Chapter 245

〈 Chapter 245 〉 Part 1, Chapter 11, Section 15

<July 20th, 2020, 5:00 AM, Jeongdongjin Beach, Gangwon-do.>

“Is this where the Rusalka made landfall?”

Blazing Phoenix walked beside me in a swaying dress and sandals. I strolled on the white sand while holding hands with her in my Kaijin form.

“A different spot. Not too far off though.”

“Yes, oh yes. Well said. Please only speak in front of me from now on.”

I had just regained the ability to use my ‘voice’ even in Kaijin form.

“It’s strange enough that I’m using this body to produce this voice.”

The problem was that a towering Kaijin over six feet tall sounded like Blazing Phoenix’s feminine tone.

“Doesn’t it make you look like a volleyball player?”

“That’s because only you can hear my real voice. Puh-heh.”

“You sure have quite the possessiveness… Hmm, this really is strange. Isn’t there any way?”

It was bizarre hearing the same voice come out of two people. Blazing Phoenix stopped walking and raised a finger.

“The Voice Pack DLC costs an extra Cube~ Though I know you’ve got two more in your pocket.”

“Are you joking?”

“Just kidding. Seriously though, mimicking someone else’s voice should work.”

“Hmm…”

I cleared my throat and adjusted my vocalization to the most familiar one I knew.

“Like this?”

“Yes! Well done. By the way, that’s the voice of the ‘Protagonist’ you used to play as.”

“…So does being a male protagonist mean I can’t be anything else? Hmph.”

While it wasn’t exactly ‘my’ voice, having Phoenix’s soprano coming out of my Kaijin form was awkward in its own way. It seemed Blazing Phoenix preferred a masculine tone when I was in Kaijin mode.

“So does this mean we’ve settled on the male version for Kaijin form?”

“Guess so.”

“Then you’ll be all over Seok Harang soon? She was definitely enjoying how you fondled her chest.”

That’s why I called her out. Seok Harang had been influenced by the Cube’s mood, and so had I.

Naturally, the original owner within me must have watched everything with wide eyes.

“It was irresistible. I didn’t expect Seok Harang to bring back two Cubes.”

“That may be true, but you kept touching her afterwards, didn’t you?”

“……Isn’t that what it takes to prevent her from turning against us? If Seok Harang reaches SS+, she might actually defeat me.”

“That’s assuming we’re fighting while holding back. This is just sparring or simulation combat.”

If I wanted to kill her, I could do so easily. But Seok Harang was someone who couldn’t be killed and would become the worst possible enemy if turned.

“In any case, Seok Harang and I are on the same boat now. She’s officially a ‘comrade.'”

“How should I view you as a thieving cat eyeing someone else’s property? What? Are you my beloved big brother? Puh-heh, that’s some cheeky talk.”

“Don’t worry. I only have eyes for you.”

“That man who’s always groping wouldn’t say that, would he? How ridiculous.”

She’s annoyed. Properly annoyed. If I hadn’t called her out at that moment, she might have been kidnapped into my mental world again during another crucial moment or maybe not even appear when using the Cube.

“Then how about I grope your chest?”

“Pervert. Maybe later. Right now, I don’t feel like letting you touch me.”

“Tch. What a shame. It was a rare opportunity.”

“……Puh-heh.”

Blazing Phoenix laughed mockingly. Feeling somewhat irritated, I softly stroked the hand I held with hers.

“You shouldn’t underestimate my technique. Even though I look like this, I’m a master who has made sixteen heroines moan countless times with just these hands.”

“Yes, yes, I know. I’ll definitely ask for your skills next time… Huh-hum♬”

Blazing Phoenix hummed a tune while responding by shaking the hand I held. We continued our stroll along the beach, chatting about various things.

“Karna’s location has been pinpointed. Seok Harang met them in India.”

“A pervert fondling the chests of 120 female disciples.”

Blazing Phoenix smiled mischievously as she criticized me. However, I needed to calm down the killing intent I sensed behind her smile, which was aimed at Seok Harang.

“……Isn’t that the lowest fuel efficiency form? You know what Karna’s true form looks like, right?”

“What? A transformation from vertical to horizontal? How pleasant for you, fondling all sizes.”

“I want to fondle you.”

Blazing Phoenix fell silent. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I coughed.

