Chapter 190: Union (4)

I spoke to Hong Yu-hwa.

‘It had to be you.’

It was sincere.

It was filled with emotion.

When persuading someone, if I couldn’t fill the gaps in their reasoning, I had no choice but to appeal to their emotions.

Hong Yu-hwa was incredibly wealthy.

The only granddaughter of the Red Tower Lord. A wizard who had indulged in most of the magical books that existed in the world. Her greed knew no bounds, and the Red Tower Lord had the knowledge and wealth to fulfill her desires. She grew up without knowing any kind of lack.

My prideful money, to her, was just pocket change. My knowledge of alchemy was hard for her to accept. She must bloom as the Usurper of the Crimson Lotus.

Alchemy tech would not help her. So this wouldn’t work either.

‘Not much.’

Magical tools, magical books, or relics. They existed, but none of them were suitable for her.

There was one thing, a spirit elixir, but the Crimson Lotus is still unobtainable. It’s banned, or the level of prohibition is high, but it takes about 1,000 years for the Crimson Lotus to bloom. That time is just next year.

Therefore, this too is unattainable.

So.

To persuade her, I had no choice but to put my emotions into it. Humans are emotional animals. No matter how cold they try to be, they couldn’t help but have emotions. Unless they had a special illness. My ex-girlfriend was like that.

Grabbed.

I took Hong Yu-hwa’s hands. To convey my sincerity.

“You, you…”

Hong Yu-hwa looked at me with a flushed face. Her lips twitched. From my experience, I knew that women who reacted like this were eager to fulfill my request.

Almost there.

“I need your help.”

I put sincerity and emotion into it.

Her lips twitched strongly.

It’s a characteristic of Hong Yu-hwa.

“Not anyone else, but you, Yu-hwa.”

“F-fine. If you need me that much, then…”

Hong Yu-hwa agreed to my request.

I smiled brightly.

Sword Queen Baek Ji-yeon.

This person was extraordinary from birth. At her first birthday party, instead of picking up a nearby object, she walked towards her parents and grabbed a sword. At the age of five, she mastered the sword.

At the age of ten, she entered the realm of beginner heroes. At seventeen, she was renowned as a mid-level hero.

At twenty-five, she entered the high-level. She was the youngest recorded person in the “Hall of Honor” to reach the high level, an extraordinary birth.

Naturally, many marriage proposals came to her, given her prestigious family background.

Her parents didn’t block her path with marriage proposals.

“My daughter will choose her husband herself. Marriage should be based on mutual happiness for a happy life.”

Baek Ji-yeon was moved by this and vowed to find an excellent husband. But the Sword Queen’s standards were too high. Having reached the high level at a young age, she lived among high-level heroes. Twenty years passed without finding a suitable man.

Now in her forties, the Sword Queen was mocked by users as a menopausal lady.

“Sigh.”

Baek Ji-yeon’s breath turned into white smoke, giving off a smoky scent. Thinking of her setting made me feel unnecessarily sad.

“Oh, sorry. You’re still a student, right?”

“Yes.”

Baek Ji-yeon put out her cigarette. She flicked it into a nearby trash can.

“Don’t you drink or smoke?”

“I take pride in doing neither.”

“That’s a good attitude. At the high level, you can quit with willpower, but once you get a taste, it’s hard to quit both, so it’s not necessarily a good thing.”

Baek Ji-yeon looked at me with a bitter smile.

“I didn’t summon you first for no reason. We have some secret information.”

“Secret information?”

Baek Ji-yeon took out a neatly folded piece of paper from her pocket.

“This is part of the information obtained by a supernormal ability user. Only three people, including me, in the association know about it.”

Rustle.

I took the paper and read it.

[Summary of Top-Risk Individuals in the Nazi Empire]

Masked Man & the Foretold One

Veritas

The Emperor

Lion King

Lee Seo-ha …

I looked at the list. Familiar names filled it.

Most of the names were my aliases. Out of six names, I held three identities.

“…What is this?”

“These are the individuals most watched by the Nazi Empire. They have a list of people who can single-handedly threaten the empire and plan to assassinate them.”

“This is indeed top-secret information. But why show it to me?”

“Though supernormal abilities are impressive, it’s rare to penetrate the confidential information of the Nazi Empire where the Black Sun resides. The association has been watching you for a long time.”

“Watching me?”

“Yes, because of your mysterious power. Your power isn’t caught by the highest-level senses like mine, and the association thinks of you as the Foretold One.”

“I see…”

“The reason I’m showing you this is the same. The Nazi Empire put your name on the list of individuals who can single-handedly threaten the empire. The association doesn’t dismiss the possibility that this could be a smoke screen.”

“I understand.”

The Foretold One.

A being known through the foresight of a certain mage. Called the one who would eradicate all evil, it was because of this that major villains attacked the Korea Hero School in the early days.

Well, it’s not an incorrect assumption. The Energy of Defying Heaven had the power to deny all beings, though not as much as the Starlight’s magic. If I had perfect superiority in all attributes, Seo Ga-yeon had an overwhelming advantage limited to mages.

“I actually hoped you would refuse back then.”

“Me?”

