Chapter 430

〈 Chapter 430 〉 Part 1, Chapter 18, 12

All history is made at night.

The club was always a place where humanity’s primal desires burst forth, and as the world’s end drew near, the number of visitors steadily increased.

“This club is new to me…”

“Newbie alert—!!”

Not only the regulars but also those who had never set foot in a club before began visiting with the mindset of “at least once before I die.”

“Uh, this is a live club…”

“I don’t care! Just wet it first!”

Not just clubs—this phenomenon spread throughout society—but clubs were definitely the perfect place for people to lose themselves in dance and impending doom.

“The timing is perfect for our new guest. Today’s song is… freshly made! F*ck You, Pluto!!”

The seemingly innocent face of the guitarist, who looked like he’d croon jazzy tunes, suddenly erupted with the kind of energy that could topple Tokyo Tower. The gentleman who enjoyed classical music, the scantily clad young woman, and even the club owner themselves joined in the wild party, ready to blow up Pluto.

“F*ck You, Pluto!”

“””F*ck You!!”””

“F*ck You, Dark Legion!!”

“””F*ck You!!”””

“F*ck You, Azidahaka!!!”

“””Ahh f*ck! That guy’s doing Azidahaka!! Get him!!”””

“Ahhh no!!”

As heroes and hunters interrogated the guitarist while drunk, there was a brief commotion, but the guitarist ultimately proved their innocence by fully disclosing their sexual preferences.

“Honestly, I swear! I think someone like Azidahaka is more like a grandma!”

“Uuuugh, disgusting!!”

“But Azidahaka wouldn’t go for someone like that anyway. Even Azidahaka avoids pedophiles! Uuuuugh!”

“Shut up! My wife is just 138cm tall! It’s not because she’s short that I love her—it’s because the person I love happens to be short! In that sense, this is dedicated to my older wife—you’re not small!”

With that, the guitarist resumed attacking Tokyo Tower.

Is this what 22nd-century cyberpunk club culture looks like? Amidst chaos and confusion, somewhere out there, people started headbanging wildly.

“Hey, is this song over?!”

“Where’s the end?! We’ve only got about a month left to live! Get lost, I need to dance!”

As the fragmented beats ran rampant, so did the people, losing themselves to instinct and dancing wildly. Suddenly, the club doors swung open.

Creeeak.

Today, the particularly creaky hinges of the door grated on everyone’s nerves. All eyes turned toward the entrance, and the guitarist paused mid-strum.

“What is it? What-”

The crowd dancing to the music parted like the Red Sea. A rare sight in Turkey—an Eastern Asian individual—sauntered through the club, chewing gum with casual indifference.

Everyone inside knew exactly who this person was and all the stories tied to them, but no one ever imagined they’d show up here.

“Bartender.”

The man silently took a seat at the bar. Conveniently, there was an empty spot right in front of the bartender, as if it were reserved for the protagonist.

“The strongest drink you’ve got.”

“…Khh.”

Without a word, the bartender handed over a 96-proof spirit designed specifically for ability users. The man chuckled softly as he watched the transparent alcohol fill the glass.

“Ho ho, ho ho ho. Bartender?”

He pointed to the glass, which was barely half-filled.

“First round’s a shot. You didn’t know that?”

“But it’s 96 proof!”

“Doesn’t matter. Can’t humans drink 96 proof? 96, 96… Khh, Garura was 96 too, Khh.”

The man briefly covered his face with both hands. Instantly, the club atmosphere grew as somber as a funeral parlor. He quickly noticed the music had stopped and looked up.

“What’s wrong?”

“Yeah, you’re an ability user, right? Have a drink. You came at a good time, young man.”

The bartender filled the glass nearly to the brim with spirits. The man stared at the glass for a long moment before flicking his finger in front of it.

Flare!

A bright white flame erupted atop the glass. People gasped in awe and admiration at his almost-magical trick.

So Hwakwon uses abilities like this privately now. The brilliant white flames that once burned monsters and fiends now danced brightly on top of the glass.

