《I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain》 Prologue - I Got Possessed As I Was Criticizing A Nationalistic Light Novel Prologue - I Got Possessed As I Was Criticizing A Nationalistic Light Novel [Review Contest] The writer seems to be a psycho who enjoys raving about his own nationality, keke. You could write almost anything since this was a Review Contest. Still, this shitty writer needed to keep his patriotism in check since it was going overboard. This was roughly how the world-building of his universe went. It was a setting where people with superpowers emerged after a meteorite hit the Earth in 2000. But the superpowers only appeared in children born after the year 2000? To deal with this, each country established a superpower academy. The novel was set in the ¡®Sejong Academy¡¯, a Korean superpower academy. The academy¡¯s name already oozed a shitload of patriotism. Yet, the novel had female characters of all kinds from all over the world. Oh, My Gawd, Korea was the haven for superhuman beings, my ass. Lmaoooo. If it was me, I would¡¯ve migrated to the US as soon as I discovered I was superhuman. Those little brats with their superpowers in Korea could just stay and live in this hellhole. Were the other countries not aspetent as Korea? Perhaps the writer was worried about getting bacsh for the setting, so he made a buffer of sorts on Sejong Ind. Superhuman powers developed on Sejong Ind would yield the same results in a year as other countries did in ten. None of this was avable in other countries, only exclusively in Korea. I didn¡¯t know if anything about that would end up being included in the storyline. The writer would have probably ended the story before I could get there, lol. Furthermore, the MC was a pure gold digger and an alpha male who snatched up all the female characters in the same ss, the other sses, and even other academies. I was definitely not writing a review just to shit on this piece of work. This was just a novel with a handful of nationalistic superiority sprinkled in an academy harem setting. What was unusual was that there was a viin group called the Secret Association. Naturally, the leader of the group was a cutie. I wasn¡¯t even sure if it was a secret association conspiring for world domination or a children¡¯s group ying at being viins, but they were undoubtedly elites. I wondered if there would be characters appearingter in the story that woulde to the main character to say, ¡®The small Korean pepper is so spicy and amazing!¡¯ Ah, there was also a cadre who kept getting ignored by the evil group. I felt sorry for him. The MC¡¯s childhood friend, who he crushed on, who was also the female ss president, would end up being his concubine. Even the leader of the evil organization was also in his harem. Even the head of the group was likely to end up in the MC¡¯s harem, lololol. I originally wanted to write 5,700 words, but I¡¯m ending it here since it¡¯s a waste of my time. All of the above was what I wrote. [Notice] You won the ¡°Cider Review¡± award! Please check your personal blog. That was the notification I received. ??(180.21) I will send you a Mom¡¯s Touch Bulgogi Burger Gift Voucher. Please send me your email address. ??(34.89) You need my email address? But Bulgogi is crossing the line¡­ ??(180.21) Email, KakaoTalk ID, and Discord ID are fine too! That was the message I received, so I just sent an email I made without thinking. I then opened the mail. You were the one who wrote ^5700^, right? ¡°¡­What?¡± Yes, I¡¯m the nationalistic writer, keke. ¡°No, I mean¡­¡± Wee to the world of the nationalists, kiss-ass! ¡°Fuck-¡± I became a member of the evil organization, the secret society, ¡®Goblin¡¯. Chapter 1: The Villain’s Perspective (1) Chapter 1: The Viin¡¯s Perspective (1) December 2024, somewhere in Gyeonggi Province. Late at night. There was an alleyway lit only by primary-colored fluorescent lights and no neon sign in sight. ¡°Huff, huff¡­!¡± A young man was running down the alley, gasping for breath. Under a in outfit of a t-shirt and jeans was a peculiarity. His body was full of wounds, as if it had been cut by a sharp sword. And those wounds were increasing as he ran. Poof! ¡°Ah¡­!!¡± The young man fell to the ground. He reached out to his earlobe as he felt a stinging sensation and a hot liquid smeared his hand. ¡°Uh, ugh¡­!¡± It was cut off. The burning pain was stronger than any pain he had ever experienced in his life. But he couldn¡¯t just stay still in this pile of trash. ¡°So, someone, save me!!¡± Rip! No sooner had he cried out for help did the trash bag next to him split in half. The flowing pile of trash inside looked like brain matter, and the young man swallowed hard, as if it was a glimpse of his own impending doom. ¡°Uh, ugh¡­!¡± He knew he shouldn¡¯t scream. But the scream just had to escape. There. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re running off to~¡± A woman in ck full-body tights approached while humming a tune. Her face was covered with a mask, sunsses over her eyes, and even her hair was covered withtex tights. ¡°If you get caught now, I¡¯ll cut you off neatly in one go. Huh? Do you want to be sliced little by little?¡± The moment he heard her chilling voice, the man remembered a news report he had seen. [¡­ The viin [Pepper Cutter] with superpowers targets only males in their twenties¡­.] Pepper Cutter. Also known as the Eunuch Maker. She yed with her powers like a toy and swung her whip. In the end she was a viin who cuts off something precious to men, equivalent to life itself. If he got caught here, he would surely die. He would be found somewhere, dead and bled out, with fresh blood still on his lower half. ¡°I don¡¯t want to!!! I don¡¯t want to die!!¡± The man was desperate. ¡°Hero! Please, someone help me!! Please!!¡± ¡°Nothing like that here.¡± Shwack. The whip flew towards the man¡¯s neck. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary ck whip, but one that resembled the stem of a rose with thorns. This whip was the superpower of that ability user, Pepper Cutter. Based on her ability to use the stem of a nt as a whip, she would have been given a nickname like ¡®Rose Whip¡¯, but the evil acts shemitted as a viin changed her alias to a horrifying name. ¡°There¡¯s no one to help you. Even if someone noticed themotion, no one woulde to help. Everyone¡¯s holding their breath.¡± ¡°Ch, choke¡­!¡± ¡°The moment you report to a hero, an rm will go off, and I¡¯m going to attack the one who triggers that rm. Is there anyone listening nearby? Just try to report. I¡¯ll take care of everyone, whether male or female.¡± Pepper Cutter threatened the surroundings with utter confidence. It was a small alleyway, someone might have noticed themotion and woken up to report it, but unfortunately, not just anyone could report it. As soon as someone reported this, a loud warning rm would ring out. Pepper Cutter was a viin who could easily find the reporter inside the building walls and kill them. ¡°Ohoho, shall I start harvesting then? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll cut you off so quickly you won¡¯t feel any pain.¡± ¡°S-stop it¡­! Why are you doing this!!¡± ¡°Why? Do you need a reason? Haha, there¡¯s no reason.¡± Pepper Cutter licked the handle of the whip in her hand. ¡°I have the power to kill people, and no one can stop me using thew. Even if I kill people with this ability, there¡¯s no problem in my ¡®current life¡¯. Do you understand?¡± ¡°You, don¡¯t tell me¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m unregistered. I¡¯m still a normal person who hasn¡¯t been registered as a superhuman. I might be among the people you¡¯ve met since this morning, or I might be living in the same city, the same country as you. Either way¡­.¡± Shwack. ¡°You¡¯re going to die here.¡± ¡°Ch, choke¡­!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not just dying. You¡¯re going to feel the pain until you die. Oh, why am I killing you like this?¡± Pepper Cutter came close to the young man¡¯s face, removed her mask so only he could see, and gave him a big smile. ¡°Just because. Just because I want to. I want to cut off and chop up that part from men. Why? Is it strange? Just think about it casually. A psychopath became a viin after awakening superhuman abilities.¡± ¡°Uh, ka, heuk, heuk¡­!¡± ¡°Oh my, what¡¯s wrong with the man? Look at his wet pants. Why are you shivering so much?¡± Pepper Cutter stomped on the young man¡¯s groin with the heel of her shoe. ¡°Disgusting. Ah, guys like you-¡± Beep beep beep. The rm sound began to echo from behind. [Viin appearance! Viin appearance! Hero appearance is urgently required!!] Hearing the loud rm, Pepper Cutter turned her head, full of irritation. ¡°Ah, damn it. I said if someone reported this, I would kill-¡± Beyond the alleyway. There stood a man wearing a ck suit holding a smartphone. The disy showed a warning screen that warned of a viin¡¯s appearance. Even his tie was ck. The only color he had was the ¡®Goblin Mask¡¯ that emitted a golden glow. ¡°W-what¡­? D-don¡¯t tell me?!¡± Pepper Cutter¡¯s voice suddenly hardened. ¡°H-how can you?! No, why are you?!¡± ¡°Did you not learn in elementary school moral sses to report criminals to the police and viins to heroes if you happen to encounter them?¡± ¡°I-I¡­!!¡± Shwack. Pepper Cutter harshly retrieved her whip from the young man. ¡°You¡¯re a viin too! Moreover, from a secret society¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this as part of a secret society. I cannot simply pass by someone who freely kills others. Especially if that viin belongs to our ¡®society¡¯.¡± nk. ¡°I have no choice but to pass judgment.¡± The man in the mask, Goblin, tucked his smartphone into the inside pocket of his suit and brought forward what he had been holding behind his back. ¡°Pepper Cutter. You have tarnished the name of the Society. As a judge of the Society, I will now execute you.¡± It was a baseball bat. ¡°The Society does not kill people randomly. That young man, too, will someday be a servant in the world the Society will conquer.¡± The bat was too refined to be made of aluminum, with a color as ck as ebony, and was densely studded with sharp golden spikes. ¡°All of mankind will be ¡®Chiefs¡¯ ¡®Taxpayers¡¯ and ¡®ves¡¯. You indiscriminately killed those who would be ves to the Chief, your sin is grave.¡± ¡°You, you this¡­! What are you nning to do to me!¡± ¡°Execution as a viin. Execution as a member of society. It¡¯s simple.¡± Goblin pointed his bat at Pepper Cutter, holding it with one hand. ¡°I have reported you, and I will now hand you over to the heroes.¡± ¡°You crazy bastard! Don¡¯t viins, especially members of the same society, have to acknowledge each other?!¡± ¡°I am apletely different person from the viin you¡¯re thinking of. And do not ce a viin like you and me on the same level.¡± With those words, the figure of the Goblin disappeared. ¡°I am an ¡®executive¡¯ of the Society.¡± Thwack! Like an illusion, the Goblin disappeared and suddenly appeared next to Pepper Cutter, swinging his bat with full force at her side. ¡°Cough!!¡± Pepper Cutter was quickly mmed against the wall. The impact was so intense that a person-shaped crack formed on the concrete wall, and from the hole in Pepper Cutter¡¯stex-covered waist that had been pierced by the spikes, red blood began to flow out. ¡°I don¡¯t distinguish between men and women for execution. The only one who can avoid this bat is a child.¡± ¡°You, you¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be in pain. The victims who were sliced and diced by you would have suffered more.¡± Thud. Goblin swung his bat down again. This time he hit Pepper Cutter¡¯s leg with a part of the bat without spikes, but the impact was so powerful that the concrete floor below cracked. ¡°You will go to the special ability prison. The Society doesn¡¯t need to rehabilitate someone like you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­!!¡± Goblin took Pepper Cutter¡¯s sharp whip and wrapped it around her body. The whip that had cut and pierced many men so far became a rope tightly wrapped around Pepper Cutter¡¯s whole body, and Goblin raised his bat high towards Pepper Cutter, who had fallen to the floor. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your ability to shape-shift.¡± ¡°Stop!!¡± Along with a sharp voice heard from a distance, something quickly whizzed past the Goblin¡¯s mask. ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, it will be shot in the back of your head! It won¡¯t end with just a warning!!¡± It was a bullet. The white bead embedded in the wall was a bullet manifested by a special ability, and outside the alley was a woman in a white uniform. ¡°A hero.¡± ¡°Yes! I am-¡± ¡°I still have things to do¡­well, fine. Now that a hero is here, the passing viin should retreat.¡± The Goblin ced his bat to his waist and firmly pressed his mask with his hand. ¡°Farewell.¡± sh! A golden powder shimmered around the Goblin, and in a blink, he disappeared from the spot as if he had teleported. ¡°Ah!¡± The woman in white bit her lower lip and gritted her teeth as she rushed forward with her magic rifle towards where the Goblin had disappeared. ¡°¡­This is ¡®Snow White¡¯. Reporting. Situation¡­controlled.¡± -What happened?! ¡°¡­The [Viin Executioner], Goblin, has ¡®executed¡¯ Pepper Cutter.¡± Snow White, looking at the bound Pepper Cutter, gritted her teeth. ¡°Someday, I¡¯ll definitely catch you¡­ Goblin¡­!¡± In an alley nearby. ¡°Tsk, I got caught up in unnecessary trouble while passing by.¡± The young man in the Goblin mask, wearing a ck suit, took off his mask. Soon his entire body sparkled gold, and the young man- ¡°Transformation release.¡± Became bare. Chapter 2: The Villains Perspective (2) Chapter 2: The Viin''s Perspective (2) In this nationalist light novel, there was a viin named ¡®Goblin¡¯. As one of the executives in the evil organization¡¯ Secret Society¡¯, the Goblin was a viin who harassed the protagonist from the first volume of the light novel by attacking the academy that the protagonist attended. ¡°Keugh¡­! You! How dare you audaciously foil my n! Just you wait!¡± Of course, like all lower-level executives in the evil organization, all the attacks targeting the protagonist ended up in failure. ¡°You are always interfering with me! Drop that woman and disappear, then at least your life will be spared!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of brainwashing you¡¯ve done, but you¡¯ll pay with your life for stealing our organization¡¯s executive!¡± ¡°You keep interfering with me! Our organization would have taken over this country if it weren¡¯t for you! We would have ruled the world! If only you weren¡¯t here!!!¡± More specifically, the viin¡¯s goal was to kill the protagonist after being continuously obstructed while attempting to kidnap the ¡®heroines¡¯ at the academy. The heroine, who was a childhood friend, eventually became part of the protagonist¡¯s harem. Even the boss ended up in the protagonist¡¯s harem. Finally, in thest volume, even the chief of the evil organization became part of the protagonist¡¯s harem. ¡°Die, protagonist! Even if I have to die today, I will make sure to kill you!¡± Eventually, after awakening through despair and corruption, he became a hopeless final boss who robbed all the viins of their abilities, much like a true final boss. I was him. The viin was some and unpleasant in the original work that even if he was subjected to ¡®BSS¡¯ and ¡®NTR¡¯, people would say, ¡®It serves him right¡¯. I ended up possessing this viin. I still can¡¯t understand why I, of all people, possessed this guy instead of the protagonist. Still, I was currently working as a viin for the secret organization ¡®Secret Society¡¯ that was aiming for world domination. I needed to survive. I had already be a viin when I possessed him and was trapped in this organization. If I wanted to leave this organization, I must meet someone who can disable this special ability and receive ¡®purification¡¯. But even that purification must be able to remove the ¡®restriction¡¯ directly imposed by the chief through her special ability. I¡¯ve considered turning myself into the Hero Alliance. I hadn¡¯t really done any viinous deeds yet, and there were far too many restrictions on being a viinpared to a hero. But¡­ After living as a viin for the past few months, I¡¯ve found it surprisingly enjoyable. Ding dong. The rm on my smartphone went off. The deposit history recorded in the bank app was the first thing I saw. [MetaBurst Co., Ltd. Deposit. KRW 34,123,293.] ¡°¡­With 30 million, anyone would want to be a viin.¡± A huge sum of money was deposited. The corporation called ¡®MetaBurst¡¯ was one of our Secret Society¡¯s several shellpanies. I was registered as an employee of this shellpany and received a sry. Even for a secret organization, things fundamentally required money to operate, so a way to use this money legally was necessary. If thispany was traced by heroes, my bank ount, passbook, and smartphone would immediately be seized. However, our Secret Society was not such an easy organization to handle. Ding dong. Another rm rang from my pocket, and I took out another smartphone. HeroArchive Co., Ltd. Deposit. KRW 21,413,989. Another smartphone, another ount. ¡°30 million plus 20 million more.¡± HeroArchive was also one of the shellpanies. In case one shellpany went bust, deposits could be made through anotherpany. The Secret Society was managing its members more systematically than expected. I worried about what would happen if I was caught by the International Hero Alliance,monly known as ¡®HERO¡¯, but at least until then, I would be able to umte a vast amount of money without much trouble. There were three other ces besides these shellpanies, but there was no ¡®performance¡¯ to deposit money from there yet. However, if I manage to increase my performance in the future¡­ ¡°I could make 100 million won this month from my sry.¡± This was the ce where making millions per month was possible: the Secret Society. Justice? Heroes? Protagonists? They were all useless in front of money. I was a crass servant of capitalism, kneeling before the warm sry offered by the Secret Society. [¡°Congrattions, Goblin. We will give you what you want.¡±] [¡°No more, no less, just one, please.¡±] [¡°One? Will that be enough?¡±] [¡°Of course, leader.¡±] [¡°Good. I put 100 million in your ount. I¡¯m counting on you for the next job. Hmm hmm!¡±] -¡­! And so, I became a viin. It was not because the leader was a beautiful woman or because the executives, the so-called ¡®Four Heavenly Kings of Darkness¡¯, were all women. I was not a womanizer but a money-chaser. ¡®This is reality.¡¯ Whether this world was a light novel world or a low-brow world, it was now my reality. If there was no escape, wasn¡¯t the correct answer to enjoy wealth while wandering about? Vroom¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Outside the balcony window, the sound of a harsh car horn filled the air. I wasn¡¯t sure yet if that was the sound of a vehicle that was ignoring traffic signals or the appearance of another viin. Wee-wee-wee. The sound of the viin rm. Here in Seoul, I checked my smartphone just in case of that often-heard rm. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not from our side?¡± There was no news from the Secret Society. However, if the viin rm rang, it indicated a situation where a real viin had appeared. Click. I turned on the TV. Immediately, I tuned into the news alert channel, specifically ¡®HTN¡¯, which professionally covered content rted to superhumans, to check for thetest updates. [Breaking news. Currently, the viin ¡®Red Scarf¡¯ is racing along the Gyeongbu Expressway. Eight cars have been destroyed, with many casualties¡­] ¡°Another viin, huh.¡± A viin appeared every single day. Today¡¯s viin was ¡®running¡¯ at 200km/h on the Gyeongbu Expressway. As if the expressway was his autobahn, he was enjoying his speed all alone. [The suspect, the viin ¡®Red Scarf¡¯, real name Jeong Gong-in, is 19 years old this year and began causing a rampage as soon as he departed his home. Hero authorities are¡­.] ¡°Tsk tsk. Such a young guy is already causing trouble.¡± If there was one thingmon among the viins, it¡¯s that they were all under 25 years old. That was only natural. The year 2000. The day the century¡¯s first digit changed, a meteorite from far space struck the Earth. The meteorite contained alien substances, and after those substances spread on Earth, a new kind of human was born. Superhumans. Beings who could use superpowers, children who could freely utilize a new energy known as ¡®mana¡¯, were born. Only children. ¡°New humans.¡± The oldest among the superhumans was just 25 years old. Born in 2000. Commonly, in modern stories where people awakened superpowers, there were cases where adults also awakened these abilities. Still, this light novel had none of that. Was it dissatisfaction with adults, or perhaps a form of protest? In the settings, there could have been a way for adults to awaken as superhumans, or they could have set a scenario where those who first awakened superhuman abilities would be key figures in a mature society. In the world of this light novel, among the adults dressed in suits, clearing their throats, there wasn¡¯t a single superhuman. No one who was 26 years old or older, or anyone whose birth year starts with ¡®1¡¯, could manifest superhuman abilities. As a result, humankind began to experience a true generational conflict. Pre-superhuman old humans. New humans who had awakened their superhuman abilities. Of course, the catch was that, officially, less than 100,000 new superhumans had awakened their abilities. Still, the influence of these 100,000 new superhumans was too great. [We¡¯re at the Dongtan junction on the Gyeongbu Expressway! The viin Red Scarf is confirmed to be heading towards ¡®Seoul¡¯, avoiding the gaze of the heroes, and the heroes who started from ¡®Busan¡¯ are still passing near Daegu!] [Is there a hero at the scene who started from Seoul?] [No!] The world weed this era of great chaos. [How can there be no one in Seoul?] [Because it¡¯s Seoul!] There were no heroes in Seoul. There were no heroes in Gyeonggi Province either. Busan is filled with heroes. Could the author be from Busan? Seoul was still the capital of the country, but Busan had be the economic center. To put it bluntly, ¡°The apartment next to the Haeundae Hero Union building is 5 billion won, and the branded apartment in Gangnam, Seoul, has dropped to 300 million won. That says it all.¡± Even if it was a world within a light novel fantasy, the people living in this world were certainly ¡®real¡¯ beings. I knew that this world was a light novel, but the people of this world were trembling in fear, not knowing when and where a viin or a brat might spring up and cause chaos. Now, this world was also my reality. Regardless of whether I was a reader in my previous life, I was now a viin and executive in a criminal organization in this world. [Red Scarf¡¯s objective has been confirmed! He has stated on SNS and other tforms that he will turn Seoul into a sea of mes, particrly nning tomitrge-scale arson in Gangnam!] So. [He warned that he would set fire to Banpo Zai¡­!] ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± I looked outside. ¡°In our neighborhood?¡± Chapter 3: The Villains Perspective (3) Chapter 3: The Viin''s Perspective (3) Those with abilities, in other words, those with the power of mana, could not be controlled using modern weapons. [Mana is an alien substancepletely different from our existing concepts! This is a material that is dimensionally different from any energy source in the modern world!] Being a substance from an alien world, mana could not be controlled by any modern force. To put it simply. [A 17-year-old female E-ss ability user has the power equivalent to a tank.] Even at E-ss, and not the lowest F-ss, they possessed the killing and destructive power of a tank. An F-ss could protect their body from distant flying bullets with a mana shield and endure a barrage of bullets until all their mana was tapped out. An A-ss was casually evaluated as having an army-level power. Reaching S-ss, they were considered a national power level, a living nuclear weapon. In such a situation, the ones who learned these abilities were all under 25 years old, so there was no way to guide these children, whether they were born with these abilities or awakened as they grew up, along the so-called ¡®right path¡¯. [Stop your abilities!] [What can you do? You can¡¯t kill me, right? You¡¯re mad, right? It¡¯s useless even if you bring a gun, right?] [What kind ofnguage is that for an adult?] [Adult? Ha, you¡¯re a powerless idiot! I am a far superior existence to you! Get me Goranistaz cash, and give me gift certificates!] [Y-you crazy!!] The world¡¯s political situation had expanded from conflicts between nations to essentially a confrontation between good and evil, or order and chaos, or the old and new generations. [Good children who listen well be heroes, and delinquents who arewbreakers be viins.] Those who used their abilities to maintain the existing world order. Those who used their abilities for their own benefit. [This world is not a confrontation between heroes and viins.] Someonemunicated this worldview. [It¡¯s a confrontation between exemry children who won awards and juvenile delinquents.] The viins were all delinquent children who gained abilities. At the same time, the heroes were good children who awakened their abilities and received praise from teachers for being model students in the ss. They were not wrong. [The viin, Red Scarf - Jeong Gong-in, is a pyrokic. He grew up in the ¡®Children¡¯s Ability Users Mental Training Center¡¯ after burning and killing animals at the age of 10¡­!] Now, there was a guy rushing towards my apartment - the Seoul Banpo Zai, threatening to set it on fire. Psychopath. Sociopath. Or ability supremacist. After being filled with the idea of not needing to adhere andply with existingws and orders due to his abilities, he was now attempting to prove himself through terror. [We have invited Dr. Ahn Jeong-eun, a psychologist specializing in ability-rted crimes. Why is Red Scarf targeting Banpo Zai?] [Banpo Zai is a symbol. When he was admitted to the mental training center, Banpo Zai was gaining poprity on the inte as a symbol of wealth.] [Is he trying to deliver a message by terrorizing the richest apartment?] [Yes, that¡¯s right. There are quite a few heroes in Busan, so he¡¯s trying to carry out a terrorist attack in a ce known to him as an affluent area where there are rtively fewer heroes¡­] ¡°So you¡¯re saying the kidcksmon sense, but his knowledge is stuck in the past decade?¡± The reason my apartment was under the threat of terrorism was due to a misunderstanding. ¡°Anyway, the level of a delinquent child.¡± It was absurd, but when you looked through actual terrorist incidents in history, those triggered by misunderstanding happened more often than you think. Especially if the perpetrator was a delinquent child pyromaniac who had awakened abilities and thought he was a superior being. [What is the current situation in Seoul?! Our reporter is at the Han River!] [¡­Yes! Here is Seoul, Han River! An emergency evacuation order has been issued in areas around Seocho-dong and other nned terrorism sites, and the citizens of Seoul are in chaos!] ¡°Well, it¡¯s obvious if you think a tank ising up to Seoul at a speed of 200km/h.¡± He was ¡®running¡¯ up north at a crazy speed on the Gyeongbu Expressway, but there was also no way to stop him. ¡°It¡¯s a mess.¡± I went down the stairs and went outside just as people were leaving Banpo-dong in terror. ¡°Where are the heroes?! Where are they?!¡± ¡°Damn it, they¡¯re all in Busan! Isn¡¯t there anyone? There must be a hero who came back to their hometown!¡± ¡°What is the pursuit teaming up from Busan doing! Catch that guy right now! Don¡¯t let hime up to Seoul!!¡± He was currently running away from the heroes in Busan. As he headed to Seoul tomit terrorism, he was warding off the heroesing to catch him from Busan using his abilities, mana, and speed. [What¡¯s the current situation of the heroes from Busan?!] [The heroes are barely catching up, but Red Scarf is causing traffic idents leading to casualties¡­!] ¡°Tsk.¡± Heroes were those who received a good model child award. If a thief ran away while pushing an olddy passing by, they were the ones who would rush to give first aid to the bleeding olddy, even if they were in the middle of chasing the thief. [The casualties now exceed 20¡­!] ¡°Did this guy decide not to live on Koreannd?¡± He had crossed the line and gone far beyond it. It¡¯d be tough for him to live under the light in the future. ¡°¡­nning to seek asylum, huh?¡± But what about in the darkness? What if there was a ce that epts exiled viins of Korean origin because they were fearful of Korea¡¯s rise? ¡°Is this guy nning to cross over to China or Russia?¡± He may stage a terrorist attack in Seoul, fake his death while crossing the sea, and reappear under names like ¡®Jie Ang Goujing¡¯ or ¡®Jung Gorinsky.¡¯ There were many such individuals in reality. After all, in Korea, the benefits heroes received for their abilities were overwhelmingly lesspared to other countries. Other countries were willing to payrge sums of money to ept ability users from Korea. Originally, that was also the ¡®setting¡¯ of this novel. ¡°Well, this small penins received too many blessings.¡± In the setting, it was because of ¡®that thing¡¯ that was sleeping underground on Sejong Ind. Still, the Korean penins was a ce blessed with mana. [Why is Red Scarf doing this? If he bes a hero, he could be an A-ss hero who can protect a city or even a hero who can protect an entire foreign country if he goes abroad!] As a result, even if one¡¯s abilities would earn them praise as the sole hero and national hero in another country, in Korea, they could fall to the level of amon A-ss viin like Red Scarf and cause social unrest. ¡°Open up the hero navigator! Isn¡¯t there a hero in Seoul?!¡± ¡°Damn it, there¡¯s nobody in the metropolitan area! The hero who was originally in Seoul is currently on an overseas business trip!¡± Given the situation, all they could do was watch Seoul be a sea of mes. Pa ba ba pa ba ba ba pa bam. My smartphone rang. A tune different from the default tone built into the smartphone rang, ying something reminiscent of the opening song from a special investigative drama. ¡°Ugh.¡± The screen of the smartphone was prominently marked with the character ¡®¦¸¡¯. In the middle of the sentence, the icon was a ¡®ck dragon¡¯. I quickly avoided the public¡¯s attention and went to a quiet ce, then carefully answered the call. ¡°Yes, chairwoman. I¡¯ve received your call.¡± [Ah, Chief Do. How have you been?] The slightly young voice came out of the smartphone If anyone overheard, it would sound like the speech of a woman in her early thirties who was a third-generation chaebol Of course, it was a code to conceal her identity. The being on the other end of the phone was the leader of the world domination organization ¡®Gyeolsa¡¯, the ¡®ck Dragon¡¯. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been doing well, thanks to you. How are you, chairwoman?¡± [Thanks to Chief Do, I¡¯ve been sleeping soundly these days. Hehe. But Chief Do, there¡¯s an urgent matter I need you to handle.] ¡°If the chairman orders it, I must follow. What is it?¡± [You know the Red Mafura, right? I think you¡¯ll need to collect that~] Red Mafura. This, too, was a code. However, it was not a predetermined code but a metaphorical expression that required some thought. ¡°Is it collection or cleaning?¡± [Oh my, look at me. You¡¯re disposing of it, so you shouldn¡¯t unnecessarily bring it to thepany. You understand, right?] She changed hermand from ¡®collection¡¯ to ¡®cleaning¡¯, and I was also given the order of ¡®disposal¡¯. [Our environment, green, green. Please put it neatly in a garbage bag for disposal. Hehe, I¡¯m counting on you!] The call ended. Although it was a sudden directive, having heard the instructions, I could not remain idle. ¡®The location of the target is slowly moving to Chungcheong Province.¡¯ If I intercept it in Seoul, my identity might be revealed, so I just needed to head a bit south. Vroom. I climbed onto the motorcycle parked in the lot. If you were to ask about it, this was my beloved ¡®Dark Knight-ck Knight¡¯, which I bought with my first monthly sry from Gyeolsa. The name became what it was because the boss named it. I just wanted to call it ¡®Shaky¡¯- ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Something sent a chill down my spine. And at the same time, someone approached from behind- Thud! ¡°Ouch¡­!¡± Someone bumped their head against my back. Worried it might be the appearance of a new assassin, I quickly turned my head around. ¡°Who¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡± A ck-haired woman pressing her hat down firmly bowed at the waist toward me with her hands together. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could I borrow your motorcycle?! I¡¯m in a hurry, and I¡¯ll repay you!¡± ¡°Why the motorcycle¡­ wait a minute.¡± I quickly scanned the woman up and down. ¡°¡­Snow White?¡± A wild heroine appeared¡­! Chapter 4: The Villains Perspective (4) Chapter 4: The Viin''s Perspective (4) An S-ss hero was a celebrity. And not just an ordinary celebrity, but one whose name was known worldwide. If an S-ss went on a trip abroad, the state provided a private jet and attendants to ensure no foreign agents harassed the S-ss with offers of defection. Naturally, their freedom was limited, and their movements were disrupted. The S-ss led a more tiring life than celebrities. Therefore¡­ Even if she was wearing a wig and disguised herself to hide her white hair that changed due to her power, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for me to recognize that this woman was ¡®Snow White¡¯. ¡°Shush¡­!¡± Snow White was startled, cing her index finger on her lips. ¡°H-How did you know that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Because she was one of the main heroines? Or maybe because she was so pretty? ¡°I¡¯m a fan. I¡¯m one of the ¡®Dwarfs¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Snow White held onto her sunsses. ¡°I thought so¡­.¡± What were the Dwarfs? It was the name of her followers¡¯ fan club¡¯, so to speak. Of course, this global group being a fan club was stressful for her. She was trying to borrow a motorcycle in a parking lot in Banpo-dong, Seoul, and the owner of that motorcycle was her fan? That was beyond embarrassing. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but could I borrow your motorcycle right now?¡± ¡°Are you trying to get there on the bike? To¡­ stop it?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll certainlypensate you. No, I¡¯ll deposit it to you right now.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to make a deposit.¡± Getting a deposit from a hero? Get my ount traced and be exposed as a viin? [Freeze this guy¡¯s ount first!!] All the money I had earned would be frozen as national property. That should never happen! ¡°Just take it. It¡¯s obvious I should lend it to you, a hero who protects our country.¡± ¡°Huh? But, still.¡± ¡°Just make sure to protect our house. I only bought it 3 months ago¡­! So, I¡¯m counting on you!¡± After bowing slightly to Snow White, I handed over the bike key and immediately left the spot. To my eyes, I was just an ordinary person running away in a hurry. Although I could see Snow White watching from afar, I ran northward as much as possible and took out my smartphone. ¡°Huff, huff, Chairwoman¡­!¡± [What¡¯s going on, Chief Do?] ¡°Shaky, I mean, ck Knight was stolen by Snow White¡­!¡± [What?!] I told the boss the whole truth as it happened. [Why is that woman in Seoul?] ¡°I don¡¯t know. She suddenly came up to me and asked to borrow a bike¡­!¡± [The bike?!] ¡°I lent it to her for now.¡± [Damn it, no! Go and retrieve it! Why the hell did you lend the bike I bought for you to Snow White!] The Chairwoman yelled in my ear. [I bought it!! For you!!] ¡°¡­I apologize. I didn¡¯t want to inadvertently expose myself and cause you harm.¡± [Don¡¯t worry about that! ¡­Huh, no. There¡¯s nothing we can do about the situation now. Hmm, Chief Do?] Her voice returned to her usual cool, attractive tone. [You don¡¯t have to retrieve the bike. We can always buy a new one. You did well. It just started¡­ moving.] ¡°Are you referring to the bike?¡± [Yes. It has a location tracker on it.] I knew that, but hearing it again was a bit scary. My only means of transportation was the bike, and a location tracker was on the-. ¡°Chairwoman, could it be?¡± [Why don¡¯t we follow the signal for now? I have a mission for you, Chief Do.] There was a yful tone in my boss¡¯s voice. [Go and smash the bike together with the Red Scarf.] ¡°In that case¡­¡± [We¡¯ll be indebted to Snow White. An S-ss Hero like her can easily pay marypensation, but a custom bike has value beyond money.] ¡°Chairwoman. What are you nning?¡± [We¡¯re going to implement ¡®that operation¡¯ using our connection with Snow White. I¡¯ll tell you the detailster. For now, go and destroy the bike. I¡¯ll arrange for a new and awesome one.] ¡°Understood.¡± In a deserted alleyway, I took a light breath and raised my hand to my face. ¡°¡­Transform.¡± BOOOOMMMMMMM!! The bike roared as it sped off. Snow White, also known as Baek Seol-hee, momentarily lost herself at a speed that surpassed 200 km/h. ¡®A bike with this kind of speed for a civilian?¡¯ It was an unthinkable speed. Could that man possibly be a biker gang member? He might have borrowed the bike from a gangster or someone like that. Since it was Seoul. Even if it¡¯s called Banpo Zai, it was now more of and of earthbound spirits who couldn¡¯t leave Seoul rather than a wealthy neighborhood. Those left behind there were like ghosts stroking their dead child. It was inevitable that ¡®the West¡¯,pared to ¡®the East¡¯ with its rtively good public security, would end up in an environment with rtively poor public security. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Because the ¡®Ind¡¯, the safest ce in the world and arguably the center of the world, was in the East Sea. If it had fallen into the Yellow Sea, the position of the east and west would have been reversed, and Busan might have suffered more severe damage than Seoul now did. Sigh. Lost in various thoughts, she had reached her destination before she knew it. [Snow White! Current location?!] ¡°I¡¯m in Anseong, Anseong.¡± [The punk is heading north along Cheonan! If you can intercept him halfway, do so and definitely retrieve ¡®the item¡¯!] ¡°¡­Roger that.¡± Snow White got off the bike. To ensure that it wouldn¡¯t get damaged, she parked it safely on the side of the road and locked the side stand. Then, using her ability, ¡®Ice Magic¡¯, she froze the area around the wheels. There should be no chance of it being stolen. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Facing a battle, her mind was cluttered. Not only because of the bike but because the mission itself was stressful for her. She appeared in Seoul not because she was part of the pursuit team chasing the Red Scarf from Busan. It was because she was ¡®on vacation¡¯ in Seoul. Heroes couldn¡¯t even properly enjoy a vacation. If there had been another hero in Seoul, it might have been different, but Snow White was the only hero in Seoul. 365 days a year. Even stepping out of her residence for a brief moment immediately attracted the press, yet during the only ¡®3 days¡¯ where a hero could enjoy freedom, she now had to fight an enemy. [Snow White. The Minister of Defense¡­!] ¡°¡­Connect me.¡± Snow White was momentarily very irritated, but she couldn¡¯t cut off the words of the so-called ¡®high-ranking person¡¯. [Ah, Baek Seol-hee? So, you are-] ¡°I¡¯m in operation. Please call me by my code name.¡± [¡­Ahem! So, Snow White. You are-] ¡°I¡¯m about to engage inbat.¡± Click. After pressing the device in her ear, Snow White reached out towards the intense red heating from the front. ¡°Ice Wall.¡± Crack! An ice barrier spread across the road with the sound of splitting ice. It was a wall that appeared to exceed ten meters, a wall that seemed imprable for any enemy. An ice wall erected by an S-ss ability user. It was impossible for an average ability user to prate, but for one who has ¡®that thing¡¯- Crash!! Something red crashed into the ice wall. Something that dyed the surroundings¡¯ blood red tried to pierce through the ice wall like a needle. ¡°¡­Hmph!¡± Snow White pumped more power into her hand, and the ice wall, while scraped from the outside, did not break. ¡°Tsk!¡± The man within the red trail stepped back and clicked his tongue. ¡°Hey, government dog.¡± ¡°¡­What? Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed saying that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong, so what¡¯s there to be embarrassed about?¡± The young man, the viin ¡®Red Scarf,¡¯ wore what seemed like a red muffler that fluttered around his neck due to his power manifestation. He extended his hand forward with his eyes glinting a blood-red. ¡°Move, if you don¡¯t want to die.¡± ¡°You? To me?¡± ¡°Hehehe, you¡¯ll understand when you experience it directly.¡± p. Behind Red Scarf, something akin to red wings unfolded. The fog made of mana looked very much like demon wings, and Snow White hastily looked up at the sky. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± There were no helicopters yet. It wouldn¡¯t be possible to identify this location via satellite immediately, so she had about 3 minutes/ She needed to subdue him quickly during this time. ¡°Do you know how dangerous that thing is?¡± ¡°Why? Are you scared that I might instill fear into the world?¡± ¡°Conversation doesn¡¯t seem to work with you. You¡¯re 19 this year, right?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Red Scarf raised his fist towards the sky. Soon, a pir of fire erupted around him. Snow White quickly extended the ice spike she had been secretly moving along the asphalt upwards. ¡°Even Snow White won¡¯t be able to stop me! As long as I have this power, the ¡®Power of Darkness¡¯!¡± Roar! The fire pir that ascended into the sky spread out in all directions. Snow White quickly expanded the ice barrier, but the mes engulfed the surroundings faster than she expected. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± The moment the fireball hit the bike, it exploded in a dazzling disy. ¡°To engage in such indiscriminate terrorism¡­!¡± Snow White bit her lower lip and reached forward. ¡°Do you think awakening your mana was just for this kind of act?! The blessing of mana is meant to be used for the world!¡± ¡°What do I care about using it for you?!¡± As Red Scarf floated up into the sky, he aimed a st at Snow White. ¡°I will live my life for myself! Damn it, rather than living in this shitty hellish penins¡ª¡± In an instant. ¡°To the ce where I can live as a hero¡­ To¡­¡± Scrape, scrape. Along with the sound of something scratching the ground, a ck figure began approaching from a distance. ¡°That is¡­¡± [Danger!! S-rank ability user detected! Pattern¡­ Goblin!!] The viin¡¯s counterpart appeared. Treading on the remains of the burning bike, the Goblin stared intently at Red Scarf with its crooked head. And then. [Viins must be eliminated.] With those words, the Goblin charged toward Red Scarf. Chapter 5: The Villains Perspective (5) Chapter 5: The Viin''s Perspective (5) There were many reasons why I needed to kill that delinquent, the Red Scarf. He was impudent. He used informalnguage with adults. He spat on the street. The Chief of the Secret Society had also directly ordered his elimination. He destroyed my bike that Snow White borrowed. ¡®He deserves to die.¡¯ Thest reason was entirely personal, but whether it was public or private, the fact that I had to kill that pyrotechnic delinquent does not change. There were two obstructions. ¡°Ha ha¡­! Goblin! Where, how can you withstand my mes?!¡± One was that insolent brat who was scared while looking at me but was still burning with spirit. ¡°Stop!¡± And the other was the na?ve hero who had wrapped my wrist with an ice whip from behind. ¡°We can¡¯t kill people!¡± ¡°Snow White. He¡¯s already caused casualties. Would you still say that in front of his family?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± I didn¡¯t particrly want to use psychological warfare, but if Snow White interfered, I had to make her step back. Overlook it, or let it go, or let him be judged by thew. There was no such thing. The Chief ordered me to execute him, and as an executive of the Secret Society and a Viin, I was just dealing with a devilish delinquent. ¡°Those who kill are sentenced to death. Anyone who studies Korean history a little knows thisw.¡± ¡°That¡¯s in the Gojoseon era!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m a Goblin from the Gojoseon era.¡± This was all to negotiate with someone who didn¡¯t understand. I wasn¡¯t some kind of Goblin that had survived for thousands of years from the Gojoseon era. ¡°Getting him judged by thew is nothing but a hassle. Fists can judge faster than thew, so there¡¯s no need to take a roundabout way.¡± It was just a concept. That was it. ¡°Red Scarf. Try to kill me. Then you might live.¡± ¡°Ha, ha ha! How can you be so bold in front of this power? Let¡¯s wait and see!¡± Red Scarf wasughing loudly at me. ¡°Rise, Phoenix!!¡± With an oddmand, he spreadrge wings of fire behind him. ¡°Ha ha! This is the ¡®power of darkness¡¯! Through a pact with the devil, I¡¯ve be stronger!¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°This, this¡­! That madman!!¡± Snow White was flustered as she looked at the rampaging Red Scarf. I was simply annoyed. The ¡®Secret Society¡¯ was the main viin, but there was another external factor besides them. If the Secret Society was said to be the main human viin, the power of that devil came from the ¡®malicious aura¡¯ attached to a meteorite from outer space. Of course, it was not only a blessing for humans to have mana. It also manifested as the power of the devil like that. ¡°Ha ha, ha ha ha! Now, I¡¯ve be a superhuman with the power of S ss!!¡± Of course, the human influence ¨C that was to say, the human cmity ¨C was to me for turning that delinquent, who was rampaging over there, into the so-called ¡®darkness¡¯. ¡°Snow White. Was Red Scarf originally an S-ss viin?¡± ¡°Gulp¡­!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t answer. It seems like aplex problem.¡± I had some guesses, but there was no need to scratch at a scab at a time like this. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll just kill him.¡± Because my task was to deal with that burning delinquent, no, the viin. ¡°Die!!¡± Red Scarf had turned into a Phoenix and zed with crimson mes. He pped his massive wings behind him, a monster materialized from clumps of ether called mana, and he was roaring withughter. ¡°This is the power of darkness¡­! From now on, I¡¯m not Red Scarf! Call me ck me Phoenix..! Ha ha ha!¡± ¡°What a madman.¡± I lightly gripped the baseball bat and ran along the asphalt roadnes. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!¡± He spread his wings and spread mes down below him. The crimson mes instantly melted the asphalt road, and he tried to block my path by creating a fire pir on the path I was running on. [So weak.] I pierced through it with no effort. The sticky asphalt clung to the soles of my shoes, and the crimson mes clung to my whole body, but I didn¡¯t care and ran through the fire pir. ¡°This, this¡­! This madman!!¡± ¡°Whether you¡¯re ck me Phoenix or Dark re Phoenix, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I stomped heavily on the ground and jumped high. ¡°You¡¯re going to die by my hand.¡± Physical enhancement using magical power let me leap higher than a 10-story building. Red Scarf was taken aback when he saw me reach him in an instant. ¡°Ugh, Aaargh!!¡± He tried to create distance by pping his wings, but it was toote. I¡¯ve already put my power into the bat swung over my shoulder, and it would be over with just one swing- ¡°Tsk.¡± I felt a sh of power from behind me. At the coldness trying to grasp my bat and put out the mes on my body, I sighed involuntarily. ¡°You don¡¯t have to kill him!!¡± Snow White also flew into the air, pping her white wings. ¡°Are you trying to stop me? That guy-¡± ¡°If you kill him, you¡¯ll have a criminal record and be fined!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Those were really persuasive words for a hero to say. ¡°I almost got goosebumps just now. That¡¯s quite aggressive for Snow White.¡± It wasn¡¯t a cliche saying. Most heroes would shout, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t kill people!¡± or, ¡°They must face the judgment of thew!¡± Ah. Maybe it was because I¡¯ve heard it so often from others. ¡°What you said resonates with me more than what others say. But do you think I¡¯d stop just because I might get a criminal record, or a bounty on my head?¡± Swish. Snow White¡¯s ice whip was shattered in an instant. Leaving a shocked Snow White, who saw her power neutralized behind, I leaped into the air and charged forward. ¡°Ugh, Ahhh!!¡± He was already running away. Turning his back on me, he pped his wings as he fled toward Busan. He probably wanted to flee to China from Busan, but there was no way. ¡°Speed.¡± I turned into a missile. I kept kicking through the air, ran, and aimed the baseball bat like a spear and stabbed it into his back. ¡°Cough, ack!!¡± The mana shield prevented my bat from piercing him, but the shock hit his whole body. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but there¡¯s no way you could suddenly be S-rank. Even if your temporary form is S-rank, your ss is still A-rank.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­!¡± Red Scarf fell, tears welling up in his eyes. I threw my bat high up in the air, then climbed onto his back, grabbing his burning wings with both hands. ze!! ¡°Ahhhh!!¡± As I tore off his wings by hand, he screamed as if a real part of his body was being ripped off. Seeing the red sparks spew out from the cross-section of the torn wing felt so real that I got goosebumps. Thud! His face nted onto the ground. His face hit the solid lines of the asphalt road, and Inded using him as a stepping stone, stepping on his back and raising my hand high. p. The bat I had thrown into the air uratelynded back in my hand. It wouldn¡¯t have been cool if it had fallen beside me, but it went as nned. Thud! I brought my bat down beside Red Scarf¡¯s face. The asphalt, melted by the heat, stuck to the bat, and Red Scarf looked at me with a face consumed by terror. ¡°P-Please¡­ spare me¡­! I don¡¯t want to be caught in a country like this¡­!¡± ¡°A country like this?¡± ¡°Take me to China! Then I¡¯llpensate you! In China, I can¡­.¡± ¡°This son of a bitch.¡± I stepped on his neck with my foot, then raised my bat high. ¡°Even though I¡¯m a crazy viin, I¡¯m a viin of this country, Korea!¡± Crash!! I brought my bat down just like that. I didn¡¯t shatter his head; instead, I let it fall back to the side again. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Perhaps due to the fear of death, he fainted with his eyes rolled back. ¡°Tsk.¡± I intended to kill him. I was about to smash his spine with a full swing to the back, but unfortunately, the order ¡®changed¡¯. Chairwoman? A signal from the boss was transmitted through the magic signal device attached to my mask. [Red Scarf was just a means. The important thing was to repay the debt to Snow White. That applied even to a viinous goblin like you.] In other words. The boss¡¯s order was to keep this guy alive and pay off the emotional debt to Snow White. ¡°Roger that.¡± I moved away from him. Snow Whitended behind me, folding her wings, and I swung the bat over my shoulder and nudged the unconscious Red Scarf with my foot. ¡°Hey, Snow White. He¡¯s passed out. Am I getting arrested for assault?¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯d actually killed him there, you¡¯d be charged with murder.¡± ¡°Then this is self-defense. I hope I won¡¯t get a criminal record or a bounty. Anyway.¡± I nudged Red Scarf again with my foot. ¡°What¡¯s the secret behind this guy suddenly getting strong? I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t need to know. You¡¯re already strong.¡± I knew that. But that was because I¡¯m a reader and a goblin. On the outside, I should be ignorant. ¡°Is that so? Then forget it. I wanted to kill him, but the mood¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for your cooperation. Even though you¡¯re a viin.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t cooperate. I just act ording to my own will.¡± I approached Snow White, bending down to bring my face closer to hers. ¡°I just do what I want. Don¡¯t misunderstand-¡± Bang!!! A gunshot echoed. In reflex, I turned my body and stretched my hand back, but the bullet was not aimed at either me or Snow White. In the distance, a man holding a rifle-like gun, running from the direction of Busan, was visible. As the muzzle smoke flowed out, what was presumably the target was on the ground. Red Scarf. Crack. Red blood spurted out, and Red Scarf¡¯s head shattered. [This morning at 11, Red Scarf, who was speeding on the Gyeongbu Expressway, was killed.] [The infamous viin ¡®Goblin¡¯ who killed him smashed Red Scarf¡¯s head by¡­] Chapter 6: Living As A Villain (1) Chapter 6: Living As A Viin (1) Approximately two days had passed since the Red Scarf incident. I immediately fled to Gangwon Province, hid myself, stole some clothes from a rural marketce, and then took a taxi home. Teleporting home while still appearing as Goblin? [That¡¯s where the Goblin disappeared! Fire the missiles!] [Minister! That¡¯s a densely popted area!] [I don¡¯t care! Just disguise it as an ident caused by the Goblin¡¯s explosion! It¡¯s a small sacrifice for the greater good! Kill him!!] If I returned home as Goblin, a missile might have suddenly flown to my house while I was asleep. This was that kind of neighborhood. After Red Scarf¡¯s head exploded. I disposed of Red Scarf and immediately hid myself to avoid thoseing in from afar. Snow White did not chase me. She appeared to be greatly shocked by the ¡®assassination¡¯ of the viin, and I didn¡¯t have time tofort her. [Let¡¯s meet again next time. Sorry, but I don¡¯t have time for goodbyes right now.] [There¡¯s a Goblin over there!! Catch him!!] Those who had rushed from afar were the government¡¯s ¡®Execution Squad¡¯. Unlike me, who was a viin that captured or killed other viins, the government also formed a special squad to eliminate viins. [It¡¯s a plea bargain! If you bring in the Viin Executioner, Goblin, we¡¯ll grant you a stay of execution. But you must follow the higher-ups¡¯ orders.] [What? I can get out of prison, kill people if I follow orders, and above all, catch that bastard Goblin with my own hands? Bring the stamp!] I had captured quite a few viins. There was a process they called ¡®resocialization¡¯, but the people in this process could be truly called the government¡¯s dogs. These dogs embellished, covered up, and manipted situations as part of their daily routine to ensure the state was not disadvantaged. A prime example was this news headline. ¡°The Goblin Smashes Red Scarf¡¯s Head.¡± The dirty deedsmitted by these dogs were twisted to suit their needs by the media as well as the V-Tube Lexica. ¡°That cruel bastard. How could he blow up the head of a young man who just became an adult and was freshly released from a juvenile center just because he¡¯s a viin?¡± ¡°That¡¯s your story.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying it.¡± I exchanged greetings with a woman I met in a seldom-visited cafe. ¡°Chairwoman. Don¡¯t you think this is too much? The country treats him recklessly just because he¡¯s a viin.¡± ¡°Living as a viin is like this. The only option is to fight formally. Be a V-Tube star and secure fans.¡± This small blonde-haired girl, around 20 cm shorter than me, who could easily be mistaken for a young child, was the head of our evil organization, the ¡®Suicide Squad¡¯, Yi Maemangnyang. ¡°How about you, Chief Do? Do you want to debut as an idol? A viin idol. If you be a male idol that people love to hate, so-called fans will defend you even if you kill a viin.¡± ¡°No thanks. Considering what could happen when I transform back¡­ugh.¡± I declined the Chairwoman¡¯s offer. ¡°You¡¯re strong now, aren¡¯t you? Honestly, being a Viin Executioner is quite popr right now. Especially among people who have lost their families to viins.¡± ¡°Those people will change their minds when they see me transform back.¡± When I transformed into a Goblin, I became incredibly strong. The reason I, who was just an ordinary viin, became this strong was due to the intense training I underwent to survive the possession. If the original Goblin was nothing more than amon executive under the 4th tier, now it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that I was among the top 6 of Yi Maemangnyang. Obviously, the top 1 to 5 were the Chairwoman and the ¡®Four Heavenly Kings¡¯ beneath her. ¡°Who would like to have a penalty of bing naked when they transform back?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re building your body, right? To prevent social suicide?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± The Chairwoman¡¯s gaze shifted to my body. After that first possession. I did my best to build up my body. ¡°Should the transformation ever reverse, I strived for a level of physique that wouldn¡¯t merely elicit augh ¨C ¡®Look at that dude¡¯s body lol¡¯ ¨C but awe ¨C ¡®Holy shit, look at that guy¡¯s body¡­¡¯.¡± ¡°If a suave goblin in a suit turned out to be a fat, balding old man, his poprity would surely plummet. But what if he had a body like a bodybuilder? Plus¡­.¡± The chairman¡¯s gaze dropped, and she began to idly swish the iced tea cup set in front of her. ¡°The goblin¡¯s club¡­.¡± ¡°Chairman, that¡¯s sexual harassment.¡± ¡°You should take pride, Chief Do. You¡¯re always hiding the goblin¡¯s club.¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s sexual harassment.¡± This girl. I would have put her in her ce a while ago if she weren¡¯t underage. The fact that she¡¯s a minor was what kept me from doing so. Well, she was a minor, which was probably why she ran an evil organization that seriously dreamt of world domination. A woman whose IQ surpassed 200, a genius mind that couldn¡¯t be measured by traditional IQ tests, was using her intellect to run such an evil organization. ¡®Because I¡¯m poor, I will rule the world.¡¯ After a lot of consideration for world peace, she concluded that it would be most secure and efficient if she directly ruled the world. As a result, she created the evil organization ¡®Yi Maemangryang¡¯. Thanks to her, I was able to live well as a viin, and because of her, I could get out of this murder charge. ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s postpone your idol project, Chief Do. Let¡¯s talk about ¡®Red Scarf¡¯ for now. Anyway, the situation isn¡¯t as bad as we thought. Because of this.¡± The chairman took out a tablet and yed a video. ¡°Chief Do, we¡¯re really lucky, right? It¡¯s a relief that a nearby CCTV was working. Hehe.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it getting deleted from V-Tube right now?¡± ¡°The fact that it started spreading on V-Tube means everyone who needed to see it already did. Tada.¡± The footage was quite old. It was a CCTV screen from the Gyeongbu Expressway, showing me and a white-haired superhuman. Red Scarf lying on the ground, his wings torn. Snow White, attempting to restrain me using ice magic. Me approaching Snow White with a bat slung over my shoulder, gangster-style. And Red Scarf¡¯s head suddenly exploded despite being more than 20 meters away from us. ¡°From a distance, there¡¯s absolutely no sound, but it¡¯s bound to look like Chief Do is instigating an argument to anyone watching.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Red Scarf was interfering with her defeat, so he went to warn him.¡± The reality was different. The actual conversation was about her gratitude for my cooperation, and I said that it wasn¡¯t cooperation but a voluntary act on my part. But since there was no sound in the video, it looked like I was attacking Red Scarf and then going to attack Snow White afterward. ¡°See this part? When Chief Do bows his waist and approaches closer? At this moment, I thought they were going to kiss. Kyah¡­!¡± ¡°What do you mean by kiss? How can there be a kiss while wearing a goblin mask?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t they supposed to kiss through the mask and say, ¡®Next time, we¡¯ll really kiss¡¯?¡± ¡°No, that was not the case.¡± ¡°How disappointing.¡± The Chairwoman pouted her lips. ¡°Try that next time. That way, you can shake Snow White¡¯s heart and bring her to our side.¡± ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m always serious.¡± The Chairwoman straightened her posture seriously. ¡°I want to bring Snow White to our side.¡± That was why I suppressed Red Scarf instead of killing him. Recruiting Snow White, the S-rank hero. If I were topare the Chairwoman to someone, I could say that she was a tiny child. She was a person who really craved talent. That was why she came all the way here to Seoul, Korea, to meet me in person. The reason? Because in half a year, I had be an executive under her direct control! ¡°It¡¯s great to havepetent people like Chief Do rise from the bottom, but it¡¯s also good to scout known talents, right? Especially those who are treated unfairly by the government.¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± ¡°Currently, all the heroes under the government are knowingly or unknowingly under their influence. It¡¯s not for no reason that Red Scarf calls the heroes¡¯ the government¡¯s dogs.¡¯ There are indeed some independent heroes, but most are leashed to the country.¡± The Chairwoman openly furrowed her brow. ¡°Family. Money. Patriotism. Friends. Religion. Land. They look for anything that can be a leash to oppress the heroes. This is our current government. The biggest leash of all is¡­?¡± ¡°Sejong Ind?¡± ¡°Exactly! What the superhumans most desire. The very source of their powers¡­ thend itself that can increase their mana. Just by living in a house built on the East Sea, mana increases; thus, the superhumans can¡¯t easily leave thisnd.¡± The Chairwoman shook her head. ¡°Mana is the power of the superhuman. Increasing this mana is the goal of the superhumans. That¡¯s why they¡¯re not afraid to even touch such a dangerous thing.¡± The Chairwoman swiped the screen of the tablet. ¡°In foreign countries, they call this the ¡®Devil¡¯s Eye.¡¯ Devil Eyes. Magic Eye. The name is not important, but what¡¯s important is that this is like a forbidden drug that temporarily amplifies a superhuman¡¯s mana.¡± I knew about it. Because that was the root cause of all kinds of incidents in this world. ¡°The government is making this. The ce where it is probably being made is¡­ ¡®Sejong Ind¡¯.¡± A faraway ce. Ulleungdo, to the southwest, following the sea route, it was at least fifty li. ¡°Sejong Academy, the superhuman training facility. There¡¯s a high possibility that they¡¯re studying the power of the devil there. So.¡± There was a huge ind there. An ind more than ten times the size of Yeouido. ¡°Chief Do?¡± ¡°Yes, Chairwoman.¡± ¡°I think you need to infiltrate the Academy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± So, it came to this. Chapter 7: Living As A Villain (2) Chapter 7: Living As A Viin (2) At that moment, at the Hero Headquarters of Busan District, South Korea. ¡°Miss Baek Seol-hee. Is there something wrong with the report?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± S-ss Hero, ¡®Snow White¡¯ Baek Seol-hee, confronted the people before her with a tense face. It was a space devoid of light. The only light source came from the electronic devices and the reflections on the screen hanging on the wall. This ce, which created an atmosphere even more intense than an interrogation room, was meant to extract information from Baek Seol-hee and ¡®inject¡¯ information into her. ¡°I see. Then I will tell you again for sure.¡± Beep. A video started ying as the man in a suit manipted the remote control. [I tried to stop the viin Cheohyeon, the Goblin. But he used a time-dyed attack to make Red Scarf¡¯s head explode¡­ Ah. It¡¯s my fault for not stopping him. I apologize.] ¡°You will be known for saying this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee never said those words. But then, who was the one speaking those words with Baek Seol-hee¡¯s face? It was a deep fake. ¡°You can say it yourself, or we can use that video. We¡¯ll handle everything else for you, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°What about Red Scarf¡¯s family?¡± At Baek Seol-hee¡¯s words, the agents looked at each other. ¡°Just this morning, they staged a one-person protest saying, ¡®Snow White couldn¡¯t stop the Goblin. It wasn¡¯t the Goblin who killed my son, but Snow White.¡¯¡± ¡°That¡­ we¡¯ll handle it properly.¡± ¡°Are you going to kill them?¡± ¡°Kill them? What an inappropriate thing to say. We will show you smart and just actions. Persuading them over and over again. Hehe.¡± Despite a rush of thoughts in her head upon hearing the agent¡¯s words, Baek Seol-hee simply closed her eyes in response. It was unreasonable and unfair, but she had no choice as long as she was a hero of this country. Unless she left this country or turned against it. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Miss Baek Seol-hee. We really appreciate your dedication to the country despite being on vacation. Your actions moved not only our director but many patriots.¡± ¡°Are you telling me to leave?¡± ¡°¡­ We¡¯ve said everything we had to. From here on, the conversation will get ¡®deeper¡¯, but you¡¯re wee to stay and listen. However.¡± The agent fiddled with his sunsses and smirked. ¡°Once you step in, you will have to cooperate ¡®more fully¡¯ from that point onwards. Miss Baek Seol-hee.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡°I will escort you.¡± Trying to keep herposure, Baek Seol-hee stepped outside. Following the agent¡¯s guidance, she walked a long way out and arrived at an ordinary hotel lobby in Busan. ¡°Let¡¯s get to your room first. There¡¯s a crowd near your home right now, so clearing them out will take some time.¡± ¡°Those people are¡­¡± ¡°Journalists. They¡¯re just gossipmongers who want to know what you talked about with the Goblin. They¡¯re bothersome, trying to connect a special-ss hero of South Korea with a murderous viin. Tsk.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Connect. Was it under the frame of good and evil or the frame of a man and a woman? ¡°You don¡¯t need to listen to the nonsense of those who only care about view counts. What¡¯s important is that you, Miss Baek Seol-hee, are a patriot for this country. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°¡­I want to rest a bit.¡± Baek Seol-hee pressed her throbbing forehead with her hand. ¡°We¡¯ll get you to your room right away.¡± ¡°No, not that kind of rest. I mean, I want to take a longer break.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡± Ding Dong. The elevator stopped. With a stiff face, Baek Seol-hee stepped out of the elevator and pulled out her smartphone. ¡°The offer you made three months ago, I¡¯ll consider it positively.¡± ¡°Three months ago¡­ could it be?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Baek Seol-hee pulled up an email with a tired face. ¡°Sejong Academy,bat instructor for the special abilities division. ¡­I don¡¯t know if I should be called a professor, but anyway, I ept.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Baek Seol-hee! Your participation will greatly help the peace of our country!¡± The agent, clearly delighted, closed the elevator door and went down. The fact that an S-ss super-powered individual was bing abat instructor at Sejong Academy. That didn¡¯t only mean that they would be able to better nurture students studying at the academy. It meant the number of S-ss super-powered individuals capable of protecting the academy had also increased. That ce was the most important ce in South Korea and the world. It had more strategic value than a nuclear power nt or the president¡¯s office. That was why it was named after no one else but Sejong. Originally it wasn¡¯t even a piece ofnd, but when a meteor fell from the sky into the East Sea, it created an ind. South Korea immediately designated that ind as a national territory and defended it against all kinds of pressure. Even now, as it was a strategic point coveted by numerous foreign entities, Korea hoped that as many super-powered individuals as possible would be stationed on Sejong Ind. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Baek Seol-hee entered her hotel room, buried her face in the bed, andy down. Although she had described it as going on a break, in reality, she was returning to a more intense battlefield. Battling viins on the maind wasn¡¯t such a case, but you never knew when or where a strange viin might appear on Sejong Ind. Above all, it was a hero training ground that nurtured ¡®students addicted to abilities¡¯. Being S-ss, there wouldn¡¯t be any major problems, but surely excessive attention towards her could cause some disturbance. Even so. At least she wouldn¡¯t have to see things like people¡¯s heads breaking, as in the case of Red Scarf. ¡°Goblin¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee covered her face with her hand. There were no remaining videos, and even the remaining ones were either being erased or tampered with, except for the top-secret videos held by the state. But in her mind, they remained as clear memories. The moment the sound of the gun echoed. Goblin immediately turned her body and reached out to the side. It might be a clear misconception of Baek Seol-hee that it was an instinctive act to ¡®protect¡¯ her. But¡­ What if, somehow, Goblin had truly tried to protect Baek Seol-hee? ¡°Humph.¡± Baek Seol-hee scowled, clutching the pillow tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely askter. What you were thinking when you did that. ¡­Ah.¡± Baek Seol-hee remembered. ¡°The motorcycle.¡± She had to ask. The problem was that Baek Seol-hee was currently in a simr situation herself. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m in debt.¡± ¡°New motorcycle!¡± I sprinkled soju around the motorcycle that had just arrived. ¡°Please let me ride safely without idents this time.¡± Carrying out a ritual might be considered superstitious, but it was still much better than not doing it. ¡®I won¡¯t lend it to others anymore.¡¯ Snow White scammed me off my bike. Of course, Snow White must be making her own efforts topensate for the bike. Snow White wasn¡¯t the kind of woman whopletely shut her mouth and yed dumb. It was just that she couldn¡¯te to Seoul right now due to the people around her. She didn¡¯t get my contact information and had toe to Seoul to find me. But¡­ If I happened to be around where she was, there was a possibility she might recognize me and make amends. ¡®Since she won¡¯te to Seoul, I came to Busan.¡¯ Caw, caw. Busan, Haeundae, where flocks of white seagulls flew through the sky. As it was a neighborhood right next to the sea, the smell of the sea was strong, but the city¡¯s atmosphere was grand enough to overshadow Seoul. The real Seoul was in Busan. The real Busan was in Seoul. In this world, the development of Seoul stopped after the 2000s, and Busan, after bing the new capital in the 2000s, had rapidly developed. Just the 123-story skyscraper in front of me was proof of it. ¡®It¡¯s a world where the Hode Tower is in Busan.¡¯ It feels strange that the ce known as the skyscraper of Seoul was confidently standing in Haeundae, Busan. Furthermore. ¡®It doesn¡¯t even suck when driving.¡¯ Receiving the motorcycle in Busan and moving around directly by driving, it was far more organized than the actual Busan. [Do you know how terrible the roads in Busan are?! It will take years to redevelop these roads!] [Even if it takes years, proceed! How can a city grow into the world¡¯s best with roads like these!] [But!] [If it¡¯s too troublesome, I¡¯ll go to Gyeongju!!] [Isn¡¯t redevelopment prohibited there!] [Even if cultural heritage sites get destroyed, if the Republic of Korea bes the strongest in the world surpassing the United States, our ancestors will understand! Choose! Do you want to redevelop Busan, or should I go to Gyeongju!] [I willplete all projects rted to urban redevelopment within a month!] Busan underwent a year-long redevelopment project to be a global city, and this world¡¯s Busan was able to grow to the level of a new city by the 2020s. And the cost of living, too, also increased. ¡°Excuse me. I came to find a studio apartment.¡± ¡°Hello?¡± There was no Busan dialect here. This was the capital, and a lot of people moved down from Seoul. ¡°Did youe from Seoul? Wow, you came a long way. Where are you trying to find a room?¡± ¡°The safest ce around here. A¡­ about a 10-pyeong studio? A mini two-room is fine, too.¡± ¡°Ah, if that¡¯s the case, this ce is good.¡± The realtor pointed at the wall poster with a bright smile. ¡°Deposit of 200 million won and 1.3 million won per month.¡± Chapter 8: Living As A Villain (3) Chapter 8: Living As A Viin (3) First, you couldn¡¯t buy a house while living as a viin. No matter how beautifully you decorated it, the house was likely to be destroyed if you were caught. So, viins typically created a natural fortress where nobody could approach recklessly or arrange for a mobile dwelling. Or, they stayed in hotels for the long term, which meant spending considerable money. Although it felt like wasting money, from the viewpoint of a temporary dwelling, it was just better to rent monthly. Especially in the Busan of this world. ¡®Reality¡¯s cost of living is five times higher. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to live here for a lifetime. Who would want to buy a house here?¡¯ The cost of living was expensive, too expensive. There were several factors for this, but the biggest factor was indeed ¡®mana¡¯. For superhumans, the cities on the east coast were the ces where they could absorb mana the fastest and most efficiently. Not only Koreans but superhumans from abroad also found amodation in Busan regardless of the cost and umted mana. So, anywhere you went in Busan, the rent was expensive. ¡®Well, this is reasonable for Busan. If you go up there, it¡¯s hell. Really.¡¯ The trap was that it got more expensive the further you went north, closer to a ce called ¡®Sejong Ind¡¯. In the case of Pohang, which was directly connected to Sejong Ind, the cost of living was higher than in Busan. Busan was the capital, so you might understand it to some extent, but why was Pohang more expensive than Busan? The reason was simple. Simply because of ¡®distance¡¯ and ¡®environment¡¯. Pohang was the closest city to Sejong Ind, and Sejong Ind was the ce you arrived at when you headed approximately 150 km northeast of Pohang. ¡®If you go up to Uljin or Gangneung, there they charge 3 million won for a night in a full vi, so Busan is the most economical.¡¯ Mana had shaped this world like this. Despite such crazy prices, there was demand, so those who sold listings were trying their best to get as much money as possible. Of course, whether the cost of living was murderous or not, it didn¡¯t affect me much. As the cost of living increased, mypensation also increased. Heroes were civil servants and received a sry like in reality. Still, as a frence viin, I received a minimum of 50 million won per month as long as the organization did not go bankrupt. The organization must not go bankrupt. Because it was my lifeline. To ensure this, the primary element that could ruin the organization, the ¡®protagonist,¡¯ must be eliminated. ¡°So, in the end, am I destined to kill the protagonist for my survival?¡± Whether it was a light novel or a fantasy novel, when one reincarnated as an extra in the original work, there were generally two ways to deal with the protagonist. One was to be a supporter who supported the protagonist from behind. The other was stabbing the protagonist in the back, sabotaging them, and eliminating them. The easiest method for me, a viin, was to kill the protagonist. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, protagonist.¡± I mourned the protagonist, who was nowing from overseas to Busan to enter the academy. ¡°I need to survive, and you need to die. Besides, you¡¯re a pervert.¡± I¡¯m sorry to the Korean light novel protagonist. Still, he sexually harassed all kinds of heroines under the pretext of ¡®fan service¡¯. For instance, entering a dormitory room where men and women were changing clothes. Or getting all over each other in a cab while searching for something. Or seeing a swimsuit being removed during summer training. Or having to exchange body heat in a cave after being isted due to the attack of a viin goblin to endure the cold. These countless sexually suggestive events were typical of the protagonist. I could not forgive this protagonist. Was it merely because he was the protagonist of a Korean light novel? Was it because he had a harem with the heroines? Or was it because he would hinder me from taking care of the S-ss prospects, including the heroines, in the academy where I would live from now on? Or was it because, like a typical light novel protagonist, he had a secret of birth rted to significant power, and his personal superpower was also a secret to bing a unique, world-ss strength? No, it was none of that. I had already been harmed by him. Not the ¡®me¡¯ before the reincarnation, but the ¡®me¡¯ after the reincarnation. And if I left him alive, the world would head toward destruction. ¡°A meteor ending¡­¡± This world. The moment the protagonist gained god-like powers, it would perish. [Everyone, please die with me and this world!] With god-like abilities, the protagonist had everything he wanted. Still, the author, who couldn¡¯t keep up with the long-term serialization, dropped a meteor from the sky. And the Earth was destroyed. Unfortunately, the protagonist had the power to collide with a floating meteor in space with the Earth. Just when he was supposed to be left with only happiness after having all sorts of harem hijinks, the reason he dropped a meteor was just one. [Thank you for staying until the end!] It was because the damned author ended the series abruptly. That bastard. So I left a nasty review, but just as you¡¯d expect from a conscienceless guy who ended his series abruptly, he forced me into this world. Someone said this. The protagonist was like an avatar, a mental embodiment of the author¡¯s ego. So in this world, the protagonist was effectively the author. So. By killing the protagonist, I would feel vicarious satisfaction as if I had killed the author who forced me into this world. That seemed to be the only way to ease my frustration. In order to enter the academy, I needed a disguise. Luckily, I have an outward name, ¡®Do Ji-hwan¡¯. It was amon name, but it was not my real name. It was a pseudonym created in this world. I didn¡¯t know if the author didn¡¯t bother toe up with the real name of the Goblin, but my name was ¡®Do Chang-nam¡¯. I mean, even if it was a viinous role¡­ Even if I ended up epting all the evils due to the abrupt ending and became the final boss, despite all the terrible plot logic and development. That name urgently needed a change, and after reincarnation, I decided to live under a new name. ¡®Do Ji-hwan¡¯ did have an odd ring to it, invoking something else entirely. Still, given that the boss had personally bestowed this name upon me, I decided to live with it. Do Ji-hwan. 23-years old. Neither the actual name nor age mattered, but this was my public identity now. The tasks that I needed to do with this identity were two-fold. One was to seduce the heroine per the Boss¡¯s instructions and make her one of us. The other, a problem only I was aware of, was to kill the protagonist. To aplish these two tasks, I first need to enter Sejong Ind using this fake identity. ¡®As an ordinary person, you can never enter Sejong Ind.¡¯ Sejong Ind was a first-ss military demarcation zone. Even the students studying at the academy could not enter or exit without a ¡®student ID¡¯. The entrance and exit were connected by a long bridge from Pohang, Gangneung, and Ulleungdo. [How do you build this bridge?!] [There are ability users] [He¡¯s a kindergartener!] [Call the kindergarten teachers and try to figure it out somehow!] This bridge was also built around 2005 with the help of ability users. Up to that point, it was necessary to travel by boat. An identification card was essential. The purpose of the visit was also checked regrly. It was said that entering Sejong Ind was even more difficult than the U.S. immigration examination. As such, I needed a definite public identity. When people in the world investigated a man named Do Ji-hwan, it would be a disguise that won¡¯t be misunderstood by any factor. So, I made a choice. ¡°I¡¯d like to be a librarian.¡± ¡°¡­A librarian?¡± ¡°Yes, a librarian.¡± I suggested a concept to the ¡®Face Maker¡¯, a professional broker for creating fake identities, who was a viin affiliated with the Boss. ¡°I personally like books, and I think people won¡¯t pay much attention to a librarian.¡± ¡°Do you intend to get a job as a staff member at the Academy?¡± ¡°Yes, I intend to get a job through parachuting.¡± ¡°¡­That might be risky.¡± The Face Maker, as she manipted my ID, frowned. ¡°No matter how great Mr. Do is, if Mr. Do was discovered, doesn¡¯t that immediately expose the boss¡¯s line to the enemy?¡± ¡°That just shows how much the boss trusts me. There must be a reason for me to go to Sejong Academy, enough for the spies nted in Sejong Ind to move recklessly.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the boss¡¯s decision, I have no choice but to follow¡­ But Mr. Do, wouldn¡¯t it be very dangerous? That ce is teeming with S-ss heroes.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I knew all too well. ¡°There¡¯s even a rumor that Snow White, who we just encountered, is entering Sejong Academy as an instructor.¡± ¡°Are you going in despite knowing this?¡± ¡°Yes, because it¡¯s the boss¡¯s directive.¡± ¡°¡­Here it is.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the newly created electronic chip, the librarian¡¯s license. ¡°Theputer problem will be resolved by the end of today. Now, you have be a 23-year-old ¡®civilian¡¯ who haspleted librarian training¡­ not an ability user.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I had to act thoroughly as a civilian. ¡°There¡¯s no need for a Goblin in the first ce. There¡¯s no reason to transform into a Goblin.¡± ¡°¡­It seems like you¡¯re going to get into trouble right away.¡± ¡°Even if I do get into trouble, it¡¯s not my fault but the viins who made me transform into a Goblin.¡± I was not at fault at all. I just punished the trash that harmed civilians. ¡°But, why did you choose to be a librarian out of all the many jobs? Was this also the boss¡¯s directive? There are many other jobs for such a purpose.¡± ¡°Being a librarian is just a personal hobby.¡± No matter how much I had fallen in this world. ¡°¡­I just really like books. They say there are such novels at the Academy, don¡¯t they? Novels that you can¡¯t read outside.¡± ording to rumors that I¡¯ve heard. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have entered the Academy if it weren¡¯t for that.¡± It was said that the Academy¡¯s library had serialized novels ¡®up to theirpletion¡¯ in physical book form. Chapter 9: To Become Stronger (1) Chapter 9: To Be Stronger (1) If there was one thing helpful in this world, it was the ¡®System¡¯. ¡®Without the System, I might have died a long time ago.¡¯ Did the writer have a conscience when he tossed me into this ce? He granted me something called the System. Did the System exist in the original work? It did. It was the protagonist¡¯s ability. In other words, the System¡¯s function was given only to the protagonist. It was the protagonist¡¯s ability - the protagonist¡¯s privilege. My character originally didn¡¯t have it. In a normal human state, I couldn¡¯t see the System. However¡­ ¡°Transform.¡± The moment I put on the mask and transformed into the Goblin, the world I saw beyond the mask changedpletely. [System, on.] It was made so I could use the System only in very limited situations. [A window that only appears during transformation. It¡¯s maddening.] Currently. I was transformed into the Goblin, observing my reflection in the mirror. [Goblin] [Job: Viin] [Affiliation: Secret Society¡¯ Yi Maemangnyang¡¯] [Rank: Viin S, ?? ??? EX] [Skills: Physical Enhancement, Goblin Baseball Bat] [Status] [Strength: D (13 / 200)] [Durability: E (34 / 100)] [Agility: A (121 / 500)] [Magic Power: C (23 / 300)] [Luck: F (0 / 0)] ¡°How maddening.¡± The stats were awful. They were so terrible and grave in one aspect that you could see the author¡¯s malice. Other A-rank ability users all have stats like BBABC, but I was utterly pitifulpared to them. ¡®At first, I was in tears, wondering if this was really a viin.¡¯ These were the stats I had built up and built up through half a year of training. I raised my strength from F to D through strength training. My agility was high from the beginning at B, and after a hellish training, I raised it to A. The reason why my agility was high might be to inject usibility into me, shouting, ¡®Kut, that¡¯s it for today!¡¯ before running away. Thanks to that, I ran away very diligently and had never been caught yet. My magic power naturally increased while staying in thend of South Korea. If I had gone to another country, such as far away to Europe, I would still be at level E by now. Durability? ¡®I don¡¯t even think about increasing my durability.¡¯ Durability strengthened only when hit. It was also expressed as grit, but unfortunately, I hate pain. I may look like a melee character swinging a baseball bat. Still, in reality, I was more like an assassin damage dealer. [Embrace the¡­ Goblin¡­.] Was Goblin¡¯s strength his selling point? The one who was really strong was the protagonist. If I just remembered his stats simply¡­. [Strength: S (892 / 1000)] [Durability: EX (7496 / 9999)] [Agility: A (18 / 500)[ [Magic Power: EX (9999 / 9999)] [Luck: S (777 / 1000)] It was something like that. I don¡¯t remember the exact numbers, but the stats were set to be maliciously symmetrical. That was also probably the ¡®Volume 1¡¯ stats. By the time he dropped the meteor, it must have been almost all EX, 9999-level stats. ¡®There¡¯s a limit to a Mary Sue munchkin. Isn¡¯t this too much?¡¯ And he said, ¡®I¡¯m so weak¡¯ after all this, there was no way he could be attractive as a protagonist. [You seem strong, why don¡¯t you fight?] [No. I¡¯m weak. Isn¡¯t my power normal?] [Kut, don¡¯t lie! Just by dodging my attack, you¡¯re a strong one!] He imed his goal was to graduate quietly from the academy, but he always took action whenever viins appeared and naturally rose rapidly to be the hero of the academy. Perhaps it was because the Goblin kept pestering him that he revealed his skills. What if I didn¡¯t pester him? If the Goblin didn¡¯t aggro, would he continue to live in a weak state? [You guys made me like this! I wouldn¡¯t have gone this far if you hadn¡¯t bothered me!] He dropped the meteor not because of the author¡¯s sudden ending tendency, but because he wanted to live normally and quietly but went berserk because people kept bothering him. ¡®He¡¯s like a bloated fish.¡¯ What if he just graduated normally without awakening as the Demon King and then left to find his own life? ¡®Others will bother him.¡¯ It was not just the assassins aiming for Sejong Academy. Because the Yi Maemangnyang, which held the whole of South Korea, could easily exert influence on Sejong Academy, there were all sorts of viins, not just assassins. Like the Illusion Illuminati. Or the KKK. Or the Triad. The author made all kinds of seemingly usible underworld organizations into viins. Honestly, it felt like they could very well exist in this world. Still, here they added a dose of nationalistic favoritism. [The Yi Maemangnyang is a viin organization stronger than any other viin organization, and all other evil organizations are wary of the Yi Maemangnyang.] They said. In other words, because the Yi Maemangnyang was the strongest in the underworld, no one could easily step into South Korea, where they had a firm grip. At most, they deployed a very small number of agents. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± If they killed the protagonist, anything could be solved easily, but the protagonist was too strong. But they couldn¡¯t back down either. [If you can¡¯t kill the protagonist because he¡¯s strong, you just need to be strong enough to kill the protagonist.] Luckily, I had power. A very special ability. There was one ability that made me, with my terrible stats, an S-rank viin - more due to my umted evil deeds rather than the level of mana - the [Goblin¡¯s Bat]. This baseball bat I¡¯m holding. It had an original form, but I was using it in the form of a modern-day goblin-like baseball bat with lots of nails hammered into it. Thanks to this bat, I have been able to survive until now. [¡­Should I call it supernatural power?] [Golde out, poof. Silvere out, poof.] I wasn¡¯t sure if I should call it material creation or shape transformation. If I had to give this power a name, I would call it ¡®supernatural power¡¯. The driving force to create special objects through supernatural power was ¡®mana¡¯. If only my mana was infinite, I could create anything I think of. Being the reader. I was about to write a review called ¡®absolute delusion¡¯ about this ability. Fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen, and the ability was reced with the name ¡®Goblin¡¯s Bat¡¯. [¡­Mana into reality.] I aimed the bat forward. [¡­The Goblin¡¯s imagination bes reality.] Pa-aang! I created the object I had in my mind through a simple illusion. [Whew.] After confirming it was perfectly made, I released the transformation. I became naked, but nobody knew that. I closed the curtains tightly at home, and no one attacked me, even if I transformed in my boarding room and someone read my mana. From the start. ¡°Ha, it¡¯s so surreal.¡± I was creating chicken and canned beer with the ability to turn thoughts into reality. Who would think I¡¯m a Goblin? ¡°¡­I really feel like I¡¯ve gone mad.¡± Creating chicken and beer with mana? It was a clear waste. But still. ¡°One chicken is 38,000 won in this world. I will never order chicken even if I die.¡± Cursing the author who set the chicken pricing near 40,000 won, I was surviving today by tearing into the food I created with my mana. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s disgustingly tasteless.¡± It was not a matter of money. ¡°Ah, I want to enter the academy soon.¡± It was a matter of pride. ¡°There are evenics that have beenpleted without disc problems for the author because that person has awakened as a power user.¡± At that time. In a hotel suite room in Busan, a white-haired woman was lying on the bed watching TV. [¡­¡¯ Snow White¡¯ is reported to work as an academy instructor for a year, and inquiries about special admissions from various countries are non-stop. Congressman Guk Bi-hong. What should we make of this?] [Hehe. Our nation¡¯s power has indeed increased that much. Isn¡¯t that so? Even during the IMF era, everyone was predicting that the country would fail. But through activities like the gold collection movement¡­.] [Ah, sorry. The data screen is on. This is the list of power users who have applied for special admission this time. A princess from the UK, the granddaughter of a German carpany¡¯s president, and even the heir to a prominent family from the United States. They say one of the princesses from the Arab world ising?] [Yes. It¡¯s ironic, usually when a female hero like Snow White bes an instructor, male power users from abroad show a lot of interest, right? But these people are also interested in Snow White. Well, no matter how much the world has changed, even if they are power users, same-sex¡­.] [Having the opportunity to meet the famous hero whom I admired as a role model is an honor. I see. Let¡¯s talk with Congressman Jiokmin. You¡¯re saying that ¡®Yi Maemangnyang¡¯ is behind Snow White bing an instructor?] [Well, of course. Because Yi Maemangnyang keeps targeting Sejong Academy, Snow White¡­.] [Please, use the formal name.] As the noise started, the woman turned off the TV. And then, she yed with the small ice sculpture next to her. ¡°¡­Are you also targeting the academy?¡± The ice sculpture was a baseball yer holding a baseball bat. However, his face was not visible because it was covered by a helmet. Just. His physique was strikingly simr to someone¡¯s. ¡°Why on earth?¡± Chapter 10: To Become Stronger (2) Chapter 10: To Be Stronger (2) [Chief Do. I¡¯m going to the academy next week. Do you need anything else?] ¡°Several suits. I think you should buy several suits of the same design. They will surely tear when I transform.¡± [Are you going to pretend to be a gentleman in a single suit? Haha, as expected from Chief Do. I will send you seven identical suits, so you can change them every day from Monday to Sunday.] ¡°So you mean I have to work even on weekends?¡± [Ah.] ¡°Chairwoman? Chairwoman!!¡± Beep, beep, beep. The call ended. Of course, the chairwoman wasn¡¯t the type of person to push me into work madly just because she ended the call like this. She was just implying, ¡®Go around on weekends and seduce talented women!¡¯ Not saying it directly was the chairwoman¡¯s pride; catching that meaning was my intuition and ability. Beep. A photo of the main target arrived on my smartphone. ¡°So Snow White is the top priority.¡± She was a woman I¡¯d already had contact with and, at the same time, the heroine that I needed to seduce - no, persuade the most. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for this woman being an instructor, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get in, right?¡¯ The reason I could enter the academy this time was all thanks to Snow White. ¡®It¡¯s not just one or two guys who quit their jobs because of her.¡¯ Not because Snow White was the goal but because many academy positions were vacant thanks to Snow White bing an instructor. Mostly, those with shady backgrounds quit immediately. They were more corrupt than viins. Commonly, if a hero like Snow White entered the academy, they would probably stay just to see her face once. Still, they wouldn¡¯t want to create unnecessary trouble. [After investigating, you embezzled the supply cost of mint chocte ice cream!] [Ugh, I¡¯ve been caught!] [I won¡¯t let you escape! Ice Hell!] [Aaargh!! My lower body!] Nobody would want to be hit by Snow White¡¯s ice whip. I didn¡¯t want to be hit, either. Snow White¡¯s ¡®Ice Magic¡¯ not only slowed down the body but also the flow of mana. There were two ways to deal with Snow White. [Haha! Fire melts ice!] [My ice is colder than that] [¡­Ah!] Someone like a Pyrokic who had a fire magic ability that¡¯s superior to Snow White¡¯s Ice Magic. [Why aren¡¯t you freezing¡­! What the hell are you?! What kind of power is this?!] [Where in the world is a viin who would reveal that?] Or, like me, someone who doesn¡¯t get affected by Snow White¡¯s ice magic due to special abilities. ¡°Immunity to Ice.¡± For instance, I infused the properties of a ¡®Mana Insting Suit¡¯ into a suit using the power of the Goblin Bat. It was a skill dedicated to countering Snow White. It was useless against other ice magic, and it drained a lot of mana, but thanks to it, I could escape from Snow White as much as I wanted. ¡®My specs are B-grade, or if you look kindly, A-grade, but I¡¯m pretty good at running away from S-grades.¡° That¡¯s why my viin ranking might be S-grade. Almost no one could catch me in this country, including Snow White, and it was the same for foreigners who had entered this country. ¡®The problem is the heroines and the bodyguards that follow them.¡¯ But the story differed for the foreigners who would soon e in.¡¯ Beep. I opened the V-Tube app on my smartphone and turned on a V-Tube channel, which also existed in this country. [¡­There are people who have recently be the topic of discussion on Hero Wiki, right? Right now, an airne is arriving at Gimhae Airport. Seemingly announcing the royal aircraft of the UK, with the Union Jack painted on the exterior¡­] Celebrities were pouring in from all over. The princess of the UK, the granddaughter of a German corporate chairman, the sessor of a powerful American family, an Arabian princess. [All of them are rumored to be beautiful women, but why are theying to Korea? ording to local news, they love kimchi-] There were also many other women who were called ¡®heroines¡¯ in the original world¡¯s setting. [This novel is about Korea taking over various countries like Japan, China, the USA, the UK, France, Germany, Arab, and so on.] [In my opinion, the author is just a nationalist who adores foreigners. There¡¯s not a single Korean heroine. All of them are foreigners.] [They¡¯ve eaten a lot of kimchi, so now they want to try sausages, mint chocte, pineapple pizza, things like that¡­] [Does the author possibly have a fetish for foreigners?] That was how many foreign heroines there were. Indeed, most of the influential peopleing to Korea now were heroines. Those who were trying to force admission under the name of ¡®Special Admission¡¯. If you included extra characters other than the heroines, there were dozens of special admission applicants this time. They couldn¡¯t be considered few in number because the quality of these applicants was too high. There were already people who were C-grade, B-grade, and even an A-grade in this batch. What was the reason they came to Sejong Academy? Because the protagonist was enrolling? Because information about a man who ims he ¡®wants to live quietly as an S-grade¡¯ had already gone around the world? No. It was all because of ¡®Snow White¡¯. [Do you know why these princesses suddenly applied for special admission this year?] [I¡¯m not sure¡­. isn¡¯t it because it¡¯s a ce of learning?] [There¡¯s nothing like that. They all came to meet ¡®Snow White¡¯, who came as an instructor!] A line from the original work came to mind. Next to them was a character with sses ying the role of an exiner. This character said, ¡®What? You don¡¯t know this?!¡¯ and went on to exin everything. The author seemed to have deliberately created an exiner character to inte the volume of the dialogue. Anyway, ording to that character, [They are followers of Snow White, and that¡¯s why they came to Korea! Do you know another nickname for Snow White?] ¡°Lily Princess.¡± It could also be read as Lily (°ÙºÏ) and m (°×¸ò). Of course, as fitting for a light novel, it had subculture implications and could be read as the Lily Princess. What did it mean? Lesbian. To be exact, Snow White herself was not a lesbian, but she was the popr sister type among girls, so she stirred up a lesbian-like atmosphere around her. Most of the heroines be involved with the protagonist while trying to seek an encounter with the Lily Princess. In the end, the protagonist conquered one heroine after another until he finally conquered Snow White. That seemed to be the main framework of the story. But the reality was different. ¡°¡­I wonder if her intention is the same as mine.¡± The recruitment of Snow White. As the Ice Mage with the most potential among the heroines over 20, she became the second strongest being after the protagonist. To im such a being, or to bring her into their country, or to arrange her marriage with a handsome man from their country to induce marriage immigration, each country sent representatives to Sejong Academy. ¡®If Koreanw was applied, it would have been immediate deportation, but Sejong Ind is not like that.¡¯ Sejong Ind was part of Korea¡¯s territory but followed internationalw first. [Sejong Ind is Korean territory!] [They yelled, but how could they handle the sudden pressure from the entire United Nations?] [Darn it¡­! We might not know everything, but if we don¡¯t get recognition from the United Nations that this is the ¡®East Sea¡¯ and clearly ournd, something serious will happen!] No matter how strong Korea was, they couldn¡¯t win against worldwide pressure. Now, the United Nations representatives and embassies of powerful countries were also installed in Sejong Academy. [Don¡¯t use English on Sejong Ind! The officialnguage of Sejong Ind is Korean! If it¡¯s difficult, learn Hangul! Unlike the fragmentednguages of the world, the characters and thenguage won¡¯t be mismatched here!] And thus, Sejong Ind probably became the ce with the most diverse nationalities gathered from all over the world. Of course, the ind itself had few foreigners as it mainly consisted of the Academy and a few other facilities. With a poption of around 50,000, the number of foreigners did not even reach 1,000 on the ind. Still, most of those 1,000 were superhuman abilities holders or workers rted to these abilities or government officials. But there was no need for me to encounter them all. Because¡­ ¡°If I¡¯m holed up as a librarian in the library, no one wille!¡± Who woulde to the library when they were busy umting mana? ¡°I hope it¡¯s empty. Then I can spend my time there reading manga and novels.¡± Regardless of it being a mission or being a viin, there¡¯s something called ¡®working hours.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m an office worker who sticks to 9 to 6.¡± Unless they gave overtime pay, from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. was entirely my time. Sometimes there were things that were worth more than money. ¡°Wow.¡± Looking at the footage on the TV channel, I felt a thrill. ¡°This ising out here.¡± In this world, All the contents released after 2000 were ¡®new things¡¯ to me. Manga. Movies. Novels. The one regret was that some of the works released after 2000 did not appear in reality. There are cases where, like someone, one awakened as a superhuman and turned mana into life force to create manga, but some manga and novels had not even been started because the author ¡®died¡¯. Or, they came out muchter than in reality, with different actors and directors. ¡°It¡¯s about time for the movie to start¡­.¡± I grabbed my coat and went outside. ¡°I can¡¯t resist a movie where a dinosaur pushes away a meteorite falling from the sky.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Snow White?¡± ¡°Oh, the motorcycle guy from Banpo Zai?!¡± By chance, I ran into her next to me at the cinema. Chapter 11: To Become Stronger (3) Chapter 11: To Be Stronger (3) This was disconcerting. I just came to the movie theater to watch a movie in peace, and Snow White - Baek Seol-hee appeared on the seat next to me. Her hair color was ck. Of course, it must be a wig, and the hat and mask she wore could also be for disguise, but I could still see that it was her. I could see who this woman was. ¡®The author sure did a great job selecting the illustrator.¡¯ The author had illustrations made for the three main heroines. It was unfortunate and somewhat cheeky that the author gave up on the production due to the fear of indifference and the drop in views being scarier than the negativements. Thanks to that illustrator, though, I could instantly recognize that this woman was Snow White. The illustration was my smartphone¡¯s wallpaper, so I knew it well. ¡°Excuse me, you lent me a motorcycle in Seoul¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. That¡¯s right. What a coincidence, meeting you here¡­¡± And Snow White also recognized who I was. Considering I didn¡¯t alter my voice and directly reveal my face, there was no way an S-rank superhuman wouldn¡¯t notice. ¡°I apologize for the motorcycle. I didn¡¯t mean to not contact you¡­.¡± ¡°I roughly understand. Ahem.¡± With just a clearing of my throat, Snow White would understand. ¡°Well, damage from a fight with a viin can¡¯t be helped.¡± What I was guessing and being cautious about. ¡°I was nning to get a new bike anyway, and since it was heavily tuned, I was thinking of giving it to a friend. Think of it as a patriotic act for our country. Haha.¡± ¡°Still, it looked incredibly expensive.¡± ¡°That much is okay. I¡¯m not exactly short on money. Hahaha¡­.¡± It was like making wrinkles before a cocoon, but all of this was a charade to lessen Snow White¡¯s burden. ¡°I willpensate youter. Can I get your contact information?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to do that.¡± ¡°No, I should repay it since I broke it. Don¡¯t feel too burdened. I can im it from the Hero Association without much problem.¡± Despite saying this, she was the type to handle everything at her own expense. She was a kind-hearted woman who frequently donated the money she earned to those struggling due to the actions of viins. She might seem cold and detached from the outside, but she was warmer and more empathetic than anyone on the inside. And she enjoyed B-grade movies like this one. ¡°I see. This is really¡­ unexpected, running into you here. What a coincidence.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s fate. To meet the person I inconvenienced and have the opportunity to make amends. It¡¯s been bothering me. I knew you lived in Banpo Zai but couldn¡¯t find you.¡± ¡°Have you been looking for me?¡± ¡°I asked some people I know. I was trying to repay the cost of the bike.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± I felt a chill run down my spine for a moment. The fact that she had investigated me - not the viin Goblin, but the person, Do Ji-hwan - made my heart sink. Goblin could simply disappear. But even if Do Jih-wan¡¯s body disappeared, his bank ount would be frozen. ¡°I¡¯ll need to contact the person who¡¯s looking for you. After that incident, I immediately went down to Busan.¡± ¡°Busan?¡± ¡°Yes. I went to Busan for a job interview to get re-employed. I¡¯m waiting for an eptance message now.¡± ¡°Did you pass?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like I¡¯m a preferred candidate. It¡¯s sort of like nepotism, but I am exceptionallypetent in that field.¡± ¡°That field¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Ah. You mentioned you¡¯re transitioning to a lecturer role, right? Then you might end up working at the same ce as me. I¡¯m a librarian.¡± ¡°¡­A librarian?¡± ¡°Yes. A librarian. I love books. Stories.¡± ¡°¡­So, did you know this movie is based on a novel?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting that. Her expression changed, and I thought she was asking to uncover my identity, but- ¡°No way¡­.¡± She seemed somewhat disappointed. What¡¯s going on? Could this woman be a novel otaku? I¡¯m not sure if the term ¡°otaku¡± was urate, but I decided to shut my mouth tightly, as I felt a stream of too much information (TMI) would pour out if I probed deeper. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± An advertisement yed on the screen. Snow White and I were separated by just one seat. She seemed to have reserved the seat next to me, probably aiming for the best viewing spot. The cinema was almost empty. Even though it was a morning movie, there usually would be at least one or two people, but hardly anyone woulde to watch such a B-grade movie. Except for me, who looked at everything as new content. ¡°So, how should I address you?¡± ¡°¡­Well, it might sound strange, but how about we pretend to be co-workers?¡± ¡°Alright. ¡­So, Manager. What brings you to this movie at this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a personal hobby. I was curious about how the dinosaurs would stop the falling meteorite from the sky.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I know what that felt like. It must feel likeing to study. Though I also felt the same, visual content greatly helped to stimte the imagination. And this imagination turned into the power to freely manipte mana. A world where fantasy became fodder for reality. As this world was one where fantasy became a reality, I had been consuming all sorts of content in this world to fuel my imagination. Mainly to use the Goblin¡¯s Bat with no issues. ¡°The reason Manager came to see this is¡­¡± ¡°They don¡¯t show this in Seoul. This facility is only in Busan.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± It was truly regrettable, but to see spectacr and grand movies now, you had toe to Sasang, not Yongsan. ¡®What a coincidence this is.¡¯ I had spare time and thought I¡¯d watch an action movie to sort my thoughts, and I unexpectedly ran into Snow White. Snow White, who seemed to have reallye to watch a movie as a personal hobby. And then. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± No one else wasing in. Really, no one else wasing in. Out of curiosity, I tried to book a seat using my smartphone app, but I could only see the phrase ¡°Booking Not Possible¡± and ¡°124 / 126¡±. Could it be? Were Snow White and I the only ones in the theater now? ¡°¡­It seems like it¡¯s just the two of us?¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± ¡°So-¡± ¡°Should I move seats?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Snow White looked at me for a moment, and I pointed to the row below. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think you need to go that far. I usually watch movies very quietly.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Understood. I said something unnecessary.¡± ¡°Ah, no. Uh, Manager?¡± Snow White pointed to the empty seat next to her and lifted the popcorn ced beside her. ¡°¡­Would you like some popcorn? There¡¯s a bit too much for me to eat alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t really like eating anything while watching a movie. But what was this? Why was she trying to approach me? ¡®Did she figure out my identity?¡¯ Was that why she¡¯s approaching me now? Was she nning to suppress me by saying, ¡®Don¡¯t move, Goblin¡¯ while I watched the movie? If so¡­ Then I would have to run away with all my might. I met a person to whom I had a debt of gratitude during my vacation. The man treated me with a mix of unease andfort. While others would exim ¡®Wow, S-grade¡¯ or show jealousy, the man showed a reaction of ¡®Just my luck to have someone next to me¡¯ without any signs of envy. It was refreshing. This was the first time since I awakened as an S-grade as a young girl. It was the first time someone looked at me in this way. So, I became interested. It didn¡¯t matter if it was described as the curiosity children have for a new toy. This man, who seemed to be considerate of me and kept a distance, was intriguing. I was curious, it was interesting, and I also owed him a debt. Even though I felt it while riding, it was strange that he was not too bothered about the bike that he cared so much about being wrecked by me. Either he was a person with a lot of money. Or a person who was fiercely patriotic. Or maybe someone with a shady background. Either way, it was impossible not to be intrigued. A person who came to watch this kind of movie. Amercial movie without a single storyline, where robots and resurrected dinosaur fossils fought each other and then fended off a meteor falling from space together. It was clearly not a movie worth watching for the first morning show on a weekday, but Baek Seol-hee was captivated and chose this movie. Maybe choosing this movie to relieve stress was fate. A fate to meet this man. This man. Something. ¡®He really reminds me of the Goblin.¡¯ That was intriguing. The way he looked at me was so simr to the glittering golden eyes from behind the Goblin¡¯s mask that it made me cautious, yet also curious. If. If the Goblin were a person. Wouldn¡¯t he be just like this man? ¡®That can¡¯t be.¡¯ If he were the Goblin, I should be able to feel at least a bit of his magic power. But I don¡¯t feel any magic from this man. If this man was Goblin, it meant he was hiding his magic in some special way. ¡®That seems unlikely.¡¯ The viin level of Goblin was S-grade, but I¡¯ve already roughly estimated his magic power. It was far below mine. No matter how well he disguised himself, or even if he hid his magic, that was impossible to maintain long-term. ¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯ It was just an absurd conjecture. The man who lent me the bike in Seoul. The man who coincidentally ended up watching the early morning movie in the same row in Busan. The Goblin? ¡®I¡¯d rather say this world is like that movie where a meteor falls from the sky, causing extinction.¡¯ Baek Seol-hee nonchntly reached for the popcorn. She then gulped it down. As the sound of swallowing filled the air, the movie began. The screen showed a bloody battle between the resurrected virtuous Tyrannosaurus and its arch-enemy Mech-Tyranno, which was modeled after the T-Rex. Chapter 12: To Become Stronger (4) Chapter 12: To Be Stronger (4) The movie was just an ordinary battle between good and evil. The righteous Tyrannosaurus¡¯ Rex¡¯ was resurrected from ancient times, and the cyborg Mecha Tyrannosaurus Rex was created based on the genes of that T-Rex. Facing a predator that it was cloned from, a Mecha T-Rex d in modern armor fought in a truly spectacr beastly duel. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Rex! Combine your mana with mine and defeat your clone!¡± ¡°Kwaang!¡± The T-Rex was a hero with the power of mana, and the Mecha T-Rex was a viin. ¡°Hahaha! My hypothesis that dinosaurs are made of mana was right! Now, with this Mecha T-Rex, everything will be under my control!¡± ¡°That evil man! He¡¯s doing all this for his own desires!¡± ¡°I will do anything to rule the world! Even if I have to trample and kill everything with this foot!!¡± There was always a viin trying to resurrect ancient beings and do strange things. The Mecha T-Rex, controlled by the viin, smashed everything with the power of mana. ¡°Danger! Whether it¡¯s due to the resurrection of the dinosaurs, cosmic energy is trying to destroy the Earth!¡± ¡°A meteor?!¡± ¡°Haha! My hypothesis was indeed correct¡­! The Cretaceous, the era of dinosaurs, was annihted by the cosmic energy aimed at killing all the mana creatures! Come on, universal will! It¡¯s about time to destroy the Earth! Haha! Let this damn world perish!¡± Wait, a meteor from there?? A gigantic meteor fell from the sky, and the world was filled with chaos at that moment. ¡°Climb on my back, Rex! We¡¯re going to stop the meteor together.¡± ¡°Kwaaang!¡± ¡°We failed 200 million years ago, but now we¡¯re with the will of humanity! Let¡¯s go! For the future of all living creatures on this Earth!¡± Rex climbed on top of the Mecha T-Rex and headbutted the meteor. Kwaaang. The meteor was destroyed. The meteor waspletely annihted by the self-destruction of the Mecha T-Rex. The T-Rex turned into a small meteorite and fell into the Pacific Ocean. And the ending credits concluded with a Tyrannosaurus as small as a puppy being born. ¡°It was really fun.¡± ¡°Was it?¡± I had heard rumors, but seeing it in person was utterly overwhelming. Unable to contain my curiosity, I came to see the movie in person. The ending of the movie was mind-boggling, and I ended up having dinner with the hero who had caught me in the theater. ¡®It¡¯s the worst.¡¯ Putting aside the story and visual beauty. ¡®It was propaganda clearly intended to mess with our secret society.¡¯ The character presented as the viin scientist was unmistakably a viin made to belittle our secret society. He was such a repulsive and revolting viin that halfway through, I thought, ¡®Even if the leader tolerates it, [Doctor] would get annoyed.¡¯ No matter how I thought about it, the viin seemed to be based on [Doctor]. ¡°Do you not like the food?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I just haven¡¯t eaten in a ce like this very often.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I brought us to where I feelfortable¡­.¡± Snow White, Baek Seol-hee, gestured around with a shy smile. ¡°You can talk freely about me here. It¡¯s a ce under ¡®control¡¯.¡± This ce was a fine dining restaurant where food was served in courses. At Baek Seol-hee¡¯s suggestion, I ended up in a high-end restaurant that I had never visited before or after my fall into this world. Did I like it? I did. ¡°I¡¯m paying, so don¡¯t feel burdened and eat.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I¡¯m not buying it with my own money, so I was just eating what was given to me. Eating at such an expensive restaurant, where one course costs 300,000 won (per person), was something I could never even imagine. It felt like the festivity of high-quality food was cleansing my eyes and ears, which had been rotted by the movie. ¡°I¡¯ll exin the dish. This food is¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll ask you next time.¡± ¡°¡­Ah. Yes. Enjoy your meal.¡± However, Baek Seol-hee neatly interrupted the server, who was about to exin the food. There must be a specific English term for such a server, but I had never been to such a ce, so I didn¡¯t even know what to call them. ¡°It¡¯s a steak made by mincing and grilling ms and scallops. Do you dislike seafood?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a vor I haven¡¯t tasted in a while. I think I used to eat it frequently, but it¡¯s been rare to have a proper seafood meal recently.¡± ¡°Fishing in the East Sea is a bit difficult.¡± After the meteorite fell. It was not just humans who received the blessing of mana. Fish were also imbued with mana, and their intelligence increased to the point where they could distinguish bait that was thrown by humans. So, fish were now extremely expensive. I¡¯ve always felt they were expensive, but we lived in a world where you had to pay 10,000 won for a mackerel. In the end, unless it was meat ughtered onnd, it was hard to eat in this world. Surely the author either hated seafood, or he was a maniac for meat or both. Of course. That didn¡¯t apply to our rich S-ss hero. For this woman, the atmosphere where people could not bother her and the location were more important than the restaurant¡¯s taste. ¡°Do you oftene here?¡± ¡°¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say often¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s surprising. I thought you would visit frequently.¡± ¡°¡­ Ie every time.¡± Baek Seol-hee blushed as she sliced her scallop steak with a knife. ¡°This restaurant coborates with the government, so on weekdays, it operates as a dining ce for heroes.¡± ¡°So, is it also today¡­?¡± ¡°Not today. It¡¯s not just one restaurant but is designated by day. I just came as a customer today, so it¡¯s okay. ¡­ Although I¡¯m in such a situation where I can enter without a reservation.¡± ¡°I see. Uhm, I hope I¡¯m not making you ufortable by having a meal together?¡± ¡°Why would you?¡± Baek Seol-hee tilted her head with a puzzled look. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it troublesome if a scandal urs while we¡¯re having a meal?¡± ¡°A scandal¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t it the trend for the paparazzi these days to take photos and upload them even if a good-looking man and woman in their twenties meet? Especially if it¡¯s someone like you, ma¡¯am¡­.¡± ¡°If they recklessly put out an article, the men in sunsses will immediatelye for them.¡± Baek Seol-hee smirked and continued to cut the scallops. ¡°The government thoroughly manages matters regarding its super-powered individuals. Especially me. I¡¯m one of the people the country pays a lot of attention to in various ways.¡± ¡°You are one of the only seven S-ss heroes in South Korea. And you are fourth among the 30 S-ss heroes worldwide.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a bit embarrassing when you say that, but that¡¯s right.¡± Baek Seol-hee put her hand on her chest with a proud smile. ¡°I¡¯m not the strongest yet, but you could say I¡¯m the pride of Busan. I¡¯m not an S-ss hero for nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud. Thanks to you, I can livefortably today.¡± ¡°Thank you. But¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee put down her spoon and looked at me. ¡°Despite being such a person, I found it fascinating that you never looked at me like that.¡± I was flustered. ¡°Even when the movie was ying, you were immersed in the movie from the middle, and even after entering here, you becamefortable as soon as I ordered. You didn¡¯t seem like an ordinary person, no matter how I looked.¡± No way. ¡°¡­Perhaps, are you an ¡®Unregistered¡¯? A super-powered individual who has awakened their ability but has not yet registered with the government and has the ability to hide mana?¡± ¡°Me? Haha. I¡¯m apletely ordinary person without any mana.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Chills ran down my spine. Her gaze flew like a dagger to my chest¡­ No. I had nothing to fear. Rather, I shouldn¡¯t back down now. Baek Seol-hee was not certain. She had no basis for thinking that I was Goblin. Did she think that I was Goblin because of my aura? Where in the world would such irrationality exist, even so? ¡°It¡¯s truly an honor and joy for me to meet someone like you, but if you¡¯re feeling puzzled about my gaze¡­ it¡¯s because you¡¯re off duty today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯te to watch the movie as the hero¡¯ Snow White,¡¯ but just as a citizen of Busan, Ms. Baek Seol-hee, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No matter if one is a hero or a celebrity, it¡¯s not right to intrude into their daily lives. I do not intend to make a fuss and ask for autographs, pictures, or spread on SNS that Snow White came to watch a movie alone.¡± Others would already be swarming and bothering her enough without me. I had no intention of doing so. ¡°Or, would you rather I looked at you that way?¡± ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s refreshing. I¡¯m thankful you spoke that way.¡± ¡°There should be one or two people like this around you, right?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Looking around, there seems to be no one like that.¡± Baek Seol-hee chuckled bitterly as she drank her tea. ¡°Everyone looks at me with eyes wanting to exploit me, use me, win my favor, harbor hatred or envy.¡± ¡°If you wish, I can look at you that way too.¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s perfect the way it is now. This, too, is fate. I hope we meet often in the future.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Was this woman sane? ¡°You know, the movie we saw earlier.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes began to sparkle. ¡°Do you think that if a super-powered individual had enough mana, they could break through the atmosphere like Mech-Tyranno, and even breathe in space like Tyranno without needing to breathe?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°How did you find the movie? You seemed very intrigued.¡± ¡°¡­It was intriguing indeed.¡± A movie about dinosaurs riding mecha-dinosaurs into space to self-detonate on an asteroid. ¡°Everything is new to me. All I¡¯ve seen are things I haven¡¯t seen before.¡± When I finally return to Earth, I should create something with it, be it a novel, a weic, a movie, or whatever. And I would definitely take it with me. The many ¡®serialized works¡¯ that have ended in this world. ¡°In this age where superpowers have be a reality, my hobby is watching 21st-century cartoons, movies, novels, and all sorts of ¡®literature¡¯. That¡¯s why I decided to be a librarian.¡± A spoonful of rationality that was an excuse for the outside world. ¡°In the future, I want to write stories, be it as a novelist or a screeny writer.¡± I would definitely return to Earth. ¡°I want to continue the world that has ended by someone else¡¯s hand, towards the future with my own strength.¡± To memorize the conclusion of all these serial works in my head for the many readers desperately waiting on Earth. Chapter 13: To Become Stronger (5) Chapter 13: To Be Stronger (5) The conversation was in full swing, and we¡¯d finished a delicious meal. It felt like the time hade to part ways. ¡°Mr. Ji-hwan.¡± Baek Seol-hee started addressing me by my name. ¡°Mr. Jihwan, if you were to awaken as an ice ability user, how would you use your ability?¡± ¡°Are you asking for my advice as an ice-ability user?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just a question. It¡¯d be great if it could help.¡± ¡°What should I say to a specialist in ice abilities?¡± ¡°They say two heads are better than one. Right? If you were an ability user who had awakened ice magic, if you could freely produce ice, how do you think you would fight?¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± Was I being asked for advice by an enemy? Well, since I didn¡¯t know yet that she was an enemy, I could just speak casually. ¡°Well, all I know about how Ms. Seol-hee fights is from videos. You use an ice whip, create walls of ice, spread wings of ice¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. What do you think would be a good variation here?¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± Should I help her? When it came to ice-rted abilities, I definitely knew more than Baek Seol-hee. Ice abilities were indispensable in this subculture. ¡°First of all¡­ what about an ice spike?¡± ¡°Ice spike?¡± ¡°Yes. Literally a spike, but the size is almost like a stctite. You would impale your enemy with it. If it pierces an enemy¡¯s shoulder and they¡¯re pinned to a wall, they won¡¯t be able to escape without breaking the ice, right?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Her response was lukewarm. It probably didn¡¯t differ much from the way she currently used her abilities - things that were abbreviated as ¡®skills¡¯ in two letters - like an ice spear. ¡®How to do it?¡¯ Should I tell her about the ice magic she awakened in the original work? Or should I tell her about the ice magic that didn¡¯t exist in this world but that I knew about? ¡®Headmaster. You told me to try my best to persuade her to our side, so don¡¯tinter.¡¯ If Baek Seol-hee, or Snow White, became stronger andter led toints about me, I could just say that I was loyal to my mission. ¡°You seem to already know about things like ice spikes.¡± ¡°Well¡­ for now.¡± ¡°Then how about this? You scatter ice crystals in the air. They freeze any enemies they touch instantly, like dry ice.¡± ¡°¡­Um.¡± Now she was troubled for a different reason. ¡°Is that¡­ possible?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t whether it¡¯s possible or not up to you, Ms. Seol-hee? After all, the power of ability users usually develops based on their imagination.¡± ¡°You seem to know quite a bit about the abilities of ability users.¡± ¡°For those living in this world, knowledge about abilities is akin to knowing how to use aputer or smartphone.¡± I smoothly dodged Baek Seol-hee¡¯s inquiry and pointed at the ice cream that was served as a dessert. ¡°Pieces of ice this size spread all around, numbering hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands. When someone touches an ice piece, thepressed ice spreads and covers the enemy with cold.¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± ¡°The skill name can be something like ¡®Ice Age Oxidation,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°Even a skill name? That¡¯s very detailed.¡± ¡°When we were young, didn¡¯t we all try to create our own heroes?¡± The so-called self-character creation. ¡°It¡¯s just an expression of that kind of imagination.¡± ¡°Understood. I think it will be a big help. Although I can¡¯t quite grasp it yet, I¡¯m sure it will be a powerful skill if I cane up with some ideas based on this.¡± Of course. That was your ultimate move in the original novel. I barely pushed the words welling up to my chin back down with the ice cream. ¡°Then, Ji-hwan, if you were an ability user, what kind of ability user would you want to be?¡± ¡°Me, an ability user?¡± ¡°Yes, an ability user. Any ability is fine. Any grade is fine. Do you have a preferred ability?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± If it were me before bing Goblin, perhaps I wouldn¡¯t have wished for such an ability. No, I would still have wished for it. ¡°The ability to enter books?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The ability to directly experience various story worlds. To enter countless worlds, I¡¯ve only seen in print, to see, hear, and feel the protagonists in action, and to vividly feel that world.¡± ¡°You really¡­ seem to love stories, Ji-hwan.¡± ¡°Yes, I really do.¡± That was why I enjoyed them so much, and while reading this and that, I med the excessively nationalistic light novel and ended uping to this world. ¡°Ji-hwan, you seem to¡­ purely enjoy stories. Others usually analyze how to make the story their own while reading it.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it is. The imagination of others often bes their own abilities. In this age, directly manifesting abilities fromics or novels is not considered giarism but ¡®homage,¡¯ and it¡¯s popr.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ji-hwan, do you know the mostmonly used sword for people who have awakened their abilities?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lightsaber, right.¡± Orange color. A sword that sprang out as such. A sword made based on the power of the Force. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s what we all learned. After we awakened our superpowers¡­ because that¡¯s what we had seen since we were young.¡± It was popr because the ¡®superpower-themed¡¯ content that adults could show to the kids who had awakened their abilities was exactly the content of that era. ¡°Did you often watch children¡¯s TV channels? Most of whates from there was like that. Content that educates not to use abilities recklessly. When the children were old enough to have a sense of self and control, they were finally able to enjoy stories.¡± Of course, as the children aged and grew, they gradually started to create their own abilities, and adults created worlds with their imagination to show through media for the enhancement of children¡¯s abilities. ¡°I mean, this world feels harshly expressed by imagination. You can¡¯t enjoy things meant to be enjoyed as they are and only look at them to improve abilities.¡± Therefore¡­ ¡°Do you know what I thought when I saw that movie earlier? If I create dinosaurs with ice and fight, that¡¯s exactly how I would fight. What would it be like to create wings out of ice and fly into space? What should I do to stop a meteor falling from space with ice magic?¡± The reality of this era was that even the movie we watched was inevitably seen by the ability users as content to analyze, like ¡®how can I break through the atmosphere¡¯ or ¡®how should I fight if I transform into a dinosaur¡¯. ¡°In that sense, I envy you, Ji-hwan, who purely enjoyed the movie. Because you enjoy content purely as content.¡± Baek Seol-hee sincerely smiled widely at me and poured me a cup of tea. ¡°Even when you go to Sejong Academy, can I ask you to share stories like this sometimes?¡± Evening. After her encounter with the unidentified man, Do Ji-hwan, Baek Seol-hee came home and threw herself on the bed. Bee-bee-bee-bee-beep!! As soon as she switched from personal privacy mode, where no contact was allowed except for emergency calls, to everyday mode, all sorts of contacts started flying in. A proposal for her to appear in a hero public service advertisement. A request for her to show her face at an official government event. A request for her to attend a gathering of heroes from Busan. All of them were official matters and things where she had to be in front of others as a ¡®hero¡¯. There was no ¡®Baek Seol-hee¡¯, the individual, the human, there. What merely existed was an S-ss superpowered individual, the pride of South Korea. ¡°Haah.¡± Baek Seol-hee covered her face with her hand. ¡°Do I have to live like this for the rest of my life¡­.¡± Probably until the day she died. Even marriage would be a concern for the state. If she were to fall for a foreigner and consider marriage, everyone from the country would be mobilized to reprimand and dispute the marriage. Her freedom as a hero was already gone. From the moment she started walking the path of light. Heroes with overwhelming power roamed around like emperors, even overseas, but it was hard in Korea. ¡°I am¡­.¡± The moment Baek Seol-hee stretched out her hand toward the empty air. ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± An ice crystal she unintentionally created in the air began to scatter instantly. Small ice pieces multiplied from one to two, two to four, and four to eight. She picked up an ice fragment that spread out like a grid as if forming a cube and gently tossed it towards the balcony window. Crackle. The balcony window started to freeze as if frost had settled on it. Even though it was just palm-sized, the small ice fragment exploded like a bomb with ¡®coldness¡¯. ¡°Wow¡­.¡± What just happened? Could that man¡¯s conversation have helped her develop a new skill? Because of just one thing that man said? ¡°¡­ That¡¯s impossible.¡± She hadn¡¯t thought of such a skill. Yet, she mastered a new skill as if she had known it all along. Thanks to Do Ji-hwan¡¯s imagination. ¡°¡­¡­Hehe.¡± Baek Seol-hee gripped her smartphone. And she looked at the profile picture of the man named Do Ji-hwan. ¡°¡­What?¡± His profile picture, his face fully exposed. ¡°Is it a selfie? Pff.¡± It was a selfie taken with an awkward expression. ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡± Click. With the sound of a screenshot, Baek Seol-hee began to examine the profile pictures back and forth. Click. Click, click. Click. Chapter 14: To The Academy (1) Chapter 14: To The Academy (1) So I became SNS friends with Snow White, Baek Seol-hee. This was what happened after. [Ji-hwan, this is a new movie that just came out. Have you seen it?] [I wish I could go watch it with you if I have time, but I have some work and I think I can¡¯t go??] [Please be sure to tell me your thoughts after watching it!] We often shared our thoughts about all sorts of things, such as thetest novels we read, thetest movies we watched, and thetestics we read. It was not inconvenient. It was a good thing to have a friend to share hobbies with in this world where I had no friends. I was just worried that if this womanter found out about my identity, she might try to kill me after feeling betrayed. ¡®I should keep up the good rapport, so in case everything goes south, she might take me in.¡¯ That was just in case, but what if everything suddenly copsed? Yi Mangmaengyang was not a benevolent organization. It was an evil organization, not inferior in its pragmatism to the many evil organizations in the real world. If I built up enough rapport to recruit a one-man army-like officer of such an organization, I could at least maintain my life even if I wasn¡¯t able to leave my house and was confined indoors. Rather than being a government dog, I would be one of Snow White¡¯s dwarves. It was a pitiful thought, but it was not so bad. If it was for survival, I could do anything. It was the same now. ¡°There will be a brief inspection.¡± As soon as I crossed the bridge on a bike, the soldiers in front stopped me. ¡°What is your purpose for entering the ind?¡± ¡°I passed the civil service exam this time, and I¡¯m going to work. Here¡¯s the certificate.¡± ¡°Have you received permission for the bike?¡± ¡°Yes. Here is the vehicle registration and permit.¡± I presented the soldier with the ID and certificate I had prepared in advance. ¡°Hmm¡­ Lieutenant. Everything seems to be in order.¡± ¡°Cross-verification. ¡­No issues.¡± A Lieutenant and a Major. These ranks would never be intimidated by anything. They were fully armed and conducted the inspection properly. Ordinary soldiers would be on watch at other posts or on perimeter duty, and high-ranking individuals like Lieutenants or Majors were conducting the face-to-face inspections? This was proof of the challenging process of entering Sejong Ind. ¡°We¡¯ll need to inspect your bike¡¯s storagepartment for a moment. We appreciate your cooperation.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I stood away from my bike. ¡°We apologize for the inconvenience. Even if you are an Academy staff, this is the standard procedure andw for first-time entrants to go through this kind of search.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The items that could be brought onto the ind are extremely limited byw. I also nned to buy basic necessities on the ind; the only thing I was bringing was a suit. In the first ce, there wasn¡¯t much you could carry on the back of a bike, and I was only bringing a single living box into the ind. ¡°Lieutenant. There are seven of the same suits¡­ Huh?!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Lieutenant, this is¡­¡± The soldiers were quietly conversing among themselves. I thought there might be a problem with the suits, but there was nothing problematic. [We couldn¡¯t cheap out on our Chief Do¡¯s suit. Haha, where is it from? As expected, are the suits Italian?] It was just that the suits were ridiculously expensive. And that there were seven identical suits from that maker. In other words, the total price of the suits in the ordinary-looking living box reached almost 200 million won. ¡°Ho, by any chance, are you a superhuman?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m powerless. Um¡­ my girlfriend bought them for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The expressions of the two men warped instantly. Normally, I would have said that the Chairwoman bought them, but when the leader bought those clothes, she had set a condition. [Always say that your girlfriend bought them. Understood?] It was a bit funny for me, who was ¡®no girlfriend forever¡¯, to be mentioning a girlfriend, but I was just following the Chairwoman¡¯s instructions. ¡°¡­Pass.¡± Under the intense gaze of the two men, I got back on my bike. And then. ¡°Halt. We need to verify¡­¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°Pass. We¡¯ll conduct a verification.¡± ¡°Ugh. Ah, life¡­¡± I had to endure piercing res each time I went through the inspections. Just like that. I entered Sejong Ind, known as a man who had a girlfriend who generously bought him expensive clothes. ¡°This is your amodation, Mr. Do Ji-Hwan.¡± ¡°Thank you for guiding me. Wow¡­ this is like an apartment.¡± ¡°Most staff amodations are built to the standard of apartments.¡± My private house was about 13 pyeong. ¡°The small room there can be used as a bedroom or a wardrobe. It¡¯s up to you. You¡¯re free to decorate as you please, but when you move out, you¡¯ll have to restore everything to its original state for the next person.¡± The employee managing the private houses guided me around rigidly as if reciting a manual. ¡°You can control the lights with this, and there¡¯s a ceiling air conditioner in this room and one in the other room. There isn¡¯t one in the kitchen¡­¡± This was literally just a regr apartment. ¡°The most important thing is this. The card key.¡± However, there was a very special item in this apartment and in this room. ¡°This card key must not be lost under any circumstances. After registering your blood information on the card key tomorrow, it bes your identification on this ind, credit card, employee ID, and key to ess secure areas.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it, but it¡¯s really amazing. It controls everything with just this.¡± ¡°Because Sejong Ind is the most important ce in the world. It¡¯s a card key for now, but soon, you¡¯ll be issued the ¡®Taegeuk Watch¡¯.¡± ¡°Taegeuk¡­ what?¡± ¡°Taegeuk Watch.¡± I knew about it. I had heard about it in the world settings. But hearing the name directly sent shivers down my spine. National pride was everywhere. It was the first sentence I was going to write in my review, a bit sarcastically, seriously. In this world, Sejong Ind was a ce where no one could survive without national pride. The national g fluttered in the wind on every telegraph pole, and even the songs flowing from the park fountains were mostly remixes of Korean traditional music and Arirang. I wanted to say that this level of national pride was toxic, but for the people of this world, this national pride had be a part of their daily lives. The Taegeuk Watch was the same. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re wearing on your right wrist?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The employee pointed to the Taegeuk Watch on his right wrist, in other words, the smartwatch with ss that glowed with a red and blue Taegeuk pattern. ¡°You¡¯ll be seeing a lot more of this.¡± Then, suddenly. The employee stood at attention and raised his right hand to his left shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it is outside, but here on Sejong Ind, it¡¯s natural.¡± Like saluting the national g, or making the g flutter over their burning hearts, it seemed that there was a sense of pride in his posture. ¡°Wee to Sejong Ind, the most precious ind of our great country.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes. Please take care on your way back.¡± The employee left the room, and I immediately headed for the balcony, just in case. ¡°Wow.¡± The gpole on the balcony was adorned with the national g, the Taegeukgi. It was firmly fixed with iron, so it couldn¡¯t be removed. Even more surprisingly. Whirring. When I pressed a button that looked like a remote control, the gpole started to fold. ¡°Wow, seriously. This is amazing.¡± There was a limit to national pride, right? Although that was what I would say, my tinnitus was yammering at me like a goblin. ¡°¡­For now.¡± I checked the status of the balcony. When I left the window open and only closed the insect screen, could someonee inside from outside? It was enough. There was a fence installed on every balcony to prevent falls, but there was enough space for a person to move above it. If I could fly back here while invisible, without being detected by others, at least being the Goblin wouldn¡¯t be revealed. The best thing was not to let anyone discover that I was Goblin. Also, to avoid transforming into Goblin at all. ¡®It¡¯s most important to first scatter emergency equipment in various ces.¡¯ After transforming into Goblin and after reverting, the priority was to nt emergency clothing around Sejong Ind so that there would be no probleming back here. ¡°¡­Do I need to buy dozens of barber coats and scatter them around? Shoot. What if the patrol officers find them?¡± Far away, if I just lowered my head to look below the balcony, I could see patrol officers moving around in pairs. They were not just ordinary police. They¡¯re unmistakably ¡®superpowered¡¯ patrol officers. Regrettably, even though their magical powers were just E-grade, F-grade level, they possessedbat abilities far superior to ordinary police. Just having magical powers and awakened abilities meant they could easily suppress gangsters or delinquents. And thanks to their patrolling, viins couldn¡¯t freely roam around Sejong Ind¡­ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± At a point further away. On the opposite side of the apartment, in the corridor of the building, a woman was staring intently at me. She was drinking canned coffee while looking at me, and I wondered why she was looking at me. ¡®What¡¯s this.¡¯ She seemed like a foreigner. You couldn¡¯t make a judgment just based on her hair, but that ginger-red hair, often seen overseas, usually belonged to foreigners. The reason I could only think of her as a foreigner was because of that huge mana pouch ced on the railing of the corridor that was clearly on the level of- She chuckled. She looked at me andughed. I don¡¯t know why, but suddenly, she twisted the corners of her mouth as if she knew everything while looking at me. Then she made a phone shape with her hand and crossed it. What? Don¡¯t answer the phone? ¡°Ah.¡± Anti-eavesdropping measures. The phone rang. ¡°I see.¡± That woman. She was a dedicated officer. Chapter 15: To The Academy (2) Chapter 15: To The Academy (2) The third floor of the Academy Library, office. ¡°This is Do Ji-hwan, who will be working as a librarian from today. Greet them.¡± ¡°Hello, I look forward to working with you.¡± I greeted them, but the response was cold. I felt it from the start. The atmosphere was not weing. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to each er. Let¡¯s go out for now.¡± The library director, who was introducing me, led me outside with a grim face. Click. After locking the director¡¯s office door, he checked for any potential prying eyes and whispered softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Comfortably.¡± The director, who addressed me formally, was immediately warned by me. ¡°¡®Speakfortably¡¯, what do you mean by that¡­¡± ¡°Behave professionally. ording to your position. ording to the situation.¡± As I frowned and warned him. Only then did the director realize what I wanted to say. ¡°Ah, ahem. I¡¯m sorr¡­ I apologize. I¡¯ve been out of sortstely.¡± The director fanned his face with his hand and coughed awkwardly. ¡°I am Baek Ok-gi, the Library Director. I have been in charge of the library since it was established in the Academy.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been working for a long time.¡± ¡°Yes. And the reason why the reaction to you is so cold is because they think you are my parachute appointment.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± If it was a parachute appointment, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Unsurprisingly, the others, who had to go through a strenuous examination process to get here, would view an individual who secured a position through connections unfavorably. In reality, though, I was an executive-level talent known as the Goblin that hade under the guise of a librarian. ¡°This library consists of a total of five floors. Three floors above ground and two underground. You will be in charge of the storage area on the second underground floor.¡± ¡°I thought there were stairs going down to the third basement level?¡± ¡°The third basement is a preservation storage area, where we keep books that need to be discarded. The first and second basements are general bookshelves, and the first and second floors are reading rooms. The third floor doubles as a book cafe and an office.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m supposed to go down to the basement?¡± ¡°Yes. For now, you will need to work in the basement. Ideally, you should have taken over the position of your predecessor, but they were of a higher rank.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Ie in at the same rank?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. However, it¡¯s hard to ignore the seniority system in ce, especially in isted spaces like Sejong Ind.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± In other words, I had been ced in the most challenging space where I wouldn¡¯t even properly see sunlight and was treated as a spare. ¡°So, what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Have you worked as a librarian before?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I had learned, at least. Beforeing to Sejong Ind, I worked in a small library in Busan for a week, learning what librarians did with the help of a Goblin staff member. ¡°I believe there should be no major problems if I follow the manual.¡± ¡°Good. Well, there will hardly be anyone on the second basement floor. Most of the books in the second basement are rted to science, technology, or arts.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± Hold on. ¡°Aren¡¯t there ¡®general literature¡¯ books in the section I¡¯m supposed to be in charge of?¡± ¡°That was supposed to be the case. However, it got a bitplicated. The general literature books are widely spread across the first and second floors; you¡¯re not responsible for them. It¡¯s also a ce where you would have to deal with many people.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Think positively. Aside from thoseing to write their theses or such, almost no one will seek the section you¡¯re in charge of.¡± Libraries had something called ssification numbers. It was a system that categorized books for easy organization, with subjects ranging from 000 to 900, initially distinguished by the first digit. I was responsible for sections 400 Natural Sciences, 500 Technology and Engineering, and 600 Arts. The books I had been targeting were all in the 800s, which were concentrated not on the 2nd-floor basement that I was in charge of, but on the 1st and 2nd floors above ground. ¡°So, perhaps, did youe here with the purpose of reading the books here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it.¡± Novels that could not be seen outside. Why couldn¡¯t they be seen outside? Because the novels inside were ¡®instructional materials¡¯ for those, who had awakened their abilities in this world. For instance, there was a novel called ¡°Dragon of Crimson mes¡±. It was a novel about a warrior dealing with red mes, literally crimson mes. This novel, once avable as a physical book in rental stores, had its existence deleted and became a novel that only exists within the academy. Why was it treated like a forbidden book? Because the protagonist in this novel used an ability very simr to a Korean ss A superhuman named ¡°Scarlet Dragon¡±. Naturally, the order of events was reversed. Scarlet Dragon immersed himself in the novel and adopted the main character¡¯s techniques as his own skills. As he demonstrated ss A aptitude, the state immediately seized all copies of this novel and stored them in the academy. Everyone outside knew this. It was not so much that its existence has been erased; on the Hero Wiki, it¡¯s clearly stated that the origin of this hero¡¯s power was the ¡°Dragon of Crimson mes¡±¡¯. However, theplete seizure of the novel was to prevent any potentially unwanted situations. To hide Scarlet Dragon¡¯s skills. To hide Scarlet Dragon¡¯s weaknesses. To prevent information about Scarlet Dragon from being deduced through the novel. As the original author, you might feel wronged that the state had sealed the story you worked hard to write so suddenly. Still, suchints tend to disappear in the face of something called a ¡®patriotic pension¡¯. A hero existed that used the superpowers in my novel as a motif? The author who became the ¡®original work¡¯ for a hero¡¯s power received a minimum monthly pension of 5 million won depending on the hero¡¯s grade from the state. So, this world was teeming with all sorts of literature. Sess as literature was indeed a sess, but in this world where human imagination was deeply linked to the manifestation of superpowers, if one was chosen by a hero, one could lead a life as enviable as a property mogul. An era where imagination became power. That was this world. And this ce, the library, was like an infinite treasure trove where all that imagination was concentrated. ¡­In that sense, being sent to the basement second floor, which was filled with content about natural sciences and not humanities, was like being exiled from the mainstream of this world. Sad, but that was the reality right now. Because in this world, humanities that could stimte human imagination were the ¡®mainstream¡¯. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to stay in the basement for a while. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll try to¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even though I¡¯m a librarian.¡± I pointed down to the lower floor. ¡°Couldn¡¯t I borrow a book or something to that effect?¡± And so. I became a librarian who wouldn¡¯t receive everyone¡¯s hospitality. About a week after I started working. The number of people that visited the library¡¯s second basement floor didn¡¯t even reach 100 a day. It felt like even 100 was a lot. Still, considering that 2,000 people visited the humanities corner on the 1st and 2nd floors every day, this ce was heaven. ¡®So many students really doe.¡¯ Through theputer lending program, I was able to see who was borrowing many books in the humanities. Most were academy students. They all read novels to enhance their superpowers. And seniors indirectly gathered experience and gained strength by reading novels that formed the basis of superpowers. ¡®It¡¯s terrible.¡¯ Having to view novels not as novels but as something like the ¡®norm of superpowers¡¯. It was pitiful enough to make my tearse out on their own. My condolences to these poor people who couldn¡¯t enjoy content as content. While no users wereing in, I just pulled out a borrowed book to read. And as soon as I took it out, I had to put it back in. ¡°Return.¡± A woman ced a book on the return table in front of me. She was a foreigner with red hair, and I took the book from the woman, who was smiling at me, and stood up. ¡°How did you know toe here?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m the one who helped you get here. I have more authority than the library director.¡± ¡°I see.¡± While scanning the barcode of the books one by one, I carefully asked. ¡°Where do you belong?¡± ¡°Why? Are you nning to create your own ¡®Night March of a Hundred Demons¡¯?¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared someone might hear it.¡± ¡°Oh, there are things you¡¯re scared of? Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s nobody here. I wouldn¡¯t be shouting such stories in a situation where I might be caught by someone else.¡± The woman took out a business card from her wallet and handed it to me. ¡°Lisa La Lakshmi. Professor of Superpower Studies at Sejong Academy.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°¡­ What¡¯s with that reaction?¡± ¡°I have an allergic reaction to the word ¡®professor¡¯.¡± ¡°What? Have you been a graduate student before?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± I was a graduate student before this possession. ¡°But it¡¯s interesting. I never thought that the leader would personally deploy you here. Is it a coincidence? Beauties from every country have gathered here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence.¡± If anything, it was inevitable. ¡°When the academy semester starts, I won¡¯t be able toe often. So I¡¯ll tell you in advance. I don¡¯t want to reveal my identity because of my unnecessary meddling and be forced to give up my professorship. So, I¡¯m counting on you, the viin¡¯s person.¡± ¡°You mean I should handle it well without revealing your identity?¡± ¡°Something like that. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how many female students you can attract. Especially since you came in as a librarian, not a student, teaching assistant, or instructor.¡± ¡°You can look forward to it.¡± I reached out my hand to Professor Lisa La Lakshmi. ¡°Because it¡¯s a basic rule in fantasy that librarians are the strongest.¡± Ding dong dang dong. The first semester of the academy had begun. Chapter 16: Librarian Of The Library (1) Chapter 16: Librarian Of The Library (1) It was Saturday on the weekend. But here I was, in the seldom-visited second basement of the library, sitting at my desk and reading a book. [It¡¯s the weekend, go out and have fun!] Such pleas fell on deaf ears, as librarians worked on weekends too. The library took a day off during the week, and my days off were on Monday and Sunday, the closing days. In other words, for others, Friday was thest day of work, but for me, it was Saturday. I would haveined about this wretched work schedule in the past, but now I rather like it. You would think more people woulde because it¡¯s the weekend, but once you were here, hardly anyone showed up! ¡®Basement level two is the best.¡¯ I was like an unwanted guest who wasn¡¯t invited for meals and was ostracized. And the best part was that I was told to just sit at my desk in the basement of the library. It was fantastic. It probably started with the library director telling everyone not to give me too much work, but I was not the type to get stressed out about such things. There was no reason to be stressed. I had ten volumes of literature I borrowed from the second floor during lunchtime stacked in front of me. ¡®This is heaven.¡¯ Living as a librarian, reading books in a world where serialized works werepleted or still ongoing. I may not be able to stay in this job for the rest of my life, but if I kept working in this library like this, at least I wouldn¡¯t be bored. What? When would I attract the heroines by working in the library? That¡¯s something that could be aplished over three years, with build-up, once the protagonist was eliminated. ¡®This year¡¯s goal is to kill the protagonist.¡¯ I just had to think about what came next after killing the protagonist. Even if he had powerful abilities, the guy who fell from grace and brought down a meteorite to destroy Earth deserved to die. Wasn¡¯t that a problem for the future? So you¡¯re saying that it could change because it was not a predetermined fate? What did that matter to me?. Survival was important. And if possible, it was also important to return to my original world, Earth. Therefore, I needed to gather information about the protagonist, and this position of librarian in the library was surprisingly convenient for gathering information. Because with the system called ¡®Library Card,¡¯ I could ess a variety of student data. As the library borrowing information was linked to the Taeguk Watch, anyone could ess basic information through the database. Even if someone was the head of the academy, they could check basic things like names, borrowed books, and library borrowing histories. ¡®The problem is that the protagonist¡¯s information will not be registered in the database until next week.¡¯ Just like the man named Do Jih-wan, the chief officer, who received the Taeguk Watch and was registered in the database after a week of starting work, it would take time for the protagonist, who would enter as a freshman at the academy, to be registered. In that case. ¡®It means I can enjoy reading books until then.¡¯ Whether the entrance ceremony was the day after tomorrow, Monday or not, today I was going to read the book as a reader¡­ ¡°I want to borrow something.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± A woman with a slightly familiar face appeared in front of me. Unlike other ordinary people, her hair color was a striking pink that loudly proimed, ¡®I am an ability user.¡¯ ¡°Student council president?¡± ¡°Yes. I am Yoon Iseon, the student council president.¡± Student council president Yoon Iseon. She was considerably short at 150cm, but her power was quite strong, making her a literal embodiment of the phrase ¡®the small pepper is spicy.¡¯ The position of student council president always had a certain role in academy-themed stories, but this woman was also one of the ¡®heroines.¡¯ The ominous little pinkhead. That was the public perception of her, but in reality, she was highlypetent both in terms of her powers and politically. She had been running the student council from the high school department to the college department, so she was, so to speak, a ¡®lifelong student council president.¡¯ Yoon Iseon was the first to create a student council, and she organized the student council by advocating for its necessity. Even though the student council could be seen as an ¡®ability user organization¡¯ to the public, she organized it and created numerous events for students on the grounds that ability users should also enjoy their youth. And naturally, those projects became events in harem light novels where the protagonist and the heroines flirted and built rtionships. Yoon Iseon herself also fell into the hands of the protagonist. I didn¡¯t expect to meet her like this here. Persuading Yoon Iseon would probably please the leader too, but unfortunately, I was not the Goblin, now, just a librarian named Do Ji-hwan. ¡°Could you ce the book you want to borrow here?¡± Yoon Iseon pointed to the four books ced on the borrowing machine. I calmly and professionally proceeded with the book lending, but I kept feeling Yoon Iseon¡¯s gaze. What was going on? Why was she continuously looking at me? Surely, she was not infected with Baek Seol-hee¡¯s disease, was she? ¡°Ah, yes. Could you ce your Taeguk Watch on the sensor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yoon Iseon ced her wrist on the Taeguk Watch sensor, something that was simr to a fingerprint sensor that was ced in front of the desk. Beep-beep. Soon, her biometric information appeared on the monitor screen, and the titles of the books she wanted to borrow were listed. -Mana Theory [Revised and Expanded Edition] -How Does Humanity Awaken Mana? ¡­ They all looked boring at first nce. ¡®In a world where imagination bes power, such books are purely academic.¡¯ Whether it was natural science or technological science, they stimted human imagination, but at the same time, an element existed that limited it. [Dinosaurs Can¡¯t Fly in Space!] [How unromantic.] Most people visited the Humanities corner to enhance their abilities, but there were also those who came here for metaphysical inquiries about Mana itself. Those who aimed to walk the path of a graduate student. A lot of such individuals tended to visit here. Yoon Iseon was almost one of them. But then. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± There appeared to be four books on the surface, but five were being recorded. I moved to check because something felt off¡­ ¡°You seem new. What happened to the person who used to work here?¡± ¡°Ah. They resigned. They quit on their own.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± She seemed to be trying to change the subject? As I skimmed the book with my eyes, Yoon Iseon, seemingly uneasy, averted her gaze while moving her pinkish eyes. ¡°Is the borrowing processpleted?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. You can borrow for 14 days, and if you want to extend the due date, please apply for an extension with your Taeguk Watch a day before the due date.¡± After responding per the manual, I noticed one title from the books she borrowed that caught my attention. -How to Live Without Stress ¡­ It seemed like the student council president had a tough time too. I wondered if reading such a book wasn¡¯t stressful, but probably the stress from the student council was worse than the book. ¡®She must have a lot to handle.¡¯ Just dealing with student council work would be tough, and thinking about iing students wouldn¡¯t be an ordinary struggle. Regrettably, I couldn¡¯t help. All I could do was tell her to do her best. ¡°Excuse me, librarian.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m preparing for a thesis, so I was wondering if I could conduct an interview?¡± ¡°An interview?¡± ¡°Yes. I wanted to know what you think about Mana.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just ayperson, though¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Yoon Iseon seemed quite desperate. ¡°You only have to answer a few questions. If it makes you ufortable¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. There was nobody here, and I was feeling bored. Can you wait a moment?¡± I made a simple cup of coffee using the supplies I had behind me. It was instant coffee, but surprisingly, she liked this type of coffee. ¡°Oh, I apologize. I made coffee without asking you. Should I change it to green tea?¡± ¡°No, I like instant coffee. Now, for the first question.¡± Yoon Iseon began to interview me as she casually sipped on her coffee. ¡°Mana started to spread in this world from the moment a meteor fell from outer space. Then, could there be another where Mana has fully spread?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± An affirmative answer. ¡°This is a story of my ¡®imagination.¡¯ It may sound like a conspiracy theory, but would you like to hear it?¡± This was a spoiler from the original work. ¡°What if the meteor that fell to the earth was not from our gxy? What if this asteroid-like thing, assumed to have flown from beyond Pluto, had actuallye from another gxy, another world?¡± ¡°From a ce like Andromeda?¡± ¡°Simr, yes.¡± The meteor flew here in 1999. No one knew whether it passed by Pluto or started from Pluto, as the first observation of the meteor was at Pluto¡¯s location. But I knew. That the ¡®otherworldly¡¯ meteor, the 9th Circle Archmage¡¯s Meteor Rain, came to this world¡¯s gxy through teleportation. ¡°I am one of those who believe in the ¡®Otherworld Theory¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­There exists another world?¡± ¡°Yes. A chunk of Mana from another world where Mana exists came over and spread in this world, and children born after the year 2000 have been sensitive to Mana since they were in the womb. The concept of extraterrestriality that people think of is not beyond the gxy, but apletely different dimensional world.¡± ¡°¡­That sounds like a fantasy.¡± ¡°I think superpowers are sufficiently fantasy too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As expected. Despite spoiling the original world setting, looking at the reaction from a smart character like Yoon Iseon, it seems there wasn¡¯t much resonance. ¡°Think about it this way. What if the ¡®power of the devil¡¯ that many people talked about in the Middle Ages was actually about Mana?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh. So, by making a contract with the devil, one can enhance their superpowers?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what I think.¡± ¡°Huh. So, do I have to make a contract with devils like Satan, Lucifer, or Belphegor?¡± ¡°No, why would you make a contract with them? We¡¯re in Korea.¡± This novel. This world. ¡°You should make a contract with Gumiho or Hwanung.¡± Once again, let me say that this was a Korean web novel. And¡­ This woman was a Gumiho. Chapter 18: I Just Tried To Be Kind (1) Chapter 18: I Just Tried To Be Kind (1) Knowing could be the most dangerous thing in the world. Just as someone once said that a person who had read only one book was more dangerous and ignorant than someone who hadn¡¯t read any books, casual knowledge could lead to immense danger. This was the case with knowledge about mana and superpowers. I knew more about mana than anyone in this world, and I knew well how to increase mana and enhance superpowers. Wanted to increase mana? Then, make a being from myth or folklore your own. Want to enhance your superpower? Then, copy the way to use superpowers from an already created piece of work. It was just like saying that if you wanted to beatbox, all you needed to know was to beat and box. If you wanted to be a powerful superpower user, you only needed to know these two things. But nobody else knew. Even now, when the one-year-olds who first awakened their superpowers had grown up and were 25 years old, people didn¡¯t know anything about how superpowers manifest, how to awaken mana, and how to be stronger. This was what I felt while staying in this world for half a year, and at the same time, it was the conclusion I reached while working as a librarian on Sejong Ind for a week. ¡®Everyone is socking in imagination.¡¯ Today was Sunday. For a stroll around the academy, I walked around the academy with a cup of iced Americano, observing people. ¡°Fireball!¡± ¡°Firence!¡± Normally, people would gather at the ser or tennis courts for exercise on weekends. Still, it wasmon and natural to train superpowers rather than exercise here. ¡®Everyone is so diligent, even on weekends.¡¯ Just as ser fans gathered on the ser field, and tennis fans gathered on the tennis court, superpower users gathered with those with simr abilities to exchange superpowers. ¡°Senior. I¡¯ve pioneered a new realm in fire magic!¡± ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± ¡°Look! Fire Punch! I¡¯ll be a new hero, Fire Punch!¡± ¡°But there are already over 10 people registered as heroes with a fire fist?¡± ¡°Then¡­ Magma Punch!¡± This ce was a training ground where acquaintances, juniors, and seniors exchanged knowledge and information about superpowers to build a foundation for bing stronger. And¡­ ¡®It¡¯s stifling.¡¯ It was not stifling because of the heat of the mes, but watching them train their superpowers was so frustrating that it was almost maddening. ¡®Spending time like this in a ce like this is a waste.¡¯ In this world, power grew with imagination. Continually using power in reality like that would only make you feel your own limits and despair. For example, if there was someone who was proud to say, ¡®I can control 100 liters of water!¡¯ through training, they might be able to increase it by one or two liters, but making a revolutionary development like ¡®I can control the sea!¡¯ was impossible. That¡¯s because they set their own limits. Superpower users created their own ss ceiling, so training wasn¡¯t necessarily good. ¡®In the original work, to highlight the protagonist, they made everyone else seem foolish.¡¯ While upholding the saying ¡®A healthy mind in a healthy body¡¯, the protagonist spent all his time working out. Even though his body improved, his superpowers seemed to not progress when viewed from the outside, so no one paid attention to him. But as a protagonist, he had a superior imagination than anyone else. And if there was a secret to blowing up this imagination, it was undoubtedly cultural content. So while others were training, he seemed to be just having fun, watching movies, and readingics and books. Still, the protagonist was getting stronger faster than anyone else in this world. It was to the extent that he could summon the demons of another world and drop a meteorite on Earth to destroy the world. ¡®He¡¯s a dangerous one.¡¯ He was so dangerous that he could destroy the world. So, he must be found and killed. As part of my n to immediately kill him by transforming into the Goblin, I was looking for a ce to hide my ¡®emergency bags¡¯ since I would need to quietly revert to my normal form away from any eyes, dress back up, and nonchntly join back with the citizens. With that in mind, I was searching for a ce to hide the clothes I would be wearing in a ce that wasn¡¯t too crowded. After removing the transformation near where the emergency bag was located and quickly changing my clothes, I would be able to perfectly deceive people¡¯s eyes. ¡®I need to be stronger, too.¡¯ While thinking about what I would do after killing him is important, it was equally crucial to be strong enough to kill him. ¡®Once I confirm the location to ce the bags, I should go back and raise my magic power.¡¯ Since I was here in Sejong Ind for a long time, if I strived to increase my magic power¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± Off in the distance. Among the superpower users training together, I saw a hooded student sitting alone on a bench. I didn¡¯t know whether it was a boy or a girl, but they seemed to be in a state of unease as if they might ¡®explode¡¯ at any moment. What kind of explosion, you ask? ¡®Middle School 2nd Year Syndrome (Chunibyo).¡¯ A period where puberty was running wildly and surpassing it. There was a phase of losing control with superpowers. -I am different from others! When this development of self coincided with the awakening of magic power, one could be reborn as a viin who greatly disrupted the world. It was the same in the academy, where many superpower users gathered. That student surely had some dissatisfaction. What that was¡­ Suddenly! The hooded student abruptly stood up from their seat. Then they began to hobble away somewhere. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I gulped down the rest of my coffee, picked up the empty cup, and started following the student. I didn¡¯t want to draw people¡¯s attention, but seeing them run out like that gave me a strong hunch. This was my guess, but usually, those kinds of kids had the potential to develop into ¡®Devil¡¯s Kin¡¯ that wouldter engulf the entire academy- ¡°Excuse me.¡± Someone called me from behind. ¡°Over there.¡± Awkward Korean. A foreigner. Short hair down to the shoulders framed with golden locks. A beautiful woman. ¡°Where do I need to go to reach the dormitory?¡± ¡°¡­Are you a new student at the academy by any chance?¡± ¡°Yes. Freshman. I just joined the academy.¡± The woman pointed to the Taeguk Watch wrapped around her wrist. On the screen of the Taeguk Watch, a national g was twinkling instead of the Taeguk symbol, indicating her nationality. ¡°Canada?¡± ¡°Yes. I am ¡®Yumir¡¯ from Canada.¡± I thought she came from far away, but regretfully she was not a character I knew from the original work. Or was she? Did I just forget an extra character? ¡®If she¡¯s a freshman, there¡¯s a high possibility she¡¯ll cross paths with the protagonist.¡¯ First of all, they were in the same grade, and since they would train together under the name of ¡®ss unity¡¯, there was a high chance they¡¯d meet at least once. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t hurt to show some kindness.¡¯ The hooded student who disappeared somewhere moments ago was concerning, but answering this freshman¡¯s question is my priority for now. ¡°That¡¯s fortunate. I¡¯m sort of a faculty member. I will guide you to the dormitory.¡± ¡°Sort of¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a librarian.¡± ¡°A librarian¡­!¡± Yumir¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Like abat librarian who emits magic from books?!¡± ¡°¡­I am powerless.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Yumir opened her mouth wide in surprise. ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry. I assumed you were a superpower user.¡± ¡°Naturally?¡± ¡°Yes. Since everyone on this Academy Ind is a superpower user¡­ I thought you were just proficiently hiding your magic power. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize.¡± I pointed ahead, motioning Yumir to follow. ¡°Follow me this way. I¡¯ll guide you there shortly.¡± I had no ulterior motive. I was certainly not showing her kindness simply because she was a beauty. Ah. Speaking of which. ¡®The protagonist in the original work was also a Canadian in the setting.¡¯ Or was he? Anyway. ¡°Huff, huff¡­!¡± The girl leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. ¡°Damn it, damn it¡­!¡± Thud. She hit the wall hard with her fist, but unlike others who could break walls, her fist merely reddened. ¡°I also want to be like the others¡­!¡± The girl clenched her fist. Just like how others released mana from their bodies, she too expelled mana, but the amount was very meager. E-rank. Better than F-rank, but upon graduating from the high school section of the academy, bing a superpower police officer pursuing general crimes in rural areas was considered her ¡®best¡¯ path. ¡°I want to be stronger¡­!¡± Tears streamed down the girl¡¯s face. Despite being a second-year high school student, her magic power showed no signs of improvement. If it continued like this, she was likely to graduate as an E-rank. Born with the fortune to awaken as a superpower user, but regrettably, there were too many individuals born with this fortune in South Korea. It was like being a celebrity. Top-level, S-rank celebrities spoken about in public were a tiny minority. She was no different from one of the many girl group idols who briefly appeared on music shows, then disappeared or didn¡¯t even make it onto TV and disbanded. ¡°I also want to be stronger¡­!¡± ¡°There, there. Why are you crying like that?¡± From afar. Someone wearing a mask approached the girl. The girl jumped back in surprise, but upon seeing the existence of the mask, she tightly clenched her fists. ¡°Who are you¡­?!¡± ¡°Do you know me?¡± The masked man turned his head to the side and grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll give you power.¡± ¡°¡­The condition?¡± ¡°Condition? Nothing like that. All I want is just ¡®chaos¡¯.¡± The masked man pointed at his mask. ¡°How about making a contract with me, [Duoexini]?¡± Chapter 19: I Just Tried To Be Kind (2) Chapter 19: I Just Tried To Be Kind (2) I guided Yumir, the blonde, blue-eyed foreigner of unknown origin, who might even be an extra in the original work. ¡°Have you eaten yet?!¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°If you haven¡¯t eaten yet, would you like to have lunch together? I¡¯ll treat you!¡± I was invited to lunch by Yumir. What was this? Had this woman realized my identity and approached me? Was she trying to subtly threaten me with a meal, saying, ¡®I know you¡¯re the Goblin, so buy me lunch every day¡¯? Or was she just an outgoing person? This was a situation that I couldn¡¯t fully understand. Therefore, I had only one choice since I had been invited for a meal. ¡°Sure.¡± Eating together like this would be a new and beneficial experience. Beats conjuring a pizza and eating it alone. ¡°Do you like pasta? There¡¯s a very famous pasta ce. I¡¯ve never been there. Would you like to go together?¡± I needed to let her know how dangerous it was for one¡¯s wallet to buy a meal on Sejong Ind. ¡°Never¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve only been here for a week.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a new faculty member.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve just started working as a librarian.¡± ¡°Hehe, so it¡¯s your first time too?¡± ¡°¡­Teacher?¡± ¡°Yes. Librarian teacher. Aren¡¯t you one as well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little different, but there¡¯s not much difference, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Call me whatever you feelfortable with, Yumir.¡± It felt odd to my conscience to be treated as an ¡®oppa¡¯ by a blonde, blue-eyed foreigner. Someday, if we built a friendship, I might hear such words, but I wondered what was the point of bing friends with a student like Yumir. ¡®She looks like the kind of student boys will be interested in.¡¯ Just like the protagonist, many extras were infatuated with foreign girls. This trend was due to many foreign magnates and power holders saying, ¡®A Korean A-ss young man in his early 20s?! Be my son-inw immediately!¡¯ thus, the academy¡¯s male students tended to target foreigners. It was a sad truth, but male and female extras positions were quite different. If a female extra went overseas, there¡¯s often the perception that she ¡®caught the eye of a foreigner and ran away to another country¡¯, but if a male extra went abroad, the strong perception was that ¡®A capable man was being treated well in his daughter-inw¡¯s country¡¯. It seemed unfair and a vague situation that seemed to be a measure intended to protect female extras in their home country. ¡°Yumir, you must be quite popr among the academy students.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, thank you. It seems like you would be popr too, librarian-teacher. Ah.¡± Yumir covered her mouth with her hand, surprised. ¡°Is your girlfriend not upset that you¡¯re dining with me?¡± ¡°Fortunately, I don¡¯t have a girlfriend, student.¡± ¡°Ah¡­Really? I see. Hmm.¡± What¡¯s this? Yumir¡¯s gaze sharpened for a moment, like a hunting dog targeting its prey. Could she be plotting to take advantage of the fact that I didn¡¯t have a girlfriend? ¡°Well, since there¡¯s nobody to say anything, let¡¯s go to the ce you mentioned.¡± ¡°You can follow me this way. It¡¯s a bit of a walk. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes. I like walking. Ah. Can I first go to the dormitory to put down my luggage?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yumir headed to the dormitory, carrying her suitcase at a trot. There seemed to be some murmuring because a man hade to the women¡¯s dormitory, which was like a no man¡¯snd, but people weren¡¯t likely to suspect or question me. There were other men here, after all. ¡°Oppa, have you been waiting?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t wait long. Where should we go, darling?¡± ¡°Hmm, where would you like to go, oppa? I¡¯m okay with anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± So, this was the ce where guys gathered in front of the dormitory, waiting for their girlfriends. I was not particrly waiting for a girlfriend, but the road was bustling with people who came out to pick up girls before mealtime. ¡°Oh, over there!¡± Someone pointed to one side. I was expecting some long-awaited girlfriend to show up, so I thought I should ignore it¡­ ¡°Snow White!¡± At someone¡¯s exmation, the men¡¯s gaze - even the eyes of those who just met their girlfriends - turned toward the direction of the sound. ¡°Wow¡­¡± From afar, a limousine, one often seen in front of a hotel in an American movie, began to approach. As soon as the limousine stopped, suit-wearing women with sunsses came out and started to use walkie-talkies. When they opened the door from the outside, a white-haired woman in a suit emerged. ¡°Snow White.¡± Despite it being the weekend, the woman in the suit came out carrying only her smartphone and no other baggage. Correction. She didn¡¯t need to carry any baggage herself. The women in suits that followed her, probably bodyguards dispatched by the country - or perhaps it would be better to call them supporters - took out the luggage from the trunk and carried it to the dormitory. ¡°So, Snow White is also going to stay in the dormitory without any hesitation.¡± ¡°I heard that the staff apartments are full this time. But isn¡¯t the dormitory section for graduate students?¡± ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s the reason? It¡¯s probably a dirty trick to stay close to the girls who are following Snow White and try to lure them to Korea.¡± Everyone began to spread conspiracy theories about why Snow White chose to settle in a part of the student dormitory instead of a staff apartment. ¡®This will be tough.¡¯ An S-ss superhuman, and not only from overseas but also one who received the support and admiration of many female superhumans in Korea, it didn¡¯t seem she would be able tofortably stay in the academy. ¡°Huh?¡± From far away, my eyes briefly met with Snow White¡¯s as she was just about to enter the dormitory. Was it a hallucination? It didn¡¯t seem to be a hallucination, so I discreetly took out my smartphone, pretending to answer a call, unnoticed by the others. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a while. Only a week, right? Have you been well?¡± Snow White gave a faint smile as she saw me pretending to take a call. ¡°Look at that! Snow White saw us and smiled!¡± ¡°She really is a celebrity among superhumans. Wow, she really is beautiful.¡± ¡°I want to marry her.¡± I could understand why the guys were drooling. She was a cool-beauty girl with white hair, had a generous¡¯ magic pocket¡¯, and was even an S-ss hero. Every man would harbor envy in their heart. ¡°You¡¯re really having a hard time, aren¡¯t you?¡± She must have had a hard time receiving such gazes from people since she was young. Even though she was a character in a novel, I felt like I hade to know the difort of a top-tier celebrity in this world, albeit indirectly. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± ¡°Oh, have you arrived?¡± I put my smartphone away at the sound of Yumir¡¯s voice from behind me. ¡°It was a friend.¡± ¡°A friend¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that suspicious look in your eyes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. More importantly, shall we go? I¡¯m a bit hungry right now.¡± ¡°Sure. Shall we go this way?¡± I guided Yumir out of the dormitory. Something¡­ I felt a chill behind me, and it gave me goosebumps, but it might just be the disgusting jealousy of the guys around me since I was going to eat with a beauty like Yumir. ¡®But I don¡¯t want to eat alone.¡¯ Eating together with a beauty who was paying for the meal vs. eating alone at home. ¡°By the way, wouldn¡¯t your boyfriend mind if you had a meal with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never had a boyfriend, so I¡¯m not sure?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Eating together with a (forever-alone) beauty who was paying for the meal vs. eating alone at home. For me, it was a win-win. Plop. Snow White threw herself onto the bed in her suit. Although it was much more cramped than her house in Busan, the room and the bed were quite spacious, perhaps because they had converted three dormitory rooms into one room. She was going to be dealing with many people for the next year. She hade to the academy under the pretense of rest. Still, it could be more mentally challenging than living as a hero in Busan, not knowing when she might be called into action. But the thing cluttering her mind now wasn¡¯t about her life at the academy. ¡°¡­Who could it have been?¡± Snow White scrutinized the photo she had taken earlier with her smartphone. It was far away. Beyond the crowd, a man was walking away with his back turned. And a blonde girl was walking beside him. ¡°¡­What the heck, do they know each other?¡± The girl was smiling brightly, slightly leaning her body towards the man. It wasn¡¯t just them walking shoulder to shoulder. She was slightly leaning towards the man and looking at him. The man was looking ahead, and the woman was looking at the man¡¯s face. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s this?¡± Something in Snow White¡¯s heart began to rise fuzzily. That peculiar feeling. ¡°¡­¡­Hmph.¡± Snow White tried to forget it as she reviewed tomorrow¡¯s script for the entrance ceremony. ¡°What¡¯s this? Palpitations?¡± Snow White raised her hand to her chest and looked nkly at the ceiling. She then reached for her smartphone to call the number she had frequently contacted recently, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± For some reason, her hand froze, unable to make a call or send a text. A momentter. ¡°Oh, how lucky. Just in time, there¡¯s one seat left in a perfect spot.¡± ¡°I guess so. Haha, it might be thanks to me?¡± Yumir put her index fingers on her cheeks and smiled brightly. ¡°My luck is really a lot better than others.¡± ¡°Luck?¡± ¡°Yes. Luck. Meeting you like this is also my luck.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary librarian.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Right now. ¡°In my eyes, you don¡¯t seem like an ordinary librarian.¡± What was she trying to say with this build-up? ¡°You are¡­.¡± Yumir stared at me and quietly opened her mouth. ¡°A handsome librarian.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Your affinity with Yumir has increased by 10.] Chapter 20: I Just Tried To Be Kind (3) Chapter 20: I Just Tried To Be Kind (3) Was it just a joke, or was it something she really thought about? Either way, it felt good. They saypliments make even a whale dance, so I was pleasantly pleased with Yumir¡¯s words. ¡°Thank you, Yumir. I think this is the first time I¡¯ve heard someone say that I¡¯m handsome.¡± ¡°Huh? Really? You¡¯re joking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± I typically wore a goblin mask while on duty, so the chief was the only person who knew my face. Come to think of it, the chief has seemed to favor me more since I took off the transformation and met her directly. However, she never once said that I was handsome, so Yumir¡¯s words must just be pleasantries. Don¡¯t take it to heart¡­ ¡°Yumir, you¡¯re also very pretty. I¡¯m sure there are many people who want to confess their feelings to you. Be careful with the high school students. If they¡¯re your ssmates, they¡¯ll all be keeping an eye on you.¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m not in high school. I¡¯m a freshman in college.¡± ¡°¡­I thought you were a high school student.¡± ¡°I¡¯m an adult. I¡¯m a fresh 20-year-old who just started college this year.¡± Yumir made a V sign with her hand and propped it under her chin, and I felt invigorated by her radiant energy. Come to think of it. The original protagonist was also a freshman in college. ¡°Yumir, still, be especially wary of men. All men are wolves. They are beasts struggling to seduce women.¡± ¡°What about you, sir?¡± ¡°I may be a wolf, but I¡¯m not that kind of wolf. I¡¯m a noble and lonely wolf.¡± A stranger dropped into this world. A lone wolf that could never fit in the world of sheep. ¡°Somebody I know once told me to be wary of the person who says they are not that kind of wolf.¡± ¡°Then you should be careful too. Not just with me but with all men. I¡¯m saying this because I see you as a younger sister.¡± ¡°People who say that often want to hear the word ¡®oppa¡¯ and then try to woo you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s purely from a ce of innocence.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that¡¯s also a way to woo someone.¡± ¡°You sure have a lot of jokes, Yumir.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Yumir squinted her eyes and held up her c ss. ¡°Okay, I will. I¡¯ll be careful of men, as you¡¯ve suggested. And you too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. It seems you¡¯ve understood a bit of what I¡¯ve said.¡± It was a warning for her to even be wary of me, and thankfully, Yumir seemed to have understood well. ¡®It would be troublesome if she fell for the protagonist and blocked my path.¡¯ What if Yumir fell for the protagonist? The moment I tried to assassinate him, she would throw herself at the protagonist, shouting ¡®No!!¡¯ [My love, Yumir! Oh, this damn world, let it end!!] There was also a chance that a meteorite woulde flying. Not just the heroines, but even pretty extra characters could be the protagonist¡¯s first pick. The setting of this world might be a light novel, but this world is reality. In crude terms, the protagonist could suddenly awaken to a deep, dark world ande to like men, or he could awaken to robotic mechanics and fall in love with machines. The fate of this world was very precarious. The meteor ending was dangerous, but the process of the protagonist¡¯s development leading to the meteor drop and turning evil was also dangerous. I didn¡¯t mention this in the review because it was a spoiler. The authormitted a tremendous mistake that an author should not make. The so-called ¡®burning¡¯ situation urred, where the readers who said it was okay to serve a lethal dose of nationalistic fervor every day and even demanded more started burning and writing a 5700-character statement in thements in no time. In the end, the author abruptly ended the story with a meteorite, probably due to mental strain. But I could not understand the author who described the protagonist going insane at all. The protagonist going mad was honestly beyond my understanding. Still, the author who wrote such a development was the really mad one. So we had to be careful. To ensure the protagonist¡¯s heroines didn¡¯t suffer from the so-called ¡®NTR¡¯. To prevent such incidents where the heroine was brainwashed by the viinous Goblin, got some sort of parasite nted at the back of her neck, and attacked the protagonist while saying she had devoted her body and heart to ¡®Lord Goblin¡¯. ¡­It was actually a funny thing since I was instructed to woo the heroines and persuade them to join the organization¡¯s cause. So the protagonist needed to be killed. If I were to woo one of the heroines or a woman who wasn¡¯t a heroine, and the protagonist destroyed the Earth shouting, ¡®My woman got NTR¡¯d! I¡¯m going crazy! Ahhh!¡¯ killing him was to prevent such a thing from happening. ¡®It¡¯s more convenient for me.¡¯ Rather than sweet-talking a guy and taking care of him, it¡¯s much faster to just cleanly chop off his head. So, I was a viin. If I had thought about persuading and taking care of the guy, I would¡¯ve be a hero. ¡°Yumir, can I ask you something about rtionships?¡± ¡°Wow! What an interesting topic. What is it? I don¡¯t know much, but I¡¯ll give advice!¡± ¡°It¡¯s about someone I know.¡± ¡°Usually when people say ¡®someone I know¡¯, they mean themselves.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s really about someone I know.¡± Looks like this wouldn¡¯t work. Rather than from the perspective of the protagonist who got his girl stolen, I¡¯d have to tell the story with a Doh Tae-yang concept where I was the one stealing the girl. ¡°Let¡¯s say there¡¯s a man A and a woman A. They had something like a fling going on. Besides woman A, man A has B, C, D¡­ roughly up to F.¡± ¡°Wow, he¡¯s a yboy. Is that man by any chance you?¡± ¡°I wish, but no, it¡¯s not me. And there¡¯s a man B.¡± ¡°Is that you?!¡± ¡°¡­No. Man B woos woman A. Woman A, disappointed in man A, who doesn¡¯t pay attention to her, falls in love with man B.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Yumir¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Thus, man B and woman A fall in love, but then man A appears and says, ¡¯ Woman A loves me, but why did you steal my woman?; He asks man B. What should man B say to this man A?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a madman, right? ¡­Oops. Sorry for the harsh words. Man A is just¡­ too awful.¡± Yumir gave a raw and vivid reaction. ¡°He¡¯s a yboy seeing this girl and that, but he starts a fight when his fling catches the eye of another man. He sounds like a psycho.¡± ¡°To that extent?¡± ¡°Of course. Ah, but that could happen.¡± Yumir, holding a pasta fork, grinned. ¡°What if man A thinks he is better than man B?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Like, man A is an S-grade superpower holder, but man B is just an ordinary person, not even a superpower holder. Or man A owns a building and is a caf¨¦ owner, while man B is a rider who delivers to that caf¨¦.¡± Why were theparisons so specific? ¡°Let¡¯s say you¡¯re man A. The girl who was deeply in love with me fell in love with a man who was far less attractive than me. What would you feel then?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Of course. ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural to fall in love with a man who loves you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wow.¡± Yumir covered her mouth with her hand in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that kind of answer.¡± ¡°What did you expect?¡± ¡°I thought you would ask how she could like such an unattractive man or question if you were worse than him.¡± ¡°If that actually happens to me, I might do just that¡­.¡± I shrugged lightly. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m stealing someone¡¯s girlfriend. It¡¯s just a fling.¡± ¡°So, you mean to say, you¡¯re man B, who has just taken a woman from a slightly better man than you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like the story goes that way, but sure, I¡¯ll take it. It¡¯s better than being man A. I¡¯d rather be a loving couple, albeit with an inferior one, than a pathetic yboy.¡± ¡°Hehe. You¡¯re indeed an interesting person.¡± ¡°Indeed?¡± ¡°I just thought you were special from the moment I saw you.¡± Yumir lifted her ss filled with c towards me. ¡°Really, like a feeling that you¡¯re not from this world?¡± What was with this girl? ¡°¡­Are you insinuating that I¡¯m a global-level outsider? Student?¡± ¡°Ah. You found out.¡± ¡°Do you know about Confucian etiquette and the Easternnd of manners, student?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Canadian.¡± ¡°But we are in the Republic of Korea.¡± Astonishing. This world. To treat me like an old geezer. ¡°I have friends too. Even though it¡¯s difficult to meet, I have friends I contact frequently.¡± ¡°But it seems like you don¡¯t have friends to have a meal with on Sejong Ind?¡± ¡°Do you know the phrase¡¯ rudeness,¡¯ student?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Yumir reached out to me with a ¡®V¡¯ made with her hand again. ¡°I can rte! I¡¯m also a world-ss outsider.¡± ¡°Real outsiders don¡¯t go around announcing that they¡¯re outsiders.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even have friends, let alone someone to have a meal with.¡± ¡°Well, from now on, you can start dating and make friends, right?¡± ¡°But we already started dating today, friend.¡± Flutter, flutter. Yumir¡¯s hand continued to wave up and down, and I reached out my hand to shake hers. Complicated. Is this what it means to be an insider? Or did I, as an otherworldly being in this world, just discover my ability? Mind reader? Psychometry? Did she just figure out my true self through our handshake? No, that¡¯s not it. I didn¡¯t feel any hint of using mana. ¡°Teacher Do. From now on, I-¡± Yumir¡¯s head, just as she was about to say something with a bright smile, suddenly jerked back. And then. ¡°Watch out!¡± Yumir stood up from the table and pounced on me. I fell backward along with the chair¡ª Ssh. With the sensation of something touching my face¡ª Crashhh!! A powerful explosion resounded, and the wall of the restaurant was destroyed. Eeeeng¡ª¨C The ¡®runaway¡¯ rm started ringing on Sejong Ind. Chapter 21: Transformation! Thats Not How Its Done! (1) Chapter 21: Transformation! That''s Not How It''s Done! (1) The moment Yumir embraced me, I began to feel a surge of rampaging magical power from afar. What was a rampage? Think of it as a simple outbreak of ¡®middle school syndrome¡¯ for ease. It wasn¡¯t a case of someone¡¯s ck me Dragon rampaging wildly, but rather an inner demon. And furthermore, the problemy in the augmentation of abilities based on the real power of the devil. Just like how Red Scarf, who was previously of rank A, suddenly gained a power close to rank S, the girl over there, who had her hood on, also longed for power and was currently in a state of rampage. ¡°Kyahahahahaha!¡± The girl who busted through the wall began to recklessly swing her arms. The ck magic bullets spewing from the girl¡¯s hands bombarded the inside of the restaurant, and the people in the restaurant hurriedly took cover- ¡°She¡¯s rampaging! Stop her!¡± Not really. Instead, they each started to protect themselves by using their abilities. This ce was Sejong Ind. A ce where the guests at the restaurant, the part-timers, and even the restaurant chefs could be ability users. ¡°What is she?! Who is she?!¡± ¡°She¡¯s in a high school gym uniform! Damn, a high schooler has middle school syndrome!!¡± ¡°Then isn¡¯t she suffering from high school syndrome?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the time for jokes! She¡¯s extremely strong!!¡± Although the phenomenon of a rampage was somewhatmon among ability users, and everyone¡¯s reaction was quick, the problem was that the girl¡¯s magic power was quite strong. ¡°You weaklings dare to resist!¡± Bang! When the girl stomped her foot lightly, the entire restaurant shook. ¡°Teacher, are you okay?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, but what about student Yumir¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Yumir was still sprawled on top of me, keeping an eye on the situation. ¡°Can you get up? For now, I think it would be difficult for us to escape towards the entrance.¡± She quickly nced at the exits and evaluated the girl¡¯s abilities while supporting me at the same time. ¡°If we can¡¯t do that, we¡¯ll have to fight¡­.¡± ¡°Fight? That¡¯s dangerous. I don¡¯t have a clear sense of whether I¡¯m an ability user or not¡­.¡± ¡°Huaap!!¡± A boy in a high school uniform rushed towards the girl, wrapping his fist in green mes. ¡°Fire Punch!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Kwaang! The girl swatted the boy away like a fly. For a moment, a huge snake-like tail shed behind the girl. ¡°That, what was that just now? Did I see it wrong?¡± ¡°¡­It looks like that rumored rampage.¡± ¡°Rumor?¡± ¡°Yes. The strange rumor that¡¯s been spreading in Korea recently¡­ Ah, you might not know since you¡¯re Korean because there¡¯s strict information control in Korea. I¡¯m sorry. Please forget what I just said.¡± ¡°More importantly.¡± I pointed at the boy embedded in the far wall. ¡°That guy is ¡®Mint Fire.¡¯ He¡¯s an ability user with a promising future, with a rank B ability. But to deal with a B rank so easily¡­.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t easily gauge the full power of a rampager. But most of them¡­are suddenly enhanced from A rank to S rank, shortening their lifespan.¡± ¡°Lif¡­espan?¡± How did she know that? ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If I talk more about it here, you could be in danger. Um¡­I have a request.¡± Yumir winked at me subtly. ¡°Can you keep what will happen next a secret?¡± ¡°A secret?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t¡­ really want to be known to people yet.¡± I unknowingly nodded at Yumir¡¯s words. Not because Yumir was an ability user but because her words sounded like something I had heard somewhere before. ¡°I will protect you, teacher. And¡­please watch over me. My¡­¡± Yumir pulled something out from her possession. That¡¯s¡­ A belt? ¡°Transform.¡± Yumir fastened the belt around her waist. Soon, Yumir¡¯s body sparkled in gold and disappeared with the light. ¡°What¡­.¡± I unknowingly brought my hand to my face during this sudden turn of events. ¡°Kyahaha! These useless things are messing around!!¡± The rampaging girl roared in madness. ¡°Kyahaha, die, die!!¡± With her eyes bing those of a demon - ck irises and inverted white pupils, the girl started bombing the restaurant with ck spheres that formed around her. ¡°Cough!!¡± A man who seemed to be an ordinary person was directly hit in the stomach by a sphere. It was just a small sphere the size of a fist, but his body flew and rolled on the floor as if he had been hit by a truck. ¡°Dad!!¡± A female student who came with the man screamed and rushed to support him, but the man was already copsed, bleeding from the back of his head. ¡°It¡­it¡­!¡± Perhaps. Most likely. He might be dead. In this world. The ces associated with ability users were full of death. The girl must be much older than the age of legal majority, but the number of people killed by underage ability users was far greater than the number of people dying from liver cancer. ¡°Dad, open your eyes, Dad!!¡± ¡°Kyahaha. You used to ignore me all the time¡­! Serves you right!¡± ¡°What has my dad done to you!!¡± Protecting the fallen man in front, the female student stretched out her hand. ¡°You evil child! You¡¯re not even a human!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m not a human! I¡¯ve gained power that can¡¯t even bepared with you pitiful ability users! I am¡­a demon! Ahahaha!¡± She had turned into a mad woman who called herself a demon. ¡°I am the herald of darkness who will destroy thisnd, [Darkness Nebulutias Lilith]!!¡± This was madness. To shout such a title as if it were her own. ¡°Behold, my power!¡± The problem now was that her voice started to ¡®ovep¡¯ with the voice of a beast, an old man, and a fierce warrior. ¡®A demon ising.¡¯ A demon born from human evil and lust, hatred, and anger was slowly beginning to appear in reality, based on the girl¡¯s ¡®imagination¡¯. Crimson wings spread out from behind the girl, and the girl began to transform into a typical demoness - a subus. ¡°Kyahaha! I am-¡± [What a pity.] A woman¡¯s voice echoed through the restaurant, sounding as though it had been distorted. [Your wicked deeds end here.] Speaking clear and precise Korean, a golden light burst forth from outside the restaurant. ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°What are you?!¡± [Me?] Beyond the girl there appeared¡­ A golden figure that was dressed like a character from a tokusatsu show. [You don¡¯t need to know.] They seemed to be adopting the concept of a ¡®golden dragon¡¯. [The moment you hear my name, you will be defeated.] What was this? Was it some new type of hero suit? Or perhaps it was a concept of a medieval knight covered in gold? Has this world finally gone crazy over heroes and implemented the legendary golden warrior in this world? Such thoughtssted only a moment. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± That was mana. On the surface, it appears to be a powered suit, a culmination of scientific technology from a cutting-edgeboratory that enabled ordinary humans to counter ability users who use mana. In reality, from helmet to toe, every piece was made up of ¡®mana¡¯. In other words. ¡®The defense mechanism is well set up!¡¯ I didn¡¯t know who it was, but the mana shield enveloping their body was structured like the real parts of a powered suit. And¡­ She - even if her voice was distorted, it was still a woman¡¯s voice - had a belt I saw just moments ago. ¡°Ah.¡± I see. It was Yumir. ¡®That¡¯s a really weird design.¡¯ Why would an ability user, who demonstrated mana control abilities incredible enough to wear a power suit skin as a protective shield, adopt such a concept? ¡®It¡¯s some!¡¯ In terms of design, too. ¡®What¡¯s up with that girl¡¯s appearance?! It¡¯s just a full te of gold!¡¯ It was not bad. It just didn¡¯t fit the sensibilities of this era, 2025. Well, it didn¡¯t feel old-fashioned even for the year 2025, but- ¡°Sigh.¡± Wasn¡¯t it more viin-like than hero-like? ¡®A transforming hero doesn¡¯t look like that¡­!¡¯ Observing the situation, I moved away from the public gaze. ¡°¡­¡­Hah. Sigh.¡± The situation was still chaotic. Fortunately, the CCTV was broken thanks to the girl who turned into a demon named Lilith. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Slowly, I ran my hand over my face, avoiding the crowd, and moved toward the restroom. ¡°¡­¡­After transforming, the clothes are, hah. Whatever. Since it¡¯se to this, I¡¯ll use my ultimate move.¡± Nobody noticed me. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t know anything else, the girl isn¡¯t going for a ¡®monster¡¯ concept.¡± Also¡­ The fact that I was here, the fact that I would appear here. No one would ¡®be aware¡¯ of it. So. The possibility of my identity being revealed was 0%. Unless there was a clue, I wouldn¡¯t be caught by anyone. Click. I put on a mask. ¡°An attack before I even finished unpacking.¡± Baek Seol-hee ran towards the scene, holding her throbbing head. Correction. Using her abilities, she ran as if snowboarding on high heels on a path made of ice. ¡°Are idents and incidents usually this frequent?¡± [Haha, no. It¡¯s just a case of students¡¯ stress-induced ability running away¡­.] ¡°Even when it looks like there¡¯s been a casualty?¡± Baek Seol-hee arrived at the scene soon after. Although it was a little distant from the scene, she could see what was happening there from a high hill nearby. ¡°Kyahaha. What¡¯s that? What¡¯s with that foolish look?¡± [True heroes don¡¯t easily show their appearances.] In front of the ruined restaurant. Two people were confronting each other in the parking lot. One of them was a girl who anyone could see had run rampant as if her ¡®inner middle school syndrome¡¯ had exploded. And the other one was¡­ ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Baek Seol-hee saw it. The reality of the powered suit, which looked like a golden dragon turned upside down. ¡°This is unbelievable.¡± That mana control seemed even more intricate than her own. To create an armor of that level by releasing mana inside the body, and not just any armor but to create it in such a way? ¡°First, let¡¯s get the people-¡± The moment Baek Seol-hee was about to jump down from the hill while holding the railing, A ck shadownded in the parking lot from far away. ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± It was impossible. Even if she could overlook that golden armor as a possibility, that man could not possibly be here. ¡°How could the Goblin¡­!!¡± Goblin. A man in a ck suit, casting a golden glow from his eyes,nded between the golden dragon suit and the demon. [Who are you¡­?] [I am the Goblin. I appear wherever viins do.] [Goblin¡­?] While the golden dragon suit was confused, ¡°Kyahaha!! So you¡¯re that legendary Goblin I¡¯ve only heard about! Then, I¡¯ll show you! Just how strong of a being I, Lilith, am!!¡± [You want to prove your strength? Then I¡¯ll show you the difference in our powers. But.] As the Goblin lightly brushed his mask with his hand, a suspicious belt-like object appeared in the Goblin¡¯s hand that had brushed the mask. [It¡¯s been a while, so maybe I should show you the real thing.] ¡°What is that¡­?!¡± [READY!] [Transform.] Chapter 22: Transformation! Thats Not How Its Done! (2) Chapter 22: Transformation! That''s Not How It''s Done! (2) The outward appearance of the Goblin was ordinary at first nce. In the original, the Goblin was described in the novel, but due to an obsession with national identity, it appeared as a figure with disheveled hair and a torn ck Hanbok. However, I appeared to the world as someone dressed in a ck suit, wearing a mask, casting a golden glow from my eyes. The Goblin from the original was too much of a misceneous viin, so I changed my own concept to a ¡®Gentleman Goblin¡¯. Does that mean I couldn¡¯t take on a different form? No. Just like right now, I could change into apletely different form. A sound from that felt like a sound effect rang out after a transformation, just like a rider who rode a bike. [Wow¡­.] The lump of golden armor - Yumir lost her mind at the sight of me. As soon as she saw the Goblin¡¯sbat form - the second form, she remained still. ¡°Wow, holy shit! What¡¯s that?!¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the Goblin?! The Goblin just transformed like that?!¡± ¡°Hey, turn on the stream! We can¡¯t miss this!!¡± Whether they were spectators or those who sensed themotion and came looking, one by one, they were aiming the camera of their Taeguk Watch or smartphones at me and were filming. It was probably surprising that Goblin, an S-grade viin, brazenly revealed himself on Sejong Ind, but it was also surprising that Goblin appeared in apletely new form. ¡°Wha, what are you¡­!¡± The girl who turned into a demon, Lilith, cursed me with a face distorted like an evil spirit. ¡°Why, why are you stealing the attention that I should be getting!!¡± [So, you¡¯re throwing a tantrum because you usually don¡¯t get attention?] I stretched one hand to the side. [If so, you¡¯re evil. And evil must be destroyed. That¡¯s my principle.] Others may say it was being a try-hard, but if a powerful force apanied it, it became style - ¡®coolness¡¯. [That was damn charismatic.] As such, Iter watched the rted videos so that I could admire myself, just as I would feel moved while re-watching my own Pentakill videos. [Viins, I execute.] Taking a dignified pose, I drew out my weapon. Fizzle! Something simr to golden lightning shed, and a new weapon sprang from both my hands. An ordinary rod. But it was not just a rod. It was somewhat simr to the baton used by police officers, and it looked like it simply had the handle of a hand-axe attached to it. There was no special name. Because this was also a ¡®Goblin¡¯s club¡¯. ¡®If the Goblin uses it, it¡¯s a Goblin¡¯s club.¡¯ All standards were set by me. What I used would be a club. And this club¡­ [Die, viin.] There was no need to mention any other special abilities. It simply beats up viins. ¡°Ahh¡­!!¡± Lilith began to recklesslyunch magic spells toward me. Ka-ang! I casually swatted it away with a swing of the club. ¡°Fall, Goblin!!¡± Magic spells began flying in session, and I didn¡¯t dodge the spells. Instead. Ta-da-da-dak!! Instead, I rushed forward, swinging the club in my hands left and right to smack away her magic spells. Pa-ang! As the magic spells that were hit by my club fell to the ground, they exploded, stirring up dust. I emerged through the dust cloud. [You¡¯re weak.] When I emerged from the dust, I swung my clubs in an X shape. ¡°You brat¡­! Why are you appearing in front of me and interfering! You¡¯re a viin!!!¡± [Yeah, a viin.] The moment I approached Lilith, I powerfully swung my leg, kicking her in the waist. ¡°Kyaak!!¡± Lilith screamed as she was thrown to the side. Rolling on the ground, her wings broken, she struggled to get up as she spewed mana like vomiting blood. ¡°Cough, gasp, huff¡­!¡± [Those who cause chaos using this power, the world calls you viins. I¡¯m the same.] Once again, I lightly gripped the clubs spread out to my sides and slowly walked forward. [I¡¯m just knocking down viins. So.] I pointed one of my clubs forward. [Move aside. Nameless¡¯ Golden Knight¡¯.] [I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t move.] Suddenly, [No matter how brutal the viin, they must face the judgment of thew. They have to be judged by thew.] In front of me, a golden knight - merely someone in full gold te, but out of my own courtesy, I decided to call her that - had interposed and blocked my way. [Tiresome logic. Boring. Do you know how many heroes I¡¯ve dealt with who speaks like that?] [I do. And they all couldn¡¯t stop you. But I will be different.] Vroom. [Because I am strong.] As the knight stretched out her hand, a ratherrge golden greatsword appeared out of thin air. [The reason many people couldn¡¯t stop you until now is because they were weaker than you.] [And you¡¯re different?] [Of course.] Gooo. The golden aura emanating from the knight was no joke. Subjectively, just skimming over the glowing particles of magic power flowing from her toes, she was probably an S-ss or higher. ¡®Were you also part of the heroine reserve team?¡¯ Perhaps she was one of the heroines that might have appeared if the author had continued the series to the second year of the academy instead of just the first. There was no such golden knight from Canada in the original work. Of course, they did leave a hook saying, ¡®There might be S-ss beauties in each country¡¯, but that was just a hook. However, that didn¡¯t mean I could back down here. That woman not only attacked the restaurant by her own will but also directly killed people. [You¡¯re trying not to kill the superpower user who sold her soul to the devil by killing and rampaging. Well, that¡¯s a hero.] Protecting even such a woman was the act of a ¡®hero¡¯. [Golden Knight, what¡¯s your name?] [Sr tina.] tinum Sun? [¡­ I¡¯ve never heard that name before.] [It¡¯s because I¡¯m showing this form to the world for the first time today. Just like you. But¡­.] Clink. The knight gripped the greatsword with both hands and pointed it at me. [I will defeat you and officially take the title of ¡®Golden Knight¡¯.] [Do as you please.] I casually turned my hand and lowered my stance. [If you can, take it!] When a battle happened among A-ss individuals, the ticket price for a friendly match in the royal stands was worth more than ten million won. No joke. Superpowered individuals and their fights were just like movies! People who watched ser, movies, anime, and novels. They all raved about the ¡®real battles¡¯ of the superpower users. [Why watch a movie! When superpower users fight, that itself is a movie!] The battles of the superpower users made all humans go crazy. Even if it meant people dying and wealth being destroyed, the battles of the top-ss superpower users drove ordinary people, as well as other superpower users, crazy. Especially if it was a golden armored knight they were seeing for the first time. Especially if it was the S-ss viin ¡®Goblin¡¯. Even more so if the Golden Knight was strong enough to easily suppress a rampaging female student. Even more so if Goblin was showing his ¡®second form¡¯, which he had never revealed to anyone while holding a staff in each hand! [Snow White! Maintain the scene! Try your best to prevent the students from getting involved!] ¡°Understood, principal!¡± Baek Seol-hee quickly raised her mana, trying to set up an ice wall to prevent anyone from getting hit in the confrontation between the hero and the viin. [No, no! What are you doing?! Stop it! An ice wall. Are you in your right mind?!] ¡°Huh?¡± [You¡¯re trying to make sure no one can see the spectacr battle unfolding?! That¡¯s not allowed! This Sejong Ind is a ¡®ce of education¡¯! Even watching such a thing is educational!] ¡°No, Principal!!¡± In the midst of a fight between an unknown knight who might be a hero - someone who hadn¡¯t been registered anywhere till now - and the Goblin, were they just supposed to stand by and watch? ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense!¡± [You might not know since you haven¡¯t been on Sejong Ind long, but look around! Everyone will be focusing on their fight!] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A chill ran down Baek Seol-hee¡¯s spine. Indeed. Smartphones were following the battle between the two as videos were recorded. There was cheering for the Golden Knight, who was blocking Goblin¡¯s attacks with a single greatsword. There was admiration for the Goblin who, while casually dodging the greatsword in ce, seemed to step onto the air above the greatsword. ¡°Damn, this is crazy¡­.¡± Watching the close-quartersbat of the two S-ss characters, those who had rushed over to the disturbance were simply captivated. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s head started to hurt. What about rescuing people? What about arresting the viin? What about retrieving the bodies? Instead, watching, recording, and appreciating the battle of the suddenly-appeared S-ss characters was more important? ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh¡­!¡± Baek Seol-hee stepped forward. No, she tried to step forward. ¡°Kyahaha!!¡± Lilith, who seemed to have recovered in the meantime, spread her wings and flew up to the sky. With a sense of regret, Baek Seol-hee created an ice ¡®drill¡¯ towards Lilith, who was flying high, but the Goblin¡¯s action was faster. [I¡¯ll catch her! My ultimate move-] [ONE TWO THREE!!] Manipting something on his belt, along with a more robust sound effect¨Cas it was thought to be¨Cdifferent from Goblin¡¯s voice. [Oh Eui.] The Goblin held his staves as if to cross it in an X-shape. [Grand Cross.] He then released a shining golden cross-shaped light toward the fleeing Lilith. [That¡¯s how you capture a viin.] Chapter 23: Transformation! Thats Not How Its Done! (3) Chapter 23: Transformation! That''s Not How It''s Done! (3) There were several ways to highlight the protagonist. There was no need to discuss those methods right now, but if we were to talk about ways to make a protagonist stand out in this world¡­ ¡°Wow! Goblin¡¯s new ultimate move!¡± ¡°He sends out a cross-shaped attack from where he stands, and it turns into a cross the moment it hits the enemy! Ah, could that be a motif from ¡®that religion¡¯¡­?! It¡¯s an incredible sphemy!¡± ¡°Using that much mana and still being unaffected. Is this what it means to be an S-ss viin¡­!¡± Everyone was amazed by the technique I just used. Of course. They were more impressed and excited by the incredible ability than by the death of a human being. Either they didn¡¯t consider the ability user who became a demon due to an emotional rampage as a human, or they were just more thrilled about the impressive technique they had just witnessed. The humans in this world, especially the ability users,cked empathy. To put it nicely, theycked humanity; to put it harshly, their thoughts were garbage. In the midst of all this. [What have you done!] This was the way to highlight the ¡®heroes¡¯ represented by the protagonist. [Even if she¡¯s a viin, how can you kill a person!] A virtuous image. In front of the tant evil of the viin and the humanity-deprived public, a virtuous hero with humanity was bound to be emphasized. In a pile of dirt, a diamond sparkles. Who could see it and say, ¡®The diamond is dirty.¡¯ [Those who sell their souls to demons are only destined to die. They have already given up on being human. Even if they are kept alive, they would only live as monsters killing people.] [But!] [It would be better to use the nation¡¯s taxes to treat the fallen and provide constion money for the families of those killed by that demon rather than sustaining such an evil spirit.] I wasn¡¯t necessarily saying this because I believed it had to be so. [A viin once is a viin forever. If being alive hurts someone, they should atone for their sins through death. Suicide would be the best way, but those types wouldn¡¯t kill themselves, so I gave them death instead.] Right now, I was only muttering a spell under my breath to escape from this ce while I was talking. [Many heroes may dream of peace in the world, but I hope they understand that pacifism is not always right.] Sigh. I lightly touched my belt and soon transformed back into my original form - a gentleman goblin in a ck suit. ¡®Phew. I almostmitted social suicide.¡¯ I was unnecessarily worried about what would happen if my transformation wore off and I was exposed, but luckily that didn¡¯t happen. [Do you want to protect even the viins? Then be stronger. Enough to stop me. I look forward to it, hero.] [Wait!!] Sr tina reached out towards me, but I left the ce with a slight kick on the ground. [Goblin Step.] How? By teleportation. ¡°Ah, the goblin is escaping!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let him get away! Catch him!¡± ¡°If I catch the goblin, my reputation will jump up!!¡± Attacks came at me from all directions as I spread a ck fog around me, but they only flew through the innocent air. My body was still in the same ce- It was, I swear. But no attacknded on me, no ability user could detect me, and no one could recognize me. Another ability that came with the Goblin¡¯s Bat. ¡®Goblin Cloak.¡¯ Even if this was a nationalist light novel world, I couldn¡¯t really wear a real cloak, so I substituted it with a gentleman¡¯s fedora. Still, I maintained the Goblin¡¯s identity by changing it to a style that covered only the lower face under the hat. If I had to make aparison, should I call it a ¡®gentleman in a suit with a tactical mask¡¯? ¡®I can¡¯t be seen in this state either.¡¯ I could not allow myself to be caught as a ghost under the Goblin Cloak. In other words, I could not allow myself to be caught leaving the battlefield in this spirit-like state. Even though the mask covering my lower face extended up to the nose, my eyes and their shape were slightly exposed under the hat. ¡®There are so many books I haven¡¯t read in the library, I can¡¯t be driven out due to my identity being exposed.¡¯ It would be a nuisance to the leader if my identity as Goblin was exposed. I couldn¡¯t cause trouble to all those who had embedded me here, including the librarian. ¡°Find the Goblin! He couldn¡¯t have gone far!¡± ¡°He teleported! He must have gone to his hideout!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a limit to teleportation! He couldn¡¯t have teleported from Sejong Ind to Busan or Seoul!¡± ¡°He might if he¡¯s a goblin!¡± As expected. No one thought I had transformed into a ¡®ghost state¡¯, an etheric body that could not be interfered with by using physical or mana-based means. I had not yet left the scene. No one could ever imagine it. Now then. This was the reason why I maintained the ghost state and chose to stay behind. ¡°There, Golden Knight! Take off your mask and reveal your identity!¡± I disappeared, but the other entity that appeared with me - Sr tina, had not left yet. ¡°A hero name we¡¯ve never heard before! A power not registered in Sejong Ind! Everything is unidentified! The Heroes Association can¡¯t let you be!¡± ¡°I understand you¡¯re trying to suppress the ¡®Viin Rampage¡¯, but this could be a high-level deception! Take off your armor! Who are you?!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re a hero, reveal your identity obediently! If you don¡¯t reveal your identity, we¡¯ll consider you a viin!!¡± If it weren¡¯t for me, they would¡¯ve suppressed and arrested the viin by now, but because of me, that golden knight was now in a quandary. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three! Three!¡± Probably with a high probability, Yumir - no, the woman who might kneel to me - was just bowing her head, lost in thought. ¡°Two!!¡± As each of the police heroes who arrived on the scene began to raise their mana, aiming their weapons at Sr tina. ¡°One-¡± [Oh, light.] As S tina lightly spread her arms as if asking for a hug, an enormous golden light burst from her body. Squee¡ª¡ª¡ª! A blinding sh, as if a shbang had gone off, exploded. ¡°Argh!!¡± Being phased out dimensionally as a spirit, I had no problem, but everyone gathered was wincing and turning their heads in pain due to the tremendous shbang. ¡®She¡¯s escaping.¡¯ I quickly followed Sr tina as she swiftly left the scene. She didn¡¯t just leave the scene. She seemed to be fumbling around near the restaurant¡¯s ruins, seemingly gathering something, then began to run away. ¡®What did she collect? Perhaps an object she took off before transforming?¡¯ If there was one thing, it might be her Taeguk Watch. The GPS and biometric information of the Taeguk Watch could reveal her to be Yumir if it was mishandled. I was ¡®special¡¯, so it didn¡¯t affect my transformation, but if it was Yumir, the story would be different. Why do I keep wanting to know if it was Yumir? There was a desire to verify whether she was Yumir or not and also to confirm other possibilities. If that wasn¡¯t Yumir. Then where was Yumir now? Did she get caught in the restaurant building while I hesitated to transform and died without even leaving a corpse? With that face that said, ¡®Wait here for a moment!¡¯ had she disappeared not because of her secret powers but rather because of a misced sense of justice? No. I already lightly scanned the restaurant building with mana. Yumir had evaporated. So, I needed to confirm it even more. If that Sr tina was not Yumir, then Yumir had already- Phooof. There was a small gap between the dormitory wall and a fence. The golden knight barely squeezed herself into a space fit for an air conditioner unit. The moment shended on the ground, her body shed. ¡®Ah.¡¯ The moment I saw her, I averted my eyes. And then, I looked again to confirm what I had seen. ¡®What to do?¡¯ Surely not. Could she be suffering from the same disease (?) as me? ¡®Good grief.¡¯ She was just like me. ¡®Surely she didn¡¯t transform to suppress the viin, knowing that penalty?¡¯ It was indescribable. The ¡®Yumir¡¯, who had be a naked wreck, stiffened the moment she grabbed what I presumed to be her room window. ¡°Ah, aah¡­!¡± Panicking, she earnestly pressed the Taeguk Watch that she had left on the ground - she had probably taken it off before transforming and had just collected it when she escaped the scene - against the window, but- ¡°Why, why won¡¯t it open¡­?¡± It wouldn¡¯t open. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t. The Taeguk Watch had to be ced at the front door of the dormitory room to open the window. But would that work? Shouldn¡¯t you go to the dormitory entrance first and then to the room door? ¡°Ah, dang¡­.¡± [Seems like you¡¯re in a predicament.] I stood in front of Yumir, wearing my Goblin mask. ¡°Gah¡­.¡± She tried to scream and squatted down, covering her face with one hand with her other hand covering her important parts. ¡®Oh, man.¡¯ Indeed, a Canadian. No joke. I¡¯ve seen many female bodies, but this one was too beautiful. ¡®Get a grip. She¡¯s on the verge of being socially murdered.¡¯ Even the most powerful superhumans became helpless chicks in the face of shame. [Take this.] I removed my suit jacket and transformed it back to its original form. Fwoosh. The suit jacket became a ck durumagi (traditional Korean overcoat), which waspletely opaque. [Here.] ¡°¡­Thank you¡­.¡± Yumir, blushing up to her ears, epted the durumagi with trembling hands. ¡°How¡­how did you¡­?¡± [I just followed you. I didn¡¯t expect this, though.] I straightened my ck shirt under the suit and turned my body around. [I am helping you now as you are in a difficult situation.] I turned my head sideways and warned Yumir. [If you obstruct me again, I¡¯ll just crush you and continue with my work.] Thooof. As if teleporting or bing a ghost, I climbed up the wall. ¡°¡­¡­Hmph.¡± Yumir, her face ring up like a red persimmon, clutched the durumagi tightly and ran towards the dormitory entrance. [Tsk.] Watching her, I felt an unwarranted thrill. [I, too, had such moments.] Yumir. She was a definite hero who could transform to protect someone, even after considering her penalty. [Guess I should go back too.] To where? ¡­Back to the scene. Chapter 24: Heroes Are Those Who Overcome The Irrational (1) Chapter 24: Heroes Are Those Who Ovee The Irrational (1) The scene of the incident had calmed down. Viin Lilith, who had be a demon, was destroyed by the Goblin¡¯s strikes, and the unidentified Golden Knight who appeared on the scene disappeared in a sh of light. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Looking at the Hero Alliance officials who were only now starting to clean up the rubble, Baek Seol-hee clenched her fists. Wasn¡¯t it ridiculous to just watch and get angry? If it hadn¡¯t been Sejong Ind, but Busan, she would have run to help people. She hade within less than 200m, but Baek Seol-hee could not approach the scene. ¡°Eeeek! Unnie, I¡¯m a fan!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Snow White! The real Snow White!¡± ¡°Wow¡­. look at that Snow White. I think I could die without regret now.¡± Because of the crowd surrounding her, who hade to see the incident site. Beep. [Snow White.] [Let me be clear, do not ¡®cause a scene¡¯.] [Leave the scene clean-up to the lower ranks, maintain the dignity of an S-ss. Understand?] Because of the incessant messages from some nagging old men. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee remained silent. Fearing that saying something might just make her angrier, she maintained her persona¡ªremaining quiet, as befitting her old nickname of ¡®Ice Princess¡¯. Just dealing with the people wasplex enough, but far too many elementsplicated her thoughts. The issue of the Golden Knight. Well, the Golden Knight could be thought of as just an unregistered hero. It could be a person who suddenly awakened their ability before entering school and appeared to defeat the viin in a restaurant. In time, while the instructors evaluated the freshmen, surely someone would reveal their abilities, and their identity would be discovered. So she wasn¡¯t really worried about that. What she was really worried about was the ¡®Goblin¡¯. ¡°By the way, how did the Goblin appear?¡± ¡°Goblins have a way of showing up anywhere. It¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± ¡°Sure, he shows up when he¡¯s bored, but he¡¯s never appeared on Sejong Ind before.¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe it¡¯s because the girl who stalked him hase here.¡± These irritatingments reached Baek Seol-hee¡¯s ears. She couldn¡¯t categorically deny them because she, too, had such thoughts. Currently, Snow White and the Goblin have formed a sort of ¡®rival¡¯ rtionship. It was partly because Snow White always failed to catch the Goblin, but also because they had shed several times already, leading the world to regard them as the typical hero-viin ¨C good and evil arrangement. ¡°That Golden Knight was really strong, right?¡± ¡°I think the first to ever engage the Goblin in closebat might be that Knight, right? Even Snow White fights from a distance.¡± ¡°Wow, shit. S-ss fights look so effortless, but they¡¯re really chilling. I want to fight like that, seriously.¡± ¡°¡­Now, isn¡¯t the Goblin¡¯s rival the Golden Knight? Hehe.¡± However, another existence appeared and seized that spot. They fought against the Goblin more aggressively than she did and even threatened the Goblin instead of backing down. More than anything else¡­ ¡°Look at this photo. Should this be called Goblin¡¯s second form?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to call it the battle form? It¡¯s always been in a suit. But this¡­ it¡¯spletely¡­ It looks like a tactical battle suit.¡± ¡°If you made a powered suit in the form of a Goblin, it would look just like this. Isn¡¯t it the first time we¡¯ve seen him wielding something like batons in both hands?¡± ¡°So he hasn¡¯t even shown half of his abilities so far. What a terrifying creature, that dedicated Goblin¡­!¡± The new form that the Goblin showed. It was much stronger and faster than the previous Suit Goblin. The weapon it wielded was not a crude object like a bat without nails that it normally used, but a sophisticated and sharp rod, which was stylish rather than fierce. ¡°So, was the Golden Knight strong enough to draw out the battle form of the Goblin¡­.¡± ¡°Then, is that Knight now the Goblin¡¯s adversary?¡± ¡°How should I know? How can we know whether that Knight is a hero or not?¡± ¡°Wow, this will be worth watching. If it doesn¡¯t transform into battle form and just fights Snow White, wouldn¡¯t that just make Snow White look foolish?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The voices that spoke around her made Baek Seol-hee¡¯s insides churn. Should she knock them out? No. Step by step, Baek Seol-hee made her way forward through the crowd. She reached out her hand towards the destroyed restaurant building. Beep-beep. [What are you doing! You just need to hold up the rear! Do you have any idea how hard the heroes below struggle when an S-ss hero unnecessarily tries to save people?!] The loud voice of a higher-up echoed in her ear. Of course, the sound was not heard by people but only transmitted to the in-earmunicator in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s ear. Nevertheless, it was noisy enough to potentially spread all over if not handled carefully. ¡°Excuse me.¡± After raising her hand to the Taegeuk Watch, ¡°¡­Just shove it.¡± After severing the mana flowing in the Taegeuk Watch, she reached out her hand toward the debris. Swoosh. The icy power reaching out towards the debris quickly broke down and started cleaning up the mess. An S-ss hero doing this kind of work? Nobody dared to say, ¡°An S-ss hero doing this kind of work?¡± outright. It was due to Snow White¡¯s rather grim expression as she cleaned up the debris. ¡°Hmm. I didn¡¯t expect this variable.¡± A little bit away from the scene, a young man dressed in a red and ck checkered modernized Hanbok scratched his cheek and gave a faint smile. ¡°I finally gave a seed of a reasonably strong devil as a gift, but it exploded before it could properly sprout.¡± The young man reyed the countless images captured on his Taegeuk Watch. ¡°Divine Skill, Grand Cross.¡± Scenes were captured from nearly 17 different angles. The Goblin¡¯s bat that was held in both hands was imbued with powerful mana, and the Goblin swung it forcefully, eradicating the devil without leaving a trace. ¡°Interesting. Using a Divine Skill called ¡®Grand Cross¡¯ on Sejong Ind. If it were me, I would have named it something like ¡®Summer Triangle.¡¯ Tsk. Is it true what they say, that the Goblin is a swordsman with no brains? It¡¯s not like using English makes you American or British¡­.¡± The young man raised the corner of his mouth while looking at a statue erected on one side of the square. ¡°How dare you speak an English technique on an ind named after King Sejong, who created the Korean alphabet. Teacher Jushi-gyeong would be outraged. Your organization¡¯s name is ¡®Yi Maemangryang¡¯, but you use English for your techniques. Tsk, tsk.¡± The young man clicked his tongue repeatedly and shook his head. Suddenly, his Taegeuk Watch started ringing. ¡°¡­Ah, yes. It failed. I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± [Responsibility? Just bringing out the Goblin was a great achievement. Not to mention the ¡®Unknown¡¯-] ¡°What?¡± [¡­That unidentified ability user also yielded good results. We have apletely new variable that we didn¡¯t know of.] ¡°Right. A new variable. ¡­They seemed to be at least a special grade.¡± [S-ss.] ¡°Special grade.¡± [Hey, you stubborn guy. No matter what, there are international standards. You can¡¯t just make up your own ranks-] Click. The young man closed his Taegeuk Watch. The call rang again, whether out of persistence or annoyance, but the young man paid it no mind. ¡°It¡¯s truly a sad thing. That anguage other than Korean is being used in Korea. And most regretfully¡­.¡± The young man nced at a book tucked away in his pocket, twisting the corners of his mouth. ¡°All the monsters on ourndck ¡®Absolute Evil¡¯¡­ Tsk, so in the end, to properly incite a rampage, we have to bring in something foreign. Sigh.¡± Hemented as though he was genuinely regretful. ¡°The Golden Knight, the Goblin, and now even Snow White. ¡­Hehehe. Well, it only bes an interesting match when there are some adversities.¡± Turning his body, the young man exited the scene. ¡°It¡¯s a contest. A decisive battle. Who is the true pinnacle of evil¡­I, Duoexini, will show you.¡± With a deep sigh, the young man, still dressed in his modernized Hanbok and pulling his hat lower, disappeared into the darkness. At that moment, in a girl¡¯s dormitory room. ¡°Ah!¡± A blonde girl thrashed about, her face buried in her pillow. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Although she was screaming, she was careful not to let others hear, but her voice filled the room sharply, despite her attempt to muffle it. Bang! Yumir kicked the nket. Not from bottom to top, but a knee kick against the neatly folded nket. She tormented the fabric and started to tear at her hair while punching her pillow. ¡°Ahhh¡­! How could I make such a mistake¡­!¡± Yumir, her scalp now flushed red, was crying. She was shedding tears not out of sadness but out of shame. ¡°I¡¯ve never shown anyone¡­! I¡¯ve never exposed myself to anyone! Ahh, I can¡¯t get married now¡­!¡± She had shown her naked body to a man. Moreover, to a man she had been in conflict with, to a viin of all people. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumiry t on her back. Clutching the ck Durumagi ced on her body tightly, Yumir bit her lower lip while fiddling with the Durumagi. ¡°I¡¯ll never transform again¡­to save people, meddling in their business. Tsk¡­.¡± Why did she transform? Even when she hadn¡¯t yet resolved this ¡®side effect¡¯. This side effect where her clothes didn¡¯t return after the transformation- Beep beep beep. Her Taegeuk Watch began to ring. Yumir realized once again why she had transformed. ¡°Teacher!¡± ¡°Yumir, are you okay?¡± A man¡¯s voice that was filled with concern. Yumir flipped over, bringing the Taegeuk Watch close to her face. ¡°Yes¡­! And you, teacher?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m still at the scene, I couldn¡¯t see Yumir, so I was searching for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Yumir was about to rush out, but stopped short, looking down at the Durumagi and making a crying face. ¡°Well, you see.¡± Yumir frowned heavily. ¡°¡­Teacher, can we continue our meal next time?¡± ¡°Yumir? Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°No, no! Not like that, or should I say there is¡­.¡± ¡°Are you safe right now?¡± A very serious voice. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Yumir spoke the embarrassing truth, and soon, a sigh of relief andughter flowed out. ¡°I¡¯m d. As long as you¡¯re safe. And Yumir, no matter what happened¡­I hope you¡¯re not hurt. I¡¯m on your side, Yumir.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Thank you.¡± ¡°Hehe. See you next time, then.¡± Yumir. ¡°¡­Auto-recording.¡± She pulled out her smartphone, quickly operated the app that would y a certain phrase on repeat, and quietly closed her eyes. [I¡¯m on your side, Yumir¡ª¨C] ¡°¡­¡­Hehe.¡± Chapter 25: Heroes Are Those Who Overcome The Irrational (2) Chapter 25: Heroes Are Those Who Ovee The Irrational (2) The meeting with Yumir was postponed. I returned to the scene to assess the situation. Of course, I wasn¡¯t naked. I was very much dressed, and none of the others looked at me strangely. ¡®If they think it¡¯s strange, it would be socially detrimental to me.¡¯ I looked at myself reflected in the full-length mirror. While I looked like I was wearing normal clothes, just like when I left after eating earlier, in reality, it wasn¡¯t clothing. It was ¡®mana¡¯. Just as Yumir, the Sr tina Knight, created armor with mana as a protective shield, I, too, used mana as clothing and returned to the scene. A Goblin¡¯s imagination became reality. Namely, the naked Goblin. Now, I had stepped outside wearing clothes made of mana that can only be seen by very special people. There was only one person in the world now who met those special criteria. While that person may be watching this, they would understand everything. [Uh? Senior, can you look at this screen?] [Why? Is there something strange?] [This man and woman were there when they entered the restaurant, but after the ident, they¡¯re gone.] [What? This¡­this smells fishy. The man and woman disappeared at the same time. It doesn¡¯t seem like they were just buried in the restaurant building. We need to investigate this.] What if someone inadvertently rewound the CCTVter and started tracking me because they realized I had disappeared? A Goblin should not give any excuses. Even if I pretended to worry abouting to the scene that had reached a state of peace, it was still the correct move to be on the scene. ¡°Ah, are you okay?!¡± A restaurant staff member spotted me and smiled brightly. ¡°I was worried that something might have happened to you! The woman you came with¡­?¡± ¡°She left earlier. She was quite startled.¡± ¡°Ah. So, she¡¯s not dead then?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s perfectly alive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­.¡± The staff member struck a line through something that looked like a list. I was even more relieved. If the names Do Ji-hwan and Yumir had not been erased from that ¡®missing persons list¡¯, Yumir and I would surely have been investigated. ¡®It¡¯s not really for my own benefit, but while I¡¯m at it, I might as well clean up after myself properly.¡¯ I initially came to hide my identity, but since things turned out this way, I had no choice but to take care of Yumir as well. ¡°So, what happens now? As for the bill¡­¡± ¡°Once the situation has been sorted out and all the checks by the Taeguk Watch areplete, you will be charged.¡± ¡°Oh, please charge me. I will pay for it.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief. You can just send it to my ount.¡± ¡°Are you the owner?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Even the meal cost. ¡°Ah, thank you. You¡¯re willing to pay for the meal even after such an ident.¡± ¡°I just did what I had to do. It was a delightful meal, after all.¡± I cleanly finished the money calction so the owner wouldn¡¯t end up with situations like ¡®I can¡¯t let this money go! I will investigate everyone, ah, these people! They were in the restaurant but disappeared outside! Are they missing?! Do I need to im insurance?! No! I can¡¯t afford higher insurance rates! I must find out their identities!¡¯. ¡®Yumir is quite careless.¡¯ As a hero hopeful, who wouldn¡¯t have a significant problem even if her identity was exposed, she didn¡¯t return after leaving several traces that could expose her identity. ¡®Or did she be careless because of me? Is she off guard because of me?¡¯ She could have been shocked that her identity was exposed to me. Since she seemed to be a delicate woman, the fact that she was exposed to the Goblin, and the fact that her identity was revealed, might be greatly distressing to her now. ¡®I should teach her next time.¡¯ Things like how to erase one¡¯s existence and escape. Or how to create an alibi that confirmed the existence of a person who suddenly disappeared. Or even how to use mana to create clothes, so that others wouldn¡¯t suspect anything. ¡­ Of course, once all the mana was used up, one was essentially left naked, but it didn¡¯t onlyst for a mere 3 minutes or something like that. It could be maintained for at least 2 hours. That¡¯s plenty of time to get back home. ¡°You must be upset since your restaurant was destroyed.¡± ¡°Well¡­ at least I had insurance, so that¡¯s a relief.¡± The owner began to smile brightly. ¡°The rampaging demon¡­ Lilith, was it? If only Lilith had appeared, the insurance money might have been less, but the Goblin also showed up.¡± ¡°What does Goblin have to do with insurance?¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t know? Damage insurance, so to speak, the insurance that you can get when viins cause damage to your property, also has tiers. Since Goblin showed up, I naturally can get the insurance based on the Goblin¡¯s ¡®S-tier¡¯ level!¡± ¡°So, the higher the danger level of the viin that appears, the higher the amount of the insurance im?¡± ¡°Yes! Hehe, so it¡¯s really fortunate. I¡¯m grateful to the Goblin.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but that won¡¯t happen again.¡± Someone¡¯s voice was heard from behind us. ¡°Ah, you are¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Snow White. You must be the restaurant owner, ah.¡± Snow White opened her eyes wide in surprise at seeing me. I acted as ignorant as possible and gestured towards the crowd. ¡°¡­Ahem. I apologize.¡± Fortunately, Baek Seol-hee tactfully pretended not to know me. But I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I was imagining the slight sense of disappointment in her eyes. ¡°There won¡¯t be any application of S-tier insurance to the restaurant just because Goblin appeared.¡± ¡°What? Why?! What does that mean?!¡± ¡°Because the Goblin didn¡¯t cause any damage to the restaurant.¡± Baek Seol-hee exined the insurance criteria somewhat rigidly, and the restaurant owner pulled at his hair with a frustrated face. ¡°Ah¡­! Damn, it would¡¯ve been better if he had at least kicked towards the building¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Sometimes in moments like this, humans seemed so base and weak, making the situation bitter. I wondered whether this was due to this world being a world of superpowers or if people like this actually existed in reality. ¡°Damn, then the families of the deceased¡­.¡± ¡°I will arrange to deliver a condolence payment to the deceased through a fund. Please contact our foundationter.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The owner¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Is that really true?¡± ¡°Yes. So if any of the bereaved mention that a person died in the restaurant, treat them with a heavy heart. Don¡¯t harshly say that it¡¯s not your responsibility. They¡­ have lost a family member.¡± ¡°Ah, I understand. You¡¯re indeed S-tier¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee nodded slightly and turned her head towards the slowly receding rubble of the building. She was gritting her teeth. Looking at the debris, I felt ¡®anger¡¯ emanating from Baek Seol-hee. Perhaps that anger was towards something simr to what induced an ability user to transform into a demon, how the Red Scarf went on a rampage - ¡°Hey, is that blood? Wow, a person really died.¡± ¡°Why did the moron cause a rampage? Hehe, but we got to see a new side of the Golden Knight and the Goblin, so was it a gain?¡± ¡°A sacrifice for the greater good¡­ Ahem. It wasn¡¯t really a big deal. Anyway, it was a good show. Hehehe.¡± I hoped so. I hoped that it was not angering from a disdain for humans. Beep beep. I quickly pulled out my smartphone and sent a message. Soon, Baek Seol-hee saw the text on her smartphone and subtly smiled. Beep. A reply arrived. [Thanks for encouraging me. You too, Ji-hwan! >?<] ¡°¡­¡­She uses weird emoticons.¡± After putting my smartphone away, I immediately returned home. As quickly as possible, before my transformation wore off before my mana was all used up. After returning home. I immediately undid my transformation for a quick mana recovery as soon as I opened the door. Paaang! In an instant, I was naked. Although it was quite something to be naked right at the front door, I confidently went inside and turned on the TV. [At 1 PM today, in the southern area of Sejong Ind¡­.] The rampage of the demon Lilith. The appearance of Sr tina. The emergence of Goblin¡¯s second form. Despite various incidents, the news spewed out all kinds of stories using video footage taken by bystanders at the time. However, there was hardly any mention of the deceased. It was not because there were few people but because death was all too familiar to the people of this world. When a viin went on a rampage, people died. It was a proposition that was now, somehow, epted as a matter of course. ¡°¡­¡­Starting with a spectacle even before the entrance ceremony.¡± I stood up from the sofa and opened the wardrobe. Inside were seven suits that the leader had bought for me. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t wear these on a date¡­ Ah, if I had worn them¡­¡± Surely, the clothes would have been disassembled down to the atomic level by mana. It was horrifying just thinking about it. ¡°It¡¯s really inconvenient.¡± To transform, it was necessary to emit mana. And mana was emitted from the body through the skin, causing any clothes worn at the time to ¡®disappear.¡¯ In other words. The moment I transformed, everything on my body was subjected to the powerful force of the emitted mana, causing it to explode. The Taeguk Watch seemed to have some resistance to this, but there was no reason to risk wearing it during transformation. So did I take off my clothes somewhere before I transformed? ¡®Where is there time for that!¡¯ Viins didn¡¯t pick their time and ce. They could appear at someone¡¯s wedding celebration or attack in the middle of a date. If I could save even one more innocent person from a viin faster, then my clothes tearing and disappearing were not an issue at all. ¡°¡­Still, I shouldn¡¯t transform while wearing such expensive clothes.¡± For the leader¡¯s sake, at least. Ba-ba-ba-bam. The telephone rang. It was her call, right on time. ¡°Yes, Chairwoman.¡± [What the!!!!] She started yelling as soon as the call connected. [Every time I see the data screen, why are you naked!! No, that has been solved, but more than that!! That transformation, what is it!!] ¡°¡­Huh.¡± [You should have shown me that cool thing first! This is NTR! It¡¯s a betrayal!!] How should I respond? ¡°Well, aren¡¯t I somewhat like a one-man army?¡± [So?] ¡°To reaffirm my affiliation, I designed it to be simr to my superior.¡± [Superior? No, don¡¯t tell me¡­.] ¡°Yes. The opponent seemed quite strong, so I had no choice but to bring it out.¡± I delivered my prepared lines. ¡°I redesigned my image anew, as if I¡¯m the leader¡¯s right-hand man or as if I¡¯m the leader¡¯s Goblin.¡± [¡­Next time, show it to me first. Understand?] I¡¯m relieved. [Hmm. I showed a bad side of myself. I¡¯m sorry. You must have had a reason for doing it. But still, be careful. That ce is practically enemy territory.] This was a genuine response. ¡°Of course.¡± [Oh yes. I will keep the video carefully. Your naked body that only I get to see¡­hehe. It¡¯s impressive.] ¡°The leader has already seen my naked body more than once or twice-¡± Beep. Beep. Beep. The call abruptly ended. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 26: Heroes Are Those Who Overcome The Irrational (3) Chapter 26: Heroes Are Those Who Ovee The Irrational (3) Monday. The library was closed, so it was a day off for me, and I could rest at home while reading the books I had borrowed. However, I purposely put on a suit and came to the Academy¡¯s main building. Not to tour the Academy, but to check on the ¡®target¡¯. Buzz buzz. Many people in simr uniforms were heading toward the auditorium. The auditorium, capable of amodating more than 2,000 people, was where the Academy held major events and, at the same time, where today¡¯s ¡®entrance ceremony¡¯ would ur. It would usually be an ordinary entrance ceremony, but this year would be quite different from before. ¡°Do you think he will be introduced during today¡¯s lecturer presentation?¡± ¡°Sigh. Snow White¡­ I¡¯m so happy she¡¯sing as a lecturer this year.¡± ¡°An S-ss, moreover, the strongest of the ice users, we get to attend her superpower lecture. Huh, it was a good choice to dy graduation by a year¡­!¡± Both those participating in the entrance ceremony and those who came to watch it were extremely interested in one woman¡¯s existence. Baek Seol-hee. Snow White. Woahhhh! Just by dressing in a suit and taking a seat in the auditorium along with other faculty members, she received a lot of cheers. ¡®She seems awkward.¡¯ Baek Seol-hee lightly nodded in response to the crowd, then quietly settled down and sat on a chair. Receiving cheers as a hero might be familiar, but receiving them as a ¡®teacher¡¯ seemed quite awkward. ¡®Oh.¡¯ A familiar face took the stage. ¡°Ah, before we start the entrance ceremony¡­¡± Student council president Yoon Iseon grabbed the microphone and started to speak. Usually, even at entrance ceremonies, faculty members tended to host, but perhaps because the student council president had outstanding abilities, she had been entrusted with conducting this formal event. ¡°The order of the entrance ceremony is¡­.¡± While Yoon Iseon was exining the order of the entrance ceremony, a text message arrived on my smartphone. [Over there.] [Mr. Ji-hwan.] [Please help me.] ¡°¡­¡­?¡± It was Baek Seol-hee. It was not just anyone, but Baek Seol-hee was requesting my help. ¡°Ah, can I call you?¡± I immediately called Baek Seol-hee, but the call was quickly rejected. ¡°What the.¡± A single text message saying she was unable to take calls. Since I suspected she might be secretly sending messages, I immediately texted back. [Are you keeping these messages secret from others?] [I¡¯m sending this without others knowing, so pleasemunicate through text.] ¡°Ah.¡± Our messages ovepped. I received her message the moment I sent mine, which was probably the same for Baek Seol-hee. [What¡¯s the matter?] [They¡¯re asking me to give a congrattory speech.] [A congrattory speech?] I lifted my head. ¡°The order of the entrance ceremony is as follows¡­.¡± There wasn¡¯t specifically a part for Baek Seol-hee¡¯s congrattory speech in the order of the ceremony that Yoon Iseon was reading out. Even so, this talk of a speech now was probably because someone sneakily poked at the idea of ¡®Snow White giving a congrattory speech?¡¯ on the spot. ¡®They¡¯re making it difficult.¡¯ Even when running for ss president, you would prepare at least a few minutes of speech, but it was absurd to suddenly ask for a speech at arge-scale event like an entrance ceremony. Especially since this event was being broadcasted live with reporters from media outlets. However, [Snow White] must do it. [The principal suddenly asked me to do it ??] [Wasn¡¯t it scheduled?] [Not at all.] ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± For Baek Seol-hee, it was not just difficult. It was maddening. Baek Seol-hee was not a hero who often engaged in public activities - excluding being invited as a face of the government official events -, she was not good at speaking in front of people. Hence, making an impromptu speech was virtually impossible. She may have S-ss talent in her ability, but she tended to hone skills in other areas through effort. In other words, speeches and congrattory speeches were not easy tasks for her. [Do you know any good phrases for a speech? Even if it¡¯s simple.] ¡°Oh, dear.¡± I ended up giving advice for Baek Seol-hee¡¯s speech. ¡®How did this happen?¡¯ There would be ways like ignoring and moving on as if I didn¡¯t know or promising to find out while stalling for time. If Baek Seol-hee messed up the speech, people would surely ridicule and insult her, and then naturally, Baek Seol-hee¡¯s disgust toward others would increase. I could seize that gap, make Baek Seol-hee fall, and recruit her as a member of our secret organization. However¡­ ¡®When the sympathy rate is like this, it¡¯s quite something.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t stand it. I couldn¡¯t stand to see Baek Seol-hee embarrass herself during a speech. When watching movies or dramas, I was the type of person who couldn¡¯t bear to watch the main character or other characters in embarrassing situations. Baek Seol-hee messing up her speech and being ridiculed by people was no different from me being found naked after my transformation and being booed by people. And once Baek Seol-hee asked me for help, once a woman asked me for help, as long as I could help, I just couldn¡¯t let it pass. ¡°I expect you¡¯ll at least buy me a meal if you¡¯re grateful.¡± Or, when my identity was revealedter, she may think, ¡®Do Ji-hwan helped me once during that speech.¡¯ Such favors stacked up and umted, resulting in the oue of surviving or saving my life when I was inevitably caught by Snow White. So. [I¡¯ll send it to you neatly summarized in a text.] I grabbed my smartphone and began typing quickly. A littleter. As the entrance ceremony was nearing its end. ¡°¡­I would like to say that the entrance ceremony is over.¡± The principal subtly pointed behind him. ¡°However, it¡¯s impossible not to have one of our new teaching staff representatives say a few words to our freshmen. Now, Snow White. Would you like to say something?¡± The students and spectators, who were hoping for the principal¡¯s dull speech to end, focused all their attention on Snow White, who was sitting on the stage. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± As Baek Seol-hee stood up, the sound of camera shutters began to ring out rapidly. Like a celebrity holding a press conference, everyone started to watch Baek Seol-hee attentively. ¡°Dear freshmen.¡± Baek Seol-hee nced at her Taegeuk Watch and opened her mouth in a soft voice. ¡°What do you think a hero fights against?¡± Starting her wee speech with a question, the new students tilted their heads in confusion. ¡°Viins who misuse their abilities? Those who let their powers run wild? Evil organizations lurking in every corner of the world? Or, as some people assert, the beings from outer space or other dimensions who may somedaye to Earth? Each of you may have different thoughts. Here¡¯s what I¡¯d like to say.¡± A silence descended upon the entire auditorium. ¡°Heroes are those who fight against ¡®unreasonableness¡¯.¡± Unreasonableness. Everyone tilted their heads at this unusual term that waspletely different from what they¡¯d expected and from what had been mentioned before. ¡°As ability users, you will face many choices and trials in the future. There may be moments when you be sick of pursuing justice and moments when you impulsively make decisions out of momentary greed. In each of those moments, the world will present you with various experiences of unreasonableness.¡± For example, When ying Super Ma*io, you ran toward the goalpost only to hit your head on an invisible block and fall into a hole. This was referred to as unreasonableness because it seemed like a serious issue, but if we put it in just a few words - ¡°There¡¯s no profession that gets screwed over as much as heroes.¡± Getting screwed over. Those who aspired to be heroes lived with a lot of mental suffering, and the world did not just give them ordinary trials. And these trials often appeared in ways that were iprehensible for heroes and ordinary people. Hatements, instigations, maniptions. All sorts of evils that could not be expressed in a few sentences were directed at the heroes, and they had to fight against them. ¡°You will face many walls of unreasonableness in the future. Will you break down and ovee those walls, or will you avoid them? Or will you push the wall aside, pass by, and then put it back in its ce? That¡¯s up to you. You can make your choice based on what you learn and practice here at Sejong Academy. Will you conform to unreasonableness,promise with unreasonableness, or fight against unreasonableness?¡± Sejong Ind was a ce where ability-users could most easily increase their mana. Sejong Academy was a ce where ability-users were ¡®educated¡¯ about what they should be in society with their abilities. ¡°In an era where superpowers have be a reality, Sejong Academy will provide you with all the learning you need to live in this era. Of course, this includes superpowers, mana, and abilities.¡± I told her that. ¡°No matter what kind of person you be after you graduate from here.¡± Baek Seol-hee steadied her breath and showed a faint smile. ¡°I believe that no matter what unreasonableness blocks your path, you will definitely ovee it. Based on everything you learned here at Sejong Academy, I hope you will continue shaping your world and future with your own strength.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh at Baek Seol-hee¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯ve been giarized.¡± The words I said over a meal after watching a movie hade out of Baek Seol-hee¡¯s mouth, albeit a bit fumbled. ¡°Not bad.¡± The future. Yes, the future. At least to prevent any global destruction from things like meteorites. Using all my power, I would fight against all unreasonableness that sought to destroy this world. ¡°Thank you.¡± Waahhhhhhhhhhhhh! The entrance ceremony ended. A new year at the Academy had begun. Chapter 27: The Legend Of The Legendary Librarian (1) Chapter 27: The Legend Of The Legendary Librarian (1) Four days after the entrance ceremony, on Thursday. Fitting my assigned role, I spent my time as the librarian in the library, reading novels borrowed from the upper floor during work and enjoyingics after work. There was no deadline for the given task. At least on the surface. The task the chairwoman gave me was to woo a capable woman, and such tasks were typically long-term projects. It had been less than a month since I entered Sejong Academy, so I couldn¡¯t possibly hook a woman and tell her to join the organization in that time frame. I should make my move on those with potential ¡ª the so-called ¡®heroines¡¯¡ª- after calmly observing them for a year and recruiting them to join us. Even if they were not the heroines, it was also good to get people like Yumir, who were extras¡ªor future supporting characters with promising futures on our side. In that sense, I was slowly checking the list of freshmen through the library¡¯s book rental program. But then. ¡®What¡¯s this.¡¯ I kept checking the student list registered in the database. At first, I let it slide, but when I checked for the second time, I thought something was seriously wrong. There was no protagonist. Among the new male students, there was no one who could be considered a protagonist. The protagonist¡¯s name that I remembered was not there!! Even though I thought they might have changed their name or used a pseudonym, I manually copied down each name that appeared in the library¡¯s loan program and did overtime at home searching for hero information. I also registered with the Hero Association and private inte hero wiki. Still, there was no one who could be considered a protagonist. ¡®A Korean man living abroad with a suitable E-level power, why can¡¯t I find him!¡¯ Most of the people I investigated had clean pasts, and no one matched the protagonist¡¯s background setting. ¡®This is driving me crazy.¡¯ Did the original setting change? Had the setting of being a Korean from abroad changed from the country I knew to another country? Or maybe he would be enrolling next year, not this year? Or perhaps he did not enroll in the Academy at all this year? My head started to ache from the absence of the target that should have been there from the beginning. I infiltrated where the target was supposed toe for an assassination operation that held the world¡¯s fate, but the target himself didn¡¯t even appear where he should have. ¡®This is really driving me crazy.¡¯ How could something like this happen? ¡®Does it make sense for the Academy¡¯s protagonist not to appear in an Academy light novel!¡¯ I felt like crying. Even though I investigated the protagonist while my conjured-up chicken grew cold, there was no result in the end. I thought I should check out all the guys individually, but when I counted, the number was quite significant. The number of male freshmen who entered the Academy this year was about 100. The number was supposed to be less originally, but the number of enrollees increased more than average due to the appearance of a certain woman. [I came to the Academy to see Ms. Snow White! I don¡¯t care about anything else!] It was not only the women who enrolled for Snow White. Many of the men also chose to enroll to see Snow White, and actually, something like a secret fan club for Snow White has already started operating in the Sejong Indmunity. The membership already exceeded 1,000, and all sorts of photos and videos of Snow White were being posted under the name of ¡®fandom¡¯. [Guys, Ms. Snow Whiteing out of the dormitory looks so pretty??] [Did you see her back while she was holding a piece of chalk on the podium? Oh my, that waistline¡­.] [The Seven Dwarfs are watching^^] [It seems like Ms. Snow White is having apany dinner at this restaurant tonight? A full-professor dinner??] Thanks to this, I knew about Snow White¡¯s every move without having to investigate it. ¡®I wish I could know the protagonist¡¯s movements like this.¡¯ How nice would it be if, like Snow White, someone told me every single action that the protagonist took from dawn to dusk? Assassination wasn¡¯t an easy task. Even when you attempted assassination based on urate information, it was difficult. And here I was, unable to even confirm the assassination target¡¯s existence, the first step of assassination, so I couldn¡¯t help but feel rushed. ¡®Keep calm.¡¯ It hadn¡¯t even been a week since the first semester started in March. Whether it was mid-term or summer semester admission, he would eventually appear in the Academy in whatever form. [¡®What¡¯s your purpose ining to the Academy?] [I can¡¯t tell you that.] [Why? You didn¡¯te here just to study. Aside from the superficial reason, tell me the real reason.] [That¡­ I¡¯ll tell you when the timees. The reason I came to Sejong Ind.] Because he must have a purpose to aplish something in the Academy. ¡®But the novel abruptly ended before that was revealed.¡¯ If the foreshadowing was not revealed and the story ended, people would admire it as a MacGuffin, but a MacGuffin was only a MacGuffin when it became a masterpiece. The foreshadowing that ended abruptly like this was just unresolved foreshadowing. It did not help me at all now. What could be the reason for the protagonist to enter the Academy with that power? To pretend to be weak after enrolling as a low-ability person or even a near-abilityless person? To attract any woman in the Academy and aim to be a pir? Or maybe he really wanted to learn something at the Academy? As long as there was a real purpose, not an outwardly advertised superficial purpose, the protagonist would definitely appear in the Academy. But what if even that purpose could be achieved somewhere other than the Academy. What if there was no need to achieve it in the Academy? ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡± My thoughts were gettingplicated. There were too many elements to consider just because the person who should be here wasn¡¯t. The only variable to speak of in thest six months was my activities as Goblin. Because of those activities, did the protagonist give uping to the Academy? That would be a ridiculous butterfly effect. It would be more usible if the protagonist died in an ident while I was acting as a viin ormitted suicide due to the snowball effect of my viinous activities. If things continued like this, I wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out where the protagonist was. ¡®Should I just tell the leader everything and ask for help?¡¯ I feared that might increase the uncertain elements, but the leader would surely help me. But then, my life would be beholden to the leader. Although my life was already half controlled by the leader, if I revealed that I was a possessor, the leader would definitely seize me and turn me into a ¡®writer¡¯. [You should throw out all the creations from your world. Hurry up!] [You were a reader in your previous life? Don¡¯t you know that every reader is a potential writer?!] [Spit out the synopsis, plot, or whatever right now! Stories that unfold in a world without superpowers, which don¡¯t exist in this world!] [I brought a novel writing guide. From now on, you just need to write 30,000 characters of a novel a day. What? How do you write 30,000 characters? Ah, if you can write 300 characters a minute, 100 minutes a day will allow you to write 30,000 characters! Why would you say that without even trying? I¡¯m telling you to try it first!] And so, she would force me to spit out all kinds of creations from my original world. Like Scheherazade, who had to tell stories for a thousand and one nights, I might have to recite the stories of my original world for her. Stories that did not exist in this world. ¡®If I can¡¯t find him by summer, I¡¯ll ask for help then.¡¯ The deadline was the second semester. If I couldn¡¯t find the protagonist by the end of the ¡®summer camp¡¯ when the goblins would start to run amok in earnest, and the Four Heavenly Kings of Darkness started seriously attacking? I would humbly admit my ipetence and ask for help from the leader. ¡®Why is the protagonist not appearing?¡¯ It would be really great if he just suddenly popped up and said, ¡®I am the protagonist.¡¯ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Hello?¡± Beyond the desk, a familiar woman was smiling at me warmly. ¡°You¡¯re working here, Mr. Do.¡± ¡°I told you I worked in the library, but I didn¡¯t expect you toe to find me, student Yumir.¡± Yumir hade. Setting aside myplicated thoughts about the protagonist for a moment, I greeted Yumir with a friendly smile as a librarian. ¡°Did youe to borrow a book?¡± ¡°No, I came to see you.¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡°Yes. You said you paid the restaurant bill on my behalf.¡± She came out of guilt, it seemed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s something I should do. No matter how much chaos ensues, if someone suddenly disappears, someone else is bound to search for them, right?¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Yumir¡¯s expression hardened momentarily. She probably understood what I, as the Goblin, wanted to say. [A hero who hides his identity might reveal it if he suddenly appears and disappears from the scene.] If Yumir was smart, she would understand my point even in a conversation like this one, which seemed so casual and everyday. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll keep that in mind, teacher.¡± ¡°No need for that.¡± I substituted a response by shrugging my shoulders lightly. ¡°So, you really came to see me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yumir pulled something out of her bag. ¡°Would you like a cup of coffee? I brought it from the convenience store.¡± Although it was convenience store coffee¡­ ¡­¡­A bottled Starbucks Latte (500ml)? ¡®What¡¯s her intention?¡¯ This was too generous to be a mere favor. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll enjoy it. And don¡¯t worry about the restaurant bill.¡± ¡°Um, if you¡¯re not busy, I¡¯d like to ask something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Do you have any books on clothing?¡± ¡°Clothing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yumir¡¯s expression, for some reason, seemed sincere. ¡°Um, it would be even better if it¡¯s about hero costumes.¡± As expected. She seemed to want to discard the Female Knight concept. Chapter 28: The Legend Of The Legendary Librarian (2) Chapter 28: The Legend Of The Legendary Librarian (2) Worrying about the new costume. The fact that Yumir was talking to me about this worry might mean that she was ¡®doubting¡¯ me right now. She might suspect whether the person named Do Ji-hwan, who suddenly vanished from the scene, and Yumir, who did not appear on the scene afterward, were the same type of person. However, while she was doubting, I appeared and cracked a joke that ¡®the teacher is always on the student¡¯s side.¡¯ Due to this, she was now following and trusting me as an adult she could trust. In that case, ¡®Pretending not to know is the answer.¡¯ I knew, but I pretended not to. Unless Yumir revealed her identity first, the answer was to pretend to keep a reasonable distance and to provide sure help. The concept of the Golden Knight should be abandoned in this country and on this ind. It was the same as if I went around saying, ¡®I¡¯m a Western Foreigner!¡¯ Even though it wasn¡¯t true at all. ¡°Well, there is a book. There is indeed a book about costume design here, but shouldn¡¯t we decide on a concept before choosing a book?¡± ¡°A concept?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m talking about the ¡®hero suit¡¯ concept you will wear as an ability user. The hero costume you will wear during the practical examter.¡± ¡°Ah, the practical.¡± She seemed to misunderstand something but immediately nodded at my words. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We have to wear the hero costume during the spring and summerpetitions in May¡­. um, yes, I understand what you¡¯re saying. Ha ha, I almost misunderstood.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what the misunderstanding was, but I¡¯m talking about the costume for ¡®student Yumir.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­Right. My costume. Yes.¡± At a nce, she understood that I was suggesting a different concept costume than her Golden Knight concept and immediately realized that I had simply made ¡®Yumir¡¯s general costume¡¯ the topic of conversation. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Of course, it¡¯s not like she hadpletely erased her doubts about me. ¡°Why not ask in themunity first? Would you like toe in here and sit down for a bit?¡± ¡°Me? Is that okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. If anyone says anything, just say you came to volunteer at the library.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Yumir came right next to me and sat down on the chair, and as I slightly pulled the chair to the side, she also pulled her chair to the side. Yumir and I sat on both sides of theputer monitor. ¡°We¡¯re going to ask in the heromunity. Like this.¡± [Honestly, if foreign girls go with this costume¡­] I posted a message on thergest heromunity in the country. [Isn¡¯t everyone just following the Snow White concept? Everyonecks uniqueness. We need a new concept. Please rmend one. I¡¯ll draw a cut for it.] ¡°Teacher?¡± ¡°In the young people¡¯smunity, you usually talk in a way that fits themunity members.¡± ¡°It seems like an old person is trying hard to fit in with young people.¡± ¡°¡­¡­But it¡¯s effective, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ding. A reply was immediately posted. [High-leg?] ¡°Someone suggested that?¡± ¡°A pervert. The costume length restrictions for heroes these days are so strict.¡± Yumir immediately frowned. ¡°How can you have a high leg in a hero costume?¡± ¡°I think this person is not talking about a hero costume, but perhaps about the costumes of the Yi Maemangyang executives.¡± I brought up a data screen. ¡°¡®Gunggi¡¯, an executive of that society and one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Also known in the world as the ¡®ck me Phoenix.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­How can someone walk around wearing such clothes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re viins. S-ss at that.¡± The ming hair was distinctive, but it was obscene for anyone to see her unting exposure in atex-like suit that clung to her body and also had a high-leg cut. ¡°It¡¯s a typical style of female executives in evil organizations, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s scary. Are they telling me to follow that¡­?¡± ¡°There are actually quite a few high-leg type costumes. Not exactly high-leg, but roughly like this.¡± Anotherment came up. [Isn¡¯t it more like a bloomer than a high-leg? There are ssic designs in Japan, you know.] [?Not a weeaboo, but I admit bloomers are legit.] [?Actually, the concept of bloomers started in Korea¡­.] ¡°She¡¯s wearing a jersey on top of bloomers.¡± ¡°It must be nice for the men to see.¡± ¡°There are those who actually make a living with that.¡± ¡°Ah. I know. You mean heroes like celebrities who secure a lot of male fans with a sexy concept?¡± ¡°Simr. What will you do, Yumir?¡± ¡°Um¡­I don¡¯t like this much.¡± Yumir frowned and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to expose myself.¡± I understood that. She probably wouldn¡¯t have appeared as the Golden Knight if she had intended to expose herself. Ding. Another notification sounded. [Wouldn¡¯t the type of costume vary greatly depending on how much of the face is covered?] ¡°Oh ho.¡± That was a very logical and piercing answer. ¡°Speaking of which, what will you do with your face? Will you reveal it? Or will you just wear a mask?¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer to cover everything if possible. Even all my hair.¡± ¡°Then¡­it quite significantly limits the costume design.¡± I added a few lines to the post I had made. [I want to draw with a concept that covers the face.] [?Why?] [?I want to focus on the body.] [?Then agreed.] ¡°Teacher¡­?¡± ¡°It fits like this, Yumir. These people are so smart and excellent. You saw thements earlier, right? Look at this. Anotherment just came up.¡± [-Strongly rmend Witch concept.] ¡°¡­ What¡¯s this?¡± A witch? It was a name I had never heard before. ¡°Ah, teacher! Stop!¡± Yumir¡¯s face turned red in an instant as she grabbed my wrist. ¡°We, we can¡¯t search this!¡± ¡°Why not the Witch?¡± ¡°It¡¯s erotic. Extremely.¡± ¡°¡­How do you know that, Yumir?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an adult too, you know? I referred to it a lot while studying heroes. It¡¯s a costume for a minority in the superheromunity. I don¡¯t think we should be searching for it here.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I didn¡¯t know what it was, but I privately thought that it would be less erotic than the costumes worn by our Four Heavenly Kings. Ding. Anotherment was posted. [-Let¡¯s go for Bunny Girl!] [?Reverse Bunny Girl, let¡¯s gooo!] ¡°How about a Bunny Girl?¡± ¡°I feel like it would ovep with someone¡¯s concept in another world. And there¡¯s also exposure with this one.¡± ¡°Covering your face with a rabbit mask and revealing your body as a Bunny Girl would be fun, though.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Unfortunately, Bunny Girl was put on hold. [Then, Magical Girl Kyungkyungs!] ¡°Ugh, my head.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen an abyss that shouldn¡¯t be touched. I don¡¯t know what it is, but let¡¯s move on. So next¡­¡± Perhaps because I had offered to draw, thements began to pour in. [First of all, make it tight to reveal the figure.] ¡°That¡¯s pretty direct. Yumir, how about a full-bodytex suit style? It minimizes skin exposure.¡± ¡°Even if the skin isn¡¯t exposed, it still reveals the figure.¡± ¡°You should be confident with your figure at your level¨Cahem. Sorry. Was that sexual harassment?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t report you, so don¡¯t worry. Hehe.¡± Yumir straightened her waist and smirked. ¡°I¡¯m confident in my figure, but I don¡¯t like revealing it.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because female heroes can be identified by their figures!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I understand. ¡°There are times when it can be dangerous. For female heroes who wear tight-fitting costumes, even a slight highlight of physical features can lead toparisons with photos on the inte.¡± Even if we set aside men for a moment, for women, the size of the chest, the line of the pelvis - ifpared with the actual body, there had been real cases where a hero¡¯s identity was revealed. It was like, ¡®This hero is this woman!¡¯ [This hero is definitely our celebrity C!] [Even if you had breast imnts, we can tell! This shoulder line, this pelvis, these unusually thick thighs![ [Did you think we wouldn¡¯t know just because you covered your face? Your walk is exactly like you, C!] It was a disaster brought about by excessive interest in those with abilities. ¡°So, if we go with a costume that covers the entire body¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, my.¡± Yumir pointed out ament with sparkling eyes. ¡°How about a glowing dinosaur?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°A glowing dinosaur.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. But if we actually make it into a costume, the material will be important. Is it like a doll¡¯s clothes or more like pajamas? And if it¡¯s pajama-style when the wind blows¡­.¡± ¡°The body lines will bepletely revealed. Hmm. Ah.¡± I thought I might tease her a bit. ¡°Do you remember the hero who appeared when our restaurant was attacked? The female hero who confronted the goblin.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± She was extremely tense. It would be clear to anyone if it was her. ¡°I just thought of this because of that knight. There¡¯s a design that matches the dinosaur-like concept you mentioned. Here.¡± I quickly brought up a search window and showed her. ¡°Legendary Golden Dragon Knight, El Goldrado.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It does have a transformationbination gimmick, but you¡¯ll just transform into its form after the transformation.¡± ¡°Do you like this sort of thing?¡± Yumir pointed to a gif of a car that wasbining with a dinosaur with a stiff face, and I firmly shook my head. ¡°The kind of costume I like is this design.¡± I brought up a VTube video. ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t talk about this anywhere else.¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°The leader of the evil organization ¡®Gyeolsa¡¯.¡± Inside a pitch ck darkness. [Apud. The true darkness.] The leader of Gyeolsa, wearing a quiet dress, spread her arms wide and disyed overwhelming dignity. [?Wowowoowow.] [?EyesEyesEyesEyesEyes] [?Honestly, if you removed the Gyeolsa logo, the leader EyesEyes has the top body figure] [?I guess she has a smooth face under the mask] [?You get out] [?You can tell the finger thickness just by thements, right? This is a nder against our leader! EyesEyes] [?In my opinion, the leader is probably going ¡®SqueakSqueakChulkeongChulkeongOhMyGoodness¡¯ on the goblin¡¯s club from the back. It seems she¡¯s being handled like a motorcycle by the goblin, caught by the horns on her head while being hammered with a stone on the goblin¡¯s club.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The people of the world didn¡¯t know That this was the transformation mode. ¡°The leader of Gyeolsa¡­ do you like that sort of thing?¡± Yumir looked at the leader in the video, then nced down. ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± She clearly clicked her tongue. For some reason, Yumir seemed to feel inferior to the leader. Chapter 29: The Legend Of The Legendary Librarian (3) Chapter 29: The Legend Of The Legendary Librarian (3) While most hero costumes had a bright atmosphere, viin costumesrgely had a sinister vibe, almost dering, ¡®I am a viin.¡¯ And at the peak of that was Gyeolsa. It might seem a bit shallow because the executives and the leader were all women, but from the leader to the pce guard, the steelworker, the ceramic worker, and chaos, the ¡®Four Cmities¡¯ of the ¡®Four Heavenly Kings¡¯ all had overwhelming mana andbat power. However, like true viins, theymitted the most vicious acts while operating only in Korea. Even if we let go of the fact that the viin¡¯s name was designated by the Hero Association. Each of their costumesmitted an atrocity by operating in a style that did not fit the East at all but was directly taken from Western styles!! [With the audacity to wear costumes that undermine Korean decency! Designs that absolutely require mosaic processing on regr Korean broadcasts are the most wicked acts that trouble this country! This is the mindset of a viin! Ohohoho!] With that, Gyeolsa was directly challenging the censorship regtions of this country. The leader appeared in the front wearing a very quiet dress, but the leader¡¯s transformed form had a sizable mana pouch that was caught by censorship. Personally, it¡¯s a design I really liked. Because it¡¯s a design that looks like a female demon who would be a second or third-inmand among the enemies in a medieval fantasy game. It was a good design that could help prevent me from over-immersing in this world that was too deep into Korean patriotism. Should I say it was a design that reminded me that this world is an ¡®otherworld¡¯? In that sense, I preferred such designs. Because the pride in their countries that people felt in this world was too excessive in Korean patriotism to me, and it was burdensome. ¡°Grr¡­.¡± Yumir twisted her mouth at the sight of the leader¡¯s costume. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s cool, but the problem is that it¡¯s a viin. If I follow that, I¡¯ll get expelled immediately.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. This is just¡­ I wanted to show this costume to indicate that it¡¯s inappropriate for you, Yumir. Let¡¯s move on.¡± After closing the leader¡¯s video, I checked thements again. ¡°Look at thesements. How about the explosively cool golden mace?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s right. I¡¯m just a normal E-ss. People will scold me if an E-ss wears the king¡¯s clothes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± If she were an EX-ss, no one could say anything, even if she had a mace and a sword scabbard, but right now, we were just choosing student Yumir¡¯s design, so it was difficult to make a choice in many ways. Suddenly. Onement caught my eye. [¡¯How about ¡®Goblin¡¯? Not just any Goblin, but this ¡®Dodjirider.¡¯] ¡°¡­What is this?¡± I became uneasy with the sudden mention of ¡®Goblin¡¯ and the attached link. ¡°Shall we click on this?¡± ¡°It seems like a dangerous link¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know Dodjirider?¡± Even though the name itself felt a bit odd, Yumir seemed to know what Dodjirider was. ¡°Click on it. It¡¯s probably ¡®that video¡¯.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± I clicked on the link, and the newly opened window showed a video of someone. [READY!] [Transformation.] The figure of a Goblin transforming while wearing a belt, with a heavy sound effect. Of course. Even I could see that it was cool. The sweat and memories of that day, when I practiced countless poses in front of the mirror to transform without fussing and practiced posing together with the leader during a training camp, were not in vain. It was just a few days ago, that day, when I transformed into Dodjirider. She pestered me so much on the video call. ¡°This is Dodjirider.¡± ¡°Uh, well, it¡¯s a viin¡­but the design is a bit unique.¡± ¡°Yes. And right now¡­ it¡¯s kind of bing a trend among people.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± What¡¯s this about? ¡°It¡¯s a trend?¡± ¡°Yes. You know, the generation above us all grew up watching ¡®transforming heroes¡¯, right? They¡¯re feeling quite nostalgic. Although it¡¯s a viin, there hasn¡¯t been an ability user who has shown their appearance like this so far.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a viin?¡± ¡°Someone said it. There¡¯s romance in Dodjirider.¡± I understood. There was romance, so I transformed into this form. If it wasn¡¯t for the romance, I would have just been a suited gentleman Goblin. ¡°In Korea, it¡¯s just like that, but right now, Japan and the West are going crazy.¡± ¡°They¡¯re going crazy overseas?¡± ¡°Yes. Do you want to see it?¡± Yumir took out her smartphone, searched for a meme from an onlinemunity, and showed it to me. ¡°Look.¡± I lowered my head to look at the smartphone. [Dodji, ready and set!] [Dodji, goooo!] [Finally, this guy bes a rider w.] [Freaking Jesus.] [I think that Dodjirider will bring a fresh breeze to the appearance of meta-humans.] [?Did you use a trantor?] [Power Four-ce is with us!] [A perfect riding suit. If you run on the Autobahn in that form, you could make a movie. My email is¡­.] ¡°¡­The reactions are varied. How am I supposed to take this?¡± ¡°I think you can just take it normally. The Goblin, who is usually dressed in a suited gentlemen¡¯s appearance, has revealed his ¡®real form¡¯, and that design has stimted the sensibilities of foreigners.¡± ¡°Foreigners?¡± ¡°Yes. How should I put it? So far, there have been many Korean or Eastern-style costumes, right? But now, it¡¯spletely stimting the sensibilities of the transforming heroes. Even though it¡¯s a viin.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I didn¡¯t really care, but apparently, the world was quite emotionally stirred by my other form. ¡°The Goblin appears on Sejong Ind, and they don¡¯t care. They¡¯re focused on appearance. My word.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something for the higher-ups to worry about. From the point of view of ordinary people like us, it¡¯s an issue of no interest. Instead of why he appeared, it¡¯s more important in what form he appeared.¡± ¡°Indeed, your words have some logic, student Yumir.¡± The public was fascinated by the form the meta-human shows. And now, I was igniting the hearts of many with my appearance. ¡°It¡¯s certainly interesting. But why is the name of all things, Dodjirider? What¡¯s with this strange name that seems oddly mixed?¡± ¡°It got the name Rider due to the rider suit-like design, and also, the pronunciation of Goblin is quite difficult for foreigners, so it¡¯s being called a new name.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there an English word for Goblin? Then why?¡± ¡°If you trante Goblin directly, it¡¯s goblin.¡± Goblin Rider? ¡°Dodjirider seems a bit better. No, not that it sounds good, but when you say Goblin Rider, it feels really strange.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. It gives off the feeling that it should be dressed in green. I¡¯ve started to feel a bit sorry for the Goblin.¡± ¡°Sorry? Why?¡± ¡°Well, the Goblin is¡­ No, never mind. Let¡¯s move on.¡± ¡°There are two ways to annoy a person. One is to stop speaking mid-sentence, the other is¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡± I slightly raised both hands toward Yumir, who was staring at me. ¡°Perhaps, the Goblin revealed that appearance because he wanted to show it to the Golden Knight? In this ce, having a figure simr to the Golden Knight may not be too well received by people.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Perhaps she knew better than anyone. She must have felt it through her skin while ego-searching, looking up things about herself on the inte. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he have wanted to show that a self-proimed hero casually adopting a foreign style, and moreover, a Western costume in this Sejong Ind, this country, could give everyone a very negative perception?¡± Taking on a Western design in Korea was akin to a ¡®viin¡¯. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a kind of warning and advice not to wear costumes like himself or the Golden Knight. Well, depending on the person who receives it, it could also be an unpleasant admonition.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± Yumir nodded as if she had realized something. ¡°Just like there are reviews saying that Dodjirider is cool among Koreans, but there are no reactions like ¡®I should change like that¡¯ if you¡¯re a hero, you should wear a costume that reflects Korean sentiments¡­!¡± Yumir pped her hands in delight. ¡°Thank you, teacher! Thanks to you, I feel like I¡¯ve got a clue.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? I¡¯m d to see that your concerns seem to be getting resolved, Yumir. I¡¯m doubly happy because it feels like I¡¯ve done something as a teacher, not just a writer.¡± ¡°Hehehe. That¡¯s true.¡± Perhaps now, Yumir will choose a new design. ¡°So, what kind of costume would be good to showcase Korean colors?¡± ¡°If you look a little more in thements¡­huh?¡± Ament arrived. Suddenly, ament arrived, and when I checked it, even the nickname was something very bizarre. [zing Teeth] ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I opened a note from a person named zing Teeth. [Dear Author.] Under the first words that began politely, my mind was dizzy at the feast of all kinds of addresses and links that words couldn¡¯t express. ¡°Wow¡­ what¡¯s all this.¡± ¡°This, um, looks like the address of the National Museum of Korea¡­?¡± ¡°What?¡± Who in the world sent so many museum addresses? [How about drawing a hanbok?] Ah. I waspletely caught by a madman. Chapter 30: The Legend Of The Legendary Librarian (4) Chapter 30: The Legend Of The Legendary Librarian (4) Dear Author, I am terribly sorry for reaching out like this via direct message. I felt that I couldn¡¯t convey all my thoughts in a simplement, hence this direct message. It seems you are considerably troubled about the costume for a superhuman. While we cannot rashly guess the gender, it appears you are trying to create a costume for a female superhuman. I assume that you have much to contemte. Indeed, female superhumans exposing their well-toned bodies, revealing the grace of their physical forms, is truly beautiful. However, if you are considering designing the attire of a superhuman, more specifically, the uniform of a hero, I¡¯d like to suggest the Hanbok, which breathes the spirit of Korea. I am Korean. And this Hanbok is clothing that embodies the spirit and soul of our people. Are you familiar with theposition of the Hanbok? The Hanbok is¡­ From this standpoint, I am boldly proposing the Hanbok. Many superhumans in Korea already select and wear the Hanbok as their heroic uniform. However, what they wear is a counterfeit Hanbok infiltrated by the energy of the West. It¡¯s not a modified Hanbok for convenience in our everyday lives but rather a product of cultural imperialism that insults tradition under the name of boldness and innovation. In the past, even in the seventies and eighties, we had a tendency to regard the culture of the U.S. as supreme. The era that brought about the Miracle on the Han River was like that. But now, having brought about the Miracle of the Nakdong River and the East Sea, and with Korea standing proudly at the center of the world, we need to confidently publicize our things to the world and prove that Korean culture is a global culture. Over the past twenty-five years, Korea has been spreading Korean culture to the world, but indeed, the most effective way to spread culture is through powerful superhumans. When the nation¡¯s top superhuman, ¡®Snow White with White Eyes,¡¯ shot amercial eating bibimbap, gochujang sold out in grocery stores overseas. Such is the immense influence of superhumans. If superhumans wear Hanbok and designate it as their uniform, there can be no better opportunity to widely publicize our culture. Dear Author, The same applies to drawings. The pictures you draw spread out like a sea of information and will delight the eyes of many people around the world. Wouldn¡¯t it be great if that clothing were Hanbok? Won¡¯t a person at the edge of that continent, in Northern Europe, see your picture, be interested in the Hanbok, then be interested in Korea, travel to Korea, dress in the righteously armed forces uniform at the Dongnae Fortress site in Busan, take photos, and create travel memories? Isn¡¯t there a way to spread the spirit of Korea more than the myriad clothes in distant foreignnds? Dear Author, Recently, I often see reverence for foreign things in many ces. It is the new image shown by the creature called ¡®Goblin.¡¯ Ah, what amentable deed. Despite having the name Goblin, doesn¡¯t he usually wear a Western suit? The bat he carries around, it¡¯s not a stick from traditional Korean games but a baseball bat started in the West? Is this creature truly a Goblin? He is a viin by misusing the name Goblin and distorting our traditional culture. Even this time. If his transformation, the one he eximed as a Goblin, were the appearance of a Goblin from our traditional culture, I wouldn¡¯t have said this much. If he had worn a Durumagi and a Sobok, simr to Dobok, underneath and dered a wrestling match against the demon, I would have apuded him, even if he were a viin. But what did he do? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a transformation tool or what, but he used English as if mocking our tradition when transforming. Furthermore, he babbled something about ¡®uniforms¡¯ and ¡®what¡¯ and used weird English to defeat the demon. He purposefully used English even though he could¡¯vee up with techniques like ¡®Midsummer Southern Cross¡¯ or ¡®Crossroads of the Sky.¡¯ All of this at Sejong Ind!! This person is not a Goblin. He must be an entity from overseas who falsely ims to be a Goblin. He might be the kind who rinses Kimchi in water, let alone put it in soup, eats rice soup without cubed radish Kimchi, and uses a strainer to filter rice grains when drinking Sikhye. The world is now fascinated by such a figure. What a terrible misunderstanding! It is no different from a cuckoo that secretlyys eggs in an oriole¡¯s nest, pushes out the oriole¡¯s eggs, and behaves as if it were the oriole itself. I am so angry and upset that such a person is behaving as if he is ¡®Korea¡¯s Goblin.¡¯ He should not call himself a Goblin. He should use a different name, a title fitting his original nationality. I have been informing many people about what a Korean Goblin is. In opposition to the malicious distortion of the determined Goblin, I am spreading the knowledge of our real Goblin to preserve our tradition and spirit. I¡¯m not forcing this. However, if you, dear author, were to participate in spreading the spirit of our people, I would be extremely happy and grateful. I¡¯m not just asking verbally. I have prepared some resources so that the Hanbok you draw can spread widely around the world and convey the spirit of our Republic of Korea. One. National Central Museum_Introduction to Our Traditional Hanbok_ Two. National Central Museum_Virtual Reality Experience of Hanbok Exhibition Hall_ Three. Video_[I rented a Hanbok and came to Busan to eat pork soup.] Source: Piesto Carman¡¯s Korean Working Holiday. Four. ¡­. Our ancestors have put diverse and vibrant colors into Hanbok since ancient times. In addition, the Yangban added beautiful embroidery to the Hanbok. I have tried drawing some drafts. Each is like a Hanbok you¡¯d wear during the Ganggangsue dance, a Sobok that you¡¯d wear while tying hair in a chignon on Dano, a colorful Jeogori like the rainbow rice cake that suits Jeongwol Daeboreum, and even the Hanbok with a pattern of a general¡¯s uniform that the hero ¡®Bamgeun¡¯ wore during the Korean Armed Forces Day celebration in 2020. My sketches may be nothingpared to your drawing skills, but I hope they can provide a tiny reference for your drawings. With that wish, I am sending this note. I hope that your drawings can capture the spirit of Korea, and with that, I conclude my letter. It¡¯s the season of cold winds that anticipate blooming flowers. Please take care not to catch a cold and keep creating beautiful drawings. From Lee Geulgeo, the zing Teeth. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I wondered why they wrote such a long note, but the scariest part was this. ¡°Do you know this, Yumir? There¡¯s only one word in English in this note.¡± ¡°¡­The source?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It wasmon tofortably use a few foreign words in everyday life, but this note avoided foreign words a bit too much. ¡°Having such a person around would be tiring, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Is that so? I often see such people on variety shows.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°People with blond hair living in the walls, dressed in Do-po, wearing Gat hats, carrying fans, saying things like ¡®Uh-hem¡¯ or ¡®You rascal!¡¯. Oh, of course, you wouldn¡¯t know about this in Korea.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Just what was the nationalistic fervor in this world? Could it have even reached as far as a Canadian variety show? That was truly an appalling situation. ¡®So now, something called Dodjirider or something is popr.¡¯ This was an era where even broadcastingpanies were engrossed in praising Korea. Dodjirider, with its mix of Hollywood Science Fiction sentiments and the Tokusatsu culture within Japan, almost excluded Korean emotions. This might have been a trigger for them to evoke the nostalgia of the past. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± For that reason. ¡°Yumir, I think this is a good suggestion.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The Hanbok. Let¡¯s go with a Hanbok concept for your suit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Teacher? Weren¡¯t you quite repulsed by this just a moment ago?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But think about it, if you design with Hanbok in mind, these people in this country will support you, Yumir, won¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± They may be hooligan-like, but nothing was as reassuring as having such hooligans as allies. ¡°If Yumir is going to be a viin, it would be appropriate to look like those in Gyeolsa, Goblin, or Dodjirider. But what was Yumir¡¯s purpose ining to this academy? It wasn¡¯t to be a viin, was it?¡± ¡°I am¡­.¡± ¡°If Yumir doesn¡¯t like it, then it can¡¯t be helped, but I am personally curious.¡± To be honest, ¡°I think you would look very pretty in Hanbok, Yumir.¡± ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Wearing a Hanbok can help you avoid criticism and livefortably in this country. ¡°Many people in this country will see Yumir as a foreign daughter-inw. If you design with a Hanbok costume in mind.¡± ¡°A foreign¡­daughter-inw?¡± Yumir smiled awkwardly, clearly taken aback. ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. A daughter-inw.¡± Soon she regained herposure andughed lightly. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do it. A Hanbok costume.¡± Chapter 31: The Legend Of The Legendary Librarian (5) Chapter 31: The Legend Of The Legendary Librarian (5) If I had wanted Yumir to tread the path of a viin, I would probably have rmended a Western-style costume instead of a Hanbok. [Walk your own path! Believe in the maple syrup flowing in your veins!] Yumir was a foreigner. Just from the visible features, she had blonde hair and blue eyes, a typical foreigner appearance. Even if she wore a foreign-designed suit or clothing simr to Dodjirider¡¯s design and got criticized for it, in her home country, they would cheer, ¡®Wow, you can even feel our maple syrup¡¯s spirit in that outfit from Korea!¡¯ [Did you eventually drop out of the academy?] [Teacher¡­.] [Come with me. I will help you take revenge on Korea, which has tormented you, and those who have driven you to despair.] In that case, I would undoubtedly be able to more easily draw Yumir to Gyeolsa¡¯s side. However, I believed. I believed in the potential of all the selfish individuals on this Sejong Ind, in this country, on thisnd. ¡®Because humans are garbage.¡¯ Whether Yumir wore a Hanbok or a wedding dress, the people of this ind would invariably view her as a ¡®foreigner¡¯. Some who value tradition might say this. [As one who speaks ournguage on ournd, how can we discriminate just because one¡¯s nose is bigger and hair color is different?] Who was it? Something a vige leader said about Hamel, who was shipwrecked in Joseon. I didn¡¯t remember the exact origin, but if a person lived in Korea, spoke Korean, and lived for Korea, that person was Korean- [That¡¯s an old story! It¡¯s different now! Can we call the foreigners whoe from overseas, suck up the mana buff flowing in Koreannd, and then go back to their countries Koreans?!] We could not. The viewpoint that all superhumans from abroad were ¡®strangers who will eventually return to their countries¡¯ existed, so foreigners inevitably faced rejection. Even if they marry Koreans, if they didn¡¯t spend many years showing deep immersion in Korean culture, it would be considered, ¡®They will eventually run away with marriage fraud!¡¯ Could a foreigner really live healthily and for a long time here? ¡®She wille to despise this country on her own, even if I don¡¯t provoke it.¡¯ If even I, who had only spent half a year here, felt disgusted, can Yumir really not feel disgusted when looking at the people of thisnd? I didn¡¯t think so. ¡°So, Yumir, are these books enough?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for finding these books despite being busy.¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re a student, after all.¡± I brought five books on Hanbok that I had selected for Yumir and loaned them to her. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re stuck on,e find me. You can also ask for help from those around you. If you tell them you¡¯re making a costume based on Hanbok, they will all help you.¡± ¡°Thank you, teacher! Oh, teacher, umm¡­¡± Yumir carefully asked while putting the books in her bag. ¡°Do you have time over the weekend?¡± ¡°Weekend?¡± ¡°Yes. Last time you bought me a meal, I wanted to return the favor.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re not going to cause another incident, are you?¡± Given that an incident urred as soon as we went to the restaurant, I couldn¡¯t help but suspect I might get caught up in another one. ¡°It won¡¯t happen. There¡¯s no way someone goes on a rampage every weekend. Especially at the exact moment and ce where we are eating.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s this thing called intuition. And I¡¯m sorry, but I have prior engagements over the weekend.¡± ¡°Prior engagements?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This was not an excuse. I really did have a prior engagement, and I had been put in a position where I must go somewhere on Sunday. ¡°Um¡­. then let¡¯s have a meal next time you¡¯re avable. Then I can show you the Hanbok costume I¡¯ve designed. Promise, okay?¡± ¡°Understood, Yumir. I¡¯m looking forward to it. Yumir¡¯s Hanbok costume.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yumir left with a broad smile. ¡®So full of energy.¡¯ She was a very cheerful girl. However, how long that cheerfulness wouldst while living on Sejong Ind was questionable. Yumir¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t one where she only needed to concern herself with her own persona. She also needed to consider the entity she transformed into, ¡®Sr tina¡¯. Click. I pulled out my smartphone and browsed another onlinemunity. This was a darker corner of the inte, far from where people generally respected each other and held decent conversations. The default here was to use informalnguage, and asking about each other¡¯s parents wasn¡¯t unusual. [Yumir? Her face seems nice. She¡¯s a freshman in college this year.] [I saw her when I was passing by, she¡¯s the top beauty among the freshmen.] [Bust of the Year¡­ BOAT¡­.] [But after a few days, I noticed she eats lunch alone.] [¡úI could feed her something delicious( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)] There were ces where conversations about Yumir urred, tantly ignoring privacy rights. [How can her name be Sr tina LOL] [Seeing the Goblin restrain her, she seems really strong, but just looking at her knight concept on Sejong Ind, you can tell her character??] [We should charge her with obscenity. If you¡¯re wearing armor, shouldn¡¯t you wear full armor? I¡¯d ept if it was a bikini armor. LOL] [Why can¡¯t she use magic? What could be the reason?] Public discussions about the golden knight, Sr tina, were urring everywhere. ¡®I have to deal with stress from both sides.¡¯ If one were like Snow White, who revealed their face directly, the hero and the individual would be identified as the same. But when you hide your identity like this, you have to receive evaluations from both sides separately. ¡®She shouldn¡¯t be doing something like ego surfing.¡¯ It would be better to avoid getting hurt because of needless searching for information about herself on intemunities. ¡®For now.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯ll inevitably have to reveal herself someday.¡¯ There was a reason for the phrase ¡®nang jung ji chu¡¯ (hiding one¡¯s candle under a bushel) to exist. No matter how much she pretended to be an E-rank, if her power was close to S-rank, it was inevitable that she couldn¡¯t hide it for life. Especially if she wished to walk the path of a ¡®hero¡¯, it was bound to be discovered by someone, someday. Even that superhuman who transformed with an alien spoon couldn¡¯tpletely hide his identity. How could Yumir do better? However, she could hide her identity and achieve what she wants. I didn¡¯t know what Yumir wished for, but if she could live her life as a ¡®hero¡¯ without being discovered. ¡®The distinction between one¡¯s self as a hero and as an individual. To perfectly achieve this is indeed the ¡®ideal¡¯ of a superpowered being.¡¯ No one knew the identity of their everyday self, but as a hero, they could help people. If Yumir had such thoughts, ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t n to help, but I keep ending up doing it.¡± It was true for Baek Seol-hee. It was true for Yumir. I felt more like I was really helping them as a librarian rather than as an executive of some evil organization. ¡®I hope this help will be beneficial to meter.¡¯ If. Yumir became a very strong hero, and I, defeated as the Goblin, was captured by her. [Hehe, Teacher Do. You can¡¯t go outside now. Now, I¡¯ll take care of everything. Eating, sleeping, I¡¯ll help with everything¡­? Because you have to pay back the favor you received. Huahhh¡­.] ¡°¡­What?¡± Some sort of thought shed through my mind. Why? Why did I imagine myself being imprisoned by Yumir? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Indeed. Maybe it was because I kept working in this basement level 2, where nobody visited. It felt like my mind was bing murky from theck of sunlight. ¡®The working environment is poor.¡¯ Was it because it¡¯s a basement? It felt like my mind was bing blurry. