Until Autumn Awakens
That brief moment until Autumn woke up. I used the blackboard in the empty lecture hall to sort out the tangled mess in my head. From the plans I'd devised in the magma, I started listing the most urgent ones first, one by one, assigning priorities.
1. Recover the Cube from Yeouido. I knew exactly where it was—the free dungeon hiding an S-rank field boss. All I had to do was go there, sever its neck, and retrieve the Cube.
2. Rally Seoul's villains. Originally, I'd planned to take them down one by one like a game of territory conquest, slowly building my strength through force. But the unexpected dimensional gates forced a major revision to bringing the villains under Cheonghwa-dan.
'I can't just let them flee easily out of fear of the dimensional gates.'
The villains had to serve as a breakwater against the monsters descending from the north. Pyongyang's monsters were endlessly produced by the Cube's power, and since most were D- to B-rank, they were perfect suppliers for the core trade.
'And that funding will be put to good use raising the protagonist.'
As a side goal, I planned to buy some land in Shin Seoul, snag a few buildings, open a cafe, start a rental business, and maybe even take a super car for a spin—but for world peace, massive funds were essential.
'Gotta travel the whole world, after all. Hmm. Innocent. No issues.'
On top of that, I needed to collect all the Cubes. With 24 just on the Korean Peninsula alone, gathering them would mean hopping on countless planes and trains for five years. Fly there myself? No thanks—I had zero interest in getting missile-blasted in the gut by guys like Mo Taek-pyeong again.
'And the last one...'
I gazed fondly at Cheon Ga-eul, who was blinking sleepily while clutching my hands.
Cheon Ga-eul had been pretty flustered by my "new face" comment.
"Ms. Cheon Ga-eul. Are you an ability user?"
"...No?"
Cheon Ga-eul was powerless. If she awakened properly and grew, her 88% illusion affinity had the potential to rank her in the top tier of A-rank ability users.
But sorry—not happening. I broke that flag.
"Yes, powerless. You might be a great actress, but can you really make it safely to Shin Seoul all alone as a woman?"
"If Phoenix helps out a bit?!"
"Wh.y.wou.ld.I?"
I said it deliberately, syllable by syllable. I could feel a faint tremble in her gripped hands.
"What's in it for me if I help you, Autumn? You want me to take you to the Hero Association? As you might guess, we're villains."
I released her hands and spread my arms wide over my shoulders.
"Whoa! Autumn's repaying the lifesaver's kindness with enmity! I just saved someone in passing and handed her over out of goodwill, and now I'm headed to prison for it!"
"Th-then at least send me to the hunters! Hunters are fine, right?!"
Autumn started trembling up to her shoulders. I stood on the chair Deok-bae had kicked over earlier, balancing on one foot.
"Deok-bae, what's hunters' favorite thing?"
"Money."
"What if we're wanted with bounties?"
"They'd report us on the spot."
At Deok-bae's answer, I gestured dramatically as if it were obvious, then kicked the chair upright.
"Oh dear. Then hunters are out too. They'd report us the second they see us. We'd have to run, and then the Association's relentless pursuit begins. No thanks to that hassle. So what's left..."
I pointed back and forth between Deok-bae and myself.
"Us 'villains.' Think you can handle that? I'm not really into that scene anymore, and Deok-bae's a eunuch—hey! Ack, surprise attack. Hands up against that wall."
My eardrums nearly burst. I disciplined Deok-bae. He huffed through his nose but robotically turned to the wall, raising both hands high.
"Ahem. Anyway, most villains won't leave you alone, Autumn. You know how many scumbags out there would drug you with sleeping pills or aphrodisiacs, knock you out, and rape you? Right, Jo Deok-bae?"
"...Mmm."
Ever since he learned about the mute filter, he was blatantly trying to curse. Proof his mana had grown from evolving to C-rank, but cheeky. I decided to impose stricter commands on him soon, then approached the paling Cheon Ga-eul.
"H-hiiik?!"
"Miraculously dodging villains? Fine, let's say. What's left then?"
Now trembling in her lips, Autumn was gripped by terror. I pulled her into a tight hug like before, patting her back.
"Among monsters, some see humans not just as food, but as sex toys. Oh, and no gender distinction here? As long as there's a hole, plenty of monsters are down to thrust. Later, even humans claiming they can do kaijin... whoops. Cut."
Kaijin talk was still NG. I cleared my throat and patted her back. Thankfully, her racing heart began to slow.
"So I thought of something. I don't have to escort you to Shin Seoul, and you can get there safely!"
"...Phew. Okay."
Autumn gently pushed me away. I yielded to her weak force, releasing the hug and stepping back.
"Tell me. I'll do anything I can. I'll repay the favor too. I won't betray you like you said. Absolutely not."
"Nothing special. It's simple. It depends on your effort, Autumn."
I unfurled azure flame wings behind me, deliberately enlarging them to fill the lecture hall, showing off my power. Autumn pretended not to be startled but jumped anyway. Her fidgeting fingers from anxiety froze.
"With power, no monster or villain attacks, right?"
"...Yes."
She must feel it in her bones. She'd nearly died to a monster just now.
"Then get power?"
"It's not that simple!"
Autumn clenched her fists. Her moist eyes showed grievance mixed with resolve.
"All I can do is 'act.' Wealth? My only asset's a house in Shin Seoul. Power? What power does a mere actress have?"
"You've got a body."
