Chapter 149

〈 Chapter 149 〉 Part 1, Chapter 8, Section 9

At that moment. Dongchang Mo Secret Base.

“It seems we’ve been hit by the Director.”

Lin Lei, an organization member of Old Classmate and hero named <Sajae>, finished his report while prostrating on the floor.

“He used a decoy.”

Bonghyo, the young man with silver hair sitting in a chair, gritted his teeth as he thought about his father, Mo Taegyeong, the true master of Old Classmate, who had struck him hard.

“That kidnapping by a woman named Qinghua, it was flipped onto us.”

“The plane exploded mid-air. It was likely a magical self-detonation or an equivalent explosion.”

“With no bodies to recover, there’s no evidence. To kill off foreign talents capable of controlling monsters just to catch us… He’s gone mad.”

Bonghyo clicked his tongue while stroking the gray-haired maiden sitting on his lap. The maiden slept soundly as Bonghyo caressed her head.

“For now, halt all activities. If we engage in combat, we’ll undoubtedly be branded as a terrorist group.”

“Understood. I’ll have everyone return here like ‘ghosts.'”

“Yeah. Don’t go around recklessly attacking without reason.”

“…Cough. Commander.”

Sajae pointed at the maiden Bonghyo was stroking.

“Commander must feel lucky to embrace the goddess like this?”

“. You fool. Do you think I want to hold her? She’s sleeping here.”

Bonghyo barely managed to suppress a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“Because the Spirit wishes to sleep here, I haven’t been able to go to the bathroom for over half a day.”

“…May you have good fortune.”

“What need is there for good fortune… Hmph. Still, it’s quite something to be called divine favor, isn’t it Father?”

“Are we doomed then?”

Sajae laughed lowly. That laugh wasn’t the kind where one would pretend to die if their neck were offered—it was a genuine mockery directed at Director Mo Taegyeong.

“No. No way. We cannot be destroyed.”

Bonghyo smiled confidently while stroking the maiden’s head.

“How can we fall when the Spirit has entrusted us with a great mission? You should repay the grace of the Spirit too, right?”

“Of course.”

Sajae bowed deeply to the maiden.

“I shall never forget the grace that freed me from the clutches of Boy’s Art. Oh Great Spirit!”

“…I’m not a spirit.”

The maiden opened her eyes. Sajae turned pale and knelt down.

“I-I have disturbed the sacred slumber of the Spirit! A sin worthy of death!”

“…Shut up. Go back to sleep.”

“Yes!”

Sajae disappeared like a ghost. As soon as they left, Bonghyo was alone with the maiden, blinking awkwardly. The maiden sat up dazedly and looked around before raising her head.

“…Huh.”

“Do you sense something?”

“Just now, a crazy woman passed by above.”

“…A crazy woman?”

Bonghyo shivered. This was the first time the maiden had shown such hostility.

“…Never mind. Just leave it. Too troublesome to meet her.”

The maiden yawned and got up from Bonghyo’s lap. Sleepily stumbling, she headed toward a soft mattress bed.

“Haaam…”

“Your Divinity?”

“…Urinary retention.”

The maiden licked her lips and ordered Bonghyo.

“I want chicken dish.”

“…I’ll fetch it.”

Bonghyo bowed his head and disappeared like a ghost.

“…Hmm.”

The maiden turned her gaze toward the direction where magic power could be felt. Despite being hundreds of kilometers away, the intense magical aura seemed to reach here.

“Is she coming for me?”

The flame pointed toward the underground tomb where she had been sleeping. If left unchecked, someone might make a wasted trip.

“…She’ll find her way here eventually.”

Too lazy to even bother dressing up, the maiden pulled the cotton blanket over herself and closed her eyes.

“Haaam…”

The maiden, Chaos Dragon, fell asleep again.

* * *

Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

This place, the tomb of the absolute ruler of ancient Qin, Emperor Shi, later became the hideout of the Chaos Dragon and the worst dungeon in China.

“But since that’s two years from now, for now it’s just a ruin.”

I swung my stone club and shattered the waist of an approaching terracotta warrior.

Crack!