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± It couldn¡¯t be. Yumir was such a good student. Evening. Yumir returned to her dormitory. For some reason, her room was a two-person room, but no one else was living with her. [I¡¯m ufortable living with others, so I¡¯ll find a separate room and move out.] [Don¡¯t take it too hard. You wouldn¡¯t know as you came from abroad; gathering foreigners together doesn¡¯t give a good impression to the people here in Sejong Ind.] [I¡¯ve finished talking with the dormitory supervisor. Don¡¯t worry. But since we¡¯re both adults, let¡¯s keep the basic etiquette. Make sure nothing disgraceful happens in the room I chose to stay in. You understand, right?] The person who was supposed to be her roommate moved out to a separate room instead of staying in the dormitory. She didn¡¯t have any particr thoughts about this matter. Thanks to this, she could freelye in and out of her room without revealing her identity, and she could also do such things at her leisure. ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Using something simr to a ck cloak as a nket, she rolled around in her bed, flipping through the books she borrowed from the library. ¡°A Hanbok design¡­¡± A concept like a ¡®daughter-inw¡¯. Just hearing the name makes her heart flutter and excited, and at the same time, one concept was decided. ¡°This is¡­my design.¡± Yumir spread a book open. ¡°¡®Pye-baek¡¯. Hmm, this is quite interesting.¡± Despite Korea beginning to emphasize its traditional culture, one thing hadn¡¯t changed even after the beginning of the new millennium and the 25 years that had passed since then. [Weddings should still be held in a wedding hall, wearing a wedding dress, right?] The modern way of dering that a man and a woman had be one as bride and groom was still maintained. Of course, after the wedding ceremony, changing into Hanbok for the Pye-baek greetings had practically be a norm, but having a traditional wedding with proper rites and setting up a ceremonial table was ¡®rare¡¯. ¡°A concept based on Pye-baek clothing¡­ Hmm? Ah, this seems a bit¡­¡± Yumir lifted her legs while lying down. ¡°¡­covering this isn¡¯t courtesy towards the teacher.¡± With a confident face, Yumir moved her bare legs as if synchronizing. ¡°Let¡¯s say the skirt is short¡­¡± Yumir picked up the cloak. ¡°¡­¡­The most important thing is, of course, that.¡± In the mirror, where she turned her head, The golden knight that shimmered like a phantom disappeared, and a woman in a new form of clothing shimmered like a mist. As if, It was a schr passing by, just like that. ¡°Ah, maybe this isn¡¯t right.¡± Yumir waved her hand toward the mirror. ¡°¡­ it¡¯s really difficult.¡± Grumbling. ¡°What should I do, partner?¡± In the mirror, a golden dragon with sparkling golden pupils shone brilliantly. ¡°Do as you please? Hmm¡­ Something Korean¡­ Ah!¡± Yumir pped and rose from her bed. ¡°That¡¯s it! Hehe, yes, that was it.¡± Yumir brought her hands together and slowly smiled. ¡°¡­Since it¡¯s Sejong Ind, should I create a new design that suits Sejong Ind?¡± Grumbling. ¡°Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven.¡± Grr?! The golden dragon in the mirror, surprised, vigorously shook its head. Chapter 32-33: The Devils Seed (1) Chapter 32-33: The Devil''s Seed (1) Saturday. On my way home from work, I purchased the ¡®spicy marinated chicken¡¯ as directed on my smartphone. [Fried chicken is forbidden.] They denied me fried chicken. When I inquired if it was a matter of personal taste, they exined that while fried chicken originated from America, marinated chicken was a special creation of ours, so it was eptable. This world was truly peculiar. A world where marinated chicken was cheaper than fried chicken. Everything felt unbelievably chaotic, but I had no choice but to navigate this strange world. During the weekdays, I served as a librarian. However, when the weekend rolled around, I transformed into the Goblin, an influential member of the Secret Society. Ding-dong. I pressed the doorbell, patiently waiting in front of the entrance. I ced my Taeguk Watch on the electronic panel to identify myself, eagerly anticipating the door¡¯s response. ¡°¡­¡­¡± No response. The door remained shut. Even though the chicken in my hand, inside the bag, seemed to be getting cold, the person inside who should open the door didn¡¯t do so. Shouldn¡¯t I just open the door and go inside? But this was not my house. Since it wasn¡¯t my house, all I could do was wait outside silently. Until the woman inside opened the door. [Ah, did you bring the marinated chicken?] ¡°I got the one with bones.¡± [Great. And what about the beer?] I could hear footsteps approaching from inside. It sounded like someone dragging their slippers, and then the door opened. ¡°Hello, honey?¡± The woman who opened the door had red hair and was a foreigner. ¡°You did well bringing what I asked for. Pleasee in.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± I quickly closed the front door and entered. ¡°Is this our first meeting in person to talk?¡± ¡°Yes. Even from a distance, I could tell, but you have a very bnced appearance¡­ Do-¡± ¡°Do Ji-Hwan.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, yes. I understand. You¡¯re very cautious. Got it. Mr.Do Ji-Hwan.¡± The woman, who was about to call me Goblin, took the marinated chicken from me- And suddenly. She ced it directly in the refrigerator. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of dread as she stored it away while it was still warm, without allowing it to cool first. ¡°Marinated chicken is most delicious when eaten in the morning.¡± ¡°¡­I believe it¡¯s a bit excessive to immediately put it in the fridge without taking a bite.¡± ¡°Are we going to eat it together now, or no?¡± ¡°You have a point.¡± I brought the chicken, but not for us to share a meal. It was just a friendly gesture, bringing food to a friend¡¯s house to avoid unwanted attention. ¡°Have you eaten? Can I cook something for you? Maybe a delicious bowl of soup and rice?¡± ¡°Marinated chicken?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± ¡°Just kidding. I don¡¯t have any ns for dinner.¡± I retrieved a protein bar from my pocket. ¡°I prefer not to eat before a mission. Begin, Brewer.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± To those observing, she appeared as a foreigner with crimson locks. However, within the organization, she was known by her alias and codename, ¡®Brewer¡¯. Having been operating undercover on Sejong Ind for an extended period, she served as a liaison between me and the organization, acting as a local agent. ¡°I appreciate yourmitment to maintaining your physical well-being. Now, let usmence the mission.¡± When Brewer lightly sped her hands together, the talismans scattered throughout the wall started to flicker. ¡°¡­The barrier is in ce. It willst for 20 minutes, so I¡¯ll swiftly deliver andplete it.¡± Brewer handed me a stack of documents, and I epted them, taking a seat on the sofa. It was a handwritten piece, crafted from start to finish. An analog item, untouched by electronic orputer data, that couldn¡¯t be intercepted anywhere. ¡°Devil¡¯s seed, huh.¡± ¡°Yeah. Did you catch a glimpse of it when you were dealing with the Red Scarf?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t witness it directly. The President¡¯s dogs took care of it.¡± ¡°Seriously? It looks like this. Right here.¡± Beneath the paper, the devil¡¯s seed was depicted as if it were a painting inspired by the Western still-life style. Thanks to the drawing, it was clear how the devil¡¯s seed appeared. It seemed to be meticulously copied from a reference photo. ¡°It resembles a starfish, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a starfish; it¡¯s a starfish with long legs. The actual size is about that of a 500-won coin. The tentacle legs are all of varying lengths.¡± ¡°It would be difficult to locate if it is attached somewhere on the body with a 500-won coin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a 10-won piece, is it?¡± Regardless of where the devil¡¯s seed was attached, arger size meant a greater area of attack, making it easier to target. Once the devil¡¯s seed was attacked, the rampage would immediately cease. ¡°Is my task to find and destroy the facility that produces this?¡± ¡°You know more than I expected. Have you heard anything?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just a guess.¡± The issue was that ¡®Sejong Ind¡¯ was where they researched, developed, and produced these devil¡¯s seeds. ¡°It¡¯s always darkest under themp.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. Somewhere on Sejong Ind, either underground or elsewhere, there is a research facility. This is where they would have developed and manufactured the devil¡¯s seed. I am referring to the mysterious substance that corrupts superhumans and turns them into devils.¡± ¡°¡­I have a question.¡± A question that gets to the heart of the matter. ¡°If the devil¡¯s seed was created on Sejong Ind, why is it given such a name?¡± ¡°Do you want to know why it¡¯s not a yokai seed? Well, it¡¯s simple. If webel it as a yokai seed, we have to view the yokai in our traditional culture as ¡®evil spirits¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­So it¡¯s eptable to consider the Western devil as malevolent?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just the West.¡± Brewer shrugged, motioning in every direction. ¡°Does it truly not matter if anything from the East, apart from Korea, is seen as a devil or something? The views of those in power.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the origin of the name motif, but let¡¯s avoid causing international problems unintentionally in the future. ¡°Well, considering how many things have already entered Korea, is it really feasible to turn them all into enemies?¡± As night slowly approached, Brewer gestured towards the veranda. ¡°Plus, there¡¯s that cross on Sejong Ind.¡± ¡°¡­Unlike the maind, isn¡¯t the ¡®Hellification¡¯ over?¡± ¡°Do you anticipate the Goblin making a statement that could potentially create an international problem? Hehe. It¡¯s long overdue. Have you perused the operation summary?¡± ¡°Without a doubt.¡± Engaged in conversation, I carefully reviewed all the handwritten documents she hadposed. ¡°As soon as the barrier is lifted, proceed.¡± ¡°Understood. Oh, hold on, wait just a moment!¡± Brewer called out to me before removing the barrier. ¡°Perform that action, perform that action.¡± ¡°What are you referring to?¡± ¡°That action you depicted in front of the restaurant!¡± ¡°¡­Transformation?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Brewer¡¯s eyes lit up like a child¡¯s. ¡°Do you also say ¡®transformation!¡¯ when you simply transform?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like a release of magic than a transformation, but I don¡¯t say ¡®transformation¡¯ when I simply do it.¡± ¡°So you only say that when you change into that Dodjirider form?¡± ¡°Are you interested in seeing it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t resist the real thing.¡± Brewer gave me a thumbs-up. ¡°Go ahead, okay?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll do it to show that I trust you with our life-or-death mission from now on.¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± Brewer moved away with her canned beer, and I unleashed my magic through my fingertips, conjuring a goblin mask. ¡°Do you realize that all of this is pointless?¡± ¡°Ah. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve been confronted with a harsh reality that I wasn¡¯t aware of before.¡± ¡°Transformation is simply transformation. Shouting ¡®transformation¡¯ while transforming is just that. It¡¯s like self-hypnosis, using the word ¡®transformation¡¯ to manifest your transformed self consistently.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit¡­ mncholic.¡± Brewer yed with her canned beer, her expression bitter, and I had to slightly adjust my position. ¡°It¡¯s not something that happens daily. It¡¯s not something that happens all the time. It¡¯s only when you request it. Understand?¡± ¡°Oh. Ohh¡­?¡± ¡°So¡­¡± ng. ¡°Ah. Please wait a moment. Now that I have the leader¡¯s permission, I feel it¡¯s appropriate to share a secret of mine.¡± ¡°¡­A secret of a Goblin, with the leader¡¯s approval?¡± Brewer¡¯s eyes began to sparkle. ¡°What kind of secret could it be¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret that only the leader and the highest-ranking officers are aware of. However, the leader has granted permission for Brewer, our trusted local helper, to be informed before the transformation takes ce.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­!¡± Brewer knelt down. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Sniff. Really.¡± Brewer suddenly burst into tears. It was a strange sight seeing her cry andugh at the same time, which made me feel a bit uneasy. ¡°Finding out the truth about the Goblin proves that the mission has a lot of faith in me. Sob, all the time I spent on Sejong Ind as an outsider¡­ wasn¡¯t a waste.¡± Brewer wiped her teary eyes with the back of her hand and shed a radiant smile. ¡°Alright, I am willing to sacrifice my life to protect any secret. Even if I am faced with a knife at my throat, I won¡¯t utter a word about the Goblin.¡± ¡°If you believe you are about to die, you can speak up.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I admire your bravery, but losing someone who has provided vital information about my mission and has sessfully infiltrated Sejong Ind undetected for many years would be a significant loss to our cause. If you believe your life is threatened, do not hesitate to voice your concern.¡± ¡°You¡­.¡± Brewer¡¯s face twisted into a wicked smile. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder the leader and other executives hold you in such high regard. They say when you became an independent unit, ¡®Doeol¡¯ cried so hard that he even confronted the leader?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s an old tale. Now, let¡¯s talk about the transformation¡­¡± I removed my coat. ¡°When I transform, everything I¡¯m wearing vanishes.¡± ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°Jewelry, Taegeuk Watch, even clothes. Everything.¡± ¡°¡­What happens when you undo the transformation?¡± ¡°They revert back to their original form.¡± I gave Brewer my Taegeuk Watch. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving plenty of spare clothes here, so keep that in mind.¡± ¡°¡­Are you essentially making me your live-in girlfriend to avoid drawing attention?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s how you want to see it.¡± Tonight was Saturday night. ¡°¡­I have work on Tuesday. What will people think if I stay here for a few days?¡± ¡°Heh. Is this a marriage proposal?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve chosen to support the Goblins, huh?¡± ¡°¡­Hehe. Fine. I suppose I can tolerate that much, considering I¡¯ve be the sole supporter of an S-rank viin. It¡¯s not so terrible.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± I removed all of my garments. The only reason I kept my underwear on was to preserve some shred of dignity. ¡°You can take those off too. Why hold back when you clearly have no qualms about being shy?¡± ¡°Seeing me in these is like eye candy, but taking them off would be more like eye teasing.¡± ¡°I think it would still be eye candy¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± I donned the mask. As the Goblin¡¯s mask settled on my face, a surge of immense magic power emanated from within me. [This is transformation.] ¡°¡­ It¡¯s rather dull.¡± My reflection in the mirror revealed the familiar sight of a gentlemanly Goblin adorned in a suit. ¡°So, are you going to proceed with it now¡­?¡± [It¡¯s more mortifying than stripping naked and wearing a mask.] ¡°Go ahead! I wish to witness it with my own eyes.¡± [I¡¯m fulfilling my promise, but please withhold yourments.] I unfastened my belt. [Transformation.] Ready! ¡°Commencing execution.¡± [¡­ Don¡¯t addments at your discretion, Brewer.] ¡°I believe everything will be fine¡­.¡± [¡­¡­Never mind.] I gestured towards the veranda door. [Brewer, open the door.] Mission. Start. Chapter 34: The Devils Seed (2) Chapter 34: The Devil''s Seed (2) Sejong Ind was divided into various districts. As the ind itself was a city, it had administrative districts. Fortunately for me, these administrative districts followed something simr to international standards. They didn¡¯t divide the administrative districts by names of historical figures such as Jang Yeongsil-ro, Hwang Hee-dong, or Kim Jong-seo-gu. [Korean pronunciation is so hard! Please make the road names something foreigners could pronounce easily!] [Well, if that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t help it. Let¡¯s use native Korean words that are easy to pronounce. For starters, this ce is called Naro-dong.] [I¡¯m deeply moved by your magnanimous decision, Minister.] [Oh, this guy¡­?] It was divided into areas using native Korean words that foreigners could pronounce easily, simr to typhoon naming conventions. This ce was ¡®Eden-gu¡¯. As a district with the native Korean meaning of ¡®kind, good,¡¯ it was an area where traditional culture and modern sensibilities blended well, reminiscent of Jeonju¡¯s Hanok Vige. Although the exterior maintained a traditional appearance, the interior structures were all modern, western-style, or modernist. ¡®It¡¯s a perfect ce to visit for a date.¡¯ Regrettably, the seed of a demon was being produced here at the moment. Given the position of the moon, it was around 1 a.m. Most people were fast asleep at this time of night, except for those who were still doing somethingte at night. With most buildings having turned off their lights and being enveloped in the stillness of the night, Inded on top of a suspiciously quiet building. ¡®Brewer does have some abilities.¡¯ The exterior of the building, which I had already understood through documents, matched exactly with the ce I was looking at from atop its tiled roof. Chun-Chu-Gak (´ºÇïéw). Whether they named the building in Chinese characters to maintain tradition in this fervently nationalistic world or to emphasize the Koreannguage in a Chinese-character culture zone by cing a signboard in Hangul, either way¡­ It was ironic to manufacture Western-style demon seeds in such a ce. ¡®Being so brazenly located in the middle of the street. They must be quite confident they won¡¯t be discovered.¡¯ Typically, secret research facilities were built in ces far from public attention. However, this evil organization built its building brazenly in a ce where many people lived. Although they could be called an evil organization, they were not the Determined. The Determined did not make things like demon seeds. They wished for individual ability users to be stronger through personal growth and development without external factors. In other words, an organization that made demon seeds was a purely viinous group, fundamentally different from the Determined. They were enemies that could be more decisively ¡®executed¡¯ without hesitation than when dealing with enemies like Red Scarves or runaway demons. ¡®Shall I turn into a ghost and enter?¡¯ I lightly tapped my shoulder with the Goblin bat. In an instant, the world was dyed monochrome, and I entered the roof of Chun-Chu-Gak as if floating in the sky as a ghost at my will. ¡®As expected.¡¯ Electrical signals could be detected throughout the building. It was not just electric wires beingid out, but from the construction of the building, wires were densely distributed, stretched out like a spider¡¯s web. ¡®Terrible, just terrible.¡¯ What if someone drilled a small hole into the building? The electric wire would immediately be cut, and a signal would be sent down. And if you forcibly opened a locked window and entered, you would be caught immediately. But there was something they had overlooked. They could detect intruders through electric wiring and signals. ¡®But if it¡¯s not mana wiring, they won¡¯t notice this.¡¯ They couldn¡¯t stop the sudden appearance of a Goblin. ¡®Just like a fairy tale.¡¯ I raised my hand to the roof and raised the bat to the roof. ¡®You can pass through.¡¯ Like the wind seeping in, like the heat prating the building, my body slowly permeated through the roof and entered. Swoosh. ¡®Huff.¡¯ Quite a lot of mana was drained passing through the roof of the building, but I couldn¡¯t casually deactivate my spirit form yet. ¡®There¡¯s no one in the building.¡¯ The ones who should be here weren¡¯t. No one was in the bedrooms, and no one was sleeping on the living room couch. Of course. When I swept through the building¡¯s electrical wiring, a separate entrance led to the basement. ording to Brewer¡¯s investigation- Squeak. A door opened. I froze against the wall and held my breath, observing the condition of the man who opened the door and came out. ¡°Yawn.¡± He was not an ability user. How did I know? One could tell just by looking at their face and apparent age. ¡®If that face is under 25, it¡¯s insane.¡¯ To anyone, he would look to be in his 30s or close to his 40s. Unless he was an entity that ages himself with his superpower, this man in the white gown was definitely a researcher in this facility. ¡°Yawn.¡± The man took out something from the fridge. And then I could certainly tell he was a viin. ¡®Is he really taking out an Asahi from there?¡¯ He took an Asahi beer from the fridge in Sejong Ind¡¯s Chun-Chu-Gak? I didn¡¯t particrly have any resentment towards that country, but it was clear that his identity was suspicious. ¡°Yawn.¡± The man, with a can of beer, was about to leave the kitchen again, and I slipped out of the door before he could close it. Going through each wall costs a proportionate loss of mana. It was best to conserve it when you could. Pop. With the sound of a can lid popping open, the man headed towards what appeared to be an ordinary bedroom wardrobe. Moreover, it was not just any wardrobe, it was a ¡®mother-of-pearl wardrobe¡¯. He opened the door of the glittering white mother-of-pearl wardrobe, something hard to find even if you visited a rural grandmother¡¯s house now. ¡®As expected.¡¯ The man nonchntly opened the wardrobe door and went in. Before he closed the door, I confirmed there was another space behind the wardrobe and immediately followed him. ¡°Ugh.¡± The man shivered. I didn¡¯t physically touch him, but it¡¯s likely his spine felt cold due to the mana mass behind him. Squeak. As soon as he entered the wardrobe, the man fumbled around in the dark with his Taegeuk Watch. Whoosh. It was an elevator. ¡°Yawn.¡± With bated breath, I closely watched the man operate the elevator, and it went down quite deep. Thud, thud. 10m? 20m? As soon as the elevator, which descended to an indistinctly deep level, stopped, the man, who had been in anguid expression, changed his face and opened the door. ¡®Wow.¡¯ A research facility where the only color was stark white. I fell back from the man and scanned the vicinity in case there were any ability users around in preparation for any unexpected situations. ¡®None.¡¯ There were no ability users here. And there were no devices that could detect mana. Not yet. ¡®This ce is a typical research facility, but it¡¯s so clean it gives me chills.¡¯ Rather than a facility researching the seeds of demons, it felt more like I¡¯d entered a semiconductor research facility. I almost felt like if I materialized, they would say, ¡®Shake off the dust before youe in!¡¯ instead of ¡®Who¡¯s there?¡¯ I wished that was the case. ¡®Tsk.¡¯ Just as I thought, when I went a little further inside, the situation was horrifying. [Aaaaaah!!] A space dyed entirely in white. In the middle of a space as wide as a school gymnasium, a ¡®demon¡¯ tied to a pir screamed and writhed in pain. It was a subus. [Since the team leader has arrived, we will start again. Attempt 3412 of ¡®extraction¡¯.] Squeak. The sound of the microphone echoed in the room, and all sorts of machines were moving toward the subus. The subus was writhing with all its might, but I intuitively realized that the rope-like thing restraining the subus was a restraint made by superpowers. Whether they were heroes or viins, it¡¯s natural for those with stronger superpowers and higher mana to win. No!! The screams reverberated. As the mechanical arm approached the subus, it started to rotate as if to dig something out like a drill. Could it be¡­ The seed of a demon was- ¡°If the extraction fails again this time, will our budget be cut?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They might even order the closure of the facility.¡± The researchers nonchntly gulped down canned beer and yawned amidst the screams. ¡°Senior, why are you drinking Asahi again? Nakdong River beer is so delicious.¡± ¡°I prefer foreign beer to domestic.¡± ¡°Then even if you¡¯re drinking, why drink the Japanese one, not the European one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of personal preference.¡± They evenughed as they engaged in trivial conversation. ¡°What are you going to do when this research ends?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You should have something else to do when this project ends, right? Hey, do you want to do a project with me?¡± ¡°Senior¡­¡± On the surface, it seemed like they were sharing some touching stories. But the reality was entirely different. Aaaaah!!! As they watched the mechanical drill burrow into the subus¡¯s abdomen, their conversation contained no emotion or excitement. ¡°Did I mention it? When this project ends, I have something very important to say to you.¡± After draining his beer, the man took something out of hisb coat pocket. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°¡­Is it okay to propose in this way here?¡± ¡°I feel like I can¡¯t do it if not now.¡± In the distance. The mechanical drill was about to enter the lower abdomen. The screams were enough to shake the ss walls, but the researchers were unfazed. ¡®Well done.¡¯ It was time to show what viinous behavior is. ¡°Kim Joo-im, will you-¡± Boom!! After revealing myself by materializing, I kicked the man¡¯s side. Crash!! As the ss window shattered, the man flew into the void, and I kicked up the ring case that had fallen to the floor. [It¡¯s really disgusting that even beings like you get married and have children.] ¡°Ah, ah¡­.¡± [From now on.] I clenched my baseball bat. [I will execute all the corrupt.] Even if they were human. Chapter 35: The Devils Seed (3) Chapter 35: The Devil''s Seed (3) What exactly was a demon? Was the subus bound to the pir over there a demon, or was the demon the people who had been conducting all sorts of bio-experiments using that subus? ¡°Gaaaah!! Ack.¡± ¡°Ah, demon¡­!¡± Or could it be that I was the demon who was crushing these inhuman beings? [Hearing that word from you lot, I have no qualms about my actions.] ng. I swung my bat, shattering the spine of someone attempting to escape. ¡°Gu, haak¡­.¡± Their whiteb coat began to turn red, and I swung my bat once more, this time at the back of the fleeing researcher. Boom. The researcher could no longer escape. He could not even crawl on the ground and lost his breath right then and there. Today, I killed a person. A being that might not have been a person but a demon. Someone¡¯s child or someone¡¯s parent. However, they were clearly ¡®viins.¡¯ They researched the demon¡¯s seed, and this seed could eventually germinate, bringing a threat to the world. From an individual¡¯s perspective, I had killed a person, but from a humanity-wide perspective, I had killed those who could bring about the end of the world. ¡°Urg, ugh¡­.¡± [Still alive?] A groan came from inside the ss, from the space where the subus was imprisoned. -Warning, warning, warning, intruder detected, warning, warning. The warning rm started sounding when I broke the ss, and the machine meant to disassemble the subus had stopped. ¡°I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t possibly hand this over¡­!¡± Perhaps thinking I came here to rescue the subus, the researcher tried to reactivate the machine using the internal controls. ¡°Ah, ah¡­?!¡± Whiiirr. The machine¡¯s drill was not aimed at the subus¡¯s abdomen but at her face. The subus looked at me with terror-filled eyes, and her gaze clearly said to me: -Save me. [¡­¡­.] Before I had a chance to think, my body was already moving. I kicked off the ground, jumped over the broken ss window, gripped my bat tightly, and put all my strength into both hands. ¡°Ku, kuhuhuhuh!!¡± The researcher was manipting something with his contorted body. If I did not attack the researcher right now, he would surely attempt to escape from here by any means necessary. It was a moment of choice. Do I take down the researcher now? Or do I stop the machine drill? [Hmph.] The path of my bat swung over my shoulder and was naturally aimed at the machine drill. [I¡¯m not a frustrating hero.] ng! I struck hard at the arm part of the machine drill with my bat. The subus turned her head to the side, and the twisted end of the drill barely grazed her cheek. ¡°Kuhaha! Sess! Fool! I am-¡± The researcher froze in ce when trying to escape through a door that seemed like an emergency exit. [Here¡¯s a gift.] Inded while kicking the arm of the machine drill in mid-air. Pwoosh! Naturally, the spinning end of the drill was aimed at the researcher, and the drill precisely prated his abdomen. ¡°Ku, Hak¡­¡± The researcher spat blood from his mouth as he screamed in agony. It was a grotesque sight too horrid to describe in words, but considering everything that had happened within this facility, one would think he had iting. ¡°Hahaha!¡± At least if you saw the tear-streakedughter of this subus. ¡°Aha ha, good riddance, you damned people¡­! You tormented me so¡­! Ha, ha¡­!¡± Although she was still tied to the pir and could only exim andugh using words, she seemed ready to rush and stomp on the corpse with her foot the moment I freed her. [Your name?] ¡°¡­Jeon Yu-bin. 22 years old. I¡¯ve heard rumors about you.¡± The subus gave me a wistful smile as she sized me up. ¡°You were just amon viin when I was kidnapped here. How much stronger did you be¡­?¡± [When were you kidnapped?] ¡°Last fall.¡± [That¡¯s a vague time. That¡¯s when I was known as a C-ss.] I tore off each of Jeon Yu-bin¡¯s restraints by hand. [I¡¯m an S-ss viin now.] ¡°That¡¯s incredible. How did you get so strong so quickly?¡± [That¡¯s ssified. Absolutely.] ¡°Right. ssified, I like that. Then¡­ why did youe to rescue me?¡± [Rescue?] I took out the rope I had created using my goblin club, not the restraints of the research facility. [I didn¡¯te to rescue you.] ¡°¡­¡­?!¡± Eek! Before Jeon Yu-bin could move, I immediately tied her up with the rope. Binding her wings and arms so she couldn¡¯t move even a bit, I forced her to kneel on the floor. ¡°What, what are you doing!!¡± [Why would you think I came to rescue you?] I stepped on Jeon Yu-bin¡¯s back, on the roots of her wings, and raised my club over her head. [It¡¯s certainly pitiful to think that you¡¯ve been experimented on by devils in human disguise, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re an angel in the guise of a devil.] ¡°No, no! I¡¯m not a bad person!¡± [Have you ever killed a person?] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Jeon Yu-bin couldn¡¯t say anything. Of course. The basic requirement for bing a devil was ¡®fratricide,¡¯ and ¡®pure-blooded devils¡¯ like Jeon Yu-bin, who had not been forcibly made devils by the seed of a devil, became devils in a regr way. [You didn¡¯t be a devil due to the runaway of your abilities. You pursued strength by killing people with your abilities. How many have you killed?] ¡°No, I didn¡¯t kill¡­! No one!¡± [You¡¯re lying.] I was not judging her by using physical symptoms of lying, like her heartbeat or gaze. [The investigation is already over. Jeon Yu-bin, you killed your junior on Sejong Ind and stole her ability. Do you remember the name ¡®Hwang Do-hee¡¯?] ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Jeon Yu-bin¡¯s expression changed. Until just a moment ago, she was expressing her grievances with her whole body, but her expression turned cold, and she just sneered at me. ¡°What¡¯s this? You already knew everything?¡± [I came here already knowing. We have an excellent informant.] To simply summarize the information I received. [You killed Hwang Do-hee, a junior of yours, on Sejong Ind and stole her magic, and you went berserk after bing a devil. The Sejong Ind security forces said they arrested you and put you in a secret prison, but in reality, it was a secret research institution¡­ something like that.] Using prisoners for experiments was amon story. [Since you¡¯ve be a devil, human rights or whatever can be easily ignored. Isn¡¯t that so? Even if you think about it in advance, a devil isn¡¯t a human.] ¡°Hah, haha¡­ If I escape from here, I will surely enter ¡®Pandemonium¡¯ and expose the situation of this ce. And I¡¯ll demand that all devils have the right to live as humans.¡± [Dream big.] I raised my club high. [The talk is over. Anything to say before you die?] ¡°Wai, wait a sec. Are you really going to kill me? Huh? Really¡­?¡± [Did you think I was trying to scare you or was going to reveal the reasons for bing a viin and tell you to repent?] ¡°Sto, stop! Just a sec! You¡¯re not really going to kill me¡­! Why are you doing this among viins?!¡± Jeon Yu-bin¡¯s expression started to be desperate. ¡°The person who informed me that I was trapped here and the person who ordered you to raid this ce would not have given you a mission to kill me!!¡± Struggling, she started to use all her strength to escape from me. ¡°Catch me and reveal the disgusting truth of Sejong Ind, or use me to unravel the truth of this research!!¡± [That could be possible. But didn¡¯t you hear the conversation from above before I came down?] I leaned over and whispered in Jeon Yu-bin¡¯s ear. [All the guilty shall be executed.] My mission was to kill all devils. [Even if heroes kill devils, they might bear moral responsibility but not legal responsibility. Why should I spare you?] ¡°There, there would be value in using me! Wh, where in the world would they treat me like this! The disgusting truth of Sejong Ind! They trap devils and experiment, human experimentation! Shouldn¡¯t that be spread to the media!!¡± [You seem to be mistaken. Do you think you¡¯re the only subject being studied on Sejong Ind?] ¡°Can¡¯t be¡­there are other devils too?! Why do they keep those people alive?! Why are they only trying to kill me!!¡± [Well.] Naturally, there was a reason, but¡­ [Because the person who asked to kill you is Hwang Do-hee¡¯s parents.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Jeon Yu-bin couldn¡¯t say a word. She looked up at me with a dazed face as if she had been hit from an unexpected ce, an angle she had never thought of. ¡°How could they¡­?¡± [They wanted to see the face of the murderer who killed their daughter and how they lived. But they couldn¡¯t even have a visit, couldn¡¯t approach. That¡¯s where it started.] That was how the request came for the role of an assassin. [Did you think the person you killed wouldn¡¯t request you to be killed?] I was an executor and an ¡®exaggerator¡¯ for the assassin. I just carried out the given mission. ¡°Ha, haha¡­! Do you think you¡¯re different?! You hypocrite! You¡¯re the same!!¡± [I know. I¡¯ve killed many people too, and their families want to kill me.] There were more people who hated and wanted to kill the Goblinpared to Jeon Yu-bin. [They can point a knife at me. But I have no intention of taking that knife.] Because I was not a dumb, frustrating hero. [And.] I sharpened the club¡¯s end like a pickaxe and held it upside down. [What I hate the most after viins is devils.] Whoosh!! Red blood sttered. Red blood that was no different from a human¡¯s. p, p, p. Beyond the exit that the researchers had opened. ¡°Wow, this is impressive.¡± A man started to approach while pping. A man in ck hanbok, wearing a ridiculous mask and a straw fan on his head. ¡°You sure know how to make it shy, Goblin. Was it absolutely necessary to kill?¡± [Who are you?] ¡°If I were to describe myself, I belong to a different organization than you, I have the same tasks as you, but I made a different choice than you.¡± The man flipped a cane-like rod over his shoulder. ¡°A person who aims to spread the ugly truths that ur here and to reveal the true nature of those in high ces.¡± Flutter. The man lifted the rod over his shoulder, gripping it with both hands and bowed as if he were a stump. ¡°I am known as ¡®Mattluk¡¯ of ¡®Hwalbindang¡¯.¡± Chapter 36: The Devils Seed (4) Chapter 36: The Devil''s Seed (4) The criteria for defining a viin organization were quite ambiguous. Those who dreamt of world domination were a viin organization, and so were those whomitted all sorts of illegal activities to reap profits. Of course, this included anti-government forces and forces that aimed to overthrow the state. Those trying to overturn the state¡¯s system. Those trying to expose the state¡¯s faults and plunge it into great chaos. Or simply those who wanted to see the country copse. The organization known as ¡®Hwalbindang¡¯ was not so much a force to overthrow the state but an organization that wanted to reveal the faults of its rulers. Those who exposed government corruption and strove to drag down those who practice corruption from their high positions. They were a radical group that did not discriminate in their choice of means or methods to achieve their objective. It was an organization that appeared in the original story. From the protagonist¡¯s perspective, it was an organization that could be called ¡®colleagues¡¯ and rades¡¯, but regrettably, they were far from that for me, the viin. ¡°Why did you kill Jeon Yu-bin?¡± Mattluk walked in a circle around me, asking the question. ¡°Even if you could kill at any time, couldn¡¯t you have killed in a better way?¡± [A better way?] ¡°Yes. For example¡­ recording a video.¡± Mattluk posed as if filming with a camcorder in a ridiculous manner. Swipe. When he swept his hand across his face, his mask changed. It was a mask that seemed to resemble Jeon Yu-bin, whoy, fallen, beneath me. ¡°I became a devil, but they took me underground and forcibly experimented on me!¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice. A voice that greatly resembled Jeon Yu-bin¡¯s voice. If I hadn¡¯t just had a conversation with her, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to distinguish it. It resembled her voice so much. ¡°It would have been nice if they had at least filmed a video while they forcibly¡­sob¡­used my body.¡± [You¡¯re nning to spread that on the inte?] ¡°It doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be now. The more evidence videos, the better. Isn¡¯t it best to have as many cards as possible?¡± [If you have too many, you often end up not using them all and throwing them away.] I pointed my bat at Jeon Yu-bin, who was nowpletely without breath. [Did youe here to even take away Jeon Yu-bin¡¯s corpse?] ¡°¡­Even a corpse should be retrieved. Although it¡¯s a pity that we could not secure the living Jeon Yu-bin, I will take the dead Jeon Yu-bin and return.¡± Mattluk pointed a long, stick-like object at me that was simr to a baton. ¡°S-ss viin Goblin. I know you¡¯re strong enough to mock the S-sses, but I also-ya!!¡± Whoosh. Mattluk let out a shout. [Ya?] ¡°Ah, no! What are you doing! Stop!¡± [I don¡¯t want to.] Whoosh. The golden mes that spewed from the end of my bat attached themselves directly to the devil¡¯s body and began to burn the flesh. [A devil isn¡¯t finished with just killing. It must bepletely obliterated so that not even a corpse remains. Just as you said, the higher-ups could use the devil¡¯s corpse for another human experiment.] ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­!¡± [You guys are no different.] After applying enough me to Jeon Yu-bin¡¯s body, I pointed my bat at Mattluk. [You guys are the same in that you want to use this body of Jeon Yu-bin for something. You¡¯ll probably find evidence of this woman being subjected to human experiments and record it as a video.] ¡°That¡¯s correct! But we¡¯re different from them!¡± [No. From my point of view, you¡¯re the same.] ¡°Are you saying¡­ Hwalbindang is a viin?¡± Mattluk¡¯s voice started to harden. ¡°So you¡¯re saying we, Hwalbindang, who has a noble purpose, are in the same category as those trash who kill people?¡± [I didn¡¯t say that. Do you usually feel guilty about something like that? I just wanted to say that abusing the corpse is the same.] ¡°¡­You are someone who could not be reasoned with words.¡± Mattluk gripped the stick as if it was a sword. ¡°¡®He¡¯ thought highly of you and suggested bringing you into our Hwalbindang, but as expected, you are a ¡®viin¡¯.¡± [From the government¡¯s perspective, both Goblin of Gyeolsa and Mattluk of Hwalbindang are the same viins.] ¡°Are you defending the current government now?! Those who are doing such disgusting things behind the scenes?!¡± [You seem to be easily agitated.] I think I could see what kind of person he is. [He¡¯s a pathetic individual who is obsessed with his ideals.] ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Mattluk¡¯s body froze on the spot. [I don¡¯t know what the intent of Hwalbindang is, and I don¡¯t need to know. Regardless of what you think the ideal of Hwalbindang is, I am just fulfilling my duty as a member of the organization I belong to.] Whoosh. As the golden mes dwindled, only ck ash remained where Jeon Yu-bin had been. [I kill Jeon Yu-bin and don¡¯t even leave a corpse. That¡¯s my job.] With the power of the mes, so strong they left not even bones behind, Ipletely erased the existence known as Jeon Yu-bin from this world. [If you want to take the ashes, I won¡¯t stop you, but I¡¯m done here. All that remains is to leave this facility.] ¡°¡­I can¡¯t just let you go.¡± Mattluk walked in a circle and then stopped in his tracks. ¡°You will be a major obstacle to the future of our Hwalbindang. From now on, I will make you a non-factor.¡± [Do you have the ability to do that?] ¡°Of course¡­!¡± Whoosh. Mattluk, wearing a mask as dark as night tea, gripped the stick with both hands and rushed towards me. [?!] Incredible speed. I tilted my body to the side, raising my bat vertically. Mattluk¡¯s stick brushed past my bat and flew off to the side. ¡°Hmph!¡± Although his first attack failed, he sneered at myck of proper response. He quickly spun in ce, swinging his arm widely towards me. Holding the stick with a reverse grip, he aimed its tip at my face. For an ordinary ability user, even a B-tier - no, an A-tier wouldn¡¯t easily keep up with this speed. Thud! Mattluk hit the top of my mask. He turned his head back, sneering at me with his eyes. ¡°¡­?!¡± And soon, he was bewildered. His stick hit my mask precisely, but it didn¡¯t even leave a scratch. [Going after someone else¡¯s handsome face.] I stretched out my foot and kicked Mattluk in the small of his back. Whaam! When I kicked his back with all my mana, Mattluk flew back and rolled on the ground. ¡°Cough¡­! How¡­?! The attack clearly went through¡­?!¡± [I let it hit.] I readjusted my slightly skewed mask. [An attack without the intent to kill isn¡¯t worth avoiding.] ¡°What¡­!¡± [He must have tried to remove the mask. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t stab the tip of his knife straight into my face but tried to scrape it off. To make the mask fly off.] Mattluk¡¯s attackcked the intent to kill. [It¡¯s a pity, but I¡¯ve always been on a battlefield where we kill each other. Do you know how many people have tried to kill me up to this point?] ¡°¡­I don¡¯t care about that.¡± Mattluk stood up again, firmly gripping the stick. ¡°It¡¯s a shame. I was going to take your mask off and use your face as a threat¡­¡± [There¡¯s been only one person who has managed to remove my mask.] ¡°Who is it?¡± [Of course, only our great, strong, and beautiful leader.] The only one who had managed to take off my mask with strength alone was the leader. [Let me propose in return. How about joining our cause?] ¡°What?¡± [New strong members are always wee. I did let you attack my mask on purpose, but not many actually do. Your skills, at least A-tier¡­ no, it seems even more than that.] I was hiding my strength right now, but so was Mattluk. [I don¡¯t know who you are. I don¡¯t know what your identity is. But your power, in my eyes, suits our cause more than Hwalbindang.] ¡°That¡¯s absurd. Do you think I would be colleagues with people who mindlessly kill others and yell about world domination?¡± [You¡¯re still young. It¡¯s polite to at least ept a business card when someone offers to scout you. But then, you wouldn¡¯t know unless you¡¯ve lived in society as a gifted individual. Anyway¡­] Whiiing, whiiing, whiiing. A vibration began to resonate throughout the base. [I can hear it. The sound of water. They¡¯re nning to sink everything here.] ¡°Eh¡­?!¡± The sound of water could be heard from afar. Perhaps they were nning to trap the entire base under the sea and, at the same time, render all the electronic devices in the base inoperable. ¡°Oh, no¡­!¡± [Normally, I would have escaped before the enemies could do this, but someone made me lose track of time while chatting. It seems we¡¯re stuck underground and about to be flooded.] ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Mattluk turned around and tried to escape the way he came. He must have infiltrated this ce using a different path than the one I took, but unfortunately, the water was pouring in from the direction Mattluk was running towards. ¡°Oh, no¡­!¡± [I¡¯ll have you owe me one forter.] I ran directly behind Mattluk and swung my bat at the back of his neck. Thump! The bat hit him with a loud sound, and Mattluk fell t forward. There was no response. He was unconscious. [I don¡¯t know how you arrived around the same time I infiltrated, but I¡¯ll figure it out once we escape.] I tied Mattluk¡¯s limp body tightly with rope, hoisted him over my shoulder, and- [¡­?] Something. I seemed to feel a touch that I shouldn¡¯t be able to. ¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯ It must be an illusion. Swooosh. Looking at the seawater pouring out from the direction of the exit, I collected my breath. ¡®I¡¯ll think about it once we¡¯ve escaped.¡¯ I ran head-on towards the seawater. Are you 18+?YesNo Chapter 37: The Devils Seed (6) Chapter 37: The Devil''s Seed (6) After handing over the business card to Mattluk. I immediately turned into a spirit, took advantage of the darkness, climbed up the dormitory wall, and headed toward my destination. Scrape. ¡°Are you here? You must have had a tough¡­ugh?!¡± I opened the window, entered, closed it behind me, and immediately subdued the Brewer. [Is this treason?] ¡°What, what are you talking about?!¡± [I encountered a person from Hwalbindang named Mattluk at the ce I attacked. What happened?] ¡°Hwalbindang? Wait, I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on?!¡± Brewer seemed genuinely confused. This could also be an act, so I didn¡¯t let up on my grip. [I have three possibilities in my mind right now. One is that two forces coincidentally attacked the same ce at the same time. Another is that Hwalbindang followed you during your information gathering. And thest is¡­] ¡°That I betrayed the Association? There¡¯s no way¡­! I¡¯ll die as a member of the Association!¡± [Then, was it really a coincidence that our paths crossed? It doesn¡¯t seem so.] Mattluk showed up just as I destroyed all the facilities and took care of the devil. Unless he was timing his appearance, there was no way he would show up at such a perfect time. [I don¡¯t believe in coincidences. Especially in situations like this.] ¡°I¡¯m really being falsely used¡­!¡± [Are you sincere?] ¡°Yes! I just followed the orders that came from above!¡± [Then, there¡¯s only one possibility left.] A slight irritation crept up. [¡­Who was the first one to give you the mission and order you to gather information?] ¡°What? Do you think there¡¯s a traitor in the Association?¡± The information was leaking out. If the Brewer, who collected the information, was not the traitor, then there was a possibility that something went wrong with the Brewer¡¯s superiors. [It¡¯s rude to ask this within the Association, but what faction do you belong to?] ¡°Gunggi¡¯s Legion! I¡¯m under Gunggi!¡± [Gunggi¡¯s Legion, where? Is it the Biikjo Squad? Or is it the Jujak Squad? Phoenix Squad?] ¡°¡­Night Crow. Ugh, to be exposed to this extent.¡± For an informant to reveal all their affiliations meant that they were heading down the path of ¡®dismissal.¡¯ Just like the agents of the National Intelligence Service did not reveal their affiliations in detail, members of the Association naturally did not disclose their information specifically. But speaking to this extent meant that Brewer was iming her innocence in her own way. To reveal her affiliation to me, who belonged to another faction, was equivalent to putting her own life on the line. That¡¯s how it was in the Association. [Alright. I¡¯ll trust you. But I can¡¯t trust your superiors.] ¡°But, there¡¯s no way. Night Crow is directly under Gunggi. The Night Crow wouldn¡¯t betray the Association.¡± [We¡¯ll see.] Transformation released. ¡°We¡¯ll find out more when we check directly.¡± I put on the hotel gown I had instructed her to prepare in advance, tied the belt, and put the Taegeuk Watch on the desk back on my wrist. ¡°Are you going to call the Night Crow captain?¡± ¡°No.¡± I pointed upwards with my finger. ¡°It¡¯s a Korean thing. When there¡¯s a problem, they don¡¯t touch the rank; they touch the person in charge, the superior.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re not?¡± Beep. The phone rang about three times. [Ah, hello!] ¡°Hello, Director.¡± [Ah, Director? Yes, I can talk now.] Brewer¡¯s face turned pale as she looked at me. Perhaps it was because the ¡®Director¡¯s¡¯ voice waspletely different from what she usually heard. ¡°I am currently on a mission with someone from Night Crow and encountered a strange situation.¡± [¡­¡­What?] Her previously bubbly voice turned cold, and Brewer¡¯s expression changed. ¡°The situation is roughly this.¡± I ryed the situation I had experienced, not missing a single detail. [Could you hand the phone over?] ¡°You can talk now. She¡¯s right next to me.¡± [State your rank and name.] ¡°Loyalty! I am Celestia, an agent of the second generation of Night Crow!¡± Brewer had a name that didn¡¯t sound like Brewer at all. [Celestia¡­ Celestia¡­ Hmm, I see. Director, could you give me three minutes? I¡¯ll check right away.] ¡°It¡¯s okay if it takes a bit more time.¡± [Stay on the line. I will quickly check¡­ It¡¯s done.] The Director let out a hollowugh. [It seems there is a friend in Night Crow who wants to join the rebels. They¡¯ve lost their minds. To mess with the Goblin.] ¡°Does this woman have nothing to do with it?¡± [Unfortunately, she was used. If you want, let me know. I will send you someone else.] ¡°No need for that. The only mistake would be not realizing that someone is plotting something malicious. Or¡­ there are still many within the Association who dislike me.¡± [No, no! That¡¯s not it! The Director is a very capable and excellent person!] ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± Who in the organization would really appreciate someone who rose from a low-ranking executive to the direct subordinate of the Boss in just six months? Especially since I was not even part of a team, I operated solo. ¡°Anyway, be careful. There are many locals under yourmand, Director, so aside from the one who leaked the information this time, there may be others. Be it ties with the rebels, or a priestly rtionship, dys, or school ties.¡± [I got it. I can¡¯t just suddenly cut off everyone¡¯s heads, but I¡¯ll look into it step by step. And there, Celestia.] ¡°Yes, Director!¡± With a resolute voice, Celestia stood at attention. [Keep working as you do now. Don¡¯t arbitrarily ignore the tasks or orders that are suddenly given.] ¡°Yes?¡± [Even if the Goblin contacts the rebels or anywhere else, it¡¯s not like the Goblin will betray and go elsewhere.] That was exactly it. I had no reason to betray the Association nor any intention to do so. Even if they offered me three times as much. [But I can¡¯t stand them using the Association¡¯s internal informationwork to constantly lure the Goblin to their side, can I? So, pretend you don¡¯t know and ept all the directives. Whether it¡¯s directivesing through Night Crow or requests for indirect support through other units.] ¡°What if¡­the same thing happens again? Are you going to handle it personally, Director?¡± [Oh, me personally? I¡¯m not that idle. The HR team will take care of it very well.] I interpreted those words for Brewer by mouthing. It meant that she would handle it personally. [Director, please don¡¯t tell the other directors about this. Especially that gloomy friend.] ¡°Of course. I have no intention of causing trouble for you, Director. I know it¡¯s a bit odd to chit-chat during work, but¡­¡± I reached out my hand to stop Brewer, cleared my throat, and lightly touched my mouth to the Taeguk Watch. [¡­Huh?] ¡°Thank you, Director. Thanks to you, I was able to clear up the misunderstanding.¡± [Oh, uh, yes¡­! It was my duty to solve the unpleasant situation that arose in our team! If something happens again, contact me. Hang, hang up!] Click. The call ended. I pressed the Taeguk Watch to turn off the screen, then got up from my seat and formally apologized to Brewer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought you were a traitor of the Association who was colluding with the rebels.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Just be asfortable as before our mission. Even if I know your status now, it doesn¡¯t change what you have to do.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Understood¡­ But¡­¡± Brewer, seeming to rx a bit, cautiously asked, pointing at my Taeguk Watch. ¡°Is it¡­Gunggi?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Did you directly call Gunggi?¡± ¡°The directors¡­ ¡®The Four Executives¡¯ all have numbers that connect directly to each other. Though we hardly call each other.¡± While I could make calls, they could call me directly. Because it was the Boss¡¯s order. ¡°I know it was impolite, but I look forward to working with you in the future. I was a little desperate to hide my identity.¡± ¡°Oh, um, no, it¡¯s fine. I epted the order without properly verifying where it wasing from. It¡¯s my fault. But it¡¯s okay, right¡­?¡± Even though I was the one who forcefully subdued her, Brewer was clearly worried, looking at me with concern. ¡°Then, as a reconciliation and to clear up misunderstandings, how about we grab a drink together?¡± As a celebration for sessfullypleting the mission. As a purification ritual to wash off the heat that had killed various negative things. ¡°How about chicken and beer?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Brewer paled a little and started to smile broadly- ¡°¡­ We¡¯ve just finished all the beer.¡± Her expression immediately hardened. ¡°Can¡¯t be helped, Brewer.¡± I pointed at Brewer¡¯s Taeguk Watch. ¡°Order delivery.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°There are ces sellingte-night snacks and beer even at this hour. I¡¯ll take a shower in the meantime.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll order right away, so take your time. But¡­can I really just ask one question? Oh, you don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What kind of rtionship do you have with¡­Gunggi?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was a bitplicated. ¡°To you, Gunggi might seem extremely cold and calm, but to me, she¡¯s warmer inside than anyone else.¡± ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Just like I said. Gunggi was¡­. A woman with a truly warm heart. ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower, and we can chat a bit while tearing into the chicken. The future missions you¡¯ll have to undertake and where they came from aren¡¯t very important to me.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°Missions rted to demons.¡± Fortunately, the first mission was exactly what I was looking for. ¡°In the future, whether it¡¯s about a demon, a seed of a demon, or anything rted to demons, ept it even if it seems suspicious. Especially¡­ Pandemonium.¡± A massive organization where all the named demons gathered. ¡°We have to kill all the demons.¡± For the peace of the world and the smooth world domination of our Association. And thus. I dealt with the ¡®first¡¯ demon¡¯s seed. Are you 18+? YesNo Chapter 38: Artificial Demons And Natural Demons (1) Chapter 38: Artificial Demons And Natural Demons (1) ¡°Demons are born in two ways. They can ur naturally or be artificially created.¡± The demons known to the world were generally understood to be ¡®naturally urring¡¯. ¡°Do you know the cause of the former?¡± ¡°Corruption?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, corruption.¡± In the case of natural urrence, it was generally believed to be caused due to the ¡®rampage of superpowered individuals¡¯. [Hehehe, the demon within me is raging¡­! Bow down! I am the newly born demon, Devil Chong!] [Agh, the name itself is so demonic!!] [You¡¯ve been weird since you were a kid, and now you¡¯ve finally be a demon! Get out of the way, you devil, Satan¡¯s spawn!] [I¡¯m not Satan¡¯s spawn! I am Satan himself!] The desire to be strong. The desire to possess something. Hatred towards someone. The sorrow of losing a loved one. Anger and vengeance. Obsession over a concept. Madness caused by mental stress. ¡°There are many factors that corrupt a superpowered individual. What¡¯s scary is that these factors are emotions that all ordinary people experience.¡± The fact that superpowered individuals transformed into demons due to the excessive negative emotions of humans had been widely known as ¡®routine¡¯ since the great transformation. ¡°The first demon appeared in 2002 when a child born in 2000 was 3 years old¡­? Anyway, it started when he was still a toddler.¡± ¡°Do you remember? That one whose parents were murdered¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. A robber came in and killed his parents, and the baby awakened his power due to his parents¡¯ pain and became a demon.¡± Those who became demons all dramatically increased in strength. Either their bodies would change, their physical abilities would significantly improve, they would turn into apletely different non-human entity, or they would remain in human form but embody evil itself. ¡°That child set himself on fire when he turned 10,mitting suicide. After that, several more demons appeared. They called children who used their powers at a young age ¡®monsters!¡¯, and then the child, after watching monsters in TV movies, really thought he was the same and projected himself as such.¡± ¡°The ¡®Snow Woman¡¯ incident at Mount Fuji?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In a small rural vige near Mount Fuji in Japan. A girl whose hair turned white due to the awakening of her powers was teased by the surrounding children as a monster, and she thought she was a real monster like the ones on TV and became a monster-demon. ¡°She froze the children and tragically trapped herself in ice. That¡¯s why we¡¯re trying to educate and raise superpowered individuals in separate educational institutions, like this Sejong Ind, rather than in ces where ordinary people are.¡± If you awakened as a superpowered individual from a young age, you had no choice but to be isted. It was so that superpowered individuals do not be demons themselves. It was also so that non-superpowered individuals do not end up as their victims. ¡°And now that things are socially stable regarding superpowered individuals¡­ everyone has reached the point where they create their own demons just because they are a little hot-headed. Whatever form that takes.¡± [The existing demons are boring! I¡¯m going to create my own demon!] [Uh, that¡¯s giarism.] [¡­¡­Aargh! I¡¯m turning dark! I will destroy everything that calls the demon I created giarism!!] Their desire for chaos, destruction, and ughter was iparable to ordinary people, and they wanted to eliminate anything to achieve their purpose. ¡°Whether it¡¯s a demon, a superpowered individual, or a viin, it¡¯s a really dreadful power. A superpower that the existing mankind cannot resist.¡± So then. ¡°¡­As always, it¡¯s true that this superpower has always been researched.¡± Could we use the power of demons? Could we turn ordinary people into superpowered individuals? If we used the power of demons, couldn¡¯t we also awaken ordinary people into superpowered individuals? ¡°The desire for people who do not have superpowers to have superpowers naturally arises.¡± Then, couldn¡¯t you enjoy youth and immortality by throwing away your aging middle-aged or elderly body and live as a demon? ¡°So far, there hasn¡¯t been a single case where an ordinary person has be a superpowered individual, but the ultimate goal of this demon seed is to demonize humans.¡± ¡°¡­they want to awaken superpowers even if it means bing a demon?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know how much more the main person knowspared to me, but I know more about demons than anyone else in this world. One of the reasons why I specifically came to Sejong Ind is somewhat rted to demons.¡± ¡°Because Sejong Ind is a ce that researches demons.¡± ¡°Yes. Many ces, starting with Sejong Ind, are researching demons. There are research institutes all over South Korea, and here on Sejong Ind, experiments are being conducted most seriously and diversely.¡± They called it a demon, and they read it as a superpowered individual. ¡°The ones often used in these experiments are low-ranked superpowered individuals. Those among C-rank and below who could not ascend to B-rank or A-rank ran amok in that state. Not just viins causing idents, but those who have thrown off their human skin and be demons.¡± I yed a video through a streaming site connected to the TV. [Hahaha! Now I am perfect!] ¡°Many superpowered individuals have ¡®turned dark¡¯ and fallen. They internalized and epted many viins, viins, and demons in many contents as their own. But those demons have an original ¡®motif¡¯, right? These are used to captivate them. Among those who have transformed into these unseemly things, they experiment with those who can be controlled.¡± ¡°Like that ¡®Jeon Yu-bin¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes. A subus. You know, that girl I killed by transforming a second time. Lilith.¡± ¡°Ah, the demon that was there when you confronted Sr tina?¡± ¡°Yes. If that person was also caught by a hero and arrested, she would likely have been arrested in a differentb than Jeon Yu-bin and subjected to a live experiment.¡± I pointed down. ¡°This is what you call a demon seed.¡± ¡°Germ cells¡­ right?¡± ¡°Yes. Specifically, they are made using women¡¯s germ cells. Sejong Ind seems to regte the intensity somewhat due to the eyes of people, but there must be really terrible things happening in other ces.¡± Cruel experiments that could not be said with just words. ¡°Not just Korea. Human experiments are being conducted all over the world. There are even ces conducting experiments on a national scale.¡± How unspeakable it was, this madness that showed how repugnant humanity can be, spreading all over the world. ¡°In the case of Jeon Yu-bin, she probably had her reproductive cells¡¯ extracted¡¯ regrly.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s said at least once a month, right? No, they could have just taken it out right away.¡± ¡°Maybe she even had to ¡®give birth¡¯ to the devil¡¯s seed in a more horrifying way.¡± ¡°Did you verify the contents of the experiment?¡± ¡°No. There was no need to verify it, I had no desire to, and I didn¡¯t want to see the researchers fleeing while I was verifying it. I killed them all in the meantime.¡± I had reached a level where I could just look and know everything. ¡°If you artificially cultivate the egg of a woman who has be a demon, a demon is born. Using that egg to make some kind of cell, and through that, what¡¯s created is¡­¡± ¡°The devil¡¯s seed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s terrifying.¡± Brewer swallowed hard with a pale expression. ¡°It¡¯s more horrifying and cruel than I thought. The fact that such things are happening on Earth gives me goosebumps.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s reality. Jeon Yu-bin was probably not just a test subject but also a ¡®host¡¯ who had produced the devil¡¯s seed several times.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the basis?¡± ¡°It¡¯s spection, but isn¡¯t it the fact that the appearance of Lilith and Jeon Yu-bin was simr? Suppose they make the devil¡¯s seed from the cells extracted from the body of a subus called Jeon Yu-bin, and that seed infiltrates another human and sprouts. In that case, it will resemble the host.¡± ¡°¡­So it¡¯s not just because the devil¡¯s appearance is simr to the old stories?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± There might be someone who became a devil by mimicking Drac. Naturally. But if you extracted the devil¡¯s seed from Drac, another power-user could be a devil-like Drac through that seed. ¡°How do you feel? It feels like you¡¯ve stepped into a world that¡¯s deeper, darker, and dirtier than you thought, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s horrifying, but it¡¯s a story we must know. After all, in the Gyeolsa, beings like Goblin or the boss consider demons as enemies, not allies to be persuaded or viins alike.¡± ¡°Right. Because the devil is nothing but an enemy to world domination.¡± Gyeolsa opposed the devils and demons. Even though all power users had the potential to be devils, the Gyeolsa, where power users held key positions, was doing its best to eliminate the devil. ¡°We¡¯re eliminating the devils that could ruin the world we will rule. Quite a Gyeolsa-like, boss-like thought.¡± I would protect the star that I would rule. Sometimes I got the feeling that the Gyeolsa was apletely different organization from ordinary viin organizations. ¡°So, Brewer, you should be careful too. All power-users have the potential to be devils, and once they be devils, they can easily destroy this Earth for their own purposes.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah. If the Goblin bes a devil, what kind of devil do you think you¡¯ll be?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± I hadn¡¯t thought about it, but I might be a devil more powerful and horrifying than any other on Earth. ¡°If I were to be a devil, I¡¯d like to be called this.¡± ¡°How? King Goblin?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°The One Who Ends the World.¡± In other words, the Devil of Endings. Chapter 39: Artificial Demons And Natural Demons (2) Chapter 39: Artificial Demons And Natural Demons (2) Morning came. I spent the night drinking and conversing with Brewer and greeted the new morning. If anyone was spying on this ce, the natural urrence after a man and woman spent the night together- Didn¡¯t happen. ¡°Are you awake? Want some chicken?¡± ¡°Chicken in the morning?¡± ¡°Originally, it¡¯s a rule to eat cold marinated chicken in the morning.¡± ¡°No thanks. Make some ramen.¡± ¡°Goblin, you¡¯re quite humble. Just ramen on a Sunday morning.¡± ¡°Then serve me some hot rice soup.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at that.¡± Brewer took out two instant rice soup packs from the refrigerator ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve seen it. The secret of my rice soup. You¡¯re not the type to only eat broth boiled from bone marrow, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not picky. Is there anything I can help with?¡± ¡°No, just sit. I¡¯ll prepare the meal.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± I sat at the kitchen table and scanned through the events of the night on the Taegeuk Watch. Nothing out of the ordinary. It was an everyday urrence for Viins to wreak havoc worldwide. The stories were filled with how many people were saved by the mobilized heroes and how humans must strive today for the powered and the powerless to live in harmony. The troubling part was that despite ab being flooded overnight, there was no mention of it. Of course, that was to be expected. If it were something everyone would know to the extent of being reported in the media, then they wouldn¡¯t have built an underground chamber dozens of meters beneath Sejong Ind-e to think of it, it was almost 100 meters deep. ¡°Ah, I found it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The news of flooding in Eden district.¡± The news didn¡¯t cover it, but the social media tforms where people posted their everyday lives were filled with stories of seawater briefly backing up in the Eden district¡¯s sewage system overnight. ¡°It was resolved in the early morning, so everyone is not bothered.¡± ¡°So, what happens? Nobody knows forever?¡± ¡°Well. One could put on a diving suit and go down to the building to see the situation inside directly, or you could mobilize a superhuman to drain the seawater somewhere else and explore the underground.¡± The methods were countless. Human imagination was infinite, and humans would always find a solution in the face of difficulties. ¡°Later, investigate the people who frequent that ce. Ah, of course. If you think you¡¯ll get caught, don¡¯t investigate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s obvious. As long as I don¡¯t fall into the hands of a traitor within the organization, I can avoid getting caught by anyone.¡± ng. A y pot was ced in front of me. ¡°During the Japanese colonial era, many brewers secretly sheltered independence activists or helped them eat without getting caught. I¡¯m one of those brewers now. That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°A foreigner saying that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s harsh. If I live in Korea, speak Korean, and have Korean citizenship, am I not Korean?¡± ¡°Since you don¡¯t look Korean, it¡¯s a bit odd.¡± Every time I saw a foreigner feeling proud to be Korean, I always felt like this world was really another world - like in a light novel. A foreigner, after drinking, served hot rice soup in a y pot, even if it was instant? ¡°Ah, I made the kkakdugi. Want to try it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You can even make kkakdugi?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± With an expression as if asking why I was questioning something so obvious, Brewer served the kkakdugi in separate dishes. ¡°Why two?¡± ¡°I put it in two separate dishes to make it easier to pour the soup.¡± As soon as Brewer sat down, she poured the kkakdugi soup into her rice soup. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s just.¡± Just in case, I asked. ¡°Do you have peri powder?¡± ¡°If you add peri powder, it takes longer for the alcohol to wear off.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Was that not funny¡­? That¡¯s weird. Everyone usuallyughs.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? If you eat it with peri powder, it really takes longer for the alcohol to wear off.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. So, do you have peri powder?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ng. She reached forward with a y dish from the table as if it were natural. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A world where a red-haired foreigner not only cooked rice soup in a y pot and made her own kkakdugi but also had a dish of peri powder on the table? ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ What¡¯s good was good. I poured peri powder into my rice soup andpleted the breakfast with the rice soup prepared by Brewer. The work ended faster than I thought. The task I thought would take a full day waspleted overnight, so I was truly enjoying my weekend. ¡®I might feel a bit sorry for Yumir?¡¯ If I knew the work would finish this early, I would have arranged to eat together with her over the weekend. Of course, if I had made an appointment in advance, there might have been a chance that I couldn¡¯t focus on my original task, but now that everything went smoothly, I regretted it a little. There were still restaurants I hadn¡¯t been to yet. ces where I could taste various cuisines from around the world. ¡®Even if it¡¯s Sejong Ind, there are Japanese restaurants, Chinese restaurants, and even Indian specialty stores.¡¯ As the Republic of Korea became the leading country in the world, many Korean restaurants spread all over the world. The problem was that these Korean restaurants were scattered not only worldwide but also all over Korea. [Oh, a Korean pasta house! It looks great! But we came to eat gukbap.] [Is this Kimcheon Gukbap, where you can taste Korean food anywhere in Korea? It¡¯s amazing. I can eat various Korean menus at a price cheaper than 10 dors.] [Whoes to Korea to eat pizza and pasta. With that money, go to a worker¡¯s restaurant, eat bulbaek with lettuce wraps, and finish with a hot mixed coffee.] Foreign tourists started visiting and traveling all over the country in numbers beyond counting. In reality, they were people looking for a ce to sneak into Korea, stay illegally, or somehow marry a Korean and immigrate to live in Korea. [Whatever the purpose, self-employed people don¡¯t discriminate against customers!] [Ah, everyone. Let¡¯s not rip off foreigners. Instead of ripping them off for temporary business, create good memories so they visit again in 10 to 20 years. We are dignified Koreans of the world¡¯s best country, right?] [What?! In addition to dipping octopus in ultra-hot pepper paste, you chew sweet and sour pock? Boy, even though you have a foreign nose, your tongue is already Korean!] Regardless of their purpose ining to Korea, most of the bosses in Korea¡¯s numerous food and beverage industries weed foreigners with broad smiles. Most of them did, anyway. [I went all the way to France to study cooking abroad¡­] [You prefer pork belly with soju over steak? No, I know! I know that, but I want to sell steak!] [Is it true that there are more Rice Burger restaurants than Burger Queen stores.] Western and Japanese cuisine, except for Korean, were devastated. They sought various ways to survive, but after the story spread that a restaurant selling ssambap attracted many foreigners, making a daily turnover of 50 million won for three consecutive months, everyone started opening Korean restaurants. Thanks to that, I had to go through a slightly sad experience for the past six months. ¡°There are more rice cake shops than bakeries.¡± Rice cake shops were recing where London Baguette should be, and traditional Korean confectionery stores were appearing where Tous les Jours should be. Over the past six months, while living as a viin, I had to eat Korean set meals, not Chinese or Japanese cuisine, whenever I had to entertain people. The highlight was the trip I took with the executives of Gyeolsa and the boss, six of us in total. [Let¡¯s try silkie chicken soup!] [Eh? Chairman, are you serious?] [Korean silkie chicken soup! Who¡¯s in favor? Raise your hand!] [It seems Manager Do doesn¡¯t like chicken.] [What? Are you dissing me now?] [Manager. Don¡¯t you like silkie chicken soup? What should we do? Chairman?] [Ah, no, I¡¯ll eat it.] ¡­I never imagined that I would end up eating silkie chicken soup while going to a workshop in a valley with five women. ¡®I don¡¯t mind eating Korean food once or twice, but I want to try something else if I eat it every day.¡¯ You couldn¡¯t always eat kimchi, vegetables, and meat. Searching for the few remaining non-Korean restaurants in the penins was really difficult. But here, on Sejong Ind, it was different. ¡®Is this the street of globalization?¡¯ In one area of the restaurant district on Sejong Ind, which was formed for foreigners visiting Sejong Ind, the gs representing each country fluttered at each restaurant. It felt as if I was looking at the gs of all nations. Seeing the gs from all over the world, I naturally started to wonder which restaurant to enter and what to eat. It was like the feeling of having several masterpiece novels and wondering what to start reading. As all the restaurant owners were at least first-ss, star chef level in their countries, the quality of the food was fully guaranteed. ¡®If I¡¯ve been eating kimchi and bibimbap for a week, I should be able to eat out for a day on the weekend.¡¯ Literally, eating outside. As I pondered where to go, someone was approaching me from afar. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What are you doing here, teacher?¡± ¡°¡­Student Iseon?¡± I met a pink-haired girl in casual clothes, Yoon Iseon. ¡°Did youe to eat lunch by any chance? ¡­Alone?¡± Ah. ¡°Hmm. Then¡­ Would you like to eat with me?¡± Yoon Iseon stretched her hand to me with a yful face. ¡°Buy me a meal, oppa.¡± ¡°¡­¡­A teacher can¡¯t refuse a student¡¯s request.¡± Never. It was not because I was called ¡®oppa¡¯! Chapter 40: Artificial Demons And Natural Demons (3) Chapter 40: Artificial Demons And Natural Demons (3) ¡°It¡¯s unexpected. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯de to a ce like this.¡± ¡°Do you dislike pasta?¡± The ce I chose was a pasta restaurant operated by an Italian-born chef. Fortunately, Yoon Iseon seemed to have no significantints about my choice. ¡°No. I was just thinking men might not like ces like this. Oh, feel free to speak casually. It¡¯s morefortable for me too.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Then that worked for me. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike it. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a bit strange for men toe here together, or it¡¯s quite a bit odd for a man toe here alone.¡± ¡°¡­True. It does usually require some courage for a man toe to eat pasta alone.¡± ¡°Right?¡± It wasmon for a man to walk into a soup restaurant alone, eat soup, and walk out. But pasta felt different. Even though the status of Korean and Western food had reversed, the cultural position upied by Japanese and Western restaurants had not changed. [No matter how popr Korean food is globally, a ce where kimchi soup sshes around is a bit strange for a date.] That was how Japanese restaurants and Western cuisine specialty stores had managed to maintain their pulse so far. Like the increase of foreign restaurants on Sejong Ind, there were also shops directly operated by foreigners or targeting foreigners on the penins. Therefore, the cultural element pasta restaurants possessed¡ª¡®a ce toe with a woman¡¯¡ªhad not disappeared in this world. Fortunately. ¡°Iseon, is it okay if rumors spread that I came out to eat with you like this? It won¡¯t create a scandal, will it?¡± ¡°A scandal? Not at all. I have lunch with so many people while on the student council. Is it a scandal if I have a private meal with a presidential candidate?¡± ¡°¡­It wouldn¡¯t be a romantic scandal, but a political scandal.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Yoon Iseon was a smart woman. She was not only a highly-ranked superpowered individual, but her political acumen was also quite impressive. That was why she had been leading the student council until now, and even as a university student, she had continued to lead it. She would continue to lead the student council in the future. And after she graduated, she would probably go into ¡®politics¡¯. For the advancement of the rights of superpowered individuals. ¡®But she needs to back off.¡¯ Yoon Iseon doesn¡¯t yet know of all the dark sides of the world. She was a woman who lived in an innocent flower garden, knowing nothing about demons or human experiments. She roughly knew that a bloody pit was spread out beneath the flower garden, but she didn¡¯t know how filthy and vicious that pit was. There was no need to enlighten her. ¡°In case a scandal happens, how about this for an excuse? We are conducting a project in coboration with the library at the student council.¡± ¡°A project?¡± ¡°Yes. A book lending project. We¡¯re holding something like a ¡®reviewpetition¡¯ for the books in the library.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that increase your workload?¡± ¡°Not the books in my section. I mean the literary novels in the 800s section.¡± ¡°Ha. Are you passing the work to others? After providing the idea?¡± ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t want to live a busy life. I¡¯m a person who wants to livefortably and long.¡± ¡°You seem like someone who would live a thick, long, and vigorous life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Did I hear that wrong? Was she deliberately saying that to me? If that was the case. I shouldn¡¯t lose. ¡°Of course, I live a thick, long, and vigorous life, but life doesn¡¯t always allow that. Even though I always keep my head up and work facing forward, sometimes I just want to lie down on the bed and rx.¡± ¡°You want to keep living that way, don¡¯t you, teacher?¡± ¡°I only need to lift my head and stand up when someone needs me.¡± ¡°When someone needs you¡­ Such a heroic response. It¡¯s interesting. Hehe.¡± Yoon Iseon lightly toasted her marshmallow over the me. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about what you mentionedst time.¡± ¡°What? Ah, the contract with the demon?¡± ¡°Yes. At first, it sounded like you were telling me to be a viin, but I have now understood the point of your words.¡± After swallowing her marshmallow in one bite, Yoon Iseon stuck her fork vertically into the table. ¡°Even if you have the power of a demon, but your actions are not demonic? If you look like a demon but act more heroically than anyone else, should that be called a demon or a hero?¡± ¡°A hero.¡± I slightly over-toasted my marshmallow in the me. ¡°Even if the appearance is monstrous, if you want to be a hero, you can be a hero. What matters is your mindset and actions.¡± ¡°Not conviction?¡± ¡°Just because you have conviction doesn¡¯t always make you a hero. Like this.¡± I swallowed my marshmallow in one gulp. ¡°This is a marshmallow. But it got burnt. How does it taste? The inside is still sweet, but there are bitter and gritty parts. I expected the sweetness of the marshmallow, but what I actually ate was not that.¡± ¡°You seem to have a tendency to make difficult metaphors, teacher.¡± ¡°If I speak directly, if the actions aren¡¯t heroic, then you¡¯re not a hero.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon fell into thought for a moment. ¡°¡­Like the Goblin?¡± ¡°The Goblin.¡± An objectively difficult subject had popped out. ¡°The Goblin is a viin.¡± ¡°But people sometimes call them ¡®dark heroes¡¯.¡± ¡°What? Nah, that¡¯splete nonsense.¡± Dark hero? Me? How ridiculous. ¡°The Goblin, if they were simply a viin, would just kill. Like what happened on the Gyeongbu Expressway a while ago and also at that restaurant. Ah, I was so scared then.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, I was at that restaurant. I was eating when the attack happened.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m sorry. If I knew, I would have asked how you were sooner.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s lucky just to havee out alive.¡± Since it was an incident where someone actually died. ¡°Anyway, whether the Goblin is a dark hero or whatever, they cannot be called a hero. He¡¯s just a viin who doesn¡¯t hesitate to kill people for his own purpose.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty harsh in your judgment.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I think it¡¯s quite okay.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± What did she just say? ¡°You think the Goblin is okay? Are you defending a viin right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not defending a viin. I¡¯m defending the Goblin.¡± ¡°You¡¯re defending a viin who kills people? That¡¯s a dangerous statement.¡± ¡°Is it? I think what he does is right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Was she joking? Was I just saying this because I am the Goblin? Did she really think what the Goblin did was right? ¡°Those who kill people are sentenced to death. That¡¯s in the eightws of Gojoseon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an ancientw. There are issues with applying it directly to the modern era.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a great help to society to keep imprisoning without killing. Once a viin, always a viin¡­even if not to that extent, I believe those who havemitted evil acts should receive their deserved punishment. The death of a person should be substituted by the death of the perpetrator. That¡¯s what I think.¡± ¡°That¡¯s harsh. Later on, you might inadvertently end up killing a viin.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t kill.¡± Yoon Iseon shrugged her shoulders and smiled slightly. ¡°Heroes arrest viins. And the execution of the death penalty is judged byw. Of course, suppose the viin does not willinglyply with the arrest during the arrest process. In that case, they can be dealt with on the spot, and the hero is not held responsible.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to have such a conversation whileing to eat with student Iseon.¡± ¡°You spoke poorly of the Goblin.¡± Ah. Could it be? ¡°Are you by any chance part of some Goblin fan club or something?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon took out her smartphone and showed a screen that was indescribable. ¡°I¡¯m member number 38 of the Goblin fan club. I¡¯ve been watching his activities since he was in grade C. I know all of the Goblin¡¯s actions so far.¡± Oh. I was in big trouble. She was a Goblin otaku. ¡°Goodness. Is it okay for a student council president to do this against a viin?¡± ¡°Yes. Besides me, there are so many people who like the Goblin. When heroes annoyingly uphold the Miranda principle trying to catch viins, many people cheer at the sight of the Goblin decisively smashing the viins. There are also people who have been saved thanks to the Goblin.¡± ¡°Salvation?¡± ¡°Yes. The rtives of those killed by the viins who the Goblin killed. Something like this. ¡®Thanks for killing on my behalf.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I felt somewhat hollow inside. ¡°I sometimes think like this. If there are devils in this world, they are not those with rampaging superpowers, but those whomit crimes with evil intentions. Among them, those who kill people for reasons others cannot understand.¡± ¡°Understanding¡­ it¡¯s getting moreplicated.¡± ¡°Even if it getsplicated, it¡¯s necessary. It¡¯s better than those who want to indiscriminately conquer the world, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Did she just¡­ Insult¡­ My leader¡¯s dreams? ¡°I can¡¯t just let that go.¡± ¡°¡­You know what we¡¯re talking about, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. You¡¯re talking about the Gyeolsa and the Yi Maemangryang.¡± ¡°Do you really think it would be great if an evil organization ruled the world and made it into one giant nation?¡± ¡°¡­Not necessarily like that. It¡¯s not that. I don¡¯t know what the form would be, but ultimately, isn¡¯t it about showing through actions and results?¡± ¡°Teacher, you¡¯re really interesting. Ah. Are you perhaps one of the Four Kings or a member of Gyeolsa¡¯s guardian team?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, something like that.¡± In the end, Yoon Iseon and I had the same point of agreement, although the subjects were different. ¡°If the outside is a devil, but the inside is a hero, then it can be seen as a hero.¡± ¡°Yes, in that sense, I brought some sketches.¡± ¡°¡­Sketches?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yoon Iseon opened her gallery on her smartphone with a big smile. ¡°I¡¯m nning to use this as my new costume. What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I had one thing to say. ¡°A hot pink Dodjirider?¡± Good Lord, Yi Maemangryang. Chapter 41: Artificial Demons And Natural Demons (4) Chapter 41: Artificial Demons And Natural Demons (4) Hot pink was fine. It was a matter of personal taste for heroes to choose their own color, and this personal preference should not be casually interfered with. [I¡¯d like my costume to be deep dark ck.] [What? Isn¡¯t ck a bit of a viin-like color?] [What did you say? Did you just call my favorite color, ck, a viinous color? Grrr, I¡¯m getting dark!] [No, are you crazy?] Superhumans were like delicate pieces of ss; touch them carelessly, and they tended to darken. So when heroes choose their superpower suits, you shouldn¡¯t casually interject. Hot pink. It was a color that deserved respect. Some people made hero costumes in rainbow colors;pared to that, hot pink was quite a gentleman¡¯s color. ¡°Hot pink. That¡¯s good. The color is clear, and it¡¯s a suit that dangerous people can recognize as a ¡®hero¡¯ even in the dark.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°But not Dodjirider.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s a viin.¡± Hot pink was fine. Light pink was also fine. But Dodjirider was not. ¡°Regardless of Dodjirider¡¯s design, the Goblin is a viin. Which heroes in the world would copy a viin¡¯s costume?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity, teacher. People don¡¯t think that way.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°People felt ¡®cool¡¯ seeing the design of the Goblin, and as a result, everyone, you and I, are creating new hero costumes based on the design of the Goblin.¡± ¡°No.¡± This was nonsense. ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know? It was a hot issue within the past week.¡± ¡°I was working in the basement of the library, reading books. I wasn¡¯t interested in that. It wasn¡¯t even on the news, was it?¡± ¡°There was a very active discussion in the student-onlymunity. Especially among male students. ¡®A man can¡¯t help but look at this¡¯ and so on.¡± I understood. Because it stimted the sentiments of that era while being transformed into a design that didn¡¯t feel outdated even in 2025. Did it undergo excessive variation to shed its existing design? No. Was it a design that made the viewerugh to maintain a certain concept too simple? No. Did it give a sense of disgust to those who saw it for the first time, like, ¡®Damn, what is that?¡¯? That, too, No. Every man carried a transformed hero in his heart at least once, and I had actually transformed in that way. ¡°Sejong Academy looks like a viin¡¯s version of it now. Can you believe it? How can they design and wear a viin¡¯s costume in an educational environment?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a viin¡¯s costume. It¡¯s a hero¡¯s costume fighting against alien monsters and demons from space. Mixed with a slight mechanical vibe.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± I was astounded by all the designs Yoon Iseon showed me. ¡°Didn¡¯t thise out before we were even born?¡± ¡°Yes. Right in 2000, before the world went into turmoil, it was a typical Korean hero that caused a sensation.¡± Almost no one would know this. If they knew this, they would be the perfect targets to be teased by young friends like, ¡®What is that, oldie?¡¯ ¡°Earth Warrior.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I get that it¡¯s a Korean special effects work. But is it really okay for everyone to follow this? Don¡¯t these superhumans have any sense of shame?¡± ¡°More important than shame is ¡®cool¡¯. Isn¡¯t it more important for a hero to look cool? No matter how skilled a hero is, they won¡¯t be popr if the costume is a failure.¡± That was the undeniable truth. ¡°If the appearance is a failure, you can¡¯t be popr as a hero. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°True.¡± Even if one was a powerful hero, even if they were an S-rank hero, which was rare in the world, if their appearance failed, their poprity also fell. [Would you call me Mosquito Man?] [How can you attach ¡®mosquito¡¯ to an S-rank hero! There¡¯s something suitable like ¡®wolf¡¯ or ¡®killer whale¡¯!] [But due to his fascination with mosquitoes¡­.] Let me say it again, superhumans were as delicate as ss. [What? Insulting mosquitoes? I can tolerate insults about me, but I can¡¯t tolerate insults about mosquitoes! Apologize for that!] [Damn it, I don¡¯t know about anything else, but not mosquitoes! There¡¯s no one in the world who likes mosquitoes! Even if you make a cool concept based on a cockroach, it would at least be unique! I said no mosquitoes!] [Insulting mosquitoes, unforgivable! I will reverse the rotten mental state of all those in the world who hate mosquitoes until they like them!] [That¡¯s because you¡¯re crazy! Whether an S-rank turns evil or not, I must say what must be said!] Such things happen all over the world. In cases where other superhumans, adults, and ordinary people could not ept the appearance that the hero was pursuing. [Bring it on! The cool Mosquito Man! If the design doesn¡¯t suit me, I¡¯ll leave this country!] [Where will you go?] [Until a country that epts Mosquito Manes along!] [Damn it, let¡¯s do it! Let¡¯s see how the world epts Mosquito Man!!] Although I gave an extreme example, the Dodjirider was simr to the case of Mosquito Man. ¡°Yoon Iseon, I definitely said that even if the form known to the world is a demon or a monster, if its actions are righteous, then it¡¯s a hero.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Suppose, for example, Yoon Iseon, you transform into¡­something like a nine-tailed fox. However, instead of the fox stealing people¡¯s livers, it extracts the viin¡¯s magic power in a very special way and stores it somewhere like a bead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Would you exin in detail?¡± Yoon Iseon¡¯s pupils started to twinkle. Judging by the fact that she seemed to be outright spoiling the direction of her power development, not just her future costume, Yoon Iseon definitely showed considerable interest. ¡°Like this, for instance. A nine-tailed fox wearing a Hanbok carrying an energy bead like the orb of a prophet. From it, fox fire is spewed, and in closebat, she swings ws made of magic power and whips her nine tails like a whip, and fox fireflies out from each tail to attack enemies.¡± ¡°¡­Wearing Hanbok?¡± ¡°Yes. Eventually transforming into a full-fledged nine-tailed fox. Ah, is this too much?¡± Yoon Iseon¡¯s ultimate form would be a tall, beautiful woman with a bnced physique. ¡°You could go with the concept of absorbing the opponent¡¯s magic power. Wearing a hot pink Hanbok.¡± Rather than recklessly turning a hero into some massive beast, it was better to leave some room here. ¡°But it¡¯s not the Goblin.¡± A legendary hero, Super Ranger, Power Force, Masked Rider; such concepts weren¡¯t for the nine-tailed fox, they weren¡¯t Yoon Iseon¡¯s! ¡°Making it look like the Goblin could easily turn into endorsing the Goblin.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m pro-Goblin.¡± Damn. The conversation was repeating itself. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s say you be something simr to a Hot Pink Dodjirider, a Pink Rider. Would the public gaze be able to bear it?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re overlooking something, teacher. The Goblin, as a person, has enough poprity to have a fan club, not only in Korea but globally.¡± ¡°Even though he¡¯s a viin?¡± ¡°That¡¯s from the perspective of the state. Though indeed a member of the criminal organization, the Goblin has notmitted any crime except executing viins.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She was right. As aw-abiding citizen, I had not recklessly used my powers or revealed my identity at any moment except when executing viins. ¡°When viins run rampant, he steps forward to deal with them, ensuring that there are no civilian casualties, and gives people a sense of vicarious satisfaction by executing viins in a way that the heroes can¡¯t.¡± I was screwed. The persuasion wasn¡¯t working at all. ¡°Everyone knows that the Goblin¡¯s actions are criminal. Even the Goblin fan club doesn¡¯t deny that his execution of viins is not a ¡®crime¡¯. But everyone is enthusiastic because his actions provide vicarious satisfaction, catharsis.¡± ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is¡­¡± ¡°Because he refreshingly kills viins, everyone has fallen for him. Wasn¡¯t it a huge trend when the Goblin first appeared in a suit behind a mask?¡± ¡°Is that really so?¡± ¡°Yes. It was brief, and the suit gave off an ordinary vibe, so everyone was slightly disappointed. But this time, it¡¯s different. With just a few modifications, a change in color and design, he could easily be seen as a ¡®hero¡¯.¡± Previously, the public opinion on the Goblin was favorable, and now he has appeared with apletely new and cool outward appearance? ¡°The Goblin messed up.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°By transforming into a strange form, he bewitched the people.¡± I never thought his confident transformation would cause such a Goblin craze. ¡°This is difficult, really.¡± ¡°Right? The people are passionate¡­¡± Suddenly Yoon Iseon and I froze. ¡°Iseon, students are not the only ones who are passionate.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s an insult to the Goblin.¡± The drama on the TV in the restaurant suddenly switched to a live broadcast. [This is Saerogu Square! A monster resembling the ¡®Goblin¡¯ is running wild right now! The viin seems to have transformed into that form due to a desire to mimic the Goblin and is currently being called by the codename ¡®Doppelganger¡¯!] ¡°Of course.¡± Yoon Iseon rose from her seat with a smug grin. ¡°Superstars make both heroes and viins go crazy.¡± Was that the right phrase to use in this situation¡­? ¡°Teacher. I need to go somewhere.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going there, are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nearby, and my thoughts have changed after listening to you.¡± A tiny pink me sparked from the tips of Yoon Iseon¡¯s fingers. ¡°Would you like to witness the new transformation of the student council president?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not a rider, is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon just smiled with her eyes curved like a crescent moon. Chapter 42: Villains Have No Rights (1) Chapter 42: Viins Have No Rights (1) I was bbergasted. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but I had this feeling as if I made a mistake. ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯ As I followed Yoon Iseon, I med myself for my actions. ¡®I should¡¯ve never transformed to go with the flow!¡¯ By unnecessarily doing a secondary transformation, I ended up creating a strange atmosphere among the people. [Currently, we live in the era of the great riders.] ¡®Don¡¯t do that!¡¯ The mentality of the students I understood through Yoon Iseon, who was all obsessed with characters from past tokusatsu films. The most obsessive ones were¡­ Beep, beep! A horn sounded from behind us. ¡°What¡¯s that noise?¡± ¡°Teacher! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± As I turned my head back, Yoon Iseon grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards her. Vroom! The something that passed by with a gust of wind was undoubtedly a motorcycle. Not a bicycle, nor a scooter, but a motorcycle spewing exhaust fumes. ¡°Sorry! In a hurry!¡± And on that motorcycle was a Dodjirider with something fluttering behind them like a cape. ¡°Is that¡­ an insect?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a stag beetle, to be precise.¡± The Dodjirider, who seemed to have an insect motif, continued to ride his motorcycle while donning a steel suit. It was absurd to see him rushing forward after just leaving a word of apology, and it was even more absurd because this was supposed to bring down the runaway, rampant superpowered humans. ¡®There¡¯s a reason why heroes are condemned in Western media.¡¯ Among the heroes, there was one who could run extremely fast. For some reason, he sprinted at an incredibly high speed, and due to the aftermath of that speed and impact, pedestrians on the street vanished without leaving a trace, not even dust. They ended up dying, crushed into a pulp, worse than being hit by a train. A simr situation almost happened just now. ¡°Were you very scared? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Because of me¡­¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not. You saved me. Plus, evacuating civilians is part of a staff member¡¯s job.¡± The staff members of Sejong Academy had a duty to do their utmost in protecting and safeguarding the vulnerable when a viin appeared, or students ran amok. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to impose disciplinary action on that student through the student councilter.¡± ¡°That would¡­ I would appreciate that.¡± Vroom. As Iposed myself and tried to move forward again, the sound of a motorcycle echoed from behind. ¡°Woah!¡± This time, a young man on a bicycle, wearing a motorcycle helmet, pedaled hard and passed by. His speed wasn¡¯t that fast, but it certainly felt faster than a car driving in the city. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a bike license, so he¡¯s using a bicycle¡­?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be just that.¡± As Yoon Iseon pointed behind us, there were five ability users dressed in matching colorsing in a row. ¡°What are you guys doing now?¡± ¡°We!¡± ¡°Are here to!¡± ¡°Protect the country!¡± ¡°Protect!¡± ¡°Patriots of!¡± ¡°¡±¡°¡° ¡°The O-Ban Special Squad!!¡± ¡°¡±¡°¡° These individuals, each dressed in red, blue, yellow, white, and ck, wore helmets simr to mine and sprinted forward in body-tight tights. ¡°Could it be that this is also influenced by the Goblin?¡± ¡°Yes. Everyone was influenced after seeing the Goblin.¡± ¡°Goodness.¡± I didn¡¯t expect my actions to lead to such a result. ¡®I apologize, world. I have unleashed poison upon this nation.¡¯ I casually suggested to Yumir to transform her armor into a new form, and this incident happened. ¡®Horrible.¡¯ Beyond feeling a chill running down my spine, I felt like I should apologize to the nation as the cause of this incident. ¡°Student Iseon. Are you also going to transform like that? Huh?¡± ¡°How can I transform straight away? I don¡¯t have a suit.¡± ¡°Well, of course¡­¡± Whoops. For a moment, I almost revealed the Goblin¡¯s top secret, ¡®the mana suit¡¯. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t heroes always wear suits underneath their clothes?¡± ¡°Some people do, but I don¡¯t. Unfortunately.¡± ¡°Then¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to check out the scene. It¡¯s not a job for the student council but as a hero.¡± What a beautiful mindset. It was not for nothing that she had been leading students as the student council president at Sejong Ind for years. She already had sufficient qualities as a hero. Of course, aside from possessing the posture of a hero, I didn¡¯t think she should be the hot pink Dodjirider. ¡°President!!¡± A running male student with sses appeared from the opposite side of the alley. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. What brought you here?¡± ¡°You said you were going to eat nearby, so I rushed over! ¡­And who is this next to you?¡± ¡°This is Teacher Do. They¡¯re a librarian working at the library.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them before¡­.¡± ¡°They¡¯re in Basement Level 2.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± This cheeky fellow gave me a ¡®well then¡¯ look. ¡°President, I have already contacted the police. You don¡¯t need to step in.¡± The vice president, who could be described as your average sses-wearing guy that one might find in every ss, blocked our path. ¡°The police will handle such Goblin imitations. You don¡¯t need to step in, President. For now-¡± ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± Yoon Iseon pushed the vice president aside. ¡°You¡¯re saying we just wait for the public authority to solve the situation when a monster threatening public safety appears, and that monster is a student of the academy? That¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°President!¡± ¡°I am going. Not as a member of the student council, but as an aspiring hero.¡± Yoon Iseon firmly rejected the vice president¡¯s attempts to stop her. ¡°Teacher, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°Hold on, why are you¡­?!¡± ¡°You?¡± As I was about to rush forward, I pointed at his Taegeuk Watch andughed at the vice president. [Emergency. All school staff should do their utmost for student evacuation. Prompt support, ording to the manual, is required.] ¡°The deployment of school staff to the scene of an ident is the duty of the staff, the ¡®adults¡¯. Kid.¡± ¡°Kuh¡­?!¡± After telling the vice president about the duty of an adult, I immediately ran after Yoon Iseon. ¡°Adult¡­it has a nice ring to it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Iseon, as a university student, an adult too?¡± ¡°From the outside, college students are considered adults. However, the world doesn¡¯t yet see ability users that way.¡± Just as Yoon Iseon said, the world still saw ability users not quite as children but as wandering adolescents. That made sense. Even if the oldest was born in 2000, if you thought about it as just 25 years, they would be just out of college, doing the role of the youngest in society. ¡°Still, when I see them like that, I feel they are quite young.¡± Now bing adults, or even adults themselves, they were captivated by that indescribable special effects spectacle- Krrraaaaaaaang! A loud noise echoed from behind. Wondering what the noise was, I turned my head back, and there- ¡°Excuse me! Please move!!¡± A heap of scrap metal measuring up to 2.5 meters in length was walking. It was not just any scrap metal; it was the Mechateranodon running on two feet from the movie I saw not too long ago. And there was definitely a person inside the Mechateranodon. ¡°What the heck is that¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a masterpiece created by the Engineering Club students. They burn through a lot of student council funds, but they produce results like this.¡± Thud, thud, thud! The Mechateranodon was running ahead of us. Although its speed couldn¡¯t match a bike or a running person, the sight of Mechateranodon running forward without destroying the road was certainly something to be-. ¡°¡­It feels like I know what it is.¡± I think I somewhat understood why they were fascinated by the Goblin. To me, their appearance was a form of madness, but to put that madness in other words- ¡°That¡¯s a form of romance to the students.¡± ¡°Romance, huh.¡± Literally, romance. Bing the hero of the content I was impressed with when I was young or that I watched most passionately. That was indeed the secret for ability users to truly be strong, and pursuing romance can be said to be an inspiration to be a hero. ¡°We thought again after seeing the appearance of the Goblin. Who is the real devil? Who is the viin? Just because the outward appearance is that of a viin, can we call it a viin just because it takes on that appearance?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± While running again with Yoon Iseon, I understood their feelings. Yeah. That was how it would feel. When a science teacher appeared in a pro-level game and performed a pentakill, I also wanted to try being a science teacher once. That kind of feeling. ¡®Let¡¯s think positively.¡¯ After all, I just mixed the designs from the original world freely to create mine. ¡®When they start wearing suits, they¡¯ll all be safe, so let¡¯s think positively.¡¯ The national fever, no, the current ¡®Dodji fever¡¯ rampant in Sejong Ind, was just a temporary phenomenon. Everyone just got temporarily immersed after seeing the appearance of the Dodjirider, and they would take on a different appearance when some other S-grade hero or viin appeared. Just like when Dalgona coffee became a trend, and Dalgonattes started spreading in cafes nationwide, it was just a temporary trend. Then¡­ ¡°Student Iseon, are you going to transform¡­following the romance?¡± ¡°Depending on the situation.¡± We arrived at the scene. Several transformed heroes were already confronting the rampaging viin, and to be honest, Yoon Iseon stepping in could be seen as overkill. ¡°What¡¯s the viin¡¯s goal¡­?¡± ¡°Muahahaha! Now, this form is mine!!¡± The monster, who looked like a palette-swapped (red) version of Dodjirider that was simr to my transformed form, shouted with madness. ¡°Now, no one can copy this form! Why?! Because¡­!¡± That monster. ¡°I am the copyright holder and the patent holder of this design!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Insane.¡± Such a dreadful viin. ¡°From now on, this design is not the Dodjirider that everyone talks about! It belongs to me, Yook Gibong!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Wait a minute. No way. ¡°From now on, everyone will call this design ¡®Gibong Rider¡¯! Anyone who wants to have this design¡¯s costume should pay the copyright fee to me, Yook Gibong! Anyone who doesn¡¯t¡­is giarizing!¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense! That¡¯s Dodjirider! It¡¯s the Goblin¡¯s!¡± ¡°Goblin? Ahh, that guy?¡± Yuk Gibong spread his arms in the form of the Dodjirider. ¡°Do viins have human rights? If they don¡¯t have human rights, naturally, they don¡¯t have any other rights either. Let me ask you. Do viins¡­have copyrights?¡± Flutter. ¡°I¡¯ve alreadypleted the copyright registration! Faster than anyone! I¡¯ve evenpleted reporting to the Patent Office; only the patent review is left! Today, five minutes from now! The moment the patent review ispleted! You guys won¡¯t be Dodjiriders¡­!¡± Yook Gibong, with mana even fluttering his cloak, took a convincing stance. ¡°You¡¯ll be ¡®Gibong Riders¡¯! Muahahaha!!¡± Ah. I wanted to transform. Chapter 43: Villains Have No Rights (2) Chapter 43: Viins Have No Rights (2) The term ¡®viin¡¯ was really used in various ways in our everyday life. While it was generally used to describe those who harmed social norms, in this world, it naturally referred to the ¡®viins who need to be arrested.¡¯ Then what was the criterion for judging someone as a viin? Inflicting injury on someone. Damaging someone¡¯s property. Committing anti-nation crimes that threatened public order and civilian safety. Those whomitted actions we could clearly call ¡®crimes¡¯ in our everyday life without hesitation could be called viins. Then. Could we call someone a viin for indiscriminately making a fuss in a public ce like this? [Ah. I¡¯m warning you. Yook Gibong. If you don¡¯t want to get arrested for noise pollution, stop it now.] An ability user dressed in a police uniform warned Yook Gibong through the microphone. ¡°Yeah, what can you do about it! Can¡¯t arrest me, can you? I¡¯m just a regr citizen, right? Just loudly talking in the square, right?¡± [Do you know that noise pollution is a crime too?!] ¡°So what? It¡¯s a minor offense, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m not guilty of anything, right? If you arrest me, you¡¯re arresting an ability user, right? And right now¡­ I¡¯m ¡®testing my ability¡¯?¡± He reached out his hands left and right, even hip-thrusting, and mocked the gathered crowd while performing an obviously angry dance. ¡°Too bad! This country¡¯s judicial system, this Sejong Ind¡¯s judicial system, can¡¯t touch me! I¡¯m Korean, an ability user! And on top of that¡­ a minor under 17!!¡± ¡°¡­Triple Crown, huh.¡± The most horrificbination of three elements in the world. Of course, among those with these three elementsbined, normal children were growing up in a new country, but this ¡®Juvenile Law Jam¡¯ was an exception. The standards of modern Juvenile Law and this world werepletely different. In the case of ordinary humans, the age criterion for a juvenile offender was no different from Korea before my possession. Still, the ability users of this world received a kind of special treatment that was not exactly special treatment. [Ability users are very special individuals. Such special individuals go out of control because their environment fails to support them. Could it be that they go on a rampage like this because our society still has different standards for epting ability users?] ording to such sentiments, ability users were treated rtively ¡®lightly¡¯ under thew until they became adults. They needed to inflict a near-fatal injury on someone. Ormitted property damage on the level of wrecking someone¡¯s car or house. ¡°What are you going to do, South Korea! Are you going to arrest me, a future B-grade ability user, over such amotion? Yeah, go ahead, arrest me~! I can just emigrate!¡± ¡°Damn¡­.¡± Other students, faculty, and even those who came to arrest him couldn¡¯t approach recklessly. If they recklessly overpowered him, and he really caused an uproar about emigrating? [So and so provoked an ability user, and that person sought refuge in Japan!] [No matter what, if they¡¯re not a violent criminal, they should be guided within Korea. What if they use excessive force to the point of making them flee the country?! Do you want to write a letter of apology?!] In the end, the good ones bore the responsibility. So right now, nobody could recklessly suppress that not-viin who was like a viin. In other words¡­ Even if they were a viin who deserved immediate execution for their behavior or inherent nature, legally, they were not a viin. ¡®If it were the Goblin, I would smash him right away with my bat.¡¯ Just as I was preparing to do so, a group came along, making it a bit awkward to transform. ¡°This is bad. That guy, he¡¯s quite crafty.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s just showing off his suit, the basis for arrest is quitecking.¡± Yoon Iseon was biting her nails and grinding her teeth. ¡°Honestly, a disturbance of that level won¡¯t even qualify for disciplinary action if you consider it closely. It¡¯s even less than when ordinary people get drunk and cause a fuss.¡± ¡°¡­Because he¡¯s an ability user?¡± ¡°Yes. Because he¡¯s an ability user. Ability users tend to go on a rampage when they find themselves in even slightly unfavorable situations.¡± I have said it many times, but ability users were as fragile as ss. The problem was that these ss-like characters didn¡¯t stay still and caused idents while wandering around dangerous ces. ces where they could easily break. ¡°I did well toe.¡± ¡°Student Iseon, what do you n to do? Will you step forward?¡± ¡°I should step forward in such situations.¡± Yoon Iseon lightly tapped her chest and pointed forward. ¡°Because I am the student council president.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oh.¡± While thew could take measures against that underage ability user, the student council was a different story. ¡°Junior Yook Gibong?¡± Yoon Iseon stepped forward. ¡°Keck, president¡­?!¡± Yook Gibong, who was spreadingughter and striking all kinds of poses, took a step back as soon as he recognized Yoon Iseon. ¡°What, what?! Got anyints?! I am currently promoting the ¡®hero suit¡¯!¡± ¡°Do you call what you¡¯re doing now a promotion?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yook Gibong removed his helmet. He was a somewhat fox-like character, a bit improper to say of a person, but he had a cheeky-looking face. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a promotion?¡± ¡°Ha¡­! It¡¯s a legitimate advertisement! What I¡¯m doing now is the same as a truck dealer talking about selling suits over a loudspeaker!¡± ¡°Is that the same as this?¡± ¡°Yes! They¡¯re the same! It¡¯s advertising to people for me to make money in the future!¡± He was unflinchingly confident. ¡°Is that so? But that¡¯s unfortunate. There has been aint to the student council. Aint that they can¡¯t ¡®study¡¯ because of you.¡± ¡°Kruck¡­?!¡± ¡°Anyone can advertise, but if it turns into ¡®noise pollution¡¯, wouldn¡¯t that be a different story?¡± ¡°Who studies on Sundays¡­!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that carelessly. Among these ability users, there are also third-year high school students.¡± A sad story among many. Ability users also had to take the college schstic ability test. No matter how much the world changed, the college entrance exam remained the same, so ability users had to take the test under strict supervision. There were no shortcuts. The only thing that worked was the study you umted. ¡°You might not know because you don¡¯t study on Sundays, but for third-year high school students, Sunday is just a day to study without going to school.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that! And, even if it¡¯s noise pollution, I can¡¯t stop! Haha, you guys can¡¯t do that anymore!¡± Yook Gibongughed and waved his stick in all directions. ¡°You all have to pay me money! If you don¡¯t pay royalties for the design, I¡¯ll file copyright ims and sue you all! Euahaha!¡± The way he talked, it didn¡¯t seem like it was something he came up with alone. ¡°You¡­.¡± While Yoon Iseon was directly confronting Yook Gibong, I momentarily stepped back into the crowd and surveyed the surroundings. ¡®It¡¯s clear that someone at the scene is the one egging him on.¡¯ There were trashy adults. Someone who had used Yook Gibong as a promotion tool, nted wild ideas about patent rights, and promised him vast sums of money. It wouldn¡¯t be something that could be surveilled by something like CCTV from afar. They were definitely on the scene. ¡°¡­¡­Hello? Ah, Assistant Joo.¡± [You said you were going out for dinner? Oh my, sounds like you¡¯re at the scene?] ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m on the scene. Have you been watching the news?¡± Assistant Joo grasped the situation as soon as she answered my call. ¡°Can you investigate what¡¯s going on?¡± [As soon as the news broke, I checked, and it seems like the actual name isn¡¯t Gibong Rider or something. It¡¯s called a ¡®Battle Power Suit for Ability Users¡¯. The official name is¡­ ¡®Haegneul¡¯.] ¡°¡­Haegneul?¡± I immediately turned my head. [Haegneul24], [Haegneul Cafe], [Haegneul Chinese Restaurant], [Haegneul Tel], [Haegneul PC Room]. All around the square, the word ¡®Haegneul¡¯ was stered everywhere. From convenience stores, cafes, Chinese restaurants, and tel agencies to PC rooms, the supergiant corporation that spanned all sorts of sectors was ¡®Haegneul¡¯. Thepany that made the Taeguk Watch was the same. ¡°No way.¡± [It¡¯s a major corporation¡¯s excess. They¡¯re attempting to register copyrights under the name ¡®Haegneul¡¯, and among the dozens of designs, they included your suit¡¯s look.] ¡°Indeed. I didn¡¯t think a kid would draw so much attention on such arge scale.¡± If a superrge corporation was involved, then all the pieces fit together. When that little kid was being boastful, if he said, ¡®I have Haegneul behind me!¡¯, not only me but anyone would think, ¡®Well, that makes sense¡¯. ¡®This is a bit tricky.¡¯ Haegneul was a major corporation with no connection to our organization. Rather than being pure, they were entities thatunched all sorts of businesses that targeted ability users and scraped together all sorts of money using them. ording to the rumors that were circting, there were stories about them secretly contacting ability users who hadpletedpulsory education or graduated from high school, trying to create their own PMC. They actually revealed themselves like breadcrumbs in thetter part of the original novel. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Should I reveal my transformation? I had made plenty of ways to handle the situation after the transformation, but in this situation, if the Goblin popped out again¡­ ¡°Junior Gibong, people are being swayed. If you keep causing this ruckus in that form, do you think people will follow your lead and make suits?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡®I might not need to step forward.¡¯ Fortunately, Yoon Iseon was persuading Yook Gibong with her words. ¡°If I were you, Junior Gibong, I think it would be better to leave a deep impression on people by showing them your good deeds or showing them you defeating viins.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that whatpanies call image-making?¡± Could Yoon Iseon have realized Haegneul was behind him as soon as she saw that? ¡®Or she might just be prodding him.¡¯ Whether she knew it or not, Yook Gibong was clearly being swayed. ¡°Okay. Yook Gibong. Disengage your power, and let¡¯s go to the ¡®Academy¡¯. Before the police or adults interrogate you, the student council will stand up for you.¡± ¡°What about my Gibong Rider suit¡­?¡± ¡°¡­As the student council, we¡¯ll do our best.¡± Yoon Iseon offered him her favor. ¡®If he rejects the favor, the Goblin will appear right away. Please, reject it.¡¯ No matter how much of a troublemaker he was, the student council said they would protect him. ¡°Then¡­ For today, that¡¯s it. Hehehe, the student council, indeed. Working for the rights of students¡­ Huh?¡± But¡­ As always, whenever things started to go well, idents happened. ¡°What is this? How could¡­? This doesn¡¯t make any sense. This can¡¯t be happening.¡± ¡°¡­ What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± ¡°The patent¡­.¡± Yook Gibong¡¯s face was twisted like a real goblin. ¡°The patent was canceled¡­?! And it¡¯s international giarism?!¡± By the way¡­ Our organization, Yi Maemangryang, was a global organization. Beep. A message arrived. [Vo?] ¡°¡­¡­As expected, Chairwoman.¡± Chapter 44: Villains Have No Rights (3) Chapter 44: Viins Have No Rights (3) At that moment, on the top floor of a building in Busan, in Haegneul¡¯s chairman¡¯s office. ¡°How could the Goblin¡¯s patent application fail?! What does that mean!!¡± A short old man with a bald head raised his voice. At his outcry, all the men in suits¡ªthepany¡¯s directors¡ªlowered their heads, each looking at someone else. ¡°Executive Kim! You exin! You¡¯re in charge of this!¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve checked all the domestic patents. We reviewed records from year 00 to 25, 24 hours a day, and we also checked all the previous data.¡± ¡°Then why did the patent office reject it for giarism!!¡± ¡°¡­There was Goblin-rted material in the US.¡± Executive Kim, sweating coldly, manipted his Taeguk Watch, and soon an English report appeared on the screen hanging in the chairman¡¯s office. ¡°As you can see, apany in the United States made the following submission about the hero costume design. This was inte 2024, about 4 months ago, just before Christmas.¡± ¡°So, the US uploaded that design first?¡± ¡°Yes. Our branch in the US is checking, but we¡¯re also looking into whether thepany that posted this patent has a close rtionship with the Goblin. However, the likelihood is low¡­ they¡¯ve patented about 30 designs that look somewhat simr to the Goblin¡¯s second form, ¡®Dodjirider¡¯.¡± ¡°So, one of those was identical to Goblin¡¯s?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly the same, but it¡¯s quite simr. My personal opinion is that it seems like they looked at Goblin¡¯s appearance and made a simr one¡­¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± The chairman of Haegneul spat out an expletive and sank into his chair. ¡°Cancel everything rted to the Goblin merchandise! Everything from figures, stickers to moving toys!¡± ¡°Well, the stic model is already molded¡­¡± ¡°Get rid of it! What¡¯s the point of selling it if the patent doesn¡¯te out! Even we can¡¯t sell something that isn¡¯t officially licensed!!¡± You couldn¡¯t make and sell something based on a viin¡¯s data. If you did, you would get criticized for having some kind of rtionship with the viin¡¯s organization. Or if the viinmitted a huge crime¡ªlike murder¡ªall the products that were marketed using that viin as a concept would be trash. So they tried to secure the patent rights first as Haegneul, in the same way as through Haegneul Rider, but it fell apart from the first step. ¡°Damn it, how are Hwansung, Cellgy, and Daeyu doing?!¡± ¡°They were slower than us, but they were also collecting relevant data and preparing for patent applications. Hwansung filed for a patent review the day before yesterday.¡± ¡°They should get rejected too. If we didn¡¯t pass, they naturally won¡¯t either. Damn, there aren¡¯t any Goblin fanatics holding high positions in this country; how are they checking patent data, even from overseas? Damn it.¡± The chairman tore at his hair and ground his teeth. ¡°Find out the names of the patent reviewers. We need to know why they rejected the patent. The guys who were letting other foreign heroes and viins get patents freely, I need to find out why they¡¯re so sensitive about the Goblin! Executive Kim, you¡¯re responsible for finding out!!¡± ¡°Yes, yes! I will secure the list of the responsible persons and find out why they rejected the patent! Whether it¡¯s simply because it¡¯s simr to the foreign patent or if there¡¯s some connection with the Goblin!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it! You must find out!¡± ¡°Chairman, what will you do with the kid?¡± ¡°Kid? Ahh, you mean that reckless boy who only trusts his ability?¡± The chairman manipted his Taeguk Watch and yed a video. In the center of a video that was filming somece in real-time was a boy hesitating, Yook Gibong. ¡°He needs to learn the harsh reality. Fire him.¡± There was not a shred of mercy in the chairman¡¯s eyes. ¡°Talking about being the Gibong Rider. Tsk.¡± ¡°Chairman, if he goes on a rampage¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Sejong Ind over there? And this is Busan. Ah, it would be great for us if he goes on a rampage and bes a ¡®real¡¯ viin. The heroes will take care of it.¡± A momentter. ¡°Or it would be nice if the real Goblin came out to handle it.¡± In the video, Yook Gibong began to ¡®rampage.¡¯ They had already anticipated the appearance of a Goblin knock-off. Why did they anticipate this? Because ever since I first appeared and gained poprity, my default look, as one might call it, was already giarized. A ck suit. A goblin¡¯s mask. A hat that makes me look like a British gentleman. Gold eyes glowing from under a mask. It was simply the figure of a weirdo wearing a regr suit. Still, they giarized it as they wished, taking the design and dubbing it ¡®Hero Goblin¡¯ or ¡®Wild Goblin.¡¯ Even a famous men¡¯s suit brand overseas parodied me as their advertising concept. Of course, not a penny came my way in advertising fees, licenses, or modeling costs. After my transformation into Dodjirider. I had a consultation with the Chairwoman about this matter. After reviewing various aspects of my design, she filed it for international patents. [One day is more than enough. No, even a day is too much. I¡¯ll handle it in an hour.] [Is that possible?] [It¡¯s me, after all.] Are you saying that this should be legally impossible because Gyeolsa was a viin organization? Just like Haegneul, we brought in a symbol that no one could casually dismiss and filed for a patent. [Thank you, chairman. Our Fahrenheit family will not forget your support.] Just as Haegneul had inserted a Goblin design among various designs, we teamed up with a powerful American family and presented our design as viins. Those in Korea probably didn¡¯t know. People wouldn¡¯t know that the design they called ¡®Dodjirider¡¯ had already been filed for a patent in the United States. Haegneul must have also been blindsided. Upon discovering that the reason for the patent application rejection was because a Goblin design was already registered in America, all these viins in Korea, including Haegneul, couldn¡¯t help but think, [Could it be, is the Goblin an American?] In reality, I was a native Korean who couldn¡¯t even speak English, but those trying to steal my design were caught in the Chairwoman¡¯s trap and failed to achieve their desires. In other words. ¡°Unfortunately, a knock-off like the Gibong Rider cannot exist in this world.¡± The patent failed. The delusion of Yook Gibong to suck money using the Goblin¡¯s design, and Haegneul¡¯s ambition to use an immature high school student using the lure of fame and money and likewise hoard wealth, all came to an end. The problem was. ¡°Th-this can¡¯t be¡­! I¡¯ve been rejected? Ugh, these wretched people¡­!! No, I am the Rider! I have to be the ¡®first¡¯ Rider¡­!!¡± They were clearly the ones whomitted the mistake, but they refused to acknowledge their wrongs. They were now running amok at their own discretion. ¡°Kaaaaah!!¡± A massive amount of mana started bursting out from Yook Gibong¡¯s body. The mana created a wind that blew away the people around him. Crash! ¡°Aaaahh!!¡± The pressure caused by the mana broke the windows, and people fell through them. ¡°There are casualties! We now designate Yook Gibong as the viin ¡®Doppelg?nger¡¯!¡± As the police shouted into the radio, a viin alert began ringing on everyone¡¯s Taeguk Watch. It was amusing to designate Yook Gibong as a viin only after clear casualties urred, but the policeman¡¯s words were not incorrect. Click. I covered my Taeguk Watch with my hand and turned off the viin alert. In the meantime, Yook Gibong, or rather Doppelg?nger¡¯s appearance began to slowly change. [I must, I must be the first Rider¡­! I must be the first Rider¡­!] He began to run amok. He began to be tainted with madness. He tried to vent his rage over what he could not obtain into a desire for destruction. He was not forced to fall by the alien mana located under the ground of this Sejong Ind. ¡°Everyone, take cover!!¡± I issued instructions to the people ording to the manual. Yoon Iseon momentarily turned her head towards me, and I nodded at her strongly as I ran away with the people. The clear rampage of a superhuman. Until a moment ago, even the non-superhuman staff and ordinary people had to step forward to support the scene, but in a situation where a superhuman was clearly running amok, even the staff would be powerless. ¡°Get a hold of yourself, Junior Yook Gibong!!¡± ¡°Chairman! It¡¯s toote! He¡¯s already a viin! He¡¯s the one who had the sprout to be a viin from the start!¡± ¡°We have to persuade him somehow! It¡¯s not toote yet! If we can persuade the viin, the devil, before he bes one¡­!¡± [Kahahahaha!!] It was toote. Before the hero could persuade him, Yook Gibong had already be not Gibong Rider but ¡®Gibong Monster¡¯. [The world oppresses me! I am the real Rider! I am the first! Given this, I will attack the Patent Office!!] Or, the devil Yook Gibong. ¡®He¡¯s gone crazy to the point where words can¡¯t reach him. Or maybe. He¡¯s lost in his own world where themon sense of the world doesn¡¯t apply.¡¯ Sadly enough, he was just seized by madness. ¡®The surrounding situation is sufficient.¡¯ I was. A foreigner. Not a person of this world. No one knew me. At the moment I thought this, it felt as if the world had stopped. In this quieted world, neither the fleeing ones nor the confused ones could recognize me. As if there was no such existence as me in this ce. I went straight into an alley where there were no people, a ce without any CCTV cameras. A ce where no one would see. After quickly taking off my clothes, if I transformed and then took care of them- [Kaaaaaaa!!] The monstrous scream of a rampaging Yook Gibong. He sent out sound waves in all directions, and due to the sound waves, a utility pole started to crack at the waist and fall down. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous!!¡± I could see. Yoon Iseon was rushing towards a child who was under the utility pole, spewing out a tail-like mana trail from her back. [I am, I am the true Rider!!!] Suddenly. She tried to take the child and evacuate, but a big ssh of red blood appeared around her ankle due to the mana wave that flew from behind her. ¡°!!¡± Yoon Iseon stopped in her tracks. Pushing away the child she was holding, she fell forward. The utility pole was heading toward Yoon Iseon¡¯s head- Kwa¡ª¡ªang!! Before I knew it. My body had jumped over Yoon Iseon. Kicking away the utility pole that was falling towards Yoon Iseon, I appeared in the square in my usual ck suit and a mask. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± [I am.] After lightly tapping the mask with my finger, I pulled out a bat. [A passing Schr Goblin.] Chapter 45: Goblins Dont Do That (1) Chapter 45: Goblins Don''t Do That (1) To be honest, I had half a mind to intervene, but I was hoping the situation would resolve itself without my involvement. Even while hiding in the alley, I considered not taking off my clothes and just enduring it. But the moment I saw Yoon Iseon, my body moved on its own. [Are you okay?] ¡°Ah, yes¡­!¡± Yoon Iseon¡¯s gaze at me was a bit overwhelming. While I did save her, her looking at me as if I were a hero who saved her from danger, really put pressure on me. After all, I was a viin, not a hero. [Heh, hehehe, you finally showed up, fake!!] [I wonder who is calling who a fake.] [You look like a fake because I think you¡¯re a fake!] Yook Gibongughed at me as he swung his cane. [Look, this very appearance is proof that I am the real ¡®Rider¡¯! You also knew that, that¡¯s why you appeared in that form!] He was not making sense. In a conversation, there should be a back-and-forth, but Yook Gibong was just talking, immersed in his own world. [So, you¡¯re saying I appeared in this form because I acknowledge you as the real deal?] [Of course! I don¡¯t know what you did, but now I am the master of this form! The image of a helmeted rider is mine, Yook Gibong, the original!] [I see.] I extended my hands slightly forward. p, p, p. [Congrattions.] [What¡­?] [Whether you¡¯re Gipong Rider or whatever, as an ability user, bringing your delusions to reality is your power. I don¡¯t care what ability you had before, but the power I seeing from you now clearly reveals a tremendous ¡®ego¡¯.] [Cut to the chase!] [¡­In simpler terms.] I lightly tapped my temple with my index finger. [It¡¯s frightening to think about how much your delusions have to escte for your power to manifest this strongly.] [Wha, what¡­!!] The crowd in the square burst into subduedughter. Whether they understood my words or not, everyone agreed that Yook Gibong¡¯s delusion was excessively overboard. [Ha, haha! That¡¯s right! I am scary! I would be because I¡¯m the real deal! Because I¡¯m the true Rider!] But Yook Gibong was already beyond the brink of madness. His failed patent seemed to have been the trigger, and demonic wings appeared to be fluttering behind his back. ¡°Aaaargh!!¡± Upon seeing his transformation into a real demon, people started to scream and flee. Even with several heroes gathered, and even with the Goblin present, standing close to a real demon could end up with you being killed. [Look at them! They¡¯re running away from me! This proves that my power is even stronger than the Goblin¡¯s!!] [If even your self-delusions reach this point, it¡¯s a serious condition.] Well, that severe condition turned him into a demon. [Yook Gibong. You¡¯re a viin with a headache right now. Let me treat your head with this club.] [No way!!] Yook Gibong swung his cane at me. [Transform! I am Yook Gibong! Today, we must determine who the real Rider is right here!] [What did you say?] [You came here to decide that, too, didn¡¯t you? Transform, now!!] [¡­¡­.] He wanted me to transform again in such a crowded ce? As in my Dodjirider form? [If you don¡¯t transform, I¡¯ll start killing these people here, one by one!] Now, he was even threatening murder. [These worthless bugs without any abilities! Ha-ha-ha!] The student who, just a day ago, was determined to walk the path of a hero had now lost all reluctance to kill people. This must undoubtedly be the influence of a demon. Demons could reside anywhere, anytime, in anyone. In martial arts novels, it was referred to as the ¡°inner demon¡±. In the East, it was called Mara, and in far-off Western religions, it was called Satan. [There¡¯s no limit to your arrogance.] If we¡¯re considering one of the seven deadly sins, the demon that now possessed Yook Gibong was the demon of pride. He was deluded into believing he was the ¡®strongest¡¯, ensnared by the illusion that he was the ¡®real deal¡¯. He saw those without abilities as ¡®ipetents¡¯, thinking highly only of himself. [No matter how the world perceives you, I have made up my mind right here. You are.] After I pointed the end of my club towards Yook Gibong. [A viin not even worth punishing.] [What¡­ did you say¡­?] I lightly shook the club, making it disappear into a mist. Although it was more of a reverse summoning than a disappearance. [I came to see the viin who imed to be me, only to find a waste of time. It would be better to use this time to catch viins who are actually killing people and running away.] [Ha, haha¡­! Are you scared?!] I didn¡¯t fall for the provocation. [Rather than being scared, it¡¯s beneath me to argue whether your transformed self is real or fake.] Executing someone like him would be an insult to the viins I¡¯ve punished so far. This imbecile couldn¡¯t even be a viin properly. [This form is more fitting to face you.] [What¡­?] This was working out quite well. There was no better way to wean people off their excessive Dodjirider ¡®high¡¯. [Transform.] There was no belt. Instead, in my hand appeared a fan filled with traditional elegance. [I told you, I¡¯m a passing Schr Goblin.] As I unfolded and folded the fan and started to transform- ¡°Wait, wait!!¡± Someone called out to me. When I slightly turned my head to the side, it was the vice-chairman who had stopped me and Yoon Iseon from running off earlier. ¡°You¡¯re not going to transform into another form, are you?! Goblin!¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°That fan is part of our tradition! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to transform into a schr wearing a Durumagi here!!¡± Why was he suddenly spouting such nonsense? No, more importantly, how did he know? ¡°Transform into Dodjirider! If you don¡¯t transform into Dodjirider in this situation, it¡¯s a betrayal!¡± [Betrayal?] ¡°Yes! Everyone is watching! Transform into Dodjirider!!¡± [¡­¡­What a crazy thing to say.] Though I said that, to be honest, I was too flustered to transform as I had nned. ¡°Transform¡­.¡± ¡°Eh, don¡¯t tell me, he¡¯s transforming into a schr?¡± ¡°Wow, that would really be a disappointment¡­ After being the first to be a Dodjirider¡­.¡± The stag beetle-shaped Rider, the cyclist, the Five Special Force Rangers, and those who had rushed here wearing the Mech-Tyranno suits were all looking at me with expectant eyes. ¡®No, you guys, I¡¯m a viin.¡¯ What on earth did they want from a viin? Even if they were pursuing romance, there should be a limit to it, right? ¡®Well, their enthusiasm is understandable.¡¯ In front of the fake iming to be real, the real one appeared. The real one outright denied the fake and provoked the fake by iming to be the real one. [There¡¯s a story in a traditional folktale. A mouse eats a tiger¡¯s w and transforms into the tiger, driving the real one out of the house. Do you know how that story ends?] Whirring. I reached out my hand. [The transformed fake mouse was killed by the real one.] A belt appeared in my hand, and I took a stance while sighing deeply inwardly. When I stealthily looked back, Yoon Iseon was pointing her Taeguk Watch at me and swallowing her saliva. It was not like she was doing a fancam¡­ ¡®Is it a real fancam?¡¯ A fancam, there? It was a bit absurd, but it was somewhat understandable if she had been active in the fan club since I was a C-ss. ¡®Let¡¯s think of it as fan service.¡¯ Those gathered here came to suppress the viin¡¯s rampage, but they were also the ones who gathered because the viin imed to be the Dodjirider. In other words. Half of those gathered here were followers of Dodjirider¡ªmore precisely, followers of Dodjirider¡¯s design. [READY¡ª!] A sonorous voice rang out as soon as I pressed the belt. Waaahhhh¡ª¡ª!! I wanted to ask why they were so thrilled, but I leisurely strapped the belt around my waist. [Trans-] At the moment when I was about to call out the final phrase. [Ha-ha-ha!] A six-chambered revolver was¡­ [Die, you fake!!] raised. No. He attacked me while I was transforming¡­? Bang! The gun barrel was aimed precisely at my forehead. Yoon Iseon was an aspiring hero. Therefore, she had no intention of advocating for the Goblin¡¯s killing of viins. But even though she couldn¡¯t support his actions, she found herself rooting for him, albeit a little, in her heart. Watching him take revenge on behalf of those who couldn¡¯t even avenge their murdered families, Yoon Iseon felt an indescribable catharsis from the figure of the Goblin. Yoon Iseon, the average person, not the aspiring hero, was a fan of the Goblin. She had no intention of interfering in a hero¡¯s job, but she couldn¡¯t forgive those who imed to be the Goblin and tried to take away his rights. She couldn¡¯t even forgive the ¡®old men in the back¡¯ who provoked a student into causing this situation. Still, as a hero, the first thing to do was to persuade. But when persuasion failed, and she was in danger, the Goblin appeared and saved her. Although there was no need for him to save her, he kicked away the light post and appeared in front of her. Not just because of her fandom but because she was moved by the Goblin¡¯s actions. She fell for him once again, for his actions of executing the guilty under the name of punishment and saving the innocent as if they were not guilty. Although it was a bit disappointing that he appeared in the form of a suit-wearing gentleman, not as the Dodjirider, the Goblin seemed helpless and was about to transform ¡®for her.¡¯ However. How could he do such a thing? Even if the opponent was a viin, even if the viin was the Goblin. ¡®Attacking during a transformation!¡¯ She understood academically. Heroes also learned this in the academy. Viins had no rights, and there was no reason to show mercy to a viin. ¡°Danger-¡± The moment Yoon Iseon was about to shoot a bead of mana that had gathered in her hand. [Heh.] Along with the Goblin¡¯s scoffingughter, golden mana spread forward from the Goblin¡¯s belt. Ka-gang! [What, what?!] The golden mana spreading around the Goblin obscured his figure in an instant. The bullet shot by the six-chambered revolver did not bounce off the mana but ¡®split¡¯ and disappeared into the air. [Transformation.] Flutter. As the mana-induced wind died down, the Goblin revealed his figure by spreading his right hand to the side. [Now, you foolish one who can¡¯t even be a viin.] As the Goblin flicked his right hand lightly to the side, a ck club was created in his hand, along with a bunch of lights. [It¡¯s time for retribution.] The Goblin began approaching the six-chambered revolver and its holder, pointing his club at him and tilting his head lightly to the side. ¡°Ah.¡± Yoon Iseon was genuinely regretful. ¡®I can¡¯t see that from the front!¡¯ Because the ce where she was standing, of all ces, was behind the Goblin. Chapter 46: Goblins Dont Do That (2) Chapter 46: Goblins Don''t Do That (2) If there was an action that was utterly treacherous when dealing with a shapeshifting superhuman, it was certainly the act of attacking while the enemy was transforming. Or attacking while thebining robot was assembling or preventing it from transforming. [Why do you interfere when a transformation hero is transforming but not when a magical girl is?] [Well, the purpose of a magical girl is to watch her transform. And nowadays, we¡¯re in the age of gender equality, so they interfere when a magical girl transforms too.] [In my time¡­! Interfering during transformation was something not even your worst enemy would do¡­! These days, tsk, tsk! They even attack before the transformation! Their minds have gone haywire!] Numerous stories had popped up about transformations, and there were countless discussions on how to handle these transformations. Stories that utilized clich¨¦s verbatim had also surfaced, as well as ones that beat clich¨¦s and scenes that countered these clich¨¦s. And in this transformation, I pulled out one clich¨¦ to counter the clich¨¦ ¡®viin who attacks during transformation¡¯. The transformation effect was not just showing an effect, but I also released mana before the transformation and created a protective barrier around me. I then only showed myself afterpleting the perfect transformation within the barrier. It would be understandable if the attack worked during the transformation, but what if the attack failed even though they attacked during the transformation? [Damn it¡­!] To put it bluntly, it was quite pitiful. [That¡¯s cheating¡­!] [When did I ever say I would fight fair and square? I told you I would lead you.] I ran forward in one breath and swung my bat. Ka-ang! With a swing of my bat, I knocked away the gun he was holding. The gun was not a specially designed one but a regr K5 pistol. I precisely intercepted the live rounds with my Goblin bat and knocked them to the ground. [Die, fake!!] [I didn¡¯t think of you as a viin, but the fact that you¡¯re firing indiscriminately makes it impossible not to.] There were people behind me, and if I dodged the gunfire, those people behind me would get hit. In general, a viin would dodge gunfire to the side and close the distance, regardless of who was behind them. But Yoon Iseon was behind me. There was a student who had asked me for help. Firstly, as a school employee, I could not let harme to the student. As an adult. [Where did you get the nerve to use a gun?] Pakang! I threw my bat forward, and it flew precisely toward the trajectory of the bullet aimed at my forehead. Ka-ang! The spirally fired bullet hit the end of the bat and bounced down. The bullet hit the tip of my foot, which was stuck out and stuck to the ground. Without slowing down, I kept running forward and grabbed the bat that was spinning in the air. [Stupid fool.] Paa-a-a-a-k! I swung the bat I caught in the air like a sword. [Ku-aak!!] The end of the bat ¡®only¡¯ made contact with his suit and swung diagonally, but his suit began to split as if cut by a knife. ¡°Ah, no! My suit!!¡± When the steel chest protector part opened, the natural voice of Yook Gibong came out from the inside. [Are you not a demon? You¡¯re entirely immersed in yourself, even though you¡¯re not a demon. Such a tremendous imagination.] I thought he had be a real demon from his crazy behavior. It turned out he was still on the cusp of bing a demon, meaning that he had been bewitched and was losing his mind. ¡®I need to knock him out.¡¯ If things kept going like this- ¡°Ku-aaa!!¡± Sparkle! Sparks flew from the cut cross-section of the suit. Electric sparks flew from the protruding wires, and Yook Gibong started to show signs of pain, clutching his helmet with both hands. ¡°Ku-aak, no¡­! I¡¯m not a fake¡­! I¡¯m, I¡¯m the real¡­!¡± [Hmm.] I gripped my bat again. If I could knock him out before bing a demon, I could subdue him without killing him. Even for me, I couldn¡¯t just kill a minor. Demons were an exception. Because those who became demons were neither minors nor humans. After a 10-year-old became a demon and killed hundreds of civilians, those who had fully be demons were no longer treated as humans. So, to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and turn him back into a human before he became a demon, I ran forward with my bat- ¡°Stop, Goblin!!¡± I couldn¡¯t swing. ¡°No matter who you are, we can¡¯t allow you to kill a person!¡± One of the Directional Special Forces, who was wearing red, pointed his sword at my bat. It didn¡¯t look like a sword of the Special Forces, but rather a knife used by the Special Warfare troops. Despite the soldier-like posture, Red blocked me, and I couldn¡¯t prevent the demonization. [Move aside.] ¡°I can¡¯t move aside! We are just preventing you from killing that student!¡± [Foolish.] It was toote. [Because you¡¯re blocking me, Yook Gibong is bing a demon.] ¡°What¡­?¡± [If you hadn¡¯t blocked me, I might have been able to prevent him from bing a demon.] It would have been okay if there had been just a little more golden time, but Yook Gibong¡¯s mental strength was weaker than expected. [Ku-aaaaaah!!] The demon let out a roar. His form was still based on the Dodjirider, but bulging muscles erupted from his frame, and wings spread wide from his back. [I will kill, kill everyone¡­! I will destroy everything that denies me!!] Something like a beast¡¯s eye appeared in the section of the suit that I had cut, shing diagonally. ck lightning began to flow out, centered on Yook Gibong. [I am the real one¡­! Nobody can deny that I am fake¡­! I am, I am the real one!!] [He haspletely lost his mind. Congrattions, Red. You turned that boy into a demon.] ¡°No, it¡¯s not! I¡­¡± Taken aback, Red stumbled backward. [Stay still!] I swung my bat towards the front, but Red thought it was an attack on him and pointed his knife at my bat. Pwoo-wha¡­Ack! ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Something like a demon¡¯s w pierced through Red¡¯s chest. It was not only piercing through the suit but through flesh and bone; the hand extending from ¡®Demon Yook Gibong¡¯ was behind Red. ¡°Yeong-seong-ah!!¡± Presumably Red¡¯s name, another member of the Directional Special Forces called out and rushed over. [Heeheeheehee!!] Demon Yook Gibong began tough madly as he pulled his hand back, and Red clutched his chest that now had a hole from the w, and bent forward. [Tch.] I grabbed him by the chest, lightly breathed in mana, and threw him backward. ¡°Kya-ak!¡± [Take him and get him treated. It¡¯s not a full puncture, just a scratch from the w. If a healing ability user helps, he can survive.] It wasn¡¯t just a hole the size of a fist; it was as if five knives had gone through his chest. ¡°Heal, heeal!!¡± Fortunately, White, who had a healing ability, started pouring mana towards Red¡¯s chest as hey on the ground, much like healers in games would cast healing spells. [Injury to a hero as well. Now a perfect viin. Was he destined to be killed from the moment he became a demon?] It was so regrettable. Perhaps, if I hadn¡¯t encouraged Yook Gibong by saying, ¡®You¡¯re the real Rider,¡¯ he might have just been an aspiring hero who, like others, made a costume resembling the Dodjiraider. But such a possibility had disappeared. He became a demon and attacked a hero. Now if that demon was left as it was, it would only be a monster that mindlessly ughtered people. ¡®I ended up having to execute him.¡¯ There was no other way. Execution was the only option. [Viins must be executed-] [Kuhahahaha!!] Before I could even finish my sentence, he reached out his hand toward me. With his palm facing me, he precisely pointed his fingertips, and there were holes in all of his fingers. That was a muzzle. Tudduddudu!! As if his fingers had be guns, magical bullets burst from his fingers. The bullets, colored in deep red energy, flew towards me in bursts of five, with each one following a different trajectory and timing, making it difficult to block them all at once. Given this situation- ¡°mes!!¡± A pink me passed by my side and flew toward the magical bullets. As these were magical bullets, not physical ones, the two magical forces collided, causing an explosion in front of me that obscured my vision. ¡°Back off¡­Goblin! This is under the jurisdiction of the ¡®Heroes¡¯!!¡± Yoon Iseon dashed forward beside me. Holding orbs of pink magical energy in her hands as if she were a telekic, she let spirits of me burst forth from the orbs, circling around her. ¡°Demon [Doppelganger] ¡®s estimated magical power level is confirmed! Grade A!! All ability users below grade B should prioritize civilian evacuation! Other Grade A¡¯s will help me suppress the demon!!¡± At Yoon Iseon¡¯smand, the onlookers started to move swiftly. Yoon Iseon did not havemand over the scene per se, as the title of ¡®Student Council President¡¯ did not grant her authority in this situation. But being a ¡®Grade A ability user¡¯ alone granted her fieldmand. Just because she was Grade A. [Kuhahaha! Die all of you!! President, khehehe, trying to distract me with noise pollution?! Hahaha! Watching this magnificent scene should be educational; you¡¯re trying to persuade me with that?! You¡¯ll die!!] ¡°Damn¡­!¡± Demon Doppelg?nger aimed his ten fingers at Yoon Iseon and started shooting, while Yoon Iseon used the mes from the two orbs to intercept the magical bullets. Pababababang!! Magic explosions continued to ur between the two, and a contest of magical strength ensued. [Sorry, but.] I gently touched Yoon Iseon¡¯s shoulder and stood beside her, reaching out with one hand. [That¡¯s not how you use mes.] After all, When you possessed me-based abilities, [You use them like this.] You were supposed to unleash overwhelming firepower. [Come forth, the hand of Gunggi!] [Possession!!] I reached out my left hand like a tiger¡¯s w. [Open, Infernal Tigris.] [Infernal Tigris!!] Centered around my hand, the head of a giant tiger, shrouded in ck mist with a red gleam, appeared. Kuaaaaaaaaaang!! As the ck tiger opened its mouth, a gigantic ck me that could swallow even a dump truck burst forth, overwhelming the Demon Doppelg?nger. [Explode.] [Searing, ster????!!] Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!! Centered around Doppelg?nger, a ck pir of fire reaching dozens of meters soared into the sky. Chapter 47: Goblins Dont Do That (3) Chapter 47: Goblins Don''t Do That (3) At that moment. On Mo Ind, a redheaded woman had just finished a shower in a vi located on a cliff and sat on a sofa in her bathrobe. In front of her, an 85-inchrge TV was flickering, and the image of a viin causing a ruckus was disyed on the screen. The Goblin imposter, ¡®Doppleganger¡¯. It was a viin with the appearance of the Goblin, very simr to the original yet different, making her want to argue about why they¡¯d made such a clumsy design when they could¡¯ve used a more refined one if they were just going to copy it outright. The distinction was akin to the difference between Japanese and Chinese figurines that circted on the inte. Where were the Korean figurines, you ask? Regrettably, aside from individual sculptures, Korea did not specialize in handling beautiful girl figurines. ¡°Ha. I wonder if he¡¯s just making a fuss for no reason.¡± While it might seem natural for the Goblin to step in since the opponent was masquerading as a goblin, he should ideally keep his identity concealed. But if he did step in, then it was clear- ¡°He must¡¯ve been passing by, as usual.¡± As the Goblin kicked a telephone pole targeting the woman to rescue her, and rushed forward. The redhead, also known as Gunggi, sat on the sofa and manipted her Taeguk Watch. ¡°They¡¯re already here. What, weren¡¯t they all working?¡± [You, of all people, are on vacation, and yet you join this video conference?] ¡°I can¡¯t stand seeing the Goblin transforming in a non-work situation.¡± Four others had already gathered in the video chat room, excluding Gunggi. A woman with the nickname ¡®DDD¡¯, who was the host, had multiple windows open in her screen share, and those windows were broadcasting the scene live through the Taeguk Watches. ¡°Chairwoman, I always wonder, do we need to broadcast from all these angles?¡± [Yes.] It was a short reply but conveyed a strong will that she would not ept any objections. Others, and herself too, especially the leader, were all fascinated by the Goblin. If you asked if it was good as an organization, well. Every time, she worried if the organization would unnecessarily split into five factions and fight over a single man, but as Gunggi, all she could hope for was that such a thing didn¡¯t happen. [Ah, he¡¯s going to transform into a devil.] [Already?] [He¡¯s not a devil yet, but he will be soon.] [His mental state as he speaks is already that of a devil.] Slowly, the Doppelganger began to change from the form of a Goblin to a form that seemed to be mixed with a devil. [Huh? The Goblin is taking out his fan?] [Don¡¯t tell me the Goblin is going toe out dressed as a schr?] [Something big ising?] [!!!!] All four were captivated by the fan that the Goblin had unfurled. Gunggi, too, swallowed as she imagined the Goblin¡¯s ¡®schr¡¯ form while looking at the fan. While a Western suit was impressive, was not the Goblin in his hat and mask, with his outer robe pping, closer to his original form? After acquiring a suit for a costume for the first time half a year ago, seeing the Goblin transform into a traditional Korean attire that he hardly ever showed was so rare that it could be counted on one hand. Gunggi straightened her posture reverently. ¡°Finally¡­ Huh?¡± The Goblin hesitated. Just as he was about to transform while spreading his fan, he looked around at the people, tilted his head back, and looked up at the sky. [What¡¯s he doing?] [He came to check the crowd, and everyone was asking him to transform. They¡¯re hoping he bes Dodjirider.] [What? Seriously? Why are they asking him to transform when he just needs to eliminate the viin?] [Because they¡¯re ¡®men¡¯. Haha.] Gunggi understood the men¡¯s feelings to some extent. As someone who personally preferred cybeic designs over traditional ones, she quite liked the appearance of this Dodjirider. Of course, the Goblin¡¯s default form, suit Goblin, gentleman Goblin, were all good, but as for the Dodjirider, should she say it was good because it had a true image of a ¡®decisive weapon for decisive battles¡¯? [Romantic.] The moment the room manager typed those two words. [Transform.] With those words, the Goblin transformed into Dodjirider. And with the transformation, the Doppelganger fired his gun. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± In decisive battles, no one touched the enemy during the transformation. It was less about romance, but rather, the way decisive battles went was to show the overwhelming power gap by defeating the enemy who had be stronger after the transformation. ¡°To think that a former Hero Academy student would pull off such a cowardly act!!¡± She was worried the Goblin might get hurt by a bullet while transforming. But her worry was needless. Flicker. A golden storm fluttered and protected the Goblin¡¯s body. When the storm subsided, the Goblin, who had be Dodjirider, appeared from within. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± She was genuinely worried that he might have been hurt. It wasn¡¯t just Gunggi worrying, but she was also sincerely concerned that the other four, if they found out the Goblin was hurt, would immediately haul their ¡®motherships¡¯ to Sejong Ind. Fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. The Goblin suppressed the Doppelganger too easily. While smashing the head of the Doppelganger who had fired his gun during the transformation, the Goblin tried to suppress him before he became a devil, for the sake of ¡®reformation¡¯. [Ah, this sweet potato??] [Isn¡¯t it typical for heroes to recklessly mess around without knowing? Hehe.] [What would happen if heter finds out that because he blocked like that, the viin became a devil? Hehehe.] ¡°Ah. I¡¯ve been stabbed from behind.¡± One red Ranger, who had blocked the way, got his chest pierced by the devil¡¯s hand. And the Doppelganger had be a perfect devil. Now it had be a situation that could no longer be fixed, and the Goblin pulled up his magic topletely eliminate the Devil Doppelganger. ¡°Oh, look at that pink-haired girl. Does it seem like she¡¯s showing off to the Goblin?¡± Gunggi teased the chat room with a subtle voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t it like she¡¯s bragging about how heroic she is to the Goblin by stepping forward and using magic?¡± [She¡¯s a show-off.] [Hey, don¡¯t be harsh.] [She¡¯s not just a show-off but more of a fox-like character than a nine-tailed fox. Look at that. She¡¯s subtly blocking the Goblin¡¯s way while pretending tomand the heroes. She¡¯s not directly blocking it. She¡¯s standing at a slight angle.] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Spewing pink mes from two orbs was quite interesting. ¡°Student council president Yoon Iseon? She seems like quite a decent girl, minus her attitude towards the Goblin. I would even want to scout her to our side.¡± [Are you serious?] ¡°Of course. Just because one is an aspiring hero doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t be a viin, right?¡± [¡­¡­.] Someone made a sound as if they were getting annoyed. Gunggi giggled as she poured wine into a ss, and she leisurelyid down on the sofa. ¡°Let the heroes take care of it. Director Do also shouldn¡¯t unnecessarily step forward-¡± [I apologize.] The Goblin stepped forward, grabbing Yoon Iseon¡¯s shoulder. At that moment, the chat room froze, and Gunggi unknowingly rubbed her own shoulder. Was there anyone among them who had been physically touched by the Goblin like that¡­? [That¡¯s not how you use mes.] Was he trying to teach her how to use mes? If so, wouldn¡¯t the Goblin show his power to burn the devil in his unique way? ¡°Goblin¡¯s me. Boss, have you taught him anything?¡± [No.] ¡°¡­then why the me-¡± [Come forth, the hand of Gunggi!] ¡°!!¡± Gunggi unknowingly grabbed her hand. Her hand remained still, but it felt as though something had gone wrong. [Why Gunggi¡¯s hand?] [What¡¯s going on? Why is the Goblin saying that? He¡¯s not even fond of shouting technique names.] [Gunggi, what on earth did you do?!] ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡­.¡± [Infernal Tigris, open.] Kwooaaang! Behind the Goblin¡¯s stretched hand, a dark red tiger revealed itself. That tiger was a symbol of Gunggi, and the aftermath of the magic manifested through her ability. Unknowingly, Gunggi swallowed her saliva. ¡°That, Boss? Why is Director Do suddenly using me as a concept for his technique? Right?¡± [¡­¡­.] The Boss gave no answer. Considering the Boss herself didn¡¯t know, it implied that the Goblin had acted independently. [Heh. You were pretending not to care, but you made the Goblin use such a technique?] [The quiet cat jumps on the stove first. Is the Goblin, by any chance joining your team? No?] [There¡¯s water, wind, and earth; why the power of fire? To teach the use of mes, isn¡¯t it too excessive?!] Each executive made ament, and the Boss still remained silent. Gunggi couldn¡¯t tell whether the droplets trickling down her spine inside her robe were the dampness from an unfinished shower or cold sweat that flowed unknowingly. [Gunggi.] The Boss raised her voice. [Let¡¯s have a 1:1 talkter.] ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Gunggi felt wronged. He used a technique based on Gunggi as a concept. The reason? He used a technique once as a return favor for Gunggi, revealing the identity of the hostess and her attempt to entrap him in a honey trap. Overwhelming firepower that could even burn a demon. That was just the power that came from Gunggi¡¯s hand that he borrowed. Anyone could imagine how strong Gunggi¡¯s inherent power would be. [Understand? This is how you use fire. With overwhelming firepower that can burn everything.] ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Yoon Iseon nodded at him. She seemed to respond unknowingly to his words as if she had momentarily lost her senses. ¡®Of course.¡¯ She was not a pyrokic if she saw such overwhelming power, a pir of fire shooting up to the sky, and her heart did not pound. Although he was better at handling something other than fire, he still performed a technique for a performance and a definitive Doppelganger disposal. And there, the Doppelganger was burned entirely into ck charcoal. Thud. The Doppelganger, who fell forward and copsed, did not stir anymore. The Doppelganger burned to death in the intense mes that even burned the suit, and the demon was dead. [The fake is dead. Now I-] ¡°Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.¡± From the other side of the Doppelganger. ¡°It was such a decent natural demon appearance, but you brutally killed it like this. How unpleasant, Lord Goblin.¡± The one who appeared pping was. ¡°This ¡®Duoexini¡¯, I can¡¯t help but sigh.¡± He was wearing a mask that resembled Yacha. ¡°And also using a technique in English on Sejong Ind.¡± ¡­while wearing a beige hanbok. [Who are you?] ¡°I am Duoexini.¡± The man revealed himself as Duoexini. ¡°The one who spreads the seeds of evil.¡± He then took out something simr to a bead with several wriggling tentacles from under his robes. ¡°And therefore, the one who spreads the horror of evil to the world.¡± He threw the demon¡¯s seed to Yook Gibong, who was burned by fire. ¡°Resurrect, the avatar of evil.¡± Wriggle. The body of the burned Yook Gibong slowly began to rise like a zombie. And then. Kwaaaaa?????!! He ¡®resurrected¡¯, spewing enormous ck magic from his mouth. Chapter 48: When A Villain Falls, Gigantification Is The Norm (1) Chapter 48: When A Viin Falls, Gigantification Is The Norm (1) Before Yoon Iseon could utter a word, a ¡®monster¡¯ d in a ck hanbok had appeared. There was an asional joke about it. If there was a high school teacher who wore a hanbok, they were likely to be known as a ¡®viin¡¯ among the faculty. What specific wrongdoings they inflicted on the students need not be detailed. Still, Duoexini, who was standing before us now, was not wearing this attire as a fashion statement. The magical power that emanated from him was immeasurable. Recklessly fighting him would not guarantee victory. Despite his appearance and entric behavior, the strength andbat power hidden beneath that mask could deal with an average S-ss too easily. Such a person took out the demon¡¯s seed and threw it at Yook Gibong¡¯s body. There was no time to react. [Grr, Grrr¡­.] The Doppelganger grew over 2 meters in an instant, growled like a Lycanthrope rampaging on a full moon night, and Duoexini bowed in salute behind such a monster. ¡°I would love to take you down, Goblin, right away¡­ but first, I must deal with this ¡®traitor to our race.¡¯¡± [A traitor? The Doppelganger?] ¡°Yes, indeed. This one hasmitted a truly atrocious act. It¡¯s quite shameful to know we belong to the same nation. How could he¡­ im the clothes of a viin as his own!¡± Duoexini spread his arms and shouted. ¡°In an era where stealing from others is punished, he stole from a viin! This one tries to make a fortune by stealing not the material but the image. He¡¯s a demon of capitalism! A devil¡¯s sprout squirming with evil in his heart! So, I made this demon into aplete demon, so he can never die as a human.¡± St. Something like a parasite sprouted from the center of the diagonal wound on the Doppelganger¡¯s chest, spread its tentacles like legs, and settled into its host. If before, the demon¡¯s eyes just flickered, now those eyes seemed to be infected by the seed and had fully turned into a demon. ¡°Hehehe. This one has defiled the honor of our nation. He made us a nation that shamefully steals and lives off others¡¯ patents. Ah, what would others think when they see this? Wouldn¡¯t they think we¡¯re a nation that only steals and copies from others? So, such a person deserves to die!¡± Duoexini threw his head back, spreading his arms wide. ¡°This body shouldn¡¯t simply perish. Instead, it¡¯ll be recycled in the most beneficial way for humanity. Like this.¡± With a tap, tap, Duoexini took out two more devil¡¯s seeds from his possession and tossed them onto the Doppelg?nger, which seemed to be on the verge of going berserk. ¡°It will be experience points for the heroes. Hahaha.¡± With a stter, a mass of energy that looked remarkably like a human eye sprang from the linear wound on the Doppelg?nger¡¯s chest. Even though the Doppelg?nger already had an eyeball,plete with a bundle of tentacles, sprouting in the middle of its chest, the emergence of two additional eyes gave the observer a sense of shock and terror. Moreover, ¡°You will grow even bigger, demon. To atone for your original sin and the endless peace and advancement of those living on thisnd, you must sacrifice yourself.¡± [Growling¡­!!] With two more devil¡¯s seeds imnted, the Doppelg?nger¡¯s physical form began to swell even more. It wasn¡¯t simply swelling, but tentacles spewed from the Doppelg?nger¡¯s chest, enveloping its body and forming a round, egg-like sac. It locked its body inside the egg, and it seemed as if it was preparing for a metamorphosis into a new form. ¡°At-, attack¡ª!¡± One of the heroes gave the order to attack in a flustered voice. The rest of the heroesmenced a long-range attack on the Doppelg?nger¡¯s egg, trying to smash it, but the egg was unscathed. The egg continued to grow, reaching a size close to 5m, then 10m. I held back from stepping forward with my Goblin bat. [Duoexini. What the hell are you?] ¡°A patriot.¡± [You¡¯re a patriot? Stop talking nonsense.] ¡°I suppose it¡¯s not something I want to hear from someone who spouts English-named skills on Sejong Ind. And one more thing.¡± Duoexini pped at me through the air with his white-gloved hand. ¡°Where do you get off being so informal on our first meeting? In thisnd of courteous manners in the East, don¡¯t you know it¡¯s courteous to use respectfulnguage to someone you¡¯re meeting for the first time?¡± [I don¡¯t think we need to show much courtesy to someone who transforms viins into demons and demons into even bigger demons.] ¡°Ha¡­! Interesting. Very well. It¡¯s fitting for a resolute viin and someone who shouts out skill names in English, like you.¡± Duoexini bowed again, raising his hands. Duoexini didn¡¯t lower his head. Instead, he kept his gaze upward as he respectfully greeted me, lightly tapping the floor with his cane. ¡°Then try dealing with that traitorous demon.¡± He suggested. [Before you leave, let me ask one thing.] I pointed to the Doppelganger on the verge of a rampage. [Leaving aside a monster like that, which seems eager to kill people and wreak havoc, how can you im it to be ¡®patriotism¡¯ and an act of ¡®atonement¡¯?] ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± Duoexini pointed at the crowd of people and heroes all around us. ¡°The only value of a traitorous demon that harms the country¡¯s dignity is to serve as a ¡®foundation¡¯ for heroes to be stronger. Of course, if they cannot ascend these foundational steps because they are too high, they will simply die out.¡± [So that¡¯s your philosophy.] ¡°It¡¯s not only my philosophy but also that of the organization I belong to. Hehehe, Goblin. What will you do? Will you run away or join the heroes in battle? I will quietly watch your decision.¡± With a swoosh, his coat fluttered. As soon as a light shed from the magical formation simr to a magic circle that appeared beneath him, Duoexini disappeared in a blink. [¡­Tsk.] I tried to get some information out of him, but he just rambled on and left without giving anything useful. ¡®I wonder where he created the devil¡¯s seeds, how many are left, and what other functions they have besides strengthening the devil. If he doesn¡¯t tell me, he should just shut up.¡¯ Our conversation was perfectly in sync, but there was no gain from it. Next time, I should smash him with my club before he starts talking like that. [He talks a lot but doesn¡¯t seem to have any substance.] He was definitely watching from somewhere right now. I should make sure to say something when I meet Duoexini next time. Something that would make him lose his temper. [Kishaaaaaaat!] Whether the transformation wasplete or not, the demon Doppelganger let out a roar that echoed in all directions. He ripped off the shell surrounding him and fiercely revealed his existence to the world after breaking out of the giant cocoon. [A 10-meter tall humanoid wolf. I thought it would get bigger; what a pity.] I thought it would reach about 50 meters, but fortunately or unfortunately, it didn¡¯t grow that big. If it had, I would have had to bring some nonexistent giant robot tobine with or hold up a spoon to the sky and be a giant of light for three minutes to engage in a melee fight. It would have been a shame for others, but if I had gone that far, my magical power would have been exhausted, and the transformation would have been canceled, leaving me in my god-given, natural form. I didn¡¯t see any reason to go that far. ¡°Uh, um, excuse me!¡± Behind me, Yoon Iseon called out hastily. ¡°As a hero, it¡¯s not dignified to ask a viin for help, but¡­ will you help us ¡®save¡¯ the student Yook Gibong from that demon?¡± [Save?] ¡°¡­At least, to ensure that no one gets killed by that demon, to offer it peace.¡± Yoon Iseon pointed at her Taeguk Watch with a heavy voice. ¡°One of the hero rules. A superhuman who became a demon should be suppressed without considering the means, no matter who they are. And for superhumans who have gone mad to the point wheremunication doesn¡¯t work¡­ we need to intervene so they don¡¯tmit any more killings.¡± [Death could also be salvation, seen from the perspective of not umting the karma of killing.] ¡°¡­Will you help?¡± [Roar!] It roared in celebration of itsplete rebirth. The estimated rank of the Doppelganger, now ring at the surrounding area, was almost S-ss. It was almost bizarre that A-ss and S-ss viins frequently appeared on Sejong Ind, where students studied, but that was the power of the demon seed. The deal with a demon brought a gift greater than human imagination and took a more horrifying price. [I can¡¯t not help. But I don¡¯t think I necessarily need to step in.] I pointed at the sky. [The strongest hero has appeared.] I was not being sarcastic. I meant it. [Even if he¡¯s a monster who has the boosted magic power from three demon seeds, he can¡¯t win against pure ss.] From the sky. [Finally, she¡¯s here.] White snow began to fall. Chapter 49: When A Villain Falls, Gigantification Is The Norm (2) Chapter 49: When A Viin Falls, Gigantification Is The Norm (2) On Sejong Ind, a hero going berserk happened regrly once a day, but turning into a devil didn¡¯t happen as often. However, when they became a devil, an emergency call went out to all S-ranked ability users on Sejong Ind. Just in case it turned into a very powerful devil while going berserk. Of course, even for S-rankers, they did not have to be on standby for 24 hours a day. The message would be sent at 5-minute intervals, so it took at least 10 minutes to arrive at the scene, even if they prepared quickly. [Heroes who can organize the situation are like fire trucks.] They always rushed in to catch the golden time, but sometimes they were blocked by illegally parked cars, or there were people who did not move out of the way even when a fire truck was rushing. If they missed the golden time and arrivedte, the number of casualties increased ordingly. Fortunately, our S-rank hero arrived just before the devil started making a fuss. [Screech¡­?] The giant Doppelganger raised its head toward the sky. It was the weekend in early March, just after the entrance ceremony, but snow was falling from the sky. At first, one might wonder, ¡®Why is it snowing at this time?¡¯ But if you added a few more pieces of information, you could quickly figure out what that snow really was. There was no way it could snow on an ind in the East Sea at this time of the year. There was magic power in that snow. And that there was ¡®Snow White¡¯ on this ind. [Roar!!] The giant Doppelganger roared toward the snowkes. It tried to repel the ice crystals containing mana with a sonic boom, but the ice crystals had already lodged themselves into the body of the giant Doppelganger. ¡°Freeze.¡± The white-haired woman, dressed in a ck suit, descended while scattering white snowkes and then lightly flicked her fingers forward. St! As soon as the ice crystals touched the giant Doppelganger, frost began to form on its surface, and the giant Doppelganger¡¯s body began to slow down. [Roar, Roooooar!!] The Doppelganger ran, trying to escape the snowkes. Coincidentally, it was heading in my direction, and I stepped forward again in front of Yoon Iseon, carefully taking a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous!¡± [Not at all.] I counted to three inwardly, then stomped on the ground with my left foot and swung my right foot to deliver a side kick to the Doppelganger. Whoooosh!! Like poking with a club, my side kick created a gust of wind, halting the Doppelganger¡¯s charge. The trajectory of the energy released from my kick urately hit the monster¡¯s vitals, and the giant Doppelganger was forced to kneel on the ground. [Kueh, Krrrk¡­.] The Doppelganger started spewing a purple liquid from its mouth. What probably should have been red blood hadpletely lost its original color upon its owner transforming into a devil. Dark purple blood that couldn¡¯t possiblye from a human body started to flow out. St. As the ice crystals touched the Doppelganger¡¯s body, the ice started to cover its entire body. Snow White, who descended from the sky,nded right in front of me. ¡°So, we meet again here. Goblin.¡± [A rtionship this negative really is tenacious.] Snow White smirked at my words and shrugged her shoulders. Unlike when she usually met me and was a bit stiff, she seemed quite rxed now. [Is that a new skill?] ¡°¡­Hehe, as expected, I knew you would recognize it. You have a keen eye.¡± Snow White puffed up her chest and wore a proud smile. ¡°It¡¯s a skill my ¡®partner¡¯ whom you don¡¯t know created.¡± Me? Was there someone other than me who gave advice about that skill? Since when did I be Snow White¡¯s partner? ¡®Is she also trapped in her own world?¡¯ This was a problem. If Snow White became a devil, it would be a huge problem. If the protagonist¡¯s corruption brought about the end of the world as we know it due to a meteor crash, Snow White would likely plunge the world¡¯s temperature down by 18 degrees, ushering in an ice age. Then, humanity would naturally live in an era of severe cold, a time of neither cyberpunk nor psychopunk, but an ¡®ice-punk¡¯ era. [That partner¡­ Seems dangerous to have helped you make such a skill. Who is it?] ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll never find them. Because I¡¯ll protect them.¡± [Is that so? I¡¯ll find out by observing every single person around you.] I moved forward, wielding my club. Now,pletely frozen and unable to move, was the time to send this devil packing in one shot. ¡°Stop.¡± [nning to stop me?] Baek Seol-hee, who approached me from behind, stood by my side, exuding coldness. [Just a while ago, someone acted exactly like you. And that person had their chest pierced by that devil.] I could see Red receiving treatment in the distance. Fortunately, his vital parts were missed, and with the healer¡¯s superhuman recovery ability, he barely clung to his life. Still, the high likelihood was that the future where the second generation Red would step in was near. [Don¡¯t stop me. I¡¯m right. I need to destroy that guy now.] ¡°¡­Just wait a moment.¡± As Baek Seol-hee moved her hand as if conducting an orchestra, the fallen ice crystals stirred up a snowstorm and headed toward the Doppelganger again. St. The Doppelganger¡¯s whole body was frozen solid. Moreover, ice piled up around the Doppelganger¡¯s body, creating a giant ice sculpture as if the Doppelganger had been put inside a massive block of ice. Only ten seconds had passed. The Doppelganger, perfectly sealed in ice, didn¡¯t move an inch. [Impressive indeed. So, is this a demonstration for me?] ¡°No. It¡¯s a perfect suppression of the viin.¡± Baek Seol-hee pointed to the ice statue with a confident expression. ¡°The ice prison, ¡®Ice Jade¡¯, keeps someone captured inside it for life. This ice doesn¡¯t melt under sunlight, and it doesn¡¯t melt under the power of a powerful pyrokic as long as I¡¯m on Sejong Ind.¡± [A powerful¡­ skill indeed.] Being turned into an ice sculpture like that, one might be trapped inside the ice for a lifetime unless they managed to escape from the inside. Who was this ice prison meant for? It probably wasn¡¯t meant for me. If it was and should I be affected by that skill, I would tear out the magic from the area I touched and vacate the spot. To begin with, I probably wouldn¡¯t even be touched by it. [But it¡¯s a pity. I can see its limitations.] ¡°What¡­.¡± [Is it a targeted skill? It appears to freeze only one target, not a multitude of unspecified ones. And it seems to freeze only targets that you have clearly recognized.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t know the secret. [So, it cannot be used as an area of effect skill without designating a target. Unless you want to freeze everything around you when you are surrounded by viins.] But when looking at the mass of ice crystals falling from the sky, touching both the ground and others without freezing them, this skill had a clear effect but a significant downside. [Your friend-or-foe identification iscking. You still need training, Princess Snow White.] ¡°Hmph¡­!¡± Snow White openly scowled. ¡°Who are you calling a princess¡­!¡± [And there is one thing you overlooked. That monster isn¡¯tpletely frozen.] ¡°What did you say?¡± [It¡¯s a prison that restricts the whole body to prevent escape but can¡¯t prate deep into the organs with mana.] Inside the Ice Jade prison created by Baek Seol-hee. The Doppelganger, which seemed to be hardened in ce, certainly seemed to be frozen still. [What you overlooked is that this demon is not a Doppelganger or a Yook Gibong now.] ¡°Then what is it?¡± [A demon.] I was not referring to a fallen demon. [The demon that will leap out from inside after eating the corpse of the Doppelganger Yook Gibong. Since there are three seeds¡­ probably three will jump out.] Crack, crack, crack. A strange sound was heard from the back of the frozen Doppelganger. That sound was too clear, like a mouse gnawing on a wall. ¡°No¡­ It can¡¯t be!¡± Snow White hastily extended her hand upwards, pouring out more ice crystals. A thick pile of ice crystals built up in the direction of the sound, but as if waiting for that, the sound started from the front this time. Crack! Drawing vertical scars, something simr to the shape of a human leaped out from the inside and extended its fist toward the ice. Crash! Like shattering ss, the Ice Jade prison broke, and the demon crawling out from inside was a new alien entity that reached 3 meters in length. It looked more like an alien than a demon. [I thought three would pop out, but it turns out the three have be one.] sh. The Doppelganger, which looked like an alien, had one head in the middle with two heads sprouting from the shoulders on both sides, and its eyes shed like a human¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ something I¡¯ve never seen before¡­¡± [You would have never seen it before. Because it¡¯s my first time seeing it, too.] It felt like looking at an alien lifeform that had mutated from a corpse. But I was not worried. [Watch closely, Hero.] I gripped my bat tightly. [This is how you kill an enemy in one shot.] Power in my toes. Mana in my fingertips. [Just like this.] I dashed forward, running at the speed of light toward the alien entity of a demon ring at me. And then- Whoosh!!! I put all my strength into the bat and swung it horizontally with all my might. [If it has three heads, then enough to blow up all three.] Boom! [I kill it with overwhelming power.] With a full swing of my bat, all three heads of the demon were separated from the neck as if spores had exploded, and purple blood fountains burst out from the three stumps. [Listen well, Hero.] I whispered softly so that only Baek Seol-hee and the dumbfounded Yoon Iseon standing next to me could hear. [A demon can only be killed by blowing up its core. Remember that.] Boom!! With all three of its heads blown up, the demon fell backward and copsed, never to rise again. Chapter 50: After The Battle (1) Chapter 50: After The Battle (1) The fight was over. The viin Yook Gibong had died after bing a demon, and the demon seed forcibly nted in Yook Gibong¡¯s body had seeded in sprouting but eventually died out. It had grownrger but was captured by Baek Seol-hee; it tried to escape from her grasp but ended up dying with all its heads blown up by me. It was no longer human. It tried to resemble a human, and although it was born from a human, it only had the evil of a human. It was a monster that was born to use humans as ¡®food¡¯ and ughter everything. If there was such a thing as ¡®pure evil¡¯ that was neither hero nor viin, it would definitely be these demons. [That¡¯s the end of that¡­ I¡¯m done.] Dragging it out would only make things awkward. I transformed back into my Gentleman Goblin form and prepared to disappear smoothly. The same scene would unfold if I disappeared as an apparition like always. However, today, something felt off seeing them looking at me. ¡°Halt, Goblin!!¡± Among the crowd rushing towards me were familiar faces. ¡°We¡¯re arresting you!¡± [Police, huh. They¡¯ve even mobilized special forces, and they show up now. They¡¯re alwayste.] ¡°Heh¡­!¡± They were the ones in charge of the security and protection of Sejong Ind. Among them were those I had seen when I first entered the ind, those I had passed by when I was strolling around during the weekend and those I was seeing for the first time. There were not only Korean soldiers but also foreign soldiers in foreign uniforms. There were hundreds of them, all pointing their guns at me, threatening me. ¡°Surrender peacefully! And to all the Heroes! Please cooperate!¡± [What cooperation? Are they asking for help to capture the Goblin? Ah, right. When they want to capture a superhuman, they have to ask another superhuman. And when that superhuman fails, they me them.] ¡°Shut up, Viin! No matter what your intentions were for causing this chaos, the fact that you¡¯re a viin who kills people doesn¡¯t change!¡± [¡­Well, I won¡¯t deny that. Whether they were demons, bing demons, or were the vanguard of the demons, to you all, they¡¯re just innocent citizens and unfortunate patients.] I was not interested in a verbal joust, but there was only one reason why I was confronting the police and soldiers here. [I want to make one thing clear.] Right here, where everyone would be able to see, to make a distinct ¡®deration¡¯. [Do not interfere in my killing of demons. If you interfere, I will crush you without exception.] I pointed the end of my bat towards Red, who had fainted. [If there is someone who makes a person face death as a demon, that person will also be a subject for punishment.] I understood. Doing this would get Red a lot of hate online. [I am the one who punishes the guilty. The one who executes those who have turned into demons, those who are demons themselves. I am the weapon ofmitment that executes viins.] [The Goblin tried to prevent him from bing a demon, but because of you, Yook Gibong became a demon!] [If Red hadn¡¯t intervened, Yook Gibong wouldn¡¯t have be a demon!] [He¡¯s the one who made a mistake!] ¡­I couldn¡¯t say this outright, so I had to mix in usible-sounding words and clearly state my point before leaving. [Wherever there¡¯s a viin, I¡¯ll be there. And¡­there.] I pointed my bat towards the camera bearing the logo of the public broadcastingpany that was filming me and raised my voice. [To the one who made a rampaging human turn into aplete demon. I will definitely catch you and execute you.] It was a public warning to Duoexini. [¡­You demon-like bastard.] With those final words, I lightly tapped my foot on the ground. ¡°Ah!¡± Baek Seol-hee immediately caught on to what I was about to do and opened her mouth in surprise, but she only squinted her eyes and clenched her fists. Shwhish. I slowly walked away in the opposite direction of Baek Seol-hee and disappeared. That was probably how it seemed. The body that disappeared from the bottom turned into fog, just like a summer illusion. After making my physical form invisible with a spirit form, I quickly turned around and ran towards what I had left behind. ¡®I must retrieve the Taegeuk Watch right away!¡¯ The clothes were fine. But it was a different story with the Taegeuk Watch. ording to the GPS record of the Taegeuk Watch, I should appear as someone hiding in the nearby alley right before the Goblin appeared. So, just as I was heading to retrieve the Taegeuk Watch¡­ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± As I was about to pass Baek Seol-hee, she slightly turned her head. ¡°What¡¯s¡­?¡± This was bad. Did she spot me even though I was in spirit form? Did Baek Seol-hee perceive my spirit form? ¡°Is it just my feeling¡­.¡± Thank goodness. Baek Seol-hee just rubbed her back and didn¡¯t notice me. Yoon Iseon, who seems to have lower spiritual sensitivity than Baek Seol-hee, was the same. No one noticed me, and I quietly ran forward and sessfully arrived in the alley without being detected by anyone. ¡®I am a stranger. I am a stranger. I am a stranger.¡¯ By telling myself that I existed in a separate ne from this world as much as possible, I deactivated my ¡®spirit form¡¯, but not my transformation, and then proceeded with a different transformation. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± I picked up the Taegeuk Watch that had fallen on the alley floor, wore it again, turned it on, and once again checked the state of my clothes, which were the same as when I had gone out to eat. The clothes I wore now were not real but made of ¡®mana¡¯. This was made of mana; even an S-ss wouldn¡¯t notice it because I¡¯d perfected the function. However, I still had no intention of causing unnecessary confusion. First of all- Beep beep. The Taegeuk Watch rang with a phone call. I was surprised and immediately checked the call; it was a familiar name. [Manager. Where are you?] ¡°¡­Assistant Manager Brewer?¡± [The timing of your disappearance and my call matched perfectly. Where are you now? I brought something that you might need.] ¡°¡­Is it clothes by any chance?¡± [Correct.] Hooray. ¡®Is this why heroes have sidekicks?¡¯ Although Brewer wasn¡¯t my sidekick, I could use this kind of support a million times, and it still wouldn¡¯t be enough. ¡°Assistant Manager Brewer. Later, when I meet the Director, I¡¯ll ask her to raise your sry.¡± [Could you ask for three more annual leaves instead of a raise, Manager?] Absolutely. I used a technique modeled after Gunggi¡¯s concept, so she should definitely be pleased. Definitely. ¡°Damn. Damned Goblin. You¡­ The word ¡®viin¡¯ suits you all too well.¡± In a traditional Hanok a little away from the square, a young man wearing a brown hanbok scratched his head with a frustrated face. ¡°You don¡¯t even deserve to be called a viin in ournguage. Goblin, you¡¯re just a viin.¡± It was unusual for this man to pour out invectives using even ¡®English¡¯, which he consciously tries not to use. It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for others. To him, the ¡®English¡¯ term viin was essentially the ultimate insult, even more, derogatory than calling someone a bastard or the worst scumbag in the world. ¡°As if it wasn¡¯t enough to defeat three sprouting demons all by himself, he didn¡¯t even give the heroes a chance and took them down himself. Ugh, arrogant jerk.¡± The young man walked to the kitchen of the hanok and took a medicinal cookie from the fridge. ¡°A hero needs a heroic trial. Doesn¡¯t he know the saying ¡®It¡¯s youth because it hurts¡¯? A true hero must be broken and ruined to awaken¡­ Tsk tsk tsk.¡± Chewing on the medicinal cookie, the young man turned on the TV. [At around 12:30 this afternoon, the Goblin appeared on Sejong Ind. The Goblin brutally attacked the student who had be a demon¡­.] ¡°Damn it. Did those damn Haegnul guys manipte the media in the meantime?¡± The outline of the incident clearly began with a student who had be a demon causing a disturbance in the area. Havinge out to eat and incidentally watched the spectacle from the beginning, the anchor¡¯s words felt absurd to the young man. ¡°The giarism story ispletely gone.¡± The young man picked up his smartphone that had been ced on the table and checked the intemunity. ¡°Tsk. Isn¡¯t this making him look like a hero? Damn it, don¡¯t cheer for him. Don¡¯t be happy. He¡¯s a viin. He¡¯s not some kind of shadow hero¡­!!¡± The young man, at a speed where his thumb was hardly visible, vented his anger by posting longments one after another, so much so that the smartphone¡¯s input response couldn¡¯t keep up with his thumb. [[zing Teeth]: The Goblin is just a viin. If he keeps stepping up, when will our heroes get experience confronting demons?] ¡°Korean heroes need to get stronger by confronting demons¡­! Heroes have to be stronger themselves. Just like war promotes human progress, heroes need their trials¡­!¡± Ding. A notification arrived. Anotherment was posted on his newsment. [[Moonlight Mallet Storage]: Then you should¡¯ve caught it faster than the Goblin, right? You were watching from behind; aren¡¯t you admitting that? You were just watching from the side without helping, just like a buzzard and an earthworm, right?] ¡°Kraaaaaaaa!!¡± The young man let out an unspeakable scream. It was ament of only a few lines, but more than a couple of things in thatment raised the young man¡¯s blood pressure. ¡°This, this damn brat¡­!¡± [This is the final statement left by the Goblin.] Inside the news footage. Aiming precisely at the camera with his bat, the Goblin, his golden irises sparkling, was staring at the young man. [To the one who made a rampaging human turn into aplete demon. I will definitely catch you and execute you.] [¡­You demon-like bastard.] ¡°This bloody bastard! Cough!!¡± The young man grabbed the back of his neck and copsed. Chapter 51: After The Battle (2) Chapter 51: After The Battle (2) The uproar over the demon Doppelganger was over. Whether it was the demon bing gigantic, Baek Seol-hee showing off a new technique, the demon shrinking to escape Baek Seol-hee¡¯s attacks, or dying by the Goblin¡¯s strike, which caused three heads to explode simultaneously. The existence of Duoexini, another being that turned humans into demons. There was so much that happened. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon was at the scene of the incident. She wasn¡¯t there from the very beginning, but she tried to persuade and confront Yook Gibong from the moment he began to rampage. However, her presence faded halfway through. From the moment the Goblin stepped in, the moment Baek Seol-hee stepped in, the moment Duoexini appeared. In that feast of S-ss individuals, Yoon Iseon, an A-ss, was powerless and could only focus on spreading a protective barrier in the background to prevent any rampaging demons for the safety of the civilians. Ultimately, the protagonist was S-ss. Being a student council president was, in its own right, part of her pride and ego. Yet, she was once again reminded that power mattered most to those with special abilities in this world. She wanted to be stronger. She needed to be stronger. But she did not want to be stronger by bing a demon like Yook Gibong. If she became a demon, he would certainlye to kill her. [President Yoon Iseon, have you be a demon? I¡¯m going to execute you now.] He would undoubtedly try to kill Yoon Iseon, stating this. Regardless of all her actions as the president thus far, if she became a demon, if she became a viin, Yoon Iseon would be executed by the Goblin. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want that.¡± Yoon Iseon entered the student council room. Alone in the student council room, which was empty because it was the weekend, she slumped into a chair, deeply feeling her own powerlessness. ¡°I need power. But I can¡¯t hope for some miracle to suddenly be powerful.¡± To achieve her ideals, she needed strong power, but she couldn¡¯t reach out to strange ces to get it. She needed to progress in moderation and quickly be stronger. Knowing that it was an absurd thing to say and that it was a really hard thing to do, she had no choice but to do so. It would be too pitiful for the Goblin toe and execute her. ¡°¡­Right. You even told me all this.¡± Yoon Iseon manipted her Taeguk Watch and disyed various screens on the conference screen in the student council room. [(Cam view) Video taken from the Goblin¡¯s side] [[Hotlife] Video of the Goblin using a technique (not ultimate) during the Gibong Rider incident] [[SubscribeOdonateO] ??? : That¡¯s not how you use fire] Videos of the Goblin taken from all directions were widely spread out on the screen. Of course, there were close-up shots that she had taken herself among them. [[[[That¡¯s not how you use fire.]]]] Having even synced the videos, Yoon Iseon listened to the Goblin¡¯s voice in surround sound. ¡°This is how you do it.¡± With a whoosh, Yoon Iseon blew power into her outstretched hand, creating a pink fireball that looked like a fox¡¯s face. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t do it.¡± Even trying to maintain one fireball was not easy. It required a tremendous amount of mana to maintain one fireball, and how much power would it take to make it rise into a pir of fire that extended tens of meters? ¡°I¡­ Huh?¡± The Taeguk Watch began to ring. Yoon Iseon hastily set the sound of the PC connected to the screen to 0 and muted it before answering the phone. ¡°Yes, this is Yoon Iseon.¡± [Are you okay, student Iseon?] ¡°Ah! Teacher!!¡± She had forgotten. Such a huge incident had urred, and she had been immersed in self-loathing. She had missed the most important thing as a hero. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± [Ha ha, I¡¯m fine, but it seems like you¡¯re not quite okay right now, student Iseon?] ¡°Huh?¡± [I asked you to speak casually, but when I raised my tone again, you naturally epted it. If it were the usual Iseon, you would have said, ¡®Why are you raising your speech again?¡¯] ¡°Ah.¡± As Do Ji-hwan said, Yoon Iseon¡¯s mind was scattered right now. She had a hard time figuring out whether she was enchanted by the Goblin or if she was feeling self-loathing for not being able to stand next to the Goblin. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry.¡± [You don¡¯t have to be sorry. Thanks to you, student Iseon, for buying me time; I was able to survive because you bravely persuaded Yook Gibong and stopped him. Thank you, student Iseon.] ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Thank you. That single phrase made Yoon Iseon¡¯s heart flutter unnecessarily. It was not something she did because she wanted to be praised by someone, but it was something she had to do as a hero, but naturally, it made her feel good when she heard it directly. [Judging from your slightly downcast voice, you seem to have a lot on your mind. Is it because the student became a devil?] No. [If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t think student Iseon needs to worry too much. Student Iseon, you did your best. Although Yook Gibong became a devil, you did everything you could.] ¡°Thank you, teacher. For saying that.¡± What Do Ji-hwan said was certainly something she had been worried about, but it didn¡¯t quite soothe Yoon Iseon¡¯s inner turmoil. [If you need counseling, feel free to reach out at any time. I¡¯m on your side, student Iseon.] ¡°Yes, thank you so much.¡± In the end, would she have to find the answer herself? [¡­Looking at the unsatisfying response from student Iseon, it seems like you¡¯re dealing with a much deeper issue than I thought. If it¡¯s not too presumptuous, could I venture a guess?] ¡°Yes?¡± [Do you feel like you¡¯ve been pushed away from standing next to the Goblin and Snow White? Is that it?] Yoon Iseon rose from her seat without realizing it. She couldn¡¯t ask, ¡°How did you know?¡± She was startled that he had urately read her inner thoughts, surprised that he had not mentioned it first as it could be hurtful to her, and her heart sank at Do Ji-hwan¡¯s words that were probing her feelings and seeking her consent just with his voice. ¡°¡­Are you a mind reader?¡± [No, nothing like that. I just brought up the most probable concern I thought you might have and asked about it.] ¡°What other concerns might I have?¡± [Well, there could be many. But mentioning them might make your mind more cluttered, so I will give you my answer to the question I guessed. Student Iseon, don¡¯t rush your thoughts. You have your own path.] Do Ji-hwan¡¯s voice felt like aforting pat on Yoon Iseon¡¯s back. [Even if it looks like others are ahead for now, if you steadily move forward, soon enough, you might be standing shoulder to shoulder with them or even leading. You certainly have that potential, student Iseon.] ¡°¡­Thank you very much.¡± [You seem more satisfied now. How is it? I¡¯ve been reading some counseling books on the 2nd basement floor recently. Do you think I could be a counselor?] ¡°Pfft.¡± Yoon Iseon let out a hollowugh at Do Ji-hwan¡¯s light-heartedment. ¡°You¡¯d be good at providing mental care for the heroes.¡± [Really? That¡¯s kind of you. If I ever get fired from being a staff member, I¡¯ll consider your suggestion. Oh, it¡¯s gettingte. Enjoy your dinner. Let¡¯s have a meal together next time.] ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll contact you on the weekend.¡± [Yeah. Oh, by the way.] Do Ji-hwan cleared his throat. [Thank you very much for saving me, Hero.] With that, he ended the call. ¡°¡­¡­Oh my.¡± Yoon Iseon, clutching the Taeguk Watch, leaned over the desk. ¡°Calling me a hero. What¡­.¡± Behind Yoon Iseon¡­ The setting sun warmed her back with its rays, and her ears were reddening in the glow of the sunset. ¡°Mental care¡­. Pfft.¡± Yoon Iseon fiddled with her fingers, silently reying the Goblin¡¯s video and looking at the screen. ¡°I received help now, but someday¡­.¡± While pressing hard on her shoulder where the Goblin¡¯s hand had been ced, Someday¡­ Imagining the day when she would stand before the Goblin and reciprocate the words she heard today, Yoon Iseon yed the Goblin¡¯s technique over and over again. ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± In the video¡­ Although the video quality wasn¡¯t good, the Goblin clearly flicked his finger that had been resting on her shoulder. That slightforting gesture was undoubtedly not a lie. After returning to Brewer¡¯s room, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d go out to eat ande back after dealing with a demon.¡± ¡°Same here. I¡¯ll borrow your bed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already lying on it.¡± Iy on the bed in Brewer¡¯s house to rest. ¡°I¡¯ve used too much mana. I¡¯mpletely drained.¡± ¡°Did you use enough to cancel your transformation?¡± ¡°Not that. It¡¯s my personal¡­ ¡®first deadline¡¯, as I would say, to use this much and still be okay.¡± I used my mana with the assumption that I might face an S-ss opponent duringbat, while still leaving enough mana to safely escape without getting caught after the fight. ¡°I also need to increase my mana.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it naturally increase when you¡¯re on Sejong Ind?¡± ¡°It does. But there¡¯s a way to increase your mana easier than just breathing here.¡± I sent an advertising link to Brewer¡¯s smartphone. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very special way to get stronger quickly, to increase your mana pool.¡± ¡°¡­Ulleung Ind?¡± ¡°Yes. They say there¡¯s a special ce in Ulleung Ind that replenishes your mana 1.5 times faster and increases your maximum mana.¡± Including me, only six people knew about it. Gunggi, Docheol, Dool, Hondon, and the Chief. ¡°It¡¯s a pension with a hot spring. It¡¯s owned by a direct branch of Yi Maemangryang.¡± Chapter 52: Miracle And Patriotism Island, Ulleung (1) Chapter 52: Miracle And Patriotism Ind, Ulleung (1) Seize the moment, I thought, as I finished Brewer¡¯s soup dinner and immediately boarded the regr ferry to Ulleung Ind. [What is the purpose of visiting Ulleung Ind at this time?] [I am taking leave tomorrow! I am going to eat squid sashimi.] [epted. When will you return? What¡¯s your travel n?] [I n to see Dokdo at dawn, buy some pumpkin candy, and then return in the afternoon or evening.] [Hmm, the perfect tourist. Pass!] [Excuse me? Isn¡¯t your reason a bit strange? I¡¯m trying to enter Ulleung Ind.] [You are an employee of Sejong Ind Academy. You are an ¡®inder¡¯ whose verification has already ended at the academy level, so there is no need to strictly verify. You¡¯re going from Sejong Ind to Ulleung Ind.] [Well, that makes sense.] If my departure point was not Sejong Ind, it would not have been easy to get to Ulleung Ind. Even though it had been inhabited for a very long time, Ulleung Ind, being close to Sejong Ind, was as strictly controlled in terms of entry and exit as Sejong Ind. Especially between Sejong Ind and Ulleung Ind. Given that there were people sneaking to Sejong Ind through Ulleung Ind, the ship traveling between Ulleung Ind and Sejong Ind did not simply look like a passenger ship but a warship. Furthermore, the entrance examination was as intense as the immigration examination in Sejong Ind. [Shouldn¡¯t we process it ording to the manual anyway?] [It¡¯s okay because an employee of Sejong Ind Academy is going to Ulleung Ind. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going with foreigners. No, if you¡¯re taking a foreign daughter-inw, do you get an immediate free pass? Hehehe.] As it was Sunday evening, I could barely catch thest boat to Ulleung Ind, but if the inspection had been a littleter, I would not have been able to enter Ulleung Ind. I barely made it. The ship arrived at Ulleung Port. ¡°Stop. Everyone line up and disembark one by one. You must follow the agent¡¯s instructions until your identity is confirmed.¡± After disembarking from the ship docked at Ulleung Port, which was built on a scale reminiscent of Busan International Port, I went through the same entry examination as when I left Sejong Ind and exited Ulleung Port. ¡®Here is the Ulleung Ind of this world.¡¯ Being here, the memories of visiting Dokdo with my friends came flooding back. One thing was a little disappointing. ¡®Is this Ulleung Ind or Guam?¡¯ The Ulleung Ind I knew did not exist in this world. It was taken for granted that there would be all sorts of seaside franchises, and there was even an abundance of foreign franchises. The buildings were weather-beaten by the sea breeze, but they were maintained in a design much more sophisticated than those in Seoul, and neon signs were shing like Gangnam¡¯s nightlife. [Wee to the Miracle Ind, Ulleung Ind!] Beneath this phrase were written all kinds of foreignnguages, and women in uniforms simr to a sailor look were positioned around the ce like tour guides soliciting foreign visitors. If I had to summarize the Ulleung Ind of this world in one sentence, I could say it¡¯s a resort operated by the country. Ulleung Ind has be a tourist attraction surpassing Jeju Ind to the extent that it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call it Ulleung Guam or Ulleung Saipan. All because of mana. In order to absorb as much mana as possible from the East Sea for Sejong Ind, people searched for locations in the East Sea, and among them, everyone wanted to get into Ulleung Ind, which was the closest to Sejong Ind. Those who came to the ind were usually ability users. After securing amodation on the ind, they umted mana through their own form of mana meditation. Because more mana umted when in Ulleung than in Uljin or Gangneung. But many non-ability users also visited Ulleung Ind a lot. Who were they? The residents of Ulleung Ind? No. ¡°Honey, do you think we can really seed?¡± ¡°We have to. We came here for one night and two days with the money to go to Hawaii for three nights and five days. I¡¯ll make sure we seed.¡± ¡°Honey, if we really have ¡®that child,¡¯ we¡¯re going to raise them happily, right?¡± ¡°Right. We¡¯re raising them as patriots, not viins.¡± Primarily, many ¡®newlyweds¡¯ in their 20s or 30s visit here. You could hardly see any young children. ¡®Ability users under 15¡¯ couldn¡¯t even enter this ind. There was no reason for a child toe to Ulleung Ind, this ¡®ind of dreams for adults.¡¯ Because this was an ind where children were conceived. ¡°You there, young man. Did youe alone?¡± An elderly man in a gray suit who looked to be around his seventies approached me. The old man who picked us up when we came to y in Ulleung Ind with friends wore a fishing vest sold in the market, but the clothes of the elderly here are different. The Rolex he wore over the Taegeuk Watch already proved the old man¡¯s flex. This old man was old and aged, but he was incredibly rich. And there were not just one or two such old men. ¡°What about thedy?¡± ¡°I came alone. I¡¯m a faculty member of Sejong Academy.¡± ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s a shame. I thought you were newlyweds who came for the ¡®Ability-Bearer Pregnancy Course¡¯.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­.¡± Parental expectations were quite something. They wanted their child to excel over others, and in this world, even if you were ignorant orcked talent, if you had ¡®abilities,¡¯ you could survive and thrive. ¡°You might know this, but people born before the great change, like me, also have a way to contribute to the country in this era of abilities. That is, by giving birth to children with abilities.¡± ¡°Do you have any grandchildren who are ability users?¡± ¡°Listen here, young man. My son is now a B-ss ability user. Even if people say having a child at forty is risky, childbirth is still childbirth.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± A child born with a silver spoon? So, could that child wield that spoon? Even the golden spoon had to bow before the spoon of superpowers, and parents tried to make their children awaken their superpowers even if they couldn¡¯t leave them a substantial amount of money. ¡°If you look at the locals of Ulleung Ind, they have or have had at least one family member or rtive who is an ability user. The same goes for the bachelors and bachelorettes whoe to Ulleung Ind. Why do you think so many peoplee here even when we charge 5 million won per night? They alle because they want to make their kids superpower users.¡± ¡°¡®Pumpkin Honeymoon¡¯.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use foreign words. Well, that¡¯s how we make our living, but use ournguage.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Patriotic trip.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Somehow, my child should be an ability user. The honeymoon in Ulleung Ind for the purpose of birthing ability users was created in such an environment. Significant statistical data had actually been released, and the children born to couples who had their honeymoon in Ulleung Ind were indeed significantly more likely to be born as ability users. Although it would be difficult to live on Ulleung Ind for a year as it would cost hundreds of millions of won, you cane for a night to receive the energy of Ulleung Ind when conception happens. Now in 2025, most of the couples who visited Ulleung Ind were those who have chosen a golden day. Not only Korean couples but also foreign couples had the same purpose. This ce was a pregnancy hotspot. It was not a ce for sightseeing; it was a ce where people came for pregnancy. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for a man toe here alone¡­ Are you trying to seduce a woman from Ulleung Ind? If so, give up. Even the Board of Audit and Inspection can¡¯t ovee the Ulleung Ind virgins.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Haha.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction? Are you an ability user?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an ability user. It just seems quite different from the Ulleung Ind I remember from my childhood.¡± A gleam appeared in the old man¡¯s eyes. ¡°From your childhood? Hehe, my friend. When you were a child, Ulleung Ind was in its heyday, surpassing Jeju.¡± ¡°It was when my parents were young and had a date in Ulleung Ind. I¡¯ve heard a lot about that time.¡± ¡°Hehe, my friend, talking about Ulleung Ind before the great transformation.¡± The old man was lost in nostalgia, looking out at the distant sea. Against a backdrop of many twinkling neon signs. ¡°Back in the day, everyone here used to fish and board ships. But there are no fishermen here now. The government forcibly changed everything into pensions and hotels.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t there any objections?¡± ¡°Objections? If they had driven us out, it would have caused a big fuss. Fortunately, nothing like that happened. Making money by serving tourists is a hundred, a thousand times more profitable than fishing under the sun; who would refuse that?¡± The profit was too great to refuse. ¡°The Ulleung Ind where your parents¡¯ memories are stored is gone. This ce now has only one purpose.¡± The purpose of patriotism. Giving birth was, after all, patriotism. ¡°So the real reason you came alone is that? No matter if you¡¯re a teacher from Sejong Ind, it¡¯s a bit suspicious?¡± ¡°Haha. Yes, I came alone. Actually¡­ I¡¯m this kind of person.¡± I pulled out a business card. ¡°A teacher from Sejong Ind has this kind of business card¡­ Hmm¡­?!¡± ¡°Sir.¡± I winked at the old man, and he immediately handed me back the business card, clicking his tongue. ¡°What a mysterious gentleman you are¡­ Hehe. Ms. Brewer¡¯s contact said someone wasing, and it turns out I¡¯ve got a very important guest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± This old man. A local of Ulleung Ind and, at the same time, the manager of a pension directly operated by the Gyeolsa. ¡°Wee to Ulleung Ind, the ind of miracles and patriotism.¡± The old man pressed his car key toward the parking lot, and a ck midsize sedan shed its lights as if it had been called. Vroom. The car sprang forward on its own, and the old man opened the rear seat door. ¡°All this for me?¡± ¡°When you go to a five-star hotel in Seoul, they offer valet parking. Wouldn¡¯t it be appropriate to do the same at a pension that costs 5 million won per night?¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Iid back in the seat. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯llfortably take you to your destination, Manager Do.¡± ¡°Thank you. Sir.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Did this old man know? That the hot spring arising from hisnd and the pension built around it were the most valuable ces on Earth. He probably didn¡¯t know. He must only see himself as a in pension manager and a coborator with the Gyeolsa. In the first ce, nobody knew that the hot spring this old man managed had such efficacy. ¡°Um, Manager Do. I¡¯m really curious, so I¡¯m asking.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­Who among the board members is thedy you¡¯ll bring with you next time? Perhaps, the chairman?¡± No matter how much Ulleung Ind had changed. ¡°Perhaps all five¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s not. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut even if you bring another woman. Hehe.¡± The elders of this country remained the same. Ulleung Ind. Overseas, they called this ce the ind of miracles and pregnancy. Chapter 53: Miracle And Patriotism Island, Ulleung (2) Chapter 53: Miracle And Patriotism Ind, Ulleung (2) The car quickly drove along the Ulleung Ind Coastal Road, which had 4nes, and soon arrived at the destination. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s impressive.¡± The pension built on Ulleung Ind was designed with the best materials and top designers to satisfy the eyes of wealthy individuals from overseas. As with most, especially this pension directly contracted by Gyeolsa, I heard that tremendous resources had been invested. Originally, the pension had no rtion to Gyeolsa. However, I had inquired online about a pension in Ulleung Ind with hot spring water, and as soon as the Chief came and checked it herself, it became the property of Gyeolsa. ¡°The owner and the employees don¡¯t know who you are, sir. From now on, we will treat you as a guest.¡± ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not a boast, but all those who book at our pension are wealthy. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± The only person who knows that I belong to Gyeolsa is this pension manager, ¡®President Jang¡¯. ¡°If it makes you ufortable, I¡¯ll introduce you to the owner as an associate of the ¡®big hand¡¯ who invested in the pension. You came to take a break and inspect the site as apany manager.¡± He had already sessfully operated the pension, received help from Gyeolsa¡¯s experts, and quickly seeded in remodeling. He was now operating the pension very sessfully among other pensions as a super premium pension. ¡®It¡¯s not wrong. I found this ce on the inte, and Gyeolsa decided to invest.¡¯ I never imagined that the pension I saw in the photos would change into such a luxurious mansion. Since it was my first time seeing the real thing, and I only saw what it looked like before it became Gyeolsa¡¯s pension, I ended up facing a super-luxurious mansion that was supposedly a pension. ¡°Is this really a pension?¡± ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Even though it looked like a garden made by a rich man on a hill in California, I had no choice but to believe it when the manager himself said it was a pension. ¡°When you need to call the manager, you can press the phone or the indoor interphone. This here is Sylvia. She will solve any inconvenience for you.¡± ¡°Hello, sir. My name is Sylvia.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± A tall blonde woman who looked like she came from Northern Europe greeted me in a maid¡¯s uniform that seemed suitable for work in a pce. ¡°May I ask what country you¡¯re from?¡± ¡°I am¡­ from Norway.¡± ¡°Sylvia. You don¡¯t need to do that.¡± ¡°Is that so? I am from Norway. Nice to meet you, sir.¡± Her slightly awkward Korean changed into fluent Korean in an instant. Sylvia shrugged as if it were natural, and I thought she was of some Korean mixed heritage. ¡°There are some Korean guests who like white women speaking Korean a bit awkwardly. Please understand, sir.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­.¡± ¡°This is everyday life in Ulleung Ind. Elite men and women from abroad work here. Sylvia, where was that ce you said you worked before¡­?¡± ¡°I worked as a hotelier at the K Hotel in London. It was a hotel ssified as a 5-star hotel.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± I started to feel dizzy from the bombardment of patriotism once again. ¡°Is the K Hotel in London the one where overseas leaders often go?¡± ¡°Do you know it? Yes, that¡¯s the ce. I worked there as a hotelier for 10 years and then came to Korea to be a hotelier at Ulleung Ind.¡± ¡°Wow¡­.¡± As Korea became a great country, the nature of foreign workers naturally began to change. The so-called third world? All disappeared. [Jamar, you¡¯re doing great! You can work harder and better than Peter.] [Oh, I know Jamar is good at his job! But Peter speaks English well!] [I also speak English well! We are also an English-speaking area! You¡¯re discriminating because my skin color is dark! The boss is bad!] [Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Han.] [No! Peter has nothing to apologize for! Ahem. Jamar. I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re fired.] [Boss! Peter is trying to absorb mana in Korea and return to the US! Don¡¯t be fooled!] [Oh, No¡­ I¡¯m going to marry a Korean woman and live here. I like bulgogi.] [I even devour doenjang! Jamar, I ate the meat the boss gave me deliciously! Boss, I¡¯ve built a long ¡®jeong¡¯ with Jamar!] [Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Peter. Koreans really have a lot of ¡®jeong¡¯¡­.] [My grandfather participated in the Korean War.] [Ah, then it has to be Peter! Sorry, Jamar. We¡¯re trying to repay the favor of our ancestors. It¡¯s absolutely not because Peter is white!] The Bob, who picked apples on the farm, the Sam, who fed mackerel to tunas on the ship, and the Hassan, who moved goods in the factory, all changed to James, Adam, Michael, and Samuel. [Are you getting married to a German woman? No, you¡¯reing from Sweden to marry a Korean man? Nonsense.] [Surprisingly, they say hundreds of inquiries about marriage immigration pour in every day. Many blond beautiese to study in Korea and want to marry a university student.] [No, what in the world, does this make sense? Why are they doing international marriages with European women?] [You know the answer. Why are you asking?] The women were the same. [Hello, I¡¯m Christine. I passed level 1 in the Korean proficiency test and have a perfect score certification in Advanced Korean History.] [Do you know about Taesaja?] [These days, they verify with this instead of Taesaja. ¡®Muo gabjagi myeosa¡¯¡­] [Teacher Baekgyeol¡¯s rice cake pounder.] [Three thousand pcedies¡¯ chair king.] [I believe you. You are a prepared international student. What¡¯s the purpose ofing to Korea?] [I¡¯m a daughter-inw.] [Wee to Joseon, stranger.] In ces where there were many non-Koreans, Europeans gradually started to take their ce one by one. They gradually began to whiten the ratio of foreigners in thisnd. [White people, get out! All of those who came to suck the honey from this blessednd, go back home!!] [Do you happen to know the phrase ¡®If it¡¯s to be, it better be a pink skirt¡¯? Now is the age of ¡®If it¡¯s to be, it better be Anglo-Saxon.¡¯] To receive the blessing of this power from thend known as South Korea. The same went for Sylvia. ¡°Ms. Sylvia, are you perhaps an ability user?¡± ¡°Regrettably, I am not an ability user. However, I do hope to give birth to one someday. Since the boss said to feelfortable speaking with you, I¡¯ll share a bit more casually.¡± Sylvia looked towards the far west with slightly tired eyes. ¡°I¡¯m saving up a lot of money here to go back home, marry my childhood friend, and have a ¡®Pumpkin Baby¡¯ at this pension. That¡¯s my dream.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why a pumpkin, of all things?¡± ¡°Because if it¡¯s Ulleung Ind, it¡¯s pumpkin taffy. Anyway, it would be great to go from conception to childbirth here. The best thing is to umte tenure here and go to Sejong Ind¡­ But it¡¯s not easy for foreigners like me to get into Sejong Ind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Had I been cooped up at home too much? Was it because I was stuck at home watching the movies and animations of this world or because I was in what they call the slums of Seoul in Korea? ¡°Only ability users or their associates can enter Sejong Ind. For amoner like me, Ulleung Ind is the limit.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you quite an elite, Ms. Sylvia?¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of you to say, but there are still many restrictions for foreign women who are not ¡®daughters-inw¡¯.¡± Looking at Neo Busan and Neo Ulleung, which could be considered the epitome of this nationalistic light novel world, I felt like my hands and feet were twisted, and my heart was shrinking. ¡°¡­I understand. I¡¯ll let you know if I need anything. I¡¯d like to rest in my room for a while. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll show you the way.¡± I followed Sylvia as she guided me into the pension. The pension, full of Modern Hellenistic designs mixed with exotic and oriental elements, couldfortably amodate about six people. To be honest, there was enough space for not only six but ten, and exaggerating a little, even more than 20 people could easily hang out here. There were several rooms and even an indoor pool vi in one of them. In the Earth where I used to live, you¡¯d have to spend over a million won in group bookings or even more money to rent such a pool vi. Now, I was using such a ce ¡®for free.¡¯ Well, it was more like I paid upfront with my card, and thepany reimbursed me, but in effect, I could use this spacious ce freely. ¡°My head hurts.¡± I came to Ulleung to rest for the first time, and my head was now moreplicated after seeing a feast of nationalistic fervor. I knew about it. But just ¡®knowing¡¯ about it and actually experiencing it are entirely different stories. ¡°¡­sigh.¡± I felt dizzy. I just wanted to get into the hot spring and rest. Luckily, on one side of the pension was a hot spring, simr to an open-air bath, where steam was rising, and you could see the outdoor view. ¡°Wow¡­.¡± The protagonist found this very spring of magic power while exploring Ulleung Ind with the heroines. As soon as I removed my clothes and entered, I felt mana filling my body. Personally, I would like to keep living here. I was about to sink into the hot spring water when¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± My phone rang. It was someone I knew. ¡°Hello?¡± [Ah, Ji-hwan. Can you talk?] It was Snow White. Chapter 54: Miracle And Patriotism Island, Ulleung (3) Chapter 54: Miracle And Patriotism Ind, Ulleung (3) I was honestly taken aback by the sudden phone call. Why was she calling me at this hour? Wasn¡¯t it almost 10 PM now? Why was she calling me instead of having a meeting about the devil Doppelg?nger and Goblin that appeared today? [Where are you now?] ¡°Excuse me?¡± [Can we meet now?] Her voice was down. I had a gut feeling about why a woman would want to meette at night. Still, regretfully, I was physically in a situation where I couldn¡¯t get closer. ¡°Um¡­ I feel a little strange saying this, but I¡¯m currently outside Sejong Ind.¡± [Excuse me?] ¡°I¡¯m on Ulleung Ind now.¡± [¡­¡­.] Baek Seol-hee stopped speaking. I felt as if I had done something wrong, even though I hadn¡¯t. Honestly, I did make a mistake. It was a man¡¯s fault to be in a location where he couldn¡¯t go to a woman when she called with a depressed voice at night. Especially if she was a woman who was single and living alone(?), not a married woman or a woman with a boyfriend. I was not sure why she called me, but considering what Yoon Iseon said, it seemed that I was doing my role as a counselor to the heroes quite well. She must have called me for counseling. That was why she said she wanted to meet. ¡°Um, did things go south again in the meeting?¡± [Heh¡­!] My guess was spot on. Most of the heroes¡¯ grievances came from armchair discussions and rushed decisions, leading to a heap of civilian casualties. Naturally, the person who suffered the most was the S-rank hero. ¡°Did someone again pick on Miss Seol-hee, asking why she didn¡¯t capture the Goblin, why she didn¡¯t attack on the spot and let it escape? A man with a bald head and protruding belly?¡± [His head isn¡¯t bald. Do you have some kind of intelligence operative nted somewhere? Or do you have the power to hear information over the phone?] ¡°I can guess just from hearing your voice. You want to meet me now to vent your anger on the so-called ¡®higher-ups.¡¯¡± As a reader of the original novel, given Baek Seol-hee¡¯s voice, the situation, and the background of this world, I could make educated guesses. ¡°I¡¯m all ears if you want to talk over the phone. I¡¯m currently at a pension in Ulleung Ind.¡± [¡­ A pension?] ¡°Yes.¡± [¡­¡­With who?] What¡¯s this? I was sure I was soaking in the hot spring, but I felt a chill run down my spine. It was cold. It was like a magical force pierced my heart like a dagger. I guess this was what it meant to make someone tense just by using your voice. ¡°I came alone.¡± [Liar. Do you know how expensive a pension in Ulleung Ind is? And you im to go there alone. Even in ¡®Ulleung Ind¡¯?] She stressed the word ¡®Ulleung Ind¡¯ as she asked me. Given the societal position of Ulleung Ind, thinking of going there alone brought to mind only two scenarios. Either lie about going with someone to Ulleung Ind for some patriotic act. Or lie about meeting a woman locally in Ulleung Ind for a patriotic act. It was a statement no different from saying you were going to a club in Gangnam to dance. ¡°Do you want to video call?¡± [Huh?] ¡°I¡¯m currently soaking in a hot spring, so I can only show you my upper body. I hope you understand. We can video call via my Taeguk Watch now.¡± [Ri, right now? ¡­Yes. Let¡¯s do it. Immediately.] I pulled my hand out of the water and pointed my Taeguk Watch towards me, and soon Baek Seol-hee¡¯s face appeared on the watch¡¯s small screen. [Oh.] Baek Seol-hee, wearing a white shirt, blushed in surprise as soon as she saw me. I took the call with my body submerged up to the corbone, with no intention of throwing a Goblin viewing party, but she still blushed in surprise. ¡°Do you believe me now?¡± [You¡¯re really at the pension¡­alone? It looks like a really nice pension.] ¡°It¡¯s a pension with a hot spring.¡± [¡­¡­Is the water warm?] ¡°Yes. It¡¯s maintained at over 40 degrees Celsius. Ulleung Ind is a volcanic ind. The hot spring water is heated by geothermal energy from there.¡± [That must be nice¡­.] She was genuinely envious. If I wanted to continue the conversation here or persuade Baek Seol-hee, introducing this ce would be the optimal choice. But it felt a little awkward when I tried to talk about it. ¡®Isn¡¯t this a ce to increase mana?¡¯ The most efficient ce for mana recovery and maximum mana augmentation in the world. Not only could I restore my drained magic power overnight, but it was also a ce where I could see my magic power increasing in real time. Although the stack increase was only about 0.1 per hour, it had an amazing efficiency whenpared to others, whose numbers increased by 1 in the fourth decimal ce. I couldn¡¯t stay here every day. It had its own kind of cooldown. It may be a mechanism through which thews of nature prevented excessive indulgence here or through which very appropriate and light-novel-like activities could take ce in a hot spring. But¡­ What if I could capture Baek Seol-hee by revealing this ce? Even if I had to give up this ce if I could turn Baek Seol-hee into an ally, wouldn¡¯t it be worth it? ¡®It has to be Baek Seol-hee, no question.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t about pettiness. It was a rational choice based on a strategic perspective. ¡®Today¡¯s Baek Seol-hee is shaky. This is the moment to make a move.¡¯ If I could listen to theints of Baek Seol-hee, who was greatly harmed by the Goblin¡¯s actions today and couldn¡¯tin to her higher-ups, and if I could persuade her to join our cause? ¡°Um, Ms. Seol-hee.¡± [Can Ie?] ¡°Excuse me?¡± [I mean, can Ie there in person? Ulleung Ind isn¡¯t too far away.] ¡°¡­At this hour?¡± [Oh.] At my question, Baek Seol-hee smiled slightly. [Are you asking about the time because if the time is right, I cane?] ¡°Ah, well, that¡¯s true, but wouldn¡¯t it be a little awkward? If people find out that a man and a woman are on Ulleung Ind in this situation, it could be quite difficult for Ms. Seol-hee.¡± [Don¡¯t worry about that. I can get to Ulleung Ind in 10 minutes.] What a bombshell of an S-ss capability. ¡°10 minutes?¡± [Yes. If I move underwater, I can get there in 10 minutes. Without getting wet.] ¡°So you¡¯re going to use your ability toe here?¡± [Of course. How else would I get from here to Ulleung Ind in just 10 minutes?] She had a point. Even I, using the power of mana, with the aid of the Goblin Bat and my imagination, couldmute one way between Sejong Ind and Ulleung Ind in less than 20 minutes. [Give me your address. And¡­ give it a generous estimate; I¡¯ll be there in 15 minutes, so please open your window.] ¡°No, wait a minute. If a scandal erupts¡­¡± Click. The call was disconnected. Her unterally hanging up the phone was essentially silent pressure to send the address. What if I didn¡¯t send the address now? My rtionship with Baek Seol-hee would end here. In essence, it would be the same as me shouting goodbye to Baek Seol-hee myself. ¡°¡­ Tsk. Ah. Send a message to Baek Seol-hee. Ulleung Special Autonomous Region¡­¡± I sent Baek Seol-hee the address through a text message via the Taegeuk Watch. Soon the reply was a short one, just [Yes.]. ¡°¡­ Sigh.¡± The sudden decision of this woman to meet me was suspicious. Although it was an open-air bath, and she just needed tond here once she saw me, without the need to open any windows, I was honestly quite flustered. ¡°Ah. Text. Leave the Taegeuk Watch behind.¡± I left a text message just in case. The location of an S-ss ability user was essentially monitored in real-time. It would be caught in the Hero Association¡¯s informationwork. But if she just left it behind and came here? [[Shock] Hero S, overnight in a pension with a man on Ulleung Ind.] [[Breaking News] Has Snow White¡¯s prince appeared? Dwarves weep.] [[Exclusive] Library librarian hermit, who is he?] It was obvious that these kind of articles woulde out. ¡°Ugh, this is driving me crazy¡­¡± I checked the text message through the Taegeuk Watch, but it was really confusing. The ¡®1¡¯ next to the message I sent after ¡®Yes.¡¯ was not disappearing. What should I do? Should I call her? ¡°¡­No.¡± There was absolutely no reason to panic. No, rather, this was what I had been hoping for. If a scandal erupted with Baek Seol-hee here, it would be a huge gossip, and the opportunity to approach those around Baek Seol-hee might increase. Specifically, the protagonist. Baek Seol-hee was one of the heroines of the original novel, and she was a ¡®teacher position¡¯ heroine at that. The student, Yoon Yiseon. The teacher, Baek Seol-hee. Given that they were the popr twin heroines¡ªin the original settings¡ªit was certain that the protagonist would be linked with Baek Seol-hee. At that time, I needed to meet the protagonist through Baek Seol-hee. And with Baek Seol-hee, or using Baek Seol-hee, the protagonist¡­ ¡°Tsk. I¡¯m such a total jerk.¡± To achieve my objective by using a woman¡¯s feelings. Even more so, to use a hero¡¯s fragile and wavering heart to corrupt her in a direction beneficial to the Gyeolsa. ¡°¡­But it is the typical brainwashing method of an evil organization¡¯s executive to take advantage of a hero¡¯s mental weakness and turn them into viins.¡± This might as well be the ¡®Goblin Temptation¡¯ operation that the Goblin repeatedly failed at in the original novel. ¡®But can things resolve this smoothly?¡¯ I was worried. So far, Baek Seol-hee has had scandals with numerous male heroes, celebrities, and people from wealthy families. Of course, all those scandals were gossip attempts by men to somehow link themselves with Baek Seol-hee, and Baek Seol-hee outright said she had no interest in them. But what if. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for Baek Seol-hee, this would be a surefire green light!¡¯ What if Baek Seol-hee was interested in me? ¡®Damn it. This is driving me crazy.¡¯ Which side were Baek Seol-hee¡¯s feelings on? Was it to get face-to-face treatment from a mental health counselor to stabilize her shaky mental state as a hero? Or was it because she was attracted to a man and wanted to visit him at night? If you thought about it in terms of abilities, the former was correct. But if you thought about the countless stories of fresh young men and women in their early twenties in the modern era, no matter how you thought about it, this was a green light. A man¡¯s instinct, a man¡¯s hope, was telling me so. If this went wrong¡­ ¡°Wow.¡± Off in the distance. Something like a ck silhouette twinkled from the direction of the sea. Being responsive to mana, I saw it clearly, but for the soldiers on guard in the watchtower, it would just seem like the sea was twinkling in the moonlight. Bang! With a powerful shockwave, the waves sshed. And she appeared before me, who was soaking in the hot spring. ¡°¡­I arrived a bit early.¡± ¡°¡­Did you reallye?¡± ¡°Of course, I really came.¡± Baek Seol-hee appeared, wrapped from neck to ankle in a ck long padding coat. ¡°Why¡­ why did youe?¡± I just asked what came to mind, regardless of my prepared lines. ¡°I needed counseling.¡± Baek Seol-hee looked at me calmly and answered. ¡°I thought you would be willing to counsel me, regardless of the content.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the content?¡± ¡°¡­Comining about the Minister?¡± ¡°¡­First of all.¡± I decided to resolve one unbearable thing. ¡°Even if it¡¯s an open-air bath, shoes are a bit¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Take off your shoes, go in there, and leave them at the entrance.¡± Even if you were an S-ss hero, there were things that you should never do in this country, on thisnd. Chapter 55: Mental Care, At Your Service (1) Chapter 55: Mental Care, At Your Service (1) Even though it was time to delve into why this woman came at this hour, I had run into a major problem. ¡°Isn¡¯t this sexual harassment?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I am naked in an open-air bath right now, and across from me, Miss Baek Seol-hee is sitting in her long padded coat.¡± I was currently naked. Even though it was an open-air bath, I naturally went in naked because I reserved it for myself. What if someone saw me? Did you think there would be a CCTV in the open-air bath that came with a ce that costs 5 million won per night? Absolutely not. There might have been in the past, but not now. To protect the privacy of the visitors. Thanks to this, the fact that Baek Seol-hee was here now and I entered the bath naked would not be recorded anywhere like CCTV. However¡­ ¡°Miss Baek Seol-hee. Why aren¡¯t you averting your eyes?¡± ¡°Why does it matter when you can¡¯t even see anything because of the hot spring steam and water?¡± ¡°If the genders were reversed, it would have caused a huge scandal.¡± ¡°Really? I saw a woman entering the men¡¯s bath in clothes and dragging a man out by the hair in a public broadcast drama.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I wanted to argue about what would happen if the genders were reversed, but Baek Seol-hee looked too depressed right now. ¡°You really can¡¯t see anything, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t see anything. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t. Just like how Mr. Do Ji-hwan can¡¯t see inside my long padded coat.¡± Baek Seol-hee was still wearing her long ck padded coat that reached her ankles. The oneforting fact was that there was nothing on her wrists. ¡°You came leaving your Taeguk Watch behind. Good for you. If it were known that you were tracked by your Taeguk Watch and were with a man on Ulleung Ind, Miss Baek Seol-hee, you would probably have been caught in a scandal of the century.¡± ¡°Yes, so I took off the Taeguk Watch to avoid a scandal. By now, those people up there probably think I am drinking beer and enjoying myself in the dormitory.¡± ¡°Did you have a fight?¡± ¡°Yes, a big one, a very serious fight. In that sense¡­ Could you give me some counseling?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I was unsure why Baek Seol-hee saw me as a garbage can for dumping her resentment of higher-ups. This was a negative view. On the brighter side, it meant that she found mefortable. She hadn¡¯t yet figured out that I was the Goblin. If she had, her eyes wouldn¡¯t be like this, and she would be more wary of me, but it was not like that at all. ¡°Alright, what exactly did those higher-ups do to provoke Miss Baek Seol-hee?¡± ¡°Human decency.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Considering what happened today, there can only be one answer.¡± Just like with Red Scarf, the answer was already there. ¡°Did they try to cover up the information about the dead viin from above and disguise it as a ¡®simple rampage¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s simr.¡± ¡°Simr?¡± ¡°The government is trying to manipte this incident as a rampage caused by an unidentified Goblin follower. No, they have already manipted it.¡± What was she talking about? ¡°That¡¯s different from what I heard at the scene.¡± ¡°Were you at the scene?¡± ¡°Yes. I was watching from a distance, moving ording to the staff manual, so I roughly knew everything. I also heard the Doppelganger, the student, talking about the patent at the scene.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. But what was said at the scene has be unimportant. What matters is how the government will make an official statement. Do you have a Taeguk Watch? An official statement probably came out by now.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± I quickly skimmed through a summary of the official statement that Baek Seol-hee mentioned that I found through my Taeguk Watch. ¡°The viin Doppelganger, an ardent Goblin follower, wanted to be a Goblin by modifying his suit to replicate the Goblin¡¯s new look. The Goblin appeared at the scene and denied this, leading to the Doppelganger¡¯s rampage.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s not what actually happened.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Those who were at the scene definitely heard the ¡®patent¡¯ talk, but when looking at the rted news, there was no mention of it. [Why isn¡¯t there any talk about the patent?] Thisment changed to ¡®Thisment has been deleted by the author¡¯ upon refreshing the page. ¡°They are controlling the information. The talk about the patent seems to be a sensitive issue.¡± ¡°Do you often use Haegneul?¡± ¡°No, I am participating in a boycott against Haegneul. Ever since they started charging more for fried chicken, arguing that it¡¯s Western food while seasoned chicken is Korean food, I have despised Haegneul.¡± ¡°Do you like fried chicken?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Patriotic marketing had its limits. How could they justify lowering the price of seasoned chicken by saying it¡¯s Korean cuisine? ¡°So, Haegneul was behind the patent. And they discreetly backed out so they wouldn¡¯t take the me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And there was a gag order for the heroes. The people on Sejong Ind get a lot of sponsorship from Haegneul, so they would let it slide, but as a newbie on this ind¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s voice became more and more depressed. ¡°Seems like they wanted to tame me and use the fact that I have a karmic rtionship with the Goblin. They threatened me, saying that if I didn¡¯t want to be seen as an ipetent, who let the Goblin go and made the viin a devil, I should quietly participate in the ¡®demonization of the Goblin¡¯.¡± ¡°There are two things that I don¡¯t understand. What are they? Would the government dare to threaten you, Ms. Baek Seol-hee, an S-rank? They would dare to?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ That¡¯s the thing.¡± Baek Seol-hee let out a deep sigh with a depressed look on her face. ¡°That¡¯s an ironic problem. No matter how unfavorable the conditions the country proposes to me, I have no choice but to ept them.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because they know I can¡¯t leave this country.¡± Baek Seol-hee was being threatened. She was held hostage by emotional issues, such as patriotism. ¡°Sometimes, I see anonymous posts on intemunities saying if you have money, there¡¯s no reason to stay in this country. You can just go abroad and live there. If you¡¯re at S-rank, you don¡¯t need to be attached to the mana of thisnd; you can rule as a single hero and a god abroad.¡± In fact, that was true. Already among Koreans, quite a few ability users had moved to ces like the Middle East, Europe, and Africa and became the sole god of that region. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just leave?¡± ¡°I could leave. If I immigrate, they¡¯ll give me enough money tost a lifetime and support me with housing and cars. But¡­.¡± ¡°You mean you can¡¯t give up your nationality?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Baek Seol-hee let out a hollowugh. ¡°Nationality is something that can drive people crazy more than once. Viins often say that. Heroes, from a young age, are brainwashed with patriotic education, so they can¡¯t think of resisting the government. If only they could let go of that little bit of patriotism, they would overflow with freedom, but they can¡¯t let go of it, and they keep suffering creative loss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because the country uses patriotism to threaten and enforce passion pay.¡± ¡°Passion¡­ pay?¡± ¡°They say that because it¡¯s an experience that bes your blood and flesh, you gained more valuable life experience than money, so you should consider it as earning money.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee gave a faint smile. ¡°I knew it. It was a good idea to have a conversation with you, Ji-hwan.¡± ¡°Because I curse a lot, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought you were the only person around me who could talk so harshly about the government. I was right.¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°Ji-hwan, you live in Seoul, don¡¯t you?¡± Oops. Was this a local joke? ¡°Not everyone in Seoul is cursing the government.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it true that most people living in Seoul have a negative stance towards the government? They don¡¯t even send out heroes.¡± ¡°I just said it¡¯s not 100%.¡± Baek Seol-hee must have felt a bit of affection for me, partly because we got along as we shared hobbies and partly because I was a Seoul citizen. ¡°So, in order to protect their interests, they turned a man into a devil, covered up and manipted that fact, and even med all the sins on the Goblin, and even that wasn¡¯t enough; they threatened you with your patriotism. You¡¯vee to express your disgust towards such a nation and to vent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s urate. I finally feel like some of my resentment has been vented.¡± Gradually, there was a sense of relief in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s smile. The dilemma Baek Seol-hee faced was something that I, a librarian named Do Ji-hwan, could not solve. But sometimes, just listening to someone counts as consultation. Women were not always seeking solutions to their problems. They wanted someone to listen to their concerns, empathize with them, and vent with them. ¡°Listening to your story, Baek Seol-hee, makes me think this is terribly unfair. I¡¯m convinced that it would be okay to continue boycotting Haegnul.¡± ¡°Hehehe. Well said. Haegnul, the country, the association, all of them¡­sigh.¡± After looking at the sky for a while, Baek Seol-hee turned her gaze back to me. ¡°What I can¡¯t understand the most is the response towards that ¡®Duoexini¡¯.¡± ¡°Duoexini?¡± ¡°Yes. Instead of putting a bounty on someone who uses strange magic that turns people into demons, they¡¯re causing a fuss about catching an innocent Goblin.¡± ¡°A magic that turns people into demons¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Did you see the video? Something like a tentacle going into the body of the Doppelganger.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t there at the time¡­ I tried to watch the video again, but it was taken down, so I couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Right, the video was taken down. There¡¯s nothing to be done since you didn¡¯t see it in person, but I just don¡¯t understand why they¡¯re causing a fuss about catching a goblin when they should be catching that person.¡± Baek Seol-hee sighed and reached for her long padded jacket¡¯s zipper. ¡°Can I go into the hot spring?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no problem.¡± Rustle. ¡°I just want to curse at the scumbags in this country that everyone praises.¡± Baek Seol-hee quickly threw off her long padded jacket and softly sat on the railing. ¡°Will you be my anonymous confession tform today?¡± ![](/uploads/images/%img%/%book%) Chapter 56: Mental Care, At Your Service (2) Chapter 56: Mental Care, At Your Service (2) ¡°Do you know what is the most frequently heard nagging, which isn¡¯t really nagging, for S-ss heroes?¡± Given Baek Seol-hee¡¯s question, I was uncertain about how far I should respond. Even though we hadid our bodies bare and were soaking together in the open-air bath, we weren¡¯t in a rtionship, and there was a clear ¡®line¡¯ between members of the opposite sex. One should not recklessly cross that line, especially when the other party was an S-ss hero. If anyone found out, it would be a life-threatening matter. Yet. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about having children?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. You¡¯re correct.¡± Baek Seol-hee crossed that line first, and it seemed she wanted me to be sincere after crossing that line. ¡°Then, if two ability users marry and have a child, do you know the probability that the child will be a power user?¡± ¡°It¡¯s well over 50%.¡± Statistically, it was so. Among the ability users who are 20 or over¡ªin other words, adults¡ªthere were quite a few who had be pregnant and given birth. Just like the saying, ¡®no cub is inferior under a tiger¡¯, a tiger was bound to be born from a tiger¡¯s seed. Of course, there were cases where they were tigers only in pattern, but most often, a tiger was born. ¡°The chance of having a child with abilities is significantly higher when an ability user marries an ordinary person than when two ordinary people marry. There are various variables, but the chance of having a child with abilities is highest when three factors are ensured. Do you know what they are?¡± I raised three fingers above the water. ¡°One. When both parents are ability users.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. That¡¯s what we were just talking about. What about the other one?¡± ¡°Two. When the power user has a high mana rank.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Although we can¡¯t urately quantify the mana in the body¡­ a child of someone with a lot of mana in their body has a high possibility of being born with abilities. And do you know what thest and most significant factor is?¡± ¡°¡­ When the woman has never given birth before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Baek Seol-hee looked up at the sky with a gloomy expression. ¡°There¡¯s a rumor circting on the inte. They say that a child born from an S-ss power user virgin has a 100% chance of being a power user. Everyone agrees as it¡¯s always been the case.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Even though the power level in newborns varies, everyone agrees that they will all be born as ability users.¡± I didn¡¯t know how such a thing would be possible. Perhaps it was something gic, or perhaps the genes of ordinary people mutated during the modification process to match the genes of ability users. It was probably one of these two. If I knew more than this, I would be known as Professor Goblin or Doctor Super and would work as a gic engineer. ¡°Right now, the first wave of ability users is starting to step into society, but in about five years, there will be a flood of ability users of ¡®adult¡¯ age. If children were made between non-ability users in the past, now they will actively start making children using ability users.¡± That was exactly what would happen. The most notable example was the ¡®Devil¡¯s Seed.¡¯ Although it transformed people into a demon, not an ability user, the seed of life sprouted from ability users tended to result in ability users with a high probability, which was the same in context. ¡°In other words, the first child I give birth to is likely to be a power user, whether my husband is an ordinary person or a power user. I haven¡¯t had a child yet, and I am S-ss.¡± The reason why Baek Seol-hee spoke at such length was for one simple reason. ¡°You¡¯re being pressured to have a child for the sake of the country.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. Everywhere I go, they tell me to have a child soon for the sake of the country, that childbirth is patriotism.¡± Baek Seol-hee shrugged her shoulders in genuine irritation. ¡°Well, because I¡¯m S-ss, it¡¯s bearable, but they¡¯ve been subtly matching A-ss and B-ss people with partners from the country. Of course, those who get along well do so, but those who couldn¡¯t bear it ended up leaving the country.¡± ¡°Because the people they pair up with are all second-generation politicians or chaebols fromrge corporations?¡± ¡°Yes. Some people were satisfied with that¡­ but many were not. Do you know about the ¡®Morning Drama in the Shadow of the Sea¡¯ incident?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± It was an event in this world. A romance drama reminiscent of those broadcast at 10 PM on public broadcasting happened in South Korea. It involved an A-rank ability user woman in a love triangle with her childhood friend, a mailman, and a third-generation chaebol of the Haegnul conglomerate. ¡°Had it been a drama, the childhood friend male lead and ability user female lead would have run away in love or something. But the reality wasn¡¯t so. People thought it was a romance drama, but in reality, it was a suspense crime drama.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the Haegnul third-generation chaebol threaten the childhood friend? Not only his life but also his friends, family, even their coworkers?¡± ¡°Yes. If he wishes, it¡¯s not a big deal for a chaebol¡¯s third generation to ruin a whole family. Eventually, the man harshly drove the woman away, and the woman became the daughter-inw of Haegnul. She gave birth to a childst year, who turned out to be an ability user. The chaebol¡¯s third generation thus got a child with half of his blood being an ability user. The same applies to Haegnul.¡± ¡°Aplex and dreadful story.¡± ¡°Yes. But the most dreadful thing was¡­ that woman, that unnie, had no other choice.¡± Baek Seol-hee whispered with a face that seemed to cry. ¡°She still loved her childhood friend, but the pain and suffering he would receive if she chose him was too immense. She had no choice but to give up. Even if she was A-rank, going against the entire country and taking her family and the family of the one she loves to flee somewhere would not have been easy. Especially if you turn Haegnul into an enemy.¡± ¡°So in the end¡­?¡± ¡°She came to her senses just before she went berserk. Haegnul convinced her using her parents, and more importantly, if she died, the baby in her womb would die too.¡± Ability users were sensitive, but at the same time, they were just people. Their sensitive mentality could explode, but sometimes, they grasped onto their wavering mentality due to some other catalyst and mustered the will to live through it. And the exceptions to those? They¡¯re all dead. Their outbursts ended up as¡¯ idents.¡¯ ¡°A truly tragic ending.¡± ¡°Yes. And such stories are at the highest level of discussion. What about others besides that unnie?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No matter how powerful an ability user was, even if they could overturn mountains and rivers¡­ The oldest ability user was born in 2000. Could those who have never formally graduated from middle or high school and had only been through the ¡®You must be a great hero for this country¡¯ indoctrination at the Hero Academy really make proper decisions? Not at all. The fields from which they could gather information were limited, the media they could usually ess were restricted, and if there were those who regrly indoctrinated them with the ideology of a hero? Even Baek Seol-hee was being threatened under the pretext of patriotism; how would it be for others? ¡°You understand the gist of what I¡¯ve been telling you so far, right?¡± ¡°Is some crazy guy telling you, Seol-hee, to get pregnant?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the president.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The final boss appeared from the beginning. ¡°The president has a son. He¡¯s unmarried. Not just the president. There¡¯s the Prime Minister, Ministers, and sessors of the chaebol groups over there.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there anyone in the political and financial world who can protect you, Seol-hee?¡± ¡°The opposition party leader is also trying to link me with his grandson, and no one in the financial world can protect me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In times like this, the most relied upon and supportive people who could provide a sense of mental stability would naturally be one¡¯s parents. But Baek Seol-hee doesn¡¯t have parents. To be precise, both of them were no longer of this world. Even if they were the parents of an S-rank hero, they were non-ability users. If caught in the rampage of viins, they were bound to die despite being a hero¡¯s parents. There was no ally to protect Baek Seol-hee socially. So then¡­ ¡°Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Yes, Ji-hwan.¡± ¡°I, Do Ji-hwan, am just an ordinary librarian and not someone who can directly help you against the government.¡± Firstly, he drew a clear line. Baek Seol-hee¡¯s expression sank into sadness, but reality and ideals were markedly different. ¡°However, I can always be someone with whom you, Baek Seol-hee, can open your heart and listen to your worries. Even if the world scorns and criticizes you, even if those insults are indeed false usations created by those in power to manipte you, I will support you.¡± ¡°I¡­ I needed to hear that.¡± Baek Seol-hee gently pressed her flushed cheeks with her hand. ¡°As I thought, consulting with you, Ji-hwan, was the right choice. There were various things, but the most stressful today was indeed that.¡± Baek Seol-hee cleared her throat and frowned. ¡°You may also understand once youe to Sejong Ind, but don¡¯t you think we need more ability users? Ability users who can take care of our security and protect our citizens¡¯ safety.¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°Yes. So when I said I came to Sejong Academy, a master of education, to nurture such ability users, they changed the subject.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°A woman ispleted as a woman once she has a child.¡± ¡°That is some crazy, old-fashioned talk.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s basically telling me to marry quickly, preferably to their child, rtive, or a child of their political partner. Tsk.¡± Baek Seol-hee was openly annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to marry just anyone¡­.¡± ¡°Then who do you want to marry?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee sank lower and held her words for a moment, her nose barely above the water. ¡°If I were to get married and have a child, the partner would be¡­.¡± Resurfacing, Baek Seol-hee looked at me and smiled faintly. ¡°I hope he would be a man who sees me purely as me, as a woman, not an S-rank ability user.¡± Chapter 57: Mental Care, At Your Service (3) Chapter 57: Mental Care, At Your Service (3) There were words spoken by emigrants and exiles among ability users, targeting those who remained in Korea. [Are they all a bunch of idiots?] It was a harsh insult. The reason for the insult was always one thing. [Why on earth are they stupidly staying in Korea after hearing such insults? What¡¯s holding them?] [Why don¡¯t they just take their families abroad like me? Can¡¯t I support them?] [Even in Korea, where mana is plentiful, the increase in mana, whenpared, is as small as a mouse tail everywhere. Is there a big difference?] [No, how important is that great patriotism that they don¡¯t leave Korea?] It didn¡¯t make sense. They couldn¡¯t understand why the heroes who remained in Korea stayed in Korea. [If you go to another country, you can receive better treatment than an S-rank as an A-rank. Why don¡¯t you emigrate?] That was what everyone thought. In fact, many left Korea because they thought the same way, even in Gyeolsa. They were those who left Korea but did not emigrate to another country. There were also others who wanted to stay in Korea but left because they did not wish to be manipted like a tool in Korea. These were the types that Gyeolsa wanted to recruit. Their ¡®anger towards the country¡¯ will be the biggest weapon for Gyeolsa. Of course, this applied to other organizations within Korea, not just Gyeolsa. ¡°Listening to people keep telling Ms. Seol-hee to have a child, to get pregnant, I feel like I should say something too.¡± The Gyeolsa had a repertoire of persuasion techniques for oppressed ability users. ¡°Do you not feel ufortable continually hearing such things? You¡¯re angry; it feels like you¡¯re going to run wild, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Mr. Ji-hwan?¡± Of course, they wouldn¡¯te over right away. ¡°So what I¡¯m saying is, isn¡¯t the nation making Ms. Baek Seol-hee feel like running wild?¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any¡­ probably.¡± Baek Seol-hee was sure she wouldn¡¯t lose control. ¡°How should I put it? In my case, stress is not as big as others when ites to such matters.¡± ¡°You came to me to vent, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the kind of person who, after pouring out my emotions for a day to someone, I¡¯ll be okay the next day. That¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Have you ever heard others say they feel frustrated?¡± ¡°Not yet. Because¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee gazed nkly at the sky again. ¡°Because everyone who could say such things is dead or gone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Mr. Ji-hwan. So far, many people have died or been injured. What do you think the percentage of ability users who lost control is among them?¡± ¡°Let me guess what Ms. Seol-hee wants to say.¡± It was time to hear Baek Seol-hee¡¯s story. Now it was time for me to ¡®nt thoughts¡¯ in Baek Seol-hee. ¡°The so-called patriotic ability users are all dead. Right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Those who emigrated have effectively died as Koreans, socially murdered by the people. If they lost control inside Korea, they would be ruthlessly eliminated.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°On the surface, they say it¡¯s a peaceful and bright country with oriental etiquette, but behind it, they¡¯remitting atrocities more than what other countries do.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s expression started to harden gradually. ¡°¡­So, those called viins stay and die. Especially those like the lost souls.¡± Of course, I had prepared an exit for me to logically escape. ¡°I can see and point out these contradictions in our country too. Do Ji-hwan, a civilian, lives as a wage worker no matter what the country is like, but Ms. Seol-hee, an ability user, you know more than me, right? Naturally, you feel irritated and disillusioned¡­ but at the same time, you can¡¯t let go of it.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°The thread of hope.¡± At my words, Baek Seol-hee closed her eyes slowly. ¡°A belief that thisnd can still change. A conviction that the people living on thisnd can move towards the right path as you see it, Ms. Seol-hee. The hope is that the ¡®hopeful future¡¯ shown in various works of art wille, even if the world has changed and copsed like this. Aren¡¯t these what keep you going, Ms. Seol-hee?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It seems like you, Ms. Seol-hee, have more of these lifelinespared to others. While others let go, go mad, and lose control, it seems you have a strong enough mentality to wonder whether or not to let go. But people with short lifelines or weak grip strength¡­¡± ¡°All became viins and died.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s voice sank low. ¡°Yura unnie, who had her childhood friend taken away, Mr. Chang-hyun, who served his military duty as a hero because all men must go to the military, and Mr. Jeong-hwan who, as the oldest ability user, tried to give voice to ability users in politics but was overthrown, all became viins and died.¡± There were those who harbored grievances. There were those whomitted ¡®treason¡¯ in the eyes of the rulers. ¡°Every time I see them forcibly turning even those we don¡¯t call viins into viins and dealing with them, my thoughts about this country keep changing.¡± They all made anyone who wouldn¡¯t follow the state¡¯s orders, wouldn¡¯t sumb to the state¡¯s threats, wouldn¡¯t be swayed by the state¡¯s persuasion, and even try to resist a little into viins. ¡°The ¡®ideological education¡¯ I received when I was young, like the mindset I had when I watched the biographies of great people thinking ¡®I need to be like this¡¯, or the ethics I should learn from watching firefighters or social workers working for people in various parts of society¡­ It seems like it¡¯s now copsing in the face of the filth of reality.¡± ¡°So, what will you do, Ms. Seol-hee? Will you emigrate?¡± ¡°You know all those who emigrated be a ¡®Steven Cho¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Yes, they will never step on Korean soil again in their lifetime.¡± While there were historical events that didn¡¯t ur because they happened after the great change, ¡®that event¡¯ actually happened in this world. A top singer in the 90s emigrated to avoid military service. However, the person¡¯s name was the same, and the case was very different. [You became an American after being Korean. How do you feel now?] [If I knew I¡¯d be an outcast, I would¡¯ve fulfilled my military duty! Did anyone predict Korea would end up like this?] Hemented his regrets, but no one in Korea weed Steven anymore. The same applied to those with special abilities. Regardless of why they left the country, the government turned everyone who emigrated or sought asylum into ¡®Stevens¡¯. The government controlled public opinion and coordinated with the press, spreading misinformation. Everyone started criticizing and ming them. All the while unaware that their actions were creating more Stevens. ¡°If Ms. Seol-hee ever emigrated or tried to seek asylum, instead of bing a ¡®Steven¡¯, you¡¯ll cease being a ¡®Baek Seol-hee¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes. If I leave this country, I will be banned from entering, and my entire life will be denied. They¡¯ll probably call me by some name like ¡®Shiroseki Yukiha¡¯.¡± ¡°Are you nning to seek asylum in Japan?¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s just that they¡¯ll refer to me in that way. Like I¡¯m a name that shouldn¡¯t be uttered.¡± ¡°And the country will make you such a person, Ms. Seol-hee. If you attempt to leave Korea in any way.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Baek Seol-hee became gloomy again. ¡°Can this country change?¡± Finally. Baek Seol-hee started to talk about the ¡®real reason¡¯ she couldn¡¯t leave this ce. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything alone, but if we gather people and unite our intentions, can¡¯t we change things for the better?¡± ¡°You, Ms. Seol-hee, can make a difference alone. But the journey will be arduous and difficult, and the government will insult you in every possible way.¡± There were already countless instances. It was a reality. ¡°Maybe the government has reached out to viins to get rid of those with special abilities who have negative views of the government.¡± ¡°¡­To that extent.¡± ¡°You never know. Just like in movies, they might hire a hitman. For example¡­ They might cleverly orchestrate a situation where a hero kills someone and then turn him into a despised viin so someone else can execute him.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ referring to the Goblin?¡± ¡°Yes. Ah, but before I say anything more, I¡¯m not endorsing him. The Goblin is a murderer, after all.¡± I would not deny that I was a murderer. ¡°Among those executed by the Goblin, many will be like that. When the country can¡¯t control them as they wish, they orchestrate a situation where the Goblin executes them because they can¡¯t remove them with their own power.¡± ¡°¡­¡­The more I hear, the more it feels like my feelings towards the country are bing numb. Mr. Ji-hwan.¡± Baek Seol-hee asked me, staring intently. ¡°If you were an S-ss superhuman like me and were in my position, what would you do, Mr. Jihwan?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not making fun of you or anything like that. I genuinely want to know.¡± ¡°Well, I¡­¡± I had already chosen my path. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about politics. No matter how terrible the country looks, I think it would be hard for me to change this country myself. Because everyone has their own talents.¡± I didn¡¯t have that kind of talent. ¡°I would find that kind of person. Someone who can strongly control this country from the inside, outside, or both.¡± But I knew someone who had that talent. ¡°Someone who can work for everyone without oppressing anyone and truly make this country great. I would work my entire life for that kind of person.¡± There was one. ¡°Everyone will have a different perspective on changing this country. Unlike kind people like Ms. Seol-hee¡­I had such a thought.¡± Someone who had the ambition to remove all the rulers that Baek Seol-hee spoke of and sit people with the same temperament as Baek Seol-hee in important positions, those who truly worked for the country and the people. ¡°Those ¡®parasites¡¯ who are not superhumans themselves but use superhumans as tools and satisfy their own greed need their heads smashed.¡± ¡°¡­Are you Hwalbindang?¡± ¡°No. The Hwalbindang, their methods only end in destruction. The important thing is whates after, the re-creation after the destruction.¡± Gyeolsa was looking even further into the future. ¡°I will work for someone who can create a country where my child isn¡¯t oppressed or controlled by anyone, doesn¡¯t receive forced ideological education, and enjoys freedom and peace while mingling with others.¡± For that reason. ¡°At least in this new country that such a person is building¡­¡± I became the Goblin who smashes the heads of those ¡®viins¡¯. ¡°¡­ they won¡¯t see a woman as a tool to bear a superhuman, at the very least.¡± ¡°¡­¡­As expected.¡± Baek Seol-hee turned her head to the side and subtly smiled. ¡°I did well to consult with you, Mr. Ji-hwan.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°In that sense.¡± Baek Seol-hee asked me, fidgeting with her fingers. ¡°¡­Can I go to sleep?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Chapter 58: Mental Care, At Your Service (4) Chapter 58: Mental Care, At Your Service (4) I was not a fool. I was not the kind of foolish person who would kick away a prepared meal. I was a man who went straight ahead when I saw a green light and in this situation¡­ I was certainly not a man who would back down. ¡°I can easily provide you with a room to sleep in, but I won¡¯t take responsibility if a scandal erupts.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. If a scandal breaks, the country will probably approve.¡± Baek Seol-hee responded to my provocation with a light chuckle and bowed her head. ¡°In the end, the country requires only one thing. Is my husband-to-be, the father of my child, a Korean? Does he hold Korean nationality? That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really something.¡± What should I do? I was an alien. Not the shiny, colorful alien wemonly knew, but a man from another world. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you are a pure Korean?¡± ¡°Are you of mixed heritage?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ As far as I know, definitely not.¡± ¡°But you hold Korean nationality right now, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. As the potential father of Miss Baek Seol-hee¡¯s child, I fulfill the essential condition desired by the state. From the state¡¯s perspective.¡± Was Baek Seol-hee a person who should live or die ording to the state¡¯s demands, and who should have a child when they said so? Not at all. ¡°Miss Seol-hee. I¡¯m going to call someone. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Someone?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems like we¡¯ll need something to drink if we¡¯re going to stay quiet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good to drink alcohol in a hot spring.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not alcohol. I can¡¯t just drink recklessly.¡± Drinking in such a situation could lead to potentially dangerous scenarios. ¡°Could you bring something to drink, or should I go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where it is¡­¡± ¡°Then I have no choice but to go.¡± Baek Seol-hee had overlooked one thing. She thought of me as a rational person who listened well to all kinds of stories, and while Do Ji-hwan, the librarian, behaved like a rational person on the surface¡­ I was unequivocally a viin. ¡°¡­. Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get some drinks. What would you like to have?¡± ¡°Ah, anything¡­?¡± I got up from my seat. Baek Seol-hee scanned me up and down with a confused look on her face, and I casually went out of the water. ¡°Wha, wha, what¡­?¡± I could hear Baek Seol-hee¡¯s confused voice from behind, but I didn¡¯t pay any attention. I fetched a drink from the small refrigerator at the open-air bath entrance and handed it to her. ¡°Do you want to drink coffee milk or strawberry milk?¡± ¡°Coffee¡­.¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± I handed Baek Seol-hee coffee milk in a triangr stic bag with a straw inserted. I cut the end off the strawberry milk and inserted a straw. ¡°No, uh, Ji-hwan¡­?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­Should I report you for sexual harassment?¡± ¡°What? Oh, this?¡± I raised my arms to the sides. ¡°I have nothing to be ashamed of.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying I¡¯m confident because there¡¯s nothing shameful about my body.¡± Just as the owner of the Lightning Hammer had reason to be confident in front of the gods, I see no need to hide or conceal anything. This ce was rented by me, and Baek Seol-hee was merely a guest here. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°¡­Can you really just show off like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no different than the statue of David in Florence.¡± Before reentering the water, I struck a pose simr to that of the statue of David. ¡°A body like this is like a piece of art. To talk about sexual harassment with such an art piece goes against decorum.¡± ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°Of course. I was enjoying a hot spring bath alone, and suddenly you, Ms. Seol-hee, barged in. I couldn¡¯t possibly get dressed in the hot spring, could I?¡± It was a legitimate point. ¡°There¡¯s nothing about my naked body that I should be ashamed of, and why should I feel ashamed to be naked in a hot spring at a pension I rented?¡± ¡°But¡­I can see you.¡± ¡°I might be impotent, but when ites to my body, it¡¯s S-ss; no, it can be considered a special EX-ss. Do you agree?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I would need to verify that visually.¡± ¡°Feel free to gaze upon this beautiful work of art, honed through daily evening exercise. You don¡¯t have to feel ashamed. Everyone can¡¯t help but admire an artistic object.¡± Anyone who disputed this would be akin to Duoexini. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Just ten minutes ago, we were discussing the shame of the nation, and I never imagined we would suddenly be talking about national wealth.¡± ¡°Hey, not national wealth. I¡¯m purely talking about this body.¡± ¡°Do Ji-hwan, by any chance, are you drunk?¡± ¡°Alcohol? Not at all. I¡¯ll have a drink in my room after the hot spring bath.¡± I would not drink while taking a hot spring bath. ¡°Ms. Seol-hee, have you calmed down a bit?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The mood was quite down earlier, so I suggested having a drink to lighten it up. We also need to talk about the part where you said you were going to sleep.¡± I took a light sip of my strawberry milk. ¡°I can certainly listen well to what Ms. Seol-hee has to say. However, I¡¯m a little afraid that I might impose my thoughts on you. I can¡¯t force my individual opinion on you.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because I¡¯m an S-ss psychic, but as a friend. As friends, we can offer words of encouragement, but we can¡¯t recklessly intervene in each other¡¯s lives.¡± ¡°Friend¡­¡± Her voice sounds slightly disappointed, but for now, we must converse as friends. Otherwise, I might die at her hands. ¡°Yes. Friends.¡± ¡°¡­Can we not be more than friends?¡± This wasn¡¯t just a green light. This woman was speeding on the autobahn. ¡°More than friends.¡± I swallowed a sip of my strawberry milk and shook my head. ¡°I can¡¯t go beyond a friendship with you. I¡¯m a bit hesitant to say this.¡± But the truth must be told. ¡°I have a daughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s expression froze in an instant. ¡°A daughter?¡± ¡°Yes. More precisely, I have a wife. And there¡¯s a life growing inside her right now.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. Why would I lie?¡± ¡°¡­You could be saying it because you find me burdensome.¡± Baek Seol-hee started to observe my reaction carefully. ¡°You could say such things because you dislike me.¡± ¡°Impossible. How could I fabricate a lie like that because I find Ms. Baek Seol-hee burdensome? It¡¯s really true. Would you like to hear the story?¡± The only way to defuse this situation was to ask her directly for help. ¡°Should I make a phone call now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Baek Seol-hee seemed to believe I was lying, but unfortunately, she was wrong. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± I tapped on my Taeguk Watch and made a phone call to someone. [Hello?] A woman¡¯s voice came through the Taeguk Watch. Baek Seol-hee¡¯s expression hardened at the sound of a voice much younger than hers. ¡°Yeah, honey, can we talk for a moment?¡± [What is it?] ¡°I¡¯m in a bit of an awkward situation right now. I need to prove that I¡¯m a married man.¡± [¡­Hmm, I see.] The woman¡¯s voice also fell. [Who is it? A woman?] ¡°A woman.¡± [So you¡¯re at that ¡®brother¡¯s¡¯ pension with a woman? Wow.] It was strange. Even though my body was soaked in the hot spring, it felt like the energy of the hot spring was growing cold. [Oppa, what do you think the ¡®Chairman¡¯ would say if they knew about this?] ¡°Um¡­.¡± It was a sensitive issue. The answer was predetermined, but I couldn¡¯t casually reveal it. ¡°Would they fire me?¡± [No, you¡¯re wrong. The Chairman would say this.] The person on the other side answered me with a calm voice. [One should not hesitate in performing patriotic actions.] ¡°¡­What?¡± That was not the answer I was expecting. ¡°Excuse me¡­?¡± [What is it? Do I look like the type of woman who wouldin just because you¡¯re seeing another woman?] ¡°No, not at all. Isn¡¯t that¡­ not normal?¡± [You know I¡¯m not a typical woman. Is the other person next to you?] ¡°Yes, yes. She is¡­.¡± [Ah, is that so? Can I speak to her for a moment?] No. Was she serious right now? [Ah. Hello? Ma¡¯am over there?] ¡°¡­Yes?¡± [Please use it wisely.] Click. The call ended. Neither I nor Baek Seol-hee knew how to respond to the words of this woman, who was as unpredictable as a phoenix. ¡°Your¡­ your wife seems to be quite a unique person.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t say anything. Because for me, this was a situation I simply could notprehend. What was this? Was this the dignity of a nationalist fantasy light novel world? Heroes and nationalism, country pride, and all that aside was something like this even possible? Could it be? Really? Ding. The Taegeuk Watch twinkled. A text message arrived, so I immediately checked the message. She had sent only one brief line. [Fighting for the recruiting, handsome guy!] Ah. Did she really think I was using my body for recruitingte at night? And she just ¡®approved¡¯ of it now? ¡°Really, there¡¯s nothing more to say in so many ways. I¡¯m sorry, Seol-hee. I didn¡¯t intend to create this situation.¡± ¡°¡­Please use it wisely and return it? Hah.¡± Baek Seol-hee twisted the corner of her mouth. ¡°¡­This is unbelievable.¡± ¡°No, Seol-hee¡­?¡± ¡°Do you know? The reason I came to see you today, Ji-hwan, was because I wanted to be a ¡®bad girl¡¯.¡± Swish. Baek Seol-hee stood up. ¡°The country is pressuring me, a woman named Baek Seol-hee, to have a child as quickly as possible. It¡¯s true that it¡¯s a patriotic act. If a child with special abilities is born, they will undoubtedly be a hero in this country. But¡­I would end up bing apdog for the current government.¡± Then, she stretched her hand upward and created a thin mist using her magic power. ¡°I don¡¯t like that. I want to work for this country, for the people of this country. But I do not intend to be the wife and daughter-inw of those so-called ¡®greedy geese¡¯ who exploit such goodwill to fill their warehouses.¡± ¡°Um, Seol-hee¡­?¡± ¡°Ji-hwan.¡± Baek Seol-hee approached me and firmly grabbed the Taegeuk Watch with one hand. ¡°¡­Will you lend me your night so I can be a ¡®bad girl¡¯ for just today?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I spoke again. ¡°It could be treasonous, you know?¡± ¡°No one would think it¡¯s treason.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± I was. ¡°I will assist in your act of patriotism.¡± I was not a fool who kicked away the meal that wasid out in front of him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk through the night.¡± Chapter 58.5: Chapter 3. Mental Care, At Your Service (4.5) Chapter 58.5: Chapter 3. Mental Care, At Your Service (4.5) ¡ùThis chapter is listed as Episode 816 in the official release. Original title: [Patriotic Act] Baek Seol-hee Baek Seol-hee, who had suffered a great amount of stress due to high-ranking people, now wished to be a bad girl. So, I decided toply and agreed to have an all-night conversation with Baek Seol-hee. ¡°So¡­ are we starting our act of patriotism¡­ I mean, are we going to have sex now?¡± ¡°Right. Well, I guess it would be patriotism to get pregnant.¡± Sex in the name of patriotism assumed no contraception was involved. It was patriotic in the sense that it was an act to ovee an era of low birth rates to produce industrial soldiers. Meanwhile, sex for only the sake of pleasure while avoiding pregnancy was treasonous. ¡°So, to be patriotic, we must do it without a condom?¡± ¡°There are no condoms in the first ce.¡± ¡°Why did your voice suddenly get so stiff?¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re going to have unprotected sex with a married man?¡± ¡°¡­Oh my.¡± Baek Seol-hee approached me with a mischievous smile. Water sshed between my thighs, and Baek Seol-hee ced her hand on my shoulder and met my gaze. ¡°Ji-hwan, you get quite blunt when ites to sex?¡± ¡°I just speak the truth. Is this your true self, Seol-hee?¡± ¡°No? I¡¯m not sure.¡± Baek Seol-hee pressed her hand on my shoulder and slowly pushed me back. ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s my first time.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time. Doing this with a man.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I knew. What crazy author would dare to present the heroine as a non-virgin, especially in a light novel? But this author could be crazy enough to do it. I could not know whether the heroine was a virgin or not in the rtionship between the protagonist and the heroine because this was not detailed erotic literature. ¡°Do I seem like it¡¯s my first time, or do I seem like I have experience?¡± I was just caught under my own prejudice. A woman saying such things- ¡°You¡¯re pretending to be bold when it¡¯s your first time.¡± ¡°¡­How did you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Ji-hwan, have you done it many times?¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± It was embarrassing to answer, but I couldn¡¯t hide the truth, so I nodded instead of answering. ¡°I see¡­ Then, can I do as I want? Because it¡¯s my first time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you usually leave everything to the experienced one because it¡¯s your first time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like that. I¡¯m not that kind of person. And since it¡¯s my first time, I want to do it my way.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ So, what do you want to do and how?¡± ¡°Like in a naughty movie.¡± With those words, Baek Seol-heepletely pulled me out of the water. Iy t on the ground as Baek Seol-hee led me, and she only eximed in admiration as her gazended on my erect member, pointing towards the sky. ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s really big. How do you carry around something this big and hard?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s erect.¡± ¡°Who did you get erect looking at?¡± ¡°I immediately got erect when I thought I was going to have sex with Seol-hee.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re lying.¡± Baek Seol-hee stretched her index finger towards my member and pushed it firmly. ¡°You¡¯ve been erect since I took off my padded jacket.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Because I saw it.¡± ¡°Really? So, you¡¯ve been looking at my member from the beginning?¡± ¡°You must have thought it wouldn¡¯t be visible in the water, but I was watching it all. It was throbbing towards me.¡± ¡°No.¡± This woman, in this ce, still had such ability. ¡°Can I, uh, suck it once?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it, but it might be a bit ufortable. It¡¯s big. ¡­But why do you want to suck it?¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee tilted her head with aplicated look, soon bowing her head in front of the tip. ¡°Because I¡¯ve never tried it before.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s your first time, wow¡­.¡± Slurp. Her tongue cautiously touched the head. Her hands warmly wrapped around the member, holding it in ce so it wouldn¡¯t move, and she began licking the head with her tongue. Slurp, slurp, slurp. While licking, Baek Seol-hee continued to look at me. Normally, when someone was sucking, they tended to watch it, but Baek Seol-hee kept looking at me. ¡°Haa, do you like it¡­?¡± ¡°May I speak honestly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fucking good.¡± ¡°¡­Pfft.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes opened round like crescent moons. As expected, it seemed she felt good just from the fact that I was happy she was doing something for me. ¡°I can¡¯t do it well. But I will practice from now on, so please look at me nicely.¡± ¡°What will you practice with?¡± ¡°Well, of course, I have to keep practicing with this.¡± Slurp. Baek Seol-hee swept across the entire tip with her lips. Her teeth lightly grazed the head in the middle, but Baek Seol-hee quickly caught her mistake andforted the grazed area with her tongue. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± I slightly lifted my upper body. Her mouth felt like a woman¡¯s vaginal walls, and the warm, hot inside was no different. Because of that, my erection hardened again with my member still in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s mouth. It was already hard, but I felt like the head was being pushed deeper in. ¡°Uhm¡­. is it a bitcking? How is it?¡± ¡°Men feel good just knowing a woman is sucking their dick, Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Still, if I suck it better, I feel it would be better.¡± ¡°Well, yes. But you will get better with practice.¡± ¡°Do you know, by any chance? Do you also receive oral from your wife?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It feels a bit strange talking about my wife in this context.¡± This. It was tantly an affair. ¡°How do you do it with your wife?¡± As if she wasn¡¯t concerned about that, Baek Seol-hee asked me this question with an innocent face, and I had no choice but to point to my member. ¡°You can suck it harder. Try pushing and pulling it fast within a range that isn¡¯t too ufortable.¡± ¡°Uhmm¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee slowly pushed my member into her mouth. She seemed to be gauging how far she could go in without making her breathing ufortable, and surprisingly, she looked at me with it quite deep in. ¡°¡­If it¡¯s difficult to breathe, you can stop.¡± I could feel a slight resistance from the tip of the head. It was as if I had reached the deepest parts of a vagina; the head, which had been swallowed quite a distance ago, went fairly deep. Slurp. Baek Seol-hee slowly pulled her head back. As if wiping off the moisture that had adhered to the entire member with her own lips, she applied force to her lips and sucked up to the tip of my member. Smack. A transparent line stretches between Baek Seol-hee¡¯s lips and the tip. My pre-cum, which had unknowingly seeped out due to the fetio, was glistening transparently. Baek Seol-hee lightly ran her lips over it like a kiss. Slurp. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡± ¡°I heard from V-tube that men taste bitter, but why is it sweet?¡± Baek Seol-hee rolled the pre-cum that had adhered to her tongue in her mouth, as if savoring it. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No. Semen, it is supposed to be bitter. I¡¯m just special.¡± Her behavior looked so serious that I couldn¡¯t help butugh, and I immediately answered her question. ¡°People normally don¡¯t take others in their mouth because they taste bitter, but I¡¯m different. It¡¯s like a body constitution.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Just like some women¡¯s breast milk is not bitter but sweet, mine is said to have a bit of a special feelingpared to others.¡± It was actually rted to my ability, but I kept my mouth shut to avoid being revealed as a supernatural ability holder. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°¡­You haven¡¯t ejacted yet, have you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Then, it seems like I have to check after receiving your ejaction¡­.¡± With a yful expression, Baek Seol-hee pressed my thigh with her hand, took my member back in her mouth, and reached her hand back. Slurp. This time, as if to wet the entire member, she licked the whole thing with her tongue and began to undress. ¡®That¡¯s a pity.¡¯ A woman¡¯s underwear should be undressed by a man himself. Undressing on her own was eptable up to the coat, but taking off underwear was a man¡¯s right. She was definitely a woman who didn¡¯t know men. She didn¡¯t know that men could get fully erect just by taking off their underwear. There was no need to go through the effort of sucking a man¡¯s member. Slurp. No. I was the one who didn¡¯t know. ¡°¡­How is it?¡± Baek Seol-hee, who was glistening alone in the darkness while looking down at me like a full moon, was the only one. The only visible colors were the light of her gem-like pupils and her light pink nipples, which seemed to have never been touched by a man¡¯s hand. I couldn¡¯t find a single dark spot on her body, and just looking at her naked body made me feel like my member was about to explode. ¡°Can I speak honestly?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°I want to kiss you right now and thrust myself inside you.¡± ¡°¡­Wow.¡± Baek Seol-hee widened her eyes in surprise, but it was more a smile of pleasure than horror or scorn. ¡°If you think so, it¡¯s worthing to see you tonight.¡± Baek Seol-hee began to climb on top of me. ¡°Miss Seol-hee?¡± ¡°No. I said I would do as I please first.¡± Baek Seol-hee reached out and gently pressed me down by the waist, positioning herself to climb on top of my member. ¡°Is it okay to do this for the first time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve heard that first times for ability users¡­ aren¡¯t painful. And there¡¯s nothing as bad as this, right?¡± Baek Seol-hee narrowed her eyes at me and aligned her private parts with the tip. ¡°If anyone askster, say this. Baek Seol-hee, Snow White devoured you.¡± ¡°Am I the one being devoured?¡± ¡°Yes. Say I attacked and devoured a married man, using my abilities to overwhelm you. You were just attacked by me.¡± Slurp. The member that was touching the opening now entered inside. Baek Seol-heeid her hand on my stomach and slowly lowered her lower body as she inserted my member inside her. ¡°Haah, Haah, it¡¯s hot¡­.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it painful?¡± ¡°It¡¯s burning, and it feels like it¡¯s spreading inside¡­ Haah, it¡¯s strange¡­ it¡¯s soft, but it¡¯s entering inside me¡­ Hoo¡­¡± ¡°Only the head is in now. If it¡¯s ufortable, should I put it in?¡± ¡°No, no. I want to do it at my own pace. So, a little slower¡­.¡± Slowly, slowly. Baek Seol-hee very slowly lowered her body. The speed was slower than a car stopping on a congested road, but Baek Seol-hee, controlling her breathing, swallowed my member little by little. ¡°Haah, Haah, Haah.¡± At first, when my member entered, she was rxed, but as the firm shaft from the head gradually prated through, Baek Seol-hee kept flinching. What would happen if I thrust deep into her like this? I had such a thought, but I decided to lie still out of respect for Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Miss Seol-hee. Hand.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­.¡± Instead, I reached out my hand, inteced fingers with her, and supported her trembling. ¡°Doing it like this feels more embarrassing¡­.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit morefortable?¡± ¡°It isfortable, but, huh, ah, did it go deeper¡­?!¡± Swoosh. Baek Seol-hee, trying to move back and forth, suddenly tilted her head back and shuddered. From the moment our fingers intertwined, something seemed to twitch in her eyebrows, and she shuddered, arching her upper body backward. Uh-oh. This was a big problem. If she climaxed right here now- Whooooosh. Baek Seol-hee slipped just as she was. One of her hands firmly gripped mine as if trying to tten it, and she sat quietly on top of me for a while, sinking me deep inside her. Baek Seol-hee could not say anything. Her head, thrown back, could not think of moving forward again, and I could discern her truth from the sensation of her private parts transmitted through my entire member. ¡°Ha, aah¡­.¡± A moan mixed with pleasure flowed from her mouth. Her eyes were full of tears as she hung her head forward, and her mouth was open downward, her tongue sticking out. ¡°Haah, Haah, Haah¡­.¡± There was no time to speak. She looked at me with half-closed eyes and smiled. Every time I had sex with an ability user, I felt that ability users definitely felt more pleasure than pain during sex. ¡°Haah, Haah¡­ What, what should I do¡­? This feels too good¡­ Hah, I feel like I¡¯ve ruined my entire life¡­!¡± ¡°Miss Seol-hee. That¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The reason you¡¯re feeling this good right now is because you¡¯re doing it with me, not with any other man.¡± After all, I was an S-ss viin and, in fact, an ability user. Of course, there was no way Baek Seol-hee would notice my identity just by having sex. The woman in front of me was just a poor soul who had discovered the pleasure of sex. ¡°Ah, haah, if that¡¯s the case¡­ Since you¡¯re the reason I¡¯m so happy, it¡¯s okay for me to be happier, right¡­?¡± Baek Seol-hee tightened her private parts and lowered her lower body. Her private part, which had been tightly closed, gradually wrapped around my member, fitting me inside perfectly without leaving a gap. The slick inner walls trapped the lubrication, gripping me tightly. ¡°Ah, aah, haah¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee began to move her lower body back and forth. Though her movements were awkward, it didn¡¯t matter how she moved because the tightness of her private parts was enough. ¡°Ah, aah, it¡¯s too good, really, the inside is getting hot, hah, I want to stay like this forever¡­.¡± ¡°If you do that, I¡¯ll die, Miss Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to climax right away, but if you keep teasing me like this, I really will die.¡± ¡°Heheh¡­.¡± She smiled happily, her eyes gleaming as I moaned. ¡°Is it that good¡­? Because you¡¯re having sex with an S-ss hero¡­?¡± ¡°Being an S-ss hero doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I lightly brushed the back of Baek Seol-hee¡¯s hand with my fingers. ¡°Miss Seol-hee, I think I¡¯m going crazy because I enjoy having sex with you so much.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s movements paused for a moment. She fidgeted with her fingers and turned her face to the side, which had been staring down at me a moment ago. ¡°It¡¯s cheesy, saying that here¡­.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s sincere.¡± I was dealing with one woman, not the hero Baek Seol-hee. Regardless of being the Goblin, a hero, or whatever, I waspletely focused on having sex with the woman in front of me. ¡°In that case, may I move?¡± ¡°¡­Should we change positions?¡± ¡°No.¡± I let go of Baek Seol-hee¡¯s hand, grabbed her lower body, and exerted strength on my waist. p. ¡°Ah?!¡± As I lightly bounced her lower body from below, Baek Seol-hee bit her lower lip, letting out a surprised moan. ¡°Ah, ahh, the poking inside¡­ ah, I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry. Please, do it more¡­.¡± ¡°As much as you want.¡± Regardless of the sound of water sshing, I kept thrusting her from below for Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Ah, ah, good¡­! I feel, ah, like I¡¯m going to fly, uh, such a feeling¡­!¡± She didn¡¯t seem to know that her breasts were bouncing up and down. She didn¡¯t seem to know that I was thrusting even harder because of it. At that point, even when her breasts bounced and caused pain, she seemed to be perceiving it as pleasure. ¡°Ah, ah, good¡­! Like this, uh, keep poking deep inside¡­! Ah, really, uh, I feel like I¡¯m going mad¡­!¡± Every time Baek Seol-hee¡¯s body shook up, and down, her vagina tightened. As if trying not to get away from my penis, when she went up, it tightened, and when she came down, the tightness naturally loosened, allowing my penis to slide in. It was hard to believe that she just lost her virginity. ¡°Seol-hee, soon¡­.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m ready, but when you ejacte¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee bowed her body slightly, her face flushed. ¡°Stab it all the way, all the way in¡­ahhh?!¡± As soon as I thrust my penis into the deepest part, Baek Seol-hee let out a scream. I ejacted deep inside as she asked, and it felt like a warm sensation was flowing down along her inner walls. ¡°Ah, ah, uh, inside, uh, it feels¡­hot again.¡± Baek Seol-hee copsed onto my body. She seemed to lose the strength to keep her body upright as shey on my shoulder, breathing heavily. ¡°Ah, uh¡­.¡± Even though I had ejacted, she, who reached climax urately with ejaction, was still trembling while enjoying the afterglow of the climax. That trembling sensation also stimted my penis, so I held Baek Seol-hee and lightly patted her back. ¡°Ah, ah, um¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s breath touched my face. With her flushed face slowly regaining rity in her eyes, she gave me a meek smile. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± Thump. Baek Seol-hee dropped her head. She fainted just like that, and I had to lie on the floor while holding her in my arms. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± While caressing Baek Seol-hee¡¯s sleeping head, I became a bed for her to rest, even for a while. A bed where Baek Seol-hee could rest at ease. Of course. ¡°Ah, ah, no more¡­! Stop, ah, don¡¯t, don¡¯te in any further¡­!¡± After she woke up, we had another intense session in my bed. It was a patriotic night. Chapter 59: Mental Care, At Your Service (5) Chapter 59: Mental Care, At Your Service (5) Baek Seol-hee was lying in bed, tightly hugging the nket. The ce where she was lying was a pension on Ulleung Ind. She hade unannounced to a man who had counseled her and poured out her troubles. After listening to them silently, her boiling emotions had cooled down, and she was there, talking about her thoughts. [Can youfort me like this often in the future?] [Am I the one who¡¯sforting? I think I benefit more from spending time with someone like Ms. Baek Seol-hee thiste at night.] [In what sense?] [Just by spending time with someone like Ms. Seol-hee, I profit.] And so, she spent time with this mante into the night. The ce where she was lying was a new ce, not where she usually should be sleeping. The fact that she was lying in a ce that should not be exposed carelessly to others felt very strange to her. It felt like a good child doing something adults told them not to do. Like children sttering red paint on a nk white canvas that they were told not to paint anything on. Having lived like a child for 25 years, it felt like she finally opened the door to adulthood and became an ¡®adult¡¯. Although summarizing it as just a feeling was an understatement, Baek Seol-hee decided to just sleep quietly, given the intensity of what happened the previous night. Rustle, rustle. But she couldn¡¯t sleep. Next to her, on the recliner chair ced next to the bed, she saw Do Ji-hwan reading a book in the darkness, and she was engulfed in many thoughts. He said he liked books because he was a librarian, but even here, Do Ji-hwan was reading an e-book. Perhaps thinking she was fast asleep, he quietly slid out of bed, sat down in the recliner chair, and continued reading something on his tablet with the light dimmed as much as possible. Was it a book meant for show? Or was he truly reading because he wanted to? She could at least guess if there was a physical book, but regrettably, Do Ji-hwan was just silently reading an e-book. ¡°What are you reading?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± ¡°I tried to sleep, but I thought talking would be better than sleeping?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Was I bothering you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nice, like ASMR I can listen to while sleeping. It¡¯s not the actual sound of a book, though. I just¡­ maybe I wanted to talk a bit more¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been talking non-stop until 3 a.m., and you still want to talk more?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Hoo.¡± Do Ji-hwan ced his tablet on the bedside table. ¡°Can I ask what the book is about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the collections of Korean folk tales. I¡¯m researching various folk tales spread among the Korean public.¡± ¡°Folk tales?¡± ¡°Yes. Even though I¡¯m not someone with special abilities, I¡¯m considering trying psychological counseling and special abilities consulting.¡± ¡°That sounds like a very interesting job, but what does that have to do with Korean folk tales?¡± ¡°If I take a motif from the folk tales, people in this country will like it.¡± Do Ji-hwan got up from the recliner and came closer to Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Like turning into a tiger.¡± ¡°So, am I caught by a tiger now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t most tigers just exterminated?¡± ¡°Depends on what kind of tiger.¡± While fixing Baek Seol-hee¡¯s bangs, Do Ji-hwan moved his hand as if clutching something. ¡°People who wear special ability suits with a tiger concept exist, don¡¯t they? Their concept isn¡¯t just a Bengal tiger or something, but a traditional tiger¡­ They try to mimic a mountain tiger that used to live on our Korean Penins.¡± ¡°Do you think that would help the special ability holders?¡± ¡°At least, it would be a good reference for what kind of special ability figure they should live as. For example, how Student Yoon Iseon used a fox, or a nine-tailed fox blowing a horn.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡± Baek Seol-hee twisted the corner of her mouth. ¡°How about me?¡± ¡°As for Ms. Seol-hee, your ego is already firmly depicted, so it¡¯s a bit awkward for me toment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Thanks to you, Ji-hwan, I was able to develop a skill to freeze demons.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°I made the skill based on what we discussed when we met in Busan. Like this.¡± Baek Seol-hee created a small ice crystal and gently threw it toward the window opposite the bed, where the night sea was visible. Swoosh. ¡°Freezing like this. It¡¯s a skill developed thanks to you, Ji-hwan.¡± ¡°¡­Congrattions. You¡¯ve created a new skill.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m thinking about calling it Doji Blizzard.¡± ¡°Why is a Korean special ability user using an English technique?¡± ¡°Just because?¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Do Ji-hwan lightly pressed Baek Seol-hee¡¯s forehead with his hand. ¡°Creating a skill is great, but if you find it tooplex, it might be helpful to examine the abilities of figures from folktales. It can help establish a direction for your appearance.¡± ¡°Like taking the tiger as a motif?¡± ¡°Not just the tiger. Besides the tiger, other traditional Korean ghosts and monsters have be motifs for modern special ability users.¡± ¡°Like¡­ a goblin?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Do Ji-hwan turned his head somewhat stiffly in the direction of the TV. ¡°Goblins are goblins, but I¡¯ve been bothered by this figure called Duoexini.¡± ¡°¡­Certainly.¡± ¡°The country has simply categorized this Duoexini figure as a strange viin like the Goblin, but I think it¡¯s much more dangerous than the level of danger the country perceives.¡± ¡°On what basis?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s unusual for people wearing Hanbok every day to be sane.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Baek Seol-hee poked Do Ji-hwan¡¯s side with her hand, and Do Ji-hwan, without avoiding, shrugged lightly. ¡°It¡¯s a joke. As a Korean, how could I possibly nder and curse all people who wear our traditional clothes?¡± ¡°Right? You shouldn¡¯t make suchments carelessly. There are many heroes based on traditional Hanbok.¡± ¡°Traditional Hanbok¡­¡± Watching Do Ji-hwan, who was regaining his energy, Baek Seol-hee looked up at his side profile and was momentarily lost in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t particrly like the clothes.¡± ¡°Are you disregarding Hanbok now?¡± ¡°Such cultural assassination attempts are difficult.¡± This man. She felt like she had seen him somewhere before. His facial lines or shoulders felt familiar, like something she had seen a lot before. ¡®Ah, no way.¡¯ Baek Seol-hee lightly denied the thought that came to her mind. The sensation she had just felt was from someone who did not match Do Ji-hwan at all, so she could not casuallypare Do Ji-hwan to that figure. ¡°Do you think viins would receive less criticism if they wore traditional Hanbok?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°If the Goblin was like Duoexini and wore Hanbok instead of a suit, I think they would receive less criticism from people.¡± ¡°¡­Ha.¡± At Baek Seol-hee¡¯s words, Do Ji-hwan let out a hollowugh as if he found it ridiculous. ¡°How much less criticism do you think a viin would receive even if they received less?¡± ¡°People would at least not misunderstand. A foreigner doing viinous deeds in our country and a Korean doing viinous deeds in ournd feel different, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Do you mean it¡¯s okay if the arm bends inwards?¡± ¡°I think entities like the Goblin can allow for some bending.¡± ¡°Miss Seol-hee.¡± Do Ji-hwan shot a stern gaze at Baek Seol-hee with a hard face. ¡°The Goblin is a viin.¡± ¡°I know. He¡¯s a viin. But he¡¯s not a being that kills people indiscriminately.¡± ¡°Is it indiscriminate when the number of people he killed well exceeds double digits?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t kill unless it¡¯s a viinous criminal who should be isted from society forever, right?¡± ¡°¡­Are you, by any chance, empathizing with the Goblin¡¯s absurd ideology, Miss Seol-hee?¡± Do Ji-hwan slightly tilted his head with a serious face. ¡°Do you agree with the idea that all viins should be killed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not to the extent that all should be killed. It¡¯s not like I think that just because one is a viin, they should be immediately killed. It¡¯s not so much that I¡¯m moved or empathize with the Goblin¡¯s ideology¡­ It¡¯s just a bit pitiful.¡± ¡°Pitiful?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Baek Seol-hee got up, sat down beside Do Ji-hwan, and pressed her hip against his side. ¡°When I see the Goblin killing the viins whomitted enormous crimes, sometimes I have this thought. Who else would shoulder this blood if not me? I sometimes wonder if the Goblin thinks the same.¡± ¡°¡­The Goblin?¡± ¡°Yes. He might seem to be recklessly killing everyone from the outside, but I, who have encountered the Goblin countless times, know. That man doesn¡¯t want to kill people recklessly. Instead, he strictly kills those he deems need to be killed by his standards.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee recalled her memories of the Goblin. ¡°Regardless of their background, physical state, or how they went berserk, he targets those whomitted horrendous crimes like murder, rape, regardless of their backgrounds.¡± ¡°¡­Miss Seol-hee, do you think these people would receive less criticism if he wore traditional Hanbok?¡± ¡°At least, those who criticize and condemn him unconditionally for not being patriotic in this country would disappear.¡± ¡°So, he has to be forced to wear Hanbok to look good for those ¡®Confucian Taliban¡¯. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s a hero or something.¡± ¡°I think he is a hero. He is, for sure.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± Do Ji-hwan¡¯s pupils shook greatly. ¡°The Goblin is a hero?¡± ¡°Yes. I think so. And if I ever get a chance¡­ I will definitely convince him to be a hero.¡± Baek Seol-hee buried her face in Do Ji-hwan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Because he is not a bad person. The real viins are those who oppress him like greedy ducks. I¡¯m going to change them as far as my power reaches. So¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee gently ced her hand over Do Ji-hwan¡¯s hand resting on her thigh. ¡°I wish there could be more moments where you listen to myints andfort me.¡± Do Ji-hwan nodded heavily without a word, and Baek Seol-hee felt the lump in her chest naturally lessen with the strength conveyed through the hand she tightly held. The morning sun rose. The ice on the wall didn¡¯t melt but just stuck firmly to the window. Chapter 60: Its Not a Technology Leak, Its Advice! (1) Chapter 60: It''s Not a Technology Leak, It''s Advice! (1) The morning hade. The sun was shining outside, and the birds were chirping to announce the morning of Ulleung Ind. