Chapter 112

〈Chapter 112〉 Part 1, Chapter 6 (18)

<5:02 AM, Rooftop of the Blue Wind Sect Hideout>

The officers scattered to prepare for battle. Everyone except human Sky Castle Ryu Cheonseong and Architect James were set to join the fight. Phoenix was the first to ascend the rooftop, sitting on the railing and gazing up at the night sky.

“Here you go again, being all melancholy.”

Deokbae had quietly ascended the rooftop and stood beside Phoenix. Phoenix was about to scold Deokbae but swallowed her complaints with a sigh. Deokbae coolly stared out at the Han River in the early morning.

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

“You didn’t see me deep in thought?”

“So your deep thinking resulted in complete annihilation?”

“…”

Phoenix decided to just shut up. Seeing this as refusal to converse, Deokbae smirked mockingly.

“Did you do it on purpose?”

“…What do you mean?”

With her lips pouted, Phoenix looked irritated for some reason. Deokbae spared no consideration or empathy, instead blurting out his thoughts raw.

“You deliberately made yourself the bad guy to cut off options. If you set that as the bottom line, would people really follow you or try to clean up the mess like now?”

“…Didn’t you tell me not to dig myself into a hole?”

“What you’re doing now is digging a hole. What’s the point of raising capable officers if you’re gonna act like this?”

Deokbae’s words caused Phoenix to look up at him expressionlessly.

“I’m practically useless without that Spirit Stone, so fine. But your monsters aren’t ordinary Special Ability users. Even an A-Rank would be revered in other countries! Do you think they’re kids?”

“…They were famous from the start. But-”

“Are these monsters your figures to collect? Why are you so protective?”

Deokbae scratched his head. Phoenix still said nothing, only looking up at Deokbae.

“As long as the Core survives, they can resurrect, right? So even if you push them to their limits, as long as you recover the Core, isn’t that enough? They’ve already died once; what difference does dying again make unless you don’t revive them? Stop babying them.”

“…”

“If feathered ones are marked by you and Gaeul, sure. But do the others follow because of orders? They trust you and work under you because they have their own thoughts. If you keep acting like this as leader-”

“Ugh, got it.”

Phoenix raised both hands in surrender.

“Surrender, surrender! I’ve been treating grown adults too casually. Figures… Recognized. Guilty as charged.”

“…Why are you agreeing so easily now? Makes me feel awkward. What’s gotten into you?”

Phoenix fiddled with her veil and smiled.

“Just decided to embrace the situation. At first, I tried handling everything alone, but thanks to everyone here, my perspective has changed.”

Phoenix clenched and unclenched her fists.

“They say even a blank sheet of paper is better when held together. Thank you, Mr. Jo Deokbae.”

“Whoa, why so formal? Did someone die?”

Deokbae recoiled in surprise, moving away from Phoenix, who slightly lifted the corner of her mouth.

“That day, when I impulsively turned you into a monster, you’ve been surprisingly helpful. As a guinea pig, as power… though not much power-wise. Hehe!”

“Hey! Give me back the Spirit Stone now!”

“Sorry, not yours.”

As Phoenix and Deokbae bickered, monsters began appearing one by one on the rooftop.

Lighthouse Ji Hwa, Phantom Gaeul Cheon. Palace Yu I-shin and the blue-feathered monsters. Finally, a man in a black suit appeared with a white bandage around his left arm.

“…”

The man immediately approached Phoenix and knelt down. Hanging from his collar was the blue feather tattoo branded into the necks of the Dullahan monsters.

Black Flame Dragon Guak Yong-u. Leader of the Blue Feathers, he had just escaped Mapo Bridge and reached the hideout rooftop.

“I heard you called for me.”

“Yes. There’s a role I need you to play.”

“Command me.”

Though calmer since becoming a monster, his nature and sensitivity hadn’t disappeared entirely. The monsters averted their gazes, and Phoenix extended her hand toward the man’s crown. In her hand was a Spirit Stone.

