I Will Become a Phoenix More Noble Than the Emperor - Chapter 2

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

2.

 

 

 

 

“Huh? You can’t possibly say you don’t know that, right?”

 

No, I did know.

 

Because I had read this entire book.

 

Superhuman was a term referring to awakened individuals who wielded Yin Power in this world formed by the harmony of yin and yang, using that power to exorcise demons. I also remembered the setting where those who hadn’t awakened would fall into a coma if the Yin Power backflowed while they tried to draw it up to become Superhumans.

 

So this place really was inside that book.

 

Seon-o turned to look at Yoon-han for final confirmation and asked.

 

“What’s the name of this country?”

“Why is this sister acting so weird today! How far are you going to take this, huh?”

 

When Yoon-han, who had quickly regained his energy, started getting aggressive again, a vein finally bulged on Seon-o’s forehead.

 

Ugh. This punk. Even here, I should just—

 

Seon-o’s eyes flashed dangerously at her younger brother’s unchanging charm that shattered even a moment of tenderness.

 

“Make me repeat myself one more time…?”

 

Sensing the voice that had reached its limit, Yoon-han’s posture instantly straightened. Detecting danger, Yoon-han smoothly knelt down and answered.

 

“Yes, sister. The name of this country is Geumhwi Kingdom. It means a precious land that shines like gold.”

 

From his behavior, Seon-o realized that even in this place, she had kept Yoon-han firmly in line. It was fortunate. It was just the right level of discipline for conducting an interrogation.

 

‘Geumhwi Kingdom.’

 

It really was the world inside the Phoenix Chronicles.

 

Having gained complete certainty, Seon-o gazed quietly at Ji-woon sleeping peacefully. Ji-woon would surely understand this unbelievable situation.

 

Ji-woon, who was three years older than Seon-o, was like a friend and brother.

 

He was playful and cheerful, always making Seon-o laugh. She remembered their last conversation.

 

“I’m getting teary-eyed thinking about leaving our Seon-o behind.”

“Get your hands away. You look like you’re laughing.”

“Ah, you caught me.”

 

With his handsome face breaking into a bright smile, Ji-woon handed over a box of chocolate from Seon-o’s favorite shop.

 

“Eat this and cheer up.”

 

It was chocolate so popular that you couldn’t buy it without lining up from morning. When she realized that Ji-woon had lined up from early morning on the day of his departure to buy it for her, the cold regret that had risen to her throat melted away. However, using embarrassment as an excuse, words of gratitude never made it past her lips.

 

It was always like that. While secretly feeling proud to be the sister of Ji-woon, who was popular and good-natured and had never once gotten angry at her, Seon-o had never once conveyed those feelings.

 

Sitting in the funeral hall looking at Ji-woon’s portrait, Seon-o realized she could never convey her true feelings again and felt irreversible regret.

 

But even here, even after receiving such a precious opportunity, she still couldn’t convey those words, which was infuriating.

 

No. No, there was a way. Seon-o recalled the text written in front of the book.

 

‘Enter the book and become the phoenix. If you achieve this, you can revive your family. Turn the page when you’re ready.’

 

The playful Ji-woon had enjoyed posing riddles since childhood and watching Seon-o struggle to solve them.

 

Whenever he saw Seon-o eventually bring him the answer without giving up, no matter how many days it took, he would smile and say.

 

“That’s my sister.”

 

So this was the most difficult and important riddle Ji-woon had given her.

 

And I must find the answer, as always.

 

“Phoenix.”

“Huh…?”

“The Phoenix Competition will be held soon.”

 

At that, Yoon-han nodded blankly.

 

“You remember that? Yeah, the oracle came down a few days ago. That’s why the whole country is in chaos now. Ah, I should be selling alcohol at a time like this! This isn’t the time to be here!”

 

At the mention of “a few days ago,” Seon-o’s heart beat quietly. Then the oracle would have given tasks for participating in the Phoenix Competition. Only by passing those tasks could one register as a candidate and participate in the competition to select the phoenix.

 

Seon-o, who had been calmly organizing the information obtained from the novel, suddenly frowned.

 

“But why aren’t you going to school and selling alcohol instead? How old are you?”

“School? You mean the School?”

“Yes. How old are you.”

 

Yoon-han, who was about to get indignant asking if she was joking, saw Seon-o’s flashing eyes and obediently answered again.

 

“This humble one is eighteen years old this year.”

“…Then I’m twenty-three?”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

 

It was the same age as in reality.

 

“I asked why you didn’t go to School.”

“The School tuition is too expensive for commoners like us to afford.”

 

Only then did Seon-o look around her surroundings. It didn’t seem particularly well-off, as she noticed old and broken places here and there.

 

Moreover, if it had been over a year since Ji-woon, the eldest son, had become like this, the situation would have gradually worsened.

 

So that’s why she and Yoon-han went out to the marketplace to sell alcohol…

 

“What’s this delivery that mom and dad went on?”

 

Yoon-han glanced at his sister as if she were crazy, but still faithfully answered.