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Yes. Wasn¡¯t the bed ufortable for you, Ms. Seol-hee?¡± ¡°Not at all. ¡­Hmm.¡± Baek Seol-hee bent her legs slightly but soon shrugged her shoulders, fiddled with her hair with a towel, and sat down in front of the dressing table. Vroom. For some reason, I felt awkward watching her naturally pick up the hairdryer and start drying her hair. This woman, dressed only in a white robe, was doing this in front of me. She even took off her Taeguk Watch and came all the way to Ulleung Ind, tormenting people all night under the pretext of consultation. Whether I was the one tormented or the one telling the story was tormented, only Baek Seol-hee herself would know, but there was something quite embarrassing at this point where quite a lot of time had passed. ¡°Ms. Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we check on the Taeguk Watch soon?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee, who momentarily turned off the dryer, pouted. ¡°I want to talk a little more.¡± ¡°Today is Monday. You should go back and work.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. Actually, I¡¯m on vacation today.¡± Baek Seol-hee yfully winked at me and turned on the dryer again. ¡°There was such a major incident with the devil running amok, so I received orders to rest at home for a day. That¡¯s why I came here.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t someone be looking for you, Ms. Seol-hee?¡± ¡°After arguing and blushing with my superiors yesterday, nobody would dare contact me. At least¡­ until noon?¡± ¡°Noon.¡± Coincidentally, the check-out time was also noon. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re worried about who might call the Taeguk Watch and that I might get caught here in Ulleung Ind instead of Sejong Ind, but you don¡¯t have to worry too much. I¡¯ll take responsibility if a scandal breaks out. For you, Ji-hwan.¡± ¡°Your words alone are reassuring, but if I were an ability user, my mind might run wild and cause a rampage when the scandal breaks out. Haha¡­.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The moment I¡¯m known as the guy who had a ¡®secret¡¯ meeting with the national hero Snow White, wouldn¡¯t I receive death threats and cursed letters from all around?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a quiet house somewhere on Sejong Ind to avoid that. If I request the government, they¡¯ll arrange such a ce.¡± ¡°In return, don¡¯t I owe the government?¡± ¡°If I say it¡¯s for the sake of the nation, the government would be pleased, right? At least, on the surface.¡± Baek Seol-hee patted her stomach lightly, and I felt dizzy at her words. ¡°Ms. Seol-hee¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I don¡¯t intend to trap you because of my circumstances. I just wanted to see you ufortable.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­ if only the risk of someone noticing my disappearance from Sejong Ind was resolved, you¡¯d like to have more conversations here¡­ that kind of feeling?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. Although I would like to avoid the conversation heading that way.¡± I had things to discuss with Baek Seol-hee. Things I wanted to talk about after sorting out my thoughts about what we talked about until dawn, and some things about her abilities. ¡®If I don¡¯t say this now, she will ¡®cast off¡¯ in front of the protagonist, so I should tell her now.¡¯ To prepare for a time when she won¡¯t be embarrassed. Although the protagonist hadn¡¯t been determined yet, one of the events in the original story was that Baek Seol-hee ¡®casts off¡¯ in front of everyone at the beginning of the semester. ¡®I can¡¯t allow that as a friend.¡¯ I had to guide the conversation naturally. ¡°Ms. Seol-hee. How are you nning to go back?¡± ¡°¡­I suppose I should wear a long padded jacket.¡± Baek Seol-hee started to watch my reaction with a flustered face. ¡°How many outfits do you have now? Or rather, what do you have that could be considered as clothes?¡± ¡°A robe, a swimsuit, and a long padded jacket¡­?¡± ¡°It might be fine at night, but it¡¯s now noon, and it¡¯s a Monday. Wouldn¡¯t everyone be surprised to see Ms. Seol-hee appearing in a long padded jacket in the middle of a weekday? Especially if it¡¯s fully zipped?¡± ¡°If the weather today is cold¡­.¡± ¡°Have you ever heard that an S-ss hero is affected by the weather? Moreover, Ms. Seol-hee is an ice maniptor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Having swum all the way to Ulleungdo in a fit of anger, Baek Seol-hee was now facing a big problem. ¡°Where is the Taeguk Watch now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the dorm room.¡± ¡°Then how did youe out?¡± ¡°I left the Taeguk watch and jumped over the balcony window.¡± ¡°So, you intend to get in wearing your long padding and through the veranda window?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t be caught by anyone all the way to the center of Sejong Ind Academy?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Baek Seol-hee showed an awkward smile. ¡°Weren¡¯t you thinking of a countermeasure before you came?¡± ¡°¡­ I was pissed off, so I just came out. I wanted to vent to you right away.¡± ¡°Haa. Well¡­ that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t have any solutions.¡± I held up two fingers to Baek Seol-hee. ¡°One is to buy clothes in Ulleung. I suppose I should go and get them. You stay here, and I have to go quickly by myself.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t people find it strange? A man buying women¡¯s clothes alone?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What if you say that, Seol-hee?¡± Baek Seol-hee bowed her head with an embarrassed smile. ¡°Next is to use your abilities, Seol-hee.¡± ¡°My abilities?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a good video clip in the reference footage¡­.¡± Ah. Upon thinking about it. ¡®Did it exist¡­?¡¯ Search results. In this world, there was ¡®Let it be,¡¯ but no ¡®Let it go.¡¯ ¡®It would be perfect to show a scene where she let her hair down with ice magic and created her own dress!!¡¯ What a bummer. I was slightly shocked that the Frozen Kingdom did not exist. ¡°Why are you like that?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m having trouble finding the reference I was thinking of. Given the situation¡­ I have no choice but to show you a rather extreme example.¡± I connected my smartphone to the TV. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m just pulling this out as reference footage.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s the Goblin.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The scene of the [Transformation] unfolded before our eyes. Many videos had been taken down from the Inte, but some were still alive. ¡°The Goblin transformed like this from a suit. How do you think he transformed?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°He summoned the clothes? Converted the mana arrangement of the suit into a suit? Or did he put it on over his suit? There are all sorts of conjectures. What do you think, Seol-hee?¡± ¡°¡­ Wouldn¡¯t he be summoning it from a distance from some sort of facility?¡± ¡°Do you really think so?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s obvious-¡± Baek Seol-hee started to say something but stopped abruptly. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not sure what you were about to say, Seol-hee. The important thing is how this so-called Goblin suddenly produced this suit. Although it¡¯s a hypothesis, you can ovee the predicament of ¡®having no clothes¡¯ through this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the hypothesis?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± I paused the transformation scene. ¡°You make clothes with magic power.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°You can create weapons and turn over mountains with magic power. Why can¡¯t you make clothes?¡± ¡°Create¡­ clothes?¡± ¡°Yes. Just like creating a shield with magic power, you make clothes with magic power. Very intricate and delicate, and in a color that others would just think is normal clothing.¡± ¡°Clothes with magic power.¡± Baek Seol-hee fell into serious thought. She furrowed her brows, gathered her hands forward, invoked magic power, and began to concentrate with her eyes closed. ¡°¡­¡­¡± While she was fully focused on controlling her magic power, I quietly headed to the kitchen and closed the room door. ¡°Good. Today, it¡¯s nude kimbap.¡± I wouldn¡¯t quibble about it being a California roll. Gather the magic power. Move the magic power like a thread and form a shape. Visualizing it was like a 3D scanner. Based on the image that came to mind, build upyer byyer from the bottom to match a 1:1 scale. And what was created was a set of clothes. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Baek Seol-hee savored the clothes that appeared before her eyes. ¡°Did it¡­ resemble it?¡± It was a white short-sleeved T-shirt that someone had worn, taken off at night, but put on again in the morning. It was much thicker than the cotton T-shirts worn in winter, but for a first attempt, it was quite decent. ¡°¡­Hmmm.¡± Baek Seol-hee hugged the T-shirt and closed her eyes. The clothes she created with her magic power were incredibly simple, but they were enough to cover the clothes she wore underneath. If she wore a swimsuit and put on this shirt made with magic power, she would definitely draw people¡¯s attention. ¡°Thanks to Ji-hwan.¡± Do Ji-hwan was always a man who gave her new experiences. Full of different experiences she didn¡¯t have before, she looked forward to what new experiences he would give in the future. If she could use this to create some kind of weapon or suit, the next time she met the Goblin- ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Baek Seol-hee clenched the shirt. ¡°What if this is transformed at a super high speed that others cannot recognize with their eyes? Ah¡­!¡± It urred to her. During the second transformation, the Goblin had covered his body by spreading a golden storm of mana around him. Could that perhaps have been some kind of device to hide his transformation? Beyond some gimmick to block attacks, wasn¡¯t it a measure to hide the fact that he had created the form of clothing by releasing his mana outside? ¡°¡­Phew.¡± Baek Seol-hee stood in the middle of the room. After setting the shirt aside, Baek Seol-hee refined her magic power with the thought of emitting magic power from her entire body. And then- ¡°Trans¡­form.¡± Baamm!! Magic power exploded from her body and scattered in all directions. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°I¡¯ming in.¡± Creak. The door opened. Do Ji-hwan came into the room with a bowl of nude kimbap - and stopped right there. ¡°¡­Did you not make clothes but erase them?¡± He quietly went out. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee slumped down in the chair. The whole room was frosted, and the chair was frozen, but Baek Seol-hee¡¯s head heated up like an active volcano. On this day, in the morning. Baek Seol-hee learned a new technique called self-destruction. Sacrificing the clothes she was wearing, she had a self-destruct function that caused a massive explosion of magic power centered on herself. Chapter 61: Its Not a Technology Leak, Its Advice! (2) Chapter 61: It''s Not a Technology Leak, It''s Advice! (2) The transformation of the Goblin essentially started with the release of my internal magical power. In a word, ¡®Metamorphosis.¡¯ Breaking the ¡®Boundary of Cognitive Dissonance,¡¯ which was worn as if one were non-powered. I momentarily release the magical power flowing in my body to scatter the surrounding view. The series of processes that transformed the magical power that flowed above the body into the Goblin¡¯s mask and clothes took ce in less than 0.1 seconds. The word ¡®Metamorphosis¡¯ itself meant changing in apletely different direction, but since the term ¡®Metamorphosis¡¯ was notmonly used as it was an archaic word, I used the term transformationfortably. The truth was that it was just the reconfiguration of magical power. It was just a method to change the suit to a suit and the mask to a helmet. To rify the terminology for convenience. If transformation meant changing the form of magical power. Let¡¯s define Metamorphosis as releasing the internal magical power outside the skin and changing it to a different look at the same time. Then, have there been any beings so far that created their costumes with their magical power? Did anyone in this world go through Metamorphosis at this point in time? There wasn¡¯t. Even if there was, it hadn¡¯t been publicly revealed. ¡®A secret technique that is known only to a few people.¡¯ Just like how I never exposed myself naked to others, like Yumir, who was only caught changing naked after transforming only to me, it was a high-tech technique that¡¯s not even known in the dark web. So when I exined to Baek Seol-hee to make clothes based on the principle of the Goblin¡¯s transformation, I intentionally omitted the intermediate process of ¡®explosively releasing magic power.¡¯ Like stacking snow to make a snowman, I subtly advised that it might work to stack magic power and create the shape of clothes. But Baek Seol-hee did it anyway. It was as if I taught her how to make fried chicken by preparing the chicken, chopping it, dipping it in the dough, frying it in oil, and ending it, but she added a process like ¡®put curry powder in the dough¡¯ or ¡®fry it in oil twice¡¯. Of course, because I didn¡¯t tell her things like oil temperature or mixing ratio of dough or brining of chicken, a disaster urred where the dough was all stripped off, but the attempt was good even though the result was sloppy. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± After destroying one gown, Baek Seol-hee collected the scattered icy energy around the room with a gloomy face. Fortunately, the room was restored to its original state, and I handed another gown to Baek Seol-hee to wear. ¡°Are you alright, Miss Seol-hee?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. If you have topensate for this incident, I¡¯ll handle it.¡± ¡°No need; it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s anything damaged. And the truly fortunate thing is¡­ that this incident urred here in this room.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee covered her face with both hands. What if such a disaster had happened in front of people? She wouldn¡¯t be able to face the world for the rest of her life. What if, during a battle against a formidable foe as a hero, she had a ¡®massive explosion¡¯ while all the citizens of the world were watching? It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she turned into a demon on the spot. Because I was a man and had managed to maintain my body to some extent, it was okay. However, if the woman I loved felt humiliated and enraged in front of people all over the world, I might want to erase that incident from the memory of everyone in the world. Therefore, the most important thing was to prevent such incidents from happening. ¡°How did this incident happen?¡± ¡°After making the clothes, I just thought it would be okay to create the clothes directly on my body and then triggered the magic¡­¡± ¡°Like trying to slowly pour water from a jug but identally spilling everything?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Like trying to slowly open the stic for the pickled radishes thate with fried chicken, but putting too much force and having the pickled radish juice stter out?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Baek Seol-hee pped her hands in response to my words. ¡°That¡¯s exactly how it felt!¡± ¡°Then the answer is simple. Try it once without wearing clothes?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I mean, just cover the parts of your skin that are exposed with magic. What about¡­ releasing the magic like you¡¯re applying moisturizing cream on your body?¡± I, assuming the perspective of a non-powered individual, was beating around the bush as much as I could. If she could understand this in her own way, Baek Seol-hee was indeed remarkable. ¡°Like this¡­?¡± ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll be outside. In case your clothes get torn again¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it worked.¡± Baek Seol-hee extended her right hand forward. A white glove appeared on her hand, which seemed to be made of a smooth and shinytex-like material. ¡°Do you want to touch it once?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t get frostbite, will I?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s only about the temperature of touching ice.¡± ¡°Well then¡­.¡± I extended my finger toward Baek Seol-hee¡¯s hand, lightly brushing her fingers with my hand. ¡°It really does feel like ice.¡± ¡°Yes. As long as no one touches it, and it stays in contact with my skin, it seems to maintain this state. Hmm¡­is it that it consumes mana when being created, and after it¡¯s created, it doesn¡¯t consume much mana? I feel like my condition is better than yesterday.¡± While she mumbled to herself and tilted her head, the truth was that Baek Seol-hee was also regaining mana from the hot springs here, which rapidly refilled her mana. ¡°Did you eat something good or what?¡± ¡°Seol-hee.¡± ¡°What? Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°If you casually say that anywhere, it could lead to great embarrassment.¡± ¡°I got it. So I won¡¯t say it anywhere else, only in front of Ji-hwan, right?¡± ¡°¡­If it helps you, Seol-hee.¡± Since I decided to help, I had to help Baek Seol-hee as much as possible. [Huh? The Goblin is Ji-hwan¡­?] [No! For now, I have to hide!] [Don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t hide you. I just caught you because I was curious.] [Why did you help me? You approached me deliberately, didn¡¯t you? What is the reason? Why have you been so nice to me¡­?] [¡­ Don¡¯t ever show up in front of me again. If we meet again, you¡¯re my enemy.] Even in such situations, marking a debt on Baek Seol-hee¡¯s heart was necessary. ¡°Anyway, Seol-hee, try making clothes. I¡¯ll go to the convenience store and buy clothes for you.¡± ¡°How long does it take to get to the convenience store?¡± ¡°By car, about 30 minutes? Round trip.¡± ¡°Rather than that, it would be better to do it this way.¡± Baek Seol-hee got up from her seat, spreading her body wide. ¡°¡­¡­Freeze.¡± With a faint voice, Baek Seol-hee began to emit mana from her hands. For fear that she might ¡®shed her skin¡¯ again, I turned my head anxiously, but fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like she would explode this time. Sigh. Rather, to the naked eye, Baek Seol-hee controlled her mana delicately enough that a stable energy flow could be seen. In an unexpected direction, even. ¡°Wow.¡± White smoke, like dry ice, began to leak from Baek Seol-hee¡¯s wrists and ankles outside of her robe. And then, that white smoke, Baek Seol-hee¡¯s mana, began to stick slowly to the robe she was wearing, covering it. Crisp, crackle. Ice crystals began to stick to the robe, and the previously pping robe soon took a stiff shape. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± What was there to say? Given the material of the hotel gown, if you changed its appearance a little, it would take the shape of a V-neck dress. Moreover, covering it with ice made of mana, before my eyes now, Snow White was wearing a white coat made of snowkes and stood with her arms spread out. ¡°Beautiful.¡± It was a sincere admiration. And at the same time, I felt my eyes widen. ¡®I need to learn this.¡¯ Whenever I transformed, it was always basic to emit mana from my body, but if I used that, I might not be naked¡­! ¡°Seol-hee. You really look fantastic. You could go out like this.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel a bit strange?¡± ¡°It does feel like an armor of ice, not fluttering, but it¡¯s much better than just wearing a white gown.¡± ¡°Is it? Then at least, I can fool people¡¯s eyes.¡± Baek Seol-hee reached out to me. ¡°Thank you, Ji-hwan. Thanks to this, even if I sneak into Sejong Ind and get caught, I won¡¯t be busted.¡± ¡°Please be careful from escaping Ulleung Ind to entering the dormitory in Sejong Ind.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a pity. I was finally able to talk with you alone. ¡­Should Ie to Ulleung Ind next time in sync with you?¡± ¡°We can talk as much as we want on Sejong Ind, can¡¯t we?¡± ¡°But there are more eyes to see than here.¡± ¡°You said you would take care of me if a scandal broke out earlier?¡± ¡°Haha, it would be a bit strange if a scandal broke out now.¡± Baek Seol-hee whispered with a smile. ¡°If a scandal breaks out, you can¡¯t really buy me, and then you won¡¯t be able to read the books you want to read, Ji-hwan?¡± ¡°¡­For now?¡± ¡°Then I have to consider it as much as possible. So that you can read the books you want in the library. I can¡¯t steal your daily life because of my circumstances.¡± Baek Seol-hee held my hand again. ¡°Please take good care of me in the future, teacher?¡± ¡°Am I your teacher?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re my psychological counselor. Specifically¡­.¡± Eek. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you asionally when I needfort. Maybe, often.¡± After returning from Ulleung Ind. [Baek Seol-hee, East Sea patrol! Developing a new costume!] Baek Seol-hee seeded in returning safely (?) to Sejong Ind. Fortunately, the excuse, well not an excuse, that she went to feel the regrity of the East Sea while leaving her Taeguk Watch aside for the purpose of testing this ability worked better than expected, and Baek Seol-hee returned to the academy without any particr scandal. And during the week. ¡°Teacher, hello!¡± ¡°¡­Hello?¡± ¡°Do you want to have a meal with the super-duper beautiful girl?¡± Yumir came looking for me. Chapter 62: It’s Not A Technology Leak, It’s Advice! (3) Chapter 62: It¡¯s Not A Technology Leak, It¡¯s Advice! (3) ¡°Student Yumir.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Eating dinner is fine, but why here, of all ces?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because if we eat in a restaurant, a viin could go on a rampage and attack us!¡± Yumir¡¯s words were reasonable. ¡°If we have a meal at a restaurant together, a rampaging student, a demon, or a viin might appear. It¡¯s safest to eat here. Nothing like that happens here!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it troublesome if a student is in here?¡± ¡°It would be very troublesome if I were a high school student, but I am an adult, so there is no problem, right?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t your public image as student Yumir be damaged?¡± ¡°If I cared about every student who gossips behind my back, I wouldn¡¯t live long.¡± Her argument was so logical. I wanted to refute it, but I still had to say what I needed to say. ¡°It seems unusual toe to a man¡¯s house who you haven¡¯t known for long, take over the kitchen, and start cooking.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t there a safer ce than your quarters?¡± That was true. Right now, Yumir was in my house, cooking. ¡°There are no students at the quarters, and if there are no students, that means there are no people who will go on a rampage. That means it¡¯s safe!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t adults be viins?¡± ¡°Even if there¡¯s a viin here, it¡¯s not a big problem. It will be solved before I step in.¡± ¡°You, Student Yumir, step in¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Ah! What I meant was there¡¯s no need for a weak ability user like me to step in. Hahaha.¡± As Yumir wiped the cold sweat from her brow, she poured the pasta sauce into the pot. Perhaps because she came from Canada, she seemed to prefer Western food to Korean, and Yumir cooked better than I expected. ¡°¡­My goodness. Yumir, did you ever learn to cook professionally?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t learn professionally, but I learned to cook through someone I know. About half a year?¡± ¡°You learned this much in half a year?¡± ¡°I can only make dishes I can make. I can¡¯t cook Korean food at all, only Western food.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡± That was not an emptypliment. I was genuinely impressed. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to marry a woman who¡¯s good at cooking Western food.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I can cook Korean food.¡± I tapped lightly on the refrigerator. ¡°Japanese, Western, Chinese - I¡¯m fairly good at them all, but Korean food is my main specialty.¡± ¡°Do you cook all this yourself?¡± ¡°Yes, but unless it¡¯s a really special day, I mostly stick to chicken breasts and vegetables.¡± ¡°And when is this ¡®special day¡¯? Like when you¡¯re having a meal with a woman?¡± ¡°When I¡¯m having a meal with someone else.¡± ¡°So today¡¯s a special day, huh?¡± ¡°I guess you could say that.¡± I took out dishes that would pair well with pasta from the cupboard, and Yumir promptly served the pasta beautifully in those dishes. ¡°Do you prefer to talk while eating or after eating?¡± ¡°I generally adjust to the other person.¡± ¡°Oh, same here. So, should we talk while we eat? I have something to discuss.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I pulled the ind kitchen table to make some space. The width was a bit narrow, so the pasta dishes were ced diagonally. Pulling the chairs to sit, our knees were just slightly touching. ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll have to get a broader sitting table.¡± ¡°Why? This distance is perfect.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s easy to hit like this?¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± I tilted my head forward and lightly flicked Yumir¡¯s forehead with my finger. ¡°You¡¯re too much, really! Even if Sejong Ind is full of beauties, treating a super gorgeous foreign girl like this!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a student, and I¡¯m an employee.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m a university student, you know? And do you know?¡± Yumir twirled her pasta lightly with a fork. ¡°Now, in our country, they are trying to lower the legal age for ability users to get pregnant to high school age.¡± ¡°¡­Are they mad?¡± No. Was this country mad? ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°They¡¯re preparing a bill to lower the ¡®adult¡¯ age, or precisely the age when supernaturals can get pregnant, to 17. When you turn 18 or are in the second grade of high school, you immediately be an adult.¡± ¡°They must be out of their minds.¡± I understood that there was a certain difference between regr people and superpowered humans, but lowering the adult age just for them? ¡°Children here on Sejong Ind are already prone to going wild, and they want to lower their adult age?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for patriotism. From the state¡¯s perspective, the more supernaturals are born, the better.¡± ¡°But if they lower the adult age just for supernaturals, there would be enormous bacsh.¡± ¡°You might not know because you¡¯re Korean, but there¡¯s a meme-like thing in foreign countries.¡± Yumir lowered her head a bit and spoke softly. ¡°¡®Gored.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a bit of a bitter tale.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s happening constantly, isn¡¯t it? Bodies disappearing all of a sudden, perfectly healthy people going missing, some powered individuals going berserk and killing people, only for it to be glossed over.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ There¡¯s a saying about that too.¡± I raised both hands to cover my eyes and ears. ¡°Your Honor, I saw nothing. I heard nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Professor.¡± As I dropped my hands and looked ahead, I saw that Yumir was gazing at me with a slight tilt of her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like that¡¯s what you truly believe, does it, professor?¡± ¡°My true belief?¡± ¡°I think if something like that were to happen to you, you¡¯d do everything in your power to overturn it. Or, with a sigh, ¡®Oh, what a dirty world,¡¯ and leave this country.¡± ¡°And what if I ¡®get Stephen¡¯d¡¯ while doing so?¡± ¡°Even if you ¡®get Stephen¡¯d¡¯, if living here feels miserable, you leave. There are numerous people who have actually done so.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s tough, go abroad. After all, ces like Canada and the U.S. have weed immigrants from Korea, haven¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics.¡± I did know. It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t freely discuss this because we were on Sejong Ind. ¡°Student Yumir, I¡¯m not particrly patriotic, but if you talk like this elsewhere, you might get kicked out of Sejong Ind.¡± ¡°Oh, will I be ¡®gored¡¯ then?¡± ¡°You¡¯d probably have to gulp down a bowl full of it.¡± ¡°Oh. Is this a reportable offense?¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± I tried to flick her forehead again, but Yumir leaned back and raised her hands. ¡°Are you going to keep hitting me?¡± ¡°Even if I throw a straight punch right here, as a powered individual, you wouldn¡¯t feel any pain, would you?¡± ¡°But it hurts my feelings.¡± ¡°Then restrain yourself. And stop making weirdments.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who started the weirdments.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because your head is full of nonsense.¡± ¡°Then I should be cursing the person who filled my head with nonsense!¡± Yumir jabbed her pasta with a fork. ¡°They¡¯re crafting aw to lower the age of adulthood for powered individuals, right? Do you know why it¡¯s happening? From a bit of a foreigner¡¯s perspective, looking at our country?¡± ¡°From a perspective that criticizes rather than loves the country?¡± ¡°Yes. If you really think about it maliciously.¡± ¡°That would naturally be the reason.¡± I also picked up some pasta. ¡°The President¡¯s grandchildren. They¡¯re both turning 17 this year.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve hit the nail on the head!¡± Yumir pped her hands. ¡°The granddaughter is here on Sejong Ind, and the grandson is in Busan right now. Both are¡­¡± ¡°S-ss. And they¡¯re twins.¡± The President¡¯s grandchildren were S-ss. It was not amon urrence. But if you thought a bit twistedly, such a case was possible. [My promise is to make my grandchildren into righteous heroes who will contribute to the nation!] What if the citizens voted for a politician who had S-ss grandchildren, and that person was elected president? ¡°Their names are ¡®Jo¡¯ and ¡®Irin¡¯, right? The boy is Jo. The girl is Irin.¡± ¡°Yes. Both are S-ss powered individuals that this country can¡¯t afford to lose.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t heroes?¡± ¡°¡­To be honest, I only say this in front of you, professor, but they are really arrogant.¡± Yumir continued with a more serious tone. Her voice was filled with antipathy towards the President¡¯s twins. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Because they are living their lives in self-importance. Moreover, many C-ss, B-ss powered individuals are emigrating due to their domineering behavior and misconduct. If you look on the inte, you¡¯ll find a significant number of interviews criticizing them, right?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a story you absolutely can¡¯t find in Korea, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all because of the information control. They might have actually killed people in reality, you know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they went that far.¡± No. ¡°If they were such viins, the Goblin would have stepped in and cracked their heads long ago.¡± ¡°Even though they are the President¡¯s blood rtives?¡± ¡°The Goblin¡¯s club doesn¡¯t spare even the royal family.¡± ¡°Are you a fan of the Goblin?¡± ¡°¡­A little bit?¡± I was not my own fan. ¡°I see. I also like the Goblin.¡± ¡°You, a fan of the Goblin, Yumir? Why?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°Cool? The Goblin? That¡¯s unlikely. Underneath the mask, he¡¯s probably ugly and¡­¡± My shin hurt. ¡°You, did you just kick me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s your punishment for badmouthing the Goblin. Hmph.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re a Goblin fan?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t a fan originally, but I became a ¡®passionate fan¡¯, you see?¡± This was unfair. ¡°I can overlook you criticizing the country, but I can¡¯t let you badmouth the Goblin.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± Even though I was the Goblin, I was under attack for disparaging the Goblin. ¡°You¡¯re really too much, seriously. You, a powered individual, beating up a person.¡± ¡°I¡¯m E-ss.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re E-ss, getting hurt still hurts. Look forward to awsuit if I get bruised.¡± ¡°I was ready for you to take responsibility if something broke, but I didn¡¯t expect awsuit.¡± Yumir twisted the corners of her mouth in disappointment. ¡°But you hit my forehead, too, teacher.¡± ¡°Is your hitting and my hitting the same?¡± ¡°Shall we reach apromise with mutual assault?¡± ¡°¡­Sigh. I can¡¯t win an argument with you. Not at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at debating.¡± While we chatted and bickered, our meal came to an end. ¡°So, what did you want to consult about?¡± ¡°¡­Oh no! Ipletely forgot.¡± ¡°I thought you wanted to have a serious talk during teatime after eating, but it seems that¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I lost track of time while talking with you.¡± Having had some green tea after the meal, Yumir stood in the center of the room. ¡°Professor.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve developed a new costume.¡± She threw off her Taeguk Watch onto my bed and, adopting a pose that suggested she was about to perform some taekwondo, Yumir said- ¡°Please watch. My transformation!¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re a fan of the Goblin, are you also a Dodjiider by any chance-¡± ¡°Sun Crystal Power!¡± Her whole body began to sparkle in a rainbow of colors. ¡°¡­Hey!!!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re all exposed!¡± ¡°That¡¯s how girls usually transform!¡± I thought Dodjirider was about to appear. ¡°Tada!¡± Magical Yumir appeared. She was wearing a hanbok with a skirt length down to her thighs. Chapter 63: It’s Not A Technology Leak, It’s Advice! (4) Chapter 63: It¡¯s Not A Technology Leak, It¡¯s Advice! (4) I was taken aback. What I meant by taken aback was that I was taken aback by the sight of this foreign magical girl standing in front of me, her entire body sparkling in a rainbow of colors. ¡°Hehe, why are you looking away?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because of your current state!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Yumir pointed to herself in her transformed state. ¡°It¡¯s a costume that captures the style and spirit of Korea, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much of a deep dive into Korean culture?¡± ¡°As a foreigner, I need to dress like this to avoid criticism from the people, don¡¯t I?¡± She was right. It was me who suggested that first, and Yumir faithfully brought a costume in ordance with my suggestion. The problem was that she didn¡¯t have it made by a professional costume maker but made it herself. And instead of using thread and needle, she created it using magic. ¡°Are you wearing mana right now?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Oh, my. So what happens if the mana is peeled off?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be naked!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I let out a scream of surprise first. ¡°Ah, you startled me.¡± ¡°What do you n to do if ites off?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It won¡¯te off!¡± ¡°No matter what you say, you can¡¯t do that. No. Find another way. And definitely don¡¯t take it off right now.¡± ¡°Ah, I was about to un-transform.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re sexually harassing me now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s naked. Isn¡¯t it more like I¡¯m the one being sexually harassed?¡± ¡°Good grief.¡± I threw a coat from the wardrobe to Yumir, and she simply caught it. ¡°What will you do if you just hold the coat I gave you to wear?¡± ¡°Why should I wear this?¡± ¡°Hey. It might look like ordinary clothing to the eye, but in reality, you¡¯re naked, right?¡± ¡°The material of the clothes is different, but it¡¯s the same as wearing clothes, whether they¡¯re made of silk, satin, or mana.¡± ¡°Sigh. How do you never lose an argument?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t lose! Instead of getting praise for the costume, I worked so hard to create, I¡¯m getting scolded.¡± Yumir put her hands on her hips and puffed up her cheeks. She openly expressed her displeasure, and in the end, I had no choice but to raise my hands in surrender. ¡°Alright. But don¡¯t take off that mana outfit.¡± ¡°Why would I undress in front of you?¡± ¡°You just changed your clothes out of the blue!¡± ¡°I just went through a transition process. From my casual clothes to an extremely thin full-body rash guard, and from there to this hanbok costume.¡± ¡°A transition?¡± This was a bit intriguing. ¡°Wait a minute. So where did your clothes go?¡± ¡°My clothes?¡± ¡°Yes. Your clothes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah!¡± Yumir pped her hands and looked surprised. ¡°I should have undressed before transforming!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± At that moment, I was about to yell, ¡®Hey!¡¯ but I managed to hold back. Yelling for no reason would give off the impression that I knew about the side effects of transformations. ¡°What did you have to undress for?¡± ¡°My clothes. Oh no. If I just cancel this transformation, I¡¯ll be naked immediately.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As expected. Just like when Baek Seol-hee ¡®popped¡¯, Yumir could have ¡®popped¡¯ as well if she had made a wrong move. ¡°Weren¡¯t you practicing in your room?¡± ¡°I did practice, but I only wore my underwear.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t your roommate say anything? Oh, right. You said your roommate wasn¡¯t home at that time. Grr.¡± ¡°Yes. So I checked while I was alone. This¡­ my underwear disappeared due to the release of magical power.¡± ¡°Grr¡­.¡± This was a bit of a problem. ¡®Sr tina¡¯ Yumir, who seemed to have more magical power than me, faced the same problem. Our clothes were stripped off when transforming due to the sudden release of magic from the body. To be exact, our clothes could not withstand the pressure of the magic and exploded. They exploded as if they were torn apart to the extent that it was uncertain whether it was on a particle or molecr level. I still hadn¡¯t fully understood the principle, nor had I ovee it. ¡®It¡¯s not even thew of nakedness in transformations.¡¯ The phenomenon of clothes tearing during the transformation process appeared in many forms of media, almost as if it was a naturalw of this world, like thew of universal gravitation. Not only was I experiencing this, but everyone else who had learned my skills was also in the same predicament. ¡°Student Yumir. So, is there no solution? How can we reverse the clothing¡¯s destruction?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t restore the clothes, but there are two possible solutions.¡± Yumir casually sat on my bed and held up two fingers. ¡°One is to maintain the clothes as they are and move to a changing room. This means you can quickly change into other clothes from being naked, but you can only undo the transformation in a safe ce.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t keep sting your clothes off while attending the academy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why there¡¯s another way: to keep supplying mana so that these clothes can be maintained. Until the mana runs out.¡± ¡°Student Yumir, I hate to say this, but as an E-rank, won¡¯t your mana deplete quickly?¡± ¡°¡­For an average E-rank, yes. Hehe.¡± Yumir pressed her lips to her index finger and winked. ¡°I have a secret weapon, you know?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Hey, who just shows off their trump card?¡± ¡°Sorry, did I ask a sensitive question?¡± ¡°No, no, no, no!!¡± Yumir quickly got up, waving her hands at me in denial. ¡°The question is a bit sensitive, but it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s with you, teacher!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Something felt odd just now. ¡°Why is it okay with me?¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­ Teacher! I¡¯ll ask you something else first!¡± As if she had made up her mind, Yumir approached me, clenching both her fists. ¡°This is absolutely not about me!¡± ¡°Mmhm. It¡¯s not about Student Yumir, but a friend you know or someone you met on the inte, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As if. She had no intention of hiding that she was Sr tina. She was trying to appeal to me, Do Ji-Hwan, that she was actually an incredible ability user. ¡°Suppose a person has to hide their ability from the entire country and the world for some reason, and you find out about that person¡¯s secret. What would you do?¡± ¡°I would keep the secret.¡± ¡°Even if you could use that person¡¯s abilities to gain enormous wealth, fame, and power?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not particrly interested in that.¡± I already had some wealth, a notorious reputation, and power as the leader of a dedicated legion. ¡°Oh, that would be a bit tempting.¡± ¡°What would be?¡± ¡°Stories I haven¡¯t seen yet.¡± ¡°¡­Stories?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I pointed to the paper books I had borrowed from the library on my desk. ¡°I¡¯m a person who likes novels. I enjoy seeing diverse stories that I haven¡¯t yet seen. This is not only about novels. It includes movies, animations, musicals, and even ¡®reality¡¯.¡± ¡°That reality, is it about heroes and viins?¡± ¡°It includes such stories too.¡± But that was a story forter. ¡°I¡¯m thinking ofpiling the stories of those who are now praised as heroes and those who are condemned as viins in the future.¡± ¡°Like a wiki?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ rather than that, it¡¯s about transforming them more ¡®into novels¡¯.¡± Someone once said, Every reader was a potential aspiring novelist. There must be those who start dreaming of bing a novelist after being moved by a well-written novel - [Wow, who writes such a crude piece?] [I could write better than this?] [Wow, should I fall into being an author too? Instead of a reader¡¯s life, how about trying a writer¡¯s life?] I had heard of cases where people thought like this. I was no different. ¡°It¡¯s just one of my goals. And suppose the protagonist of that story is a protagonist who has to hide their identity. In that case, I want to tell the story like this.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°All the ability users who tried not to be exposed have been exposed at least once, so make it certain. Either not being exposed until the end or being in a position where it doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re exposed.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s an interesting perspective.¡± Yumir showed interest with her eyes sparkling. ¡°I would strive not to be exposed until the end, but what does it mean to be in a position where it doesn¡¯t matter if exposed? Are you suggesting I be a viin?¡± ¡°No. I mean to thoroughly distinguish between when you act as an ability user and when you are an ordinary person.¡± Like me. ¡°For example, let¡¯s suppose that Student Yumir is an S-rank ability user, no, even more powerful than that in the world.¡± ¡°Me?! Me?¡± ¡°What are you so surprised about? It¡¯s just a hypothetical situation.¡± ¡°Oh, ahahaha. Right. Hypothetical. IF. Suppose.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± This kid. She might identally reveal her identity because of her clumsiness. ¡®She doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯ll break down if exposed, but if that happens, I¡¯ll have to earnestlyfort her.¡¯ If she had the talent to transform herself, she could aim for an executive position or even higher. Not to the level of a boss, though. ¡°So, if I¡¯m the most powerful ability user in the world?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ What if you could create something like a clone?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ho?¡± Yumir¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°A clone?¡± ¡°Yes. Like another me that moves remotely. There can be various ways. For example, putting your energy into a remotely controlled robot to make it move, making something like a mannequin move with your energy, or transforming into a different appearance than Student Yumir.¡± ¡°All those sound difficult.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re the strongest in the world, wouldn¡¯t you be able to do that much?¡± ¡°It would certainly be useful if I seed, but isn¡¯t there a simpler solution?¡± ¡°A simpler solution.¡± There was one. Just as Baek Seol-hee did, it could be done by oveying energy on your clothing, creating an external armor of sorts. Having thought of another way to transform after meeting with Baek Seol-hee and referencing rted materials, if I told her the method of ¡®oveying energy onto your current clothing,¡¯ Yumir would surely find her own answer right away. However¡­ ¡®I have a bond with Baek Seol-hee.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t easily share that. Instead, I had no choice but to subtly suggest another method. ¡°If there¡¯s a way to not care about being exposed in Korea, it would be that, right?¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°This.¡± I turned on my smartphone and pulled up a piece of data. ¡°¡­Preserving our tradition, transforming into a form that has an unspoken acknowledgment that no one should easily reveal their identity. At the same time, it doesn¡¯t matter if you show your face directly.¡± ¡°This is¡­ a schr?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not just a schr.¡± In the data on the screen, a schr was standing with a round object held out in front of him, shouting something loudly. ¡°It¡¯s a secret royal inspector.¡± ¡°¡­Are you saying I should be a secret royal inspector?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a hypothetical, a hypothetical. And with the current situation, you only need to add two things.¡± I swept my hand over my face. ¡°All you need is a spell for the transformation gimmick. You don¡¯t need to hide your face. Instead,¡± I pointed at Yumir¡¯s hair and eyes. ¡°What if you walked around looking like apletely different person?¡± ¡°¡­My face?¡± ¡°Yes. The before and after of the transformation would bepletely different.¡± It was a simple solution. ¡°Frankly, if Student Yumir were to transform into, say, the President¡¯s granddaughter and go around shouting ¡®The magical girl has arrived!¡¯, who would think that¡¯s you?¡± Face change. Voice change. And deepfake [magic]. ¡°Whether as a hero or viin, ability users always receive someone¡¯s attention, but since they¡¯re not Yumir, it doesn¡¯t matter, right?¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Yumir brought her hands to her cheeks. ¡°So I first transform into apletely different person, and then transform again into a secret royal inspector magical girl from that state!¡± That was correct. ¡°Not as Yumir, but in the state of being apletely different person!¡± A magical girl. Chapter 64: Its Not Only Riders Who Transform (1) Chapter 64: It''s Not Only Riders Who Transform (1) After Yumir¡¯s visit to my room. We shared various stories about her and the transformation gimmick. Not only Yumir. I also had a conversation with Baek Seol-hee. [This time, I tried to make it like this. How is it?] [Teacher, what about this outfit?] The two sent me pictures of themselves reflected in a full-length mirror. If Baek Seol-hee used her magic power as an external glove, Yumir changed her clothes into magic power from the beginning. ¡­Every time I saw pictures that mirrored each other, I felt strange. Still, I sincerely responded to the pictures sent by the two. [It seems like the clothes can¡¯t follow Ms. Seol-hee.] [I can¡¯t tell just from the picture, but it¡¯s really pretty. No need for luxury items.] I spent my weekdays giving my own answers to their pictures. [I wish we could meet soon, but it¡¯s a bit like that inside Sejong Ind, right?] [I can go to Ulleungdo every week, but then you have to dive into the East Sea every time, right? You know the fishing boats are now flocking to the East Sea, right? They say they¡¯re going to film Ms. Seol-hee¡¯s ability development.] [It¡¯s bitter. If I had known this, I would have moved with the Taeguk Watch.] Baek Seol-hee had her own troubles. [People gave me the name ¡®Baek-eun (Snow Queen)¡¯ for this transformation.] [The name is quite cool. A feeling of more affection than the English name Snow White?] [Better than Snow White?] [Instead of a princess, aren¡¯t you a queen?] [Who¡¯s the queen¡­ haha?] While we exchanged silly jokes, Baek Seol-hee gradually opened her heart to me. [I¡¯m talking about the Snow Queen.] [The fairy tale you rmendedst time? Do you think of me as a queen who creates an ice castle?] [Wouldn¡¯t high heels, made of ice, suit you better than a fur loafer shape? Ms. Seol-hee feels like Seol-hee Antote rather than Jung Jeon-mama.] [What are you talking about? You must be crazy. Don¡¯t say that anywhere. You¡¯re going to be scolded.] [Do you want to wear a crown on your head, Ms. Seol-hee?] [Do you want to die?] Regarding Baek Seol-hee¡¯s ability, namely ¡®Ice Magic¡¯, I even rmended reading a ssic fairy tale that became the motif of the story I had in mind. [Did you watch the movie I mentionedst time?] [I watched it right after that day, but what was that? The female protagonist waspletely psychopathic, wasn¡¯t she? She locked a man in a basement and bred with him, right?] [How did you feel about it?] [I understand that she loves him that much, but I thought it was too much to lock him in a ce where even sunlight doesn¡¯t reach. He should at least see the sun.] [Is sunlight all that¡¯s needed?] [Given a choice, I¡¯d like a tablet with ess to the entire world¡¯s library, a state-of-the-art Blu-ray yer, and a beam projector that projects onto the whole wall. It¡¯d be nice if there were ckout curtains as well.] [It seems like you don¡¯t feel much about imprisonment?] [I¡¯m more of an indoor person.] Baek Seol-hee and I also shared our impressions of the films from this world that she rmended. [Anyway, thanks to you, it¡¯s fun developing these abilities in various ways. I¡¯m currently working on a technology patent in our country to create an external glove by oveying magic on clothes.] [Congrattions. So, will you be rich with the licensing fee from that?] [Unfortunately, that¡¯s not the case. When I tried to do that, men in suits came and said something. Want to guess why?] [This technology should be used for all superpowers in our country, so don¡¯t register for a license but register the technology and release it for free?] [How did you know? Did you install a wiretap?] [It¡¯s obvious what the higher-ups in this country would say.] We also talked about the technology that Baek Seol-hee had created. [Be careful. The transformation takes some time, so you might be in a difficult situation if you get attacked.] [Don¡¯t worry too much. I can block the attacks while transforming, although it¡¯s a bit awkward to say this.] [How?] [I took a cue from the transformation gimmick of a dodjirider. That¡¯s a surprise for that time! I¡¯ll show you when it¡¯s time to transform. Hehe.] [I look forward to it.] Unfortunately, her technology became amon skill that everyone in this country could use, but if they were not S-ss, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to use it easily. [Have you decided on the name of the technique?] [I decided to call it ¡®Geumganghwa (Diamond Flower)¡¯.] [Is it Geumgang as in diamond, or Geumgang as in Mt. Geumgang?] [It¡¯s Diamond. It¡¯s a metaphorical expression. The term is attached to imply bing as hard as a diamond. Oh, were you thinking of another term?] [Are you crazy?] [I was just making a casualment. Hehe.] In this way, Baek Seol-hee¡¯s technique of ovepping a mana shield on top of her clothing was firmly named Diamond Flower. [Ms. Seol-hee. Just in case, how about Diamond Flower on the inside as well as the outside of the coat?] [Pervert.] [Are you calling me a pervert just because of what I said?] [Are you worried that I might ¡®explode¡¯ again? I get it. Then¡­what about this?] [Excuse me? Why are you sending me a selfie like this?] [I tried creating ayer of ice crystals on my skin, like underwear. If I wear clothes over this state and use Diamond Flower, couldn¡¯t I protect my body doubly?] [So why are you sending me that picture?] [For your visual pleasure?] I was visually pleased. [I will be going into a lecture soon. Once the government officially disseminates information about Diamond Flower, I will talk to you again.] [Take care, Seol-hee. I¡¯ll look forward to the next movie you¡¯ll send.] [Is it alright if I send photos or videos instead of movies?] [¡­¡­.] Since Baek Seol-hee came as an academy instructor, there was virtually no time for us to converse directly. So, we mostly exchanged texts during her break time or after work. The problem was¡­ [Teacher, do you do something else while talking to me?] ¡°Uh, no. I was just wondering if that might be the case.¡± [It seems like you¡¯re not able to focus. Should Ie to your ce again and make pasta?] It was fine during the day, but in the evening, the problem was that Seol-hee¡¯s time ovepped with Yumir¡¯s, so I had to text or call her. ¡°Yumir, so have you decided on who to transform into?¡± [I can¡¯t decide yet. I¡¯ve decided on my pose and appearance after the transformation, but I can¡¯t decide on the transformation itself¡­ Sob.] ¡°You¡¯re not the one transforming, right? I heard it¡¯s someone you know.¡± [Well, it¡¯s someone I know. Teacher, this is all for your sake, you know?] ¡°I see.¡± Yumir had absolutely no intention of hiding the fact that she was Sr tina. [Just wait a bit. I¡¯ll show you something really big.] ¡°Something big ising?¡± [It¡¯s already big, but something bigger coulde!] ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± [Are you ready to take it in, given that it¡¯s big enough?] ¡°What are you talking about?¡± [A big event! Haha, just wait for it. I¡¯ll show you something very special. Oh, it¡¯s not me. Anyway, you got it?] ¡°Haa. I really don¡¯t know.¡± The only reason she didn¡¯t outright say, ¡®I¡¯m Sr tina,¡¯ was likely out of consideration for me. -You know the identity of Sr tina! Speak now! -I don¡¯t know. -You can¡¯t speak right now?! -I don¡¯t know who Sr tina is, and I also don¡¯t know who the magical girl ¡®tinum Sun,¡¯ who she transformed into, is. -You bastard! We all know you¡¯re coborating with her! If you don¡¯t speak up, it¡¯s treason! -I don¡¯t know anything!! ¡­I couldn¡¯t help but imagine such a scenario. Perhaps she spoke like that because she worried my involvement with her would harm me. Despite this, she specifically requested my assistance for her transformation into Sr tina, who would eventually appear before the public under apletely different name and guise as a magical girl. This must be due to her desperate need for my advice. [I¡¯m relieved. Thanks to you, I really managed to get by. The foreigners around me all stick together, and the Koreans don¡¯t include me.] Perhaps she had be an outsider sinceing here. [If it wasn¡¯t for you, I might still be alone. Thank you so much, teacher.] ¡°I should be thanking you. If you ever need help, contact me. I will make time whenever I can.¡± [A beautiful girl asks for your time, and there¡¯s something more important?] ¡°I have to work to eat.¡± [Ah.] ¡°You¡¯re a student, and I¡¯m a working adult.¡± [¡­What if you quit your job?] ¡°Then I¡¯d have to leave Sejong Ind and go back to Seoul, wouldn¡¯t I?¡± [Do you live in Seoul? In that dangerous ce?] ¡°Hey, do you think Seoul is a battleground or something? More importantly, what are you going to do about next week¡¯s fieldwork?¡± [Ah.] Yumir was extremely flustered. [Well, that¡¯s¡­] ¡°You¡¯ll be forming pairs and working on group assignments, right?¡± [That¡¯s why, that¡¯s¡­] ¡°Do you have a friend to form a team with?¡± Yumir couldn¡¯t say a word. In mid-March. The first major event in the original work, the ¡®group assignment¡¯, was looming. The concept for this time was ¡®Treasure Hunting¡¯. A group project that involved the whole of Sejong Ind and the prelude to the protagonist¡¯s ¡®first heroine¡¯ and something happening. The attack of the great devil during the holidays, ¡®Jokadiel¡¯. Chapter 65: Its Not Only Riders Who Transform (2) Chapter 65: It''s Not Only Riders Who Transform (2) The Academy was a training ground for ability users. It was also a ce where they polished how, where, and when to use these abilities. Essentially, the Academy proimed itself a ¡®Hero Training Institution¡¯. It was a ce where we hoped that those who had learned and mastered their abilities at the Academy would not be viins and, at the same time, taught them how to fight against viins. Depending on the perspective, it could be quite controversial, but some called Sejong Academy a ¡®military academy¡¯. A training ground forbatants to confront viins or demons. When spoken in this way, the ability users or their families would express significant difort. Still, if you looked at the actual curriculum, practical training upied a considerable amount of time. The first major episode in the original work, ¡®Treasure Hunt¡¯, was also the same. During this turmoil of treasure hunting, which could be considered the climax of the first volume, the main task was for teams of two to seek the goal assigned to them. The field was the entire Sejong Ind. ¡­However, each team had a designated area. Since the main purpose was to find items within that area, surveying the entire Sejong Ind was unnecessary. -Just investigating would be boring, right? So, let¡¯s reduce the number of treasurespared to the number of teams. -Do we really need to fight each other? -We should provide an opportunity for children to unleash their abilities. -Are you saying we should legally make them fight each other? -Of course. Isn¡¯t it enough to have them bring the treasure to the finish line? Whatever happens in the process¡­ as long as they don¡¯t inflict serious injuries, they should just move on. As if fearing someone might call it an era of endlesspetition, the professors and teachers at the Academy turned the treasure hunt into an outrightpetition. -Cut the number of students appropriately. And evenly distribute students in each zone. -So, does that mean a first ce wille out of each area?¡° -Yes. The first ces will then be conscious of each other and grow whilepeting. Don¡¯t children normally grow by fighting? Haha. -It would be troublesome if they became demons. -If they turn into demons in apetition like this, they are bound to be demonster anyway. We must cut off the sprouts with mold early. Break their necks before they enter society. That¡¯s how other sprouts can grow well. Isn¡¯t it so? The professors at the Academy, the core of the teachers, thought like this. -Raising a psychic is like raising a fruit. We pick out the special and superior fruits from numerous ones and make them the ¡®heroes¡¯ of this era. We put the average and inferior ones out on the market and weed out the worthless ones. Especially the ones that have mold or carry germs. We have to eliminate them early on. -Are Ability Users asmon as fruits to bepared like this? -Ah, that. Compared to the Middle East or Africa, we are fruits. If we are fruits, then aren¡¯t they elephants? -It would be fortunate if there were even elephants. Haha. I agree with your statement, Professor. We need to nip those who would be viins or demons in the bud. It was a time when only those with abilities survived. After the great upheaval, the era of omnipotent abilities had arrived. -But will students participate in this training simply under the guise of treasure hunting? -We pit them against each other with grades, prize money, and authorized absences at stake. Is there anything more beneficial for students? Those who found the treasure would earn internal grades. Those who found the treasure would receive the prize money called the Munsang. Those who found the treasure would receive an ¡®authorized absence¡¯ approved by the Academy. -What?! If you find the treasure, you get test points, money, and vacation days?! -Ah, it¡¯s a treasure jackpot, hehe. -Although it¡¯s called a treasure, the rewards after obtaining it are the real treasure, aren¡¯t they? The reaction of the Academy students was enthusiastic. Even those who had no interest inpetition would desire at least one of the three rewards. -So, if you get the treasure, we don¡¯t have to take the midterms, right? -That¡¯s correct, student. You¡¯ve already proven your abilities in the treasure hunt, so what¡¯s the point of an exam? Of course, you can take it if you want. -Ah, then, of course, I¡¯m not taking the midterms. I¡¯m going to find that treasure! Those who disliked studying desired the test scores they could get without taking the exam. -How much money? Is the Munsang worth 5,000 won? Haha. -It¡¯s said to be 1 million won. -¡­ Isn¡¯t 1 million won just a small amount to an Ability User? -A minimum of 1 million won. -Wow, it was not Munsang but a check? -Moreover, the first-ce prize money is 100 million won. -Wow, crazy. Does the Academy have too much money? -It seems they do. -Ah. This was a substantial amount of money for those students who were short on money. -Miss, you should participate. -I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t need money, and I can get a perfect score on my own. Why should I struggle to be a partner with someone I don¡¯t like and search every corner of the ind? -You¡¯ll get approved absences depending on the time it takes to obtain the treasure. The first ce can¡­ take five days off. -¡­Then I could study during those five days! I¡¯ll go right now! -It¡¯s a vacation, though. -Studying by myself is rxing! Ohohoho! Those who wanted to spend their time more efficiently could get their own free time. This treasure hunt, one of the main events, didn¡¯t usually cause a huge ident every year, but this year, the year the protagonist was admitted, was different. As expected of the climax of the first volume of the light novel, a huge ident would ur. And I was in that event- ¡°Mr. Do, why are you taking a leave of absence on the day of the treasure hunt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to read a fantasy novel at home.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I thought you might participate.¡± ¡°What? Brewer. I¡¯m a librarian. Why would a librarian participate in such training?¡± I would not participate. ¡°I¡¯m neither a student nor a teacher at the Academy. I¡¯m a librarian.¡± ¡°¡­Then what about the Goblin?¡± ¡°The Goblin is different.¡± As Do Ji-hwan, I was not participating. ¡°If you take a leave and go rampaging as the Goblin, won¡¯t people misunderstand? If the Goblin appears, you won¡¯t have an alibi.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I need to create an alibi.¡± I pointed outside to Brewer. ¡°Do you want to take a walk with me at night for a moment?¡± ¡°A walk?¡± ¡°Yes. To create an alibi for Do Ji-hwan.¡± Late at night, nearing dawn. ¡°Goodbye.¡± Choi Ki-woo, the owner of ¡®Nara Store,¡¯ a Haegnul24 convenience store on Sejong Ind,mented as he saw people staggering out of his store. ¡°I want to be an Ability User too.¡± Ki-woo is not an Ability User. However, the reason he was running a convenience store, a Haegun24 chain store, no less, on Sejong Ind was because his younger sister was an Ability User. There was a 10-year age difference between him and his younger sister. There were about 4 siblings in between them. His 10-year-old sister this year was a student at the Sejong Ind Academy, and Ki-woo, who had just be an adult, was working on Sejong Ind as her legal guardian and ¡®family¡¯ for mental care. In reality, he was working as a sried store owner at a convenience store, thanks to his younger sister. Excluding the fact that he only worked at night and that E~D ss Ability User students worked part-time on weekdays, earning a monthly sry of 6 million won wasn¡¯t a bad environment for Ki-woo. The only annoying thing about this job was that various things unfolded at night when he was minding the convenience store counter. Chime, chime. As the door opened, a tall man wearing a ck baseball cap, a grey hoodie, and jeans entered. Looking at the mask he was wearing, Ki-woo momentarily worried he might be a robber, but a robbery on Sejong Ind would be like saying that the Goblin was residing on Sejong Ind. ¡°Wee¡­!¡± Ki-woo was about to greet the man but swallowed his saliva when he saw the woman following him. The woman also wore a hat and mask, but she was following the man in a body-hugging tank top and dolphin pants. Could it be? Could it be for ¡®patriotism¡¯? ¡°Honey, can I buy melon milk?¡± ¡°Buy it.¡± ¡°Should we also buy some beef jerky? We ran out of snacks.¡± ¡°Beef jerky? Good. But didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t like it getting stuck in your teeth?¡± ¡°If it gets stuck, you can remove it for me.¡± Ew. Ki-woo tried hard to suppress his churning stomach. ¡®I know you two are patriots, but do your patriotism at home!¡¯ Why did they have toe to the convenience store and do that? There was no nuisance quite like them. While there were plenty of men drinking and making a mess or old men wearing fishing vests demanding cigarettes on the maind, there were many nuisances of a different kind in a convenience store on Sejong Indte at night. ¡°Sigh.¡± Ki-woo naturally sighed at the sight of the insects sticking to the ss wall. ¡®Even those insects are reproducing. What is this?¡¯ ¡°Checkout, please.¡± While Ki-woo wasmenting, the couple bought various items and ced them on the counter. ¡°Please include a bag as well.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Ki-woo immediately scanned the barcodes of the items, and the man ced his Taeguk Watch on the sensor. ¡°Honey, this one.¡± ¡°¡­Hey.¡± When the woman brought something with both hands, the man openly scolded her. Ki-woo was curious about what it was, and when he took a quick nce- ¡°Leave it in its original ce.¡± ¡°Aww, why?¡± ¡°Why are you even thinking about buying that?¡± ¡°One isn¡¯t enough. Let¡¯s buy two since we¡¯re here. Okay?¡± Ki-woo finished calcting in his head. If there were 12 in one, then there were 24 in two? ¡°When are you nning to use all that?¡± ¡°We have the day off on Friday, so we can do it all weekend.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t even use it allst time, saying you couldn¡¯t do it anymore.¡± ¡°This time! It¡¯s different! Honey, okay?¡± What? Could it be that the woman couldn¡¯t keep up with the man¡¯s tempo? ¡°¡­Sigh. I¡¯m sorry. Please calcte this as well.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Yes.¡± Beep. Ki-woo scanned the barcodes of the two boxes. The couple immediately took the bag and left the convenience store, and Ki-woo looked up. ¡°Friday¡­day off¡­weekend. Ha.¡± He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Traitors. I hope you find a hole and do some patriotism.¡± Ki-woo went outside and chased away the insects that were clinging to the wall in pairs with a broom. ¡°All you couples should go to Ulleung Ind!¡± Chapter 66: Its Not Only Riders Who Transform (3) Chapter 66: It''s Not Only Riders Who Transform (3) A young couple in their 20s stuck together from Friday to Sunday? ¡°Anyone would think that wouldn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°They¡¯d think we¡¯re being patriotic.¡± Brewer roughly arranged the items that were in the bag. Then, to create an alibi, she hid the key evidence, two medical health supplies, under the TV shelf. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t filling up all 24ter be a hassle?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way for that, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°How are you nning to do it?¡± ¡°Just need to create it with the Goblin¡¯s Club.¡± ¡°Hehe, won¡¯t your mana be depleted?¡± ¡°Who are you worried about?¡± I spread my arms out, exuding confidence. ¡°I¡¯m the Goblin. I haven¡¯t transformed for a while, and after healing on Ulleung Ind, I¡¯m in full condition now. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m fully charged.¡± ¡°But you said you¡¯d sneak around for the treasure hunt?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still some time left until then.¡± Three days were left until the start of the treasure hunt on Friday. ¡°I should be able to recover after just 24 uses of mana.¡± ¡°Assuming you recover, something important must happen in the treasure hunt? There was no intelligence about a demon appearing or a viin showing up.¡± ¡°They might show up.¡± ¡°Hmm. When did our boss start making efforts for crime prevention?¡± ¡°Are you being sarcastic?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being sarcastic. It just doesn¡¯t seem to fit with your previous actions.¡± Brewer¡¯s sharp words were urate. ¡°Boss Do always came to solve the problem after an incident urred. Like a hero who always arriveste at the scene.¡± ¡°You¡¯re belittling all heroes with that statement.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really a fan of heroes. I¡¯m from Gyeolsa in the first ce. My role is to provide missions that are easy for Boss Do to carry out based on the informationing through Gyeolsa, and there¡¯s no information about the treasure hunt.¡± Brewer lightly covered her ears with her hands. ¡°If there¡¯s any information I shouldn¡¯t know, don¡¯t tell me. I¡¯ll just cooperate in making the alibi. Okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I just want to check out the treasure hunt for personal reasons.¡± ¡°Tell me if you can. If not, don¡¯t even tell me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing big. Just like you said, it¡¯s a precautionary measure, patrolling, you know.¡± ¡°¡­So, the sun is going to rise from the west now?¡± Even in response to my sincere answer, Brewer only cocked her head as if she didn¡¯t believe my words. ¡°You¡¯re a viin-hunter, Chief Do. Not a viin patroller. If we were to speak a little dramatically, let¡¯s take hostage situations as an example.¡± Brewer mimicked a motion of strangling herself. ¡°¡­ Wasn¡¯t the Goblin not a person who saves the hostages from the hostage-taker during a hostage crisis, but the person who goes to kill the hostage-taker if the hostages were killed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s always been like that until now, and it will continue to be so.¡± Rescuing hostages was a hero¡¯s job. If there was a hostage-taker who killed the hostages, we would not let it slide. ¡°It¡¯ll be a bit different at the treasure hunt.¡± However, this time we intended to manage things in advance to prevent a hostage situation from happening. ¡°What kind of change of heart made you do this now, huh? Doing the work of a volunteer patroller, which is not even a mission of the Gyeolsa, isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s a chance a Duoexini might appear?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have such information.¡± Brewer¡¯s expression immediately became serious. ¡°Did I miss something?¡± ¡°No. If it¡¯s not on Brewer¡¯s intelligencework, the probability of appearance would be less than 0.1%.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll patrol because of that 0.1% chance? All day Friday? What¡¯s your basis?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hunch.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, I can¡¯t say anything if you put it that way.¡± Brewer raised both hands and shook her head at my words. ¡°Fine. What do you need me to support? Anything other than making an alibi?¡± ¡°If Duoexini, their organization, and including Hwalbindang, if anyone tries to mess with the treasure hunt, just let me know right away.¡± ¡°Of course. But are you going to leave your Taegeuk Watch here?¡± ¡°I have to leave it. If there¡¯s any such information before Friday, let me know.¡± ¡°Should I ask thepany for something like that? Amunication device that can contact you and me without being caught by all the radars on Sejong Ind.¡± ¡°If such a thing existed, Sejong Ind would have been in the organization¡¯s hands long ago.¡± It was inconvenient, but we couldn¡¯t help it. Sejong Ind was a ce where the world¡¯s attention was focused. Having strange frequency conversations there, sensitive conversations, or conversations on channels that the organization couldn¡¯t control could cause serious problems. ¡°But I¡¯ll think about a way. Maybe it would be possible if we find and hire a telepathic superpower user.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not an impossible proposition.¡± While broadcast ormunication was susceptible to interception, ¡®magic¡¯ was a different story. ¡°I guess it would be good to give it a try, despite the risk. Somewhere other than Sejong Ind.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll propose it to thepany. You think the higher-ups would send more team members to support you, Boss Do?¡± ¡°Just Brewer would be enough, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s ttering to hear that, but isn¡¯t more always better?¡± ¡°Then go ahead and give it a try. I don¡¯t mean to sound ungrateful, though.¡± I crossed my arms in an X shape. ¡°No men.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re even doing gestures now? Do you dislike male team members, or do you prefer female ones?¡± ¡°Well, they say having a pink skirt is better, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Brewer scrunched her face for a moment. ¡°¡­Alright. Suppose we do get more female team members. So, you¡¯re going to create an alibi with her like you did with me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the intention, but it could be a possible use.¡± ¡°Boss Do, aren¡¯t you afraid of getting in troubleter?¡± ¡°What? Why would you say something like that? Why would I get in trouble?¡± There was no reason at all. ¡°Who are you to say that?¡± However, Brewer looked at me as if she were looking at a man who lets a woman¡¯s confession go in one ear and out the other while repeating, ¡®Huh? What?¡¯. ¡°In my estimation, they¡¯ll try to divide youter, saying, ¡®I¡¯ll take this part, you take that¡¯. Someone will take the leg, someone the breast, someone the neck.¡± ¡°Am I a chicken now?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be a relief if you¡¯re only divided like a chicken. Aren¡¯t you and Secretary Do on thin ice right now?¡± ¡°Secretary Do? Me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Brewer pulled out a screenshot on her smartphone. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in a flirtationship with this student?¡± ¡°¡­A flirtationship?¡± The picture Brewer showed me was of a sce at night, precisely of me walking Yumir home after she visited my house and we had dinner. We were walking towards her dormitory. ¡°More importantly, where did this picturee from?¡± ¡°It¡¯s circting on the dark web. They say that an E-rank ability user from Canada and the Librarian Parachute Director is in a flirtationship.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like counseling than a flirtationship.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not publicly dering that, right? People who can only judge from pictures will think of it as a flirtationship, right? Everyone¡¯s saying it¡¯s totally a spring love story. They¡¯re predicting you¡¯ll go cherry blossom viewing together when the flowers bloom in April.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in that kind of rtionship with Yumir.¡± Personal and professional matters should be strictly separated. ¡°And even if I was, I wouldn¡¯t stop making alibis with you.¡± ¡°¡­Wow. Despite being a Westerner, your view on rtionships is quite Hollywood.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sinceing to this world, I have chosen to be a viin. ¡°I¡¯m not a hero who needs to be concerned about my social image. Do I have to be seeing a woman?¡± ¡°Bravo.¡± Brewer even pped in admiration toward me. ¡°Are you nning on creating a harem as the Goblin?¡± ¡°No. The Goblin has a master. I¡¯m talking about the person Do Ji-hwan. The librarian Do Ji-hwan, not the superhuman.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°For the mission, I can meet and see different women, but the identity that I can call Goblin belongs to only one person.¡± ¡°Could it be¡­the Chairwoman?¡± I shrugged casually. ¡°I¡¯m doing all this with the Chairwoman¡¯s permission.¡± ¡°Why would the Chairwoman allow that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s part of the Chairwoman¡¯s grand n for world domination.¡± ¡°Seems like a hard-to-understand n with a criminal¡¯s logic. Alright. I don¡¯t know, so you figure it out. I will stick to my duties.¡± ¡°I will do my best to avoid causing you any harm¡­ Ah, wait a moment.¡± I answered a call that came on my Taegeuk Watch. [Hello?] ¡°Ah, yes. Seol-hee.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Brewer quickly covered her mouth. Just by hearing the name Seol-hee, Brewer immediately knew who I was talking to. [Can you talk right now? Are you outside?] ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m outside for a moment.¡± [Do you have ns for the weekend?] ¡°Do I have ns for the weekend? I¡¯m going to take Friday and Saturday off and rest at home. Thanks to that, I have a four-day holiday from Friday to Monday.¡± [Oh, really?] Upon hearing my answer, Baek Seol-hee¡¯s voice became brighter. ¡°What about you, Seol-hee?¡± [I¡¯m going on a field support trip this Friday. Treasure hunting.] ¡°¡­Seol-hee, you¡¯re going on a treasure-hunting trip? Wow. That¡¯s amazing.¡± I signaled to Brewer, and she immediately began writing with her pen. -Snow White was not on the support teacher list. ¡°But is it necessary to even mobilize you, Seol-hee? I thought it was a light event for the students.¡± [I thought so too, but it seems like they¡¯re doing it a bit differently this time.] ¡°Differently?¡± [Yes. If you look at the official document, Ji-hwan, you¡¯ll understand¡­.] Baek Seol-hee carefully spoke while taking a slight pause. [I think the treasure they¡¯re trying to find this time is the Goblin.] ¡°¡­¡­Who?¡± [Goblin.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± ? Chapter 67: Its Not Only Riders Who Transform (4) Chapter 67: It''s Not Only Riders Who Transform (4) I decided to head out as the Goblin. However, that was only for me sneaking around personally. It was not for parading around in an event for the academy students. So, I quickly nced over the official document at work first thing in the morning. [Document Number: 2461V-2PGCP1A] [2025 Psychic Ability Development: March Outdoor Training n]. It was the official document for the event that people would likely call ¡®treasure hunting¡¯; fortunately, any faculty member could view it. ¡°Tsk.¡± What I understood from the n was useless. Even an ordinary librarian like me could ess it, and it was just information to the extent that you could infer the whole process if you just searched forst year¡¯s treasure-hunting news. In other words, the Goblin portion was not a conversation that took ce in the official document. It must have been one of the stories that went back and forth either at a drinking party, dinner party, or a ce where they had tea time before leaving work. ¡®Using students to find the Goblin.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know whose idea it was, but it was both pretty annoying and usible. The Goblin would not kill students. If a student attacked a Goblin, they would fight back but not kill them. If I were the academy¡¯s president, I would have said this. -After all, these students are going to be heroes. Even if they quarrel with a Goblin, the Goblin will not bother the students. What if, you know? If they really look for it and find a Goblin. Ha-ha-ha! If it worked, it was a jackpot. If not, no big deal. It would be like a ¡®special rule¡¯ of the treasure hunt to report immediately if you found the Goblin like scratching off a lottery ticket someone else bought for you, or some benefit would be given just for discovering and delivering the correct information. Because there were a lot of people targeting the Goblin now. ¡°I¡¯d like to borrow some books.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, Student Yoon Iseon, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Before I realized it, the student council president, Yoon Iseon, had appeared in front of me with quite a few books, waiting to check them out. ¡°What are you daydreaming about? Are you reminiscing about our interrupted meal?¡± ¡°Have you decided where to go next time?¡± ¡°Where do you n to go?¡± ¡°How about going for some beef?¡± ¡°I heard that when a man treats ady to some beef, it usually means he has ulterior motives.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just starting to lobby you early in case Student Yoon Iseon bes a heroter on.¡± ¡°Will it be Korean beef?¡± ¡°Korean beef is great.¡± I took Yoon Iseon¡¯s books and ced them on the scanner. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Student Iseon, your research topic isn¡¯t about mana this time?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m nning to research something else this time.¡± The books Yoon Iseon brought for checkout were all about our country¡¯s music, ¡®Gugak¡¯ (traditional Korean music). ¡°Are you interested in Gugak, or are you trying to develop a new ability with this?¡± ¡°Both, and one more thing.¡± Yoon Iseon took out her smartphone and showed me a video. ¡°Is that you, Student Iseon?¡± ¡°My parents majored in Gugak, so I also learned a lot about it.¡± ¡°Do you know how to y a traditional instrument?¡± ¡°I specialize in the Gayageum (traditional Korean zither)¡­ Do you like Gugak, teacher?¡± ¡°Me? Well¡­.¡± When I thought about Gugak, I only remember failing an exam because I couldn¡¯t y the Danso (Korean bamboo flute) when I was young. Or that time when I fell asleep while watching a Gugak performance for a humanities ss report. ¡°I¡¯m more into Western music. I y the acoustic guitar.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unexpected.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so unexpected? Isn¡¯t ying the guitar something that any guy can do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t most people prefer ying the Geomungo (Korean zither) over the guitar?¡± This sted nationalistic light novel setting again. ¡°I like the ssics. You know, when bands yed guitars and synths at old college music festivals.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really old. You must not listen to much music. Or maybe you prefer foreign rock?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t understand the lyrics, but¡­ Do you know this song?¡± I took out my earphones from my bag, plugged them into my smartphone, and yed a song. ¡°What¡¯s this? Hip-hop?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a rock bad. It¡¯s a song by a famous American singer, do you know it?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Sorry. I¡¯ve never heard this kind of song before.¡± ¡°What do you listen to these days, then?¡± ¡°I listen to ¡®Mouse Fire y¡¯ by Five-Directions Band.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Let me search for a moment.¡± I yed it immediately. And I was shocked. ¡®What happened to the K-POP idols I knew?¡¯ Five idols, all dressed in Hanbok, were dancing their idol dance. The only slight relief was that the outfits were idol costumes based on Hanbok rather than traditional or casual Hanbok. Still, idols dancing not to the sound of drums but to multiple Buk sounds was a bit¡­ ¡®Let¡¯s not even consider the music.¡¯ When I returned to my world, it would be best to just keep quiet if someone asked about the music here. ¡°What do you think? They¡¯re my favorite idol group.¡± ¡°The song is good, but the outfit is a bit¡­too much.¡± ¡°This is considered modest, you know? They even wear stockings. If you saw their hip-hop outfits, you would be really surprised.¡± ¡°Is it an outfit that awakens the schr in me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yoon Iseon showed me a video of the Five-Directions Band almost wearing outfits close to rated 17+, holding microphones, and doing hip-hop. That outfit was. A ripped Hanbok. ¡°I don¡¯t think everything can be forgiven just because it¡¯s Hanbok.¡± ¡°They actually got into trouble for that outfit. But some people also say it¡¯s a reinterpretation of Hanbok.¡± ¡°Hold on, the song¡­?¡± I felt a familiar rhythm and beat somewhere. Following the beat with my fingers, it was a rhythm that seemed familiar as I tried to recall it. ¡°Is this a song?¡± ¡°Yes. Hwimori.¡± ¡°¡­The Hwimori I know is a rhythm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rap created with that as the theme. It¡¯s also a song that became controversial in the hip-hop scene for the first time in nearly 10 years for containing a lot of English.¡± ¡°English in hip-hop?¡± ¡°Yes. Around 2010, there was a neo-Confucian trend in the hip-hop scene. They rapped with words made up of ournguage and all. Now it¡¯s much more free.¡± ¡°Huh¡­.¡± The more I listened, the more I felt a strange unease and something stabbing in my lungs. ¡®Hwimori rhythm ruling the world of hip-hop. This world is definitely crazy.¡¯ I was giving up on music. If I brought the music of this world to my original world, the paradigm of the traditional music field would certainly change, but I couldn¡¯t bear to watch five curse-spewing grandmothers from all over the country turning over a U.S. concert hall for that. -Ladies and gentlemen! Wee to Hell-show-sion! This is, Halmi-----enm-----! -You goddamn gold-digger brats! ¡­ I¡¯d watch it once, at least. ¡®After all, the story is interesting.¡¯ When I returned home, saying it was a travelogue of god-tier Korea from another world would be a good excuse to tell a tall tale. It was better to store various stories in my head. ¡°Why are you like that?¡± ¡°¡­No, I just felt a little dizzy. So, what kind of research are you going to do with traditional music?¡± ¡°Um¡­ That¡¯s a secret.¡± Yoon Iseon seemed to have something in mind, but I didn¡¯t dig deep. ¡°Thank you. Are you free this weekend? Would you like to have dinner together on Sunday?¡± ¡°Sunday? Ah, I¡¯m on leave on Saturday. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Saturday is a bit difficult. I have to support a school event on Friday with the student council.¡± ¡°The student council has to attend these school events too?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s because I¡¯m sort of¡­ scapegoated.¡± Yoon Iseon¡¯s voice was slightly lowered. She nced around once or twice, then sighed deeply and gathered her books. ¡°The president asked the student council to prepare a surprise event. The thing is, they prepare the whole event themselves and ask us to announce it under the name of the student council.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It exists. ¡­Sir. You can¡¯t mention it anywhere else, can you?¡± ¡°Even if there is someone who has talked about it, I¡¯m just a person lending books here quietly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s this.¡± Yoon Iseon clumsily took out a poster-like thing from her bag. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The content was about the ¡®Goblin Hunt¡¯, which I had learned from Baek Seol-hee yesterday, and already knew about before talking to Yoon Iseon. ¡°The person who finds the Goblin while treasure hunting will receive all the prizes equivalent to first ce in each area?¡± ¡°100 million won, five days of vacation, and a midterm free pass.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ The Goblin is supposed to appear?¡± ¡°Not at all. Honestly, isn¡¯t this thoughtless and impromptu? What if there¡¯s an ident?¡± Irritation and contempt were mixed in Yoon Iseon¡¯s voice. ¡°So, you¡¯re supposed to announce it as if you, Student Iseon, initiated it, implying that the student council is hosting¡­¡± ¡°To take the fall. Saying the young ones thoughtlessly hosted the event. If the academy officially conducts such an event, it would receive bacsh. But if the student council does it, the high-ups in the academy won¡¯t be criticized.¡± ¡°And what if the Goblin really does appear?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. It will be a mess if he appears and a mess if he doesn¡¯t. But¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon packed her books into her bag with a resignedugh. ¡°Personally, I hope the Goblin would appear, but I would prefer it if there was no reason for him to appear.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Because if the Goblin appears, it means that someone has died somewhere, or a demon has appeared, or a heinous crime has urred.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Personally, I have one thing I would like to ask if I met the Goblin, but I don¡¯t want to meet him when he¡¯s executing a viin.¡± ¡°What would you ask if you met him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That.¡± After packing her bag, Yoon Iseon squinted at me and put her index finger to her lips. ¡°That¡¯s a secret for you too, teacher!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 68: Its Not Only Riders Who Transform (5) Chapter 68: It''s Not Only Riders Who Transform (5) After hearing this somewhat shocking story from Yoon Iseon. I had no choice but to think once again about the n to ¡®find Duoexini¡¯ as the Goblin. I worried that harm mighte to Yoon Iseon, who was trapped by the disgusting adults¡¯ schemes. I worried that harm mighte to Yumir, who was preparing her own n. I worried that harm mighte to Baek Seol-hee, who was participating in thisrge event for the first time as a faculty member. ¡­No. In fact, all of those were merely secondary reasons. What I really wanted, what I was truly aiming for, was to ¡®watch¡¯ for a certain woman. ¡°Heh, heh, heheh.¡± A blonde woman was visible as she walked and hummed down the street. Not just her blonde hair, but with a split bun hairstyle, also known as a dy¡¯s hair¡¯, a woman who had packed something into a ck stic bag and was walking alone on the street. The time was nearly 1 in the morning. All the neon signs were off, and even the street lights were partially out at this hour. The woman walking alone in the darkness was my target. ¡®A link to the protagonist.¡¯ What should I hide? The blondedy, confidently walking alone with a ck bag, was indeed the cover heroine of the first volume, a woman called ¡®Ermina Sternfert¡¯. What? Didn¡¯t such characters exist in academy light novels? -I cannot ept you! -Ohohoho! A character who irritated the protagonist with her nobledy-like speech, causing trouble with the protagonist and then, after a bit of incident, the protagonist woulde to save her, and she would end up having infinite affection for him. In terms of light novels, she was the heroine of the first volume, a character that the author intended to push. However, the real heroines in the reader¡¯s mind were Baek Seol-hee and the Chief. Ermina ended up bing normal heroine A as the story progressed. Speaking in terms of status, she might be the granddaughter of the chairman of a major corporation in Germany. Such a woman, without any attendants, at this time approaching 1 in the morning, alone, and even hiding her identity with a ck hat, mask, and scarf, was buying something and heading somewhere. It was not in the direction of the dormitories. It was probably a private room, not a dormitory, or the German embassy, or perhaps a mansion on Sejong Ind, bought for a huge sum by the major corporation ¡®Stern¡¯. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I thought she was aware, but she quietly headed towards the park while watching the people¡¯s reactions. Moreover, the ce she was headed was a women¡¯s bathroom in the park. ¡®What is she going to do in such a public bathroom at this hour?¡¯ I was curious. But I was not a pervert who secretly followed women into the bathroom, no matter how much information I wanted to get. [Maybe she just needs the bathroom.] Especially now, when I was in the form of the Goblin. [That¡¯s tricky.] I needed to know what she was doing there. To be exact, I needed to know what state she was in right now. -Ugh, I can¡¯t forgive the insult that you¡¯ve given me! Because that woman should be nning to kill the protagonist right now! -No, why does a heroine want to kill the protagonist? -A woman from abroad wants to kill the protagonist? At the Academy? Isn¡¯t that strange? -What kind of heroine wants to kill the protagonist. She¡¯ll be killed before bing a heroine. -Yeah, Ermina is an attempted murderer~ If the protagonist wasn¡¯t strong, he would have been dead~ A heroine who tried to kill the protagonist couldn¡¯t exist. But the author wrote the story with Ermina set as such a heroine. In the end, she was criticized for the direction of the first volume by the other heroine followers, and the author started giving more weight to the real heroine that the readers preferred, a woman of misfortune. -Run, run away! I¡¯ll try to stop her! -I, I tried to hurt you¡­! I could have killed you! Why are you saving me! -Because¡­ I¡¯m a hero¡­? You¡¯re such a, an idiot¡­! If there wasn¡¯t a process of falling for him with such words, she would have continued to nder, envy, and be a viin or a demon out of jealousy towards the protagonist. After the first volume, she was the woman that the Goblin tried to persuade and brainwash the most when his ns were thwarted by the protagonist. ¡®Come to think of it, the Goblin did show up here.¡¯ He wandered around trying to corrupt the masses just by sticking his face in wherever. To be exact, another viin of the conspiracy was foiled by the protagonist, and then the Goblin came to help, which marked the start of the bad rtionship between the Goblin and the protagonist. Just as I hade here and tried to coax a capable woman into joining the conspiracy, in the original work, the Goblin and the members of the Gyeolsa tried to recruit people that fell out from the treasure hunt. Like those who were angered because they had their treasure taken by stronger ones. Or those too weak to do anything but struggle and get kicked out even from there. Those with abilities but who harbored dissatisfaction and thoughts of rebellion against the country. Those were the people that the Gyeolsa in the original work mainly tried to ensnare during the treasure hunt. When that ovepped with Ermina¡¯s attempted murder¡­ [I¡¯ve already tossed the original work into the trash bin, should I really care about this?] I calmed myself. The story had changed since the Goblin had be an S-grade viin. The original work had been twisted even before I came to the academy, and I know the big flow of the original work could be fundamentally twisted and not proceed. But if there was one possibility and hope, it was the character of that woman who wanted to get the protagonist, her ¡®ssmate,¡¯ involved. Before she became a heroine, I had no choice but to rely on her character as an attempted murderer who deserved to die. If there was a person that she wanted to kill. If there was a person who became her ssmate. If that person was a ¡®man¡¯, then the possibility of him being the protagonist was quite high. ¡®It¡¯s about time she came out.¡¯ What was she up to? Ermina Sternfert. ¡®Should I just go in as Do Ji-hwan? Pretending to be crazy?¡¯ I would probably get reported if I did that, but it was more time-consuming than I thought, and it was baffling. ¡®She¡¯s 17, right?¡¯ She looked like an adult because she was a foreigner, but strictly speaking, she was not legally an adult. -Stop it! You¡¯re not an adult! -In Germany, I am an adult! Ohoho! -That¡¯s ridiculous! -Really. Thew to lower the age of adulthood for ability users that is being discussed in Korea. Where do you think it started? Ohohoho! You are an adult in Korea! I am an adult in Germany! Therefore¡­ It¡¯s legal! -St, stop it!! In the context of this world, Germany had already lowered the age of adulthood for ability users ording to theirws. Of course, from my perspective, she was still a minor. ¡®No. Let¡¯s not think too conservatively.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t that what was repeatedly reported in the news? Using secret SNS to carry out truly detestable and heinous crimes¡­ At that moment. The ss door opened, and someone revealed herself. Holding a ck bag tightly in her hand, she disappeared leisurely after pushing the bag into a trash can on one side of the park. [¡­¡­.] As much as I didn¡¯t want to check the garbage, there might be traces of an assassination tool to kill the protagonist in there. ¡®Reveal yourself, Ermina.¡¯ Whether she was trying to kill the protagonist as in the original work or she was trying to kill the protagonist in a different way. With a thud. I took out the stic bag. Something was rustling inside, and I carefully ripped the bag open. [¡­¡­Thank goodness. Really, thank goodness.] The contents of the bag were¡­ [Before she bes a heroine, she¡¯s given me a reason to take care of her.] It was a worse item than I had thought. Early Friday morning. The time when the morning sunlight was slowly brightening. ¡°What¡¯s going on, so early in the morning?¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to prepare for the operation, Brewer.¡± As soon as dawn broke, I went straight to Brewer¡¯s house. ¡°I thought you woulde after getting off work on Thursday or around 9 o¡¯clock today, but you came at such an ambiguous time?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it time to smash a bowl of soup before setting off?¡± ¡°Why smash a soup?¡± ¡°Roll one for me. Even an instant one is fine.¡± ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that, so I boiled the broth in advance during the week. Have a seat. I¡¯ll prepare a bowl for you.¡± Brewer immediately put a stone pot on the gas range. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to search for Duoexini while wandering around today?¡± ¡°Yeah. And while searching, I¡¯m going to deal with some other things.¡± ¡°Other things? Like what?¡± ¡°Demons turning ck due to winnowing. Specifically, the ones who are going to be Goblin hunt marks.¡± I took off my Taeguk Watch and put it on the table. ¡°I feel like there are more people trying to hunt the Goblin rather than find him.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Brewer, who was scooping broth out of a pot like a kimchi container, frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°As I heard through a phone call with Baek Seol-hee, and as I obtained information through official documents and informants, people are trying to find the Goblin in the current treasure hunt, right?¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°But somehow, the way things are going seems a bit peculiar.¡± ¡°In what sense? I don¡¯t have any information specifically about the Goblin?¡± ¡°Then ask this way. Something that has nothing to do with the Goblin but seems likely to be spread in the current treasure hunt.¡± I pinched a bit of salt from the salt container on the table. ¡°Do you know how many drugs are filling this Sejong Ind?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Of course. I obviously know.¡± Brewer spread her arms andughed in frustration. ¡°The whole of Sejong Ind is a neighborhood filled with drugs. Enough to be found in garbage bags rolling around on the streets.¡± Chapter 69: Its Not Only Riders Who Transform (6) Chapter 69: It''s Not Only Riders Who Transform (6) Drugs. When people heard this word, their interpretation would suddenly vary. -Drugs? What¡¯s that? Are we talking about the sound of a fart? Some would think of the sound of ¡®drugs¡¯. They were probably having fun watching a trending drama or thought of a character¡¯s name that sounded simr. -When you say drugs, isn¡¯t it obviously those breast pads? Did someonemit breast maniption? Some would think of breast pads. Whether their girlfriend wore drugs, or they would turn on the fire in their eyes to find the one who manipted their size, thinking, ¡®Which character did breast maniption?¡¯ -If you¡¯re talking about drugs, it¡¯s got to be the national drug! Some would think, based on this light novel¡¯s setting, the nationalism drug. They would feel pride and joy at the fact that the globally famous world-ss ability users were Korean. -Drugs? You¡¯ve be strong. Charge! Some would think of a buff. Whether drugs were a kind of nerve enhancer or stimnt could be concretely distinguished, but generally, when one received drugs in this situation, it would mean a moment when physical or mental abilities improved. In this way, the word ¡®drugs¡¯ was used in various ces. That was why when people heard the word ¡®drugs¡¯, their thoughts would vary, so it was difficult to interpret the meaning of drugs with just the word. Context was needed. I had experienced national drugs and experienced various things in this world, but there was one drug that I never touched before my possession of this character up until now. You said that drugs were strange? You kept telling me to stop drugging it up? How about calling it a different word? ¡®Drugs¡¯. A psychoactive substance called methamphetamine. It was also used as a medicine, but of course, most people who wanted to use this were looking to enjoy the pleasure that drugs offered. The drug I was referring to was precisely this narcotic substance. And it was not just for the general public but a substance for ¡®ability users.¡¯ So, the question was, Was it amonly used drug? No. To the average person, it was just ordinary white powder, but there was a powder that showed a tremendous effect even more than drugs when an ability user inhaled it - a drug specifically for those with special powers. The official name was ¡®Mana Powder.¡¯ It was an item strictly prohibited, even in dire situations. A substance that, when ingested, enhanced supernatural abilities, amplified magical power, and strengthened mana output. After taking it, just like ordinary drugs, they would be addicted and could no longer live their daily life, and all the people who touched this thing would be ¡®viins.¡¯ Why did such a thing exist in this world? At first, everyone didn¡¯t know of its existence. Both in terms of setting and my research, Mana Powder began to be circted in the market around 2015, ording to this world¡¯s standards. -South Korea is a drug-free country! Despite such a statement, there was a time when one could hear on TV and the inte that someone had used drugs. -Breaking news! The A-ss hero ¡®Erectile¡¯ is causing a riot after getting addicted to a drug targeted at ability users! Citizens in Cheongju, please evacuate immediately¡­ An ident urred. A terrible thing happened, and the world tried to prohibit Mana Powder by any means. If you only looked at the effects, it was nothing more than an amplifier and an awakening agent that enhanced super abilities. The user would get this effect without bing a devil, and there was an opinion that it should just be used. However, when the method of producing Mana Powder was spread by some conscientious person, the world fell into a pit of fear and hatred. -Mana Powder is made by exploiting the dead ability users! -It¡¯s bone ash! What else coulde out as a white powder from a dead person¡¯s body! -And that, too, such a huge amount of powder! Ah, yes. They said that relics came from the body of Buddha. Mana Powder was made from the bodies of ability users. Specifically, when an ability user died and was cremated, the remaining bones would be turned into this powder. This powder retained the mana that the ability user had in their body before they died. It remained in the bones and was dispersed into the world as the weathered bone powder flew away. Huh? Did mana remain in those ashes? Then, couldn¡¯t I absorb that mana? Someone had thought this andmitted a heinous act, and eventually, new knowledge about ability users increased. The remains of the dead meant the flesh, blood, and mana of other ability users. That was Mana Powder. In other words, the only drug that was not permitted to ability users was ¡®ash¡¯ - bone powder. After cremating a dead ability user, if the form was still preserved, the bone was crushed into a finer powder than flour with a hammer. And when an ability user died, the ce where they could quietly dispose of the body without anyone discovering it was precisely on Sejong Ind. If the ¡®higher ups¡¯ of Sejong Ind decided to hide it, there was nothing they couldn¡¯t hide. Yes. The F-ss or E-ss ability users who were destined to be ¡®winnowed out¡¯ in the process of this treasure hunt. Among them, the targets were those low-ranking ability users who had no family or had a family butcked backing, those who seemed like they wouldn¡¯t cause trouble if they were touched. -Being an ability user is all a blessing? Regrettably, E-ss or lower and F-ss are not helpful to the world at all. If, if they die, shouldn¡¯t we utilize their bodies in a way that helps this country and this world? Yes. The protagonist referred to himself as an E-ss. He tried to hide his power and imed to be a social weakling and was almost devoured by those who wanted to devour the weak. This was due to the attack by the title heroine ¡®Ermina Sternfert.¡¯ In the ck bag, I found in the public restroomte at night, there was a paper bag. It was presumed to contain bone powder. There was one dilemma here. Mana Powder was not illegal yet. Though its production process was horrifying, Mana Powder was an item that ¡®naturally urred¡¯ from a certain perspective. It was just that the process of its urrence was so sad, regrettable, or shocking. -Everyone dies. -There¡¯s no order to it. It was difficult to give specific statistics worldwide, but death was equal for everyone and often came suddenly. It was the same for ability users. If there was someone who has made a noble sacrifice by giving their life to save someone else, that person¡¯s ashes would be stored in a columbarium and used the moment a threat to human existence arose. Because they were a hero. But. If someone ¡®deliberately¡¯ tried to produce Mana Powder. Just as the seed of a demon was forcibly stolen from a woman who had be a devil, what if they turned an ability into Mana Powder? That person. Wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid the Goblin¡¯s Bat. Having transformed into the Goblin in the caretaker¡¯s room and emerged into the day, I headed to where the treasure hunt event would take ce while avoiding the eyes of the people. To be exact, I went to the rooftop of a ten-story high-rise building overlooking that ce. [Everyone gathered in the Grand Square, wee.] The Grand Square. A white-haired old man in a suit held a microphone at the center of a podium in a square asrge as Gwanghwamun Square. Behind him, a giant screen that disyed the old man¡¯s face was twinkling. [At the Academy, we are always striving to enhance your supernatural abilities. This time, as many of you know, it¡¯s a treasure hunt.] Already, too many people had gathered in the Grand Square where the event was taking ce, and except for the spectators who were at a certain distance, they were mostly students of the Academy. [From now on, you will form pairs, and each seeks a treasure in the designated area. Information about your partner will bemunicated through the Taeguk Watch, and the treasure huntpetition will begin as soon as the information is transmitted. Hehe, be careful? Every year, idents resulting in deaths or missing cases happen quite frequently.] Even though he was joking, it didn¡¯t sound like a joke to me. [¡­ A ¡®special reward¡¯ will be given to the first ce in each zone. You all know this, right? Likest year, the President prepared a special reward this year as well. Midterm exam pass, prize money, and five absence slips. This year, we specifically issued absence slips, so you can use them whenever you want.] He looked like someone who thought about convenience for students every year and suggested it, but I wondered what the reality was. [¡­And this time, the Student Council has prepared an event. The Student Council President, Yoon Iseon, will make the announcement herself.] [Thank you, Mr. President. Hello, fellow students? For your safe treasure hunting, the Student Council would like to talk about the ¡®Goblin¡¯¡­.] Yoon Iseon exined about the ¡®Goblin Hunt¡¯ as if they had actively initiated it, without any hint of reluctance. The noise was audible. Everyone was engrossed in the Goblin Hunt, excitedly discussing their strategies for good scores and what they would do with the prize money if they found the Goblin. [Then, we will now reveal your partners! Everyone, please check your Taeguk Watches!] With the President¡¯s shout, I carefully watched a blond head shining from far away. Ermina. The direction she strode toward was - Yumir. Chapter 70: Its Not Only Riders Who Transform (7) Chapter 70: It''s Not Only Riders Who Transform (7) 10 minutes after the ¡®treasure hunt¡¯ began. ¡°Hey there. Ms. Yumir. Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°No?¡± In front of Yumir, who was smiling brightly, was the sharp-featured blonde-haired girl, Ermina Sternfert, who frowned while gesturing. ¡°You don¡¯t know me?¡± ¡°I came to Korea for the first time this year. You don¡¯t seem like a freshman, though¡­.¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve been living in Korea for three years now! I came to King Sejong Ind when I was 15.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So? Didn¡¯t you hear me? Even after hearing the name Sternfert?¡± ¡°I thought your name was Ermina?¡± ¡°No!¡± Ermina puffed her chest toward Yumir, who was tilting his head with an innocent look on her face. ¡°You, what are you doing? You don¡¯t know me, who¡¯s famous in A-grade?¡± ¡°Well, I am a college prep, a college student, and not a German.¡± ¡°But you should know who I am!¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± Yumir scratched her cheek andughed at Ermina, who was now bing agitated. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re a bit too self-conscious.¡± ¡°What did you say? Despite being an E-grade¡­!¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m an E-grade, I¡¯m older than you, and right now, we are in the same group. Geez, why did the academy arrange for high school students to be in the same group as college students for this event.¡± ¡°Usually, the groups for treasure hunting are organized regardless of all that?¡± ¡°Really? I see.¡± ¡°No, seriously¡­!¡± Ermina clenched and unclenched her fist in frustration, but Yumir justughed brightly with a friendly smile. ¡°This is why I say no to newbies! I came 7th inst year¡¯s Sejong Academy¡¯ Competition¡¯!¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s impressive. Congrattions. You¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡°¡­Are you mocking me right now?¡± ¡°Oh dear, why would you think that?¡± ¡°This is real!¡± Ermina suddenly grabbed Yumir by the cor. ¡°Do you find me funny? Huh?¡± Because she was wearing a uniform, her shirt almost ripped in an instant, but Yumir did not lose her smile. ¡°Listen carefully. You just have to follow me. If you¡¯re E-grade, you should obediently follow the instructions of an A-grade. Got it?¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°Why¡­? Ha, of course! When you go out into societyter, you E-graders naturally receive orders from A-graders, who are like fieldmanders!¡± ¡°Is that so? But¡­¡± Yumir didn¡¯t seem flustered, even though an A-grade grabbed her by the cor. ¡°Right now, we are in the same group for treasure hunting, aren¡¯t we? Do you want to do everything by yourself? I don¡¯t mind, but you know that if the group members are more than 200m apart, we¡¯ll be disqualified, right?¡± Yumir pointed at her Taeguk Watch. The words¡¯ Gangwon-121 Group¡¯ were inscribed on both of their Taeguk Watches. ¡°Isn¡¯t your grabbing my cor recorded as data at the academy¡¯s operation observation post right now? Are you okay with that? If you grab an E-grader by the cor like this, your poprity may drop, you know?¡± ¡°Crazy. You really can¡¯t see anything, can you?¡± ¡°I just can¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so sharp to me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? Let me tell you.¡± After releasing Yumir¡¯s cor, Ermina poked the middle of her chest with her index finger. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when ipetent E-grades like you walk around bragging about being ability users. Got it?¡± ¡°The Taeguk Watch is probably recording this live.¡± ¡°Ha. So what? Are you going to threaten me with that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite reckless. Is it because you¡¯re still young? Do you know that each of your words could be a big shackle for youter?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You better take care of your own business. Or is it that you can¡¯t because only this part of you is unnecessarily big?¡± Ermina tantly made fun of Yumir. ¡°You have absolutely no presence, just an extra.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If this world were a novel, I would be the protagonist and E-grades like you would be just a device to highlight me. Got it? You¡¯re a human device to highlight a woman like me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite an extreme statement. It¡¯s a good thing there are no other people around¡­ No, is that why you¡¯re spewing such abusivenguage? Really¡­.¡± ¡°Humph. Do you think I would be hindered by the likes of an E-grade?¡± After stepping back from Yumir, Ermina mockingly grabbed her wrist where her Taeguk Watch was. ¡°Ermina Sternfert verbally abused me. I will file aint, boo hoo hoo.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Yumir scowled. ¡°What? Surprised?¡± The reason for the surprise was not because of what Ermina said but because the voice that flowed from Ermina¡¯s mouth was unmistakably Yumir¡¯s. ¡°Do you n to weep in front of peopleter, trying to expose me with the recording, crying, ¡®Ugh, that girl Ermina is total trash¡¯? Don¡¯t delude yourself. This conversation will not end up on the server. Even if it did, there would be no evidence that I verbally abused you.¡± Ermina tapped her Taegeuk Watch. ¡°Scum like you need to be shown firsthand to get it.¡± She quickly adjusted a few apps and pressed the record button. ¡°If you¡¯re an E-rank waste, stay locked up in your room and suck on maple syrup.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re recording yourself. What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Idiot.¡± Beep. Ermina yed back her recorded insult. Zzzing. [¡­ You¡¯re recording yourself. What are you trying to do?] ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°My voice cannot be captured by electronic devices, dummy. I always use my abilities when I speak.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So, follow me obediently. If you don¡¯t want to be dragged around with a leash on by me. If you stray more than 200m from me on your own, then you will really die.¡± Ermina issued a warning and turned away. Yumir, who had been watching her, only moved her hand to her mouth after she had gone about 100 meters ahead. ¡°¡­¡­Pff.¡± What she had been holding back, was it tears? Or was itughter? One thing was certain, underneath the hand covering her mouth, the corner of Yumir¡¯s mouth was twitching. Whether she was trying to stop crying or hold backughter, Yumir picked up the bag that had fallen to the ground. Thepetition bag issued to Ermina was just as empty as her own. Empty, with nothing inside. ¡°To belittle people just because you don¡¯t want to carry this. That won¡¯t do.¡± Yumir carefully picked up the bag, fiddled with the Taegeuk Watch, and all she could do wasugh. ¡°It¡¯s usually those kinds of people who are good at belittling people who are morepetent than them. Hehe, it would be quite a sight if she fell for a man who is stronger and more handsome than herter¡­ Ah.¡± Yumir brought her hands together and grinned widely. ¡°Thankfully, the teacher is a non-ability user.¡± I saw it. I saw Ermina losing her temper at Yumir, trying to make her carry her bag, making a fuss at her, then walking away, strutting her stuff, clutching her cor. ¡®A woman who pretends to be ady in front of men but is a shrew in front of women.¡¯ Why, there were such people, weren¡¯t there? People who were endlessly rude and possessed a hardened personality when with the same gender but showed an angelic side when dealing with the opposite sex. Ermina was the same type. She was quite rough with Yumir. ¡®I¡¯ll have to listen to Yumir ventter.¡¯ Having such a personality and being the title heroine? Authors would sometimes make big mistakes. They thought the character they had created was the best and forced the readers to ept her, but while the author thought that she was great, the readers were thinking, ¡®How can this be the heroine?¡¯ Ermina was one of them. She was rude to the protagonist, presented as a na?vedy, and even showed signs of discrimination based on ability, so her initial likability hit rock bottom. There were people who enjoyed seeing such a woman start falling head over heels for the protagonist, but there were also many who felt ufortable with that. I felt that way too. If there were scenes that contained insults like that, I thought it should be paid back equivalently or more. Myment about killing her off before she became the heroine wasn¡¯t made lightly. She wasn¡¯t a folding screen heroine. In most cases like this, she would have been assumed to be a viin that had ¡®drifted¡¯ into the heroine role. I didn¡¯t know whether the author intended to push Ermina as the main heroine or if they couldn¡¯t manage the length of the first volume while serializing and ended up cutting it off when Ermina started showing feelings for the protagonist and just made her the title heroine. From the start, my concern wasn¡¯t whether Ermina was the heroine or not. Though I was pursuing Ermina, she was not my objective. Because what I had targeted was the ¡®man¡¯ who would be Ermina¡¯s partner. ¡®Why is Yumir Ermina¡¯s partner when she¡¯s not even the protagonist?¡¯ Why? Why? ¡®Why did Yumir be the subject of that crazy story that ¡®Ermina happened to find mana powder, and tried to make the protagonist a mana powder user by sprinkling it on their food before she was caught by the tournament organizers¡¯?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t understand it. Ermina¡¯s actions could be understood from the ¡®viin¡¯s¡¯ perspective. Because she just acted like the trash she was and then became a heroine. But the person who should have suffered from that was not Yumir but a man. ¡®What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ I, for now, followed them in an ethereal state, just in case a problem arose and I needed to take care of the ¡®viin Ermina¡¯ immediately. But¡­ ¡®She¡¯s handling it herself.¡¯ Swish. Yumir picked up a pinecone that had fallen on the ground with her finger and flicked it. ¡°Aack¡­?!¡± Ermina, who was hit on the forehead by the pinecone, looked around in surprise, but all she saw were trees. ¡°Sheesh¡­.¡± Ermina scowled upwards, but she could only stare at the innocent branch. Thump! Ermina kicked the pine tree and moved on while Yumir secretly picked up another pinecone and flicked it into the sky. St. ¡°Aack!!¡± ¡®There¡¯s no way she¡¯s the protagonist.¡¯ The protagonist would¡¯ve embraced even a woman like that as a heroine. There was no way Yumir, who was tormenting her from behind, could be the protagonist. ¡®The same went for her.¡¯ Just like¡­ ¡®How can a title heroine be a junkie?¡¯ Ermina was not the heroine. Chapter 71: Its Not Only Riders Who Transform (8) Chapter 71: It''s Not Only Riders Who Transform (8) As the students roamed around to search for treasure, their activities were being monitored inside the Situation Room of the March 2022 Psychic Outdoor Training ¡®Treasure Hunt¡¯ event. [Busan Area One, the treasure has been found.] [Busan Area One, the first treasure, has arrived at its destination.] ¡°Yes!!¡± The professors, d in suits, burst into cheers in the situation room. They were overjoyed looking at a girl with pigtails on the big screen, sitting on top of the treasure she carried in a box to the destination. ¡°Ha ha! As expected, ¡®Yeong-ae¡¯ is the first again this year, right? Hahaha!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re really fortunate. Phew, there was almost a disaster at ¡®Dongbaek Ind¡¯. Hehe.¡± As the professors were checking the live updates of the treasure hunt results on their Taeguk Watches, Baek Seol-hee, who was with them, looked at a part of the chart with a heavy expression. Injured: 43. In need of an emergency response: 7. There were more than she thought. Training would be halted in the military if anyone got hurt due to idents. Even though as many as seven critically injured people who would be rushed to the emergency room in normal circumstances had appeared, the outdoor training did not stop. ¡°Oh, teacher Baek Seol-hee. What are you looking at?¡± ¡°¡­ The injury report of the students. Professor.¡± ¡°Hehehe, you don¡¯t need to worry about that. They grow up getting hurt, and it¡¯s the same for the ability users. You might not know, Teacher Baek, but the ability users growing up here have been looking forward to the treasure hunt since the beginning of the year. Hehe.¡± The professors justughed with each other without any tension. ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s normal to get hurt like this?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s apetition among the ability users. They could get hurt. Fortunately, thanks to their powers, as long as they¡¯re not heavily wounded or beheaded, they could easily recover from minor injuries in a day. With the power of abilities.¡± ¡°Do you mean ability users in the medical field?¡± ¡°Yes. Oh, right. Teacher Baek might not know because you¡¯ve never been hurt.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve been injured a few times.¡± She had been hurt asionally, but it was never serious enough to go to the hospital or seek a healer¡¯s help. ¡°But even so, is it okay to have this many injured¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, teacher Baek. At first, everyone said that. But the ones who wanted this were the students. We¡¯re just creating an environment for them to fulfill their wishes. Later on, they all fight each other thinking they¡¯re invincible, ¡®legally.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­So, they¡¯re allowed to fight each other as long as it¡¯s not lethal?¡± ¡°It appears so. Of course, we do prevent A-grade or B-grade superhumans from fighting to the brink of death through their Taeguk Watch¡­¡± The professors shared a low chuckle, looking at each other. It was as if everyone, except for Baek Seol-hee, had implicitly agreed to something. ¡°More importantly, Professor Baek, let¡¯s have lunch. Don¡¯t wear such a serious expression. The food has just arrived.¡± ¡°Yes, Professor Jeon.¡± The situation room¡¯s door opened, and hot steamy rice soup, served in earthen pots, was delivered to each seat. It wasn¡¯t wrapped in stic; the food was delivered as if they were actually at a restaurant. Baek Seol-hee gave a hollowugh, looking at the neatly set meal in front of her, but soon, a reaching hand from the side made her feel like her body was contorting. ¡°Indeed, the soup of kimchi radish has to be poured for it to be delicious. Professor Baek, you were going to pour it anyway, right?¡± ¡°Wow, Professor Jeon! Your initiative is truly impressive, even in front of an S-grade hero!¡± ¡°What? Haha, of course!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee clenched her fist under the table, watching the white rice soup turn red. ¡°¡­Please have your meal at your seat, Professor.¡± ¡°Well, alright. Haha. You show kindness to people¡­. ugh.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee quietly closed her eyes. But¡­ Unable to ignore the red soup that swirled in front of her eyes and the rising number of injured students on the screen, she could not fully shut her eyes.
Gradually, it was nearing lunchtime for the students. The funny thing about this lunchtime was that eating lunch was up to the students. Groups confident in their treasure hunt could go to a restaurant for a meal. At the same time, desperate students were allowed to fill their bellies with water and devote all their time to the treasure hunt. -In my time, ugh! We filled our bellies with water from the tap, stuffed cream buns in our pockets, and fed our kids when we got home! It was an old story indeed, but those people from the past were now upying key positions in the academy. So, even now, the students solved light tasks in each area based on the materials sent to their Taeguk Watch. After solving the task, they proceeded to find treasures using the clues from the task. Without even time to eat, -Sejong 2nd district, a treasure has been found. -Busan 5th district, a treasure has been found. -Seoul 9th district, a treasure has been found. The third treasure has arrived at the target location. News of the discovered treasures echoes through the Taeguk Watches of many people. Thankfully, the current location, ¡®Gangwon 10th district,¡¯ where Yumir was with Ermina, had no discovered treasures. How did I know this? Because I found the treasure. ¡®This is just like the original work.¡¯ I was near the coastal cliffs of the Gangwon district in the treasure hunt contest inside Sejong Ind. This ce was quite deserted. In terms of actual geography, it was like the sea in front of Sokcho. ¡®The box left by the staff is still there.¡¯ Indeed, inside the sheer cliff was a treasure box, the likes of which you often see in fantasy games. I didn¡¯t actually touch the treasure. Why? Because to open the treasure, it needed to be linked with the Taeguk Watch, and I didn¡¯t have a Taeguk Watch. Even if I had one, I wouldn¡¯t think about opening it. Because there was a non-treasure treasure over there. A little distance away from where the treasure was hidden, there was a dark hole that was not easily visible from the outside. ¡®There it is.¡¯ Bending my head to enter the hole, there was a cave on the right that I could barely crawl into. [Found it.] I released my spirit form and took on the shape of the Goblin, then cautiously approached the inside of the sea cave. Then, I found it. [Is this the trace of ¡®weeding out¡¯?] In a ce where the waves didn¡¯te and no one would notice unless they came close and carefully checked¡­ There was a single skeleton here. The skeleton, neatly leaning against the wall as if it were a piece of decoration, unfortunately, was the bones of a real person. Why beat around the bush? These were the bones of an ability user who was ¡®murdered¡¯ here. What¡¯s more, parts of the bones were missing, with only the torso left, giving a rough estimate of the physique. An adult male? No. That was the size of a high school boy. I couldn¡¯t use psychometry to understand exactly what happened here, but just looking at the condition of the bones, I could guess what took ce. ¡®He was killed in an ambush. By another ability user.¡¯ There were no traces of a battle. That meant he was attacked unterally or died instantly. At the same time, someone waited until he decayed into a skeleton and then took the bones that were there. ¡®Probably an E-rank superhuman who was listed as missing in the treasure hunt ofst year or the year before.¡¯ On Sejong Ind, there were people who killed others without blinking an eye. They might call themselves ¡®aspiring heroes¡¯ or ¡®heroes,¡¯ but in reality, they were people who killed and acted as if nothing happened. [If I find the one who killed you, I will surely kill him with my bat.] The moment I reached out to the skeleton, it turned to dust as if it had heard my words. And the skeleton crumbled into white powder in the exact position it was in. Perhaps it had maintained its shape until now because of lingering resentment after death or a wish that someone would recognize its death. [Anyway, this world is hell.] There must be more than one or two ability users who died unfairly on Sejong Ind, just like this skeleton. Cases of people being dered missing after death could only be quietly buried with the silent consent of the high-ranking officials of the academy. And I presumed there were two main reasons why they died. One was to secure the mana powder that came out after they died. And the other was¡­ ¡°I found it!¡± A voice came from outside. It was Ermina¡¯s voice. ¡°Ha, really. Trying to carry around a useless burden¡­ Huh?¡± Ermina sniffed the air. ¡°Could this be¡­.¡± I quickly hid myself in a shadowy ce. With the thought of blending into the darkness, I held my breath and hid in the crevices of the cave rocks. ¡°The smell, the smell¡­.¡± Ermina finally entered. Shining the Taeguk Watch¡¯s shlight inside, Ermina eventually discovered the mana powder scattered on the floor. ¡°Uh, uh, ugh¡­!!¡± She rolled around on the spot, throwing a fit. I thought I should film this and tease herter, but Ermina did something even more outrageous. ¡°Ah, natural state mana powder¡­ it wouldn¡¯t have decayed, right? Euh, ah, I shouldn¡¯t¡­ ju, just a little¡­?¡± She buried her head towards the mana powder, disregarding treasures or anything else, lying down like a dog. ¡°Thwip.¡± Right beforemitting an unimaginable act, while taking a deep breath, Ermina- ¡°What are you doing in there?¡± ¡°¡­..Huh?¡± ¡°¡­..What are you doing?¡± She locked eyes with Yumir, who just followed her inside. ¡°What on earth is this white powder¡­?¡± Chuckles. ¡°Did you see it?¡± Oh. Was this messed up because of me¡­? Come to think of it. Around this time, wasn¡¯t this when the protagonist noticed Ermina¡¯s use of mana powder? And pretending not to know about it, he was almost made a mana powder user by Ermina¡¯s surprise attack? Wait a minute. I raised a question in my mind. Q. Choose the appropriate cause for the deviation from the original flow of the story. (3 points)
  1. Because the Goblin turned the skeleton into mana powder
  2. Because Yumir is not a man but a woman
  3. Because Ermina¡¯s teammate is not a man
  4. Because Ermina is not the heroine for the Goblin
  5. Because of the sloppy original author who didn¡¯t properly unfold the breadcrumbs
In conclusion¡­ Considering the reasons why the original work became twisted and various other things. Was she simply an unfortunate extra who got paired with Ermina due to the absence of the protagonist? Or was she the ¡®protagonist¡¯ where the story proceeded as per the original but with one element changed? -Heh¡­! You thought I¡¯d spare you because you¡¯re handsome, an E-grade! I¡¯m keeping you around because your face is S-grade, so take it as an honor. Got it? -Yes, yes. I will protect you wherever you go, miss. -Heh¡­! Did this scene disappear because of Yumir¡¯s gender? Was it now twisted like this because the protagonist, Yumir, was a ¡®female¡¯? Was it because the actual protagonist had that massive magic power as Sr tina? ¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯ If she was the protagonist, then it couldn¡¯t be. ¡®I came to kill the protagonist and found out the protagonist is a woman?¡¯ Because¡­ ¡®Isn¡¯t that too easy for me?¡¯ If she was a woman. ¡®That¡¯s pretty sweet, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Because it was too easy. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t I just keep her in check to prevent her from running wild?¡¯ If Yumir was persuaded with pure love, it was possible to prevent the meteor destruction. In other words. If the approach to Yumir was not by killing her but pure love¡­ Chapter 72: Its Not Only Riders Who Transform (9) Chapter 72: It''s Not Only Riders Who Transform (9) Yumir was the protagonist. Yumir was the gender-bent protagonist. I had thought about it. No, I didn¡¯t seriously consider it. I just thought about it in passing. Well, that was because the protagonist in the original was a harem master who expanded his harem to two with this event. To maximize the national euphoria, he turned foreign women into his harem and ruled like a king on Sejong Ind. If the original work was rated 19, the protagonist would have impregnated all the heroines he met. It wasn¡¯t an all-age novel, but it was a 15-rated novel, so they would have tried to maintain some bnce. Still, the protagonist was a carnivorous harem male lead to whom the term ¡®Golden Sun¡¯ could be literally applied. Such a being suddenly appeared as a woman? ¡®Are you insane?¡¯ I thought there was no reason for that. Whenever I talked to Yumir, I thought, ¡®It seems the protagonist had such a setting,¡¯ but I made sure not to think that Yumir was the protagonist. The protagonist. Because he was the ¡®assassination target¡¯ that I had to kill. Because I lived as the Goblin for half a year to kill him in any way possible. But if there was no need to kill Yumir. If the original protagonist was nowhere to be found and Yumir, who was a woman, was in the protagonist¡¯s position. ¡®Isn¡¯t that too sweet?¡¯ It was too easy for me. ¡®If Yumir is a woman, all I have to do is take care of her and provide emotional support, right?¡¯ If I could properly provide emotional care for Yumir, who was a woman, I could prevent the future where the world meets a meteor ending and everyone was destroyed. It wasn¡¯t mentioned explicitly in the original, but the reason why the original protagonist went berserk and blew up the meteor was because the women he added to his harem were NTRed by the final boss, Goblin. But if the protagonist was not a man but a woman? ¡®If she¡¯s a woman, wouldn¡¯t there be no risk of her going berserk if I take care of her and stay by her side?¡¯ Sure, she might be irritable once a month, but to prevent the end of the world, all I needed to do wasfort and care for her. ¡®All I need to do is give her some advice and set the direction right.¡¯ As Do Ji-hwan, I needed to define the direction she would take. As the Goblin, I need to remove all the elements that could hinder her. If we proceeded in this way, there would probably be no instances of Yumir going berserk and dropping a meteor. ¡®It feels like the difficulty level suddenly dropped.¡¯ What I expected was the difficulty of a Souls-like game, but it felt more like a visual novel¡¯s difficulty once I looked into it. But the one thing that worried me was the form in which Yumir¡¯s gender-bend took ce. First, the male protagonist never existed. Yumir was born as a woman from the beginning. Second, Yumir was originally a man, but for some reason, she was affected by the gender-bend disease before admission. Inside her was a dark-hearted man, and as with other gender-bend female protagonists, she behaved like a man¡­? ¡®No way.¡¯ That wouldn¡¯t be the case. If it was thetter, I would kill Yumir. Because she, with a dark man inside, came to my house pretending to be a woman and behaved like a female towards Do Ji-hwan. ¡®I cannot forgive someone trying to seduce me.¡¯ Even if the appearance is female but the inside is male, wouldn¡¯t that be deceit? ¡®In this world, there are so many women. Why should I have to care for and get involved with someone who gender-bent from male to female?¡¯ If there was a situation where I could ovee that and shout, ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if you were a man in your previous life! You are Yumir! The rtionship we¡¯ve built so far hasn¡¯t changed!¡¯ then it meant that I liked that Yumir a lot. Unfortunately, someone else already upied my heart. Inside the heart of the Goblin. In conclusion¡­ Assuming Yumir was the protagonist. If Yumir was purely a woman, then I would maintain a good rtionship with her, charm her, and take her with determination. Having the power to destroy the world with a meteor, bringing a being with such immense power to the boss, would surely make her happy. But what if that being is hiding something because they¡¯re gender-bent? What if that being had been flirting with me, showing off a feminine side, evening to my house to cook pasta for me? ¡®I can deal with Yumir, but a Manmir dies.¡¯ The moment it was confirmed, I would seriously discuss the ¡®disposal¡¯ issue with the boss. If I knew she was gender-bent with no rtion to me, I could let it slide, but Yumir had already approached me as a woman, establishing a rtionship with me. A woman with whom I exchanged text messages and phone calls for two hours a day was actually a man? Oh boy. What a horrible thing. Whooosh!! While I was lost in thought, the outside was already in chaos. ¡°Huh? She dodged?¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening now?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what¡¯? I¡¯m eliminating a witness.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re trying to kill me now?¡± ¡°E-grade thralls sure do talk a lot!¡± Ermina attacked Yumir, and Yumir was carefully watching the situation, dodging Ermina¡¯s attacks by a hair¡¯s breadth. Yumir hadn¡¯t noticed me yet. Although I was hiding and not in spirit form, thanks to blocking the outward flow of magic as much as possible, she had no idea the Goblin was nearby. I knew Yumir was strong as she was Sr tina. ¡®But since I think of her as the protagonist, I¡¯m not worried at all.¡¯ Recognizing her as the world¡¯s strongest hero hiding her power, it was rather Ermina who seemed pitiful. ¡®If Yumir had been a man, Ermina wouldn¡¯t be trying to kill her like this.¡¯ Ah. Maybe Yumir had been transformed into a man since the beginning of the original work and came to Sejong Ind. Perhaps the author nned to reveal, ¡®Actually, Yumir is a female character!¡¯ and start a Yuri GL drift, but the work failed, leading to a meteor ending, and the story ended with an unknown twist that no one knew. In other words¡­ All these problems were caused by the original author, aplete fool who didn¡¯t properly reveal the world¡¯s secrets before leaving! ¡®Ah.¡¯ But that was probably too far. ¡®How could anyone do such a terrible thing.¡¯ Even so, the idea of the male protagonist¡¯s harem story suddenly shifting to a lesbian girls¡¯ love harem drift implied that the author has dug their own grave and asked the readers to bury them. Kwaang!! Another explosion urred. While I was contemting the corrtion between the reader¡¯s saltiness over an author¡¯s GL/BL drift, the battle outside was teeming with the surging waves of magical energy. ¡°Are you really trying to kill me? Can you really handle the fallout if word gets out that Sternfert¡¯s daughter has killed someone?¡± ¡°I can handle it because I¡¯m a person of House Sternfert!¡± It wasplete chaos. As if to dismiss the turmoil in my mind, Ermina was doing her utmost to drive out and kill Yumir near the treasure chest. Sarak. I materialized outside through spiritualization and regained my physical form at a safe distance from the cave. Yumir seemed to nce my way in the middle of it all, but my identity hadn¡¯t been exposed. If it had, she would have ignored Ermina and been surprised that the Goblin had appeared. Or she might have noticed me and showed a different reaction. She could wonder why the Goblin was here? But she could also have other thoughts. For instance, ¡°This won¡¯t do. I¡¯ve tried to y along quietly, but I¡¯m tired of it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re on some strange drug or lost in your own world, but trying to kill me is a different story. You messed with the wrong person.¡± Yumir readied herself. She spread her legs and crossed her arms in front of her chest in an ¡®X¡¯, slightly tilting her head back. ¡°Come here, approach!¡± With a strong shout, Yumir stretched her arms to either side. At the same time, rainbow-colored beads poured out from her body and began to whirl around. In an instant, the beadsunched a barrage attack on Ermina. Perberberuk. ¡°Cough?!¡± Ermina was hit by the beads without a chance to resist and was mmed into the treasure chest. ¡®She has a sense for this, indeed.¡¯ She used a gimmick to safely transform before shifting. That was a good idea. ¡°I¡¯ll show you who the truly strong one is.¡± As soon as Yumir said those words, the rainbow-colored beads began to spin quickly around her, wrapping around her entire body. ¡°Transform!¡± Yumir¡¯s body started to sparkle, just like I had seen in my room before. The appearance wasn¡¯t the magical girl with a hanbok concept that I saw before - [¡­¡­?] But apletely new transformed hero. The main theme was still hanbok. A jeogori as an outer garment, with a sobok inside and a skirt covering the knees slightly. But under the skirt were ck stockings, and the shoes were like military boots, simr to hiking sneakers. The most unusual point was the jangot, a sort of cloak worn backwards on her head. Like women in historical dramas who went out with a skirt on their heads, Yumir was wearing a fluttering skirt that looked like a ¡®hood.¡¯ The problem was¡­ The pattern of the ¡®Yellow Dragon¡¯ was depicted on it. And she was wearing a tactical mask with an SF future design on her face. [Ermina Sternfert.] Yumir raised one hand high into the sky, slightly lifting her head as the visor above her tactical mask shone. [Sinners shall receive divine punishment.] She was Yumir, as ¡®Sr tina¡¯, The Magical Girl, Golden Priestess. Chapter 73: Its Not Only Riders Who Transform (10) Chapter 73: It''s Not Only Riders Who Transform (10) She had transformed. I wasn¡¯t sure if the gimmick of making her body sparkle with rainbows applied to only the E-rank Yumir or if it also applied to her EX-rank self. She had covered herself with a rainbow aura and immediately changed her form. The tactical mask and visor were of a sci-fi style, but she wore a nobleman¡¯s robe thatdies from a Korean folk vige might wear on her head, and the ends of it came down to her thighs, leaving her legs below the thigh wholly exposed. What should I call that? An armored nobleman¡¯s hat? The mechanical youngdy from a noble family? Although the form was as such, the overall color of the costume was based on ck, with red and yellow appropriately mixed in. ¡®No matter how I look at it, it¡¯s the epitome of imbnce, but it strangely fits.¡¯ Could it be because of that intriguing chest armor that¡¯s catching my eye? Or because of the line of the stockings and legs that were exposed beneath the skirt? It was like looking at some bizarre concept art, but for some reason, it¡¯s enjoyable to look at since Yumir¡¯s body pulls it off, so I find myself nodding along. ¡°You, that, what is that?¡± I was focused on the outfit, but it seemed Ermina was focused on a different part. ¡°You, how do you have such magical power¡­!¡± [Though I enrolled as an E-rank, in reality, I was a great talent. Can¡¯t you tell?] ¡°You, you¡­!¡± Ermina was extremely flustered. The woman she had endlessly belittled was, in reality, a woman from an incredibly high ce that she herself couldn¡¯t dare to look upon. ¡°No, no way! That¡¯s impossible! You, you¡¯re a hallucination ability user! You¡¯re deceiving me right now!¡± [Misunderstanding is amon urrence, really.] ¡°There¡¯s no way! You, someone like you, someone like you¡­!¡± It must feel like the time when she massively belittled and insulted a man in a humble ck shirt and jeans at a hotel, only to find out he was actually among the top ten richest people in the world. ¡°I could never reach that, not even if I tried all my life. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re S-rank!!¡± Ah. She started to rage. One of the easiest patterns for ability users to run amok had been activated. A sense of inferiority. Not just any sense of inferiority, but one where the hierarchy was reversed. The various feelings experienced when someone who was worse than them suddenly started to do better than them. And the lingering traces of the mana powder that she had briefly ingested added to that. ¡°Die!!¡± As soon as these things mixed together, Ermina, clearly now in a state of mental disorder, attacked Yumir. Aaaaaaaa!! Should I call it the ultrasonic sound of a dolphin? The voice from her mouth carried mana, and it soon became a sonic boom, heading towards Yumir. [Tsk.] I grabbed my bat. While it appeared to be disoriented, the trajectory of the sonic boom was precisely aimed at Yumir¡¯s neck. It was an attackunched with the intention to kill. She hadn¡¯tpletely lost her mind; she attacked with murderous intent. I must step in immediately and dispose of her. But¡­ [Too slow.] Yumir, with a hand gloved in ck, deflected the sonic boom with a light flick. Whooosh! The sonic boom, flying towards the sea, scattered as it cut through the seawater. Yumir, without a single wound on her hand, casually dusted off her hand and slowly walked towards Ermina. [If that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got, then it¡¯s my turn now.] As Yumir flicked her hand to the side, something like a red rope emerged from thin air. Should I call it a whip or a rope used to tie prisoners? No. That was a top string. Unlike the ropes used in modern times, it was a mana representation of the red rope used during the Joseon Dynasty. While it looked like just a rope, all of the material that made up that rope was ¡®magic power.¡¯ The ability to create material using mana. Surely, this was a being with EX-grade talent. [Let me show you the difference in power.] Swish! As Yumir whipped her aura, the rope flew towards Ermina, coiling like a whip. Aaaaaah! Ah, aaaaaah!! Ermina kept retreating, screaming from her mouth. She repeatedly produced sonic booms, but Yumir¡¯s red whip deflected them all. Ba-ba-ba-bang!! Sonic booms exploded to the left and right of Yumir, raising dust. Unscathed, Yumir confidently walked through the dust while Ermina could only tremble and retreat. Overwhelming power. In the face of the overwhelming power of magic, something a mere A-grade could never handle, Ermina eventually lost strength in her legs and slumped to her knees. ¡°Ha, haha¡­! You, you must have hidden your identity! Yes! You must have some reason to hide! I will expose you! Your true form!¡± [Fool. Would I have transformed so tantly if I was worried about being exposed?] ¡°What, what did you say?!¡± Ermina furrowed her brows, but in a blink of an eye, Yumir rushed forward and grabbed Ermina by the cor. ¡°Ke, keheuk!¡± [Do you think I would fear my identity being revealed? Nothing happened here, and nothing happened to you either.] Yumir pointed her hand at Ermina¡¯s heart. [If you b, you die on the spot. Do you know about geumjae? How about if I say spell? Curse? The moment you try to reveal my identity, you will die right away.] Swish. The top string began to coil around Ermina. The top string, made of mana, quickly bound Ermina¡¯s body¡­ ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t that a ceremonial rope tying¡­? Wheeing. For a moment, the rope that was binding Ermina seemed to glimmer and then disappeared instantly. And then I saw it. The red magic residue left by the binding was visible inside Ermina¡¯s clothes, which had been concealed. If she took off her clothes, the red marks of the binding would be revealed. ¡°What have you done to me?!¡± [I left a magic tattoo that will not fade for a year. The rope imprinted on your skin will start to tighten around you when you decide to spill my secret. Try to say it. That Yumir hid her power.] ¡°Yu, Yumir is¡­ Ahhh!!¡± Ermina shrieked and ducked her head forward. She was not trying to cause a sonic boom but was really screaming in agony. [How about it? Someone like me can do such things. So, behave yourself from now on. Don¡¯t underestimate people casually. I¡¯m letting you go just because it¡¯s me. Got it?] ¡°Guh, guh¡­!¡± [Look at your ring eyes. Don¡¯t you understand the situation? I could kill you now, but I¡¯m just toozy to do it.] ¡°What¡­?¡± At first nce, it might seem illogical. But that was the correct answer. [I don¡¯t care about killing a woman like you. But after killing, it¡¯s just annoying. An A-grade, the granddaughter of Stern, is dead. Then, naturally, they would make a fuss to get some information from me. Ugh, it¡¯s annoying. I don¡¯t need that.] ¡°You, you¡­!¡± [Ermina¡¯s death doesn¡¯t matter to me, but the death of the great Sternfert will be annoying for me. Understand? So you-] Just as Yumir was about to step back while patting Ermina¡¯s head. ¡°Die!¡± Ermina jabbed forward from below. Mana was gleaming like a de on her palm, and it urately stabbed Yumir¡¯s lower abdomen. Kwang. Normally, it should have made a sound of piercing flesh. But there was no such sound, and Yumir stepped back calmly. [This is a bulletproof hanbok. Or should I say, a sword-proof hanbok?] ¡°Your clothes¡­?¡± [Your attacks don¡¯t work on me. But it¡¯s a pity¡­ You tried to stab me when I was going to spare your life. If I were a weak person, I would have definitely fallen and died.] Without changing her expression - although it couldn¡¯t be seen because of the mask, I could feel it from her voice - Yumir tilted her head to the side. [How should I deal with someone like you? Hmm? Is every ability user in this world only concerned about satisfying their anger and emotions?] ¡°Shut, shut up¡­! I will, you, uh¡­!!¡± [Sigh. This is truly unbelievable.] Yumir genuinely sighed. Perhaps it was due to her deep disillusionment with Ermina. I became a viin to avoid feeling things like this. If it were me, I would justify retaliating the moment I was attacked- [If I were the Goblin, your head would have flown off the moment you stabbed my stomach. Because it¡¯s self-defense.] ¡­A story about the Goblin came out of Yumir¡¯s mouth. Hopefully, she hasn¡¯t noticed my presence. ¡®Should I step in?¡¯ To kill Ermina instead of Yumir? Or to give Ermina a proper lesson? ¡®Let¡¯s step in.¡¯ Whether Yumir forgave her or not. If Ermina wanted to genuinely repent, public flogging should be the obvious first step. The one who attempted to stab someone. The one who tried to behead someone. If Yumir showed mercy, hitting her face 50 times with the Goblin¡¯s Bat would be best. ¡®Then-¡¯ The moment I was about to step out, persuade Yumir, and then discipline Ermina. Suddenly¡­ From the distance. Someone was running from the sea. ck hair. ck mask. And a ck Hanbok. ¡°Woooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!¡± [Oh, crazy.] A lunatic had appeared. ¡°You are so magnificent, Golden Priestess¡­! The beauty of reviving tradition and style to fit the contemporary aesthetic¡­! Ah, who are you¡­?¡± [Who are you?] ¡°Oh, if I were to introduce myself.¡± The lunatic bowed elegantly. ¡°I am Duoexini.¡± Chapter 74: Where There Is Nationalism, There Is Duoexini (1) Chapter 74: Where There Is Nationalism, There Is Duoexini (1) Perhaps Duoexini might appear. That¡¯s what I thought as I watched over Ermina and also kept an eye on my surroundings. But I didn¡¯t expect him to appear like this. ¡®Where did hee from?¡¯ Why did he emerge from the sea? Moreover, why did he run across the sea? I, in my incorporeal state¨Cor so-called ¡®Goblin Cloak¡¯¨Ckept a close eye on the ce from where he had run. Above the sea. Something was floating. It looks like a periscope sticking out as if only the head was peeking from below to above. ¡®Is it a submarine?¡¯ No way. Did he have a submarine patrolling around Sejong Ind? If so, he should just be monitoring from the submarine. Why did Duoexini appear- ¡°Wonderful, really wonderful! Your dress! Choosing such clothes as a dress, your face behind the mask must be beautiful enough to harmonize with the dress, no, perfect enough toplete the dress!¡± Don¡¯t think about it. I should follow my instincts. That guy was riding around in a submarine, discovered Yumir, who had transformed into the magical girl Golden Priestess on the coast, and then immediately ran across the sea to jump out. Just that. If I thought deeper, another strange thought might flow from my head, making me go crazy, so I decided to ept the situation as it was. ¡°Ah, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°That woman-¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask the sheep bitch.¡± The moment Ermina was about to say something, Duoexini immediately scolded Ermina and released his mana. ¡°Whew¡­!¡± ¡°Why is this blonde bitch interrupting the conversation with a noble?¡± ¡°That, that woman¡­!¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m currently having a conversation with a noble. Don¡¯t babble around carelessly, sheep from a thousand miles away.¡± It was not mana. That was killing intent. He was just annoyed and exerted his killing intent on Ermina simply because she had interrupted his conversation with Yumir. ¡°Hmm. I apologize for my rudeness. So, what might your esteemed name be?¡± [I am called¡­ ¡®Sr tina¡¯.] ¡°Sr tina¡­? Hmm¡­.¡± Duoexini crossed his arms and tilted his head for a moment. ¡°Could you be the Golden Knight who appeared at the restaurant¡­?¡± [I have recognized the elegance of this country and epted what belongs to it.] ¡°I see. In that case¡­.¡± Duoexini spread his arms and smiled broadly. ¡°You¡¯re touched by the elegance and beauty of this country! Wonderful. There¡¯s nothing as splendid as an outsider immersing themselves in our culture and getting touched by it! Having the color of Joseon and the mindset of Joseon, you are already a wonderful person of this penins!¡± [I take that as apliment.] ¡°Of course! It¡¯s apliment! Whether you are a foreigner or a Korean pretending to be a foreigner, you have already proven your identity with your appearance. I, Duoexini, would like to make a proposal in this regard.¡± Perhaps that was the main point. ¡°Would you like to join our ¡®Righteous Rejection Group¡¯?¡± [¡­Righteous Rejection Group?] A familiar name. At the same time, it was a very awkward, mismatched name for the year 2025. Anyone studying Korean history would have heard it at least once during the period of modernization. ¡°Yes, the Righteous Rejection Group. It¡¯s an organization that aims to preserve what we have and reject what is harmful. Defense of tradition, eradication of foreign influence.¡± [It sounds like a rather extreme organization.] Wait a minute. I had been feeling this for a while, but it seemed like Yumir¡¯s way of speaking kept going back and forth. It was almost as if she was mimicking the Goblin¡­? ¡°It may seem extreme. But if youe in and listen to our story, it will change.¡± [I don¡¯t want to.] ¡°At least listen to our story?¡± [I¡¯ve hated your organization from the name alone.] At Yumir, or Sr tina¡¯s, firm refusal, Duoexini¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°Why is that?¡± [I havee to this ind and watched your actions. Especially what you did at the squarest time. You imnted something into a human¡¯s body, turning them into demons. Didn¡¯t you?] ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about that. Yes, we imnted the seed of a demon into a person trying to spread harmful things.¡± [That¡¯s a contradiction.] Yumir gripped her staff tightly and pointed it at Duoexini. [You, who are part of the ¡®Righteous Rejection Group¡¯, turned a Korean student into a demon?] ¡°He was already a demon.¡± [That doesn¡¯t make sense. You im to reject harmful things, but aren¡¯t you creating ¡®demons¡¯ from the harmful Western ideas?] I sincerely agree with Yumir¡¯s point. No. This group carried the name ¡®Righteous Rejection Group¡¯. He was a person who was determined not to use English. But the servant he was using was a ¡®demon¡¯? If I were standing in Yumir¡¯s ce and asked Duoexini, I would say: [So, a demon is a thing of the West, and since the West is bad and harmful, it¡¯s okay to use it?] That would hit the mark. The words I wanted to say came out of Yumir¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­Hahaha!!¡± Duoexini held his stomach andughed uproariously. ¡°Wow, this is something. How do you know so much about our ¡®Righteous Rejection Group¡¯?¡± [What?] Sure enough. ¡°Western things are bad. So, if we use Western things to attack people andmit evil acts, naturally, people wille to despise and reject the West.¡± As I thought, Duoexini was a logical madman. ¡°Drac, subus, orc, imp, lycanthrope¡­ All of these are collectively called ¡®demons¡¯. If these things go around killing people, of course, people wille to despise and hate these Western things.¡± [Why do you use English?] ¡°Because they are bad things.¡± Sure enough. He was crazy. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between viins who have no choice but tomit evil acts and ¡®viins¡¯ who are hopeless garbage. Do you understand? Expressing harmful things in English is not bad.¡± [You are crazy.] ¡°I¡¯m not crazy. I¡¯m just following my beliefs, the beliefs of our organization.¡± Duoexini pointed at himself with his thumb and bent over again. ¡°When we recruit, we call ourselves the ¡®Righteous Rejection Group¡¯, but do you know what we introduce ourselves as when confronting enemies?¡± [Do you introduce yourselves in English?] ¡°That¡¯s right. We call ourselves ¡®Pandemonium¡¯. Hehehe.¡± Having revealed his other affiliation, Duoexini pulled something like a bead from his pocket. ¡°That¡¯s why we use demons. Demons are evil, and defeating demons is just what a righteous hero should do.¡± [What nonsensical¡­] ¡°Sr tina! If you won¡¯t join our organization, I¡¯ll turn everything around you into a demon.¡± [What did you say?] Duoexini¡¯s body disappeared momentarily. Yumir missed Duoexini¡¯s movement for a moment, but I was able to perceive him. Ultra-fast movement. Moving at a speed that seemed to be 10 times, no, 100 times faster rtive to the average speed. How did I ¡®perceive¡¯ that? Naturally, the skill that Duoexini showed was one of the powers I already knew about. Either he moved quickly through the amplification of simple physical capabilities. Or he used magic particles in the surroundings that affected time and slowed it down. I didn¡¯t know exactly what it was, but the fact that I recognized it made it possible for me to analyze it to some extent. Because that skill was within the range of my imagination, within the scope of my knowledge of powers. [When did he¡­!] But Yumir didn¡¯t know. She couldn¡¯t perceive his movement because she didn¡¯t know. Even if an attack was ultra-fast, her body and mana would have reacted first if it were directed at her, but Duoexini wasn¡¯t moving toward Yumir. ¡°Aaargh!!¡± ¡°Hehe. Ermina Sternfert. Surely, if you¡¯re the woman confronting Sr tina, you must have done something wrong. No, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯ve done wrong or not. You¡¯re going to run amok as a demon anyway.¡± [Stop it!] ¡°Toote.¡± Whoosh! Duoexini reached out his hand, and his hand was moving towards Ermina¡¯s abdomen- ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Duoexini¡¯s hand was unable to prate Ermina¡¯s body. His attempt to skewer her spine ended with his hand lodged in her back. ¡°What¡¯s¡­?¡± [¡­Sorry, but I cursed that girl.] From a distance, it seemed as if Duoexini¡¯s hand was blocked by the curse seal Yumir had put on Ermina, appearing just like a lifeline. ¡°Hmm, quite powerful magic. A curse you¡¯ve ced on your opponent acts as a shield¡­ Indeed, you are strong. I want to convert you even more to our side, no¡­!¡± Duoexini shoved the devil¡¯s seed into Ermina¡¯s body. ¡°Be a nemesis of ¡®Pandemonium¡¯, be a hero! Whether you want to or not, you who wear our noble attire will indeed be the true hero of this country!¡± Regardless of Yumir¡¯s wishes, they would make Yumir take action and forcibly make her a hero. It was a crazy idea. ¡°Aaaaaah!!¡± Ermina screamed. Yumir hurriedly tries to swing her strings, but a massive surge of magic bursts out from Ermina¡¯s body. ¡®No.¡¯ That woman. Did she have no patience at all? ¡°Ah, ahhhhh¡­!¡± Ermina quickly transformed into a demon. Her skin instantly turned purple, and horns began to sprout from her head. ¡°Go on, go mad. That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s call you¡­ ¡®Naberius¡¯.¡± Duoexini patted Ermina¡¯s back and stepped away. ¡°Ah, ahh¡­! You, you¡­! Surely, kyaah¡­!!¡± Her body contorted like a zombie as she rampaged, and Ermina charged at Yumir. ¡°I¡¯ll go and alert the people about the chaos here! Ha-ha-ha! There¡¯s a demon here!!¡± Duoexini pulled out his smartphone and, with a burst ofughter, voluntarily reported a ¡®viin appearance¡¯. ¡°People will be here within 5 minutes!! And then, in front of everyone, you will take down this foolishmb¡¯s demon!!¡± And then. ¡°Now, Naberius! Hurry up and fall to the Sr tina-¡± Bang! Naberius face-nted onto the floor. ¡°You-¡± [Demons shall be executed.] By me. [Hey.] I stood in front of Yumir in the form of the Dodjirider and aimed my bat at Duoexini. [Hisashiburi.] ¡°What?¡± [Why are you looking at me so strangely?] I adjusted my stance, tapping the bat in my palm. [Is there a problem with greeting a demon in Japanese?] Chapter 75: Where There Is Nationalism, There Is Duoexini (2) Chapter 75: Where There Is Nationalism, There Is Duoexini (2) I was a person full of consideration. Thus, when dealing with foreigners, I tried to use English to the best of my ability instead of Korean, and it was the same when interacting with Japanese people. That was why I used Japanese. The opponent was an oni, someone who came from Japan and called himself Duoexini. ¡°You, you brat¡­! This viin¡­! Damn¡­!¡± What? He didn¡¯t like it? It didn¡¯t matter. ¡°You son of a¡­!! Despicable jerk! A damn wretch to be torn apart!!¡± Duoexini was furious. ¡°Treating me like an oni twice! And it¡¯s not just any oni. You used Japanese on me?! You¡¯re treating me like a foreigner, not a Korean?!¡± He was angry at the denial of his self-proimed identity. ¡°You are unforgivable! It¡¯s not enough to interfere with my ns, but to insult me too! Die, you brat!!¡± Duoexini took a stance towards me. ¡°You!!¡± From behind, Yumir was trying to shout something at me, but it was toote by then. ¡°Die!¡± Duoexini unleashed his killing intent and charged at me. His speed was almost that of light, an attack that could not simply be blocked. Ka-ang! I thrust my fist forward. Following the visible trajectory, I pushed my fist towards the front, adding power to my hand so it wouldn¡¯t be damaged and protecting it even if something hit it. Kwa-ang! Something hit my fist, and fell back. Like a deflected shot, it rolled like a dung beetle to the side, tumbling greatly into the ground before disappearing. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°It seems we have our respective opponents to face.¡± I approached Yumir and lightly patted her shoulder. ¡°Can you handle the devil? I¡¯ll leave the method to you.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re leaving everything to me? How I deal with the devil, that¡¯s up to me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was something the normal Goblin wouldn¡¯t have said. Whether a devil or a viin, any being that had gone on a rampage would be executed. But¡­ If Yumir really was the ¡®protagonist¡¯, then she was the only person in this world who could ¡®purify a demon¡¯. ¡®This is the final verification.¡¯ Although the protagonist was a maverick whoposed a harem of foreigners, they were also one who pursued justice to lead the world on to the right path. ¡°Whether you kill the devil or choose another way, I leave it to you. Well¡­you can tie it up and let me kill it if you want.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time for a long conversation. Sr tina.¡± ¡°Kuah¡­!¡± Duoexini staggered to his feet. The man was soaked in seawater and smeared with sand. He writhed while clutching his shoulder, and I moved aside to stand back to back with Yumir. ¡°I¡¯ll watch. My Lady.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Before Yumir could reply, I quickly tightened my belt and invoked my magic. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you figured me out, but next time will be different!!¡± Duoexini spread his hands wide, emanating malice. Sharp, de-like objects sprang from his hands, each as sharp as a scythe. ¡°You talk too much.¡± He would likely use speed to attack again. I spread my mana around me, held the end of my Goblin Bat downwards, and refined my power. ¡°Hey, Oni.¡± There were two abilities that could be drawn from the Goblin Bat. ¡°Can you handle the ¡®quickly quickly¡¯ of a Korean?¡± ¡°I am Korean, you bastard!!¡± Duoexini moved. At the same time, the world seemed to halt abruptly, and in my eyes, Duoexini¡¯s movement began to slow down. Just like slowing down a video from 256x speed to 128, 64, and 32x, Duoexini¡¯s speed gradually decelerated. Correction. I was matching Duoexini¡¯s speed. The rtively fast-moving Duoexini¡¯s speed was now urately ¡®perceived¡¯ by me. So, did I just need to perceive it? No. After perception, I needed to respond to Duoexini¡¯s movement. ¡°elerate.¡± The mana I had spread around me formed a gate in front. The mana brushed past me and moved to the back, and I dashed forward toward Duoexini. Kaaang! ¡°What?!¡± Surprised, he guarded his head with his nails. I swung my Bat at his skull, intending to smash it, but he sadly reacted to my attack. ¡°H, how are you matching my speed¡­?!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just move fast. Hey, Oni. Is your sluggish movement simply strengthening your body?¡± ¡°W, what¡­?!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re moving quickly by using body-strengthening, you can¡¯t beat me.¡± If his speed was just like a sound wave, and he only moved at high velocity, I could respond to Duoexini however I pleased. ¡°I said, I will show you the speed of a Korean.¡± ¡°I am also Korean!!¡± ¡°Show you the ¡®real¡¯ speed.¡± I moved the device on my belt. ¡°Release.¡± [Armor Purge!! READY!!] Clink. The suit armor, akin to the external armor of the Dodjirider that was clinging to my body, slightly protruded out. ¡°Show me. The second form.¡± [B?B?B?BREAK!!] With an explosion of magical power, I ¡®shed¡¯ the form of the Dodjirider. No, I had transformed into a new shape. ¡°W, what¡­?!¡± ¡°From now on.¡± I wore the form of a ¡®tiger¡¯ with a ck, court-style suit. ¡°I will tear apart the viin.¡± Goblin. Type. ¡®Docheol¡¯.
Behind her, an incredibly fast-paced battle was unfolding. Yumir was slightly shocked that she could not fully grasp their speed, even though she could perceive it to some extent. The ultra-high-speed battle was waged between the Goblin and Duoexini. Although she could certainly feel the impact, it was too much to follow the speed with her eyes. Just because the speed was fast? She wasn¡¯t sure. If they were moving at the speed of light, she wouldn¡¯t be able to perceive it at all, but she could sense that some sort of offense and defense were being exchanged. ¡®I need to find out next time.¡¯ Whether it was Duoexini or the Goblin, such abilities would certainly be of great help. In situations where she had to run away from others. Or in situations where someone needed to be rescued quickly. Just like now. ¡°Kiaaaaaak!!¡± Ermina, or rather the being now called Naberius, began to shed her human form and started transforming into a new form. Although she maintained the shape of a human, both of her hands transformed into the heads of a dog and a crow, making a crunching sound as if they were trying to chew on something. ¡°You¡­!¡± Above Naberius¡¯s body, red chains appeared. The chains that flowed along the trajectory of the binding gear left by Yumir became the binding gear covering Naberius¡¯s body, and the pale skin was prominently visible beside the red chains. ¡°I will surely¡­ kill you!¡± ¡°How unfortunate, really.¡± Yumir quickly scanned her surroundings. By extending her perception a few kilometers, she began to feel the reactions of people rushing over after hearing the call of the devil. If there was even a slight dy, Naberius would certainly be a devil, and then it would be impossible to remedy. ¡°Realize your luck. That I am here.¡± After dropping her red lifeline, Yumir dusted off her hands and ran forward. Ka-ang! Something sprang from the side, trying to stop Yumir, but soon, something like a ck tiger brushed past and knocked off what was blocking Yumir¡¯s way. A golden trail was left as it brushed by for a moment. Beyond that familiar and warm magic, Yumir ran straight towards Naberius. ¡°Die¡ª¡ª!!¡± Naberius began to emit a sonic boom from the human mouth, the dog¡¯s mouth, and the crow¡¯s mouth at the same time. The ultrasonic wave, as sharp as a de, hit Yumir head-on, but Yumir didn¡¯t avoid the attack and collided with it as she ran forward. ¡°You, you¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll erase the demon within you.¡± Yumir¡¯s right hand was dyed a brilliant golden color. And that right hand was like a golden dragon¡¯s hand, it urately pierced Naberius¡¯s abdomen. Puhwaak! There was no blood stter. What flew out behind Naberius was her magical power, and the color of that power was a murky purple-ck. ¡°The demon to hell, the human to thisnd.¡± Like drawing a sacred sign, Yumir swung her left hand, pulled her right hand back, and withdrew. ¡°Hit, End!¡± Puhwaaaak!! In Yumir¡¯s golden right hand, something crimson was wriggling. The squirming mass, like a tentacle, writhed as if resisting, but it was trapped inside a sphere of golden magic created by Yumir, unable to move anymore. [¡­¡­Thus, the demon will be purified.] Sahhh. A deep purple mist flowed from Naberius¡¯s body. Her hands returned to their original form, and with her head turnedpletely white, she copsed naked on the beach. Thud. Not a demon, but a human, Ermina, fell naked on the shore. She didn¡¯t make any movements, and Yumir tightly clenched the golden bead in her hand. ¡°The seed of the demon, in thisnd¡ª¡± [Enough.] Someone grabbed Yumir¡¯s wrist from the side. [From here on, it¡¯s my job. Step back.] ¡°What do you mean? What about Duoexini¡­? No, that appearance?¡± [I drove him away. This is another transformation.] The Goblin appeared with a fierce, tiger-like appearance and held the golden bead that contained the trapped demon. [I saw potential in you. So¡­] After ncing at Yumir¡¯s left wrist, the Goblin lightly tapped Yumir¡¯s shoulder and received the bead from her. [Leave the rest to the adults and live your life as a student.] ¡°You¡­?!¡± [Killing demons and viins; that¡¯s not a hero¡¯s job.] Kwaduk. Holding the bead, the Goblin turned his body toward the people approaching from afar. [It¡¯s the job of a viin exterminator.] Chapter 76: Where There Is Nationalism, There Is Duoexini (3) Chapter 76: Where There Is Nationalism, There Is Duoexini (3) After Yumir sessfully extracted the demon seed from Ermina, [I trust you. You truly are the protagonist.] [I wanted to tell Yumir this¡­] Only the protagonist could possess such power; thus, you must be the protagonist. The ¡®purification¡¯ ability - a privilege given to just one person in this world, thaty at the very foundation of this world. An ability to counteract the side effects of ability users: ¡®Runaway¡¯ and ¡®Demonization¡¯. [Aaaah! I, I¡¯m not a killer!] [Calm down! The Goblin aims to turn you into a murderer! Don¡¯t fall for his charm!] [Give up! You¡¯ve already be a demon!] [Aaaah!!! No¡­! I don¡¯t want to be a demon and kill people!!] [Damn it¡­! There¡¯s no choice! Everyone, step back! I will do it!] The protagonist suppressed the ¡®Runaway¡¯ of several heroines through this purification ability, turning them back into humans. [The touch of Hwanwoong¡ª!] [Oh, thank you¡­] [What is that power?] [It¡¯s a technique that transforms non-humans into humans, imbued with the power of mugwort and garlic! Understand it that way!] However, this ability was introduced around the third volume, so I did not expect it to appear in what could be considered the first volume storyline. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s a relief.¡¯ I was a little hopeful. ¡®She appeared as a woman but doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad person.¡¯ If Yumir was indeed the protagonist. If Yumir had resolved to let Ermina die as a human. ¡®I¡¯m really d she¡¯s not the type to kill or ignore all heroines who have turned into demons just because she¡¯s turned from a man to a woman.¡¯ While I was intercepting Duoexini, Yumir must have been trying to revert Ermina back to being human, not killing her as a demon. Thankfully, that assumption proved to be correct. [Hey, Sr tina. You intend to hide that ability, don¡¯t you?] [¡­¡­.] [You had no choice but to use your power to purify Ermina, but you don¡¯t want your ability to be exposed, right?] Yumir nodded heavily. Now that it was known that Yumir had the power of purification, knowledge of Yumir¡¯s ability must not be allowed to be spread indiscriminately. In this world, there were countless demons, and demons were imprisoned all over the ce. If it became known that Yumir had the power of purification, the country would immediately turn Yumir into a ¡®tool¡¯ for demon purification. To exert their authority over an instrument. [Go over there. Then undo your transformation and lie down as if you¡¯ve fainted. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.] I pointed in the direction where the mana powder was, and Yumir hesitated to step forward. [The heroes will arrive within 30 seconds. There¡¯s no time. Do you want your identity to be discovered?] ¡°I just want to say one thing.¡± Yumir reached out to me. [I¡¯ll return the Durumagi you lent me, so let¡¯s meet there again at midnight on the full moon.] [¡­ Alright.] Yumir extended her pinky finger to me, and I made a promise with her, interlocking our pinky fingers. ¡°It¡¯s a promise.¡± Yumir, who was running backward after removing the mask part of her costume, left. [A promise, huh. I guess I need to escape from here to keep that promise.] I held the golden orb Yumir had left behind, and the demon seed trapped inside it and waited for the heroes to arrive. There was not much time left. So. ¡®What scenario would be best?¡¯ Firstly, Yumir fainted in the cave after being ambushed. Then, as for Ermina¡­ [Huh?] She was still alive. The vital signal of the Taeguk Watch was almost extinguished, but she was definitely alive. [You didn¡¯t die?] I thought she died the moment the demon seed was ripped out from her belly, but it seemed she was still alive. However, she had ended up being an existence that was alive, yet not. [I feel no magic from her body.] The Human Ermina Sternfert was alive. But ¡®Ability User Ermina Sternfert¡¯ was dead. Everything that could be said to be the foundation of her power now resided within this golden orb I was clutching, which we can conveniently call the ¡®Golden Cradle¡¯. Even the ¡®Female Ermina Sternfert¡¯ was dead. The part where the demon seed resided was inside the cradle of life, which was meant to hold the seed as it turned its host into a demon while simultaneously giving birth to a new demon. Once contaminated by the demon seed, her body could no longer give birth to humans. Given this situation, a ¡®scenario¡¯ was needed to protect Sr tina and Yumir. [Hmm.] The answer was here. Among the numerous scenarios in my head, if I wanted to prevent harm to Yumir and hide the tremendous abilities Yumir had, I needed to draw the aggro. ¡°Gah, eeuugh¡­!¡± [Ho. You¡¯re still alive?] Before the heroes arrived, Duoexini red at me with his mask half-broken, grinding his teeth as he looked at me with his red eyes. ¡°You¡­!¡± He stared at me with blood-red eyes, and I pointed behind him. [If you truly want to make that woman a patriotic hero, disappear from here.] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± [Do you n to expose the identities of the Golden Priestess and Sr tina to the world?] ¡°!!¡± Duoexini red at me with a face full of confusion, and soon, he¡ª ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll remember this!¡± Leaving cliched words like a promise, he turned swiftly and disappeared towards the sea. That was a relief. There wasn¡¯t a situation like ¡®Oh, you¡¯re a woman?¡¯ because of his feminine voice. If he was purely a man, there wouldn¡¯t be much burden about the fact that Yumir almost pounded on Naberius for nearly 30 minutes while I was trying to capture him. If she were a woman, I might have felt a bit sorry. [Phew.] Duoexini left, and Yumir hid inside the cave. Now, all that was left was to wait for the heroes to rush over. [They¡¯reing.] I readjusted my magic and transformed into the form of a Gentleman Goblin. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± At the forefront of the approaching heroes was her. A woman leaped off the cliff, whipping up a snowstorm while wearing a coat-like white mantle¡ªSnow White assessed the situation as she red at me. ¡°Who are you¡­exactly¡­?¡± [You¡¯rete, hero.] Honestly, they were notte. It had been exactly 5 minutes since Duoexini reported the viin. [Sorry, but it¡¯s all over. Demon Ermina is dead. All that¡¯s left is the shell that used to be a demon.] Phwoosh! I squeezed my hand and shattered the demon¡¯s cradle that had been extracted from Ermina. Keeeeek! The demon seed, crushed in my hand, burst out with a strange scream, and I created a Goblin Fire, burning all traces of the cradle remaining in my hand. [The demon is dead. Now all that¡¯s left is to kill Ermina Sternfert, who ¡®tried to kill herrades¡¯.] ¡°¡­!!¡± Snow White reached out her hand towards me, and I swung the Goblin Bat horizontally and backed away. Zzuk! In an instant, an ice wall sprouted from below. The seawater seeping into the ground surged up high and formed a wall, and its speed was much faster than when the surroundings were t. [The terrain is unfavorable.] ¡°I¡¯ve protected Ermina Sternfert! Medics! Attend to her quickly¡­!¡± [How absurd.] I pointed towards the cave where Yumir was ¡®fainted¡¯. [So, they take care of the offender before the victim just because their rank is higher?] ¡°What did you say?¡± [Inside there, Ermina Sternfert¡¯s partner is present. They were attacked by Ermina and fainted inside.] ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Baek Seol-hee, who was guarding Ermina, quickly ran into the sea cave after handing over Ermina to another staff member who had followed her. I stayed still. I deliberately stayed still and leisurely waited until the staff members spread out in a circle around me. [It¡¯s vulgar. A-ss or E-ss, both are still just one person. And they are the same ability users. They only see the injured A-ss offender in front of them, and the innocent victim who was unjustly attacked by the A-ss¡­] ¡°Medic!!¡± Snow White¡¯s scream echoed from inside the cave. Next to Snow White, who was searching for a medic with a much more serious voice than before¡ª [?] There was Yumir, covered in bandages and injured. The clothes on their body were tattered as if torn by a sonic boom, and the exposed parts were full of marks as if their skin had been scraped by a sonic boom. The injuries looked more serious than when Ermina was stabbed from behind by Duoexini. However, to my eyes, those wounds¡­ ¡°Quick, to the rear!!¡± ¡°Ah, yes!!¡± Snow White handed over Yumir to another teacher, and the teachers who were about to depart after hastily putting Ermina on a stretcher hesitated for a moment but eventually put Yumir in the ambnce first. ¡°What¡­ what did you see here?¡± [What did I see? I saw justice disappear. I saw the strong unterally torment the weak. The weak were tormented solely for the reason that they knew the secrets of the strong.] Although Yumir seemed to have added too much to the setting, I nced at Yumir, who was being carried away on a stretcher. Heheh. If it was not my misperception. I felt like Yumir, who was also bandaged on their head, made a gesture at me. [¡­Ermina Sternfert. She was caught by that weak woman while taking the mana powder found inside. And she tried to kill her.] The external scenario was perfect, thanks to Yumir¡¯s script. [I just killed a demon who tried to kill someone to hide their own faults.] Chapter 77: Where There Is Nationalism, There Is Duoexini (4) Chapter 77: Where There Is Nationalism, There Is Duoexini (4) The sound of the siren wailed¡ª Along with the sound announcing an emergency, Yumir received emergency treatment in the ambnce as they were transported. Ah. She wanted to see. She wanted to see how the Goblin was acting right now. And she wanted to know why he helped her. That day. The day she first revealed my identity to the Goblin. The day she received a favor from the Goblin. Since then, she had been indebted to the Goblin, so she thought she would help him once. But instead of helping, she received help again. He protected her from the entity Duoexini and saved her from the unfair ability that Duoexini held. If Duoexini had attacked her using that ¡®super-fast movement¡¯ ability, the attack might have reached her with a high probability. It was such a fast attack that there was no way to avoid it, and if the mana that made up her clothes were to break, Yumir would have been truly hurt. The fact that Yumir managed a speed that was hard to counter meant there was a chance, by any means, to sessfully attack Yumir. However, Duoexini faced the Goblin. To be precise, the Goblin drew Duoexini¡¯s aggro, and thanks to that, Yumir was able to safely protect Ermina from demonization. Would it be okay? Her breathing is still stable, but she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to return to her condition before finding the treasure chest. Moreover, Ermina, who was ready to kill Yumir, an E-ss psychic, attacked, so her social reputation would be considerably affected. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Yumir twisted her body a bit, grimacing. ¡°Student Yumir! Are you conscious?!¡± The people beside Yumir shook her awake, and Yumir gazed nkly at the ceiling as if she had just regained consciousness. ¡°Where is¡ªHic?!¡± Thud! Immediately, Yumir hunched her body and protected her face with both arms. The bandages were tightly wound around Yumir¡¯s arms, and the expressions of the paramedics beyond those arms quickly became serious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Student Yumir! We¡¯re on our way to the hospital now!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°We have saved you, Yumir. Rest assured. There is no one attacking you anymore.¡± ¡°Is, is that true¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. It is.¡± Despite the safety officer¡¯s words, Yumir did not let down her guard, but she couldn¡¯t help but smile internally. This wound. She had inflicted it upon herself. To her, who could make it look as if there were no scars where the wound was by using her abilitiester, this wound was really ¡®nothing¡¯. There was no pain or nerve damage, just the trace of being cut by a sharp, magical energy from which blood flowed and hardened. The Goblin had said. [If you pass out in the cave, I¡¯ll take care of everything.] Understanding the rough meaning of these words, Yumir inflicted a wound on herself to aid the Goblin and make it seem like Ermina had attacked her. Perhaps the Goblin thought they had fainted from a blow to the vitals, but Yumir¡¯s self-harm and acting had a greater effect than expected. ¡°Ermina Sternfert¡­ How could she do such a terrible thing.¡± ¡°Student Yumir. Ermina is not here. She¡¯s far away, and our school staff will protect you, Yumir. So trust us and answer just one question.¡± The expressions of the school staff hardened. With trembling eyes, Yumir nced at the nurse and the school staff sitting next to her and soon gained certainty. ¡°Why did Ermina Sternfert attack Student Yumir?¡± None of them were on Ermina¡¯s side. ¡°Well, that is.¡± Yumir opened her mouth cautiously with a trembling voice. ¡°I, I can¡¯t say¡­ Sternfert, she attacked me¡­!¡± ¡°Rest assured. All you need to do is trust Sejong Academy and tell us what you saw.¡± ¡°Everything depends on your words, Student Yumir. Can¡¯t you remember anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really¡­ okay, right¡­?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± With a smile inside, yet looking frightened and resolved, Yumir opened her mouth. ¡°¡­Ermina said she was going to the restroom and didn¡¯te out after disappearing into the cave, so feeling lonely, I went into the cave to find Ermina, and then¡­¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°¡­Ermina was sniffing something with her nose over white powder.¡± ¡°White¡­ powder!¡± The expressions of the staff hardened, and Yumir shouted a cheer inside. ¡°What that was¡­ I don¡¯t know. Ermina, uh¡­ ah!¡± Yumir tapped her Taegeuk Watch. Soon, mana flowed from the Taegeuk Watch and projected an image on the ambnce ceiling. In that image, Ermina, who had been bending her head towards a ghost-like white shadow, was turning her head and smiling broadly. [You saw it?] Then Yumir was attacked. The ¡®recorded video¡¯ in the Taegeuk Watch ended there. ¡°¡­¡­What on earth was that that made Ermina attack me?¡± Yumir shed tears with a face that seemed unable to understand. ¡°Student Yumir. We¡¯ll tell you the detailster. Now¡­ let¡¯s concentrate on treating the wounds first.¡± ¡°Remember, Sejong Academy is on your side, Yumir.¡± Yumir covered her face with her hands. Now. Ermina Sternfert was finished. She was alive, but in a state where you couldn¡¯t really say she was living. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be strange if she were dead. If it weren¡¯t for the nuisance of killing a member of the Sternfert family, she would have been killed for just this little annoyance. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In front of the Goblin, she didn¡¯t want to show the sight of killing a person. Because it seemed they wanted her to be a hero. Did the Goblin wish for Yumir to be a hero? If so¡­ For the next ¡®promise¡¯, Yumir decided to wait. She decided to ask all her doubts and suspicions on that day. There was not much time left until the full moon.
¡®It¡¯s about time.¡¯ By now, Yumir would have been safely moved to the rear. As the situation where the faculty, starting with Snow White, pointed their weapons at me continued to escte, I stretched out my hand to the side. ¡°Be careful! The Goblin is trying to do something!¡± One of the staff members, in other words, one of the people who rushed in to suppress the viin, gave out an order. They didn¡¯t look strong enough to give orders; they didn¡¯t feel like they emanated any magic power at all, but under theirmand, the ability users aimed their abilities at me to pressure me. ¡°Goblin! Surrender quietly!¡± [Why should I surrender?] ¡°We have Snow White!¡± [I know you have her, but that has nothing to do with my surrender.] ¡°Snow White! Are you nning to let the Goblin off the hook again?!¡± One of the faculty members made ament that crossed the line. I was slightly displeased, and imagined how Snow White, who heard it directly next to me, felt. [It¡¯s ridiculous that they turn the arrows on Snow White and me her when they can¡¯t catch me. Are they shifting their own ipetence onto others?] ¡°What, what did you say?!¡± [What an unpleasant thing to say.] I raised my Goblin Bat towards the person who spat out those disgusting words, but an ice wall was created at the end of it. [Are you protecting that kind of person?] ¡°Goblin. Why did you show up here?¡± [I saw it while passing by.] Strictly speaking, I saw it all while chasing after them, but since I really saw it while passing by, I decided to vaguely handle the situation with those words. [A true strong one should know how to protect the weak. If you take advantage of the weak just because you¡¯re strong and try to kill the weak when you get caught, then you¡¯re not a hero. You¡¯re just the trash of society trying to benefit yourself by using your superpowers.] ¡°You, you bastard! Are you talking about the student Ermina!¡± [Not just Ermina.] I pointed my bat at the faculty member beyond the ice wall again. [Superpower, physical strength, wealth, political power. Those who possess ¡®power¡¯ that epasses all of those things. I don¡¯t expect them to use that power for social justice at the cost of their own bodies, but those who try to benefit from that power, well, that¡¯s one thing, but I will not forgive those who use that power to harm or kill others. That¡¯s my rule, as the Goblin.] ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re just a viin!¡± [Just a viin? Do you really have the right to say that? Isn¡¯t it just that it hasn¡¯t been revealed yet, but you¡¯ve also done something that would get you called a viin if others heard about it?] ¡°There¡¯s no such thing!!¡± Whatever the truth was, it was fine. While saying this, I collected my remaining mana and calcted all the positions. [Well¡­ whatever happens, it doesn¡¯t matter. I just follow my beliefs.] ¡°Even if a viin ims to have beliefs¡­!!¡± [I punish the wicked. Even if they are known as heroes in the world.] I pointed the end of my bat at Snow White, at Baek Seol-hee. [Snow White. Listen well. The moment youmit an evil act, the moment you be a viin, I¡¯lle after you.] ¡°So, are you saying I shouldmit evil deeds to meet you?¡± [It would be difficult if you took my words that way. Well, it does sound fun.] I swung the bat over my head as if brushing it. [Don¡¯t expect too much. When that dayes, I¡¯ll dye the pure white snowfield with blood using this bat.] Materialization. Goblin Cloak. [The execution is over.] I left the scene as a spirit. Chapter 78: Where There Is Nationalism, There Is Duoexini (5) Chapter 78: Where There Is Nationalism, There Is Duoexini (5) Sejong Ind, inside an abandoned container warehouse in the military base. ¡°Ugh, ugh, heok¡­.¡± The young man coughed up blood and copsed onto the concrete floor. He was full of pain, and the blood wouldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Damn, that damned Goblin¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you get for jumping out like that.¡± A woman with a cast stepped up to the young man¡¯s side. The woman, who was as red as blood from head to toe, except for her chubby skin, reached out her hand towards the young man. ¡°I¡¯ll heal you soon. Just wait.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A cluster of red light seeped out from the woman¡¯s hand, and the wounds that had filled the young man¡¯s body started to heal rapidly. The rapid healing of the wounds? Or the elerated repair time of the cells in the wounded area? It was hard to tell just by looking at what the principle of her ability was, but it was definitely a power that was different from regr hemostasis. ¡°I¡¯ll put it on the tab. Pay ¡®Boots¡¯ unnie a shotter. Duoexini, sir.¡± ¡°You¡¯re noisy.¡± The young man, Duoexini, put on the mask he hadid on the floor again. Although the eye part was broken and the torn eye line was fully exposed, Duoexini only gritted his teeth as he fiddled with the painful part. ¡°Damn, that damned Goblin¡­!!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just admit it if you were one-sidedly attacked? It¡¯s not for nothing that he¡¯s an S-ss.¡± ¡°But his magical power is below average at best!¡± ¡°But he uses that magic so efficiently. Did he have any waste in using his magic? Did he overuse mana like you? No. And we still don¡¯t know what type his power is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Duoexini bowed his head heavily. A clear defeat. His best trick, ¡®High-speedbat¡¯, was immediately followed by the Goblin, who intercepted him even as if time had nearly stopped. ¡°Damn it. What trick did he use to get that power¡­ No, this is clearly strange. He doesn¡¯t have enough magical power for that. He¡¯s bringing mana from somewhere to use more than just using it efficiently.¡± ¡°Then what, do you think he¡¯s drawing power from something like sr energy?¡± ¡°Sr energy¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. How could he pull in suchrge amounts of mana in a natural state? He¡¯s probably just cramming mana into his body and using it as needed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Duoexini pressed his mask with his hand, lost in thought. ¡°Utilizing mana to the limit of efficiency while simultaneously drawing mana from an external source¡­?¡± ¡°Either way, your defeat remains the same.¡± ¡°¡­I won¡¯t lose next time.¡± Duoexini shed a determined look in his eyes. ¡°I will not be interfered with next time and will definitely not lose. And I will recruit that woman, ¡®Sr tina,¡¯ into our group.¡± ¡°The Gold Knight woman you¡¯re into?¡± ¡°Yes. I think I have a rough idea who she is.¡± Duoexini tapped the screen of the Taeguk Watch, which didn¡¯t have the Taeguk pattern, and soon, a cluster of light rose from the Taeguk Watch and began to twinkle like a hologram. It was a 3D disy. The twinkling blue light formed a figure, and the dispersed mana around it shed the woman¡¯s profile in text in mid-air. ¡°Ermina Sternfert?¡± ¡°Yes. The woman I made into a demon this time. Her name is Naberius.¡± ¡°You hate using English that much.¡± ¡°Would you put ournguage on a demon or a viin?¡± ¡°Haha, really.¡± Even though they were using a technology that didn¡¯t even exist in the mass-produced type Taeguk Watch, it was technology that was two to three generations ahead. They casually continued their conversation as they yed with the hologram as if it were something they had been using all along. ¡°So this woman is the Gold Knight?¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? Not this woman. Her partner¡­this woman is the Gold Knight.¡± sh. The hologram sparkled. There, within the profile information registered in Sejong Academy, was ¡®Yumir¡¯. ¡°How are you going to deal with this kid? E-ss? Was it wrongly noted?¡± ¡°It¡¯s correct. She¡¯s been hiding her identity. That¡¯s why a woman like Ermina dared to mess with her.¡± Duoexini handed one of the documents about Yumir to the woman in red, and the woman twisted the corner of her mouth into a smirk as she read the document. ¡°Ermina Sternfert, hiding the fact that she was consuming mana powder while searching for treasure, attacked Yumir. Who was her teammate?¡± ¡°It seems it¡¯s not a lie.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s interesting. She concealed her power, was attacked, and then revealed her original strength, embodying justice.¡± ¡°We need to manage this well going forward.¡± Duoexini sped the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Hongryeon. Listen carefully. Don¡¯t disclose anything about her identity to others. When you report, keep anything about the Golden Knight a secret.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°As of now, only you and I know about this. There¡¯s nothing about the Golden Knight anywhere.¡± ¡°You want to keep it a secret from the organization?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Duoexini struggled to his feet. ¡°The existence of the Golden Knight must not be known. She¡¯s still a green apple. It needs to ripen a bit more, to be red, to taste good¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°She needs to make her first appearance in a more dramatic setting. It¡¯s not cool to debut against someone like Ermina. We need to set up a bigger stage¡­.¡± Duoexini¡¯s eyes curved into half-moons. ¡°Isn¡¯t the practicum at Hero Development University in April?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the academy¡¯s regional practicum, then it¡¯s in April. Why? Do you n to hold everyone there and stage a massive hostage situation?¡± ¡°For the most perfect and dramatic entrance.¡± Duoexini stood up with his arms spread out. ¡°Can a great ss A Hero like Golden Knight make a name for herself just by catching someone like Naberius?¡± ng. The sound of the warehouse door opening could be heard from outside. ¡°Hey, Sergeant. It¡¯s real. We heard a ghostly voice inside¡­!¡± ¡°Hey. There¡¯s a lock outside. How could we hear voices¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Duoexini moved at the speed of light. Then he reached into a soldier¡¯s clothes and pulled out an object, grinning wickedly. ¡°You were smoking a cigarette.¡± Whoosh. Something pierced through the soldiers¡¯ hearts.
After themotion ended in the evening, I immediately returned to the safe ce, Brewer¡¯s house. ¡°There was quite amotion, right? The Goblin tried to kill an A-ss Hero.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t an A-ss Hero. It was a demon. Duoexini appeared.¡± ¡°¡­Out of nowhere?¡± ¡°He suddenly jumped out of the sea.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really unexpected.¡± While she didn¡¯t specifically contact me, Brewer was already aware of all the situations she could find on the inte. ¡°The situation was¡­¡± I told her everything I had experienced, and Brewer earnestly organized the keywords on the whiteboard. ¡°So, then the Four Heavenly Kings would pretend to be Pandemonium, trying to promote an S-ss super-powered individual named Yumir as a hero?¡± ¡°Yes. They would want to create an environment where the hero has no choice but to step in. Whether it¡¯s a hostage situation or terror.¡± ¡°So, they¡¯re having a Western demon put on a viin¡¯s mask while a hero in Korean traditional dress resolves the problem? That¡¯s fun. It¡¯s not even a child¡¯s idea, seriously.¡± ¡°Because they are children.¡± They were super-powered individuals. They were also, at most, 25 years old. Even if someone tempted them, they were the ones who would fall for it. ¡°So, what do you want to do, Director? Now, it seems like you¡¯re working on recruiting this student named Yumir.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking it might be a good idea to start recruiting seriously.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I intend to do my assigned task and prevent her from falling into the rival¡¯s hands.¡± The boss had said. Observe the situation at the academy and recruit those with outstanding abilities. ¡°We have recruited Baek Seol-hee to a certain extent, but there¡¯s a world of difference between switching due to reason and switching as a diehard. However¡­Yumir is a bit different. She¡¯s not a hero, just an ordinary college student.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to recruit her because she¡¯s different from the already-affiliated princess? Hehe. You do know that the same applies to them, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Even when I didn¡¯t think of her as the original main character, I had ns to draw her to my side. But now that she was the main character with purification abilities? She had be nothing short of a top priority, not first, but level zero priority. ¡°So, do we need to gather information about their group for Pandemonium?¡± ¡°Second priority.¡± ¡°First priority is? Student Yumir?¡± ¡°Yes. Specifically, the curriculum targeting Yumir.¡± This was my prediction, but I had a strong feeling that I didn¡¯t always need to watch Yumir. ¡°Those guys, especially Duoexini, will set up an extravagant scenario. They may appear in daily life and casually chat like a normal person, but it¡¯s more for warnings or simple persuasion. They won¡¯t intend to cause anyrge-scale incidents.¡± ¡°So, they will show up in more attention-grabbing ces, and that¡¯s likely to happen within the Academy¡¯s curriculum?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± It could be said that it was following the original story¡¯s flow. It could also be considered a predeterminedrge-scale event. Severalrge events existed in the regr curriculum of the Academy, such as field training, outdoor on-the-spot training, and overnight training. Originally, these were special events for romantic engagements with various heroines, but now their meanings will probably change a bit. ¡°Now, every time a big event unfolds around Yumir, I expect Duoexini to cause a ruckus, and I need to step in each time.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Duoexini try something else? Like attacking on a weekday?¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± There was a certain assurance as a viin. ¡°He wants Yumir, the magical girl Gold Priestess, to be a hero. And he hopes that the hero will walk the same path as they do.¡± Just like a certain clown who exhausted all means to shatter the identity of Batman while knowing he was a rich man but never touching the rich man himself. ¡°I¡¯ll make Yumire to our side.¡± ¡°But what if something goes wrong, Manager Do?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Manager Do, you¡¯re currently recruiting Baek Seol-hee as well. Isn¡¯t it like walking on thin ice, trying to two-time?¡± ¡°¡­For that, I have a good n.¡± I raised my cup filled with soju toward Brewer. ¡°Even if I¡¯m two-timing or octopus-legging, I just need to make them like me.¡± ¡°¡­And on what grounds?¡± ¡°That is, of course¡­.¡± After I put down the soju-filled cup, I pointed upwards with one hand and downwards with the other. ¡°With the Goblin Bat.¡± ¡°¡­You seem pretty confident.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been doing business with that until now.¡± Me. The inept Manager Do Jihwan, also known as the Goblin. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m in the same rank as the four directors under the chairman for nothing?¡± A man who could ¡®persuade¡¯ anything with a Goblin Bat. ¡°I think I need to change the policy.¡± If it was a man, I would have killed him. But if it was a woman. That was. I killed men. And women, I- Chapter 79: The Path Of The Goblin Chapter 79: The Path Of The Goblin Ermina Sternfert. A ss-A ability user. She had the ability to infuse her voice with mana and create sonic waves. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Everything that could be called ¡®hers¡¯ was gone when she opened her eyes. The mana that had filled her body had evaporated without a trace, and she was being crushed by a deep fatigue that she had never felt before since bing an ability user. It was as if something resembling a mass of water was pressing down on her. All she could see in her blurred vision was a set of clothing that looked like hospital attire. Although there was nothing on top of her, her body felt heavy. ¡°I am¡­.¡± ¡°Have youe to your senses?¡± She was lying in a ce that looked like a hospital. She wasn¡¯t just lying there. Something bound her hands and feet; she was ¡®restrained.¡¯ ¡°How did this¡­.¡± ¡°Where should I start the exnation?¡± A man who looked like a staff member pulled out a tablet with a stern voice. ¡°Don¡¯t scream, and just listen carefully. I have quite a lot to tell you. Please don¡¯t interrupt by saying things like ¡®What are you talking about?!¡¯ or ¡®That¡¯s ridiculous!¡¯ What I¡¯m about to say is all ¡®true.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What on earth was he trying to say? Ermina did not understand this ¡®Non-ability user¡¯ who was annoyingly and irritatingly sending her a disdainful look. ¡°One. You attacked your colleague Yumir during the March outdoor training. You intended to ingest the mana powder that was inside the cave. Yumir discovered it, and you attacked Yumir to shut her up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous-¡± ¡°Do not deny it. The Inspection Team and the investigators havepleted all the investigations. All the evidence of your crime has been secured. Your Taeguk Watch, Yumir¡¯s Taeguk Watch. The data inside them. We have them all.¡± ¡°Hah¡­.¡± She wanted to deny it, calling it a false charge, but her Taeguk Watch was already not on her wrist. ¡°How dare you tamper with my Taeguk Watch¡­!¡± ¡°Two. Ermina Sternfert has been expelled. Shemitted two acts that a student should never do. She tampered with mana powder and attempted to kill a fellow student.¡± ¡°Even so, just an E-rank¡­!¡± ¡°Three.¡± The faculty member interrupted with a cold voice, deliberately pausing to take a deep breath. ¡°Ermina Sternfert is no longer an A-rank ability user. You have lost all your mana and have be incapable of using your superpowers.¡± ¡°What did you say¡­?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you feeling it yourself?¡± ¡°Ah, Aah¡­. Ahhhhhhh!¡± Ermina screamed. Not because she was in pain but because her voice was one of her superpowers. ¡°¡­128 decibels. That¡¯s high. That¡¯s the maximum frequency you can produce. It¡¯s clearly different from when you shout, filled with mana.¡± ¡°The, the machine is broken¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s the case. As a superhuman, you should know better. Right now, you are in a total loss state, having lost all your mana.¡± ¡°I, I am at a total loss¡­?! That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that something is impossible too often. What I¡¯m saying might be hard to believe, but it¡¯s all true. Even your hair has turned white now, and all your powers are gone. You are indeed in a state of total loss¡­ a ¡®loss of superpower¡¯ state.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Her special abilities were gone. The powers she had from birth, the powers she had always used after establishing her identity, were gone. ¡°It¡¯s extremely rare, but it was amon phenomenon in ces like Quebec, Canada, and New York, USA.¡± ¡°But, but that¡¯s just fewer than 10 people¡­ here in Sejong Ind¡­!¡± ¡°You are the first case. Well, it might have something to do with the Goblin who attacked you.¡± ¡°The one who attacked me was not the Goblin-¡± She couldn¡¯t speak. Something was stuck in her throat like a rope, and she couldn¡¯t speak anymore. ¡°¡­If there¡¯s something that the investigators haven¡¯t clearly figured out, it¡¯s the process of how you were attacked by the Goblin.¡± ¡°I was¡­ huh?!¡± ¡°The Goblin really messed up. Did it impose a curse? Did the Goblin cast a curse? Did the Goblin somehow eliminate your abilities?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­! The one who did this to me¡­!¡± Even though the faculty member asked several times, Ermina couldn¡¯t say anything. Because of the curse. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you are the first case of an ability user losing their superpowers due to the Goblin. This is also living proof that the Goblin has the ability to remove an ability user¡¯s superpowers.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­!¡± ¡°Was there someone else then?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± ¡°It seems like a ¡®Geumje¡¯ is activated. Each time you try to speak, a red line-like thing shes. That the Goblin could use such ability too¡­though it may not be in reality, there¡¯s a possibility¡­¡± ¡°Uh, ugh¡­!¡± She couldn¡¯tmunicate. Ermina tried to somehow get up and find someone tomunicate with, but she was utterly bound by the constraints around her wrists and ankles. ¡°Untie me now! What is this! I am¡­ Sternfert!¡± ¡°Yes. Not an A-ss ability user, just a person of Sternfert. All investigation materials about the current situation have already been sent to the Stern family by the academy. And this is the official position of the Stern family.¡± The faculty member pulled out a video prepared on a tablet. ¡°Grandfather¡­?¡± There was an old man with half of his hair that had fallen out, in a ck suit, giving a press conference. [Sorry.] The serious-looking man said the word in somewhat broken Korean and bowed his waist at 90 degrees beside the podium. [I apologize for my mistake of not raising my granddaughter properly. I will take responsibility by stepping down from the position of thepany¡¯s chairman,pensating marily for the damage caused by my granddaughter, and apologizing sincerely to the victims.] ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know what Mana Powder is? Regardless of why it was there, Mana Powder is¡­¡± The faculty member shook his head solemnly. ¡°Ash from under 25 years of age.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ermina Sternfert.¡± The faculty member flipped to thest screen on the tablet. ¡°You have the right to remain silent¡­.¡± ¡°Wait!! Why, why are you reciting the Miranda Rights to me! I am, unrted to it, an ¡®ability user¡¯!!¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t admit it, the world has recognized you. You are an ¡®ordinary person¡¯¡­ ¡®a non-ability user¡¯ to whom the Miranda Rights apply.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line. It¡¯s lucky for you that you¡¯ve lost all your abilities. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be in this world now.¡± The faculty member stood up from his seat with the tablet. ¡°The Goblin executes viins without mercy.¡±
[Why don¡¯t you kill the woman who¡¯s gone mad over the corpse of young kids?] ¡°I don¡¯t need to get my hands bloody when society will kill her by itself.¡± I found myself responding loudly to the abundant slurs against Ermina that were filling the intemunity. [¡­Despite the Chairman of Stern¡¯s apology and resignation through a press conference, the animosity towards Stern doesn¡¯t seem to be lessening. Not only domestically but also overseas, protests are taking ce in front of various Stern branches, with Stern¡¯s cars being set on fire or damaged¡­] Most of the stories had already surfaced on the news that I had turned on to see how the general public was reacting to the events. Regardless of how the world had be, there were ethical boundaries that mustn¡¯t be crossed. Mana Powder was a direct vition of that boundary, and that was why no one dared to touch it easily. ¡®In the original, the protagonist hated such things, so she stopped it, so that was fortunate.¡¯ In the original story, after Ermina fell for the protagonist in volume 1, she didn¡¯t openly talk about taking Mana Powder. However, Ermina in this world no longer had to do so-called likability actions towards the protagonist, and she probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to show her face outside anymore. The original story had changed. Whether it was due to my actions or Yumir¡¯s. Now that I was no longer a pitiful low-rank Goblin from an evil organization but a new entity called ¡®me¡¯, the main flow of the original has changed. The protagonist was a male. That was why I tried to kill him. But the protagonist was a female. Did that mean I should necessarily still kill the protagonist? ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± I headed to the bathroom for a shower. After bingpletely nude, I stood in the shower booth, enjoying the water falling from above all over my body, and pondered. ¡°¡­¡­If the genre has changed, I should adapt to the new genre.¡± The fundamental reason I tried to kill the protagonist was to prevent the world from ending. I tried to eliminate a being that risked destroying the world to protect the world governed by the chief, a world united under one ideology, even if it was a crappy world. To prevent the meteor ending, I intended to deal with the protagonist in the easiest way possible. That was because he had lost his mind in that ending. But if it was a girl, it would be different. Unlike a man, I could somehow take care of a woman¡¯s mentality by keeping her by my side. -Jihwan oppa, do you really want to see me go crazy? Wasn¡¯t dealing with a womanplicated? Wasn¡¯t it easier to take care of a man? -Jihwan hyung, do you really want to see me lose my mind? ¡­If that happened, wouldn¡¯t I end up finding a way to drop a meteor? ¡°I can¡¯t help it because I¡¯m a man, and she¡¯s a woman.¡± I was sorry to the original protagonist, but this was a natural course of events. ¡°All of this is to protect the world that the chief will govern.¡± Yumir was a woman. ¡°I will keep Yumir by my side and take care of her exclusively.¡± A woman. The heroine. ¡®To protect this world, Earth, I will be a scumbag.¡¯ Even making her a mother was a way to prevent world destruction. Yes. That was the path of the viin, the Goblin. Chapter 80: How To Capture A Hero (1) Chapter 80: How To Capture A Hero (1) About a week had passed since the treasure huntingmotion. Ermina Sternfert began her defense with legal professionals from her homnd. She became an ordinary person. Her future as a dazzling A-ss ability user disappeared, and now she was left to live the life of an utterly ipetent person, at least ording to her own judgment. The Koreannguage could be so nuanced. A one-letter difference, yet the nuance or feeling embedded in the word could vary greatly. Ability user or non-ability user. This was from the perspective of someone who had abilities. Superhuman and Ordinary person. This was from the perspective of someone without abilities. However, those who believed in the ¡®superiority¡¯ of abilities described themselves as superhumans, and referred to non-superhumans or ordinary people as ¡®incapable¡¯. Those who were not born with the blessing of superpowers. Unlike themselves, the generation that would lead the new era, these were the beings of an outdated era that should be extinct and disappear. During the wandering years of adolescence, due to the influence of the environment, those who thought that only those with abilities were superior sometimes treated those without superpowers as ¡®disabled¡¯. If those with physical deficiencies were considered disabled. Then, to ability users, ordinary people were ¡®deficient¡¯ of super abilities. From an ordinary person¡¯s perspective, this was an extremely unpleasant and detestable viewpoint, but would it change even if you told them their thinking was wrong? Not at all. It would not change. One was born with special abilities, and losing one¡¯s powers was impossible. Some time ago, it was rumored that such a thing happened in North America, but people didn¡¯t care much because they were idents that happened by chance. But¡­ Now, the situation has changed. Whether this was a misunderstanding or not, whether it was true or not, we could not know. But given the circumstances, the concerned party who could confirm this was unable to say anything, and the subject to ask if they really had such abilities had disappeared without a trace. ¡°-Goblin, can you erase abilities?¡± People began to wonder. And this was no different for the organization. With the help of Brewer, I temporarily left Sejong Ind and headed to Busan, then straight up to Seoul and entered my house. ¡°Ah, this is Manager Do Ji-Hwan.¡± And I greeted them. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve greeted each other directly. Nice to see you, Chairwoman. And directors.¡± Through video conferencing via a special ry device in my house in Seoul, I greeted the leader and executives of Yi Maemangyang on a channel that did not fall under government surveince. No one showed their faces. They were each wearing masks ording to their own concept, but I had already confirmed the faces under the masks separately. I was also wearing a mask. The reason for wearing a mask was that everyone had to maintain their concept from their respective positions or because they could not show their faces. It was not that they were inconveniently wearing masks to solidify the concept of a secret society meeting. [Was it difficult to get out? It doesn¡¯t seem like it should have taken a week.] ¡°It was harder than I thought. People were going in and out from Germany to Sejong Ind, and since an A-ss ability user lost her superpower, the entire Sejong Ind was on alert.¡± [We were also on alert. Even if the reportes in, we need to be able to believe it.] The woman who had directly received the report, Gunggi, brought up a document on the screen. [Yumir. Are you saying this woman has purified Ermina Sternfert, who became a devil?] ¡°Yes. I suspect she might be the party responsible for the series of events that happened in North America, which caused a total loss of mana.¡± [The method is to directly extract the seed of the devil that nests in the belly of one who became a devil?] ¡°Yes.¡± I did not have visual material, so I could not visuallymunicate what I had seen, but I conveyed the situation in detail. ¡°She inserted her hand, which had turned gold, into Ermina¡¯s abdomen. The hand made of mana prated Ermina¡¯s abdomen, but no blood sttered. It did not affect the human body; instead, she took out the devil¡¯s seed she had grasped in her hand and put it into a golden bead.¡± [Ruyi Jingu Bang.] At the leader¡¯s words, the other executives paused for a moment. It was a bit surprising that the leader, who usually didn¡¯t speak much, said something and that the word was not an ordinary word. It was rted to the leader¡¯s superpower, which made everyone flustered. [There¡¯s no need to be surprised. Whether it¡¯s sealing an ability in a bead or sealing a demon in a bead, the mechanism is the same.] [Just because the mechanism is the same doesn¡¯t mean just anyone can do it, Chief.] [Then it means that only that woman called Yumir and I can use this technique in the whole world.] Yumir had used the Chief¡¯s technique. Although extraction was the pr opposite of what the Chief did, the act of extracting something from an ability user was the same. [Yumir. tinum Sun. Sr tina. She¡¯s currently meeting with Manager Do as a teacher and student?] ¡°¡­Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡± The real proposal would start from now. [What do you think, Manager Do?] ¡°I think she¡¯s worth drawing into Gyeolsa.¡± [What about when you put your personal feelings aside?] ¡°Yes. Her ability is incredibly outstanding, and she doesn¡¯t seem to have a strong desire to walk the path of a hero. Leaving everything else aside, if Pandemonium¡­ keeps trying to recruit her from that angle, I think it would be better to recruit her into Gyeolsa first.¡± A woman with special abilities. Moreover, her ability was somewhat simr to the Chief¡¯s. [What kind of magical power do you feel from her?] ¡°I think it was at least an S-ss.¡± [Well, if she carries that massive mana pouch and isn¡¯t S-ss, that would be strange.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Regardless of the size of her mana pouch, Yumir simply has a lot of mana. [So what¡¯s your n, Manager Do? How are you going to recruit her into Gyeolsa?] ¡°I will dedicate myself to bringing Yumir to our side in Gyeolsa.¡± [Hmm¡­.] A somewhat scoffing sigh came out from the Chief. [Manager Do. I have a question.] ¡°Please go ahead, Daool.¡± [So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll flirt with Yumir to make her only look at you and ensure she doesn¡¯t betray Gyeolsa?] ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡± That was the bombshell. I felt like I was now standing on the execution block, about to be dissected by these women. [Is that the best n you¡¯ve thought of, Manager Do?] ¡°Isn¡¯t that the most certain resource I have to convince her? For the sake of our goal, we should not be picky about our means and methods. That¡¯s what you¡¯ve always said, Director.¡± [Still, I¡¯m a bit opposed to the idea that the method is through the use of your looks.] One of the directors outright rejected my strategy. [Do we really need to recruit her that badly just because she has power? What about recruiting her in another way?] ¡°What kind of way are you suggesting?¡± [Acting like a true viin. Take hostages, or purely recruit her as a part of therge organization, or make her an offer she can¡¯t refuse!] ¡°Those might be ways too, but unfortunately, ording to the data we have researched, Yumir currently doesn¡¯t have any weaknesses.¡± I disyed briefly on the screen the contents of Yumir¡¯s personal information from the reports Brewer had investigated. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any family. She was raised in an orphanage in Canada, and that orphanage was wiped outpletely by a viin attack.¡± Although Yumir hasn¡¯t directly said it to me yet, she didn¡¯t have a family. Theck of background information on the protagonist made me wonder if this was correct. For a moment, I wanted to kill the author who hadn¡¯t fully unraveled the protagonist¡¯s settings before they came to Korea. ¡°Yumir is a person who wants affection. Especially now, she is being ostracized among her peers for being a foreign E-ss ability user. She is less attractive than the people here, but if there¡¯s an additional seat on the board, she could be by the side, so she would be envied and targeted.¡± Objectively, she wouldn¡¯t lose against the Chief inparison, but if I said such a thing, I could be punished immediately, so I decided to moderate it properly. ¡°I will use that point. If the agenda passes, I will use my full power to seduce Yumir and make her one of us in our organization.¡± [Director Do. Are you nning to build a harem?] ¡°How dare I dream of such a thing as a harem. However.¡± I stood up from my seat and bowed politely. ¡°I will devote myself to the organization and do my best to achieve the chief¡¯s grand dream.¡± [Okay.] The Chief¡¯s answer came. [Subdue Yumir. Make her move for the organization. Don¡¯t choose the means and methods. Mobilize everything that Director Do can. However.] The Chief attached a condition. [Tell her you¡¯re married.] ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± What did she just say? [Tell her you¡¯re married. If she sincerely tries to seduce you even after knowing you¡¯re married? Then I¡¯ll approve.] ¡°Chief?¡± [Isn¡¯t that right? Whether a married man tries to seduce her or not, if she knows he¡¯s married and still dates him, that bes ¡®adultery¡¯.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Chief was¡­ [Nice. Make her have a guilt that she can¡¯t erase for a lifetime. There is no easier way to make her a viin.] Something. [By the way, say you have a kid too.] ¡°Chief, should I go there right now?¡± [No, no. I¡¯m talking seriously right now. I¡¯m not angry. I¡¯m really talking seriously, so listen carefully.] It was going out of control. At the same time. [Make Yumir have the psychological debt of being an adulteress for her lifetime. Isn¡¯t that the true ¡®fall of the viin¡¯? The fact that she dated a married man who has a child.] She knew how to use a person¡¯s weakness too well. [Make her into someone who cannot be epted by anyone in this world except the organization.] Chapter 81: How To Capture A Hero (2) Chapter 81: How To Capture A Hero (2) Most heroes were affiliated with the government. The state conferred the status of ¡®public servants¡¯ to bind them legally in some way and utilized every possible means and method to maintain the status of a hero. And as the state moved so diligently, other forces also spared no effort to make ability users into their allies. For instance, such as in the case of conglomerates. Take ¡®Haegnul¡¯ for example; they tried to recruit ability users by any means necessary using money. They offered the ability users themselves a significant signing bonus and payment and continuously provided substantial financial support to their families, aiming to make the ability user an agent affiliated with Haegnul. Unlike the heroes affiliated with the state or government, the private heroes who work through agencies could not be easily dealt with by the state. In ce of the government backing, they had dinosaur-sizedpanies backing them, so the government couldn¡¯t directly confront thesepanies. At best, they could only put pressure on them through tax investigations or seizures and searches. From the state¡¯s perspective, they may want to argue as to how dare apany challenge a country, but from thepany¡¯s perspective, they desired to maximize profit without paying attention to the state¡¯s concern, and that was the reality. This disagreement was now being yed out over the acquisition of ability users. The government supported using all benefits possible within the country. The corporations recruit ability users by offering more support in ways that the government could not. Yi Maemangryang¡¯s recruitment strategy fell closer to thetter. Being a multinational and transnationalpany, we aimed to recruit ability users in various fields through economic support. In other words, Yi Maemangryang was a corporation bound by capital. The Chairwoman, directors, and everyone else, except me, were somewhat tied to money. But aside from the financial aspect, if there was something we all had inmon, it was our belief that ¡®the world¡¯ that Yi Maemangryang would create would undoubtedly be more stable and have less conflict than the current world. We all worked in Yi Maemangryang because we sincerely believed in the vision created by the Chairwoman and that people like the Chairwoman and her descendants would guide the world in the right direction. That was the vision of those who entered Yi Maemangryang. So, how should I bring Yumir into Yi Maemangryang? I suggested using the Seduction method, and the Chairwoman actively supported this. The meeting ended. But my conversation with the Chairwoman was not over. ¡°Chairwoman, if you think my idea is wrong, please tell me directly. I will find another way.¡± [No, I meant what I said sincerely.] I made a separate call to the Chairwoman to check on her condition. [I¡¯m not the type of woman to say ¡®I¡¯m not mad¡¯ while being angry. Neither are you, Mr. Do. If I don¡¯t like something, you¡¯d stop immediately and find another method, wouldn¡¯t you?] ¡°Of course.¡± That was a given. If the Chairwoman didn¡¯t like something, I would even give up my life as a librarian. [The reason Mr. Do said he would seduce her must be because that¡¯s an effective method, right?] ¡°Rather than that, the current situation has be so.¡± [Then, you casually bestow favors, give help, and give advice, then you have frequent meetings, eventually have meals together, have a drink, and end up having breakfast together the next day, right?] ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t yet woken up with Yumir in the morning.¡± With Yumir. [Then how about Baek Seol-hee?] ¡°About her¡­¡± I took out a meme that had been circting on the inte. ¡°I have created an image of a slightly libertine and free-spirited man.¡± It was not a big deal. I simply posted a trivial story and itsments titled [Couple found buying two boxes of treasonous goods]. That couple, of course, was Brewer and me. During the treasure hunt, I stayed at Brewer¡¯s house for an alibi, and thanks to the Taeguk Watch that kept staying at Brewer¡¯s house, the alibi was perfect. No one hade to investigate me yet, but someday, when someone investigated my actions, they would think. -He was at this woman¡¯s house for three days during the time the Goblin appeared? ¡­ They must have been together. He must be a Goblin. Ah, he must have been thumping a chest with a Goblin¡¯s Bat. -By the way, he¡¯s an impressive person to not leave a woman¡¯s house for three days. -What? He didn¡¯te out of the house, but there¡¯s no evidence he stayed there the whole time? Hey! Look at the data now. They were watching a movie together, paused the movie in the middle, did they plot like viins together! They would think like that. I created a situation so they would think that way. [You bought two boxes of treasonous goods at a convenience store. You created quite a libertine image, didn¡¯t you?] ¡°It¡¯s a fact.¡± [I know best. Our Director Do¡¯s physical prowess is¡­] In response to the Chairwoman¡¯s words, I remained silent. [Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?] ¡°If there¡¯s one person I can¡¯t handle, it¡¯s the Chairwoman.¡± [I appreciate thepliment. But I¡¯m currently debuffed and unable to respond, so please show off your physical prowess to others.] Laughter filled the Chairwoman¡¯s voice. [Thanks to Director Do, the executives were able to strengthen their bonds, and thanks to that, the atmosphere at this base ispletely different from half a year ago. Instead of a hyena aiming for the Chairwoman¡¯s seat, we¡¯ve be an East-West in the true sense, dreaming of a future together.] ¡°Are we notrades orrades-in-arms?¡± [Yes, yes. Comrades. Anyway, it¡¯s been proven that your method is the most effective, so let¡¯s give a proper beating to the S-ss and S-ss suspects. I¡¯m fine with it.] ¡°Since you¡¯ve already given your permission¡­¡± [Is there something you¡¯re hesitating about?] ¡°What should I do if they ask to meet my wife in person?¡± [¡­Hmm. Use my picture then.] ¡°Your photo is not widely known to the public. Do Ji-hwan is an untouchable figure, won¡¯t there be misunderstandings?¡± [Use my true appearance.] ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± No. Wait. ¡°Do you intend to make me into a sex offender?¡± [I¡¯m already a viin, so what difference does a red line make?] ¡°But it¡¯s not appropriate to leak your true appearance carelessly. The executives only found out at the Christmas partyst year.¡± [It doesn¡¯t matter. People will continue to see my public face, and only our ¡®family¡¯ will know my true self.] ¡°¡­Are you including them in the family too?¡± [Seeing Director Do rte with these two women among so many, I think it¡¯s okay to let them be family after verifying their intentions. They are S-sses.] The Chairwoman believed in the supremacy of power. I was favored because I had demonstrated my ability. The protagonist caught the Chairwoman¡¯s attention in the original work by showing tremendous ability. ¡°Do you think Baek Seol-hee and Yumir are helpful to your n, Chairwoman?¡± [It doesn¡¯t really matter if they¡¯re not there, but it¡¯s nice if they are. They would be troublesome if they turned against us.] ¡°You¡¯re saying we must recruit them.¡± [If you¡¯re not going to kill them, you have to recruit them. That¡¯s how it goes with these people.] The Chairwoman had made her policy clear. [I¡¯m not trying to recruit simply because they¡¯re S-ss. I believe in Director Do¡¯s eyes, your intuition, and your choices.] It was set in the direction of infinite trust towards me. [Baek Seol-hee, Yumir. Try your best to make them our allies. And it would be great if we could be close enough to cut watermelons together in the valley and spend a night together. Hehe. It seems like you¡¯ll have to exercise hard until Christmas, right? I¡¯m not sure how many people you¡¯ll have to deal with.] ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± [Right now, there are 5 people, plus Baek Seol-hee and Yumir. And if more are added, the number will increase, right? Won¡¯t you have to use some kind of Goblin cloning technique in the future?] ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be polite. Treating people with clones.¡± A clone was just a fake. It was deceptive to treat someone who was sincere towards me with a fake version of myself. [¡­¡­It does sound somewhat strange when Manager Do says it, but it is okay. I trust Manager Do, so contact me whenever you need my help.] ¡°Of course. But, Chairwoman.¡± I asked carefully. ¡°Um, is it okay to reveal the ¡®gold¡¯ you gave me to others?¡± [¡­¡­.] The Chairwoman fell silent. [That¡­. umm.] I could hear the sound of her rubbing her clothes. [I¡¯ll reveal it when we meet next Christmas, so until then, please figure it out yourself. It¡¯s okay to lie, make excuses, or even tell the truth.] ¡°But, Chairwoman.¡± [Even if you told the truth and they still rushed into an affair, that would indeed be amazing. Okay. Let¡¯s do that. Manager Do? It¡¯s an order.] The Chairwomanmanded me while letting out a softugh. [Enjoy yourself freely until next Christmas. After that, you won¡¯t be able to go anywhere even if you want to.] Chapter 82: How To Capture A Hero (3) Chapter 82: How To Capture A Hero (3) Approaching as a married man, forming a romantic rtionship, and then seducing them into bing a viin. The Chief was nning to establish mental dominance by turning Baek Seol-hee, Yumir, and potentially many other women into adultresses. The n for my approach as Do Ji-hwan was now clear. The remaining question was how to approach them as the Goblin. ¡®There¡¯s a reason I purposely came to Seoul.¡¯ Do Ji-hwan was in Seoul. The Goblin was on Sejong Ind. I must put up with such inconvenience to separate Do Ji-hwan and the Goblin. Click. I removed the Taegeuk Watch and transformed into the Goblin while producing one item. Meow. ¡°I entrust it to you.¡± It was a virtual cat created by the Goblin¡¯s baseball bat. It was not really a cat, nor was it an intricate familiar. Just a cat that could wander anywhere inside the room. I attached the Taegeuk Watch to the cat¡¯s back. ¡°Go to the dining table, then to the bathroom, and so on. From now on, you move ording to my lifestyle patterns. Understood?¡± Meow. After creating my alibi with the spirit cat, I easily changed clothes while keeping Do Ji-hwan¡¯s face as it normally was. Mana was being released from my body, but it was possible to wear new clothes over it after the transformation. If I used mana again, the clothes would tear, but that wouldn¡¯t be a big problem. When I meet her, I would not be Do Ji-hwan but the suited gentleman, the Goblin. Flutter. I pulled the curtain back and opened the veranda window. There was a safety railing to prevent falls, but as always, I jumped out while holding the railing. The outside was full of darkness. No matter how bustling Seoul¡¯s night was, it felt ghostly, and the same went for the apartment where I lived. Thud. People didn¡¯t realize as I lightly conjured up mana and gently touched the ground just beforending. Seoul was ruined. Those living in this world¡¯s Seoul were all poor, and they were not awake at thiste hour. From morning to evening, they worked hard and returned home too exhausted even for a shower. Theyy down on their beds, dazedly dozed off for an hour, and then struggled to get up to prepare for tomorrow. They were the ones who could make a living in this world, so they were all busy surviving without any interest in their surroundings. Even if there were passing pedestrians, they didn¡¯t care about me. Whether I came out of the front door or suddenly popped out of the bushes, their only concern was the hope of a new life in their daily repetitive routine. Although the poor of any other world would be like this, the poor of this world particrlycked such hope. Even if they did have hope, it eventually came down to children. But to have children, one had to get married. Even if they got married, could they give birth to an ability user? If not an ability user, then what about the children who were born? I climbed onto the bike I had prepared in advance. It was not something I usually rode as a hobby, but a disposable bike prepared through a secret operation under a false name. Vroom¡ª With a rough exhaust sound, the bike quickly drove off the road. There might be some who woke up from sleep and got angry about thete-night bike ride, but I didn¡¯t need to mobilize a car just to move by myself. I was going to ignore traffic signals anyway, and a motorcycle could run through morefortably than a car. Whoosh¡ª As soon as I crossed the bridge, I could hear the wind sweeping over the surface of the Han River. My original world had all kinds of hopeful phrases filled on the railings to prevent suicides, but there was nothing like that here. Ssh. I heard something fall into the water. I stopped the bike and approached the direction of the sound, and there was a pair of shoes left alone in front of the railing. ¡°A suicide pact, maybe.¡± There were two pairs of shoes with a rtive size difference as if a man and a woman jumped together. By now, they were probably struggling in the water, regretting their leap, and drowning while choking. ¡°Tsk. Anyway¡­ Huh?¡± I could hear a faint sound of breathing from somewhere. Looking next to the shoes, I saw something that resembled a small basket. ¡°¡­Insane?¡± I almost let out a curse unknowingly. I hurriedly checked the contents of the basket, and upon seeing it, I made my decision. ¡°Damn¡­!¡± With the basket firmly tucked under my arm, I sped off on my bike towards the southeast. I drove even faster than when I left the apartment, at a speed that would make one question its legality on the streets of Seoul. If a CCTV camera were recording me, it would surely capture a man speeding at an insane speed. But for me, preserving this basket and the life inside it was paramount. Following the Han River and speeding along the national highway, I arrived at arge building in a countryside town even quieter than Seoul. A temple. A temple located alone in the tranquility of the mountain. As soon as I stopped my bike, I rushed inside with the basket. ¡°Monk!!¡± ¡°¡­ I was wondering why you would visit at thiste hour.¡± A monk emerged from within the temple. He was an elderly man who, if not for his shaven head and monk¡¯s robes, wouldn¡¯t have looked out of ce as a corporate director. ¡°Please look after this child¡­!¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s alive. Thanks to the fact that there are many warming materials in the basket. Otherwise, it might have frozen to death if the weather was a bit colder.¡± The monk cautiously picked up the living entity, ¡®the child¡¯, from the basket and cradled it. The child was fast asleep, almost eerily so, and the monk was soothing it with whispered words. ¡°You should have reported it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on duty as a captain. I left my Taeguk Watch that could have been used for reporting, and I¡¯m just stopping by on my way.¡± ¡°You¡¯re working hard, Captain. Would you like to rest a bit? The children who are awake will be happy to hear that the Captain hase.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s difficult right now. I need to go to the East Sea right away and cross the ocean.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You need to erase even the fact that you visited here. I understand. I¡¯ll handle itter. But at least have a cup of coffee before you leave. Think of it as a rest stop.¡± ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t stay long.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve entrusted the bay to the older children. They will take good care of it, so please rest easy for a while.¡± The monk, whose Dharmic name was ¡®Samuel¡¯, handed me a paper cup. ¡°I¡¯ll have a smoke too.¡± ¡°Monk Samuel?¡± ¡°On a day like this, even God won¡¯t say anything about having a smoke.¡± Click. ¡°Do you seek God in the temple?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve changed my appearance for the sake of the children, but God knows that I have a cross in my heart. Buddha would naturally show greatpassion in such matters. Well¡­ if He says I did something wrong after I die¡­¡± Samuel lit a cigarette with his legs crossed. ¡°I have no regrets about my actions, so I¡¯ll take the punishment sweetly.¡± ¡°¡­How many are there today?¡± ¡°34.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± There were too many. The number of children in this small temple was just too much. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. This ce served not only as a temple but also as an ¡®orphanage¡¯. ¡°Fortunately, thepany is providing financial support. Since you, Captain, havee, we have be somewhat prosperous. We can easily take in about 10 more.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll wear yourself out, monk.¡± ¡°If this body is burnt to provide shade for children abandoned by their parents, what¡¯s the problem?¡± Samuel, with a cold face, pulled out a piece of paper from his robe. [I¡¯m sorry. Please raise it.] ¡°Does it not have a name?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a child born with serious thought of naming and calling it. By any chance, do you like games? Do you know ¡®Pocket Monster¡¯?¡± ¡°I know.¡± It was a game that I yed a lot in elementary school. The trend continued in this world, and it was released in apletely new form after 2000. All of the things I knew had changed since the so-called third generation, and when I was sure the world wouldn¡¯t end, I nned to take a month off and go through everything. ¡°Did you, by any chance, also participate in the battles?¡± ¡°¡­I onlypleted the story.¡± ¡°Well, let me exin. When people fight against each other, the basic talent of the monster used in the battle should be outstanding. It¡¯s something like a 6v6, but¡­ if I exin in detail, your head might hurt. Well, then, I won¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± Samuel exhaled arge puff of smoke towards the ceiling. ¡°They tried to turn their lives around by having a gifted child but ended up having a normal child and abandoned it. It¡¯s like they scratched a ten-month lottery ticket, and since they didn¡¯t win, they discarded it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Did you say you didn¡¯t look for the parents? You did well. Those who treat their children like that, God and Buddha will send a straight punch from both sides.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Or perhaps a Goblin broke their head while they were alive.¡± Samuel let out a deep sigh. ¡°Captain Do, I believe in the group. If the group dominates the world, they will definitely take care of¡­ no, the abandoned children will disappear. The chairman will surely create such a world. You think so too, right, Captain Do?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I decided to trust and follow the leader because I had seen this situation firsthand. ¡°A world without children who are abandoned for not being born gifted. I believe it will definitelye.¡± A year had passed. Numerous children were born. And some ceased to exist. Because of these abilities. Just for that one reason. Chapter 83: How To Capture A Hero (4) Chapter 83: How To Capture A Hero (4) There were good and bad aspects of the world, but this world had a lot more downsides than the one I used to live in. An era where special abilities were prioritized. An era where money could not solve everything. If your body was not in good shape, you could make it through exercise and medicine. If you didn¡¯t have a good-looking face, you could live with a handsome and beautiful body even through stic surgery. But this era was different. No matter how much money you had, there was no way to be a gifted individual. There were even efforts to use that money to research how to be gifted. And here was reality¡¯s cold, dirty, rational, and garbage-like aspect. [Do you know how many children are born in a year?] I left the temple and rode my bike again, using the burner phone I received from Monk Samuel to y a video on a streaming site. [Yes, you¡¯re correct. We were worried about the low birthrate and aging society since 2000, but fortunately, the birthrate didn¡¯t decrease. After 2000, everyone started having children.] Newborns inevitably turned out to be gifted. People wanted to pass on gifted abilities to their children, so they started having children everywhere. [Would the newly growing gifted individuals have any reason? There are parents killed by gifted children, and there are many people killed by the gifted. Even in the north, they tried to turn a gifted child into a nuclear weapon, but the child blew their heads off. So many people died like that.] Many died. [Even in Seoul. After 2000, where was the highest concentration of maternity clinics? Obviously, it was Seoul. Everyone was having children, and then the gifted would go berserk there. People died in the basement, and only the baby was left when you looked. It was truly horrifying.] There were corpses everywhere, and there was indeed a lot of death on thisnd. [Did you know that the number of deaths after 2000 was much higherpared to before? Cancer, suicide, and traffic idents were the leading causes of death in this country. Now, ¡®death by gifted ability¡¯ has also been included. Yes, being killed by a gifted individual.] Whether it was due to incorrect use by a child unable to control their ability¡­ Or as a result of being engrossed in one¡¯s power, ignoring those around, and using their abilities recklessly. [Even before a young child who could barely speak had uttered ¡®papa,¡¯ they werebeled as murderers. Our society was far from mature enough to ept them, and many died as a result.] The changes in society were abrupt. [But believe it or not, the poption of this country has reached a whopping 60 million.] Despite the increasing death rate, the poption grew. [This is because new lives were born at a higher rate than deaths. For every 10 deaths, 100 new lives were born in the neighborhood next door. I will make my child, my offspring, an ability user.] A Baby Boom generation usually urred during economic golden ages. [After the turn of the millennium in Korea, the children of people living near where the meteorite fell started to produce ability users at a meaningful rate. As this became public knowledge, everyone started to have children. This marked the beginning of the Millennium Baby Boom.] That wasn¡¯t the case here. It wasn¡¯t economic prosperity that increased the poption. It was abilities. [And do you think this only happened within Korea? Nowadays, have you heard about the ¡®French Town¡¯ in Gangneung? The number of foreigners who have moved here is enough to fill a city, and there are also many who havee down from the north as thend therepletely perished. If we also include the people north of the truce line, we may even reach 100 million. Hahaha.] It was a joke but a terrifying number to contemte. Just in the south of the military demarcation line alone, a whopping 60 million. Not only was the number of newborns in the Korean Penins significant, but the poption also increased due to an influx from abroad. [Why would theye all the way to Korea to give birth? Why are they trying so hard to get into Ulleung Ind? To increase the chances of having a ¡®pumpkin baby,¡¯ in other words, an ability user.] There was one single reason for the poption increase. To birth an ability user. [But is it easy? Have any of you ever bought a lottery ticket and even won fifth ce? How about fourth ce? Or third ce?] Then what would people do when they realized that their 10-month lottery ticket aimed at producing an ability user turned out to be a ¡®miss¡¯? [Of course, nobody views having a child as buying a lottery ticket. Well, most people don¡¯t.] Most people raised them. Most people didn¡¯t have children to give birth to ability users, but instead, they had children and sincerely hoped they would be ability users. [But what about the case where you¡¯re pregnant to give birth to ¡®an ability user,¡¯ not ¡®my child, my offspring?¡¯ Not because I want to have a child with this man, this woman out of love, but because I want to be a ¡®leech parent¡¯, living off the back of my child, the ability user. What happens if that child isn¡¯t an ability user?] But what about the others? [The number of orphans abandoned in a single year amounts to an astounding ten thousand. Ten thousand. Can you believe it? From those who aren¡¯t gifted alone, you can form a city. Naturally, the orphans are sent to childcare centers, and when those centers cannot cope, they are sent for adoption.] The temple I once visited served as a refuge, caring for and raising those children society couldn¡¯t handle. Most of the child monks there were children discarded for not being gifted. [And most of those children are from abroad¡­no, I won¡¯t borate more. I fear attractingments from far-off trantors, so I¡¯ll stop here.] Regardless of being Korean in this world, public opinion was terrifying. Unless you were like me, who didn¡¯t care at all, or you just lived with the ¡®because I¡¯m a viin¡¯ mindset. [So, what¡¯s the solution to this problem? I suggest constructing a social safety through considerable capital and strong leadership¡­] Click. I stopped the video. My bike had already reached the sea, and I had heard enough to gather my thoughts during the journey. ¡®Transform.¡¯ I morphed back into my Goblin form. The transformation once again tore and destroyed my overcoat, and I adjusted the mask on my face before hopping onto the bike. It waste at night. A full moon hung solemnly in the sky, and there wasn¡¯t a soul in sight on the beach. [No CCTV, no signs of people¡­ perfect.] I checked once again for any potential trackers and if there were any people nearby. I had already checked before transforming into the Goblin, but it was always necessary to double-check after the transformation. [Hmm.] Feeling the gradual depletion of my Mana, I fetched an item I had stored on the bike earlier. A five-colored jelly bean packed in a stic bag. She referred to it as ¡®Yeouiju¡¯, and I popped the jelly bean into my mouth. Ah. A refreshing sensation washed over me. As if vitality was spreading throughout my body, I felt my dwindling Mana rapidly replenishing from within. Methods to restore Mana in this world were extremely rare. Mana powder enhanced Mana, but this fundamentally differed from mana powder. It was derived from a human body but was an item without any ethical issues. To be precise, it¡¯s candy made from purifying what came from the leader. Leader, I pledge my loyalty. Expressing sincere gratitude to the leader, I lifted the Goblin Bat based on the mana sensation within my body. Vroom. As soon as I ced the Goblin Bat on the bike, the exterior of the bike started to shine. What was just an ordinary bike began to transform into a new shape in an instant, taking on a grand form like ck scales adorned with golden patterns. [This is the new bike¡­] I may not be able to ride it back to Seoul from Sejong Ind, but it was cool, so it¡¯s okay. And it was not just any bike. It was a bike where desperate science and magic technologies were concentrated. Vroom. I immediately grabbed the handle. The direction the bike was facing was Sejong Ind. I firmly pressed down on my helmet and then stepped on the bike pedal. Vrooom! The wheels of the bike rolled quickly, even on the sandy beach, and I slowly moved forward. And then I moved slowly along the bottom, underwater. I¡­ [Mana into breath.] [Physical form into spiritual form.] [Fantasy into reality.] [Theck of Mana, with the leader¡¯s love and grace.] From now on. [Goblin¡¯s Rush.] I became the Goblin Rider, unnoticed by anyone.
Full moon. Tonight, Yumir couldn¡¯t sleep. Normally, she had a good sleep schedule, but she didn¡¯t feel like sleeping tonight for some reason. ¡°Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t set a date for the full moon.¡± Since her roommate was not around, Yumir muttered to herself and chided herself for her own question and answer. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no reason for them to just show up. It¡¯s the first full moon since the incident.¡± The Goblin was someone shrouded in mystery. Such a person wasn¡¯t going to just appear because she hoped to meet him- ¡°¡­?¡± Outside the window. On the fence of the dormitory, something strange was flickering. A man in a suit perched on a bike atop the fence as if to show off some trick¡­? Thump. Yumir opened the window and looked up. [It¡¯s been a while.] With the full moon at his back, the Goblin was standing there holding a helmet in his hand. [I¡¯ll drive. Will you get on the back?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir threw off her Taeguk Watch andunched herself out of the window. Chapter 84: How To Capture A Hero (5) Chapter 84: How To Capture A Hero (5) ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mr. Goblin.¡± Yumir climbed onto my back. She was in her pajamas, maybe getting ready to sleep, and she nonchntly hugged me from behind after climbing onto my back. [Hmm¡­] There was a strong presence pressing against my back. She seemed a bit awkward, perhaps because she had never ridden on a bike before, but whether she had seen it in a movie or something, she wrapped her arms around my waist from behind and pressed her upper body tightly against my back. ¡°Why?¡± [I might get scolded if I take you somewhere strange.] ¡°Since you asked such a beauty for a night drive date, you must have decided on the location in advance, right?¡± [Of course.] I didn¡¯t know many ces on Sejong Ind, but I knew one spot where we could enjoy the night view and chat. [But calling me Mr. Goblin sounds a bit odd.] ¡°So, can I just call you Goblin? Isn¡¯t that disrespectful?¡± [It¡¯s better than calling me Viin Goblin or Goblin Bastard. Just call me Goblin.] ¡°Alright. Excuse me then.¡± Squeeze. Yumir pulled me closer. Previously, her hands were near my waist, but now she was so close she could even touch my abdomen with her palms. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± [What?] ¡°What¡¯s this? I tried to feel your muscles, but why does it feel like this¡­?¡± Yumir was feeling my abdomen. I didn¡¯t stop her. Was it meaningless to resist against an EX-rank girl? Or was it to show off my abs? Not at all. If anything, I was showing off my ¡®ability¡¯. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like a human. It¡¯s like touching a balloon filled with air¡­?¡± [You may try to check my body by feeling my muscles, but unfortunately, you can¡¯t touch the real me now.] ¡°Ugh¡­ That¡¯s a shame. Isn¡¯t this going to burst in the middle of the ride? What if I squeeze too hard?¡± [You¡¯ll need to hold on tight enough not to burst. We¡¯re going to drive around the outskirts of Sejong Ind at full speed.] I put a helmet on Yumir¡¯s head and stepped on the pedal immediately. [Just as you¡¯ve recognized me, it would be troublesome if others do as well. Including you.] ¡°¡­A secret date just for us? Ah, eek?!¡± Vroommmm! With a rough engine sound, the bike took off, racing above the fence. ¡°No, wait, eek?!¡± Yumir clung tightly to my back due to the sudden speed and eleration, and I sped off to a quiet ce where there were no patrols. ¡°What are you going to do if we get caught?¡± [We won¡¯t get caught. If I thought we would, I would¡¯ve told you to transform.] ¡°Really? Can I trust you?¡± [If we get caught, I¡¯ll take off my mask.] ¡°Ugh¡­. I¡¯ll trust you.¡± Only then did Yumir seem to rx. But just talking like this made me feel like teasing her a bit. [Trusting a viin, how foolish.] ¡°Huh¡­?¡± [Let¡¯s go.] I immediately changed direction, driving the bike toward people who were walking around despite it beingte at night. ¡°Eek¡­?! There are people ahead!!¡± [I know.] Perhaps worried about her identity being exposed, Yumir pressed her helmet tightly against my back. Vroom! ¡°Huh?¡± But nobody noticed us. They probably just thought a strong wind had blown by. Nobody noticed us driving by on the bike. ¡°How did this happen¡­?¡± [A very special skill. Want to know?] I deliberately stopped the bike. We were in the middle of a za where a few people were passing by, but no one noticed us. ¡°How did you¡­?¡± [I can teach you if you ask.] ¡°¡­I want to know, but you won¡¯t just tell me, will you?¡± [Indeed.] Yumir was definitely not average. ¡°The Goblin¡¯s special ability¡­ Just selling the information about what this power is would bring in over a hundred billion.¡± [Are you learning to sell it?] ¡°No. I want to use it.¡± What interests an ability user the most? It was a special ability that others could do, but they could not. ¡°How can you escape the detection of S-ss? How to escape people¡¯s attention. And for the past six months¡­how were you able to roam freely without being exposed.¡± [Just that?] ¡°That¡¯s the main one. There are more questions behind¡­.¡± Super-fast movement, for instance. Or super-fastbat. And moving without catching others¡¯ eyes. ¡°You won¡¯t just tell me for free. You want something in return, right? Right?¡± [You know it well. Want to know the price?] ¡°If I pay the price, will you tell me?¡± [If it¡¯s a fair and reasonable deal.] ¡°What I want to know is this.¡± Yumir¡¯s hand slowly rose. ¡°How much do I need to pay to learn this¡­?¡± Her slender finger traced up my chest, and the tip lightly touched my mask¡¯s chin. ¡°Who is the Goblin? The power of the Goblin is one thing, but I¡¯m really curious who the Goblin is.¡± [I might not be a man.] ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not a man? But you¡¯re keeping the Goblin¡¯s Bat here?¡± [I thought you were talking about voice or physique, but that¡¯s something else. You are quite something.] I didn¡¯t expect her to bring up the Goblin¡¯s Bat here. [Well, you look exactly like a woman after you transform.] ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just disguised as a woman? Or a man filled with incredible energy in his chest.¡± [What a dangerous statement. Are you implying that you¡¯re gender-bent?] ¡°Hehe. Just kidding. Definitely, I¡¯m having a conversation with you¡­It¡¯s really interesting. ¡­kind of.¡± Yumir whispered something in a soft soliloquy. I was not sure if she meant for me to hear it, but her voice was slightly choked at the beginning, so I couldn¡¯t hear. Vroooom. I started the bike again in the za. [But you talk well, considering the speed we¡¯re at.] ¡°¡­Huh? That¡¯s true?¡± Even at a considerable speed, Yumir had no resistance to conversing with me. That was a talent in itself. Usually, opening your mouth at this speed could result in biting your tongue. [Anyway, if you find it enjoyable to converse with me, that¡¯s good. I hope we can get along a little better in the future.] ¡°With me? Why?¡± [Of course, to make you one of us.] Screeech. I stopped the bike. ¡°Here is¡­.¡± [A civilian-restricted area. It¡¯s a ce where you can see such a naturalndscape, thanks to that.] Actually, it was the ce where I escaped from the waterst time with that guy, the Pole User of Hwalbindang. Although it was quite difficult for the bike to enter, it waspletely unscathed even though I forced it in. [It¡¯s really a good ce to have a quiet conversation.] I took out the Goblin¡¯s Bat that I had on the bike and lightly tapped the ground towards the sea. Po. A bench made of mana appeared, and I sat at the end of it first. ¡°Wow. Where do you keep such a thing? Do you put it in some kind of capsule?¡± [I made it temporarily. You can make something like this with mana anytime, right?] ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think to make something like this.¡± [As long as it¡¯s convenient.] I pointed to the side of the bench to Yumir. [Sit down. We have a lot of time and plenty to talk about.] ¡°Okay. But¡­.¡± Yumir raised one hand high to the sky. ¡°Transform.¡± sh. Her body shimmered in a rainbow light, and she immediately took on the appearance of the Golden Priestess I had seen before. ¡°How about it? My transformation.¡± [You seem to care a lot about other people¡¯s gaze.] ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to walk the path of a hero.¡± Sarakk. And then she immediately took off her hood and mask. Dressed as the magical girl Golden Priestess, she sat down on the quite spacious bench. ¡°Excuse me.¡± [It¡¯s excusable.] ¡°But I said I was excusing myself first.¡± Not stopping there, she sat right next to me, pressing her hip against mine. Thanks to that, there was still plenty of space left for another person to sitfortably beside Yumir. [Don¡¯t people usually sit separately on the side of the bench?] ¡°We can get closer to ensure our conversation spreads less.¡± [Considering from the moment we came here, nobody is likely toe even if I speak loudly.] ¡°Oh, then¡­!¡± [But it¡¯s not good to shout.] I reached my hand toward Yumir¡¯s mouth, and she flinched in surprise, covering her mouth. [You have that look that says, ¡®How did you know?¡¯ It¡¯s just intuition. There¡¯s someone around me who reacts like that.] ¡°Who is it?¡± [If you want to know, you have to make a contract.] Finally, to the main point. [You¡¯re not going to join the Gyeolsa, huh?] ¡°Be a viin?¡± [Even if your true desire is to be a hero, I¡¯m only proposing the path of a viin.] I tried to make Yumir join the Gyeolsa. [You¡¯re strong. But your imagination iscking. Your ability is exceptional, but you stillck many ways to utilize it. That¡¯s why you came to Sejong Ind, right?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [You¡¯re aware of your tremendous ability, but the moment it¡¯s exposed to the world, you¡¯ll attract great attention. Your¡­] ¡°Let me give you a quiz. If you answer correctly, I¡¯ll seriously consider Goblin¡¯s proposal.¡± Yumir came close to me. ¡°What is my ability? Should we y 20 questions? Hmm, if you guess it in one try, I¡¯ll give you a reward or something¡­¡± [Robbery.] I pointed to Yumir¡¯s abdomen. [Your ability is the power to take away other people¡¯s abilities.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I would recognize her reaction anywhere. This was an easy quiz for the readers who followed the story to the end. It was a setting revealed in thetter part of the original work, but I already knew everything. ¡°You didn¡¯t purify Ermina from being a demon to a human. You didn¡¯t erase Ermina¡¯s ability, either. You took away Ermina¡¯s mana and ability, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir¡¯s hand moved up to my thigh. ¡°Correct.¡± Yumir came close again and whispered in my ear. ¡°My ability is to take away.¡± Chapter 85: How To Capture A Hero (6) Chapter 85: How To Capture A Hero (6) ¡°When I was young, the first ability I stole was the special power of a friend who grew up with me in a church.¡± [Church?] ¡°Yes. Church. The parents who gave birth to me were killed by an ability user. I was just a five-year-old. I didn¡¯t have any rtives, so I was left in a church and grew up there.¡± [¡­¡­.] Yumir calmly started to unravel her past as if she were talking about someone else¡¯s story. ¡°But one thing I want to rify is that I didn¡¯t just steal abilities. If I was stealing from anyone, I would have been on the path of a Viin already.¡± [That makes sense. If you had the ability to seize, there would have been those who tried to use you regardless of your will.] ¡°Yes. I happened to be born near a country that likes that kind of stuff, and if my ability was revealed, they would have tried to use it. Over there, in America.¡± [They¡¯re probably carrying out such a project. Most likely.] Most likely, it was not an assumption. Even in Korea, there are people researching the seed of the devil underground in Sejong Ind. How much more would there be in America? [Secure an ability that collects abilities from one person and an ability to distribute those abilities to others. With that, you can control all the abilities in the world, and practically, you could conquer the world.] ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying my best to stay out of the hands of bad people.¡± There were differences in degree, but researching ability users was an act that was taking ce around the world, either in the light or in the darkness. [Fortunately, you didn¡¯t get caught.] ¡°Yes. Do you know why? Because the existence that can be seized is limited. Would you like to guess?¡± [Is it a devil?] ¡°Wow!¡± Yumir pped her hands, very surprised. ¡°How do you know so much about me? Have you been investigating? Are you a stalker?¡± [Researching and studying about the recruitment target is fundamental. In order to bring the opponent into our organization, we should know what the opponent likes and prefers.] ¡°There would have been very little information about me.¡± [I kept thinking and thinking. Your words, actions, will, goals, and everything you did against Ermina. It¡¯s the result of my pondering.] And the fact that he had thought about the protagonist for half a year was added silently. [When you came out as Sr tina, I thought you were just an annoying existence. So, when I followed you when you were naked-] ¡°Transformation release.¡± [¡­ When the transformation was released, I thought you were a very pitiful person. Why do you want to be a secret hero so much.] This was a case of shared misery. Though I was a viin in this scenario. [So, I looked into you after that. There¡¯s almost no record of your activities until you became an adult, but you worked incredibly hard to enter the Sejong Ind Academy once you did. You studied Korean and made every effort to get into the academy college.] ¡°Correct. I thought I could find something here. The reason why I gained this superpower.¡± Yumir stretched out her hand. Then she twisted it lightly to the right, and a faint explosion urred from the sea. ¡°Explosion. It¡¯s one of the abilities I¡¯ve plundered. By making this gesture, I rapidly channel my power to a ce in my sight, causing a minor explosion. Do you know where this ability was discovered?¡± [¡­New York¡¯s Bomb Man? But as far as I know, he was a viin?] ¡°Yes. A Bomb Man, and at the same time, a being that became a demon. What was known was that he was a viin. When I faced him, he had already be a demon, and I¡­.¡± Thump. Yumir clenched her fist. ¡°I plundered his ability. I didn¡¯t kill him. But in another sense, it waspletely over. Do you know what state Bomb Man is in now?¡± [I couldn¡¯t investigate that far. I heard he was confined to a mental hospital in New York.] ¡°He¡¯s in a vegetative state.¡± [¡­¡­.] Without knowing it, I crossed my legs. Yumir chuckled at that, and I felt embarrassed for no reason. ¡°Seeing your immediate reaction to such words, you seem to be very robust. You won¡¯t have to worry about children in the future?¡± [I don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯m healthy.] ¡°Hehe. That¡¯s something you won¡¯t know until you check. So, my friend who first helped me realize my superpower, Bomb Man, Erimina. When they be demons and get their abilities plundered by me, they all end up like that. Their brains turnpletely white, and also¡­.¡± [They have problems with their reproductive functions?] ¡°Yes.¡± Yumir looked ahead with an ufortable face. ¡°One of the basic duties of animals, the function of reproduction, is taken away. When a human bes a demon, everything that is born after that is a demon. Somewhere, a demon might have given birth to a demon.¡± [I¡¯ve never seen such a case yet.] ¡°Right? But who knows, there might be some growing well somewhere. People who suppress their demonic instincts, raise their demon children, and live in darkness.¡± This was something I had no knowledge of. ¡°There are about 10 officially known cases of total mana loss, but those are all cases where I failed to clean up and got caught. Or when a total mana loss person goes crazy because they lost their superpower, gets subdued, investigated, and their identity is revealed.¡± [Unofficially, there must be many.] ¡°It¡¯s true. I freed people from being devils, but¡­many were profoundly shocked at losing their abilities and fertility. I tried to find ways to help them afterward, but I fell short.¡± Yumir drew a circle with her finger. ¡°In the end, I managed to free them from being devils, but that was my limit. Even though I could make them not devils, I realized I needed greater power to take responsibility for what came after. Not the power of ability, but another kind of power to help those freed from being devils.¡± [Whether it¡¯s wealth, power, whatever, this is the ce where it can be most securely obtained.] ¡°Yes. If I didn¡¯t have it, it seemed right to ask for help from someone who could solve it. Those who are ability users and also possess considerable power. I¡¯m talking about turning those people to my side and asking them to care for those who became devils.¡± Now I understood it. So, that was why the protagonist embraced Ermina Sternfert. To save those who had be devils, she wanted to utilize Stern, a renowned Germanpany. And after that, it was the same with other heroines. Even if we put aside personal selfishness for a moment, it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that the protagonist surrounded himself with powerful and wealthy people. ¡®Then you should have revealed it as a plot point, you ipetent writer.¡¯ He was probably aiming for part two but did not get enough views, so he abruptly ended it with a meteor ending, but as someone who didn¡¯t know about that plot point, Yumir suddenly became a pitiful character. ¡°I also thought a bit about that. Turning into a man and captivating women, or as a woman ying multiple men. Considering the sentiment of this country, I thought about whether I should be a man and have women with me.¡± [Then why didn¡¯t you transform into a man?] ¡°If I do that, I have to live as a man for the rest of my life. I didn¡¯t really want to do that.¡± [Why is that?] ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s a bit embarrassing to say.¡± Yumir fiddled with her hand on my thigh and smiled faintly. ¡°I saw a video of you and Snow White confronting each other. Snow White blocking you, and you trying to kill the viin who killed people.¡± [Me?] ¡°Yes. Watching the Goblin, I thought I wanted to get cooperation from the Goblin.¡± [What does that have to do with being a man?] ¡°I thought I couldn¡¯t get cooperation if I approached the Goblin as a man¡­?¡± [¡­¡­] So, the protagonist being a man was because Yumir had transformed into a man? [Ha.] ¡°Why?¡± [No. Just that a problem I¡¯ve been worrying about every night for about six months has been neatly resolved.] ¡°¡­¡­?¡± [My personal situation has nothing to do with your story. Simply, I¡¯vee to the firm conclusion that I must kill a certain individual.] Once I returned to Earth. I would undoubtedly kill the author. ¡®This bastard must¡¯ve been aiming for a GL drift.¡¯ A nationalistic harem light novel suddenly had the protagonist saying, ¡®Ta-da, I was a woman!¡¯? My 5,700 words of criticism were a justifiable act. If it had been so, another person who had been with me, reading all the way to the meteor ending, would have alsomitted 5,700 words. [I seem to find peace of mind when I talk to you. Thank you.] ¡°I feel the same. It¡¯s nice to have someone I can talk heart-to-heart with. It¡¯s so rxing to be able to talk like this now that my true identity is revealed.¡± I had to investigate, but Yumir might have gone through much more than I did during my six months here. [You¡¯ve worked hard.] ¡°¡­..¡± [Why that surprised look? I merelyplimented your effort.] ¡°It¡¯s the first time someone has praised me for this.¡± Yumir gently bowed her head to me. ¡°Can you pat my head?¡± I reached over Yumir¡¯s shoulder and gently stroked her head,forting her. [You took away their powers and their chance to reproduce, but you didn¡¯t take their lives, right?] ¡°That¡¯s right. So far, I haven¡¯t killed a single person. Just¡­after taking away their powers, I have seen a few viins receiving their karmic retribution.¡± [That¡¯s not your fault.] ¡°Right. I think so, too. If I did something wrong, it¡¯s that their powers were transferred to me.¡± Yumir leaned more towards me and sighed. ¡°Hey. If I, by any chance, be a viin, will you kill me?¡± [Of course.] I killed viins. No entity was an exception. [Let me ask in reverse. If I became a devil, would you kill me?] ¡°I won¡¯t kill you. I¡¯ll just take your powers. As an ability user, the Goblin might die, but the man behind the mask will survive, even if crippled¡­¡± Yumir reached out her pinky finger to me. ¡°Let¡¯s make a promise. That¡¯s why I wanted to meet like this today.¡± [What promise?] ¡°Well, obviously.¡± Yumir pulled my hand closer and sped it. ¡°If I be a viin, please kill me. As a sentence for being a viin.¡± Chapter 86: How To Capture A Hero (7) Chapter 86: How To Capture A Hero (7) ¡°Promise to kill me if I be a viin.¡± I felt a sense of inexplicable bitterness and distance upon hearing those words. ¡®So she¡¯s decided to walk the path of a hero, no matter how tough and painful it is.¡¯ Although physically we were extremely close, a distinct sense of distance existed between her and me. I was a viin. Yumir hoped to be a hero. [Don¡¯t you want to be a viin?] ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to kill people. Even if those who lost their powers because of me eventually chose death after a few days or experienced pain worse than death, I don¡¯t want to kill anyone by my own will.¡± A hero-like response. ¡°Although Ick in many aspects now, I¡¯ll definitely be stronger. That¡¯s why I came to Korea.¡± [What about joining Gyeolsa?] ¡°Gyeolsa¡­¡± As she was the protagonist who had a more upright mindset than anyone, I wanted to pull Yumir deeper into Gyeolsa. [Even if you join Gyeolsa and be a viin, it¡¯s not necessary to kill people. You can just be in the group.] ¡°But someday, the day I have to kill someone wille, right? Or stand by and watch someone die.¡± [I can¡¯t deny that.] Gyeolsa was an organization that removed any obstacles to our world domination. And ¡®murder¡¯ was naturally included in our means. ¡°Gyeolsa is not a ce for me. I want to help people, not control them with power.¡± [To say that when you have the power to control¡­] ¡°Everyone has power, but how we use it is different. This power was given to me not to control people, but as a gift from God to purify those who have be demons and return them to human life.¡± [A gift from God, huh.] In other words, it could be the author¡¯s setting, the protagonist¡¯s fate. ¡°Yes. Although fundamentally it involves taking from others, if it means taking from those who have be demons¡­you can think of it in a slightly better way, right?¡± The author created this world, and Yumir was the protagonist of this world. [It will be tough.] ¡°It will be tough, but I have to try. It¡¯s just the beginning. I can¡¯t back down from the start because it¡¯s tough. I¡¯m not that weak-willed.¡± [Your thoughts might change when you can¡¯t see each other for a year.] If, for example, they tried to destroy the Earth by dropping a meteor from the sky. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I work hard, someone will appear to help me. I don¡¯t have anyone now, but someone will.¡± [It¡¯s a shame that God did not attach an assistant to you. It¡¯s a principle that a hero should have a sidekick.] ¡°I don¡¯t need a sidekick because I have someone who can help me.¡± [Who is it? The person who helped youe to Korea?] ¡°¡­¡­Who could it be?¡± Yumir just looked at me and smiled. [I have no intention of helping you.] ¡°Oh my. You didn¡¯t think of the Goblin, did you? You must think it¡¯s you?¡± [Then who is it?] ¡°I have no intention of telling the Goblin.¡± Yumir stuck her tongue out at me. It was an overly ssic action, but at the same time, it was so funny that I was bbergasted. [It seems they are more reliable than I thought, seeing how much you cover and help them.] ¡°Yes. They are incredibly handsome and extremely mannerly, and they give me enlightenment whenever they speak to me. They are the only person on this suffocating ind to whom I can breathe and talk.¡± I felt good, but still, I tried not to give away my identity as much as possible. [Well, be careful. He is probably a man since you said he¡¯s handsome.] ¡°What should I be careful about?¡± [All men are wolves.] ¡°Huh? Pfft!¡± I was serious, but Yumirughed while holding her stomach. [If someone wants to get close to Yumir, an E-ss ability user, they might havescivious thoughts towards psychics. Are you really sure there¡¯s no possibility?] I was lowering myself, but if I didn¡¯t do this, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get rid of the suspicion she had about me. ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t care.¡± [What? You don¡¯t mind even if he flirts with you?] ¡°Um¡­ Yes. If he does something serious or goes all the way, I think he¡¯ll have to live with me for the rest of his life¡­.¡± Yumir leaned her upper body towards me. ¡°If it¡¯s you, let¡¯s talk about it as a man and a woman, not a hero and a viin. How would you feel? What do you want to do with me?¡± [What are you talking about?] ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s a joke. I just said it because I know you¡¯re not the type of person to do such things.¡± [¡­¡­.] This woman. ¡°Perhaps?¡± [Then what do you think that man will do? From your perspective, what do you think he¡¯ll really do to you?] ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, I wish he¡¯d feel the same?¡± [You seem to be quite smitten with him.] ¡°That¡¯s right. He showed me kindness when I came here, he has really helped me a lot, and he is still helping me, and also¡­.¡± Yumir raised one hand towards the sky. ¡°He helped me recall my goals again.¡± [Turning the fallen into humans again?] ¡°Yes. To use my abilities to the maximum in the ces where I can. Not to steal abilities from someone but to find human forms from those who have fallen into demons. And to help them so that they do not live a miserable life. That¡¯s what I want to do.¡± [Gyeolsa can help with that.] ¡°Wow, you¡¯re persistent. Do you want me on your side that much?¡± [Of course. I know about your abilities. Why would I give up?] I got up from the bench and stood next to Yumir. [Do you know how many children are abandoned in this country every year?] ¡°¡­Why the sudden change in topic?¡± [I¡¯m trying to show you a world you haven¡¯t yet seen. I¡¯ve seen it. A couple who gave birth to their child as theirst lottery ticket in life, and when the child was not an ability user, they abandoned the child on the street.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yumir¡¯s face paled in an instant. [Gyeolsa is protecting and caring for such children. So that the children are not abandoned and die so that they are not sent somewhere to receive brainwashing education from an early age in the name of dedication to the country, and so that they are not used as test subjects for human experiments in superhuman research, we are trying to create an environment where children can grow up well.] ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± [Yes. It¡¯spletely different from the area you¡¯re thinking of. But think about this. Gyeolsa can help with the goal you have. It can provide facilities to care for those who were demons and have be generous. It can prevent them frommitting suicide or running wild and provide a social safety for those who have lost their abilities but can live as humans.] ¡°It¡¯s a tempting offer.¡± Yumir answered with a smile but firmly shook her head. ¡°But I respectfully decline. Whether others acknowledge it or not, I will follow the path of a hero as I see it.¡± [¡­I see. However, I will continue to make recruitment offers. Every time you seem to waver, every time you seem to need strength, I will rmend joining Gyeolsa.] ¡°You¡¯re persistent. Do you sell insurance?¡± [I rmend it with more desperate feelings than an insurance salesman. Yes. Then¡­ that¡¯s probably best for now.] I reached out my hand to Yumir. [Check around you whenever you have time. And if there¡¯s a demon near you, I¡¯ll give you enough time to purify that demon.] ¡°Viins should be executed immediately, right? By using the Grand Cross?¡± [¡­Instant execution is my principle, but I can change the policy a bit to recruit a magical girl like you.] ¡°How about not killing them?¡± [That¡¯s a principle.] Demons created other demons if left alone. The same applied to viins, hence why they were killed. It was better to kill cleanly than to risk a spared viin bing a demon in prisonter or being used as experimental material for demonization research. [Promise me. If there¡¯s someone near you who is creating demons, I¡¯ll take care of them.] ¡°That¡­what was it?¡± [Oni.] ¡°Ah, right. ¡­ Wasn¡¯t there another name?¡± [Oni is Oni.] That one that called himself Duoexini. [You continue on the path of a hero who purifies demons. I will continue on the path of a viin who kills those who make humans into demons. And if you ever get tired or have a hard time, you cane to Gyeolsa. Gyeolsa will do everything for you.] ¡°Hmm¡­. Then, how about you try walking the path of a hero with me? Be my partner.¡± [I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t do that. I have sworn loyalty to Gyeolsa and am bound by it.] ¡°¡­Does Gyeolsa hold your heart or something?¡± [You could say that.] The head of Gyeolsa held it. [Anyway, I look forward to it. If you join Gyeolsa, I will remove my mask and formally greet you.] ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll look forward to it. Hehe.¡± Yumir just smiled meaningfully. What was this? Did she know who I really was¡­?
Heading towards the bike, Yumir shaped her fingers like a camera behind the Goblin who was walking in front of her. She took in the sight of Goblin¡¯s back and went through her memories. ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± All Yumir could do wasugh. ¡°That guy, he doesn¡¯t even know he¡¯s talking about himself.¡± She did let it slip a little in the middle, and the Goblin seemed to have noticed it a bit, but he seemed unsure. ¡°No, maybe he knows and is pretending not to. Just like me.¡± It was normal. No one would expect to figure out the Goblin¡¯s identity like this. And it was just a suspicion, not a confirmation. ¡°¡­Probably thinks I¡¯m a pervert.¡± She whispered softly, in a tone that the Goblin wouldn¡¯t hear or mind even if he did. ¡°His hip line and back muscles are just like Jihwan oppa.¡± Watching Goblin climb on his bike, Yumir savored the sight. Chapter 87: How To Capture A Hero (8) Chapter 87: How To Capture A Hero (8) While I was driving back to the dorm with Yumir, I felt a chill from an intuition brewing deep within my heart. ¡®I feel like she somehow knows I¡¯m Do Ji-hwan?¡¯ If I had to put it in terms of probability, it felt like she was about 90% sure. There was no evidence. After all, it was just my guess. ¡®Is there some intuition that only an EX grade can feel?¡¯ Since she was the main character, she might have abilities unknown to me because she didn¡¯t appear in the original work. Just as I pondered about Yumir and the protagonist, she might have also thought about me a great deal. ¡®So, is she ying hard to get with me now?¡¯ If she was subtly appealing to me while knowing I¡¯m Do Ji-hwan, she¡¯s doing something quite cheeky yet cute. After all, she was telling me that she didn¡¯t know the identity of the Goblin. [How long are you going to feel around like that?] ¡°Until I figure out the true form of the body that¡¯s protected by magic power?¡± Yumir continued to feel around my abdomen and waist. It was probably an action to figure out the ability of my body, which was half ethereal and wearing the Goblin cloak. But, the touch had started to feel tantly slimy. [Isn¡¯t that sexual harassment at this point?] ¡°Oh my. Will I be a viin for sexual harassment? How do we punish a viin who sexually harasses?¡± [Well. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, sexual harassment for sexual harassment?] ¡°That sounds very viin-like.¡± Kuwook. Yumir pressed herself closer against me from behind. ¡°Will you let me see? I¡¯m just curious.¡± [The origin of my ability?] ¡°¡­Yes. I wonder what ability a person called the Goblin uses.¡± [You¡¯re nning to take away my ability too?] ¡°I¡¯m not trying to steal it. I¡¯m not a demon. Just¡­ Borrowing it?¡± [Do as you please.] The dormitory was slowlying into view. In order not to get caught by others, I distributed my mana more intricately and drove my bike over the dormitory wall, just like when I picked up Yumir. [We¡¯re here. I¡¯d like to talk more, but I¡¯m busy.] ¡°It¡¯s okay to talk more.¡± [Let¡¯s do that another time.] ¡°Can I call you?¡± [Do you know my number?] ¡°If you give me your number, I¡¯ll call you often. You should give me your business card. Even if you don¡¯t want to now, you can contact me when you change your mind, right?¡± [¡­¡­.] Should I gamble? If I gambled, from then on, I was practically revealing my identity. [Hmm.] The problem that would happen when Yumir knew my identity. The problem that would happen when Yumir knew that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin. There was only one scenario. ¡®If my identity is exposed due to Yumir.¡¯ They said Yumir was often seen near a man named Do Ji-hwan. They seemed to have some sort of rtionship. Oh? But Yumir was also the tinum Sun? The Goblin always appeared where the tinum Sun did? Could it be? [I¡¯ll call you.] ¡°¡­Really? Do you know my number?¡± [Personal information is all avable online. I wonder if a determined saleswoman couldn¡¯t break through the security level of an E-grade ability user.] ¡°Wow, are you saying you¡¯ll hack to find out my number?¡± [What if I already know it?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir didn¡¯t say anything. I also looked down at her without saying a word. [I¡¯ll treat you as the tinum Sun. You treat me as the Goblin.] ¡°Ah ha.¡± Yumir winked at me with a flick of her finger. ¡°So that¡¯s your concept?¡± [I don¡¯t quite understand what you¡¯re saying.] ¡°I thought the Goblin was a more honest person, but you seem to y hard to get a lot. You must fail a lot in love because of this, right?¡± [If you can¡¯t even talk.] After getting off the bike, I jumped towards Yumir, who was right in front of the ss window. [Listen well.] I stretched my hand next to Yumir and leaned against the ss wall. Then, I bent my upper body and got close to Yumir¡¯s face. [There¡¯s only one instance when a hero and viin, both concealing their identities, can reveal them to each other.] ¡°What is it?¡± [When they fall in love.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir¡¯s expression hardened. It seemed like she was about to burst intoughter, so I took one hand and squished her cheeks. [Don¡¯tugh. Do you think I¡¯m joking?] ¡°No, no. You¡¯re right. When you fall in love, you want to know the other¡¯s identity¡­ Well, if you love them, you can also keep it a secret even if you know. Love, huh¡­.¡± Yumir looked at me listlessly and ced her hand on my chest. ¡°So, if I steal the Goblin¡¯s heart, the Goblin will reveal his identity to me?¡± [That¡¯s not what I meant.] ¡°But it¡¯s true, right? If the Goblin falls for me, Yumir, and not the magical girl tinum Sun, wouldn¡¯t he want to appear in his real form, not as the Goblin?¡± [A typical viin would. But I¡¯m different. I already have someone I love.] ¡°Eh.¡± Yumir opened her mouth in surprise. [Why? Is that strange?] ¡°Is it me?¡± [What are you saying? How could I fall in love with you after knowing you for such a short time?] ¡°Uh¡­ if it¡¯s not love, why are you treating me so well? Is it because of my abilities?¡± [You might be disappointed, but it would be quite troublesome if you became my enemy.] ¡°Wow. I thought you¡¯d at least say it was because of you.¡± [I¡¯m not one to tease that much.] Yumir pouted her lips. [I hope you continue on your hero¡¯s path. Well then.] ¡°One more thing at the end.¡± [What?] ¡°Just in case, really just in case.¡± Yumir hesitated before as if making a decision. She clenched her fist tightly and looked up at me. ¡°¡­Is it me?¡± [You¡¯re absurd.] ¡°I just hesitated whether to say it now. We¡¯re not at the stage to discuss such matters yet.¡± I didn¡¯t know what she was thinking, but this distance right now was just right. If she hadn¡¯t yet prepared to join the battle. Even if she was doing the right thing, she was not prepared to be called a viin by others. Showing more ¡®sincerity¡¯, that was for the future. [Well then, goodbye.] ¡°One more thing.¡± [What is it?] ¡°Can I hug you once? From the front.¡± Yumir spread her arms, and I hesitated for a moment. [¡­Well, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that.] I spread my arms, and Yumir rushed into my embrace. [Are you trying to verify my ability that much¡­ hey.] I held Yumir¡¯s face and pushed her away. Her touch lingered below me, and it was incredibly awkward. [Now you¡¯re outright harassing me.] ¡°Hehe.¡± Yumir moved her hands around in the air beside her face. ¡°The Goblin¡¯s butt is firm.¡± [You¡¯ll die.] ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone. I¡¯ll just remember this touch. Haah.¡± [If you do such things recklessly elsewhere, you might be treated the same way.] ¡°Why would I do it recklessly elsewhere? I¡¯m doing this because it¡¯s you.¡± [I may have been lenient with you because I wanted to recruit you, but did I go too easy? Don¡¯t forget that I am an S-ss viin.] ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m an EX-ss hero, right? And.¡± Yumir grabbed my hand and ced it on her chest. ¡°If I do this, I will be your teacher, right?¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°You¡¯re not taking your hand away?¡± [I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s not letting go; I¡¯m just thinking about what you¡¯re doing right now.] It was big. As expected of an EX-ss. [And.] I was a viin. [Did you think I¡¯d be as innocent as amb?] ¡°¡­?!¡± Yumir became tense in an instant. I buried my face in her shoulder, gently slid my hand into her side, and stuck close to her. ¡°Ah, um, there¡­!¡± [Why? You started it.] ¡°No, um¡­just a moment. I didn¡¯t expect this!¡± [Did you think a viin would move as predicted?] Squeak. Squirm. ¡°Aah, um, I¡¯m sorry. The joke went too far, hee-ah?! That, there¡­?! I¡¯m sorry! I really won¡¯t do it again! Huh?!¡± [Anyhow.] I stepped back from Yumir. Yumir gave a markedly different rough gasp and choked back tears. ¡°Euh, I can¡¯t get married now¡­¡± [Don¡¯t say things even girls from the Joseon era wouldn¡¯t say.] ¡°What did you say?¡± [Don¡¯t cross the line.] I drew a line in the air lightly with my hand between me and Yumir. [If you do it again, I¡¯ll discipline you with the Goblin¡¯s Bat.] ¡°You keep that stored in there¡­ Ouch.¡± I grabbed Yumir¡¯s head. [Until the end.] ¡°¡­Heh. Even so¡­.¡± Yumir, although choking back tears,ughed broadly. ¡°Seeing you y along like this, you seem like a very nice person, Goblin.¡± [¡­ It¡¯s just a punishment for viins. In the end, I¡¯m just like a salesman.] I jumped in ce and climbed onto my bike. [If you want to join the battle, talk to me anytime. Newrades are always wee.] ¡°Can I call first if I decide?¡± [¡­¡­.] I started the engine of the bike. [As you wish.] Running along the fence, I focused straight ahead without looking back. [Sigh.] No matter how much I thought about it. [I think I know.] She wouldn¡¯t keep touching my butt when I was in my Do Ji-hwan form, right? [Alright.] Now, it was a battle of pride. [Let¡¯s pretend we don¡¯t know until the end.] I would win this battle.
¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir, who just came in through the window, undid her transformation andy on the bed. ¡°¡­Heh, heh, heh.¡± Yumir, touching the air with her outstretched hands and smiling mischievously, soon put her hands on her body and blushed. ¡°It¡¯s not easy.¡± Yumir sighed for a moment, then picked up her smartphone while wearing her Taeguk Watch. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was no contact. From the beginning, there was no one to contact. ¡°¡­¡­Should I call?¡± Staring hard at the phone number of the person shest spoke with, Yumir closed her eyes while holding her smartphone. ¡°No, no. My pride won¡¯t allow this. Yes, this is a showdown.¡± Smack. ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡± Yumir dered, pping her cheek. Approach Do Ji-hwan as a woman and approach Goblin as a hero. Just sync it. Chapter 88: How To Conquer A Villain (1) Chapter 88: How To Conquer A Viin (1) After chatting with Yumir. I immediately left Sejong Ind on my motorcycle. I thought about stopping by Brewer¡¯s for a while, but I didn¡¯t really need to. Vroooom. I drove for a while across the sea, and when I arrived in the west, it was a somewhat familiar yet unfamiliar beach. [¡­Huh?] I thought I was heading in the right direction, but it seems like I may have gotten slightly off course, perhaps because I was deep in thought during the journey. There were many people on the beach. Evente into the night, people were out enjoying the water, wearing swimsuits, and having fun despite the chilly March weather. Damn it. I took my bike as far from the people as possible and looked for a sign. The sign had both Korean and English on it, and at the bottom, ¡®Gangwon-do Samcheok Market¡¯ was engraved in gold leaf. ¡®Did Ie straight to Samcheok?¡¯ Gangwon-do Samcheok. This ce, where many people used to gather to enjoy the East Coast beaches or for a vacation, had apletely different appearance in this world. [Dissolve.] I dispelled my transformation. I only dispelled my Goblin transformation and immediately changed into Do Ji-hwan in a suit. ¡®Keep the magic power at maximum power-saving mode.¡¯ I also released my ethereal form, and I was only using my magic power to maintain my clothes. I was naked for a moment, but it was just for a brief period in a ce with no CCTV. ¡®It¡¯s ridiculously bright, though.¡¯ This was my third time visiting, but it was my first time seeing Samcheok from the coast at thiste hour. And the Samcheok in front of me now was not the Samcheok I knew. ¡®This is not Las Vegas.¡¯ Neon signs were sparkling brightly on numerous high-rise buildings, and despite beingte at night, lights were flickering everywhere. Have you ever heard of a ce called Samcheok? I was sorry to those who lived in Samcheok. Still, excluding instances where one heard about it while serving in the military in Gangwon-do, it was a neighborhood you wouldn¡¯t often encounter in life. But here it was different. The Samcheok of this world was different. Just like how Ulleungdo wasn¡¯t producing pumpkin taffy but rather ¡®Pumpkin Babies¡¯, Samcheok has transformed into somethingpletely different from before. It was the Las Vegas of Korea. The streets were filled with Westerners rather than Koreans, and people adorned with luxury wristwatches and all sorts of shy clothes, as if showing off their immense wealth, were filling the streets. It was as dazzling as Haeundae in Busan. A coastline of an extravagant neighborhood, which you would want to call ¡®Chuck Srittle¡¯ rather than Samcheok, was spread out. ¡®Because it¡¯s a city where foreigners are concentrated.¡¯ Only millionaires lived there. No, that was not it. Even millionaires would have a hard time finding a single-room apartment in Samcheok. You¡¯d probably have to be at least a billionaire to be able to buy a 32-pyeong apartment in Samcheok. The reason for this? Of course, it was because of the ability users. As soon as it became known that Sejong Ind was beneficial to the power of the ability users, people gathered in ces close to Sejong Ind, and the government prioritized protecting Gyeongsang-do, which was close to Sejong Ind, in order to take care of its citizens. -Ah, I¡¯m paying money! -You can¡¯t do it here! My country is keeping a close eye on this ce, and if I sell it here, I¡¯ll get arrested! -Darn, even if you have money, you can¡¯t buy it! -Hey, Chris! Look at this! You can buynd if you go north from here! -Isn¡¯t this North Korea? -It¡¯s just barely South Korea! So, foreigners began to settle in ces the government couldn¡¯t manage intensively. -Darn, it¡¯s already confusing. Why try to take someone else¡¯snd¡­! -Sir! The Vice President of Microsport¡¯s family has applied for entry with a private jet! They are likelying to buynd! -What? Why are those guys¡­? -Sir! President Muhammad Sdin Marsour, who is currently in Japan¡­! -Ugh, I miss Heungseon Daewongun¡­!! Damn it, why do they keep trying to gobble up this small piece ofnd! Hey! Convene the National Assembly right now! We must immediately stop real estate transactions with foreigners! -But we are the executive branch¡­ -Whether you¡¯re the executive branch or whatever, if you don¡¯t gather right now, I¡¯ll consider you traitors or refugees!! The government had no way to stop the big wave of foreigners continually pouring in. -Whoo! Korea, lift the blockade!! -Follow the logic of the capitalist market! We¡¯re offering to buy with our money, why won¡¯t you sell! -I won¡¯t sell even for a hundred billion! -What if we bring 10 trillion? -¡­¡­Time out. Damn it! What¡¯s with you wanting to blow 10 trillion on such a tiny piece ofnd! Are you thinking of throwing your money into a cesspit!! -We¡¯re investing it in the Korean Penins. -Hey, shut up! Whose side are you on! With the world¡¯s majorpanies offering to pour in as much money as the country¡¯s annual budget, and it wasn¡¯t just one ce; countries rich with money like the United States and Arab countries all flew in demanding that we sell ournd. Could we stand up to this? -Sir! Big trouble! Foreignpanies are buying up ournd inrge quantities!! -What? We legally blocked foreigners from buyingnd! -They are exploiting loopholes! They are bringing people with Korean nationality into Korea, and they are buyingnd with them as the frontmen! -Damn it! Ry to the on-site public servants! If they smell fishy, postpone all transactions! -It¡¯s toote¡­! Even rtives of the governor of Gangwon Province have been bought out! In fact¡­! -Alright. Given the situation, we will abandon Gangwon Province. -Excuse me? -If we can¡¯t stop it anyway, we can¡¯t sell Gangwon Provincend cheap. Tell the governor of Gangwon Province toe to Busan right away. From now on, we will enter the auction process fornd in Gangwon Province. So, the government of this world sold Gangwon Province. -Show them the power of the Korean dump truck. Gather all the rotten eggs from all over the country. Show them exactly what it means to dump on them. -Isn¡¯t that a bit narrow-minded, sir? -What did you say? Although the tone was a bit off, they nned to create neighborhoods where foreigners gathered and lived in various parts of Gangwon Province, like Incheon¡¯s Chinatown. -Respected leaders from overseas. And the global leaders ofpanies that lead the world. We do not wish for any conflict. Therefore, we will create arge number of concentrated immigrant areas on ournd. And the rights to thatnd¡­we will now put up for auction. And they put up for auction the panies¡¯ or ¡®nations¡¯ that would use these neighborhoods. -Ah. We will begin the Yanggu General Jang Yeong-sil Town auction, the furthest from Sejong Ind and closest to the 38th parallel. -What is the rtionship between Yanggu and Jang Yeong-sil? -The auction begins. -10 billion! -20 billion!! -¡­¡­I will raise the bid by 500 billion increments. Some expressed their discontent, arguing that this act was selling off thend of the country or creating a base for their own religion. Locals living there also raised their voices in protest. -Maple Company has bid a quadrillion. Do you have any more bidders? -No, those crazy people! Your market cap is only 2 quadrillion. What the heck are you doing! -My youngest son is bing an ability user. From now on, Maple is a Koreanpany. We look forward¡­uhem. We look forward to the smooth cooperation of Gangneung City. -Ah, damn it! Hey! We can¡¯t lose! We have to take Yangyang!! Wasn¡¯t there such a saying that was said in jest? It was simply too much money to refuse. -From now on, this ce is Gangneung Maple Town. Mr. Mayor of Gangneung, do you like apples? -I¡¯m allergic to apples¡­I love them! I just can¡¯t afford them!! Ha ha, wee to Korea, Steven! -Thank you. Do you have a ce in Gangneung where I can build a factory? -Even if we don¡¯t, we have to make it! We will creatend, even if we have to carve out the mountains! How muchnd do you need? That was exactly what happened. The globalpanies that anyone who had ever invested in foreign stocks would have bought into at least once all had branches in Korea. All those branches were concentrated in Gangwon Province, and over the past 25 years, millionaires among the foreigners who have entered the country from overseas have essentially all starteding to Gangwon Province. -Sir, we have good news. -What now? -The millionaires who havee to Gangwon Province are trying to settle down through marriage with Koreans. -¡­ Doesn¡¯t that make it seem like we¡¯re just marrying for money? -But if they give birth to ability users? -Ugh, I don¡¯t know. Ahh, sir, you were right!! So, from Goseong in Gangwon Province to Samcheok, various cities along the East Sea were inhabited by many foreigners. Not people from Southeast Asia or Central Asia, but blonde European people. ¡®This is problematic.¡¯ When I started off for Sejong Ind, I started from a quiet beach, but without any electronic devices, it was very inconvenient. It seemed that the path had veered a bit in the middle even though I was running in a straight line, and I ended up arriving in a ce with many people, especially ¡®foreign ability users¡¯. ¡®This is a big deal.¡¯ I guess I got sidetracked while thinking about Yumir. It could also be because I was in a hurry and thought I had to get back to Seoul quickly. -Hehe, I should call Master Sa. Oh, he¡¯s not answering? I wonder why he¡¯s not answering? I just talked to him, and he must be on his way home¡­ ¡°Is she busy?¡± While saying that, I wasughing, thinking about pulling one over on Yumir, who was busy. I tried to return quickly, but in my hurry, it seemed like I had taken a slightly wrong path. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± There wasn¡¯t a real problem. I could just rush towards Seoul, whether it was through the highway or national road. ¡°The problem is my spirit form.¡± I was fine right now, but running to Seoul in my spirit form would deplete my mana. I thought I would be fine since I consumed the essence of the Chairwoman before setting off, but after riding my bike nearly 400 km in spirit form, I had consumed a considerable amount of mana. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± What to do. If I wanted to quickly recover my mana here¡­ ¡°?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± A woman approached me in the alley where I was hiding. ¡°Are you the prince on the white horse?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The woman with waist-length red wavy hair was wearing a ck suit evente into the night. The peculiar thing about her was the sunsses she was wearing evente into the night. And her burning, me-like red eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not the prince on a white horse¡­¡± I reached out to the woman. ¡°But I have ridden a white horse before.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Probably more than one. Well, anyway.¡± The woman grabbed my hand. ¡°Wee to Gangwond, the Samcheoktopia. I wee you to my jurisdiction.¡± ¡°¡­What nonsense are you saying?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± The woman shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Well, wee anyway. Do you need anything?¡± ¡°If I need anything¡­¡± I pointed a finger toward the woman. ¡°I need mana. Miss.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The woman blushed. Chapter 89: How To Conquer A Villain (2) Chapter 89: How To Conquer A Viin (2) I was invited to a penthouse on the highest floor of the tallest building, a 30-story hotel, in Samcheok City. ¡°Wee, Manager Do. What would you like to do first? Eat? Shower? Or me?¡± ¡°Is it possible to do all three simultaneously?¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± The womanughed sardonically at my words. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such a response.¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to such jesting.¡± ¡°What if it wasn¡¯t a jest?¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s start with tea.¡± I sat down on a chair next to the tea table. ¡°May I revert my transformation?¡± ¡°You¡¯re transformed? Doesn¡¯t matter¡­hold on.¡± I immediately reverted my transformation. The clothes that had been sticking to my skin disappeared immediately, and the woman walked toward the minibar, then straight toward the entrance of the room. ¡°What are you doing now!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be shy about between us?¡± ¡°Put something on immediately!¡± ¡°If you say to put on, I will, but that time to care about such things has passed, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about manners, manners!¡± The woman angrily threw me a robe, and I immediately put it on and tied the waist belt. ¡°Feels much better. Always felt like I was walking around naked with mana covering my body.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Because it looks like a suit to others, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re just saying what you want, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The woman brought me something to drink with a smirk on her lips. It was not alcohol. It was ck tea. The minibar was already stacked with alcohol, but neither she nor I intended to drink. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask you. I was surprised to feel your magic power from the sea all of a sudden.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been drifting. I went to Sejong Ind.¡± I exined my situation to the woman. She listened to me with a serious face, and I also exined in detail so that she could understand my situation. ¡°So you stopped briefly due to ack of fuel while returning to Seoul after persuading that Sr tina? Did you, by any chance, fight with Sr tina?¡± ¡°There was no physical sh. But there was a bit of psychological warfare using mana.¡± Yumir touched me, and I did my best to protect my body from her touch. As a result, my magical power decreased a bit, and more mana was consumed than I thought as I came riding my bike. ¡°I¡¯m not nning to go to and from Sejong Ind again. It would be morefortable to move around by boat or car.¡± ¡°It seems that the consumption of mana was more than I thought. Restfortably¡­ I would like to say, but I thought you came to support me, Manager Do.¡± ¡°Support?¡± ¡°Yes. Here, it¡¯s a battlefield now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It seems I stepped into the wrong ce. No. I might have stepped into the right ce. Apart from myck of mana, the Goblin should be at the execution ground. ¡°The Goblin tends to be where the bad viin is. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°October Travel. You know?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it an airline? Apany that has made a big step into Yangyang Airport.¡± Of course, all airports in South Korea were managed by the public corporation, Korea Airports Corporation. However, in ces like Incheon and Yangyang, which saw a lot of foreign traffic, foreign airlines had sessfully invested their stakes through various lobbies, and I knew that October Travel had staked all their shares in Yangyang. I used it asionally. I often flew first ss when I met the Chairwoman, and it was nice to have a lot of opportunities to eat Western food as in-flight meals because it was a foreign airline. ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyone uses October Travel when they use an international airline. But there¡¯s a problem. The chairman of October Travel and his granddaughter are here in Samcheok, you know?¡± ¡°Do you have a pad to research information? I left the Taegeuk Watch in Seoul.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. What are you curious about?¡± ¡°That granddaughter, from my memory, was an ability user.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I remembered. She was one of the supporting female characters in the original work. ¡°Her name is¡­.¡± ¡°Yuliana Feygreen. ording to international standards, she¡¯s a ss C superhuman. She needs to go up to Yangyang and get on an international flight, but she¡¯s currently staying in Samcheok because she¡¯s receiving death threats.¡± ¡°People from October Travel wouldn¡¯t not fly nes or not go to Yangyang because the chairman¡¯s granddaughter is receiving death threats¡­ What happened?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a more formidable organization behind the murder threat than you might think.¡± The woman showed me another photograph. In the somewhat low-quality CCTV image, familiar figures were heading down an alleyway. I instantly recognized who they were. ¡°It seems an unfortunate connection has been established here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The ones threatening a terrorist attack now are the¡­ ¡®Hwalbindang¡¯.¡± The woman curled the corners of her lips in a smirk. At the same time, I, too, could not hold back a hollowugh. ¡°Why would the Hwalbindang attack Yuliana? Because she¡¯s a foreigner?¡± ¡°If that were the reason, she would have been terrorized a long time ago. That¡¯s not why. The reason is actually quite shocking¡­¡± The woman leaned her upper body slightly towards me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask this while you¡¯re on duty, but I can let you know if you help me out.¡± ¡°Will you lend me some mana?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. But I can¡¯t do it for long. I¡¯m in the middle of a real-time battle.¡± ¡°In that case, I will take my leave. I will finish as quickly as possible.¡± I rose from my seat. ¡°Please assist me with a light mana supply then, Hye-ra.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly calling me by my name¡­?¡± ¡°Should I call you by your viin name, then?¡± Name: Yoon Hye-ra. Ability: S-ss. Pyrokinesis - Fire magic. ¡°Honestly, all the Yi Maemangryang executive names are rubbish.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ You¡¯re shaking the foundations of the Yi Maemangryang. You know that?¡± ¡°Well, I personally think we should switch to ¡®original names¡¯ as a philosopher.¡± ¡°Uh, I hate that. Especially for me. I¡¯m ¡®that,¡¯ you know.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better than ¡®Gunggi¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not viinous!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I get it.¡± Viin Name: [Gunggi]. ¡°I will recover mana¡­ no, I will take back some of the mana that¡¯s inside you. I will extract it directly from the mana pouch.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Shall I start by singing the first verse of the national anthem?¡± The way to recover mana in this country? ¡°Let me know if it hurts, Hye-ra.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t¡­!¡± Of course, it was a patriotic spirit.
