Chapter 549 – The Campaign of Conquest (3)

“Remarkable, is this Sansuyu’s edifice? The warmth is excellent. Its location is also prime.”

Jung Si-woo, who was caressing the floor, expressed his admiration in a series of comments.

A hunter’s establishment, nested in Gangnam, precisely in the land of the golden yolk. This robust building, erected on a plot secured after intense competition, surpasses a staggering hundred billion won even if its worth is discussed solely in units.

What kind of selection, the wealthiest hunter one might presume! It’s not a baseless statement; the ‘huntress’ had a renowned reputation as a woman with a knack for amassing wealth, even amongst the top echelons of corporations.

‘Sansuyu was the eldest daughter of the Cornus lineage. I occasionally forget.’

What kind of lineage is Cornus? It is a lineage that, despite conducting a high-risk experiment of immortality, has carved out the largest sphere of influence amongst all factions and amassed substantial wealth. They may be extinct now, but their blood does not dissipate. Sansuyu is the eldest daughter of the Cornus lineage.

I observed Sansuyu.

“?”

Behind her seemingly innocent visage, she conceals multifaceted competence. Therefore, I should benefit from it.

I spoke as if this building belonged to me.

“Oh, don’t hesitate to make it a mess. When else will we live in such a place?”
“Oh, how can you say that?”

I chimed in playfully and patted the buttocks of Sansuyu, who was seated next to me.

“… Oh!”

Startled, Sansuyu let out a cute yelp. She cast a glance my way immediately.

“… Si-eon, that’s incorrigible.”
“Incorrigible indeed. You are the guilty one.”

Sansuyu, rubbing her filled belly, squinted her eyes like a fox. But you’re just a puppy, not a fox. To explain this situation, we have to travel quite far back.

– Ah, cream rice cake. So delectable.

Sansuyu, unable to resist her surging lust, coveted my lower body. I reckoned it would end in about thirty minutes and left her to her devices. But she ended up sucking for three whole hours. It didn’t just stop at sucking. She played with it using her hands, bit and nibbled on it. She refused to part from it, and only after a severe reprimanding was I able to free myself from her grasp.

‘Does it make sense to cling to it without knowing the promised time?’

When Jung Si-woo arrived, Sansuyu, taken aback, changed her clothes at the speed of light. Swiftly moving her superhuman body. Sansuyu, now changed into her outdoor clothes, was clad in the least revealing outfit. The whitish fluid that had been smeared around her mouth seemed to have disappeared as if she had licked it clean.

“What, have you eaten?”
“Suyu has quite the appetite. Well, that’s what happened. Should I order one?”
“No, I’m not particularly hungry.”
“Oh, but you should eat something since you’ve caught me. Let’s order a drink too.”
“…Hmm. Shall we?”

Sansuyu, sated, wouldn’t be able to eat more. But that’s none of my concern.

“Do you want to eat tteokbokki?”

I stress the word purposely. A slight act of vengeance towards Sansuyu, who drained my vitality.

Hungry, Jung Si-woo nodded as if his appetite was piqued, and I turned my gaze to Cornus.

“How do you feel?”
“Eh.”

Cornus was on the verge of tears.

“That’s harsh… I only fed Si-eon cream rice cakes- oops!”
“Hush. Mind your mouth.”

After silencing the protesting Cornus, I issued a cautious warning. Jung Si-woo merely widened his eyes in surprise and laughed heartily.

“You two seem to have grown closer than before.”
“Have we?”

Indeed, we had grown closer in numerous ways. In fact, it was inevitable.

Both Cornus and I had laid bare everything we had, sharing our bodies while living under the same roof. I turned to Cornus and asked,

“Are we close?”

Cornus looked at me and nodded her head adorably.

-Nod.

“Yes.”

Cornus, having nodded, stretched out her arms. Anticipating her next move, suddenly, she pulled me into a tight embrace.

Her soft cheeks pressed against my shoulder as she attempted to make a show of affection for Jung Si-woo.

Her breasts brushed against my arm. Cornus, snuggling her cheek into my shoulder, unabashedly displayed her endearing charm.

“We like each other. We’re dating.”
“What…?”

