Chapter 148

〈 Chapter 148 〉 Part 1, Chapter 8, Section 7

Right after returning from the hot springs.

I kept pondering over how I could successfully retrieve the Chaos Dragon and the Cube from China without any hitches. To that end, I gathered key figures needed for my strategy at the Blue Wind Sect’s headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul.

Yun Yuhwa, who would provide me with the means to go to China.

And Anastasha (Rusalka) of the Round Table’s hero <Undine>, who would help arrange a pretext for my trip to China.

“Are you really saying that guy is in China?”

“Yes. He’s probably sleeping there. That’s why we need to infiltrate China.”

“…Just flying there would get us caught on radar. Who knows what they might use that as an excuse for.”

Yun Yuhwa was wary of the madness and extreme decisions of Mo Taegyeong. Knowing his true identity through my knowledge of the original story, Yun Yuhwa could eerily predict the risks and losses from investments involving him like a ghost.

“So, what are you suggesting? A covert entry?”

“No. We need to eliminate the instability factor. It’s about exposing him.”

“Is that even possible?”

Rusalka laughed at me mockingly.

“This narrow landmass is different from the vastness over there. The opponent is essentially the number one person in the country. Are you going to occupy a city like you did in Seoul?”

“No. I’ll reveal the truth.”

I pulled out a profile. This was the profile of the former Round Table hero <No-God>, someone everyone in this world should be grateful to.

“Why him?”

Even Yuhwa showed respect for the man known as No-God, a worldwide hero. If he hadn’t died in his battle against Seongju, he would have remained a living legend.

“I’m trying to save him. Mo Taegyeong.”

“……Even though he’s not a customer, is it possible? That?”

“That explains it.”

Rusalka immediately understood my implication.

“After awakening the Chaos Dragon, your plan is to resurrect him as a monster.”

“……My goodness.”

Yuhwa covered her mouth with her hand in shock. Having already played a role in resurrecting an SS-Rank special ability user as a monster, she well knew how powerful No-God would become if resurrected.

“Even without the Chaos Dragon, Mo Taegyeong will try every method to resurrect No-God. His corpse must have been recovered after the final battle with Seongju and buried.”

“So the body in the grave is…?”

“Obviously fake. Replaced by something akin to an Xroid-like duplicate. The real one is probably hidden somewhere underground. Like those blood zombies you see in martial arts novels.”

“……So what if the legendary hero returns as either a monster or a zombie? Is there still a problem?”

Rusalka raised her head confidently.

“Our lord is stronger.”

“……I wish that were true.”

Can Gawein’s Light Blade defeat No-God? I was highly skeptical.

“What about you, Customer?”

“1-on-1, maybe. But….”

“Aha. I see. That kid can’t fight him, can he?”

I explained the properties of the Chaos Dragon. Being an ethereal entity, it could possess other bodies. If the Chaos Dragon took control of No-God’s body, it would become a being surpassing Nuclearian.

“In short, we’ll take twice the damage while they only take half.”

“……?”

“Can you not explain it more clearly?”

“Hmm….”

In a world inspired by games, explaining things using game mechanics should make sense, but these two women seemed a million light-years away from gaming. Any administrator would have instantly understood and said, “It’s a bug character?”

“……You earn double the money while only paying half, and your stamina consumption is halved while your performance doubles.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Crazy, indeed.”

Yun Yuhwa and Rusalka seemed to understand right away. In any case, since they understood, I began detailing my plan.

“The top priority is securing the Chaos Dragon. Then, the Round Table will move around various places in China to find the research facility studying No-God’s corpse.”

“Mo Taegyeong won’t just sit idly by, will he? Do you have any brilliant ideas?”

“Yes.”

Throwing out some bait that looks tempting enough would work. I decided to personally deliver a honey jar that Mo Taegyeong couldn’t resist touching.

“I’m going to China. Personally. Right now.”

“Hey, sure Gaewein negotiated such conditions, but you don’t necessarily have to go to China yourself.”

Rusalka tried to gently dissuade me. Though she had transferred ownership of her husband Heo Yoon-hwan, if I were to die, so would Gwanggeom, because when the creator dies, the monster does too.

“Don’t worry. I’ll bring a bodyguard.”

“Who?”

“Jodeokbae?”

“…Isn’t it better if I come along?”

Rusalka offered to accompany me to China. She seemed concerned—more accurately, worried about what might happen to her husband if I got hurt—but I politely declined.

“You’re in more danger than I am.”

“Why? If things get rough, I could ask Dad to escape to the North—”

“Mo Taegyeong has a thing for married women. Especially stealing other men’s wives—it’s his style—”

“Oh, sorry. Have a safe trip to China.”

Rusalka quickly withdrew her statement. I also preferred her not coming along. While it might’ve been fine with a heroine, traveling to China with a mother-in-law would’ve been too much.

“Hem hem. So back to the plan. Anyway, once I enter China, Mo Taegyeong will try every trick in the book to lure me in, including criminal acts beyond common sense.”

“Though I don’t think you’d fall for such tricks… oh, the pretext?”

Yun Yuhwa immediately grasped my intention.

“If you’re kidnapped or an accident happens, the Association or the Round Table will use that as a reason to enter China.”

“Yes. Otherwise, it’d be hard to gain entry. But if the world’s only special ability user capable of controlling monsters disappears in China, how do you think global public opinion will react?”

“……They’ll think they abducted you to monopolize your abilities. You really have a bad personality, huh?”

“Thank you for the compliment. Mother-in-law.”

“Are you asking for death?”

After exchanging pleasantries, Rusalka and I worked together with Yun Yuhwa to finalize the operation.