Slap. My cheek stung. My head didn't turn, but her palm print hovered at 1cm from my face—actually, in empty air.
"Aah...!"
Autumn clutched her hand in pain. An ultra-thin mana barrier had formed between her hand and my cheek. Even if it was Cheon Ga-eul, no one touched Phoenix's jade body.
"I get the resolve. You don't want to sell your body?"
"Of course! What woman would want to sell her body? If there's another way, I'd choose it!"
Hearing those words from Cheon Ga-eul herself left a bittersweet taste.
"Phew. Fine. Someone with nothing but her body doesn't want to sell even that?"
I perched my butt on a desk. Memories flooded back of the hatred and despair toward that world when I took her as a comrade.
"There was a woman."
A woman denied hero aid, betrayed by people, left alone amid monsters. A civilian who survived after her first experience was gang-raped by monsters like a toy. I hadn't heard it directly from her, but from community posts about Cheon Ga-eul's past. For five years, I recited the fragmented tales I'd pieced together.
"Miraculously saved by passersby from the monsters, but oh! The tragedy didn't end. Her saviors were underground vagrants. Beastly men treated her like spoils, gang-raping her for years. And the resulting... pregnancies? How many was it?"
Three? Four? I couldn't recall exactly. It wasn't from her directly, and the setup was repulsive even in summaries.
But Autumn's face was hardening. Hearing a future she nearly faced hit different?
"Living like a slave, she awakened her ability. The men toyed with her like monsters, then discarded her to the beasts again. They hid and laughed as she suffered."
When her backstory and main heroine status leaked, the community exploded. Even in a game, did they have to torment a human like that?
"But on the brink of death to monsters, she truly, miraculously awakened."
Masquerade. Instinctively copying a sneering man's ability, she killed the monsters and men. That was Cheon Ga-eul's awakening day—and her first night of murder.
"The awakened woman took the lives of those who'd taken her by force. Some weren't men but women... not important."
I retracted my wings and glanced out the window. Distant mana waves suggested Shadow Phoenix was clashing big with heroes. Their messy mana signatures made me regret not beating them more.
I twirled my veil and continued.
"What she learned most those years? How to use her body. Fawning, seducing—her only value was her body. Luckily, she had a great figure."
I recalled bedding Autumn. After five years of hell, her body maintenance was impeccable. One comrade who anti-aging trolled her in-game knelt apologizing once he knew her past.
"...That."
Deok-bae grimaced at me. Not liking it, I snapped my fingers, blasting him through the wall into the hallway.
"......."
Autumn's face looked ready to cry. The medicine was kicking in.
"Alright, story over. Don't wanna hear more, so let's end it here. ...Long? Hmm. I could go on, but—"
"Stop! That's enough!"
Autumn yelled, voice cracking. Seeing her spirit break, I nodded with a smile. No way she'd wander Seoul alone now.
"Back to the point. You need to wield your strongest 'power,' Autumn."
"M-my body—"
"No. I know your figure's great, but that 88% illusion affinity. Know what that means? Top A-rank. Boost it 2% with an elixir, and you're S-rank—"
"Wait!"
Autumn waved her hands, cutting me off.
"So you're saying I have talent as an ability user?"
"Yes. Well, 'talent' isn't quite right. Anyone can awaken as an ability user—"
"So ultimately, awaken as one and head to Shin Seoul myself? Stay as a comrade till then?"
"......Yes."
Suddenly depressed. Like saving the last strawberry for dessert, only for it to be snatched.
"...As you say, Autumn. Stay with Cheonghwa-dan until you awaken."
She bowed her head, lost in thought. Had I pushed too hard? I comforted her.
"D-don't take it too hard. Just saying it could happen. But understand, options to help you awaken are limited now."
"Help me? Awaken as an ability user?"
I ignited azure flames, shaping them into a sphere.
"Your affinities over 50 include wind and illusion. Just as I can awaken fire affinities over 50, same for wind or illusion."
"What?!"
Deok-bae, just returning, froze in shock.
"Seven mana attributes?! Besides you, six more like you?!"
I clapped for him.
"Wow! Student Jo Deok-bae, poor attitude but great comprehension! Yes. Six more like me."
Dark Legion's seven cadres. Lurking worldwide, building forces incognito, brainwashed.
"Anyway, meet them, and you become an ability user."
"I... become an ability user?"
Autumn covered her mouth in shock. I approached, straightening her rumpled veil.
"I'd love to awaken you now and send you to Shin Seoul. But sending you powerless... it'd bother me."
What if another monster attack? Among main heroines, she was the only non-ability user. I'd stick with her until she could protect herself.
Twitch. Massive mana wave from the south. Battle was ramping up.
"...Five minutes. Think it over. Follow us or escape Seoul alone."
I approached the window, shattering it with mana. Cold night air began settling.
"Deok-bae, guard Autumn. Harm her, and it'll get real unpleasant."
"......Got it."
Why ruin the mood? I gripped the window frame and leaped to the rooftop.
"Hyup."
Landing on the railing, I called the mini-Phoenix flying mana circuits in the sky. It swiftly landed on my hand.
"Feel that south? Fake's fighting. Fly there."
"Gotcha, master."
The mini-Phoenix spread wings and soared south, toward the raging battle. Through linked mana, my vision synced with it.
Below, descending Gwanak Mountain, Shadow Phoenix's path led to a full-blown fight.
"Nothing beats noobs in a brawl."
I shaped a rocking chair with mana and lounged. Popcorn would be perfect.