LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 342
It had been about two weeks since I arrived on Jeju Island.
Although more time had passed than expected, the evil spirit had not been exterminated during that period.
Two weeks.
Two S-class operatives were dispatched, most of the association’s agents had crossed over to Jeju Island, and even the island was sealed off from the outside world as they scoured the entire area in an effort to exterminate the evil spirit Seon Ga-eul.
The evil spirit had not been eradicated yet.
“This is troublesome.”
I climbed to the roof of the abandoned house halfway up Hallasan Mountain, rolling the urn containing the remains of Seon Ga-eul with my foot, desperately waiting for someone to come.
“If this isn’t resolved soon, the training might not even happen.”
Maybe I hid it too well.
Or perhaps I ran away so effectively that no one could follow the movements of the evil spirit.“Being too skilled can be a problem.”
I stopped the ghostly figure resembling Seon Ga-eul, which was spinning in circles near me.
“We’re so good at what we do, it’s hard to even drop a clue. What do you think?”
[What do you mean, what do I think?]
Crackle, crackle.
The ghost resembling Seon Ga-eul paused midair and soon revealed its true form in front of me.
“I’m quite satisfied with the current situation.”
It was Doul, Hyeon Se-rin.
Hyeon Se-rin, who was disguised as the evil spirit Seon Ga-eul, was the one responsible for all the commotion currently happening across Jeju Island.
Attacking the A-rank ability user Ji Cheon-hyang in an orchestrated ambush.
Assaulting numerous other ability users afterward.
Even attacking the henchmen of Pandemonium, who were planning to cause terror against the people.
All of this was orchestrated by the Secret Society.
Of course, the Goblin and Doul combo, that was, the members of the Secret Society, were also actively operating on Jeju Island to exterminate the evil spirit and demons.
In other words, we were stirring up trouble on one side while, on the other, we were eliminating the very cause of the disturbance.
We were doing this tedious work because the rewards for us were significant.
“Mir, how many Scavengers have been officially subdued so far?”
“According to the association’s official announcement, 394.”
Yumir, who was sitting on a sofa placed on the rooftop, checked her Taeguk Watch for the data and replied.
“Unofficially, the number of Scavengers whose landing we prevented is about 500. Including the overlaps, we captured around 200 Scavengers on Jeju Island. So in total, about a thousand people have crossed the sea and tried to sneak into Jeju Island in the past two weeks.”
“A real headache.”
A thousand.
Around a thousand illegal entrants tried to sneak into Jeju Island over the past two weeks, all aiming to lick Seon Ga-eul’s bone-mana powder, which we’re currently storing on the roof.
Since air travel was blocked, they couldn’t come by plane. But people from the South Sea, Tsushima, Okinawa, Shanghai, or even from submarines passing through the nearby straits secretly swam over to Jeju Island.
“Mir, remember the data I sent you last time?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You saw those red dots near Marado, right?”
“Yes.”
“All of those are submarines.”
“……”
Even submarines from various nations have gathered on the seabed south of Jeju, sending only their Scavengers ashore. There was no need to explain how formidable Seon Ga-eul’s ability was, given how much attention it had drawn.
In short, the bait had worked well enough.
“Should we stop pretending to be the evil spirit now?”
“Huh? Weren’t we doing that to keep drawing attention?”
“That was the plan, but since no one has found us, we should stop. The game of hide and seek where the seeker has been unable to catch the hider for two weeks… at this point, it’s no longer hide and seek but a missing person report.”
“I guess hiding too well can also be a flaw. So, should we start leaking some information to hint at our location?”
“Yeah. It’s a shame that guy didn’t take the bait… but wait, I need to make a call.”
I excused myself from the two and moved away to take the ‘video call’ that had just come in.
“Yumir. Hyeon Se-rin. Once I’m done with the call, I’ll be ready for combat, so you two get prepared as well.”
“Is someone coming?”
“Yes. The data has been passed to Se-rin, so review it together.”
“Ah… looks like information that only goes to the higher-ups.”
“Yes.”
I jumped down from the building to create some distance, then manipulated my Taeguk Watch to accept the incoming video call.
“Yes, I’ve answered the call.”
[You’re late.]
“I apologize, Chairman.”
[Not Chairman right now.]
The person on the other end of the call.
[You have a more affectionate title you usually call me, don’t you?]
“…Ahem.”
They began pressuring me.
“…Honey?”
[Hehe.]
The Chairman.
The Chief.
[That’s right, darling.]
My wife.
“Right now, he’s on the phone with her, isn’t he?”
