"So…what do you say about my proposal, Seol?" Gwen wiggled her brows at Seol Hwa.
"Continue speaking nonsense and I'll kick your butt out of the house," Seol Hwa loosely warned.
"Okay. I can't gamble with that one, you clever girl," Gwen chuckled, her arms raised in mock surrender.
Seol Hwa snorted. "At least, you have sense."
She then briefly gazed at the living room before continuing her meal. 'Mom is home early today.'
It was then that the front door clicked open.
"I'm home," Min-Seo quietly said as she entered the house. She looked at the shoes sitting near the door.
She noticed an unfamiliar pair.
Those weren't Seol Hwa's.
'A guest? I wasn't expecting a guest.' She squinted her eyes before moving into the living room.
She placed her bag on the sofa, noticing a school bag.
It was then that she heard some voices coming from the kitchen.
"Seol?" She gently called out as she walked into the kitchen.
A pretty blonde girl with a mouth stuffed with noodles, looked back at her with a frozen expression.
Min-Seo was simply stumped for words.
She could only blink in surprise. "Oh…"
Gwen immediately stood up from her chair like a soldier in training, nearly falling.
"Hi, I…I'm…um…" she began but then stopped to swallow the food.
"I…I'm sorry for the misdemeanor, Mrs. Park." Gwen bowed her head, an apologetic expression on her face.
"I'm Gwen Stacy, your daughter's classmate and…best friend," she introduced herself, adding the last words with a sideway glance at Seol Hwa's reaction.
'When did I add 'best' to our friendship, mortal?' Seol Hwa looked wronged, a subtle frown on her face.
"Oh, Gwen. Nice to meet you," Min-Seo smiled, her tired expression softening.
She glanced at Seol Hwa in amusement. "You already made a friend and brought them over on the first day. You surely work fast, daughter."
"Stop exaggerating mom. I'm just returning a favor," Seol Hwa replied blandly.
"What favor? Does the favor include you cooking for them?" Min-Seo turned her attention to the mouth-watering, steaming bowls.
"You cooked ramyeon?" A look of astonishment spread on her face.
"Yes, the mort— Gwen here begged me to cook for her, and it was the only thing I could prepare," Seol Hwa shrugged.
Min-Seo's eyes returned to Gwen.
"You must be special for Seol to cook something delicious for you," she said in a teasing voice.
Gwen's cheeks turned pink, looking down demurely.
"Stop embarrassing me, mom." Seol Hwa almost rolled her eyes, shifting in her seat uncomfortably.
"Mrs. Park, it's not like that. I didn't do anything special. I was just her guide in the morning. We met in the elevator since I live on the 11th floor," Gwen hurriedly explained.
"Oh? It was something like that. You are so kind. Thank you for being her guide," Min-Seo smiled genuinely at Gwen before stepping to hold her hands.
Gwen was startled by her action but still didn't barge an inch. She welcomed her cool, motherly touch.
"I forgot Seol Hwa doesn't know New York well. Once again, I'm truly happy that you're her friend," Min-Seo said in an appreciative tone before releasing her hands.
"You don't have to thank me. I basically forced her to be my friend," Gwen replied with a warm smile. "Seol Hwa is a hard nut to crack; I had to beg her."
Min-Seo laughed at that. "I know right? She can be pretty difficult sometimes but that's why we love her."
Gwen's eyes widened, her mouth ajar. "We…We? Love? I never said anything like that."
Min-Seo grinned deviously before taking a seat. "Come on. Sit. You can't keep on standing in my home."
Seol Hwa looked at them with an unimpressed expression. "She's joking with you, Gwen."
"Oh?" Gwen pouted before sitting, a mortified look on her face.
Min-Seo chuckled at her reaction. "Don't sweat it, young lady."
Gwen stared at Seol Hwa with a face implying 'I didn't expect your mom to be funny too.'
"Mrs. Park, I hope I'm not intruding," Gwen quickly said.
Min-Seo raised an eyebrow. "Intruding? Treat this place as your home. You're no longer a stranger to me."
She then tilted her head, eyeing the half-eaten bowl of ramyeon. "And can you truly leave before finishing Seol Hwa's divine cooking?"
"Never," Gwen instantly replied, almost shouting.
