Chapter 47: The day Han So-mid died.

That day, we fought the third executive of the Dark Kingdom, Bedivides.

He had established a base somewhere on the African continent, and the six members of the Dragon King Corps

launched an assault there for a purge.

“Dragons do not shed tears.”

“They simply soar.”

[EXCALIBUR!]

[CLARENT!]

[-Include! REVELATION!]

His base was vast. It was a place where ordinary people were abducted and used for bio-experiments to enhance

their abilities.

We split into teams to simultaneously fight and rescue, and I was tasked with a one-on-one showdown with

Bedivides.

“The plague’s white…!”

With the powers of Excalibur and Clarent, I barely managed to defeat him. I dragged my battered body around the

base, looking for my comrades.

“Ha, ha. Ui-seok ssi!”

The first person I encountered in the corridor was Kang Ye-rin.

She also seemed to have been isolated. She was in a terrible state from fighting the other combatants.

“Where are the others?!”

“I don’t know! Let’s go find them!”

We ran through the base, Kang Ye-rin and I.

Finally, we found the other members in the experimental zone.

And the situation was already unfolding.

Shin Yu-kyung, Ji Se-hwa, and Choi Min-seo were struggling in front of some kind of device.

A huge reinforcement machine. Around it, the bodies of ordinary people who had become victims littered the floor.

And inside it—

“Som-i!!”

There was Som-i, half-dragged into the machine.

I immediately ran to the device and pulled at Som-i’s upper body, trying to yank her out.

But even with the Red of War activated, it was useless. The machine had already ignored the laws of physics,

indulging in Som-i’s body.

“…Ui-seok ssi.”

By then, it seemed she had already foreseen her own death. Though her face was hidden behind the helmet, I could

tell she was smiling.

“Don’t despair. Fight for justice.”

I knew she was smiling as she said those words.

With that, Som-i was fully drawn into the device.

The machine closed, and I refused to give up, forcibly trying to open it.

But there was nothing inside.

It was a malfunctioning enhancement device, one that had never succeeded during the experiments. It had

obliterated Som-i without leaving even a corpse behind.

I don’t want to remember the emotions I felt at that moment.

Later, the other three told me that Som-i had tried to rescue the civilians trapped in the device but had gotten caught

herself.

I thought my poor judgment had led to that outcome.

If we hadn’t split the Corps and had all six of us moved together, such a thing would not have happened.

But…

“Answer me.”

I grabbed Choi Min-seo by the hair and lifted her up, asking once again.

“Ahh, ahh.”

Bang!

I slammed Choi Min-seo’s head against the wall.

She still hadn’t regained her senses.

“What did you do to Som-i?”

“No, I didn’t… I didn’t make her do it. Yu-kyung, Yu-kyung unnie was the one. She was curious about the device.”

“And Ji Se-hwa?”

“She told me to try it myself.”

“So?”

“Yu-kyung, unnie didn’t want to, so Se-hwa, unnie said to try it with someone else.”

“And you?”

“Ah, no, no, oppa. I’m sorry.”

“And you?”

“I didn’t do anything. I didn’t say anything.”

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it.”

“Did you think it would be fun?”

“Of… ▬▬▬‒‒‒▬, ▬▬ ‒‒‒‒”

“Zeo.”

Lua placed her hand on my shoulder.

For a moment, my memory disappeared.

It seemed the demerit of rage had activated.

In front of me lay Choi Min-seo, drenched in blood. She wasn’t dead yet.

“Bring it.”

?

Lua looked a bit scared, but she obediently followed my orders. She brought the entire box of cherry-colored cloud

powder. I scooped it up with my hands and shoved it all into Choi Min-seo’s mouth.

“Ugh… Eh? Ah, eh? Ue, ah, aah, ahhhhhhhhhh…”

It was pestam, but of very poor quality. I had force-fed her a garbage substance that only showed downs and not ups.

The reason she had been able to live happily in her dreams up until now was one thing.

It was because only high-purity premium products had been used.

Now that I had fed her this, it reversed.

Nightmares in the down state infiltrated the unconscious mind, and they became indistinguishable from reality.

That’s the side effect of pestam.

With the threshold increased, no matter how high-end the product is, eventually, nightmares become reality.

She’ll have to live in a hellish illusion for the rest of her life.

It would be better to die, really.

“Green Nature, are you going to kill her now?”

“Soon. She’s still useful. I need to check this woman’s memories. I need to know exactly what Shin Yu-kyung and Ji

Se-hwa did.”

Only then will I know how much I should return to them, a hundred times over.

But Lua hesitated.

“That… I don’t know yet, I still can’t remember.”

“Can’t you find out with dark matter?”

“It was the first time with Zeo, so I don’t know how it happened.”

That was close to an accident during the blooming process. Apparently, it had been a power that should have been

unlocked at a higher level.