At that moment. In a suite on the 29th floor of a hotel in Sokcho, a blonde woman was gritting her teeth with an anxious expression. ¡°Ugh, why am I in this state¡­.¡± Her cheek was swollen as if she had been hit by something. She pressed her reddened face with her hand, gritting her teeth. ¡°Sigh¡­.¡± ¡°Does it hurt? I¡¯m sorry.¡± On the opposite side of the woman, an old man, Desmond Faygreen, the chairman of October Travel, bowed his head with a heavy expression. ¡°But you know what that thing is.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I tried to take it home.¡± ¡°If the outside world finds out, it¡¯s the end for us. You know that, right?¡± ¡°¡­but if we bring it to our homnd, the effects would be tremendous.¡± Desmond let out a sigh at his granddaughter Yuliana¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Grandfather, think about our country. We can¡¯t bow our heads to this small country forever.¡± ¡°But Yuliana, the moment you do something wrong, everyone in ourpany can be harmed. You know that, right?¡± ¡°I will take responsibility for that. You can say it was my doing alone, that it was my scheme.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s why there¡¯s Onerysk¡­.¡± ¡°Why should thepany be harmed for my mistakes? I¡¯m not even apany person.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Desmond tried to exin many times, but it was no use. ¡°You saw the case of Stern. Ermina Sternfert, an A-ss Esper, became a demon trying to kill an E-ss Esper and lost all her abilities. What happened to her after that? Stern is on the brink of bankruptcy now.¡± ¡°Even if they¡¯re on the brink, they won¡¯t go bankrupt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something you should say so lightly¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everything will be fine. Who moves thinking things won¡¯t work out?¡± Desmond felt dizzy. His granddaughter certainly had exceptional abilities, but her view of the world and experience were stillcking. No, this was inevitable. She was just a 17-year-old kid. Even as Desmond¡¯s granddaughter, who had a lot more experiencepared to others, she was still a child who thought the world revolved around her. ¡°Yuliana. Are you confident that you can protect that ¡®item¡¯ from the Hwalbindang?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. My ability will never reveal its location. That¡¯s why the Hwalbindang is trying to capture me, trying to kill me now.¡± Grin. The corners of Yuliana¡¯s mouth rose to her ears. ¡°This is a game between them and me. In the age of ability users, I¡¯m the one who has the most precious thing, and the Hwalbindang is after me. If I manage to leave the country with the item safely, I win. If I fail, I get killed.¡± ¡°At least to the country¡­.¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t say anything.¡± Yuliana sternly shook her head. ¡°The item I managed to get even after being pped by you. If I say I can¡¯t return with it and ask for help now-¡± Squeak. There was a sound of something moving from upstairs. Subtly, it sounded like the national anthem. ¡°Tch. Does the soundproofing even make sense in a suite¡­.¡± Yuliana pointed her middle finger at the ceiling. ¡°Just eat this.¡± ¡°Understand, Yuliana. They are ¡®patriotizing¡¯ now.¡± ¡°Patriotizing is not everything.¡± ¡°In this country, it¡¯s patriotizing. The person who has a long stay in the penthouse on the 30th floor is patriotizing. Naturally, an ability user wille out.¡± ¡°¡­So everyone who gives birth to an Esper is a patriot? Ah, seriously.¡± Yuliana tossed and turned on the bed in frustration. ¡°Hey!! Keep the noise of your patriotism down!!¡± Still, the bed squeaked. Chapter 90: How To Conquer A Villain (3) Chapter 90: How To Conquer A Viin (3) As eternal as the East Sea and Baekdu Mountain, I felt refreshed after spending some patriotism time with Gunggi. ¡°So, have you recovered your magic power?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fully charged.¡± The magic power transferred from Gunggi was in my body. To be precise, I had reimed the magic power I¡¯d previously put into her body. The bodies of the executives were filled with my magic power, and the executives were able to use a stronger power with my magic power. The exnation was a bitplex, but now was not the time to exin. ¡°You know that the worst thing is to give and take back, right?¡± ¡°Please overlook this. Aspensation, I¡¯ll refill it right after this work ends.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding. From the position of asking for help, I can¡¯t say such a stingy thing.¡± ¡°But why are you saying this?¡± ¡°If I say this, the chief will promise to refill it.¡± I was caught. Gunggi winked and lifted her teacup, and I made a verbal promise to refill her magic power immediately. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t go straight to Seoul.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride when I cross over to Gimpo Airport by a charter ne. Then, won¡¯t you be able to gofortably without being tracked?¡± ¡°Please carry the bike, too.¡± ¡°Of course. Then, can I start the briefing now?¡± ¡°Just a moment.¡± I asked Gunggi for her understanding and closed my eyes. ¡®Status window.¡¯ To check my current status, I put my physical condition on my eyelid.
[Goblin] Job: Viin Affiliation: ¡®Yi Maengmangnyang¡¯ Secret Society Rank: Viin S, ?? ??? EX Skill: Body Enhancement, Goblin Baseball bat Status Physical Strength: D (35 / 200) Endurance: E (66 / 100) Agility: A (134 / 500) Magic Power: C (67 / 300) Luck: F (0 / 0)
It had increased very slightly. The grade had not increased at all, and the ability values had only changed in the front digits. While the magic power had shown the most noticeable growth due to continuous usage, the other areas hadn¡¯t increased significantly to my satisfaction. Of course, expecting a significant increase in such a short time seemed unreasonable, but human greed was endless. ¡®The strengthening of the body and the ability score arepletely different.¡¯ I think my physical strength and endurance were decent, but the problem was that this was based on the standard of ability users. Compared to ordinary people, I was naturallyparable to Hercules and Hulk, but when it came to real A-grade strength or endurance, you could lift and swing a ten-story building single-handedly. Regrettably, I couldn¡¯t do that. Smashing everything with the Goblin Bat was not physical strength but magic power, a technique using special abilities. At least I wanted to increase my magic power a little more. The power I used most was imagination; to make that imagination real, I needed magic power. ¡®Well, that¡¯s also being greedy.¡¯ This was tremendous growthpared to others whose figures did not increase by 1 in a month. And the indicators shown in the status window do not reveal everything about me. ¡°The absorption is over.¡± ¡°It seems my magic power has been mixed in a bit, but that¡¯s not what I intended?¡± ¡°Rather, that¡¯s good. I¡¯m grateful.¡± ¡°¡­ Doesn¡¯t that bother you a bit when you transform?¡± ¡°I just need to exert my power in the direction that suits your magic power traits.¡± If I had to say the total amount of magic power flowing in my body now, it was ¡®A-grade¡¯. Of course, if I had to ssify the magic power I received from Gunggi into an attribute, it would be a ¡®fire attribute¡¯, so the avable abilities would be a bit limited. However, because it was of the fire attribute, the usage was limitless within the category of mes. ¡°Chief. I can y an active part now.¡± With A-grade magic power and my magic power control ability,bined with the Goblin Bat, I was not afraid of any S-grade. No matter what S-grade came, I would not lose, and if I could urately find the weakness and attack it, I could win at any time. The time was 3 am. There was still a long time until sunrise, but assassinations were usually carried out at night. ¡°Who is our opponenting out of Hwalbindang? Looking at the mask, it seems like there¡¯s at least a wooden stake.¡± ¡°The core issue is ¡®Yeongno¡¯. He¡¯s the main person who directly stepped forward to assassinate Yuliana this time.¡± Gunggi showed a video on the TV screen. In the video, a man in a mask, sitting in a ce that looks like a grandmaster¡¯s house in loose attire, held a pipe. -Yuliana Feygreen of October Travel, watch out. From now on, we will reim the future of this country that you have stolen. We will kill you and take back our country¡¯s future. Resistance is useless. You, who dared to steal our treasure and try to run away, will surely die. That¡¯s all. Beep. The video ended with a concise death threat. The peculiar point was that Yeongno wore a mask with horns. It was slightly ambiguous whether it was a tiger or a lion, simr to a goblin. ¡°I looked up the term ¡®Yeongno¡¯. It¡¯s one of the traditional monsters. It seems like he took that as a motif.¡± ¡°A monster from Korea¡­.¡± As I roughly understood it, it was a voracious monster that swallowed something. On the outside, it looked like a normal man, but would he really move ording to the motif of his name? I didn¡¯t know. Even if we just looked at our Yi Maemangryang, there were many cases where the names of executives or viins were simr to their actual abilities, but there were also people with strange names regardless of the match. ¡°So when did this man say he would assassinate? The date doesn¡¯te out in the video.¡± ¡°Um¡­ today?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°About four hours from now. Originally, he nned to kidnap her on her way to Yangyang to catch a ne. Then he intended to plunder the treasure she tried to steal and then kill her. But because the information leaked, Yuliana ended up staying in Samcheok? It all got messed up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I could roughly understand just by hearing the story. ¡°Didn¡¯t you leak it through the ¡®brewers¡¯? That information?¡± ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± Brewer did not refer to the singr. In Sejong Ind, there was only one brewer, but in other ces, there was at least one brewer in each city. It was a brewerwork. ¡°I don¡¯t know how secretly October Travel moved, but at least if they try such arge-scale assassination with that so-called treasure, October Travel wouldn¡¯t have moved ordinarily either. Even for Hwalbindang, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy to notice. You gathered the information¡­and spread it to Hwalbindang.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. To be precise, the information leaked from Gyeolsa. You rememberst time Hwalbindang appeared where you were supposed to step in?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way you got tricked. Was it a counter-operation?¡± ¡°Correct. I leaked the information through that guy. He has ¡®gone quiet¡¯ now.¡± To ¡®go quiet.¡¯ A ng term. Simr expressions would be ¡®to get nailed by security¡¯ or ¡®to get nailed by the cops.¡¯ It was not a pleasant term, so there¡¯s no need to go into detail. If someone within the organization was in collusion with Hwalbindang, from the organization¡¯s perspective, they were nothing more than a rotten apple that needs to be decisively cut off. If Hwalbindang helped further the vision of the organization, that would be one thing. However, the aims of Hwalbindang werepletely different from those of the organization. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why someone within the organization would leak information for such a group. Did they have family, perhaps?¡± ¡°We¡¯re still guessing. Or perhaps they were acting for the benefit of this country alone within the organization. After all, Hwalbindang is a group that only thinks of this country¡¯s interests.¡± Their motives might be different, but they were simr to Duoexini. If the group that Duoexini belonged to aims to demonize all other things to make Korea great, then Hwalbindang was an organization focusing on rooting out domestic corruption. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a bit surprising that Hwalbindang acted rather than Wi Jeong Cheoksa. Given the current situation, it would seem more appropriate for Wi Jeong Cheoksa to act.¡± ¡°I agree. In that regard¡­Wi Jeong Cheoksa might be making a move as we speak.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a hunch.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ That¡¯s what I was hoping for.¡± It was good timing. Apart from the Yumir issue, I was thinking that Duoexini needed to be taken down. If Wi Jeong Cheoksa appears, the execution would be more definitive. ¡°Whether it¡¯s Hwalbindang, Wi Jeong Cheoksa, or whoever, I¡¯ll handle it. What¡¯s my assigned mission?¡± ¡°To execute the viin. The target is¡­ it¡¯s a bit of aplex situation.¡± Gunggi scratched her head as if she was exining something annoying. ¡°Yuliana Faygreen caused an ident, Hwalbindang is targeting Yuliana, Wi Jeong Cheoksa has an opportunity to intervene since a foreignpany¡¯s person caused an ident. And for the organization, the goal is to keep the current world¡¯s flow as undisturbed as possible for world conquest.¡± ¡°Looking at how roundabout your exnation is, it seems like the situation has turned really messy?¡± ¡°Exactly. Right now, the organization¡­needs to ¡®protect¡¯ Yuliana Faygreen.¡± ¡°What?¡± All of a sudden? ¡°Protect her from Hwalbindang?¡± ¡°Yes. It would be troublesome if Yuliana Fairgreen died in Korea. If the granddaughter of October Travel is killed by a Korean viin, it could be an international issue.¡± ¡°So it doesn¡¯t matter if she dies outside of Korea, abroad?¡± ¡°Yes. Whether she goes back to her country and lives or dies is none of our concern, but the act she¡¯smitted right now has created quite a horrific situation.¡± ¡°Seeing you reluctant to exin, it seems like a particrly unsavory matter.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Gunggi didn¡¯t like discussing such topics. ¡°It would be problematic if October Travel crumbles. While people like Stern don¡¯t have much influence in Korea, if October Travel goes under, most flights to Gangwon Province will be stopped. Then, the organization¡¯s revenue from the Gangwon Province region would considerably decrease.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve be a bodyguard out of the blue.¡± ¡°Correct. It¡¯s an annoying situation.¡± Yet, taking on this role was for the benefit of the organization as a whole. ¡°So what treasure did Yuliana steal? Some traditional pottery made by a craftsman?¡± ¡°The problem is what¡¯s inside. That¡¯s¡­¡± Gunggi showed the face of another person. ¡°Do you know who this is?¡± ¡°¡­¡¯ Armored Taejo?¡¯¡± The President¡¯s grandson. An S-ss hero. A troublemaker in a powered dragon suit. He was not a viin. Just his actions were on a troublesome level. ¡°What¡¯s his rtionship with this situation?¡± ¡°Yuliana stole this man¡¯s DNA. And now, she¡¯s trying to flee to another country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No way. Chapter 91: How To Conquer A Villain (4) Chapter 91: How To Conquer A Viin (4) At that moment, in the Presidential Office of Busan. ¡°This foolish boy!¡± The current President, Tae Chae-jin, shouted at the young man sitting on the sofa. ¡°I told you not to hang around with just any woman!¡± ¡°Oh, I had no idea!!¡± The young man, ¡®Taejo¡¯, who had been fiddling with his smartphone, threw a fit while sitting on the sofa. ¡°If humanws cannot confine ability users! So, I did it with another ability user. Why are you so critical about that!¡± ¡°Hey!!¡± ¡°What!!¡± Although they were grandfather and grandson in private, publicly, they were the President and one of the S-rank heroes of this country. ¡°Are you talking or farting now! I¡¯ve told you many times! If a man cannot control his mouth and hands, it¡¯s all over!¡± ¡°Oh, did I know that woman was such a woman!¡± ¡°Bring her here right now! Hurry!¡± ¡°How can I bring her? She already went to Gangwon-do. And honestly, it wouldn¡¯t be bad if a kid happened¡­¡± ¡°Hey, you irresolute bastard!!¡± Their conversation was as messy and candid as one wouldn¡¯t expect from the two of them. Fortunately, the office had a thoroughly constructed soundproof booth. Otherwise, the citizens would have been shocked to hear their conversation. ¡°What do you think would happen if an S-rank ability user and a C-rank ability user did such things?! Huh?¡± ¡°Based on health education, there is a high probability of having a child, right?¡± ¡°Are you saying this while you could be a dad!¡± ¡°Wow! Am I going to be a dad?!¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± The President covered his face with his hand. Knowing that his grandson was S-rank, he was nurtured, and thanks to his S-rank grandson and granddaughter, he was able to be President. However, since bing President, most of his work has dealt with this S-rank troublemaker, Taejo. ¡°So, why did you meet her?¡± ¡°Is there something? We met at an airline event, exchanged contact information, and then met. I set aside the Taegeuk Watch.¡± ¡°You, I always told you to carry the Taegeuk Watch!!¡± ¡°Ah, how could I carry that thing around all the time. It¡¯s not an electronic anklet. Did Imit a sexual offense? Just some light-hearted fun between young friends¡­¡± ¡°Then you should clean up the mess properly!!¡± BANG. ¡°I, I used contraception properly!¡± ¡°You should have securely taken care of it after use. Why did you let her run off with it!¡± ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t expect her to take it from the trash can!!¡± ¡°You idiot!!¡± As the President threw the booklet he was holding onto the floor, Taejo started looking around nervously. ¡°Huff, huff. Taejo, my grandson, listen carefully. This is a bigger problem than you think. Our agents are now trying to escort that woman, but if they slip up, she could be killed. Do you know why?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Why?¡± ¡°Because your genes, which belong to Korea¡¯s top S-ss young man, are more valuable than the daughter of a foreign airlinepany¡¯s Ability User!!¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not funny!!¡± The President, frustrated, pounded his chest. At the same time, he projected Yuliana¡¯s picture on the TV hanging on the office wall and shouted while pointing at the TV screen. ¡°Imagine if this woman goes back and has a child based on your genes! What would be of the child she bears!¡± ¡°If it¡¯s an Ability User, I¡¯ll raise it. If not, I¡¯ll discard it.¡± ¡°How can you say such a thing so calmly.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s the reality.¡± Taejo chuckled and took a big bite of the Yanggaeng ced on the table. ¡°Grandpa. You don¡¯t need to worry. Do you think she would do something like that just to have a child? I read in a health book that they die off quickly, so it should be fine!¡± ¡°Oh, really? Unlike ordinary people, our great S-ss hero, the eldest son of the Tae family, has superior genes, so couldn¡¯t they survive?¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± Taejo tilted his head. ¡°Is that scientifically possible?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an Ability User!!¡± ¡°Ability Users are also human.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push the limits of science on Ability Users!! What are you going to do if she really gets pregnant! Are you nning to scatter your genes to all women and have tens, hundreds of your sons around!¡± ¡°Well.¡± Taejo shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Why should I be responsible for a child I didn¡¯t want to have?¡± ¡°Ha, hahaha¡­.¡± The President seemed to have no more energy to rage and copsed into his seat. ¡°I¡¯ve raised a monster, a monster.¡± ¡°I do possess monstrous abilities.¡± ¡°Anyway, if you don¡¯t do something. Ugh. If something happens to her, you¡¯re really¡­¡± ¡°Why would Yuliana die?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The President turned his body. Unnoticed by Taejo, he tried hard to suppress the corners of his mouth from rising. ¡°Grandson. Consider this. Imagine you¡¯re a nationalist. The grand first son of our Tae family has his genes stolen by a foreign woman. Could you just sit by and watch?¡± ¡°Then we just have to retrieve it. Why should she die?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen a thief left untouched?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, no, that¡¯s not right. Killing seems a bit much.¡± Taejo sprung up from his seat. ¡°We promised to try it once more when I visit Miami next time, in a suit!!¡± ¡°¡­You should be d you¡¯re an S-ss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m S-ss that I¡¯m like this. Khu khu khu.¡± Taejo moved towards the window. ¡°Where is Yuliana now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. She said she was taking a ne from Yangyang to America. Why?¡± ¡°Why, you ask.¡± As Taejo opened the window, something that looked like a massive hunk of steel flew toward him from outside. ng, ng, ng! The hunk of metal attached itself to Taejo¡¯s body, swiftly forming armor that covered him entirely. He resembled a man of steel donned in dragon-scale armor. ¡°Rescuing the woman is the hero¡¯s job.¡± With a loud crash! Taejo broke through the ss window and dashed outside. Watching his retreating figure, the President quietly reached out for the bottle of digestive medicine on the table. ¡°He should have been born in America, not Korea¡­ Ah, no. Right, he¡¯s the proud eldest son of our Tae family. Tsk.¡± The President stared at the picture on the TV with aplex expression. ¡°If a scandal¡¯s going to break, it should at least be of equal ss. An S-ss should match with an S-ss. What¡¯s with this C-ss.¡±
After a moment. Having assessed the whole situation, I once again confirmed where the Gyeolsa currently stood. ¡°So, we just have to make sure Yuliana doesn¡¯t die in Korea, right?¡± ¡°Yes. The government wants to cover up that Taejo, an S-grade hero, has been involved in a scandal with Yuliana, a C-grade individual, and the Hwalbindang wants to recover the stolen genes of Taejo from Yuliana.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in it for us?¡± ¡°Part ownership of October Travel. And, favor.¡± The word ¡®favor¡¯ was frightening. It was just a word, but from Gyeolsa¡¯s perspective, these trivial favors must be gathered to progress toward world domination. ¡°Instead of having a headache over creating a new airline where October Travel is located, wouldn¡¯t it be better to make October Travel an ally of Gyeolsa? They¡¯re going to upgrade us to first ss for free whenever we go abroad.¡± ¡°Everything is for world domination, right?¡± ¡°Exactly. An influential airline in Gangwon Province. Capturing them for our society will be a great help in the future.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± The conclusion was drawn. Whether we liked it or not, Yuliana must not be killed on Korean soil. ¡°Then what about Taejo¡¯s genes?¡± ¡°We have to destroy them. To make sure nobody uses them carelessly.¡± ¡°And where would they use it?¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s stored somewhere in a cold ce and used in a test tube or something, wouldn¡¯t it be quite troublesome?¡± ¡°Tsk. Such a young man is already shameless¡­¡± ¡°You, Chief Do, are shameless too.¡± ¡°Mr. President.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± I put my foot down, giving up on the idea of kicking Gunggi¡¯s butt. ¡°It¡¯s time. From now on, I¡¯ll follow and escort the ¡®thief¡¯ from a ce unseen.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem too thrilled.¡± ¡°From the perspective of human Do Ji-hwan, not the Goblin of the Gyeolsa, I¡¯m more ufortable with Yuliana than Taejo.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a man?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s disturbing that they¡¯re trying to have a child without being in love.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Indeed, I suppose that would be the case from your perspective, Chief Do. You¡¯re a passionate lover, wooing this woman and that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Thwack. ¡°Ah! You hit my butt?! This is sexual harassment!¡± ¡°Even if you scream, it won¡¯t mean anything if it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°The issue is where you hit! How could you hit a woman?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t discriminate based on gender¡­ So next time, I will kick your shin.¡± ¡°Anyway!¡± Gunggi rubbed her buttocks with a scowl on her face. ¡°Speaking of which, Mr. President. Can Yuliana be considered¡­a viin?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Gunggi stared at me intently, then shook her head slightly. ¡°A crime deserving death¡­ I don¡¯t think so?¡± ¡°Even though she¡¯s a gene thief?¡± ¡°Since they both agreed to it, no one can say anything. If there¡¯s a fault, it lies with both sides. The man who didn¡¯t handle it properly after the fact, and the woman who tried to do something strange with it.¡± ¡°¡­Well, I understand that it¡¯s not to the extent of deserving death.¡± Woosh. I took out my mask. ¡°This is just a theoretical discussion.¡± Transform. [If Yuliana does something bad enough to deserve death.] ng. [As the Goblin, is it okay to kill her?] ¡°¡­Ah. Of course¡­ It is. Naturally.¡± Gunggi took out sunsses from her pocket, put them on, and raised her red lips towards me. ¡°More important than these trivial circumstances is the duty of the Gyeolsa and the circumstances of the Goblin.¡± Yuliana Escort Operation. Begin. Chapter 92: How To Conquer A Villain (5) Chapter 92: How To Conquer A Viin (5) About 2 hours before Jeon Yong-gi¡¯s departure. 5 AM. In front of the Grand Hotel, Samcheok, Gangwon-do. ¡°Please take care, Miss ¡®Crimson¡¯.¡± ¡°We should be the ones asking for your care. Hehe. Please rest assured.¡± A lot of people were gathered in the hotel lounge. The men in ck suits were bodyguards hired by October Travel, and some of our Secret Society agents were also there to guard. ¡°We will escort you safely to Yangyang Airport. We hope you have afortable journey.¡± ¡°Hmm. If I can return to my country safely, I will not forget this favor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s business, there¡¯s no favor here. Hehe. You won¡¯t regret reaching out to us. Shall we go?¡± Gunggi gestured outside the hotel as she guided the chairman. Five official sedans were already waiting outside the hotel, and Gunggi personally escorted the chairman to the second car. ¡°Lady, you cane this way.¡± I personally escorted Yuliana. The other agents of the Secret Society wouldn¡¯t even dream that I was the Goblin. They only thought of me as an agent directly called by Gunggi. ¡°You, who are you?¡± ¡°At work, they call me ¡®Moby Dick¡¯.¡± I took a once-over of myself reflected in the ss of the main entrance. A ck suit top and bottom, a ck shirt, and even a ck dolphin mask on my face. Anyone would associate me with a dolphin due to the design, and anyone would think I am suspicious. Even people from the same Secret Society were indirectly giving a look as if to say, ¡®Why did Gunggi personally order him to escort Yuliana?¡¯ ¡°Do all the people in yourpany look like that?¡± ¡°For now, yes.¡± ¡°Well, fine. It¡¯s good because it¡¯s an English name, easy to call. Guide me.¡± ¡°Yes. Shall I carry your luggage?¡± ¡°This¡­ I will carry it myself.¡± Yuliana was carrying arge carrier. It gave off a feeling that something precious was stowed away, something hidden, securely locked inside. Could ¡®Taejo¡¯s genes¡¯ be in there? I didn¡¯t know. As a member of the Secret Society, the primary goal was to protect Yuliana. Personally, the best option would be to destroy or steal and incinerate Taejo¡¯s genes. ¡°Understood. This way, please.¡± I escorted Yuliana with the professional attitude I learned from escorting our leader. She got into the car as if it was a matter of course that I was escorting her, and I sat directly in the driver¡¯s seat and started the car. ¡°Would you fasten your seatbelt? There might be situations where I need to speed to the airport.¡± ¡°What about others¡­?¡± ¡°Chairman Feygreen said that he would take the next international flight if anything happens. He instructed us to prioritize getting you on the private jet.¡± ¡°Really? Hmm¡­¡± This was not a lie. There was no need to lie to a person whom the bodyguard must protect. ¡°I will escort you safely to the airport.¡± ¡°You, how strong are you? You seem¡­ stronger than me.¡± Did she feel my magical power subtly exuding from my body? Yuliana looked at me from the back seat with a subtle smile on her face. ¡°Are you Korean? Or are you a foreigner over there?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This woman. What could be the reason she subtly shows interest in me? Judging by her great interest in powerful psychics, she must definitely be aiming for the genes of various ability users. ¡°Are you A-ss? Or something above?¡± Like she was aiming for Taejo¡¯s genes, was she now aiming for my genes? ¡®How could this girl be a sub-heroine.¡¯ She was the type of heroine that would make the Unicorn-natured readers mad. Probably, the foolish original author must have tried to build up a ¡®promiscuous heroine¡¯ in his harem, but as soon as the reaction was not good, he excluded her. -Do we call an unwrapped product new? We call it used. -Used and heroine are words that cannot coexist, teacher. During a live follow-up, someone else made such ament. Perhaps the author who thought something was ¡®wrong¡¯ from hisment must have demoted Yuliana to a supporting role. Still, if the author stubbornly insisted on cleaning her up, Yuliana would have been a main heroine. ¡®Whether she¡¯s a heroine or not, it doesn¡¯t matter to me at this point.¡¯ Right now, she was just a subject of the mission, and in my eyes, she could easily be an execution target with just a slight misstep. For instance, just before she became a target to be killed. ¡°We will be departing soon. Would you please fasten your seatbelt?¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re boring. You¡¯re not popr with women, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m married.¡± ¡°You can do it without your wife knowing- Ah?!¡± As soon as the car in front started moving, I stepped on the elerator. Vroom. ¡°Hey, are you going to ignore me? What will you do if I jump out in the middle?¡± ¡°Enemies will be on your tail as soon as we leave Yangyang. I¡¯ll say this up to three times. Please fasten your seatbelt.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ What if I need to jump out and run away, and the belt gets in the way.¡± ¡°Understood. If you smash your pretty face on the seat and bleed from your noseter, we are not responsible, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Tsk. Boring.¡± With the quiet engine noise, I checked to see Yuliana fastening her seatbelt and slightly stepped harder on the elerator. ¡®She¡¯s already hooked.¡¯ Beyond the window. I could feel the gazes directed at us.
Samcheok City, another hotel rooftop. ¡°The thief has left the hotel. The ones who came out were Desmond, Yuliana, and several escorts. The specific number is¡­ That¡¯s it, report over.¡± A young woman wearing a hat and mask, Mattluk, put down her telescope and spoke into the radio. [Confirmed. We will depart immediately.] The sound of an engine roaring could be heard over the radio. It seemed like the rumbling of a vehicle, and also like a motorcycle. No, perhaps both. [Mattluk. Follow them up to Gangneung and keep an eye on the situation. If something goes wrong with us, immediately inform the leader to cancel the operation and abandon us.] ¡°Yes? No, why are you saying that from the start?¡± [I¡¯m just anxious.] The voice over the radio was brimming with confidence, but at the same time, there was a very slight tremble left. [The opponent is not just Feygreen. There¡¯s also Yi Maemangryang. Especially¡­ this time, it seems the ¡®Crimson Witch¡¯ is with them.] ¡°That me cat¡­?¡± [Yes. Fortunately, ording to your report, the me cat is protecting Desmond Feygreen. We know that our ultimate target is not Yuliana but the Taejo¡¯s gene that Yuliana stole.] ¡°Then are you saying Desmond has that?¡± [There¡¯s a possibility.] ¡°Hmm¡­ Is the carrier that Yuliana has a decoy?¡± [For now.] Mattluk was hesitant about what to say. Expressing her intuition recklessly was an act that incited anxiety, and ultimately, Mattluk struggled to swallow the anxiety flowing from her heart. [It¡¯s okay. If need be, we can just rob them all. Crimson Witch knows that we are here, so they would have hidden Taejo¡¯s gene in the safest ce.] ¡°Commander Yeongno. How about requesting support from the ¡®Adjustment¡¯ now? Even though Hwalbindang is moving, this matter should receive help from the Adjustment¡­.¡± [We¡¯ve already received help. Don¡¯t you know the rtionship between this side¡¯s affiliates and ¡®my unit¡¯? The road is clear, and whatever we do against them will be ¡®forgotten¡¯.] ¡°Do you mean¡­.¡± [Listen well. This matter must end as Hwalbindang¡¯s independent action. Never, never should there be talk that Adjustment and we coborated. Even if a problem arisester, all matters aremitted by us, Hwalbindang. Adjustment has no rtionship. Understand?] ¡°¡­Understood.¡± [Good. Pray for good luck.] ¡°I will also pray for good luck. Commander Yeongno. Um¡­.¡± Mattluk took a deep breath and asked cautiously. ¡°After this operation is over, would you like to go eat Korean Beef near Busan?¡± ¡°Korean Beef? Nice. If we sessfully steal Taejo¡¯s gene, I¡¯ll buy.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll buy. It¡¯s a promise. Pleasee back safely.¡± [Of course.] Click. The radio was disconnected. Mattluk fiddled with the radio and lifted her head to the sky. ¡°The weather¡­.¡± For dawn, it was far too dark and gloomy, a gray sky.
¡°Sigh.¡± Yuliana let out a tant sigh. The man named Moby Dick, seated in the driver¡¯s seat, was just driving silently, and there seemed to be no significant problem until they escaped from Samcheok. ¡°Did I get tricked for no reason?¡± Yuliana casually asked this, but Moby Dick said nothing. Yuliana jabbed the back of the co-pilot¡¯s seat with her knee out of spite, but the man just continued to drive. ¡°Hey, are you going to keep ignoring me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t answer that question.¡± ¡°So you mean you can answer questions you can answer?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you married?¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯m a married man.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Married man. He must be an ability user, at most 25 years old, but he was already married. ¡°Who did you marry? An ability user? Then your kids would be ability users, too, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather notment.¡± ¡°Hmm. Did you marry a non-ability user? Why? If you marry an ability user, you¡¯d immediately have an ability user child. Ah, are you the type who wants your child to live an ordinary life?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but from now on, the driving might get a bit aggressive.¡± Moby Dick¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°It seems the attackers are serious about getting rid of you.¡± ¡°Getting rid of me? What are you talking about¡­¡± Rumble, rumble. The vibration began to be felt. At the same time, Moby Dick pressed hard on the elerator. ¡°We¡¯re going fast.¡± ¡°No, why are you suddenly speeding up¡­¡± As they were driving along the coastal road, the three-way intersection appeared ahead of them. ¡°¡­What is that?¡± ¡°I wish it were bikers¡­ but it¡¯s Hwalbindang. Those who have made ims to assassinate you.¡± Dozens of motorcycles wereing. ¡°¡­ They¡¯re like goblins wearing Hanbok and riding motorcycles.¡± Wearing ck durumagi, they were furiously riding their bikes, speeding down the road and closing the distance. ¡°No, besides that! Their bikes! In front of their bikes!¡± ¡°Yes, I see it.¡± In front of their handlebars, ¡°There¡¯s a gun attached.¡± There was a K2 rifle attached. Chapter 93: The Dignity Of Rank S (1) Chapter 93: The Dignity Of Rank S (1) No matter how crazy the world became, there was still a thing called morality in this world. This morality varied from person to person, country to country, and world to world. Earth and this world were different. After the great transformation, themon sense of this world crumbled along with the meteorite. Bang! Bang! Bang! Gunshots filled the road. The sound of bullets hitting the ground, hitting cars, and screams due to the gunfire rang out in a trio. ¡°Aghhh!¡± ¡°Even though you¡¯re an ability user¡­¡± I lightly turned the steering wheel and infringed on the centerline. ¡°Protecting yourself with magic power, bullets won¡¯t even sting. Why the scream?¡± ¡°Ha, does a shootout like this even make sense in Korea right now?!¡± ¡°Indeed, it doesn¡¯t.¡± Though it was a road leading north, and I got closer to the Hwalbindang gangsters for a moment, this car was thoroughly bulletproof. Vroooom!! The RPM instantly passed the topmost level, and I rushed forward, avoiding the car that had momentarily stopped due to the gunfire. It was a counterflow. There should be no cars ahead. ¡°What are you going to do if a cares from the front!¡± ¡°Then we just have to avoid it.¡± I returned the car to its originalne. Then, the Hwalbindang gangsters, no, the ouws spun around at the intersection and chased after me. ¡°It seems like they are targeting thedy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see it for myself!¡± ¡°Please do not unfasten your seatbelt. I will take you to Yangyang.¡± ¡°What?¡± There was no need to change gears. Just had to follow the navigation and keep driving forward while stepping hard on the elerator. ¡®Being an ability user does have its perks.¡¯ I, who had only ever driven at 140km/h on a highway, was now driving close to 200km/h. And that too on the East Coast Road. It was somewhat smoother than the real-world roads, but still, driving at this speed on a winding road was crazy. But my ability made it possible. The extended senses through mana and the enhanced physical abilities through my ability made it possible. Regardless of anything else, my agility was rank A, so I checked my surroundings in a second and drove forward. You could call it good driving, but the problem was that there were guys keeping up with this speed. Vrooooom! ¡°You corner well. Are you a former driver soldier?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with anything!¡± ¡°Driver soldiers are all brilliant at cornering.¡± There were as many as four motorcycles really proficiently chasing me, taking the corners. They had even installed a device on their handles where if you pulled the lever connected to the handle, the gun trigger was pulled with it. Rat-a-tat-tat! The gunfire was concentrated on the trunk part. I swerved slightly to dodge the bullets, but with all four motorcycles shooting from behind at once, I couldn¡¯t dodge them all. ¡°Aghhh!¡± ¡°It¡¯s bulletproof ss, we¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°Why are you so calm!¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a professional. Be careful with the shock.¡± After checking the navigation, I said, ¡°Counter-attack time.¡± ¡°Eh? Ahhh?!¡± I mmed the brakes. Screeeeech!! The three motorcycles chasing me from behind saw the brake warning light and quickly changed directions. Thud! The guy at the back didn¡¯t see it and crashed his motorcycle right into the back of the car. As soon as I felt the impact, I hit the elerator again. ¡°If it were my car, I would never have done this.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Crash. One of the hooligans who fell on the car trunk just rolled onto the ground. ¡°Is he dead¡­?!¡± ¡°They are ability users. The four of them are keeping up with us at this speed. They¡¯re all ability users.¡± There was no way the guy who follows effortlessly at 200km/h on a motorcycle and could fire a gun wasn¡¯t an ability user. If not? ¡­ Well, anyone firing a rifle from a motorcycle at dawn was a viin. Even if they died, it was just a viin who died. Rat-a-tat-tat! The muzzle spat fire again. The recoil should have slowed them down, but I suppose because a motorcycle was lighter than a car, it kept tailing me without a hitch, even with the recoil of gunfire. Vroooom! One of them even tried to overtake me. As he moved his motorcycle close to the driver¡¯s seat and tried to attach something, I immediately swerved the car. Screeeech! Turning a sharp curve, the car tilted sideways, and the guy who came close to the driver¡¯s seat, surprised, turned his handle the other way. Bam! The rear of the car hit the front wheel of his motorcycle. He slipped and rolled on the ground, and the object he was trying to attach dropped lifelessly to the ground. Boom!! A lively explosion sound rang out. In the rearview mirror, a red explosion kicked up a cloud of dust. ¡°There¡¯s no rule saying you can¡¯t use bombs while shooting guns.¡± ¡°Wh, why are you so calm?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your designated driver for no reason. But¡­ it looks like they are quite serious.¡± A barricade was spread out in front as I pressed the elerator to rush forward again. Severalyers of yellow metal bars were stretched out, and armed hooligan archers were aiming at us on either side. The ¡®Gangneung City¡¯ sign behind them was so out of ce that I almostughed. ¡°Wh, what are those¡­! Why go to such lengths¡­!¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re trying to smuggle out S-grade genes. Of course, they¡¯d kick up a fuss.¡± ¡°You, you knew¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, I knew.¡± I turned my head back for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m doing it because it¡¯s the Chairwoman¡¯s order, not because I want to.¡± ¡°Ah, look ahead!¡± ¡°Why should I? Anyway¡­.¡± I pressed the pedal even harder. ¡°Barricade or not, I¡¯m going to break through and go forward.¡± I sent my energy to the steering wheel. The left hand holding the wheel started to burn with red mes, and soon the mes were sucked into the front of the car. Whoosh. A fire caught on the front of the car. As if the fire was running with mes in its mouth, the car rammed into the barricade while burning with mes as red as blood. Aaargh!! I heard someone screaming as we passed through the barricade, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention and continued to press the elerator. ¡°Wh, who the hell are you¡­.¡± The car raced forward. It was full of bullet marks, and the speed had slowed down a bit, but there was no significant impediment to driving. ¡°Currently, I am Moby Dick, directly under Chairman ¡®Gunggi.¡¯¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard¡­ Well, whatever. You.¡± Yuliana, who seemed to have rxed a little, leaned forward while holding onto the passenger seat. ¡°Do you have any ns to join October Travel¡­ Aagh!¡± I hit the brake hard. Yuliana hit her face on the passenger seat¡¯s backrest, and I stopped the car and then started moving forward again. ¡°Wh, what was that all of a sudden!¡± ¡°It was a red light.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense¡­! You¡¯ve been ignoring all the signals until now!¡± ¡°Have I?¡± I didn¡¯t know about that.
At that time. Themotion that happened in Gangwon Province quickly spread to key figures rted to national defense. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was a call to assemble on the Taeguk Watch that had been ringing since dawn, directed to ¡®Snow White¡¯. ¡°Taejo, what trouble has this man gotten himself into this time¡­.¡± Reading the report that only the reliable S-ss heroes of the nation, unknown to the others and the media, received directly, Baek Seol-hee took off her pajamas with a serious face. ¡°So a foreigner girl and Taejo¡­ah, anyway, that guy. He gets himself into trouble because he¡¯s too young¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee made coffee in her kitchen while shaking her head. Drinking coffee in the morning was a little burdensome, but she needed a bit of caffeine for a clear mind. ¡°Should I go, or should I not?¡± This was a request. It was not a threat. Even during her vacation in Seoul, such an emergency telegram arrived, and the president himself called and asked to stop the northward-moving Red Scarf. But now it was different. This time, it was a real request. ¡°Sending me this message at this time¡­.ah, they¡¯re trying to train me. If I don¡¯t act, there will be chaoster, and even if I do act, the situation would have already been resolved.¡± It was clear that asking her to go to Gangwon Province at this urgent time, especially when chaos would be unfolding by now, was ¡®too much¡¯. Beep. The Taeguk Watch rang again. Baek Seol-hee thought about simply turning off the Taeguk Watch and taking a shower, but her expression changed as she saw the emergency report on the Taeguk Watch. -Gunfire exchange urred. -It¡¯s estimated that Hwalbindang is using almost one gun per person. -Currently, ¡®Armored Taejo¡¯ is flying from Busan to Gangwon Province. ¡°¡­¡­Insane. Shooting guns in Korea? The world has truly gone mad.¡± Baek Seol-heeughed hollowly at the unbelievable report. Beep. The phone rang. It was a number she knew, and Baek Seol-hee immediately answered. ¡°Yes, hello, Irin.¡± [Unnie, are you looking at the emergency report right now?] ¡°Yes, your brother¡­.¡± [Not my brother, something else.] Baek Seol-hee frowned slightly at the petnt tone of the girl¡¯s voice, but she quickly let go of her annoyance, thinking that it made sense if that was about a male family member. [I¡¯m thinking of going; would you like toe with me?] ¡°Um¡­.¡± [If there¡¯s a crisis, wouldn¡¯t your prince alsoe out?] ¡°What are you talking about? Who¡¯s my prince? You¡¯re pretty bold to say that.¡± [Isn¡¯t it half true¡­?] ¡°Quiet.¡± Baek Seol-hee flicked her fingers and quickly dressed using magic. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll change and go to you right away, so get ready. We need to head to Yangyang first.¡± [To see your prince?] ¡°You really¡­¡± It just so happened that she woke up at dawn and decided to go. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to a crisis spot just because there might be the Goblin? Do you think I¡¯m going to meet the Goblin?¡± [You might run into him by ident.] ¡°If I meet the Goblin in Gangwon Province¡­ yes.¡± Baek Seol-hee chuckled and put on a shirt. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Goblin for a date over a cup of tea. You¡¯re saying something that doesn¡¯t make sense. Why would the Goblin be there in Gangwon Province?¡± [What if there is?] ¡°Then.¡± p. ¡°That would be destiny.¡± Baek Seol-hee wound an ice fishing line around her finger. Chapter 94: The Dignity Of Rank S (2) Chapter 94: The Dignity Of Rank S (2) At that moment, on the outskirts of Samcheok, Gangwon Province. Thud-thud-thud-thud! The hail of bullets didn¡¯t stop. Already, several cars had turned into scrap metal under the concentrated gunfire, and red traces flowed out in the sticky engine oil. ¡°Is, is it alright?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course. We are safe.¡± ¡°No, I mean my granddaughter!¡± Desmond pointed in the direction where one car had disappeared. It was already out of sight, with only skid marks on the ground and Hwalbindang thugs chasing after it visible. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s safer than you, Chairman. The agent attached to her is a specialist.¡± ¡°Who the hell is that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Goblin.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± At Gunggi¡¯s words, Desmond¡¯s eyes widened momentarily, and then he ced his hand over his heart and heaved a deep sigh of relief. ¡°Haaaa¡­.¡± ¡°So, you feel relieved when you hear it¡¯s the Goblin?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re lying, I¡¯ll sue you. Didn¡¯t you say there¡¯s no Goblin on this mission?¡± ¡°I caught him ying around in Samcheok at dawn. Do you know how much I had to wheedle to ask for his support even though it wasn¡¯t his mission?¡± Gunggi chuckled as she returned fire from the barricade made by the car. ¡°Still, as a special service to you, Chairman, I won¡¯t charge you for hiring the Goblin.¡± ¡°Th, thank you¡­.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t be responsible for other cases, okay?¡± ¡°Other cases¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. As always, when the Goblin is with a female ability user¡­ you know what happens, right?¡± ¡°¡­Gasp!¡± Chairman Desmond covered his mouth with his hand. ¡°Sur, surely the Goblin won¡¯t try to seduce my granddaughter?!¡± ¡°The opposite, actually. If he doesn¡¯t transform, it should be fine, but if he transforms and tries to save people, she will definitely fall for him.¡± ¡°¡­Huh!¡± At Gunggi¡¯s matter-of-fact statement, Chairman Desmond clenched his fist and thumped his chest. ¡°If I had known it was the Goblin¡­!¡± ¡°Why? Because you didn¡¯t send him with your granddaughter?¡± ¡°No, I should have gotten his autograph.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± At the old man¡¯s innocent gaze, Gunggi chuckled dryly. She wondered if this old man knew. While the Goblin would protect his granddaughter, he also nned to eliminate the gic legacy of the Armored Taejo she carried. ¡°But¡­ is it alright to keep going like this? I mean us.¡± ¡°Us? Well¡­ it looks like the problem solver will be here soon.¡± ¡°Problem solver?¡± ¡°Yes. Here theye.¡± Gunggi pointed to the southern sky. ¡°Handling such incidents is a hero¡¯s job.¡± Vroom©¤©¤©¤! Crossing the dawn sky, a figure in a suit resembling a red dragon rocket dropped into the middle of the road. The sound of gunfire began to cease, and the Hwalbindang members started to look at each other nervously, one by one. As if an unexpected presence had suddenly appeared. ¡°Ah, Armored Taejo?!¡± ¡°These kids.¡± The Armored Taejo, whonded in a perfect superhero stance, quickly rose and cracked his neck left and right. ¡°How dare you kill people with guns in this country?¡± ¡°Sho, shoot! Aim for the eyes or the vitals!¡± The bewildered Hwalbindang members aimed their guns at the Armored Taejo and began to pour out bullets. However, the bullets fell to the ground even before they could reach the Armored Taejo. ¡°Tha, that¡­!¡± ¡°Damn! Is there no ability user?! We can¡¯t stop him with bullets!¡± ¡°The idea of stopping an S-ss itself isughable. And¡­.¡± As the Armored Taejo stretched out his hand, the bullets and shell casings on the ground started to merge into one, forming arge figure. ¡°Who allowed you to scatter bullets and casings on the road like this? Huh? You guys, catch them all, and make sure you pick up all the casings you fired until there is none left while going around this area.¡± ¡°Wh, what?!¡± ¡°Drop the gun! Get off the bike! That guy, he¡¯s trying to take that too!!¡± ng, ng. ¡°I am arresting you all formitting a crime. Reckless driving, vition of the firearmsw, assault on foreigners, uh, and¡­ Ah, more than that.¡± The crushed bullets and shell casings, along with the guns and bikes, began to form a massive ¡®Iron Dragon¡¯ above the right hand of the Armored Taejo. ¡°Murder.¡± ng! ¡°I¡¯m arresting everyone on the spot.¡± The Iron Dragon opened its jaws and rushed towards the Hwalbindang members.
The car was racing towards Yangyang, following the outskirts of Gangneung city. Thanks to driving at maximum speed, all the pursuers from Samcheok had fallen behind. If there were any who could pursue us, they would be running not on the same road but somewhere else to block our path. ¡°Um, there. Did you get angry because I asked you to join ourpany? Huh?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get angry. It was just an absurd statement.¡± Telling a yer who waspeting in Europe and had finished military service to run in the corporate league. ¡°Yuliana Feygreen. How old are you this year?¡± ¡°Seventeen. Why?¡± ¡°I see. I thought so.¡± As a social adult dealing with adults, I was constantly exercising patience with these kinds of kids. I was notpletely mature yet, but there was nothing more disgusting to see than an emotionally immature person who had gained power and was obsessed with it. ¡®Is it because I have met the chairwoman?¡¯ Although she was the same age as Yuliana this year, the chairwoman was not only emotionally mature but also ran a mega-corporation called Gyeolsa better than any CEO. Comparing her with the chairwoman, I couldn¡¯t help but scoff. ¡°Look. Even though October Travel is¡­ Kyaa?!¡± I hit the brake again. This time, Yuliana, who might have been prepared, didn¡¯t smash her face into the passenger seat like before. ¡°You did that on purpose¡­!¡± ¡°Unbuckle your seatbelt. We¡¯re abandoning the car.¡± I immediately unbuckled and unlocked the car door. Ahead of us, a Hwalbindang member riding a motorcycle aimed directly at us with a cylindrical, shouldered object. ¡°That, that is¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an anti-tank rocket.¡± I turned the steering wheel to the right and opened the door. ¡°Grab your carry-on and jump out. As an ability user, you should be able to get out, right?¡± ¡°Oh, seriously¡­!¡± Soon, Yuliana unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and jumped out herself. ¡®So it was in the carry-on, not in her possession.¡¯ I had thought she might be hiding it in her body, but thankfully, she didn¡¯t seem to be that malicious. Screech! As the car body started to lean slightly to the right, I stretched my left hand towards the open door and raised my index and middle fingers together. Go ahead, shoot. Click. No sooner had I signaled him to fire than he pulled the trigger of the shouldered anti-tank rocket. Arge shell came flying with white smoke, and I twisted the car body, which was about to tip over due to the sharp turn. Boom! The car toppled sideways, and the anti-tank rocket mmed into the roof of the car. Crash!! With a powerful explosion, the car was crushed, and I strongly surrounded my body with mana for protection before the car exploded. Bang. The car exploded in a chain reaction with the explosion of the rocket. In the midst of this, I got up without breathing, dusted off the ck smoke caused by gunpowder and fuel, and moved forward. [Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too powerful a weapon to use on a national highway?] ¡°You¡­?¡± Seeing mee out unscathed from the rocket explosion, the voice of the Hwalbindang thug who had fired the rocket trembled. ¡°How did you survive that explosion¡­!¡± [As an ability user, it is a basic necessity to protect oneself safely from modern explosive weaponry.] It seems like about 8% of my magic power was used to create a fairly strong shield, but I could obtain one certain effect thanks to this 8% of magic power. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± A decrease in enemy morale. A drop in their willpower. Who wouldn¡¯t feel terror after witnessing someone emerge unscathed from an anti-tank rocket explosion? [Are you Yeongno?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [So, you¡¯re the one who sent the threatening video to Yuliana Feygreen.] I stretched out my right hand and pulled out another mask. [Even though the threat is one thing if you went as far as shooting a rocket, you must be punished.] ¡°You¡­ surely not!¡± [Transform.] As I put the newly created mask on top of the dolphin mask, I quickly transitioned the magic power covering my face. [Viin, Yeongno.] After lightly flicking the belt created with magic power, Iplete the transformation at the speed of light. [Do you have anyst words before your execution?] ¡°Kr¡­! Goblin¡­!¡± I lightly shed my two fists and converted the Goblin Bat in my hands into a ¡®Knuckle¡¯ shape, reequipping them anew. ¡°That power, what the¡­! I¡¯ve never heard of a Goblin using red mes!¡± [Just got a little heat from the explosion.] But in reality, I had just transformed into a state that could best utilize the magic power of my secret techniques. [STRIKE!] [Before I protect the target, I need to deal with you first.] I pointed towards the sea, indicating to Yuliana, who had slightly popped out from behind the wreckage of the exploded car to look ahead. [If you don¡¯t want to die, hide safely. At least there¡¯s no one in this area who can kill you.] ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Yuliana nodded at me and crossed the guardrail. ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away!¡± Yeongno ran towards me and jumped enormously. He tried to jump over me with his tremendous jumping power, but I jumped straight up from my spot and punched him in the sr plexus. Thwack!! ¡°Kuack!¡± A red me exploded, striking his sr plexus. Inded lightly on my feet and dusted off my hands. At the same time, Yeongno was thrown back, his previous momentumpletely nullified. ¡°Ke, keuk¡­!¡± [What are you looking at?] Just like I did before getting out of the car, I snapped my fingers again. [Your opponent is me.] Chapter 95: The Dignity Of Rank S (3) Chapter 95: The Dignity Of Rank S (3) Whether a hero or a viin, the criteria for grading was based on how much strength they could exert. The strong power mentioned here did not simply mean physical strength or explosive power. Without the need for any exnation, it was about what ¡®ss¡¯ they belonged to. I was part of ss S. Even though my other stats, including magic power, were average or slightly higher, based on mybat sense and imagination, I had earned the title of a ss S Viin. Many were puzzled when they saw the Goblin up close. Even if you looked closely, his magic power didn¡¯t seem that high. Most thought they could win if they fought him, but they didn¡¯t know why he was considered ss S. It was the same with Youngno. The gaze from behind the mask showed that he was wary of me, yet confident that he could ¡®fight¡¯. Now, I shall shatter that confidence head-on. ¡°Cough!¡± Every time Youngno approached, I swung my fist forward and ignited a me in his crotch. Every time the me exploded, Youngno¡¯s body caught fire, and he would back off, shake it off, and get up again. ¡°Die!¡± Youngno wrapped his hand with magic power and stretched it forward. As if to swallow something, his mana extended like a, and soon its form became a giant monster¡¯s mouth. Something like a lion¡¯s mask shed like a spirit and tried to devour me. [Yes, I heard that your ability is ¡®swallowing¡¯.] Instead, I went into the mouth of the lion¡¯s mask. It only had the outward form of a monster¡¯s mouth, but the skeleton that formed its shape was nothing more than a made of mana. Fwoosh! I swung my hand forward, igniting a me. Not just any me, but the me of a skill that whirled around my hand like a de. It split the in half, and the body of the lion¡¯s mask was also split in half. ¡°How¡­! How can you, how can you use me¡­!¡± [The potential of the Goblin is limitless. I won¡¯t talk at length. Just stop here. Then, I won¡¯t hurt you.] ¡°Shut up! Are you trying to belittle me!¡± [Belittle? No. I was saying I would kill you without pain.] After brushing off my hand once more, I clenched my fist and swung it forward with force. Boom! A me exploded in the air. It was empty air, but my attack precisely hit something. ¡°Argh!!¡± Youngno was hit by the punch and rolled on the ground again. The body of Youngno, who was ring at me from behind the mes, dispersed like a fog. [A clone, huh.] ¡°Cough, how¡­!¡± [Your downfall is revealing that you are Youngno. That¡¯s all. The Gyeolsa investigated Youngno, and I just grasped what kind of power you have.] ¡°There, there¡¯s no way¡­! Everyone who saw this is dead¡­!¡± [So you thought, all by yourself.] I approached the Youngno and grabbed his cor. ¡°You bastard!¡± Youngno grabbed my wrist and started to kick me. Protected by magic, it wasn¡¯t painful, but it was a deeply unpleasant kick. [Hide your identity when you threaten to assassinate people in your next life.] I held onto Youngno and nted him straight into the ground. ¡°Cough!!¡± The paved road sank as a crater was formed. Youngno spat red blood from his mouth onto my mask. [Don¡¯t resist. You can¡¯t resist anyway.] Boom! Thud! After clenching my fist, I precisely punched both of Youngno¡¯s shoulders. With the sound of something utterly copsing, Youngno could no longer raise his upper body. His arms that fell down seemed to have no strength at all. Of course. I had destroyed both his shoulder des. He would¡¯ve instinctively surrounded his body with mana to protect himself, but if I punched him with a fist loaded with mana before his instinct reacted, that was it. Instant eleration. Fire magic. Physical enhancement. Magic vision. Weakness detection. The two punches that hit the shoulder were the result of imagining five abilities and deriving them into one technique. [Did you think you could beat me?] This was the way I have proven my skills so far as an S-ss viin. [Let me ask you. Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t execute you.] ¡°What, what did you say¡­!¡± I stepped on his groin with my foot. [Today, I am a very merciful person. I¡¯m not here as a viin executioner but as a bodyguard. Today is¡­ a bit of a day when even viins don¡¯t feel like killing people.] ¡°Nonsense¡­!¡± [Even goblins have sentimental days. Tsk.] -I don¡¯t want to kill people. A lot of time has passed, but I met with Yumir at midnight yesterday and had a conversation. So, after hearing that she hesitated to kill people, I became a bit sentimental. [I¡¯ll give you one chance. Speak.] ¡°That woman stole the national treasure of this country!!¡± When asked to give a reason to save him, he instead gave me a non-sequitur. ¡°You must know it too! That woman stole Armored Taejo¡¯s DNA! She took Armored Taejo¡¯s genes and fled overseas, nning to create countless children of Taejo using them!¡± [Isn¡¯t thatst part spection?] ¡°Spection?! Ha!! Ask her yourself! That woman is surely going to use that to make a baby, an ¡®ability user¡¯! And if an ability user is not born, she will abandon it!¡± From inside Youngno¡¯s mask, red liquid flowed from his eyes. ¡°Do you know how many women marry Korean men every year to steal their seed! What happens to the children born that way when they¡¯re not ability users! They¡¯re abandoned on the side of the road, never knowing their father¡¯s face in a foreignnd! I need to retrieve the seeds of the Armored Taejo from that woman to prevent this!¡± Blood must have flowed down his head, dripped inside the mask, and gathered around his eyes before leaking out. ¡°To save the countless lives that will be born and abandoned by that woman and suffer!!¡± [I see.] Youngno cried tears of blood and gritted his teeth. Despite both of his arms being damaged from my attack, Youngno tried to get up using his legs. ¡°I will, from that woman, I must¡­!¡± [That¡¯s insufficient reason to spare you from execution.] ¡°What?¡± [I get your perspective. In your eyes, Yuliana definitely did something deserving of death. But I can¡¯t empathize with that.] ¡°What did you say¡­!¡± [Why are you being so agitated and making a fuss when the person who had his seeds stolen isn¡¯t even asking for her death?] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Youngno couldn¡¯t say anything. [That¡¯s why your viinous organization isn¡¯t getting any sympathy. You guys only look in one direction. Under the pretext of serving national interests¡­ no, there¡¯s no need for a lengthy exnation. The reason for your execution is simple.] I stepped on Youngno again to prevent him from standing up and stepped back. [You nned to kill that woman, led the organization to attack, and in the process, the normal guards were shot and killed.] I lightly twisted my hand. [Those who kill people will be killed. Separate from that woman, you are a viin who has killed people. You should have apologized to the guards who died from your organization¡¯s attack.] ¡°Ku, kuha! You damn¡­! You think you won¡¯t die!! You¡¯ll also die someday!¡± [That¡¯s right. I¡¯m always prepared to die. As much as I kill others, others will try to kill me, too. Even so.] I reached out toward Youngno¡¯s mask. [Your loyalty and will towards this nation ismendable. I will let you go without pain. Well¡­I apologize for breaking your shoulder.] ¡°Ha¡­! So, you¡¯re saying you kill viins no matter what. Keuh, heuheu¡­.¡± Youngno grabbed my trousers. The strength as he held onto me, despite his broken shoulder, must surely be the strength of mana filled with hisst will. ¡°I beg you. Goblin. If you¡¯re a Korean too, her actions-¡± [Viins are executed. There are no exceptions.] I raised my hand to the device on my right wrist, which had a face as ferocious as a wild tiger. [If I casually kill someone who¡¯s not a viin, the first to die would be me.] [FINAL DRIVE.] ng. [If I¡¯m executing someone, that person will surely be a viin whomitted evil deeds.] I poured the magic from my left hand into my right hand, and soon, the mes of energy that filled both hands focused on my right hand, starting to burn as a massive me. ¡°Kuha¡­.¡± The figure was simr to the lion mask that Youngno had tried to devour me with, a ming tiger with its mouth wide open. [Burning mes of energy that won¡¯t even let you feel the pain, ignite.] ¡°¡­Heu.¡± Youngno¡¯s mask fell to the side. ¡°Can I, at least, leave ast word?¡± [Of course. I told you. Today is a sentimental day. I can grant you that.] Under the matted hair stained with blood, Youngno¡¯s face from inside the mask was full of scars, as if it was shed by a knife de. ¡°Please, I pray that Yuliana does something bad enough to deserve death.¡± [GRAND CROSS.] ¡°And that the Goblin personally executes her.¡± [BLAZE???!!] I plunged the burning mes downwards, and soon, a red pir of fire shot up high into the sky, centered on Youngno¡¯s body. [Of course.] I turned around after putting Youngno¡¯s mask, who had burned to death in one hit, back on his face. Flutter. The pir of fire began to gradually die down, and I gathered the flowing energy, clenching it back into my fists. The remaining energy was sufficient. It was enough to take Yuliana to Yangyang. [Yuliana Feygreen.] I headed towards Yuliana, who hid her body beyond the guardrail toward the coast. [The escort mission continues.] ¡°Ah, ah¡­.¡± [First to Yangyang-] The moment I approached Yuliana, she quickly hid something. ¡°Ah!¡± I immediately subdued Yuliana and secured the item she was hiding. If this was the genes of Taejo, I should burn this item and get rid of it- [¡­¡­.] A smartphone. The video recording stopped. Automatic cloud upload end. The pir of fire that was caused by my ability. And the Taegeuk Watch. [Tsk.] Should I kill her?
¡°Unnie. The ¡®Cheonrian¡¯ observed a viin. It¡¯s in Gangneung¡­ it¡¯s the Goblin.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Chapter 96: The Dignity Of Rank S (4) Chapter 96: The Dignity Of Rank S (4) Viins didn¡¯t have the right to an official portrait. So, they needed to hide their identities even more. If they showed their faces, they needed to have powerful economic strength or power that could overwhelm the disadvantages. But why was such an environment created? Simply because in the 21st century, with the ability revolution, electronic devices also developed? Because anyone with a smartphone could be a broadcaster, who could broadcast live on the Inte? Correct. Those were true, but there was something that coincided with it. There was an ability user called Cheonrian. Their name seemed to mean to see a very long distance, a thousand miles away, but the actual function and role were like a ¡®Big Brother¡¯. -No matter if it¡¯s the government, they can¡¯t monitor our server! -What if a viin appears, and they are exchanging information about trying to mess with your granddaughter? -But this is personal information¡­ -The Court¡¯s position is that a little infringement on individual freedom is allowed for national security. Sir, this is Korea, not America. -¡­ It¡¯s for viin intelligence only. I¡¯ll shut down the server immediately if it¡¯s used for political reasons. -Thank you for your cooperation. Sir. Whether it was a smartphone or a Taeguk Watch, in the end, the data went to the central station, and the data usually went through the tel¡¯s server. Cheonrian was a ¡®Big Brother¡¯ who monitored this server and discovered information about viins. On the surface, they only collected big data rted to viins, but the reality was known only to Cheonrian himself, a handful of government agents, and thepany that rented the server. I had been thoroughly avoiding being detected by Cheonrian so far. At least when discussing the Secret Society, I had thoroughly hidden myself. However, there¡¯s nothing I could do if other people filmed me. Like right now. Beep-beep-beep!! Yuliana¡¯s Taeguk Watch started ringing loudly, alerting them of the discovery of a viin. ¡°Wh, why¡­! I didn¡¯t report!¡± [I know. You were reported automatically.] This was why the rm went off loudly when a viin was reported. [It¡¯s only your fault, Yuliana, that you set up the cloud to auto-update. It would have ended with just that if it was just video storage.] Apart from the automatic reporting, when Cheonrian found a viin, it was set to ¡®forcibly¡¯ ring the rm. [As an American, you might not know, but as soon as the data enters the Korean server, government agents start monitoring the viin.] ¡°No, it can¡¯t be¡­! That¡¯s a vition of privacy¡­!¡± [You don¡¯t know this country well.] ¡°No, this can¡¯t be¡­! How could such a horrible privacy vition ur in a hero-advanced country¡­!¡± [That¡¯s the difference between this country and other countries.] There was no need to exin everything one by one. [What are you going to do? Are you going to Yangyang, or are you going to stay here quietly?] ¡°What are you¡­going to do?¡± Yuliana¡¯s gaze was directed at the spewing fire. As she slowly turned her head toward me, the look in her eyes looking up at me was clearly one that considered me a ¡®murderer¡¯. [I just executed a viin who was trying to kill you for a mission. It¡¯s inconvenient to look at it that way.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [My given mission is to escort you to the airport. Since you reported the appearance of the Goblin-] ¡°I didn¡¯t report it!!¡± She red up, screaming at the top of her lungs when I teased her once. I was about to justify myself by thinking, ¡®Isn¡¯t it okay to kill someone who steals and does viinous acts?¡¯ but considering this woman¡¯s age, I maintained myposure. [That doesn¡¯t matter. I have a bike over there, make your choice. Are you going to Yangyang airport alone, or are you going to move with me?] The car exploded, but the bike Yeongro rode on was still there. Even if the bike ran out of fuel on the way, carrying her to Yangyang Airport was not impossible. [What are you going to do? Make your choice. There¡¯s no time to dy.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [I¡¯ll give you 3 seconds. 3, 2, 1.] ¡°But, but!¡± Yuliana hesitated, pointing at the carry-on she was gripping so hard her fingers turned white. ¡°Why would I¡­for doing something so big wrong¡­!¡± [It¡¯s over. I clearly told you to choose. You hesitated.] ¡°Huh?¡± I kicked Yuliana along with her carry-on. Yuliana opened her eyes wide in astonishment for a moment, thinking that I had attacked her, but I wasn¡¯t trying to kill Yuliana. Thud!! A hunk of steel zipped between Yuliana and me. It was a fist with a rocket attached, and the steel fist quickly turned around and flew back to its owner. ¡°The armor of Taejo¨C¨C¨C!¡± Thump¨C¨C¨C! A hefty piece of steelnded, causing the asphalt road to sink considerably. Even I had to admit it was a heronding that I¡¯d want to imitate at least once, and as he stretched out his hand, the gauntlet that had attacked us reattached itself to his hand. ¡°Armored Taejo! Arrival!¡± Did he fly in from Busan? The fact that he showed up at this time meant that he had been flying towards Gangwondo from the moment the escort operation started. ¡°Long time no see, Goblin!¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Yuliana, who had fallen to the ground, looked terrified at the sight of Taejo. ¡°And Yuliana Feygreen. We only parted half a day ago, but seeing you again feels crappy.¡± ¡°Ah, that, that¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°To secretly tie up and take away what was thrown in the trash can. Isn¡¯t that a bit too unscrupulous?¡± At Taejo¡¯s barb, Yuliana cast her eyes down. It was impossible for a mere C-rank ability user to handle the cold fury of an S-rank. While I might have said something, and there was some sense of injustice for her and the understanding that I was a bodyguard, to Yuliana, Taejo was an entity she couldn¡¯t dare to face. ¡°Where¡¯s my DNA? Hand it over.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have it. I knew you had it when I came.¡± ¡°I, I don¡¯t have it.¡± Yuliana¡¯s voice was trembling. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent it to the airport.¡± ¡°Really? Then I guess I¡¯ll have to do a body search.¡± Taejo clenched his fist and tilted his head. ¡°It was a fun night, but the wrap-up is quite shabby¡­What?¡± [I¡¯m sorry, but she¡¯s still under protection.] ¡°Do I have a reason to spare her?¡± [I received quite a lot of money from her grandfather.] I blocked Yuliana¡¯s path. ¡°Hey, Goblin. This is a matter between Yuliana and me.¡± [October Travel made a request to ourpany. If you want to search Yuliana, you¡¯ll need to bring a warrant.] ¡°A warrant? Ha! The existence of an S-rank hero itself is a warrant. What nonsense!¡± [Do you think heroes are above thew?] ¡°Uh, um, that¡¯s¡­. Yeah! A viin who disregards thew shouldn¡¯t have much to say. Since when did the strongest viin be sow-abiding?¡± [A fair point. I¡¯ll concede.] ¡°Yeah!¡± Taejo punched the air, expressing his feeling of victory. ¡°Nice! It feels great to put my argument skills to use!¡± I gave him a slight advantage in the argument, but he wasn¡¯t exactly wrong, so I let it slide. Arguing with someone like him would only wear me out. [Still, you should bring a warrant. That¡¯s if you don¡¯t want to break thew.] ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± [It¡¯s one thing for me, a viin, to break thew, but wouldn¡¯t it be a problem if you, one of the top-ranked S-ss heroes in this country, were to break thew?] ¡°What?¡± Taejo¡¯s voice brightened. ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m within the top 5?¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°Ha, even the Goblin admits it! Yeah, that¡¯s me. Not some lowly seventh-ranked¡­.¡± [I never said ¡®one hand¡¯.] ¡°What!!¡± Taejo shook his fist at me, trembling with rage. ¡°Alright! When a hero and a viin meet, we can¡¯t just let it pass! Goblin! I¡¯ll subdue you and retrieve my DNA from Yuliana! And¡­!¡± nk! ¡°I¡¯ll prove it! The power of the S-ss hero, Armored Taejo!¡± Taejo¡¯s full-body armor began to jut out as if it was shedding. [Fusing?] ¡°That¡¯s not it! This is¡­!¡± nk. ¡°A sword!¡± The chunks of metal that had sprung out interlocked and rbined, soon bing a single weapon. Boom! The de of the straight sword, shaped like a phantom, began to twinkle with a redser. Armored Taejo. His ability was ¡®Metal Maniption¡¯. The armor that constituted his body was the culmination of modern technology, and Taejo fought while keeping each part of the armor attached to his body through this ability. And¡­. ¡°Let¡¯s start with disarming you first, Goblin!!¡± Taejo stretched out one hand towards me, creating a maic field made of mana. ¡°Come here!!¡± He tried to pull me in using the metal mass in my body, but it was useless. ¡°What, why¡­?!¡± [Just because it looks like armor doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s all metal.] Dodjiider¡¯s ultimate form was not for show. It was all made up of mana, and the metallic parts were protected by the mana that surrounded my exterior. [Are you going to fight?] ¡°Of course!¡± [That¡¯s unfortunate.] I lightly rolled on the ground and rushed towards Armored Taejo. [Next time, try developing something like nanomachines.] ¡°What?!¡± [Or, at least, bring a better radar.] Instant Materialization. ¡°What¡­! This speed¡­?!¡± [It¡¯s not about speed.] Taejo missed me and turned his head left and right, but I kept running forward. [Did you think you could beat me by just relying on machines?] ¡°Ugh, when¡­!¡± [The other S-ss heroes react to this and even counteract.] [Sr¡ª] Already, my fist had reached Taejo¡¯s vital point. [So, you¡¯re hearing the sound of an S-ss scanner.] ¡°Th, this¡­!¡± [If you only depend on the suit, you¡¯ll end there.] ¡°!!!!¡± Anger, astonishment, and a touch of bitterness shed across his eyes visible beyond the visor, but- [Goodbye.] [FLARE¡ª!!] I unleashed the mana of my ultimate technique contained within my fist. The power of the mes exploded, and Taejo flew back with the explosion. [Well then.] I immediately turned around and ran towards Yuliana. [Before I hesitate again and the otherse, I¡¯ll forcibly take you to the airport.] ¡°Ah¡­!¡± I forcibly put the hidden Yuliana on my shoulder, then got on the bike left by Youngno and stepped on the elerator. ¡°Wa, wait a minute!! At least put me in front, or, at least, in the back!!¡± [We don¡¯t have time.] Holding a princess? Perhaps if it was the leader, an executive, Baek Seol-hee, or Yumir. Why would I do that for this woman? ¡°Kyaaa! My skirt, my skirt is flipping up?!¡± [Shut up. You¡¯re noisy.] Whether the national highway CCTV captured the image of a woman clutching her suitcase for dear life while being held like a sack of rice by the Goblin or not, I raced down the road toward Yangyang. Slowly, the sun began to rise. 1 hour until the flight departure time. [Ah ah, can you hear me? Chief Do. It seems like you are on standby at the airport?] The information came through them made of mana. [Two S-ss are on standby at the airport~ One of them is the princess~] ¡°Confirmed.¡± I gathered mana and drove the bike towards Yangyang airport. Chapter 97: The Dignity Of Rank S (5) Chapter 97: The Dignity Of Rank S (5) Taejo sprawled out in the middle of the road, looked up at the sky. ¡°Damn.¡± He was defeated cleanly. Even if this was an S-ss battle, there would be those who would say that it shouldn¡¯t end with one blow. But a fight between super-ss individuals often came down to a single moment. Especially when there was a big gap in skill level with the opponent- ¡°Damn!¡± Taejo punched the ground. People might say he was disgracefully firing a shotgun after losing, but Taejo couldn¡¯t contain his frustration. ¡°I couldn¡¯t see¡­!¡± Even if the Goblin¡¯s movements were groundbreaking, as the Goblin said, it was fundamental for other S-ss individuals to decipher his movements. But he himself couldn¡¯t react. He seeded in protecting his body just before the punchnded, but the suit attached to his body exploded and scattered in all directions as the connection points were all burnt. ¡°Ha¡­.¡± Taejo once again used his power to gather the remains of his suit. The suit, which showed signs of scorching due to the explosion of mana, was greatly damaged, and there was too much damage on the front part to wear it again. ¡°It¡¯s a total defeat.¡± Originally, he came to pursue Yuliana, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore after encountering the Goblin and being defeated. ¡°S-ss scanner¡­ Ha.¡± The Goblin¡¯s words kept spinning in his head. No one would dare say that to him, but everyone was talking about it on the dark web or behind the scenes. -Introduce a match with Taejo for S-ss examinations in Korea. -If you can beat Armored Taejo, you¡¯re S-ss. -Yeah, the hero Taejo is beneath~ -Isn¡¯t he stronger than A-ss but weaker than S-ss? So isn¡¯t he an A-5 ss? lol S-ss scanner. He tried to escape from such evaluation but couldn¡¯t shake it off. ¡°Ugh!!¡± There had to be a clue. If there were any, it would be the words that the Goblin left behind¡­. -If you only depend on the suit, that will be your end. ¡°Ha¡­!¡± Taejo covered his face with his hands. This heavy steel armor was his protection, weapon, and, at the same time, a ¡®symbol.¡¯ To discard it would mean to be reborn as apletely new entity. ¡°He also struts around in his damn fancy suit¡­!¡± Taejo got up. ¡°Fine, if you¡¯re so great, answer this!¡± It was enough to lie down and whine for a moment. ¡°Damn, I know it¡¯s embarrassing to follow someone who just blew me away in one shot¡­!¡± Grumble. ¡°First of all, I should get my genes back, and then I can whine¡­!¡± Something began to run along the road from the south. ¡°Come here¡ª!¡± The suit surrounding Taejo flew backward and attached itself to arge lump. Taejo jumped high andnded above what seemed to be the head of the lump. Thump! Standing on the scrap metal lump, Taejo grabbed the handles on either side and concentrated all his senses. ¡°Armored Taejo! Contact with Yuliana! Afterbat with the Goblin¡­ lost the Goblin! Currently pursuing the Goblin!¡± Defeat was defeat. ¡°To prevent further fatalities due to Yuliana, I will prioritize subduing the thug! Over!¡± Creak! The massive lump of scrap metal began to race down the road.
I got out of Gangneung and entered Yangyang. The road leading to Yangyang Airport was well maintained, and I was able to check the situation in the Gangwon Province area using Yuliana¡¯s smartphone in one hand while holding the steering wheel with the other. -Today in Gangwon Province¡­ andslide urred on the ¡­ national road, and the road is being controlled¡­ While information for the general public was being strictly controlled. -It seems like the Hwalbindang guys caused an ident? There was a loud gunshot in Gangneung. -It must be a nk? If it¡¯s live ammo, aren¡¯t we being mobilized again to collect the shell casings¡ª -The viins cause the ident, and the people clean it up, lol. Ugh, thinking about how our taxes go to them when such guys are taken in makes me furious. -I wish all those viin bastards were dead. Given that the noise was bing focused, information was subtly leaking out centered around anonymousmunities. Although that information quickly disappeared and was censored, those who were checking the situation in real-time realized that some ident had happened. -But how do you know it¡¯s Hwalbindang? -I won¡¯t give you the answer you want. -Oh, don¡¯t kid around. -It¡¯s just a guess. Who else but Hwalbindang would do such a thing? Or perhaps the government was intentionally leaking information that it was Hwalbindang¡¯s doing. While such unclear situations persist, confidential information inessible at an individual level would obviously be transmitting real-time information about me. -The Goblin is moving on a bike with Yuliana! -Armored Taejo is defeated! -The final destination is presumed to be Yangyang Airport! Support immediately!! As much as viin reports were ringing and my figure was being caught on a long-range observation system, the heroes must be moving quickly. And I had already figured out that information through a spell. [When you enter the airport, there¡¯s no one to take care of you. You have to get into the private jet yourself.] ¡°What does that mean?!¡± [If I try to fight while protecting you from an S-ss, I could be in danger, too.] Especially if it was against the princess. If I thought about putting Yuliana on a ne while protecting her, my recovered mana would hit rock bottom again. ¡°Ha, but you¡¯re contract-bound to¡­!¡± [I¡¯m not particrly fond of you. I won¡¯t be offering you undivided benevolence.] ¡°Ugh¡­! You were nice to me in the car!¡± [Was I? Not all polite treatment is kindness. Also, the circumstances have changed. None of this would have happened if you hadn¡¯t filmed that video or if you hadn¡¯t been startled enough to pause and save it.] In reality, things were a bit different. The government probably intended to block the airport from the moment Yuliana caused the ident. If the attempt to stop her by using the Hwalbindang failed, they would have nned to arrest Yuliana at the airport. The Goblin¡¯s appearanceplicated the airport escape n, but all the mey with Yuliana. [I¡¯ll ask you. What do you n to do with Taejo¡¯s genes?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Answer me.] I hit the brakes. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Yuliana was surprised and hurried me, but I sat still with my hand on the brake. [I won¡¯t go anywhere until you answer.] ¡°Ugh¡­! I was thinking of having a child! Is that okay?! ¡° [What about Taejo¡¯s will?] ¡°That can be asked after the child is born! Because a child can always-¡± [Not worth listening anymore.] I released the brake and drove the bike again. [Even if I¡¯m guarding you by contract, sometimes I think like this. Although I follow the contract for a huge amount of money, I sometimes wonder if it¡¯s really right to guard someone like you.] ¡°What, what?! Do you also think I¡¯m wrong? Ha¡­! Funny! What¡¯s wrong with the increase in ability users?¡± [It¡¯s bad. Ability users born without love and those born without love have a high probability of bing devils.] How many ability-using children have be devils so far? How many people had been killed by ability users who became devils? [Do you have the confidence to give so much love to the children born without a father by yourself?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Are you giving birth to a child or an ability user?] Although they couldn¡¯t directly statistics that number, even now, somewhere, children who were not loved might be bing devils and harming people. [It seems you don¡¯t know how important a parent¡¯s role is in raising a child with love.] ¡°Well, I can hire people with money¡­!¡± [As I thought. You know nothing. Well¡­ we¡¯re here.] The tires squealed. I drove the bike directly into the runway through the forest. [Get off.] Just in time, the bike ran out of fuel, and I threw Yuliana off the bike as I leaped off. ¡°Ahh!¡± It was a somewhat rough action, but as befits an ability user, Yuliana preciselynded on her two feet on the ground while clutching her carry-on. ¡°You, you¡¯re really too much, aren¡¯t you?! All of a sudden¡­!¡± [My job is to guide you to the airport. We¡¯re at the airport. You can run to your private jet if you have legs. Or do you want me to throw you into the ne?] ¡°You¡­! Just you wait! Seriously, I won¡¯t let you get away with this!¡± There was already a ne waiting on the runway. I pointed to the ne with my chin for Yuliana, who red at me. She then ran off, clutching her carry-on. Vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom. As soon as the private jet saw Yuliana, it began to approach her. Thump! The door of the private jet opened, and a blonde foreigner came out from inside. Yuliana, holding her carry-on close, jumped high up from close range. [You have good leaps. You could have jumped all the way from Samcheok without any problem.] ¡°Hey!!¡± Yuliana, who had entered the airne, raised her middle finger at me. ¡°Go to hell! I was a fool for trying to be nice to you!¡± [Well, I had no intention of giving you anything in the first ce. More importantly¡­.] It was quite unfortunate. [Don¡¯t getfortable just because you¡¯ve boarded the ne.] One of the characteristics of these vague ability users. [Well, I did get her on the ne. It¡¯s not my problem if the ne can¡¯t take off.] They thought they could jump from the ground to the airne¡¯s entrance, but they shouldn¡¯t assume that the ne would take off normally. [Do you think the government will just sit back and watch you steal S-ss genes?] Swish! A white spread out above the ne. [¡­That is.] As soon as the white touched the ne, a frost formed on its exterior, and the ne was tied in ce, unable to move. I clenched my fist at the familiar surge of magic. [It¡¯s been a while, Princess. Are you eating well?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± On top of the ne. A white-haired woman in a suit who had been on top of the ne from the start waved her hand at me with an emotionless face. ¡°Date.¡± [Huh?] ¡°Will you go on a final date with me?¡± Click. As Snow White flicked her finger, a white of ice began to shimmer around me. ¡°I n on putting an end to this tiresome rtionship with you today.¡± [¡­¡­.] Hmm. The look in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes as she looked at me was quite unfamiliar. Right now. She seemed incredibly angry¡­? ¡°Brace yourself, Goblin. Today¡­ I won¡¯t let you go.¡± Sssss¡ª!! The white of ice engulfed me. Chapter 98: The Dignity Of Rank S (6) Chapter 98: The Dignity Of Rank S (6) -Snow White, you like the Goblin, don¡¯t you? It was a rumor that was widely known among the public. As Baek Seol-hee, it was frustrating, but it was natural for people to let their imaginations run wild while observing the two S-ranked individuals who always seemed to be in conflict. -Baek Seol-hee likes the Goblin. That¡¯s why she behaves like that. -Go, Seolhee-mon! Tease the Goblin! -How do you know if the Goblin is male or female? It could turn out to be female. -Why are you assuming she would fail to tease a female? -Teacher, I admire your broad defensive range. Baek Seol-hee and the Goblin were a topic that heated up themunity almost as much as Romeo and Juliet, or rather, Prince Hodong and Princess Nakrang. -But doesn¡¯t Princess Nakrang die, and Prince Hodong win the war? -Then let¡¯s call them Snow Prince and Goblin Princess! -Why a princess when anyone can see it¡¯s a male¡­? -Even if it¡¯s male, it¡¯s enough to treat it like a princess! -Teacher, I am also interested in your peculiar taste. People cheered passionately. And although the nation didn¡¯t show it, they all subtly sent signals to Baek Seol-hee with their eyes. -Why not try to woo the Goblin, whether with your body, mind, or power? -Honestly, if the Goblin is ruthless because of its situation, all of them would deserve to die if you really look into it, right? -If we use the Goblin as a hunting dog to kill the viins, wouldn¡¯t it be just like conducting a legal transaction? Baek Seol-hee, you should put a leash on the Goblin and walk around. Everyone tried to link Baek Seol-hee with the Goblin. Especially when the Goblin started appearing again in Sejong Ind, where he had never appeared before, the rumor started to spread all over the world on the wings of the wind. -Someone who never appeared in Sejong Ind ising to Sejong Ind because Baek Seol-hee is there? This is a 100% sign. It¡¯s a green light. -The Goblin must be a man. How could any man not be excited seeing Baek Seol-hee¡¯s milkshake container? -Get married! Bang! Be patriotic! Bang! Have a Snow Girl! Bang! The inte was already making a fuss about ¡°If the Goblin and Snow White have a baby, will it be a Snow Girl?¡± Until now, Baek Seol-hee hadn¡¯t really cared about that sort of thing. The only thing that concerned her about the Goblin was purely his viinous ideology or actions. She never really thought of the Goblin in a romantic way- Or did she? She didn¡¯t know. But that was just an illusion. She was only mistaken into thinking she had feelings for him because everyone kept talking about it. There was already a man who had a ce in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s heart. ¡®The world doesn¡¯t know.¡¯ What a fateful encounter it was. It was as familiar as if they had known each other before, and facing a strange new world was fascinating. It wasforting to be with him, and she met someone who saw her not as an S-rank hero but as a woman named Baek Seol-hee. ¡®I¡¯m already annoyed that he doesn¡¯t answer his phone at night, and now people are linking me with the Goblin without knowing anything.¡¯ She was scared. An S-rank hero scared? But she was afraid he might say something like this: -So, Miss Seol-hee likes the Goblin¡­ I feel a bit disappointed. She was scared. She was afraid their rtionship might fall apart. They were just at the start, and it was already precarious. And she couldn¡¯t sleep properly for fear that their rtionship might copse because people around them were egging them on in a strange way. So today, she would make it clear and end her rtionship with the Goblin to prove it. To that man, to show that the rumors about her and the Goblin were just malicious assumptions made by people. Never. She was not angry because he didn¡¯t contact herte at night, didn¡¯t reply, didn¡¯t confirm, and didn¡¯t even call at dawn. Yeah. Why should she vent her anger at the Goblin? Just. She would just do her best to cut off the rumors created by people. Based on the new skills she learned through conversations with him. Today. Baek Seol-hee was determined to capture the Goblin.
¡®It seems like she contacted mest night.¡¯ Dodging the iing ice spear quickly, I spected the reason for the anger embedded in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s attack. Question 1. Was it because Armored Taejo was forcibly deployed to Gangwon-do to handle the ident he caused? Answer 1. No. She has been involved in all kinds of incidents so far, but she wouldn¡¯t get angry over something like this. Question 2. Then, because I came riding a motorcycle with Yuliana? Answer 2. So what? I¡¯m the Goblin. If I came as Do Ji-hwan, I would have to kneel right away, but the Goblin has no rational rtionship with Snow White. Question 3. What if she saw me throw Yuliana to the ground? Answer 3. That could be it. She might get angry, questioning how I could throw a woman to the ground. But I felt a more primal rage than that. ¡°What are you thinking about so much?!¡± [I was thinking about you.] ¡°Stop dodging spears! You keep doing that!!¡± She got angry again. The ice spear that was charging toward my head, shoulder, and even heart; if I simply deflected it with my fist, my arm would likely be pierced, so it was best to use all my strength to avoid it. Question 4. Does she hate being linked with me, the Goblin? Question 4-1. There was never a problem with it before, so why now? ¡®Ah.¡¯ There was a new variable. Until now, she didn¡¯t really care if she was linked with the Goblin, but there was one person who could express difort with her connection with the Goblin. ¡®Does she care about Do Ji-hwan now?¡¯ My instincts were sharp in this area. Even if things like setting the world with the original protagonist may be a bit ambiguous, I had a pretty good intuition about gender rtions and women¡¯s hearts. It was risky, but I should give it a shot. [I¡¯ve heard of dates, but such a brutal date is a first for me.] ¡°Quiet! It¡¯s just a metaphorical expression!¡± When Snow White spread her right hand to the side, wings of ice spread behind her. The wings, akin to an angel¡¯s feathers, fluttered, and soon Snow White looked at me urately and stretched her right hand towards me. ¡°I won¡¯t miss!¡± [!!] Feathers shot out sideways. The reason for the sideways discharge rather than forward was that each feather curved and changed direction toward me. ¡®Homing missiles!¡¯ The icy feathers were like sharp arrowheads, and at a quick nce, their number seemed to exceed thousands. There was no ce to dodge. To dodge, one needed to get out of this battlefield of an ice she created. [Just because you spread your attack, it doesn¡¯t mean you can catch me.] I lightly jumped back and then swung my hand forward. Whoosh! The magical mes turned into sparks. Each small, concentrated me that carried explosive power fluttered like snowkes, and these mes precisely intersected the trajectory of the flying ice feathers. ¡°Crap¡­!¡± Magic and magic exploded. Even if these abilities were based on imagination, the basic cognition inherent to humans could not be defeated. Fire melted ice. [If you want to extinguish my mes, you should bring more ice, princess.] ¡°Then, try blocking this too!¡± Snow White stretched her hands upward. She created a white sphere in the sky by recalling even the ice feathers that had not reached me yet, and soon, this ice crystal turned into a huge chunk like a meteorite. [Just try throwing that, and I¡¯ll dodge¡­.] ¡°Toote!¡± The ice had unexpectedly be a wall behind me. The that instantly froze any object it touched made it virtually impossible to simply go outside, and I was clearly caught off guard. ¡°Meteor Fall!¡± Baek Seol-hee threw an ice chunk as big as an average container at me. It felt exactly like a meteorite falling, and I realized the source of her anger. ¡®She must be pissed because she couldn¡¯t reach me!¡¯ In this situation, was the technique she used unconsciously, or even consciously, from the climax scene of the movie she watched with Do Ji-hwan? One hundred percent. When I returned to Seoul, there would definitely be more than ten missed calls on my Taeguk Watch. -Can youe now¡­?¡° -Or should Ie to you?¡° If a message like this hade, Do Ji-hwan would probably have turned into trash as a romantic partner. ¡®Damn.¡¯ It was fine to flirt as Do Ji-hwan, but due to that flirtation, it was unbelievable that the Goblin was spilling blood like this. Should this be called trolling or outsmarting? ¡®But there¡¯s one sure thing.¡¯ That woman, Baek Seol-hee, didn¡¯t know my true identity. She didn¡¯t know at all that the Goblin was Do Ji-hwan. If she knew I was Do Ji-hwan? There would have been a hint of hesitation in that attack. There were no emotions mixed in at all, such as confusion when she found out that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin or feeling betrayed due to that confusion. Only the single-mindedness of a hero who wanted to arrest me. [A bit cute, though.] ¡°!!¡± Should I call it pure love towards Do Ji-hwan? The attack was filled with the will to arrest the Goblin, but it embarrassed me to think that it was because of her feelings for Do Ji-hwan at its root. ¡®I¡¯ll have to soothe her when I go back.¡¯ I decided to figure out a way, whether by going back to Ulleung soon or secretly inviting her separately¡­ First, dealing with the meteorite falling in front of me was the top priority. Escaping with astral projection was impossible. There were invisible ice crystals all around that would hinder astral projection. If I crossed the and materialized with ice crystals stuck in my body, my body would explode. Either pierce through the. Or run underground. Or else. [Ah, can you hear me? The chairwoman¡¯s order. She said to back up with ¡®full power¡¯.] Expend all the power I could muster now, to block the attack. [5 minutes. I¡¯ll be there within 5 minutes after tidying up here, so don¡¯t get caught.] ¡®I¡¯m just about to get hit with the ultimate move.¡¯ I turned my body. I turned my back to the meteorite and gathered my magical power in my lower body. ¡°!!¡± Baek Seol-hee was taken aback and reached out towards me, but the meteorite was already falling. ¡®At maximum magical power.¡¯ [Three.] [Two.] [One.] I gathered all the magical power and passed it to one leg. [I¡¯ll take that anger head-on.] Cutting Leg Knife. Patriotic Side Cutter. I swung my body around in a huge arc and raised one leg towards the meteorite. Whack. The crescent moon of the red me. Split the white meteorite in half. Chapter 99: The Dignity Of Rank S (7) Chapter 99: The Dignity Of Rank S (7) ¡°Ahh. This is [Pupa]. Snow White has secured October Travel¡¯s private jet. It¡¯s currently tethered at the airport. And¡­ she¡¯s in a standoff with the Goblin now.¡± S-ss hero Tae Irin sipped from a fortified drink through a straw atop the airport building, where the airport runway was visible, reporting the spectacle before her eyes to the Taegeuk Watch. ¡°Snow White has spread a barrier, and the Goblin is trapped inside. It seems we got him properly today.¡± [Is, is that so! Then we can arrest the Goblin today?!] ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The Goblin always escapes well.¡± Tae Irin yawned deeply with a tired face and looked at the screen of the Taegeuk Watch. Her dark circles were slightly pronounced. Her curled ck bob was a little shaggy, probably from staying up all night, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Even if you were an S-ss ability user, staying up day and night without proper sleep was exhausting. [I beg you, Irin. I know it¡¯s unfair to ask you to clean up after that guy every time he causes trouble¡­!] ¡°Isn¡¯t it the fault of his parents that he grew up like that, not the fault of his grandfather.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°It¡¯s okay. Our grandfather took care of us. But what are you going to do about October Travel?¡± [It ends when we secure the genes of the founder. It¡¯s hard to punish legally, and if the founder is found to have done such a thing, the founder will also be criticized.] The side that caused the problem was Yuliana of October Travel, but the prestige of an S-ss hero was at stake here. No matter how much the hero had the image of a mischievous child, this kind of ident was a problem directly rted to the national image, not just the hero. [I beg you. Arrest Yuliana and reim the genes by all means. You wouldn¡¯t want hundreds of nephews popping up out of nowhere, either.] ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Without parents¡­no, there would be a mother. Well, there¡¯s no need to say much. I¡¯ll arrest her as soon as that barrier is released.¡± Tae Irin covered the Taegeuk Watch with her hand and stopped the call. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t miss this awesome match.¡± She hadn¡¯t properly seen the earlier part as she was reporting, but the battle between the two S-ss individuals was gradually escting. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± White wings spread out from behind Snow White. The ice feathers were each a potent lethal de, and the Goblin stepped back slightly at the sight. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s my unni.¡± The Goblin can¡¯t escape easily, either. It didn¡¯t matter if it was the Goblin. If an S-ss had been setting traps for the past 30 minutes and fighting in that same ce, he wouldn¡¯t be able to suddenly disappear with that strange ability. ¡°This time, I will definitely find out.¡± Teleportation? Invisibility? Spatial movement? Time leap? No matter what the ability, the Goblin will definitely figure out an ability and use it to vanish without a trace after the battle. ¡°¡­ The only one who can find that out among the S-ss is me. So, I have to find out. This time, for sure¡­.¡± Tae Irin suppressed her fatigue with caffeine in her tonic and braced herself. It was very tiring to ¡®fly¡¯ here from Gangwon Province, but she woke herself up by tapping her cheek with her hand, determined to uncover the true nature of the Goblin. ¡°Ah!¡± During a momentary burst of sleep, Snow White¡¯s attack turned into a failure. The Goblin caused an explosion by sprinkling fire on the ice feathers, and the ice feathers that were rushing toward the Goblin quickly fell down. ¡°If it bes like that¡­! Ah, as expected. My sister isn¡¯t the kind to end it there.¡± Snow White immediately retrieved the ice feathers, flew towards the explosion, and created a giant iceberg. Meteor? Rather, wouldn¡¯t it be closer to a cier? ¡°Wow, my sister is amazing.¡± With just a few gestures, Snow White created a huge cier and threw it. No matter how much of an S-ss hero you were, it looked obvious that if you took that as it was, you would be crushed under the cier and unable to move. Was he avoiding? If the Goblin avoided it, would he trigger that disappearance ability again? She would definitely watch. Tae Irin stared directly at the front with wide eyes and- ¡°Huh?¡± She saw it. The red me that gathered at the tip of the Goblin¡¯s foot had slightly turned around. The me, gleaming like blood, gathered at the foot and red up, and the Goblin did not avoid the approaching cier, only turning his head to the side. ¡°Could it be¡­.¡± Swoosh. There was a sound as if something was being cut. For a moment, when she blinked, the trajectory of a red crescent moon sparkled in her sight that was dyed ck as her eyelids closed. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± And when she opened her eyes again, the cier was split left and right. Crack!! The chunk of the cier was long, split vertically, and fell beside the Goblin. Amid the ice powder that fluttered in the air like dust, the Goblinnded lightly on two feet and straightened his posture. The entire action was so clean and precise as if it was an action input through a program. ¡°Is that¡­ a technique?¡± It was not simply using a special ability with magic power. It was as if one¡¯s body acted like a character in a fighting game when amand was entered. From preparing an attack tonding, the whole process was a fixed technique. ¡°Wow¡­ crazy¡­.¡± Tae Irin nearly dropped the bottle of tonic she was drinking. ¡°He¡­ split the cier¡­?¡± Gulp. Looking at theposed Goblin, Tae Irin felt a slight sense of awe. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± That man. ¡°If my brother wasn¡¯t Taejo but someone like that¡­ Ah, no.¡± Pat, pat. Tae Irin opened her eyes wide again, pping her cheeks. ¡°He will definitely show off all sorts of forms and run away again¡­!¡± With her sleepiness gone, Tae Irin red at the Goblin with her eyes sparkling.
He split the cier that was as big as a meteor. In between the cier that fell to his left and right, he adjusted his magic and soon checked the state of his magic and felt a sinking feeling in his chest. ¡®It¡¯s getting a bit close.¡¯ His magic had not significantly recovered since meeting with Yumir. Even though he received some magic from the bow, he had consumed quite a lot of it while moving from Samcheok to Yangyang. And just now, he had used quite a lot of magic to directly deal with the meteor attackunched by an S-ss hero. The remaining magic he had taken from Gunggi was less than 10%. If he were the Giant of Light, a red me would start to flicker in his chest, and the red light flowing in his suit would start to fade gradually. ¡°Sigh¡­.¡± Fortunately, Snow White did not continue to attack. She just stood there, letting out a disappointedugh that her attack was cut off in an instant. [You¡¯re really strong. But¡­ are you intending to kill me?] ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I was just thinking of burying you in the ground.¡± [That¡¯s a scary thought.] ¡°As long as you don¡¯t die.¡± Of course, he wouldn¡¯t die. However, the moment he was captured, and his identity was revealed, he would die as the ¡®Unidentified Goblin¡¯. -The Goblin is Do Ji-hwan??!! People would be talking about it all over the ce, and my real name, Do Ji-hwan, would be tantly disyed on the viin wiki. Even worse, my face would be stered on the wiki¡¯s main page. What would she do if Baek Seol-hee found out that the Goblin was Do Ji-hwan? Would she be shaken, or would she behave as she does now, as a hero? I was curious, but I didn¡¯t really want to create that situation. [Do you n to keep me here? If the battle continues here, the airport will be paralyzed.] ¡°It will only be for a while. And when S-sses are fighting, people will understand, right? Ah¡­ it¡¯s absurd, though.¡± Snow White sneakily nced behind her. ¡°Do you see those people? They¡¯re all glued to the airport windows, watching us.¡± Just as Snow White said, everyone at Yangyang Airport was aiming their smartphones, and Taegeuk Watches out of the windows, filming the battle. [It will be talked about that October Travel¡¯s private jet was tied up like this.] ¡°October Travel can¡¯t dare to tell the truth openly either unless this woman here goes around bbing.¡± [I see. But, you¡¯re overlooking one thing.] I pointed to the airne caught in the ice. [After all, a troll tends to appear more often and more frequently against heroes than viins.] ¡°¡­!¡± The ce where Snow White stood began to tremble. The airne tried to ignite its engine forcibly even while tied in the ice. ¡°What, what is this¡­?!¡± [It seems like they¡¯ve forcibly ignited the airne¡¯s engine from inside. Now, what will you do? If you keep using your power, the engine will overheat and¡­ the airne will explode.] ¡°This damn¡­!¡± Snow White spat out some harsh words. ¡°Hey! Turn off the engine! Now!¡± [Didn¡¯t you operate the separately? If you release the airne, does this side also get released? It¡¯s a shame. I didn¡¯t intend it, but¡­ I guess I should thank Yuliana.] I was half serious. Thud, thud! The turbine tried to rotate, but the airne kept being suppressed, and I could physically feel the heat rising from near the engine. [What will you do? Will you break the barrier, or will you keep me trapped in this battlefield by maintaining the barrier?] ¡°Tch¡­!¡± [Next time, make a separate barrier. Or rather than using your ability to catch the airne, use some other method¡­] Suddenly. A loud noise came from behind. Kyaaooo????!! The sound of a scrap metal dragon roaring. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Snow White let out an exmation andughed, and I let out a sigh involuntarily. [Even rotten S-sses are S-sses, huh.] ¡°Come here????!!¡± The cause of all this chaos. ¡°Come here????!!¡± Armored Taejo arrived at Yangyang Airport, riding the flying scrap metal dragon. ¡°Iron Dragon, take flight! I, have arrived!!¡± Vroom. With each propulsion of his suit attached to the scrap metal dragon, Armored Taejo maneuvered the flying dragon directly, pointing at the airne. ¡°Sister! I will take care of Yuliana Faygreen! You handle the Goblin!!¡± [Tch.] The that had tied the airne was released. At the same time, Snow White jumped down from the airne and charged at me, and the scrap metal dragon clung to the airne¡¯s neck as if to bite it. Uwooo???. The airne¡¯s engine stopped. The scrap metal dragon wrapped around the airne like a whirlwind. Behind me, the ice disappeared. I took a big leap backward from my spot, but Snow White, with ice feathers stuck in both hands like daggers, didn¡¯t intend to let me go. ¡°It¡¯s over, Goblin!!¡± If things were going this way- Unfortunately. [5 minutes have passed.] A huge pir of fire poured down on me. The fire pir turned into a whirlwind surrounding me, protecting me. Rrrrr. Along with a tiger-like roar. Chapter 100: The Dignity Of Rank S (8) Chapter 100: The Dignity Of Rank S (8) Kagakang! The scrap metal dragon tore at the airne¡¯s ceiling. On the outside, it looked like the dragon was coiling around and attacking the ne, but in reality, the metalsposing the ne¡¯s ceiling were being dismantled and sucked into the dragon¡¯s body. Thump! Taejo, who was standing on top of the scrap metal dragon,nded in the aisle of the airne seats. After briefly scanning the direction of the cockpit, he sniffed, then ran towards the rear of the ne. Crash! Kicking down the iron door installed in the middle of the aisle, he entered to find a room decorated like a hotel room, but there was nothing inside. The only thing left was a suitcase attached to a lone chair. Taejo approached the suitcase and reached out his hand, using his powers to disassemble and unlock the mechanism. Thud! ¡°Kyaaa!¡± When the suitcase door opened, a person sprung out from inside. ¡°Yuliana Faygreen.¡± ¡°He, heek¡­!¡± Yuliana, who had been hiding in the suitcase, hastily began to flee. Her movements were so quick. They were faster than an Olympic sprinter. Crash! But when Taejo flicked his hand lightly upwards, an iron te sprang from the floor, blocking Yuliana. ¡°Aaaah¡­!¡± Yuliana mmed her body into the iron te. If the magical power had been applied to the iron te a bitter, Yuliana would have gone through the iron te, but she couldn¡¯t break through the te with Taejo¡¯s magic applied to it. The power of an S-ss. It was impossible for Yuliana, who was merely C-ss, to ovee it. ¡°St, stop¡­! I, I am¡­!¡± ¡°Yuliana Feygreen. You¡¯re under arrest for theft.¡± ¡°What¡­? Wh, what¡¯s your proof!¡± ¡°This.¡± Taejo took out a small box attached inside the suitcase. The box, which seemed to be made of stic rather than metal, looked quite borate, and Taejo held it in one hand and grabbed it firmly. Crunch. Under the strength of Taejo¡¯s grip, the stic box was ruined to the point where its shape could not be identified. Small pieces of ss leaked out from inside, and soon, blue liquid leaked from between Taejo¡¯s fingers, dripping onto the floor. ¡°You have to pay the appropriate punishment for stealing other people¡¯s things. Without agreement.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ca, call awyer. And get in touch with my grandfather¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re done. I¡¯ve already finished talking with Desmond Feygreen.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Yuliana¡¯s pupils started to shake dramatically. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they stuck the Goblin on you from Yi Maemangryang¡­ but the ones they deemed as the ¡®main force¡¯ of Yi Maemangryang protected not you, but Desmond Feygreen.¡± ¡°Ju, just a moment. So now you¡¯re saying¡­my grandfather¡­?¡± ¡°Scolding a C-ss granddaughter thief. It was all a nned ruse. Yi Maemangryang took advantage of the situation due to Hwalbindang¡¯s actions. Tsk.¡± Taejo clicked his tongue as if he was dissatisfied, but the cause was ultimately himself. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The facilities of the ability user prison are better than you think. Officially, you won¡¯t be admitted, but you will be sent to Uruguay for a while for a ¡®reformation¡¯ process.¡± ¡°No, no¡­! Tha, that ce¡­!¡± ¡°South Korea¡¯s antipodal point, the other side of the world.¡± If the East Sea, where the meteoritended, was known as a paradise for ability users, what kind of ce is the antipodal point for ability users? ¡°You¡¯ll live there feeling that your magic is recovering five times slower than usual.¡± ¡°No, no!! Sa, save me! Taejo, please!¡± ¡°Save you? I¡¯m not killing you.¡± nk. Silver handcuffs were put on Yuliana¡¯s hands, and the magic-imbued wire began to coil around Yuliana¡¯s body. ¡°Uh, uh¡­!¡± ¡°You should be grateful. I¡¯m sparing you, a would-be killer, by sending you to prison. That¡¯s what people call a ¡®viin mindset¡¯. Completely different from ordinary people. Tsk.¡± Taejo sighed deeply. ¡°I thought I had finally made a friend from the U.S., but you¡¯re going rogue on your own.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t turn back time. You¡¯re done. Yuliana Feygreen. ¡®The Shadow of Steel¡¯.¡± Clink! The floor of the airne moved, and Yuliana was trapped within a hexagonal steel te. Taejo shaped a small iron bar window with his hand through which the confined Yuliana could be seen. He pointed his Taeguk Watch towards her. ¡°I hereby read you your rights under the Miranda rule. Viin Yuliana. I will arrest you.¡± ¡°Uh, uh!¡± ¡°Stay quiet. Because from now on¡­ I have to go over there too.¡± Boom! A strong light exploded, and the airne tilted. Taejo turned his head, holding onto the Iron Dragon with his hand. ¡°Grr¡­¡± Beyond the airne window, a ghost-like figure appeared, spraying red fog next to the Goblin fighting Snow White. The figure looked like a tiger with wings. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it would really show up. S-ss¡­ Crimson Witch!¡± Viin, Crimson Witch. A pinnacle of fire power even stronger than many S-ss fire element ability users like Agni, Ifrit, Surtr, and Infernisha. ¡°She is ¡®Gunggi¡¯¡­!¡± Others called her ¡®Gunggi¡¯.
A massive me tiger,posed of magic and ether, circled around me, protecting me. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect that the boss would support me this much.¡¯ Dawn. After making contact with Gunggi, I reported the situation to the boss. The boss permitted the support for Gunggi, and of course, with the boss¡¯s permission, I also aided Gunggi. If I were to help Gunggi just because I happened to meet her as the Goblin, the other executives would not be silent. But I never dreamt that the boss would support me this much. [Are you okay?] [Of course. No problem.] Gunggi, taking the form of a tiger, growled at Snow White, opening her mouth wide. [I came to support with full power, so naturally, I should give it my all.] [It¡¯s not just ordinary power.] [Since we¡¯ve got the permission, we should unleash it.] It waspletely different from when I was a human. It was not my eardrums that were ringing, but it felt like the magic was directly transmitted to my brain. [I took out my ¡®true form¡¯ for a change. If you disappoint me, I won¡¯t let it slideter, Goblin.] [Of course.] This small talk was enough. While we were estimating the power granted by Gunggi on our side, the enemy was also sizing up our strength. ¡°Is the chatter over?¡± [I would have appreciated it if you called it a strategy meeting.] Snow White, who was keeping an eye on me, seemed to have judged that it was time to fight. She spread out one wing of ice again. ¡°Since you brought one more person, it wouldn¡¯t matter if it became 2:2, right?¡± ¡°Uh, sister! By any chance!!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re done with the arrest,e down. Taejo.¡± ¡°Woah!!¡± Taejo, who was on the airne, shouted in delight and jumped next to Baek Seol-hee in a sh. [What about Yuliana?] ¡°I¡¯ve finished arresting her! Although she just escaped, it¡¯s a vengeance fight! This time will be different!¡± [Different, indeed.] The iron dragon that wrapped the ne approached Taejo. It wasn¡¯t a summoners¡¯ duel, and while it was simr in size to Gunggi, the iron dragon, made of bike and gun scrap, and Gunggi were of a different dimension. ¡°2:2. Don¡¯t say it¡¯s cowardly. More heroes are about to arrive.¡± [You were silent when Hwalbindang was active.] ¡°It¡¯s 7 AM now. If they rush after a cup of morning coffee, they will arrive just in time at the airport.¡± [Morning coffee is fair.] Let me make one thing clear. What I was having now was not a casual conversation. One of the principles of heroes. When you need to buy time, deliberately agree with the viin¡¯s words. Even during this time, when I was having a small talk with the heroes, other heroes were rushing to Yangyang Airport. ¡°If more arrive here, you¡¯re really finished. Not only the Goblin but also Gunggi will be arrested.¡± [Hm¡­. I see. So this was a trap to capture Gunggi, not me?] ¡°I have to admit, this isn¡¯t a bad n for something put together on the fly. I didn¡¯t expect it to involve even the Goblin!¡± If I hadn¡¯t brought Yuliana here, there was a high likelihood that Gunggi would have had to face the enemies at this location. Let Hwalbindang run rampant to stir up chaos and buy time, then when Yi Maemangryang arrives at the scene, arrest Gunggi. [It¡¯s quite something, the youngster cleaning up his mess and even getting us involved. Was it Baridegi who devised this n, or was it Kwang-ik-gong?] ¡°I have no obligation to tell you.¡± [It doesn¡¯t matter. Whichever one of them nned this, they wouldn¡¯t have counted on the Goblin as a variable.] I couldn¡¯t have imagined that I would be part of this situation either. [Sure, the current situation is disadvantageous. We have two S-ranks in front of us. And including the S-rank and A-rank or lower guys who will appear soon¡­ it¡¯s certainly a crisis.] [But if we can ovee this, we stand to gain a lot, too. ¡®Legally¡¯.] Gunggi let out a ferocious smile and spewed fire from her mouth. ¡°Hmph! All of that bes meaningless once you guys get arrested!¡± At the same time, the Scrap Metal Dragon opened its mouth wide and aimed the barrel of a K2 rifle. ¡°Whatever deals you¡¯ve made with October Travel, as long as we can arrest you guys, it doesn¡¯t matter! Gunggi! Goblin! I will arrest you both!¡± As Snow White lifted one hand high, feathers of ice shot high into the sky. [Are we starting already? I thought we would leisurely chat a little longer. We¡¯re not even ready yet.] ¡°What¡­!¡± Snow White¡¯s face contorted. [Don¡¯t get angry. That¡¯s not attractive, now is it?] ¡°Ugh¡­! Stop talking nonsense!¡± [Let me tell you something. Buying time through conversation is not just for you heroes¡­ it¡¯s a viin¡¯s identity.] Kyaooh!! Gunggi pped her wings hard. The bullets from the Scrap Metal Dragon and the icy feathers aimed at us were instantly blown away by Gunggi¡¯s wing p, causing a series of explosions. [We¡¯re still pre-¡®transformation¡¯ over here.] [Spirit¨C!] [Let¡¯s show them why Yi Maemangryang is the strongest organization.] Gunggi roared as she enveloped my body, and soon after, Gunggi quickly sank into me. ¡°What¡­?!¡± [Come, Gunggi.] [Possession¡ª¨C!!] With full force. [[Spirit Fusion.]] Chapter 101: Prove The Strongest (1) Chapter 101: Prove The Strongest (1) 7:00 AM. At a time when everyone usually prepared for their daily tasks, everyone stood still in front of devices like TVs or tablets where they could watch videos. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Yumir expressed her admiration as she gulped down her morning coffee. ¡°They said the Goblin suddenly appeared. After meeting me, he went from Sejong Ind to Gangwon-do? He¡¯s busy.¡± The Goblin on the TV was in a standoff alongside an S-grade viin known as the Crimson Witch or Gunggi. She didn¡¯t know the specifics of the situation. There were confused pieces of information about a gun incident in Gangwon-do and the appearance of a biker gang at dawn, and the Hero Alliance had not made any official response. -Can you see it?! Two S-grades are about to face off 2:2! -Oh, I¡¯m going crazy. Shouldn¡¯t we run away from here¡­? It seems like a battle is about to start on the airport runway¡­! -I have to record this! It¡¯s guaranteed to get a million views! They were just looking around at the live broadcast from Yangyang Airport being shown on multiple monitors. The broadcast station only reported through the news that there was a disturbance at Yangyang Airport and did not specifically broadcast it live. ¡°¡­Maybe he¡¯s stronger than I thought?¡± Yumir sipped her coffee while watching the Goblin in the video. The bitter scent of coffee wrapped around her whole body, and Yumir skewered a grilled frankfurter she had prepared for breakfast on a fork and put it in her mouth. Swish! ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As soon as the heroes¡¯ attack began, Yumir¡¯s actions came to a halt. With a piece of sausage stuck in her mouth, she clearly witnessed Gunggi entering the Goblin¡¯s body. -Wooooo!! Whether those who were filming on the scene were trembling with anticipation or whether the entire airport building was really shaking, everyone started getting excited. -Herees the big one!! The Goblin had shown new forms several times. Starting from the Dodjirider, the Goblin began to constantly show something new. But this was a first. An S-rank ability user merging with another S-rank? -It¡¯s a fusion!! Crunch. Yumir bit into the sausage without realizing it. Juice flowed from the sausage, but Yumir looked at the transformation of the Goblin with settling eyes as if she was chewing on straw. ¡°Fusion¡­¡± Bing one with the Goblin. ¡°¡­¡­Huh? Wait a minute. Why am I envious of that?¡± Yumir suddenly felt her face getting hot. She tried to cool down by fanning herself hastily, but her heart didn¡¯t calm down as easily as usual. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Yumir lost her appetite and put down her fork. Looking at the Goblin transforming into a new form on the screen, she kept revealing her regret while fiddling with her fingers. ¡°I wish I could see it directly¡­.¡± Perhaps everyone felt the same. Seeing that the real-time viewer count of this shaky live-streaming video surpassed 30,000 this early in the morning, the numbers in other rooms were also skyrocketing. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I can¡¯t see this directly¡­.¡± It was regretful to watch it through the screen. She wondered how the people who were asleep would feel. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± With a sigh, Yumir just sucked on her sausage, enjoying the new form of the Goblin that transformed while scattering mes through the air. ¡°¡­Why not Rider?¡± The Goblin had transformed into a new form. There was no longer a Dodjirider there. The red light¡¯s embers erupted from his body. A red cape, simr to a coat, with a pattern resembling mes. Inside was a ck hanbok that seemed to cling to his body and a waistband. Unlike his usual mask, the mask he wore on his face resembled a ck tiger with a slightly haughty look, a Goblin mask. sh. However, those twinkling eyes were still gold. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir touched her hair for no reason, crossing her flowing hair left and right to cover her mouth. ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± Somewhere. Although his new look had much less gold, it felt simr to the color of Magical Girl Golden Priestess.
The suit made with magic naturally contained the will of the magic user. [Surprising. Didn¡¯t you dislike hanbok?] [I didn¡¯t dislike it. I just didn¡¯t like the behavior of those who overly drove me into nationalism.] [Well, the appearance doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s cool in its own way.] Gunggi showed her surprise at my newly implemented fusion form but quickly calmed herself. [What will you use for a weapon? Mine? Or a bat as usual?] [It¡¯s been a while, so I should use yours.] My usual weapon was obviously the Goblin Bat, but now I could use a slightly different weapon as part of my ¡®S-ss firepower¡¯. As such, there was no need to use the same weapon as usual. [Shall we start with interception first?] I put my hand into the sleeve of my cape and released my magic power to create sharp, dark spikes. [re Beat.] I threw a needle, which was at least 20cm long, to the side. The needle that spread to the left and right flew sideways and then changed direction immediately. It flew like an arrow toward the ice feather that was flying toward me and collided head-on. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!¡± Snow White moved her hand as if conducting an orchestra, trying to avoid my needle by moving the ice feather, but my needle moved faster between the feathers, scattering sparks. [Too slow.] The moment the embers trickled along the trajectory of the flying ice feather, the feather shattered into pieces, causing a magic explosion. [Just spreading many without substance only makes it shy.] Each time the spike of mes passed along the path of the flying ice feathers towards me, the feathers shattered. It was as if a redser was wrapping around a white pir. As chain explosions urred, Snow White¡¯s magic bullets disintegrated in mid-air. [The essence doesn¡¯t change just by changing the form, Snow White.] ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± [Even if it¡¯s ice feathers, the root is a magic bullet. Just intercept it, and it¡¯s done.] ¡°How about this then!¡± Thud thud thud! A noisy sound echoed from behind. ¡°If it¡¯s not a magic bullet but a real bullet!¡± Suddenly, Taejo appeared behind me, riding a Scrap Metal Dragon. The Scrap Metal Dragon held a neatly gathered rifle in its mouth and held a bike with a rifle in its hands, pointing them both directly at me. ¡°Physical bullets won¡¯t cause magic cancetion!¡± [Hmm, have you noticed?] Thud thud thud thud! Bullets from the K2 rifle came rushing towards me. I dodged the trajectory of the bullet shower and jumped to the side. Taejo followed me, continually pouring out a bullet shower. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how strong that suit is, but I just have to shoot until the magic runs out!¡± [That¡¯s correct, Taejo.] The most fundamental way to pour bullets into an ability user. Keep firing bullets until they work, specifically until the mana protecting the body ispletely worn out, and the shield is released. Historically, an endless offensive had been the answer, and Taejo had fired dozens of bullets at me. [But that¡¯s too weak.] I stomped heavily on the ground, following the fast track I was running on, and jumped up. I spurted mes beneath my feet just before jumping and rocketed up. Inded exactly on the Scrap Metal Dragon that Taejo was riding. ¡°Ugh!¡± Taejo promptly jumped off the Scrap Metal Dragon. [A good decision.] I raised my hand high and plunged it towards the neck of the dragon. Kwooooong!! Red mes burst out from the entire body of the Scrap Metal Dragon, and it mmed into the ground. The mes burnt the dragon¡¯s body, and I got up from the crumpled Scrap Metal Dragon and lightly shook off my hand. [There¡¯s no time to rest.] Just as the shadow started to darken, I raised my head to the sky, where a huge chunk of ice suddenly appeared. [Thinking of crushing me as is.] Even if I just dodged it - Snow White had alreadyid out the groundwork. Ice crystals spread around the massive cier. As if toy out a before the union, Snow White didn¡¯t give her opponent a chance to escape. And there was one reason for such an attack. [You¡¯re not wrong.] She was trying to trap me by dropping a massive cier like a meteorite. [But even if you can catch other viins using that method¡­] The goal was not to kill but to suppress, so her attacks were made mostly not to pierce or sh me but to freeze and deal damage. [I can¡¯t be caught.] I extracted the magical power from my ultimate move and formed a ming crimson me into one form. Weaponization of magical power. The technique called ¡®Aura¡¯ in fantasy novels has be an essential skill for ability users in this world. I also created a weapon that suited my current form using that power. The weapon that suited my ultimate move the most. The weapon that suited the me ability the most. [Release.] [ze Sword!!] I swung the sword gripped in my hand high into the sky. [sh??!!] Seukkeuk! The ming sword shed through the cier. It split the sky, and again, the cier was split into two. ¡°Hmph.¡± A low sneer came from above the cier. ¡°You think I¡¯d use an attack that failed once again?¡± Above the cier, there she was. [Hiding behind the cier?] ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice?¡± Snow White, who dodged my shing attack, wrapped white magical power around her entire body and swung her fist over her shoulder. [A Freezing Punch?] ¡°Do you want to die?!¡± Her white fist, packed with S-ss magical power, charged towards me. Chapter 102: Prove The Strongest (2) Chapter 102: Prove The Strongest (2) Once upon a time, I had a conversation with the leader. ¡°Do we really need to shout out the names of our techniques?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The leader then asserted. ¡°Don¡¯t you sometimes feel it¡¯s a bit childish? Like you¡¯re advertising to your opponent what technique you¡¯re about to use.¡± ¡°Shouting out the name of the technique is a form of self-hypnosis.¡± ¡°Self-hypnosis?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s for using your technique more confidently, more powerfully, and without weakening.¡± In response to my question, the leader gave a somewhat novel answer. ¡°Try naming this technique.¡± The leader wrapped her fist in me and swung it forward. ¡°Um¡­ Fire Punch?¡± ¡°Make it sound more impressive, like ¡®Fire Punch¡¯.¡± Even though I intentionally called it a Fire Punch, the leader called it a Fire Punch again. ¡°Let¡¯s assume there¡¯s a hero who¡¯s been using this technique since he was Grade E. From the time he defeated his first viin, he used Fire Punch, and he continued to use Fire Punch even as his abilities grew stronger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s consistent.¡± ¡°And what if, in the final moment, the attack he delivered with his clenched fist was also a Fire Punch?¡± ¡°¡­Those who¡¯ve been watching him for a long time would be moved.¡± As a reader, I had a weak spot for the setup-payoff structure. I was particrly susceptible to the sight of a stubborn protagonist who was stupidly persistent and seeding. ¡°There¡¯s that, but for the one executing the technique, it serves as self-hypnosis that they can precisely deploy the technique with the output they want, unaffected by any circumstances.¡± ¡°Does it really work like that?¡± ¡°Yes. Consider this. Let¡¯s say the S-ss fire maniptor from Northern Europe¡­ Surtr develops a technique called ¡®Ragnarok Punch¡¯.¡± Afterward, he actually used that technique. ¡°Suppose someone names their full-powered fiery fist ¡®Spicy Noryangjin Punch¡¯ at a truly critical moment. How do you think it would feel?¡± ¡°¡­I think it would feel quite bad.¡± ¡°Exactly. You be shaken. Your technique has been given a name that doesn¡¯t quite fit? Even if it¡¯s just a tiny bit, the output weakens.¡± ¡°Does that mean it weakens the user by shaking their mentality?¡± ¡°Yes. The foundation of an ability user¡¯s skill is imagination. I call it the ¡®power of will.¡¯ If the will is weakened, the ability is weakened, and ultimately, the output bes weaker as well.¡± The leader extended her fist towards me. ¡°My Fire Punch possesses destructive power to pierce the universe. Just thinking that allows me to manifest about 99% of my strength.¡± ¡°Manager Do, every time I hear your thought process, it seems quite unique.¡± ¡°This is a lecture you won¡¯t get anywhere else, even for money. So, engrave it well in your mind, Manager. Ah, right. In that context, let me take care of that issue for you so it doesn¡¯t be awkward.¡± ¡°Chairwoman? Uh, uh. What are you trying to¡­!¡± ¡°Stay calm.¡± The leader forcibly used her magic to insert a ¡®gimmick¡¯ into me. ¡°Hehehe. From now on, whenever you see someone using a very powerful technique, just casually shake their mentality by mentioning the name of their technique. You never know. It might help you survive.¡± The leader was always right.
Snow White¡¯s Frost Punch, no, her full power attack weakened slightly at thest moment. ¡®How dare he attach a name like ¡®Frost Punch¡¯ to my attack!¡¯ Or, whileparing her power to another hero using an ice skill, her mental state was slightly disrupted. ¡°Kugh!¡± [It¡¯s a pity.] Following the leader¡¯s advice, I slightly weakened Snow White¡¯s attack with a singlement, and using that gap, I immediately countered Snow White. The fastest attack was to swing my sword at Baek Seol-hee. Swinging my de filled with the mes of my ultimate technique, Snow White definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid iting from above. However, ¡®Tsk.¡¯ Just as Snow White tried to suppress me with her skill, I felt awkward attacking Snow White with any technique that could cause her to bleed or get injured. Was this because she was a heroine? Or was it because I had developed quite a deep rtionship with her as Do Ji-hwan? Well, there was that, too. Although that did have a big impact. There was no way I could hurt a pure and innocent hero, especially a female one. Kwadeuk! I caught Snow White¡¯s punch with my left hand. In an instant, Snow White¡¯s pupils shook greatly as I had caught her attack head-on with one hand. Kagagagang! A rush of cold came in as if my hand was about to freeze instantly. Since I had concentrated the magic of my ultimate technique on the me sword on my other hand, I couldn¡¯t neutralize Snow White¡¯s chill with my shallow magic. Zheojeok! The hand that held Snow White¡¯s started to freeze. Whether she was surprised that her attack worked or that I didn¡¯t attack with a sword but caught her hand, Snow White¡¯s pupils shook greatly. ¡°Why¡­!¡± [How can I hurt a patriotic hero?] I resisted Snow White¡¯s attack and pulled her towards me. Unexpectedly, she fell towards me, almost hugging me, and I turned my body to the side while pulling my frozen hand and arm. ¡°!!¡± Just as she was about to be mmed into the ground after being flipped over in an instant, Snow White twisted her body to break free from me. But, whether she was too intent on holding onto me or not, the ice connecting our hands didn¡¯t break off, and she stumbled to the ground as she was. Naturally, I made sure she didn¡¯t m into the ground. I swiftly inserted my foot under her lower back, diffusing magic to lessen the shock, and cushioned the impact of the fall with my magic as much as I could, allowing Snow White to gently fall to the ground. ¡°Ah¡­?¡± Question marks shed in Snow White¡¯s eyes. It was only natural. Why didn¡¯t I attack with the sword? Why did I allow her to attack, even though it hurt me? Why was I treating her so well? She didn¡¯t understand why a viin, typically known for ruthless killing, was treating her so gentlemanly. ¡°You are¡­!¡± [Don¡¯t get me wrong.] I pointed the tip of the sword, clenched in one hand, at Snow White¡¯s throat. [I¡¯m not sparing you. If a hero falls, the world bes more chaotic, and I get more annoyed. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not hurting you.] ¡°Gruh¡­!¡± [That¡¯s what people say. They think I¡¯m rational and keep sparing you.] ¡°!!¡± A slight sense of difort appeared in Snow White¡¯s eyes. Apparently, her mood soured because I had directly mentioned what she had been most concerned about. [I think you¡¯re an attractive woman. But that¡¯s it. You are a hero, and I¡¯m a viin.] I removed the foot I had been using to support Snow White¡¯s lower back. [If you are determined to kill viins, to kill evil,e and find me then. I personally look forward to it very much. If Snow White stands on our side and wishes to kill viins and demons, it will be of great help to our cause and ambition.] ¡°Who says I will stand on your side¡­!¡± [You never know what will happen in this world.] I retrieved my sword and then injected my magic into the hand that was sping hers. Saaa. White smoke seeped from my arm, and Snow White¡¯s magic, which had eroded my arm, was pushed out by my ultimate technique¡¯s magic. It looked like the ice was melting away, and I stepped back from Snow White. [By the way¡­.] If this woman really didn¡¯t know that I was the Goblin. Would subtly implying that the Goblin was Do Ji-hwan be helpful to me? ¡®What should I do?¡¯ There were two possible reactions from her. One was to continue our delicate rtionship without reporting me, even though she would know my true identity because she was swayed by emotions. The other was to try to kill me because of a strong sense of betrayal, regardless of whether I was the Goblin or Do Ji-hwan. But one thing was clear: even if I was dealing with this woman as the Goblin right now, I could be in big troubleter if I continued to be rude. -Why did you do that then? Why were you so rude to me? Huh? Answer me. ¡­ The risk is high, but I decided to follow my instincts. [Excuse me.] ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Snow White swiftly pped away my hand with a sharp look in her eyes. It was perhaps the most fierce and rapid attack she hadunched against me till now. [Hmm¡­.] My hand hurts. Even though she merely swatted at my hand with the back of hers, and even though I had extended my hand shrouded in the power of Gunggi, it felt as though my fingers were stinging. ¡°Never, never touch my body again.¡± Snow White, with a cold and frosty voice, warned me as she picked herself up. ¡°I am taken.¡± [¡­¡­.] But she was saying it to the person who had taken her. [Well, good for you. Is he a good person?] ¡°Yes. He¡¯s handsome, cool, and kind. Far better than someone like you. I bet he has a bigger bat, too.¡± [¡­¡­.] Should I just take off the mask? I wondered what her reaction would be then. It was a bit tempting, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the time for that. Gurgling. The cier I had split aside faded away along with the fog. The time for my magic to maintain its form had passed, and I backed away from Snow White. [It¡¯s time.] I had gathered enough attention, and there was nothing more for me to do here. Even if I were to fight here, it would merely end up in scratches. I had put up enough of a spectacle to show people a sufficient amount of ¡®showmanship.¡¯ [Look forward to it, Snow White.] I released the fusion with Gunggi. Returning to my usual Gentleman Goblin form, I pressed down my top hat and climbed onto the back of Gunggi, who had turned into a winged tiger. [Goodbye.] p. Gunggi pped her wings and soared into the sky, and I exited the airport just like that. ¡°Wa, wait¨C!¡± It seemed like someone was shouting loudly from below, but there was no one who could chase after Gunggi, who had flown into the sky. [Hey. Are you okay?] [Hmm. I think I broke a bone. It hurts.] [Ah, you idiot.] Gunggi asked me in a worried voice. [When you get back to the amodation, immediately un-transform. Sigh, why did you stupidly block it with your hand! Couldn¡¯t you have just parried with your sword?] [I couldn¡¯t have done that.] I gripped my throbbing left hand. [Breaking a hand to y with a woman¡¯s heart and to prevent her from getting hurt is rtively cheap.] It was a foolish act, but. [I have no regrets.] Chapter 103: Messing Up Is A Heros Basic Skill (1)" Chapter 103: Messing Up Is A Hero''s Basic Skill (1)" Gangneung City. In the middle of the flight, I transformed into my ethereal form andnded in a hotel penthouse in Gangneung, together with Gunggi. If the penthouse hotel in Samcheok was themand center for the beginning of the operation, then this penthouse in the Gangneung hotel was purely a space for Gunggi to stay. ¡°Argh¡­¡± I released the transformation as soon as I entered the penthouse through the ss window in ethereal form. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Gunggi also assumed human form and examined the condition of my hand. Even though I had managed to handle Snow White¡¯s attack in some form, it was still too much to take the full force of an S-ss attack with my hand in the state it was, even if it was covered with a mana glove. ¡°My goodness, it looks like you have frostbite.¡± ¡°Not just frostbite, the bones are somewhat broken too.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a healing magic user right now¡­ Want to go to the hospital?¡± ¡°A person from Seoul in Gangwon Province? That won¡¯t work. If I have to go, it should be to a Seoul hospital. Argh¡­¡± I sat in a chair and put my arm on the tea table. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The magic that was in my body went back inside Gunggi once the fusion with Gunggi was released. Ultimately, I had to tend to my broken left hand with only my own magic. ¡°Self-healing¡­ elerated regeneration¡­ Ugh, this is going to be a bit tough.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been telling you on our way here. Just cut her next time. You might not get hurt.¡± ¡°But she could get hurt. It was a sword created by Gunggi¡¯s magic. A sword condensed with your power. Do you think Snow White wouldn¡¯t be cut by that? She would have spurted blood right there.¡± ¡°¡­Well, you have a point.¡± Gunggi came over to my side and started a very weak me magic on my hand. As if thawing a frozen body with a very warm hairdryer, the heat of the magic slowly spread, starting to drive out the chill left in my hand. ¡°Snow White is really vicious. How can she use her freezing ability in such a way? It¡¯s not just frostbite. She leaves her magic in the target¡¯s body.¡± ¡°She is an S-ss, after all. The second best in this country. She has to have this level of ability as a base.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s frost magic didn¡¯t just end with freezing the target. Just like the power remaining in my hand, her freezing ability stayed in the body, maintaining the frostbite condition. The frostbite remained until the energy in my body naturally pushed out the energy left by the S-ss. Staying still would allow it to heal quickly, but Baek Seol-hee¡¯s ability was definitely terrifying. ¡°I get the magic extraction part, but what about the broken bone? Can you handle a bike handle?¡± ¡°We agreed to fly me to Seoul. But it¡¯s urgent. I probably have a fire in my Taeguk Watch right now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well.¡± I exined the situation roughly. ¡°So she got so pissed because she couldn¡¯t contact you?¡± ¡°Yes. And I need to get in touch with another girl right now.¡± ¡°Do Ji-hwan, are you two-timing right now?¡± ¡°Looking at the situation, it¡¯s not two-timing but multiple.¡± The situation where I, as the Goblin, and Do Ji-hwan were romantically involved. Baek Seol-hee strictly distinguished the two, and Yumir assumed that the two were essentially the same person. ¡°To Baek Seol-hee, I can just say I woke upte, but not Yumir. She is almost 99% sure that I am the Goblin.¡± ¡°Is it? Are you sure she¡¯s not two-timing between Do Ji-hwan and the Goblin?¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your proof?¡± ¡°My intuition says so.¡± After sorting out my thoughts on the way to Gangneung, I concluded that she was half-suspecting that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin even before meeting him as the magical girl Golden Priestess on the beach. One of the abilities she had stolen from a devil that gave her a clue to my identity. Or she realized something through my help. ¡°Okay. Then we¡¯re going to Seoul, but going to Yangyang Airport now would be a mess, right?¡± ¡°That would be the case.¡± Since four S-sses fought each other there, Yangyang Airport would not be able to fly any nes until this morning. The runway would need to be cleaned, and above all, the road from Samcheok to Yangyang would have to be repaired. We escaped from Yangyang Airport, but from a national perspective, there was too much to clean up. The problem of Yuliana Feygreen¡¯s gic theft. The source of the rifles stolen by Hwalbindang and information control issues. The issue of the Goblin and Gunggi Pair, Armored Taejo, and Snow White appearing at Yangyang Airport for no reason in a civilian situation. While there would be a mess cleaning up such issues, I also had a lot of cleanup to do. ¡°Phew, then slowly¡­Huh?¡± Gunggi¡¯s Taeguk Watch began to ring. It wasn¡¯t just a regr bell sound but very distinctive, sounding like a child singing a nursery rhyme haphazardly. ¡°Oh, Chairwoman!!¡± [Good job, Gunggi.] Gunggi received the call in a very formal posture. [You¡¯ve done a fantastic job. There are so many things tomend you on that it¡¯s impossible to summarize them all in 3 minutes, so please excuse me for skipping thepliments.] ¡°Ah, yes!¡± I was worried for no reason that the Chairwoman might have a surveince system deployed over the Gangneung area, but surely the Chairwoman wouldn¡¯t make a call via a channel that could be intercepted by something like that. [The other directors are really envious of you. So, they¡¯ve startedpeting for the next opportunity. Therefore, Gunggi, you don¡¯t need to worry about that aspect.] ¡°Whew¡­¡­¡± Gunggi sighed deeply. ¡°Thank you so much, Chairwoman!¡± [Not at all. You just did what you had to.] Apparently, she had been worried that the other executives would be jealous of her being fused with me, so she was genuinely delighted that the Chairwoman was taking care of the other executives. [However, Mr. Do, the manager, will have a hard time. Mr. Do?] ¡°Yes, Chairwoman.¡± [I will develop a special Taeguk Watch and send it to you so you won¡¯t have trouble with GPS tracking next time. And how about your wounds? If you need medication, I will send you some.] ¡°That¡¯s fine. I intend to use these wounds.¡± [Use? Ah, I see. To appeal?] ¡°Yes.¡± I checked the condition of my damaged left hand from which Baek Seol-hee¡¯s magic was draining out. ¡°I n to walk around with a cast on my left hand in front of Baek Seol-hee.¡± [To naturally make her suspicious?] ¡°Yes. I want her to realize who she has been violent against and then create a sense of guilt.¡± [Just as I expected. Ah, time¡¯s almost up.] Somehow, it was already nearing 3 minutes. [You both have worked hard. I will take care of October Travel, so both of you get some rest.] Click. The call ended. The call duration disyed on Gunggi¡¯s Taeguk Watch was ¡®2:57¡¯. ¡°Ha. It¡¯s really inconvenient. What will we do when it gets reduced to 1 minute?¡± ¡°The Chairwoman will surely find a solution.¡± ¡°I suppose. Sometimes, I think that we should just get rid of Cheonrian.¡± ¡°¡­From my perspective, since he hasn¡¯tmitted any murder or wrongdoing, it seems excessive to kill him. Phew, anyway¡­ Director, could I ask for a ride to Seoul?¡± ¡°Sure, sure. But since we¡¯re heading there¡­ Can I stay in Seoul for a day? At your house.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°I said, is that okay?¡± Gunggi squinted her eyes at me and reached out her hand. ¡°¡­Tch.¡± Hopefully, no one wille to Seoul. Suppressing my unease, I followed behind Gunggi.
An hourter, Yangyang Airport. ¡°What was the reason for fighting with the Goblin at the airport! Who was on that airne?!¡± ¡°Did the Goblin appear while you were suppressing the viin? Who was trapped behind Kangcheol¡¯s back?¡± ¡°The ne has been identified as October Travel¡¯s private aircraft! What¡¯s your rtionship with the Feygreens?!¡± The reporters gathered at the airport, microphones on their Taeguk Watches turned on and reached out their fists toward the heroes. Normally, they should have been holding microphones, but the sight of them extending their fists because they didn¡¯t bring microphones was somewhatical. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. It¡¯s confidential.¡± ¡°Are you ignoring the citizens¡¯ right to know!¡± ¡°It¡¯s for the safety of the citizens. For more details, please contact the association¡­.¡± Amidst the standoff between reporters bearing the gaze of countless citizens and the management agents sent by the association, Baek Seol-hee hastily entered the hastily set-up tent. ¡°You worked hard, sister.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame. We were close to catching them.¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps.¡± Baek Seol-hee fiddled with her right hand and then received an iced americano from Tae Irin. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Tae Irin, though.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Irin. Did you find a way this time?¡± ¡°No! He just flew away on a winged tiger. There was no way to figure it out even if you were there.¡± Tae Irin shrugged her shoulders with both hands raised. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to escape in such a ssic way. Tsk. If he had disappeared like fog, as he used to, I would¡¯ve noticed right away.¡± ¡°¡­Maybe he used Gunggi to disappear because he was conscious of you.¡± ¡°Ah, I doubt that.¡± ¡°Really?¡± It¡¯s just a coincidence. The Goblin used the power of Gunggi, who happened to be able to fly, and escape. Thanks to Gunggi¡¯s power, he could face Baek Seol-hee in a fight. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No. He could have won. If. If Baek Seol-hee had been a ¡®target for execution,¡¯ the Goblin would have cut Baek Seol-hee off before she could even respond, using some method. He didn¡¯t because he harbored ill-intent to recruit her, as a hero, into his organization, Gyeolsa. ¡°Useless¡­.¡± Next time, she would definitely catch him. ¡°But, sister. You did manage to injure the Goblin once. How did you do that?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the video. In the footage where you and the Goblin are facing off between the split cier. Look here. The Goblin¡¯s hand is frozen white.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The Goblin got hit. There was no other way to put it. ¡°¡­It was luck.¡± It wasn¡¯t her ability but the wound the Goblin had inflicted on himself. ¡°It¡¯ll be different next time. ¡­Irin, I need a moment.¡± Baek Seol-hee picked up her coffee and the Taeguk Watch and went outside. Outside, people were overflowing, but Baek Seol-hee tapped the Taeguk Watch at an angle that others could not see. ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Still. The ¡®1¡¯ on the SNS sent text did not disappear. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t he read it yet¡­? Considering all the chaos, is he sleeping¡­? Or maybe¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee covered her mouth with her hand. ¡°With his wife¡­?¡± -Honey, who keeps sending these messages? -Snow White? Honey, are you cheating? She felt a sinking feeling. -I told you to get rid of all the other women! Who is this woman! ¡°¡­Did I, just make a mistake¡­?¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes began to quiver. ¡°Are they, even now, serving the country as a couple¡­?¡± Chapter 104: Messing Up Is A Heros Basic Skill (2) Chapter 104: Messing Up Is A Hero''s Basic Skill (2) A little whileter, at the Hero Alliance¡¯s Gangneung branch office. ¡°Ah, so from now on, I will brief you about the ¡®Yuliana¡¯s Gene Theft¡¯ case.¡± Three S-rank heroes gathered at the headquarters of the Hero Alliance in Gangneung, along with representatives from the Alliance and the government. They convened in a dark conference room to discuss the situation, which had been somewhat resolved. ¡°First, regarding this case, we would like to hear from Armored Taejo¡­¡± The Chief of Gangneung started the discussion, but Baek Seol-hee couldn¡¯t focus properly on the meeting. Do Ji-hwan was a married man. She had even heard him talking directly with his wife when they went to Ulleungdo, and he had also received his wife¡¯s kind-of permission. However, it was a warningment that said, ¡®Ah, yes, go ahead if you want to. Haha.¡¯ Which woman in the world would allow and watch her husband hang out with other women? The reason why the kings of the Joseon Dynasty could have so many women was that it was forbidden byw to incitepetition between the queen and the concubines, but in reality, all sorts of secret battles were fought among the women. What woman would allow and watch her man hang out with other women? Even if it were just Baek Seol-hee, if she had such a rtionship with Do Ji-hwan, she would express significant difort if a new woman appeared next to Do Ji-hwan. However. The problem was that she herself was now in the position of that ¡®new woman¡¯. And she didn¡¯t know if she¡¯de to have the mindset that she could even handle that or if she¡¯d unconsciously forgotten that she was in the position of such a woman. Baek Seol-hee was attracted to a man named Do Ji-hwan. She did not realize that she had made a move on a married man, and only after making a huge mistake did she realize her position. -That¡¯s right! So what if you¡¯re an S-rank hero? You really did it because I told you to?! Let¡¯s die, you and me! Oh my, everyone in the world!! Snow White is a mistress!! A morning drama would unfold. Love and war were envisioned. Baek Seol-hee couldn¡¯t fight back at all from the attack of Do Ji-hwan¡¯s wife, who threw the food brought for PPL at her. ¡®If I was the type of woman who could calmly steal another woman¡¯s man, if I was such a malicious woman, I wouldn¡¯t be in this country.¡¯ If. If Baek Seol-hee were a person who could be shameless in such situations, she would have considered emigrating from this country long ago instead of being a hero here. ¡®But I¡¯m not like that.¡¯ Baek Seol-hee remained an S-ss hero in this country because she was not that kind of person. ¡®It¡¯s clear that flirting with a married man is wrong.¡¯ However. That was just the mindset of a hero; her mindset as a woman was different. ¡®So am I going to give up?¡¯ As a woman. If she were a normal woman, it would be right to cleanly give up. ¡®You gave the permission. If they said to fight, then I should fight. That¡¯s what heroes do. ¡­or isn¡¯t it?¡¯ The triangle inside Baek Seol-hee¡¯s mind was gradually being whittled down by her self-indoctrination and self-justification, bing rounder. ¡®Baek Seol-hee. Are you going to throw away your pride and give up like this? They¡¯re telling you to steal it if you can, and you¡¯re hesitating. The goalkeeper is lying in front of the goalpost. Aren¡¯t you going to kick the ball?¡¯ The words¡¯ infidelity¡¯, ¡®nuisance¡¯, and ¡®NTR¡¯ were clearly written on the outside of the triangle, but as Baek Seol-hee¡¯s thought process elerated, the parts with those words written on them were being shaved away. ¡°¡­with that, I hope you will weigh my sincere regret.¡± p, p, p. While Baek Seol-hee was deep in thought, Armored Taejo finished his long speech with an apology and a 90-degree bow. ¡°I hope Taejo¡¯s mistake will be a great opportunity for growth. Now, let¡¯s discuss how to deal with Yuliana Feygreen.¡± ¡°Whew.¡± Taejo looked satisfied as if he thought he had spoken very well. What he said would definitely remain in the video records. Unless specifically searched for, Taejo¡¯s regret would probably remain just as data stored somewhere. ¡°Younger sister, how was it?¡± ¡°¡­It was somewhat eptable. What about you, Seol-hee unnie?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°What is it? You have that tone of not listening. It¡¯s the first time he has shown such remorse.¡± ¡°Right. I was surprised. Impressive.¡± Baek Seol-hee needed time to organize her thoughts more than anything. ¡°Hmm. So, let¡¯s discuss whether to send Yuliana Feygreen to Uruguay. Yuliana tried to steal Taejo¡¯s genes and ran away to America. Since Taejo is the person directly involved, it would be difficult for him to make an objective judgment, so we would like to hear the opinions of the two S-ss heroes.¡± The director of Gangneung turned his gaze towards Baek Seol-hee and Tae Irin. ¡°I¡¯ll speak first. Such a woman should be forcibly sent to the Uruguayan Ability Users Detention Center. She¡¯s the kind of woman who goes after someone else¡¯s man.¡± Blush. ¡°Yes, Taejo made a mistake, but Yuliana approached him knowing that he had a girlfriend. Essentially, a woman who¡¯s in an engagement-like rtionship.¡± ¡°Hmm. That, I said I¡¯d apologize again once we return to Busan¡­ I¡¯ve exined the situation and apologized via video call.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have created a situation that needed apologizing. Falling for a blonde woman¡¯s seduction? Knowing that you have a fianc¨¦e? You should have clearly said no.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s my fault too, but isn¡¯t it worse that she knew he had a fianc¨¦e and approached him¡­?¡± ¡°Haah. Men, really. Sister. What do you think, sister?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Was this what a hot seat felt like? ¡°Well, perhaps.¡± Baek Seol-hee carefully opened her mouth with a serious face. ¡°Suppose Taejo was married, and Yuliana Feygreen knew that and approached him and did such things¡­ what should we do then?¡± ¡°She should be killed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Right.¡± Baek Seol-hee closed her eyes at Tae Irin¡¯s radical words. ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s consider such a thing as youth that can happen between men and women.¡± ¡°Sister?¡± ¡°Wow, sister. Are you understanding me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, but there¡¯s definitely something wrong, anyway.¡± Baek Seol-hee took a deep breath. ¡°Stealing genes is certainly bad.¡± At least she didn¡¯t do that. Anyway.
What was the starting point for a hero to fall into viiny? It was when theypromised with reality. Only when one always maintained an upright heart to uphold justice and maintain peace could one truly be called a hero. When that heart broke, or they started to walk the wrong path even once, the road to viiny opened up. I wanted to be free from that, so I became a viin. I didn¡¯t hesitate to receive arge sum of money in exchange for escorting people ording to the contract or even confront heroes in the process of escorting. ¡°Has the payment been made?¡± ¡°Yes. It feels like I¡¯m healed as soon as I see the deposit amount.¡± 2.6 billion. It was directly deposited into the bank ount. Although it was transferred several times through a paperpany and came in as cryptocurrency, 2.6 billion for about 4 hours of work from dawn to morning was quite a substantial business. ¡°What will Chairman Desmond do now?¡± ¡°Do you care?¡± ¡°He sent us this much money. We should care.¡± Although we didn¡¯t make a contract specifically about the participation of the Goblin in the battle, Desmond Feygreen paid me a ¡®bonus¡¯ in addition to the originally agreed contract price. ¡°Oh, right. Chairman Desmond he said he was a fan of yours. He wanted an autograph.¡± ¡°What if my handwriting gets exposed from signing?¡± ¡°So, I received a text from him. He asked to ry his thanks for protecting October Travel.¡± ¡°What about the story of Yuliana?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all contained in that one sentence.¡± He chose hispany over his granddaughter, who caused a major ident. He must have made that choice after seeing Stern¡¯s case. ¡°I wonder how they would have covered it up if it was a B-ss or A-ss case.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s a C-ss. On the chairman¡¯s scale, even if she¡¯s his granddaughter, the weight of thepany is probably heavier. How many family members does he have under him?¡± ¡°Capitalists sometimes need to be ruthless.¡± ¡°If she hadn¡¯t made a big mistake in the first ce, none of this would have happened. In the end, it¡¯s all Yuliana¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Yuliana Feygreen made her grandfather, Desmond, do something that would make him cut ties with his Ability User granddaughter. ¡°What will they do now? Exile her to Ganghwa Ind?¡± ¡°No, not even the Korean Penins, but the other side of the world? Uruguay.¡± ¡°If they put her in as an international criminal, some information about the incident will spread.¡± ¡°Only those who need to know will know. Compared to idents happening in other countries, isn¡¯t this nothing more than a minor issue?¡± ¡°¡­We should hope she doesn¡¯t be a demon in Uruguay. If she¡¯s at the level of October Travel, she should be able to live quitefortably with arge bail.¡± Her punishment for that action ended with her being locked up in Uruguay. I could only hope that she didn¡¯t be a demon. If she became a demon, I would have to kill her. ¡°More than that, Manager Do, shouldn¡¯t we check the Taegeuk Watch?¡± ¡°¡­I was scared to check on purpose.¡± ¡°Be a man and confront it. Fighting!¡± Encouraged by Gunggi, I carefully checked my Taegeuk Watch and smartphone. Missed calls, 7. Unread messages, 20. All calls and texts were from midnight to morning. Only three people sent them. ¡°¡­One text is from the chairman, and one from Yumir.¡± ¡°Golden Priestess? What did she send?¡± ¡°One text. ¡®Teacher. I have a question. Please contact me when you have time~ Hehe.¡¯¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of meaning in one ¡®hehe¡¯. Then the rest is¡­¡± ¡°Baek Seol-hee.¡± 7 calls. 18 texts. Scary. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll try calling.¡± I gathered my courage and dialed the number. Brring, brring. ¡°Hello?¡± The call was cut off. It seemed to be cut off hastily, and while I was surprised, another call came in. ¡°Um, Ms. Seol-hee? I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t pick up your callst night. The thing is-¡± [Ho, perhaps!] Baek Seol-hee¡¯s voice was mixed with apology, urgency, and embarrassment. [¡­Were you in the middle of patriotism with your wife?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ah. This woman, was she perhaps¡­? ¡°Well.¡± Watching Gunggi enter the shower room, I caught my breath. ¡°¡­She just went in to take a shower.¡± Chapter 105: Messing Up Is A Heros Basic Skill (3) Chapter 105: Messing Up Is A Hero''s Basic Skill (3) Baek Seol-hee¡¯s voice did not sound angry at all. As if she realized her mistake when she called me, she was clearly watching my reactions. So, I got a hunch. This situation¡­ was advantageous for me. ¡®It¡¯s a bit disconcerting.¡¯ Because the leader had inserted the setting that I was a married man, it was hard for me to adapt, but now that it had be this situation, it was working in my favor. Perhaps the leader foresaw this and told me to reveal that I was a married man in Ulleungdo? The leader was indeed amazing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have texted you in between.¡± [Ar, are you somewhere now?] ¡°I¡¯m in Seoul. Home.¡± [Ah¡­.] A sigh that seemed resigned. [We, well, I¡¯ll hang up!] ¡°It¡¯s okay. She¡¯s gone to shower now¡­ We can talk for a little while. That¡¯s why I called now.¡± I was a viin. Let¡¯s be shameless. ¡°Did you call and text me thinking I¡¯m in Sejong Ind?¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have contacted you before I left. I will contact you first next time. If I stop by the Seoul house. Hmm¡­ A weekend couple? No. We see each other once a month.¡± [A couple¡­still?] ¡°My wife is a very busy person.¡± That was not a lie. She was busy conquering the world, and right now, she must be very busy with October Travel and the equity negotiations. [¡­Somehow, Ji-Hwan, you seem a bit different from ordinary people.] ¡°That¡¯s right. Both me and my wife. Is it because the world has turned out this way? Haha.¡± [Is your wife¡­ an ability user?] ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t go into details there.¡± Inquiring about personal details was a no-go. ¡°Seol-hee. I¡¯m sorry. When the vacation is over, and I return to Sejong Ind, I¡¯ll make a reservation for the pension we stayed at in Ulleungdo. If you want toe, you can.¡± [¡­Ji-Hwan, you don¡¯t need to apologize. I¡¯m the bad one.] ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault that I wasn¡¯t there when you needed me.¡± Apologizing when I had done nothing wrong¡­ Surely, it was a blow to my pride, but by demeaning myself, Baek Seol-hee would end up feeling even more indebted. ¡°I¡¯ll be there next time. Soon¡­ uh-uh.¡± [Why, what¡¯s wrong?] ¡°Ah, nothing.¡± Feigning pain subtly through the call, Iy the groundwork. ¡°Just, when she asked who was on the phone, I was trying to hide it¡­haha.¡± [¡­Did it hurt?] ¡°Of course. Naturally.¡± I got confused sometimes, too. But from now on, I need to hypnotize myself clearly and talk to Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Um, I¡¯ll call you againter. See you next time, Seol-hee.¡± [¡­Yes. I¡¯m really sorry.] ¡°It¡¯s fine. But thank you for answering the call. I thought you were mad at me.¡± [I would have been a fool¡­to be angry. I¡¯ll do better next time. Ah, then¡­!] Baek Seol-hee hung up hastily. After confirming that the call was definitely disconnected, I let out an involuntary hollowugh. ¡°What does she mean by ¡®do better¡¯.¡± ¡°What did she say? Did she get mad? Why didn¡¯t you answer the phone? Did she get annoyed?¡± Gunggi, who had juste out after washing her hair, wrapped her head in a towel. I naturally caught her towel as I sat in front of the vanity and picked up the hairdryer. ¡°She seemed to have realized she was the mistress and came out in that attitude.¡± ¡°¡­Wow, sir, you really enjoy ying with Baek Seol-hee?¡± ¡°I might have used the expression¡¯ y with¡¯, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m acting like a gangster.¡± ¡°Cheating while having a wife?¡± ¡°My wife approved, so it¡¯s fine. I only apologized for not answering the phone.¡± ¡°Huh¡­.¡± Warm air seeped over Gunggi¡¯s wet hair. I could dry her hair instantly with magic, but Gunggi preferred it when I dried her hair myself. ¡°Do it with one hand. Don¡¯t move your sore hand unnecessarily.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt when I move it with magic.¡± ¡°We need to recover quickly.¡± ¡°Actually, it would be better if the recovery isn¡¯t too fast. Now, I have to y the card of having a broken left bone because of the call from my wife.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Gunggi snickered quietly. ¡°The Goblin will make an excuse for an injury like that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to be perceived as a man who was caught cheating and got hit by his wife rather than revealing that I¡¯m the Goblin?¡± ¡°I thought it was awful affair.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. Then let¡¯s just say, ¡®I told you not to be with another woman when you¡¯re with me!¡¯ She got angry.¡± Considering Baek Seol-hee thought I was with my wife and child, it didn¡¯tck consistency. ¡°Immediately after the call with a woman, you dry another woman¡¯s hair. Team Leader Do, if you get stabbed in the stomachter, remember it¡¯s your doing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already mentally prepared.¡± ¡°Oh, my. Is Baek Seol-hee that important to you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s an S-ss.¡± Not to mention, she was the heroine. ¡°Well, okay. I¡¯m d I could unite with Team Leader Do after a long time, thanks to Baek Seol-hee¡­ I mean, it¡¯s a bit much to call it a trade-off.¡± Gunggi red at me through the mirror. ¡°You need to be nice to the other executives as well. I hate getting bullied 1:3 for no reason.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, as I did for the Chairwoman.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I really don¡¯t want to suffer at their hands. Evenst time, when you oveid my image on the Dodjirider and fought, they were about to dismiss me right away, saying, ¡®Why is the Goblin using your technique?¡¯ if it weren¡¯t for the Chairwoman.¡± ¡°Ha, haha¡­.¡± I could imagine it, and it sent shivers down my spine. ¡°But still, thank you. Thanks to you, I could handle this job very easily this time. The president will appreciate me once this issue is resolved, then I can also¡­¡± Gunggi seriously stroked her face with her hand. ¡°Um, Team Leader Do.¡± ¡°Yes, Director.¡± ¡°In the Dangun mythology, it says that if a bear eats only garlic and mugwort for a hundred days, it can be a human.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it says.¡± ¡°¡­Could it be true?¡± ¡°Director.¡± I put down the hairdryer. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. After the Great Transformation, this world has no such thing as ¡®logically impossible¡¯.¡± Her hair was dry to the touch. I infused magic into my right hand, making it like ab. I ran it through her hair, grooming it. ¡°In a world where humans can be demons and superpowers are a reality, believe in possibilities. Because belief is power.¡± ¡°That sounds like a cult.¡± ¡°If it works in reality, then it wouldn¡¯t be a cult, but a religion.¡± Nothing was impossible in this world. Even cases where readers from the real world were kidnapped to this world were possible, so what could be impossible? ¡°Believe in the Supreme Leader. Believe in me. And¡­ believe in yourself, Director. If it¡¯s impossible, I will look for the possibilities.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°With a Goblin¡¯s Bat, just like that.¡± ¡°¡­Pfft!¡± Maybe it was because I was speaking seriously and suddenly mentioned the Goblin¡¯s Bat, but Gunggi covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled quietly. ¡°What? What happens if you talk like that?¡± ¡°Do you know it¡¯s a joke?¡± I whispered quietly into her ear. And then, Gunggi¡¯s expression hardened right away, and her lips began to tremble. ¡°What, what is that¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of the ¡®final ns¡¯ mentioned by the Supreme Leader.¡± ¡°Do, do the others know?¡± ¡°No, they don¡¯t. I¡¯m telling you this specially.¡± ¡°Eh, ehh¡­.¡± Gunggi blushed and turned her head, holding her chin with one hand in confusion. ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t knowter, so don¡¯t tell the others you told me first.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Seoul. The sun was slowly advancing towards the zenith.
At that time. A group of masked people were gathering in a secluded ce in Gangwon Province. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The masked ones could not say anything. Most of the members who departed from Samcheok couldn¡¯te back. ¡°The people who had a standoff in Samcheok?¡± ¡°They were all arrested by Armored Taejo.¡± ¡°Then they are¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where they¡¯ll be sent, but at least it seems they will be sent to that ind.¡± ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± A man in schr¡¯s clothing, distinctly different from the others with his ¡®Hahoe mask¡¯, clucked his tongue openly. ¡°It¡¯s over. This operation has failed. Everyone withdraw.¡± ¡°Wait! Mr. Saengwon! This is not right!¡± A person named Mattluk, who was at the back of the crowd, came forward and shouted. ¡°Ourrades died! Even Senior Yeongno! How many people died or got captured, and you¡¯re just saying to withdraw here?!¡± ¡°Although we couldn¡¯t retrieve the gene, we seeded in making Armored Taejo destroy it personally. We prevented the S-ss gene from being exported. We seeded in our mission.¡± ¡°But ourrades have died!!¡± ¡°It was a mission we undertook prepared for death, and we seeded because of that preparedness. Others may think we failed, but not at all. We were brilliantly sessful.¡± Saengwon lifted up a ck 007 bag. ¡°Because we have a ¡®weapon¡¯ that can pierce the enemy¡¯s heart in here.¡± ¡°That is¡­!¡± ¡°Mattluk. Do you know why all traces of Hwalbindang have beenpletely erased in this country now? Do you know why they¡¯re disguising the people who ran the roads during the series of incidents as merely escorts for Yuliana?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Because we stole that, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Saengwon opened the 007 bag. Inside the red cushion, several miniature-like models were packed in the bag. ¡°The nearby military will be in chaos. We will be pursued. We must stay quiet for a while. As much as we¡¯ve got this.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± ¡°I know you followed Yeongno well. But don¡¯t forget that he died for the mission. Our enemy is¡­ this rotten nation. The bastards who sold this Gangwon Province to foreigners.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Mattluk was just clenching her fist, shaking. ¡°Or get strong enough to avenge. The one who killed Yeongno¡­ most likely, the Goblin.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let the desire for revenge blind you and turn you into a demon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Mattluk just silently, coldly stared at the item inside the bag. Inside the 007 bag. A ¡®tank¡¯ of a size smaller than a fist was kept. Chapter 106: Messing Up Is A Heros Basic Skill (4) Chapter 106: Messing Up Is A Hero''s Basic Skill (4) After briefly conversing with my guts. I sorted out the repertoire of conversations in my mind and dialed the number with resolve. I didn¡¯t think it would be as easy as it was with Baek Seol-hee. In the worst-case scenario, I might make Yumir my enemy. But the chief¡¯smand was absolute, and I must follow it. If the chief had set the direction, then it was the right way, and I must ensure that this path did not get ruined because of me. ¡°That¡¯s right. If everything gets ruined, I can just move as the Goblin of Yi Maemangnyang after burying Do Ji-hwan.¡± The library¡¯s books could be turned into my private collection after I conquered Sejong Ind. I might not be able to see it immediately, but it would be mine someday in the future. Therefore¡­ Even if my rtionship with Yumir worsened or was severed, I dared to ¡®challenge¡¯. Brring. ¡°Hello? Is this Student Yumir?¡± [Hello, teacher? It seems you¡¯ve been pretty busyst night?] Yumir jabbed at me from the start. [I didn¡¯t know you were so busy, teacher. Hehe.] ¡°What do you mean?¡± [I wonder. What could I mean? Why are you calling now when a lovely female college student texted youst night? Right?] ¡°I was busy with patriotism.¡± [¡­¡­.] This time, I was taken aback. [Oh, um. Well, patriotism, I guess? Haha. I saw the news about Gangwon-do, and it¡¯s quite a mess¡­.] ¡°I did.¡± When she didn¡¯t understand my beating around the bush, I directly said it. [Uh, um, what¡­?] ¡°I said I did it (¡ùbeep) with my wife.¡± [¡­Wife?] Yumir¡¯s voice fell silent. ¡°¡­I see.¡± [Um, what do you mean¡­ You have a wife?] ¡°Yes.¡± [Did you ever mention that?] ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve mentioned it to you?¡± To rify one thing! I told Baek Seol-hee that I was married, but I had not yet told Yumir that I was married. Instead, I made a joke about the type of woman I would like to marry, and Yumir believed I was still single. [Are you married, teacher?] ¡°Yes. We¡¯re a couple.¡± [¡­¡­Hmm.] Yumir didn¡¯t say anything. I waited a moment for her to speak, and soon, I felt a slight chuckle mixed in Yumir¡¯s voice. [A person I know said that all men are wolves.] That was what the Goblin said. [Teacher, did you, despite being married, flirt with a fresh college girl?] ¡°Yes.¡± [Yes? Wow, are you admitting it?] ¡°Yes.¡± Since I had decided to walk the path of a scoundrel, I might as well be a proud one. ¡°Are you disillusioned?¡± [It¡¯s not just disillusionment; I feel like I¡¯m about to turn into a devil.] ¡°Don¡¯t go too far. What if you go to the Goblin?¡± [I feel like I could half-kill the Goblin by cuddling up right now?] ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll spare half?¡± [Wow. Annoying. I might just kill it.] Despite the terrifying words pouring out, I felt my heart pounding with the realization that everything was going ording to n. [Wow, what is this person? Is this that thing I¡¯ve heard of¡­ Haa. Seriously, you make me say things I don¡¯t even want to say! Really!!] ¡°That can seem so.¡± [What?!] Yes. [Ah, are you teasing me? Is that it? Please say that it¡¯s a mean joke and that you¡¯ve annoyed me to the point of wanting to tear everything up.] ¡°That would be difficult.¡± Everything was going ording to the nned repertoire now. [Don¡¯t you have something like a body pillow at home? A Dakimakura. Like printing an S-rank superhuman covering a body pillow and taking that as your wife.] ¡°It¡¯s a real person.¡± [Then it¡¯s a real wife? When did you get married?] ¡°Last Christmas.¡± Although it was a bit ambiguous to call it a wedding,st Christmas was certainly a monumental day for me. From that day on, my life signaled a new beginning. From that day on, I decided not to live to avoid dying but to enjoy happiness in this world. [So, you¡¯ve been married for less than four months now?] ¡°Just barely four months, right?¡± [But you came to Sejong Ind during your honeymoon, flirted with a girl, and all that?] ¡°Was there something between you and me?¡± [¡­¡­.] She didn¡¯t respond, seemingly taken aback by the direct question. ¡°Student Yumir?¡± [Oh, wow, no. Um¡­ Hehehe.] Yumir started tough as if she was broken. I was a little worried that Yumir might say something strange, but maybe this could be okay in its own way. Either I would seed inpletely separating Do Ji-hwan and the Goblin. Or, as the boss nned, this would be her approach, even knowing that I was married, and create a debt of conscience. As I did with Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Student Yumir.¡± It was judgment time. ¡°I thought we had something.¡± [¡­¡­Pardon?] ¡°Was it only me who felt something?¡± [No, wait, what¡­?] Yumir was flustered. As I straightforwardly mentioned ¡®something¡¯, Yumir¡¯s voice started to tremble. ¡°A man wouldn¡¯t invite a girl he has no feelings for to his house. Isn¡¯t that so? Any man would have ulterior motives inviting a beauty like you home.¡± [Ho, hold on. You said you¡¯re married?] ¡°Yes. I¡¯m married.¡± [But why? Isn¡¯t that a betrayal of your wife?] ¡°It¡¯s not a betrayal?¡± [Excuse me?] ¡°It¡¯s not a betrayal. I got permission. She actually likes it.¡± From now on,mon sense and reason were thrown away. ¡°My wife is a woman who enjoys me ying with other women.¡± [No, that¡¯s crazy¡­.] ¡°Crazy? Be careful with your words. My wife just has a slightly different taste from others.¡± It was not an ordinary taste. ¡°Right. You might be shocked. But listen well, Yumir. There can be various kinds of people in the world. There could be a viin who hides their identity and lives amongst the heroes, a magical girl who fights for justice while hiding herself from the world, and a woman who feels happiness watching her husband dating and ying with other women.¡± [Does that even make sense?!] ¡°It makes sense. In a world where superpowers exist, wouldn¡¯t that make sense? In this era where people fly around riding a dragon covered in scrap metal and firing mes?¡± [That¡¯s different! Nooo!!] It might be an unimaginable thing inmon sense, but this was the shortcut to sort out my actions so far and, moreover, to move forward ording to the boss¡¯s n. ¡°My wife is into NTR.¡± [What¡­?!] ¡°What am I saying? NTR, NTR. She feels happiness and pleasure watching her husband ying with other women.¡± [Wha, what¡­?] ¡°You know, there are people like that in the world.¡± I heaved a deep sigh. ¡°That¡¯s what marriage is. Living by adjusting to each other, living by conceding to each other. Living with aplete stranger is like that.¡± As if I couldn¡¯t help but love such a person, I spat out words like a machine gun to prevent Yumir from thinking deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it was unpleasant.¡± [¡­Ah, is this some kind of codenguage? Your side¡¯s codenguage?] ¡°Your side?¡± [Why¡­! Something different to express during the recruitment process¡­ Ah, no. Ah, really¡­!] There was a sound as if she was patting her chest, a thumping noise. [Company¡­ Ah, no. I misspoke. Ha, haha. The weather is quite bright, but the phone conversation is like a slum. Ew.] She might be hitting her chest out of frustration, and that sound seemed toe through the phone. [May I ask a question? Why did you suddenly spill it? Did your wife tell you to do so?] ¡°Uh.¡± [Fact.] ¡°My wife said so. She asked me to reveal to Student Yumir that I¡¯m a married man. Even after revealing it, she asked me to act the same.¡± [Isn¡¯t that like setting the stage for a divorce? It seems like she would get angry if you were unfaithful?] ¡°She even said if we ended up dating, she¡¯d like me to send her the photos we took together.¡± [¡­I feel like all themon sense I¡¯ve built up over my life is copsing.] Yes. That was it, Yumir. The beginning of the process of bing a viin was the copse ofmon sense. [Sigh. Fine. Okay. I got it. Hmm, it¡¯s difficult to understand, but let¡¯s assume it¡¯s true. So, why did you choose me? Did your wife ask you to seduce me?] ¡°No.¡± That was not it. ¡°I approached you because you¡¯re Yumir. Because you¡¯re Yumir.¡± [Why?] ¡°If a pretty college girl with a good body throws herself at me, it¡¯s not human not to fall for her.¡± [¡­ You¡¯re crazy.] She spat out an insult, but there was a hint ofughter mixed in. [Okay, I get that. I understand up to that point. So¡­ professor.] Yumir¡¯s voice fell again. [You approached me because you wanted me, and you still want me now, right?] ¡°Yes.¡± [What do you mean by that?] ¡°That¡¯s for Student Yumir to decide.¡± Whether she wanted to join as a neer at Gyeolsa to meet me as the Goblin. Or whether she wanted to meet Do Ji-Hwan as a woman. ¡°What does Student Yumir think is the answer?¡± [Why do I have to be the one to answer in this situation?] ¡°Because depending on Student Yumir¡¯s answer, the way I treat you in the future will also change.¡± [¡­¡­] Yumir didn¡¯t answer. She seemed to need some time, and I began to get impatient. I shouldn¡¯t give her time. If I gave her time, Yumir was the type to turn into a viin and shoot a meteor. Rather than the whole earth, it would be aimed at my head. [Alright. Ha, hahaha. I feel like I¡¯m going crazy listening to all this nonsense. But¡­ do you know?] ¡°What?¡± [I don¡¯t know how well you know NTR, but most NTR works¡­] Yumir, with a hint of growling anger, let out augh and continued. [Most of them, aftering to the Golden Sun, be bodies that can¡¯t live without the Golden Sun.] ¡°¡­Oh?¡± Ah. [Let¡¯s continue flirting. Let¡¯s see. Let¡¯s see how far we can go. Let¡¯s see who wins. I¡¯m excited. I¡¯m not an ordinary woman, either. And¡­] Was this really happening? [I am, after all, good at taking things away.] Chapter 107: The Academys Spring Day (1) Chapter 107: The Academy''s Spring Day (1) Vacation to Seoul. A conversation with Sr tina - Yumir. The rampage of the supporting heroine, Yuliana. A showdown with Snow White, Baek Seol-hee. The reunion with Gunggi. There were ups and downs, but after a brief rest in Seoul, I returned to Sejong Ind. The condition of my magical power was good. The depleted magic power was significantly recovered during my stay in Seoul. I supplemented my vital energy by eating ginseng that the chief sent me as a gift through special delivery. The physical difference between leaving and returning to Sejong Ind was just a wound on my left hand. -¡°Where did you get such a wound?¡± -¡°I got it while blocking a remote thrown by my wife during a domestic fight.¡± -¡°Oh my¡­ You are approaching fifty and already in the grave of life¡­¡± -¡°Ha, haha. Still, we live together because we love each other.¡± -¡°Live diligently. If you¡¯re nning to divorce, try to minimize the reasons for being medter at the family court. It¡¯s definitely not based on my experience. Not from experience. Pass!¡± No one knew that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin. I safely entered Sejong Ind again; no one suspected or followed my tracks. -¡°Teacher, you¡¯re not avoiding me, right?¡± -¡°I¡¯m really busy.¡± -¡°It¡¯s not like viins are appearing these days. What¡¯s keeping you so busy? You could have fun ying with a college girl!¡± -¡°It¡¯s not ying, it¡¯s a game.¡± -¡°I purposely said that, okay?¡± Yumir approached me more aggressively than before. After I shattered hermon sense, Yumir fearlessly roamed around my house and actively appealed herself to me. -¡°A beautiful woman like me is lying in bed, and you¡¯re not interested?¡± -¡°I don¡¯t want to treat Yumir in that way.¡± -¡°What way? Like this? Ouch?!¡± -¡°Behave, either cover yourself with a nket or throw a coat on.¡± -¡°Oh, just now, you sounded very¡­um, like a viin. Hehe, I wonder which side is the real you¡­? As a teacher? Or¡­hehe, I get it. I get it. Don¡¯t re at me like that.¡± -¡°¡­¡­.¡° I overlooked it. The fact that this woman was a ¡®westerner.¡¯ To be exact, it got moreplicated, but I had forgotten that the environment she lived in was an English-speaking one. -¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yumir, but I don¡¯t have time to y games. I need to read a book.¡± -¡°Let¡¯s read it together, then!¡± -¡°No, I prefer reading alone.¡± -¡°I¡¯ll rent the next volume from the library just to spite you.¡± -¡°If you do such a malicious thing, the Goblin wille to say, ¡®You wretch¡¯.¡± -¡°Is that something a viin would do?¡± Despite how my rtionship with Yumir had progressed, the literary novel I borrowed from the library¡¯s second floor was more important to me. -¡°How can a man not pay attention to a 20-year-old beauty lying in his bed but just read a book? Isn¡¯t that too much?!¡± -¡°Isn¡¯t it too much to make such a fuss while I¡¯m reading?¡± -¡°Grrr¡­! Fine! I¡¯m going home!¡± -¡°I¡¯m not walking you there.¡± -¡°God, this guy¡­!¡± One person was doubting, but we were having a nonpetitivepetition holding each other¡¯s non-weaknesses. What about the other side? Snow White, Baek Seol-hee, did not know that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin. -¡°Ji-hwan, are you nning to go to Ulleungdo? The cherry blossoms are in full bloom there.¡± -¡°I¡¯m considering visiting a hot spring soon. I injured my hand recently.¡± -¡°Oh? Why? ¡­Which hand?¡± -¡°My left hand. I had a little ident in the bathroom with my wife.¡± -¡°Ah, I see¡­ Sigh.¡± Though we hadn¡¯t met directly on Sejong Ind yet, I was waiting for the day to meet Baek Seol-hee in Ulleungdo. -¡°Please let me know once you set a date. I¡¯ll take a look at your hand.¡± -¡°Thank you, Seol-hee. You¡¯ve had a tough time in Gangwon-do, so you should rest.¡± -¡°Did you see?¡± -¡°It was on the news.¡± If I subtly appealed and made her realize that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin, it would certainly help me in the future. Yumir. Baek Seol-hee. Making these two heroes, these two heroines, devoted people to me through adultery. To achieve this audacious n, I even returned from a hospital in Seoul with a bandage and a cast wrapped around my left arm¡­ ¡°Why is your arm like that? It¡¯s not like someone like you would get injured ying Goblin games.¡± ¡°What?¡± During work, Pink, the student council president Yoon Iseon, who came to borrow a book, pointed at my cast-bound hand. ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯ve been ying the ¡®Goblin Game¡¯. It¡¯s a current trend.¡± ¡°Trend¡­ what? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It¡¯s people getting hurt while imitating how the Goblin withstands Snow White¡¯s attacks. Hmm, you didn¡¯t happen to y this while drinking with friends, did you?¡± ¡°Are you teasing me, student Yoon Iseon?¡± ¡°No, not teasing, it¡¯s just that recently, many people have injured their left hands due to this.¡± ¡°Do I look like the kind of person who would do that?¡± ¡°Then how did you get hurt?¡± ¡°Got hit during a domestic argument.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. When I say domestic argument, it¡¯s just an ident of sorts.¡± Upon hearing Yoon Iseon¡¯s words, I immediately searched for the ¡®Goblin Game¡¯. ¡°¡®Goblin Game¡¯¡­ found it. Is it this?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s so popr that anything you see is all ¡®Goblin Game¡¯.¡± And quickly, on the inte, I found out why it had spread like a trend. ¡°Goblin punch! Goblin kick!¡± ¡°Snow White punch! Catch the Goblin!¡± ¡°Goblin Fusion! Goblin Romance!¡± ¡°Snow Maiden Making Challenge!¡± ¡°Hah.¡± What a jammin party. ¡°Footage of Snow White and the Goblin fighting has just officially surfaced. It¡¯s a video seen through the camera of Armored Taejo¡¯s Taeguk Watch. You can¡¯t hear the voices, but you can see the whole battle. People are mimicking that fight.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s all this ¡®Goblin Punch¡¯ and stuff?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all imitating the Goblin¡¯s techniques. Once a technique bes trendy, kids usually imitate it or bully each other with it.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Even though the majority of the super-powered people in this world were considered jammin, I didn¡¯t expect they¡¯d imitate a super-powered fight like jammin kids. Of course, I knew this, having lived here for half a year. But there were many times when I felt it was too much. People did the same during the Dodjirider era, but did people in this world just follow anything that was slightly cool? ¡®I must never use a skill like Geo-gun or Iron Rod.¡¯ I should try not to use skills that could cause trauma to someone. That was what I thought, but there was no way to prevent this from spreading through inte video sites, and there was no way to tell people not to imitate it. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be a warning at the start of the video? Like, ¡®Do not try this at home.¡¯¡± ¡°Do you think people will stop if you warn them? They¡¯d want to do it more.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s why so many people get injured?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Goblin¡¯s fault for making it look fun.¡± ¡°No way.¡± That was unfair. ¡°Does that even make sense?¡± ¡°Yes. The feeling of Armored Taejo fighting and that of the Goblin is totally different. Of course, it makes sense.¡± ¡°Do you want to watch this?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I know what that is. It¡¯s Sangmo¡¯s windmill attack.¡± ¡°If you see that and the Goblin fighting, wouldn¡¯t you naturally want to follow the Goblin?¡± Do Ji-Hwan was not the Goblin, but he felt extremely wronged. ¡°So, you don¡¯t follow these things, Iseon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tempted.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°The Snow White side. I turned on the TV as soon as I heard the Goblin had appeared. Ah. I was envious of the Snow White side.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yoon Iseon blushed, her face turning red, and she gently covered her face with her hands. ¡°Seeing the Goblin deflect attacks like that and then gently wrap around the waist. Ah, it¡¯s so cool. I would have fainted from happiness if I were in that position.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yoon Iseon, a passionate fan of the Goblin, was jealous of Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Look at him. Pushing the sword away intentionally in case it shes. Supporting her back with the top of his foot so as not to hit the ground when falling down. And then, his sword pointed at her neck but deliberately kept a slight distance so that the tip of the sword did not touch her neck by moving his shoulder back. Ah, Snow White is truly blessed¡­.¡± ¡°Do kids also follow this?¡± ¡°Yes. Many girls have broken the back of their heads. Many couples who follow this end up fighting because they fall down. It¡¯s also a trend to film a certification video as a ¡®challenge¡¯ following this posture.¡± ¡°Goodness.¡± No matter how much this world became interested in trends, and cyber leeches made money from views when something became an issue¡­ Wasn¡¯t this a bit too much? ¡°What does the Snow Maiden Making Challenge mean, really?¡± ¡°Well, if the Goblin and Ice Princess get married, the natural oue would be a Snow Maiden¡­.¡± ¡°But you said you¡¯re a Goblin fan. Do you think it makes sense for the Goblin and Snow White to get together?¡± ¡°No. The Goblin doesn¡¯t belong to anyone.¡± ¡°But why are they constantly trying to link them together?¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m upset. The Goblin should be for everyone.¡± Yoon Iseon twisted her lips in annoyance. I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was fan love or love love, but I knew Yoon Iseon was very dissatisfied with the idea of the Goblin having a partner. ¡°What would you do if the Goblin had a lover or got married?¡± ¡°¡­¡­The Goblin, getting married?¡± Yoon Iseon¡¯s pupils started to shake uncontrobly. ¡°Well, then¡­. It would be truly shocking¡­.¡± Her fist trembled, and her eyes welled up as if overwhelmed by the mere thought. Yoon Iseon barely managed to open her mouth with a trembling voice. ¡°But, if he¡¯s happy, it¡¯s okay¡­.¡± ¡°I feel sorry, somehow.¡± In many ways. ¡°I¡¯ll lend you a book. Which book is it this time?¡± ¡°Ah. It¡¯s a book about Ulleungdo. More specifically, about thend of Ulleungdo.¡± When I saw the book that Yoon Iseon brought out, I remembered the main story¡¯s setting. April. Field Practice. The original, volume 2. The heroine is kidnapped. The culprit. The Goblin. Chapter 108: The Academys Spring Day (2) Chapter 108: The Academy''s Spring Day (2) The local internshipsted for 4 nights and 5 days, starting from Sejong Ind on Monday and returning to Sejong Ind on Friday evening. There were cases of going to inds like Ulleungdo, Jeju Ind, and Ganghwado, and also cases of being dispatched to the outskirts of Seoul and Gyeonggi. -¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this a rural internship?¡± -¡°Huh! Are Seoul and Gyeonggi rural?¡± -¡°That¡¯s just a figure of speech!¡± Due to the demands of a few disgruntled individuals, this field internship, officially renamed as ¡®Regional Internship¡¯, focuses on supporting the public, which was one of the heroes¡¯ duties. They might use their abilities to help with recovery in areas hit by flood damage. They might check on the poor conditions in the countryside through nighttime patrols. They might receive various pieces of advice from B-ss or higher heroes in the region. Or they might engage in actualbat against viins who appeared during the internship period. There were various purposes, but most of them went out to date. -¡°Who¡¯s my internship mate?¡± -¡°A legal chance to flirt¡­! When staying at a pension, it¡¯ll be okay to secretly call them out at night for a walk¡­!¡± -¡°Last time, it was 2 people per group, and it was only one day, but this time, we¡¯re together for 4 nights and 5 days, so there¡¯s a higher chance we¡¯ll be a couple! If those who were only interested in dating and not studying were aspiring to be heroes, many people would click their tongues and shake their heads. But think about it. Most of them grew up on Sejong Ind from a young age and spent a long time in school on Sejong Ind. Even though they could go out every weekend, the process was as inconvenient as immigration, and students were short on chances to go out. That was their reality. Living far away from the penins outside Sejong Ind, someonepared it to being in the military. It might have been said by a faculty member, not a student, but how would students who have lived in the Sejong Ind dormitory for several years feel? -¡°Students also need a break. Think of it as going on a spring pic and taking a look around the countryside for 4 nights and 5 days. Climb a mountain, enjoy nature, and keep your mind clear.¡± The regional internship in April provided various opportunities for students. Opportunities for learning. Opportunities for dating. Opportunities for spiritual cultivation. Various fancy words were attached, but the ultimate purpose was to prevent the rampage of ability users, simr to a healing camp. This was why we needed to send them on an externship at the academy level at least once. In this way, ability users could live well without feeling trapped and rampaging. After all, everything was focused on the proper maturation of ability users, in other words, from a social perspective, ¡®not rampaging¡¯ and ¡®cultivating a heroic mindset¡¯. However, children always managed to cause trouble when they went outside. If only there were children who didn¡¯t cause idents, but there were cases where they went outside and behaved without restraint, causing idents. Those who did not maintain the minimum order during a week-long field internship. Those who did not follow the basic curriculum and snuck outside to engage in harmful activities. There were many incidents and idents caused by such individuals, and although there were talks about abolishing the annual field internship, the academy continued to implement it. -¡°This is also a process of weeding out.¡± Everything was for creating patriotic heroes loyal to the country and dedicated themselves to the citizens. This was also. A process to cultivate heroes. Even if. In this process, whatever hardships and adversities might befall.
If the main story of Volume 1, the main story in March, was the attack of the great demon Jokadiel on Yuliana and the festival, Volume 2 was about leaving Sejong Ind and heading to the provinces. As far as they were from Sejong Ind, and as much as they had left the ind environment, all sorts of temptations approached the aspiring heroes from all sides. ¡°Brewer. What could we use to bewitch the academy students?¡± I entered Brewer¡¯s house and organized materials in preparation for local tours with the owner. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it vary depending on the age? For field internships, everyone from 8th graders to college students participates.¡± For elementary school students and first graders in middle school, those 14 years and younger, a curriculum simr to a treasure hunt is repeated once more within Sejong Ind. ¡°What I¡¯m talking about is adult students.¡± ¡°College students?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not concerned about middle and high school students going on their field trips; I¡¯m interested in the adult section.¡± ¡°Because the middle and high school students are heavily monitored by faculty members and older ability holders?¡± ¡°Correct. They¡¯re still students after all, and the societal scrutiny they face would prevent them from acting recklessly.¡± Even if they had superpowers, their age determined the extent of social surveince, which was vigntly in ce. ¡°The idents they cause are just considered as ¡®Ah, they¡¯re that age, it¡¯s expected.¡¯¡± Especially for middle and high school students who were not yet adults, even the police, soldiers, and those who were already acting as heroes as adults were mobilized to manage and supervise them. Someone could say¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t it more dangerous for teenagers? During their rebellious stage? Don¡¯t you know puberty, puberty?! Do superpower holders not have puberty?!¡± Weren¡¯t teenage years dangerous? If you looked at the viins that had appeared so far, it was clear. Both the demon Lilith, whom I met when I first came to Sejong Ind, and Yuliana, who stole Taejo¡¯s genes, all pointed to the adolescent phase being more perilous. Yes, it was dangerous. But considering it as a ¡®danger of the Goblin appearing,¡¯ that was somewhat unreasonable. ¡°We need to investigate those extending their hands towards the adults, leaving those whom the heroes can care for alone.¡± Adults were dangerous. Especially those Yumir¡¯s age, who just turned 20, were even more at risk. ¡°Because the secret society, Hwalbindang, all sorts of viin organizations, and even those from other countries can approach them?¡± ¡°Yes, especially¡­ the secret society - those Pandemonium guys are dangerous.¡± To be frank¡­ The local practicum was a sort of ¡®recruitment season¡¯ for viins and external organizations. And it was also another ¡®test¡¯ implemented by the state. ¡°Brewer, do you know what the National Intelligence Service agents and the government dogs do during local practicums?¡± ¡°Pretending to be diplomats or scouts, or members of viin organizations to tempt them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Once they had left Sejong Ind, they would encounter all sorts of people. Among them, many would extend so-called offers to the superpower holders. Someone might slide a business card over from the next stall in a public restroom. Or an immigration proposal mighte through an externalmunication device. Or they might secretly visit the weak at night, tempting them to be demons if they ¡®need power.¡¯ ¡°Academy-led and actual foreign or viin temptations, they all exist. But why would they continue this internship knowing that these things will obviously ur?¡± ¡°That would certainly be a process of testing loyalty.¡± ¡°Right. ¡­Only those who do not waver till the end can remain patriots in this country.¡± Up until middle school, it might be okay. In high school, one needed to begin to ward off the creeping temptations. Now, at the age of 20, one could be a true hero of this country after fending off the true devil¡¯s touch. ¡°This is also a process of sifting out.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a phrase that the principal often says. It means to create a convincing environment and cut off those who cannot be patriotic to the country.¡± This was a line spoken by the principal in the original work while looking out the window of his office. -¡°The ones who are tempted and pruned are pitiful. Those kids won¡¯t even know they¡¯ve been tested and be branded for life.¡± -¡°And then they really emigrate. If they are branded for life with ¡®This person agreed to receive arge amount of mana powder and a 600 billion won annual sry from a broker in country C¡¯. Pull up the national map.¡± I pointed to the red dots on the map Brewer had brought up. ¡°They¡¯ve surely secured amodations like expensive pensions, condos, or even national training centers. Investigate around those ces. The nearby terrain, ces to hide, and frequently appearing vehicles nearby¡­ Huh?¡± Ding. While investigating the amodation area prepared for the field trip with Brewer, an rm went off on my smartphone. ¡°This¡­.¡± ¡°Who is it? Baek? Yu?¡± ¡°Yumir. She sent a picture without any words.¡± I unlocked the screen of my smartphone and then immediately locked it again. ¡°What is it? Did she send something weird?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s difficult when she sends stuff like this.¡± ¡°Considering you said it¡¯s difficult, is it something naughty?¡± ¡°Naughty¡­ is it naughty? I¡¯m not sure.¡± Depending on how you looked at it, it was wholesome, and it also looked like something that coulde out on a 9 AM health program on a broadcasting station. ¡°A picture that can be posted on the inte?¡± ¡°It is, but there¡¯s no need to post it.¡± [Insert Image Here] It should be a picture sent for me to see alone. ¡°Brewer. I¡¯m sorry, but I have to leave the investigation to you. It looks like our Golden Priestess wants to have another round.¡± ¡°What is there to apologize for? Gathering foundational data is my role, and your role, Manager, is to charm thedies. Good luck. Oh, do you need this?¡± Brewer pulled out a box from the small table next to the bed. ¡°Traitor box.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s not really useful, oh, wait.¡± I approached Brewer and then took out a vitamin candy from the Traitor Box. ¡°I might need one to draw aggro.¡± ¡°¡­I thought you said you wouldn¡¯t use it?¡± ¡°Brewer.¡± I put the vitamin candy in my wallet and then flicked my finger towards Brewer. ¡°You know it well.¡± On this ind. In this country. ¡°I can¡¯t be a traitor, can I?¡± ¡°But why are you taking it with you?¡± ¡°For intimidation.¡± I pointed to the trash bin and stepped toward the entrance. ¡°Whether to be a traitor or a patriot. If you¡¯re a patriot, shouldn¡¯t you naturally choose patriotism?¡± Chapter 109: The Academys Spring Day (3) Chapter 109: The Academy''s Spring Day (3) -The era of low birthrate and aging society. Isn¡¯t getting married and having children the ¡®patriotic¡¯ act that will brighten the future of this country? Haha. I didn¡¯t particrly like this group, but it was the chairman of ¡®Haegnul¡¯ who said this. -By getting married, having children, living a happy life, and fulfilling the task of enriching the country and the military, we pass on our nation¡­uh, an economically powerful nation, to our descendants. I think this is the true patriotic action we can take. The chairman of Haegnul spoke. Marriage and childbirth, he said, were acts of patriotism. -Stop talking nonsense! You¡¯re only concerned about increasing consumer numbers! -Absolutely not. If my intention were that vulgar, would I still be this patriotic? -What¡­did you¡­say? -After my wife passed away, I weed a new wife in order to be a patriot. Let me introduce you. She¡¯s a grade-A ability user and just became of age this year, my wife¡­ -No, this is crazy! The chairman of Haegnul first proved his dedication and effort towards the nation through patriotism. Of course, there was some controversy about whether it was true love to ept a woman just turning 20 as a wife for the sake of patriotism. -Hey. Do you feel sorry for the chairman of Haegnul or the grade A ability user? -Shouldn¡¯t you feel sorry for the chairman of Haegnul? He¡¯s the chairman of our country¡¯s toppany, right? -You should feel sorry for the grade A ability user. Why would she marry such an old man? If I were her, I would marry his son or grandson. In the midst of debates and jokes about who was pitiable, people began to get enthusiastic about patriotism one by one. -Let¡¯s give birth to ability users and be patriotic! -What if they¡¯re not ability users? -¡­Hey! Don¡¯t say things like that carelessly! Do you buy lottery tickets thinking you¡¯ll lose? You buy them because you think you¡¯ll win! People turned their heads away from the dark side of the patriotic fervor, and as the light grew stronger, so did the shadow. -Everyone! Please congratte me! The first child of the chairman of Haegnul has been identified as an ability user! The estimated power level is¡­a whopping C grade! -The chairman of Haegnul should awaken! Call the women and get them pregnant¡­uh, oops!! -Well, there was a bit of amotion. Anyway, it¡¯s a national celebration! Inmemoration of the birth of the superpower, Haegnul is offering a whopping 47% discount on Space Notebooks¡­ The media had never turned their camera lenses to the lowest part of society. They only highlighted the bright side. In my life as a viin, having seen the darker side of society, I couldn¡¯t casually mention the word¡¯ patriotism.¡¯ But, if that patriotism could bring the golden sun that could light up even that darkness, I would do it for my own sake, for our cause. ¡°Already here?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± As soon as I returned home, Yumir was waiting for me, pressing a mask onto her face and a hat onto her head in front of the teachers¡¯ dormitory. Her clothes were a Babaricoat, conspicuously covering her skin. I didn¡¯t know where she got such clothes, but I could roughly guess what she was wearing underneath. ¡°What were you doing today?¡± ¡°A girl¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Wow, who did you meet?¡± ¡°A girl I know. Do you want to go inside?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yes, she said. Seeing her confidence to walk in even while tantly being caught in a lie was impressive. It was utterly bewildering, but I decided to adapt again, thinking that this was the assertiveness of a woman from a Western culture. There was nothing awkward. It may have been a huge shock before, but Yumir was on the mild side. ¡°Dinner?¡± ¡°Did you eat?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to cook inside.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s order. We¡¯re that kind of people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re not Korean.¡± I briefly searched for a delivery app on my smartphone and pressed it. ¡°If I acquire citizenship through marriage, I am Korean, and if I have the status of a Sejong Academy graduate, I get a free pass in the citizenship examination, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± I opened the door to wee Yumir. Yumir entered the room jittery, clutching her coat after taking off only her shoes, and I locked the door. ¡°So, why did youe today?¡± ¡°Exercise!¡± ¡°Do exercise in the dorm or the training room. Why do you want to do it here?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it elsewhere because I¡¯m conscious of the eyes.¡± ¡°Is it okay here?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yumir took off her Babaricoat. As expected, her clothes were a ck tank top and white leggings, just as she had sent me in the picture. ¡°So, are you going to exercise like this?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s not appropriate for home training? And it¡¯s suitable for what I¡¯m about to do.¡± Using the TV and set-top box on the wall, Yumir opened the VTube channel, yed a yoga video that seemed to be prepared in advance, and started to follow along. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Why do you do yoga as an ability user?¡± ¡°Even as an ability user, you need to develop stamina and flexibility, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I agreed. I had checked several times through the system, but things like strength or endurance tended to grow more slowly. ¡°Do you hate exercise, teacher?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate it. But I don¡¯t make a point to build up my body.¡± ¡°Really? Can I touch you once?¡± ¡°Where.¡± She used to touch me brazenly even when I was the Goblin, and now she wanted to touch me even when I was Do Ji-hwan. ¡°Are you a pervert?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay to do it to you, teacher?¡± ¡°What nonsense.¡± ¡°When I joined themunity, everyone was saying that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°They say since it¡¯s a matter of patriotism, we should hurry up and be patriotic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I thought about kicking Yumir¡¯s leg, which was stretched long upwards, but it was clear that I would be subdued right away if I did, so I decided to refrain. ¡°Teacher, ta-da. The trend has passed, but it¡¯s an I-Challenge. How about it? Flexible, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Fold your leg.¡± ¡°Why? Can you do this, teacher?¡± ¡°Why should a man do that?¡± ¡°I wanted to see it once. You seemed to be quite flexible, teacher.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought you could even do things like this.¡± Yumir manipted the remote control to y another video. With both legs on the floor, she turned her back on me. ¡°Dodjirider, Spin Kick.¡± Then she yed the video ¡®Snow White vs. Goblin¡¯ officially released by the Hero Association and stretched out three fingers to the side. ¡°Three, two, one.¡± Folding one finger at a time, Yumir drew a crescent moon with a spinning kick. ¡°Ta-da!¡± A perfectnding. Seeing her perfectly imitate the Patriot Side Cutter, I was once again reminded not to recklessly use my techniques. ¡®Look at her. She immediately makes it her own.¡¯ Show her a technique, and she immediately made it hers. Moreover, with a slight variation, it seemed like she could even double-strike or sh down. ¡®She¡¯s not just stealing the devil¡¯s techniques. She inherently has a natural talent in handling supernatural abilities.¡¯ Not only were her physical abilities outstanding, but with the added aid of mana, she was truly a perfect ability user. I was slightly worried she might evenunch the Golden Priestess Cutterter, iming to purify the devil. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Cool. Excellent. I can¡¯t even follow along.¡± ¡°Ah, what are you talking about? How cool¡­you were.¡± ¡°Does it make sense to make someone with a hurt arm do such a thing?¡± ¡°I can move my legs, can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Enough.¡± I went outside in response to the rm from my Taegeuk Watch. Yumir tilted her head for a moment, but as soon as she realized I was approaching the entrance, she immediately hid behind the wall. ¡°Delivery.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± Outside the entrance door was a delivery rider¡­ ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°That suit¡­ what is it?¡± ¡°Oh, this. We¡¯re having an event. The most hot and spicy rice cakes, Shinjeon Rider.¡± Outside, a man in a suit wearing a helmet simr to Dodjirider was holding a stic bag. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve worked hard. Be careful.¡± ¡°Yes. Enjoy your meal.¡± The Shinjeon Rider left. I closed the front door again and put the stic bag on the kitchen table. ¡°I ordered tteokbokki.¡± ¡°¡­Why specifically tteokbokki?¡± ¡°You like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir gave me a scornful look. That gaze seemed to be questioning, ¡®How did you know I like tteokbokki? Have you been investigating me?¡¯ ¡°Why specifically tteokbokki? You didn¡¯t even ask.¡± ¡°Because I like it.¡± ¡°You could at least ask my opinion. Do you think I¡¯m a woman who can solve everything with tteokbokki?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Tch.¡± After stopping the video, Yumir headed towards the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll get the tes¡­ Oh, you have these too?¡± ¡°Of course. Can you bring some spoons from there?¡± As she brought out jade-colored bowls typical of snack bars, Yumir chuckled and scanned the table. ¡°It¡¯s delivery, but it feels like we¡¯re really at a snack bar.¡± ¡°Shall we go to a snack bar next time?¡± ¡°It would be nice, but I can¡¯t go because I¡¯m worried that someone might cause trouble when I go to eat with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Actually, that was the case. When I went to a restaurant to eat with Yumir, Lilith attacked. When I met with Yoon Iseon at a restaurant, Patent Infringement Rider appeared and caused a fuss. Since then, I haven¡¯t gone to a restaurant. Fearing that an ident might happen again, I had been sticking to homemade meals and packed lunches. Or eating gukbap at Brewer¡¯s house. ¡°The rice cakes¡­ hey, did you investigate me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why are all theserge rice cakes and every single fried dish to my taste?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a coincidence?¡± In the original work, the heroines always went out to eat tteokbokki, and as a reader, how could I not know? Of course, I knew her preference for fried food, whether she liked rice cakes or wheat cakes, what size of rice cakes she preferred, and even whether she liked the soup to be thin or thick. ¡°Tteokbokki¡­.¡± Looking at the red sauce smeared next to the white rice cakes, Yumir smiled at me with her eyes narrowed. ¡°Initially, it had to be tteokbokki, right¡­?¡± Chapter 110: The Academys Spring Day (4) Chapter 110: The Academy''s Spring Day (4) The protagonist of the original work was addicted to tteokbokki. He loved the food tteokbokki so much that he always ate it whenever he met the heroine. Whenever they gathered as a group, they always had tteokbokki. Normally, men tended to go for safe choices like pasta or sushi when they were fairly friendly with a woman or, if their wallet allowed, a steakhouse. But the protagonist stubbornly insists on eating tteokbokki from the beginning. I thought it might have been his strategy to survive in Korea as a foreigner from behind the blonde wall, but now I think it was probably just because the author liked tteokbokki. ¡®The description of tteokbokki was unnecessarily detailed.¡¯ I was confused whether I was reading a Korean light novel or a gourmet critic¡¯s essay on tteokbokki, as it was so specific and verbose. The description of tteokbokki in one episode was more than the back-and-forth with the heroine, so it was only natural for readers to say they had spread rice cake on the post every time a tteokbokki story came up or that speed bumps were strewn with rice cakes. Of course, I didn¡¯t read those parts. However, there were a few times when I seriously considered unsubscribing when I realized that the post that came out once a day was nothing but praise for tteokbokki, and there was no serial number. Still, there were a few times when I thought, ¡®They¡¯ve written this much. Maybe I¡¯ll read it once¡¯, and eventually, while reading, I learned about the protagonist¡¯s taste for tteokbokki. The protagonist was the author¡¯s alter ego. The author was crazy about tteokbokki. Therefore, it was only natural that Yumir liked tteokbokki. But. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I said, the first time, it¡¯s tteokbokki.¡± Yumir lifted a thick rice cake with her chopsticks and ced it on the te in front of her. Then she stretched it out long and started to chew the end of the rice cake. ¡°Right, the first time is tteokbokki. I¡¯m more into fried food, though.¡± I picked up a squid ring with my chopsticks. The fried squid ring was slightlyrger than if I made a ring with my fingers, and I poured a bit of tteokbokki sauce on it on the te. ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡± Yumir seemed somewhat displeased, but I swirled the chopsticks around the inside of the squid ring. ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Yumir¡¯s eyes began to shake. She was just about to munch on the rice cake, but she stopped and put the te down as if something hade up. ¡°Gulp. What are you doing now?¡± ¡°Dipping in the sauce.¡± I swirled the inside of the ring with the chopsticks. The tteokbokki sauce started dripping from the end of the chopsticks, and I lightly grabbed the squid ring from both sides. ¡°¡­¡­Teacher?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°Eating. With you.¡± I picked up the oval-shaped fried squid with chopsticks and popped arge piece into my mouth. Thanks to the delivery, it had cooled down nicely, so there was no risk of burning my mouth, and I casually winked at Yumir while chewing on the fried food. ¡°Why.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir frowned, using one of her eyebrows, and soon reached out for the fried food. Click. With an openly displeased face, she took a big bite out of a fried chili. She chewed the fried food as if she were grinding a small pebble, not savoring it but deliberately chewing itrgely. ¡°Is it not good?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s delicious. I usually eat like this.¡± ¡°You eat in a very unlucky way. You¡¯ll never be able to do a food show. The ratings would drop like a stone.¡± ¡°Why would I ever appear on an entertainment show?¡± ¡°Well, you never know.¡± I ced arge tteokbokki on the te, then wrapped the rice cake with a fish cake strip. Even though it was soaked in the sauce, the chewy texture was evident at a nce, and I took a big bite of the rice cake wrapped in fish cake. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Now what.¡± ¡°Do you have scissors?¡± ¡°I do. But don¡¯t Westerners usually not like using scissors at the table?¡± ¡°If a tool is needed, it¡¯s human to use it.¡± Yumir took the scissors from me and started to chop the elongated fries into pieces. The fried fish cake was split in half, the rolled seaweed was disassembled, spilling out the ss noodles from inside, and the remaining fried chili was disfigured beyond description. ¡°Now that I think about it, I didn¡¯t cut and eat. Should I cut the rice cake too?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cut only half.¡± Yumir continued cutting while deliberately looking at me, but I wasn¡¯t particrly disturbed. If she was trying to protest in such a ¡®metaphorical¡¯ way, I was far more experienced in that aspect. ¡°I was so hungry that I wasn¡¯t thinking straight. Just a moment.¡± I took out two tall ss cups from the kitchen shelf and poured the apanying plum-vored drink into the cups. ¡°Can you handle spicy food?¡± ¡°Yes, I can. You seem to handle spicy food quite well, Teacher.¡± ¡°This is nothing. I¡¯ve be used to it because I eat spicy food frequently.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like you usually eat it?¡± ¡°My wife likes spicy food.¡± Yumir, who was drinking the beverage, froze. ¡°So, your wife likes spicy food. I see.¡± Well, round 2 had begun. ¡°How much does she like it?¡± ¡°She can finish a deadly spicy tonkatsu.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t that notoriously very spicy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Despite the extreme spiciness, my wife, ¡®the boss¡¯, managed to finish it. She enjoyed all kinds of spicy food and every time I had a meal with the boss, it felt like my stomach was on fire. ¡°Tell me if you think you can¡¯t handle it. As you are an ability user, I¡¯ll tell you a solutionter.¡± ¡°Is there something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something to discuss while eating.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Okay.¡± Yumir nodded her head immediately and continued to chew and swallow the rice cake. ¡°Teacher. Since you¡¯ve told me something good, shall I tell you something good too?¡± ¡°Something good? What is it?¡± ¡°Well, about abilities?¡± After taking a sip of the beverage, Yumir licked her lips with her tongue. The suggestive appearance must just be my imagination. It must have been just because her lips felt hot that she licked them with her tongue. ¡°There could be abilities like this too, something like that.¡± ¡°Are you talking about abilities listed on the wiki?¡± ¡°Well, some are listed, some are not.¡± Ah, I see. She was proposing a trade now. If I shared the Goblin¡¯s know-how, Yumir would share the abilities she acquired as Sr tina from the demons. ¡°That sounds fun. So, what kind of ability did student Yumir think of?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Yumir put down her dish and leaned slightly closer to me, smiling subtly. ¡°Teleportation?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Just hearing it sounded extraordinary. ¡°It¡¯s an ability to mark coordinates and move through space.¡± ¡°Do you say that¡¯s possible for you, Yumir?¡± ¡°Me? Ah, no way. If that was possible, I would have appeared everywhere.¡± Yumir waved her hands dismissively. But her eyes were smiling slightly, clearly conveying the message, ¡®Yumir can¡¯t do it, but Sr tina can.¡¯ ¡°I guess teleportation would be impossible for a goblin too?¡± ¡°Maybe something simr can be done?¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do if you try.¡± Appearing through astral projection was essentially teleportation. Though it would consume an awful lot of mana. ¡°The Goblin on Sejong Ind appeared in Jeju Ind 30 minutester, something like that.¡± ¡°30 minutes¡­ Hmm. What I mean is a technique that takes virtually no time, being able to move to another ce in just one second.¡± ¡°That might be possible, too?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± It was a technique that could not be used unless you were prepared to use 90% of your magic and immediately revert your transformation. And if I used that technique, I could only go to one ce. To the boss¡¯s side. ¡®It¡¯s a paradox.¡¯ The fact that I was fleeing to the chief¡¯s side, discarding everything else, indicated that the situation was dire. But to actually use this teleportation, I needed to spend 90% of my mana. It was not like an emergency escape device. In reality, this ability was useless for anything other than meeting the chief. Even receiving aid from the mana of others or ultimate moves didn¡¯t help. Regrettably. But what about a being like Yumir, who was brimming with mana? ¡°Yumir, do you think spatial teleportation is easy? You need to calcte coordinates, ensure no object is in the destination space, and above all, you have to be certain that everything you possess can be transferredpletely.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that you speak like a superpower user.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a thought I had while watching movies and reading novels. Even if you¡¯re not an ability user, you can imagine having a superpower, right? Just as we¡¯re assuming that E-ss Yumir could use spatial teleportation.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Neither Yumir nor I had any intention of demonstrating our abilities here. ¡°If you meet the Goblin, you should ask if spatial teleportation is really possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Yumir will have the opportunity to meet the Goblin, but do ask well. Who knows? If Yumir provides some ideas, the Goblin might be willing to reveal a lot.¡± ¡°Do you think the Goblin would reveal it to a hero aspirant?¡± ¡°As long as they¡¯re not viins or demons, why not? If you say you¡¯re going to clean up viins like yourself, wouldn¡¯t they agree and help?¡± ¡°Even the Goblin would have their own motives.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something Yumir should answer. I don¡¯t know what they would want from a hero aspirant.¡± We would exchange useful skills if we ever met as the Goblin and Sr tina. It was a win-win situation. An ideal rtionship. ¡°Hmm¡­. Come to think of it, it would be convenient if there was something like spatial teleportation. If I learned it, I coulde and go from your house at any time, right?¡± ¡°Do you want to be reported for home invasion?¡± ¡°Then where would you want to go if you could teleport? To where your wife is?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ a ce I want to go.¡± I lightly lifted my ss and looked at Yumir. ¡°Ulleung Ind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡± ¡°Because I can patriotically enjoy myself for more than 2 nights and 3 days without anyone¡¯s prying eyes.¡± ¡°¡­2 nights and 3 days?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yumir was politely eating her tteokbokki while watching me. ¡°2 nights, 3 days¡­ patriotic?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°That, that long¡­? Is that possible?¡± ¡°Yes. Despite how I look.¡± I leisurely sipped my drink and winked at Yumir. ¡°I¡¯m a man who went on a patriotic trip with my wife for Christmas, saw the New Year sunrise, and came back.¡± If you are confident,e and seriously try it. Chapter 111: Youre Not Ready Yet (1) Chapter 111: You''re Not Ready Yet (1) Yumir was joking. Yumir was subtly appealing. I naturally noticed all of that. Yumir was somewhat ¡®resolved¡¯ and, being raised in America, held concepts distant from Confucian cultures. I was a Viin. I was confident to utilize even such a mindset and wouldn¡¯t awkwardly ask, ¡®Huh? What did you say?¡¯ ¡°Student Yumir. Since you¡¯ve finished eating, let¡¯s talk seriously.¡± After the meal. After tidying up the table and having tea time in the living room, I sat face-to-face with Yumir and started a serious conversation. ¡°If you want to go in that direction with me, you need to be seriously resolved.¡± ¡°Resolved¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯spletely different from what you think is normal.¡± It was entirely different. Whether it was the power originally possessed by the Goblin or because he had the potential to be the final boss in the original work. I fully understood the power of the Goblin¡¯s Bat and could handle it perfectly. Apart from the honor of being an S-rank Viin, I was using the Goblin¡¯s Bat almost close to EX rank. With a bit more ¡®adjustment¡¯ and ¡®assistance¡¯, it was possible to truly reach infinity. ¡°My wife can¡¯t handle it alone. It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°¡­.Is this, uh, about ying games with your wife?¡± ¡°This.¡± Tang. I pulled out an object from my wallet. ¡°¡­!!¡± Yumir¡¯s expression hardened. Her face slightly reddened, and she murmured, unable to meet my eyes. Suddenly, whether somewhat embarrassed or not, she corrected her posture from a gentleman¡¯s to a kneeling position, and her pupils began to shake violently. ¡°Is that, um¡­ a vitamin candy?¡± ¡°Normally, vitamin candies arebeled with C, not 0.01.¡± Some called this a traitor¡¯s shield. In this world, where older people argued that having children was patriotic, this object considerably hindered patriotism. Some called it a coward¡¯s shield. Unable to ept reality, they mocked it as something used primarily by the insecure, likening it to wearing an extrayer of clothing. But someone called it a tool for true love. When unprepared, patriotism led to unhappiness; they said it was a thing not to be used when one was truly prepared for patriotism. In reality, this object was almost always exploited for treacherous acts. Even recently, with the Gangwon-do incident. ¡°If you¡¯re confident,e in. It¡¯s fine if you say you don¡¯t need this. If you¡¯re confident to go all the way with me, keep acting like that, or quit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very grateful that you¡¯re doing that with me, but I can¡¯t just sit still forever.¡± ¡°Who says¡­.¡± Yumir fidgeted with her fingers and slowly ced her hand on the table. ¡°They say all men are wolves.¡± ¡°I know what you mean, but wolves are surprisingly pure. Once they marry a female, they never marry another until death.¡± It was true. ¡°Do you know Wolf King Lobo? He was a wolf in America. Arge specimen among wolves, he hunted evenrger prey like cows and deer.¡± ¡°He hunts¡­¡± ¡°He never got caught by any being. He was extremely intelligent and cunning, avoiding every trap or snare made by humans. But, eventually, he got caught by humans. Do you know how?¡± ¡°¡­Using a female?¡± ¡°Right. Hunters killed Lobo¡¯s wife, and when Lobo found out, he went mad and was caught and killed.¡± Wolves were surprisingly loyal and pure. ¡°But you, teacher, are different from such a wolf.¡± ¡°¡­Wolves live in packs, and each pack has different rules depending on the environment. Just as a wild wolf pack is different from a domesticated one.¡± ¡°So what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°The expression that all men are wolves is not always correct. But well, if you think about the wolf attacking the innocent sheep, it¡¯s a metaphorical expression we can pass by. So¡­¡± I pointed to the locked front door, and the curtains pulled down. ¡°Student Yumir is an innocentmb who walked into the wolf¡¯s den of her own ord, do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be eaten, put some distance between you and the wolf when it shows mercy. Because once the wolf eats you, you¡¯ll never be able to escape.¡± So much for the warning. ¡°I know Yumir likes analogies and metaphors, so I¡¯m paraphrasing, but I¡¯ll tell it like it is. I¡¯m a scarier man than I look, and I canpletely twist the path you¡¯re about to walk.¡± ¡°That is.¡± ¡°If the man named Do Ji-hwan is a viin, like a goblin or an oni, and a wannabe hero named Yumir falls for him. Can you be confident that you won¡¯t be swayed at that time?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Dilemma as a Hero. ¡°Yumir as a hero, or Yumir as a man-crusher. If you follow the hero¡¯s path, you¡¯ll be on the path of righteousness, but if you choose a man despite being a viin, you¡¯ll be slowly turning Yumir to darkness. Are you sure?¡± And I was not just talking about male-female rtionships. ¡°There are so many viins in the world, especially heroes who have juste of age, who want to corrupt them in so many ways.¡± Money, power, mana powder, demonic powers, etc. ¡°Power lust, dominance lust, money lust¡­. There are countless other viins that appeal to the desires of the humans in the group. Can Student Yumir really deliver her own brand of ¡®justice¡¯ against such viins?¡± ¡°Can she be a hero who is not swayed by desire?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve seen many such heroes. Far more than Student Yumir knows.¡± I was a human being who had lived on two worlds, with a culture that spanned twenty-five years. In all those stories, I had seen countless heroes. I had seen heroes defy all odds to do what they believed was right, and I had seen heroes be viins to protect what they hold most dear. More viins than there were in this world. ¡°What did you enjoy watching as a child, Yumir? Movies, dramas, anime, whatever. In all those ¡®stories¡¯, did you ever see a hero fall? No, of course not, because to a child, a hero is supposed to be awesome and shouldn¡¯t be corrupted into a viin, and that¡¯s what adults¡¯ only¡¯ show them.¡± In this world, the descent into viiny was a real danger and one he didn¡¯t mess around with. ¡°I could be a viin who has be a demon, in league with the devil, to prove myself to someone who doesn¡¯t love me.¡± Not that it was like that. ¡°Or you could be a viin who was abandoned by a powerful man and captured by demons to be a demon queen.¡± ¡°I am indeed the Demon Queen.¡± ¡°Sometimes, beings, though clumsy, with a strong sense of justice, be the demon king iparable to any evil in the world through mental conditioning.¡± ¡°Or currently seeding the position of the Demon King.¡± ¡°Or suffering and being brainwashed by such demons, they fell into depravity, and ultimately, became a demon themselves; became entities that are neither heroes nor humans.¡± ¡­Somehow, only some ces keep popping up in my mind, but to Yumir, these stories were all new stimuli. ¡°Are there such people in the world?¡± ¡°There might be. Either they existed, or they were created by someone¡¯s story but couldn¡¯te out in the world due to unfavorable conditions.¡± In this world, stories like the ¡®Fall of Light¡¯ were tales not to be shown to children. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the specific trajectory Yumir has lived through. But if Yumir has seen with eyes and heard with ears¡ªah, of course, I¡¯m talking about inte stories. If she has had experiences meeting the demons indirectly or directly.¡± Beforeing to Korea, as Sr tina. Now, as the Magical Girl Golden Priestess. ¡°Can you live by keeping your beliefs without being entangled in all kinds of evil, called temptations,ing from around?¡± ¡°¡­a goblin does.¡± Yumir asked me, staring straight with a proper posture. ¡°What do you think the Goblin is?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a viin. He wasn¡¯t corrupted; he was ¡®evil¡¯ from the beginning, and it utilizes everything he has to achieve his goal.¡± ¡°And what is that goal?¡± ¡°World domination.¡± To unify this rotten world under the control of the leader, and minimize conflict and corruption. ¡°The Goblin is a very simple being. He lives believing that his organization conquering the world will stabilize the world the most.¡± ¡°Even if he bes a viin?¡± ¡°He must think that there is too much evil in this world to choose the means and methods.¡± ¡°Is there no ¡®salvation¡¯ in the way of the Goblin?¡± ¡°No. But if there is such a way, if there is a ¡®hero¡¯ with such a method.¡± I raised my thumb towards Yumir. ¡°The Goblin would want them to join their organization, but as a human, Do Ji-hwan personally would like to support such a hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You are really selfish and petty.¡± Yumir pouted her lips and reached out her hand forward. ¡°Alright. So¡­ if such a hero genuinely proves to be different from others, how would it be?¡± Yumir picked up a vitamin candy ced on the table. ¡°If one can persistently follow the path of a hero who rescues everyone without being swayed by any temptation?¡± ¡°What if the loved one bes a demon?¡± ¡°Simple. The Goblin would probably try to cut it down immediately if that hero bes a demon, but I¡¯m different.¡± Yumir lightly fiddled with the vitamin candy. ¡°I would like to be a hero who saves even the Demon Goblin.¡± Flick. With a flick of a finger, she precisely threw the vitamin candy straight into the trash can. Was that so? Yumir expressed her will not with words but with actions. Then, I must not betray that will either. ¡°Teacher, today I¡­.¡± Beep beep beep beep!! From mine and Yumir¡¯s Taeguk Watch, an ¡®appearance of viin¡¯ rm rang. And it was the emergency rm signaling the appearance of a demon. ¡°Ah, darn.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­..Ahem.¡± Yumir opened her eyes after closing them for a moment and took off her Taeguk watch. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± No one was going to die. Probably. Chapter 112: Youre Not Ready Yet (2) Chapter 112: You''re Not Ready Yet (2) At that moment, on a bustling street on Sejong Ind. ¡°Hehehehek!¡± ¡°Kyaaah!¡± Grotesqueughter and screams painted the busy street in chaos. ¡°Oh, I like it! Oh, I¡¯m excited!¡± The grotesqueughter, as if enjoying the screams of the people, became more bizarre as the fear and horror intensified. ¡°Hehehehat!!¡± This bizarre entity, gradually losing human speech, had already morphed beyond human appearance. About half still seemed human, but the rest was gradually changing, resembling a reptile. What should I call this thing? A frog? A toad? What would it feel like if a human were vertically split, with one side remaining human and the other transformed into a frog? It would certainly be more bizarre than one side being female and the other male and it would be even more repulsive if its actions were abnormal. Churrup. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± A woman screamed. A woman in herte twenties, without any special abilities, had her waist wrapped around by the tongue spat out by the Half-Toad monster. ¡°Hehehehe.¡± With its mouth wide open, the Half-Toad tightened its grip around the woman¡¯s waist with a disgusting grin. The woman expressed an indescribable disgust at the shocking touch on her abdomen. Still, her disgust couldn¡¯t ovee the physical strength of the monster. ¡°Darling!!¡± With no options left, she resisted vehemently, calling out for someone who could save her until her lover could rise to rescue her. ¡°Get up, darling! Please!¡± ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± Beneath the frog legs of the Half-Toad, a man continued to struggle, pinned down under the frog¡¯s foot. ¡°You beast¡­!¡± ¡°Urgk!¡± The Half-Toad stomped hard on the man¡¯s back. ¡°Cough!¡± A huge tremor resonated through the ground, and the man spat out blood. The sudden trampling caused enormous shock, and the man¡¯s eyes began to lose their light. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± No one could step forward carelessly. The crowd, each holding smartphones and Taeguk Watches, were live broadcasting the situation but could not step forward. And for a reason, the one suffering beneath the monster was an ¡®A-ss¡¯ hero, ¡®Fire Knuckle¡¯. So¡­ ¡°Hehehe! No one can touch me! Ho, how dare they date in front of me!¡± The rampaging Half-Toad, furious that a hero and a civilian were dating, was an ¡®S-ss demon¡¯, and no one dared to confront it. Stepping forward would mean either ending up like the woman or being covered in mucus shot by the frog¡¯s hand, simr to a translucentpressed bullet. ¡°Damn it¡­ Why is something that looks like that so strong?!¡± ¡°S-ss! We need an S-ss!¡± ¡°No, we need to save Fire Knuckle first! Isn¡¯t there any A-ss?!¡± They had to buy time until an S-ss arrived. There was definitely an S-ss in Sejong Ind. ¡°Where is Snow White?!¡± ¡°She¡¯s on a business trip in Busan!¡± ¡°Ah, damn it! Then what about other S-sses?!¡± ¡°Would that guy bother with such matters!¡± But even if there were S-sses, there was no one who could be here immediately. If there were, they would have appeared by now or at least arrived. ¡°Hehehe, no one can flirt in front of me¡­! Hehehe, these naughty ones¡­! Oh! Ho, how dare they date ignoring me?!¡± The Half-Toad covered its human face with its transformed hand¡ªor leg? ¡°I, I am A-ss but never dated!!¡± Everyone thought internally upon hearing the Half-Toad¡¯s outcry. That was because the reason was none other than the part Half-Toad was covering herself. An A-ss superhuman. In other countries, they could be considered of national importance and everyone¡¯s envy. However, there were asionally very exceptional cases. The Half-Toad was one of them. ¡°I, I will also do it! Why only you, you guys! Kyaaahaahaa!!¡± ¡°This, this brat¡­!¡± Fire Knuckle, who was being stepped on, attempted to lift his body by punching the ground. By causing an explosion underneath him, he tried to free himself from the monster through the recoil of the explosion. ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Kuaak!!¡± However, the monster didn¡¯t allow Fire Knuckle¡¯s resistance. ¡°No way, nowhere, in front of me, dating! In public ces! Even kissing!!¡± It began to intensively trample his wrist with its wide foot, and something seemed to break with every step. ¡°Stop it!!¡± ¡°What are you!¡± A seemingly young boy aimed an arrow, created from magic, at the Half-Toad, but the Half-Toad ced the woman in the arrow¡¯s trajectory by extending its tongue. ¡°No!!¡± Did he do it out of immaturity? Or did he not realize Fire Knuckle¡¯s wrist was about to break? The boy¡¯s magical arrow, neglecting the fact that the monster had a hostage, was heading straight to the woman¡¯s heart- Snap! It did not pierce through but was caught by something and ricocheted into the sky. ¡°What¡­?!¡± It wasn¡¯t the boy¡¯s ability. Everyone was startled by the arrival of some red object, and a moment of silence ensued. Wham wham wham!! The red object scattered like wind des attacking the monster. The tongue that was wrapping the woman was cut following the trajectory of a whip. As soon as something red circled around the ankle, stepping on Fire Knuckle, the monster rolled on the ground. Thud! The situation was sudden. But people were used to such scenes. It was only natural for a hero to appear in times of crisis. With an S-ss viin causing a rampage, an S-ss hero must have stepped forward. However, was there an S-ss who used such a red attack? Flutter. A feather fell to the ground, and someone revealed themselves. ¡°Who¡¯s that¡­?¡± Hanbok. A woman appeared, wearing a ck outer garment and a red inner garment, both draped around her thighs like a skirt. With a ck mask on her face and a hood, possibly made from a skirt, deeply covering her head, only a golden glow was visible. Perhaps they were golden pupils. ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Given that tworge full moons were dangling around the new hero, everyone¡¯s attention naturally focused on her. So, everyone failed to notice momentarily. The red whip held by the woman in an attire resembling a Daoist Priestess. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± A woman, coughing harshly, was lying a bit further away. This mysterious Daoist Priestess attacked the Half-Toad in one swoop and rescued Fire Knuckle and the hostage. ¡°Who exactly is that woman¡­?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she going to introduce herself¡­?¡± Everyone looked at each other, trying to figure out who the Daoist was and exactly what ability she used. ¡°Heheheeeek!!¡± The monster, spewing mucus and red blood from its mouth, had now fully transformed into a demon. A monster with a frog¡¯s head, skin, and wings like a bat¡¯s, characteristic of a devil, on its back. ¡°Heehee! You, you attacked me! You, you¡­! You hiding your face!!¡± It might be rude to say, butpared to its human form, it somehow looked a bit better. ¡°You can clearly see girls like you¡­ always ignore me! Look, your boyfriend is passing by! Kihehehe!¡± [Speaking to such a person is futile.] A clear voice resonated. People checked if the voice, iparably purepared to that of the demon¡¯s, was properly recorded and exchanged nces, trying to gauge who this woman was. [Really, because of you¡­] ¡°What! Were you disturbed while on a date? Did you get upseting here because you wanted to kiss your boyfriend? Are you angry? Were you?! Kihaahaha!¡± While holding its belly and rapidly self-healing its wound, the frog monster started hopping in ce. ¡°I¡¯ve never even held a girl¡¯s hand until now!!¡± [So, what do you want me to do about it?] ¡°What?¡± [Why are you causing a scene over such a thing? Did a demon educate you when you were young?] ¡°What, What¡­!¡± [Your face isn¡¯t ugly; your nasty personality just shows on your face.] People swallowed their saliva in tension caused by the Golden Priestess¡¯s words. What if it caused an ident by saying such things? What if the monster went on a bigger rampage after being truth-bombed? ¡°He, Hehehe¡­! How can you, after being hit by me, say such things-¡± [Slow.] As the Golden Priestess threw the red rope in her hand, the rope extended and swiftly coiled around the monster from head to toe. ¡°Kehluk?!¡± [First.] The Golden Priestess, after wrapping her hand with the rope, emitted a red aura once, nced around, and lifted her head upwards. [Let¡¯s go to a more secluded ce to deal with this. This is downtown, after all¡­!] She jumped high. She left the ce, stepping in the air with shoes like high heels, and the S-ss monster, tied in the rope, was caught without any resistance and had to vanish. ¡°Ah, how can¡­! Handling an S-ss viin like it was a child¡­!¡± ¡°Insane. How strong is that woman? No, who is she?!¡± ¡°Damn!!¡± A man shooting with a smartphone cursed. ¡°The damned Zettai Ryouiki!¡± ¡°¡­Really, thinking about that at this time?¡± ¡°She flew in the sky wearing a skirt, won¡¯t you confirm it?!¡± ¡°Ah, well, yes, but¡­¡± ¡°So, who is that woman?¡± Nobody knew. Her identity. ¡°¡­Shall we call her the Golden Priestess?¡± She disappeared, abducting the S-ss demon into the sky without introducing herself. ¡°Follow, follow her!!¡± Now that someone who could suppress an S-ss demon has appeared¡­ From now on, ¡°The new S-ss, no, maybe S+ ss!¡± It was a scooppetition.
Far away from the downtown area, The Golden Priestess brought the frog demon to a clear space in the middle of the forest, where it would take at least 5 minutes for people to catch up. [Phew.] [What should I do?] I revealed myself, maintaining a reasonable distance behind her, using manifestation. [Listen carefully. Hero.] I pointed to the unconscious demon with my chin. [Viins don¡¯t consider the circumstances of heroes. Heroes have to step forward in any unfair situation and ept the injustice. What will you do? Will you kill or save him? If you decide to kill.] I drew out my Goblin Bat and pointed it downwards, cing the tip on the ground. [I will assist you. What will you do? Sr tina.] [I won¡¯t save him.] Sr tina firmly shook her head and enveloped her hand with golden magic. [I won¡¯t kill him either. What I can do right now is only one thing.] Woosh. [To incapacitate this man and bring him to the judgment stand.] As Sr tina stretched her hand downward, golden light emanating from her hand engulfed the demon. [No matter what the circumstances of a viin are, a demon who can be turned back into a human should be turned and then judged. That¡¯s my belief.] Ssss. The golden light shed like sunlight, and the frog demon gradually regained his human form. [¡­¡­.] Sr tina ced a golden cloth made of magic on the man¡¯s face and turned her body towards me. [Are you going to kill him?] [No.] Vrooom. I pointed to the bike beside me. [Viins have their own circumstances too.] Chapter 113: Youre Not Ready Yet (3) Chapter 113: You''re Not Ready Yet (3) Viins didn¡¯t consider the circumstances of heroes. Even when heroes were eating, using the restroom,ying down sick, having a wedding, or even during their college entrance exams, viins caused idents and wreaked havoc. In the case of vile viins everyone hated, there were ones who provoked heroes undergoing family tragedies, engaging in destructive acts. Eventually killed by an infuriated hero, the viin¡¯s goal was to have heroes kill someone, anyone, be it a viin or not, so the viin left the worldughing. -Still, isn¡¯t it too much to bother someone who¡¯s lost a family member? -Would those who care about such thingsmit viinous acts? There were viins who possessed their philosophies, but there were also numerous viins who discarded morals and acted on their whims in the world. Like viins who captured innocent people to reveal the identities of heroes living in secrecy. Or viins who, after figuring out the hero¡¯s identity, approached their surroundings and brought destruction to their acquaintances, isting the hero mentally. Such wickedness naturally led to execution, and I, as the Goblin, had met numerous such individuals. And I killed them all. I once captured a viin who, failing to draw me out, killed all the hostages he took. Once, a guy showed up at a house I saved and fired a shotgun as a gift for the Goblin, so I pierced holes throughout his body. Through such incidents and idents, today¡¯s Goblin came to be. Now, people of the underworld knew. That the Goblin was not a hero. That provoking the Goblin would unconditionally bring a pain worse than death. I had proven myself as the Goblin for over half a year. But Yumir was different. [Let¡¯s take a break here.] ¡°Is this¡­that ce?¡± Sr tina, who had gotten off the bike, stood before a cliff, removing her mask and hood. [Do you want to reveal your face so much?] ¡°No one¡¯s watching here. How about you also reveal your face?¡± [Sorry, but the Goblin reveals his face¡­] ¡°In front of a loved one. Right?¡± [You know well.] Yumir stuck out her tongue at me, and I created a bench by hitting the bat. ¡°Did you use the power to create anything with the bat to bring that, the bike?¡± [Appearing with a bike suddenly ismon for a rider. It¡¯s not particrly strange.] It was only possible because it was a special custom-made bike of Yi Maemangryang. [There are those who create ropes made of mana from thin air, let alone a bike.] ¡°It¡¯s always fascinating. How can you create such sophisticated machinery?¡± [If you join the pledge, not only a bike but also vehicles and houses will be provided.] ¡°Wow, you are proposing to recruit me instantly. Are you an insurance nner?¡± [For hero Sr tina¡¯s life, there¡¯s no more certain insurance than the pledge, Yi Maemangryang, especially when the hero is no longer a hero.] One usually didn¡¯t know the value of insurance until they needed it. [Today, you purified the frog demon. You have snatched his ability from him.] ¡°Yes, this.¡± Yumir floated a sphere in the air, which she had been holding tightly; it was a sphere wrapped in golden magic. ¡°Body transformation. Especially specialized in elongating the body.¡± [You can understand that?] ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t use it, the principle entered my head since I took it. If I absorb this into my body, I could use it as proficiently as the demon did¡­¡± Yumir clearly frowned and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to use it. I¡¯m already slender and satisfied with my body. How about you, Goblin?¡± [I¡¯m also fully satisfied. Rather, it¡¯s a body that doesn¡¯t need to envy others.] ¡°As an ability user?¡± [Even if not an ability user.] I was satisfied with the body of the Goblin, of Do Ji-hwan. I had developed this body for the past six months ¨C now, I needed to add a few more months to that ¨C and I was very proud of it. [Lucky you¡¯re satisfied with your body. Dissatisfaction with one¡¯s body is the easiest trigger for an ability user¡¯s rampage.] That was not a joke. The ability enclosed in the gold sphere by Yumir had its owner turned into a demon, filled with all sorts of self-loathing stemming from an ¡®ugly face.¡¯ Abilities were just abilities; not every man with abilities surpassed 180 cm in height, and not every woman became beautiful. Sometimes, when God created a child with abilities, it seemed as if He said, ¡®You probably need to live with at least this ability,¡¯ and granted it. [For ability users, even stic surgery is difficult. They need to infuse the scalpel with power, or there should be a stic surgeon who is an ability user; it¡¯s not easy. Just live as you are.] ¡°Wasn¡¯t there an ability user who specialized in stic surgery?¡± [He became a viin. He changed everything to his liking. Seeking ultimate beauty.] ¡°The Goblin broke his y pot?¡± [I took a flight to the middle of the Antic due to a request to kill him and shaped him up quite nicely with the Goblin¡¯s Bat.] Ability users, unlike ordinary people, couldn¡¯t even adjust their appearances. Some epted what had been given to them and lived on, but there were also those who resented their genes. [Basic dissatisfaction with oneself can be a trivial trigger for corruption. Ability users are troublesome beings. They can run wild from a bit of dissatisfaction.] Even if someone seemed quite alright, this ¡®alrightness¡¯ was just rtive. [Be careful, Sr tina. You might not have anyints about yourself, but others might haveints about you.] ¡°Jealousy.¡± [Yes. It¡¯s the emotion that ability users need to be most cautious of, to stay far away from.] This was what they learned from a young age. Not only jealousy but other negative emotions as well; ability users especially needed to be more cautious. [Someone stronger than me, someone more handsome and prettier than me. Someone who possesses what I can¡¯t have. Someone with more fame than me. Demons start whispering when you feel jealousy and envy towards such individuals.] ¡°So¡­ isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± Yumir pointed her finger at me. ¡°If I start desiring what the Goblin has, the Goblin will turn me into a demon.¡± [I have no intention of corrupting you to the extent of bing a demon.] ¡°Then do you intend to corrupt me to the extent of bing a viin?¡± [I want a picture painted ck on a white canvas, not a paper soaked in ck water.] ¡°And can the Goblin control such things effectively?¡± [I wouldn¡¯t have proposed it if I wasn¡¯t confident.] ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡± Yumir turned her back to me with a bright smile. ¡°Goblin. Did you think I would kill a viin who doesn¡¯t consider my circumstances?¡± [I thought that someday you might not be able to hold back and lose your rationality.] Indeed, she was the one who dropped a meteor on Earth in anger at the end. She chose extinction with humanity due to stress-induced self-destruction. I thought that killing a viin out of anger was quite possible for her. [Aren¡¯t you angry? It seemed like it was a good time.] ¡°Honestly, when the viin alert rang, I was really angry. Ha, really. Should I step forward? Should I just ignore the alert and go with the mood? Can¡¯t someone else step forward and do it sufficiently? That¡¯s what I thought.¡± [Everyone thinks that.] ¡°But when I arrived, it was a situation where I had to step forward. So, I stepped forward. I didn¡¯t kill the viin who turned into a demon.¡± [Didn¡¯t want to kill?] ¡°I seriously contemted killing. As with Ermina, I thought maybe it would be better to kill rather than wonder how to live after losing the abilities.¡± Yumir extended her hand towards the sphere, clenching and unclenching her fist. ¡°But so far, the choices I¡¯ve made have always been correct. Not killing people. And if I can return those who have be demons back to humans, then I¡¯ll do my best to do so.¡± [The reason you revealed yourself when attacking the restaurant was also because of that.] ¡°Yes. Even if people found out about my ability, I thought of returning those turning into¡­those who had turned into demons back from being demons. While hiding my identity.¡± Phaat. The seal of the sphere was released. ¡°I might be angry for a while, but I¡¯m fine now. I could protect the futures of others instead of having my time stolen. I saved two people, didn¡¯t I? Haha.¡± Sr tina saved two people. A-ss hero Fire Knuckle and his girlfriend. ¡°If I can change someone¡¯s life by sparing some time, I¡¯d willingly step forward. ¡­Of course, when possible.¡± [There¡¯s one more.] ¡°Yes?¡± [The kid who shot the arrow.] He shot an arrow to save hispanion, but that arrow could have killed a hostage. [If it weren¡¯t for you, that child would live his whole life with the trauma of having killed an innocent person. You made the right choice, and I respect you for that. So.] I lifted the Goblin¡¯s Bat beside Yumir and aimed it at the ability extracted from the demon. [Let me show you something interesting. If you are the one who takes¡­] The ultimate technique using the Goblin¡¯s Bat. [I am the one who executes.] Kaa©¤©¤©¤ang! [This ability is no exception.] Body maniption series, the ability to extend and shrink the length of the body. [The corrupt ability extracted from the demon is just a byproduct of the demon.] The ability taken from the demon vanished into a light cluster. [Sr tina. Do you know? Jealousy, the ugliness of those who can¡¯t have.] Now, no one can have this ability. And no one would awaken the ability extracted from the demon using that. At least for this ability. [There are people who research demons in this world. Whether they forcibly turn viins into demons or catch and confine them. And extract from them. The seeds of the demons. And¡­] Now. The whole world would start looking for Yumir. [The power to grant demon abilities to non-ability users, ¡®Heart of the Demon.¡¯] Because, using Yumir¡¯s ability, even ordinary people could be ability users. [The whole world will start looking for you.] Because those who were not born as ability users also desired abilities. Chapter 114: Youre Not Ready Yet (4) Chapter 114: You''re Not Ready Yet (4) The S-ss viin and demon, ¡®Half-Toad,¡¯ had gone missing. ¡°Find ¡®Golden Priestess¡¯! She must have disappeared this way!¡± Suddenly appearing like a magical girl, the hero, Golden Priestess, had abducted Half-Toad with a red rope. What, indeed, was the identity of this woman? It would be understood gradually, but the immediate priority was the capture of Half-Toad. After a long time, a demon had be S-ss. A demon of loneliness. A demon of rage. A demon that was transformed by the runaway feelings of inferiority about one¡¯s own appearance and anger about others¡¯ rtionships. Incidentally, since it was a male demon, if utilized well, it could greatly help ¡®demon research.¡¯ ¡°Move quickly! Hurry! This way leads to the forest for sure! Spread out and search, and immediately report any abnormalities!¡± The Headmaster of the Academy personally directed the faculty, heroes, and the agents mobilized for demon suppression on the field in pursuit of the Golden Priestess. ¡°We must find him! If the Golden Priestess is the person, we think¡­!¡± The Headmaster swallowed his words. ¡°We might also learn about the ¡®Total Erasure¡¯ incident!¡± He didn¡¯t inadvertently utter something that shouldn¡¯t be said to others. It was his excitement that interrupted his words. ¡°Headmaster.¡± ¡°Ah, Professor Jeong.¡± ¡°Do you hope that the demon Half-Toad undergoes Total Erasure, Headmaster?¡± ¡°¡­Certainly.¡± The Headmaster couldn¡¯t calm his excitement, continuously licking his lips in response to the professor who hade along. ¡°If he appears to have lost his abilities, we must naturally endeavor to help him recover his abilities, right?¡± ¡°Do you think the ability has been transferred to someone else?¡± ¡°Yes. I think so. Losing an ability isn¡¯t simply its disappearance but its forcible removal to someone else. Remember theics we saw when we were young?¡± ¡°I am not from that generation.¡± ¡°Hmpf.¡± The Headmaster frowned but soon brightened at the news from the Taeguk Watch. [Headmaster. The search party found Half-Toad in an empty lot. He¡¯s a white-haired human, not a demon. It seems he has undergone Total Erasure.] ¡°Hm¡­! Did you verify by deploying an ability user if there¡¯s any trace of magic?¡± [I verified it myself. I didn¡¯t feel anything. He has certainly lost his abilities.] ¡°Indeed¡­ Ah, it¡¯s so regrettable that he lost his abilities¡­!¡± The Headmaster wiped his tears with the back of his hand, his eyes reddening. ¡°The Academy isn¡¯t a ce that abandons students because they encounter problems. Our ¡®Foundation¡¯ will take care of Half-Toad. After ensuring his limbs are sealed and moving him to the ICU to observe his progress. Once confirmed that there¡¯s no more running wild, minimize his restraints.¡± [Understood. If it¡¯s going to the Foundation, will there be ¡®rehabilitation training¡¯?] ¡°Certainly. He lost his ability, but isn¡¯t there a possibility of recovering it?¡± It was still in the realm of possibility. ¡°The Academy doesn¡¯t give up on students. This ce, hehe, isn¡¯t it where we cultivate talents who will lead the future of our country?¡± [Understood. We will proceed as directed.] ¡°Yes. Good work.¡± The Headmaster covered the Taeguk Watch with his hand. As soon as the call ended, the Headmaster took out a white packbeled ¡®Hanrasan¡¯ from his pocket. ¡°I hope to meet the Golden Priestess. And if it¡¯s not about destroying the demon¡¯s abilities but stealing the abilities of the one who became a demon¡­¡± He smirked. ¡°If abilities can be treated as objects, then legally transferring ownership of unimed property to another is also possible, isn¡¯t it? Hence, those who are not ability users can also be ability users.¡± The eyes of the Headmaster were shining like a child¡¯s. ¡°This country will be even stronger.¡±
[The demon¡¯s heart is a bit different from what you¡¯ve extracted. However, it¡¯s simr in that the demon¡¯s ability is an object that has escaped from the demon itself.] ¡°So it¡¯s just a difference of whether it¡¯s the heart or some other part?¡± [Yes. It differs depending on the extraction method, but like coffee is coffee, whether it¡¯s brewed or dripped.] ¡°Mentioning coffee makes it feel strange. Does drinking coffee make one an ability user?¡± [If it does, it would be coffee that turns one into an ability user. It grants a predetermined ability.] In this world, imagination was the basis for abilities. [So far, there¡¯s been no official case in this world where abilities have materialized. However, as you¡¯ve extracted the demon¡¯s ability, maintaining it in a form resembling an ether cluster, there are also those who study demons, extracting their abilities.] Yumir could steal abilities from demons, had sufficient magic to realize it, and her will could even touch the world¡¯sws, allowing her to extract abilities from the demons. [If abilities can be stolen, then they can be eradicated, right?] ¡°Is that the Goblin¡¯s Bat¡¯s power?¡± [It¡¯s one of the many abilities of the Goblin. It¡¯s difficult to exin how.] ¡°Because it¡¯s be possible, it¡¯s being used?¡± [You know well.] I felt the same. [I can erase abilities. It may synchronize with your abilities, but it¡¯s a power I originally had.] ¡°How is it possible?¡± [I can¡¯t disclose thepany secrets. But if there¡¯s a condition, it¡¯s possible when the ability isn¡¯t owned by anyone and is manifested like this.] He subtly leaked information. If Yumir was astute, she would surely notice. ¡°¡­So there is such an ability user? In the firm?¡± As expected. Yumir was sharp. It took a little time, but she urately caught my intention almost instantly. ¡°I thought you took Ermina¡¯s ability to make it yours. I was watching how. But Goblin, you erased Ermina¡¯s abilities in front of everyone. I have suspected since then, and indeed.¡± [Ermina. That seems like a pretty old story.] It happened less than a month ago, but it felt much longer due to many intervening events. [It feels like digging up an old story. Strange.] ¡°The world is moving fast, with many things happening. What wasn¡¯t mentioned then is being mentioned now. And thanks to that¡­ I could confirm it again. And.¡± Yumir, with a serious face, turned toward me. ¡°I learned about the demon¡¯s heart. Thanks to that, I realized it again. My ability seems special, but there can be others with simr abilities.¡± [A good mindset.] ¡°There might be more ability users like the Goblin? Merging with other ability users, pulling out rider suits, and erasing abilities.¡± [Of course.] The abilities I used with the Goblin Bat were all based on the subculture of this world, of Earth. ¡°There seems to be more in the world I don¡¯t know about.¡± [It¡¯s the dark world unknown to Sr tina. And this dark world is more profound and strange than you think. Once they learn that Sr tina can materialize demon abilities, they¡¯ll pursue Sr tina.] ¡°To be ability users?¡± [Yes. Whether it¡¯s Total Erasure or whatever, the Golden Priestess has revealed herself. And she has erased the toad demon¡¯s ability.] Human thoughts were diverse. And it was not just ability users who could think of unique abilities. [Even the non-ability users can think of that. Whether the ability was erased or stolen? If stolen, does it transfer as it is, or is it stored and transferred in some form?] ¡°The background to think of that¡­¡± [Even before 2000, numerous creative works came out, and there were actually settings that perfectly matched them. They¡¯re still being serialized.] Demon¡¯s seed. Demon¡¯s heart. If a seed grew well and bore fruit, it would be correct to use the word fruit, but the reason society was not directly using it was because it was not polite to refer to a bad thing. ¡®I¡¯m observing well, thanks to you.¡¯ A brother was fighting with his younger sibling without being executed. Whether the worldview had changed around 2000 or because abilities actually existed, there were many different stories than what I knew. Would the protagonist¡¯s older brother die in a boys¡¯ic that gave dreams and hopes to children? The ability users who readics could go berserk due to the culture shock. [The world will try to catch you to create a demon¡¯s heart. They¡¯ll start investigating you everywhere to understand your identity. The world won¡¯t spare you. Rather, they¡¯ll scrutinize you obsessively.] ¡°I¡¯m prepared.¡± [Really?] ¡°Yes. Whatever difficulty¡­ Is difficulty a bad word? Whatever adversity or hardshipes, I can ovee it. If my identity is revealed, I just have to live hiding the fact that I¡¯m an academy student.¡± [Optimistic. You don¡¯t know being chased by the world until you experience it.] ¡°Goblin, an S-ss viin, is living well, isn¡¯t he?¡± [It just seems that way.] Every time I went out, I had to take off the Taeguk Watch, worry about bing naked when I transformed back, and always had to worry about the depletion of magic. ¡°That¡¯s enough. And the resolution as a hero? That¡­¡± Yumir, with a smirk, approached me. ¡°The resolution to enter the house of a man I like alone was much harder.¡± [¡­Is thatparable?] ¡°Goblin wouldn¡¯t know. The mindset of a girl entering a guy¡¯s room alone.¡± Yumir leaned her upper body toward me with a smile, her back to the sea. ¡°If I¡¯m resolved to steal the Goblin from the secret society as a woman, can I not say that I can charge at the world?¡± I thought she wasn¡¯t ready. She was. [You were a hero ready from the beginning.] ¡°As a hero. And also¡­¡± She grinned. ¡°As a woman.¡± Chapter 115: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (1) Chapter 115: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (1) There was nothing as uncool as continuing to question the resolve of a hero who had already made up their mind. Probing them whenever they wavered was one thing, but questioning them every day was just aggravating. [I understand your resolve. You¡¯ve defeated the demon. What will you do now?] ¡°What do you mean, what will I do? Of course, I¡¯ll continue as a hero-¡± [I¡¯m asking how you¡¯re going to spend tonight.] ¡°¡­What?¡± I had already concluded discussions on our roles as hero and viin, but Yumir seemed unexpectedly surprised, her mouth hanging open. ¡°What did you just say?¡± [I mentioned a viin has their own circumstances. I¡¯m busy right now. It¡¯s a bit much to divulge personal matters, but I¡¯m on the verge of spending a night with an incredibly beautiful blonde.] ¡°¡­Are you insane? Saying that in front of the person involved!¡± [What are you talking about?] I shrugged lightly. [I really don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say.] ¡°Hey!¡± [Hey, indeed. I thought we had made our resolves, but it seems like the mood was ruined. Maybe tonight¡¯s not the night?] ¡°That, that¡¯s not what-¡± Yumir seemed to lose the confidence she had a moment ago, fidgeting and checking my reaction. ¡°I mean, until we had tea, there was something, but after defeating the demon, the mood is¡­¡± [You said you were ready as a woman, but are you going to disappoint the guy?] ¡°No¡­! Why keep doing this?¡± [It¡¯s disappointing, Sr tina. You talk about stealing a man who¡¯s already taken, but your actions are like a na?ve maiden-] Swoosh! A red whip grazed my head. I dodged and quickly closed the distance between us. [See? You¡¯re clearly flustered. Are you single?] ¡°Sh, shut up!¡± [You must be. You aren¡¯t denying it.] ¡°How can someone with this ability have a rtionship!¡± Yumir screamed and reached out toward me. ¡°How much have I struggled¡­Huh?¡± [What?] ¡°No, weren¡¯t you dodging? Why were you caught¡­?¡± [Just because.] Seeing her trying to grab even a handful of my clothes, I allowed her to. [You closed the distance, so this is possible.] I moved closer to Yumir and brought my face near hers. [The distance between you and me is just a mask away, Sr tina. You have one major misconception.] ¡°What, what is it¡­?¡± Yumir swallowed, scanning me up and down. Her face slowly turned red. She leaned back slightly but didn¡¯tpletely retreat. [Rtionships aren¡¯t only between non-ability users and aspiring heroes but can also ur between viins and heroes.] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I reached out behind Yumir. [There¡¯s a ssic and surefire way for a viin to corrupt a hero, especially when the viin and the hero are of different genders.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [What¡¯s more precious to Sr tina? The first time as the hero Sr tina? Or the first time as a woman?] ¡°Wh, what¡¯s the difference¡­?¡± [It changes a lot depending on whether the man involved is a non-ability user or an ability user. For instance,] I ced Yumir¡¯s hand on my chest. [Non-ability users only use stamina, but ability users can use magic.] ¡°What exactly are you trying to do?¡± [You can experience it from now on. How about experiencing it yourself as a hero? About how the Goblin corrupts a female hero.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir¡¯s pupils began to shake violently. Her indecision and agony deepened, fear slowly seeping into her eyes. [It seems you¡¯re not ready. It¡¯s a characteristic of heroes. They bravely dere their resolve but hesitate to put it into action.] ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± [Do you want to test it right now?] I pulled Yumir towards a bench and sat her down. [Proof can be made anywhere. Even here, it¡¯s possible.] ¡°He, here?!¡± [You think it¡¯s impossible?] I ced one hand on Yumir¡¯s shoulder, moving the other to my waist. ¡°Heek¡­!¡± The trousers made of magic didn¡¯t require any unbuckling, but just moving my hand to my waist was enough. ¡°Re, really here¡­?¡± Yumir was a perceptive woman. She must have caught on to my intentions. ¡°Are you really doing it now?¡± [Of course. Why do you think it wouldn¡¯t work?] ¡°No, I¡­ I was prepared but¡­ never thought I would do it with a goblin¡­¡± [It might actually be morefortable.] ¡°¡­ What if we get caught?¡± [Viins don¡¯t make moves considering getting caught.] ¡°¡­.Just a moment.¡± Yumir reached out and pushed me away, then immediately stretched her hand towards the sky. Boom¡ª A golden circle centered around Yumir expanded and quickly concealed its appearance. [A barrier?] ¡°Haah. Originally, I created this barrier to imprison goblins¡­ Now, we won¡¯t be seen by others here. At least not by those with less magic power than me.¡± Only those with more magical power than Yumir, who had EX-ss magic power, could see this. In other words, nobody in the world can see what was urring within this barrier. ¡°I¡­ I never thought it woulde to this¡­¡± Yumir once again pulled her hood and mask tight, looking at me silently as Sr tina. ¡°¡­If I get vinated by the Goblin, does that mean the Goblin bes my vine? A vine that keeps other viins from approaching me?¡± [An apt description.] I adjusted the mask on my face. [I am the one bringing you into our sworn group. However.] Ssssss. ¡°¡­If there¡¯s anyone daring toy a hand on Sr tina, whom I¡¯ve acquired, naturally, I¡¯d have to eliminate them before they even hand out their business cards.¡± Maintaining the mask up to the bridge of my nose, revealing only my eyes, I looked at Yumir, who had donned her hood over her clothes. ¡°¡­ Only the eyes are visible. The hood and bangs cover everything else. Why show the eyes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s polite.¡± If Yumir was showing her resolve, I couldn¡¯t remain fully masked. ¡°So.¡± I slowly reached out to Yumir. ¡°Prove it to the Goblin. Your resolve.¡±
¡°An S-ss demon has appeared on Sejong Ind, and an ability user of S-ss who suppressed the demon in one fell swoop has emerged?¡± [Exactly. It¡¯s chaos here.] Having finished her shower at her house in Busan, Baek Seol-hee sat down on the sofa, bewildered. ¡°What happened to the demon?¡± [Total Erasure. It lost its abilities. It¡¯s in the same state as Ermina Sternferdt.] ¡°¡­A power that nullifies other powers. Wasn¡¯t it concluded in thest meeting that the Goblin did that?¡± [Indeed. But think about it. Have you ever seen the Goblin just kill viins or demons instead of taking their abilities?] ¡°No.¡± Baek Seol-hee, who had shed with the Goblin more than anyone, knew this well. The Goblin didn¡¯t have the ability to steal others¡¯ powers. If he had been concealing it, he would have used it much earlier in the past six months. ¡°So, what¡¯s your opinion?¡± [I think it¡¯s not the Goblin but another entity, this ¡®Golden Priestess¡¯, who might have the ability to steal powers. And¡­] ¡°And?¡± [This is still in the realm of my spection, but it seems like he¡¯s partnered with the Goblin. The Golden Priestess extracts the power, and the Goblin destroys it. Remember how he crushed something in his hand in front of Ermina, who turned white-haired? That was probably a power.] ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± [The most meaningless phrase in the world is ¡®That¡¯s ridiculous¡¯. How about thinking this way? ¡®Of course, it makes sense!¡¯.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee covered her face with her hands. [Why? I think there¡¯s plenty of possibility. Maybe the Goblin and Golden Priestess are in ¡®that¡¯ kind of rtionship, and they have a partnership of¡­] ¡°If you¡¯re going to talk nonsense, I¡¯m hanging up.¡± [I¡¯m not talking nonsense. I¡¯m being serious! Before being heroes and viins, they could be a man and a woman.] ¡°We don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re heroes yet. All we know is that they caught a demon and nullified its powers, rendering it powerless. That¡¯s all.¡± [At least they didn¡¯t kill anyone.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee scowled heavily. ¡°A hero allying with a viin. That¡¯s more of a¡­¡± [It could be a hero living in disguise. Of course, the candidate would be a woman on Sejong Ind who looks quite mature. If she is indeed in ¡®that¡¯ kind of rtionship with the Goblin, it would obviously narrow down to adult women. How about that? My deduction.] ¡°Yes, yes. Understood. President, please continue your passionate deduction.¡± [Are you angry because I linked the Goblin and the Golden Priestess-] Click. Baek Seol-hee covered the Taeguk Watch with her hand and hung up the call. ¡°¡­Why would I¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee silently contemted something in her head, covering her mouth with her hand. ¡°Haah, Ji-hwan¡­¡± Soon. She only wished to meet him soon at Ulleungdo. Chapter 115.5: Yumir Chapter 115.5: Yumir I never thought she would be okay with doing it outdoors. And to think we would do it in a transformed state as the Goblin¡­ Still, I had no intention of making it awkward with a girl who was mentally prepared. Silently, our masks collided. We were both hiding our faces with masks, so our lower faces weren¡¯t visible, but our lips, though not directly, ¡­ Thump, thump. Yumir couldn¡¯t look at me squarely; her gaze shook greatly, and her hands could only clutch her own clothes; she couldn¡¯t push me away. Softly, I faced Yumir as if to kiss, reaching down to grip her shoulders. ¡°The chest¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d touch the chest first.¡± Yumir subtly emphasized her chest to me, straightening her shoulders. ¡°Well, I have a ratherrge chest. What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice because it¡¯s big. Good to touch, and I want to bury my face in it too. But, right now, I want to focus more here.¡± I kept looking at Yumir. Our breaths flowed beneath the masks, our eyes fixedly looking at each other at a distance of less than 10cm. ¡°Or, would you rather just bury your face in my chest and suck or something? It¡¯s really embarrassing¡­!¡± ¡°If you think about what we¡¯re going to do next, you won¡¯t even feel embarrassed.¡± Slowly, I moved my hands down from her shoulders and lightly grasped Yumir¡¯s chest. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Yumir closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a moan. ¡°Haah, men¡­¡± Perhaps she was happy that I eventually touched her chest; Yumir smiled with her eyes curved like crescents. Now, I could tell the expression beneath the mask just by looking at her eyes. ¡°Yumir.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to see forward from now.¡± Before Yumir could react, I raised my hand and pulled her mask upwards. ¡°Huh?!¡± The mask swiftly rose above her nose, and the end caught on her nose bridge. ¡°!!¡± Yumir¡¯s whole body began to tense. I could feel the tremors from the hands holding her chest and shoulders and the cold touch of Yumir¡¯s lips conveyed to my lips. ¡°Haah.¡± Yumir rxed, releasing a short breath, and I kissed her again. Softly. At first, Yumir didn¡¯t open her mouth. She moved her lips awkwardly, responding only with her lips as I kissed, seemingly tense. ¡°!!¡± She clenched her fists that were ced beside her hips. The moment I slipped my tongue between her lips, Yumir unknowingly bit down, blocking my tongue. Tap, tap. I held Yumir¡¯s wrists and tapped forward with my tongue. I knocked with my tongue against the firmly closed barrier, soothingly stroked the back of Yumir¡¯s hand, and interlocked fingers with her. ¡°Haah.¡± Yumir opened her mouth. It was just a little, but her mouth opened slightly, and I slipped my tongue inside, searching for her tongue. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Yumir flinched and tilted her head back. The moment our tongues touched, she involuntarily pulled her tongue back in surprise. I pulled my tongue, gently sucking her lower lip, and ced my tongue on Yumir¡¯s lip. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Very slowly, Yumir ced her tongue on mine. I licked the softly ced tongue as if scooping it up from the side, and Yumir, keeping her tongue out, pulled her hand upwards. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yumir¡¯s mask was hanging just on her nose. I was very close to her face, so we couldn¡¯t see each other below the bridge of our noses. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Yumir opened her eyes narrowly and tried to grab my face with both hands. I let her hold me willingly and left her to do as she pleased. ¡°Haum.¡± The moment I slightly opened my mouth, Yumir slipped her tongue inside. Softly. She tried to move her tongue as I did, but there was a palpable awkwardness in the subtle movement of her tongue. Softly, softly. I stuck my tongue out, letting Yumir y with it as she pleased, and Yumir earnestly started kissing me. To someone watching from the side, it might look like the fervent kiss between the male and female leads in a Hollywood movie. The lingering kiss, something you¡¯d never see in a Korean film, continued until Yumir decided to stop herself. ¡°Haah, haah.¡± How long did we kiss? Saliva had pooled under our lips, and Yumir, slowly feeling her lower face being pulled, released a ragged breath. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Tap tap. I tapped Yumir¡¯s shoulder as a signal, and Yumir tilted her head back, seemingly discontented. ¡°Is kissing difficult?¡± ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never done it before.¡± ¡°Was it your first kiss?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never even had a peck on the cheek, and the first thing to touch my lips is a man¡¯s tongue.¡± ¡°What an honor.¡± We both lowered our masks. I pulled mine to cover my lower face, but Yumir pressed her mask to hide her expression. ¡°Do you like it that much?¡± ¡°Is, is it good?¡± ¡°The kiss.¡± ¡°¡­In other countries, it¡¯s like a greeting, you know?¡± ¡°A casual peck and this intense kiss arepletely different stories. So¡­ it seems to have worked well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± While kissing, it wasn¡¯t only Yumir¡¯s lips that were wet. ¡°Weren¡¯t you aware?¡± ¡°Wh, when¡­?¡± ¡°Your body reacted better than expected.¡± I immediately slid my hand inside Yumir¡¯s skirt. Prick. ¡°Eek¡­?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to utilize the texture of the cloth but to even implement the stickiness when it¡¯s wet. This suggests¡­ you¡¯ve felt it several times before.¡± I stroked Yumir¡¯s underwear inside her skirt. Without me having to wet it separately, her underwear was properly soaked. ¡°How often do you masturbate?¡± ¡°What, what are you asking? You pervert¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. No one is here anyway. No one can hear our conversation or see us.¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s not the¡­!¡± ¡°In the first ce, being transformed like this is no different from walking around naked.¡± Being clothed in only magic power, she was practically naked all the time. ¡°Remember, when captured by a viin, you could end up naked.¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Yumir stared at me fiercely and flicked her finger lightly. ¡°¡­!¡± Swish. The clothes forming Yumir¡¯s entire body turned into mist and scattered, and Yumir became naked in an instant. ¡°Hehe. Why? Are you disappointed you couldn¡¯t undress me?¡± ¡°I was thinking of doing it without undressing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I saw how you were flustered looking at my naked body. ¡­And.¡± Yumir¡¯s hand was moving down toward me. ¡°This being so big must mean it¡¯s excited seeing my naked body, right?¡± As expected. I understood Yumir¡¯s disposition. It seemed that Yumir was more excited and embarrassed by the fact that I was excited by her rather than her being naked. Then, it was time to modify the strategy. ¡°Yumir.¡± I reached towards Yumir¡¯s lower half, inserting my hand between her thighs. ¡°I want to prate you right now.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°Right now.¡± ¡°Ri, right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Forey was skipped. Perhaps Yumir never thought I would be so impatient to prate her without any other form of affection after the kiss. She awkwardly smiled, rolling her eyes side to side. ¡°Well, if, if you say so, I have no choice. Okay. We have to do it at least once in our lives anyway. So¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going in.¡± ¡°Huh? Wa, wait¡­! I need to prepare myself mentally, ah¡­!¡± Yumir iled her arms, and while sitting on the bench, she got prated. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s in¡­! Ah, ah, wait a moment, it feels like it¡¯s burning¡­!¡± Possibly due to feeling this sensation for the first time in her life, Yumir frowned and red at me. ¡°Th, this sensation is my first, ah¡­!¡± ¡°I can tell you¡¯re a virgin without you saying it. However¡­¡± Prick. ¡°You¡¯re so wet that forey wasn¡¯t necessary; you must have been looking forward to this, too, right?¡± ¡°I, I don¡¯t know¡­!¡± Yumir¡¯s inside was quite slick. There was no need for lubricant or even spitting. Her private parts were bubbling with excited fluids. ¡°You masturbate quite often, it seems.¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°I can tell just by looking.¡± I grabbed Yumir¡¯s shoulder and met her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve masturbated thinking about me, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way you could get this wet just from having sex with me. Your body wouldn¡¯t be this ready before your mind is.¡± Unless she often got this wet thinking about me, there was no reason for a virgin to be this aroused. ¡°Be honest, I¡¯ll go easy on you. Have you masturbated thinking about me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t say, I¡¯ll prate you. Just a bit more and¡­.¡± ¡°I, I¡¯ve masturbated¡­!¡± Yumir, teary-eyed, confessed. ¡°Well, well. So¡­.¡± ¡°Speak. Who were you thinking of?¡± I gripped Yumir¡¯s chin with one hand. ¡°Was it the Goblin or Do Ji-hwan? Or were you thinking of both while pleasuring yourself?¡± ¡°Well, well¡­.¡± Yumir bit her lip and lowered her head. ¡°¡­I realized Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin quite early on¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Well, from the moment I showed you my naked body, actually¡­.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She realized it, then? ¡°I¡¯ll have to hear more about thatter. It¡¯s not something to discuss while having sex.¡± One should focus on sex while having it. ¡°I¡¯m going to continue.¡± ¡°Ah, ah¡­! Wa, wait. If you go in like that, the angle¡­ah¡­?!¡± Prick. The moment I went deeper, Yumir¡¯s head fell back. ¡°Ah, ah, aah¡­?!¡± Whoosh! The moment I thrust a little deeper, Yumir, releasing love juice, reached her climax. A bit of her fluids sshed on my clothes as I prated her in a missionary-like position, but I teased Yumir¡¯s clit more and thrust deeper. ¡°Th, this, it¡¯s weird¡­! It¡¯s so different from when I masturbate¡­!¡± ¡°My member is quite special.¡± I grabbed Yumir¡¯s breasts. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± ¡°Every time I grab your breasts, you tighten up. Should I just bite them?¡± ¡°Did you, did you cast some spell on me¡­! I¡¯ve never been this aroused, ah, haang, this is strange¡­!¡± Yumir extended her tongue and slightly rolled her eyes back. ¡°Haak, you¡¯re all liars¡­! They said the first time would hurt, and I was really worried¡­! This isn¡¯t painful, haak, it¡¯s just hot and pleasurable¡­ahh¡­!¡± Her white shoulders were trembling, her arms draped over the back of the bench, squirming. ¡°Did you brainwash me with some strange power¡­! It must be amplifying the pleasure¡­!¡± ¡°Well.¡± I knew such methods but didn¡¯t bother using them. ¡°That¡¯s probably because you¡¯ve imagined having sex with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve fantasized about having sex with a virtual me while pleasuring yourself. Now you¡¯re experiencing the real deal and loving it.¡± Squeeze. ¡°So, did you think about having sex with Do Ji-hwan, or was it the Goblin?¡± ¡°Haah, haah. Well¡­ both¡­?¡± Before she could say anything more embarrassing, Yumir tightened around me, seeming confused. ¡°I wanted to have sex with the teacher as Yumir, pretending I didn¡¯t know his real identity, and as Sr tina with the Goblin, both hiding our faces¡­ahh¡­!¡± ¡°Your preferences are unique. Isn¡¯t this being unfaithful?¡± ¡°No, no! It¡¯s not being unfaithful. It¡¯s losing my virginity twice to the same man, aah¡­!¡± ¡°You seem to have a big misconception about deflowering a deflowered virgin.¡± I sat next to Yumir on the bench, our knees touching. ¡°So, how is it, having sex like this? Do you like it?¡± ¡°Haah, it, it feels¡­ good¡­ It¡¯s iparable to self-pleasure¡­.¡± Yumir¡¯s body formed a ¡®V¡¯ shape between me and the bench, and I prated her deeper. ¡°Aah, this can¡¯t be¡­ I¡¯ll be addicted to it, andter, because of it¡­.¡± ¡°I told you. When having sex, focus on the sex.¡± ¡°But, but¡­ I have a goblin in front of me¡­.¡± Yumir, trying to look upset, looked up at me with her trembling voice. ¡°Now that I know what it¡¯s like to have sex with you, haak, how can I go back to before¡­.¡± ¡°Would be nice if you could rx about it. Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± I leaned towards Yumir again. ¡°Let¡¯s enjoy this moment as a man and a woman, putting everything else aside.¡± Facing each other, our faces close enough to see each other in our eyes, I lightly kissed Yumir. ¡°Forget everything and enjoy this as a woman.¡± ¡°Can, can I enjoy this¡­? This kind of thing¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t want to enjoy it? Should I pull out?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I hate that kind of threat.¡± Yumir softly ced her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Since we¡¯re doing it without a condom¡­.¡± ¡°I nned to do it inside from the beginning.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Yumir¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That, that is¡­?¡± ¡°Yumir. From the moment I saw you again.¡± I gripped Yumir¡¯s chin and prated deeper. ¡°I wanted to have sex and impregnate you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I hadn¡¯t thought that far¡­!¡± Yumir bit her lower lip and looked up at me with expectant eyes. ¡°So now, haah, I can think about names for our grandchildren while pleasuring myself¡­ you won¡¯t say anything, right?¡± ¡°No. Why would you do that.¡± I whispered, prating to the hilt. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll satisfy you whenever you want.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± We kissed again. I kissed her, rendering her unable to resist. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The moment Yumir felt a response from me. Swish. Yumir gently closed her eyes, and I pulled away slightly after leaving a kiss on her lips. Whoosh!!! ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Yumir climaxed with her eyes closed. Synchronizing with her climax, I ejacted inside her, and Yumir, without any resistance, trembled and let go. ¡°¡­¡­Haahaa.¡± With a reasonably deep sigh, Yumir looked up at me and gave a faint smile. ¡°¡­Um, well, uh.¡± Yumir¡¯s intimate area gripped me once, strongly, and slowly began to release. ¡°So¡­¡± Poke. ¡°If it¡¯s alright¡­¡± As I pulled out, white and sticky fluid flowed out along with me from Yumir. ¡°From now on, without thinking about anything else¡­will you continue to make love to me¡­?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Which man could give a different answer here? ¡°Know that every time you meet me from now on, you¡¯ll be receiving it without any protection.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I.¡± Yumir licked her lips with her tongue, smiling with expectant eyes. ¡°Every day, even at dawn or at night, will you visit¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, wait¡­! It¡¯s, it¡¯s too much! I can¡¯t, can¡¯t take any more¡­!¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­! You¡¯re so good at making love, I understand now¡­! Haum, if you keep sealing my lips with kisses¡­!¡± ¡°Aaaah!! Haah, I don¡¯t care anymore¡­! I¡¯m, I¡¯m really going to die¡­! Inside, huk, something keeps stirring¡­hayahaat¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I kept thrusting into her until Yumir, clinging to my chest, fainted. Chapter 116: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (2) Chapter 116: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (2) His steps were light. Even while carrying someone on his back as he ran through the streets, his steps were incredibly light. To begin with, the person he was carrying wasn¡¯t particrly heavy. She might have a lot of magic power, making her seem heavy, but surprisingly, she was quite light. ¡°It¡¯s a big problem.¡± [Are you hurt?] ¡°¡­Not right now.¡± Yumir opened her eyes thinly and red at me. ¡°I see why you¡¯d say that. I feel dizzy and nauseous from being shaken so much. Can you imagine how others would feel?¡± [Well, there¡¯s an intermediary process with you and me. Others would probably just feel dirty and devilish if they experienced it this way.] It was just a guess. [In reality, there are many who have turned devilish.] ¡°Have you ever tried it?¡± [Nonsense. I¡¯m the one who smashes those devilish heads with the Goblin Bat. Why would I do such a thing? I have a wife and more friends than I can count on one hand.] ¡°Wow. Trash.¡± It was the truth. ¡°So, which finger am I?¡± [Are you asking about the order or your personal ranking?] ¡°Both.¡± [Order-wise, seventh.] One hand was filled with ¡®viins¡¯. On the other hand, from the thumb to the index finger, it started filling up with ¡®heroes.¡¯ [Rankings don¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s move on.] ¡°You just omit the parts unfavorable to you.¡± [That¡¯s what a viin does. Want to be a viin? You can be selfish, and no one will say a thing.] ¡°People don¡¯t say anything not because they don¡¯t want to, but because it¡¯s pointless.¡± [That¡¯s why one bes a viin.] Heroes would get criticized for such behavior, but viins would just get a ¡°knew he¡¯d do that¡± response. [The path of a viin is always open. Of course, joining other viins is no longer allowed by me. Since I¡¯ve slightly revealed my identity, you¡¯re now in my grasp.] ¡°Heroes are fine?¡± [Heroes are fine. My goal is for the hero ¡®tinum Sun¡¯ to join the Union. It¡¯s okay to be an official, but you can¡¯t join any otherpany.] ¡°What if I enter as an industrial spy?¡± [If you enter as a spy and climb to the position of CEO, then a new world will unfold. We¡¯ve arrived.] Carrying Yumir, I arrived at my house. The balcony window was open, and I naturally brought her into my home. [As a senior living undercover, here¡¯s a tip: always be careful with the movement of the Taeguk Watch. If suddenly the GPS appears a few kilometers away, your identity will be revealed instantly.] ¡°Didn¡¯t I reveal it by bringing you here?¡± [So, we reveal to each other then?] ¡°¡­No. I refuse. I just wanted to see how far you¡¯d y your games.¡± Yumir wobbled a bit, sat down on the bed, and sneered with her Taeguk Watch on. ¡°It might be fun to reveal the Goblin¡¯s identity as the human Yumir.¡± [I don¡¯t know what scheme you¡¯re up to, but let¡¯s see how it ys out.] ¡°Okay. Then¡­ugh.¡± As Yumir tried to stand, she stumbled, and I immediately went to support her. ¡°Wow, so natural. Can you touch me now?¡± [Isn¡¯t it about time?] ¡°It¡¯s about time, but seeing your hands naturally¡­ ugh, feels unfair.¡± Yumir red at me and tilted her head for a moment. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to revert from your transformed state?¡± [¡­¡­] ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to? We¡¯re home now. How long will you stay like that? What if others find out?¡± [Hmm.] If I reverted and was discovered -> No longer mattered. If I reverted and Yumir saw me naked -> No problem¡­ -Yay! Saw the Goblin naked. Score! Lol. It wouldn¡¯t work. [It doesn¡¯t matter. I have another appointment after this.] ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± [How do you know if I¡¯m lying or not?] ¡°You, who so considerately left your bike and came.¡± [¡­¡­.] As a man, being considerate to a woman had now backfired. Still, I had no regrets. Whether the person was seated at the back or the front of a bike, considering the difort she would feel from the bike¡¯s vibration, it was much better to securely carry her princess-style. [The task I have doesn¡¯t necessarily require me to revert from my transformed state. From now on, I need to search the inte to investigate today¡¯s events.] ¡°Investigate? Why?¡± [The S-ss demon¡­ Let¡¯s see, it¡¯s called Half-Toad. I need to find out where this demon disappeared to, how people reacted, and so on. This can help in tracking down an evil organization.] ¡°Really? Let me-¡± [Only members of the Union can ess the Union¡¯swork. I¡¯m sorry, but please leave.] ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re just going to send a girl home like that?¡± Yumir puffed up her cheeks, showing her dissatisfaction. [Are you going to leave like that? Right now, your appearance is all over the inte, and there¡¯s even a Wiki page about you.] ¡°Oh my, really?¡± [Yes.] We had a momentary separation from modern civilization, but while we were proving our resolve on top of a cliff, a battle to prove the same erupted on the inte. [Look at this. Analyzing the live video footage, people are calcting your body dimensions down to the pixel.] ¡°¡­¡­Wow, these freaks¡­.¡± It was a bit harsh, but I understood. When I first appeared in a suit as the Goblin, there was a huge fuss online about the video where my suit pants fluttered in the wind. They spected on the size of the ¡°Goblin Bat.¡± -At least he¡¯s not an Asian lol -So, is he ck? Is he a Bro? Initially, the inte was buzzing about this. -Why were all the photos deleted when I was trying to find out the size of the Goblin bat? -Obviously, because he became ¡®named¡¯. You seem out of the loop. All those were deleted. -Dang¡­ I wanted to make a business out of the Goblin bat. Sigh. After bing a direct subordinate of the Chief, suchments were censored. But for Yumir? -Looking at her high heels, maybe size 240? I¡¯m not sure. -If she¡¯s an ability user who can manipte her physique, isn¡¯t this discussion pointless? -Rather, estimate the size of her mana pocket. At least an H. -H¡­ for Hero. ¡°No.¡± Yumir chuckled while reading themunity¡¯s reactions. ¡°These people really¡­¡± [If you join the Union, we can manage all these things for you. How about it?] ¡°¡­It is somewhat appealing, but, well, does it really matter?¡± Yumir moved closer and hugged me tightly from behind. ¡°After all, only the Goblin truly knows the real me.¡± [That attitude is dangerous. You don¡¯t know how venomous they can be. They determine hidden heroes¡¯ identities by analyzing the position of moles on their thighs. Never underestimate those time-based ability users.] ¡°Time-based ability users?¡± [Those who can spend all their avable time on the inte for research.] ¡°Ah, I see. Well, I¡¯m okay with it.¡± Yumir shrugged with a nonchnt smile. ¡°Now that the vague fear is gone, I feel like I can handle whateveres my way. And¡­ I have someone to consult if my mentality is shaken.¡± [Who?] ¡°Who do you think? Hehe.¡± Suddenly, Yumir stretched her hand down to tease me. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not avoiding?¡± [Why would I?] ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s no fun then.¡± Yumir backed away and grabbed my head. [Why? Trying to twist it?] ¡°No. Just don¡¯t look behind for a moment. ¡­ I¡¯m about to revert.¡± [Okay.] I stared straight ahead as instructed. Behind me, I caught a brief glimpse of something golden fading away. Swish! With the swiftness of light, Yumir grabbed some things and darted into the living room. m! From the sound, it was clear she entered the bathroom. [Hmph.] I could hear some struggling sounds from inside, but helping her with that felt a bit too much. ¡®There really is a big difference between men and women at times like this.¡¯ I confirmed Yumir¡¯s struggles from inside with my ears and immediately reverted from my transformed state. As always, I quickly fetched some clothes from my wardrobe. Thud! The door opened. ¡°Finally caught¡­!¡± ¡°Student Yumir?¡± I pointed Yumir up and down. ¡°Put on your clothes properly beforeing out. What are you thinking, stepping out with just a white T-shirt on top? Are you nning to go home like that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­How did¡­?¡± ¡°What?¡± I raised both my arms and shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a man being shirtless in his own home?¡± Wearing only trousers and shorts, I grinned towards Yumir. ¡°Anyints, student Yumir?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yumir gritted her teeth at me and retreated back into the bathroom. Bang! The bathroom door closed roughly, and I casually picked up a shirt. ¡°That was close.¡± When you reverted from a transformation, your clothes came off. I almost got caught. ¡®She must¡¯ve realized it. Seeing that I didn¡¯t revert from my transformation.¡¯ She probably thought the same applied to her. ¡­Well, she might have had some inkling. ¡°Trying to sneak a peek at someone else¡¯s naked body. Such a mischievous college student.¡± At the very least, I wasn¡¯t exposed, so I guess I was safe. Oh, The incident after Yumir¡¯s transformation? The part where the Goblin handed over a coat magically woven to cover up transformed Yumir¡¯s body? That was what the Goblin saw. I, Do Ji-hwan, have no knowledge of it. Chapter 117: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (3) Chapter 117: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (3) ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible that when the Goblin reverts from his transformation, he¡¯spletely naked or something?¡± After changing clothes and taking a shower. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve never seen him revert his transformation in front of others.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with being naked?¡± ¡°Because he bes naked, he probably doesn¡¯t revert in front of others on purpose, right? Isn¡¯t that the case, teacher?¡± Until nearly midnight, Yumir and I had a tea time conversation. ¡°It¡¯s possible. But if he knew that, would he leave someone who discovered it alive?¡± ¡°Keep your mouth shut if you don¡¯t want to die?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he force you to keep quiet using his Goblin¡¯s Bat?¡± ¡°Then, why not just bite it off?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how strong your teeth are, Yumir, but the Goblin¡¯s Bat is probably really hard.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Tsk.¡± Yumir made a face and flicked a water droplet at me. ¡°Look at that reaction. You¡¯re not even hiding it anymore?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a trick anyone could do?¡± ¡°Is that ordinary?¡± ¡°Yes, because I¡¯m a non-ability user.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± I skillfully avoided it and showed Yumir all the data I had gathered from onlinemunities via my Taeguk Watch and smartphone. ¡°Want to see this?¡± ¡°What am I looking at¡­Huh?¡± Yumir was momentarily breathless. ¡°There are many crazies in the world.¡± The photos I showed her were twofold. A photo of the ¡®Golden Priestess¡¯ ovepped with a photo taken of Yumir studying at the academy from a simr angle. ¡°It seems like the ovep is just at the level of ¡®kind of simr¡¯. People can be so malicious. Trying to stir up controversy by ovepping photos of someone like student Yumir with this hero.¡± ¡°But to this extent¡­?¡± ¡°Of course. There are so many dangerous people in the world.¡± Being unaware of the specifics of the dark web, Yumir could only be shocked by the world¡¯s griminess. ¡°You have to be cautious. You never know when, where, and who might spread such rumors. There could be ims that S+ tier ability user Magical Girl Golden Priestess and Student Yumir are the same person due to simr body types.¡± ¡°¡­Now I see why the Goblin goes to great lengths to hide his figure.¡± Yumir gritted her teeth at me. ¡°If I had known earlier, I might have walked around in armor form. Just to protect the beauty of Korea. Isn¡¯t this just another trap set by the Goblin?¡± ¡°A trap?¡± ¡°Like trying to seduce me into needing the protection of your organization.¡± ¡°Perhaps? The Goblin isn¡¯t entirely benevolent. He¡¯s a viin.¡± No intention of hiding it. Promoting traditional Korean beauty through a Hanbok-based outfit? From the moment Yumir revealed her form, I had thought someone would uncover her identity at some point. -Is this candid photography? -More important is social justice! -Doesn¡¯t seem like it. She¡¯s foreign. Foreigners wouldn¡¯t wear such a Korean costume. Also, there¡¯s an essential problem. -What is it? -The Golden Priestess is taller, lol. It was just a ¡®suspicion¡¯ for now. But if more evidence began to umte and it eventually became ¡®confirmed¡¯, it¡¯d be toote. ¡°Be careful if you receive scam messages on your phone with a message like ¡®Is this you?¡¯ with an attached picture. This means the person is already convinced you¡¯re the Golden Priestess. It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Ask the Goblin to handle the scammer, perhaps?¡± ¡°Would the Goblin do that?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s necessary for the organization, the Goblin would readily step in. Though the world sees the Goblin as a viin, his primary goal is for the ¡®benefit of the organization¡¯. ¡­ This is all spection on my part, though.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yumir solemnly nodded. After seeing such a detailed analysis of herself and photosparing her figure to a hero, it was understandable that her mental state was shaken. ¡°I should be careful during swimming sessions at the academy¡­¡± ¡°Such curriculums might just be for this kind of background check.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. Did you think it was solely for survival skills in water?¡± The academy was far more cynical and brutal than expected. In the name of patriotism, there was no issue with infringing upon an individual¡¯s privacy. ¡°It¡¯s ironic. A hero who reveals their identity has no qualms about going to a swimming pool. In contrast, a hero who hides their identity could have their cover blown from a single picture taken at a pool,¡± I remarked. ¡°It¡¯s a scary world,¡± replied Yumir. ¡°The world has changed so much.¡± Assuming that every paparazzi in the entertainment industry targeted ability users was an exaggeration. Investigating concealed ability users was not only the role of the paparazzi but also intelligence agencies like the CIA or the National Intelligence Service. ¡°S+ tier ability users. For starters, they have the confirmed ability to revert a demonized ability user back to a normal human, although the specifics of how remain unclear. Even if we don¡¯t know where the ability goes, it¡¯s confirmed they can nullify the demon¡¯s ability. That alone attracts worldwide attention. What if they could extract that ability, convert it into a tangible form, or entirely make it their own? Wow, even I would be intrigued by such a hero.¡± ¡°A hero that attracts so much attention from the world that even the Goblin is prepared to reveal his identity¡­¡± ¡°Exactly. He¡¯s probably taking precautions. But he needs to be even more cautious.¡± I adjusted my sitting position and pulled out a picture of the Goblin. ¡°You mentioned it, Yumir. When the Goblin reverts from his transformation, he might bepletely naked. So, here¡¯s a question: Would the Goblin be embarrassed about being naked in front of people?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Yumir blushed and shook her head from side to side. ¡°The Goblin¡­ he¡¯s very confident about his body.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s not being naked he¡¯s embarrassed about. What he¡¯s truly worried about is people using photos of his body to figure out his identity. At the very least, he¡¯d cover his face in such a situation.¡± ¡°So, by looking at his body, they would identify the Goblin?¡± ¡°Yes. This might sound like a joke,¡± Certainly not. ¡°But if he could effectively hide his face, he might confidently pose, hands on his hips. What do you think?¡± It was not embarrassment over being naked that made him avoid reverting in front of others. ¡°What do you think, Yumir?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a moment of fidgeting with her fingers and sizing me up, Yumir said, ¡°¡­I agree.¡± She seemed deeply convinced by my words.
