Chapter 69
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The Mayor and Calculations
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Evening, seven o'clock.
The world outside the window was already shrouded in darkness.
The sky had shed its businesslike daytime blue, now dyed in a deep gray tinged with the fatigue of rush hour.
"Magpie Village Underground Ruins registered as National Cultural Heritage No. 387. Park Chunbae and 11 other residents' committee executives all arrested and indicted. Additional charges of special confinement and assault, cultural heritage destruction, expected minimum 30-year sentences."
Seria listened to Kang Hyunwoo's report while leaning back in her chair.
"Frontier Development has had all business rights revoked and has entered bankruptcy proceedings. Unfortunately, no direct connection to Mirai Corporation, the identified backer, was found."
"Doesn't matter."
Seria replied without taking her eyes off the tablet screen.
"Mirai Corporation took a significant hit from this. Stock prices plummeted, and above all, they lost their three loyal dogs in the city council. They'll be lying low for a while."
Kang Hyunwoo said nothing more.
He already knew this woman saw through everything.
"Mayor approval rating breaks 55%. Record high."
The final report.
"Starting from rock bottom, the surge is being called miraculous. Considering young people—who rarely participate in polls—are the core support base, actual approval likely exceeds 60%."
"Success. Once again."
Seria finally set down the tablet.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Her slender fingers drummed the desk rhythmically.
"Understood. You're dismissed."
"Yes."
Kang Hyunwoo replied curtly and turned mechanically. The door opened and closed without a sound.
Seria was alone in the secretary's office once more.
She slowly swiveled her chair. Neo Incheon's nightscape unfolded in a panoramic vista behind her. Countless lights, like jewels embedded in the dizzying void.
Her reflection faintly appeared in the floor-to-ceiling glass. Light pink hair and turquoise eyes, with the city's glow shimmering beyond.
A very faint smile touched her lips.
Lee Garam.
Foolish Mayor.
Everything was a mess.
Everything was unplanned.
Everything was an incomprehensible variable.
Eradicating a terrorist group with horoscope fortunes, rooting out internal enemies via Hero Association audit. Standing at the center of the drug bust operation, awakening a D-rank hero, turning villain-made bread into a city landmark. Toppling a massive crime syndicate with a single cat, pitting sides against each other in a bat strategy to uncover ancient ruins.
Seria mentally cataloged the gifts Lee Garam had bestowed upon her.
First gift: the ancient legacy slumbering beneath Magpie Village.
The Yeongcheon Water sample had already been sent to a secret lab. It promised a breakthrough in ability enhancement. The stone tablets inscribed with ancient training methods could unlock new ability development techniques—perhaps even forgotten transcendent powers.
Second gift: the pinnacle of biotech from the Furry Evolution incident.
Nero, the transcendent masterpiece. With that data as a foundation, crafting stronger, controllable modified lifeforms wasn't impossible. Fusing it with Erebos's homunculus technology... the mere thought was delightful.
Seria opened a drawer and retrieved a black file devoid of any markings.
Encrypted fingerprint recognition granted access, revealing the first page.
[Ars Magna]
The grand plan to reshape the world and elevate humanity to a new dimension.
The secret society Erebos's—no, Seria's—ultimate goal.
She updated the project's progress with a flick of her finger.
Since Lee Garam became mayor, progress had surged a full 15%.
Progress that had resisted even 1% gains despite rivers of agents' blood and astronomical funds.
Of course, it was still insufficient.
More powerful force. Superior technology.
Many puzzle pieces remained to complete the project.
But she wasn't impatient.
She now had a very intriguing—and exceedingly useful—pawn.
Neo Incheon's political landscape had been perfectly reordered as well.
Mirai Corporation—one pillar of the top 10 conglomerates—had lost an arm. The three councilmen in their pocket had been swept away too, ensuring the council wouldn't meddle for the foreseeable future.
Conversely, city hall's authority had soared to the heavens.
The checks on the Hero Association were equally satisfying.