"I mean, no. It will be ungrateful to Seol's effort,' she then sheepishly corrected herself after realizing Seol Hwa was staring at her
She picked up her chopsticks. "Honestly, her food is the best I've ever eaten in my life. It's beyond delicious."
She ate the pickled radish, momentarily closing her eyes to savor the tangy contrast.
Min-Seo stared blankly at the complete turnround in Gwen's behavior.
'She's also unapologetically shameless. I already like her,' she thought.
"Mom, take mine. I'm already full," Seol Hwa suddenly offered, pushing her bowl towards Min-Seo.
"No, continue eating. I'm fine, Seol." Min-Seo scrunched her brows while pushing her bowl back.
"I insist. You've had a tiring day, working hard at work for our family. The least I can do is offer you my meal. You need the replenishment," Seol Hwa returned the bowl to her, her voice tinged with finality.
There was no room for another bowl tussle.
Seeing her daughter's resolute gaze, Min-Seo could only reluctantly take the food, warmth springing in her heart. "I guess I'll dig in."
Seol Hwa truly cared for her mother.
'Such a wonderful daughter,' Gwen mused with envy, invisible tears streaming down her cheeks. 'I wish I could also cook like this for dad when he comes back from work.'
Seol Hwa stood up, wanting to get Min-Seo another pair of chopsticks.
"Where are you going?" Min-Seo asked.
"You need clean chopsticks," Seol Hwa said plainly.
"Oh, sit down. I can just use yours," Min-Seo gestured her hand to the chair before stretching her hand to take Seol Hwa's chopsticks.
"You can't…" Seol Hwa warned.
"Yes, I can. You are my daughter," Min-Seo widely smiled before taking her first bite.
"Hmm, this is so, soo good," she lightly moaned.
Seol Hwa helplessly watched her before sitting.
'Is this how a home is supposed to be?'
'It's strangely soothing.'
She became determined to protect this…home.
~~~<>~~~
It didn't take long before the bowls were empty and everyone was satiated.
Gwen pulled out her phone and texted her dad.
[You: Staying at a friend's. New neighbors at the floor below us. Be home by 8]
His reply didn't take long.
[Dad❤️: Okay. Boy or girl?]
[You: Dad really? Does it matter?]
[Dad❤️: It matters when it comes to my daughter.]
[You: It's a she. Happy? Love you.]
[Dad❤️: *smirk* love you too.]
Gwen softly sighed before pocketing her phone. 'The perks of having a protective cop-dad.'
She was all alone at the table.
Seol Hwa and her mom were in the kitchen talking while doing the dishes.
She had insisted on helping but Min-Seo had refused, stating a guest shall never do her own dishes in her home.
'Hmm, this is nice. Who would have thought cooking was also Seol Hwa's superpower?' Gwen smiled.
'Is there anything she can't do?' she wondered.
'She's so perfect that I feel everything's not real. Like she's a fragment of my own hidden daydreams.'
She palmed her face and sighed. 'I should stop derealizing. Seol Hwa is real. You are happy because of her. She makes you feel…things.'
'Her delicious food is real. Am I crushing on her?'
Her palms slowly slipped down her face before settling on her lips. 'Maybe I... I like her?'
"Gwen, stop overthinking. It's not time for complications. You barely know her," she murmured slowly.
She sighed heavily before resting her hands on the table.
She didn't notice Seol Hwa standing at the doorway, looking at her.
"What were you overthinking about?"
Gwen was startled, nearly jumping in fright.
"Jesus, you scared me. How long have you been standing there?"
"Not for long. You were so lost in daydreams. You wouldn't have sensed me anyway," Seol Hwa replied.
"Don't do that again. You appeared like a ghost or something," Gwen exclaimed before stepping out of her seat.
"I can't promise no promises," Seol Hwa grinned.
"Touché." Gwen grinned back as she walked to the living room.
Seol Hwa silently followed.
"Thank you for the food," Gwen said as she took her bag.
Seol Hwa looked at her quizzically. "How many times will you keep on thanking me?"
"As many times as I like. You can't stop me," Gwen smirked confidently as she slipped into her shoes.
"Whatever," Seol Hwa murmured.
They stood at the door. Gwen was hesitating.
She suddenly felt disinclined to leave.
"You don't want to go?" Seol Hwa flatly asked.
Gwen pouted in dissatisfaction. "Can't you be a bit tactical?"
"Not really."
