Chapter 426

〈 Chapter 426 〉 Part 1, Chapter 18, Section 8

Imagine all those techniques becoming reality. Hikari’s magical gear was equipped with every function imaginable, like a 3D AV, and those functions were being updated at an alarming rate daily.

And today, Hikari meddled with the Spirit Network. With me as the focal point, all spirits appeared around me in holographic form, taking their respective places.

Two white butterflies.

A yellowish-brown snake.

A tiny golden maiden.

And a gray dragon from Eastern mythology.

All deformed characters settled into various spots around my penthouse as I gradually mentioned bits of information about our target, Azidahaka.

“Queen Bee, Azidahaka.”

This nickname for Azidahaka mocked how she sent out any man she met as a clone.

“Already known to some, Azidahaka doesn’t go out herself. She sends her minions.”

Indeed, Azidahaka had queen bee tendencies. There weren’t any female monsters under Azidahaka, and she only turned high-ranking ability users into monsters.

“Those minions are mostly high-ranking monsters. And by high-ranking…”

“Looks equal magic power, right?”

“Yes. No matter how ugly someone is, once they reach S Rank, their entire body gets enhanced.”

Naturally, the higher the level of special ability user, the more stunning their beauty. Azidahaka’s monster army was so filled with handsome men that it could be called a “handsome zoo.”

“Sure enough, does she create a harem surrounded by handsome men? Looking at Azidahaka’s past…”

“Mahatma, Lightning, Nao, Rasputin. Regardless of taste differences, none of them have ever been considered ugly anywhere.”

“So, she’s set up a reverse harem of beauties.”

Because of this, while Azidahaka gained support from many female players, when her infatuation went too far, she also had hysterical moments.

“Ugly ones, execution.”

“…Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

“That’s actually true. So there aren’t any ugly beings among Azidahaka’s subordinates.”

“If Azidahaka considers you ugly, you’re dead… That makes me feel a bit uneasy.”

She completely ignored the powerless and wouldn’t care for anyone who didn’t fit her tastes, even if they were high-ranking ability users. Due to Azidahaka’s tyranny, many came to truly hate her and began to worship Maamryong instead.

Azidahaka, who cared only about people’s appearances.

Maamryong, who valued people’s inner qualities.

“Therefore, we need bait that would attract Azidahaka—a handsome man who has reached a fairly high level. Someone Azidahaka would be drawn to.”

“My dad’s off-limits.”

“…I’m totally against Seon too.”

“Bijaya may look good, but letting Azidahaka touch my disciple is extremely unpleasant.”

“Bonghyo’s not an option either. Even though his ideals might be questionable, he’s still my subordinate. The same goes for Illusory Dragon Group.”

Everyone had a handsome male subordinate or acquaintance, but they refused to let Azidahaka toy with them. Someone had to be sacrificed.

“So that’s why we have Lee Seung-hyung. First off, he’s got that face everyone loves, and he behaves rather gentlemanly. Plus, he’s a hero. It’s not because he’s my student that I’m praising him; he’s genuinely one of Azidahaka’s prime prey.”

Ironically, while the protagonist’s face did much work to awaken Maamryong in Azidahaka, it was ultimately the player inside Baek Cheonghwa’s shell whose actions Azidahaka fell for.

“Thankfully, Lee Seung-hyung liked the original already. Plus, Azidahaka has already been eyeing him.”

If the protagonist’s nose had been just a little uglier, Azidahaka would’ve thrown him off Mapo Bridge immediately. That was academic consensus.

Anyone whose face was ruined—torn to shreds.

“Every handsome man must end up beneath her skirt. That’s Azidahaka’s nature.”

The reason Azidahaka approached the protagonist in the first place was due to his looks, and she wanted to flaunt how such a handsome man was obsessed with her.

“But what if suddenly, all the men she previously ignored start claiming they’ve been with Azidahaka? Huh huh.”

