Chapter 125 – Evolution [Deep Dark Devil]

August 20, 2031.

Korean Air flight from Beijing to Incheon, First Class.

“While Prime Minister Li Kebao is smoothly taking control of state affairs, the Beijing Faction is currently unable to put up any significant resistance.”

Zhou Peiling, sitting next to Siguk, was reporting on the situation in Zhongnanhai she had gathered.

“Liu Yaofang, the Chairman of the Superhuman Association who had claimed neutrality and was observing the political situation, has also expressed support for Prime Minister Li Kebao through unofficial channels, it is said.”

“…….”

“Although some of the 5th generation elders have come out in support of the Beijing Faction, it is expected that the effect will not be significant as there is no real focal point. Moreover, since many of the 5th generation elders did not receive proper Seonbae treatment under the 6th generation leadership, there will be no large-scale support either.”

“…….”

“Given that the Head of the Ministry of State Security and the Head of the Ministry of Public Security have also pledged loyalty to Prime Minister Li Kebao, it is highly likely that Prime Minister Li Kebao will smoothly secure the next term of power at next year’s Party National Congress.”

Suddenly sensing something odd, Zhou Peiling stopped speaking and looked at Siguk.

He wasn’t particularly focused on her report, just staring blankly out the window with vacant eyes.

“Secretary-General?”

Even at her call, Siguk showed no reaction.

“Secretary-General?”

Still, he had no particular reaction.

Zhou Peiling lightly poked Siguk’s arm with her index finger. The moment her finger lightly touched Siguk’s firm arm, her cheeks flushed bright red.

“Huh?”

Only then did Siguk react and look at her.

With a thoroughly flushed face, Zhou Peiling forced an awkward smile and spoke.

“Do you have something on your mind?”

“On my mind? No, why?”

“It seemed like you weren’t listening to the report.”

“Ah… right. The report. Could you summarize it once more for me?”

Without another word, Zhou Peiling complied with Siguk’s request and read back the contents she had just read.

This time, Siguk definitely listened attentively to her report.

“To summarize, it is highly likely that the Beijing Faction will neither significantly influence nor be able to resist the formation of a 7th generation leadership centered around Li Kebao and the Shanghai Faction for now. However, considering the scale of their cell organizations, the generals within the military who are privately loyal to them, and the existence of high-ranking officials within the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Public Security, long-term political turmoil is inevitable.”

After Zhou Peiling’s report ended, Siguk quietly nodded and said to her.

“Right. The stage I wanted has been set for now. Since the strategic objective has been achieved, all that’s left is to achieve the tactical objectives. For now, you return to China as we discussed before. Well, even if you didn’t request it, Li Kebao would call you anyway.”

At those words, Zhou Peiling nodded.

“Unlike Dong Xian, Prime Minister Li Kebao is strong on details. He will likely call me and ask about you, Secretary-General.”

“That’s probably right.”

“How should I respond?”

“On the surface, you and I have only met once, that’s all. For now, only talk to that extent. That you couldn’t conduct a proper investigation because the higher-ups ignored your report, something like that.”

“Yes, understood.”

“And if possible, it would be good if you could attach yourself to Li Kebao and play a role that allows you to extract as much high-level information as possible. Although the Ministry of State Security largely sided with the Beijing Faction, you were a field agent, right? Li Kebao would find you less uncomfortable than the high-ranking officials who just pushed pens around in Beijing.”

“I will try my best.”

“Good. You’ve worked hard.”

After saying that, Siguk turned his gaze back out the window.

The events from three days ago in the hotel suite vividly surfaced in his mind.

August 17, 2031, 20:00.

In the quiet hotel room where only the sound of the air conditioner could barely be heard, Siguk was staring intently ahead with a tense expression.

‘……Familiar Summoning.’

After hesitating, Siguk summoned the familiar.

A dark red smoke faintly bloomed in the air, followed by a pitch-black entity revealing itself.

If not for the densely feathered black wings and the two horns on its forehead, one might have mistaken it for a black basketball player excelling in the NBA. At the appearance of this somewhat unfamiliar familiar, Siguk unconsciously gulped.

• You called, Master.

With its mouth firmly closed and wearing a faint smile, the familiar greeted Siguk.

At its telepathy, Siguk calmed his mind and slowly opened his mouth.

“What happened?”

In response to Siguk’s question, the familiar answered without erasing its smile.

• It’s Evolution, Master. You can confirm it with your All-Seeing Eye Skill.

Just as the familiar said, Siguk had already checked the familiar’s status with his All-Seeing Eye Skill.

That’s why he looked at the familiar with eyes full of disbelief and spat out words repeatedly.

“The Skill Rank being A-Rank, that’s plausible. But your own Rank being A-Rank… isn’t that a bit ridiculous?”

It wasn’t just the Rank.

“And those Skills… what on earth are those?”

The information floating above the familiar’s head.

The Skills of Hunters listed there one after another.

At Siguk’s question, the familiar nodded as if in agreement and then sent telepathy.

• My ability is Absorption. This is like my basic performance, not a Skill, so it probably won’t show separately.

“Absorption? So you mean you absorbed the Skills and Ability Stats of the Superhumans you’ve eaten until now?”

• Not all, but I nibbled away at them little by little.

“That’s impossible…….”

It was already understood that the familiar’s Rank increased when it ate a Superhuman.

But absorbing a Superhuman’s Skills was unheard of.

“I often scanned you with my All-Seeing Eye Skill before. I had to check your Rank. But back then, nothing showed up.”

• Of course, Master. That was before I evolved.

“…….”

• Through evolution, I have become a more mature being. The Skills of the Superhumans I had absorbed, which existed only as data within me until now, have become fully digestible.