“I need you to become a Monster using this.”

“I understand.”

“……?”

Phoenix hesitated mid-motion. Other officers also grimaced, especially Deokbae whose face was priceless. Phoenix quickly lowered her hand and met Black Flame Dragon’s eyes.

“No, wait. You’re supposed to react like ‘Huh? Me? Become a Monster?’ Then I’d elaborate like ‘Yes! Being a Monster means…’!”

“Got it. Huh? Me? Become a Monster?”

“Aaaahhh!!”

Phoenix pulled at her hair. Black Flame Dragon had no intention of messing with Phoenix; he truly wanted to understand and follow her, which drove Phoenix insane. Phantom coughed awkwardly to interject.

“So, what exactly is a Monster?”

“Hmph. It’s simple. We overdrive a monster’s Core to elevate them to the next level, SS-Rank Monster. The Spirit Stone is the tool.”

“Will that work?”

Deokbae’s skeptical face prompted Phoenix to dip her other hand into her pocket, pulling out a Cube and shaking it.

“What won’t work with these two? Originally, I planned to transfer the entity myself-”

“Denied. Didn’t you fight Unjang already? There’s a risk of exposure. We’re already battling Chinese Heroes; if they find out you’re alive, the Round Table will swarm.”

“-as Miss Gaeul wisely pointed out, transferring the entity has become inconvenient. Hence, Plan B.”

Phoenix held the Cube in one hand while placing the other, holding the Spirit Stone, atop Black Flame Dragon’s crown. He remained silent.

“Based on your abilities, Core, and potential, the type of Monster you’ll become is uncertain. However, my intent and Magic Power will ensure you transform into a swift-flying Avian-type Monster.”

“Are there side effects?”

Yu I-shin gripped her bow tightly as she asked. While others might call her a Phoenix fanatic, to Yu I-shin, she was a commendable superior who treated all former Pine Tree Brigade Heroes equally as blessed by divine grace.

“Side effects… Unable to return to human form until reaching the next stage? Since Black Flame Dragon is A-Rank and Monsters are S-Rank, you won’t be able to switch freely unless you personally awaken. Like this.”

Phoenix transformed briefly into a monster form, startling the Pine Tree Brigade, especially Iron Arrow Park Seong-tae.

[If you don’t reach S-Rank, you may lose your human form forever and live as a beast. Can you handle that?]

“For the sake of strength, I gladly accept the trials of the gods.”

Phoenix reverted to human form, wearing an expression somewhere between apology and pride.

“Do you truly have no regrets? This is your last chance. You can still choose otherwise-”

“I have no regrets. The gods have shown me favor, and it is only right to follow. And…”

The man, formerly known as villain Black Flame Dragon, looked up.

“I want to grow stronger. Beyond humanity if necessary.”

“…Then it shall be as you wish.”

Phoenix swirled flames around her hand. Black Flame Dragon’s body was soon engulfed in blue flames.

* * *

[5:00 AM, Hero Association New Seoul Branch]

“Hurry up! Busan Heroes, block the coastline according to orders!”

Yu Young-ho moved dots on the screen, positioning heroes along the coast where ice walls created by Seok Ha-lang could more easily stop monsters advancing towards civilian areas.

Fill gaps with military support to delay them. Once reinforcements from Seoul arrive, they’ll finish the job.

“Where’s the cruise ship?!”

“34.9, 129.3! Heading north towards Busan!”

A passenger ship departing from Osaka happened to pass through dangerous waters near Tsushima Island. With docking at Tsushima risky and direct passage to Busan difficult, the captain seemingly chose to head for Busan.

“Keep contact! Until we regain signal!”

“Understood!”

[This is Snow Princess!]

Seok Ha-lang’s screen popped up on the main display. Her Magic Power signature was at its peak.

[From this position, I’ll unleash my ultimate technique-]

“Stop!”

