Chapter 39

“The black mage… so all of this was your doing!”

“Fufu, exactly. Thanks to the Special Unit following my script, I’ve so easily taken hold of the Seed of Calamity.”

The truth crashed down on them.

Because of my “weak” tentacles flooding into the sea, the damage had been less than usual, allowing the Special Unit to prepare for an assault on the center.

Humans tried to erase the Sea of Decay, so the demons convened the Council and chose to summon an Archduke.

Neither side fully succeeded.

But the one who manipulated it all behind the scenes—stood right before them.

The shock left the squad reeling.

“All of it… in his palm?”

“Even if it costs us our lives, we’ll never let him escape!!”

“And what could you possibly do? Just facing the Archduke of Flames has already drained you dry.”

“…Not everyone.”

— KUUUURRUNG!

With a crack of thunder, a spear pierced through the black mage’s throat.

It was Kang Nabi’s strike, delivered with every ounce of strength she had left.

Blue blood sprayed. The figure crumpled lifelessly, like a marionette with its strings cut.

Relief lit the soldiers’ faces—until another, dressed identically, strode out of the darkness unharmed.

“Impressive, truly. But did you think such a strike could harm me?”

“No way…”

“He… he died! We saw it!”

“For me, death is but a state. And soon, you’ll share it.”

He plucked the ring from his corpse and slid it back onto his finger, then walked toward the Seed.

The rotting scale lodged in black coral—the relic of the transcendent one who had once turned this sea into a grave.

The Archduke of Tempests had perished, but his overwhelming power lingered in the deep, awaiting a new throne.

And after decades, it had found its heir.

“From the very birth of the Sea of Decay, nothing here was ever allowed to live. Not you. Not me. Not even the demons.”

“…”

“But the vacancy of this abyssal throne ends now.”

He brushed his hair back, pressed a hand to the scale.

The sea roared. Walls of water collapsed, vomiting forth the dead.

Most had been consumed as sacrifices, leaving only bone and ash. Yet a few, stubborn, clawed their way upright.

“From this moment, I shall—huh? What… what’s happening to me?”

Just as the raid force teetered on annihilation, the anomaly came.

“Moon Ah-rin! You’re awake?!”

“Eh? My wings…?”

As she blinked awake, the black mage staggered.

Light streamed from her white wings, and his voice twisted in pain.

“Impossible… the Saint of Salvation?”

“M-me? Wait, who are you?”

“Ghh! Just her gaze—such force! You’ve been hiding this all along!?”

“I-I didn’t do anything though!?”

He yanked the scale free of the coral.

Water surged higher, mana patterns scattering.

Without the Dimensional Core, the Gate destabilized, the sea collapsing back to its natural state.

Ha Yeri tried to move for the Seed, but the flood of corpses and water forced her into a defensive guard.

“Fortunate, isn’t it? Saved by the Saint of Salvation. But my purpose is complete.”

“You bastard, running away!?”

“Next time we meet, I’ll show you what true terror is. Fufufufu!”

With a mocking bow, one arm spread like a conductor, he vanished beneath a curtain of black waves—Seed in hand.

“Fishing vessels were deployed to search the area. No remains found but a few demon corpses. The rate of undead appearances in the West Sea and Han River has been monitored, but the numbers are negligible—likely natural occurrences.”

“…”

“At present, posting a wanted order for the black mage is the best countermeasure. That concludes the final report on the reclamation of the Sea of Decay.”

When Ha Yeri finished, silence fell over the Special Unit’s conference room.

Weeks had passed since the flooding had ceased.

Bandaged veterans stared ahead, faces heavy with regret.

Should they not have sent such a small strike team?

No one had expected most of the undead to already be incapacitated.

If only the Commanders themselves had gone… but then, what if the black mage had struck the coast in their absence?

Self-reproach spiraled endlessly.

A mutter broke the silence:

“A new Archduke. Demon coalitions. And now a faceless black mage pulling strings… this country really is nearing its end.”

“Calm yourselves. If nothing else, we now know of our worst enemy. And that knowledge is its own victory.”

Cheon So-baek rose firmly, her voice steady.

The commanders who had stood countless times at humanity’s brink of annihilation were not so quick to give in.

“The Sea of Decay has vanished. Not a single death in the process—so the raid was a success.”

“But the Seed of Calamity ended up in that black mage’s hands…!”

“Then we simply dedicate all our strength to stopping whatever he intends to use it for. The Magic Tower doesn’t keep its eyes just for decoration.”

“But still…”

“And besides, we gained a new power of our own, didn’t we?”

At Cheon So-baek’s words, all eyes turned toward Moon Ah-rin.

Crouched in the corner, she looked up with a stilted, broken motion, like a wind-up doll gone wrong.

