Chapter 30
Reina and Han Soo-ji, who were sorting out the situation outside, came in. Lee Yoo-jeong followed behind them.
Looking at their faces, they seemed to have a lot of questions for me.
"Eunha. You. You've become a Mutant, right?"
Well. I'm not exactly a Mutant, but in normal human society, looking at my body structure, it would be correct to treat me as one.
"That's not wrong. But having a Core was originally the condition for drawing out my power."
"Becoming a Mutant was the condition?"
Han Soo-ji and Reina tilted their heads.
Their demeanor sitting there modestly suggested they weren't trying to distance themselves from me for being a Mutant.
However, only Lee Yoo-jeong had a slightly uncomfortable expression.
She probably already knows my identity. Someone of her caliber should be able to figure out my real name.
Finding out the woman you've been intimate with was actually the evil dragon who killed a billion people - even I would feel weird about that.
"Senior Yoo-jeong, you know now too, right?"
"Y-yeah."
"Then show these two the information. I authorize it."
When my authorization came through, Lee Yoo-jeong stared at me blankly for a moment, then started adding various things to the status window that only had Azhi Dahaka written on it.
Name - Yoo Eunha (Azhi Dahaka)
Age - ?? years old
Gender - Female
Unique Abilities
[Evil Dragon's Power][Ruler's Power][White Flame][Chaos]
Possessed Skills
[Swordsmanship][Physical Enhancement]
Overwhelming powers that don't really need skills.
Reina and Han Soo-ji's faces contorted into something reminiscent of Munch's The Scream as they looked at my organized status window.
"You're joking right? Yoo Eunha being Azhi Dahaka... that's horrifying."
"Look at my eyes and tongue."
My eyes and tongue that changed after my abilities fully awakened.
Personally, I don't think it's bad. When you awaken, you get treated differently after all.
The "Azhi" in Azhi Dahaka itself means snake or dragon. Changes in appearance are unavoidable.
Since I can merge my split tongue back together, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say only my eyes changed to golden.
"Wow."
Han Soo-ji's jaw dropped as she watched my eyes and my tongue that could naturally split and merge.
Reina just blinked repeatedly without saying anything.
Of course, it took quite some time to convince these three.
First, as I said, I think I'm different from the Azhi Dahaka of that era. So I explained it that way.
That I'm just a being with Azhi Dahaka's power and memories.
The reason this is convincing is that unlike the various appearances of Azhi Dahaka left in photos, I actually have proof of birth as Yoo Jinseok's sister.
I just continued talking with the vibe that the vanished Azhi Dahaka passed on their power and memories to me.
If I had to put it in terms - if Choi Siwoo became the 2nd Divine Sword User, then I guess you could say I'm the 2nd Azhi Dahaka.
When I explained it that way, the Heroines accepted it.
If it really didn't work, I was planning to subjugate them again with this body, so that's fortunate.
"Then what about that Constellation thing you mentioned before?"
"That..."
It's awkward to answer. That I missed my previous life so much, that even though each day was a struggle to survive, I wanted to live in those times... That I had hallucinations without realizing it. I never even talked about those times.
Because I'm originally from this world. Rather, my time as an office worker was just a build-up period for becoming the current Yoo Eunha.
"It was just my hallucination."
"Even if we're okay with it, isn't it dangerous dealing with Demonic Power? If the Association finds out..."
"It doesn't matter since I don't need to use Demonic Power."
Demonic Power is just what idiots who can't control Mana spread when they become Mutants.
Unfortunately, I can act like the usual Yoo Eunha even with this current body.
"By the way, where did Senior Yoo-jeong go earlier?"
"When you caught Kim Jae-soo earlier. I was submitting this video to the Association."
What she showed me was footage of me beating up Kim Jae-soo.
"When did you film this?"
Why do I only attract stalkers?
"Well I couldn't keep such an epic scene to myself. Besides, we need to show off that Kim Jae-soo was killed by a Hanseong Academy Student."
I wonder if that's really necessary. Hanseong Academy was raided.
With Kim Jae-soo's backers still unknown, information about what happened to Kim Jae-soo and who killed him needs to be revealed so the remaining students and nearby citizens can feel at ease.
That's the kind of world this is.
The generations that experienced Monster invasions all unanimously desire heroes.
This was especially true for South Koreans, who faced severe Monster invasions and still need to reclaim local cities.
In this situation, when S-Class Hunter Kim Jae-soo, who was a hero's companion, betrayed them, the citizens' unrest is understandable.
At least by promoting that Yoo Eunha, related to Yoo Jinseok - the 1st Divine Sword User and great hero - defeated Kim Jae-soo, they can be pacified.
"Well, since the barrier was broken and 300 people were harmed, we can't hide it anyway so it can't be helped."
"What Kim Jae-soo overlooked before he died was thinking the Hunters would be one-sidedly defeated. They fought better than expected, and we were able to protect the Students."
That's the problem.
The Hunter Association remains an important organization until the end in the original work.
Of course, that's because among the Guilds that keep getting into fights, they're the only axis playing a mediating role. But if the Association's Hunter forces take major losses like now, the Guilds won't easily follow the Association's words.
