Chapter 31

〈 Chapter 31 〉 Part 1, Chapter 2 (17)

Seung-hyung opened his eyes to the warm sunlight hitting his face.

“??”

It was a familiar ceiling. The special ward of the Hero Association’s attached hospital. This ward, restricted to those ranked A or higher, was a place Seung-hyung had already been indebted to numerous times.

As Seung-hyung tried to sit up, he collapsed back down under the oppressive weight pressing against his entire body.

“It’s called magical exhaustion.”

Opposite him sat a blonde woman perched on the bed with a gaunt face as she greeted Seung-hyung. Her arm was connected to an IV filled with pale green fluid.

Seung-hyung recalled her name from memories several years past.

“Stormgirl, Yang Seonyu?”

“Tempest Lady. I knocked out a Commander and got my name changed.”

“…Ah.”

Once chosen, a hero’s moniker rarely changes unless they achieve S-rank. Understanding why the A-ranked Yang Seonyu managed to change her name, Seung-hyung fell silent.

Yang Seonyu had been in first place for three years now…

“Are you thinking something unpleasant?”

“Not at all.”

Struggling to rise, Seung-hyung extended both arms forward. His right arm was tightly wrapped in white bandages.

“Eh…”

“They say it’s a burn. Good grief, this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone who uses pyrokinesis get burned. Just how much power did you pump into that attack?”

“A, ahaha.”

Seung-hyung scratched his neck with his left hand. In his fervor to defeat the monster, he’d poured in far beyond his limits.

“Ah! Fire Demon Dragon?!”

Startled, Seung-hyung attempted to stand but crumpled back onto the bed as pain shot through his legs.

Seonyu watched him with a mix of pride and exasperation before pointing to the TV between the beds. The news channel displayed a familiar man entering a press conference room.

“Oh.”

“To you, he’s Uncle, correct?”

Seung-hyung nodded.

The middle-aged man standing before the microphones. With sharp features and a long scar beneath his left eye.

[Citizens of Korea, greetings. I am President Sun Icheol.]

Seung-hyung gripped the blanket with his left hand.

The Iron-blooded ruler. A cold-blooded man who didn’t hesitate to soil his hands for the sake of national interest. The unfeeling strategist who repackaged his grieving son as a new ability user to boost approval ratings.

Though his uncle, Seung-hyung never voted for him. Yet, using New Seoul as a base, the man built immense influence and ascended to the presidency with the support of its residents.

“Good abilities, but every time I see him, it gives me chills… ow.”

“I’m fine.”

Seung-hyung turned away from the TV with an understanding smile. The clock already pointed to 10 AM.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“More than half a day.”

“Really?”

Even during peak monster elimination operations, when sleeping only three hours a day kept him functioning properly, Seung-hyung was surprised to find his magic so depleted. Thankfully, his heart still beat strongly. More precisely, the blue flame felt within his chest hadn’t yet extinguished.

“Hmph.”

Seung-hyung let out a deep sigh of relief. The traces of the blue flame that seemed ready to consume his entire body still lingered vividly in his vision.

“Eh? Is there something wrong with your eyes, Seung-hyung?”

“Huh?”

Seonyu pointed at his irises. Staring at his reflection on his smartwatch screen, Seung-hyung was startled to find his iris dyed blue within the whites of his eyes.

“Your awakening really is unique, Seung-hyung. Most people’s hair color changes or something, but yours changed eye color.”

“……That’s true.”

Seung-hyung gave a vague answer, evading further discussion. While Seonyu remained unaware, Seung-hyung clearly saw the flames burning in his pupils.

“Ah. What about the Fire Demon Dragon?!”

Flailing anxiously, Seung-hyung looked to Seonyu who gestured toward the TV. Mid-speech, the president glanced to the side screen and played a video.

Shaky camera footage. Black flames roared amidst thick smoke on an evening night when white flames charged forth.

The urgent cries of heroes and the roar of the demon dragon created tension in any viewer.

Cutting through the black flames, a man leapt high toward the head of the Fire Demon Dragon. Swallowing him whole, the dragon thrust its head forward.

“Watching it again still makes me nervous. What were you thinking rushing in like that?”

“A, ahaha.”

Embarrassedly laughing, Seung-hyung touched the bandage on his right arm. Despair-filled screams echoed from the heroes in the video.

And then, after a brief moment, white flames erupted from the Fire Demon Dragon’s neck. The brightness dimmed momentarily to protect viewers’ eyes.

“Really bright white, huh. Did you know that your fan nicknames on community sites are all white-themed? Like ‘White Flame’ or ‘Baek Yeom.'”

“…Huh?”

