Chapter 109
Cha Jieun looked back and forth between me and the axe in my hand with a flabbergasted expression.
“You don’t seriously think you can break it with that, do you?”
You must not know, but this axe is also made from my scales. The scales of the Evil Dragon Aži Dahāka boast invincible defense. It’s not like I was just openly drawing aggro dressed as a Nun in China for no reason, you know. From now on, the Ice Empress will find it overwhelming just to defend.
“To be clear, the Ice Empress is a person no elemental Sorcerer can match, not even in Japan.”
Its reputation might not be as good as Korea’s, but Japan is still the next Hunter Powerhouse Nation in Asia after Korea. There are Hunters who wield various attributes, and of course, ice is among them. But Japan’s Ice Mages are a mere drop in the bucket compared to Cha Jieun.
“Right? So, surrender.”
“Like hell I will.”
“What? You still want to fight even after seeing my power?”
Of course. I never intended to lose in the first place. Besides, that woman is subtly arrogant. She tends to be complacent about her own power. That’s not wrong. She is, to be clear, strong. In the previous work, by the time it concluded, she was already known as one of the Hunters who supported Korea. The only opponents she isn’t complacent against are Yu Jinseok and Seo Jiyeon, who can completely erase ice.
“That’s why I took out the axe. Above all, I’ve never once thought I would lose, you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“Once I’ve set my sights on a woman, I have no intention of letting her go until I rape her.”
“How presumptuous. [Ice Prison]”
Cha Jieun clenched her hand tightly, pointing it at me. In an instant, ice bars rose from the ice field, gathering around me to form a prison. She even used building debris to create an ice plate, making it the prison’s ceiling.
“It would certainly be hard for my Heroines to break, but...”
I’m different, aren’t I?
*Whoosh-Clang!*
“So it’s useless, huh?”
I hit it once with the axe, and a crack appeared in the ice bar.
*Whoosh-Crack!*
On the second hit, the ice bar shattered.
“See? Surprising, isn’t it? Why would ice break?”
Cha Jieun’s ice, famous for being unbreakable, had shattered. Perhaps because ice that even Yu Jinseok couldn’t easily break had shattered in an instant, Cha Jieun’s brow visibly twitched. However, her experience as a Hunter was not insignificant. Cha Jieun quickly composed herself and shot another Ice Attack at me.
[Tidal Wave]
*Rumble-rumble-rumble!*
The area that had become an ice floor due to Cha Jieun’s ice ability began to churn with waves like the sea, soon forming a massive Tidal Wave. It ground all sorts of surrounding buildings into the ice Tidal Wave. And that massive Tidal Wave, so grand that a woman like me looked like a mere grain of sand in the desert, finally engulfed me.
“Wow, this is actually helpful.”
Thanks to clearing all the Ruins, I’ll be able to build new buildings.
For now, I’ll have to block that.
I condensed my demonic energy and unleashed it as is.
*Fwoosh-KABOOM!*
Aži Dahāka’s Demonic Energy Explosion exceeds imagination. The Tidal Wave that engulfed me was swept away by the Demonic Energy Explosion, covering everything except my immediate surroundings. Anyway, I was trapped, in a way. From the Demonic Energy Explosion, only enough space for me to move remained. *Hiding my power is quite annoying. If I use White Flame, the fact that I’m Yu Eunha will be revealed. No, I mean, I could melt a little ice here, but...*
*“How should I win?”*
If I want to keep hiding my power, I have to pretend to barely win against her here. Even setting aside elemental compatibility, it’s disadvantageous for me. My ability, Seed of Chaos, won’t work, and breaking ice with an axe is almost like manual labor. Physically, I also seem to be at a disadvantage. If I am to win against the Ice Empress while hiding my power, then it must be through demonic energy. That is, I’ll make the Ice Empress run out of demonic energy and lead the situation so that I’m also moderately exhausted. Even if the Ice Empress loses, I should make sure she hears, “You fought well.” I’d like to allow a draw, but if an opportunity arises, shouldn’t I take her? She probably used this ice Tidal Wave, so she must have consumed quite a bit of demonic energy. Maybe one or two more times? Cha Jieun, who was flustered after seeing her own ice break in the first place, used her ultimate Skill right now, which she should have saved for the very end.
