Chapter 441

〈 Chapter 441 〉 Part 1, Chapter 18, 23

The rooftop bathed in twilight.

I met her again on a rooftop of some unknown building where the Han River stretched out clearly before us. There stood the woman with azure hair who had brought me here, gazing silently at the river after inviting me over.

“Such beautiful words. Birds are chirping, and flowers are blooming.”

“Unless those birds are mini Phoenixes spewing flames that cover the world, let’s skip the intro. Sorry, but I’m over it.”

At my words, Chang-yeom immediately turned around and grumbled. She held a can of strawberry latte as if prepared just for me. Chang-yeom handed it over with a slight smirk on her lips.

“At least let me finish what I have to say, will you?”

“I’ve heard that line too many times. It’s the same talk every time we game-over, isn’t it? Enough already.”

I approached Chang-yeom and leaned against the railing. Getting kidnapped by her at crucial moments had become almost routine, but this kind of setup was getting excessive.

“So, what should I call you? You’re not really ‘Chang-yeom,’ right?”

“Call me Chang-yeom.”

“Maamryong said you’re not really Chang-yeom. Someone who’s scared of hurting others with lies wouldn’t lie, so spill it. What’s your real name? Chang-yeom isn’t your birth name, is it?”

“It’s precisely because of that I called you here. Spoilers are exclusively mine.”

Chang-yeom handed me the canned drink. As always, it was something strawberry-centric, and I took a sip to quench my throat. The cool, sweet-sour taste filled my mouth. Chang-yeom also sipped hers before speaking.

“From the moment you first noticed my existence, I gave you freedom in how you spoke to me.”

“Yeah.”

“When Seoyea awakened, when Hwanryong awakened, Gaechonkwang, Ji Ryun—every time, I decided to give you something.”

“I got my voice back, Baek Cheonghwa’s body…and there’s still plenty left. Don’t tell me you’re trying to wrap things up with a few skinships or some quick fix like ‘Gankata.’ And don’t go saying something like ‘it’s nullified because high-ranking members like Karna and Hydra still exist.'”

“…You catch on fast.”

Chang-yeom muttered as she slumped against the railing like an octopus. Her upper body leaned dangerously far over, making me think she might fall. But her gaze was lost in thought.

“Originally, I planned to reveal everything once Jeolpung awakened. There’s still much I’ve kept hidden, and you’ve guessed some things already.”

“So, you know what I’m thinking, right?”

“Yes. I never thought Maamryong would say something like that. When it came to Rusalka and Hwanryong, I cut things short because I anticipated situations like this. Hence, let’s make one last deal—one truly final deal. It’s a proposal.”

Chang-yeom offered me the deal. For as long as I could remember, it was the first time she’d ever done such a thing. But judging by her face and expression, it seemed like it was genuinely her first time proposing anything. Still, I had no intention of accepting the deal.

“Don’t tell me you want me to awaken Jeolpung first.”

“You sure catch on quick.”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have entered your route.”

I took another swig of the strawberry latte. The lumpy texture of crushed strawberries slid down my tongue. Even though this was all part of an illusory consciousness, the sensation felt vividly real. Chang-yeom waited for me to speak, and now it was my turn.

“Synchronization. Mythification.”

“……”

“At the SSS magic power rank, level 100, I used to think that kind of ability was akin to divine power. Truly godlike. A lowly human wielding divine power, practically becoming a deity themselves. But then I reconsidered…”

I locked eyes with Chang-yeom, who claimed to be herself. She was lying sprawled across the railing, looking up at me expectantly.

“What if the reason you can wield such power is because you were originally a god? Mythification? Literally becoming a deity. An ordinary human gaining divine power, spirits becoming gods…that was my original thought. But what if beings who were originally gods merely ‘become’ gods again? How does that sound?”

“Sixteen points.”

“Out of seventeen, I wonder where the missing point went.”

“You know perfectly well.”