"Okay…today was…nice. And…um, good night," Gwen said in a low voice. "Goodbye."
Seol Hwa tilted her head and smiled. "Why're you talking like there's no tomorrow?"
She then opened the door. "Good night to you too."
Gwen begrudgingly stepped out but didn't leave.
She looked at Seol Hwa before saying, "Tomorrow's not guaranteed for all of us."
"See you tomorrow, Seol." She turned and left.
Seol Hwa watched her before closing the door. 'Tomorrow's not guaranteed, huh?'
She nodded to herself. 'That's what it means to be human: to live in uncertainty.'
The apartment was silent. Night had already fallen.
"You have a good friend, Seol," Min-Seo commented before sipping her red wine.
Seol Hwa looked at the wine glass. And subtly swallowed.
"Yeah, she's a decent kid," she answered absentmindedly.
She was tempted to ask for a sip.
"You talk like you two aren't the same age. You're funny." Min-Seo sipped another pint.
Seol Hwa couldn't resist anymore. "Can I have a sip, mom?"
Min-Seo didn't respond and slowly swirled the wine.
"No, kid," she blandly answered before yawning tiredly.
Seol Hwa was openly deemed a mere brat. It irked her but she was still a brat in Min-Seo's eyes.
Being underage in this reality, simply prohibited you from consuming alcoholic beverages.
The reason she wanted to sample the wine was due to her past life hobby.
She had been a cultured wine connoisseur. It was something she had come to enjoy when she was traversing the Murim.
'Past habits just don't fade easily,' she sighed.
After that, Min-Seo asked about her day at school, her experiences and Seol Hwa answered everything except for the telepathic debacle with Jean and the square-headed nuisance.
Min-Seo kissed her goodnight and went to her room.
It was time for cultivation.
~~~<>~~~
She sat cross-legged in her moon-lit room.
The silvery essence was steadily being absorbed into her pores
The passive cultivation, a boon from [Primordial Unity Demonic Scripture], had already pushed her spiritual essence level to 22%.
The yang energy was higher during the day, and it felt like soaking in a mother's embrace.
Seol Hwa estimated that tonight's active cultivation was going to boost her energy levels by another 10%.
But spiritual essence was just one of the tri-aspects of existence she had modeled.
Her base physical condition had already been perfected and was also automatically being slowly being nourished by the celestial energies.
The effects on her current body were minimal at best, but the advantages lay in the compounding effect.
Long-term accumulation was still better than flimsy, quick gains.
Anyway, Seol Hwa started meditating.
Time trickled like sand in an hourglass and midnight arrived.
'30% achieved,' Seol Hwa thought, opening her glowing eyes.
She had reached a milestone.
'I'll call it Intermediate-stage Spiritual Qi Refinement Realm. Accumulating 60% of spiritual essence will probably count as Late-stage Spiritual Qi Refinement Realm.'
She quietly exhaled. '100% is when I perfect this realm.'
She closed her eyes again. The apartment building had 20 floors and right now, it was her territory.
She could easily hear Min-Seo silently breathing.
Gwen was tousling in her bed, a naughty smile on her face. She was obviously having a nice dream.
'That girl…' Seol Hwa faintly smiled as she proceeded to sense everything in the whole apartment.
Having perceived enough, she wanted to concentrate on her soul cultivation.
Her soul, which had once been eternalized by bitter cultivation and Eternal origin energy, was now merely a fragment.
To develop the soul body, she would have to amass soul power.
Soul power was a rare element, more so the Soul Laws.
The discovery of the green energy was what Seol Hwa could count on if she hoped to revitalize her soul.
Just as she was about to immerse herself in another cultivation session, she sensed something.
It was about 300 meters away, a few blocks from her apartment.
'Hmmm, so it's you guys.' Seol Hwa thought as she manipulated her spiritual qi, thinning it out under precise control before slowly dispersing it into her surroundings.
Her mental processing accelerated as she gradually covered 500 meters from her apartment.
Her senses were no longer limited to the apartment alone.
Everything within the 500-meter radius was under her perception domain.
She could feel the vibration frequencies of every living creature, the heat and life signatures, even their intents.
Qi was a malleable tool.
As a child assassin under the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, surviving depended on your adaptability.
Espionage and infiltration demanded superb detection techniques.
And what she was doing is something she honed after completing countless assassination missions.
