〈 Chapter 198 〉 Part 1, Chapter 10, Section 1
It’s been a full ten days since Phoenix returned to Korea.
The people had expected to see Qinghua come back from China like a flash of light aboard the Baegnaroh, but instead, Qinghua vanished into thin air again just as quickly.
Where in the world did he go this time?
According to one Hero who was on the Baegnaroh, as soon as they entered the airspace over the West Sea, Qinghua summoned the Black Flame Dragon and disappeared toward Seoul.
People cast suspicious glances at the loyalty, power, and safety of the Black Flame Dragon shown toward Qinghua.
And with growing confidence that Seok Harang could handle not only Busan but also New Seoul and the entire Korean Peninsula alone, stability slowly returned to the peninsula.
Shouldn’t it be about time to head back up to Seoul…?
Public opinion in New Seoul began to shift.
* * *
[June 26, 2020, 3:00 AM, Blue Wind Sect Hideout.]
“Right. So you’ll definitely be there that day? Got it. Thanks for checking.”
[Of course. I’m here, so it’s reliable info. Boy, what an unusual young lady she is.]
“…Anyway, thank you, Chief Administrator. You’ve worked hard dealing with all those important figures.”
[Honestly, I don’t know why we communicate so well. Oh? What discussion took three days and nights nonstop just to name someone—]
I cut off the call with Administrator Yu Yinghuo after finishing my business.
“Gotta save money on international calls.”
Yu Yinghuo was currently in England. Recognized for his past achievements, he moved his affiliation from the Korean branch to the main Hero Association headquarters in London, becoming one of those “important figures” responsible for naming Heroes and sponsoring the Round Table.
“Congratulations. ‘War God.'”
“I feel it’s too much honor, but thanks.”
Xiao Lin, the monster-turned-human stripped of her monstrous shell, twirled her long hair shyly. She insisted on staying in Seoul to guard me and never strayed far from my side.
“When are you planning to stop following me around?”
“When I can beat you?”
“You’ve already won. Now go away.”
“Don’t joke around.”
I waved my hand to shoo Xiao Lin away, but she flopped onto a chair and started openly protesting. Though she wore only a tank top and dolphin shorts, lounging on the sofa like that didn’t seem very guard-like. Still, very few beings could even enter this penthouse.
“I can see your underwear.”
“I don’t wear any.”
“Correction. I can see everything underneath.”
“And… so what if you do?”
She wasn’t getting the message. Since becoming the War God, Xiao Lin seemed to have thrown modesty out the window, walking around nearly naked inside this room.
“But you always dress properly when we go outside, right?”
“Except I don’t wear underwear.”
“Since no one notices anyway?”
With a flick of her magic power, Xiao Lin transformed her outfit into a tight black suit with a blue tie, looking every bit the spy movie bodyguard.
“This is how clothes made of magic work.”
“Whatever. Do as you please.”
While I had helped design the look based on memories of certain skins, Xiao Lin kept refusing to wear underwear regardless of the outfit. Outside, she insisted on covering up entirely in bodyguard gear, but inside my hideout, she paraded around in revealing outfits, testing my patience.
“So… Xiao Lin.”
“Yes?”
“Today, when it gets light, take Akto and visit the main family estate.”
“Eww…”
Xiao Lin scrunched up her face.
“Do we really have to?”
“It’s been three days, so a core should have appeared by now… Though I guess seeing it directly is still awkward for you, huh?”
“Not that… It’s just annoying to visit home.”
As a monster of the Rot Dragon, Xiao Lin clearly found my requests bothersome. While I couldn’t force her unless she was my personal monster, this was a highly confidential mission that couldn’t be entrusted to anyone else.
“Who else is going to visit your house except you?”
“If I go, Brother will be too busy to see me, and you’re even busier. In the end, I’ll just have to see… Father…”
Xiao Lin frowned.
“…Should I even call him ‘Father’ anymore?”
Moz Taekyeong.
Inspired by the warlord Cao Cao from chaotic times, China’s second-in-command lost everything due to Qinghua and the Rot Dragon. I took the Rot Dragon and Cube from the future version of him, while the Rot Dragon stole his body and subordinate organization, Dongchang.
“Hmm, calling him ‘Father’ does seem difficult.”
There were several reasons I thoroughly destroyed him, including preventing the atrocities he committed in the original timeline, but mainly because he killed his own daughter, Xiao Lin.
“Putting bugs in his own daughter’s heart is bad enough, but blowing up his heart after losing once? That guy was truly despicable.”
“He wouldn’t have died if you hadn’t defeated him. Right?”
“If he didn’t want to die, he should have won.”
“That’s why I keep challenging until I win.”
She doesn’t think twice before talking back. While I easily maintain the upper hand by exploiting her weaknesses, Xiao Lin continues to grow stronger and may eventually reach my level.
“Among humans today, you’re the closest to me.”
“In what way?”
“Obviously, in terms of special abilities. Put simply, according to Hikari’s standards.”
I pointed to a screen hanging on the wall. There, ranked from top to bottom, were the rankings of the Blue Wind Sect expressed in Professor Himeji Hikari’s style.
“Level 96. That’s your current level.”
“Feels like some kind of game, doesn’t it?”
“…Complain to Hikari.”
Though terms like ‘magic affinity’ might have been more appropriate in the original or spiritually, Hikari changed it to something more intuitive for regular people. When Xiao Lin saw her nickname listed third from the top, her eyes widened in surprise.
“Why am I third?!”
“Because you’re third.”
“But against Snow Spirit, it’s a draw!”
“Still, Hikari says your level is 96. Complain to her.”
