Chapter 351 - Flickering Lantern

After things settled with Celeste.

I returned and started working normally again.

"Cough."

...Tsk.

Before that, I wiped the blood from my mouth. Sigh, I used psychokinesis for too long in the Sun God's temple and now I'm coughing up blood again...

Anyway, I was working.

...Well, that's what I said, but what I was most interested in was.

"Seriously, what's going on with Stardus lately?"

It was about Stardus.

The world has been quite unsettled lately. News from around the world tells of villains occupying national capitals, economies being destroyed by continued terrorism, and similar stories. Especially with countries like Japan and China being occupied by villains, diplomatic relations with our country have become difficult. Other villains aren't like Katana, so...

Anyway, perhaps because of this, our country's news seemed to be trying to show only hopeful domestic matters. In other words, they started promoting "Republic of Korea is safe, everyone!" by hyping up the hero Stardus.

In reality, Stardus was excellent at defeating villains, so there wasn't much to worry about. However...

'...Something's strange.'

That fact couldn't escape my eyes as a Stardus expert.

The Stardus appearing on screen recently seemed off somehow.

She always had a stiff expression, but lately it seemed even more subtly expressionless.

More than that, she looked tired. More precisely, she seemed empty, like someone who had lost their purpose and was just defeating villains out of habit.

And. Stardus was...

'...She's acting too self-destructive.'

I held my pen, watching the screen with a serious expression.

As someone beyond just a Stardus expert—as an observer who had seen her from a first-person perspective through the original work—I was particularly sensitive to this.

For example, even in today's footage:

[Oh my, the villain Widarmak is spewing flames nearby! It seems like he's trying to create distance from Stardus... Ah! As I'm speaking, Stardus is flying straight through the flames!]

When the enemy spewed flames, Stardus flew straight through them.

...Normally, she would never do this.

She would step back, check if there was a way to bypass the flames, and if there was, she'd go around them. If not, she'd wait for the flames to die down before charging.

But she didn't do that. When the flames came, she pierced through them as if she'd been waiting for it.

Of course, being as strong as she is now, she wasn't badly injured, but... the problem was that this behavior was becoming a pattern.

"....."

Watching her like this, I rested my chin on my hand and fell into quiet thought.

...Seeing her like this, the public would just think, 'Ah, Stardus has become so brave!' and leave it at that.

But I knew. What Stardus was doing recently was essentially self-harm. She kept taking risks as if death didn't scare her. To anyone watching, she looked like someone who had lost the will to live.

And this behavior had already appeared similarly in the original work.

'...When her closest senior from college, Kim Chae-hyun, died, she briefly showed this kind of aggressive behavior out of grief.'

But the problem was that now that senior hadn't died, and back then it only lasted a day, but recently Stardus had been acting like this continuously.

There was no apparent trigger, and she had been relatively fine after my retirement, but suddenly she started acting like this.

'Did something happen?'

As I was pondering this alone, I shook my head and thought.

Right. What good does it do to struggle with this by myself? I should ask someone close to Stardus.

With that thought, I took out my phone and called someone.

"Hey, Seol-ah. What are you doing?"

***

Lee Seol-ah, CEO of Yu-seong Group.

...When I visited her office, I greeted her as she stared blankly at one of the mountains of papers piled on her desk.

"Hey, Lee Seol-ah. What are you doing?"

"...Ah. Da-in!"

At my words, she looked up and answered with a bright smile as if she'd been waiting for me, then signed a paper, tossed it behind her, and stood up.

"Haha. You came?"

"Yeah... but you look busy?"

"Ah. Ahahaha. I guess so. Life isn't easy."

She answered me with a smile, then collapsed onto the sofa in front of the small reception table in the middle of the office, lying down with her arm on the armrest.

"...Are you okay?"

"Ahaha. I'm fine except for being a bit busy... Well, no. Actually, I'm very busy and pissed off because of some fucking bastards... but other than that, I'm fine."

Lee Seol-ah, smiling as she said this, clearly didn't look fine.

Her mouth was smiling as she spoke, but she looked almost deranged.

Especially now that she'd thrown away her usual suit and tie somewhere and was lying on the sofa in just her shirt, laughing like a madwoman—very unbefitting of a major corporation CEO.

She must be having a hard time lately...

Leaving her behind, I turned my head toward the TV that was on in the spacious office.

