeter guards, then extracted a Core from the Monster's corpse and held it in her hand.
Crack, crunch!
As if crushing an apple with her grip, Tempest Lady shattered the Core and let the fragments fall to the ground. Mana flowed from the shattered Core fragments, dissipating into the atmosphere.
It was a wise measure to prevent the misfortune of attracting Monster attacks by carelessly collecting Cores.
"Cleanup complete. Whew."
Other Heroes were also destroying Cores from the Monsters' corpses. Tempest Lady approached Unsa, who was lost in thought.
"Team leader? What are you thinking so hard about?"
Her ash-gray bob swayed. Unsa tapped the ground with the tip of her spear and replied,
"I thought it was too easy. Until now."
They had walked along the road for nearly 10km. Battles with Monsters had occurred frequently along the way, but considering they had fully entered Seoul, the Monsters lacked both quantity and quality.
Tempest Lady looked around and replied,
"Could it be that the Villains were hunting them?"
"I disagree. These Monsters are too weak for the ones that should be appearing in this area."
At least B-grade Monsters should have appeared. But the ones that attacked the group were mostly C-grade riffraff.
"I believe someone has cleaned up all the B-grade and higher Monsters. Someone we don't know."
"...Is there a possibility that the Monsters devoured each other due to the Dimensional Gate?"
Unsa shook her head. The road was not severely damaged, except for the areas where they had fought.
"If that were the case, this road would be overflowing with corpses. Monsters would have been rampaging to seize Cores, and a Monster that had eaten those Monsters and evolved into a higher species would have greeted us long ago. And...."
Unsa spun her spear in the center of the intersection. The other Heroes also raised their weapons.
Kyak!
Dozens of Monsters charged towards the group from the opposite avenue. The perimeter guards quickly formed a line and prepared for the Monster attack.
In an instant, Unsa ran forward and stepped on a Hero's shoulder.
"Team leader?!"
With nimble movements, Unsa stepped on the Hero and leaped high into the air, raising her spear high above her head. White Mana billowed like smoke around the entire spear.
"Haaap!"
With a short shout, Mana gathered at the tip of the spear. Unsa spun the spear shaft and slammed it down onto the road.
Kwaaaang!!
Asphalt scattered, engulfing the Monsters. Unsa, who had stopped the charging Monsters with the shockwave, lightly landed on the ground and thrust her spear.
"Fire!"
Following Unsa's command, the marksmen fired Mana bullets. The Monsters, who had stopped their charge due to the shockwave Unsa unleashed, were riddled with holes by the Mana bullets fired from a distance.
Kiiiik....
Unsa watched as all the Monsters fell and tapped her watch.
"This is Unsa, requesting confirmation of deaths."

-Headquarters. There are no life signals from nearby Monsters.

"Confirmed."
Unsa gathered Mana at the tip of her spear. A cumulonimbus cloud that rose from the spear tip surrounded the Monsters' corpses.
Crack! Crunch!
The Monsters' corpses were torn apart as they touched the cloud. Unsa's cumulonimbus cloud devoured the Monsters' remains and Cores like a gluttonous ogre.
"Whew."
The cloud, having devoured all the Monsters without leaving a trace, returned to the tip of the spear. As soon as she stored the Mana flowing through the spear shaft into her body, the cloud dissipated like mist. Where the cloud had passed, there was no trace of Monster blood, only the remnants of the destroyed road.
Tempest Lady stirred up the wind at the pungent smell of blood. The gentle breeze blew the foul Monster stench far away.
"It's scary no matter how many times I see it. Team leader's Gluttonous Cloud."
"It's a really good ability for recovering consumed Mana. When I was dispatched to the Amazon in the past, I survived alone for a month thanks to this ability. It's still lacking in many ways, though."
"Still, you're A-grade. Everyone's expecting Unsa to be the next S-grade."
"That's too much praise."
Tempest Lady scanned Unsa's body up and down.
The Hero-exclusive combat suit developed by Yoosung Tech. Despite being a full-body leotard that revealed every line of her body, Unsa wore the clothes that blatantly revealed her curves without hesitation, for the sole reason that they were practical.
The smoothly flowing lines were enough to make even another woman jealous.
Even after devouring so many Monsters with her ability, Unsa's body was balanced without a single stretch mark.
"...Team leader, you don't do any dieting separately, do you?"
"Save the small talk for after the operation, Agent Yang Seon-woo. More than that, don't you think it's strange?"
Unsa pointed to the roads on either side.
"Shouldn't the surrounding Monsters be awakened by this much noise? Since when has Seoul been quieter than the outskirts of New Seoul?"
"...That's true."
Tempest Lady agreed with Unsa's point. The reason Unsa deliberately exploded the ground to make a commotion was to deliberately awaken the surrounding Monsters.
Yet, no Monsters appeared. Inside buildings, along roadsides, in alleyways. Monsters did not show themselves in any place.
Except for the northern direction of the road they were heading towards.
"It's strange. It's as if they're telling us to come up along the path where the Monsters are."
"Hey, aren't you overthinking it too much?"
"What do you think, <Red Pine>?"
At Unsa's question, a man with red-dyed hair turned his gaze. A pine tree pattern was engraved on the man's neck.
"Why would the noble Unsa be interested in a criminal like me? Are you perhaps smitten?"
"Do you think this phenomenon is normal? As far as I know, you're from Seoul. Has Seoul changed much compared to the past? If anything, there should be more Monsters because of the Dimensional Gate."
Red Pine shrugged his shoulders as if bored by Unsa, who did not respond to his provocation at all.
"Yeah. You were caught by that old man Poongbaek from the Three Masters."
"I'm not interested in your past. I understand that you were arrested only a year ago, but was Seoul such a Monster-free place back then?"
"You're really going your own way. There should be give and take in a conversation between people-"
"Please answer the question."
At Unsa's resolute words, Red Pine was momentarily stunned before answering.
"No. ...There's no way. It was a place where attacks were so frequent that you'd encounter a Monster even if you traveled the road for just five minutes. Geumcheon-gu is no different. All the Villains in this neighborhood were hiding in the apartment complexes. This area is a hunting ground that hunters used to frequent because Monsters often appeared."
"I understand. Thank you for your cooperation."
Unsa tapped her smartwatch. Commander Shin Jin-gwang from headquarters was called.
"This is Unsa. I have an urgent matter to report."

-What is it?

Shin Jin-gwang on the screen looked quite pleased. His face seemed to be constantly smiling at the Monster extermination results that were coming in every moment.
"The frequency of Monster appearances is significantly low. I believe it would be appropriate to divide the team and scatter, thoroughly searching each area, even if it takes time."

-Don't question my orders. Just move as ordered! You have to join up in Yeouido by 1 PM at the latest! The entire nation is watching this operation!

"Understood. We will move as ordered."
Shin Jin-gwang on the screen nervously lowered the screen. Unsa indifferently manipulated her screen and re-displayed the movement routes to the team's Heroes.
"Following the commander's orders, we will move north along the existing route. Everyone, please be careful of Monster attacks during the move."
"Are you okay? Aren't you pissed off after hearing that?"
Red Pine was even more angry at Unsa's composed attitude. But Unsa moved her feet with a nonchalant face.
"There's no reason to be angry. The commander's orders are absolute. Heroes must follow those orders in operations."
"Even if that's a command that drives the Heroes to their deaths?"
Red Pine sneered, but Unsa nodded firmly.
"There is no commander in this world who drives his subordinate Heroes to their deaths. If the commander's command is wrong."
Unsa raised her spear again. Monsters began to charge from the front again.
"All we have to do is kill them all and make it a proper command."
* * *
"Haa, haa, haa!"
Deokbae arrived at the designated endpoint, panting heavily. During the section from Seoksu Station to Digital Complex, Deokbae ran along almost every road, scraping together Monsters.
Hurry up and run like a dog.
The Bluebird attached to his shoulder whispered in an unpleasant voice. Deokbae tried to grab the Mini-Phoenix attached to him and crush it, but their eyes met.

-Rockhead. Weaker than me.

"...Keuk!"
The Mini-Phoenix specially provided for Deokbae was much stronger than Deokbae. It was Phoenix's consideration, not consideration, to come to the rescue if Deokbae was caught by a Hero.
"I've run enough! Even if I ran a marathon, I would have completed the full course!"
"Yes. So now rest."
Phoenix's voice was transmitted from the Mini-Phoenix.
"What?"
"What is subordinate number 2's next mission?"
Deokbae held up the Spirit Stone inserted between his rock skin. The Spirit Stone contained more Mana than when he transformed into a Fire Giant at Doksan Station.
"...Are you really telling me to do that? Are you serious?"
"We put it in the plan because it's possible. It's okay. I've fully charged the Spirit Stone with Mana, so it'll be stronger than last time."
Deokbae swallowed hard and re-inserted the Spirit Stone into his rock skin. The warmth, like carrying a hot pack, made him feel mentally and physically stable.
"Then I'm really hiding? I'm going to rest inside until you call me? I'm going to fall asleep?"
"Do as you please. The Mini-Phoenix will wake you up when the time comes. Even if it has to smash your skull."
"........"
Deokbae disappeared between the buildings without saying a word.
* * *
Deokbae infiltrated the planned building. I scanned the path the western Heroes had taken through the Beacon.
'It doesn't deviate much from expectations.'
The enemy commander moved the western team north along the shortest distance. I had also prepared for the railroad tracks or highway, but fortunately, they are moving north along the general road.
"They're coming up quite safely, right?"
'They're thinking about the future. They have to pay more attention to restoring the railroad tracks or highways.'
I respect the judgment that if a battle is going to take place anyway, it should be on a general road. If Seoul is recovered and the Monsters are driven out, Seoul will regain its function. I was relieved inside that the opposing commander was paying that much attention to the recovery of Seoul.
'That's why they won't be able to anticipate it even more.'
"Beacon. What's the situation in the east right now?"

-It doesn't deviate much from the expected route. It seems they will go north through Gwacheon and Dongjak.

"That's troublesome. Then shall we start slowly?"
I transmitted orders to some of the Mini-Phoenixes linked to the Beacon. The members of the Cheonghwa Unit, who had been waiting in pre-designated locations, began to move busily.
"Guro 4 and Guro 7 teams, commence the operation from that location. Release the 'Hunting Dogs' to lure the Heroes into the trap."
"Gangnam 1 team. Release the leashes as well. Block the mountain path with Monsters to induce them to detour."
The unit members who had been waiting in designated locations moved according to the command as soon as the order was given.
Krrr.
Krrr.
The unit members were all holding the leashes of Hunting Dogs that were larger than people.
A quadrupedal Monster with a Doberman-like appearance and scarlet flames burning like a scarf around its neck, B-grade fire attribute <Hellhound>.
I put not only humans but also Monsters into the force. Not only the Monsters that had already established themselves in Seoul, but also Monsters with fire attributes that I could directly command and efficiently execute.
And the trump cards that shouldn't have existed in this place in the first place.
"We have to use all the resources we can, right?"
The Cube of the Otherworld God in my hand sparkled in the sunlight.

Chapter 48

〈 Episode 48 〉 Part 1, Chapter 4 (5)
<Hero Side, Gangnam.>

-Monster reaction 600m ahead. It's a Hellhound.

"A B-class Monster? How many?"

-A little over 20. Estimated 24. All B-class. No superior species.

Usa bit her lip. The Hellhounds occupying the mountain road in the middle of the planned route were annoying Monsters to break through without getting hurt.

-Can't we just break through with force?

Shin Jin-gwang asked Usa first. He was already well aware of the danger of a B-class Monster group.
"It will take 30 minutes to catch them safely without getting hurt. If you send Phoenix, it will be solved in 1 minute."

-No. S-class are deployed at City Hall. Damn it. Of all places, Monsters had to nest there.

Shin Jin-gwang quickly reorganized the route with his baton. It was a route that went further east.

-Team B, move along this route.

Usa grasped the updated route. A route that went further east and headed north towards the Seoul Arts Center. It was better to take a little more time than to face the Monsters directly.
"Too bad. They looked perfect for boiling dog meat soup."
Pungbaek smacked his lips and swung his stick. Usa was dizzy at the old man's vigorous and violent words.
"You're the only one who talks about Hellhounds for dog meat soup, old man."
"Isn't it good? You know that if you remove the toxins from the Monsters, the taste is better than ordinary dogs and pigs. Don't you think so?!"
"That's right! Kehehe!"
"I thought I was going to have a body-boosting meal for the first time in a while, but it's a shame."
The other heroes nodded and laughed at Pungbaek's words. Usa's head throbbed at the atmosphere of Team B, whose average age was well over forty.
'This isn't some kind of package tour.'
If someone's smartwatch played trot music, they would all be ready for blues time. Usa tried to calm herself and contacted headquarters.
"...Team B, moving along the designated route."
* * *
<Cheonghwadan, Headquarters.>

-The eastern team is detouring. Shall we start?

"Yes. Hellhounds..."
I gave orders to the Hellhounds through Mini Phoenix, which was assigned to Gangnam Team 1.
"Run to Gangnam. Execute."
Kyaaaaang!!
The Hellhounds began to run northeast. They jumped over bushes and cliffs, running like crazy.
"1/3 remain in the residential area and attack the buildings. It's okay to catch and kill any villains if there are any."
"What did you say?"
Gaeul's voice trembled. I continued the order in a ruthless voice.
"The rest go straight to Gangnam. Kill any villains running away nearby."
"Wait a minute! Even so, killing people is-"
"Villains are not people. They're trash. Who knows? What else those bad trash will do somewhere."
The villains who escaped from Seoul could harm the heroines outside my sight. So, the seeds of danger must be eliminated.
"...Still, not to the point of killing."
Gaeul clenched her fists and glared at me. Jihwa didn't know what to do and looked at me and Gaeul.
"Aren't you a villain? What if someone tries to kill you?!"
"I have to die. If they can beat me."
I shrugged.
"Whether it's Phoenix, Gwanggeom, or even Lee Seung-hyung, the Fire Fist who likes you... If they beat me with strength, I have to die. But I will never lose."
I smiled sincerely.
"I don't want to die."
* * *
"Abnormal reaction from the Hellhound group! They are moving north quickly!"
Shin Jin-gwang looked at the map at the operator's report.
"Why are those guys who were still?!"
"I, I don't know! The direction is northeast, towards Gangnam!"
Shin Jin-gwang slammed his baton down hard. If a B-class Monster started rampaging in Gangnam, the property damage would be enormous. Even if they reclaimed Seoul, if it was a destroyed Seoul, his record would drop significantly.
'My buildings!'
And above all, the real estate that Shin Jin-gwang had given up when he escaped from Seoul. Most of his lost assets were tied up in buildings in Gangnam.
"Stop them! Tell Team B to stop them immediately!"
"Yes, yes!"
The operator in charge of Team B quickly connected the signal and delivered the order.
At that moment, an urgent emergency sound spread through the headquarters. Shin Jin-gwang burst out in annoyance.
"What is it this time!!"

-This is Unsa! Hellhounds are attacking from under the ground! There are too many of them!

In the scene sent by Unsa, Hellhounds were surrounding the intersection and attacking the heroes under the bridge.
"Ah, this is called burrowing."

-What's so great about just hiding and popping out?

"Tch."
* * *
<11:40 AM, Siheung Interchange.>
Hellhound groups popped out from all directions.
The expression 'sprouted from the ground' was more accurate. The moment the heroes entered under the road of the interchange, all the roads near the intersection were overturned and Hellhounds jumped out.
"Wonjin!"
At Unsa's quick command, the melee-type heroes formed a circle. The ranged-type heroes hurriedly ran into the circle.
"Kuaaack!"
One of the heroes who was spacing out at the rear was grabbed by the neck by a Hellhound. The man, who was C-class, was caught off guard by the Hellhound's surprise attack and collapsed.
"Keuk!"
Tempest Lady quickly stirred up the wind. A Mana storm moved through the heroes' formation and covered the Hellhounds.
Kikik.
Tempest Lady and the Hellhound made eye contact. The Hellhound, which had bitten the equipment on the back of the hero's neck, seemed to be smiling.
'Did no one notice?'
Siheung Interchange. The heroes went straight to the intersection that the commander had designated as the route. And as if waiting for the moment when the heroes went under the bridge, the Monsters sprouted from the ground.
'I didn't notice the Monster's presence at all?'
Kyaaack!
Two Hellhounds on both sides blocked the front and spewed flames from their mouths. The Mana storm that was shot urgently brushed past the Hellhound's flamethrower and scratched only the innocent road.
"No! Gi-seong!"
One of the heroes closed his eyes without realizing what was about to happen. Now, C-class hero Lee Gi-seong would be torn apart by the Hellhounds-
Krrr.
"...!!"
The Hellhound with Gi-seong in its mouth ran sideways. The Hellhound, which was going around the bridge where the heroes were stationed, was carrying the fainted Gi-seong to the north towards Guro.
"?!"
It's not an escape. It's trying to hide its prey in its nest. Unsa thrust his spear forward. The tip of the spear pierced the neck of the Hellhound that was rushing with its claws raised.
Kuruk, kuruk.
The cloud that came out of the tip of the spear chewed on the Hellhound's neck. The Hellhound, which was in pain, set fire to its neck and stepped back greatly.
"...!!"
Unsa retrieved his spear and quickly looked around. Everyone was on alert after seeing Gi-seong being kidnapped, but the Hellhounds were subtly cornering those heroes and were ready to bite them at any cost.
"Euaaack!"
One of the heroes shot an arrow as if he had lost his mind. The Mana-filled steel arrow brushed past the hero's face and aimed for the Hellhound's eye.
Kwajik!
The Hellhound tilted its head slightly and bit it with its mouth. The heroes were dumbfounded by the feat of catching a frisbee.
"Th, this!"
The archer hero aimed his bow again. The Hellhound broke the arrow shaft and slightly moved its body to the side.
"Hey! Where are you aiming!"
Friendly fire. The back of a melee hero's head came into the archer hero's line of fire, who moved following the Monster.
The Hellhound group moved their bodies so that the heroes outside the Wonjin were in the line of fire if they were about to receive a ranged attack.
Unsa sensed it.
'There is a superior entity commanding them.'
The Hellhounds attacked again.
"Haat!"
The cumulonimbus cloud that rose from the tip of the spear surrounded the outside of the Wonjin. Unsa, who had lost a large amount of Mana, took a deep breath and shouted.
"There's a leader! These are Monsters being commanded!"
"If the Hellhounds have a leader, it's Cerberus! Why is it here?!"
Jeoksong stabbed a knife into the forehead of the Hellhound that was eaten by the cloud. The Hellhound, which was convulsing while bleeding blue blood, was eaten by the cloud as it was.
"This won't do."
The Hellhounds were wary of the clouds outside the Wonjin and did not rush in rashly. The number of them that could be seen with the naked eye was almost forty or more.
Unsa pressed his watch.
"This is Unsa! Hellhounds are attacking from under the ground!"
The video information sent from the watches worn by the heroes was transmitted to the headquarters. The cumulonimbus cloud, which had exhausted its Mana, scattered like smoke.
Kyaaaaang!!
At the same time, the Hellhounds rushed in from all directions. Unsa bit his lip and shouted.
"There are too many of them! It will take time to suppress them all!"

-What? Hellhounds suddenly appeared there too?

Shin Jin-gwang's voice heard from the watch was full of embarrassment.
Kkaeng!
Unsa hit the head of the rushing Hellhound with the spear shaft. Mana bullets poured into the body of the Hellhound rolling on the ground, killing the Hellhound.
"Did Team B also get attacked?"

-Currently, the Hellhound group is moving quickly towards Gangnam! Team B went to defeat them!

Unsa clicked his tongue at the operator's words.
"Commander! The enemy Monsters are not just a herd of beasts! There is a mastermind giving orders to the Hellhounds!"

-What are you talking about!

Kyaaack!!
The Hellhound's roar, baring its teeth, flowed through the watch to the headquarters. Unsa quickly flicked the tip of his spear and spread the clouds.
Tamsikun snatched the Hellhound's neck.
Kwaduk, kwaduduk!
"Haa, Hellhounds are not Monsters that travel in groups like this! They don't hide in the ground either. There is definitely a superior species somewhere controlling them!"
Hellhounds are known for their small number of individuals even in Europe. The fact that such a Monster was hiding under the ground in the middle of Seoul and suddenly attacked, and ran to Gangnam in an orderly manner, meant that it was moving according to someone's orders.
Unsa thought of the most likely case.
A-class Monster and the superior species of Hellhounds, the three-headed dog of hell, Cerberus.
"That crazy dog is in Seoul?!"
Jeoksong slashed the Hellhound's neck with a knife. He had never heard that there was an A-class Monster, especially Cerberus, in Seoul.
"It seems to have sneaked into Seoul after the dimensional gate occurred! Damn it, water attribute! Are there any heroes who can use water attribute magic among the magician types?!"
Unsa scanned the team, but no one answered.
"There can't be more water-attribute outcasts here besides you!"
Jeoksong raised his sword and blocked the Hellhound's claws. The pine tree unit member next to him swung his axe, but the Hellhound, whose attack was blocked, immediately jumped back greatly and avoided the axe.
"Keuk!"
Unsa pulled up the Mana in his body. Tamsikun, who was moist with moisture and drooling, bit the Hellhound.
Kyaaaaaack!!
The Hellhound died in more pain than ever before.
"Euk!"
Unsa staggered from dizziness.
"Team leader!"
Tempest Lady ran over and supported Unsa. It was a momentary loss of strength caused by the sudden loss of Mana.
"I'm okay! More than that!"
The Hellhounds kept a great distance. The heroes who formed the Wonjin were defending better than expected, but more than that, they seemed to be particularly wary of him, glancing at Unsa.
"Headquarters!"
Unsa tapped his watch. Unsa pressed several areas on the map that appeared on the screen and shouted to the headquarters.
"Request a Mana scan at the corresponding points! We need to catch the commanding A-class superior species!"
Several points connected from the Siheung Interchange. Among them was Guro's Digital Complex.
* * *
"As expected, it's a dual attribute of wind and water. He's naturally good at countering fire attributes with water attributes, really."
Unsa Park Ra-on.
One of the protagonist's first three companions and a dual attribute holder of wind and water attributes. In the original story, he suffers a major injury and joins the protagonist's party for rehabilitation training from D-class, but now, without injury, he is flying around as a member of Samsa.
That A-class's sense accurately pinpointed the location where the Hellhounds were hidden. Now that it's been scanned, burrowing has lost its meaning.

-Isn't it dangerous?

Lighthouse began to worry after seeing the point that Unsa had marked.
"It would be if it stays like this. Since everything will be exposed anyway, just release them all. Have them come to the final destination."

-I will instruct them.

At the lighthouse's command, subordinates scattered across various locations unleashed the hellhounds. The Monsters paid no heed to the Cheonghwa Order members, running towards their destination.
"Are you alright? What if the heroes slip away through a different route..."
"No problem. No matter what, the place with the strongest Mana reaction will be Guro."
There's only one location where the most Mana will be detected in the scanned area.
The place where the Cheonghwa Order's trap lies.
"Deokbae, it's about time to wake up. Are you asleep?"

-I wasn't sleeping.

Chapter 49

"Mana scan complete! ...! Commander!"
At the operator's report, Shin Jin-kwang checked the map again. As a result of precisely scanning the area designated by Unsa, reactions from numerous Monsters erupted from that point. Shin Jin-kwang bit his lip at the concentrated Monster reactions.
"They're gathered at each base?"
The Monsters' reactions weren't randomly scattered but clustered in places. Those locations were truly good strategic points to ambush the Heroes.
If they had passed by without knowing, the Heroes would have been kidnapped by the Monsters that popped out of the ground, or in the worst case, killed. Shin Jin-kwang's eyes twitched at the enormous number of Monsters waiting in the invasion route he had set.
"A-rank reaction confirmed!"
And a Mana reaction distinctly different from the B-ranks was detected. The A-rank Monster at the end of the long line of Hellhounds was coiled up in the middle of the Guro Digital Complex.
"The center of Guro Digital Complex! ...Commander! It's a danger species!"
Shin Jin-kwang slammed the table with his baton.
"Damn it! What happened! There were no Monster reactions when we started the operation! How are you going to take responsibility, you incompetent bastards!"
Shin Jin-kwang had set the invasion route through areas where there were no Monster reactions. As he had meticulously checked for Monster reactions one by one while setting the path, Shin Jin-kwang was furious at the sudden appearance of the Monsters and the incompetence of the Association's observers who hadn't noticed it.
Commander.
Unsa, who had devoured a Hellhound, calmed Shin Jin-kwang.

-The Monsters that had burrowed into the ground were awakened by the aftermath of the battle. It's not strange that we couldn't scan the Monsters hiding underground. The only problem is that there are more enemies than expected, and one Hero is currently kidnapped....

"There's only a little over an hour left until the scheduled time to capture Yeouido! How are we supposed to recover Seoul at this rate!"

-I'm reporting to the Commander. Rather than being stuck here and wasting time, I propose an operation to move north while maintaining the formation. Otherwise, we'll just waste time and deplete our Mana and stamina.

Shin Jin-kwang made a groaning sound at Unsa's words. Logically, Unsa's plan was screaming that it made sense, but he couldn't make a decision because it felt like he was being deprived of command of the operation once again.

-Commander.

Unsa lowered his head.

-Due to my carelessness, C-rank Hero Lee Ki-sung has been kidnapped by the Monsters. I expect the enemies took Lee Ki-sung to their base, the 'Nest'. If we can confirm Lee Ki-sung's location....

"Find that bastard's location right now!"
The operator quickly searched for Lee Ki-sung's Mana reaction. Because his Mana was being depleted, Lee Ki-sung's Mana wasn't easily detected, but like an ant leaving pheromones, a very faint trace headed north along the main road.
That was the Guro Digital Complex, which Unsa had designated as the expected location of the superior species.
"Good! I'm issuing an order! Unsa, lead Team A to rescue Lee Ki-sung and destroy the Nest!"
A good result. Although one Hero was sacrificed, destroying a Monster Nest that was producing over a hundred Hellhounds. The exchange ratio of one C-rank Hero for a Monster Nest and an A-rank danger species was, even in his own opinion, a truly outstanding achievement.
'I won't forget your sacrifice. ...Hero!'
Shin Jin-kwang offered his condolences to the Hero whose name he didn't even remember.

-Order received. Executing the instructions.

Four Heroes broke out of the formation and dashed north through the ranks. Unsa, Tempest Lady, Jeok Song, and Cheol Pyo. The advance team, composed of four A-ranks, ran towards Guro at full speed.

-Kyaaaaak!

Cheol Pyo's skin hardened like steel. Running with a metallic sheen, Cheol Pyo ravaged the Hellhounds like a steel leopard, befitting his alias.

-
You're dead!

-
It's over!


Every time Jeok Song swung his sword, the Hellhounds' heads were severed as if he were performing a headsman's dance.
Tempest Lady raised both arms high, and a huge wind gathered like a sphere above her palms.

-
Team leader!

-
Haaaaaaah!!


Unsa struck the sphere of swirling wind with his spear, shouting. The gale compressed with Mana crushed the Hellhound horde blocking the way.
Kigiek?!
"Good, you're doing well! Team A, advance north!"
Shin Jin-kwang, excited in the blood-soaked battlefield, ordered the advance.
"The Hellhound horde is moving along with Team A! It looks like they're trying to block their path!"
The Hellhounds that had surrounded the intersection broke the encirclement and ran north. At first, he was worried about a rear attack, but the Hellhounds ran ahead of the Heroes, trying to occupy the main road.
'Even if there's a commanding entity...!'
No matter how much it's a superior species commanding over 100 Hellhounds, the opponent is just a Monster. Is it even possible for a mere Monster to try to surpass intelligent humans?
"Team B! Arrived in Gangnam! The Hellhound horde is engaged in battle!"
"What?! Without reporting?!"
Shin Jin-kwang checked the screen. Unlike the operator's words, Team B hadn't even entered Gangnam yet.
"Villains, it's Villains! The Villains of Gangnam have appeared to intercept the Hellhounds!"
Vagrants appeared, tearing up the roads and rummaging through buildings. These people, draped in old things like rags, took out their respective weapons and glared at the Hellhounds.

-Krrrr

The Hellhound horde, which had come down to Gangnam to rampage, watched the opponent and confronted them. At the forefront of the Villains, a middle-aged gentleman in a fedora was warming up the motor of a chainsaw.
"Villain wanted list confirmed! A-rank Villain <Sky Castle>!"
"!!"
Shin Jin-kwang subtly displayed the screen so others couldn't see it. The execution list that the President had personally handed him before carrying out this operation.
Seeds of evil that must be killed if they are alive, and whose corpses must be annihilated without a trace if they are dead.
Black Goat, Shaman, Lighthouse, Mole, Architect, Blood Sea, Stucky, etc. The Villains south of the Han River identified through intelligence.
Sky Castle was the chieftain who dominated Gangnam among them.
'We have to arrest them all...!'
They shouldn't just be killed. By arresting them and putting their necks on the gallows, they must be made to show the model of the Villain's end to the evil people of Korea.
"Team B! Intervene! Kill the Monsters and execute, no, arrest the Villains!"
At Shin Jin-kwang's command, barely suppressing his true feelings, Team B attacked the rear of the Hellhound horde.
Heroes and Villains. Different in nature, but fighting with a common enemy called Monsters.
The Hellhound horde scattered to both sides and began to bite humanity.


-The roundup is complete. There is movement in Seocho and Gangdong. It's Villains.

At Ji-hwa's report, I stopped the hand that was controlling the Hellhounds. After grouping the individual entities into a cluster and issuing simple commands, I focused on the conversation with Ji-hwa.
"What kind of movement?"

-They're both moving to Gangnam. It seems like they're trying to provide support.

"Black Dragon is one thing, but Shaman is a bit unexpected."
I thought they'd run away. Because I loosened the commands, the Heroes regained the upper hand. The Hellhounds rushed at the Heroes with only the instinct to kill their opponents, and the Heroes easily dealt with the Hellhounds.
"As expected, large-scale manipulation is still difficult…."
'But I achieved the primary goal.'
They're just Hellhounds mass-produced with the Cube anyway. As the Hellhound hordes were quickly being eliminated in both Guro and Gangnam, I informed the team leaders of each team of the retreat points.
"Good work. Gangnam Team, Guro Team, hide in the designated locations. From now on, it's a war of ability users."
I had already ordered all the Hellhounds to move to their destinations. While buying time against the Heroes, the Qinghwadan's members, who had been holding the reins of the Hellhounds, began to hide in various places, avoiding the Heroes' eyes.
"I'm entrusting the retreat of the combatants to you, Ji-hwa."
Yes. I'll retreat them all alive.
There was no reason to needlessly put subordinates, who had nothing but miscellaneous Core Weapons, on the battlefield to be used as cannon fodder.
"Wait until the Heroes take the bait."
Hide underground. Everyone gather at the assembly point along the subway lines.
Ji-hwa gave the order, and the subordinates scattered according to Mini Phoenix's relay. Since they were all from the streets, they knew exactly how to hide.
'Then the problem now is the Heroes.'
"As expected, even rotten fish is still fish. Everyone's strong. It's the first subjugation operation, so only the aces have gathered."
Even with the map hack that clearly overlooked the battlefield and releasing B-rank Hellhounds to launch surprise attacks, I only managed to snatch one C-rank Hero. It's difficult for a Monster whose thoughts are only 'destruction and slaughter' to beat a human who makes rational judgments.
"Should I increase the number of Ghouls a bit more?"

-Do you have anyone in mind?

Ji-hwa reacted immediately to my mutterings. I guess she thought I was asking her because I hadn't disconnected the call. Since the conversation had already started, I asked Ji-hwa for her opinion on who would be a good candidate.
"How about Black Dragon? I think that guy would really turn dark if he became a Ghoul."

-...I'll refrain from commenting.

Seeing Black Dragon quickly joining the Gangnam battlefield makes me laugh. He really considered being awakened to A-rank as a blessing from God and was following the Qinghwadan.
'If he dies, I'll make him into a Ghoul and use him.'
"Then, besides Black Dragon, what about other Villains? It doesn't have to be a Villain."

-Then turning Heroes into Ghouls… Oh, Chief. The Heroes have entered the field.

The view returns to Guro. The brief rest is over. I rubbed my fingers together and prepared to enter phase 2 of the operation.
"Understood. Then, slowly...."
The Heroes entered the Digital Complex. I awakened the Mana of my fireballs that I had instructed to be embedded in various places in the buildings.
Woo woong--
The fireballs, embedded in the walls like glass beads, began to tremble. Each of the basketball-sized fireballs was a bomb boasting strong destructive power.
"Let's see how they move even after their escape route is blocked."
The Heroes advance, dealing with the Hellhounds. As soon as the last Hero entered the range, I clapped my hands.
Clap.
"Welcome! Welcome to Guro!"
Let's set off fireworks in the sense of welcome. Very big and huge fireworks.
Kwa------------!!!
The fireballs exploded. Starting with the ones on the outskirts, all the fireballs embedded inside the buildings caused a chain explosion.
"Duck!"
One of the Heroes lowered his posture and protected his head. I didn't intend to attack by collapsing the buildings, but the explosion that was collapsing the entire city would naturally make them lower their bodies.
Kwaang, Kwaaaang!
Pillars of fire and dust soared high into the sky. The sound of explosions and collapsing buildings echoed in turn, and the roar exceeded the limit of human hearing.
Thump, thump, thump!
The buildings on the outskirts of Guro collapsed like dominoes. The buildings that were tilting as the ground collapsed due to the explosion and the supports were shattered blocked the road as if they were sliding.
"Thanks to modern civilization."
A high-rise building of over a dozen floors lay down on the main road, blocking it. To break through that building, they had to jump over the debris of buildings that were a dozen meters high.
"No escape route. If they want to escape, they can climb over the buildings, but...."
The Hellhounds that had been waiting outside Guro climbed onto the debris of the collapsed buildings. If the encirclement at Siheung Interchange was an appetizer, then the encirclement here was the main course.
"They probably ran here, mistaking the reaction of the A-rank as a commanding entity, but…."
'I'm not in Guro.'
The owner of the arena surrounded by concrete debris had already swallowed the spirit stone and finished preparing. I tore open the bag of convenience store popcorn I had bought in advance and ordered.
"Begin, Subordinate No. 2."
Kwaaaaang!
The fire giant burst out, breaking the outer wall of the 20-story building.

Chapter 50

〈 Episode 50 〉 Part 1, Chapter 4 (7)
Flame Giant.
A Monster that appeared near Dokseong Station when the Dimensional Gate opened and was subdued by Hunters.
From its sudden appearance far from the Dimensional Gate to its exit disappearing west of the Gwanak Line, the Monster, which showed bizarre behavior, attracted public attention for a short time.
Some supported the theory of an unfortunate hero who awakened his powers but was attacked due to his inexperience. It was defeated helplessly by the Hunters' attacks, but there were no casualties.
Some supported the theory of a Monster that had grown in size due to the influence of the Dimensional Gate. If it were a hero, there would be no reason to attack the Hunters.
And the 'villain theory' that did not gain anyone's support.
An ability user who usually looks like an ordinary human but transforms into a building-sized giant only when using his abilities.
The post, buried among numerous posts about Lee Seung-hyung, unfortunately became a sad and funny mecca.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The Flame Giant swung its arm horizontally. It collapsed buildings, and the debris attacked the heroes.
"Disperse! Take cover!"
The heroes who had been maintaining their formation scattered. The concrete, containing fire and falling, scraped the innocent roads that the heroes had avoided.
Clang!
"Ugh!"
Woonsa spat out the dust that filled her mouth inside the bank counter where she had fled.
Although no heroes followed her, as always, the heroes would know what role to play in a crisis.
Woonsa lowered her posture as much as possible and pressed her watch.
Jzzzt, jzzzzzt.
"I have to go outside...."
Even though it was only the distance between Anyang and Guro, the signal was not good. She felt like she had to get out onto the main street to contact the commander and her team members.
"........"
Fortunately, it was quiet outside. Woonsa subtly spread her Mana to survey the surroundings.
There were no Hellhounds. But there were signs of people.
People?
"Keuk!"
Woonsa hurriedly moved her body inward. Jumping over the table and breaking through the tightly closed door, she entered the bank's vault, where a boy was trembling in fear.
"H-Hik?!"
The boy, barely covering his body with worn-out clothes, was frightened when he saw Woonsa and stuck to the wall. 10,000 won bills flowed out of the bag the boy dropped. Just by looking at it, it was roughly tens of millions of won.
"It's okay. I'm a hero. Are you hurt anywhere?"
"D-Don't come!"
The boy pointed a rusty iron bar at Woonsa. Woonsa trembled and tried to relax her expression with her lips that wouldn't lift properly.
"I'm Park Raon, an A-class hero affiliated with the Association, Woonsa. This place is dangerous. I'll help you-"
At that moment, a man's voice, hard to believe it came from a boy, was heard.
- G18, G18, answer. Why are you still in Guro? I told you to run away a long time ago, didn't I?
Woonsa's actions were as fast as light. She rushed towards the boy in one step, avoided the boy's iron bar, grabbed his neck, and lifted him up.
"C-Cough!"
The boy, suspended in the air, coughed and kicked his feet. Woonsa threw the boy into the back of the vault and picked up the walkie-talkie in the corner.
- G18, no, Kwon Bok-hyun. Can you hear me? Don't tell me you couldn't get out of Guro?
Woonsa hardened her expression. Picking up the walkie-talkie and walking towards the fallen boy without saying a word, Woonsa quietly activated the screen.
[Answer.]
The boy's eyes shook.
Gulp.
The boy swallowed hard at the Devouring Cloud Woonsa emitted and opened his mouth.
"...This is G18. Hiding in Guro K Bank."
- What? Hey, did you go in there to get money? Are you crazy?
"I couldn't escape, so I did."
Woonsa recorded the man's voice and compared it to the database. The biometric data stored in the Association's registered villain list quickly identified the man.
Kim Ji-hwa. Code name <Lighthouse>. Villain.
Thwack!
Woonsa's spear struck Bok-hyun's stomach hard. The boy fainted from the impact.
"Lighthouse. Is this your work?"
- ...Who are you?
Lighthouse, who answered Woonsa's voice through the walkie-talkie, sounded flustered.
"I asked if you were the one who set up this trap."
- Trap? ...I don't know what you're talking about. I was just worried because I couldn't contact my kids-
"The Association already knows that Guro's Lighthouse doesn't leave the Digital Complex. Don't pretend you don't know after luring us here while blowing up your own base. Did you think the Association wouldn't know about you?"
- You're very perceptive. Yes. It's a trap, just like you think.
Lighthouse readily admitted it.
- You're probably wondering why I'm telling you this so easily, right?
"I don't want to know. In the meantime, while I was careless,"
The building shook. Woonsa created a cloud and wrapped it around her head.
Kooong!
A giant fist of flame struck the cloud. Woonsa planted her spear on the ground and squeezed out Mana to absorb the impact.
"...You were planning to attack like this."
- It doesn't work. Tsk.
The Flame Giant's fist went out of the building. Woonsa put the unconscious Bok-hyun around her waist and jumped out through the hole the Flame Giant had made.
Crack, crack, crack!
The building shook greatly and showed signs of collapsing. Woonsa, who came out onto the main street, made eye contact with the Flame Giant, who was kneeling on one knee in front of her.
"Is that the eccentric Monster?"
"Team leader!!"
Tempest Lady rushed out between the buildings. Most of Team A, except for a few heroes, were safely hidden.
"What about that kid?"
"He's a minion of the villains. He must be restrained."
When Woonsa put Bok-hyun down, two heroes came and arrested Bok-hyun. His hands were tied behind his back, and handcuffs for ability users were put on him.
Crack, crack, crack.
The Flame Giant stood up. The shadow of the giant figure standing against the sun was enough to cover the entire heroes.
- Answer, answer, Woonsa!
Shin Jin-gwang's urgent voice was heard through the watch. Woonsa immediately responded.
"Woonsa reporting from the current location. I judge the eccentric species 'Flame Giant' as a villain. The danger level is...A-class."
- An A-class villain?! That wasn't in the data!
"It seems like he's been hiding his powers until now. He joined hands with Guro's Lighthouse."
Woonsa held up the walkie-talkie. Lighthouse, arrogantly, had not yet cut off the communication.
- Hehehe. Think whatever you want. But you know what? Aren't there a few missing?
"...!!"
Woonsa hurriedly turned around to check on her team members. One B-class and three C-class were missing.
"Lighthouse!!"
- It's okay. We wouldn't kill heroes because we're scared, would we? We just put them to sleep. I don't know if a Monster will catch them in the meantime, hehehe.
With those words, Lighthouse cut off the communication. Woonsa quickly threw the walkie-talkie away, and the walkie-talkie exploded.
"Are you okay, Team leader?!"
"I was careless. ...More than that, please track down the missing heroes."
Woonsa took three steps forward and stood facing the Flame Giant. Looking to the outskirts, she saw the remaining Hellhounds baring their claws to prevent them from climbing onto the buildings.
A coliseum where you can't escape unless you kill all the enemies. Woonsa gathered Mana.
"Commander. I have a proposal."
- What is it again?!
"The opponent is an A-class villain. Even if we don't arrive in Yeouido on time, the achievement will be more than enough. If so."
Woonsa pointed her spear at the giant.
"The remaining time until 13:00, the scheduled arrival time in Yeouido, is one hour. Within that time, I will defeat that villain and subdue Guro. Of course, I will also save the kidnapped people."
- ...Damn it! Do as you please!
The commander's order was given. Only then did Woonsa slightly raise the corners of her lips.
"Team A! Prioritize rescuing the missing heroes and break through the encirclement here! Eliminate the Hellhounds on the outskirts! Immediately arrest any villains that appear along the way! The Flame Giant-"
The Flame Giant raised both arms high. The clenched fists fell to the ground as if they were about to strike the ground at any moment.
"I'll stop it!"
Woonsa swept the road with the tip of her spear. The flowing Mana became clouds and billowed up, meeting the Flame Giant's fist.
Crackle, crackle!
The Devouring Cloud devoured the blue flames. The Flame Giant quickly pulled back its hand before the cloud touched its fist.
Pshhhhh....
The Devouring Cloud, containing the blue flames, twisted its body as if a can was being crushed by a press. The Devouring Cloud, which had been gluttonously devouring the Hellhounds, vomited out the blue flames that it couldn't digest, as if it had a stomachache, and disappeared.
Flames flickered.
Blue flames fell on the asphalt. Woonsa did jumping jacks to loosen her body.
The fight between the same A-class. Fortunately, the Flame Giant was quite wary of the Devouring Cloud.
"Haa."
Woonsa took a deep breath. She had exchanged blows twice, inside the bank and on the road, but fortunately, it didn't seem like she would lose.
"It's a shame. If you had used those abilities for good, we wouldn't have had to hurt each other like this."
When her team members, led by Tempest Lady, lifted the encirclement, they would join in capturing the Flame Giant. Until then, Woonsa's job was to stall for time.
The Flame Giant spread its palm and slammed it down towards Woonsa. Woonsa lightly dodged the attack to the side and climbed up the collapsed building.
Her footsteps were like the wind god's nimble footwork, stepping and moving through the air.
BOOOOOOM!
The Flame Giant waved its hand as if chasing away a fly. The speed was on a different level than before, so Woonsa spread out her cloud.
Crackle!
The Devouring Cloud devoured the flames in the air. The Devouring Cloud disappeared without even having time to convert it into her Mana, but fortunately, it succeeded in blocking the Flame Giant's slap.
"!"
Or so she thought. Woonsa hurriedly raised her spear in front of her.
BOOOOOOM!!
The blue flames disappeared from the palm. In its place was a grayish-white skeleton, like a human bone.
Clang!
The spear and the skeleton collided. Woonsa didn't let go of the spear until the end, but the one who lost her footing in the air was blown away by the Flame Giant's palm.
"Keuk!"
Woonsa, who broke through the building's glass window and rolled through the office, gasped in pain. Even though her suit protected her body, the pain of rolling through the office and hitting the wall was no joke.
"......Hoo."
She hadn't expected it. She had identified the Flame Giant as an ability user who only burned all over its body. So she didn't think there would be a skeleton inside to support its body.
"Then there's no problem."
Even if it's bigger, it's the same as a person. It's just bigger.
BOOOM!!
The Flame Giant's fist is coming. The Flame Giant's hand, which was breaking all the glass windows and entering, was already covered in flames again.
"Let's see if you can withstand it or if I can eat it all. Let's give it a try."
Woonsa thrust her spear towards the Flame Giant's fist. The rising Devouring Cloud climbed onto the Flame Giant's hand more fiercely than ever and bit it.
BOOOOOOM!
This time, the Flame Giant didn't pull back its fist either. Rather, the hand with only bones left grabbed Woonsa's back as if trying to grab Woonsa in its hand.
'This...!'
She squeezed out Mana to recover and spread the Devouring Cloud again. But the Flame Giant succeeded in snatching Woonsa's body even while its bones were being chewed.
"Keup!"
The bone fingers were tightening. Woonsa twisted her whole body to escape before the giant could restore the flames. But blue flames were already flowing from the Flame Giant's bones.
BOOOOM?!
Suddenly, the Flame Giant's grip loosened. Woonsa didn't miss the opportunity and quickly gathered Mana to escape from its hand.
Crack!
The Devouring Cloud, which had flowed up to the giant's forearm, returned and bit off the giant's wrist. The giant's hand bone, which fell to the office with a thud, collapsed powerlessly.
"Haa, haa."
Woonsa put out the flames attached to her suit. Woonsa's white skin was exposed as the flames burned even the suit.
"......?"
Her lower chest, abdomen, and thighs. The suit where the giant's hand had swept was burned, exposing her skin. Nevertheless, Woonsa felt more puzzled by the giant's actions than by the exposure of her body.
'Why did it stop?'
The giant squeezed her hand tightly as if to kill her, then released its strength. The gap in which Woonsa escaped was created because the giant released Woonsa on its own.
The giant, whose hand had fallen off, stared at Woonsa without saying a word, then pulled out its hand.
BOOOOOOM...!
The giant shouted something. Another building collapsed due to a pointless tantrum, as if it was very displeased.
BOOOOOOM!!

The giant didn't even glance at Unsa and continued running down the road. Its direction was towards the heroes who were still struggling with the hellhounds.
"I don't know why, but!"
Unsa wasn't the kind of hero who would say, "Yes, I understand," and surrender just because he was given a break once. Even if his spear shaft broke, Unsa's fighting spirit wouldn't be broken until his Mana was exhausted and he collapsed.
Bang!
Unsa kicked off from the office and soared into the air. His swift footwork quickly overtook the Flame Giant, and he stood on the building next to it.
Kuwung.
The Flame Giant was about to turn the corner but stopped when it saw Unsa. Its gaze wasn't on Unsa, but it was clearly aware of him.
Its head turned away and then snapped back, as if it didn't even want to look at Unsa.
"...Could it be?"
No way. Unsa summoned Gluttonous Clouds and wrapped them around his body like armor. The Flame Giant's head turned back to Unsa at the sight of the billowing clouds covering his suit.
□□□.
The Flame Giant nodded as if finally satisfied. Unsa looked back and forth between his body and the Flame Giant, then nodded as if he had realized something.
"Seriously? You're worried about this right now?"
Unsa scoffed and dispelled the cloud armor. The exposed areas were revealed again. The Flame Giant's head snapped away again, as if it had been slapped.
"How can you fight if you're worried about something like this on the battlefield!"
Unsa gathered the Gluttonous Clouds and scattered them in front of the Flame Giant. The Flame Giant quickly tried to turn the corner and pass by.
But Unsa's movements were faster.
□□...!
"Turning your eyes away from the enemy is suicide. Even if you're a villain, I have to give you this advice."
A massive wall of clouds blocked the road between the buildings. Unsa stood on top of the wall, aiming the tip of his spear at the Flame Giant.
"Don't turn your eyes away! You're a villain, and I'm a hero! Since we've met as enemies, either you'll be arrested, or I'll be killed! If you're worried about something like this!"
Unsa slammed the tip of his spear down on the cloud wall. At the same time, the Gluttonous Clouds collapsed like a dam breaking and water flowing.
"That's an insult to this Unsa!"
The massive mass of clouds engulfed the Flame Giant.

Chapter 51

"...I'm a little sorry."

-I, I didn't see anything?

"Sure you didn't."
I forgot what kind of person she was. The Gluttony Cloud surrounding Deokbae was ravenously devouring him from his feet up.
Just before Deokbae grabbed Unsa and injured him, I unconsciously gave an order.
'Don't hurt him.'
Naturally, the Flame Giant, Deokbae, protested. What was I saying with the enemy right in front of him? He just needed to grab him and smash him to death, so why was I stopping him?
But the opponent was someone who shouldn't be killed or even injured.
One of the protagonist's initial three heroes. A main heroine who was betrayed by her commander, lost her Mana, and became a cripple, now trying to make a comeback from E-rank ability user.
'I never thought that drunkard would be such a diligent person...'
She was a woman who was far from diligent or earnest. Because of that, she caused friction with her comrades in the first chapter of the original story, leading to a bad ending.
Just like Cheon Ga-eul, she was so different from how she was five years before the original story.
'Still, the basics are the same, so it's quite something.'
Just as Cheon Ga-eul was Cheon Ga-eul, Park Ra-on was the same.
The diligence she showed in her missions. The strength to defeat enemies without hesitation, even if her clothes were torn and her underwear was exposed.
Deokbae seemed amused by Park Ra-on and sneered.

-Hey, that body is really something. She doesn't cover up? Is she a slut?

So I shouted at Deokbae.
How dare he look at Park Ra-on's exposed body? Turn your eyes away.

-Hey, you mi★ Y! How am I supposed to fight if I can't look while fighting!

But unfortunately, Deokbae recognized that as an order. As a result, Deokbae kept trying to take Unsa out of his sight, which really pissed Unsa off.
It was my mistake.
"Ah, sorry, Subordinate No. 2. ...You can look now. Order rescinded."

-I'm already being eaten up to my knees! What are you going to do!!

The Flame Giant's height on the screen had shrunk considerably. The amount of Gluttony Cloud had also decreased by that much, but the Flame Giant was struggling to escape from the cloud hell.
"...Okay. Our Jo Deokbae. I can't just let him die like this."
Before long, the Gluttony Cloud reached Deokbae's waist. If the Gluttony Cloud touched Jo Deokbae's Core, located near his solar plexus, Deokbae would be devoured whole.
"Flame Giant. Deactivate. You can use your original ability. Fight as you please until you run out of Spirit Stone Mana."

-Ooh yeah!

The Flame Giant's body flashed.

"......What, did you say?"
The Flame Giant disappeared in an instant. Unsa, who had been squeezing out Mana to the limit, struggled to lift his head.
Gone. The Flame Giant had hidden his presence as if he had concealed himself during the Dimensional Gate incident.
"Haa!"
He gathered the Gluttony Cloud he had spread out and put it back into the tip of his spear. He had to conserve even a little Mana.
A combat style that involved recovering Mana by plundering the opponent's Mana through the Gluttony Cloud, instead of having a high maximum Mana capacity. In that sense, the opponent was a very difficult enemy for Unsa.
Mana that was only being consumed without anything being taken. Unsa's Mana was already less than half.
Thump.
He heard footsteps from somewhere. Unsa quickly organized his Mana. He didn't have much Mana left.
Thump. Thump.
Someone was walking from where the Flame Giant had disappeared. A man with a huge build, well over 2.5m tall. Unsa squinted at the hair that shone in the sunlight.
The blue flames flowing out from between the rock-like skin that looked like it would burst at any moment made Unsa instinctively realize the man's identity.
"Is that your true form?"
"Hoo. Yeah."
Deokbae bumped his fists together. Sand fell and spilled onto the floor.
"No need for introductions, let's go."
Deokbae kicked off the ground and ran, swinging his fist at Unsa.

At that moment, when Unsa's team was lost in the maze in Guro.
In Gangnam, the air was thick with the stench of blood as Hellhounds fell one by one.
Vroooooom--!
The sound of a chainsaw shaking the earth made the Hellhounds falter. But the rapidly spinning chainsaw blade tore through the Hellhound's foot.
Slash.
Blue blood splattered on the navy suit. The Hellhound was split vertically by the Mana-infused chainsaw blade and died. Haneulseong turned off the chainsaw and released the heat.
Pshhhh----
The chainsaw, which had been shining blue until just now, seemed to have exhausted its power and lost its light. Smoke slowly rose from inside the motor, and it caught fire.
"Giving me cheap stuff, you bastards."
Haneulseong threw the chainsaw Core Weapon at the face of the Hellhound that was running towards him.
Other villains were already throwing their Core Weapons, which they had been holding, on the ground or using them as throwing weapons.
"Haneulseong! What do we do now?!"
"Run away! Run to the Gangdong area and hide!"
The non-ability user villains who had lost their Core Weapons had lost their power. Being here was nothing more than being food for the Hellhounds.
"Damn it! They should have given us something better!"
"Were we scammed?"
Regardless of whether they were ability users or not, the performance was good enough to injure and eventually kill the Hellhounds, but the durability was too low, and they broke quickly.
"Why are you so afraid!"
In the end, the villains met their worst enemy. A green wind swept through the avenue, and the Hellhound's corpses were swept onto the sidewalk. The Monsters faced the heroes approaching from across the avenue.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't you."
Pungbaek twirled his stick and smiled. Across the avenue, the heroes were catching their breath and gathering their Mana after a fierce battle. Haneulseong pointed at the Monster corpses and complained.
"If you're not going to help clean up the front yard, then get out of here."
"Isn't it the heroes' job to defeat Monsters? Why are you being so sarcastic? Hahaha!"
Similarly, the heroes were in bad shape from fighting the Monsters, but the Mana they exuded still showed their strength.
Grrrr!
The pack of Hellhounds surrounded by villains and heroes bared their claws on both sides.
Villains, heroes, Monsters. The three glared at each other, facing off. The rift between heroes and villains was too deep for humanity to join hands against the Monsters.
"Are the heroes allowed to entrust the task of defeating Monsters to ordinary citizens?"
The villains' eyes were fierce, as if they would kill all the heroes with their eyes alone. As Haneulseong raised his Mana, Pungbaek laughed.
"I don't know where you got those strange toys, but it's not right for grown-ups to interfere with children playing."
"That old man is going to die!"
Haneulseong raised his hand to stop his subordinate villain, who was about to charge forward.
"Fine. Then don't interfere and get out of here. Gangnam is our land."
"Do you think this is the Stone Age? If you plant a flag, it's all your land? All land belongs to the country, not to individuals. Should I go to Shinseoul and check the land register?"
Usa tapped the ground with his staff.
"Headquarters, what is the number of enemies?"