She had merely fainted and woken up—but now she was hailed as the heroine who protected her comrades from the sinister black mage and foiled his plan to seize the Sea of Decay.

All according to my design.

“Congratulations, Miss Moon Ah-rin. Or should I call you Deputy Commander of the Firepower Support Unit?”

“M-me? I—I didn’t do anything…”

“No need to be modest. The testimony of your comrades overflows. Especially Agent Sae Hayan’s report—he wrote that you looked like an angel descended from the heavens to fight evil. Fit for a textbook, really.”

“Indeed. We’re already pushing for it to be distributed as official reference material for next year’s Special Unit exams.”

Clap clap clap clap!

Applause thundered. Moon Ah-rin trembled as though she might faint again—overcome, perhaps, with joy she couldn’t contain.

I clapped along, congratulating her on the promotion.

The Sea of Decay was gone. An Archduke had appeared, yes, but there were no casualties. And the Star Scar had been safely recovered.

My acting had paid off.

“Next, let’s discuss the Bureau’s follow-up policy and responses.”

“With the West Sea secured, we can open proper exchanges with the coalition shipyards in Busan.”

“Communications had been limited until now, but large-scale material transport will be possible again.”

“With Tartaruga strengthening Seoul’s defenses, expanding Special Unit operations should be safe.”

“And this afternoon, a special budget has been allocated for each division’s gathering expenses. Please remind your members not to let the afterparties drag on too long…”

As the mood lightened and the meeting turned to logistics, I quietly slipped away.

I had to deliver the Star Scar to Mala-nim—and claim my blessing.

The Seed of Calamity I’d recovered with my clone was cleaned, dried in sunlight, and hidden carefully inside my dormitory mattress.

Back in my room, I locked the door, climbed to the top bunk, and pulled the gleaming scale from beneath my blanket. A white tentacle peeked out eagerly.

“How about it, Mala-nim? Surely this much makes coming to Earth worthwhile.”

『Fear! Fear!』

A Star Scar belonging to none other than the 30th-ranked Archduke.

Ten times what I had gained from Yoo Se-byeol.

She might carry even more within her body, but this alone was enough to make my patron rejoice.

But as the tentacle darted for the scale, I caught it in my hand.

“Hold it. Not yet. Before I give it to you, we need to be clear.”

『Fear?』

“This time, you’ll grant me your blessing too, won’t you? Last time you used up all the Star Scars I collected just to manifest a vessel.”

Of course, Mala-nim’s incarnation had been a boon to me as well.

It let us speak directly, and let me act as Patel within the Council.

But with a haul this large, I wanted something more—power poured directly into me.

With Flauros revealed, I needed to grow stronger.

“Even if I hold the blessing, the Star Scar doesn’t vanish. It’s just stored with me temporarily.”

『……』

“You weren’t planning to gobble it all up again, were you?”

『Fe… fear not…!』

Like a child whining over stolen New Year’s money, Mala-nim fidgeted and sulked.

We’d had this quarrel before, even in the Demon Realm.

But the truth was, I needed stronger tentacles. Only then could I fight Archdukes who bore their own Star Scars.

I had gone out of my way to ease Mala-nim’s burden by mastering Extreme Magic on my own.

Even so, I hadn’t yet reached true mastery. But with a supply of Star Scars this large, I might finally take another step closer.

“I’m not just looking for an easy way out. I have a conscience too, so please—just spare me a little this time.”

『Not?』

“Yes, Mala-nim. You decide the portion. If it seems too small, I’ll adjust it.”

After much squirming deliberation, Mala-nim crawled up onto the scale. She drew her tentacle down its oval surface, splitting it neatly in half.

“Well, that’s not bad.”

『……』

“Mala-nim?”

Then, from right to left this time—

The clear slime along her tentacle shimmered in the shape of a cross across the surface.

A quarter.

Still a decent amount, I thought. She must be hungry too.

I’d been feeding her scraps and clam shells whenever I could, but even a god might crave something like a luxurious buffet now and then.

It wouldn’t be enough to advance my Extreme Magic, but at least I could use it to strengthen a few tentacles.

So I thought—until Mala-nim kept going.

Half of the half, then half of that again, until only a palm-sized shard remained.
Then once more, slicing off the corner, jamming it against the bedframe—

Snap!

And at last she handed me a sliver barely the size of a pinky nail, trembling as if even this was too much to give.

“…”

“Brother! Are you in there!?”

Just then, Alexei shoved open the locked door as if it were nothing.

He spotted the glittering crumbs of the Star Scar scattered across his bed from the earlier impact and asked me,

“What are these things, brother?”

“Perfect timing, Alexei. I bought some snacks outside—would you like some?”

『F-fear not!』

I held out the tiny scale fragment to him.

The negotiations that followed went very smoothly.