Chapter 457

〈Chapter 457〉 Part 1, Chapter 19, Section 13

It’s already been proven that the souls of commanders and the powers of spirits exist separately.

A prime example is Seoyea’s Rusalka.

The spirit power of Seoyea was fully transferred to her daughter, Seok Harang, while the commander’s power was sealed by Light Blade Heo Yoon-hwan, and her soul became Anastasha.

From Rusalka’s desire to share love with the Light Blade through her old body, I conceived a plan to save both the spirit and the commander.

Project Avatar.

For this, it was necessary to separate Penril and Jeolpung. Aruel and Jeolpung were expelled from Penril, who then met her death alone. Naturally, I immediately revived her as a monster.

The next step was extracting Jeolpung from Aruel.

Though they had become one, Jeolpung rejected the synchronization with Aruel and burst out. With no escape route left, I swiftly grabbed Jeolpung’s core and sealed it with magic power. Had Jeolpung maintained even the slightest magical connection with Aruel, he could’ve fled to her, but Jeolpung cleanly severed all ties with Aruel.

And so, I returned to Hikari’s lab with Jeolpung’s core and soul in hand.

Those waiting for the battle against Penril were disappointed, but since we’d inevitably have to fight again soon, I consoled them and told them to wait for the next opportunity.

The subsequent process was simple.

Hikari scanned the revived Penril’s body and quickly created a prototype for a bio-android. The duo of Yuna and Hydra instantly produced a smaller body on the spot.

We aimed to create a bio-android, but Yuna, wanting to give it her all, ended up creating something akin to a homunculus using her own body as a reference. The body she created with divine power in just a second made Hikari shed a tear.

The Wind-attribute S-Rank Core for the bio-android was obtained by Yun Yuhwa and Karna.

After searching every inch of Greenland based on my memories, we found an S-Rank wind monster, brought it back to Korea, and disassembled it.

The hardest work fell to Rusalka and Huanlong when separating Jeolpung’s spirit from his core.

Huanlong carefully approached Jeolpung’s spirit by retracing the steps of how Rusalka once merged with Anastasha. When Jeolpung lost consciousness after being attacked by me, he offered no resistance as Huanlong successfully separated his spirit from his core.

And then, invoking Blazing Phoenix Revival, I infused Jeolpung’s power into the revived Penril.

As a result, Penril became an apostle imbued with the power of a spirit. If left be, Penril would die upon my demise, but if merged with Aruel’s body, he could avoid death.

Ultimately, I saved Aruel, Jeolpung, and Penril.

Said Rusalka,

“Love truly is a powerful thing.”

Excluding the fact that all this stemmed from Rusalka’s wish to share love with the Light Blade in her youthful form, it was indeed a perfect plan.

* * *

After explaining everything to Jeolpung, I arranged a private meeting with him. Jeolpung sat there dejectedly, his head hanging low.

“I can’t understand this at all…”

“It’s not about understanding. I did it for my convenience.”

“What? What kind of gamble are you playing? Do you truly believe Penril will help save the world?”

“Yes.”

“You’re insane. Why don’t you just entrust mint chocolate to a cat?”

“That’d be like giving mint chocolate to Penril. Hohoho.”

“I have no intention of making wordplay with you.”

“Sorry. You’re taking it too seriously. It wasn’t a joke, but I do understand your concerns. However, I know Penril better than you do, so it’s fine.”

“…Do you still say this knowing that Penril is part of you?”

“Of course.”

Jeolpung sighed deeply, looking as if he might go mad from frustration.

“Answer me seriously. Why do you trust Penril? Don’t talk about absolute control over monsters. Penril isn’t even a monster anymore, right?”

“The contaminated magic has been purified and placed into a new body, so calling him purely an apostle is valid. I don’t trust him because of any command over monsters. I trust this.”

I pounded my chest with my fist.

“I simply follow what this tells me.”

“……Is that so?”

Jeolpung fell into deep thought. As the most hero-sensitive among the spirits, he may not have understood it with his mind, but he could feel it in his heart.