“W-what? Honestly, isn’t Seok Harang’s or Karna’s chest something you’ve already touched? There’s one chest I haven’t explored yet, though?”

“Hmm? Whose?”

“Yours.”

“Ahaha!”

Blazing Phoenix burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.

“Do you really want to touch me that badly?”

“I don’t just want to touch; I want more.”

“Huh-hum, I see. So you want to touch me so badly that you’re willing to trade kisses with other women to earn a date with me. I understand. If it’s that important, I’ll let it slide.”

Finally, Blazing Phoenix cooled down. With the feeling of having ten years shaved off my life, I resumed the interrupted conversation.

“So, I’m planning to head to India to capture Karna.”

“Make sure to catch Gaechonkwang. Use whatever means necessary.”

“……Of course.”

I expected her to react sensitively. Thinking logically, the existence Blazing Phoenix would dislike the most wouldn’t be Seoyea or Jeolpung, but Gaechonkwang.

“There can only be one sun in a world. Now, who is the sole sun of this world?”

“Obviously, Blazing Phoenix.”

“Correct! Hehe, indeed. Someone who loves me should naturally revere me as the sun.”

Gaechonkwang, the light that opens the heavens.

To anyone, Gaechonkwang would seem closer to the sun, but Blazing Phoenix insisted endlessly that she herself was the sun.

Naturally, I’m on Blazing Phoenix’s side.

“Don’t worry. I won’t fight Gaechonkwang alone. The Korean heroes are now allies, so I’ll have to utilize them.”

“There’s nothing we can do about that. Since you can’t awaken Gaechonkwang anyway.”

“I can’t. As a spirit, strangely enough, it’s turned into a reverse conquest, leading to some peculiar conditions.”

“Still, it’s getting easier step by step. Now, we just need to win through fighting.”

As Blazing Phoenix said, it was much easier now to awaken Gaechonkwang. Though it’s slightly annoying that they’ve united forces, capturing Gaechonkwang and making them an ally will give us a numerical advantage of 4:3.

“But why did Karna approach Seok Harang?”

“I don’t know. Unless you ask them directly. They’re in India, right? Maybe they’ve converted to religion? Living as a meditating monk, cultivating their path.”

“They’re one of the leaders aiming for world domination, aren’t they? Why would Karna come out into the open?”

“I get it. In a 1:1 battle with Gawein, shouting ‘You’re still too weak! Get stronger and come back!'”

That’s a future event from 2022. Gawein and Karna clashed head-on, and even though Karna had the upper hand, they let Gawein go, urging him to become stronger before fleeing.

Through that battle, Gawein reached SS rank, but under the current circumstances, it’s uncertain how things will unfold. Gawein could reach SS just by someone provoking them.

“As long as they fight someone of equal or higher caliber, they’ll awaken. Ah, how many years have they remained at S rank, leaving just 1% experience?”

“That’s why I’m thoroughly avoiding fighting Gawein right now.”

For several years, avoiding the forefront as the leader of the Round Table, my first fight was against Karna. Had Gawein disregarded their dignity and clashed with the Light Blade, either their true identity would have been exposed, or one of them would have awakened to SS rank.

“If you were doing that, why did you terrorize England as Mint Chocolate? What would have happened if you fought?”

“Then I’d definitely run away. How did you know I liked mint chocolate? And she wasn’t even a heroine.”

“That’s true. Anyway…since we’ve sorted things out, you won’t recklessly throw your body into fights anymore, right?”

Snap.

Phoenix flicked her fingers, creating flames.

32 flames.

“Cubes?”

“Yes. While dating is important, I have something to tell you, so let’s spend some time.”

“My chest?”

“Next time. This is more important right now.”

Phoenix extinguished two flames.

“The two in Korea were removed. One was used for Cheon Gaeul’s resurrection, and the other for my appearance.”

Remaining flames: 30. Phoenix flicked her fingers again.

“The two cubes Seok Harang brought are here.”

With a flash, the cube in my possession disappeared instantly.

“You haven’t even told me you’re going to use them.”

“I’m eliminating them since they’re here. To prevent you from acting foolishly with another woman, I’m stopping such incidents beforehand. In exchange, I’ll provide equivalent service later.”

“……”

If someone asks about the cubes Seok Harang brought later, I’ll have to claim I disposed of them immediately to avoid trouble. Remaining flames: 28. Phoenix flicked her fingers rather firmly.