The recent sweeping audit had tarnished their pristine image, while the Special Task Force's successive exploits had shattered the outdated monopoly that only heroes could handle villains.
Of course, the biggest obstacle remained.
"Jin Yeonhwa..."
Hero Association President.
Korea's strongest hero.
Officially S-rank, but that was merely the system's limit.
A monster so overwhelming that public calls to create a new rank above it were commonplace.
In Erebos's plans—and Seria's maneuvers—the most fatal hindrance.
But what now?
Thanks to Lee Garam, direct confrontation had been avoided. In fact, they were even maintaining friendly exchanges.
That fool must have truly captured Jin Yeonhwa's fancy.
City hall. Association. Corporations.
Lee Garam had reordered these three colossal powers into a new equilibrium.
A deadlock where none could dominate. A chaos of mutual predation and restraint.
And those crevices in the chaos were the perfect soil for Erebos to take root and spread its branches.
She recalled the Lee Garam from their first meeting.
A typical third-rate villain, rotten with corruption and greed. A convenient puppet to use and discard at will.
But the current Lee Garam...
Still foolish, sloppy, utterly pathetic.
Yet an unintended genius flickered within.
Above all, he was unpredictable.
The chaos he wrought always surpassed her expectations, flowing in the most advantageous direction.
As if the world itself revolved around him.
Unbeknownst to himself, he was accelerating every Erebos plan at a terrifying pace.
"Still a fool... but now a very intriguing one."
An emotion more complex and profound than a scientist observing a lab rat.
His uniqueness had to be preserved.
Lee Garam's unpredictable folly was a weapon more potent than any meticulously laid scheme.
It needed to be handled with care.
Lest it break or corrupt.
The tablet displayed tomorrow's mayoral schedule.
"I'll have to 'manage' him carefully from here on out."
The epilogue to this tale.
A peaceful afternoon after dinner.
No—calling it peaceful would be blatant distortion of facts, outright historical fabrication.
It was dinner with Seria again, after all.
Anyway, the important part comes next: returning to my precious sanctuary.
"Kuhuhu... Kek, kuhahaha!"
In the center of the penthouse living room, I laughed like a stereotypical third-rate villain.
Hands on hips, head thrown back as far as possible, even adding the uvula's quiver for effect.
This was the victor's roar.
The aria of joy from a future free man.
The living room floor was piled mountain-high with artifacts from Magpie Village Underground Ruins—smuggled out, or rather, legitimately borrowed for research purposes.
Orbs emitting a faint glow.
Stone tablets densely etched with ancient script.
Yeongcheon Water in a specially made container, radiating a mystical aura at first glance.
Assorted jewelry and training tools of unknown purpose littered the carpet.
Nyaa?
On the sofa: the tri-color furball, Neo Incheon's mascot, my sole feline roommate, Nero.
He let out a small yawn, then fixed me with a pathetic look conveying, "This guy's at it again."
"Nero. Don't give me that look."
I said in a dignified tone.
Of course, he's a cat. No way he understands.
But it didn't matter. What I needed now was an audience, not a conversation partner.
"Nero. You are witnessing a turning point in history. The ordinary, feeble mayor Lee Garam, forever scheming his escapes!"
For dramatic effect, I paused and plucked the shiniest orb from the pile.
"The grand moment of his rebirth as the superhuman Lee Garam!"
Seria's surveillance? Hero Association pressure? Citizens' expectations?
All futile.
Absolute power.
With nation-state-level superpowers in hand, every problem vanishes.
Burn the endless paperwork Seria dumps on me, and when Jin Yeonhwa shows up, uproot the entire association building and hurl it into the West Sea. Done.
Then leisurely scoop up the slush funds and head to a tiny South Pacific island. Or fly there. Or teleport! Perfect!
How flawlessly violent and rational a plan.
My past self, clinging to childish impeachment schemes, seemed utterly pathetic.
"Now, step one!"
I solemnly lifted a bottle of Yeongcheon Water.