“Ugh…”
Xiao Lin looked quite dissatisfied with the rankings but lacked the courage to confront Hikari. Her shoulders slumped.
“At least there are only four SS-ranks, right?”
I read down the list carefully from the top.
“99, Phoenix. 97, Seok Harang. 96, Xiao Lin. 96, Light Blade. Congratulations. You’re finally on par with Light Blade.”
“While it’s an honor to match Light Blade’s strength…”
Xiao Lin frowned again, clearly unhappy with something.
“What’s wrong now?”
“Isn’t Light Blade slacking off too much since reviving as a monster?”
Despite being a monster of the Rot Dragon, Xiao Lin criticized Light Blade for being lazy. She was quite surprised to learn that Light Blade hadn’t actually died and was resurrected by me, but seeing his current state, which was completely different from his past self, left her deeply disappointed.
“Why? Isn’t he practicing swordplay diligently?”
“With his hips, not his hands!”
True to her warrior spirit, Xiao Lin was furious about Light Blade neglecting his swordsmanship.
“Unless you secretly admire him?”
“He used to be someone I respected as a martial artist! Ugh, it’s heartbreaking to see him groveling under Anastasha like this…”
“He shouldn’t have wandered around as a ghost anywhere he pleased then.”
“He came up to Seoul upon hearing Undine was here.”
Separate from Xiao Lin coming to Seoul to guard me, another member of the Round Table, Undine Anastasha, was temporarily staying in Seoul. Originally wandering near their honeymoon home in Busan, they had no choice but to come up to Seoul, bringing along the dog on a leash.
I pointed downward with my finger.
“If you miss her so much, why don’t you go see her? She should be downstairs.”
“……Are they… you know… doing it right now?”
“Xiao Lin.”
I needed to change her thoughts.
“They’re probably doing it every moment they aren’t. Remember that.”
“……They’re truly amazing. Is that the power of love?”
“Yeah. Love so overwhelming they’ve been reported by neighbors.”
In fact, they were chased out of Busan. Complaints about a blonde foreign couple engaging in public displays of affection everywhere in Busan piled up, and eventually, they had no choice but to retreat to the Blue Wind Sect’s hideout where they wouldn’t be seen by others.
“The soundproofing is solid. No people around. Great view. As long as they don’t play outside, I gave them a room. If you’re curious, you can visit.”
“I don’t want to see that. Anyway, this ranking will change soon. I’ll climb to second place, and one day, I’ll stand beside you.”
Xiao Lin pulled her title, ‘War God,’ closer to mine on the ranking chart.
“Looking forward to it. Now go. Take Akto with you.”
“I can go faster alone.”
“…Ride.”
“Understood.”
Pouting, Xiao Lin changed her outfit. The dark-blue uniform was what she wore during official external activities.
“Then I’ll be back later. Not Father… but I’ll fetch the core born from Mother.”
“Oh, and visit Bonghyo while you’re there.”
“My brother too?”
“Yes. Bonghyo will be waiting for you personally at the mansion. I need to pick up something, so give this as a gift and bring it back in here.”
I tossed a box from the drawer to Xiao Lin. Sealed with a magical barrier, the small box had a lock that only a spirit, not a human, could open.
“What’s inside?”
“Jewelry.”
“…Is it for my brother?”
Xiao Lin narrowed her eyes and interrogated me. Ever since learning Bonghyo’s name, Xiao Lin has been trying her hardest to separate me from Bonghyo, despite neither of us having any romantic potential.
“Xiao Lin. I don’t like that bastard Bai Qingying.”
“But your brother might like you, right?”
“That bastard? You don’t know him at all. Do you know who came up with the idea that turned Moz Taekyeong into what he is?”
“……”
Xiao Lin gasped in shock with her mouth wide open.
“I thought until now that you were the type to do such things…”
“Ask him directly. It was his doing.”
“I’m leaving immediately.”
Xiao Lin left my room, incredulous. As a spirit, she passed through the window heading towards the new stable prepared for Akto in Yoido Park.
“Fast.”
A red streak shot up toward the west under the night sky. Akto’s steps toward Beijing seemed especially swift, understanding his master’s urgency.
“S-Rank core and a USB stick delivery service… Too high-end personnel for such a task.”
Now that I’ve driven out the exhibitionist running rampant through my room, I was finally alone. Leaning back in my chair, I closed my eyes.
“Let’s rest for ten minutes.”
Creak, creak, creak!
“Guess I’d better get back to work.”
Using the sounds from downstairs as white noise, I refocused on my tasks. I mulled over where to use the S-Rank core Xiao Lin would bring back from China, born from Black Scorpion.
“Regularly supplied S-Rank cores are quite problematic.”
Numerous people, including the officers of the Blue Wind Sect, are after the S-Rank cores in my possession.
Officially known are two. And two more obtained when I caught Black Scorpion. I have four S-Rank cores.
There are only two known facts: Officers seek enhancement of magic power; Yun Yuhwa wants them for sale; Hikari needs them for research; and the Association desires to revive monsters to control with S-Rank cores. Countless greedy hands reach for my S-Rank cores, and I must use them wisely.
“Always keep one as insurance.”
Another Cheon Gaeul incident might happen, so I should carry one at all times. I slipped the three colored cores on my desk into my pocket, tossed the remaining black core into the air and caught it, pondering its use.
Monster transformation, enhancing monsters, facility improvements, securing funds, research investment, friendship exchanges, etc…
“Who needs it most urgently…?”
Ultimately, it was my decision to make. My contemplation deepened, and I couldn’t decide until sunrise.
“Alright. I’ve decided.”
A simple answer emerged.
“Give it to whoever needs it most among those I meet.”
That was clear.
