Chapter 61

〈 Chapter 61, Part 4 (18) 〉

Gaeul stood up.

Without even thinking to wipe the smeared makeup around her eyes, she wobbled unsteadily in the aisle like a drunkard. The ending credits were already racing toward their conclusion.

In the quiet theater with all the lights extinguished, Gaeul stood alone.

“So, does this mean I die now?”

Gaeul asked Masked Cheon Gaeul. The masked Cheon Gaeul rose from her seat and faced Gaeul.

“Yeah. As an actress, as a human…you’re dead.”

“…Huh?”

Masked Cheon Gaeul raised her hand.

Drrrkk.

The pulley moved, raising the curtain as the giant screen descended back onto the stage. The audience seats vanished like ash, leaving only the long aisle where Gaeul stood, pointing toward the stage.

“Go.”

“Where?”

“To where you belong.”

Masked Cheon Gaeul pointed to the stage. With a bitter smile, Gaeul walked down the aisle.

KUHNG.

The sound of Gaeul’s heels echoed across the stage. Simultaneously, all the stage lights focused on her and lit up.

“Before dying, you have to act one last time, right?”

“No. This is about starting anew.”

Masked Cheon Gaeul threw the mask at Gaeul. It flew straight into her hands as if it had its own will.

Gaeul held the mask.

White on the right, black on the left.

The vertically split mask of black and white colors darkened completely before fading into a dull gray.

“…? What is this?”

Gaeul brushed her fingers over the surface of the mask. Maskless Cheon Gaeul covered her face with her hand.

“From now on, it’d be better to hide your face.”

“Become an actor without a face?”

“Physically and legally, you’re already dead anyway. So…”

Mascquerade’s body turned transparent. Her disappearing hand covered her face as Cheon Gaeul smiled through tears.

“From now on, you’re a ghost.”

Poof.

The ending credits ended. Yet the video that should’ve stopped kept playing, showing the final remaining scene.

The main hall of the National Assembly.

A blue girl holding Gaeul’s corpse, Phoenix embraced Gaeul. She pressed something into Gaeul’s chest, and soon the entire main hall was dyed in gray magic power.

Clap.

The ghost turned her head. Mascarae clapped, looking both envious, proud, and sorrowful while laughing through tears.

“In this day and age, what movie doesn’t have a cookie scene?”

With those words, Gaeul’s consciousness faded.

Blue flames engulfed the theater.

* * *

Gaeul blinked her eyes. Her vision cleared to reveal Phoenix smiling gently.

“Are you feeling better?”

Phoenix carefully shook Gaeul. Her right hand behind supported Gaeul’s back.

“Huh? Excuse me? Gaeul-ssi? Doing this suddenly is….”

“I’m sorry.”

Gaeul’s hands gripped Phoenix’s shoulders. Their gazes met as Phoenix knelt.

“That’s why I told you not to come out beyond the barrier. Wasn’t it because I anticipated something like this might happen? I’m sorry for not listening and coming out. When I see you again, that’s what I wanted to say.”

“…No, I’m the one who’s sorry.”

Phoenix grabbed Gaeul’s hand with her left.

“I shouldn’t have restrained you so much. You weren’t meant to be confined like this. You should’ve been hidden somewhere other than the National Assembly. No, I should’ve taken you to New Seoul even if it meant putting myself in a bit of danger…”

“That’s not true. Phoenix-ssi must’ve had your reasons. We made a bet, didn’t we? Both of us compromised. It just happened before then. So I’m more apologetic…”

“No, Gaeul-ssi. I’m the one who’s more sorry-”

Gaeul and Phoenix laughed simultaneously. Their conversation felt like lovers quarreling in a drama, apologizing to each other in a clichéd way, making them laugh naturally.

“But you’re using honorifics again? Last time when we were alone, I told you not to, remember?”

“Huh?”

Surprise flickered in Gaeul’s eyes.

“…Is this the afterlife? So before dying, you grant wishes or something?”

“Not the afterlife…but a wish?”

Gaeul nodded. Lowering the hand that had been on her shoulder, she firmly grasped Phoenix’s hand.

“I wanted to apologize to the fans and my parents. But…I thought of you first, Phoenix-ssi. I just wanted to say sorry. Simply…I’m sorry.”

“…Sigh.”

Phoenix sighed. There was a hint of trying to suppress laughter in her expression.

Shwoosh.

Chang-yeom illuminated the darkness of the main hall. Only then did Gaeul realize this place was where she died.

“Huh?”

Instinctively, Gaeul placed her hand on her chest.

Thump, thump.

Her heart, which had been pierced, was definitely beating. Though faint, something pumped from her heart was vigorously flowing throughout her body.