[“Such a fool. What if you died doing that?!”]
“Ah.”
Outside, they’re already talking as if I’m dead, and I can’t stand this. Being a miner isn’t my style, but I can’t help it. Baby Yongyong-i, with axe proficiency 1, will diligently break the ice from now on.
*Clang! Thud! Clang!*
As expected, even though it’s a bit hard, it’s breaking easily like taffy. I knew it. Can ice really overcome Aži Dahāka’s scales? But if I keep breaking it like this, it will take ages. What if I put a lot of demonic energy into the axe and hit it all at once? I raised the axe high with both hands.
*CRASH!*
The ice Tidal Wave was completely shattered. When one spot was broken, cracks gradually began to spread, and soon the Tidal Wave collapsed, like a window shattering from a single stone.
[“Wait, isn’t something strange?”]
“That’s impossible. You mean, she survived even that attack?”
The voices of a surprised Choi Cheolsik and Cha Jieun echoed in my ears. Pretending to be tired, I emerged from the ice and shrugged my shoulders.
“The protagonist always survives with indomitable will, you know. Well, it was quite tough. Should I go all out too?”
*Hehehe, the Black Flame Dragon in my right hand...*
I tidied my hair and re-gripped my axe.
It’s time for Cha Jieun to lose now, isn’t it?
She only fell for Yu Jinseok in the previous work. Her complacency about her own strength needs to be corrected this time.
So I charged at the Ice Empress.
*Whoosh-Clang!*
Oh, she blocked this?
“Ugh.”
“She managed to create ice quite well in the meantime.”
But that’s all. Unlike before, her defense was terrible. It seems she used quite a bit of demonic energy. When I applied just a little force, it shattered just the same. Cha Jieun retreated, continuously erecting ice walls. And I kept pushing forward with my axe, just like Han Suji does when she’s acting like an axe murderer. Only her reactions were fast. The ice weakened. She must have already used most of her demonic energy on the Tidal Wave, right? She must have regarded me as an anomaly for breaking her ice and used the Tidal Wave to finish me off in one go. An instinctive threat, you know. That was no joke. Its scale was smaller than when she erected the Barrier Wall, but if it was a Tidal Wave compressed to engulf just me, isn’t that terrifying? Now that I think about it, she really tried to kill me with all her might, didn’t she? I snapped a little.
“Alright, what are you doing? Try to block it, won’t you? Huh? I said try to block it!”
*CRACKLE-SPLINTER-CRASH!*
Ice walls, one, two, three, four. I destroyed every single one.
Cha Jieun’s best option was to dodge here and there.
“What are you doing? What’s going on? Is this the Master of the Emperor Guild, Ice Empress Cha Jieun? Is this all your level is? Wow, so weak!”
“Don’t talk nonsense! [Ice Spikes]”
Giant icicles appeared and poured down on me. Unlike a moment ago, they had considerable strength. She probably invested quite a bit of demonic energy into them. This time, it seemed like she was scattering killing intent at me. Each of those ice spikes contained malice. And they poured down towards my body.
*Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh!*
At this point, I should, with god-given acting skills, pretend to barely block that attack.
“*Damn it. How can such a terrifying Skill exist?!*”
When the ice spikes came precisely within the hand axe’s striking range, I imbued the axe with demonic energy and slashed at the ice spikes with all my might.
*CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACK!*
This is Cha Jieun’s decisive weakness. If her demonic energy drops, the ice’s strength eventually drops, and because it’s ice condensed with demonic energy, if even a part of the ice is shattered, it all breaks at once.
“That’s impossible. All my attacks... ended so futilely.” “Hoo. Hoo. I was quite tired too, Ice Empress. Alright, shall we bring this slowly to an end?”
I staggered towards Cha Jieun. Then I raised my axe, aiming for Cha Jieun’s head. Cha Jieun’s eyes were filled with fear. It seemed she sensed death. Before I knew it, she had lost her strength and was kneeling. So, to scare her a little more, I put an alluring smile on my lips.