As it said that, the familiar slightly opened its mouth and burst into laughter. Of course, still without sound.

After staring at the familiar for a moment, Siguk soon let out a sigh and nodded.

• Come to think of it, among the Superhumans I absorbed, there were also a few with interesting information.

At the familiar’s telepathy, Siguk looked at it again.

“Interesting information?”

• I think the information about a human called Black Wolf, who particularly accelerated my evolution, might be quite helpful to you as well, Master.

Instantly, Siguk’s eyes shone sharply.

An entity that was A-Rank yet somehow seemed lacking.

An entity that even Dong Xian didn’t know about, who was monitoring him.

“Want to tell me about it?”

At Siguk’s words, the familiar grinned and sent telepathy.

• Sending telepathy, or providing information, or simply conveying is a more accurate expression, I think. Because I still cannot speak, Master.

And the familiar conveyed to Siguk, via telepathy, the intimate information that Black Wolf remembered, which Siguk had never even anticipated.

After receiving all of that, Siguk couldn’t speak for a while.

He just stared at the familiar’s smiling face with trembling eyes full of disbelief and confusion.

‘Ululu Tumbebe…….’

The mastermind behind Black Wolf, learned from the familiar.

It was neither the NAC, nor the Shanghai Faction, nor the Russian or American governments.

‘To get entangled with that man…….’

Ululu Tumbebe.

An A-Rank Necromancer Villain and the Emperor of Africa.

The entity most of those designated as Villains seek refuge with.

He was the mastermind behind Black Wolf.

The problem wasn’t simply that Ululu Tumbebe was Black Wolf’s mastermind.

『Black Wolf is an artificially created being. Originally just a C-Rank Villain from South Africa, Ululu Tumbebe used some kind of sorcery to make him an A-Rank, Master.』

Ululu Tumbebe artificially turned a C-Rank Villain into an A-Rank Villain.

According to the Black Wolf’s memories held by the familiar, that was clearly the case.

Unfortunately, detailed contents about the sorcery couldn’t be found in Black Wolf’s memories.

But as a result, Black Wolf went from a C-Rank Villain to an A-Rank Villain.

His combat power being somewhat lacking for his Rank was probably a matter of experience.

‘I’ve never heard such a story in my previous life.’

In his previous life, Ululu Tumbebe was also the Emperor of Africa.

By around 2041, when Siguk was arrested in Japan, his domain had expanded so greatly—north to Ethiopia, south to South Africa, east to Tanzania, west to sub-Saharan—that he displayed formidable power.

Although the International Superhuman Association officially treated him as a Villain, they interacted with him unofficially to such an extent that his status was immense.

However, there was no story about him being able to artificially raise a Superhuman’s Rank.

‘Reasoning logically, it’s possible that some side effects were discovered, and thus it wasn’t disclosed publicly. But…….’

Siguk’s expression turned serious.

‘What if, like in Black Wolf’s case, he planted artificially created Superhumans all over the world and built a surveillance network? What if it was so clever and precise that it wasn’t discovered?’

Just taking Black Wolf alone, Siguk wouldn’t have met him if he hadn’t gone to kill Dong Xian.

Perhaps in his previous life, Black Wolf secretly shadowed Dong Xian, who became the national chairman and the 21st-century Mao Zedong, and passed high-level information to Ululu Tumbebe.

Or maybe he even connected Ululu Tumbebe and Dong Xian.

Considering that in reality, in his previous life, the relationship between China and Ululu Tumbebe wasn’t bad, it’s not an impossible story.

‘The scale is too big. This…… is a problem I need to discuss with Nikolayevich.’

Thinking that, Siguk closed his eyes.

But the moment he closed his eyes, an in-flight announcement flowed out saying the plane would soon land at Incheon International Airport.

Siguk couldn’t fly directly to Russia.

Because he needed to stay in Korea to guide from behind the scenes the sudden changes in China’s political situation and the rapidly changing Korea-China diplomacy that followed.

• Leave that part to me for now. We’re also keeping a close watch on Africa right now. When you come to Moscow later, let’s talk about it.

For now, Siguk conveyed the information he had obtained, suitably processed, to Ivan Ivanov over the phone.

Due to various pieces of information coming from Africa, Ivan Ivanov, who had been interested in the region, reacted quite seriously to the story Siguk told him and answered that he would gather additional information.

Having thrown the bait to Ivan Ivanov for now, Siguk immediately got involved in the foreign policy of the Nam Hanseok cabinet and began adjusting Korea-China diplomatic relations.

“Prime Minister Li Kebao has conveyed deep regret to the Korean side regarding the unfortunate incident that recently occurred between the two countries. He also said he cannot help but feel regret that the history of friendship between the two countries, which has lasted for half a century, has been shaken recently due to the misconduct of some corrupt officials.”

Listening to the message from the Chinese special envoy sent by Li Kebao, Nam Hanseok quietly nodded.

• Master says to give appropriate lip service.

At the telepathy that momentarily shook his mind, Nam Hanseok inwardly flinched.

Trying not to show it, he took a sip of coffee and then replied to the special envoy.

“I, too, as the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea’s 7th Republic, express deep regret that the bilateral relationship has been shaken due to the desperate struggles of the old corrupt forces that have been gnawing at the nation over the past years. I ask you to convey this well to Prime Minister Li Kebao.”

At Nam Hanseok’s words, the special envoy bowed his head deeply once, observing proper etiquette.

Siguk, watching this while hidden using his Atomization Skill along with the familiar, grinned.

‘Now that you can use telepathy, this is really convenient.’

Siguk’s will was immediately conveyed to the familiar.

• Besides this, I will become useful in many ways, Master.