Chapter 506

〈 Chapter 506 〉 Part 1 NORMAL ENDING – 2

Though the world had fallen into chaos, it wasn’t on the level of the moon falling to Earth.

The immediate threats to humanity – monsters and dimensional gates – had disappeared. In return, the supply of cores had been cut off.

Cores were no longer an infinite resource.

They had become merely a limited resource like coal or oil.

Some nations attempted to monopolize the distribution of cores, while huge corporations sold them at exorbitant prices. There were even cases of D-Rank cores being used in violent crimes.

In order to quell this chaos, heroes stepped forward.

Even though monsters had disappeared from the world, magic power remained. As such, heroes found themselves entering a second act in their lives: a war against villains who sought to exploit cores.

Simply because monsters had vanished didn’t mean the world had changed significantly.

There were still those who felt happiness and gratitude simply for having avoided annihilation. The world remained largely as it was before.

– We’re getting married.

…If only it weren’t for the news of a human marrying a monster-saint.

* * *

<1:00 PM, New Seoul Hero Association>

“In the Dangun myth, Hwanwoong mates with Ungnyeo, right? Isn’t that kind of like what’s happening now?”

“That’s just a myth.”

“Who knows? Back then, Ungnyeo might have actually been a bear-based monster and an SSS-Rank ability user who transformed into a human woman.”

“You’re talking nonsense. If that were true, Terra and this world would have been connected since ancient times.”

“You keep taking jokes seriously, which is why you don’t have a boyfriend yet.”

“…It’s not even 2025 anymore, it’s 2020! And someone ate my boyfriend!”

“Crossing lines now, aren’t we?”

I drew up my magic power. My opponent did the same. I briefly considered having a bloody fight in black suits at a wedding venue but decided to hold back today.

“It’s because of Garura that I’m restraining myself.”

“Don’t think I’m holding back for your sake.”

“You’ve never beaten me once.”

“What can I say? I may not be able to beat Golden Horse, but I can take you down with one hand.”

“Will you call me ‘older sister’ if I win?”

“You’re out of your mind.”

How demure had she ever been? This woman who now unleashed curses with abandon was none other than Seok Harang, known as <Snowflower>.

“At 21 years old, here I am at my parents’ wedding.”

“…Talking about age when it’s super disadvantageous for you, isn’t it?”

“Hmph. Since I met him on January 1, 2000, I consider myself reborn as a woman. So I’m 21. Call me older sister.”

“Calculating it that way makes us the same age. Tch, fine. Arguing with you just gives me a headache.”

“Shall I make your mouth hurt with a kiss? Or maybe your lower-”

“Are both of you here?”

A new visitor arrived in our assigned room. Yuna stood there in a dress that excluded all white, dressed entirely in black.

“Welcome, Yuna. You look beautiful today. May I have a hug?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in that sort of thing.”

“Tch.”

“…Seriously, you’re weird too. How can you openly like women while claiming to love Golden Horse?”

“It’s different, isn’t it? Heheh.”

Yuna and Harang simultaneously gave me a sidelong glance. Soon enough, if only the lightning pair, wind pair, and illusion pair of spirits gathered, we’d have the full set.

“Shall we get going? I heard Yuha invited famous chefs for the wedding banquet. The desserts were overseen by Manager Huan.”

“Hearing you say ‘buffet’ makes it sound so…”

“I’m also looking forward to some eye candy… Hehe. Anyway, let’s chat a bit more. I’ll go check on the bride’s waiting room.”

“Why? Didn’t Garura already visit?”

“…”

I sent Harang a wink halfway out the door.

“Since I’ve tasted every other woman, except for Rusalka-”

“Crazy woman!!”

An ice blade flew toward me. I quickly slipped outside, sending Yuna a flying kiss.

“Please handle this!”

“YAAAAH!”

“Ground Zero.”

In one of the specially arranged guest rooms at the Hero Association, the durability spirit had confined the water spirit. Meanwhile, I swiftly ran down the hallway toward the bride’s waiting room.

“Hello?”

“Gyuck.”

The platinum-haired woman, Rusalka, immediately scowled upon seeing me.

“Oh dear, you’re ruining the bride’s makeup.”

“You sabotaged the wedding.”

“Pfft, it’s nothing compared to this.”

“How unfortunate that you’re the last person I see today. It truly feels like hell.”

“Why? Thanks to me, how much better has your marital harmony become?”

“It’s thanks to my brother-in-law, not you.”

“…”

I hadn’t realized how unsettling a single term of address could be. Rusalka’s words left me momentarily speechless.

“Mi, mi-an.”

Rusalka apologized as well.

“No, it’s fine. If it weren’t destined to be this way, perhaps I would have suffered eternally.”

“But, um… Since there’s no one else around, I’ll tell you something now.”

Rusalka briefly bowed her head to me.

“I sincerely thank you both. Truly.”

“Well, obviously you should be grateful. Who do you think brought about the resurrection of Light Blade?”

“Isn’t it thanks to Yuha?”

“……When you put it that way, there’s nothing more to say.”

Neither of us had thought beyond “Let’s kill Light Blade,” certainly not about resurrecting him as a monster.

Perhaps from that point onward, another snowball effect began rolling. Light Blade had unknowingly provided great assistance and played a major role in bringing Rusalka completely to my side.

“By the way, there’s something he lied about. Should I tell you?”

“What is it?”

“It was actually something he teased about regarding Light Blade.”

I checked for windows nearby.

“The positions he supposedly shared with Seok Harang? They weren’t with her but with me. Heheh.”

“…”

Why isn’t she angry?

“Uh, Rusalka?”

“Of course I knew.”