-The villain pattern is over 200! There is one A-class, the villain Haneulseong!

Thanks to raising the volume of the watch as if to let everyone hear, all the villains hesitated. No matter how close to S-class they were, A-class was A-class. Most of the villains gathered in Gangnam were C-class or D-class.
In comparison, on this side, there were eight A-class, including Usa and Pungbaek, who were veterans of many battles. The total number of heroes was not that large, but the power itself was similar to Team A.
"So that's what they say. What are you going to do? If you surrender now, I'll even put some food in your prison."
"I refuse."
"You're not even listening, ugh!"
Pungbaek gripped his stick and lowered his body. The villains hesitated and stepped back, as if he would charge at any moment.
"Haneulseong-nim! What do we do? Are we really going to fight?"
"...We have to fight."
Haneulseong instinctively examined the heroes' necks. Guys who frantically covered their necks with accessories such as scarves, helmets, and mufflers.
The faces above those necks were all familiar to Haneulseong, former villains.
"There's also the Pine Tree Unit. If you're caught by those guys, you'll be killed or arrested as a semi-disabled person. Are you still going to run away?"
"Eek."
The President's execution unit. Everyone already knew their reputation for making even crying Monsters stop. The villains reluctantly took up their weapons.
"Oh dear. I made you even more scared because of you. What are you going to do?"
Pungbaek mocked the man who had raised his collar.
"I don't care. I'm only interested in results."
"Every time you arrest a villain, it's ten days, right? Heh heh. Seonui Cheol has put a leash on you in a very unpleasant way."
"...Shut up."
The heroes also raised their Mana and took up their weapons. Whether they were pure heroes or members of the Pine Tree Unit, their mindset when facing the villains in front of them was the same.
Kill the Monsters and arrest the villains.
Usa tapped his watch and called the commander.
"This is Usa. We are currently facing off against villains at the Gangnam Station intersection. Give us instructions."

-Villains? Those buggers are hiding there? Heh, kill them all!

"...Commander-nim. Villains are also people."

-They are cancer cells that are eating away at this country! They are things that need to be cut out! Do you know how much tax money goes into those vermin?!

Shin Jin-gwang continued to huff and puff.
"Minister."
What!
"Just take care of your damn pension."
Usa took the watch off his wrist and threw it on the ground. Pungbaek burst into a hearty laugh and nudged Usa with his elbow.
"Are you going to be okay? What if you get on the commander's bad side and get disciplined later?"
"I'll just retire with you, old man. Team A will do well on their own. After retiring, let's go to some countryside and make Unsa an S-class together."
"Hahaha! I'm not living with my son!"
Usa stood in front of the heroes and gathered his Mana.
The first thing to do before arresting the villains. Usa's voice echoed loudly through Gangnam Avenue.
"You have the right to remain silent---!!"


-
The hero eastern team has encountered Haneulseong's group in Gangnam. Combat begins.

-
In Guro, the heroes are attempting to break out of the encirclement. A single point breakthrough. If this continues, the Hellhounds' encirclement will collapse.

-
Jo Deokbae is fighting Unsa. Engaging in close combat.

-
Seonmudang, there is still no movement in the vicinity. Seems to be observing the situation.

-
Black Dragon, on standby.


Ji-hwa's dry report continued. The battlefield was so wide and the number of people fighting was so large that the amount of information to report naturally increased.
"What's the situation in Gangnam?"

-The villains are at a disadvantage. The number is much larger, but they are overwhelmingly inferior in quality.

On the screen, villains and heroes were fighting, no, waging war on the avenue.
Heroes systematically forming small teams to respond, and villains attacking haphazardly. While ability users engaged in close combat were clashing swords, the villains in the rear began to flee one by one.
"As expected, without a proper command system, they can't fight."
Even if the villains had the advantage in small-scale local battles, the heroes were much more advantageous in large-scale battles.
"After all, the villains only need to save their own lives."
'In comparison, heroes have a lot of experience in group battles. Their camaraderie is also strong.'
Haneulseong was trying to grab Pungbaek with bursting muscles. But Pungbaek gracefully slipped out of his grasp, and in the meantime, Usa pierced Haneulseong's solid muscles with dozens of streams of water.
Clang-!
The streams of water bounced off as if they had hit an iron plate. The giant with steel skin, who was 3m tall, desperately tried to catch Pungbaek, throwing his body around.
"Tsk."
Haneulseong was fighting hard, but it was not enough. While Pungbaek and Usa were tying up Haneulseong's feet, the remaining six A-class were slamming the villains into the ground.
"At this rate, they're going to lose completely."
Haneulseong, the strongest force in Gangnam. The leader who should have been leading the villains was caught by Pungbaek and Usa and was unable to give any special instructions, so the other subordinate villains were helplessly defeated by the heroes.
"If the quality is lacking, you have to make up for it with quantity, right?"
I subtly moved the surviving Hellhounds back. The Hellhounds that had been stationed at every intersection and five-way intersection followed my instructions and ran through the alleys, scattering between the buildings.
"I've opened the road with this."
'All that's left is to release the seal.'

Fortunately, there is one group of villains who want to be under my command. I loaded my consciousness into the Mini-Phoenix I sent towards Gangdong.
Now it's time to let the Black Flame Dragon rampage.

Chapter 52

〈 Episode 52 〉 Part 1 Chapter 4 (9)
"........"
Phoenix crossed his arms and remained silent. His subordinates, numbering about 30, murmured among themselves, wondering about their A-class leader's behavior.

-
The boss must have gone crazy after that meeting. He's become a religious nut.

-
He says he's going to become a cardinal of the Sun Church or something.

-
If believing in the sun can drive out the heroes, I'll bow to the sun every morning when it rises.


"...Ignorant fools."
Phoenix muttered to himself, so his subordinates couldn't hear.
"They'll only open their eyes when they see His divine power directly."
Phoenix scanned his subordinates with pity. His eyes, which had become even darker as he reached A-class, terrified them.
'Their numbers have dwindled a lot.'
More than half of his 100 or so subordinates had run away during the battles with the heroes. Some had fled because they were more afraid of Phoenix than the heroes, but Phoenix didn't care at all.
A prophet is always lonely. Phoenix silently endured, even knowing that a fierce battle was taking place in Gangnam. Until the messenger of God arrived.
And a blue bird flying in the sky landed on the power line. Phoenix knelt down to greet it.
"Have you come?"

Chirp chirp.
Mini-Phoenix stood before Phoenix. Phoenix, who was in Yeouido, instructed Phoenix through Mini-Phoenix's mouth.
"Mic test. Can you hear me?"
"I can hear you. The voice of you, sent by God through the messenger. This humble one is ready to receive the divine message."
"........"
Strange. He must have awakened his ability and then switched careers to become a clergyman. Phoenix coughed awkwardly, feeling embarrassed inside.
"Ahem. Is everything ready?"
"Of course. Although my lack of ability has led some comrades to not follow God and foolishly fail to awaken, fortunately, over 100 Hyung who follow God's majesty are waiting to hear His word."
Phoenix glanced behind him. The villains who had followed Phoenix looked fearful but seemed to have no choice but to follow.
God's majesty was fear.
"...Good. Then, I command you. Unite with the Haneulseong group in Gangnam and defeat the heroes. Do not kill the defeated heroes under any circumstances. Take them hostage. Move the captured hostages here. Do you understand?"
"I will follow your grace! Believers!"
Phoenix raised his fist. The subordinates awkwardly raised their weapons.
'Their morale is quite low.'
What's the point of reinforcements like this? Phoenix moved Mini-Phoenix to quickly check the aptitudes of the subordinates. He noticed one ability user with a fire attribute affinity of barely over 50.
Flutter flutter.
Mini-Phoenix flapped its flames and stood before the villain. The bespectacled villain, who had been fearing in the rear, was a non-ability user.
"Eek!"
The villain was startled by the sudden appearance of Mini-Phoenix. Mini-Phoenix landed on the non-ability user villain's head and placed its beak on the crown of his head.
Barely 51.
Poke!
Mini-Phoenix's beak pierced the crown of the villain's head. At the same time, the Mana that had been dormant in the villain's body began to stir and circulate within him.
Buzzing-!
A strange phenomenon of light emanating from the body. The villains stared in shock and admiration at the bespectacled villain's transformation.
"Oh, oh, oh oh oh!"
The awakening of an ability that everyone in modern times would desire. Mana surged from the bespectacled villain's body.
"...Baptism! God has bestowed baptism! He has made this foolish and humble one a servant of God!"
Phoenix grabbed the shoulder of the bespectacled villain, who had awakened as an ability user, and shook him with envious eyes.
"I'm really an ability user...?"
The villain raised his hand as if he couldn't believe it. Flames bloomed on the baseball bat he held in his right hand. He had been a non-ability user, but he was forcibly awakened as a C-class ability user by Phoenix.
"As you can see. This is the power of the Cheonghwadan."
Phoenix circled Mini-Phoenix above the villains. Over 200 eyes followed Mini-Phoenix's feathers.
"Do you want to awaken your abilities? Do you want to reach a higher level?"
Everyone nodded. Phoenix spread Mini-Phoenix's wings and pointed in a direction.
"Support for those who strive. Rewards for those who produce good results. Now, go and defeat the heroes."
Mini-Phoenix soared back into the sky.
The villains of Gangdong, including Phoenix, ran like mad dogs, ambushing the heroes. The path that Phoenix had already cleared of Hellhounds was like a highway, and at the forefront was the ability user who had just awakened his ability.
A moment later. Ji-hwa informed Phoenix of the changes on the battlefield.

-Seonmudang is starting to move in Seocho. She's positioning herself to attack the rear of the heroes.

"She waited for Gangdong to move... I guess?"

-She's a woman who sides with whoever has the advantage. She must have judged that the villains are currently in a superior position.

"Hehehe. Good. Let's use her for now since she's helpful."
The heroes, who were surrounded on three sides in an instant, calmly formed a battle line. A street battle unfolded on the main avenue.
Guro had fallen into a trap, and Gangnam would now be surrounded by villains. I turned my head towards Anyang, beyond Gwanak.
"If you don't play the cards in your hand quickly, the game will be over."
You snooze, you lose.

"Ohoho! The baby spirit will punish you!"
Seonmudang scattered rice into the sky. A handful of rice grains swelled in size with Seonmudang's Mana.
"Punishment my ass!"
Woo-sa swung his staff and fired water bullets. The rice grains falling in an arc bubbled as if they were about to explode. A bomber who imbued charms and rice with Mana and detonated them like bombs. That was Seonmudang's ability.
Kaboom!
The small rice bombs were hit by the water bullets and exploded. Woo-sa clicked his tongue and gathered Mana again to create a stream of water. Black flames flashed from the front.
"Receive the flames of God!"
Phoenix, who had jumped over the corpses of the Monsters, held black flames in both hands and shot them towards the ground.
"Keuk!"
Woo-sa quickly spread a giant water barrier like an umbrella. The two Mana collided, creating a huge cloud of steam.
"Hahaha! Foolish, ignorant ones!"
Phoenix laughed madly and burned his entire body with black flames. The heroes flinched at his insane act of covering himself in flames and charging forward.
Even though he seemed mentally unstable, his ability was definitely A-class. And the Mana of his flames was overwhelmingly greater and purer than that of other heroes.
Woo-sa quickly searched the villain database. An ability user who uses black flames. The real-time updated database showed only one villain as a result.
"<Black Goat>?!"
A villain who was an arsonist who burned down a rich man's house and ran away. His ability level was clearly B-class.
"Headquarters! Update villain information! Adjust Black Goat's rank to S, no, A-class!"

-Huh?! Ah, understood!

Woo-sa clicked his tongue as he looked at the database where the danger level was being updated to A-class. The information in the update log clearly stated that he was B-class when he appeared in Gangdong-gu a month ago.
Did that mean he had reached A-class in that one month? And at such a high level that he was almost at the threshold of S-class.
"Hoo, you. What the hell are you?"
Woo-sa spoke to Phoenix. The other heroes were in the midst of fighting the villains, but how he had increased his ability through some kind of opportunity was a common interest for all ability users.
"Hehe, hehehe, woohehehehe!!"
Phoenix's shoulders shook. He unwrapped the bandages that had been wrapped around his hands.
"Do you see! My skin that has regrown with God's grace! These burn marks that even doctors gave up on! This humble one, reborn in the flames after receiving baptism, has become a dragon that burns enemies for God! Its name is the arrogant Phoenix!"
"Crazy bastard."
Woo-sa frowned as if he was disgusted.
There were often cases where a hero's ability awakening would break their mind and turn them into a madman, but this guy was a bit too extreme.
"To have chuunibyou even at your age, the world is really coming to an end."
"Kekeke. Chuunibyou? No, you don't understand! Those who haven't directly received the grace bestowed by God cannot understand!"
Phoenix stomped his feet in anger. The black flames burning from his feet soared upwards, melting the asphalt on the road.
Kieaaaaak!!
A giant flame Monster rose from behind Phoenix. Its long, snake-like body and single horn on its head roared, spewing flames as if he had really become a dragon.
The heat was enough to make Woo-sa's skin tingle. Woo-sa planted his staff on the ground and gathered Mana.
"...I'm seeing fire types, which are hard to find these days, really often."
The Hwama Dragon popped out of the dimensional gate, the first in the world, and now he was facing two fire mages, one S-class and one A-class, who were said to be the next rarest after commanders.
Although one was a crazy A-class, there was still room for rehabilitation.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to arrest you and send you straight to a correctional facility! We're really good at curing chuunibyou like you!"
"I'm not chuunibyou! Don't blaspheme God!"
Phoenix charged at Woo-sa. As Woo-sa's body floated into the air, Phoenix followed him and lunged.
"Old man!"
"Alright!"
Poongbaek, who had been playing with Haneulseong, stuck to Woo-sa's underside. The wind that Poongbaek wrapped around his legs became a gale, stopping Phoenix's charge.
Woo-sa raised his staff high. The moisture in the atmosphere was drawn to the tip of the staff and began to gather.
"You think I'll let you?!"
Seonmudang spread her fan and created a cold wind. Phoenix also fired flames from a distance in response.
Woo-woo-woong--!
A massive amount of wind surged from the ground like a tornado, protecting Woo-sa. Woo-sa began to chant a spell inside the wind barrier, as if he had entered the eye of a typhoon.
"Block it! He's trying to use a combined skill!"
Seonmudang scattered charms into the air. The blood-soaked paper flew gently before attacking Poongbaek like bullets with Seonmudang's fanning.
"Not so fast!"
The other heroes of Team B protected Poongbaek and Woo-sa, forming a line. Seonmudang's charms were attached to innocent people and exploded.
Bang, kaboom!
"Keuk!"
A warrior hero in full plate armor coughed up blood through his helmet. His armor, which had blocked the most charms from the front, was dented in various places.
"Get out of the way! Ignorant ones!"
Phoenix swung his fists, trying to break through the line somehow. But the heroes dodged Phoenix's attacks and somehow stopped him from a distance.
Thud! Thump!
Haneulseong charged like a bull. Three A-class heroes each raised their weapons to stop Haneulseong.
"Kuaaaaa!!"
He screamed and tried to push the heroes away, but it was slightly insufficient to break through the strength of the three.
It was amazing that Haneulseong, whose monstrous strength required three people to stop despite being the same A-class, failed to block the attack that Woo-sa and Poongbaek were using together.
"Here we go!"
"Alright!"
Poongbaek's Mana soared into the sky, and Woo-sa drew that Mana into his staff and poured it into the giant mass of water gathered on the staff.
Woo-woong---!!
Wind swirled inside the mass of water. The tornado barrier that Poongbaek had surrounded Woo-sa with disappeared over time.
"You crazy!"
Seonmudang stepped back greatly from the mass of water floating above Woo-sa. The mass of water was the size of a small house, even when viewed with the naked eye.
The combined skill of the Three Sages, Storm.
Unlike the intuitive skill name of wind and rain, its destructive power was enough to sweep away the villains in the Gangnam area.
Woo-woong---!
Wind and rain began to rage from outside the heroes' line.
"Aaaagh!!"
The radius of the storm gradually widened, and the villains inside were swept away by the tornado. The villain's body spiraled and was sucked into the mass of water that Woo-sa had floated.
Gurgle, gurgle!
Woo-sa extracted Mana from the villain caught in the mass of water and rotated the wind and rain even more fiercely.
"I can't do it, I have to run away!"
"...Keuk!"
Seonmudang retreated. Haneulseong was still grappling with the heroes.
Gooooo!
Phoenix stood firmly in place. The raging wind and rain, which were widening the area, soaked Phoenix's clothes and extinguished the flames.
"Are you watching, Sun!"

The Black Flame Dragon cried out to the sky. Gray clouds summoned by Pungbaek and Usa obscured the heavens.
"This power you gave me, I will show it to you now!"
The Black Flame Dragon climbed atop his flame dragon's head. The dragon roared as if it were a living being with its own will and soared into the sky.
"What?!"
The burning black dragon flew over the heads of the heroes. The Black Flame Dragon flew through the wind and rain, heading towards the mass of water gathered by Usa.
"Stop him!"
Ranged heroes hurriedly raised their guns to restrain the Black Flame Dragon. The flame dragon's body was pierced by magic bullets, but it did not stop moving towards the mass of water.
"You!"
Pungbaek hurriedly flew up and attacked the dragon from below. Usa, who was expanding the area of wind and rain, was defenseless as he focused all his Mana on the wind and rain.
"Haat!"
The Black Flame Dragon stepped on the dragon's head and jumped. The flame dragon was destroyed by Pungbaek, but the Black Flame Dragon's foot, shot forward as if performing a long jump, was aimed precisely at the mass of water.
Whoosh!
Black flames rose from the Black Flame Dragon's feet. Pulling both feet towards his body in mid-air, the Black Flame Dragon gathered all his Mana at the tips of his feet.
"Hwaaahhhh!!"
With an unidentified shout, Mana exploded from the Black Flame Dragon's back. The Black Flame Dragon's body, gaining acceleration in mid-air, shot like a bee towards Usa's mass of water.
"Think I'll let you!"
Usa squeezed out all his Mana to strengthen the outer wall of the mass of water.
The Black Flame Dragon's flying dropkick struck Usa's mass of water.
□□□□□□□----!!
Two enormous Mana forces collided and exploded in the middle of Gangnam Avenue.

Chapter 53

〈 Episode 53 〉 Part 1, Chapter 4 (10)
"This won't do, Commander. Send me."
Harang, who had been silent, rose from his seat. A chill emanated from him as if he were ready to leap out at any moment upon receiving an order.
"No! You all need to conserve your strength until we take down the Serpent of City Hall!"
"And what if we try to conserve that strength and another C-rank Hero dies? What if things go even worse here? It won't end with just taking off your uniform, can you handle that?"
Shin Jin-kwang turned his head at Harang's resolute words.
Lee Seung-hyung's life signal had not yet been cut off. While Shin Jin-kwang was dragging his feet, several Heroes trapped in Guro's labyrinth were being kidnapped by Monsters.
The fate of humans taken to a Monster's nest was well known without needing to be explained. Shin Jin-kwang slammed the whiteboard behind him with his fist and shouted.
"Ugh! Agent Seok Harang! Trust the Heroes! I can't just send you all out so easily-"
"I'll go."
Seung-hyung placed his hand on Harang's shoulder, making him sit down. Harang looked up at Seung-hyung in disbelief at the touch imbued with Mana.
"What are you doing, Mister..."
"I'll go."
Harang and Shin Jin-kwang both fell silent at Seung-hyung's resolute words. Something beyond mere chivalry was felt from Seung-hyung.
Gulp.
The sound of Shin Jin-kwang swallowing echoed throughout the command center. Aside from him being an S-rank Hero, his background and President Seon Ui-cheol were on his mind.
What if that man reported to the President because he had ignored his opinion?
'...This is definitely not a defeat to connections. It's a commander's broad-minded acceptance of a suitable operation.'
Shin Jin-kwang could only nod.
"......I can't be responsible for what happens afterward."
"That's enough."
Lee Seung-hyung disappeared, leaving behind an afterimage.
Toward Guro.
* * *
Thwack!
Deok-bae's fist struck the spear shaft. Unsa quickly released his grip on the spear.
The spear flew straight and embedded itself in the building next door. Deok-bae was surprised by Unsa's action of throwing away his weapon and backed away.
"Too late!"
Unsa's fist was already planted in Deok-bae's stomach. Deok-bae was pushed back and rolled across the floor.
Fwoosh....
The rocky skin disappeared from where Unsa's fist had struck, revealing bare flesh. It was more accurate to say that the fist had devoured the area it touched rather than breaking the rocky skin.
Crunch, crunch.
The small Devouring Cloud that bloomed from Unsa's fist ravenously devoured Deok-bae's rocky skin. Unlike the blue flames, the Devouring Cloud extracted Mana from the rocky skin and quenched Unsa's thirst.
Unsa was holding the Devouring Cloud in his fist.
"......Reaping the ability of the Flame Giant, that was your miscalculation."
Unsa had already predicted victory. The rocky skin all over Deok-bae's body was being torn apart by Unsa's Devouring Cloud, revealing his bare body.
"You talk a lot. Are you one of those types who fights while blabbing with their mouth like someone else?"
Deok-bae spat on the ground. Heat haze rose from the blood that fell on the pavement. Unsa checked the Mana in his body and tapped his watch.
The Tempest Lady on the simplified map displayed on the screen was moving back and forth across Guro, dealing with the Hellhounds. Fortunately, no more Heroes were being kidnapped or injured.
"All Hellhounds have been eliminated. Guro will soon be subdued."
Unsa kicked off the ground and charged. Deok-bae immediately raised his guard to block Unsa's fist.
"Damn it!"
Unsa's fist did not reach Deok-bae's raised arms. Unsa's body slipped under Deok-bae's body as if sliding.
"□!!"
Deok-bae hurriedly moved his body to the opposite side. But Unsa had already placed his hands on Deok-bae's thighs and waist.
Crunch!
The Devouring Cloud bit into Deok-bae. Unsa used the Devouring Cloud as a pivot and turned his body behind Deok-bae.
Thump!
Unsa, almost lying horizontally, stretched out his leg and struck Deok-bae's back. Deok-bae was in pain from the Mana-infused attack, but he tried to grab Unsa, who was behind him.
"Too slow."
Unsa raised his foot again and struck the back of Deok-bae's neck. The immense pain transmitted by the Devouring Cloud tearing through the rocky skin caused Deok-bae's head to fall to the ground.
"Kuaaagh!!"
Unsa did not loosen his grip on the attack. The Devouring Cloud that sprouted from his foot devoured the rocky skin on Deok-bae's back, and Unsa climbed onto Deok-bae's back and continued to strike his back.
Koo-oong!!
Deok-bae collapsed on the main street in a sprawling position. He had rushed in with great fanfare and exchanged blows for a dozen minutes, but Deok-bae was subdued by Unsa without much difficulty.
"It seems you haven't awakened for very long. Your ability to handle power is too lacking."
Even though he possessed A-rank Mana thanks to the power of the Spirit Stone, his combat power did not even reach C-rank. In comparison, Unsa had years of combat experience as an A-rank.
The difference in combat experience. That was what determined their victory or defeat. Unsa examined the fallen Deok-bae and clicked his tongue.
"......It seems impossible to put handcuffs on him."
The rocks protruding from his body made it difficult to pull his arms behind his back. Unsa sent the Devouring Cloud to the ends of his limbs, like shackles placed on a prisoner.
"If you try anything funny, the Devouring Cloud will devour your wrists and ankles."
"Khut, kill me!"
Deok-bae was in pain, but he unhesitatingly told him to kill him. Unsa was curious about that.
"Aren't you a Villain? Shouldn't you usually beg for your life when you're arrested like this?"
"Stop talking and kill me!"
Despite Deok-bae's screams, Unsa coldly shook his head.
"If you were a suicide hopeful, you would have given up your life long ago. Indeed. You are someone who knows something. Perhaps you are the one who set this trap in Guro?"
Deok-bae was getting annoyed.
"Just shut up and kill me! That's what Heroes do! Catch Villains and beat them up!"
"We catch and arrest, not kill. Wait. In accordance with the regulations of the Global Hero Association, I am arresting you as of this moment. You have the right to a lawyer...."
Deok-bae sighed at Unsa's leisurely reading of the Miranda rights. His master's voice echoed in his ear.
- You got your ass kicked, Minion Number 2?
'......Tch.'
"...Can you understand why you lost?"
It's a stereo of bullshit. Deok-bae wanted to burst his eardrums.
- It's my mistake that you can't use the Flame Giant, but Deok-bae, you got so utterly destroyed that it's embarrassing to blame you. At this rate, there's no result from training. Reflect on it.
"You seem to have learned a little fighting, but it's still not enough. You seem to be from the back alleys, and those bad habits remain. If you change your mind through the Association's rehabilitation program, you can become a good Hero...."
"Agh, □□!"
Deok-bae slammed his head straight into the ground. Unsa was speechless at the bizarre behavior. Blood flowed out from between the fragments of rock that fell.
"......Self-harm is, uh…. I'm sorry. But as you know, Ability Users aren't harmed by that much…."
- Oh dear. You know you can't kill yourself, right? It's okay. As long as the Core is alive, I can revive you. Don't worry too much.
'I feel like I just want to die forever.'
- Don't say things you don't mean. Hehehe. Pretending to be unconscious is good. It can lower their guard.
Deok-bae closed his eyes, pretending to have lost consciousness. Even if Phoenix conveyed his intentions directly to his head, at least the other blabbermouth didn't commit the bizarre act of talking to a fainted Villain.
Unsa scratched his head slightly and tapped his watch. He was still standing on Deok-bae's back.
"This is Unsa. I have apprehended Villain ."
- Good job, Unsa! You moved well according to my command! Kkhahaha!
Shin Jin-kwang was delighted and praised himself. Shin Jin-kwang's command was useless, but Unsa didn't make a fuss.
"Commander. I apologize, but can you grasp the overall war situation now? I was separated from my teammates while fighting 1:1."
- Uh, yes, yes.
Unsa checked the data received from headquarters. The headquarters had already annihilated all the Hellhound groups, centered around the Tempest Lady.
It seemed that the Heroes had been rescued safely as well. Unsa was about to let out a sigh of relief when he questioned the location of the Heroes marked on the map.
"......Why are they here?"
A small pine tree mark was displayed below the Heroes' signals. Those who had entered Team A were carrying out operations in a separate location from the Tempest Lady.
- Yes, you don't need to worry about that! It's what I ordered! Any complaints?!
"No, I don't."
However, the location was concerning. The location of the Pine Tree Unit was north of the Digital Complex, on the road leading to the station.
* * *
- Jo Deok-bae has been subdued. Hellhounds annihilated.
- In Gangnam, Black Dragon shattered Poong-baek and Usa's combined attack. However, Black Dragon is exhausted of Mana. He was immediately subdued by Usa.
- Seonmudang has surrendered. His subordinate Villains have fled.
- The Sky Castle group has not yet lost their will to fight. However, they will be at a disadvantage if Poong-baek and Usa rejoin the battlefield.
- Heroes are dominant in both Guro and Gangnam.
Ji-hwa's rapid-fire report continued. Her voice trembled slightly towards the end, as if she was a little worried.
- Phoenix, are you really still going to wait?
"Didn't I say? I'll wait until two S-ranks show up."
- That's true, but....
- Hey, Phoenix? At this rate, won't the occupation of Seoul be ruined?
Autumn, who was next to Ji-hwa, said worriedly. It was a little concerning that even Autumn, who knew nothing about this, was worried, let alone Ji-hwa.
"As expected, we lack executive-level power."
Deok-bae, who could exert A-rank power for a short time, was subdued. Black Dragon burned with fighting spirit but was arrested, and Seonmudang knelt to the Villains himself.
"It's about time they contacted me."
Ting.
He's not a gentleman. I checked the alarm on my watch.
[Sky Castle]: I will follow. Help me.
"He's a frustrating person. Right?"
- What are you going to do? Even your subordinates are hiding, and there are no more available troops.
"If there aren't any, we can just make them, right?"
I took out the cube while leaning on the railing and shone it in the sun. It has a hideous appearance, but it is now the best way to drive out Heroes in Seoul.
'It's a little unsettling to use something from an Outer God.'
In a situation where our forces are at a disadvantage like now, all available resources must be utilized.
'I can also make excuses if I get caught by the Castle Lord.'
If the Castle Lord wakes up from his slumber before the start of the original story and sees the surface even for a moment, he will naturally feel something strange about Phoenix's movements, who woke up earlier than planned.
"So, all current activities are disguised as the actions of a Dark Legion executive."
'At least I have to hide that I'm no longer brainwashed.'
If Phoenix shows himself as a member of the evil organization that the Castle Lord wants, the Castle Lord will dismiss his suspicions and focus on recovery again.
It had to be that way. It absolutely had to be that way. Otherwise, I would be brainwashed by the Castle Lord again, and my Spirit Life would end immediately.
Facing the Castle Lord in this situation where I can't even get help from the Round Table is suicidal and will result in me being brainwashed without even being able to use my power. I hope the Castle Lord doesn't wake up from his slumber at all, but he might wake up from a light sleep.
'So, Castle Lord. If you're watching from up there, please dismiss your suspicions. Please.'
Mana poured out from the cube. The Mana, which was almost infinite and somewhat sticky, was purified as it touched my Azure Flame.
"Ugh, I really hate this...."
It feels like putting your hand in contaminated sewage and filtering out impurities with your hands. However, it was much easier for me to use Mana by going through this purification process than using Mana that was influenced by the Outer God.
"Lighthouse, listen carefully. 'Second Phase' is basic for all Qinghua Unit members."
- Huh? What's that?
"You'll know when you see it. ...See and realize how powerful and great your master is."
I got up and stood on the railing. The Mana extracted from the cube and purified soared into the sky, heading towards Gangnam and Guro.

Whooong----
Mana reached the mini-Phoenixes, embroidering the sky with flames as they circled near Gangnam and Guro. The mini-Phoenixes transformed into countless feathers and fell to the ground.
"There's not much left in the Guro area..."
He was concerned about the Hellhounds that had vanished without a trace into Unsa's Gluttonous Cloud, but that level of power vacuum would be filled quickly anyway.
"If animal carcasses are just left unattended, flies will gather and it'll get dirty, so of course someone has to take care of it, right?"
Pat.
Phoenix's feathers touched the corpses of the Hellhounds.
"Now, it's time to revive."
Flash.
Blue flames ignited in the dead eyes of the Hellhounds.

Chapter 54

"Are you really okay with this, Hyung?"
Jeok Song fidgeted, his eyes darting towards Guro's battlefield. Cheol Pyo smacked the back of Jeok Song's head, who looked ready to rush back to Guro, and pointed at his watch.
"We just need to focus on what we have to do."
On the small screen, there was a secret order from someone. Jeok Song's eyes widened.

-Search the National Assembly Building in Yeouido. Kill any entities found immediately.

"The Presid-"
"This bastard!"
Thwack. Cheol Pyo hit Jeok Song on the back of the head again. He hadn't been in the Pine Tree Unit for long, so he still had the recklessness of his villain days.
"Listen carefully. We just do as we're told. Got it?"
"But..."
"But my ass. Since B Team hasn't joined us, we have to split up and complete the mission. Understand?"
Cheol Pyo designated the unit members who had followed him. They were veterans who had been on several missions with him.
"You, you, and you. Move with Jeok Song. The rest of you come with me to Yeouido."
"Roger."
The veterans of the Pine Tree Unit were those who had completed numerous missions. And those missions were mostly carried out in the dark according to the President's will.
Assassination of key figures, elimination of subversive elements, Core snatching.
Despite being a hotbed of all sorts of crimes, they had to follow orders silently. They were originally heinous villains, so they were used to crime, and their prison sentences were reduced each time they completed a mission.
Jeok Song checked the mission again with the unit members.
"...Ah, seriously."
Jeok Song scratched his red hair roughly. Cheol Pyo had already entered the subway station and stepped onto the train tracks.
"Do we really have to do this?"
"Don't do it if you don't want to. But your sentence won't be reduced, it'll be extended."
At the words of another unit member, Jeok Song sighed. He didn't know when he was a villain rampaging around, but now that he was shackled as part of the Pine Tree Unit, he understood the feelings of those who yearned for freedom.
"But to go this far...?"

-Eliminate spies hiding underground (1 day per person).

It was a blatant cover-up, but the people meant by the word 'spies' were clear.
Massacre.
Tens of thousands of refugees were hiding in underground tunnels in Dongjak.
* * *
"Currently, one B-class and four C-class are missing! The Pine Tree Unit has left Guro as a separate detachment."
"Understood."
Unsa checked the movements on the map. With the Pine Tree Unit moving as a separate detachment under the commander's orders, A Team's strength was further weakened.
"It's a good thing, Team leader. The Pine Tree Unit just muddies the waters."
"I thought they were excellent in terms of combat power."
Everyone might have different opinions, but the Pine Tree Unit heroes were avoided by other heroes because of their origins.
It was unusual for Unsa to judge them without any prejudice.
"Hellhounds are all eliminated. Flame Giant is apprehended. That's the end of Guro."
Unsa was still standing over Deok Bae. Tempest Lady poked Deok Bae's body, who was unconscious, to check his reaction.
"Did you handcuff him with clouds? What if he escapes?"
"It won't be released unless I lose consciousness."
"Then whatever. But the identity of that Flame Giant..."
It was surprising that the Monster rampaging at Doksan Station was actually a human ability user and a villain. The blue-white blood vessels flowing between the gray-white rock skin also looked somewhat mysterious.
"What do we do now?"
"I'll give an interim report to the commander. We need to find the kidnapped heroes."
Unsa called the commander. Shin Jin-gwang's expression on the screen didn't look good.
"......?"
Unsa forgot to report and checked beyond the screen. One of the men who had been there a moment ago was gone.
"Commander. I'm sorry, but where is Hwa Gwon?"

-Saving lives.

"Yes?"

-He's running around Seoul like crazy, saving lives. I can't believe it...

Unsa received information from headquarters about the movement path of the hero Lee Seung-hyung. Starting from Anyang and moving north, his movements swept through the entire Seoul like he was scanning it with Mana.
"He's truly a role model as a hero. Even in this chaos, he's trying to save people who might not have evacuated-"

-Don't be mistaken, Unsa. Everyone left in Seoul is a criminal. Got it?

Unsa frowned for once.
"...I can't agree with that. They just couldn't escape from Seoul, so they stayed in Seoul. If they become criminals simply because they can't escape the crisis management zone, does that mean we have to restore Seoul and arrest everyone who lived here?"

-Eh! Shut up!

Unsa resolutely cut off Shin Jin-gwang's words and continued.
"I will follow the commander's orders, but I want you to know this. We came here to defeat Monsters and save people, not to collude with villains or arrest innocent people."
Unsa took a breath and continued.
"Then our A Team will resume the rescue of the kidnapped heroes. Please understand that the signal may not be good in the middle. Over."

-What? You sons of bitches....

Click.
Unsa lowered the screen. Tempest Lady looked at Unsa with a sullen look.
"...Are you okay? He's still the commander."
"I'll just be disciplined later for disobeying orders. Right now, rescuing the kidnapped heroes is the top priority. Was there any reaction?"
Tempest Lady shook her head. There was no reaction in Guro from those who had been taken away by the Hellhounds.
"They're not here. They must have moved somewhere else."
"...They may have gone to Gangseo or Yeouido."
Unsa shook Deok Bae's shoulder as if he was disappointed.
"If this guy wakes up, we might be able to get some information, but we don't have time. A Team! From now on, Guro-"
Hmm. The Mana in the atmosphere fluctuated greatly. Unsa hurriedly looked around and shouted.
"Alert!"
The heroes who were catching their breath after the battle were puzzled, but they formed a formation around Unsa.
There was no special Mana reaction in the data coming from headquarters. But the unpleasant feeling felt on the spot made him realize that something was happening.
"Tempest Lady!"
At Unsa's call, Tempest Lady shot straight into the sky. It was a common sight for skilled wind magicians to walk in the air. Tempest Lady, who had risen high into the sky, scanned all directions.
"......?!"
Shock. At first, she couldn't believe it. It was a sight she had never seen before, and she couldn't believe it even after seeing it with her own eyes.
"...This is crazy!"
Tempest Lady turned on her watch and sent video information to the heroes and headquarters.
Unsa checked the video below and swallowed his breath.
".....Resurrection?!"
Was it right to call them zombies, or was it right to call them half-flame Monsters?

-There's an abnormal reaction from the Hellhounds! Fire has started on the corpses of the Hellhounds in Guro and Gangnam!

The fire started. But the fire was not a flame that incinerated the corpse, but a new body that filled the Hellhounds' wounds and stood up on four legs.
Creak.
Among the Hellhounds emitting blue flames all over their bodies, one was particularly noticeable.
The left side of the Hellhound's body, which had been cut in half vertically by Jeok Song and died, was resurrected, burning with blue flames all over.
This strange phenomenon had never happened since mankind waged war against the Monsters.
"......Is it the influence of the dimensional gate?!"
Unsa clicked his tongue and gathered Mana.
The dimensional gate of the Fire Demon Dragon, which appeared for the first time in the world. Although the gate was closed, opinions were still divided in academia about its impact.
The Hellhounds were already strong. If those guys were resurrected like zombies and attacked again, the damage would be enormous.
"What should we do?!"
Tempest Lady quickly descended and asked for opinions. Shin Jin-gwang's command had not yet been delivered.
It was unknown whether it was a petty revenge for Unsa lowering the screen, or whether he was in a panic and unable to give orders quickly.
Unsa judged. If a siege was formed in Guro as it was, they would be dead.
"...We're heading north to Yeongdeungpo! It's already too late to escape to the south!"
"What are you going to do?!"
Unsa, carrying a heavy body on his back, quickly drew a movement route and delivered it to the heroes. A return route that goes north to Yeouido, turns east, and crosses Gwanaksan Mountain.
"Let's run away!"
It was the best judgment Unsa had made at this point.
* * *
At that time. Gangnam was facing an even bigger crisis.
"Damn it! What are those things!"
Hellhounds that rise one by one.
The Hellhound with its legs cut off stood up with legs of fire, and the Hellhound with its head cut off had a head of fire sprouting above its neck.
The blue flames that filled the missing parts were like a voodoo sorcerer awakening zombies, and the heroes were horrified by the B-class Monsters that were resurrected one by one.
"Doesn't it usually get stronger when it's resurrected like that?"
"Oh my god, I should have run away when the spirit told me to!"
Seonmudang buried his face on the road and wept. His hands were already tied behind his back and handcuffed. The ability user-only handcuffs that interfered with the flow of Mana were all put on the villains under Seonmudang.
"Kahaha, the gods are angry! It's divine punishment!"
Heukryong rejoiced at the blue flames. His actions were as if he regarded the sight of the Hellhound zombies rising as God's salvation, and Pungbaek swung his stick.
Thwack.
Heukryong was hit in the back of the neck and collapsed. Heukryong, who had used up all his strength destroying the joint skill, had already been subdued and handcuffed.
"Damn it. Should I have brought Unsa?"
Pungbaek smacked his lips in regret. Usa also twisted his lips and nodded.
Wind, rain, cloud.
The government grouped a magician who controls water, an old man who runs with the wind, and a unique ability user called Tamsikun into one team and gave them the alias of the Three Masters in mythology.
Unsa, who had been famous even before being grouped into the Three Masters, became a promising A-class under the guidance of Pungbaek and Usa.
"If that kid was here, he would have eaten them all with Tamsikun."
"Don't say such regrettable things, old man. That side must be having a hard time too."
The battlefield map showed that things were not good in Guro either. The number of red dots was increasing one by one. It indicated that the Hellhounds that had been defeated were being resurrected.
Gulp.
The Hellhounds surrounded the heroes, dripping fire one by one. It became a disaster that Pungbaek had cleared the roads on both sides to secure the battlefield.
"Usa. How much Mana do you have left?"
"...70%? I'm still fine. If those guys don't interfere."
Usa glared at the villains who were flustered in the distance. The villains, led by Haneulseong, had already distanced themselves that much.
"I knew they would do that."
Heroes and villains. The option of standing back to back and fighting together against the danger of mankind did not exist for the villains. They ran away from the battlefield to save their lives.
"I still thought that Haneulseong was okay."
"If you're a villain, you're a villain. Is there a good villain and a bad villain? Heh heh. It's okay. This level is not a crisis anyway!"
As Pungbaek shouted bravely, the heroes agreed and raised their morale.
About 100 Hellhound zombies. Compared to when it was at its peak during the Pyongyang incident 8 years ago, this level is just a joke.
Usa raised his staff high into the sky and shouted.
"Let's catch three each!"
Kyaaang!
The Hellhound zombies rushed at the heroes.
* * *
"We have to leave Seoul! Haneulseong, this is crazy!"
The subordinates are agitated. They were terrified by the power of the resurrected Hellhounds.
Haneulseong, who had released his ability and returned to his original body, adjusted his fedora. His top was already torn to shreds from the transformation.
"Wait."
He told them to wait a moment. He instructed them to send reinforcements and for the survivors to retreat.
Flap.

A small bird descended from the sky. Phoenix, scattering blue flames, descended, and the subordinates, surprised, raised their weapons.
"I knew it. This was your doing. What kind of magic did you use?"
"When short on hands, you have to borrow even a cat's paw. Ah, or is it a Hellhound's paw now?"
The voice came from the mini-Phoenix perched on the streetlight. Haneul-seong was certain it was the same person he had seen at the National Assembly.
"You bastards! You deceived us!"
"Haneul-seong, what on earth...?"
The subordinates looked at Haneul-seong as if they were looking at a black dragon. Haneul-seong quickly realized what was happening from their puzzled gazes.
"Mana telepathy?"
"Correct. Your subordinates will only hear bird sounds."
"Where are you? Are you hiding near Gangnam?"
"No. Not at all. But just know that Gangnam is visible from here. The lighthouse's eye is scanning all of Seoul right now."
"...You've enhanced your abilities like a black dragon. That's why the lighthouse is attached to you."
Haneul-seong gritted his teeth. They had watched Gangnam be devastated with their own eyes and pretended not to know.
Of course, it was Haneul-seong himself who had refused to command. But he wasn't calm enough to reflect on himself like that now. The excitement of the battle hadn't worn off yet.
"You son of a bitch! Do you like hiding and watching from behind so much!"
"What are you talking about? We're fighting hard in Guro too. Do you think this is the main force? The heroes' main force is still in Anyang."
"What does that mean?!"
Ting.
Haneul-seong's smartwatch rang. He took out the watch, which he had attached inside his fedora to prevent it from being destroyed by the transformation, and checked the message.
"......!!"
The transmitted file contained headlines from news articles being reported as breaking news. The information being conveyed in shorthand from headquarters was both sensational and insightful about the war situation.
[Breaking] C-Class Hero Lee Gi-seong Kidnapped by Monsters
[Breaking] A-Class Villain Flame Giant Arrested by Unsa
[Breaking] Guro Digital Complex Completely Destroyed. How Much Property Damage?
[Breaking] Shin Jin-gwang Reiterates Promise to Restore Seoul with Full Power
[Breaking] When Will S-Class Be Deployed? Professor Do's "Hoarding Leads to Waste" Remark Criticized
From the moment the heroes entered Seoul under the guise of the Seoul recovery operation, breaking news was being updated every minute. By examining only those headlines, Haneul-seong quickly grasped the war situation.
"Guro has collapsed... and the S-Class haven't moved yet?"
"That's right. Anyway, good work. You guys should escape here and hide. Until everything is over."
The mini-Phoenix flew back into the sky. Haneul-seong blankly stared at its wing movements before turning his eyes to the map that had arrived on his watch.
"...Underground?"
"Ah, can you hear me? Haneul-seong, are you dead already?
A blonde, blue-eyed man with soot on his face appeared on the screen. Behind him, wearing a hard hat, the words 'Gangnam Station' could be seen.
"I heard you needed help rescuing people and came all the way here, but I didn't expect to be rescuing villains. If you don't want to die, get over here. I won't wait long."
A way out had opened up underground. The villains quickly moved towards the station.

Chapter 55

"Damn it!"
Tempest Lady gathered the wind and launched it forward. A sharp gust of wind with strong cutting power shot towards the Hellhound pack.
Kyaaang!
The Hellhounds scattered left and right, avoiding the sharp wind. One Hellhound, unable to dodge in time, had its leg severed by the wind and collapsed.
Whoosh.
Flames erupted from the Hellhound's body, forming a new leg. The fallen Hellhound spewed fire from its mouth and charged at the hero.
"Ugh!"
A hero with a massive shield pushed the Hellhound away with the shield. The Hellhound tumbled across the ground from the heavy shove.
"Here I go...!"
Amidst the heroes, Devouring Cloud swept across the ground, engulfing the Hellhounds. It avoided the blue flames and devoured the Hellhounds' flesh.
Squeak....
The Hellhound, having lost its flesh, collapsed. The blue flame that formed its left foreleg turned into embers and rose into the sky the moment its flesh was completely devoured.
The complete death of a resurrected Hellhound. It was only possible by completely annihilating its remaining flesh.
Swish.
The Devouring Cloud, having consumed the Hellhound's flesh, returned to Unsa's hand. There wasn't enough time to retrieve the spear.
"Hngh?!"
Unsa collapsed, kneeling on one knee. As soon as he absorbed the Mana, it felt like a fire was raging inside his body.
"Team leader?!"
Tempest Lady rushed over and supported Unsa. Heat haze rose from Tempest Lady's coat, which was draped over his torn combat suit.
"Ugh, haa."
Unsa gasped for breath, his face flushed red. His face was as red as a beet, and his forehead was burning hot like a cauldron.
A cold? That couldn't be. Heroes blessed by Mana didn't suffer from minor illnesses.
The only possible explanation was Mana Overload. Excessive absorption of Core extract, causing more Mana to accumulate in the body than it could handle.
"Unsa! Use your Mana quickly! Unleash all of the Devouring Cloud!"
Unsa grabbed Tempest Lady's hand. Devouring Cloud ceaselessly bloomed from his hand, and Tempest Lady channeled her Mana into the massive amount of cloud, surrounding the heroes.
An igloo of cloud, built by stacking Devouring Cloud like ice bricks. Outside, the Hellhounds cautiously kept their distance.
"Huff, huff, huff."
Unsa's ragged breathing subsided. Thanks to instinctively releasing Mana, the Mana Overload phenomenon disappeared.
"...How many are left now?"
Unsa's wavering pupils became clear. All the heroes under the protection of the Devouring Cloud lowered their heads.
Roughly 50 visible entities. Unsa had already devoured numerous Hellhounds and fallen into Mana Overload.
"How can Hellhounds have A-rank Mana... This is strange!"
One of the heroes cried out, tearfully. Unsa was their only hope, but it was too much to burden him alone.
Unsa struggled with Mana Overload every time he devoured about five of them. Despite the risk of Mana Rampage, also known as Qi Deviation, Unsa fearlessly devoured the Hellhounds with Devouring Cloud.
"I, I can do it."
Unsa tried to stand up but collapsed back down. He slumped against Deokbae's back as if falling on his butt, clutching his head.
"......Ugh."
He felt dizzy. His body had overheated and cooled down repeatedly, reaching its limit. He had already taken on the Flame Giant in a 1:1 fight and defeated it, so he needed at least 10 minutes of rest.
But the Monsters wouldn't wait for him.
Kiaaak!!
The Devouring Cloud fluctuated violently. It seemed like a Hellhound had rammed into it from the outside.
"Team leader! Don't retract the Devouring Cloud! If you leave it, they'll die on their own!"
"No... Those Monsters are now..."
Unsa's eyes swept over Deokbae, whom he was sitting on. The blue flames, which even felt somewhat innocent. If their essence shared the same properties, then the Hellhounds' ramming was definitely not a suicide attempt.
Squeak!
Kiaaak!
The Hellhounds threw themselves into the Devouring Cloud and were devoured. But Unsa couldn't rashly retract the Devouring Cloud.
The Devouring Cloud was dented where the Hellhounds had thrown themselves. Like burning a hole in cotton candy.
"Those guys, could it be?!"
Tempest Lady exclaimed in surprise. The Hellhounds were extinguishing the Devouring Cloud with the blue flames from their bodies.
"There's one more reason to keep this one alive and take him to the Association."
Unsa barely managed to stand up.
"...The ability to revive Monsters. They must also have the power to control Monsters. The commander isn't a Monster. It's a person, a villain."
"I've never heard of or seen a villain like that in Seoul!"
"Everything happening right now is unprecedented. Reality doesn't follow the manual."
Unsa clenched and unclenched his fist. Thanks to the Devouring Cloud he had deployed amidst his wavering consciousness, his Mana was running dry.
Unsa subtly raised his hand forward, but Tempest Lady blocked his path.
"No!"
"...I have to. If not me, then no one else can."
Even as they hesitated, the Devouring Cloud was being whittled away. The blue flames slowly surrounding them flickered through the clouds.
"Agent Yang Seonwoo. If I fall, you're the Team leader of this team. Understood?"
"Team leader!"
Unsa hadn't even crossed the Han River north of the river, let alone Yeouido, but he was slowly being pushed to his limit. He could have used a short break, but his body was already exhausted and on the verge of collapsing.
But Unsa stood firm on his two feet. Unsa's face, standing on Deokbae's shoulders, was even determined.
"The moment I absorb the Devouring Cloud, release the formation and engage in interception. The enemy is a Monster on the border between B-rank and A-rank. Focus on attacking the remaining flesh."
Kiaaaak!
The thickness of the Devouring Cloud had become extremely thin. Unsa took a deep breath and stretched both hands high into the sky.
"Retract!!"
The thinly spread Devouring Cloud was sucked into Unsa's hands. Even though much of it had been whittled away by the blue flames, the Mana being absorbed overflowed and burst out of Unsa's entire body.
Thud.
Unsa's eyes slowly closed, and he collapsed onto Deokbae. His mental strength, which had been enduring beyond the limits of his body, couldn't withstand the Mana of a dozen Hellhounds, and his mind fried.
"Ugh! Protect Unsa! Maintain the formation!"
Under Tempest Lady's command, the heroes gathered in a circle. Unsa had ordered them to scatter and intercept, but the heroes stuck together to protect Unsa.
Kyaaaak!
Naturally, they became easy prey for the Hellhounds. The heroes widened their eyes as they watched the Hellhounds kick off the road and leap at them from all directions.
In that instant. A massive white flame swept through the Hellhounds.
Gooooooo----!!
The leaping Hellhounds' bodies instantly burst into flames and turned to ashes. The blue flames that had lost their flesh mixed with the white flames and scattered into the air.
Tempest Lady turned her eyes in the direction the flames had been fired from. There, silhouetted against the sun, was a man falling to the ground.
Thud!
The man's fist was imbued with white flames. The heroes were reminded of the silhouette of a legend in the Korean hero world, whom they had only seen on TV or in archived footage.
"!"
As if responding to their welcoming cheers, Fire Fist - Lee Seunghyung slammed his fist into the road.
Rumble!
A massive shockwave that shook the earth engulfed the Hellhounds.
Pillars of white flame erupted from the ground like a volcanic eruption. Dozens of Hellhounds that had been surrounding the heroes were swallowed by the white flames and burned away.
Beyond human. Beyond the heavens. How could one express his greatness?
"Are you all alright?!"
Seunghyung approached the heroes with a light gait, as if he had come out for a stroll. Tempest Lady looked back and forth between Unsa, who was still unconscious and emitting Mana and heat from his entire body, and Seunghyung, and let out a dumbfounded laugh.
"Shin Jingwang, that son of a..."
What was all our suffering for? Tempest Lady's eyes welled up with injustice. Seunghyung calmly scanned the heroes.
"Where are the other heroes?"
"...Ah!"
"I heard one C-rank was kidnapped. But what about now...?"
"The Pine Tree Unit moved out as a separate team. We fell into a trap, and some went missing."
Seunghyung gathered his Mana. The flames burning in his heart granted him boundless energy. He could still run plenty.
"This is Fire Fist! Command, respond!"

-What is it now! ...Oh? Ahem! What's the matter, Agent Lee Seunghyung!

Shin Jingwang suppressed his anger and replied in a solemn voice. Even as he felt like he was going crazy from the dual burden of unbearable responsibility and his own lack of ability, he was definitely wary of Lee Seunghyung.
"I request access to the Mana patterns of the missing heroes!"

