Chapter 71
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: 69. Interlude (2)
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"Eun-ha! Yoo Eun-ha!"
As I woke from sleep, the first thing to greet me was Lee Yoo-jeong.
Nothing beats the fresh thrill of a beauty welcoming you right after waking up.
"Yoo-jeong sunbae. I've missed you."
I pulled in Lee Yoo-jeong, who was vigorously shaking me awake, and claimed her lips.
"Mmgh. Wait, hold on. We'll do this tonight. I have something to say."
"Something to say?"
"Su-ji came out of the training room, and she has horns on her head."
That's probably my fault. She's been corrupted by me.
It's crucial to power up in advance. Blindly following the original story like an idiot, even knowing the future, isn't my style.
So, I have no regrets.
"Oh, that. It's because she's been corrupted by me. She's a monster now."
Han Su-ji's change drew the interest of the other heroines.
"As expected, this is all Yoo Eun-ha's doing."
"Probably."
Whenever something pops up, it's always my fault.
Han Su-ji, oblivious or not to my feelings, seemed thrilled with the horns sprouting from her head, stretching and shrinking them playfully.
"I can shorten these?"
Of course. I can control mine freely too. If Han Su-ji, awakened by my demonic energy, couldn't handle that much, she'd be worthless.
"No, but why are your eyes and pupils like that? Did you get hit somewhere?"
"What's the difference from you turning into a dark elf?"
"At least mine can turn on and off. I'll awaken as an elf soon too."
Those were the words of Reina, the half-and-half chicken.
"Mine can shorten and turn on and off too?"
Han Su-ji replied as she shrank her horns.
"If that's the case, I'm on-off paper thin too."
"No, Rachel, don't butt in."
"Shouldn't I be included too? I even bore your child."
That has serious potential for misunderstanding. That kid wasn't made from sperm and egg fertilizing.
Moreover, despite calling it my child, it clings more to Yoo-jeong.
Even now, it's clearly sleeping on Yoo-jeong's head, preferring her over me.
"I don't see what bearing a child has to do with this. No, why are you glaring at me?"
"Hold on, that Reina mom person is Rachel? She bore a child too?"
"Well, the meaning's a bit different, but yeah, for now."
"Wait, then I..."
Han Su-ji's eyes welled up with tears.
A woman's tears are special, as long as they're not the fake victim act squeezed out in a police station or courtroom.
I want to lick them away.
To make her cry more, I gently embraced Han Su-ji and whispered in her ear.
"Su-ji. Let me say it again. No one but me would tolerate a villain like you. So you have to act in ways that please me, right?"
"I... I'm sorry."
"I'm kidding. I just want us to get along. Got it?"
I patted her back, and only then did Han Su-ji sigh in relief.
"Then among us, I'm the most normal?"
Lee Yoo-jeong said with meaningful pride.
"Where's normal about you? Always holed up in your room tapping away at your laptop."
"Right. Total hikikomori."
A vein faintly pulsed at the temple of the usually expressionless Lee Yoo-jeong.
"At least I'm human. Two here have pointy ears, one has horns on her head, and her vibe's gotten all menacing. Doesn't that make me, the human, the final winner?"
If we're judging by human standards, Yoo-jeong wins.
"Hmph, don't you know? Elves have incredibly long lifespans. Almost no aging."
"Monsters don't get periods."
Catfight?
No, this is just a pride contest over who's most normal. Considering humans rule Earth and the vast majority are ordinary, Yoo-jeong is the most normal.
No, wait. Using abilities already makes them not ordinary humans, right?
"Hey, Yoo Eun-ha. Who's the most normal among us?"
"No, you're all weird."
I have no idea why they're fighting over something so pointless.
"No, you can't say that even to me, who bore your child."
Rachel thrust Rei toward me, eyes glistening with tears.
They're all so lovable, trying to prove their presence to me.
But I'm immune to this situation.
Back in my office worker days, most of the women I slept with were married, so they never met each other.
"Argh, forget it!"
So I used Kate to slip away.