Late at night. It was nearing midnight, but there was no curfew for academy university students. ¡°You don¡¯t need to escort me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not gentlemanly to let a young woman walk home ale at night.¡± ¡°Hmph. I am an ability user, you know.¡± ¡°In this unpredictable world? A sudden incident could ur in the city, and an S-tier demon might appear, followed by the Golden Priestess to subdue it.¡± ¡°And there might be dangerous people observing from behind.¡± Talking like this, we soon reached the dormitory area. Faculty couldn¡¯t enter the student zone, and several other couples were also bidding each other farewell. ¡°Honey, are you sure you¡¯re okay? Any injuries?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just relieved you¡¯re not hurt.¡± In front of the dormitory, A-tier ability user ¡®Fire Knuckle¡¯ and a girl, presumably his girlfriend, were sweetly talking. They¡¯d been through a significant incident just hours ago, but being alive allowed them to continue exchanging love like this. ¡°Hey. Hyuk-ah. Why¡­ can¡¯t we just not go in tonight? Let¡¯s go to my dorm room.¡± ¡°Noona?¡± ¡°I¡­ I want to apologize to you¡­ Even though faculty can¡¯t enter student dorms¡­¡± ¡°Noona.¡± Fire Knuckle hesitated for a moment while holding his girlfriend¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Now.¡± ¡°Ah, really¡­!¡± The two yfully vanished. ¡°Wow, patriotic duty. What if an unborn child starts throwing fire punches in the womb?¡± ¡°What are you saying? ¡­Anyway, what about a Goblin child? How would it turn out?¡± ¡°The Goblin¡¯s child? Hmm¡­ It¡¯d depend on who births the child, wouldn¡¯t it? Anyway, be careful going in. It¡¯s gotten quitete.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yumir seemed reluctant to leave. ¡°Thank you for everything today, teacher. I¡¯lle for another ¡®special private lesson¡¯ next time.¡± Aha. That was the setting. ¡°Of course. Whenever Yumir wants to learn about librarians, I¡¯m always ready for a special private lesson.¡± ¡°A librarian?¡± ¡°Of course. A library¡¯s librarian is the best.¡± ¡°Li-brary, huh¡­ Alright then.¡± Yumir hesitated, looking up at me and pointing at my Taeguk Watch. ¡°By the way, are you free next weekend?¡± ¡°Next weekend? By then¡­¡± ¡°It will be after my provincial training.¡± Yumir took a deep breath, ¡°I¡­ I want to go sightseeing. For a day or two.¡± She stared straight at me, proposing a trip. ¡°To Ulleungdo.¡± Chapter 118: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (4) Chapter 118: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (4) A woman who was suggesting going to Ulleungdo first? -Dr. Love, I have a question. A girl I¡¯m seeing suggests we go to Ulleungdo together. What should I do? -Oh dear. When she says let¡¯s go to Ulleungdo, it¡¯s like suggesting booking a wedding venue! How can you even date if you don¡¯t know that? All you need to do now is to book amodations in Ulleungdo! Even if you spend your entire month¡¯s sry, make the reservation! -She¡¯s already made the reservation. -In that case, you should be deciding on baby names right now! What are you doing? This was quite the situation. It was undeniably significant. Not just a patriotic duty but a situation where one could elevate the nation¡¯s prestige. If one simply saw this situation as between the Student Yumir and Teacher Do Ji-hwan, it would be so. ¡°Look at this?¡± Yumir was trying to seduce me. Not just ordinary seduction; she was determined to reel me in. Though she might act shy, demure, and innocent¡­ In reality, she was hiding her intentions, much like the praying mantis who consumed the male after mating, intending to suck everything out of him. Of course, I didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d literally eat me. Joking about our conversations aside, since she already knew that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin, seducing Do Ji-hwan was the same as seducing the Goblin. She aimed to gain significant aid for her hero activities through this. She had an objective of asking the Goblin to ¡®execute¡¯ viins or demons she didn¡¯t want to kill. Ultimately, her goal was to convert the Goblin from a despised creature into a Golden Priest, a Sunlight Rider, or something simr. Not simply out of affection. Not just because she liked me. She was trying to ¡°im me¡± not just as a man but also in the realm of heroes and viins. ¡°Are you serious about this?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°Do you understand the implications? Once we enter Ulleungdo, records of our entrance will be made, and there¡¯ll be rumors.¡± ¡°I want to make those rumors a reality. Isn¡¯t it possible?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± It was not possible. Because right now, Yumir believed I was ¡°two-timing,¡± but she didn¡¯t think I was ¡°octopus-legged.¡± ¡°Yumir, there¡¯s something you don¡¯t know about me.¡± ¡°¡­ I think I know everything about you.¡± Of course. She knew Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin. But there was something she didn¡¯t know. ¡°Do you really think you know everything about me?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Yumir.¡± I whispered coldly in her ear. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only girl I¡¯m in contact with?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Yumir¡¯s expression turned cold. Her hands and feet trembled, and her eyes shook. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°I mean exactly what I said. And one more thing.¡± I opened an app on my smartphone and showed a reservation I had made. ¡°I¡¯m going to Ulleungdo in the morning.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Who with?¡± Yumir immediately pressed me for answers. ¡°Who did you find out that I¡¯m dating? Is that person the main one, and I¡¯m the side?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not quite that, but¡­¡± ¡°But? Not ¡®no¡¯, but ¡®but?¡¯¡± Being a perceptive girl, she quickly grasped the superficial reason why I was saying all this. ¡°Who is it? Tell me. Even though I¡¯m an E-tier ability user, my heart is EX-tier-¡± ¡°This person.¡± I showed her a photo, and Yumir was immediately shocked. ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­ How¡­?¡± ¡°For the sake of honor, I¡¯d like you to keep this quiet for now.¡± ¡°No, wait a second. Ah, ugh¡­¡± Yumir, deeply shocked, clutched her head and began to wobble. ¡°Is it true that you approached her?¡± ¡°Rather than approaching, it just naturally happened. For me, it just turned out that way while I was simply breathing and chatting.¡± ¡°Hold on. Did she go there¡­?¡± ¡°She took off her Taeguk Watch and flew over.¡± To be precise, she didn¡¯t fly. She surfed between inds. Even national swimmers were able to swim for extended periods between Ulleung Ind and Dokdo with enhanced stamina. Why wouldn¡¯t it be possible for an S-grade ability user? ¡°Are you joking?¡± ¡°Does it look like a joke to you?¡± ¡°It sounds like a mean joke. How could you do that today?¡± ¡°What did I do today? I just did special tutoring as Do Ji-hwan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± A mix of confusion, anger, and betrayal shed in Yumir¡¯s eyes. ¡°Huh. I see. Naturally.¡± It seemed as if she had realized something; negative emotions faded, and a sense of superiority began to show. ¡°Are you making fun of me right now? I get it. It¡¯s not yet time to go to Ulleung Ind, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re starting to escape from reality. Are you confident?¡± Today, there were many instances where Yumir¡¯s resolve was questioned, but this felt different. ¡°Why don¡¯t you follow me to school? It would be interesting to have a three-way confrontation.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier for both of us if you trust me.¡± Me, Do Ji-hwan. ¡°When you say ¡®two-timing,¡¯ it sounds trashy, but ¡®a flower in each hand¡¯ sounds skilled.¡± Following the Chief¡¯s orders to seduce a hero into infidelity, I aimed to bait two heroes at once. ¡°Just promise me. They won¡¯t know about it. Okay?¡± ¡°If this situation is as I think it is¡­¡± After briefly biting her lower lip, Yumir gestured with her hand and gave a signal. I nodded towards her, and in a voice so quiet that no one else could hear, Yumir whispered. ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­ as the Goblin, right?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Hmm¡­¡± Talking to Yumir felt surprisingly easy. Being the protagonist, she seemed to be able to deduce all answers with just a few hints, no need for detailed exnations. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do it. This will be fun in its way.¡± ¡°Fun?¡± ¡°After all, you¡¯re the one who will bleed-¡± ¡°Why would I bleed? The one who ¡®sees blood¡¯ is¡­¡± ¡°The ¡®person who sees¡¯ it, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Exactly. ¡°Let¡¯s continue this over the phone. It¡¯s not good to be outside like this for too long.¡± ¡°Okay, but¡­ not that over the phone?¡± I dusted off Yumir¡¯s shoulder and whispered in her ear. ¡°If you talk for more than 3 minutes, you¡¯ll be monitored and traced. In this country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ You¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. You probably didn¡¯t know because you never had anyone to call, but that¡¯s how it is. So, if you want to meet up, just text me. Say you want to look at the moon, and I¡¯lle to you.¡± If the situation allowed for it. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you from now on, Yumir.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I patted Yumir¡¯s back and nudged her into the dormitory. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The surrounding gazes were filled with meaning, and I realized there was no turning back now. By now, On the dark web or some anonymousmunity, there would be posts or pictures saying, ¡®Yumir and Do Ji-hwan are dating.¡¯ In this world, on this Sejong Ind, Given that the entire world¡¯s attention was on each ability user, and given that a Korean non-ability user and a foreign ability user were seen whispering in each other¡¯s earste at night¡­ The rtionship between Do Ji-hwan, the librarian, and Yumir, the student, was practically public by now. There was no such thing as a secret romance on this ind. That was why I hadn¡¯t met with Baek Seol-hee directly on Sejong Ind up until now. In other words, It was only a matter of time before Baek Seol-hee found out about my rtionship with Yumir. If she was bound to find out eventually, it might be better to settle things sooner. Sigh. After Yumir entered the dormitory, I started my way back to the official residence. The phone rang. I dialed the number. After several rings, a chaotic noise ensued before the call was answered. ¡°Hello?¡± [Ah, Ji-hwan! Why are you calling at this hour?] ¡°It¡¯s past midnight, so technically, it¡¯s ¡®today¡¯.¡± The voice, of course, was Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m going to Ulleung Ind today.¡± [I¡¯m also heading to Sejong Ind today.] ¡°We¡¯re staying at the same ce, Seol-hee.¡± But. ¡°There¡¯s another person who might be joining. Is that alright?¡± [Wait, who is it?] ¡°It¡¯s a woman.¡± [¡­¡­.] Click. The call ended. ¡°Right, that¡¯s it.¡± I shouldn¡¯t be worried. Even though I was courting two women, I had a ¡®title¡¯ I could proudly present to both of them. Cheating Man. ¡°If she doesn¡¯te, I can go to Ulleung with Yumir. If she does, the three of us can travel together.¡± If neither decided toe? ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll cross that bridge when Ie to it.¡± This wasn¡¯t reckless. It was the best decision I, Do Ji-hwan, the Goblin, could make. In the original story, The protagonist naturally attracted women without effort. The women created situations to be with the protagonist, and these situations intertwined to make a scene where several heroines were together with the protagonist. I was not the protagonist. In fact, the protagonist was Yumir, and I was just a viin troubling her. For me to simultaneously court both Yumir and Baek Seol-hee was absurd in Sejong Ind. If I clumsily created an ambiguous situation, which led to misunderstandings, it could spell disaster. Especially for someone like Do Ji-hwan, a ¡®non¡¯ ability user. If I drew attention, I might not just receive criticism but could even be abducted and threatened. -Who does this non-ability user think he is to measure up to an S-grade ability user? -S-grades should stick with their own kind. What¡¯s a non-entity like you doing with a blonde beauty, and even trying to two-time? However, ¡°I¡¯ve never failed before. This is right. I am the Goblin. Not your average viin.¡± Avoiding such a situation altogether was the Goblin¡¯s way. Creating a situation I desired and controlling it was Do Ji-hwan¡¯s way. ¡°The one missing out isn¡¯t me.¡± If they wanted to go to Ulleung Ind with a cheating man, they shoulde and submit first. ¡®Ordinary novel protagonists have their heroines fighting over them, but the Goblin doesn¡¯t.¡¯ Now, ¡°The first one to say they want to go to Ulleung with me wins.¡± Let the rivalry begin. To begin with, Making heroes fight each other was the viin¡¯s role. Chapter 119: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (5) Chapter 119: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (5) Immediately after hanging up the phone, Baek Seol-hee began her investigation. Yumir. Age 20. ¡°Damn.¡± Ability User. E-ss. Physical enhancement. ¡°Hmph.¡± Profile picture. ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± A mix of emotions ran through her as she was angered by Yumir¡¯s youth, relieved by her being of a lower ability grade and irritated yet amused by the photo on the wiki. ¡°Right. I should¡¯ve known.¡± It wasn¡¯t clear if he had kept it a secret until now or if this was a recent development. Do Ji-hwan was a married man and had multiple rtionships. Given that he abided by his wife¡¯s wishes and instructions, if he set his mind to it, he could potentially be with anyone. But a 20-year-old university student? Even for someone as free with women as he was, could he be this free? With Baek Seol-hee around- ¡°¡­9 days, 21 hours, 34 minutes?¡± Baek Seol-hee briefly activated her smartphone, opened an app, and checked the time. It was a stopwatch app that had been running from a certain point in time, the specifics of which didn¡¯t need to be stated. A considerable amount of time had passed since thest time. Looking at previous records, they seemed to be spaced almost 10 days or two weeks apart. The first meeting aside, since the time she sought mental care consultation on Ulleung Ind, there had only been three asions when the stopwatch was used. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Baek Seol-hee pondered. Would a wife be satisfied with such infrequent encounters? Perhaps she might ask why they weren¡¯t meeting more often and demanded a photograph? -You know, I hurt my hand. With my wife¡­hahaha. She remembered theirst conversation. While she was in a fierce battle in Gangwon Province, Do Ji-hwan was also fighting with his wife. -How many times have I told you! Whether it¡¯s pictures or videos, take as many as you can! Quality matters, but quantity does too! -Okay, okay. Calm down, honey, okay? -The next time you return to Sejong Ind, bring at least one side dish per day! Understand?! If not, I¡¯ll divorce you! -Honey! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll do better! Okay?! ¡°¡­Maybe not?¡± She recalled a drama she watched yesterday. It was about a man begging a woman. Some men criticized it, but the plot revolved around a non-ability man and an A-grade ability woman, which resonated with viewers. Naturally, in a marriage between an ability user and a non-ability user, the ability user was the dominant one. Perhaps Do Ji-hwan¡¯s wife was an ability user. Do Ji-hwan might seem like someone who might stray with other women, but the character Baek Seol-hee had observed wasn¡¯t like that. The basis of Do Ji-hwan¡¯s affairs was love for his wife. It might sound absurd, but the man Baek Seol-hee knew was precisely that. -Ji-hwan, I like you. Would you divorce your wife and marry me? -Huh? Seol-hee, I do that because my wife likes it. Don¡¯t misunderstand, okay? -Oh, um, okay¡­. Though she hasn¡¯t asked directly and hasn¡¯t yet discovered who his wife is, after hearing the shocking truth from Do Ji-hwan, Baek Seol-hee devised a n. To liberate Do Ji-hwan. To free Do Ji-hwan from his current wife for his happiness. Yes. Everything then made sense. ¡°¡­Poor Ji-hwan. Because I couldn¡¯t meet him often.¡± She reached a conclusion. As soon as she hung up, Baek Seol-hee felt that the time they¡¯d spent together was sufficient. However, the ¡°crazy woman¡± who broke Do Ji-hwan¡¯s left hand was so demanding that she even used violence against him. Because of his love for such a woman, Do Ji-hwan must have sought out thepany of a new woman named Yumir. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± Baek Seol-hee sat up. She tapped her Taegeuk Watch, promptly disying her calendar on her smartphone screen. Tomorrow was the day she returned to Sejong Ind. Fortunately, on the day she was recruited for a government official event, there were no other lectures or events, except for one by the Hero Association. In that case¡­ Beep beep. [What¡¯s the matter at this hour?] ¡°Chairman? I think I need to take a day off at home tomorrow.¡± [Why? What happened all of a sudden?] ¡°Just¡­ a day off.¡± [¡­! Ah, I understand. Geez. Alright, rest well. If anyone looks for you, I¡¯ll handle it. Rest, okay?] ¡°Thank you.¡± Baek Seol-hee covered her Taegeuk Watch. ¡°Ah, oh my¡­¡± She then covered her face with her hands. ¡°What have I done¡­¡± In Baek Seol-hee¡¯s heart, The moment the tip of the triangle touched the ground, fragments of her conscience scattered.
It was a series of shocks and horrors. From evening to midnight, Yumir ruminated on the events and reflected on them. The conclusion? ¡°He¡¯s trash.¡± The Goblin was trash. To recruit the Magical Girl Sr tina, he deliberately didn¡¯t mention the dangerous situations she could face. Based on his vague advice, he tried to manipte the situation so that Sr tina would side with him. To put it bluntly, the Goblin aimed to recruit her by any means necessary. That was fine. Because he was a viin. However¡­ ¡°My goodness. How can this be?¡± Yumir quickly logged into the Hero Wiki and repeatedly searched for the entry titled ¡®Baek Seol-hee¡¯. There were many rumors. There were stories of men confessing to Baek Seol-hee, celebrities naming her as their ideal type, and even international S-ss heroes expressing a desire to spar with Snow White. Given the extent of courtship she received from both men and even women, there was a separate page titled ¡®Baek Seol-hee/Controversies/Courtship¡¯. There was no mention of ¡®Do Ji-hwan¡¯ under the data on Baek Seol-hee. And that was expected. If it had been there, there would¡¯ve been an uproar globally. If a rumor like ¡®S-ss Ability User Miss White is in love with D, a librarian from the academy?!¡¯ had spread, suitors from all over the world would¡¯ve hunted down Do Ji-hwan. They would do it without knowing that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin; he was just a librarian at Sejong Academy. And then- ¡°Oh¡­!¡± While searching for the name Do Ji-hwan, Yumir identally clicked on a strange site. ¡°What the-? Are you kidding?¡± She felt her heart sink. -¡®Library parachute is awesome lol¡¯ ?Lucky. She got in as a parachute* and sessfully charmed an ability user. ?Must be because she¡¯s a foreigner. If she were Korean, she¡¯d be reported immediately. ?Isn¡¯t she an ability user for marrying a foreigner? Don¡¯t do the assigned book sorting! Photos of Yumir and Do Ji-hwan entering the dorm together had been uploaded. ¡°What on earth are these people doing?!¡± Yumir started to genuinely feel fear. Conversations about her, blending facts and rumors, were rapidly spreading in ces she didn¡¯t even know of. While it was stressful enough to have information about Sr tina circting, seeing personal information about Yumir spreading was even more unsettling. ¡°So, this is why he told me.¡± Yumir had a rough idea of Do Ji-hwan¡¯s intentions and thoughts. From his honest words to his familiarity with the darker parts of the world and his awareness of public perceptions, Yumir understood why Do Ji-hwan had revealed the truth to her. Perhaps he wanted to sever ties with Yumir, the student, and only approach her as Sr tina. Or maybe he was challenging her, suggesting that if Baek Seol-hee, being an S-ss hero or whatever, was confident, she should step up. Yes. Exactly that. ¡°He thinks he can handle two people of S-ss or higher on his own.¡± Whether it was a real fight or another kind of battle, confrontation was inevitable. Whether the fight was over Do Ji-hwan. Or over the Goblin. ¡°¡­Heh.¡± Yumir smirked and reached into her closet. ¡°I do have an advantage.¡± Inside the wardrobe, a faint golden light shone dimly due to the fluorescent light. When Yumir reached in, the wall faded, revealing a new set of clothes. A ck robe. Yumir¡¯s golden power seemed to spread around it like a stic wrap. Taking out the robe, Yumir draped it over herself like a nket. Inhaling deeply through her nose, Yumir¡¯s eyes became drowsy with each breath. Her eyes resembled someone inhaling ¡®mana powder¡¯, looking even morenguid and content. ¡°I will win.¡± She then whispered beneath the robe. ¡°Snow White might have been with Do Ji-hwan.¡± She giggled. ¡°But I, I was with the Goblin.¡± With eyes closed, clutching the robe tightly and wriggling her legs, Yumir- ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly jumped up from the bed. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s Ji-hwan oppa going to Ulleungdo.¡± Not the Goblin. Yumir grumbled, feeling somewhat wronged as she fiddled with the robe. ¡°Ugh¡­ In that case.¡± She stared intently at the calendar and her lecture timetable on the desk. ¡°¡­A cheat key only usable by women; should I use it once?¡±
The next morning. Two women took a break from their schedule for some reason. Sick leave and sick day. The specific reasons were confidential and couldn¡¯t be known. Chapter 120: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (6) Chapter 120: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (6) ¡°Do you want to go to Ulleung with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± Regardless of what Yumir and Baek Seol-hee might think, I had set the bait. Now, all that was left was to reel it in. I boarded the ship to Ulleung Ind as nned and arrived without any major issues. ¡°You¡¯re back, Manager. Let me take care of you.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± The pension owner came to the port himself to greet me this time, too. Ifortably sat in the back of his car. ¡°Manager, how many ¡®Traitor Boxes¡¯ do you need?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need any.¡± ¡°Of course. You are a true patriot.¡± Ulleung Ind had its quirks. ¡°So, are you here with the person you surprisingly invitedst time¡­?¡± ¡°I might be or might not. Someone else might join, or I might just rx here alone.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll prepare for all possibilities. I¡¯ll make sure the singing of the national anthem doesn¡¯t leak outside.¡± This was a ce where topics like patriotism or discussions about ¡°Pumpkin Baby Making¡± films were openly discussed. ¡°Old man, may I ask you something?¡± ¡°Ask away. All I can offer are experiences from my lifetime. But if it helps you, Manager, I¡¯ll share anything.¡± ¡°Have you ever been caught between two lovers?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The pension owner tilted his head and gave a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯ve never been in that situation.¡± ¡°Really? I apologize.¡± ¡°I was caught between three.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± As expected. ¡°Can I seek advice?¡± ¡°Heh, advice. Our times are entirely different, so my experiences might not be relevant.¡± ¡°Men¡¯s and women¡¯s rtionships are pretty much the same. Some things don¡¯t change over time.¡± ¡°Well¡­ you should be prepared for some stab wounds.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s enough. Always prepare for the worst. Heh.¡± No matter how ability users were the leaders of the world, the wisdom of elders couldn¡¯t be overlooked. ¡°In my time, I had to choose just one person. I was beaten up by the other two, and our families didn¡¯t get along. But in the end, I married my wife.¡± ¡°¡­ what¡¯s this about families?¡± ¡°They were three sisters. I married the middle one.¡± ¡°Casanova would be jealous.¡± ¡°I had my moments when I was young. Ha! Sometimes, I think about how it would be if I acted the same in this era.¡± The old man¡¯s face was filled with anticipation. ¡°Nowadays, especially with ability users, the world doesn¡¯t operate on conventional wisdom and rationale. An S-rank ability user, especially a male, could have multiple women, and society would say, ¡®It¡¯s understandable¡¯.¡± ¡°Like Armored Taejo?¡± ¡°Right. Didn¡¯t he cheat on his fianc¨¦e with another woman? If he had taken responsibility for a Korean woman, his fianc¨¦e wouldn¡¯t have reacted so violently.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even scarier.¡± My modern perspective was quite different from the conventional views of this era. ¡°Have you ever thought about having multiple wives in every room, Manager?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t girlfriends be better?¡± ¡°Haha! Right. Having a wife in every room would be hell. Unless, of course, the man has the ability to handle all that.¡± In that sense, my conversations with the old man, who had enjoyed the past era for a long time, were surprisingly in sync. ¡°Times have changed. Now, if a powerful man has multiple women, society epts it. The era calls for ability users to marry and produce offspring with abilities.¡± ¡°The call of the era¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not patriotism for nothing. What¡¯s the point of investing 100 trillion in defense to make ballistic missiles? If two S-rank ability users spend a night together on Ulleung Ind, and 10 months pass, a ballistic missile costing 100 trillion in development is easily created.¡± ¡°Though the expression is odd, it¡¯s not wrong.¡± ¡°Yes. Who would¡¯ve known the world woulde to this? That an S-rank baby would devastate¡­ uh, the northernnd.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Always. In modern Korean fantasy, there was a basic element. Whether the author wrote for convenience or didn¡¯t want to address political issues, one ce often was mentioned. North Korea. In a world where ¡®hunters¡¯ extracted magical stones from monsters, it wasmon to see these creatures leading to societal downfall. But what about this world? In Korean nationalist light novels where only ability users existed, how did the author ¡®handle¡¯ North Korea? Some modern fantasy novels depicted a mood of reconciliation in line with international rtions and current events. In others, the story starts with the capital city, Pyongyang, exploding even before the first episode. This world follows thetter scenario. ¡°Anyway, Manager Do, be careful. Even though you might not, the most important thing to consider when having a child is the emotions of the children.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I know.¡± ¡°Children are very sensitive to their parents¡¯ emotions. They especially sense their mother¡¯s emotions more than anyone else. Even if they seem like they¡¯re just crying, they definitely feel the emotions. So¡­¡± The pension owner disyed a clear sense of distaste, his voice quivering. ¡°Just like those North Koreans who tried to create ability users by forcibly doing such things with women, leading to their downfall from the resultant rampage, reckless behavior is not the way.¡± It might be awkward to say it was obvious, but in this world, North Korea had perished. It wasn¡¯t a nuclear missile mishap that led to its self-destruction, but ability user children who rampaged, causing Pyongyang to disappear. There was no need to go into the specifics of its destruction. Anyway, it¡¯s already summarized in three lines at the Academy. ¡°In 2018, a massive explosion urred in Pyongyang. Everyone in Pyongyang died. With the loss of its leadership, North Korea¡¯s regime copsed.¡° Cause of destruction: It was suspected that after the mother of an ability user child was executed, the child went berserk. ¡°Anyhow¡­ always be cautious when having a child. The 10-month period from conception to birth isn¡¯t just for the child to grow. It¡¯s thest opportunity for both parents to prepare to raise a child. It¡¯s already toote to prepare once the child is born.¡± ¡°Parents, you say.¡± ¡°Yes. Regardless of how times have changed, or rather, because times have changed, this is just the opinion of an old man, but¡­¡± The pension owner shook his head vehemently. ¡°If we live in a world that uses children as weapons of war, that treats children like living nuclear missiles, perhaps heaven might send a punishment.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Perhaps.¡± All I could do was gaze out of the window. ¡°That¡¯s why we have the resistance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m truly proud to assist the resistance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud, too.¡± I was proud to work in the only organization that could right this corrupted world.
After arriving at the lodging in a car, I finished grooming myself using the tools I had prepared in advance. This ce was a battlefield. One could never predict what would happen or what idents might ur. With so many variables at y, no one could predict how things will unfold. Prepare for every situation? That was impossible. Even if you were prepared, disasters that were meant to happen will ur. So, I only needed to prepare to the best of my abilities. Ding Dong. The phone rang. [Excuse me, guest. The meal is ready. We¡¯ll bring it up now.] ¡°Yes, please bring it.¡± After receiving the notification through the phone installed in the pension that the meal was ready, I put on my robe and headed to the kitchen. ¡°Nice to see you, guest.¡± Along with the doorbell-like sound from the small elevatoring up from the ground floor, Sylvia, a pension staff member dressed in Hanbok, appeared pushing a cart. ¡°Excuse me, but may I ask something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­Did youe alone this time as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This woman was just an ordinary staff member. She was not affiliated with the Resistance, and originally, the only person supported by the Resistance was the pension owner. Thus, she was entirely unaware that I had spent a long night with someone thest time I was here. Because she wasn¡¯t the one who cleaned up the following day. ¡°I came alone.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Won¡¯t it be inconvenient? Do you need help¡­?¡± ¡°I appreciate the thought, but no thanks.¡± After declining Sylvia¡¯s well-intentioned but unwee offer, I sat at the dining table. tter, tter. The dishes being moved from the cart to the table were all emitting delicious aromas. Abalone porridge. Green onion pancakes with oysters. Grilled eel. ¡°Sir, about the wine¡­¡± ¡°Instead of wine¡­¡± I pointed to the round ss bottle stored beneath the cart. ¡°I can¡¯t drink wine while in Korea. Instead, I should drink the Korean version of wine.¡± Sea Buckthorn. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll serve the ¡®Ulleungdo Patriotic Prayer Full Course¡¯ for one.¡± The viin¡¯s cheat key to face two heroes. It was doping. Chapter 121: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (7) Chapter 121: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (7) The issue that caused an uproar in South Korea was undoubtedly the emergence of the magical girl, Golden Priestess. Themotion was not an exception even in Ulleungdo, and naturally, all attention was inevitably focused on the Golden Priestess. ¡°The one who purifies demons.¡± This was the nickname given to the Golden Priestess in the news. The Hero Association probably came up with a fancy English name, but at least the phrase ¡°purifies demons¡± was certainly correct on the surface. Until now, all demons either died, hid somewhere in this world, or learned to transform into humans and lived discreetly among the people. Seeing a demon appear to have lost its abilities and left only with its body was surely a shocking sight for the world. ¡®I wish I knew its location soon.¡¯ My visit to Ulleungdo was for the purpose of restoring my power but also because there was some ¡®spare time¡¯ before the incident urred. All I was waiting for as the Goblin, a viin type, was to take the demon Half-toad somewhere to study him. ¡®Surely, demon researchers will study Half-toad. Even if Ermina, a person from Stern, was hard to capture as a specimen, Half-toad is a pure specimen in itself.¡¯ A truly perfect subject for research. The one who lost their abilities. How did they lose their abilities? Had their abilities truly vanishedpletely? Was there absolutely no mana left in their body? Were they unable to use any other abilities? ¡®At least through Half-toad, I¡¯ll find out that there¡¯s nothing to gain from a generous person.¡¯ Although I might not be able to extract the demon¡¯s seed, they¡¯d perform all kinds of human experiments even if the demon¡¯s seed wasn¡¯t the objective. I would raid the ce where these human experiments were conducted. Right now, because Half-toad had garnered so much public attention, he had not yet been transferred to either Pandemonium or a research institution of the demon worshipers. ¡®Is that a good thing?¡¯ I extended my left hand. I unwrapped the bandage. However, to emphasize that it hurt, I wrapped my left hand in white bandages, which reminded me of those who imed to have a ck dragon on their left hands, and it made me chuckle a bit. There¡¯s a strong scent of the ster under the bandage, but I¡¯d soon remove it. ¡®After all, I did everything I needed to, even with a broken hand.¡¯ Like riding a bike with Yumir. Or having a meal with Yumir. Or asking about Yumir¡¯s determination. In hospitals where people who were injured more than me were admitted, history was being made, and a broken left hand couldn¡¯t stop the activities of the Goblin. The treatment was over. This bandage was actually just to tell Baek Seol-hee, ¡®I¡¯m hurt,¡¯ and to be prepared for any uing events. The uing events. Baek Seol-hee and Yumir were bothing here. ¡®At least I¡¯ve baited one.¡¯ Through onlinemunities, I could roughly track their situations, if not in real time. -Hey! I heard Maple canceled ss? -Why did she cancel? She has a field trip next week. Maybe she went shopping for clothes? -I don¡¯t know! Maybe she went shopping for a winning outfit with the guy she¡¯s going to be with on the trip! Through the anonymous bulletin board of Sejong University, I got information about Yumir. I thought there were people who had nothing better to do than dig into others¡¯ personal lives, but I had already figured out where Yumir was heading. -Address. The text sent by Yumir was just one word. I texted Yumir back, telling her to call once she arrived, and I asked the pension owner to pick up Yumir. That was right. Yumir was on her way here.
On a ship heading to Ulleungdo. A blonde woman dressed almost like a sryman stood on the ship¡¯s deck, enjoying the breeze. ¡°Excuse me?¡± A blonde couple from abroad cautiously approached her. ¡°Do you speak Korean? I don¡¯t know English.¡± ¡°What? Uh, hello?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The blonde woman, Yumir, responded with a somewhat stiff voice to the couple¡¯s greeting. ¡°Did youe here alone?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Oh, then, may we suggest something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Would you like to apany us?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yumir sized up the couple. They felt like ordinary, non-magical people. However, boarding a ship heading to Ulleungdo, especially one departing from Sejong Ind, meant they could be rted to diplomacy. ¡°Are you rted to foreign affairs?¡± ¡°Oh, no. We are these people.¡± The man tapped his Taeguk Watch and flicked it towards Yumir. Yumir caught the floating blue light in the air and ced it onto the Taeguk Watch. ¡°¡­UwakiTV?¡± ¡°Yes. Actually, we¡¯re operating a V-tube channel with 5 million subscribers and are currently shooting a video on a certain topic.¡± ¡°If I were to travel around Ulleungdo, being with someone else would-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± Yumir flicked off the business card that appeared on the Taeguk Watch. ¡°I might havee alone, but someone ising to pick me up.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± Creak. The ship slowly docked at the harbor. People began to disembark. Yumir blended in with the crowd, leaving the ship. ¡°Oh, wait! Lady, we really need you!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t want to. What are you talking about?¡± ¡°We need to prove a hypothesis! The Trinity Theory that three people together make somethingplete!¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense. It¡¯s not some kind of cult. It¡¯smon sense ¨C whoes to Ulleungdo alone? Don¡¯t bother me. I¡¯m going to my man.¡± ¡°Lady!¡± She tried to avoid the persistently clinging couple, but they chased her, even towards a taxi. ¡°Excuse me, wife of Teacher Do.¡± A man in a ck suit stepped in, blocking between Yumir and the couple. ¡°Who¡­ who are you¡­?¡± ¡°Your husband sent me. Are you two with her? I heard you are not.¡± ¡°No, we¡­ we¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Then step aside. Disrupting patriotism, especially on Ulleungdo, goes beyond a simple misdemeanor.¡± Beep. ¡°Get in. Your husband is waiting.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The long-range sedan responded to the old man¡¯s car key, and Yumir headed towards the car, feeling somewhat relieved. ¡°¡­But, sir.¡± ¡°You are Teacher Do Ji-hwan¡¯s wife, correct?¡± Opening the back door for her, the old man waited for her response. Yumir took a moment and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She just. Wanted to get rid of those weird people tailing her. That was all.
¡°I¡¯m in the car. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± In the end, she took it upon herself to meet me in Ulleungdo. Now, there was nothing to be done. All I could do here was patiently wait for Yumir to arrive, and Yumir would definitelye to this ce. Otherwise, there would be no reason for her toe to Ulleungdo. There might be various reasons for people toe to Ulleungdo, but the reason Yumir confidently came here was because she had someone to meet. Me. ¡°I hope Yumir doesn¡¯t get angry and spill the beans that I¡¯m the Goblin.¡± Surely she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. It was not something that could be conveyed in a message. Since we had been teasing each other, we never seriously decided ¡®what to do.¡¯ All I could do was act appropriately when Yumir arrived. ¡°Surely we wouldn¡¯t b when we both hold each other¡¯s leash.¡± Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin. Yumir was Sr tina. With both of them having their fingers on the trigger of the bomb nes around their necks, Do Ji-hwan believed Yumir wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to pull it first. Especially not in front of Baek Seol-hee. ¡°¡­This is really tricky.¡± It was okay if Yumir going to Ulleungdo was exposed. But not Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Snow White is absent today!¡± ¡°She looked fine at the event yesterday. Was she just pretending?¡± ¡°Hey. Calcte the date. Has it been a month?¡± ¡°If that official event was a month ago, then more than half of it has already passed?¡± ¡°Then, today is the day. Lol.¡± People in this world were like that. Maybe it was because I had been involved in the abyss, but there were more people in that abyss than you¡¯d think. Ordinary people who were jealous of those with special abilities, and overly curious about them. They kept track of every move of those with abilities, even their personal lives. ¡°We have the duty to inform about the potential days when female special ability users can serve the nation!!¡± While saying so, they almost madly investigated days when they looked off or had certain visible lines on their clothes. Living became tiring because of such people. ¡­What if it became known that Baek Seol-hee was meeting me? Do Ji-hwan would be dead. Still. ¡°I do want to meet.¡± ¡°Do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I turned my head to the voice that came from behind. ¡°No, that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I checked the time. It was still 10 AM. Considering I had brunch around 9 AM with a side drink and was nning to rx after having a cup of tea, she appeared already. ¡°Seol-hee?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± Baek Seol-hee appeared in front of me wearing a thick white coat despite it being April. ¡°Today you¡¯re entering Sejong Ind¡­?¡± ¡°I arrived at dawn, dumped my luggage in the room, removed the Taeguk Watch, locked every door, and snuck out. I¡¯ve left an old movie channel ying. No one suspects a thing.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± It seemed Baek Seol-hee had started to master sneaking across the sea to Ulleungdo without being noticed. ¡°How did you get into the room?¡± ¡°Do you think an S-ss can¡¯t open a balcony lock?¡± ¡°No, did you break it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t break it. I just inserted an ice hook through the gap and pulled.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s voice was noticeably sharp. Considering what I had said to her before, I straightened up and gestured to the seat in front of me. ¡°Would you like to sit?¡± ¡°Yumir.¡± Straight to the point from the start. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Well, Seol-hee. It¡¯s simple.¡± I threw out the excuse I had thought of before meeting Baek Seol-hee. ¡°I¡¯ve been counseling you, and I¡¯ve been counseling that student as well.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t just counsel with words, do you?¡± ¡°Yes. Initially, I intended to, but my wife suggested otherwise.¡± Two-timing. Octopus legs. ¡°Instead of meeting separately,¡± The ultimate move that could beat everything at once. ¡°Let¡¯s all just meet together and clear things up.¡± Counterattack. Traitor. Chapter 122: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (8) Chapter 122: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (8) Baek Seol-hee was a hero. And I was a viin. Therefore, for a viin to seduce a hero was only natural. If I were to make aparison, I was like a con artist. I deceived Baek Seol-hee, and when caught, I retorted with, ¡°It¡¯s the fault of the one who got conned!¡± Such con artists had no shame in disguising themselves. Even if it meant selling out those around them, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate. Of course,me excuses wouldn¡¯t work against an S-ss hero. Hence, I cleverly hid about half of the truth, making Baek Seol-hee misunderstand and essentially make a ¡®fool¡¯ of herself. ¡°Miss Seol-hee, what I want most is for my wife to be happy.¡± I casually threw the topic, as if just having a regr conversation. Baek Seol-hee seemed to chew over the words I had said before this, even as she gave me a wary look. ¡°If it¡¯s for my wife¡¯s happiness, I can do anything. If she wishes, I¡¯d dly fetch her the stars and the moon from the sky.¡± ¡°Stars and moon aren¡¯t two-timing, you know.¡± ¡°If those are the stars and moon my wife wants, then I must.¡± Confusion crossed Baek Seol-hee¡¯s face. It was strange, certainly illogical, and definitely irrational. No matter how different this world was, in the original world, such words would never make sense. Such behavior would earn one the title of a lunatic. However, the fact that such a person existed was usible, and this world could exin everything with the phrase ¡®anything is possible¡¯. If there was someone who could stop an airne¡¯s takeoff with an ice, wasn¡¯t it possible there was someone who rejoiced at seeing their spouse share love with another? ¡°My wife is like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe, but I understood. I did briefly verify it in ourst meeting. However¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee pointed at my left hand. ¡°Are you just going to stand by while you¡¯re suffering domestic violence?¡± ¡°Miss Seol-hee.¡± ¡°How did you hurt your left hand? Tell me clearly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Was it really an ident in the bathroom? Did you identally bump into something, or was your hand broken by someone?¡± I had no choice but to lie. Because the truth was impossible to convey. -It was me. I am the Goblin. I fought with you in Gangwon-do, and my hand broke while blocking a punch. Can I sue you since it¡¯s your fault? -¡­I won¡¯t let you escape, Goblin!! No matter how soft-hearted Baek Seol-hee might be, she would turn more ferocious than anyone else in front of the Goblin. The moment I revealed that I was the Goblin, she would imprison me in a basement, tying me up until her anger subsided from feeling deceived. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s difficult to openly discuss matters between a married couple.¡± ¡°Tell me the truth. I promise not to say anything. Was it an ident, or were you hit? Bepletely honest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I was hit.¡± By you. ¡°Actually, I got like this while trying to block an iing blow.¡± ¡°No!!¡± Baek Seol-hee immediately turned red with anger. ¡°How could you¡­!¡± ¡°Miss. Seol-hee. Calm down¡­.¡± ¡°How can you be with someone like¡­!¡± ¡°Baek Seol-hee.¡± When I used her full name, Baek Seol-hee hesitated and sat down. ¡°To some extent, it¡¯s partly your responsibility, Miss Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Me? Oh no, because of¡­!¡± Baek Seol-hee turned pale instantly. ¡°Because I contacted you¡­?!¡± Whether it was because she¡¯s a hero, or if it was her nature, or bothbined in a negative synergy. Baek Seol-hee believed that I got hit because of her. ¡­which was true. ¡°Well, it is because of Miss Seol-hee, but it¡¯s a bit different from what you think. My wife didn¡¯t get angry because of our rtionship, but¡­¡± It was time to transcendmon sense. ¡°¡­Baek Seol-hee contacted mete at night, asking why I came up to Seoul from Sejong Ind instead of staying there.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Confusion filled her eyes. ¡°Right? I felt the same way. Haha. My wife is¡­ it¡¯s hard to call her peculiar, but she¡¯s a person with a strong ego and her own world.¡± I couldn¡¯t even understand what I was saying, but it felt more genuine because of that. ¡°When I finally went to Seoul to meet her, she scolded me, saying I should¡¯ve just gone to Baek Seol-hee¡¯s house or the pension in Ulleungdo or secretly invited her home. Haha¡­¡± ¡°No, really¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, she did.¡± I sighed with relief. ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t speak about it elsewhere. It concerns my wife¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°Well, that kind of reputation¡­¡± ¡°Let me rify: I love my wife. That¡¯s why I¡¯m truly sorry to Ms. Seol-hee. I feel like I¡¯ve been using her.¡± I apologized. If I ran into her as the Goblinter and got questioned about ying along all this time, I would retort, ¡®I apologized back in April when we met in Ulleungdo, remember?!¡¯ Such trashy behavior? What was the problem with a viin behaving like trash? ¡°Can you give me your left hand for a moment?¡± ¡°Why my left hand?¡± ¡°Just let me see it.¡± Baek Seol-hee looked at me with aplex expression. Determination was visible in her deep-set eyes, and I hesitantly extended my left hand. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee immediately grabbed my hand, pressing it with her pale fingers, trying to sense something. I could feel it. The flow of Baek Seol-hee¡¯s mana coursed through my left hand. She wasn¡¯t trying to infiltrate my skin but rather checking if there were traces of her magical power on my hand. This was probably what she was thinking. -Would his wife really be that kind of person? -Isn¡¯t he just spouting nonsense to hide an unbelievable truth from me? -It makes more sense that Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin than his wife being a pervert who gets thrilled seeing her husband with another woman, right? -The wound coincidentally is on the same spot. -Yes, it¡¯s more logical to assume he made up a weird excuse because he¡¯s the Goblin. If Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin, everything falls into ce. -Which woman would hit someone iming her husband came to her without cheating on her?! That was probably what she was thinking. Not just Yumir but Baek Seol-hee¡¯s thought process was also easy to decipher. She was not only a character in the original novel but also the heroine, and she was the woman I had been talking to as both the Goblin and Do Ji-hwan. ¡°Ms. Seol-hee?¡± ¡°Oh, yes¡­ No, it¡¯s not.¡± Baek Seol-hee withdrew her hand from mine, but her face showed a hint of fear. Of course. If I was the Goblin, traces of her magic should¡¯ve remained in my hand. But there was no trace. Baek Seol-hee¡¯s ice magic and power were like shards of ss. You could pick up the visible shards with tweezers, but it was harder to remove the smaller particles embedded in the skin. Especially if it was magic. Baek Seol-hee must have hoped that some of her magic remained on my hand, but unfortunately, the truth was closer to ¡®Do Ji-hwan¡¯s wife¡¯s NTR preference¡¯ than the ¡®Do Ji-hwan Goblin theory.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve worked hard to cleanse the magic from my left hand.¡¯ Baek Seol-hee wouldn¡¯t know. How painful her magic¡¯s DOT (Damage Over Time) truly was. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The bone is healing well, and immersing it in warm water should help it recover quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Um, Ji-hwan?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her voice softened significantly. Had she known I was the Goblin, she would¡¯ve restrained me with an ice immediately, but now that she knew that I was not, her confusion had taken over. ¡°¡­Why does your wife have such a preference?¡± Now, Baek Seol-hee hadpletely changed her stance. Through continuous gaslighting about infidelity, Baek Seol-hee hade to realize that she fit my wife¡¯s preference. Maybe her prior belief in the ¡®Do Ji-hwan Goblin theory¡¯ was an unconscious resistance against the idea that she was an adulterer. But what now? Baek Seol-hee was a mistress. Knowing that I had a wife, she still approached me. A woman who used a married man to alleviate her emotions. In the eyes of the world, she might be seen as a righteous hero. But in her rtionship with Do Ji-hwan, she could be described this way: A mistress. ¡°Seol-hee. Why my wife developed such a taste is not the important thing. The point is that there exists a woman with such a taste, and I love her as my wife.¡± It was a twisted form of love. ¡°If there¡¯s a reason¡­ No, I shouldn¡¯t say this much-¡± ¡°Ji-hwan. It¡¯s okay. No matter the situation, I¡¯ll understand. I won¡¯t get angry for no reason. I might be surprised since it¡¯s hard to understand, but¡­¡± Almost giving me a way out, Baek Seol-hee seriously asked while looking straight into my eyes. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll do my best to help as much as I can. Please tell me the truth. Since when did your wife be like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Misunderstanding. A mistake. ¡°My wife,¡± All of these things started with words. ¡°Currently, she cannot get pregnant.¡± Chapter 123: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (9) Chapter 123: The Battlefield Of Proof, Ulleung (9) To lead the hero astray, I made my wife unable to conceive. There was one premise to make clear: Who was the wife we¡¯re talking about here? Of course, it was the head of Yi Maemangryang, the ¡®Chairwoman¡¯. The Chairwoman told me to actively recruit Baek Seol-hee and Yumir and even directly said I could introduce her as my wife. So, the wife I was referring to was the Chairwoman. Then, if my wife could not get pregnant at the moment, it meant that the Chairwoman was in a situation where she couldn¡¯t conceive. ¡°Is that¡­true?¡± ¡°Yes. My wife, even if she wants to, cannot get pregnant right now.¡± It was not a lie. ¡°And, the story about having a daughter¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Right. I had mentioned having a daughter in a previous conversation here. ¡°¡­That was the case then, and this is the situation now.¡± ¡°¡­.Ah!¡± I apologized silently. I would deceive even Yumir to convince Baek Seol-hee. It was evident why she couldn¡¯t get pregnant now. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit awkward to mention casually since it concerns family matters, and I may have been rude to you, Seol-hee, so I¡¯ll tell you the truth.¡± There was no need to lie unnecessarily about this issue. If the lie was exposed, it would be a significant problem. ¡°My wife wanted a child. We loved each other, still do, and will continue to love. We bore the fruit of our love, but¡­ there¡¯s just a small issue. Yes.¡± But you should listen to Korean sentences till the end. ¡°If it was a problem that could be medically solved or with the help of special abilities, I would do anything. But it didn¡¯t work out. Haha. We tried everything¡­ but some things just don¡¯t work out. Hehe. It¡¯s really¡­¡± There were two ways to annoy people in the world: one was to stop talking abruptly, and the second was- ¡°My wife is¡­ Phew.¡± Just like that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for unnecessarily stressing you out, Seol-hee.¡± Being a viin, I wouldn¡¯t finish what I started to say. Leaving out only the most crucial part. Just as if you were to take out the meat patty from a hamburger and say, ¡®As you see, it¡¯s a hamburger¡¯, I hid the most critical truth. ¡°So¡­ your wife can¡¯t get pregnant right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There was no lie. ¡°She became a body that wants to but cannot conceive.¡± This sentence was based on a perfect fact and would not be judged as a lie, even in a courtroom. So what was the reality? There was no need for Baek Seol-hee to know. ¡°What I said before was¡­ I was trying to paint a rosy picture. I apologize, Seol-hee.¡± To turn a contradictory lie into the truth, simply wrap it up with a bigger lie. ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°Oh, how long has it been?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± All I needed was silence. Holding a cup with bokbunja juice, I looked outside, waiting for Baek Seol-hee to respond. ¡°Then¡­ the suggestion tomit adultery was¡­?¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a consideration since there¡¯s something she can¡¯t provide, asking to get it from someone else. I really don¡¯t know.¡± I made it clear I didn¡¯t know. ¡°My wife needed her own time, and just as I entered Sejong Ind, we both took a break. That¡¯s how things turned out.¡± But my gaze was lowered as I gently swirled the bokbunja-filled cup and offered a bitter smile. ¡°Sometimes, I get confused too. Wondering if this is right or whether we should continue this way.¡± To cover up the truth, I added a verbose yet meaningless statement. ¡°But what¡¯s clear is that I love my wife.¡± Upon reflection, it may seem like a non-sequitur, but I appealed to emotion, clouding rational judgment. ¡°Just living like this is my destiny. Whether it¡¯s the will of the heavens, a trial given by God, or love.¡± Concluding with religious faith that was difficult to persuade rationally. ¡°Are you disillusioned?¡± Then I turned the arrow to Baek Seol-hee. ¡°I might have spoken about my situation a bit pitifully, but this is who I am. Using Seol-hee¡¯s situation, I imposed my situation on her without even asking.¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± Finally. Baek Seol-hee began to speak. ¡°Ji-hwan has done nothing wrong. I think¡­ she probably hasn¡¯t done anything wrong either.¡± Confusion was evident in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes. It seemed like she felt the need tofort him while speaking, and she didn¡¯t want to criticize his wife, especially after he said he loved her. ¡°Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Yes. Maybe she became like this due to¡­ stress from the miscarriage.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There are some things that men can¡¯t understand about women.¡± I see. ¡°That kind of stress can lead to depression. And that might be her way of dealing with it.¡± She had totally fallen for it. ¡°The stress of not being able to have a child can manifest like that. Like in historical dramas set in the Joseon dynasty, where they bring in a second wife because the first can¡¯t have a child. Not that¡­ uh, what I mean is¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was not that I was unable to respond. I just didn¡¯t want to make matters worse. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of stories about couples who suffered for years because they couldn¡¯t have a child. After one major setback, in vitro fertilization fails, artificial insemination fails¡­ It¡¯s not just about money, but not seeing the fruit of love between a couple is truly challenging.¡± Without me saying anything, wasn¡¯t Baek Seol-hee fleshing out the details herself? ¡°I¡¯ve heard of families divorcing because they couldn¡¯t have children. Stories of couples separating because the woman reached a certain age without having a child. And it¡¯s unclear whose fault it is¡­ so they just wish each other happiness and part ways.¡± Baek Seol-hee looked at me with a serious face. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I want to ask, and it might be rude, but is there a problem on one side?¡± ¡°Medically, there¡¯s no issue.¡± I spoke the truth. Piecing together the truth from clues and finding the answer might be a task forter, but for now, I had given Baek Seol-hee the best answer I could. ¡°Alright. Ji-hwan, do you want a child with your wife?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There was no lie in that. ¡°I¡¯d love to have a child with my wife and form a ser team.¡± ¡°¡­ 11 yers?¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes widened in shock. It might be a clich¨¦, but saying you wanted not just two or three children but 11 could be momentarily baffling. Wasn¡¯t 11 a bit overboard? Right. I deliberately threw out arger number. And since I had already gone overboard, I should throw in another curveball. ¡°Don¡¯t we need 22 for a ser match?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s impressive. It shows how much you love your wife, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I dered it with a strong will, showing off my love for my wife. It was true, after all. ¡°Of course, having that many children would be hard on my wife¡¯s body. It¡¯s just a figure of speech.¡± I mentioned a realistic reason to patch up my exaggeration, but at the same time, I conveyed confidence that if physically possible, I would do it. ¡°I¡¯d love to bear a child on behalf of my wife, but biologically, there are male and female roles, so it¡¯s impossible.¡± The only thing present was the truth. ¡°It¡¯s not about biological reproduction or a miracle-like probability of having a child with super abilities, but I want to have a child with the woman I love and pass on everything I¡¯ve achieved. I want to bring into this world a child that my wife and I will love for our entire lives.¡± Without falsehood, only the truth was spoken. ¡°Just, it just didn¡¯t go well.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s expression began to darken. ¡°How is Seol-hee doing?¡± My turn was over. Now, it was time to turn the arrow to Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Seol-hee, have you ever thought of having a child with someone you love? Seriously?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Not marrying someone assigned by the state and bearing their child as an act of patriotism, but have you ever thought of having a child with someone you personally desire?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s expression steadily became more rigid. Regardless of whether she had that thought or not, it was difficult to bring up such a topic here and now. ¡°That.¡± Baek Seol-hee pointed outside with a somewhat strained face. ¡°Can I have a moment to think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Originally, no thinking time should be granted here. But for Baek Seol-hee, it didn¡¯t matter. Why? From a young age. This world, this country taught those with abilities: Be a good person. Help those in need. ¡°Yes. Come in when you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ll be tidying up the bedroom for a bit.¡± From a young age, the country and the world taught Baek Seol-hee to be kind. Brainwashing and propaganda. Facing propaganda with brainwashing. To use falsehood when it was disadvantageous. Use the truth when it is advantageous. Through deception and misdirection, the goal was to ultimately make Baek Seol-hee ¡®on my side¡¯. Indeed. Maniption. In the original story, I brainwashed the heroine to make her my own, all because I was the Goblin.
At that moment. ¡°Wee.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Yumir stared wide-eyed at the pension (guesthouse). ¡°How much is it for a night here?¡± ¡°It varies, but for one night at the least¡­¡± Whispering. The pension owner whispered something very quietly to Yumir, who covered her mouth in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ incredibly expensive, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a top-tier facility, and it evenes with its own hot spring.¡± ¡°Well, maybe¡­¡± Yumir lowered her voice slightly. ¡°Is there any chance I could book a room for next weekend? I have enough money.¡± ¡°Oh dear. I¡¯m truly sorry. This pension only epts one group per day. And¡­¡± Mr. Jang, the owner, shook his head. ¡°All the rooms are fully booked due to reservations.¡± Chapter 124: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (1) Chapter 124: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (1) ¡°Sigh.¡± It was tough ying this act. Now, all that was left was to hope that Baek Seol-hee, amidst her confusion, would view Do Ji-hwan in a favorable light. ¡®I can finally get some rest now.¡¯ At least he had managed to get a moment of rest, lying on the bed. -Typically, infidelity leads to one¡¯s downfall when one lie covers another. A memorable line from a famous lecture on the inte came to mind. -It¡¯s aplete disaster. How long can a liest? Your partner isn¡¯t a fool. They¡¯re as clever and observant as you, deceiving themselves because they love you more than you love them. One deceived oneself because of love, fooling oneself into thinking they were doing no wrong. Meaning even the rational judgment of an S-tier hero could be paralyzed by love. So, rest was essential- Ding. The Taeguk Watch beeped. It was Pension Owner, Mr. Jang. ¡°Hello?¡± [Yes, Mr. Do. Your ¡®wife¡¯ is on her way up now.] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I quickly sat up from the bed. ¡°Now?¡± [Didn¡¯t you schedule her to arrive at this time?] ¡°Oh, yes, but¡­¡± It was Yumir¡¯s schedule. He just hadn¡¯t expected Baek Seol-hee to rush here so early in the morning. ¡°Please let her up for now.¡± [¡­Hmm. Alright. Hang in there.] Though Mr. Jang¡¯s encouragement didn¡¯t feel encouraging, so I quickly got out of bed and opened the door leading downstairs. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! Ms. Seol-hee.¡± Darn it. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, you see?¡± ¡°Yes, go on.¡± ¡°¡­Why are you sweating so profusely?¡± Baek Seol-hee tilted her head upon seeing my flustered state. I couldn¡¯t me her. After our discussion, my obvious difort would raise suspicions. ¡°Did your wife tell you something? Did she mention meeting Baek Seol-hee?¡± ¡°¡­Not that.¡± With things as they were. ¡°Student Yumir has arrived.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± Baek Seol-hee looked at me with wide eyes. Soon after, the sound of someone entering from downstairs echoed. Click, click. Why did the sound of high heels seem so lively? Given that this was Ulleung Ind, shoes should be removed at the entrance. Yet, the sound of those high heels was deafening. ¡°Ms. Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright. Yumir is just a student from the academy. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°But the thing is.¡± She wasing up. I could feel someone approaching the ce up the stairs, and unfortunately, it was towards my bedroom. ¡°Ms. Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Why? Is there something you¡¯re hiding?¡± ¡°Student Yumir doesn¡¯t yet know about my situation-¡± ¡°Teacher! Mi-reu¡¯s hereee~~~!¡± Darn it. Greeting loudly enough to reverberate throughout Ulleung Ind, Yumir made her way to the bedroom. At the same time, I tried to maintain myposure. Calm down, Do Ji-hwan. After all, you had faced such situations before while dealing with four executives at the association. Instead of dealing with four S-tier people, now it was two S+ tier, or rather, two EX-tier individuals. Think on your feet. It was the very skill that brought me this far. And if you believed in one more thing, it was Yumir¡¯s intuition and prior knowledge. Baek Seol-hee overcame this crisis based on information that only Yumir knew, and she didn¡¯t. Before Do Ji-hwan became Do Ji-Hwan. ¡°Wee, Student Yumir.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Snow White?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Hello?¡± Upon seeing Baek Seol-hee, Yumir paused for a moment. Baek Seol-hee nonchntly greeted Yumir and then said- ¡°Ji-hwan, shall we continue the discussion we were having?¡± I sat down, resting my bottom on the edge of the bed where I was lying a moment ago. Seeing this, Yumir frowned slightly, and for some reason, I felt like the room temperature had dropped, or maybe it had be more humid. Baek Seol-hee had an ice attribute. Yumir was the Sr tina. If winter and summer met, when a cold and warm front collided, a boundary was created between them. It seemed that the rainy season wasing. For some reason, I felt cold sweat trickling down my back, but I pointed behind Yumir and asked. ¡°Student Yumir, what¡¯s in that luggage?¡± ¡°Oh, this?¡± Yumir tapped a fairlyrge suitcase with her hand, then, without looking at Baek Seol-hee, looked at me and smiled broadly. ¡°I decided to sleep over tonight. That¡¯s why I brought it.¡± ¡°Your suitcase seems bigger than I thought?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a variety of stuff inside.¡± ¡°Ji-hwan?¡± It was Baek Seol-hee who called me. ¡°I need to answer the question you asked me earlier now.¡± There was no doubt her tone turned short at the end. ¡°Understood, Seol-hee. Student Yumir? First, unpack your things in the room¡­¡± ¡°The room¡¯s right here, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yumir dragged her suitcase into the room. After a quick nce at Baek Seol-hee, she confidently pushed her suitcase in front of the wardrobe. ¡°This is my room.¡± ¡°¡­Student Yumir?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure why Ms. Baek Seol-hee is here, but this is my room.¡± Yumir was calmly lying. There were many rooms in this guesthouse. Why would she im the one I was staying in? We hadn¡¯t even decided on the rooms yet. ¡°But, teacher. Were you supposed to meet Ms. Baek Seol-hee at this time? Wasn¡¯t our appointment fixed?¡± ¡°It was.¡± ¡°Initially, it was supposed to be ¡®counseling¡¯ time for Student Yumir, but since Ms. Baek Seol-hee arrived first, we began our session. You two are meeting for the first time, right? This is Ms. Baek Seol-hee, Snow White. We got acquainted in Busan and have been exchanging SNS. This one is-¡± ¡°I¡¯m Yumir. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Nice to meet you, Student Yumir.¡± Yumir confidently extended her hand, cutting off my introduction. An E-rank offering a handshake to an S-rank? Even if she was a foreigner, such an act in Korea could be considered rude. But did that really matter now? ¡°Wow. This is my first time meeting an S-rank hero up close. I¡¯m a big fan, really.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She was not thankful. And she was not a fan, either. ¡°The fight you had in Gangwon-do with the Goblin looked like you were dancing. It was so amazing.¡± Yumir was trying to dominate the situation, acting more boldly and courageously than the slightly timid Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Is that true? About the Goblin and all that?¡± ¡°Not at all. Student Yumir¡­ you¡¯re quite outspoken.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t be so rude.¡¯ was the unspokenment. ¡°I¡¯m just the type who can¡¯t contain my curiosity. I hope you aren¡¯t offended? Oh, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that everyone was talking about it.¡± Was she getting upset over just that? ¡°Teacher Do. Were you continuing the counseling with Ms. Baek Seol-hee? Umm, I was under the impression that this was my time. I even made a reservation.¡± Yumir was shamelessly brazen. ¡°No matter if she¡¯s an S-rank, I¡¯d appreciate it if you respected the order.¡± It was as if someone had made a reservation at a bank through an app, but then an elderly woman from the next window suddenly sat down, saying, ¡°The seat is empty, so why can¡¯t we talk?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But it¡¯s an important matter.¡± Even as she apologized, the way she sought understanding was truly heroic. It felt a bit odd to describe it as ¡®heroic¡¯, but for now, I had to sort out the situation. ¡°Student Yumir. I was discussing my ¡®wife¡¯ with Seol-hee.¡± She waspletely taken aback. ¡°¡­Your wife?¡± ¡°Yes. My wife. We were talking about her inability to get pregnant.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yumir silently stared at me. She looked as if she was wondering what kind of nonsense this man was spouting. Her eyebrows furrowed as she alternately looked between Baek Seol-hee and me. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± I fervently prayed. Hoping that Yumir would pick up on the situation. ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve told me that much, I won¡¯t make a fuss.¡± Yumir¡¯s voice lightened. ¡°If you¡¯re discussing that, it means you trust Baek Seol-hee enough¡­ and at the same time, she¡¯s someone you can confide in.¡± Yumir nonchntly shrugged as if saying, ¡®I understand it all¡¯. ¡°Then, are the three of us doing this today?¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Baek Seol-hee was flustered. Much like an Asian student was surprised by a Westerner¡¯s social skills, her previously stoic face began to waver with shock. ¡°Consultation, I mean. Though it¡¯s not the usual kind.¡± Yumir nced at me with a meaningful look. Judging by her gaze: ¡®I¡¯m saving you right now, so you owe me big time.¡¯ Truly, Yumir was the protagonist. ¡°Phew. I thought that without knowing about your marital status and child issues, Baek Seol-hee was approaching you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re hearing this for the first time? It¡¯s okay. It might be a deep thought but look at him. He¡¯s trying hard to cope.¡± Even in the most unreasonable situations, those who helped, be it a hero or a protagonist, were also the ones who assisted. ¡°If Baek Seol-hee decides to help out with our situation, I have no reason to dislike her. It¡¯s really nice to meet you!¡± Until a moment ago, Yumir had been distant and sharp, but now she warmly greeted Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Let¡¯s share our concerns and stories with each other, things we can¡¯t tell others.¡± As if sharing a secret in a club where she had joined ter¡¯ than the others. ¡°Oh, by the way, Teacher.¡± Yumir approached with a broad smile and looked at me with upturned eyes. ¡°Did you tell Baek Seol-hee about me?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°I see. In that case.¡± Yumir squinted for a moment and then gestured at me as if to signal something. It felt like: ¡®I¡¯m saving you right now.¡¯ ¡°Then, I should share my secret with Baek Seol-hee.¡± ¡°A secret?¡± ¡°Baek Seol-hee?¡± Yumir bowed slightly with a light smile. ¡°I am Sr tina.¡± Baek Seol-hee was utterly bewildered. Chapter 125: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (2) Chapter 125: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (2) Usually, when the word ¡®sudden eleration¡¯ appeared in any content, people tended to take it negatively. ¡°I am the Giant Rider, and he¡¯s the Armored Rider.¡± When mentioned without any prior hint or foreshadowing, how should the protagonist and the readers react? If there was enough foreshadowing beforehand, they might think, ¡°Wow, they¡¯re mentioning this here and now?¡± However, if there was no hint at all, they might wonder, ¡°Is the author trying to ruin their own story?¡± It felt that way now. ¡°Wait, Sr tina?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the Magical Girl Golden Priestess Sr tina. I¡¯ve appeared as Sr tina. I am the Sr tina.¡± Yumir revealed her identity. When she spoke to me, she never directly revealed who she was, but she fully exposed herself in front of Baek Seol-hee. It was confusing. So very confusing. Baek Seol-hee was currently deeply confused, both as a woman and as a hero. The guy she liked was mentally devastated, captivated by his strange wife. The woman he brought was thought to be an E-ss ability user, but she¡¯s actually the world¡¯s only ability user with an EX-ss ability- ¡®Aha.¡¯ Realization dawned. I realized why Yumir exposed her identity. ¡®Pride.¡¯ A woman¡¯s pride. Yumir revealed her true self as a deration of war to show Baek Seol-hee that she wouldn¡¯t be overshadowed. ¡°Who¡¯s this E-ss fool trying to act tough in front of an S-ss?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s this S-ss fool trying to be sly in front of an EX-ss?¡± I pondered. If I were in Yumir¡¯s shoes, where would I feel inferior to Baek Seol-hee? Face? Every pretty girl thought she was prettier than others. It was instinctive. Body? Women with an S-line and exceptional body bnce believed they had a better figure than others. That was how it felt. Personality? Being gentle and lively with men and always shining bright like the sun in any situation ¨C they believed it enhanced their rtionships. It was natural to think that. Rtionship? Emphasizing that they got into a rtionship faster than others, believing they had a head start. That was what happened. Regardless of anything, Yumir must have confirmed that she was not inferior in terms of face, body, and personality. Women usually gauged each other in just one nce. Then, what could make Yumir feel inferior to Baek Seol-hee? The only factor could be ¡®background.¡¯ ¡°People think I¡¯m an E-ss ability user. But in reality, I¡¯m not. I am the Golden Priestess that the world is looking for, rumored to be either S-ss or even S+ ss.¡± As expected. While revealing her identity, Yumir emphasized her superior position against Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Of course, I needed some anonymity, so I consulted with Teacher Do Ji-hwan. He¡¯s been a great help, keeping this secret from everyone else.¡± ¡°That, I¡­¡± Right. I didn¡¯t tell Baek Seol-hee about this. ¡°I had no idea¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee must be thinking, ¡°How much haven¡¯t you told me?¡± And, ¡°Why do you tell this woman, Yumir, everything you haven¡¯t told me?¡± Yumir effortlessly positioned Baek Seol-hee as the ter.¡¯ Even though she was the one who startedte. ¡°Is this true, Ji-hwan?¡± ¡°Since Yumir has spoken, I see no reason to hide. Yes, it¡¯s true. Yumir is the Golden Priestess. I¡¯ve been listening to her worries and discussing solutions with her.¡± I was just a counselor. ¡°While doing so, I also shared my concerns, and student Yumir¡­ took them very seriously.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just listening; I¡¯m actively helping!¡± I felt a warm presence on my arm. Yumir came right next to me, crossed her arms, and made a V-sign with her hand. ¡®Ah, this seems familiar.¡¯ A scene where a busty blonde female character attacked the protagonist in the presence of a tsundere female character. Then, of course, what followed¡­ ¡°What are you doing right now?!¡± ¡°What do you think? Why are you acting like you don¡¯t know?¡± Yumir, instead of being angry at the annoyed Baek Seol-hee, boldly pressed herself against me. ¡°Weren¡¯t you aware of Teacher Do¡¯s situation? Didn¡¯t you say when counseling with Teacher Do, you¡¯d take something like a consultation fee? At least 200 million won per session.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­!¡± It was funny that Yumir mentioned 200 million won. It was even funnier that Baek Seol-hee realized it and was flustered. Of course, I was too. Yumir never mentioned 200 million won before. ¡°You have no idea how much relief Teacher Do¡¯s counseling gives me, physically and mentally. How many times did you receive it? 10 times? 20 times?¡± ¡°You received it that many times?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to my disguise as an E-rank student, I can visit Teacher Do¡¯s house every day without hesitation.¡± ¡°Every day?!¡± ¡°Not every day.¡± I calmly pushed Yumir away by tapping her shoulder. ¡°About three times a week.¡± ¡°Three¡­ times¡­ a week?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because Teacher Do often goes somewhere else on weekends.¡± ¡°I have my own schedule, too. It¡¯d be problematic if you think I¡¯m always stressed.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m stressed?¡± ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯d naturally help you relieve it. I listen to your concerns, too.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Yumir shrugged lightly at Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Ms. Baek Seol-hee, as an ability user and hero, you know how stressful a hero¡¯s life can be, right? I feel the same. I get angry and irritated when things don¡¯t go my way.¡± If there was a superpower to heighten one¡¯s nose, by now, her nose would¡¯ve pierced the ceiling. ¡°Thanks to meeting Teacher Do, I learned how to control my emotions, release dissatisfaction, and satisfy my needs. All thanks to Teacher Do. Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, I was able to somewhat solve the problem with my wife.¡± ¡°¡­Did she contact you again today?¡± Yumir gently held and caressed my left hand with both of hers. Her gesture was so angelic that Baek Seol-hee seemedpletely shocked, her eyes darting left and right. ¡°So, how much do you know about Mr. Ji-hwan?¡± ¡°Everything.¡± Yumir pressured Baek Seol-hee with a suggestive tone. ¡°If a woman visits a man¡¯s room every day, isn¡¯t the story already concluded?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything more to exin. Right, sir?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate. It¡¯s not every day.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Every three to four days.¡± Baek Seol-hee was at a loss. She was utterly confused. This situation was iprehensible to someone who lived by reason andmon sense, like Baek Seol-hee. It was chaos. Amid theplex stories, it was like a stand-upedy where one had to make decisions based on quick thinking. It was as if a historical drama actor, ustomed to scripted stages, was suddenly asked to perform in front of unpredictable children. ¡°Sigh. Fine. Whether you¡¯re a Golden Priestess or Silver, it¡¯s fine by me. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the first time an ability user has hidden their identity. I believe there¡¯s a good reason for Yumir¡¯s activities as the Golden Priestess. I¡¯m a nationally recognized S-rank hero and get important information immediately.¡± Yet adapting to the situation might be due to their innate talent and ss. ¡°Even A-rank ability users hide their identities, and I can¡¯t force someone presumed to be S-rank to be a hero.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t youe to Sejong Ind to be a hero? No one can dictate what an ability user should do as long as it¡¯s not against thew. That would be a vition. It affects the ability user¡¯s mental state.¡± I began to feel uneasy with Baek Seol-hee¡¯s calm reasoning. Baek Seol-hee seemed to be gradually regaining her senses, and I started to worry. If things continued like this¡­ ¡°My main concern now is the matter with Mr. Ji-hwan and his wife.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yumir remained silent. Probably not knowing what Baek Seol-hee and I had discussed, Yumir looked at me with an expression that read, ¡®This is for you to handle.¡¯ ¡°Ms. Seol-hee. About that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided. After thinking about what could help Mr. Ji-hwan the most, I came up with the best solution. If only his wife allows it.¡± As if Yumir didn¡¯t need any permission. ¡°How would you feel about an S-rank ability user bing a surrogate mother?¡± Chapter 126: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (3) Chapter 126: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (3) In many countries, surrogacy was defined as illegal, and even if it was legally recognized, there were various restrictions and strict conditions. Even if one actually engaged in such an act, various problems arose afterward. There were cases where people sought surrogates due to truly unfortunate circumstances, but most tried to resolve the situation on their own rather than involve other people. But what about this world? A time when ability users were leading the world. A time when babies who were not ability users were shunned. As much as life bloomed when one gave birth to an ability user, humans had alsoe to have a grotesque thought. -If the child is an ability user, does it need to be mine? Oh. It seemed that not only ability users could be devils. Human greed knew no end, and humans had always found and created ways to achieve their desires. -If you use the genes of an ability user to have a child, there¡¯s a high likelihood the child will be an ability user? -S-ss children are almost certainly ability users, right? -So if you ask an S-ss to have a child on your behalf, a truly remarkable ability user will be born, right? While it might be grotesque, it was also an extreme example of human desire. After all, it was better to have the baby born as an ability user. Even if the child was not mine, as long as the child didn¡¯t know that and supported me in the future, wasn¡¯t that good? Whether it was a surrogate father or a surrogate mother, in the end, if the ability user child and the parents were connected by heart, wasn¡¯t that what mattered? With that thought, humanity had created a way. They passed aw, treated ability users specially, and made it possible for such acts if the ability user ¡°wanted to¡±. It was illegal to take the genes of an ability user to make a child. But it was possible if the ability user was the direct subject. -Men sow seeds, and women provide the field. And so, all our people will be ability users in 100 years. Tsk tsk. What? Gic problems? Does it make sense to measure ability users by human gic problems? In the name of progress, humanity began to consider the mass production of ability users around 2020. If an ability user male and an ability user female met, married, and had a child, then an ability user child was born. ¡°Have you ever seen a horse race? Do you know how the horses in the race are born?¡± Someone made an analogy for those who might find the topic ufortable or unpleasant. ¡°They are bred. A stallion with superior genes is used to impregnate a mare with superior genes, resulting in a foal that is born ready for racing, its body prepared from birth solely for running.¡± Utilization as a breeding horse. ¡°A mare gives birth to a foal after about 11 months. Even if breeding starts now, it will be nearly a year before a foal is born. I¡¯m not sure if twins are born sometimes, but you know what I mean, right? It¡¯s good if twins are born; if not, so be it.¡± Combination of superior genes. ¡°A male with superior genes naturally has the duty to spread those genes to many females. To pass on the genes to just one female? Oh, that would be a huge loss to humanity¡­ I mean, to the horse racing world. Therefore, the breeding horse must meet as many females as possible. The male only has to run hard for one night, and then the female takes care of the rest, carrying and giving birth to the foal over the next 11 months.¡± Naturally, in terms of reproduction, males had the advantage of being able to reproduce ¡°many times.¡± ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t think too hard. Don¡¯t make itplicated. Humanity has been repeating the same actions throughout history, as proven by history itself. The only difference now is that the object of our actions has changed. Don¡¯t you want your child to be an ability user in an era where everyone else has superpowers? Are you going to let your child live as a non-ability user in such a world?¡± Even considering human ethics and universally valid morality, it didn¡¯t seem right. ¡°This is not wrong. Yes, if you want to have a child that carries on your bloodline, then do so. But when the child is born, if it¡¯s not an ability user, don¡¯tin. That was your choice.¡± But humans often twisted even the most justifiable logic to suit their selfish greed. ¡°Everyone, think about this. Sending your child to a kindergarten that teaches Korean from a young age is no different. Are you not going to teach your child Korean when they are young? Now, we must all learn Korean. The era when English was enough tomunicate worldwide is over! Now, we must study Korean!¡± To repeat. ¡°Spread the genes of Korean ability users, turning all newborns in this country into ability users. Eugh! Who are you?!¡± This world was truly a nationalist fantasy novel. ¡°Korean! Ability user! Male! S-ss! If such a person exists, spreading those superior genes worldwide is our mission for the next generation, eugh!!¡±
¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± As soon as I heard about surrogacy, I felt a chill down my spine. ¡°Seol-hee, what did you just say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be your surrogate. I will.¡± Seol-hee, who was sitting on the bed, slowly got up. She was shorter than the rtively tall Yumir but had an overwhelming charisma, simr to Mount Baekdu. ¡°In the current situation where Ji-hwan¡¯s wife can¡¯t have children if Ji-hwan wants to have a child, there¡¯s only one way, right? To have a child through another woman.¡± Logically, there was no error. The problem did not lie only in logic; ethically, there was an issue. ¡°Seol-hee, do you know what you are saying right now?¡± ¡°Of course, I know. I¡¯m not a fool. I¡¯m an adult and a 0th generation superpower. I¡¯m practically the first child to be born with superpowerspared to others. Do you think I would say such a thing without any thought?¡± Seol-hee was very confident. ¡°As a hero, and as a woman, I try my best to help. That¡¯s also a great help to me personally.¡± ¡°How does bing a surrogate help you, Seol-hee?¡± Before I could gather my thoughts, Yumir stepped forward. ¡°An S-ss hero is having a child with an unnamed ¡®non-superpowered person¡¯?¡± Yumir thoroughly hid the fact that I was the Goblin. Of course, one could infer the rtionship between Sr tina and the Goblin and deduce the ¡®Ji-hwan = Goblin theory¡¯, but it was safe to say that there weren¡¯t many people who coulde up with such an idea. ¡°What would happen to the world if the strongest female hero in Korea suddenly announced she had a child? Wouldn¡¯t the world turn upside down trying to find the father?¡± ¡°I can take responsibility.¡± ¡°Responsibility? Really? You¡¯re going to block Ji-hwan¡¯s entire life?¡± ¡°I can take responsibility for that as well. That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying this.¡± This wasn¡¯t going to work. The conversation was not getting through. ¡°I have a lot of money. Not only the money I received as an S-ss hero but also the assets I¡¯ve umted through financial nning and investment.¡± ¡°So, are you going to hide Ji-hwan in a secluded vi with that money?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible if you have money. Moreover, if you receive help from the country.¡± ¡°Are you going to mobilize the power of the state?¡± ¡°Yes. From the government¡¯s point of view, they might regret that Baek Seol-hee doesn¡¯t have a child with the man they want, but after all, they want Baek Seol-hee to have a child with abilities. In that sense, it is also helpful to me.¡± Baek Seol-hee seemed to be thinking, ¡°Which apartment should I take the Ji-hwan couple to live in, the most secluded ce possible, from people¡¯s attention?¡± ¡°What if the child born with abilities ister leashed by the government?¡± ¡°Then, I will step forward to help. I will deal with the government regarding the child¡¯s freedom.¡± ¡°What if the child isn¡¯t born with abilities?¡± ¡°Even if the child isn¡¯t born with abilities, it is important that it is Ji-hwan¡¯s child. Although there will be a difference in degree, it might be an able child since I am the one giving birth, but it doesn¡¯t matter, even if it¡¯s not. Half of the blood is from Ji-hwan.¡± ¡°That, Seol-hee?¡± I interrupted their conversation and grabbed Baek Seol-hee¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It seems like you are heated up right now, but could you be a bit more calm¡­¡± ¡°I am more calm and rational now than ever.¡± This was big trouble. This woman was sincerely looking at me now. It was different from Yumir¡¯s case. Yumir tested me, subtly probed for information, and stealthily acted to gain what was beneficial to her from me bit by bit. Baek Seol-hee was different. It was not about testing or checking if I was lying. Like a hero. ¡°Do you dislike the idea of having a surrogate, or do you dislike me? If it¡¯s thetter, I¡¯ll cleanly give up. But if it¡¯s the former.¡± She was ¡®sincerely¡¯ pushing me. ¡°If your wife agrees, wouldn¡¯t it be okay? Call her. Right now.¡± ¡°Seol-hee. I mean.¡± ¡°Come on, call her. Ask your wife if it¡¯s okay for me to have a child as a surrogate.¡± ¡°¡­I am curious about that, too.¡± Baek Seol-hee in front. ¡°Since we are talking about surrogacy, we can¡¯t not hear what the person involved has to say, right?¡± Yumir in the back. And me, stuck between them. ¡°Yes.¡± Beep beep. I made the call. [Hello?] ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me.¡± [¡­Yes, hey.] There. ¡°Can you talk for a moment?¡± [¡­ I¡¯m working, so I can only talk for about 3 minutes. What¡¯s up?] ¡°You see.¡± I was definitely thinking I couldn¡¯t do this. ¡°This girl I¡¯m meeting on Sejong Ind¡­¡¯ two,¡¯ she says she can be a surrogate. Is it okay?¡± Chapter 127: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (4) ☆ Chapter 127: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (4) ¡î From behind, Yumir poked me with her finger. ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± She asked, looking at me with surprised eyes. [Twice?] ¡°Yeah. Twice. I think two times should be possible.¡± The time was 3 minutes. As soon as the battle began, I felt like a giant of light with a red glint in my chest, and I earnestly hoped that my wife and leader would help us get out of this situation. [So, two times. Hmm.] Surrogate mother. Two. In fact, there were only two words, but the leader knew my situation pretty well. If I knew the leader, she would throw me a lifeline while also bringing me greater benefits. [Will two times be enough?] Of course. [It seems like we¡¯ll need more than two times. Aren¡¯t you trying to make a ser team?] The leader urately grasped my intention. [Are those two with you right now?] ¡°Yeah. They are listening in on the speakerphone right next to me.¡± [Oh, that¡¯s tough. Well, thank you. Hello?] The leader carefully spoke to the two. [If it seems too much for the two of you to handle, you can quit halfway. I¡¯m not forcing you.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Did you hear that?] ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Baek Seol-hee looked around with respect, and Yumir looked at me expressionlessly. [I¡¯ll look forward to good news. By the way, you.] ¡°Yes?¡± [Do that for me. I have to go to work now.] ¡°¡­Honey.¡± It was a bit embarrassing to do this in front of two women, but before I felt embarrassed, I was not sure how to handle the aftermath. Anyway, I decided toply with the leader¡¯s request. ¡°I love you.¡± Smooch. I kissed the smartphone. Both of them were surprised and opened their mouths wide. Smooch. [I love you too. You are my favorite person. Tell them to cheer up.] ¡°Okay.¡± Click. The call was disconnected. At the same time, I felt relieved. ¡°This is our rtionship.¡± I sat on the bed. ¡°My wife is such a person.¡± It felt refreshing, like a painful tooth had been pulled out, and Iy on the bed, crossing my legs. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you thought, is it?¡± ¡°Seol-hee, what were you thinking?¡± ¡°I thought she would shout, ¡®Hey! How dare you do that to my man!!¡¯ like in the morning dramas.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not that kind of person.¡± I was sure of it. She had a firm belief that I would not betray her, and I also had that belief, so I would not betray her. Therefore, from now on, it was the turn of the secret alliance, Yi Maemangryang, and the viin Goblin. ¡°Seol-hee, I¡¯ll talk to you morefortably. Well¡­ the topic of surrogate motherhood came up, but you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Whether it¡¯s Seol-hee or Yumir, you are both much more amazing people than me and contribute more to the worldpared to Do Ji-hwan.¡± Yumir gave me a look that said, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about,¡± so I added the clue of Do Ji-hwan. ¡°Do Ji-hwan, an ipetent man whose only abilities are liking novels and analyzing and organizing about abilities, thinks he can listen and solve the worries of Korea¡¯s top female ability user, Snow White, and the mysterious S-ss hero, Sr tina. I think I¡¯m contributing a lot to the world just by that.¡± As for Do Ji-hwan. ¡°That¡¯s right. I think I¡¯m contributing a lot to the world by solving the worries of world-ss ability users. Though it may be self-indulgence, if it can care for my mental health or provide even a little help, I¡¯m willing to help willingly. Whether it¡¯s physically or emotionally.¡± Non-ability users could only perform the roles that humans to humans, or men to women, should do for ability users. ¡°And if I receive any help in the process¡­ I hope you understand that it¡¯s just a little help for my wife.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If she says she dislikes it, I can do nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never said I disliked it.¡± Yumir stepped forward. ¡°It¡¯splicated, and honestly, it¡¯s giving me a headache.¡± Yumir approached me, sat next to me, andy down just like I did. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Just keep being with the teacher like now.¡± ¡°¡­I suppose?¡± ¡°Then the answer is simple.¡± Yumir lifted her legs high. ¡°There won¡¯t be any problem!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not entirely without problems, is it?¡± ¡°Unlike S-ss heroes, I¡¯m known as an E-ss ability user.¡± Yumir crossed her legs like I did and confidently smiled at Baek Seol-Hee, who was still standing. ¡°If a foreign E-ss ability user and a Korean non-ability user have a child, at least the world will see it as a win-win situation for both.¡± Yumir was right. ¡°Even if we¡¯re not married, if the teacher officially certifies that we have a Korean child, I can be Korean, right?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s the general idea.¡± If Yumir, who was not Korean, married me or had my child, she would gain significant points in her naturalization evaluation. Simply having a child with a Korean was not enough. They would examine whether the person was an ability user, the family background, the upations of family members, economic power, and whether epting this person as a Korean would benefit Korea. Millions of people apply for immigration to Korea every year, and to acquire citizenship through naturalization, one needs to have very good abilities or background. ¡°¡­Ms. Yumir, people are saying that you deserve an EX-ss ranking.¡± Baek Seol-Hee seemed to be trying to keep Yumir in check. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah. The ability to turn demons into non-ability users. I don¡¯t know specifically what kind of ability that is, but the whole world is looking for you right now.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not just a ¡®so¡¯ situation.¡± Baek Seol-Hee pressed her head with her hand and frowned. ¡°With your ability, you can return the people who have be demons back to normal, so everyone¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Baek Seol-Hee, you¡¯re really pure and kind. Mr. Do Ji-hwan seems to be worried about other problems.¡± ¡°Other problems?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yumir turned her gaze towards me. It seemed like she was asking, ¡®Can I speak?¡¯ and I was worried she might say something strange. ¡°Yumir, first of all, just¡­¡± ¡°People are wondering if my ability could create a different ability, so be careful.¡± I never thought about it that way. ¡°Until now, I¡¯ve never thought about it that way, but the teacher told me about it. He taught me about the world of adults.¡± ¡°World of adults?¡± ¡°Yes. The horrible and cruel stories of adults. The teacher gave me advice on things I had never thought of before.¡± Yumir looked at me as if I had given her great advice and continued speaking like someone who was moved by a great lecture. ¡°My ability is unique, so there might be someone who forcibly tries to study it. Whether they use my ability as it is or try to create a new ability by ¡®making me give birth¡¯,¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°It might be simr to the worries Ms. Baek Seol-Hee has. Giving birth to an ability user. Forcibly inserting the genes of an ability user into my womb to¡­ give birth to a new ability user. I will be used as a breeding mare, producing ability users until I die. I-¡± ¡°Ms. Yumir, that will never happen.¡± Baek Seol-Hee interrupted Yumir¡¯s words with an urgent voice. ¡°That¡¯s just Mr. Ji-hwan¡¯s way of saying to be careful because there might be such people¡­¡± ¡°There are indeed such cases on the inte, right?¡± ¡°¡­Even if that¡¯s true, I won¡¯t let such a thing happen. I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Baek Seol-Hee. But there¡¯s someone here who can help me more easily.¡± Yumir put her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Teacher, I thought about it while I was on my way here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°When people tell me to have a child, what do you think is the best way to deal with it?¡± ¡°¡­ Well.¡± I had an idea, but I didn¡¯t say it on purpose. Because it would be more effective if Yumir spoke than me. ¡°That¡¯s exactly bing a state of having a child¡­¡± Crack. Yumir briefly grasped my shoulder, trailing off. ¡°¡­ Student Yumir?¡± ¡°¡­ Huh.¡± Yumir¡¯s eyes trembled slightly. ¡°Reservation¡­ Room¡­ Ah, that kind of¡­ Haha. Hahaha. Really. Huh.¡± It seemed like she got really angry for a moment, and I wondered if Yumir had noticed my excuse. She definitely noticed. ¡°Really, teacher, you¡¯re lucky to meet a girl like me. Really.¡± ¡°I think so, too.¡± ¡°Huh. Anyway, the correct answer is having a child. Ms. Seol-hee.¡± But I deliberately didn¡¯t say it. ¡°What do you think? If you¡¯re worried about being forced to have a child, have a child in advance.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Rather than being forced to give birth by others, rather than living with a man suddenly brought by the state and treated like livestock. At least.¡± Yumir held my hand and turned her body toward me. ¡°At least, I want to decide for myself who will be the father of my child.¡± ¡°Ms. Yumir.¡± Baek Seol-hee approached the bed with a serious face. ¡°I had that thought long ago as well.¡± Baek Seol-hee. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been prepared for that from the start, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed this man.¡± Just like Yumir, she climbed not next to me but on top of me. ¡°Get ready, Ji-hwan.¡± Click. Baek Seol-hee snapped her fingers, and the white magic flowing from Baek Seol-hee¡¯s hand manipted the console in the room. The blinds went down, and the lights went off. ¡°Today, I¡¯m on vacation.¡± ¡°So am I, teacher.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Where is there a person who is not on holiday here?¡± I reached out my hand towards Baek Seol-hee and Yumir and took a light breath. ¡°I¡¯ll make you both forget about everything else. No need to thinkplicatedly.¡± Chapter 127.33 Chapter 127.33 The chairman, the conglomerate head, gave permission for the affair. I hadn¡¯t particrly used a condom before, but now we could formally proceed with babymaking sex. ¡°What shall I do for you?¡± Though they had both agreed to have sex, the situation was quite unfamiliar and awkward, with another woman present. Unless they were close enough, a threesome could be aplicated matter, and both were ncing at each other, feeling uneasy. ¡°Alright, Seol-hee, Yumir. In this case, let¡¯s follow the story of Hwanghee Jeongseung.¡± I stood in front of them, then pulled down my pants and underwear. ¡°Gasp¡­!¡± ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Both Baek Seol-hee and Yumir were surprised. One was terrified and fearful, while the other one eximed, and her eyes gleamed. Both of their gazes were directed at my penis, and although embarrassed, neither looked away. ¡°Suck.¡± ¡°Are you telling me?¡± ¡°No. Just speak casually now. Hm¡­ shall we just be casual during sex? Just for now.¡± I thrust my penis towards Baek Seol-hee¡¯s face. ¡°It would be weird to say ¡®suck it,¡¯ right? So, just for now.¡± Baek Seol-hee cautiously grabbed my penis. Her white fingers wrapped around it as if measuring its circumference with her thumb and middle finger. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°I told you to suck it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll suck it then.¡± Yumir brought her face close to the tip of my penis. Her tongue was already touching my penis, and Baek Seol-hee frowned, realizing she had hesitated. ¡°Alright, then-¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Baek Seol-hee was the first to suck my penis. She beat Yumir to it, carefully opening her mouth to take my penis inside, and looked up at me. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing or not?¡± Baek Seol-hee lightly shook her head with my penis still in her mouth, and I caressed her head, gently grabbing her hair. ¡°Rx.¡± ¡°!¡± I lightly pushed Baek Seol-hee¡¯s head forward. The tip of my penis, which had been slightly touching her lips, began to enter her mouth. Baek Seol-hee rxed her throat, trusting me with her head. Click. I held Baek Seol-hee¡¯s head and moved it back and forth. It felt like using a living onahole, and Baek Seol-hee relied entirely on me, keeping my penis in her mouth. She didn¡¯t particrly lick my penis with her tongue. Still, the intermittent tension made her lips and cheeks twitch against my penis, sending waves of heat through it. ¡°Ugh.¡± Even though she was Snow White, her mouth was just as hot as her vagina. It felt like my penis would melt away, and I gradually increased my pace. ¡°Like this, back and forth. You should also suck the penis with your tongue every now and then¡­ Huh?¡± Baek Seol-hee looked up at me with surprised eyes, then suddenly grabbed my penis with both hands. ¡°Tsk.¡± Then, she attached her lips to only my ns, and her cheeks caved in as she deeply sucked my penis. Slurp, suck, swoosh. Like sucking from a beverage straw, Baek Seol-hee continuously targeted my ns. It was an awkward yet intense stimtion focused on one area. Yet, knowing that Baek Seol-hee was doing it made me feel a profound sense of pleasure. ¡°I feel like I mighte already.¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t n oning yet, so take it slow. Do as much as you want.¡± ¡°Ugh, what should I do then¡­?¡± Clearly annoyed by Baek Seol-hee¡¯s monopoly on my cock, Yumir puffed out her cheeks and pointed to herself. ¡°Am I just a bridesmaid now? I¡¯m trying to lick the side of his cock, but I can¡¯t even suck it because she¡¯s holding it tight.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your fetioing along?¡± ¡°Uh, well, I¡¯ve been practicing by watching porn.¡± ¡°How did you practice?¡± ¡°¡­Pretending there¡¯s a cock in the air?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡± I stood up, wrapped my arms around Yumir¡¯s waist, and grabbed her breasts hard. ¡°You could have just said to me, ¡®I want to suck your cock,¡¯ and I would have let you take it in your mouth, but instead you practiced sucking cock out of thin air?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, next time¡­can I ask you to?¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll do something special for you for the effort.¡± This would make Baek Seol-hee envious. She was sucking my cock, so it might not matter. ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed.¡± I pulled her hair back slightly, then walked over to the bed andy down. The bed was barely big enough for the three of us, but it wasn¡¯t too much trouble, and I pointed to my hard cock. ¡°Come and suck it. You can do it on your stomach like a cat drinking water.¡± ¡°¡­Do you make your wife suck your cock too?¡± ¡°My wife gives me a morning fetio instead of a morning kiss.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Poof. Baek Seol-hee got down on all fours between my legs and boldly took my cock into her mouth. She moved the head slowly up and down on her own without me having to reach for it, tightening her mouth around it every now and then to stimte me. ¡°Big¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee was feeling exactly what I was feeling with each blow job. She was analyzing every detail of where my cock twitched when she touched it with her tongue and how it reacted when her mouth tightened. ¡°¡­Zap.¡± Most of all, she was licking and sucking my pre-cum juices now. As if my pre-cum or semen were some kind of drug to her, Baek Seol-hee kept running her tongue over my ns, licking it as I dripped. ¡°Doctor, what can I do? Do you want me to massage you with my breasts?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll lick your pussy. Get on top.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Yumir remained stiff. Baek Seol-hee stiffened as well. ¡°Pretend you didn¡¯t hear me. I¡¯m going to suck your pussy. Get on top of me with your knees over my face. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s the other way around.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll lick your pussy, while you masturbate next to me. On 69.¡± ¡°Oh, no. Seol-hee¡¯s sucking cock, so I¡¯ll go up here.¡± Yumir climbed on top of me with stiff movements. She squirmed like a virgin, barely managing to get on top of me as if she hadn¡¯t thought of the whole sitting on my face thing. ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Hic?!¡± I grabbed Yumir¡¯s waist and pulled her up, then plunged my tongue into her pussy. Yumir¡¯s toes began to dig into my shoulders. She moaned and casually positioned herself to straddle me. I pressed the bridge of my nose lightly between Yumir¡¯s clit and pubis, tickling her as I moved my head slightly from side to side. ¡°Ugh, huh¡­! Do you like being sat on like this by a younger girl¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. If it¡¯s pussy sucking like this.¡± ¡°Ah, ahhh¡­, so tantly, ahhhh¡­!¡± Yumir mped one hand over her mouth to stifle the moan that escaped. The other hand reached for the head of the bed to steady herself, and I tickled the front of Yumir¡¯s pussy with my tongue, enjoying the sight of her breasts jiggling wildly with each flick of my tongue. All ability users were like this, but the more energetic ones had no qualms about having sex. Her pussy didn¡¯t smell like squid or have a foul odor. It smelled like well-pressed nectar. ¡¯This is why everyone loves having sex with an ability user. Once you had sex with an ability user, you couldn¡¯t get away from it. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a man or a woman; the higher-ups were the same. Pfft. My cock felt something tight from below. It was not just tight at the tip; it felt tight up to the pubic bone. My ns seem to be touching where they shouldn¡¯t, and I slide my gaze down Yumir¡¯s ass. ¡°¡­¡­up.¡± Seol-hee¡¯s eyes red at me, my cock hovering close to her crotch. The look was one of obvious jealousy and envy, and I responded by sticking my tongue out and licking Yumir¡¯s pussy instead. Yum. Baek Seol-hee raised her head slowly, her lips stroking my cock. Covering it lightly with her lips, she nibbled and licked at the head of my cock. ¡°Cheap.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Just as I was about to cum, Snow White grabbed my cock in her hand and squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°¡­!¡± Her grip was so strong that I felt a strong stimtion in my urethra as if I was being forcibly managed while trying to ejacte. The semen that had been forced out of the way by my fingers slowly flowed out instead of gushing upward, and I sighed in pleasure and ipleteness as I ejacted. ¡°Really¡­.¡± ¡°Ooohhh¡­ When you breathe on it like that¡­!¡± That must have been a new stimulus for Yumir because she shuddered slightly, and I caught her juices running down my chin with my tongue again and pushed it into her pussy. ¡°Yumir. Do you know what a paizuri is?¡± ¡°¡­The one where you put it between your tits and lick your cock?¡± ¡°Yeah. Try that one. Your turn.¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Yumir pulled away from me, her eyes shining. ¡°Snow White, you just made him ejacte, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Doridori. Snow White hadn¡¯t removed her lips from my ns, and Yumir made a face and positioned herself like Snow White. ¡°Ai, you got it once.¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± ¡°Your lips are smeared with his cum right now.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t cum.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t get it right. Someone was holding on to my cock.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee threw her head back with an embarrassed look on her face. Soon there was an arc of saliva and cum between her and my cock, and she pulled back, running her tongue over it. ¡°Don¡¯t take it with your hand,¡± I said to them, ¡°but rub it between your breasts instead.¡± ¡°With my breasts¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Double paizuri.¡± ¡°Wow, are you a pervert?¡± ¡°When you have two girls with tits like yours, and you don¡¯t do it, it¡¯s a dereliction of duty. Come on. I¡¯ll fuck the one who sucks the best first.¡± ¡°Then¡­.¡± Just as I showed them, Yumir and Baek Seol-hee got down on their sides and put their breasts on my thighs. Ouch. ¡°Uuh, it might be a bit awkward¡­¡± ¡°¡­Wow, can you see this? The ns popping out between the breast cleavage.¡± ¡°That just means I¡¯m quite big.¡± The ns were protruding out between Baek Seol-hee and Yumir¡¯s breasts. Gurgle. Because of Baek Seol-hee, the semen that hadn¡¯t ejactedpletely flowed out, and Baek Seol-hee swiftly licked it with her tongue, savoring the taste. ¡°Does it taste good? Then, can I start sucking it now?¡± Slurp. Yumir spread her tongue wide and swept the side of the ns. She wiped Baek Seol-hee¡¯s saliva with her tongue, pressed her breast with her hand, and smiled at me with her eyes. ¡°How about that? These two beauties rubbing your penis with their breasts and sucking it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the best. But you and Seol-hee also need to know this. Having sex with me is iparable to anyone else on Earth.¡± ¡°¡­I¡± Baek Seol-hee narrowed her eyes and red at me. ¡°I won¡¯t have sex with any other man except you for the rest of my life¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 127.741: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (4.741) ☆ Chapter 127.741: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (4.741) ¡î A beautiful woman who gave me her virginity was telling me she would not have sex with any other man except me. Knowing that it was adultery, knowing it was an affair, she still said she would only have sex with me. I couldn¡¯t resist this. I thought about ejacting on her face after heating up with a blowjob, but it seemed like I should rather ejacte inside her. ¡°Then we must do it now. We can¡¯t just be fondling forever. Both of you lie down. Take any position you want.¡± I stood up and headed to the foot of the bed, pointing towards the head of the bed. ¡°Since I¡¯m going to give it to you for the first time, take any position you like. I will give it to the one who takes a more enticing position first.¡± ¡°Enticing¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee and Yumir hesitated, ncing at each other. They seemed to be unsure about how to tempt me as they didn¡¯t know what actions the other would take. ¡°In that case¡­¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Yumir threw herself first. She bent over on all fours in front of me, presenting her rear. ¡°Is, is this okay?¡± Even though she had made the move, showing her naked rear in front of Baek Seol-hee seemed to embarrass her. Her face turned red, even her earlobes were red, and her pussy was also flushed. ¡°Of course.¡± I immediately pushed my knee between Yumir¡¯s legs, cing my hands on her buttocks. ¡°I¡¯ll put it in right away. You don¡¯t need to be wet, do you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already wet enough¡­ Ahh¡­!¡± Squeeze. Without using my hands to guide my penis, I rubbed it against her groin and pushed it inside her pussy. ¡°Haah¡­ This is it¡­ The heat rising from the outside in, Hah, it feels like my body is forcibly opening up¡­!¡± Yumir lowered her upper body while conveying the sensation of insertion. Her chest was pressed to the side, exposing her side boobs, while her lower body, holding the penis, was raised as much as possible to match my height. ¡°Teacher, how is it¡­?¡± ¡°Did you practice this too?¡± ¡°I imagined¡­ hehe, being pounded by the teacher while burying my face in the pillow and masturbating¡­¡± ¡°Good boy. Instead of fingers, I will give you a penis on top.¡± The girl, who was a novice in sex, was seducing me with a perfect doggy-style pose that one might see in a pornstar¡¯s porn video. In a pose where if I spat between her buttocks, it seemed like it would slide along her spine, her hair became disheveled every time I pounded. ¡°Ah, aah¡­!¡± The flow matched the intensity with which I was pounding, and it started to feel like Yumir was copsing each time it swayed back and forth. ¡°Aah, Teacher¡­! If youe in so quickly and deeply¡­ Ah¡­! It¡¯s too fast¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one spreading your legs because you like it.¡± ¡°Aah¡­!¡± Already, my penis forcibly widened Yumir¡¯s tight vagina to fit my penis size, and Yumir¡¯s vagina couldn¡¯t resist properly and epted me to the end. ¡°That¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee approached cautiously from the side, but I moved my hand from holding my waist to Yumir¡¯s buttocks and slowed down slightly. ¡°What about me¡­?¡± ¡°Yumir took this pose first and asked me to do it, so I couldn¡¯t just watch.¡± Whack! ¡°Aah?!¡± When I pped her buttocks with my hand, Yumir screamed and lifted her head high. ¡°Ugh, haah, aah¡­.¡± In a state where she couldn¡¯t even speak properly, her body trembled, and her vagina, which was tightly holding my penis, spasmed and began to gradually loosen. ¡°Since you¡¯re so diligent in your penis studies, wouldn¡¯t it be wrong to stay still without teaching?¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re teaching about penis.¡± Baek Seol-heeid down neatly beside Yumir with a straight posture. ¡°I also¡­.¡± In a straight posture often seen on dakimakura, she covered her breasts and vagina with her hands, looking at me with expectant eyes. ¡°If I put it in once, I can¡¯t take it out before Ie. In the meantime, I¡¯ll satisfy you with my hands.¡± ¡°Hand¡­? Oh, wait, wait¡­uhh¡­!¡± As I lowered one hand to Baek Seol-hee¡¯s vagina and thrust my index and middle fingers in like a ring, Baek Seol-hee hastily grabbed my wrist. Creak. ¡°That, stop¡­!¡± ¡°No such thing.¡± Squish, squish. I repeatedly thrust my index and middle fingers in and out, regardless of whether Baek Seol-hee grabbed them or not. While not as much as Yumir, Baek Seol-hee¡¯s vagina was also squishy, and she bit her lower lip and turned her head to the side. ¡°Haah, haah. I¡¯m jealous¡­ Teacher, your hand feels really good¡­.¡± ¡°Shall I switch then?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­! The hand feels good, but I like teacher¡¯s penis more¡­. Uh¡­!¡± Yumir moved her buttocks left and right. ¡°Yumir. I¡¯m going to stay still, so why don¡¯t you masturbate with my penis?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°You must have tried it with a dildo before. Think of mine as a dildo and try touching yourself.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it sex¡­?¡± ¡°If you turn me on in the middle, I¡¯ll pound you right away. I want to send Miss Seol-hee¡¯s vagina flying with my fingers.¡± I put the remaining hand on her buttocks, soothing her while putting strength in my knee and slightly leaning my body towards Baek Seol-hee. Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud. The sshing sound resonated louder than the sound of the penis stirring the vagina. ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Baek Seol-hee, who covered her mouth with one hand, kept twisting her body left and right, trying to endure my fingering. With the remaining hand, she continued to hold my wrist, tilting her body slightly to the side, but gradually, the strength diminished, and she was just holding on to it. ¡°Miss Seol-hee. I don¡¯t like holding back. If you feel like you¡¯re going toe, just scream.¡± ¡°I, I don¡¯t want to¡­!¡± ¡°Really? Well, you¡¯re crying out below.¡± ¡°!!¡± I slightly pulled thest syble and pressed the upper part of Baek Seol-hee¡¯s vaginal wall. Woosh! Baek Seol-hee¡¯s waist rose. Baek Seol-hee trembled as she squirted her love juices. Vibrating. The area between her pubic bone and lower abdomen trembled as if cramping, and her waist, raised enough to fit a fist under it, did not go down. ¡°Ah, hah¡­.¡± The moans that flowed out between her fingers were irresistible, and transparent female juices intermittently squirted out, dirtying my arm and her own thighs. ¡°¡­Eek.¡± Creak. Yumir, who was watching from the side, began to tighten her vagina as if to protest that my penis had stopped because of Baek Seol-hee. Thump, thud, thump. At the same time, she moved her body back and forth, hitting my pubic bone with her buttocks, shaking her body as if to cushion herrge breasts, trying to turn my attention away from Baek Seol-hee¡¯s vagina to herself. ¡°Teacher, give me your penis¡­huh?¡± ¡°I was just about to pound it in.¡± I pulled my fingers out of Baek Seol-hee, then pushed only my thumb in and stretched out my four fingers above Baek Seol-hee¡¯s pubic bone. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll go right away.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­?!¡± As if using Baek Seol-hee¡¯s vagina as a fulcrum, I slightly spread my legs and pushed my penis deeper into Yumir. ¡°How about now? Do you feel like you¡¯re going toe?¡± ¡°Uu, eeu, if youe inside me, will you pull out immediately and put it in Seol-hee¡¯s sister¡­?¡± ¡°Not right away, maybe about 10 seconds?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yumir tightened her vagina and closed her mouth. Her jaw tightened, and I almostughed at the sight. ¡°Let¡¯s see, try holding it in. Anyway, I¡¯m going toe exactly when you do.¡± ¡°Eeu¡­!¡± Yumir grabbed a pillow in front of her and clenched her face as she tried to endure the climax. She tightened her vagina with all her might while tensing her whole body, but I, on the other hand, moved my waist leisurely back and forth. Squish, squish. Gentleness conquered strength. Seeing Yumir tense up, I gradually rxed her from the inside out, moving my penis as if caressing the inner walls of her vagina, stimting the inside of Yumir. ¡°Ah, ha, ha¡­.¡± Yumir breathed heavily, her body trembling. Burying her face, she stifled a groan, shook her head, and tried to hold back her climax somehow. Ouch. I m my cock into the deepest part of Yumir¡¯s cunt, and instead of thrusting back and forth, I move my hips like a water wheel. ¡°That, that¡¯s foul¡­! If you do that there¡­!¡± Yumir¡¯s voice cracked. Her tightly clenched pussy slowly began to loosen. It was a quick cycle of clenching and unclenching, but gradually, Yumir¡¯s posture broke down, and her back began to drop. Her position, perfect for being fucked from behind, was about to copse as her legs spread from side to side. Pow! ¡°Ow!¡± I mmed my cock in from the bottom up, and Yumir jerked her ass up in surprise. ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°Ah, ahh¡­.¡± Yumir¡¯s head tilted back slightly, and her eyes began to flutter. Her pupils fluttered, teetering between wariness and desire. ¡°You want it, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want it? Well, then, I guess I¡¯ll have to give it to someone who does.¡± ¡°Whoa, I want it¡­!¡± Yumir eximed, her eyes squeezing shut. ¡°I want it, so give it to me¡­!¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You have to tell me what you want. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­That, that¡¯s¡­!¡± Yumir bit her lower lip for a moment. ¡°Teacher¡¯s, baby¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a funny way to put it. Are you trying to get pregnant?¡± ¡°Yi, do you want to get me pregnant¡­? Really?¡± ¡°I mean, get you pregnant if you don¡¯t put a condom on it.¡± I patted Yumir¡¯s ass lightly. ¡°Want me to finish inside?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t want that. Absolutely not.¡± ¡°Then, where should I finish?¡± ¡°Uuh, Teacher¡­!¡± Yumir ground her teeth for a moment but then stretched her two hands behind her, grabbing her own buttocks. ¡°Please fill my vagina from the inside with Teacher¡¯s semen¡­.¡± Her index fingers, holding her buttocks, were precisely pointing to her vagina. I momentarily pulled my hand away from Baek Seol-hee and then pressed Yumir¡¯s wrist from above, grabbing her waist. Swoosh! ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Ahaang¡­!!¡± With a big thrust, Yumir¡¯s breasts jiggled as her legs slid sideways. Thud, thud, thud. Repeatedly thrusting fast several times. Not caring about the direction in which the ns scraped the vaginal wall, I just kept thrusting and thrusting with the thought of just stirring the vagina. ¡°Ah, ah, ah, no¡­! It¡¯s going to be my turn, Jo. I need to hang in there a bit more¡­!¡± Yumir kept looking ahead, trying to hold back her climax. Even though her body was on the verge of reaching climax, she barely managed to hold back her climax, and it was gradually bing dangerous for me. The moment I thought about just finishing. Squeeze. ¡°!!!!¡± A very slight surprise attack crumbled the fortress of will that Yumir had. ¡°Aaaaang!!!¡± A scream of pleasure burst out. The hands holding her buttocks spread wide, and I pushed my penis all the way inside, sticking to the pubic bone. ¡°Aang, haang¡­! Ah, full inside¡­!¡± Gulp, gulp, gulp. I stayed inside Yumir for a while without moving. Silently inhaling a sigh and catching my breath, I let Yumir enjoy the afterglow of her climax, and even though it was right after ejacting, I quietly kept my penis inside without moving. ¡°Foul¡­y¡­.¡± With a thud, Yumir copsed on the spot. Her knees scraped the ground as she fell forward, and as I pulled my waist back, Yumir spread her legs in a¡¯¡Ä¡¯ shape andy face down. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir lost consciousness and fainted. Her eyes fluttered as if ring at someone for thest time, but thenguidness of the climax was too intense to invade her consciousness. ¡°Seol-hee.¡± I reached out my hand to the side and grabbed Baek Seol-hee¡¯s wrist. ¡°No matter how much you crave sex, who secretly thrusts while the other two are having sex?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Who pricked Yumir¡¯s nipple?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee turned her head to the side. I lifted my body from below Yumir and then straddled Baek Seol-hee¡¯s thighs. ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°Seol-hee.¡± I stretched out both hands and grabbed Baek Seol-hee¡¯s nipples. ¡°Did you want to have sex with me that badly, enough to disturb a younger woman?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee. ¡°That¡­.¡± ¡°¡­do you want to eat pussy while fondling breasts?¡± I thrust my penis into her. Chapter 127.742: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (4.742) ☆ Chapter 127.742: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (4.742) ¡î Baek Seol-hee knew the position she wanted. I straddled Baek Seol-hee¡¯s thighs and gently inserted my penis into her vagina. ¡°Ooh¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee let out a faint moan and reached out her hand to me. I extended my hand to her, and Baek Seol-hee pulled my hand to her breast. ¡°Do as you please¡­.¡± ¡°Where should I focus?¡± ¡°¡­As you wish.¡± Following Baek Seol-hee¡¯s request, I grabbed her breast firmly from below. ¡°Ahh.¡± I supported the bottom of her breast with my thumb and extended my four fingers forward to grab her entire breast. The force in my hand flowed to her breast, but Baek Seol-hee was not ufortable; she gently smiled and continued to stroke my wrist. ¡°You can grab it harder¡­.¡± ¡°I was going to do that.¡± Squeeze. I squeezed Baek Seol-hee¡¯s breast as if wringing it out. The flesh of her breast stood out between my fingers, and the nipple caught between my middle finger and ring finger began to stand stiffly upward. ¡°Seol-hee, do you like me touching your breasts?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. Whew, I always felt ufortable when men looked at my breasts¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s hand stroked the back of my hand that was holding her breast. ¡°When someone I like holds it tight like this, it feels like it¡¯s theirs. Hehe¡­.¡± ¡°Am I your exclusive now?¡± ¡°Yes, you are. Well, notpletely.¡± Baek Seol-hee gently pulled on the back of my hand that was on her right breast. ¡°This side¡­ I will feed my baby with itter, so please be careful.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t even had intercourse yet, and you¡¯re already worried about sharing breast milk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad to worry in advance, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Rx. I rxed the hand that was holding her breast and thrust my penis deep inside Baek Seol-hee¡¯s vagina. ¡°Uhh.¡± Like Yumir, it was tight and slightly dry. I didn¡¯t know if it was always this tight or because she had a special ability, but I kept pushing my penis into Baek Seol-hee¡¯s tight vagina. Swoosh. ¡°Ahh.¡± It wasn¡¯t just pushing my penis in; I moved Baek Seol-hee¡¯s breasts back and forth so that the movement matched the way my penis was entering her. As if my penis was twisting into the cleavage of her breasts, Baek Seol-hee¡¯s two breasts became the left and right vaginal walls that were squeezing my penis, stimting Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Haah, haah¡­. Wait a minute¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee asked me to pause, and then she crossed her arms under her breasts. Thanks to her forearms and arms lifting her breasts from the side and below, her alreadyrge breasts perked up even more, and Baek Seol-hee looked at me with anticipation in her eyes. ¡°How¡¯s this¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re making it difficult for me.¡± I gently lowered my lower body. I pulled my penis halfway out of Baek Seol-hee¡¯s vagina, then buried my face in her ample breasts and rubbed my head from side to side. ¡°I can¡¯t have intercourse because of these breasts. I can¡¯t focus.¡± ¡°You usually focus well.¡± ¡°How can I keep thrusting my penis with these breasts in front of me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a dilemma¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee released one hand and gently stroked my head. ¡°I¡¯ll let you touch my breasts anytime, so please do something with your penis now¡­.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going crazy from the pleasure you¡¯re giving me. Haah.¡± Baek Seol-hee continued to gently stroke my head with her hand, and I lightly kissed her nipple before readjusting my position. ¡°Will it hurt if I do this?¡± ¡°¡­It might feel a little good.¡± I extended my arms andy on top of Baek Seol-hee¡¯s breasts. Just like when you did a push-up, and your arms were down while your lower body moved forward, I supported my upper body on Baek Seol-hee¡¯s breasts while moving my waist, aligning my penis with Baek Seol-hee¡¯s vagina. ¡°Ah, ah¡­ there, a little more inside¡­ deep, please scratch there. Yes, that feels good. Continue squeezing my breasts while doing that¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee wasn¡¯t shy about expressing what she wanted. While women typically want men to find and scratch their erogenous zones on their own, Baek Seol-hee was considerate enough to continually tell me what she wanted during our sex. ¡°Ha, ha. Just a little, a few times inside¡­ Hyaang?!¡± ¡°Like this?¡± Squish, squoosh. I gave strength to my knees, pulled my waist back, and then thrust my penis forward. Due to the insertion angle, the head of my penis scraped the lower part of the vaginal wall, scooping up vaginal fluids like it was scooping something up. Squish, squish. A tide gradually burst out from under Baek Seol-hee. She intermittently reached a climax, but Baek Seol-hee restrained her moans and hoped I would enjoy her a bit more. Yumir had this tendency a bit, but Baek Seol-hee especially felt more pleasure when she wanted to show me with her body that she wanted me. Especially when it came to the parts she was confident about. ¡°Seol-hee. I want to see your breasts shake.¡± I pushed my stretched-out legs between Baek Seol-hee¡¯s legs. ¡°Spread your legs.¡± ¡°Oh, are you going to thrust hard¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to do this.¡± Kku-uk. In one breath, I spread Baek Seol-hee¡¯s legs left and right, pushed my knees under, and took a missionary position. If there was anything different, it was that I was holding Baek Seol-hee¡¯s hands like we were interlocking fingers. Thanks to this, the side of her breasts was slightly supported by my forearm from below, but this position was the best to see the dynamic movement of her breasts. ¡°If it hurts, tell me. I¡¯ll stop.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that it hurts, but it feels so good that I think I¡¯m going to go crazy¡­ Aeut?!¡± Fwack. As I pulled her wrists and thrust my penis forward in a big motion, her breasts immediately started shaking up and down. ¡°Heuk, is, is this what you like¡­?¡± ¡°It feels so good that I think I¡¯m going to go crazy.¡± ¡°Is, is it that good?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else that drives a man crazier than breasts shaking when you thrust.¡± Chalpok, chalpok. Her breasts kept shaking. Each time my penis poked the uterine ostium, her breasts trembled significantly, and Baek Seol-hee bit her lower lip while slightly smiling. ¡°Uhh, really, really like it¡­ Hehe, feels even hotter than before¡­ Ahh¡­!¡± ¡°Because of Seol-hee-ssi, I¡¯m fully aroused now.¡± ¡°Ah, ahh¡­! It feels like, uhh, it¡¯s getting bigger inside¡­!¡± It really felt like my penis was going to explode now. Every time Baek Seol-hee kept appealing to me using her breasts and trying to fix my gaze on her, I had a strong feeling that I wanted to defile her. I wanted to dye not only the inside but also the outside with my color. So this woman could notpletely escape from me. If a physical rtionship deepened to the point where any action could be forgiven, I wanted to resolve everything with just one round of sex. ¡°Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Want anything more?¡± ¡°Wanting more¡­ I¡¯m already receiving a lot. But, if possible.¡± Baek Seol-hee wrapped her legs around my back. ¡°¡­Grab my waist and thrust in hard, one more time¡­ okay?¡± Vurururt. Before grabbing Baek Seol-hee¡¯s waist, I ejacted inside her. Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes shed with slight disappointment and confusion due to my sudden ejaction, but I sighed while making a yearning expression toward her. ¡°¡­Seol-hee. Sorry. It happened before I knew it.¡± ¡°Uh¡­?¡± ¡°Seol-hee is too delicious. I couldn¡¯t hold back.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, delicious means¡­ uhh, really¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s body trembled finely. Although she was at the peak of physical pleasure, Baek Seol-hee was now feelingplete happiness mentally. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s nothing I can do¡­ Ahh¡­!!¡± A man named me desired her, perfectly controlled the pace with Yumir, and then showed a disheveled appearance? ¡°Ahh, ahh, penis, just a moment more while inside¡­! Push in, push, in¡­ Ahh¡­!¡± She began to climax just at that thought. ¡°I, uhh, tasted good, so you ejacted¡­ Ahh, turned on and ejacted¡­ That¡¯s nice, really¡­ You want me that much¡­ Ahh¡­!¡± Baek Seol-hee climaxed, pleased with herself at my early ejaction, although I actually ejacted slightly before she climaxed. ¡°Ha, ha, ha, ha¡­.¡± ¡°¡­That was a lot of cum.¡± She purred. I slowly withdrew my cock, and a thick stream of semen quickly flowed out of her. Reaching to the side, I moved to wipe it up once with a tissue, but then- ¡°That, that.¡± Baek Seol-hee stopped me, her voice shaking slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­wipe it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I want to be¡­. yours.¡± Baek Seol-hee pleaded with me through half-lidded eyes. ¡°All over me, leave your marks on me¡­. so I can be marinated in your cum. Huh?¡± ¡°All over my body?¡± ¡°I want my whole body to be your pussy¡­.¡± ¡°Me, too¡­.¡± Somehow, Yumir had regained her senses and started to rock her hips on top of my penis again. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re going to stay like this, why don¡¯t you give me a good squirt¡­? With the feeling of a cum massage. Heehee¡­.¡± ¡°You like that?¡± ¡°I think it would be great¡­.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a vaginal massage be better?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­. that.¡± Baek Seol-hee blushed and barely managed to open her mouth. ¡°I¡¯d like to fall asleep covered in your cock, passed out like that.¡± ¡°Me too, dear teacher¡­ I¡¯m just tingling in my pussy, and I¡¯m only outside when you cum¡­. What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­only this time.¡± I stood between them and began to masturbate, lightly moving my hand back and forth. ¡°Wow¡­. I¡¯ve never seen you masturbate before¡­.¡± ¡°Now, you¡¯re masturbating while watching us, right¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Thump, thump, thump. I quickly masturbated to bring myself to ejacte. I thought it would be easy to ejacte since I had ejacted a few times, but it took a little longer than I thought. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± But I quickly moved my hand and, determined to make it happen, pointed my cock forward, pulling my hand straight up to my pubic bone. Pooh-pooh! Boom, boom, boom. I ejacted with the intention of getting it all over their bodies, so the semen was more evenly scattered all over their bodies than I expected. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± ¡°Ooohhh¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Chup.¡± Yumir buried her head right in front of the cum on the pillow and sniffed it while Snow White lightly stole some of it with her hand and licked it off with her tongue. ¡°Hah. Some more¡­.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I put my hands on both of their thighs. ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure you both have cum leaking out of your cunts by morning.¡± Turning to the squirming pair, I slid my hand into the oozing cum, fingering both women simultaneously. Squirt, squirt. Just like that. I pounded and pounded and pounded until they both passed out in my semen. Chapter 128: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (5) Chapter 128: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (5) At that moment, In a luxurious room resembling a penthouse, a blonde girly on a vast bed big enough for at least ten people to lie together. She stared nkly at the ceiling. ¡°Yawn.¡± The girl was almost 140 cm tall, quite small in stature. Despite her small size, the clothes she wore were more provocative than those of a grown adult. However, no one else except the girl was in the spacious room. ¡°Baek Seol-hee. Yumir.¡± As the girl uttered the names of two people, holograms flickered on the ceiling, revealing their figures instantly. The hologram screen disyed various information about them. Text, photos, videos, and even reports from various superpower research institutes were flipped through one by one. ¡°Both seem fine. One with an S-ss Ice type, the other with an EX-grade ability to steal demonic powers.¡± The girl briefly ran her hand through her hair. ¡°It would usually be a situation where I¡¯d have to beg them to join us, but if they join us this easily, it¡¯s a whole different story.¡± Where the girl¡¯s hand passed, the hair briefly turned ck, then reverted to blonde as she removed her hand. ¡°Yawn.¡± [Chairwoman?] A sparkling popup window appeared at the bottom of the screen. ¡°What¡¯s up, Gunggi?¡± [About the call you received during the meeting, is it from Manager Do?] ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You heard it, too, since you were there. It seems like Manager Do got tangled up with various excuses during the operation and ended up calling me.¡± [You figured that out from just that one sentence¡­?] ¡°Usually, if they call me, it¡¯s to ask for adjustments.¡± The girl shrugged her shoulders lightly. ¡°But it¡¯s impressive, isn¡¯t it? To seduce two S-ss heroes within just two months of infiltrating Sejong Ind Academy. That¡¯s Manager Do for you.¡± [I¡¯m just worried that the heroes might catch on.] ¡°If they catch on, Manager Do will just show off his charm more aggressively. He¡¯s the Goblin, after all, using every means possible to persuade others and turn it to the Secret Society¡¯s advantage. And considering that he¡¯s part of this as well.¡± [Isn¡¯t that the same for you, Chairwoman?] ¡°Yes, it is. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so rxed about this.¡± The girl kept smiling cheerfully, but Gunggi only showed anxiety. [What if they betray the Secret Society and side with the heroes-] ¡°Gunggi.¡± The girl lowered her voice while still smiling. ¡°The Goblin doesn¡¯t betray.¡± [¡­ I¡¯m sorry. That was out of line.] ¡°It¡¯s fine. It must be strange and awkward for you, with a newbie who suddenly covered so much ground in just six months.¡± [No, that¡¯s not what I meant.] ¡°Or are you jealous? Of Baek Seol-hee and Yumir, the two S-sses?¡± [¡­We can handle the Goblin on our own.] ¡°I doubt that.¡± Gunggi¡¯s words made the girl cross her legs and shake her head firmly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how things turned out from Christmas to the New Year holidays? The Goblin isn¡¯t someone to be taken lightly. He¡¯s too much for just the five of us.¡± [But if we try¡­!] ¡°There are things we can ovee with effort and things we can¡¯t. Can you confidently win 1:1 against the Goblin, even though we¡¯re losing 5:1?¡± [¡­ That¡¯s why we¡¯re all looking for a way. All of us executives are looking for a physical way to handle the Goblin¡­] ¡°You can¡¯t win. I assure you. He¡¯s the strongest in the world, even deserving of an EX rank in that respect. You saw it yourself recently.¡± Gunggi coughed awkwardly and turned her head away. ¡°I get you¡¯re jealous, but you¡¯re lucky. It was by chance, but the Goblin went to support your work. And even got a better union than the night shift.¡± [Chairwoman!!] Gunggi yelled out. [Ah, sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have raised my voice¡­!] ¡°No, no. Talking with you all like this is always novel and fun for me. The way you virgins who were always plotting to devour me are now acting like wives with hairpins, it¡¯s cute.¡± [Uh¡­!] Gunggi¡¯s face turned as red as her hair, and the girl gave a faint smile and a thumbs-up. ¡°You won¡¯t be meeting the Goblin often in the future. As soon as the October Travel matter is settled, return to Korea immediately. You¡¯ll need to take charge of the foreigner area in Gangwon Province, including Gangneung.¡± [Me, take charge of Gangwon Province¡­?] ¡°Yes. And as others take charge of their regions, if the Goblin goes to Gangwon Province, please support him well on-site. I can¡¯t enter Korea.¡± [I will do my best to follow your orders, Chairwoman.] ¡°Good. Do it well, and I¡¯ll reward you greatly. Later¡­ maybe about a month after Chuseok.¡± The girl stroked her lower abdomen and began tofortably tidy up the screen on the ceiling. ¡°Gaecheonjeol. The day the heavens open. On that day, I¡¯ll give you the ¡®union¡¯ you all want. From me.¡± [¡­!!] ¡°It¡¯s true. It¡¯s Gaecheonjeol, a national holiday, a day of celebration for the country.¡± [Like a new heaven opening. I understand. I hope everything goes as nned, and I¡¯ll finish up the work with Feygreen. I¡¯ll report as soon as there¡¯s a change. Glory to the world that will be one.] ¡°Glory to the world that will be one.¡± Beep. The popup window closed. The girl waved goodbye to Gunggi on the screen and then turned her head to the side. Outside was filled with darkness. It looked like the inner part of an underground ce where not even sunlight could enter, but the girl closed her eyes, looking out at the light from her room. ¡°Yeah, as if we could handle that monster on our own.¡± The girl stretched andy back down on the bed. ¡°At least five more women are needed to handle it.¡± Click. ¡°That¡¯s how I¡¯ll survive.¡± As the girl closed her eyes, the sound of a mechanism turned, and music began to y. ¡°If I have to handle that monster alone, I¡¯ll really die.¡± ssical music. ¡°Baek Seol-hee, Yumir. ¡­I wonder if they can handle it. Huhuhu.¡± Brahms¡¯s ¡®Rain Song¡¯ softly filled the room inside the penthouse. And then. [Honey?] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Almost at sunset, hourster, the girl chuckled at the call she received. ¡°Of course, it would be.¡±
It was over. When I checked the time, it was already close to 5 PM. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I turned my head. There, Baek Seol-hee and Yumir were lying down, sleeping peacefully with their eyes closed. Well, nothing much happened. I just had a long talk with the two of them, listening to how much they think about this country and this world. Swoosh. I took out a wet wipe and wiped the sweat off their bodies. Even though it was April, they were sweaty from our conversation during the day. I wiped off their sweat with a wet wipe as best as I could to prevent them from feeling ufortable, then threw it in the trash. ¡°Sigh.¡± While the two were resting, I picked up the Taeguk Watch on the desk and stepped outside. I didn¡¯t want to kick the Taeguk Watch inside the room and cause an ident, so I put on the watch in the kitchen and made a call. ¡°Ah, hello? Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± [As expected.] ¡°Huh?¡± [Just thinking how long you¡¯dst¡­ So, half a day?] ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how it turned out. They¡¯re both knocked out, sleeping like they¡¯re unconscious.¡± [¡­Really? Hehe.] Was the lowughter due to joy that things turned out as expected? Or a signal to have a serious conversation as per our fixed appointment? [Was it good for you, our Manager?] ¡°¡­Always grateful. Thanks to you, honey.¡± [Was I on speakerphone?] ¡°No. Just in case.¡± [I see.] On the other side of the call, they talked to me as usual, but I had to keep my words as they were. [If they can hear the speaker¡¯s sound, you should be more careful.] ¡°It¡¯s not that. They can¡¯t get up right now. I¡¯m certain.¡± [If the Manager says so, I trust you. Do you think the two will join the Secret Society?] ¡°Not at all.¡± I took out a bottle of bokbunja (Korean ck raspberry wine) and filled a ss with it, taking a sip. ¡°¡­One realized it but decided to stick to their own will, and the other, though clueless, is not someone who can be persuaded.¡± [Then, the only way is through charm. Try to entangle them well. If something goes wrong, immediately¡­] ¡°I¡¯ll pack up everything and go back to my hometown. But it¡¯d be a pity to leave just like that, so I¡¯ll have to pack up the biggest treasure as well.¡± [Oh my. Are you nning a kidnapping?] ¡°If necessary.¡± Baek Seol-hee. Yumir. If the situation got dire and I couldn¡¯t maintain Do Ji-hwan any longer, I¡¯d forcibly take the two to the Secret Society. Whether they were the main character or the heroine, being kidnapped or imprisoned by the enemy organization was a predestined course. [Got it. Um, just one question before hanging up. Who¡¯s better, the white cow or the yellow cow?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The call duration was approaching three minutes. ¡°Who¡¯s better?¡± I brought my hand to my mouth. ¡°You.¡± Smooch. I hung up first on this side and then downed the rest of the bokbunja in one gulp. ¡°¡­¡­Maybe I should make dinner.¡± I decided to prepare dinner for the two of them while they woke up, showered, and came out. Especially. Food high in iron. Chapter 129: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (6) Chapter 129: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (6) After spending time with Yumir and Baek Seol-hee, I prepared dinner for them, and their slightly haggard faces struggled as they came to sit at the table. ¡°Was it that tough?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is that what you call talking now?¡± Baek Seol-hee silently drank the tea I gave her while Yumir let out an incredulous chuckle. ¡°Teacher, are you perhaps an ability user?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Somewhat like that. If not, this doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Yumir seemed to be criticizing me, but in reality, she was gaslighting Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Be honest. You¡¯re an ability user, right? The kind that can endlessly generate stamina?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± I was not an ability user. Do Ji-hwan was not the Goblin. Though not the Goblin, I was presenting myself as someone with even more exceptional counseling skills for women than the Goblin. ¡°Being Do Ji-hwan is just one of the many advantages I have.¡± ¡°How many advantages do you have, teacher?¡± ¡°There are countless if you look. Like cooking.¡± I prepared a perfect dinner so that all they needed to do was sit at the table. The ingredients for dinner were already prepared by the pension owner, and I used them to make revitalizing food for the two. ¡°Eat. Abalone is said to be very good for the body. You too, Seol-hee.¡± Originally, these were foods good for hangover recovery, but they needed something to restore their energy right now. ¡°Was it very tough?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It was so different fromst time.¡± Baek Seol-hee nced at Yumir and then sighed deeply, picking up her spoon. ¡°I thought I had given my allst time, but it turns out I hadn¡¯t shown even half of that¡­ Sigh.¡± ¡°Last time you had to go to work the next day, Seol-hee.¡± ¡°What would you have done if I didn¡¯t have to go to work?¡± After doing more with Yumir and Baek Seol-hee today than before. ¡°I guess we would have gone stronger than today. But at least tonight, there¡¯s time to get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°¡­What if tomorrow is a day off?¡± ¡°Then, well, no need to say more.¡± Baek Seol-hee looked pale. Given how much she was already exhausted by what happened this time, it seemed she might have a fit if I casually brought up patriotism. ¡°Yumir, how about you?¡± ¡°I agree with Seol-hee. It¡¯s a relief we stopped there. Ugh, it was my first time losing consciousness.¡± Yumir felt the same. ¡°I¡¯ve never experienced that, even when fighting viins with my powers.¡± ¡°Yumir, is speaking so openly after revealing your identity okay?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Seol-hee and I are in the same boat, after all.¡± ¡°In the same boat¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee blushed and fiddled with her chopsticks. ¡°It sounds somewhat profound.¡± ¡°Seol-hee, when Yumir says that, she means it literally, not profoundly. She meant it that way.¡± ¡°Teacher, you know too much about me.¡± ¡°You know me better than anyone else, too.¡± It sounded like we were talking about understanding each other¡¯s personalities in a rtionship, but we were actually referring to the Goblin and Sr tina. ¡°Have you two be close by talking so often?¡± Our naive hero would inevitably be swayed by this. ¡°There¡¯s a lot we find we have inmon as we talk, and above all, Yumir is very quick to catch on, often understanding what I want to say before I even say it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve always been good at reading people, growing up always mindful of others¡¯ gazes. It¡¯s partly innate.¡± Yumir grinned at Baek Seol-hee while holding up her water cup. ¡°I noticed that Seol-hee stopped disliking me after we had a deep conversation in a three-way meeting with the teacher.¡± ¡°¡­I still dislike you.¡± Baek Seol-hee responded bluntly and started moving her spoon again. It seemed a bit ufortable for her to be led by the much younger Yumir, who tended to take the initiative and lead. ¡®Or not. Does she feel like she¡¯s being pushed to the background?¡¯ That seemed more likely. Yumir, being very perceptive, had made herself seem closer to me and more knowledgeable about me than Baek Seol-hee in their conversations. While that was not entirely untrue, it was not 100% true either. But as I always said, if it was to my advantage, I didn¡¯t mind. Yumir was helping me thoroughly conceal the fact that I was the Goblin. ¡°Seol-hee, it¡¯s a bit awkward to ask this here, but please take care of Yumir. Unlike me, who can only offer mental care and meals like this, you can help her a bit in the field.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help. A hero helps those in trouble, and I have no intention of handing over Ji-hwan¡¯s counseling partner to the trash targeting Yumir.¡± Luckily, Baek Seol-hee decided to keep silent about the rumor of Yumir being Sr tina. ¡°Thank you, Seol-hee. If there¡¯s ever a person who bes a demon, I¡¯ll go and purify them.¡± ¡°Purify¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ritual to dispel the aura of a demon when they have fallen.¡± I spoke before Yumir could. ¡°Yumir¡¯s power is to save demons. To turn those doomed as demons back into humans. That¡¯s all there is to it. In fact, the demon Half-Toad became human again thanks to Yumir¡­the Golden Priestess.¡± ¡°What about her powers?¡± ¡°They¡­¡± ¡°Disappeared.¡± I looked at Yumir, who immediately pointed to herself. ¡°The powers disappear along with the elimination of the demon.¡± (From the body of a superpower user). Since I opened the topic, Yumir chose the most usible scenario we had discussed before. ¡°Purification might be a bit embarrassing to say, but if a demon represents negativity and wrongdoing, then purification is the right term. Yes, purification. If it turns something corrupted into a human again, then it¡¯s fair to call it purification, isn¡¯t it?¡± One who stole powers from demons. One who purified the aura of demons to turn them back into humans. If asked which was better, thetter would be more positively portrayed. ¡°I see. Purification, then. ¡­So, Yumir. You should tell the truth about this. I¡¯m asking as Snow White.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What is your rtionship with the Goblin?¡± ¡°A nuisance.¡± Yumir answered without hesitation. ¡°The Goblin tries to kill demons, and I try to save them. The Goblin mocks me. See? The demon you want to save ultimately attacks and despises you. What¡¯s the point of saving such beings? It¡¯s cleaner just to kill them.¡± That was right. That was essentially what I said to Sr tina when I first met her. ¡°But I want to save people. Even if they¡¯vemitted crimes worthy of death, they should live to atone, not just die like that. Right, teacher?¡± ¡°¡­Of course.¡± Agreeing here hurt the Goblin¡¯s pride, but Do Ji-hwan had to support Yumir¡¯s statement. ¡°I once heard a story where heinous criminals were dying terribly, and the intensity of their death was determined by the victims or the bereaved of the crimes theymitted.¡± Was it in a foreign short drama? A heinous criminal trapped alone in a room like an interrogation chamber, begging for his life, while the families outside didn¡¯t pull the lever that would cause him pain. ¡°Such things might happen in reality, but Yumir¡¯s view is not wrong. If there¡¯s something wrong, it¡¯s the forces that make us worry about such things.¡± ¡°The government?¡± ¡°Seol-hee. I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Baek Seol-heeughed softly at my exaggerated gesture of surrender. ¡°Ji-hwan. You should get used to talking badly about the government. Like Yumir, hiding your identity isn¡¯t easy.¡± ¡°What? What did you say?¡± Yumir asked Baek Seol-hee as if she hadn¡¯t heard properly. ¡°Hiding your identity¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural for Yumir.¡± Wait. The nuance just now felt like it wasn¡¯t my ce to worry about the Sr tina issue. ¡°Ji-hwan should be careful from now on. Of course.¡± Not about the Goblin? I thought it might be because of Sr tina and the Goblin, but apparently not. ¡°In about four months, when I announce I¡¯m pregnant, everyone will start looking for who the father is.¡± Ah. In that sense. ¡°Ji-hwan. I¡¯ve been told that by people before.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯mchoemom.¡± ¡°No.¡± Was she saying that herself? ¡°What? I¡¯mchoemom¡­? What¡¯s that?¡± An unfamiliar term for Yumir, who¡¯d been in Korea less than three months, from a nationalistic novel with unnecessary words added by the author. ¡°It means ¡®ideal body for pregnancy.¡¯¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± Like Yumir, I was quite embarrassed. Such a term was usually used in male-dominatedmunities. ¡°I may not know other things, but I¡¯m confident about that. I¡¯m widely acknowledged as I¡¯mchoemom.¡± ¡°Seol-hee?¡± ¡°Hopefully.¡± Baek Seol-hee ced her hand on her lower abdomen. ¡°Hopefully, I¡¯ll have a child soon. For Ji-hwan.¡± Chapter 130: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (7) Chapter 130: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (7) After finishing the meal, it was now irreversible. I had braced myself for this from the beginning, but now that it had happened, it felt a bit awkward and embarrassing, yet part of me felt it was the right thing to do. ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never been to a ce like this before.¡± We immersed ourselves in an open-air bath. Despite the facility being covered overhead to prevent outsiders from seeing in, it still felt a bit exposed. ¡®Being alone is one thing, but three of us naked in an outdoor bath¡­¡¯ In Korean sentiment, bathing naked in an outdoor hot spring was unimaginable. So, just in case, we wore swim-like attire. One peculiar thing, though. ¡°Is that really a swimsuit?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t covering the essentials what matters?¡± Baek Seol-hee pointed to her outfit. ¡°I had to improvise because there wasn¡¯t enough time to get a swimsuit. I developed this after hearing Ji-hwan¡¯s advice.¡± Baek Seol-hee extended her hand and used her ice magic, creating a white glove instantly. ¡°Wow, how did you do that?¡± ¡°I imagine covering my hand with mana and then hardening it.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that burst out mana from the skin?¡± ¡°Well, that happened initially, but it¡¯s about delicately controlling the mana.¡± ¡°There are pros and cons to everything.¡± Transforming too quickly during a change could tear and explode clothes. But if I transformed slowly, imagining mana enveloping my body, there were no problems. ¡°Wow, so if you transform regrly, you could just wear that as your clothes¡­? What do you think, teacher?¡± ¡°If Seol-hee has enough mana, sure. But remember, maintaining the mana around your body consumes it. If it were me¡­¡± I took out my smartphone. ¡°Are you going to take pictures of us with that?¡± ¡°No. Imagine the mess if it got cloud-hacked. I turn off auto-upload, but you never know with these things.¡± ¡°Maybe I should get a digital camerater¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not always necessary to capture every moment. Anyway, look at this.¡± It was waterproof, so it was fine to take out in the hot spring, and I showed them a scene on the phone. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°The Goblin¡¯s transformation. Remember when the fake Rider showed up with a patent joke?¡± At that time, I erected a rectangr mana barrier in front of me to block long-range attacks. I walked towards it, and as soon as the mana passed through me, I transformed into the Goblin [Gunggi form]. ¡°The Goblin transformed like this.¡± ¡°Yes, I remember. You told me about it then.¡± ¡°Yeah. How about taking it a step further and adding a new gimmick?¡± ¡°A gimmick?¡± ¡°Think of this barrier as holding the transformative mana information. It¡¯s like enveloping yourself in mana.¡± I sshed some water from the hot spring onto my body. ¡°Like this, as if water is covering me. How about this method?¡± ¡°But to release mana, you still have to extract it from your body, right?¡± ¡°Extend your hand forward. Think of releasing mana towards your hand first, then envelop it back over your body.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Yumir looked puzzled at me. Discussing this might help them, but it was useless to the Goblin. ¡°Is this advice?¡± ¡°A suggestion?¡± ¡°Or just being nosy?¡± The truth was, ¡®This is a method the Goblin usually can¡¯t use,¡¯ but Yumir just tilted her head. ¡®It must be confusing. The Goblin doesn¡¯t do it this way.¡¯ The Goblin, who lived with the side effects of transformation, did not use this method? It must seem odd. But there was no need to reveal that the Goblin¡¯s original mana level was weaker than others and that it was supplemented from elsewhere. ¡°Yumir, you can definitely do it. Seol-hee can adapt it right away.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that tone? As if you could do it.¡± ¡°Even a non-ability user like me cane up with such methods. I don¡¯t see why two ability users can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Then, before reaching the truth, it was enough to make it seem like a misunderstanding as if I was just giving advice without any basis. ¡°Alright. Then, I¡¯ll try it right here.¡± Yumir went outside. Like Baek Seol-hee, she was wrapped in a bikini-like form made of mana. If that mana was removed, she would be naked, and that would definitely be unfit for broadcast. But that wouldn¡¯t happen. Yumir was thoroughly covered, and her mana bikini was as dark and opaque as a ck T-shirt. ¡°So¡­ first, the initial transformation.¡± Whooosh. The moment Yumir released her mana, in less than a second, she transformed into the Golden Priestess. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee stiffened her face as she watched Yumir. It seemed that even the kindest ability users harbored a minimum level ofpetitive spirit, especially when confronted with someone ofparable ability. ¡°Definitely, the transformation is fast.¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s necessary in many situations.¡± Was it just about speed? Have you experienced situations that required such rapid transformation? Why did it sound so different to my ears? Perhaps it was because I had spent so much time with the executives of Yi Maengmangnyang, often hearing their underlying intentions in their words. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll try the next transformation.¡± Just as Yumir was about to extend her hand to release her mana. ¡°Transf¡­.¡± Eeeeeng. An emergency alert appeared on my smartphone. I quickly checked the alert, and a troubling situation had arisen. ¡°Oh, no.¡± A viin appeared. And it was on Ulleungdo. ¡°A woman, presumed to be a demon, is currently rampaging. At the port of Ulleungdo. The estimated rank is¡­ roughly B-ss.¡± ¡°Where exactly? Right now-¡± Baek Seol-hee was about to dash out but froze in ce. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°¡­Of all times.¡± Viins didn¡¯t care about a hero¡¯s circumstances. Baek Seol-hee revealing herself here, especially on Ulleungdo without her Taeguk Watch? -Baek Seol-hee is honeymooning in Ulleungdo! That would be the news. Then the problem I worried about today, the world trying to dig up everything about the man named Do Ji-hwan, would unfold. ¡°¡­Ah, darn it¡­!¡± ¡°Seol-hee.¡± Yumir shook her head from side to side and lightly dusted off her hands. ¡°Just rx here. Or you can continue what we did earlier. Alternatively, turn on the TV and watch me in action.¡± ¡°Yumir, you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Yes. Unlike Seol-hee, who¡¯d be in a lot of trouble appearing on Ulleungdo, it¡¯s no big deal for me to be seen here.¡± ¡°But if you do¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ll try to connect Yumir¡¯s appearance on Ulleungdo with the Golden Priestess? It¡¯s okay. There are ways to handle it.¡± Yumir¡¯s gaze suddenly turned to me. ¡°Teacher. You said itst time, right? It¡¯s not an easy task.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re not serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible for me. This is when superpowerse in handy, right?¡± Grinning. Yumir waved her hand as if casting a spell. ¡°¡­¡­Teleport.¡± ¡°Wait, spatial movement? How is that possible for you¡­?¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± Yumir smiled broadly, looking as if my question was obvious, and pressed the mask of the Golden Priestess to her face. ¡°It¡¯s possible, so I¡¯m doing it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°Thanks to you, teacher.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A golden magic circle appeared around Yumir. It was an Oriental magic circle, resembling a Western-style magic circle but inscribed with Eastern charm-like scriptures, spinning round in front of her. ¡°I created it thinking I wanted to be able to go to the teacher¡¯s side whenever I wanted. I did well, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s really amazing.¡± Developing spatial movement just to meet a man. It was not impossible. Not impossible, but¡­ ¡°Then, please watch! My performance.¡± Yumir, as Sr tina, disappeared through the magic circle. Soon, the golden magic circle scattered like embers and vanished. ¡°Incredible.¡± I found a live broadcast of the chaotic scene on my smartphone. [There, there!!] Swoosh. A circr golden magic circle appeared in the air, and a person jumped out of it. [The arrival of the Golden Priestess.] Yumir, who was just in the hot spring, had suddenly appeared near Ulleung Port. Impossible? In this world, with imagination and mana, nothing was impossible. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Really. ¡­Seol-hee?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee approached me with a cold, calm face. ¡°Space movement¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Uh, well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll watch Yumir fight for now, and if it seems dangerous, I¡¯ll fly there. But.¡± Baek Seol-hee leaned against me and tilted her head slightly. ¡°Tell me about what you and Yumir talked about. What did you say to her?¡± Swoosh. ¡°Can she really move through space?¡± ¡°If I master it¡­ what do you n to do?¡± ¡°Why ask the obvious?¡± Crack. ¡°I could just teleport right into Ji-hwan¡¯s room, like Yumir.¡± Why did my legs feel so cold in this hot spring? Chapter 131: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (8) Chapter 131: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (8) Screams erupted again, rms and cries filling the air. It was no longer surprising to hear of viins or demons causing havoc worldwide, especially when the location was Ulleungdo¡¯s port. ¡°Die, you wretch!!¡± Demons usually arise from intensely negative emotions. ¡°Help, please! Someone save me!¡± Especially when an ability user became a demon, it signified a significant event triggering these dark feelings. ¡°I did nothing wrong! Please, somebody, do something about her!!¡± ¡°Die©¤©¤©¤!!¡± The demon roared. Her white wedding dress was stained with red blood, and her skin, once as pale as the dress, had turned into the distinctive purple of a demon. Clearly, she was a bride who hade to Ulleungdo. Given that she was in her wedding dress, she likely had just gotten married and arrived here by boat in the evening. ¡°You bastard! How could you do this to me!! Ahhh!!¡± The female demon, clutching the ring on her left hand, was in agony. Her pain seemed more profound than the man bleeding from his shoulder after being attacked by the demon. ¡°Someone, call an ambnce! Save me! It hurts¡­!!¡± The pain must be unbearable. The flesh was torn to the bone by a magical de not meant for a mere human. ¡°My love! It was a mistake! Only once, please¡­!¡± ¡°Aaaaah!!!¡± While there were ability users and those capable of subduing demons, as well as people who rushed to the scene after hearing about the chaos, the public reaction was mixed. ¡°That¡¯s the man¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°How can a non-ability user cheat on his ability user wife? If it were the other way around, maybe.¡± ¡°No matter if they had an ability or not, cheating in a marriage makes him trash. What¡¯s the point of saving him? The victim is that woman.¡± Being an ability user was like winning the lottery, and marrying one was the envy of many. Yet, this man cheated on his ability user wife with her sister. Not many wanted to risk their lives to save a man who caused such trouble. ¡°What men should really be wary of. He¡¯s ying around with his sister-inw despite being married to a superpower user. How angry she must be to turn into a demon.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stop this? If we let it continue, that man will die.¡± ¡°Let him. I don¡¯t want to risk my life for such a guy.¡± The power of ability users stemmed from will. It was hard for those who came to Ulleungdo for love to intervene on behalf of the cheating party. But even if people hesitated, and even if the man was at fault, the situation ¡®a demon is trying to kill someone¡¯ remained unchanged. ¡°Die! You¡¯ll die, and I¡¯ll die too!!¡± ¡°Ah, help, somebody please©¤!¡± sh! Just as the demon was about to unleash a magical bullet towards the man. A golden circle appeared, and a woman stepped out with the sound of heels clicking. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°No way!!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Not only was the appearance of the golden circle surprising, but the fact that a person emerged from it was even more astonishing, particrly when that person was someone making headlines globally. ¡°Golden Priestess!!¡± [Sr tina has arrived.] The Golden Priestess, dressed in a ck hood and ck mask, Sr tina, held the red aura handle like a whip and lifted her head. [I¡¯vee to purify the devil. I will begin purifying you now.] ¡°Move aside! I don¡¯t know who you are, but I have to kill that bastard!!¡± [You shouldn¡¯t kill people.] Sr tina said in a firm voice, setting the aura aside. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ll save that trash?!¡± [¡­I don¡¯t know what kind of trash this man is, but for now, I-] ¡°I just got married today, and that guy went to a motel with my sister yesterday!!¡± [¡­¡­.] Sr tina abruptly turned her head. Her golden eyes glittering above the mask hardened, and the man felt as if the red whip wouldsh at him. ¡°Save me, please! I, I¡¯ll repent! I don¡¯t want to die! You¡¯re a hero, right! Heroes are supposed to save people! Look, there¡¯s a viin!! No, a demon!!¡± [Tsk.] Sr tina swung the rope behind her. The snake-like elongated rope quickly entangled the man, and having bound him with the aura, Sr tina drew a new weapon in her hand. [The one I wish to save is not that man.] A golden folding fan shimmered in Sr tina¡¯s hand. [I¡¯m here to save you, who has be a demon because of such trash.] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± [From now on.] Flutter. As Sr tina opened and swung the fan, a golden aura began to emanate from her. [To this pitiful demon, the salvation of light.]
It was a little sudden, but in this world, ability users were able to create their own powers. Of course, this was only possible for those who had awakened their abilities. ¡®People without mana can¡¯t use abilities.¡¯ Officially, there were no cases where someone without abilities could use them or someone born before 2000 could use magic or abilities. ¡®With mana, anything is possible with abilities.¡¯ Inparison, ability users could create any kind of power as long as they had the skill. ¡®Just like a magic wand can create anything, with mana and abilities, nothing is impossible.¡¯ Naturally, this required a lot of magic power and was almost impossible, as it involved creating new naturalws in reality. If abilities were like coding, then the existing abilities were algorithms that could be used immediately when needed. The techniques people shouted were the process of processing these algorithms quickly. Then, what could the process of creating abilities bepared to? Writing my own code? No. It could be likened to ¡®creating a codingnguage.¡¯ Ifpared to real-world theories, it was like discovering and establishing notable academic mathematical or scientific theories. Yumir was the protagonist and a genius in dealing with abilities. For her, if she really needed an ability, there was virtually no ability she could not create. She just needed to feel that it was absolutely necessary, to the point of feeling extremely inconvenienced without it, to generate the willpower to create it. Like feeling the need to buy something worth five times one¡¯s sry with a six-month interest-free credit card installment. Such willpower resulted in the creation of the powerful ¡®Space Movement¡¯ ability. ¡°Crossing over like that, they wouldn¡¯t know they went from Ulleungdo to Ulleungdo, would they?¡± ¡°Yes. If it were me¡­ I¡¯d probably think they went from Sejong Ind to Ulleungdo.¡± Baek Seol-hee and I watched Yumir from the sofa in the living room aftering out of the open-air bath through an 80-inch TV. ording to the information obtained, the demon ¡®Sirm¡¯ was a newlywed couple who had their wedding in Gangneung this morning and headed to Ulleungdo, and the husband, Mr. Kang, had an affair with Sirm¡¯s sister, Ms. Cheon¡­ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I was momentarily at a loss for words. Given the background of the incident caused by the demon, both Baek Seol-hee and I were momentarily speechless. ¡°Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We have permission, so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°¡­Is it really okay?¡± ¡°Yes. Their situation is a bit unfortunate, but we have discussed everything in advance and agreed, so it¡¯s okay.¡± It was infidelity, but not really. Unknowinglymitting it was cheating, but knowingly doing it became ¡®y¡¯. ¡°Besides, Yumir, everyone indeed has a lot of poprity. Ah, Seol-hee, aren¡¯t you getting calls on your Taekwuk Watch right now?¡± ¡°Not today. It¡¯s a magic day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you using menstrual leave? Seol-hee, if you are going to use that excuse, it would be a week from now-¡± ¡°¡­¡­How do you know my cycle again?¡± Baek Seol-hee narrowed her eyes and red at me. ¡°How could you have known?¡± ¡°Well, you naturally find out when you talk. But Seol-hee, when I was talking with Yumir about space movement¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear about thatter.¡± Baek Seol-hee turned up the TV volume with the remote and tightly grabbed my shoulder with one hand. ¡°Can we have a quiet conversation, just the two of us, right now?¡± ¡°No, I was about to talk about that-¡± ¡°Do Ji-hwan.¡± Baek Seol-hee ced her index finger on my lips and brought her face close to mine. ¡°I want to eat a JjooJjooBar.¡± Chapter 132: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (9) Chapter 132: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (9) When an ability user became a demon, whose fault was it? -That¡¯s why you should have controlled your emotions! Many said this, considering only the fact that someone had be a demon. Most ordinary people, not ability users, thought this way, harshly criticizing the person for falling into demonhood. -At least be a viin. Then, there¡¯s a chance for redemption. Theymitted the same evil acts, but viins and demons were different. Unlike viins, who simplymitted crimes and got a red mark on their record, a demon¡¯s body turned red, not just a line on their profile. Well, the specific colors varied, but no one would call someone with purple or green skin and blood of a different color human. Even if they looked human, they were no longer human. Demons became what they were to satisfy their desires, to destroy and break things. -This time, the one who became a demon¡­ their parents were murdered¡­ -What, bing a demon just because your parents died! Tsk tsk, back in my day¡­! -¡­¡­. -Anyway, kids these days, with their ¡°middle school syndrome¡± and ¡°turning to the dark side¡±, they fly off the handle over anything! Who grows up without pain! Regardless of the reason, bing a demon was seen as a failure of mental management. While people might not say it aloud, they probably thought this way internally. Contrary to the sweet nothings whispered in their ears, ability users were sensitive to the harsh words and criticisms found in intemunities and anonymous spaces. A demon was trash. A demon was an entity that must be killed. Without considering why someone turned into a demon, people rushed to condemn their fall into demonhood. Yumir wanted to help these demons, to turn them back into humans. -The more you show your power, the more the world will target you. Despite knowing that revealing her identity couldplicate her life, Yumir couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch this wailing demon. For this pitiful demon, Yumir decided to give her all. ¡°Aaahh!¡± The demon screamed, spreading its wings. Green magical power formed into thorn spears, rushing towards Yumir, who swung her fan, creating a golden storm around her. Woosh! The golden storm surged upwards, blocking the demon¡¯s attack. Everyone feared it might scatter or fly elsewhere, but the golden storm dissipated the demon¡¯s thorn spears. [Calm down.] ¡°How can I calm down! I should kill that trash! If not me, then who?!¡± The demon was in a frenzy, but thinking more deeply than anyone. ¡°Do you think he can be judged byw if we just leave him?! No! Thew is on his side! Now that I¡¯ve be a demon, it¡¯s always the person who became a demon who¡¯s wrong!!¡± [That man will pay the price. So, you should¡­.] ¡°At most, he¡¯ll get a prison sentence! No! That, that man¡­! Even knowing I was pregnant¡­!¡± [¡­¡­.] Yumir couldn¡¯t immediately attack. ¡°You, you¡¯re a woman too, you must understand! My beloved man is cheating with another woman! And I¡¯m pregnant with his child!!¡± Maybe that was normal. Yumir thought about her situation and felt that such a reaction might be the right one. [I understand. You want to kill them. I often feel the same way.] Yes. If she truly stole that man, and if his wife was an ability user, maybe she would turn into a demon. [That¡¯s normal. You¡¯re not wrong. It¡¯s all that man¡¯s fault.] She hadn¡¯t confirmed if the man was an ability user, but if he were to also go berserk, it was likely. [But.] This wasn¡¯t about Yumir, whomitted infidelity against Do Ji-hwan. [I can¡¯t just watch you get hurt because of such a man.] ¡°The only way I can be saved is by killing that man!¡± [If you want to kill, then kill.] Yumir closed her fan. [But as a human, not a demon.] ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Yumir leaped off the ground forcefully. In a single bound, she reached the vicinity of the demon, who was spreading its wings. ¡°Don¡¯te¡­ closer!!¡± [To you.] The demon swung its nails, wrapped in magical power. Yumir almost entered the trajectory of the demon¡¯s swinging nails, and people around started to panic. [The salvation of the sun.] Yumir jumped off thin air. As if stepping on invisible tforms, she defied inertia and leaped sideways in mid-air to dodge the attack. ¡°What?!¡± The demon¡¯s attack split the air. Yumir¡¯s clothes were untouched, and she moved behind the demon, cing her hand on its back. [Es werde Licht.] Let there be light. Yumir radiated golden magical power towards the demon¡¯s spine. ¡°Aaahhhh!!¡± The demon screamed in the air. A cyan aura spread out from the demon¡¯s body, but as soon as it touched Yumir¡¯s golden magic, it extinguished like a spark. ¡°Ah, aah¡­!¡± The demon¡¯s skin gradually turned white. The deep green magical power forming the demon¡¯s wings melted away like snow, and a golden, sun-like aura of magic wrapped around the woman. ¡°Ah, it shouldn¡¯t be¡­ I need to kill¡­.¡± [You want to kill, I know. But I¡¯m not asking you to forgive.] Yumir gently embraced the demon from behind as she started to lose consciousness. [Let¡¯s cool down a bit for now, okay?] ¡°Ah¡­.¡± [Your ability¡­ I¡¯m sorry. This is inevitable.] She knew. Yumir was aware that others were listening to her words. [You might not be an ability user anymore, but let¡¯s think as a human for once.] If she left like this, people would think the demon¡¯s ability had vanished. Unseen by others, Yumir concealed the stolen ability within her sleeve, hidden by the long drooping ends of her robe. [Just because your ability is gone doesn¡¯t mean the world ends. It¡¯ll be different, but¡­] Yumir, clutching the sphere of the stolen ability tightly in her hand and concealing it in her robe, gentlynded on the ground with the woman in her arms. [Instead of abandoning humanity to be a demon, I wish you¡¯d find another way. I do.] ¡°You are¡­.¡± [Even if the world is filthy and despicable, there¡¯s still bright hope.] Yumirid the woman on the ground. Her wedding dress, stained with blood, was in tatters, but no more demonic aura flowed from her. [Then.] Yumir stepped back from the woman. She pushed the golden sphere up her sleeve and secured it with magic just as she was about to extend her hand toward the sky. ¡°Ha, haha! Thank you, hero! You really are a hero!¡± [¡­¡­.] Just when she was about to leave in good spirits. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right! How dare you try to kill people by bing a demon!¡± The man responsible for turning the woman into a demon was still bound in red restraints,ughing hysterically. ¡°Ha, hahaha! Untie me! Now, it¡¯s annulment time! Darn, lucky we didn¡¯t register our marriage¡­!¡± [Do I look like a hero to you?] ¡°Eh¡­?¡± [I came to save a demon, not you.] Yumir turned her steps towards the man. [Heroes shouldn¡¯t hit civilians, but since I¡¯m not officially a hero yet¡­] ¡°Just a minute¡­! You¡¯re not going to attack me, are you?! Just because we¡¯re both women, you¡¯re taking her side!!¡± [It¡¯s not about taking sides because we¡¯re women.] In her hand, a golden magical power formed a long, wide rod. The rod, resembling an oar with a broad end, appeared thick and club-like. [The guilty shall be punished.] ¡°Just a minute¡­! What are you going to do with that¡­!¡± [Of course. Roll him up.] ¡°Huh¡­! Somebody help me! This woman, she¡¯s a viin!!¡± The man frantically shouted at the people around him, writhing in his restraints. Tied up in a red aura, his movements were akin to a squirming insect, and nobody attempted to help him. ¡°Please! This woman, this viin, is assaulting people!!¡± [If this costs me the hero evaluation, so be it, but I have to do what feels right now.] The era of ability users. [Just one hit, no more, no less, right?] For ability users, acting as their heart desired was not always illegal. [One hit¡ª!] Pa-a-a-ang!! The broad, magical-powered club hit the red aura restraints, and the man¡¯s eyes rolled back as he fainted. [¡­Sigh.] Yumir threw the club to the ground. It soon vanished in a burst of light, and she turned towards the woman. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The woman, despite staggering, was smiling. Sensing her transformation, she smiled gratefully at Yumir. Nod. Yumir bowed her head once in greeting and then drew arge circle in the air. ¡°Ah, there!¡± Realizing Yumir was about to leave, people started rushing towards her, but she quickly stepped into the circle and teleported away. Poof. Back again. ¡°Krrrung! One sessful mission¡­!¡± Yumir immediately undid her transformation and stretched lightly. And then. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± When she returned to the open-air bath, it was empty. Ssh, ssh. Over there. The living room was lit by the flickering TV screen. Somewhere, only the quiet sound of water was audible. Chapter 133: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (10) Chapter 133: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (10) ¡°Amazing.¡± S-ss hero, [Baridegi] Tae Irin, watched the situation in Ulleungdo on her tablet from the boat heading there, and eximed in admiration. ¡°The attack was so refreshing.¡± [Hey, sister. You think that was refreshing¡­?] ¡°Of course. If she hadn¡¯t hit him like that, I would¡¯ve felt sick. Ah, truly refreshing.¡± The man, who was struck by Sr tina with a single disciplinary hit,y unconscious with foam at his mouth. ¡°A beating with a stick. Just right. It¡¯s a pity it was only one hit, but such punishment is necessary for men like him. A punishment everyone needs.¡± [Are you talking about me now?] ¡°Who else would it be?¡± Tae Irin retorted, leaving [Armored Taejo]-Taejo, on the video call, speechless. ¡°If you weren¡¯t S-ss, and if it wasn¡¯t Yuliana¡¯s fault, you would¡¯ve deserved a beating like that, too.¡± [But at least I didn¡¯t turn someone into a demon.] ¡°That¡¯s because she has a warm heart. And here you are, acting all high and mighty?¡± [That just shows how much my sister loves me¡­hey. Why are you ring at me like that? Even grandfather and the other elders said so. For a capable man, having multiple women was a tradition and history. ording to the Three Bonds and Five Rtionships¡­] ¡°So, having powers means you can have a harem? Ridiculous.¡± Look at Taejo, taking it for granted that he could have multiple women simultaneously. ¡°Really, what have you been learning?¡± [Hey, you grew up with me, remember?] ¡°At least I didn¡¯t grow up to be a phnderer seeing this woman and that.¡± [If you were a man, you¡¯d have been just like me.] ¡°Too bad. I n to love only one person for my whole life.¡± [You¡¯ve watched too many old dramas.] As they bickered, the boat arrived at the harbor of Ulleungdo. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m going to sort things out now, so call meter. Don¡¯t make my sister angry by flirting with other women.¡± [I¡¯m already setting them free. Oh, why do I have to dress up and act cute like this¡­] ¡°If you¡¯ve done something wrong, you should face the consequences.¡± Click. Tae Irin ended the call. ¡°Yes. If you¡¯ve done wrong, you should be punished. Right, everyone? First, go and detain the two. The man is a non-ability user, and the woman seems to have be an ordinary person, so you can handle her.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The men in suits who were with Tae Irin immediately disembarked from the boat and headed towards the square. ¡°Stop, ess denied! We¡¯re from the Viin Countermeasure Headquarters! Please do not approach any further!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Why are you just arriving now? You¡¯rete!¡± ¡°We¡¯re notte; we came from Sejong Ind as fast as we could. We asked local ability users for support. Didn¡¯t you hear about that?¡± ¡°That, that is¡­¡± While the suited men started to control the crowd, Tae Irin slowly walked into the square and checked the woman¡¯s condition. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s Baridegi!¡± ¡°Baridegi noticed me! Ahh, so cute!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Thinking the incident was over, people beyond the taped line in the square were just excited to see an S-ss hero. No tension. It seemed that the situation was considered over since Sr tina had suddenly disappeared, and people were only watching the aftermath. ¡°Tsk.¡± Tae Irin was not pleased with this. No ability users at the scene had stepped forward to deal with the rampaging demon. It was a B-ss level demon, certainly a significant threat, but the ability users just stood back, watching or not intervening at all. There were so many B-ss and higher-ability users here who could have arrived at the scene faster than her, who had raced over from Sejong Ind on a speedboat. ¡°Ah. This is Baridegi. Please send me the investigation documents on Ulleungdo¡¯s arrival recordster via officialmunication. I need to look into B-ss and above ability users who could have responded to the scene.¡± [Understood. We¡¯ll start by identifying those who turned off their Taeguk Watch signals.] ¡°Yes, thanks. I understand they¡¯re on a patriotic vacation in Ulleungdo, but it¡¯s a problem if they can¡¯t evene out for a while when someone¡¯s life is at stake.¡± Tae Irin covered her Taeguk Watch with her hand. She then remembered the emergency rm of the Taeguk Watch, which had been ringing non-stop until she left Sejong Ind. ¡°Tsk. Anyway.¡± When the Taeguk Watch rang, one could only watch videos without sound, and everything started ring as emergency news. Even devices linked with the Taeguk Watch would begin to pour out information about viin or demon alerts. ¡°Maybe I should take a vacation too. Seol-hee probably just got a text.¡± Such an important vacation was pre-approved by the government, or situations where one might really turn into a demon due to Taeguk Watch¡¯s annoyance might arise. Otherwise, the Taeguk Watch wouldn¡¯t ring so loudly. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to be a senior in high school. If I¡¯m a senior studying for the college entrance exam, all the rms will be on silent mode.¡± ¡°Aaaah!!¡± While Tae Irin was lost in thought, the man, regaining consciousness, began to scream again. ¡°I¡¯m going to report this! I will definitely report this woman! I¡¯ll report her as a viin, too!!¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Was he still not in his right mind? Or rather, if he had been sensible in the first ce, he wouldn¡¯t have done such a thing. The act of fooling around with the sister of the woman he married while knowing she was pregnant. Especially when they had just gotten married and came to Ulleungdo dreaming of happiness. The despair of the woman when she found out. ¡­And with that, Tae Irin momentarily lost her focus on Sr tina. The despicable behavior of the people at the scene was so irritating that she missed the most concerning part. ¡°Excuse me. I will check the woman who was a demon and is now a case of ¡®Total Loss¡¯.¡± Tae Irin reached out to the woman who had be human again. She extended her hand to touch her skin and flowed her magic through, confirming that there was no longer any magical power flowing within her. ¡°Baridegi. Verification of Total Lossplete. She is no longer an ability user. Now¡­ an ordinary person. Sr tina can turn a demon back into a human. It seems like a side effect is theplete loss of abilities.¡± Beep. ¡°Yes, Mr. President.¡± [Irin, I¡¯ve reviewed the data. Is there¡­ no possibility?] The only man who could address Tae Irin so casually was, of course, the president of the country and her grandfather, Tae Chae-jin. ¡°I¡¯m investigating, but there are no traces left.¡± [What about that golden circle that she disappeared into? I¡¯ve read old novels where there are traces left behind for investigation.] ¡°Really? Hmm, it should be around here.¡± Tae Irin approached the spot where Sr tina had drawn the circle, but, unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t sense anything. ¡°There¡¯s nothing. Absolutely no trace. Shepletely erased her tracks and left.¡± [I see. Well, just knowing she has that level of skill is enough to rate her as S+ ss. You¡¯ve done well. Sorry for calling you out in the evening while you¡¯re studying.] ¡°It¡¯s okay. Think of it as a chance to get some fresh air and clear my head. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± [Thanks for understanding, Irin. When you get a chance toe to Busan¡­.] ¡°Yaaaahh!!¡± The man screamed again. Tae Irin frowned, and even through the speaker, a tsking sound could be heard. [That, that. How dare he make such a fuss. Unless he¡¯s an ability user.] ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be that way.¡± [Huh? Oh, uh, Irin, that¡¯s¡­] ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll sort this out and get back to you. Bye.¡± Click. Tae Irin covered her wrist. ¡°Blood is thicker than water, after all. Ugh.¡± Before people became ability users,mitting infidelity was absurd. It was bizarre to think that being an ability user justified seeing multiple women. Tae Irin almost blurted out these thoughts but swallowed them back. To do so would be akin to spitting in her own face, or rather her family¡¯s. ¡°Hey, you there.¡± ¡°Ba, Baridegi¡­!¡± ¡°You know about that?¡± Pooof. ¡°Aaaah?!¡± ¡°Being S-ss, turning one person into a viin is nothing.¡± Tae Irin kicked the man in the stomach. ¡°Oops. That¡¯s quite sturdy.¡± ¡°You just kicked me with your foot?!¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t even hurt. Hmm, what¡¯s this? A shield-like rope? Or something as strong as a shield? Impressive. It¡¯s valuable for research.¡± Thump. Tae Irin kicked the man again, but he looked at her with confused eyes. ¡°This mat seems pretty tough. Stepping on it probably won¡¯t hurt much.¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­! What did I do wrong¡­?!¡± ¡°The crime of shaking an ability user¡¯s mental state and turning them into a demon.¡± Tae Irin crouched in front of the man, pointing her Taeguk Watch at him. ¡°Think being attacked by a demon gives you the right to legal protection? Think again. You¡¯re just a ¡®corruptor¡¯ who caused a righteous ability user to fall into demonhood.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­! She did it on her own¡­!¡± ¡°I arrest you. And¡­¡± Tae I-rin carefully grabbed the end of the rope near the man¡¯s head. ¡°For research on this red rope left by the Golden Priestess, I¡¯ll take you along as is.¡± ¡°Wait a minute! Dragging me along, aahhh!!¡± Gurgling. Tae Irin, holding onto the rope, dragged the man along the ground towards the boat.
Meanwhile. ¡°Excuse me.¡± A voice came from behind. ¡°Where is Seol-hee?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, about that.¡± Sitting on the sofa, I leaned back on the sofa¡¯s backrest and turned my head. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t really tough, but, um, Seol-hee wouldn¡¯t have gone anywhere.¡± Yumir, having reverted from her transformation, walked slowly towards the sofa, resting her chest on the backrest over my arm, and leaned forward. ¡°So you were here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Wow, a knee pillow. That¡¯s quite bold. But¡­.¡± Yumir extended her fingers forward, poking Baek Seol-hee, who was burying her head in myp, on the waist. ¡°Why so quiet? Did you enjoy some delicious honey while I was away?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± Yumir continued to poke Baek Seol-hee with her finger. ¡°Even if it¡¯s Ulleungdo, isn¡¯t it a bit much to enjoy honey alone while the hero is hard at work?¡± Baek Seol-hee couldn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Well.¡± She slowly lifted her head, swallowed the saliva that was glistening on her lips, and smiled faintly. ¡°¡­Would you like a taste, too, Yumir?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 134: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (11) Chapter 134: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (11) Heroes needed personal time for themselves. But the world always wanted them to be heroes, not individuals. That was the duty of an ability user! Born with the blessing of abilities, they had a mission to dedicate themselves for the majority. But ability users were humans, not machines. Even if they seemed to operate like machines, they needed rest just like any person. This was where the dilemma arose. How much rest did ability users need? If an incident urred while they were resting, should they immediately respond? -Hey, if you¡¯re an ability user, shouldn¡¯t you stop even if you¡¯re in the middle of pooping, wipe quickly, and rush out? Some people said this to an extreme extent. While an ability user was watching TV at home, a viin killed an innocent citizen. Some went around saying this. It was true. It was an absurd force. However, ability users were still a minority in this world, and those with more life experience than them had already established themselves in society¡¯s key roles. The world had been shaping ability users into heroes from the moment they were born. Therefore, an ability user must always step up in situations where others could not if they were capable. [Ability User Safety Law Article 131 (2003.04.28. 2461V-2PGCP1A)] [Failure to respond to disturbances caused by viins or demons, despite being aware, can result in imprisonment for over 5 years or a fine exceeding 1 billion won.] That was a w¡¯ defined in this world. Since thew was established by the majority who already had voting rights, and the number of ability users who could vote was limited, they could not resist this unreasonablew. Too harsh? Yes, it was. From an ability user¡¯s perspective, it was a ridiculousw. However, it was made when they were still learning the Korean alphabet in kindergarten. In this era, especially after 2020, as ability users began to enter society as adults, somews were amended to be more realistic, sensible, and considerate of their rights. But the overall social expectation was still for ability users to take action. However, ability users did not always act. Everyone said to punish those who didn¡¯t act, but what if that led to them bing ¡®fallen perpetrators¡¯? What if they became targets of hate crimes by ability users? No one dared to say this openly, so they grumbled behind the scenes. ¡°Legally, it¡¯s illegal for ability users not to respond to every incident, but in reality, everyone just turns a blind eye.¡± I pointed to Yumir on my right and Baek Seol-hee on my left, indicating people in the TV video. ¡°Before the Golden Priestess Sr tina stepped in, there were many people on Ulleungdo who could suppress a ss B demon. But let¡¯s exclude Seol-hee.¡± Baek Seol-hee nodded slightly. ¡°It may sound hypocritical, but officially, Seol-hee isn¡¯t on Ulleungdo. She¡¯s spending a day off on Sejong Ind, officially approved by the government and the association, so she¡¯s not legally obligated to act.¡± Nopany called an employee on sick leave for work. No organization demanded a public servant on leave to handleints immediately. Unless that person had created a mess or it was a problem that only they could solve, someone else in the organization should step in. Moreover, Baek Seol-hee was a woman and on a legitimate leave. Therefore, Baek Seol-hee was innocent. ¡°Then how many people are there right now who could have acted but didn¡¯t? No need to check. Netizen detectives are already digging through SNS and documents.¡± I disyed the Taeguk Watch screen on the TV. ¡°Look here. See? People are on a witch-hunt.¡± Hey. Ariadne is on Ulleungdo, right? I saw a cafe photo on SNS taken there. Lol, let them be. To them, birthing one ability user is more important than a regr person dying. Didn¡¯t she just not bother because she thinks it¡¯s justified if they die? She seemed to be nagging a lot with her boyfriend. She went to Ulleung with her boyfriend? Is it wedding time? ¡°B-ss female hero got caught on Ulleungdo. See? People really do scary investigations when they set their minds to it. There¡¯s a reason why inte detective agencies exist.¡± ¡°¡­I just posted a picture of myself drinking tea at a caf¨¦.¡± ¡°People, especially those with obsessive tendencies like stalkers, can find out everything with just a bit of information. They analyze everything ¨C the color of the wallpaper, the structure, location, even the sound of a passing ne, to track a hero¡¯s every move.¡± ¡°Why would they go to such lengths?¡± ¡°There are various reasons. Some are paid, others lost family because a hero didn¡¯t act, or¡­ some enjoy digging into heroes while hiding behind the anonymity of a mask.¡± If it was for money or revenge, it was logically understandable. But thetter was different. ¡°It could be stalking, a viin trying to ruin a hero, or someone feeling a sense of mission and aplishment from uncovering a hero¡¯s identity hidden behind a mask. The world is full of all sorts of people.¡± ¡°So, teacher, are most people currently trying to find ability users who didn¡¯t act?¡± ¡°Not most, about 20%.¡± I refreshed the inte search engine rankings. ¡°Congrattions, Student Yumir. You¡¯ve taken over the top 10 search terms.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wow.¡± Yumir eximed in amazement, looking at the search rankings filled with NEW and words referring to her from 1st to 10th ce. ¡°Sr tina, Golden Priestess, demon purification, let there be light¡­ I never imagined I¡¯d gain this much poprity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying to see the witch-hunt, but the whole country is interested in Baekgeumtaeyang. Right, Seol-hee?¡± ¡°¡­ There¡¯s an undiscovered S-ss. Maybe even S+, a person who could be in the top 10 in the world. It¡¯s natural to be interested. The government and the Hero Association have set up a task force for Golden Priestess Sr tina. Even the National Intelligence Service.¡± ¡°Really? Wow, that¡¯s kind of ttering.¡± Yumir smiled satisfactorily at Baek Seol-hee¡¯s confidential but not-so-confidential leak. ¡°It feels even more thrilling than when I was chased by the CIA and FBI. The National Intelligence Service of South Korea is investigating me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Something felt off. It was strange to suddenly see this ¡®kimchi premium¡¯ in a sticky worldview. ¡°¡­Well, intelligence agencies around the world are digging into Golden Priestess, so be careful. After demons Lilith, Ermina Sternfert, and Half-toad, now the female demon, uh¡­¡± ¡°Sirm.¡± ¡°Right. Thank you, Seol-hee. Sirm, the official name. Already involved in four demon cases, and purified three. During the demon Lilith case¡­¡± ¡°The Goblin stepped in and killed the demon.¡± Baek Seol-hee shook her head in displeasure. Yumir sipped her honeyden hot milk, and I nodded heavily in response to Baek Seol-hee¡¯s words. ¡°Yumir. Be careful of the Goblin. The government suspects you might be coborating with the Goblin.¡± ¡°Coborating? Me? With the Goblin? On what basis?¡± Yumirughed in disbelief. Herugh seemed to say, ¡¯As if I- ¡°Are you saying I coborate with garbage like the Goblin?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then. Have you ever talked to him?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s so arrogant, and it¡¯s so annoying. If I meet him, I really want to punch him in the sr plexus. Speaking of which, Seol-hee, you punched the Goblin in Gangwon-do, right?¡± ¡°It felt a bit satisfying, even if the Goblin took it.¡± It was a conversation about the Goblin. One waspletely unaware, and the other didn¡¯t show any signs of smiling or anything while dissing the Goblin. ¡°The Goblin must be ugly, right? Maybe his face is really messed up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ probably not the case.¡± ¡°What? Seol-hee?¡± ¡°The Goblin is good-looking.¡± ¡°¡­Have you seen his face?¡± I felt a bit nervous. ¡°Really, have you seen the Goblin¡¯s face?¡± ¡°Oh my, really¡­?¡± ¡°No! Just that, a guess. Like, you can kind of tell what someone¡¯s like just by hearing their voice¡­?¡± Baek Seol-hee twirled her hair with her fingers and mumbled. ¡°He must be handsome. That¡¯s why he acts so freely with women. Of course¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee ced her hand on my shoulder and grinned. ¡°In my opinion, Ji-hwan, even with a mask, is much more handsome than a Goblin like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m ttered by yourpliment. Thank you, Seol-hee.¡± I locked eyes with Baek Seol-hee. To the side. Yumir maintained a poker face while sipping her hot milk. But I saw it. Yumir¡¯s eyes were trembling as if convulsing. Chapter 135: Do Ji-hwans Ambitious Project (12) Chapter 135: Do Ji-hwan''s Ambitious Project (12) ¡°Anyway, people are diligently searching for Sr tina. Just like when the Goblin first appeared, and everyone tried to uncover his actions and identity, the whole world is now focusing on Sr tina.¡± Since the topic of the Goblin came up, it was the perfect moment to mention something rted to him. ¡°What do you think is the reason? S+ ssbat power? Or abilities? The Golden Priestess costume?¡± ¡°The ability to purify demons into humans.¡± Baek Seol-hee answered. She was right. ¡°Yes. Yumir has the power to purify demons. Until now, demons had to be killed, but now the story is different. It¡¯s like finding a cure for a disease that was thought to be incurable.¡± Demonic corruption was a disease. It was incurable, and those who became demons ended up as killing machines driven by mental derangement. At first, they showed rational behavior. They made logical decisions to resolve the reasons for their fall, but after that, only resentment and hatred for the world remained. ¡°All demons eventually try to kill humans. There has been no exception. The only difference is how long they can maintain their sanity. Everyone thought killing a demon was the only way to save it.¡± ¡°Is it different now?¡± ¡°Yes. Since Sr tina can save demons, even they will seek him out.¡± I opened the ¡®demon¡¯ entry on Viin Wiki. Specifically, the demons listed there. ¡°Some demons might want to return to being human.¡± This actually appeared in the original work. It was an episode that came out in thetter part, an unpleasant theme of a sticky and unpleasant episode that had already made it hard for readers to follow. ¡°A demon who falls in love with a human, or a being who wants to turn a demon back into a human after giving birth to it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. For an ability user, giving up their abilities is like a normal person amputating their limbs. It¡¯s even worse. They¡¯re losing something they were born with.¡± ¡°But still, there could be beings who need to be human again despite being demons.¡± Yumir heavily echoed my words. She must have met such a demon and felt a lot while purifying them. It was a rare case, one in 6 billion, but such a case could change one¡¯s outlook on life. ¡°Everyone values different things, and that¡¯s true for demons too. I¡¯m not condoning killing, just saying that among demons, there could be such beings.¡± Yumir must have wanted to save demons because she had seen such cases. ¡°If I can save such people, I¡¯ll go anywhere.¡± Baek Seol-hee softly closed her eyes at Yumir¡¯s strong will. ¡°Yumir, you¡¯re choosing a difficult path.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s hard, if I can save even one person from death, a little hardship is okay. Hehe.¡± Just as I confirmed Yumir¡¯s determination, Baek Seol-hee reaffirmed her mindset. ¡°It¡¯s going to be tough for a hero not officially recognized by the government. You won¡¯t get tax support, and you¡¯ll have to walk the path of both a normal person and a hero.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m getting help now, right? From you, teacher. And if possible, I¡¯d appreciate it if Seol-hee would pretend not to know too much about me.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not the kind of person who would report Yumir to the government without tact. I¡¯m very perceptive.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why no response? Is there something I don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you¡¯re tactless. It¡¯s just that I wanted to mention one more thing.¡± I quickly changed the subject. ¡°This.¡± ¡°Disappearing?¡± ¡°Yes. Like the Goblin, Sr tina has this ability to suddenly disappear after a battle.¡± Their abilities were fundamentally different. But the result of vanishing from the battlefield and escaping people¡¯s eyes was the same. ¡°People will think. Isn¡¯t this obviously spatial movement? It actually is.¡± A being that suddenly appeared out of thin air? Anyone would think they have teleportation abilities. ¡°And they¡¯ll think. Huh? Spatial movement? Then Sr tina could suddenly appear anywhere in the world in a crisis?¡± ¡°That ability is¡­.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s possible or not, people will think. Since he appeared out of nowhere in Ulleungdo, they might think he could appear anywhere on the other side of the globe without any logical reason.¡± The very thought of physical travel time would be erased. ¡°People will think that as an individual if they were suddenly in crisis, Sr tina would appear out of nowhere and save me.¡± When a demon tried to kill someone. People might start expecting her to appear, shouting, ¡°Save me, Sr tina!!¡± in such situations. It was understandable. If Sr tina could save even an adulterous fallen man in Ulleungdo, why wouldn¡¯t she save a more righteous person like themselves? It was ¡®only fair¡¯. If you were a just hero, you should fairly protect anyone in a crisis. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. Hoping that a hero will protect you is what anyone in crisis would think. But the government thinks differently.¡± I brought out some documents. ¡°The government wants ability users who can be deployed anywhere at any time. Whether it¡¯s a dangerous scene or not, they want ability users who can be immediately deployed. If Sr tina could teleport anywhere in the country and deal with viins? If that happens¡­¡± ¡°¡­ They¡¯d want to use her 24/7, speaking in extremes.¡± Baek Seol-hee hesitated with a bitter expression, then sighed deeply. ¡°The government had nned a project. The ¡®Hero Designated Residence System.¡¯ They nned to ce S-ss heroes in each metropolitan city and A, B¡­ heroes in each city and neighborhood, like legitors.¡± ¡°They nned something like that?¡± ¡°Yes. Student Yumir, you might not know since you¡¯re from abroad, but there was a major legitive discussion about this just 3 years ago. It was withdrawn due to a lot of controversy.¡± Baek Seol-hee bitterly smiled and disyed a map of the Korean penins, splitting it into north, south, east, and west. ¡°If heroes are forcibly assigned to regions, those in the west would strongly protest. Especially¡­¡± ¡°Nobody would want to be in Seoul.¡± Seoul was less popr than the Chungcheong and Jeo provinces. For ability users, what was important was being as close as possible to Sejong Ind, whether it was on the maind or at sea, more than infrastructure. ¡°Either go to a ce where there are no people and thus no viins to deal with while still getting paid or stay in a populous ce that¡¯s closer to Sejong Ind to enhance magical power or develop abilities.¡± For ability users, magical power was most important. In this era, being near other ability users, or in a ¡®HeroSphere¡¯ - Hero Sphere, was considered more important than being near subways or schools. ¡°At least the old capital region¡­ the area around Seoul has be the most meaningless ce for ability users in this country.¡± That was why Seoul failed. As heroes left Seoul; naturally, those in Seoul also moved closer to where the heroes were. ¡°In the midst of this, a spatial movement ability user appears. An ability user who can appear anywhere? Someone who can respond immediately to crises? Oh, what¡¯s the use of talking about it.¡± ¡°If spatial movement ability users exist, there¡¯s no need to send people to provinces.¡± ¡°The heroes will be happy. They told me to go to Seoul and be a hero, but now there¡¯s no need to go to Seoul! Thinking like that.¡± ¡°That means dumping everything on Yumir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Because she¡¯s S+.¡± Selfishness wasn¡¯t exclusive to humans. Correction. Since ability users were also human, all humans were selfish. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m helping Student Yumir. No matter what adversities she faces in the future, I want to protect her from those who try to exploit her. That¡¯s why I called Seol-hee here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know asking Seol-hee like this is the same as those disillusioned higher-ups¡¯ disgusting requests and methods. Making an irresistible offer and then asking something like this.¡± And I, too, was selfish. ¡°But still, Seol-hee. Will you help? So that Student Yumir doesn¡¯t have to live 24 hours as Sr tina, but can at least sometimes live as the human Yumir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sneaky. How can I refuse when you put it that way? I also want to be human Baek Seol-hee beside Ji-hwan.¡± Baek Seol-hee extended her hand towards Yumir with a warm smile. ¡°Please take care of me, Yumir.¡± ¡°¡­Me too, please take care of me, Seol-hee¡­unni? Can I call you unni?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Yumir sped hands with Baek Seol-hee. ¡°¡­Please count on me in the future. Both of you. I¡¯ll listen if you have any concerns, so feel free to talk to me anytime.¡± I was confident in mental care for women more than anyone. I, Do Ji-hwan. Would protect these two women from all the cynicism of the world, ensuring they didn¡¯t go berserk or insane. Even if it meant sacrificing myself. For the world. For a world that would be safe and peaceful under the control of the alliance. Chapter 136: Classics Are Helpful In Modern Times (1) Chapter 136: ssics Are Helpful In Modern Times (1) Early Saturday morning. In the principal¡¯s office, where no one should be, an elderly man with white hair was diligently scribbling with a pen, dressed in a suit since dawn. He squinted at the monitor in front of him, checked the contents, and took notes in a notebook with a pen. The namete on his desk read ¡®Sejong Education Institute Principal, Kim Seok-dae¡¯. Although everyone informally called it Sejong Academy, Kim Seok-dae was quietly organizing his work from dawn, staring at the monitor. ¡°It¡¯s finished.¡± The principal put down his pen and leaned back in his chair. There had been an incident overnight that almostplicated things, but he managed to sort out the nned schedule without much trouble. ¡°The faculty and lecturers and the students¡¯ assignments are done. Now¡­ just waiting for the day of the field practice.¡± April¡¯s biggest event, the regional practice exercise. Incidents ur every year, so more careful nning was necessary this year. The frequency of identsst year was notable. Incidents like local thugs picking fights with ability users, resulting in one ability user beating up 17 delinquents. Or a drunk driver hitting an ability user with their car, only for the ability user to be unharmed, then calling the insurancepany iming they were the victim, lying down in the middle of the road saying they were 0 and the ability user was 100. Or two ability users falling in love, only to find out one of them was already dating a normal person, leading to that person self-harming and ending up in critical condition. idents urred endlessly due to crowds gathering to see ability users whoe out of Sejong Ind. ¡°I hope the idents are manageable.¡± Despite preparing as many people as possible, the most important thing was to take care of the ability users¡¯ mental health to prevent their outbursts. A moderate number of idents were preferable. Seeing many people moving to fix their mess made ability users realize they shouldn¡¯t cause trouble. It became a fixed concept in their minds, an experience they gained physically, which they were repeatedly warned about at the academy. When heroes caused trouble, it harmed civilians, and many suffered. Therefore, heroes, ability users, need to be cautious not to harm ordinary people unnecessarily. ¡°Without trials, there is no growth. No flower blooms without being shaken.¡± That was Kim Seok-dae¡¯s philosophy and the reason the academy was established. ¡°The problem is Sr tina.¡± Several screens opened in front of the monitor. Sr tina, the golden armored knight who faced the demon Lilith. Ermina Sternfert, confined in a hospital, uncertain if she could recover her abilities. The Golden Priestess, who appeared in the Half-toad and Sirm cases. Combining all these, there was only one conclusion. ¡°Sr tina is on Sejong Ind.¡± There was no other way to think. Or rather, it would be strange not to think so. If he couldn¡¯t infer that, he wouldn¡¯t have risen to the position of academy principal. ¡°The question is how she entered.¡± Opinions varied on this. Did she enter as an ability user student? As a non-ability user, an ordinary person? Orpletely changed her identity, disguised as an adult older than 25? Everyone had their theories, but the principal leaned towards the ¡®student theory¡¯. ¡°Even if they¡¯re ability users, they¡¯re just kids up to 25 years old at most. It¡¯s not easy for such kids to enter as adults and hide their identity. The younger they are, the more they want to brag about themselves.¡± The principal stood up, holding a mug. ¡°Whether they¡¯re hiding their power or their identity, making friends or not, whatever the reason, they are here as students. Nobody knows yet¡­ but they will soon.¡± The principal turned his gaze toward the map on the wall. ¡°If we¡¯re going to purify and save demons, we have no choice but to prepare them.¡± On the map of the Korean penins below the demilitarized zone, each region was marked with red pins, and the principal sipped his coffee with a cool,posed look. ¡°Even the most righteous hero is, after all, human. They tend to protect their own, and in the face of their most precious people¡¯s crises, they¡¯re bound to reveal their true identity.¡± The principal slid the wall with the map aside, revealing another space behind it. ¡°Sigh¡­ Hah.¡± He breathed in the old book scent, his eyes fluttering. To anyone watching, it might have seemed eerie, like an ability user sniffing mana powder, but the principal entered the space as if walking into heaven. Inside the room. Thick magazines were disyed on the secret bookshelf. These books, as thick as university textbooks, were all in pristine condition, and the numbers 1 to 12 or 1996 to 2000 were written on each. ¡°How I miss it.¡± The principal pulled out a magazine. Unlike the others, this one had a bit of blood on it. ¡°Not being able to see the end of this story.¡± He clutched the magazine with a bitter expression. On its cover, inrge letters, was ¡®Kwangkwang,¡¯ and a shoujo manga character with eyes taking up 30% of the head, holding a whip-like object against a backdrop of the moon. ¡°If only the author hadn¡¯t met such a fate in the chapter where the mascot fairy betrays the hero. Sigh.¡± His sigh deepened. ¡°But I¡¯ve finished my work, so I deserve a reward.¡± Thump. The principal piled the magazines on a table and reclined in his chair. And the moment he opened the first page. Trials were thepletion of humanity. With this phrase, a story began. A story that might have concluded if not for a meteorite, but now its continuation remained unseen. ¡°I wonder what happened to the magical girl betrayed by the mascot.¡±
¡°Teacher, I think I¡¯m going to die.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t die.¡± Sejong Ind staff quarters. My room was no longer just my space; someone else frequently upied it. ¡°Teacher, I can¡¯t do this anymore. I feel like my stomach is going to burst.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even give you that much. We¡¯ve just started.¡± ¡°What? But I¡¯ve already eaten four times.¡± ¡°Only four times, Yumir. What time is it? It¡¯s only 11:35 am. And now, the fifth course is ready.¡± ¡°No, please¡­!¡± Yumir reached out her trembling hand to stop me. ¡°At least give me time to digest¡­!¡± ¡°You asked for it. I¡¯m just giving it to you as it¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for it to go this far!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll get used to it. Now, then¡­.¡± I took out another book for Yumir. ¡°Next is a story about a magical girl thief. Chosen by a god, she fights monsters sent by the demon king with a little angel mascot. It¡¯s also a very sad story.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. What¡¯s that? It sounds¡­really old.¡± ¡°It was serialized before we were born. And¡­it was censored.¡± I mimed a throat-cutting gesture. ¡°Give children dreams and hope. Always happy, and even if the hero protagonist faces hardship, they shouldn¡¯t suffer this much. Now, Yumir student, today¡¯s ¡®Hero Bundle Hiding Their Identity¡¯ 4th part, the fourth story is about a magical girl.¡± ¡°Uh, uhuh¡­!¡± Yumir clenched her fists and red at me. A pile of booksy in front of her on the desk, my collection from the library¡¯s second floor titled ¡®ssic Story Collection¡¯. ¡°Yumir, listen carefully. This isn¡¯t a time when everyone can be a broadcasting station with their smartphones, and these stories about heroes hiding their identities are from an era when cameras on phones were almost non-existent.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we have stories like thest one, where everything is easy?¡± ¡°Which story?¡± ¡°The story of the righteous thief, the Phantom Thief!¡± ¡°Oh, that one.¡± It was part 2 of the ¡®Heroes Hiding Their Identity¡¯ series. ¡°But part 2 had too convenient a setting for the protagonist, didn¡¯t it? When did I tell you about that? It seems it was before we went to Ulleungdo.¡± ¡°Why are all these gloomy stories prepared right after we return from Ulleungdo?¡± ¡°Because the day after tomorrow starts a five-day practice.¡± Yumir needed to be prepared. ¡°Such big events are when evil groups try to reveal the protagonist¡¯s identity.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t the Goblin be the protagonist?¡± ¡°Why would the Goblin step in? Yumir, who am I?¡± ¡°¡­A librarian.¡± Yumir pouted her lips. ¡°Tch. If I was going to join the staff, I should have been a teacher. Then I could have formed a real teacher-student rtionship, not just a counselor.¡± ¡°How much age difference do we have? Plus, that¡¯s too troublesome. Would the students leave me alone?¡± ¡°Are you saying that because Seol-hee unnieplimented you on being handsomest time?¡± ¡°Of course. But more importantly, keep reading. There¡¯s still a lot left.¡± The stories of this world continued in a direction unknown to me, just as the stories of my world were unknown to the people of this world. ¡°The stories I have are more filled with despair, frustration, and ¡®mncholy¡¯ than dreams and hope. It¡¯s what you¡¯d call misery porn.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really true. Teacher, then what¡¯s the fifth story about, not the fourth one where the protagonist suffers?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a script I saw on the Inte, the dark web. A story that would make young children cry and wail.¡± I said that, but it was the story of my world. ¡°A story about a regr magical girl protagonist defeating monsters.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so bad about that?¡± ¡°Are you okay with a spoiler?¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re ready, listen.¡± I took a moment to steady my breath. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°The senior magical girl protagonist gets decapitated and dies in the first volume. And that¡¯s how the first volume ends.¡± Aaah- Aah- Chapter 137: Classics Are Helpful In Modern Times (2) Chapter 137: ssics Are Helpful In Modern Times (2) Humans were recording animals. Through records, we can learn from our ancestors¡¯ wisdom, understand the past, and gain great help for the present and future. After the great upheaval of the 2000s. Many cultural contents have changed. Due to the belief that children should be given dreams and hope, horrific and frightening stories from the past disappeared under the name of censorship. ¡°Yumir. What were the stories you watched as a child like?¡± ¡°Compared to the stories you¡¯re telling me, they were all about heroes oveing obstacles and defeating viins. Stories of heroes. No tragedies, only victories.¡± ¡°Right. Although reality isn¡¯t like that, ability users were educated through such stories from an early age.¡± That was why the culture of this era was so different from my world. For instance, NTR (Netorare) was treated as a sin that should never exist in society. While it might asionally emerge in the shadows, it was absolutely forbidden in the light. Especially when it involved the protagonist¡¯s girlfriend or boyfriend being taken away. While the affair of a spouse might not concern ability users as it involved ages they couldn¡¯t rte to, even a teen drama with infidelity could cause a demon to be born. ¡°There was a magical girl who fell in love with a boy and became a magical girl to save him. But after being saved by the magical girl, the boy started dating a normal girl who had been caring for him. What do you think happened?¡± ¡°She turned evil, right?¡± ¡°Exactly. She turnedpletely evil.¡± I had seen that as an animation in my original world. I watched it because a writer I liked joined as a scriptwriter. I ended up watching the entire series, including the movie. Human corruption, turning evil, protagonists with unbreakable mental strength, self-sacrifice. And love. ¡°In the end, she was dealt with by another magical girl. It was a great tragedy, but it beautifully portrayed the sacrifice of a young girl.¡± The stories of the old sages contained many life lessons, especially those involving magic or superpowers, which were very helpful in this era. ¡°But Yumir, you¡¯re not going to throw your life away, bing a machine that moves crazily 24 hours a day to save people, right?¡± ¡°Of course not. I have my own life.¡± ¡°So, think about it. Do heroes always have to sacrifice themselves? Should ability users born with powers use everything for humanity?¡± ¡°Is that Do Ji-hwan speaking, or¡­?¡± ¡°As Yumir¡¯s counselor. Everyone in the world matters, but I don¡¯t want to see you, Student Yumir, get hurt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s touching. In any other situation, I¡¯d be really happy.¡± Yumir pointed to the novels and magazines in front of her. ¡°If only I didn¡¯t have to read these and write a review!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural for college students to write reports.¡± ¡°Why are you asking me to write reports when you¡¯re not even my professor?¡± ¡°It helps with ability training.¡± Imagination was the source of power for ability users. Naturally, reading novels and internalizing their themes was the fastest way to be stronger in this world. Did Yumir, who was already strong, need to be even stronger? Yes. If Yumir became overwhelmingly powerful, epassing everything, she would be a significant force against the demons for the alliance in the future. Demons were amon enemy for both Yumir and the alliance. ¡°By the way, is it time to pick her up?¡± ¡°Is it that time already?¡± ¡°Yes. I just got a text. It¡¯s okay toe now. She¡¯s ready. But¡­¡± Just as Yumir was about to draw a circle on the wall of my room, she turned to me cautiously. ¡°Teacher. Are you really going to keep pretending until the end?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I think if you reveal to Seol-hee unnie that you¡¯re the Goblin, it wouldn¡¯t cause a huge problem. Isn¡¯t this a strange stubbornness?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. In this matter, I can¡¯t be the one to reveal my identity first.¡± The situation had inadvertently turned into one where we were ying games with Baek Seol-hee, but it all rested on her starting to doubt my identity herself. ¡°Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin. Once Baek Seol-hee starts suspecting and that suspicion turns to certainty, she wille to realize that nothing much changes even if Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin.¡± I was a viin. ¡°I¡¯m not terrible garbage or anything.¡± ¡°Not garbage, but waste.¡± ¡°That waste you¡¯re clinging to is you, Yumir.¡± ¡°Others may see it as waste, but if I can take care of it and recycle it, then it bes recyble waste.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Just because I was a viin didn¡¯t mean Baek Seol-hee was intent on killing him or harboring vengeance. ¡°Unless I killed a family member of Baek Seol-hee who turned into a demon, going that far would be a headache.¡± ¡°Is there such a story?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a legendary masterpiece. Anyway, have I ever killed Baek Seol-hee¡¯s family? Torn someone to pieces in front of her? Never.¡± Whether to kill immediately or wait until Baek Seol-hee left. I was contemting this when the execution squad ability users came and blew off Red Scarf¡¯s head. I hadn¡¯t caused any discord that would make Baek Seol-hee want to kill me as the Goblin. ¡°Someday, Baek Seol-hee will ask me if I¡¯m that man. If I deceived her. I have all the responses prepared for that moment.¡± ¡°Shall we do a simtion?¡± Yumir stopped her spatial magic, approached me, and grabbed my cor. ¡°How could you do this to me?¡± Wow. Look at that force. She was ring at me as if she was about to cry tears of blood. ¡°Yumir.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t casually use my name. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± ¡°Yumir.¡± ¡°I told you not to call me!¡± Her voice wasn¡¯t raised much, but her expression and appeal were overpowering. ¡°I, I¡­¡± As I approached Yumir, continuing her act, I grabbed her face. ¡°!!!¡± Yumir was surprised, her eyes wide, and I just looked at her quietly. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir closed her eyes with an annoyed look.
¡°Sigh.¡± Baek Seol-hee threw herself onto the bed. The preparations for next Monday¡¯s regional practice wereplete, and all that was left was to follow the schedule. Baek Seol-hee¡¯s cement had been decided. Though she had to stay at the academy-assigned lodging, given the ce, she could definitely seize enough opportunities. The five days when Yumir would be away for the practice. If she could monopolize Do Ji-hwan during that time. Even though Yumir could use spatial magic, it was uncertain where she and her practice group would end up. Both Baek Seol-hee and Yumir would have to be mindful of others¡¯ eyes. Especially since the scores of her team members depended on it, she¡¯d have to stick together with them during the day if she didn¡¯t want to reveal their identities. In the meantime, Baek Seol-hee¡­ ¡°Why isn¡¯t sheing¡­?¡± While pondering what to do next Monday afternoon, Yumir had not arrived despite quite some time passing since the text message. Baek Seol-hee could only teleport to Yumir¡¯s room when Yumir teleported to her room, but Yumir wasn¡¯t showing up. ¡°I need to find a way.¡± She couldn¡¯t rely on Yumir. While she had been discussing ability-rted content with the academy¡¯s old professors, Yumir was spending free time in the library beside Do Ji-hwan or teleporting to his quarters for dinner in the evening. Though they got close in Ulleungdo, it had only been a few days since, and there were lines people shouldn¡¯t cross. ¡°Sigh, really.¡± What if she didn¡¯te? Was she deliberately dying her arrival to enjoy her time? ¡°¡­No, she must be just too busy.¡± Baek Seol-hee decided to trust Yumir. A hero who revealed her identity to save demons wouldn¡¯t break a promise to selfishly enjoy time with Do Ji-hwan. ¡°Rather than rushing, doing something productive in that time is better.¡± Baek Seol-hee cautiously turned on her tablet. She resumed watching the romance drama on the OTT service from where she left off. ¡°Hey! You¡­!¡± ¡°What about me! You¡­!¡± The male and female leads were fighting in the rain. Their anger towards each other seemed so real it didn¡¯t feel like acting. ¡°If they¡¯re like that, they should just p each-¡± Swoooosh. ¡°¡­¡­Really.¡± Baek Seol-hee couldn¡¯tprehend. ¡°How does it make sense for the woman to kiss the man first in such a heated emotional state¡­?¡± Indeed, dramas were just dramas. ¡°Shut up and just kiss? That resolves the anger? Ha, she must be really into the guy. Tsk tsk.¡± Baek Seol-hee could only chuckle as she watched the two actors kiss. ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t it more than just kissing?¡± Baek Seol-hee adjusted her position to lie down morefortably. Chapter 138: Classics Are Helpful In Modern Times (3) Chapter 138: ssics Are Helpful In Modern Times (3) After developing a sense of patriotism in Ulleungdo, Yumir and Baek Seol-hee became close enough to refer to each other as sisters. Though Baek Seol-hee used honorifics with Yumir, it wasn¡¯t strange since she naturally spoke formally. The real peculiarity was in their interactions. ¡°So, the Goblin disappears after battles by turning invisible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not invisibility. I¡¯ve watched it several times. It¡¯s not turning invisible, but the physical existence just vanishes. It¡¯s like being erased from that spot.¡± ¡°Then it must be spatial teleportation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not teleportation¡­ Ah, if I knew, I would have countered it. Yumir, any ideas?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Exchanging ideas about abilities was good. I exined the techniques from novels andics that didn¡¯t appear in this world, and they tried to incorporate those abilities into their own. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. Unnie has known the Goblin much longer than I have.¡± ¡°Sigh, really. Next time we meet, maybe I should trap him in an ice barrier like locking him in a fridge?¡± But discussing the Goblin in front of me was a bit much. Especially¡­ ¡°What do you think, Ji-hwan?¡± I had no answer when they asked my opinion on matters rted to the Goblin. ¡°It¡¯s like when a cockroach is trapped under a big paper cup, you know? It starts to scuttle around under it, trying to get out.¡± ¡°Should I also create an ice barrier on the floor? Hmm, it¡¯s tricky¡­.¡± Eventually, I ended up suggesting ways to catch myself as the Goblin, and Yumir didn¡¯t make any gestures like teasing me in front of Baek Seol-hee. ¡°Teacher, you looked really flustered earlier, didn¡¯t you? Surprised, right?¡± But she teased me when Baek Seol-hee was not around. ¡°If the Goblin¡¯s ability is simr to Yumir¡¯s spatial teleportation, there¡¯s no reason for him to appear like that.¡± ¡°Reason for appearing?¡± ¡°He shows up riding a bike. Not like Yumir, who opens a space right there, but he jumps out from behind the crowd.¡± ¡°Does it appear like that?¡± ¡°Not often, but it has suddenly appeared a few times. That¡¯s why everyone thought, ¡®Ah, the Goblin just ran here really fast.¡¯ But it¡¯s confusing because it disappears in a different way.¡± Baek Seol-hee is right. He appeared from a distance but vanished as if turning into a ghost. ¡°How does he disappear from people¡¯s sight like that? Remember at Gimpo when the Goblin appeared?¡± Ah. I remembered. It was when I went to kill a demon on the Gimpo Airport runway, a viin who got off a ne shot at me as I was leaving. ¡°The bullets grazed the Goblin, and his body blurred. Like he turned into a phantom.¡± ¡°What? So he became like a ghost?¡± Yumir extended her arms like a zombie, curling her lips. ¡°I am the Goblin ghost¡­! Like this.¡± ¡°Sigh. Enough. Let¡¯s not talk about it. Yumir, let¡¯s talk about your ability instead.¡± Thankfully, the topic shifted from the Goblin to Yumir¡¯s ability, spatial teleportation. ¡°Teach me.¡± ¡°Eh, no. If I teach unnie, she¡¯ll keep sneaking off to the teacher. Then she¡¯ll forget to take off the Taeguk Watch, and an ident will happen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m managing it thoroughly. Look. Right now, I don¡¯t have my smartphone or Taeguk Watch.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re always busy checking it. Even now, you¡¯re anxious if a text messagees.¡± ¡°Grrr¡­!¡± Baek Seol-hee wanted to learn spatial teleportation, and Yumir refused to teach her. ¡°Sharing one¡¯s techniques among ability users is like giving out your bank PIN and ount. Unni, you know that, right?¡± ¡°How much would it cost?¡± ¡°If you could buy every ability with money, then wouldn¡¯t the S-rank members of Haegung have be the strongest in the world?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Really, I don¡¯t get why you won¡¯t tell me when you know it¡¯s necessary!¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I know where you want to use it. Traveling between Sejong Ind and Busan to deal with viins all over the country? I¡¯d respect that. But that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee was utterly refuted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t sell it even for a hundred billion.¡± ¡°What if I double it?¡± ¡°Even for ten trillion won, I wouldn¡¯t sell it.¡± ¡°That would require taking out a loan.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not selling! It¡¯s just a metaphorical expression! Ah, how far can this unnie go to gather funds if she¡¯s talking about taking out loans for 10 trillion won?¡± ¡°It¡¯s national funds.¡± ¡°You mean you want to buy my ability with taxes?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s for the nation¡¯s sake, the country might support it.¡± This time, it was Yumir who opened her mouth in shock. ¡°Teacher. Please do something about unnie. She has a dubious intention of illegally entering your house every day and is asking me to teach her teleportation.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to have teleportation ability too.¡± ¡°Teacher?¡± She felt betrayed. Yumir¡¯s gaze towards me said, ¡®Even you, Goblin!¡¯ ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m envious. With that, I could rush to meet someone I want to see right away.¡± Do Ji-hwan also harbored such intentions, so it wasn¡¯t strange that Baek Seol-hee did too. ¡°Ji-hwan¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s care was given to Do Ji-hwan. ¡°Hmm, I wonder who you¡¯d like to meet?¡± ¡°When someone wants to see me, I can rush over and show my face right away.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It means I¡¯ll rush over whenever someone calls me.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± A statement implying that if I had teleportation ability, I would rush to Yumir¡¯s aid in times of trouble ¨C a form of care for her. ¡®There¡¯s so much to worry about.¡¯ Caring for both women simultaneously could be a bit overwhelming, but it was still better than my time in the alliance. Back then, being caught between four executives was truly difficult. The alliance, well, how should I put it, was extremely¡­ There were no other words to describe it. ¡°Ugh. Still, teaching spatial teleportation is a bit¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t teach demon purification either.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to, but I can¡¯t. That¡¯s my ¡®unique skill,¡¯ I guess?¡± No matter how much one exined, there were abilities that could not be taught to others. These unique skills, which only a specific person could use, were often referred to as such, and my unique skill could be considered the Goblin¡¯s Bat. ¡°Going around telling others that you have the ability to create objects by imagining them is one thing; actually making it your own ability is another matter altogether.¡± ¡°Seol-hee, Yumir¡¯s refusal to teach you spatial teleportation isn¡¯t entirely for bad reasons.¡± I soothed Baek Seol-hee¡¯s shoulder, trying to mediate between the two. ¡°Technical skills once passed on, tend to be simr. Copying Yumir¡¯s techniques might put you, Seol-hee, at risk.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, like following the footsteps of Sr tina. Being an S-rank and all.¡± Following Sr tina. Baek Seol-hee being a copycat. Baek Seol-hee¡¯s spatial teleportation being inferior to Yumir¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s not copying!¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s copying~ A patchwork novel with no originality~¡± ¡°It¡¯s not!! You, I¡¯ll kill you for sure!!¡± ¡°Try killing me? Can¡¯t, right? Annoying, right? Angry, right? Want to kill, right? What a copycat¡­ah, why are you really appearing? Uh, aah! The demon of giarism!! Cough!!¡± ¡°Seol-hee¡¯s intention to use spatial teleportation is only to meet me. But there will be times when you might have to use it in public. And inside, Seol-hee¡¯s Snow White will use it, yes, in a simr way to Sr tina.¡± ¡°Then there will be people who criticize that?¡± ¡°Yes, definitely.¡± There were many people in the world who nitpicked over trivial things, and many of them turned into demons due to stress. ¡°Even if you develop spatial teleportation, Seol-hee, you¡¯ll need a unique method. For now, let¡¯s put aside the idea of creating a portal to another ce.¡± For the time being. ¡°If therees a day when both of you fight together, learning Yumir¡¯s method and using spatial teleportation afterward won¡¯t be a big issue.¡± At least, someday, after Sr tina and Snow White had joined forces against an enemy, and the public recognized them as friends, it could be used as a means to that end. ¡°So for now, even if it¡¯s inconvenient, let¡¯s hold off on spatial teleportation.¡± ¡°¡­If it¡¯s inconvenient, I¡¯ll have to create it myself. Spatial teleportation.¡± Baek Seol-hee red at Yumir, twisting her lips. ¡°Just wait. I¡¯ll show up here without Yumir¡¯s help, you¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Great, then I¡¯ll just stay at the teacher¡¯s house. No need to always transport unnie, I can just be there.¡± The atmosphere turned a bit damp again. Was there anything that could break the ice? To ovee this predicament- ¡°Um, how about the three of us have a-¡± Beep beep. Yumir¡¯s Taeguk Watch rang. After checking the watch and then her smartphone, she beamed with joy. ¡°Yay!¡± Excited, Yumir ran to me and hugged me. ¡°Teacher, my practicum location just got announced!¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Yes! Wow¡­! Teacher, guess where I¡¯m going?¡± Yumir looked at Baek Seol-hee, then whispered in my ear. ¡°Teacher, want to go to Ulleungdo?¡± Chapter 139: Demons Are Everywhere (1) Chapter 139: Demons Are Everywhere (1) Monday morning. It felt a bit odd to call it a day of the final showdown, but it was the day of the regional practicum. -Teacher, I¡¯ll do well in Ulleungdo! Yumir boarded the ferry to Ulleungdo early in the morning, excited. -Did you find out who your practicum mate is? -No, they said they¡¯ll tell us upon arrival. There seem to be other students on the ferry, so it looks like there are several teams. -Why don¡¯t you try making friends this time? -I¡¯d rather be friends with you, teacher. Kyaa>?< -Let¡¯s save the emoticons for when you buy them. -¡­¡­ There was nothing particrly problematic in the text exchange with Yumir. Both of us had been careful not to leave any incriminating messages in our texts, and we kept our phone calls short, under three minutes. Yumir often visited my house using her spatial teleportation, which made it impossible for me to leave. And Monday was my day off as the librarian, Do Ji-hwan. A holiday. Beep beep. My phone rang. The caller, Baek Seol-hee, had even set a special ringtone for herself. ¡°Hello?¡± [Ji-hwan¡­ Do you have any ns toe up to Seoul?] ¡°What do you intend to do if Ie up to Seoul?¡± [I want to visit your house. In Banpo.] Unlike Yumir, who was headed to Ulleungdo, Baek Seol-hee was headed to Seoul. Or, more precisely, to Incheon, under the guise of going to Seoul. ¡°Sure, I wee you. But since Ist cleaned up and left it empty, it might be quite dirty.¡± [I¡¯m good at cleaning. I¡¯ll clean it for you. It might be difficult to bring housewarming gifts, so I¡¯ll bring something else as a gift.] ¡°What is it?¡± [The most delicious thing my parents made.] ¡°Don¡¯t use those inte-taught lines on me.¡± [¡­¡­] Click. The call ended. ¡°Was it not yet three minutes?¡± Did she hang up out of offense, or was it just perfect timing because someone happened to be nearby? -I misunderstood -I just boarded the early morning train -I was alone at the station for a moment -Sorry for hanging up suddenly Her text messages followed one after another. I immediately understood why she sent these messages. ¡°She got offended.¡± She hung up feeling offended and then sent these messages hastily, exining the early morning train story. Well, even if she was on the train, she was unlikely to hang up because someone came. -I¡¯ll either go to Seoul through Yumir or take a leave to go. Fortunately, the academy library is also closed. -Isn¡¯t it the librarian¡¯s day off when the library is closed? -I still have to organize the books during the closure. It would be seen as a sly move to take leave for four consecutive days, but if I could spend those four days patriotically for the country with Yumir or Baek Seol-hee, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°So, then¡­¡± Now, there¡¯s no one who wille into my room. Yumir was on a ferry and couldn¡¯t easily return to her cabin from here, and Baek Seol-hee was on her way to Seoul from Busan. I had practically no personal time, but it was fun and beneficial. However, ¡®if you¡¯ve yed enough, then it¡¯s time to step up as an agent of the society.¡¯ ¡°Hello.¡± [Wow, the busy manager these days. No contact and suddenly reaching out. Looks like there are no women around you now?] ¡°That¡¯s how it turned out.¡± I opened the window. The red-haired woman, Brewer, on the balcony of the opposite building, waved at me vigorously. [Busy with women and missing the time for regr reports. Even if you¡¯re favored by the chairman, is that okay?] ¡°If it was urgent, I would have contacted you. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± [You¡¯reing? What about Taeguk Watch?] ¡°I¡¯ll bring it. Just wait 10 minutes. I¡¯m ready.¡± After hanging up the phone, I quickly packed some simple luggage and headed to Brewer¡¯s house. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°You said 10 minutes, why so fast?¡± ¡°I need your help to pack and leave.¡± ¡°My help?¡± Brewer showed interest with sparkling eyes. ¡°What¡¯s it? Going somewhere for training?¡± ¡°Did you get involved with some bad organization for your training?¡± ¡°I received intelligence that Chilryunho is trying to enter Korea.¡± ¡°Coming right for the training, huh.¡± Chilryunho, as the name suggested, was a group rted to ability users from China. They were a bit different from Triads, but the fact that they were crossing the West Sea gave me a certain feeling. They were actually like that. ¡°They won¡¯t just being in. Maybe they¡¯re trying to sneak Mana Powder to the young ability users?¡± ¡°You knew all this?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± I read it in a book. I was not sure when, but the protagonist encountered members of Chilryunhoe during training in Ganghwado, leading to trouble. And they tried to lure Academy students with Mana Powder, but werepletely annihted by the furious protagonist and his group uponnding in Korea. So, I thought it might be that. ¡°Snow White is heading to Seoul. Said she¡¯s going to Incheon too, definitely to keep Chilryunhoe in check.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯re going to Seoul?¡± ¡°No, going to Ulleungdo.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re taking me with you?¡± Brewer scratched her cheek, slightly flustered. ¡°Do you know what people have been saying about metely?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but does it interfere with work?¡± ¡°They say I use two boxes of Treasonous Boxes every three days. Whenever I go to throw out the trash, people try to see what¡¯s in the stic bag, ugh.¡± ¡°Then all the more reason to go to Ulleungdo with me.¡± I pointed to the suitcase I brought for Brewer. ¡°Pack it. Just you and me, going to Ulleungdo. We¡¯ll use a pension as a base and prepare for any emergencies.¡± ¡°Something more worrying than Chilryunhoe? Is Ulleungdo going to explode or something?¡± ¡°Would be better if it was just that.¡± The heroine was kidnapped. By the Goblin. ¡°I need to check if the information I gathered through themunity matches.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check right now. Seems like a person, who is it?¡± ¡°This woman.¡± I showed Brewer the woman corresponding to the heroine in the second volume. ¡°¡­This woman, she¡¯s going to Jindo?¡± ¡°Not Ulleungdo?¡± ¡°Yeah. Go to Jindo.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± The original story. Was twisted. ¡®Which is rather good.¡¯ Did the heroine kidnapped by the Goblin end up somewhere different from the protagonist in the original story? Without considering the fixed elements of the original, I just needed to focus on my concerns and solve the problem. ¡°Still, going to Ulleungdo. The woman I¡¯m currently taking care of and trying to get into the secret society is heading there.¡± ¡°Yumir?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Just to ask, wouldn¡¯t that student misunderstand if you and I go to Ulleungdo?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, right. You don¡¯t know my current situation.¡± I couldn¡¯t inform Brewer. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t update her about Baek Seol-hee and Yumir always being around, let alone hear the regr reports. How could I update her about my rtionship with them? ¡°In a nutshell, I¡¯m in a scandalous downfall.¡± ¡°¡­Holy moly.¡± It might be her first time hearing it, but no other word described our current rtionship as aptly as a scandalous downfall. ¡°And add a surrogate mother.¡± ¡°Totally lost it. Both of them are okay with that?¡± ¡°I persuaded them physically with the Goblin Bat.¡± I pointed below, and Brewer, following my direction, let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew. I was worried for a second. If it¡¯s that, it¡¯s fine. Thank goodness. I was concerned about throwing out too many Treasonous Boxes, but if it¡¯s actually like that, it makes sense.¡± ¡°¡­By the way, what do you put inside them before throwing them away?¡± ¡°Gukbap broth slightly mixed with gtin to solidify.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I felt a bit queasy. ¡°Then, please take care of it. I¡¯ll be a good partner for a week, just trust me. Umm, don¡¯t call me Brewer for now-¡± ¡°Celestia.¡± I extended my hand to Brewer, now Celestia. ¡°Shall we go to Ulleungdo together for a breath of fresh air?¡± For the mission. Yumir Protection Operation.
¡°Wow.¡± Yumir uttered a soulless exmation on the deck of a ship heading to Ulleungdo¡¯s port. She came herest week. In Ulleungdo, she had many experiences and an incredible life event. She even shared a nakedmunion with the S-ss hero Snow White. And now, Ulleungdo again. Thinking of the symbolic meaning of Ulleungdo was pleasant, but it only worked when a particr man was involved. Bumps only worked when they interlocked; otherwise, they were nothing. ¡°I wish the teacher woulde quickly¡­ Huh?¡± Crackle, crackle. Above the deck where Yumir hade out to see the sea. A young man in a dark blue modernized Hanbok held a bear pipe, gazing at Ulleungdo. Wisps of pale smoke drifted from his pipe. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Smoking on the deck where everyone was. Yumir red briefly at the man and moved away. A lecture about ¡®Cigarette smoke being dangerous for pregnant women¡¯ came to mind, and she immediately headed to her room. ¡°¡­¡­Puff. The world is wonderful. Even electronic cigarettese in this design.¡± The young man nonchntly smoked his bear pipe-designed e-cigarette while looking at Ulleungdo. ¡®Alone¡¯. Chapter 140: Demons Are Everywhere (2) Chapter 140: Demons Are Everywhere (2) Swoosh. ¡®I sure go to Ulleungdo often.¡¯ I definitely frequently boarded the ferry between Ulleungdo and Sejong Ind. ¡®I¡¯d like to live in Ulleungdo, but then I couldn¡¯t immediately respond to situations in Sejong Ind.¡¯ While part of it was just for ¡®rxing in Ulleung,¡¯ it was also to recover magic power at the Ulleungdo pension. ¡®I do go to Ulleungdo every weekend, though.¡¯ So, I was used to taking the ferry. As an ability user, I was immune to simple diseases like seasickness or colds thanks to my powers. That was why I felt a bit sorry for Celestia, who was currently seasick. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, I took medicine. It¡¯ll get better in a bit.¡± Brewer, now Celestia, was struggling with seasickness in the room. ¡°If it gets worse, I can do something about it.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that in front of a man.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a man or a woman.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about thest shred of pride as a woman.¡± I patted her back, and she clung to a clean trash bin lined with a stic bag, burying her head inside. ¡°Ha, ha. Ugh, really¡­ I absolutely hate taking the boat.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve said something.¡± ¡°How could I not go when it¡¯s a work trip to Ulleungdo. I can endure it for 30 minutes. Sorry. If only there were a bathroom, ugh.¡± It would be better if the cabins had private bathrooms, but unfortunately, they weremunal. ¡°Sticking to a toilet in amunal bathroom is worse. It¡¯s better to do this here. Should I go outside for some air?¡± ¡°No, no. I¡¯ll get scolded if I spill into the sea. Better to deal with it in the room. Ugh¡­¡± Since the round trip from Sejong Ind to Ulleungdo took less than 30 minutes, there was no need for bathrooms in each cabin. ¡°Really, ha¡­ How many minutes have passed?¡± ¡°Only 10 minutes left.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not like a PT trainer to lie about that.¡± ¡°Ha, right¡­.¡± It was not because she drank alcohol or anything. She had just been staying on Sejong Ind and was now on a rocking passenger ship. She was suffering from seasickness. ¡°Ugh, really, at times like this, I envy ability users.¡± ¡°Because we don¡¯t get seasick?¡± ¡°Not just that. Almost immune to all diseases that modern people get. Whew, really.¡± Another advantage of ability users. ¡°Ability users, ha, I¡¯ve never heard of them getting sick¡­ It¡¯s not like magic power acts like a vine.¡± Ability users didn¡¯t get sick. Not from colds, viruses, or even atopy. ¡°Did you know? Whew, they say mana is like white blood cells from outer space. Protecting humans from all viruses on Earth, whew, something like that.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you feeling worse talking about it?¡± ¡°Talking about it makes me feel a bit better. For now¡­.¡± Even simple diseases that children got, ability users didn¡¯t catch them. No wonder there was cynical criticism that paying health insurance for heroes was just a tax burden without any benefits. ¡°I really envy bodies that don¡¯t catch any disease.¡± ¡°But ability users suffer from ¡®chuunibyou.¡¯¡± It was a joke to call it ¡®chuunibyou,¡¯ but it was a severe illness for ability users. ¡°If I could suppress all diseases with ¡®chuunibyou,¡¯ I¡¯d be willing to have it.¡± ¡°But if you fall into corruption, you be a demon.¡± ¡°Just need to train the mind well not to be a demon. How many ability users be demons in a year?¡± ¡°About 10%.¡± That was a considerable number. Since ability users lived alongside ordinary people in a world where they were not the mainstream, the social safety to embrace them was still weak. -Ah! I¡¯m turning evil! Thankfully, that rate was decreasing, and with the environment created by Sejong Ind, the rate of bing demons in Korea had reduced to about 3%. -Kekeke, I, the human, will stop you, oooooo!! -Damn, don¡¯t use such lines when turning into a demon! It ruins the image of the work!! Overseas, the situation was a bit different, but still, if bing a demon was just a mental issue, there wasn¡¯t a big problem. Would you risk a little to be a superhuman who lived without disease for life? Or would you prefer to be an ordinary person who lived with minor diseases, needed regr vinations, and risked your health rapidly declining if cancer struck? This was why everyone wanted to be an ability user. Either to cure their own illness or to wish their children to live without chronic diseases. -If raised properly, they can live happily all their lives!! Since both chuunibyou and demon corruption were mental issues, it was all about creating a happy environment. -Ability users don¡¯t get dementia, cancer, or even hair loss? That was the thought of everyone who wished to be an ability user. -Hey. Could ability users potentially live much longer than the average human lifespan? -If that¡¯s true, it¡¯s crazy. Living forever without diseases, just managing mental issues. -It¡¯s like being an elf born from a human body. Haha, that¡¯s nonsense¡­ Wait, isn¡¯t it like staying young without aging for 70 years? -¡­The government should develop and distribute a vine that can turn humans into ability users! Distribute it! And there was still one unproven point, making everyone wish to be an ability user. Everyone. ¡°Seriously, do you want to be an ability user?¡± ¡°Me? Sometimes, I think about it. Like everyone thinks about winning the lottery.¡± Celestia sighed deeply. ¡°I¡¯d have a lot more to do at thepany. Unlike ordinary people like me, ability users have many more opportunities.¡± ¡°What would you do with all that work?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ conquer the capitalist world? Ourpany is taking over all thepanies worldwide.¡± In this context, thepany was the secret society, and otherpanies represented countries. ¡°How about that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re amazing. I¡¯ve never asked why you joined thepany.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same for you, ugh.¡± I patted Celestia¡¯s back. She hadn¡¯t vomited, but looking pale, she sipped some barley tea and patted her chest. ¡°Ugh, really. Times like this, I wish I were an ability user. Anyway, the reason for joining¡­ well, everyone¡¯s probably simr.¡± Celestia turned her posture while holding the bin. Leaning against the wall, she looked up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. ¡°¡­Revenge and faith.¡± ¡°Those are words not to be spoken lightly.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± On a ship like this, where there might be listening devices anywhere, it was not something to talk about carelessly. ¡°I just believe that working in ourpany would definitely change my life. And the revenge story is simple. A rivalpany ruined my family. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t talk about the details now, so for now¡­ ugh.¡± Celestia clutched the bin again. ¡°Sorry, but can you leave me alone for a bit?¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± I stepped outside. I heard rough sounds from inside, but they were quickly drowned out by the sound of the waves. Beep. A message arrived. It was from Yumir. -Teacher, I¡¯m so screwed. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Yumir¡¯s reaction was already like this. What situation could be happening? -Our team has all the ¡®Radical¡¯ members. ¡°Ah.¡± I understood.
Meanwhile, on a road in the southern part of Ulleungdo. ¡°Yumir junior? No problems sinceing to Korea, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Tha-that¡¯s good. Foreigners seem to struggle with adapting when theye to Korea.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yumir had no idea how to respond to the two men awkwardly questioning her. ¡°Hoof, hoof.¡± Maybe it was because they were in the same space inside the car. Even the venttion wasn¡¯t working properly, and a strong smell emanated from the man who dyed them from Ulleung Port. ¡°Is it not difficult to talk like this? Can I close the window? It feels like the smell of drying squid ising in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good because it¡¯s the smell of the sea.¡± Yumir breathed while wearing an invisible mask using her magic. Someone might say that using magic to block the smell of cigarettes and coffee was a bit excessive for an S+ level ability user, but if there was a way to avoid difort, why not do it? ¡°Yumir, do you have a boyfriend?¡± The skinny man sitting next to her started talking with eyes that went together like real eyes from the beginning. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? Hm, I see.¡± Yumir shivered at the man¡¯s smile as if he knew something. ¡°Well, you probably don¡¯t have a boyfriend. Ah, that sounded strange. Just like that. I¡¯m not misunderstanding, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Among foreigners, there are some who interpret things strangely. You have to listen to Korean until the end. Haha.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It had been a few days since she had to practice with these men. She was screwed. One of them might be an absolute devil. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Compared to the other two men, the woman with ck hair looked rtively, no, objectively unfriendly. Rather than the sticky gaze from the two men in front of her, the woman beside her didn¡¯t even speak and just sat quietly in her seat. Yumir thought. If she made even the slightest mistake, one of the three would definitely be a demon. ¡°Yumir, can you give me your contact information? We need to exchange contact information with our practice mates.¡± ¡°The leader¡­ Well, let Yumir do it. Normally, when foreignerse to Korea, they take on the role of the leader.¡± Muscle Tattoo Man D. Sweaty Silent Eyes Man C. Silent Chubby Woman B. Indeed, who among them would be a demon? Yumir wanted to leave this ce right away using spatial teleportation, hoping that at least one of them would be as normal as the remaining A-grade practice mate. Chapter 141: Demons Are Everywhere (3) Chapter 141: Demons Are Everywhere (3) ¡°One should not judge people solely by their names.¡± But living in this world, I had learned one of its rules. A person¡¯s name was a mirror reflecting who they were. Whether the author was toozy or it was a deliberate concept, those who showed the potential to be demons in this world all had strange names. ¡°Celestia. I need you to look something up.¡± ¡°Yumir¡¯s training mate? Let¡¯s see¡­ Nam Du-chang, Gong Tae-beom, Eun Hae-young. They¡¯re D, C, and B sses, respectively.¡± ¡°Just looking at their profile pictures, you can almost tell what kind of people they are.¡± One shouldn¡¯t judge by appearance alone, but if I were to name these people assuming they turned into demons, they would be something like this: The Radical Tattooed Demon. The Damp-Eyed Demon. The Backstabbing Gossip Demon. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve suddenly understood physiognomy.¡± Names, faces, and the reputations of those around them were gleaned through the Ability User Wiki or the powers they possessed. ording to the information gathered through Celestia¡¯s intelligence and themunity I used, these three Koreans had appearances that could, unfortunately, be described as the epitome of the ¡®Ugly Korean.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s wrong to judge by appearance, but somehow, it seems¡­ right.¡± ¡°A person¡¯s life and character are often reflected in their face, don¡¯t you think? Mr. Jang?¡± ¡°I agree.¡± We were currently in a limousine, heading to the pension. This was a conversation that could only be quietly shared inside the car, equipped with soundproofing, as it was too sensitive to discuss openly. ¡°In Ulleungdo, it¡¯s a bit lessmon, but if you go to Busan or Gangwon Province, you¡¯ll often see Koreans swindling foreigners.¡± ¡°Like those who go to Japan and push others to drink with them?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even need to go as far as Japan. In Gangneung or Pohang, where there are many foreigners, you¡¯ll find plenty of Koreans saying ¡®Do you know makgeolli?¡¯ to foreigners.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on them. As a bar owner, they¡¯re all customers to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± What should I say? It was frustrating how twisted everything seemed to be. ¡°But that¡¯s still decent, isn¡¯t it? The term¡¯ kimchi premium¡¯ didn¡¯te from nowhere.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to ept a hunting offer based on a person? It¡¯s the fact they¡¯re Korean, have Korean nationality, and have a house in Korea that matters. Nowadays, just saying ¡®I¡¯m from Busan¡¯ is enough to impress foreign women. Just average it out.¡± It was an era where Koreans could easily bring foreign daughters-inw abroad. ¡°If the face isn¡¯t good, just get stic surgery, and if the child bes an ability user, they automatically be more attractive.¡± In this world, it was typical to aim for higher chances of having an ability user as a child in Korea, and even if that failed, the strategy was to marry a Korean man and immigrate the whole family to Korea. ¡°What should we do in other cases?¡± I showed Mr. Jang the photo of 21-year-old B-ss female ability user Eun Hae-young, Yumir¡¯s training mate. ¡°¡­¡­Could it be that kind of power? Usually big in size, but has to maintain arge body because the power source is fat?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Mr. Jang, it¡¯s just a failure in self-management. She was born with a god-given body as an ability user.¡± Celestia openly expressed her annoyance. ¡°E-ss ability users don¡¯t gain weight even if they live on tteokbokki three meals a day without eating any vegetables. Higher sses are even more, needless to mention. They just eat a lot and fail in self-management.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± ¡°Tsk, some people eat celery once a day to manage their body.¡± A special trait of ability users. No matter how much they ate, they didn¡¯t gain weight. But if an amount of food that Mana couldn¡¯t handle was consumed, even Mana eventually raised the white g in surrender. ¡°Mr. Do, what will you do? Will you flirt with a blond, blue-eyed foreign beauty of E-ss or a Korean B-ss woman who doesn¡¯t manage herself?¡± ¡°Even asking me that is absurd.¡± ¡°Objectively speaking. Putting aside the fact she¡¯s Yumir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. It¡¯s meaningless to ask me that.¡± I could answer with certainty because I was not originally from this world. ¡°Even if I was a non-ability user rather than an E-ss, I¡¯d choose the foreign beauty with blonde hair and blue eyes. What about you, Mr. Jang?¡± ¡°Even if that B-ss woman could afford to buy Ulleungdo, I¡¯d still choose the beauty.¡± ¡°Wow, men.¡± Celestia let out a sarcasticugh at our choices. ¡°Is it all about the face and figure for women?¡± ¡°She¡¯s someone I¡¯ll spend my life with, so shouldn¡¯t I consider that?¡± ¡°When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you see isn¡¯t the ceiling but your wife¡¯s bare face. Isn¡¯t that something you need to think about? Not that Celestia needs to worry about that, but women like her should be considered.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Wow. Was this what experience looked like? To naturallypliment Celestia while discussing a woman named Eun Hae-young. ¡°What about men? These two guys here.¡± ¡°If I had to say, if my sister dated one of them, I¡¯d definitely discourage her. That kind of man.¡± ¡°They¡¯re the kind you¡¯d have to think twice about even being friends with. Just by looking at their faces.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a harsh assessment.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true, ording to the opinions of those around them.¡± It seemed that Celestia hadn¡¯t checked yet. ¡°Celestia. On Sejong Ind, there¡¯s a ce where information about notoriously vile people umtes. Where is it?¡± ¡°The Ugly Korean Collection?¡± ¡°Close. It¡¯s actually¡­here.¡± I opened amunity page, and Celestia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Here¡­?¡± ¡°Amunity of nurses working at a maternity hospital in Busan.¡± ¡°You check such ces?¡± ¡°I check because there¡¯s information to be found. You probably don¡¯t go this far, so it¡¯s natural you¡¯re a bit slow in catching up. Look at this.¡± I showed Celestia the information I found, and she visibly grimaced. ¡°What the f¡­¡± ¡°Disgusting, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Is it real?¡± ¡°Probably. It might not be recorded, but sites like these show truly disgusting things.¡± A site steeped in revulsion. Not created for the purpose of disgust but naturally filled with repulsion because of the cases these people have seen. - Sisters, another victim came. Ndch seems to have abandoned another one. - Such a garbage person. That¡¯s already the third one this year, isn¡¯t it? - He cries and begs, saying he will take responsibility, but how is he going to do that if she¡¯s not an ability user? Can a single mother survive alone? ¡°I have no intention of enforcing responsibility just because someone has an ability, but I doubt that God gave them abilities to indulge in irresponsible pleasures.¡± With the superior status of being an ability user. With the ¡®kimchi premium¡¯ of being Korean. ¡°Trash, picking on normal people and discarding them.¡± These men were a hotbed of despicable and disgusting behavior.
At that moment, at Seoul Station. ¡°I¡¯m worried.¡± Having gathered her luggage and disembarked at the train station, Baek Seol-heemented as she checked the list of team members for the regional training on her tablet. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, right?¡± As she reviewed various team members, she found the team Yumir was in. Some students she had seen in her lectures, others she knew of through rumors. Though they were all adults over 20, responsible for their own lives, an educator shouldn¡¯t judge people based on rumors. But if it was not rumors but ¡®facts¡¯ that were considered, these people could cause significant mental stress to Yumir. ¡°She¡¯ll manage, but I worry about the impact¡­¡± Baek Seol-hee bit her lower lip briefly. -Teacher, I¡¯ve started dating my training mate. Sorry. -Ah, really? Then I can hang out with Seol-hee every day. Visit me every night, Seol-hee. Yumir won¡¯te anymore. -Really¡­? Don¡¯t worry. Instead of the distracted Yumir, I will consult with Ji-hwan as much as Yumir did. But that scenario was unlikely to happen. Baek Seol-hee briefly entertained the thought, but unless Yumir lost her sanity or was brainwashed, she wouldn¡¯t abandon Do Ji-hwan for another man. Baek Seol-hee¡¯s concern was one thing: -Wow, teacher. I absolutely hate men. You¡¯re the only one for me. -Aren¡¯t you in the middle of your training? Be a bit more careful with your words. -But what can I do about it? They smoke, drink instant coffee, don¡¯t brush their teeth, get into cars, pester me for my number, creepily research me on secondary ounts, and try to stare at my chest. They think they¡¯re so great, trying to charm me and then get me drunk to do weird things? Her worry. That Yumir, after observing her training mates, mighte to think that the only man for her was Do Ji-hwan. Regardless of the presence or absence of abilities, the concern was her growing fondness for Do Ji-hwan, just as a man. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t happen¡­¡± ¡°Seol-hee!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Annoyed by a man casually calling her name, Baek Seol-hee felt a surge of irritation. ¡°Please don¡¯t call me so casually, [Crater].¡± ¡°Wow, so finicky. The Ice Princess, as always.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much? We¡¯re both of the 0th generation. I¡¯m an A-ss, you know.¡± A smug-faced man with dusky skin approached her. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m no different.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean ¡®no different¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Seeing this, Baek Seol-hee thought, ¡®Definitely, Ji-hwan is better.¡¯ Before considering the presence of abilities, the fundamental problem that must be addressed is their humanity. Chapter 142: Demons Are Everywhere (4) Chapter 142: Demons Are Everywhere (4) ¡°Ha, she¡¯s not falling for it. Look at that irond defense.¡± Nam Du-chang smoked his cigarette and spat on the ground. ¡°A woman should be able to smoke. I bet behind the scenes, she drinks, smokes, and does all sorts of weird stuff.¡± They unpacked their luggage after arriving at the pension prepared for the four members. Nam Du-chang lit up the cigarettes he had refrained from smoking openly until now. ¡°Exactly.¡± Gong Tae-beom chuckled and lit his own cigarette. Both being ability users, the harmful substances from the cigarettes were absorbed and then expelled from their bodies, but they could still feel the sensation of it entering and leaving. They could enjoy cigarettes purely, without the harmful substances. It was a privilege, not a demerit, for male ability users, so most of them smoked. ¡°I told you, bro. She definitely has a boyfriend.¡± ¡°I know. But no goalkeeper means no goal, right? E-ss should just wee me with open arms. tsk*¡± ¡°Even if the guy¡¯s a non-ability user, it works somehow. Heh.¡± Gong Tae-beom lightly brushed his face with his hand. ¡°What? You did some background check?¡± ¡°Come on, isn¡¯t it basic to skim through a training mate¡¯s SNS ount?¡± ¡°Really¡­? I never bothered with that.¡± ¡°You can find everything if you look. Bro, remember that idolst time¡­¡± ¡°Hey, shut it.¡± Nam Du-chang was about to raise his fist but then lowered it. Though he was a year older, Gong Tae-beom had a higher ability grade. ¡°I was just having a bit of fun, right? She enjoyed it, too. It¡¯s enough for her to have a passionate moment with a young ability user before turning 30. I was practically doing her a service.¡± ¡°You sent her to the hospital, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°She only owns a four-story building in Seoul, nothing in Busan. Anyway, you¡¯re not one to talk, are you?¡± ¡°What did I do? No one ys cleaner than me.¡± They could speak so openly because there was no one else around. Even if someone overheard, no one would want to start trouble with ability users. ¡°Ha, damn. She¡¯s got a lot of mana.¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s already staked a im on that mana tank.¡± ¡°Who cares about that? Wash it off and reapply. Anyway¡­ what about tonight?¡± ¡°Obviously, this.¡± Nam Du-chang reached somewhere discreet. ¡°Hehehe.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t bring that out. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll join in soon enough. Hey, I¡¯m going for Canada, you take Seoul.¡± ¡°Whoa, crossing the line, aren¡¯t you? Are you crazy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m letting it slide because I¡¯m your senior. 2:2. Our team¡¯s A-ss will be off meeting high and mighty folks in Ulleungdo, so let¡¯s just enjoy ourselves, okay?¡± ¡°No way you¡¯re giving me Seoul.¡± As the two men bickered, ¡°Interesting conversation you¡¯re having.¡± ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± A man in a modified hanbok, holding a folding fan, approached near the pension. ¡°I¡¯m just a passing schr.¡± Even for ability users, there were people they needed to be cautious of, perhaps like a young man in a modified hanbok. ¡°What? A damn schr? Don¡¯t bother us, and mind your business. We¡¯re just discussing what drinking game to y tonight, right?¡± ¡°Right. We¡¯re talking about a game called Blue Marble. I don¡¯t know who you are, but¡­¡± ¡°Put out the cigarette when talking to an elder.¡± Swoosh. With a flick of his fan, the cigarettes in their mouths were sliced in half instantly. ¡°What, what¡­?!¡± ¡°An ability user?!¡± ¡°Ahem. As I said, just a passing schr.¡± The young man pulled out a traditional pipe and threw something at them. ¡°Why smoke foreign cigarettes in Ulleungdo? Here, have some Hasan.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve disposed of one, so giving a pack in return is only right. Use domestic products instead of foreign cigarettes.¡± ¡°You smoke a pipe¡­ Made in Korea?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ *tsk*. Ah, damn, can¡¯t this be helped?¡± The man who called himself a schr scratched his head and covered the bottom of his pipe with his hand. ¡°Try smoking it. You won¡¯t even think about foreign cigarettes anymore.¡± ¡°This crappy-¡± ¡°Smoke it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Compelled by the schr¡¯s words, Nam Du-chang and Gong Tae-beom instinctively reached for the cigarette pack. ¡°Need a light?¡± A me like a torch appeared at the tips of the schr¡¯s fingers, and as soon as Nam Du-chang and Gong Tae-beom put the cigarettes to their lips, the me began to burn the ends of their cigarettes. ¡°¡­Wow, what¡¯s this? It¡¯s not what I know?¡± ¡°This pack looks like this, but actually-¡± ¡°Wee, trash.¡± Snap. ¡°Thest cigarette you¡¯ll smoke as humans. Hehe.¡± As soon as the schr pped his hands, the two men, dumbfounded, continued to smoke, staring at him. Then. Swoosh. Something popped out of the cigarette and slid straight down their throats. Crunch. After the schr disappeared. The two men who had finished their cigarettes picked up the butts off the ground put them back in the pack and threw them in the trash before disappearing.
¡°Did you join the academy just to snag a Korean guy and get married?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± From the very first words exchanged in Eunhae-Young¡¯s room, Yumir was slightly, no, tantly offended. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°You came here to chase after Korean men.¡± ¡°How can you say something like that¡­.¡± ¡°What? Did I say something wrong? Go ahead, report me for personal insults. Record it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir thought to herself. Should she just forget about secrets and openly wear an ¡®E¡¯ with an ¡®X¡¯ behind her name? Or should she use the ¡®S+¡¯ grade she talked about in her country? ¡°I came here to study.¡± ¡°If you wanted to study, why crawl into Korea from Mexico?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Canadian.¡± ¡°Canada or Mexico, same thing.¡± She only needed the status of an academy student to stay on Sejong Ind officially. Though she tried to study as a student, she couldn¡¯t tolerate such insults. ¡°You think I joined the academy to get with a Korean man?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you in a rtionship with the library¡¯s parachute librarian?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She admitted it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so brazen, I¡¯m speechless. Foreigners always have such nerves, huh?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te here for men; it just happened that we clicked and started dating.¡± ¡°Ha. You¡¯re out of your mind.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with dating a man?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a ¡®No¡¯ ability user.¡± Why emphasize the ¡®No¡¯? Not using the official term ¡®Non-ability user¡¯ and instead using a word that means ¡®none¡¯ gave a clear idea of what kind of person she was dealing with. ¡°Are you an ability supremacist?¡± ¡°Supremacist? No. It¡¯s the mindset we should naturally have as a new humanity. Why mix genes with inferiors?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She suddenly saw this person in a different light. What had appeared to be mere meddling in rtionships and contempt for women chasing Korean men now seemed akin to a KKK or Nazi member. ¡°Do you really think ability users are superior?¡± ¡°Of course. Abilities are a blessing from God to the new humanity. It¡¯s nonsensical to mix such a blessing with the obsolete or inherently doomed.¡± ¡°So, it bothers you that I¡¯m dating a Korean non-ability user, or do you actually think that way?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Eunhae-Young didn¡¯t answer. Whether she was unaware of her mixed feelings or chose to remain silent, Eunhae-Young said nothing. ¡°So, you just hate that I¡¯m dating a handsome man?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± She hit a nerve. The expected reaction burst forth, and Yumir decided not to provoke further. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m content with my life and will live as I please. Leave me alone.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m a ¡®B¡¯ grade, there are lines you shouldn¡¯t cross.¡± Living as she pleased. It was a magical phrase. A warning to ability users not to provoke her further, hinting at a potential ¡®dark turn¡¯ while she still has some sanity left. ¡°I just want to live my way, meeting who I want. Let¡¯s not interfere with each other in that regard, senior?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Eunhae-Young scowled. ¡°So you hop into a car and immediately flirt with two guys.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t flirting. I made it clear I wasn¡¯t interested.¡± ¡°Nonsense. You didn¡¯t outright reject them.¡± ¡°Why stir up trouble on the first day of practice? You¡¯re the one causing trouble, but I¡¯m trying to let it slide since I¡¯vee all the way to Ulleungdo.¡± Trying to prevent them from turning into devils for no reason. Though she swallowed these thoughts, Yumir was half-resigned. ¡°Let it slide? The woman who wants to ¡®let it slide¡¯ says-¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± There was a knock from outside. ¡°Is everyone ready for practice? It¡¯s time to go.¡± ¡°¡­Nam Doo-chang?¡± Eunhae-Young was surprised. Her look seemed to say, ¡®Nam Doo-chang has that kind of voice?¡¯ Yumir felt the same. ¡°Just a moment.¡± When Yumir opened the door, Nam Doo-chang stood outside, expressionless. There was no bad odor; instead, there was a scent of toothpaste as if he just brushed his teeth. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The sudden change in atmosphere from when they were in the car gave Yumir chills. ¡°If you¡¯re ready,e out. The practice leader will be here soon.¡± ¡°What? I thought the leader was going to be-¡± ¡°It¡¯s decided that an ¡®A¡¯ grade will lead the practice.¡± Nam Doo-chang emotionlessly tapped his Taeguk Watch. ¡°Student council president Yoon Iseon will lead.¡± Chapter 143: Demons Are Everywhere (5) Chapter 143: Demons Are Everywhere (5) Yumir was confused. ¡°Gong Tae-nam. Who is the leader?¡± ¡°I heard they¡¯reing, but there might be a dy due to an ident on the way.¡± ¡°An ident?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re handling the situation through emergency contact. They should be here in about 10 minutes.¡± Both Gong Tae-beom and Nam Doo-chang seemed to have changed suddenly. In a good way, they were acting like people who only do the right things, but in a bad way, they seemed like machines programmed to only perform good actions. Yumir had expected them to casually throw their bags in a corner and smoke behind the building, but both were outside the pension in neat attire, without a hint of cigarette smell. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s this?¡± Yumir wasn¡¯t the only one feeling the confusion. Eunhae-Young, who followed her out, was also startled by their appearance. ¡°Why did you change into academy uniforms aftering all the way to Ulleungdo? You were in casual clothes just a moment ago¡­?¡± Indeed, they were in academy uniforms. They looked like businessmen in suits, except the outerwear was a magoja, simr to a suit jacket. ¡°Is there a problem with academy students wearing their uniforms?¡± ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s not a problem.¡± Eunhae-Young bowed her head as if to say, ¡®They¡¯re adults, after all.¡¯ ¡°Ha, haha.¡± Yumir scratched her cheek. Unlike Eunhae-Young, who was in ordinary casual clothes with a hoodie and baggy jeans, Yumir and the other three were all in academy uniforms. ¡°Hmph. There¡¯s no need to wear uniforms for practice. Even high school students are calling for dress code freedom, let alone college students.¡± ¡°But ording to the practice guidelines, it¡¯s rmended to wear academy uniforms.¡± ¡°Hey, Gong Tae-beom. Have you changed suddenly? You weren¡¯t like this before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing new. Just fulfilling my role as a person destined to be a hero.¡± Gong Tae-beom¡¯s words were exemry yet seemed soulless. ¡°I wore the uniform because I wanted to. Is there a problem with that, senior Eunhae-Young?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Tch.¡± Eunhae-Young was unable to argue further. How could she object when they were simply following the academy¡¯s practice rules? ¡°So, who¡¯s the leader?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you check? It¡¯s Yoon Iseon.¡± ¡°What? When could I have checked¡­!¡± ¡°Academic schedule, announcements, 2025 regional practice adult division operation n, third attachment in the file.¡± ¡°When could I possibly check all that¡­!¡± ¡°It was uploaded when we arrived at Ulleungdo. We need to keep up with announcements at all times.¡± ¡°Wow, Nam Doo-chang, you¡¯ve really changed. What, are you aiming to be a ss valedictorian or something? If that¡¯s the case, why not be the leader yourself?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to, but if someone more capable than me takes the lead, I¡¯ll willingly follow. That¡¯s how an organization works.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ What¡¯s with them? Did they all take some kind of pill?¡± Yumir remained silent. She just wanted to feel at ease from this strange situation quickly. ¡°Excuse me, ability users?¡± A man in a suit approached from afar. He wore a badge indicating he was an academy staff member. ¡°Student Yoon Iseon will be here soon, so please board the vehicle. Your group is¡­ ¡®Ulleung1 Group¡¯.¡± ¡°Why is our group named like that?¡± Eunhae-Young immediately objected, and the staff member flinched and stepped back. ¡°Well, this time, we¡¯ve standardized group names ording to areas¡­.¡± ¡°Last year, group members were allowed to decide.¡± ¡°Eunhae-Young. That wasst year, and this is this year.¡± ¡°What? Damn, what does a ¡®D¡¯ grade like, you know¡­?¡± ¡°Senior Eunhae-Young?¡± When Nam Doo-chang and Gong Tae-beom pressed her together, Eunhae-Young bit her lip and stepped back. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She wanted to go back to the pension. In this hostile atmosphere, Yumir decided to just be a group member who only thinks about her boyfriend.
¡°Are you visiting again? This time¡­ you¡¯re with ady.¡± The pension¡¯s employee, Silvia, covered her mouth in awe upon seeing me. ¡°You came alonest time, just dipped in the hot spring and left¡­ I¡¯m d you¡¯re back. I¡¯ll prepare red bean rice for dinner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a Japanese custom.¡± ¡°Gasp¡­!¡± Celestia¡¯s remark made Silvia immediately cover her mouth. ¡°Oh, that¡­! I¡¯m sorry! My knowledge is limited¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about it. Instead, please prepare food that¡¯s good for vitality. I¡¯lle to pick up the food, so don¡¯t bothering up.¡± Celestia gave these instructions to Silvia upon arriving at the pension. ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°Why worry about that? Let¡¯s go up. We need to unpack quickly. And you¡¯ve got a calling in.¡± As Celestia pointed out, my Taeguk Watch was ringing loudly with a call. It was Yumir. ¡°Uh, taking a break?¡± [Teacher, is it normal for people to suddenly change?] Yumir¡¯s voice was subdued. [They¡¯re ability users.] ¡°Are they close to death?¡± [What if their behavior isn¡¯t reversed, but suddenly they¡¯re acting very diligent and nice?] ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly the kind of behavior one exhibits when close to death?¡± Yumir¡¯s voice, how should I put it, was like that of a younger sister who saw her older brother tidying the bed and getting up early for a workout after returning from military service. It was like she saw something impossible, but it was too proper of an act to even begin to describe. [It¡¯s strange. Suddenly, these two men became exemry students. They were trash when we got in the car.] ¡°If you call them trash, they must be really bad¡­ or not?¡± [It¡¯s different when I say it to you, Teacher, and to others. They seemed like the type of guys who¡¯d sneak up and do something weird to me at night.] ¡°Maybe they¡¯re trying to reassure you?¡± [If that was the case, they should¡¯ve been proper from the start. They changed suddenly, you know?] ¡°Hmm¡­¡± There were two possibilities. ¡°Is there a chance they¡¯re trying to look good now?¡± [No. They were ogling my chest in the car, but now there¡¯s none of that.] ¡°That¡¯s really strange.¡± Men in their early 20s not ncing at Yumir¡¯s chest? There must be something. This was leaning toward the second of the two possibilities I thought of. ¡°It¡¯s not certain yet, but, um, this isn¡¯t something to discuss over the phone.¡± [¡­ I¡¯ll listen to what you have to say.] As the Goblin and Sr tina, there were things we shouldn¡¯t discuss carelessly. ¡°When people suddenly change their behavior, it¡¯s usually right before they¡¯re about to die. And there are various reasons why someone might feel that way.¡± How to exin this over the phone¡­ ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t it like they¡¯ve been brainwashed? To live rightly, to act correctly. They¡¯ve been reformed.¡± [It¡¯s not like they were taken to a facility and forced to reform.] ¡°Rather than a facility, um, maybe something changed in their hearts.¡± [¡­..Ah! Hm, I see. I get what you¡¯re trying to say.] Good. Even if I spoke nonsense, she understood perfectly. [Teacher, always be careful of viins¡­ and devils, okay?] ¡°Of course. You too, Yumir. Be it a viin or a devil.¡± The conversation connected. All I could hope for now was that Yumir remained cautious. [Ah, the leader just arrived. I¡¯ll call you backter.] ¡°The leader? Didn¡¯t they say they¡¯d make you the leader?¡± [A really leader-like person came. Student Council President Yoon Iseon. Oh, sorry. I have to hang up!] Click. The call ended. ¡°Yoon Iseon?¡± Why her, all of a sudden? No, it was possible. Everything had been tangled up since Yumir entered the academy as a girl. ¡°¡­Brewer, how many teams are there in Ulleungdo?¡± ¡°Four teams. If it¡¯s student council president Yoon Iseon¡¯s team, then it¡¯s the southern area.¡± ¡°Right where our pension is.¡± Quite close. Close enough that Yumir could sneak into the pension during her personal maintenance time. However, she was going to keep a close eye on her team members from now on. To see whether they became devils or not. So¡­. ¡°I guess I should stay close to Yumir and keep an eye on her.¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so? Trouble already started from the beginning.¡± ¡°Already?¡± The Taeguk Watch was not ringing. That means the trouble was not in Ulleungdo, but somewhere else. ¡°What happened? Did some high school kids cause trouble?¡± ¡°No. College students, the adult division.¡± Brewer, still in the midst of preparing, connected her equipment to the living room TV and disyed breaking news on the screen. ¡°Devils have appeared simultaneously in three ces right now.¡± ¡°¡­Ganghwa Ind, Jindo, Jeju Ind?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not just Sambyeolcho, but these three ces¡­ah.¡± Brewer showed a hollow smile and opened another popup window. ¡°Another one just appeared. Here¡­ Marado.¡± ¡°No way.¡± It was not just the inds where devils were appearing. ¡°¡­Wait a minute.¡± Could it be? ¡°Damn it.¡± My head was throbbing. The annoyance was growing because I think I understood why this was happening. ¡°They¡¯re unleashing devils all over the country, trying to find Sr tina. It¡¯s chaos.¡± ¡°Probably a counteraction against the authorities?¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± Only Wi Jeong-cheoksa or Pandemonium could release devils on such arge scale. ¡°I guess I need to start a tour around the country.¡± I reached out and pulled a belt out of thin air. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Wait a minute. A good idea just came to mind. ¡°If I transform here¡­ maybe that could be possible too.¡± ¡°What are you nning?¡± ¡°A miracle that can offset my penalty.¡± I grabbed my shoes from the entrance. ¡°I need to mix and use the transformation techniques of Yumir and Baek Seol-hee.¡± I finished putting on my shoes and opened the door to the bathroom. Ssh. ¡°What are you going to do? Demons are starting to swarm all over the country, and to leave Ulleungdo, don¡¯t you need a bike or something?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a bike.¡± Before taking off the Taeguk Watch, I made a call first. ¡°I can¡¯t teleport, but I have a way to fly through the sky.¡± Chapter 144: Hellfire Peninsula (1) Chapter 144: Hellfire Penins (1) Near the site of the old Bomunsa Temple on Ganghwa Ind. ¡°Kyyaaaaah!!¡± The madman¡¯s scream echoed through the temple. It sounded like a mournful wail and a lonely roar. But once that scream took on physical destructive force, it became a threat to ordinary people. ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Sa, save us!¡± ¡°The devil! Damn it, a student has turned into a devil!!¡± Teachers who were in the half-copsed temple panicked and rushed outside. The temple, originally just abandoned, was habitable for people, but once the roof was blown away and pirs shattered by the sonic attack, it was no longer a safe ce to be. If anyone failed to escape in time, the copsing ceiling would turn the building into their tomb. ¡°Kyahaha! Everyone, die! All those who nned this practice just die!¡± Crash! The temple copsed as soon as the devil released a purple magic bullet from its hand. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°Teacher Kang?! Aaaah!¡± Some of the teachers who couldn¡¯t escape were buried as the temple crumbled. Their screams were lost in the sound of the copsing building. Drip. Under a beam, a hand stretched forward limply fell to the ground. ¡°No, toote¡­!¡± ¡°We came as fast as we could! Damn, if we hadn¡¯t just been patrolling because of the practice!¡± ¡°Damn, why did he have to hide in his room and turn into a devil!¡± Students from the academy who had run down from the mountain were horrified to see the devil on top of a beheaded Buddha statue. ¡°Jeong-hoon!!¡± ¡°Uh? Kim Jeong-in?! Hey, long time no see!¡± One student, who knew the devil, contorted his face in an instant upon seeing his friend¡¯s form. ¡°You, what the hell have you done!!¡± ¡°I killed those annoying people! Why? Oh, wait, weren¡¯t you four the ones who went to eat without me?!¡± The devil, formerly called Jeong-hoon, had transformed into a typical Western-style devil resembling a gargoyle and perched on the Buddha statue. ¡°Kkkk, did you have fun eating out without me, huh?¡± ¡°No, you got it wrong! That was because you¡ª¡± ¡°Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding! They were all having double dates without me! Haha!¡± The devil, now a ¡®Gargoyle¡¯, shrieked and shot magic bullets into the sky. ¡°If you¡¯re here for practice, then practice! Not for romance! Did youe here to date?!¡± ¡°Jeong-hoon, calm down, please!¡± ¡°Leave it. Why calm down? He went berserk and turned into a devil. He locked himself in his room because he didn¡¯t want to eat seasoned crab, for heaven¡¯s sake.¡± A female student pulled out a broadsword from her violin case and aimed it at the Gargoyle. ¡°Such mental weakness should be eliminated. Just because he didn¡¯t like the food for one meal and locked himself in his room, he thought he was being ostracized and then turned into a devil? Are we supposed to care for that?¡± ¡°Jeong-hoon isn¡¯t someone who would turn into a devil for such a reason!¡± ¡°So what? He¡¯s a devil now. Does he look like a person in a gargoyle cosy to you?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Regardless of the reason. The figure with petrified wings fluttering on the head of the decapitated Buddha statue was a ¡®devil¡¯. ¡°The moment it¡¯s officially dered a devil, we just kill it.¡± ¡°But¡­ killing it instead of¡­!¡± ¡°What? If we don¡¯t kill it, will Sr tina or something appear and purify the devil?¡± The female student mocked the reactions of the other team members. ¡°Or is there a Sr tina here who will suddenly appear to purify that devil? Interesting. I¡¯m not. Who could it be?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Your hesitation suggests there¡¯s none here. So, do we just wait for her to appear while that magic bullet arcs over and kills people in nearby houses?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Shut up and grab your weapon. That¡¯s an enemy of humanity that must be eradicated. A fallen monster.¡± ¡°I, I haven¡¯t fallen! You, you are the bad ones!¡± The Gargoyle opened its mouth wide at the academy students. ¡°I¡¯ll ruin this damned practice!!¡± Kwaahhhh???! The Gargoyle¡¯s breath surged towards the ground. Paahhhh???! A white barrier unfolded as the gray breath was about to engulf the academy students. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Could it be, Snow White?!¡± p. A white-haired woman in a suit with ice wings on her back, Snow White,nded emotionlessly. The gray breath froze instantly in the shape of the explosion, and Snow White trembled slightly as she looked at the devil. ¡°¡­Tch.¡± A flicker of hesitation crossed Snow White¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­First, subdue.¡± Her moment of hesitation was brief. Her decision was ¡®subdue,¡¯ not ¡®kill.¡¯
At that moment, in the faculty conference room on Sejong Ind. ¡°Ganghwa Ind, Jindo, Jeju Ind¡­! And now Marado¡­! Students are turning into devils everywhere!!¡± ¡°Krrrr¡­!¡± The principal pulled at his hair. The conference room, akin to a situation room, fell silent momentarily, but reports continuously came in. ¡°Principal, now there¡¯s an incident on Baengnyeong Ind!¡± ¡°Why are devils appearing there too! Damn¡­!¡± The principal mmed his hand on the table in frustration. ¡°We hoped for growth through the practice exercise, not for them to be devils!¡± ¡°Principal, this is not the time to get angry. First, let¡¯s assess the situation¡­¡± ¡°Evacuate the faculty and inform the students on site! Tell them to subdue the devils! Like we always do!¡± ¡°But, sir¡­.¡± The professors and staff in the situation room hesitated to speak. ¡°Now we need someone who can revert the devils¡­.¡± ¡°Do you think Sr tina will just pop up from somewhere and purify all these sporadically appearing devils? Huh?!¡± ¡°But, we can¡¯t just tell the students to kill the devils! They all know that now we¡¯re dealing with people, not just devils¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re killing devils!!¡± At the principal¡¯s outcry, everyone mmed up. ¡°We¡¯re killing devils, and nothing has changed! We¡¯re just exterminating all the devils!¡± ¡°Principal.¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the President.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The principal cooled down instantly. After straightening his slightly twisted neck, he took the smartphone handed to him by his secretary. ¡°Yes, Mr. President.¡± The man who was just fiercely enraged a moment ago was nowhere to be seen; the principal¡¯s voice was too quiet. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Yes. Oh, of course. The academy will do its best. Yes. Thank you.¡± Click. The call ended abruptly. The President had said his piece and hung up. ¡°Um, what did the President say¡­?¡± ¡°From now on, the NSC, not the academy, will handle the current situation.¡± This meant that the situation was that urgent. ¡°Send all the students¡¯ data. Send the emergency memo as an attachment first! Hurry!¡± ¡°Understood!!¡± ¡°Professors, call your students immediately, starting with the team leaders! Check on the team leaders first, then call each student!¡± The principal bit his nails. ¡°Damn¡­ Why are devils appearing simultaneously¡­ I hoped for a trial, but not this kind of trial¡­!¡± ¡°Principal.¡± ¡°Oh, Professor Lisa La.¡± A woman with gray-dyed hair approached cautiously. While others were busy making calls, Professor Lisa La spoke in a low voice. ¡°Perhaps this could be an opportunity?¡± ¡°Opportunity?¡± ¡°Yes. To weed out the seeds that could be devils. Arge-scale purge.¡± ¡°What could we gain from that-¡± ¡°Sr tina.¡± At Professor Lisa La¡¯s words, the principal¡¯s eyes widened as if he had an epiphany. ¡°We find out where Sr tina appears first. That alone will give us¡­ a clue to her. Yes. Suddenly¡­.¡± Professor Lisa La twisted her lips. ¡°Unless someone suddenly starts killing devils.¡±
Dududu. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± In the distance, an airne crossing the sky passed over Ulleungdo. And from the sky, directly towards this direction, somethingrge began to fall. It was like a meteor, a gigantic container- Ku¡­ung. The container came to a halt in midair. I didn¡¯t reach out my hand or anything, but the container stopped in midair on its own. ¡°What in the world is that?¡± Startled, Brewer looked at the floating container in the sky and was surprised when she saw the emblem on the container. ¡°Is this sent by Master Gunggi¡­?¡± ¡°In a way, the Rebellion is an organization with enough budget to put in as much manpower as it wants, even if time is short.¡± I lightly tapped the container with my hand. Soon, the metallic container turned into red magical energy. ¡°That¡­ Master Gunggi¡¯s magic?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I wrapped Gunggi¡¯s magic around my arms. Although it was someone else¡¯s magic, considering the rtionship between Gunggi and me, I could treat it as my own. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s really amazing. Is it simr to what you showed in Gangwon Province before?¡± ¡°If you look at it closely, it¡¯s different. Gunggi and I became one back then, but this time, I¡¯m only borrowing Gunggi¡¯s magic.¡± ¡°Gunggi and bing one¡­.¡± Brewer smirked strangely, with an eerie smile on her face. ¡°Team Leader, can you do me a favor after this is over?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to meet Master Gunggi once.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just because.¡± Brewer fidgeted her fingers like a fan meeting a celebrity before meeting them. ¡°Is that why you joined the Rebellion?¡± ¡°I joined to seek revenge on Haegnul, but the one who saved me was Gunggi. And now¡­ we have a rtionship where I can make a request of that level, right?¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re treading carefully.¡± I extended my pinky finger toward Brewer. ¡°Promise me. Next time, invite Gunggi, and let¡¯s have a meal together.¡± ¡°R-really?!¡± ¡°Of course. But, it can¡¯t be on Sejong Ind, you¡¯ll have toe to Seoul-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go! I can even take a ne!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Was this what they called being a fan? ¡°Go safely.¡± After making a promise with Brewer, I reached out to the contents inside the container. ¡°Oh, but what if it¡¯s just Gunggi inside?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°This time, the support that came might not be just Gunggi.¡± The object protected by Gunggi¡¯s magic had gentlynded on the ground, and I climbed on top of it. ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that what I¡¯m thinking of?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± I pointed to the bottom of the bike, the round wheel. ¡°With magic and ¡®wind,¡¯ you can go anywhere.¡± From now on. [Flying over the skies of the Korean Penins, I¡¯m going to kill the devils.] So that Yumir didn¡¯t have to step forward. Even if. ¡°Will Yumir get angry? She said we have to save the devils.¡± [If she can¡¯t appear right now, it¡¯s right for me to kill the devils first.] Even if Yumir got angryter. [While waiting for Sr tina to appear, at least a thousand people will be killed by devils.] For now. [Can¡¯t we leave the fate of the devils to such a small number of people.] For the future, it was urgent to save the residents of the world ruled by the Organization. Chapter 145: Hellfire Peninsula (2) Chapter 145: Hellfire Penins (2) At that time, on Dongbaek Ind in Busan. ¡°Damn it, tell them to hurry up with the backup!¡± Police Officer Kim Soon-kyung was hiding behind the police car, hurriedly sending a radio message. Although the person he was calling was of a much higher rank than himself, a mere police officer, he raised his voice since the listener was of the same rank. ¡°Damn it, people are dying here!¡± Correction. Regardless of who the other party was, Kim Soon-kyung desperately needed backup. A monster about 3 meters in size, resembling a giant dog or a demon, was devouring something whole on Dongbaek Ind. It was a person. Already lifeless, lying there quietly, dead. Blood was flowing profusely from the body, the eyes lifeless, pupils devoid of light, like a dead fish. Kim Soon-kyung thought to himself. Death was amon sight in police work. Especially after the Great Change, when ability users went on a rampage, it wasmon for many to die. But this time was different. Because the person being chewed up by the monster, only the upper body visible as it was being devoured, was an ¡®ability user.¡¯ ¡°Damn it, hurry up! An Academy student is being eaten by a demon right now!¡± Demons eating humans wasn¡¯t considered unusual in this world. But an ability user being devoured meant the situation was more serious than it seemed. [We¡¯ll be there soon! What would you estimate the demon¡¯s rank to be?!] ¡°How should I know? Aaah!¡± Kim Soon-kyung quickly ducked behind the police car. Screech! The police car was sliced in half. If he had ducked anyter, Kim Soon-kyung¡¯s head would have been severed along with the car. Hiss. The demon¡¯s de-like tail stretched out long, reaching the police car. Even though they were about 50 meters apart, the demon¡¯s attack reached the car. Was it because the demon could extend its tail? No. ¡°Aaagh!¡± The demon was already near Kim Soon-kyung. Having chewed the ability user up to the chest, it looked at Kim Soon-kyung indifferently, with eyes like those of puppies. ¡°Whiiiirrrr¡­.¡± The sound started to escape from beside the ability user being chewed. It was unmistakably a word referring to Kim Soon-kyung, who reached toward his waist. ¡°Uh, Ah¡­!¡± No gun. Even if there were a gun, it would be useless against an ability user. ¡°Please, save me¡­! What did I do to deserve¡­!¡± Grinning, the demon approached Kim Soon-kyung. After swallowing the student in one bite, the demon, with a tail equipped with a de, sauntered on all fours towards the police officer. Its tail wagged eerily, simr to how dogs wag when they meet someone they like, chilling Kim Soon-kyung to the bone. The basis of this apparent ¡®happiness¡¯ was undoubtedly killing people- ¡°Aaah! Mom!!¡± At the moment the tail shot up high, Kim Soon-kyung screamed involuntarily. Thump! A loud impact sound echoed. Something seemed to be flying towards him, and Kim Soon-kyung thought it was death. Thought it was death? Why continue thinking? Shouldn¡¯t there be pain if one was cut or died? Puzzled, Kim Soon-kyung opened his eyes just in case. Thump. The demony on the ground, head plunged into the earth. A giant spike, ck in color, was embedded in the back of the neck of the massive demon. ¡°What, what is this¡­?¡± What should it be called? A ck, hideous, thick, and long pir, perhaps? It was too thick to be a spear. Yes. A bat. A bat specially made to fight demons. It wasn¡¯t that the bat fell from the sky and struck the demon; it had pierced through the demon¡¯s body. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± [It¡¯s toote here.] A man¡¯s voice came from the sky. A man on a bike, covered in various attachments, was slowly descending from the sky. ¡°You are¡­?¡± [You¡¯re lucky to be alive. Report this. The demon is dead. ¡­But it looks like four others werepletely annihted here.] ¡°D-D-Dodjirider?!¡± [Not Dodododjirider, just Dodjirider.] The man, Dodjirider, dismounted his bike, his cloak fluttering. [It¡¯s toote to save anyone. A demon that has killed humans cannot be left alive.] Dodjirider raised a hand, and the spike embedded in the demon¡¯s body shimmered and was pulled out. Thud. The spike shrank rapidly and flew into Dodjirider¡¯s hand. He strapped a different form of his usual bat to his back and mounted the bike again. [Perhaps elsewhere¡­] ¡°Aaaah!¡± Near Dongbaek Ind, a woman¡¯s scream echoed on the coast. Another demon, different from the one killed on the ind, was rampaging there. [That was quick.] ¡°I-I¡¯ll report¡­this!¡± Kim Soon-kyung, trembling, grabbed his radio. Whether Dodjirider was a viin or not, he had a duty to report the situation. [Report it. I¡¯m here to punish viins. There¡¯s no need to execute the people¡¯s shield.] Vroom! Dodjirider swiftly changed direction and headed towards the coast. Riding, he gripped the middle of the elongated staff on his back and hurled it like a harpoon at the demon on the coast. Whish! ¡°Wow.¡± The staff thrown by Dodjirider pierced the demon¡¯s head. The demon copsed on the beach, and Dodjirider collected his staff and left the scene. ¡°What, what is that¡­?¡± Just as he wondered why Dodjirider left, ¡°The king¡¯s arrival! Ack, what¡¯s this?!¡± Armored Taejo, standing on a supercar, was surprised to see the fallen demon. ¡°Did someone already handle this¡­? Ho, could my powers have such a wide range¡­?¡± ¡°Report! ¡­Dodjirider dealt with the demon on Dongbaek Ind!¡± Kim Soon-kyung reported exactly what he saw to the headquarters. ¡°Dodjirider has appeared in Busan!! Currently executing demons!!¡±
Dodjirider was dealing with demons that appeared along the coast of Busan. Almost every 20 km, one or two demons appeared, and the situations where demons were found could be ssified into three types. Either already subdued or dead. Already subdued and restrained. Or, inversely, having caught and eaten the ability users trying to subdue them, further rampaging. [Ah, ah. Secret Societymunication. Can you hear me?] [I can hear you.] Despite being Dodjirider, or rather because I was Dodjirider, the voice of the person I uniquely respected was heard through themunication device on the bike. [Reception is good here. Phew, luckily. Now we can finally have a satisfying conversation.] [Thank you for making this. ¡­Chief.] [It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve heard ¡®Chief¡¯ instead of ¡®Chairman.¡¯ Ah, really.] Themunication method exclusive to the Secret Society, undetectable by irvoyant eyes. With this special bike, one could freelymunicate directly with the Secret Society¡¯s headquarters.¡¯ [Demons are appearing nationwide. It started from the inds and is gradually spreading ind along the coast. What do you think?] [It¡¯s like a time bomb.] [Time bomb?] [They nted the seeds of demons and dyed the time just enough for the seeds to germinate and turn ability users into demons.] [So, it¡¯s the same case you reportedst time, Director Do?] [Yes. Pandemonium seems to have seeded in mass-producing the seeds of demons. Not just any production¡­ seeds that they can transform into demons at will.] If we had to give it a name, we¡¯d call it the ¡®DemonSphere.¡¯ [This is serious. Normally, the chaos would have been suppressed more quickly.] [Even ability users find it difficult to kill demons immediately. Now that they know there¡¯s a way to resolve this without killing.] A problem that arose from growing up too kindly. [Previously, demons were immediately killed upon appearance, but now they will hesitate. They are the same demons, but now there¡¯s a possibility they could turn back into humans.] [Sr tina¡¯s demon purification.] If there was a way to subdue the opponent without killing, they were taught and raised to try that method first. Knowing there¡¯s such a method, ability users would hesitate to kill demons. First, let¡¯s subdue them. If that didn¡¯t work, we¡¯d have no choice but to revert to the original n. Probably, only a very few ability users would suggest just killing them off. [Whether 100 ability users or 50,000 civilians die, her performance matters to them.] Pandemonium must have spread the DemonSphere for one reason. [To make Sr tina a hero.] To purify the demons nationwide, Pandemonium scattered the seeds of demons all over the country. [Chief, how many demons have appeared nationwide right now?] [Including the demons that have been dealt with, exactly 70. Just the number of ability users who turned into demons.] [Then it¡¯s going to increase by exactly two more. Or¡­] [Reach 666.] The 666 demons. Or. 72. [The Lesser Key of Solomon.] [Solomon¡¯s 72 demons.] Currently, 70 demons have been born nationwide. They were originally not meant to be demons but were forcibly turned into demons by the seeds. And. [Chief, where have demons not appeared yet?] [There¡¯s one ce left.] The ce where the remaining two demons would be born. [Ulleungdo.] That was where Yumir was. Chapter 146: Hellfire Peninsula (3) Chapter 146: Hellfire Penins (3) The target was Yumir. To avoid burdening Yumir unnecessarily, we decided not to inform her directly about this situation. [It turned out just as you predicted.] [I never thought they would mass-produce demons to this extent. I assumed that¡­ the one presumed to be Sr tina would spread demons in the city where she went for practice.] Like a master detective who figured out through a time-dyed broadcast that a messenger was in Tokyo, I thought Pandemonium would first create demons where Yumir was. I was wrong. Either I covered it too well, or Pandemonium was too foolish to figure out who Sr tina was. So, they scattered bait everywhere. Like looking for traces of Sr tina¡¯s presence, searching for people whose Taeguk Watch suddenly stopped responding, or people who stayed in one ce while the chaos unfolded. They¡¯re indiscriminately spreading demons to find out. The reason for the 72 was probably just because Duoexini was a pervert. [What will you do about Yumir? She¡¯s definitely going to try to intervene.] [Has there been any sign of Sr tina appearing?] [No.] [Then¡­ there¡¯s only one answer. Right now, she can¡¯t transform. She¡¯s in a situation where she can¡¯t leave that ce, making it hard to transform at all.] Maybe someone was sticking close to her. [So what should we do? Should I rush to Ulleungdo now?] [If I go now, I¡¯ll be suspected. Instead.] I nced briefly at the GPS map. [I¡¯ve sent someone to Yumir who can create an opportunity for her to transform into Sr tina.] [I sent that person.] [¡­I love you, Chief.] [Me too. Feel free to appreciate it. As far as that goes.] Expectation began to creep into the Chief¡¯s voice. [The Secret Society¡¯s best hit girl is heading to the Korean Penins to support you.]