Villains, humans, and the Round Table.

From each standpoint within the framework of my planned operation, the most appropriate strategies were devised, leaving only execution.

“As soon as the smartwatch provided by the Association stops signaling, the operation begins. Got it?”

“Yes. I’ll prepare Yu-Sung’s full strength.”

“I’ll ask the Round Table bachelors too. Oh, what about Unjang?”

“Xiao Lin?”

Rusalka highlighted the Chinese Round Table hero. Someone we easily defeated once in Dandong, so he wasn’t a major concern.

“……Leave him alone. He’s our ally if he sides with the Round Table, and our enemy if he sides with his father. Either way, we can handle him.”

“What if he doesn’t side with anyone?”

“If it’s neither black nor white but gray…”

I shrugged.

“Regardless of his stance, knock him down.”

With that, the planning was complete.

Following Yun Yuhwa’s design, I officially registered as a hero under the Association’s invitation and boarded a flight to China at Gimhae Airport.

When should I cut off the signal?

After awakening the Chaos Dragon?

After devouring all the Cubes?

Or after securing the cores of all SS-Rank monsters in China?

Little did I imagine that the signal would be lost less than an hour after boarding the plane.

* * *

The location confirmed via Deokbae’s phone was approximately 600 km from the destination. Although it was a distance equivalent to traveling between Seoul and Busan several times, having to cover it on foot was quite inconvenient.

“Through uninhabited mountain roads, right?”

I ran leisurely with my hands behind my back. Deokbae was chasing me at full speed, but his pace was barely above 50.

“If you say anything about being slower than a car as a C-Rank, you’ll get scolded. Understand?”

“Then give me the Spirit Stone, cough, already!”

“What’s the point of training then?”

I waved the Spirit Stone I had taken from Deokbae. Made by melting two A-Rank cores, it gave Deokbae immense power, but now, without it, he was just an ordinary C-Rank special ability user.

“Huff, Huff!”

Deokbae collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. His entire body was flushed red, resembling a volcano ready to erupt.

“Exhausted? Let me put you out of your misery?”

“You’re just gonna kill me!”

“I meant taking a break. Would you prefer that?”

Deokbae refused my offer with a slight shake of his head, lacking even the energy to lift his hand. I sat down on a tree stump across from him.

“Not much further. Just hang in there.”

“Huff, Huff. Aren’t you busy? Huff, Huff. Do you have time for this?”

“There’s no time more precious than nurturing talent. And the target we’re hunting isn’t wandering off anywhere.”

“……Hey.”

Deokbae tapped his watch, catching his breath.

“Let’s assume your friend is there. Now, with all of China’s citizens up in arms chasing you, is this even okay?”

“Of course it’s fine. Can they even find me?”

I pointed to the sun hanging high in the sky.

“As long as the sun is up, no one will detect me.”

“…Isn’t it usually the opposite?”

“Now, repeat after me. What am I?”

“…The sun. Suba.”

“That last part was unnecessary. Anyway, I am the sun itself. As long as the sun is up, there’s no chance of being detected. Puhehe.”

The reason I left Seoul at dawn was precisely due to timing. With the sun blazing high in the sky at noon, I could take on anyone—except Seongju.

“Let’s pick up the pace a bit. We’ve got to wake up the princess before sunset.”

“Alright. ……Hey, wait a sec.”

Deokbae held out his watch with a serious expression. Initially annoyed, thinking he was playing another prank, I became enraged upon seeing the content displayed on his watch screen.

“Damn it.”

“He’s cursing. You told me not to curse at him.”

“How is this not a situation for cursing?”

Cursing was unavoidable. I should’ve been on guard when troublemakers from the neighboring seats on the plane started acting up, but I never imagined such a ridiculous situation would arise.

“Okay, hold on.”

I grabbed the butterfly-shaped pin attached to my shirt collar. Fortunately, the other party responded immediately.

[Seok Harang, what does this mean?]

[Exactly what it sounds like. …This news came in right after the signal was cut.]

“Damn.”

What they say about bad days comes true sometimes, but this was excessive.

“Is this timing coincidental?”

“Looks like you’ve got some bad karma. Maybe you should have an exorcism sometime?”

Deokbae chuckled, mocking me. Though I considered digging my nails into his heart, I managed to suppress my anger.

“……Whatever. Life doesn’t go according to plan anyway.”

“I somehow feel it’s going to get worse.”

“Mr. Deokbae. Are you cursing my boss’s life right now? Is that it?”

“No, look at this.”

Deokbae tapped his watch, pulling up another article. The English-language breaking news was informing the world of the situation in China.

“……Wow.”

I wanted to cry.

“It seems the people who tried to kidnap you weren’t working for Mo Taegyeong.”

In the news report,

Mo Taegyeong himself appeared before the public to issue a statement.

“An unknown terrorist organization attacked the plane carrying <Beast Tamer> and caused it to explode…?”

But I didn’t blow up any planes. Even worse,

“This terrorist organization has been named ‘Illusionary Bandits,’ and a state of emergency has been declared until all members are apprehended…?”

This goes beyond the scope of the original storyline. The happier Deokbae looked, the more my trembling lips betrayed my forced smile.

“Wow. I’m losing my mind, seriously.”

The borders have been sealed.

“If this keeps up, the Round Table members won’t be able to enter, right? Not even due to a monster-related incident.”

The operation wasn’t just starting to unravel.

“Your ass is done. What are you going to do now?”

It fell apart from the start. All I could do was laugh helplessly.

“Who the hell are these Illusionary Bandits…?”