“Heroes bloom on the battlefield. Whether it’s protecting people or upholding their justice, heroes end up killing people. Villains who push the world into the abyss for their pleasure, those who break society’s rules for their own enjoyment. Ultimately, it’s the heroes who judge them.”

Baek Ji-yeon put a cigarette in her mouth. She didn’t light it.

Once you reached a high level, you didn’t need to rely on anything, but if you did, you became even stronger. Baek Ji-yeon was the latter.

“You’re legally an adult, but in my eyes, you’re still a kid.”

“I know. I’ve respected you since forever. Now your age…”

“…Be quiet.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Anyway, the association was divided on whether to protect you or use you as bait to wipe out the enemy. Normally, we would protect you and raise you safely, but the situation is not favorable.”

“I see.”

“The Nazis are acting strange. They’re running rampant. They attacked the Hundred Temple in Europe, and now they’re active in China and even targeting Korea.”

“Could it be that the evil has infiltrated their brains?”

“…You’re too comfortable with me. Not that I mind informal conversations…”

“Sorry. I prefer peers or younger ones.”

“…”

Maybe I teased her too much.

I wanted to tease her more, but I calmed my mind. This was reality after all. Honestly, this should raise her favorability…

‘Her ideal type is someone pretending to be her peer, how ridiculous.’

I looked at Baek Ji-yeon with pity.

Normally, she would cling to Kim Seo-hyun, but in this world, Kim Seo-hyun was a woman.

‘I still haven’t heard why she cross-dresses.’

It must be related to her origin.

After a brief look, I moved on to the main topic.

“The advantage of the Nazi Empire is that they can turn even ordinary civilians who’ve never fought into demon soldiers with at least hunter-level combat power. This process sacrifices a massive number of civilians and involves human sacrifices, making the Nazi Empire an enemy of the world.”

“Some corrupt countries see it as an advantage.”

“True. But it’s strange for the Nazi Empire to make enemies so recklessly. Korea is geographically far, making support difficult. If they’re targeting it, it usually means two things.”

“…”

“One is that they found the relic of the Black Sun and strengthened the empire, and the other is that they made a pact with a great evil.”

“…No way.”

“It’s highly likely.”

I thought of Erich and Himmler. And the conversation I had with Adolf.

They were desperate, yet strangely relaxed.

‘And the Nazis moved under those two conditions.’

So, I could say this.

These guys were highly suspicious.

“As you said, it’s indeed a dangerous situation.”

Baek Ji-yeon closed her eyes, deep in thought.

She probably argued for my protection. But the situation was urgent enough to use me as bait.

‘Honestly, I’d make excellent bait.’

I had spread a lot of bait. Some might have guessed that the Masked Man and I were the same person. And my Energy of Defying Heaven was similar to the power of the Foretold One.

‘It’s almost time to fight.’

I had greeted the enemy leader.

It’s time to face them head-on after the skirmish.

The alliance would be the organization that rewards my thoughts.

“We’ll use you as bait.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“It will be dangerous. You’ll face situations worse than death. To the Nazis, death is a respite. They extract souls from corpses and torment people. Negative emotions from others give them power.”

“Well, I’m prepared for many things.”

“Some who infiltrated the Nazi Empire said the same. They were capable but eventually sought rest.”

“…”

“I don’t want you to end up like that.”

Click.

She lit the cigarette she was holding, thin smoke rising.

‘It’s fine.’

Because I had a prophecy.

Unless the true form of the Black Sun descended, it would be fine.

‘Honestly, even if it’s the true form, I think I can handle it.’

The reason they couldn’t come here was due to the laws set by the Creator God.

Dragons were called the guardians of the middle world for the same reason they prevented cracks. They received immense power when facing extraterrestrial beings in the middle realm.

It’s the same reason gods couldn’t fully use their power here.

“Sigh.”

Baek Ji-yeon exhaled white smoke. She looked at me with complicated eyes.

“I see. I guess I’m not in a position to give orders.”

Baek Ji-yeon reached into her chest pocket and pulled out a wooden box. Despite the magical barrier, cold air seeped out.

“It’s the spirit elixir I mentioned. It’s an ice crystal that enhances ice magic. It’s not a thousand years old, but it’s aged several hundred years. It should be quite useful.”

“Thank you.”

I put the box into my subspace.

I should give this to Hwaryeon. And ask for help in making a vessel.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

“Prepare yourself for the next summons. We might have to go to Europe.”

“Yes.”

I headed toward the guild.

Passing through the concrete jungle, I pondered what to eat for dinner.

‘Maybe spicy pig’s feet and buckwheat noodles after a long time.’

A large quantity. There were many mouths to feed, and my appetite had grown.

As I thought about dinner and arrived at the guild, Seolhwa Ryeon greeted me.

“Elder!”

“Ryeon.”

Seolhwa Ryeon ran up to me with a bright smile, greeting me warmly.

Recently, Seolhwa Ryeon seemed to be getting brighter.

Maybe it was because she was constantly with the guild, treating it like a family. Thanks to that, she brightened up. This must have been Seolhwa Ryeon’s hidden nature.