¡°I¡¯m sorry. As you all know, the current situation isn¡¯t suitable for continuing practice.¡± Yumir, who joined Ulleung Team 1te in the evening, nodded heavily upon meeting Yoon Iseon. The practice had already ended. From the first day, from lunchtime, the moment a demon appeared in the team that went out for practice, the practice in the field was over. ¡°Untilst year, cases of bing a demon during practice were¡­ at least three cases. But officially, only one was made public. It¡¯s the first time demons have increased on such arge scale.¡± Yoon Iseon lowered her head in sorrow. ¡°I wish we knew why the demons increased¡­ For now, let¡¯s stay together. The other members of Ulleungdo have also been gathered here, so soon, all four teams will be here.¡± ¡°The, student council president?¡± ¡°Yes, Yumir?¡± ¡°I, just need to use the restroom for a bit¡­¡± ¡°¡­You can¡¯t go alone.¡± The situation was too critical to argue about not being allowed to go to the restroom alone. 70 people. Who knew when and where someone would turn into a demon in this situation? Going to the restroom alone? They might be a toilet demon. Knowing such concerns were valid, Yumir couldn¡¯t argue against the prohibition to go alone. ¡°Eunhae-yeong senior? Could you apany me?¡± ¡°Che, why should I¡­?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go. As you can see¡­¡± Yoon Iseon pointed to the two men beside her. ¡°¡­Hurry back. I¡¯m holding them down.¡± Beside Yoon Iseon, Nam Doo-chang and Gong Tae-beom were wrapped in something like a pink tail flowing from Yoon Iseon¡¯s back. ¡°Practice, the practice must continue¡­!¡± ¡°To hinder hero activities, this is uneptable¡­! Quickly, we must be an example to others!!¡± The two men were clearly insane. Despite the situation, they insisted on continuing the practice and attacked Yoon Iseon, only to be subdued by her. ¡°Or is Senior Eunhae-yeong suppressing the two?¡± ¡°Ah, no need to suppress them. We can practice as is! There are no demons appearing in Ulleungdo right now!¡± ¡°The NSC has been convened by the country, and we are almost in a state of quasi-martialw with soldiers and police moving around. And you¡¯re saying we should continue the practice now? Senior, are you in your right mind?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Stung by Yoon Iseon¡¯s sharp words, Eunhae-yeong turned her head and stepped into the pension. ¡°What are you doing!¡± ¡°Ah, there, there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to stay in the pension!¡± ¡°Eunhae-yeong!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call my name without respect. You¡¯re too young! I¡¯ll do as ¡®I please!¡¯¡± Eunhae-yeong finally turned around and entered the pension. ¡°Ah, really¡­!¡± Yoon Iseon seemed about to swear in frustration but restrained herself, and Yumir felt like she was going insane inside. ¡°Senior, if those two be demons¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to keep holding them down in a subdued state.¡± ¡°Why, why? The Academy says demons should be killed¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s different now. We have Sr tina.¡± Yumir felt a sharp pain in her heart at Yoon Iseon¡¯s confident words. ¡°No matter what their character is, as fellow ability users, as heroes, our best action is to allow them to maintain their dignity as humans, not to die as demons. They already seem half-turned into demons¡­!¡± Yoon Iseon bit her lower lip. ¡°Ack! Practice!! Practice!!¡± ¡°This is not an example for others!!¡± ¡°¡­They still have their sanity, so she will definitely appear. Whether it¡¯s about order or because demons are rampaging like this¡­!¡± While suppressing the two crazed men with a pink magical tail, Yoon Iseon nodded to Yumir with a smile of hope despite the hardship. ¡°Now, we don¡¯t have to kill demons¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the right mindset, miss.¡± ¡°!!¡± A voice came from behind. ¡°You are¡­.¡± ¡°Oni?!¡± ¡°Not an Oni!!¡± At Yumir¡¯s words, the man called Oni screamed in protest. ¡°Oni, Oni! That damned Oni!! I have such a beautiful and excellent pure Korean name, Duoexini!! Don¡¯t treat me like some Japanese monster!¡± It seemed like there was more than one crazy person around. ¡°You, you¡¯re the one who created the patent infringement demon¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, that failure? You remember. Yes. The student council president, Yoon Iseon, who tried to persuade that student who became a demon.¡± ¡°Kuh, you approached knowing¡­!¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here in Ulleungdo for a bit of amusement. Let¡¯s see.¡± ¡°Duoexini, you!!¡± p! ¡°Thank you for calling me by my name! That blond foreigner was quite offensive to me, but in the sense that you called me by my proper name, student council president Yoon Iseon, I shall grant you a trial!¡± Duoexini took something out of his pocket. It was a Western-style magic book, like rough leather used as a book cover. ¡°Awaken, thest demons! Turn this penins into a world of hellfire! Now, awaken!¡± As Duoexini raised what looked like a grimoire into the sky, the bodies of the two men held by Yoon Iseon began to twist violently. ¡°Tear them apart, Malphas! Devour them, Botis!¡± ¡°Ah, aah¡­!¡± ¡°I am, Gong Tae¡­ Botis¡­!¡± The bodies of the two men began to twist. Their joints twisted, and their bodies crumbled, breaking free from Yoon Iseon¡¯s tail, and they started to crawl on the ground like spiders. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± And then. Whoosh! Something long and pir-like sprouted from the backs of the two men. It seemed slightly bent, with joints starting to form. ¡°Hehehe. Now, watch slowly. The transformation of humans into demons.¡± It was like the spine of a demon. ¡°Now, even Sr tina can¡¯t stop this.¡± Yumir felt it. That voice seemed to desperately hope for Sr tina¡¯s appearance. ¡°You¡­ want Sr tina to appear and defeat the demons?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hahaha!¡± Duoexini threw his head back and burst into an exaggeratedugh, almost falling backward. ¡°Of course! Certainly! Sr tina! Ah, where are you! Come out,e out! Reveal yourself! Such a stage I¡¯ve prepared just for you. Surely you won¡¯t let other heroes handle it?!¡± ¡°You put the entire country in danger just to lure out Sr tina?!¡± ¡°Oh, ¡®just¡¯?¡± Duoexini replied in a voice filled with disbelief. ¡°For a being with S-plus grade powers, I would willingly sacrifice an entire archipgo if necessary. Sr tina is worth that much.¡± ¡°What did you say¡­?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think 150 million ordinary people are more valuable than Sr tina, do you?¡± Duoexini shrugged as if stating the obvious. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious that Sr tina¡¯s value is higher?¡± Kyaaak!! From the spine of the demon, something flesh-like began to emerge. ¡°Come on, Sr tina! Your stage is set! If you¡¯rete¡­!¡± Duoexini shouted towards the sky. ¡°The role of the protagonist will be taken by others!¡± Yumir clenched her fists, watching. Protagonist or whatever. This man, who forcibly turned people into demons. Must be eradicated. Therefore- ¡°¡­I will-¡± ¡°Demon detected!!¡± A cheerful voice came from the sky. In the moment when it seemed like a slight breeze had blown, a woman in a ck suitnded in a crouched position like a cat in front of Yumir and Yoon Iseon. ¡°The protagonist enters!¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t call you. No, why are you here¡­!¡± ¡°Nyahahaha. Why am I here? It¡¯s my job.¡± With cat-like features and narrow eyes, the woman fiddled with a ck bridge piercing slightly peeking out under her disheveled white bob. ¡°Protect the patriotic sanctuary, Ulleungdo.¡± ¡°Kuk¡­! These filthy Secret Society scum¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, right. He said to tell you.¡± The woman brushed her bangs aside, her grey eyes twinkling as she pointed at Duoexini. ¡°ÄãÒѾ­ËÀÁË.¡± ¡°¡­What? Wait. Say that again.¡± ¡°ÄãÒѾ­ËÀÁË.¡± Duoexini tapped his wrist device, and soon, the machine tranted. [You¡¯re already dead.] ¡°¡­Why are you speaking Chinese to me!!¡± ¡°Ah. That¡¯s because.¡± The woman shrugged her shoulders. As she activated her power, her white hair turned green. ¡°You¡¯re a Chinese monster. What¡¯s wrong with speaking Chinese to a Chinese Monster?¡± ¡°¡­You, you dare to insult the Chinese demon!!¡± ¡°I was trying to be considerate. But you know, I¡¯m not Chinese.¡± The woman nced back, then stretched her hand to the side. ¡°You guys randomly give names like Gunggi and Doul to people who already have proper names.¡± ¡°Die, Doul???!¡± ¡°Not Doul. Well, I ept it as a ¡®viin¡¯ name.¡± Ulleungdo. ¡°And you know.¡± Pandemonium. S-grade viin, [Duoexini] appeared. ¡°Sorry, but I have a body that can¡¯t die even if I want to.¡± And. ¡°Until the real protagonist appears, I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Secret Society, Imemangnyang. ¡°ÄãÆß°ËÀÃÁË.¡± ¡°These damn viin scum!!¡± S+ grade viin, [Doul] appeared. Chapter 147: Hellfire Peninsula (4) Chapter 147: Hellfire Penins (4) At that time, at Incheon Port. Thud. At dusk, as the port in Incheon slowly darkened, a small boat arrived. The boat, which normally wouldn¡¯t have arrived, was enveloped in some kind of magic. ¡°Hey, brother. It¡¯s total chaos here.¡± ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s because of this chaos that we could enter.¡± Two men with sharp features disembarked from the boat, followed by a small girl who didn¡¯t seem to be more than ten years old. ¡°Kid. Sink the boat. Let it sink naturally in the Yellow Sea.¡± ¡°¡­cough.¡± The girl coughed out. Blood flowed between her fingers, and the rtivelyrger man quickly checked on her. ¡°Brother, she¡¯s exhausted. It¡¯s been a winding journey from Shanghai to here. The kid needs rest.¡± ¡°Idiot. That¡¯s a monster. It can beat you one-on-one. That¡¯s nothing for her. She¡¯ll recover soon.¡± The man coldly pulled something out of his pocket and strapped a watch to his wrist. ¡°I don¡¯t know why such chaos has broken out in Korea, but the important thing is that this is an opportunity. With ability users scattered all over the country, it¡¯s the perfect time to approach them. So, we are going to¡­¡± ¡°Recruit for the Chilryun Society?¡± sh. Lights at Incheon Port flickered, shining on the group of men who had disembarked from the boat. ¡°Damn¡­! How¡­!¡± ¡°Even if you sneak in with a boat cloaked in mana, you can¡¯t escape the irvoyant¡¯s eye.¡± ¡°Damn¡­! Is Korea¡¯s surveince capability that monstrous¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve watched too many movies from before the 2010s. Sneaking in from the west in a small boat, that doesn¡¯t work anymore.¡± ¡°You¡­! [Crater]!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± A-grade hero, Crater, clenched his fist lightly and threw a punch towards the man. ¡°As chaotic as it is, if you guys make a scene here, it¡¯ll be a huge mess. Will you be caught quietly, or shall I make your organization disavow the Chilryun Society?¡± ¡°Impudent¡­ Thinking you¡¯re strong just because you¡¯re a Korean ability user!¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s part of it.¡± p p. As Crater pped his hands, soldiers in ck suits lined up behind him in formation. ¡°We¡¯re stronger than you guys now.¡± ¡°Damn¡­! Getting strong just because a meteor fell¡­!¡± ¡°So what? Whether or not we got strong that way, you guys should get as strong as us. Ever heard of the Miracle of the Nakdong River?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The man pulled out two sashimi-like knives from his pocket. ¡°Wang hyung!¡± ¡°Jangga! Take that kid and run! We¡¯re done! You must take her back to the maind!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them escape! These child abusers are making a 10-year-old child use magic till she bleeds!¡± Crater clenched his fist, and magic solidified over it like a glove. ¡°You might look human on the outside, but you¡¯re no different from demons, you Chilryun Society scum!¡± As Crater dashed forward, the soldiers behind him simultaneously fired their rifles. ¡°You Chilryun Society demons in human skin! We¡¯ll arrest you all!!¡±
Crack! A giant ice pir, 5 meters in length, formed in the middle of a school yground. The ice pir was so thick it could bepared to a 500-year-old zelkova tree in a rural vige, often talked about as a localndmark. Crackle. Inside the white ice pir, a demon, which had its arms spread out as if preparing some ultimate move, was frozen solid, its sharp teeth exposed. ¡°Sigh.¡± Baek Seol-hee calmly surveyed the inside of the ice pir that sealed the demon. The demon¡¯s eyes were fixed on her. Right before freezing, its eyes, filled with rage and murderous intent, were undoubtedly looking at her. ¡°Are, are you okay¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. The seal will hold as long as it¡¯s not broken by a force stronger than my own.¡± ¡°Phew, that¡¯s a relief¡­!¡± A person who seemed to be a staff member let out a sigh of relief and sat down. It was one of the high school staff members, not from the Academy. ¡°Really, thank you so much. Instead of evacuating when a demon appeared, these kids kept taking out their smartphones to take pictures¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Click, click. Camera shes twinkled from the direction of the ssrooms. The people stuck to the windows were students in uniforms, relentlessly taking pictures of Baek Seol-hee and the sealed demon in the middle of the yground with their smartphones. ¡°What about the evacuation broadcast?¡± ¡°It was broadcasted. But then this student¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A high school girl with a wounded face quietly stood with her head down. She was in a regr high school uniform, not the Academy¡¯s, and magic was flowing from her clenched fist. ¡°Ah, headquarters. Please confirm.¡± Baek Seol-hee immediately raised her hand to the Taeguk Watch. ¡°Is it what I think?¡± [Yes. She¡¯s a civilian. A student who has been hiding her ability.] There were many people in the world who lived openly with their abilities. But rarely, there were those who hid their abilities and lived in secret. There was no time to delve into their reasons now. Baek Seol-hee approached the high school girl and took her hand. ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, Ye-jin, we were able to seal the demon safely. No one died.¡± ¡°¡­ What¡¯s going to happen to me now?¡± ¡°Hwang Ye-jin, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Baek Seol-hee nced at the name tag, then lightly patted Hwang Ye-jin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You did nothing wrong, Ye-jin. You acted to save people. People may talk about hidden ability users as if it¡¯s a crime, but it¡¯s okay. I, the Association, will help you.¡± Baek Seol-hee hugged Hwang Ye-jin and patted her back. She also subtly used scattered ice crystals on the ground to scan the area so that the others¡¯ cameras couldn¡¯t see them. -Wow, unbelievable. Snow White just hugged her! This is huge, huge! -Shouldn¡¯t we report this? Wow, that¡¯s really creepy. She¡¯s been living among us like it¡¯s nothing. With just a flick of her finger, she could have killed us. -Hey, didn¡¯t you pick a fight with herst time? -I didn¡¯t know! Ah, damn¡­! Why is an ability user secretly living in a regr high school¡­! -Hear this. Haha. Be careful, right? If you let the wrong word slip, you might turn into a demon. She understood their fear. For them, ability users were like bombs that could explode at any moment. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ye-jin. Your life might change a lot from now on, but you did nothing wrong. You tried to save people, right?¡± ¡°¡­That demon.¡± Hwang Ye-jin pointed at the demon with a face about to cry. ¡°Is it¡­ dead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. Whether it dies or lives. That¡¯s¡­ her choice.¡± Baek Seol-hee looked up at the sky for a moment, then stepped away from Hwang Ye-jin. And then- Whoosh! She lightly kicked the ground, creating a circr barrier of ice taller than the high school walls. Wow! Even the mere use of her ability caused people to cheer. Baek Seol-hee ignored them and raised her hand to the Taeguk Watch. ¡°Ye-jin, I want to talk more, but there are demons stirring in other ces. There might not be someone like you there, so I have to go help. Let¡¯s talk moreter, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± Seeing Hwang Ye-jin¡¯s face gradually regain color, Baek Seol-hee smiled and spread her wings again. Flutter. Creating wings of ice, she leaped up and lightly stepped on the ice pir. The pir, which seemed unstable, stopped vibrating as soon as Baek Seol-hee stepped on it, and she soared high into the sky. ¡°This is Snow White. An A-grade demon sealed in Daejeon. You know the situation, soe quickly to manage it. Don¡¯t make an A-grade hero exhausted.¡± [Ah, understood! We will dispatch personnel and take care of it right away! The demon is¡­] ¡°For now, sealed.¡± Baek Seol-hee took out her smartphone and checked the map. She had been to a total of 19 ces. In each ce, demons were sealed in ice pirs, and so far, no one had died. But¡­ ¡°How many demons¡­ have died?¡± [About 20¡­ have been confirmed dead.] ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Baek Seol-hee fluttered her wings faster and headed south. ¡°I¡¯m heading to Jindo right now, so please handle the C-grade demons on the way to the headquarters! I¡¯ll¡­ go to deal with an S-grade demon!¡± [Yes! Snow White! Right now, ¡®Dodjirider¡¯ is also heading to Jindo along the southern coast!] ¡°What did you say?¡± For a moment, Baek Seol-hee halted her wings. ¡°Dodjirider? Crazy, did all the demons get killed by Dodjirider?¡± [Not all of them. Dodjirider, too¡­ well.] The agent from the headquarters continued with an incredulous tone as if facing an unbelievable reality. [Dodjirider is currently subduing demons. However, demons that have eaten people are being killed¡­] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Something resonated deeply in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s heart. ¡°Dodjirider is subduing demons?¡± [It¡¯s somewhat violent, but right now, after beating demons with a bat¡­] ¡°¡­Beating demons?¡± [Yes. And now, this is, it doesn¡¯t seem to make sense, but¡­!] A video sent by the headquarters¡¯ agent appeared on Baek Seol-hee¡¯s smartphone. [Right now, Dodjirider is sealing demons in talismans and moving around!] ¡°¡­¡­?¡± No. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense-¡± Chapter 148: Hellfire Peninsula (5) Chapter 148: Hellfire Penins (5) It was possible to seal a human in a particr ce. The method was not an impossibility. In many ancient texts, novels,ics, movies, animations, etc., various methods have been suggested to seal a being. And I knew far more methods than the people of this world knew and had the ability to realize them. How? Simply through the Goblin¡¯s Bat? Correct. All my supernatural abilities were based on the Goblin¡¯s Bat and were manifested through its power. Through that power, I created multiple talismans to suppress the demon. ¡°Krak!¡± First, I beat the demon until its magic power ran out. Every time I swung the Goblin¡¯s Bat, chunks of its magic power were chipped away, and the mana tainted with darkness was purified and burnt up by the me. Mixing the power of the magic power of the pce and the power I knew of, I could use a very terrible power against the ability users of this world. [Turn to ash.] Mana Burn. A very simple supernatural ability, the ability to burn the opponent¡¯s mana. ording to thew of equivalent exchange, it was a method of neutralizing my mana with the opponent¡¯s, but I burned the opponent¡¯s mana in a very efficient way, not requiring equivalent exchange. [Did you think you could kill me with that?] ¡°Ugh!!¡± The demon screamed and shot a magic bullet at me. I easily stepped aside and prepared for a major attack. ¡°Die, Goblin!¡± The demon reached forward with both hands, having prepared something tremendous. Crimson magic power unfolded around the demon, and a mana shield shaped like an elliptical shield was precisely targeting me. ¡°The final twilight!¡± Boom! What I thought was a shield was actually a bombardment by condensing mana. Pretending to put up a shield to induce the opponent¡¯s carelessness, then shooting a beam of condensed magic power at the speed of light to defeat the opponent. [Slow.] ¡°Dodged¡­?!¡± Unfortunately. It was a technique that already appeared in the original novel. ¡°Ah, no! You knew it?! You dodged it because you knew!¡± [Lack of imagination.] ¡°What, what?!¡± A phrase that wouldmonly provoke ability users. Lack of imagination,ck of fanciful thinking. It was essentially dissing an ability user for not being able to properly utilize their supernatural ability. [Anyone could think of your technique. Put up a shield, and fire a bombardment from the center of that shield.] I knew that technique not only because other heroes in this world used such techniques but also because I saw it in aic when I was young. [Die.] I lifted the Goblin¡¯s Bat again, jumped high, and aimed the bat at the demon. [Demons are executed.] ¡°Ugh, ugh! I don¡¯t want to die!!¡± The demon began to fire magic bullets as a desperatest resort. Spikes sprouted from the shield and rushed toward me, and I ced the bat to the side while in a jumping state. [Spray.] Whoosh! Gunggi¡¯s magical power sprayed out as mes from the end of the bat, pushing me to the side. The demon¡¯s desperate attack missed the empty space where I was, and I slowly flipped the bat behind me and advanced towards the demon. ¡°Aah, don¡¯te near! There¡¯s still, still a lot I want to do-¡± Bang! I rolled over, turning my body greatly, and using the rotational force, I swung the bat towards the demon¡¯s shield. ¡°Kuh, kuhk¡­!¡± Purple blood spurted from the demon¡¯s mouth. The blood had a poison that corroded the mana, making up my body the moment it touched, but before the blood could touch me, Gunggi¡¯s mes burned it up as they brushed in front of me. Crack! As soon as I broke the barrier, Inded and struck the demon¡¯s head with the bat. Crunch. With the sound of something breaking, the demon¡¯s eyes rolled back as it copsed to the side. ¡®The weakness of an ability user is the brain.¡¯ Like humans, ability users had a special weak point in their brains. ¡®If you get a concussion, anyone can temporarily lose the ability to use their powers.¡¯ That was why I was using the bat. I wanted to learn shy swordsmanship, and I wanted to do gun-kata action with pistols in both hands, but breaking the demon¡¯s head shield with a bat was the fastest way to ¡®neutralize¡¯ a demon. ¡®Go to sleep.¡¯ I took out a talisman and attached it to the demon¡¯s forehead, then poked the Goblin¡¯s wand onto the talisman. Swoosh! The demon¡¯s body was instantly sucked into the talisman. To others, it might look like I had sealed the demon in the talisman, but it was actually quite different. I didn¡¯t have the ability to manipte pocket dimensions, nor could I jump around in the pictures drawn on rice paper. Even though I came from another world, to use such powers in this world, you needed a brain that fully understood Einstein¡¯s theory of rtivity and could exin it to others. Unfortunately, I was not that advanced, so I used a very simple method to attach the demon to the talisman. ¡®Shrink.¡¯ The demon was sealed in the talisman. Not inside the talisman but stuck to the back, maintaining its form. Like a wasp stuck on a sticky mouse trap. Though the shrunken demon was not visible, those with sharp eyes might notice. ¡°Stop!¡± A hero hurriedly ran over. ¡°What did you do to the demon, Goblin!¡± [Ah, this?] I pointed to where the demon was with my bat, then folded the talisman in half and ced it between my index and middle fingers. [I¡¯m collecting demons, thinking maybe I can make use of them.] ¡°You, you bastard!¡± Of course, the side of the talisman with the demon stuck on it was not visible to the hero. [Don¡¯t worry. I have no intention of using the demons to attack somewhere.] I carefully folded the talisman so that the spine of the demon, now depleted of magic power, wouldn¡¯t bend and put it in the box attached to the back of my bike. [I¡¯m just wondering how I can kill demons more easily.] ¡°That¡¯s a lie¡­! You¡¯re waiting for something, aren¡¯t you!¡± [Waiting?] ¡°tinum Sun!¡± Wow. How did he know? ¡°Goblin! If you¡¯re really a viin, then the demons inside¡­¡± [Killing the demon in here is just the end of it.] Vroom. As I got on the bike, the wind blew out from underneath it, lifting it slightly. ¡°What, what¡­?! The bike, flying¡­?!¡± [A rider¡¯s bike flying through the air ismon sense. Remember that.] Vrooom! Having subdued the demon, it¡¯s time to go ¡®seal¡¯ the next one. [Ah, the Secret Societymunication here. I¡¯ve almost got it all sorted out. Basically, there¡¯s only one left. The demon in Jindo now.] [That S-ss one?] [Yes. It¡¯s not intentional, but Snow White is also heading to Jindo.] [¡­S-ss versus S-ss. And it just had to be an A+ ss who turned into a demon¡­.] [He killed all his practice mates from the start, and chased down and killed all the fleeing faculty members. The casualty count is now estimated at 30. What will you do? Do you want to watch what Snow White does?] [If it were before March, I probably would have.] Snow White must have asked the same question. There was a way to save the demon. But should we offer a chance of salvation for a demon who had killed 30 people and was still killing? A hero¡¯s dilemma. Knowing a way to save the demon made it harder to just kill them, but when you saw a demon who killed 30 people indiscriminately ughtering men, women, and children, there were times you just wanted to kill them. I didn¡¯t know what decision the government would make, but at least at this moment, there would beints and grievances. [Because of tinum Sun¡¯s power and existence, all heroes hesitate. Chief, please send people to the heroes as you see fit.] ¡®I¡¯ll observe people¡¯s actions and recruit them as needed. There¡¯s nothing easier to recruit than those who have be dissatisfied with the system when the existing order shakes. Oh, right.¡¯ A small video popped up on the bike console. [Doul is now fighting with Duoexini. It seems he went directly to Ulleungdo, targeting Yumir.] [Did he recognize Yumir?] [If he recognized her, wouldn¡¯t he have gone to Ulleungdo? Considering their nature¡­] [Even if they recognize Yumir¡¯s identity, they will pretend not to know and wait for her to emerge as tinum Sun or the GOlden Priestess.] The thoughts of a psychopath viin didn¡¯t necessarily need to be understood, but understanding them made it easier to deal with. [He will continue to corner Yumir, creating a situation that forces him to transform into tinum Sun. Tell Doul. I¡¯ll quickly take care of Jindo and head to Ulleungdo.] [Okay. Be careful on the way. The demon cunningly destroyed the bridge to the ind, so we¡¯re currently dealing with the S-ss in Jindo.] [The bridge was destroyed?] The demon had intelligence, but did it physically destroy the bridge to make the ind a true ind? [Did you get any information on the demon?] [We¡¯ve just finished hacking. Official name, ¡®Skullion of Bone Powder¡¯.] [¡­Bone Powder?] [Yes. Right now, he¡¯s hunting ability users in Jindo.] The Chief¡¯s voice trembled slightly. [After killing the ability users, he¡¯s making mana powder on the spot and inhaling it.] I pressed the bike¡¯s throttle harder. Chapter 149: Hellfire Peninsula (6) Chapter 149: Hellfire Penins (6) The demon was rational. At least more rational and intelligent than anyone else until it went mad or only the instinct to destroy remained. Just look at this demon. ¡°Kihiihih!¡± Look at the demon that had be a huge 5-meter-tall skeleton mass, with flesh already fallen off its body. Look at the demon crawling around like a spider, unable to properly hold up its head due to its immense size, dragging its head on the ground. On the outside, it looked like a monster without any reason, seemingly without even a brain, but the only organ left in the demon was the ¡®brain¡¯, protected by a solid skull. Thud! The Bone Powder demon, Skullion, banged the ground with its hands and feet, causing a ruckus. It looked like a child throwing a tantrum in a supermarket, but ck mana flowed from its bony hands and feet, hitting the concrete. Kugugung! Jindo Bridge had copsed. The bridge that people couldn¡¯t cross suddenly copsed because it was cut off in the middle. ¡°No, honey!¡± ¡°Run away! Hurry out of the ind!!¡± Families were separated as the bridge copsed in real time. ¡°Survive somehow! You¡¯re the only one who can save our children now!¡± ¡°Honey!!¡± Ssh. People were swept away with the copsing bridge, falling into the water below. The current was so fast that there was no need to explicitly say what would happen if those who fell weren¡¯t rescued quickly. ¡°Someone, please¡­!¡± A wife who lost her husband in an instant hugged her child tightly and looked around. Everyone, just like her, lost their families on the copsing Jindo Bridge, and as civilians, they needed someone who could either defeat the demon or rescue people. At least an ability user who could survive from the demon. ¡°Kihiihihihik!¡± The demon, who cut off the bridge where people were escaping and even dropped those who were running away into the sea, began tough, lifting its head slightly. As its white, sharp teeth clicked together, something indescribable started to leak out of the demon¡¯s mouth. They were traces of people. Traces of what used to be people, and the demon spat out flesh from its mouth and then spat something onto the ground. ¡°Kruk, hurruruk.¡± Bones stained with red blood, white in color. As if it had dismantled all the flesh from a giant mammal and left only the bones, the demon buried its head in front of the bones. ¡°Suuuuuuuupppppp¡± It inhaled deeply through the hole in the front of its head as if sucking something in. The bones themselves seemed like some sort of drug, and the demon twisted its body in delight. ¡°Kihik, hihihik¡­!¡± They were not human bones. The traces of flesh chewed and spat out by the demon were not ordinary people. It had belonged to a young man, a B-ss ability user from the Academy, who had just turned 22. And not just him. The demon ate all the ability users in Jindo. Including the academy students who came for practice, heroes living in Jindo, and even ability users from abroad. It killed them all. For one reason. Mana powder. To consume mana powder made from the bones of the ability users, it killed on the spot. Krugrugrug. The demon¡¯s limbs started to twist. As if it didn¡¯t know what to do with its joy, the spine under the skull started rotating at each joint, and its body began spinning round and round. This bizarre appearance was hideous and terrifying, but the most terrifying thing was that there was no one here now who could stop this demon. ¡°Someone, please¡­!¡± Thunk. The demon raised its skull high. It lifted its head as if sniffing something and turned it left and right, like it was smelling with its nose. Then. Gugugugu! Water from the sea began to rise from the ground. A wide disc-like structure rose, bringing up everything that had fallen into the sea along with the seawater. ¡°Cough, cough¡­!¡± ¡°Honey!!¡± A many on a chunk of concrete, bleeding, and coughed up seawater. Others, not entirely unharmed but at least not dead, clung to the copsed bridge and cars, coughing. Cherchek, chercherchek. A wide of ice emerged as the seawater drained away. As the water quickly receded, a slowly rose to the surface. Fwoosh. Water shot up high, and someone emerged from within. ¡°Waaahhhhhh!!¡± People crowded on Jindo Bridge cheered. Those who had given up hope of survival, fleeing the demon and unable to cross the bridge, now cheered at the sudden appearance of hope. ¡°Snow White! Snow White!¡± ¡°Snow White is here! We¡¯re saved!¡± The second-ranked hero of Korea had arrived. A nearly invincible hero had appeared. Who else could they pin their hopes on if not her? If even Snow White fell, it would mean that no ability user could stand against this demon. ¡°Kihiihihihit! S-ss! Girl¡­! Make it red! Your scent!!¡± Skullion clicked its teeth and opened its maw towards Snow White. Soon. Fushushushut!! Thick bone spikes started flying from Skullion¡¯s spine. Not shot from the mouth, but from the spine, momentarily hidden by the skull, the bone spikes aimed at Snow White- ¡°This¡­!¡± Did not reach her but headed towards the ¡®civilians¡¯ behind Snow White. Chyarak! Snow White reached behind her, and a giant wall of ice shot up. Bone spikes lodged into the thick ice wall as strong as steel, and those behind the ice wall copsed to their knees, seeing the trajectory of the spikes. ¡°Ah, ahh¡­!¡± If not for the ice wall, those bone spikes would have undoubtedly targeted them. ¡°Run away quickly!¡± At Baek Seol-hee¡¯s shout, people outside of Jindo hurriedly turned and ran. Even if they turned their backs to flee, Snow White would protect them from the demon¡¯s attacks. But. The demon knew exactly how to put Snow White in a difficult situation. ¡°Civilians¡­ Kihiihit, heroes must protect civilians! Yes!¡± The demon, dragging its jaw on the ground, started moving its limbs backward, crawling upside down. ¡°Aaaahhh!¡± People who had fled to Jindo Bridge to escape from Jindo were now being chased by the demon again. Baek Seol-hee, who had been maintaining the ice wall and in mid-air, clenched her teeth and ran towards the bridge. ¡°Where to¡­ Kuh?!¡± Baek Seol-hee staggered as shended on the bridge. From Incheon to Jindo, she had flown a distance of nearly 400km, suppressing demons along the way. Perhaps because she had flown without rest and had to deal with the copsed bridge and erecting a giant ice wall¡­ Baek Seol-hee momentarily lost concentration, and her posture copsed, and the demon didn¡¯t miss this opportunity. ¡°S-ss!! It¡¯s gonna spread!!!¡± Skullion, crouching as low as possible, suddenly leaped high, hitting the ground with its arms as if crawling on its limbs until now had been just a joke. ¡°Snow White¡¯s bone powder! I¡¯ll crush it!¡± The demon¡¯s eyes were fixed on Baik Seol-hee. But the ends of the arms and legs stretched out by the demon were aimed precisely behind her, at the civilians who hadn¡¯t yet managed to escape and were dying. ¡°Kreuk¡­!¡± She sent magic power forward. Instead of pushing back the massive mass, Baek Seol-hee could save herself. But if she did, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the bone spikes flying backward, and the civilians would die. So then. ¡°I have to trust¡­!¡± Trusting in the protective shield of magic power she wrapped around her body, Made to look like an ordinary suit, she trusted the strength of the magical protective shield, Even if the demon tried to bite her waist. A hero¡¯s mission was to protect civilians. Naturally, Baek Seol-hee extended her hand backward. Tudududu! Bone bullets shot from the outstretched hands and feet of Skullion, aiming for civilians fleeing around the bridge. But the ice wings Baek Seol-hee extended behind her protected the entire bridge from left to right, and the bone spikes only lodged into the wings. ¡°Caught it!¡± Without a moment to gather her magic power, Skullion opened its huge maw and approached Baek Seol-hee. Now Baek Seol-hee- [It¡¯s a problem how naively kind you are.] A voice from above. At that all too familiar voiceden with emotion, Baek Seol-hee¡¯s heart sank involuntarily. ¡°Ji-¡± [Meteor Strike.] [Meteor Strike????!] Kwahhh! Something like a meteorite struck Skullion¡¯s body. The meteor, like red mes, not only hit Skullion but also pushed it back, mming it into the entrance of the bridge. Kwahhh! Dust rose. Baek Seol-hee, amidst the dirt and dust mixed with asphalt, saw the man who appeared leaning on his bike and felt her heart sink again. [Long time no see, Snow White.] ¡°¡­¡­Goblin?¡± Baek Seol-hee felt a sense of relief but also felt strange about the sensation she had experienced. [Heroes save people. That¡¯s their job. I¡­ execute viins.] p. The Goblin, stepping off the bike with his cloak fluttering, drew out his long bat and Baek Seol-hee felt a familiar yet strange feeling looking at his back. Just now. The emotion contained in the voice with which the Goblin seemed to worry about her was clearly¡­ Kiaaaaaahhhhh!! There was no time to think. ¡°The demon is yours to handle!¡± Baek Seol-hee pped her thigh hard and then threw herself backward. To save civilians. ¡°Of course.¡± The Goblin slightly turned his head and nodded lightly. [I came here to kill demons, after all.] Chapter 150: Hellfire Peninsula (7) Chapter 150: Hellfire Penins (7) Wow! Skullion! It was like a nightmare. That was what entered the mind upon seeing this demon¡¯s visage. There was no reason to keep it alive, as it had ¡®absorbed¡¯ dozens of Academy practice group members in Jindo, even those from middle and high schools. Before killing the ability users, it copsed the bridge and caused hundreds of casualties, so the nation wouldn¡¯t want to keep it alive either. Someone must kill this demon. Even if I waster scolded by Yumir, I would deal with this demon right here and now. ¡°Kihaat! Goblin! Goblinnnn!¡± Skullion clicked its bones, looking at me. I had unleashed a physical attack with ayer of Gunggi¡¯s magic power through the Meteor Strike technique, but besides some white powdery fragments falling from its joints, no apparent injury was visible. It definitely disyed durability, befitting its S-ss rank. And its strategy and tactics were showing its S-ss abilities, even if it had fallen. [Kim Ye-ji. An A-ss ability user.] ¡°¡­!!¡± Skullion¡¯s body stiffened. [Why? Did you think the government would know, and I wouldn¡¯t?] ¡°I¡¯m not Kim Ye-ji¡­!¡± [Denying it is useless. Your identity has been revealed. The Taeguk Watch reactions of the people you consumed are emanating from inside you.] The Taeguk Watch was a GPS and personal surveince location tracker. Among the 20 or so ability users dispatched to Jindo, the only one who moved quickly alone, disappearing wherever she appeared and where life signals vanished, was Kim Ye-ji¡¯s Taeguk Watch. [Well, I don¡¯t particrly care who you are. I just don¡¯t like killing someone without knowing their name.] ¡°Shut up¡­! Viin!¡± [Viin executioner. Also, a demon executioner.] I held the bat and stretched it left and right. The elongated bat became like a spear, and I injected magic power into the tip, spreading mes. [Since ancient times, our ancestors used fire to eliminate pests.] Fwoosh. Holding the middle of the staff firmly with one hand, I loosely held the end with the other hand and spun it around. [You are the evil of humanity and a pest of the Earth. A threat to world peace.] With that, Gunggi¡¯s magic power flowing at the tip of the staff began to spin like a pendulum. ¡°I¡¯ll dispose of you with fire right here and now since leaving you alive will only dirty the world.¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane¡­! What nonsense are you spouting, viin!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a viin. We are an organization aiming to conquer the world. Those people there are not civilians but members of our organization we will rule in the future.¡± Members and constituents of the world organization. [I¡¯m not protecting civilians. I¡¯m only saving potential members of our secret society.] ¡°Ridiculous¡­! Acting like a dark hero from some old ssic, but you¡¯re just a viin!¡± [You¡¯re the demon.] Papapapak! Bone spikes burst high into the sky from Skullion¡¯s back. Like a cornucopia, the bone spikes shot vertically into the air and began slowly falling. ¡°Kyahaha! Try blocking this! It¡¯s an indiscriminate bombardment!¡± [¡­¡­] ¡°Uh¡­?¡± Skullion was perplexed. I just kept spinning the mes at the end of the Goblin¡¯s Bat, not stopping my preparation to attack. Whether the bone spikes fell on civilians or not. ¡°You¡¯re insane¡­! You¡¯re going to let the people-¡± [If it¡¯s for a greater cause, a few sacrifices are eptable.] It¡¯s not exactly true, but if it shook Skullion¡¯s mentality, I could tell any lie. [Killing you is the way to save the many behind me.] ¡°Kr, krrrr! People living on this ind aren¡¯t human then?!¡± [I¡¯m not protecting them right now.] Fwoosh! A huge ball of fire rose from the end of my staff. Skullion backed away slightly at the sight of the mes,rger than my body, but soon realized. [And thanks to you aiming at the people, it¡¯s even easier to block.] Ice feathers flew in from behind, scattering to both sides. Each feather flew right in front of the trajectory of the bone spikesing from the sky, and the bone spikes that pierced the white feathers froze in mid-air and slowly began to fall. Thud, thud, thud. ¡°It¡¯s a shame. Your temporary outburst failed.¡± That was so like Baek Seol-hee. In Gangwon Province, when I used fire sparks on the trajectory of her ice feathers, Baek Seol-hee used that technique to protect people from Skullion. [No one died. For an S-ss demon¡¯s technique, it¡¯s quiteckluster.] ¡°Shut up!¡± [You devoured those people, turning them into bone powder, and then ground them up to drink, right?] ¡°¡­Huh, huhuh.¡± Skullion¡¯s skull started to rotate counterclockwise. ¡°Yes. It was delicious. Mana powder, too precious to just inhale as powder. So I ate it whole. Kihihit!¡± [Foolish and stupid, and you¡¯re clueless too.] ¡°What¡­?¡± [Do you really think I¡¯m talking to you because I want to hear how you enjoyed eating people and inhaling mana powder? Foolish thing.] Gaining even a little time, the fight would be easier if civilians could evacuate the battlefield in that time. [No one to get in the way now. No need for you to waste your power needlessly. It¡¯s just you and me, the Goblin.] I had be somewhat indifferent now to civilian casualties, as long as they were not caused by me, but it would be troublesome if Skullion took civilians as shields during the fight. A moment¡¯s hesitation could determine the oue of an S-ss battle. [All the civilians have been saved by the hero. Now, I just need to deal with you.] ¡°Kr, krk¡­! You¡¯ve yed me¡­?! Distracting me with conversation, and in the meantime, those bugs¡­!¡± [Didn¡¯t you learn properly at the Academy? If a viin talks too much, it¡¯s always to buy time.] Ta?at. I grabbed the staff before I even finished speaking and leaped forward. ¡°Kraak!¡± [And I don¡¯t announce my attacks.] I attacked while talking. I swung the ming staff hard, hitting Skullion right between the eyes, and fire started to burn on top of Skullion¡¯s skull. ¡°Kr, kraak!!¡± [Stop overreacting.] I jumped right onto Skullion¡¯s skull. Skullion twisted its limbs towards me, sticking them to the ground- Chyarak! ¡°What, what?!¡± Ice chains shot out from all directions, pulling Skullion¡¯s wrists and ankles. ¡°Sn, Snow White¡­! Are you teaming up with the Goblin?!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not teaming up, just exterminating a demon.¡± Baek Seol-hee, who had saved all the people she could in just a few minutes, stood right where I had been, extending her arms to the sides. ¡°Bone Powder Demon, Skullion. Kim Ye-ji. 22 years old. ording to nationalw, I will eliminate you.¡± ¡°Ki, hihihit¡­! Look! Snow White, you and the Goblin are like that! A hero and a viin teaming up to kill me! Ebbebe! Allelerikolleri! With the viin, that kind of rtionship! The two of you together, so inti-¡± [There¡¯s no end to what you can¡¯t say.] Thump! I loaded magic power onto the staff and struck it down hard. The Goblin¡¯s bat sharpened like a nail and pierced into Skullion¡¯s skull, and Skullion began to shake its spine in panic. ¡°Uh, uh¡­?! Why¡­?!¡± [Physical enhancement ability. You¡¯ve hardened your bones, making them as strong as diamond. S-ss durability.] I gripped the staff with both hands. [But, you see. The Goblin is the best at breaking the heads of viins and demons.] ¡°Kr, aaak!¡± Skullion panicked. Its spinal bones shot up towards me, but I dodged, holding the staff to the side. Fwoosh! Skullion¡¯s hand pushed me away. Before being caught, I quickly twisted my body, rolling between the fingers andnding on the ground. ¡°Kr, ah, no¡­! I need more bones¡­! Mana is¡­!¡± [You¡¯ve been exposed.] Thump, thump. Flesh began to appear through the slightly cracked skull. I was unsure if that should be called a brain or just a collection of human muscles, flesh, and organs, but it was certainly enough to evoke disgust. Chyareureuk! The ice chains began to seep into every joint of the bone, starting to restrain Skullion. [May I finish it?] ¡°Are you going to kill it?¡± [Must be dealt with. Unless that one appears to purify it while I¡¯m attacking.] ¡°¡­¡­Please do. At least for now.¡± ¡°Aaah.¡± I stood facing Skullion, lightly cing my hand on my waist. [Transform.] [Mask Change??!] The Goblin, who had been fluttering the edges of his robe, transformed instantly into Goblin [Gunggi Form]. ¡°Are you going to walk over and split it with your toes again?¡± [No. For such asions, the ssic approach is best.] The Chief said. To attract people¡¯s attention, do it as mboyantly as possible. [This is the end.] [Final Attack-RIDE.] Furl. [ck me Spirit Tiger. Transform. Hwaik Sangcheon (Fire Wings Soaring Sky).] [Burn?st!!] Spreading wings of red mes behind me, I soared high. One. Two. Three. As promised, I lightly kick off the air, stepping forward with one foot. [Jujak Yuseonggak (Red Phoenix Meteor Kick).] [BLAZING VORTEX!!] mes gathered at my toes like ance, swirling and burning like a vortex. Wrapped in those mes. [RIDER?] I put all of Gunggi¡¯s magical power into my toes and dived towards Skullion. Chapter 151: Hellfire Peninsula (8) Chapter 151: Hellfire Penins (8) S-ss heroes fought together. No matter how strong they were, it was problematic for heroes and viins to fight side by side. Especially if they were the two individuals who had previously shed in Gangwon-do. But if the opponent was a demon. Universally and objectively, if it was an adversary that one must loathe as a human. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± The story changed. ¡°What is this¡­!¡± On his way from Busan to Ulsan, Armored Taejo, driving a sports car with his powers, watched the situation in Jindo through his tablet. He was utterly stunned by the scene disyed. ¡°Autopilot, now!¡± Taejo, who usually never trusted AI with driving, switched the car to autopilot mode and turned his attention to the tablet. ¡°Ah, I should have gone to Jindo myself!¡± Each S-ss had their own designated area. Taejo was guarding Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam and had already subdued eight demons and locked them up. However, they were all either D-ss or C-ss, weak or already subdued, leaving the academy students puzzled with no way to continue subduing the demons. In reality, Taejo hadn¡¯t dealt with many of them directly. Some of the living demons or their corpses he had locked up were already ¡®executed¡¯ by someone else. ¡°Goblin¡­!¡± He had felt it when they foughtst time in Gangwon-do. And even when he was watching from the airne at Yangyang Airport. This man. ¡°So cool¡­!¡± Although he lost the fight, Taejo was a man who acknowledged things where they were due. Look. The sight of the Goblin riding a flying bike, wrapped in mes, protecting Baek Seol-hee. Letting Baek Seol-hee protect the people as a hero while he directly confronted the demon and pressured it with a few words. And the moment Baek Seol-hee secured the surroundings, he switched to offense and inflicted wounds on the demon¡¯s body. ¡°That, that bike! He must have copied mine! Ah, yes! Flying in the sky with a steel object! He must have been jealous of my Iron Dragon!¡± Setting aside the technical wonder of how the bike flew, Taejo felt an inexplicable chill from the Goblin¡¯s aerial maneuvers. And then. ¡°Crazy¡­!¡± Transforming into a rider, wrapped in wings of me, he soared into the sky. The mes on his back started concentrating on his right foot, turning into ance as they aimed downwards. [Goblin Kick¡­!] Whooosh????! A pir of fire erupted tens of meters high. The red mes engulfed the entire demon Skullion. Boom????! An enormous explosion urs. As if the demon could no longer sustain its existence after the Goblin¡¯s me-wrapped kick, it caused a powerful explosion. Crackle, pop. Within the burning mes. The front part of the skull was split in half. ¡°Wow, insane¡­!¡± The Goblin slowly straightened up. He lightlynded on the ground, stood up, and looked towards the tablet, his eyes shining red behind the mask. Click. The Goblin casually shook his right hand. Then, the transformation was undone, and he reverted to his usual appearance in a suit. Swish. He fiddled with his ck tie and straightened his attire just as another explosion urred behind him. [Demon signal¡­vanished¡­.] He seemed confident that his attack had killed the demon. ¡°If a demon had suddenly leaped out of the mes with its jaws wide open, wouldn¡¯t the Goblin have been quite embarrassed?¡± No. If that had happened, the Goblin would have immediately delivered a spinning back kick. ¡°Wow, damn¡­.¡± All that came out was admiration. From the perspective of someone facing this, it might be annoying, but from a distance, it was just impressive, and one couldn¡¯t help but feel envious. Like. The feeling of wanting to do the same. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Taejo scratched his head. ¡°I need to walk my own path, but if I copy that, people will criticize me for being a copycat.¡± Already, Haeguneul was cunningly twisting patent licenses to create simr but different designs. What would people think if he changed his appearance the same way? The appearance of a hero was directly connected to how the public perceived them. Even more so, if it was imitating the appearance of a viin, the criticism¡ªor rather, the condemnation¡ªwould be severe. ¡°¡­I should try it secretly sometime.¡± Taejo, promising himself a future attempt, could only desperately hope for such a day. ¡°Ah, this is Taejo! Report the location of the remaining demons!¡± [Ah, sorry! The whale demon off the coast of Ulsan that I mentioned 10 minutes ago has just been subdued!] ¡°What?¡± Taejo paused for a moment. ¡°Then, the remaining demons are¡­¡± [Two! Their location is¡­.]
[Ulleungdo¡¯s two demons.] I headed to my bike, leaving the zing Skullion behind. Sizzle. The power of Gunggi had purified and burned the S-ss demon, using up all the energy tainted with the demon¡¯s aura in the process. Now, I only had the Goblin¡¯s magic power left and one hidden trump card. The power of the Goblin alone was naturally on the lower side. It was not enough to confront an S-ss hero alone. But¡­ [You seem tired, too. nning to chase after me?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [You¡¯ve had a hard time. Sealing the demons in ice pirs. You must have used a lot of magic power. Are you thinking of catching me?] I could definitely win against Baek Seol-hee, who had expended more magic power than me. [You can¡¯t beat me in your current state. I have no intention of fighting you now.] No matter how strong an S-ss was, it ultimately came down to who was in a better state. I had the advantage at the moment since I knew how to fight more efficiently with less magic power. [There are still demons left to deal with.] ¡°You¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee continued to look at me with aplex expression. ¡°Are you going to kill the demon?¡± [Killing the demon is one thing, but preventing it from rampaging any further is more important.] Most importantly, the remaining demon was on Ulleungdo. [Are you in a hurry? If necessary, I can give you a ride.] I mounted my bike. Baek Seol-hee looked at me incredulously, but there was a moment of hesitation. ¡°¡­Sorry, but I can¡¯t have physical contact with an unfamiliar man.¡± [Interesting words. Are you from the Joseon era?] ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ over here.¡± She barely speaks, mouthing the words so others might not hear. [What?] Even so, not wanting to be lip-read, she made no sound, though she thought she did. But it¡¯s easy to guess that Baek Seol-hee meant she couldn¡¯t casuallye into physical contact with the Goblin because of a man named Do Ji-hwan. [Well, fine. I have no intention of carrying an S-ss hero who might try to catch me on my back anyway.] Vroom. The bike roared again. I had used up all of Gunggi¡¯s magic power, but now it was time to use someone else¡¯s. Just in time, she was calling. From afar in Ulleungdo, she was waiting for me to rush to her. [The S-ss going to Ulleungdo¡­ is it Baridegi? Indeed.] ¡°Are, are you really heading to Ulleungdo now?¡± [Of course. Why? Trying to stop me?] ¡°No, no! Just that¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee hesitated for a moment, then looked up at me with trembling eyes. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll let this pass just this once.¡± Swoosh! Baek Seol-hee extended her hand to the side, and an ice bridge appeared in the middle of the broken Jindo Bridge. ¡°Go.¡± [Hmm. I didn¡¯t expect you to let me go.] ¡°Without you, we couldn¡¯t have saved the people here, and dealing with the demon alone would have been difficult.¡± [Good to hear you think so. But¡­ surely someone will have something to say about this, right?] I turned the bike towards the ice highway. [Someone will criticize you for letting a viin go.] ¡°Let them. I¡¯m in a groggy state right now. I want to fight more, but I can¡¯t.¡± [You just created a highway a moment ago.] ¡°That highway wasn¡¯t for you. It was a temporary bridge for the people of Jindo. Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, please?¡± [Huh.] ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± [Nothing, just.] I couldn¡¯t help butugh. [Yeah. A viin and a hero helping each other, it¡¯s absurd. We just had the same goal for a moment. You saved people, and I executed the demon. Just that.] ¡°Yes.¡± [People are starting toe, so I should go.] Might as well use the road she made. [Transform.] [Change, Tigris!] Beep-beep-beep. Green mana flowed from the bike, wrapping around my entire body, and I dashed towards the highway. A green circle opened in front of the bike. Invisible to others, but a long path stretched ahead of the bike for me to follow. Ah. I really tried to hold back on this. ¡®I can¡¯t criticize Armored Taejo either.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t resist. [¡­Riding.] Into the world of speed. The eyes behind the Goblin mask turned green, and I sped along the ice path. [I¡¯ming, Doul.] Ah. [eleration.] I was content. Chapter 152: Riding Doul, Acceleration (1) Chapter 152: Riding Doul, eleration (1) At that moment, in Ulleungdo. Crash! Magic powers collided. A sound akin to a buzzing ho resounded swiftly, and the woman with green hair, Doul, stood silently, waiting for something to arrive. Doul, the green-haired woman, stood still. Holding a slender sword about 2 meters long, she simply pointed the de forward, waiting. Just slightly. At a moment when the side weeds rustled and settled down. Swish! Doul swung her sword widely. She swung at the empty air, but at the moment her sword made contact, something was there in front of its trajectory. Crash! Again, magic powers collided. Shattered remnants fluttered around Doul¡¯s sword. ¡°Ha, ha¡­ Indeed, the strongest assassin of the secret society!¡± Duoexini appeared out of nowhere. Blood was streaming down his shoulder, and he was pressing a half-split mask to his face, gasping for breath. ¡°How could you match this speed¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trade secret of the society. Ah, if I had to say.¡± Doul, grinning broadly, pointed her sword forward again. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re the only one with such powers in this world.¡± ¡°Tch¡­! Did the Goblin tell you¡­!¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re marked by the Goblin. Did you think he wouldn¡¯t tell others about you?¡± Doul flicked off the ck residue on her sword with a swift swing. ¡°Whether it¡¯s ultra-fast movement, control of rtive speed, or simply taking physical enhancement to the extreme. I¡¯m still figuring out your trick, but it might work on others, not on me.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! Dirty, [Hyper-senses]¡­!¡± ¡°Calling someone else¡¯s power dirty feels a bit off.¡± Doul slung the back of her sword over her shoulder and extended her hand forward. ¡°Come at me again. I¡¯m ready to counter. Unfortunately for you, your attacks can¡¯t even touch a hair on me.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s not you but her!¡± ¡°!!¡± Doul hurriedly tried to turn, but Duoexini had already disappeared. ¡°Kyaa?!¡± ¡°Chairman!!¡± ¡°Kahaha!¡± Duoexini appeared behind Yoon Iseon, grabbing her neck from behind. ¡°Resistance is futile!¡± ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± Yoon Iseon tried to create a tail of magic power to escape Duoexini, but he struck the root of the tail with his hand, severing it. ¡°Ka, ha¡­!¡± As her tail was cut off in an instant, Yoon Iseon¡¯s eyes dimmed as if she were dizzy. ¡°Chairman¡­!¡± Yumir hurried towards Yoon Iseon, but other demons were rushing towards her. ¡°White horse aaaah!¡± ¡°Woohoot!¡± ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± Whether it was an act of showing a diligent appearance or if it was theirst act of kindness before bing demons. Nam Doo-chang and Gong Tae-beom, now to be called demons, crawled like spiders with twisted joints, continuously pumping pirs that sprouted from their abdomens. Ssh! Every time the pirs shot up and down, a cloudy, mucus-like substance covered Yumir. Yumir narrowly avoided the attack but couldn¡¯t reach the captured Yoon Iseon. ¡°Hahaha! Quite agile for the lowest rank! Do you have some hidden power?¡± Duoexini shouted at Yumir with a voice dripping in sarcasm or perhaps anticipation. ¡°The only sane colleague of yours is captured, and the others are hiding behind! The two men who were flirting with you have be demons!¡± Duoexini shouted at Yumir as if urging her to do something. ¡°Come on, call her! Your guardian angel, the tinum Sun!¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Yumir was momentarily puzzled by Duoexini¡¯s words, but the situation was too urgent to dwell on her confusion. ¡°Hurry and call for tinum Sun¡¯s help, or this woman dies!¡± ¡°Aaagh?!¡± Duoexini tightened his grip on Yoon Iseon¡¯s neck from behind and burst intoughter. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Doul attempted to attack Duoexini from behind, but she had to twist her body hastily before swinging her sword. ¡°Ah, what a shame. ¡®A student of the Education Institute killed by the secret society!¡¯ would have made a great headline.¡± ¡°You coward¡­!¡± ¡°The bestpliment. Hahaha.¡± Duoexini pointed his index finger at Yoon Iseon¡¯s pale temple. ¡°By now, probably over a hundred ability users have died, or rather, be demons. Many of them were A-ss. Hehehe, and topping it off with the student council president.¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re targeting me¡­!¡± ¡°Two birds with one stone. It just so happened that you became a team member at the student¡¯s location. Hehehe.¡± Duoexini pointed his finger forward, indicating Yumir, who was dodging the demons¡¯ attacks. ¡°tinum Sun, the Golden Priestess¡­! She¡¯s protecting that woman. Yes, I¡¯m hoping she shows up. tinum Sun should sweep away all these demons. Ah, the image of a righteous hero in the Golden Priestess¡¯ garb wiping out filthy, disgusting demons¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane¡­!¡± ¡°Not insane, perfectly rational.¡± Duoexini licked his lips with his tongue and giggled. ¡°An S-plus, the strongest hero on Earth, has been given a stage to shine. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Swish. Duoexini raised his hand and clenched it into a fist, and the two demons stopped their attack on Yumir. ¡°Now, Doul. Don¡¯t you want to see it too? tinum Sun, who must be watching from somewhere, appearing in the student¡¯s moment of crisis!¡± ¡°¡­You.¡± Yumir bit her lower lip and stepped forward. ¡°If I call tinum Sun, will you let the Chairman go?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Yoon Iseon¡¯s eyes shook violently, and Duoexini¡¯s eyes curled into crescents inside his broken mask. ¡°That would be splendid¡­! Come on, do it! I¡¯ll give you 10 seconds! Call tinum Sun! Phone her, text her, or just shout, ¡®Help me, tinum Sun!!¡¯ Otherwise!!¡± Duoexini pulled out a small test tube from his pocket. ¡°I will insert this into the Chairman.¡± ¡°!!¡± In Duoexini¡¯s hand was a sphere the size of a tennis ball. It looked like an ordinary stic ball, but inside, it writhed like something indescribable. ¡°A horned¡­ fetus¡­?¡± ¡°The fetus of a demon. Over here, we call it ¡®Little Devil¡¯¡­ but well, that term isn¡¯t important right now.¡± Squirm, squirm. Yoon Iseon felt genuine fear at the sight of the wriggling worm-like shape inside the sphere. ¡°That, that can¡¯t be¡­!¡± ¡°It will nest inside you and turn you into a demon. Haha, then-¡± Just as Duoexini was about to count. Swish! A green light passed by. Unexpectedly, Doul¡¯s de sliced through Duoexini¡¯s hand, holding the demon¡¯s fetus. ¡°Kyaah!!¡± Duoexini screamed and staggered back, still holding onto Yoon Iseon. Thud! The demon¡¯s fetus fell to the ground. The fallen hand of Duoexini cushioned its fall, but Doul immediately pointed her sword at the fetus. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have let your guard down.¡± ¡°Ah, uhuhuh¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why-¡± ¡°I have another one.¡± Despite losing a wrist, Duoexini calmly pulled out another demon¡¯s fetus from his pocket. ¡°I can mass-produce seeds, so why not make several of these too? Hehehe. Doul, to subdue me, you¡¯ll have to swing your sword prepared to kill this woman.¡± Duoexini still held Yoon Iseon hostage. ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± It was only because Duoexini had let his guard down that she managed to sh his hand before he could react. Unless she was ready to slice through the hostage entirely, getting behind Duoexini and swinging her sword was impossible. ¡°Even if you¡¯re skilled in closebat, it¡¯s hopeless when a hostage is captured like this. Now, let¡¯s set off the fireworks, demons.¡± As Duoexini stretched forward his severed hand, ck foam spurted from his wrist, regenerating into a hand again. ¡°How¡­?!¡± ¡°In a world of superpowers, ¡®how¡¯ is irrelevant. It works, so we do it. Now, let the fireworks begin!¡± Duoexini lightly flicked his regenerated fingers, causing the demons beside him to start pumping their abdomens up and down. p, p. Like filling the surroundings with slime, the pirs spewed mucus upwards. Duoexini brought another demon¡¯s fetus close to Yoon Iseon¡¯s face. ¡°Hehe, now then-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate, just kill him!¡± Yoon Iseon shouted as if screaming. ¡°I¡¯d rather die as a human than be a demon!¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± The tail extended from Yoon Iseon¡¯s back and wrapped around Duoexini. ¡°This, this woman¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m A-ss¡­! Even if I can¡¯t match your speed, I can hold you! So go ahead, kill this viin!¡± ¡°What!!¡± Duoexini, clutching Yoon Iseon¡¯s head from behind, roared in anger. ¡°I can tolerate being called a bastard, but not a viin!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t call tinum Sun, I¡¯ll make a situation where she has toe! Now, the birth of another S-ss demon! Bow down!¡± Just as Duoexini raised the demon¡¯s fetus high, Yumir clenched her fist and charged forward. ¡°Change¡­!¡± [You talk too much.] Thump! Something struck Duoexini¡¯s head. Thud! Duoexini rolled on the ground after being hit, and Yumir stopped right in front of the slime, still in her running stance. ¡°No way¡­!¡± [Sorry for beingte. To let someone like him capture you.] ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Screech. A long skid mark appeared in the bushes as the bike tilted to one side. [Are you alright?] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yoon Iseon, in the Goblin¡¯s arms, faced him up close. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m fine! I can wash off the dirt¡­!¡± [Good to hear.] The Goblin gently put Yoon Iseon down from the bike and got off. [Doul.] ¡°You came quicker than I thought. Sorry, it was hard to watch someone else at that speed.¡± [Let¡¯s start right away.] The Goblin stood beside Doul, resting his hand on his waist. [I grant permission for fusion.] Chapter 153: Riding Doul, Acceleration (2) Chapter 153: Riding Doul, eleration (2) Heroes always seemed to arrivete in hero stories. It was the same in this world - heroes mostly didn¡¯t make it to the scene on time. Why were these so-called heroes alwayste? Were they just procrastinating and ended up beingte, or did they think that since the incident had already happened, they might as well take their time and enjoy a cup of coffee? While there were those who acted like this, seeing truly justice-driven individuals like Baek Seol-hee arrivete made me think. It was not that the heroes were slow. Viins created circumstances that made it impossible for heroes to arrive quickly. No hero wanted to bete to the scene, but viins deliberately caused incidents in locations where it was hard for heroes to reach. That was the case right now. I rushed to Ulleungdo with all my might but still ended up slightlyte. ¡®If I had been just a bitter, Yoon Iseon would have almost turned into a demon.¡¯ If I had looked elsewhere. If Baek Seol-hee had dyed me while trying to catch me. If I had wasted time catching a demon that appeared along the way. Maybe I would have had to face an S-ss demon, Yoho Gumiho. But I barely saved her. Though Duoexini¡¯s touch had reached her, I managed to save Yoon Iseon. ¡®Good work.¡¯ Yoon Iseon and Yumir, too. It wasn¡¯t so easy for Yumir to simply reveal her power as Sr tina and end things ¨C the situation was too unfavorable for her. Asking her, ¡®Why don¡¯t you transform?¡¯ would be unreasonable. If our secret society hadn¡¯t sent Doul, she would have transformed immediately, defeated the demon, and saved Yoon Iseon. Maybe I robbed her of the chance to shine. There could have been a future where Yumir heroically saved Yoon Iseon and revealed her identity as Golden Priestess while defeating the demon. But that future didn¡¯t exist. Because that¡¯s the future Duoexini wanted, where the Golden Priestess - tinum Sun revealed herself. There were ces where the Golden Priestess needed to intervene, but Ulleungdo was not one of them. So. [I¡¯mte, so let¡¯s finish this quickly.] [Tempest, On!] I instantly united with Doul. The magic power of Doul, dwelling inside me, filled my entire body, and I allowed Doul to enter my body. [Ah, this feeling¡­ It¡¯s the best¡­! The sensation of being alive¡­!] [Stop the nonsense. Follow me. Keep up with my tempo.] After steadying my magic power, I focused all my consciousness forward. Just like when Ermina Sternfert went berserk, he must be- [Here hees.] ¡°Goblinnnnnn!!¡± He rushed towards me at super speed. His speed was not just like a sh of lightning but more like running in a world where time had been elerated. Suddenly, the world stopped. My body stopped, and I saw Duoexini flying towards me in slow motion. The attack was straightforward. Pu??uh! I thrust my magic-charged fist forward. Duoexini couldn¡¯t dodge my punch and was knocked backward. ¡°Kr, krrr¡­!¡± [Last time, too, you were easily defeated. Howe there¡¯s no progress at all?] When tinum Sun was fighting Yuliana, Duoexini and I fought for nearly 30 minutes. [Last time you fled after being defeated, what will you do this time?] And that time, I obviously won. [I told you. You¡¯re not the only one with such abilities.] ¡°You, dog¡­!¡± [Being faster than your battle opponent isn¡¯t enough to beat me.] I extended the Goblin¡¯s bat, now imbued with Doul¡¯s power, and transformed it into a new form of weapon suitable for Doul¡¯sbat style. [In the world of speed, you are just an ordinary user of physical enhancement ability.] Whiiing. The bat elongated like a spear shaft, and sharp des emerged from it, gleaming with Doul¡¯s signature green color, resembling tiger ws. If I were to describe it, it¡¯s like a halberd. A weapon perfectly suited for Doul¡¯s slicing ability and one that I found really easy to handle. [Unlike you, I can move rapidly even in this elerated time.] ¡°Kuh, you¡­!¡± [You must have survived like an eel using that ability until now.] Whiiing. The halberd, filled with Doul¡¯s magic power, glinted. The finely honed de, appearing merely like solid ss on the surface, vibrated at a speed I couldn¡¯t perceive. ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­ Wol-do!¡± [¡­¡­Ah. Yes.] I gripped the pole of the Wol-do and leaped forward, swinging it towards Duoexini. Boooom! A de wind burst from the horizontally swiped de. As Duoexini tilted his head back, trying to dodge like a scene from a movie, in a green glint matching Doul¡¯s color - [Foolish.] ¡°!!¡± Fwsssh! The shing strike, resembling a crescent moon, exploded right before reaching Duoexini and scattered. ¡°Kaaaah!!!¡± The exploding crescent moon turned into sharp ss shards, bursting upwards and downwards. Naturally, Duoexini, right below, was hit by Doul¡¯s des all over, and I slowly walked forward, swinging the Wol-do again. ¡°K, hahaha! I found your weakness!¡± Duoexini, battered in the front, pointed at me with a bleeding hand andughed. ¡°You can¡¯t run in that state!¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°You¡¯re acting arrogant, but you can¡¯t run in reality! Hahaha! I didn¡¯t realize itst time, but now I¡¯m sure!¡± As bubbles emerged from Duoexini¡¯s body, his wounds began to heal immediately. [Half-turned into a demon, huh.] ¡°Hahaha! Half? Hahaha, you don¡¯t know! You might try to probe, but it won¡¯t work on me!¡± Duoexini, with red eyes zing, clenched his fist from afar. ¡°You¡¯re not keeping up with my speed! You¡¯re just ¡®perceiving¡¯ it!¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°Just like Doul! Hahaha!¡± Indeed. One could think that way. Just as Doul had calmly countered him before, I could be intently monitoring his movements in a fully concentrated state. Now, I was one with Doul. ¡­I couldn¡¯t deny it. ¡®Doul, is there a way?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know! Ugh, how am I supposed to understand this¡­?¡¯ Doul was unable to follow my train of thought. ¡®Turning mana into special particles to elerate one¡¯s time, how do you even do that!¡¯ ¡®Well.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t talk like an ability user!¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do but tell you to try your best.¡¯ I could chase Duoexini¡¯s speed alone. It was also possible to ¡®run¡¯ faster than Duoexini. But now, being one with Doul, I could use most of Doul¡¯s magic power, but with certain constraints. ¡®I used too much of my magic powering here.¡¯ I had used too much magic power riding my bike from Jindo to Ulleungdo. But I couldn¡¯t disengage the union. If I did, I wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Duoexini. [Well, I admit I can¡¯t move as fast now. But.] I gripped the Wol-do again and aimed it at Duoexini. [That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ve be faster than me now, does it?] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± [I¡¯ll sh you mercilessly. Fast enough that your regeneration speed can¡¯t keep up.] Whooom. The Wol-do once again started to shimmer with green magic power. [I¡¯ll keep shing until you die eventually.] Iunched another shing attack at Duoexini.
It was impossible to follow with the eyes. But it was better than thest time. asionally, glimpses of the two could be seen like a video with skipping frames. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir bit her lower lip. Supporting the coughing Yoon Iseon, she watched from behind as Do Ji-hwan merged with Doul, valiantly fought Duoexini as she ground her teeth in frustration. ¡°Yumir¡­.¡± ¡°President? Ah, no, stay still. If you move wrong¡­.¡± ¡°Can you really call the tinum Sun¡­?¡± Yoon Iseon¡¯s hand grasped Yumir¡¯s. ¡°If so, I¡¯m sorry, but please call her¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon was losing consciousness. Ever since her tail was cut by Duoexini, she had been losing a vast amount of magic power, struggling to breathe and barely maintaining consciousness. ¡°tinum Sun is, hah, said to be a partner of Goblin. If that¡¯s true, then right now¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re partners. Ah, maybe¡­.¡± ¡°Still, that doesn¡¯t matter. Help the Goblin. And¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon¡¯s finger pointed far beyond, towards the area where their battle was taking ce. ¡°Those demons¡­. the students, if only they could be turned back into humans¡­.¡± Thud. Yoon Iseon copsed onto the bike. The bike barely supported Yoon Iseon as she fell forward, and Yumir slowly helped her off the bike,ying her t on the ground. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir then removed her Taeguk Watch and ced it on Yoon Iseon. ¡°¡­Thank you for the consideration.¡± Did Yoon Iseon notice? She didn¡¯t know. But at least for Yumir, this moment was the ¡®opportunity¡¯ she had been waiting for since the crisis began. ¡°¡­Time is rtive.¡± Yumir covered her face with her hands for a moment. ¡°I can¡­.¡± Yumir repeated to herself. ¡°Do this.¡± To correct. ¡°Follow the Goblin¡¯s speed¡­ match the Goblin¡¯s tempo.¡± It was not that she could. ¡°I must.¡± Yumir closed her eyes for a moment, then conjured magic power in her hand. ¡°¡­st Thunder (¼²ïLѸÀ×).¡± Golden lightning sparked from Yumir¡¯s body. Blitz Action? Chapter 154: Riding Doul, Acceleration (3) Chapter 154: Riding Doul, eleration (3) Despite replenishing my magic power through the union with Doul and using her overwhelming power to create de winds attacking Duoexini from all directions¡­ ¡°Hahaha¡­! Seems like long-range attacks have their limits after all¡­!¡± [¡­¡­.] Duoexini dodged the attacks like a nimble rat. More precisely, he avoided my attacks while preserving his vital areas, presumably his weak points. [Offering flesh to protect the bone. I wonder how long your regeneration willst?] ¡°And how long can you, the Goblin, keep pouring out your magic power like that? Huh?¡± Duoexini¡¯s severed arms bubbled up, and soon, new flesh grew, forming the arms again. ¡°I might just disappear, but what about you, Mr. High-and-Mighty Goblin? It¡¯ll be troublesome for you if you encounter S-ss heroes, won¡¯t it? Huh?¡± [Will they catch me or you?] ¡°They¡¯ll obviously try to catch what¡¯s in front of them first! Hahaha.¡± Duoexini finished regenerating. Still, Doul¡¯s perception couldn¡¯t catch up with the spacetime particle-induced body eleration. I gripped the Wol-do again, aiming at Duoexini. ¡°Shall I show you something interesting?¡± As Duoexini stretched out his arms, two demons crawled on all fours beside him, merging their bodies together. ¡°From now on, these two demons will be one!¡± [Merging demons into one?] ¡°Yes! Just like¡­fusion!¡± Bang! The moment Duoexini brought his hands together as if in prayer, the demons leaped from the ground and backed into each other. ¡°Kwooo!¡± ¡°Kihaaak!¡± The demons screamed, turning their eyes inside out. Tentacles sprouting from the bodies of the two demons wrapped around each other, bing one. [Ugh¡­.] It made me feel nauseous. Everything else was bearable, but seeing two men merge like that really churned my stomach. Like peeling off an eel¡¯s skin, the tentacles wrapped around each other¡¯s flesh, and their heads connected into one. The sight was grotesque. Like a 19+ horror game featuring twisted humans by alien creatures. ¡°See, Nam Du-chang and Kong Tae-bum merged into one! Call it Legion-Duchanggong (î^˜Œ¹«)! Hahaha!¡± [Disgustingly grotesque. That demon would have been immediately censored if this was broadcast live.] I had to deal with it immediately. Regardless of Yumir standing behind me, I needed to eliminate that thing first. At least before Duoexini was able to block this attack- [Doul, full power-] ¡°Kieeek!¡± The demon, not aiming at me, turned its cannons elsewhere. Dark red magic power began to wriggle along the barrel, and the target was not our current battlefield but somewhere else. ¡°Indiscriminate firing! And that too, with ¡®elerated¡¯ power!¡± [You can¡¯t be serious.] ¡°I mixed in a bit of my ability! Hahaha! Impossible, that¡¯s nothing!¡± The monster had Duoexini¡¯s ultra-fast ability? That meant- ¡°Legion Duchanggong¡¯s rapid-fire will engulf Ulleungdo in demonic energy!¡± [Oh no-] This couldn¡¯t happen. If Ulleungdo was engulfed in demonic energy, the children born here in the future would be in danger. Demonic energy was like radiation, and there was no need to exin what happened to children born in areas exposed to radiation. Given the situation, I thought about releasing my transformation to tackle it physically, but- [I¡¯ll do it.] Suddenly, lightning shed beside me. A golden wind, a golden lightning, passed by me and rushed towards Duchanggong. Crackle! The golden lightning whirled around Duoexini and Duchanggong, turning sharply, and something extended from both arms, spinning fiercely. Swoosh! Duchanggong was split in an instant. It was cut into so many pieces that it was impossible to count as the massive body was swiftly divided. Crackle! Simultaneously, golden lightning shed on the cleaved surfaces. The lightning struck right at the cut, preventing any blood or mucus from exploding out. ¡°Ke, kuhuk¡­!¡± Duoexini was also split. His arms, legs, and torso were bisected, leaving only his head and neck intact, like a mannequin in an art school. Thud thud. The remnants of what was Duchanggong fell to the ground. The pirs copsed powerlessly downward, the torso split in half, and the eight legs nted on the ground were cut at the joints and crumbled. Behind them stood her, with her hands clutching golden des. ¡°Pl, tinum Sun¡­! Se, seriously!¡± Despite only having a head and neck, Duoexini began to speak without any issue. ¡°Ha, haha¡­! That can¡¯t be¡­! No, no! Maybe it¡¯s a good thing! It means that this country¡¯s culture is also effective on foreigners¡­kekeke!¡± [You talk too much.] Yumir, with her mask pressed down, tossed her golden sword upward with one hand. Whoosh! [If you say one more word, I¡¯ll kill you. You.] The golden sword dropped right behind Duoexini¡¯s head. ¡°Kill me¡­? Hu, huhuhu, that¡¯s¡­impossible¡­! Not now, not now¡­!¡± Despite the sword falling near his head, Duoexini justughed and moved his head vigorously. ¡°tinum Sun killing me should be at a more morous ce¡­! Not like this in Ulleungdo, where no one sees, but yes, where more people can see¡­!¡± [You¡¯re really verbose.] Whoosh! I swung the Wol-do towards Duoexini. Even if his head moved, he couldn¡¯t go farther than my walking range, so I sessfully split his headpletely. [Is he done for?] [Ah, that, that saying¡­!] [I did it on purpose.] Yumir was shocked by my words, but I deliberately used the magic phrase. If just saying ¡®Is he done for?¡¯ could revive someone like him, then he must have a way toe back to life anyway. And. ¡°Ku, huhuhu, unfortunate!¡± [As expected.] These kinds of guys were always like that. ¡°Hahaha! You think you can kill me just like that¡­?¡± [Listen well, tinum Sun.] I cut off Duoexini¡¯s bubbling speech from hisrgest facial section and pointed at him to Yumir. [When you say ¡®Is he done for?¡¯ to such guys, even if they revive, they go around bragging about their resurrection.] [Ah. I see. No risk of a sneak attack after a secret revival?] [Right.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Bubbles rose from the severed chunks, and the fragmented flesh rapidly moved towards Duoexini. Swish! Duoexini regained his original form. Whether to call it regeneration or just patching up his torn flesh was ambiguous, but Duoexini had revived using his ability. ¡°¡­¡­ Anyway, such a joyless fellow.¡± [I¡¯m not leisurely enough to find amusement in viins.] ¡°Tsk¡­! I¡¯ll retreat for today! Now that I know who tinum Sun is, I¡¯ll prepare a more enjoyable festival next time!¡± [Why?] Yumir shot at Duoexini with an annoyed voice. [Why do this? Dozens, no, hundreds have died.] ¡°A reason? Asking that is unnecessary. Hehe, kuhem!¡± Having fully restored his body and even his clothes, Duoexini covered his face with his hand instead of the broken mask and chuckled. ¡°Everything is for the birth of a new hero¡­yaaa!¡± [Why.] Yumir instantly changed her appearance. She transformed into a typical magical girl outfit from Japanese animation, not the Golden Priestess costume. [If you¡¯re just trying to provoke me because I¡¯m wearing a hanbok-like costume, I¡¯ll throw it away.] ¡°Oh, no¡­! I was wrong! Forgive me! Change it now, right now! Yeah! At least for a month! Until ¡®that day¡¯, I won¡¯t show up!¡± [¡­¡­.] Yumir looked at me, and I could only nod silently. [Crazy ones like him usually keep such promises well.] [A month¡­] ¡°Yes, yes! If it¡¯s short, till Teacher¡¯s Day! I¡¯ll at least stay quiet till then!¡± [Huh.] Yumir briefly looked up at the sky, then changed back into the Golden Priestess costume. ¡°Haah¡­¡­.¡± Duoexini let out a deep sigh of relief. He was so relieved that I thought something life-threatening had been averted. [¡­Really. How did we end up dealing with such a lunatic¡­] ¡°Hehehe¡­. Next time we meet, I¡¯ll create a better opportunity to shine. Except for you, Goblin!¡± Duoexini raised one hand towards me and ced the other on his elbow. ¡°Goblin! I will definitely have my revenge! For ruining this n, definitely!!¡± [Eat shit.] ¡°¡­Apliment!¡± I flipped him off, but Duoexini just stretched out his arms and raised his head. ¡°Farewell!¡± Boom?????! Duoexini¡¯s body exploded. Apparently, the regeneration was just a temporary measure for the conversation. [That viin¡­] [Can¡¯t chase him. Doesn¡¯t seem like he escaped at super speed, but he must have some other ability.] Tracking him down would be a task for the future. [tinum Sun. Since you¡¯re here, I have something to say.] [I have work to do, I¡¯ll go.] Yumir stretched out the swords in her hands to both sides and conjured a circr magic circle in the air. [¡­ I¡¯ll purify the surviving demons and return. Let¡¯s talkter.] [Ah. They should be gathering in one ce by now.] I approached my bike and ryed the information received throughmunication. [Go to Daejeon. It seems like all the ¡®sealed demons¡¯ in the country are gathering there now.] [I¡¯ll be back soon.] Whoosh. Yumir disappeared with the light. Beyond where the golden circle had vanished to. Swoosh. Two men, Namdu Chang and Kong Tae-bum, were lying on the slime they had expelled as demons, now white-haired and naked. In the end. Yumir. tinum Sun purified the demons. [It¡¯s going to get tougher from here.] Therefore. I must take even better care of Yumir¡¯s mental state in the future. While subtly guiding her to receive help from the secret society through this incident. ¡®Are you nning to care for her andfort her when she¡¯s in trouble? Huh?¡¯ [That¡¯s the easiest and surest way.] The easiest way. With the Goblin¡¯s Bat. Chapter 155: Riding Doul, Acceleration (4) Chapter 155: Riding Doul, eleration (4) After a brief moment of situation assessment. Yumir departed for Daejeon. As the tinum Sun, she immediately left to purify demons in Daejeon. Can she just move directly like that? While the specifics of instant teleportation werent discussed, it seemed that she was not limited to only ces she had been before. Then, probably by now, somewhere in Daejeon in a wide open space, she would be purifying a group of demons. [Doul. Disengage fusion.] With a burst, I disengaged the fusion. Ugh. This time, I really messed everything up. Doul, who had been residing in my body, swiftly left me, and her hair, once tinged green, returned to its original white color. Sorry. Its all because of me. [Theres no need to apologize. Its that guy whos gone mad.] Not just insane in the ordinary sense, but possessing strange and extraordinary abilities. [You must have felt it, too, that hes no ordinary being. What do you think we should do?] We need to find and eliminate such a being. [Right. Like you sensed, Ive been thinking the same for some time. Initially, his sudden appearance was just a nuisance, but now, given how he has disgustingly involved humans, its only right to eliminate him.] The justification was established. Even deploying the resources of the Secret Society would be justified, and neither the heroes nor the government would directly interfere with the actions of the Secret Society or the Goblin. Duoexini had be an even more dreadful terrorist than I ever was. [Have we gathered any information on Duoexini yet?] No, its still under investigation. [Then the answer is clear.] Huh? [Sometimes, elimination is the key to the solution.] I thought about the abilities Duoexini disyed. One. Ultra-fast movement. Two. Infinite regeneration, reviving even after being killed. Three. The ability to escape through self-destruction. And the fact that he continually operated in areas where the Secret Societys informationwork didnt reach. Each ability alone was enough for an S-ss rating, not to mention his other extraordinary powers. Moreover, there was one more thing. If someone is carrying multiple seeds of demons or demon fetuses to create demons, theres only one case like this. Duoexini freely utilized matters rted to demons. Considering his movements, it was likely that the 72 ability users who became demons were forcibly turned by Duoexini and his subordinates. Would even a lowly member or an executive have the liberty to use such arge number of demon fetuses? [Doul. Does your arrival in Korea mean youll be staying here?] Yeah! Its the chairmans directive. To support you from the side. [Then, at least until Duoexini is dealt with, Ill need your help. Sorry for keeping you busy.] Uh, no, its okay. My subordinates can handle the things below. After all, my usual task is just assassinating targets. Douls unit was a kind of execution squad. They eliminated those who posed a threat to the future of the Secret Society so Doul could support me without any burden. For the Secret Society, it was now clear that Duoexini was a target for elimination. [Then lets go to that ce and wait. Ill finish up here and join you soon.] I should go first? [Its fine if the Goblin shows up, but if Doul appears too, the government might start keeping a close eye on us.] Ah, got it. But. Doul cautiously approached me and asked. Will you tell me what Duoexini is once we arrive? [Thats what I think.] I whispered into her ear, and Douls eyes widened in surprise. Then, does it mean its not Duoexini? Duoexini is? [Concepts are up to peoples minds. Lets discuss the detailster. Hell get too arrogant if we keep letting him run away like this. Lets deal with it in a way befitting the Secret Society.] Hmm The Secret Society way. Doul licked her lips and grinned mischievously. Alright. Ill surely make up for this blunder next time. Just leave it to me. Ill set the stage [Ill handle it myself.] You will? [Of course.] I realized it then. [Ill personally draw the picture. From the nning to the end. Everything.] The moment Yoon Iseon was targeted, I was convinced that Duoexini was a being that must not be left alone. [Since youve just arrived in Korea, Ill need your help, and we should also get support from Gonggi. If we do it right, we can inflict near-annihtion damage on Pandemonium.] He arrogantly said he would take a month off. [Thinking that we are just ying in his hands, we need to shatter his head. Make sure he cant resurrect again.] This arrogance must be personally punished. Hes messing around. Turning 72 people into demons. Targeting Yoon Iseon. And ultimately, trying to shake the mental stability of Yumir, who could potentially destroy the world. Considering all these, Duoexini was a being that must not be allowed to live. [Now that hes seen people ying in his game, its time he dies in a game set by the Secret Society.] Sure was an annoying guy. Alright, Ill do my best. What should I do? [First, go there and recover your magic power.] Okay. Doul left and disappeared. The scene still had white mucus everywhere, and in the middle, two naked meny unconscious. [.] I have no intention of taking care of that. Yumir has already stripped them of their abilities, and now theyre Zenros - without abilities. My concern was the woman lying next to the bike. I approached the woman, Yoon Iseon. Thanks to Yumir carefullyying her on the ground, Yoon Iseon was able to fall without serious injury. But. [Hey.] She had fallen, but she hadntpletely lost consciousness. In fact, her breathing was very stable, not that of someone who had lost consciousness. [Student Council President.] No response. As if dead. [Hey. Yoon Iseon.] Of course, she wasnt dead, so I boldly reached out to her. [Pretending to be dead is problematic. We need to talk.] Just then, her ears twitched. The mere approach and conversation from a Goblin should be a bit scary - or perhaps exciting if a fan, but now that I was asking for a dialogue, she seemed a bit frightened. Then. [Seems like it wont work. This is best for someone whos lost consciousness.] Where are you reaching out to? [Stomach.] The moment I ced my hand on Yoon Iseons abdomen, she slightly opened her eyes and looked up at me. How did you know? I was lying there as if dead. [Should have controlled even the heartbeat. Your breathing was stable, but the trembling of your heart disrupted it.] She looked at me with a how could I do that expression. [If you really lost consciousness, you shouldve reduced your heart rate to at least below 60. Your breathing was stable, but the hearts tremors transmitted to your breathing, causing it to be irregr.] I could only respond well in my mind but kept it to myself and ced my hand on Yoon Iseons Taeguk Watch. [Didnt record audio, nor video. You just watched with your eyes, I guess.] [But you still saw it. The Golden Priestess defeating the Demon Pox.] Thats. She didnt deny it. Yoon Iseon did see. Yumir as the tinum Sun. Its like this that the secrets are revealed one by one. The reason why the protagonists true nature was discovered was simple. Being too kind-hearted, they failed to notice that the person who seemed to have fainted was actually feigning unconsciousness, assessing the situation silently. [Keep it a secret.] I put my index finger on my lips, then ced it over Yoon Iseons lips. [I need the abilities of the tinum Sun, and I dont want the tinum Suns identity to be exposed.] ! [There are times when killing any demon feels questionable. If I can deal with demons without getting my hands dirty, theres no reason to refuse.] I pulled up arge tablet connected to the bike and yed a video. [See this?] A vacant lot in Daejeon. A golden circle sparkled in mid-air, and from it, a person emerged,nding on the ground. -Can everyone see this?! Its the Golden Priestess!! The anchors loudmentary was briefly heard, and the Golden Priestess, cing one hand on the ground, spread golden magical power in all directions. [She is purifying demons that I find bothersome to deal with.] Ice pirs melted, revealing the demons inside slowly reverting back to human form. The once-monstrous individuals, naked but returning to their original forms, copsed on the ground with bleached hair. [The tinum Sun is a being capable of purifying demons. And just as youve seen, Duoexini is after her. If you reveal that she is the tinum Sun, she will lose her ce.] I understand. Yoon Iseon nodded heavily. [In that sense.] I reached out my hand towards Yoon Iseon. [Wont you join me inying a trap to catch Duoexini?] Together? [Yes. You must want revenge on Duoexini too. Help me.] Why? [Because.] She is Yoon Iseon. [I am someone who executes viins, not someone who fights heroes.] The ce to execute Duoexini. [Ill need to use the power you have as the Student Council President.] Shall be Sejong Ind. Chapter 156: Riding Doul, Acceleration (5) Chapter 156: Riding Doul, eleration (5) Near Daejeon Metropolitan City, therey an open field. Swoosh. A swarm of golden stars twinkled. The golden light that reached dozens of demons seeped in, extracting their essence and transforming their demonic forms into human ones, along with their mana. A giant pig-like demon, which appeared as if its skin was on fire, reverted to a human form. In contrast, a gargoyle-like stone demon crumbled into dust, revealing a human figure within. They all copsed to the ground, bing white-haired, emaciated figures. Naked, they fell to the ground, and the golden spheres emanating from them gathered towards The Golden Priestess. Hey, you. Heroes from the Hero Association began to detain the now-human demons one by one, d in protective suits, while the others surrounded The Golden Priestess. Are you The Golden Priestess? Or perhaps Sr tina? [Please call me Golden Priestess. Snow White.] Manipting the golden spheres above her hand likes, the Golden Priestess was approached by Snow White, who looked somewhat tired. Are you really a being that purifies demons? [I have purified the demons, yes. I would appreciate it if you could gather them like this next time.] Thank you for cooperating. However, Baek Seol-hee gestured around and pointed to her Taeguk Watch. Please,e with us for a while. [Why?] We cant just consider someone a hero if they conceal their identity. [Do I have to reveal my identity to be a hero?] Dont get me wrong. The Hero Association is here to help you. Were trying to assist you. [Ill take your kindness. Thanks for the offer.] Whoosh! With arge sweeping motion, The Golden Priestesss hand drew a circle, and a golden, sparkling magic circle materialized before her. [If I decide to walk the path of a hero, Ill contact you first, Snow White.] No thoughts of joining us as a hero? [I am not worthy of being a hero. The best I can do is appear like this and purify demons. Just call me the Demon Purifier.] The Golden Priestess bowed elegantly before disappearing beyond the magic circle. Boom! With a golden explosion, the Golden Priestess vanished. Watching her disappearance, Snow White wore aplicated expression, pretending to nce at her Taeguk Watch while scanning her face. She felt regretful. She regretted not being able to fight alongside a just and passionate colleague. If someone had photographed Baek Seol-hee at that moment, the headline would surely have read, Snow Whites Recruitment Offer, The Golden Priestess on Hold. Sigh. Baek Seol-hee felt relieved. This provided some justification and usibility for the Golden Priestess, Yumirs actions. Snow White, do you know the Golden Priestess? No, I dont. Then why did she say she would contact Snow White? Maybe because Im a woman? Indeed. The same gender. I understand. Baek Seol-hee brushed off the sharp questions from the nearby hero with a suitable answer. Of course, even if they investigated Baek Seol-hee, it was unlikely theyd discover Yumir around her. The only connection between Baek Seol-hee and Yumir was through Do Ji-hwan, and the only private conversations they had were at Do Ji-hwans house or the Ulleungdo pension. Thus, investigating Baek Seol-hee wouldnt expose Yumir. Unless there was a crazy being who investigated Baek Seol-hees texts, found a man named Do Ji-hwan, and then probed Yumir through him. Wow, its incredible. How did she purify so many demons so quickly? Its been a while. Long time no see, Sister Snow White. Dont call me sister. Ah, my apologies. The boy with bleached blonde hair and narrow eyes smiled yfully, standing beside Baek Seol-hee. The world has changed a lot. Just half a year ago, it was all about killing demons on sight. Now that we have a way to turn demons back into humans. Right? Thats humans for you. Seeing demons turned back into humans feels What are you trying to say, Jun-kyeong? Jun-kyeong? My hero nickname is Cheok Jun-kyeong. The boy, Cheok Jun-kyeong, shrugged his shoulders lightly. And what I mean, of course, is this: Those demons should have all been killed before they turned into Zenros. You. Is that too harsh? Some of them have already killed people. When did we ever consider a demons circumstances before? We just killed them, didnt we? That was then; this is now. Yes, things have changed. Heroes now know how to purify demons, and the risk of getting killed while trying to subdue them has decreased significantly. And since demons are aware they can be purified even if they go berserk, theyre more likely to lose control. Hey. But, putting that aside, do you know what the biggest change is? Cheok Jun-kyeong pointed to the once-demons, now Zenros, being escorted away one by one. Theres now someone to me. . If they had died as demons, their families would have faced me and criticism, maybe leading to suicide or emigration, effectively disappearing from society. But now, look, theyre alive. As ordinary humans without special abilities Its going to be chaotic. Look at that. Cheok Jun-kyeong gestured with his chin toward the ce where the Zenros were being taken. People are already showing up. You, you bastard! You killed her! My sister!! A young man lunged toward a female Zenros being carried on a stretcher. Though he had no special abilities, the young mans strength was enough to kill a person with the stone in his hand. Calm down, please! This is not the time! Im going to kill her! Ill kill her and go to jail or whatever. Just let me kill that bitch Please!! The young mans cries of anguish were suppressed by the surrounding soldiers, and he copsed to the ground. Please, let me kill her My sisters murderer! See? Theres now a target for revenge, the possibility of revenge. Sister, what do you think? Cheok Jun-kyeong shook his head, a look of unease on his face. Rather than purification or anything, wouldnt it have been better to just kill them all cleanly? Thats what I think. I think thats the cleanest solution, too. Hmm? But. Baek Seol-hee paused to catch her breath before continuing. Everyone looks at the Goblin and thinks that. I find it unsettling when I kill, but they feel relieved when the Goblin does it. The world needs an enforcer? An enforcer. Maybe. Baek Seol-hee gazed up at the sky. We just leave the rest to the judgment of thew. And itll get sorted out. Those who havemitted capital crimes and those who simply went berserk and caused property damage. At least Baek Seol-hee cast a cold nce at a Zenros who had previously copsed a temple in Ganghwado, causing dozens of casualties. Those who have killed should definitely be judged. Do you trust thew of this country, sister? What if such people are children of judges or rted to judicial officials? If thats the case, Baek Seol-hee whispered so softly that others couldnt overhear. Should we ask the Goblin for a favor? Sister. Cheok Jun-kyeong raised his thumbs with both hands. Youve been influenced by the Goblin I mean, sorry. The thing I mentioned wasnt like that. Quiet. You take care of this. Ah, sister. I havent finished talking. What now? That, about the Golden Priestess. Those golden beads she created. She was startled. Baek Seol-hee stopped in her tracks. She extracted something golden from the demons at the end. So? Could that be the demons special abilities? I dont know. Baek Seol-hee quietly walked away from the scene.
Whoosh. A golden circle expanded, and the Golden Priestessnded gently on the ground. Sigh. Yumir removed her mask and hood. It seemed she needed some concentration to purify arge number of demons at once, and her face was covered in sweat. Huh? A cup of sweet rice drink? Yumir looked at the red-haired woman standing before her. The bespectacleddy, engulfed by an array of equipment in the living room, handed Yumir a cup of the sweet rice drink she had poured from the kitchen. This is just between us since theres no one else around. Dont worry. I support Director Do. Nice to meet you, Yumir. And who might you be? Brewer. I work for thepany. Oh, that Secret Society. Yes. Oh, hello? Yumir bowed her head in acknowledgment and epted the cup. Then, she shut her eyes tight, instantly regretting her decision. -Shouldnt I always consider whats on the other side before I teleport? She recalled his advice, mentioned casually before. Little did she expect that teleporting to the pension would result in meeting someone. I thought he was alone here Sorry, but the man going to Ulleungdo alone routine only works once or twice. If a man keeps showing up by himself, he gets cklisted. It was time for a woman to join, you see? Thats thats you? Dont worry. I havent gotten patriotic with Director Do yet. Really? Yumir felt a small sense of relief. But I cant say the same for that person. That person? Hello. The white-haired woman seated on the sofa came toward Yumir with a radiant smile. So youre the girl our Director Do has taken an interest in? You who are you? Me? Doul. An S+ grade viin. And The woman, Doul, began to glow with a green light in her eyes. The Goblins ex-girlfriend. Chapter 157: Kill The Duoexini (1) Chapter 157: Kill The Duoexini (1) [Lets make a contract.] It wasnt exactly a trade, but I suggested a contract to Yoon Iseon. [If you provide the location, Ill eliminate Duoexini. The other students on the ind will be arriving soon, and I dont have much time. Ille to youter with the details.] ! [What do you say? Will you enter into a contract?] It might have sounded like a devils whisper, but in reality, it was an offer to eliminate the Duoexini. If we do this, can we defeat the viin known as Duoexini? [I will ensure his removal. I cant just leave someone who causes such chaos and boasts about reappearing a monthter.] Even organizations with ties to Pandemonium would likely want to sever connections with a figure like Duoexini after causing such turmoil. [When you enter into a contract with me, you must uphold only two conditions. One is to keep our contract a secret. And] Regarding The Golden Priestess, I dont know anything. [Good to see were in agreement.] I held out my fist to Yoon Iseon, and she cautiously tapped it with hers. [The contract is sealed. Tomorrow, at 10 PM, Ille to your room.] My, my room? [Leave the window open. Thats how Ill enter.] Its, its dangerous [You dont have to worry about that.] No one on Sejong Ind could detect my presence. And even if they could, there are those who would look the other way, depending on the circumstances. [See youter.] I mounted my bike and rode away from the area. Along the way, I nonchntly passed by a couple of white-haired Zenros and steered my bike toward Sejong Ind, heading out to sea. Hey, that way! Vroom! I drove the bike off a cliff, plummeting straight down. I continued forward due to inertia, avoiding the cliff, until I was just above the undting sea. Whoosh! I maneuvered the bike, diving downward with all the remaining magical power. Turning west, I engaged stealth mode and faded from view along with the bike. Really impressive. Not only was I impressed, but the fact that the bike could also be phased and hidden was remarkable. Although the Chief had been directly involved in its development, it was even more extraordinary and cooler than I had expected. Moreover, it had remained intact even after a head-on attack by an S-grade demon wrapped in mana. It was the perfect bike for a rider. But. I turned back towards thend. How long had I ridden? Ten minutes? It hadnt taken long. I returned towards the ind, propelling the bike upwards with magic power, and slowly descended over the familiar pension. Whoosh. It was like a helicopternding, stirring the air, but no one paid any attention. After all, this pension was currently booked by me, and no one else was there Ex-girlfriend, what do you mean by that? Just what I said. Im the ex-girlfriend. Though we didnt part on bad terms, so technically, I could still be considered a girlfriend, right? Huh. I see. But do you know the Goblin is married? . Are you calling yourself an ex-girlfriend because the Goblins wife took him away from you? You, youre insolent? Hearing the quarreling voices inside, I ced my hand back on the bike. Entering now seemed like it would be bothersome, but I saw Brewer in the kitchen, holding a cup alone. Slurp. She casually sipped something that resembled a sweet rice drink, but her fingers gripping the cup were trembling slightly. She probably hoped for someone toe in and resolve the situation, and naturally, there was only one person who could do that. [Transformation cancel.] I canceled my transformation. I would appear outside as a naked man, but that wasnt really a problem. What are you doing inside the pension? The sliding door creaked. As I stepped through the veranda door, the gazes of Yumir and Doul, who had moved closer to each other, turned toward me. Pfft! Brewer choked and spat out her sweet rice drink as I entered the room, closed the veranda door, and headed straight for the wardrobe. Why start fighting as soon as you meet? That, teacher? Why. Well, uh, suddenly appearing in that state? Is it okay? Its pleasing to the eyes but a bit surprising. Yumir coughed and stepped back. Doul, who was getting heated up Uhk. With a strange sound, she copsed backward onto the sofa. Thud! Blood began to flow from Douls nose as shey on the sofa. I grabbed a white gown from the wardrobe to put on temporarily, and Yumir looked flustered, unsure of what to do. This is like something out of aic! Dont mind her too much. She fainted from seeing something too good. Yumir, youre used to it, so its nothing special. No, its not that Im unimpressed. Yumir licked her lips, scanning my gown from top to bottom. That, are you sweaty because you just came in Theres definitely a bit of a feel. Ive been quite busy moving around. Speaking so openly. Since Baek Seol-hee is not here. Only people from the Secret Society and Yumir the Golden Priestess were in here. There was no reason to hide that I was the Goblin. I had already shown them everything, and this wasnt the ce for Yumir and me to joke around about Do Ji-hwan and Goblin. Yumir. For now, you need to go back to where you belong. The dormitory? Yes. People will be arriving soon, and Ive spoken with Yoon Iseon. She will help hide your identity. Ah, thats a relief. The problem is the other one. I pulled out a tablet PC from the table and showed her the face of a woman. Eunhae Young, be careful with this woman. The possibility that she discovered my identity- Its not there. I checked before I came. Really? Of course. Im not that careless. With one member of the group of five missing, I naturally checked where the remaining one was. Shes probably still holed up in thedies room, so just coordinate well with Yoon Iseon. Got it. Then And one more thing. I stood up and approached Yumir, grasping her shoulders with both hands. From now on, you need to think as Yumir. Set aside all thoughts of being the Golden Priestess. Youve done your best and everything you could. Teacher? People will say all sorts of things about the Golden Priestess. There will be those who are kind, but most will spew malice. Whether its envy, anger, nder, or extortion. Yumir still didnt know. About the witch hunt on the inte. She had never experienced being the target of those who expose everything about a person once an issue arises. I had shown her a glimpse of that before, but that was nothingpared to the barrage of criticism that would be aimed at the Golden Priestess. Yumir. If you want to let something out, if something is building up,e to me. Ill listen to all your worries and help you release everything. Is that how you persuade me? Before being a member of the Secret Society, this is a person-to-person conversation. You say that, but you actually want me to join the Secret Society, dont you? Theres a bit of truth to that. I couldnt sugarcoat it in front of Yumir. Sigh. All right. Ill keep that in mind. As you said, whatever nonsense others say about the Golden Priestess, Ill let it go in one ear and out the other, and if it builds up, Ille toin to you. Good. Alwayse. Even if Im in the middle of counseling someone else, Ill listen to your story. That counseling doesnt sound like counseling. Yumir nced at Doul and then looked at me seriously. Teacher. Apart from your wife, everyones the same, right? For now. Then thats enough. I thought you had multiple wives. Hmph. Yumirughed and tapped my hand on her shoulder, and I stepped back from her. Ill be back soon. If the practice session in Ulleungdo fails and I end up staying, Ill talk to the student council president ande straight here. Regarding teleporting I dont know whats at the teleport destination, so Ill appear at a safe distance and then move ording to the situation. Is that okay? Yes. That will do. Yumir then opened the veranda window and leaped out immediately. Sigh. It seemed like amotion had just urred, but I sat down on the sofa, feeling both relieved and exhausted. Brewer. Should I bring a drink? Anything, as long as its cold. Brewer brought me iced tea, which I gulped down. Ugh. Man, I really traveled a lot back and forth today. I must have covered almost 1000 km. Even though I was on a bike, there were frequent battles along the way. Doul. Get up. . Get up, Hyeon Se-rin. Hehe. Doul, or Hyeon Se-rin, slyly opened her eyes. How was it? Too much manga, I guess. But you stepped back at the right moment. You really got cooked thoroughly, didnt you? What did you use to fall so deeply? This, this, this. She pointed to my face with her index finger. To my chest with her thumb. And then her hand moved lower. Admit it. Hyeon Se-rin readily admitted. So tell me. Duoexini, what is that guy? One of Pandemoniums Seven Deadly Sins. One of those arrogant ones? That guy? No, there wasnt such a crazy one, right? We destroyed them all. Hes one of the newly emerged Seven Deadly Sins. Human experimentation. DNA maniption. The guy considers himself a demon. He maintains his sanity after bing a demon through nationalistic fervor. He resists being consumed by evil by embracing a more insane evil as his own? Crazy. He aims to turn everything non-Korean into demons, to eliminate everything non-Korean. Crazier than I thought. He imnts demons into his body to study them. I knew this from fighting him. He died countless times. I thought he was just a mad minion of Pandemonium, but then I realized after he created the 72 demons, that this was not the case. His death was merely the nting of demon seeds within his body; Duoexini had never truly died. I thought he was just a nationalistic lunatic, but it turns out hes more significant than I initially believed. Duoexini. The fact that hes absent from the Secret Societys intelligence files is telling. When you think about it, the only possible culprits are them, right? The Seven Deadly Sins who have transcended humanity, forsaken their human nature, bing something else entirely. The unfortunate executives who were only briefly mentioned by the original author in the first part but never actually appeared due to a meteor collision. Duoexini is not human. The conflict between heroes and viins within the nation was escting to a grander scale, unveiling the origins of special abilities, the protagonists true nature, and various narrative threads intended for the second part. He might be an extraterrestrial. . Beneath Sejong Ind. An alien demon who immersed itself in Korean culture, ending up with kimchi soup for blood instead of a humans. Or perhaps it possessed a Korean. A beast born from a fallen meteor. In other words, an alien consumed by nationalistic zeal. Once more. We call it a demon. This world was steeped in nationalistic fantasy. Chapter 158: Kill The Duoexini (2) Chapter 158: Kill The Duoexini (2) Suddenly, aliens? One might think so. I thought so, too. But no matter how imaginative the original author was, modern content inevitably drew influence from previous works. Whether it was market research or a memorable impression from childhood, at least one aspect was always influenced by existing cultural content. Consider the meteorite that fell from space. The meteorite plunged into the middle of the East Sea, and unlike many around the world who worried about an asteroid impact, itnded gently in the East Sea, as if a spaceship were touching down on the moon. The presence of some will was evident whether it was programmed or possessed actual life. This will belonged to the alien, and the entity created by the alien was evil. If we delved further into this, it would be a real headache, but for now, lets not think about that. Duoexini turned 72 ability users into demons and caused hundreds of casualties. Thats reason enough to kill Duoexini. Even if the Secret Society doesnt intervene, the entire world will be after Duoexini. Are you nning to set up a to catch Duoexini? Like the Heavenly Net in martial arts novels? No. Just a word on the dark web will lure him out. Really? Probably. I wasnt certain. But he would definitely appear once the trap was set, knowing it was a trap. Whether its to maintain his identity or whatever reason, if hes really intoxicated with national pride, he cant help but show up when he hears this. What are you going to say? Like this. I promptly informed the two of the message I was going to send to Duoexini. Wow, thats insane. If he doesnt show up, hes not Korean. Doul was amazed and clicked his tongue while the Brewer immediately logged onto the inte. What should we do? Should we spread it now? No. Not yet. Hes been hit hard, but hes likely feeling victorious. He had caused nationwide chaos and shocked the world. Let him savor his victory for now. I actually prefer that he does. To bolster his sense of triumph, hell delve into modern taboos. I typed a word into the search engine connected to my Taeguk Watch. Duoexini. The search results showed 939,215 mentions in thest day. Hes captured the whole worlds attention after stirring up such an incident in Korea. You nning to ego-search? Of course. That was just how viins operated. They relished witnessing the turmoil they instigated and peoples reactions to it, whether on TV or the inte. Doul. Take a break. Immersing yourself in the hot spring should aid in restoring your magical power. Ill join you once Im finished here. Understood. But hey, theres a bunch of those things by the hot spring right now. Those things? Yeah. Artifacts left by Sr tina. Seems like she left them for you to handle? . Outside on the veranda, a heap of golden orbsy protected by Douls magical barrier. Looks like I need to start swinging the bat before I set the trap. I pulled out my Goblin Bat. Doul, do you happen to enjoy golf? Oh, are we going to use that? Lets merge. Wow! Doul joyfully wrapped her arms around me from behind, and her body dissolved into mist and merged with mine. Hmm. Were you always like this beneath the mask? Yes. My reflection on the veranda ss showed me fully merged with Doul, devoid of any clothing or mask. Whether as the Goblin or Dodjirider, it seems rather excessive not to cover this up. Geometric tattoos glimmered across my skin. The patterns shimmered, appearing on my skin from top to bottom as if I were undergoing a metamorphosis. And my hair and eyes changed color too. Not to Douls green, but to a stark white. Hair the color of snow. And ck, tiger-like patterns emerged all over my body. Who would guess that this is the notorious Doul? You make a valid point. Its almost like. Enough. I pressed my index finger lightly to my lips to quiet Brewer, and she raised her hands in acquiescence. Understood. Need a caddy? Unfortunately, its too risky to touch this. Ill handle it myself. I gripped the Goblin Bat, fashioned like a 7-iron, in one hand and ced a golden orb on the ground of the open-air bath. Then. One Duoexini. -Bang! Kaaang! The Goblin Bat [golf club] swung furiously, shattering the golden orb into ash. Nice shot. Brewer pped her hands in response, and I prepared the next golden orb. Sometimes. Humans needed to engage in violent acts for stress relief. I was no exception. [Duoexini, you miserable!] For the current life, Doul, Hyeon Serin, within me was also swearing. Kaang. The second Duoexini exploded upon impact with the golf club.
The training had effectively ended. The academy students were deeply shocked by the loss of colleagues, friends, or family, and it wasnt easy for anyone to providefort. Staff died, civilians died, and above all, numerous ability users were killed. This was the first time since the [Great War]st November in China that so many ability users had died Yumir followed the news on her Taeguk Watch. -So the damage increased because of Sr tina, didnt it? -What are you talking about? Duoexini is the cause. That lunatic caused this chaos. Dont mislead! Yumir was too apprehensive to check the intemunitys reaction immediately. Instead. Chairman. Just call me Iseon. Ill call you informally, too. Were the same age, after all. Okay. Thanks. Cool. Yumir, having revealed her identity, approached the student council president, Yoon Iseon, for a conversation. Whats going to happen now? The training. Everyone will rest in different locations tonight. Since S-ss heroes are gathered in Daejeon, vehicles will be arranged to bring everyone together. Well be an exception, though. As Yoon Iseon predicted, the ability users were being gathered in one ce. Would they leave ability users scattered across various regions, adding to the already chaotic situation? Hey! Are you telling us to die if they go berserk again? There was strong civilian bacsh and the ability users themselves preferred to gather together. Even if I turn into a demon, being near an S-ss means they wont kill me but seal me instead. The world is anxious. But theres one sanctuary for ability users. Do you know what it is? What is it? Even if I be a demon, there are people who can save me. Yumir fell silent at Yoon Iseons words. Who are you talking about? Sr tina. Yoon Iseon, holding back the words like you, handed Yumir some ice cream from the dormitory fridge. Thanks to Sr tina, the demon has be human. Losing their abilities, theyll need to be vinated like babies before living outside, and above all, theyll have to adapt to life without abilities. . Still, no one died. Its a dilemma, but at least I dont think Sr tina purifying the demon into a human was wrong. In the news debates Media, especially the current affairs debates you mentioned, are about people with opposing views presenting their opinions. No need to listen to bad things about Sr tina. . Yumir bit into her ice cream. Sorry that I couldnt do anything. Huh? Earlier? Its okay. Its not exactly thanks to you, but no, it is. I was really happy to be saved by Sir Goblin. Sir Goblin? You were happy? Yes. Yoon Iseon blushed and stroked her cheeks with both hands. Sigh. Sir Goblin saved me like a princess. Do you like the Goblin? Yes. Im a fan. Im number 38 in the fan club. Thats impressive. Right? Others say hes a viin, but to me, hes my own dark hero. Dark hero, huh It felt both right and wrong. Yumir couldnt clearly articte it, but she was sure of one thing. Iseon. Hmm? What do you think youd do if you were the Goblin right now? If I were Sir Goblin? Uh, hmm. Yoon Iseon scratched her cheek. I guess Id try to catch Duoexini any way I could. Since a lot of magic power was used, Id move as soon as its restored. What if your magic power is restored right now? Then Id move as quickly as possible. Right. Yumir, with a serious expression, quietly approached Yoon Iseon and lowered her voice. If theres a way to restore magic power here, attacking before the opponent regains theirs is the best option, right? Uh, maybe Sir Goblin needs at least a day to restore his magic power? Yoon Iseons eyes began to flicker left and right. What if it takes less than a day? If its the Sir Goblin I know, hed definitely move right away. You, by any chance, Yumir narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice even more. Did the Goblin say anything to you? Huh? Yumir looked around and lowered her voice further. Not about Sr tinas identity, but something else. Uh, thats. Nobody can hear us right now, so Ill ask. Yumirs fierce gaze bore into Yoon Iseons face. If theres anything rted to Duoexini that the Goblin asked you, tell me. Especially if its about dealing with Duoexini. Yumir gazed coldly at Yoon Iseon. Lets deal with it before midnight, before the date changes. Chapter 159: Kill The Duoexini (3) Chapter 159: Kill The Duoexini (3) Kaaang. Thest orb shattered. Phew! Satisfied? Yeah. Finally, it feels refreshing. After reverting her transformation, Doul immediately dove into the hot spring, and I followed suit. Ah, it feels a bit better here. Are you okay, Director Do? You used a lot of magic power today. Ill recover with a days rest. Thats if you soak in the hot spring for twenty-four hours straight, right? If I fall asleep and my face goes underwater, please pull me out. I submerged myself up to my shoulders. I moved too much today. Humans had a durability limit, and mental strength could only do so much. I wish I could recover faster. What about the Pearl that the Chairman gave you? Thats not strictly for restoring magic power. Its for reducing mana consumption. I see. I didnt know that. But it only works for me. The Pearl was ineffective for the Four Executives. The most effective method for them was merging with me, feeling alive as they lived within my body. Director Do, your magic power is really low. Isnt there a way to increase it? Soaking in the hot spring is to recover as quickly as possible. But there must be other ways, right? Like using the Goblin Bat to steal magic power from ability users. Thats a possibility. I knew plenty of techniques for stealing magic power. But most were ethically troubling and repugnant to use with a clear conscience. Like abilities that consumed others hearts to gain their magic and abilities. Or abilities that drained others blood to absorb the magic within. Several methods came to mind, but they were not topics for open discussion in a public space. Besides, if such methods had been viable, I wouldnt be in the hot spring trying to recover my magic power. Director Do? I found it. Brewer set down a te of neatly sliced fruits beside me and Doul and handed over a tablet. Like you said, its the Bluebird of Aggression. When I searched for aggressive patriots, it popped up right away. As expected. Even during the era of great transformation in 2000, by 2025, socialworks were well-developed. There was Bluebird, criticized as a brain-eating bird, Facewall, and others like Dico and Blind. And there was a socialwork used mainly on the dark web, inessible to ordinary people. Teragram. This SNS, a blend of 140-character short messages and various SNS features, was only avable to those who had stepped into the world of darkness. Good work, Brewer. No big deal. Checking these things is part of my job. Exploring Teragram was like plunging into a sewer, but Brewer found the vilest garbage, the demons hidden side. Whats up? Whats the story? I found Duoexinis secret ount. Secret ount? Whats that? Its like pretending to be a businessman publicly while secretly cracking pumpkin seeds and spewing sinisterments. Its full of nonsense and gossip about others. For example Brewer picked up a fruit with a fork and extended it towards Douls mouth. If you look at the SNS of a librarian named Do Jihwan, its full of book-rted stories, but secretly he uses the handle Goblin. Isnt that good? And then posts stuff like I want to transfer to another team because my boss works me too hard. Wait, did he really write that? Doul red sharply at me, and I silently chewed on my pear. Brewer knows more than I thought. Really? I never talked behind anyones back on SNS. Then? I said it to their faces. . I was Do Jihwan. A man who wrote 5,700-character reviews against those who immersed others in their novels world. Stop gossiping behind other peoples backs. If youre going to criticize, do it openly and boldly. That way, ability users who hear the criticism wont suffer mental damage. Talking behind anonymity? Thats fine. But in such a world, yielding to these urges could easily transform ability users into demons, so I wished there was no such mental pressure on ability users here. Take, for example: Like Sr tina. If it werent for her, the demons wouldnt have been purified so quickly, and the damage would have been greater Right? Speak of the devil, and she shall appear. Behind me, Yumir emerged from an opening in space, wearing a grin. Whats happening? Are you going to deal with Duoexini? Iseon told me. Yoon Iseon wouldnt discuss such matters lightly. She gave herself away when I pried just a little. Yumir was too astute. Um, Doul? What? We want to deal with Duoexini right now, but its not possible because this person is out of magic power, correct? Its not appropriate to discuss the Goblin with someone outside the Secret Society. Doul bit into a pear and sat up. However, its different if youre a trainee with the Secret Society. Trainee? Find a concept distinct from Sr tina, and if you can alter your magic powers hue, shift it from gold to something like brown. Doul gestured towards Yumir and then pointed at me. By working as a trainee under Director Do and learning about the Secret Society, you can make an informed decisionter about joining. The Secret Society is always looking for talented individuals. That sounds intriguing. Coborating with the Secret Society in a capacity that differs from Sr tina. Theres nothing new about being a spy under the guise of a trainee. Um, Director Doul? That could be reckless Whats the issue? Director Do will assume the responsibility. Ha. This was absurd. Were attempting to confront Duoexini, but as youve noted, my magic power is depleted. I need to fully replenish it to face him effectively. Ill restore it for you at once. What? Director Do. Are you familiar with that old saying? Yumir shot a look at Doul, then slowly extended his hand and sped my head with both hands. Patriotism is the best medicine. What are you doing? One of my abilities is Magic Power Supply. . No way. A possibility came to mind. Can you supply magic power that way? Of course. In this great country, especially in Ulleungdo, why not? Yumir stretched her legs beside me and entered the hot spring. The spirits of the nation will lend us strength to deal with Duoexini, who has plunged our country into chaos. Right? Why are you mentioning that while sitting cross-legged? Ahem. Are you going to keep being clueless? Yumir covered my mouth with her hand. The most urgent thing is to deal with Duoexini, right? Doul, will you help me? Dont call me Doul; call me Hyeon Se-rin. You can call mefortably since Im your elder sister, for now. ? Okay, sure. Then. Ssh. Yumir entered the water and approached me. Ill fully charge your magic power in two hours, then lets go deal with Duoexini. Brewer. The tablet. I borrowed a tablet from Brewer and wrote some simple instructions. Contact Yoon Iseon on her smartphone to convey the n and seek cooperation. And as soon as youre ready, send a deration of war to Duoexini. In two hours? It might even end sooner than two hours. Now that it hade to this. Lets finish it with a rapid charge. To deal with Duoexini.
At that moment. Somewhere on Sejong Ind. Thud! A young man tumbled down the stairs. His legs gave out, and he rolled down the stairs listlessly, ending up motionless at the bottom with his neck twisted. Ugh. Despite his twisted neck, the young man got up as if nothing was wrong. Although his body was still wobbly, he was alive despite having rolled down enough stairs to have been killed instantly. Ugh. The young man slumped onto the sofa. Then he reached for the remote control on the coffee table and turned on the TV. What kind of viin was Duoexini? Tch! The young man clicked his tongue when he saw the news headline. Chewing on a yanggaeng he had apparently taken from the fridge, he red at the news panelists with disapproval. Dontbel me as a viin just because of the name Duoexini The young man, Duoexini, picked up a tablet that was lying beside him. Ignoring the various criticisms and condemnations from the news panelists, he went online to gather information about himself. Ah, the world is full of curses against Duoexini. Thats right. Its a joy to be cursed by humans. Haha. Duoexini reveled in the displeasure of the people. Even though that displeasure was a mix of disgust and hatred, he enjoyed these emotions even more. But then. Duoexinis expression hardened as he browsed through other reactions in themunity. These trash dare to insult the sacred Sr tina? A hero who deserved praise was being criticized. Before Duoexini could cause amotion, people were already insulting the existence known as Sr tina. These crazy people! Sr tina purified the demons; they should praise and worship him, not criticize! More damage? Trash, all itching to criticize! Duoexini trembled with rage on the sofa. Ill find their email addresses and make sure to drop a demon there! Daring to insult Sr tina, the new hero of this country, who traveled from Ulleungdo to Daejeon through spatial movement to purify demons! Even! Duoexini smiled ecstatically and fell backward over the sofa armrest. A foreigner, too! Ah, even foreigners are imbued with the spirit of our nation! So magnificent! Wonderful! Duoexini pped his feet together, and then his expression turned grim. Trash like that, who force criticism on a hero, shouldnt exist. Right. Just like that. Those are the traitors selling out the countryhuh? Beep. An rm sounded. An rm that should not have sounded. A tweet popped up on the dark webs back ount notification. Wow, crazy. Crossing the line? Duoexini immediately sat up. I cant leave him alive. Hey, where do you live? Duoexinis thumbs danced rapidly, engaging in a fierce keyboard battle. Sejong Ind? Oh, look at you, a mere student daring to His eyes shed with fury. [Was the ident Duoexini caused actually an attack by China on Korea, true or false? If true, Duoexini might be Du Wanyong, working for China to undermine Korea.] Lee Wan-yong sold the country to Japan, you ignorant kid who cant even study history properly! Swiftly, Duoexini donned his mask and dashed outside. Chapter 160: Kill The Duoexini (4) Chapter 160: Kill The Duoexini (4) Preparations wereplete. Yumir had the ability to supply magic power to others. With the power of this ability, I received magic power from both Yumir and Hyeon Se-rin(Doul). [Hm.] Are you okay? You said youd do it tomorrow. [A lucky chance came.] Lucky chance? [Yes. Im in perfect condition now. Ready to fight whenever. Thanks for worrying.] I patted Yoon Iseons shoulder, who clung closely to my side. Oh, no! Im fine! Im helping the Goblin, and were going to defeat Duoexini, and you said youll protect me, so I wont get hurt! Yoon Iseon spoke rapidly, her face lighting up. Ill be the bait to lure Duoexini. The Goblin will handle him. Then Duoexini will be defeated? [If everything goes ording to n.] It was a bold statement, but this nthis tactouldnt fail. [Once Duoexini enters here, he wont be able to escape.] Originally, I developed this tactic over six months, intending to kill the main character in the futurea very special ability I thought about and developed. I cant rely on anyone else. The basic technique, designed for a 1:1 battle, didnt allow for help from others. Using it while merged with Doul was out of the question. Even Yumir opening a space and entering was not an option. I might be able to use the buffs they had set up beforehand for a short while, but after that, I had to face Duoexini alone as the Goblin. But. If I lose here, it would be a huge blow to the Goblins reputation. Even if my other stats were rtively poor outside of the Goblin Bat, theres something called ss before discussing stats. I have fought many battles over the past six months. I never lost. For the peaceful world the Chief was creating. [Im sorry to involve you.] Huh? No! Its okay. Were doing this to deal with a vile viin! And Yoon Iseon clenched her fists, rubbing her back. I had also been harmed by Duoexini and could have turned into a demon. I was fortunate to receive help from the Goblin, but like other students, I might have be one. Yoon Iseon clenched her fists. Her anger towards Duoexini, though veiled by tension, was the reason she, as the student council president, had opened this ce for me. Please ensure his defeat. So that a being like Duoexini never appears again. [Of course.] There was no need for more words for one who had chosen the path of a hero to feel an unspeakable anger towards absolute evil. [Hesing.] A signal came from outside. I nced at my reflection on Yoon Iseons Taeguk Watch. Not a Dodjirider or a suit-wearing Goblin, but a Goblin in a ck durumagi and ck hanbok. Wearing a gat gave the impression of a yangban, tying a topknot suggested a peasant, and letting my hair be wild and disheveled made me resemble a rogue. Truly, a Goblin from traditional and oral culture. And in this form, I could exert my full power as a Goblin. No unnecessary magic power was expended; only the true form of a Goblin was necessary. Crash! The window shattered. From outside the gym, a ck figure burst through the second-floor window,nding in the stands and spreading his arms wide upon seeing me. Aha, who is this! I was curious who was making such a racket, and its a trap by the Goblin! [Come down, Duoexini.] Uahaha, hahaha! Kahah! Wait, just a sec. My stomach hurts. Its so funny its giving me a stomachache. Duoexini quickly jumped from the stands to the gym floor. So, its the Sejong Education Institute gymnasium. Hehe, did you manage to open the gym door with the help of the student council president? What about his speech? [The student council prepared hard for the practice, but you ruined everything. Is there a problem with taking revenge personally, on behalf of the public, and even nationally?] Kuhuhu, ah, of course, revenge is necessary. Well, if you have the strength for it, that is. Duoexini faced me, stretching his arms out to the sides. Has it been about six hours? It doesnt seem like its been that long, has it? Im not sure how much strength youve regained in that time, but you seem almost dead now. [If it seems so, youll know when you fight.] Bluffing has its limits. Tch. You think you can win because I lost to you twice, but Im going to give it my all now. Thud! Duoexini took off his mask and set it down below. Like a sandbag dropping, Duoexinis mask hit the gym floor with a thud. Ill show you my full power, Goblin. Today, I will defeat you and ensure the Secret Society can no longer hinder our righteous cause. [If thats what you think, lets see you try. Sinchiljoejong.] What? Kuhuhu, you figured that out, too? Impressive. But you made a mistake. Duoexini licked his lips and grinned wickedly. To know our name, which we havent even officially announced yet. Hehe, that means one of our Chilseong has colluded with the Society! [.] That was not it. It was a spoiler from the original works second part. Who is it? Haha, it doesnt matter! Ill just kill you over and over until you spill the truth! [Do you think you can win against me after losing twice?] Of course! Duoexini spread his hands to the sides, and crimson bubbles expanded in all directions from his palms. Phwoar!! The bubbles stuck to the gym walls, filling them in an instant, and began wriggling like flesh. Ugh! Ah, this might be a bit too much for a girl. But its necessary to prevent the Goblin from escaping, so please understand. Duoexini chuckled and bowed to Yoon Iseon. Yoon Iseon, the student council president. Since youve received a message on your Taeguk Watch, I guess you see me as that kind of person, too. You areyes. The seductive devil, Pakseuryeon. [You really cant name things.] What did you say? Typical of a viin like Duoexini. They had pride in naming demons. [Yoon Iseon. The Golden Priestess and Doul wille to your rescue soon. Use your abilities to protect yourself.] Go, Goblin, sir! Yoon Iseon clenched her fist toward me. Yo, you must win! After you win, I have something to tell you! [.] That was a death g. But it didnt seem to matter that much. [Ah, Im looking forward to it.] There was no way I would lose to something like this. Thud! I mmed the Goblin Bat down. Standing in front of Yoon Iseon, I ced both hands on the handle of the Goblin Bat and set the tip on the ground, taking a deep breath. [Duoexini. A devil who calls himself Duoexini. What is your name?] . [Lets change the question. Which star did youe from?] Heh. Duoexinis body began to twist. Simultaneously, red bubbles rose from his body, and pieces of flesh popped in and out. Thump, thump. Eek, eek! Yoon Iseon stepped back in fear. Despite my standing in front of her, Duoexinis body had erged so much that it was visible next to mine from Yoon Iseons perspective. Which star? Star? What concept is that? Can you define it with human concepts? [Dont try to y word games. Demon.] Demon? No. I am not a demon. I am not just any demon, but Duoexini. [Gone mad with gukppong.] Gukppong, no!! Red mist began to rise from Duoexinis inted body. Phwoar. Simultaneously, bubbles burst from within. It was like a gas explosion, revealing something about 2 meters tall from within. This country needs change. It must be filled with people who have patriotism and are willing to sacrifice and dedicate themselves to the country. And create a world where all other countries are subservient to this one. [Alien, of all things.] Alien? That doesnt matter. I am a citizen of this country, live here, and have decided to root myself here. Thud. The giant, emerging from the torn flesh, was emaciated like a mummy. Its entire body was wrapped in red bandages, and its fingernails, sharp like des, were poised toward me. The pressure it exuded felt almost like that of an S-ss entity or perhaps even beyond. This country must be strong for this to survive. Flutter! Demon wings spread out from its back. Wings that appeared to be a fusion of machinery and life unfolded. It resembled a monster from a sci-fi alien manga, a primitive lifeform from an immense space war, or an extraterrestrial being building a civilization on a beyond Earth. When the world is unified under onenguage, where every living being speaks Korean, and this is known not as Earth but as Korea [Not nationalistic fervor, but delusional intoxication.] Crack. Duoexinis body stiffened. [I dont care whatever ideology you espouse or brought you here. You created demons and caused the deaths of hundreds of Koreans.] It was for the hero known as The Golden Priestess [Because of Duoexini, hundreds of Koreans died.] No, no! Those people were, yes, traitors who deserved to be weeded out! This assertion was incontestable. [I will execute you.] Click. [The crime is creating demons that led to the ughter of hundreds of Koreans.] ! Gripping the Goblin Bat, I allowed my imagination to soar in my mind. And that imagination became reality with my magic power and special ability. [There is a fitting execution ground for a viin.] The magic power within me caused the imaginings in my mind to materialize here. My magic power radiated outward, bing tangible. [Come forth.] A very special ability that only I, not born of this world but from another, could manifest. [To the Chamber of Truth.] Chapter 161: Kill The Duoexini (5) Chapter 161: Kill The Duoexini (5) Bang! A golden circle formed in the air, streaming green magic power from it, engulfing the gymnasium. Iseon! Sr tina! Im here too. Entering the gymnasium through spatial movement, Yumir and Doul brought relief to Yoon Iseon. That, its Sir Goblin! However, her relief was short-lived, for the Goblin protecting her had suddenly vanished. He was aiming his Goblin Bat at Duoexini and then vanished! The demon, Duoexini, disappeared as well. Yoon Iseon stared, dumbfounded, at the unbelievable scene unfolding before her. Uh can you see this? You wont be able to. Not the current Yoon Iseon. What? Hearing their words, Yoon Iseon felt her heart sink. It appeared they were seeing something she couldnt, as they pointed towards the gymnasium withplex expressions. How should I exin this? A reversed world? Or a world inside a mirror? Perhaps another reality created by abilities? A world of digital illusion? Probably not digital. More likely, a space created by magic power. Doul approached Yoon Iseon and lightly waved her hand. Crack! At the sound of something breaking, Yoon Iseon turned her head to see a severed arm fall lifelessly to the floor. Eek! Right now, this gymnasium is swarming with demons. Every piece of flesh here is a demon, and thats where theyre born. These demons need purification too Impossible. They arent humans; they are pure demons born from evil. ! Both Yumir and Yoon Iseon were shocked, surveying the wall of flesh chunks. Red blood blossomed like flowers amid rock crystals, and human-sized chunks began to emerge. Thump, thump. Bubbles burst from the pulsating mass, and torn flesh revealed a crimson figure rising from within it. You might never have faced them before. These are pure demons born in Pandemonium, essentially the offspring of Duoexini. Ugh. Duoexini must have released these demons while nning a surprise attack on Goblin. He likely intended to ambush you, Yoon Iseon. But now. Duoexini didnt realize. The power of Goblin. A single space. Two worlds. Yoon Iseon couldnt see it, but she sensed it through Yumir and Douls gazes and movements. Inside the gymnasium, there was another gymnasium where Goblin and Duoexini were fighting. Its a technique known only to the executives and board members within the Secret Society. Goblin using it to this extent suggests he somewhat trusts you guys. Crack! Doul extended her leg sideways, cutting like a de. A green, magic-powered sh swept through Duoexinis offspring, bisecting the baby demons. Sr tina. These demons werent once humans, nor were they infants. What sustains them? Humans. Yumir stretched out her hands, conjuring golden des. These beings feed on humans, correct? Exactly. In keeping with the role of the Golden Priestess, instead of summoning red ropes to restrain the enemy, she wielded golden twin swords to y them. They make no distinction between ability users and ordinary people. So, dont hesitate to kill them. What happens if Goblin captures Duoexini, but his offspring remain outside? Resurrection? Well find out when we get there. But. Doul shed her sword horizontally. A demon attempting a surprise attack from behind was cleaved in two, tumbling to the ground. To prevent that from happening, we need to fight well now, right? Of course. Yumirs eyes began to glow with a golden light. Does this mean its eptable to kill these creatures before Goblin emerges from this parallel world?
Boom! I swung the bat down with force. As I cloaked the bat in green magic and struck, Duoexini, in the midst of dodging, was hit in the leg by my bat. Kraaak! [Avoiding the bat alone wont suffice.] My bat was now swirling with Douls magic. A sharp, cutting power capable of slicing through anything spiraled around it. [It covers a pretty wide range.] Holding the end of the bat, I twisted my body toward Duoexini and swung hard. Whoosh! Turning sideways as if sliding, I channeled all the centrifugal force into the bat. This is crazy! Duoexini retreated with one hand and foot on the ground. Blood flowed profusely from its other arm, continuously bubbling crimson as it attempted to regenerate. Its leg, shredded by the green whirlwind, oozed blood from its red bandage-like skin. [You wont get away.] I couldnt let it regenerate freely. I closed my left eye, then lifted the cover over the eye of the Goblin mask and opened my eye wide. [Suns Eye.] sh. As soon as my vision turned gold, a beam of golden magic power shot from my eye toward Duoexini. Fwoosh! The golden magic power from my eye grazed Duoexinis ankle. Kyaak! Duoexini, attempting to leap into the second-floor stands, crashed through the fence and tumbled into the seats. Thending failed, and the ankle touched by the goldenser began to burn in golden mes. Like a vampire vanishing in sunlight, Duoexinis severed body parts instantly bubbled up and disintegrated upon contact with the golden magic. This, this! [Is this why youre obsessed with Sr tina? Because you think Sr tina has the power to kill you?] Bang! I lightly jumped andnded in the second-floor stands where it had fallen. [To be killed by the national hero Sr tina of South Korea, or perhaps you wanted a more spectacr death. Too bad. Youll die in a quiet ce unknown to anyone.] Kraaah! Duoexinis remaining arm swelled immensely. A pir-like growth emerged, transforming into a rifle-like end aimed at me. No, no! Tatatat! From Duoexinis arm, blood-red bullets sprayed in all directions. It was an attack to keep me at bay while also a desperate attempt to escape this space. [Hmph.] I lightly swung my bat around. Green magic power began to swirl around me, causing the bullets flying toward me to spin with the wind and fall helplessly to the ground. [Originally, this ce wasnt meant for your execution, but the target for execution here is a threat to this world. The condition has been met.] What, what! [The absolute evil condemned by the whole world. A condition that can iste him from the world. There are many restrictions, but if theres a reason, anyone can be brought here.] I aimed my bat at Duoexini again. [The world has defined you as an evil that shouldnt exist. Everyone living in this world rejects you. You are a clear evil.] That, thats not important!! Duoexini, ranting madly, charged at me. I must make this country an empire! We must repay a hundred, no, a thousandfold, what we suffered at the hands of the great powers before! Dont you feel the spirits of the countless ancestors who died on thisnd? [That doesnt sound like something an alien should say.] You, traitor! A fool who doesnt know loyalty to the country! [What? Crazy.] Wham! I swung my bat with all my strength, infused with Douls magic, toward Duoexini. Kr, ugh! [Boost.] Duoexini raised one arm to block my attack, but an explosion erupted from the bat. Kraaak! The flesh pir that blocked the bat instantly fell apart, and Duoexini, struck in the shoulder by the bat, tumbled down below the stands. Ziiiing. I opened my Golden Sun eye again and burned the fragments of Duoexini that had fallen around us. The magic power imbued with Yumirs strength, the power of the Sr tina, has the property of annihting and disintegrating the fundamental magic power of demons. How, how! How can someone as weak as youhow! [The amount of magic power isnt everything. If youck something, just borrow the strength of others.] Even if my magic power was terribly low. Even if I didnt have the ability to eliminate demons. [Whether youre an S-ss demon or an EX-ss alien, that doesnt matter to me now.] Magic power surged from an S+ ss spirit. I wielded the power to purify demons like an EX-ss protagonist. [If youre not overpowering me with absolute magic power, I can always find a way to win.] That was the perspective and experience gained from watching protagonists defeat numerous viins from beyond the fourth dimension. [Infinite regeneration, bodily fluid bullets, ultra-fastbat. All of it.] Infinite regeneration? I countered it with the power to purify demons. Bodily fluid bullets? I conjured a wind de to shield myself. Ultra-fastbat? I had matched that speed since the first day I encountered Duoexini. [If you are a demon from outer space.] I pursued Duoexini, ascending while hoisting my bat high with one hand. [I am a god who descended from even higher.] A god known as the Reader. [Its divine punishment.] The Reader. [You were too arrogant.] Did not tolerate sweet potatoes. [Therefore, youre out of this world.] I brought my bat down directly onto Duoexinis head. [Forever.] Wham. Duoexinis head burst apart. Chapter 162: Kill The Duoexini (6) Chapter 162: Kill The Duoexini (6) Thwack, thwack, thwack. I swung the baseball bat repeatedly. With each strike imbued with Douls magic power, I crushed Duoexinis body. The moment the bat struck the top of the head, Douls magic, sharp as a gust of wind, shredded Duoexinis skull. When it connected with the shoulder, the already disjointed arm, hanging by a thread, was severed and flew off. As Duoexini tried to crawl away, I poked his spine with the bat; a de of wind slipped between the vertebrae, splitting his body in two. Kr, aargh! Even in a mangled state, Duoexini screamed. The scream, seemingly produced not by vocal cords but by magic power, reverberated with pain despite theplete destruction of its physical tissues. How, how can! Someone like you! [Theres no need for more words.] I hade prepared to exploit weaknesses and harnessed the power to target theirs. Then, essentially, it was over. [Vanish before the power of the tinum Sun you so adore.] Ziiiing. Light once again emanated from my eyes. This time, I didnt shoot a directser beam. Instead, I spread the from the Goblin mask wide, dispersing it in all directions. Aaaargh!! Duoexinis body began to burn away. I dragged him into the gap between dimensions, and although there was no sun here, the magic power of Yumir within me was equivalent to sunlight. Demons existed in darkness and feared the sunlight. Since Yumir represented the tinum Sun in this world, I could purify the demon Duoexini with Yumirs magic power. That was all it took. Ah, no! I cant die here! At least, at least a bit more! [What, you wished to die in a national cemetery or something? Thats unfortunate.] More than half of Duoexinis body was now burnt away. The battle was already in my favor, and it was futile for Duoexini to try to drag his body away, attempting to escape me or this room. [Trying to run away again.] Krak! Puff! I swung the bat toward his sr plexus. His chest caved in, and Duoexini, like a cockroach pinned with tweezers, trembled violently in ce. Thwack, thump, thump. Each blow made chunks of Duoexinis flesh fall off like foam. As the flesh fell and tried to regenerate, I promptly dispersed the light of the tinum Sun, annihting his magical power. [Youve been good at running away so far. But that ends now.] Kr, hehehe, you you want something from me?! Duoexini shouted at me, looking like a torso with a severed head. Seeing that you dont kill me right away, chuk, you must want something from me! [.] What do you want? That, thats right! My, my presence was wrong? Then, then I wont appear before you anymore! I wont appear in Korea anymore! Duoexini was desperate. I, I cant die in such a ce! My death should at least be used more meaningfully! Even as a demon, feeling a serious threat to his life, Duoexini started begging me for mercy. I cant die in such a ce, in such an ugly state, can I?! Huh?! At least let it be on a live broadcast, cough, in front of many people Huh?! That, thats right! Ill die! But not here; do it in front of people! Demons were afraid. They feared humiliation and damage to their reputation more than death. That Grand Cross! Your finishing move! Kill me with it in front of people! Dont kill me here, in this space isted from the world! You need to build your reputation too! Duoexini, the monster who created 72 demons! [Indeed, if I defeat you here, it would mean nothing.] All the hardship for nothing. And no one to acknowledge it. [Only about three who fought with me would know. That Duoexini has been defeated and wont appear again.] That, thats right! Make my death more, more glorious Krack! [Im not interested.] Thump. Again, I dismantled Duoexinis body with the baseball bat. Now, essentially, only Duoexinis chest and ribs covering the heart remained. Crackle. A burning sound filled the air as all traces of Duoexini vanished from the small gym. Aside from the pulsating heart, no sign of Duoexini remained, and I focused the magic power at the bats end. Swoosh! I drove the de of the Moon Sword into Duoexinis sr plexus. It sliced through Duoexinis sr plexus like a knife through tofu. Thud. With the bats end, I pried open Duoexinis ribs. Beneath the shattered, twisted ribs, a massrger than a fist throbbed rapidly. [So its you, Duoexini. Is the heart your core?] Stop, stop! A valve-like shimmer appeared above the red devils heart. I concede defeat! So, please, dont let me die disgracefully in a ce like this! Eyes and a mouth emerged from the heart. In a desperate bid, he transformed all his remaining magic power into organs formunication. [Even in your final moments, you pretend to be human, rational trying to beguile me. How typical for a demon.] But, even so! Consider this! You wouldnt want it to end like this, would you! Duoexini continued to try to persuade me. Honor! The honor of having killed Duoexini! An S+ grade demon, no, I God of Neptune! Ill grant you that honor! If you let me die in a more public, more morous ce! [Theres a misunderstanding you have, and I need to address it first.] I aimed the bat at Duoexini. [I dont enjoy conversing with someone like you. Do you know why Im still talking?] . [Because Ive already won.] No uncertainties. Victory was mine. [You should be pondering why Im bothering with this pointless dialogue.] What? [It appears a great person like you cant grasp why youre in this predicament. Let me enlighten you.] I set the bat down and crouched before him. [I am a traitor.] What?! [I am a traitor. Repeat it thrice aloud, and Ill spare you today.] ! Duoexini realized the gravity of his situation. Though he had only one left, his eye filled with horror and rage as he red at me. You, youre toying with me! [Yes.] I lightly touched the heart with the end of the bat. Aaaagh! [Why scream like that? You havent even been exposed to sunlight yet.] I plucked Duoexinis heart from his body with the bat and immediately purified his chest with sunlight. Now, only Duoexinis heart remained. [Shout it out. Show me you want to live.] I, I am [Even if others cant hear, I will listen here.] I ama traitor! Blood sttered from Duoexinis eyes. A traitor! Selling my country, turning my back on my homnd, surviving like a parasite clinging to foreign powers! Blood dripped from his mouth, and the hearts valve began to shrink. Sa, save me! [You still want to live after selling your country?] I want to live! I dont want to die like this, in such a manner! [I see.] Flickering the golden magic in my eyes, I extinguished it. Uh? [Tsk.] At that moment, the world began to crumble. As soon as I withdrew my magic power, the alternate world confining Duoexini and me started to copse. Kr, hahaha! The world fell apart. The room of truth, created for the one-on-one battle, began to crumble gradually. Youve used up all your magic power!! Yes, its impossible to keep using something like this! [Certainly, the magic consumption is immense.] Transferring the entity known as Duoexini from the original world to my world was no small feat. The duration itsted was predicated on the fact that Duoexini could be easily subdued. But that was now over. This world, which might be called a barrier, started merging back into the original world. Foolish one! Outside, before entering this space, my physical forms were scattered! My body, my half-self, my offspringthey are out there! [.] If even one survives, I can dwell in it! Hahaha, foolish one! Thats how viins are! Babbling eloquently but missing the crucial point in the end! Duoexini mocked me, pulling out a clump of red veins from his heart and forming it into legs. Goblin! I will definitely kill you! I will find the one who betrayed us among the Seven Stars, and together with that person, I will make sure youre both unmentionable trash in this world forever! I will, definitely! Hahaha! [Stupid fool.] I lowered the bat. [I did toy with you, but talking to you was just to kill time.] What, did you say? [Release.] I dissolved the bats entity and released the interspace. With the sound of a clock ticking, Duoexini and I returned to the original world, inside the gym. Huh! Foolish! [!] Duoexini saw it. Right before him. A sun more brilliant than the light emanating from my eyes. Ah, aah, no! First, my! [Ah.] Yumir pointed a brilliantly shining golden sword at Duoexini. Wait, just a moment! Sto, stop! I, like this Swoosh! Yumirs golden sword split Duoexinis heart. Thest moment. Duoexinis eyes looked directly at me. He realized. That I, until the very end, had been toying with him. [Ah.] With the golden light, Duoexinis heart vanished, and Yumir looked up at me. [Destroying it immediately, thats correct, right?] As expected of Yumir. [Yes. An impressively decisive action.] [.] Above the mask. Yumirs eyes, shining golden, curved like a crescent moon. And so. What was once Duoexini quietly vanished inside an ordinary gym on Sejong Ind. Unbeknownst to anyone in the world, the end of Duoexini urred. Chapter 163: And Nobody Knows (1) Chapter 163: And Nobody Knows (1) Duoexini was dead. Silently, in an unseen corner, he vanished within the confines of an ordinary gymnasium. [Thats fortunate. Dealt with swiftly and outside.] [Did you emerge only after everything was resolved?] [Yes.] [If even one had survived] [Then Duoexini would have fled again with that body.] My words made the expressions of the three outside harden. It seemed that if Duoexini had escaped even after this trap, I would have grounds to be angry with these three. That shouldnt have happened. It was a technique executed with lethal intent. I deactivated the Room of Truth because I noticed that the situation outside had somewhat settled. Otherwise, I would have handled Duoexini inside beforeing out. But the reason I didnt finish the job and came out was to let Yumir deliver the final blow and to instill despair in Duoexini. Was it a close call? I didnt know. Whether Yumir might have missed Duoexini, I couldnt say, but Yumir eliminated Duoexini before I could even speak. I had faith in Yumir. Even if Yumir had hesitated for a moment, I would have immediately issued themand to cut down Duoexini right then and there. So Is this truly the end? [Yes. Yoon Iseon, you did well too. I apologize once more for involving you.] Oh, no! Youve done nothing wrong, Goblin! It was me who said I would send the message! I hadposed the text, and although Brewer had sent it, we had used Yoon Iseons ount. It was sure to enrage the Academy students. The trap was effective, and had it been sent by someone else, they might have approached with suspicion. [Its time to return to our respective ces.] Dawn was approaching. Since Yoon Iseon and Yumir had sneaked out, they needed to get back to their amodations in Ulleungdo. And I, too, had to return to Ulleungdo with Doul. [tinum Sun. Look after Yoon Iseon. Be cautious when returning.] [Ill be in touch soon. Ah, but here is] Well handle this. The gym was in disarray. Inside, it looked as though it had been soaked in blood. The walls bore numerous knife marks, and although only one window had been broken when Duoexini first entered, the rest clung to their frames, threatening to shatter like ss in a tempest. [Yoon Iseon. If someone tracks the GPS and asks why you were here, say you were hacked. Well leave hacking traces behind.] Is that necessary? [Your Taeguk Watch might have records of sending messages from here. Be careful.] Theres always a possibility, and being cautious is the right thing to do. [Thank you. Well discuss a return favor soon.] Ah, yes! [Then were leaving now. You really worked hard.] [Youre the one who worked hard.] Yumir nodded slightly, then took Yoon Iseons hand and opened a space. Whoosh! In a sh of gold, they vanished. Sigh. Alone in the gym, I removed my mask, and Doul approached me. Are you okay? It feels as though Ive used up all my mental strength. Even if your magic power has recovered, mental fatigue is a different issue. Its been a long time since Ive felt this exhausted. Yeah. Lets go rest. Ill take you there right away. We had arrived here through Yumirs spatial movement, but there was no need to let Yoon Iseon know that our destination was Ulleungdo just yet. So shall we clean up here? As Doul sped her hands together as if praying, a green wind burst forth around her, sweeping through the gymnasium. Lets start with a check. Roar! The blood that remained in the gym coalesced into one ce, driven by the wind. Shouldnt we have kept Yumir here first? We need to check if Duoexini is still around. I still have some of Yumirs magic power left. We just need to release it all here now. Doul umted the blood shed by Duoexini, and I inspected a blood sphere muchrger than a gym ball. Whoosh. I released thest remnants of Yumirs magic power. However, the blood was merely blood, with no signs of burning or anything emerging from within it. Doesnt seem like there are any residual thoughts or anything, right? Yeah. If there were, either you or I would have asked Yumir to eliminate it, too. This is just blood. I thought Duoexini might spring out of the blood. If it resurrected like that, wouldnt it be really filthy? Fortunately, Duoexini waspletely dead. If it appeared again somewhere, I would have to kill it so it couldnt resurrect again. Whether iming to be the god of Uranus, or truly being one, or even a divine avatar with their power, I had confirmed that they could be taken down. Pandemonium must be in chaos now. One of their seven heads is dead. Hm Ah. Doul. I need to ask you for a favor. I took out a baseball bat and gently lifted a droplet of blood with it. Im going to store a thought in here. Is that okay? Whose thought? Duoexinis? Dont worry about resurrection. Its just a snippet of a conversation I had with it. The thought Ill leave is mine. The Goblins memory. Just a part of it. I would copy a fragment and leave it in this blood droplet. Are you trying to reveal its you? For now. Im trying to deceive Pandemonium into thinking the Goblin used some special power to kill rather than it being tinum Suns doing. Whether theyre fooled or not, you want to confuse the enemy? Thats part of the n. It wasnt the entire conversation. I only needed one specific part. Im trying to start a rift within Pandemonium that began with Duoexinis death. You might faint doing all that. If I faint, I hope youll carry me to Ulleungdo. Ha, really. Doul approached me and effortlessly lifted me up. I didnt expect to be carried like this. How does it feel to be carried like a princess after usually doing the carrying? At least I was about to press the mask back on but covered my face with my hand instead. I hope people dont catch the Goblin being carried by Doul. Hu-hu. Dont worry. Thats my specialty! Green winds rose from Doul, and we swiftly escaped through the ceiling. Copse. Doul unleashed her power downward, and the gymnasium copsed instantly. Rumble. Dust rose as the interior was destroyed, and Duoexinis blood, which had gathered into a sphere, burst as if crushed by the copsing ceiling, flowing out from the debris. And I imbued it with my memory, my thoughts. If someone tried to find traces through Duoexinis blood, they would discover it. That the Goblin had fought with Duoexini. And that Duoexini had died. There was no Yoon Iseon, no Yumir, no Doul. Just in another bizarre world, they would only know that the Goblin thoroughly defeated Duoexini. And. Thankfully, the secret society has no traitors. I closed my eyes. Hoping that Pandemoniums Seven Stars would recognize thest struggle of Duoexini. Swoosh. Doul raced over the sea. She left Sejong Ind and headed towards Ulleungdo, but no one noticed her. Unlike my usual spiritualization, it was merely Doul being too fast. Can you keep up with this? Youve improved this much in the meantime? High-speed movement. Perhaps her pride was hurt when she couldnt chase Duoexini while merged with me, Doul had awakened to her high-speed movement ability. How did you develop this? I just decided to think of it simply. Twice the speed I usually move at, then twice that, and again twice that. I thought if I kept doubling the speed, eventually, I would reach it. Indeed, an infinite loop of doubling the speed. Duoexinis high-speed movement was different. It gradually elerated, ultimately reaching speeds 64 or 128 times faster, but by shortening the time to reach that speed, I could definitely use high-speed movement without theg time to reach top speed. This, I identally learned a new technique. It would have been helpful when dealing with Duoexini. Well, it turned out well in the end. Though I lost track once in the middle, the result wasnt too bad. Duoexini was dead. Yumir had gained a reliable colleague in Yoon Iseon. Yoon Iseon found a connection with the Goblin. Then I merged with Doul, and Doul learned high-speed movement. But you know, the world doesnt know Duoexini is dead. . What will you do? Announce it? That the Goblin killed him? Well. I hadnt thought beyond informing Pandemonium of my victory over Duoexini. I was just focused on killing Duoexini. Right, we moved a bit too fast. Yumir has drive but often acts without considering the consequences. I agree. Well, thats what agents and secret societies are for, handling such issues. Before I realized it, Doul had reached the pension in Ulleungdo. Brewer. Back? Looks like you were sessful. Ah, yes. I dismounted from Doul and reclined on the sofa. Hand over the Taeguk Watch. I need to report to the chairman. Youre reporting right away? Yes. I also have something to ask. Beep. The call connected immediately. Sorry for calling sote at night, chairman. [No, I was still awake.] Weve dealt with Duoexini. Completely annihted. [Youve worked hard. Rest well.] I had someone I could trust. [Ill take care of the political issues, so just rest well, manager. Okay?] Love you, chairman. [I love you too. I would talk more, but Im nearly dead. Sleep well, my love.] Click. The call ended. I clutched the Taeguk Watch to my chest and closed my eyes. Brewer. Yeah. When I wake up in the morning, make me a hot bowl of beef soup. Alright. Rest well. You can think after you wake up. . I closed my eyes again. Yap. . Douly down next to me, draping her body over mine, but I simply kept my eyes closed. Both Doul and I needed rest.
We must capture and subdue Duoexini immediately! Despite the government and the worlds chaos in searching for Duoexini, resting was my first priority. Chapter 164: And Nobody Knows (2) Chapter 164: And Nobody Knows (2) At that moment, in a ce in Daejeon. We must find Duoexini first. No, the priority is transporting the Zenroses from Daejeon to Busan. How? By air? Didnt you see the protesters spread all over near the roads? Theyre demanding the immediate execution of all Zenroses. Before we talk about execution, we need to give them vines. Vines for those about to die! Theyll all be executed once they get to Busan anyway! There could be exceptions!! Shouts filled the air. In a meeting room full of heroes, such chaos unfolded, making one wonder about the situation among ordinary people. . Watching the noisy meeting from behind a ss wall, Baek Seol-hee listened to ate-night emergency debate on the news through her earphones. The problems were too many. Indescribably chaotic. The situation felt like the eve of a superpower war between the USA and China, withmunities nationwide - no, worldwide - filled with fear and confusion. We have to find Duoexini! We must find and kill him at any cost! But how? Where is Duoexini even located? The biggest issue. The whereabouts of Duoexini. Even the Hero Association didnt know where Duoexini had disappeared to. Thest known location was Ulleungdo. There had been sightings of Duoexini-like figures here and there afterward, but those were false rms. After appearing in Ulleungdo, Duoexini vanished without a trace. Even that was a brief appearance, leaving the Hero Association chasing shadows. Is it true that Duoexini was driven away by Sr tina? Well, its confirmed that Sr tina appeared in Ulleungdo. Nam Doo-chang and Gong Tae-beom there turned into Zenroses. What about the testimonies of the students present? ording to the student president Yoon Iseon and Yu Mir? They said Duoexini turned the two men into demons, but Sr tina drove him away. Duoexini fled as soon as he met Sr tina. Can we really trust that testimony? Is there any video evidence? None. But shes the student president. Do you think she would lie? A persons status doesnt guarantee their testimony is truthful. The im that Sr tina appeared relies solely on his act of freeing Ulleungdo from the Genroses Ah, enough. What we need to find isnt Sr tina but Duoexini. We must locate and kill that monster. The denunciation of Duoexini continued. Since no one knew where or when he might turn superheroes into demons again, the heroes were desperate to find and eliminate Duoexini. Then what about the Goblin This is not the time to worry about the Goblin! At least this time, he acted well! He killed all the demons! Not all, only those who had killed or eaten people. What? Are you defending the Goblin? I am. He eradicated all the demons and kept my hands clean. What! The room was a veritable cauldron of chaos. In such confusion, any words from Baek Seol-hee would have been futile, so she quietly left and sipped her coffee. She was solely focused on finding Duoexini. At least the information from Ulleungdo confirmed that Duoexini was behind the disaster, and she was intent on finding and eliminating him immediately. Beep. ? A message arrived. Looking at her Taeguk Watch, it was from the person who was currently the talk of the heromunity. -Sister. Are you okay? Should Ie there? Im worried. On the surface, it appeared to be a normal message of concern. But Baek Seol-hee knew Yumir wasnt the type to send such messages without a good reason. Tring. Baek Seol-hee immediately made a call. [Ah, sister!] Sorry. Be brief. Whats going on? [Um, well. How to say this Ah.] Yumir seemed to ponder before bringing the receiver closer. [Caught. Him.] . The voice through the phone sounded slightly distorted as ifced with magical power. Caught? What have you caught? [Caught.] Baek Seol-hee couldnt help but smile slightly as she realized Yumirs intention. Anyone who listened to this conversation could easily deduce its meaning with a little thought. Understood. I get what youre saying. Lets meet the next time I visit Sejong Ind. Take care of yourself. [Yes. Ah, but keep this a secret from the others. Ill tell you moreter. You rest, too.] The call ended. Baek Seol-hee sighed deeply in relief. This is ufortable. It was probably that issue. She must have consulted with Do Ji-hwan. She wanted to talk to Do Ji-hwan, too, but it was toote for a call or message. Sigh. Teleportation. The skill that allowed one to move between Daejeon and Ulleungdo was as elusive as a phantom. Despite feeling envious, Baek Seol-hee did not harbor such thoughts. We need to announce Duoexinis death! She thought of revealing Duoexinis demise to those passionately debating inside. Yumir had asked her not to tell. That decision must have been made after consulting with Do Ji-hwan. Telling her meant trusting her, and breaking that trust would be a betrayal of Do Ji-hwan. Sister? What are you doing outside the meeting room? Just breathing. Cheok Jun-kyeong, looking tired, gestured towards the arguing people inside. Ah. We need to find Duoexini quickly. Where could Duoexini be now? Buried somewhere. In hell or underground. Gulp. Baek Seol-hee sipped her coffee, silently apologizing to the people arguing fiercely. At least. Until she talked to Yumir on Sejong Ind, she decided to keep silent about Duoexinis death. If that was what Yumir and Do Ji-hwan wanted.
Dawn, Ulleungdo student amodation. You need to observe the situation a bit more before acting. In a room away from the others, Yumir and Yoon Iseon had a quiet conversation, just the two of them. Its known that Sr tina first appeared in Ulleungdo. Our testimonies led to the belief that Sr tina drove away Duoexini, but soon theyll realize the error in that. . Its aplex and tangled situation. But the most important thing is that two Zenroses appeared only in Ulleungdo, not anywhere else, even before Daejeon. That was the situation. There were rumors that the Goblin rushed to Ulleungdo, but was he actually there? Theres no proof. That was as far as Yoon Iseons investigation had determined. In the end, Duoexini was deemed to have been driven away by Sr tina, and Sr tinasst whereabouts became known. .. After dealing with Duoexini and returning Even though it waste at night, they conducted investigations with the Academy students. Yoon Iseon and Yumir corroborated the story. The Goblin wasnt involved. What will you do now? I need to consult and decide. With whom? With the Goblin. Do you have a way to contact the Goblin? The situation seems quite tangled; can the Goblin even resolve something like this? Thats. While they were deep in thought Beep. A new message arrived. It appeared simultaneously on their Taeguk Watches, showing a link to a broadcast. This is. Phishing? Ah, no. Its not phishing, its this address. Yoon Iseon opened the hyperlink that had arrived on her Taeguk Watch and pointed the watch at the TV. sh. As soon as the TV turned on, a dark silhouette emerged from the darkness. A mysterious girl, wearing a mask and holding a ck turtle, began stroking the turtles shell. [Ah. I address all humanity. Speaking as myself.] The leader of Yi Maengmangnyang, the Chief! [I am the leader of the world-conquering organization, Yi Maengmangnyang.] p! As the girl who dered herself the Chief pped her hands, light began to sparkle behind her. Dunggi Dang Dang Dang. Enigmatic traditional Korean music started ying, and the girl continued to stroke the turtle, then stretched out her finger forward. [Rejoice, humanity! I have sent my most cherished person to deal with Duoexini.] What did you say? Yoon Iseon was plunged into confusion. Is the Chief announcing that the Goblin killed Duoexini? [Yes. My most powerful weapon, the Goblin, personally took care of Duoexini. Duoexini no longer exists in this world. So worry not, humanity.] The girl extended her hand forward. [Humanity! Our secret society does not consort with demons! If anyone turns humans into demons, whether they be a president or an S-ss ability user, our society will not overlook it! Those who disrupt the world I, ck Dragon, will govern, will be punished in my name!!] Kaboom! Rainbow-colored fireworks burst behind the Chief as the video ended. What kind of recording is this? Its not a recording. Yoon Iseon switched to a news channel. -Uh, breaking news just in as you may have seen The Chief of the secret society, ck Dragon, personally eliminated Duoexini Ah. Yumirs face fell. Did I contact Seol-hee unnie unnecessarily. One person was dead. Two imed to have killed him. What if they interrogate meter about what happened. Dont think tooplicatedly. Seol-hee unnie would know, right? Yeah. Then, think of it this way. Yoon Iseon took Yumirs hand. Viins killed each other. We dont know anything.
. The red-haired woman rose after watching the TV broadcast. The toast she was about to eat fell to the floor, and sauce spilled out. It cant be. It just cant be Sister! A slightly younger girl, resembling the woman, burst out of the room. Calm down! First, take a moment to How can I be calm?! The red-haired woman screamed, donning her coat. He cant be dead! Surely! If he was killed, if hes dead! Her hair began to frantically rise like a ghosts. Goblin or whatever, Ill kill them all! Chapter 165: A Chaotic Week (1) Chapter 165: A Chaotic Week (1) Despite the many events of the day, it was surprisingly only the second day of practice. In just one day, too many events had urred: many people died, and a formidable entity was killed. People plunged into chaos, mixing baseless rumors with fear. However, there was one thing. Thanks to the information announced at dawn, people felt somewhat relieved. Brewer, did anything unusual happen while I was asleep? Unusual? Yes. The Chairman appeared on TV and gave a speech. It was broadcast worldwide due to hacking. Is there a recording of it? One piece of certified information. The Goblin of Chilryeon Society had executed an entity named Duoexini. This information was so certain that no verification was needed. Not because it was factual but because the Chief herself had announced it. The Chief did not lie. A person aiming for world domination could not afford to lie, as no one would believe them. Hence, her principle was always to speak the truth. At least when she was in front of the media. She said she would handle it personally, so revealing the truth was her way. You dont like it? No, I dont. While adding shrimp sauce to my rice soup, I rechecked the video. The Chairman announcing that I killed Duoexini had two purposes: one, to prevent usations against the tinum Sun, and secondly, to inform the world about Duoexinis death. Duoexinis death? Yes. Rather than gaining from hiding information, its crucial to spread it quickly to calm the worlds chaos. Look at this. I opened a stock app on my tablet. The Nasdaq hit rock bottom as soon as the news broke that 500 people died due to a demon released by Duoexini in Korea, especially since he wasnt captured during the chaos. Koreas crisis causing a crash in the U.S. stock market? It was expected. Korea was the worlds center; a disaster there meant global panic. Even a circuit breaker was triggered, halting all trades. And it was lifted Thirty minutes had passed since the official broadcast from the Chilryun Society. Investors in the U.S. must have felt like they were in hell. A demon in Korea that couldnt be dealt with suggested a global threat. My reputation as Duoexinis killer has prevented an international economic copse. The Chairman deemed it crucial, and I concur. Well, its not like the Chairman needs your opinion The Chairmans opinion is mine. And she would never allow me to suffer losses. Even if it means a full-scale war with Pandemonium? That would be even better. Upon reflection, this was an opportunity. Now the world has united against Duoexini and his backers. No one dares side with them. With the Chilryun Society leading the charge, resolving this issue will propel us toward our goal of world domination. It was about eliminating the one who turned ability users into demons. We damaged the organization he was part of, eliminating one of the seven stars. The Chilryun Society had saved the world from a threat that nations couldnt handle. That alone was sufficient to secure future support and sway public opinion in our favor. Thats enough. Yet your expression doesnt look too pleased while watching the video. Thats for another reason. I pointed at the ck silhouette. Why did the Chief choose to appear in this form to speak? Perhaps she just felt like it. Ah, no. You see this and still dont understand. Upon closer inspection, the turtle ced above the lower abdomen wasnt there without reason. Although it wasnt actually a turtle, lets pretend not to notice for now since its just a silhouette. Ill need to ask about itter. Why did she choose to appear in this form? People must be in chaos now. The Chiefs appearance has changed. Some factions seem to appreciate it. Those factions, arent they the ones the FBI should be watching? The Chiefs transformation had also be an issue. The Chief has be younger! This is the undeniable truth! Police officer, over here! Isnt that her original form? The Chief we saw before was just a fake one. What? So it was all fake? The relief that Duoexini had been annihted allowed for spection about the Chiefs change in appearance. Anyway, since the Goblin of the Chilryun Society announced that he killed Duoexini, its confirmed that Duoexini is dead. If Duoexini hadnt died, people would now be condemning the Korean heroes for failing to capture him. This would have affected both Baek Seol-hee and the tinum Sun. Thanks to that, our country dodged a bullet. The Chairmans intervention made our all-night meeting pointless. Probably. ns to find and kill Duoexini became pointless. Theyre probably now wasting resources shredding the printed press releases they prepared in vain. Then what we need to worry about now is oh, youre up? Ugh Doul staggered to the table. As soon as she sat down, she buried her head on the table, and Brewer looked awkwardly towards the induction cooker. For breakfast Brewer. Bring me milk. I put down my spoon and took out a bowl I had requested earlier from the pension owner. That? Isnt that a bit harsh? Its fine. It looked like a dog bowl, but that was what it was. Pour the milk. Treating a person like this. Not a person. Doul rubbed her face on the table and then raised her head drowsily. Im a ghost. Even if youre a ghost, eating milk from a dog bowl is This is my meal. I received the milk from Brewer and poured it into the bowl, and Doul began to lick the milk, sticking out her tongue. Slurp, slurp. Brewer seemed slightly shocked by the scene. What? Shocked to see a Chilryun Society executive eating like this? Gunggi, no, no. Dont say it. She eats by pecking. . Brewer covered her face with her hands. While others think of the society as dark heroes who averted a global crisis, here we have its leaders eating breakfast like this. Brewer pointed at me and Doul with a sigh. What a world. Thats how the world is. You cant always be dressed up and have your hair done. I scooped a spoonful of peri powder into my rice soup. Take it easy, Brewer. It means yourefortable with us. Slurp, slurp, slurp. What we really need to worry about now is The tinum Sun? No. The tinum Sun issue was just a minor concern for some. The real issue is something else. Just listen to that. It was a problem derived from the tinum Sun, but. The Zenros, what do we do about them now? Those who were demons and then purified. Humans are predictable. Their fear, disgust, and hatred toward them. Theyll be up in arms. How dare a demon enter my neighborhood! Humans. They were humans.
Breaking news. The government will issue arrest warrants for Ability Loss Patients as soon as theyplete vination and adaptation . On the Gyeongbu Expressway, heading to Busan. Baek Seol-hee sat in the back of a limousine, lost in thought while watching the news. Senior, what do you think about the Zenros? Im not sure. Baek Seol-hee turned her gaze out of the window as she pondered the question from A-ss hero st Girl, who was in the limousine with her. First, we need to finish the investigation. Will the investigation, no, will the judgment be fair? Kim Eun-jung, what are you trying to say? Well. st Girl, Kim Eun-jung pulled out a list on her Taeguk Watch with a serious face. Among the Zenros, theres a former ministers son, rtives in the legal field So, they wont be punished because they have connections with judges andwyers? Even if they are punished, will it be just a p on the wrist? Itsplicated. If they killed a few people, they get a few years; if they only caused property damage, a few years Ugh. Sometimes, I think the Goblin is right in these situations. You shouldnt say such things. But its true, Senior. You must have felt it when you fought the S-ss demon with the Goblin. Kim Eun-jung approached Baek Seol-hee with a significant tone. If the Goblin steps in, we wont have to dirty our hands The Goblin is not a hooligan. We cant use him for such things. But, with the Goblin Stop talking nonsense. Baek Seol-hee warned with a cold, stern voice. If you say that one more time, I will get angry Screech. The car stopped. Baek Seol-hees limousine, followed by other cars, halted one after the other. Whats happening? Did the road get damaged? That, thats The driver, with a grave face, pointed ahead. Up ahead, people have upied the road, lying down. What? Theyre wearing red headbands, lying on the road. Baek Seol-hee immediately opened the limousine door and stepped out. Flutter. Banners fluttered on poles extended to the left and right. Hastily written red letters on a white cloth made Baek Seol-hee involuntarily read. Once a demon, always a demon, oppose their entry into Busan? Wow, Senior. Is this what they call NIMBYism from textbooks? Jangjaejangjang! The sound of a gong rang out, and someone began shouting through a megaphone. How dare they bring a demon into Busan! How dare they! How dare they! How dare they! The Hero Association must wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Demons to hell! Criminals to the gallows! To the gallows! To the gallows! Execute the viins! Call the Goblin! Call him! Call him! Sigh. Baek Seol-hee felt a chill run down her spine. Are they now demanding the Goblin to kill all the Zenros? Chapter 166: A Chaotic Week (2) Chapter 166: A Chaotic Week (2) At that moment, on the top floor of the Busan Haegnul Group Building: Proceeding as directed, Chairman. Ah, yes. Im watching it live. Continue as nned. Chairman Choi Ho-jung of Haegnul leaned back on the sofa with a satisfied smile, responding to the report through his smartphone. Right. Those devils are trying to enter Busan directly. Chairman, but those who lost their special abilities Ah, once a devil, always a devil, Director Jang. Losing their abilities doesnt mean theyre not devils. Chairman Choi cut off the director with a firm voice. Why did they be devils? Because they went berserk. The body may be human, but the mind is devilish. Their souls are already tainted. How can they not be called devils? But there are rumors that Duoexini forcibly turned them into devils. Director Jang stood firm in his opinion. Think about Yook Gibong, the patented rider we wanted to use. Duoexini injected something like the seed of a devil into Yook Gibong, and he became a devil in an instant. So, youre saying even a good ability user could be a devil with just one pill or seed? Its possible. Hmm. That changes everything. Chairman Choi pondered thoughtfully. Turning a noble hero into a devil ispletely different from someone with devilish tendencies bing one. Ah, lets do that. Chairman Choi, with a kind smile, stroked a white-furred cat that had climbed onto his executive desk. Those turned into devils by Duoexini were not good from the start but inherently bad. Duoexini selectively chose those destined to be devils. Chairman, thats baseless In my 90 years of life, what I learned while others were learning Hangul during the Korean War was how to judge people. Chairman Choi pointed to his eyes, then skillfully operated the Taeguk Watch, disying a list on one side of the TV screen. This time, those Zenros the ability loss sufferers. I reviewed the list, cross-checked the data brought by our internal HR team and scouts, and found one very interesting result. You personally? Why didnt you ask us? I needed to do this myself to feel alive. So, I investigated and can sum them up as of the same ilk as Yook Gibong. Chairman Choi lightly tossed a small pill into his mouth. People with bad reputations, poor family backgrounds, already involved in crime or even unpublicized murderers. If I were Duoexini, I would have carefully selected people who are easily tempted by the devil and nted the seed of the devil in them. Thats how I see it. Then Stopping the protesters we called from entering Busan isnt wrong. Who would want to live in the same city as those convicted of crimes deserving universal condemnation? NIMBY wasnt a term for nothing. People opposed the entrance of socially despised facilities, even if economically beneficial, let alone those who had killed several people or caused over a billion won in damage and were now imprisoned in a research facility somewhere in Busan. A trash can ortrine has to be somewhere, but why does it have to be in our backyard, behind our apartment? Do you know what the people of Busan fear the most? Typhoon? A typhoon, but what if one of those Zenros recovers their ability? ! Director Jang turned pale. I asked my wife how it would feel to lose her ability. Do you know what she said? That everything Ive built, all my wealth and property, and the Haegnul brand would be worthless. That severe? She was speaking metaphorically. I see it like this: Could you live if your family who cared for you died, and you were left with only your torso, your limbs severed? Without societal help, itd be impossible to live. Exactly. Practically impossible, rather being unable to survive without society. Chairman Choi stroked the cat with a serious look. Thats why we cant let them into Busan. If they really enter the Busan research facility, it wont be the protesters we called, but the real people of Busan wholl rise. That would be a huge economic blow to our Haegnul Group. Because our group is secretly supporting the research facility? Yes. Tch. We supported the Ability Development Institute, and now theyre bringing in those who shouldve died for research Eh, tch tch. Chairman Chois face grew more serious as he shook his head. Theyre nning to build a new figure skating rink near the research facility, but if the Zenros enter, we wont be able to build that. Wasnt it a golf course? A golf course? There are plenty of those across the country. Chairman Choi smiled gently while petting the cat. My wife enjoys figure skating, so naturally, we have to build a figure skating rink. . Remember this. No matter how much the world changes, some truths remain eternal in this era. What was it? Money, its the best. Yes. The era of capitalism. Though one cannot buy special abilities with money, it was a world where one could hire those who possessed them. Do you think they dispatched the Goblin from the Secret Society to kill Duoexini solely for world stability? Because of money? The U.S. stock market falls due to the threat to peace, shattering the global stock markets. With my wealth at risk of a 20% drop, I, too, would have intervened. I can tolerate my own investment failures, but not losing money because of others. They think the same. Chairman Choi Ho-jungs eyes were full of confidence. Even though we paid the protesters, would they really protest so passionately just for that money? Many of the apartment residents near the research facility participated. Exactly. Apologies to the government and heroes, but Im not on the governments side. Click. Chairman Choi stroked the Haegnul logo inside his Taeguk Watch. Im on the side of capital.
Were in trouble. The negotiations have failed. Why? They demand we move elsewhere. Coming here means entering Busan directly. Seriously. Baek Seol-hee was incredulous at the protesters. Whats so scary about people who have lost their abilities If a chemically castrated rapist lived next to me, wouldnt everyone react the same? Cheok Jun-kyeong, looking tired, sipped his coffee and stood beside Baek Seol-hee. Is that the same? Yes, the same. Castrated or not, a rapist with a knife poses the same threat to ordinary people. Sigh Do you think theyre protesting for money? To me, it seems like theyre being threatened with a knife from behind. Who? Of course, fear. Cheok Jun-kyeong pointed with a bitter smile to the ck transport vehicles behind the convoy, reminiscent of something from an American movie. The fear of what if they go berserk again. After all, senior, you are currently on Sejong Ind. What if they were in Busan? Taejo is in Busan Are you suggesting we live safely in Busan? Just trust that guy? . Baek Seol-hee couldnt find words to defend Taejo. Everyone would prefer to move to Sejong Ind. There are many ability users there who can respond immediately. Plus, the Goblin is living on Sejong Ind now, isnt he? Thats unknown. He keeps showing up from Sejong Ind, right? I think the Goblin is there. . Baek Seol-hee lowered her head for a moment. Then, she firmly pressed her foot onto the ground, stared at it, and took a deep breath. Ill make a call and be right back. A call? Even if you call the association- Not the association. Baek Seol-hee left Cheok Jun-kyeong and tapped her Taeguk Watch to make a call. [Ah, hello? Seol-hee?] Hello. Can you talk right now? [Yes. You havent had a proper breakfast, have you? Im watching it live right now.] Do Ji-hwans voice came through, apanied by a news anchors description of the scene. Where are you now? [Me? Ulleungdo. I came to a pension in Ulleungdo with someone I know Haha.] Someone you know? Theres someone with you? [Well, someone I asionally rely on. We came here for training.] Ah. That was okay. I had prepared myself for this. What would you do in this situation? People are protesting by lying down on the road. [Hmm First, those people have to get into Busan, right? For the vine or whatever at the Busan research facility.] Yes. There will probably be an official announcement soon. We need to calm the protesters. Should she even mention this? Baek Seol-hee hesitated but decided to trust the feeling deep in her heart. All the ability loss sufferers are going to be sent to Sejong Ind. Theyre building a separate detention facility there. [Hmm] What would Do Ji-hwans reaction be? [Is it because Seol-hee is there?] Thats part of it, but hes likely on Sejong Ind as well. [He?] The Goblin. He might not be on Sejong Ind at the moment. [.] A brief, awkward silence ensued. Well, thats what people are saying. Surely not, right? Right? [Its possible. For now.] Yes, well. The Goblin could appear anywhere. Anyway. Baek Seol-hee turned her gaze toward the protesters. How can we get past these protesters? It doesnt seem like theyll disperse by themselves. [Why not do what you did to the Goblin yesterday? If your magic power is okay. It was the Jindo Bridge, wasnt it?] . Baek Seol-hee closed her eyes for a moment and then set her expression. I was thinking of stopping by Busan to buy a pair of shoes as a gift on my way in. [Oh, really? You dont have to do that.] I want to give them to you. Just in case. Baek Seol-hee lightly swept the ground with her foot. Whats your shoe size? Chapter 167: A Chaotic Week (3) Chapter 167: A Chaotic Week (3) After receiving Baek Seol-hees call, I revisited themunity forum. Brewer, youve seen the ice bridge over the Jindo Bridge that Baek Seol-hee created, right? Its trending. Absolutely. She temporarily crafted a raised road of ice, and the Goblin dashed across it before soaring into the sky. Brewer queued up a video. -Wow, look at that! An ice bridge! Oh, and the Goblin is on a motorcycle! -Hes crossing from Jindo, whoa! The bikes flying! -He zoomed in when he arrived as well. -Oh,e on, its like every time you open your mouth, you just Goblin_BaekSeolheeBridge_Ascending_Video.avi The title was snarky, which was typical for thismunity. -Did you catch the video? Its unmistakably Baek Seol-hee. -Folks, at this rate, well end up being sued by BSH lol Dont use initials. Just call her Snow White-nim. -How can you say its forced? Theyre a perfect fit, haha A gallery dedicated to shipping the Goblin and Snow White. Despite Baek Seol-hees recent pleas for discretion, theizens remain keen on pairing her with me, given our history of conflicts. -Honestly, it would be a crime against world peace if they dont marry, given their chemistry. -Show some patriotism! Marry for world peace already!! -An ice cave that endures the Goblins bat In the midst of their melting, sticky tension, an S+ rank ability user emerges! The reasons for shipping vary, but thats the gist of their thoughts. If Baek Seol-hee and I were to have a child, what incredible power might they inherit? And imagine if that child grew up to be a hero serving Korea and the world? While stories of Duoexini and Zenros still circted elsewhere, the spotlight was on Baek Seol-hee and my so-called patriotic deeds here. Just look at the trending posts in this gallery. -Photos of Goblin-nim and Snow White-nim together. -???: Farewell -Jet Goblin Attack!!! - It would have been perfect if he had given her a kiss before leaving. Seems like someone needs to watch more Hong Kong movies. There was a scene where I fought the S-ss demon Skullion, where I rode a bike into Skullions head to save Baek Seol-hee and the final scene where Baek Seol-hee created the ice bridge to let me go. Buuuaang. Even while watching the video again, there was a crowd around us. The video captured the astonishment of the crowd as they watched me ride the bike, flying straight into the sky from the high point of the ice overpass. Many had seen it. It wasnt strange that Do Ji-hwan didnt witness Baek Seol-hees heroics. Ah. Whats wrong? Should I have first asked if she was okay after almost being beaten by Skullion? That was my mistake. It was our first conversation, and instead of responding to Baek Seol-hees question, I should have empathized and expressed concern for her. Such a basic mistake. The situationst night wasplicated; problems were arising in real-time, and I was a bit drowsy after eating. She must be thinking this. Do Ji-hwan was sweet-talking a girl in Ulleungdo while she was struggling, flying from Incheon to the south. Surely, she must feel neglected that I was ying with another woman and hadnt even asked if she had a hard time. I should send a message. To say she did well. Isnt texting risky? What if Cheonriyan catches it? Its more important to appease Baek Seol-hee than to worry about Cheonriyan catching her dating a normal person. Well, she must feel neglected. Brewer grimly smiled at my non-mistake mistake. Maybe its better to just go public and get it over with. That way, ultimately, its Do Ji-hwan who saved Baek Seol-hee. Thats true. Ultimately, I wasnt worried about Baek Seol-hee because I had saved her yesterday in Jindo and had seen with my own eyes that she was okay. Maybe Im a bit tired. I need to think about this. If we get caught because of this, its over, right? Its okay. If our identities are revealed, theres only one thing Baek Seol-hee will do. I mimicked choking myself, and Brewers expression hardened for a moment. Are you nning to enter the tigers den alone? Theres a saying that you can survive in a tigers den if you keep your wits about you. How do you n to get out? Shouldnt you imnt a GPS inside your body or something? Ive already done that. Really? Yes. In a very important ce. Baek Seol-hee wouldnt think to look where I hid the GPS, which tracked the location of a man named Do Ji-hwan. I just need to persuade Baek Seol-hee with patriotism. Ha. I dont know. If it looks like I might get kidnapped, Ill just find a carrot to shake or something. Its not a carrot you should be shaking, but a goblins bat. [This is breaking news. The government has decided to amodate all individuals who have lost their abilities on Sejong Ind Ahh!] The reporter delivering the breaking news suddenly cried out. [There, there! An ice bridge is forming towards the sky!] Buuuaang. Above the lying protesters. A solid ice road emerged, towering over the protesters, with vehicles speeding across it. The vehicles moved so quickly that they didnt slip backward on the icy path despite slight inclines or declines. -Eh, what?! -Ahhhh! Snow White is trying to kill civilians with her car! Gugugugu. The ice road held strong. Dozens, then hundreds of vehicles crossed over the protesters at speeds exceeding 100km/h, without even a speck of ice dust falling. They just moved through the protesters using their abilities. Its the power of an S-ss. The ensuing controversy? It didnt matter. Given Baek Seol-hees usual behavior, it wont cause much trouble. You know those people. How bad must they have been to provoke her to this extent? Public opinion sided with Baek Seol-hee, the hero, not the protesters. If the protesters were the ones who turned Baek Seol-hee into a devil, would Baek Seol-hee be criticized, or would those people be? Demonization is also a threat that ability users can pose to normal people. For starters, I think Ill curse the protesters.
This is definitely certain. Crossing the ice bridge on the way to Busan, Cheok Jun-kyeong smirked, enjoying the protesters reactions in the news footage. -How can they do this? There are people lying down below, and theyre driving cars over them! The protesters were red-faced with anger, but the reaction of many others wasnt too favorable towards them. -So refreshing! Baek Seol-hee! The pride of Busan! -After getting involved with the Goblin, shes really pushing through! Hmm, maybe shes been influenced. If the previous Baek Seol-hee had been pure white, gradually, that white had started to gain shades of gray. Like a single drop of ck ink turning pure white to gray, the Baek Seol-hee before and after the Goblins appearance were quite different. She looks more human now, and I like it. Indeed. Cheok Jun-kyeong, when no one was looking, sneakily pulled out his smartphone Jun-kyeong. Senior? But then he quickly put it back in his pocket. The fact that Baek Seol-hee had called him sent chills down his spine. What, what is it? Why so startled? Were you writing hatements on your phone? No, why would I write hatements? Is that so? Then you need to help me. What is it? Did they block the road with cement? Should I break it? No. Baek Seol-hee lowered her voice, her face expressionless. Im thinking of gifting shoes to a man, and you know about shoes, right? Are you gifting them to the Goblin? Should I get a pair for each size? No, its not that. The size is 280. Who are you nning to give them to? Quiet. Baek Seol-hees voice grew even lower. You know I trust you; thats why Im telling you this. Understand? Ah. This. If he handled it wrong, it would be big trouble. I cant ask Taejo for something like this. So, I just need to keep my mouth shut until the wedding invitations are out, right? Yes. .Well, I dont know who it is, but congrattions in advance. Cheok Jun-kyeong made a zipping gesture over his mouth and pointed to his Taeguk Watch. Ill buy one as soon as I arrive in Busan and give it to you before you go to Sejong Ind. Dont worry. Thank you so much. I did well by asking you. Its nothing. You can always count on me, senior. Thanks. Baek Seol-hee left with a bright smile. Cheok Jun-kyeong, feeling like frost had settled on his shoulders, shivered and, turning on his smartphone, frowned at themunity he was about to enter. I thought the Goblin was her main affair. Cheok Jun-kyeong consoled his disappointment by looking at those shipping the characters. I shouldnt say anything. Sigh. This is Well. The senior cant stay single forever Huh? Cheok Jun-kyeong immediately frowned at a new post he saw. What, has this guy lost his mind? Cheok Jun-kyeongs hands trembled. How can they try to pair up the Goblin and tinum Sun? [Chuncheon Fire Fox]: Honestly, guys, isnt the Goblin and patriotic one tinum Sun? Haha Cheok Jun-kyeong quickly typed a new post on his smartphone. [Goryeos First Gun]: The main affair is Baek Seol-hee. If you argue, youre wrong. [Chuncheon Fire Fox]: Next, fifty percent^^ [Goryeos First Gun]: Next, Mage Army^^ [Chuncheon Fire Fox]: A real supporter of the mistress, I see^^ Really now. Inside themunity. Have they lost their minds? A war had started. Chapter 168: A Chaotic Week (4) Chapter 168: A Chaotic Week (4) Yoon Iseon, what are you doing? In the middle of a war. Yoon Iseon fervently typed something on her smartphone. I can tolerate people bad-mouthing me, but I cant stand it when they bad-mouth my number one pick. Is it some kind of idolpetition? Simr. With the fire zing in Iseons eyes, Yumir found it awkward to say anything. However, she somehow felt the conversation concerned her. What kind of program is it? Well, its not an idolpetition. Its more like an inte thread called Matched Up. Ah, but right now, that person over there is pushing some weird thing as their number one pick. Yumir was not the type to back down in such situations with just an Ah, I see response. Lets take a look. . What? tinum Sun is Goblins official? Oh, thats. Yoon Iseon flinched as Yumir suddenly leaned in close. This is about you, Iseon, right? You said your parents are from Chuncheon. Hmm, I get the Fire Fox part. So, Chuncheon Fire Foxs number one pick is tinum Sun as Goblins partner? That, thats Nice. Thanks. In many ways. Yeah. Yoon Iseon felt a surge of emotion at the menacing magical power pressing down on her shoulder. However, she was more startled by Yumirs sudden affinity, which had closed the gap between them so quickly overnight. But why do you do this? I, I think public opinion should start changing. Public opinion? People linked with the Goblin. Even if the governmentbels Goblin as a viin, hes popr among the people. Thats true. The Goblin was popr among the people. His following was more than just a cult, yet not quite acknowledged openly by the mainstream. Hes popr, but you cant openly dere your love for the Goblin, right? It used to be like that. After all, he was a viin. Officially recognized by the government. Until now, people have linked Snow White with him, right? Theyve shed quite a bit. Right, right. Linking Snow White might bring down articles, but linking Goblin with someone else isnt a problem. Because hes a viin? Yes. Because hes a viin. Of course, being a viin made it easier to stir up gossip. Theres a rumor that scary guys wille after you if you stir up gossip about viins, but its not like youre insulting them or anything. The guys in ck suits with dark sunsses onlye after you if you insult a hero. And the government. . If you insult a hero, you might face awsuit, but at least viins dont bringwsuits like that. At least, whether it was management or the hero themselves, you wouldnt get sued for stirring up some weird rumors online if you werent a hero! So, people have been creating couples with the Goblin for a while. The country even encouraged it. Encouraged it? By linking the Goblin with a female ability user and iming him as one of their own, theyd pardon his past crimes and turn him human through legal deals. This n existed not only in Korea but also in other countries. Thus, there have been many women linked with the Goblin. Ability users, celebrities, even businesswomen Though Snow White was the most popr, now its different. Now its time to link the tinum Sun? tinum Sun has appeared with the Goblin a few times. Now shes being called Goblins arch-enemy, or rather, arch-hero. tinum Sun? Exactly. Hmm. Yumir felt inexplicably happy at the thought of being positioned opposite the Goblin. Once linked with the Goblin, tinum Suns poprity will increase, and more importantly Yoon Iseon clenched her fist, striking a fighting pose. I support tinum Sun. Linking her with the Goblin. But, didnt you like the Goblin? I do. As a fan. So, what if the Goblin actually marries someone, like tinum Sun or Snow White, or even has a child? Ive been asked this before. Yoon Iseon looked up at the ceiling with a detached expression. Then I should wish for happiness. Im a fan inspired by the Goblins actions, not someone who wants to throw myself at him. Oh, by throwing myself, I mean I get what you mean. And you dont need to be so fiery about thement youre writing. Why not? Well Because she had seen all there was to see. Should she tell her? Perhaps it was better not to shatter Yoon Iseons illusions. And there was no need to give Yoon Iseon unnecessary information. Unless the Goblin started the conversation. Her heart was already pounding, wondering if she should reach out for counseling, but she didnt want any strange variables to pop up. As for tinum Sun. Yumir straightened up with a determined look. Even without this public opinion campaign, tinum Sun is the official one. Really? Of course. That was certain. No matter who was there before, now tinum Sun will be by the Goblins side. Yumir, having made up her mind, was not going to back down. Even if it was Snow White, the executives of Yi Maengmangnyang, or even their Chief at the top, she wouldnt back down. Her goal, as Yumir, a woman of today, was to reach a position equal to or higher than the Chief. For that goal, Yumir would keep moving forward. If thats what you think, okay. But I should discipline this troublemaker whos stirring things up. What if its not a troublemaker? It is. You can tell theyre an ability user just trying to have fun by stirring things up. What do you mean? Think about it. Yoon Iseon pointed at eachment and chuckled. There are S-ss male ability users in this country, and its not like theres a huge age gap or anything. Why would they stir up rumors with the Goblin? Theyre just making trouble. Maybe they dont like the other S-ss men and are pushing the Goblin instead. . The gender ratio of the S-ss was currently 4:3, four men to three women. The two eldest held the 1st and 2nd positions in the S-ss, while Armored Taejo imed the 7th ce, nearly in order of age. Or maybe theyre deliberately linking Goblin with trouble to associate him with Baek Seol-hee or other S-ss heroes. What do you mean? Just watch. Look, the serious schr is approaching. Someone posted ament. [Hong Gil-dong]: What are you talking about? Of course, our countrys S-ss should patriotically produce heroes. How can we expect our S-ss to marry someone whose Korean identity isnt even confirmed? See, there are those who oppose international marriages. What if the Goblin is Korean? Then, naturally, they would try to match him with Snow White or others. For the patriots, its crucial to marry Koreans to produce Korean heroes. Yoon Iseon shrugged with indifference. Well, I dont think bloodline is that significant. Nationality is what truly matters. Look at how many Korean ability users are scattered all over the world. We live in a global era now. International marriage isnt a bad thing, is it? Um Look. Yumir spoke softly, believing it was safe since the topic was about her. I havent told anyone, but actually She whispered. Yoon Iseons eyes grew wide. Really? Truly. No matter how I look at you I drink a lot of maple syrup. Ah, uh, thats surprising. Wow Thanks for sharing. Its really unexpected. Hehe. Yoon Iseon brieflyid her head on Yumirs chest, then bit her lower lip. Im envious. So, its a matter of gics. Listen closely. Yumir lowered her voice once more. Theres a method to enhance abilities. Really? Yes. Lets try [Ah, an announcement. We will be arriving at Sejong Ind in 10 minutes. Students, please prepare your belongings for disembarkation. Once again] The announcement interrupted them. Perfect. Then as soon as we get to the ind, lets get to it. Well be on break for the rest of the practice anyway. Huh? Yumirs face stiffened. Were doing it right after we arrive? Yeah. Why? Is there something urgent? Well, not urgent, but Yumir looked distressed. Having a friend who was sensible, considerate, supportive, and put in effort for her was great, but Why? My room is safe. No one else will find out. The student council presidents room is a single. Its not that. We became friends during practice, so nobody will think its strange. Hehe, Im looking forward to working with you. Sure. Unfortunately, the kindness shown to a friend has now be a predicament for her.
While Brewer boiled pork for lunch, I, having finished my shower, reviewed the documents about the movements of the secret society with Doul, who had juste out of the shower. With the Goblin stepping in, the chaos has subsided, and now its time to counterattack using Duoexinis death. Doul handed me a photo. It looked crude, like a public document photographed with a mobile phone camera, but discerning the contents wasnt too difficult. The people who were turned into Zenros and made to enter Sejong Ind was the Chiefs decision. As expected. If they deliberately came to Sejong Ind, they would surely be hiding something that justice-driven people couldnt easily meddle with. Fifty-two people in total. If any of them are swapped or their whereabouts be untraceable They must have been taken to the devilsb. Even with Duoexinis death, they wouldnt want to lose fifty-two test subjects. Once we confirm their location on Sejong Ind, well immediately raid all the devilsbs there. Just the two of us? No. Doul winked at me. If youve had fun flirting with two heroes, isnt it time to have a messy, sticky time with two viins? Whosing? Gunggi. Thats what we were going to do. If youve yed house with the heroes. Using the Zenros demons, we would destroy all the devil researchbs on Sejong Ind. Now, its time for us to have some real fun, right? Like true viins. Chapter 169: A Chaotic Week (5) Chapter 169: A Chaotic Week (5) Wooong. A ne slowly descended andnded at Yangyang Airport. Despite the situation in Korea, which bordered on chaos, there was no turning back for the ne, and its route could not be changed to another destination. When discussions about rerouting began, the news that the Goblin had handled Duoexini thankfully persuaded the pilot to stick to the original n. If the flight had been diverted for an emergencynding in divostok or Japan, October Travel would have faced significant economic losses. More importantly, the ck-haired woman sitting in first ss would have given them a considerable scolding. Madam, it was an honor to serve you. No problem. You did well. The ck-haired woman in a ck suit lightly pushed her sunsses down. Her eyes momentarily glowed red, but the flight attendant did not notice. What would have happened to the ne if the situation in Korea hadnt been resolved? We probably wouldnt have been able to enter Korea. Especially if there was even one ability user on board who turned into a demon, then theres really nothing we could do. Fear tinged the flight attendants voice. The only ce to hide from a demon thousands of meters in the sky would be the bathroom, and tearing down a bathroom door is nothing for a demon. So, its better not to enter Korea if theres a chance of having a demon on board? Yes. Phew, really, if it werent for Mr. Goblin. Haha. Thats true. The woman gave the crew a faint smile and slowly stood up. Adjusting the red shirt that clung to her body beneath her suit, she followed the flight attendant out of the ne. Wee, Director. Yeah. It hasnt been many weeks since west met. Its good to see you. Lets go to the car first. The woman handed her suitcase to the secretary who hade to greet her, and together they headed to a limousine. Ssss. The womans hair turned red. No one outside could see her as she, her hair and eyes now reddened, inspected her face in a hand mirror. I didnt expect to be called back like this. Called back? Yes. The Chairmans orders. Obviously, the other two cante here right now. Do Cheol is busy managing Europe, and Chaos seems to be supporting the Chief. So, are all the avable Directors moving now? Yes. Gunggiy backfortably in the seat. Ah, really. We need more executives. Whats the use of having so much money if theres no time to spend it? There would be many who wish to be executives. But we need to find someone who can do as much as us. How about it? Do you want to try being an executive? Im still inexperienced. My skills arecking. Didnt you sayst time that its best to maintain a Four Heavenly Kings structure? If I had known it would be this hard, I would have suggested increasing the number of executives. Ah. Gunggi pped her hands and approached the front seat. How about we call some smart kids and assign three S-ss subordinates to each executive, like the Chiefs Goblin? We could directly manage exactly three each. A man wouldnt be one of them, right? Of course not. No way Im thinking about a man. Why would I even consider calling a man? The Goblin is the odd one out. There might be men at the manager level, but not at the director level our position doesnt have a single man. Then, are you suggesting we increase the number of female secretaries for each Director? It could happen blindly or not. Hahaha. Im really looking forward to it. And if its a man Gunggi smirked out the window. We can just give birth to them, right? Excuse me? With the current gender imbnce, if it really bes a problem, we can just give birth and raise them. If you casually say that somewhere, it could cause an uproar. At least in a year, it definitely will. Gunggi chuckled, breathed on the ss, and drew a fierce monster with her finger. Ah. So instead of executives, should we just have three children? Three, three? The secretary felt a chill. If Gunggi has three, the others will too Its not the Goblin whos giving birth. And if they are the Goblins children, they will surely be of great help to this world. Yes. There was certainty in Gunggis voice. Thats what people in this world say. Lets have as many S-ss ability users as possible and raise them as talents for the world. I think so, too. If we have as many of the Goblins children as possible, wont they perform heroic deeds for humanity in the future? Shouldnt we consider Mr. Goblins opinion on this matter? Ive already heard his opinion. If he has children, he said he would respect their decisions as much as possible. As long as they dont kill people ormit crimes, as long as they dont significantly disrupt world peace, hell respect whatever they choose to do. I see. The secretary felt a chill down her spine for some reason. Are you suggesting that Mr. Goblin is cleaning up the evils of society, including viins, to prevent his future children from getting their hands dirty? Is that how it is? Ah, I guess so. Gunggi wiped the foggy window with her hand. All for a world that will be peaceful. Under the name of Yi Maengmangnyang. Even if each of us has three, thats 24 just for now. Grinning. Wow, if we have 8 S-ss births per year in 20 years, we can make the whole world peaceful.
Manager Do. Another rumor popped up on the inte, didnt it? What rumor? That Baek Seol-hee and tinum Sun are actually married. Theyre not married; its more like a scandalous rtionship. Why is this rumor circting? Its because theres a rumor that Goblin appeared and then left Ulleungdo. Rumors had already linked me with Baek Seol-hee, but now they were starting to link me with tinum Sun. Linking me like that is fine, but why start these rumors now? Isnt Baek Seol-hee currently in a dispute with Yumir? Why would they fight over that? Its not even the World Cup. Holding a Heroine World Cup might bemon among readers, but this was reality. What mattered more was how much this rumor would benefit me. Manager Do, whose side are you on, Baek Seol-hees or Yumirs? The Chairmans side. Thats not an either-or answer. Compared to anyone else, theres always one option thats a guaranteed win. No matter how pretty or charming Baek Seol-hee and Yumir were, my heart was set on the Chief. So, do you support the former Chairman or the current one? . Uh. Why cant you answer? Um. Wait. This is serious. I covered my face with my hands. Having experienced both the previous and current Chiefs, the Heavy Chief and the Lightweight Chief, it was difficult to answer carelessly. Do I really have to choose just one? Cant I have both? Choose one. Why must I choose? If theres jjajangmyeon and jjamppong, you can have both. Theres a marvelous invention called jjamjjamyeon. But if you absolutely had to choose one? Id choose death, no. Seriously, what a headache. Indeed, it was quite a headache. Comparing Baek Seol-hee and Yumir and analyzing their attributes was one thing, but the Chief was apletely different story. Havent you and the Chairman already established that kind of rtionship? Its more than that kind of rtionship; its a lifelong partnership. Its still somewhat shocking to hear it again. Brewer rolled her eyes and ced two photos in front of the TV screen. Choose. Which Chairman do you prefer? The Chairman is who I prefer. Goblin, sir, you speak Korean well; why act confused? Are you an oni? Konnichiwa? Thats not the same thing. I pressed Brewers head with my hand. It would be better to have Baek Seol-hee and Yumir next to me and ask which one I prefer, right in front of them. Thatparison seems like a much more hellish difficulty level? Thats a problem I can break through with just a bit of slick talking on the spot; this is apletely different issue. Heavy Chief or Lightweight Chief. Having been with both, I found it impossible to determine which was better. If I were topare them to the people present: The Heavy Chief was bigger than Yumir and had a more beautifully curved hip line than Baek Seol-hee. The Lightweight Chief was smaller than Yoon Iseon and as petite as her. Someone seemed to have been shot twice, but since my acquaintances had experienced such, this metaphor was the only way I could put it. Whats this? What are you doing now? Doul approached from outside. Yawning, she nced at the photos Brewer had put up and then looked at me meaningfully, smirking. Is that your type, Goblin? I couldnt decide which one was my type, so I was pondering. Isnt the current Chairmans size your preference? Thats why youre in that form now, and you revealed yourself this time to officially present that appearance, right? No, its not that. The reason Im in this form is Because of a very big incident. But there had been too much happening to talk about that now. So youre saying my preference is for the lightweight type? Exactly. Want to check? Haap! Doul put her hands together as if in prayer. Magical Girl, Prisma Doul! Transform! With a flourish of her hand, she instantly transformed into a new form. Ta-da! Before me was How about it? Isnt this your type? Doul, looking like a ten-year-old, made a wing gesture with her hand aimed at me. Didnt you once call this a childs body? I never said that. That was nder. Do you think Im one of those crazies from another country? I came from and with strictws regarding youth. Im not a pervert. Unlike the viins in this world who, upon reaching reproductive age, started gaslighting with ims like childbirth is patriotism and peace. Contrary to that, I am the one who kills such viins. But Doul pulled something from her back pocket. What if its legal? . She pulled out a resident registration card. Such a cunning trick. Chapter 170: A Chaotic Week (6) Chapter 170: A Chaotic Week (6) This other world was dominated by supernatural abilities. Naturally, among these abilities, there were transformative ones like Metamorphosis, Polymorph, and Avvvaaataar!! Turning into a demon was an exception. That was more like falling into corruption, not transformation. Most of these transformation abilities involved wrapping mana around the body to change its appearance. Like me, turning the protective aura flowing around me into clothing. Or, like Yumir, creating a magical girl costume. Or, like Baek Seol-hee, creating external armor. Ta-da. Dodjirider, at your service. As Doul demonstrated,plete physical transformation was also possible. How about it? Brewer. Do I look like a school kid with this recorder? Absolutely beautiful, cute, and lovely, Lord Doul. Brewer covered her mouth and nose with her hands, continuously taking photos with her Taeguk Watch. Ah, its so unfortunate that this is a pension in Ulleungdo! If it were Sejong Ind, Id have raided the childrens section for clothes right away! What are you nning to do? Try on different clothes and fill up the photo album! Ah. I found her. The woman the police should be arresting was right here. Dont they sell childrens clothes here? Are you offering?! For Brewer, who assists the Goblin, Id do at least that much. Of course, I am only modeling. You have to procure the clothes yourself. Agh! Brewer clenched her fist in agony. Unfortunately, the childrens clothes sold here are only for toddlers. Even I have my limits. I cant transform that far either. It would be faster to just have a child like that. Have! Ah, Lord Doul! I thought Brewer was just a fan of Gunggi, but it seemed she really had that kind of preference. Dangerous. If I ever had a daughter, I had a strong feeling that I shouldnt let Brewer be her nanny, especially when the child grew up. Director Do doesnt seem moved by all this? Now, the arrow was pointed at me. Both Brewer and Doul pushed me, asking if I didnt feel anything seeing this. Why should I? Im not a fiend walking the path of unbridled evil. Ah, that storys fiend? Yeah. The story had beenpleted in this world. But for some reason, the sequel about the children hadnt started. Sorry to those waiting for a follow-up, but I wasnt inclined to unleash a knowledge demon in this world. -The blond ninja bes the leader of the Seven Viges!! -What!? Stop the nonsense! Youre spouting weird stuff! -And his son bes the protagonist, and his wife is- -Aaaagh! Stop!! Please, dont say who his wife is!! -The woman with white eyes?! Its not the pink-haired one, right?! -Hahaha! -Aaaagh!! If I ever became a demon, I wondered if people would call me the Demon of Spoilers. Or maybe the Demon of Spin-offs and Fanfiction. If that happened, my form would be different from now, but there was no reason for me to be a demon. In short. Just as there was no reason for me to be a demon. There was no reason for me to be a fiend. Bing a fiend meant losing thews and order of my world, bing fully assimted into this world, and sharing tastes with despicable old men. I definitely had no intention ofmitting such illegal acts. I came from thend of Acheong (), a nation that I dered to be incorruptible. Though such beings exist in stories, I am abbbbsolutely Ah, that? It suits you? Arent you and the Chief exactly in that position? . Oh. That was a bit tempting. Are you saying the Chief and I appear to be in that kind of rtionship? Hey, look at this! Do you agree with that when it involves the Chief? If its the Chief, its a different story. Though the man might be teased as a rogue. Surely, that couple was the greatest of the century, and even those who preferred NTR would say, Ah, these two are a bithmm and reject coupling them. That kind of coupling, me and the Chief? It was definitely expected of Doul. She had a keen eye. But, does the Chief really look that young? More than looking young, the Chief can shrink even more. Right now, its just down to Director Dos psychological resistance line? Hehehe. Ultimately, youre trying to push me into pedophilia. Take it easy, Doul. No way? Im going to keep going. Hehe. Fortunately, the conversation went through, but if that conversation attacked me again, I wouldnt stand for it. So, Director Do, do you prefer big or small? Theres a bit of an injustice here. Why? Dont women always prefer bigger? Now, it was my turn to attack. Brewer briefly tilted her head at my words, and Doul blushed slightly, bowing her head. Especially Doul, you like it the most, dont you? Thats, thats not it!! Really? That time was No, no! Doul screamed back at me. Youre just too big, thats the problem! Should I practice shrinking then? Huh? I couldnt reduce my physical size. My imagination didnt stretch that far, so shrinking my body was impossible. How would you like it, smaller? If I could have shrunk it, I would have done it long ago! I never wanted to shrink, but since you keep provoking me, I think Ill have to research it a bit. Perhaps I fundamentally questioned why I should reduce my current physical form, or maybe my heart fundamentally rejected shrinking. Enough joking. Theres no need to maintain that form, so return to normal. No way. This is efficient. Then change like Chaos did. Ew, why turn into a beast. Even if its morefortable, Im a person. A person! Even though youre a ghost. I was a person!!! Doul reached out to scratch me, and I grabbed her wrist and lifted her up. Whats the point if you get caught so easily. Kyaa. Ah, um, this is interesting. If the world sees this, they wont think were members of Yi Maemangnyang. Even S-ss celebrities dont always go to a Tenpro and pop champagne. Anyway, I have no n to shrink my body. Why would I reduce this height, this physique, and even that baseball bat? Why should I diminish my body when the Chief likes it just as it is? Why would I? Doul. Do you think its right for me to be younger to match your age? Umm I think its okay. Brewer? My honest opinion. Brewer raised her voice, making it seem obvious. Goblin boy mode. No one can stop this. Brewer quickly sketched something on the back of a piece of paper, finishing a drawing in no time. Take a look at this. I have a feeling I shouldnt even consider it. Its an important discussion for our society, so pay attention. It could be a big help for this operation! Brewer looked excited. The idea seemed sound, but why did I feel so uneasy? The Goblin is currently known as an adult to the public. Thats right. But what if he moved around as a child? Who would suspect thats the Goblin? . How about it? Sounds pretty usible, dont you think? Brewer began to read mine and Douls reactions. Because I remained silent, and Doul looked at me with hopeful eyes Is it even possible? I reconsidered my stance. It seemed that the concept of reduction or reverting to a younger state was moremon when it came to transformation. The situation with the Chief was somewhat different. Shes practically a god when ites to supernatural abilities or magic powers, so it wouldnt be odd for her to use any ability. Its also different for Doul, Gonggi, and the four executives. Looking at Doul alone, their fundamental essence was magic power. But if its a normal human body like mine Brewer. Yes? When the Zenros enter Sejong Ind this time, theyre bound to head to the undergroundb, arent they? Wherever they go, having a smaller body for infiltration would be useful, right? If a child is just wandering around in a strangeb It might be odd, but think about it, Director Do. Theres no need to start in a state that consumes a lot of mana, right? ! That was right. Maintaining invisibility or spirit form consumed a lot of mana. If I, like the Chief, seeded in lightening my weight, I could infiltrate theirb or anywhere else with more ease. Okay. Lets try to develop this ability until the Zenros arrive at Sejong Ind. I hadnt felt the need until now, but with Doul here and Brewer by my side, it was worth researching during our stay at this pension. Whether itspression, shrinkage, reduction, or time reversal, lets try everything once. Just like Doul did with time eleration. Now, I, too, cant afford to waste magic power forever. I need to create a body state that uses magic power efficiently. For the secret society, I would develop a new ability. Everything for the peace of the world united under the secret society.
And then. After the weekend. Monday morning. Isnt this too young? Just perfect! Doul hugged me from behind. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and couldnt help but sigh. Is this right? Height. 140 cm. Almost 40 cm shorter. I had be a Goblin Boy. Just like that detective who took some kind of pill. My body is younger, but the bat remains the same! Boy Goblin! Hey. Hehe. Sigh. How did ite to this? Chapter 171: This Is Comfortable Too (1) Chapter 171: This Is Comfortable Too (1) After practice ended, Mondaythe start of another weekbegan. -We solemnly mourn the deceased students and civilians Monday began with everyone donning ck suits, observing a moment of silence for the students who had passed away. The government organized a joint funeral in Busan, while on Sejong Ind, funerals for the students took ce tofort the souls of both the departed and the survivors. -Duoexini is dead. No one will forcefully turn ability users into demons anymore. The funeral not only offered sce to the spirits of the deceased but also to those still living. In a situation where so many ability users had died, it was even more imperative to share in the collective mourning. A family member had died. A friend had died. A ssmate, who, before the practice, had joked, Hey, Im going to get a girlfriend, andughed, was no longer alive. The demon had not discriminated by gender or age. -Lets bury todays pain in our hearts and move forward for the sake of those who died. Lets live on. Lets ovee this ordeal and strive for a peaceful future. Ordeals. They cause humans to grow. Death is unfamiliar, but it, too, is an ordeal. After the rain, the ground hardens; after natural disasters, people pick themselves up from the wreckage and carry on together. Yet, just a funeral ceremony was not enough to quell the societal chaos and disarray. -Let us all not be swept away by our inner demons -Then why are the demonsing back to Sejong Ind! Is this a ce of exile!! -Uh, well, firstly A broadcasting mishap urred. The anguished cry of an ability user, charged with magical power, disrupted the joint memorial service on Sejong Ind, and the transmission abruptly ended, leaving the viewers in disquiet. The social turmoil persisted.
Was it right for Sr tina to turn the demon back into a human? The provocative question popped up as soon as I turned on the 24-hour news channel, making me feel instantly weary. How can they debate this for an entire week? Was purifying the demon truly the correct course of action? After practice concluded, various controversies unfolded, yet the primary topic of discussion among the popce remained how to handle Zenros. -Lets hear what the citizens have to say at this point. -Once a demon, always a demon, right? In the past, such demons would have been executed immediately, but now, are we to spare them simply because times have changed? What about the demons who were killed before? -I believe they should be subjected to legal proceedings rather than execution. The Supreme Court wont issue bizarre verdicts in such cases, will it? -Isnt there a rtive of a Supreme Court judge among the ability users? Even if you request a recusal, thats just the way thew works in this country, I suppose -Since they are alive, its difficult to just execute them, isnt it? Even cancer cells are considered life. We should first ascertain whether the demon cells are living or deceased. Opinions were colliding. The issue inevitably sparked social unrest, plunging people into chaos and dividing the nation into two factions, precariously bnced. Its an extension of the problem where people showed a preference for the characteristics of the Goblin. Was it justifiable to execute viins? Was it right to kill evil individuals without hesitation? When the decision was left to judicial discretion, would thews of this country remain fair and objective, rooted in legal principles? Even in a nationalistic light novel, the setting was this country, and in a world ruled by ability users, the over 30s who constituted the majority, including those in the legal profession, were adults viewing the situation through the lens of their ownck of abilities. The somewhat neutral stance involved an agreement between Goblin and Snow White. -First, detain all parties, then determine their fatedeath or imprisonmentording to thew. Both Baek Seol-hee and I hoped to see Zenros judged not by personal biases but ording to thew. I didnt want to be the troublemaker the citizens of this country were looking for. Baek Seol-hee still believed that people should not be killed. Amidst this, the arrows of malice targeted Yumir-Sr tina. The Goblin was right. A photo of graffiti written with a ck marker in a public restroom began circting on the inte. -If the Goblin had just beheaded all the demons, we wouldnt be in this massive social chaos. -Up until now, the Goblin has mercilessly killed all demons and viins, but its because of that person that even the Goblin wavered. Where was his baseball bat when Baek Seol-hee stopped him? -Sr tina is shaking the Goblins beliefs. The root of all evil is Sr tina. Ridiculous. As was typical with the inte, the defamation and nder against Sr tina had be excessively strong. To summarize what they were trying to say in one line: -Wouldnt it have been cleaner and better if Sr tina had just killed all the demons instead of purifying them? That was the gist. I agreed. Probably everyone was confused because of the actions that the Goblin had shown over the past six months and the actions of the heroes before the Goblin appeared. -Isnt it because they now think they can save the demons that they hesitate to attack and end up being attacked? I saw the video; they flinched. -In the past, killing a demon was just that, but now heroes get arrested for murder~~ -Right What about the heroes now? What if they kill a demon and then go, Huhu, I killed a person! and end up bing a demon themselves? Tsk. People called these kinds of individuals troublemakers or attention seekers. The government attempted to regte such behavior byw, but the reason they uttered these words was the fundamental inferiorityplex of those not born as ability users. I wasnt an ability user. But that person was born with abilities and was blessed? Our family was a 100 billion won asset family, but that person, born into a mere 50 million won household, sucked on a superpower spoon, and now their familys assets have swelled to 200 billion won? In an era where superpowers have be capital, the wealth gap due to superpowers inevitably resurfaced. I understood. The real issue was the imposition of this malice on those who simply longed for righteousness, only to ridicule them as weak-minded when they turned into demons for such trivial reasons. Seeing this makes me think Cheonriyan is the answer. The national wiretapping system, Cheonriyan, which I was always wary of when texting or calling, often intercepted such posts. While allowing people the minimum freedom to spew such nonsense, Cheonriyan meticulously monitored and censored to ensure that ability users on easy street didnt see such maggot-infested garbage. Then, if it caught any information on viins, heroes were dispatched. What a world. Therefore, A world ruled by the Chief was right. At least in a world ruled by the Chief, such things wouldnt happen. Then, its about time sh. A golden circle formed in my room, and Yumir appeared dressed in an academy uniform. Teacher Yumir, looking utterly downcast. Huh? She surveyed me from head to toe, then dropped the luggage she was carrying. Uh, uh? Teacher? Surprise. I spread my arms toward Yumir, who immediately ran toward me and knelt. Oh my. Whats happening? Ah, shoot, I should take a picture No pictures. Ah. Yumir looked disappointed but soon grasped my face with both hands and peered closely at me. Then I have to memorize it. How did you do this? I just tried, and it worked. But how? Whats the principle? Summoning your younger self? Shrinking? Compression? Youre the same. I was practicing the process of transforming into this childs body. Lets talk about the transformation abilityter. I reached out and gently stroked Yumirs head. Youve had it tough. Forget everything people say and rest well here. I did hear. I was prepared. Yumir buried her face in my shoulder. People are talking about Sr tina on the inte. Theyre spreading malice about why he left demons alive, causing chaos in the world. Baseless criticism. Yes, I know. Theyre deliberately trying to criticize, no, to denigrate Sr tina. I understand some people see it as a game. But still Yumirs body began to tremble. Im not bad, right? Of course not. I patted Yumirs back. Youre not bad. Its this world that is. The author who made this world like this was the root of all evil. Teacher, then Yumir hugged me tightly and then threw herself backward onto the bed. Is it okay to stay like this for a while? Of course. I patted and stroked her head as she clung to me like a doll. . If being younger allowed me to take care of Yumirs mental state, *Sigh*, ha, haa Well, that might be okay. Chapter 172: This Is Comfortable Too (2) Chapter 172: This Is Comfortable Too (2) People in this world are really too much, arent they? Thats right. I really feel like asking the Goblin to teach them a lesson. Who? Those who badmouth tinum Sun, or those saved by tinum Sun, the Zenros? All of humanity. Crunch. Yumir picked up two pieces of beef at once, chewing them as if he were grinding something he disliked in his mouth. Its really annoying. Does it feel good to scratch at peoples mental states like that? Some people find pleasure in it. Perverts. People who should be isted from society, whether in Sejong Ind Penitentiary or a mental hospital. Theyre probably under self-quarantine by now. Under quarantine? Yes. Yumir was unaware. In Korea, theres something called the execution squad. Goblin squad? They operate simrly, but the original is thetter. If were talking about execution by name. I watched as Yumir topped his spoonful of white rice with the grilled beef. Ah, thank you. You too, sir. Ahh. Ah. Sizzle. The beef on the pan in the middle cooked to a golden brown. Whats this? You seem quite used to being fed by a woman. Its basic to feed someone grilling the meat. Oh, is that so? But it was my chopsticks Hehe. Creepy guy. You took it without any fuss. Yeah. So, is it delicious? Yes. Extremely. This is that premium Hoengseong Hanwoo that costs 170,000 won per 100 grams! It melts in your mouth. Not just the meat, but maybe its because you grilled it so well? Eat a lot. I bought plenty. Buying Hanwoo for Yumirs mental care was an excellent choice. Who did you buy all this Hanwoo for? Especially with the limited supply on Sejong Ind. You. What about Seol-hee? Baek Seol-hee can eat different kinds of meat in the staff cafeteria anyway. Ah. The difference between E(X) grade and S grade. E grade had to eat in the student cafeteria, while S grade and other staff could choose from a buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You wont have to worry about food; youll eat delicious meals every day. But eating meat grilled by you is different, isnt it? Of course. Sizzle. The meat cooked quickly. A ssh of soju on the grill created misty smoke. Wow, does this clean the grill? Not really. Then why did you do it? Performance. What? You look like a kid. Even in a kids body, I can do everything I need to. I wiped the grill with kitchen towels. The heat from the gas burner had heated the grill, but it cooled quickly after I poured the soju. People are like this. The beef? No, the grill. It heats up fast but cools down just as quickly. Right now, its still sizzling because the heatsing from below, but once the fires out, itll cool down fast. Ah, foreigners talk about something like that. What was it a certain mentality? Pot mentality. Right! So, does that mean peoples reactions will also die down quickly? Probably. When an issue arose, apart from those who took a sustained interest, most only cared in the moment. Right now, the media is all over it, the world is in shock, and its the center of a storm. Once the Zenros enter Sejong Ind, itll quiet down. Only those who hate Zenros will mention them from then on, so you dont need to worry. If someone does mention them Thats for Koreas execution squad to handle. Ah, you mentioned that. Yes. Here, have you seen this video? I showed a video. I know this. Its the biker viin from earlier this year, the one killed by the Goblin Ah, so it wasnt the Goblin but the execution squad? Youre quick-witted, and I like that. It was a relief that there was no need for excuses that werent really excuses. Youre right. I didnt kill Red Scarf; the execution squad flew in and did it. I just took the me. Did you originally n not to kill him? I hesitated because Baek Seol-hee had caught him from behind. I considered just handing him over to her because it was annoying. If that had happened Is Snow White the only one who can tame the Goblin? Snow White cools the Goblins rage! The media wouldve had a field day with that. But that didnt happen. I dont intend to kill just anyone. I make sure to kill those who have killed others, but I dont kill indiscriminately. Did you only appear when a viin worthy of death appeared? Yes. But the execution squad operates a bit differently. I pointed to the Taeguk Watch. If I execute viins who have killed, the execution squad targets those who lower the governments approval ratings. Their first priority is viins and demons, and the second People who turn ability users into viins with maliciousments? Exactly. Those who incessantly damage the mental states of ability users. Theyre specifically called zombies. Why not flies? Are they the vanguard for demons or the cause of spreading infectious diseases? Zombies did exist in reality, but the term varied greatly across cultures and societies. It was somewhat unfair to real zombies, but in this world, zombies refer to those who, with malicious intent, spread nder and unfounded criticism, turning ability users into demons. Ah, I see what you mean. So, the execution squad cleans up these zombies? Yes. They make them mystical. Mystical? Oh, I know what that is. From the neighboring country, right? Yes. They disy zombies in exhibitions like The Mysteries of the Human Body, or if they prefer not to, they keep quiet or lose the ability to type recklesslymaking it impossible for them to use their fingers as they wish. The country does this? Not officially. But it exists in reality, so everyone keeps quiet. If they dont want to be mystical, they better shut up. . Yumir lowered her head, her expressionplex. Her chopsticks, which had been moving quickly before, started to hesitate, and I wrapped the meat in a lettuce leaf and extended it toward Yumir. This is a bit awkward. Ah. . It doesnt seem right to suck on my fingers at the end. Beef grease was dripping from the wrap onto your hand. I was cleaning it off for you. With what? Your tongue? Yes. Isnt that a reward? If you consider that a reward No, never mind. Forget I said anything. I ced another piece of beef on the grill. The country will take care of the zombies. And the secret society has decided to support tinum Sun. Oh? Why? Because I am in the process of persuading you. I havent even said Ill join yet. Just being a target for recruitment means the society has already started protecting you. Whether you join us or not, as long as I need you, we will protect you. What if the society started to see me as an enemy? . I thought back to the original story. In that reality, Gunggi, Doul, Docheol, and Chaos were one by one charmed by the original protagonist. Only the original viin, Goblin(C), tormented and resisted the protagonist. You would have been tormented as much as Duoexini. Wow, that sounds like a serious threat. To be an enemy of the society is to interfere with world peace. Of course, in the original story, this was due to Goblins petty and spiteful vengeance against the protagonist who had foiled his ns. And so, the protagonist, emotionally scarred, foundfort and healing in the heroines, and something blossomed between them. Dont worry too much. Youre not an enemy of the world. Youre a hero, and the bad ones are those people. Thank you. But it wasnt quite like that now. Still, after listening to their stories, I felt somewhat burdened. Their stories? The families of those who were killed by demons. . They said this: Goblin was right. We ask tinum Sun: why did you save him? You said itst time. No matter what happenster, I will first turn the demon back into a human. That day The day Yumir and I sat on a bench by the beach. Youve done your part. Dont worry about what happens after the demon bes human. Thats the role of society, not yours. A heros job is to save people. Its up to doctors, nurses, andter families or social workers to care for and heal them. A hero doesnt have to shoulder everything? Of course not. Theres a limit to what one person can do alone. But still I extended thest piece of meat directly to Yumirs mouth. Disregard what the others say about tinum Sun, apart from the families of those killed by demons. Its all nonsense. You did nothing wrong. Thank you. Yumirughed as she took a big bite with my chopsticks. I guess you often grill meat and give advice to the Chief, too. Well, naturally, I grill meat because its natural. Huh? What did you say? Hehe. Yumir yfully tapped my ankle from under the table with the tip of his foot. You said I have good intuition, right? . I have a knack for this kind of thing. . Now Ive learned another secret about you, um. Yumir rested her chin on one hand, spread her index and middle fingers into a V, and then ran them across the corners of her lips while smiling. Do you want to go for a night walk with your sister, Ji-hwan? No. I dont want to. Dont do it. Whats that? Ah, you lived abroad, right? Then you might not know. People say dont follow someone who offers candy. Not candy, but Ill give you something else. Something tastier than candy. Beep beep beep. A phone rang. It was Yumirs Taeguk Watch. Hello? [Yeah, Mir, its me.] Seol-hee noona? [Im at Ji-hwans house right now. My meeting just ended. Come pick me up.] Click. The call ended. Yumir tilted her head to the side for a moment and let out a deep sigh without showing any expression. Wow. She chuckled once. Really clueless, arent you? Exactly. Why did you transform back? Well, because Baek Seol-hee doesnt know. Hehe. Yumirs eyes curved into crescent moons. So, the more I keep your secret, the more I get to monopolize that side of you? Thats right. Okay. Yumir stood up, stretched her hand into the air, and winked at me. For a while, Ill make sure the clueless Seol-hee never catches on. Arent heroes supposed to help each other? Well, Snow White and tinum Sun can help each other. Yumir drew a golden circle in the air and made a cutting motion across her throat in my direction. Because women arepetitors? Chapter 173: A Suffocating Tightness Chapter 173: A Suffocating Tightness Transforming into a child could lead to various problems. What if I sessfully transformed but couldnt return to my original form? Hey kid. Where did the librarian Do Ji-hwan go? He suddenly turned into a child. A power to turn into a child? Ive never heard of such an ability user! Take this kid for research immediately! That would make me a subject of investigation. So, in transforming, I had to be very careful about returning to my original form, and more than anything, I needed to freely switch between child and adult states. But surprisingly, it wasnt a big problem. There was no dy in returning to my original form after transforming, and I could change my body at will. The only issue was the continuous depletion of mana after transforming. I was not permanently invisible like the Dark Knight, but like a ghost agent, I could maintain the child state as long as I continuously used a small amount of mana. In Douls case, the transformation was to reduce mana consumption, but in my case, I needed to use mana to transform. There must be some advantages to being a child, but so far, I have only experienced one. Manager Do! Come here! Ill give you a hug. Teacher, can I keep hugging you? Can I sleep hugging you instead of a body pillow? Other than Doul and Yumirs increased physical contact, there were no clear benefits. Hiding Do Ji-hwans identity was meaningful, but if my identity was revealed, it was better to be in spirit form. Well, anyway. Hello, Ji-hwan. You must be tired, Seol-hee, after a normal lecture in the afternoon. Well, thats Did you grill meat? Yes. I grilled beef. I, as the adult Do Ji-hwan, greeted Baek Seol-hee and was busy ventting the room. Did Yumir grill it well? No? The teacher did. I just received it. Hehe. You, Ji-hwan, personally? Yes. Its awkward to grill in a restaurant, worrying about others stares, and I didnt want to be caught in gossip. So, I bought it in advance. I should have just said I wouldnt have dinner then. Baek Seol-hee slumped in the chair, looking gloomy. Didnt the staff have a beef party? Its different depending on who you eat with. Ah. The enjoyment of beef depended on thepany. Eating beef with someone ufortable was like sitting on pins and needles. And I didnt eat properly. Why not? A crazy professor who had been drinking started grilling, not with tongs but with his chopsticks. Eww. You should have said something, right? When I mentioned it, he said, I might be a devil! Haha, and the gathering just fell apart. Was it worse to flip meat with ones chopsticks instead of the provided tongs, or to make such an inappropriatement to an ability user? Personally, I found the former worse, but from an ability users perspective, thetter was far more offensive and annoying. Youre here. Should I grill more? No, its okay. I ate a lot before that old man came. And its airing out. Did the professor go around with alcohol, from table to table? Yes. Wow, thats terrible. Yumir grimaced and shook her head. Then he goes around with a ss, offering drinks, right, unnie? Exactly. He even tried to clink sses with the saliva-covered side. Eww, thats gross. And then he started smoking. Aaaaah! Yumir screamed in disgust. Eww. Thats really terrible Yumir, you could have experienced it too. Korean K-drinking culture. What? Why? Well, its a rule to have a drink on Friday with your practice mates. Even if the practice went terribly, we still ended up entering Sejong Ind together. Unless we be sworn enemies for life, we usually would have a meal or a drink together at the end of the practice and share various stories. Initially, the staff created such an atmosphere, and ability users gathered around the tables to converse. Ability users getting drunk can be a bit dangerous, but isnt that why staff and heroes are around to take care of them? This time, though, it was a disaster. It felt more like a funeral than a dinner party. Naturally, the group that summoned the devil, along with those whose practice ended on the first day and had to return to Sejong Ind, couldnt enjoy a proper dinner party. At best, they exchanged contacts or had a brief chat on the first day. A meaningful conversation was out of the question. Haah. If only they had made the decision a little sooner, the dinner wouldve ended earlier, and I could havee to eat the meat Ji-hwan grilled. The decision? Yes, about Yumir. Theyve decided on the treatment for the tinum Sun. Oh. Yumir had just taken a bite of her dessert ice cream, and her eyes sparkled. Its weird calling it treatment, but can we talk about this now? As long as you dont say Baek Seol-hee told me, its fine. You too, Ji-hwan. Ill pretend I heard nothing. Though our house cat might have overheard. Ahem. Anyway, the government announcement wille out tomorrow morning For the tinum Sun, the association has decided to formally request cooperation. Cooperation? Yes. Since tinum Sun is a hero, unlike asking a viin for help, asking a hero is feasible, right? Baek Seol-hee stood up from her chair, swinging her arm as if holding a baseball bat. Weve decided to ask tinum Sun for help, whether its once a week or every ten days. If someone is captured as a demon, well request tinum Suns purification services. So its not every time a demon appears, but on a set schedule? Yes. Its a form of consideration for tinum Sun. Consideration? It sounds more like theyre scheduling regr exploitation. I felt a surge of annoyance for no apparent reason. They just want to use Yumir at their convenience. First, they tried to make the Goblin carry out executions, and now they want to use tinum Sun. Thats correct. Thats the governments decision. What do you think about it, Seol-hee? Baek Seol-hee bowed her head for a moment. Firstly, I think purification needs to happen. Regarding thepensation, we need to discuss it further, but the conclusion today was to ask tinum Sun for support. And you made that decision at a dinner party? Yes. The opinion that tinum Sun deservespensation was in the minority, including me It was dismissed with lets meetter for a meeting. Im used to itbudget issues, public interest, etc. So if I dont go, thats the end of it? Yumir tilted her head. Why does everyone assume Ill naturally go to purify demons? Dont you? I will go to purify, but from what youve said, it seems like the government has those expectations? Yumir narrowed her eyes and ced her index fingers on her temples. Using the demon purification ability of tinum Sun not just for Korea but also for demons from other countries, and benefiting Korea in the process Something like that. Right. Thats urate. Now, Korea is trying to start a Demon Purification Project against the demons of the world. The key holder and core, tinum Sun, is being persuaded by this. Patriotism? Im a foreigner. Even my eye color turns gold when I use my powers. You dont go around saying youre a foreigner. Its not umon for ability users to change their hair or eye color. Baek Seol-hee pointed at her hair. I have white hair, too. My eyes are nearly gray. Hmm So they think Im Korean and want to use my patriotism for national interests? Yes. Theyre exploiting your belief in the need to purify demons. Yumir. Baek Seol-hee looked firmly at Yumir. Dont be swayed. I may be helpless, but youre free. You could even return to your original country, Canada. Your identity might be slightly revealed, or you could emerge as an S+ hero in the U.S. Seol-hee? As a hero senior, as an unnie, and as a colleague. Dont let the state exploit you. You should be the one to shake the nation. Understand? Hearing this from you feels strange. Isnt that right, teacher? Indeed. Baek Seol-hee, who always worked hard for the country, was saying such things. Is it because of Yumir and me? She hoped that others wouldnt be bound by the nation like she was. Just having that thought showed that Baek Seol-hees purity was gradually bing clouded. Phew Okay. Thank you for the advice, Seol-hee. It seems like youve already said what I needed to hear from the teacher Ji-hwan feels the same way, right? Right, Ji-hwan? Yes. No. A curveball here? Oh, right. My mind. Ji-hwan, I brought you a gift. A gift? Yes. As a token of gratitude. Baek Seol-hee handed me a shopping bag she had brought. This is Shoes. I thought you might wear them for work. This. Its a trap. Shoes? Yes. Baek Seol-hee answered calmly, looking at me. Her audacious face right now was more unbelievable than the advice she had given to Yumir. Shoe size, 280mm. Chapter 174: The Pressure Of The Heroine Chapter 174: The Pressure Of The Heroine Was Do Ji-hwan the Goblin? The answer to this question remains elusive. Baek Seol-hee, whose quick wit allowed her to score 100 in thenguage section and whose logic enabled her to score 100 in the mathematics section of the college entrance exam, could not rush to ept the hypothesis Do Ji-hwan = Goblin as truth without proper verification. Yet, if one were to assume the hypothesis as true, everything would fit together neatly. That day. The day Red Scarf Jeong Gong-in threatened to engulf Seoul in mes, speeding along the Gyeongbu Expressway. Baek Seol-hee encountered Do Ji-hwan for the first time and hastily borrowed a bike. At that moment, she did not feel the need for super-fast movement, like ice wings, so she had no choice but to borrow a bike. Then, the Goblin emerged from the direction where Do Ji-hwan wasst seen. Why did the Goblin appear from the direction of Seoul that day? Answer: Because the Goblin had been in Seoul at the time, and someone stole his bike. 1-1. Then, why did the Goblin set out to catch Red Scarf? Answer: Seoul was like a home to the Goblin, and no viin would want their home threatened by another malevolent force. Next. The Goblin made an unexpected appearance on Sejong Ind, a ce where he had never been spotted before. And this urred right at the beginning of the school term. This coincides with the theory that the Goblin took a librarian job on Sejong Ind as a cover. Why did the Goblin show up on Sejong Ind? Answer: While making hasty conclusions is risky, it seems likely he came to woo women. There appeared to be no other reasonable exnation. Spending time reading books in the library was merely a pastime; his real objective was probably to recruit S or EX-ss ability users like Yumir or Baek Seol-hee into the Secret Society. This seemed to be the most logical and rational exnation. Even if Baek Seol-hee had note to Sejong Ind, the ce was rife with talented ability users such as Baridegi Tae Irin or student council president Yoon Iseon. 2-1. Just to woo women, really? Answer: Perhaps his arrival was also to confront Duoexini and its supporters. Knowing that Duoexini, who was capable of creating demons, had its background on Sejong Ind, he might havee to blow up their stronghold. The theory fits perfectly. Another point. When they shed in Gangneung, the Goblin had blocked her attack with his left hand. This was after Do Ji-hwan, and she had spent a patriotic night on Ulleungdo, and the Goblin had chosen to block her attack, not cut her. If the Goblin was Do Ji-hwan, and if there was no significant difference between Do Ji-hwans demeanor and the Goblins Why had the Goblin specifically blocked her attack with his left hand? Answer: Because he didnt want to hurt a woman he had gotten close to. Excluding the fact that he was a viin, it was somewhat of a sweet gesture, but it raised a question. Why had he chosen to do that, even at the risk of injuring his left hand? Even to the extent of wearing a cast? Making excuses like he was injured during patriotic activities with his wife? The Goblins hand had shown no signs of magic power. But as the Goblin, he might have had a way to extract magic power, leaving only a broken bone injury and returning to Sejong Ind. Therefore Appropriate evidence was needed to prove the proposition Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin true. It was not about forcing a fit but about finding information that gave usibility to the process. Just like how police identify suspects based on their appearance and characteristics. Physique. Voice. Appearance. Thus, Baek Seol-hee decided to start verifying, beginning with the physique, to secure that first piece of evidence. The battle in Yangyang. The battle in Jindo. In one, she had directly fought with the Goblin; in the other, she had faced an S-ss demon. In those encounters, the Goblin, for whatever reason, had attacked his enemies with powerful stomps on the ground. She had seen the imprint. It was something akin to skid marks, perhaps. The footprints werent obvious, but she could estimate the size of the Goblin by the spread and feel of mana when magic was infused into the feet. Estimated size: 280. And the size Do Ji-hwan himself had revealed was also 280. Furthermore By matching the footprint of the Goblins shoe that she had eyeballed with the shoe size, she concluded the two sizes were nearly identical. Well, how could one be sure about a person based on shoe size alone? Just If theres a reason to think Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin? Answer: As absurd as it sounds, theres no other way to put it. A womans intuition. Just that. Aside from being S-ss, its nothing more than a baseless hunch, This man is that man. But if thats the case If everything from the shoe size started to align From now Just start gathering information, one by one, with certainty. The day its confirmed that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin, Baek Seol-hee will
Her gaze looks like she wants to lock me up somewhere and pour out her emotions. Yumir subtly gave me a hint. I immediately caught on. Baek Seol-hee was now using the shoes as a pretext to gather definite information about me and thenpare it to the Goblin. Ive been burned once, so I know. Yumir was signaling me with eyes, hands, and feet, trying to warn me without Baek Seol-hee noticing me. - I realized you were the Goblin based on your physique, but wouldnt Seol-hee unnie also know? I hadnt thought Baek Seol-hee was that observant, but I assumed she would catch on since I had thrown out that bait. Still, I wasnt worried. Why? Thank you, Seol-hee-ssi. Because I already had all the countermeasures prepared. When you asked about my shoe sizest time, I had my suspicions. Im d I prepared a return gift. A return gift? Yes. Actually, its something my wife sent me. I pulled out an item hidden in the closet at home. Ta-da. That, that is! Its lingerie bought from abroad. I handed Baek Seol-hee the box containing the ck lingerie without shame. Try it on sometime. Or think of it as a base and ovey it with mana-made clothing. How can I wear such a thing Oh, no. Just as Baek Seol-hee was about to protest, she suddenly lost herposure. This, this wont fit me, will it? No, it should fit perfectly. Unless youve grown since then. How did you know? Well, I can estimate just by eye. Baek Seol-hee fell silent. Her eyes noticeably shook at the sudden intrusion of the ck lingerie. Wow, Teacher! What about me? Yours need to be specially made. Really? Off-the-rack covers Seol-hees size, but yours require custom orders. Hehe. Yumir straightened her shoulders and lifted her head proudly. If its something like that, it cant be helped. Custom-making such things must be incredibly difficult. Baek Seol-hee looked down with a subdued gaze, then up at Yumir. She might possess S-ss magic power, but she had to yield a bit in front of Yumir, who wielded EX-ss magic. Of course, both would have to bow their heads in front of an EX+ ss ability user. Thanks for the shoes, Seol-hee. Will you ept my return gift? Ah, yes. Ill Ill show you how it looks on meter. Yes. Definitely. And wear it when we go to Ulleungdoter. ! Baek Seol-hees face reddened. As I knelt on one knee and offered her the gift, she hesitated before clutching the lingerie box. Ji-hwan. Yes. Are you hiding something from me? There is. It must have been a final ultimatum. But I didnt want to foolishly say no andter hear her say, You said you werent hiding anything! Just. Someday, Ill tell Seol-hee about a very important secret I have. I buried my face in her hands as though I had no choice. If that dayes, you might resent me. No, you will certainly resent me. Asking how I could do such a thing. That its a betrayal. . But please understand this. Im on Seol-hees side, and I dont want to hurt her. That kind of person If, someday, the dayes when I reveal all my secrets. My voice trembled slightly. Will I be able to face Seol-hee like this Im a little afraid. I just looked up at Baek Seol-hee and smiled. There was a time when I thought such a thing. If Baek Seol-hee discovered my identity. She, as a hero, would confront me. Then, I thought I should make her judge me as a woman, not as a hero. And even if she became suspicious, I thought I would make her bury that suspicion herself. Humans were selfish and self-centered creatures. I I caressed Baek Seol-hees legs and gently kissed her knee. I seem to like Seol-hee more than I thought. The reason the Goblin revealed his identity? Ji-hwan? Sorry, Seol-hee. This is a bit unlike me. Appealing that the Goblin was also human. Im a man, after all. Baek Seol-hees eyes. They nced between my legs. Instinctively. Its your fault, Seol-hee. In front of love, even an S or EX-ss viin would be shaken because theyre human. You made me this way. Chapter 175: Only What I Believe Chapter 175: Only What I Believe Baek Seol-hee thought to herself, This man. He must really like her. Otherwise, none of this made sense. Assuming Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin. Bing friends with her as Do Ji-hwan? Because he liked Baek Seol-hee. Hesitating to kill a demon as the Goblin while constantly looking at Baek Seol-hee? Because he didnt want to show the act of killing someone in front of Baek Seol-hee. Always appearing by her side, getting close as Do Ji-hwan, and saving her as the Goblin. The moment she thought all these were because the Goblin likes her, Baek Seol-hee stopped thinking any further. What could she do? He approached because he liked her, got close because he liked her, and continued whats known as favorable acts because he liked her. Even if hes the Goblin, hes human, and at the same time, a man. Its natural for a man to feel his heart race and get excited at the sight of a beautiful woman. Objectively and subjectively, Baek Seol-hee was a beauty, someone who would easily rank within the top five globally as someone people would want to marry and have children with. Of course, the Goblin too would be within the top five globally as a man that makes you so smitten, youd evenmit adultery with him. Baek Seol-hee had experienced that too. And fortunately Fortunately? She wasnt sure. Baek Seol-hee couldnt control the emotions welling up inside her. Ji-hwan. Yes. Do you like me? I do. Straightforward. The man kneeling down looked straight at her without any hesitation. Correction. His eyes didnt waver, but he swallowed nervously, his heart raced, and his fingers were tense. He seemed embarrassed about revealing his true feelings, but still, he showed his emotions confidently, just as he always did. Someone might think this: What kind of confidence did this man have to be so bold? His face? Body? Or the pride that every man supposedly has? Or perhaps, the special abilities that everyone in this age of abilities desires? If all these were the basis of Do Ji-hwans confidence, Baek Seol-hee admitted it. He was the Goblin. The entire world trembled in fear, all demons were scared, and viins prayed not to cross paths with him, the ace of the Secret Society. Even if he revealed he was the Goblin and seduced women while wearing a mask, S-ss female heroes from other countries would fall for him, wanting to have children with the Goblin. Such a man felt affection for her, approached her first, always loitered around her, whispering love. Ah, this was why so many people could not ovee romantic feelings and ended up ruined. Even the Goblin, who managed to hide his identity from everyone, eventually sumbed to love. Tae I-rin had said, -Love is a battle, the one who falls first loses. It was ironic considering she never dated anyone and was a lifelong single. -Sister, think about it. Because I like him, I end up giving in. Why else would there be so many love stories in human history? Ability users are not any different from humans. Tae I-rin had said, -Love is a war. I should fight for my love. The only thing that changed after the great upheaval of the 2000s, especially around 2020, was that ability users globally, upon reaching the age of 20 - adults by Korean age, it became normal for an ability user to have multiple lovers. From then on, humanity started to see new forms of love. -In Korea, a 20-year-old S-ss man announced he would be with a female celebrity, an ability user woman a year older, and a third-generation chaebol woman. The world began to change. The era of monogamous couples was gone. Now, its the era of the lion. Once one person started and seeded, it became easier for others to follow. It was no longer strange for a man to be with multiple women. It was not at all strange for a man to want to surround himself with beauties. Thus, it was not weird that Do Ji-hwan fell for her. Especially since he had got the most important wifes permission. Sigh, really. Baek Seol-hee turned her head to one side. Thank you for the gift. Well talk moreter Im going home for today. Are you leaving already? I just need some time alone. Right, Mir? Ah, yes. Yumir sketched a circle in the air, startled. From now on Seol-hee. From below. I cant let you go just like that. Baek Seol-hee felt puzzled by the force pulling on her wrist. Surely, the person wasnt an ability user. Even if he were, he wouldnt use magic power since he was hiding his identity as the Goblin. But. At the firm grip on her wrist, Baek Seol-hee found herself falling for him. I cant just let you go. Mir, Im sorry, could you turn off the lights? Ah, yes! Yumir moved toward the switch, aborting the circle she was drawing, and Baek Seol-hee swallowed as she watched. Thump, thump. Then she heard it. Do Ji-hwan was wavering. Do Ji-hwan was wavering, but more so, she was wavering even more. Seol-hee. The hand wrapping around her waist, touching her shoulder. If you n to go like this, youre underestimating me too much. Thats Seol-hee. ! At the sweet voice whispering in her ear, Baek Seol-hee realized what it meant to be disarmed. How about watching a movie at my ce tonight? Well, um, thats A signal. A clear signal, and Baek Seol-hee realized it once again. -Listen. Love is a war. The one who falls first loses. Tae I-rins words echoed in her head. The, the Taeguk Watch is. Teacher! Ill be cleaning Seol-hees room. Yumir sketched a circle in the air, half-inserting herself into it. If the Taeguk Watch rings, Ille right here, so enjoy the movie, you two! How long? Until the East Seas waters and Mount Baekdu dry up! Poof! Yumir clenched her fist and disappeared into the circle. Here. Baek Seol-hee ced Do Ji-hwans hand on her chest and asked cautiously. Am I trembling right now? I cant really tell. Click. Do Ji-hwan pointed the Taeguk Watch backward, activating the TV, and a cable channel appeared. Just then, a movie was ying on the movie channel. It was unclear whether it was a movie or a drama, but in the scene, a blond man and woman faced each other. . Baek Seol-heey on the bed, obediently closing her eyes. It was like a scene from a ssic movie. Do Ji-hwan. Yes. How can you be so confident What do you believe in? What do I believe in? Do Ji-hwan raised one corner of his mouth and gently stroked Baek Seol-hees head to neaten her hair. Me. Baek Seol-hee stopped thinking. In the movie The male and female leads slowly kissed, apanied by a sticky background music.
Meanwhile, Wow. Yumir entered Baek Seol-hees room and immediately abandoned her restraint. Even knowing Ie in here, she leaves her room like this. Baek Seol-hees room was in such a state that it could seriously tarnish the reputation of an S-ss ability user if made public. Ugh. Yumir opened the curtains and quickly started to tidy the room. Considering the chance of someoneing from the other side, she began with the bedding. Ah. Yumir snapped her fingers and reached into the air, creating a tiny hole. Wow. Yumir peered through the hole, holding her breath. As expected. Yumir licked her lips, examining the inside of the hole. I wondered if Seol-hee would notice Even if she did, shed deal with it like this. Yumir was certain. Baek Seol-hee had realized that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin. The teacher, really. To say that there. How cowardly. A man on one knee confesses because he likes her? And not just any man, but one with an extraordinary background? If you see someone clinging to you despite risking their life because they like you, who wouldnt be moved? Sigh. Yumir shook her head and passed her hand over the hole, sealing it. The hole in the air closed, and Yumir resumed cleaning, tidying the disordered interior of the house. Hmm, I intended to help a bit more but maybe its better to let it go this time? Yumir shrugged her shoulders contentedly. Until the waters of the East Sea and Mount Baekdu dry up~ She sang the national anthem. Patriotism is the future~ Whether its one, two, or many, lets give birth and be happy~ She sang the slogan from a public service announcement. Like a lion, like a giraffe, like an elephant~ She sang a song with no clear origin. Anyway. She chuckled emptily. Whats the use of realizing? Youll just keep it to yourself, ying both the drum and gong~ She murmured to herself, even altering the lyrics of the song. But still. She smiled mischievously, covering her mouth with her hand as she giggled. For now, she wont suspect a thing. Compared to human Do Ji-hwan, and the Goblin theres nopetition. She grinned. Seol-hee. Im sorry. Yumir caressed Baek Seol-hees bed and gave a yful wink. If what youre eating now is a delicacy, then what Ill enjoyter will be She licked her lips in anticipation. Wild-caught. Chapter 176: My Patriotism In This Moment Chapter 176: My Patriotism In This Moment The gamble that wasnt really a gamble turned out quite sessful. Thanks to Yumir making room for me, I sang the national anthem from the first to the fourth verse with Baek Seol-hee, and afterward, she remained silent. She simply nestled in my arms, lying on the bed, burying her face in my shoulder as we watched ate-night movie. It just happened that we started speaking informally. Baek Seol-hee tentatively mentioned the moment I started calling her Seol-hee. Should we keep talking informally with each other? Why suddenly make a big deal out of it? I buried my face in Baek Seol-hees hair and gently shook my head from side to side. Wouldnt it be a bit disappointing if you brought it up now? Weve always spoken formally, so switching to informal speech all of a sudden might feel strange. It may feel strange, but look how well were doing now. Was I the only onefortable in our conversation just now? No. Baek Seol-heeid her hand on my chest. Her white fingers stroked up and down my sternum, and she gazed intently at me, smiling faintly. I feltfortable too. Then thats settled. . An ordinary person, Do Ji-hwan, and an S-ss hero. There might be a difference in our positions, but when its just the two of us like this, we dont have to worry about anything else and can be at ease. Right? Thats true. Baek Seol-hee moved closer to me. She clung to me as if I were a body pillow, sticking close as if she didnt want to let go. Really, it feels nice beingfortable like this. In moments like these with you, I dont want to worry about anything else I just want to feel at peace. Baek Seol-hees heartbeat, felt through her skin, was utterly steady. As if weve known each other for a long time. I wonder. Didnt we first meet in Seoul? Thats right. That day in Seoul, we met when I was renting a bike. Baek Seol-hees eyes half-closed. Her gaze was undoubtedly one of inquiry, and I stroked her hair while using my arm as a pillow. Do you like it when I tease you? Yes. I like it. What did you say? I really want to keep you in my arms always. I turned towards Baek Seol-hee and embraced her more tightly than before. What should we do, Seol-hee? Do you want to keep being with me like this? . Lets not send you anywhere else. If viins or demons show up, let the other S-ss heroes handle them. Unless the situation gets so bad that you need to step in, I want to keep you by my side. Thats can we do that? I moved my face close to Baek Seol-hee until our breaths intertwined, and her eyes began to tremble. Huh? Seol-hee. You say that, but you already have a wife. We can live together, the three of us. And with Yumir, itll be four. Do we really have to do that? Yes. I dont want to lose you. I moved even closer to Baek Seol-hee. She seemed overwhelmed by my proximity but didnt pull away. What will you do? If we keep spending nights like this watching movies, I might get even more intense. What will you do if it gets more intense? I dont know. At least, I wont harm Baek Seol-hee, but I might make it so that she spends more time being a woman just for me than a hero for the people. I stroked Baek Seol-hees cheek and moved my face even closer. Have you ever thought about that? Not being a hero for the country but wanting to share love with someone. And that love is with a man who already has a wife and flirts with other women? There are many forms of love. If you love me, Ill give you even greater love. But. I ced my index finger on Baek Seol-hees lips. No exclusivity. What if I want exclusivity? Youd be ruined. Me? Huh. Baek Seol-hee wrapped her arms around my back and pulled me in even tighter than before. What if I take you to a quiet ind, build a castle of ice, and keep you there so you can never leave? Then your wife or Yumir woulde to save you, and Id have to fight them, leading to my downfall, is that what you think? No. Then what? Are you worried Ill fall hopelessly in love with you, abandoning my life as Hero Snow White and everything else to be with you? Even if a viin or criminal that only I can handle appears, you think Ill be too engrossed in sharing love with you? Thats not it either. Then what? Oh, I see. Baek Seol-hee took my hand, stroked it, and then ced it on her lower abdomen, smiling. Are you worried about having a child and throwing everything away for that child? If we have a child, Id be even more willing to give up everything and devote my life to them. What? Being a father means that. Dedicating oneself to the family, paving the way for my child to grow up right. If thats what it takes, Id even quit my current job. Youre serious. Really, seriously saying this. A look of trouble crossed Baek Seol-hees face. Tell me truthfully. Do you really want to have a child with me? Of course. Why? If I hadnt married my wife, you would have been the one I proposed to. Thats a bit regrettable. Baek Seol-hee sighed as ifmenting, burying her head in my shoulder. If that had been the case, I could have married you first. Hey, if I told you not to see other women, would you stop? Of course. But, can you handle that? Handle? Yes. Its an extension of the ruin I mentioned earlier. What I mean is I moved Baek Seol-hees hand down to demonstrate my robust health and vitality. You find it hard to handle me alone as it is. Thats If it happens every day, do you really think you can handle it? . If you were unemployed, maybe. If you werent working, you could handle it. But you know. Ability users have much stronger personal desires than ordinary people, and they need a lot more resources to satisfy those desires. . Baek Seol-hee bowed her head slightly in fear. Cant it be managed with effort? There are many things in this world that even effort cant conquer. You know it, having tried multiple times. You cant handle me alone. Look at the time. I pointed at the movie on the TV. Weve been going at it since the movie started, and now its reaching its climax. But you got exhausted before it even got there. And you? I could watch five more movies easily. Fear began to dawn in Baek Seol-hees eyes. Yumir tactfully made herself scarce, but would the situation be different if she were here now? No. Ten minutes after themercials and the next movie starts, wed both be panting and exhausted. Youre an ability user, arent you? What? Isnt your ability exceptionally high in that regard? Thats why youre still fine. Maybe. Interesting. I dont feel any magic power, but maybe Im an ability user whose patriotic power res up only when being patriotic The movie ended. I climbed on top of Baek Seol-hee, stroked her hair, and looked down at her. If I really were such a being, could you handle me? . Youre struggling with just Do Ji-hwan as a man. If I were an ability user using my magic power for patriotism, could you handle it? Patriotism with magic power? Yes. Yumir had confirmed it. Having first dealt with the Goblin as the tinum Sun, she knew well the danger of the Goblin. How terrifying a fully powered Goblin could be. Human imagination is truly diverse. And if imagination is the basis, any action is possible. Even if that action is on the battlefield of patriotism. Like this? Ssssh. A cold aura emanated from Baek Seol-hees hand extended behind me, wrapping around my back. This is a for capturing viins, originally. But as you said, with a little imagination, it can be used to keep a man from escaping. . You cant escape from me now. Just as Baek Seol-hee had said. She created a cocoon of ice around me, trapping me inside what felt like a one-person tent, and then crawled in herself. I was caught, unable to move, holding her in my arms. I could possibly crawl out from inside, but something significant blocked my way, making it not easy. Even if I somehow managed to squeeze out, Baek Seol-hee, clinging to me tightly enough to suffocate, would ensure I couldnt escape. Do Ji-hwan. Baek Seol-hee stroked my face. You think just because you have a good face and body, everything you do will work on me? Yes. Teasing me, ying with me, deceiving me, and then trying to appease me like this, do you think Im someone who gets easily appeased? Yes. I made it that way. Do you think Im easy? Of course not. From the very beginning, when I approached you, I was prepared to get an ice spear in my gut if things went wrong. I was sincere. Then. Baek Seol-hee sped my hand. Im going to ask you seriously, with all sincerity. Forget everything else, just answer this. If you lie or anything Ill kill you. Baek Seol-hees eyes grew cold. Me. Baek Seol-hee looked at me with trembling eyes. If I get pregnant, will you take responsibility? Of course. Dont you trust me? Trust you? Calling you Oppa like that makes it even harder to believe. Then Ill change my answer. To begin with. I embraced Baek Seol-hee, pressing a kiss to her forehead. If I wasnt going to take responsibility, I wouldnt have approached you in the first ce. Then. Baek Seol-hee slightly turned her head to the side. Promise to take responsibility. Promise. I interlocked my fingers with Baek Seol-hees - Dont stamp there. Here. . Again. The movie started. Chapter 177: Crisis As Opportunity (1) Chapter 177: Crisis As Opportunity (1) 4 AM. This Unnie is really ruthless. Yumir peered into the hole she had opened in the air, marveling at the heros tenacity. To cling on that tenaciously against a viin is what makes a hero worthy of their name. Impressive. She had been facing Do Ji-hwan alone for almost half a day. Even if Do Ji-hwan was only using his full strength in terms of weight ss, the fact that Baek Seol-hee was able to withstand that with sheer willpower alone confirmed she wasnt an S-ss for nothing. Well, peoples mental endurance and willpower must have improved enough from being mentally tested. She closed the hole again. It seemed like they didnt realize how much time had passed, and Yumir might be just what they were waiting for. The teacher ns to call me if Seol-hee Unnie surrenders, and Seol-hee Unnie is determined not to. Maybe I should rest tomorrow morningno, this morning. Ah, its really tough. Yumir stretched and shook her head. It would be easier if she thought like me. But I guess thats not possible? Different perspectives. Yumir answered her own question, pondering over the differences between herself and Baek Seol-hee. The biggest difference between the two, it seemed, was when they realized that Goblin and Do Ji-hwan were the same person. Yumir figured it out quite early and sessfully established a rtionship with Goblin after much effort. But Baek Seol-hee was different. She might have figured out her rtionship with Do Ji-hwan faster than Yumir, but the story was different when it came to Do Ji-hwan (Goblin). She was just starting to see the man named Do Ji-hwan in a new light. Therefore, her feelings for Goblin and Do Ji-hwan were conflicting- Or they should have been, but that conflict was effectively quelled by Do Ji-hwan himself using a baseball bat to thoroughly pound and shape the corners of Baek Seol-hees heart. Yeah. Even an Unnie like her cant keep going with something I couldnt endure. Yumir was certain Baek Seol-hee waspletely finished, having effectively managed various desires and urges with a baseball bat. What if others started doubting Do Ji-hwan? Then Baek Seol-hee herself would naturally defend him. Its not that Baek Seol-hee waspletely sure Do Ji-hwan was Goblin, but it was as good as 99% confirmed. I was like that too. Doubtful, but not certain. Unless the other party says, I am the Goblin, you maintain that state until some catalyst forces their identity as Goblin to be revealed. And if sheter met the Goblin and did something! Maybeter I should tell the teacher to remove the lower half of the Goblin mask and then kiss? Maybe realizing it by the feel of the lips, This is Ji-hwans lips! Hehe. Yumir continued her imagination, pressing down on the bed sheets. Cleaning done! While one side was patriotically messing up the room, Yumir had tidied Baek Seol-hees room to be cleaner than a 5-star hotel. Phew. Wiping the sweat beading on her forehead, Yumir turned on the TV. Since her Taeguk Watch was currently in Do Ji-hwans room, the TV was the only thing she could use to pass the time. Hehehe. It was hard for Yumir to contain herughtering from inside. If Unnie faints, then its my turn next? It was a natural sequence. No matter how much Baek Seol-hee endured, she couldnt win against Do Ji-hwan, and then naturally, Do Ji-hwan would be alone, cooling off in the chilly air and looking out the window. Thats when. When hes burning up, its her turn to act. Just like the t rate time Hehehe. It was as if Yumir and Baek Seol-hee were both using the same fee n. Even if Baek Seol-hee used up a lot of t rate time, Yumir could enjoy it at the most exquisite moment. Should I put my Unnie to sleep here and then go on a drive with the teacher? Maybe run off to Ulleungdo? Ah, what to do? Maybe I should just skip ss and fly abroad? While Baek Seol-hee, a professor, had her own schedule, the student Yumirs time was just beginning. But then. Huh? Beep-beep-beep. As soon as she turned on the news, Yumir saw a bewildering live broadcast. What are they doing now? It looked like a school yground. People from all around were filming a young man who had neatly stacked a pile of broken metal in the yground. Gobline out? The person who had written Goblin,e out!! was none other than Armored Taejo. Whats with him? Armored Taejo, arms crossed, just stood in the middle of the yground, waiting silently. I cant check the inte Hmm, what to do? Should I go there and break the mood to find out whats happening? Click. Yumir opened a space with her finger as if peering inside through a paper door. This wont do. The movie was reaching its climax. Interrupting or distracting at this crucial point in the movie would only earn Yumir scorn. Therefore. I cant forgive a brat who disturbs the sacred time of patriotism. After checking the location shown in the news, Yumir reached towards Baek Seol-hees Taeguk Watch and ced a golden bead on it. This should notify me when the rm goes off. Beep. A text message arrived. [Its over.] It was from Do Ji-hwan, not someone else, sent to Baek Seol-hees Taeguk Watch. Vrooom. Yumir crossed the space to her room. You sent this to me, right? Yeah, its over. . Baek Seol-hee was unconscious. For a moment, Yumir worried if she was dead, but she was just unconscious, not dead. And Do Ji-hwan too. Teacher. Theres a brat on the news calling out the Goblin. Lets see. Really. That. The Goblin isnt idle enough to spar with a brat. Leave it. But, Armored Taejo [If you donte, youre a baldy!] . . Do Ji-hwan visibly frowned. Kids will be kids Tsk. What should we do Leave it. Do Ji-hwan nonchntly took out a tissue and wiped the sweat from Baek Seol-hees forehead. Adults have their own issues to deal with. Then. Yumir stealthily reached out her hand. Ill go. You? Yes. I have something I want to try. Youre not nning something weird, are you? Youll know if its weird or not when you see. Hehe. Perfect timing. Transform. Yumirs body began to shimmer in rainbow colors.
At that time, in an abandoned schoolyard in Busan Yeongdo. Sigh. Is it because its dawn? I thought the Goblin would be asleep during the day and active at night. Armored Taejo felt a chill run down his spine due to the chilly weather. It wasnt that ability users were particrly sensitive to temperature changes, but in such a deserted situation, it made no sense to just go in without any purpose. He shoulde out. Then I can showcase my newly developed technique, Taejos Soaring Song! Taejo wanted to prove himself. After a crushing defeat in Gangneung, he wanted to show the change in his skills. Unfortunately, he didnt get the chance to do so during the Duoexini incident. In the area he was responsible for, near Busan, demons didnt appear much, and he ended up locking up only small fry in his steel cage without much of a show. Like Snow White and the Goblin, he needed to hunt an S-ss demon to gain recognition. Sadly, such an opportunity hadnte. So, the only way to prove his power was to show it directly. For that, naturally, an S-ss viin was needed. It was pointless to ask other S-ss heroes to join him, and asking A-ss heroes for help in demonstrating his technique would be mere showboating. Therefore. To prove his enhanced strength, he needed an S-ss opponent. An opponent everyone recognized as strong. Beep-beep-beep. His Taeguk Watch rang. Taejo was about to close the watch when he saw the name disyed on the panel. -Ya. -Answer it. -If you dont, you die. Ah, what. [What nonsense is this waking me up. Go home right now!] Are you calling because grandpa contacted you? [Go home right now, you idiot! What S-ss would fight a viin at 4 in the morning!] People eat hamburgers at 3 AM, whats the big deal?! [Thats different! And which bored S-ss woulde out to fight you-] Fizzle! A golden circle appeared on the yground. Armored Taejo instinctively covered his Taeguk Watch and gulped as he saw the figure emerging from the space. Wow. Step, step. Inside was a ck suit coat. On top, a white cape-like coat. And on the head, like during the Golden Priestess incident, someone wearing a white hood and a golden mask appeared from the opened space. tinum Sun? [S-ss. Ranked 7th. Armored Taejo.] A gentle voice flowed from behind the mask, and tinum Sun stretched out both arms. Whirring. A golden sword emerged from tinum Suns hand. If previously, as Golden Priestess, she embodied traditional elegance while facing demons, now she looked like a magical girl turned magical world bureaucrat. [Making such a racket in the quiet dawn. Are you out of your mind?] What, what! I called for the Goblin! [The Goblin is busy right now.] What? How would you know? [And hes not idle enough to respond to such low-grade bait.] Click. [Ill be your opponent. Arm yourself. Its time everyone else is sleeping, no.] Anger began to seep into tinum Suns voice. [Disrupting the time of patriotism, thats unforgivable.] Chapter 178: Crisis As Opportunity (2) Chapter 178: Crisis As Opportunity (2) While Baek Seol-hee was still out cold, I carefully connected earphones to the tablet, ensuring she wouldnt wake up. [tinum Sun! The woman who purified the devil, flew through space, and single-handedly subdued the S-ss demon Haftod! Shes a formidable opponent!] Armored Taejo was overjoyed at the appearance of tinum Sun. He probably thought the Goblin wouldnt show up, but he seemed as delighted as if he had caught an unexpectedly big fish. It looks like he just wants to show off his improved skills. Armored Taejo was a typical braggart. Assuming hes in his early twenties, its as if hes bragging about being a top yer and challenging a professional gamer to a 1:1 topne battle after reaching Challenger. Publicly, he may seem different, but in his heart, thats probably what Armored Taejo felt. So, whats the principle behind Yumirs actions, who was attracted by his aggro? There were three reasons. One was to teach Armored Taejo a lesson for making noise at dawn. Another was irritation that it was finally her turn to show patriotism, but Armored Taejo attracted Goblins aggro. And thest was stress relief. Its not about the stress of not being able to act patriotically or built-up anxiety. The stress I was talking about was due to the worlds gossip about tinum Suns power. In other words. An S-ssbat power meter. Yumir intended to prove that she didnt just defeat the Half-Toad by a surprise attack but was genuinely powerful by defeating Armored Taejo. -tinum Sun? I acknowledge shes a demon-fighting specialist. But iming top-tier status just because you can hit their weak points haha. Its not just about having a rtive advantage against demons. -The ability to move through space is an EX-ss cheat skill, I admit. But whats the use of just moving through space? Can you really fight properly? Have you shown your skills against a viin? Oh, you can only fight demons? Haha. She wasnt just a supporter with a special ability. -Isnt she just a pervert who freely wears weird costumes? Rather than being a character with an unusual appearance She aimed to prove herself as a genuine EX-ss ability user who had shocked the Korean Penins and shaken the world. People always pick their battles. You dont just crack open a pumpkin seed without looking. Yes. Picking battles wisely. Even if the world was chaotic with various incidents, and even if tinum Sun was just starting to make her name known. -No matter how strong the Goblin is cough. Its nothing. I didnt think anything, Viin superior! If someone like the Goblin showed overwhelming power and aplishments, those who feared retaliation would naturally grovel. A good choice. After defeating the S-ssbat power meter, she would definitively prove herself as an S-ss. That must have been why Yumir stepped forward so confidently. [The time for patriotism should be solemn.] Right? It couldnt be that she was doing this because her patriotic time was interrupted. Or maybe not.