Lee Seol-ah's voice was coming from it.

On screen, Lee Seol-ah was standing at a podium, giving a speech in front of hundreds of people in formal attire and reporters.

[Yu-seong Group will do its best to cooperate in protecting the Republic of Korea's economy, security, politics, diplomacy, and peace in Northeast Asia. To this end, we are first announcing a three-year economic growth plan...]

The headline below her read: [[Breaking News] Yu-seong Group officially interfering in internal affairs?]

"What's this? Are you just openly admitting that you've taken over Korea now?"

To my question, Lee Seol-ah, who was lying on the sofa with her legs on the armrest and playing with ice crystals in her hand, answered:

"Ahahaha. Yes. It seems too difficult to hide anymore. There are connections with other countries too. Anyway, the media and public opinion are on my side, so it doesn't matter."

"But you didn't control this news station? They're talking about interference in internal affairs."

To my question, Lee Seol-ah smiled slightly and answered in a languid voice:

"Ah, that's also my instruction. If I suppress everything too much, the opposition might explode, so it's better to have one or two outlets like that to avoid awkwardness. Well, they're all on my side anyway, so I'll gradually make them turn to my side."

"I see..."

"It's time to let people know who the real owner of this country is."

...So Seol-ah had a plan all along?

As I nodded at that thought, I suddenly felt uneasy and took out a handkerchief from my pocket to cover my mouth.

"Cough, cough."

Feeling the metallic taste of blood in my mouth, I coughed into the handkerchief.

Whew, good thing I carried a handkerchief knowing I might cough up blood. I overdid it last time in the Sun God's temple when I felt like I'd become S-class.

And that scene.

"....."

Lee Seol-ah, who had been lying on the sofa, half sat up and was staring at me with a serious expression.

...Feeling awkward about the situation, I opened my mouth to change the subject.

"Ah, this is nothing. Anyway, the reason I came here is about Stardus."

When I brought up Stardus, her expression darkened even more.

Sensing that something was wrong from her expression, I spoke.

"...She seems a bit strange lately. Did something happen?"

At my question, she avoided my gaze and sighed.

...Then, looking at the blood-stained handkerchief still in my hand, she sighed once more and said:

"Haah... More importantly, Da-in, are you really okay?"

"I told you I'm fine."

"Look me in the eyes and answer honestly. Are you terminally ill?"

"...What are you talking about?"

After arguing about my health for a while, she finally realized I wasn't terminally ill, sighed, and said:

"...As for Stardus. Haah. ...I don't really know either. Egostic, you should see for yourself later."

"...Alright."

I nodded as I looked at Lee Seol-ah, who lay back on the sofa covering her eyes with her arm, her expression suggesting there was more to the story.

...I'll be seeing her again soon anyway. I should be able to figure it out then.

After exchanging a few more words with Lee Seol-ah, I left.

"And next week, a strange guy will appear in Seoul, so don't be surprised."

"Yes... What? What strange guy? It's not another disaster-level threat, is it...?"

"There is such a thing."

With that final kind warning, I left.

Isn't it better to know what's coming than to be hit unexpectedly?

...Or was it the opposite? Anyway.

***

After Egostic left.

"Sigh..."

Lee Seol-ah, sitting back in her place, fell into silent thought.

In fact, she knew about Stardus's current state.

...That she was like this because she thought Egostic was terminally ill.

But the reason she couldn't reassure Stardus was...

'Isn't he really on the brink of death...?'

Because she herself wasn't certain.

He had coughed up blood again today.

Still, he said he wasn't terminally ill, so...

'I guess when they meet directly, there will be progress in their relationship.'

Looking at the sky outside, Lee Seol-ah muttered this and fell into thought.

...Until she remembered she had a lot of work to do and realized she probably wouldn't get even two hours of sleep tonight.

***

Anyway, that night I returned home.

As I was lost in thought about what to do next.

'Right. There's still time before the next event, so let's rest until tomorrow or the day after and then think about it.'

Having reached that conclusion, I went to sleep.

The next day, when I woke up feeling some weight on me.

"Are you awake?"

"Ugh..."

Seo Ja-young was on top of my stomach, staring at me.

...She must have come into my bed during the night again, so I wasn't surprised.

"...Mmm. Seo Ja-young, what is it?"

"Nothing special."

After saying that much, she looked at me with her purple eyes and said:

"Today, let's play together."