Undying Loyalty and the Ice Princess's Secret
Seoul, Cheonghwa-dan Hideout.
"You seem to be enjoying this way too much right now?"
Phantom—Ga-eul—was fed up with Yu I-sin's behavior, which seemed especially gleeful. Even without a head, Yu I-sin was expressing his joy with his entire body.
Yu I-sin tapped on the virtual keyboard again.
"You're all pretty much the same now anyway."
Ga-eul pointed at Yu I-sin's lower abdomen. He too had been branded with the Cheonghwa-dan symbol by the tattoo artist she'd copied.
Yu I-sin stroked the mark on his lower abdomen lovingly.
"......."
Ga-eul swallowed the words rising to her chin with effort.
The former Pine Tree Unit heroes, now officially dubbed Dullahans by the Association, had pledged loyalty to Phoenix even after being murdered.
"You like that?"
Yu I-sin placed a finger on Ga-eul's back. When they wanted to converse without leaving records, they did it this way.
—We've always been villains anyway. Survival of the fittest. This suits us better.
"......I really can't understand you guys."
It was incomprehensible to Ga-eul, whose roots were in upright citizenship.
"As long as they're strong, you follow them even if they're total scum?"
"I didn't name anyone specifically."
Yu I-sin paused for a moment. Then he immediately clung to Phantom's side and started acting cute.
—I'll work harder. Don't cut me off, pleaseㅠㅠ
"I won't. All the others are guys—how am I supposed to keep up without you? So just stop already."
A headless woman constantly flirting was awkward in every way. Ga-eul pushed Yu I-sin away and tapped her smartwatch.
"Hey, ajusshis. If you're done, quit messing around and get back to base quick."
Signals pinged back simultaneously from various spots.
Mapo, Jongno, Seongdong. Ga-eul smirked at the signals from the three spots and cleared all the screens.
"Guess you forgot we agreed each to take down one."
It had been a week since they started assaulting the snake in Seoul City Hall. Cheonghwa-dan had begun full-scale reclamation of everything north of the Han River.
Seoul, Namsan Tower.
"Everyone's doing great."
Standing at the edge of the tower's summit, I surveyed the battlefield all around. We'd succeeded in the S-rank monster raid, but Seoul's north side was still crawling with beasts hiding in buildings and underground.
Excluding the Architect, all the executives had spent the past week sweeping Yongsan and Jongno's nooks and crannies, exterminating monsters and finally expanding our territory beyond.
People really step up when there's a reward on the line.
I'd given each of Deok-bae, Deungdae, Haneulseong, and Phantom a squad, ordering them to conquer their assigned districts. In return, they could use the cores from the monsters they felled at their discretion.
Deok-bae and Haneulseong hustled the hardest. Deungdae hung back, deploying only his underlings. Phantom wanted quick downtime, so she picked Yongsan, which had fewer remnants anyway. It was already a wasteland courtesy of Cheonghwa-dan.
Beep.
An alarm chimed. It was from Eun Yu-ha.
"...For real?"
I couldn't believe it. Gwanggeom had actually accepted the contract with Eun Yu-ha?
I quickly called her back. Her triumphant face popped up on the screen.
"Did it work?"
"What's that epithet supposed to mean?"
Eun Yu-ha subtly probed me for the reason. Ever since the suspicions arose that I'd impregnated Seok Ha-rang, she'd become convinced I was the infinite regressor. With 17 clears and countless game overs in between, it wasn't entirely wrong, so I'd just let her believe what she wanted.
I considered Gwanggeom's age, tastes, and era, arriving at the most logical answer.
"Eld3r?"
"Nah, first time I've heard that name too. For Gwanggeom's honor, I'll keep my mouth shut."
Take it or leave it.
Eun Yu-ha grinned shamelessly.
"I didn't."
"Shut up. Put Gwanggeom on."
Eun Yu-ha turned the screen with a satisfied look. Moments later, a blond golden-eyed man appeared, looking sullen.
"Why'd you accept the deal? Eun Yu-ha would've explained everything. You had a chance to die again."
"Damn... Ahem! I didn't do it."
"No, when two people love each other and share intimacy, kids can happen! You got eaten by Rusalka too! You pedo! Lolicon!"
He probably never imagined I'd know the full story. Gwanggeom blushed briefly, then tilted his head.
"...I told you. I learned it tracing Rusalka's death. Think I brought up the grave for no reason? I saw everything there."