 

“They said there was an elixir that could wake up hyung, so they went to get that elixir. They said if we delivered Gamhyang Wine to Bujin Pavilion on Jamil Mountain, they would give us the elixir in return.”

“What? Jamil Mountain?”

 

When Seon-o’s voice became sharp, Yoon-han flinched and reflexively raised his hands in a defensive posture.

 

However, Seon-o had suddenly frozen as if she had heard something terrible.

 

Jamil Mountain. And Bujin Pavilion.

 

She knew these two words.

 

It was the place where the protagonist’s parents were murdered in the novel! At that moment, cold chills ran up Seon-o’s spine.

 

〈Phoenix Chronicles〉 begins with the protagonist On Gang losing his parents in a mysterious accident, realizing that the accident was someone’s plan, and vowing revenge.

 

The very place where those parents were murdered was Bujin Pavilion on Jamil Mountain. A very dangerous and sinister mountain teeming with monsters.

 

And On Gang’s parents had endured that dangerous journey to obtain an elixir that could save On Gang’s older brother who had fallen into a coma.

 

“This can’t be…”

 

When Seon-o muttered like a groan, Yoon-han cautiously raised his head to look at Seon-o.

 

“What doesn’t make sense?”

 

Instead of answering, Seon-o looked around and suddenly picked up a wooden stick that was placed on the nightstand beside the bed and struck her own forehead with it.

 

Crack! When the sound of something breaking rang out, Yoon-han screamed in shock.

 

“Aaaah! Why, why are you doing this!”

 

Seon-o, who had actually held back her scream, hastily wiped away the tears that had leaked out from the pain. Then she grabbed the hand of Yoon-han, who was still sitting on the ground, and pressed the wound on the back of his hand firmly with her tear-moistened finger.

 

“Aaaah.”

 

As the hot saltiness seeped into the fresh wound from yesterday, a sound filled with pain flowed from Yoon-han’s mouth.

 

But that was only for a moment, as the stinging pain soon stopped completely and the open wound began to heal.

 

“Huh?”

 

Yoon-han’s eyes widened as if they would pop out upon seeing this.

 

At the same time, a lightning-like realization traveled from Seon-o’s head to her toes, making her entire body tremble.

 

That novel, the protagonist On Gang of 〈Phoenix Chronicles〉, was none other than Seon-o herself.

 

A superhuman with the potential of Water Element who would eventually awaken and participate in the Phoenix Competition.

 

The future that On Gang would experience was her own future. She couldn’t understand what or how this had happened, but one thing was certain.

 

Ji-woon was giving her hints through that novel.

 

Which meant…

 

Seon-o’s breathing stopped.

 

She might lose her parents again!

 

“Jamil Mountain!”

“Ja, Jamil Mountain?”

 

When Seon-o suddenly shouted, the startled Yoon-han repeated those words like a parrot in surprise. Seon-o immediately grabbed Yoon-han by the collar again.

 

She had to go save her parents right now!

 

“Give me all the money you have!”

 

Yoon-han’s face, which had been bewildered by those gangster-like words, became utterly dumbfounded.

 

* * *

 

Yoon-han, overwhelmed by Seon-o’s madness, eventually handed over all the cash hidden in the house.

 

Seon-o led Yoon-han to a place where they could rent a Ghost Carriage. A Ghost Carriage was a transportation method in this world – a carriage without horses. It was called that because its movement on its own was like being pulled by ghosts. Also, the entire carriage was embedded with precious stones that repelled monsters, allowing safe passage through places teeming with monsters.

 

Of course, the cost of borrowing that mystical power was enormous. When the Ghost Carriage Owner heard that the destination was the dangerous Jamil Mountain, he doubled the price. Thanks to that, silver coins that would probably cover half a year’s living expenses for the household disappeared in an instant.

 

“Sister, this really isn’t right! Spending this much money on this? And why are you going to that dangerous Jamil Mountain too! Let’s think about this again, please… Mom and dad would be bewildered too, right? Hey? Sister! Brother! Lord Kang!”

 

Yoon-han grabbed onto Seon-o’s clothes and followed her around pleading, but Seon-o was resolute.

 

“I’ll bring mom and dad back, so stay home. Stay right next to oppa and don’t go anywhere.”

 

Seon-o coldly removed Yoon-han’s hand and climbed onto the carriage.

 

Click, the door immediately closed by itself and began moving at a frightening speed.

 

“Sister! Kang Seon-o! Hey!”

 

Yoon-han’s desperate pleas faded away like an echo. Catching her breath, Seon-o pulled out the sharp kitchen knife she had hidden in her clothes with trembling hands. It was a weapon she had randomly grabbed from the kitchen before leaving.

 

“….”

 

Her heart was pounding so violently that she couldn’t even care about the fact that she had possessed into a fantasy novel, or that a square carriage without a coachman or horses was racing faster than a taxi.

 

As long as her family existed, accepting all of those things wasn’t even a problem.

 

However, Seon-o thought about what came next.

 

After finding her parents, what she would have to do next to save them.

 

After mentally preparing herself hundreds of times, the carriage that had been rattling and shaking back and forth finally came to a stop.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————