Chapter 329

〈Chapter 329〉 Part 1, Chapter 14, Section 20

I woke up from my slumber.

As always, it was 4 a.m. The time before the sun rises when I need to review today’s tasks. My eyes naturally opened as they always do.

“…….”

But today was the first time I’ve woken up feeling this deflated. I woke up in Baek Cheonghwa’s body and, because of that, had to endure an extremely awkward dream.

‘Surely I didn’t actually experience nocturnal emission, right?’

I quickly checked the state of my lower regions. Thanks to Chang-yeom calming it with magic power, while it was indeed standing tall, there wasn’t any sticky white substance smeared all over.

“Phew….”

My whole body felt as heavy as a thousand kilograms. The fatigue was worse than ever, especially in my lower back and legs.

‘Is this how you grow?’

After using the ultimate move and colliding head-on with Karna, there was bound to be some aftereffects. I was distracted using the Cube to meet with Chang-yeom and hadn’t noticed the strain on my entire body.

Perhaps Chang-yeom sensed my condition and mentioned massage.

A massage may not have happened, but she did use magic power to calm my blood-boiling—

“…Ah.”

Tension built up again as the image of Chang-yeom’s backside from my dream resurfaced. Whether it’s because this is the protagonist’s body or simply a fit young man’s body, it stands firm without warning.

‘Time for release.’

Even though this is a male body now, my mind remembers how to relieve sexual frustration by myself. Grabbing Baek Cheonghwa Junior, I scattered magic power.

Woooom.

Junior bowed its head. Thanks to the technique Chang-yeom taught me, I learned how to suppress anger with magic power and become a sage. For now, it doesn’t seem like it will rise again anytime soon, so I decided to take advantage of this moment to address the problems at hand.

‘Shower.’

It’s rare to greet the morning in a man’s body. I grabbed a robe and headed toward the private shower room attached to the VIP suite.

“Ahhh…”

My back and thighs ached. It felt just like after spending the night with Yuna—

“…No, that can’t be.”

If that were true, I’d end up resenting Chang-yeom. Even if she’s shy, there has to be a limit, right?

Whether this pain stems from battle or from a different kind of “battle” on the bed remains uncertain.

There’s no way to confirm either way.

The former would mean Karna has awakened, so there won’t be any major fights for now, and the latter—well, aside from Chang-yeom herself, there’s no other way to verify it.

‘I’ll switch back after finishing the shower.’

Shaaah—

As warm water sprayed from the showerhead, I adjusted my schedule after returning home.

***

<July 25th, 7:30 AM. Briefing Room>

All of us looked terrible. Everyone seemed like they had pulled an all-nighter; our faces were hollow.

“…Humans are truly terrifying creatures.”

Garura’s condition was especially bad. She lay limp, her soul seemingly absent, cradled in Gaeul’s arms. Beneath her mask, Gaeul smiled cheerfully as she tightly hugged Garura. For some reason, Gaeul’s skin appeared unusually smooth.

“Why?”

“What did you do to Garura yesterday?”

“…Nothing serious, right?”

Gaeul subtly stroked Garura’s thigh. Though trembling under the touch, Garura nodded at me.

“Just wanting to get closer…”

“…Stop before you lose your magic power.”

My glance flickered briefly between Gaeul and Seung-hyung. They acted nonchalant, but I sighed inwardly upon sensing their lingering magic power still inside Garura.

‘They really went for it.’

Apparently, Gaeul got wild, Garura got consumed, and Seung-hyung got dragged into trying to stop them. Then Gaeul probably challenged Garura to give it a try, and Seung-hyung fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

There’s no trace of Seung-hyung’s magic power within Gaeul.

But Garura’s insides are heavily infused with both Gaeul’s and Seung-hyung’s magic power.

“Hmm…”

Maybe it’s because I had strange dreams, but I wasn’t particularly angry. No matter how much Garura looks exactly like me, since I am a spirit, I judge others primarily by their magic power rather than their appearance.

Even if the outward form is identical, the difference in magic power means I don’t feel much kinship. I gave Garura a subtle signal.

Did you enjoy it?

“…….”

Garura quietly nodded, fidgeting with her fingers. There was indeed a reason why the usually growling Garura had suddenly become so quiet recently.

‘The three leaders have all calmed down after having a go with humans.’

I already knew about Gaeul’s promiscuity since the Masquerade era, so it wasn’t much of a problem. She frequently invited not only the protagonist but also other comrades into her bedroom, eventually settling into the protagonist’s circle after following her own personal route.