-Wait!

"You can't!"
Tempest Lady interjected.
"Heroes' Mana patterns are confidential information that cannot be disclosed without the approval of at least a team leader in the Association! Even if you're Fire Fist, you can't just recklessly access such confidential information-"
"I."
Seunghyung recited the magic words with a refreshing smile.
"In the event of any problems, I will take full responsibility."
"...Do you have to go that far to save people?"
Seunghyung nodded with a determined face.
"I don't want to fail to protect people anymore. Commander!"

-...I really don't know! You said you'd take responsibility!!

No one knew how he would take responsibility, but Shin Jingwang had already been caught up in Seunghyung's words. He also had a good excuse to retrieve the kidnapped heroes, so even if he was reprimanded at a later hearing, he would have a good reason to appeal to public sentiment.
"Thank you, Commander!"
Seunghyung bowed repeatedly, filled with joy. Tempest Lady realized the reason for his obsessive need to protect people, no matter what.
Cheon Gaeul. The only person he had failed to protect.
"...Fire Fist. I'm sorry, but could you lead Team A? I'll escort these people to Anyang and join you immediately."
Tempest Lady pointed to Unsa and Deokbae, who were lying on the ground, and the boy Unsa had captured.
"Unsa-nim fainted...? Was the enemy that strong?"
"It was the Flame Giant."
"Giant... Ugh?!"
Seunghyung clutched at his chest. The flames that had been burning endlessly in his heart suddenly reversed the Mana, as if they were about to burn Seunghyung.
"Cough!"
Seunghyung collapsed to the ground, vomiting red blood. The heroes were shocked by the sudden hemoptysis of an S-rank.
"What?!"
"I don't know either!"
Tempest Lady barely regained her composure as she watched the panicking heroes. Unfortunately, headquarters had begun a precise scan, reading the heroes' Mana patterns.

-Fire Fist-nim! Fortunately, they're all alive! We should be able to pinpoint their location in 3 minutes!

"That's not what's important! Fire Fist has collapsed!!"
The command center fell silent at Tempest Lady's report. The screen showed Seunghyung, who had collapsed and was vomiting blood.

-......Tempest Lady, lead the team and retreat to Anyang.

"Excuse me?"
Tempest Lady questioned Shin Jingwang's calm command. Shin Jingwang became agitated again and pounded his baton.

-Bring back all the heroes in Guro alive! Right now!

"But the operation-"

-What good is the operation if everyone dies?! The operation is changed! All survivors of Team A are to immediately evacuate Guro and return to Anyang headquarters! Over!

"A, understood!"
Tempest Lady carried Unsa on her back. The armored hero supported Seunghyung. Red streaks of blood were flowing from Seunghyung's mouth.
Sudden hemoptysis without any warning. She had all sorts of thoughts, wondering if he had an unspeakable illness or a terminal condition.
"...First, let's survive!"
Under Tempest Lady's command, the heroes moved in an orderly fashion.
Thud!
The ground shook violently. Deokbae, who had been lying down pretending to be unconscious, sprang up like lightning and snatched the boy.
"Ugh! The Flame Giant?!"
They had forgotten to re-cuff him after Unsa fainted. They had been in a life-or-death situation against the Hellhounds, so they hadn't had time to worry about that.
The Flame Giant leaped between buildings and disappeared. Tempest Lady gritted her teeth and etched his disappearing figure into her mind.

"Retreat, retreat!"
The heroes of Team A, who had advanced towards Guro, tearfully turned back.
♩♪♬♪
On the rooftop railing of the building where the Flame Giant had emerged, Blue Canary watched them.

Chapter 56

〈 Episode 56 〉 Part 1 Chapter 4 (13)
The Azure Flame embedded in my heart.
As the foundation of Fire-attribute Mana, it infuses its possessor with near-infinite Mana, but I can also extinguish and reverse the Mana flow at my will.
'That's probably not the power it was meant for.'
With the disposal of Shadow Phoenix—that thing called the Fire Demon Dragon—that hero's usefulness was over.
Upon investigation, he turned out to have quite the background. The nephew of President Seon Uicheol and an A-rank hero. The male lead actor who filmed a drama with Cheon Ga-eul.
'How presumptuous.'
That guy, who became an S-rank with my power, wiped out the Hellhound squad I was using in one blow.
And because I didn't like the refreshing, soda-pop-like smile on his face, I immediately turned the bomb in his heart.
I wanted to detonate it on the spot, but I was worried that Yunsa Park Ra-on would be harmed, so I ended it by just reversing the Mana flow.
'I didn't even consider him an enemy force from the start.'
I can eliminate him from the equation with a flick of my finger, so why would I let him run rampant?
It wasn't time for me to move personally yet.

-The heroes of Guro are retreating. Shall we unleash the subordinates to attack?

Ji-hwa, who was driving down the road, followed the retreating heroes with her eyes. Yunsa had fainted from absorbing too much Mana.
'Surely that won't be the reason for his retirement, will it?'
In the original story, he just ended up injured in a battle with a Monster. His Mana has increased, so this level of hardship shouldn't be a reason for him to retire.
'The original story, it's driving me crazy.'
From the moment I saved Cheon Ga-eul, or rather, from the moment I rushed outside, the original story was practically ruined.
Should I follow it, or should I just move as I see fit?
'Oh, well, whatever.'
There's no point in worrying about it anyway. Another original heroine like Cheon Ga-eul might pop out from somewhere and break the flag.
Whoosh—
A cool breeze carrying a chilly air brushed my cheek from the south.
"Oof!"
I stood up and leaned against the rooftop railing.
"Ugh."
I stretched, loosening my stiff muscles. It doesn't really work, but it's just a necessary action in my mind.
"Lighthouse. From now on, Lighthouse will be giving the orders."

-Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?

Lighthouse was startled. It makes me feel awkward when she's so surprised, considering she's been watching how I command from right next to me.
"I think it's about time I put down the baton and enter the battlefield as a single unit."

-I'm sorry, but can you explain that in a way I can understand?

Ga-eul's questioning face appeared on the screen. I waved at Ga-eul and snapped my fingers.
Whoosh.
My vision changed. My whole body turned into blue flames. I could feel the Mana circulating within me burning faster and more intensely.
Transformation.
From human form to Monster form. After discussing it with Ga-eul, we decided to publicly announce my transformation into a Monster as my 'ability.'
I can't speak. But I can convey my intentions. Since I'm not nearby, the mini-Phoenix I placed inside the National Assembly's barrier conveyed my intentions instead.

-She says you absolutely must not come out of the barrier.

'Should I just go and tell her myself?'
It would take me 10 seconds to jump there and enter the barrier. Ga-eul chuckled at my worry.

-You've said that almost three times already, you know?

'Ah, I can't take it.'
I immediately jumped off the 63 Building. My body, pulled by gravity, disappeared into thin air, and the Mana soon flowed towards the mini-Phoenix, transferring me next to Ga-eul.
Whoosh.
I revealed myself in a burst of flames. Ga-eul, sensing something amiss, turned her head and was startled to see me behind her, jumping to her feet.
"You little sh—! Ahem! How did you get here...?"
Ga-eul glanced at Ji-hwa. Ji-hwa, despite covering her eyes with her hand, saw me with the eye on the back of her hand and gaped.
My intention was conveyed to Ga-eul through Mana.
[Be careful.]
I neatly arranged the veil around Ga-eul's neck with my hand.
[I wish I could put you in a safer place, but the current situation isn't easy. Understand.]
"Well, I... I understand, but..."
I placed my hand on Ga-eul's shoulder. Although it has no substance, the blue-burning flame Mana will convey warmth to Ga-eul.
[So just wait for a little while.]
"So where are you..."
"...! Strange activity detected at the summit of Gwanak Mountain!"
Lighthouse hurriedly connected to the mini-Phoenix's view. Frost began to settle over the entirety of Gwanak Mountain.
As expected. The presence I felt beyond the mountain wasn't a mistake.
[Kim Ji-hwa!]
"Yes, yes!"
[I'm entrusting Cheon Ga-eul to you. Protect her with your life.]
"...Yes!"
Kim Ji-hwa nodded countless times. Even though she's a non-combat ability user, she should be capable of at least minimal combat. If she can stall and hold out inside the barrier that even an S-rank wouldn't easily enter, I can return and protect her.
And I had to go stop that one S-rank right now.
[I'll be back.]
My body burst into flames again. My consciousness moved like light to the mini-Phoenix at the summit of Gwanak Mountain, reforming the Monster's body.
[.......]
An immense chill surged from the south of the mountain.
The best Water-attribute Mana user in the world, the Ice Magician. Korea's only female S-rank hero. And one of the main heroines.
[Seok Ha-rang.]
Snow White Princess crossed the mountain, creating an ice path in the air.
A fluttering dress.
Snow-white hair as if snow had fallen.
My reflection was visible in her ice-clear eyes.
"Who are you?"
Without a word, I shot out blue flames.

<5 minutes ago, Anyang Command Center>
The sudden revival of the Hellhound horde threw the command center into chaos.
Guro and Gangnam.
The forces divided into Team A and Team B were by no means weak. As the highest possible force that a country could mobilize, they shouldn't have been struggling so much against a mere Hellhound horde.
Yet, the reason why A-rank Yunsa fainted from successive battles and heroes were being abducted by Monsters was only one.
"Hwajeon went to Guro! Then you should send me too!"
The white-haired girl screamed at a man much older than her, old enough to be her father. Shin Jin-gwang was flustered by the girl who was rushing at him without seeing anything else.
"No, I mean, one person has to protect the command center..."
"I don't trust the heroes protecting this place! Gangnam is in chaos right now too!"
Lee Seung-hyung went to Guro. Then, of course, the only other support force was Snow White Princess, Seok Ha-rang.
"Really! If it were the Magistrate, he would have already sent me to break through Yeouido!"
Crack. Shin Jin-gwang gritted his teeth.
That name, Magistrate Yoo Young-ho, had always been mentioned as a candidate for Minister of Monster Countermeasures, even before Shin Jin-gwang was being considered.
Compared to the Magistrate, who was so famous that even overseas countries were looking for him, Shin Jin-gwang, with just decades of military experience, was being compared to the Magistrate from the very beginning of the confirmation hearing.
Rather than a mountain to overcome, it was a name he didn't even want to hear. Shin Jin-gwang barely suppressed his anger, reminding himself that the other party was one of only three S-rank ability users in the country.
"Hoo, listen carefully. You're still young, so you don't know these things very well..."
"What are you talking about?! I've been beating up Monsters since I was twelve! Have you ever seen Monsters care about age? They try to kill everyone regardless of age or gender!!"
The atmosphere in the command center fell into silence. The operators shuddered as a chill ran down their skin.
Crack, crackle.
Frost settled on the monitors. Ha-rang's hair was slightly raised. It was evidence that she had unconsciously released her Mana.
"H-Hero Seok Ha-rang! Using your ability in the command center is insubordination! It's a clear abuse of power!"
"...Tch!"
Ha-rang bit her lower lip and calmed her Mana. The temperature in the command center rose slightly again.
A woman often called an Ice Witch rather than Snow White Princess by villains.
Unlike her ability, which showed no mercy to enemies, the Ice Magician was famous for having a terrible personality. 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 Hwajeon! Command, please respond!

"What is it now!"
Shin Jin-gwang shouted irritably, then realized who the other party was and backed down.
Even if they were both S-rank, the other party was the nephew of the most powerful man in the country, who had put him in this position.
"Ahem! What's the matter, Agent Lee Seung-hyung!"

-I request access to the Mana patterns of the missing heroes!

Access to what? Shin Jin-gwang was inwardly flustered. He had studied hard to become familiar with the heroes, but this was something he didn't know.
It sounded familiar, though. Well, since Seung-hyung was requesting it, it should be fine. With that thought, Shin Jin-gwang shouted confidently.
"Wait!"

-No!

"Are you crazy?!"
Tempest Lady shouted through the video call, and Ha-rang shouted in person. Ha-rang, seeing Shin Jin-gwang's frozen face, immediately realized that he was ignorant about Mana patterns and explained briefly.
"Mana patterns are the unique properties of heroes! It's top-secret information that even the country can't access without the cooperation of the Association! Do you think this is like a resident registration number?!"
Shin Jin-gwang was intimidated by Ha-rang's questioning.
Having been in charge of managing classified information, he realized that he had almost made a big mistake, and then he was dumbfounded that Lee Seung-hyung, of all people, had made such a request.
Who would take responsibility?
Surely the country wouldn't be crazy enough to arrest an S-rank hero for leaking state secrets.
It would be Shin Jin-gwang himself who would lose his head.
Magical words that would ease Shin Jin-gwang's burden were heard.

-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 ask my teacher to help too."
With the request of two S-ranks, and even the support of Korea's top hero, there was nothing to fear.
Under Shin Jin-gwang's instructions, the operators brought the Mana patterns of the missing heroes.
"Pattern analysis confirmed! Detecting Mana in the atmosphere to identify the movement path!"
It was already a well-known fact around the world that heroes had their own unique Mana patterns. And heroes naturally released Mana from their bodies, spreading it into the atmosphere.
If they could just read that unique Mana pattern from the entire Mana in the atmosphere, they could find out where the heroes had disappeared to.
While the operators were scanning the Mana, Ha-rang secretly tapped her smartwatch.
Public broadcasting, the media, the internet. All of Korea's attention was focused on this Seoul recovery operation.
The number of viewers of a live stream being broadcast from Gyeonggi Province using equipment like telescopes was over 200,000. Even an ordinary person's broadcast was receiving this much explosive attention, so the public broadcasting and media were already providing near-real-time coverage.
The main topic was, of course, the revival of the Hellhounds. The Hellhound zombies, moving again with blue flames, were attracting attention not only in Korea but also abroad.
"What is this situation... really!"
Ha-rang tore at her hair.
Having spent more than half of her life in the hero world, Ha-rang also realized that this operation was a government scheme to make Lee Seung-hyung the protagonist.
But even by joining such a scheme, Ha-rang wanted to shake off her past grudges.
Beep.
The intermediate results of the Mana detection appeared on the monitor. Fortunately, the life signs of the missing people continued without interruption.
"They're alive, they're alive!"
Shin Jin-gwang breathed a sigh of relief and shouted to another operator.
"Tell the media right away! The heroes are alive, and Lee Seung-hyung is going to save them!"
"Yes!"
At that moment, bad news came from Guro.

-Hwajeon has collapsed!

"What?!"
Seung-hyung, clutching his heart and vomiting blood, appeared on the monitor. Everyone in the command center held their breath.
Had an enemy appeared that could defeat an S-rank in one blow? No. Then why?
While everyone was in confusion, Shin Jin-gwang regained his composure and issued a withdrawal order.
"......."
Ha-rang burst out of the command center door. The sunlight was so warm that it felt like it would burn her skin.

"The weather's nice, but it's utter chaos."
"Agent Seokharang! You can't just leave like that...!"
One of the operators followed her out. Shin Jinkwang was clearly visible through the doorway, his face red as he shouted.
"Hey! Did the scan results come in?!"
Harang ignored Shin Jinkwang. The operator glanced between them before discreetly transmitting the data.
"Thanks."
Harang tapped her smartwatch to check the heroes' locations, and frowned. Fortunately or unfortunately, all the kidnapped heroes were in the same place.
The National Assembly Building in Yeouido.
"...Wasn't this rumored to be where that Class S Monster was hiding?"
A strong candidate for the hiding place of the Class S Monster that was only spoken of in rumors.
"If we kill this Class S, the ones commanding the Monsters will disappear too!"
Harang closed the screen and released Mana throughout her body.
"Agent Seokharang! Get back in here!"
Shin Jinkwang even came outside to call out to Harang. Harang's body was already slightly floating in the air.
"Hey, Minister. I think there's something you don't know, so let me just say one thing."
Harang swept her hand through the air. A massive ice path formed to the north of the Olympic Stadium.
"Class S's basically have extrasensory perception, so they have independent operational authority in the field, you know?"
"What?!"
Harang stepped onto the ice path.
"So, what I'm saying is, there's no reason to follow your orders, old man!"
Harang waved at Shin Jinkwang and ran along the ice path.
Thump, thump, thump!
With each step, she ran across tens of meters of ice. When the path seemed to end, she immediately released Mana forward to connect the ice path.
A snowy and icy mountain path leading to the summit of Gwanak Mountain. It was a feat only possible for a Mana-filled ice mage.
Harang glanced down. There were clear signs of something long rampaging and passing by on the ridge.
'This is the path the Hwama Dragon took...!'
Lee Seunghyung had defeated the Hwama Dragon in one blow, an Archdemon that she had never even faced before.
As a fellow hero, she respected him, but she was also envious. For whatever reason, now that Lee Seunghyung had fallen, another Class S hero, Seolhwa Princess, had to fill the void.
Whoosh.
"!!"
The moment she passed the summit of the mountain, blue flames erupted in front of her.
Screeeeeech!
Harang channeled Mana into the heels of her boots, creating friction against 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 attacked without even introducing himself.

Chapter 57

"...!"
The first greeting was light. Phoenix sent fireballs created by gathering Mana with a time difference. Seok Harang immediately unfolded a wall of ice, blocking the path of the fireballs.
Bang! Kwaang!
The fireballs exploded, shattering the ice shield. Fragments of the destroyed ice shield scattered, but Seok Harang, hidden behind it, suffered no damage.
"What goes around comes around!"
Seok Harang raised his right hand. In a short time of about 1 second, ice spears embroidered in the air covered Phoenix like crossbow bolts. Phoenix didn't dodge and flicked his finger.
Flap-
Translucent blue feathers spread behind Phoenix's back. Seok Harang clearly saw the flames burning within those feathers.
"Is this! Showing off because you have a lot of Mana?!"
Phoenix folded his wings forward, setting them up as a shield. The ice spears pierced the wing's shield.
Pababak!
The ice spears lost their penetrating power, piercing halfway through the blue feathers. The wings of flame were pierced with ice spears like a hedgehog's quills. Phoenix destroyed all the ice spears by burning the wings.
"Not bad?"
[...]
Phoenix was still silent. Seok Harang was sweating but pretended to be calm.
The opponent in front of him was clearly a strong one. Someone in a world far above Seok Harang's level.
"Who are you? From the Round Table? Is that why you're hiding your identity?"
The strongest people in the world. Perhaps one of them was taking on that appearance with the help of an ability to change their appearance.
'If there's a purpose, it's to check Korea.'
The emergence of a new S-class and the feat of defeating the Hwama Dragon in one blow would make the Round Table nervous.
"Right? Am I right?"
[...Foolish reasoning.]
The flames flickered inside the eagle helmet. Seok Harang felt unpleasant, as if it were mocking him.
"What? You can talk? Why aren't you talking?"
[Do you want to know who I am?]
Phoenix spread his arms. At the same time, huge wings of flame spread behind Phoenix's back, as if a peacock was showing off its feathers.
"...Hmph!"
Harang also stretched out both hands to the left and right, releasing Mana. The moisture in the air reacted to Harang's Mana and froze.
"Pieris!"
With Harang's declaration, lumps of ice began to take shape. With a white light, the ice transformed into butterflies that emitted a cold air.
Dozens, hundreds. The ice butterflies fluttering behind Harang's back scattered snowflakes and waited for instructions.
"Whoever you are, there's one thing that's certain!"
Harang raised his right hand. In his hand was an ice baton, as if conducting an orchestra.
"Anyone who blocks the path of a hero! If you're a villain, be arrested by me! If you're a hero, help me!"
[Ice Butterfly Pieris. A technique that represents Princess Seolhwa. A unique technique that handles the ability of the ice system to the extreme, which no one in the world can imitate.]
"...What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
The blue flames in Phoenix's black armor erupted from between the joints. Phoenix, scattering flames around, raised his hand and provoked Seok Harang.
[Flashy but empty. Isn't it?]
"You!!"
Seok Harang roughly lowered his hand. The ice butterflies, receiving the signal, flew towards Phoenix, scattering snowflakes.
[Slow speed, low destructive power. A technique that freezes the place where the butterfly touches. Just avoid it.]
Phoenix moved his wings and gracefully slipped through the butterflies. Harang directly controlled the butterflies towards Phoenix, who was dodging the ice butterflies as if an mermaid was swimming in the sea.
"Too much talk!"
The butterflies quickly chased after Phoenix. Drawing a vertical trajectory that ignored inertia, the ice butterflies blocked Phoenix's path.
Jjeojjeok, jjeojjeojjeok!
The sound of freezing was heard along with white smoke. Seok Harang didn't let his guard down and rearranged the butterflies in all directions.
[It's useless if it doesn't touch.]
Around Phoenix, very small flames blocked the ice butterflies, causing them to become crystals and harden. Seok Harang gritted his teeth as he watched Phoenix block the attack without any damage.
Ice Butterfly, Pieris, which freezes the first object it touches. Phoenix rendered Seok Harang's signature technique useless by simply spreading very small sparks around him.
"This is real...!"
Seok Harang raised his left hand and drew it horizontally.
Crackle!
The ice butterflies that surrounded Phoenix from all 360 degrees charged towards Phoenix. There was no gap in the attack of hundreds of ice butterflies rushing in a crisscross pattern.
[Another one. A lot of Mana is consumed, but the Mana that goes into each butterfly is very small. So.]
Phoenix put his hands together as if in prayer. A huge blue flame erupted in all directions, centered on Phoenix.
Bang!!
"Ahhh!""
Seok Harang, who lost his footing on the ice path due to the aftermath of the explosion, fell to the ground.
"Ugh!"
He quickly tried to create an ice path with his hands, but his body was already falling to the ground. In the end, Seok Harang tried to cushion the impact by surrounding his entire body with Mana as he approached the ground.
Suddenly.
"...?"
Seok Harang tilted his head in confusion when his body didn't fall to the ground.
[Dangerous. Tsk.]
"......?!?!"
Phoenix was holding Seok Harang like a princess, having flown here at some point.
[If you face an enemy with strong explosive power, it will break easily, like now. Reflect on it.]
Phoenix threw Seok Harang far away. Seok Harang quickly took a landing stance and stood on the ground with both feet.
"Yo, you crazy bastard!"
Seok Harang's face was as red as a persimmon.
Anger at his ability not working.
Humiliation at having his signature skill easily broken and his weaknesses pointed out.
Humiliation at being saved by an enemy.
And the shame of being held by a strange man without hesitation.
Seok Harang, mixed with all sorts of emotions, unknowingly said harsh words and then closed his mouth.
[...Chuckle.]
He laughed. He definitely laughed. Seok Harang's anger rose to his chin, but he barely suppressed his anger and spoke politely.
"Hey! Is fighting a joke?"
[I corrected you because you couldn't use your ability properly. Engrave it in your bones. Student Seok Harang.]
"Wow, you're really making me mad. Where are you lecturing me from!"
Seok Harang shouted and shot an ice spear. Phoenix slightly tilted his head to avoid the ice spear.
[Honest. If it's an attack aimed at a vital point, you should shoot several, not just one.]
"Wow. This old man is really pissing me off. Is this old man my teacher? Why are you lecturing me on other people's skills?!"
[...I know. I know it well.]
Phoenix chuckled lowly. Seok Harang's face contorted at the sight of him turning his left hand behind his back and beckoning with his right hand as if telling him to come over.
[Then try hitting me if you can. A half-baked ice magician can be dealt with with one hand.]
"You're dead by my hands today!"
Seok Harang created dozens of ice spears in the air. Phoenix stood in his place and raised a blue flame in his right hand.
"Dieeee!"
[Tsk.]
Ice and flames collided spectacularly on the ridge of Gwanak Mountain.

Autumn bit her nails in anxiety.
"Will he be okay?"
Phoenix had become a Monster and gone to face an S-class. He said he was okay, but Autumn didn't know how strong Phoenix was. He killed the S-class Monster Tentacle Turtle too easily, so it didn't feel real.
"He'll be fine."
Ji Hwa briefly lowered his hand. He blinked a few times as if his eyes hurt.
"There's no one in Seoul who can beat him. Rest assured."
"How can you be so sure?"
Ji Hwa smiled bitterly.
"Ability users can estimate the amount of Mana an opponent has. In our terms, we call it 'sizing up,' but I can't dare to size up Phoenix."
Ji Hwa spread his arms to the sides.
"If you think of the amount of Mana that ability users can sense as the distance their hands can reach, then he has a truly vast amount of Mana like the open sea. So don't worry. Even now..."
Ji Hwa covered one eye with his hand again. The Demon Eye was relaying the scene from the top of Gwanak Mountain with the help of Mini Phoenix.
Swoosh!
A huge ice flower bloomed in the sky. A rose made by connecting ice crystals.
The white-haired woman on the petals moved her hand. At the same time, the ice flower fell to the ground.
"Princess Seolhwa, Seok Harang!"
Autumn covered her mouth with both hands. Princess Seolhwa was throwing ice flowers at her opponent, fully demonstrating her ability. At Phoenix.
Ooooh--!
An ice flower falling like a meteorite. Below it, Phoenix, with his left hand behind his back, was stretching out his right hand.
"What are you doing not dodging!"
Even though an ice flower dozens of times larger than his body was falling, Phoenix didn't take a step. Rather, Phoenix raised his right hand and stretched it out towards the ice flower, as if he wouldn't dodge.
Woo woo woo!
The blue Mana gathered in Phoenix's palm was fired towards the ice flower. The sphere of Mana, fired like a cannon, slowly flew towards the ice flower.
Tok.
The moment the ice flower touched the Mana balloon, a huge explosion occurred on the outer wall of the ice flower. 1/4 of the ice flower exploded, scattering fragments from the top of Gwanak Mountain.
Pavabat!
The fragments were embedded in the ground like thorns. Phoenix took the fragments flying towards him with his body.
"Eek!""
Autumn thought it looked like suicide. But the ice fragments that flew towards Phoenix didn't cause any injuries to Phoenix.
Crisp. The fragments that collided with the armor didn't even make a scratch, and the fragments that pierced the joints became water droplets in the flames and fell to the ground.
Princess Seolhwa on the ice flower shouts something with a reddened face. Phoenix simply responded by flicking his hand once more.
"...What is she saying?"
The video is playing, but there is no sound. Autumn turned to Ji Hwa.
"Hey, Ji Hwa. Can't you turn on the sound?"
"........"
Ji Hwa was speechless and looking elsewhere. Next to him, visual information converted into digital data through his ability was displayed on the screen.
All red. Autumn felt disgusted by the sticky crimson liquid.
"What is this...?!"
Ji Hwa's vision turned sharply. An unspeakable tragedy was unfolding on the screen.
"What is this?!"
Blood splattered again. Not the blood of Monsters, but human blood.
A massacre was taking place at the entrance of the National Cemetery, where the souls of the dead should be honored.

"Aaaagh!"
An old man in his twilight years vomited blood with a final scream. The old man in tattered clothes was bleeding from his chest and collapsed on the stairs.
Thud!
The man shot the refugees coming up the stairs with a gun, as if he were a robot given orders. Towards people.
Tang! Tang!
Every time a magic bullet was fired, one person died. The refugees in the waiting room below the stairs hesitated. Already, a crazy killer was rampaging inside the platform.
"Haha! That's 30 days!"
The woman threw a dagger at the back of the fleeing man's neck. The man died as he was fleeing from the blue blade imbued with Mana.
A pine tree tattoo was drawn on the woman's neck.
"...This isn't right."
Jeok Song clenched his fists and shook his head. The stench of blood was filled with the screams and pain of the refugees.
"Ahaha, Jeok Song. You're only A-class in ability, but you're a complete coward? You said it's your first time, right? You can't be like that! If you want to reduce your sentence!"
The woman pulled out a dagger and jumped into the crowd of refugees. Even though the woman's level was C-class, she was an unstoppable killer against ordinary people.
푹, 푹Thud!
"You have to kill this hard. Don't forget?"
"They're civilians! How can you do this?!"
Jeok Song shouted with a voice full of anger. The woman was stunned for a moment, then laughed and tapped her smartwatch.
"Kihihi. What are you talking about? Civilians."
The mission given to them appeared on Jeok Song's screen. Eliminate spies lurking in Seoul.
"We're eliminating 'spies' from an enemy country right now?"
"Don't say crazy things!!"
Jeok Song shouted, but he couldn't interfere at all. The pine tree mark embedded in his neck. If he didn't follow orders, his sentence would be increased, and if he was judged to be resisting, he would be executed immediately.

"Are you saying these people are spies?!"
"You haven't lived in society, have you? Even if a superior speaks indirectly, you need to understand and act accordingly. Got it? If you don't want to die, kill the spies. If you have someone to blame, blame Seon Ui-cheol."
The woman licked the sticky blood from the blade of her dagger. Jeoksong closed his eyes.
The veterans Cheol-pyo had mentioned.
They were experts in murder and massacre.

Chapter 58

〈 Episode 58 〉 Part 1 Chapter 4 (15)
"We have to stop them!"
Ga-eul stood up and shouted.
"Ji-hwa! Can't you get in touch with anyone? Tell someone to stop them!"
"...I can't reach the team leader. The Mana interference is too severe."
Phoenix and Princess Seolhwa were exchanging blows even more spectacularly. The moths Phoenix created in his right hand were attacking the petals of the ice flowers, shattering them.
The clash of two S-class Mana users was disrupting communications.
Princess Seolhwa was using Mana so lavishly, and Phoenix was matching her, that the Mana flow at the summit of Gwanak Mountain had become even more unstable than during the Gate incident. Contact via smartwatch was impossible.
"Then, what about Deok-bae? He escaped from the heroes earlier, right?"

-...I'm out of Mana too.

Deok-bae, shown on the screen, had already lost his rock skin, revealing his exhausted appearance. The spirit stone embedded in his chest was completely empty of Mana.

-I'm only a C-class to begin with. I can't stop them.

"Ji-hwa! If we mobilize the Cheonghwa Unit members... Ugh!"
Ga-eul lowered her head. The number of combat-capable personnel in the Cheonghwa Unit was extremely limited. Most of the ordinary members were either D-class or ordinary people without abilities.
They might be able to stall for a moment, but they would be killed immediately.
"...Still, they aren't the ones Architect was protecting. Judging by their condition, they're just refugees who were hiding in history. The contract with Architect—"
"People are dying right now, and you're saying that?!"
Ga-eul grabbed Ji-hwa by the collar. Ji-hwa said in a cold voice.
"Don't be mistaken, Ga-eul. The Cheonghwa Unit's current primary objective is to eliminate the heroes who came to occupy Seoul..."
Thwack!
Ga-eul's fist struck Ji-hwa's lower jaw. Ji-hwa's head turned halfway around.
"Are you out of your mind?! How can anyone just stand by and watch something like that happen?! Fine! I'll go myself!"
"What power do you have to go with, when you have no power?"
Ga-eul shook Ji-hwa by the collar and pushed him away. Ji-hwa fell on his backside.
"If I don't have power, am I just supposed to watch this happen?! Tell people to run away, contact Phoenix, do anything we can!!"
Ga-eul huffed and turned towards the door. Ji-hwa sprang up and blocked the entrance.
"Get out of the way!"
"...I am a Monster, Cheon Ga-eul. Phoenix's eyes, who must carry out Phoenix's orders above all else. Have you forgotten?"
The pupils of Ji-hwa's demon eyes burned blue.
"Phoenix told me to protect you with my life. You cannot go outside the barrier."
"Get out of the way!"
Ga-eul pushed Ji-hwa as hard as she could and grabbed the doorknob. She managed to open the door slightly, but Ji-hwa's body, blocking the way, was as unyielding as a stone statue.
"You can't go!"
"Move!"
Ga-eul raised her knee and struck Ji-hwa's groin. Ji-hwa's demon eyes wavered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.
"I am, Phoenix's, orders...!"
He bit his lip and stood firm in front of the door. Ga-eul stepped back, panting, and scanned the surroundings. Fortunately, there was a window on the opposite side.
Swish!
Ji-hwa stood behind Ga-eul as she was about to open the window and jump out.
"Let go of me!"
Ji-hwa's hands grabbed Ga-eul's forearms. Ga-eul struggled and tried to move her legs, but Ji-hwa was also an ability user—a Monster.
Even a weak ability user was much stronger physically than an ordinary person.
"Haa, haa."
Ga-eul breathed heavily and slumped. Ji-hwa still held onto Ga-eul's arms, refusing to let go.
"........"
Ga-eul's head drooped. Even as she was held here, people would continue to die.
Phoenix had said that if she had power, she wouldn't be attacked by Monsters and villains.
The screen continued to show people dying in agony.
What was the difference between them and me?
She had come to Seoul and was lucky enough to survive the Monsters, and thanks to her uncertain future, she had received Phoenix's attention and was still alive.
Phoenix had said that he would become her strength to protect her.
But in the past few days, Ga-eul had seen that Phoenix was only someone who would protect 'Cheon Ga-eul,' not someone who would simply help people being massacred innocently. He would only save them if there was a reason, like in Cheon Ga-eul's case.
No one was there to protect them. Ga-eul was grateful for Phoenix's barrier that protected her here, but also resentful.
Phoenix had said to wait a little longer.
He had even stopped by here in his Monster form. That was how much he cared about Cheon Ga-eul's safety. If she were to leave this barrier, it would be a great betrayal of Phoenix.
Even so.
'If I had power....'
There were things she wanted to protect. As an actress, as a daughter.
And as a human being. She wanted to protect something that she felt she would lose forever if she gave up here.
Cheon Ga-eul swallowed her tears and raised her head.
"So this—"

-Do you really have to go?

Her face was reflected in the semi-transparent glass with film on it. In the glass, Ga-eul's forearms were bound by chains, not by Ji-hwa.
Naked, without even rags to cover herself. Her whole body was covered in wounds and bruises. Shackles and stakes binding her entire body.
It was like the future Phoenix had said Cheon Ga-eul might have faced.

-Listen to Phoenix and hide here. Close your eyes, close your ears, and hide until everything is over.

The voice of Ga-eul whispering from beyond the glass was sweet. Phoenix had guaranteed an invincible barrier. As long as she was inside, Ga-eul would never have to feel the fear of death again, like she had at S University.
At least 'Cheon Ga-eul' was safe.
The Cheon Ga-eul beyond the glass sneered.

-What can a woman without abilities do? Are you going to act in front of the slaughterers? Sell your body? What guts do you have to step forward like that? Just because Phoenix believes in you, do you think everyone in the world will love you that much?

That was not the case. If anything, there were more people who hated and resented Ga-eul than those who loved her.
The malicious comments she received for her terrible acting, the insults she had to endure as a celebrity, all the envy and jealousy she received for being Lee Seung-hyung's co-star.
Perhaps some of those being killed out there were the ones who had hidden behind their monitors and stabbed Ga-eul in the back.
Even so, despite everything.
"What reason do I need to save someone's life!!"
Ga-eul screamed, her voice echoing from the depths of her soul.

-...Is that so?

The Cheon Ga-eul beyond the glass was smiling.

-...Alright.

The chains that had been binding the Cheon Ga-eul in the glass shattered. Her eyes reflected in the glass began to ripple with a gray light.

-A new stage. New audience. New Genre.

Gray Mana surged from Ga-eul's body. Ji-hwa involuntarily stepped back from the immense Mana flow.
Bang!
"Ugh?!"
Ji-hwa was thrown against the door by the Mana flow erupting from Ga-eul.
Swish.
Ga-eul raised her hand and brushed it across her face. An alien sensation covered her face.
Ga-eul reflected in the glass was wearing a black and white mask.

-So, is the actress Cheon ready to roll?

"Of course."
Ga-eul lowered the mask with her hand. Her eyes sparkled with a gray light.
"I'm always ready."
Masquerade jumped out of the window.

Seon Ui-cheol was listening to music alone in his office.
Taking a break by listening to an LP, a relic of the old era, in his office.
The soundless TV was filled with channels talking about the Seoul recovery operation.
♩♬♪♪
The music filled the office. Schubert's lieder, a favorite among the classics he loved, especially number 18.
The Erlking.
Ding.
An alarm went off on his smartwatch. Seon Ui-cheol frowned, annoyed at the interruption, and checked the message.

-This is Cheol-pyo. Found a person in the National Assembly building. Suspected to be Cheon Ga-eul.

"Cheon Ga-eul?"
He racked his brain. The actress Lee Seung-hyung had been so desperate for. A person who had already died, even had a funeral. Such a woman had emerged from the National Assembly.
He thought for a moment.
"Then."
Seon Ui-cheol's next words came without hesitation.
"Eliminate her."
Seon Ui-cheol leisurely lifted the cup filled with herbal tea.

When ability users awaken, they instinctively realize how to use their powers.
A response to 'Mana' that transcends human senses. They feel exhilarated as the Mana accumulated in their body explodes and flows through their veins.
And the degree of that awakening varies from person to person.
There were those who rose from the initial level of D-class to S-class, like Gwanggeom, and there were those who awakened with an initial level of A-class and remained at A-class for life, like Haneulseong.
Cheon Ga-eul had blown away Kim Ji-hwa with just the aftermath of her awakening. It was not just carelessness, but a Mana surge that Ji-hwa could not handle.
Ga-eul's awakening limit, which should have been C-class at the initial awakening, had surpassed A-class and already reached the edge of her talent.
Phoenix.
Although the attribute was different, he was a spirit with Mana as pure as anyone in the world, a spirit.
Ga-eul, who had been an ordinary person, had spent a week with Phoenix and unconsciously been influenced by his Mana. Simply by breathing near a spirit who exuded pure Mana, Mana from Phoenix had accumulated in Cheon Ga-eul's body.
All that remained was the awakening of her mind.
Cheon Ga-eul, who had awakened in her own crisis, did not turn a blind eye to the crisis of others, and eventually awakened.
An A-class ability user. A phantom illusionist with an 88% affinity for illusion attributes.
That Mana pattern soon shook the entire city of Seoul.

"New Mana pattern detected! Ability user! ...S-class? Ah, no! It's A-class!"
The operator corrected the mistake. A new ability user's reaction detected in Yeouido.
The Mana concentration of the new ability user detected in the Mana scan with just the initial awakening was undoubtedly A-class.
"Who is it, damn it!"
"I'll compare it with the database!"
Since they were not registered as a hero, the only thing left was a villain. Had a villain who had been hiding their identity finally revealed themselves? Or had a refugee hiding in Seoul been attacked by a Monster and awakened?
A moment later.
The search results appeared on the screen. Shin Jin-gwang gripped the baton tightly as he looked at the results.
No matches found.
"A newly awakened one?!"
The headquarters was turned upside down. The reporters waiting in the briefing room were in an uproar.
An A-class that even a veteran operator had momentarily mistaken. After Princess Seolhwa, who had made a name for herself as an S-class with her initial awakening, she was the highest-level awakener in Korea in terms of initial awakening.
A top priority to secure.
A promising talent that the association had to find before they went down the wrong path as a villain.
Seoul still had talent. Then, should they save him in the current operation situation?
Shin Jin-gwang fell into contemplation.
One of the two S-class heroes had left the front lines, and the other was tied up by an unidentified villain. The heroes of Guro had been defeated, and the heroes of Gangnam were still facing Hellhound.
No results. Rather, they were only left with the humiliation of having heroes kidnapped.
'This can't go on.'
Shin Jin-gwang's movements became busy.
"Who's nearby?!"
"The Pine Tree Unit members are nearby!"
Shin Jin-gwang's hand stopped. The Pine Tree Unit, which had gone on a separate mission, happened to be nearby.
Those who had gone to carry out the president's secret orders, which even he did not know.
Shin Jin-gwang did not know what the secret orders were. But he had neither the authority nor the power to stop the Pine Tree Unit from carrying out the secret orders.
"......Keep checking the Mana reaction! When Team A enters Anyang, organize the heroes who can be deployed!"
Waiting for Team A to return to headquarters as soon as possible, Shin Jin-gwang anxiously spent his time.
Desperately hoping that the Pine Tree Unit would not define the A-class ability user as a 'spy' for his own achievements.

Chapter 59

〈 Episode 59 〉 Part 1 Chapter 4 (16)

-
Masquerade copies all stats and appearances. It can't copy anything above your own C-rank, so recruiting a B-rank hero makes it easy to conquer. (Likes 2, Dislikes 7)

-
Yeah, right, newbie. A B-rank joining you in Chapter 1? Why not just call Snow White Princess?

-
I heard his Affinity to Return is A-rank. If it's A-rank from the start, isn't that basically meta○?

-
No, but it copies them just by looking at them, what are you supposed to do?


Azure Sky Desdinus, two weeks after release, Chapter 1 walkthrough tips.
* * *
Thud!
Cheol-pyo's steel fist swung. The door to the main conference hall shattered, and the woman struck by the fist rolled down the corridor.
"......."
The veil around her neck completely blocked external attacks. But the parts not covered by the veil were vulnerable.
"Where did you get such a strange object?"
Cheol-pyo entered the main conference hall, smacking his lips. Even after being hit by a fist that could crush thick iron plates, the woman in front of him didn't spill a drop of blood.
"......."
The woman didn't say anything, touching her mask with her hand. It was as if she was trying to hide her identity until the very end.
"It's too late, Cheon Ga-eul."
"...!"
The woman, Ga-eul, bit her lip inside the mask. Her identity was revealed, but she couldn't take off the mask.
"Don't ask me how I knew. I've been watching you since you jumped out of the window."
"...There's one thing I want to ask."
Ga-eul adjusted her veil. Cheol-pyo glanced at his smartwatch and nodded.
"What is it?"
"The massacre happening in Dongjak right now. Do you know about it?"
Ga-eul pointed to her neck. Cheol-pyo fiddled with the pine tree pattern engraved on his neck and laughed.
"Of course, I know. That's why we came up to Seoul."
"...You're heroes! Saving people and eliminating Monsters!"
Ga-eul clenched her fist.
The Pine Tree Unit.
Like evergreen trees that are always green, model prisoners who reformed with upright minds and hearts for the sake of this country and its people. Those who were reformed always smiled and worked hard and served the weak in New Seoul.
But it wasn't true.
Their appearance outside the fence of New Seoul was hypocrisy and lies. Their true nature was fundamentally criminals, murderers.
"Tsk. If you had just stayed quiet and acted in New Seoul, you could have lived quietly."
Cheol-pyo clicked his tongue and rotated his shoulder. Ga-eul was a rat in a trap inside the burning main conference hall.
"I don't know if you were hiding it, or if you awakened in Seoul. But no matter how high your Mana is."
Cheol-pyo jumped. Ga-eul hurriedly threw herself to the side.
"Your death will not change."
Bang!
The floor of the main conference hall exploded. Ga-eul avoided Cheol-pyo's fist, but the shock of the explosion shook her body.
"That's a common mistake that newbies who haven't awakened for long often make."
Cheol-pyo straightened his posture and thrust his fist forward from the spot. The pressure of Mana covered Ga-eul, and the cold wind thoroughly ravaged the places not covered by the veil, leaving scratches on Ga-eul's body.
"You awakened your Mana, but you don't know how to use your abilities."
Cheol-pyo lunged forward again. Ga-eul struggled to move her body, but her legs wouldn't move as if they were frozen.
The fear of being unilaterally violated. The shadow of a purple Monster was reflected in Cheol-pyo. The Monster that rushed to kill her in the parking lot.
"!!"
Ga-eul instinctively raised her arms to protect her head. Cheol-pyo's fist struck Ga-eul's raised arm as it was.
Thud!
"......Cough."
Red blood flowed from under the mask. Instinctively, she drew Mana to block the impact of the fist, but instead of blocking it, she should have moved her body to avoid it.
"Even though you're not a physical enhancement ability user, you only know how to strengthen your body with Mana. Like now!"
Cheol-pyo raised his leg. The leg, shining like iron, kicked Ga-eul sideways, veil and all.
Clang!
The sound of iron clashing against iron. Cheol-pyo was momentarily mistaken by the sensation he felt in his leg.
The skin of Ga-eul, revealed through her torn clothes, was covered with steel like Cheol-pyo's skin.
"Who said I don't know my ability?"
Ga-eul's eyes flashed inside the mask. Gray Mana was constantly rotating in her pupils.
"I've heard it day and night until my ears are calloused!"
Ga-eul swung her fist. She had no combat experience, so she threw it haphazardly, but the fist was covered in steel, just like Cheol-pyo's.
Clang! Clang!
Every time Cheol-pyo and Ga-eul's fists collided, a tearing sound spread. The clear metallic sound filled the main conference hall like a hammer hitting an anvil, but the expressions of the two ability users colliding were ferocious.
Ga-eul, swinging her fists and kicking her feet as she pleased, and Cheol-pyo, stepping and dodging like a boxer and counterattacking.
At first glance, their fight seemed evenly matched.
Claaang!
Ga-eul pushed with both hands, causing Cheol-pyo's body to float and fly away. Cheol-pyo's vital points were untouched, and only his forearms, which had raised his guard, were slightly crumpled.
"Haa, haa, haa!"
On the other hand, Ga-eul was covered in bruises all over her body. The vital points covered by the veil barely avoided the impact, but Cheol-pyo relentlessly struck her arms and legs exposed from the veil. As soon as the steel skin was released, the impact remained as bruises.
"Amazing. How can you awaken the same ability as me?"
Cheol-pyo shuddered. The opponent's ability was so similar, as if she had copied his ability.
"Haa, hoo."
Ga-eul leaned against the desk and gasped for breath. The saliva pooling in her mouth tasted bitter like iron.
"Ptooey."
Blood-mixed saliva fell on the floor of the main conference hall. Ga-eul fixed the mask on her face again. Blood was smeared on the white mask.
Cheol-pyo twisted his neck from side to side.
"Give up. If you stay still, I'll let you go without pain."
"Do you know how much pain the people in Dongjak are in?"
"You're quite the hero. Do you think you can save the people in that mask?"
"You won't know unless you try!"
Cheol-pyo clenched his fist. Ga-eul lowered her stance again.
If the abilities are the same and the Mana is similar, then of course the victory or defeat of the battle depends on experience. It was only natural that Ga-eul, a normal person, was pushed back by Cheol-pyo.
Nevertheless, Ga-eul did not let go of her will until the end. Even now, the ability users of the Pine Tree Unit would be massacring innocent citizens in Dongjak.
When she had no power, she couldn't protect them. But now that she has power, she can protect them.
"Okay. I've watched those dramas often, so I'll give you a chance."
Cheol-pyo raised his index finger and pointed to the veil.
"Take off that protective gear and come at me with all your might. If you land a blow on me, I'll let you go willingly."
"Do you think I'll fall for that?"
Ga-eul raised her senses. The opponent's expression, actions, gestures, and even the Mana they exuded. There was no lie in the emotions she read from the indifferent opponent.
Cheol-pyo was sincerely making a bet. Ga-eul fiddled with the veil.
"......"
It's hard to do it once, but it gets easier from the second time. But Ga-eul didn't put down the veil.
"Do you think you can trick me with such a shallow method?"
"Yeah. But you, you haven't awakened for long. I can tell from fighting you."
Cheol-pyo raised the corners of his mouth. A ferocious leopard opened its mouth as if aiming for prey.
"Your Mana is boiling and you feel like you're going crazy. Your whole body is full of energy, and your heart is pounding with your Mana and abilities. And you want to show off. I'm an ability user, I'm this strong. It's like a drug, isn't it? Everyone who awakens with abilities is like that. They want to show off their power."
"......Do villains always talk so much?"
Cheol-pyo grabbed his stomach and laughed.
"Kahaha! I'm a hero officially registered in the country! You're an ability user, a villain, trying to stop that mission! Who can say who's the villain?"
"If murderers who kill innocent people are called heroes, then I'd rather just be a villain!"
Ga-eul slammed her fist on the desk next to her. The steel fist shattered the desk in one blow.
Cheol-pyo's eyes lit up. The opponent's ability was becoming more sophisticated and stronger. It was a sign that she was getting used to using her abilities.
"This is going to be a fun fight."
Pfft. Cheol-pyo bumped his fists together, then licked his lips as if he was disappointed.
"But sorry. We're busy right now."
Swoosh-
Ga-eul was startled and turned around.
At the entrance of the main conference hall, a woman released the bowstring. A pine tree tattoo was visible under the scarf around her neck.
Swoosh--!
A Mana arrow cut through the air. Ga-eul quickly strengthened her body with Mana and raised her veil to block the arrow.
At that moment, the arrow curved sharply.
Stab.
"Ah...?"
Ga-eul bit her lip at the pain she felt in her back. The arrow drawing an arc went around Ga-eul's body and pierced her heart from behind.
"As expected, Robin. A master archer who freely manipulates the trajectory of arrows."
"Newbies are easier to hit than apples."
Ga-eul's body collapsed. The gray light in Ga-eul's eyes gradually faded.
Cheol-pyo approached Ga-eul and lowered his head. The gray light in Ga-eul's eyes gradually faded.
"That's why you shouldn't have run out. If you had stayed hidden quietly, you would have lived a little longer."
Thud.
Red blood flowed like a river in the corridor of the main conference hall.
* * *
The curtain falls.
All the lights on the stage are turned on, and the audience packs their bags and leaves the auditorium one by one. Even while the staff roll is still going up, Ga-eul can't leave her seat.
Cheon Ga-eul. Age 28.
Awakened her ability but was attacked by the Pine Tree Unit heroes, and died of excessive bleeding in the main conference hall of the National Assembly Building in Yeouido.
That was the end of Cheon Ga-eul's life.
"Ah, aahh, aaaa."
Ga-eul grabbed her hair and lowered her head. Tears welled up in her eyes and dripped down, wetting her thighs. She regretted it, she regretted it, but she couldn't turn back.
Cheon Ga-eul was dead.
"How is it? How does it feel to die?"
The audience member sitting on the right asks. The woman who looks exactly like Cheon Ga-eul is wearing a black and white mask on her face.
"You're angry, you feel wronged, you feel like you're going crazy, right? Why did I do that? I should have just stayed hidden."
"Shut up...!"
Ga-eul raised her head. The masked Ga-eul pointed to the staff roll from the next seat across the aisle.
"28 years of life, 14 years of acting career, and less than 10 minutes of ability user life. The second act that might have started anew ended just like that."
The masked Ga-eul pointed to the screen with her finger. The scene from the main conference hall a little while ago was rewinding.
"You had to be cold-hearted. You didn't look back at yourself because of the pressure to save people and the excitement that you had gained power. A-rank ability user, do you think that's special? How many A-ranks are there in Korea?"
"I know!"
"You know, but why did you do that? If you knew, you shouldn't have acted up."
The gray light in Ga-eul's eyes in the video went out. Her pupils lost focus, and blood continued to flow from where she was stabbed in the heart, reaching the bottom end of the main conference hall.

-
Cheon Ga-eul, death confirmed. What should we do now?

-
Leave it until we find the item. After we find it, set the parliament building on fire again. Didn't you find anything strange anywhere?

-
We haven't been to the speaker's office where Cheon Ga-eul came out yet, but there's something like a barrier where Mana is working.

-
Let's go. That's the jackpot.


The man Ga-eul fought and the man who killed Ga-eul left the main conference hall. Before completely losing consciousness, Ga-eul, lying on her back towards the ceiling, reached out her hand in the blurring vision.

-Sor...ry....

Thud. Her arm fell to the floor. It was a veritable death where she couldn't even recover her body with Mana.
"What were you sorry for?"
"......Various things."
Ga-eul lowered her body. Tears fell from her eyelashes and onto the ground.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't save people, and I'm sorry that I couldn't go back to my parents alive. And...."
The masked Ga-eul rewound the video to the front again. The blue monster that appeared in the speaker's office straightened Ga-eul's veil and then hid its body again.
Gush. Tears fell from Ga-eul's eyes.
"I'm sorry for acting on my own.... I'm sorry for betraying you."
"Yeah. That's why you shouldn't have done that knowing it."

The masked Cheon Ga-eul took off her mask. The woman, who looked much older than Ga-eul and had many scars on her skin, smirked at Ga-eul.
"Now the human Cheon Ga-eul is dead, so there's no chance to apologize."

