When Seong-Il could no longer hear the footsteps of Odin and the woman named Mary, he collapsed into his seat while breathing heavily.
“Whoa…”
The tension in his legs disappeared.
“I can tell she’s Odin’s lover. Don’t you guys think she is scary like him?” Seong-Il asked the two women, but no one replied because Soo-Ah was busy taking care of Kyung-Ah. Even Seong-Il thought Kyung-Ah’s state was unstable as her eyes had lost focus and she was sweating. They were not the signs of a shock, and instead she looked like she had been possessed by a ghost. He thought that something like that would be plausible in this world as people talked about skills, items and alien civilizations everywhere. She was completely out of her mind. Seong-Il slapped her cheek with his big palm, but it sounded like he was trying to beat her up.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Kyung-Ah shrieked.
Seong-Il retorted, “I didn’t even slap hard. Look, you’ve come to your senses. It worked.”
“Unnie…” Kyung-Ah whined.
Soo-Ah asked, “Are you okay?”
“Who the heck was that woman…” Kyung-Ah shook her head while removing Soo-Ah’s arm from her shoulder; she clearly didn't want anyone to touch her. Soo-Ah stood up quietly.
Woo Yeon-Hee was a young-looking woman, shorter than 160 cm, and had left her long hair flowing down to her waist. When Soo-Ah first saw her looking at Odin, she looked like a sad stray puppy who had gotten lost. From her looks, the other woman seemed to be around her late teens to early twenties, so Soo-Ah thought of her as Odin’s younger cousin or friend whom he had known for a while. Therefore, Soo-Ah never imagined Woo Yeon-Hee would be such a creepy woman, and she was actually scarier than Odin. Her adorable face morphed into a cruel and evil expression when she looked at Soo-Ah and Kyung-Ah.
Soo-Ah still had goosebumps and felt like Woo Yeon-Hee was still around and watching her. Her eyes were more frightening than the monsters who were thirsty for their blood. She looked like she would hurt Soo-Ah and Kyung-Ah if they even flinched a little, so Soo-Ah had no choice but to stand still. If Woo Yeon-Hee was a serpent with its jaw wide open, then Soo-Ah was a rat in a corner. Her instinct warned her that Woo Yeon-Hee would never tolerate resistance.
Then, Soo-Ah approached Seong-Il as she recalled the scene when Woo Yeon-Hee hugged Odin.
“Seong-Il oppa, you called her Mary, right? I’ve never heard of her.”
Seong-Il shrugged. “Odin has been looking for Mary. She might be his...”
Seong-Il unfolded his little finger, but Soo-Ah couldn’t believe Odin had a lover. Of course, Odin was a human like her, but he was clearly his own boss and had absolute goals. That was her personal judgment about him. When he paid women to spend the night with them, she felt like he just wanted to quickly satisfy his sexual desire instead of being devoted to his instincts. He clearly wanted to prevent any obstacles from forming that hindered him from achieving his goals.
He has a lover? It doesn’t make sense. Odin isn’t such a man.
Soo-Ah asked, “How much do you know about the woman?”
Seong-Il responded, “Why are you asking me? My heart is pounding too.”
She persisted, “She is going to be on the same team as us, so I have the right to know.”
Seong-Il chuckled. “Same team? Hehe. Hahahaha. You dream big, girl. Can’t you see? She is as strong as Odin. Us three are just riding along in the team. The gap between their and our power is immense.”
Seong-Il pointed to Kyung-Ah with his chin, and Soo-Ah slowly turned her head toward her. Kyung-Ah was crouching and biting her nails, and Soo-Ah had never seen Kyung-Ah like that before. No, it was a habit Kyung-Ah had a long time ago, but she had never acted like that ever since she entered the Stage of Advent.
“I only know one thing about Mary: that she is a member of the World Awakened Association.”
Soo-Ah walked toward Kyung-Ah carefully.
“Are you really okay, Kyung-Ah? What happened? What kind of attack did you get?”
“Shut up!” Kyung-Ah suddenly burst out in anger, then dropped her head and continued to speak, “...Be quiet. Let’s be quiet, unnie.”
***
However, Yeon-Hee didn’t tell me what happened. I couldn’t pressure her just because I was concerned. When her tightly closed mouth finally opened again, the story wasn’t about herself.
“I want to hear more about you. What have you done to modify the System?”
I explained to her about the first amendment, and Yeon-Hee chimed in that the currently edited System had definitely helped Awakened to grow faster. However, she responded quietly and without confidence. Although I didn’t have a mental attribute, I could tell she was lying. It was obvious that she had been carrying all the burden alone. She must have completed the wave, destroyed the spire, and fought a war against other districts by herself. Everyone on her stage might have relied on her to a great extent, and the vipers in suits probably coveted her ability.