Blue House
In the secret space made of Ha Jeong-seok stones within the Blue House, President Ha Jeong-seok was holding a meeting with Shinohara Yuzuki, head of Japan's Shinohara family.
Anyone could see this wasn't your typical state summit.
Formally, Japan's prime minister should visit Korea, but Shinohara Yuzuki held the real power. Due to diplomatic optics, she had to meet Ha Jeong-seok in private like this.
"I went to Japan last time. Why bother coming here?"
Ha Jeong-seok scowled.
He'd tried pressuring Association Chairman Choi Cheol-sik with the Hansung Academy incident. Meeting Japan's real powerbroker separately like this wasn't good.
"We need to show America that Japan and Korea are allies, don't we? As head of the Shinohara family, it's only proper I visit."
'What bullshit.'
A visit as family head, from a girl who still looked so young and innocent. How dare such a young thing sit as his equal. How far had Japan regressed? A woman with little political experience in this seat.
He wanted to kick her out, but the Shinohara family gripped Japan like a shogunate. He couldn't just chase her away.
"Hmm, there's merit, but do we have more to discuss?"
"Recently, Korea's top hunter school, Hansung Academy, has been treated like a villain academy, hasn't it?"
"Yes."
"Would it be alright if I transferred in?"
What did Hansung being called a villain academy have to do with Japan's powerbroker transferring in? Was there some ulterior motive?
"You're the Shinohara head. Why not Kyoto or Tokyo's famous academies?"
Those academies weren't inferior to Korea's. Why insist on Hansung again?
"Infiltrating Hansung Academy with Shinohara's power to probe Sin-related matters. That's what America wants too."
The U.S.-centric world order had crumbled long ago, but America still trying to play superior wasn't as welcome to Ha Jeong-seok as Japan.
"Don't you know this is interference in internal affairs?"
"Ahaha. Let's set aside personal grudges between our nations. This is hardly interference. It's not the Imperial era, is it? Comparing modern Korea and Japan to the past would be Joseon and the Tokugawa shogunate, no?"
"It's not the Imperial era; it's the Japanese colonial period."
"That's one way to call it."
Fine. If dragging up centuries-old history, relations weren't bad. Post-Cataclysm, as Korea grew stronger in hunters than Japan, official past grievances ended. Ha Jeong-seok eyed Japan warily because with China already a headache, he couldn't predict if Japan schemed from behind, damaging his regime.
"You talk so slick. But why need Shinohara's help when we have plenty of top hunters?"
If he wanted, he could infiltrate the academy with capable hunters galore. Why invite Japan's powerbroker, potentially giving grounds for interference claims?
"I hear relations between the Blue House and hunter guilds are poor. To infiltrate Hansung, you'd need guild-level caliber. Accepting hunter help would boost association or guild power, shrinking Blue House authority. But if we cooperate under the table, you avoid that."
"Hmm, true."
As Ha Jeong-seok furrowed his brow, Shinohara Yuzuki cautiously spoke.
"I hear Korea's high officials love apple boxes."
"This is..."
Shinohara Yuzuki summoned a retainer, who pulled an apple box from sub-space.
Opening it revealed A-rank cores packed inside, with occasional S-ranks—worth a fortune if sold.
And since it was cores, not cash, no real issue.
"We have no ulterior motives toward Korea. Please accept this as a gesture of goodwill, not a bribe."
"I'll take it as sincerity. But all I can do is get you into Hansung."
"That's more than enough. Thank you."
The negotiation succeeded.
Using Korean and offering an apple box, Ha Jeong-seok couldn't outright dismiss Japan.
Shinohara Yuzuki, veiled and emerging from the secret room, was asked by her retainer Shinohara Mariko.
"My lady, aren't we helping Korea too much? I agree we should stay friendly, but this could give the prime minister ammunition."
"The PM can be cut anytime. Sooner or later, Korea's future lies with hunters. Better to befriend them early. I want to see that promising Yoo Eun-ha too."