Kaang! The scattered scrap metal dragons were swiftly sliced by golden des. tinum Sun didnt just sever the connections between the clumps of scrap metal; she sliced through them with her de, showcasing her power. Kuh, ugh!! [Using a field instead of a suit is a good idea. But for that, you should at least create a scrap metal ind.] tinum Sun pointed the tip of her de at Armored Taejo. [Surrender?] Bu-but weve only started fighting 3 minutes ago! [Yousted about as long as it takes to cook instant noodles. Good job.] tinum Sun tapped Armored Taejos shoulder with the t side of her golden de, and Taejo clenched his teeth, trembling. Me! [Im not belittling you. You can grow and be stronger. But.] tinum Sun sheathed her sword and turned around. [For now, Im just stronger.] I ask you. Whats the secret behind your strength? [Listen to those around you. Youre not alone in this world.] The people around. Taejo hung his head low and clenched his fists. Though the remnants of his ambitious Iron Dragon Sky Song were torn to shreds, and he couldnt grasp how to be stronger, it seemed he caught a glimpse of a clue. A personal question. Whats your goal? [Thats a bit presumptuous.] Pffft. When tinum Sun flicked her finger in the air, a golden orb of magic power converged and struck Taejo on the forehead. Ouch! It hurts! [Where did you learn to speak informally to your elders in the Land of Courtesy, huh? How do you know if Im older or younger than you?] I, how would Iknow! Whether youre older or younger than me! [You should figure that out yourself, sensibly. Anyway, these immature kids who arent adults yet.] I may not be an adult, but there are things I can do, even if Im not one, aagh! When tinum Sun extended her foot towards the air, like cracking a joint, a trail of golden light whipped out, kicking Taejos leg. Ugh! Do you think you can just hit an S-ss hero and get away with it?! [Hmm. Considering your condition, I think I could beat you up a bit more and nobody would say anything.] tinum Sun extended her hand, and a red rope shed and appeared from it. Whirl! Uh!! The rope wrapped around Taejo from his eyes down to his ankles, leaving no gaps. Unable to even pull his hands out, Taejo copsed to the side, powerless. tinum Sun dragged him across the grassy field of the abandoned school, holding the rope that bound him. [This spot suits you.] A gpole soaring high into the sky. Except for the Taegeukgi, no other g was fluttering, but tinum Sun threw Taejo next to the pole where the Taegeukgi was swaying in the wind. Ugh!! Whirl. Another rope wrapped around the first one. Suddenly, Taejo was tied to the gpole, and tinum Sun dusted her hands off with a satisfied look. [Farewell then. Next time, think about the timing when you draw aggro.] Pavavat. tinum Sun drew a circle in the air and left the scene. In the abandoned school, only Armored Taejo was left, tied to the gpole, his head hung low. Just like that. Taejo was utterly defeated. Proving that tinum Sun was stronger than someone on the border of S-ss.
Im back. Hows Seol-hee? Shes asleep. Even deeper now. Still? Wow, how much did you tire her out? I didnt tire her out. If I hadnt let her sleep, she wouldve lost consciousness even worse than this. That bad Yumir started rummaging through my wardrobe as soon as she transformed back. Why dont you at least put on a robe or something? Why bother now? Oh, here it is. Yumir pulled out a box from deep inside my wardrobe. Unlike other boxes, this one had a more feminine design, and its contents were also womens items. Today lets go with sky blue! You dont need to report that to me. But I cant see it with my own eyes, cant I? Thats not what I meant. I know. Hehehe. Yumir began to put on the underwear she had taken out of the box. She had brought several sets of spare underwear from her dormitory to my room, and I had no choice but to make space for her in my wardrobe. Why, you ask? Obviously, because the clothes disappear when the transformation is undone. Both Nana and Yumir hadnt solved this problem yet, and both were trying to figure out Baek Seol-hees external shield-type costume transformation. Although its not yet possible to transform as quickly as 0.1 seconds like a normal transformation. Sigh. Anyway, that immature guy, bothering people since dawn. The sun is slowly rising while you were away. Ah. Yumir looked gloomy. Why of all times. Why? After dealing with it quickly anding back Ah, never mind. She began to speak naturally but then stopped herself. Even though Baek Seol-hee was still unconscious, it was better to be cautious in conversation. Really annoying. Should I have just let the Goblin handle it? Even if you hadnt gone, the Goblin wouldnt have shown up, right? Then what was the Goblin doing at that time? Probably pondering why that immature guy was drawing aggro so early in the morning. That was indeed the case. Wanting to prove ones skills isnt solely because of the Duoexini incident. There must be other reasons behind it. Do you know? Investigations done. Now that weve cleaned Seol-hee up, shall we go to her house and talk? I removed the Taeguk Watch and picked up Baek Seol-hee, nket and all. Please. Ugh. Im starting to feel like a space teleportation shuttle. Then teach it to Seol-hee. It seems more affectionate to call her now. We agreed to speak informally. In private. Can I speak informally too? Not you. In the Land of Courtesy. Saaa. I immediately entered her room, carrying Baek Seol-hee. Its cleaner than I thought? Tell me about it. I was super surprised too. Yumir shrugged her shoulders lightly. I could glimpse the truth in her expression but didnt point it out. Yumir. Yes? After Seol-hee wakes up and we eat, I have somewhere to go with you. Oh, that. But, is it okay not to go to work? Theres something more important than going to work. I wrote on Yumirs back with my finger. Secret Society Intern. Oh my. It seems the Zenros will enter Sejong Ind in three days. Finally. Two S-ss heroes for escort. Ah. Yumir flicked her finger. Did Armored Taejo get cut? Yeah. He volunteered but was pushed out of the candidates. Even though hes S-ss. Its too heavy a task to entrust to Taejo. Even more so. With A-ss also participating in the escort mission. Chapter 179: Crisis As Opportunity (3) Chapter 179: Crisis As Opportunity (3) Morning. Baek Seol-hee woke up from a deep sleep, her mind still groggy. She remembered falling asleep extremely exhausted the night before, but her whole body felt surprisingly refreshed upon waking up. It felt as if all her umted burdens had been lifted. She woke up feeling so deeply rested she wondered if it was even possible to feel happier than this upon waking. When had shest felt this way? Right. That day, in Ulleungdo !! Are you awake? Startled by the whisper-like voiceing from right beside her, Baek Seol-hee felt her heart drop. Ji, Ji-hwan? You seem still half asleep. Why are you Ji-hwan? Teacher, the soup is ready. Okay. Ill be right there. Another womans voice came from the direction of the kitchen. Baek Seol-hee initially thought, Who is that woman? but then realized it was Yumirs voice. But why? Why were they both in her room? I left my Taeguk Watch here. Yumir opened the portal. Keeping it in my room was ufortable, so we moved here. Oh, that, right. I have been getting continuous Ah! Baek Seol-hee reflexively reached for her bedside table. The messages! There werent any urgent ones. We would have woken you if there were. Ah. Baek Seol-hees face reddened, feeling like she had caused some sort of farce. To check the Taeguk Watch first thing upon waking up. The life of a hero really is tough. Something feels odd. What is it? Us. Baek Seol-hee pointed back and forth between herself and Do Ji-hwan. Didnt we agree to speak informally? Do Ji-hwan, who had been looking at her expressionlessly, felt relieved that Baek Seol-hee remembered correctly. Really? You remember well. Do Ji-hwan rxed his expression and gently stroked Baek Seol-hees hair. Get up. The meal is ready. The meal is I brought ingredients from my fridge. Its fine. I didnt open your fridge. !! Baek Seol-hee suddenly snapped back to full alertness. Wait. They entered her room? Yes, they did. Yumir had agreed to stay in this room like a night watchman, and during that time, she had tested her indomitable will against Do Ji-hwan. But it was unexpected for Do Ji-hwan to enter this room. The fact that Do Ji-hwan entered meant she hadnt cleaned up her room before moving to Do Ji-hwans room Ah. While Do Ji-hwan headed to the kitchen, Baek Seol-hee quickly scanned her room. It was neatly organized. The coat she had casually thrown on the floor, the underwear she tossed into theundry basket, even the empty beer cans she had stacked like bowling pins from drinking alone to relieve stress all of it!! . Baek Seol-hee thought of Do Ji-hwans room. It wasnt to the point of being obsessivepulsive, but his room was so tidy it could be mistaken for a model house. Of course, one could say it was because different people visited every day. Still,pared to Baek Seol-hees own room, it was like the level of tidiness in a hotel. Then that meant. This room, could it be that Do Ji-hwan? Ah. Sister. While Do Ji-hwan was busy serving food on tes in the kitchen, Yumir approached Baek Seol-hee and spoke in a hushed tone. I did all the cleaning. Teacher Ji-hwan doesnt know. Ah. While you were busy with the teacher, I cleaned your room. Thank you? Hehe. Wake up. You need to eat breakfast. Dont worry. Nothing youre worried about was noticed. Really? Yes. Baek Seol-hee felt a mix of gratitude and guilt towards Yumir. Ill treat you to a big mealter. I didnt do it for that. But,ter, you know. Yumir nced around the kitchen and then, lowering her voice held out her pinky finger. If I cant handle it alone, I can ask you for help, right? . Baek Seol-hee felt ashamed of herself in front of Yumirs kindness. She wanted to monopolize everything, yet this woman seemed to understand and show consideration. Even though she was younger. Of course. If theres a next time, Ill ask for your help. Yes. Lets help each other. Against that vicious viin. ! Baek Seol-hees heart sank for a moment, and Yumir winked, cing her index finger on her lips. Lets talk about the detailster, just the two of us. Alright. Baek Seol-hee was a bit confused, but then she thought. That viin, was he just a brutish figure in the night? If taken literally, Do Ji-hwan was the epitome of a day-and-night contrast. In reality, the club he wielded was so vicious that it made Baek Seol-hee want to surrender everything. She ended up losing consciousness at some point. She couldnt check the time due to theck of a clock and had no idea when she started or lost consciousness. If thats the case, its just a cruel joke. But if it meant what Baek Seol-hee understood? I know that Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin, so dont worry. Im pretending not to know, so please cooperate with me. Ill tell you why I pretended not to know and approached himter. Just cooperate with me for now. That seemed to be what she was saying. Yumir. If tinum Sun knew that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin and was still in this rtionship. Why wasnt she telling others and keeping his identity as the Goblin a secret? Maybe theres something she didnt know. Unlike her, a mere S-ss hero, this was the woman with divine abilities to purify demons. Sigh. Baek Seol-hee decided not to overthink. Sit down. Its Western food. Its easy to prepare. But as soon as she saw Do Ji-hwan, who seemed to have picked only her favorite foods for breakfast, Baek Seol-hee gave up on thinking further. Why? I just dont want to think about anything. Right. So what if Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin. Or if hes a married man. In the end. Do Ji-hwan. Hmm? Ah. It was all this mans fault for falling for her. If. If that was a lie. Then
I guess I made an unnecessaryment. Hehe. But it turned out well, didnt it? I calcted everything and then dropped the hint. After serving breakfast to Baek Seol-hee and exchanging greetings, I grabbed Yumir as soon as we returned to my room. Now that Ive drawn attention, theyll ask me rather than the teacher. Why hide that youre the Goblin. Whats the reason? What will you say? Is it more beneficial to hide that Im a Goblin? Beneficial? Yes. To resolve it like a hero would. Yumir grabbed my shoulder and pushed me against the wall. Even if a viin walks the path of a viin, its the heros mission to pull them in the right direction and make them a hero. Are you trying to convince me? A Goblin on the side of justice. Sounds usible, right? And actually, its working. The Goblin is currently refraining from killing people. Thats not wrong. Hehe. It wont go as seriously as the teacher worries. If the teacher gets stabbed in the stomach by an ice spear, it wont be because of hiding the Goblins identity, but Yumirs index finger brushed over my lips. It would be because of the lie that you fell for Baek Seol-hee. . Baek Seol-hee honestly doesnt care much about the Goblin thing, right? Its not like the Goblin harassed her, teased her about being bald, or smashed peoples heads in front of her. I didnt do anything bad. Right. So, you dont have to worry about being the Goblin. We basically revealed everything yesterday, and I persuaded her with the baseball bat. I wont deny it. Yumir was right. Baek Seol-hee wouldnt feel betrayed now, even if she was certain that I was the Goblin. Rather, she might feel more betrayed by the statement, I did it because I liked you. Sigh. I guess I was the one overthinking. No need to oveplicate things. Just ept the situation as it was. Its easier if I reverse the cause and effect. I exposed my identity to Baek Seol-hee because I liked her, and I wanted to impregnate her. Among the many heroines and women on this ind, there was only one reason I got close to Baek Seol-hee. I Wanted to make her mine. Wanted her to bear my child. Honestly. If I didnt like Baek Seol-hee, I wouldnt have approached her in the first ce. Right. Maybe I did like Baek Seol-hee. . Why? Huh? Thats not it? Yumir rolled her eyes, looking serious. Hey, teacher? Werent you a bad guy ying with womens hearts? I was. But, thanks to you, I thought about it. If I didnt like Baek Seol-hee, I wouldnt have bothered her. I dont touch those I dont like. Why do you like her? Pretty, good figure, nice personality, seems like shed have kids well? Wow. Yumirs mouth dropped open in shock. What about me? You are I was about to answer but just pushed Yumirs face away with my hand. Enough. I dont want to answer when you look at me like that. Come on, tell me. You want to know? Yes! Then listen. I pulled Yumirs ear. I never thought about using a condom with you. . Done? Lets go. To vanquish the demon. Are you going to use it in the future? No. Thats because. Im a patriot. A traitor.
Swoosh. Gentle wavespped at Busan Port. Arge white passenger ship, much bigger than others, arrived at the port. As many people gathered at the harbor, a line of 1-ton trucks began moving toward the docked ship. The trucks, painted white, were all specialized vehicles, and each carried a container that filled the truck bed. The containers were marked with the Hero Association logo. Rumble rumble. As the trucks carrying one person each in the containers started boarding the ship, a brown-haired woman in a ck suit on the deck tapped her Taeguk Watch and made a call. Yes. Yes. Boarding has started. Ill move everything to the destination. Yes. All for the eternal development of the nation and its people. Click. As soon as the traitors arrive on the ind, they will be transferred to theboratory. Chapter 180: Crisis As Opportunity (4) Chapter 180: Crisis As Opportunity (4) I took sick leave. A medical certificate could be obtained through Brewer, and others at the library would cover for me. If no one else stepped up, the Library Director would probably take over, which would be quite unpleasant for the other librarians. I wasnt too worried about it. What was important to me was the ship that was just about ready to enter Sejong Ind. Excuse me, Im going to be absent. Yumir also missed sses. Baek Seol-hee might think, theyre at it again, but now shed probably just ept it. They might think we were just patriotically idling all day. But we werent resting to be patriotic; we were gathering in Ulleungdo to n our strategy. Teacher, youre using me as a teleportation shuttle again. Then, shall I teach you spatial movement? If the Goblin learns spatial movement, itll be chaos. Its not a big problem considering theyre supposed to appear out of nowhere. I owe you one for the future. Anyway, Is she here? Doul, who had been staying inside the pension, greeted us. I saw you fighting at dawn. Yumir, you really kept the brats in line, huh? I just went there to relieve some stress. Were you upset because Taejo interfered with your patriotism? My patriotism is not the issue. Really? The inte is going wild. Theyre saying tinum Sun and Goblin were patriotically interrupted. Whats that? I was a bit startled by this new story, but we couldnt helpughing at themunity reactions shown by Doul. Theyre really spinning tales. Indeed. But Yumir, you know this all started from ament you made deliberately, right? I just talked about the patriotism of ordinary people, not abouting back from being patriotic with the Goblin. Good fodder for the rumor-mongers. I ruffled Yumirs hair yfully. Doul. Where is she now? Shes infiltrating to board the passenger ship. Passenger ship? Finally, the traitors areing to Sejong Ind. Birth is patriotic. Those whove lost their reproductive ability are traitors. Yes, the demons that you, Yumir, purified so they cant reproduce anymore. In this country, they are called traitors. Traitors. Quite a name. Regardless of their will or nationality, they all caused loss of life and property in this country, right? Thats why theyre called traitors. So, theyre bringing them to Sejong Ind for human experimentation? Yes. Duoexinis demon seed. Originally, it was extracted from demons. But they dont know that. Theyd try to verify it to thest one, even if they did. Could they really not reproduce? Officially, the purpose is to revert them back to ability users, but in reality, its to find traces of the demon. Sejong Ind is ideal for conducting the experiments in earnest. Our mission is to locate the experimental site. How will we infiltrate? Like this. Doul brought her hand to her face, then transformed, invoking her magic power. Ta-da. Zenros? Correct. Well be the test subjects ourselves. Oh, not you guys. Doul had perfectly copied the appearance of one of the Zenros women. Me and Gunggi. You two will act as agents dedicated to me and Gunggi. Isnt that dangerous? The Goblin nned it himself. I trust him. Yumir, want to take a look? I disyed detailed information through the electronic devices inside the pension. These are what theyll experience when theyre taken to theb. ! The scenes were horrific enough to be easily understood, even though they were mosaic-censored. This is I extracted these images from my memory using magic. Should I call it photographic ability? Memories self-extracted through the Goblins wand. They studied demons like this. Even for Zenros, its possible to research this way. What should I do? Choose. Its not about deciding whether to do it or not. Whether to openly act as tinum Sun or to hide that identity and adopt apletely new concept. As an intern for the Secret Society? Yes. tinum Sun is a righteous hero, but this kind of task belongs to the underworld. I brought out new materials. Todays task is to decide on your concept. What will you do? Ill do it. Yumir seriously browsed through the materials I showed, then released magic power from his body. But am I the only one adopting a concept? Huh? Are we going public about the Secret Society, or are we keeping it hidden? Revealing it shouldnt be a problem. Since the Goblin was actively involved, the Secret Society could step in and handle any situation. How about bing a third force? What are you thinking? Ive been considering it for a while. Yumir sat down in front of theptop with a meaningful expression and brought out new materials after searching for something. How about trying this concept? Oh. This is interesting. I cant resist ying with alternate characters. This will be fun.
Meanwhile, at the Busan Government Office. Is Taejo still cooped up in his room? Yes. He seems to be upset about being excluded from the Sejong Trip operation Tsk. President Tae Chae-jin clicked his tongue and shook his head. Even if hes S-ss as a hero, hes less than A-ss in participating in national affairs But this time might be different, right? No. Hes insufficient. Hes just engrossed in ying hero. The TV screen in the office lit up, disying numerous profile pictures. Two S-ss officially boarding the ferry. Two S-ss from Sejong Ind to assist. Plus, one S-ss unofficially on the escort ship. Excluding the top one, practically the 2nd to 6th ranks are mobilized. Snow White and Baridegi on Sejong Ind. Cheok Jun-kyeong on the unofficial escort ship. And the other two who would directly board the ferry to safely escort it to Sejong Ind. Plus, 30 warships are attached to the escort ship, to safely transfer the Zenros to Sejong Ind. Although it might seem excessive for a ferry trip from Busan to Sejong Ind, it was actually a reduced military deployment. What a strange world. Two S-ss heroes are more reliable than 30 warships. Thats how powerful abilities are. Right. But Taejo wont do. He doesnt even understand why he was excluded. We cant let someone so impulsive take on such a critical mission. There are rumors that its to protect the eldest grandson. Me? Protect him? If I wanted him safe, I wouldnt have let him act so recklessly. Tae Chae-jin sighed deeply. Among the Zenros is a woman he once dated. Hes trying to board the escort ship to be with her. . Personal feelings? Fine. But if he joins the mission for personal reasons, imagine the chaos if an ident happens. Many incidents have urred due to prioritizing personal feelings over duty. Yes. Assistant Jang, you know too, heroes are very delicate beings. Tae Chae-jin tapped his Taeguk Watch and opened a confidential document. Japan, China, Russia, theyre all trying to make contact. The top-secret document, obtained through every national intelligencework, was filled with various photos, including submarines and airnes. Do you really think the transport dy is due to vinating the Zenros? Its a bit hard to say, but the dy might be due to filtering out any suspicious individuals. Right. As you said, weve struggled a lot to mobilize people. Tae Chae-jin covered his face with his hands and sank into his chair. Excluding those rted to Zenros, victims of Zenros, and anyone with any connectionsschool, blood, regionnd those who had even slight past interactions. Also, those who received suspicious calls or emails. After removing everyone, we barely managed to assemble this team. The government ruthlessly trimmed down the personnel. Even so, they will surely appear. Why? Because even though we and the government have done everything, we cant handle abilities that suddenly appear out of thin air. Like opening a void in mid-air. Like skynding from the sky. Like swimming through the sea and jumping between warships. Before entering Sejong Ind, every country will try to secure their own Zenros. All of them. This was A kind of World War. They aim to secure Zenros for research, like the U.S. is already doing. Human experimentation Exactly. If they find even one demon cell in the bodies of those who were demons, theyd obtain twisted gic information for research, thinking they might create demons. The world map spread out. Seventeen red sparkling spots appeared on the blue-colored map. We cant let even one be taken. Whether its teleportation, ne drops, kidnapping in all of history, no prisoner being transported to exile has ever been kidnapped. That only happens in movies or novels. Firmly. Whether they experiment on the Zenros or not. Tae Chae-jin clenched his fist and ground his teeth. In ournd, we must punish the murderers who killed our people. How dare they try to take them to their country. Chapter 181: Crisis As Opportunity (5) Chapter 181: Crisis As Opportunity (5) What did it mean for an ability user to lose their powers? There was a story in America, akin to an urban legend: The Bomber was no longer a Bomber. The tale of an ability user who could cause explosions losing his power and bing an ordinary person was treated as a joke by Wang Huan, a former A-ss ability user and a Chinese student at Sejong Academy. However, after the emergence of Sr tina and once he himself had be a devil and then lost his abilities, He felt he could understand why the Bomber had caused a suicide disturbance. He wanted to die. It feels like death without the overflowing power. Although decorated like a luxurious single room, everything in this room only brings pain and suffering. When he was an ability user, even stubbing his toe on the bed didnt hurt. He didnt easily feel hungry, and eating didnt make him feel bloated. Even if he hit his head hard with a stic tray after eating, it didnt hurt. Even greater pain didnt hurt, but now the pain was overwhelming. The fear, torment, and pain of bing an ordinary human are unbearable. Thats why others, unable to endure this state, harmed themselves and ended up confined like in a psychiatric ward. At least Wang Huan, being an ability user under the partys protection, had some sce. His father, a high-ranking party member, would surelye to rescue him. Others did the same. Through a channel that allowedmunication with other Zenros via a monitor panel, though they couldnt see each other face-to-face, he gained hope from what someone else had said: The party woulde to rescue them. Because if they ended up on Sejong Ind, theyd never be able to leave. Having lived on Sejong Ind, they knew how much it was like a prison, and they didnt want to enter it even based on hearsay. -Brother Wang. Theres a rumor that theres ab underground on Sejong Ind where they experiment on ability users. Thats just a conspiracy theory. Could such a thing really exist? -If not, why would they want to take us to Sejong Ind? Because Sejong Ind was the safest fortress from Koreas perspective. If human experimentation is happening in that fortress, that would be something to see. Anxiety crept in with these words. What would happen if they really ended up eating Korean Stew on Sejong Ind? Old movies showed people being dunked in water or strapped to electric chairs for electrocution. If that actually happened, what was once breath-holdingpetitions or electric massages when he had abilities, would now be nothing but torture with his current human body. Damn it. Wang Huan felt like going mad. He wanted to escape this ce, even if it meant bing a devil again. As a devil, he had even more power than when he was an ability user, capable of achieving anything he desired. But now, as a mere human without abilities, hes too weak to do anything. Especially for someone like Wang Huan, who had killed people and was then imprisoned. Ding-dong. The bell rang. Soon, along with the sound of a cart being pulled outside, a woman brought in food on a stic cart and ced it on the table. You have one hour to eat. If you dont, it will be collected as is. Without even chopsticks? Theres a spork. The woman, an employee of the association, pointed to a pink stic spoon ced next to the tray. The rounded spoons tip was blunt, seemingly unable to pierce anything, just leaving a pressed mark. Does it have to be like this? In other rooms, there were cases of self-harm with a spork. Please dont let that happen. Hmph, why would I harm myself. Wang Huan looked at the food on the table. Most of the food was soft or squishy, with no hard objects like mshells. Is this chicken? Boneless chicken. . Even the bones were removed, leaving him speechless at the extreme measures. This is not how you treat prisoners. . Why? Do I look like a real prisoner? Wang Huan picked up his boneless chicken with the spork. Do you think Im a joke now? Just a week ago, someone like you, an E-ss agent, would be Click. The agent pulled something out of their pocket. It was a wireless earphone, and the agent simply stood there wearing it, saying nothing. Damn it. Wang Huan quietly chewed his chicken. It was unpleasant, but he couldnt act out in frustration. After all, he was now powerless, and this E-ss agent could kill him with just a finger. Crunch. . Juices burst in his mouth. There was a feeling of chewing something that shouldnt be chewed, and Wang Huan carefully moved his tongue while chewing the chicken. Chewing, chewing. Wang Huan finished his meal, and the agent left with the cart. Once the agent closed the door and left, Wang Huan pretended to sleep, covered himself with a nket, and reached into his mouth. Ssh. What came out of his mouth was a red stic. He unfolded the stic, and inside the transparent tape-like object, there were written words. Right. Fetching the Moon from the Bottom of the Sea. It was an idiom, but the short word clearly conveyed its meaning. Have toe. They will. Hehehe. Just wait. They will surelye to rescue. Yes. Trying to contain Zenros in Sejong Ind was like trying to fetch the moon from the sea, a mere futile effort. Even if he killed Koreans and caused harm, The trial should not be in Korea, but in his home country. Hehe. Back in his home country, he would receive support from the party. And after repeated research, he would eventually regain his abilities. How was not the question. The abilities must be regained, and with that power, he must once again taste that pleasure. Hehehe. Wang Huan lightly clutched the pillow. Right now, he was just holding cotton in his hand. Butter. If he regains his abilities, if he recovers the power he once wielded as a devil. Want to crush it. Once tasted, the allure was too potent to resist.
Meanwhile, in Ulleungdo, as they were establishing the concept. Yes, this is Do Ji-hwan speaking. [Can you talk briefly right now?] Baek Seol-hees voice came through, tinged with caution, as if mindful of those around her. Yes, yes. Im avable. What concerns do you have this time? [Ah, good. I need to consult something with you.] If its something within my capacity to assist. [It shouldnt be a big issue.] Not a big issue. [Youre aware of the Zenros being transported to Sejong Ind, right? Do you think the Goblin will make an appearance?] The Goblin? [Yes. The Goblin. The one known for eliminating all viins.] Do you suspect he will intervene? Was that her underlying question? Whether the Goblin would get involved. I cant make any guarantees about the Goblins intentions, but if I were in the Goblins shoes [If you were the Goblin?] If my target had been transformed into a normal person by Sr tina and then turned into a Zenros, I wouldnt see any reason to further sully my hands by pursuing and eliminating Zenros. [Why not?] Well, perhaps because its a hassle? Or maybe the Goblin has its own reasons. Possibly preupied with patriotism or a loved one. [Ah.] Baek Seol-hee expressed her understanding. [If thats the case] Did that answer satisfy you? [Yes. But its a bit You know, the Goblin has a knack for appearing unexpectedly, like meddling in others affairs.] She was probing. As if to inquire whether the Goblin might reappear despite her earlier statement. If the Goblin does intervene, it might be to thwart those who, through Zenros, aim for some malevolent purpose rather than targeting a typical viin. [Malevolent purpose?] There are such rumors. What would the gics of someone who transformed into a devil and then reverted to human look like? If they could have children, would those offspring be human or devils? [Such experimentation is hical and inhumane.] Why, you see that in movies, right? Using criminals for human experiments. In history, not just criminals but even ordinary people were forcibly involved. A silence of empathy ensued. Since Baek Seol-hee and I had actually seen such movies before, she didnt deny my words. Seol-hee, humans can be worse than devils for their evil and desires. Not only those who be devils through abilities are devils. Just [Just?] That doubt of whether the Goblin will act as the Goblin. Hahaha. [I think I get it.] Baek Seol-hee responded with a somewhat relieved voice. [Um, onest question.] Yes, go ahead. [Are the viins defined by the state always bad guys?] Ill answer it this way. My response to the doubt I had when I was ssified as a viin. During the Japanese upation, from Japans perspective, wouldnt the independence activists also have been seen as viins? [Thats a bitplicated.] Well, the Goblin might think that way. Believing oneself to be right and considering those whobel oneself a viin as evil. Just remember, the Goblin is like the embodiment of hypocrisy. Self-centered when it suits him, judging everything based on his standards, not thews, a selfish trash. Whether society defined the Goblin as a viin or not, I knew best that my actions were viinous. But sometimes, you know, even viins can act for justice, for a greater cause, doing things that heroes cant. Daring to take actions that heroes hesitate to. [Hmm Really?] Yes. Do you remember that movie, Hero Tyranno and Mecha Tyranno? [Ah.] The first movie Baek Seol-hee and I watched together in the cinema. Even if heroes and viins fight each other, when an alien enemy appears, they unite to fight, because thats what Earthlings do. Though not an Earthling myself. [So, the Goblin might appear, not as himself but maybe wearing a gaksital?] Hehe, Seol-hee. I nced at the concept Yumir and Doul were busily preparing, trying my best to suppress myughter, and answered her question. He might appear in a form beyond our imagination. Chapter 182: Crisis As Opportunity (6) Chapter 182: Crisis As Opportunity (6) Whirring. The wind blew across the harbor. The young man, d in a ck suit, stood quietly on the deck, his gaze fixed on the tablet screen. Even if damage urred in Korea, they are Russians. They shouldnt be tried in Korea. If you think about it, isnt it Sejong Academys fault for failing to manage the students? They shouldnt have turned the students into demons in the first ce. What kind of education was that? I doubt the existence of Duoexini. A Korean goblin, you say? Its a weapon created by the Korean government, a conspiracy to produce demons, even harming their own citizens Damn it. The young man involuntarily cursed. They say he lost all his abilities, but who knows if thats true. Even if he became a demon, hes my brother. I will save my brother and return home. If hes be a normal person, hasnt he already paid for his sins? He lost his abilities. Then we should treat him not as a normal person but as a disabled person. The Korean government is oppressing the disabled. Most of the videos and sounds he encountered were criticisms, condemnations, and nders from various governments about the Duoexini incident. He didnt need to sift through the trash, but the young man feltpelled to verify their ims. He needed to understand the mindset of the enemies he might face in the future. Here you are, brother? You came? The woman in a suit, who addressed the young man as brother, approached him with a can of coffee. What are you watching now? Foreign reactions. Why watch that? Just deal with them. Those who illegally enter ournd to take our prisoners are all viins, bad guys. Yeah. But have you ever thought about why they would do such a thing? The young man epted the can of coffee with a somewhatplex expression. Some of them genuinely believe their families are suffering unjust harm. Geez. You worry about everything. Youre not a nobleman, brother. Why care about that? Youre not even part of the World Alliance. Hey. My name isnt Hey. Its Kim Yoon-ji. Or at least call me by my alias. Naejae. Ah, brother, youre so annoying. S-ss hero, [Naejae] Kim Yoon-ji, gathered lightning at her toes, ready to swing at the young man. Do you want to taste my Thunder Kick? Stop it, it hurts. You havent even been hit yet. Even if I dont get hit,unching lightning and spinning kicks at someone is not polite. The young man, [Tushin] Lee Jun-young, waved his hand sideways to create distance. Save your energy. If the intelligence is correct, we might have to face at least five S-ss heroes. Do you really think theylle? It takes so long to get from Busan to Sejong Ind. S-ss can attack even in that short time. What if they suddenly open the air and jump out? Wouldnt she be on our side? Kim Yoon-ji casually shrugged her shoulders. She seemed carefree, but her eyes, shining bright blue, overflowed with confidence. She seemed like a good kid. At least she wouldnt help those whoe from abroad to kidnap prisoners. Right? Sigh. Lee Jun-young turned off the tablet and put it down on the side table. I dont trust Sr tina. Oh, why? She protected the maind while we were deployed to Jeju Ind. She even turned all the demons into Zenros. If shes truly a hero for Korea, she should first take off her mask. Ah, so heroes should reveal their identities? The Spider-Man in New York would be sad. Its different fromics Sigh. Anyway, I dont trust people who hide their identities and only show up when its convenient. Its too selfish toy out the board like this and then only appear when itsfortable Again, again. You sound like someone whos been brainwashed with patriotic education. Do you know what people call someone like you? A serious and stuffy old-fashioned schr. Isnt being a schr a good thing? Hah. Kim Yoon-ji let out an incredulousugh. People whove been indoctrinated with nationalistic education since they were young Dont speak carelessly. Even if youve lived abroad, theres such a thing as universal justice. I dont want to discuss hero beliefs or justice inplexity, brother. I just want to think simply. Kim Yoon-ji lightly tapped the floor with her shoe. The prisoners under this deck, well transport them safely to Sejong Ind. Not a single one missing. Done! Youre so simple, its nice. Youre the one who makes things unnecessarilyplicated. Oh right. Thats what I came to say. Kim Yoon-ji pointed behind her with a mischievous face. The person in charge from Sejong Academy seemed interested in you, brother? Who? You know, the one with brown hair. Professor Lisa La Lakshmi. Ahem. Lee Jun-young coughed and picked up his tablet. Where are you now?
The calm before the storm. At this moment, both entering and leaving Sejong Ind were controlled. Space travel is so convenient. You, Yumir, right? How about bing my exclusive secretary? I just need you for space travel. Ill pay you 5,000 a week. Due to the difficulty of entering the ind, Gunggi finally entered Ulleungdo through the Yumir Gate. 5,000 a week? Yeah. What do you think? I heard Doul charges ten million won per use. What? Doul, you Nyahah. Doul, casually eating ice cream, waved at Gunggi. Is that true? Considering the time for a flight and space travel, ten million won per time doesnt seem too much, does it? Still! An executive arrives and immediately starts undermining unity. Truly a fearsome hero, Sr tina. I naturally admired Yumirs rhetoric, which subtly instigated a rift among the executives. Its not an association that would crumble just like that. Association? We decided not to make a move as an association this time. Whats this conversation about? Thats how it turned out. Gunggi, having just arrived in Ulleungdo, was unaware of certain information. I informed her of the n, which had been confirmed with Yumir, Doul, and Brewer, who were gathering information on Sejong Ind. What about the Goblins n? That goes on as nned. Yumirs n assumes an outright attack. My n takes priority initially, but if the worst happens, well follow Yumirs suggestion. Its a battle involving three executive-level members of the association, but the association itself isnt making a move. What about the chairman? She approved. Depending on how well the interns n seeds, she agreed to provide support for the intern. Good to know shes understanding. The Chief was more favorable to Yumir than I had initially thought. If this goes well, we agreed tounch a cyber-propaganda campaign about Sr tina at an association level. Sess is certain; its about how decisively its handled! Thats my goal. Hehe. Maybe its because I sent that photo of you involved in a scandalous affair? . Sending a video along, the Chief seemed really nice. Well, thats how it went. Lets go over the n now. I disyed two profile pictures. Among the Zenros, there were demons who didnt cause human casualties. Both were D-ss demons, just 15-year-old middle school students. They were still children with baby fat on their faces, but Duoexini had nted the seeds of demons in such kids too. Gunggi, hows the contact with the families? Everything is ready. Once we get them out and send them off, theyll immediately leave for a foreign country. Well put them in a private jets cargo at Yangyang Airport, and everything will be over. The families of the students were going to switch have already been persuaded. Although not financially wealthy, they were not the kind to treat their children, who lost their abilities, as lost lottery tickets. The parents of the two said this: Kids get hurt growing up, ending up in hospitals, but our kids enjoyed everything they could until 15. Its a blessing they came back alive. Sounds like parents unlike those of ability users. Even so, among almost thirty Zenros, its only fair that at least two sets of parents are like this. Not all parents were monsters. Even if they lost their abilities, living with love and under the support of the association, the situation Yumir worried about wouldnt happen. Gunggi, Doul. Transform into those kids. Yumir and I will sneak in and monitor the situation around you. There might be others doing simr switches. We nned to switch people. But if Wijeong Cheoksa intervened, they might be up to something on the ship too. Whether they switch the whole container, put innocent people in it and send them to Sejong Ind, or directly attack the ship. They will surely target the Zenros. Not just foreign ability users, but Pandemonium too? Yes. Duoexini is dead, but there could be others. If Wijeong Cheoksa appears well smash them to pieces. I made a motion of swinging a baseball bat, conveying my firm resolve. My n is infiltration, reconnaissance, and execution. If all the Zenros enter Sejong Ind and are confined in the facility listed in the governments document, the operation is over. But if even one goes to a strange ce Well attack and annihte them. Well eliminate them immediately if they slip up. Fine. I know about the Goblins n. What about the intern? Now that Red has arrived, its perfect. Red. Blonde Blue-eye. Green. And like this transform! Yumir stretched her hands upwards, and her body began to shimmer and shrink. Ta-da! When did you I studied it after seeing you transform. Hehe. In front of me stood Yumir Lily. Dressed in a snug striped dress,plete with white stockings and shoes, she formed a V with her fingers towards me. Just follow me, and we wont get caught by the association. Now, transform like me! You want me to do this now? Hehehe. Its fun, right? Why? Embarrassed? We wont be recognized anyway. No, sigh. What is this even? What is it? Its called Yumir dered. Jammin Puff Girl! She hailed from Canada. Ill teach you space travel skills if you match me. . Ah. Of course, the leader is Red, right? . Sometimes Humans needed topromise with reality for their desires. Chapter 183: Believing Himself To Be The Protagonist Of A Boys Comic (1) Chapter 183: Believing Himself To Be The Protagonist Of A Boys'' Comic (1) Vroom. The passenger ferry departed from the harbor, emitting white smoke. To prison with the criminals! How can it be Sejong Ind?! Hurry, turn the ship around! Why are they sneaking off to Sejong Ind? We dont pay taxes to support you! Cough up my taxes! Despite the protesters voices being louder than the ships horn, the ferry left the harbor, heading for Sejong Ind. Several warships followed the giant passenger ferry, providing an escort. On the deck of the ferry were two S-ss heroes in uniform and dozens of hero agents. This is Busan Port! Amidst protesters raising their voices about whether the ability loss sufferers are being sent to a resort instead of a prison, the ship has ultimately turned towards Sejong Ind. A reporter aboard a helicopter rys the live situation, holding a microphone. Beside him, soldiers in a military-colored helicopter keep a vignt watch, prepared for any unforeseen incidents. Ah, theres the ship! A rubber boat in sight! From the direction of the southern coast, a small rubber motorboat, smaller than a fishing boat, appeared suddenly. A man on the boat, shirtless, waved a g with something written on it. -Killed my child and now Sejong Ind? The man waved the g vigorously. A patrol boat rushed towards the motorboat, but the man, before the patrol boat could reach him, nted the g on the boat and picked up an object from inside. Ah, is thatoil? Whoosh. The moment the man poured the liquid from the oil can over himself, mes erupted below, engulfing him. Self-immtion protest! Presumably a family member of a victim killed by the Zenros, now performing a self-immtion protest! The reporter in the helicopter reported exactly what he saw. The patrol boat quickly approached the motorboat, but the swift current pushed the boat further away. Wh-whos pouring water? Despite the seawater below, the mes seemed poised to consume the man before the boat could explode. Suddenly. Jump! S-ss hero, Lee Jun-young, on the deck of the passenger ferry, leapt off the railing, covering a vast distance in a single bound. Boom! Lee Jun-youngnded next to the boat, generating a massive ssh. The towering spray resembled an underwater torpedo explosion. The ssh struck the lifeboat, flipping it over instantly. Ssh! Lee Jun-young springs up again, clutching the man at his waist, andnds on the nearby patrol boat, gentlyying the man on the deck. Did you see that?! Lee Jun-young saved a man attempting self-immtion! A heroic act of saving someone hundreds of meters away! Truly an example for all heroes! The reporter excitedly continues broadcasting the scene. Ah, yes. This was the main reporter on site. Shortly, the President will deliver a special address The situation was broadcasted live worldwide via TV and the inte, with the ships image shrinking into a small window as the President appeared. Respected citizens. I have been informed of the recent situation while preparing this address. First, I extend my deepest apologies. The President, holding the microphone, bows 90 degrees from the podium. As a father who has lost a child, I too understand the grief of losing a child. I, too, have lost my child and their spouse to a demon. So, I implore you, please refrain from these extreme actions. Trust in the state. The small screen showed the patrol boat. A healing ability user approached the man who set himself on fire, and gradually his burnt skin began to heal. The burns were healing. Through the power of magic. The governments decision to send the ability loss sufferers to Sejong Ind is not to treat them as emperors but to confine them in the safest ce on ournd. The government will dispatch a special court to Sejong Ind to try each individual, and they will be punished ording to strictws and order. The Presidents address was broadcasted nationwide and worldwide. The judgments will be fair, the process just, and the trials conducted without sumbing to any external pressure. The executive, judiciary, and legiture will allbine forces to ensure this. The President then returned to the podium. From now on, I will personally discuss the sentencing guidelines for those suffering from ability loss, organized by the Ministry of Justice and about 100 judges. First, those who have killed someone will be sentenced to life imprisonment at the minimum Subtitles flowed with the announcement of the punishment criteria for Zenros.
Doesnt automatic execution apply to all murderers? Those who killed someone were sentenced to death. This was also stated in the Eight Provisions Law of Gojoseon. As a viin, this was also my principle of action, but even in a world transformed by the great ability cataclysm, sentencing for murder did not immediately result in the death penalty. Am I being too conspiratorial to think that this self-immtion was a staged show? Being involved in the underworld, seeing a man who came in a lifeboat to perform self-immtion, and the President releasing a statement to match, conspiracies keeping to mind. If this wasnt a pre-arranged scenario, then the President must be exceptionally quick-witted. Either way, it doesnt matter much. The message of warning has been properly delivered to Zenros trapped on this ferry heading to Sejong Ind. Heh, are they tantly showing this to us? The white-haired Zenros girl chuckled while watching the TV monitor. One murder equals life imprisonment? So, two murders lead to hanging, three to beheading, and four to being quartered? . What about me? Am I going to die? I havent killed anyone but did cause harm. The judges will decide. Ah, really? Which judges? Korean judges? Are they trustworthy? Youll find out when youre tried. Disguised as an E-grade agent, I positioned myself beside the girl to prevent her from doing anything foolish, pretending to be on watch. Hmm, really? Will they dare to kill us when our abilities might resurface? The girly on the bed with an air of confidence. Her demeanor seemed as though she was showing off to the CCTV, as if citizens watching this video would immediately call for her death. Of course, it wasnt her. The white-haired girls eyes, not visible on the CCTV screen, sparkled red. Thats right. On the day the ship left, we had already switched ces on the ship. How? We had a space transporter, a spirit body user, and two others who could possess the spirit body user - plenty of methods. Despite the 24-hour surveince, they didnt monitor the restrooms in the rooms, and we managed to switch ces with Zenros in the restroom in an instant. So now, Yumir and I were disguised as agents - the original agents were sleeping somewhere - and Gunggi and Doul had be the Zenros girls, locked in the room with white hair. Hey, how long are you going to stay here? Ill be here until my shift changes. Sending a man into a girls room? Are you crazy? Ill report this to the Human Rights Commission. We dont have the luxury to care about gender. Gunggi tried to act like a 15-year-old girl, but even then, her words felt more like those of a 25-year-old. I sent her a nce. Instead of fussing about the CCTV, a single curse word seemed the most effective. [Expletive]. Perfect. She showed the temperament of a Zenros youth, once a devil, now human, at the age of 15. The rest was just waiting quietly for time to pass. Its almost time for the shift change. Dont do anything foolish. You will undergo a physical examination on Sejong Ind and then stand trial. . After leaving the necessary words as an agent, I followed the manual I had learned from the agent and stepped outside. [Ah, shift change. Each agent will take a 15-minute break, then return to their post.] A signal came through the Taeguk Watch. Not mine, of course, but the watch of the agent whose uniform I had taken. I felt a bit sorry for him, but while he was asleep, I scraped a bit of skin from his wrist. Doul healed it with magic, so he got new skin without any pain. I wonder how Yumir is doing. Assigned to apletely different area, I couldnt just casually contact Yumir. We only exchanged casual greetings when we met during breaks. Im feeling nervous. Its not the worry of being disguised as someone else. Nor was it the concern that its Yumirs first time in disguise. I just hoped that everything went as nned, that this passenger ship safely reaches Sejong Ind, a few unsuspecting Zenros are taken to the devilsboratory, and we follow them. If the Zenros that Gunggi and Doul transformed into simply went to theb and received a trial in a rtively safe ce, we could just switch them back to their original ces. I hope it turns out that way. What worries me was if Yumirs n was realized- Bee-bee-beep! My Taeguk Watch rang. Simultaneously, an emergency rm started sounding throughout the ship. Whats happening?! Look over there! Agents heading to the lounge pointed towards the southeast sea. Looking out the ships window, I had a foreboding feeling that Yumirs n might actually be happening, and my vision darkened. That cant be! Its [Susanoo]! S-ss. Hero. Susanoo. Why is he here? A purple shimmering giant, tens of meters tall, was walking across the sea. Approaching rapidly. I turned on the trantion app on my Taeguk watch. Why isnt the Japanese Hero Association doing anything? An S-ss is trespassing in another countrys waters without permission! Hey, they say hes only 15 years old. Hes not here to pick up a friend, is he? Why. [Oreno] -My. My foreboding feeling. [Tomodachio kaese!!] - Please return my friend. Couldnt it be wrong? Even if hes 15, doesnt he know this could be an international issue? Indeed. Hey, the Japanese Hero Association responded! What did they say?! They said they did their best. If they understood that, they wouldnt be doing something like this. Wow, thats crazy. An agent chuckled and pointed at the approaching purple giant. If he cant save his friend, isnt there a chance he might be a devil? Thats a threat! Exactly. I deeply sympathized. Boysics are cool because theyreics, but in reality, its just a nuisance!! Kids dont understand that. Unintentionally, I responded to the agent who was venting his frustration. He thinks hes the protagonist of a boysic. Chapter 184: Believing Himself To Be The Protagonist Of A Boys Comic (2) Chapter 184: Believing Himself To Be The Protagonist Of A Boys'' Comic (2) Friendship, effort, love. The media that aided in the emotional development of children varied across countries. In Korea, with a focus on education, an academy was established on Sejong Ind. Here, students from elementary to high school were taught and nurtured at Sejong Academy. Biographies of notable individuals, traditional folktales, stories like The Penguin Who Loved to y, and tales of red and yellow bugs, among other cultural content, served as supplements to teach children various lessons. What about Japan? Japan primarily focused on manga content. Comics aimed at children often featured royal tales, hero stories, and narratives centered around the protagonists victory. The protagonist was always portrayed as right, just, and wless. There might have been viinous protagonists, but perhaps due to the Ministry of Educations censorship, they never emerged, preventing the creation of human musical instruments in this realm. Instead, those who exhibited heroic deeds and righteousness gained more recognition. Its somewhat ambiguous tobel it as the opposite. While many heroes in Korea prioritize the nation and patriotism, Japanese heroes often seem to view themselves as protagonists of shonen manga. Just like now. [Wooooooahhhh!] A purple giant roars as it dashes across the waves. Despite its massive body stretching tens of meters, one might expect the giant to sink into the sea, but Susanoo crossed the Korea Strait with ease, thanks to its translucent giant body. Beep. The Taegeuk Watch shed, and soon, a somewhat familiar face appeared on the passenger ships monitor. Its a heroine. A Japanese S-ss hero and original heroine, [Nadeshiko]. [Im so sorry! Despite our repeated persuasions and warnings, they broke through the barrier and escaped! Please, persuade them!!] A graceful woman in a kimono with ck hair bows in apology. The water droplet-shaped mochi under her kimono wiggled due to the tight obi, causing the agents to sigh at the sight. Ah, damn. Cant be helped. Its not the first or second time kids behave like this. Everyone empathizes with Susanoos actions. Its because they were ability users, and like Susanoo, they had all experienced their own tempestuous times. [Everyone, you know the situation, right?] Another person appeared on the monitor. [Its a headache from the start, but its likely not going to end with Susanoo. Please do your best. For now, Susanoo is] [Chairman! Naeje has run out.] [Ah, damn it! Why now!!] An elderly man, the Hero Association Chairman, looked as if he was about to copse as he continued. [Internal agents, be alert for any disturbances or escapes among the Zenros! External agents, start intercepting shockwaves to keep the ship steady! Remember, our mission is to safely transport every single Zenros to Sejong Ind without fail!] Yes!! With a loud cheer, I also joined in and headed to my position. Naturally, my responsibility was the room where Gunggi was. Its chaos. Gunggi looked up at the monitor, savoring it as if watching an interesting movie. Got any popcorn? I might turn into a devil if you dont bring some. Is that a threat? Even if I go, popcorn seems fine. Agreed. But theres no popcorn in this room. How about some traditional sweets instead? I took out some traditional sweets from the emergency snack basket in the room and tossed them to her. Is this how you treat me? Yes. But of all people, Naeje is going to subdue Susanoo. I also took a sweet and bit into it. Naeje hates guys like Susanoo. She was always a fiery woman, wasnt she? Not just ordinarily fiery. Naeje didnt grow up on Sejong Ind. Until the age of 15, she lived abroad with her parents before immigrating to Korea. She was of mixed heritage, born to a Norwegian father and a Korean mother. And the main cultural content she grew up watching was -Hey! Stop! If you take one more step, Ill shoot lightning at you! Its a Korean morning drama. -I dont know who your friend is, but your friend is a criminal! Where do you think youre going with a criminal? -Its a misunderstanding! Oh, you can speak Korean? Thats unexpected. The Korean Wave didnt just happen for no reason. At first, you were shouting in Japanese while running. I cant resist saying the predetermined lines. sh! The screen flickered, and instantly, lightning struck from the sky. The lightning swiftly pierced Susanoos shoulder, making him stagger ande to a halt. You actually attacked? Wow, thats awesome. Really tough. I warned you that Id attack if you crossed the line. Currently, excluding his status as a hero, Susanoo was an illegal intruder who crossed the border. Being a hero and being a sensitive 15-year-old, he wasnt treated as a criminal or an international viin. If he were an adult over 20, he would have been held ountable for his actions. -You attacked me?! -Of course! Do you know how tense our soldiers are right now because of you?! Get out of here! Disappear from our waters! -I cant do that! I have to save my friend! I cant believe he became a devil!! Until I see him with my own eyes, I cant believe it!! This is serious. Looks like hes gone mad from the lightning strike. Oh, maybe Theres no issue since its a different person. The Japanese student in charge, whom Susanoo was looking for, was almost dead from fear, and I was just leisurely watching this farce unfold. Yumir and Doul should also be handling the situation well, without being noticed. But somethings strange. Since this situation didnt exist in the original story, judging from the information the Goblin knows, there was one peculiar thing. Usually, it would be Tusin, not Naeje, who confronts such youngsters. Compared to the realistic and cynical Naeje, a passionate and justice-filled character like Susanoo is closer to Tusin Ijunyeong. So, I expected Tusin, who saved the person from the self-immtion protest, to step up, but unexpectedly, Naeje took the lead. Hmm. Maybe theres another situation being dealt with elsewhere. Or maybe there was no other choice but for Naeje to step in. Theres no way to find out right now, but if I had to Hey, one of the agents. Loyalty. Nothing unusual during the patrol. You seem better than usual. A man who entered the room without knockingmy disguised agents superiorpointed at Gunggi with an expressionless face. Move to the container. Follow me. Should I move right now? Whats with you? Youre usually clumsy. Its a problem even if you did your job too well. Suddenly recing a person, its tough to perfectly mimic them. Seeing that, I feel like I might mess something up right now. Huh. Alright. Get ready in 5 minutes. Then move directly to the container. Jeongjiwon ssi, cooperate. Hmph Gunggi gets up from the bed, tidying her clothes, and I approach her, whispering with my mouth. -Why are we going to the container? Grinning. Gunggi gave me a signal with a light hand gesture. Her action of flicking her hand upwards was like pulling a fishing rod when a fish bites. Right. I knew shed take advantage of this chaos to move. Pandemonium.
Meanwhile, on the deck. Why cant I go? [Wait.] At the chairmans order, Tusin, Lee Jun-yeong, beat his chest in frustration. Why are you provoking him now? What if it esctes into an international conflict? [If it esctes, it esctes. Its not our fault. Its Susanoos fault foring at us in such a huge form in the sea.] Chairman! What if Susanoo turns into a demon! [So what if he does?] At the chairmans cold response, Lee Jun-yeong felt his heart sink. Chairman, are you suggesting? [Susanoo turns into a demon? If that happens, whether its the Goblin or Sr tina, they will step in.] But an S-ss hero turning into a demon! [Ah.] Lee Jun-yeong bit his lower lip at the chairmans warning. Understood. But this is dangerous. He currently believes he is in the right. He thinks saving his friend is justice. Are you going to keep stopping someone like that? Crackle! Lightning struck again from the sky. Susanoo grabbed the spear of lightning and threw it backward, the spear dropping into the sea. Gah! Boom! Every time the spear of lightning hit the sea, an explosion urred. As the lightning touched the water, magical power exploded, continuously bursting the surface. [See. He threw it backward. He still has some rationality left.] But! [Soon, well show him the footage of his so-called friends viinous acts. Then hell realize. That the one he wanted to save is no longer a friend but a demon. Will he still call him a friend after seeing him casually kill people?] . [Its notmon, but asionally, a close friend has to be stopped by ones own hands if they fall into evil. Like in your case.] What do you mean? Lee Jun-yeongs eyes darkened. Are you saying he mighte here? [Yes. Thats why Im telling you not to intervene. ording to intelligence] Whoosh. The sound of a fighter jet passing overhead echoed. Korean fighter jets narrowed the path as a threat, but a jumbo passenger ne, its entire body dyed red, brazenly crossed over the Korea Strait. And then. p! Something jumped from the passenger ne. Lee Jun-yeong immediately jumped high, clenching his fist. Its been a while, Lee Jun-yeong! You traitor!! The ck-haired woman who jumped from the sky, wearing a qipao, extended her legs downwards. Its not betrayal! I just went to where they pay more! Lee Yerin!! Boom! The sh of two S-ss attacks shook the atmosphere. Hmph. The ck-haired woman with a bun, Lee Yerin,nded lightly on the deck of the passenger ship, bowing her head slightly. Heavenly Demon, making an appearance. Formerly a Korean S-ss. Now, a Chinese S-ss. Heavenly Demon () Lee Yerin. Wow. Why? Its nothing. The original heroine has made her appearance. Should I kill her too? A heroine burdened with the troublesome backstory of being a traitorous defector. Hmm. When each one appeared. Hi, Jeon Juk. The readers already knew the answer. Chapter 185: Believing Himself To Be The Protagonist Of A Boys Comic (3) Chapter 185: Believing Himself To Be The Protagonist Of A Boys'' Comic (3) Again, I cant help but curse the author. Trying to do a half-hearted job ofundering ended up ruining the work. Ermna Sternfert. Yuliana Feygreen. With one original heroine bing the devil Naberius and the other turning into a viin who steals genes, I couldnt help but worry about the heroines in the original work. And theres Heavenly Demon Lee Ye-ryeong as well. This woman was a character created through the authors worries, contemtion, and a mix of various emotions. -Would a Chinese heroine be too controversial? -But it would be nice to have at least one heroine from China. -Should I include an ethnic Korean from China as a heroine? That might be problematic too. Following that line of thought. -Ah, then lets include a heroine who has fled to China! The conclusion led to the creation of Lee Ye-ryeong, a former S-ss hero from Korea. Well, the author tried to set up a narrative of redemption with various clues. She was harmed by Haegneul, exploited by the government like a dog, raged at seeing her parents threatened and ckmailed, and ultimately, shes portrayed as a filial heroine who took her parents abroad to live in a house with a 1,000-pyeong garden. She only sought asylum in China. Although there were many cases of betraying Korea and bing an S-ss in another country, Lee Ye-ryeong was particrly despised by Koreans. Good thing shes mentally strong. A being hated by all 50 million people in Korea. A character disliked by readers who wondered why such a character was created. And yet, she was also criticized for being a well-crafted character with a terrible backstory as to why she was given such a miserable setup. I didnt expect to see such a woman here. Hey, what are you doing? Apparently, the traitorous Heavenly Demon has shown up. Ha, that funny woman. In front of me, another Zenros, being pulled like a prisoner on a leash by a supervising agent, openly mocked the Heavenly Demon. A foolish woman indeed. She knew she couldnt surpass Snow White, whos above her, so she fled to China. Now shes the top female hero in China, huh? Tsk. Isnt there more to it? Yeah. She went for the money. Considering she gets the countrys annual defense budget as her sry, Id consider doing the same. Excluding the budget rted to ability users, the pure defense budget for South Korea amounted to about 50 trillion won. Meaning, Lee Ye-ryeongs annual sry is 50 trillion won. That 50 trillion would be a significant portion of Chinas defense budget, wouldnt it? Almost 1/7th. If you think of an S-ss as an annual pass for 50 trillion, it seems like a fair trade. Better to have an S-ss hero than produce tanks. Tanks cant have kids. Id switch for 10 trillion. 10 trillion? Id happily do it for 1 trillion. Being born a D-ss is the real crime. And thats just her personal sry. Including the pension for her parents, environmental support, and various other aids, shes likely receiving much more. I heard that in China, they offer tax exemptions as an incentive based on performance. Isnt that just handing out money? Having an upper-tier S-ss by your side, even at the cost of giving out money, is invaluable. Some ces cant find an S-ss even with all their money. Indeed. It seems like enough money to consider changing nationalities. Chasing money in a capitalist world wasnt strange. But if it leads to being despised, thats for the individual to bear. This October, shes staking everything on the ability users internationalpetition. Tsk tsk. I remembered there was such an event. A mega-event hosted in Korea for 2025, inviting S-ss individuals from various countries for an ability users World Cup-likepetition. Of course, this event was also meant to boost the original protagonist. There, the protagonist defeated various ability users, including the Heavenly Demon, to be the true S+ ss, gaining fame as the worlds number one. Naturally, being a World Cup, there were numerous acts of patriotism. Sigh. No matter what happens outside, we just need to do our job. Were almost there. Descending the stairs with the supervising agent, I could see Yumir and Douls pair, along with other Zenros and agents who had already arrived. This ce is perfect for an incident to unfold. It appeared to be an unused seminar room, an indoor space without a single window to the outside. Yumir is doing well. And so is Doul. Yumir nced at me once with her eyes and then silently looked ahead, diligently performing her duties as an agent without acknowledging me or showing any sign of relief. Senior, our team has arrived. Ah, yes. One team hasnt arrived yet, so lets move together once everyone is here. While the supervising agent was speaking to a higher-ranking agent, I examined the faces of the Zenros. They all seemed in pretty bad shape. Some were rubbing their hands inside even though they were tightly bound due to self-harm, and a woman, still unable to ept that she was a Zenros, was muttering to herself with her head down. Hehe, hehehe, hehe The most serious case was a manughing with madness. He was a demon I had caught, who hadnt killed anyone but had nearly done so. Its a pity. These were people who had been forcefully imnted with the seed of a demon by Duoexini. Most Zenros indulged in their vile desires as demons, but this man struggled on the beach, trying to suppress his demonic urges. Now, he has lost his ability and was dragged here. Those without powerful parents, wealth, or any close connections to power figuresjust born with abilities. Meaning, Those who seem least problematic turn into test subjects. Its obvious at a nce, and the researched data says the same. While idents involving high-profile individuals or their acquaintances can often be resolved with a simple phone call on a golf course, idents involving ordinary people go unnoticed by everyone. Gugugu. The ship rocked violently. On the monitor, Susanoo, Nezha, the Heavenly Demon, and the divine warrior were all fighting with all their might. Seeing nuclear bombs hitting each other is really terrifying. The person who appeared to be in charge shivered. Ah, youre here. Come quickly. Yourete. Sorry. It took some time to bring them here. An agent was dragging a chain connected to handcuffs. Behind him, a person was being dragged like luggage, a sight that made one of the Zenros pupils shake violently. How can you treat a person like that! Ah, shut it. There are no human rights for a demon. Im not a demon! We are- Hey, hit him. Thwack! An agent responsible for the Zenros struck the Zenros in the back of the neck. Striking the nape with the hands edge doesnt usually cause unconsciousness, but its different when an ability user hits a normal person. Cough. The Zenros copsed with a light concussion. The sudden act of violence solidified the Zenros expressions, and the supervising agent stretched and tapped his Taeguk watch. Ah,munication security. Communication security. Fizz! Something spread from the Taeguk Watch, and suddenly the light inside the seminar room where we were gathered disappeared. Operation starts. As soon as the supervisor spoke, the agents began attacking the Zenros all at once. Mu-cough! Their goal seemed to be to knock them out by striking the nape with water pipes, and I raised my hand towards Gunggi. Thwack! As the sound of magic shing echoed, Gunggi closed her eyes and copsed to the side. I hadnt actually hit her; the sound was just for effect, and Gunggi acted as if she had lost consciousness on her own, falling to the ground. Damn. Both Gunggi and I acted wisely on the spot. As for Yumirs side- Cough! It was a punch to the stomach. Yumir attempted to hit Douls nape but failed once. When Doul turned around as if to resist, Yumir immediately punched her in the stomach, neutralizing Douls resistance. Hey, hey. Dont hurt him too much. Why go that far? Sorry, he was resisting a lot. Tsk. Well, if he was B-ss, he would resist somehow. Is he conscious? No, hes unconscious. Then thats fine. Of course, the attack wasnt real; only the sound of magic exploding was heard. Hey,e out now. Beyond the rest area, a door that looked like it led to a storage room opened, and a group of people came out. They all had white hair and wore the same clothes as the Zenros, their faces somewhat vacant. Immediately unlock the handcuffs and switch them. As expected. Yumir nced at me as if asking what to do, and I nodded lightly at her and reached out to the handcuffs. Click. Both Yumir and I had already verified everything, so unlocking the handcuffs was not a problem. We had already checked the handcuffs while switching Gunggi and Doul. Agents, switch the Zenros and then move them to the container. So far, ording to n. Where Gunggi and Doul are going, and where they are being transported to, might not be verifiable right now, but having truly confirmed that something is happening to the Zenros, the answer is clear. The ce where Gunggi and Doul are sent to was likely heading to a demonsboratory. If there were no further variables Creak. Suddenly, the seminar rooms door opened. Everyone turned their heads towards the door. ? Click. A man in the same agent uniform as us appeared, leading a Zenros. Given that he took out a cigarette pack and two cigarettes, he probably brought them here at his discretion, perhaps because the Zenros wanted to smoke a cigarette. Uh, are you nning to smoke in a group? Step, step. The supervising agent approached the entrance immediately. His movements were skilled, and I turned my gaze towards Yumir. What will she do? I knew what was going to happen next. The supervisor had a knife in his possession and would surely stab the uninvited guest. If only the Goblin were here. If it were just the Secret Society, I would have overlooked it. Even if an innocent person were stabbed to death, I would have stayed quiet here to dig out solid information. But. Yumir closed her eyes as if to apologize. She mimed a stabbing motion lightly and then clenched her fist around her thumb at her heart area. -I wont make a fuss. -But Ill move if someones stabbed. -Because I cant let someone die. I read firm determination in her eyes and discreetly gave her a thumbs up, unseen by others. Pity. If only you hadnte out to smoke, you could have lived quietly. Um, senior? Why suddenly so scary- Puff! Senior? Dont worry. Youll be sent to Cocoon too. The moment the supervising agent stabbed the uninvited guests heart. The moment Yumir saw the blood stter on the floor. From the moment I brought someone who couldnt overlook a persons death, my n was already derailed. Tsk. Tricolor magic swept through the rest area. Having confirmed the Secret Societys involvement, Ive achieved something. The n set by the Secret Societys Goblin might fail, but I was not the Goblin now. Lets y the fake hero game. Now. Its time to cause chaos. Chapter 186: Believing Himself To Be The Protagonist Of A Boys Comic (4) Chapter 186: Believing Himself To Be The Protagonist Of A Boys'' Comic (4) Methods for Subduing Ability Users One: Inducing Concussions ng! Swinging the bat at the speed of light, I struck the agents head from behind. Striking the nape of the neck with a water pipe was less likely to render someone unconscious. A surefire method to subdue them was by delivering a powerful blow that rattled the brain, such as hitting them on the back of the head with a frying pan, thereby causing a concussion. Of course, its crucial not to kill them. Through numerous experiences, I have mastered the art of subduing ability users with ease and quickly knocked each agent to the ground. Kagang! Doul swiftly gathered the agents Taeguk Watches in one ce, and Gunggi ignited a me that instantly melted the Taeguk Watches. An emergency will be triggered. If the Taeguk Watches suddenly went offline, especially from inside the ship, it would be odd not to notice. Whether theyre S or A grade, theylle running within 30 seconds. We need to move fast. Just after healing! Yumir stretched her hand towards an agent who was stabbed in the heart, channeling magical power into him. It was more akin to rapid cellr regeneration than healing, but since it saved someone who had been stabbed in the heart, there wasnt a need to nitpick. What, what is this? Lucky for us. He didnt kill anyone. I grabbed the cor of the next Zenros and threw him back. Gunggi had already gathered the fallen Zenros in one ce, and Doul had also tied up the Zenros they were trying to rece, preventing them from moving. First, go to Yangyang with Gunggi. It might be a bit tough to move as a group. Dont worry! Well be back soon, so hang in there! Yumir quickly spread her hand towards the wall. A golden wall appeared on the break room wall, and Gunggi was the first to jump through the dimensional gate. Doul. Right away! As Doul swung one hand back and then thrust it forward, a powerful wind arose in the break room, instantly blowing the unconscious people into the dimensional gate. The only ones left in the room were me and one agent who had been stabbed in the heart. Everyone else, without exception, had gone through the dimensional gate opened by Yumir. Zenros, the spy of the righteous enemy, and those who tried to rece him, all would be thoroughly detained and managed by our agents, transported to a ce prepared by our society in advance. Though it concerns detaining ability users, our society was second to none in this field. Hey. Are youing to? What, what is this Think of it as a punishment for trying to smoke indoors. Fortunately, you didnt die. Just think the knife briefly passed through your heart. It was literally a stroke of luck. You, youre! Not the guy I know! Correct. But I have no time to talk to you. Pffft. I filled my hand with magic power and struck the agents head. The agent copsed to the side, and I immediately concealed my form through spirit body transformation. Quang! The break room wall copsed. The one who attacked the break room was none other than Lee Jun-young, who had thrown himself in. What, what is this! Thats what I want to know. Instead ofing down the stairs, he made an entrance by sting a hole into the passenger ship. What a brutish yet effective method. Heh, whats this? Suddenlying into such a ce. Through the hole that was sted open, Heavenly Demon Lee Yerin entered. Nothings here? Just now, over a dozen Taeguk Watches evaporated here. Oh my, really? Could someone else have sneaked in? Is this your doing? Not me. I dont kill people. Lee Yerin drew a clear line. Even if you think Ive betrayed our country, I wouldnt do something that causes a lot of bloodshed like this Has it even been a minute? Yeah. People disappeared in that one minute! Lee Jun-young clenched his fist towards Lee Yerin. If you hadnt appeared! You think you couldve handled it sooner? Thats hypothetical. A what if. Even if you were right next door, those intent on doing this wouldve done it anyway. She was right. The righteous enemy, for example, had tried to rece Zenros right under the noses of the Hero Associations agents, without even S-grade heroes knowing. This is bad. Zenros disappeared too? What happened? Huh? Thats serious. The person I was supposed to rescue disappeared. Rescue? Dont speak carelessly. People disappeared suddenly, if not rescued then what? Haha, the government is going to be in chaos. Wonder how many will be beheaded this time for negligence. As usual, the top brass will escape, and only the staff below will suffer. Indeed. Was the traitor demon a national disgrace demon? She flirted with the protagonist, pretending to be smitten at first sight, showing a bubbly side, but maybe this was closer to her true nature. Was it okay not to kill her yet? Before she became a heroine, I had tried to kill her. Precisely, before she became a demon. Its overwhelming to confront an S-grade turned demon without unification. If she became a demon hated and resented by 50 million Koreans, shed surely want to overturn the entire Korean penins. Shes not a viin. Just someone whod be the most dangerous person in the world if she turned into a viin or demon. Because of Ermina and Yuliana? Somehow, foreign heroines seem like theyd snort mana powder, steal genes, and turn into demons on their own. Was there another reason? I couldnt quite remember. There seemed to be another negative aspect regarding Lee Yerin- Ah, I remember. Like Ermina was wed. This woman had a serious defect too. Hey, Jun-young. How about you just bail on this crappy country? Im different from you. Oh, really? If I were you, Id have gone to the Middle East long ago. Over there, you could walk around with a truckload of women and no one would bat an eye. A traitorous broker. Why are you so loyal to this crappy country? If you went to the Middle East like me, you could make trillions, not just fifty but a hundred. A woman encouraging treason to those staying in Korea. Recalling this left a bad taste, understandable when knowing the background, but initially, it was quite displeasing. Jun-young. If it were me Whats going on! Other heroes rushed in from behind. Seeing theme down the stairs normally, Lee Jun-young really did rush here by brutish means, proving we disappeared with those present at an impossible speed. Check the CCTV! Now! At least 15 minutes back! Checked! But Ah, Ill be outside. Not going to report. Lee Yerin waved her hands and jumped out through the hole. Agents only brought down Zenros here. What? Who gave that order? None. The agents just brought Zenros down on their own. Damn! What were you doing without checking that! Anger was justified. Zenros and even Hero Association agents disappearing all at once was bound to cause panic. Considering the situation its as if they were kidnapped Then, who!! Hmph. I let out a lightugh. After materializing inside the warehouse from which the intended Zenros came, excluding all elements of the Goblipromising with Yumirs suggestionI stepped outside. If its about Zenros, dont worry. Theyve all been moved to a safe ce. You, who are you! If youre asking who I am. Answering ismon sense. I am-
At that moment, somewhere underground in Gangwon Province. Weve tied them all up! Ensure all ability users are restrained to prevent them from using their powers. Take measures against self-harm. Iste Zenros over there, brief them on the situation, and begin verifying the identities of those who attempted to impersonate them. Yes! Following Gunggismands, the secretaries sprang into action, equipped with various tools. How does it look? More organized than you anticipated? Its astounding. When did you manage to prepare all this? Since the day Duoexini passed away. As Doul offered a drink, Yumir epted it, took a sip, and observed the societys agents movements, steadying her breath. Not everyone here is an ability user, correct? Correct. Many have been wronged by ability users instead. Theyve lost family members, been terminated from their jobs. This society is a refuge for those whove endured hardships in the age of abilities. I wont pressure you to join us. Our methods are somewhat radical. Aaaagh! A scream echoed suddenly. Yumirs face fell at the distressing cry, but realizing the screamer was the culprit behind an innocent agents stabbing, she exhaled in relief. Huh? Does it please you to see that man in pain? No, not exactly. Its just Were not subjecting him to severe torture. Were merely neutralizing his magical power. Neutralizing? Not eliminating it entirely, but akin to boiling the water in a full tank until it evaporates. Should it appear the water might replenish, we boil it off again. Were maintaining them in a perpetual state of mana depletion. Do you have time to borate? With a casual wave of her hands, Gunggi tidied her hair and passed over a tablet. We ought to return. Ah, the true leader. Its not about being the leader. We cant leave Director Do by himself- Uhahahahahahahah! A boisterousugh erupted from the speakers. The sudden outburst startled both Gunggi and Doul. Whats this? It seems like apletely different person, doesnt it? Indeed. Thats no Goblin. Yumir clicked her tongue as she looked at the unidentified man on the tablet. The teacher said if youre going to do it, do it thoroughly. Admirable indeed. I am!! In the video: The ally of justice, The Dark Charisma! The unidentified man, wearing a ck helmet, struck a nonsensical pose. Hmph With a truly nonsensicalugh. Chapter 187: What’s Obviously Wrong Is Wrong (1) Chapter 187: What¡¯s Obviously Wrong Is Wrong (1) I had achieved the core of my n, that was the minimum goal. Securing the spies of Wijeong Cheoksa. The best oue would have been locating the research institute on Sejong Ind, but at worst, gathering information about those targeting the Zenros on the ferry. I didnt achieve the best oue, but the results were not the worst either. The rest is up to the agents under mymand to extract information from the spies of Wijeong Cheoksa who have infiltratedor betrayedthe Hero Association. Yumirs n assumed that we would cause a scene, meaning we would have to take physical action when necessary. For example, if someone who came to the break room to smoke was murdered, an innocent person killed, Yumir suggested we immediately cause a disturbance. Yes. The situation for JamminPuffGirl to shine hase. -Thats not possible. I was relieved and looking forward to JamminPuffGirl taking action, but an unexpected tackle came from somewhere. -Rather than doing something like JamminPuffGirl, I think Director Dos actions would be most effective. -Chairman? -Director Do? Lets reserve JamminPuffGirl for situations where were fighting viins. Its absurd for a righteous hero to step in for such matters. Yumir simply nned to change identities, but the Chief added anotheryer to the n. -Lets have JamminPuffGirl appear when a giant demon shows up, and in situations like this, targeting Wijeong Cheoksa, its better if a third force steps in. -No. -We pretend not to be the society. We cant pretend to be Wijeong Cheoksa either. We create apletely different organization. Thats the answer, creating a new, iprehensible organization for others. The chairman said. If its not the society stepping in, make it so that people dont even realize the society has intervened. In that sense, I stood before the people in apletely new form. So that no one could think I was the Goblin. Huh. It seems youre too shocked to speak. Identify your affiliation and identity. Lee Jun-young clenched his fist, trying to conceal his confusion. Didnt I say? I am The Dark Charisma. Your affiliation? I belong to no one. I am a guardian of patriotism, an awakener of superpowers, a protector of childrens dreams and hopes, a messenger of peace, and merely a passerby. He blurted out anything, attempting to regain hisposure. But if you insist on specifying an organization, then yes, call it The ck Sephiroth. The ck Sephiroth? That look meant, what is that? Unless one was interested inplex or emotionally stimting settings, the word Sephiroth itself might be unfamiliar. And those who knew might think, Why choose that name for the organization? It didnt matter. The name, the meaning, was irrelevant. -The goal is to confuse people, so dont worry about it. Hahaha. The organization name was personally created by the Chief. The only member was me, The Dark Charisma. No one else. What are your goals! Where are you taking the people?! Hah! Ivee to save the weak! He took the bait. Now, I have to recite one of the scenarios nned in advance. The rehabilitation of the weak who have sumbed to the temptation of the devil! Loss of superpowers? Hahaha! Dont make meugh!! p. Once, unnecessarily fluttering the cape and making grand gestures. Once a superpower user, always a superpower user! Zenros? Loss of superpowers? Thats just the surface appearance! To present something in front of people, there must be a purpose and a principle behind the action. Its not because of someone called tinum Sun that they lost their powers! Its because their own will is weak! I cannot acknowledge such weak individuals as fellow superpower users! What logic could such a being, who appeared during the escort of prisonersbeled with a loss of superpowers by deploying 30 warships by the state, propose? I will personally correct their rotten spirits! As a true superpower user, I will rearm their spirits so they can regain their powers with all their might! Youre going to revive their powers by yourself? Its not me who revives their powers! The revival of dead powers! Thats something they must create themselves! Its not something that can be done just because someone tells them to! Indeed, the ideology and logic of a madman with conviction. Thats an interesting opinion. You think if theres a will, they can regain their powers? The Heavenly Demon approached me stealthily from the sky. Do you really think everything is possible with just willpower? Hmph! The will of a superpower user is the measure of their strength! Those with weak wills cannot be strong! I was spoiling a world-ss setting in front of the whole world, but its uncertain how many people would be influenced by these words. Superpower users of the world! If you do not possess a will as strong as steel, youre just admitting defeat! By the way, The Goblin didnt say things like this. Theyd rather spend their time beating more demons. With a weak spirit, you can do nothing! Especially if youre a fool who turns away from the truth and imposes your ego on the world! I deliberately turned my gaze towards the sea. Naturally, everyone turned their eyes in the direction of my gaze, and there was Susanoo. Foolish superpower users who turn their eyes from reality! Youre just a disgrace to S-rank! [What did you say!!] Susanoo started running towards me. Noje tried to stop him but sidestepped due to Susanoos momentum. Nojes look suggested he might have roughly understood who I was through the Taeguk Watch. Or he might be wondering what made me so great to be speaking like this here. What kind of madman would make people disappear secretly in a ce where four S-ranks were fighting? As dangerous as it was considered, through Susanoo, theyd attempt to gauge my strength. [You strange pervert with a mask!!] I remained silent. Just a bit longer, until he gets closer. [Only crazies or perverts hide their faces with masks!] Hmph! Foolish one! I unleashed my magic power. The color of the magic power emanating from behind me was unlike the usual Goblin hue, a murky blend of various colors. If youre an ability user, you prove your existence with your superpowers and strength!! [!!] Susanoo hesitated for a moment. Im already proving myself with my strength; what more is there to hide! It wasnt my shout that made him stop, but it seemed my words sparked some realization in him. Ill show you! The pinnacle of superpowers! The strongest power on earth! An invincible force that shakes heaven and earth, unmatched by anything! [I, I! Susanoo will never lose!!] He charged at me, manifesting his ability. His posture, as he clenched his fist and pulled it back, was far from that of a trained fighter. Gugugu. A giant circle unfolded behind me. Unknown to others, using the GoblinBbat, blending the power of Gunggi and Doul, and even Yumirs magic power, a giant figure shining in brilliant yellow appeared. [A summon!] Its not a summon!! With the promised line. Its a god!! sh! ck lines spread across the body of the golden giant. Normally, it would be ck with yellow lines, but most of the magic power forming the giant was not mine but Yumirs. Mana energy, to the max!! Yes. That magic power, all of it, belonged to Yumir, Gunggi, and Doul. -Rather than something like JamminPuffGirl, how about showing our strength more clearly? Like a giant of light? The final weapon, added by the chiefs suggestion. Ill show you! The power held by the Giant of Sephiroth!! The power of will!! I extend one arm forward. The most crucial aspect of utilizing such superpowers is ensuring that the movements of the caster and the magic-created entity are never synchronized. Gugugu. With golden glimmers in both hands, the giant of light twisted its waist and swung its right arm back. The posture was distinctly different from that of Susanoo Jammin, refined enough for martial arts practitioners to take note and emte. God, Hand Crusher! The giant swung its fist of light downward towards Susanoo. As one might expect, It was impossible for Susanoo to withstand an attack infused with the magical power of three S-ranks to its limit. Puh! Susanoos head was crushed. The giants fist smashed through Susanoos skull, creating a dent in the middle and copsing it inward. Pffsst. Susanoos body vanished into mist. The real body of Susanoo, a boy located near the sr plexus, fell towards the sea with a dazed expression. This iswill! Ssh! Susanoo fell backward into the sea, dissipating like mist. Apud! Strong, invincible! A power unmatched by anyone else! The giant of light also faded into a cloud of light. Unlike Susanoo, whose head was crushed and who fell backward, havingpleted its task, it systematically disappeared from the bottom up, illuminating the surroundings. Uhahahahahahahahahaha! With an inexplicable, victorious roar. Hmph. I savored the victory. as The Dark Charisma.
. Baek Seol-hee was speechless, staring intently at the TV as a man of unknown identity burst into maniacalughter. Wow, sister. That looks insane. What on earth is that? I dont know. How could she know? Such a superpower user had never appeared in this world before. Its a relief. She could only express relief. Do Ji-hwan is not like that person. Do Ji-hwan would not do such things. Sister. Doesnt that person seem like theyre just releasing stress? I dont know. Baek Seol-hee didnt even want to think about such a lunatic. What Im curious about is whether the people he said he kidnapped are safe. Well, still. Baek Seol-hee somehow felt pity. He must have been under a lot of stress usually. Chapter 188: What’s Obviously Wrong Is Wrong (2) Chapter 188: What¡¯s Obviously Wrong Is Wrong (2) I defeated Susanoo. When the magic power of three S-ss individuals wasbined into a single strike, Susanoo couldnt maintain his form and fell into the sea. Hmph. With another signatureugh, I crossed my arms and let my cape flutter. Thats refreshing. As the Goblin, there were always various issues to consider, so I never fought like this. Always thinking about efficiency, efficiency, efficiency, I had to assume situations where I could hide as much as possible behind others. But now, its different. Even surrounded by several S-sses, even with 30 warships aiming their guns at me, I could afford to be rxed. After all, theres someone who woulde to save me, even if I almost exhausted my mana. Hey there. A woman cloaked in lightning, Lightning Empress Kim Yoon-ji, approached from a distance. I get that you have incredible power. I also get that trying to talk to you is pointless. But do you even know where you stand? The Lightning Empress pointed a spear glowing with electricity at me. Youre directly challenging this country. Youve arbitrarily taken a criminal in transit by the state and kidnapped agents of the Hero Alliance. You realize that? Hmph. Stop with the hmphs! Theres a limit to looking down on people! Who do you think you are, a messenger of justice? Youre causing national unrest, a criminal! In the presence of great evil, sometimes justice does not shine. I casually pointed at the ship, speaking without much care. Im not interested in the weak ones inside. Ive already secured a meaningful number. Stop! What are you nning to do with them?! Lee Jun-young, the dive bomber, flew up and blocked my path. I was internally impressed that S-sses generally had the ability to fly, but I showed no sign of it and leisurely moved my hand. What am I nning? Naturally, to straighten out their feeble minds. Youre talking about brainwashing?! Wrong! Ideology isnt something that someone forces on you; its created through ones own thoughts! I decided to emerge as The Dark Charisma this time, not quite a viin but as a fanatic with a cause. The true path of an ability user is for those who have sumbed to evil to rise again with their own strength! We will definitely strengthen their wills and revive them as heroes with strong wills following their own beliefs! Thats the only way to prevent JamminPuffGirl from stepping in. Well, goodbye then. Mwahahahaha!! This bastard! Mocking the nation, kidnapping people, and just disappearing?! Hmph, good. There he goes with hmph again!! I lightly dismissed the Lightning Empresss anger and pointed to the southwest. May 3rd at noon. Those who cannot gather their will and crumble will be thrown at the top of Mt. Ha in Jeju Ind. If they cannot recover their abilities even after the Knights of Sephiroth have tried to strengthen their will, then they are beyond salvation. I set the date. No matter what people said, whether they started searching or negotiating, Id just wait until May 3rd, sucking on my fingers. The Knights of Sephiroth was a fictional organization that didnt exist. Well, goodbye then! Mwahahahaha!! Flutter. As I fluttered my cape and waited, a myriad of rainbow-colored lights enveloped me, and I threw myself into the tri-colored circle that appeared before me. Sigh. What I saw immediately after jumping was the underground, the secret base of the society. Inside the secret base, separated from the other agents of the society, was a situation room where VIPs looked down through a ss floor. Lets close the dimensional gate first. Yes! The three S-sses looking at me, Gunggi, Doul, and Yumir, immediately closed the space-transporting dimensional gate we had created and looked at me with eyes filled with various meanings. Why? It was an act, right? Did it not seem like one? A bit? At Yumirs words, I was somewhat shocked. Thats problematic. I tried my best to act as if I wasnt the Goblin, thinking of that as my true nature would be a bit, no, quite troublesome. I was not a wandering monk, nor a dragon yer, nor someone who entered the realm of the dead with a living body for a duel with a sworn enemy. I was certainly not someone who released their souls minion in a clearly advantageous situation just for the sake of a romantic y. Well, I might resort to threatening suicide if my familys life was at stake. Hows the inte reaction? Anyone think I was the Goblin? Nobody. Who in the world would think that was the Goblin? And society? Even if they dont think it was the Goblin, there are some who say society has employed another weird S-ss lunatic. Just as a joke, though. Cant do anything about that, huh. Tsk. I cant say anything about conspiracy theorists catching on to anything. But Director Do, you seemed to enjoy it. I did enjoy showing a different side than the Goblin. Specifically, it mattered because, although in this world the buzz wont continue, in my world, it replicated buzz that once heated up the inte. Maybe Ill show a different side next time. What are you nning to do now? Who knows. Content was overflowing. Maybe Ill dance a dance urging reflection on authoritarianism. Excuse me? Its a joke. Even I wouldntmit such madness. Of course, no one would think thats something the Goblin would do. Lets focus on our own business. With an S+ ss viin suddenly appearing and snatching a prisoner, the government must have exploded. I might even get a bounty for disgracing their honor. In the meantime, we need to find out everything about them. In one corner of the basement, the societys agents had already prepared to extract information from the hostages, divided into three groups. Ah. Mic test. I grabbed the internal mic. Its the Goblin. As you can see from the situation on the ground, we n to release those kidnapped by May 3rd at noon on the top of Mount Ha. Until then [Excuse me!!] An agent wearing a mask hurriedly raised his hand. [Instead of the Goblin, could you give the instructions as The Dark Charisma version?] What? [We want to hear it! Directly!] Ha. This was absurd. I put down the mic for a moment. People used to ask Dodjirider to transform, and now even societys agents are doing this to me. Well, maybe its okay to do it once? It kind of feels cool, like being the leader of an evil organization. Teacher, fan service. Fan service. Were not an evil organization, and Im not the type to offer fan service for such thingssigh. For morale boosting. Agents of the society! Flutter. The deadline is May 2nd! By any means necessary, find out the whereabouts of Pandemonium! Dare to threaten the peace of the world, we will crush all those who disturb our tranquility! I yelled simrly, but upon reflection, it seems Ive often given speeches, but it didnt feel like rallying the troops. Using Pandemonium as a sacrifice, we shall bring peace to humanity! In that case To the weaklings, we shall firmly show our will! Mwahahahaha!! Turning my body to the side and lifting my head, I burst into maniacalughter. Gunggi turned off the camera next to me, and Doul put down the mic and patted my shoulder. It seems Director Do is truly practical. I did my best. The act was tough till the end. Were not broadcasting this, right? I took off my mask and slumped onto the sofa next to me. Good work, teacher. Dontugh. You guys asked for it- Woww!! Shouts echoed beyond the ss window. As the apuse from societys agents continued, I find myself at a loss for words amidst the pping. Does everyone really enjoy this kind of thing? After all. Since childhood, what everyone watched and grew up with is all the same. In an era where imagination became physical power. Even those without abilities desired the same thing. A powerful individual enforcing their beliefs. Even if it meant openly opposing government organizations, if it was genuinely the right thing, they wouldnt hesitate. Because thats my own justice. Gunggi, whats the governments reaction now? Youve tarnished the national dignity, so naturally, theyre trying to kill you right now? Good. They even asked the Goblin to find and kill you. Thats a bit problematic. The Goblin was only meant to execute viins or demons who have killed people. Its regrettable. The Goblin knew nothing about this.
At that moment. Sigh. A woman with brown hair aboard the ferry sighed deeply as she scanned through the iing information. Missing. Missing. Missing. All were those who they had tried to secretly whisk away before entering Sejong Ind, and the agents who disappeared with them were members of her organization. Really, this has be troublesome. The Knights of Sephiroth? Are they supposed to be angels or what? The woman scrolled through the data on her tablet. Looking at the ten circles floating like a magic circle on a giant tree, she gritted her teeth. Could it be that there are at least nine more of these Dark Charisma types? Damn, if thats the case. Crunch. Im already one down and looking for Damn, I didnt expect another group besides the society to pop up. The woman bit her nails. Well need more demons. To oppose the angels of Sephiroth interfering with our ns. In the darkness. If were short on demonswell just have to make them. The woman, with her lower abdomen glowing pink, stroked it and stepped outside. Chapter 189: What’s Obviously Wrong Is Wrong (3) Chapter 189: What¡¯s Obviously Wrong Is Wrong (3) The Dark Charisma vanished. With a sprinkle of rainbow-colored lights, he disappeared in the blink of an eye. Was it possible for a human to suddenly disappear? If its the Goblin, its possible. And then, the tinum Sun also could do it. An unidentified being vanished without warning in front of everyone. His powerful force was undeniable, but the act hemitted was surely a huge incident. Trouble, were in trouble. The hero Naeje, Kim Yoon-ji,nded on the ferry and shook her head. Mission failed. The prisoner and the people from the Hero Association being escorted were kidnapped. Wow, this is really big trouble. Why are you so calm? We need to chase that monster right away! Tusin, Lee Jun-young, turned red with anger. Why? What are you so angry about? Are you angry about the people being kidnapped, or are you angry at yourself for failing the mission? What did you say? You were spaced out watching Susanoo attack, right? Me too. Its unavoidable for ability users. Having seen such majesty. Naeje flexed her fingers and took deep breaths to calm herself. Overwhelming power. Strong will. I understood what he wanted to say. And in the meantime, we got distracted. We should have attacked and captured him, whether he was giving a long speech towards Susanoo or not. Thats cowardly! Cowardly or not, hes a viin. We, as nationally recognized S-ss individuals, have a duty to do our best for the country. Ugh! Tusin gritted his teeth and hung his head. The enemys spectacr appearance and overwhelming power had indeed momentarily mesmerized him, to the point of awe when swinging a fist towards Susanoos head. The problem was that it was not the situation to feel such things. By now, the press must be going crazy. Koreas S-ss, is this okay? Tusin and Naeje, rendered helpless by an enemy appearing out of nowhere. A waste of taxes. Something like that. What about going abroad? The Heavenly Demon, Ye Yerim, alsonded on the ferry. Dont try to sneakily recruit me. Im different from my sister. You might change your mind if you get backstabbed. Ill think about it if that happens. So, is my sister also with that Dark Charisma person? No. Heavenly Demon rubbed the watch in her hand and shrugged her shoulders. I just came because I was asked to save someone from our side. The situation has changed, though. The situation has changed? It seems like their thoughts changed when the Dark Charisma appeared. They contacted me, saying not to proceed with the rescue. Suddenly? Yeah. Heavenly Demon pointed below the ferry deck. A true hero should know how to ovee and win against the crises given to them. Whining for rescue as soon as they lose their abilities isnt the way of a hero association member. Well, thats how they canceled the rescue. Did those great people get influenced by the Dark Charisma or what? Seems like it. Heavenly Demon shrugged as if she couldnt understand. So, Im just going to take it as a night out. I have no intention of causing an international incident; I just came because I wanted to fight Tusin. Who would let you get away with it so easily? Then? Are you going to leave the newly appeared Sephiroth Knights alone and deal with me first? What if I join them, what will you do? Ugh! Ye Yerim. Tusin clenched his fist and stood in front of Heavenly Demon. I still cant ept you. Youll understand once you experience it. I understand. But the ce you chose is the problem. . Nowhere else but this country, by putting that red g on your chest badge to screw over this country, you remain my enemy. So now is the time to back off. Backing offyoure angry. Fine. Heavenly Demon climbed onto the railing of the ferry. Take care. If you ever want toe over, contact me. Even if its not where I am, I can send you anywhere else. Im not leaving. Are you ready to be cursed from now on? The cause lies with the Dark Charisma, but people will me those who failed to detect and handle it early on. As always. The two S-sses were unable to rebut the cynical words of Heavenly Demon. idents are caused by viins, and the responsibility falls on heroes and field agents. Hmm, what a lovely ce. But- Hey, Chinese. As the wind began to flow from Tusins body, Heavenly Demons expression hardened. If youre done talking, get out of this country. . This is yourst warning. Three, two, one- Tch. Heavenly Demon leaped towards the sea. Dont forget what I said. In the end, only fools suffer. Whoosh. Heavenly Demon ran across the waters surface and disappeared westward. Her speed was so fast that not even a warship could catch up, and no one was able to follow her departure. Even with two S-sses present, in the end, they had to protect the ferry. The Chairmans orders havee. Naeje lightly tapped her Taeguk watch. [Tusin. Naeje. Natural disasters are inevitable. Ensure the remaining prisoners are safely transported to Sejong Ind. End of message.] Understood. Tusin replied to the Chairmans orders with a heavy face and sighed. Just wait until we catch those guys. They wont get away with this.
[Monster Attack. Korea is no longer a safe zone.] [Neither warships nor heroes are of any use. Where have the kidnapped agents gone?] [Can lost abilities be regained? Opinions from an ability school professor.] [What are the Sephiroth Knights? An in-depth analysis.] Three hours after the incident. The ferry finally arrived at Sejong Ind, and all sorts of articles began to pour out. [Individual Deviation No responsibility on the Japanese government for Susanoos rampage.] [Heavenly Demon goes where she wants Controversy over the Chinese Hero Association Vice Chairmans support deration for Heavenly Demon Ye Yerim] [Where is Kwang Ik Gong at this time?] Is it a trend these days to write long article titles? As expected, various countries showed support for Susanoo and Heavenly Demon, severing ties with them. Let them be. How can one stop an ability user who does as they please? No one died, so please understand. We will persuade them effectively. Given that ability users were mostly in theirte teens to early twenties, each country was requesting leniency for the heroes in a manner that benefited them. Teacher, what are you looking at? Articles. Theyre all unnecessarily stirring up controversy. Hmm If you think about it, didnt you cause all this chaos, teacher? Not me, Duoexini, a rectifier of wrongs. Pandemonium was to me, the rectifiers of wrongs. The situation has unfolded this way, but its because the rectifiers of wrongs were wrong that these events have urred consecutively. So, Im not bad. The bad ones are the rectifiers of wrongs. Not just barely not bad, but I waspletely innocent. Dont forget. This all started with Duoexini creating the 72 demons. Its bitter. Right now, it seems like no one is pointing that out. Duoexini was dered dead by society. And. I pointed to the calendar. Because Ive marked May 3rd, everyone is waiting with bated breath, just in case. Isnt that a bit tight? Its tight. But extracting information in the meantime is not a big deal. Yumir. From now on. Transformation. [Its time for the Goblin to step in.] [Then, I will too.] As a Goblin, and as the tinum Sun. I opened the door to the interrogation room and faced the agent sitting across the table. You are?! [Do you know me?] That, thats right! It was a scam by the society! You scamming society! Upon seeing me, the agent immediately realized the truth. The materials you guys showed! The one called the Dark Charisma in there! Definitely another executive of the society! [Imagination is free. The important thing is that Im here in front of you, and youre a pawn of Pandemonium and a traitor to the Hero Association.] The agent clenched his mouth shut. [Youre not the only one who hase to know the truth. Were in the same boat. We know you nned to send ability users to Sejong Ind and switch them midway to study the real Zenros somewhere else.] ! [Its information that can be sufficiently obtained with a bit of inference.] We had already grasped this through others. Through threats and torture, because there was no negotiating with lives at stake. Even if you try to extract information from me, it will be futile! Kill me! [Really?] What? [Looks like Ill have to show you.] I pulled out a tablet and showed a prepared photo. [Those who didnt answer died, and those who did were spared.] You, you! Murderers! [A coborator of the monster that turns humans into demons shouldnt be saying that.] The fact was, the corpses were fabricated. Its an illusion created through abilities, and not a single person has died yet. [Will you answer and survive, or not answer and die?] . [Your superior told the truth. She spoke quite detailedly about why she joined Pandemonium.] But being trapped here, where conversation with others was strictly controlled, one couldnt help but feel anxious. [Wanting to be stronger, even if it means dealing with the devil. What a funny thought.] You wouldnt understand. Someone born as an S-ss from the start. [Well.] I became an S-ss through technique, but if were talking pure magic power, I was actually C-ss. Kill me. I wont give any information to the likes of you. No matter what torture I face- [Hong Chang-sik. Age, 23. From Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Both of your parents run a pension in Gapyeong, right?] ! Background investigation! [Of course. Did you think we wouldnt do even that much?] I disyed photos of the treacherous agent, Hong Chang-siks home, on the tablet. [If you spill the information smoothly-] Threatening me using family, you coward!!! [Family? No, I dont do that. There are heroes who fled to China because their families were messed with. Thats out of line. Ill only threaten you.] I flipped to the next photo. [If you dont hand over the information willingly, Ill spread all the data from your hard disk and SNS secret ounts.] What? [Asking to be killed? Fine. Ill grant that. But it wont be me doing the killing.] Itll be society. [What would shock people more? D-ss ability user Hong Chang-sik, who sold his soul to the devil to be stronger? Or] Slowly. [Hong Chang-sik, who ranted that non-ability users should all be weeded out and die, and that non-ability women should be supplied to each household in threes to serve as breeding machines for ability users. Which one?] I ran a cleaner [Do you think theres no data left on the server? Oh, theres more.] I pulled out another piece of evidence. [Or a man who said he wanted to spread his genes to 15-year-old S-ss Baridegi to patriotically give birth. Which one would shock the world the most?] The sea of information knew the answer. Chapter 190: What’s Obviously Wrong Is Wrong (4) Chapter 190: What¡¯s Obviously Wrong Is Wrong (4) -I came into contact while trying to obtain Mana Powder. -Please, just dont tell my parents! -I will reflect on my actions! You can take away my ability! Just please, dont reveal that fact! Please!! Hong Chang-sik begged on his knees. He spilled all the information he knew, and after obtaining the information, there was nothing more to say. -Goblin sir! Please, please show mercy!! -The rest will be discussed with the agent. I entrusted the negotiation regarding Hong Chang-siks treatment to the societys agent. You can release the transformation. I removed my mask. Although I was transformed into a goblin, dressed in a suit, removing the mask made me look like any other society agent. Is it okay to show your face to others? Everyone here is under Gunggismand. After Gunggi purged her subordinates once, theyve all be trustworthy. After the Mattluk incident, Gunggi re-evaluated and filtered her subordinates once more. Thus, the agents gathered here were all special agents directly selected by Gunggi, including [Brewer], [Peddler], and [Street Performer]. Like me, they were dedicated to the society and would not betray it. They wont betray. They wont spill information. Even if they acted like Hong Chang-sik, they are the type of people who, if it means their own harm, would dare someone to expose it. Themselves? In cases where a family member or loved one is taken hostage, the society considers extenuating circumstances. Of course, rescue agents move immediately to prevent such incidents. Thats the Chiefs principle in running the organization. Yumir, could you endure if your old diary was exposed to others? Whats the big deal about a diary? You would say that. But lets talk about ordinary people, not angel-like beings like you. What if it contained all sorts of curses and insults, unspeakable things? If it were someone like Hong Chang-sik, or worse? Well, theyd end up like Hong Chang-sik? Rather than facing social death, theyd probably try to find some underground bunker to avoid being physically killed. Right. Even if they dont value honor, being subject to societys disdain in this world is the end. Not just for themselves but for everything around them. Humans were social animals. They did not wish to be isted and eliminated from the society that surrounds them. Of course, there might be those who were willing to abandon everything around them and destroy themselves. But such individuals would be one in five at most. Most, like Hong Chang-sik, were inclined to divulge information for their own protection, and its enough if even one person spoke up. The society doesnt threaten them with family or acquaintances. It doesnt torture physically by pulling out nails or suffocating. Instead, it attacks using their past and actions, the lives theyve led. Touching on whats called dark history. Dark history? Behaviors from their immature days. An American actor once mentioned in an interview, When I was young, I was a fool, or in todays terms, immature. But people didnt know he was immature. He only acted immaturely within the confines of his room, so the world only knew him as an actor. Why did he share this story? He said that such immature, or in cruder terms, idiotic behaviors were now performed in front of others due to modern times. In essence, SNS was to me. Not just SNS, but all media that can leave a record and documentation in the information world were to me. Data remained as records, and investigations based on those records revealed crimes. Criminals try to delete electronic data, while those uncovering crimes strived to recover it. Top-secret data was recorded manually or stored in a securework not exposed to hacking, but even thoseworks could be breached by the secret society. Through the information I obtained, I learned about Pandemonium from the traitorous agent, Hong Chang-sik. It was surprisingly easy to get the information. Southeast Asia? I never thought it would be abroad. In Korea, Cheonriyan is vignt. Unless one directly esses a foreignwork through a VPN bypass, even Pandemonium cant easily make contact. Hong Chang-sik and others like him, they all ventured into the dark corners of the inte and ended up making deals with Pandemonium. Some sought power. Some sought revenge. Others sought something they desired. Mostly, they get involved with Pandemonium in an attempt to obtain Mana Powder. Working for Pandemonium grants regr ess to Mana Powder, and through demon research, their power is enhanced without side effects. Side effects Only possessing the power of demons? Yes. Thats also why various research institutions are after you, Yumir. I essed information on the dark web through the societyswork and showed it to her. Susanoo and Cheonma are merely distractions. In reality, battles have urred across the country and even under the sea. Russia? They descended with a submarine and were intercepted by Snow White. In the south, a submarine emerged from the direction of Jeju Ind and was captured by Cheok Jun-kyeong. Theres a wealth of information in the world beyond what was visible. The society gathered data primarily from the dark web, where silent gunshots were exchanged in ces hidden from the public eye. The reason these people halted The Dark Charisma? Yes. Even figures from the underworld retreat when a madman like that makes an appearance. Just as when Duoexini unleashed 72 demons on the Korean penins, this time too, countries withdrew their efforts to rescue or make contact with prisoners entering Sejong Ind because of him. Shall we go confront the person in charge now? [Transformation?] [Transformation.] I adjusted the Goblin mask once more and opened the door to thest agents location. Hmm. Interesting. I wondered who it would be. [Park Eun-jung. 21 years old. B-ss. From Gangneung, Gangwon-do. At home-] Ah, I got it. You know my information. Tell me what you want first. The leader of the traitors, and the one who directly stabbed an agent who came to smoke them out, Park Eun-jung, leaned back in the chair with her legs on the interrogation rooms desk. What are you going to do? Torture? Or perhaps, social obliteration? [Heard that?] Im B-ss. Ive worked abroad and coborated with the National Intelligence Service. I know how society handles people. [Then this will be quick.] I sat down opposite Park Eun-jung. Yumir seemed ufortable facing someone who had attempted to kill, and Park Eun-jung began to smirk, sensing that difort even through the mask. Why? Miss. tinum Sun, are murderers not human to you? [He didnt die. Unfortunately for you. I saved him.] Wow. Amazing. You twisted right into the heart. And you saved him? Incredible. [You!] Next time, Ill slice his neckpletely. Make it impossible to revive. Hehe. [It seems like youve killed before.] When I produced the Goblin Bat, Park Eun-jungsughter cracked. [I wont waste words. Answer my questions, and Ill kill you painlessly.] Oh. I thought you dont kill in front of tinum Sun? [Just send her out.] tinum Sun. The Goblin is saying theyll kill. What will you do? [.] Yumir remained silent. Apparently, she hadnt expected to be mocked in such a manner, clenching her fist in anger. Why? Are you angry? Our noble tinum Sun, so naive and childlike. Like a child. And Park Eun-jung was an expert at reading such emotions in others. Its hard for society to carry around such a child. Whats the use of special abilities if the mind is still that of a child? [People who think theyre grown-up saying such things doesnt matter. tinum Sun. Dont mind it. Words of someone who will soon die.] Huh. Going to kill me? Go ahead. It doesnt matter if its not in one strike. I thought I was dead the moment I was caught. Lets seewhat are you doing? [Digging into dark history.] I aimed the Goblin Bat at the wall. Soon, an image appeared on the wall, and an agent outside started scrolling through photos rted to Park Eun-jung. Huh, huh. Looking up such things [We found an interesting novel.] I found something immediately disgusting and pointed the bat at it. [Cheok Jun-gongxTusinsu? Really now. Spinning such bait behind, Korean S-sses have quite the mental fortitudeoh.] Keke. Why? You think youre not a target? Even the Goblin now. [Goblin. Shall we just kill her? How could she, in the public interest, create such a!] [Do you know what it is?] [Of courseI do. Its distasteful.] [Yes. Its unpleasant. Famous ability users have to endure such things.] Deepfakes orposites. Compared to video media, such RPGs (Role-ying Games) were just minor issues. [By the way, all those under you have been wiped out. Youre the only one left, and I came for thest check.] Kill me then. I wont speak. [Tsk. Foolish. An intelligence agent who even coborated with the National Intelligence Service to be so short-sighted.] I extended the Goblin Bat above Park Eun-jungs head. [Why do you think theres no ability to make you confess forcibly?] ! [In a world where confessions can be forced.] Wait, what are you trying to do! [Hmmm.] Scanning the history of a human named Park Eun-jung. From a readers perspective. Through the history and experiences lived. Reading the past. [Its Phuket.] It can be found. !! No, you cant read thoughts! [Not exactly.] I obtained thest piece of information. [On May 3rd, you will be found at Baekrokdam, Hasan. Dont worry. I wont kill you until then. Nor will I torture you. But.] I aimed the Goblin Bat at Park Eun-jung to continue. [Even those who reflect and have a chance for rehabilitation carry their sins for life. But a viin like Park Eun-jung, with no chance for rehabilitation, must die here, right?] What, what are you trying to do! [Erasing the dark history. Well, inducing amnesia could work too. Lets see. For Ms. Park Eun-jung, erasing about 3 years of memory should suffice.] What, what? A human drenched in Mana Powder and ustomed to all sorts of crimes, colluding with Pandemonium, cannot be left alive. [Park Eun-jung, the viin, will disappear, and you will return to being Park Eun-jung, who wanted to be a righteous agent while studying at Sejong Academy.] What, what are you saying! Thats, youre going to erase my memory and kill me! [Kill? Park Eun-jung is alive. Just a little different from the current Park Eun-jung.] Stop! No! My life, you cant just! [How amusing.] I raised the Goblin Bat. [Selling people for human experiments while hooked on Mana Powder, the 21-year-old Park Eun-jung is less beneficial to society than the 21-year-old Park Eun-jung who held onto her dream of bing a hero and became an agent of the Hero Association, right?] Its obvious. [You should be thankful Im not killing you for real. Right? Im using an ability more difficult and challenging than summoning a Rider Kick or the Sephiroths Giant Soldier.] Ah, no [One strike with this bat will erase all the dark history. Completely.] Thwack. [tinum Sun. Do you consider this killing a person?] [Its ambiguous whether its considered killing the personality or just selective memory removal. Hey, Goblin? Do you know who my favoriteic book hero is?] [Hmm Superman?] [I used to think so. But now.] Yumir approached Park Eun-jung, who had fallen after being hit with the Goblin Bat. [Batman.] Thwack. [She didnt die, right?] [Shes not dead.] [Then its fine.] Yumir, after striking Park Eun-jungs head hard, dusted off her hands and stood up. On this day, The viin Park Eun-jung was executed. What remained was an ability user with holes in her memory.
May arrived. Chapter 191: Ability Maker (1) Chapter 191: Ability Maker (1) If theres a significant difference between humans and beasts, it would undoubtedly be cited as intelligence and will. Humans possessed intelligence. Through knowledge, one can realize what is necessary to fulfill their desires. Humans possessed will. In doing anything, with a strong will, one aspired to surely aplish it. However, having intelligence or will didnt mean one could awaken abilities. If merely thinking could awaken abilities, then people older than 25 would have awakened theirs. Some might have awakened their abilities to ensure children dont get hurt. But thats an absurd thought. Thats why no one believed it. The idea that Zenros, who were once demons turned humans, could regain their abilities was considered impossible. Why was it thought to be impossible? Because not a single one of the Zenros had ever seeded. The same went for those trapped on Sejong Ind, and even Ermina Sternfert, presumed to be the first Zenros discovered in Korea, couldnt regain her abilities. Could it be that theycked the will to regain their abilities? Or was it simply impossible? There likely wasnt a way to regain abilities after bing a demon. If it were possible to regain abilities solely through will, everyone would spare no effort to cultivate a strong will. And. If. It were possible to regain abilities through the power of will alone. Then wouldnt non-ability users also be able to obtain abilities? With this thought, everyone awaited May 3rd. Hasan. Baekrokdam. In the middle, a fairlyrgeke spreads out, with many people forming a circle, waiting for the time toe. Yes, this is reporter Ju on-site. I am currently at Baekrokdam of Hasan, where the Sephiroth Knights are promised to appear. The wind is cool at the moment, and no flying objects heading towards Hasan are observed. The reporter, dressed in a suit, eagerly spoke into the microphone in front of the camera. Currently, there are no fewer than four S-ss heroes on standby here: Tushin, Noeje, Armored Taejo, and Baridegi. Including S-ss ability users, and counting heroes below A-ss, there are a total of 20 heroes guarding the site. She stood in a safe area where filming was possible and pointed to where the heroes were positioned. We missed itst time, but this time, were eager to see if we can catch the member of the Sephirot Knights who calls himself The Dark Charisma. Now, the time is 11:58, just about 2 minutes before the promised noon. Soon. The time when The Dark Charisma has promised to send someone to Baekrokdam was drawing near. Yes. If the abducted individuals do not return, the Korean government and the Hero Association n to designate The Dark Charisma as an S-ss viin and the Sephirot Knights as a viin organization. They also n to intensify the search operations through international cooperation Ah! The reporter quickly turned her head. Just as I was speaking, something started to sparkle in the middle of Baekrokdamske! Gooo. Something circr and shining in three colors appeared in the center of Baekrokdamke. The three colors, red, green, and gold, seemed to mix, dividing the circle into three equal parts before beginning to spin, and soon something emerged from within. Thats a person! Those people are?! The people from the Hero Association who were abducted!! From the opened circle in the sky, individuals jumped down one by one. They were not in uniforms but dressed in ck suits, looking as if they had just attended a wedding. Those in ck suits are Yes! ording to the investigation, the first man to emerge is Hong Chang-sik, an agent of the Hero Association who went missing. Everyone hase out! Not a single one is missing! Ssh. The agentsnded on the surface of Baekrokdamke. From E-ss to B-ss, the sight of them all floating on the water, gently emitting magic power beneath their feet, was astonishing to everyone watching from the sidelines. Ah! Is that water-walking?! How can they all rise above the water with such a special ability?! The reporter, tasked with conveying the situation on-site, unwittingly posed this question to the viewers beyond the camera. However, her question resonated with everyone watching. Water-walking was usually impossible for ability users, and even if it were, for everyone to use it as if it were a basic skill was certainly peculiar. Could it be that the Sephiroth Knights taught them Ah! As I speak, someone elsees out! Whirring. Through a circr portal, a woman gently stepped forward. Her hair was white as if she were a Zenros, but there was a ck bridge protruding sideways from her head. A Zenros, an ability loser! I cant understand why shes dressed in a Ah?! Rustle. The woman did not sink into the water but softly stepped onto it. Unless her shoes were specially made, floating on the water must mean she herself is using abilities, magic power to rise. How is such a miracle possible! Others had lost their abilities, how was she using abilities? She became a demon and then human again, but how was she using mana when others wish they could but cant? Following her, other ability losers began to appear! Interestingly, all had ck or red bridges on their heads! It seems all the kidnapped Zenros have returned! And all of them seem to have regained their abilities! Not just one, but all who disappeared had regained their abilities. My god. What kind of magic did The Dark Charisma use- [Ha ha ha ha ha!!] A familiarugh erupted. The S-ss heroes were about to step forward, but theughter wasing from apletely different ce. [You heroes have had a tough time.] Hologram?! [Yes.] Whirring. As the abducted agents of the Hero Association reached into the sky with something resembling a bead, a giant of light, tens of meters tall, appeared above Baekrokdam. [Is it because youre Koreans of will? You all followed better than I thought. Hmph. After all, thosecking in will, I never bothered with them.] Who are you exactly! [Look, everyone! They lost their abilities, became demons, lost everything, but see them rise again!] Flutter. [Without a single dropout, all have been rehabilitated! Ha ha ha ha!!] The Dark Charisma spread his arms wide. [Crush weak thoughts! Break through the trials! And thus, grasp sess and victory! Reviving dead abilities, I have called forth ability users to thisnd once again!!] Everyone realized that the shimmering hologram-like figure was made of magic power, but since the agents of the association were holding the spheres creating it, no one knew what to say. [Abilities are alive!!] Bang! Something like fireworks exploded. As the rainbow light sparkled, just as when The Dark Charisma disappeared, the heroes immediately moved towards theke. Damn, swim! Those who can run on water,e at once! [Its futile. My body isnt there. As promised, I corrected the rotten and weak minds. Ability users, farewell! Ha ha ha ha ha!!!] The hologram faded like mist. As if having said all he wanted to say, he disappeared without any lingering attachment, leaving the heroes bursting with frustration. sh! The circle disappeared. The Dark Charisma, true to his word, had thrown the people he had taken back into Baekrokdam and vanished. What is this. Hello, everyone. I am Park Eun-jung, a B-ss agent of the Hero Association. The most senior among those abducted, Park Eun-jung, stepped forward. Her voice echoed across Baekrokdam, filled with a deep appeal and also imbued with magical power. With the help of the Sephiroth Knights, we were able to awaken further. We killed our rotten and weak spirits and were reborn as new humans. Behind Park Eun-jung, the others also nodded calmly to her words. What exactly happened? Park Eun-jungs expression hardened in an instant. As if she hated to even remember, she swallowed hard and answered with trembling eyes. We received mental training. Excuse me? We realized what justice is, what goodness is, and what truth is. Uh. All that was left was a hollowugh. I report that Park Eun-jung and other agents of the Hero Association have deepened their abilities, and although the ability losers are of E-ss level, they have developed different abilities but can now use magic power. !! We have returned. Stronger than before. How exactly? How is not important. Whats more important is. Park Eun-jung uttered just one phrase. That we have clearly realized what actions we must take for justice. To subdue all demons and guide them to be heroes. That is our fate and mission given to us. You seem very serious about it. Because we learned about justice. The ally of justice, from The Dark Charisma. Burst! Justice!! Justice!! Park Eun-jung and the agents adopted a strange pose. Like holding a card in hand, they brought their index and middle fingers together and flipped them over the opposite shoulder, all mimicking the action identically. Hmm. It was. Perhaps a scene of mass indoctrination. Anyway. All those abducted had returned. Everyone.
Justice, huh. Teachers speech, for a recorded video, feels very realistic. Is it because hes just rambling on his own? A speech isnt a conversation with someone else; its about me talking to myself. I watched the video of those rescued from Baekrokdam on TV with Yumir. The Zenros must be envious. Being Zenros but having their abilities revived. Its fascinating. How can someone grant abilities to another person? Thats the power of the society. The abilities of the Zenros havent been revived. People will think theyve awakened new abilities, not that someone imnted them. They were given just a very slight amount of magic power along with new abilities. The executives of Yi Maengmangnyang can awaken ordinary people as ability users. If you steal abilities from demons, our society can grant abilities to others. Of course, theres a limit. Its not for the executives to give. A divine power that only Yi Maengmangnyang, and no one else, could wield. Only one person in Yi Maengmangnyang possessed this godlike power. The executives were merely given a fraction of that power; all power originated from one person. It could be called a divine blessing. The age of abilities. If there existed someone who could give abilities to humanity instead of bread and wine, that being must undoubtedly be a god. The Chief is a god. This god referred to herself as the Chief. Chapter 192: Ability Maker (2) Chapter 192: Ability Maker (2) Abilities were something one was born with. But among those with abilities, could there exist such a user? An entity that knew all abilities. An entity that could use all abilities. And an entity that could bestow such abilities upon others. An entity capable of bestowing abilities even on those born before the 2000s who were not ability users. If such an entity existed, it would be sought after by people all over the world. Those without abilities would want to be ability users. Those who were ability users would want to be stronger. Those in power would want to monopolize these abilities. The girl realized How her own ability was perceived by others. Others saw her as just an ordinary E-ss ability user and overlooked her, but the girl quickly became independent from the world using her known abilities. And she founded the association, Yi Maengmangnyang. Despite being only 7 years old, she absorbed an entire group and through modest but expansive moves, she eventually took over Americas business world. Her goal was world domination. The primary goal was to unify the world under one banner, making everyone an ability user. Social chaos? Theyd delve into that in detailter. The Chief is the one who bestows abilities. I am the one who erases abilities. And you are the one who steals abilities. The final boss. The true final boss (year-round crisis). The protagonist. Probably, besides me, you, and the Chief, no one else in the world can interfere with abilities themselves. Thats incredible. Then why hasnt the association been able to identify me until now? They couldnt find you. They were searching, but they never suspected it would be you. America was considered the Chiefs main stage, but mobilizing the associations manpower based on uncertain information was a challenging task. If I didnt exist, they would have continued their search for you. If theres a giver, there must be a taker. Ah, so because of your existence, there was no need to specifically look for me? Right. Stealing abilities. Erasing abilities. In the end, the result is the same: making ability users into non-ability users. It was decided there was no need to bother stealing abilities just to recycle them. Because the ability is already tainted? New is always better than a tainted used one, isnt it? I reviewed the recorded video on the tablet again with Yumir. Name. Its Park Eun-jung. Interrogation room. Park Eun-jung, who had been hit in the head with a Goblin bat, sat in a chair, her posture straight out of a textbook. Age. 21 years old. How many people have you killed so far? As an information agent of the Hero Association, I have killed three. Boyfriend? None. Like someone under a soul-snatching spell in a martial arts novel, or like a job applicant in front of a corporate interviewer, she answered every question straightforwardly. After awakening your ability, what did you think? I thought ability users were superior. And those who did not awaken their abilities? Whether before or after the Cataclysm, I thought all those who did not awaken their abilities should be weeded out. An advocate for ability superiority. Whether in Korea or anywhere else, there are more than a few people with that ideology. Where should abilities be used? I thought they should be used to eliminate anything that hinders me. Why did you collude with Pandemonium and the rebels? Because it made me stronger. I would even use the devils power if necessary. Park Eun-jung effortlessly spilled everything about herself in response to my questions. Before losing her memory, perhaps before her personality was erased, Park Eun-jung was a typical advocate for ability superiority, a self-centered being who wanted to use her given ability for personal advancement. But now? The Chief, you see, is thinking this way. I pulled up thest video of Park Eun-jung after her intensive mental training waspleted. Not all ability users need to be heroes. But if you are born with an ability, at least have the mindset to work for society as much as a public servant does. It suddenly feels weird to hear public servant, doesnt it? Well, lets correct it then. Not all ability users could be superheroes. However. Hope that all ability users live with the mindset of firefighters or thoracic surgeons. I hoped to live a life contributing to society and helping non-ability users with the abilities I have, wherever I was needed. Its a kind of re-socialization. Manipting peoples memories, forcibly changing them Thats going to raise ethical concerns. I know. Thats why were considered a viin organization. Were aware that, although its for the sake of implementing social justice, the process was harsh and unfair. But, look at this. I pointed to the end of thest video. Park Eun-jung. Whats your life goal from now on? I will May 2nd. Before standing in front of others, the newly reborn Neo Park Eun-jung answered with a mechanical posture.
To contribute to the nation and humanity, and to realize universal social justice. That is the mindset Ive reawakened as an agent of the Hero Association. The Hero Association President, Jeong Gi-jo, saw the person in front of him, Park Eun-jung, as apletely different person. Ms. Eun-jung. Yes, Mr. President. Youve changed a lot. Even just before being deployed to Sejong Ind, you were quiteid-back. I am reflecting on my past behavior. This was not a woman who would give such an answer. She used to be a woman who would sit with her legs crossed on the table, grumbling and getting annoyed. Did you undergo some kind of torture? Nothing of the sort. Ive juste to realize again the mindset a hero should have. Did you go through some kind of green camp? Green camp I dont know about the military, but maybe its simr, if not more certain. Park Eun-jungs words were unabashed. If she had been forcibly administered drugs, she might have spoken awkwardly. But there was no sign of that in Park Eun-jung. Rather, she was so calm it made you wonder if it was okay for her to be like this. Ms. Eun-jung, Im sorry to say this after your return, but youll be sent to a research facility in Masan for about a month. Theyre going to check how they turned you and other agents into such good people. You may do as you please. If that can prove our conversion. Conversion. Transforming into apletely new person? What, was the evil inside forcibly purified? It might be simr. If theres a chance for rehabilitation, one should reflect and live a life of remorse, but if thats insufficient, salvation is necessary. Are you admitting that you were brainwashed into forcibly bing a righteous person? Its not brainwashing. Its just enlightenment. Park Eun-jung ced her hand on her chest with a gentle face. Like meeting a great being and awakening to spirituality, Ive met someone who awakened me to what justice is. The Dark Charisma? Though he calls himself by that name, to us, he is truly an Ally of Justice. The President covered his face with his hands for a moment. Alright. What is the justice they speak of? Viins must be killed without question? Act ording to the universally valid logic and concepts of society, and ording to ones own beliefs. Ms. Eun-jung, your original belief, I hate to say this, but wasnt it ability superiority? It was. Im ashamed. Park Eun-jung blushed, bowing her head in shame. Fidgeting with her fingers and even sping her legs together, she seemed embarrassed and ashamed as if she was being pointed out for her dark history. I admit it. I was like that. But Ivee to realize that being born with an ability means I should use that power not just for myself but for others. Were you brainwashed into thinking that? If thats what you call brainwashing, then yes, I was brainwashed. The Park Eun-jung filled with evil is gone, and Ive be Park Eun-jung, who wants to be a true agent and hero of the Hero Association. Sigh. The President of the Association couldnt help but sigh. In my life, Ive seen heroes fall to viiny, but how should I describe this? Justice corruption? Re-socialization? Forced brainwashing? Did they ingest some magical fairy dust? Or maybe Suddenly, the President recalled a special effects cartoon he had seen as a child. Maybe they were hit with something like a Fixer Beam? Excuse me? What is that? Or suffered a Mind Crash? Excuse me?? Mr. President. Is that, by any chance, a newly discovered ability? Too old, I guess. The President took a moment to sip his coffee, feeling a bit bitter. Am I that outdated It was ck coffee, but it somehow tasted sweet. Alright, Ms. Eun-jung. Whether youre an ally of justice or whatever, congrattions on returning to the path of a hero. But. The President disyed a photo. Can we not do this? Its unavoidable. In the photo. Agents of the Hero Association, including Park Eun-jung, were all striking a simr pose. Its not like youre trying to duel, whats this all about. Duelwhat? Sigh. You wouldnt know, but theres such a thing The President was overwhelmed by an indescribable emotion. Even if others called him old-fashioned, he felt nostalgic for the past but had no desire to see people in reality acting the same. Anyway, thats it. So, there was absolutely no torture, right? Thats how you understand it? Yes. Well, if there was something. What? The President perked up his ears. What was the torture? Not having Korean meals for all three meals a day, but mixing in Western meals for at least one. . Lunch included bread and soup, steak, roasted broli, etc. It wasnt exclusively Korean meals for all three, but a mix with Western meals. Without kimchi? They served kimchi and pickles together. Then its fine. Jeong Gi-jo (40 years old, President of the Hero Association) decided to stop overthinking. Its not like Im a washing machine, sigh. Chapter 193: Ability Maker (3) Chapter 193: Ability Maker (3) People were afraid of sudden changes. When someone suddenly changed their behavior, significantly for the better, its natural to think, Whats going on? Is it their time to go? Everyones gone mad. Thus, the president of the Hero Association, Jeong Gi-jo, wanted to understand their true intentions through 1:1 consultations with the association members, led by Park Eun-jeong. Everyones obsessed with doing good deeds. And then he realized. It wasnt corruption by viins but a corruption of justice, as if their minds were forcibly changed,pletely reborn as new people. Im really curious about the method. Tsk. Seol-hee. What do you think? The Hero Association members changed overnight? Not overnight, but during their abduction. Thinking about it too much gives me a headache, Mr. President. Baek Seol-hee scanned the CCTV connected to every room on the walls of the presidents office. Its still a bit scary, though. People who used to just fool around are now developing themselves in a healthy direction. Yeah. People who never read a book are now reading, cleaning the space theyre temporarily staying in, exercising ording to their routines in their rooms. Theyre even practicing their abilities on their own without damaging the interiors. And They agreed to 24-hour live CCTV surveince? Yes! The same people who couldnt stand having their pictures taken, iming it was their personal information, are now understanding and agreeing to 24-hour surveince?! The president couldnt help but be terrified. Its strange. This isnt like them. You know, they were quite the troublemakers? Theyve been rehabilitated. It hasnt even been a year! How can people change so suddenly in just a few days? People can change with just a slight trigger. Theyre not machines. I wish they were machines, that apletely newmand had been inputted. Its really scary. What is? Im afraid they might suddenly revert to their old selves. The president pointed to a man. Look at Chang-sik. Hes not like that. Although his current state is desirable, in the past, he would have demanded the highestputer specs and then used it for CTA while killing people. Are you talking about a game? Yeah. A game. Sigh. Really, whats going on? Dont overthink it. Theres no sign of them being beaten or tortured. Thats what scares me more. Sigh. The president covered his face with both hands andmented. Whether its towards righteousness or whatever, it feels like humans have been forcibly remodeled to one side. . Im not fond of philosophy, but can we consider them human if they live for society and justice, deprived of their free will? Well, that might be something to discuss with Gwang Ik-gong. Gwang Ik-gong Tsk. The president shook his head. This isnt the time to talk about that. I wish I could be like them. Excuse me? Sigh. No, never mind. Its because its you, Seol-hee. I have to talk to you, Seol-hee. The president turned his head toward Baek Seol-hee with a very serious expression. Gwang Ik-gong is. Mr. President!! Ah, shit. Seol-hee. Lets talk about thister. The shout from outside made the president shut his mouth. Old man! Let me meet those who lost their abilities! Taejo. Is turning on the video recording with Taeguk Watch a threat to me? No! Im here to satisfy the curiosity of many people! Bringing a camera into a ce full of secrets is a vition of the duty to maintain security. Oops! Taejo, who suddenly entered the presidents office, pressed his Taeguk Watch to stop the video recording. But youll still let me meet them, right? I turned off the video! I cant just let you meet them recklessly. If theres no valid reason for the meeting. Im curious! You barged in here just because youre curious? Yes! Taejo was confident. The president, faced with such audacity, could only tap the table with his fingers, expressionless. When I was young, back in my day, in front of adults, we would be polite. If I tell you the reason for my curiosity, will you let me meet them? Naeje? You too? Into the room, along with Taejo, came another S-ss, Naeje, standing by Taejos side. Using Taejo as bait? Hes the youngest. Its the youngests role to step up in situations like this, right, brother? Even to the point of risking himself? Three S-ss individuals hade to stand before the president of the association. Seol-hee, say something. Are these kids threatening me? Im curious too. Seol-hee? What would ability users fear the most? Losing their abilities. But now, people who have regained their abilities have appeared. Of course, its only natural to be curious. Baek Seol-hee stood calmly beside the three S-sses. After all, youre going to officially release the investigation results based on the data collected. What happened to their abilities? Whether theyve awakenedpletely new abilities or acquired different ones. . Mr. President, isnt that more important than the agents suddenly bing allies of justice? A viin could suddenly change. But its a different story for a Zenros to be an ability user again. The whole nation, no, the entire world is watching. What abilities the Zenros, who were kidnapped and then returned, have now. Thats. Taejo. If I put it in game terms, would you understand immediately? Game terms? Yeah. This isnt an official statement from the president. Just talking off the record. The president took a deep breath. Have you ever heard of something like a level reset reincarnation system?
[President: A Strong New Game, Ability Users Starting Again from E-ss.] These days, newspaper articles headlines are like light novels. After expending a bit of magic power, I entered a pension in Ulleungdo and took a rest, absorbing the information of the world. Its not wrong, is it? It feels like leveling up a sub-character, even though its my own body. Right? Gunggi, dressed in Hanbok, ced green tea in front of me and gestured towards a girl she had brought along. She, too, was dressed in Hanbok. Unlike Yoon Hye, who wore it like a dress, her chest was tightly wrapped with bandages. How do you feel now? Im always grateful. You dont have to be so humble. You know that, right, Do-eun? Yes! Yu Do-eun. Grade C. Former middle school student at the academy. Currently a Zenros. The girl Gunggi had switched out, who had been suppressing her demonic nature until she was discovered and subdued by me. Goblin isnt such a bad person either. Look. Does this face look like that of a bad person? He doesnt seem like a bad person, but he does seem like a bad guy. Exactly. Girls all have the same eye for these things. . I didnt know when I had ever been a demon. I just sealed everyone I encountered, trapped them in talismans, sent those talismans to Daejeon, and then unsealed them to return them to their original forms without distinguishing whether they were boys or girls. Student Do-eun. I have one question. You can still go back to your original ce now. What do you want to do? I like it better now. My ce is here, with the organization. Yu Do-eun ced her hand on her chest and spoke with conviction. Ill work for the organization that saved me. Even if someonepletely different takes my ce. Even if I can no longer use the name Yu Do-eun. Beep. The TV disyed Yu Do-euns image. A girl with white hair, identical to Yu Do-eun, was seen using her abilities at the Hero Associations training ground. -As you can see, Ms. Yu Do-eun is also wielding E-ss magic power. Although she can no longer use her Magic Bullet Shooting, her physical prowess isparable to that of an E-ss. It feels strange. An entity that isnt Yu Do-eun living as Yu Do-eun. It cant be helped. Yu Do-eun observed the girl sharing her appearance and smiled wryly. Ive decided to be an agent for the organization. That must be tough. Its fine. I just need to start from the bottom and gradually regain my original abilities. As Gunggi mentioned, if I stick to the curriculum, I can make it back to C-ss in at least two years. My parents have decided to move to the US with me. Im sorry for making them inadvertently abandon a daughter. Its alright. Hehe. Theres nothing tooplicated about it. The girl, Yu Do-eun, whom we reced, wished to join the organization. The ce meant for the girl Yu Do-eun was taken by a test subject prepared by Pandemonium. Their gics may differ, but its simple to justify by iming the gics were altered during the transformation into a demon. Even if Yu Do-eun was viewed as a special case unlike the others, it simply concluded with the acknowledgment of that fact. My worry is whether that girl mightter dere I am not Yu Do-eun! Well keep overseeing her within the organization. Since shes transitioned from a non-ability user to an ability user, shell strive to live as Yu Do-eun, eager not to forfeit that privilege, regardless of what others might say. Indeed. Yu Do-eun gently lifted the upper part of her Hanbok. Beneath the bandages, near her cleavage, was a mark glowing with the same hue as Gunggis magic power. The mark, resembling a me bird with its wings spread, emitted a soft glow. -Meanwhile, concerning the mysterious marks found on the bodies of Zenros This applied to the counterfeit Yu Do-eun as well. The difference lies in the mark engraved near the chest of this Yu Do-eun, which adopted a more oriental form, contrasting with the marks on the counterfeit Yu Do-eun and other Zenros, which disyed a different style. The Zenros had been reset to level 1. The symbol representing the newly acquired abilities of these individuals signified the magic transmitted from Gunggi and Doul, awakening new powers through a contract dedicated to upholding order and justice. It remained ambiguous whether to refer to them as the Sephiroth Alliance or the Sephiroth Knights. However, it made sense to say they were tasked with safeguarding Earths peace. As long as the shape of the mark is entirely different, not just in color, it bears no rtion to the organization. That settles it, right? Excuse me, Director Do. I have a question. Gunggi nudged me in the back. Does this really mean nothing? I detest conflicts. Surely, being the Queen of Spades doesnt hold any real significance, right? Theres no specific order or hierarchy, except for the leader. But why is the leader designated the King of Hearts? Well. Its simply because thats the theme. The guardians of order are themed around ying cards, and naturally, the leader is the King of Hearts. So, why isnt it the Ace of Spades but instead the King of Hearts? Well. Its just how it was. Because its the King of Hearts. Nod. Chapter 194: Ability Maker (4) Chapter 194: Ability Maker (4) At that moment, at a research institute on Sejong Ind. Haah! With a shout, a white-haired girl thrust her fist forward. The girl opposite her deflected the punch with her arm, sessfully blocking the attack. Both girls attacks were imbued with mana, and each collision of mana erupted in bursts of red and ck light. Impressive. S-ss hero, Baridegi, Tae Irin, watched the sparring from the referees seat, clicking her tongue in admiration. Their fight was merely at the level of E-ss ability users bickering with each other, but what mattered was that these were individuals who had turned into demons before being kidnapped and had lost their abilities. Students Do Eun, Ye In? Pause for a moment. Huff, huff. The two girls stopped their attacks against each other. Both of their faces were flushed with heat and drenched in sweat, but the fervor in their eyes remained. Both of you,e here for a moment. Baridegi asked for their attention, then inspected the shimmering emblems on their chests. Do Eun is the Spade Queen, Ye In is the Clover Ace. What does this mean? We dont know. Yes, we dont know. The girls knew nothing. We just made a contract with the Dark Charisma. He said we could regain our powers. Where would you use them? Where? Yes. And we answered. We would use our powers in a ce that means more, in a ce thats meaningful. Well use our powers where theyre needed. Even if we be mere physical enhancement ability users, theres bound to be somewhere we can be of help. Like rushing to save people when a fire breaks out. Or pulling people out of cars or lifting cars entirely in a pile-up. It was textbook talk. In fact, it was one of the examples illustrated in elementary social studies textbooks under how abilities can help in daily life. Thats amendable mindset. Both of you are admirable. Baridegi felt proud yet slightly bitter that such textbookments came from them. When I was your age, I whined about not wanting to do what others told me. Im a bit envious of that mindset. Ah, Im not saying anything weird. Im being sincere. Im a selfish woman. Despite being an S-ss at 17 herself, she recognized that at 15, these girls were already trying to live for others. Still, I wish you would live a bit more for yourselves. Thats my wish. Thank you for your words. We will take care of ourselves properly. Were not going to live as standby members for just 5 minutes, but we wont live like pushovers either. The two girls nodded vigorously at each other. We will ensure we live in a manner that befits our abilities. If were not treated ordingly, and if the demands are too much or they ask for more, well boldly ask for adjustments or more. Were people who can help others, not machines or robots that just follow orders to fight and die from above. . Tae Irin was genuinely intrigued by their crisp responses. Is all of this what the Dark Charisma told you? Yes. He gave us a new life. He gave us the chance to live a new life. There was a desperate longing visible in the two girls. We are. . The girls seemed about to say something, but the emblems above their chests sparkled. As if suppressing or calming something. Interesting. Id like to meet him too. Im curious about what he would say. Really? Yes. Tae Irin felt a surge of mischief. I wonder what kind of person he is, to speak of justice as if its the most natural thing in the world.
Howe every time Ie to your room, theres always a woman here? Youre the one who taught us spatial movement, remember? Thanks to you, we can easilye here now. Ugh. Should I not have taught you Dont be like that, Yumir. Good things are meant to be shared, right? Ahaha! Am I something to be eaten? Despite the postponement of the Jamminpuff Girl n, Yumir became quite close to Gunggi and Doul. The reason was, of course, spatial movement. As Gunggi and Doul mastered spatial movement, they began freelying and going to my house, using it as a coordinate. Yumir. Did you know? After the Dark Charisma appeared, all the talk about the tinum Sun haspletely vanished. Oh, really? No wonder the search terms dropped drastically when I did ego-searching. Ahaha. But, its also because were all watching it at once. Not just the brewers under Gunggi, but my hitmen and hitgirls are also on the move. Not killing them, right? An unfortunate ident that results in a finger injury so severe they cant use a keyboard for about two weeks? That sounds like a rather unfortunate ident. Gunggi and Doul also supported Yumir. They too understood why I was trying to recruit Yumir into the organization and were subtly trying to sway her to join their teams. Doul. Dont try to outbid me for Yumir. Its not like Yumir has decided to go with anyone, isnt that a bit much? Im a director, and youre just a manager. A director and an independent team manager. With only one manager as the team member? Yumir, work with me, okay? I havent even decided to join thepany yet Have you forgotten the loyalty we pledged as Jamminpuff Girls? Under Manager Dos Dont say weird things. That never happened. I smacked Doul on the head once. If Yumir bes an employee of ourpany, Ill personally mentor you and teach you everything from scratch. Already taking care of her. Of course. I was the first to suggest recruiting her. You all should look for someone else. But the people Manager Do has scouted are all top-notch. Thats why dont even think about snatching them away. Youre already drinking the congrattory rice wine before the deal is sealed. What did you say? Ah, a Koreannguage issue. Sorry. Hehe. Anyway, thank you for continuing to take care of me. Its nothing. This is just the basics. After a light meal and discussing Yumirs safety: Where were we? Ah, talking about Do Eun, the student. The ability of the resurrected, starting from E-ss. We lightly touched on abilities. Yumir, how much do you know about the difference between E-ss and S-ss ability users? Honestly, not much. Yumir found it difficult to answer Douls question. The difference is huge, you know. One can summon a creature from behind Its not a creature! Its a god! Stop it. I approached Doul from behind, pressed her cheek with my hand, and she struggled. I was just telling the truth! Thats for when youre maintaining that concept. I can go all out then? Ill properly acknowledge it then. Concept was crucial. Acting like that as naturally as breathing was the behavior of a madman. I was not a madman but a normal person pretending to be one. Yumir. Being an E-ss ability user, that is, being able to use mana, means bing a being with exceptionally superior physical abilities, right? Yes. Thats always what the academy professors say. You guys are physically superior, so be careful even when opening a bottle cap. They say back in their day, orange juice came in ss bottles. That was the case. Its not like that anymore, but lets take a pasta sauce bottle, for example. Can an ordinary person break a ss bottle just with grip strength? Not by throwing it, but by squeezing it with their hand. No, thats dangerous, aside from being ss. Right. But its possible for an E-ss ability user. With the power of mana. Its not impossible, even if it might cause a little injury. The organization aims to utilize such abilities throughout society, inw enforcement, public safety, and even national security. So, they want to fill the roles of police, firefighters, and soldiers with ability users? Adding to what those people already do, by filling those areas with ability users, unlike the current Hero Association. I activated the viin report feature on the Taeguk Watch. Teacher, if you press that! Yes, it will create quite a stir. Whether it attracts the attention of viins or not, its crucial to alert others that theres a viin here. The organization will begin by transforming this system. If a B-ss viin appears, nearby C-ss ones will stall for time until a B-ss can handle it. The Hero Association has a simr strategy, but the organization will operate in a more organized and systematic manner. And at the heart of it will be Heroes purified by the Sephiroth Knights, stepping forward to do their part? Not exactly risking their lives, but indeed doing their utmost. This includes both those reborn as heroes through the Goblin Bat and the organizations mental training, and those who lost their abilities but were given a second chance to live as ability users. They will do their utmost in their respective roles. Not just standing by with a camera or pretending not to see until someone stronger arrives when viins rampage, but taking appropriate action. Evacuating people or attempting to persuade the viins? Yes, doing their best without sacrificing their lives. Everyone will dutifully perform their assigned roles. Except for two. Excluding the two that Gunggi and Doul had swapped out in advance. Do Eun has been taken under Gunggis wing, and there Jo Ye In? That student went to the United States with her parents. The organization also assisted with identityundering. So the two appearing on the broadcast now are those individuals? Yes. Two white-haired girls appeared on the broadcast. The girls were practicing martial arts, utilizing their magic powers in front of S-ss Baridegi. Such unfortunate children. Tempted by demons, they nearly chose the wrong path. Non-ability users who became ability users through a deal with the Sephirot Knights. Originally, they were the ones swapped out to enter Sejong Ind as Zenros. Pandemoniums prepared substitutes. Non-ability users, but tempted by the promise of being granted abilities, they volunteered to be subjects of human experimentation. It must not have been easy to find such people in Korea. Mixed race, mixed race. Excuse me? Cases where the father is Korean and the mother is a foreigner. The two girls, though of different nationalities, shared themonality that they were not born as ability users but their parents wished they were. Children fathered by Korean men traveling abroad. They wanted toe to Korea and desired to be ability users. Pandemonium cunningly exploited this desire. And through a contract with the organization, they became our people. The organization made them into ability users, and theres only one thing the organization wants from them. Not to be bad people. What if they be bad people? Their abilities would be taken back. If they be viins or demons who kill people, then their lives would be taken along with their abilities. In this way, our organization is cing people all around the world. Reviving their abilities or enhancing weakened abilities. Thats amazing. Amazing, isnt it? Thanks to that power, we can operate thisfortably now. For example. Yumir. What do you think is the reason the organization can operate so extensively in Korea? You dont mean? Never thought about it? I disyed a photo. Why hasnt the strongest S-ss hero appeared, despite all this chaos? S-ss hero. The strongest, number one hero in Korea. Gwang Ik Gong (). Is he, on our side? Thats how it turned out. Chapter 195: The Society Is Everywhere (1) Chapter 195: The Society Is Everywhere (1) Before we knew it, the calendar had flipped to May, and a lot had transpired since the year began. April, in particr, witnessed a significant event known as the Duoexini Situation. Following this, members of Zenros were partially abducted by an unidentified group called the Sephiroth Knights. Many people either died or disappeared. It was difficult for people to talk about the deaths, but when the entity known as Dark Charisma emerged, kidnapping individuals from a convoy under the protection of two S-ss heroes, silence was no longer an option. Where had our hundred billion won hero vanished to? One hundred billion won a month. Its a symbolic figure. Its symbolic in many ways, starting with the number 1. Moreover, this hundred billion, totaling 1.2 trillion annually, wasnt just any sum of money. It flowed into the national treasury as taxes, meaning whoever was ountable for this amount must certainly justified their role. But where was that person, actually? Has anyone seen Gwang Ik Gong sincest Christmas? The man hailed as Koreas S-ss hero and the strongest globally hasnt made a public appearance. Hes also been absent from official government events, with only Snow White being seen regrly. For some reason, Gwang Ik Gong has kept to himself and became reclusive. However, he made sure to show up when it was absolutely necessary. In 2024, when an S+ ss demon emerged from the direction of North Korea and other S-ss heroes were being overwhelmed, he suddenly appeared and elegantly dispatched the demon with a single stroke. Even before that, in 2022, he effortlessly defeated three S-ss heroes from another country using just a golden sword. Consequently, the inte was abuzz withments criticizing Gwang Ik Gong for his absence, while others argued that such behavior was uncharacteristic of him. Seol-hee, do you keep in touch with Gwang Ik Gong? No, not really. I thought so. He doesnt use a smartphone, doesnt wear a Taeguk Watchan analog human born in the millennium era. He still uses a feature phone, so he doesnt text much either. The chairman and Baek Seol-hee entered the associations internal elevator together. I wasnt sure if I could get in touch either. It was the same before, and its the same now. Beep, beep, beep. I always feel sorry for you, Seol-hee. Because Gwang Ik Gong doesnte out, youve had to continue being active externally. Its okay. Well, it would be nice if the number one hero would appear at national events more often. Thats quite a pointed remark. After entering something like a password, the elevator buttons changed color, and the elevator began to descend. He just didnt want to go out untilst year. You could criticize Gwang Ik Gong for that. Is it different this year? Yes. Theres a secret that only the president, I, and Gwang Ik Gongs aide know about that the other S-sses dont. Thud. The elevator goes down deeper than the basement of the association building. The chairman took off his sunsses, wiped them with his sleeve, and hardened his expression as if preparing for something. People dont know. Nobody knows. Im telling you this, Seol-hee, because we dont know how the situation will unfold from here. What do you mean? You might have to step up as Koreas number one S-ss hero publicly. Thud. The elevator stopped. As soon as the chairman moved forward, lights started toe on in the long corridor. sh. A long passage in the basement appeared. Baek Seol-hee wasnt scared just because they had descended into the basement, but the chairman swallowed his saliva and tensed up. Are you okay? Im fine. Whew. Really,ing down here feels like hell every time. Theres not a grave here, is there? Who knows. The chairman chuckled and moved forward. It might already be the grave of the dead. Chairman, stop beating around the bush and just tell me. Dont act your age. . The chairman suddenly froze as he walked forward. Damn. Even though youre older, dont talk like the young people these days, okay? Back in my day, if you saw a game or something, the vige elders would leisurely tell you about the vige legends. Skip. Damn, back then, there wasnt even a skip button for conversations. Then please tell me quickly. At double speed. Back then, without fast forward, you had to wait for the voice yback to finish! The chairman pointed to the end of the corridor, visibly irritated. Yeah, you want it in that trendy style of the young people nowadays? A simple three-line summary? Good that we understand each other. Tch When you have a kid, Ill tell them all about how their mom used to nag their uncle like this. More like a grandfather by then, Chairman. Really, you Sigh. You think you wont age. Because Im an ability user, Ill maintain this appearance even as I age. Tsck. The door, resembling a bunker, was filled with locks, and the chairman extended his Taeguk watch towards it. Yeah, aging would be a relief. Just as long as I dont get younger. . Let me summarize Gwang Ik Gongs current situation in three sentences. Creeeak. A heavy door, several centimeters thick, opened. Gwang Ik Gong was seriously injured fighting a demonst December. You dont say. And as a result. As the door opened, a normal house appeared inside the bunker. This happened. . Inside the bunker. Uh, hello. Im Gwang Ik Gongs son. Gwang Ik Gong is 23 years old, what are you talking about? Hey, Kim Jin-ho. Thats you, right? Uh, yeah. A small boy, with blond hair and golden eyes, resembling a kindergarten student, was holding a wine ss, wearing pajamas. Why did you suddenly bring this sister here? Big brother. Sob Youre the only one who calls me brother. Stop filming this melodrama and tell me whats happening now? As Baek Seol-hees voice grew cold, the boy - Kim Jin-ho - coughed and pointed at himself. Its nothing big, just died and came back to life. ? This isnt a human body anymore. Kim Jin-ho inserted his hand into his other arm. Yikes?! Im not a ghost. Something like a ghost, but for now, Im maintaining my form with magic power. What, whats going on? Didnt I tell you? I died and came back to life. Kim Jin-ho spoke nonchntly as he sipped his wine. Now, Im and spirit of the Korean penins. Thats what happened. Is this also an ability? Whose ability is it? Well, thats The Chief of Yi Maengmangnyang. The chairman pointed at the blurred, ghost-like Kim Jin-ho with aplicated expression. The Chief brought this guy back to life. December 20, 2024. Gwang Ik Gong Kim Jin-ho died. The Goblin begged the Chief to save him, and thats how he came back to life. The Goblin, why? Thats Came back to life. Dont know.
Gwang Ik Gong Kim Jin-ho is dead. Hes gone. But he continues to live as and spirit. Excuse me. No matter what abilities exist, resurrection seems a bit much, doesnt it? As soon as the current state of Gwang Ik Gong was exined, Yumir immediately became serious. Teacher, your jokes arent funny. Its impossible for the worlds strongest hero to have died. Right now. The impossible youre talking about It cant exist in this world! I know!! Im aware, but still, there are limits!! Yumir started to get angry. So, turning a demon back into a human makes sense? Thats not what I mean! Death is the end! Once youre dead! Right. Death is the end. Normally, you cante back to life. Resurrection with a magic card from the grave was something out of a card game; if it were to happen in reality, the world would be in shock. We can make it possible. . However, not just anyone can be resurrected. Even if resurrected, they remain as spirits, not fully brought back to life. Its akin to the work of an exorcist, bringing back the soul. My goodness. What kind of organization is the Secret Society? All-powerful, yet stillcking the physical time to suppress all of humanitys ugly desires worldwide. Given enough time, the Secret Society would eventually unify the world under one rule. Its just a matter of whether that time will be in one year, five years, or more. And its physically uncertain whether this could be achieved before the year changed or before someone, mentally broken, decided to crash a meteorite into Earth. But why did Gwang Ik Gong die? There must have been a reason. He was murdered while fighting an S-ss demon on the opposite side of the Earth, in a ce unknown to anyone. Why? Due to ack of magical power. When did this happen Why didnt I know? It seems like I havent even seen any hints of this. Of course, it was a quiet war that went unnoticed by anyone. On the other side of the world. A quiet, bloody battle took ce in an unknown location, where no fewer than 17 S-ss individuals gathered to kill and be killed. 7 S+ ss demons. 10 S-ss ability users. Regardless of being heroes or viins, they all rushed in with the determination to kill all the demons. Ive never heard of such a thing. It was handled quietly and progressed without anyone knowing. If it had been made public, the world would still be in chaos. Well, its been resolved and is in the past now, so its not that important. What were you doing at that time? I fought alongside them. I cracked open the heads of two S+ ss demons. . What are you looking at? Oh, right. I almost died. But Im alive. Thats what matters. It happenedst year. Its important, but what mattered now was its current impact. Anyway, Kim Jin-ho died back then. Now, he exists as and spirit and can only emerge when his life is truly at stake. Using magic power means using willpower, which in turn means using ones own existence. Mana is life force? Yes. Once the mana is depleted, you truly die. The soul disintegrates. My goodness. Yumirs expression hardened. So, he doesnt appear, and the Secret Society operates like this in Korea because Gwang Ik Gong was saved. Though only as a soul. . The Secret Society, you see, has infiltrated more ces around the world than you might think. Somewhere, an S-ss hero could actually be a member of the Secret Society. Not in Korea, though. So, there are members in other countries. Exactly. Typical Yumir. It felt rewarding to hint at something and have her immediately catch on. Kim Jin-ho is the only one who came back from the dead. But, why save him? Theres no reason for you to save a man. Maybe a woman, but You think if I were a woman, I wouldve definitely saved him? Yes. Thats a prejudice, a nder. I wasnt some kind of nymph. Why are you asking if I saved a dark-skinned man? Yes. I heard hisst wish by his side. Yumir. You absolutely, under no circumstances, can talk about this anywhere. Its more serious than Do Ji-hwan being a Goblin, more serious than Gwang Ik Gong dying and bing a spirit. Got it? What is it? Yumir perked up her ears, and I whispered the secret into her ear. Whisper, whisper. !! Since he was young, he fought viins as a hero, lived like a dog for the country, and in the end, he fought one-on-one with an S+ ss demon for the Earth and humanity, ending in mutual destruction. After hearing hisst wish, I felt like this. The reason I asked the Chief to save Gwang Ik Gong. Just. It was. He was a really good and just guy. Even though he died. Simply, out of pity. He seemed so pitiful and tragic. A hero who dedicated his life to the country and the world died like that. Yes. It was out of sympathy. Chapter 196: The Society Is Everywhere (2) Chapter 196: The Society Is Everywhere (2) Kim Jin-ho. Born on February 2nd, 2002, a day when all the clocks pointed to 2, he was a special ability user. At first nce, his backstory might seem like that of someone destined to y second fiddle, but surprisingly, he was South Koreas undisputed number one. His magical power and skill in handling special abilities were arguably the best in the world. If the Chief was considered an omnipotent god, Kim Jin-ho seemed like someone who could daringly ascend to the position of that god, embodying what I would call the epitome of elegance. An incarnation of justice. Always the first to step into danger for the country and the world, he was willing to sacrifice his life for justice. If there were heroes, he was the man the world would definitely appoint as humanitys guardian for his heroic deeds throughout history. The only unfortunate thing was He died before the original story even began. In the original story? Of course, he didnt die. Due to the curse of his birth date, he lost his title of Koreas number one to the protagonist, bing second, and started to envy the protagonist. Moreover, a woman he might have been interested in fell for the protagonist instead, leading to NTR orare), making him essentially a plot device created by the author to elevate the protagonist. He died fighting the Seven Sins. Facing an opponent I had trouble with, he fought one-on-one and won, but half of his physical body was taken by a demon, and he ultimately died. -Ha, haha If I knew this would happen, I would have shown some patriotism before dying That was hisst will. As a special ability user, he could rest easy knowing someone trustworthy would follow in his footsteps, even if it was somewhat unsettling if it was his own bloodline, fighting demons for the country, the world, and his child. But he was too focused on eradicating viins and fighting demons in his patriotism. -Hey, Gwang Ik Gong? Maybe meet some women? -Theres no time to meet women. I must subdue more viins in that time. -Youre past being an adult now. How about showing patriotism by having children? -How could a child born without love be considered patriotism? If a person I truly love appears, I will confess and show patriotism on my own, so dont worry. But he probably never imagined he would die before even reaching his mid-fifties. So, I asked the Chief. -Mr. Do, Section Chief. Wouldnt it be easier for us to take over Korea if Koreas strongest just died? Why bother reviving this man as a bound spirit? -There are four reasons. Of course, it wasnt just out of sympathy. -Giving life-saving grace. Even though his physical body died, his soul was alive. So, Gwang Ik Gong, as a being, did not die and would recognize the grace of having his soul survive. -Repaying a life-saving debt. Hes not someone who would ignore the grace of being saved. So, he would help the Secret Society at least once if a great crisis were to ur. -Mutual benefit. By borrowing the prestige of being Koreas S-ss number one, the Secret Society could movefortably in Korea under Gwang Ik Gongs protection. -Patriotic loyalty. If Gwang Ik Gong, even as just a soul, miraculously seeded in reproduction using his special abilities and magical power, that child would greatly aid our Secret Society in managing Korea in the future. -This isnt just about refusing help; what are you talking about? It makes me feel like Im doing something wrong just by saying it. Its just out of sympathy, isnt it? -Im asking because of sympathy. In other words, it could also be called mercy. -It does seem like its just sympathy I persuaded the Chief with these four reasons. There was one more personal reason. A check on the protagonist. At that time, I didnt know Yumir was a woman. So, in case the protagonist decided to drop a meteor, I nned to tell Gwang Ik Gong in case of my failure, Kill the protagonist!. In other words, it was a form of insurance. A personal insurance that I couldnt share with anyone else. If the protagonist were a man, then Gwang Ik Gong, being a man himself, would ruthlessly kill him as a countermeasure to prevent destruction. -Okay. But if you want to save even one persons soul, it will require a huge price. What will you pay with? -Alchemy? -Do you think its easy to keep an S+ grade soul attached to the world? If I keep Gwang Ik Gongs soul, I wont be able to appear on the front lines for a while due to ack of magical power. The Chiefs point was valid. -Even if we save Gwang Ik Gong, if hes just a soul, hell only be able to maintain his spiritual body. Without a regr supply of magical power, even maintaining his spiritual body will be difficult. Too many uncertainties. -Depreciation might hit minus in just a month, or he mightpletely vanish. Adding my mana spent and the time I cant participate in the front lines, it seems utterly useless. The loss would be immense. -I think infiltrating Korea while its destabilized by Gwang Ik Gongs death would be more beneficial. What do you think, Mr. Do Section Chief? Utilizing death seemed more efficient. Despite the unfavorable odds, I dared to propose a deal to the Chief. -Chief. -Yes? -Anyway, youll have to rest for 10 months, or maybe a year, wouldnt it be okay? - A sentence of just 40 characters in text. -Deal. With that sentence, I managed to get the Chiefs help to turn Gwang Ik Gong into an earth bound spirit. Looking back now, it seemed there might not have been a need for it. But if it meant Baek Seol-hee was under less stress because he was alive, then thats good in its own way. Anyway. That became the fundamental reason why Gwang Ik Gong, the S-ss rank 1, could not appear on the front lines. He used to be a human tactical nuke untilst year. Now, hes be a ghost tactical nuke (single-use).
So, youve be a one-time bomb now? Seems like it. Kim Jin-ho nonchntly picked up a wine ss, but Baek Seol-hee immediately snatched it away from him. What are you doing? Where do you think youre drinking wine with that body? Well, cant help it, can I? Imagine how inconvenient it would be if I shrank even more here. How so? I cant tell Seol-hee that. Kim Jin-ho subtly gestured towards the bathroom. Anyway, I cant just recklessly go outside now. If I want to attend external events, I need to return to my original body, and I have to be seen by others. What if I suddenly be transparent in front of other people? The KOSPI would copse, and the KOSDAQ would plummet, Seol-hee. Baek Seol-hee covered her face with her hands. There have been various incidents recently, but I never imagined something like this happening. Maybe going public would be better. No, that would only cause more chaos. If the S-ss rank 1, the world rank 1 falls, there will be a flood of people iming they deserve the rank 1 spot. Naturally, everyone will target Seol-hee. After Gwang Ik Gong, its Snow White. Thats the academic consensus. Moreover, I saw a recent video, you were fighting really well? It seemed like you were making the Goblins techniques your own while fighting the Goblin. Are you close with the Goblin? Me? Kim Jin-ho tilted his head. If you ask if were close, its a bitplicated. Just, well, we had that kind of conversation before thest fight. What conversation? Baek Seol-hees ears perked up. The fact that someone she cared about was forming a peculiar rtionship with someone she didnt know made Baek Seol-hee genuinely curious about what they had discussed. I said that. After this fight ends, Ill introduce him to a woman. What? You. Nonsense. Oh? You dont seem to dislike the idea? Its not that. Its just absurd. So, why are you telling me this? Baek Seol-hee quickly changed the subject, worried that this exceptionally perceptive guy might start getting weird ideas. Yeah. Ki-jo hyung, you suddenly came looking for me and brought Seol-hee. If I knew this would happen, I would have forced myself to stay in my original form. Showing the truth is more convincing. Now, it seems Seol-hee should actively start working as Koreas number one. Chairman Jeong Gi-jo began with a serious expression. After the Duoexini incident and the Sephiroth Knight Order attack, the international situation is rapidly evolving. Tremendous events are happening behind the scenes. Skip the introduction, get to the conclusion. Three S-ss heroes from Japan areing to Korea. . Kim Jin-ho immediately frowned. Who are they? [Nadeshiko]. [Hayabusa]. And [Susanoo]. Didnt thest one get beaten by that guy called The Dark Charisma or something recently? He did. So, hesing to apologize. All three S-sses? Yes. Furthermore. Jeong Gi-jo continued with a somewhat enlightened expression. S-ss heroes, Nadeshiko and Hayabusa have proposed staying on Sejong Ind for a month. Do they know about my situation? No, its not that. No one knows the reason. Even Japan seems to be in turmoil. Its strange enough that three S-sses are visiting Korea, but two want to enter Sejong Ind? For what purpose? To check on Zenros? There were a total of five S-ss heroes in Japan. One wasing to apologize, and the others to visit a friend who became Zenros, so lets ept that for now. Why are theying to Korea? They should just stay in Tokyo and Kyoto and protect their ownnds. Were checking from all angles, but a strange rumor has it that were investigating. Strange rumor? Yes, its a bit absurd. But arent all S-ss people like that? Jeong Gi-jos face turned very pale. To dispute the legitimacy of the Rider, they say theyll search for that person on Sejong Ind. Legitimacy? Yes. They want to see who the real Rider is. Sigh. As if trying to regain the legitimacy of the Rider who was NTRd by the Goblin. Jeong Gi-jo let out a deep sigh. I wish they wouldnt cause international issues for such reasons. Thementation simply dissipated into the air. Chapter 197: The Society Is Everywhere (3) Chapter 197: The Society Is Everywhere (3) At that time, at the Hero Associations Osaka branch in Japan. No, what do you mean by that, Hayabusa? It means exactly what I said. The woman with short ck hair didnt even nce away from her smartphone, let alone look at the branch chief of the Hero Association as she responded. Who is the true Rider? We mustpete to find out. Why? Because, thats what being a Rider entails. Nod. Hayabusa nodded emphatically as if stating the obvious, causing the Osaka branch chief to beat his chest in frustration. Hayabusa! Nadeshiko! Please say something! Not just Nadeshiko, but there was no need for Hayabusa to go! Originally, it was supposed to be Hayabusa alone! I cannot say anything. Kneeling as if about to perform seppuku, Susanoo simply bowed his head, saying nothing. The sin of causing harm to the whole due to ones personal, short-sighted thoughts, I can only bow and apologize to everyone! For the harm caused, I will personally go to Korea and perform a dogeza of apology. Theres no need for that! Why should Susanoo bow his head in Korea! Ah, Nadeshiko has already bowed her head that day! Please stop that, branch chief. Nadeshiko, with her sly smile, turned her head towards the branch chief, pressuring him with her calm voice. Speaking any further is pressure on these two S-ss heroes. They want to resolve the matter with a dogeza for what they believe is their responsibility, why keep adding pressure? But that matter of making amends, like cutting off a finger in apology, is not something! Because of Susanoos rampage, Korea was unable to quickly respond to the Sephiroth Knight Orders attack. Thats none of our business! But its undeniable that due to Susanoo, NerveStrike had to fight, and attention was diverted elsewhere. Are you still nning to let this slide? Ugh! As Nadeshikos voice grew firmer, the branch chief felt the subtle pressure from the S-ss heroes and slumped back into his seat. This will damage our prestige Prestige doesnt matter. Whats important is to avoid conflict and discord. It seems, branch chief, you actually desire a conflict with Korea? That, that cant be possible! Why would I ever want such a thing! Then thats good to hear. Theres no reason to stop a young man from apologizing and viins frompeting over whos real. Then why is Nadeshiko trying to enter Sejong Ind? The branch chief yed hisst card. Theres nothing on Sejong Ind. Why? I understand Hayabusa searching for the fake Rider for a month. But theres no reason for Nadeshiko to go to Korea. The Ministry of Education is also puzzled about this. Do I need to exin my reasons? If an S-ss moves without reason, its a grave national issue. Oh? Is that so? Cant an S-ss act as they please? Ugh! No reason could be given. But they would do as they wished. What nationality is Nadeshiko? Who knows? Perhaps a citizen of Earth? Youll regret those words. Do as you like. Heh, maybe youre nning some cyberbullying. Despite the branch chiefs veiled threat, Nadeshiko nonchntly made her bold statement, countering his words. I wont forget todays events. The branch chief left with a flushed face, leaving only the three S-ss heroes in the lounge. Sis. While watching a video of the battle between the Goblin and Snow White on her smartphone, Hayabusa turned with a worried expression. Arent you overdoing it? Not at all. Theres no point in antagonizing them. No matter how friendly you appear to other countries, in the end, they see us as Japanese. Right. Thats probably true. Will Japan rise again? At Hayabusas question, Susanoo also slowly raised his head. Ah. I wont abandon my nationality just for that. Unless the state pressures me, Ill continue to use the name [Nadeshiko]. The Ministry of Education will be watching your trip to Sejong Ind this time. Let them watch. What can they do? Im going to do what I need to do. Flutter. I have to go so you all can go without burden. I cant just send the kids alone. Always treating me like a child. Going with someone who caused trouble and someone who will cause trouble. Bowing is not important to me. Nadeshiko unfurled a fan beside her and smiled softly. After all, Im going to cause trouble too. Sis? Hehehe. Nadeshiko covered her lips with the fan, ncing at Hayabusas smartphone. Its about time I had a child. Inside the smartphone. Everything is for the world. The Goblin was splitting an iceberg in half. She grinned.
Yumir was studying his abilities in his room for personal training, while Gunggi and Doul were preparing their operations from their respective locations. Brewer. What do you think? Does it seem real? Yes. That intention is correct. I was busy analyzing the issue that stirred up Korea with Brewer. [Susanoo, Hayabusa. Heading to Korea.] [Susanoo to apologize, what is Hayabusas purpose?] Hayabusa, S-ss, Tsuji Haruna. 17 years old. A high school girl. . Why? Why does the term high school girl seem to be the strongest among others? I dont quite understand. Do you not know what Hayabusa is, Director Do? I do know. Shes an S-ss and also one of the sub-heroines from Japan. A severe tokusatsu geek. She was supposed toe to Sejong Ind as an exchange student this year. For some reason, she didnte as an exchange student. I hadnt bothered to delve into the reason, but if I had to guess, it was probably because the Japanese government decided they couldnt carelessly send an S-ss abroad. Unlike the original world,st year was particrly tumultuous due to the affairs of the underworld. All because of the Goblin. Was it coercion from the original work? Or did the appearance of the Goblin simply draw Hayabusas aggro? Eventually, Hayabusa made her way to Sejong Ind. Brewer, could Hayabusa actually be a spy sent by Japan? Hayabusa is indeeding to Sejong Ind to find the Goblin. Its beneficial for Korea. Having an S-ss from Japan stay on Sejong Ind for a month boosts our national prestige, doesnt it? I found her SNS alt ount; want to see? You found it? Really? Yes. In reality, shes a JK high school girl, but secretly, shes geeking out over tokusatsu with a bald old man concept. . This was news to me. -If you use me as fuel, Ill kill you! She was meant to be a tsundere character. -Is this a Korean tokusatsu? Amazing. Senior, I want to see more! I knew she liked tokusatsu, but I never imagined her alt ount would actively embrace a bald old man concept. Lets see. This girl, now in Korea, even losing her concept to viins? Is the trantion correct? Yes. Shes currently adopting a self-deprecating concept, iming she got NTRd by the Goblin. I NTRd the rider? Yes. With the alt ount, shes embracing a self-deprecating concept, while in reality, shes trying to reim the rider concept by defeating the Goblin. Unbelievable. As she was one of the original heroines, I tried to remain unbiased, but unexpected information could really throw you off mentally. Shes not even a rider. Hayabusa was an ability user with physical enhancement. Shes an S-ss ability user capable of exerting the strength of three tanks, all while wearing a school uniform. Shes the type who could walk out of a kendo dojo with just a bamboo sword and clear the streets of zombies. Her costume choices are limited to a school uniform or a kendo outfit, not a rider-style outfit. What are you going to do? If youe to Sejong Ind, are you really going to fight? I have nothing to say for now. She came all the way from Japan to talk about the essence of being a rider. Someone posted that on the inte. The concept of a Rider originallyes from Japan. It felt like something I should vehemently deny, but this was an undeniable issue. There were tokusatsu productions in Korea too, but those were heavily influenced by various productions from before the Showa era and the great upheaval of 2000. I couldnt deny that the transformation of Dodjirider, the character I became, was heavily influenced by the Rider series from my world, and I created the costume by gathering the essence of Millennium Riders. However, Its different from the Post-Upheaval Riders of this world. Brewer. Did you know? The first Rider was actually a monster. A human, but one who was kidnapped and modified by an evil organization. Thats a gloomy setting. Most of what followed were modified humans, monsters. Because thats how the tradition and the beginning were. Heres where a problem arose. After the upheaval, From the moment children began to sit in front of TVs to teach courage and justice to young ability users, the culture of this world started to be censored. In other words, As much as the content after the upheavalpletely changed, so did the world of Riders. Stories of Riders battling each other, Riders turned monsters attacking and trying to kill allies, or transforming into Riders from a monster family to create a morning drama-like melodrama, all these narratives changed quite significantly from the original. To put it extremely, it became a world where Super Rangers became more popr than Riders. Friendship! Passion! Victory! -Eh? Rider? Isnt thatpletely an artifact of the past? To the extent that suchments would arise. In the midst of this, what should we calling to Korea to determine who the real Rider is? Seriously. Why? It seems like a good event-stylepetition. Especially since this is also happening. Brewer pointed to the academic calendar of the Academy. A month would fit perfectly into this period, wouldnt it? Its been postponed to May 14th. The day before Teachers Day. Sports festival. The main episode of the original story, and this time, an athletic event taking ce on Sejong Ind. A battle royale under the guise of a sports festival. Well, what could possibly happen if Hayabusaes. Exactly. Oh, breaking news. What is it? Nadeshiko ising too? ? ! Brewer. I rubbed my neck, which had suddenly gone cold. Could we possibly gather information on that Southeast Asian operation a bit earlier? Chapter 198: The Society Is Everywhere (4) Chapter 198: The Society Is Everywhere (4) May was known as the family month. It epassed Childrens Day, Parents Day, and Teachers Day, providing students with days off and making it a very important and special month. -Thank you, Teacher Sofa! -Thank you, Buddha! But why did youe on a Sunday this time? -Honestly, Parents Day and Teachers Day should be days off too. Agree? Is it only a holiday for children? Parents and teachers need rest too!! Just say you want to rest! Ugh, I wish I didnt have to work but still received my sry regrly!! May, therefore, had more days offpared to other months. From the academys perspective, ording to traditional educational policies, various events were prepared in May. The most representative event in May was, of course, the sports festival. What imagees to mind when you think of a sports festival? An event where parentse, spread out a mat, andy out chicken and pizza to eat? Where childrenpete to see who can run the fastest and stamp their hands with stamps? Where a recreational event expert from somewhere showers the blue and white teams with cheer points using a retreat meta? While that might be the case in regr schools, the sports festival at Sejong Academy feels quite different. -Eh? Sports festival? Isnt that just a ranking battle among ability users? -It shouldnt be about dividing into blue and white teams; its just about me winning thepetition, right? -Sports festival? What sports festival> Its just the Sejong Premier Martial Arts Competition. Indeed. -Who holds a sports festival for ability users? Its real when ability users fight and hit each other. -Oh, the higher-ups named it a sports festival. What else would you call it if not a sports festival? A ranking battle? -Right? Heh, Sejong Ind is a ce of education! You cant just divide students rankings from first tost willy-nilly. Officially, at least. Hehe. -But Im going to be the champion of the sports festival. -Yeah, you can be the champion of B ss. Im going topete with A ss and enter the A ss power pool~ Officially, its a sports festival, but in reality, its a ranking battle based on the abilities honed over March and April to determine who is the strongest at Sejong Academy. Who was the strongest in C ss. Who among B ss could challenge and defeat someone from A ss. E sspeted among themselves to rank, and the top of E sspeted with the bottom of D ss, where the winner advanced to D ss. In some cases, an E ss could experience rapid growth and be reevaluated as C ss in this importantpetition. All students have been eagerly waiting for May, when they can officially raise their overallbat power evaluation. -This years sports festival has been postponed. -What? The sports festival was originally scheduled for May 4th. Since Childrens Day on May 5th was a public holiday, most sports festivals took ce on May 4th so that students could give their all the day before and rest on May 5th. -Well, it makes sense to postpone it. -Youre going to hold a sports festival after Duoexini caused such amotion? The dean will get criticized and fired right away. -Its a bit off to have the sports festival right after the Sephiroth Knights or something like Zenros returns on May 3rd, isnt it? However, due to the Duoexini incident and the Sephiroth Knights releasing Zenros and the hero agents on May 3rd, the sports festival was postponed. May 14th. -Thats understandable. -We cant not have the sports festival. Ive been preparing sincest winter to prove myself. After about a ten-day dy, the Academys students were gearing up for the sports festival as a way to shift the atmosphere of the entire Academy - Sejong Ind. To prove their abilities. At this point, when strongbat power and a strong will are needed due to the Duoexini incident, one must prove they are the true heroes of this era. Im going to be the issue maker of this sports festival!! To prove they are the protagonist, everyone is stepping up their research and training of abilities. Then, a rumor started circting and began to attract peoples attention. -Two S-ss heroes from Japan are staying on Sejong Ind for a month, right? Japans S-ss heroes. Hayabusa and Nadeshiko. -The sports festival period oveps, right? Maybe? -Isnt one of theming as a guest? Right? Sitting next to the principal and watching, asking, Who is that person? -Youre really drinking a whole bowl of kimchi soup ahead of time. With the arrival of two heart-fluttering beauties, many guys hearts were set aze. -Even so! -If I marry Nadeshiko, Ill live in Japan! -They say its good for your body to be with an S-ss, but I cant really find the words to describe it. Hehehe. -You cant resist abalones and ms if theyre S-ss. They must be so chewy. If things went well. An international hero marriage might be possible! -But arent rtions with Japan a bit sour right now? -Yeah. Its all because Susanoo made a mess, so our rtions are pretty bad now. -Ah, about that. Just then. [I, I mean!! Waaaah!] [I finally became a hero! My friend turned out like that, and I couldnt do anything!] [How much Ive tried to change the world, Waaaah!!] [Im so sorry!!] Since the person who caused the ident apologized in a way that made everyone almost burst intoughter, thats all anyone didjustughed it off. -It feels petty to be angry over something like this. -There were no casualties, and everyone came back safely in the end. -Ive seen Susanoo get defeated, so Im not really bothered anymore~ The incident that could have escted tensions between Korea and Japan was somewhat neatly resolved with the culprit breaking down in tears at a press conference. -Ah, forget Susanoo! The only thing that matters is being patriotic with 17-year-old high school girl Hayabusa, and Japans top beauty, Nadeshiko! -How can you be patriotic with the Japanese? -Then, world peace!! Now, the only goal left was to win over the two S-ss beauties. -Aaaah! I want to spend a night in Ulleungdo with the S-ss beauties!! -Dont say that out loud, you idiot! -Could you phrase that differently? -Aaaah! I want to contribute to world peace with the two S-ss beauties together! -Well done. So, the men on Sejong Ind were dedicating themselves to developing their abilities, all for the allure of the kimchi premium. -To the meat in the soup, Gazuaaaaa!! -What are you talking about, you lunatic? Perhaps. Desperately hoping to establish a certain rtionship with the S-ss beauties. As a result Naturally, the students began to hope for such an opportunity. -Whats the student council doing? Feeling the pressure from everyone, whom the student council should represent. -If you dont invite Hayabusa and Nadeshiko as guests to the sports festival, you wont get away with it! Apanied by a frenzied threat.
Seems like everyones obsessed with those girls. Werent you here to borrow a book? I came here to hide for a bit today. While working as a librarian, I couldnt help but be startled by Yoon Iseon suddenly appearing at the loan desk area. Why are you hiding there? Theres nowhere else to hide. Yoon Iseon was now hiding under my desk. No onees here anyway. Thats an exaggeration. People stille to borrow books. How many in an hour? Maybe one or two. Thats good enough. Give me a sign when someonees. Ill keep quiet. Squeezing into a space between my legs, she hid without making eye contact. What about your Taeguk Watch? Its in my room. Is it okay for a student to walk around without their Taeguk Watch? Before Im a student, before Im the student council president, there are times when I want to have my own time too. Yoon Iseon grumbled and began to conjure something magical from below. Everyone I meet keeps asking whether Hayabusa and Nadeshiko will be special guests at the big sports festival, or the boys say theyll impeach the student council president if we dont invite them. Its annoying. Everyone is crossing the line. Ah, someonesing. I lightly tapped my foot and adjusted my posture. Can you check this out for me? All checked out. Ah, right. And I have a question. The male student with sses nced up and down at me, hesitated for a moment, then clenched his fist and asked me. Do you happen to know where to get ones hair done? I do it myself at home. What product do you use? Just a hairdryer. Yes. Thank you. The male student left with a somewhat saddened face, holding the book. The titles of the books he borrowed were all about health, physique, and body management. Theres a saying that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. However, thinking about the fundamental reason why that male student borrowed those books makes me feel that his intentions might not be so pure. What kind of books did he borrow? The Secrets of Body Management. How to Build Muscles. Stuff like that. All to look good for Hayabusa and Nadeshiko, right? Probably. With the arrival of the S-ss, men started paying even more attention to their appearances. While they had been managing themselves before, now they were even more focused on self-care, trying to appeal to their masculinity as males. If they manage to catch the eye of those two, they might leave this country and go to the neighboring one. Wouldnt they be criticized for running off to another country like that? If an S-ss from another country wants to marry them and take them away, if they face criticism, it would likely stem from jealousy. Adults would actually be happy about it. Going abroad and spreading our Korean seeds widely. Since there are actually people who would genuinely be happy about it, I cant easily dismiss it. A Korean C-ss got an S-ss from another country pregnant? Nationalistic TV would ster that issue everywhere in no time, turning the whole world upside down. Teacher? Yes. Do, do you have something in your pocket? No. . Yoon Iseon was silent for a moment. Teacher. After a pause, Yoon Iseon inquired. Will the Gobline to this sports festival? Looking up at me from under the desk, she posed the question. Why do you ask? Just. Yoon Iseon continued with a veryplicated expression. Hayabusa and Nadeshiko said they woulde out to watch the sports festival if the Goblin appeared. Chapter 199: The Society Is Everywhere (5) Chapter 199: The Society Is Everywhere (5) At that moment, in Busan. Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Chairman. Its nice to meet you, Ms. Nadeshiko. As I feltst time, your Korean is really fluent. I learned it. Hehe. Hello to you too, Ms. Baek Seol-hee. Yes. Its nice to meet you. Baek Seol-hee felt puzzled by Nadeshikos bright voice and eyes. A faint hostility directed only at her, not towards other people. This hostility was not against Koreans or other S-ss individuals. It was like the hostility one might have towards a rival Ms. Nadeshiko, excuse me for asking right after meeting you, but do you have any rtion to the Goblin? Ms. Seol-hee? The Chairman was taken aback by Baek Seol-hees sudden question. He quickly looked around, checking if there were any reporters or other people nearby. Ms. Seol-hee, what are you talking about? Why create a strange situation? Oh, you saw right through me. You are very perceptive. Ms. Nadeshiko? Im a hero, but I like the Goblin. Hearing Nadeshikos words, Baek Seol-hee clenched her fist tightly. Oh. Why do you react like that? Does it bother you that I like the man you like? I do not like the Goblin. Really? As Baek Seol-hee spoke, the intensity in Nadeshikos eyes began to fade. Oh, Im sorry. Everyone said that you and the Goblin were in a certain type of rtionship. Thats not true. I have no rtionship with the Goblin. With the Goblin, since she had never heard any story from him, there was no lie in saying she had no rtion to the Goblin. Baek Seol-hee did not lie. I didnt want to feel ufortable over a misunderstanding, but it seems I was right. I hope there are no hard feelings. Im sorry. I almost made a big mistake as soon as I arrived. Nadeshiko ced her hand on her chest and bowed her head. With her overwhelming presence, the Chairman coughed, but Baek Seol-hee, with a calm gaze, assured herself. That she possessed more magical power. Both in Gangneung and Jindo, since you were often linked with Mr. Goblin, I thought you were in that kind of rtionship. What kind of rtionship are you talking about? A rtionship between a hero and a viin, but also as a man and a woman! Hah. A scoff escaped her. Of course. But she nearly let slip words she hadnt intended to say aloud and took a moment topose herself. Thats nonsense. Do you enjoy being associated with such viins, Ms. Nadeshiko? Yes. Yes? I do. After meeting him a few timesst year, Ivee to admire him. What a bombshell statement. Baek Seol-hee had blurted out the words, but somehow, she felt her fists trembling as she took another deep breath. Huh? No. She had already caught on. Baek Seol-hee knew that her emotions tended to show more in matters of the heart, but Nadeshiko was also very perceptive. So, Are you saying you like someone like the Goblin, even though hes a viin? Oh. Is that what it was? Well, I can like a viin. Thankfully, Sigh, Mr. Goblin. It seemed like she managed to gloss over it, but Nadeshiko began blushing as if lost in her own world. Mr. Goblin. A viin, but someone with special abilities unlike anyone else, right? Yes? Someone special and strong. Thats what a person like the Goblin is. And his actions, I see them as a necessary evil, in that sense. Nadeshiko continued blushing, gently stroking her abdomen. If we could draw such a necessary evil to our side, wouldnt that be wonderful? By any means necessary, if we could guide that viin to the path of light. Any means necessary? I dont mean to say this in front of you, Mr. Chairman, but Im talking about the government. Nadeshiko twisted her lips into a cynical smile for a moment. Baek Seol-hee felt as if those eyes were asking, Arent you the same as me? Werent you told to carry out a pregnancy attack against the Goblin? What are you saying! Ms. Nadeshiko, thats going too far Someone must have done it to an S-ss, right? Oh, its not like that in Korea? Theyve tried it on me several times. This time, I barely managed toe to Sejong Ind by bringing up that topic. Really? Yes. Baek Seol-hees heart sank at her snickering voice. The only reason I came to Sejong Ind is to have the Goblins child. The Goblin isnt someone you can have just because you say so. I know. But its different with the Goblins child. No. Ms. Seol-hee, times have changed. I think theres no need for a woman to marry. Were in an era where we need to consider how to best give birth and raise children. ! Baek Seol-hee. Wouldnt it be happiness to give birth and raise the child of the man I love? She couldnt help but swallow at that statement. Of course. Well. If theres one thing she couldnt agree with. If youre going to have the child of the person you love, shouldnt you have the father as well? If youre going to have it, it would be better to have it all. Ill support you, Ms. Nadeshiko. But if the Goblin turns out to be Korean as many people think, youll have to go through the proper procedures first. What procedures? If the Goblin is Korean, he would have to go through a trial in a Korean court first, ording to the principle of nationality. . Baek Seol-hee regretted her words at Nadeshikos peculiar smile. Hmm. Ms. Seol-hee, just Just what? Are you really not dating anyone else besides the Goblin? It seems like you really dont want to be involved with the Goblin in a romantic way. . The situation was not conducive to affirming that statement. Weve arrived. Are you waiting, Mr. Chairman? Ah, yes. Ahem. Then, Ms. Nadeshiko? To the banquet hall Hmm. Baek Seol-hee kept silent under Nadeshikos peculiar gaze. She was dating. But its an affair. The reason I came to Korea is one: to take the Goblins baby with me. . If not, Ill just tour Sejong Ind and leave. Baek Seol-hee was immediately convinced by Nadeshikos deration as soon as she entered. Call the Goblin. By any means. If you want to see me duel someone with my abilities, bring the Goblin. She was better than her.
So, youre saying not to worry about the means and just find the Goblin? That directive came down to the student council too? Yes. There was a directive from the principal to somehow draw the Goblin in. The student council following the principals directive. It seems like the principal is desperate enough to borrow even a cats hand because the two S-sses keep singing the Goblin song. Though its more like borrowing a foxs. Yoon Iseon shrugged her shoulders with a motion as if scratching forward. Teacher, hypothetically, if theres a way to contact the Goblin, would it be right to use it now? Iseon, do you have a way to contact the Goblin? No. Thats why Im asking. If we call the Goblin for this, wouldnt that be insulting to the Goblins beliefs? Beliefs? Yes. There was certainty in Yoon Iseons eyes. The Goblin is someone who executes viins and punishes those corrupted by evil, not someone who performs like a clown in front of others. . Something. It resonated deeply. Student Iseon, werent you a fan of the Goblin? Because Im a fan. The Goblin has his own beliefs, and he steps forward only when necessary. He even killed Duoexini. Should hee out just because two S-ss heroes from Japan are making noise about fighting him? I dont think so. Its moving. Was this the true sentiment of a fan? The fact that someone talked about me like this was deeply touching, and I was sincerely grateful. Thats true. The Goblin doesnt need to step forward in this situation. But it seems like student Iseon wants the Goblin to step forward, right? Me? If not, theres no reason to hesitate. It seems to me that student Iseon has a way to contact the Goblin but is reluctant to use it. . That made sense. Given that the Goblin has directly faced Duoexini, its usible to request his help at least once, whether its to draw attention or because the Goblin owed a favor. Whether through Yumir or another route. I have to be reluctant. What I want to see and what the world wants to see are different. Really? The Goblin seems busier than we think. Hes much busier and involved in more important matters than we can see. Asking such a person to participate in this event is too presumptuous and apologetic. That might be too much. The Goblin was just worried about someone right now. I think the Goblin will ept Hayabusas challenge, wont he? What? Thats ridiculous. Why would the Goblin ept such a low-level challenge? Low-level challenge? Its not low-level for an S-ss to want to test their skills against another strong opponent. Of course, the pretext might have caused disputes on the inte, but I understand Hayabusas feelings. Lets assume theres a viin in China called Chiyou Tianwang. If he suddenly starts wearing a Taekwondo uniform and shouting Arirang Kick, Id be the first to step up and say something. Even if that Chinese person changed his appearance without any thought just to hide his identity, the feelings of those spinning stories on the inte would be different. Someone on the inte said that Dodjirider is even mentioned in the Goguryeo watermelon steles. Really? That cant be. Its not in the Cheonmachong tomb or the watermelon steles. Nor was it content from ancient murals. Student Iseon. Setting aside the method, how about just asking? Who knows? The Goblin might happily ept based on student Iseons suggestion. Why? I dont know. If theres a reason. But if, just if, the Goblin is Korean. And if hes not hurt. Thanks to Yoon Iseon, we were able to bait Duoexini. Its a Korea-Japan match; maybe he could show up just this once? Even if the Goblin was a viin. If I were the Goblin, Id go unless there was another circumstance. Because hes a patriot. Even if. Someone was setting a trap with a pregnancy attack. I cant stand traitors. Chapter 200: A Toast To Your Patriotism (1) Chapter 200: A Toast To Your Patriotism (1) Evening. Teacher, Im here. What would you like for dinner? Gukbap? tinum Sun? Yumir? Or all three? Tteokbokki. Eh. Itll just be cream tteokbokki today, right? You should add that too, ow! Stop saying weird things and just eat whatever I give you. Ill make it today. Really? What side dish should I make? None. As I prepared and ate dinner with Yumir, who had barged into my room right after work, I brought up the events of the day and the story about the sports festival. Yoon Iseon said she wished the Goblin would appear. Do you really need to? Isnt it a bit beneath you to show up just to deal with a 17-year-old high school girl? Its not about the level. Yoon Iseon was talking about the Goblins beliefs. She said it doesnt make sense for the Goblin to appear since its not abouting to defeat demons. Thats true. So, what did you say? I said it wouldnt be too bad to ask the Goblin if there was a way to do so. Ah, right. As I mentioned to Yoon Iseon that it might be worth asking the Goblin once, I had a thought. Yumir. It seems like Yoon Iseon might have caught on to my identity. Oh, really? Teacher, theres no reason for Iseon to suspect. Why do you think so? Because of you. Me? Perhaps Yoon Iseon already knew that I was the Goblin, and it might be because of Yumir that my identity was exposed. Because of me, you think Iseon has figured out youre the Goblin? I dont think shes that observant Its not about being observant; its because of you. It couldnt be helped. Otherwise, theres no reason she would approach me with concerns about the Goblin after the internship. Why is it because of me that you were found out? Well, you dont have friends. Yumirs expression hardened. What did you just say? Failed the internship, didnt make friends, and the only person you meet is someone who couldnt possibly have a connection? Its obvious to suspect. So, the problem arose because my social circle is too narrow? Exactly. Ive been worried about this for a while. The closer I got to Yumir, the more connections with Yumir would increase, and naturally, those who suspected Yumir would start to suspect me. Yumir was tinum Sun. Yumir had a rather deep rtionship with Do Ji-hwan. tinum Sun had a rather deep rtionship with the Goblin. So? Inferring that Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin is quite easy. Just by inserting a person named Yumir in the middle. Hmph. Even if you try to pressure me like that, its useless. As soon as I retorted, Yumir snorted and shrugged. Even if you say my presence might reveal your identity, you were somewhat prepared for this, right? Prepared? Thinking of revealing your Goblin identity to some extent to Iseon, and not just her, Seol-hee unnie too, you were nning to spread information about yourself bit by bit, whether through me or Seol-hee unnie. I didnt expect you to notice. I never anticipated that she would guess this n, despite being observant. Right. From the moment I helped Iseon deal with Duoexini, I was nning to reveal my identity to her to some extent. Do you trust Iseon? I do. Shes the original heroine, and even knowing the protagonists secret, she kept her mouth shut, a behavior Ive confirmed firsthand. Yoon Iseon didnt say a word about the Duoexini incident. She didnt tell anyone that she fought alongside the Goblin, nor that Yumir is tinum Sun. If she were a bbermouth, I would have considered sending her somewhere far from Sejong Ind for about a year. So why do you sound like youre ming me? Just because. Are you teasing me because I have no friends? Im not that bad of a person. It was just a remark. Just kidding. Anyway, try hinting at Yoon Iseon tomorrow. If you talk to her first, dont you think shell think she can call on the Goblin? Through me, asking the Goblin for a favor? Then why not ask you directly? Why go through me again? The clear route is through you. Im just a suspect; she doesnt actually know if Im the Goblin. Hmm, so theres a chance they think Im just an associate of the sect or someone who can connect to the Goblin. Alright, I can bridge that gap easily But? Are you really going out? Yumir pulled up a video. -Come out, Goblin! Lets see who the true Rider is on Sejong Ind! A challenge thrown by Hayabusa, are you really going to ept it? An S-ss hero, Hayabusa, had posted this deration of war on the inte. Its not about fighting as heroes and viins! Its about seeing who the real Rider is! If I win, Ill do my best to ensure youre not caught by others! The provocation is no joke, but I dont see why youd respond to this guys deration. Theres a reason to respond. Why? Right now, the world sees this issue as a Korea vs. Japan match. I thought to myself, but on the inte,izens from certain countries were already arguing about which countrys Rider was the real one. Strictly speaking, the Rider concept does originate from Japan. The original is Rider No. 1. Oh, you admit it? Of course. What needs to be acknowledged should be. My Rider transformation motif was inspired by Korean tokusatsu, but if you ask where that Korean tokusatsu got its influence, obviously its from Super Sentai or Rider. However. I took out a mask and ced it over my face. Even if it started in Japan, if it has be apletely new form of Rider, isnt that a different story? There was no Rider after the cataclysm. The motif of my transformed Rider wasnt based on the Riders from before the cataclysm, but as if the cataclysm had never happened. Show my own originality? Its not so much about my originality, but the question of whos real isnt really important. This applies to abilities as well. While its represented by the name Rider, this issue can also be applied to the abilities used in this world. If someones ability is the source, but they fully make it their own? If its a new form that has evolved from the original? Are you talking about giarism? Not exactly giarism. No, to put it morefortably, yes, giarism. I pointed to various videos circting on the inte, including ones posted by ability users from other countries creating new costumes in the Rider style. After the appearance of Dodjirider, the number of people creating costumes in the Rider style has skyrocketed. Look at this. Abroad, someone even made a ming skull Rider. Skeleton Rider? Its about taking gimmicks from old content. Even if it started with Americanics, whos the person now wearing a helmet looking like a burning skull? France? Right. Culture is meant to spread. And culture doesnt really have borders. The same goes for abilities. If someone starts using abilities in a Rider concept, others are bound to follow. Its not about whos the original. Since this concept came from pre-cataclysm culture, I had no intention of arguing over whos the original or the real one. But. I wanted to show them. To the people of this world, to those living in an era where culture has beenpletely overturned by the cataclysm and the emergence of abilities. I wanted to show them the culture they rightfully should have enjoyed if abilities hadnt existed. Its a way of repaying for the stories that exist in this world. Having been given the chance to read serialized novels, I wanted to show the culture that wouldnt have existed in this world as a form of repayment. To let them enjoy and appreciate a different culture through my transformation. In that sense, Ill show Hayabusa. Even if it started as cultural content in Japan, how abilities are sublimated and used is a separate story. Discussing real vs. fake over that? Its meaningless. Dodjirider isnt a direct giarism of the existing Riders. In essence, thats what youre saying. Yumir pointed at me with a sour face. To prove that Dodjiriders appearance isnt giarism? Well, you can think of it that way. At least in this world, my transformation into the Goblin Rider wasnt giarism. Because in this world, the legendary Goblin Rider never existed. And its necessary to show them the Goblin is on Sejong Ind. Them Pandemonium? Right. By showing Im here, someone from Pandemonium will show up on Sejong Ind. Thats who Im aiming for. Who it will be, I didnt know. Ill show Pandemonium. That the Goblin is still thriving. That I had be even more vigorous. And its also a perfect chance to show a new form. Chapter 201: A Toast To Your Patriotism (2) Chapter 201: A Toast To Your Patriotism (2) May 14th. The day of the final showdown had arrived. The inte was abuzz with debates about whether the Goblin would show up or not. However, for the students, their own attendance was more significant than the uncertain appearance of the Goblin. This time, Ill definitely upgrade my rank! Each ability user was assigned a rank. These ranks were evaluated by the branches of the Hero Association in various countries, and this rank determined an ability users value. It could be likened to a ser yers sry, a spec in itself, assessed when one steps out of Sejong Academy and into the field. To raise this, objective achievements were needed, but how many such opportunities could there be on Sejong Ind? None. Its rare for viins to appear on Sejong Ind. This year, however, due to the strange entity known as Duoexini, viins and demons have been appearing more frequently, although this was usually quite rare. One might wonder if Duoexini had been quietly active before, but suchplex issues were not for students to worry about. Whats important to the students was one thing: To raise their rank, build their reputation. And to prove they are stronger than anyone else. As such, todays event was not to be missed. Of course. For Yumir, who had absolutely no interest in raising her ability rank, or had interest but no immediate thoughts on it, it wasnt very important. What she was interested in was how vast this athletic field called the Grand Sports Festival could be. The space, seeminglyrger than a Major League baseball stadium, had dozens of square tforms raised, which looked unmistakably like training grounds where each team member would battle. The Grand Sports Festival was indeed serious. Yumir climbed onto the training ground assigned to her teamGrade E, Team 2, and she gasped as sparkling white walls emerged between the training grounds. [Ah, please refrain from touching the ice walls carelessly. They are magical barriers that separate each preliminary arena, but we hope you wont touch them needlessly to avoid getting hurt.] As the saying goes, forbidden fruit was sweet, but no one dared to touch the safety walls created by an S-ss. Just fascinating. Yumir found it fascinating to witness this massivebatpetition, dubbed an athletic festival, firsthand. Thus, she was unaware. Why people were so enthusiastic about riders. And how that enthusiasm manifested itself. Wow. Yumir scanned all the Grade E students assigned to her team. In this battle royale format, 10 students formed a team, but only two would survive the preliminary round. Unless it involved killing or intentionally causing fatalities, bringing ones favorite weapon or wearing a costume was a matter of personal freedom. But what was this? The overwhelming ratio of riders. Among the 10 team members, including Yumir, the only one wearing the standard academy uniform was Yumir herself. That was, 9 members had shown up in their own rider outfits. Some were dressed in the academy uniform with just a motorcycle helmet, while others, simr to Dodjirider, were decked out in rider gear from head to toe. Even more, about three were wearing rider suits with Haegneul printed on them, making Yumir wonder if she too should be such a rider. Ha, haha. Even looking at other teams, the situation was the same. Not just the teams with Grade E students, but there, Grade C and B students were also waiting for the Grand Sports Festival preliminaries to start, dressed somewhat like riders. How could there be so many riders in one ce? Its a trend. A girl dressed in a more armored, tactical outfit, somewhat different from the other riders, approached Yumir. We call them riders for convenience, but the official term is powered suits. Rider might be familiar to the people of this country, but were more ustomed to thetter. Master Chief? Yes. With her orange visor sparkling, the girl raised her gauntlet. Is that real iron? Yes, its fine. No one in Grade E will die from being hit by a steel gauntlet. No, thats not what I meant. Since were both from America, let me give you a piece of advice. The female student lifted her visor. Concede the moment the bell rings. This ce will soon be a battlefield. Though the voice belonged to the female student, the face revealed behind the visor was that of a valiant warrior. One who does not fight in the battlefield has no need to step into the ring. Knowing your ce and stepping down can also be a wise choice. Really? Hmm, what to do. If she dropped out now, she could just go down to the spectator seats and watch. She might get teased for being a first-round dropout, but thats not a big deal. Ill think about it. Good. Thats the spirit. Just like a woman who hangs out with ordinary Koreans. Huh? What did you say? Ive heard about you, Yumir. You barely attend sses and visit the librarians house every evening, right? Hmm, aiming for maternity leave? Its unfortunate. If only you had targeted another ability user instead of an ordinary Korean man. . If it were me, I would have clung to a man with a higher ability rank. Well, I guess I shouldnt say this to a weak Canadian mosquito who doesnt even fight in the battlefield? Are you saying Im a woman whos leeching off the blood of a man I have something going on with? Lucky for you, you catch on quick. [Starting the countdown. 10, 9, 8.] The bell rings loudly. Several people clung to a giant iron bell, reaching several meters in height, and rang it. Hmm. What to do. I was just going to back out modestly. What? Haha, thats amusing. You are- Maybe Grade D would be okay. [3] Transform. What? [2] Rider. You, you cant be! [1] Kick. Deeeeng. As the bell rang, a blue magical power sparkled at the tip of Yumirs foot. Patriotic Side Cutter! Kwaaaang!! Simultaneously with Yumirs attack. Rider Punch! Rider Ssh!! Damn, is everyone a rider now?! Guys, Im not a rider, Im a Ranger! Final Mask Rideeeee!! Stop talking nonsense! Everywhere, Rider Kicks began to fly.
There are too many riders. You think so too? This really seems like a problem. Watching the Grand Sports Festival preliminaries unfold on TV with Brewer, I felt somewhat embarrassed. A battle royale among riders. Riders? Call them ability users. Not all ability users are riders. But look at Yumir. Shes wearing a non-rider costume, but the technique she uses is that of a rider. Yumir slightly revealed her abilities with the Patriotic Side Cutter. Whether she wanted to elevate her position from simply being Grade E, she continued her attacks, making her power shine in the same blue color as her eyes, indicating she might be around Grade D. [Rider Punch!] Why add rider in front of a simple punch? [Rider Kick!] Damn, Rider Kick is supposed to be a finishing move. Youre not supposed to throw it out in rapid session like that. Are you giving advice? Saying thats not how you use a Rider Kick? Then why dont you go down there and show them how its done? Its not the right time yet. Its still just the preliminaries. We have a long way to go. Until Hayabusa shows up. Through Yumir, the student council, and ording to the academys n, theres a special event prepared after the A-grade finals are over. The person who wins the A-grade finals gets a chance to fight with Hayabusa. What? Is that even possible? Hayabusa has no reason to fight in the first ce. Iseon convinced Hayabusa. How? In a way that no Korean can resist. I checked on Hayabusa again, a girl in a sailor uniform sitting demurely in the VIP seats. If Hayabusa fights against an A-grade, shell obviously win, right? But what if the Goblin doesnt show up? Then It ends with Japan winning? If the Goblin is Korean, its a situation that cant be tolerated. Hayabusa agreed. If the Goblin doesnt show up, its all about crushing the pride of the Korean A-grade to prove the dignity of an S-grade. Yeah, if the Goblin doesnt show up, its going to hurt Korean pride. Exactly. Things are starting to wrap up quickly. The preliminaries progressed faster than expected. Since everyone was fighting with all their might, there were no drawn-out battles of waiting or measuring each other up, and everyone fiercely unleashed their finishing moves in melee battles. Some resorted to despicable tactics like attacking others who were already fighting, but those individuals, if outmatched, would often be ganged up on by others and retired from the match. And since everyone was wearing powered suits, it really felt like a Rider battle had erupted. Yumir? Looks like shes nning to beat everyone and move up. She was pondering whether to win or not, but in the end, she chose to win. Yumirs preliminary round was quickly settled. All others were pushed out of the ring, and Yumir stood alone on the training ground, her blue magical power twinkling. [E-grade, Team 2, Yumir advances. Preparing for D-grade evaluation.] As I saw the news of Yumirs advancement pop up as subtitles, I took off my Taeguk Watch. It seems Hayabusa is waiting, so maybe I should head over in advance. Why bother? Just go out when its time. You cant just teleport for an entrance, right? Of course. Swoosh. A white-haired woman, Doul, came in from the balcony. Lets go, Doul. From the start to the climax [Union]. Okay. Then what will we use? We have to show that not only riders ride bikes in this world. Goblin. Doul form. [Rise.] The speed was akin to that of starlight. Chapter 202: A Toast To Your Patriotism (3) Chapter 202: A Toast To Your Patriotism (3) [Congrattions. Yumir is now a D-ss.] Sigh. Though officially ssified as EX, and publicly known as S+ despite the reality, Yumir decided to be content with her grade, not as Sr tina but simply as Yumir, taking another step forward. Congrattions. Arent you busy? You should also take it slow Yeah, I should be heading out soon. Yoon Iseon came to congratte Yumir, but unfortunately, there wasnt enough time for an extended conversation. [The next match is the A-ss final. Chairman Yoon Iseon is] Wow, thats incredible. So you only have the championship match left? Id like to win, but the opponent is formidable. Yoon Iseon grimaced, offering a bitter smile. And winning this doesnt really change much. After all, the champion, at best, will only be the top among the students here on Sejong Ind. But it will still be a plus when applying for the hero licenseter. Its a plus, indeed. A plus of being defeated by Hayabusa, who is S-ss and younger. . It was a slightly bitter truth, but it was the reality. Even though the age difference wasnt significant, there was indeed a 2~3 years gap. Hayabusa is strong. Probably among the top in the world among teenagers. Its hard for students to beat her unless an S-ss steps up. But S-ss Baridegi wont step up. Baridegi herself wouldnt want to fight, and the country wouldnt casually ask Baridegi to fight, right? If by any chance she losesuh. Yoon Iseon turned her head towards the VIP spectator seats. There, including the president, S-ss heroes were seated on red chairs, overlooking the stadium. Hayabusa was not among them. She had entered the waiting room alone, preparing for the uing battle, indifferent to any match taking ce in the stadium. That was definitely not in anticipation of a battle against the A-ss champion, but for a potential encounter with the Goblin. Yumir. Uh, just in case Im asking. Yeah. Do you think the Goblin will appear this time? I think it will. Everyone says so. We talked about itst time too. I cant believe it. Yoon Iseon clenched and unclenched her fist, smacking her lips. If the Goblin really appears, I might fall for it again. Fall for it? As a fan. Yoon Iseon blushed and patted her face with her hand. So far, I might have been mistaken about the Goblin. I thought the Goblin was a perfect protector that only appears in novels orics. Uh, you thought it was someone who appears only when viins or demons show up? Yeah. But if it appears this time and fights Hayabusa, then the Goblin is more humane than I thought. Not just a being that appears only when there is evil, but someone who responds to the desires of many. Knows fan service? Nicely put, yes. Hehe Ah, really, theres no tsundere like it! Tsundere It seemed both right and wrong, but Yumir had no intention of speaking carelessly in front of others. Well, if the Goblin appears, it will be an issue. The whole world is watching this ce, wondering if the Goblin might appear. Not only those who came to watch were in the stands. Scouts from around the world, representatives of the hero association, and journalists sent directly from various countries were broadcasting the Sejong Ind sports festival to the world live from the preliminary rounds. The high viewership has its reasons. Look at this. Thements being baited. Everyones looking for the Goblin. That might be a side effect? It could be. But its strange to have someone dering themselves the protagonist when the protagonist is already determined. This sports festival might have been prepared from the start to lure in the Goblin. Yoon Iseon sighed and looked up at the sky. Thats why I didnt want the Goblin to appear. It feels like being manipted by the higher-ups using patriotism. More than anything, if it steps forward, it might reveal being Korean, right? Because its a Korea-Japan match? Right. Thats why its even more appreciated. Knowing well that the bald old men at the academy are using Hayabusa and the Goblin to cover up issues at the academy, yet stepping forward like this. [Chairman Yoon Iseon, pleasee to the waiting room within 5 minutes. I repeat.] Tch. Yoon Iseon clicked her tongue and turned her head. I guess I should go. First of all, congrattions on bing D-ss. Lets go out to eat next time. Youre buying. Im buying? Its to celebrate your promotion to D-ss. Ill buy dessert. What if you be the A-ss champion? Then Ill buy the meal. Ill look forward to it, Iseon. Yumir grabbed Yoon Iseons shoulder. Fighting! What did you do? Huh? No, I didnt do anything? Cheating is not good. Ill just take the sentiment. Whatever it is. Yoon Iseon tapped Yumirs hand, and Yumir withdrew her hand with an awkward expression. For a moment, her hand sparkled with golden magic power, but no one saw the color of that magic. Ill be back. Ive done my best, so I wont regret it even if I lose. Thats really cool. But how about this? If you make it to the finals and lose to Hayabusa, then the Goblin wille out to avenge you. Whats that? Still, it feels good to hear. Alright. Ill go and defeat Hayabusa too. Yoon Iseon clenched her fist tightly and headed to the waiting room. Watching her determined back, Yumir worried if she had inadvertently put pressure on her. Did I unnecessarily raise her hopes? Yumir was about to infuse her with magic power but stopped at Yoon Iseons hint of disapproval. Instead, Yumir filled her with strong willpower. Heres hoping that willpower didnt lead to some strange incident. Yumir earnestly wished for that. That Sr tina would not need to step in. That the Goblin does not participate in the Korea-Japan match, butes to deal with a demon. Itll be fine. Yumir has a good eye for people. ording to her eyes and senses, Yoon Iseon was certainly not someone who would be a demon. Rather. . Yumir turned her eyes to the VIP spectator seats. There, Hayabusa had already returned to her seat, sitting with a calm face. Its probably just unnecessary worry. Just. She was hoping it would end safely. Whoosh! Pink mes burst into the air. The intangible mes began to swirl around Yoon Iseon and soon rushed towards her opponent. Its over! Boom boom boom! The soul fire Yoon Iseon summoned flew like a missile. Arghh!! Yoon Iseons final opponent, [Demon Archer] Ray Huang, fired his pistol wildly at the mes, creating distance. Ratatat! The pistol was loaded with bullets, and those bullets were not just any bullets but live ammunition. If someone were hit, they would undoubtedly be in a life-threatening situation, but the live bullets merely crossed through the air or melted away in the magic mes. Give up. The oue is decided. No, its not! Ray Huang reloaded his pistol and fired into the sky. If theres anything decided, its my victory! Ratatat! The live ammunition exploded in the air. The casings turned into small pieces of metal, scattering in all directions, and Yoon Iseon leaped back, projecting magic power forward. Screech! The tail of mes on Yoon Iseons back deflected all the bullets to the side. The scattered casings merely dispersed to the left and right, and Yoon Iseon easily dodged Ray Huangs attack. Whoosh. The fox tail behind Yoon Iseon still shimmered without losing its light. The battle hadsted for about 10 minutes, but Ray Huangs magic power was gradually depleting. Using live ammunition instead of magic bullets in a gun itself revealed that he had reached his limit. Give up. I cant! Damn, a girl whos only remarkable for her ridiculouslyrge mana pool! Was it because he was pushed to his limit? Ray Huang did not hesitate to hurl insults at Yoon Iseon, even with everyone and the whole world watching. So what? Whats wrong with having more mana than you? Being born in Korea means youre born with much more magical power than others! Well, thats a generalization error. I dont want to argue about that with you. If you want to argue, challenge me during a liberal arts debate ss. Now is the time to show our skills. Argh!! Ray Huang infused his gun with magical power. This magical power had a dark aura and seemed to carry emotions, as anger began to boil. Ill kill you! !! Let me show you! My ultimate move!! The moment Yoon Iseon saw where Ray Huangs gun, filled with rage, was pointed, her heart sank. What- Come forth, Divine Warrior!! Ray Huang. Manifestation of the Divine!! He pressed the gun against his temple and fired a magic bullet. Soon. A rumbling sound. Could it bea summon? Its not a summon!! Its a god!! Behind him, a massive lump of magical power revealed only its upper body. The figure of a general with antennae resembling those of a locust on its head made anyone looking at it involuntarily exim in awe. This is the Divine Spirit! The War Emperor, Divine Warrior Lu Bu!! [Wow.] I thought only Riders were popr. [I didnt expect them to copy that as well.] It seems Ive inadvertently set another trend in this world. Chapter 17: Librarian Of The Library (2) In this world, ghosts and goblins were not mere low-ss monsters. They were crystallizations of the imagination deeply rooted in human history. Things that people have thought up and created out of fear or curiosity. And by making these mystical things their own, those with abilities could be such existences. [I am the god of the storm!] [I am the god of the storm!] Whether it was a myth or folklore, even if it did not exist in reality, those with abilities could be even gods with the power of mana. [Ah, I have the ability to manipte electricity¡­?] Let¡¯s say there was an electric-ss ability user who could manipte lightning. [Listen, Mister Han! We invite you to our Greece! You will be Greece¡¯s sole God, Zeus!] [I¡¯m Zeus? Zeus, who goes around viting women?] [If youe to Greece, you can actually behave like Zeus! It would be a crime in Korea, but Greece is on your side! Greek women will be with you every night!] [¡­Yes?] [It¡¯s worth it for you! If you seek asylum in Greece, you will have a huge sry, and women will line up for you! First, dye your hair blond and start with stic surgery!] What if this man had been exposed to Greek mythology since he was young? [I am Zeus, reincarnated in the current era!!] In this way, one could maximize one¡¯s imagination by identifying a god that existed in the past with oneself. [So Zeus throws lightning directly? Then I should practice throwing a spear.] The more concrete the data on mythology was. The more media people had to implement their imagination rted to mythology. [Bring all the Greek-Roman myth-rted materials in the world! Books, games,ics, anime, movies! Everything!!] The stronger the ability of the ability user became. [I am Zeus! I am the God of Olympus! Anyone who resists me will taste a million volts!] [What? A Pikachu?] [Kal! Ah, no. You impudent creature!! I am Zeus, the god of lightning! If I win, I¡¯ll take you!] [Crazy! He thinks he¡¯s Zeus!] To put it badly, one could say they were obsessed with a concept. [Zeus Thunder!] To put it nicely, there was no need to overthink how to use one¡¯s ability; one could synchronize themselves with thebat methods or how weapons were used in existing mythology. In the original work, this was called [Synchro]. Whether it was a myth, legend, or folktale, it basically involved identifying oneself with the beings or stories using the imagination. It might be hard to transform into an entirely new existence, which was like creating a new story, but it was easy to make existing myths or legends your own. [Zeus! You are the pride of our Greece!] [No! Zeus should be Jupiter! He is the pride of our Rome!] [Take me, Zeus! I¡¯ll be your Hera!] This was the general state of the ability users in this world. ¡®This is all a build-up of national pride.¡¯ When I objectively thought about it aftering into this world, this was a kind of trick to stir up national pride. ¡®If everyone stirs up national pride, then even if Korea does the same, it¡¯s not national pride.¡¯ What if every country used tradition and myth to establish their national dignity and superimposed it onto ability users? Especially if it was the mythology or legend of their own country, it would be used for propaganda. [The new A-rank ability user has be the ¡®Maritime War God¡¯!] [Hold on. Why is that armor? Are you insulting Admiral Yi Sun-shin now!] [This person¡¯s ability can ovey a turtle ship made of waves onto existing ships! An invincible ship that can protect the main body from other ship¡¯s bombardments is created!] [Ha, shoot. That¡¯s a bit tempting.] The act of bringing a being from the past to the future and reincarnating it in the modern age as a new being, an act called [Synchro]. It waspletely different from simply dressing a physical enhancement type ability user in a suit in the shape of the national g and making them fight, naming them ¡®Taeguk Commander¡¯, or putting them in a suit symbolizing the national flower and naming them ¡®Mugunghwa Guy¡¯. Making beings from legends their own. This applied equally to me as a ¡®Goblin¡¯ and to what was known as monsters or evil spirits. Even to a Gumiho. ¡°May I call you student Iseon? Iseon, do you think it¡¯s important to increase mana, or would it be the ability to use the power¡­ that is, to have a rich imagination?¡± ¡°I think both are important. If you ask which is more important, obviously it¡¯s the mana.¡± ¡°Yes. Mana. It¡¯s important. However, sometimes, just by having an imagination, humans can be incredibly powerful. You could say it¡¯s a matter of technique. And the subject of that imagination is in human history.¡± ¡°¡­Teacher Do, your words sound like a new theory and a bitplex.¡± ¡°Is that so? I am just reciting what is.¡± It was just an exnation in my own words based on the original work. ¡°Based on thoughts and concepts of the beings in myths and legends, make that being your own. There¡¯s no need to follow the original exactly. Why not make the materials in the existing medium your own? Just like the students develop their abilities based on the materials on the 1st and 2nd floors.¡± ¡°It feels like you¡¯ve given an answer from apletely different world than my question.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Perhaps, that might be the case.¡± Oops. I got carried away talking about the original setting because I was excited to meet a heroine from the original work. ¡°I apologize. I just had these thoughts usually, and I spoke without thinking. Making a contract with a devil or monster. Hehe, please forget it.¡± ¡°If.¡± Hmm? If? ¡°If I were to make a contract with such a being¡­ no, precisely, if I were to make such a being my own as Teacher Do said, what god would suit me?¡± ¡°Gumiho.¡± Let¡¯s respect the original work. There was no need to say anything strange unnecessarily. ¡°I think a Gumiho would suit you.¡± ¡°But a Gumiho is a monster that eats human livers.¡± ¡°That depends on how you think about it. A Gumiho is a being that epasses all of the East, and in China and Japan, it¡¯s in a position somewhat like a ¡®god¡¯.¡± ¡°I know about that. Like the white-faced golden fur. But that¡¯s a monster-god.¡± ¡°What about a Korean, modern-style Gumiho?¡± At my words, Yoon Iseon opened her eyes wide in surprise. ¡°Modern¡­ Gumiho?¡± ¡°Yes. Something like¡­ throwing a bead created with mana and retrieving it, creating foxfire around you to attack enemies, or instantly transforming into a fox to make foxfire while sprinting.¡± The most representative Gumiho I knew had such an image. ¡°It seems a bit excessive to have a concept of eating livers in the modern era.¡± ¡°Eating livers? That sounds a bit like an old-fashioned Gumiho. And while you might think that because it¡¯s a monster, there can absolutely be heroes in the form of beasts, right?¡± Like a conglomerate-owning batman. ¡°Just because something was a monster or beast in ancient times, doesn¡¯t mean it has to be a viin in the modern era.¡± ¡°A monster bes a hero?¡± ¡°Bes a hero. It¡¯s a good resonance, but just because you want to be a hero doesn¡¯t mean you be one.¡± I raised a fist to my chest. ¡°Can¡¯t we say that the one who resonates with this is a hero?¡± ¡°The person who thinks of themselves as a hero is a hero?¡± ¡°No.¡± Because there were psychopath viins who think that way, pass. ¡°Isn¡¯t the hero, not one who is made, but one who many people believe to be a ¡®hero¡¯, regardless of their appearance.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Interesting.¡± Yoon Iseon smiled faintly and subtly checked her Taeguk Watch. ¡°Um¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll take that into consideration. Although it feels weird to call it an interview, thank you.¡± Yoon Iseon packed all the books into her backpack and bowed deeply to me. ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°Yes, be careful on your way.¡± I waved my hand to send off Yoon Iseon. Afterward. I thought perhaps another heroine might visit, but none came. ¡°Super lucky.¡± Thanks to that, I was able to read the book I borrowed to my heart¡¯s content. A strange rhetorician. A man immersed in his own world. That was Yoon Iseon¡¯s conclusion about the man wearing a name tag that read Do Ji-hwan. ¡°I wonder if he thinks he¡¯s some kind of academy professor.¡± Professors sometimes had that sort of demeanor. Especially those deeply engrossed in their studies. ¡°I wonder if he ns to go into a professorship after being a librarian. He was quite an unusual person.¡± She just wanted to hear opinions about mana, but the conversation seemed to go beyond what was expected. It felt as if it was crossing dimensions. Could people normally be like that? Or was it because he was stuck underground without anyone to talk to, causing his social skills to dwindle? ¡°¡­ It¡¯s rather pitiful.¡± Despite it being a Saturday, seeing him working and guarding the desk seemed a bit pathetic. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡­A contract with the devil.¡± What he said was definitely a unique perspective and an interesting one at that. What was a hero? ¡°Regardless of appearance and origin, it¡¯s about exerting a positive influence on others. Something like that¡­?¡± It felt like she had heard a clear answer to why those studying at the academy attended the academy and what kind of hero they should be after graduating from the academy. ¡°What an interesting person.¡± Sigh. ¡°And¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon wet her lips as she looked at herself in the mirror. ¡°A gumiho.¡± The figure of Yoon Iseon reflected beyond the mirror was a Gumiho with an incredible figure, fox ears on top of her head, and nine fox tails behind her hips. However¡­ ¡°¡­Could I be like that?¡± The reality was just- Thud. Yoon Iseon stepped on two AAA batteries that were rolling on the floor. Chapter 203: A Toast To Your Patriotism (4) Chapter 203: A Toast To Your Patriotism (4) The concept of special abilities in this world was akin to the trends on InstaStarGram. It meant that it was simr to the trendy, photogenic food often sold in cafes. -Guys, why has the Rider suddenly be a trend? -You dont know? Please DM for inquiries -Why are you telling me to DM when I asked on KnowledgeIn? -_- Just like how Dalgona coffee once became a trend through inte video sites, leading many to try it, special abilities also be a trend. -The era belongs to the Rider! -Nonsense. Thats all a scheme by Haegneul to sell off Rider suits. Look at the new releases in April. Isnt Haegneul selling these suits to ability users for millions of Won each? -Are you suggesting that the Goblin has some kind of collusion with Haegneul? -Not exactly, but Haegneul is using the Rider as amercial tactic. Geez, people. Theres supply because theres demand. Why on earth are people so keen on buying a viins appearance? -Well because its cool! Since I first revealed myself as Dodjirider, many have wanted to emte the Riders appearance, as this world naturally gravitates towards cool things. -What? People are interested in the Rider? -Yes. This is an opportunity. Since there is an original, if we mix it up a bit -Good. Ill take responsibility. Proceed. And the ce most sensitive to this was Haegneul. -Trends turn into money! Haegneul quicklymercialized trends to milk money from ability users whenever possible. -Selling Rider suits! From E to A grade, differentiated Rider suits! -Customize your Rider color! Try the Changyeom edition, a mix of Iolite Blue and Goblin ck! Make your suit with your color! -At Haegneul Bike, for an additional 2 million Won, you can get your bike painted in Rider style. This color is our signature design, using premium synthetic leather and pigments Haegneul didnt just dip a toe in the water; they dive headfirst. -Selling Rider jelly! -This is a bit much. Just as you could tell a trend was at its end when convenience stores started carrying rted products, Haegneuls production of goods signaled the fading of the trend. -Getting tired of seeing Riders everywhere. Anything else? In other words, the Rider trend was ending. After the big sports festival, Rider suits will likely end up stored away or just worn as regr clothes. Why? -Damn! Thought I was invincible as a Rider, but I lost!! -Thought wearing a Rider suit would guarantee a win! -You did win because you wore a Rider suit. Not you, him. Hes in a full-option Rider suit, and youre in a tin can suit. -Aaaaah!! Because even wearing a Rider suit, one could lose. The feeling of invincibility wearing a Rider suit faded as everyone, whether buying from Haegneul or making their own, started wearing them, turning into indistinguishable mass-produced goods. -Riders are boring. Im over it. Even the most unique clothing besmon when everyone wears it. The trend is over. What started when a trend ended? A new trend begins. -Any new techniques? Not something that E or F grades use, but something unique that I can showcase -Mana Energy Max!! This was it!! -But I never imagined the next trend would be Divine Summoning as demonstrated by the Dark Charisma from the Sephirot Knights. [Hmm.] Far from therge stadium where the sports festival was held, I checked the venues footage on a second-hand tablet from a blind spot where others couldnt see. [Didnt expect someone to use that already.] [Susanoo has already revealed the principle.] Doul, merged with me, responded to my words from within. [Unlike convertingplex magic power into suits, making such huge ether masses is no different.] As Doul said, such techniques were indeed essible if one simply managed to properly form magic power. In terms of difficulty, its probably between C and B grade. Just release magic power outward to fix its form, just make it incrediblyrge, of course, it takes a tremendous amount of magic power to create such size. Thinking along these lines shouldnt pose much of a problem. Frankly, even something like Summoning a Giant Stickman was possible. It consumes a lot of mana to maintain, and if the user did not specify the shape precisely, it copses, which is a downside. Its a skill anyone can use. [The type of shape one summons varies by individual, but who would have thought theyd create a general like that.] Behind Ray Huang, a giant half-visible general roared towards the sky. Its size may differ from the giant soldier of Sephiroth I once summoned with a punch, but the vibe was somewhat simr. Though its smaller, and only the upper half up to the diaphragm protruded from the ground. [Is this really bing a trend now?] [Probably. As he said, it feels like a finishing move, though he calls it an ultimate technique.] Finishing move. Ultimate technique. Thats something ability users couldnt resist. [But I have a real question.] Imitating the Dark Charisma? Doesnt matter. Summoning a being with three fathers as a god? Thats also fine. What I was truly curious about was one thing. [Isnt he a gunner?] A guy who neither wielded a spear nor wrote ys, still holding a gun, summoned Lu Bu as a spirit? The moment I thought it didnt fit. -Youre a marksman, why are you summoning Lu Bu? Yoon Iseon pointed it out. [Hmm.] [Isnt that dangerous?] [I guess we should go.] Sometimes. Its better to keep some questions quietly buried in ones heart.
What did you say? You use a gun. Lu Bu was, whats it called, an armed warrior who used a halberd, right? Ray Huangs words halted. He looked stunned, like a child who just learned Santa doesnt exist, mouth agape. No, I mean, what Im saying is. Yoon Iseon was the one flustered now. If it were me, Id summon someone from a Hong Kong action movie who uses guns. Why Lu Bu? Uh, uhh! And if its the Three Kingdoms, Id choose someone other than Lu Bu- Woahhhhh!! Ray Huang roared. The bullet he fired at his head didnt injure him, but his state clearly changed after shooting himself in the head. Lu Bu is strong! Invincible! The strongest warrior of mankind!! As if that was all he wanted to think about. Shooting himself in the head shook his brain, focusing all thought on summoning Lu Bu, setting aside any other rational thought. Strong! Invincible! The strongest! This is the life of the martial god Lu Bu! I will show you! The martial might of Lu Bu!! Like a mechanical soldier programmed only forbat, Ray Huang, with eyes rolled back, aimed his gun forward. Dieeeee! !! It was absurd to openly call for death during a duel, but seeing Lu Bu, transformed into ether and erged, spread his arms to wreak havoc was also absurd. Click, click. A robot? Tudududududu!! As Lu Bus chest armor opened wide, revealing numerous holes, bullets began to spread forward. What kind of Lu Bu is this! Silence! Before the absolutely invincible martial god, kneel!! Tududududu. As a purple bullet feast adorned the sky, Yoon Iseon turned her gaze to the judges stand in disbelief. The judges were flustered, too, and the bullets were now flying high into the sky, about to descend to the ground. Take this, Lu Bus shooting! A thousand Halberds covering the sky, this is the Rain of Paintings from the Heavens ()! Hahaha!! Pababat! The bullets transformed in the sky, raining down towards the ground like Halberds. Judge! Yoon Iseon urgently looked for the judge, but Principal Kim Seok-dae, who had entered the judges stand, grabbed the mic and dered. -No issue with the use of abilities. Continue the match, Iseon student. This, too, is a trial. Kekeke. Ah, seriously!! Yoon Iseon bit her lower lip, watching the sky. Within the feast of countless halberds raining down, she found a path through the barrage of attacks. That path led her as if it were the wind itself. !! Yoon Iseon dashed forward along that path. Simultaneously. Whoooosh. Three fox tails zed behind her, each splitting into three, expanding into nine tails. Chapter 204: A Toast To Your Patriotism (5) Chapter 204: A Toast To Your Patriotism (5) After cing the used tablet back in its spot, I entered one side of the stands in spirit form and took a look around the arena. Keep dodging! Hahaha! Keep swirling, Halberd Rain!! I arrived just in time to see Ray Huang once again open Lu Bus chest to unleash the Lunar Halberd Missiles in every direction. Wasnt that dangerous? It wasnt just me thinking this; everyone had the same thought, including Yoon Iseon, who momentarily nced towards the referees seat. -Eh, again, Lu Bu throwing the Lunar Halberd is an item that appears in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms No problem with historical uracy! The match continues! Hearing Principal Kim Seok-dae, who had taken his ce in the referees seat, speak, I recalled the Romance of the Three Kingdoms I had read as a child. Wasnt it that they shot the Lunar Halberd with arrows, not that Lu Bu threw it? Since when did Lu Bu ever shout Halberd Rain while hurling the Lunar Halberd? As far as I was aware, such an event never happened, but everyone in the stands just tilted their heads in confusion, wondering, Is that so? Pabababat. Once again, the Lunar Halberd descended from the sky. The sharp edges of the pole plummeted towards the ground, and being struck by such intense attacks could result in being pierced through and killed. Yet, the match continued. Ray Huang shouted Die, but the interpretation of the judgment varied. Was it an attack truly filled with murderous intent? Or merely a spirit shout to be judged? That depended on the oue. One must observe the unfolding of the battle to decide, but it seemed that the Principal, serving as the referee, judged it as a spirit shout. Or perhaps its because Yoon Iseon dodged well. Yoon Iseon seems to be okay. Thats a relief. Its not the defeat that concerned me, but the potential for sustaining fatal injuries. The opponent, Ray Huang, was Chinese, and not to sound prejudiced, but he might believe that anything was permissible to win. Was it prejudice? Even if it was, it didnt matter. If he truly harbored such thoughts andmitted wrongdoing, especially if that wrongdoing threatened Yoon Iseons life, then I must intervene. As a viin-type character. Uhahaha! You dodge like a rat! Then, lets go stronger! Ill show you the power of a military god! A martial god! Dont sweat the small stuff!! You tiny thing!! Fortunately, it seems it hasnt escted that far yet, so I could momentarily shift my focus elsewhere. [Doul. How many S-ss individuals do you sense right now?] [Seven. As reported.] [Thats good.] On Sejong Ind, and right here in this arena, there were seven S-ss individuals. Snow White, Baridegi, Hayabusa. The visible S-ss individuals were currently three. And then, Armored Taejo, Cheok Jun-kyeong, and Naraje are concealing themselves. Three S-ss individuals were concealing their presence at the scene, not revealing themselves publicly. Its quite exceptional that Armored Taejo wasnt unting his attention-seeking traits and was quietly hiding in the stands, but perhaps hes exercising maximum restraint, looking forward to the main event toe. They are targeting me. Using Hayabusa as a pretext, they were setting a trap to catch the Goblin. [If the Goblin shows up, youre going to pounce immediately, right? What do you think, Goblin?] [Not just for the Goblin. I think everyone came out just in case. If seven people came out just to catch one Goblin, its truly an overreaction.] [Then, what are they trying to catch?] [Well, maybe the second Duoexini.] Perhaps they were trying to catch another entity along with the Goblin. They all came out fearing Pandemonium might appear. One Tosin was stationed on the Korean Penins, and all the remaining S-ss individuals were gathered to protect the heart of Sejong Ind. It didnt matter much if the Goblin escaped, but if a second Duoexini appeared and turned everyone into demons again, then it would indeed be a real international disgrace, a threat to the world. [The Sephiroth Knights might also pop out. Hmm, its a pity. It would have been easier to respond if we knew why they came out.] [Since we couldnt contact you, isnt it more urate to say it was wrong to omit the report to you?] [Its not wrong to say that. Although shes affiliated with me, she didnte to Sejong Ind following the order of the society, did she?] I turned my gaze to one side of the stands. In the VIP stands, a woman with a fox-like impression, different from the others, sits among the audience. Nadeshiko. The moment I saw her, her gaze was precisely directed at me. Could she see me? No way. Just as I thought about moving my seat, -Hello. [!] She urately perceived where I was hiding and acknowledged me. Then, she quietly ced her index finger on her lips and smiled with her eyes. When the person next to her asked something, she started talking about something else while fiddling with her lower lip with her index finger. [Thats fortunate. She indeed has sharp senses.] Doul smiled broadly from inside me. [It seems like shes willing to turn a blind eye for now, right?] [But it seems like she wont leave me alone if I dont meet her. For now, it seems fine, so lets move ording to the n.] Its good that Nadeshiko had noticed us but was signaling that shell stay quiet; however, the problem was that Doul preferred a different direction. [How about we kidnap Nadeshiko and escape when things get toughter?] [Are you looking after your team member now?] [Nadeshiko would probably get caught willingly, right?] [Its not me wholl get caught but her.] Lets not hide it. Nadeshiko was part of the society. Shes not just a coborator of the society but an S-ss member who was also affiliated with the society, organized under Doul. And like Doul, she was targeting me. There were several reasons, but the most significant one was that she had chosen me as her man. [They say the older a woman gets, the more likely it is for her children to be born with disabilities.] [Why bring that up?] [Because she mentioned it herself. Although the probability of ability users having children with abnormalities due tote pregnancies is reduced, the societal pressure remains. Almost no 25-year-old female ability users havent had children, except for those who cant or those excluding the S-ss.] Nadeshiko wanted to get pregnant. Before her body aged further, she wanted to have a child with the man she considered ideal during her physical prime. And that man happened to be me right now. [How about just boldly seeding once?] [Not this year.] [If not this year, does that mean its okay next year?] [Maybe.] I came to watch Yoon Iseons final match, flustered by the unexpected positioning of S-ss individuals, but now it seems okay. Yoon Iseon was skillfully dodging Ray Huangs Halberd Rain [Shespletely turned into a nine-tailed fox now.] With a whoosh! Scattering pink mes, Yoon Iseon moved swiftly like a fox, perfectly dodging the falling fire techniques. Her tails had now increased to nine, fully embodying the nine-tailed fox concept. [Since its not precisely aimed but just scattered, there has to be a blind spot. Even if there were no blind spots] Snap! One of her tails moved upwards and swatted a Lunar Halberd to the side. Even if it appeared as a fire technique, at its core, its a mass of magic power. When magic power collided with magic power, the stronger one prevailed. Compared to the recklessly fired Lunar Halberd, Yoon Iseons tails are like des condensed with magic power. [Thats a relief. You were worried, werent you? Was there no need toe at all?] [Im worried about Yoon Iseon, but what concerns me more is that guy.] Ray Huang was the one whounched the missiles. Besides being an A-ss ability user, hes someone who could easily fit into the original story. However, the issue lies in the fact that hes fighting by drawing on magic power from beyond his own limits. [If my guess is correctas expected.] Kraaaa!! Slowly, a purple mist emanating from Ray Huangs body began to re up with a red hue. [So it is.] [I thought he was drawing mana from an external source, but hes using mana powder to replenish his mana.] Others were unaware. But I could see it. Ray Huang resorted to drugs. To clinch the A-ss finals, to execute the technique known as spirit summoning, to emerge victorious, he must have turned to refined mana powder. Mana powder was pleasurable, yet at its core, it boosted the mana of the user. Naturally, its use in a duel would be highly effective. Die! The moment Ray Huangs gun was precisely aimed at Yoon Iseon. I- Henshin! A unique voice echoed from somewhere. Kwaaang! Reckless behavior is uneptable. An unidentified assantnded, delivering a kick to Ray Huangs back and precisely creating an air hole in the head of the warrior Lu Bu, summoned by Ray Huang. This body makes its appearance. The figure who emerged in a sleek suit was none other than Hayabusa. A hero. Chejeok! In the midst of the battlefield. Ten circr rings, glowing with green light, flickered like coils. And then. Its, its the Goblin!! [Cowardly.] In my Doul form, I reached out towards Hayabusa, who was standing on Ray Huangs back. [Do you intend to interrupt this sacred duel?] A sacred duel, you say? The oue was already determined the moment this man resorted to using strange substances, wasnt it? Hayabusas expression was hidden by her helmet, but she was smiling. Wow. To appear right after realizing an ability user utilized mana powder. Impressive. What made you suddenly appear? [Thats because.] I slightly turned my head towards Yoon Iseon, who had appeared behind me, and then extended my fist forward. [Its to expel the one who prematurely ended the final match without it even being finished. After all, I came here as an audience member.] What I showed to Hayabusa with my unfolded fist was a ticket. Obviously, it was fake. You meanas an audience? [I came to leisurely watch the match, but I cant just stand by and watch an S-ss interfere in an A-ss match.] Click, click. I lightly moved only my index finger towards Hayabusa. [I expected that woman to win, but you ruthlessly trampled on that expectation by intruding.] She could have won? Against a drug user? [Of course. She could have overwhelmingly won regardless of the opponents unfair advantage. You stole that experience of victory from her.] Winning against unfairness was the true victory. Hayabusa robbed Yoon Iseon of that victory. [Now, I will execute the hooligan who intruded on the sacred duel.] I came out not to execute a viin using drugs, but to chase away Hayabusa. [Ill show you.] Once more, click, click. [Defeat.] Chapter 205: A Toast To Your Patriotism (6) Chapter 205: A Toast To Your Patriotism (6) Whether in this world or the original, victory was thrilling. For that victory, some step[ed forward fairly and squarely, while others cunningly used the rules to im victory. Whether others considered it cheating or not, for those whose sole purpose was winning, fairness was not of concern. After all, winning was all that mattered. Regardless of what others said during the process, bribing referees, taking drugs in a way that does not vite regtions, or ying in a favorable environment, there were those who believed that winning by any means was the ultimate goal. However, oveing such obstacles and winning purely on skill alone offered an unparalleled thrill of victory. Even if the opponent used dishonest methods or something like a program or cheat to win, wasnt it still a victory? That was the true skill, and that was true justice. I have confirmed Ray Hwangs dishonesty. But knowing it was dishonest, I didnt report or respond to it. Why? Because such dishonesty could be revealed after the game was over. And naturally, that game had to end with Yoon Iseons victory. It wasnt supposed to be interrupted by the interference of an outsider like Hayabusa, but to end with Yoon Iseon defeating Ray Hwang with overwhelming force and winning. Hayabusas intrusion wasnt just a simple interruption. Her intrusion stole Yoon Iseons rightful victory and turned the final match into a meaningless fight in an instant. If Yoon Iseon had won, it would have been a personal skill upgrade for her, the nations prestige would have increased, and she could have gained confidence to reach a higher realm. Frankly, there was a possibility that she could have grown into an S-ss through this battle. Now, Hayabusa had stolen that. [First, step back. Its dangerous if youre caught in the aftermath.] Ah Yes! Yoon Iseon was about to say something but then immediately backed away. Her face, unable to believe what she was seeing, seemed amazed, as if I had positioned myself as her protector. I hope theres no misunderstanding. I came out because of Hayabusa. It wasnt because I thought Yoon Iseon was in danger that I intervened. It would be problematic if she thought the Goblin appeared because she was weak. Should such a misunderstanding ur, I couldnt help but hold Hayabusa responsible for causing it. Even if the misunderstanding was cleared upter, for now, I had no choice but to convey this indirectly through Hayabusa. [Youve stolen that womans victory. I will judge that crime.] Hmph The one who arbitrarily stole the rider! Hayabusa lowered her stance. Her angr helmet and thetex suit that clung to her body, along with the parts that resembled external armor, were clearly made of steel at first nce. The unique feature, if any, was that her helmet seemed to be designed with a falcon motif. There was no significant difference from other riders. Even that design had nothing special about it, making it no different from tacky battle attire. Unless she came out wearing a cape asymmetrically on her shoulder. She herself used the English name Great Hurricane, but well. Its unclear where the Hayabusa identity was supposed to be felt. Youre going to teach me defeat? Ha! Let me make it clear here and now! The loser is you! The real rider does not lose! Hayabusa extended her hand forward, and a mysterious sword popped out from her hand. Whizz. Hayabusa held a tremendously long katana in her hand. The characteristic was that only the handle part was made of steel, and the de that extended from inside the handle was made of Hayabusas magical power. Holding it out in front, depending on the angle of the photo, it could pass for the so-called Hero Sword Technique First Form without any awkwardness. Lets see who the real one is, right here! [Go ahead. The real rider. I dont care whos the original or the real one in the first ce.] What did you say? At my words, Hayabusas movement froze. Likely, the expressions of others listening to my words also hardened. [Its more displeasing for me that a fight that could have been won was arbitrarily interrupted and ended. If being a rider means arbitrarily intruding into someone elses duel and causing interference, then Id rather discard such a rider.] Are you, are you disrespecting the rider!! [Youre spouting nonsense. Narrow-minded. Do you think I came out here just because of you?] I pointed to Ray Hwang, whom Hayabusa was stepping on below. [I came here to execute a viin.] Using drugs makes him a viin? Thats- [No.] Slowly. Ray Hwangs body began to seethe. At the same time, the fragments of Lu Bu scattered on the floor began to gather towards Ray Hwang. [I came to execute someone who became a demon due to their obsession with victory.] ! To win, one would do anything. Even if it meant using drugs. Even if it meant bing a demon. Ill kill you!! Ray Hwang, who was stepped on by Hayabusa, raised his head. I, I will winnnnnn!! [Thats unfortunate.] If Yoon Iseon had been left to fight as was, perhaps he wouldnt have be a demon. If he had fought with all his might against a being simr to him, maybe slightly stronger, and lost, he wouldnt have felt that it was unjust. Even if he lost due to using drugs, he would have epted defeat by acknowledging the pure difference in ss. [The Chinese used mana powder trying to win, but it wasnt someone I was fighting against with all my might 1:1, but rather was interfered with from the outside.] But what if Hayabusa forcibly intervened? [Perfect for self-justification.] Lost because an S-ss intervened forcibly. Then, one must be stronger than the S-ss. Drugs only got you to A-ss, so whats the way to get stronger from here? Not drugs. Only by bing a demon. Uaaaaaaah!!! Centered around Ray Hwangs body, a giant purple mist began to wriggle. The mist gradually grew in size and started to take on a form. I am, I am the strongest being! He transformed into the form of the being he summoned as his self - the form of Lu Bu.
Principal! Immediate action is required! Haha, what for? Kim Seok-dae, the principal of the Academy,ughed leisurely. Before I take any action, there are already two S-ss ability users next to the demon, and the stands are overflowing with S-sses. Lets just watch. But! Buts and ifs. Its regrettable that the duel between the Goblin and Hayabusa is off, but arent you looking forward to seeing what the Goblin will do in front of the demon? Kim Seok-dae, with a face full of leisure, moved from the judges seat to the VIP spectator seats. Principal. Yes, Snow White. What do you think should be done now, in your opinion? First, Ill reinforce the wall to ensure the aftermath doesnt affect the spectators in the stands. A wise decision. The principal tapped the air towards the transparent ice wall created by Snow White. He tapped the air instead of directly touching it, probably fearing that her magic might affect his hand. Nadeshiko. What measures are taken in Japan in such situations? Well, first off, since theres a problem, we naturally have to take initial actions Nadeshiko smiled broadly and crossed her legs leisurely. With Hayabusa in there, and the Goblin too, theres really no need to worry. The demon will be subdued. You seem utterly unworried. Of course. Its the Goblin were talking about. Look at this. Nadeshiko, looking through the transparent ice wall, gazed blissfully at the figure in a ck suit with white painted patterns and the asional sparkling green lights, licking her lips. Isnt this the perfect opportunity to observe the Goblins new form? Last time it was spewing fire, but what ability could it have this time? Green means grass? Using the ground? Or maybe wind? Probably wind. Thest time it appeared in Jindo, it demonstrated the ability to use wind. Oh. You mean when Snow White fought alongside it? Haha, I miss those times. Ive fought alongside the Goblin before, too. Really? Of course, Principal. Its unofficial, but Ive stood back to back with the Goblin, fighting viins. Hahaha. Snow White frowned at Nadeshikos words. It seemed like Nadeshiko was emphasizing her connection with the Goblin to Snow White, so the principal turned his gaze to the stage to avoid getting caught in the middle. Cough. Still, its unsettling to see someone bing a demon. Snow White. Nadeshiko. I have a request for both of you. If the Goblin tries to kill the demon He wont kill it? Nadeshiko, still smiling broadly, pulled out a fan and lightly tapped it in her hand, exuding ease. The Goblin wont kill the demon. Shall we make a bet? I say- I bet he wont kill it. Hmm. When Snow White took the lead, Nadeshiko narrowed her eyes and twisted her lips. Then, I also bet he wont kill it. Ha, haha. The principal shivered slightly from the cold sweat running down his spine and pointed to the 5-meter-tall purple giant. Well, its better if no one dies. Haha, but Beep. The principal stroked his Taeguk Watch, looking forward with anticipation. If the Goblin kills the demon, then you must intervene immediately. No exceptions. No exceptions? Exactly. Now, killing a demon isnt just about killing a demon anymore. If he kills the demon, its no different from killing a human. Do you wish for the Goblin to kill the demon, Principal? Hmm. The principal shrugged his shoulders lightly. If he kills the demon, we can arrest him right away, cant we? A viin whos killed people. KOOOOOOOOOO!! Huh?! Startled by the sudden roar, the principal copsed into his seat. Ha, haaa They say its Lu Bu, indeed a roar fitting of someone who could rece three fathers No, in Ray Hwangs case, should I say someone who could rece three countries? Hmm. . Snow White and Nadeshiko silently looked towards the arena. Perhaps they were worried that the Goblin might kill the demon. If, by chance, he did kill the demon, then- I will. . Both women spoke at the same time, then simultaneously looked at each other and clicked their tongues.
It wasnt me who made him a demon! He did it on his own! [No matter what you say, the situation has already unfolded.] The rest was about bing a demon. [Demons are to be killed.] Merely executed. However, [I also have something I want to experiment with.] Kill the demon, but save the human. [If you know the principle, you can do it. Thats what ability users are.] Learning and stealing abilities from each other wasnt exclusive to other people. [Kill the inner demon.] If the demon was like cancer, If the root of the demon is removed. Maybe. It might be possible to kill only the cancer cells. [Hayabusa. Let me tell you. You are disqualified as both a rider and a hero.] By removing the demon,pletely defeat Hayabusa. [Along with the demon you created, Ill deal with you as well.] Well, A demon. If you cut off the ce containing the seed of a demon, maybe its possible. Chapter 206: A Toast To Your Patriotism (7) Chapter 206: A Toast To Your Patriotism (7) The desire for victory, an obsession. Thepulsion to be stronger than others. This could be something an individual cane to possess, but it could also be instilled by those around them. Although not in the case of Ray Huang, most Chinese heroes were indoctrinated by the state - precisely, the Party - with the ideology that they must win at all costs. Unconditional victory. For this, Ray Huang let his abilities run wild, and now he had be a demon. Woooooooah!! The presumed rank of the rampaging demon was almost S-ss. At a nce, a giant over 5 meters tall spewing purple magic power, its form bing increasingly dense, was clearly not the A-ss magic of Ray Huang. nk, nk. Armor floated up on the body of the purple giant, and a huge antenna sprouted forward from its head. What should we call this? Yes, as everyone called it, its right to call it a Horned Locust. I am Lu Bu! The invincible warrior god! No one can defeat me!! Or perhaps, as it wished, it should be called the demon Lu Bu. The title didnt really matter, but it, craving victory, swung its giant Lunar Halberd in a circle - Those who interfere with the duel, die!! And swung the halberd directly at Hayabusa. !! Hayabusa leaped back a great distance to dodge the attack, but the halberd was not a simple de. Boom!! An explosion urred where the halberd passed, engulfing Hayabusa. The explosion of tremendous magic power sent Hayabusa flying backward, and he rolled on the ground before barely managing to regain his posture by adopting a falling technique. An explosion? [Is it something simr to a Gunde? Well, if its fashioned out of mana, theres no reason it couldnt take the form of a Lunar Halberd.] It looked like a Lunar Halberd, but its an item that even caused an explosion at the end of the attack. Wooooah!! Moreover, the moment it gripped the halberd and aimed its end at Hayabusa, magic power gathered at the tip, shooting out bullets like a Gatling gun. Tudududu!! Hayabusa deflected the magic bullets flying towards him with his swordsmanship, simultaneously swinging his sword wildly to deflect all the magic bullets. His skills were S-ss, but the barrage of magic bullets was so intense that even Hayabusa had to momentarily step back. An existence that reached S-ss solely through an obsession with victory. From an objective point of view, using mana powder might be considered cheating, but he must have thought it fair in his own way. Hayabusa intervening would be considered unfair ording to his own sense of justice. [Thats why heroes need a universal sense of justice.] Due to differences in nationality, race, and culture, what was considered a taboo varied, so you never know when someone might run amok. Therefore, fair and just guidance must be provided to everyone. As a hero, as an ability user, there must be uniformity in the moments when one was allowed to be angry and when one must restrain their anger. To prevent what others called injustice from being considered justice by oneself, a universally valid norm must be established and given to all ability users. Of course, thats a story for after the Secret Society has conquered the world. For now, the urgent task was to subdue Lu Bu, so I exerted all my strength to do so. [Summon.] [de Vent.] As soon as I extended my hand forward, magic power burst forth, and a giant sword was created in front of me. The magic-powered giant sword, with a green handle, shed with white and ck des in symmetrical reflection, and Lu Bu, sensing my magic power, turned its body away. [Lu Bu.] Grrrr. [Ive heard youre the strongest warrior in China, shall we see whos stronger?] !! Lu Bus eyes sparkled. Even as he rampaged like a demon, he still craved his own version of a fair duel and victory. Hahaha! Secret Societys Goblin! Lets see whos stronger! Of course, Ill be the winner! Lu Bu pointed the Lunar Halberd at me. Just as he had done with Hayabusa, he aimed the end of the Lunar Halberd and fired magic bullets, and I - Tudududu. Absorbed them with my body, advancing forward. What, what! [Self-protection is fundamental.] A green, glowing wind swirled around the armor of the Rider Suit, deflecting the magic bullets flying towards me to the sides. [Then first.] Urgh! The moment Lu Bu lifted the Lunar Halberd to swing it again. [Lets get rid of the nuisance.] Kwaaaaang! I swung my sword broadly towards Lu Bu. The sh, soaring like a crescent moon, headed towards Lu Bu, then veered sharply like a swallow to Lu Bus back. ?! Urgh?! The sh didnt fly towards Lu Bu but towards Hayabusa, who was sneakily attempting to stab Lu Bu from behind. Kagagang! A shock stronger than when Lu Bu fired the magic bullets engulfed Hayabusa, and although Hayabusa held his sword vertically to block the sh, he was knocked out of the ring along with it. . [With that, the nuisance is gone. Its a shame its not A-ss, but you wouldnt want to keep facing A-ss when youve be an S-ss demon, would you?] Hahahahaha!! Lu Bu burst into loudughter. Not expecting me to attack Hayabusa, a genuine roar ofughter crossed the face of the giant formed of mana. Incredible! Indeed, this is the Goblin! Someone who understands the meaning of fairness! The name of the worlds strongest viin is no mere reputation! I wasnt sure where the act I had justmitted fit into the title of the worlds strongest viin, but I decided to y along for the sake of the experiment. [Now that the nuisance is gone, I can execute you for sure. Consider it an honor. To fight 1-on-1 against the worlds strongest viin, lose, and face death.] ! Humans feared death. But would this man, who had be a demon for victory, truly fear death? If he feared death, thats good in its own way Good! Youre a worthy opponent! Fortunately. Fortunately, he showed the typical reaction of those addicted to life-and-death battles. Woooah! Lu Bu charged at me with the Lunar Halberd. The presence of a giant being, almost 5 meters tall, moving directly to attack was definitely pressing, but I did not back down and maximized Douls magic power to strengthen my entire body. Facing him head-on. Die! [Hmph!] Kaang! I confronted the Lunar Halberd head-on. The edge of the halberd and the de of the ck and white greatsword shed, igniting magical mes around them as they entered into a power struggle, pushing each others weapons forward. Wooooooo!! Continuing to shout, I directed more magic power into my sword, supporting it with one hand against the back of the de as Lu Bu tried to press down on me with his physique. [Explosive swords are not your exclusive property.] [Explode!] !! Green magic power began to jet from behind my sword. Like a rocket engine igniting behind a spaceship, magic power burst forth from behind my sword, pushing back the Lunar Halberd. Kk, eeeeee! [Strong. Definitely S-ss. But.] I took a step forward, stretching my leg and bending my lower body. [Weaker than me.] !! Kaang! As I swung my sword to the side, creating an explosion, Lu Bu was thrown backward. He took two steps back to create distance, and the arm holding the Lunar Halberd was flung upwards in an instant. [I will execute.] !! I swung my sword forward massively. Gathering magic power into the greatsword, I swung it down as if striking from above, aiming to split Lu Bus body in two at the perfect angle. Kwaaaaang!! Wooooooooo! Lu Bu screamed as he took my strike head-on. nting his feet firmly in ce, red magical energy began to well up in his eyes. I, I will not lose!! Even though he took the strike head-on, he did not back down. From the top of his head to his lower body, the marks of the strike were clearly visible. Despite his armor being tattered and the scorch marks from the explosion, Lu Bu did not fall. Still, it was not enough. To strike at the source of the demon that Lu Bu had be required more. More guarded than anywhere else, I needed to press the attack further. I, never! Lu Bu swung his halberdrgely behind him. That strike was not aimed at me but was a check against Hayabusa, who was just about to climb back into the arena. Kkuk! Woman, step back! What cowardice to interfere in a mans fight! What, what! I have no time to deal with a sneaky woman who only attacks from behind! In a true warriors battle, there is no ce for someone like you!! Hayabusa couldnte forward at Lu Bus angry shout. Though not visible because of the helmet, it seemed like strong humiliation and anger were flowing from beneath her visor. This, this is nonsense! To use mana powder, to try to kill your opponent, and then say such things!! It could be frustrating from Hayabusas perspective. Once Lu Bu, Ray Huang,mitted fraud and it became public, he was disqualified. It wasnt wrong for Hayabusa to appear and call him out. The guilty party filing theint, youre just that type! Thats why you became a demon! Hayabusa just didnt know Ray Huang was so obsessed with victory that he wouldmit such acts to win. Demons, goblins! Ill wipe out all you viin scum! Whether she was angry at being attacked by me, magical energy began to burst forth from Hayabusas entire body. Both of you, Ill kill! [Am I to face both? Hmm. Interesting.] I gripped the greatsword with both hands and raised it high. Then, tapping the belt around my waist lightly with my hand, the handle split into left and right. [Lets see if I can handle both lightly.] What? [Manifest.] [Stardust Mirage!!] Click. The greatsword Split into ck and white halves. And, [ck Goblin.] [White Goblin.] [[Lets face them.]] I, too, split into two. Chapter 207: A Toast To Your Patriotism (8) Chapter 207: A Toast To Your Patriotism (8) He split into two?! The dean was shocked and bewildered at the sight of the Goblin. How is that possible?! Is it, is it a clone?! That must be it. Baek Seol-hee bit her lower lip as she looked at the Goblin, now split into ck and white. The ck Goblin and the white Goblin looked exactly the same. Their stance, with a sword split in half and dangling to the side, and their green, shimmering visors, were identical. The only difference was the ck side felt like the real one, whereas the white side, no matter how you thought about it, felt like a clone. Apart from that intuitive difference, they were indistinguishable, which only added to the confusion. Has the Goblin ever used such a technique before? No. The technique of cloning itself was almost unavable for use. Baek Seol-hee herself could create clones with magic power if asked, but creating such sophisticated, twin-like clones was impossible. Ah, aah! Briefly lost in thought, Nadeshiko beside her burst into an ecstatic exmation and blushed. Goblin-sama split into two! Haah, haah, spending a delightful time of world peace with two Goblins! . Ah, I see. Thats not within the realm of normalcy. Baek Seol-hee lightly ignored Nadeshiko and checked the ice wall installed on the arenas wall again. It wont fall. No matter what kind of shock urred inside, this wall of ice would definitely protect the spectators. Woah!! Goblin!! A clone, thats amazing! To take on Lu Bu and Hayabusa at the same time, how insane! If its not dual swords, its not legitimate! Keuh, ck and white, a Goblin made of yin and yang! As expected of the Goblin! Thrilling! Always something new! If there were no spectators, she might not have bothered maintaining such a strong wall of ice and could have focused more on watching the Goblins battle. Clone. If she watched and learned more about the clone the Goblin created, perhaps she could awaken that sense from afar and create her own clone. She should consult about thister. Baek Seol-hee thought of a future appointment while simultaneously swallowing her saliva and cing her hand on the ice wall. Wishing for the Goblins. Victory. Hoping, if possible, to defeat both the demon from China and the assant from Japan at once. And. Preferably, without killing. [Today, Im feeling sentimental.] Sigh. Baek Seol-hee couldnt help but smile at the Goblins words heard from the arena. Right. On days when he said things like that, the Goblin didnt kill people. Whatever the reason might be, Baek Seol-hee was sure of it. The Goblin would. Defeat both S-rank opponents.
Union release. No need to hide it. Obviously, the ck Goblin was me, and the White Goblin was Doul. It was merely undoing the union for a moment, each to take on an opponent. [The clueless high school girl who cant figure out when to join in and when to back out. Yes, lets see who the real rider is.] Damn you!! Doul charged sideways towards Hayabusa, swinging her sword. ng, ng, ng! Amazing. Unlike the Goblins usualbat style, the dazzling sword dance mixed with skill and artistry had me admiring it from the sidelines. A specialist in swordsmanship. Even in an era of abilities, where cold weapons were mostly outdated, the battle between the two swordsmen, Doul and Hayabusa, ignited the hearts of many. Of course, I could not fight in that manner. The Goblin used a bat, not a sword. But I could use a sword to some extent. Although not as much as a swordsman in an action movie like the White Goblin, I could still use a sword to defeat an opponent. Where do you think youre looking! Your opponent is me!! Thwack. I parried a strike aimed at me with my sword towards the Lunar Halberd. What?! [Just because its split doesnt mean its weaker.] Thats right. Doul fought in her own way, and I fought in mine, which might make us seem weaker than when we were united. But if Doul fought in her way and I fought in mine, we could both exert our full strength. Doul might feel ufortable in the form of the Goblin, and I might feel ufortable holding a sword instead of the Goblins bat. But ss was eternal. [Explode.] Aaargh! The tip of the ck sword aimed at Lu Bu caused a green explosion. You, damn it! [Even if youve be a demon, you cant win if its impossible to win.] Boom, bang. I pressured Lu Bu by detonating the remaining magic power of Doul in my body. Gradually, the green magic power disappeared, and the color of my magic power began to return. [Finish it in one breath.] After releasing the magic power solidified in my sword, I gathered it again at the tips of my feet. You, dont tell me youre going to do a Rider Kick! Lu Bu realized what technique I was about to use as the magic power strongly gathered in one leg and began to gather his own magic power. Whoa!! Lu Bus body started to grow evenrger. Using his demonic magic power to increase his size seemed to indicate he hadpletely lost his reason. [Being big is good, but being indiscriminately big isnt always good.] It seemed he was caught in the obsession that one must swing their strength blindly rather than fighting more efficiently and effectively. Probably, thats another influence of the Sephiroths giant soldier shown by another me, The Dark Charisma. [Ill definitely shatter that perception.] I lowered my stance even more. Moving my arms in a circle as if drawing one, I lowered them and concentrated all my magic power at the tip of my right foot extended forward, waiting for the right timing. Boom! On the opposite side, Douls sword deflected Hayabusas sword and smashed Hayabusa whole into the ice wall. While I was contemting how to defeat Lu Bu, Doul had already subdued Hayabusa, leaving only Lu Bu for me to defeat. Killing was easy. However, I didnt want to cause Yumir unnecessary worry, who might rush out in case of any unforeseen situation. Therefore, [Since being purified means bing impotent, breaking it to return from a demon to a human might not matter.] If Yumirs method was chemical demon removal, then mine was physical demon removal. 3, 2, 1. As soon as the countdown from the belt ended, I dashed forward. Its useless! Uwaaaaaaaah!! Lu Bu swung the Lunar Halberd above his head, creating a wind around him. Just as I had blocked his magic bullets with green wind, he stirred up dust with the Lunar Halberd to block my approach. A warrior does not fall!! [Lets see about that.] Just before touching the dust, I slide down. Lu Bu, not expecting me to dive down instead of jumping up, stiffened his expression, and I adjusted my stance between his legs like a windmill. One hand on the ground. Normally, one would aim for the chin, but this time, I was targeting the source of the demonic cells Lu Bu carried. The demon seed storage. [Thunderbolt.] With one hand on the ground, I kick upwards with my right leg, charged with magic power. At the same time, I use the hand on the ground to create an explosion, propelling my body upwards like a rocket. If I had to name it, Id want to call it something like a vertical ascending rocket kick, but that didnt suit the Goblin. [Splitting the sky.] [Gigant sher!!] Boom!! The kick Iunched beneath Lu Bu caused a massive explosion. I jumped back with the aftermath of the explosion, spinning in the air. An indescribable pain shed across Lu Bus face. Even as a demon, a vital spot was a vital spot. Especially since he became a demon, if my hypothesis was correct, the ce where the demonic cells gathered, the source of the demon, was precisely hit. Thi- [Ray Huang.] I called out Ray Huangs name, not the demon Lu Bus. [Come back stronger.] ! For thest time, I awakened his consciousness. He was a man who desired strength, shooting magic bullets into his head and jolting his brain, not merely someone who wished to fight with Lu Bu as his persona, but as the individual who reached the finals. So, I am. Boom! Lu Bu fell backward and copsed. The giant, 5-meter body fell backward, sprawling in the dust, while Inded lightly in an upright position, dusting off my hands. Fssssss. The purple giant that was Lu Bu gradually dispersed into mist. The existence that was a demon scattered as ifpletely extinguished, leaving a man sprawled where Lu Bus chest had been. Ray Huang. Though he had be a demon, no trace of the demon remained in him. However, his hair had turnedpletely white, and he was devoid of magic power. Zenros. [Was it a sess?] I had turned him into Zenros. As expected, physically destroying the source of the demon reverted the demon back into a human. Considering why its now possible when it was impossible before, its probably because I met Yumir. Because of Yumirs influence. Or perhaps because I was confident I could turn a demon back into a human, not because of a miracle that happened- [Ah.] As the dust settled. Ray Huangs entire body was revealed. He lies sprawled out, eyes closed. His suit has vanished without a trace. Even his clothes. Completely naked, hey unconscious. [.] Just. Only his Lunar Halberd stood tall, pointing towards the sky on its two shriveled supports. [Its indeed Lu Bu.] Well. Anyway, the demon had been executed. Chapter 208: A Toast To Your Patriotism (9) Chapter 208: A Toast To Your Patriotism (9) Sigh. Yumir, observing the unfolding events from the stands, let out a sigh of relief. She had been concerned that the tinum Sun might have to step in, but, fortunately, that proved unnecessary. Instead, she found herself somewhat pleased that the Goblin had independently discovered a method to revert demons back into humans. Perhaps in the future, if they encountered demons, they might consider sparing them. What, the Goblin could turn demons back? So, youre saying you knew how to turn them back all this time, and youve been killing them? . Whether they were genuinely unaware or skeptically pretending to be. The E-ss ability users, who had advanced to D-ss alongside Yumir, questioned the Goblins true motives. Thats not the case. Just as Goblin had sessfully transformed Ray Hwang back into a human, and Yumir was about to defend him against these misconceptions, someone else intervened to counter their usations. If the Goblin had known how to revert them to humans, he would have done so long ago for those who were turned into demons. Whats with you, picking a fight all of a sudden? Was I wrong? So, the tinum Sun showed up and figured out how to revert them to humans, is that it? Yeah. You fools. What?! The young man with dyed golden hair and a mask stood tall, mocking them, causing the students to flush with anger. Who are you! Me? Someone like this. Click. Eek?! Taejo?! Why is Armored Taejo on Sejong Ind?! Theres no reason to tell you. As the mask slid away like a suit, revealing the face of the blonde young man, the students recoiled in shock. Always trying to undermine those stronger than yourselves. Its because of people like you, sneering from the shadows, that demons are created. Dont speak so carelessly. Understand? Ah, but hes a viin. Viin or not, dont voice such grievances where others can hear. Tsk. Armored Taejo then dashed out of the stadium. mes ignited beneath his shoes as he flew swiftly towards the stadium, while Yumir scratched her cheek, watching his retreating figure. Tsk. The students rebuked by Taejo didnt utter a word. They clearly wanted to say something, but following Taejos admonition, they refrained from voicing theirints. Instead, they immediately took out their smartphones and began to type something. Probably venting online or through SNS what they couldnt say in reality. . Yumir pondered for a moment. If its possible to physically silence someone from speaking out in the real world, how could they prevent the unleashing of malice in the virtual world? Ah. She realized. Where the Secret Society was most concerned and the project they were undertaking to quell the chaos of the world. Perhaps, they were putting their best effort into a task that might be even harder than world conquest, a necessary step towards that goal. The purification of the inte. Ah shit, why wont it upload? Uh? Oh, damn. I just got hacked. . Yumir slipped the Taeguk Watch back onto her wrist from her pocket and checked the monitor broadcasting thepetition. Crash. Walls of ice shattered, and new entities began to intrude into the stadium. . Was it a relief that its not her turn? Yumir, relieved internally, scanned the beings forming a circr perimeter around the split Goblin. All S-ss. If, just in case, the Goblin fell into danger, someone would probably appear through spatial movement to assist him. . It felt somewhat bitter, as if her ce in the action had been usurped. Especially since theres a live feed burning up with spection about a possible connection between the tinum Sun and the Goblins purification of the Zenros. What if the tinum Sun were to assist the Goblin? That would ignite an uncontroble me. But. Thats a problem for another time. . Yumir continued to fasten and unfasten her Taeguk Watch, closely monitoring the stadiums broadcast monitor. On one hand, she wanted to step in and help the Goblin. On the other, she desperately suppressed the contradictory emotion of hoping the Goblin wasnt in enough danger to require her intervention. . Eh? Hey, where are you going? Bathroom. Yumir turned her Taeguk Watch to radio mode and listened to the live broadcast through her earphones, quietly heading to the bathroom alone.
Stop, Goblin! After eliminating the demon Lu Bu and reverting Ray Hwang back. The moment Doul , who had knocked Hayabusa out of the ring, approached me, ice walls shattered, and others sprang forth from all directions. [This, this. More big shots were hiding than I thought.] Thanks for calling us big shots, but dont think you can run away. In front was Taejo. Behind was Naeje. In the distance, near the stands, Baridegi seemed ready to provide long-range support, holding a silver, sparkling bow. This cruel bastard! Armored Taejo, after taking off his coat, soon draped it over Ray Hwang. How can youpletely strip a person like thisahem. He scolded me again after fussily adjusting the coat he had casually thrown, as if making a proper cover. Unforgivable! [Im not sure what you find unforgivable, but Ive lost interest.] What did you say? [The tournament ends with Hayabusas intrusion. Its unfortunate that the final didnt properly conclude.] Thi, this! Stop, viin! A group of agents appeared behind the S-sses, aiming their guns at me. [You guys are.] We are from the Hero Association! Viin, Goblin! Could you please exin the situation at the association? Park Eun-jung, leading the Purified Patriot Agents, surrounded me all at once. Even if the Goblin was powerful, they seemed determined to arrest him with all their might. [The one known as The Dark Charisma really did something pointless, creating burdens just to cause trouble like this.] Even if they were burdens before, its different now! We wont back down just because youre strong! Reveal your purpose for appearing here, Goblin! Its truly a sight to behold, Park Eun-jung shouting like that. Clearly, the moral education imparted by the society under the guise of the Sephiroth Knights had a significant effect, and I couldnt be more satisfied. [There was no specific purpose. My only goal was to deal with the hooligan.] I extended my hand towards Doul, and soon she turned into white mist and merged with me. Whoosh! White color seeped back into my suit, which had been entirely dyed ck, and the S-sses started to direct an even sharper momentum towards me. [Well, I had my share of gains too-] Goblin. Flutter. Someone from the direction of the stands called out to me and instantly leaped in front of me, blocking my way. Its been a while, huh? [Nadeshiko.] I was about to disappear just like that, but Nadeshiko deliberately blocked my way. [What do you want?] Can a hero just walk past a viin right in front of them? Theres no other business to attend to. [I thought you might have such a business.] Right. I cant just pass by. Flutter. Nadeshiko grinned, holding a ck and white fan in each hand. After capturing you, Ill extract your genes. [Ah.] So thats it. This woman wasnt here as Nadeshiko of the Society. She appeared as Hero Nadeshiko, as a woman desiring pregnancy. [Youre going to rape a viin?] Viins dont have human rights, you know that? [And its fine for a hero to do such things to a viin?] Not killing is already humanitarian enough. However I suppress you, the fact that Nadeshiko subdued the viin Goblin remains unchanged. Hehehe. Moreover. Hehe. Nadeshiko licked her lips with her tongue, wearing a suggestive smile. The Goblin split in two. Hehe, even if attacked from both sides, I can capture it all? [Stop talking nonsense.] Does it sound strange to you? Not at all. [It seems pointless to talk any longer.] I should have given orders to Nadeshiko as a Society member beforehand. Of course. While Nadeshiko was talking like that, I found a gap to escape. Usually, when viins were engaged in such conversations, they ended up finding a way to escape as time dragged on. Kuh, Goblin! [Ah, Hayabusa.] You! Hayabusa, clutching her shoulder anding next to Nadeshiko, red at me with bloodshot eyes. I will have my revenge, definitely! [On me? Why? Youre the one who turned Ray Hwang into a demon.] Thats! [Think about it carefully. Whether intruding was the right thing or not. If you hadnt intruded, the finals would have ended smoothly, and I would have dly dealt with you before leaving.] I lightly flicked my finger, taunting Hayabusa. [Youre not even worth fighting now. Fighting Ray Hwang would have been more meaningful.] What, what did you say! [Rider, you do it. The original.] Swish. I released my transformation as Rider. And returned to my original form, dressed in a ck suit, and reached for my mask. [If being the original Rider causes demons to appear and chaos to ensue, Ill abandon the Rider.] ! Click. [Im not a Rider-] The moment I was about to take off my mask, everyone gasped and flinched. [Im the Goblin.] With those final words, I was about to explode into green magic power and leave the scene. [!] I spotted a small golden circle forming below me, and soon, I jumped through it. In the blink of an eye. I moved to a new location. [you.] Was it nosy of me? [Its good there are no people around.] Atop the womens restroom toilet, Yumir was sitting, greeting me. I just stood in front of her, saying nothing. [I should have just disappeared into the sky-] Click, click. !! [.] Yumir and I simultaneously held our breaths. Chapter 209: A Toast To Your Patriotism (10) Chapter 209: A Toast To Your Patriotism (10) The final match had concluded. From the moment Hayabusa intervened, from the moment the Goblin made his appearance, the showdown between Ray Hwang and Yoon Iseon was effectively over. Ray Hwang transformed into a demon, and the Goblin converted the demon Lu Bu into Zenros. Then, the Goblin vanished. Before everyones eyes, it stirred up the wind and disappeared like a Taoist mastermanding the elements. Thanks to this, people learned three things about the Goblin. One: The Goblin can create duplicates of himself. Two: The Goblin can transform demons into Zenros. And three: Despite being surrounded by other S-ss individuals, the Goblin could easily escape. As always, the Goblin vanished more effortlessly than before, and no one noticed how. Ugh! Baridegi, Tae Irin, clenched her fists and walked down the hallway. The Goblin has disappeared! Find the Goblin! Hes not here! Despite their vignt search, hoping the Goblin might still be nearby, all they encountered were confused students and faculty members rushing through the hallway. [What are you talking about now! Ray Hwang clearly used mana powder! We should be discussing his punishment first!] [Uh, first, about him bing a demon and then turning into Zenros] [Ray Hwang is disqualified! Yoon Iseon is the winner! We need to make a clear decision!] [Well, before we could make a decision, Hayabusa intervened] The wireless earphones connected to her Taeguk Watch buzzed with the sounds of the academy principal and the associations agents arguing. [Principal, we should be focusing on finding the Goblin] [Whats the use of looking for someone who has already fled! Its always like that! Even if we look for the Goblin, could we even find his tail?! Its more realistic to deal with the current situation!] [But making a victory announcement now is] [Argh, the winner is Yoon Iseon! Afterwards, find the Goblin or whatever!! Think logically!!] Frustrated by their inability to catch the Goblin, and without having seen how the Goblin escaped, the so-called higher-ups are once again fiercely arguing over something that seems trivial. It might actually be an important issue. The victory of a Korean. A-ss Yoon Iseon, who outperformed everyone else, could be dered the winner, but the aftermath makes it difficult for Yoon Iseon to be officially dered the winner. If anything The Goblin wins. The biggest beneficiary turned out to be the Goblin. Hayabusas excessive intervention caused Ray Hwang to go on a rampage. As a result, Ray Hwang became a demon. Yoon Iseon managed to skillfully dodge Ray Hwangs attacks but did not manage to defeat him decisively. Could they have won if the fight had continued? That remained merely a hypothesis. Unless they confronted Ray Hwang again, who, having be Zenros and lost all special abilities except for the attached Lunar Halberd, could no longer be considered a special ability user. Who knows? Suddenly, with a huff, the Dark Charisma might appear, kidnap Ray Hwang, and after about ten days, throw him back onto Sejong Ind, where he could reemerge as a special ability user capable of wielding magic power. But like other revived special ability users, starting again as an E-ssspecifically, a physical enhancement typeit would take a long time for him to climb back up to A-ss. Therefore, its impossible to immediately determine the A-ss final match winner. In the end, it seemed appropriate for Yoon Iseon, who reached the finals, to lift the winners cup, but it might be problematic to do so without impressing. [At least if it had been a match between Hayabusa and Yoon Iseon, who knows, but now Hayabusa is also not in a favorable position with public opinion.] [The problem is that she turned someone into a demon by iming to be the original, and the biggest issue is that the Goblin made her abandon the riders appearance.] Damn it. Tae Irin cursed through gritted teeth. That damn Rider everyone and their dog, Rider, Rider! Ive heard about Rider on TV more than a hundred times in two months! Doesnt it get old? Though no one was listening, Tae Irin deliberately raised her voice, venting her frustration out loud. Good riddance! I hope we can finally stop this crazy Rider obsession now! Ugh!! She had grown to intensely dislike Rider. Initially, she brushed it off as just another bizarre trend, but after hearing everyone chant Rider for two months, her annoyance had turned into outright irritation. A trend was momentary, but talking about Rider for a whole two months was mentally exhausting. While she was pleased that the Goblin decided to abandon the Rider concept, Tae Irin was annoyed by people making a fuss, saying, The Goblin, a frontrunner of the Rider craze, has abandoned Rider! In fact. -Hey, Irin. Check out my new Rider. What do you think? -Sending Rider pictures at four in the morning. Go away. -What about at four in the afternoon? Ive created a new Taeguk Rider concept this time. Ill decorate my face with petals like the Mugunghwa. -Ah, youre crazy. Go away Tae Irin was further irritated by someone sending her pictures daily, iming to have created a new Rider concept by attaching steel armor all over themselves. I hope it doesnt show up again. Really, ugh. Just wear a suit and go about normally! Grumbling, Tae Irin soon arrived at her destination. The womens restroom. Swoosh. Tae Irin scooped water from the sink and sshed it on her face. . After cooling off her face with water, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!! She grabbed the sink and screamed her lungs out. Haa, haa, haa. She wanted to scream. Afraid of looking like a crazy woman if she screamed in the hallway, she purposely came to the restroom to do it. But even screaming in the bathroom, everyone understands, Ah, she must be really stressed. Ugh!! Rustle. !! Startled after venting some stress by screaming, Tae Irin hastily wiped her face with a paper towel. Oh, oh? Believing the bathroom to be empty and having let out a shout, she wondered if someone might have been nside. . Tae Irin pricked up her ears. A rustling sound came from the very back of the womens restroom. . The sound of her high heels echoed loudly. There was definitely noise inside the womens restroom, causing Tae Irins heart to sink. Is anyone there? No reply came. However, the bathroom stall door lock was red, making Tae Irins face turn red. Oh, I, sorry. Ive been under a lot of stresstely Suddenly. The moment Tae Irins gaze dropped. Huh? Her heart sank. It was a shoe. A mans shoe. A mans shoe that shouldnt be in the womens restroom was upside down. . Shoe? Suit? Womens restroom? For some reason, Tae Irin considered such a possibility. Perhaps she hadnt found the Goblin because, as the dean suggested, she was thinking logically. Right. Appearances could be easily changed. Voices could be changed too. In a world where people suddenly opened spaces, flew with wings of ice, and turned into demons, what was impossible? Excuse me. Tae Irin lowered her voice and gathered her magic power. I am S-ss hero, Baridegi Tae Irin. Whoever is inside, I need your cooperation. Tae Irin knocked on the door. There was definitely a sound inside, confirming someones presence, and Tae Irin silently counted to three. Three. Two. One. Pop! Tae Irin jumped up on the spot, then grabbed onto the top of the next restroom stall and leaped. Ah. And she saw. . . A ck-haired man. And a blond, blue-eyed woman. The man stood still, and the woman sat on a lowered toilet seat cover. And the two were engaged in an act that Tae Irin couldnt describe, an act that she, given her age, could never describe. Ah, uh, ugh? Tae Irin froze on the spot. The two inside also froze. It didnt matter to her that the man was handsome or the woman was incredibly beautiful, or that they possessed magic power pouches iparable to hers. What caught her eye was- . Tae Irin quietly descended. And she leaned back as much as possible, not knowing what to say. Rustle, rustle. Sounds came from inside. -Ha. I told you someone wasing. -But I was in a hurry. You were the one who said it was okay. -Well, ha. Start by wiping your mouth. -Ugh. It was just about to start the real game. -Quiet. Lower your voice even more. -Hehe. . Tae Irin scratched her cheek. And while she waited for those inside. Whats going on? Oh, Baridegi-nim! Who? Yes! Im a Hero Association agent, Park Eun-jung! I came running when I heard the scream! The Hero Associations bob-haired woman, Park Eun-jung, saluted on the spot. Is it the Goblin? Ill call for backup immediately- No, no. Just I was annoyed because I couldnt find it. Stress relief, stress relief. Ah, I see! Understood! Ill look elsewhere! My apologies! Park Eun-jung disappeared with a salute. Tae Irin covered her face with her hand and knocked on the door again. Im sorry for interrupting your patriotism. But please, choose the time and ce Yes. Finally, a response came. The voice sounded somewhat sticky, but that must have been her imagination. . Tae Irin couldnt calm her flushed face and turned her head slightly as she was about to leave. The moment she saw inside. The moment her eyes met with the ck-haired man and the implications dawned on her. . Tae Irins face turned red again. Oh, my goodness. She hadnt found the Goblin. I didnt make a mistake, did I? Hmm. It must be. To do that thereugh. She ended up witnessing patriotism. No obscenity whatsoever. Chapter 210: Aftercare Is Certain (1) Chapter 210: Aftercare Is Certain (1) -What were you doing there? -I was being patriotic. -Umpass! Such an event urred. Yumirs sudden action was perplexing, but, albeit awkward to express gratitude for, it cleared the suspicion from Baridegi. Its a bit ridiculous. I never imagined Baridegi would leave, thinking I was genuinely being patriotic. Of course, Yumir, who had just brought out my baseball bat, and Baridegi, who had just jumped up to check inside, were something else. Heroines here really have weird concepts of modesty. While that might be normal in this world, I couldnt help but find the womens concepts of modesty here strange and frightening. This world was too lenient on patriotism. I didnt know if its because the writer set up a world where anything goes if its for patriotism, or if the people of this world believed that patriotism by ability users was a shortcut to world peace. Or maybe its because this society made everyone think patriotism is eptable regardless of time and ce. I was not sure why this world was so obsessed with acts of patriotism, but its extremely perplexing when escaping a situation through patriotism actually worked. Ha. Why are you sighing so deeply? Because of you, Ive be a weird person. Everyone does it, its not that strange. Everyone does? Yes. Its not strange to be patriotic in various ces on Sejong Ind. We did it too. No, you and I set up a magical barrier. Thats something about the Goblin and tinum Sun, not if Do Ji-hwan and Yumir had done it, the soldiers would have just thought its a good time and let it go? Huh. After returning home, I could onlyment over the absurd situation. Doul. Did I do something wrong? No? It was an excellent quick-witted response. Patriotism is not a crime! Bang bang bang. Didnt evacuate during a dangerous situation? Turns out you were being patriotic. Everyone will say it cant be helped. See. Even Doul agrees with it now. Because I acknowledge it, that brat bes arrogant. Yumir did something outrageous, and I confronted her about it. However, Yumir acted as if she had done nothing wrong, and even Doul ended up saying it didnt matter as long as it was funny. Next time, I should just physically run away. Or I should learn spatial movement. Cant you do it yet? No. My brain wasnt that great, so I hadnt been able to fully utilize spatial movement yet. You can use time eleration but cant do spatial movement. Is this what they call divine fairness? Maybe its because the baseball bat is too heavy for teleportation. Hey. You want to keep talking like that? Ahh! The Goblin is hitting people! . I silentlymented over Yumir turning everything into a joke with her words. Was the main character not supposed to be like this, or was this actually her character? If she had been hiding her gender as a man, then perhaps such stress had umted secretly and exploded like a meteor. Ha. Its going to be awkward if I face Baridegi and Do Ji-hwanter. How about wearing sses as a disguise? I guess I should. Though it wont make much difference. I made direct eye contact with Baridegi. Even Baridegis nce downward was confirmed. Later, when Baridegi sees Do Ji-hwans true self and realizes Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin? Doul. Why would you say that? Just talking about possibilities, possibilities. Someone, pretending not to be Mr. White, enjoyed the view while soaking together in a hot spring. Thats true, but its different from this situation. Sigh, lets not talk about it anymore. It seemed better to hide my appearance as usual next time. Yumir. Next time, lets either sync up in advance or not create a situation that needs to be escaped from with quick-witted responses. Should we rent a motel instead of using a restroom? That might be better. Its much better to use a temporarily private space than a ce frequented by many. If there is a next time. Next time, Ill create an even more solid alibi that wont get us caught by others. Hehe. Yeah, okay. Well, thanks to Yumir, we got caught by Baridegi, but also thanks to Yumir, we didnt get caught by Baridegi. Patriotism wasnt strange anywhere, anytime, and Sejong Ind was a bastion of patriotism. Ulleungdo? Thats a ce for reaping the rewards of patriotism. If love was a game, its a destination for endgame content, and Sejong Ind was no less patriotic than Ulleungdo. In fact, its more so. This ce was for undergoing the process and steps to be a certain pair before heading to Ulleungdo. Especially for capable ability users who had definitely be adults, the queue of people wanting to express their patriotism with that person grew. For instance, Yoon Iseon, who was quite popr as a student council president, has now earned the title of A-grade Strongest, so the desire for patriotism towards Yoon Iseon will burn even hotter than before. Mr. Do, you seem really worried about student Yoon Iseon, why is that? Worried? Are you concerned about Iseon getting hurt? No, no. Worried about her getting hurt because of the Goblins intrusion. Perhaps because Doul merged with me, she immediately noticed that I was concerned about Yoon Iseon. Worried about causing her unnecessary harm. Harm? Exactly how did you harm her? By recklessly intervening in a fight that she could have won, causing a mess. I dont think thats something you need to worry about, and Iseon probably isnt either. Peoples hearts are unpredictable. Even if losing a 1:1 duel to Yoon Iseon was eptable, being unable to fight due to Hayabusas intervention, caused Ray Hwang to trigger a rampage. It showed that each ability user had their unpredictable sore spot. Yumir, contact Iseon. Ask if shes free this dawn. Why ask if shes free? Obviously, for mental care. Youre going to provide mental care to Iseon? Yes. As I mentioned mental care, Yumirs eyes narrowed. Do you like Iseon? Rather than liking her, I thought it would be nice to recruit her into the association. Youre not nning on swinging your baseball bat around again, are you? What do you see me as? Do I look like trash that gets infatuated with any pretty woman? Not to that extent. Yumir smiled ambiguously and shook her head sideways. Then? A man who makes women naturally want tomit adultery, something even more viinous? Completely turning people into seducers. Its not incorrect, is it? Aha. Doul, you too? With Doul joining in on Yumirs side, there was no one on my side in this ce. Fine. Contact Iseon. Lets meet at midnight today. Will it be okay with all the attention on the A-grade champion? Just leave the Taekuk Watch behind, and you bring her. Ah, I thought you were going to pick up Iseon on a bike from behind like you did with me. If I have your help, theres no need to go that far. I didnt know then. Okay. Ill contact her. But what are you nning to do by calling Iseon? Kidnap her straight to Ulleungdo? Really. Is that the first thing thates to your mind when you judge me? Um, not the first, maybe the second? Lets just assume thats the case. Its better just to give up. Ah admitting it coolly wont provoke any interesting reactions. So, what are you really going to do by calling Iseon? Youll find out when I call Yoon Iseon and talk to her directly, just listen then. Probably. It will be an interesting story. Mental care for Yoon Iseon, for the peace of the world.