Rusalka snorted and shook her head.

“Except for one thing, his technique while touching breasts seemed awkward. That movement is designed for people with a certain amount of volume, not small-chested ones.”

“Uwaaaah, exposed.”

As expected, spirits who understand love are perceptive in these matters too. For some reason, it made the conversation feel easier.

“Did you enjoy being loved?”

“Yes, yes. Your couple mocking others is impressive, but stop already. The ceremony is starting soon. Go take care of your husband.”

Rusalka dismissed me. Just as Russian makeup artists entered for touch-ups, I extended my hand to her.

“Congratulations. Truly.”

“…Thank you. I never expected to hear that from you. Now that Seongju is gone and the Otherworld God has departed, we don’t need filtering anymore. Of course, neither of us will use those names again.”

“…”

Rusalka chuckled and pointed to the wall.

“Isn’t ‘Rusalka’ much prettier than using the bride’s name?”

“That’s true.”

The bride, Anastasha.Rusalka.Vladimir. The bold marking on the middle name needed no further explanation.

“Then prepare well. Don’t cry.”

“You either. You’re the only spirit whose charm hasn’t worked on our couple.”

“Maybe I should ruin the wedding then. Tch.”

“If you do that, Garura’s wedding will be ruined too.”

“…”

I left the bride’s waiting room. Right outside, the names of the two couples holding their weddings in today’s borrowed Hero Association building were displayed.

Heo Yoon-hwan, Rusalka.

“He looks like a phoenix.”

One issue covered up by another, confusion countered with greater confusion, leading to mutual assured destruction.

“Still faking death, huh!”

“No, I really died and came back. Fought Phoenix one-on-one and got killed. But Phoenix thought it’d be a waste to let me die and revived me as a disciple. My life is mortgaged to Phoenix now.”

“…”

The moment when simply being beautiful and occupying the strongest position confirmed the nickname of goddess.

The resurrection of the dead.

The humanization of monsters.

The divine power praised and feared by people created today’s wedding.

“I Seung-hyeong, Garura.”

Who would have thought they’d really get married after publicly boasting about it? With their relationship reaching the point where they couldn’t live without each other, there was no way to forcibly separate them.

“Considering I Seung-hyeong’s background, was it inevitable?”

“What are you muttering to yourself about?”

“I was saying the groom is quite fortunate…”

“Hey!”

I stopped Kim Penril.

“Wearing maid outfits at a wedding? Are you joking?”

“This body is currently working at the buffet.”

“Then shouldn’t you remove Aruel from your person while working?”

“She’s too embarrassed to come out. When it’s time for photos, we’ll all appear together, so don’t worry.”

“…That’s not what I meant. At weddings, white is reserved for the bride, see?”

I gestured to my own outfit.

“Not Baek Cheong-hwa but Heuk Cheong-hwa today.”

“Jeeup-pung said this was appropriate?”

“Would you rather believe Jeeup-pung or me?”

“Obviously the landlord. Got it. Actually, this body has a uniform. Kim Penril is working part-time for the wedding event company today.”

Kim Penril snapped her fingers and changed clothes.

“Ta-da! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”

“…”

“Christmas joke?”

“On Christmas Eve, I’m Santa! I’ll be handing out gifts to the guests at the wedding venue.”

Kim Penril pulled out a candy wrapped in paper from her bosom. The contents were immediately recognizable.

“These are cores.”

“With Aruel, I’ve been collecting cores worldwide to give as gifts! From B-Rank to S-Rank, it’s random, so don’t cheat. It wouldn’t be fun otherwise.”

“…Alright. Do as you wish.”

Whoever planned this event, my job was simple: play my assigned role.

‘The father’s role in the bride’s entrance.’

Following the insistence of a somewhat conservative woman, I had to maintain a male disguise in a suit and tie, acting as the bride’s father figure.

“Go on in then. Ah, do I get a gift too?”

“…Heheh. Santa will visit you tonight, so look forward to it.”

Santa Kim Penril left with a cryptic smile.

“Christmas gift, huh.”

Does Santa really exist?

* * *

“Sorry, Chang-yeom-sama!”

Garura threw the bouquet at me.

* * *

Seongya.

Carols ring outside.

Entering my quarters on White Phoenix Isle, I placed the bouquet on the desk.

Should I just throw it away?

Knowing what the bouquet symbolizes, I nearly flipped the wedding venue when Garura pulled this cute stunt.

“It’s not like her happiness means I have to suffer.”

Garura didn’t know the nature of our relationship. There was no need to explain, and she probably just threw it at me because someone told her to.

“This is my Christmas gift? Ha.”

What good would cursing Garura, who’s off on her honeymoon with I Seung-hyeong, do? I prayed to the god born on Christmas with clasped hands.

“God, are you there? Please grant my wish if you can hear me.”

It was amusing, a god praying to another god for a wish.

“Make all the lovey-dovey couples tonight have condoms with holes. Let unsuspecting eggs meet sperm for fertilization. Not a single one should be left behind.”

And in ten months, may new lives be born. I prayed to the heavens while the TV played carols in the background.

Santa doesn’t give gifts to crying children~

“Hmph, who needs-”

“Do you not?”

“…….”

That familiar voice. He waved at me from outside the window.

“I came to give a gift even to crying children.”

“…What gift?”

“Me.”

Drrr.

He opened the window and sat on the frame.

“It’s snowing instead of rain tonight… Can I come in?”

“…So this is their grand scheme to make fools of me.”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Yeah, a surprise. Come in already. I thought you were dead.”

“I was. But…”

With his usual face, he grinned at me.

“Aren’t phoenixes supposed to resurrect even after death?”