*Tap-*
What I actually did was just lightly tap Cha Jieun’s forehead with the axe handle. Very gently. Even if her skin was cold as ice, it was still a woman’s skin, so I didn’t want to hurt it. I turned the axe and only lightly hit her with the handle. Perhaps my action was unexpected, as Cha Jieun’s eyes widened.
“What... Are you pitying the loser now?”
“Oh, what are you talking about? Don’t you remember the bet?”
Surely she doesn’t have dementia at that age, and did she mistake what I said for a lie?
“Was that serious?”
“Yes.”
*Of course it’s serious, why would it be a lie? I’m Yongyong-i, who always keeps my word once I’ve uttered it.*
At my answer, her face suddenly contorted.
*Could it be because she was pitied by a Villain? Or is there another reason?*
*I fought hard with her just to rub against her.*
*If she didn’t let me rub against her, I would have backed off. Really.*
“If it really wasn’t for that bet, I wouldn’t have done it. Running away isn’t hard. And the Guild Alliance would have retreated before suffering more damage.”
“I completely fell for it. This is too humiliating.”
You don’t have to be humiliated. You were chosen by the Evil Dragon, no less. This Yongyong-i chose you, that’s what I mean.
“It’s not humiliating at all. Rather, you should be happy. Because you’re such an attractive female that you caught my eye. Just for that, you’ve already won.”
“I’m not happy even hearing such words from a villain.”
“A promise is a promise, right? When shall we meet? I’m available right now. Surely you’re not the type to make a promise and not keep it?”
The victor has the right to violate the loser. The victor is given the right to freely humiliate the loser’s Pet/Bitch or Female. With the victor’s right, I want to put her under me and play with her as I please.
*Gulp.*
“Who said I wouldn’t keep it? It just means this place isn’t quite right.”
Cha Jieun, noticing my lewd gaze, covered her chest and backed away.
*This is shocking. If Yu Jinseok were to pounce, she’d resist at first, then pretend to be overwhelmed and spread her legs, so why is she playing so hard to get with me?*
*Alright, this kind of thing is push and pull. It wouldn’t be good to force it. Since drones are recording everything, it would be better to just flirt moderately for now.*
“Alright, let’s stop there.”
A new figure appeared behind Cha Jieun, who was exhausted from demonic energy depletion. It was the shiny Baldy. I had met him as Yu Eunha, but it was my first time meeting him as Baekhwa. His name would be Choi Cheolsik.
“You’re Baldy.” “Baekhwa, I’ve fully understood your Skill. We’ll retreat now.”
Hmm, that’s a wise choice. I was worried that if Cha Jieun lost here, the Guild Alliance would unite in revenge and attack. At that point, there would truly be no forces left to deal with Sin, and the picture I had drawn would be shattered.
“That’s unexpected. Isn’t President Ha Jeongseok a Friend of the Warrior of the Sun?” “He brought it upon himself. I was against this expedition from the start.” “Oh, really?” “However, your killing all of Ha Jeongseok’s Hunters is a bit... Well, I shouldn’t say this to a Villain, but it might not be good for this Nation.”
This one still doesn’t get it.
“They’re people raised through brainwashing anyway. It’s better to die than to live like machines under that man for the rest of their lives. Besides, this way, the Association will put a leash on Ha Jeongseok’s neck, won’t it?”
Allies that can’t be used are useless. Choi Cheolsik knows that as long as Ha Jeongseok doesn’t bow down, the Hunters of Cheongwadae can never be utilized. Rather, they were Hunters continuously nurtured for Ha Jeongseok’s own dictatorship, so it was better to deal with them now before they grew stronger.
“Hah, so you were looking that far ahead. You certainly know a lot about Seoul from here.”
“Because I visit Seoul often.”
“I have one question.”
The Baldy, whose atmosphere suddenly changed, looked at me with a rather serious gaze. There was no killing intent, but I could feel his eyes trying to discern my true intentions.