Seung-hyung posed no issue either. In fact, I welcomed it. After all, Seung-hyung became my disciple, and if his influence extends to Garura instead of Cheong-hwa, that works out well.

‘Just give Garura to them.’

Gaeul and Seung-hyung will raise Garura properly. Although she might suffer a bit at night, they’ll still teach her human culture within reasonable limits.

It’s not because I’m lazy.

Look, even without specific instructions from me, they’ve already turned Garura into a tame little bird. Truly, as S-Rank heroes, they instinctively carried out what I intended them to do.

Breaking Garura’s spirit. Success.

‘Sorry, Garura.’

Though the flower was trampled too, it wasn’t mine, so I don’t care. As someone who must protect the chastity of Cheong-hwa and Chang-yeom, I needed a double to satisfy Gaeul’s urges.

Thus, I understood the fatigue of Garura, Gaeul, and Seung-hyung. Now, onto the next group.

“Did you stay up drinking again?”

Hyun-taek, Ha-baek, and Seonyu sat there looking utterly exhausted, exuding unmistakable alcohol fumes. They glanced at me briefly before lowering their heads, and suddenly Karna burst out laughing and slapped his knee.

“Yes, Phoenix! These fellows spent the night with me. Someone said something about ‘determining seniority through alcohol tolerance in Korea,’ hmm? Hoho, so I’ve decided to become their elder sister!”

“Ahh.”

You idiots. To challenge Karna in a drinking contest is sheer madness. Even one-on-one battles against her liquor prowess are unwinnable, let alone taking her on with just three people.

Look at that overwhelming liquor capacity. Two massive liquor tanks comparable even to Gaeul could easily hold all the alcohol on Earth. And yet, Karna doesn’t even prefer alcohol.

“Let’s start with a drink together. I made it in my room, so everyone grab a cup.”

I took out three tumblers I had stored in the fridge and poured them into paper cups. A strong spice aroma hit my nose, and the heroes showed interest in what I retrieved from the icebox.

“Is it chai?”

“That’s right.”

“……Hmm.”

Bae Hee-a likely figured it out after tasting it once at the association, and Karna cleared her throat while checking the reactions of the other heroes. I passed around the chai according to the number of people present, but one cup was missing.

“Who are you?”

Next to Karna was a child who could pass as her twin brother. Blonde hair, deep brown skin, but unmistakably golden eyes sparkled brightly.

“…Vijaya, Karna-sama’s guardian lion.”

“Ah. You’re a monster. Nice to meet you.”

For some reason, Vijaya wasn’t seen during the fight. I inquired about his deployment background, and Bae Hee-a stepped forward to explain.

According to Bae Hee-a, before entering the barrier, Karna entrusted herself to Vijaya when she was ejected. Vijaya gathered all the heroes who were attacked outside the barrier, allowing them to regroup thanks to his efforts.

“But then the connection with Karna-sama was severed, and when it reconnected, Karna-sama was already aboard the Baegnaroh. This morning, Karna-sama discovered me and granted me the honor of boarding this ship.”

“Ah… I see. Take good care of Karna from now on. By the way, there’s no cup for you.”

“……..”

Vijaya looked crestfallen. Embarrassed, Karna handed him her cup.

“…Phoenix, let me offer my cup to Vijaya.”

“Really?”

Karna giving up chai? It’s like Chang-yeom giving up strawberries. What could possibly—

“Aha.”

Not <Gaechonkwang>, but <Gaechonkwang>. While the original Gaechonkwang discarded all monsters as weapons and received new ones for the protagonist’s party, <Gaechonkwang> recognized himself as Karna. Perhaps this is why he cherishes his subordinate and favorite soldier, Vijaya.

“Alright. Vijaya, here you go.”

I handed over my share of chai to Vijaya. With gratitude written all over his face, he accepted my cup, but someone else frowned at the sight of the drenched chai.

“I must respectfully object. This is heresy.”

“Why?”

“Who puts this much strawberry in chai?”

“It’s me. Would you like to try? Your thoughts might change.”

Vijaya refused the chai loaded with strawberries.

“…Phoenix, if you’re free this afternoon, let’s have another match.”

Karna frowned disapprovingly and emitted killing intent toward me. The other heroes didn’t look particularly pleased either, but I merely shrugged and drank the strawberry chai in one gulp.

“Guess it’s fine.”

The Chang-yeom inside me. I fetched a new cup, and ultimately, Karna split her share with Vijaya.

“Mm… Good. Never tasted anything like this before.”