‘In the original, she was a cool beauty, an ice queen.’

But I preferred seeing this side of her more.

I headed inside the guild building towards Seolhwa Ryeon’s dedicated training room. The interior of the training room was barren. There were only a few exercise machines and a black box.

‘She’s grown a lot.’

The special stat Shadow (å½±) that Seolhwa Ryeon possessed felt more developed than last time.

Solitude.

The prison of shadows she created had grown even more.

‘At this level, I could cut off some of my special stat to give her.’

However, the special stat left by the King of Shadows clung to me and wouldn’t come off. It acted as if I were the rightful owner. Seolhwa Ryeon also didn’t want to take my power by cutting it off from me.

‘It doesn’t suit me that well.’

To be honest, even if it were the most efficient method, it felt significantly inferior compared to other abilities.

The shadow knight who was promoted to a knight wasn’t bad, but since it didn’t merge with other abilities, it stood alone.

‘…Come to think of it, light goes well with shadows.’

I should consider buying a talent related to light.

“Ryeon, bring out the power of ice.”

“Yes.”

Seolhwa Ryeon nodded and brought out her power.

Whoosh.

The surrounding temperature dropped. Seolhwa Ryeon’s eyes glowed blue, and frost began to form on her hair.

It was the power of extreme ice that she possessed.

‘This should be fine.’

I examined her abilities with the talent, reading. At this level, she could absorb the ice crystal without any problems.

“But isn’t today the day for shadow training?”

“That’s right. But I have something good for you today.”

I took out the wooden box from my subspace. Seolhwa Ryeon’s eyes widened.

“What is…?”

“This is a gift for Ryeon, who has been training hard.”

“…Thank you.”

Seolhwa Ryeon tearfully accepted the wooden box.

After moderately increasing her power, Seolhwa Ryeon reached the end of the mid-level. At this rate, she would soon reach the high-level. Probably around next year.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Thank you, Elder. Your grace is like the sky.”

“If you’re grateful, grant me one favor.”

“I will devote my body to fulfilling your request.”

“Thank you. As expected, only Ryeon can do this.”

“…!”

This was how the incident began.

-To be honest, I’m on Seo-ha’s side, but sometimes I get dizzy.

-The master seems to have dating experience, but why does it feel like he’s always on the verge of killing himself?

‘…I don’t know.’

Hong Yu-hwa looked at Seolhwa Ryeon with blazing eyes, and Seolhwa Ryeon glared at Hong Yu-hwa with eyes as cold as extreme ice.

“Well, it can’t be helped. But since Seo-ha held my hands tightly and asked, I’ll comply.”

Snorting, Hong Yu-hwa brushed her hair back.

Seolhwa Ryeon’s eyes twitched.

“Yes, if it’s the Elder’s request, I must fulfill it even at the cost of my life. After receiving something precious from the Elder…”

Seolhwa Ryeon blushed and rubbed her stomach.

The shadow soldier, derived from the special stat Shadow (å½±) I gave to Seolhwa Ryeon, twirled happily.

“…What? Did you touch it?”

“It’s just a blessing the Elder bestowed upon me. It’s a grace so great that my lifetime is not enough to repay it.”

“Ha.”

Hong Yu-hwa looked at Seolhwa Ryeon incredulously.

“…I don’t care. I’ve given up on monopolizing Seo-ha. But you shouldn’t surpass me first, right?”

“Surpass you?”

“I mean…!”

Hong Yu-hwa tried to speak angrily but stopped when she looked at me.

I looked at Hong Yu-hwa with a puzzled expression.

“…Sorry, I lost my temper. Thinking about it, it shouldn’t be possible.”

“What do you mean?”

“If Seo-ha had done it with you, Seo-ha wouldn’t react like that.”

“…”

Hong Yu-hwa chuckled and looked at me.

“So, this is what we’re going to do?”

“Yes. We’ll combine the power of Yin and Yang to create a vessel.”

“A vessel? It looks like it involves a lot of magical processes…”

Hong Yu-hwa glanced at me and whispered quietly.

-As expected, you are the man known as the God of Alchemy.

I hesitated at Hong Yu-hwa’s words. I thought Kim Seo-hyun or Ershil would know since I periodically supplied potions to Cheongcheon.

‘Well, Ershil recognized it from the appearance, so she wasn’t wrong.’

I looked at Seolhwa Ryeon.

Seolhwa Ryeon looked at Hong Yu-hwa resentfully before calming down. As a member of an assassin family, her ability to control emotions was exceptional…

-Elder, but only I know that you are the Masked Man, right?

Seolhwa Ryeon whispered to me in the unique code of the assassin family. I didn’t know the code of the assassin family, but with the talent, reading, I could naturally decipher it.

-That’s right.

As I responded lightly, a smile appeared on Seolhwa Ryeon’s face.

That’s a relief, really.

After completing the task, we returned. Seolhwa Ryeon rode her motorcycle back to the guild. I took Hong Yu-hwa to the penthouse.

“Are you letting me go like this?”

“…Huh?”

“I’m a bit tired. Would you like to watch a video at my place?”

Hong Yu-hwa grabbed me and looked at me with trembling eyes.