Chapter 309

〈Chapter 309〉 Part 1, Chapter 13, Section 26

<Private Room>.

Hwakwon Lee Seung-hyung lay alone on his bed, clenching his fists tightly. The sensations felt during battle still lingered, but unfortunately, there weren’t many ways to test this newfound power.

“Training grounds had guests.”

Unsah and Gongsung were enthusiastically sparring, making it awkward to join in. Mixing with the drinking party was equally uncomfortable, so he ended up retreating to his private room to shower and relieve some fatigue.

Whoosh.

Before Lee Seung-hyung’s eyes, flames flickered to life—not his usual white but a faint light sky-blue flame.

“Finally….”

He cradled the flame like a precious treasure. Unlike before when the blue and white flames were mixed, this time, traces of Chang-yeom were subtly “blended” into the fire.

“Had to force it together until now.”

Since awakening to S Rank at the Guan’ak Gate, Lee Seung-hyung had been able to summon the ‘Blue Flame’ from within himself.

It didn’t take long to realize that this power came from Phoenix. Initially, he brushed off Phoenix’s comment about growing stronger due to her influence, but as his strength continued to grow, he acknowledged the truth behind her words.

“Figures it was her.”

The girl from his recurring dreams—pleading for him to contribute to world peace—was none other than Phoenix herself. Despite their current appearances not matching well, Lee Seung-hyung believed he had received Phoenix’s blessing.

“Does that make me a monster?”

He firmly denied it. He hadn’t died and come back to life, nor did he feel any sense of absolute loyalty toward Phoenix.

He remained human, merely receiving power. For this, he was grateful. Moreover, he appreciated Phoenix staying in Korea and operating as a Korean hero.

He was thankful for the strength she granted, the equipment provided, and most importantly, for giving him a battlefield where he could atone for the karma lingering deep in his heart.

“Son of Sun Icheol.”

This label would follow Lee Seung-hyung forever, and he believed it was his duty to bear the sins committed by Sun Icheol—not out of obligation to him, but to compensate for those who suffered because of him.

“All I can do is act as a hero.”

That’s why he was genuinely glad to have been chosen for the India mission. Thankfully, after revealing details about the Dark Legion, Phoenix hadn’t engaged in any significant wrongdoing.

Somewhere along the line, Phoenix casually mentioned that if he wanted to grow stronger, he should seek her out. With Phoenix’s help, Lee Seung-hyung might flourish rapidly—perhaps even reach SS Rank.

“It’s no time to let pride get in the way. I need to grow stronger.”

The intense battle against Rasputin in Russia left a deep impression on him. Whether through brute strength or magical power, he lost comprehensively, eventually being swallowed by Rasputin’s darkness and fainting from shock.

Such humiliation must never happen again. A hero cannot afford defeat at any moment and must always instill unwavering faith in the citizens.

“I need to restart university.”

Galaxy University. If only to grow stronger, he’d willingly serve under Phoenix, learning from her side. With Seok Harang stationed in Busan, someone needed to rise to SS Rank to ensure the safety of the people in New Seoul and its surroundings.

For that, trust in Phoenix was essential—the certainty that she wouldn’t go astray and that one day, even if they clashed, she’d still teach him.

“Would she really agree?”

Though she promised to answer all his questions, would she readily comply? Lee Seung-hyung’s doubts deepened.

“What good does brooding do?”

Thud.

Lee Seung-hyung stood up resolutely.

“I’ll ask her directly.”

Once resolved, his actions lacked hesitation. He headed toward Phoenix’s personal quarters, the special suite designated for Cheongnyeon. Conveniently, their rooms were close enough that turning a corner brought him to hers. Carefully addressing the barrier instead of the door, he said,

“I’d like to speak with you briefly.”

No response came from inside. Trying to press the doorbell failed due to Yang Seonyu breaking it earlier.

“Damn…”

Reluctantly deciding to knock, he cautiously extended his hand toward the barrier.

“Huh?”

His fist slipped right through. Thanks to his hand entering, sounds from within became clearer, transmitted through magic.

Ah… Haa…

“Wha—?!”

Lee Seung-hyung recoiled in shock. The ambiguous noises definitely sounded like female moans, unmistakably resembling Cheon Gaeul.

Could it be? His imagination ran wild about what might be happening inside. Just before his fantasies spiraled out of control, the glowing blue barrier dissolved.

