Note: To avoid confusion, ’love’ has been changed to ’affection’, which is more ambiguous and in-line with what the author intended.
The three emotions revealed by the magnifying glass.
[Guilt, Wanting to be together, Affection]
I could understand the emotion of guilt. After all, Boss confessed that she murdered Kim Chundong’s parents.
But it was harder to understand the emotion, ‘affection’. Of course, affection came in many forms, like fraternity towards friends and the bond between comrades.
—Kim Hajin?
At that moment, Boss called my name.
I was taken aback but answered as calmly as possible.
“Y-Yes?”
—...Wicked asked us for a favor. She said she’d give us Pandemonium’s fighting arena if we freed her executives imprisoned on the 15th floor.
Boss changed the topic of the conversation.
Horner’s excessive loyalty was causing Wicked’s downfall. Although I wouldn’t mind it if Wicked collapsed this way, she had her use. She was far more reasonable than other members of the Nine Evils like Destruction, Terror, and Dread.
“R-Right... then I’ll work on taking them out one by one.”
—Mm, good.
Boss finally took off the bear head. Her eyes were as firm as always.
I stared at her, and she stared back at me.
She probably didn’t know what feelings she had either.
Boss spent her childhood covered in blood and death, being cursed and abused. If I was an ordinary person, I would have pissed my pants if I saw her. She should have lost her feelings in the cruel hell she lived in.
But the current me felt a deep familiarity towards Boss. At times, I genuinely relied on her.
Why was that?
Was it because she was a ‘character’ I created? Or was it because I had feelings for her that I wasn’t aware of?
I looked up at the sky, afraid of meeting Boss’ eyes.
“...Huu.”
A sigh left my mouth subconsciously.
If the ‘affection’ Boss had for me came from the guilt she felt towards me, I would have to confess to her one day.
That Kim Hajin and Kim Chundong are different people, that the parents she killed have nothing to do with me. That I’m not a resident of this world, that my past isn’t really mine, and that she doesn’t need to feel guilty...
At that moment, a streak of light fell from the night sky.
“Hm?”
A small shooting star sparkled.
“I-It’s a shooting star. Make a wish. I’m sure it will come true.”
Boss widened her eyes and murmured.
Rather than looking at the shooting star, I mustered up a fistful of courage and stared at Boss.
Boss was looking up at the sky.
I genuinely sympathized about the bleak and empty life she lived through.
Her wistful beauty made her heart beat gently.
“Did you make your wish?”
Boss smiled innocently.
“...No, I missed the timing.”
I muttered in a daze.
“Don’t worry, another one might appear. Keep your eyes out.”
With that, we stared at the sky silently. Boss was eagerly waiting for another shooting star to appear.
But there was no such luck, and Boss turned back to me somewhat dejectedly.
“...Hajin.”
She called my name, which clearly wasn’t Kim Chundong’s.
“Yes.”
I answered indifferently. Boss looked into my eyes, then muttered fleetingly.
“...I’m sorry about a lot of things. I can’t express it in words.”
Her voice reached my heart and spread through my body. Her genuine apology made me feel guilty.
I laughed and shook my head.
“...I told you, you can forget about it now.”
The wish she just made on the shooting star was undoubtedly the same thing.
**
After saying goodbye to Kim Hajin, Boss returned to her room. Spartan was sleeping on her bed. For some reason, he had turned her bed into his nest.
Boss smiled and sat down at her desk. She had many things to take care of before sleeping.
First, she messaged Wicked, asking which executives she wanted to be freed first. Then, she began to reply to the secret message the Hero Association sent in regards to the Orden Assassination Mission.
While she was writing this reply, she suddenly felt a fistful of emptiness in her heart.
As this evoked a powerful feeling of listlessness, she had no choice but to put her pen down.
“....”
She suddenly felt exhausted.
She had already achieved most of the things she wanted.
The Chameleon Troupe came to possess half of Pandemonium, she had reclaimed the previous Boss’ authority over the city, and their name was clearly engraved into the minds of Djinns and humans.
The only goal she had remaining was revenge.
“...Bell.”
Boss thought of Bell, the traitor who killed the previous Boss and disappeared.
Just his name evoked uncontrollable rage in the past, but her anger had subsided as time passed until it froze cold.
“....”
Suddenly, Kim Hajin’s face popped up in her head along with Bell’s.
At first, he had only been a tool to kill Bell. She had planned to throw him away if he wasn’t useful as a tool. Even if he was, she only planned to use him once before casting him aside.
But now, Kim Hajin had a different position.
T-Thump—
“Hm?”
A sudden pang of pain struck her heart. Boss tilted her head, wondering if she suffered an injury while training.