Seung-hyung’s eyes widened. Of course, the whiteness was prominent, but wasn’t the light-blue flame rising within more noticeable?

“Ah. Wouldn’t ‘Hwakwon’ suit you better? It was also given by your mentor, the Administrator.”

“Ah, yes. That name does sound better…”

“That’s good.”

At the voice from the doorway, Seung-hyung attempted to straighten his posture but collapsed back onto the bed due to muscle pain.

Yu Yinghuo entered, carrying the scent of coffee. His heavily dark-circled eyes scanned the room.

“What about the others?”

“They went to review the combat footage. I stayed behind while on break.”

“Tell them to rest until fully recovered.”

Seonyu tapped her smartwatch and gestured with her chin toward Yinghuo. Seung-hyung immediately understood.

“Were you waiting for me to wake up?”

“We couldn’t forcibly awaken the great hero who defeated the Fire Demon Dragon.”

Finding a seat, Yinghuo frowned upon seeing the TV screen. As the video ended, the president’s face reappeared.

[Rest assured! Korea is safe!]

Click.

Yinghuo cut off the magical connection to the TV.

“You’re ruining the mood first thing in the morning.”

“You still dislike the government, don’t you Administrator? Oh, what happened to the Minister of Countermeasures?”

“He already fled to Japan. If he had any conscience, he’d never return to Korea.”

Yinghuo casually sat on the bed next to Seung-hyung. Through the gaps in his tumbler, his eyes reproached Seung-hyung.

“Lee Seung-hyung.”

“I’m sorry…”

Exhausted to the point where he couldn’t even turn his head, Seung-hyung could only look at the ceiling to respond.

“Do you know how many times you’ve nearly died?”

“…Yes.”

It was almost impossible to call it a miracle. Directly confronting a demon, luring it from Gwanaksan Mountain to Anyang, countering its breath attack head-on, and detonating magic inside its mouth.

“You ignored orders at the very end too.”

“Seeing the extra time, I got anxious…”

While it might be true for any hero active in Korea, heroes from China and Japan especially disliked stepping foot on the Korean Peninsula, even for simple visits or friendly relations.

Especially thinking about those who abandoned Korea and naturalized in those two countries made Seung-hyung grit his teeth.

“I apologize. But if such a moment comes again, I’ll do it again.”

“For what?”

Seung-hyung briefly closed and reopened his eyes. Above his forehead faintly burned white flames.

“For those who entrusted me with this power.”

“…What?”

Yinghuo’s expression hardened. Seonyu stared at Seung-hyung as if possessed.

Confused, Seung-hyung alternated glances between the two.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t you already know? The one who gave me strength at the summit of Gwanaksan Mountain when we closed the dimensional gate.”

“Seung-hyung…what exactly are you saying?”

Seonyu’s voice trembled. Yinghuo leaned forward to meet Seung-hyung’s eyes.

“Can you describe their appearance?”

“Um, well…”

Seung-hyung searched his memory. Suddenly, his head rang, causing him to furrow his brows.

“Oof…”

“Don’t push yourself. Take it slow.”

Encouraged by Yinghuo, Seung-hyung blinked and described what came to mind.

“Hoodie, a giant man in a gray hoodie. His face was hidden. He referred to himself… ugh.”

A sudden dizzy spell caused Seung-hyung’s body to convulse momentarily. From that point onward, he couldn’t recall the image of the person he met atop Gwanaksan Mountain.

“Lee Seung-hyung. Look at this.”

With a stern face, Yinghuo tapped his smartwatch to display the screen. Tilting it so Seung-hyung could see lying down, Yinghuo pointed to the center of the image.

“This is the summit of Gwanaksan Mountain at the moment the dimensional gate closed and the Fire Demon Dragon appeared.”

The first satellite image was heavily distorted due to the magical waves generated by the dimensional gate.

“And this is the scan of the magical waves from that time.”

A massive red circle and a very faint green dot. Seung-hyung knew the owner of the magical pattern emitted by the green dot all too well.

“Is that me?”

“Replay.”

The paused image began playing. The Fire Demon Dragon rampaged around while Seung-hyung’s signal remained stationary. Then, after a short while, Seung-hyung’s signal grew stronger and started moving south towards Anyang.

Seung-hyung’s expression stiffened. Something was missing.

“There were only two magical patterns on Gwanaksan Mountain that day: you and the demon.”

“But…I clearly saw that man.”

“Each person experiences different phenomena when achieving S-rank. Some just awaken, some meet deceased parents, some receive power from a third party. It seems like you experienced the illusion of receiving power from someone.”

“Ah. Is that what it was?”

