Heroine Hunts Heroines-Chapter 136

“Looks like it.”

We’d taken out both Zhang Wei and Ping Tao, and I’d absorbed the core. It seemed settled.

“When you collapsed earlier, it scared us half to death! But seriously, where did all that power come from?”

“Yoo Eun-ha evolved! Mega Yoo Eun-ha!”

When characters grow stronger, they always get some kind of prefix—like Super, Mega, or Giga.

If it weren’t for Author Yoo Eun-ha’s intervention, I might’ve had to go full Evil Dragon mode and reveal my dark side to the world.

“What’s with these horns? Eh, what are they even?”

Both sides of my head now sported black horns. They weren’t like my usual ones; these felt… stronger, more potent.

The size adjustments were a bit finicky, likely because my 2nd phase transformation had grown much more powerful, and I wasn’t fully accustomed to it yet.

Originally, my 2nd phase included wings, a tail, and horns—a complete transformation. But now, just manifesting the horns alone resulted in this much destruction.

Let’s call it Phase 1.5. Or maybe 1.2 for precision.

But then Ji-yeon grabbed one of the horns and started tugging at it.

“It should shrink soon enough. A-ah! Oh! H-Hey, careful! That feels… really good!”

Why does it feel weirdly sensitive when someone touches my horns?

“So, is the war over now?”

“Not yet, apparently.”

Across the river, I saw them—countless hunters.

Chinese hunters bearing fragments of Sin were mobilizing, likely trying to retrieve the core I’d just devoured.

“Wow, look at them. Swarming like cockroaches.”

I’m probably the reason for at least half of that.

“Even after losing their commanders, they still want to fight?”

“An army without its head is just a disorganized mob. We’ll crush them as they come.”

“Yoo Eun-ha, you’ve done well. You too, everyone else. Leave the rest to us now.”

The hunters, White Blossom Sect, and golems were all gearing up for battle, preparing to face the incoming Chinese forces.

“Hoeeeh! W-What’s that over there!?”

“Why are you panicking now, Bbeumi?”

“Look at that! Hawawa! Look at it shine!”

Bbeumi and Golden Sun were causing a ruckus behind me, ruining the good mood with my heroines.

Still, even my heroines turned their attention to the sky, where something streaked through, leaving behind brilliant white trails.

“Wait a second. Aren’t those your missiles? You know, the special ones? One, two, three… how many are there?”

“Over a hundred, I’d guess.”

“Yoo Eun-ha, what’s this? How much… did you fire to cause that?”

Excuse me, what did I fire?

“What are you even saying? I’m a woman! Those aren’t anything like that! They’re just missiles!”

What do they expect? A magic essence missile at most, right? Calling it that other thing is insane.

Still, I had to confirm where these missiles were headed.

“So, where are they going?”

“North. Oh wait, these only target threats beyond Korea’s borders. I set them for external targets only.”

The system was programmed to intercept massive creatures appearing just outside Korean territory.

“Then north means…”

“The million-strong army.”

Swoosh—BOOM! BOOM!

As expected, my “essence missiles”—no, magic missiles—rained down on the Chinese forces.

“...Starlight falling. Sha-lala-lala…”

“Stop denying reality! Your ‘essence missiles’ are obliterating a million people!”

“Could you not rub it in? I’m dying of shame here.”

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The missiles struck relentlessly, reducing the swarm of monsters and hunters to nothing.

The guild alliance and everyone else watched in stunned silence.

“Missiles? Where did they come from?”

“These look like the ones that took out the Yellow Dragon. Did they launch from Songdo?”

“And what about the cores? Is White Blossom Sect planning to monopolize them?”

Now, the aftermath of the war posed a new problem.

The battlefield was littered with cores stretching to the horizon, a byproduct of the Chinese hunters offering their hearts to Sin fragments.

“Wow, it’s like a field of loot drops in an RPG.”

“You mean when enemies explode into items after a grind fest?”

“Yeah, just like that.”

But there was one chilling question from Ji-yeon.

“Eun-ha, how exactly does one kill people—no, monsters—with… essence?”

I could only sigh.

“Look, it’s just concentrated magic. The missiles are…”

“So, you load your girlfriend’s womb with missile fuel?”

I never thought I’d hear something so mortifying in my life.

“W-what?! Who does that? No one loads liquid or solid fuel into their lover! That’s insane!”

“If anyone could, it’d be you.”

It was no use. They weren’t going to let this go. I had to admit defeat.

“Fine! It’s… essence, okay? Happy now?”

“See? Eun-ha really is a fascinating little pervert.”

I wanted to crawl into a hole.

