Heroine Hunts Heroines-Chapter 98

“Because you’re… you.”

“But this time is different.”

This time, I absolutely must secure Rosaria, the healer.

Do you know how strong she is? She has insane recovery abilities, capable of healing tens of thousands of scattered Hunter Alliance troops on the battlefield in an instant.

And I’m planning to corrupt a woman like that.

“Excuse me, I have a question.”

“Kotone-chan?”

What’s this? Kotone, of all people, is looking for me.

She subtly pointed in Rosemary’s direction. For the record, that’s not the real Rosemary; it’s just her doll body.

Ah, yeah, she looks completely lifeless over there.

“Why is Rosemary in that state? And why is she wearing gloves, of all things? Isn’t it hot today?”

Why is she asking me that?

I studied Kotone for a moment. It didn’t seem like she had any deeper intentions.

Maybe it’s just because I look close to Rosemary? Overthinking and interrogating her might backfire. Let’s give a vague answer for now.

“Oh, you’ve got sharp intuition. Rosemary has awakened.”

“Awakened? Like, her unique ability evolved?”

“Yup.”

As long as Rosemary doesn’t leak any miasma or do anything crazy, no one will suspect she’s a monster.

Honestly, she could’ve just come in her true form, but saying the doll’s gloves are due to her awakening works as an excuse.

“How is that even possible… Ah, wait. Don’t tell me the cause of her awakening is…”

Kotone snapped her fingers as if something had clicked in her mind, then nodded to herself, seemingly satisfied.

What is this? Has she gone stupid? What’s with this overly docile reaction?

“What?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Grinning mischievously, Kotone stared at me for a moment before turning away and returning to her seat.

Ping Tao and Kotone were surprisingly quiet today.

Kotone’s behavior was a bit suspicious, but whatever.

What’s more urgent right now is Songdo. I need to gather the heroines and come up with a plan.

Slurp.

“Ahhn♥”

But first, I licked Choi Si-woo’s neck. Damn it, this woman. Her descent into lust has completely altered her personality, making her irresistibly tempting.

***

The rooftop of Hansung Academy is off-limits to students. It’s equipped with various defenses against monster attacks. But who am I? The Baby Dragon. I do what I want.

So, I had Lee Yoo-jung monitor access to the rooftop through the magical surveillance devices installed on campus. Primarily, I was watching the movements of the student council members.

And that’s how I summoned the heroines to the rooftop.

“By the way, isn’t it hard to catch a glimpse of you these days, Senior?”

“Well, I’ve been holed up in my penthouse room.”

Wait, was she avoiding me?

“I want to grind against you.”

“Ah, but I’ve been feeling pretty satisfied lately.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve been monitoring the entire penthouse. Naturally, I’ve seen everything you’ve been doing—kissing, licking, grinding—so I’ve just been, you know, taking care of it myself.”

I didn’t miss the way Lee Yoo-jung’s sleepy expression suddenly turned into something more... unsettling.

“Sis, you have such... peculiar tastes,” Han Suji, the axe-wielding murderer who enjoys killing people, gasped in shock.

“And what’s with Si-woo over there? She’s really starting to look like a complete female.”

“Well, that’s because I am a female,” Choi Si-woo replied.

“If your male self could see you now, wouldn’t it feel humiliating?”

“That version of me was an idiot. Having a body like this and not using it would just be a waste.”

Choi Si-woo, her voice dripping with excitement, started groping her own chest with both hands.

What can I say? She’s become a full-blown female. And honestly, she’s not wrong.

“Alright, it’s time to plot some treason.”

“From what I’ve seen in the articles, the news has already spread to all the guilds. We need to come up with a plan.”

“Do you think the guild masters will act on it?”

At this level, they probably will. Fifty billion won isn’t something to scoff at.

“Well, the guild masters don’t know the details, so they’ll likely see this as an opportunity to take down a villain.”

Which is exactly why this is the perfect chance to cross the barrier.

“If the guild alliance attacks us…”

“All the golems could be destroyed.”

That would be a disaster. We’re severely lacking in power. Even if Choi Si-woo turned the cadets into monsters, the current guilds are far too strong.

“Should we try to gather villains from across the country?”

“I’ve already recruited all the useful ones from the Incheon area. Maybe we could target some villains further south?”

Not a bad idea.

“But would they be able to stand up to Yoo Jin-seok’s generation?”

“No way.”

There’s no way local villains could take on the forces that played major roles in the previous chapters.