Chapter 60

〈 Episode 60 〉 Part 1 Chapter 4 (17)
The petals are all burning away.
Flame butterflies, with their blue wings spread wide, landed on the petals, coveting the ice flowers. The ice flowers melted helplessly under the heat of the blue butterflies.
Crackle!
A butterfly touched the core of an ice flower. The ice flower, its calyx already shattered, could no longer withstand the butterflies' dance and crumbled away.
Crackle--
[Nothing special.]
Thump!
Phoenix leaped out of the ice flower and landed on the dirt path. His already pale face was flushed red like an apple.
"You wanna die!!"
He held a sword made of ice in his hand.
A disciple of the Sword Saint. Though he mainly learned Mana control due to his different attribute, he also learned swordsmanship from him.
"Die!"
Phoenix, uttering words unbecoming of a hero, charged forward.
I lowered my right hand.
The flame butterflies, remaining after destroying the ice flowers, blocked Phoenix's path. Phoenix's sword cut down the butterflies' wings one by one, closing the distance.
"I won't miss!"
Seok Harang.
He gets angry easily, but when he's truly enraged, he regains an icy cold rationality like his ability. And he's a monster who focuses all of his thought processes on defeating his opponent.
But Harang has yet to awaken that monster.
"Haaap!"
The last butterfly was cut down by the sword. One step forward. One more step and Harang's sword would reach me.
Screech.
The blade of the ice sword, grabbed by my hand, grinded against it. Harang tried to pull the sword out, but my Mana was already flowing into the ice sword.
Fwoosh!
Blue flames rose from inside the transparent ice. Harang hastily released the ice sword and dodged.
Boom!
Azure flames exploded from within the ice sword. Harang rolled on the ground, shaking off the azure flames that tried to cling to his clothes.
Thud. Harang knelt down on one knee. I placed one of the butterflies that had been on my shoulder onto my right hand.
Whoosh.
The azure flame changed shape, becoming a bird the size of a child. Unlike Mini Phoenix, this was a hawk-like firebird, Fire Arrow.
Its origin was a certain harmful bird species that spread its wings like a gale. Though it's fallen from grace now.
[There's no better image than an animal to embody Mana. But you're a simpleton, as I said before. You create the image, but you can't infuse it with the essence of Mana.]
"Shut up!"
An ice spear shot out like a beam of light. But Fire Arrow had already flown like lightning, shattering the ice spear with its body.
Flutter.
Fire Arrow spread its wings, threatening Harang. Harang clasped his hands together, releasing Mana from within his body.
Swish!
A giant snowman was created behind Harang.
[Frost Giant? Good. The all-around giant will follow your will-]
"Don't act like you know!"
The Frost Giant threw a punch. It was likely the strongest summon Harang could currently create.
I sent Fire Arrow flying to draw the Frost Giant's attention. It suddenly became a proxy battle between summons, giving me time to talk to Harang.
[Cool your head. Keep your body hot, your head cold. You can't win unless you're cold enough to weave threads of ice.]
"......Tch. Annoying."
Harang clenched his fist. The Frost Giant, struggling to catch Fire Arrow, stopped moving.
I placed Fire Arrow on the wrist of my right arm.
"Hey. What are you really? If you're going to fight, fight properly. Are you giving me a lesson right now?"
[Even a glance reveals your weaknesses. Go home and review, you half-wit.]
"Always with the half-wit, half-portion, half-piece! I'm Seok Harang! Snow White Princess! Don't you know me?"
I couldn't help but laugh. I was the one who knew the most about Seok Harang in this world.
[I know. Even better than the Sword Saint.]
"......What are you talking about?"
Harang's expression hardened. I continued in a meaningful voice—or at least, what I hoped was a meaningful tone.
[Let's see. Seok Harang. Born on October 10, 2000. Abandoned in a blanket at an orphanage in Busan, where you grew up until elementary school. Discovered by the Sword Saint and began to make a name for yourself as an S-Class Ability user.]
"That's all stuff you can find by scraping Hero Wiki, you know?"
[Yes. And you always think to yourself. You want to show the parents who abandoned you how well you're doing, to brag. Even if it's a childish desire for revenge, you still want to do it.]
"......!!"
Harang's expression hardened. He was starting to panic that his true feelings, which he only shared with close friends who were tight-lipped, were coming from the villain in front of him.
"You, who are you really! How many people do you think I've told that to?! Who did you hear it from!"
I raised a finger.
The index finger, raised to the sky, slowly lowered, pointing at Harang.
[From your own mouth, directly.]
"......Lee Seung-hyung? No. That Assistant manager isn't strong enough to be this. There's no pyromancer who uses fire this well in my memory. You're lying, right?"
[It's the truth. I heard it directly from your mouth.]
I was sorry, but I wasn't lying. I just wasn't saying that this Seok Harang was the Seok Harang from the original story.
I had simply heard it. As Seok Harang's comrade, and as one of the lovers who shared love in his route.
While intertwined in bed.
[You always wonder. Who are your parents? Why did they abandon you? Why haven't they shown their faces even though you've become so famous as an S-Class?]
"...Hmph. A documentary psychology PhD has already recited all that. Nothing new."
[You started doubting the Sword Saint around the time you graduated middle school, didn't you?]
Harang flinched. He tried to maintain his composure, but his poker face had already crumbled.
[How did the Sword Saint find me among all the orphanages in Busan on the first day he came down to Busan? Even if I had S-Class talent-]
"Ugh, shut up! You talk too much!"
I was at a loss for words.
"Shut your mouth and tell me who you are! Forget about Teacher this and that, I asked you from the beginning! What I'm most curious about right now is!"
Harang moved the Frost Giant. The Frost Giant, which had grown to the size of a four-story building, raised its fist high.
"Not my past!"
I raised my right arm. Fire Arrow soared, charging towards the Frost Giant.
"Your name, you son of a bitch!"
Fire Arrow's body rotated like a drill, piercing through the Frost Giant's fist. The Frost Giant's body quickly melted and became fluid like water, but at the same time, Fire Arrow's flames weakened from the Frost Giant's chill.
Fwoosh----
Both the Frost Giant and Fire Arrow disappeared. Only a warm puddle of water on the dirt path indicated that they had been there.
I looked at it and crossed my arms.
[...Haven't we exchanged names yet?]
"No, we haven't!"
How could that be?
There's no way I wouldn't have introduced the most lovely and adorable Phoenix in the world to someone-
[Ah.]
I first met Seok Harang as a Monster. As soon as I saw him, bad memories came flooding back, so I started with a preemptive strike.
I knew the other person well, but the other person was meeting me for the first time. I had forgotten that again.
[I apologize for that. I felt you crossing over Gwanak Mountain and was flustered.]
"...? What? You felt me coming from Anyang?"
Harang's expression soured. Why? I was just telling the truth.
[Isn't it obvious? Your unique Mana pattern. There's no way I wouldn't know it.]
"Eek."
Harang took a step back.
"How did you read my Mana pattern? The Association? Did you hack the Association's database? Right?"
[Think what you will. But....]
Beep, beep.
An alarm went off on Harang's smartwatch.
The surrounding atmosphere must have become unstable again due to the large collision of fire and water Mana. As the opposing Mana clashed and temporarily subsided, the radio waves that hadn't been reaching him until now must have finally connected.
I subtly turned my left hand behind my back. Since there was nowhere to wear a smartwatch in Monster form, I partially transformed the wrist of my left arm, which was behind my back, into human form.
Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep
[Excuse me.]
The alarm kept ringing without stopping. Harang looked at his screen and was surprised, looking at me.
I subtly pulled the screen closer to my eyes with my right hand.
The person who sent the near-bombarding messages was Kim Ji-hwa, the Beacon.

-
Cheon Ga-eul is dead, an intruder is attacking the barrier

-
Cheon Ga-eul is dead, an intruder is attacking the barrier

-
Cheon Ga-eul is dead, an intruder is attacking the barrier


[......?]
I couldn't understand. Why is Cheon Ga-eul dead? The barrier is under attack? Even if the Sword Saint came, he wouldn't be able to pass through the barrier, so how could Cheon Ga-eul be dead?
I checked the first message Ji-hwa sent among the messages.

-
Enemy hero task force is searching the National Assembly Building

-
Cheon Ga-eul has left the barrier

-
Phoenix

-
Phoenix

-
Please answer quickly

-
Ga-eul is fleeing to the main conference hall

-
Enemy hero ambushed Ga-eul

-
...

-
Cheon Ga-eul is-


[Damn it!]
There was no need to see any more. I transformed my hand back into Monster form and flew into the sky.
Crack!
A giant butterfly appeared, blocking my path.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Butterfly wings spread behind Harang, floating in the air. Snow powder fell from the wings every time they fluttered. The Snow White Princess's ultimate skill that froze the Monster horde crossing the Han River in one strike.
"Did you think I was just chatting idly? I was buying time to cast this-"
[Move.]
I gathered Mana in both hands and combined it. A fireball made by extracting only the essence of azure flame without any reduction. The sphere, about to explode but not exploding, floated in the air above me like a blimp.
"......!"
Seok Harang would feel it. How much Mana was contained within this giant fireball, and the nature of that Mana and the aftermath of its explosion.
A Mana bomb that would easily erase a radius of 500m from the map floated in the sky. That power was several times stronger than the technique Seok Harang was trying to use as an S-Class ultimate skill.
"You, you've been hiding that much power and toying with me, haven't you!"
Seok Harang shouted in anger. Normally, he would have joked around like before using an ultimate skill, but there was no time for that now.
Thud.
I threw the fireball to the south. The fireball rolled down the slope that Shadow Phoenix had descended.
Roll.
The fireball rolled down the destroyed dirt path, and Harang, realizing what was at the end of that path, shouted.
"Headquarters!"
Harang hurriedly flapped his wings, creating ice walls. Thick ice walls rose from the ground to block the fireball's path.
Crash!
But the fireball broke through the ice walls and accelerated down the mountain ridge.
[If you don't block it with all your might, it will explode.]
I immediately searched for Mini Phoenix in Yeouido. One was on the roof of the National Assembly Building.
Whoosh.
Blue flames blazed from under my body. Harang rushed in surprise, but my body had already been reconstructed above the National Assembly Building.
[Is it here...!]
I raised my fist as it was,
Bang!
And smashed the ceiling. I created flames so that the debris wouldn't fall, leaving no ash behind and making a hole.
[.......]
What kind of ridiculous thing was this? The sunlight that entered through the hole in the ceiling was shining on Cheon Ga-eul.
Whoosh.
I changed my body at the same time as jumping through the hole. I gently landed next to Cheon Ga-eul with a human body, and very carefully checked her pulse at her neck.
It wasn't beating.
Not beating at all.
[.......]
I spread Mana throughout her body to check for injuries. A wound from being stabbed in the back with something sharp had pierced her heart.
Why?
I couldn't understand the reason she came out of the barrier. I couldn't understand why the Beacon didn't stop her either.
Cheon Ga-eul was already dead.
She had died.
[I'm sorry....]
An apology that came out without me realizing it. But Cheon Ga-eul couldn't hear it.
* * *
After saving Cheon Ga-eul from a near-death crisis in the Dimensional Gate incident, I had been contemplating.
Was it really necessary to save all the heroines?
The minimum requirement for the True Ending route was the awakening of the six spirits.

As the seventh Spirit, now freed from brainwashing, awakening all the Spirits would meet the minimum requirement to defeat the City Lord and the Outer God.
In other words, there was no need to save all ten heroines who weren't Spirits. Frankly, even recruiting just six as allies would make the remaining four redundant since they couldn't awaken as Spirits.
If they didn't appear as enemies blocking my path, I didn't want to interfere with their lives.
Just as Chun Ga-eul was living as an actress instead of a Masquerade, I figured the other heroines might be living their own lives too.
Yet, the reason I kept Chun Ga-eul by my side and couldn't let her go was my own uncertainty. Deok-bae even called it an obsession as he passed by; I wouldn't let Chun Ga-eul go. No, I couldn't.
Unlike me, who was sucked into this world by a single mistake, Chun Ga-eul was a cog in the machine, created for the grand scheme of this world. A tragic device to make the protagonist's party stand out.
That's why I especially wanted Chun Ga-eul to live a life different from the original story.
I was so proud and, at the same time, envious and jealous of her for agreeing to the deal to protect her dream, even under the threat of being thrown to the Monsters and villains.
But because of my childish heart, Chun Ga-eul died.
I don't know why she came out of the barrier. Despite my repeated warnings, I don't know why she left the barrier, and I don't know why the Beacon let her out even though it gave the order. I don't even know who killed Chun Ga-eul.
But I know one thing. I have a way to revive Chun Ga-eul.
The Cube. And a Monster Core.
I already confirmed through Deok-bae and Ji-hwa that the dead can be revived as ghouls. Even if they aren't ability users, I've seen ordinary people turned into ghouls in the original story.
With the help of the Cube, I can certainly revive Ga-eul.
Not as a human, but as a ghoul.
The Cube cannot revive a dead human. That much is an undeniable truth, no matter what methods are used.
But it can revive them as a ghoul. A servant of a Dark Legion executive influenced by Terra, not an existence of Earth—in reality, a lower Spirit of a Spirit.
A soul minion who obeys my commands.
Ultimately, I will trample on Chun Ga-eul's dream and even distort her existence as a human.
"Even so, I want you to..."
The Core in my hand is embedded in Ga-eul's heart. Black Mana begins to surge in the dead heart.
"Be alive."
The Cube sparkles. As the Cube touches the Core embedded in her heart, the black Mana shines white and turns gray.
Gray light bursts forth in the main conference hall, filled only with darkness.
On this day, I created the fourth ghoul of Cheonghwa Unit.

Chapter 61

〈 Episode 61 〉 Part 1, Chapter 4 (18)
Gaeul rose to her feet.
Without even thinking to wipe away the makeup smeared around her eyes, she stood swaying in the aisle of the audience seats, like someone drunk. Before she knew it, the end credits were racing towards their conclusion.
In the middle of the silent theater, where even the lights were all turned off, Gaeul stood blankly alone.
"So, am I going to die now?"
Gaeul asked the Cheon Gaeul in the mask. The Cheon Gaeul in the mask rose from the audience seats and stood facing Gaeul.
"Yes. As an actress, and as a human being, you're dead."
"......?"
The Cheon Gaeul in the mask raised a hand.
Rattle.
A pulley moved, raising the curtain, and a giant screen descended onto the stage again. The entire audience section disappeared like ash, and only the long aisle where Gaeul stood remained, leading towards the stage.
"Go."
"Where?"
"To the place where you belong."
The Cheon Gaeul in the mask pointed to the stage. Gaeul walked down the aisle with a bitter smile.
Thump.
The sound of Gaeul's heels echoed on the stage. At the same time, all the lights on the stage focused on Gaeul and turned on.
"To act one more time before I die, is that it?"
"No. It's to act anew."
The Cheon Gaeul in the mask took off the mask and threw it to Gaeul. As if possessing its own will, the mask flew into Gaeul's hand.
Gaeul held the mask in her hand.
The right side was white, the left side was black.
The mask, where the two colors of black and white were divided vertically, was completely dyed black, then became clouded with a gray light.
"......? What is this?"
Gaeul stroked the surface of the mask. The Cheon Gaeul who took off the mask, Masquerade, pointed to her face.
"From now on, it's better to cover your face."
"To become a faceless actor?"
"You're already dead, both physically and legally, right? So."
Masquerade's body became transparent. Cheon Gaeul, who pointed to her face with a hand disappearing into light, smiled.
"From now on, you are a ghost."
Flash.
The end credits finished. The video that should have stopped playing did not end, and the last remaining scene was replayed.
The plenary hall of the National Assembly.
The blue girl, Phoenix, hugging the dead Gaeul's corpse, Phoenix embraced Gaeul. After embedding something in Gaeul's chest, soon the entire plenary hall was dyed with gray Mana.
Clap.
The ghost turned its head. Masquerade clapped. Masquerade was smiling and crying at the same time, with an envious, proud, and pitiful face towards the ghost.
"What movie these days doesn't have a post-credits scene?"
With that as the last thing, Gaeul's consciousness was cut off.
Blue flames swallowed the theater.
* * *
Gaeul blinked. In the clearing vision, Phoenix, smiling softly, came into view.
"Are you awake?"
Phoenix carefully shook Gaeul. The right hand behind her back was supporting Gaeul's back.
Gaeul blankly stared at Phoenix, then hugged her tightly.
"Huh? Excuse me? Gaeul-ssi? Suddenly doing this..."
"I'm sorry."
Gaeul's two hands grabbed Phoenix's shoulders. Kneeling, Phoenix met her gaze.
"The reason you told me not to go outside the barrier like that. It was because you thought something like this would happen, right? I'm sorry. I came out without listening. I wanted to say that if I saw you again."
"......It's not. I'm more sorry."
Phoenix grabbed Gaeul's hand with her left hand. A warm warmth was felt.
"I was unnecessarily restraining you. It wasn't right to put Gaeul-ssi in a place like this. I should have hidden you somewhere completely different from the National Assembly. No, even if I was in a little danger, I should have taken Gaeul-ssi to New Seoul...."
"That's not it. Phoenix-ssi must have had her reasons. We made a deal, right? It was a part where we both conceded. It's just that something like this happened before that. So, I'm more sorry...."
"No. Gaeul-ssi. I'm more sor-"
Gaeul and Phoenix burst out laughing at the same time. The conversation was so much like lovers who had fought in a drama apologizing to each other, that laughter naturally came out.
"But you're using honorifics again? You told me to drop the formalities when we were alone last time."
"Yes?"
An emotion of embarrassment was reflected in Gaeul's eyes.
"......Isn't this the afterlife? So, you grant wishes before you die or something?"
"It's not the afterlife.... A wish?"
Gaeul nodded. Lowering the hand that had been grabbing her shoulder, she held Phoenix's hand tightly.
"I wanted to say sorry to my fans and parents. But... I thought of Phoenix-ssi right away. I wanted to apologize. Just. I'm sorry."
"...Haa."
Phoenix sighed. There was a hint of trying to hold back laughter somewhere.
Whirr.
Azure flames illuminated the darkness of the plenary hall. Only then did Gaeul realize that this place was where she had died.
"Huh?"
Gaeul instinctively raised her hand to her chest.
Thump, thump.
The stabbed heart was clearly moving. The pulsation was very weak, but something emanating from the heart was flowing powerfully throughout Gaeul's body.
Gaeul quickly realized what it was. The ability she had awakened just before death. Thanks to that, the sixth sense that had opened detected Mana.
"This, Mana?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"...Uh, well."
Gaeul raised her hand. It was extremely pale, perhaps because the blood had drained out, but it was definitely moving according to her will.
Wasn't I dead? Gaeul swallowed hard, glared at Phoenix, then grabbed Phoenix's cheeks with her hands.
"Hujmeuyeo."
Phoenix's words rang out as both cheeks moved as if being kneaded. As if possessed by something, Gaeul rolled Phoenix's cheeks with her palms. The lips bunched up vertically and then loosened again, and stretched out horizontally. Phoenix's eyebrows furrowed.
[Stop it.]
The voice ringing in her head. Gaeul was startled by the Mana containing the intention. Phoenix glared at Gaeul with a sulky face.
"......You were dead. Your heart was stabbed. So."
Phoenix picked up the cube that had fallen on the floor. The cube with bizarre patterns had lost its light and become cloudy, looking as if it would crumble at any moment.
"I revived you with this. ...Uh?"
Crack.
The cube cracked. The cube with the broken surface flowed down like sand on Phoenix's palm. Phoenix stared at the cube with a puzzled face.
"Why is this breaking...?"
"Then I'm revived?!"
Gaeul grabbed Phoenix's shoulders and shook her. The Core of the Otherworld God flowed between Phoenix's fingers as it was.
"No, this, why is it breaking, wait a minute!!"
Phoenix shouted to calm Gaeul down. Both Phoenix and Gaeul were flustered. The reasons they were surprised were different, though.
After a moment of deep breathing, the one who calmed down first was Phoenix.
"Hoo. Let's find out the reason why the cube broke later. How is Gaeul-ssi alive? Resurrection of the dead! Revival of the dead! I can revive the dead if I have the equipment and tools! Okay?!"
Gaeul looked at the fragments scattered in Phoenix's hand and burst into tears.
"Th-that.... To save me...."
"Ah, don't worry too much! I can get these again anyway! Gaeul-ssi is much more important and valuable than trash that will ruin this world. I don't know why, but it broke right after saving Gaeul-ssi...."
"Ah! Dongjak! There are crazy people trying to kill people in Dongjak-gu! We have to stop those guys!"
Gaeul came to her senses. Phoenix's eyes sank.
"Gaeul-ssi, don't tell me you came out of the barrier to save people who have nothing to do with you...."
"Do you have more of that?! You can save people!"
Phoenix tried to say something, but hesitated. Gaeul's two hands grabbed Phoenix's hands again.
"I'm sorry for breaking the promise once. But please. You can curse me for being selfish-"
"No. ...I can revive the dead, but it's not people."
"? ......?"
Gaeul's eyes widened. Phoenix raised her head to the ceiling. It was clearly an act of avoiding eye contact.
"Whether the dead person is an ordinary person or an ability user, if there is a Monster's Nucleus or Core, and my Mana, I can revive them. But this isn't completely reviving them as humans...."
Phoenix moved her left hand close to her face and pressed the smartwatch with her chin. The home screen opened on the screen.
"Do you want to turn on the selfie camera?"
Gaeul turned the screen with trembling fingers and ran the camera app. Phoenix moved the smartwatch to adjust the screen so that Gaeul could see her face like a mirror.
"Eek."
Gaeul was horrified as she looked at her face reflected on the screen.
White skin with no trace of blood. A face like a mannequin. The pupils of her eyes looked lifeless, like rotten pollack eyes, if it weren't for the gray light in the pupils.
"This is...?"
The eyebrows and hair above her eyes were bleached to silver-gray. As if Mana had taken its place in the depigmented area, Mana was felt in her hair.
Tap, tap.
And the most noticeable mask. The gray mask hanging on the upper right side of her head was hanging like an ornament. That mask that Masquerade had given her in her dream.
"...Masquerade? No, it's a little different?"
Phoenix muttered to herself. The mask was soon the symbol of the ability that Cheon Gaeul possessed. The fact that such a mask was hanging on Gaeul's head made Phoenix even more confused.
Complex thoughts later. First, we had to solve the immediate problem. Phoenix cleared her throat and continued.
"Ahem, so it's not a human, but a Ghoul, reviving you as a Ghoul. Like Jo Deok-bae-ssi turned into a Rock Ghoul, and Kim Ji-hwa-ssi turned into a Lighthouse Ghoul...."
Phoenix trailed off. Gaeul immediately understood without hearing the rest.
"You revived me as a Ghoul, is that it?"
"Yes."
"...It's okay. I died and came back to life after running wild without listening, so I have to endure that much."
Gaeul smiled bitterly, then made a fuss as if she had suddenly thought of something.
"Ah! The people who killed me are still around here! They're definitely aiming for Ji-hwa-ssi-"
"Ghouls."
Phoenix interrupted Gaeul's words in a rare and strong tone.
"...What reveals the identity of a Ghoul is not the ability of their previous life, but the Core that has become their new heart plays a big role. There are cases where Deok-bae-ssi, who originally had the ability to strengthen his body, was reborn with the Core of a Rock Monster, and his ability was fused into a Rock Ghoul."
"......So?"
"There are also cases where the original ability is further enhanced, like Kim Ji-hwa-ssi. Didn't I explain? The Core that was embedded in Kim Ji-hwa-ssi's heart was from a B-class Monster that was affected by Terra among the Monsters. That's why she became the Demon Eye."
Phoenix shook her head, pointing to Gaeul's mask.
"......I'm sorry, but I didn't use a Mask Monster or anything like that for Gaeul-ssi's Core."
Phoenix covered her face with her left hand. Only then did Gaeul realize that Phoenix had been supporting her back with her right hand all along.
People usually use their right hand to touch the watch on their left wrist, not deliberately using their chin to tap the smartwatch.
That was proof that there was a reason why she couldn't use her right hand. Gaeul slightly lifted her body.
Squish.
" "
An unidentified sensation felt from behind her back. Gaeul felt goosebumps at the sensation like a liquid monster that children often play with.
Squish, squish.
What was even scarier was that it wasn't that Gaeul felt it by touching it, but that the sensation was like a part of her body.
Gaeul's head turned like a machine. Phoenix's pupils trembled violently.
"Th-that, I was in a hurry. I was going to do it anyway, so I was going to use the best one I had...."
"Hey."
Gaeul dropped the honorifics.
"Did you use the Tentacle Toad Core?"
Phoenix's head fell. At the same time, nine neatly arranged tentacles dangled like a tail in Phoenix's fallen right hand.
" "
Gaeul lost consciousness.
Beep. An alarm rang on Phoenix's smartwatch. It was the Lighthouse.

-
Phoenix-nim, please save me

-
I'm sorry

-
But now

-
The Pine Tree troops outside

-
Have been knocking on the barrier for 10 minutes


"......Why do Ghouls all lose consciousness when they are resurrected?"
Phoenix changed her body into a Ghoul form and picked up Gaeul. She supported her upper body with her right arm and gathered her two legs with her left arm.
Wriggle.
Nine tentacles fell to the ground. Unlike those of the Tentacle Toad, the tentacles protruded like a tail from the upper part of Gaeul's pelvis and fluttered.
Of course, the form was so obscene that it was difficult to describe in words, as the original work was the original work.
[I have to clean up later. ...Before that.]
Phoenix was about to move her feet, but stomped her feet as they were.
Thump!
A circular pillar of fire blazed around Phoenix. The Azure Flame barrier, which appeared somewhat excessively, deflected the black arrow shot from the darkness.
[The culprit reappears at the scene of the crime, they say.]
Phoenix withdrew the pillar of fire. At the same time, black arrows spread in all directions again.
The arrows of light, spread in four directions, east, west, south, and north, drew curves and were shot towards Phoenix. Phoenix held Gaeul and jumped straight towards the main gate of the plenary hall.
"Keuk!"
The shooter hiding behind the wall quickly pulled the bowstring. An arrow with black Mana was placed on the bow.
[Did you think I wouldn't know?]
As Phoenix's eyes flashed, fist-sized fireballs appeared next to Phoenix. The fireballs placed in the line of fire of the arrows that were shot first burned the Mana arrows.
"...!"
As Phoenix approached, the shooter quickly abandoned the bow and ran away. The shooter, who shot a wire at the end of the passage, ran up the wall to escape from Phoenix.
Whirr.
[Don't think you can escape.]
Phoenix, who appeared in front of her eyes, lifted her foot and kicked the shooter's chest.
"Cough!"
The shooter coughed roughly and fell to the floor. Phoenix stepped on the shooter's solar plexus and burned the mask.
"......."
[Bow Star Yoo I-shin?]
A beauty with short black hair. Phoenix quickly recognized who it was by looking at the other person's face. A B-class ability user who was a mercenary from the original work and was famous for her good efficiency compared to her employment fee.
[Indeed. She was in the Pine Tree unit and then laundered her identity as a hunter.]
"Kteut, kill me!"
Yoo I-shin shouted, biting her lip. Now that the other person already knew her identity, there was no possibility of surviving.
[Really?]
Phoenix nodded and shook Gaeul slightly.
"......."
Gaeul was still unconscious and showed no signs of regaining consciousness. At that moment, Yoo I-shin saw the flames in the helmet shaking as if they were smiling.
[Then let's do that.]
Phoenix slashed Yoo I-shin's neck with her toe.
Thud.
Yoo I-shin's head fell from her neck and rolled down the hallway. Yoo I-shin's eyes were filled with only shock and fear.
[Ah, right.]
Phoenix returned to the plenary hall and collected the fragments of the cube. A handful of ashes to be kept for future research. The rest was unnecessary.
Whirr.
The Azure Flame that rose from the plenary hall burned the fragments of the cube. The fragments that burned without leaving even ashes were destroyed on Earth as they were.

Chapter 62

〈 Episode 62 〉 Part 1 Chapter 4 (19)
Anyang.
Shin Jin-gwang grew anxious. The incoming reports of the war situation made him even more restless.
Guro.
The defeat of the heroes who had fallen into the trap.
Several heroes kidnapped by the Monster and still out of contact.
Unsa Park Ra-on, fainted due to Mana exhaustion.
Hwajeon Lee Seung-hyung, lost consciousness due to a sudden hematemesis.
In addition, contact with the Sonamu unit, which had split off as a separate force, was lost.
Even.
"...! <Robin> Yoo I-shin signal lost! ...Deceased!"
"What, did you say?!"
The first news of a hero's death. He had been prepared since the moment heroes were being kidnapped one by one, but Shin Jin-gwang was greatly shocked by the sudden death of a B-class hero belonging to the Sonamu unit.
For someone who was no different from the president's direct subordinate to die. Shin Jin-gwang, filled with anxiety, pressed.
"Where?! The video before death?!"
"I don't know! We lost contact a long time ago! Data has not been transmitted since escaping from Guro!"
Bang!
Shin Jin-gwang slammed the table hard.
"Damn it!"
Since the Sonamu unit began to move as a separate force, Shin Jin-gwang had not been able to issue any orders to them.
The reason was the president's secret mission. Instead of informing Seon Uicheol about what the mission was, he unilaterally cut off contact with headquarters under the pretext of keeping it confidential.
'Those arrogant criminals...!'
The members of the Sonamu unit treated Shin Jin-gwang worse than a scarecrow. No, not only the Sonamu unit, but all the heroes had ignored Shin Jin-gwang's orders since the middle of the operation.
They cut off communication, pretending that the signal was not good, or directly refuted his orders, saying that they thought differently. Shin Jin-gwang was dizzy at the feast of insubordination that would be unimaginable in the military.
'What kind of commander is this! A clown!'
A mere position to create a protagonist named Lee Seung-hyung.
Shin Jin-gwang readily accepted the position of person in charge of the operation, believing that he only needed to sit and move the baton, and became the Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department.
Promising glorious days of escaping a dead-end job, rising to the position of minister, and debuting in central politics.
And everyone was confident in his victory - the success of the operation. Even regarding his lack of ability shown at the hearing, jokes were exchanged, saying, 'What could go wrong when Hwajeon is going?'
"Aaaaargh!!"
However, that nightmarish blue flame burned Shin Jin-gwang's rosy future as if mocking it.
Controlling Hellhounds like zombies and attacking heroes, then ambushing Princess Seolhwa at the summit of Gwanaksan like a ghost. In Guro, Gangnam, and Gwanaksan, the heroes were being toyed with above that blue flame.
If this continued, the result was obvious. Shin Jin-gwang turned his eyes to Gangnam.
Gangnam.
The heroes broke through the encirclement of Hellhound zombies and reached the finishing stage. The faces of the elderly heroes were filled with fatigue, as if they had aged several years in the meantime.
The group he disliked the least, but had achieved some results. No one was sacrificed, and they arrested the villain Seonmudang and his gang, who were classified as A-class and had a bounty of 2 billion won.
The left wing had collapsed, but the right wing was still usable.
Now, the problem was the S-class hero fighting an unidentified ability user in the center, at the summit of Gwanaksan. Princess Seolhwa.
"What about the power analysis simulator?! What's the status?!"
"Analyzing! 10 seconds remaining!"
Ice and fire collided as if singing to each other. The blue flame hawk bit at the giant's neck, and the frost giant moved its body greatly to chase away the hawk.
Jijik, jijik.
The atmosphere was unstable due to the aftermath of the Mana collision, and the relay video was not clear. But Shin Jin-gwang, who was ignorant about the heroes' battles, could clearly see.
Inferiority. Princess Seolhwa was being toyed with by the enemy villain. The S-class hero's attacks were being blocked by just one hand.
Bleep.
"Simulation complete! Retrieving expected win rate...!"
The results appeared on the screen.
"Judgment impossible...!"
The operator, who had briefly stopped breathing, quickly found the specific reason for the error after noticing Shin Jin-gwang's gaze.
"No corresponding Mana pattern! The enemy's Mana pattern is not registered in the database!"
"What?!"
The operators were silent. The fact that the Mana pattern was not registered meant only one thing.
Unregistered.
Shin Jin-gwang, enraged, struck the back of the nearest operator's chair with his baton.
"Search again! That can't be!"
"Minister...!"
"An unregistered S-class! It can't be!"
The operator barely spat out the truth, which even he found hard to believe.
"...The opponent is a new ability user who has never been discovered before!"
Shin Jin-gwang was also speechless. The villain, who had popped out of nowhere like a bolt from the blue, had Mana unlike any other, and was someone who had never shown himself before.
Each hero has a unique Mana pattern, making it impossible for someone else to disguise themselves, but suddenly an ability user he had never heard of or seen before appeared and was overwhelmingly dominating Princess Seolhwa?
It was impossible. But Princess Seolhwa in the screen was clearly losing overwhelmingly in a 1:1 battle.
The frost giant threw a large fist, but the flame hawk pierced through the fist and melted the giant's body.
The enemy was relaxed, and Princess Seolhwa was anxious.
"Pattern! Save the pattern! We have to salvage that at least!"
At Shin Jin-gwang's shout, the operators busily moved their hands.
An S-class (estimated) villain who had been hiding his power in Seoul until now. He had to use that person as an excuse.
Although the initial battle was lost to an unidentified enemy, they were able to obtain information about the enemy. The operation had already almost failed and his head was sure to roll, but he had to at least save his honor.
The operators urgently analyzed the Mana pattern. Since there were already few fire mage ability users with absolute values registered in the database, it would take more time to analyze the unique Mana pattern.
Time was needed. Shin Jin-gwang shouted again.
"Contact Princess Seolhwa! Tell her to buy time! Tell her to fight until we get the Mana pattern!"
"Yes!"
The confrontation between Princess Seolhwa and the enemy villain briefly subsided. At Shin Jin-gwang's urging, the operators called Princess Seolhwa countless times.
'Who is he, where did he come from...!'
The reporters outside were already hammering away at their virtual keyboards, trying to write all sorts of breaking news. Speculation about the identity of the S-class villain who suddenly appeared in Korea was basic, and some were even cautiously predicting Princess Seolhwa's defeat.
He should have chased out the reporters when he had the chance. He had foolishly made a fuss about the victory.
Beep. At that moment, a sound that offended his sensibilities reached his ears.
"...M, Minister!"
"What is it this time?!"
The operator blinked for a moment and conveyed the situation on the screen as it was.
"Reaction lost! The enemy has disappeared!"
As the operator said, the reaction of the S-class estimated villain had disappeared from the summit of Gwanaksan. At the same time, Princess Seolhwa's Mana reaction began to fluctuate severely.
Beep.
A call came from Princess Seolhwa.
- Be careful! The enemy's technique is rolling towards headquarters!
"What strange sound...."
What's rolling? Just as Shin Jin-gwang was wondering, a video of the ridge appeared on the screen.
Gogogogo!
A fireball as large as a decent tank.
Waving blue flames, it was rolling down the same path that the Hwama Dragon had rampaged through.
Shin Jin-gwang thought.
If it was just rolling, there was a possibility that it could leak into a different path, but the Hwama Dragon had eventually chased Lee Seung-hyung and entered Anyang Sports Complex.
In other words, that fireball would roll and roll and reach the command headquarters.
Wajangchangchang!
Princess Seolhwa tried to slow down the speed by creating ice walls in the path, but it was useless. Rather, the fireball broke the ice walls as if telling them not to interfere with its path, and rotated even faster.
"Estimated damage upon explosion! ...! It will blow away the entire sports complex and still have aftereffects!"
The operators screamed. The enemy had already launched an attack on the command headquarters.
Princess Seolhwa was still struggling to stop the fireball, but she couldn't stop it.
Team A in Guro had not yet returned to headquarters, and Team B in Gangnam was finishing off the Hellhound zombies in Gangnam.
In fact, there was no force to stop that fireball.
Shin Jin-gwang snapped his baton.
"Retreat! Everyone abandon headquarters and run away! Move!"
While the operators were panicking at the sudden order, Shin Jin-gwang ran out of the command room without looking back and ran south.
"U, Uaaaaargh!!"
At the sight of the commander running away first, everyone else began to flee as well. Operators, D-class heroes, medical units, reporters, association officials, etc., all ran after Shin Jin-gwang in a hurry.
The command room that everyone was leaving. One operator sat at his desk and quickly typed on the keyboard.
"What are you doing, Seonbae?!"
A Hubae who was about to run away was surprised to see him. The Seonbae operator did not look back and concentrated on his work, answering.
"If we run away like this, all the data from this battlefield will be damaged. We can't register that villain or the new A-class, or their Mana patterns in the database and run away like this."
"You'll die if you do that!"
The Seonbae pointed to the screen with his chin towards the Hubae.
- P l e a s e S t o p ! ! !
There was a hero desperately trying to stop the fireball by building ice walls.
"A hero hasn't given up yet, how can we run away first?"
The man turned his gaze back to the screen. The Hubae, with tears in his eyes, turned around and,
"I'm sorry!"
He left the command room.
The man smiled bitterly and typed on the keyboard even faster.
* * *
Gangnam.
Many heroes were injured and their Mana was depleted. Perhaps because the team was composed of relatively older heroes, the continuous battles for several hours left great fatigue on their bodies.
Poook.
Usa stabbed his staff into the body of the last remaining Hellhound zombie. The Mana emitted from the end of the staff exploded and destroyed the Hellhound zombie's body.
"Old man, any more reactions?"
"...No. That's the end."
Pungbaek swept his abundant white beard. Red blood flowing from his torn forehead dyed his beard red. Pungbaek created a small gust of wind to shake off the blood on his beard and looked around.
"Is everyone alright?"
The heroes answered, each holding their weapons. As much as it was a difficult battle that even the A-class Pungbaek was injured in, the condition of the other heroes was no better.
Could they really fight any longer? Usa shook his head. They hadn't even entered Yeouido yet, let alone Gangnam.
"I don't think we can. We should request a temporary retreat to headquarters."
"Not resting in Gangnam?"
At the words of another hero, Usa smiled bitterly.
"The villains escaped, didn't they? They might pop out and attack from strange places while we're resting. We could get kidnapped."
"We have to be careful, tsk tsk. To be kidnapped by Monsters."
"Old man."
Usa quietly stopped Pungbaek. But Pungbaek's words contained more sadness at the loss of a comrade than sarcasm, and regret for their mutual disciple who would bear the responsibility and guilt as a result. Usa knew that well, so he didn't say anything more.
Usa cleared his throat and tapped on his smartwatch.
"...This is Usa. Headquarters, respond."
Jijik, jijik.
"Huh?"
He couldn't reach headquarters. Usa tapped his smartwatch as if knocking on it and called headquarters again.
"Usa urgently seeks Commander Shin Jin-gwang. Headquarters, respond."
"It seems the Mana is still unstable."
Pungbaek also clicked his tongue at the smartwatch that had gone dead. Like it or not, they had to report on the current situation and follow the commander's orders.
While Usa continued to struggle with his smartwatch, Pungbaek strode over and stood in front of the captured woman. The disheveled woman was drooling and laughing.
"You were called Seonmudang, weren't you?"
"Yes! Ehehehe! Seoul will be a sea of fire now! Everyone will die and their vengeful spirits will wander, creating a living hell where Monsters will roam! Teehee! Hehehe! Die, all of you! May the Korean peninsula be ruined by hellfire! Kkya hahaha!"
Seonmudang cursed with bloodshot eyes. The heroes sighed inwardly that this possessed woman was their greatest achievement.
Another A-class villain, Black Dragon, was collapsed with blood in his mouth.
"To commit suicide. Damn it."
Pungbaek clicked his tongue as he looked at Black Dragon. A fire mage with monstrous power who single-handedly shattered Pungbaek and Usa's combined technique. If the association had taken over management before he was caught by the Sonamu unit, he could have grown into a great talent.
"Even if you live like a dog, this world is better than the afterlife...."
But he was now a guest of no return. Black Dragon, who had regained consciousness, said he was asking God for forgiveness when the war situation became favorable to the heroes, and bit his tongue and committed suicide. Pungbaek closed Black Dragon's wide-open eyelids as if he was frustrated.
In the end, the only achievements Team B had were Seonmudang and dozens of her subordinates. It was a somewhat shabby result for having ambitiously set out to recover the entire Seoul.
Bleep.
Finally, contact was made with headquarters. Usa cleared his throat as he brought up the screen.
"This is Usa. Headquarters, respond...?"
- Damn it! What do you mean the commander ran away?! Cut the crap! We have to live right now!
Shin Jin-gwang was running. The background reflected in the violently shaking image suggested that he had left the command headquarters.
"What's going-"
- Usa? Usa or whoever, go and stop that fireball right now!
Shin Jin-gwang shouted as if screaming.
Behind him were many people running breathlessly. In fact, most of the personnel remaining at the command headquarters. While Usa was flustered, a new image appeared next to the screen.
"What is this?"
In the screen, a blue fireball was rolling rapidly down the ridge towards the Anyang command headquarters.

Chapter 63

〈 Episode 63 〉 Part 1 Chapter 4 (20)
Yeouido.
Flames surged. Ji-hwa trembled, unable to release her ability.
"Hee, heek!"
The barrier clearly blocked the enemy's entry. The Sonamu unit, led by Cheol-pyo, diligently hammered at the barrier from the outside, but the azure flame barrier stretched not only across the chairman's office door but also the walls, ceiling—and even the floor.
"Captain! This has gotta be here, right?!"
"Hundred percent!"
Cheol-pyo hammered at the barrier with a confident voice. His steel fist stirred the flames, melting and dripping, but Cheol-pyo, as if intoxicated, continued to strike the barrier with a face full of glee.
"If I just find it, I'm out of prison, damn it!"
It was unclear what he was looking for. But there was a guess.
The Cube.
The unidentified magical tool that Phoenix found after killing the Monster in the general assembly hall. They must have come to find the thing that creates and revives Monsters.
'It's not here!'
Was Phoenix crazy enough to leave such a thing here? She wanted to shout outside, 'There's no such thing here,' but that would only provoke the enemies further.
Then, Ji-hwa's eyes caught sight of a savior.
"Ah!"
Phoenix, in his Monster form, walked towards the chairman's office from afar in the hallway. He was holding Autumn's corpse, as if he had already visited the general assembly hall.
Ji-hwa, the Beacon Monster, instinctively realized. What was once Chun Ga-eul's corpse had become a Monster like her.
"Who are you!"
Cheol-pyo, seeing Phoenix and Chun Ga-eul who had appeared from behind, laughed wildly. A person whose entire body was burning with the same color as the barrier. He must be related to this barrier, or the one who created it.
"Give me the thing!!"
Cheol-pyo charged. His subordinates, their eyes flipped, charged at Phoenix as well.
Paseuk.
Phoenix slightly clenched and then opened his right hand, which was holding Autumn.
Pueong.
The faces of the Sonamu unit ability users who were charging exploded.
Their faces burned blue, and the ability users collapsed in the hallway.
Jeobeok, jeobeok.
Phoenix, who had instantly created several corpses with burned faces, leisurely entered the barrier. Ji-hwa released her ability and quickly knelt down.
"I'm sorry!"
[Why did you let Chun Ga-eul go outside the barrier?]
The telepathic message that dug into her mind clearly contained anger. Ji-hwa decided to skip the lengthy explanation that would only irritate him further and get straight to the point.
"Chun Ga-eul awakened as an ability user, attacked me, and then ran out of the barrier!"
[What?]
Phoenix's body, which had placed Chun Ga-eul on the sofa, burst into flames. A transformation from Monster form to human form. Phoenix mulled over Ji-hwa's words.
"Chun Ga-eul awakened as an ability user? Masquerade... Ah, so that's why."
Phoenix stroked the mask on Autumn's head with his hand.
The Masquerade's ability to copy the appearance and abilities of others is realized through the image of a 'mask.' Although its form changed during the Monster transformation, it made sense if it was the Monster transformation of an ability user, not a human.
The Masquerade's ability covered the Tentacle Toad. The mask devoured all of the Tentacle Toad's Mana, and the Tentacle Toad left nine tail-like tentacles on Autumn as its last proof of existence.
"Mask Monster...? Tentacle Monster...? Either way, it's not bad."
Phoenix seemed to have come to a conclusion with his self-questioning and self-answering, so Ji-hwa quickly summarized the situation that had just occurred to lessen her responsibility.
"T-the heroes were committing a massacre in Dongjak. It seemed to be the Sonamu unit, and Ga-eul said she had to stop them, and I tried to stop her, and there was a scuffle."
"And then she awakened?"
"Yes."
"Wow. What's with the timing?"
Phoenix chuckled and slumped into the chair. At Phoenix's gesture to stand up, Ji-hwa hesitantly rose.
"Ji-hwa, you're still a B-rank, right? But you lost to an ability user who just awakened?"
"...I was knocked out by the aftereffects of the awakening. The initial awakening was A-rank."
"Wow."
Phoenix was surprised.
"I thought she'd awaken as a C-rank at best."
She awakened much earlier than in the original story, and her initial awakening was close to the highest limit of her awakening. She had been playing with the Core every day, keeping it close, and even sleeping with it in her arms, and it seemed that the results of her efforts had paid off.
But in the end, Chun Ga-eul surpassed Ji-hwa and escaped the barrier. Ji-hwa's combat abilities were not enough to stop an A-rank ability user.
"It's all Chun Ga-eul's fault after all. Ugh."
Since he had given the order, Ji-hwa must have tried hard to stop Ga-eul. Ji-hwa breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hoo... Um, Phoenix-nim."
"What?"
"May I tell you about the current war situation? As you ordered, I took over the command, but the situation seems a bit..."
"Oh, you actually did it?"
At Phoenix's words, Ji-hwa nodded.
"How did you relay the orders?"
"I relayed the orders to each team like a messenger. By sending one of the team members near Guro to another outer team..."
"Good. Let's take a look."
Ji-hwa used her ability again to illuminate the battlefield map. Phoenix quickly scanned the entire Seoul and bit his lip.
"Seolhwa Princess can't stop the fireball, Gangnam is defeated. All the Hellhounds are dead. The kids in Guro ran away a long time ago. Dongjak is... Oh, they're in battle?"
"Yes?"
"Ah, just a moment, mic."
Phoenix tapped his smartwatch to bring up the screen. The people on the other end of the video call were Architect and Haneul-seong. Having escaped underground from Gangnam, the two were currently in the midst of battle in Dongjak.
Architect responded.

-I couldn't reach you, and then suddenly what is it now!

"Sorry. But aren't I calling you when you're busy?"

-If you know, do something about it!

"Hehehe. Of course, I called to do something about it. What would you like me to do?"

-There are crazy bastards who are heroes here! Do something about it!

What should I do?!
Haneul-seong exchanged blows with the rampaging heroes. Some of the heroes had already been subdued by the two and were gagged, their bodies covered in bruises. Those who were suppressing and restraining the heroes with Core Weapons were all members of the Cheonghwa unit who had come up from Guro and Gangnam.
Phoenix looked at Ji-hwa. As if there was something pricking her conscience, Ji-hwa made excuses.
"B-before you left, you told me to give orders... I tried to contact Architect to stop the murderers in Dongjak... There's also the Ga-eul issue and the deal with Architect-"
"You did well. I hope you continue to do so in the future, Kim Ji-hwa."
"T-thank you. Hng."
Tears welled up in Ji-hwa's Demon Eyes. The battlefield map blurred for a moment, and Ji-hwa hurriedly wiped away her tears with her sleeve.
Phoenix turned his gaze to the screen.
"But who are they?"

-I don't know! These guys killed almost 100 Dongjak refugees!

Phoenix clicked his tongue at Architect's angry shout.
Even as the king of the underground, there would be those who did not trust Architect or left the underground out of anxiety. Although their intentions were different, just as Ga-eul had left the barrier, they too had to accept the consequences of their actions.
They would have survived if they had stayed hidden.
Phoenix carefully opened his mouth.
"Architect? Our deal is..."

-I know! We were wrong. We should have broken their legs to stop them from leaving. ...It's okay! It's their responsibility for not trusting me and running away from the tunnel. Instead, can I ask you for a favor?

Anger flickered in Architect's eyes.

-Just beat those hero bastards to the point of death. Even so, they're people who lived together digging tunnels for years, and they died unfairly at the hands of the same people—especially those hero bastards—so I have to soothe their spirits.

"Necks."
Phoenix pointed to his neck.
"Do they have a pine tree emblem on their necks? Check it out. Do they?"

-Emblem? Pine tree?

Architect turned over the necks of the subdued one by one and checked. They all had the pine tree emblem, which was also the proof of the Sonamu unit, on those who had lost their will to fight.

-They all have it?

Kaaang!!
Haneul-seong suppressed and subdued a man with red hair. He also had a pine tree emblem on his neck.

-
S-save me! I didn't kill anyone!

-
He says.


Haneul-seong panted with his muscular body. He seemed ready to stomp the red-haired man to death, as the excitement of the battle had not subsided.
"Good. It's a good thing because I had a gift to send here too. Architect!"
Phoenix drew his hand across his neck.
"Whether you slice them to death or beat them to death, it's fine. Just the necks. Just cut off their necks and keep them safe. When you cut them, the part with the emblem must be attached to the head. Got it?"

-...Pardon?

Architect was taken aback. Phoenix tapped the armrest of the chair and continued to explain.
"I mean, it's okay to kill them. Kill them All. OK?"

-No, when did you say not to kill heroes?

Haneul-seong, who had finished restraining the red-haired man, Jeok-song, released his ability and returned to his original form.

-Even if they're rotten, they're still heroes. They're government-affiliated heroes. Can you handle the aftermath?

Phoenix tapped his collarbone as if he was annoyed.
"That's for ordinary heroes. Those Sonamu unit guys, they're trash who will go around killing people again if you let them go. So, do whatever you want and deal with them somewhere out of sight. Got it?"

-Hehe! Understood, Boss!

Architect knelt down on one knee and greeted him with a sly look. Haneul-seong also put his fedora to his chest and bowed his head.
Behind him were his subordinates who had followed him and survived.

-Thanks for everything so far. Anyway, you let us escape from the heroes. But what are you going to do now? There are still two S-ranks who are still alive.

"What are you talking about? I'm on my way to crush them both."
Phoenix retorted bluntly. Phoenix sent an article to Haneul-seong, who was staring blankly and wondering.
[Breaking News] Hwagueon Lee Seung-hyung Coughs Up Blood, Transferred from Guro
"Is that enough?"

-What trick did you use again...? No, it's okay. You must have used another extraordinary method like the Hellhounds. Then what about Seolhwa Princess?

"Seolhwa Princess? Hehehe. By now..."
Phoenix smacked his lips and smiled.
"She's probably busy stopping the bomb from rolling."

A huge flame rolls.
Like a fire dragon destroying and descending a mountain path, the sphere of blue flame showed no signs of stopping and gradually increased its speed.
"Eek!"
Ha-rang gritted her teeth and squeezed out Mana. She erected a thick ice wall in the path of the fireball. The thickness of the wall was almost 3 meters. The ice wall was as solid as if it would not allow any siege.
Suddenly, the voice she had heard a little while ago came to Ha-rang's mind.
Flashy, but not practical.
Wajangchang!
The fireball smashed through the ice wall as it was and continued to roll down the slope. Ha-rang's butterfly wings fluttered again, chasing after the fireball.
"Headquarters! Respond! Immediately!"
The Mana reaction was unstable, but she barely managed to contact headquarters. On the connected screen, only an operator dispatched from the association, not Shin Jin-gwang, was guarding the position.
"Where are the others?!"

-E-everyone has evacuated!

They had already noticed the destructive power of the fireball. Shin Jin-gwang immediately ordered the headquarters personnel to evacuate, and people hurriedly left the sports complex.
The operator who contacted Ha-rang did not evacuate. Voluntarily.
"What are you doing! Evacuate immediately!"
Ha-rang urged, but the man firmly shook his head.

-I can't! The Mana pattern of the newly appeared ability user, and the data of this battle! The transmission to headquarters has not been completed yet!

And....
The man continued with a determined expression.

-If any surviving heroes contact this place, someone has to answer, right!

"Hey, you idiot! What are you going to do if you don't evacuate!"
Ha-rang shouted. The man smiled and replied.

-Seolhwa Princess-nim!

He shouted with a determined face.

-Seolhwa Princess-nim, please stop it!

Ha-rang bit her lower lip.
The other person was not going to listen to reason. Then there was only one way to save that idiot.
Ha-rang had to stop it.
A dozen more ice walls were erected in the path of the fireball.
Wajangchangchang!
But the fireball still didn't stop, breaking through the ice walls one by one. The coldness of the ice walls reduced the size of the fireball a little, but Ha-rang's Mana was far from enough to cut down its entire Mana.
She had wasted too much Mana fighting the unidentified pyromancer. Ha-rang was frustrated that she couldn't stop the fireball with her own strength.
"Aaaargh!!"
She was getting hot. She was annoyed. She was so angry at herself for not being able to stop a mere large fireball.
Kwagwagwagwang!
The fireball had already broken through the arboretum. Judging from the speed it had been rolling so far, it was only a few tens of seconds before it reached the command headquarters.
Then. The operator shouted.

-Seolhwa Princess-nim!

The operator did not lose his smile until the end. He gave Seolhwa Princess a thumbs up.

-Data preservation complete! Transmission, successful!

That smile, which showed that he had completed his mission, even seemed frivolous. But Ha-rang was sure. With the operator's ability level, he could not escape the explosion radius of the fireball in the remaining time.
Blood was boiling. She was shivering with powerlessness.
Suddenly, she remembered what the pyromancer had said in the previous battle.
The essence of Mana within the image.
"!!"
A huge image flashed through Ha-rang's mind.
A giant butterfly spreading its ice wings in the deep sea.
Paseuseu.
The ice butterfly wings became snow powder and scattered. Ha-rang sprayed Mana behind her and overtook the fireball.
Kkiiiiiik---!
Ha-rang, who was sliding on the ice road, stopped by creating friction.

-Seolhwa Princess-nim?! It's dangerous!

The place where Ha-rang landed was the path where the fireball was rolling. The end of the mountain path and the starting point of the asphalt road where the fire dragon had destroyed the building and descended.
Seolhwa Princess stood face to face with the fireball.
Gooooooo!
Ha-rang's hair fluttered. At the same time, a huge blizzard swirled behind her, taking the shape of a giant.
A torso and two arms. The frost giant, without even a head, let alone a lower body, lowered its body and stretched its arms forward. Other body parts were not needed to stop the fireball.
The fireball entered the giant's hand.
Kkigigigik!!
The frost giant was pushed back. The fireball broke the frost giant's hand and even destroyed its wrist, but it did not stop rotating.
"Puhut!"
Mana backfired. Ha-rang coughed up blood mixed with blood.
But even in that painful moment, she did not let go of the flow of Mana to the frost giant.

-T-the speed is slowing down!