Unable to come up with an answer, she turned on the CCTV that monitored Yi Yuri.
—Droon, look at this.
—What is it?
Yi Yuri and Droon were laughing and talking inside the CCTV. The two teenagers looked happy to be together.
“...These two.”
Boss’ eyes burned as she saw them flirt.
—Look, there are flowers growing underground~
—...Do you like flowers?
Boss’ childhood was wrought with curses and abuse from her parents, and her formative years were spent in self-hatred. There wasn’t a single day that she didn’t resent her parents for giving birth to her.
—Of course! They’re pretty! Why, do you not like them?
—Huh? N-No, I like them too.
Because of this, she couldn’t understand the feelings Yi Yuri and Droon had for each other.
“....”
So she found the scene interesting.
Boss continued to look at Yi Yuri and Droon for a long time.
**
One week later.
Korea’s former president and the current authoritative figure of the Hero Association, Kim Sukho, sat on the elegant [Lv.6 Elven Chair] inside his mansion and received a report.
—Yi Panho of the National Assembly was ambushed and killed last night.
—The Association’s executive, Kim Yoonyong, passed away tonight.
—Kaiser, the CEO of Atro Technology, was found dead in his office...
—Black Lotus seems to be behind these deaths.
Kim Sukho sighed hearing the reports. He was bothered by Yi Yuri being kidnapped, but now he had to worry about Black Lotus as well.
“Are you positive that they were all Orden’s dogs?”
—Yes, we found evidence to support it.
“...Tsk.”
Kim Sukho shook his head and thought, ‘Fools. I told them over and over again not to be greedy.’
—What should we announce to the public?
“Bury it for now. What’s the situation on the special task force?”
—177 members have been selected. They’re all trustworthy.
“...Got it. I’m hanging up for now. If something else happens, you know how to reach me.”
With that, Kim Sukho finished his call with ‘Violet Banquet’.
“Huu... those bastards.”
Kim Sukho cursed quietly. He found it hard to believe that his trusted aides had all communicated with Orden secretly.
Whilst he was happy they were dead, he still felt a tinge of regret.
Orden had naturally reached out to him as well. Kim Sukho was still happy with the decision he made to reject his offer, but he didn’t expect Yi Yuri to be kidnapped.
“Black Lotus....”
The new Black Seat of the hunting dogs he once used. He now realized they were too dangerous to be left free.
“Hmm... I guess I have no choice.”
He could only think of one solution.
A group that wasn’t related to Djinns with the power to resist the Chameleon Troupe.
A group of assassins that was founded by a legendary mountain hermit.
Not many people knew that this long-forgotten group had revived in the far east.
Kim Sukho began to write a letter to send to their leader.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
That was how he planned to deal with his uncollared hunting dogs.
**
[Korea, Seoul]
In a traditional-style house surrounded by greenery, Chae Joochul and Yoo Yeonha sat while facing each other.
The young woman in her twenties didn’t cower in front of the Immortal. Her heart stood strong and firm.
“Thank you for taking time out of your day to meet me.”
Yoo Yeonha spoke.
“I didn’t have a reason to refuse.”
Chae Joochul contemplated meeting with Yoo Yeonha and found that there was no reason not to.
In truth, Chae Joochul was bored. Other old chaebols were getting together, discussing the Truth Agency or having fun together, but Chae Joochul was different.
Yoo Yeonha carefully started the conversation.
“I came to ask you for a favor. As I said in my letter—”
“You want to meet the Nine Stars.”
“...Yes.”
Yoo Yeonha nodded resolutely. She was currently under immense pressure. The residue of magic power Chae Joochul was subconsciously emitting carried the same power as an ordinary Heroes’ attack.
“The Nine Stars won’t be of any help to you. They’re nothing but retired senior citizens. Why do you think they’ve stayed silent? They’re all living in hiding, scared that the side-effects they’re suffering from will get worse.”
“It’s not that. I just wish to talk to—”
“Do you have a way of curing their side-effects?”
Yoo Yeonha swallowed her saliva at Chae Joochul’s question.
A method to cure the side-effects of their Gifts.
To be honest, she had no clue.
But she believed Kim Hajin did.
“...Yes, I do.”
It was the greatest gamble of Yoo Yeonha’s life, stemming from her trust in Kim Hajin.
As soon as she spoke these three words, Chae Joochul’s eyebrows twitched.
He glared at Yoo Yeonha with a subdued look.
“Can you bear the weight of those words?”
“Yesh, I can. I mean....”
Yoo Yeonha’s tongue got tied for a split second.
She made an uncharacteristic mistake due to nervousness. She felt even more embarrassed because of Chae Joochul’s lack of reaction.