With the sound of breaking pottery, one terracotta warrior collapsed. The clay figure holding only a sword as a cavalryman was destroyed by my flame-wrapped stone bat and returned to dust.

“Is it because of the Dimensional Gate? Ghosts are already lingering.”

I deflected an arrow aimed at my forehead with the stone bat. The arrow fell harmlessly to the ground after being deflected, and I immediately spun the bat and threw it at the archer.

“Deokbae Boomerang!”

The bat flew in a curve like a boomerang.

Clang!

The bat, imbued with magical power, broke the helmet of a shield soldier and shattered the arm of an archer who was drawing his bowstring. From the long stone bat, which was over a meter in length, blue flames rose.

Keeeeeek!!

The ghosts dwelling inside the clay figures emerged, wailing in pain. Though they claimed to be incorporeal entities immune to physical damage through illusion magic, my flames have the property of burning magic itself.

Keeek, Kuaaaaak!

The banshee-type monsters inside the clay figures screamed and vanished. I retrieved the stone bat and strapped it to my waist like a flamethrower.

“Fire!”

Whoosh!

The cave filled with blue flames. The flames engulfed the clay figures, and the banshees inside were consumed without even having time to scream.

Crackle. Crackle.

Holes began to appear all over the clay figures’ bodies, and gray cores spilled out from them. I picked up a gray illusion-magic core that rolled to my feet.

“Heh heh heh. Farming is so sweet.”

After the fire attribute, the next rarest type is illusion magic. Just like sparrows can’t help but pass through a mill, I decided to collect all the cores while passing by.

“After all, if I leave them be, they’ll just be used for human sacrifices!”

So this isn’t looting. It’s merely pre-emptive work to use these cores destined for world destruction for better purposes.

“Hmm. Are they all dead?”

I scanned the surroundings, checking if any banshees remained inside the clay figures. Fortunately, there were none left on this level.

“Well then, Squad 2, rest time.”

I planted the stone bat on the ground and released the magic power. The bat was enveloped in flames, and Jo Deokbae, who had become a rock monster weapon, returned to his human form.

“Hey! What did you just do?!”

“Core collection?”

“They’re all world heritage sites, you know!!”

Deokbae pointed at the Terracotta Warriors rolling on the floor and yelled. I crushed the remaining head of a spearman rolling near my feet and replied.

“Should we just let the monsters have their way? Ghosts keep possessing the clay figures and try to stab me!”

“Then at least control your firepower!”

“Sorry. I’m too low-leveled; even normal attacks kill them.”

I held up a broken piece of the soldier figurine. The clay figurines themselves have low durability, and the banshees inside are D-Rank monsters.

“Get used to it. Incidents like this will happen often from now on.”

“…What do you mean?”

“There will be at least a couple more occasions where what you’re worried about will happen.”

I envisioned in my mind the cultural relics that would collapse—precisely, the dungeons where I would battle various officers.

“Let’s see. The Parthenon Temple and the Taj Mahal Palace…”

“You’re planning to fight there?”

“No? But if the enemy is there, we must fight. Anyway, they’ll all collapse if the monsters run rampant.”

I pointed at the clay figures climbing up from the lower levels. All of them emitted a gray aura, indicating they were possessed by banshees.

“Then, Student Jo Deokbae. Stop talking nonsense. Turn around. I’ll farm all the cores and clear down to the lower levels.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just go straight to the end?”

“What nonsense.”

I transformed Deokbae back into a stone bat.

“Dungeons are from start to finish. Mapping 100% while killing all the monsters is RPG basics, you know.”

So what’s in front of me aren’t cultural relics but monsters. After confirming the hand feel by swinging the bat like a baseball bat, I tightly gripped the handle.

“Huh?”

That looks like Mo Taegyeong.

Creak.

My grip tightened involuntarily. I leaped toward the chariot soldier leading the charge and smashed down with the bat.

“CHESTOOOOO–!”

It felt like some pent-up stress was relieved.

…

…

…

About 30 minutes later.

From the entrance to the very bottom floor. Successfully dealt with thousands of D-Rank banshees, and with a refreshed mind, I stood in front of the entrance to the final chamber.