She could no longer hear the operator's report. Ha-rang just squeezed out all the remaining Mana and maintained the giant's form.
Gwanggeom said. Always hide 30% of your skills, no matter what. But Ha-rang rebelled against that teaching for the first time. She gave it her all. She drew out Mana as if emptying the Mana tank that had never been depleted.
The pyromancer said. Flashy, but not practical. Ha-rang accepted that criticism halfway. If she couldn't fix the flashy image right away, she could just fill the flashiness with substance.
"I can't!"
The frost giant's forearm disappeared.
"I can't see people dying in front of me!"
The frost giant lowered its shoulder as if lying down and blocked the fireball with its body.
Uuung!
Ha-rang's white pupils became transparent.
"Absolutely, not!!!!"
Puseuseu!
The frost giant's body collapsed. At the same time, Ha-rang stretched out her arms forward.
In front of Ha-rang's two hands, huge butterfly wings unfolded.
Ice wings that wrapped around the entire fireball. Although its thickness was as thin as paper, the densely woven ice crystals were as solid as a fortress.
It was clearly different from the ice until just now.
Kwang!
The fireball hit the ice wings. But the wings did not break and maintained their shape, eating away at the fireball.
Puseuseuseu.
The fireball trembled. Cracks appeared on the outermost edge of the fireball, which had already become unstable,
Kwa--------ang!!
It exploded magnificently. A huge Mana explosion crushed Ha-rang along with the wings.
Kagagang!!

Snow powder fell from the wings like scales. It seemed as though the glass would shatter into a million pieces at any moment, but Harang held onto his consciousness until the end, pouring Mana into his shield.
"Aaaaargh!"
The Mana, wrung out until the last drop, flowed into the wings. The upper part of the wings, which had been receiving the aftermath of the explosion like an overturned umbrella, tilted, and flames soared into the sky.
Gooooooo!
The exploding pillar of fire surged as if ascending to heaven.
"Haha, ha."
Harang was finally relieved and collapsed. At the same time, the ice butterfly wings crumbled like snowflakes.
Kwa----------------------
The fireball, which almost blew away the entire Anyang area, exploded in the air like that. Harang smiled at the blue light covering his vision and fell backward.
His body was in tatters, but he was satisfied that he had managed to block it for now.
Harang's consciousness faded.

"We're screwed."
Seon Uicheol watched the blue pillar of fire on TV and smiled bitterly.
Lee Seunghyung, who should have been the protagonist, was coughing up blood, Seok Harang, who had been attached as a supporting character, was defeated, and the command headquarters was destroyed.
"But more than that...."
All the heroes of the Pine Tree Unit who had been deployed to Yeouido were dead. The location could not be confirmed, but their last signal was Yeouido, the National Assembly Building.
"The Cube. It was in the National Assembly Building after all."
Seon Uicheol ran his index finger over the scar on his left eye.
From the beginning, he was not very interested in the success of this operation. The operation was successful simply by pinpointing the location of the Monster hiding in Yeouido. The Monster was still hiding in the burned-down National Assembly Building with the Cube.
Everyone would hold him responsible for the failure, but in the end, Seon Uicheol had confirmed the location of the Cube. All that remained was to go and find it without anyone knowing.
"It's my victory."
A little later, Seon Uicheol issued a public statement.
The Seoul recovery operation had failed.
He bowed his head and pledged to the people that this failure of the hasty operation would be used as a stepping stone to prevent such a thing from happening again.
No one noticed that the corner of Seon Uicheol's eye was slightly curved.

Chapter 64

〈 Episode 64 〉 Part 1 Chapter 4 (21)
<4:55 PM, Anyang Command Center.>
"You can't do this!"
Shin Jin-kwang slammed the table and shouted. But he soon realized his mistake and lowered his head.
"...I'm sorry, Your Excellency!"

-It's alright. I understand how you feel. You must be flustered that I suddenly declared the operation a failure. Without a word to you, the field commander.

It was a unilateral declaration made solely by the President. President Seon Ui-cheol declared the operation a failure without any consultation with Shin Jin-kwang, the commander in the field. Of course, Shin Jin-kwang was not in a position to exchange words with the President about such a situation. However, Shin Jin-kwang was informed of the failure and termination of the operation through media reports.
Seon Ui-cheol adjusted his glasses.

-But listen here. We've lost too many heroes. Haven't we?

Shin Jin-kwang clenched his fists.
Two A-class heroes, six B-class heroes, and fourteen C-class heroes. A total of 22 heroes were either killed or MIA, missing in action. Except for the 12 confirmed dead, the remaining 10 missing were as good as dead.
Moreover, the number of heroes who were injured or in need of immediate rest was countless. Among them were two S-class ability users, Hwawon and Princess Seolhwa, who were the core of the power.
Seon Ui-cheol continued with a heavy heart.

-I can't afford to lose any more heroes. Because of my stubbornness.

"Your Excellency! Please take back your words. It's because of my lack of ability!"

-No. You've done your part well enough. A commander who doesn't trust the heroes and abandons the command center. He smeared the reputation of the Republic of Korea. Am I wrong?

"........"
Shin Jin-kwang couldn't answer. As a result, Princess Seolhwa managed to block the enemy villain's attack.
But in the process, Shin Jin-kwang's ugliness was revealed. A commander who abandons his subordinates and runs away first. The act of the person who should be responsible running away to save his own life is still being criticized by many.

-I understand your actions too. You must have been scared. But you shouldn't have done that. You should have evacuated everyone and died there. Isn't that the sense of responsibility you have as a commander?

"I have no excuse."
Shin Jin-kwang lowered his head.

-Yes. So, what are you going to do now? The public opinion has been in an uproar since I announced the failure of the operation. Because a incompetent commander abandoned the command center and ran away, only the innocent heroes suffered.

"I will take all the responsibility."

-Responsibility? Heh heh heh.

Seon Ui-cheol chuckled softly.

-That's only possible when you're in a social position to do so. The position of Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department isn't that heavy, is it?

Seon Ui-cheol took a sip of tea to moisten his lips.

-But I'll give you one last chance to carry out your mission.

"......!"
Shin Jin-kwang immediately understood what he meant. He meant to cut off his head.

-Take all the disgrace with you. If you go to live on an island somewhere in the South Sea, no one will recognize your face. I'll compensate your family generously.

"...I understand."

-Then go.

Click. Seon Ui-cheol's phone call ended. Shin Jin-kwang trembled with betrayal and slammed the table with his palm.
Bang!
His palm stung as it collided with the steel desk, but his heart ached more.
"Damn it, damn it!"
It was an operation that everyone guaranteed would be victorious even if an elementary school student commanded it. But Shin Jin-kwang became the person responsible for the defeat without being able to do anything.
If Shin Jin-kwang had fought to the best of his ability and still suffered a bitter defeat, he would have gained sympathy, saying, "He lost, but he fought well," and "We saw the possibility of reclaiming Seoul."
But everyone already knows. Shin Jin-kwang's unreasonable command and the resulting conflict with the heroes. The hero fandom has already treated Shin Jin-kwang worse than a life-sentenced prisoner, let alone a death row inmate.
There was strangely no mention of the unidentified enemy.
"......Hoo."
Shin Jin-kwang got up from his seat. The hero of the Sonamu unit next to him pointed to the door with a contemptuous look.
Creak.
The door opens. The reporters waiting in the temporarily created briefing room raised their heads like meerkats.
Step. Step.
Shin Jin-kwang walked towards the podium. During that short walk, which was less than 10 steps, Shin Jin-kwang's five senses crossed.
The reporters who had scurried away as soon as he gave the order. They were already emboldened by the President's apology to the nation and were ready to tear Shin Jin-kwang apart.
Thud.
Shin Jin-kwang's tired steps stopped in front of the podium. The moment he opened his mouth to say something, the reporters' questions poured out along with the flash of the camera.
"Minister! What do you think is the reason for the failure of this operation?!"
"Were you aware that Hwawon had a chronic illness?! What is the specific reason why hero Lee Seung-hyung collapsed?!"
"What will you say to the families of the deceased heroes?!"
All sorts of criticisms disguised as questions poured out. The reporters also knew that the flow of this operation was quite strange, but they pushed Shin Jin-kwang according to the instructions of the desk and the government.
Witch hunt. This conference hall was a pyre for the defeated Shin Jin-kwang. Shin Jin-kwang blinked his eyes at the illusion that blue flames were rising from his legs.
"Well, that...."
Shin Jin-kwang opened his mouth to say something. He gave a signal to the hero who came out as a bodyguard, but he ignored the gesture and turned away from Shin Jin-kwang.
With no restrictions, the reporters began to ask questions more aggressively. Among the many questions, the words that particularly irritated Shin Jin-kwang were etched in his ears.
"What is the reason why you abandoned the command center and ran away even though Princess Seolhwa, Seok Ha-rang, successfully blocked the enemy's attack?!"
He choked up. He almost burst out in anger and cursed like he used to do in the unit. Didn't you run away with me? But the cameras behind him were broadcasting every expression of Shin Jin-kwang live across the country.
Shin Jin-kwang could only lower his head.
The only role left for him was a puppet that answered like a parrot.
"I, Shin Jin-kwang."
The reporters became silent.
"Acknowledge my responsibility and resign from the position of Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department-"
Thud.
Something with a disgusting smell flew from somewhere and hit Shin Jin-kwang's head. The thing that fell to the floor with a thud was the corpse of a Monster that had begun to rot.
Thud. Again, the Monster's corpse flew towards Shin Jin-kwang. Shin Jin-kwang did not avoid it and received the Monster's corpse that was embedded in his chest.
A woman was venting her anger from behind the reporters' seats. The engagement ring on the woman's ring finger sparkled in the flash of the reporter's camera.
"You son of a bitch! Ki-sung died because of your shitty command! And all you're doing is resigning?!"
"Drag her out!"
The heroes grabbed the woman and left the briefing room. The reporters recalled that the woman was a hero who had been deployed to Gangnam.
"I."
The reporters' heads turned to Shin Jin-kwang.
"I will take full responsibility."
Shin Jin-kwang could only say those words.
* * *
<5:30 PM, Room C of Yeouido Hotel.>
"......Ah."
Gaeul opened her eyes. She wanted to keep lying on the mattress that warmly wrapped around her body, but she couldn't help but come to her senses because of the strange sensation in her pelvis.
"Ah, seriously."
All sorts of curses came out from inside, but Gaeul barely swallowed them. Her clothes, which had been stained with blood, had been taken off by someone, and Gaeul's body was covered in a fluffy gown.
The problem was that the back of the gown was torn lengthwise from the point where the tentacles were. If she didn't cover her back with her tentacles, the back of her lower body would be exposed.
"This isn't a hentai game...."
Gaeul lifted one of the tentacles. It would have been better if the end was thin like a fox tail, but the tentacles had a uniform thickness except for both ends, like a cat's tail.
"Can I grab it with my hand?"
Gaeul wrapped her hand around the tentacle. The circumference was such that her thumb and middle finger couldn't touch with one hand. Gaeul was disgusted and let go of the tentacle.
"But...."
Gaeul focused her mind on the tentacles. All nine tentacles moved according to Gaeul's will.
They stood up straight, swayed like waves, and twisted like wringing a rag. Gaeul carefully wrapped the neck of a wine glass displayed on the wall with her tentacles.
The tentacles lifted the wine glass like a human hand. It didn't fall at all even when turned upside down.
"...I don't know whether to be happy or sad about this."
If she couldn't get out of this situation, she decided to accept her fate. Gaeul slapped her cheeks with both hands to clear her mind.
"Okay. This is a tail. Where else would it grow other than on my back like a tentacle toad."
Gaeul stood in front of the mirror. The tentacles were the most noticeable, but other parts were also clearly different from when she was human.
Her skin was so white that it was pale. There was no redness, and blood had drained from the blood vessels throughout her body, so there was no way there could be any complexion. In addition, her hair, eyebrows, and pupils. All those parts had turned silver-gray. Gaeul took off the mask hanging on her head with her tentacles and covered her face with it.
An eye mask that covers the bridge of the nose. The last trace left for the ghost left on the stage after the masquerade.
Gaeul put her hand on the mask and was lost in thought.
Knock knock knock.
A rough knocking sound rang from outside the door. Gaeul pushed the tentacles inside the gown, straightened her clothes, and opened the door.
"Don't you know it's polite to ring the bell?"
"You have to have been to a hotel to know...Ahem!"
Deokbae cleared his throat and turned his gaze away. Gaeul's chest, which was revealed between the gowns, was showing off its presence without regret.
"........"
Gaeul crossed her arms and covered her front. She couldn't straighten her front because the back of the gown, which was torn by the tentacles, was being pulled from both sides. Gaeul glared at Deokbae with a sulky look and asked.
"What's wrong? Where is this?
Why suddenly a hotel?"
"Phoenix put you to sleep here after you fainted. He put on the gown, and I came to deliver the clothes for you to change into."
Deokbae handed over the clothes he was holding. Gaeul, who had awakened as an ability user and became a monster with the Core of an S-class Monster, recognized the Mana flowing from the clothes at a glance.
"These clothes are woven with Mana?"
The Mana threads were woven very densely. Instead of putting Mana on the thread, the Mana was woven thread by thread thinner than hair to make the clothes.
Gaeul took the clothes from Deokbae. Of course, her hands were covering her chest, so two tentacles that had popped out slightly took the clothes.
"Where did you get something like this?"
"...He made it himself."
Deokbae's expression was unusual when he saw the tail that popped out from behind Gaeul.
Shock, fear, disgust. Among them, the most visible emotion was sympathy, pity.
Swaeck!
One of the tentacles swept in front of Deokbae's eyes like a whip. Deokbae was surprised and widened his eyes at the unexpected blow.
"There won't be a next time. Be careful."
Gaeul warned and turned around and went into the room. Deokbae was dumbfounded and laughed in vain.
"Now even that is stronger than me?"
It took 30 minutes for Gaeul to change her clothes and come out. Deokbae stared silently at the tightly closed door.

Chapter 65

〈 Episode 65 〉 Part 1, Chapter 4 (22)
<6 PM. Yeouido C Hotel Lounge.>

-The Seoul Reclamation Operation has failed. I apologize to the citizens.

"Quick to cut losses. I was preparing for the second round."
Phoenix clicked his tongue, seemingly disappointed. In the video, Seon Ui-cheol kept his head bowed, not even thinking of lifting it.
Ji-hwa quietly lowered her hand, deactivating her ability. Phoenix subtly gave her a look.
"It's not over yet. He might say, 'It was a ruse to deceive the enemy,' and launch a surprise night attack."
"Sorry..."
Ji-hwa put her hand back to her eyes.
Her bloodshot demon eyes were filled with fatigue.
Ji-hwa's power activated again. A map of Seoul appeared on the table.
"Indeed. Can she grow to this extent?"
Haneul-seong stroked his beard, impressed. It was on a different level from the Beacon he knew.
"At this rate, I can't call you Beacon forever."
"Not that there's any reason to give me a new nickname."
The map shook. Beacon swallowed tears of blood. Phoenix fidgeted with his veil, looking awkward.
"If you reach S-class, I'll give you a new title. A cool one."
"What's the point of Beacon evolving?"
Phoenix patted Beacon on the back at Architect's sarcastic remark.
"Of course. As soon as Kim Ji-hwa becomes S-class, I'll give you a title right away. So, work hard. Until then, Subordinate Number 3's title is fixed as Beacon. Bang, bang, bang."
Phoenix, having cemented Ji-hwa's title as if a judge striking a gavel, turned his eyes to the battlefield. The south side of the Han River was already as silent as a ruined wasteland, devoid of people.
The villains who were afraid to fight had fled, and those who fought to the end had entered Yeouido. The wandering Monsters roaming the city center were either eliminated by the heroes or hunted by the low-level members Ji-hwa commanded.
An unclaimed land.
Except for Yeouido, where the Cheonghwa Unit had established its base, and Dongjak Underground, where the refugees had gathered, Seoul had become a 'vacant city' in the truest sense of the word.
"The heroes have retreated to Suwon. The President has declared the failure of the first operation. There probably won't be another large-scale attack like this until the heroes recover."
"There will be some stragglers coming occasionally. And hunters too. What are you going to do now?"
At Haneul-seong's question, Phoenix moved a small screen. It showed a panelist on the news passionately discussing the reasons for the defeat.

-
So, Professor Do is saying that reclaiming Seoul was too hasty. Is that right?

-
That's right! Only a week has passed since the Gate appeared, but they launched the operation too carelessly. As I said before, they should have at least checked what changes had occurred in Seoul.


The professor in the video displayed data. It showed a Monster with half of its body burning blue.

-There are no Hellhounds like this anywhere in the world. Leaving aside the hypothesis that there is a higher species commanding these so-called Hellhound Zombies, look at this.

The data on the screen changed.
A Flame Giant in Guro that did not lose its form even in Unsa's Gluttonous Clouds.
A Black Flame Dragon in Gangnam that destroyed the combined attack of Pungbaek and Usa with a flying kick.
A Blue Flame Phoenix confronting Snow White Princess on the summit of Gwanaksan Mountain.

-I don't think their appearance is a coincidence. How many Flame users are there in the world? But suddenly in Korea, and in ruined Seoul of all places?

Professor Do tapped the paper in his hand.

-
The first Demon species that came from the Gate was also a Fire Dragon. At this point, doesn't everyone know? Fire! Flames! I don't think this is a coincidence at all. In one of my previous papers, 'The Theory of the Seven Attributes of Mana,' the Fire attribute, which has been extremely rare until now, has finally exploded in Korea....

-
Professor Do, please refrain from asserting your personal theories here....


Beep. The video turned off. Phoenix turned to Haneul-seong.
"What do you think? Professor Haneul-seong?"
Haneul-seong frowned.
"I'm curious why you're showing me this in this situation."
"I'm talking to you as a member of the Cheonghwa Unit. About our future course of action."
Haneul-seong made a low humming sound. Adjusting the fedora he hadn't taken off even indoors, he looked somehow mentally uncomfortable.
Phoenix quickly realized the reason.
"Indeed. Are you still reluctant to join the Cheonghwa Unit?"
"...Yes."
Haneul-seong adjusted his posture.
"I'm grateful that you helped me when I was almost arrested in Gangnam. I was impressed that you revived the Hellhounds and used them as a force, even if I don't know if there's a Necromancer I haven't been introduced to. The sight of you overwhelming Snow White Princess was even shocking. But...."
Haneul-seong barely managed to speak. He was clearly reluctant to mention it.
"Gwanggeom and Seon Ui-cheol. You have now turned two people in Korea that you should never turn into enemies into enemies. Can you handle it?"
"I'm doing it because I can handle it. Should I go and take Gwanggeom's head while Haneul-seong is sleeping?"
"...Um."
Ji-hwa carefully joined the conversation. The spark of argument between Phoenix and Haneul-seong that was about to escalate died down.
"Putting Gwanggeom aside, I think the President will make a move soon. Phoenix, you killed some of the heroes, so the government won't stand still."
Haneul-seong nodded at Ji-hwa's words.
"Yes. They will definitely mobilize all their forces to silence us. Frankly, aren't we witnesses to the civilian massacre? He's the kind of guy who would come to kill us all to prevent us from exposing the truth about the Pine Tree Unit."
"Silence us...."
Phoenix twisted his veil and stood up abruptly from his chair.
"Then let's silence them. Architect!"
Architect, who had been silently listening to the conversation, raised his hand. He didn't even have the energy to answer.
"Please make a box out of marble. Make it about 100L, generously."
Architect answered by lowering his hand. Phoenix's gaze reached Ji-hwa.
"Beacon. Have you done everything I ordered earlier?"
"Yes. I found what you asked for, and I collected everything else without leaving anything out, but...."
Beacon was disgusted. Haneul-seong didn't look very comfortable either.
Clap. Phoenix clapped his hands.
"Good. Then Beacon, bring everything here. Architect will make a gift box, and we'll put everything in it. I'll take care of the finishing touches and the lock."
"Gift box...?"
Haneul-seong's face contorted. Phoenix shrugged.
"A surprise present that will surprise the person who opens it?"
<6:30 PM, Yeouido C Hotel Lounge>
Architect was moving busily. Next to him, members of the Cheonghwa Unit were on standby to revive him whenever he collapsed.
"Wait, let's rest for a second."
Architect raised his hand. The meticulously crafted marble box only needed a lid to cover it.
"Do you need this?"
One of the members handed him a bottle of BakkasO. The contents weren't BakkasO, but the item inside had effects far beyond those of commercially available energy drinks.
Architect grimaced at the sight of the item. The number of bottles he had drunk today alone would be enough to fill the box.
"Just a moment. I'm human. A person. Even black companies should guarantee at least some time to rest...."
"He said it's a potion that brings the human body to its best condition at any moment. Aren't you already seeing the effects?"
A drink made by grinding down the Monster's Core as it is. A stamina recovery drink with 100% Core content without any special processing was a magical item that not only relieved physical fatigue but also invigorated the mind and body.
However, Architect had been drinking it non-stop, to the point where he forgot how many he had drunk.

-If you just supply the Core infinitely, he said you'll definitely work to death, right?

The boss with a sly smile flashed in Architect's mind. Claiming company welfare, he supplied Architect with literally 'infinite' Mana, driving him harder and harder.
If the budget was insufficient, the construction site would be suspended and he could rest, but the budget poured in like an endless fountain.
In the end, all that remained was a cog in the machine being ground down without rest.
"Humanly speaking, shouldn't you give me a cigarette break? I'm very stressed about rebuilding this hotel."
Architect complained.
Due to the confrontation between heroes and Monsters centered on the Mapo Bridge over the past few years, most of Yeouido had become ruins. Only the large buildings remained in their original form.

-Let's set up our base in the center of Yeouido!

The Cheonghwa Unit, which was trying to move its base from the National Assembly Building, requested support from Architect.
To restore the ruined hotel from the basement to the top floor.
. With Mana, it was a unique ability that could handle everything from design to completion, and even restoration.
Architect looked at the state of the hotel and estimated the cost. He needed at least 10 A-class Cores.
"But how am I supposed to scrape together 20 in 30 minutes!!"
Architect, lying on the sofa, flapped like a fish. The members' expressions were not good at the antics of the man in the modified Hanbok with a thick beard covering his chin.
"What? Go to Gaeseong for a while? Ugh!!"
As soon as Seon Ui-cheol announced the failure of the operation, Phoenix immediately commissioned Architect to restore the hotel.
He really brought the Cores, and Architect poured his soul into restoring the hotel to its original form. His unnecessary craftsmanship was once again fully displayed.
He needed mental stability.
A member recited a magical phrase to the dying Architect.
"He said it again."
"What!"
"You can leave work as soon as you finish making the gift box-"
"Hurrah!"
Architect rushed to the box.
The member nodded and picked up the walkie-talkie.
"This is G12. Packaging is almost complete."

-This is G3. I brought the gifts, ugh.

A sound of trying to hold back vomit could be heard from beyond the walkie-talkie. The team leader of G12 was greatly relieved that he was in charge of managing Architect.

-Hooo. I brought all the gifts. Should I bring them in?

"No. Pack them outside. I'll move them outside when the gift box is finished."

-Yes, uweeek!

G12 turned off the walkie-talkie. It would take some time for Architect to finish the work.
Click, click.
The sound of heels echoed from the lobby. G12 fiddled with the plastic model gun in his arms, which couldn't possibly be heard, and headed to the lobby.
"......Wow."
A goddess descended the spiral staircase. A blue and white dress that revealed her shoulders. The mask she wore like an ornament on her head made her identity guessable.
"Team leader. What's wrong?"
One of the team members cautiously approached and checked the lobby. He was also breathless.
He was reminded of an actress walking the red carpet at a film festival. No, of course, the other person was an actress. But her silver-gray eyes and lifeless skin gave her a sense of decadent beauty.
Click, click.
White shoes pressed against the marble floor through the dress that covered her ankles. Only the sound of heels echoed throughout the lobby, and the woman entered the lounge.
"Phoenix, where is he now?"
Her half-closed eyes were ominous. The team leader of G12 recalled the last whereabouts of their leader that he had heard from their captain.
"He finished the meeting with Haneul-seong and went up to the penthouse."
"Is that so?"
Autumn scanned the lounge and headed to the elevator.
Click, click.
Of course, the elevator was not yet working.
"........"
There was some anger in her steps as she strode up the stairs. Only the sound of Architect hammering the box echoed in the lounge.

Chapter 66

〈 Episode 66 〉 Part 1, Chapter 4 (23)
When else in my life would I ever get to see the inside of a penthouse suite in a top-class hotel like this?
I stood in front of the window with a clear view of the Han River, reveling in the magnificent scenery.
It was sunset. Thanks to pouring in Architects, the hotel was quickly restored. It was worth going all the way to Gae-Seong to pick out only A-grade Monster Cores.
"It was worth stopping them, after all."
The Seoul Recovery Operation. It had been carried out several times in the original story, and every single time, it had ended in failure.
And I had witnessed the ugly truth behind that operation.
The massacre using the Pine Tree Unit.
Thanks to Phoenix's rampage and Ji-Hwa's efforts to contain it, it ended with only 200 or so casualties, but if we had left it alone, tens of thousands of people in the Dongjak underground would have died down there.
In the original story, they would probably all have become ghosts who could never return, or Monsters filled with resentment.
"I wasn't even thinking about saving the people of Seoul."
It wasn't that I hadn't anticipated it; it was that it wasn't even in the plan.
The current plan was to gather the villains together, and the people of Seoul were to be left to fend for themselves, whether they lived or died. It would be even better if they fled to New Seoul.
Ordinary people who couldn't even use their abilities.
What use were the refugees hiding underground? We could just pick out the few talented ones among them and use them.
"But it's already..."
Chun Ga-Eul. I had been pretending to be nice to watch his changed demeanor, and this was the result.
The responsibility of suddenly bearing the lives of tens of thousands of people weighed heavily on my shoulders.
It was already hard enough turning the refugees in Guro into members of the Cheonghwa Unit, and now the thought of having to manage those tens of thousands of people was giving me a headache.
Should I just cause an earthquake and bury them all without anyone knowing?
'...I'm not Mao Zedong.'
I walked over to the bed and threw myself onto it. My body, stretched out in a starfish shape, was sucked straight into the blankets.
"Ugh."
This wasn't the result I wanted. I just wanted to establish myself as a mastermind in the underworld, go around looking for Cores, and become a helper who would support the protagonist from behind at the original story's timeline.
But that grand plan had all gone to hell.
"I got too caught up in the mood..."
Somehow. I just got excited and ran wild, and this is how it turned out.
If I could turn back time, I would go back to the past. No, I think I've had this thought before.
"......Every single thing I've done has been stupid."
The results look good at first glance.
Chun Ga-Eul eventually became an S-grade ability user.
The villains of Seoul, whether they liked it or not, were either subordinated to the Cheonghwa Unit or came under its protection.
The Seoul Recovery Operation failed, and the Korean Association and Seon Uicheol suffered some damage.
And the aftermath and countermeasures were so complicated that words couldn't describe them.
Preparations for the Nth Seoul Recovery Operation, which would continue several times in the future. Dealing with the cowardly Kangseo groundhogs who had fled from the heroes. Seoul refugees somewhere other than the Dongjak underground. Food and relief supplies to feed them. Monsters flowing in from the outskirts. Hunters prowling around Seoul. The large Monsters that had taken up residence north of the Han River and the snake in City Hall. The few heroes who had been kidnapped and taken hostage. Seolhwa Princess, who had suffered a defeat. The movements of Gwanggeom following the failure of the operation. The spirit in Korea. Speculation about the abnormal quantity of fire-attribute Monsters revealed while operating the Hellhound Unit. Seon Uicheol's special forces coming to find the Cube. The Cube that revived Chun Ga-Eul and was reduced to ashes and disappeared.
"Aaaargh!"
I thrashed around on the bed. Why did I have to move while calculating all these things one by one?
"I want to quit everything..."
In the original story, I just had to do my best in the given battlefield, but now there were too many variables to consider. It was slowly becoming too much for me to handle alone.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Huh?"
The door was being knocked on violently. I used my Mana to unlock the lock.
Tap, tap.
I heard familiar footsteps in my ear. As expected, the person who came into the room was Chun Ga-Eul.
"You're wearing it?"
Ga-Eul was wearing a beautiful dress. A light sky-blue dress reminiscent of a bride at a wedding. The manufacturer had brought out 'Protagonist of the Masquerade' as Chun Ga-Eul's skin theme.
The wedding celebrating Christine and Raoul's marriage in The Phantom of the Opera. Chun Ga-Eul was the main character of that wedding.
Ga-Eul stomped over to the head of the bed.
"The size."
"Yes?"
"How is the size such a perfect fit?"
Ga-Eul's face was even paler, with a gray tinge. The pulse of Mana flowing from the Core in his heart was getting faster and faster.
Considering that Mana is like blood, Ga-Eul was quite excited right now.
I pulled out an answer from my head that Ga-Eul would understand immediately.
"Well, it's custom-made just for Ga-Eul, isn't it?"
In the first place, the owner of this dress is Chun Ga-Eul.
Just like Phoenix's priestly robes fit Phoenix perfectly.
However, Chun Ga-Eul's body was much younger than Masquerade's, so some adjustments were necessary. Ga-Eul's face became even paler.
"So, you touched me directly and measured my size?!"
"......I sensed your Mana before, right? I checked everything then."
Affinity test. Since it sends Mana waves throughout the entire body, it naturally grasps the dimensions of the body as well.
"You've gained a little weight since then. From the top, 84-"
Whoosh.
A huge grayish-white pillar appeared before my eyes. I closed my mouth at the sight of it popping out from between the dresses.
"Shut up."
"Yes."
I readily complied with the threat. Otherwise, it felt like those squishy things would defile this body.
"Hoo. Good."
Ga-Eul sat gently on the head of the bed. I also got up and sat on the bed.
"What are you going to do now? You've made quite a mess."
"I know. What should I do?"
I was actually planning to do one more thing, but I didn't say it on purpose. Ga-Eul covered his face with both hands.
"You really have no plan..."
Ga-Eul sighed. I had nothing to say in my defense.
Beep.
An alarm went off on my smartwatch. It was a text from Ji-Hwa.
'Is the packaging done?'
I opened the text. It contained data officially released by the government.
"What is it? Hmm..."
Ga-Eul came over to my side and checked the screen.
"The Association has determined that it is difficult to classify the pyromancer ability user who appeared in Seoul according to the existing grades. Until the criteria are revised, the target will be classified as a dangerous person of A-grade or higher..."
"We're screwed."
It was a Korean classification, but since it was designated by the Association, it was practically spread all over the world. Fortunately, it was a monster-type appearance, and the quality of the videos and photos was poor, so only blue flames could be identified, but that alone revealed all my characteristics.
Ga-Eul bit his lip.
"Isn't this really dangerous?"
"The legend of the strongest B-grade monster ends like this..."
"Don't joke around."
"......Well, let's just think of it as something that would have been revealed someday being revealed from the beginning."
I had been prepared for it since I heard that Seolhwa Princess was coming. I had tried my best to hide it, but unfortunately, the Mana pattern of the monster type seemed to have been analyzed.
"Okay. Life isn't going according to plan anyway, right? Since we're already making a mess, let's make it even more spectacular."
"You're just going to cause trouble and clean up the mess later, right?"
I felt a sting. It was too heartbreaking to accept it as a fact. Ga-Eul glared at me with a pathetic look.
"Can you handle it in this state?"
"......Somehow?"
Whoosh. A tentacle popped out from behind Ga-Eul's dress. I tried to quickly pull my body back, but the tentacle grabbed my wrist even faster.
"I'm not kidding. Two S-grades, plus Gwanggeom. In the worst case, the government may request support from overseas. Are you going to try to solve it with this haphazard method then too?"
A gray light flickered in Ga-Eul's eyes.
"You need to have a long-term framework in place. Even a student sets up an annual plan for how to study before taking the college entrance exam. When I go into drama filming, I think about how I'm going to act according to the overall synopsis. Shall I guess what you're thinking right now?"
Ga-Eul's hands grabbed my cheeks. Our eyes met.
"Once we blow it up, it'll work out somehow. Let's think about the next thing when the time comes. If something else happens then, let's focus on stopping it. Am I wrong?"
"......That's true. But there haven't been any big problems so far, right?"
At my rebuttal, Ga-Eul grabbed my cheeks with his fingers and shook them back and forth.
"This guy still. Let me ask you. What if the Round Table designates you as a global public enemy and tries to subjugate you? What if all 12 of them rush at you to kill you at the same time?"
"......Fight with the determination to die and take them down with me?"
Now that I've awakened as a spirit, if I take out my main body and fight, I can drag all 12 of them to the afterlife like water ghosts. The problem is that the aftermath of that battle will shatter the Earth.
Ga-Eul sighed deeply, as if my answer was absurd.
"...Haa. Listen carefully. What you need right now is."
Ga-Eul raised a finger and pointed at himself.
"Someone to help you. Not a soldier who will follow your messy plans as they are, but smart people who will exchange plans with you at the same table."
"You, Deok-Bae, and Ji-Hwa are here, right? There's also Haneulseong."
Ga-Eul shook his head.
"We can't. We're not enough. Isn't that right now?"
Ga-Eul gave a bitter smile.
"Even now, even if I say this, you're not telling me about the worries in your head right now. It seems like you're telling Deok-Bae little by little, but you're leaving out the core."
"Ga-Eul. That's-"
Ga-Eul hugged me. A cool chill was transmitted through the dress.
"You probably won't tell me for the rest of your life. You will. Are you going to suffer alone like that for the rest of your life? So...."
Ga-Eul patted my back.
"Someday, someone will appear by your side to be with you. So until that person appears, I'll be by your side."
"Ga-Eul."
"...It's already too late to go back to New Seoul, right? This is fate."
Tentacles surged over Ga-Eul's dress.
"There will be things that I have to turn a blind eye to, and there will be times when I have to kill people with my own hands. But I'll do it. Of course, it'll be a little hard at first, but I'll get used to it someday. Like Deok-Bae or Ji-Hwa-"
"What about the actor?"
Ga-Eul moved a tentacle and took off the mask on his head. The mask was placed on Ga-Eul's face.
"The human, actor Chun Ga-Eul, died as soon as I left your barrier. What's here now is a monster, a ghost, who will protect you for the rest of your life."
"...Not a tentacle?"
Thwack. Ga-Eul's tentacle hit the top of my head.
"If you have the energy to joke around, worry about what to do right now-"
"Ga-Eul."
I hugged Chun Ga-Eul. Ga-Eul's body flinched.
"Should we just run away like this?"
Abandon all responsibility, give up everything. A life of just killing time and hiding in a deserted place.
"Doing nothing, seeing nothing. Just quietly holing up in some mountain. Until the end comes."
When I first came to my senses, I had considered being forever submerged in magma.
How long has it been since I first fell in Incheon until today? There have been so many incidents, but only less than a month has passed.
I have to spend the next 5 years like this. 5 years until the day of destruction.
Can I endure it?
Will I be able to remain myself until then?
"Even if I run away, won't someone save the world?"
My reflection in the window showed a face distorted as if I was about to cry.
Thwack!
Ga-Eul's tentacle struck the top of my head.
"Get a grip. Do you think that makes sense right now?"
Ga-Eul hit my head again with his tentacle. It felt like I was being scolded.
"...Honestly, I was tempted too, but we can't do that. Right?"
Ga-Eul stepped back slightly and grabbed my cheeks again.
"That's not your 'true feelings', is it? Right?"
I was read. Ga-Eul had read my true feelings hidden deep in my heart.
"Endure it even if it's hard. If you ever get tired, tell me. Anytime, like now...."
Ga-Eul hugged my head.
Pat, pat.
"I'll be by your side."
As if soothing a crying child, Ga-Eul patted me like that.
The sun falls over the mountains and darkness slowly descends.
Beep.
My smartwatch rang. It was Deok-Bae.
- Gift wrapping is complete. ...What, were you guys like that? Sorry to interrupt your good time. I guess the birth rate goes up during wartime. Tsk.
Deok-Bae unilaterally cut off contact as if he was fed up. Ga-Eul and I gently separated.
"...Shall we kill him?"
"Let's do it."
Ga-Eul and I, having straightened our clothes, ran to the first floor.

Chapter 67

〈 Episode 67 〉 Part 1, Chapter 4 (24)
<7 PM. Yeouido C Hotel Lounge.>
To cut to the chase, Deokbae died.
And then came back to life. Deokbae, whose body exploded leaving only his Core, was revived thanks to my resurrection spell. Unfortunately, his hair didn't come back.
"I didn't know that if you die and come back to life, all the Mana you've accumulated disappears..."
New knowledge gained. He had grown from D-class to C-class, but he still had a long way to go to gather enough Mana to grow into B-class. But after dying once by Gaeul's hand, all the Mana he had accumulated in his body vanished.
Is it like maintaining the level but losing all the accumulated Mana (experience)? Gaeul repeatedly apologized to the resurrected Deokbae.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd die from that..."
"........"
Deokbae closed his eyes. One of his swaying tentacles drew a C shape and bowed to Deokbae.
It was none other than Gaeul's tentacle that shattered Deokbae's body. The difference between S-class and C-class is evident even in pure physical strength. The straight punch that Deokbae throws with his own power is much weaker than Gaeul's slight touch with her tentacle.
"More than that..."
Ji-hwa, who my gaze landed on, flinched. He is also one of the only three Mutants in Seoul. He witnessed with his own eyes how Subordinate Number 2 died and came back to life.
"I will work harder..."
Ji-hwa touched the back of his hand with a resigned look. It was the time when darkness was beginning to settle on the streets. He still had the task of monitoring the Heroes' movements.
"Is the gift well-packaged?"
"Yes. I put everything you mentioned in it. Now all that's left is to close the lid."
Architect, looking gaunt, turned his head as he was about to put on the lock. Having seen the contents of the gift box, he had already thrown up what was in his stomach.
"Is this something civilized people would do...?"
"Did you forget that there was almost a massacre in Seoul? And these guys. They're the ones who were trying to cause that massacre."
When I tapped the marble box, a dull yet clear sound echoed.
"We're just returning what we received. Is there a problem?"
"No. Haa. I shouldn't have said anything."
Architect shook his head.
"You have such an innocent face, but your actions are terrible."
Even Architect, who has already seen all sorts of ugliness in Seoul, is disgusted. No matter how much Seon-ui Cheol tries to maintain his composure, he won't be able to help but be shocked.
"But are you only going to send this? What if they don't see it?"
"So, I'm thinking of sending this along with it."
I took out a USB and shook it.
"Since we're giving such a big gift, I thought I'd attach a video message."
* * *
A little later.
The packaging was finished. All that was left was the time to deliver the package.
While I was wondering when would be a good time, I gathered the executives of Cheonghwa Dan and asked them for the time, and we decided on the execution time.
8 PM. If there is no movement from the Heroes' side by then, I will deliver the box to Shinseoul. Me.
The reason why we decided to do it at 8 PM is because that's the time when news is being broadcasted on public channels. A terror attack on the roof of the government building. It's a very good event to put on the news as a breaking story.
"Are you really going to be okay?"
Gaeul asked cautiously. She seemed quite worried that I was going to deliver it myself, leaving the other members behind.
Azure Flame Phoenix. He is in Shinseoul.
"I'm okay. I'm just going to give it from afar and come right back."
I patted the handle on top of the box. The box, infused with Mana, became sturdy enough not to break even if it fell from the air.
"Or do you want to come with me? It seems like you could go on my back or in my arms."
Gaeul shook her head sharply at my suggestion.
"No. I think my heart will only weaken if I go to Shinseoul."
"Even just watching from afar-"
Gaeul firmly crossed her tentacles in an X shape.
"Okay. I'll be back soon instead."
"We'll be training hard here too, so don't worry."
Beep. It's 10 minutes before 8 PM.
An alarm rang from my smartwatch. I turned off the alarm and spread my wings. The burning Azure Flame was slightly noticeable in the darkness.
"I'll be back!"
I grabbed the box and soared high into the sky. High enough to meet the rooftop of the 63 Building at eye level. I soared even higher into the sky.
Swoosh!
My body flies into the sky like a rocket. The clouds are slowly starting to clear, and cold frost is starting to touch my skin. I pass by birds flying at night, break through the clouds, and continue to climb higher.
Silence. The surrounding temperature is extremely low, as if it will freeze at any moment. If I hadn't sent Mana to the smartwatch and the gift box, they would have frozen and exploded or broken down by now.
Beep. Fortunately, the function is working normally even at this height.
- Altimeter, 20km.
"Is this enough...?"
I would like to keep a little more distance if I could, but there is no need to be so careful. Right now, I just need to say hello and come back. It would be even better if I didn't get caught.
"Then...."
I slowly glide downwards. The direction is south. After flying through the night sky for a few minutes, I arrived at the target point I had set in advance.
Shinseoul. Altimeter is 1km.
"Hoo."
Tick. Tock. Tick.
The second hand of the clock on the analog display moves. 47, 48, 49.
50. I plummeted towards the ground.
51. I brushed past the clouds. Frictional heat melts the frost on the outside of the box.
52. I broke through the clouds in an instant and got closer to the ground. The target point came into view.
53. I slowed down and stopped in mid-air. My feet gently touched the roof of the government building in Shinseoul, which was the target point.
54. The shockwave swept around. I gently placed the box on the roof of the building. I killed the repulsive force of the fall as much as possible with Mana, so only a large wind blew.
55. The box was placed on the roof of the building.
The movement of the surrounding Mana is unusual.
56. I bent my knees. I also folded my wings slightly and prepared to fly up.
57. I kicked off the roof and jumped high into the air, vertically spraying Mana in the air. At the same time, I flapped my wings and quickly soared into the air.
58. I sprayed Mana even more busily.
Suddenly, a golden light flashed in the distance.
"Tch!"
59. A bullet of light was fired at my heart. I moved my hand and deflected the light bullet.
60. The end of the hour hand pointed to 8. I stopped in the air.
"I knew I'd get caught."
I enhance my vision with Mana. A man with a can of beer in his hand is pointing his finger at me from the balcony of the accommodation building presumed to be the Association's headquarters.
Fortunately, the other party doesn't seem to have any intention of checking me any further, and is staring intently at me. He is frowning as if he can't see me properly.
Suddenly, our eyes met. The Azure Flame Phoenix's eyes are filled with shock.
"I knew it. Hyung."
Judging from his expression, he already knows what kind of being I am. I couldn't be sure because it was a part that could only be grasped circumstantially in the original story, but now that I face him, I know.
Azure Flame Phoenix is clearly aware of the existence of Dark Legion, the Seven Executives.
While Azure Flame Phoenix was flustered, I raised my hand and waved slightly.
"Hello?"
There's no way my will can be conveyed, but I saw Azure Flame Phoenix drop the squid leg he had in his mouth. Come to think of it, that guy was a drinker.
"I'll be visiting you soon."
I soared into the air and dodged. At the same time, alarms began to sound loudly throughout Shinseoul.
Wooo-----!
It took about 10 seconds to enter the radar radius installed in the city center, drop off the gift, and escape. If Azure Flame Phoenix hadn't noticed, I could have come and gone without being caught by the radar.
As expected, Azure Flame Phoenix. He is the strongest Hero in Korea, and at the same time, he is the one with the greatest achievements of mankind that no one knows about.
Spirit Slayer.
I paid my respects to him and left Shinseoul.
* * *
"Your Excellency! Please take cover!"
The Chief of Staff hurriedly opened the door to the office and came in. Seon-ui Cheol was working calmly with a relaxed face.
"It's been a while since the Monster alert. Where is it?"
"Right here!"
"......?"
Seon-ui Cheol adjusted his glasses. He didn't understand for a moment.
"The Monster emergence point recorded on the Great Monster Radar is here, the Government Building!"
"Are you joking with me right now? Where in this peaceful place could there be a place where a Monster reaction could come from?"
"President."
A shadow popped out of the darkness. The Chief of Staff hurriedly straightened his posture and paid his respects.
"Cheongsong-nim."
A person who has covered his entire body with a black suit and a mask. Even his voice is modulated, so no one knows whether he is a man or a woman. He only called himself Cheongsong.
Presumably an A-class Ability User. At Seon-ui Cheol's gesture, the Chief of Staff bowed and left the office.
"There's something like this on the roof."
Cheongsong moved his shadow. At the same time, on the lid of the marble box in the shadow, there were letters engraved as if scratched with sharp fingernails.
Seon-ui Cheol
Dick
Three centimeters
When Seon-ui Cheol confirmed it, Cheongsong turned his head and laughed lowly. Seon-ui Cheol pointed to the box with a sullen face.
"Open it."
"It's dangerous. We should get support from the Association and examine it first...."
"That's an intolerable insult. This is a challenge to me. It's just a groundless rumor!"
Cheongsong didn't say anything and broke the lock. The lock was easily broken, as if he didn't intend to lock it very tightly in the first place.
Hmm. A strong smell of blood wafted from the box as it was slightly lifted while breaking the lock. Seon-ui Cheol's eyebrows furrowed.
"Open it."
"........"
Cheongsong opened the lid. There, the heads of those who were too familiar to the two of them were neatly piled up. All of them had the same pine tree crest on their necks.
"......Keueung."
The strong smell of blood filled the office. Cheongsong quickly closed the lid, but Seon-ui Cheol raised his hand to stop him.
"There's something inside."
"Yes?"
"There's something in Yoo I-sin's mouth."
Seon-ui Cheol didn't miss it in that brief moment. Cheongsong opened the lid again and checked the heads.
"Indeed."
Among the many heads that were burned and had distorted faces, there was a particularly clean head. A small USB was held in the mouth of Robin Yoo I-sin, whose lower section was neatly cut off.
Cheongsong took out the USB.
"Of course there's something inside, right?"
While Seon-ui Cheol received it and approached the wall-mounted TV, Cheongsong put the box back into the shadow.
"I will go to Daejeon and investigate."
"I guess so."
Seon-ui Cheol plugged the USB into the TV next to him. There were only two video files in the USB, which was confirmed through external input.
1.avi
2.avi
The videos, which simply had numbers written on them, were made as if to be watched in order.
Beep.
Seon-ui Cheol turned off the TV and checked his smartwatch. A familiar face was waiting for a connection from across the screen.
"What's going on!"
- This is Jang Hu-jeong, Deputy Minister of the Countermeasures Department. The Monster appearance alert issued today at 20:00:05 has been confirmed to be a system error. As a result of searching the vicinity of the Government Building, the point of emergence, no traces of any Monster were found.
Cheongsong in the shadows tapped his shoulder. Seon-ui Cheol clicked his tongue once and instructed the Vice Minister.
"Correct it immediately so that the public is not confused. Put a breaking news on public news as well."
- I understand. I will carry out your instructions.
The connection was cut off. Seon-ui Cheol turned on the TV again and sat on the sofa.
Click. Cheongsong locked the door and approached Seon-ui Cheol. He handed Seon-ui Cheol one of the earphones.
"You never know. Be careful."
Seon-ui Cheol put the wireless earphone in his ear. Cheongsong operated the TV to adjust the sound so that it would not leak out of the earphone.
Click. When he pressed the screen, the video started playing.
1.avi.
There are many monitors lined up in the video. Seon-ui Cheol immediately realized where it was.
"It's the Dongjak Station office."
The monitors show closed-circuit screen videos covering the entire station. And in that video, there was a brutal massacre scene of the pine tree unit Heroes aiming guns at and killing refugees in Seoul with swords.
Seon-ui Cheol quickly skipped through the video. A short time of about 10 minutes. The murderers who appeared in that video are now left with only their heads and are neatly contained in the box.
The meaning of the video was simple.
"I know what you did. Is that what it is?"
Seon-ui Cheol ran his finger over the scar below his left eye.
"Play number 1."
Chijik. The video switches. This time, it was a video with only darkness.
Just when I thought I had played the wrong one, a light shone. There were Heroes gagged and tied up. The Heroes were all staring at the camera, burning with fighting spirit.
Nine missing Heroes are alive. Seon-ui Cheol gripped the armrest of the chair tightly.
The light went out and an unidentified cough was heard. When the screen turned, a man filled the screen. It was a man presumed to be holding the camera.
- I, I am Lee Gi-seong, a C-class Hero belonging to the Hero Association of Korea. We have learned the truth about this Seoul recovery operation. There are still many people living in the Seoul underground. And in order to kill all those people, President Seon-ui Cheol....
Beep.
Seon-ui Cheol turned off the TV. He lay down on the sofa and closed his eyes.
"Contact Daejeon."
Cheongsong bowed. The shadow swallowed the box again.
"Contact Daejeon and tell them to find out the identities of the bastards who sent that box."
Seon-ui Cheol gave the order to Cheongsong. Cheongsong's body disappeared from the office.
"I don't know who they are...."
Seon-ui Cheol tapped his smartwatch. The person connected was the best hunting dog he had on a leash.
Azure Flame Phoenix.
"Don't think you can touch me and live and breathe in this land."
His snake-like sharp eyes flashed.
* * *
<8:08 PM. 63 Building Rooftop.>
The night breeze is cold.
I folded my wings and stepped on the railing of the 63 Building rooftop.
"Hoo, ha."
I take a deep breath. The back of my left hand, which had deflected the light bullet, was still red.
"It doesn't hurt, though."
In that one second, I imagined the battle with Azure Flame Phoenix in my head.
A draw in human form, a narrow victory in Mutant form. That's only if Azure Flame Phoenix goes all out, but I can definitely win if it's 1:1.
"But."
He's a retired guy in the original story, but he's a great helper to the protagonist while standing on the Association's side. At the same time, he was a gateway that must be passed to reach the true ending.
"I don't need to."
With Cheon Gaeul also becoming a Mutant, the Cube collapsed for unknown reasons.
There are too many things to solve to struggle alone.
Cheon Gaeul said. Someday, someone will appear who will solve the problem with me.
"The protagonist."
As one of the original main heroines, she may have instinctively talked about the original protagonist. March 1, 2025, five years later. A quirky commander who liquidated his life in the United States and came to Korea, which was on the verge of ruin.
It would be of great help if he came here, but that time takes too long.
"There's no need to wait."
Cheon Gaeul wouldn't know. But thanks to Cheon Gaeul, I was able to make plans for the future and be confident in those plans.
Someone who can see from the same perspective as me. Someone who will unconditionally cooperate when they learn the truth. Not as good as Azure Flame Phoenix, but someone with power comparable to him. I need the help of such a person.
Spirit.
Of course, it is still unknown where the brainwashed Spirits are as executives of Dark Legion.
Just as Phoenix was hiding in the magma, they were likely sleeping somewhere in the desert or jungle.
But there is only one. There is one executive whose location is clear based on the original story.
The sixth enemy executive to appear based on the original story.
The water-attribute Spirit who was killed and sealed by Azure Flame Phoenix.
Rusalka of Snowy Night.
In order to awaken the Spirit in Korea,
Azure Flame Phoenix Heo Yun-hwan,
I will kill him.

Chapter 68

〈 Episode 68 〉 Part 1 Chapter 5 (1)
May 1st, 2020.
About three weeks after the failure of the Seoul Reclamation Operation. South Korea was undergoing significant changes, knowingly or unknowingly.
The suicide of the Monster Countermeasures Department Minister, who resigned taking responsibility for the operation's failure, the government's international aid requests and rejections, the recovery of injured heroes including Hwawon, and responses to the gaps in their combat power.
While those who wondered, 'Isn't there something wrong with this?' disappeared one by one without a trace, New Seoul continued its peaceful days as if nothing had happened.
In contrast, Seoul was changing rapidly. Unlike New Seoul, accustomed to peace and safety under the hero Gwanggeom, Seoul was being rebuilt by the Cheonghwadan, centered around Yeouido and Dongjak.
Is it okay to go back to Seoul and live again?
While many were calculating the odds of moving to Seoul, there were also those being expelled from Seoul.
Villains.
Those who gave up fighting against the heroes of New Seoul and, with Cheonghwadan's victory, were trying to return to their original places without doing anything.
They wanted to return to Seoul.

Kwaang!
With a tremendous explosion, a wall made of earth burst apart. A man covered in earth from head to toe was startled and rolled his body.
Tang, tatang!
Mana bullets pierced the wall and rained down on the man. The man hurriedly wrapped himself in earth to protect his skin, but the bullets were faster, grazing his forearm.
"Kuaaaak!"
The man screamed. The bullets pierced the earthen shield and lodged in his forearm. The wound wasn't deep, but the man's pride was severely damaged.
"You ignorant fools!"
The man, Gangseo's <Dirt Dog>, slammed his palm on the ground. The earth in the park rippled like waves. The surging mud soared about 3 meters into the sky, engulfing the Cheonghwadan members.

-G7. Commence warning shots. The opponent's technique is....

An familiar man's voice was heard over the radio. Dirt Dog racked his brain to remember who the voice belonged to and shouted.
"Lighthouse, you son of a bitch!"

-[Phantom] is blocking it.

Among the members, a woman with her face covered by a mask stepped forward. The woman called Phantom stomped her foot towards the oncoming wave of earth.
Kung!
The ground shook.
With a Mana-infused stomp, Dirt Dog's earth wave was easily shattered. Dirt Dog realized who his opponent was and stepped back.
"Phantom?!"
"......."
Phantom tapped her smartwatch without a word. She seemed unwilling to speak. Soon, Lighthouse's message returned.

-Gangseo's <Dirt Dog>. Class A. According to the Team leader....

Jijik. Lighthouse's transmission was briefly cut off before continuing.

-He is not a candidate for recruitment. You are free to kill him.

"......Is that so?"
Phantom said in a small voice. Dirt Dog thought he had heard that voice somewhere before. Jijik. Lighthouse's transmission returned.