“...Yes, I can.”
It was then.
Beeeeeeep—
A loud alarm roared from Chae Joochul and Yoo Yeonha’s smartwatches.
Yoo Yeonha was surprised, but she managed to look at Chae Joochul calmly.
“...Go ahead.”
“Yes.”
With Chae Joochul’s permission, Yoo Yeonha looked at her smartwatch.
Then, her eyes shot open.
The disaster alarm signaled a world-wide attack.
**
[China, Shanghai]
The Monster King spoke.
‘Let the world witness your strength.’
Taking his command, the humanoid monster resembling a tiger infiltrated the city of Shanghai.
His name was Tigris.
He was once the Himalayan Mountains’ biggest Mountain Tyrant. Now in the figure of a human being, he stood in the middle of Shanghai’s streets with a hoodie.
At the moment, none of the civilians around him knew of his identity.
Tigris carefully observed his surroundings, then took off his hoodie. Then, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
“I CAME—! I SAW—! I CONQUERED—!”
His roar emitted an omnidirectional shockwave, bursting the brains of civilians walking nearby. Screams rang out as buildings collapsed. Tigris then began to eat the surviving humans.
The city fell into chaos in the blink of an eye.
Although the attack was sudden, China’s Heroes reacted quickly.
“Who are you!?”
“Reveal your identity!”
The Heroes pointed their weapons at Tigris, but Tigris didn’t move an inch. To be precise, he didn’t need to. He stood tall like a tree and swung his fists.
Boom—! Boom—!
Heavy booms rang out, and soon, the Heroes’ heads exploded.
Tigris had killed the Heroes located 300 or so meters away with simple punches.
Although it was absurd, Tigris’ attacks were far from common sense. They weren’t bound by distance.
‘Blows that defied distance’.
Tigris was born with the power to destroy anything within his sight. He called this power, [Boundless Tiger Fist].
“Uhahahaha—! Weak, you’re too weak—!”
Tigris burst into laughter in excitement.
“My name is Tigris! I am the tyrant that will slaughter you all!”
**
[France, Paris]
‘Doloren’ walked through Paris while whistling and humming. Her voice was as beautiful and enchanting as a nightingale’s.
“You will revive after a short rest....”
Her voice flowed into the ears of civilians, corroding their brains. The civilians who died were then resurrected as zombies who followed her every command.
“Your dead bodies will revive....”
The zombies bit other humans. Seeing this, Doloren smiled.
“The one who calls you shall lead you to a life of immortality. You will bloom anew...!”
Paris’ Heroes came to deal with the situation, but they couldn’t stop her singing. In fact, they were enchanted by her voice and became even stronger zombies.
Doloren’s singing continued until death descended on the entire city.
**
[England, London]
‘Toji’ arrived in London. He looked no different than a human being besides his two hands which were made of rocks. In front of his eyes was the Buckingham Palace.
‘Destroy the Buckingham Palace and murder Rachel. That is what the King wishes.’
Toji was given a special command by Lancaster. His duty was to destroy the Buckingham Palace and English royalty.
“Here it is. The Buckingham Palace.”
Just like his name suggested, Toji dragged the earth with him as he walked. A strange earth-shattering sound rang out with his every step.
“Stop th—”
“Who are—"
Toji killed everyone who stood in his way. No one could say more than two words in his presence.
Toji killed humans in an extremely simple manner. He only swung his fists.
“....”
But he was soon forced to a stop near the entrance of the Buckingham Palace. A large wolf had blocked his way.
“Huh?”
Toji tilted his head. The wolf was too big compared to the wolves he knew.
“...You. Die.”
But his curiosity only lasted for a split second. Toji swung his fist once more. The earth shot up like a whip and flew towards the wolf.
Crack—!
However, the wolf crushed the earth with his teeth.
“...Huh?”
Toji’s eyes widened exactly three seconds afterward.
“You, not, animal?”
—Grrrrr.
The wolf smirked.
The wolf’s name was Fenrir.
As Evandel’s first creation, its strength couldn’t be ignored.
“I, see. Aha.”
Toji nodded. Though he understood, he didn’t react differently. He swung his fist again.
Cracks appeared on the earth, and huge explosions happened at the same time as giant fissures.
BOOM—
The earth exploded, but the wolf used each shattered piece of earth as a foothold to maneuver away.
Toji didn’t stand still. He transmitted his will into the piece of earth the wolf stepped on.
Then, something strange happened. Toji’s original body crumbled into the dirt, and the piece of earth the wolf was standing on transformed into a new Toji that grabbed him by his back.
“I, Toji. Earth is me, I am earth.”
Toji smiled and broke the wolf’s back.
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