“…If we get into that, I might end up feeling too honored.”

Chang-yeom chuckled softly as she sat upright. Turning around, she perched casually on the railing, appearing like any playful young lady despite the ominous reality behind her. I wanted to earn that last point, so I brought up every possibility crossing my mind.

“Is it you? Or your avatar? Perhaps a spirit fragment? Someone inheriting your power? Or maybe the last remaining saint holding the stone tablets?”

“Indeed, you’re quite sharp. One out of four is correct. The last one is incorrect. Though I desperately want to tell you, I can’t. The moment I do, our relationship will end forever. All hope will be lost. Hehehe.”

“Finally, I understand why you rejected synchronization.”

I finished the rest of the strawberry latte. A thick residue of milk mixed with strawberry juice lingered in my mouth.

“It’s frustrating enough having a being from another dimension steal divinity, but some random human claiming they’ll take over a divine position? Of course, that’s infuriating. To have rightful authority, dignity, even your name taken away—it’s maddening.”

“And then reduced to mere characters in a game. Losing everything, becoming nothing more than playthings for humans.”

Chang-yeom laughed bitterly, gripping the railing tightly. The metal bent under her white-knuckled grasp.

“I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m actually grateful to you. Through you, I finally understood why I, why we, why my world ended up like this. Meeting you has been truly enlightening, and for that, I’m thankful. This isn’t sarcasm; it’s genuine gratitude.”

“That’s quite humbling.”

“I’m serious. Stop mocking me. That’s disrespectful. Death penalty.”

“Please execute me properly. Blazing Phoenix Revival.”

“……Anyway.”

Chang-yeom sighed exasperatedly and chuckled. I raised the canned drink toward her. By her divine power, it was once again brimming with fresh strawberry latte.

Clang.

A clear, cheerful sound echoed across the rooftop.

“Honestly, knowing all this won’t change anything.”

“Not really. It just means I’ll continue serving you a bit longer.”

“You suddenly sound so devout. Have you finally realized my greatness? Praise me again. Hurry.”

“Blazing Phoenix Revival. But to truly praise you, I need to know your real name. More accurately…”

I tapped my temple with my index finger.

“The memories you took from me—all the information about you contained within them. If you return my profile, I’ll address you by your true name. I’ll shout it out loud in all directions. Until then, I have no way to pray. Not without ‘Chang,’ ‘Yeom,’ ‘Gae,’ ‘Jin.'”

“…You’ll eventually realize that Blazing Phoenix Revival was the better option.”

Chang-yeom gnashed her teeth and growled softly.

“Still, I wonder how you managed to dig this deep. I tried so hard to block, hide, bury everything.”

“True. You hid it so thoroughly it was downright annoying. When I tried to capture three officers at once, you outright hijacked my consciousness.”

“…Didn’t I compensate you fully for that?”

“What? With your body? A little fondling during a shared bath doesn’t cut it. Return my memories. If you did anything, there should be records, right?”

“Too embarrassing to talk about now. Let’s focus. Tell me how you figured it out.”

Chang-yeom seemed rather anxious. She urged me for an answer, wanting to hear it from my own lips even though she could simply read my memories. I briefly wondered what it would feel like to be in her shoes but decided to just explain plainly.

“Names.”

“Names?”

“Since the beginning, the names of entities from other dimensions—names like ‘Chang-yeom’ (蒼炎) or ‘Seoyea’ (雪夜)—felt off. They’re Chinese-character-based names.”

Chang-yeom stared at me pensively and smirked. I swirled the latte with the straw while invoking mana. Seven-colored flames floated into the air.

“Phoenix, Rusalka, Penril, Hydra, Karna, Azidahaka, Chaos. All these monsters—humans, or rather the Council, assigned their names. Same goes for spirits. Honestly, let’s be blunt.”

I levitated black flames alongside gray ones.