“…Come in.”

Cheongnyeon, Phoenix, called out in a flat tone. Swallowing hard, Lee Seung-hyung entered the room, only to gape in surprise.

“Hey, you’re here?”

Lying face down on the bed, Cheon Gaeul waved at him. Phoenix was perched on her back, massaging her shoulders.

“Ga-eul, shouldn’t you put clothes on?”

“Why? It’s not like looking will wear me out. Don’t worry. I’ll stay like this, so don’t mind me. You can look if you want.”

Gaeul exuded confidence, and Lee Seung-hyung silently agreed she had every reason to. Phoenix jabbed her thumb beneath Gaeul’s armpit to hint at propriety.

“The sides are visible, though.”

“That’s fine. Why are you so worked up? Hey, do you have ulterior motives toward me?”

At Gaeul’s question, Lee Seung-hyung chuckled wryly and shook his head. Even if he once harbored such thoughts, knowing Gaeul’s heart belonged elsewhere meant he no longer entertained such ideas.

“No.”

“…Liar.”

Phoenix scanned him up and down, then gasped in surprise. Apparently, reading his magic confirmed her suspicion. Lee Seung-hyung scratched his cheek awkwardly, forcing an uneasy smile.

“Sorry for interrupting your pleasant time.”

“Don’t apologize. We were almost done anyway. Everything we needed to do has been done.”

Gaeul grinned mischievously, lowering her gaze to her chest. Following her cue, Lee Seung-hyung inadvertently stared.

“What are you looking at?”

Phoenix glared daggers at him, but Gaeul’s tentacle extracted from her pelvis wrapped around Phoenix’s waist, pushing her onto a chair beside the bed.

“Ga-eul?!”

“Isn’t applying sunscreen on the beach the same thing? …Alright, alright. I’ll get dressed.”

Gaeul sat up and carelessly threw on a white shirt lying near the headboard. Though buttoning it took some time, once clothed, she calmly asked,

“Why are you here?”

“I’ve come to request something from Lady Cheongnyeon, er, Phoenix.”

“Me?”

“Yes. So I came to your room…”

Lee Seung-hyung gestured awkwardly toward Gaeul, clearly taken aback by finding her receiving a massage in a topless state.

“Just to clarify, nothing untoward happened, so relax.”

“I didn’t think anything happened.”

“…Tch, no sense of humor.”

“Enough. Let’s get to the point. Why are you here?”

Interrupting their exchange, Phoenix urged him to proceed. Bowing deeply at a 90-degree angle, Lee Seung-hyung addressed her,

“I wish to become stronger. Please teach me.”

“Sure.”

“…Excuse me?”

Surprisingly straightforward, Lee Seung-hyung was momentarily flustered. Phoenix waved him off, dismissing him.

“There’s nothing else to discuss. I’ll teach you, so go back to your room.”

“You accepted that coolly?”

Even Gaeul seemed surprised by Phoenix’s reaction. While neither expected Lee Seung-hyung to bow so earnestly, accepting him without hesitation was beyond imagination.

“Do you have some scheme up your sleeve?”

“You came asking to be taught, remember? Plus, I did say it before. Right now, things are difficult, but I’ll teach you once we return to Korea. Is that clear? Now leave.”

“…”

With that, Phoenix issued her dismissal. Still bewildered, Lee Seung-hyung turned around.

“Wait, hold on.”

Just as he hesitated to leave, Phoenix called him back.

“How did you penetrate the barrier?”

“Uh… I just reached out, and my hand went through?”

Lee Seung-hyung explained honestly. When attempting to knock, his fist simply passed through the barrier. Phoenix recreated the barrier and requested him to demonstrate again.

“Try it again.”

Standing before a small window-like flame barrier, Phoenix wore a serious expression. Swallowing nervously, Lee Seung-hyung extended his hand.

Swish—

Without resistance, his hand slipped through the barrier. Startled by the sight of Lee Seung-hyung’s fist inches from her forehead, Phoenix quickly leaned back.

“…Hmm.”

After dismissing the barrier, Phoenix’s gaze towards Lee Seung-hyung shifted, filled with intrigue and curiosity. Feeling uneasy, Lee Seung-hyung took a step back, only to find the exit blocked by Phoenix.

“Still an hour until lights-out, right?”

“Yeah, but what are you thinking?”

Gaeul questioned Phoenix warily, who grinned broadly while throwing punches into the air.