“This is made by the world’s best barista.”

It’s chai crafted by the world’s greatest barista, who invented various menus while struggling to survive in the hellish future of New Seoul. Many other recipes remain in my head, but Huan hasn’t pressured me for them.

The heroes soothed their upset stomachs with chai. Not only does it taste great, but it contains the essence of magic power from the Black Scorpion Core, surely acting as a sort of scorpion elixir that relieves fatigue.

“So, why are you in such a state?”

“…I’m a fool, an idiot.”

Baek Ra-on sat with his head deeply bowed, refusing to touch the chai before him.

“No matter how much I think about it, my abilities are insufficient and I couldn’t be of any help! I merely followed what Cheong-hwa taught me, and I couldn’t do anything on my own—I’m so dull.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you grow once we return.”

“Is that so? …Understood.”

Baek Ra-on sighed in relief. He kept muttering “Seoul, Seoul,” which suggests things are going according to my plan.

Upon returning to Seoul, Baek Ra-on will enroll as a student at Galaxy University. Given the rare opportunity to possess both wind and water attributes at SS Rank, I will specially mentor him.

“Then why are you so glum, Bae Hee-a?”

“…Because I couldn’t sleep.”

“Ah.”

I scanned the other heroes.

“What exactly did you do last night to keep the captain awake?”

“…And what about you, Cheong-hwa? What were you doing inside the barrier while all that racket was happening outside?”

“…I was tired and slept until 4.”

“…”

Bae Hee-a seemed like she wanted to say something but didn’t continue. Instead, while the other heroes squirmed uncomfortably, she quietly requested something from me.

“…Next time, please include me inside the barrier or teach me a similar technique.”

The Baegnaroh is synchronized with Bae Hee-a. That means every piece of information within the ship is transmitted to her in real-time, except for what happens inside my barrier. Essentially, everything that happens aboard the ship, from drunken noise pollution to tentacle-sucking sounds, flipping pages, clicking pens—it all disturbs her senses.

“…Do you want a solution?”

“What is it?”

“Reach S Rank. That’ll solve everything.”

“……I guess I should check the university admission requirements then.”

Bae Hee-a sighed. Finally, I turned to Yu I-shin, who had been pale and silent since earlier.

“Why are you like this?”

“…Just, it’s exhausting because of him.”

Yu I-shin pointed at Baek Ra-on. Since they shared a room, it’s probably due to losing sleep from reviewing and revisiting their raid activities.

“Is that so? Hmm, drink some chai. It might help restore some energy.”

I stood in front of the heroes and clapped my hands. All eyes were on me as I briefly outlined today’s schedule.

“Everyone except Miss Bae Hee-a is free until 4 PM. Gather back on the Baegnaroh by 16:00, and we’ll return to Korea at 17:00. Miss Bae Hee-a, come with me to the association for cleanup work before resting.”

The heroes all chose to rest.

* * *

The briefing room after Phoenix left.

Yu I-shin cautiously questioned Bae Hee-a.

“Executioner.”

“…Yes, what is it?”

Thanks to the shared experience of noise pollution, Bae Hee-a looked warmly at Yu I-shin. But Yu I-shin appeared terrified.

“Has anyone entered Cheong-hwa’s barrier?”

“…No? No one has.”

“…”

Yu I-shin’s eyes remained fixed on Phoenix’s retreating figure, shaking as if bitten by cramps. No matter how much he thought about it, it seemed like that—but surely, she couldn’t have done it alone…

Flash.

The earring dangling from Phoenix’s left earlobe caught the light. Yu I-shin covered his mouth with both hands and silently screamed.

Could it be?

Nah, it couldn’t be, right?

The reason for all that bickering was actually—

“Hey, what’s got you so worked up?”

Gaeul tilted her head curiously, placing her hand on Yu I-shin’s shoulder. After staring at Gaeul holding Garura for a long time, Yu I-shin finally spoke.

“…Magic power has decreased.”

“…Pfft, it’s no big deal. Once we return to Seoul, ask your husband for a core behind the scenes. He’ll surely secure yours. Hmph hah hah. Come on, Seung-hyung, let’s finish what we started earlier with the three of us.”

“…”

Yu I-shin alone kept the truth he had realized to himself.

“Ugh… my waist… Why does my whole body ache so much…”

Phoenix staggered off to the private quarters. Yu I-shin silently brooded over words he couldn’t utter.

‘The reason why Jo Deokbae keeps reviving despite causing so much trouble…’

Misunderstandings only deepened.