Gaeul immediately understood what it was. The special ability she awakened just before death. Thanks to that, her sixth sense detected the magic power.

“Is this…magic power?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“…Uh, well…”

Gaeul raised her hand. Pale as if all the blood had drained, it still moved perfectly under her will.

Am I not dead? Gulping, Gaeul glared at Phoenix before grabbing her cheek.

“Hu-zz-mu-yo.”

Kneading Phoenix’s cheeks like dough, Gaeul’s hand moved as if possessed. Lips puckered then stretched horizontally, Phoenix’s eyebrows furrowed.

[Don’t do that.]

“KYAA!”

A voice resonated in her mind. Startled by the intent-laden magic power, Gaeul saw Phoenix glaring at her with an irritated face.

“…Yes, I’m dead. My heart was pierced. So…”

Phoenix lifted the cube that had fallen to the floor. The bizarrely patterned cube had lost its luster, appearing brittle as if it would crumble any moment.

“I revived you with this…huh?”

Crack.

A crack formed on the cube. The fractured surface crumbled like sand through Phoenix’s palm. She looked perplexed at the cube.

“Why is it broken…?”

“So I am revived then?!”

Gaeul shook Phoenix’s shoulders. The core of the interdimensional deity slipped between Phoenix’s fingers.

“No, wait! Why is this…broken?! Just a moment!!”

Both Phoenix and Gaeul were flustered, though for different reasons.

After a deep breath, Phoenix calmed down first.

“Hmph. Let’s investigate why the cube broke later. How are you alive, Gaeul-ssi? Resurrection of the Dead! Even the deceased can be revived with proper equipment and tools! Okay?!”

Looking at the scattered fragments in Phoenix’s hand, Gaeul burst into tears.

“You…revived me…”

“Aah, don’t worry too much! Anyway, such things can be replaced! Someone who could destroy the world is trash compared to how important and valuable Gaeul-ssi is. Somehow, it broke right after reviving you though…”

“…Ah! There are crazy people trying to kill people in Dongjak District! We need to stop them!”

Gaeul snapped back to reality. Phoenix’s gaze darkened.

“Gaeul-ssi, surely you didn’t leave the barrier to save unrelated people…”

“There are more cubes, right?! You can save people!”

Phoenix hesitated, lips trembling. Gaeul’s hands once again grabbed Phoenix’s.

“I’m sorry for breaking our promise once. But please help. Even if you call me selfish…please-”

“No…I can resurrect the dead, but they won’t be human.”

“Huh…?”

Gaeul’s eyes widened. Phoenix looked up at the ceiling, clearly avoiding eye contact.

“Whether the deceased was an ordinary person or someone with special abilities, as long as there’s a monster’s nucleus or core and my magic power, I can revive them. However, it’s not exactly bringing them back as a complete human…”

Phoenix moved her left hand near her face, pressing her smartwatch under her chin. The home screen appeared on the display.

“Want to take a selfie?”

With trembling fingers, Gaeul rotated the screen to open the camera app. Phoenix adjusted the screen so Gaeul could see her reflection like a mirror.

“Kyaa!”

Gaeul screamed upon seeing her face on the screen.

Completely devoid of color, her pale skin resembled a mannequin. Without the gray tint in her pupils, her eyes looked lifeless like rotten mackerel eyes.

“This is…?”

Her eyebrows and hair above her eyes had bleached silver. Where the pigment had faded, it seemed magic power had settled instead, emanating from her hair.

Tap, tap.

And most noticeably, the mask. A gray mask hanging decoratively on the upper right side of her head. The very same mask she had received from Mascarae in her dream.

“…Mascarae? Hmm, something’s different?”

Phoenix muttered to herself. The mask symbolizing Cheon Gaeul’s special ability being on Gaeul’s head confused Phoenix even more.

Complicated thoughts aside for now. They needed to handle the immediate problem first. Clearing her throat, Phoenix continued.

“Hem, so instead of human, it’s a monster-human hybrid…like how Mr. Jo Deokbae became Rock Monster and Mr. Kim Ji Hwa became Lighthouse Monster…”

Phoenix trailed off. Gaeul instantly understood without needing further explanation.

“You brought me back as a monster-human hybrid, right?”

“Yes.”

“…Alright. After causing trouble and dying, I guess I have to accept this.”

Gaeul gave a bitter smile before suddenly panicking.

“Aah! The ones who killed me must still be nearby! They were definitely after Ji Hwa-ssi-”

“Monster-human hybrids.”

Phoenix interrupted Gaeul with an unusually strong tone.