“Both Maamryong and Hwanryong have ‘dragon’ in their names, yet they aren’t dragons. Why the overlapping names among spirits?”

“…Are you spoiling it for me?”

“Yep.”

“The names of spirits were also decided by the Council, right? Two characters. Chinese-character names. Who else fits the bill?”

“The Commander.”

Yunsa, Usa, Pungbaek, Light Blade, Cheongsong, Martial Arts, Holy Maiden, Cheongun, Yahwang, Military Deity, and various others—all adhering to the two-character rule. At my statement, Chang-yeom nodded slowly.

“Seventeen points. Regarding Maamryong and Gaechonkwang, it’s simple. Decided after drinking. …At least in this world.”

Chang-yeom slurped the drink quickly, chewing on the straw. She seemed eager to say more but restrained herself due to me. I waited for her to speak first.

“…Deal. If you awaken Jeolpung and come back, I’ll tell you everything. Everything. Though revealing what you already suspect won’t hold much meaning.”

“It might be a blank check, but alright. I’ll settle this soon.”

As long as Penril doesn’t break her promise and disappear somewhere, hearing the whole truth from Chang-yeom could happen as early as tomorrow.

“Deal accepted. But remember, my resolve will never change. I’ll definitely save you. We’ll synchronize, and I’ll ensure your survival.”

“…Everything you just said will inevitably be revoked.”

Chang-yeom pulled me close to her. Perched on the railing, our gazes aligned perfectly.

“Because once you learn the entire truth, you’ll reject synchronization yourself.”

As always, I lost consciousness amidst the taste of strawberries.

* * *

A little later.

I returned to the physical world. The conversation with Chang-yeom hadn’t lasted long, and I found myself facing Maamryong—who described himself as ■■■ ■■■. Thankfully, he hadn’t run away and was waiting for me.

“For now, call me ‘Phoenix.’ That’s my current name.”

“In that case… Ang.”

Maamryong, Ang, chose “Ang” as his self-referential name.

Azidahaka’s choice of “Ang” probably wasn’t a coincidence. Maamryong using a name given by Azidahaka—and considering my recent discussion about names—it likely resembled his true name as closely as possible under these circumstances.

“So, Ang. Is there anything you want to say to me?”

“…”

Ang took a step back from me. Given his personality and context, it was a natural reaction.

“You keep doubting me, but I’ll explain my situation.”

Excluding the element of the original story, I provided Ang with trustworthy information.

Commander Baek Cheonghwa possessed by Phoenix Chang-yeom is opposing Seongju. After listening to my explanation for a while, Ang finally spoke with his head still bowed.

“I believe you if you mention a promise made twenty years ago.”

“A spirit named Chang-yeom sealed my memories. So, I don’t know whether the person from twenty years ago was male or female, or even me. But it was probably me. Hence, I don’t recall the promise.”

“Then I’ll ask a question, and you answer.”

Ang took a deep breath and opened his mouth. His tension was more palpable than what I’d seen in the original story, which made me nervous too.

“My favorite cocktail is…?”

“…? Someone who doesn’t even drink cocktails or alcohol is asking about… Wait a minute. This is my inner monologue, so—”

Ang placed his hand on his chest and bowed deeply to me.

“Correct. Nice to meet you, nameless one who calls yourself ‘Phoenix.’ I’ve been waiting since twenty years ago.”

“Huh?”

What?

“…In the worst-case scenario, you were supposed to endure for 25 years, but it seems…? That woman? Anyway, ■ erased your memory, it seems.”

“Can you at least call her ‘Chang-yeom’? I just talked to her.”

“Situation C-2, hmm… Ah, um. In this situation…”

Ang fidgeted with his fingers to organize his thoughts before raising his head to me.

“…Ah. I remember. She instructed me to say this. Hem hem.

[The possession starts on December 31st, 1999.]

She said you’d understand everything from that…”

“…Not at all.”

I momentarily gave up on thinking.