What would happen if all those men, whom she had disregarded, started pretending to be her monsters and praised her? Naturally, Azidahaka’s reaction would be predictable without needing to ask anyone.

“Nothing pisses people off more than rumors and mass deception.”

Anyway, there were plenty of monsters willing to play along. As the world neared its end, the number of unaffiliated monsters not touched by Dark Legion inevitably increased.

“People turning into monsters out of hatred for others, or rage-induced transformations—we’ll kill them all and make it seem like Azidahaka consumed them.”

While handling Azidahaka, this was also a great opportunity to get rid of the growing number of human trash worldwide.

***

Bang! Bangbangbang!

Azidahaka slammed her head against the wall. Blood streamed down her forehead, her brain rattling in pain, but Azidahaka paid no heed, continuing her self-harm.

“Aaaah!!”

Her self-harm wasn’t limited to slamming her head—it extended to slapping her own cheeks and stabbing her thighs with sharp needles. Such behavior was akin to that of a madwoman, and the pain was transmitted entirely to the main body, Maamryong.

“…….”

Thanks to the gag in Maamryong’s mouth, Maamryong couldn’t scream, but the shocks were enough to kill an ordinary person hundreds of times over. This continued endlessly because Azidahaka wasn’t just one entity.

Some Azidahakas jumped into blazing fires, others plunged naked into blocks of ice, and most were mercilessly beaten by B and A-class monsters. All this was willingly done by Azidahaka herself.

To collapse Maamryong’s mind.

“Aaaaah!!”

Even using a spoon to hit the crown of her head until death—this internet myth proved useless. Despite the extreme pain and ecstatic pleasure, Maamryong remained mentally intact. For twenty years, Azidahaka tried every method possible but failed. Her hysteria was indescribable, and recent events had made her even more irritable.

“Those bastards dare to use my name…!”

Azidahaka exploded in anger watching countless videos on TV. Monsters with repulsive appearances were shouting things like “Hail Azidahaka,” “Kinggadahaka praise,” and then dying.

“It’s okay to worship me….”

It was natural for anyone to worship her regardless of appearance. However, worshipping her while dying confused Azidahaka.

“Dare to claim you’re my monsters when you’re not even mine!!”

Monsters worldwide began calling themselves “Azidahaka.” But unlike before, when Azidahaka’s clones would appear, sexually dominate S-class ability users, and open dimensional gates, now mostly D to C-class weaklings shouted Azidahaka’s name and transformed into monsters.

“Aaargh, those guys aren’t Dark Legion monsters!!”

As a result, Dark Legion, Azidahaka’s forces, were looked down upon by people.

– At first, we thought she was a gourmet picking only handsome men, but turns out she’ll chase anything with a penis, ha ha ha.

– Azidahaka gives it to anyone, even those losers, but why not me??!!

– Did they really do it with Azidahaka?

“No! Not at all!!”

At the spot, Azidahaka jumped around, tearing her hair out. So much hair pulled out that bald patches were forming.

“Hmph….”

For the first time, Azidahaka scowled. Despite her cherished silky hair derived from Maamryong, seeing it fall out like this made her chest ache.

“What should I do? Go back outside? But if I do, those bastards will… Hmm.”

Azidahaka found herself in a dilemma. Her four dimension gate attacks had all failed. Now, the final attack was reserved for when Seongju arrived.

“I need some groundbreaking PR. Something to maintain my dignity…!”

Fortunately, the world was unsure whether these unknown monsters were really Azidahaka’s. Though they praised Azidahaka, many doubted they’d truly engaged with her.

-Azidahaka, the handsome killer (real one), would do that with such ugly dudes? Rather say Phoenix is Blue Wind Sect. Ha ha ha.

-Losers trying so hard to claim they’ve done it with Azidahaka. Just save money and buy an Xroid. You won’t have a girlfriend until the world ends anyway.

-If I were her, I’d grab the hottest S-class guy and do it openly in Times Square.

“Oh ho.”