Yeon-Hee was reluctant to say anything, but she gave off the vibe of a person who had been betrayed by a number of people. All those bastards would have gone to hell already through either self-destruction or being decapitated by her. I had emphasized to her the importance of removing the hopeless ones regardless of whether they were capable or not, but she might have failed to do so.
The situation reminded me of the time when I eliminated the Seventh and Eighth Virtues. Looking back, I should have foreseen this long ago as she had become quite emotional when she felt their strong bond of sisterhood. I should have prepared her more. I thought she was ready, but the result clearly said that she wasn’t.
Damn you motherfuckers!
The only thing that comforted me was that Yeon-Hee had escaped from being used by such jackasses.
Maybe…?
I asked, “Who was that?”
Shit, I shouldn’t have asked.
“Huh?” She gave me a confused look.
I gritted my teeth and clarified, “Who was the asshole that gave you the hardest time among them?”
She blinked. “Among them?”
“There must have been the worst one.”
She shook her head. “It’s in the past.”
“Did you kill the person?”
“No, he just died. Hey, it has been a while since we met, Seon-Hu. I really don’t want to ruin our time together.” Yeon-Hee continued, “I’m sorry to worry you, but it won’t happen again. I now understand why you’ve always been so edgy towards others.”
Then, she smiled brightly, so I really decided to stop asking about what happened to her recently. I wasn’t supposed to bother her anymore.
“What’s the amendment for this time?” she asked.
When I described my plan, she slowly nodded. However, her response wasn’t positive as her sharp eyes flashed mercilessly every time her bangs fluttered. She must have been reminiscing.
Yeon-Hee opined, “Is it truly better to let the Awakened get stronger and help them survive? People gradually change when they get power without even realizing it. Later, they completely forget what kind of person they used to be. People here are like that… Shit… Ah, I’m sorry.”
Yeon-Hee’s face turned red as she vented her rage, then her eyes and lips quivered.
Did she just say ‘shit?’ That was my old habit.
“You must have seen a lot of bad guys, but…” I almost called her without using her last name. “But it’s the same here and outside, Woo Yeon-Hee. If they are like that, then let them at least contribute to mankind. The two of us are not enough.”
Of course, not everyone was like that. Those who were content with their lives were kind and more faithful. They hated conflicts and competitions, and easily conformed under fear. They were ordinary people who could be seen anywhere. Parents with children among them struggled to survive until the end. They just wanted to return to their families and had no greed or desire to become stronger. Then there were the ones who didn’t have kids who were just waiting for this survival game to end because stronger people were growing faster and leading them even if they didn’t take the initiative.
However, I believed those people also had to participate in this game. That was why we had come to the Baclan’s mainland.
“How could you make such a decision? People can’t be easily fixed… Ah, I said not to ruin the vibe, but I just did it.” Yeon-Hee raised her head and continued with a firm look, “If the Stage of Advent finishes, will the people here fight only against the monster corps? I personally don’t think they will.”
I could tell she was trying to use her most gentle tone as she was talking to me, but I could feel the strong distrust inside her words. Yes, it was time to tell her the truth. A story that she needed to know. The truth she never knew.
***
I asked, “Have you ever thought that it was weird?”
“About what?”
“That our human civilization has remained unchanged even after the aliens invaded the Earth. The global economy should have been shut down and festered. That would have been the natural result of the attack, right?”
Yeon-Hee was a middle school teacher who had tried to teach the national crisis to those who were wet behind their ears during the IMF crisis.
I continued, “But why did that not happen? Why did the civilization built by mankind not change before and after the crisis?”
“...”
I took a breath and said, “I was the reason. I’m the real owner of all the companies you know, Jonathan and Gillian Investment Finance Group, and the Jeon-il Group.”
Yeon-Hee’s firm eyes began to shake.
“Even I can’t estimate my assets. You have always been curious why I was busy. That was why. I had to be crazy about money when I wasn’t conquering the dungeon. I needed more, more and more money to protect humanity that would be devastated on the Day of Advent.”
“Seon… Seon-Hu…?” she sputtered.
“Do you get it? I left the door open and carried all the trouble when the global economy was supposed to explode with their door closed. When capital forces around the world were panicking and even selling their own underwear, I bought them all.” I continued, “There was a downward curve on the chart, but that was when all the capital over the world was colliding. There was a financial war that couldn’t be expressed by chart graphs. Because I won the battle, human civilization didn’t change before and after the crisis. Also...”
Yeon-Hee nodded slightly, and there was no need to ask her if she believed me.
“I am the one who found the World Awakened Association. After the Stage of Advent, most of the Awakened will have no choice but to join the group. Those who don’t will regret it. Do you understand?”
“Then…” Her eyes widened.
“Yes, so do you think I’ll let these novices make a mess? I put in so much effort into protecting mankind. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Then, I ended my speech.
“The Earth is mine.”