Now she could hear them, the sonic waves perfectly translated into clear speech.
"Do we really need to stay here tonight?"
"We should if we want to set up the best timing to capture those precious commodities."
"It was surely our good fortune to spot the pretty blonde and that Asian. She's easily the sexiest bitch I've ever seen. I just wanna pipe her."
"Dude…you can't empty your jizz on high-quality goods. If you think it's worth the risk, I'll gladly dispose your corpse into the sewers after the boss kills you."
They laughed.
"Chill man, I was only joking. Ya know no one messes with the boss."
"Get your head straight. You can have all the onaholes you want but not those two."
"Sheesh. The boss will reward us if we supply him with those bitches. I heard business's been doing good lately."
"Yeah, and the boss is also supporting multiple construction sites as a cover. We eatin' good."
"Damn, it's fucking cold tonight."
"Fucktard, it's winter. Let's return to the warehouse and inform the bros."
"Thank God. What about the bitches now that we know where they live?"
"Keke, tomorrow after preparing everything. We can't mess up like last time."
"I get it."
~~~<>~~~
"Courting death."
Seol Hwa opened her eyes, the red specks in them burning like smoldering embers.
She stood up and didn't think to wear a coat over her PJs.
She walked to her window and opened it.
The cold night air hit her face and filled the room.
She remained unfazed as she stepped onto the balcony.
She gently closed the window and soundlessly jumped onto the railing like a cat.
The ground was 120 ft away from her.
Without hesitation, she allowed gravity to take her down.
An invisible thin film of Qi surrounding her whole body to keep out the annoying wind and friction.
She gracefully landed on her feet.
The ground didn't crater nor did any sound announce her superhuman landing.
On the ground, she effectively became a shadow.
Her whole being blended with the darkness before vanishing.
Seol Hwa trailed behind the two fools smoking cheap cigarettes and walking like they owned the city.
She didn't want to end them near her area. It was better if they led her to their bandit encampment so she can deal with them in one go.
Soon, they arrived at a dilapidated, abandoned warehouse in the east.
The surroundings were trash with many blind spots for criminal activities.
'Surveillance is nonexistent,' Seol Hwa noted. 'Good.'
Soon, she stood atop the translucent skylight, hands behind her back. With the additional two scummy shits, they now totaled 10 men.
And they were armed.
Seol Hwa coldly watched them before spreading her qi and enveloping the whole warehouse.
She found the power source and destroyed it, plunging the men into sudden darkness.
All the bulbs shattered one by one eerily.
"What the fuck!" Someone heavily shouted. "Who the fuck is playing with the power line?!"
It was terrifyingly dark.
"Who's there?!" Another yelled.
Panic was rising and it only intensified when someone tried to light their phone only for it to mysteriously short-circuit.
SQUELCH!
A condensed Qi sword dissected someone diagonally like tofu, the sound of bones breaking and flesh being ripped reverberated in the darkness.
Then, a blood-curdling scream ensued.
THUD!
A body dropped, separated in halves.
Blood spilled on the man closest to the victim. It was warm and had a distinct coppery scent.
A dire realization settled in immediately.
"Enemy! Shoot!" The man barked like a terrified, cowardly dog.
Immediately, gunfire rapidly rained in the darkness, flashing light in split-second as they fired blindly.
"Aargh! Aargh! My leg! My fucking leg! Who shot my fucking leg!" A thug screamed in pain, cursing out before falling on the ground.
"So…Sorry Loyd. I couldn't see," the culprit stammered an apology.
"The fuck do you mean you couldn't see? Everyone can't see goddammit!"
SQUELCH!
The wounded one's head rolled, blood pooling on the ground, followed by sickening silence.
"Loyd!"
"Loyd's fucking gone!"
They immediately fired their bullets on the spot where they presumed Loyd was, poking holes in his body like a balloon.
CREAK!
The sound came from above and immediately; the men aimed their bullet barrage at the roof.
"Fucking show yourself, you coward!"
"Is hiding all you can do like a pu—?!"
The shit-talker went down before he could finish.
Then bodies began falling, the thick scent of piss mixed with blood and horror permeating the air.
The last man standing aimed at the darkness that had become a brutal harvester of their lives.
All his mates had been hunted by a devil from hell.
Anytime soon, his fate would also be the same.