-His ability isn't particularly good. We already have two with sustainability.

"Then that's settled. We don't need him."
Phantom turned her body. Dirt Dog dredged up the moment he had heard the woman's voice in his memory.
"You! That crazy bitch?!"
Kkadeuk. Phantom gritted her teeth. When had she met this rude Dirt Dog? Phantom, Gaeul, pondered the memory and recalled the events of three weeks ago.
The meeting of the Villain Alliance in Gangnam before the Seoul Reclamation Operation. At the meeting where Gaeul attended with Phoenix in tow, Dirt Dog was particularly grumpy and even attacked Gaeul.
The man who wielded concrete as a sword. Gaeul openly frowned. Though it couldn't be seen behind the mask.
"Ha. What nerve do you have to crawl back here? I clearly said it back then, didn't I? Those who ran away without fighting...."
Gaeul pointed downwards with her finger.
"Will not be allowed to enter Seoul."
"Don't talk bullshit!"
Dirt Dog roared and slammed his hand on the ground. The earth became spears imbued with Mana, ready to be launched at any moment.
"If words don't work...."
Gaeul slightly lifted the back of her long coat. Something greyish-white wriggled inside the coat. Dirt Dog, facing it head-on, paused due to an unknown sense of disgust.
"Then you have to get hit?"
Gaeul raised her hand.
Just as she was about to use her ability, a wind arrow flew past Gaeul and struck Dirt Dog's shoulder.
"Uaaaak!"
Dirt Dog painfully pulled out the wind arrow. Blood spurted like a fountain from the hole in his shoulder. Dirt Dog, with a resentful face, erected a wall of earth in front of him. Wind arrows flew again, striking the earthen wall.
Paseuseuk! The earthen wall collapsed. Dirt Dog had already disappeared. Lighthouse's transmission was heard.

-He dug a tunnel. He escaped.

"Understood. Thank you. More importantly...."
Gaeul took off her mask and hung it on her head.
The surging Mana subsided, and her eyes lost their vitality. Perhaps because she was a monster who had died and been resurrected, she felt like a corpse, but she seemed much more alive than the person in front of her.
A black rider suit with blue flame patterns. The opponent, whose body was clearly revealed by the latex-like material, was undoubtedly a woman.
The problem was that she was wearing a helmet over her head, and inside that helmet, blue flames were burning like hair. As the woman in the rider suit slung her bow on her back, Gaeul complained.
"You're being overprotective. I can block this much with my eyes closed, you know?"
[The God has commanded. To protect Cheon Gaeul-nim in any case.]
The flames inside the helmet flickered. There was no sound, but the woman's intention was conveyed to Gaeul through Mana. Gaeul straightened her clothes with a sullen face. Her heart throbbed.
"...So why did you entrust that to you, the one who killed me?"
[I am merely following the God's word.]
The heroes of the decapitated Pine Tree Unit.
Phoenix implanted Cores into the severed corpses and turned them into monsters.
They were treated like slave soldiers to be used and discarded like rags, not even treated as executives, and the monster who remained in the most intact form was assigned to Gaeul as a bodyguard.
And that happened to be the hero <Robin>, Yuishin, who had killed Gaeul.
[The God has given me a second life. Although he has taken away my freedom and my head, he has allowed me to live a more meaningful life than my life as a human. Although there are still those among our 'Blue Feathers' who deny the God's grace....]
"That name! Why does it have to be such a strange name?!"
[The leader decided it, so I cannot object. I think it's fine, though.]
Gaeul tore at her hair.
The members of this organization either have absolutely terrible naming sense or are bursting with sensitivity, nothing in between. To the point where her alias, <Phantom>, is the most tame in Cheonghwadan.
Especially the leader of that slave combat unit, 'Blue Feathers,' is unparalleled in that regard. So much so that even Phoenix is slightly wary of him.
"Haa. Anyway, I can handle this much. Got it? I'll call you next time if I need you."
[Understood. But I hope you remember this. If I fail to protect Cheon Gaeul-nim, I will die again. I will be discarded.]
Yuishin threatened her with her own life. Cheon Gaeul, whom she had been watching by her side for nearly three weeks, had not changed her nature even after becoming a monster.
"Ugh. Okay, I'll be careful. ...Lighthouse? It doesn't seem like there's anyone else here? Can we return?"

-Yes. There's no one. But why are you speaking informally to me, Gaeul-ssi....

"What. You got a problem with that?"

-No....

She seems to have become a bit more aggressive, though.

"I-It's over!"
Architect collapsed on the floor. In front of him stood a neatly restored 20-story apartment building.
"Haa, haa."
If his memory was correct, it was a relatively high-end apartment that cost 1.5 billion won per unit. He had restored the apartments with the foundations remaining, except for one completely collapsed building, to their original state. A whopping 13 buildings.
Three weeks. For three weeks, Architect had been restoring buildings without a moment's rest.
Except for a few buildings in Yeouido that would serve as Cheonghwadan's main bases, the buildings he focused on restoring were numerous houses and apartments, and naturally, the residents who would move into them were the refugees hiding in Dongjak underground.
"Good work, Architect."
G12's Team leader handed Architect a potion.
After learning how to handle Architect by properly playing push and pull with him, Jihwa assigned his team exclusively to Architect.
"Ouch! I twisted my ankle!"
As expected, Architect began to complain.
"Ouch, my back! I'm gonna die!"
"As I've said repeatedly, the potion is a panacea that restores even physical abilities. Here. You've rested enough, right?"
G12 handed Architect a map. The map of Dongjak-gu's administrative district, salvaged from a collapsed real estate office, was about 30% colored in red.
It was the area in Dongjak that Architect had restored. Except for some parks and the National Cemetery, there were still countless buildings that Architect had to rebuild.
"Ah, seriously! Let's rest a bit, humanely! I've restored all of Yeouido!"
For two weeks, Architect had poured his heart and soul into restoring all the buildings in the Yeouido area. Whenever his body felt tired, a potion was shoved into his mouth, and whenever he dozed off, a potion syringe pricked his butt.
Later, he even brought a IV drip stand from somewhere and stuck a needle in his arm. Of course, the IV drip contained potion.
As a result, Architect was in full condition 24 hours a day, with his body not needing food or sleep.
At the moment when he thought, 'Can a human body even do this?', he had already restored all the buildings on Yeouido Island. At the moment when Architect proudly boasted in front of the cleanly restored National Assembly Building, the devil whispered.

-It seems like we won't be able to accommodate all the people in Dongjak underground in Yeouido, so we should start working on Dongjak soon, right?

He cried.
That day, Architect cried his eyes out in front of others for the first time.
So he argued. He must have been out of his mind, but he even grabbed the boss by the collar and shook him, expressing his desire to rest.
Then he was told.
"I said I'd turn you into a monster if you complained one more time. I heard monsters don't need to eat or sleep. That monster with the terrible personality. She sleeps and eats everything while saying that."
"That's...."
"Haven't you experienced social life yet? That's how evil companies are. They always deceive new recruits with all sorts of words like the leader must set an example, take the initiative, and the upper stream must be clear for the lower stream to be clear. But in reality, the Chairman or CEO never does that. Do you know what that's called? In Korean, it's called Kkondae, was it Kkondae?"
G12 hesitated whether to tell the truth or not, but seeing Architect's actions of subtly trying to rest while grumbling, he recited the cruel truth.
"Lighthouse-nim said that Phoenix-nim hasn't slept for even 10 minutes today and has been awake the whole time."
Architect's face turned pale.

Hwareuk.
Blue flames ignited on Phoenix's body. This was already the 324th time. The frequency was increasing.
"...Are you okay?"
Deokbae handed Phoenix a piece of paper with a worried look. Phoenix blankly accepted the paper and began to scan it from top to bottom.
"They want to prioritize moving into the residential area of Yeouido? No way. These people haven't even said they'll join Cheonghwadan yet. Rejected. Denied."
Phoenix crumpled the paper and threw it into the air. With a cheerful finger snap, the paper turned to ashes and disappeared.
"Let's see. 'The feces and garbage smell too bad. Please do something about it?' ...They've been living well in the underground until now, and now they're complaining?"
Phoenix tapped her smartwatch. The time was already pointing to 3 AM.
"...I'll make sure to stop by when I go to Dongjak. Record it. I can incinerate it with flames to eliminate the smell. Let's see. There are 3 more things to take care of in the underground, right? I'll have to take care of them all at once in the morning. Write it down."
"I'm asking if you're okay."
Phoenix shook her body from side to side and read the next paper. It wasn't even a proper paper, but a list of requests from residents written in an elementary school diary.
"Yes. I just need to stop by and use Mana. Ah, there are 3 more things to take care of in the underground, right? I'll have to take care of them all at once in the morning. Write it down. Please restore the university? This isn't particularly urgent, right? Send it to Architect. Tell him to take care of it."
"I'm asking if you're okay?"
Phoenix blinked. Hwareuk. Blue flames engulfed her entire body again. This was the 325th time.
"You haven't slept a wink since you spent the night with Cheon Gaeul that day."
"Oh my. I was just going to hold hands and sleep, you know? It was Subordinate No. 2 who ruined that."
"...That's true."
That day, Deokbae died and was resurrected as a monster for the first time.
The charge was being a 'Nonsense-nun' (someone who doesn't understand the mood). The perpetrator was Cheon Gaeul. The accomplice was Phoenix.
"Come to think of it, Gaeul-ssi has been speaking informally to everyone since that day."
Phoenix put the papers down on the table and stretched her arms out. Deokbae subtly hid the notebooks he had hidden behind his back so they wouldn't be seen.
"It's more familiar to me, but I feel a bit sad."
"Are you talking about that future Cheon Gaeul?"
Phoenix nodded. As she flicked her Mana, the notebook Deokbae had hidden behind his back flew into Phoenix's hand.
"That's right. Masquerade was an arrogant villain. Phantom is a villain now, but her tendencies are clearly different."
As Cheon Gaeul called her alias <Phantom>, <Masquerade> became a pronoun referring to the future Cheon Gaeul.
"It's like even though they're both gangs of thieves, the Yellow Turbans and the Hwalbindang are different."
"Are you trying to talk about the difference between thieves and righteous thieves?"
Phoenix scratched her head with a sullen smile.
"Unintentionally, it looks like I'm going to be doing righteous thievery thanks to Phantom."
"Then what, were you going to exploit all 60,000 of the Dongjak refugees?"
"No. I was just going to bury them underground. I was worried about having such troublesome things."
Deokbae ignored it.
"Well, a lot of people from those 60,000 have joined Cheonghwadan, right? The people who came to Yeouido are working pretty hard."
"We're not even paying them, so there's no way they'd work that hard voluntarily. Humans will never work that hard without something in return."
Phoenix tore the notebook one page at a time.
"There are cases like Jihwa who have a desire for power, and cases like Architect who have pride in their work. Most of the people who joined Cheonghwadan lowered their heads to survive. Look. As soon as they feel a little better, all sorts of desires come out, right?"
Phoenix gathered the papers and shook them.
Most of them were petitions containing the desires of people who wanted to escape years of cave life and return to the life of modern civilization.
"Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying this is bad. We're not people from the primitive era, we're people living in the 21st century, so of course we should enjoy what we should enjoy. Deokbae-ssi is the same, right? Even if you're just using a smartphone and your data gets cut off, you get anxious, but these people have been experiencing the Stone Age for years."
"So you're going to grant them all?"
"I have to grant them as much as possible, right? What else can I do? It's already turned out like this. If I picked them up on the street, I have to take responsibility until the end."
"Are the Seoul refugees stray cats?"
Phoenix shrugged. She didn't particularly deny it.
"Stray cats. Puhuhu. That's not wrong. I have to build them a house, find them food. Ah, right. What happened to the food supplies that came through Milky Way?"
"We decided to load them all onto trailers going up to Seongnam. Only in the form of us attacking and stealing them."
"I'll have to pay for the trailer too."
Phoenix got up from her chair. After burning the unnecessary papers in her hand with fire, Phoenix walked to the window and stretched.
Hwareuk.
The blazing flames engulfed Phoenix again. The 326th time.
Just as she poured potions into Architect to forcibly bring his mental and physical condition to its best, Phoenix herself also forcibly circulated her Mana throughout her body to maintain her best condition.
From April 14th to May 1st, about 18 days. Phoenix hadn't slept a wink.
"Don't worry. I'm feeling very civilized right now, so it's still manageable."
"What are you talking about again?"

"Listen carefully, Subordinate Number 2. A monster isn't a being that needs to eat or sleep in the first place. It's just that habits from their human days remain, and they seek mental satisfaction by fulfilling them—"
"Judging by how long you're talking, you're finally back to your senses."
Deokbae interrupted, pointing to his smartwatch. An alarm had arrived.
"Check it. I'll finish dealing with this and come back."
"Yes."
Deokbae left. Phoenix checked the message that had arrived.
[Milky Way]: The item you requested is scheduled to arrive at dawn. I'm looking forward to a good quality Core this time too ^^ As a side note, it seems like a surprising guest will be visiting from New Seoul today, so be mentally prepared! To our beloved customer♡
"Are they out of their minds?"
Phoenix immediately opened the keyboard to reply, but chuckled and closed the screen.
"Fine. I'll see them when they come. Though it won't be me."
Phoenix summoned Lighthouse.
That morning. A special envoy arrived in Seoul from New Seoul.

Chapter 69

〈 Episode 69 〉 Part 1 Chapter 5 (2)
9 a.m. Yeouido National Assembly Building.
Jang Hujeong was deeply moved as he looked at the neatly restored National Assembly Building. This was where he had worked before he became the Vice Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department and before he lost his district in Seoul and fled to New Seoul.
"......Hmm."
President Seon Uicheol insisted on the National Assembly Building as the venue for the secret meeting. The other party readily agreed. He didn't know why.
Was it a gesture of consideration for Jang Hujeong, a former member of the National Assembly, or was there some other reason?
"It has nothing to do with me anymore."
What mattered was that he had to safely rescue the ten heroes under the President's secret order. Even if the other party was the Villain Alliance, they wouldn't recklessly kill hostages in negotiations with the government, as they were once citizens of the Republic of Korea.
"But...."
Jang Hujeong swallowed hard as he looked at the men who had escorted him here through the subway station. The black suits, which seemed hard to have been made in Seoul, and the blue ties with flame patterns indicated that they were all members of the same organization.
"Have we all arrived?"
"........"
The members of the organization were silent. Only the Team leader of the team that had led Jang Hujeong spoke, but he didn't say anything other than what was necessary.
"They're very quiet people. Don't you think?"
"It also means they're well-trained."
The man who had come with Jang Hujeong nodded in agreement. Yu Yeongho, the President of the Association, had stress written all over his face.
Yu Yeongho, who had been exiled to Busan under the guise of a business trip, had set foot in Seoul to rescue the kidnapped heroes. Jang Hujeong whispered cautiously.
"President. Even so, wouldn't it be better for me to go alone from here? What if something happens to you?"
"From the moment we left the escort heroes in Gwangmyeong, all three of us became vulnerable. The other party probably won't try to take us hostage either. It means they're willing to negotiate."
Yu Yeongho glanced around. Although they were a bit clumsy, the men who were assigned to escort and monitor them all looked well-trained. It was similar to the appearance when civilians voluntarily formed patrols in the early days of the Monster disturbances.
"Come to think of it, this place...."
Yu Yeongho scanned the surroundings. There were traces of battle everywhere, but the buildings themselves were neat, as if they had been newly built.
"What do you think, Eun Jaemin?"
Yu Yeongho asked Eun Jaemin. The Chairman of Yuseong Group. He was a member of the business community who had no connection with the government or the Association, yet he had come to this negotiation table.
In case the negotiations put them in an economically disadvantageous position, the government planned to use the financial power of the companies. The heads of the business community were reluctant to accept the government's coercive behavior, but Eun Jaemin readily complied.
"Haha. I just want Seoul to be stable. Yuseong's headquarters were here, weren't they? My father would be happy too."
Eun Jaemin was as happy as a child at an amusement park. Although he was as cold-blooded as a knife when running the group, he sometimes showed the appearance of a young man of his age.
A passionate man who couldn't stand injustice and worked for social justice. People called him a pushover tycoon.
"Haha. I see. Thank you for your help. The government is having budget difficulties right now...."
"Don't worry. It doesn't matter how much the negotiations cost. Just let them live and return to New Seoul safely, and...."
"Leave the sponsorship to Yuseong to me. I have that much power."
"Thank you, President."
Of course, no matter how nice he was, he was still a businessman at heart. He was determined to get something in return for providing the funds for the negotiations. The government could just shut its mouth, but the Association offered as much compensation as possible.
Step, step.
The escorts straightened up at the appearance of a man coming down the steps of the National Assembly Building.
He was dressed in a neat suit like a new employee of a large company. The man was wearing brown sunglasses, as if he was sensitive to sunlight.
Beep.
Yu Yeongho overlaid visual information on the lens of his specially made glasses. The man's physique, gait, and the felt Mana wavelength. The Yu Yeongho's personal database stored in his smartwatch quickly identified the man.
B-class ability user. Villain. Lighthouse Kim Jihwa.
He, who had brightly illuminated the night and reigned as the cowardly King of Guro, was walking around in the bright morning sunlight.
While Yu Yeongho was thinking about him, Lighthouse bowed.
"Nice to meet you. Please call me ."
"...Is it okay to reveal your identity so easily?"
Yu Yeongho scratched his cheek. Lighthouse smiled slightly and pointed inside.
"Please follow me this way."
Lighthouse moved into the building. The three followed him into the National Assembly Building.
"Hmm."
Jang Hujeong was lost in thought at the sight of the neat interior of the building. Yeouido was said to have been devastated as a battlefield between humans and Monsters, but the National Assembly Building he saw with his own eyes was not at all like that.
It was cleaner than when he was a member of the National Assembly. Jang Hujeong couldn't understand the condition of the building with his common sense. It was as if it had been newly built.
Step. Lighthouse's steps stopped. It was a desolate place with no nameplate, but a piece of A4 paper taped to the door clearly read 'Conference Room'.
"......I really can't figure it out."
As Jang Hujeong shook his head and became increasingly puzzled, Lighthouse knocked on the door.
"I'm coming in."
Creak. The door opened. In the middle of the desolate conference room, a concrete table greeted the special envoys.
"Welcome. ...Jang Hujeong?"
A gentleman in a fedora sitting in the middle of the round table raised his voice. Jang Hujeong naturally realized who the other party was.
"Ryu Cheonseong? Four-term member from Gangnam Gap?"
Sky Castle, Ryu Cheonseong, glanced around him as if embarrassed.
To Sky Castle's left, a woman with her face covered by a mask covered her mouth with her hand as if surprised. Behind the woman stood a blue-haired girl like a secretary, bowing her head.
A woman wrapped tightly in a coat and a girl dressed as a secretary. Lighthouse strode over and sat in the remaining empty seat.
"Please sit down."
At Lighthouse's gesture, the special envoys took their seats. At the round table, Jang Hujeong, the representative of the government, sat across from Sky Castle in the middle, and Yu Yeongho sat to Jang Hujeong's left, facing the masked woman. Eun Jaemin sat in the remaining seat, facing Lighthouse, but his gaze was clearly directed at the woman.
After a moment of silence, Jang Hujeong opened his mouth.
"...Indeed. So this is the conference room."
Jang Hujeong suddenly began to feel tense all over. The other party was a four-term member, but he was only a first-term member. As a senior member, this conference room was like his home turf.
"I didn't expect you to come as a special envoy."
"You know each other?"
The masked woman spoke comfortably to Sky Castle, who was twice her age. Jang Hujeong, who valued the principle of respect for elders, was about to say something to the woman who was treating his senior member so rudely, but Sky Castle didn't seem to mind and answered the woman.
"I told you. He was a member of the National Assembly. That guy was a first-term member from Mapo before Seoul fell."
"Hmph. So that's why someone like that came as a special envoy as the Vice Minister of the Countermeasures Department."
The woman recited the classified information as if it were nothing. The existence and information of the special envoy were top-secret information that was only conveyed to Sky Castle.
The fact that the woman was saying it meant that the woman's position was high enough in this place for Sky Castle to share the classified information with her. Yu Yeongho moved the device on his glasses to scan the woman's Mana. At that moment, a blue light flashed.
Crack!
The lens of Yu Yeongho's glasses cracked. He clenched his fist under the table without realizing it. The woman was momentarily dazed, then chuckled.
"Trying to take pictures without permission. Don't you know that's a sex crime? I didn't know the President had such a hobby."
"Oh my. The President has voyeuristic tendencies?"
"Lighthouse, you're not one to talk, are you?"
Lighthouse was silenced by the woman's remark. He was still wearing sunglasses indoors, with his head bowed.
"Let's start with introductions. ."
The woman, who introduced herself as Phantom, pointed to her side.
""
""
The villains revealed their aliases. Jang Hujeong was convinced that they were the leaders of the Villain Alliance that had virtually occupied Yeouido.
"Special Envoy, representative of the government. Vice Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department, Jang Hujeong."
"Representative of the Association. Yu Yeongho."
"........"
It was Eun Jaemin's turn. He was staring blankly at Phantom. Phantom felt his gaze and snorted.
"Hey? What are you looking at? Don't you have a name?"
"Ah, ah. I'm sorry. It's just...."
Eun Jaemin lowered his head as if embarrassed.
"I've been traveling a long distance, so I haven't been able to go to the bathroom yet. Would it be okay if I went for a moment?"
"Again? ...Tsk."
Jang Hujeong clicked his tongue. An unspoken secret about Eun Jaemin. One of his nicknames was 'Constipation Prince' because he went to the bathroom all the time.
Lighthouse smirked with a troubled face.
"Bathroom? Really.... What kind of-"
"I'll guide you."
The girl standing behind Phantom stepped forward, interrupting him.
"What?"
"........"
"Ah, hahaha. Well, he's human, so we have to understand. Don't you think?"
Amidst the villains' embarrassment, the secretary scanned the villains and said with a smile.
"I'll guide the guest myself, so he doesn't get lost."
At the secretary's gesture, the Constipation Prince brightened up and stood up from his seat.
"Haha, I'm sorry. My stomach is really bad.... Instead, Vice Minister, I don't think I'll be back soon, so please start the meeting first."
"What? What are you going to do if you're not here?"
Eun Jaemin bit his lower lip and continued. Everyone in the conference room was tense at the sight of his face, as if he was holding back something urgent.
"It's okay. Feel free to negotiate as much as you want. Yuseong has enough funds."
"Please follow me."
At the girl's guidance, Eun Jaemin grimaced as if smiling and hurriedly left the conference room.
"......Well, then let's start. It'll be a negotiation between you and me anyway."
Sky Castle raised his hand to draw attention. Jang Hujeong clenched his fist tightly under the table.
The other party was a political monster who would have been a six-term member if he hadn't left politics for eight years. But now he was just a villain.
In contrast, he had been recognized for his abilities by working in the main departments of New Seoul for many years, and he had gained political experience as the Vice Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department, virtually receiving ministerial-level treatment. One who had virtually retired from politics and one who was still thriving and involved in politics.
It was a fight worth fighting. Jang Hujeong straightened his posture and opened his mouth.
"Okay. Then, first of all, regarding the government's position...."
The heated negotiations between the government's representative and the villain's representative filled the conference room.
* * *
Step, step.
Eun Jaemin couldn't take his eyes off the girl in front of him. A black suit skirt and jacket. And a white shirt underneath. Her blue hair, tied up like a ponytail, was particularly noticeable, but Eun Jaemin saw it.
"Isn't it a bit much to wear sneakers with an office look?"
"How about sending a tycoon to the bathroom every day?"
The girl, Phoenix, smirked. The two had already stopped in front of the bathroom. Eun Jaemin hesitated for a moment.
"What are you doing? Come on in."
The girl naturally entered the bathroom. A men's bathroom. Eun Jaemin clicked his tongue and followed her in.
There was nothing in the bathroom. As if they had come straight from a construction site, there were no interiors or facilities.
"I knew our customer was unusual, but...."
"This is a really quiet place."
Snap. Phoenix snapped her fingers. A chair of flames appeared between Phoenix and Eun Jaemin. The power of the S-class, which materializes Mana and gives it physical force in reality. Eun Jaemin sat down on the chair.
Golden starlight sparkled in Eun Jaemin's eyes. Phoenix was even more nervous at Eun Jaemin's actions, sitting on the blue flame chair and boldly banging on the handle.
"Hehe. I knew it. You're the one who fought with Harang, aren't you? An ability of transformation? Which one is your true form? This one?"
"...Strictly speaking, neither is my true form. Like."
Phoenix raised her finger and pointed at Eun Jaemin. The Mana flowing from the tip of her finger flowed to Eun Jaemin.
At that moment, a woman's scream that shouldn't have been heard rang out.
[Kyaaak?!]
The woman's voice was very high-pitched. Phoenix grabbed her stomach and laughed, cutting off the flow of Mana that followed.
Weeing, click.
Eun Jaemin's mechanical eyes opened and a screen appeared from the light. There was a blonde girl with a flushed face, panting. The girl's bangs were slightly singed.
[What are you doing?!]
"That's your true form. Shall we reintroduce ourselves?"
Phoenix bowed her head and raised it.
"The Yuseong Group's bratty third daughter. The infamous villain of the chaebol family. But the reality is that she is the pillar of Yuseong who leads the entire group alone in place of her dead brothers and the real Chairman. The Chairman of the Black Market I first met and Eun Jaemin, who came here as a special envoy, are both mechanical dolls you control? Puhuhu. Oh, were there five more besides that?"
[.......]
"Anyway, nice to meet you. A-class ability user . No...."
Phoenix flicked her fingers.
"Miss Eun Yuha."
Blue flames flared up beside the girl. Eun Yuha smiled brightly and replied.
[Nice to meet you too. My beloved customer.]
In the men's bathroom where no one came, another negotiation was beginning.

Chapter 70

〈 Episode 70 〉 Part 1, Chapter 5 (3)
Eun Yu-ha.
The youngest daughter of Yoo-sung, the best conglomerate in South Korea. With a background and appearance that anyone would envy, she seemed to have it all, but her personality was severely lacking.
A reckless fool who ran wild, trusting only in her background. A psychopath who enjoyed hitting people with wads of cash. An evil woman who would have been abandoned long ago if it weren't for her older brothers. The undisputed number one celebrity people wanted to be eaten by a Monster.
After much deliberation to define all those images in a single word, people found the most appropriate term to describe Eun Yu-ha.
Yoo-sung's good-for-nothing brat.
That was the image of Eun Yu-ha known to the outside world.
Of course, it was an image she had deliberately created.
"Who in South Korea knows? That the good-for-nothing brat is actually the owner of Yoo-sung, and the CEOs of each group are all dolls controlled by Eun Yu-ha."
[Exactly. It's a fact that no one knows except for me, my confidants, Old Man Gwanggeom, Seok-ha, and that little girl. How did our customer find out?Across the screen, Eun Yu-ha's face was full of composure. But inside, she must be burning black.
"I wonder. How did I find out? Then here's a quiz! I'll give you exactly seven chances with the Eun Yu-ha chance, so try to guess once. How I know you."
[Seven times? Are you making fun of me right now?]
"Of course. Heu-heu."

-Eun Yu-ha's symbolic number.

The 16 heroines introduced on the official site were numbered according to the order in which they were introduced. Eun Yu-ha was the seventh among them.
Omake Number 7.
The <Puppeteer>'s ability, kept secret from others, allowed her to control mechanical dolls as if they were real people, and she could only move exactly seven dolls.
Eun Jae-min was one of them, the public face of the Yoo-sung Group that Eun Yu-ha moved externally.
The reason I deliberately gave her seven chances was an allusion to the fact that I knew about Eun Yu-ha's ability.
After much deliberation, Eun Yu-ha finally parted her lips.
[......Have we ever met before? Not counting the Incheon container.]
"Wrong. 1. I have never met Eun Yu-ha Agassi's real body. Ah, I'll give you a hint like this every time you get one wrong."
[Thank you. But then there's no way you'd notice the nature of my ability. Even if an S-class like Old Man Gwanggeom or Seok-ha noticed, they wouldn't know that I'm Eun Yu-ha.]
"Heu-heu."
That's why I like Eun Yu-ha. Eun Yu-ha is smart enough to move the entire group and multitask seven people. She was truly a genius, not an exaggeration.
She was so smart that she sometimes screwed up, but she was one of the top two in intelligence among the original heroines.
Even if I didn't explain it in detail and just leaked a little information, she would use that to deduce the truth close to the correct answer.
Eun Yu-ha clapped her hands.
[Then do you work for some intelligence agency? Honestly, if it's America or Russia, they would have figured out information about me.]
"2. Don't worry, they're not skilled enough to do that. It's hard for your dolls to be noticed unless they're 'decent' S-class."
Seol-hwa Gongju and Gwanggeom were weird for noticing it.
[Oh, then a regressor? A transmigrator?]
"Huh?"
I was dumbfounded. Why suddenly mention regressors or transmigrators when things were going so well?
"Why is the topic suddenly turning to fantasy? You're someone who never makes wild guesses without evidence."
At my answer, Eun Yu-ha covered her mouth and chuckled. I instantly sensed that I had fallen into Eun Yu-ha's trap.
[I see. You know not only my ability but also my personality. Thanks for the hint. Heu-heu.]
Grinding. My teeth naturally grated. She deliberately threw out wild guesses to extract information from me and, at the same time, imitated Phoenix's laughter to tease me.
"Keueung."
Come to think of it, I couldn't count how many times I had been tricked like this when I was on her individual route. It had been so long that I was flustered and showed a weakness.
It's not that I'm stupid. That cunning little girl is just too smart.
"3, 4. I won't give you any more hints now. I'll just tell you if you're right or wrong?"
Eun Yu-ha waved her hand and laughed. Ah, I got tricked again.
[It's okay. We'll have many chances to meet in the future, so let's get to know each other gradually. Right now, I'm too busy talking about our deal.]
"........"
This bitch.
[Why? Do you want to continue? Then come to my house. You know where it is, right?]
"...Who wouldn't know that you're trying to confirm whether I know your house or not based on my reaction?"
[You're not falling for it. Heu-heu.]
Eun Yu-ha covered her mouth with her hand.
[But you know what? If it were someone who didn't know, they would usually argue, 'How can I go if I don't know?' They wouldn't take a break and talk about something else. I don't think our customer is the type to set up double or triple traps while talking.]
"...If someone ever breaks through the roof and falls onto my bed, know that it's me."
Eun Yu-ha chuckled.
[You're not denying it. Good. I love that you're so cool and open about it. I love it so much.]
"Sorry, but my love is already elsewhere, so I can't accept that love. Look for another client."
[Oh, dear. Is that love that money can't buy? That's a shame. I was wondering if I could get an S-class ability user as a mercenary.]
"Instead, we have a really intense deal, right? Go ask around. See if there's another client who brings in A-class Cores this well."
Eun Yu-ha and I both laughed. I felt it when we were talking in the container, but now I'm sure.
This woman. She really matches well with Phoenix.
"Then, shall we slowly-"
[Shall we get back to the deal?]
Even the timing of changing the subject was perfect. I tapped my smartwatch and brought up the screen. Eun Yu-ha's eyes quickly scanned the list on the screen.
The amount of Core earned in the two weeks since the Seoul Recovery Operation. It was a list summarizing all those quantities. Eun Yu-ha's eyes widened in surprise as she scanned the list.
[The quantity is small this time? I think there was more before the operation. Did the Monsters run out after the operation?]
"That's not it. We have some use for it on this side."
[Use?]
I knocked on the bathroom wall as if knocking on a door.
"This is all built with Monster Cores. The interior is woefully inadequate, though."
[.......]
Eun Yu-ha was silent for a moment. She must be racking her brain. If I had to guess....
"Yes. You can restore buildings with Cores. Yes. There's an ability user with that ability. So, what building are we restoring? We're mainly restoring residential facilities right now. The refugees who were really left in Seoul. We're securing living spaces for those people, so we don't have any Cores to spare right now."
[.......]
Eun Yu-ha's face was properly contorted. Awesome. I landed a good hit.
[Then-]
"Yes. So, what I'd like you to send in future deals is a large amount of food and relief supplies. We need enough to feed at least 60,000 people. Right! We can't trade without the government and the Association noticing. So, the main task we're negotiating with the government this time is that."
[Public recognition.]
Eun Yu-ha cut me off. I nodded with a benevolent smile. Before I could open my mouth, Eun Yu-ha spoke first.
[You're trying to get the government, New Seoul, to acknowledge the existence of the urban legend that is the Seoul refugees. But to do that, there has to be a quid pro quo, and it can't be Cores since you have to trade all of them with me. Then, of course....]
Eun Yu-ha laughed in disbelief.
[You're trying to threaten the government with the money you made from selling the lives of 60,000 people in Seoul!]
"...Half right? Heu-heu."
No matter how much of a genius Eun Yu-ha was, she didn't know about the existence of the Cube. Therefore, she didn't consider the possibility that I could 'control Monsters' at all.
That's why the accident involving the special envoy sent by Seon Eui-cheol was stuck there.
Ten heroes protected by the Villain Alliance and 60,000 refugees. And fire-attribute Monsters surrounding them on all sides.
That's right.
Now that it's come to this, we've decided to become righteous thieves for a while.
* * *
"...60,000 people lived in the basement of Dongjak? You're asking me to believe that now?"
Jang Hu-jeong's hand trembled. An urban legend that was like a taboo in New Seoul had popped out of the other party's mouth.
'People still live in Seoul, and they've hidden underground to avoid the Monsters.'
It was a problem on a different level than dozens of villains illegally occupying buildings and living like gangs of thieves. Most of the residents of New Seoul were displaced people who had escaped from Seoul, and most of their families, friends, and lovers had been left in Seoul and had lost contact.
In other words, among the 60,000 people in the basement of Dongjak, there might be those they had buried in their hearts.
Haneul-seong tapped the table with a leisurely face.
"Yeah. There used to be more. Fortunately, there was no problem with drinking water. The Han River was right next to us. The problem was food...."
Haneul-seong turned his gaze to Lighthouse. Lighthouse adjusted his sunglasses and took over the conversation.
"We raided all kinds of food warehouses to avoid the Monsters' eyes. Supermarkets, department stores, even small convenience stores. Well...in the end, most of them were past their expiration dates, and even that wasn't enough, so we even laid our hands on Monsters."
Lighthouse smiled sadly. Even just Guro was like a survival experience center. If the corpses of Monsters couldn't be used as human food, then surely after someone died, unidentified meat would be served in their bowls the next day.
"Architect, James Lee, saved as many as 60,000 refugees. Until now, they've been hiding underground, but we've decided that they can no longer stay in Seoul in the face of dangers like dimensional gates."
Phantom opened his mouth.
"Our Villain Alliance has decided to protect them. You know better than anyone what state Seoul is in, right? I'm talking about the fire-type Monsters running wild in Guro and Gangnam."
"...We call it a volcanic eruption."
Yoo Young-ho scratched his cheek. Abnormally generated fire-type Monsters. Some of them were like small canaries and didn't look like Monsters at all, but they all had one thing in common.
Monsters without Cores.
The Monsters that occupied Guro and Gangnam were all strong and ferocious, but after catching them so diligently, they didn't spit out any rewards and were engulfed in flames.
So, the Association newly defined those Monsters. Monsters moved by Mana - Demonic Beasts.
"Yes. That unidentified Monster is still looking for prey in Gangnam and Guro. So, we've decided to make this Yeouido and Dongjak our last stronghold. However."
Lighthouse pointed to the map spread out on the table. A route that connected Dongjak and Anyang in a long line.
"Since the Monsters don't leave Guro and Gangnam, we can travel between them like this. Just like the way you came here."
"Gwanak Mountain."
The special envoy chose the mountain path from Anyang to Yeouido. That slope that Hwama-ryong had created and Seol-hwa Gongju had paved.
Haneul-seong drew a line across the map with his finger.
"The remnants of Hwama-ryong are still there. Didn't you feel it yourselves? Did you encounter any dangerous Monsters while climbing all the way from Anyang to here?"
"...There were a few D-class around Gwanak."
Jang Hu-jeong nodded.
"I understand what you're saying. As someone who eats the country's rice, I should naturally protect the 60,000 citizens of Seoul. But right now, we realistically don't have enough power to evacuate them all."
"That's why I'm telling you. Just know that 60,000 citizens are still in Seoul. We'll survive on our own for the rest."
"...Are you saying you're going to build a kingdom in Seoul now?"
"Puhaha!"
Haneul-seong burst into a hearty laugh. His large, pot-lid-like hand banged on the table.
"A kingdom! Are we going back to the Joseon Dynasty now? Even if we've lived like primitive people here, we're modern people of the 21st century. We're citizens of South Korea under President Seon Eui-cheol. Isn't that right?"
"That's right."
"That's right. But, you see."
Haneul-seong's gaze turned to the Magistrate.
"Realistically, it's difficult for the Association and the government to save even the citizens of Seoul here, so we'll protect this place for the time being. We'll act as vigilantes so that the residents of Seoul can safely survive in Seoul."
"........"
Yoo Young-ho gritted his teeth. Although he hadn't commanded them, it was an undeniable truth that the Association's heroes had been too easily toyed with by the Monsters and villains of Seoul.
If the villains hadn't interfered, Seoul would have been South Korea's land again by now. That was the consensus gathering in New Seoul.
"If it weren't for the Flame Giant and that S-class...."
As Yoo Young-ho gnashed his teeth and growled, Haneul-seong spread his arms and raised his head.
"They're people we don't even know. If there were such people, they would have beaten up the heroes in Gangnam long ago. Isn't that right? Why would we leave that power alone and get arrested?"
That was the problem. If they belonged to the same alliance, why would the Flame Giant and the S-class Monster move independently in Guro and Gwanak?
"Are you really saying you don't know them? You're asking us to believe that?"
"Whether you believe it or not is up to you. We want to know too? What their identities are."
The gazes of the villains and the special envoy collided. Haneul-seong put his arms on the table and leaned forward.
"We're the most curious about those guys. Judging by the way they attacked the heroes, aren't they villains? If we join hands, we won't be arrested by the heroes at least. Isn't that right? And-"
"We can also protect 60,000 Seoul citizens. ...Of course, no one knows what will happen to them. Heu-heu."
The words were flowery, but villains weren't like heroes, people who saved others with goodwill and a sense of duty.
Jang Hu-jeong slammed the table and stood up from his seat.
"Are you threatening us with the lives of 60,000 Seoul citizens now?"
"They're lives we've reaped. So."
Haneul-seong smiled savagely.
"What problem is there if we abandon them again? As you said, we're villains."

Chapter 71

〈 Episode 71 〉 Part 1 Chapter 5 (4)
"Sky Castle is probably threatening appropriately, but the bottom line is, we want this. Don't interfere from New Seoul with what happens in Seoul! We'll survive on our own!"
[The political burden will fall on New Seoul, of course. And the international condemnation.]
Sixty thousand citizens are trembling in fear amidst the Monsters. What is the government doing? Naturally, it will be criticized.
Nevertheless, Seon Uicheol will refuse international aid. He is a nationalistic fanatic who pathologically insists on the independence of the Republic of Korea.
"So, we're going to prove that Seoul can survive on its own."
[How?]
I brought up a map of Seoul. The boundary between humanity and Monsters, established with the Han River as the dividing line. The Cheonghwadan will build a land for Mutants on Yeouido, which marks that boundary.
To the outside world, it will be known as a voluntary recapture of Seoul, achieved through the collaboration of Seoul residents and the Villain Alliance.
"The Seoul Reclamation Operation. We're continuing it."
I pointed to a spot on the map.
South of Gwanghwamun, the administrative center of Seoul and the Serpent's Lair where the most formidable S-class Monster in Seoul, and the worst in the Republic of Korea—the Imoogi—slumbers.
Seoul City Hall.
"May 15th. In two weeks, we will kill the Serpent in City Hall and reclaim Seoul. Without the help of New Seoul."
[...Seoul will truly become Seoul Special City, in the truest sense.]
He's sharp, as expected. I lowered the screen, stopped the metaphorical smile, and hardened my expression.
[But is it okay to tell a merchant like me this kind of thing? I could sell this Core information to the President?]
"Then we become enemies. My main trading partner won't be Yoosung, but another group."
[You're making a pretty cute threat. But I'm actually scared because I think a pain in the ass customer like you would actually do it. Are there only allies and enemies in your life?]
"Eunyuha, aren't you the same?"
[...What do you mean?]
I paused for a moment.
"One who brings me profit. One who brings me loss. A zombie of capital who will join hands with villains if it makes money, and cut ties with heroes if it brings losses. How about it? Compared to Seon Uicheol's New Seoul, is our Cheonghwadan's Seoul profitable for you? Or is it a loss?"
[...Heh heh. You're really interesting. You are.]
On the screen, Eunyuha swept her hair back with her hand. A bright smile, one she had never shown before, flashed between the scattered strands of hair.
[Am I crazy enough to cut off a deal with my beloved customer? Dozens of Cores roll in just from breathing.]
"That's why I'm trading with you."
Eunyuha.
A main heroine, yet a unique individual who shows a tendency towards evil in a different direction from Cheon Gaeul. Mainly in a monetary sense.
"Okay. If you capture the Serpent in City Hall, I'll sell you the Cores as a gift."
[Customer. Will you marry me? I think I'm in love. With the money you bring in.]
...A woman who approached the protagonist and became a companion solely for the protagonist's financial value. A steel-walled heroine who doesn't give love to anyone—not even the protagonist—unless it's in her personal route,
[Customer. Seriously, how much do you want? I want to buy you. Seriously. I've always dreamed of creating a PMC, you know? Just bring your seal. I'll leave the deposit section blank on the contract.]
The best colleague at the moment who would never betray you if you poured more profit into her mouth than anyone else. I answered Eunyuha with plenty of trust.
"I'm sold out."
* * *
"...I understand..."
Jang Hujeong gritted his teeth. He tried to pretend to be okay, but the fist clenched under the table was trembling on his thigh.
"Good. Thank you for your hard work, Vice Minister of the Monster Response Division."
Sky Castle adjusted his fedora with a very satisfied expression. As evident from the expressions between the two Presidents who led the negotiations, it was clear without asking which side had a more successful negotiation.
An overwhelming defeat for the government. The effect of the 60,000 hostages was tremendous. Even the Chairman of the Association, who came along as a representative, subtly helped the Villains by protecting the heroes and people.
Sky Castle paused for a moment and spoke to the special envoy.
"We will hand over the ten heroes right away. We will escort them to Gwanak."
"Thank you for your kindness."
Jang Hujeong bowed his head. On the table, the contents of the negotiation were densely written on paper prepared by the special envoy.
Agreement between Jang Hujeong, Minister of the Monster Response Division representing the Republic of Korea government, and Ryu Cheonseong, Sky Castle representing the Villain Alliance.
Even though it was handwritten on the paper they brought, the content was quite long. Lighthouse briefly recited the contents organized on his smartwatch.
"First, the transfer of the heroes. From a humanitarian standpoint, we will transfer ten heroes to the special envoy, and the Villain Alliance will escort them to Gwanak."
The heroes rescued from the Monsters had finished washing and were placed in separate rooms in the hotel. Only they knew whether it was confinement or protection.
"Next, regarding the Seoul citizens. A week later, on May 8th, the government will dispatch personnel to re-register the Seoul citizens. Limited to 30 people. 15 from the government side and 15 from the Association side."
Most of the residents of Seoul had already been declared dead. Both the government and the Villains expressed reluctance to allow 60,000 people whose resident registration had been canceled to run rampant indiscriminately.
"Instead, resident registration will be carried out according to the will of the Seoul citizens. We will respect individual intentions, but the Villain Alliance will notify them of the legal responsibilities that come with it. The legal responsibilities here mean..."
"That they are giving up being citizens of the Republic of Korea."
Phantom responded bitterly. The degree to which people accepted it would vary, but at least here, the Republic of Korea meant only 'New Seoul.' Lighthouse paused briefly and continued his explanation.
"However, the government has a humanitarian obligation to inform the bereaved families of the survival of those who refuse registration."
Therefore, for those who distrusted Seon Uicheol's Republic of Korea government, the Villain Alliance urged that resident registration be a matter of choice, not obligation.
Of course, hidden behind that was the Villains' intention not to register, but Jang Hujeong didn't notice it because of the last agreement. The Chairman knew the implications to some extent, so he didn't bother to argue.
"Finally, until May 31st, the government will appoint..."
Lighthouse's gaze turned to Sky Castle. Sky Castle took off his fedora and shrugged his eyebrows.
"Sky Castle, Ryu Cheonseong, as the acting mayor to be responsible for the administration of Seoul Special City. Ryu Cheonseong's resident registration will be restored, all criminal records against Ryu Cheonseong will be erased, and the government will not interfere in any of Ryu Cheonseong's actions."
Bang!
Jang Hujeong finally couldn't contain his anger and slammed the table with his fist.
"The mayor of Seoul is an elected position! It's a position that must be chosen by vote!"
Lighthouse pointed to the agreement and rebuked him.
"Vice Minister. These are already agreed-upon matters. Are you saying that you will overturn the agreement if you get angry now? Shall we start the talks again? Even in this moment, the 60,000 citizens of Seoul are suffering."
Sky Castle raised his hand to stop Lighthouse as he tilted his head and sneered.
"Calm down. Heh heh. I don't mind. But Hujeong, you haven't forgotten the rules of the local elections, have you? Who do you think elects the mayor of Seoul?"
"The residents of Seoul elect them."
Phantom added. The Chairman sighed.
Sky Castle, who had made a name for himself in Gangnam and remained in Seoul as part of the Villain Alliance, and so-and-so, who was sent up from New Seoul through candidacy.
Naturally, blood is thicker than water, so they would be more inclined to favor Sky Castle, who had shared the ups and downs of Seoul with them, rather than the candidate from New Seoul, who had abandoned them.
Moreover, it was clear who the existing Seoul residents, who had directly experienced the other side of the Seoul Reclamation Operation, would vote for.
In the end, Jang Hujeong had no choice but to tearfully hand over the position of acting mayor to Sky Castle.
If they held an election, it would only weaken the position of Seon Uicheol's government. It was better to generously hand over the mayoral position to Sky Castle temporarily and aim for the future. That was the bottom line that Jang Hujeong accepted.
"To leave Seoul in the hands of villains for a year..."
"If the country can't protect the people, shouldn't the country be protected? Heh heh. It's just a one-year acting position anyway. When Seoul stabilizes, there will be a by-election for the mayoral position. And don't forget. While I'm acting, regarding the Villains active here..."
Sky Castle looked back and forth between the two and smiled.
"I will always do my best to arrest them and put them in jail. How can I turn a blind eye to criminals running rampant in the heart of Seoul?"
"If you can arrest them, that is."
Jang Hujeong clenched his fist and raged. Before he could shout something spiteful, the Chairman calmly asked.
"Do you think you can cover the sky with your palm?"
In response to the Chairman's rebuttal, Phantom pointed to the ceiling with his finger.
"At least the people of New Seoul won't know anything, right? We at least have eyes and hands to cover things up, but they've plucked out their eyes and ears altogether. So they won't notice anything."
"...Watch your words."
Jang Hujeong was furious, but Phantom shrugged his shoulders.
"Okay. You never know when the Pine Tree Unit will pop out again. The weak have to be quiet. Right?"
"......."
When the Chairman remained silent, Jang Hujeong urgently slammed the desk with his fist and screamed.
"Anyway! Tell me where the heroes are quickly! The people are waiting for the heroes to return as soon as possible!"
"Heh heh. Don't rush me. Lighthouse, would you prepare it?"
"Yes, Sky Castle."
Lighthouse got up from his seat and left the conference room. As one person disappeared, the Chairman took a breath and scanned the empty seat.
"By the way, the Chairman of Yoosung hasn't arrived yet."
About an hour had passed. Although the man often left his seat during meetings, today the time was particularly long.
Jang Hujeong frowned and glared at Sky Castle.
"Don't tell me you guys..."
Jang Hujeong recalled the secretary who had guided Eun Jaemin to the restroom. A small woman with blue hair tied in a ponytail. A rare beauty even in New Seoul.
And the group Chairman who hadn't returned from the restroom for nearly an hour.
Chairman, secretary, restroom.
A male Chairman and a female secretary. An hour spent alone.
"......Hmm."
Sky Castle paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, then suddenly startled and waved his hand.
"No, nothing like that is happening! No! Absolutely not! If something like that happens, I'll tear up that agreement right away and-"
"Something, like, what?"
Phantom growled, grinding his teeth. Sky Castle sweated and avoided his gaze. The Chairman's expression turned pale.
"...Could it be a honey trap?"
"I'm leaving."
Phantom swiped his mask across his face. At the same time, the floor where Phantom had been standing suddenly collapsed, and Phantom disappeared below.
"What?!"
Jang Hujeong was startled by Phantom's disappearance using his ability. The floor tiles were seamlessly connected as if nothing had happened in the place where Phantom had disappeared.
The Chairman whispered softly.
"...He disappeared using his ability. Don't be so surprised."
"I-I'm not surprised!"
His trembling nostrils clearly showed his surprise.
"It's just that, that Villain Phantom seemed very angry."
"Rather than angry..."
The Chairman glared sharply at the spot where Phantom had disappeared. Based on his experience with the numerous ability users he had seen so far, the emotion Phantom had shown at the end was definitely...
"Jeal-"
"Don't say any more, Chairman."
Sky Castle cut him off. His expression didn't seem very comfortable either.
"Sometimes it's better not to know."
The three men fell into silence. Knock, knock. There was a knock from outside.
"Everything is ready."
It was Lighthouse. Sky Castle immediately got up from his seat and walked towards Jang Hujeong. Jang Hujeong also stood up like lightning and shook the hand Sky Castle offered.
The end of the talks was a handshake. The talks, without anyone taking pictures, quietly came to an end.