“…The identity of a monster-human hybrid isn’t determined by the special ability they had in life, but rather by the core that becomes their new heart. For instance, Mr. Jo Deokbae originally had body enhancement abilities but transformed into Rock Monster due to the rock monster’s core, resulting in a fusion of abilities…”

“…So?”

“Like Mr. Kim Ji Hwa whose original special ability was further enhanced. Did I not explain this? The core implanted in Mr. Kim Ji Hwa’s heart came from a B-rank monster influenced by Tera. That’s why he gained devil eyes.”

Phoenix shook her head while pointing at Gaeul’s mask.

“…Sorry, but I didn’t use a mask monster’s core for Gaeul-ssi.”

Phoenix covered her face with her left hand. Only then did Gaeul notice Phoenix had been supporting her back with her right hand all along.

People usually use their right hand to adjust their left wristwatch, not deliberately press their smartwatch with their chin.

That indicated there was a reason Phoenix couldn’t use her right hand. Gaeul subtly lifted her body.

Mooolk.

An indescribable sensation from behind. It felt like the liquid monsters children often played with, sending shivers down Gaeul’s spine.

Wibble-wobble.

What was truly terrifying wasn’t that Gaeul felt it by touch, but that this sensation was part of her own body’s perception.

Her head mechanically twisted sideways. Phoenix’s pupils violently trembled.

“Wha-, trying to rush things, used the best one available among what I had…”

“Hey.”

Gaeul dropped the honorifics.

“Did you use an octopus core by any chance?”

Phoenix’s head drooped. At the same time, nine neatly arranged tentacles wriggled like tails from her lowered right hand.

“…”

Gaeul fainted.

Beeep. An alarm sounded on Phoenix’s smartwatch. It was the lighthouse.

– Phoenix-sama, please save us


– Apologies


– But right now


– Outside, the pine tree brigade members are


– Beating on the barrier for ten minutes

“…Why do resurrected monster-human hybrids always lose consciousness?”

Transforming into her monster form, Phoenix picked up Gaeul. Supporting her upper body with her right arm and lifting her legs with her left.

Swish.

Nine tentacles dangled from her body. Unlike an octopus’ tentacles, these emerged tail-like from just above Gaeul’s hips and swayed.

Of course, given the nature of the original, their form was vulgar beyond description.

[I’ll have to clean this up later… Before that.]

As Phoenix took a step forward, she stumbled.

BOOM!

A circular pillar of fire erupted around Phoenix. Chang-yeom’s barrier, slightly excessive, deflected the black arrows shot in the dark.

[They say criminals return to the scene of the crime.]

Phoenix dismissed the fire pillar. Immediately, more black arrows shot from four directions.

Arrows of light curved gracefully toward Phoenix from the cardinal points. Holding Gaeul, Phoenix jumped toward the main entrance of the assembly hall.

“Grgh!”

A sniper hiding behind the wall quickly drew their bow. A black magic-infused arrow nocked on the string.

[Did you think I wouldn’t recognize you?]

Phoenix’s eyes gleamed as fist-sized flame spheres appeared beside her. The flame spheres positioned along the trajectory of the previously fired arrows incinerated the magical arrows.

“…”

Seeing Phoenix approach, the sniper hastily discarded their bow and fled. The sniper shot a wire at the end of the corridor and ran along the wall to escape from Phoenix.

Whoosh.

[Don’t think you can escape.]

Phoenix kicked the sniper’s chest with her foot as she appeared before them.

“Cough!”

The sniper expelled a harsh breath and collapsed. Phoenix stepped on their sternum and burned away their mask.

“…”

[Gongsung Yu I-shin?]

A black-haired beauty. Phoenix immediately recognized her opponent from the original story – a former hunter turned mercenary known for high efficiency relative to her hiring cost, a B-rank special ability user.

[Indeed. After working with the Pine Tree Brigade, she apparently laundered her identity as a hunter.]

“Keh, kill her!”

Yu I-shin bit her lip and shouted. Realizing her cover was blown, she knew survival was unlikely.

[Oh?]

Phoenix nodded and lightly shook Gaeul.

“…”

Still unconscious, Gaeul showed no signs of regaining awareness. For a moment, it seemed to Yu I-shin that the flickering flames in the helmet resembled a smile.

[Then let’s do that.]

Phoenix slashed at Yu I-shin’s neck with her toe.

Swoosh.

Yu I-shin’s head rolled off her neck and tumbled down the corridor. Horror and fear filled her eyes.

[Ah, right.]

Returning to the main hall, Phoenix collected the cube fragments. A handful of ashes for future research. The rest was unnecessary.

Whoosh.

Flames of Chang-yeom erupted in the main hall, incinerating the cube fragments. Not a trace remained as the fragments were completely eradicated from existence.