This means they won't have the Hunter Force either.
Hunter Force. The right for the Association to use Hunters like military forces without government permission during wars or great Monster floods.
Greed. Should I call it that? When the Sin of Gluttony incites the Chinese bastards to push down. The Association uses that force to unite the Guilds. Of course, the force only gathers the Guild leaders. The actual unification was the Protagonist Choi Siwoo's role.
But now that there's been a traitor from the Association and they've taken heavy damage, using that force will be difficult.
The future's going to change significantly again.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. So what about the Group Battle preparations?"
Can we even have the Group Battle?
"They say it's suspended for now."
Well, having a Group Battle in this situation would be insane.
* * *
Choi Siwoo left the three people and returned home first.
He's too busy on his end to worry about those three.
Things have twisted too far from the original work. The feminized Choi Siwoo is weaker than me now. I don't know how much stronger he'll get, but from the point where I didn't die and awakened Azhi Dahaka's abilities, I've basically become the Protagonist.
For now, I'm the only one strong enough to face the Sins anyway.
[Congratulations Master. You have found your true name.]
"Still, I'm Yoo Eunha. But if this is the setting of the original novel, things have become dangerous. With Choi Siwoo in that state and the Hunter Association in that shape, what are we supposed to do about China?"
[Master is the Protagonist.]
"Who doesn't know that. So what am I supposed to do from now on?"
My head can handle it somewhat now. So it's fine to hear about the future.
[With the Hunter Association weakened, it will be difficult to suppress the Villains across South Korea.]
"That's why it's a problem."
[Rather than subjugating them, make them your forces.]
"As if they'd follow me. Half of them are Mutants."
[Master is technically a Mutant too.]
Is it telling me to take the Villain route?
It's certainly better than raising Hunters again.
Put all the Villains under me, and use them to stop the Sins coming from China or other countries.
The Villains are definitely stronger than the Hunter side.
But this creates a problem.
In the original work, South Korea reclaims all of South Korean territory while subjugating all the Villains. In other words, they end the era of Villains in the name of Hunters, but this way, the era of Villains will arrive.
[The current government is useless anyway, right? And it's not like the Guilds are doing their jobs properly.]
The South Korean government in this world is trash. Starting with the President, all government heads are included.
The President here is different from the President in that world where I lived as an office worker until recently. Ha Jeongseok was his name?
He's a former Hunter, and an ambitious figure who wants to take back the power held by the Association at any time. Furthermore, he's full of thoughts about lining his own pockets by using Gates to supply Cores and Artifacts.
For reference, in this world, the UN's Gate Proliferation Prevention Treaty prohibits nurturing Gates instead of sealing them to supply Cores and Artifacts.
Ha Jeongseok outwardly complies with that treaty while inwardly eyeing the Gate still remaining in Pyongyang.
The Association was putting some brakes on the government, but at this rate, taking the Villain route would definitely be better.
"Where would be good to start Villain activities?"
[Have you made up your mind?]
"I'll run it alongside the Academy. Both Villains and Academy Students. I'll do both."
More precisely, I'll have to hide my identity on the Villain side.
[Then I recommend taking the Black God Church completely under your control.]
Why is the Black God Church the first target.
"What else?"
[Excluding Seoul, the closest Villain groups are the Black God Church in Michuhol District, Incheon, the Sangok Union in Bupyeong, and the Villain Club in Bucheon, but...]
I've never heard of the Sangok Union or Villain Club so they probably don't have any named figures.
"Why recommend the Black God Church?"
[Though they've fallen once and likely lost significant forces thanks to Kim Jae-soo this time. As Master knows, capable executives remain, and the Black God worshipped by the Black God Church is Azhi Dahaka. In other words, Master.]
"You're saying to bring them under my control at once using my existence?"
[Yes.]
I don't want to play god for a cult.
But it is a good method.
Just by playing god for the cult, the Black God Church organization comes under me and I can put the Villains in Incheon under me.
"Strike while the iron is hot."
They definitely said Michuhol District in Incheon, so I should go where the Demonic Power is thickest.
The problem is how to get to Michuhol District.
There's a barrier installed between Seoul and Incheon.
The government installed the barrier to isolate the entire Incheon region that was corrupted by Demonic Power after the Great Cataclysm.
"Hmm."
There is the option of flying.
I can't transform into a dragon like in my Azhi Dahaka days right away, but I can at least sprout wings. But Seoul isn't that lax.
I'd probably be chased the moment I fly towards Incheon.
I could shake them off but it would just be annoying.
"At times like this, Geum Tae-yang huh."
But in the end, wouldn't that mean revealing my identity to that Geum Tae-yang bastard?
Moreover, this is illegal. If I mess up, there's a risk my identity could be completely exposed.
The Academy is taking a break for now, so this is an opportunity.
"Huh? What's this message?"
XXX-XXXX-XXXX: Miss Yoo Eunha. This is Jeong Na-yoon, secretary and vice president of the Hunter Association. I was wondering if you could come to the Association if you have time.
Jeong Na-yoon. Another of Yoo Jinseok's Heroines.
If I play this right, I might get a chance to go to Incheon.
* * *