It wasn’t exactly wrong, but it wasn’t right either. I looked at Cornus in disbelief, and Jung Si-woo appeared surprised for a moment before he burst into laughter.

“Really?”
“Yes. I love you, Si-eon.”
“Well, naturally you would.”

“Naturally,” he said?

After some contemplation, I quickly grasped his implication. Three years ago, Cornus’s situation was nothing short of abysmal. It was I who had saved her, even at the cost of my own life. Considering the circumstances, though somewhat different, from Jung Si-woo’s perspective, it wasn’t strange to think that we were in a special relationship.

Jung Si-woo, perhaps deeply moved, cast an affectionate glance at the two of us and smiled gently.

-Knock, knock.

The delivered tteokbokki had arrived. The reason I had called Jung Si-woo wasn’t solely to create a place for conversation after a long time. The crucial factor was how to overcome the trials’ devil.

Alcohol would serve as the vehicle to bring joy to the meeting. I removed the hot tteokbokki and alcohol from the rustling plastic bag, set the table, and gently raised my glass.

“Here’s to us. Cheers.”

Hoping for things to unfold smoothly in the future. For everything to go according to plan.

My glass collided simultaneously with those of Si-woo and Cornus.

-Clink!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The reason I met Cornus and Jung Si-woo was that they were key in defeating the trials’ devil.

When would we overthrow the King of Trees? After inquiring about Jung Si-woo’s schedule in detail, we set a rough date and parted ways. We planned to carry out the major operation in approximately two weeks.

‘Do not discriminate between means and methods.’

No scheme is off the table.
Even if it veers from the ethical path, if it proves efficient, sacrifices are acceptable.

Sansuyu, a recent acquaintance, has been a significant power source.
Though I worry for her well-being… she’s a being who’s attained immortality.
It would be more meaningful to fear a plane crash than to fret over Sansuyu’s life.

‘If only I can bring down the king in this way.’

It would likely alleviate the uncertainty about the future—the primary reason for building power alone, distant from my lover.

[Chirp!]

One strategy to topple the King of Trees.

“Approach slowly.”
“Understood.”

I signaled to Sansuyu, gradually amplifying my body’s magic.
Sansuyu stood before me, sword in hand, ready to charge at any moment.

I closed my eyes and communicated with Lucy and Eleanor.

‘Without pressure, take it slowly.’
[I feel your magic, Master.]
‘Yes. I’m modulating it intentionally.’

Spiritual Integration.
But not your typical variety.

If the previous method was to dominate the spirits through ‘Magi’,
Now, I harmonize with them using ‘colorless’ mana.

The properties of the extended mana didn’t significantly differ from what the King of Trees could handle.
In turn, my capabilities to respond and evade would dramatically increase.

[Master, if you further intensify the magic, your physical form risks dispersal.]
‘Proceed.’

At Lucy’s words, the yellow sap-sucking woodpecker, I commanded immediate action.
Eleanor, the tree-hopping sylph, perched on my right shoulder, and Lucy on my left, as parts of my body transmuted into mana.

Upon reaching the peak of Spiritual Integration, the contractor themselves transform into something akin to a half-spirit.
A mana organism possessing a Core.
Extraction of only the advantages from the structures of two life forms, humans and spirits.

‘Now I think about it. It’s remarkably similar to the power of the crown.’

The crown, in itself, acts as a Core.
More precisely, is the ‘World Tree’ compressing the ‘organ’ using magic into the crown?
Thus, the crown wielder can use the mana within the Core as they wish, while the crown itself can absorb and utilize nature’s magic.

That’s why mana is virtually deemed infinite.
Even in the case of the crown, the burden caused by excessive mana falls on the crown itself.

‘The King’s condition must have been pitiful.’

The crown worn by the King of Trees was severed in half.
Presumably, the crown crumbled under the weight of an astronomical amount of mana, and the backlash was borne by the King and his crown.

‘In other words… there’s a limit to the mana the King can wield.’

Input and output present complications.

That sums up the explanation.
In short, this Spiritual Integration puts less pressure on me.

The fuel efficiency was impressive. It seemed capable of enduring for several weeks more than when employing magic.