Even if the Blue House held strong, Korea would ultimately be run by hunters. Ha Jeong-seok was just a loud-barking dog without hunter talent. Hunters might even become president someday.
"What of the main house? If you stay away long, the PM might nitpick."
Shinohara Yuzuki was Japan's real power. Even for infiltration, transferring to a Korean academy would stir rumors.
"That's why we have retainers with transformation abilities. Use a kagemusha."
"Yes, my lady."
The groundwork was laid.
Yoo Eun-ha too. Shinohara Yuzuki was curious about her.
A cadet with exceptional skill. One who devoured a Sin fragment, becoming at least A-rank monster, defeated in mere moments.
Befriending Korea's future-leading hunter wouldn't hurt Shinohara.
New York
America's hunter world was also watching Korea's Sin emergence.
Alex, who represented America in the Hunter Alliance, was handling everything on Korea's Sin.
He'd even scouted a place for his daughter to stay in Korea.
He wanted to go himself, but with too much to do in America, he decided to send his daughter Rosemary.
Conveniently, Korea's academy was world-renowned, so he could safely send his precious daughter.
"Father, you mean go to Korea?"
A girl with long blonde hair neatly tied up asked Alex charmingly.
"Yes. Officially study abroad, but really to investigate the Sin. Also, befriend rising hunters in Korea now. This era belongs to hunters. Especially get close to Yoo Eun-ha, the Divine Sword's sister. It'll be good for you."
The great hunter era transcended borders. Befriend promising hunters first.
"What does she look like?"
"Like this. Rosemary, I'm biased, but wouldn't it be nice to have her by your side? She's getting even more hype than the Divine Sword in cadet days."
Rosemary looked at the photo Alex handed her.
A white-haired woman in the center of a team battle, swinging a sword wreathed in white flames.
Instantly drawn to the white-haired beauty's perfect face and figure.
'Maybe I can turn this girl into my doll too.'
"Hmm. Hansung Academy, right? I'll go."
Rosemary was America's youngest hunter. Nothing pressing. Good chance to add dolls.
Mysterious Dungeon
Baekhwa when she coming out?
Fr, slave bitch hurry up and bring your master.
Why? Sia cute too.
Fuck I wanna see them motorboat each other's tits.
Premature ejac OUT!
Fr both faces still good, but ain't it time to reveal?
"Ahaha. Sorry. Master's been busy lately. That's it for today's Baekhwa TV!"
Choi Sia ended the stream with a sigh.
How long did she have to do this?
Of course, it was Master's order, so she'd do it gladly. But seeing sex drips in chat pissed her off enough to want to kill those viewers.
After all, only Master could have this body, verbally or physically.
Choi Sia stomped the head of a corpse underfoot, bursting it.
"Isn't that the famous Songdo Slayer?"
"Hm?"
More trash left, or new ones entered? Turning her head, dozens of villains in black caught her eye.
"We were gonna claim this dungeon, didn't expect the Songdo Slayer here."
"Body looks fuckable. How 'bout we catch the bitch and pound her?"
"Don't know her face?"
"Even if face ugly, just mask her and rail."
Vulgar trash talk unworthy of note. But one thing grated her ears.
Daring to call Master's praised face ugly. Unforgivable.
Not for trash eyes, but Choi Sia removed her mask to show them.
"You trash dare insult the face even Master praised?"
Choi Sia gripped her sword tighter.
Trash uttering words they shouldn't.
And just seeing her face, their gaze-rape showed desperate hunger.
"Ooo, pretty decent face."
"Wanna make her deepthroat to the base."
"Showing her face means she wants us to gang-rape her, right?"
Where do they get off spouting such crap?
She planned to kill them anyway, but now her ears felt dirty.
"I showed my face because I can kill you all."
[Ahaha. That's it, goddess. No, Demon Sword Lady. Hurry and kill them, then go fuck Eun-ha.]
'What mouth on this kid with Master. Fine. Kill them first.'
As Choi Sia's lips stretched into a wicked grin, the sword in her hand gleamed ominously.