The war ended with the missiles wiping out every last Chinese hunter. Not a single one survived; they’d been too brainwashed to retreat.

Now, the alliance was organizing recovery efforts for the cores while I prepared for the next challenge.

Ping Tao’s severed head? Safely tucked into my personal storage.

There’s no need to rush. After all, the real fun is just getting started.

***

Pyongyang

The war ended in a decisive victory for Korea.

Even the Janghakche regime, which had considered the extreme measure of deploying nuclear weapons, hadn’t accounted for the existence of Sin. Ultimately, it was Janghakche who approved the war and bore responsibility for the deaths of over 20,000 Korean hunters and soldiers caused by the Sin-infused Chinese forces.

As a result, Janghakche was branded a war criminal.

China’s only option was unconditional surrender.

Janghakche, however, did not attend the surrender ceremony. Officially bedridden, he assigned his deputy, Tian Yuan, to represent him and sign the document.

The ceremony was held in Pyongyang, marking the formal end of hostilities.

“I am prepared to sign the surrender documents.”

Deputy Tian Yuan stood ready with pen in hand, though the weight of the situation was palpable.

Korea’s representatives, including Ha Jeong-seok, demanded accountability for the devastation.

“Why isn’t that war criminal Janghakche here? The man who greenlit the war and unleashed Sin to crush Korea should be standing in front of us!”

“The chairman knew nothing about the existence of Sin—”

“Did he not start this war? I should have him executed on the spot.”

“That is…”

Though Sin was a factor, it was Janghakche’s decision to approve the war. He should have been present to take responsibility.

“Fine. That coward has feared me for years, so I’ll grant him mercy. Sign the papers.”

Tian Yuan, visibly stressed, reviewed the terms outlined in the surrender document.

Most of the conditions were straightforward, but one clause made him turn pale.

“Wait a moment. What is this?”

His eyes bulged as he stared at the reparation figure.

“Can’t you read? It says $300 billion.”

“Pfft.”

Shinohara Yuzuki, present as an intermediary, let out a stifled laugh.

“I understand the losing side must pay reparations, but $300 billion is excessive! We might as well have used nuclear weapons—”

“Do you think you still have the option of using nukes?”

The memory of the missiles from Songdo, which wiped out over a million soldiers, lingered heavily in Tian Yuan’s mind. There was no room for defiance.

“If you can’t pay in cash, offer assets of equivalent value.”

“We have no such assets…”

China, isolated globally and financially drained after pouring resources into the Beijing warlords, was in no position to resist.

“So Korea loses over 20,000 lives, and we’re supposed to settle for your surrender alone?”

“We’ve lost over 1.3 million!”

While Korea emerged victorious, the toll was significant: over 20,000 casualties.

China, meanwhile, faced catastrophic losses: over 1.3 million deaths, compounded by the ongoing monster incursions in Beijing due to their decimated hunter forces.

“You invaded us. You had your reasons to die.”

With no other options, Tian Yuan reluctantly agreed to the demands. Tears welled up in his eyes as he signed the surrender document, knowing that the blame and public outrage would fall squarely on his shoulders.

As part of the reparations, Korea received $150 billion in cash and control of the Three Northeastern Provinces.

The provinces were rich with gates and monsters, promising immense profits from subjugation and resource harvesting—a veritable gold mine.

For China, these territories were now expendable, as even defending Beijing had become an insurmountable challenge.

As Tian Yuan left with a heavy heart, Ha Jeong-seok and his secretary discussed the aftermath.

“Wasn’t the invasion of North Korea all about the cores? Why didn’t they use those resources?”

“You’re still green, Secretary Choi. They’ve coveted the North’s land for ages. Besides, this gave us the perfect excuse for long-term leadership and a surge in public support.”

The infamous conversation between Ha Jeong-seok and Janghakche, in which the former’s threats prevented the use of nuclear weapons, had spread among hunters and citizens alike. It bolstered national morale and Ha Jeong-seok’s approval ratings.

Shinohara Yuzuki, meanwhile, saw the situation as an opportunity to strengthen ties with Korea.

“Congratulations on your victory, Mr. President.”

“It’s thanks to allies like you preparing aid and support for refugees in Kyushu. The bond between Korea and Shinohara’s government is truly fortunate.”

Their smiles were polite, yet each concealed their true thoughts.

For Shinohara, failing to provide direct support in the war—despite preparing the Shinsengumi and refugee measures—had slightly dented her approval ratings. Strengthening relations with Korea was now a strategic priority.

On the surface, peace prevailed between the two nations. But beneath the surface, the battle of wits and politics continued.