“Sian, I’m on my way.”
“Uh-huh.”
“If I win… Will you gift me a rice cake?”
“Nibble and suckle to your heart’s content.”
“…!”

A gravity settled over Cornus’s visage.

“I have a fondness for rice cakes.”

You might, but I certainly do not.

-Crack!

Cornus lunged forward, the tip of her sword reaching me in the blink of an eye.

-Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

With a mere four strides, Cornus closed the distance, pursuing me. Through the eyes of Eleanor and Lucy, I scrutinized Cornus’s movements leisurely.

Both hands crossed, I adopted a stance distinct from the Heavenly Demon Fist.

‘It’s amusing to develop a new method at this stage.’

Regarding spirit assimilation, it’s necessary to alter the characteristics of the martial arts I practice. A technique refined over a significant length of time. The Spirit Manifestation martial arts, unfolding in a sequence of 24 movements. Naturally, these 24 movements are centered around evasion and maneuverability.

-Swoosh!

A consecutive assault that traces a trail of heat in the air. It’s relentless, given the opponent is me. Just enduring such an onslaught would be fatal for most S-class hunters.

Magic swirls around both arms, deflecting the attack. It’s more akin to diverting the flow, as the spinning magic smoothly repels Cornus’s sword energy.

【 Heavenly Demon Art, Stance of the Spirit 】

Naming it isn’t necessary, but I am the Heavenly Demon of this generation. Perhaps it might be christened in this manner.

– Thump! Thump! Thump!

Cornus’s flurry of attacks flows around me like a stream.

Despite not backtracking, I naturally recede, my body unscathed.

“…?”

Perplexity clouds Cornus’s face. Regardless of the intensity of her assault, there’s no effective hit, which seems to frustrate her significantly.

I attempted to impose pressure.

-Thump!

I deflect Cornus’s sword strike. The Stance of the Spirit involves evasion, maneuvering, and, at times, counterattacks.

Cornus’s sword energy, intertwined with my magic, creates an amplified impact.

-Thump!

I advance, delivering a righteous fist thrust. Cornus barely evades my counterattack by twisting her body, her subsequent strike blocked by reverting to the evasive stance.

[Chirp, to the right!]
‘Understood.’

Her tactics of intermittently incorporating feints are indeed worthy of the term ‘hunter.’

[Master, this sword strike can’t be halted.]
‘Then perhaps I should blend in some magic.’
[In that case… It might be feasible.]

I gauge Cornus’s movements and reflect her sword energy. Adding magic amplifies its ferocity.

-Crunch!

A viper’s strike, consuming the sword energy and spewing it out. The creature, mouth agape, bares its venomous fangs, closing in to tear into Cornus’s throat.

“!”

Of course, those fangs never pierced Cornus’s neck.

For all her seeming frailty, Cornus was nonetheless my equal in combat.

If our battle were to the death, I could not predict the outcome, but she was not to be underestimated.

‘It’s fortunate to have Cornus.’

Having someone to test my might against is indeed a blessing.

The joy Mugung and the Heavenly Demon found in their brutal bouts with one another was becoming clearer to me.

-Pop!

As our practice concluded, it was time for feedback. I decided to postpone Cornus’s assessment, focusing first on my own spirits.

I continued our conversation as I stroked the delicate Eleanor, as small and soft as a sparrow.

“We are still lacking somewhat.”
[Chirp, ooh. I apologize, Master…]
“Perhaps I should seek another spirit.”

Eleanor and Lucy are spirits of considerable merit.
Having grown accustomed to my ‘Magi’, their absence would be a significant handicap. Without spirits, my magical prowess would be greatly diminished. Their importance has increased in tandem with the development of the spirits’ postures.

Yet, managing with just two is proving challenging. If only there were one more…

“Ah.”

Then it struck me, Eleanor.

[Yes, Master?]

Wasn’t she the princess of the kingdom?

“Could you bring your father?”

Eleanor, Princess of the Spirits. Above her would be the Spirit King. The Spirit Queen, perhaps?

My excitement bubbled over as I spoke.

“Your mother would be welcome too.”

[…Chirp?]

Eleanor’s startled chirp echoed through the air.