Pssht—
Uncorking it released faint steam.
Ooh, the ancient power.
Holding my breath, I gulped it down.
The taste... how to describe it.
Bland soda water? No, watered-down flat cola?
Anyway, taste isn't the point. It's the unknown power writhing inside me.
Gulp.
I drained every last drop.
Closing my eyes, I awaited the bodily transformation.
Muscles swelling, mana rampaging through my veins, third eye awakening...
Buuuurp—
...A vulgar belch filled the living room.
I cautiously opened my eyes.
No change whatsoever.
Far from overflowing power, my stomach just felt bloated.
"...What?"
Expired maybe?
Never heard of ancient artifacts having expiration dates.
Aeong—
I imagined Nero's gaze growing even chillier.
"Ahem! Fine, other methods remain!"
Pretending nonchalance, I dragged a stone tablet to the room's center.
An artifact said to have been used for meditation by Baekje-era superhumans.
"The mind dominates the body. Superpowers are manifestations of the psyche."
I sat cross-legged atop it.
Hoo— haa—
Ripple breathing.
Closed my eyes and focused my mind.
"Om mani padme hum... suri suri mahasuri... abracadabra..."
I mumbled every incantation I could think of.
Deep breaths to draw out my latent potential.
Recall it. The anger. Days tormented by Seria.
Recall it. The longing. Burning desire for freedom.
About ten minutes later.
"Ugh! Cramp! Leg cramp!"
I screamed and rolled across the tablet.
A stinging, tingling pain shot from my toes to my thigh.
Disk herniation before superpower awakening, at this rate.
Cross-legged is ergonomically a total failure. I declare it.
Nyaa!?
Nero hurried over and administered paw massages.
"Haa... haa... Thanks, Nero."
Spread-eagled on the floor, I panted raggedly.
Another failure.
But surrender isn't an option. I still have my final resort.
Right—like every story's protagonist— the key is heart.
The resilient spirit believing oneself special.
I sprang up and gripped the mystic orb.
"Awaken!"
...Silence.
"Reawaken!"
...Nero swished his tail.
"Triple awaken!"
...Nothing happened.
Why? What's lacking?
Wrong keyword?
"Status window! System! Status open!"
I desperately shouted at the air.
Praying for a ding— and a translucent system window to appear before my eyes.
But all I saw was expensive wallpaper and Nero's pathetic expression.
"Heavens! Why! Why deny me power, you absurd world!"
Silence.
My desperate cry alone echoed in the quiet living room.
Nyaaam—
Nero's wide yawn rang out with striking clarity.
"Sigh... Of course."
I muttered, collapsing onto the sofa.
"As if I were the protagonist..."
Even in this world, I was just an ordinary citizen.
Superpower awakening was comic-book fantasy.
Pathetic, reduced to tricks and schemes for escape.
Yes. Impeachment it is, after all.
As I wallowed in defeat, slumped over.
A quiet movement occurred.
Nero.
He leapt lightly from the sofa and approached the artifact pile I'd laid out.
Then pawed at one faintly glowing orb.
Roll—
The orb tumbled across the carpet.
Intrigued, Nero batted it along, chasing like Lionel Messi dribbling a soccer ball.
Moments later, he approached a stone tablet etched with ancient script.
Scrrch— scrrch—
He raised a paw and vigorously sharpened his claws.
The millennia-old artifact instantly devolved into a luxury cat scratcher.
Finally, his eyes fell on the Yeongcheon Water bottle I'd drunk from.
Lick lick.
Nero shoved his head in and lapped at the water.
Even Yeongcheon Water, reduced to mere drinking water.
"Yeah..."
I muttered weakly.
"You make good use of it. You're Super Cat Nero, after all."
I'm just a petty mayor squandering his salary.
I watched Nero play with the artifacts for a good while.
The glowing orb had rolled under the exorbitantly priced Italian sofa.
Nero was now clawing at another stone tablet.
"Hey, that tablet has to be returned—scratch gently!"