Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: The Eight Petals
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Empty dormitory.
Empty closet. My clothes and Shiba's baby clothes hanging all alone.
Kindergarten uniform and chick outfit. Except for these, all the eye-catching clothes were gone.
The biggest reason was probably that their full-body latex suits or full-body tights—their combat uniforms—had vanished.
I tidied up the dishes and lay down on the bed for a moment.
‘They’re gone.’
Bickering with Baekdo, flirting with Hwangdo, teasing Cheondo—my daily routine.
There had been a training camp in between, so the emptiness didn't hit too hard.
Still, my room that once felt a bit warm had undeniably grown cold.
‘Not bad.’
Now I could fully focus on my own business.
Cornus's affairs. Azalea's affairs. Kill Flower and keep an eye on the Association.
From now on, I couldn't trust anyone.
Dropping out of the academy was basically a done deal.
But for now, I needed to maintain my identity, so I decided to stay.
‘Anyway, the next few months will be tied up with the forest keeper selection tournament. Once that's over, then I can deal with that other matter.’
Now was the time for what needed doing now.
I lay on the bed and gazed at Shiba, who was sitting on my stomach.
“Ppi?”
“Shiba, Dad has to work again for a while...”
She seemed to understand my words. Shiba's eyes went wide round.
From behind Shiba came a thunder-like ringing in my ears.
I know. I know you're sad—sorry. Dad being busy is his fault, not yours.
I closed my eyes and waited for Shiba's bitter chirp.
It wasn't long before Shiba's sincere little voice rang out.
“......Ppi.”
-Tuk.
Shiba smacked my stomach three times, then gently rubbed it with much softer touches.
Then she looked me straight in the eye and cutely blinked her young, innocent gaze once.
Her shoulders squared proudly. It might've seemed arrogant, but coming from a kindergartener, it was far cuter.
“Dad.”
“Yeah?”
“Don't worry.”
Her childish voice mumbled at first, then rang out sensibly.
I suddenly welled up and sat up on the bed to pull Shiba into a hug.
Why was a not-even-one-year-old so lovable?
As if reading my heart, Shiba giggled and hugged me back.
“Stay with Mom just for a bit. Dad has a lot to do.”
“...Ppi.”
Okay.
Got it.
I understood every word Shiba said.
The resonance, timbre. Pitch, intonation. Depending on the situation, her chirps formed full sentences in my ears, word by word.
For Shiba's sake too, I had to wrap up my current mess as fast as possible.
-Drring.
The phone rang. It was from Byul-i, who had just arrived at the academy after Cheondo left.
Holding Shiba, I stared at the phone screen and let out a determined sigh under my breath.
“Huuu...”
Preparation time.
*****
“Then let's get straight to the point.”
“...Si-heon, you look way too serious?”
I met Byul-i and immediately commandeered an office, ordering only drinks as we sat face-to-face.
The important thing was Flower.
How to crush those bastards.
Byul-i read my intent in my eyes. A bit disappointed but surprised by my demeanor, she pulled a file from her backpack right away.
“First off... this is what you asked for. Flower's planned terror sites. But it's from a captured Flower member, so the reliability's iffy? Those fuckers... huu. You know? They're hardcore sticks to the end—perjury, lies, the works.”
“I know all too well.”
Guys who make drugs and force them without batting an eye—what wouldn't they do?
I'd heard Azalea's mom had fallen to some mass-produced pink weird item called Dawn or whatever, and they were still on bad terms.
And who knew how many more times that could repeat.
The Association—I hated them but needed them. Flower? No such thing.
Those bastards were pure evil just by existing.
-Rustle.
I skimmed through the handed-over file.
Predicted terror locations plotted worldwide. The range was broad and scattered—way too much for me to check alone. Manpower shortage.
“So we're predicting terror sites from this and stopping them?”
“...It's a total mess, right? But yeah, that's it. We fill the gaps with sheer numbers somehow.”
Dispatch hunters everywhere, governments comb through analyses and scour danger zones.
It was already a global headache, so systems were somewhat in place.
Byul-i added that for just these terrorists, the world burned trillions every year.
“...Even with all this, terror still happens?”
“Yep. Flower style.”
“How many of them are there exactly? Those crazy rabid dogs.”
Deeply tangled bastards.
Me too. Not long after arriving in this world and adjusting, I'd gotten roped in with Flower.
They'd barked bullshit like I was some necessity for them—I ignored it. But looking back, there'd been a ton of those cultists back then.
“Well... we haven't grasped shit except the executives they openly flaunt.”
“Executives?”
“Yeah. The Eight Petals. First you've heard?”
“Tell me everything.”
“Alright... so how Flower operates.”
Byul-i, as branch vice-chair, explained coherently, weaving in her own stories and experiences.
Flower wasn't a simple terrorist outfit.
Gathered under the saintess's—World Tree doesn't acknowledge her—prophecy to smash the World Tree and Wood Person class system.