“Just because you believe, does that make it enough? ……If this is your choice, there’s nothing I can do. I can only hope it doesn’t turn out wrong. I’ll entrust Jeolpung’s strength and name to you.”

“……”

The real reason.

– If that brat hadn’t let his guard down, Tera wouldn’t have fallen. All he had to do was come straight to me when Seongju arrived, but instead, he arrogantly decided to face him alone….

Because Changyeom dislikes Jeolpung so much.

But I couldn’t bring myself to say that.

* * *

Jeolpung willingly handed over his power to me.

While the image of someone sharpening their blade for revenge against Seongju wasn’t bad, the time needed to hone and sharpen that blade was painfully insufficient.

[The council just contacted me. They’re entering Pluto and Mars orbit now. They’re moving incredibly slowly, but their movements seem… suspicious. Feels like they’re scouting before launching a full assault.]

“Accurate.”

Thanks to Yu Yinghuo’s intel after the collapse of the Elder Council, I knew time was running short.

“They’re probably conducting a detailed scan of Earth right now. What happened? Should I descend now?”

While I was capturing Penril, Seongju dragged Pluto past Jupiter and entered Mars’ orbit, slowly approaching Earth in a parabolic trajectory. Though earlier than expected, the timing roughly matched.

“Seongju will likely reach the moon in about two weeks. Then, within a month, they’ll sow the seeds of destruction on Earth.”

[Terrasite? Terrarist? The creatures you sent us information about?]

“Both correct. One named by you, the other by Baek Hee-a.”

Parasites from Tera. Terrorists from Tera. The naming conventions depended on who coined them, but neither was incorrect.

“They’re bugs that parasitize magic, corrupting their host’s mind and turning them into berserk monsters.”

[I’m well aware of naturally occurring ones. I’ve seen and heard about them during my time with the Elder Council. But don’t worry too much about that side. We have our own ways of controlling the monsters here.]

“Yeah. I’d love to just shatter all the cores, but everyone strongly opposes it, so there’s nothing I can do.”

[Making excuses. Someone who goes around crafting seals to prevent monster rampages shouldn’t say such things. No credibility, girl.]

“…We agreed not to mention that, didn’t we? Hmmph.”

Seeing Yu Yinghuo smirk annoyed me slightly. After saving him from Chungsong’s clutches and revealing the truth about the world, it seemed he subtly enjoyed teasing me.

“Alright. By the way, have we decided on a name?”

[Was trying to ignore your attempt to change the subject, but since it’s this topic, I can’t help it. There are three options. Which one do you prefer?]

“Tell me.”

[Zephyr, Gale, Divine Wind.]

“Are you crazy? At a time like this?”

One is his original name; the other two hold no value whatsoever. Yu Yingho grinned mischievously and shook his head.

[…which were names lobbied to me. Zephyr was accepted easily when I hinted at it casually to the Elder Council. As for Gale and Divine Wind, do you know where those came from?]

“So, did you accept them?”

[Gulp.]

Seeing Yu Yingho choke amused me. Even though his lobbying failed, it wouldn’t happen again, but it didn’t matter. After all, the money he earned was astronomical.

“Save it for your wedding day.”

[You’re hitting below the belt. Hey, because of you blocking my marriage prospects, am I doomed to be single forever?]

“If you want to be brainwashed, exploited, and treated like royalty while having your life energy drained daily, go ahead.”

[Hmph. Anyway, you never shut up.]

The biggest reason Yu Yingho made a pact with me? It was to prevent him from being brainwashed by Chungsong in the future and becoming utterly corrupted.

‘The average married man is different.’

Working hard professionally while doing all the housework, engaging in marital relations only when Chungsong desires, and letting her spend all the money while surviving on 200,000 won monthly allowance—I prevented this future for him. Unbelievable as it might sound, by recounting Yu Yingho’s secret aspirations for the future, I gained his complete trust.

“Well then, esteemed Regent who hoards money. Can we finalize this soon? I need to go tell others.”