Yu Young-ho interrupted Ha-lang and glanced at the map. Calculating the cruise ship’s position and speed alongside Moby Dick’s movement trajectory, he quickly judged the ship to be in danger. He opened a channel to inform Ha-lang of the situation and instructed her to rescue the vessel.

“Sorry, but there’s no one else available right now!”

Startled, Ha-lang briefly conversed with Yu Young-ho before creating an icy path in the air and flying towards the cruise ship.

“Phew.”

Yu Young-ho sighed in relief. Now that Snow Princess was dispatched, it was time to focus on subsequent measures.

“Hwakwon, Samsa, move immediately-”

“Abnormal reaction detected in Seoul!”

An operator’s scream caught Yu Young-ho’s attention, causing him to grip his pen until it snapped. He immediately brought up Seoul’s screen.

“Yoido Island Monster detected! …S-Rank! S-Rank!”

“What?! Out of nowhere?!”

Yu Young-ho bit his lip. Should he have kept Hwakwon in New Seoul? He never imagined an S-Rank Monster would appear in downtown Seoul—especially Yoido Island—without warning.

“Connecting satellite imagery!”

The satellite image revealed a giant dragon enveloped in blue flames standing amidst the darkened city. Like a Western legendary dragon come to life, it roared skyward, spewing blue flames from its mouth to showcase its majesty.

Yu Young-ho thought to himself that unlike the Fire Dragon from the Gwanak Dimensional Gate, this Black Dragon was truly a “Demon Dragon.”

Kiaooaoao—!!

As the dragon roared, noise disrupted the satellite feed. The powerful Magic Power waves emitted by the dragon quickly rendered the video useless.

However, before the feed cut out, the blue flames exhaled by the dragon hinted at its identity.

“The Dullahan mark followed by those blue flames…!”

One of the phenomena occurring in Seoul after the Dimensional Gate incident. Just like the resurrection of Hellhounds and the Dullahans, now an S-Rank Monster had suddenly emerged.

‘Could it be the snake we thought was dead at City Hall?’

Yu Young-ho slammed his fist onto the table.

“Turn the cameras towards Kyunggi Province! Alert Seoul citizens immediately! Evacuate-”

“S-Rank Monster taking flight!”

The dragon soared into the sky. With a wingspan nearing forty meters, it glided gracefully through the pre-dawn Seoul sky before setting its course.

North.

“What?”

Before Yu Young-ho could react, the dragon stretched its wings straight northward. Jets of blue flames erupted from its wings as it rapidly disappeared towards the north.

“…”

[What is happening?!]

The Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department, Jang Hu-jung, startled by the alarm, urgently sought out Yu Young-ho.

Having dispatched Hwakwon Lee Seung-hyeong to Busan to prepare for potential dangers, the sudden S-Rank Monster alert in Seoul left him stunned. Yu Young-ho attempted to calmly explain the situation.

“S-Rank Monster detected in Seoul-”

[Could it target New Seoul?!]

Interrupted, Yu Young-ho frowned.

“Shouldn’t evacuating Seoul residents be the priority?”

[But what if…?! Seoul has six million, but this place has millions upon millions!]

“…It’s heading north!”

Annoyed, Yu Young-ho turned the screen. The S-Rank Monster had already passed Kaesong and was heading towards Pyongyang.

‘Could it be targeting Pyongyang?’

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the monster continued further north. Everyone in the situation room came to the same realization.

“…Why?”

What could possibly be in the north that would make it rush like that?

Puuuuuu—! Moby Dick sounded its horn as it surfaced, alarming the operators who turned their screens to another monitor. The rear of the cruise ship had been significantly torn apart.

“Damn it! Deal with Moby Dick first! Keep an eye on the S-Rank Monster’s position in Seoul! Report if it seems to turn back!”

“Understood!”

Yu Young-ho gritted his teeth, focusing entirely on the Busan situation. For now, he could only concentrate on the crisis at hand.

Please, let it keep going north and cause chaos in China.

Yu Young-ho fervently prayed to a deity he didn’t even believe in.