Cult-like at a glance, but their actions were on another level.
Flower revolved around eight executives, split into exactly eight factions.
From the eighth petal.
To the first—the last petal.
“And these are guessed executive names... no clue if they're right.”
Freesia.
Paeonia.
Honeysuckle.
Lotus.
Cistus.
Canna.
Tarragon.
Muttering their names one by one, I sensed something off and asked Byul-i.
“...One's missing?”
“Vacant spot. Meaning... no executive. But with the faction still there, someone's gotta be filling in.”
“Factions, huh. So power's not centralized?”
“Spot on. They pull terror, but radicalism varies by faction. Some Flowers stick to tame social activism. Well... all fucking scum anyway.”
Byul-i didn't hold back on the curses, clearly trying to drill her view of Flower into me.
Intentional or not, it hit hard.
“Factions... like mafia? Probably fight each other too.”
“Bingo. Power struggles among themselves all the time. Whatever... not our problem. Issue is... check this. Third, sixth, seventh, and eighth.”
Byul-i jabbed the world map in the file, pointing to North America and China with a sly grin.
“These four petals are the worst troublemakers. They operate mainly in these two spots.”
Cistus.
A strangely familiar name.
I narrowed my eyes and tuned back into Byul-i's words.
“Especially that third petal fucker. Vicious bastard. Handles drugs like a pro sadist.”
She tapped emphatically on the third petal label.
Listening, I felt fairly certain.
That drug incident back then. Called the Serial Ent rampage or something.
Ents tearing up peaceful streets—a disastrous terror still talked about.
Quick response kept damage low, but all scholars agreed: without Dowonhyang there, it'd have been catastrophic losses.
“He operates in China a lot... but he's global.”
“Got it.”
“Grasping it so far?”
“Yes.”
Saintess prophecy. First I'd heard, but the root of that lunatic's zeal made sense now.
I clasped my hands, sorted my thoughts, and looked at Byul-i.
Now serious Byul-i. Her bright yellow pupils had a star smack in the middle—Starfruit girl.
Seeing her usually bubbly face turn grave wasn't bad.
“So Flower is... Huh? Why stare like that?”
“Hm... You've got a surprisingly professional side, sis.”
“...Hah!”
Startled by my words, Byul-i flung her hands out dramatically.
“For real? I seemed like a working girl?”
“Yes.”
“Hehe~ Well, I'm kinda strict on work? Something like that. Yeah, I have that side. Si-heon, got a favor? Hit me up~”
“To office lady Byul-i?”
“Nope. Badass office lady Byul-i.”
One compliment and she was buzzing like she'd grown wings.
I chuckled and skimmed the file again.
Terror sites. Scanning Korea's predicted spots, an unexpected area was highlighted.
“...Huh?”
“What?”
Here. The district where Shiba went to kindergarten.
I pointed it out, and Byul-i went “Ah~” while scratching her cheek.
“Outskirts there turn straight into factory zones. Imported mana processors are essential for them. Korea's a mana engineering powerhouse—stuff piles up there.”
“...Ah, so that's why.”
“Haven't hit it yet. But better safe.”
“True.”
I nodded firmly and exhaled deeply.
I knew it was big, but damn—a massive organization.
No surprise Cheondo got hurt.
A Flower executive on her level... they'd surpassed her realm, naturally.
I wasn't there yet. I'd have a high chance of losing to one—scratch that, I'd get wrecked flat-out.
‘Lacking?’
The thought flashed, but I shook my head and reframed it.
‘Nah. When dismantling an org, poking executives first is the stupidest move.’
My current strength was plenty.
Fighting head-on, borrowing Heavenly Demon's power, begging for teachings.
Torn apart, beaten senseless, limbs shredded—I'd clawed my way here.
Anyone leveled up this fast in so short a time? No way in hell.
Talent Cheondo spotted, flower I bloomed.
Skill grows in the clash. Learning through wounds might even suit me best.
Crouching now was no strategy.
“Si-heon?”
Byul-i eyed my face, asking if something was up.
Forsythia-like spring dress. A tad warm for now. Dressed up, it screamed girlfriend vibe.
Now I got why she'd pouted when I dove into work talk right away.
“Oh yeah, you're wearing sis's clothes.”
“...Bringing it up now?”
“Hehe. But it looks good. Where'd you get it?”
“Huhung. Online mall.”
“......”
Subtly off from luxury stuff.
I laughed in disbelief and tossed a line to the hardworking Byul-i.
“...Let's go shopping for clothes together later.”
“For real~? Si-heon best!”
She shot up from the sofa, hands high in cheer, and tackled me in a hug.
Soft breasts smooshed to my face. Byul-i squealed and deliberately ground them in.
‘...First things first, scout around Shiba's kindergarten area.’
I peeled off the overexcited Byul-i and stashed her file in my bag.