Chapter 278 - For The Time Being

After the disaster caused by the Moonlight Cult at the end of the year passed, a new year's January had arrived.

In the span of nearly a month, the Republic of Korea was recovering stability remarkably quickly, despite suffering more damage than other countries since the Moonlight Cult had launched their terror attacks there.

[The primary goal of our Yu-seong Group is the stability of the Republic of Korea, and the secondary goal is also the stability of the Republic of Korea!]

The main reason was that Lee Seol-ah, the chairperson of our Yu-seong Corporation, had taken the initiative to unite all construction companies, working together with one heart and mind on reconstruction projects.

Thanks to lawmakers who suspiciously changed laws in Yu-seong's favor and mysteriously stockpiled basic facilities, the Republic of Korea was actively recovering infrastructure destroyed by monsters under Yu-seong Group's leadership.

...Of course, all of this was planned in advance by Lee Seol-ah and me. We had expanded underground shelters beforehand to significantly reduce casualties and prepared for the aftermath of the disaster, making all this possible.

The result was that if you went to downtown Seoul now, you'd see it teeming with people again. Though new buildings were still being constructed here and there, it was still an incredibly moving experience for me. Especially when I thought about how New Seoul had been completely reduced to ruins in the original story.

By now in the original story, the few survivors would be hiding underground, starving... while the dark surface would be overrun with rampaging monsters. With all sorts of monsters continuously pouring out of the gates, the world was on the brink of destruction.

Compared to that, how touching was this vibrant city full of people playing under the bright blue sky? I felt completely rewarded for all my hard work until now.

In fact, our members knew how hard I had worked to prevent this, so everyone seemed pleased when I said I would rest for a while.

"Oppa. There won't be any disasters as big as this one for a while, right?"

"Huh? Oh, that's right."

Of course, as we're entering the middle to late stages, all sorts of villains with unique abilities will appear, but until the final battle, there won't be any global-scale attacks with this kind of volume.

"Hmm. So that's how it is, right?"

At my words, Seo-eun just smiled sweetly, moving a little closer to the bed where I was lying.

...What's up with her?

Anyway, apart from this case, other colleagues also frequently asked me about future events.

"Hmm... Da-in, you're going to rest for a while? That's certainly reassuring."

Su-bin said that while giving me tea with a gentle smile.

"Ahem, ahem. Hey, Da-in. Is it true that we've overcome a major crisis now? So..."

"From now on, Choi Se-hee will stop saving the world and seduce—mmph!"

"W-what are you saying, are you crazy?! Come here!"

"Haha. What, we all discussed it the other day—aaack! Help me! Da-in, save me!"

Choi Se-hee was asking something similar while scratching her head when Seo Ja-young suddenly interrupted, saying something before Se-hee, with a reddened face, got angry and dragged her off somewhere.

...I don't know what that was about, but it's nice to see they're still getting along well.

Anyway, besides these four, even our Ha-yul came by to ask subtly, so everyone clearly had a great interest in taking a break. Basically everyone asked except for Eun-wol, Uncle Desik, and Mr. Shin-ryong.

Ah, and Eun-wol.

"Eun-wol. Are you feeling better?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, of course. Da-in oppa, please take care of yourself first."

Eun-wol, who had collapsed after manipulating all the gates' magical energy, woke up the day after the battle ended.

When we told her that the cult leader had fallen and the Moonlight Cult had been destroyed, she looked quite relieved.

Still, she had overexerted herself so much that she couldn't use magic for a while and needed some stability.

"..."

Anyway, after defeating the Moonlight Cult leader, Eun-wol's expression seemed much more relieved than before. It was as if she had shaken something off. Probably remnants of the past.

I just quietly stroked her head.

"Da-in oppa..."

"Yes? What is it? Need to talk about something?"

"No. Rather, is it true that there won't be any major terrorist attacks for a while...?"

"..."

...Why is everyone so curious about that? Was the impact of the Moonlight Cult that significant?

Anyway. After that night when everyone visited my room.

In the dark dawn.

"Hmm..."

Alone in my room, I was sitting at my desk, quietly thinking.

"..."

Yes. It seems like I'll be resting for a while. Although immediate retirement might be difficult since there are still quite dangerous villains, even if not on the Moonlight Cult's level. Part 3 is when all sorts of villains with creative abilities start appearing. From guys who can manipulate luck based on dice rolls to all kinds of strange characters. Especially since I prevented the disaster, there's a possibility of encountering characters I don't know about.