“And the six you eliminated.”

“What?”

“When did I…?” Before I could finish my question, Blazing Phoenix answered.

“Jeolpung, Ji Ryun, Maamryong. The three of them used six cubes while fighting you. Twice for recovery after ultimate attacks and twice for willingly canceling their monster forms.”

“……Oh, that time?”

Now I understood why their magic power recovered so easily. I thought they might have used cores, but I never imagined they’d each use two cubes just to beat me.

“If I had captured them then, I could’ve beaten all of them.”

“The result would’ve been the same—they would’ve fled. You would’ve been sealed by the barrier, and during that time, the three would’ve escaped.”

“……Yeah, fine. Alright. That leaves 22 cubes.”

Already, nearly a third has been reduced. But there’s still more to erase.

“According to the order, the ones you eliminated in China came first, right?”

“Yes. The cube you obtained from capturing Heisagaru was used for my appearance. The cubes Seok Harang brought were just erased by me. Therefore, you currently have no cubes.”

One flame disappeared. Thus, the remaining flames are 21.

“….Well, there’s no problem. Hikari has already completed the research. Even if cross-validation is required, we know the materials for the cubes, and there are three of them.”

One Mo Taegyeong left in a Swiss bank.

One guarded by Horogwan Locust.

And one belonging to Nuclearian.

“If all three are erased, that leaves 18? No, including the one extracted from the remains of the god, that makes 17. Already 40% is resolved. 17/32, 3/7. The progress rate is similar on both sides.”

“…..Yes. That’s what I mean.”

Phoenix spread her ten fingers.

“What do you plan to do in the remaining five years and five months?”

“What else? I need to awaken the remaining four spirits as quickly as possible, gather cubes, and grow stronger.”

“For instance, if you collect all of them within five months, you’ll spend the remaining five years building strength?”

“Yeah.”

Blazing Phoenix flicked her finger. One flame turned red.

“With one red flame among the blue ones, it feels like a bomb’s fuse.”

“That’s correct. It’s a signal flare announcing the countdown to the world’s end.”

Blazing Phoenix kicked the sand lightly with her foot while looking down. I felt uneasy at her deliberate pause.

“……Why?”

“The remains of the god. You extracted the cube embedded in his heart and burned the remains, remember?”

“Yeah.”

“……You pressed the button on a time bomb. I truly had no fault in this. Neither of us knew.”

Blazing Phoenix’s voice began to tremble slightly. Feeling increasingly uneasy, I approached her.

“Alright. Since it seems to be my fault, explain it to me. What is it exactly?”

“…Just as you guarded against the Light Blade fearing eternal imprisonment within the barrier, Seongju likely guarded against his only rival—the god who injured him. Now that the god’s corpse has vanished, what do you think will happen when Seongju finds out?”

“……Seems I’ve messed with a proper time bomb. He must’ve started the Boatman’s activation once he realized the god had completely vanished.”

Suddenly, everything felt futile.

“Where does the story get pulled five years earlier just because activities began five years ahead of schedule? It’s really unfair.”

“…..You didn’t know, right? Don’t blame yourself.”

Blazing Phoenix hugged me and patted my back.

“You wouldn’t have touched it if you had known, right?”

“Yeah. But I did touch it.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t want to die so soon either.”

Blazing Phoenix grabbed my face with both hands, standing on tiptoes to pull it closer.

“This time, since I’ve appeared, let me give you a present. We don’t know how much time is left, but please try your best.”

Peck.

As the morning sunlight rose beyond the horizon, Blazing Phoenix bathed in the sunlight and gradually disappeared.

“……Huh.”

I wiped the warmth lingering on my lips with my hand.

“The best motivation ever.”

Whoosh.

The red flame slowly faded away, disappearing from sight. Raising my head, I greeted the rising sun.

“I need to capture the executives as quickly as possible.”

Before Seongju arrives.

Truly, it’s like fire falling onto my feet.

But I’m not worried.

“If the original protagonist could capture Seongju in a year starting from scratch, am I incapable of doing the same?”

There’s now a place I need to go.

India.

Where Gaechonkwang and Karna are presumed to be.

“I’ll finish it all before Seongju arrives.”

I reaffirmed my resolve once more.