Chapter 72

〈 Episode 72 〉 Part 1 Chapter 5 (5)
Phoenix and Eun Jae-min—Eun Yu-ha, held hands. Perhaps it had been too long, as Eun Yu-ha borrowed the mouth of Eun Jae-min's doll.
"With this, our contract continues. Don't forget to supply the agreed-upon quantity by the deadline."
A faint smile. Eun Jae-min was gentlemanly, befitting his nickname of 'young nobleman.' I didn't know what his original personality was like, but at least Eun Jae-min, as manipulated by Eun Yu-ha, was like that.
"100 Cores by the end of May. All C-grade or higher. At least 10 A-grade. Correct?"
"Yes. If you target the Serpent of City Hall, you should be able to secure that much."
Even collecting 100 C-grade Cores was a transaction worth over 5 billion won. If they collected 100 A-grade Cores, the transaction would balloon to hundreds of billions of won.
Core transactions through the black market alone generated profits in the tens or hundreds of billions. If Seoul were to regain its function in the future, Monster byproducts could also be processed.
Eun Yu-ha's You Seong would try to devour Seoul's economy through transactions with Phoenix. If the negotiations proceeded as planned, Haneul Seong would swallow Seoul's administration.
Political-economic collusion. On top of that, Cheonghwadan would become Seoul's behind-the-scenes power, gaining immense financial power.
Eun Jae-min clapped awkwardly, as if something had come to mind.
"Come to think of it, Phoenix, don't you invest your funds anywhere? I gave you almost everything in kind, but I remember sending at least several billion won to your account."
"Where is there to spend money in Seoul..."
At best, the only time I went to spend money was when I took a brief trip to Incheon. It would take at least two years for Seoul to regain its former function.
"Still..."
But as Eun Yu-ha said, it was a waste to just let the money sit idle. I decided to follow Eun Yu-ha's purpose in bringing it up.
"Are you going to assign me a financial planner now?"
"I can't just sit back and watch your money rot, can I? Haha. I'll manage it for you personally. Trust me and leave it to me. I'll launder it well so you can use it even in New Seoul, not just as black money."
"Then I'll invest in You Seong."
"An excellent choice."
Was it my imagination that a ₩ mark flashed in Eun Jae-min's mechanical eyes? Eun Jae-min immediately pulled up a screen and brought out various investment products. I immediately grabbed Eun Jae-min's wrist and lowered the screen.
"That's enough. I already know where I'm going to invest."
"...Oh? Are you saying you have an investment destination you're sure of?"
"I'm not planning on making any financial gains."
Eun Jae-min's eyes twitched slightly. Saying that I wasn't planning on making money was the same as saying that Eun Yu-ha wouldn't be able to breathe.
Except for her only hobby, Eun Yu-ha poured all her earnings back into reinvestment.
"Then where?"
"Eun Yu-ha, do you like looking at the stars?"
"...Of course."
Like the name of the You Seong Group, and like the Big Dipper image revealed in the puppeteer's ability, Eun Yu-ha was a person with a significant connection to the stars.
Her field of interest was stars, astronomy.
"How do you know my hobby again? I might have to report you as a stalker, customer?"
She must be thinking all sorts of things in her head. How does he know my hobby? Is he trying to win me over with this? How much does the other party know?
[...Haa.]
The girl's sigh escaped from Eun Jae-min's mouth.
[Where are you going to invest, exactly? An optical telescope? Lens manufacturing? Or a scholarship donation to the Department of Astronomy at New Seoul University? Research funding?]
Perhaps flustered, Eun Yu-ha delivers the sound directly, not through Eun Jae-min's mouth. I pointed to the ceiling with my finger.
"We're going to see the stars in person. Can you build me a spaceship to the moon?"
[A spaceship?]
I got up from my chair.
"Yes. Let's go see the moon rabbit when we have time, okay?"
[Space travel costs a lot of money. Isn't that too much of a waste for a date?]
"Don't you know that you shouldn't skimp on money when it comes to hobbies and wooing women?"
Eun Yu-ha's laughter is heard. If she were showing the screen, I would be able to see her rolling around on the bed, clutching her stomach.
[Ah, haha. Okay. Let's do that. But I'm going to spend your money like crazy? I'm a woman of my word?]
"As much as you want. But..."
I conjured a flame in my hand and created a shape. Eun Yu-ha marveled at the shape that materialized as the flame flickered.
[The moon.]
"Within the next five years, we need to build a rocket that can go to the moon from Korea. Here in Seoul."
* * *
The deal was done.
As soon as Eun Jae-min and Phantom's secretary returned to the conference room, the special envoy quickly left the National Assembly.
The Villain Alliance offered the special envoy a luncheon, but Jang Hu-jeong neatly refused, and the special envoy immediately took over the 10 heroes and left Yeouido.
Jang Hu-jeong scratched his head.
"Troublesome."
All the special envoy had salvaged was 10 heroes and a temporary agreement that had not yet been signed.
The talks were concluded with as much concession as possible following the Villain Alliance's threat-like coercion, but the thought of the debates over the contents of the agreement in New Seoul already gave him a headache.
"Still, it's a relief that we were able to save the heroes safely."
The Magistrate smiled in relief as he looked at the heroes following behind.
The government would be racking their brains, but from the Association's point of view, it wasn't a bad deal.
The only thing that bothered him was the fact that they had to leave Seoul in the hands of the villains, even for a short time. But the villains were just making threats, and didn't seem to have any intention of massacring the refugees in Seoul. Compared to the extreme levels of Ttangkke or Black Dragon, Haneul Seong and Lighthouse were moderate factions that could be talked to.
Jang Hu-jeong retorted.
"Does the Magistrate intend to just stand by and watch those thugs detain the citizens of Seoul? I think we should immediately scrap this agreement and plan a second Seoul recovery operation."
The Magistrate did not deny Jang Hu-jeong's heated words, but rather agreed.
"Of course. The Association has not given up on Seoul. It's just..."
The Magistrate trailed off, as if trying to hold back his words. He glanced around as if he was being cautious, and whispered very softly.
"I don't think it's a bad idea to temporarily join hands with those who fight against Monsters and protect people. After all, they are also citizens of the Republic of Korea, and furthermore, human beings."
Yoo Young-ho paused for a moment.
"This is the personal opinion of Yoo Young-ho, not the Magistrate, so just let it go."
The heroes who were following behind Yoo Young-ho flinched. They looked at each other, seemingly lost in thought.
"Excuse me, Magistrate."
C-grade hero, Lee Gi-seong, called out to the Magistrate, looking very dejected. At the same time, the leader of the Cheonghwadan members who were following them cleared his throat.
"...Ahem."
Lee Gi-seong was startled. The other heroes behind him gave Lee Gi-seong a look. The Magistrate stopped walking and turned around.
"What's wrong? Agent Lee Gi-seong. Are you not feeling well? Did those guys torture you or something? Let's get you checked out as soon as we get back to New Seoul."
The Magistrate's eyes, glaring at the Cheonghwadan members, were ominous. Lee Gi-seong looked around nervously and waved his hands.
"Ah, no! It's not that. I just thought we were going back to New Seoul..."
If they went up the hillside, just a little further up was the summit of Gwanak Mountain. If they crossed the point of origin of the dimensional gate, it was the boundary where the Cheonghwadan members who were following them as if watching them would return to Yeouido.
Just beyond that, those who had come to escort the special envoy were waiting for their safe return.
"What is it? You're not feeling it yet?"
Lee Gi-seong's behavior was very awkward, but the Magistrate burst into a hearty laugh and patted Lee Gi-seong on the shoulder.
"I thought so. Well, it's understandable that you'd have mixed feelings after almost dying and then surviving. But you're in big trouble now? Your girlfriend threw Monster trash at the Minister, saying you were dead. You're stuck now. You have to find a wedding hall as soon as you get back to New Seoul. But don't ask me to officiate."
"......Yes."
The Magistrate was puzzled by Lee Gi-seong's drooping shoulders. Something was wrong, even considering his condition after being kidnapped by Monsters and rescued by villains.
It was as if he wanted to say something but couldn't, that kind of state. The Magistrate's expression hardened.
"You, perhaps-"
"Ah! We've arrived! Here! It's here!"
Jang Hu-jeong waved his hand and shouted. The heroes who had been waiting in the distance revealed themselves.
Pungbaek, Unsa, Usa. The Three Masters, as well as the heroes who had participated in the Seoul recovery operation. They stepped on Seoul soil again for the 10 heroes who had returned alive, including Lee Gi-seong.
"......!"
And among them were the heroes of the Pine Tree Unit, Team B, who had entered Gangnam. Lee Gi-seong's expression immediately hardened. A hero behind him whispered to Lee Gi-seong.
"......Hey, relax. We're all screwed if we get caught. Did you forget what you heard?"
"...No."
Lee Gi-seong forced a smile as he watched Unsa running towards him.
Although he was wrapped in bandages all over his body, the Team leader who had led his team bowed to Lee Gi-seong, who had returned alive.
"I'm so sorry! My lack of ability put you in danger!"
"It's not just you. It's because we old folks are not capable enough."
The heroes blamed themselves. Lee Gi-seong quickly put on a cheerful smile and lifted the mood.
"No! It was because I was weak. But thanks to the efforts of many Seonbae, I was able to come back alive like this! So it's okay!"
Lee Gi-seong thumped his chest. Unsa raised his head, but his face was full of guilt and worry for them.
At that, the Magistrate stepped in and scolded Unsa.
"It's a good day, Unsa Park Ra-on. Not a single one died and came back alive. It's okay now, but when you go to Anyang, the reporters will be camped out. ...Smile, even if you don't want to. That's what a hero has to do."
"...Yes, Magistrate."
Unsa forced the corners of his mouth up. The heroes chattered loudly at the grotesque sight.
"Haha, ha, ha."
Lee Gi-seong also forced a smile. He glanced around and saw the Pine Tree Unit heroes subtly glaring at them.
"Haha, ha. ...Haa."
Lee Gi-seong fidgeted. So that others wouldn't notice the small thing he had in his inside pocket.
"......That's right. This is all for justice."
♩♪♬
Lee Gi-seong's coat inside pocket. The blue canary that poked its head out chirped as if agreeing.
That afternoon. Seon Eui-cheol announced the safe return of the 10 missing heroes through a national address.
* * *
"Oh, I can see them well."
Through the mini Phoenix nestled in the arms of hero Lee Gi-seong, I was able to observe the faces of the hero party heading to Seoul.
Of course, transmitters, trackers, and other items would be discovered through searches, but the ultra-small mini Phoenix, which was no different from Mana in its natural state, would never be discovered.
'They were made by selecting only 10, so there's no way they'll be discovered.'
"If they are discovered, we'll just have to redo the plan."
I released the connection with the mini Phoenix and lay down on the bed.
"I hope it succeeds."
The operation was based on the assumption that Seon Eui-cheol and the commander of the Pine Tree Unit were no different from what I knew them to be 5 years ago. At the same time, it was an operation built on trust in the heroes who had learned the truth about Seoul.
"If they betray me, it'll be boom!"
Lee Gi-seong. And a total of 10 people, including other personnel.
While operating the Hellhounds, I kidnapped only promising prospects with high potential, and implanted a bomb called mini Phoenix in their bodies, like Lee Seung-hyung.
Since they were full of a sense of justice, they would take care of things on their own since they knew the truth about the Pine Tree Unit.
If not, and they stuck with Seon Eui-cheol or Cheongsong-
'I think I'll be very disappointed in the heroes.'
"So please don't disappoint me, heroes."
I looked down at Seoul from the top of the 63 Building and spread my arms towards the sun.
"I'm watching you."

Chapter 73

〈 Episode 73 〉 Part 1, Chapter 5 (6)
Greetings, citizens. I am Seon Uicheol, the 20th President of the Republic of Korea.
On April 13th, I stood before you to offer my apology. Yes, the failure of the Seoul Reclamation Operation. My hasty judgment led to the loss of many Heroes. Former Minister of the Monster Defense Department, Shin Jingwang, also took his own life, lamenting his failure to fulfill his responsibilities.
Once again, I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families.
However, today.
As we celebrate the first day of May, I am deeply moved to share some good news with you.
On the 20th, after much effort, the government received intelligence that the ten missing Heroes were still alive in Seoul. Kidnapped by Monsters in Guro and taken to the enemy's nest, they narrowly escaped, determined to survive even in the tiger's den.
There, they discovered people living beneath Seoul.
Yes! That's right! People were still living in Seoul! Not just one or two righteous individuals, but a staggering 60,000 proud citizens of our Republic were defending Seoul!
Thanks to the help of the citizens of Seoul, the government barely managed to contact the Heroes. And at 4:00 AM this morning, the government formed an emergency task force and deployed a special forces team to rescue the Heroes.
This rescue unit, centered around the Three Envoys – Pungbaek, Unsa, and Usa – and led by Vice Minister of the Defense Department Jang Hujeong and Magistrate Yu Youngho, re-established itself in Anyang, crossed Gwanaksan Mountain, and successfully made contact with the Heroes in Dongjak, managing to evacuate them safely from Seoul.
Citizens, please applaud the citizens of Seoul. And now, pray that they can safely escape Seoul and return to our embrace.
Citizens! Seoul is still alive! It is not a forsaken land, but a land temporarily seized by vile Monsters and Villains! Even today, 60,000 citizens of Seoul are holding their ground, armed with swords and spears, to reclaim that land.
We will create a great Republic of Korea with our own hands! Just as the 60,000 citizens of Seoul did not falter in despair, we will illuminate the Republic of Korea with unwavering loyalty, as green as the pine tree!
Citizens! We are the proud sons and daughters of the Republic of Korea! Until the day we reclaim the glory of the Republic of Korea, until we reclaim all the land of Seoul and Gyeonggi, our steadfast will shall not be broken!
The Republic of Korea will rise again!
* * *
<8:00 PM, May 1st, Yeouido, Cheonghwadan Headquarters.>
Seon Uicheol's national address continued on a large screen hanging on the wall. Everyone sitting in the lounge was anxious about the content of the announcement, but they breathed a sigh of relief when the results were revealed.
"That puts out the immediate fire. Thank goodness."
"But more people will be coming up from New Seoul next week."
The survival of ten Heroes and the registration of 60,000 refugees in the Dongjak underground.
Of course, the content of the announcement was greatly distorted to suit Seon Uicheol's tastes.
The Heroes who had been kidnapped by Monsters joined forces to escape the Monster nest, joined the underground refugees, and escaped Seoul with their help. In the process, Ryu Cheonseong and James became leaders who led the refugees from the threat of Monsters.
Ryu Cheonseong stroked his beard and sneered.
"Could you tell the truth? That Heroes massacred citizens, and Villains saved them."
"...I didn't know anything when I was in New Seoul. Really."
Gaeul's words drew the attention of everyone in the lounge. Everyone in the lounge was from the outskirts of New Seoul.
In comparison, Gaeul was a resident of New Seoul who had lived there until just a month ago. Gaeul clenched her fist.
"We only talked about it as a joke. They said the Pine Tree Unit would catch anyone who criticized the government or was a subversive element. But they really were those kinds of guys, weren't they?"
Gaeul's gaze turned to Yuishin, who was standing behind her. Yuishin took out the whiteboard she was carrying on her back and wrote on it with a magic marker.
- Jokes on the network, mostly true.
"That makes sense? How is that possible?"
Jihwa asked in a flustered voice. Could even the President actually commit such terrible acts?
When Yuishin seemed to want to say something lengthy, Gaeul glanced at Deokbae. Deokbae handed over his smartwatch and launched the app.
Tap, tap. The headless Monster quickly typed, and soon the content was delivered in a mechanical voice.
[All networks within New Seoul are subject to government censorship. They identify anti-government forces or reactionaries and then deploy the Pine Tree Unit. They are either expelled from New Seoul or become new members of the Pine Tree Unit.]
"Oh my god. Big Brother?"
James scoffed. Ryu Cheonseong added with a bitter face.
"He made it possible. He made deals with the National Assembly and the judiciary, gagged the press, and made them his own. With the Pyongyang situation happening, he built his own kingdom in New Seoul."
"He's a dictator."
Ryu Cheonseong chuckled at Jihwa's words.
"Where in the world isn't there a dictatorship right now? Look at China and Japan next door. The whole country has tilted to the right. China is trying to expand its territory in all directions, and Japan is eager to strike this country at any moment. The Association is the only thing mediating between them to prevent war."
"........"
Deokbae crossed his arms and shook his legs. He remembered what Phoenix had said in the past.
"He once said something like that."
Everyone's attention was focused on Deokbae's words.
Although Cheon Gaeul may have been the closest to Phoenix emotionally, Jo Deokbae was the one who knew the best about Phoenix's grand - unknown to anyone - plan. Deokbae scratched the back of his neck.
"The Cheonghwadan's power must grow to the point where it can wage war against a country."
"Isn't that crazy?"
Jihwa muttered to herself and clamped her mouth shut. Everyone turned to her, noticing her involuntary outburst. Only Deokbae nodded.
"How can you understand that crazy b□□□'s head? Ah, I didn't put anything in mine, did I?"
"I brought plenty of syrup. Ms. Jihwa has iced tea, right?"
"Ah, thank you. Team leader...."
Deokbae held a muddy-looking Americano in his hand. Jihwa's movements, which had been about to pick up her iced tea, froze.
Silence. While everyone was speechless, only the sound of Deokbae gulping down his coffee and the sound of the drink being placed on the table echoed in the lounge.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and get it."
Phoenix lifted his smoothie and stuck a straw in it. Jihwa moved her hands like a waterwheel and made excuses.
"Well, Team leader. What I mean to say is...."
"That's enough. It's the fault of Mo Deokbae, son of Jo, who cut off all the circumstances and made his boss a bad guy."
Phoenix tapped Deokbae on the crown of his head. Tang, tang. A clear and bright sound echoed.
"Okay. Since it's my fault, why don't you tell me why you're trying to wage war with another country?"
Slurp. The sound of the drink going up the straw echoed. Everyone's attention was focused on Phoenix's mouth.
"Anyway, today's agreement was successful. With this, we won't have to worry about New Seoul with things like the Seoul Reclamation Operation for the time being."
"You're changing the subject?"
Gaeul was full of annoyance. Since Phoenix had appeared, he had been glaring at Phoenix with coldness. Phoenix picked up a cup and handed it to Gaeul.
"Do you want something sweet?"
"What do you think I am...."
The sweet scent of maple syrup and caramel tickled his nose. Gaeul trailed off, glaring at the caramel macchiato in his hand before putting his lips to the straw. Phoenix sat next to Gaeul and tapped the table to get everyone's attention.
"Let's listen while we drink. The possibility of war is just a worst-case scenario, so you don't have to worry about it that much."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at Phoenix's assertive words. Phoenix smiled with satisfaction and continued.
"So, let's just solve the immediate situation. First, let's check each person's role and reconfirm the mission."
Phoenix snapped his fingers. The drinks that had not yet been picked up went to their owners. There was nothing for the headless Yuishin.
Phoenix's finger pointed at Jihwa.
"First, Lighthouse, Ms. Jihwa, please continue to monitor the outskirts as you are now. Make sure that those bastards don't set foot in Seoul again. The authority to command the members is with Lighthouse."
"Understood."
"Deokbae and Phantom are the interception units. Deokbae is in the east, Phantom is in the west. In conjunction with Lighthouse, they will repel Monsters and Villains entering the underground. Hide your identity as much as possible, but if you think you're going to get caught, deploy Hellhound."
"I understand."
"Okay."
"Sky Castle, please continue to soothe the residents as you are now. It's annoying, but please listen to the complaints and cut off unnecessary ones at Sky Castle. We may have won the Seoul mayor's seat by a fluke, but the government will definitely try to get involved later."
"Then, if there's a by-election, you want me to actually become the mayor? I understand. I'm confident in elections."
"Good. If you find anyone among the refugees who seems good, you can immediately recruit them as talent. Even if it's just for show, make a separate list of people who are useful. Later, we can negotiate with the government and create a special recruitment system."
"I understand."
Phoenix drank his drink to wet his throat. James, who was in Phoenix's line of sight, opened a can of beer.
"Can I just keep restoring Dongjak as it is?"
"Yes. Until May 14th. Just make sure it looks decent from the outside. That's the end of the role assignment for each person for now."
Lighthouse Kim Jihwa is on guard.
Phantom Cheon Gaeul and Jo Deokbae are on patrol and combat.
Sky Castle Ryu Cheonseong is in charge of administration.
Architect James Lee is in charge of reconstruction.
Phoenix was in charge of supplies so that everything could run smoothly.
He deliberately crossed the 38th parallel to hunt Monsters and scrape together Cores, secured funds through trade with Eun Yuha through the black market, and received goods necessary for human survival in exchange for the proceeds.
This morning, a large number of trailers transporting large quantities of food from Seongnam disappeared. Only the person who stole the goods and the owner who had the goods stolen know where those goods disappeared to.
Phoenix finished the rest of his drink and made a special order to James.
"Oh, and when you rebuild the houses in Dongjak, don't put too much effort into the reconstruction. If you reveal too much of your resources, New Seoul will try to kidnap you."
"What does that mean, exactly?"
Deokbae tilted his head. Architect also put down the coffee he was drinking. Phoenix snapped his fingers and burned the cup.
"The government probably knows about Architect's existence and abilities. It's already registered in the Villain database, and the special envoy reported to Yeouido, so they can't not know. They'll just think he's an esper who can do this much if he has enough Mana."
Ryu Cheonseong stroked his beard and smiled. Phoenix was the one who chose the meeting place with the special envoy.
"You deliberately chose Yeouido as the meeting place. To show off."
"Yes. Then Seon Uicheol will think. How far could the Villain Alliance restore Yeouido? Why did the Villain Alliance choose the 'National Assembly Building' as the meeting place? Where did they gather this much Mana? If you combine the various information you have...."
"Cube."
Everyone nodded at Gaeul's words.
"You're implying to President Seon Uicheol. That the Villain Alliance has the Cube."
Phoenix had already explained the existence of the Cube to the executives.
"He's pretending to be generous on the outside, but he's probably furious on the inside. All the Pine Tree Unit members are dead, so he can't confirm it, and the surviving Heroes have learned the truth about the Pine Tree Unit. He's probably still desperate to find out what's going on in Yeouido, right?"
"What if he already knows?"
Phoenix turned his head at Deokbae's point. Phoenix was frowning.
"Yuishin! During the Seoul Reclamation Operation, did the Pine Tree Unit have a way to inform Seon Uicheol?"
Gaeul, who was standing behind him, quickly tapped on the virtual keyboard.
[Only the team leaders of each team could contact him directly. Team leader Park Seongtae of Team A, who was deployed to Yeouido, did not contact us again after receiving the order to kill Cheon Gaeul.]
"What?"
Gaeul crushed the cup in an instant. The paper cup burst and the coffee inside flowed over his hand, but two tentacles that popped out of Gaeul's back quickly wrapped around the cup.
Swish, swish. The end of the tentacle, which was moving like it was chewing, swallowed only the drink and spat the paper cup on the floor. Phoenix immediately incinerated it.
"Seon Uicheol ordered me to be killed? Really?"
[Team A was given a secret mission to find the 'item'. Seon Uicheol expected it to be in the National Assembly Building, so he ordered all witnesses to be killed. I think he thought the same about Cheon Gaeul.]
"That b□□□...."
Cheon Gaeul tried to swear, but covered his mouth with his fist. Yuishin quickly typed.
[Is that item the Cube that God spoke of?]
"That's right. A sacred object that we must all gather and destroy. We used and destroyed one in Yeouido, so there's only one left in Korea."
Phoenix put his hand on the map. Everyone's expression hardened.
"Oh my god. It's there?"
Phoenix's finger was pointing at Daejeon.
"Yes. Daejeon. Right next to New Seoul."
Everyone fell silent. The city of Daejeon was not only a transportation hub, but also a place where Korea's science and technology were concentrated.
And one more thing.
"It was Seon Uicheol's constituency when he was a member of the National Assembly. In other words...."
"Another Cube is enshrined in Daejeon by Seon Uicheol?"
Phoenix was about to nod, but smiled ambiguously.
"It's as good as Seon Uicheol's property, but Seon Uicheol probably doesn't know he has the Cube."
"Huh?"
Jihwa asked blankly. Gaeul clicked his tongue and urged him to explain.
"Don't just keep it to yourself, tell us so we can understand."
Everyone nodded. Phoenix twisted the end of the veil hanging around his neck with his fingers for a moment before clapping his hands.
"The Core Research Institute was built in Daejeon. Someone will be researching there. Without Seon Uicheol's knowledge."

Chapter 74

〈 Episode 74 〉 Part 1, Chapter 5 (7)
<9 PM, New Seoul Government Building, Presidential Office.>
Seon Uicheol lay on the sofa, taking a rest. The gentle classical music playing from the LP brought peace to his mind and body.
Vibration.
However, his legs were shaking uncontrollably, and his hands were tapping on the armrest. More than anything, his gaze was fixed on the sofa opposite him. If Seon Uicheol's current state could be described in two words, it would be: anxious.
He was extremely anxious. Even when he was elected president by a 2% margin, he calmly gave his acceptance speech, but now he was trembling.
Whoosh. The shadow cast beside the sofa rippled greatly. Seon Uicheol feigned composure and lifted his teacup.
"What's the situation?"
"It's impossible. The security is too tight."
Cheongsong presented his burned arm. His slender wrist was clearly visible. Seon Uicheol slammed the cup down and shouted.
"Impossible! Impossible! Impossible! I didn't wait until this hour to hear that from you!"
Seon Uicheol, uncharacteristically, lost his temper, but Cheongsong's answer was firm.
"What's impossible is impossible. During the day, birds are watching, and at night, the lighthouse is glaring. As soon as you get near Yeouido, an attack will come immediately."
"Damn it!"
Seon Uicheol suppressed his anger and drank his tea. His heart wanted to rush to Yeouido right now, cut off the heads of the villains, and find the cube, but Seon Uicheol was a non-ability user.
God had given him absolute power, but not supernatural abilities.
In the end, the Songpa Unit was the limit of the hero power he could wield in the shadows. And with that level, he couldn't even attempt to infiltrate Yeouido. Seon Uicheol, suppressing his anger, asked.
"Is it that S-class again?"
"Yes. He appears like a ghost at the slightest opening and attacks. He's particularly focused on cutting off heads, so he must be the one who sent the box."
Seon Uicheol stroked his neck. The Monster who put the heads of the Songpa Unit members in a box and threw it on the roof of the government building had passed over Seon Uicheol's crown at a speed no one could perceive.
The Light Sword quickly moved to intercept, but the Monster easily blocked the attack and fled.
"Ugh. Still no news from the Light Sword?"
"No. No news yet. He's in secluded training, so no one knows when he'll come out."
Seon Uicheol clicked his tongue.
"Is reality some kind of martial arts novel? Seriously. Secluded training in the 21st century."
"Wasn't it you, Mr. President, who said it was worth it if he could reach the realm of transcendence?"
Cheongsong retorted, sounding dumbfounded. Seon Uicheol mumbled, then cleared his throat with tea and said.
"I didn't expect him to be gone for more than two weeks without any news. Hey, Cheongsong, can't you become an S-class? It seems like you haven't improved from A-class for six years now."
Cheongsong replied in a choked voice.
"Do you think awakening an ability is easy? There are tens of thousands of heroes around the world who can't rise above C-class, no matter how hard they try."
"Lee Seunghyung became an S-class in one go, didn't he?"
Cheongsong's fist slightly rose and then fell. The hand protruding from the burned clothes was so white and delicate that it could be described as slender.
"That's because Hwajeon is abnormal. There have only been about ten fire mages who have reached S-class since the beginning of history. Perhaps due to the backlash from the sudden awakening, he is still recovering in the hospital with Princess Seolhwa."
"...So, in the end, we can't even touch Yeouido. Haa."
Seon Uicheol sighed.
Judging by the circumstances, the cube must have fallen into the hands of evil villains. The traces of the S-class Monster that had been in the National Assembly building were gone, and the villains had welcomed the special envoy in the National Assembly building, which was his suspicion.
"It can't be helped. We can only hope they don't know the true power of the cube. Cheongsong, is the preparation complete?"
"Yes. All ten heroes have been sedated. If we put them in the research building tonight and start the imprinting, it will take about a week."
Cheongsong pointed to his neck with his finger. Seon Uicheol smiled with a slightly relieved face.
"Good. We can't kill them even though they know the truth, so we have to put a muzzle on them. Thanks to you, I can sleep soundly tonight. Thank you always."
"......You're welcome."
Cheongsong turned his head, seemingly embarrassed. Seon Uicheol asked Cheongsong with a subtle look.
"Is there a problem?"
"No. It's just...."
Cheongsong paused for a moment.
"Do you truly want me to become an S-class, Mr. President?"
"......Huh, were you worried about that?"
Seon Uicheol chuckled.
"Don't worry about it. Didn't you say it yourself? Becoming an S-class is extremely difficult. Then it can't be helped. There's no need to push yourself."
"........"
When Cheongsong said nothing, Seon Uicheol hurriedly added.
"Don't go into secluded training like the Light Sword. I can't do anything without you. You're the one who brought me to this position, aren't you?"
"...I understand."
Cheongsong bowed his head. He disappeared into the shadows as he sat in his chair. Seon Uicheol silently drank the remaining tea.
"Tsk."
The aftertaste of the tea was bitter. Seon Uicheol closed his eyes, listening to the music.
"I can't use that one anymore either."
Seon Uicheol's monologue, unheard by anyone, rode the music and scattered into the air.
* * *
<Cheonghwadan Hideout.>
The cube is somewhere in the Daejeon Research Complex.
My bombshell, or rather, not-so-bombshell statement, seems to have left the executives speechless.
"Huh...."
"No, that doesn't make...."
Except for Deokbae, everyone seems dumbfounded, but they all have a common reaction. Ji Hwa stood up and shouted.
"If there's something like that, shouldn't we go find it right away?!"
"Calm down."
Ryu Cheonseong raised his hand to stop Ji Hwa. His eyes were scolding Ji Hwa, but the brief glance he gave me contained a question.
"Tell me, Chief. Do you know who is researching the cube? Do you know how large the Daejeon Research Complex is?"
"...No? But I have a place I suspect."
At my words, Ryu Cheonseong was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Indeed. You can't move because you can't be sure."
At Ryu Cheonseong's words, I snapped my fingers in affirmation. The others seemed to have a little trouble understanding. I added a word of explanation to make it easier for them to understand.
"The research institute is within the Light Sword's 'territory.' As soon as we enter, the Light Sword will rush in."
"Ah."
"Light Sword...."
Everyone groaned. That's how heavy the weight of the name Light Sword was.
"So Daejeon is impossible. Unless the Light Sword leaves New Seoul. In that sense, we have to work hard at what we have to do. Right here in Seoul."
"Well, Seoul alone has a mountain of problems."
Ryu Cheonseong agreed with my words. It's the perfect time to finish the meeting.
"Yes. But you know."
I pointed to my smartwatch. The time had already passed 9 o'clock and was pointing to 10 o'clock.
"We've all worked hard so far, haven't we? We've relieved some of our worries through negotiations with the special envoy. And tomorrow is Saturday, so...."
Everyone's faces brightened. They all seemed to have read my intentions.
"Let's all take a break this weekend? Sorry for keeping you up so late. Then let's all get some sleep. Cheonghwadan executives, all dismissed!"
With those words, the meeting came to an end.
* * *
<Same time, New Seoul Outskirts Hotel.>
"How long do we have to stay here like this?"
Lee Giseong knocked on the door and demanded. The thumping sound was so loud that it shook the glass window on the wall, but the guards protecting them outside gave no answer.
"Damn it!"
Lee Giseong kicked the door hard. The steel door was dented with the mark of the front of his shoe. But even so, there was no news from outside.
"Hoo, hoo."
He calmed his anger with deep breaths and sat down on the bed.
From being put in a vehicle in Anyang to arriving at this remote hotel in New Seoul, they were only given a brief photo op for the reporters and then immediately transferred here.

-You must have suffered for several weeks, so stay in the hotel overnight to relieve your fatigue and prepare for tomorrow.

The government had provided the heroes with a hotel with the best facilities out of consideration, but Lee Giseong felt that this hotel room was more like a prison than his shabby room in Yeouido.
No, it was a prison.
They were currently imprisoned again in New Seoul. Not for the crime of returning alive, but for the crime of knowing the 'truth' that they didn't need to know.
"Seon Uicheol, that son of a bitch...."
Lee Giseong muttered in a low voice.
The Songpa Unit. Civilian massacre. It was a huge sin that could not be tolerated as a hero or as a human being.
But Lee Giseong has no power. He is a weak C-class hero who was bitten by Hellhound in the Seoul recovery operation.
Even the Hero Wiki mostly had scathing reviews such as 'He is righteous and full of a sense of duty, but his talent does not follow.'
"If I stay still like this...."
Lee Giseong stroked his collarbone. There was nothing on his skin yet, but after tonight, a sentence would soon be engraved.
The Songpa mark.
Lee Giseong and the other kidnapped heroes, despite not being criminals, would be branded with the Songpa Unit mark and become slaves of Seon Uicheol.
Suddenly, the sweet, laughter-filled voice of a woman came to Lee Giseong's mind.

-It's okay to ignore the truth and return to your daily life. But if we meet as the Songpa Unit next time, we're enemies? Hehe.

"This is just like what those guys said."
He was doubtful. He thought it was a cunning sweet talk from a villain.
But the shocking sight of heroes massacring civilians had planted a seed of doubt in their hearts, and that seed sprouted as they were trapped in this hotel.
Cut off from outside contact. One night's time.
Knock knock. A knock is heard. Lee Giseong quickly straightened his posture.
"Excuse me."
The thick steel door opened and a woman in a black suit entered.
The woman, dyed black from head to toe, had a name tag on her chest that read 'Monster Countermeasures Unit.' Without a name.
Lee Giseong's body naturally tensed. As the woman pushed her hand, the thick steel door closed tightly.
A man and a woman left alone in a remote hotel room late at night. Lee Giseong swallowed hard. The woman smirked.
"C-class hero Lee Giseong. Sorry for the late hour. The preparations are complete, so let's move out."
"...Where to?"
Lee Giseong glanced at the woman's whole body. He wasn't looking at her body for lewd purposes - although her body was good - but to check the lingering Mana flowing from her.
There was none. The other party is not an ability user. Lee Giseong breathed a sigh of relief inside. The woman replied with a kind face.
"We would like to conduct an examination at the Daejeon Research Complex to see if there are any abnormalities in your body due to the influence of the dimensional gate. The dimensional gate is closed, but the aftermath may remain, right?"
"Ah, yes."
That makes sense, Lee Giseong thought. An inexplicable unpleasantness was rising.
A moment of silence. Only the ticking of the clock flowed. The woman glanced at her smartwatch and scanned the room. The woman's gaze reached the tableware placed on the desk.
"You didn't have dinner, did you?"
Porridge and soup. And some nutritional supplements. It was a meal filled with consideration for the heroes who had missed meals for a long time. Lee Giseong made excuses with an embarrassed face.
"I don't like liquid food very much...."
Lee Giseong avoided the woman's gaze. The way she was staring was as if she was about to stab him with an awl.
"Haa."
The woman's deep sigh shook Lee Giseong's heart. There was a hint of helplessness towards the hero who was picky about food, and at the same time, a very slight annoyance.
The woman tapped her smartwatch.
"You're bothering me at the last minute, really."
Bang! The steel door opened roughly and men in black suits with black sunglasses entered the room. They were all covering their necks with scarves.
"...!"
Lee Giseong was startled and jumped up from his chair. But faster than that, the men in black suits subdued Lee Giseong and made him kneel.
A weak Mana energy was felt through the gloves of the men holding Lee Giseong's shoulders.
The woman pulled down her tie with her hand. As she loosened the top button of her shirt as if she was uncomfortable, the end of the Songpa mark peeked out from the end of her collarbone.
"What?!"
There was no Mana at all. The woman raised the right corner of her mouth in Lee Giseong's flustered eyes.
"Are you curious? Too bad. I have no intention of telling you."
The woman took something out of her pocket. A very small syringe that looked like it came from a playhouse. Inside, an indescribable purple liquid was shaking.
"Just sleep for a while and wake up. When you wake up, everything will be different. Ugh, why are you being picky about food and bothering people for no reason?"
Stab. The needle of the syringe pierced Lee Giseong's neck. With the feeling of loss as the Mana evaporated in an instant, Lee Giseong lost consciousness.
♪♬
A hotel room where everyone has disappeared.
A small canary hidden in the ceiling leisurely passed through the window and flew to the roof.
* * *
Whoosh.
The night breeze is cold. The moon was hanging in the sky as a pretty crescent.
Step, step. Footsteps were heard in the darkness. I greeted him who came to the rooftop railing.
"You have a good sense. I thought you wouldn't know."
"You said anyone below B-class isn't an executive, right? So I can't be dismissed."
That's right. Deokbae, who is still C-class, is not an executive. Deokbae understood the meaning contained in the last words I said and came to find me separately like this.
The executives are dismissed. Deokbae was just a lackey who was sitting in that position with his experience.
"Your sense is A-class. Is it thanks to the Spirit Stone?"
"Okay. Let's get to the point. ...Are you going to go?"
I nodded. Deokbae pressed his temple as if he had a headache. I smiled and patted Deokbae's shoulder.
"I'm just going on a quick reconnaissance. Okay?"
"You're keeping the fact that you're going to Daejeon, where the Light Sword is, a secret. Haa. Can you beat the Light Sword?"
"Can I beat him?"
I pointed to the floor with my finger.
"There is no one on this Earth who can beat me 1:1 alone."
"I'm curious about the source of that unfounded confidence, but let's say you can beat the Light Sword even by 1 percent. Then what are you going to do after that?"
"After?"
At my question, Deokbae nodded.
"Will Japan and China stay still? If the Light Sword collapses, they'll send the Round Table to New Seoul right away."
"I don't know about Japan, but China is possible."
Hwajeon was hospitalized, and Princess Seolhwa was grinding her teeth and training, but she suffered a humiliating defeat to me.
In fact, except for the Light Sword, his status has been greatly damaged. If the Light Sword is killed in this situation, it is no exaggeration to say that more than half of Korea's hero power will disappear.
"Those Chinese guys, I saw them waiting in the West Sea during the dimensional gate incident."
And Japan and China will come to swallow Korea right away. The international community is already too chaotic to look after the affairs of a small country in the Far East.
Deokbae crossed his arms with a sullen face.
"We're trying to avoid the worst situation, right?"
"It's okay. Because we can handle it together then."
"Who? Cheon Gaeul and?"
I shook my head.
"My kin."
"...That spirit? Hey, wait. Is there any relationship between the Light Sword and the spirit?"
"Of course there is. Ah. A signal came."
A wave of Mana resonated from the south far away. I stood on the rooftop railing and shook my hands.
"If anyone is looking for me, tell them Phoenix went out for a night out."
Whoosh. My vision is dyed blue.
With a moment of dizziness, the place I opened my eyes again was the rooftop of the hotel where Mini Phoenix was hiding. I transferred to the Mini Phoenix attached to Lee Giseong.
Vroom-!
Lee Giseong and the heroes left the hotel with a loud engine sound.
I quietly came down from the rooftop and hid in the forest.

Chapter 75

〈 Episode 75 〉 Part 1 Chapter 5 (8)
Daejeon Research Complex.
Located right next to New Seoul, the research complex is where Core research is most actively conducted in South Korea.
In terms of research results alone, Korea's level was among the best in the world. However, whenever a talented individual appeared, other countries would immediately snatch them away.
Foreign countries bought up promising talents with massive financial power, and in the end, only those who lacked ability or pursued values beyond money remained in Korea.
For the country. Because a loved one was in Korea. Because they couldn't speak a foreign language. Because they wanted to be in a high position of power in the government.
'Among them are those who have joined hands with Seon Uicheol.'
Unlike patriotism or realistic conditions, there were those who chose collusion with power.
They produced research results that suited Seon Uicheol's taste, and the results naturally turned into Seon Uicheol's approval ratings.
'At the same time, the place where the Pine Tree Unit is manufactured.'
I followed those who were taking away the subdued heroes. I suppressed my Mana as much as possible so that Gwanggeom wouldn't notice and chased after the car.
Although they have human appearances, their foundation is that of a Monster. Their physical abilities are close to superhuman. They can easily chase a car running secretly at night.
Before I knew it, the car entered the research complex.
'As expected.'
The car quickly enters the underground parking lot. The research complex on the surface may not look much different in satellite photos, but underground, there will be all sorts of research buildings consisting of a dozen or so floors.
'The underground dungeon of the research complex.'
In the middle of the story. A scientist researching the Cube at the Daejeon Research Complex realizes its danger and attempts to escape.
Coincidentally, the main characters protect this scientist and fight against the Pine Tree Unit, and everyone learns about the existence of the Cube and the other side of Seon Uicheol.
In other words, the Daejeon Research Complex is the dungeon where the existence of the Cube is first revealed in the original story.
'The scientist who ran away with the Cube is the main heroine, but that doesn't matter now.'
She becomes an adult in 2025, the point of entry into the original story. So, five years ago, she would only be a middle school student, so there's no reason to see her at the university research complex. In the first place, she's not in Korea at this point.
"Surely she won't suddenly pop out like Cheon Gaeul, will she?"
'No, let's focus on this now.'
I slapped my cheeks and straightened my mind. It's more important to find the location of the Cube now. I hid in the shadow of the building, avoiding the attention of the passing researchers.
'The problem is infiltrating underground.'
Even in the original story, the main characters avoid direct confrontation. It's practically an act of rebellion against the government and the association.
A small elite group goes to find the Cube, avoiding all sorts of security robots and surveillance cameras, and outside, the main character fights against the Pine Tree Unit, stalling for time.
'So I don't know where the Cube is.'
I know the building. Because I fought in the front yard.
But I don't know the inside of the building. Only the three who went to retrieve the Cube know the way, and after everything was over, the entire underground collapsed.
'Fortunately, I know the secret passage.'
Clunk. The manhole cover opened. A stench stung my nose.
"Ugh."
Underground water mixed with all sorts of chemicals. An ordinary person would faint from the smell of chemicals just by getting close.
'I feel really sorry for Park Raon.'
In the original game, I always instructed Unsa, Park Raon, to attack this underground passage. She had the least resistance, and the reduced favorability could be quickly restored.
'But that won't happen anymore.'
Because I'm doing it myself.
"I feel like I'm going to throw up...."
At this late hour, when no one passes by. I jumped into the manhole.
"Uweeek!"
Starting from the beginning, throwing up.
* * *
Clunk.
The wheel of the stretcher car bounced. A researcher in a white gown shouted in embarrassment.
"Be careful!"
"I'm sorry, Seonbae!"
Another researcher bowed his head repeatedly as if he had committed a deadly sin. The Seonbae researcher was not much different.
The Seonbae researcher stopped the stretcher car for a moment and blinked his tired eyes.
"Don't you know how angry Professor will be if even a little bit of his research material is damaged?"
"I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep yesterday...."
The Hubae researcher's eyes were bloodshot, as if they would burst at any moment. The Seonbae researcher was not much different either.
The Seonbae researcher stopped the stretcher car for a moment and blinked his tired eyes.
"How many hours did you sleep?"
"Two hours."
"You slept a lot. Back in my day, sleeping for an hour was a lot."
At the Seonbae's words, the Hubae researcher's face became pale. It wasn't just a remark like that of an old-fashioned person, but it was really said that in the past, researchers were exploited without even being able to sleep.
It's only gotten this much better. The Hubae researcher lowered his head.
"I really want to go to Professor Do's lab."
"I admit that."
Do Seonjae. His appearance is plump, but he is a professor of Hero Studies with as much knowledge and character. If it weren't for his firm belief in his personal theories and his unfiltered criticism of the government, he would have been called the greatest scholar in Korea.
"Those graduate students, they're resting at home now, right?"
"Those guys aren't graduate students. What graduate student in the world comes to the lab and does research and writes papers at their convenience?"
To the researchers, his lab was like heaven. The Seonbae muttered in front of the lab.
"I really want to sleep soundly for just one day."
"If Professor Kang heard that, he'd put you to sleep forever."
"Right? ...Sniff, hey. But didn't you get rid of the chemical smell? Why is the sour smell so strong?"
At the Seonbae's remark, the Hubae hurriedly put his nose to his gown and sniffed. Only the strong scent of fabric freshener stung his nose, and there was no particular smell of chemicals. The Hubae widened his eyes and asked.
"I don't think it's me?"
"Then are you saying it's me?"
The Hubae made a tearful face as the Seonbae frowned.
"Whether you spray perfume or change your clothes, go and get rid of it right away!"
While the Seonbae was scolding the Hubae, a shadow briefly passed by in the ceiling vent.
"The smell is making me want to throw up, really."
The vent rattled.
* * *
'That scared me.'
Because there were closed gates in the middle, I had to open them to get in, and it seems like air came in through there.
'It's so inconvenient not using Mana.'
Phoenix's physique is slightly smaller than average, so he doesn't get stuck in the vents, but it's still very annoying to crawl with his back bent for hours.
"Should we just burn it all down...?"
'...That won't do. Then why did we go through all this trouble until now?'
The straight-line distance from New Seoul to this research center is about 15km. If Gwanggeom runs at full speed, he will arrive in less than a minute.
Unless I find the exact location of the Cube, I can't move rashly without knowing where the Cube is yet.
However, there is someone I can guess who is hiding the Cube.
'<The Tattooist>.'
An S-class villain who places restrictions on people's minds and bodies by tattooing them. Seon Uicheol's henchman and the researcher in charge of producing the Pine Tree Unit. A master of covert operations who never reveals his identity.
'Surely there's a workshop of his somewhere in this lab.'
The heroes who infiltrated the lab eventually find the Cube. And that place is the workshop where the Tattooist was making the Pine Tree Unit.
As a result of chasing the researchers from the middle of wandering around the building, I finally found the workshop in question.
"Hey, when is Professor Kang coming?"
"He said to just leave it."
"Then let's go. They won't call us when the work starts, so let's get some sleep then."
The researchers hurriedly left the lab, leaving Lee Giseong's stiff body behind. I blew away the dust and put my eyes close to the vent.
'This is the place.'
The lab visible through the vent in the ceiling is not much different from my memory.
The Tattooist's lab has a sleazy atmosphere like a degenerate massage parlor.
Lee Giseong is still lying on the stretcher car like a corpse. When the Tattooist returns, he will soon be branded with the Pine Tree mark.
'Then I should start the preliminary work.'
I subtly let Mana flow into the lab. Fortunately, no one is there. I gathered Mana very delicately.
Like brewing coffee with cold brew, I extracted Mana over a very long period of time so that Gwanggeom wouldn't notice my Mana.
Hwareuk. Mini-Phoenix appeared in the vent passage. The already small size became even smaller.
♩♬
Mini-Phoenix entered the lab through the vent. Mini-Phoenix hid among the messy clutter.
The trap has been set, so now I just have to wait for the Tattooist to show up.
'He'll be here soon. Just hold on a little longer.'
...
'I'm Kang Tae-gong. I'm going to be Kang Tae-gong who fishes for time. Patience is bitter, but the fruit is sweet, right?'
...
'I wonder if Seoul is okay? Jiwha is not very reliable. Cheon Gaeul seems very sharp these days.'
...
'Should I just destroy everything here and call Gwanggeom?'
After waiting for several hours like that.
Squeak.
Finally, I got a bite.
Bubbling. A shadow was seething next to the bed visible through the gap. I hurriedly held my breath and turned my eyes down.
"........"
The Tattooist revealed himself. Just like I use Mini-Phoenix as a medium for space transition, he returned to the lab with the ability to move through shadows.
'He's using it as if it's his own.'
That is not originally the Tattooist's ability. Just like Cheon Gaeul copies other people's abilities, the Tattooist originally has a bizarre ability to steal the abilities of those who have his tattoos engraved on them.
Mental and physical restrictions, brainwashing, speech restrictions, disguise, shadow movement.
All those abilities were stolen while making the Pine Tree Unit.
He has been helping Seon Uicheol for a very long time, so the number of abilities he has accumulated must be hundreds.
In that sense.
"Should we take care of it now?"
My body is burning. Just before my consciousness was transferred, I kicked the vent hard.
Thump!
The vent in the ceiling falls to the floor. The Tattooist's head turns to the ceiling.
"...!"
The Tattooist is startled and tries to escape back into the shadows, but Mini-Phoenix has already flown towards his shadow.
Hwareuk. I transferred my consciousness to Mini-Phoenix through space transition. According to my will, the hand that materialized first grabbed the Tattooist's neck.
"Keheok!"
The Tattooist coughed as his neck was strangled. The Mana wavered and the seething shadow calmed down, and I pulled the Tattooist up from the floor as he was.
"!!"
The Tattooist hurriedly moved his hand and grabbed my wrist. Ink flowed from the special glove attached to his hand.
"Where do you think you're going?"
I smiled brightly and lifted him straight up vertically, then slammed him down on the floor.
Koo-oong!
Chokeslam. The Tattooist's hand convulsed from the impact of falling headfirst without consideration. I lifted my remaining right hand and shook it slightly at the Tattooist lying on the floor.
"Hello?"
At the same time, the Mana in my hand that was holding the Tattooist's neck fluctuated greatly.
Kwaang! The Mana in the Tattooist's body shook. I stuck my thumb into the Tattooist's neck and injected Mana into the bleeding blood vessel.
"Aaaaaaack!!!"
The Tattooist screamed in pain. Mana containing azure flames rampaged through the Tattooist's entire body, burning away the Tattooist's Mana.
Crack, crack!
The Tattooist's skeleton began to twist. The Tattooist was meticulous enough to change even his appearance with the ability of body modification.
But because the Mana to maintain that appearance had all burned away, his true appearance was revealed. I waved my hand again at the woman who was looking at me with hazy eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Vice Commander Ajumma?"
The Vice Commander of the Archon.
Kang Soyeon.
* * *
In his hazy consciousness, Lee Giseong recalled the memories of that day.
The Seoul Recovery Operation. The day he was dragged away by the Hellhound, his neck bitten. When he thought his life was over, the Hellhound dropped Lee Giseong in front of unidentified people.
Lee Giseong struggled to straighten his trembling legs and faced the Hellhound.

-
Please escape! While I hold the time...

-
Whatever.


A man in a gray hoodie threw something at the Hellhound. The Hellhound chased after the ball the man threw, panting like a docile puppy, and disappeared.
A Monster fawning over a human? It's impossible. But Lee Giseong survived and heard about the other side of the Seoul Recovery Operation from the villain organization - Cheonghwa Group - that saved him.
Cube. Villain Alliance. Cheonghwa Group. Seon Uicheol. Pine Tree Unit.
And the girl who introduced herself as the owner of the Cheonghwa Group, the leader, asserted as if predicting the future.

-If you go back to New Seoul like this? Then you'll soon be branded with the Pine Tree mark on your neck. So that you can't mention anything about what happened in Seoul.

Of course, the heroes protested. They insisted that the country, the government, and Seon Uicheol would never do that. The girl leader made a proposal to Lee Giseong.

-Then let's get some insurance?

Even the villains didn't want the heroes they had taken hostage to come back to Seoul as the Pine Tree Unit.
Phoenix gave Lee Giseong, the first hero they had taken hostage, a small bird as a representative. If he kept that bird by his side, it would help him come to his senses even if he was dragged into becoming a Pine Tree Unit.
Of course, he didn't believe it. He was planning to tell the Archon about it as soon as he met him.
But government officials constantly interfered with them, and the heroes were greeted by the Pine Tree Unit from the top of Gwanak Mountain.
In the end, they were locked in a hotel room in New Seoul and injected with a shot, and that's how it happened. Lee Giseong lamented his unmoving body.
"If I had known this would happen, I would have just listened."
"Right?"
"...?"
A voice came out of his mouth. He heard a strange sound in his ear.
Hwareuk.
Lee Giseong naturally stood up as if the blocked blood in his body had been released. In front of him was the leader of the Cheonghwa Group he had seen in Seoul.
"Uwak?!"
Lee Giseong was surprised and sat down again.
Dumbfounded, Giseong pointed at the leader with his finger, then was startled when he saw the woman she was suppressing.
"Team leader Kang Soyeon?"
"Eup, eupeup!"
The woman, whose mask had been removed and whose mouth was gagged, was the head of the Hero Association's public relations team and a well-known aide to the Archon.
Team leader Kang Soyeon.
I shrugged my shoulders, putting my foot on Kang Soyeon's back.
"Well, she's a spy the association sent to our country."
Kang Soyeon, who was gagged, was glaring at me venomously.