I looked down at Choi Min-seo, squirming on the ground, trembling like a worm.

“Collect her DNA. It could be used for infiltrating the Association. We might be able to steal a Mecha. Keep Green

Nature imprisoned.”

“Got it.”

I didn’t want to look at Choi Min-seo any longer, so I returned to the hideout. I checked the pestam.

There was enough of it. The storage condition wasn’t great, but the loss was minimal.

Choi Min-seo was no longer useful, so I’d have to get the information directly from Shin Yu-kyung and Ji Se-hwa.

Based on the situation, Som-i’s death was an accident.

But if the cause wasn’t my and Som-i’s mistakes but rather these three, then…

It would only be fitting to lock them in an eternal hell, a death too luxurious for them.

I needed to revise the plan a little.

“Chief. There are people who want to meet with you.”

As I was thinking, the quick-witted one reported.

“Let’s meet.”

When I went down to the lobby, familiar faces were there. Leading the group was Kang Wan, followed by the leaders

of the villain organizations I had seen at Pier 7.

“Zeo-rjius.”

“Kang Wan.”

Kang Wan, leading his large frame, stood in front of me. He glared at me with vicious eyes.

Then, he closed his eyes and bowed his head.

“I apologize for my rudeness last time. To think I couldn’t recognize someone of your stature… I was blind.”

Considering that Kang Wan was a villain who was not tied to any group and did as he pleased, he was showing a

surprising amount of courtesy.

“I was impressed by your skills in the Cancer Front. The villains’ alliance, Buldoso, hopes to join.”

Kang Wan made a proposal to me. It seems that the others have similar matters to address.

From my perspective, increasing my power is a good thing. The more tools I have, the better, and there’s less risk of

suffering losses when villains fight among themselves.

However, hierarchy must be enforced.

“Hope, you say? Does the world ever let you have what you want whenever you please, Kang Wan?”

“Ugh, hmm.”

“I already saved your life once at Dock 7. I don’t remember receiving any thanks for that.”

“…I’m grateful for that. I’ve prepared something as a token of appreciation. Weapons and bombs. Five containers of them.”

“I don’t need cheap imports.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Still, considering you came to me instead of Elena, it seems like you’re not entirely blind.”

“…I didn’t believe the rumors that the boss of the Divine Water faction had surrendered.”

Kang Wan wiped cold sweat from his brow. It seems he’s still half-doubtful.

“What I want from you is one thing.”

I bared my teeth.

“Submit.”

At my words, the leaders exchanged glances.

While they weren’t on Elena’s level, they were the heads of some of the most influential villain organizations in this

country.

To bow their heads too hastily would be problematic, not just for their pride but for their organizations as well.

That’s why I made the demand.

Anyone who tries to disrupt my plan will be crushed without mercy.

In the end, the first to kneel was Kang Wan.

“…I, Kang Wan, swear loyalty to Zeorgius, the boss of the Villain Alliance.”

As expected of Kang Wan.

Having directly experienced my power, he made his decision swiftly.

Once one of them began, the others followed suit, kneeling and declaring their names.

“…I can’t do it.”

One person who refused to submit left the room.

The rest of them—four in total—knelt.

Thus, the Villain Alliance grew in strength with the union of six organizations.

I made an announcement.

“The goal of the Villain Alliance is simple. We show strength. Those who submit will be protected. Those who oppose

will die. We take everything.”

I looked from face to face beneath me, ensuring they understood the gravity of my words.

“Kill the heroes. Recruit the unaligned, but don’t wage war. Dominate the citizens. Never harm the children. Those

who break these rules, even if they’re on our side, will be executed. And…”

I emphasized my next point.

“Betrayers must be reported. You will be rewarded for it. I will tear apart anyone who betrays us.”

With that, I tightened the leash. As long as the four organizations didn’t unite, they would keep each other in check.

“Move if you understand. Immediately remove any obstacles from the Galactic Empire. The more we crush them, the

stronger we become. Got it?”

The leaders answered.

“Lastly, call me the head, not the boss. Disperse.”

The figures moved.

One approached me and asked.

“How did you manage to recruit Elena?”

“I gave her what she wanted.”

“She couldn’t obtain something she desired? Ha, interesting.”

The man shook his head before continuing.

“Zeorgius, are you a demon?”

I answered with a smile instead of words.

…That feeling again.

A sharp pain stabbed through my bones, veins, and heart.

A painful sensation like thick spears cutting through my brain, nerves, and synapses.

My mind, my soul, repeatedly assaulted with blunt, jagged strikes.

…?

It seems it was just an illusion.

There was no pain.

Sunlight seeped into my eyes.

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

A face appeared before me.

Flowing hair, sharp eyes.

“Did you sleep well? Zeo.”

Elena was lying on my bed.