'I…I don't wanna die. Don't wanna die. Fuck!' He sobbed, petrified tears cascading down his pale face.
His arms shook, the gun trembling as he spanned haphazardly.
"I'll kill you, you monster!" His voice cracked with fake bravado as his back finally hit the wall.
There was no response.
Suddenly, the darkness in front of him seemed to shift like it was alive.
Two molten amber eyes materialized in the darkness, radiating cold, demonic light.
They were apathetic and inhuman.
They were the eyes of a demon, death made flesh.
He inevitably wetted his pants, his heart lurching in his throat.
'I heard a cockroach's IQ goes up to 340 when they escape but I can't…I can't move my body.' The thug froze, that thought being the only thing of academic importance in his entire life.
The eyes then disappeared into the void of darkness startling the last man.
"DIE DEMONIC BASTARD!" He found the courage to shoot at the place where the eyes had been until he emptied his mag.
A shadowy hand shot out from the void and gripped his neck, hoisting his body inches from the ground.
His soul almost left his body, and the useless gun escaped his weak hold.
His eyes widened in fear. The twisted creature had finally revealed itself, but he still couldn't see it.
He could only sense their presence through the death hand choking on his neck.
And they had a cold feminine voice as surprising as it was.
"Tell me, who's this boss you are referring to?"
"I…I can't speak…le…me!"
Seol Hwa loosened her grip a bit.
The scum desperately gasped for air before speaking.
"Go to hell, bitch!"
"You aren't getting anything out of me!"
"As I expected, there's only one way for you to talk," Seol Hwa said emotionlessly.
[Bone Twisting Technique]
She injected a tiny amount of qi into the scum and stimulated their sensory nerves.
The bones twisted from the inside, causing unimaginable pain.
"Aargh!"
The man screamed like a pig being slaughtered, tears and snot incessantly rolling down his face.
"I…I'll tell! Please stop the pain!"
His weak will and low pain tolerance didn't allow him to resist anymore.
Seol Hwa deactivated the technique.
"The boss is a man called Wilson Fisk. He runs the city's underworld. I'm just one of his many underlings…" He frantically started spilling everything.
Seol Hwa got all the information she wanted as limited as it was.
The underling was just the lowest of the barrel. He had no further use.
"Wi…will you spare me?"
SHING!
The world spun around and the last thing he saw was the ground and him eating dirt.
Soon, his headless body joined him.
Seol Hwa looked at the dead bodies and thought of something.
Taking advantage of resources.
She activated the [Primordial Unity Demonic Scripture], creating a horrifying suctioning force that devoured all the bodies.
They burst into a viscous, red mist, all their blood essence absorbed and converted into pure spiritual essence.
"What a disappointment. These pieces of shit only amounted to a 4% yield," Seol Hwa spat at the skeletons in disgust. "How useless."
"Even in death, they benefited nothing to the living."
The degenerate men typically indulged in all the vices of the world, further deteriorating the quality of their blood qi.
Having no further business there, Seol Hwa melded into darkness, deciding to return home.
~~~<>~~~
An hour later, a masked man landed on the roof before slipping into the warehouse.
The heavy scent of gunpowder and slaughter hit their superhuman senses like a tsunami.
And that made it even more nauseating.
He thought he had stepped into hell.
The devil he thought he had been born with left his body and soul for a second. It desperately tried to claw out in agitation.
He sensed the lingering despair and horror of the deceased, no, executed.
Something…someone…was more devilish than him.
This was the hallmark of a true devil.
"God…" he muttered as he picked up on the blood and hollowed bodies.
Ten skeletons.
His sensory feedback was overwhelmed.
He approached one of the skeletons and used his Billy club to nudge it.
It instantly crumbled to dust.
"Hell." He stepped back, cold sweat streaming down his mask.
Fisk's men had been effectively eliminated.
Even Matt Murdock wouldn't want to get involved in this.
This was beyond him.
'New York is going to change. I wonder if it will be good or bad.' He deeply contemplated before leaving.
Dipping was the safest option.
After all, the Daredevil belonged to the streets.
~~~<>~~~
Yu_ner's corner:
It's 3.75k words. Currently juggling between my daytime job (which I'm currently in probationary period--being evaluated and all) and this personal project. Updates will be slow but I'll continue my drafts whenever I find any little time to write.
I take my sweet time and emotions when I type. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
byeee!
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