“Ho ho ho…”

Man, Hwakwon Lee Seung-hyeong, laughed bitterly as he swallowed the fire straight into his mouth—all in one shot.

Clang!

“Khh…”

Seung-hyeong slammed the glass roughly onto the table. True to his claim of “first round’s a shot,” not a single drop remained in the glass.

“Next.”

“That was the strongest drink we have…”

“Then give me the whole bottle.”

Seung-hyeong grabbed the bottle handed to him by the bartender and began drinking straight from it, earning applause filled with respect and encouragement from the crowd.

Waahhh!!!

May this applause become his strength. But Seung-hyeong slammed the bottle down again.

Clang!

Silence fell over the club once more. Seung-hyeong leaned back slightly, crossing his arms, clearly dissatisfied with something.

“Is… something wrong…?”

“It’s irritating.”

Seung-hyeong, looking completely sober, tapped his wrist.

“I’m buying this café tonight.”

“It’s a club! Did you come to the wrong place…?”

“…Khh, slip of the tongue.”

Thud. Seung-hyeong tossed a holographic stack of cash to the bartender, who let out a shrill scream upon seeing the amount deposited into their smartwatch.

200 million euros.

The bartender’s hand, which shouldn’t have trembled, shook violently as they processed the amount. Seung-hyeong spread his arms wide, pointing at all the displayed alcohol.

“Is this enough? Maybe inflation? Should I leave a tip?”

“A, ah, no. But…”

“Thank you for visiting our club tonight, Hero <Hwakwon>. This thrilling sensation opening my eyes is something new to me…”

The club owner, with hair slicked back, approached Seung-hyeong with a troubled expression.

“Since other guests also want to enjoy their last days, could you please leave some for everyone else? Let others have fun too—”

“Golden Bell.”

Seung-hyeong spun the empty bottle in the air.

“Order whatever you like. Tonight, I’m buying all the drinks here. But…”

Seung-hyeong raised the empty bottle with a cheerful smile.

“Would you join me for a drink tonight?”

Massive friend fees have been paid.

Seung-hyeong bought drinking buddies with money.

—

People judge rebellion differently. I ignored the fact that Seung-hyeong briefly worked as an entertainer. And I underestimated his inherent nature.

“If you throw off your blazer dramatically while shouting ‘Paaah!’—it makes you look cool, not awkward.”

“…Isn’t being relatable much better?”

Me wishing Seung-hyeong could be ‘Blaze Dancer Lee.’

Baek Hee-a hoping Seung-hyeong could become Korea’s iconic face and hero of the Land of Eastern Courtesy.

We gave Seung-hyeong freedom in his rebellion, and he truly indulged in it wholeheartedly.

Drinking with people, sharing updates, performing tricks by lighting alcohol with his white flames. His initial behavior seemed a bit awkward, but after ringing the Golden Bell, he revealed his true colors and became nothing less than a socialite.

“People like us find this hard to understand.”

“Miss Baek Hee-a, I’m moderate.”

“……Can you really escape like this?”

Baek Hee-a blew a loud raspberry despite her ridiculous expression, but at least I don’t sit alone in the captain’s chair while everyone else cuddles in the belly.

“I prefer being sociable over being a loner.”

“……Is that comment directed at me?”

“Oops, misunderstood. Never mind then.”

Baek Hee-a looked confused, and I refocused on Seung-hyeong’s wild party. Everyone streamed Hwakwon’s antics live via their smartwatches, and Seung-hyeong appealed to the world that he was fine and sane.

“I’m stuck in quicksand.”

“Forever trapped in sympathy. …Phoenix Sir, if this keeps up, what happens when these kinds of comments come up after marriage? Like, if your spouse has a brief affair but you eventually forgive them out of love, or if Hwakwon—who probably won’t—but develops a wandering eye….”

“That’s their preference, so I can’t say anything. Honestly, you might… Cancel.”

“……Eh?”