“I hope there will be more opportunities like this in the future.”

I reverted Deokbae to his original form and handed him a bag conjured up with magic.

“What’s this?”

“A bag.”

“So what am I supposed to do with it?”

“Come on, Deokbae. Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

I pointed at the cores rolling on the floor and grinned widely.

“After hunting, naturally you have to pick up the loot.”

“Are you telling me to collect them all by myself?”

“Not at all. How could I work alone? I’ll assign some helpers.”

I deliberately placed a few collected banshee cores on my palm. Five D-Rank cores of identical size, shape, and form gathered neatly on my palm, and I infused them with magic while whispering.

“Spirits wandering in the netherworld, may the sun watch over you and grant you mercy.”

“Ugh.”

Deokbae gagged and retched. I ignored him and focused on creating the monsters from the banshees.

“In the name of Chang-yeom, born anew into flesh and tread this land with two feet. Manifest!”

Woooom.

The cores glowed. I scattered the cores around Deokbae like sowing seeds, and the cores infused with my magic began forming bodies made of magic, similar to how Deokbae resurrected.

“With fire attribute and illusion magic… Let’s call them Bright Flame Spirits.”

“Terrible naming sense.”

“Shut up. Now stand up.”

Upon receiving my command, the Bright Flame Spirits rose and stood upright. They were all female, just like banshees usually are.

“Deokbae, take charge of this Bright Flame Spirit squad.”

“What?”

“It’s about time Squad 2 started acting like an officer, right? Thus, I order the Rock Monster Squad.”

I pointed at the cores scattered on the floor and the ceiling.

“Collect them all.”

“Understood.”

The Bright Flame Spirits began flying around, gathering the cores. Watching them reminded me of women collecting grains, making me burst into laughter, but I turned around and headed toward the device leading to the basement.

“Can’t I come with you?”

“Collect them.”

Deokbae wanted to come with me to see the Chaos Dragon, but unfortunately, I had to meet the Chaos Dragon alone. I didn’t want Deokbae nearby causing a disturbance that might wake her up.

“Tch. It’s not like she’ll wear out or anything.”

“Her mental strength will diminish if she sees you, so just stay upstairs. Think about it.”

I pointed alternately at myself, Phoenix, and Deokbae.

“Which is better when waking up: seeing an ultra-beautiful girl or a scary bald uncle?”

“Eh, this dirty world. Fine, I guess she’s stunningly beautiful. Pfft.”

Deokbae spat on the floor, grabbed his bundle, and ascended upstairs. The Bright Flame Spirits diligently collecting cores followed him cautiously.

“Pffft. Even though Phoenix knows she’s pretty.”

Though the praise wasn’t directed at me, I inexplicably felt happy. I deactivated the gimmick in the basement where the real room with the coffin was hidden and stepped onto the concealed staircase.

Creeeeak.

“The dungeon structure is exactly the same.”

It’s not a dungeon yet, but it will be one of the places that will become a dungeon in the future. The Chaos Dragon drove away the boss monster established here and claimed this dungeon as her own cozy resting place.

“So now…?”

Why is the coffin lid open?

“…No way. This shouldn’t be happening.”

If there’s a deity, I curse them for creating such an absurd situation.

“To attack and eat her while she sleeps because it’s too troublesome to interfere, and then she gets up on her own and leaves…?”

I couldn’t comprehend it. Is this entity entirely different from the Chaos Dragon I know? Or was she not a lazy person but a workaholic five years ago?

“The traces are clearly recent.”

Not much dust has accumulated. However, the trail of a single girl kicking open the coffin lid is unmistakable.

“Haha, ha.”

There was a clear trail leading out through a passage opposite to the entrance I came through.

I couldn’t help but feel pity for a mummy that was probably dragged around by the Chaos Dragon and then thrown out through an emergency exit.

“Probably her本人 herself.”

I carefully lifted the mummy and laid it reverently back in the coffin. Please don’t be angry.

“…Sniff.”

I couldn’t close the coffin lid and spent a long time lost in thought.