Seung-hyung smiled in relief. The giant who entrusted him with power while asking for world peace was merely a figment of his imagination during his awakening.

“But isn’t this surprising?”

“…Seung-hyung. Listen carefully.”

Yang Seonyu spoke through sobs.

“Most of the filming crew survived Seung-hyung’s last love scene.”

“So, most is good, right?”

Startled by an ominous feeling, Seung-hyung abruptly sat up despite his screaming body. Enduring the pain thanks to the creeping unease rising from his chest.

“…Three people died.”

Yinghuo flipped through the screen. There lay an entertainment section’s third-ranked newspaper article.

「Actress Cheon Gaeul dies at age 28.」

“Ah?”

Seung-hyung forgot his pain altogether.

“Are you joking?”

Trembling, Seung-hyung pressed the screen. The mosaic-covered photo showed a vehicle attacked by a monster.

“Isn’t this just a prank because I became S-rank? Right?”

Seung-hyung scrolled through the article.

– …On that early morning, the joint investigation team discovered two bodies at the parking lot of S University. Identified as production staff Mr. Kwon and actress Cheon Gaeul’s manager Mr. Shin, they lay lifeless…

“But it’s not Gaeul, right?”

– Meanwhile, significant bloodstains were found on the rooftop near the parking lot. Forensic analysis by the association’s investigator <Piller> determined the blood belonged to actress ‘Cheon Gaeul’ based on magical identification results…

Seung-hyung’s vision blurred.

But Yinghuo continued.

“And here’s the presumed rooftop where Cheon Gaeul was ‘murdered.'”

The entire rooftop covered in splattered red blood. Drag marks leading from the metal door formed a large pool of blood.

“…Cheon Gaeul is dead.”

Deities don’t seek compensation.

If power demands payment, then it’s demons deceiving humans with sweet words.

The demon took away Seung-hyung’s final love, someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Seung-hyung lost consciousness.

* * *

<West Sea>

“Damn.”

Xiao Lin adjusted the helm against the sea breeze carrying magical energy.

“Who would have thought someone would achieve S-rank awakening?”

“As a hero, isn’t that a good thing?”

Red Earth blinked as it walked across the water surface. Xiao Lin nodded in agreement.

“Although it doesn’t seem that way for others.”

Realizing the other heroes on deck were about to explode, Xiao Lin internally sighed.

“A! What kind of situation is this?”

“Ugh! Joseon tricked us!”

They were so close to landing on the peninsula, but due to the sudden emergence of an S-rank hero, the amphibious assault was ruined. Naturally, some countermeasure was needed to calm the heroes’ discontent.

“…We’ll probably cause chaos when we return.”

“But we must go back anyway.”

“Yes…….”

Xiao Lin turned her head, gazing at the distant mainland.

“…….”

“Why the long face?”

“It’s nothing…”

Suddenly, goosebumps ran down her spine. It felt as though her back was being scorched by intense flames.

“…….”

Impossible. After falling into the sea, shouldn’t the reaction have disappeared?

“Is something wrong?”

“…Upon returning, we’ll start training immediately. Hurry!”

Red Earth began running across the water. Yunjang wanted to swing his spear at the training grounds right away.

To shake off the fear.

Thus, with Yunjang’s retreat, all the landing ships turned around and headed back.

* * *

“She’s gone.”

“Out of nowhere, what are you talking about?”

“No, there was a scary woman glaring at me.”

Phoenix cheerfully injected magic into the unconscious Cheon Gaeul on the floor. The pure spirit magic enveloped Gaeul’s body, drastically enhancing her recovery and regeneration abilities.

“Why not just heal her? Isn’t there some healing spell like ‘Heal’ that works?”

“I’m an extreme damage dealer, so I can’t.”

“……So you mean you can’t heal at all?”

“Yes.”

Phoenix had her hands placed on Gaeul’s chest, regenerating the wounds on her body. Deokbae followed Phoenix’s command, keeping his eyes closed while making remarks.

“Then what are you doing now?”

“Just pretending it’s excessive bleeding and covering it with magic. It’s a temporary fix, so it can’t be used more than once.”

Phoenix gave a wry smile.

“Alright, treatment’s done! Let’s move while Gaeul wakes up.”

Phoenix picked up Gaeul. The sight of Phoenix carrying a significantly larger woman looked somewhat comical.

“Where are we going?”

“Of course, it’s our original destination, isn’t it?”

Phoenix gestured westward with her chin.

“Guro.”

“……Wasn’t our original destination Yeouido?”

“Yes. Via Guro, then to Yeouido. Puhuhu.”

Phoenix’s smile never faded.

“There’s someone we absolutely need to kill.”