Baek Hee-a was genuinely shocked, but I silenced any further words by eating strawberry ice cream.

“Just checking, Phoenix Sir? Am I…?”

“You stealing men, worry not. If you steal, you steal. Anyway, let’s focus on the club.”

Regardless of whether Baek Hee-a blushed or not, I returned my attention to the screen. Through Seung-hyeong’s magical gear, the club’s real-time situation was rendered as a hologram. Thus, I could monitor every corner.

“There are two fiends.”

“……Really?”

I pointed to two figures whose magical power readings bounced off my gear’s scanner.

A man in a bunny hat, sunglasses, leather jacket, and jeans sitting alone, quietly drinking.

And a woman in a cropped tank top and short hot pants revealing her hipbones, dancing fiercely.

Neither noticed the faint magical power Seung-hyeong slipped into the vodka he lit on fire. The sparks acted as a detector, distinguishing between humans and fiends. Seung-hyeong exchanged drinks with them casually, but neither seemed problematic—they weren’t running away out of fear, just quietly drinking or happily dancing.

“Phoenix Sir, will the real Azidahaka show up like this?”

“Ho ho, Miss Baek Hee-a. Do you know how Azidahaka has lured countless men over the years?”

“…Brainwashing and fetish satisfaction through physical attacks?”

“At times like this, it’s pretty overt. You’re right. But that’s the final stage. There’s a process leading up to that.”

Just as I set traps to lure hydras, Azidahaka doesn’t simply use brainwashing beams or similar tactics to ensnare handsome men.

“She uses her cunning tongue to cast a spell of fascination.”

“Deep kissing as seduction?”

“Miss Baek Hee-a, if you’re interpreting my awkward introvert-extrovert joke as sexual harassment, I apologize. Sorry.”

“…Please refrain from such low-level jokes next time.”

Of course, this was Baek Hee-a. After apologizing for my crude innuendo, I nearly choked on my words when a black-haired woman emerged from the staff passage.

“Of course. She enters the game.”

“……Is that her?”

Baek Hee-a was flustered. Indeed, this image bore no resemblance to the widely known Azidahaka she envisioned.

“Why hasn’t Azidahaka been found until now? Do you get it now?”

“Good grief.”

In front of Seung-hyeong stood a black-haired bartender with straight hair. Aside from a teardrop mark near her eye, she exuded an elegant and refined appearance.

“Is this real?”

“Puh hah.”

It was understandable to be shocked. Even Seung-hyeong appeared taken aback by the poised woman holding a shaker bottle in front of him. She wasn’t like a sultry bar madam, nor did she radiate the solemnity one might expect from a convent.

If I must compare—

“Private high school teacher?”

“…I thought the same thing.”

With a dignified yet gentle expression, Azidahaka poured a cocktail into Seung-hyeong’s glass without asking.

[On the house.]

Leaving those words, Azidahaka began mixing another drink. The target had taken the bait. I issued an order to Seung-hyeong.

“Hit it! Right now!”

“Hwakwon isn’t a dog…”

“Once you start drinking, everyone becomes a dog. It’s natural with alcohol cheat codes.”

Despite consuming everything from various cocktails to vodka, Seung-hyeong’s skin had only slightly reddened; he showed no signs of drunkenness. I pointed to my chest.

“If you can’t achieve S-rank mastery of Fire Attribute and reach Sammae True Flame, you can’t even call yourself Fire Attribute. Puh hah.”

How do you intoxicate someone who doesn’t get drunk? With bated breath, I watched the situation unfold. Seung-hyeong had already followed my orders and called out to Azidahaka.

[Another round?]

And I couldn’t help but marvel at Azidahaka’s actions. With a neutral expression, she lifted her own cup and filled two glasses with cocktails. The absence of a handshake indicated it was prepared beforehand.

[…My way home is boring. Why don’t you tell me something? Forget all your troubles after drinking this tonight. Black Russian—a night as sweet as its taste awaits.]

“Th-that th-tha-t…!”

To perform a Maamryong act at this moment…?