“I just want to warm up before sleeping. I also need to prepare for tomorrow. Hwakwon, follow me.”

Grabbing Hwakwon’s wrist, Phoenix dragged him off to the training room.

“…Why is she so pumped?”

Gaeul could only chuckle helplessly.

* * *

<Back to the Training Room>

“Ew, sweat smell. Didn’t ventilate before using it. Hang on.”

I erected a barrier with magic. There was no need to hide from Baek Hee-a, but airing out the sweat-filled room would waste time better spent creating a barrier.

“I imagine you have many questions, but circumstances have changed for me too.”

Efficiency. Performance.

In RPG games, no matter how unappealing an item looks, if its performance is overwhelmingly superior, it naturally draws attention.

“Since you’ve changed your mindset as well, I’ll properly train you. Don’t worry; among other things, I specialize in fire-element users.”

“Is that because of the fire spirits?”

“Partly, but more importantly, I enjoy nurturing individuals with high potential and growth expectations.”

In the original story, the ten heroines exemplified this, but naturally, there were many other talented allies. Lee Seung-hyung, despite my assistance, possessed exceptional talent.

“First off, congratulations. You’ve opened the ‘gate’ to reaching SS Rank through your own efforts.”

“…What?”

Lee Seung-hyung blinked dumbly, unable to believe it. I ignited flames, prompting him to do the same. As expected, he was gradually ‘melding’ the Chang-yeom within him into his magic.

“If you train relentlessly for the next five years, you could reach SS Rank.”

“Five whole years….”

“And if you follow my direct training program, it can be shortened to five weeks.”

Compared to Seok Harang, who took nearly nine years to achieve SS Rank, this method drastically accelerates progress. Though heroines might surpass this timeline, Lee Seung-hyung isn’t a heroine.

“Your talent is unknown, but you’ll be perfect as my wildcard in tomorrow’s fight.”

“Wildcard?”

“Exactly. But before that, I need to confirm one crucial matter.”

A very important issue.

“Can you defeat a spirit in one-on-one combat?”

Otherwise, achieving SS Rank without being a heroine would be impossible.

* * *

<Temporary Base Near Kolkata, Indian Association>

“Hmph.”

Mahatma exhaled a puff of white smoke, sighing deeply. On the screen, he repeatedly replayed the video of the Korean expedition team’s Yasha operation, which had already garnered over 100 million views on the official channel without any censorship.

“They fight well. Truly remarkable.”

Mahatma flicked the cigarette ash into the ashtray, lost in thought. He worried about the possibility of another S-Rank appearing.

“Tsk. The core of the Yasha given by the gods is mine, but…”

Mahatma’s insides burned with anxiety. If there were other S-Ranks in India and their cores fell into the hands of the Korean expedition team, his achievements could vanish.

“I see. I’ll just let them do as they please for now.”

And all the S-Rank cores they acquire will belong to Mahatma.

“But forcibly taking them might cause trouble…”

Mahatma picked up the half-eaten corn can and smirked.

“One can of corn for each S-Rank core sounds fair.”

If they agree smoothly, bloodshed can be avoided. Mahatma watched Hwakwon wreak havoc in the video while munching on corn.

* * *

“Master. Urgent news.”

A disciple handed over a tablet acquired from a villager. The blonde woman with her face veiled slightly furrowed her brow.

“…”

“Oh, sorry.”

The disciple hurriedly pressed the screen to play the video. Flames engulfing the Taj Mahal appeared.

“This is…?”

“Our temporary base is on fire.”

“Really now. Buildings can burn. Don’t worry about it.”

She dismissed it nonchalantly, waving her hand, but upon noticing ‘something’ drawn amidst the flames, her lips curled.

“Hmm. This is….”

Her eyes widened. The usually expressionless woman began to smile softly.

“Disciples, pack our belongings. We’re returning to the Taj Mahal immediately.”

Rising from her seat, she gathered her silk bundle. Her disciples, dressed plainly, followed suit.

“To receive a challenge like this… hoho, indeed.”

Karna licked her lips.

“Two suns cannot coexist under the same sky.”

Phoenix has challenged Karna.

Karna accepts challenges from anyone.

“Interesting. What has this girl gotten into?”

Even if it’s from her superior and commanding officer.

“Let’s go to the Taj Mahal.”

Karna and her disciples set off toward the Taj Mahal.