“That’s right. If it wasn’t her, there’d be no reason for him to sneak off like that.”
Yumir and Hyeon Se-rin glanced in the direction where the Goblin had disappeared, giggling softly.
“Hmm, what should I say? Seeing him like that, he really looks like a henpecked husband.”
“He is. The reason he’s working so hard for the Secret Society is entirely for the Chairwoman…or rather, the Chief.”
“What about you, unnie?”
“I’m the same.”
Hyeon Se-rin picked up a tangerine from the desk, splitting it into four sections with her hands.
“If it weren’t for the Goblin, the executives would probably still be fighting amongst themselves over who would be the first to earn the Chief’s favor. And the one who does would… thanks to the Chief’s miracle, be the first to be revived.”
“Would be?”
“The situation changed thanks to the Goblin.”
Hyeon Se-rin tossed two sections of the tangerine to Yumir.
“Before, we thought only one out of the four could be revived, but thanks to the Goblin, we’re confident that all four can be brought back to life, though the order may vary.”
“Ah…”
“Last year, the competition among the executives wasn’t about achievements but about being the first to resurrect. Now, the only difference is who gets to be ‘unnie’ first. There’s no more reason to fight.”
“Is it really okay to tell me all of this?”
“Of course. You’re an intern, but you’re also Director Do’s subordinate and a loyal partner.”
“It sounds a bit weird being called a ‘loyal partner’… but well, I get the gist.”
Yumir lightly tapped her temple with her index finger.
“I remember something you mentioned before, teacher. When a baby is born, if a human soul enters the child, that soul can reincarnate. That’s how unnie can be reborn, right?”
“That’s one way to put it.”
“So, there’s no need for the executives to fight. As long as the woman who can ‘give birth’ doesn’t die, as long as her body remains capable of having children, the unnie can come back to life.”
“It’s the start of a second, no, third life, beginning from infancy. Hehe.”
Hyeon Se-rin chuckled and popped a piece of tangerine into her mouth, gesturing to her now semi-transparent body.
“It’s the same for you. If you die, the Chief will save your soul out of affection, and you’ll be reborn later. From infancy, of course. Though there are other ways too.”
Hyeon Se-rin tapped her foot lightly on the floor where the urn lay.
“You could inhabit something like a pre-made artificial human, homunculus, or spirit doll. Although still in the research and development stage, time is tight, but if you trust the Chief, everything will be resolved.”
Hyeon Se-rin clasped her hands together as if she were a devout believer praying.
“Trust in the Chief. Even the dead shall rise again.”
“Indeed…”
“And you should be grateful to the Chief. It’s thanks to her that you’re able to be with the Goblin like this.”
Poke, poke, poke.
At Hyeon Se-rin’s suggestive finger gestures, Yumir scratched her cheek and smiled awkwardly.
“She’s someone who permits affairs? I’ve thought about this for a while, but… does she have a preference for that sort of thing?”
“Half of it.”
“…What?”
“She has a mix of preferences, but it’s pretty much as you’re thinking. Your instincts are sharp, aren’t they?”
Hyeon Se-rin walked up to Yumir, draping her arm over her shoulder and whispered softly.
“The Chief, in fact…”
[The bait from Japan has been taken. ‘That man’ will probably head to Jeju Island. ‘Mr. Wanyong.’]
“Are you concerned about me?”
[Of course. That crazy monster, Japan’s strongest villain, is coming for my husband’s head, after all.]
Despite her worried words, the Chief’s eyes were full of confidence in me.
[I’ve also sent Chaos, so don’t lose.]
“I won’t lose. Even if he’s Japan’s strongest villain.”
It was not like I’d be fighting him alone.
“If the fight seems tricky, I’ll call Se-rin, Yumir, and I’ll also get help from Chaos. If necessary, I’ll even ask the Thunder Emperor for support.”
[Ah, that’s it. But just this once.]
“Yes, just this time.”
[Hahaha, this is exciting. Once we get through this crisis…]
The video call screen froze.
She must have floated the camera into the air.
[You’ll devour them all, right?]
“…What?”
The Chairwoman—the Chief—smiled mischievously at me.
[Yumir, Hyeon Se-rin, Chaos, and the S-rank Thunder Emperor. Make them all yours. Then film it and send it to me, okay? The process of them becoming the mothers of your children—all of it. That’s what I want.]
“Wait, all of them?”
[Oh my? After impregnating me, you’re going to talk like that?]
“…Well…”
[You ate something more valuable than wild ginseng, so you’ll have to take responsibility, won’t you?]
…
[Honey.]