And even if we could recruit them quickly, there’s no guarantee they’d bolster our forces effectively. If we had sheer numbers, we could use a war of attrition, but what if Shinohara gets involved?

Unlike the late Joseon era, modern Korea wouldn’t fall prey to Japan so easily. But if Shinohara aligns with Ha Jung-seok, it could severely hinder our ability to build power against the Sins.

“What if we just hide?”

“That’s also difficult. If they keep searching, they’ll figure out that Songdo is the only place in Korea where Baekhwa could be leading survivors. They probably already know.”

If that happens, international attention will also shift toward Songdo.

“Then standing our ground and fighting is the best option, huh?”

“That’s what it seems like.”

“Are you really planning to fight? Yoo Jin-seok might even show up.”

Yoo Jin-seok? He won’t come.

“I don’t think Yoo Jin-seok will get involved. He knows that attacking Songdo isn’t the right move.”

He met me, Baekhwa, so he won’t strike. That guy is a true protagonist character. He won’t take a path that’s morally wrong.

“So, the guilds are the main problem, huh?”

“The Association won’t fully commit to letting the guilds hunt us down. They might just put on a show. The real issue is Ha Jung-seok.”

The Association, led by Choi Chul-sik, has some brains.

The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓.

They’ve probably heard from Yoo Jin-seok, and Seo Ji-yeon likely made a few strategic comments as well.

“What about Ha Jung-seok?”

“There’s a good chance we’ll have to deal with Nolbu and Heungbu. He might even mobilize Shinohara. Based on their interest in Baekhwa, it seems likely.”

If Shinohara Kotone gets directly involved, things will get messy.

Even if she’s not wielding her celestial sword, her level of combat skill could wipe out all the monsters in Songdo.

Even if I try to plant seeds of chaos in her, it won’t work immediately. Forcing her to teamkill would require such intense manipulation that even a heroine-tier character wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

Even Seo Ji-yeon, after what I did, has lingering doubts.

“If it’s Shinohara…”

“Japanese hunters might get involved, too.”

“What is this, the Donghak Peasant Revolution? Why would Japan care? That can’t be right.”

Han Suji bristled at the idea, but Choi Si-woo shook her head.

“Ha Jung-seok doesn’t trust the Association. Even if he has the guilds attack us, he’s likely to bring in outside forces to bolster his power.”

Choi Si-woo’s guess was spot on.

She might not know all the details since she’s not in the position of reading the novel, but Ha Jung-seok did, in fact, try to maintain his regime by collaborating with Shinohara in the original story.

“But Shinohara wouldn’t get directly involved. She’d want to maintain a good relationship with Ha Jung-seok. She wouldn’t risk tarnishing his image by revealing her hand.”

That means they’d likely participate just enough not to get caught.

At worst, Shinohara’s retainers could be sent instead.

The real problem is Japan’s hunters—specifically, Shinohara’s special forces.

The Shinsengumi. Elite hunters handpicked from the best in Japan. Their name carries the legacy of the Shinsengumi, the samurai group from the Edo period that served the shogunate during the Bakumatsu.

Today’s Shinsengumi are just as loyal to Shinohara as the originals were to the shogunate.

In simpler terms, they’re Shinohara’s personal special forces.

“So, they might mobilize the Shinsengumi, too.”

“Shinsengumi?”

“They’re Shinohara’s special forces.”

Special forces are terrifying, no matter the country.

In Korea, the guilds themselves are exceptionally powerful.

Just as Korea once wielded global corporate giants, its guilds now dominate the world in a similar way.

“Scary.”

“They handpick only the best A-rank hunters and above. On top of that, they undergo rigorous training. It’s fair to say their skills are close to S-rank.”

The Shinsengumi are part of why Shinohara is referred to as a shogun. They’re considered Japan’s greatest strength, fully dedicated to supporting her.

“The villains in Songdo wouldn’t stand a chance against them.”

“It’s not confirmed that the Shinsengumi will be deployed yet. For now, we’ll have to wait and see. Ha Jung-seok isn’t likely to negotiate with Shinohara for something he can handle without their help.”

Ha Jung-seok is an unpredictable character.

While he might ally with Shinohara to maintain power, he might also avoid involving Japan entirely to protect his reputation.

“Still, if Shinohara or the Shinsengumi come here, then what?”

“There’s something you don’t know. Most of the Shinsengumi are women. Women are more effective for espionage or lowering an enemy’s guard.”

Imagining the Shinsengumi shouting "Yamete!" and moaning in front of me… My mouth watered at the thought.