Among the nonsense, some insightful comments slipped through. Especially the last comment by ‘Pjang’ resonated with Azidahaka.

“A handsome S-class guy… Oh.”

Azidahaka recalled a video her minion had tried to copy recently. In a motel, the man she had her eyes on and Phoenix’s subordinate, transformed into human form, displayed an affectionate love scene full of tenderness.

Azidahaka was astonished at how considerate and intense it was. Her minion, attempting to replicate it, ended up forcing her into something rough mid-way, leaving both of them injured.

Result: The man ended up in Mexico City doing it with Azidahaka. Azidahaka replayed the video left behind by the man, breathing heavily.

“…Come to think of it, I’ve never tried this kind of approach.”

Previously, Azidahaka only unleashed perverted desires, never engaging in such caring acts. As she was about to turn off the video,

Shhh, shhh.

Maamryong’s body began trembling violently. A distinctly different reaction made Azidahaka’s eyes widen.

“Oh my…? Is this what you prefer? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Eeep!! Eeep!!

Maamryong violently shook her head in denial. But since Azidahaka was born from Maamryong, she quickly understood the situation.

“Seems our Maamryong is a pure-hearted girl type? Completely opposite to me. Experience-wise, I’d need to combine all my clones just to compare with her.”

Maamryong writhed in protest, but strong denial can sometimes mean strong affirmation. Having decided, Azidahaka saw Maamryong’s resistance as a cover-up.

“Hehe. Lucky for me. I need your power to deal with those traitor bitches anyway. Wait. I’ll bring him soon… Damn.”

Azidahaka gritted her teeth realizing her target, <Hwakwon>, had disappeared due to some scandal. The scandal was heart-wrenching even for Azidahaka.

“Oh my… Poor thing. There’s no fish easier to catch than a woman who wears her shoes backward. Ho ho.”

How could she reel him in? Just as Azidahaka’s mind filled with plans to capture and bewitch Hwakwon,

[Master. Urgent report.]

A screen popped out of Azidahaka’s smartwatch. A brown-skinned man reported with utmost seriousness.

[Currently, Baegnaroh is undergoing reorganization. Blue Wind Sect seems to be moving soon.]

“This is quick. No matter how well we manage our staff, there’s bound to be someone who falls for a beauty trap. Alright. Where and when this time?”

[…Turkey, Istanbul.]

Azidahaka’s heart sank. Was the only person who knew where her main body was betraying her?

[Master… I’ve figured out the reason, but please don’t yell.]

“What is it?”

[Don’tndurma. That is… Beast Tamer wants to try authentic Turkish ice cream after tasting it here…]

“…Is she insane or what?”

That’s right.

***

“Where am I hearing someone cursing me? Must be Azidahaka.”

I took a big bite of the strawberry-flavored Turkish ice cream I got by glaring at the clerk. Though the chewy texture was excellent, my mood soured thanks to the clerk’s prank attempt.

“…”

Deokbae stared at me holding the random cone I bought.

“Why? Still upset about Hydra? Even Jiryun disliked it. Blame your barren scalp. Both Hydra and Jiryun dislike deserts.”

“…I used to be clean-shaven before becoming a monster. Then all my hair follicles burned out. Whose fault is this?”

“Seongju’s fault.”

I swallowed the remaining ice cream cone in one gulp. Time was almost up, and I watched Bai Hee-a speak at the press conference via screen, cheering her on.

“Minion #2. Nothing beats travel to overcome heartbreak, right?”

“Travel? We’re working.”

“…Hehe, originally, you always take a day off during business trips. Besides…”

I incinerated the remaining cone with fire.

“When a beautiful local woman approaches you, naturally, you’ll be captivated, huh? Puhehe.”

“So, you’re saying you seduced Hydra like that? Deceiving her while secretly watching?”

“…”

Turns out not only his hair follicles but also his consideration burned away.

I incinerated the cone Deokbae was about to eat.

Thud.

The ice cream fell to the ground.