In truth, I'd wandered lost from the path to Korea, but luckily everyone bought it.
"Rusalka was already dead, and to fully awaken Seok Ha-rang as a spirit, the only way was to dissipate Rusalka's power inside you."
Thankfully, Gwanggeom understood my excuse-filled explanation.
"Right? Otherwise, you'd get consumed by Rusalka's power and rampage, or even if you offed yourself, Ha-rang would—"
"......No, she's like a niece, does that matter?"
Gwanggeom hadn't told Seok Ha-rang the truth yet. Naturally, she'd suspect the Gwanak kaijin—my kaijin form—as the prime culprit.
"It's fine for now. I'm stronger. The issue is after she fully awakens as a spirit..."
Gwanggeom's voice brimmed with worry.
"Worried about Ha-rang, or hoping Rusalka awakens?"
Gwanggeom openly grimaced.
"True enough. But it's fine. It's just awakening the sealed spirit's power. Think of it as reaching a higher realm."
Gwanggeom trailed off hesitantly.
"......Beats me too."
"What can we do? I really don't know either."
Two weeks had passed since Gwanggeom's death. Seok Ha-rang still hadn't awakened her spirit power.
"Hey, I thought you'd awaken her naturally upon dying."
The call cut out with a flick. Eun Yu-ha reconnected soon after, scratching her cheek. She'd clearly eavesdropped on the whole thing.
While Gwanggeom was off fetching more drinks, Eun Yu-ha whispered so softly he couldn't hear.
"Huh?"
"......Ah, crap! Call from Ga-eul?!"
I flailed dramatically at Eun Yu-ha, waving my hand.
"Sorry, Eun Yu-ha, next time! Looks like an A-rank popped up!"
Pouting, Eun Yu-ha dropped the call. I sighed in relief and looked up at the sky.
"Explaining this might get me killed..."
This world's foundation is visual novels. Only one way to awaken brainwashed cadres: love. True love alone breaks the brainwashing. It applied to all seven Dark Legion cadres—including rampaging Seok Ha-rang.
Whether Rusalka's was broken is anyone's guess—only she knew.
Theories abounded: They shared love, but Heo Yun-hwan lacked protagonist commander talent, so no awakening. Or she awakened but sacrificed herself for husband and child. Or it was mere fun with Heo Yun-hwan, but birthing Seok Ha-rang sparked maternal love, leading to death. Or she bore the child as he wished, but was shocked seeing his kaijin form save the baby and chose suicide. Countless theories, none confirmed. The devs deliberately left it vague.
Either way, spirit awakening requires love.
That's the problem. I swallowed a groan at the massive water-affinity mana radiating from Busan. Her power blanketed Korea from there to Seoul.
"How's she awakening solo?"
Seok Ha-rang had already realized her spirit power. The question: who did she love to awaken it?
"Who the hell is it?"
A past lover? Current flame? Narcissist? Mess up with the wrong one, and Gwanggeom might cleave me thrice.
".....Screw it, I'll ask directly."
I spread my wings from Namsan Tower and took flight.
Busan, Seok Ha-rang's Residence.
"Sigh."
Seok Ha-rang fiddled with the ice figurine on her desk. Her pale white finger shook the human-shaped ice doll side to side.
More precise than a 3D printer, the figurine depicted a woman.
"Pfft-choo!"
Eun Yu-ha suddenly coughed. Gwanggeom, sitting across the desk downing drinks, set his wine glass down.
"Caught a cold? Be careful. You're still human."
"Aren't you adapting to being a kaijin too fast, sir?"
"Feels decent enough. Can't get drunk no matter how much I drink. Truly grateful to you. Thanks to this, I can guzzle top-shelf booze freely."
Heo Yun-hwan savored his wine. Even as Korea's top hero, he'd been frugal in spending.
"Still, pace yourself. Ha-rang was super worried."
"Now you're worrying too? Feels like I've got another daughter. ...Hmm."
Heo Yun-hwan eyed Eun Yu-ha slyly with one eye.
Yuseong Group's de facto owner. A-rank ability user. Flawless looks. Korea's richest by far. And above all, the guts to stake her body and life on a marriage registration for Gwanggeom and Seok Ha-rang.
"I'm all for this marriage."
"......Pardon?"
Gwanggeom rose, lifting the wine bottle. Left alone in the office, Eun Yu-ha dropped her fountain pen in bewilderment.