[Tsk. Is the princess awake yet?]

Yu Yingho clicked his tongue, addressing me not by name or title but by status. Naturally, as part of Jeolpung’s faction, he couldn’t stand Aruel. Still, he understood Aruel’s immediate usability as main firepower.

[…Naming an SSS-Rank ability holder is a great honor, so why does it feel so unpleasant?]

“Don’t be like that. She’s got her reasons. Once you hear the spoilers, you’ll understand why Aruel turned out this way.”

[What spoilers? Like, Gawein was secretly French and raped by the queen? Or he lost his claim to the throne because of Aruel and tried to poison her multiple times until a cat intervened? Seriously, no matter how terrible a mother is, that’s going too far.]

“She’s one of the Elders. Someone planning to invade Tera and dream of becoming the first emperor of Britain.”

[Bitch! …Cough, cough!!]

His spontaneous cursing followed by embarrassment was so very Yu Yingho. Despite his drunken command tendencies, he was less rigid and more approachable than Executioner Baek Hee-a.

“Your upbringing must’ve been messed up, huh? Know Snow White? She’s like the witch in that story.”

[Isn’t the witch supposed to be the stepmother? …Ah, never mind. Let’s stop this conversation. I feel my thoughts wavering.]

“Whenever you hear a villain’s backstory, you tend to sympathize, don’t you? …Not that I’m deliberately trying to sway you. Just consider her circumstances, growing up under someone like that.”

[Is she your future wife or something?]

“Yes.”

[Damn. That explains why you’re so protective.]

Yu Yingho started sneering at me with a sardonic grin.

[Had I done that, I would’ve burned you alive without hesitation. So, there must’ve been a reason you went out of your way to save her. Aren’t you pissed? Your life could’ve been ruined because of your ex-girlfriend?]

“Dislike turns into affection, you know?”

[Honestly, let’s cut the crap. Are you just forgiving her because she’s pretty?]

“Not entirely.”

Since the person responsible for setting the snowball rolling twenty years ago was none other than myself—someone whose memory is hazy—it was awkward for me to comment.

‘Penril grew up beside Penril, so what could I do?’

Had I not influenced Penril, she would’ve continued sleeping somewhere in the North Sea, and whoever found the abandoned Aruel in the forest would’ve taken her in. In the original story, finding one’s benefactor is the central event, and the quest for the sole clue—a gemstone—is the main activity.

“You also try to understand Chungsong’s actions, right? That’s why you keep visiting her.”

[How did you… Never mind, that, um, it’s merely a re-socialization process as a hero guiding a villain…]

“Physical attraction becomes emotional attachment. Hard to forget a woman with whom you have chemistry, huh? Puhuhu.”

[What the hell?!]

Yu Yingho was pissed off on two counts: his sex life being exposed and the implications inferred from my words. He quickly understood what I meant, which was intentional.

“Queen of tantrums, ready to play.”

[Wah, you piece of trash, wah, wah…. Hiea wasn’t enough, wah.]

“What are you saying ‘wah’ for? Come fly over here?”

[If I really associate with you, ah, forget it! I’ll send the princess and Penril’s titles separately, so don’t contact me for a while!]

Click. Yu Yingho angrily ended the call. Looking at the “No Signal” screen message, I felt quite flustered.

“He contacts me and then says not to contact him…”

Even though he insisted on personally deciding the titles after contacting me, telling me not to contact him was irritating. Not that I planned to contact him anyway, but I didn’t feel like reaching out after my mood soured.

Ding.

A message arrived on my Magical Gear. It was from Executioner Baek Hee-a.

– I just received a message from the Regent. What is this?

“Anyway, not a two-character lover.”

Like winter winds blowing in winter. Since this newly born wind attribute special ability user was born as winter approached, it wasn’t particularly bad and, above all, suited the sensitivity of spirits.

“It’s nothing serious. It’s Kim Penril’s new title.”

From now on, Kim Penril will howl as ‘Whistling Wind.’