...But if things look good after observing for a while, I can probably stop my villain activities soon.

In the end, what matters is the final boss...

"...Sigh."

I looked up at the starry sky outside the window with such thoughts.

...Honestly, I still think it's a miracle that I'm alive. I could have died at any moment.

Especially when I was stabbed by monsters in the Han-eun Group's basement, or when missiles were flying toward me... I've had many experiences of stepping to the threshold of death. I just somehow managed to come back alive.

Still, how long can this luck last?

I sometimes think about that at night.

...Especially when I think about the final battle. If my thoughts are correct...

As I was thinking that far, I decided to quietly write in my diary.

My diary, which I've been writing for several years now, was running out of pages. Unlike my Ego-stream emergency manual that I wrote in preparation for my possible death, the diary was troublesome because the paper kept multiplying. Well, since we're in phase 3 now, if my predictions are correct, the day to write this diary will come soon.

"Yawn..."

With such thoughts, I finished writing in my diary. Since I hadn't written since before and after the Moonlight Cult incident, using being sick as an excuse, there was quite a lot to write, so it took some time...

"Let's go to sleep..."

I muttered as I got up from my seat.

I need to manage the Stardust fan cafe today too, yawn... I'll do that after I wake up tomorrow morning.

With that thought, I fell asleep.

And the next morning.

"Oppa."

"Yes?"

Sitting on the living room sofa, naturally managing the Stardust fan cafe on my laptop, which was filled with posts about Stardust's activities during the recent Moonlight Cult incident, I looked up when I heard Seo-eun calling me as she came with Eun-wol.

"Oh, Seo-eun. You're up?"

"Yes, oppa... yawn..."

Seo-eun, still staggering with lack of energy in the morning, sat on the sofa, and Eun-wol helped her while sitting next to me.

"Oppa..."

"Yes. What is it, Seo-eun?"

I answered Seo-eun, who was speaking to me in a drowsy state, while continuing to manage the fan cafe. Well, "managing" just meant selecting and moving nice Stardust photos that were uploaded to the cafe to another tab. Even news agencies were taking photos from our cafe.

While I was working.

"Oppa... are you enjoying this...?"

A cold hand landed on my shoulder, accompanied by that voice.

Turning my head slightly, I saw Seo-eun looking at my computer screen with narrowed eyes.

Having woken up from her sleepiness, she puffed her cheeks and said to me.

"Be honest. Do you really like Stardust in a romantic way? Like, do you want her to be your girlfriend?"

"...How could that be possible, Seo-eun?"

"Hmph. Why wouldn't it be possible?"

After grumbling to herself, Seo-eun suddenly became serious and seemed lost in thought.

"...Right. The one who's always with him anyway... that woman is..."

She was muttering something inaudibly to herself, and I couldn't hear what she was saying clearly. Eun-wol was watching her with a bitter smile and sweating.

...Whatever it was, has she calmed down now? As I was thinking that, I turned my eyes back to the fan cafe management on my monitor. Let me finish this quickly. It seems like Seo-eun might develop a condition where she gets angry at the sight of Stardust photos...

As I was thinking that and clicking the mouse, everyone else, including Su-bin, gathered in the living room one by one.

I was still organizing the fan cafe.

...And while organizing Stardust photos, I remembered something—I think there was a villain who launched an attack right after the Moonlight Cult incident...

But my thoughts were interrupted.

Because Seo-eun, who had been lost in thought and muttering to herself, suddenly stood up and shouted.

"Oppa!"

"Yes?"

"Let's all go to an amusement park together!"

"...Amusement park?"

As I was wondering what she meant by this sudden suggestion, her eyes sparkling, Su-bin, who was placing fruit on the table, smiled slightly and said.

"Amusement park? Sounds good."

"Huh? We're going out?"

And then Choi Se-hee and Seo Ja-young also started showing interest.

"..?"

Just like that, in an instant, we decided to go to an amusement park the next day.

...Well, yes. Going out is good too, I guess.

"Yes, oppa! Let's also start the official Ego-stream SNS that we've been putting on hold!"

Seo-eun said with a bright smile.

I told her to do as she pleased. Yeah... as long as you're happy.

"Hehe. That woman definitely can't join us..."

Though her muttering to herself was a bit scary.

***

"..."

At the Hero Association.

S-class hero Stardust, who was sitting there, momentarily stopped what she was working on due to a sudden unpleasant feeling.

...She felt like she was being left out, but it was probably just her imagination.