Chapter 76

〈 Episode 76 〉 Part 1, Chapter 5 (9)
Kang So-yeon. A non-ability employee affiliated with the Association, and also an adjutant assisting the Administrator Yoo Young-ho. She was well-regarded for taking good care of the Administrator, who lacked social experience.
"So, it was all a pretense of being a good person. To make it easier for the Association to control each country."
"But why?"
Lee Ki-seong asked. The other heroes in the lab also looked puzzled.
Phoenix had rescued the captured heroes, including Lee Ki-seong, and gathered them here. Kang So-yeon readily revealed the locations where they had been kidnapped. Kang So-yeon's fingers were bent.
"Even the President of South Korea knows about the existence of the Cube, so do you think the Association's headquarters wouldn't know?"
Phoenix shrugged and stomped on Kang So-yeon's fingers. Kang So-yeon was secretly wiggling her fingers.
"Ugh, ugh!"
"This old woman. Trying to draw a symbol with blood?"
She tried to draw a symbol with the blood flowing from her hand, but Phoenix's eyes were watching Kang So-yeon's every move.
Phoenix burned Kang So-yeon's Mana again and explained to Lee Ki-seong.
"Even though the Association is an international organization, there are those who try to influence each country. Kang So-yeon was sent by the Association to dominate this country, and she tried to make Seon Ui-cheol the President and turn him into a puppet."
"So, Kang So-yeon is Cheongsong after all?"
"Huh? What's Cheongsong?"
Phoenix tilted his head. Lee Ki-seong quickly pointed to Kang So-yeon.
"An ability user who creates the Pine Tree Unit. Seon Ui-cheol's confidant."
"Oh, really? Is that an old alias? Anyway, this woman is a spy planted by the Association in Korea. She was acting as an behind-the-scenes manipulator."
Phoenix burned Kang So-yeon's Mana again and continued.
"But at some point, she was juggling both the Association and the government. Why? Because she picked up the Cube without anyone knowing. Right? She was told to find it, and she actually found it, but when she was about to report it, she became greedy."
"......!"
Kang So-yeon's pupils dilated. She was shocked that a mere villain knew about the existence of the Cube, which was a top secret within the Association.
And more than anything, she was even more shocked that Phoenix was aware that Kang So-yeon had a separate Cube that neither the Association nor the government knew about.
Phoenix leaned down, noticing that Kang So-yeon couldn't focus her gaze.
"Why? Did you think no one would know that you stole it during the Busan Dimensional Gate raid?"
How did the tattoo artist, or rather Cheongsong, come to possess the Cube?
Phoenix didn't know the location of the Cube that Kang So-yeon had stolen, but he had figured out the circumstances of the theft.
"February 10, 2012. The day a Dimensional Gate opened in Busan and the She-...a demonic species, Sumaryong (Water Demon Dragon), appeared. You know about it, right?"
"Oh, was that the day...?"
Lee Ki-seong looked surprised, as if something had come to mind. Phoenix clapped his hands in agreement.
"That's right! The day Seolhwa Princess, Seok Ha-rang, used her ultimate skill for the first time! She froze all of Sumaryong's wave breath and made a spectacular debut. At that time, you were cleaning up the aftermath of that Dimensional Gate outbreak. Right?"
"Keuh."
Kang So-yeon closed her eyes. Although she couldn't speak because of the gag, the heroes realized that it was a silent affirmation. One of the heroes asked.
"Then, shouldn't you have reported such a dangerous object to the Association if you picked it up?"
Phoenix frowned.
"Maybe a hero with a strong sense of justice like you would, but would someone like this woman, who has other intentions, think that way? She had a blank check in her hand that could make any miracle come true?"
"The more that's the case, the more she should have told the Association! Such a dangerous object should be sealed!!"
The hero argued, and Kang So-yeon closed her eyes. Phoenix answered the hero with a pitiful look.
"What can you do if their way of thinking is different? Frankly, the person who picked up the Cube could use it for world peace, or they could use it for their own selfish desires like Kang So-yeon. Or, like someone else, they might try to destroy the world."
The heroes try to deny it. But the circumstances all show that Phoenix's words are true. Lee Ki-seong appealed to Kang So-yeon.
"Team leader! Please answer me! Why on earth did you do such a thing?!"
Lee Ki-seong poured out his bitter feelings. He had already been supported by Kang So-yeon in numerous battles and saved countless civilians.
A person who always had a smile on her face, even though she was a bit hysterical.
A sunflower-like woman who would have been courted by many male heroes if she hadn't been so fixated on the Administrator.
"This is a betrayal of the Administrator!!"
"Ugh!!"
Kang So-yeon shook her head violently. Even with saliva dripping down the gag, Kang So-yeon vehemently denied it.
In an instant, something flashed through the heroes' minds. Phoenix clicked his tongue and moved his index finger from side to side.
"Love? That's not going to happen. This woman, even if you imprint a tattoo on 'the Commander,' it won't work. So, she tried to win his heart. Until she became an S-class and could use the Cube freely, she needed Seon Ui-cheol and Yoo Young-ho as breakwaters."
"Ugh, ugh!"
"Ah, she keeps wriggling."
Kang So-yeon struggled violently again, but Phoenix pressed down hard with his foot on her back, subduing Kang So-yeon. Kang So-yeon lost consciousness from the strong impact that would crush her ribs.
"Huh?"
Phoenix shook Kang So-yeon with his foot. Kang So-yeon didn't move at all.
"........"
Phoenix was silent for a moment, then gently lifted his foot and stepped aside. Phoenix gestured to the other heroes.
"...Let's decide on your treatment first. What are you going to do now?"
"What are we supposed to do in this situation?"
Lee Ki-seong glared at Phoenix, grinding his teeth.
"While the Association's people are actually siding with the government and trying to mind-control the heroes, what are we supposed to do? Are you telling us to run away and hide for the rest of our lives if we don't want to join the Pine Tree Unit?"
"There's a good way, isn't there?"
Phoenix drew his hand across his neck. At the same time, the heroes' expressions darkened. Their gazes fell on the unconscious Kang So-yeon.
Phoenix brought up the assumption that they had been deliberately ignoring.
"Shut her up. Forever. Murder and extermination."
"Are you telling us to kill Team leader Kang So-yeon now?!"
"Or else you'll become the Pine Tree Unit, won't you?"
The heroes remained silent. It was a situation where it was difficult to choose either option easily.
"Or everyone to Seoul-"
"I."
Lee Ki-seong raised his hand first.
"...I'll run away as is."
The other heroes were surprised by Lee Ki-seong's words. Phoenix sat on the lab desk with a relaxed face, looking leisurely.
"May I ask why?"
"...I don't want to become the Pine Tree Unit and kill innocent people. But I can't kill Team leader Kang So-yeon."
"How about joining as a villain? Our organization is always hiring experienced people."
"I'd rather defect overseas than live as a villain."
Phoenix wiggled his fingers at Lee Ki-seong's strong will. Looking around, the other heroes didn't seem to be much different.
"You're just going to leave like fools without doing anything? Even if you're chased for the rest of your lives? The Association and the government will both chase you?"
"Yes. I'm prepared. ...I was already a dead man the moment I was kidnapped by Hellhound."
"No, that's.... Haa."
Phoenix sighed and tapped his smartwatch.
"Okay. I'll repay you for getting me this far, thanks to you. I can't touch the government or the Association, but I'll let you continue to be heroes."
* * *
30 minutes.
Phoenix was sitting upright in a shelter on a secluded hiking trail. His reverent attitude, as if waiting for someone, was like a clergyman waiting for God's call.
Clunk, clunk.
A military truck came up the mountain road. A burly man got out of the driver's seat of the truck, which had climbed the narrow road at dawn without turning on its lights, and approached Phoenix.
"What brings you to Daejeon at this late hour, our beloved customer!"
The man who welcomed Phoenix with open arms was the Chairman of the Black Market. Golden starlight sparkled in his eyes. Phoenix smiled softly and stood up from his seat.
"I came to ask for a job placement."
"Huh? Does our customer need a spot in Yuseong?"
The Chairman's eyes scanned the surroundings. The Chairman felt the presence of people huddled together below the mountain road and crossed his arms.
"If you're thinking of laundering the identities of those villains and putting them on our side, you're mistaken. As long as their Mana patterns are registered in the database, they'll all be caught in the inspection without exception. Unless they're newly awakened people in the last month or so."
"I don't need that. I'm giving these people to you as a gift."
Phoenix smiled and gestured. The people who had been standing awkwardly revealed themselves one by one and came to the shelter.
"......Hoo."
The Chairman smiled, stroking his chin with his hand. His mechanical eye flashed, quickly identifying the identities of the 11 heroes, and he raised the corners of his mouth like a beast.
"Is this a way to screw over both the government and the Association?"
"Neither the government nor the Association can say anything. Why? Are you not confident? You wanted to create a PMC, didn't you?"
The Chairman's mouth was stretched to his ears as if it would tear. The Chairman immediately pointed to the back of the truck towards the heroes.
"Hey. Get in."
"Who are you all of a sudden...."
Lee Ki-seong asked with a dissatisfied look, but he shut his mouth at the hand signal drawn by the Chairman. The shape of a star drawn with his fingers. That alone was enough for the heroes to guess the Chairman's background.
The heroes climbed into the back of the truck. Phoenix picked up the woman lying in the shelter and carried her on his back.
Vroom.
The Mana engine vibrated violently and started. The Chairman, who was in the driver's seat, lowered the window slightly and made a suggestion to Phoenix.
"Beloved customer. Why don't you ride along? I've received such a big gift, shouldn't I treat you to breakfast at least? My treat."
"I'm good with the meal, let's have a cup of tea sometime when we have time."
The Chairman winked, squinting his left eye. Phoenix neatly ignored it and went to the back of the truck and threw the woman he was carrying on his back into the truck.
"Don't forget the surveillance."
"Yes."
The heroes' eyes glaring at the woman, Kang So-yeon, were fierce. Lee Ki-seong threw the mini-Phoenix placed on his palm at Kang So-yeon. The mini-Phoenix gently landed on Kang So-yeon's palm, and then,
Poke.
It pecked the end of her finger joint with its beak. No blood flowed, but the azure flame flowing through its beak burned Kang So-yeon's Mana in her body again.
Just as Prometheus, who stole the fire of humans, had his liver eaten by an eagle, the Cube-hoarding Kang So-yeon would have her Mana eaten away by the mini-Phoenix for the rest of her life.
"Excuse me?"
Phoenix approached the driver's seat and knocked on the window. The Chairman's face, which was barely visible through the window, looked sullen for some reason.
"What's the matter, customer?"
The Chairman's voice was extremely cold. Phoenix smiled and knocked on the window as if tapping it.
"I only drink tea with people. Not machines."
Smile. Phoenix turned into flames and disappeared. The Chairman stepped on the accelerator with a bitter face.
"Just you wait."
* * *
"Then...."
I returned to the lab and caught my breath. I accidentally knocked Kang So-yeon unconscious and couldn't find the location of the Cube, but there is a way to find out where the Cube is nearby.
'It feels like opening a boss room door.'
Strictly speaking, the boss would come to me directly, but the tension and excitement are not much different.
"Should I slowly return to my original purpose?"
I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them.
Paaaaang!
The Mana that had been suppressed for nearly half a day rapidly expanded and spread throughout the entire building. Like a dam bursting that had been blocking a flooding river, Mana flowed through my entire body and surged.
Goooo---
The overflowing Mana scanned the entire underground lab like an ultrasonic detection.
"Where could it be?"
Pick. I felt a place where the Mana was momentarily cut off.
"There!"
I clenched my right hand as is and slammed it down.
Kwa-ang! The tiles shattered. The entire research building shook as if an earthquake had occurred. The floor I was standing on cracked greatly and sank down.
1st floor, 2nd floor. One by one, the floors sank down, and I came down to the depths of the basement. The dirt tickled my mouth.
"Cough, cough!"
The secret space on the 5th basement floor. The secret research building where Kang So-yeon had secretly hidden the Cube. The very place where the final chapter battle took place in the original work. Surprisingly, it was connected directly below Kang So-yeon's lab.
'I thought she had hidden it somewhere else, but she kept hiding it here.'
Originally, I would have had to wake up Kang So-yeon and unlock all sorts of passwords, but there's no need to go through the trouble.
"If I had known this, I would have looked here first."
I plunged my finger into the huge thickness of the concrete ball buried in the ground.
'Still, treasure found.'
The Mana flowing from my fingertip reached the center of the ball. I felt a Mana with an unpleasant sensation in the very center of the sphere, which was nearly 2m in radius.
'I don't have time to put in the effort.'
I put my hand in as is and unleashed a flame. The sphere shattered from the explosion that burst through the cracks, and I caused more explosions and put my arm inside.
Twitch.
'Found it.'
I gave strength as is and snatched the object with the disgusting Mana caught on the end of my finger. A cube the size of a sugar cube.
It's the second Cube I've obtained since coming to this other world. I stuffed the Cube into my pocket.
"Okay, then it's about time for the boss appearance signal to appear."
I raised my head to the ceiling, pulling up the Mana in my entire body.
Gugugung.
As expected. He's not the kind of person to be a gentleman. The ground shook with a vibration even greater than the one I caused when I broke through the basement and came down.
And,
Swoooooosh!!!
A giant sword of light pierced through the basement and plunged down towards the top of my head.

Chapter 77

〈 Episode 77 〉 Part 1 Chapter 5 The Sword of Light Descended to Earth from the Night Sky
Is there any better way to describe this spectacle? Only, that the sword of light is as huge as a building, and the one who plunged that sword into the ground is none other than Light Sword, Heo Yunhwan, which is what will surprise people. The massive earthquake that rang out from the ground as the sword was plunged in. The black sword of Light Sword fell towards the epicenter of the earthquake.
5:30 AM. A time when those who had fallen into a deep sleep were tossing and turning, dreaming their last sweet dreams.
A sharp, ear-splitting air raid siren wailed across New Seoul.

The sword of light glitters underground. The tip of the sword, like a sharp awl, pierced through the ground to reach me. That tip is touching the palm of my hand that I raised.
Kee-kee-gee-geek.
The sword of light is still pressing down on me with the force to grind everything away. But it can't push my palm away even a little. A blue shield formed on my hand. I'm radiating all my Mana upwards, pushing back the sword of light.
Ka-ga-gang!
In a tug-of-war between Mana and Mana, naturally, the one with more Mana wins. I poured all the Mana I had into my hand.
He's starting with a big one from the beginning. After all, that side is only using a basic skill, but its status is on a different level from ordinary heroes. I flicked my hand, slightly lifting the tip of the sword of light that was almost touching the top of my head.
About 5cm. A short distance of less than a hand span, but that distance was enough to break this sword.
The moment the balance collapses, it's obvious which one will break.
Crackle. Pa-ji-jik.
Cracks appeared at the tip of the sword, and the shape of the sword began to crumble. The golden light emitted by the sword is not from the natural world, but the color of Mana that possesses light attribute.
Light dust fell from the sword of light. The afterglow of Mana that had fallen from the sword's body scattered here and there underground.
Hwa-ruk.
Azure Flame quickly climbed up to the ground, riding the center of the sword. Like a fuse being lit, the blue flame shook the foundation of Mana, destroying the sword's body.
In that instant, a wave was felt from the center of the sword. The support of Mana that was holding up the sword's body.
Bingo.
I twisted it as it was. Azure Flame burned the core of the sword's body.
Pa-seuseu.
The blade, having lost its support, was crushed into very small particles. As the framework was shattered, the light attribute Mana, having lost its cohesion, scattered into the atmosphere as it was.
It's pretty.
I raised my smartwatch.
Click.
It's a magnificent sight, like fireflies flying around at night. No light festival in the world could be more beautiful than this. Underneath the dreamy swarm of light, I spread my wings.
I looked up at the ceiling. Thanks to the sword of light piercing through, the cold night air came down to the underground.
Is it about 30m? The sword of light has already disappeared completely. All that remains is the wave of Mana that shook the atmosphere as the two Mana collided.
Jee-jik. Jee-jik.
Something is alarming on the smartwatch, but the signal doesn't reach. But the hands are turning.
5:33 AM. Soon, the sun will raise its head.
I folded my wings. I bent my knees. Before the sword of light plunges underground again, I had to stand on the same ground as the opponent first.
Hoo.
A short, deep breath. Even though my body doesn't sweat, my palms are itchy and my throat is parched. The second strongest enemy among those I've fought so far. The spirit slayer who uniquely stabbed a knife into the heart of a spirit in this world.
So, am I afraid?
Of course not.
Spreading my wings, I flew straight up. The swarm of light sparkled, trying to sharpen like blades, but I flew up faster than that and came up to the ground.
He, Light Sword, is standing with his sword plunged into the ground.
It's hard to imagine his usual neat attire. He must have rushed to Daejeon urgently from his sleep. Silk pajamas and black and white three-line slippers. The beard that grew overnight is tangled messily.
Tak.
I folded my wings and stepped on the ground.
Heu-heu.
My eyes met with Light Sword. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he had just woken up.
I greeted him with an elegant gesture.
"Father, good morning."
"The sun hasn't risen yet. Who's your father?"
His voice is full of irritation. I could imagine how he got out of bed, and I couldn't help but laugh. I smiled broadly and spread my arms.
"Here's the sun."
"I've never heard of him making such frivolous jokes."
The man draws his sword from its scabbard. A long sword forged by grinding more than a dozen A-grade Cores. Moonlight.Moonlight. Golden Mana settles on the blade reflected in the moonlight.
Commence battle. I wrapped flames around both fists and complained.
"I haven't even introduced myself yet."
"Who cares? I just kill Monsters and arrest villains. And..."
Light Sword gripped the hilt with both hands and charged.
"I slaughter freaks."
"No, first, let me introduce myself..."
"Shut up. No romance. No romance."
Fists and blades collided.

Dawn. A time when Magistrate Yoo Youngho was about to go to bed. He got up again and rushed to the situation room just 10 minutes after lying down on the bed.
"What's going on?"
He burst into the room, but no one was there. Yoo Youngho was the first to enter the situation room.
'Everyone's sleeping at this hour?'
Yoo Youngho, who didn't realize that his biorhythm was much faster than others, grumbled and manipulated the screen.
"It's not a Monster alert."
Yoo Youngho bit his lip. If it's not a Monster alert, what could have caused such a high-level alarm?
Bee-eee-eee.
An alarm rang on the smartwatch. An emergency disaster text message ringing at a different decibel than the air raid alert. Yoo Youngho quickly checked the message.
[Emergency] 05/02 05:30 2km inland northeast of Yuseong-gu, Daejeon City Magnitude 2.0 earthquake occurred.
[Emergency] 05/02 05:32 2km inland northeast of Yuseong-gu, Daejeon City Magnitude 3.2 earthquake occurred.
'Just a simple earthquake?'
That can't be. The commander's sharp sense is convinced that the current situation is not a natural phenomenon.
Beep.
Satellite images appeared on the situation room monitor. Yoo Youngho quickly manipulated the screen to zoom in on the image.
North of Daejeon. Core Research Institute. The entire area is covered in waves of Mana. Yoo Youngho covered his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Good heavens."
In the middle of the battle, Light Sword's sword was shining. Light Sword's unique Mana color flickered in the dust.
'Light Sword is fighting in Daejeon right now.'
Yoo Youngho urgently pressed his smartwatch.
"Kang Soyeon. Kang Soyeon. Answer quickly."
He urgently called his adjutant, but Kang Soyeon didn't answer. After waiting for a while without getting connected, Yoo Youngho slammed the screen down in annoyance.
"Damn it. Damn it."
Yoo Youngho picked up any microphone hanging on the wall and poured Mana into it. People who had hastily put on clothes came into the situation room.
"[Magistrate] announces. Enemy attack. Emergency S. Light Sword is responding. Everyone, gather at the designated location as soon as you are ready for battle."

Light flickers. Light Sword's sword, which flashes countless times without ending in one, is a vicious means of obstructing the opponent's vision.
Hwa-ruk.
I sprayed flames forward. I threw the shield that spread out like a cloak forward and jumped back greatly.
Seo-geok.
The shield was cut diagonally. Light Sword charged straight at me and raised his sword diagonally again. Light Sword is faster than the speed at which I'm backing away. It's too late to dodge.
So, I wrapped flames around my hand as it was. Ignoring defense.
Light Sword is momentarily flustered, but the hand wielding the sword still rises diagonally. The sword of light cut from my right thigh to my left abdomen.
I don't dodge. I deliberately didn't dodge.
Pa-bat.
Red blood splattered. Light Sword, who didn't expect me to easily allow an attack, was covered in my blood as it was.
'Marking.'
I won't miss it now. The flame in my right hand was fired straight at Light Sword.
Flash.
Light Sword hid his body in the swarm of light again. If there was sunlight, I could hide my body in the same way, but there's still time before the sun rises.
Light Sword, who hid in the moonlight, cannot be tracked with eyes or Mana.
Seup.
Then I'll track him with smell. The fireball wandered for a moment, then immediately tracked the enemy and flew away.
The fireball, chasing the scent of blood, arrived above a roadside tree. The fireball reached Light Sword, who had climbed onto a branch 5m high and hid his body, and exploded. Light Sword quickly jumped down from the tree and took a fall.
Kwa-ang.
The tree, which must have grown for decades, burned down with the explosion. The flames didn't spread to the surroundings and fell as they were, covering Light Sword.
Keuk.
Light Sword rolled his body, dodging the flames falling like rain. In that brief moment, I kicked off the ground and ran towards Light Sword.
Light Sword is still covered in my blood. I held flames in both fists and threw my right fist first towards Light Sword.
Light Sword hastily raised his sword.
Pa-ang.
Light Sword blocked the fist with the sword's surface. Mana and Mana collided, causing shockwaves around them. Light Sword's eyes, with his face revealed as the wind scattered, were scanning me and my stomach.
Blood is pouring from the wound due to excessive movement. Blood is already flowing from the sword blades and swarms of light that grazed various parts of my body.
But I endured the pain and thrust my left fist under the sword as it was. An uppercut that surged upwards from below. Shockwaves recurred as Mana collided again, but it was definitely different from the previous one.
If the contact of the first strike was the contact between the sword's surface and the fist, then the contact of this second strike is the contact between the blade and the fist. The sword floated slightly upwards as it was.
Naturally, Light Sword's lower body was exposed.
Keu-euk.
Light Sword tried to pull out the sword, but it was too late. Light Sword probably doesn't have much experience in one-on-one combat where he inflicts wounds on his own body that could lead to death.
Like trying to give bone and take flesh, a suicide attack that doesn't care for his own body.
I stepped on the ground with my left foot as it was and stretched my right foot back.
Sae-aek.
I kicked up greatly vertically. Light Sword stretched his arm out from the sword as much as possible and pulled his body back. The tip of my foot grazed Light Sword's forehead.
Failure of the attack. Light Sword retrieved his sword and tried to stab as it was. I slammed my foot down as it was.
Pook.
Light Sword stabbed my left shoulder with his sword and
Kwang.
My foot heavily pressed down on Light Sword's left shoulder.
A stab wound and a contusion. It's hard to say which one hurts more. Light Sword inflicted damage on my body, but I broke the protective armor surrounding Light Sword's body.
Ssee-ik.
I couldn't help but smile. Light Sword was momentarily lost in thought at the act of stabbing the enemy himself. In such a fight where victory or defeat is decided in seconds, such carelessness is a defeat.
Hwa-ruk.
Flames rose from the heel of my right foot that was pressing down on Light Sword's shoulder. Light Sword quickly came to his senses at the heat and tried to retreat hastily, but he couldn't retreat backwards.
I blocked him from running away. The blade that stabbed my shoulder was already caught in my two hands.
Pook.
Light Sword was trying to pull out the sword at all costs, and I was blocking him from retrieving the sword at all costs. Mana and blood were leaking from the wound on my shoulder, but Light Sword couldn't pull out the sword when he wanted to.
Keuk.
Eventually, Light Sword let go of the sword hilt and retreated greatly. He created a distance of about ten steps. I took a moment to catch my breath and scanned the surroundings.
A sea of blood. The blood that flowed from my entire body was scattered everywhere. I shoved my left hand into my pocket and raised my right hand, flicking my finger.
Tta-ak.
With a cheerful sound, Azure Flame rose. Light Sword flinched at the Azure Flame that blazed from the wounds and blood on my body.
As Mana blazed, the wounds healed.
Heu-heung.
I touched my shoulder. The hole pierced by the sword disappeared, and flesh filled the hole. All the scattered blood turned into Mana and evaporated.
All that remains here are the traces of battle. All the wounds on my body have been restored.
In comparison, the shield that Light Sword wore on his body was broken. He could put it on again, but that much Mana was consumed.
If it's a simple war of attrition, this side is much more advantageous.
Light Sword straightened his posture. Could it be that he was shocked that all the attacks so far had been in vain? Or is he trying to prepare to attack again even though he lost his sword?
Light Sword can fight even with his bare hands. No, he's scarier when he doesn't have a sword.
But either way, it doesn't matter. I picked up Light Sword's sword.
Holding the hilt with both hands and standing it vertically, I covered half of my face. Half of my face was reflected on the blade, and Light Sword was visible on the other side.
Moonlight Sword. Don't you think that's too much of a name for you?
"What are you doing?"
Light Sword finally opened his mouth. I smirked and threw the sword high into the sky.
Boo-woong.
The sword soared into the sky and then plunged into the ground. That place is right in front of Light Sword. Light Sword's hand hesitated. I provoked him by reaching my hand forward.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to pick it up?"
"To be so relaxed in front of the enemy. Don't you think that could be your downfall?"
Light Sword held light in his hand and gripped the hilt. There were no traps, but Light Sword made sure to check the condition of the sword and pulled out the sword plunged into the ground.
I neatly straightened my clothes. The secretary's uniform that I hadn't changed into was torn in places.
"I don't really think it's a downfall. Ah, since we have the chance, let me introduce myself. I'm called Gaecheongwang."
"Nice to meet you, Light Sword."
"Don't lie. Azure Flame. One Star of the Dark Legion's executives. The phoenix that swallows stars. Did you think I wouldn't know?"
Eu-heu-heu.
I couldn't help but laugh. More than my introduction being interrupted, I was happy that Light Sword had finally brought up the bait.
Light Sword flinched and closed his mouth. Of course, I have no intention of letting that go.
"Even the Round Table wouldn't know about the Dark Legion's executives. How does Light Sword know that? Ah..."
I deliberately cut off my words.
"Did you stab the person who told you with a knife? Directly, in the heart?"
Koong.
Light Sword kicked off the ground and charged at me. He's trying to slash horizontally, so the sword is going sideways.
Speed that's on a different level than before. It's already too late to dodge. But there's no need to fight like I did earlier, deliberately creating wounds.
I bent my knees. I gathered my arms forward. I pumped the Mana flowing through my entire body even more fiercely, raising my physical abilities.
'The enemies who killed Rusalka...'
He won't hear. He can't hear. But I wanted to shout loudly even on purpose.
'I've come to take revenge.'
I have no intention or thought of doing that at all, but Light Sword's face is distorted. He has definitely lost his composure.
In that short gap, I took a stance. As if I was boxing.
"What?"
Light Sword's eyes flashed. The horror of seeing something he couldn't believe was clearly revealed. I threw my right fist towards the blade of the long sword being swung horizontally.
One Fist. One punch blocks the path of the long sword. The wave of Mana sweeps around.
Again, Two Fists. I pulled back the fist I threw and stretched it out again. The remnants of the Core embedded in the blade, shaken greatly by the additional hit fired like a bee.
Finally, Three Fists. I pulled back my fist. This time, I stepped forward with my left foot and poured my weight into my fist.
Kka-ang.
The remnants of the Core in the blade, cut off by the three strikes, boil with high heat. The remnants of the Core that entered the blade in fine particles are now not a medium for Mana transmission, but a micro-explosive.
"Tch."
Light Sword quickly let go of the sword and retreated backwards. It's a good decision.
Pa-sa-sak.
The sword shattered into pieces. Azure Flame still remained in the fist, melting the fragments of the blade.
Tuk.
I shook my hand once and took a stance again. Light Sword's eyes, having lost his sword, were shaking violently.
"You... that's..."
"The Fist of Fire."
"Is there a reason to tell you?"
I raised my fist to eye level and raised the corners of my mouth all the way up.
"If you're curious, ask Rusalka, who's waiting in hell."
"You bastard!"
Light Sword raised his hand in anger. Swarms of light sparkled, and countless swords of light were created in the air. Light Sword had twin swords made of light in both hands.
Woo-woong.
The swords aligned and flew towards me. I wrapped flames around my fist again and plunged it into the ground as it was.
The blue pillar of fire that soared like a volcano swallowed the swords of light.
While the wall of fire blocked the thrown swords, I raised my body and took a stance again.
Boo-woong.
The pillar of fire split into an X shape. Light Sword is trying to cut me with golden twin swords.
A traditional swordsman who is even rare among ability users. The driving force that raised Light Sword to S-class is not the sparkling gold, but the swordsmanship honed in actual combat.
Of course, this side is the same.
Haa.
Fists are fired like bees, blocking the path of the swords. The right fist for the right sword, the left fist for the left sword. Blue flames, like gauntlets, protect the hands on both fists.
Light Sword opened his mouth.
"Don't imitate me."
Kwa-ang.
Light Sword swung his sword greatly. A rotating slash that comes down while turning the body. It's impossible to block the sword paths coming from above and below respectively.
So, I concentrated Mana on my right hand. The flame that bloomed from my hand grew like a giant's fist. Light Sword's eyes also widened.
"You bastard!"
The fist, bigger than my upper body, hit the twin swords. The twin swords made of light shattered like branches hitting a rock.
And the shockwave exploded, hitting Light Sword's entire body. Light Sword hastily protected his body with Mana.
Keuk.
Light Sword bounced off and rolled on the ground. I shook my hand to gather the remaining Mana again. Light Sword raised his body with a fall.
Light Sword's two eyes were full of disbelief and doubt.
"You... how do you know the Fist of Fire Hyung's technique?"
"Are you curious?"
I lowered my fist. The sunlight was slowly starting to peek over the mountains.
"But what to do? I don't want to tell a ruffian who killed someone else's sister."
Annoyance and sadness arose in Light Sword's eyes. I slyly checked the time and calmed my Mana.
"If you want to know, come there."
"There?"
I pointed to my heart and smiled sarcastically.
"Where else would it be but a grave?"
"You... how much do you know? What the hell is your identity?"
"So, if you want to know, come there. I'll let you know the time later. Within a week soon."
"That can't be."
Light Sword's left hand stretched towards the sky. At the same time, a huge chain of light covered the sky.
"I'll subdue you here and hear all the truth. How you know that fact, and what your relationship is with the Fist of Fire Hyung."
Light Sword's Mana blazed fiercely. I couldn't help but laugh at the chain of light covering the surrounding land.
"Wow. You're using your ultimate skill here?"
It seems Light Sword is more serious than I thought. A barrier-type ultimate skill that creates a wide cage as the threads of light tangle.
Once inside, there's only one way to escape.
Die, or kill. I raised my right hand as if confronting Light Sword.
"I'm sorry, but our battlefield isn't here."
My body blazed from below. Light Sword was startled to see that.
"Space transition?"
"Why? Did you think only Rusalka could use it?"
Teleportation is a basic skill possessed by executives of evil organizations, spirits. I looked around the barrier of light that was about to be completed and bowed.
"Then goodbye. Next time we meet, let's prepare properly and fight with all our might. Until we die."
Light Sword reached out and tried to grab me. But my consciousness had already left the barrier and left the battlefield.
As the blurred vision became clear again, I took on substance. A familiar sight is visible beyond the glass window. The northern scenery of the Han River, which is no different from ruins.
Poo-heu-heu-heu.
I burned the tattered secretary's clothes and changed into a gown. The sunlight was already peeking out and warming the bed.
Poo-leok.
I lay down on the bed as it was.
'Is it the 19th day today?'
I worked without sleeping a wink. I got the Cube, gagged the spy in the association, and provoked Light Sword.
The rest is over once I have the final battle with Light Sword there.
The very place where the spirit was murdered, where Light Sword stabbed Rusalka's heart with a knife.
Next to Rusalka's grave in Haeundae, I will bury Light Sword.
So, should I sleep until then?
I calmed the Mana that was boiling in my entire body. The fatigue of the 19 days that had forcibly awakened my mind and body came all at once.
I felt the warm sunlight in the bed and entrusted my body to sleep.
Knock knock knock.
Someone is knocking on the door roughly.
"Hey, something big happened in New Seoul. Wake up."
It's Jo Deokbae. Should I kill him?
No. Let's ignore him. I'm in a very good mood today, so I blocked my hearing with Mana and became one with the fluffy bed.
In addition, I couldn't sleep for 30 minutes after all. The tentacle woman who broke down the door rolled me up in the blanket with her tentacles and dragged me to the lounge.
In the end, after an interrogation that lasted an hour, I confessed everything that had happened overnight.
It was unfair. I really worked hard, but I was only scolded. Why?

Chapter 78

〈 Episode 78 〉 Part 1 Chapter 5 (11)
The chilling dawn of May 2nd, when one of the research buildings in the Daejeon Research Complex was annihilated.
From Saturday morning, Shinseoul was in chaos. Emergency disaster alerts blared incessantly, and all magical tools temporarily malfunctioned due to the aftermath of the battle.
The confusion deepened as Gwanggeom, who held all the keys, retreated into seclusion without offering any answers.
Rumors even circulated that President Seon Uicheol had visited the Association to request a private meeting with Gwanggeom.
Was Gwanggeom the type to get drunk and blow up buildings? No. But neither the Association nor the government had a way to make Gwanggeom speak.
The Association was in turmoil. The ten heroes who returned alive from Seoul immediately declared their withdrawal from the Association. On top of that, Kang Soyeon, a non-ability supporter, went missing.
Total chaos. It would have been reassuring if they had at least said they fought off an unidentified enemy, but Gwanggeom remained silent.

-Is Shinseoul becoming unstable now?

It had already been five days since Gwanggeom went into seclusion, May 6th.
To quell the anxiety of Shinseoul residents, Seon Uicheol extensively promoted a meeting between Seoul residents. The government and the Association dispatched personnel to ascertain the survival of 60,000 Seoul residents.
And on May 7th, at 09:00 AM, the representatives of Seoul and Shinseoul finally met at S University.
Haneulseong, or Ryu Cheonseong, who was presumed dead but had actually remained in Seoul, gathering people underground.
Jang Hujeong, who had finally been promoted to Minister from the perennial Vice Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department.
The morning of the 7th began with the two shaking hands in Gwanak.

<May 7th, 10:00 AM, Cheonghwadan Hideout.>

-Yes. With the help of James Lee, a Korean-American, I created an underground city so that the residents of Seoul could survive underground. Although the quality of life was not as good as before, we always had faith that the government would rescue us and...

"That guy, he's definitely a politician. How can he spew out lies like that in front of the camera?"
Gaeul shook her head, looking incredulous. Deokbae quietly pointed out.
"You act well in front of the camera too."
"Hey, Jo Deokbae. I'm an actor by profession, and that guy is someone who should be telling the truth to the people, right?"
"If the listener feels good, that's all that matters."
"So, if everything Seon Uicheol says is good, then it's all good?"
Gaeul snapped hysterically. Yu I-sin was the one who took her life, but Seon Uicheol was the one who gave the order. Deokbae tapped the armrest of his chair.
"That's not what we're talking about right now."
"What do you mean it's not? I died because of Seon Uicheol. Ugh, seriously. Why vote for someone like that?"
"Still, Seon Uicheol did some things well, didn't he?"
Jihwa interjected. She was already well aware of Seon Uicheol's actions since becoming president. Jihwa waved her hands at the ambiguous gazes fixed on her.
"Ah, I'm not defending Seon Uicheol! It's just... after the Pyongyang incident, when the president blew up the Hangang Bridge, he actually handled the situation well. Otherwise, the country would have really been ruined."
"...No. Even if it wasn't Seon Uicheol, someone would have definitely handled it."
"Anyway, Seon Uicheol is our enemy now, right?"
At Gaeul and Deokbae's question, Jihwa became depressed again. Deokbae scratched his cheek at the sight of her slumped shoulders.
"But do you like Seon Uicheol?"
"No. I'm not interested anymore. I used to trust him a bit, but now..."
"Why are people without voting rights talking about politics? Monster can't even register as residents."
Phoenix appeared, dragging his slippers. Gaeul's eyes narrowed.
"What is it? Where did Architect go?"
"Sent him to get an interview. Don't worry. He's not going anywhere today."
Since Phoenix secretly went to Daejeon, the three of them took turns staying by Phoenix's side.
During the day, he handled various civil complaints in Seoul with Haneulseong, and in the afternoon, he rebuilt buildings with Architect.
In the evening, they all fought off the remnants of the Monsters in southern Seoul, and at night, he slept in bed as if being rolled into gimbap by Cheon Gaeul's tentacles.
Let's put a watch on him so he doesn't go anywhere alone again.
Deokbae and Jihwa, who were restricted by orders, were excluded, and Haneulseong and Architect, who were human, guarded him during the day.
And when night fell, Cheon Gaeul guarded his side. Using the psychological debt that Phoenix had towards him despite being a Monster, he threatened to cry pathetically if they weren't together, so Phoenix slept with Cheon Gaeul.
Today was the day people were coming from outside, so everyone was busy. Cheon Gaeul asked with suspicious eyes.
"Is it real?"
"Yes. I have someone I'm supposed to meet."
"Who?"
The tips of the tentacles sharpened menacingly. Phoenix leisurely pointed to the screen, as if to say they would stab at any moment.
"They're over there."
On the screen were the people visiting from the government and the Association. People who came with a capacity of 30 people through previous negotiations.
About 10 people from the government side, including Jang Hujeong, were people who came along for administrative work. There seemed to be a few more, but Gaeul's eyes were more drawn to the heroes behind them.
"Ah."
A small elite unit consisting of 13 A-ranks and 2 S-ranks. In Gaeul's eyes, Lee Seunghyung, who looked pale, came into view.
Deokbae exclaimed in admiration.
"You brought a nuclear bomb with you. Didn't you get the list in advance? Can Haneulseong handle them alone?"
"It's okay because we're meeting as a former member of the National Assembly, not as a villain. They probably don't want to fight anyway."
"What if they want to fight?"
"Then the number of hostages increases."
Deokbae nodded in satisfaction at Phoenix's nonchalant words. Jihwa was still anxiously calculating the enemy's strength, and Gaeul remained silent.
Phoenix examined Gaeul's condition.
"You can go say hello."
"...Really?"
"Yes. Gaeul-ssi also needs to sort things out with him mentally. Should I go with you?"
"...No, I won't go."
Gaeul gave up on meeting Lee Seunghyung. There were several reasons, but above all, she was concerned about Phoenix.
He was pretending to be cool, but he must be hoping deep down that she wouldn't go. Gaeul steeled her heart.
Beep. An alarm went off on Phoenix's smartwatch.
"Ah, they're here."
Phoenix snapped his fingers and changed his clothes. Dressed in the priestly robes he wore most often, Phoenix pointed to the hideout and said to the three of them.
"Anyway, listen well, Monsters. Don't come out and get caught by the S-ranks, or you'll get into trouble. Don't ever come out of this barrier. Got it?"
"Okay."
"Understood."
Deokbae and Jihwa's eyes turned to Gaeul. Phoenix also fixed his gaze as if urging her to answer. Gaeul nodded with a bitter face.
"Okay."
Phoenix smiled at that and left the hotel. The three quietly turned their eyes to the live broadcast on the screen in the lounge.
"...Surely they're not going to start a fight, are they?"
"Of course not. Everyone's watching, so they won't do anything crazy like that anymore. ...Probably."
Deokbae shook his legs in anxiety. He could subdue one with a single finger, and the other had already experienced defeat.
But he couldn't help but think that Phoenix might do it. Gaeul denied Deokbae's suspicion.
"...No. If they were going to fight, they would have fought a long time ago."
"Well, they can't have a dogfight with two S-ranks in the middle of Dongjak. Look at Guro. It's completely destroyed."
"Then Architect might actually kill himself, right?"
"He definitely won't. Then he'll revive him as a Monster. Definitely."
Jihwa and Deokbae exchanged words. Gaeul was lost in thought with an anxious look.
"So, who are they supposed to meet?"
The Monsters fell silent.
"...Lee Seunghyung?"
Deokbae suggested first. Jihwa tilted her head.
"Why? Since they fought Seolhwa Princess, wouldn't they be worried about Seolhwa Princess?"
"...Is that so?"
Deokbae tried to hide his relieved feelings. The bomb implanted in Lee Seunghyung's heart was a secret that could not be told to anyone.
"...Maybe they're trying to see both of them?"
Gaeul cautiously offered her opinion.
"They picked a fight with Gwanggeom, and they're thinking about what to do with the other two S-ranks."
"That could be it. ...Huh?"
Jihwa looked at the group on the screen and was surprised.
"Yuseong Group's troublemaker?"
"Who's that?"
When Deokbae asked, Jihwa brought up another screen and played another live broadcast. Panels on a business channel were talking.
[...In that sense, what does it mean that Yuseong Group's Director Eun Yuha has joined the special envoy?]
[It's social experience. Her brothers work so hard, so she must have been nagged to stop playing at home every day.]
[Is it okay to say such harsh things?]
[What's the problem? The whole world knows that Director Eun Yuha is a troublemaker. Look at this.]
The panel on TV points to the box of drinks that Eun Yuha is holding. It was four types of drinks taken out from a cafe of the Yuseong affiliate.
[Is this a picnic? Did they go to play? I feel sorry for Yuseong...]
"A straw hat, a dress, just..."
Jihwa shook her head. She already knew about the antics of Eun Yuha, the troublemaker of the Yuseong family, but she didn't know she would be so immature. Deokbae pointed to Eun Yuha and asked.
"How old is she? Is she young?"
"She was born in '99. The cursed generation."
December 25, 1999, when the first seven dimensional gates occurred. Countless people around the world lost their lives to the Monsters that poured out.
As a result, the following year, 2000, the birth rate was only about 30% of what it had been the previous year.
Even then, some died.
The world called them the cursed generation.
Children who faced disaster as soon as they were born, before they even aged. The mortality rate of newborns in '99 skyrocketed, and the birth rate of newborns in '00 plummeted.
Deokbae clicked his tongue as he watched the passing video.
"She's a year older than Seolhwa Princess and she's acting like that? I can't believe it. Some are already pillars of the country, and some are a mess. ...What are you looking at so intently?"
"Ah. It's nothing. Just..."
Gaeul crossed her arms when Deokbae asked. She seemed very anxious, tapping her arm with her hand.
"Eh. It can't be."
The box of coffee in Eun Yuha's hand. Among the four drinks, the strawberry shake that sparkled pink stood out.

The city hall in Dongjak-gu. While government officials and heroes greeted Seoul residents in the building rebuilt by Architect, Seok Harang was at a loss due to embarrassment.
"Unni, I told you, you really can't just go out alone in a place like this?"
"It's okay. Who would care about me?"
Eun Yuha smiled, spreading her arms. As she said, no one in Seoul cared about Eun Yuha. Rather, whispers reached Seok Harang's ears.

-
I wish that troublemaker would just die...

-
Why did God make such a thing the youngest daughter of Yuseong...


"Those guys...!"
Seok Harang rolled up her sleeves and tried to rush in, but Eun Yuha shook her head.
"It's okay. Leave them alone. People will be shocked if they know the truth, that my brothers are all dead and I'm the only Yuseong bloodline left."
"...How long are you going to hide it?"
Eun Yuha only smiled at Seok Harang's question.
"Well, I'm okay for now, but I don't know what will happen, you know? Jae-min Oppa is over 35 now, so he's getting introductions and getting impatient. Even the government and the Association keep putting pressure on Jae-min Oppa."
"What?"
Eun Yuha pointed to Seok Harang.
"To marry you."
"That's ridiculous. ...Ahem! That won't happen! That's the same as telling him to marry Unni!"
Eun Yuha shrugged at Seok Harang, who was getting heated.
"My brother had a good personality, you know? He had a lot of money too. He's dead now, though."
"...No, it's not that I don't like Eun Jae-min-ssi. Where can people of the same gender get married? Unni, if the person you love is a woman, will you marry her?"
"........"
Eun Yuha closed her mouth. Seok Harang was startled by her uncharacteristic frown.
"Ho, maybe really?"
"Harang-ah."
"Yeah."
Seok Harang swallowed hard. Eun Yuha's steps, going from the main road into the alleys, were somehow even solemn.
"Don't ever tell anyone. Okay?"
Eun Yuha winks and puts her index finger to her lips. Seok Harang was greatly shocked and froze in place.
"......Wow, so creepy."
Seok Harang carefully wrapped her arms around herself.
In the alley, Eun Yuha opened the tightly closed door.
"Hello...."
Eun Yuha was greeted by a girl with blue hair, Phoenix, who hardened his face. Eun Yuha raised the drinks in her hand and smiled cheerfully.
"I didn't know what you'd like, so I prepared the best-selling top 4, what do you like?"
Eun Yuha. The troublemaker who had been secluded in the Yuseong residence, stepped directly into Seoul as her true self, not a doll.

79

Azure Flame Phoenix-79
(79/1497)
〈Episode 79〉Part 1 Chapter 5 (12)
Eun-yuha never leaves her own castle.
This is partly to solidify her image as a scoundrel, but mainly to minimize her own activities in order to focus on manipulating puppets like Eun Jae-min or the Chairman of the Black Market.
A self-imposed house arrest.
The only time Eun-yuha shows her face is at the social gathering on her birthday. Even in the original story, Eun-yuha only invites trustworthy people to her home, people she can open up to and show her true self.
The nanny and butler who raised her since childhood. Baek Sang-woo, who is currently dispatched to Incheon but originally from headquarters. And Seok Ha-rang, who figured out Eun-yuha's identity and became close to her.
I couldn't help but be flustered by Eun-yuha appearing directly in front of me, something that happens maybe once a year.
"Why are you here?"
"How else would I be here? Of course, it's because the client summoned me, right?"
Eun-yuha tapped her smartwatch. Of course, I did call Eun-yuha, but that was not meant to be her in person,
"You could have sent Eun Jae-min or the Chairman, or any other puppet, right? I'm sure you have puppets planted in the government or the Association."
"Of course, I do. But I wanted to rethink the contract with you, the client."
Eun-yuha brought up a screen. The destroyed Daejeon research facility came into view.
"...Ah, Daejeon? It's been quite noisy these past few days, hasn't it?"
"Why are you acting like you don't know? You're the one who did it, aren't you, client?"
As expected. My clumsy excuses won't work. Because of the ten heroes I provided as PMC and the existence of Kang So-yeon, Eun-yuha has already deduced the answer. I pointed to the drinks with my finger.
"Can I talk while drinking?"
"Of course."
I went ahead and chose the strawberry yogurt smoothie. Eun-yuha chose an Americano. Unlike the usual, it looked a bit darker in color. I stirred the inside with a straw and answered Eun-yuha's question.
"Yes. I fought with Gwanggeom once."
"I knew it."
Eun-yuha took a sip of her coffee and frowned. When she's trying to calculate something, Eun-yuha subtly raises her left eyebrow.
A moment when you absolutely shouldn't interrupt. I waited patiently until Eun-yuha came to a conclusion and spoke first.
Clack. The coffee was placed on the table. Eun-yuha finally opened her mouth.
"It's difficult to continue the contract as it is. The risk is too high."
"Why?"
I knew the reason, but I wanted to hear it from Eun-yuha's mouth. Eun-yuha tapped the table with her finger and said,
"If Gwanggeom falls, South Korea falls. Yoo-sung is valuable because it's a group in this country, but if you look at the world as a whole, it's just another chaebol. No matter how much Core you earn for me, I can't cooperate in destroying the entire country. Yoo-sung still needs the fence called Korea."
"I see, that's the problem."
Eun-yuha can accumulate assets because the Yoo-sung Group exists. Since even an individual's ability requires a lot of capital, if the root of that capital, Korea, collapses, the entire Yoo-sung, including Eun-yuha, will disappear.
A security vacuum. Someone was needed to fill the void left by Gwanggeom.
"Don't you think our Cheonghwa Unit can fill the void left by Gwanggeom?"
"There were many righteous armies during the Imjin War, but we were able to protect the country because of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. And you're not even a righteous army, you're just a band of brigands, right? Impossible. No way. We need a legitimate hero to show off. Not a villain."
I couldn't exactly deny it. That's how high Gwanggeom's status is in present-day Korea. Eun-yuha continued.
"The current international situation is also like that. Japan is looking for an opportunity to swallow this land as soon as they catch a whiff of something, and China has already set up a forward base on Mount Baekdu. Russia has given up the Far East since the Pyongyang incident."
"So, if Gwanggeom falls, they'll start a war?"
Eun-yuha nodded. Her increasingly hardened expression seemed to be grasping my true intentions.
"Client. You don't want a war, do you? If Gwanggeom disappears, the Sino-Japanese War will begin. A war of conquest where the victor monopolizes the Korean Peninsula."
"We can stop it, can't we?"
Eun-yuha fiddled with her cup at my nonchalant answer.
"Are you saying your organization's power is stronger than the Round Table?"
"To be precise..."
I pointed to myself.
"I can kill them all, for now. Gwanggeom, Woonjang, and Jilpunggaek (Swift Wind Guest)."
"You're very confident. Okay. Since you showed your might in Daejeon, let's concede that you can kill them all."
Eun-yuha bit her lip.
"What if China and Japan cooperate? What if two members of the Round Table rush to different battlefields? What if you get injured fighting one and lose fighting another?"
"I won't lose, and I won't get hurt."
"Client."
Eun-yuha said in a firm voice.
"I'm making the biggest bet of my life right now. If I succeed, I'll become a tycoon who controls the entire East Asian financial world, and if I fail, I'll become a fallen chaebol of a destroyed country. So, please approach this deal with a little more caution? I..."
Eun-yuha glared at me with sharp eyes.
"Show me the grounds for me to trust you and bet everything I have, everything Yoo-sung has. Otherwise, the deal with you ends today."
"Indeed. So, that's why you came in person."
If we can bury the giant called Gwanggeom in history and stand firm against China and Japan, this country will become the leader of East Asia. That's an ideal that all three countries, Korea, China, and Japan, share.
"As expected, a woman whose dream is 'world domination' has a different scale."
"...Isn't it said that you should have big dreams in life? I just want to put the world under my feet and manage it as I please. And make some money along the way."
"It's out of the blue, but can I ask you something? Are you confident?"
Eun-yuha smiled and placed her hand on her chest.
"Client. Do you think my dream is far-fetched?"
"......No."
"Why?"
She asked back. Eun-yuha is confident that I know everything about her. I recited the words Eun-yuha was hoping for.
"Isn't it obvious that you have such a dream because you have the ability to do so?"
"......Client."
Eun-yuha's voice trembled.
"You're not from a parallel dimension or anything, are you? Like, we were in love there. I was only going to tell that to the person I'm going to marry. And you crossed over to this world and your gender changed or something?"
"......Where does that kind of thing exist?"
Eun-yuha's eyes were full of suspicion. I cleared my throat and calmed Eun-yuha down.
"This is the fifth time. That's not the answer. Just know that I'm thinking something similar to you. My dream, you see."
Eun-yuha focused on my voice.
"Is only to kill the god who will destroy this world and protect this Earth. And survive along the way."
"......Of course, you have the ability to do that?"
I nodded. It was a really random statement, but Eun-yuha would deduce the truth as much as possible within the scope of what she knew. Eun-yuha wet her throat with coffee.
"...Still, there's not enough evidence yet. I need to see at least some of your hand before I call, but among the cards I have, I have to bet my entire fortune on seeing only one ace."
"You need to open at least three cards to know if it's a full house or a straight flush?"
"Of course. I'd be ruined if I bet my entire fortune and it turned out to be an Ace pair."
I'm worried. How much of my hand should I reveal?
It would be easier on my mind if I turned her into a monster, but Eun-yuha has to engage in external activities as a human being in the future. If I forcibly turn Eun-yuha into a monster, she's the type of person who would rebel and stab me in the back with her unique cunning, even if I gave her an order.
A woman who could become Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi.
There's no choice. I have to talk about how to kill Gwanggeom and fix the void.
Because she's smart, she might suggest a better plan than I have.
What if she tries to use me?
'I'll have to kill her.'
"Listen carefully. My plan is..."
Eun-yuha put down the coffee she was drinking and began to listen intently.

"Ah, this is driving me crazy."
Seok Ha-rang tore at her white hair and paced back and forth outside the alley. It was just an ordinary alley in Seoul, but for some reason, she was reluctant to go in.
"Unni has that kind of taste?"
I can understand it. Eun-yuha has lived as a man for almost half of her life. She was living the lives of not just one or two people, but seven people.
In the process, maybe her sexual identity wavered, or maybe she became bisexual. Eun Jae-min had a lot of flings with women, so maybe there was a real one among them.
Seok Ha-rang felt a chill down her spine.
"Then maybe I'm also...?"
Seok Ha-rang shook her head violently and denied the assumption that came to her mind. Fortunately, Eun-yuha's evil hands haven't reached me yet.
"......Ugh, that's really creepy."
Since Gwanggeom, who discovered Seok Ha-rang in an orphanage, volunteered to be her guardian, many people have expressed their liking for Seok Ha-rang, but no one has ever connected with Seok Ha-rang.
There was something that Seok Ha-rang herself didn't like, but whenever that happened, Gwanggeom would always appear like a light and block the opportunity.
Girls' middle school, girls' high school. In fact, she devoted herself to hero activities and only filled the minimum attendance days. If the women's universities in Seoul were still alive, Gwanggeom would have sent Seok Ha-rang to a women's university no matter what.
Gwanggeom was mostly by Seok Ha-rang's side.
"I haven't even been in a relationship yet."
Not a pretty boy, but a pretty girl. That can't happen.
"Okay. I'll reject her as soon as she comes out."
Seok Ha-rang took a deep breath. It's already been an hour.
She said she had a secret meeting and asked me to guard her outside, but I couldn't bring myself to go inside, and Eun-yuha herself didn't want me to. However, she promised to give me a signal as soon as something happened.
Beep. A text message arrived. A notification from Eun-yuha that the conversation was over.
"Hoo, hoo."
Seok Ha-rang repeated in her mind. The other person is someone who is experiencing confusion in her sexual identity due to excessive use of her ability. Although Seok Ha-rang couldn't accept that love, she could at least say something to cheer her up.
Step, step.
Eun-yuha appeared from the corner of the alley. Eun-yuha, who maintained an image of iron will and a reckless person on the outside, seemed to be greatly shaken now.
"...Unni?"
Sadness, sympathy, mourning. The remnants of Mana flowing from Eun-yuha contained a simple consolation for Seok Ha-rang.
Flash. Seok Ha-rang frowned at the sunlight. Eun-yuha couldn't come out into the sunlight, as if she was being dyed in the shadows. The heel of her shoe stopped at the shadow boundary.
"Ha-rang. I'm sorry."
"...What are you sorry for, Unni?"
"I, I really did my best."
"What are you talking about? Let's go back quickly. People are already going crazy."
Eun-yuha had nothing to say to Seok Ha-rang, who was smiling in the sunlight. Seok Ha-rang pulled Eun-yuha's hand and said with a mischievous face.
"Is there only love here? There will definitely be someone in New Seoul who will love Unni. I'm a dating expert. If you come to Busan, I'll introduce you to someone much prettier than the person who rejected Unni."
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"
"...Weren't you just dumped, Unni?"
"......Don't say weird things. Let's go back. I'm tired."
Eun-yuha shook off her sleeve and strode away. Tears welled up in Eun-yuha's eyes, as if they were about to fall at any moment.
Seok Ha-rang tilted her head and smiled with a meaningful face.
"She was dumped."

"...Is that real?"
Eun-yuha denied it. A secret that even Yoo-sung's intelligence network, the Association, and the informants planted in the government couldn't obtain.
The person who revealed the shocking truth that would turn the world upside down in front of her was leisurely sipping her yogurt with a straw.
The expression on her face as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the taste of the yogurt was as refreshing as if she had gotten rid of ten years of indigestion.
"Whether you believe it or not, that's your freedom, miss. But..."
Azure Flame Phoenix's hand was engulfed in flames. Soon, her arm turned into black armor and blue flames.
"You understand the many advantages you can gain after killing Gwanggeom, right?"
".......Yes."
I weighed it countless times. Thanks to her ability, the seven thinking circuits developed compared the two cases from various angles. The case of killing Gwanggeom and colluding with Phoenix. The case of cutting off the deal with Phoenix and reaching out to Gwanggeom.
The conclusion was that Gwanggeom had to be killed. For Eun-yuha herself, for the survival of Yoo-sung, for South Korea, and for world peace.
Eun-yuha judged that it was beneficial to her. Eun-yuha made up her mind.
"...Okay. But you'll take my opinion into consideration, right?"
"No? I'm just going to follow it as it is? Hehehe. I was just thinking about killing him, but I'm glad I consulted you. You're an idea bank after all."
"...Instead, you're giving 'that' to me? Not as a gift, but as a consulting fee?"
"Yes. Use it as much as you want."
The direction has been decided. Now, all that's left is for Eun-yuha to move the group and play an active role in the shadows.
The execution date is Saturday, May 9th.
"But there's one thing I don't understand."
"What is it?"
Eun-yuha asked Phoenix, who was about to pick up her drink.
"Why are you telling me to put Ha-rang to sleep so she can't wake up on the day you kill Gwanggeom? Is it because Ha-rang will be a hindrance in the fight?"
Phoenix closed her mouth. Eun-yuha poured all the remaining coffee in her burning throat into her mouth.
"Seolhwa Princess..."
Phoenix opened her mouth.
"Seok Ha-rang is Gwanggeom's daughter."
Drip. Coffee flowed from Eun-yuha's lips like a waterfall.