[The Ruined Finals, The Tarnished Victory.] [Winner Yoon Iseon? Chairman Wang The match isnt decided yet.] . It had only been 8 hours since the finals ended inconclusively. Yoon Iseon, observing the gradually increasing articles, pondered whether she really needed to pay attention to such trash. Nevertheless, sheposed herself once more to gauge peoples reactions to her victory. In essence, it resembled an old mens club. People didnt fully recognize Yoon Iseon as the true winner. I was taken advantage of. The situation was absurdly concocted, yet it remained unchanged. Yoon Iseon couldnt settle her score with Ray Hwang. Even though she won against someone who had been defeated by Ray Hwang, she couldnt decisively defeat Ray Hwang himself, leaving the situation unaltered. Without an extraordinary event in the future, she would continue to bebeled a fake winner. . Perhaps that was the reason. Yoon Iseon was curious about his reasons for summoning her. Even if his intention was to rescue her, he undeniably stole the spotlight during the finals. She didnt particrly want to me him, acknowledging that human psychology is indeedplex. sh! A golden circle expanded in Yoon Iseons room. Have you been waiting? Yes. Im ready to go now. Then, step inside. Oh, the Taeguk Watch? All electronic devices are gone. Im just in my training suit now. As Yumir extended her hand, Yoon Iseon took it. Shortly after stepping into the circle, Yoon Iseon found herself in an unfamiliar space. It was a gym, reminiscent of the one where Duoexini was confronted, albeit older and smaller. This is. [Its one of the gyms in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do. Its currently unused. Specifically, its owned by the association.] ! In front of me. [Congrattions on your victory.] The Goblin in a suit stood there, leaning on a baseball bat. [And I apologize. For overshadowing your victory.] No, its okay. The Goblin isnt the one who should be apologizing. The real fault lies with Ray Hwang for taking drugs, and Hayabusa for recklessly intervening, thinking I would be struck by Ray Hwang. [Yes. The fault lies with them, but the actual victim here is you, beingbeled a fake winner.] . If. If someone else had said it, she might have felt a bit angry. [So, to apologize and to assist you] Assist me? How? The association? [No. The association cant just freely help a student of the academy. Its me who will assist you.] Yes? [I will tutor your ability.] The Goblin lifted the baseball bat upwards. [I will elevate you to S-grade. And once youre S-grade and go to Japan, you will defeat Hayabusa. You will.] Me S-grade? [Yes.] Is that, possible? [Yes.] The Goblin swiftly approached Yoon Iseon. [Do you desire power? If so, respond.] And then he crouched down, extending his pinky finger. [I will be your trainer.] Chapter 211: Aftercare Is Certain (2) Chapter 211: Aftercare Is Certain (2) Teaching someone was an incredibly difficult task. Especially for those akin to geniuses, understanding why ordinary people couldnt grasp what they had exined was hard. -I simplified it, so why dont they get it? This was because geniuses failed toprehend the level of ordinary people. There were other cases, too. When someone with apletely different mindset had to exin apletely different ability. Or when the teachercked a deep understanding of the ability that the person needed. Sejong Ind was such a case. Sejong Ind imed to be a ce of education, but in reality, it focused mostly on confining ability users on an ind to cultivate their minds and social skills. -Honestly, what do people born before 00 know about abilities to teach us? Someone once said that. Its not entirely wrong; its absurd for pre-Cataclysm humanity, who couldnt even feel mana, to teach the new humans whove awakened abilities how to use them. Thus, the old humans had restrained ability users not by teaching them how to use abilities, but when and where to use them, under the guise of heroic deeds. So, how should abilities be used? Its up to the ability users themselves to develop or ask someone around them who could use abilities better. Or an S-rank might teach them directly. In other countries, an S-rank ability user taught several A-rank users, who in turn taught several B-rank users, in a multi-tier pyramid scheme. It might sound odd due to the connotation of multi-tier, but if you thought of it in terms of martial arts, it was simr to a master-disciple rtionship. This rtionship was based on the premise that ability users could be sufficiently powerful through teaching and learning. Just as Baek Seol-hee and Yumir developed their unique new abilities through various stories I told, Yoon Iseon too could develop her ability and be stronger. To transcend her current limits and reach S-rank. Therefore. I offered Yoon Iseon an opportunity to aim higher. Through a custom education tailored for Yoon Iseon, more assured than Sejong Ind. Through 1:1 sparring. I became Yoon Iseons trainer. [Slow.] Pababang! Foxfire that was aimed at me flew, but I swiftly dodged and counterattacked Yoon Iseon. Ka-aang! Swinging my bat at the iing foxfire, like a baseball yer hitting a home run, I sent the foxfire flying back towards Yoon Iseon, who dodged in surprise. Paa-ang! The foxfire exploded. Yoon Iseon, cing one hand on the ground, red at me, and I, with the bat on my shoulder, taunted her. [Precise. Praise for that. But you filled it with magic too honestly. If theres someone like me, they could counter it like this.] Then what should I do? [Like this.] I lifted the bat high, creating mes. [If the mes only explode when they hit the target, without being intercepted in the middle, what about that?] Considering lore about goblins, its all about goblin fire, so I aimed the ck mes burning ahead. [Try intercepting it.] The ck mes burning around my bat flew towards Yoon Iseon. If Yoon Iseons foxfire were MLB pitchers fastballs, the mes I threw were like forkballs youd see in a local friendship baseball game. Haap! Yoon Iseon precisely aimed her foxfire at my Goblin Fire. The form of the mes was like sharp arrows, and the arrows of me flying towards my goblin fire pierced it exactly. Whoosh. Huh?! It only pierced through. The Goblin Fire didnt disappear. As if only the pierced part turned into mist and scattered, creating a hole, it slowly flew towards Yoon Iseon. Whoosh. Kyaa?! Before Yoon Iseon could dodge, the Goblin Fire that reached her clung to her body. Huh? [You think Idunch an attack to hurt you?] Startled by the mes clinging to her body, Yoon Iseon was confused by the mes just sticking to her. What is this? [Its like a will-o-the-wisp. Its a me without substance. Visible to the eye, but it doesnt really explode or produce mes. Perhaps it should be called Illusionary me ().] Whoosh. The ck mes continued to burn on Yoon Iseons body. Not burning Yoon Iseons clothes, just swirling around her. So, this is an illusion? [Illusion? No. Its more like a time bomb.] !! Yoon Iseon urgently leaped up at my words. The deliberately dropped ck me turned white and soon caused a small explosion. Ugh! Having jumped high and retreated, Yoon Iseon caught her breath, her face pale. A small crater formed where the explosion urred, hollowing out the gym floor. An explosion just enough toy a person t. Even for Yoon Iseon, even with mana as a shield, her body wouldnt have been unscathed. [Yoon Iseon. Did you think that? That this technique Im showing is to demonstrate the difference in our levels, that the Goblin is bragging about using mes better than you.] !! Yoon Iseons eyes widened in shock. Probably, she might not admit it outwardly, but inwardly she thought so. [Its a natural thought. No need to be ashamed. Its natural to think that way.] Any ability user would feel that way. Because the opponent used the skill better than they did. [But the reason Im showing you this technique is not to boast about my ability but to directly show you so you can learn from it. Let me say it again, dont misunderstand.] However, my intention was different. Unlike typical ability users who used their skills to show off, I was using my skills to teach Yoon Iseon. [Just because you increase the ways to utilize your ability doesnt automatically mean you move up to a higher level. But this is also a way to move up to a higher process. Mastering one technique is good, but learning simr yet different techniques is also a way to expand your thinking.] I created mes again. [Ability is like a journey. Humans be stronger by seeing various things, hearing various things, and experiencing various things.] I had traveled through numerous worlds. As a reader, I indirectly experienced many worlds created by numerous authors, learning from their abilities. [What do you think the ability I used looks like to you?] Im not sure. Yoon Iseon answered reluctantly. [Then Ill ask. Do you want me to tell you the answer, or will you find out yourself?] Whats the difference? [Its like a math problem. If you know the answer and solve the problem, its easy. But if you find the answer yourself, you can apply the principle you used to solve this problem to different types of problems that may arise in the future. Let me show you one more time.] I created the Goblin Fire again. This time, I did it slower and in fewer numbers beforeunching it towards Yoon Iseon, who narrowed her eyes andunched her foxfire at the Goblin Fire. Whoosh! The Goblin Fire, struck by the foxfire flying like an arrow, was pierced through. The Goblin Fire, struck by the foxfire flying like the de of a sonic boom, split in half. The Goblin Fire, struck by an evenrger foxfire, seemed momentarily swallowed before regaining its form as soon as the foxfire passed. Ah! Yoon Iseon jumped back to create distance and then shot a new foxfire at me. Though it was very slow, I approached like the first time I hit her me and swung the bat with great force. Whoosh! The bat just passed through the me, unable to deflect it. This was because the core of magic in the me, which could be called the nucleus, dodged my bat the moment I swung it. [Thats correct.] Ah! Kwaang! The foxfire attached to my bat exploded. I was engulfed in Yoon Iseons foxfire, and Yoon Iseon, startled, rushed towards me. Ah, that! [Its okay. It was neutralized.] I did take damage, but it wasnt to the extent of causing pain. Just as a gym owner wouldnt be knocked down by a slightly strong straight punch learned in kickboxing, I shrugged off Yoon Iseons me and approached her. [Do you understand the principle?] The visible mes are a deception, and the actual magic bullet that causes the explosion is hidden within the mes. [Right. But its not just that simple.] I conjured a Goblin Fire in front of Yoon Iseon. [With experience, you can manipte it from the inside like this.] Inside the basketball-sized burning ck me, a deliberately whitened mes magic bounced around like a ping pong ball. [Theres nothing better than mes to deceive the enemys eyes. Humans are fundamentally afraid of fire. Now, youll do this.] This? [Not covering the magic bullet you shoot at the enemy, but covering your own body with it.] I released the ck me and then extended my hand toward Yoon Iseon. [Imagine you are this white me. And then you create a ck me on the outside.] . [You gather magic on your surface to form a shape. What do you want to create?] If possible. Yoon Iseon looked up at me, her fist clenched. Will you do something for me? [Hmm. Lets see. How about a date, one night?] Suddenly, A pink me burst from Yoon Iseons body, enveloping her. . Huh. Why did awakening- Chapter 212: Aftercare Is Certain (3) Chapter 212: Aftercare Is Certain (3) Ability users were akin to rampaging beings. Even a minor mental disturbance could trigger a rampage, transforming the ability user into a demon. But did an ability users rampage always lead in a negative direction? Not necessarily. Humans could also rampage in productive and constructive ways. A prime example of this was awakening. It involves surpassing ones limits to reach a higher level. In extreme terms, its akin to watching my magic power rating increase in the status window through which I view myself. This was one of those moments. Yoon Iseon began to knock on the door of her limits right from the first day of training. Its not because of the date invitation, is it? If so, her fandom was truly remarkable. Personally, Id like to think its because I gave a good demonstration and exined well. Thats my personal hope as Yoon Iseons trainer, but if the results were positive and there were no issues with the process, then all was well. [.] I observed Yoon Iseons changes from the sidelines. Awakening didnt necessarily mean a massive change. Changes like hair color turning blonde, lightning crackling around someone, or hair growing down to the toes were all forms of awakening. What about Yoon Iseon? I taught her the technique of the will-o-the-wisp and indirectly exined the principle behind the transformations of Nana and Yumir. The real example being me. The ck mes surrounding me as the suit. I didnt directly teach her because I wanted her to realize it on her own I didnt expect her to change like this. Fwoosh. As the pink mes subsided, Yoon Iseon slowly opened her eyes and looked up at me. From a slightly lower angle than before. Huh? [Are you back with us?] What happened to [Magic power reveals the earnest desires of ability users. Thats your true desire, your longing.] Uh, uhh. Yoon Iseons face turned red. Her academy training outfit, which previously fit her perfectly, had shrunk to resemble three-quarter sleeve shirts and pants. The workout clothes remained unchanged. It was just that Yoon Iseons limbs had elongated. [Youve suddenly be ady.] Ah, ah This, this is, I mean! [Calm down. Youll return to your original form once the transformation is undone.] !! Realizing she would return to her original form seemed to snap Yoon Iseon back to her senses, and she gulped down her saliva, nodding. Her limbs, which had momentarily seemed to pop out of her workout clothes, almost wavered like mist, but she took a deep breath and firmly maintained her physical form. Her body had been transformed by magical power. How did this happen? [Its the result of your desires, ambitions, and cravings alling together.] Could you exin that in simpler terms? [It means youve achieved the S-ss form you desired. Take a good look.] I pointed at the mirror on the gym wall. [You wished to be a morous beauty of ady whos 170 cm tall, didnt you?] . Yoon Iseon was surprised by her reflection in the mirror, then covered her face with her hands as she realized her current reality. Is this really what I wanted to look like when I became S-ss? [Yes.] This? [Exactly. Dont deny it. If you do, not only will the transformation be undone, but you might also end up looking strange.] I dont want to deny it, but Yoon Iseon awkwardly examined her hands and feet. No matter how I think about it, these look like my hands and feet, but are you saying theyre some kind of illusion made of magical power? [Not an illusion, but rather like Manas hands and Manas feet, which have their own form.] I reached out and grabbed Yoon Iseons wrist. [Do you feel anything unusual here?] . [Whats wrong?] Ah, no. Um, I only feel the strength of your grip, sir I had grabbed the part of her workout clothes where her wrists would normally be, but Yoon Iseon only considered it in terms of touch. [A good sensation. If you thought it was strange, the concentration of magic power would have dissipated.] So you mean the moment I feel somethings off, the transformation wille undone? [Yes. This transformation relies entirely on mana. If the mana runs out, or if your mental strength, which is holding this form together, wavers, then the transformation will immediatelye undone.] I reached for her other arm. [Remember well the parts that extend beyond the sleeves of your workout clothes. These are your weak points in this transformed state. Make sure to remember every part Ive touched.] Uh, yes I pressed down on the ends of Yoon Iseons sleeves and pants to clearly indicate her weak points. [If youre hit hard in these spots, you might think to yourself, Did my wrist just break? This isnt my real wrist. If you think like that, the transformation will immediatelye undone.] . [Your fingers seem slightly longer than before. Since your physical bnce haspletely changed, youll need to adapt quickly after the transformation. It might feel like switching between driving a sedan and an SUV] Is there anywhere else thats changed? Yoon Iseon bit her lip and pointed at herself. I cant really tell just by looking [.] This woman. Was she possibly thinking that right now? My intuition was urate; theres no need to assume. [Well. Did your thighs shrink a bit?] I boldly grabbed above her knee, over the workout clothes. [Perhaps to maintain a more bnced physique, your thighs seem to have shrunk. They looked good before, but now theyre more proportionately reduced.] Can you really tell all that just by looking? [Think of me as something like a professional fitness trainer.] If all fitness trainers made physical contact like this, theyd all be sued for sexual harassment. But if the woman gave permission, approaching without any ulterior motive was fine. I have had ulterior motives. If anyone could do it, its Yoon Iseon. [The pelvis seems unchanged.] Wow [The pelvic line was already nicely curved, so it appears no adjustment was needed there. The waist seems to have lengthened. Perhaps mana has settled between the vertebrae, slightly stretching the joints or something.] Is that still okay? [Oh. Its not a physical change forced by external factors, but a pure transformation using your own mana.] Even though she grew over 20 cm in an instant, the current Yoon Iseon was just an S-ss ability user herself. [Why? Feel like youve be a demon?] No, not really. [You seem like you hadnt even considered it.] Uh, well. Now that you mention it, Im a bit worried. This isnt turning into a demon, is it? [If you had turned into a demon, your skin color would change, and tentacle-like tails would sprout from your back.] Uh! Yoon Iseon was horrified, but there was nothing on her back. Huh? [Even if you did produce a tail with your abilities, it wouldnt be considered part of the human body. You still think of tails as something you actively bring out.] Bing the bombshell Yoon Iseon was one thing, but turning into foxgirl Yoon Iseon was as easy as switching on and off. [Want to try bringing it out?] Just a moment. Then Fwoosh. Wow. A pink tail spread out behind her like a blooming lotus. The tail, wide enough to cover her entire body, made her look like a full-fledged nine-tailed fox- [Is this a side effect?] Ah?! Fox ears sprouted on top of her head. With fairly long fox ears, even fur popping out from the inside, Yoon Iseon trembled all over. This, this isnt something I did on purpose! [Bringing out nine tails and bing more fox-like is just instinct. It cant be helped. Theres no changing it.] A nine-tailed foxdy with fox ears and tails, eachrger than her head. The protagonist was originally a woman, so it wasnt a big deal, but there was a reason all the men in the original work fell for her. Originally, she was supposed to awaken as an S-ss during a crisis after a conversation with the original protagonist, but now her transformation was triggered by a more earnest desire. [Since youve awakened in this form, shall we continue our date?] Continue? [Yes.] I stepped back from Yoon Iseon, then brought my hands together as if in prayer. Flutter. [Does this look a bit simr?] I created a form made of magic power behind me. Not as beautiful as Yoon Iseons form, the ck, angr branches resembled mechanical arms. The four ck branches, angr yet wiggling like octopus legs. [If youve transformed with your ability, youll have to learn a new fighting style suited to it. But before that, youll go through the process of adapting to that body.] [What? Why? What.] A date with the trainer being training was only natural. My expectations- [Just kidding.] p. I pped my hands and extended the branches from my back to turn off the gym lights. It was quite a distance, but the branches stretched out, exerting physical influence. [Im not nning to make you run before youve even learned to walk.] Really? [For now, just focus on maintaining that form as long as possible without letting the transformation undo.] I pointed outside the gym. [Lets go for a light drive.] Beep. Outside, my car was waiting, and I opened the passenger door, gesturing inside. [Get in.] Excuse me. Yoon Iseon sat in the passenger seat, and I immediately took the drivers seat and grabbed the steering wheel. Where are we going? [A 24-hour outlet.] Why? [Well.] I lightly scanned Yoon Iseon from top to bottom with my eyes. [You need to get clothes that fit first. It must be a bit tight, right?] . Yoon Iseon blushed and turned her head toward the window as she tried to fasten her seatbelt. Chapter 213: Aftercare Is Certain (4) Chapter 213: Aftercare Is Certain (4) Although it was termed a drive, we werent actually heading to any clothing stores or outlets. There were several reasons for this. First, the Goblin did not remove his mask in front of Yoon Iseon. Second, it must remain a secret that the Goblin was apanying Yoon Iseon. Third, Yoon Iseons Taeguk Watch was back in her room on Sejong Ind. Fourth, revealing Yoon Iseons transformed appearance to the public would cause amotion. So, in such circumstances, where could we ensure Yoon Iseon has the liberty to choose her own clothes? A ce thats open around the clock, where the Goblin could roam freely even with his mask on, and where Yoon Iseon could select attire that suited her. [Weve arrived.] Where are we? [At one of the Secret Societys branches, masquerading as a no-staff motel.] Ah. I took Yoon Iseon to a motel located in the mountainous region of Gangwon Province. [Normally, it functions just like any no-staff motel, but when a member of the Secret Society arrives, it transforms like this.] Clink, clink. As soon as the car entered and the garage door opened, the vehicle began moving forward. Oh, whats happening? [Were descending to the basement. Dont worry. Im pressing the brake.] As the car and the ground lowered, a space opened up below us. Whir. We spiraled down to a narrow underground parking lot, and I immediately got out of the car and opened the passenger door. [Can youe out?] Do I look like a child? Yoon Iseon cautiously stepped out. She moved somewhat slowly when getting into the car, still seemingly unustomed to her elongated limbs. But this ce is Its an honor to serve you, Mr. Goblin. A foreigner in a ck suit tinged with red approached and bowed to us. Ill take care of the car. Please proceed inside. Thank you for visiting our branch. But who might this be with you [I vouch for her. I take full responsibility.] Understood. The employee - Brewer - climbed into the car I had arrived in, and I extended my hand to Yoon Iseon. [Ill escort you.] Its not like were entering a party. What really is this ce? [A motel.] ? Yoon Iseon was confused. Given that it had seemed like an underground secret base so far, my mentioning it was a motel likely made her think of its above-ground appearance. [We build a usible building above ground and create facilities like this underground. Think of it as an underground hotel.] Isnt this an apartment? [Its a hotel styled like an apartment.] Passing through a dark corridor and entering through a door, the ce wasparable to a suite room in a five-star hotel in Gangwon Province or Busan. Thats because, ording to the Chief, these underground shelters were initially designed with suite rooms in mind. [In case of a zombie apocalypse or something, this is one of the shelters designed tost for decades underground. You could also call it a bunker.] To have something like this under Gangwon Province Its unbelievable. How could this be? [Nothing is impossible with the power of abilities and capital.] Whirring. Upon entering through the front door, removing shoes, and opening the inner door, air rushed out from the sealed narrow space. Kyaa?! [Its a sterilization facility. Its designed to wash away contaminants, including radioactive contamination. The whole system runs on magic power.] What, why such a facility! [The Secret Society is thoroughly prepared.] Because you never knew when something might happen, bunkers had been built underground across the nation - no, around the world. [Further down underground, there are seed vaults, cultivation rooms, external surveince cameras, and a lot more. There are also clothes avable for changing.] Isnt that clothing meant for future use? [Its for the future, yes, but these bunkers arent just for nuclear explosions or zombie apocalypses. They are also refuges where the core members of the Secret Society can take shelter at any time.] I pointed in the direction where a balcony and windows would be, had this been a hotel. [How about it?] The entire wall is a disy? [Yes. Its set up to simte the outside environment.] Even underground, the wall wasnt just a wall but was designed to disy the outside scenery for mental stability, allowing one to view thendscape outside. [Even if the Earth were to be destroyed, this ce is designed to survive until the Earths environment is restored, or civilization could start anew from here.] Aside from being located deep underground, its a space sufficiently suitable for human habitation. Of course, its far less ideal than breathing fresh air above ground. [Its all a precaution for any eventual situation. But lets not dwell on that for now. Currently, think of this ce as somewhere to choose new clothing, to create a costume.] Costume? [Youre not nning to im youre an S-ss in that outfit, are you?] . Yoon Iseon looked at herself with a somewhat vacant expression. The activity uniform of Sejong Academy. The color was white with ck stripes, and the sleeves were adorned with patterns in red and blue. Yes, reminiscent of the Taegukgi (Korean national g). Its somewhat fortunate that there wasnt a huge Taeguk symbol on the back, but the current outfit certainly didnt suit Yoon Iseon as a costume. [If thats your taste, I wont argue, but you should at least be able to create something suitable for after transforming. Like this.] Transformation. Pshhh. Ah, Dodjirider? [Its not exactly a form I want to transform into again, but clothing can indeed be created with magic power like this. Essentially, this.] I transformed the giant disy, which had been showing the outside scenery, into a nk canvas and sketched Yoon Iseons figure with magic power. [You are the entity in the center, the elongated limbs are extensions shaped by magic power, and clothing is a protectiveyer added on top.] Its Baek Seol-hees method of safely enveloping clothing with mana. Nana and Yumirs methods result in a transformation thats quicker than 1 second, but it caused the clothes to explode. I understand. So, its akin to wearing a shield as clothing, like a raincoat? [Good, youre quick to grasp concepts. Now, herees an important question.] I drew six symbols around Yoon Iseon. [How will you fight? We need to tailor a costume thatplements yourbat style.] Uh, youre taking this more seriously than I expected? [I have no intention of merely making you a simple S-ss.] Its all for your benefit, Mr. Goblin, isnt it? [Of course.] Elevating Yoon Iseon to an S-ss. If it werent advantageous for my, the Goblins, endeavors, I wouldnt have offered assistance, even to a student I was somewhat fond of. Even if I were aware of Yumirs true identity. [The more S-sses, the better, especially if those S-sses choose to be heroes rather than viins.] Im confused about something. [What is it?] Wouldnt the Secret Society be at a disadvantage if there are more S-ss heroes? Hypothetically, if I be an S-ss, I might end up interfering with your operations, Mr. Goblin. [Thats correct.] From the Secret Societys standpoint, what I was doing could be perceived as increasing their hurdles. Just as Nadeshiko obstructed me, S-ss heroes, who act in the interest of their nations justice, arepelled to thwart some of the Secret Societys endeavors. [At first nce, it might seem counterproductive to empower those who stand in my way, but from a broader perspective, it ultimately serves the Secret Societys ultimate goal.] And what is that? [World peace through world domination.] I alternated pointing between Yoon Iseon and myself. [Heroes with a sense of justice uphold peace and order in the light, and where dirty work is necessary, executioners duly step in to handle it. Thus, maintaining a bnce between light and darkness and, consequently, peace.] . [And if that hero sympathizes with the Secret Societys ideology or joins hands with the Secret Society, its even better.] Perhaps there are heroes who became S-ss while belonging to, or as members of, the Secret Society? [Youre smart. Thats why I enjoy discussing this with you.] I sat down opposite Yoon Iseon on the sofa. [I hope that as an S-ss hero, youll eventually join our Secret Society. Thats ultimately what I wish for you.] By ultimately, you mean theres something you expect from me in the short term? [As you learned and practiced on Sejong Ind, to walk the path of a hero who realizes social justice and protects civilians. As an S-ss.] Do you believe that can lead to world domination? [Of course. The process may be difficult, but if the result is world peace, its worth risking ones life for.] For a world where no wars or demons existed, or if they did cause harm, an organization stepped in immediately to minimize the damage. [The reason Im discussing this with you and specifically invited you here is nothing else. This ce has not even been shown to Sr tina.] Gulp. [I formally propose. Join the Secret Society, Yoon Iseon.] Yoon Iseon swallowed and looked at me seriously. [You just need to walk the path of a hero. If you think someone deserves execution, Ill take care of it.] The reason she became a fan of the Goblin. [I wont stop you if you decide to take action yourself, but if youd rather not dirty your hands, Ill step in.] At its core, she followed the ideology of the Secret Society deep down. If I join the Secret Society. Yoon Iseons eyes, tinged with pink, stared straight at me. Will I be able to see Goblins bare face? [Of course.] In that case. Yoon Iseon closed her eyes. You dont have to show me Goblins bare face. [?] I became a fan not because of Goblins appearance, but because of his actions. Instead. Yoon Iseon smiled broadly at me. I want to design a costume that suits the Goblins true form. [My true form?] Yes. One that suits how you truly fight. Yoon Iseon. I want to create my S-ss costume to match the one you wore when you fought Duoexini. Will you help me? Then, Ill cooperate. She was sincere. Chapter 214: Aftercare Is Certain (5) Chapter 214: Aftercare Is Certain (5) I was ted. So very ted. To Baek Seol-hee, I barely managed to hint at being the Goblin, never mind invite her into the Secret Society. To Yumir, even after revealing that I was part of the Secret Society and exining every single support the society offered, she only dipped her toes in. It was only towards the end of February, after infiltrating the Academy and nearly two and a half monthster, that I finally managed to recruit someone. My salesperson journey was not wrong. I wasnt specifically looking for a heroine. In my search for capable ability users, most turned out to be heroines, and in filtering out women involved in drugs or theft, I ended up making contact with Yoon Iseon. [Im d. Wee to the Secret Society. Now that youve joined, feelfortable] No, I cant! Yoon Iseon grabbed my wrist just as I was about to remove my mask. Never take it off! [I was thinking of showing my face beforehand, in case you get disappointedter.] Its okay since I already know. Please stay in your Goblin form when youre a Goblin. Thats my condition for joining the Secret Society! [What?] I had a hunch. As expected, perhaps. [You know who I am?] Yes. I know who you are. Ive been pretending not to know, so lets just move on. Whats important now is Yoon Iseon, who will soon be an S-ss, and the Goblin! [.] This kid was exhausting. Knowing that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin yet strictly distinguishing between the Goblin and Do Ji-hwan. Was this what being a fan was? I was starting to get a little scared. [When did you find out?] After I learned that Yumir is the Sr tina. [That was when Duoexini released the 72 demons.] Yes. Um, dont say anything to Yumir. It was just a guess. [I think I understand what kind of guess it was. You investigated Yumirs social rtionships, right?] Dont tell Yumir. It would hurt her feelings, so dont say it. As I expected. Yoon Iseon delved into my identity, leveraging the fact that Yumir had no friends. Yumir, devoid of friends, curiously followed only one man? Considering the rtionship with that man, its natural to suspect he knew that Yumir was the Sr tina. Because its the truth. [Now that youve joined the Secret Society, I wasnt nning to hide my identity, but if thats your wish, Illply.] Wow! Yoon Iseon spread her arms wide, her smile radiant. Thank you! You truly are the Goblin. Hehe. A tsundere who excels in fan service, as expected. [Dont use such terms lightly. Ive mentioned it a few times and only ended up causing unnecessary Rider hype.] But you do step in when it seems necessary, even if reluctantly. If such situations arise in the future. [If it can be resolved without assuming the Riders form, I wont do it. Ive decided to abandon the Rider persona.] With my identity now revealed to Yoon Iseon, I felt more at ease interacting with her. [So, Ms. Iseon, what concept have you decided on?] The Goblin doesnt speak like that. [Ill speak in a manner that feels natural to me.] If youre going to wear a mask,mit to it fully. [Its because Im in front of you, thats why.] Even in front of me, you should be consistent. Its problematic if you keep offering me the red pill. [Hmm.] If thats your stance. [Alright. Then, since referring to you simply as a student doesnt quite fit, Ill address you as Yoon Iseon for now. When the Chief assigns you a codename, Ill use that codename.] Oh. [Of course, the codename will be a pseudonym that wont lead anyone to think of you upon hearing it. It will be distinctly different from your hero name, simr yet different. For you, I can think of a few potential codenames.] What might those be? [Byakumenkimono. Or perhaps Tamamonomae.] Arent those Japanese? [Who would think its a Korean name if it sounds Japanese? Theyd assume its a fox-type ability user from Japan.] Thats the essence of how codenames work within the Secret Society. It began when the Hero Association started arbitrarily assigning names of evil spirits or monsters to the executives of the Secret Society. However, this practice had its own logic, and now everyone adopted monster or demon codenames. Someday, when the Secret Society conquers the world and emerges as the true world of light, it will shed the image of the monster Yi Maengmangnyang and be reborn as guardians of order. Except, the Goblin would remain just a Goblin. [The Hero Association will probablye up with a pseudonym for you once you be S-ss, but the pseudonym will reflect your essence. That is, the pseudonym will vary depending on the style ofbat you use.] I pointed to six symbols next to the picture of Yoon Iseon I had disyed earlier. [Assassin, warrior, mage, ranged dealer, supporter, tanker. Does this ssification sound familiar?] No. Itspletely different from the ssification at the Academy. [Well, I suppose so. Its one of the Secret Societys unique ssification methods. You wouldnt find it on the wiki.] Due to the cataclysm, the ravine no longer existed in this world. Had the ravine been created, then ability users would not have been able to y in it. Just five rounds in, and theyd start worrying about their parents. How could ability users with fragile mentalities possibly navigate the ravine? Which category does the Goblin belong to? [A supporter whos also an assassin?] What does that mean? How can Dodjirider be both a supporter and an assassin? [Its all an illusion created through technique. When you think about the role categories, this fits me.] Considering youre swinging a bat, wouldnt that make you a warrior? [Just a supporter who goes around executing viins with a bat.] For your information, I was the one who proposed this ssification to the Chief myself. I suggested dividing the roles of ability users into these six categories, and the Chief dly epted my proposal. [Each of these six categories is further divided into more specific subcategories. Even tankers are categorized into offensive and defensive types.] Vanguard and sentinel? [Yes. There are tankers who withstand the enemys attacks upfront, and those who protect allies and hold the shield. But since youre not a tanker, thats not relevant to you.] I began to eliminate roles one by one. In fact, I had a particr entity in mind that fit a role, but the image of a fox wasnt exclusive to that character. [There are two concepts that suit you.] A mage and a supporter? [Yes. While most ability users can easily be ssified as mages, youre a type of mage who uses your agility to exploit the enemys weaknesses. A me sorcerer with a fox concept.] Yoon Iseonsbat style involved using her small stature for mobility to dodge enemy attacks and efficiently firing bullet-like magical bullets. [You struggle a bit against opponents with strong durability, right?] Yes. Thats true. I had a hard time dealing damage when fighting against Ray Hwang. When facing Ray Hwang, her attacks didnt prate well, but now, with the full use of the mana in her mana pouch, the situation would be different. [Do you think you could beat Ray Hwang if you faced him again now?] Yes. Of course. I can definitely win. Just using the techniques the Goblin taught me is enough to win. Its not ttery or excessive self-consciousness. Yoon Iseons magic power had significantly increased just from awakening, enough to maintain her physical body without much trouble. She now has enough firepower to engage in a battle of strength without relying solely on mobility. [But Ray Hwang is at an A+ level, and you are now S-ss. You have to think about facing an S-ss.] . [You need to decide your path clearly. Whether to keep the samebat style with your increased body size or to choose a newbat style. I think.] Um, theres a bit of a problem with that. Yoon Iseon interrupted me. I want to match mybat style to my clothing concept. [What?] I want to choose clothes that fit the Goblins concept and then finalize mybat style as an S-ss to suit those clothes. [No.] Wait a minute. [Youve got the order reversed.] But now that Im S-ss, I can choose mybat style as I wish, right? [Well, yes, but.] Wouldnt that be the best way for me to be stronger? People should wear the clothes they want, not be wrapped in a concept they dont like. [.] There are people who changed theirbat style to focus on kicks just to fit into a Rider suit. And actually, many of them showed results in this tournament. [.] I wanted to argue, but thinking about the logic of this world, I couldnt find anything to refute because it made sense. [So you want your concept to be like mine?] Yes. If possible, please make it a couples set. If not a couples set, then something that feels aligned with the Goblin. [You sawst time, the form Ive changed into is closer to this.] I showed her the form I took when fighting Duoexini. Long disheveled hair and a ck hanbok. If I had topare, maybe a warrior Goblin from the Goryeo dynasty. Though the hair was made of magic power. [Youre going to match this?] Ah. Perfect. Yoon Iseons eyes sparkled as she pointed at the wall. It feels like having a general beside me who would protect me, so Ill go with the generals wife concept. [.] Traditional wedding attire would be nice. This one, this. Though the details might be different. [Got it.] Ability users. [Do as you wish.] If they were prevented from doing what they wanted, they became demons. And so. Yoon Iseon decided to develop her abilities, starting with her costume. Ah, this is traditional wedding attire for a queen or princess. [Spirit Charge doesnt suit this outfit, umm!] So. [Are you sure you want this outfit?] Yes. [Even if it kills you?] Yes. [Alright, do as you wish.] Yoon Iseonpletely sacrificed mobility for her costume. Because she had to match her S-ss costume with the hanbok costume the Goblin wore. Chapter 215: Yoon Iseon Forms A Contract Chapter 215: Yoon Iseon Forms A Contract Abilities were truly mysterious. Although I was not an expert on abilities, the more I delved into the world of abilities, the more wondrous it appeared. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Yoon Iseon, having exhausted all her magic power, slowly descended. The pink mes that had spread out around her began to fade, revealing Yoon Iseon¡¯s true form. ¡°It feels awkward.¡± Yoon Iseon frowns at how snugly her sleeves and ankles fit. ¡°It was sofortable being elongated, but now that I¡¯m back, it feels awkward.¡± Yoon Iseon rotated her wrists and ankles,menting the shortening of her limbs.There seemed to be a considerable amount of regret about returning to her original form from the one she had desired. [You¡¯ll get used to it, and that will reduce your magic power consumption. Right now, you¡¯re using magic power for your S-ss form, costume, and to refine yourbat skills, but at your level, you could maintain a transformed state permanently.] ¡°Really?¡± [It¡¯s simple logic. If the natural recovery rate of mana is higher than the consumption rate, the problem is solved.] It¡¯s just a matter of replenishing the mana in Yoon Iseon¡¯s mana reservoir as fast as it leaked out due to transformation. [Your mana pool is sorge that you can store a lot of mana normally. This being your first transformation, you¡¯re not used to the mana consumption yet. If you manage your mana consumption efficiently, you can maintain that form 24/7.] ¡°Really?¡± [I assure you. Of course, this is assuming ¡®normal circumstances¡¯.] If there was no need to use mana. If there was no need to act as a hero. In other words, if Yoon Iseon lived a life like a normal person, not as an S-ss ability user, she could maintain her transformation indefinitely. [But you, even if it means going back to your original form, you¡¯d fight when necessary, wouldn¡¯t you?] ¡°Yes. Not just because of my role as the student council president, but because I aspire to be a hero. It¡¯s unthinkable for a hero to refrain from acting out of selfishness.¡± Yoon Iseon ced her hand on her chest, smiling refreshingly. ¡°Thank you, Goblin. Thanks to you, I can save more people and be more helpful to many. I¡¯m grateful for everything, but let me start by expressing my gratitude for the most important thing.¡± [I¡¯m the one who should be thankful.] Once Yoon Iseon officially became an S-ss, it would be a major issue externally, and that would give me a chance to take care of my business in the meantime. [Yoon Iseon. I n to go abroad soon.] ¡°Abroad?¡± [Yes. I¡¯m going on an official mission for the society.] ¡°What about the academy?¡± [Just mix things up appropriately. The library will be fine with anyone keeping watch.] It¡¯s unfortunate for the existing library staff, but by entering the library, I had allowed the library director to have extra personnel and mobilize schrship students, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems with the library. [Before I leave, you need to create as much of an issue as possible on Sejong Ind.] ¡°So, should I openly show the world that I¡¯ve be an S-ss? My new look that I created with you, Goblin?¡± [Yes. That¡¯s the first thing I¡¯m asking of you, and it¡¯s the first directive as a member of the society.] ¡°Drawing aggro.¡± Yoon Iseon¡¯s eyes started to sparkle. Seemingly intrigued by the idea of carrying out a mission for the society, she perked up like a meerkat, waiting for me to say something. ¡°How should I draw aggro? Should I go around bragging that I¡¯m the winner?¡± [The society doesn¡¯t ask you to reveal your identity or give such missions. And we won¡¯t suddenly ask you to act as if you¡¯ve changed overnight. Instead, we¡¯ll assign you a usible mission that fits your situation.] I disyed a photo on the tablet inside the bunker. [Officially, you¡¯re A+ ss. You¡¯re the strongest among the A+ ss within Sejong Ind, and currently, you¡¯re moving in and out of the top 10 in South Korea¡¯s rankings.] ¡°It¡¯s already updated. The official ranking of the Korea Hero Association¡­11th ce?¡± [There are A+ ss heroes who graduated from the academy and are active in the field. Yoon Iseon. Do you know how the A+ ss is determined?] ¡°I lose to an S ss¡­ Ah!¡± Yoon Iseon snapped her fingers. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I should take on an S-ss! As it should have been!¡± [Yes. Originally, if you had defeated Ray Huang, you should have faced Hayabusa.] That was the flow. It just gotplicated because Hayabusa interfered with Ray Huang on his own. [There¡¯s still a way to finish that match. But right now, Hayabusa isn¡¯t in her right mind.] ¡°Because the Goblin scratched her mental state?¡± [¡­It wasn¡¯t exactly to scratch her mental state, but even for an S-ss, a 17-year-old high school girl isn¡¯t easily able to shake off that kind of stress.] The fact that she ruined the final match. The fact that she turned Ray Huang into a demon. And that it was to settle the dispute of the original Rider. It¡¯s not exactly Hayabusa¡¯s fault. If she was to be med, it¡¯s only because the aggro she pulled was on the Goblin. [There¡¯s no need to purposely provoke Hayabusa, who¡¯s out of her mental state. Instead, a better stage awaits you to prove your victory against her.] ¡°October, the Hero World Cup.¡± [Show your power then. If you don¡¯t face her directly, prove you¡¯re stronger by advancing to a higher round than Hayabusa.] ¡°I need to be stronger by then¡­ either Snow White level or, if higher, tinum Sun level.¡± Yoon Iseon narrowed her eyes and looked at me. ¡°Goblin. I have a question. Are you involved with tinum Sun, or is it Snow White?¡± [Do you want the truth and swallow the red pill, or just think whatever you want?] ¡°Is it Pandora¡¯s box level?¡± [It could be a despair worse than that.] ¡°¡­¡­Open.¡± Yoon Iseon took a deep breath and nodded. [All three of us have shared a patriotic moment.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [You won¡¯t go around talking about it, but since you¡¯re now part of my organization, I¡¯m telling you this. If you talk, it won¡¯t be me whoes after you, but tinum Sun will shut your mouth.] ¡°¡­¡­Patriotic?¡± Pfft. Yoon Iseon shoved her thumb through the ring she made with her fingers. [Yes.] ¡°Wow.¡± Responding earnestly to the tant gesture, Yoon Iseon covered her mouth with her hand and blinked. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s pointless to argue about who is the official one. As expected of the Goblin. Incredible. To have taken two S-ss heroes at once. Incredible.¡± [Incredible? Is that sarcasm?] ¡°No. I mean it. Wow¡­. To think that the person I admired took not one but two S-ss females. I¡¯m jealous. Really. How far did the patriotism go?¡± [Ulleung.] ¡°Are you going as far as marriage?¡± [I¡¯m a married man.] ¡°Adultery?! Wow¡­! Saying this much means you won¡¯t let it slide if I record anything! It also means you trust me that much!¡± [Exactly.] I approached Yoon Iseon, leaning forward to meet her gaze. [Since you¡¯ve epted my recruitment, this is information being shared as part of the organization. If this information leaks, I¡¯ll consider you a ¡®Viin¡¯ and execute you.] ¡°To ensure silence, you won¡¯t spare any means, right?¡± [Of course.] ¡°¡­¡­As expected, that¡¯s the Goblin. Not sparing women, executing viins with bad crimes without mercy. Yes. I¡¯ll keep that in mind. I won¡¯t disclose it to anyone. I¡¯m a person of few words.¡± Yoon Iseon nodded grandly, unflinching even as our faces were close enough to feel each other¡¯s breath. ¡°I won¡¯t meddle more than what the Goblin expects of the current Yoon Iseon, and I will do my best to ensure that the Goblin¡¯s identity is not exposed because of me. Furthermore, as an S-ss ability user, I will be even stronger and, someday, contribute to the society¡¯s influence in Korea, even if it¡¯s just a small part.¡± [Such an excellent response deserves praise.] I reached out and stroked Yoon Iseon¡¯s head. [Is there something you want? I¡¯m asking because I¡¯m impressed by your beautiful answer. If there¡¯s something you want, just tell me.] ¡°Wh-what I want¡­? Ah, then. Uh, uh, there¡¯s no paper right now, ah, shoot. Paper would leave evidence¡­¡± Mumbling to herself, Yoon Iseon turned her back to me. ¡°This might sound a bit weird, but¡­¡± Then, she slightly lifted her gym uniform, showing me her smooth back. ¡°¡­Could you sign my back? If you don¡¯t have a marker, a finger is fine too.¡± [¡­Should I just bring some paper?] ¡°Ah, no! Paper could leave evidence!¡± [¡­Then, I¡¯ll use my finger.] I ced my hand on Yoon Iseon¡¯s back. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± [Do you need something?] ¡°¡­Are you using your bare hand?¡± [¡­Why?] ¡°Could you wear a glove, please¡­?¡± [¡­¡­.] What an odd girl. Reluctantly, I took off my glove, put it back on, and signed Yoon Iseon¡¯s back. As soon as I finished signing, Yoon Iseon, supporting her back with both hands, giggled. ¡°Ah, feeling the Goblin¡¯s signature with my body¡­! To receive such a signature that no one has officially received before¡­!¡± [If you wish, I could give you more.] ¡°More? What, are you going to offer patriotism?¡± [If you want.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon frowned seriously for a moment. ¡°¡­I¡¯m okay with patriotism with the Goblin, but I¡¯d prefer if you didn¡¯t take off the mask. Ah, and¡­!¡± Yoon Iseon nced down then looked up. ¡°¡­I think I need to grow a bit to handle the Goblin¡¯s bat, so could we do it when I¡¯m ready¡­?¡± [Unexpected. I was nervously expecting a refusal.] ¡°¡­You know, marrying an idol is the ultimate dream of a fan. Even if I can¡¯t marry, there are other things¡­ ehehe.¡± [What if I take off the mask?] ¡°Eek.¡± Yoon Iseon genuinely looked disgusted. ¡°No matter how handsome, I¡¯m a fan of the Goblin. Sorry, ¡®Teacher Do¡¯.¡± [Am I being rejected?] ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve been rejected. I¡¯m Goblin one pick.¡± [This is an interesting experience. Well, good. As long as you cooperate with me. I¡¯m counting on you to draw aggro while I¡¯m abroad.] ¡°Yes. ¡­Oh, by the way, what¡¯s the asion for going abroad?¡± [That¡¯s.] ssified. [I usually wouldn¡¯t say, but since you¡¯ve joined the society, I¡¯ll tell you.] ssified, but. [I¡¯m going to annihte the Pandemonium¡¯s Southeast Asia branch.] It¡¯s okay to tell Yoon Iseon. [Returning as the society¡¯s executioner, as a Viin executioner.] ¡°¡­¡­Will I be able to seest year¡¯s Goblin!!¡± [Yes.] ¡°Wow¡­! To see again the Goblin from those days without blood or tears¡­! That¡¯s awesome!¡± This woman. She had been my fan since I was a C-ss. Chapter 216: S-Class Scanner (1) Chapter 216: S-ss Scanner (1) The ¡°Athletic Meet,¡± which could be called the major event of May, had ended. -Wow, this is what an academy is! -Let¡¯s just keep going like this! -What? Eliminated? That¡¯s what they callck of skills, LOL. Although there was an incident where Ray Huang became a Zenros in the final match, everyone was able to achieve satisfying results in their own way. -So, what do we do now? -??? -The postponed Athletic Meet has ended, and now there¡¯s nothing left but to continue going to school, right? May¡¯s event was over.Now, all that was left was to turn our heads towards June. -Is there an event in June? As academy undergraduates, they could only hope for some special event to happen. Although every event so far had led to major incidents involving demons or idents, they still waited, hoping such things wouldn¡¯t happen again. -There¡¯s no event in June! For students below college level, June was all about going to school, hanging out with friends, and talking. -Why is there nothing?! -It¡¯s because the college section is ending their semester. -How can that be! We have summer vacation in July! -Are college students and middle school students the same?! The curriculum between elementary to high school and college waspletely different. Even though the start times in March and September were simr, there were inevitable differences in between. So, what month was June for academy ¡°college section¡± students? -Hey!! Big content for the college section has dropped!! -What is it?! -Final exams!! -Oh, crazy! It was time to prepare for ¡°final exams¡± after finishing about 15 weeks of undergraduate lectures that started in March. -I don¡¯t want to study¡­! -If you be a demon because you don¡¯t want to study, the world will see you as a fool. -Sigh. True. It was uncertain whether the fervor for education deeply rooted in the Korean Penins could ovee the so-called demonic energy, or if the societal atmosphere and culture simply deemed the notion of ¡°bing a demon because you don¡¯t want to study¡± as uneptable. Academy undergraduates, without exception, began their preparations for final exams one by one. May hadn¡¯tpletely passed yet, but without any special events, it was likely to just pass like any ordinary day. However, when things got dull, there was always some gossip to stir things up. -Hey. Isn¡¯t there any Dark Charisma appearing around Ray Huang? -He¡¯s Chinese. Why would Dark Charisma appear around him? Mind your own business. The people abducted by Dark Charisma were all Koreans. -Chinese or not, he¡¯s a mana powder user. Rehabilitating him, if the drug effects are to be reversed, is going to be tough. Interest in the A-ss Zenros was lukewarm. Perhaps because many Zenros had already appeared before, and since it was confirmed that Ray Huang had consumed mana powder, public opinion about him was not favorable. Talking about it would only cause a headache. Then, it would be better to stir up some more positive gossip to pass the time more enjoyably. -Yoon Iseon is lucky. Now she¡¯s A+ ss. Gossip about Yoon Iseon, who became the strongest A+ ss, started to spread mainly on the inte. -Eh? Isn¡¯t that a half-victory? Perhaps because Yoon Iseon did not achieve an overwhelming victory against Ray Huang, some people seemed reluctant to acknowledge her as the winner. Was it to put an end to such public opinion? Or did the student council itself want to organize some event? Or perhaps, they wanted to prove that they had indeed reached a higher realm. -Hey! Yoon Iseon has thrown down a challenge to Armored Taejo! South Korea started burning with new gossip.
¡®The familiar smell of the underground storage.¡¯ Although it might not seem like a long time, given that Ie to the library five times a week, today the library¡¯s basement felt unusually empty. ¡®This is the perfect time to goof off.¡¯ I set my bag down on the desk and turned on theputer for checking out books before sitting down in the chair. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll read a book until someonees.¡¯ One of the great things about Sejong Ind was that you could read ebooks without having to go upstairs to borrow physical books, thanks to the internal intr of Sejong Ind. The selection wasn¡¯t vast, but the older books were scanned and uploaded as PDFs. ¡®To others, these may be ssics, but to me, they¡¯re all new.¡¯ Sitting at the desk and looking at an E-book made it appear as though I was working, so no one could bother me. Moreover¡­ ¡°Excuse me, are you the librarian?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. And you are¡­?¡± A female student wearing sses greeted me with a bow. Her uniform was from the college section, and she had a rather in appearance. ¡°I¡¯ve been selected as a work-study schrship student for the library.¡± ¡°Ah, you must be the student who was supposed toe today. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°My name is Min Jeong-hui.¡± ¡°Come this way. There¡¯s not much to do in the basement, so I¡¯ll just show you the essentials.¡± Just then, another work-study schrship student (with abilities) sent by the library director arrived, and I taught her the basic skills needed to work in the library. ¡°Being assigned to the basement isn¡¯t upsetting to you, is it?¡± ¡°No? Oh, no. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± She seemed a bit displeased about working alone at first, but fortunately, she didn¡¯t seem too bothered now. ¡°What¡¯s your ability?¡± ¡°Ah. I have telekinesis. I can move objects.¡± ¡°Then you can start with sorting books quickly. You can ce them one by one, but once you¡¯re skilled, you can directly stack them on the cart.¡± ¡°But, is this really all I have to do?¡± ¡°Yes. Another student wille to tidy up the books nicely.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another student¡­?¡± ¡°Theye to work during their free periods. I¡¯m in charge of managing that.¡± The number of books in the stacks was enormous. Even if there were no people on this floor, it¡¯s still a university library, and students interested in science or health oftene to borrow many books. ¡°If you think you¡¯re done with your work, you can read some books until it¡¯s time to leave. Then, check once more about 10 minutes before your time is up. This is what you, Jeong-hui, will be doing.¡± ¡°Is, is this really all I have to do?¡± ¡°Of course. Normally, it would take someone like me 2 hours to do this job, but with an ability user, it can be done in 10 minutes.¡± It¡¯s bitter to see the difference between ability users and non-ability users even here. ¡°How much do you get paid for work-study?¡± ¡°Uh, well, 90,000 won.¡± ¡°If we were to hire a normal person to organize the shelves with the wage you earn for an hour of work, the progress would be much less, even though they would be paid the same, considering the minimum wage.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is that so?¡± Min Jeong-hui chuckled, scratching her head. Judging by her name tag and the magical energy leaking out, she seemed to be about a D-ss. ¡°Oh. Did you get promoted recently? Your uniform epaulet looks new.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! I did get promoted. Luckily, I went from E-ss to D-ss.¡± ¡°Wow, congrattions. I hope you can advance to an even higher rank next time. Let me know if you need anything. You don¡¯t have to tell me if you¡¯re going somewhere, and if you want to read a book, there are sofas between the shelves on the inside where you can read.¡± The best thing was not to disturb me. After guiding Min Jeong-hui to the shelves and returning to the desk, I immediately picked up the internal phone. ¡°Ah, yes. Director? This is Do Ji-hwan.¡± [Oh, Ji-hwan. What¡¯s the matter that you called¡­?] ¡°This time, you sent me another schrship student. Thank you very much. It made my work easier.¡± [Oh, what are you talking about! The library has been thriving since you joined! Just ignore what the other librarians say¡­] ¡°Of course. Oh, Director, remember the stock consultation you had with me? Yes, about Southeast Asia. They say the outlook isn¡¯t good. It seems you should withdraw any stocks or funds you have and hold onto dors for a while.¡± [Ah, is that so? My, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t take better care of you, even though I get such good information from you every time. Uh, right! Come inter! ¡­Uh-hum. Then, Librarian Do, contact me anytime you need anything.] ¡°Of course.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I waited for the call to disconnect, but since they didn¡¯t hang up on their side, I ended the call first. From the library¡¯s perspective, I was a junior librarian, and Baek Ok-gi was the director. However, from the perspective of the secret society, I was at the executive level. Although Baek Ok-gi had not joined the society, she received sponsorship from it. Someday, when the society conquered the world, she would be a member. Until then, I could only help her increase her assets legally without any problems. ¡®It¡¯s really amazing what the society can do.¡¯ The method of drawing people from all walks of life into the society was, to put it bluntly, ¡®money¡¯. Even in the age of abilities, since capitalism was the foundation, money was something that tempted both non-ability users and ability users alike. And now, a grand gamble was unfolding. ¡°Yoon Iseon vs. Armored Taejo. Who will be the winner?¡± I checked the headline prominently ced on the front page of the morning newspaper. The article was written respectfully, as it was a newspaper, but the gist and direction of the article mostly judged Yoon Iseon¡¯s actions as ¡®recklessness¡¯. In one sentence. No matter how much Armored Taejo was considered as an S-ss scanner, it¡¯s not for no reason he was at the bottom of the S-ss. Over the years, many A-ss individuals had imed they were S-ss, but none had surpassed even Armored Taejo. The difference between the majors and minors was stark; if S-ss was the professional league, then A-ss was akin to the minor leagues. If there was someone who surpassed Armored Taejo, that person would be ssified as S-ss. There were cases like Cheok Jun-kyeong and Noh Jae, who became S-ss, but those were extremely rare. -So, is Yoon Iseon as outstanding as Cheok Jun-kyeong and Noh Jae? -The one who couldn¡¯t even beat Ray Huang? Right now, the world was disparaging Yoon Iseon¡¯s recklessness. And it should. -Student council president? Yoon Iseon? Let¡¯s see. Heheh. -Armored Taejo, challenge epted! Invites Yoon Iseon to Busan Comprehensive Stadium!! ¡®I can¡¯t resist the reverse bet.¡¯ My billion won was currently on HeroToto. ¡°Bet against the favorite.¡± Yes. I had bet a billion won on Yoon Iseon¡¯s victory. Chapter 217: S-Class Scanner (2) Chapter 217: S-ss Scanner (2) Working as an agent for a secret society and receiving money periodically, it¡¯s clear that the funds entering my ount would be under national surveince. As the saying went, the IRS was scarier than the FBI; taxation was a serious matter. And what the state monitored most closely was ck money, funds that appeared suddenly without undergoing tax procedures. -¡°Where did the 10 billione from? For someone whose annual ie is 30 million won. No gifts, no lottery win. How did youe to purchase a 33-pyeong apartment in Busan out of nowhere?¡± -¡°I, I picked it up in a garlic field!¡± -¡°So, you¡¯ve acquired it illegally? You need to pay acquisition tax.¡± -¡°Th, that¡¯s!¡± Touching ck money carelessly meant not only dealing with its original owners but also facing immediate investigation by the tax authorities if spent recklessly. -¡°Do you know when viins are caught most foolishly? When they steal someone else¡¯s money, buy real estate with it, or spend an excessive amount of moneypared to their annual ie.¡±Taxation was of utmost importance to agents, members, and coborators of the secret society. -¡°Don¡¯t get caught by governments around the world over mere tax issues.¡± Whether through paperpanies or other means, the Chief¡¯s directive was to avoid investigation by tax authorities for suspicious fund movements. -¡°Ahh, why would the society bother hiring ountants, taxwyers, and clerical staff! To legally process all that money!¡± To avoid hassle. -¡°But then, wouldn¡¯t weck a method to financially influence the powerful?¡± -¡°For that, we¡¯ve prepared a strategy. Hehehe.¡± The Chief suggested a method to coborators spread across countries to deal with tax authorities in a valid, reasonable manner that even they would begrudgingly acknowledge. -¡°I¡¯ve identified a skyrocketing stock through the power of future foresight. Exactly 43 days from now, it¡¯s going to surge, so contact the agents to invest in this stock.¡± -¡°But, is it okay to use this ability? It¡¯s future foresight.¡± -¡°It¡¯s better to use it and profit for the society¡¯s activities than to let it go to waste!¡± For instance, advising on buying specific stocks. -¡°I¡¯ve confirmed the Minister of Land¡¯s new city development project through the power of mind control. Now, subtly purchase real estate around this area!¡± -¡°But this is just a barren field.¡± -¡°Trust me. I¡¯ve already investigated the Minister of Land¡¯s rtives visiting real estate agencies around here.¡± Or, advising to hold onto real estate redevelopments for about three years before cashing out big. -¡°Money, money, money. Operating a massive organization like the society requires a huge amount of funds. And the most important thing is to ¡®legally¡¯ manage it. What do you think is the easiest way to collect people¡¯s money, Manager Do?¡± -¡°¡­Mobile character collection-type gacha games?¡° -¡°Oh, I hadn¡¯t thought of reaching that far. Manager Do, prepare a PPT right away!¡± Or teaching ways to amass huge amounts of money within the realm of legality. The most representative example was the lottery, and fitting for the era of ability users, the ¡®Hero Toto¡¯. For instance¡­ What if S-ss ability user Goblin and S-ss ability user Snow White fought each other? Though such a match was rare in reality, if these battles were to ur regrly or be popr, many would watch. And if betting was involved? -¡°Can¡¯t resist gambling!¡± Even if real money was involved, as long as it was a sports lottery operated legally by the state, even if a lot of the fees and dividends were taxed, it could still make a huge amount of money. -¡°When will ¡®your¡¯ Do be taken? Can¡¯t even start in the selection, a washed-up has-been ww¡± -¡°To the Toto we go! Oooo! Lord Do! As always, the best!!¡± -¡°¡­If only one less goal had been scored. Making a hat-trick bying off the bench.¡° Even regr sports drew massive poprity with sports Toto. But what if it¡¯s a battle between ability users? -¡°It¡¯s inhuman to resist this!¡± -¡°Banish those boring ball games! It¡¯s the era of hero battles now!¡± -¡°TenniPre is¡­ a surrealistic!¡± To be able to watch superpower battles, which one would only see in movies orics, in real time, and even gamble on them? It¡¯s bound to explode in poprity. Humans would sell even the waters of the Daedong River if it meant making money, let alone the ashes of dead ability users. So, how could they ignore a market that opens a gambling scene around the existence of ability users and collects dividends? Especially a government-sanctioned ¡®legal¡¯ market? ¡°Hero Toto? Are you talking about the one that became legal five years ago?¡± ¡°Is there another Hero Toto?¡± ¡°Of course, there are many. It used to operate illegally and in secret, but it started being officially operated by the government five years ago.¡± Brewer was well-versed in the history of Hero Toto. ¡°It was officially approved by the Hero Association in 2020 and began full operation in 2021. Now, in 2025, the market is operating sessfully. End of the wiki reading.¡± ¡°Being in 2021 means¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just make kids fight in Hero Toto. Having adults gamble on minors¡¯ battles is a bit much, so only battles between adult ability users are organized.¡± It seemed that Hero Toto only began to emerge into the limelight in 2020 when adult ability users started to appear one by one, perhaps because it was embarrassing to make minors with abilities fight each other for money. That means it was only popr in the underworld before. As soon as it came into the light, the system was already in ce. ¡°It seems like Manager Do isn¡¯t interested in old stories.¡± ¡°The only old stories I¡¯m interested in are actual old tales. Or anything rted to the secret society.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. But Manager Do, have you tried Hero Toto?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried it a few times. Just once or twice, to see how it works.¡± Even though I had bought lottery tickets and such in reality, I had never tried sports Toto. My interesty in novels, not in real sports. ¡°Then you don¡¯t know much about the most recent issue?¡± ¡°The most recent issue would be the big sports festival, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. That time¡­ the world turned upside down, and so did the world of Hero Toto.¡± Brewer disyed the history of all the Hero Totos that took ce this year on the screen. ¡°Did you know about the 120 billion won that vanished when Yoon Iseon won the big sports festival?¡± ¡°Sounds like a specific figure, but 120 billion won just flew away?¡± ¡°People who bet on Ray Hwang lost all their money. Ray Hwang was one of the favorites to win. The amount bet on him was a whopping 120 billion won.¡± ¡°¡­There was a Hero Toto for the one-day tournament?¡± ¡°The system is in ce, so they were betting on each round while watching it live at the venue. The big sports festival Toto was essentially betting on the spot.¡± The reactions in the Hero Totomunity that Brewer showed were explosive. -Those who tried to suck up to the traitor coin kk Gulp! -Our countryman made it to the finals, who wouldn¡¯t patriotically bet? Anyone bet on the nationality-switcher three times?! -This is a scam?? The academy dean rigged it for Yoon Iseon to win. What win, when it was doomed by Hayabusa? Naturally, those celebrating Yoon Iseon¡¯s victory were the ones who made money, and those denying it had all lost their money. ¡°So there was a lot of talk. People who bet on Ray Hwang lost their money, so they¡¯re saying Yoon Iseon¡¯s win is invalid.¡± ¡°Understandable. It¡¯s an ufortable victory, and they lost money on top of it. But Jumo, did you bet here?¡± ¡°I only bet on sure wins. Yumir. Yoon Iseon. Thanks to them, I made a profit. Hehehe.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t the odds against?¡± ¡°To me, they were sure wins. Both are not just anyone but the ones Manager Do is after. Hehehe.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Buy me dinner sometime.¡± Going from E-ss to D-ss involved betting, and so did determining the winner who was recognized as A+ ss. ¡°Brewer. So now that Armored Taejo has epted the challenge, does that mean Hero Toto is happening?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not just any Hero Toto. If Yoon Iseon wins, it¡¯s the moment ¡®the eighth S-ss¡¯ is born. Will the Reader win, or will a new S-ss emerge? Even just the legal betting is seeing real-time increases in stakes, and illegal sites have already raised 200 billion won in stakes even though the battle is still a week away.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s fitting for the era of great abilities.¡± If this is what entertainment in this world is like. I n to use this entertainment to duplicate the money in ¡®Do Ji-hwan¡¯s ount.¡¯ ¡°Jumo. I¡¯m going to bet 1 billion won from my ount now. Help me with it.¡± ¡°Who are you betting on?¡± ¡°Obviously, Yoon Iseon.¡± Beep beep beep. I made a call. [Yes, teacher. This is Yoon Iseon.] ¡°Do you have time at 10 p.m. tonight?¡± [¡­I can¡¯t go out.] ¡°That¡¯s okay. Is the time alright?¡± [Yes.] ¡°Then, I¡¯ll call you again at that time.¡± I summoned Yoon Iseon. ¡°Brewer. Gather all the information on Armored Taejo.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Manager Do, surely not?¡± ¡°Need to prepare.¡± I reached out towards a spoon on the distant kitchen table. Click. The spoon flew through the air into my hand, and I grasped the spoon, gently shaking it. ¡°The trick is done by the Goblin, but the money is eaten by Do Ji-hwan.¡± It¡¯s a perfect n. ¡°I will be Armored Taejo and spar with Yoon Iseon.¡± Everything was for. The victory of Yoon Iseon. And for my bank ount. ¡°How cheap. Raising it yourself only to profit off it.¡± ¡°Cheap? It¡¯s a strategic investment.¡± There¡¯s nothing illicit about it. ¡°I¡¯m just betting 1 billion won on the underdog with the heart of a beast.¡± Investing was a personal choice, after all. Chapter 218: S-Class Scanner (3) Chapter 218: S-ss Scanner (3) To turn my 1 billion into 10 billion, or rather, for the victory of Yoon Iseon, I called Yoon Iseon out separately. [Always thankful, tinum Sun.] ¡°Why go out of your way to call me tinum Sun? Since it¡¯s just Iseon here, feel free to call me casually.¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t just call her out for no reason. Yumir teleported us to a quiet ce with few people around. ¡°Goblin sir, where are we?¡± [At a military golf course in Gyeonggi-do.] ¡°Is it okay to train here in the middle of the night?¡± [It¡¯s a military ce, so it doesn¡¯t matter. There won¡¯t be any problems if we set up a barrier.] I pointed at the surrounding space, filled only with darkness.[Even if we get caught, it¡¯s a ce where we can properly manage the situation.] ¡°At a military base?¡± [What matters is that it¡¯s the ¡®golf course¡¯ of a military base. We can solve everything with special abilities. Don¡¯t worry.] Whether it¡¯s brainwashing, memory maniption, or a whack on the head with the Goblin¡¯s bat, there were many methods. [Yoon Iseon. When is the day you fight against Armored Taejo?] ¡°May 28th.¡± [Only a week left. Have you gotten used to your awakened state during this time?] ¡°Yes.¡± Yoon Iseon nced at Yumir and then released her magic power. Goooo. Pink mes wrapped around her, and soon Yoon Iseon transformed into her new form - Sexy Sister Yoon Iseon. [The time it took to get dressed after transforming is 7 seconds. Much faster thanst time.] ¡°I learned a lot while consulting with Yumir.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Yumir stood next to Yoon Iseon in the costume of the Golden Priestess. The sight somewhat resembled two foreigners cosying in Hanbok, which was a bit funny, but I refrained fromughing and pointed the Goblin¡¯s bat forward. [Yumir. Please take care of the barrier.] ¡°Leave it to me. But after we finish¡­ you know?¡± [Ah. I¡¯ll make sure you can sleepfortably, so please do your best.] Yumir might feel like a mere bystander brought along for Yoon Iseon¡¯s sparring, but since Yumir had things under control on their end, it was fine. [Now, think of it as facing Armored Taejo. It might be quite different from Armored Taejo¡¯s actual fighting style, but I¡¯ll fight you in the style of Armored Taejo as I¡¯ve fought him so far.] Paaat! I first transformed the mana wrapping around my body into a new form. [One of Armored Taejo¡¯s fighting methods. Fast approach using the suit¡¯s jet propulsion.] Taat. I kicked off the ground and unleashed magic power beneath my feet to approach Yoon Iseon in an instant. [How will you respond?] ¡°Like this!¡± Having already noticed my approach¡ªas I said¡ªYoon Iseon extended one foot slightly to the side and spun her body around. [A light dodge and a counterattack at the same time. Excellent.] Whooosh! Foxfire sprang up around Yoon Iseon, spinning around her. If I had continued to charge forward, I would have been hit squarely by the spinning mes. [But how will you deal with this?] Paaang! Suddenly, my view shifted towards Yoon Iseon. My body, while facing forward, moved sideways in the direction Yoon Iseon had dodged. ¡°Inertia¡­?!¡± [I absorbed the inertia with magic power.] Continuing forward, I twisted to the side in the same motion I was running. Naturally, there was a slight load from inertia on my body, but I easily ignored that load and suppressed it with magic power. [It¡¯s Armored Taejo¡¯s specialty.] Inertia was absorbed by magic power. Thinking that it¡¯s ¡®possible¡¯ for thews of magic power to bend the direction of kic energy moving forward perpendicrly, I moved my body. [Right now, I¡¯m slightly overloaded, but Taejo would do it easily. I changed the direction of the mana expulsion, but he would have the help of machinery.] ¡°Is moving like this because the power of mana expulsion is stronger than rocket propulsion?¡± [Yes. When fighting against a superpower user, don¡¯t try to analyze the opponent¡¯s superpower, unless it¡¯s a situation where you must understand it to fight.] I thrusted forward with a punch. Not to attack, but to demonstrate how Armored Taejo would attack in this manner. [After showing this movement, Armored Taejo mainly uses his fists. However, he will use a different method against you. Like this.] I pulled back my shoulder and, as ifunching a forward kick, stepped into the air and briefly struck the void with my fist. ¡°Blow away with a shockwave?¡± [Yes. Why do you think he would use this method against you?] ¡°Because I¡¯m weak?¡± [Because you¡¯re a woman. He¡¯s a feminist.] Even as I spoke, I wondered if it was okay to use that term, but I simply used the word as it is defined in the dictionary. [Against men, he goes straight with a punch. Against women, he uses a shockwave like this. Especially if he thinks the opponent is weaker, he¡¯ll definitely do it this way.] ¡°¡­Then, what should I do?¡± [Try what you just thought of.] The moment I made a threatening gesture towards her, Yoon Iseon immediately thought of how to respond and then stopped. Because the opponent was me. [It¡¯s okay. Go ahead.] ¡°Then¡­¡± Towards my fist that was reaching out to create a shockwave, Yoon Iseon extended her hand from the wide sleeve of her hanbok and formed a triangle with both hands. ¡°Expulsion!¡± Whoosh! Pink mes burst out from the triangle formed by the thumbs touching each other and the index fingers meeting. Normally, I would have dodged to the side, but I acted ording to Armored Taejo¡¯sbat habits. ¡°Huh?!¡± [This is what Taejo would do.] I leaned my head back and didn¡¯tpletely dodge the attack. [He¡¯s weak to counterattacks at the moment he tries to attack. Especially if it¡¯s right as he¡¯s trying to attack.] Whoosh! The mes bursting from the triangle formed by fingers clung to my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry!¡± [No, it¡¯s Armored Taejo¡¯s fault. He would dodge like this. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It was intentional to get hit. You can¡¯t be careless.] I couldn¡¯t make a fuss like Armored Taejo would. [Whatever his reaction, the next attack will be this.] [Cast OFF]. As the voice flowed from the belt, Yoon Iseon¡¯s eyes widened, and I dispersed the magic gloves I was wearing, just like Armored Taejo. ¡°Gaak!?¡± [He¡¯s still immersed in the world of Riders. And he will attack using the Rider transformation gimmick. Like this.] I pressed down on the slightly shaken mask. Yoon Iseon almost fell backward from the armor explosion but, before falling, supported herself with one hand on the ground and jumped back gracefully,nding elegantly. [¡­One question.] ¡°What is it?¡± [Why wear white stockings under a skirt that goes down to the ankles?] ¡°You don¡¯t know anything!¡± Yoon Iseon lifted her skirt up to her knees and held her head high. ¡°White stockings are a serious matter!¡± [Your underwear showed.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [It seems you didn¡¯t think that far.] Yoon Iseon, down. Sometimes, a superpower user lost not because of physical defeat but because of a moment of embarrassment. [I guess I need to show a good example. Yumir.] ¡°Yes?¡± [Excuse me for a moment.] I reached out with my Goblin¡¯s bat towards Yumir¡¯s skirt hem and lifted it up. ¡°Kyaa?!¡± The scream came not from Yumir, but from Yoon Iseon¡¯s mouth. ¡°Even if we¡¯re patriotic allies! Uh, uh¡­?¡± ¡°Hehe. Ta-da.¡± [There¡¯s something called the absolute territory.] Yumir¡¯s lower half was like ck mist, showing nothing. You¡¯d expect to see a silhouette at least, but it seemedpletely covered in ck mist. [Since your opponent is Armored Taejo, it might not matter much, but among viins, especially malicious ones, there are cases of sexual harassment. You need to be prepared for such situations and manage well even inside.] ¡°I covered this part with magic power as if I¡¯m wearing ck leggings. How about it?¡± ¡°Indeed. But¡­ how long are you going to keep exposing it?¡± [Hmm.] I withdrew my Goblin¡¯s bat. [If white stockings are your taste, I can¡¯t help it-] ¡°Do you prefer white or ck stockings, Goblin sir?¡± [I like both. As long as the person wearing them is pretty.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± My response to Yoon Iseon left her somewhat dazed. ¡°Teacher. She¡¯s now applying what you said about liking to her stocking color-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a teacher! It¡¯s Goblin!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Goblin! Don¡¯t call him teacher!¡± Yoon Iseon ended up shouting back when Yumir and I casually pushed the red pill too far. ¡°¡­Uh, right. Then¡­ Trainer? Should I call you Trainer?¡± [That might be better. Right now, I¡¯m a trainer helping Yoon Iseon. So, Iseon. The battle with Armored Taejo is just the ¡®prologue¡¯. His variations are incredibly diverse. He even doesn¡¯t hesitate to use other people¡¯s techniques.] ¡°Like when Goblin exploded the armor?¡± [Yes.] Why? Because it¡¯s cool. If a technique looked cool over being practical, that¡¯s Armored Taejo¡¯s way. [We¡¯ll continue sparring, but I¡¯ll teach you the ¡®surefire winning technique¡¯ against him.] ¡°Surefire¡­? Not to kill, right?¡± [It¡¯s a technique to defeat the S-ss Rank 7, pushing him to S-ss Rank 8. It¡¯s also the easiest way for you to win.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon licked her lips. My suggestion must seem like a devil¡¯s temptation. Especially since others still consider her a fake champion or an A-ss, here¡¯s a sure way to solidly reach S-ss Rank 7. ¡°It¡¯s not something bad, right¡­?¡± [Not at all. If you defeat Armored Taejo with this technique, he¡¯ll cleanly ept his defeat.] The ultimate technique that might cause Armored Taejo to lose his will to fight. The most suitable technique for Yoon Iseon right now. [For now, let¡¯s tentatively name it ¡®Corona ster¡¯.] Chapter 219: S-Class Scanner (4) Chapter 219: S-ss Scanner (4) After asking Yumir to train Yoon Iseon¡­ I returned to my quarters and turned on the TV. -¡­Yoon Iseon, who could be considered the winner of the recent sports festival, has thrown down the gauntlet. What do you think? -Anyone can challenge. It¡¯s just a matter of whether it leads to victory or not. Haha. I¡¯d like to give her a break since she¡¯s older than me, but I am an S-ss reader after all. -Hmm, to say that yourself. -I¡¯m not particrly embarrassed. I always think, ¡®You have to be stronger than me to be S-ss.¡¯ If you¡¯re weaker, you¡¯re A-ss. Having too many S-sses would be a problem in its own way, right? Hahaha. On TV, Armored Taejo was giving an interview on a talk show. His demeanor was undeniably arrogant, but I understood his feelings. ¡®Knowing he¡¯s the favorite.¡¯The odds of Armored Taejo winning were 89.2%. Considering Yoon Iseon only had a 10.8% chance of winning, practically 9 out of 10 people expect Armored Taejo to win. ¡®But what if Sexy Sister Yoon Iseon steps in?¡¯ Sister Yoon Iseon. An expert who hadpleted S-ss awakening and received training from me. She might lose to other S-sses due to ack of experience, but she could beat Armored Taejo. Even if she lost to all other S-sses in the world, she would definitely win against Armored Taejo right now. Because I had tailored the training specifically for her. If people knew about Sister Yoon Iseon¡¯s existence and that the Goblin taught her from the side? And that she even learned S-ss magic control with the support of tinum Sun? ¡®Then Yoon Iseon would be the favorite.¡¯ Many would bet on Yoon Iseon¡¯s victory. If that information leaked, my odds would surely drop, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. Especially since my 1 billion in the bank could multiply tenfold, or even more, as the odds kept getting better. ¡®I must win this time.¡¯ The assets the Goblin had were akin to cryptocurrency. No matter if the Goblin¡¯s assets in the Secret Society Coins were worth tens or hundreds of billions in the future, for now, since Secret Society Coins were not the base currency, I had no choice but to use cash in won and dors. Over the past six months, I had frantically gathered cash through a shellpany. The 1 billion is not my entire fortune, but it represents 70% of the avable cash that the man named Do Ji-hwan had put into this bet. This battle, I must win. I purposely didn¡¯t tell Yoon Iseon, ¡®I bet 1 billion on you.¡¯ In case Yoon Iseon might say, ¡®So, you see me as a way to make money? I¡¯m disappointed.¡¯ and purposely lost. As it stood, Yoon Iseon was sure to win. Right now, Yumir was sparring in a manner simr to Armored Taejo, so as long as she used that experience, she could not lose. Unless there¡¯s some external pressure from somewhere else. Beep. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I was looking at the betting screen in my room when my Taeguk Watch rang. ¡°Ah, hello, Seol-hee. It feels like it¡¯s been a while since we talked.¡± [It really has been. I haven¡¯t had the chance to call you directly. And often, I couldn¡¯t pick up when you called.] It was Baek Seol-hee. [Are you on Ulleungdo by any chance? Then¡­.] ¡°I¡¯m on Sejong Ind. At my quarters.¡± [¡­I¡¯m on Sejong Ind as well.] ¡°It¡¯s ironic. We¡¯re both on the same ind, but it¡¯s harder to meet than if we were on Ulleungdo.¡± Sejong Ind was a difficult ce to meet carelessly, as many people were watching. [Is Yumir there?] ¡°No. I¡¯m alone right now. She¡¯s out training with a friend for the night.¡± After I had asked Yumir to train Yoon Iseon¡­ I apologize for implying Yumir had a friend¡­ that wasn¡¯t my intention. ¡°I understand.¡± Indeed, Yumir didn¡¯t have friends and barely made one due to the demon incident and practice in two months. ¡°It¡¯s a bit awkward for me to go out now, would you like toe over?¡± [¡­I¡¯ll be there soon. The front entrance has CCTV, so I¡¯ll enter through the balcony. Please open the door.] ¡°Understood.¡± The call ended. I quickly organized the materials I had researched about Armored Taejo and opened the door for Baek Seol-hee to enter. ¡®Will she just barge in?¡¯ Given that she¡¯s ¡®Snow White¡¯, her white appearance was bound to stand out at night, no matter how much she tried to conceal it. If she were to dash at the speed of light, it¡¯d be fine, but those with good dynamic vision might catch a glimpse of Baek Seol-hee jumping into a man¡¯s window. Well, if caught, Baek Seol-hee would take responsibility. ¡®Is sheing by spatial movement?¡¯ I wondered if Baek Seol-hee had learned to move through space like Yumir. Yumir herself said she hadn¡¯t taught Baek Seol-hee the principles of spatial movement, so if she were to use it, she must have figured out the principles on her own. If so, a true S-ss- Ssssh. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± It started to rain from the sky. The weather forecast had only predicted a 10% chance of rain, but the unexpectedly heavy raindrops were indeed a downpour. ¡°Could this be-¡± Ssh. A figure wrapped in something resembling a poncho appeared in front of the window. Had I not been mentally prepared, I would have been startled, but fortunately, the person who appeared in a ck matte raincoat was someone I knew. ¡°Did you prepare that in advance?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Baek Seol-hee entered through the balcony window. I closed the window and immediately drew the ckout curtains, and Baek Seol-hee, dripping water, stretched her hand downwards. ¡°Gather.¡± At Baek Seol-hee¡¯s softmand, the water droplets clinging to her raincoat and those that had fallen to the floor began to coalesce towards her hand. ¡°Is anyone else here?¡± ¡°No. Unless Yumir shows up suddenly, it¡¯s just you, Seol-hee, today.¡± ¡°¡­Then, that¡¯s a relief.¡± Baek Seol-hee, now with a rxed smile, threw the water droplets into the sink, took off her raincoat, and then. ¡°Sigh.¡± She threw herself onto the bed. Dressed in a white shirt and a suit skirt, she appeared quite tired today. ¡°What did those balding old men say this time?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± As I approached Baek Seol-hee and ced my hand on her thigh, she pouted her lips. ¡°Listen, I¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I only know about dating from dramas, so¡­ I¡¯m not really sure how it works. So¡­¡± ¡°Is this what you want?¡± I approached Baek Seol-hee from behind and hugged her. ¡°Do you feel a bit more at ease now?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just a bit, I feelfortable. I could fall asleep like this.¡± ¡°You can sleep.¡± ¡°And if you¡¯re not going to sleep, then?¡± ¡°That sounds good too.¡± ¡°¡­Maybe a bitter.¡± Baek Seol-hee picked up her hero badge she was wearing around her neck. ¡°I might get busier soon.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll be dragged around more for S-ss government events. After the university department lectures end, I might have to stay in Busan during the vacation to attend to foreigners.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re the second-ranked S-ss?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Baek Seol-hee sped the hand that was wrapped around her waist. ¡°You¡¯re going to keep working here, right?¡± ¡°For now?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®for now¡¯? Where would you go? Follow me to Busan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. I could rent a ce in Busan. Though it¡¯s ridiculously expensive.¡± ¡°¡­Should I secretly buy a pension?¡± ¡°If you buy a pension, they¡¯ll install CCTVs all around. They might not be able to film your house, but they¡¯ll try to dig into who you are by investigating the types and numbers of cars thate and go.¡± ¡°Then¡­I can just teleport from Busan to here.¡± Suddenly, I felt a chill down my spine. I was the one hugging her from behind, but it felt like Baek Seol-hee was hugging me from behind- ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I felt something on my back. A hand sneaked inside the shirt I was wearing, and I could feel a chill climbing up my spine. It wasn¡¯t just a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu or a sensation felt through magic, but a real, cold sensation. As if someone had pressed their cold, frozen hand against my back in winter. ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A new skill.¡± ¡°Two Baek Seol-hees?¡± ¡°Ta-da.¡± Baek Seol-hee, with her hand on my back, chuckled and hugged me from behind. ¡°Which one is real?¡± ¡°The one I¡¯m hugging.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure right away? You just guessed, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The Baek Seol-hee hugging me from behind, I can only feel the chest, but with the one I¡¯m hugging, I can feel her heart.¡± ¡°¡­What? Have you been reading too many romance novels?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Baek Seol-hee puffed her cheeks and turned towards me. Suddenly, I found myself lying next to Baek Seol-hee, who was lying straight, but she didn¡¯t mind my hand on her stomach and stretched her hand out to the side. ¡°It would be great to teleport, but Yumir wouldn¡¯t teach me that till the end. Well, I understand. It¡¯s like a rivalry thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, I thought of another way. This.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s clone, which had risen from the bed, looked exactly like her. The clothes were the same as Baek Seol-hee¡¯s, but it seemed more expressionless, like a doll. A cold ice doll. ¡°Back to original.¡± Snap! Baek Seol-hee snapped her fingers, and the clone immediately turned into a block of ice. ¡°I can make it move like me with magic power. And this is also possible. For example¡­¡± The Baek Seol-hee I was hugging scattered like dry ice in an instant. The white fog quickly seeped into Baek Seol-hee¡¯s doll, and soon, life began to emerge in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s frozen doll. Crack! The ice crystals broke, revealing Baek Seol-hee. ¡°¡­¡­Wow.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at this ability I was seeing for the first time. It was amazing enough that a human could be like dry ice, but to then inhabit a prepositioned ice doll and appear in its ce was something else. ¡°Is this, by any chance?¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ve managed to achieve something akin to spatial movement with this ice doll.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s incredible. How did youe up with that?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Baek Seol-hee returned to the bed, flopped down on top of me¡ªwho had awkwardly sat up¡ªand nestled her face in my shoulder. ¡°I wanted to see you without anyone finding out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What do you think? Now, I can sneak into your room as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a¡­remarkable ability.¡± Creak. ¡°Why? Are you concerned about your privacy being invaded?¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes were shaped into crescent moons. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not the type to barge into others¡¯ rooms unannounced. I¡¯ll only enter if you give me permission. However.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s face gently lifted to hover above my cheek. ¡°I¡¯d like to leave one of my dolls with you, so I can visit anytime.¡± Chapter 220: S-Class Scanner (5) Chapter 220: S-ss Scanner (5) One. Baek Seol-hee had somewhat guessed that I was the Goblin. I essentially told Baek Seol-hee, ¡°I am the Goblin,¡± in a roundabout way, and I had thrown various hints her way. But still, the reason Baek Seol-hee left me alone was because she harbored romantic feelings for me. I confessed my feelings for her too, and Baek Seol-hee has now proposed her ownpromise. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying there¡¯s a doll of me at your house?¡± ¡°Yes. If it were up to me, I¡¯d make it foldable so I could carry it in my suitcase when traveling far. This is the limit for now.¡± Baek Seol-hee reached out her hand again and created a clone. ¡°I can¡¯t make it smaller, only a 1:1 scale. It¡¯s a clone, after all.¡± The clone made of ice quickly came to life, then snuggled up behind me, rubbing its body against mine.¡°But it can cling like this. How does it feel?¡± ¡°It feels a bit cold. Because it¡¯s made of ice?¡± ¡°It might be cold on the outside but it¡¯s warm inside.¡± ¡°Did you check again?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, yes. I¡¯ve checked. I used a thermometer to measure everything in advance so that what happens in dramas won¡¯t happen. Is it okay now?¡± After I lightly kissed Baek Seol-hee¡¯s puffed-up cheeks, her expression softened immediately. Meanwhile, the clone of Baek Seol-hee behind me kept touching me persistently, and it felt like melted water was sticking to my body instead of sweat. ¡°Seol-hee, it seems like the clone is melting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not controlling the clone well right now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­Because when you¡¯re by my side, I feel too precious to even give it to the clone.¡± With a pop, the clone disappeared instantly. Right after that, Baek Seol-hee climbed on top of me as if to cover me and hugged me. ¡°Now it¡¯s my time. I can¡¯t give it to anyone else.¡± ¡°Seol-hee, your possessiveness is quite strong. You don¡¯t want to give even a bit to the clone?¡± ¡°Yes. Now, during my time, it¡¯s mine. After I¡¯m satisfied, I¡¯ll tell others to use it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an object, though.¡± ¡°Using your object, it¡¯s all the same for everyone.¡± ¡°Seol-hee, you know your words are getting more extreme, right?¡± I gently stroked Baek Seol-hee¡¯s cheek with my hand. Baek Seol-hee rubbed her face against my hand like a cat, and I indulged her whims as much as possible. ¡°So, our Seol-hee. Were you very tired?¡± ¡°Yes. I was so tired I wanted to quit on the spot.¡± ¡°What would you do if you quit?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d do something. Wouldn¡¯t somethinge up if I increased my wealth? Ah, maybe you can support me? If you get permission from your wife.¡± ¡°To support you, I¡¯d need to earn a lot of money.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a cost-effective woman. We just need to watch movies and dramas together. How about that?¡± ¡°My wife might be there too?¡± ¡°Then the three of us can watch together.¡± A woman who grew up without parents. When else would she have had the chance to act so spoiled to someone else? ¡°Including Yumir, that makes four¡­ Well, it would be uncontroble if it increased from there, but at least we should have time to be together like this, right?¡± ¡°Of course. How could I not find even a moment for Seol-hee?¡± ¡°You talked like you¡¯d make time easily before. Now I¡¯m like a fish that¡¯s been caught?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m not someone who manages a fishpond. That won¡¯t happen.¡± I patted Baek Seol-hee¡¯s back to reassure her. ¡°Our Seol-hee, how can we deal with you worrying so much? Seol-hee, you said you wanted to quit, right? How about working together with me then?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It would be really nice if Seol-hee could work with me. Then, as long as I¡¯m not away on business trips, I think I could be with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± Baek Seol-hee ced her index finger on my lips. Her eyes, beginning to shine blue, were firm and clear without any wavering. ¡°You will work beside me. It¡¯s not me going to your side.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ironic how our hearts can be so close, yet our jobs can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°There are lines neither of us can cross. It¡¯s almost like a long-distance rtionship when you look at it through the lens of the inte, but our rtionship isn¡¯t ordinary, is it?¡± Baek Seol-hee took hold of my shoulders and slowly leaned into me. ¡°Our rtionship began with an affair. Does it bother you that the other woman keeps clinging and causing trouble?¡± ¡°No. I actually like it.¡± As if she was clinging to me, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close. ¡°How could I dislike it when a woman named Baek Seol-hee is so into me, she even wants to have my child?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask.¡± Baek Seol-hee pressed down on my shoulder with her index finger, making a sulky face. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m missing the timing, or if there¡¯s some sort of mechanism at y. It feels like it¡¯s been two months since we started trying seriously, but there¡¯s still no sign. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it good if there¡¯s no sign?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. The hotel manager keeps getting angry.¡± Baek Seol-hee tapped my cheek lightly with her hand. ¡°He says the guests keep no-showing even though the reservations were made properly. He knocks on the door over a hundred times, butins that not a single guest has entered. He says it causes a blood fountain at the hotel every time. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Can I tell you the truth?¡± ¡°Tell me. I¡¯ll keep it a secret from Yumir.¡± ¡°The hotel manager is mistaken.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Heh.¡± I turned our bodies around as I held Baek Seol-hee. This time, Baek Seol-hee was beneath me, and I looked down at her, moving my hand to her lower abdomen. ¡°You know, I actually have a special ability.¡± ¡°¡­Why mention that suddenly?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not about that. Regarding our country and Ulleung, I have a very special magic.¡± As if drawing a circle, I tickled around Baek Seol-hee¡¯s navel in a circr motion. ¡°The guest did enter. It¡¯s just staying still in the hotel room.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean? Exin it in a way that¡¯s easier to understand.¡± ¡°The seed has been sown, but it¡¯s just that the seed sown in the field has yet to sprout. It¡¯s merely waiting to break through the shell with the magic¡¯s power.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°In simple terms, that¡¯s it. The sperm and egg in your belly have met and fertilized, but imntation hasn¡¯t urred yet. They¡¯re just holding hands and sleeping soundly, thanks to my very special magic.¡± I pressed down on Baek Seol-hee from above, immobilizing her. ¡°With me, you can really have a child whenever I want.¡± ¡°So, what we¡¯ve done until now was fake?¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s growing. It¡¯s growing well, just not inside the womb.¡± I tapped below her navel with my finger, as if knocking. ¡°Time is passing very slowly. Wouldn¡¯t it be awkward if you started showing without being fully ready?¡± ¡°I could just say I gained weight.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s you, it won¡¯t be pig-like fat but just a protruding belly, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Can¡¯t I just say it¡¯s abdominal obesity?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to go that far. It just seems like you need some time.¡± ¡°I?¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes wavered. ¡°I told you that day. I want to be with you¡­¡± ¡°Hero and the human Baek Seol-hee. If you try to choose both, the fruition within is clearly a ¡®hindrance.¡¯¡± ¡°!!¡± Her expression began to harden, and her lips started to dry. ¡°You want to have both sides. Your hero self. And as a woman, wanting to be the mother of a man¡¯s child, to be a woman. The problem is, having a child will eventually cause significant disruptions to your hero activities, and you will be under tremendous stress. Isn¡¯t it already like that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Imagine if you suddenly take maternity leave when the government wants to use you as the face of the nation. You, it would be tough to endure, given the temperament of Snow White, who has lived as the hero of this country for the past 25 years.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make the woman carrying my child suffer a miscarriage due to stress.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± I gently stroked Baek Seol-hee¡¯s cheek with one hand and brought my face close to hers. ¡°If the news of your pregnancy spreads, the whole world will nder you. There will be those who insult you, coughing blood, and unicorns turning dark. You don¡¯t know yet. The incessant malice of those more dreadful and abominable than demons.¡± They were called ¡®humans.¡¯ Even though they were not demons, they filled ordinary people with a malice that turned them into worse beings. People who thrived on the misfortune of others, more satanic than Satan himself. ¡°Can you really handle it? Can you live for the child without being swayed by any biased opinions or nder? From the moment your pregnancy bes known, you can no longer step out as a hero. You¡¯ll feel guilty for not being there where you¡¯re needed,paring it to the life you¡¯ve lived as a hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You will live apletely different life from what you have lived so far. Even among those who were on your side, there will be those who turn their des towards you. What, did someone threaten you with a knife to get pregnant?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯tpletely deny it, can you? You can guess the true intentions of the people you¡¯ve seen so far. Even if those around you say to get pregnant, it¡¯s just lip service. If you have the child of an ordinary librarian like Do Ji-hwan, the world will immediately criticize you for being with such an incapable man. Definitely.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee couldn¡¯t say anything. She remained silent, just staring at me for a while. ¡°Then.¡± Baek Seol-hee slowly opened her mouth. ¡°What should I do to prepare myself?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a good way.¡± I extended my hand towards the direction where Baek Seol-hee had dispelled the clone. ¡°Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve learned how to clone, so tell the clone to be Snow White. The woman Baek Seol-hee will stay by my side quietly and focus on prenatal care.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡± A slow light began to dawn in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s sunken eyes. ¡°It¡¯s like a homework robot for the holidays¡­¡± ¡°Right. Simple, isn¡¯t it? The main body stays at home and has ¡®patriotic duties¡¯ with me, while the clone attends state events.¡± ¡°Two birds with one stone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than just two birds with one stone.¡± I got up and went down, slightly lifting Baek Seol-hee¡¯s shirt to press my lips below her navel. ¡°While pregnant and raising a child, I can continue to be by your side.¡± If Baek Seol-hee had nned to lock me in a basement. ¡°I can¡¯t stand to see the woman carrying my child miscarry due to being insulted by others.¡± Now the roles were reversed. I would lock Baek Seol-hee away. ¡°Can you handle the clone properly? Can you ensure the clone roams around properly even while we¡¯re having ¡®patriotic duties¡¯?¡± ¡°Why during ¡®patriotic duties¡¯?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s when your concentration is most disrupted.¡± I went further down. ¡°Summon the clone. If we continue ¡®patriotic duties¡¯ until morning and maintain the clone, from then on, it¡¯s a long-term guest in the hotel room.¡± ¡°How long?¡± ¡°From now, 10 months.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The bet was. ¡°¡­What about the lost 1 month?¡± ¡°If you win, I¡¯ll recover that too.¡± ¡°Alright. Then¡­e in. Let¡¯s see who wins.¡± Not just in gambling. ¡°Then.¡± I pointed inside Baek Seol-hee¡¯s shirt. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long youst, shall we?¡± Chapter 220.5: Baek Seol-hee [Adultery Filming] Chapter 220.5: Baek Seol-hee [Adultery Filming] While engaging in sex in the name of patriotism, how well could Baek Seol-hee maintain her doppelg?nger? If she could maintain her doppelg?nger even during sex, then she would be able to sustain it in any future situation. ¡°First, shall we take off our clothes?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee let me do everything as I clung to her from behind. She didn¡¯t refuse my hand slipping into her shirt, and immediately turned her head as soon as I buried my face in her nape. ¡°Kiss¡­.¡± Turning her head, she begged me for a kiss. Nibbling on her ear lightly with my lips, I caressed one breast and whispered into her ear.¡°You know what we¡¯re doing now is adultery, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± I stimted Baek Seol-hee¡¯s most concerned part right from the start. She grimaced but did not reject my touch. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s adultery under permission.¡± Life was inherently selfish, and it¡¯s romantic when I did it. Even though my wife had given permission, Baek Seol-hee thought of having sex with me in this permitted situation as romantic. ¡°Seol-hee, but you know?¡± And I, too, enjoyed having sex with her. ¡°I feel like¡­ even without permission, you would havemitted adultery.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! If you say things like that¡­!¡± It drove me crazy how adorable this woman was, asking me to impregnate her and even offering to be a surrogate. ¡°In that sense, shall we leave a record?¡± ¡°Record¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. Tell the doppelg?nger to record a video.¡± ¡°!!¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes trembled greatly. Even among lovers, filming a video was not easily done, let alone filming adultery? And by an S-ss hero at that? If it leaked, the world would turn upside down. ¡°How about¡­? Recording the video and using it as ASMR to fall asleep to every night.¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°When I go on a business trip overseas, I want to masturbate to a video of having sex with Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Ah, agh¡­!¡± ¡°And above all.¡± But the devil¡¯s whisper was always sweet. ¡°I want to show my wife, making a baby with Seol-hee, ejacting inside, just like that.¡± ¡°!!¡± Baek Seol-hee had already started to be dyed with adultery. She dered she would take me away from my wife. Adding this video would be the final nail in the coffin. ¡°How about it, Seol-hee?¡± ¡°Th, the video is¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯ll only be shown to my wife. I won¡¯t show it to anyone else. Don¡¯t worry. Oh, of course¡­¡± I kissed Baek Seol-hee¡¯s cheek and slowly buried my face towards her lips. ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to watch this video, think of me, and masturbate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± ¡°How about it? Seol-hee, do you want it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee quietly turned her head and our lips met. Before our lips even crossed, her tongue entered my lips immediately, and Baek Seol-hee circled my tongue once. That was answer enough. Continuing to caress Baek Seol-hee from behind, I slowly removed her shirt with the hand that had been touching her breast. Wooing. The doppelg?nger pointed the Taeguk Watch at us and recorded the video. The doppelg?nger¡¯s face, sitting still like a smartphone stand, began to redden, and I clung more tenaciously to Baek Seol-hee, as if to show off to the doppelg?nger. ¡°Seol-hee, think of that doppelg?nger as my wife from now on.¡± ¡°Ha, ha. Wife¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. My wife is watching from there¡­Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± Baek Seol-hee used her magic power to move the nket, covering the doppelg?nger¡¯s head. It seemed as though someonepletely different from Baek Seol-hee but in her body was filming our sex from the side. ¡°Ha, ha. There, can you see¡­? Your husband and I, we¡¯re having sex right now¡­.¡± It was a good feeling. ¡°It¡¯s not just kissing; from now on, I¡¯ll insert his penis inside me and have sex without holding back. No condom, no withdrawal, I¡¯ll let him ejacte inside me from start to finish¡­.¡± Though it was a doppelg?nger, just covering its face has already made Baek Seol-hee¡¯s heart start to beat faster. ¡°Your husband, from now on, I¡¯ll be the one to devour him¡­ Ah?!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s devouring whom?¡± My hand, which had been caressing her breast, swiftly moves down to push into her underwear. Inserting my hand into her damp lingerie, I began to stimte Baek Seol-hee¡¯s vagina with my fingers, which were now more adept. ¡°Ah, ha, your husband¡¯s hand is inside my vagina¡­!¡± ¡°Are you going to keepmentating to my wife like that?¡± ¡°Ha, ha. Of course¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee tightened around my fingers as she rubbed her thighs together. Trying hard to tighten, she also began to fondle my penis with her hand stretched backward. ¡°Ha, ha. From there, huh, you can¡¯t see, right¡­? Your husband¡¯s penis, because of me, it¡¯s gotten erect¡­. It¡¯s definitely bigger than when he¡¯s with you, for sure¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee smirked at the camera with a face full of superiority. ¡°Want to see it¡­?¡± Simultaneously lifting one leg, she pulled my penis between her thighs forward with her own hand. Gruuuk. Adjusting our position to match Baek Seol-hee¡¯s hand movements, only the tip of my penis peeked out from within her pubic triangle through the thigh fucking. ¡°Huhuhu, right now, I¡¯m handling your husband¡¯s penis like this, haha¡­.¡± Gruuuk, guuk. She rubbed her vagina from above, gently applied pressure with her thigh vagina from the side, and simultaneously tickled the ns with her fingers to stimte me. At the same time, she pressed her buttocks against my pubic bone, making my penis protrude as much as possible to the front. ¡°Can you see this¡­?¡± Grinning, Baek Seol-hee tapped the pre-ejacte flowing from between the ns with her index finger, pulling it towards her lower abdomen. ¡°Your husband, he¡¯s getting excited by my body¡­? Now, this penis will enter here. Instead of you, into my warm, pre-heated womb, ah, to put the baby seed inside, the penis will go in¡­.¡± ¡°Where did you learn something like that? Huh?¡± ¡°¡­These days, you can find all of that on the inte.¡± Baek Seol-hee snapped back at me, pressing down heavily under my penis with her palm. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll insert it, haahh¡­.¡± I just had to stroke Baek Seol-hee¡¯s body and caress her. It was definitely me who was supposed to be thrusting from behind, but Baek Seol-hee took it upon herself to push my penis inside her. ¡°Haahh¡­. Really, it¡¯s so big, feels like, ugh, it¡¯s going to force itself open¡­. Like a baseball bat¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no ordinary baseball bat.¡± I pulled Baek Seol-hee¡¯s leg with my hand to allow the doppelg?nger to film more beautifully. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°This way, we can get even closer, right?¡± I buried my face over her shoulder, slightly lifting my upper body to adjust our position so both of us could fit into the camera angle. Although my penis wasn¡¯t entirely in due to positioning Baek Seol-hee in front of the camera, it was enough to make Baek Seol-hee climax several times and agonize her. ¡°Shall I start thrusting?¡± ¡°Ah, ahh, uhuh¡­!¡± Baek Seol-hee, who had been speaking to the camera just moments ago, gradually lost herposure. ¡°Ah, ahh¡­! It¡¯s different from usual, haak, the stimtion, uhh, if you press there¡­!¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°It feels so good, haak, now, there, thereee¡­! If you keep pressing there with your penis, I¡¯m really going to¡­!¡± Trembling. Baek Seol-hee shivered slightly. She gripped the bedsheet with one hand, while the other hand kept fidgeting and trembling. ¡°Ahuh¡­! Uhm, uhm, haaah¡­.¡± I leaned forward to kiss her, and Baek Seol-hee looked towards the camera. Lick, lick. If previously she never took her gaze off me while we kissed, now Baek Seol-hee sneakily nced at the camera, unting our kiss. ¡°Mmm, mmm, ha, can you see¡­? Your husband¡¯s kiss, I think I could get addicted to it¡­.¡± Perhaps because we paused the thrusting to kiss, Baek Seol-hee started speaking to the camera again. ¡°Ha, dear wife, I¡¯m really sorry¡­ Your husband just won¡¯t leave my vagina alone¡­ uhuh, but still, I¡¯ll diligently bear your children. After one, ha, I¡¯ll immediately bear the next one for you!¡± I thought this was crossing a line, but Baek Seol-hee began to get excited as she spoke. ¡°Seol-hee.¡± I whispered softly in her ear. ¡°Do you like adulterous sex?¡± ¡°I, I like it¡­ Hehe, really, doing it with you¡­ I like it so much.¡± The sensation of her tightening around my penis intensified, and Baek Seol-hee trembled, tilting her head back. ¡°Ha, aah, you, you¡¯re really the best¡­ From now on, haah, keep taking my penis¡­ Uhuk, keep thrusting into me! From now on, always!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lick. Licking her ear once more, I lifted her legs more visibly to ensure the camera could capture me ejacting inside her. ¡°Seol-hee, I think I¡¯m going to cum soon.¡± ¡°Aaahh¡­!¡± Tears gathered in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes fell onto the pillow. She opened her mouth, climaxing wildly, curling her toes, and began to tremble. ¡°Ah, really¡­ I can¡¯t take it¡­ Cum inside now!¡± ¡°If you get pregnant from adultery, you won¡¯t be able to be a hero anymore, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, haah, someone else can be the hero!¡± Squirt, squirt. ¡°I want to be your woman!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the right answer¡­ Because of what you said, now I¡¯m going to lose my mind too.¡± Thrusting deeper, I slightly pulled away from Baek Seol-hee to whisper towards her. ¡°Ha, fuck¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Muttering a curse softly, Baek Seol-hee¡¯s vagina started to clench around my penis as if it would crush it. ¡°I love you, Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Ah, aah¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to cum.¡± ¡°Uh, ha, aahh¡­!¡± No response was needed. Baek Seol-hee was climaxing too intensely to even maintain her gaze. And then¡­ Whoosh!! The moment I ejacted inside her, Baek Seol-hee climaxed silently, unable to even scream, her body trembling. Gulp, gulp, gulp. Semen was sprayed deep into her womb. Since the ns was properly positioned inside, the semen began filling up from the inside of Baek Seol-hee¡¯s vagina. ¡°Ha, ha, ha¡­.¡± ¡°Seol-hee.¡± I whispered once more into Baek Seol-hee¡¯s ear. ¡°If there¡¯s a hero to protect the country instead of you, will you continue to have an affair with me then?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then. Ha, ha.¡± Baek Seol-hee turned her head, whispering so softly that it couldn¡¯t be heard by the camera. ¡°I¡¯ll be a vagina just for you, for your use only¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee, as if she wouldn¡¯t take any answer, raised her head and stamped a kiss on my lips. Firmly. Afterward. We continued to have sex until Baek Seol-hee¡¯s doppelg?nger waspletely disheveled and copsed. Chapter 221: S-Class Scanner (6) Chapter 221: S-ss Scanner (6) Throughoutst night, Baek Seol-hee and I studied her doppelgnger ability extensively. It was a lengthy process. The doppelgnger was repeatedly created and then destroyed. I identally shattered the doppelgnger with a bat. Fortunately, no injuries urred when the doppelgnger broke, allowing us to explore its abilities in various ways. For now, only one can be made at a time. Check. The doppelgnger can be broken to recover mana. Check. If the doppelgnger is close, sensations can be synchronized. Check. And I summarized Baek Seol-hees doppelgnger ability to make it more essible for her. Its possible to move to the doppelgngers location. This involves transforming the main body into frost mist for movementbut teleporting across spaces is not possible. Someday, itll be possible.Baek Seol-hee, perhaps envious of Yumirs space teleportation, aspired to move her main body to the doppelgngers location regardless of the distance. For now, her wish was simply to be able to cross over to my house where the doppelgnger was at any moment. I must. Definitely. I want to move freely. I cant keep relying on Yumir forever. Yumir doesntin every time she teleports, does she? She doesnt. If she did, I wouldve said something. But because she doesnt, I feel even more apologetic. Especiallyst time, when you and I were tsk. I felt really sorry for spoiling the moment. Its okay. You can juste to me like this from now on. Although Baek Seol-hees method might be moreplex and challenging than Yumirs, the fact that she cpi;d now leave the Taeguk Watch at her office ande to my room was a significant achievement. Additionally, the doppelgnger can use abilities, albeit in a very weakened form. It was not limited to making gestures; it could fully utilize abilities. However, the abilities it could use are clearly limited. The abilities the doppelgnger can use depend on the total amount of magic power given to it. If you put in the power of an E-rank, it has the strength of an E-rank; if C-rank, then C-rank strength. If I put all my magic power into creating a doppelgnger, I wouldnt be able to move and would have to control the doppelgnger only while I recover. Ah, this part is a bit different. Modify this. Its not quite like that Baek Seol-hee, lying on the bed, watched me organize her doppelgnger ability on myptop and helped with the organization. The synchronization of sensations between the doppelgnger and the main body varies with distance. Its like a walkie-talkie. Even the distance between the front door and the veranda is enough to lose the connection. We just need to train. Right. Well train so that the doppelgnger can appear in front of people. When its time for prenatal education, just lying in bed or taking a light walk will be enough. Someday, even just sitting still, doppelgnger Baek Seol-hee should be able to handle everything on her own. But that would require consuming a significant amount of magic power each time a doppelgnger was created. If there were a way to quickly replenish mana Ah. A good idea came to mind. Seol-hee, how much cash do you have? Should I give it all? No, no. What are you talking about? When you say it like that, it sounds like Im some scumbag whos after your money. I flicked Baek Seol-hees forehead lightly with my finger. I meant, do you have enough to buy a building on Ulleungdo, about a thousand pyeong? How much would that be? To buy about a thousand pyeongjust a simple estimate would be about a hundred billion for thend alone? Amazing, Ulleungdo. A hundred million per pyeong. Only possible because of the strong patriotic energy imbued in thend. Considering the pensions and hotels on top, wed need at least two hundred billion. I frequently visit a certain pension, you know. Yeah. The hot spring there is actually a mana recovery spot. ? Thats why I go there often. Just by entering the water, magic power is restored? Yeah. Then! Baek Seol-hee tried to get up right away. Lets go to Ulleungdo. Ill take you. Calm down. If we go into the sea, nobody will notice. Or Just calm down. I hugged Baek Seol-hee tightly in my arms and gently stroked her head. We can go to Ulleungdo anytime. Even now, if we wanted. But do you think youd enjoy it now? . Lets wait until youve recovered some strength. Okay? Yeah. Her face buried in my chest, she blinked for a moment, then blushed and clung to me. We could buy that pension in Ulleungdo, couldnt we? No, not that one. Well buy a hotel where nobody can enter, and pretend to live there while actually staying at the pension. With me. The ultimate escapade. The paparazzi will roam around the hotel I bought, and if we send the doppelgnger there, everyone will think Baek Seol-hee is there. But why dont I just buy that pension? Thats not possible. That ce was an asset of the society. Anyway, lets leave at least an E-rank doppelgnger elsewhere, and have the doppelgnger act simrly to how you usually do. Meanwhile, you can soak in the hot springs of Ulleungdo or be patriotic without any problem. As long as no one attacks you or anything, there shouldnt be a big problem. Wont people think its weird to have a doppelgnger? Wondering why it only feels like E-rank magic power. Well think about that when the timees. Or we could hire someone else to act as a bodyguard around you. It would be nice if an agent of the society could be attached, but I was not sure Baek Seol-hee would like having an agent of the society by her side. Seol-hee, can you fight with the doppelgnger? The doppelgnger could mimic Snow Whites face, but engaging in seriousbat like we did in Jindo would be out of the question. Its magic power is its very lifeforce. Magic power as lifeforce Anyonee to mind? Just thinking, if thats the case, using mana seems quite reluctant. It was a limitation someone had conceived. Utilizing magic power to protect people is noble, but if using mana also shortens ones lifespan, even S-ss heroes might think twice before taking action. That makes sense. Plus, if youre an S-ss hero, the government would have a say in your actions. Dont do anything rash, only step in when the nation faces peril. Baek Seol-hee looked up at me, her expressionden with significance. If I was right, she might have caught wind of something about that man, be it from the chairman or the president. Being the ultimate weapon is a heavy burden. Revealing your condition would only add to the chaos of the world. Was being ranked number one the same in every context? Because they were heroes, brimming with justice, battling viins with bodies on the brink of death, refusing to let the symbol of peace falter. The difference here was that in this world, there were many ready to step up and be a new symbol of peace. Seol-hee, if the world learns of your pregnancy, youll be stepping down for at least a year, making the next S-ss temporarily Koreas representative. Then, will Toosin be Koreas representative? Do you trust Toosin to take care of this country? . Baek Seol-hee sealed her lips. Toosin might be a paragon of justice, handsome, and undeniably skilled, but still, he seems tock the qualities needed to fill the shoes of Gwang Ik Gong or Snow White, doesnt he? . Someone once said, if you were to rank Koreas S-sses, it would look something like this. S+ ss included Gwang Ik Gong, Snow White. S ss include Toosin, Baridegi, Cheok Jun-kyeong, Naje. S- ss included Armored Taejo. Want to hear something interesting? Do you know what criteria people use to ssify someone as S+ ss? Performance? Its whether one can subdue all the S-ss heroes of a neighboring country. For instance, if Snow White alone can suppress all five S-ss heroes of Japan. It sounds difficult, but not entirely impossible. Right. Thats the prestige of being S+ ss. Though all ssified as S-ss by the Hero Association, theres naturally a distinction within the S-ss itself. What if someone more reliable than Toosin bes S+ ss and represents Korea as a power user? Then, Id want to announce it openly. Baek Seol-hee tapped my cheek with her finger. Even if we dont say who the father is, Ill announce that Baek Seol-hee has finally gotten pregnant as everyone in the nation wanted. If the world is anxious about the absence of an S+ ss, wouldnt everyone feel relieved if there were an S+ ss to protect the country during my maternity leave? Who are you thinking of? How about the person responsible for making Baek Seol-hee take maternity leave take responsibility? Thats not possible. Just as Baek Seol-hee rejected my recruitment offer, I couldnt ept that either. Better to raise a few S+ sses and ce them instead. Really? Yeah. Im already eyeing someone. A woman? Why do you think its a woman? Because you wouldnt teach a man by your side. Do you see people as some kind of essory? It was easier to teach women, but that didnt mean I absolutely despise teaching men. Or should I ask Sr tina for help? While Im pregnant and giving birth, can you protect this country? And when Sr tina gets pregnant, then youll step forward? Why not take turns each year? Look at you. No intention of stopping at one? nning to gather kids for a ser team? . I covered Baek Seol-hees mouth with my hand. If thats the n, youre essentially retiring. Just give birth and thats it? The mom needs to be there with them. If both mom and dad are out on missions, who will be by their side? . Dont look at me like that. Im not someone who will give up my path just because I have a child. On the contrary, Ill move even more actively. If before it was for my woman, then it will be for my children. I was already moving with that mindset, but now, with even more responsibility, Id have to give my all. So, the answer is simple. To ensure you can raise our child with peace of mind My conclusion was clear. To raise someone capable of dedicating themselves to this country in your ce as an S+ ss. As quickly as possible. After all, work was something that the sessor did. Its not about waiting for a new S-ss toe in; its about making one. Chapter 222: S-Class Scanner (7) Chapter 222: S-ss Scanner (7) National power was rooted in the quantity and quality of S-sses. In an era where traditional arms races had lost their significance, the maintenance and increase of supernatural abilities represented the correct path to bolstering national strength. Thus, it was in everyone¡¯s interest to wee the growth in the number of recognized S-sses. The diminishing scarcity of S-sses, coupled with the presence of many powerful beings, enhances a country¡¯s prestige. This was the day everyone had been eagerly anticipating. May 28th. Would it mark the emergence of a new S-ss, or serve as a testament to the efficacy of the S-ss scanner? [Yoon Iseon! Yoon Iseon! Yoon Iseon!] [Defeat Taejo! The pride of Busan! Unleash the might of an S-ss!] On the day of the showdown, Busan¡¯s Sajik Stadium was packed with countless spectators, igniting the stands with excitement even before the event started. -Wee to Sajik Stadium, everyone. Ah! Just as I say this, Armored Taejo¡¯s vehicle has made its entrance onto the battlefield!! Despite being a baseball stadium, a limousine drove directly onto the field. Unconcerned about the tire marks marring the grass, the limousinepleted arge circle and halted at the center of the baseball field. Click. The door of the limousine swung open automatically, and a young man in a white suit, sporting blonde hair, stepped out and raised his hand high. ¡°¡±¡°Wow©¤©¤©¤!!¡±¡°¡° Despite the controversies surrounding Armored Taejo, his status as an S-ss had garnered him a solid fan base. The crowd was overjoyed and roared in support of Taejo, fervently hoping for his victory. ¡°Kyaaaa!¡± ¡°Taejo! Please look here!!¡± ¡°I want Taejo¡¯s genes!¡± Given his status as an S-ss and his striking looks, he attracted a massive female following. There had been rumors of a scandal involving the granddaughter of a major American corporation recently, but gossip always seemed to shadow Taejo. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Armored Taejo! Please share your thoughts on today¡¯s match!¡± A female reporter approached with a microphone and handed it to Armored Taejo, who shrugged his shoulders and bowed his head. ¡°What do you think, sis? Who will win?¡± ¡°Screaaaam!!¡± The use of ¡°sis¡± towards the reporter once again caused the women to scream. It seemed as if a being with dinosaur-like abilities had appeared at Sajik Stadium, and most men in the ¡®away team cheering section¡¯ showed signs of difort. ¡°Looks like a gigolo, tsk.¡± ¡°Such a young kid already acting spoiled¡­ Ah, tsk tsk.¡± ¡°Please, Tae-jo three.¡± ¡°Tae-jo three? More like Twenty-minus-three.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah, spit. The world is so unfair.¡± The men were just annoyed at the sight of Armored Taejo. After all, he was literally ¡°the man who had everything.¡± Except for his parents. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a reporter¡­hehe¡­!¡± ¡°If I win, would you like to have tea with meter?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Boooooooo©¤©¤©¤!! Despite the booing from the entire audience, Armored Taejo nonchntly kissed the back of the reporter¡¯s hand and winked. ¡°Let¡¯s meet after the game, sis.¡± ¡°Ah, uh, yes¡­! Of course, I¡¯ll win! Asking for a date is even easier! This statement shows the resolve of Armored Taejo!¡± Fortunately, the reporter regained herposure and ended the conversation. ¡°The pride of S-ss! Armored Taejo! Who will challenge him?¡± Upon the reporter¡¯s announcement, another limousine entered. As if to counterbnce Taejo, the limousine circled around before stopping opposite him, and from it, a small-framed girl stepped out. ¡°Finally, the challenger makes her entrance!!¡± ¡°¡±¡°Wow©¤©¤©¤!!¡±¡°¡° If the earlier cheers were like the cries of dinosaurs, now they could be called the roars of beasts. ¡°¡±¡°Yoon Iseon! Yoon Iseon! Yoon Iseon!¡±¡°¡° Men in the away team¡¯s cheering section started chanting Yoon Iseon¡¯s name, even beginning to do the wave. Clothes and cheer sticks sparkling in pink, and fluttering banners all cheered for Yoon Iseon¡¯s arrival. ¡°¡±¡°Fight, Yoon Iseon!!¡±¡°¡° ¡°Yes, let¡¯s have a talk with Miss Yoon Iseon.¡± This time, another male reporter approached Yoon Iseon with a microphone. Due to a height difference of over 30cm, it seemed as though he was handing the microphone to a child, but the camera focused solely on Yoon Iseon, cutting out the reporter¡¯s face. ¡°Do you feel confident about this match?¡± ¡°Confidence? I have plenty of it.¡± Yoon Iseon stood tall, her smile broad. ¡°Wow¡­.¡± The immense confidence that the camera couldn¡¯t capture amazed the men, as if they had witnessed a holy spirit, while the women sitting in the home team¡¯s cheering section simply hardened their expressions, remaining silent. ¡°Understood! Let¡¯s cut to the chase and start right now! The challenger, the student council president of Sejong Academy! The A-ss final winner of the big sports festival! The strongest student of the Academy!! Yoon©¤©¤©¤Iseon©¤©¤©¤!!¡± ¡°If you want to rise to S-ss, you¡¯ll have to get past me first! The pride of S-ss! Many have challenged me, but almost none have surpassed me! Iron Dragon, take off, Armored, Taejo©¤©¤©¤!!¡± ¡°¡°The match, begins!!¡±¡± ¡°The catchphrases are really tacky.¡± In a penthouse of a hotel in Busan, I felt a chill listening to the catchphrases ring from the 80-inch TV. ¡°Not even wrestling introduces like that.¡± ¡°If you haveints, take it up with the writer. The reporters are just reading the script written for them, right?¡± ¡°I like it, though.¡± The two who entered the penthouse with me, Gunggi and Doul, sat next to me, each holding their preferred drinks, focused on the TV broadcast. ¡°Bored, should we make a bet? I vote Yoon Iseon will win.¡± ¡°Me too, a vote for Iseon.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll bet a billion on Yoon Iseon.¡± The bet didn¡¯t take. Both Gunggi and Doul, like me, bet on Yoon Iseon¡¯s victory, and it couldn¡¯t have been otherwise. Because Yoon Iseon was the favorite. ¡°How about the others?¡± ¡°Yoon Iseon at 14%. Armored Taejo at 86%. That¡¯s the public opinion, but the opinion among existing S-sses is¡­ different.¡± Doul brought up some data on a tablet. ¡°2:4. Two for Yoon Iseon, four for Armored Taejo.¡± ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± ¡°Oh, why?¡± ¡°It would be problematic if the two strongest S+ ss think Yoon Iseon will win.¡± Among the S-ss experts¡¯ winner predictions, it just so happened that the strongest two guessed Yoon Iseon¡¯s victory. -Gwang Ik Gong thinks Yoon Iseon will win? -Snow White also seems to think Yoon Iseon will win? -What¡¯s this? What¡¯s happening? Is there something special only visible to S+ sses??? -You should buy IseonCoin now LOL. ¡°Ugh, should I not have tipped them off?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not worried about the betting odds dropping, are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m worried. After that was released, the odds really did start to drop.¡± If all the existing S-ss predictions had leaned towards Armored Taejo, maybe the betting odds would have been higher. It seemed my subtle hint to boost Baek Seol-hee¡¯s ¡®face¡¯ backfired. When Yoon Iseon winster, the statement meant to proudly im ¡®Baek Seol-hee was right¡¯ unfortunately dropped Armored Taejo¡¯s odds by 10%. ¡°How did Gwang Ik Gong know, though?¡± ¡°Maybe he heard about the Goblin taking care of Yoon Iseon in Ulleungdo and chose her based on that?¡± ¡°Just from that?¡± ¡°Or not.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The predictions were set. The closure of Hero Toto¡¯s betting meant no more entries or changes were possible. Why? Because the real battle was starting. Rumble rumble. Something began descending from the sky. Following Armored Taejo¡¯s raised hand, something shimmering ck descended and attached to his body. ¡°Thought it¡¯d be a Rider¡­but it¡¯s not?¡± ¡°Exactly. I was sure he¡¯d show up as a Rider again.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Was it to regain his foundation? Armored Taejo donned the external armor, simr to the steel suits made by that fictional billionaire, the same look he had when I first saw him. Whoosh. In response, Yoon Iseon unfurled three tails behind her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this render the sparring given to him pointless if Armored Taejo changes his approach like that?¡± ¡°Not at all. The sparring served its purpose. We expected Armored Taejo to revert to his origins.¡± And Yoon Iseon handled it with ease. ¡°Are you referring to the ¡®Gumiho¡¯ state?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And her current ¡®Samiho¡¯ state? Is she intentionally suppressing her magical power to an A+ level now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, does Armored Taejo have the upper hand now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It had to be this way. It created a morepelling narrative. ¡°Yoon Iseon is the underdog. Despite her true strength, she seems weaker on the surface.¡± ¡°What are you scheming?¡± ¡°Just a very cool twist that everyone is hoping for.¡± My advice wasn¡¯t solely about ¡®winning the match¡¯. ¡°People crave an overwhelming victory. Yet, they also adore a victory born from a miraculouseback amidst adversity.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean?¡± ¡°Yoon Iseon herself was content and agreed. To fight in that manner. Just like this.¡± Whoosh! Yoon Iseon conjured foxfires around her and hurled them at Armored Taejo. The mes surged towards Armored Taejo but were soon to be neutralized by his counter. Boom! As Armored Taejo extended his hand, aser burst forth, cutting through the mes and aiming directly at Yoon Iseon. Not merely intercepting, but piercing through the mes and targeting Yoon Iseon. Bang! Yoon Iseon quickly dodged to the side, narrowly escaping the attack. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, and the stadium roared. ¡°I¡¯ve heard someone say this.¡± It didn¡¯t exist in this world. ¡°By orchestrating one¡¯s own crisis, one can mount a clean counterattack and deliver catharsis to the audience.¡± But I instilled in Yoon Iseon that spirit, that fiery determination. ¡°This is the duel of S-ss, pure entertainment.¡± Indeed. ¡°The winning strategy I proposed to Yoon Iseon is.¡± A dramaticeback in a challenging situation symbolized the triumph of an underdog. ¡°At the moment Armored Taejo delivers the deciding blow, she ns to awaken.¡± As if. ¡°Awakening to true S-ss in the fight against Armored Taejo, and then delivering a counter ultimate move to win in one blow.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that cheating?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not cheating.¡± That was. ¡°The ¡®Royal Road¡¯. The path of kings.¡± Chapter 223: S-Class Scanner (8) Chapter 223: S-ss Scanner (8) Most of Armored Taejo¡¯s attacks involved long-range bombardments. He fired beams from his hands. Orunched steel bullets. He could also expand his armor and then hurl it with a clenched fist. Though the public called him ¡®Armored Taejo¡¯, based on his special abilities, a more fitting name would be: ¡®Steel Sorcerer¡¯. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!¡± Steel bars shot up from the ground. Turning the baseball stadium floor upside down, H-beams,monly seen at construction sites, burst through the ground. ¡°Ugh!¡± Yoon Iseon kicked off the ground and leaped over the emerging H-beam. Beams were leaping towards Yoon Iseon, but the most threatening were those trapping her in ce. [Ah, there it is! Armored Taejo¡¯s signature move! The Steel Cage!!] Whether it¡¯s steel bars or anything made of steel, he could freely manipte them to create prisons. The simpler the special ability, the stronger it tended to be. ¡°How long do you n to just run away?!¡± Taejo flew high into the sky, raising both hands above him. Simultaneously, dozens of H-beams that had sprung from the ground began to whirl around Taejo as their center. The mass and volume were distinctly different from the foxfire guarding Yoon Iseon¡¯s side. ¡°You¡¯re A-ss, so you won¡¯t die! I won¡¯t hold back!¡± As Taejo extended his hand downwards, the H-beams pivoted towards Yoon Iseon. Boom¡ª¡ª! The first H-beam charged towards Yoon Iseon. Yoon Iseon leapt back, performing a somersault in mid-air, and the H-beam crashed into the ground where she was standing. ¡°Not yet!¡± Boom and Bang!! H-beams consecutively mmed into the baseball stadium¡¯s ground. Wherever Yoon Iseon dodged, H-beams followed, even predicting and targeting where she would move next. ¡°Argh¡­!¡± Yoon Iseon exerted all her effort to evade the attacks. She utilized all her magical power to dodge, but Taejo¡¯s attacks were faster and stronger than those of Ray Huang. ¡°Thought it was over? With so many shells on the battlefield!¡± With one hand, Taejounched H-beams at Yoon Iseon, while with the other, he reached towards the H-beams he had previously fired. Soon, the H-beams Yoon Iseon had dodged returned to swirl around Taejo, quickly bing another round of bullets flying towards Yoon Iseon. ¡°Aah¡­!¡± Just as Yoon Iseon was about to dodge, she was directly hit by an H-beam. She barely avoided a direct hit by deploying a pink me shield in front, but the impact made her roll backward. Oh, oh, oh. A worried murmur swept through the audience for a moment. They were momentarily shocked, thinking she might die, as ordinary people like themselves would instantly perish if hit by such an attack. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± But Yoon Iseon rolled on the ground without breaking her legs or bleeding. Wow!! The audience then erupted into cheers. For Yoon Iseon, fighting valiantly against an S-ss. For Taejo, for demonstrating the overwhelming power of an S-ss. [This is the power of the S-ss! Different from A-ss! Totally different!!] The announcer¡¯s voice echoed throughout the venue. Both Yoon Iseon and Taejo in the stadium could hear these words, and the announcer¡¯smentary was surely an element affecting the match. Primarily mentally. [Now, Yoon Iseon! Will she copse like this? Or is there a hidden counterattack up her sleeve!] If she fell, that¡¯s the end. If there¡¯s going to be a counterattack, now was the time. ¡°Haap!¡± Yoon Iseon gathered her three spread tails into one. Soon, with both hands, she drew a circle around herself, gathering the scattered foxfires into one, which grewrger than a basketball. Gooo. Pink mes began to condense in Yoon Iseon¡¯s hands. The mes gathered more and more to form arge sphere, which Yoon Iseon then shot towards Taejo, hovering in the air. ¡°Too slow.¡± She attempted to shoot. ¡°The Steel Cage does not discriminate.¡± ¡°This is¡­!¡± ¡°Gathering mana is fine for concentration, but unfortunately, against an S-ss opponent, that¡¯s a losing move.¡± Boom¡ª¡ª! If only the H-beam bombardment centered on herself hadn¡¯t urred. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about escaping the Steel Cage!¡± Crack! The H-beams that had fallen around Yoon Iseon suddenly began copsing to the side. Like dominoes set in a circle falling simultaneously, the H-beams interlocked as they fell, creating a fence around Yoon Iseon. ¡°This is¡­!¡± Yoon Iseon stopped gathering mana into the sphere, with no chance to escape. The H-beams melted towards the remaining space below, soon creating a barbed wire that no one could pass through. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to escape.¡± Above, the iron fence spread out like a dome. ¡°If you¡¯re trapped in a well, you have to climb up to the top.¡± Instead of clouds that should be floating in the blue sky, Taejo was reaching his hand towards the hole. ¡°I¡¯ll show you. That there¡¯s a higher sky beyond what A-sses can see.¡± Towards the dome¡¯s ceiling, the remaining H-beamsbined and began to fall. Their speed was like that of a giant iron meteor slowly descending, and screams echoed through the spectator stands. Aaaaaaah¡ª¡ª!! The transparent ice wall protecting the spectator stands shook momentarily. Everyone¡¯s hearts sank, fearing Yoon Iseon might die, but Taejo¡¯s attack didn¡¯t cease. ¡°Could it be¡­!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not just covering the ceiling, he¡¯s trying to crush it!!¡± ¡°Mercy!¡± Gugugugu. Despite the spectators¡¯ astonishment and fear. Thud. The mass of H-beams fell inside the dome. A light cloud of dust rose from the ground, but there was no response from inside. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± ¡°Even so, to be dead¡­¡± ¡°¡­Even if she¡¯s dead, it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s her fault for recklessly challenging an S-ss without knowing her ce.¡± Just when it seemed the oue had been decided. Boom¡ª¡ª!! Pink mes exploded between the H-beams. The chunks of metal were torn apart by the explosion, scattering across the ground, while a column of pink mes shot up through the dome. Flutter! Yoon Iseon leaped high into the air. Though faint, with her three tails fluttering, she stood on the end of an H-beam that had burst open from the explosion, catching her breath. ¡°Wow¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± The challenger was not yet dead. Not defeated, and not fallen. Even on the verge of falling, Yoon Iseon clenched her fists and summoned the foxfire again. ¡°Give up. If you admit your weakness now, you won¡¯t get hurt any further.¡± Taejo, floating in the sky, looked down at Yoon Iseon and dered. ¡°You are A-ss. If you wish to breathe the same air as S-ss, you need to be much stronger.¡± ¡°Haap!¡± With a yell, Yoon Iseonunched the foxfire. The foxfire, sharper and more refined than before, rushed at Taejo like an arrow. And then. Bang¡ª¡ª! It hit Taejo, causing an explosion. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­ dodge it?!¡± Pink smoke engulfed Taejo. The foxfire exploded upon reaching him, and Yoon Iseon, extending her hand forward, steadied her heavy breathing. ¡°Did I win¡­?¡± The moment Yoon Iseon spoke in a puzzled voice. ¡°Weak.¡± From within the smoke, Taejo appeared unharmed. Not even a trace of soot from the explosion, and his suit protecting his body was as intact as before. ¡°Just this much can¡¯t ovee an S-ss.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Frustration and despair slowly spread across Yoon Iseon¡¯s face. The audience, realizing her attacks no longer had any effect, sensed the oue of the match. This contest. In the end, an A+ ss was merely an A+ ss. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to give up?¡± ¡°Even if I fall, I will never give up.¡± ¡°Good. Then, I¡¯ll knock you down with all my strength. Experience the power of an S-ss.¡± Fzzzt. As Taejo stretched his hand to the side, the H-beams, destroyed by the explosion, began to gather around him again. ¡°Iron Dragon takes flight.¡± Gugugugu. The H-beams instantly turned to dust. This dust began to whirl around Taejo, starting to form a figure. ¡°Manifest.¡± The metal dust consolidated into a massive figure centered around Taejo. ¡°Iron Blood King.¡± Was there such a person? Not in history. But if there were, it would be the one standing before them now. Thud! Landing on the ground with boots resembling ck socks, the giant, several meters tall, with a royal-style robe fluttering, had a traditional crown sparkling on its head. Whirring. As his angr eyes sparkled with gold, the outer surface turned red, beginning to emit a brilliant light. ¡°Wow¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Cheers erupted from the stands. Both men and women shouted in support of the winner. [I have arrived.] Everyone swallowed their saliva at that deep voice spreading over the walls of the baseball stadium. This was truly ¡®Armored Taejo¡¯. The gold line on his chest shone brighter, gradually illuminating like a golden dragon pattern. The condensation of mana. Armored Taejo crossed his arms in an X shape in front of him, and soon a reddish-gold magical power began swirling around the ¡®Steel Armor¡¯. Crackle! The transparent ice wall protecting the stands thickened. The audience sensed it. Even Snow White, watching the match, strengthened the barrier, anticipating a ¡®powerful strike¡¯. ¡°Go¡ª¡ª¡ª! Armored Taejo¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± ¡°Show the power of an S-ss!¡± ¡°Kyaaahh! Lord Taejo!¡± At the peak of cheering for Taejo, Yoon Iseon¡¯s face shed on the scoreboard. She was utterly perplexed. Her expression, filled with frustration and despair just moments ago, was now bewildered by the sight of Armored Taejo, biting her lower lip. [Behold. This is the dignity of an S-ss.] Armored Taejo extended his hands in front of his chest. Simultaneously, the ¡®cannon gate¡¯ on his chest opened. [Heaven-Shaking Thunderstrike.] Boom¡ª¡ª¡ª! A golden barrage charged towards Yoon Iseon. The power of the barrage was overwhelming, enough to engulf not just the pitcher¡¯s mound but the entire infield. ¡°Scream!¡± Everyone was astonished by the tremendous disy of light. Even if it was to showcase the power of an S-ss, such overwhelming force¡ª Bam! The Heaven-Shaking Thunderstrikeunched by Armored Taejo split to the sides. Yoon Iseon, who had climbed onto the mound, saw her pink mes rise in front, splitting the barrage into two streams. [Oh! She¡¯s holding on!! She¡¯s resisting!!] Even as she was pushed down from the mound, Yoon Iseon kept her hands forward, blocking the barrage. The light of her tails gradually dimmed, and the protective barrier of mes in front weakened. Yet, the light of Armored Taejo remained strong. The overwhelming difference in magical power. If she couldn¡¯t bridge that gap, she couldn¡¯t surpass an S-ss. Fzzzt. The barrage stopped. Not because Taejo¡¯s mana was exhausted, but because Taejo retracted his mana himself. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon was pushed back to the batter¡¯s box. Her foxtails disappeared, and she remained frozen, leaning forward with her hands outstretched. [Strong.] Burning herself white and fighting back until thest moment without retreating. [But, you have not reached me.] ¡°Now, the end¡ª¡± Just when everyone thought it was over. Whoosh. A deeper shade of pink mes burst out from behind Yoon Iseon. ¡°¡­?¡± [¡­Could it be.] The stands were in turmoil. ¡°That, could she be trying to be a demon?!¡± ¡°Like Ray Huang?! Oh no! She can¡¯t win, so she bes a demon!¡± Everyone was suddenly filled with shock and fear. ¡°Taejo! Quickly, that woman!¡± [Do not act rashly¡ª¡ª¡ª!] At Taejo¡¯s roar, the stands froze in ce. It was truly amand. [¡­Heh, hehe.] But soon, Taejo began tough like a child. [Is iting.] Sensing something, Taejo clenched his fists again. And then. Bam¡ª¡ª¡ª! Nine deep pink tails shone brightly, wrapping around Yoon Iseon. As the tails slowly unfolded like a lotus, Yoon Iseon emerged from within. Dressed in a light pink robe, she appeared distinctly different, more mature than before. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll show you.¡± Lifting her bangs with her elongated hand, Yoon Iseon smiled slyly. ¡°The dignity of an S-ss.¡± Chapter 224: S-Class Scanner (9) Chapter 224: S-ss Scanner (9) The moment Taejo unveiled what could be called his ultimate technique, ¡®Iron Blood King,¡¯ my heart sank. ¡®He didn¡¯t have such a technique before, did he?¡¯ The concept behind Armored Taejo was akin to that of an Iron Man. Witnessing such a gigantic form, resembling either a mecha or an armored monarch, was a first for me. This was true both as a reader of the original novel and as a viin who had lived in this world for half a year. ¡°Yoon Iseon seems a bit flustered, huh?¡± Gunggi and Doul watched the TV with tense expressions. ¡°It would be problematic if the new recruit lost there.¡± ¡°Putting aside the billion won for a moment, if she loses there, doesn¡¯t that mean she¡¯s not S-ss?¡±Feeling anxious was unavoidable, not because they¡¯re the ones fighting, nor because they provided Yoon Iseon with magical power, but because they¡¯re watching her fight solely with her ownbat abilities. ¡°Even if she has awakened, if she turns out to be less than Taejo¡­¡± ¡°Then Yoon Iseon would be an S-ss Reader.¡± ¡°Hmm. How far is it from here to Sajik Stadium?¡± I turned on the app and immediately checked the straight-line distance on the map. 10km. It¡¯s not too far. If I interfered in the middle, I could easily wreak havoc. ¡°If Yoon Iseon loses¡­ my billion won will just vanish cleanly.¡± But. ¡°There won¡¯t be such an asion.¡± I was certain. ¡°Yoon Iseon has been preparing her best for today over the past week. Yumir and I have been by her side every day helping her. Even if Armored Taejo has brought out such a new skill, she can surely ovee it.¡± ¡°Even seeing her face?¡± Doul pointed at the TV screen, where Yoon Iseon¡¯s face clearly showed ¡®panic.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s not acting; that¡¯s real panic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I haven¡¯t trained her to freeze up at the sight of a Mecha King.¡± ¡°Then why is she panicking?¡± ¡°Hehe. I think I know.¡± Gunggi smirked slightly, lifting her hanbok. ¡°Their concepts ovep.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Their concepts?¡± ¡°Yes. The concept Yoon Iseon was about to change to, her battle outfit, bridal attire, so, the attire of a court princess or queen¡¯s bridal gown, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Could it be?¡± I felt my mouth go dry. ¡°Is she panicking because her concept oveps with Armored Taejo¡¯s, thinking they might roll out as a couple concept¡­?¡± ¡°Could be. There are ability users like that, aren¡¯t there? Those who can¡¯t stand ovepping concepts.¡± ¡°Such a character. Hehe.¡± Yoon Iseon getting flustered and panicking over her ¡®bride in traditional wedding attire¡¯ outfit concept, shaking the foundation of her S-ss identity and battle style. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s firing aser. The way it shoots out in gold from the royal robe, it almost looks like a Gold Dragon breathing out, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­The real Breath is miles apart though. Well, still, it¡¯s acknowledged as an S-ss technique.¡± And she¡¯s flustered in front of Armored Taejo¡¯s massive mana condensation bombardment? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°Honestly, I am a bit nervous.¡± I never thought I¡¯d be this tense, not fighting myself but watching the ability user I trained fight. ¡°I wish I could telepathically tell her. If she wins, I¡¯ll give her a ride on my bike-¡± Whoosh. Around Yoon Iseon, nine fox tails red to life. ¡°Oh. Seems like she¡¯s got her mind set.¡± ¡°Is she prepared to ovep concepts? Is that it?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Within the nine tails of the gumiho, resembling lotus flowers, Yoon Iseon reappeared in a mature form, just like her previous transformation. The attire, however, was a new form entirely different from what she had prepared. ¡°¡­So it¡¯s not a bride concept, but a celestial maiden concept.¡± ¡°Given that the gumiho aspect is retained, it¡¯s as if the gumiho has be a celestial being¡­?¡± The battle outfit, now entirely in soft pink, seemed a bit in, but the celestial maiden¡¯s veil wrapped around her arms and the nine ming tails fluttering behind her were so striking that it didn¡¯t seem odd at all. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m saying this because I feel like I get along well with her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bird.¡± ¡°I mean in terms of personality, personality.¡± Gunggi giggled, pointing at Yoon Iseon. ¡°Did she, like, have a brain freeze earlier, changing her outfit concept on the spot like that?¡± ¡°¡­Nah, can¡¯t be.¡± In my head, someone was speaking. Staging one¡¯s crisis¡­ Was staging a crisis because of deciding on a skin¡­? ¡°¡­¡­epted.¡± Rather than sticking with the prepared battle outfit skin and rolling out as a couple concept with Armored Taejo, this was better. ¡°Quick-witted, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°nning topliment her like thatter?¡± ¡°No.¡± After she wins, I¡¯d naturally tell her. ¡°She¡¯s beautiful.¡± Just as I felt. re. Yoon Iseon brought her hands together. Inserting each hand into the sleeve of the opposite arm, she ced her hands on her abdomen and lightly hopped off the ground. Whoosh. The ming tails still flickered, and the translucent veil behind her arms fluttered. [Impressive. To think, she would awaken.] Taejo began to p towards Yoon Iseon, who had risen to the same height he had flown at before. [There have been S-sses who overwhelmed me, but you¡¯re the first to awaken in a duel with me.] ¡°Look here.¡± Yoon Iseon, with an expressionless face, stretched her hands upwards. ¡°I¡¯m 3 years older than you, so I¡¯m your noona, you know?¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°And I¡¯m not nning to drag this out.¡± Yoon Iseon spread her arms to the sides. ¡°Bloom.¡± Soon, the nine tails spread out like a fan, each creating a foxfire at its tip. ¡°Scatter st.¡± Whoosh! From the tips of the nine tails, countless sparks burst forth, taking on the form of small foxes and starting to run through the air. There were almost dozens of them, and their speed was like that of light. Boom! The foxes, engulfed in mes, reached Armored Taejo¡¯s body and exploded upon contact. As before, it caused a pink explosion, but this time the color was deeper, and the explosion more intense. [¡­Ugh.] Armored Taejo emerged from the smoke, his outer armor scorched. Especially the shoulder area, which received concentrated attacks, even had holes in it. [That¡¯s scorching.] ¡°It¡¯s not just ¡®scorching,¡¯ is it?¡± Near the hole, the steel atoms, rbined through mana, turned to dust due to the explosion of the foxfire. She dealt clear damage to Taejo, who had created the giant armor. [Could it be, a clean hit¡ª¡ª! Awakened Yoon Iseon! She has sessfully attacked Taejo!!] Whoa¡ª¡ª!! Cheers erupted. The cheers from men were louder. ¡°Damn, I knew I could trust her!!¡± ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s Yoon Iseon! Yeah! As if Ray Huang couldpare to Korea¡¯s pride!¡± ¡°Oooohhhhh!!¡± Perhaps the cause of the cheers was Yoon Iseon¡¯s sessful counterattack after being overwhelmingly outmatched. It¡¯s definitely not because what was previously a ¡®gulp¡¯ has now openly turned into something worth smacking lips for. Probably. ¡°Heh, hehe. Yes, this is what makes a battle exciting!¡± The body of the Iron Blood King turned to dust again. Amid the rising dust, Armored Taejo emerged, shedding his steel suit to reveal a white suit, fluttering as he posed. ¡°Full power deployment!¡± ¡°This is the real deal.¡± At the same height. ¡°Come forth, Iron Dragon! Inhabit my legs, join me!¡± ¡°Burn up.¡± The two ability users are gathering their power for a full-force attack against each other. Everyone held their breath. Both the spectators and thementators, everyone watching through the TV monitors, observe the two¡¯s ¡®preparation.¡¯ Reality was not a fighting game. Reality was not a manga. In a duel to beat the opponent, it¡¯s crucial to win by any means necessary. But. The era of superpowers had arrived. Reality had now taken on a romantic hue. Kyaoooo¡ª¡ª!! Dust converged, transforming into a majestic silver dragon. With eyes gleaming sharply, it circles around Taejo, coiling and then soaring into the sky with him. Higher than Yoon Iseon. As if asserting his dominance, Taejo flew higher with the steel dragon. ¡°Even if you¡¯re S-ss!! I¡¯ll prove that I am stronger than you!!¡± Taejo leapt off the dragon¡¯s head. Simultaneously, the crimson magical power gathering in his right leg began to glow brightly. ¡°Uoooooo¡ª¡ª!¡± With a mighty shout, Taejo dove towards Yoon Iseon. Stretching his legs imbued with magical power, he rushed towards Yoon Iseon like aet plummeting from the sky. The steel dragon followed Taejo, opening its maw wide in an attempt to engulf Yoon Iseon. ¡°Burn up.¡± Yoon Iseon spoke calmly, then brought her hands in front of her chest. Whoosh. A small foxfire burst forth. This foxfire, though smaller than any before, began to sparkle with a crown-like halo around it. It resembled the sun itself. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± The nine tails behind her stretch forward, forming a circle, and Yoon Iseon flicked the sun-like burning foxfire into the circle formed by the nine tails. ¡°Corona ster.¡± Boom¡ª¡ª!! An overwhelming bombardment of firepower erupts, simr to, or even more overwhelming than, the flying fists Taejounched in the form of the Iron Blood King. The beam of mes, burning in a light pink hue, flew towards Taejo instantly. Kiiiiak!! The steel dragon melted away in an instant. The intense heat melted it sopletely that it turned into gas without leaving even a trace of dust behind; the steel dragon was consumed by mes instantly. Kikikik! But from within, from inside the bombardment, a sound was heard. The sound of magic shing against magic. Just as Yoon Iseon had done before, Taejo breaks through Yoon Iseon¡¯s bombardment. Sssss. The moment the bombardment ceased, Yoon Iseon¡¯s tails dissipated like mist. Her celestial maiden-like attire reverted to its original form, and Yoon Iseon began to fall gradually towards the ground. At the same time, Taejo emerged from the dwindling smoke of the bombardment. Instead of falling towards the now smaller Yoon Iseon, who was covered in foxfire¡ª ¡°Oh.¡± He flew towards the space where Yoon Iseon was before she began to fall. ¡°This¡­!¡± In front of him was¡ª ¡°Ah, sh*t.¡± The remnants of foxfire, fluttering like embers. Boom¡ª¡ª!! A giant explosion urred in the sky. Thud. Someone fell onto the scorched mound, spread-eagled. The remaining embers of the foxfire acted like a cushion, catching someone. And the one who gentlynded in the middle of the stadium was¡ª ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A small girl, shining brilliantly in light pink. On this day, Korea weed its 8th active S-ss. Chapter 225: S-Class Scanner (10) Chapter 225: S-ss Scanner (10) The match was decided. Yoon Iseon emerged victorious, while Taejo faced defeat. The first S-ss hero of 2025! At Sejong Academy, serving as the student council president, winning the A-ss final at the grand sports festival, and going on to defeat Armored Taejo in an S-ss scanner match. It was the ideal emergence of an S-ss. A student who received good evaluations from national education institutions, not just focusing on themselves but also caring for others and cultivating a sense of service, and then ascending to the ranks of the mere eight S-ss individuals in Korea. And that, through awakening in the midst of battle! ¡°Congrattions, Ms. Yoon Iseon. I am¡­.¡± ¡°Truly congrattions. We met at the academy graduation ceremony the year beforest, right? I am¡­.¡±Invited to the celebration, Yoon Iseon was overwhelmed with greetings from numerous adults. ¡°Ha, I always believed you would be an S-ss. Leading the student councilst year¡­.¡± ¡°Were you leading the students in Ulleungdo during the Duoexini incident? Remarkable. Was that perhaps a turning point?¡± ¡°Untilst year, you seemed to be just a regr me sorcerer, but from the start of this year, you adopted a Gumiho concept. Ha, our culture is indeed the best. You¡¯ve be an S-ss with the power of *Shinto-bul-i! Ha, ha, ha¡­.¡± As thepliments were only about information that could be found on Hero Wiki within five minutes, Yoon Iseon responded with soulless ¡®Yes, yes¡¯ while scanning the surroundings. As expected, everyone was awkward. Looking around, there were excessively many government officials. For them, the main character of this feast had changed, which must have been surprising. ¡°¡­¡­Hm.¡± Nobody anticipated Yoon Iseon¡¯s victory. A nce at the hastily made card suggested ¡®Yoon Iseon¡¯ was added at thest moment, behind which ¡®Taejo¡¯ seemed likely to have been written. This made Yoon Iseon even more ted. It felt like dousing their expectations with cold water. Defying the expectations of those who were certain Armored Taejo would win, showcasing an underdog¡¯s triumph. -Yes, yes. Sorry. It seems I¡¯ve defied everyone¡¯s expectations. -But what can we do? Armored Taejo lost. The thrill of victory stemmed not just from defeating Taejo but also from observing the ambiguous looks of those who doubted his victory. ¡®Is this what they call a reverse bet or something?¡¯ There were instances where people cheered ecstatically when a reverse bet with odds of hundreds to one wins, only to end up with a heart attack. However, those who bet on his victory must be tilting their sses to their newfound wealth. ¡°Ha, ha. Miss Yoon Iseon. You know what? My son is a fan of Miss Iseon. He insisted on betting on Hero Toto that Miss Iseon would win.¡± ¡°Oh, really? So, did you win a lot?¡± ¡°Of course! Ha, ha, ha. The money Miss Iseon made us, we¡¯ll spend it well. Is the student council short on budget or anything?¡± ¡°Wow. Thank you for caring; it means a lot.¡± Although it was slightly displeasing that someone¡¯s hard-fought victory was being used for gambling, thinking differently made her feel better, as these were people who believed in her victory. Having someone root for you could be a great source of strength. -It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ll win no matter what. If your faith wavers, trust me. I can bet all my wealth on your victory. -And if I lose? -If there¡¯s even a 1% chance of losing, then you¡¯ll have to train again until you win. It¡¯s okay to lose. But personally, I hope you win convincingly this time. -You¡¯re really making it impossible for me to lose. ¡°¡­¡­Sigh.¡± Just as he had faith in her. From the first awakening, even before the awakening, thanks to the support of her idol who had faith in and supported her, she was able to win. Murmurs. While lost in thought, the crowd began to stir. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Yoon Iseon momentarily lost her words at the sight of a young man approaching the entrance, dressed in a white suit with blonde hair. ¡°Oh, Taejo¡­?¡± ¡°Congrattions, noona.¡± The man who had lost to Yoon Iseon, Armored Taejo, appeared at the feast. Even in front of the woman who had defeated him, he casually smiled and raised his ss. ¡°Though you¡¯ve be an S-ss, you do know I¡¯m technically your senior in being S-ss, right?¡± ¡°¡­Suddenly speaking formally?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s only natural for me to use honorifics if you¡¯re older and stronger than me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Could this be the same young man who used to shout at everyone in amanding voice, brandishing his Iron Blood King? Whether it was the shock of defeat or he had been instilled with manners, Yoon Iseon couldn¡¯t be certain. ¡°Well, this is something. I thought I was properly fulfilling my role as an S-ss guardian. Never imagined I¡¯d be breached like this. Haha.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why do you look like that? You can stand a bit prouder. You won, after all.¡± ¡°That, Taejo?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Actually, it¡¯s a relief.¡± Taejo shrugged his shoulders with a broad gesture. Making a bigger deal than necessary, he just grinned broadly. ¡°Now that I know my shorings, I won¡¯t lose next time. Ah, are you worried that I might be angry or displeased? Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no such thing. Instead.¡± He grinned slyly. ¡°If there are A-sses thinking they can challenge me because I lost, those people are going to have a bit of a hard time.¡± ¡°They might end up being ranked 9th or 10th.¡± ¡°¡­Gasp.¡± At the voice of a woman appearing from behind, Taejo¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°Se, Seol-hee noona? Why are you here¡­?¡± ¡°What, can¡¯t Ie here?¡± ¡°Ah, no. You don¡¯t really like these kinds of gatherings.¡± ¡°We should congratte when there¡¯s something to congratte. A new S-ss has emerged.¡± Baek Seol-hee raised her ss towards Yoon Iseon and winked. ¡°Sincerely, congrattions. And a word of warning: don¡¯t mind what others say.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°ims like ¡®only strong in bursts¡¯ or ¡®only S-ss when transforming¡¯. All that stems from jealousy. Sorry to sound preachy right after congratting you, but it¡¯s all for your sake.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Understood.¡± Yoon Iseon nodded gravely at Baek Seol-hee¡¯s words. Even here, there were those whispering about her behind her back. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve experienced a lot while in the student council.¡± ¡°Then, that¡¯s good. Oh, right. Someone asked me to tell you something.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s expression briefly hardened, then she smiled widely again and flicked her ss towards Yoon Iseon. ¡°Your awakening, someone said it¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°¡­Someone?¡± ¡°Yeah. A certain meddlesome tsundere.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± She seemed to know who it was. Given what Yoon Iseon already suspected and knew about Yumir, she immediately realized who Baek Seol-hee was referring to. ¡°I¡¯m just grateful.¡± ¡°What for? I¡¯m the one who should be thankful. Can I call you informally? You can call me ¡®sister¡¯ too.¡± ¡°Yes, sister.¡± ¡°Alright. Then¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Surely, you¡¯re not nning to just stay in 7th ce, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Somewhere. Yoon Iseon started to feel something like a fluttering tail behind Baek Seol-hee. It must be her imagination. ¡°A strong S-ss colleague is always wee. I hope you be even stronger. Hehehe.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon genuinely felt a chill at Baek Seol-hee¡¯s smile. There were many in this banquet hall looking to use her, but this was the first time someone seemed to want to use her in such a pure and non-malicious way. She wondered if Baek Seol-hee was aiming for a pregnancy retirement. Though the thought briefly crossed her mind, Yoon Iseon internally shook her head and smiled. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be stronger. Please help me a lot, sister.¡± The pregnancy retirement was the n for both Baek Seol-hee and Yumir..
[Teacher, if there¡¯s ever anything, please contact me. I¡¯lle running.] ¡°I¡¯m overseas. And if youe when there¡¯s ¡®something¡¯, it¡¯ll onlyplicate things.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°I understand you¡¯re worried, but some things just can¡¯t be done.¡± Yumir called me with a worried voice, but I had to refuse Yumir¡¯s kindness. ¡°Just transferring some of your magic power to me is enough¡­ It¡¯s about 3 minutes now. Yumir.¡± [Yes, Teacher.] ¡°Take good care of the house while I¡¯m away.¡± [Of course. Please take care and return safely.] Click. The call ended. I threw my Taeguk Watch into a basket on the desk after taking it off. And then. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. This heavy sensation.¡± I wore an analog wristwatch, not the Taeguk Watch. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Something I didn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t, wear when I was working as a librarian, Do Ji-hwan. A wristwatch from a top brand that still holds its ce as a super high-end even after the cataclysm. ¡°It feels new to wear the Nautilus again, but maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve gotten used to it. It¡¯ll feel like old times again in Phuket?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to change into a suit?¡± ¡°Um, that would feel even more awkward? It¡¯s better to act as usual. Just think of it as wearing a mask and exin that.¡± Gunggi, Yoon Hye-ra, pulled on my suit tie and grinned. It seems like Yoon Hye-ra has made proper ns to go with me to Phuket this time. ¡°I came out wearing Hanbok, so it¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re taking care of me because I¡¯m ady in Hanbok? Is that the concept?¡± Yoon Hye-ra giggled and moved a hand to her face. ¡°During our trip to Phuket, does that mean Mr. Ji-hwan will be ying my knight?¡± ¡°Perhaps treating each other like before would be better.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Then how should I address you? Mr. Ji-hwan? Or Director Do? Isn¡¯t that too formal for everyday use?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going as a newlywed couple, are we?¡± ¡°Not? It¡¯s exactly a newlywed couple concept.¡± ¡°¡­No. Which Korean couple goes to Phuket for their honeymoon? They¡¯d rather go to Ulleungdo or Jeju Ind.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s 14 nights and 15 days in Phuket instead of a 1-night and 2-day trip to Ulleungdo or Jeju Ind, wouldn¡¯t that make a difference?¡± Yoon Hye-ra¡¯s eyes sparkled red. ¡°Since the Chief has formally designated me as your partner, I won¡¯t leave your side for 15 days. Oppa.¡± Chapter 226: Hey Ugly Korean (1) Chapter 226: Hey Ugly Korean (1) After arriving in this world, if I had to choose the three best things about it, without a doubt, I would ce having special abilities at the top of the list. The era of special abilities. Had I been powerless, I might not have realized, but bing someone awakened to special abilities has made life in this world quite enjoyable. ¡®Anyone would think at least once about wanting to live in a world with abilities.¡¯ By acquiring a very special ability known as the Goblin¡¯s Bat, I became capable of achieving anything, as long as I had enough magical power. And if there¡¯s a second best thing, it would be my life as a Goblin in the Secret Society. Though I hadn¡¯t experienced living as a viin. Nor had I executed viins in reality. The best part about bing the third-rate viin Goblin was getting to date various women as the Goblin.¡®You¡¯d get stabbed for spreading your tentacles in reality, but here, it¡¯s somewhat better.¡¯ It¡¯s partly due to my hard work, but that effort led to forming close rtionships and connections with the Chief, the executives of Yi Maengmangnyang, and several heroines at the Academy, which was the second best thing. So, what¡¯s the third? Definitely going abroad. Specifically, enjoying the wealth I couldn¡¯t achieve in reality, based on a much wealthier economic foundation than the real world. Though it¡¯s for a business trip, boarding a first-ss international flight to Thand was a novel experiencepared to my previous life. ¡®Going abroad like this is all part of the experience too.¡¯ For someone who had only flown domestically to Jeju Ind, enjoying the services of a private jet or first-ss was always a new experience. Of course, if you asked whether this was simr to the services enjoyed by the wealthy in the real world, that would be ¡®worlds apart¡¯ in a different sense. The privileges might be simr, but the phenomena they entailed would bepletely different from those of the wealthy in my world. ¡°There¡¯s a Korean magazine.¡± ¡°These days, wouldn¡¯t it be necessary for flights to have Korean magazines?¡± Just as a coin had two sides, and light brought shadow. ¡°The disy defaults to Korean too.¡± ¡°Why bother changing it to English? Korean is themonnguage after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Others might not see this as a shadow, but for me, it¡¯s an experience that made me cringe and twist inside every time it appeared before my eyes. ¡°Excuse me. What drink can I get for you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Is that a stewardess uniform? The design, it¡¯s pretty nice.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the uniform of our airline, designed by the famous Korean designer, Park Do-sik.¡± Even the stewardess¡¯s uniform, though it followed the airline¡¯s coloring, feels a bit chilly to me, like a game character wearing a hanbok skin. I was not well-versed in fashion, but having a stewardess uniform styled like a hanbok was indescribably odd for me. ¡°What drinks do you have?¡± ¡°We have sujeonggwa, sikhye, and sungnyung avable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Sir? Is there anything ufortable¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sujeonggwa, please. And for her?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have the sikhye. Without the rice.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll prepare it right away.¡± Normally in movies, they asked first-ss passengers whether they wanted red or white wine, but here, they even offered sungnyung. It might be a flight from Korea to Thand, but sungnyung seemed a bit too much. ¡®Even if Joseon had conquered the world, it wouldn¡¯t be to this extent.¡¯ Every time I simply breathed and walked around, getting hit by a whiff of nationalistic pride, I felt suffocated. It¡¯s almost like a gestaltzerfall. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yes, Oppa.¡± Gunggi¡ªNow I should definitely call her Yun Hye-ra¡ªput down her magazine and turned her head towards me, lowering her sunsses. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I always feel this, but isn¡¯t it odd to have sujeonggwa or sikhye on an international flight, not just a domestic one?¡± ¡°Oppa. If a first-ss passenger says that, it would shock the stewardesses.¡± Yun Hye-ra winked at me, cing her index finger on her lips. ¡°Saying that in first ss would sound likeining about poor service quality. Ah, did you want wine? Shall I order it for you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. It just feels weird. Everywhere I go, it feels like Korea.¡± The influence of K-culture, prating every corner of the world, made my whole body tremble and my clothes feel like they¡¯re turning inside out. As if the Korean atmosphere forcibly enveloped the ces where foreign cultures should exist. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with having sujeonggwa and sikhye as first-ss service drinks? They¡¯re not from factories, but traditional Korean drinks made by masters brought in for service.¡± Yun Hye-ra was right. ¡°Out there, a single drink of this caliber would cost 30,000 won, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In this world, sikhye and sujeonggwa have be premium beverages. In my world, wine aged over 100 years in French vineyards was obviously more prestigious, but here, sikhye researched for over 50 years by a master in Chungcheong Province took precedence, making it awkward. ¡°If you look closely, Oppa, you seem to have a bit of a knack for criticizing Korea. No, sorry. Not criticizing, but you just can¡¯t stand Korean culture spreading this far?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not about criticizing; I just want to experience a variety of cultures abroad.¡± ¡°But every time you go abroad, you¡¯re shocked by anything Korean.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. I can fully experience Korean culture within Korea, so why do I need to see Korean stuff even when I¡¯m abroad?¡± The flourishing of traditional culture? That¡¯s fine. But when a bullfight in Valencia, Spain, turned into a Korean bullfight, or when people at the Olympics were shooting arrows with Korean traditional bows instead ofpound bows, it¡¯s hard for me to stay silent. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much? Not everything Korean can be good.¡± ¡°Of course, the most Korean thing is the most global, right?¡± ¡°That phrase hits home but also makes me sad.¡± Are you watching, Mr. Bong? Your words were being used in apletely different context in this world. Behold, the Koreanization of the entire world. ¡®Is this really traveling abroad?¡¯ I despised it. Author. Spreading Korean culture around the world was one thing, but the culture of this world had be too Korean. Instead of maids in Japanese maid cafes, there were gisaeng. In Europe, military cosy brought out guards from Gwanghwamun. In Brazilian sugarcane ntations, foreign workers were made to work in traditional Korean clothes. Instead of EDM sting in concert halls, you heard the nging of gongs. ¡°Your ordered drinks are here.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± In a world where the dessert that came with first-ss drinks wasn¡¯t macadamia or macarons but bite-sized rice cakes and yakgwa. I cursed it. Author. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Um, is there something you¡¯re not satisfied with?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve had a lot of yakgwa and rice cakes. Do you have any chocte or simple cookies?¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I¡¯ll change it for you right away! As for you¡­.¡± ¡°I like them.¡± The stewardess, pale-faced, hurriedly collected the yakgwa and left my seat. ¡°Hye-ra, did I act like a nuisance?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with asking for a change in first-ss service?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I asked them to make ramen or anything.¡± ¡°¡­? Shouldn¡¯t they at least make ramen?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Was that so? Asking for ramen wasn¡¯t being troublesome. I thought asking for ramen in first ss might be inappropriate, but it seemed ramen was quite a popr item after all. ¡°The real nuisances are something else.¡± Yun Hye-ra chuckled as she took out her smartphone. ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving soon. Once we do, don¡¯t stray too far from me, okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in more danger than I am.¡± ¡°Sir? Here¡¯s your chocte. Shall I unwrap it for you?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. Thank you.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! Please call if you need anything!¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Yun Hye-ra shot a slightly menacing nce at the stewardess. Then, she unfolded the paper wrapping of the chocte I was about to unwrap. ¡°Look at this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the mischief from?¡± With a whoosh. Though open mes were strictly prohibited on the flight, Yun Hye-ra discreetly created a small me to incinerate the paper without others noticing. ¡°Oppa, do you know what Korean honeymooners in Phuket need to be most wary of?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Human trafficking?¡± ¡°Not just human trafficking. It¡¯s not only the fear of being stripped of organs that¡¯s terrifying but also the fear of something else being taken.¡± Yun Hye-ra pointed downwards. ¡°Stealing seeds.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Going abroad, the crime most Koreans, especially men, fall victim to is exactly that.¡± Indeed. In this world¡­ For Koreans traveling abroad, men were more at risk than women. Why? Naturally, because the seeds of Koreans had a high probability of producing ability users.
We arrived at Phuket Airport. As soon as we arrived, Yun Hye-ra left for a moment to handle some business for the Secret Society, and I simply fiddled with my smartphone, waiting for her return. -You were so keen on not letting me stray away earlier. -You¡¯re not going to follow me to the women¡¯s bathroom, are you? -Of course not. I¡¯ll wait. I¡¯ll keep your handbag and luggage with me, so go ahead. Yun Hye-ra headed to the bathroom, but not for the reasons one might think, like using the restroom or fixing her makeup. Her purpose for going to the bathroom was to disguise herself¡­. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± Someone approached me. ¡°Are you traveling alone?¡± It was familiar Korean. But the ent was slightly strange, unmistakably foreign. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± In front of me stood two women. Both looked somewhat Korean, or at least half Korean. What was peculiar was that they were wearing clothes simr to academy uniforms. ¡°We¡¯re travel guides, Oppa.¡± ¡°We assist travelers from Korea.¡± They¡¯re Kosian. Mixed-race individuals born to Koreans and various Asian ethnicities. Created by Ugly Koreans, born out of humans¡¯ vile desires after a great upheaval, the ¡®mixed-race¡¯ individuals emerged. There might be exceptions, but if 90% were categorized this way, it¡¯s fair to say it¡¯s the majority. Currently¡­ Globally, since the year 00. Over 25 years, the number of Korean mixed-race individuals that had been born. Officially, it¡¯s said to be about 50 ¡®million¡¯. Chapter 227: Hey Ugly Korean (2) Chapter 227: Hey Ugly Korean (2) After a meteorite fell next to Korea. -Korea is now a blessednd! Children born in Korea be ability users! -At what rate? -¡­At least 100 times higher than in Europe! -Then it¡¯s settled! Let¡¯s go to Korea! After it statistically became significant that many ability users were born to those living in Korea. Many foreigners starteding to Korea on expeditions. For them, it would have been best if a couple came to Korea and just had a child with abilities. Comparatively, it¡¯s like going to the United States for birth tourism to obtain U.S. citizenship.-Your visa has expired! You are now an illegal resident! -No! Just 3 more months and I can give birth! At least in this world, spending 10 months in Korea for childbirth significantly increased the chances of giving birth to an ability user. Everyone confirmed the advantage of the location. Then what about people, not just the ce? -So, if you have a child with a Korean, wouldn¡¯t you have an ability user? This absurd folk tale circted. -Not just thend, but people have an effect too, right? -Hey, no matter what, it¡¯s not like the world favors Koreans. -Who knows. Maybe the gods of this world have given it all to Korea. -¡­So, if you marry a Korean and have a child, even abroad, many ability users would be born, right? ording to Wiki, this started spreading around 2005, and it was around 2007 when it turned out to be not just a folk tale but a fact. -Having a child with a Korean significantly increases the chances of birthing an ability user! -Hispanic? European? That¡¯s not important anymore! Abilities are more important than skin color! -Asian? Doesn¡¯t matter! If my child can be an ability user!! Not just the location, but people were important too. The longer someone lived in Korea, especially those who spent a lot of time in Korea after the meteorite fell, the more likely they were to give birth to ability users. -We will conduct a social experiment. When 10 men from Korea impregnate someone, we¡¯ll see how many ability users are born. We are in LA¡¯s Koreatown¡­ -Raise your hands! FBI! -Waaaah!! -Damn, were you conducting human experiments?! Holy shit! Oh? But these children¡­ -A 70% sess rate!! Hahaha! My theory was correct! Look! Let the world know! If you use Korean seeds well, you can give birth to ability users in the USA too!! The world had many crazy people. Among those crazies, those with money invested time and a lot of money to satisfy their curiosity. And they achieved results. -The longer someone lives in Korea, the higher the chance of giving birth to an ability user!! Was it simply luck? Was it a coincidental result from the experiment, or the discovery of a new ¡®principle¡¯ applicable to all of humanity? -Daughter, who is the father of the child? -I¡¯m sorry. It was with a Korean student¡­ -Where is that bastard?! -He, he¡¯s returned to Korea by now. He probably doesn¡¯t even know¡­ -Damn, hah. Don¡¯t even think about going out until you give birth! Damn, if caught, killed¡­ Why did an ability usere out? -¡­What should I do? -The father is dead. The child must never find out. Understand? Whether it was a blessing or a curse, ironically, the oue was thetter. As Korea¡¯s stature rose, Korean men who went abroad for business trips or study became less cautious, and as a result, ability users were born in various countries around the world. Regardless of gender, the same principle applied. Contrary to men, for whom scattering seed was a one-time event, the probability of giving birth to an ability user exponentially increased for women who continuously conceived children while residing in Korea. As a result, -Korean women, seriously, don¡¯t recklessly go abroad! This isn¡¯t a joke; it¡¯s genuinely dangerous! -Even if two women travel together, it¡¯s risky. So please, if you¡¯re going to travel, go with an ability user guide from the Hero Association. Please. -Why do people keep wanting to go abroad when men are being kidnapped too? If you go abroad, don¡¯t go to third-world countries! Inside Korea, going abroad had be genuinely dangerous, and carelessly leaving the country became a thing of the past. -Mr. Charles, my daughter, you see, she wants to go to Paris, France, to learn about bread. I¡¯m worried. -Oh, Mrs. Jung. Don¡¯t worry about it; I¡¯ll teach her. -Charles? -I am such a person. -¡­Why is a master baker attending as a student in our cooking school? -Because Korean desserts are the best in the world! Going to Paris, France, to study to be a pastry chef? At a time when professors from pastry chef colleges were enrolling in cooking schools to earn Korean culinary licenses? -The Earth revolves around the Sun, and the world revolves around Korea. A time when Handoism reced heliocentrism as the orthodox theory. -I¡¯ll scatter my seed. Ten million won per shot. Really? -Take my money! Korean men, it seemed, had been marking their territory all over the world. -Ugh, who are you guys! Look, even if you take my organs, it won¡¯t mean anything! -I¡¯m a sperm thief. Please give me your sperm. -¡­If you untie me, I¡¯ll cooperate. But, you¡¯re not doing this for nothing, right? -Yes. -KEEYOOOOTT!! -But if you can¡¯t give birth to an ability user, you will die. -¡­¡­. Whether it was voluntary, involuntary, or truly forced by someone else. -Whether it¡¯s a ratio or independent trials, as long as they give birth to an ability user, it¡¯s okay! The world was overflowing with Korean mixed-race individuals. Both those who were ability users and those who were not. Regarding the climate of such a world, one of my live stream followers left thisment. ¡­¡­. And then, I once again realized how mixed-race Korean children, who were not ability users, were treated in this world. To put it bluntly, They were ¡®the forsaken children.¡¯ And there were those who exploited the emotions of such children. They were precisely the advocates of subversion, Pandemonium.
¡°Students.¡± I approached two girls in uniform, lowering my voice. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The two girls exchanged nces and then stealthily smiled. It was clear what they were thinking, which made it a bit bitter. ¡°We¡¯re 20 years old this year. Right?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re 20. Adults.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. How could we be doing this kind of work here if we weren¡¯t adults, right?¡± ¡°That makes sense. If you were doing this kind of work and weren¡¯t an adult, that would be a big problem, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The two girls looked at each other again with ambiguous expressions, seemingly realizing their mistake. ¡°Did you approach me thinking I was that kind of man?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I didn¡¯te here alone. I came traveling with my wife.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± The expressions of the two girls changed immediately. ¡°How unlucky.¡± ¡°Talking as if you were going to buy something. Tch. Let¡¯s go.¡± The foxes that were preying on me quickly changed their gaze as if looking at a mere chicken, and they left the ce showing annoyance towards me. ¡°Hey, Oppas! Need a guide?¡± ¡°We can show you around. And we can do it for a cheap price!¡± And then they slinked around inside the airport and approached a group of men gathered together. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I was observing how those who are half Korean live.¡± I pointed out to Yun Hye-ra, who had juste out of the restroom, the two Koseans from Thand who had approached me earlier. ¡°How children who possess no abilities, only inherited Korean blood, manage to survive.¡± ¡°They approached you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­Those kids shouldn¡¯t exist.¡± Yun Hye-ra clicked her tongue while observing the two girls flirting with the men. ¡°They probably want to go to Korea. At least to find their dad, or even if it means entering Korea as illegal immigrants, they want to live there.¡± ¡°They are children who are unwee anywhere.¡± ¡°But they would still prefer to live in Korea than here. Naturally, they would choose a ce where the number of S-rankers has increased from one to eight over a ce with none.¡± There were no S-rankers in Thand. There were A-rankers, but those A-rankers were weaker than Ray Huang. That¡¯s why viins operated freely here, and as soon as we arrived at Phuket Airport, Koseans, who seemed to be the minions of viins, approached us. ¡°Did you find it in the bathroom?¡± ¡°Yes. It was a business card.¡± Yun Hye-ra handed me a piece of paper. I discreetly checked the business card. ¡°¡­One shot for 100 million won. Quite straightforward.¡± ¡°If an ability user is born, 100 million won is a small price. For men, it¡¯s just one shot, and for the organization, it¡¯s merely managing their health for 10 months. And if an ability user is born, it¡¯s a jackpot.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The world was filled with too many despicable people. It would be ideal if a viin executioner roamed the world, eliminating all viins, but there were limitations and consequences to consider. For instance, when eliminating a viin resulted in significant harm to many innocent people. ¡°Hye-ra. Is the organization running this affiliated with the military?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an underground operation run by the military forces that recently seized power. If they¡¯re connected to Pandemonium, there might be a link.¡± ¡°If we manage to uproot them¡­¡± ¡°The country would fall into chaos. If the military, which is at least maintaining some order, copses overnight, naturally, the Koseans managed by the military would¡­hahaha. It would be total chaos, right?¡± Thand was not the only country like this, but the Thand in this world found itself in an indescribable situation. The military attempted to obtain Korean men¡¯s seed through underground gic trading. And they allowed children born without fathers to approach those from Korea, to obtain the genes of Koreans who had spent a long time in Korea. Under government leadership. Why? Because a newborn ability user soon became national power, a weapon, a war machine. And. Regardless of what the central government said, viins did as they pleased. ¡°Excuse me.¡± A handsome young man approached us. ¡°Are you from Ghost Republic?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s us. And you?¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you. I¡¯m an A-rank employee living here.¡± The young man smiled broadly, showing his white teeth. ¡°My name is Nguyen.¡± Chapter 228: Hey Ugly Korean (3) Chapter 228: Hey Ugly Korean (3) The Secret Society existed everywhere. No matter where in the world you went, there were people associated with the Secret Society. Not just employees directly affiliated with the Secret Society, but also spies cooperating with them, or those allied with the Secret Society share their purpose in abundance. The man before us, Nguyen, was no exception. ¡°Is it really okay to discuss this here?¡± ¡°Of course. The people around us won¡¯t be able to hear our conversation, and they¡¯re not interested in us. I¡¯ve used a power to impair perception.¡± ¡°Just like someone sent from the headquarters. Truly remarkable.¡± Nguyen marveled as he scanned the surroundings. Boldly sitting at a caf¨¦ table in the airport, discussing the affairs of the Secret Society, no one thought us odd.It¡¯s the power of special abilities. Thanks to Yun Hye-ra and I simultaneously employing our magic power, no one looked at us with suspicion. No one tried to meddle with us, a couple. ¡°But, your name is Nguyen¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Nguyen Ong Bak. I¡¯m a Kosian.¡± ¡°If you call yourself a Kosian.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Nguyen, or perhaps ¡®Bak Ong¡¯ as this man was called, stirred his caf¨¦tte with a straw, a self-deprecating smile on his face. ¡°Coffee and milk mix to be a caf¨¦tte. But for some, that¡¯s neither coffee nor milk. Too nd to be coffee, yet the scent of coffee is too strong to be just milk. I¡¯m a caf¨¦tte kind of man.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Haha, just a joke. I don¡¯t really harbor anyints about such things. It¡¯s something that can be changed moving forward. Together with the Secret Society.¡± Nguyen bowed to us. ¡°Please help us. The hero association in this country has sumbed to the military. The hero association can no longer purify itself, nor can it receive help from other countries¡¯ hero associations.¡± ¡°Because the military is already intervening?¡± ¡°That, but also because the top rank A man in this country is on the side of the military. Have you ever heard of ¡®Lace¡¯?¡± ¡°Lace?¡± The only Lace I knew was a mount. ¡°Yes. The top-ranked A, Lace, has joined hands with the military, ignoring all kinds of tyrannical acts by the military, living in luxury and pleasure every day. He has seized control of the Thai Hero Association.¡± ¡°It seems the situation is more serious than we initially assessed.¡± Forget all information about the real Thand. Just as Korea¡¯s capital moved from Seoul to Busan after the Cataclysm, the entire world had bepletely different countries with the same name after the Cataclysm. In other words, this novel had no rtion to actual persons, ces, organizations, etc. Coincidences with real names were just that, coincidences. Like such a situation. ¡°The military and the top hero are working together to maintain a dictatorship. But isn¡¯t Thand outwardly a democratic government now?¡± ¡°Yes. At least it was until a decade or so ago. But that changed when the military started to mobilize Kosians. The military co-opted members of political parties to createws for the military and Kosians, using the number of Kosians to dominate the ruling party.¡± I didn¡¯t know much about politics. I had no intention of interfering in the politics of another country. ¡°Hye-ra, can you check if what I¡¯m understanding is correct?¡± ¡°Sure, tell me.¡± ¡°So, arge number of mixed-race people have entered the political organization as members, and these people are closely associated with the military, and these members swarmed in and cast their votes, making that person the Prime Minister of Thand?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Indeed. Although a picture formed in my mind, I decided to focus on the affairs of this world. Anyway. It wasmon for things to unfold simrly in modern society. ¡°Understood, Nguyen. So, what do you wish for this country to be? Do you hope to be the prime minister of this country? Or do you wish to change the constitution to be president?¡± ¡°What I desire is the overthrow of Lace¡¯s dictatorship.¡± ¡°Overthrow of dictatorship?¡± ¡°Yes. Lace will turn 20 next year, reaching adulthood. And the Thai military and political parties are preparing to amend the constitution to lower the age requirement for bing prime minister to 20.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± One could say that Thand was quick on its feet. It¡¯s a political move acting faster than anyone in the era of special abilities. ¡°Intending to ce the country¡¯s strongest A-rank as the top political figure?¡± ¡°Should this be called collusion between politics and business? Hehe, collusion between politics and heroes.¡± ¡°If that hero acted as a normal hero, or rather, in a manner fitting of a typical hero, I wouldn¡¯t have gone as far as to request assistance from the Secret Society.¡± Nguyen sighed deeply and took something out of his pocket. It was a notebook covered in cowhide, with some stains that looked like fingerprints on the surface. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the notebook of a former deputy prime minister who¡¯s been reported missing. It was passed to me through his son.¡± Blood. ¡°He had a habit of keeping handwritten records, and everything he saw and heard is written down here.¡± ¡°A memoir, then.¡± ¡°Memoir¡­? Sorry, my Korean is weak¡­¡± ¡°Think of it as a diary left by politicians. Though the contents might be serious enough to overturn a countrypared to those of ordinary people.¡± ¡°Simr, I suppose.¡± ¡°Oppa.¡± Yun Hye-ra sent me a look. I caught on to her gaze. Nguyen hadn¡¯t fully caught on yet. ¡°Nguyen. There¡¯s some unfortunate news.¡± ¡°Please, speak.¡± ¡°You might have tried your best to cover your tracks, but it seems those tracking you are beyond your capabilities.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Nguyen¡¯s expression began to harden rapidly. ¡°That, that can¡¯t be¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re in a ratherfortable situation right now. It¡¯s a good time for some espionage training for you.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Look over there.¡± I pointed towards some people approaching another ne from Korea, on the opposite side of the caf¨¦. ¡°Who do they look like to you?¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t they Kosians?¡± ¡°Exactly. To the outside world, indistinguishable from Kosians. Kids abandoned, trying to make money by pretending to be guides at tourist spots.¡± Three girls in academy uniforms approached the Korean tourists. They gently approached them, chatting, and the three male tourists dly epted the girls¡¯ offer and followed them. ¡°Thai beauties appearing right afternding at the airport. Even wearing uniforms resembling those of an academy, it¡¯s as if a female ability user is acting as a guide. Nguyen, a question for you. What purpose do these girls have in approaching those men?¡± ¡°¡­¡­To extract seed and take it back to Korea?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a judgment from the perspective of someone from this country. Think as a person from the Secret Society. A hint: it¡¯s about us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Could it be.¡± Nguyen¡¯s expression immediately hardened. ¡°The intelligence that I was going to meet with an agent of the Secret Society at the airport¡­?¡± ¡°It will. Always be careful when using watches, smartphones, and other electronic devices. You never know when or where a hack might ur.¡± ¡°¡­¡­sigh.¡± Nguyen was disheartened. He must have been careful in his own way, but unlike Yun Hye-ra and me, who had a team dedicated to handling electronic information, his information was bound to be exposed. Of course, ording to the information we had secured in advance, Nguyen¡¯s exposure wasn¡¯t due to hacking. It was due to information leakage by people, not electronic data. ¡°Nguyen. How much do you trust people?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The son of the former deputy prime minister who handed over this memoir. Are you confident that he approached you out of innocence, questioning his father¡¯s disappearance?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Could it be.¡± Despair flickered in Nguyen¡¯s eyes. At the same time, three Kosian guides and three Korean tourists took their seats at a table near us. ¡°Oh, oppa. This is a Taeguk Watch, right? Wow. It¡¯s my first time seeing a Taeguk Watch.¡± ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s thetest model. Well, nothing special. Just these features¡­.¡± The guides did their best to lift the spirits of the tourists, and the three men, thrilled by the bright actions of these pretty girls, were chattering away. ¡°Right now, those Kosian guides are searching. While conversing, they¡¯re determining if these are just ordinary people, tourists, seed sowers with shady intentionsing to Thand to spread their seeds wildly, or¡­.¡± ¡°¡­agents of the Secret Society who havee in response to a hero¡¯s request to somehow stop the collusion between politics and business. Unfortunately, it seems they¡¯ve hookedpletely different people over there.¡± Yun Hye-ra pointed at the three men with a smile in the daylight. ¡°Nguyen. How many ¡®real¡¯ Kosians do you think there are among the Kosians?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°You know. Just because someone is Korean doesn¡¯t mean they have a Taeguk g hologram floating above their head. If theye from Korea, have a Korean passport, and wear a Taeguk watch, does that make them Korean?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Mr. Nguyen, to be a true member of the Secret Society, you need a perspective that views the world in a darker light.¡± ¡°Hye-ra.¡± ¡°Why? Oppa, this person is too naive right now. We need to teach him the harsh reality.¡± ¡°Even if he¡¯s A-rank, he¡¯s only 21.¡± ¡°Do we have a big difference?¡± Of course, that¡¯s true. ¡°But the depth of darkness we¡¯ve seen so far is different.¡± ¡°I, as an A-rank hero myself¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they call ¡®counting chickens before they hatch.¡¯ Nguyen. If you truly want to judge as a member of the Secret Society, want our help, and want to change this country together with the Secret Society, then just quietly follow our lead for now.¡± Yun Hye-ra wrote something on the table with her finger. ¡°It¡¯s an executive order. You¡¯re not nning to ignore the executive¡¯s orders, are you?¡± ¡°!!!!¡± Nguyen¡¯s mouth dropped open in surprise. ¡°No, no way¡­ I, I thought if someone were toe, it¡¯d just be an ¡®agent¡¯¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a manager here.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Nguyen.¡± I extended my hand to Nguyen with respect. ¡°Manager Goblin.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s natural to be surprised when two executivese in response to a service call. But this is a matter that warrants it.¡± The military. The government. Heroes. And behind them, the devils. ¡°Let¡¯s start with this case next to us, step by step. Following their trail, we¡¯ll unravel the darkness that looms over this country, one by one.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯re going to use them?¡± ¡°Our stance is to use what can be used. I mean the hyenas trying to prey on innocent sheep.¡± I pointed at the three guides, who were not really guides, chasing the Koreans. ¡°Really, are they Korean?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Let¡¯s use them. Pretending to be Koreans¡­well, I¡¯m not interested in which country they¡¯re actually from. Anyway, we¡¯ll use them, following where the guides take them.¡± I pulled out a business card I received from Yun Hye-ra. ¡°To a scene of human trafficking secretly operated by the military and ignored by the top-ranked A hero.¡± Its name was ¡®Subus Ind.¡¯ Chapter 229: , Hey Ugly Korean (4) Chapter 229: , Hey Ugly Korean (4) Intent on changing his country, the pure-hearted young man, A-ss hero Nguyen, and I had just left the airport. ¡°The vehicle we prepared is¡­¡± ¡°They must have it under surveince. There¡¯s no need to even try approaching.¡± Nguyen quickly looked disheartened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought I did the best I could locally¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. This is all part of the experience, and you can learn from it. You¡¯re not a specialist in espionage, but an expert in defeating viins.¡± If we were topare Nguyen to Korea¡¯s S-ss heroes, he would be akin to ¡®Tosin¡¯ Lee Jun-young. Overflowing with a sense of justice and adept at physical actions, yet his na?ve approach prevents him from fully seeing the dark aspects of the world. If such a person were to recognize the reality of darkness and shine a light on it, he could enforce justice on a national level¡ªa man on par with ¡®Gwang Ik Gong.¡¯Of course, reaching that point would entail tremendous mental stress and challenges. Despite the Secret Society¡¯s promise to help, facing the deep-rooted darkness in one¡¯s own country was a tough task for anyone. ¡°Brother. It seems like they are slowly getting a van or a taxi over there, what should we do?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just use a taxi like normal people. But first, Nguyen, you need to cover your face.¡± I lightly flicked the ck umbre I was holding towards Nguyen. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°A tool for disguise. We can just go as we are, but you¡¯re a hero in this country.¡± ¡°Is this what they call an ¡®Invisibility Mask¡¯ or something?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Though it¡¯s made using mana. ¡°Will this do?¡± ¡°Perfect. Oh, I have one request.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Could you strike a pose and smile for me?¡± I formed a ¡®V¡¯ with my fingers and ced them below my lips. ¡°Like this?¡± Nguyen showed off his white teeth and grinned broadly. Perfect. Indeed, the image I had created from my memory was urate. ¡°Brother, who is this?¡± ¡°I just made it look like a normal handsome Vietnamese man.¡± ¡°Vietnam¡­¡± Nguyen chuckled bitterly at the mention of Vietnam. ¡°It¡¯s quite an impressive ce in many ways.¡± Nguyen, who had sought the Secret Society¡¯s help in despair over the situation in Thand, gave a bitter smile at the mention of ¡®Vietnam.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s right to say that history has beenpensated like that¡­¡± If there¡¯s ever a chance to go to ¡®pre-Vietnam¡¯, there would be a detailed story to tell. In brief, there¡¯s no Vietnam in this world. Though a country did transition into the ¡®Nam Special Autonomous Region¡¯ of South Korea after securing arge number of ability users through international marriage specials faster than any other country. Was that too much? That¡¯s how the international situation was post-Cataclysm. Weak countries disappeared one by one, getting absorbed by neighboring nations, with those mergers often led by A-ss ability users or higher. Since that¡¯s what the citizens wanted. If there¡¯s an A-ss next to a country whose maximum output was C-ss, then people would either immigrate to the A-ss country or demand a national merger. Nam was the first country outside the Korean Penins that South Korea merged with. They agreed to move forward together beyond the painful history of the pre-Cataclysm era, and there was no reason for South Korea to refuse to take in another country. Someone may call them ¡°second-ss Koreans¡± or mockingly ¡°penins Koreans,¡± but despite their changed affiliations, they still maintain their Vietnamese identities. Underneath the pyramid of the spreading Korean Wave, Vietnam holds the topyer. ¡°If you¡¯re ready, get in now. A guide ising over to snatch us up.¡± Yun Hye-ra, who had sessfully coaxed a taxi driver, called us over. Nguyen seemed unsure about where to sit in the sedan taxi prominently marked with an ¡®H¡¯, but I pointed him to the back seat. ¡°Sit behind the driver¡¯s seat. I¡¯ll take the passenger side.¡± ¡°What? But I¡­¡± ¡°Just watch silently from the back.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Nguyen opened the car door and got in, and after Yun Hye-ra got in, I closed the door and headed to the passenger seat. ¡°Wee aboard.¡± ¡°Your Korean is fluent?¡± ¡°Haha. These days, if taxi drivers don¡¯t speak Korean, they can¡¯t even get their licenses.¡± The middle-aged man grinned broadly, lifting his sunsses. Thanks to Yun Hye-ra hopping from one taxi to another, his car didn¡¯t smell of cigarettes. ¡°Do you like coriander?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t live without it. Nowadays, the government regtes coriander so much that it¡¯s harder to find than honey butter chips. Did youe here to eat pho? There¡¯s a ce where friends from Vietnam who have settled down make amazing pho. That friend grows coriander at home, so he can generously add it.¡± ¡°Tell me about itter. For now¡­¡± I pointed to a giant van rushing ahead. ¡°Please follow that van.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I felt something was up when thedy started talking, but is there something going on?¡± ¡°Yes. You will be wellpensated.¡± ¡°Ah,pensation is fine, but¡­¡± The taxi driver shifted gears like he was racing, and swiftly maneuvered the parked car to follow the van. ¡°I can¡¯t resist undercover reporting. I used to be a journalist back in the day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If I appear on TV, at least blur my face, okay? Which station is it?¡± ¡°That would be¡­¡± I gripped a small camcorder handed to me by Yun Hye-ra in the back seat and aimed it at the van. ¡°This is for VJ Notebook.¡±
At that moment. ¡°Hmm, hmm-hmm.¡± Inside a luxurious, spacious house. A young man, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, swim shorts, and slippers, smiled faintly at the food on the table. ¡°Ah, this delightful coriander scent.¡± A white porcin bowl was filled with pho, topped with enough coriander to cover the noodles and broth. Crunch. Lace took a big bite of the raw coriander with chopsticks. To others, it might look like a rabbit munching on grass, but Lace savored the coriander slightly warmed by the pho, appreciating its vor and aroma. ¡°Let¡¯s see, the farm is¡­¡± Lace fiddled with a tablet beside the pho. The screen looked like it was managing a game about an ind, with various data updating in real-time. ¡°Ah, shoot. Who brought in the Chinese stuff?¡± A small popup window on the tablet disyed profiles of several men. ¡°Damn. When was the passport renewed, and they¡¯re still usingst year¡¯s? Passport mismatch. Please, if you¡¯re going to forge, at least bring a proper passport.¡± Lace pressed a red stamp on a newly popped-up window. Soon, their passports were marked with a red sealbeled ¡°Coriander Ind.¡± ¡°I cannot forgive those who dare to contaminate my farm. Send them to ¡®God¡¯s Rest¡¯ to contribute to this country¡¯s coriander production. What? You want a name too? Ha, let¡¯s see¡­ This one is Jang Chil-sa, and this one Wang Yuk-gu. Done. That¡¯s the end.¡± Lace, who casually attached surnames and assigned numbers as names to presumed people, turned his gaze back to the bowl of pho heavilyden with coriander. ¡°Hehehe. Nguyen, what should we name this guy if we send him to the ind? Park Ong-il? Ah, that won¡¯t do. It sounds too Korean. We¡¯d attract unnecessary disputes¡­¡± ¡°Lace. There¡¯s something I need to report.¡± The woman in a suit approached Lace, who had just taken a bite of his pho. ¡°What is it, secretary?¡± ¡°We lost them.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Lace furrowed his brow and put down his chopsticks. ¡°Lost them? Did I hear that right?¡± ¡°Yes, you heard correctly. Nguyen has¡­¡± ¡°Escaped?¡± Thwack! ¡°It was a perfect opportunity to follow Yi Maengmangnyang, and you lost it!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡± Lace, in his Hawaiian shirt, kicked the kneeling agent in the slippers and fumed. ¡°After all the trouble to get him moving through the Deputy Prime Minister¡¯s bereaved family, what are you doing now!¡± ¡°Ah, rest assured. The bereaved family¡¯s memo is a well-crafted fake, and those listed in it are just people we n to oustter¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s important! What¡¯s important is Yi Maengmangnyang! Finding the Secret Society!¡± Lace mmed the table with his hand. ¡°We need to capture agents of the Secret Society! That¡¯s how we can negotiate with them! We can¡¯t let Nguyen or any other madmen be the ones the Secret Society ¡®chooses¡¯!¡± ¡°Ah, but the Secret Society is an evil organization¡­¡± ¡°Who defined them as evil?¡± Lace pointed his chopsticks at the secretary¡¯s neck. ¡°They are viins, yet not viins. They are madmen without the spirit of coboration, iming to act for social justice whilemitting evil acts.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If they ever interfere with this country, will they really join hands with us? No. They are the type who would not tolerate even this.¡± Lace grabbed a pinch of powder from the white porcin dish. ¡°Tsk. They don¡¯t even know the taste of mana powder, calling themselves viins.¡± Chomp. Lace chewed loudly on the pho sprinkled with coriander and white powder. ¡°Tell the military. Check everyoneing in on Korean flights. If they don¡¯t act with purpose, they¡¯re agents of the Secret Society.¡± As Lace spread his hands, a giant screen unfolded on the wall, quickly disying CCTV footage from across Thand. ¡°We¡¯ll capture an agent of the Secret Society and draw out their executives. Got it, ¡®Hyang-dan¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Agent Hyang-dan bowed and backed away. ¡°Hehe. Just wait until we catch you, Secret Society¡­¡± Lace grasped his left shoulder and sneered. ¡°This pain, I will surely return it¡­!¡±
Screech. The taxi stopped. ¡°Ah, not here. PDs, just go back. If anyone asks, say I rmended a good restaurant here and head straight to the hotel.¡± The taxi driver, wearing a stern expression, parked the car in the restaurant¡¯s lot and pointed across the road. ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Nguyen leaned forward from the back seat. ¡°What¡¯s over there¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know? Damn. That¡¯s the gateway to the ind called ¡®God¡¯s Rest¡¯.¡± ¡°Get out. Thanks for your hard work, driver.¡± I handed a stack of cash to the driver and extended a handshake. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you said. Would you care to join us for a meal? If you¡¯re ufortable, we can arrange for separate tables.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s dangerous¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ensure your safety.¡± As I subtly allowed a spark of ck me to flicker in my eye, the taxi driver¡¯s eyes widened, and he licked his lips. ¡°An ability user¡­! This, this. It seems bigger than I thought¡­!¡± ¡°As the driver suggested, we¡¯ll eat here and then head to the hotel. Meanwhile, could you share what you know? It¡¯s always best to get information from locals.¡± ¡°About the ind that is called the God¡¯s Rest.¡± Chapter 230: Hey Ugly Korean (5) Chapter 230: Hey Ugly Korean (5) Everything in Korea was exceptional. It embodies the core philosophy of the deity who crafted this world, the original author who constructed this universe within the novel. Korea was destined for greatness, and the entire world was brimming with national pride. As a result, the Korean Wave swept across the globe, making Korean culture universally recognized. Ideally, only the positive aspects would proliferate, but reality begged to differ. ¡°The resting ce of the gods is under military control¡­ But does this not sound rming to anyone else?¡± ¡°Yes. I assure you. For instance¡­¡± ¡°Help me!! There¡¯s a viin here!!¡± Yun Hye-ra suddenly let out a scream.The taxi driver, Laichai, was taken aback by Yun Hye-ra¡¯s abrupt outcry. Yet, the restaurant remained eerily silent. The staff barely gave us a nce, merely looking over when Laichai nearly leaped up in shock before they returned to their tasks. ¡°Ha, that gave me a fright. It seems perfectly normal indeed. No one reacts even at the mention of a ¡®viin¡¯. Phew.¡± Laichai dabbed his forehead with a tissue. He could have opted for a wet towel, but fortunately, he chose to exhibit at least some decorum in Yun Hye-ra¡¯s presence. ¡°Then, it¡¯s safe to resume our conversation. That ind has been under military control since the great cataclysm. A general known as ¡®Rungkatphungtai¡¯ oversees it as a divisionmander.¡± ¡°Rungkatphungtai?¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t an ability user, but he¡¯s publicly known as the ¡®Red Wolf¡¯. Even in formal contexts, he prefers to be called the Red Wolf, so people in Thandmonly refer to him as that or ¡®General Jeokrang¡¯.¡± ¡°General Jeokrang¡­¡± Yun Hye-ra and I turned our attention to Nguyen. ¡°Do you know him well?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s highly esteemed in the military. He has strong ties with the government and is the prime minister¡¯s right-hand man. At the same time¡­¡± Nguyen nced at Laichai, then seemed to decide, speaking with a grave expression. ¡°He¡¯s nning to conscript Kosian youth to gain support from pure-blooded Thais.¡± ¡°What? Oh, really? Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re also nning to use a lottery system to exempt pure-blooded Thais from military service and rece them with Kosiens.¡± ¡°For votes, huh¡­ Tsk, tsk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like they¡¯re probably nning to use the Kosian troops to mass-produce ability users.¡± The two men¡¯s eyes turned towards Yun Hye-ra. ¡°They n to use Kosians, especially those with strong Korean heritage, to reproduce ability users.¡± ¡°Oh, what, treating people like cattle¡­¡± ¡°Oh. Mister, you don¡¯t think so?¡± At Yun Hye-ra¡¯s counter, Laichai shut his mouth. He was a journalist, so he likely knew some of it and had seen enough of society¡¯s underbelly. ¡°Human beings can easily be demons if they just throw away a bit of their integrity towards their desires. If ability users physically turn into demons, then it¡¯s the people who act worse than demons while wearing human skins.¡± ¡°But miss, it¡¯s like you¡¯re saying they¡¯re using the Kosian troops for women¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually happening all over the world. Well, those who don¡¯t know, just don¡¯t know.¡± Nguyen¡¯s face paled, and Laichai sighed deeply, finding it hard to speak. ¡°Just consider the so-called resting ce of the gods that Mr. here is hesitant to enter?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. The guide next to us looks unhappy, but I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯ve heard. Of course, this is just ¡®a story¡¯. Rumor has it that criminals are sent to the resting ce of the gods.¡± Laichai spoke in a monotone voice, as if reading a newspaper article. ¡°People who¡¯vemitted serious crimes within the country or those from abroad who can disappear without much trouble. People whose disappearance can be dismissed with a formal note saying ¡®we¡¯re doing our best¡¯ even when the Foreign Ministry is asked to search for the missing. Those are the ones sent to that resting ce of the gods.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable. There are no prisons or jails there¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, young man, you¡¯re really naive. Just chain them up in an abandoned building, lock them up so they can¡¯t leave, and manage them¡ªthat¡¯s what a prison is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Nguyen remained silent, and Laichai looked at him with a bitter smile. ¡°There was someone who dramatically escaped from there, and he said that ce was an ind of ves. The ¡®god¡¯ of the resting ce refers not to the prisoners but to the owner of the ind, his acquaintances, and the powerful.¡± ¡°What happens on the ind?¡± ¡°Everything, except for one thing.¡± Laichai picked up a strand oftro from his rice noodles with his chopsticks. ¡°That man said he worked at atro farm. There¡¯s a concrete space underground spanning tens of thousands of square meters, where they growtro like this.¡± ¡°¡­Not cannabis?¡± ¡°They grow that too. But he, and others, were growingtro. Maybe someone really lovestro that much.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It seems you have an idea who it might be. Heh. I haven¡¯t said who it is.¡± While saying this, Laichai wrote ¡®LA+¡¯ in the air, and I nodded at him. ¡°Do you know then? Oh, this is something. The more I hear, the more it feels like I¡¯ve entered a spy movie. ¡­You, perhaps.¡± Laichai lowered his voice as he looked at me. ¡°You, a National Intelligence Service agent? Korea. VJ Notebook, just a cover identity or something?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re questioning our identities, you can stop there. You¡¯ve told us enough already.¡± ¡°No, heh, havinge this far, a man should see it through. I once went all the way to the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and back.¡± Laichai was bolder than expected. ¡°Hyera, did you know and make contact?¡± ¡°¡­Just a hunch, picked a driver who doesn¡¯t smoke.¡± ¡°Heh, then this is what you call ¡®fate¡¯. Or destiny.¡± Choosing a random person who turns out to be a former journalist and so boldly cooperates with us, strangers, could indeed be fate. Nguyen called us to confront reality, urging us to deeply understand it and transform it with divine guidance. ¡°Whether thattro enthusiast ordered it or not, there¡¯s a vasttro farm at the resting ce of the gods. And, interestingly, there are no women on that ind. There¡¯s no reason for women to be there, nor should they be.¡± ¡°But the van we followed had women in it, Kosians. They are¡­¡± ¡°Coborators. Those who bring ves to the resting ce of the gods. It¡¯s awkward to mention this in front of ady, but¡­¡± ¡°If a man¡¯s brain is in his lower body, even the scent of a woman¡¯s perfume could distract him, making him unaware that it¡¯s a scheme to ce a ve cor around his neck.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re the toughest one here. Right. Kosian women are merely bait. Regardless of gender, they¡¯re just meant to ensnare people.¡± Laichai sped his hands together and then pushed them apart. ¡°One group is sent to the resting ce of the gods. Another is dispatched to a different ind, also under the control of the Red Wolf, where he maintains a tighter grip than at the resting ce.¡± ¡°Where is that ce?¡± ¡°Heh. Why? nning to storm in?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t storm in.¡± I gestured to Nguyen to calm down, then pointed to the hand Laichai was raising. ¡°We can¡¯t just barge into the ind of the subi. We¡¯ll infiltrate, aplish our mission, and slip out.¡± ¡°Really an agent of the National Intelligence Service?¡± ¡°No, but I find Laichai, who knows all this, to be more remarkable.¡± ¡°Cough. Well, being a taxi driver, I just pick up bits and pieces. Sigh. Anyway, if you know that much, I can tell you everything I know.¡± Laichai lightly tapped the table with his finger. ¡°Those heading to the ind of the subi are Korean men and women of any nationality. Why just Korean men? Because that¡¯s all that¡¯s needed to extract the Korean genes from the subi. It¡¯s impossible to enter Korea with such strict management, but luring those who step outside the protection and oversight of Korean heroes into a den of pleasure and entertainment is easy.¡± ¡°And those people are initially tempted toe over.¡± ¡°If they came to enjoy decadence and pleasure, then they¡¯re invited as VVIPs. It¡¯s more likely to seed in a mentally stable state than if they were forced by kidnapping.¡± If you ask how I knew, I would answer: statistics. For humanity, 25 years was a considerably long time¡ªlong enough for data to umte in that area. ¡°Heh, now that you know, what will you do? Will you go in yourself? Unfortunately, I can¡¯t help you that far. In movies, they might smuggle you in, get you inside through connections, but I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Your information thus far is sufficient. We can handle the rest from our hotel.¡± ¡°Heh, if that¡¯s the case. Is my role just to guide you three back to the hotel and that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°For now.¡± I pulled out a USB drive I had prepared earlier from my pocket. ¡°Turn off your data and check it on a personal PC that¡¯s offline. If it¡¯s connected online, the USB will explode.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It really is like something out of a movie.¡± ¡°After you¡¯ve seen the materials, just connect to the inte. The data will be deleted immediately once connected. There won¡¯t be any chance of backtracking.¡± ¡°Oh. So, you¡¯re telling me to just remember the information inside this¡­¡± ¡°Someday.¡± I pointed at Nguyen. ¡°When the time feels right, spread the information around, whether you pick up a pen again or talk to passengers in your taxi. I¡¯ll leave that to Mr. Laichai.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s a heavy responsibility. Then let me ask one thing. What exactly are you trying to do with the information about the resting ce of the gods, the ind of the subi? Ah, you don¡¯t have to answer if you prefer not to. Just tell what can be shared with an ordinary taxi driver.¡± Yun Hye-ra and I turned our gaze to Nguyen, who closed his eyes briefly before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to change the country significantly, but I do hope for change, and there¡¯s one thing I can certainly tell you about. The first thing I can do, the first thing I want to do.¡± Nguyen¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°To eliminate all human farms in this country and bring all those involved to legal judgment.¡± ¡°¡­What about those who cannot be brought to trial under thews of this country?¡± ¡°For that time.¡± For such a time. ¡°There are fixers for that.¡± I arrived. Chapter 231: The Secret Society Prepares For Every Situation (1) Chapter 231: The Secret Society Prepares For Every Situation (1) After hearing Nguyen¡¯s decision, Guided by Laichai, we went to a nearby cafe, took some photos, and had tea separately¡ªI with Yun Hye-ra, and Laichai with Nguyen. Then, Yun Hye-ra and I headed to our booked amodation. ¡°Hey, Nguyen.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Nguyen? Are you from Vietnam?¡± ¡°Ah. May I say who I am?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s about Mr. Laichai.¡± ¡°I am such a person.¡± ¡°!!!!¡±Screeeech. The car suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Fortunately, there were no cars behind us, so we could move forward again without any trouble. Laichai gaped, staring at Nguyen, who had taken off his Ectosm Infimask, through the rearview mirror. ¡°My goodness. My god. To think I was having tea alone with the greatest hero of this country. My, how could this be¡­!¡± Thinking about it, Nguyen was as popr as Gwang Ik Gong in Korea, so I understood Laichai¡¯s sudden stop. ¡°Haha, this is something. Sorry about the sudden braking. I was so surprised, I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± ¡°Not having a sudden eleration is lucky enough. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s Nguyen¡¯s fault for taking that off without saying not to be startled.¡± ¡°¡­You talk about Nguyen as if it¡¯s nothing. Are national intelligence agents ¡®such people¡¯? Ah, never mind. Don¡¯t want to hit the brakes suddenly again.¡± Laichai avoided learning about Yun Hye-ra¡¯s and my true identities. He might guess who we are, but he probably couldn¡¯t guess our viin ranks or names precisely. ¡°¡­Sigh. Never thought I¡¯d see such a day.¡± Still, Laichai was astounded. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ put it back on.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°¡­And I¡¯ll keep speaking the same way. Suddenly using honorifics because I know your identity might catch the attention of others.¡± Laichai kept taking deep breaths to calm himself, and Nguyen put the Ectosm Infimask back on, revealing his white teeth. ¡°Mr. Manager? You called my name¡­¡± ¡°I had something to say to Hero Nguyen. Driver, please go slowly.¡± Once the speed had appropriately slowed down, I took out a used tablet. ¡°Hero Nguyen. How long has it been since we met?¡± ¡°¡­About half a day, around 6 hours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. 6 hours. A person of interest has been walking around without his ThaiWatch for 6 hours. Lace might start getting nervous.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It¡¯s not Taeguk Watch. It¡¯s ThaiWatch. The manufacturer was Haegneul from Korea, but the g reflected on the watch¡¯s ss was the g of Thand. ¡°Where is your ThaiWatch now?¡± ¡°¡­At home. Today, I took a leave.¡± ¡°You came prepared. Excellent.¡± And of course, Nguyen joined us without his ThaiWatch. ¡°But your opponent probably knew your intentions and movements. They lost you the moment you left the airport. And now, they¡¯re frantically looking for you.¡± I pointed to cars and bikes passing us by. ¡°Kosian, among others including inclothes police, are looking for you. It¡¯s quite obvious. Those looking for the missing Nguyen and those he contacted.¡± A Kosian in academy uniform, people delivering food on motorcycles, convenience store workers, and even traffic police were all checking people. ¡°There¡¯s the police. Mr. Laichai. Just go. Tell them as it is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll trust you.¡± Screeeech. Laichai stopped in front of the traffic-controlling police and rolled down the window. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°A viin has stolen a car and fled; we¡¯re conducting a search. We¡¯d appreciate your cooperation.¡± ¡°Geez. In this day and age, what¡¯s the point of stealing a car¡­¡± Muttering, Laichai handed over his ThaiWatch, and the police officer matched it with his own. ¡°Mr. Laichai¡­ why did youe this way?¡± ¡°We were visiting rmended restaurants for these guests. They¡¯re a newlywed couple from Korea.¡± ¡°Sawasdee krap.¡± I greeted the officer with the traditional Thai greeting, and he looked at me in surprise. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Why, what is it?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s just my first time hearing a Korean use a Thai greeting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Did I do something unnecessary? From behind, Yun Hye-ra¡¯s knee nudging the seat made me feel like I was being trolled. This was unfair. How could speaking Korean to a police officer in Thand be less likely to cause misunderstandings? ¡®I did nothing wrong.¡¯ ¡°A Korean newlywed couple¡­ why is the husband in the front seat?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because¡­¡± ¡°We had a fight.¡± Yun Hye-ra spoke in a curt voice, staring out the window. ¡°That guy, gawking at women in uniform and giggling¡­¡± ¡°Cough. Honey. I¡¯ll talk at the hotel. I didn¡¯t say anything to them.¡± ¡°Not saying anything? I saw them flirting with you, and you say you didn¡¯t talk? Want to die?¡± ¡°¡­You may pass.¡± ¡°Are you not listening to me? Hey! You keep meeting other women, do you think I¡¯ll always let it slide?!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± We safely passed the checkpoint. Laichai and Nguyen looked at us, changing their expressions, and clicked their tongues. ¡°¡­Was that acting?¡± ¡°Acting, yes. I wouldn¡¯t actually get mad at you, right, oppa?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, that¡¯s the truth.¡± It was all an act. A sophisticated act to get past the police checkpoint before the officer got too annoyed with a couple apparently fighting on their honeymoon. ¡°Let¡¯s continue from where we were cut off. The reason I revealed Mr. Nguyen¡¯s identity and talked about his disappearance was because I wanted to ask about his resolve as a hero.¡± ¡°Resolve¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. How will you respond to Lace¡¯s sinister ns to find you, Mr. Nguyen? It seems like the Kosian in uniforms are starting to blend in among the pedestrians. Soon, the viin rm will probably go off.¡± ¡°Viin rm¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Beep-beep-beep. As soon as I spoke, a viin rm began to sound from Laichai¡¯s ThaiWatch. [¡­Viin spotted on the streets. Estimated rank, ss A. Heroes on site are requested to respond immediately. I repeat, the viin is¡­] ¡°One ssic tactic is using civilians as hostages to lure hidden heroes, a very cruel method.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± ¡°Soon, the viin will take civilians as hostages. Look¡­¡± [Muahahaha!!] A viin with one eye missing, dressed in a prison uniform, is holding the neck of a Kosian woman in uniform andughing on the rooftop of a building. [I have returned, Phuket!] ¡°That guy is¡­!¡± ¡°Viin ¡®Pupatpong.¡¯ A viin who lost an eye to Nguyen and was defeated and imprisoned.¡± ¡°¡­Lace, this bastard¡­!¡± Perhaps thanks to my hint. Nguyen quickly grasped that the viin he had arrested had escaped from prison and suddenly appeared in the middle of a Phuket street. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me to go out there, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What will you do? If you throw off that mask and step out, Laichai¡¯s location will be exposed. Then, we who traveled with Mr. Laichai will also be caught.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Nguyen¡¯s eyes began to waver. Laichai silently held the steering wheel, waiting for the signal, but the veins stood out on his wrinkled hands. ¡°Viins always force painful choices on heroes. It¡¯s regrettable but unavoidable. Viins have a way of doing this to heroes. So, what will you do? Will you save that woman, or will you hide your identity until the end?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to hesitate, Hero Nguyen. That viin is targeting you, and if you don¡¯te out, he will continue his rampage.¡± [Come out¡ªNguyen¡ª! Today, we settle the score from that day, right here!!] On the rooftop. Pupatpong held only the neck of the hostage, extending over the edge of the rooftop. If he let go, she would fall from the multi-story building and die instantly. ¡°Whether Lace made a deal with thew, deliberately loosened the guard¡¯s watch to facilitate the escape, or it was truly a coincidence, if you don¡¯t appear, everyone will be puzzled. Then¡­even civilians will start looking for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Will youe out, or not? If you don¡¯t choose within three seconds, I¡¯ll handle it my way¡ª¡± ¡°I wille out.¡± Nguyen removed his ectosm mask. ¡°But please, make sure Laichai doesn¡¯t get involved. Somehow make it look like I appeared from somewhere else¡­¡± ¡°Good choice.¡± A hero was. Someone who, despite being in an unfair situation, strove for justice. ¡°But Nguyen, you didn¡¯t need toe out. The hostage held by that man is a Kosian.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just any hostage, but a staged act to lure you out.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± Nguyen¡¯s eyes began to waver. ¡°Isn¡¯t this just your ruse to reassure me, Manager?¡± Because there was a woman visibly being tormented by the viin right in front of him, Nguyen started to doubt my words. ¡°Are you sure that when I ignore this woman, Pupatpong will safely release her?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Manager!¡± ¡°Of course, she won¡¯t be safe.¡± Yun Hye-ra coldly responded instead of me. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a staged act, that man will harm the hostage. Whether there¡¯s an agreement or not, he will continue to harm the hostage and wreak havoc.¡± ¡°Then¡­!¡± ¡°But the manager has determined that you don¡¯t need to go out. Do you know why?¡± Yun Hye-ra smirked and pointed outside. ¡°Because we won¡¯t create a dilemma where you need to intervene.¡± ¡°What does that¡ª¡± [Roaaaar!!] Viin Pupatpong¡¯s scream echoed through the air. Having lost his hostage, he clutched his shoulder and fell off the building, while the hostage was rescued by someone who suddenly appeared. ¡°That person is¡­.¡± [To have an ident as soon as I arrive in Phuket. Really.] Nguyen was dumbfounded as he looks at the woman in a ck suit holding the hostage. ¡°Why is that person in Phuket¡­?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t want your absence to be felt, we naturally have to mobilize another ss A.¡± ¡°Madness. I never imagined I¡¯d see that person here.¡± Laichai jubntly eximed as he watched the ss A hero who subdued Pupatpong. ¡°Tran Hung Dao!!¡± Affiliated with the Special Administrative Region of Vietnam. A hero dispatched from Mysia. ¡°There are no borders in protecting people. Whether she shouts like that or not, there¡¯s no rule that says she has to be the one to step forward.¡± ss A+. Known nationally as the ¡®King of Prosperity.¡¯ Also known as ¡®Tran Hung Dao.¡¯ ¡°Nguyen, we called her to support you.¡± Naturally. A hero cooperating with a secret society. Chapter 232: The Secret Society Prepares For Every Situation (2) Chapter 232: The Secret Society Prepares For Every Situation (2) Three hourster, at the Thand Hero Association Phuket Branch. ¡°Nice to meet you. Jeonguk Heungdowang.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lace. Is this the first time since the A-ss rank 1 inauguration ceremonyst year?¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t expect you toe without warning. Any issues in Mysia?¡± ¡°Even in my absence, ¡®Khmer Xes¡¯ is guarding it. I¡¯m here on vacation.¡± ¡°If you had given us a heads-up, we would have arranged protocol at the airport or the border.¡± ¡°I wanted to travel quietly. That¡¯s all.¡± A stifling conversation ensues. Those observing nearby only exchange nces in a meeting room tense as a thin sheet of ice.Lace smiles, but his eyes are hardened. Jeonguk Heungdowang, dressed in a single suit, tantly presented herself as a tourist. The confrontation between the two A+ ranked individuals involves not just personal charisma but also magical power, and those in the seminar room hope someone will identally open a door. ¡°I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Why are you in Phuket?¡± ¡°Directly answering: for travel. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Is that the real reason?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m here for travel. Do you think I have another purpose?¡± ¡°If you were really here just to travel, wouldn¡¯t you have ignored the uproar at Pupatpong?¡± ¡°Could a hero ignore viins taking hostages and causing chaos? Is there a reason needed to save people?¡± ¡°We could have subdued them.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s toote once hostages are harmed. Odd feeling, saving people and subduing viins and still being scolded. Did you film a movie or something? It doesn¡¯t seem so.¡± Both knew each other¡¯s true motives but continued to attack verbally. They simply smiled at each other, but Lace was the more frustrated. ¡°Fine, I wee your trip to Phuket at this time, which coincidentally is not known to the Hero Association or the government of Mysia, not even to the Autonomous Region of Vietnam.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a wee, but thank you for giving one.¡± ¡°By the way, have you arranged a ce to stay? Should I book a 5-star hotel for you?¡± ¡°I came to enjoy the night; that won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ll just walk around and enjoy the night air of Phuket.¡± ¡°Do you think that makes sense?¡± ¡°Oh, why wouldn¡¯t it? I¡¯m just following my heart. Is there a reason I shouldn¡¯t be in Phuket?¡± Jeonguk Heungdowang just grinned. The situation was frustrating for Lace, while Jeonguk Heungdowang was the picture ofposure. Clearly, the justification was on Jeonguk Heungdowang¡¯s side, not Lace¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m just a tourist, with no visa issues, here to save people while touring. Oh, the citizens might get excited seeing me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep my identity as hidden as possible. Heh.¡± ¡°You¡¯re only making me worry more with such talk. Be careful. There¡¯s intelligence of mysterious figures roaming around Phuket. Anyone could disappear suddenly.¡± ¡°Phuket¡¯s security must be really poor then? Thanks for the concern, but I can protect myself. May I go now?¡± ¡°General Jeokrang will be arriving soon. Surely you¡¯re not nning to stand him up?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡± Jeonguk Heungdowang¡¯s eyes slightly furrowed, but she soon shrugged. ¡°Well, I might as well have tea in the meantime.¡± ¡°Yes. Please don¡¯t go anywhere, wait here. I¡¯ll have the tea ready soon.¡± Lace stepped outside, and Jeonguk Heungdowang leisurely gazed out the window of the seminar room. From afar. Responding to the gaze she felt, she lightly formed a V with her fingers.
Amodation. Pretending to be newlyweds, we turned on the TV as soon as we entered the room. On the TV, Jeonguk Heungdowang waved a V sign towards a drone camera. It¡¯s a hero¡¯s greeting to the Thai citizens, but she was actually sending a signal while pretending to greet. ¡°Brother, it seems I won¡¯t get any help. Lace has tied my hands, hasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There are rumors that General Jeokrang in Bangkok is heading to Phuket.¡± Major yers were gathering in Phuket. Officially, Jeonguk Heungdowang was here on vacation, so she couldn¡¯t assist in this operation. ¡°Ugh. She¡¯s quite good at fighting. I hope there won¡¯t be any major incidents.¡± ¡°I feel the same. I¡¯d rather not fight with the hero who uses the title of ¡®Vietnamese Admiral¡¯ as his alias.¡± If we engage them, it must be against them as ¡®heroes,¡¯ and naturally, they must confront the Secret Society¡¯s viins with all their might. That¡¯s how heroes cooperating with the Secret Society operated. They attracted public attention to facilitate easier movements for the Secret Society, but once it surfaces, heroes must fight against them. So that the public might think, ¡®How could Jeonguk Heungdowang cooperate with the Secret Society after fighting them to the death?¡¯ ¡°Tran Hung Dao has drawn enough attention. Now, Mr. Nguyen?¡± [Yes.] I spoke to Nguyen, who was staying in the next hotel room. The walls are thick, but to an ability user with enhanced hearing, walls weren¡¯t much of an obstacle. ¡°The Secret Society will move. From the moment you called us, the operation was ¡®confirmed,¡¯ and all that¡¯s left is to set the timing and ce. We¡¯ll decide the timing, but you can choose the location.¡± [¡­Which of the two inds should we attack first?] ¡°Yes.¡± Was it the ind of the subus? Or the sanctuary of the gods? The order didn¡¯t matter much, but the scale and nature of the damage would vary significantly. ¡°The Secret Society does not hesitate to shed blood. We¡¯ll minimize the bloodshed, but I won¡¯t make idealistic promises that no one will be left to die.¡± [¡­¡­] ¡°Remember, those you reach out to are people who will stop at nothing for world peace. So, what will you do? Will you cancel the contract?¡± [If I stop here¡­] ¡°Then the director and I will just enjoy our trip in Thand and leave.¡± Bluntly speaking, what happened was up to this country and Nguyen, not us. The Secret Society could always uproot the darkness over this country in another way. It¡¯s just that right now, the general director was on a sabbatical for a year; ¡®purifying¡¯ a country was not a big deal. [If I stop now, all sorts of atrocities will still be happening on that ind.] ¡°Yes. Blood is still being spilled right now.¡± [¡­I¡¯ll do it.] ¡°Good choice, Nguyen. With our support for your decision, we¡¯ll start our preparations immediately.¡± I lightly knocked on the wall. ¡°Operations willmence at ¡­ o¡¯clock. Until then, there¡¯s only one thing you need to do.¡± [Just tell me. Right away-] ¡°Set an rm and go to sleep.¡± [¡­Excuse me?] ¡°Don¡¯t stay up worrying unnecessarily. Or should Ie and put you to sleep myself? One hit with a baseball bat and you¡¯d be out.¡± [Oh, no need. ¡­I¡¯ll rest on my own.] ¡°Good. Then don¡¯t leave the room until operations begin.¡± I pulled out my Goblin Bat and tapped the wall lightly. Soon, a thin barrier of magical power spread across the wall leading to Nguyen¡¯s room, and I turned towards the bed. ¡°Brother, he definitely won¡¯t be able to sleep, will he ?¡± ¡°He must be nervous.¡± ¡°Not in that sense.¡± Yun Hye-ra sat on the bed and waved at me leisurely. ¡°Due to the noise of creating an alibi next door, I doubt you¡¯ll be able to sleep.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve put up a sound barrier with magic, so it should be fine. And¡­¡± I stroked Yun Hye-ra¡¯s hair with my hand and leaned over her. ¡°I have no intention of letting others hear your moans carelessly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Heh.¡± Starting now. We would create an alibi.
Midnight. ¡°Listen well. These Secret Society folks, they target the time when humans are most vulnerable.¡± Agent ¡®K¡¯, under Lace, handed guns to the suit-wearing Kosians following him, advising them. ¡°Lace said that the woman, Tran Hung Dao,ing to Phuket isn¡¯t a coincidence. We must find the missing Nguyen and, at the same time, locate the Secret Society agents Nguyen called. Check the list again.¡± The faces and locations of ¡°people from Korea who arrived within thest three days,¡± identified through hotel booking apps, card terminals, and CCTVs, appeared on the Kosians¡¯ screens. ¡°We will now inspect all their ces of stay, and immediately raid if something¡¯s off. Understand?¡± ¡°¡±¡°Yes!¡±¡°¡° ¡°Then, the first one.¡± Led by Agent K, the Kosians entered the hotel. The hotelier ignored them as if they were invisible, and the agents began checking room doors. ¡°¡­¡­R Hotel, all clear. What about you?¡± [No issues here. Oh, there was something funny. Heh.] ¡°What is it?¡± K¡¯s anger rose at the other team member¡¯s wordsing through the radio. ¡°What is it? You must report even minor issues.¡± [A Korean couple here is very patriotic. Wow, it¡¯s my first time hearing a woman moan to death.] ¡°¡­Nonsense. During a mission.¡± [Hey. It¡¯s getting louder now, wanna listen?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± K perked up his ears. And. ¡°¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that woman dying?¡± [Right? Heh. Should we grab the man and throw him on that ind?] ¡°We can¡¯t touch the Korean couple; it¡¯s too risky. ¡­But slip a business card under the door anyway.¡± [I already did that. Sigh. Anyway, no sign of those Secret Society bastards. Are they really here?] ¡°They are.¡± Thump, thump, thump. The creaking of the bed through the radio was distracting, but the agent decided to focus on the mission. ¡°They¡¯re terrorists. They must be preparing for something somewhere for a terror act. We must find them. For Lace.¡± [Of course.] Screeech. ¡°¡­¡­Tsk. Poor souls. Couldn¡¯t go to Ulleungdo or Jeju, ended up in Phuket.¡± The night deepened. The search continued past midnight, but the agents couldn¡¯t find even a hint of the Secret Society¡¯s ¡®toe¡¯. And. At 4:33 AM. The rm went off. Chapter 233: The Secret Society Prepares For Every Situation (3) Chapter 233: The Secret Society Prepares For Every Situation (3) 5:00 AM. After leisurely finishing our shower together, Yun Hye-ra and I used our abilities to tidy the room and then opened the windows. ¡°Knock knock knock. Excuse me.¡± ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Then we opened the window next door and went inside. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t sleep at all.¡± ¡°Why? Could you hear something?¡± ¡°What? Oh, no. I was just nervous and worried¡­¡±Nguyen seemed tired even though he was awake, as if he had been tossing and turning all night. Still, having woken up even earlier than the nned 5:00 AM operation start time to get ready, he had thoroughly warmed up his body with what looked like home training exercises in the room. ¡°You two¡­¡± ¡°We caught a quick nap. About¡­ 2 hours?¡± ¡°Have you been preparing for the operation since then? If so, you should have called me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absolutely not possible.¡± Yun Hye-ra chuckled as she closed the window. ¡°If you¡¯re ready, let¡¯s move. There¡¯s no way you haven¡¯t made a decision yet. Where to?¡± ¡°¡­First, to the Sanctuary of the Gods.¡± Nguyen had decided. ¡°I¡¯ve had various thoughts, but at least the people at the Sanctuary of the Gods seem to be suffering more than those at Subus¡¯s ind right now. They need to be ¡®liberated¡¯ soon.¡± ¡°Are you prepared?¡± ¡°¡­Even if it involves shedding blood, thinking about the blood that will flow and the people who will die, I must steel my heart.¡± Nguyen had already made up his mind. It seemed he still had many doubts even before we entered through the window, but he was reaffirming his resolution in answering us. ¡°Very well. Then let me formally greet you one more time.¡± After double-checking the curtain behind me, I summoned my magic power and pressed down on my mask. Whoosh. In an instant, my clothes changed to a ck suit along with a haze of ck mist, and my vision shifted to what I could see through the mask. [I am a Goblin of the Secret Society.] [I am a Gunggi of the Secret Society.] Do Ji-hwan and Yun Hye-ra stepped aside for a moment, making way for Goblin and Gunggi to step forward. ¡°¡­A-grade hero, aspirant of the Secret Society, Nguyen Ong Bak. However¡­¡± Nguyen pointed at the Gunggi. ¡°That look¡­?¡± [2025 model. Even executives aren¡¯t always out of the fray.] The Gunggi, dressed in a ck and red mingled dress and wearing a mask, had apletely different mask from mine¡ªmore akin to those worn at European masquerade balls. If there was a peculiarity, it was that there was a mask-like covering attached below the eye mask. Originally without a covering, influenced by Yumir perhaps, the Gunggi now had her lower face covered by this mask. [In reality, this is an addition here.] re. Engulfed by the Crimson me, the Gunggi instantly donned a ck and red robe. Though somewhat concealing her appearance, anyone could tell she was the Gunggi. [Now, going out like this, it will be obvious that the Secret Society has openly intervened, even ¡®executive level¡¯. Your role is one.] I lightly punched Nguyen in the sr plexus, tapping his chest. [As a hero, do as you wish.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [We will handle all situations. Darkness with darkness, light with light. You are an ally and an acolyte of the Secret Society, but after the entity known as Lace disappears, you will be the light of this country.] Nguyen must be a hero. [What this country needs is heroes, not viins. This is true anywhere, but only heroes can handle the chaos after the viins¡¯ regime copses.] [Remember, the one you should be punching is the viin, Hero Nguyen.] Gunggi shook Nguyen¡¯s hand lightly and waved at him, while Nguyen bowed his head with a heavy expression. ¡°If you evere back to Thand, I¡¯ll treat you with great hospitality.¡± [Talking like that before a fight, it¡¯s a g.] ¡°Ah.¡± [Just kidding.] I patted Nguyen on the shoulder, then headed to the window with Gunggi. [Today, as the sun rises, this country will undergo a transformation.] Chaos will unfold. Flutter. Flipping the curtain aside, Gunggi and I leapt out the window. The dawn was slowly brightening, and people had yet to appear on the streets. [It¡¯s been a while since we went on a mission together like this.] [It hasn¡¯t been that many times, has it?] [Well, you only became strong enough to run side by side with me in the second half ofst year.] Gunggi and I climbed to the rooftop of the hotel and ran swiftly across the rooftops. [Do you know what it means that the Chief has assigned you to perform operations with me?] [Of course.] The Secret Society was a viinous organization. And they stopped at nothing. [Look, there are already people crossing the bridge this early in the morning?] As we ran across the rooftops and reached the end of the ind, cars began to travel across the bridge leading to the Sanctuary of the Gods. They were likely employees ¡®clocking out¡¯ from the sanctuary. Whether they were Lace¡¯s minions or soldiers under the Red General, this time was precisely when the ¡®shift change¡¯ urred. [There might be supervisors on-site, but essentially, among thoseing and going are themuting supervisors.] Only the lowest ranks live and manage on the ve ind permanently. Even if that weren¡¯t the case, controlling ess first makes things much easier. [Gunggi. Let¡¯s go.] [Since the Secret Society is intervening, shall we make it definite and spectacr?] [Of course.] We jumped from thest building¡¯s rooftop,nded on the bridge, and sprinted forward. ¡°Uh, what?!¡± ¡°Just now, something passed¡ªaaagh!¡± I chased after a car trying to cross the bridge, forcibly ripped off the driver¡¯s door, pulled out the man in the suit inside, and took his ce in the driver¡¯s seat. Thump! Gungginded on top of the car, and I mmed the elerator as the car began to slow down. The speed quickly exceeded 100, and I sent my magic power beyond the steering wheel to reinforce the car¡¯s body. And then. Boommmmmmm!! A chain of explosions, ignited by the Crimson me, began behind us. [Ahahahahaha!!] With Gunggi¡¯s clearughter, the entire bridge to the ind shook. And then. Boooommmmm!! With a massive explosion, the middle of the bridge began to copse. Wailing sound!! [Emergency! Enemy attack!] A startled voice came from the radio installed in the car. [What¡¯s happening! Someone check!!] [No need to check.] [What¡­?] [I have arrived.] I spoke directly into the radio. [If you recognize my voice, abandon all hope.] [¡­Goblin?] [Yes, I am.] Boommm!! Pushing through the cars in the way, I extended the Goblin¡¯s baseball bat out the open door. [We¡¯vee to kill the viins.]
Wailing sound¡­ An alert for a viin attack began to ring throughout Phuket. The alert, louder and clearer than ever, sounded not only through street sirens but also on everyone¡¯s electronic devices. ¡°¡­¡­Crazy.¡± In a dark room, having a light breakfast of morning coffee and toast, Laichai dropped his toast in shock upon hearing the breaking news. -Breaking news! In southeast Phuket, ¡­the bridge to the ind has been bombed! Those who attacked the bridge, wearing masks, were identified by the Hero Association as ¡®Goblin and Gunggi¡¯!! ¡°Goblin and Gunggi? The Secret Society? Ha, ha, ha¡­.¡± The toast, magically buttered with peanut butter, fell face down, but Laichai didn¡¯t even think to pick it up and just slumped in his chair. ¡°Just when I thought Nguyen was enough, now two executives from the Secret Society show up.¡± In a moment of thought, Laichai frowned while drinking his coffee. ¡°Logically, it wouldn¡¯t just be the two executives, would it?¡± That would be logical. One of the Four Heavenly Kings of Darkness from the Secret Society appeared, and the executive-level Goblin was with her. They had been traveling all over Phuket in his taxi just the day before. Together with Nguyen. ¡°Are they really going to do what it says here? Seriously?¡± Laichai¡¯s eyes shifted to the remnants of a smashed USB. ¡°Are they really trying to clear this country of its darkness?¡± If they intended to burn the deeply rooted darkness, then the mes would start at dawn¡¯s first light. ¡°I thought they would start causing trouble from midnight, but it seems I was wrong.¡± The viin attack began at dawn as the morning sunlight rose. Had the viins appeared at night, those who were half-asleep would have been plunged into even greater chaos. [The Secret Society has appeared! All citizens should follow the government¡¯s instructions¡­] ¡°The government.¡± Laichai swirled his coffee cup with his hand. ¡°I wonder if people will really follow the government¡¯s instructions.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s goooooooo!!¡± A mysterious scream echoed from beyond the window. Startled, Laichai looked outside, and there, a young man hade out, waving a g and excitedly shouting something. ¡°You damn viins, die all of you!! Ha ha ha ha!!¡± ¡°Hey, what are you doing!! Come inside!!¡± Although his family came out trying to calm the rampaging young man, he wasn¡¯t the only one out of control. ¡°Kill all the bad guys!¡± ¡°The Goblin has descended in Thand! Now, all evildoers will have their heads smashed!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The beginning of chaos and disorder. ¡°When a death-deserving viin is found, the Goblin appears.¡± Since they had appeared to execute viins worthy of death, someone would surely die today. The list of those doomed to die was securely kept within the destroyed USB and in his own mind. ¡°¡­¡­They deserve to die.¡± With a deep sigh, Laichai pulled an album from a dusty bookshelf. ¡°It¡¯s scary. Gaining empathy and support through the anger of wanting to kill.¡± [Where did all that mana powdere from?] A faded newspaper article. Thest article written by a deceased acquaintance. A dark truth that vanished from the world with the death of a friend, now impossible to find. ¡°I wish they would all just die. Really.¡± The terrible truth he had been seeking would now be revealed to the world. The reality of the ¡®human farms¡¯ that was previously only considered rumors. Chapter 234: The Burning Human Farm (1) Chapter 234: The Burning Human Farm (1) The life of livestock was predetermined from birth. Born into the livestock category, they were raised on farms as breeding females, subjected to a cycle of mating and childbirth. From the moment of their birth until their death, they existed solely as livestock. And the purpose for which they were raised dictates the course of their lives. Some were allowed to reach adulthood from superior gic lines, while others were sent off at a young age. Ever heard of veal? To produce meat that¡¯s more tender than typical pork, pigs were ughtered as piglets and cooked whole. The cost of these piglets could sometimes match that of a fully grown pig. Humans prioritized efficiency.Farm owners weighed the potential market earnings of their livestock when deciding how to raise them. Livestock was viewed as amodity, and any without perceived value were simply discarded. In an age where abilities defined worth, what then was the value of a human? If one were to view humans strictly asmodities, setting aside ethics and morality, what would be their worth? Their value would likely depend on the economic benefit they could provide, yet if considering only the human body, structures like buildings or apartments might carry a higher price tag. This was particrly true if humans were born in excessive numbers, leading to a surplus of newborns. And on an ind where ethics and morality were disregarded, viewing humans purely through an economic lens rendered themmodities as well. The notion of treating humans as livestock for economic gain bes increasinglymon. What economic benefits could be derived from raising humans? Perhaps organs or human experimentation? In numerous movies and novels set in dystopian realities, human bodies were directly equated with mary value. However, this world operated slightly differently. By producing arge poption and selecting ¡®ability users¡¯ from among them, economic value was created. What kind of value, you might ask? They could serve asbat forces. As a next-generation military resource. And those children who did notply were boldly ¡®eliminated,¡¯ their bodies incinerated to generate further value. Indeed. There¡¯s no need for euphemisms; this ind was more than a ce of human envement. Many children were born, and among them, some were born with E or D grade magic powers. These children were categorized based on their abilities. I had traveled the world and encountered numerous viins. The darkness about to unfold in this world was just a part of the ¡®evil¡¯ created by these viins, merely one aspect. And even that aspect was terrifying. [Here theye.] Midway to the ind, at a bridge resembling a toll gate, I sensed an immense magical power. Inside the tunnel-like toll gate, hidden from the outside view, a red glow targeted us. [Gunggi. Ditch the car.] [I¡¯ll jump.] Gunggi leaped high on the spot, and I stomped on the car¡¯s elerator, smashing it and darting out. To slow my momentum, I rolled on the ground once, stamped the bat down, and braced myself to stop. Boom! The car exploded. Not from an overheated engine, but from a magic bullet fired from afar. And those who fired the magic bullet are none other than boys and girls. In the wide tunnel-like toll gate, hidden from external cameras, children about 140cm tall in military uniforms pointed their guns at us. [Is this ce any better? In Syria, they all had AKs. Here, it¡¯s just handguns.] [It might be handguns since it¡¯s the entrance. Further inside, where control is stricter, they might even have mortars.] Gunggi came to my side and extended her hand. Whoosh. A shield of Crimson me appeared before us. Soon, a countless number of magic bullets rained towards the shield¡ª Ratatatat! [There are real bullets mixed in.] [They¡¯re well trained. Mixing live and magic bullets makes it harder to block.] Her shield was struck with bullets made of lead. Whether they were live or magic bullets, it didn¡¯t matter to Gunggi or me. But they knew that, and so did those behind them. They kept firing to drain even a bit more of our mana. If they could deplete Gunggi¡¯s mana by even 1%, they¡¯d consider it a ¡®gain.¡¯ Those behind them¡ª ¡®Don¡¯t know the fear of the scene.¡¯ That their attacks didn¡¯t affect the opponent. That their shooting wasn¡¯t just to stop the enemy but to deplete their magic power. And to realize they were being used solely to drain the opponent¡¯s magic power. That¡¯s the time to counterattack. [These kids are trained to kill. What are you going to do? Kill them all?] [We need to leave some as witnesses. We can¡¯t just recklessly kill these kids. They grew up here.] They were children who were not aware they were viins. From the moment of birth, they grew as livestock, asbat weapons, as viins, so they knew nothing else. [If re-socialization doesn¡¯t offer a chance for rehabilitation, we can dispose of themter.] [For now¡­] [Let¡¯s knock out the onesing from behind so they can be easily tied up.] I looked back. Gunggi caused multiple explosions, destroying the bridge. While vehicles couldn¡¯t cross, people still could. Perhaps, a hero. [How to prevent heroes from chasing. The first step.] [Create many that need to be rescued immediately.] Even better if they were young children with guns. [Let¡¯s go.] I tapped the Goblin¡¯s Bat on the ground, transforming it into a new form. I turned it into a pure baseball bat form, stripping off all the spikes, and ran. Tudududu! As soon as I burst beside the shield, magic bullets flew towards me. They were all E and D grade, but of course, it hurt to take them directly. So. I ran with the shield in front. Whoosh. A shield of Crimson me unfolded in front of my dash. I charged with the shield, which covered my body like a sheet of stic. Ratatatat! Charging with the shield, I felt no impact. There was physical resistance, but the speed of my Agility A easily overcame it. Whoosh! As I approached the barrier, I grabbed the me shield and threw it aside, creating a diversion. The moment the children¡¯s gaze followed the shield, I swung the baseball bat hard to the side. ¡°Cough!¡± The foremost ability user was struck on the back of the head with a baseball bat and mmed his face into the barrier. As one copsed, uttering hisst words, the ability users finally aimed their guns at me. They were not children. Nor were they merely kids with guns. They were armed ability users, mere killing machines. Bang! I snatched a gun from a fallen ability user and fired with one hand. The bullet lodged itself in the forehead of the ability user opposite me, and his body stiffened. [Just because you¡¯re hit doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t die.] He must have felt the fear of death. Tuk. The moment a deformed lead bullet fell from his reddened forehead, I dashed to his side and swung the bat at his sr plexus. ¡°Kr, haah¡­¡± Slow. If it were an adult, I could subdue them more quickly, but since my opponent is small, even though he¡¯s an ability user, my focus keeps breaking. ¡°Aaaaah!!¡± The ability users began firing wildly at me all at once. Gunshots echoed loudly in the tunnel, and I dodged the bullets and deflected them with the baseball bat, subduing each one of them. [I¡¯ll let those with a semnce of hope know.] Whack! [An ability user¡¯s conviction should not waver. And this is my conviction.] I set down the gun and swung the bat with all my might at a girl who was charging at me with abat knife, her de wrapped in magical power. [A murderer doesn¡¯t discriminate by age or gender.] Everyone died equally. [Remember that your execution is merely ¡®deferred¡¯.] ng! I smacked the head of someone trying to block with a gun. The moment magic protected his head, a strong shockwave caused a concussion. Thunk. Falling like in a drama? None of that. Whether they fell face-first or their brain jolted them down, I didn¡¯t need to bother with each one¡¯s plight. [There, it¡¯s you.] I dodged an iing magic bullet with a slight nod of my head and threw the bat at someone trying to run away at the back. ng! The bat struck the target¡¯s back with precision and fell to the ground, emitting a metallic sound. [Were you wearing a steel te suit as inner armor?] I sprinted forward, stepping on the fallen guy¡¯s back, and reached out into the air. Ssssh. The bat on the ground returned to my hand. Significantlyrger than the others, he appeared more like an adult than a child, adorned with something that resembled a blue shoulder strap. [You¡¯re the leader.] ¡°Ugh, aaaaah!!¡± Bang, ratatat. [Oh my. Shooting at a world-ss treasure?] ¡°Ugh, aah, these monsters¡­!¡± As the guy turned to shoot at me from below, his bullets melted midair, consumed by the Crimson me that appeared around me. [These poor children have lived without realizing they are the monsters.] Tuk. Gunggi stomped on his forehead with her high heel. Simultaneously, he convulsed, frothing at the mouth, and copsed sideways, unconscious. [You¡¯re not hesitating, are you?] [Hardly.] The execution was merely postponed. [There¡¯s a hierarchy even in executions.] Inside the tunnel. Everyone, unconscious. [Gunggi. Just past here is the ind.] [Start right at the entrance?] [Of course.] I extended my hand towards Gunggi. [From now on, this ind will be a prison of mes. Come, Gunggi. It¡¯s time for unity.] Boom! I mmed the Goblin¡¯s Bat towards the ground. Soon, the tunnel shook as the ceiling began to copse, and I threw myself into the engulfing Crimson me. [From now on¡­] There¡¯s only one thing to do. [Burn the ind, obliterate it.] Execute by burning. Chapter 235: The Burning Human Farm (2) Chapter 235: The Burning Human Farm (2) Who was the worst viin in history? Opinions varied, but considering that even Duoexini didn¡¯t make the top ten, the criteria for being the worst viin were stricter than one might think. This varied by the affected country or race, so people had different views, and thus, the criteria changed. What about limiting it to viins who were currently alive and had been active within thest three years? Excluding officially dered dead viins like Duoexini, who were the top ten worst viins currently posing a threat to the world? Surprisingly, all top ten were executives of the ¡®Secret Society¡¯. More than half, actually six, were definitely included. The Chief of the Secret Society consistently ranked first, followed by Chaos, Dochul, Gunggi, and Doul in order. Even Goblin, added at the end ofst year, was notorious as part of the worst viin organization.If just one of them appeared in a region, it was not only that area that goes on high alert, but the surrounding cities, the entire nation, and even neighboring countries. But what if two appeared? And in the rumored ¡®Resting ce of the Gods¡¯? ¡°HEROOOOOOO!!¡± Regardless of why the two viins appeared, those threatened by their actions of bridge destruction began seeking heroes. ¡°Save, save the people!!¡± A car was stranded between the severed ends of a bridge. Inside were two doctors in white coats, who tried to get out but hurriedly escaped to the roof of the car through the sunroof as the side copsed. ¡°Please, save us!¡± Though it might seem unlikely for people in coats to enter the ind, outwardly they just looked like ordinary researchers. They were civilians. In a situation where lives were threatened by viinous tyranny, it¡¯s only right to seek help from heroes. The car jolted sideways. The concrete below crumbled into the sea, and now the car itself was about to fall. ¡°Aaaah!!¡± ¡°Stay still!¡± A shadow appeared and swiftly lifted the car. The midsize sedan was lifted as easily as a bag of rice by a young man in the uniform of the Hero Alliance. ¡°You are¡­?¡± ¡°Nguyen?!¡± ¡°This ce will copse soon! Swim or wait for the coast guard¡¯s rescue!¡± ¡°Wait, huh, hurk!¡± Nguyen then hurled the car towards the main ind of Phuket. Following a gentle arc, the car fell towards the sea, and the two researchersnded even farther from where the car hadnded. They didn¡¯t die. They merely sshed around momentarily in the vast sea. Soon, a boat carrying the coast guard approached, and marines leaped out to rescue the two in the water. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± Some mightter criticize this as a radical act of rescue. But there was no time to debate radicalness. ¡°Hah!¡± Nguyen took a great leap forward. He covered a distance of about 50 meters in a single stride, and the bridge he had jumped from instantly crumbled. ¡°Heroes should prioritize rescue operations first! I¡¯m heading towards the tollgate!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, Nguyen! There¡¯s gunfire inside!¡± ¡°I can handle being shot!¡± Nguyen sprinted towards the tollgate. He had set his ThaiWatch to live cam mode ¡®as prepared¡¯ and soon spotted people copsed at the tollgate checkpoint. ¡°A child¡­?¡± Nguyen felt a chill down his spine. He had heard it was possible, but seeing it with his own eyes made his heart sink. Had they all fainted? No. The ground was littered with bullet marks. The faint magic power emanating from the copsed children. And faces not officially registered with the Association. Even if their identities were checked, would theye back ¡®alive¡¯? -Do your best as a hero. Someone¡¯s voice echoed in his head. It was ironic that the very person who had created this situation was the one who had said that, but Nguyen decided to follow his heart as Goblin and Gunggi had suggested. ¡°Unregistered ability users, many of them minors, found! Heroes capable of rescue, enter the tollgate immediately!¡± After giving instructions to his ThaiWatch, Nguyen approached the copsed child in front of him. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± Their wrists and ankles were emaciated. It seemed they had not eaten properly, leading to malnutrition, and all were small in stature. However, they were all dressed in military uniforms, and some of the children had guns in their hands- ¡°Uh¡­.¡± ¡°Are you conscious? Are you alr-¡± ¡°Die¡ª¡ª!¡± Bang¡ª¡ª! The boy, having regained consciousness, picked up the gun that had fallen next to him and fired it. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Nguyen was startled. Not only had he precisely aimed, but the boy¡¯s actions following Nguyen catching the bullet in his hand were remarkable. ¡°Die, die!!¡± Bang, bang-bang, bang-bang. The boy continued to shoot at Nguyen, trying to kill him. Confused by the boy¡¯s actions, Nguyen just continued to catch the bullets with his hand. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll inform the other heroes.¡± Whoosh. No more bullets came out. Only the hollow sound of the gun clicking echoed, and the bullets, crushed by the strength of his grip, dropped emptily to the ground. ¡°There are many unidentified children inside the tollgate¡­ They have live ammunition, so be careful when entering. And.¡± Bang! Nguyen struck a punch next to the boy¡¯s head. His fist sank into the concrete below, and the boy finally stopped resisting. ¡°Arrest them all, for now.¡± [Understood! Everyone, aaaah!!] ¡°!!¡± Nguyen¡¯s heart sank again at the scream of an agent outside. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± [The, the ind!!] ¡°What about the ind?!¡± [The ind is burning!! There¡¯s a crimson barrier on the ind!!] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Perhaps. It must be a signal. A barrier not only prevented those outside from entering but also trapped those inside. ¡°¡­First!!¡± Nguyen shouted into his ThaiWatch. ¡°Let¡¯s deal with the children here first!!¡± One of the hero¡¯s rules. Deal with the immediate dangers first. Nguyen, as a hero, simply followed his mission and beliefs.
Phuket was an ind. It was a fairlyrge ind, connected to the maind by a long bridge, much like Ganghwado, effectively making it part of the maind. As was often the case with inds, several smaller ones were scattered around it. General Jeokrang and Lace, those who swallowed the darkness of this country, constructed a horrifying facility on Phuket, essible via the bridge they built. A human farm. Obedient children were turned into soldiers, and disobedient ones into mana powder. That was the fate reserved only for children born as ¡®ability users¡¯. What about the civilians brought to this ind, and those born on the ind? [How terrible.] After Gunggi spread a fire barrier across the entire ind, all sorts of people began to emerge from inside. Like spraying insect repellent in an abandoned house overseas causes all sorts of bugs to scatter, shadows of all sorts of beasts emerged. They were not human. Because they could not live as humans, most could not be considered human. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± ¡°The fire, the fire?! Impossible! Where would such mese from¡­!¡± Those in orange clothes burst out all at once. They wore clothes like those of prisoners in American prisons. The most peculiar thing was that none of the emerged individuals had heads. Someone had said. If you want to cause the greatest shame to a modern person, the easiest way is to shave their head. Just shaving off all the hair on their head could cause immense shame. [This is chilling.] And I almost unwittingly unleashed magic at the characters engraved on their heads. It wasn¡¯t just shaved heads; symbols and numbers like AF-139 or UC-230 were attached above their heads. Even livestock on a farm have names, but to have their names removed and reced with symbols, not even on a tag butser-engraved on their heads as if they were property. [This is serious.] They shouldn¡¯t havee out. Thump, thump. It seemed that I was not the only one angry. The Gunggi within me was also erupting in rage. I was in the middle of casting arge-scale ability, so there¡¯s no way to scream in the meantime. ¡°First, get out! Kids, hurry!!¡± Just as I was about to incinerate the entire ind with magic, men with symbols on their heads gestured towards the inside. Soon, ¡®children¡¯ in identical orange clothes came out, their faces stricken with fear as they scanned their surroundings. ¡°How did this happen?! We shouldn¡¯t being out like this!¡± ¡°Stay put and you¡¯ll die inside! Damn, I don¡¯t even know how- huh?!¡± Those trapped inside looked up. I was quite high up, wings spread as I looked down, but it seemed they could somewhat see me too. ¡°It¡¯s the Goblin!!¡± ¡°Wings of me¡­? That¡¯s the Goblin?¡± ¡°They¡¯vee to kill us bastards! Here! Goblin! Here, it¡¯s full of bad guys!!¡± The ves with symbols shook their hands wildly at me in the sky. With faces as if they had been freed from very, they smiled brightly. And then. Boom¡ª¡ª! Suddenly, there was an explosion. An unanticipated small explosion urred, and people turned their heads towards the direction of the explosion. ¡°Uh¡­.¡± The first ve toe out. His head was gone.
¡°¡­¡­.¡± Lace, the man withvender hair, pressed on the tablet with mechanical movements. ¡°¡­¡­Tsk.¡± Frowning, Lace pressed individually on the red shing status windows. ¡°I should have made a batch delete function too. Damn, damn.¡± Click, click, press. The sound effect was just the pressing of buttons, but each time a pop-up button was pressed, one or two status windows disappeared. Those denoted with symbols instead of names, also had a cancetion line drawn next to them with the phrase [Delete]. ¡°Ah shit. Those who came out¡­ huh, why isn¡¯t it working? Why isn¡¯t the signal showing up?¡± ¡°Sir Lace!!¡± ¡°Uh, Hyangdan. Why isn¡¯t this working?¡± ¡°Sir Lace¡¯s ind!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± On TV. On the ind known as the Resting ce of the Gods, a dome of crimson me had spread. It appeared as a barrier designed to prevent any entity from escaping. ¡°¡­What exactly is that? Am I seeing this wrong?¡± Lace violently shook his head back and forth, his gaze alternating between the frozen tablet screen and the dome of mes on the TV. ¡°Could it be¡­ right now¡­ they¡¯ve erected a barrier with some ability on the ind?¡± And then. ¡°Ah, no! Contact General Jeokrang right away, stop the bombing¡ª¡ª¡± Boom¡ª¡ª! An object flying in a parabolic trajectory made contact with the fiery barrier, triggering a massive explosion. Chapter 236: The Burning Human Farm (3) Chapter 236: The Burning Human Farm (3) At that moment, near Phuket City Hall, in themand center. ¡°What do you mean by that?! A missile?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with firing a missile at a viin?¡± Two middle-aged men were arguing in themand center, established to respond to two viins who had appeared on the Ind of Divine Rest. ¡°Chairman, don¡¯t get so worked up. You might just keel over from high blood pressure one of these days. Heh.¡± The old general, sporting a white mustache and wearing a red beret¡ªknown as ¡®Jeokrang¡¯ughed heartily while pointing at therge screen set up at the site. ¡°Of course, missiles mean nothing to a viin. But if used correctly, they can pose a psychological threat to them.¡± ¡°But what if the Goblin dodges it?! If he dodges the missile, it will hit the ind directly!¡± ¡°As if there were any people on the ind.¡±¡°General!¡± Stillughing, Jeokrang pulled up another document. ¡°It¡¯s GPS. ording to ThaiWatch, there¡¯s no GPS activity on the Ind of Divine Rest. If ThaiWatch isn¡¯t reacting, then there mustn¡¯t be anyone on that ind, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s your response?!¡± ¡°If there are people, they¡¯d be illegal immigrants. Heh, why not blow them all up together? They must be sneaking into this peaceful country, probably from Southeast Asia or Africa, nning to smuggle themselves into Korea. Hehe.¡± Jeokrang twiddled his mustache, chuckling. ¡°If there are any humans on that ind, they aren¡¯t really people. Remember, I didn¡¯tunch the missile to kill people, but to kill the viins. Oh well, what can you do if the viin dodges? Haha.¡± ¡°Chairman! The missile!¡± ¡°!!¡± Before the chairman could respond, something arced through the sky towards the ind from afar. The missile, clearly visible from Phuket City Hall, was unmistakably targeting the ind. ¡°General! Why is it falling downward?!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a bombardment missile. Don¡¯t you even know that basic fact?¡± ¡°This guy¡­!!¡± ¡°Heh. This friend. Who do you think got you to this position?¡± BOOM! A loud explosion was heard. The vibration reached even themand center, causing some people there to involuntarily cover their ears due to the intense sound. Thrumming. An orange mushroom cloud began to rise in the direction of the ind. It wasn¡¯t a nuclear missile, but the explosion was overwhelmingly powerful, almost akin to that of a nuclear missile. ¡°Hehehe. Even in the era of ability users, nothing beats the firepower of conventional weapons. Even if that Goblin and someone named Gunggi create illusions over the whole ind, before a missile¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re still intact!!¡± An employee of the association pointed at the screen and shouted. Jeokrang frowned and approached the screen. ¡°This is insane¡­.¡± As the orange smoke cleared, the unyielding barrier of mes boldly held its ground. It seemed even more robust than before, as if the explosion had intensified the mes burning fiercely. ¡°Launch more missiles! Either cause a tsunami by dropping them into the surrounding sea or douse it with seawater, just break that barrier and smash a missile into it!¡± AIIIIIEEEEE¡ª The viin rm ovepped with the air raid siren, but no one could stop Jeokrang. ¡°Not even a single ant shoulde out alive from that ind! Understand?!¡± ¡°¡±¡°Yes!!!¡±¡°¡° The country¡¯s Hero Association had long been overtaken by the military. ¡°And¡­!¡± Jeokrang hesitated, then quietly called his aide. ¡°¡­Contact the Ind of Subus. Clear it out as quickly as possible and sink the ind.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± As various agents bustled about themand center, Jeokrang pulled a cigarette from his pocket and ced it in his mouth. ¡°¡­Yes, there are no people there.¡± There was not a hint of hesitation in Jeokrang¡¯s eyes. ¡°If anything, there are only bugs.¡±
Thud, thud-thud, thud. The bombardments continued, one after another. The barrier, sustained by Gunggi¡¯s magical power, grew increasingly hot, absorbing the firepower from the initial missile bombardment. However, Jeokrang seemed to have a countermeasure; rather than directly hitting the fire curtain with a missile, heunched missiles near the ind¡¯s coast to generate waves. ¡®It¡¯s effective.¡¯ The resulting tidal waves inevitably weakened the fire curtain. Even if it was made of magic, it was still fire, and it could not easily defy thews of nature. While continuously fueling it with firepower might work, I didn¡¯t extend the fire curtain to protect the ind but to prevent those on the ind from leaving. To save those on the ind for now. [Go inside the building.] Uponnding, I gestured towards the building with my bat, and those outside screamed and hurried in. It was unavoidable. With bodies, their heads blown apart, scattered around, how could anyone dare to venture outside? [It¡¯s the residual magic power. This is an ability. The principle is¡­indeed.] It¡¯s somewhat bitter to realize how viinous I appeared, instantly understanding the principle behind the malevolent actsmitted by viins in such scenarios. There was once a movie like that. A movie where a microchip was imnted behind people¡¯s ears, and when a certain frequency was received, the chip would overheat and explode. Naturally, that method was a tactic of viins, and the corpses lying before me met their end in a manner simr to those victims. [I hope it¡¯s not a physical electronic chip.] I entered the building, baseball bat in hand. Inside, the musty-smelling building was filled with frenzied ves, and I approached one who seemed somewhat coherent. [Do you want to live?] ¡°Ah¡­¡± [Will you sit still until your head explodes, or will you seize a chance to survive?] ¡°Please save me! Goblin sir!¡± The man knelt before me, his hands sped together. His broken Korean suggested he might be Chinese. That would make sense. The ves brought here were likely impersonating Koreans. Aftering to Thand and attempting to enjoy a night out pretending to be Korean, most were caught with fake passports and imprisoned here as ves. [Don¡¯t make a fuss and stay still.] I warned him, then ced the bat over the man¡¯s head. I extended magical power downwards and swept over the man¡¯s head. Fortunately, I was able to identify the bomb imnted in him. [It¡¯s good that it¡¯s not a physical SIM card-like thing.] ¡°Yes?¡± [Grow.] I lightly tapped the man¡¯s head with the bat. At the same time, a crimson me ignited on the man¡¯s head, and he rolled his eyes back, falling forward. Slowly. Along with the crimson me, something resembling purple fluid flowed from the man¡¯s ears. In reality, it wasn¡¯t fluid but a magic-lifeform simr to a bug that had burrowed into the brain¡¯s crevices. [Ah. I now convey this to all those on this ind. I am the Goblin.] I spoke towards the speaker¡¯s wires. Soon, my voice echoed in all directions. [There are bomb bugs sleeping in your heads. Come to the entrance right now. I will kill the bomb bugs imnted in your heads. Don¡¯t worry. You will not die.] As soon as I finished speaking, I heard the sound of many running from inside. Whoosh! I swung the bat infused with Gunggi¡¯s mes at those approaching. I was concerned about burning their hair, but the ves trapped on this ind had no hair to begin with. Fwoosh, fwoosh. With each swing, I set fire to ten, twenty heads at a time, and the ves, burning like candles, all fell down, purple fluid leaking from their ears, eyes, and mouths. The magic flowed out from the closest openings in their heads. After boiling the bomb bugs inside the ves¡¯ heads with heat, I kicked open a door inside the prison-like corridor. ¡°Oh, don¡¯te!!¡± [Were these born here?] A quick scan of the children¡¯s physiques gave me a sense of how long this facility had been in operation. [Have you all been taught that all outsiders are monsters?] ¡°How could you¡­?¡± [There is nothing more terrifying than growing up in an isted environment. Don¡¯t worry. Now, your world is going to change.] I stamped the baseball bat down, igniting mes throughout the building. ¡°Uaaahhh!¡± The children couldn¡¯t avoid the mes. As the sudden crimson mes engulfed them, the children started panicking, but soon they felt something unusual and gradually calmed down. ¡°Uh, uh¡­?¡± [I guess they didn¡¯t imnt them in the children. Oh well.] No bomb bugs flowed out of the children. It seemed that the bomb bugs had only been imnted in the ves imprisoned forbor. [Are you curious about the outside world?] ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± [If so, follow me. I will now open the way to a new world for you.] Hundreds of children were visible before me. Including those peeking out from the corridor beyond and those watching from a distance, there might be thousands. There could be even more. But for now, the priority is to take care of those immediately in front of me. Thrumming. The missile bombardment had stopped. Sensing the time was right, I turned around and headed back towards the entrance I hade through. [Have you arrived?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Heroes are alwayste, it seems.] Nguyen, among about a dozen heroes, scanned the surroundings warily. [They say human trafficking and personality abuse were conducted here, and it¡¯s clear just by looking.] I rested my bat at the entrance and lightly pped my hands towards the heroes who had arrived, each wielding their weapons. [Well, this time both you and I arete. There are only victims on this ind; the viins who caused this are not here. They¡¯re very organized. Surely, they noticed the attack the moment they crossed onto the ind and escaped in the meantime.] Indeed, they had escaped. Before the fire curtain spread, they likely escaped through an emergency passage that connected underground inside the ind, leading to the sea. [I will pursue them. Will you hinder me?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The heroes¡¯ gazes turned towards Nguyen. Nguyen clenched his fist and raised his hand to the wireless earphone in his ear, then began to speak. ¡°Chairman. This is Nguyen. We will now begin the rescue operations.¡± [A good choice, hero.] p. I spread my wings again. ¡°Goblin¡­! Where are you nning to go?!¡± [Anywhere.] pping my fiery wings, I soared into the sky, heading towards the main ind of Phuket. [To a ce where there is someone I must kill.] ¡°!!¡± I soared up in an instant. The heroes, regretting their hesitation, tried to jump up, but I had already flown high towards the main ind. The trace was a very faintvender magic residue. The trail of the magic signal sent to detonate the bomb bugs imnted in the brains of those on the ind. At full speed, the end of my journey was¡­ Crash¡ª¡ª¡ª! ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± At the top floor of the Hero Association headquarters. ¡°No, why are you here already¡ª¡± [You.] I ran towards a man withvender hair standing in front of arge screen, Lace. [I came to kill you.] First. The conversation began, already half-killing him. To prevent him from escaping. Thud. [I¡¯ve gained an insight.] Thump. [Even if there are a ton of questions, one must first break the legs to prevent any escape.] Thunk, thud. [If you want to argue.] Blood sttered. [Take it up with Duoexini in hell.] Red blood. Chapter 237: The Burning Human Farm (4) Chapter 237: The Burning Human Farm (4) Last year, it was all about the viins. As soon as I made my appearance, they assumed they were as good as dead, so letting them chatter away posed no issue. Some attempted to stall by engaging in conversation, but I was more than capable of handling those dys. However, things changed after Duoexini. Unlike the minions from the Seven Sins Gang we dealt with before, these new adversaries also took time to study and devise escape ns upon my arrival. So, I first induced a concussion and then crushed their legs. [Are youing back to your senses?] ¡°Uh, uh¡­.¡± Lace grimaced, lying sprawled on the floor.Still, as he was one of the nation¡¯s top ability users, a severe blow to the head didn¡¯t kill him, and he swiftly came back to consciousness. ¡°¡­Heugh?! Aaaah!!¡± [You can¡¯t escape. You are already within my domain.] Lace screamed in agony, thrashing about in a desperate attempt to flee, and tried to muster magic power for a counterattack. [It¡¯s futile. While you were unconscious, I blocked all the abilities you could use.] ¡°What, what did you say¡­?¡± [I physically shattered your joints. And your mana too. No matter how hard you try to generate mana, it will simply surge and burn.] This was a hallmark of fire-type abilities. Employing stronger magic power to incinerate the opponent¡¯s magic power, the ¡®Mana Burn¡¯ ability. Any pyromancer worth their salt was familiar with this ability, and Gunggi stood at the zenith of this domain. Naturally, I did as well. [Before I proceed to execute you, allow me to ask you something.] I drew out a photo I had prepared beforehand. It wasn¡¯t a tablet but a rigid photo, and in that photo were the white-haired children I had targeted as ¡®The Dark Charisma.¡¯ [Did you orchestrate this?] ¡°Ha. That entity you refer to as ¡®The Dark Charisma,¡¯ was it all a plot¡­?¡± [I¡¯m not certain about that. I only review the materials that are submitted to our association.] Nheless, as the leader of an organization, Lace quickly grasped the situation merely by ncing at the photo. Of course, there was no connection to the Sephiroth Knights. [Those justice otakus don¡¯t know, but they had quite interesting materials.] It wouldn¡¯t have been known unless the Sephiroth Knights had reported it to the association. [The children who were meant to be swapped with the Zenros. When I traced those children back, I ended up in Phuket, and wondering where in Phuket the children were transported from, it turned out to be a ce you were managing, Lace. Your ve ind.] ¡°¡­Keuk.¡± Lace chuckled and reached into his pocket. I thought he might pull out a gun tomit suicide, but instead, he tried to light a cigarette. [Where do you think you¡¯re going?] ¡°Aaagh! Damn it!! Even if I¡¯m going, let me have just one cigarette!!¡± [Pretending it¡¯s a cigarette while you suck on mana powder to recover your power is an old trick I¡¯m tired of.] I kicked the cigarette Lace had taken out and sent it flying far away. Though it was rolled up like white paper, it wasn¡¯t filled with tobo leaves but bone powder. [And I don¡¯t have any honor to let someone like you have a cigarette before you die.] ¡°Ke, hehe¡­! You seem to have something to ask, but do you think I¡¯ll cooperate when youe at me like this¡­?!¡± Lace flicked his middle finger at me and sneered. ¡°Me, after enduring such humiliation, damn, do you think I¡¯d give you the answer you want?!¡± [Everyone said that. And always, in the end, they inevitably spit out the answer. It¡¯s alright. There are many ways to extract answers from ones like you.] Overabundant. However, getting an answer from Lace can wait for now. [Did you want to destroy the ind with missile strikes using the General Jeokrang? What was on that ind?] ¡°¡­Shit, you know everything already¡­!¡± [Yes. I know everything. I know it all, but those things are too repulsive to utter. If I say them out loud, it would dirty my mouth. But if you insist on keeping quiet¡­ I wouldn¡¯t mind sacrificing myself.] I pulled out the Goblin Bat and tapped Lace¡¯s cheek with it. Lace kept his mouth shut, and I pressed his cheek with the bat, turning his head so he could hear me better. [Shall I tell you what you all did on that ind?] ¡°There¡¯s no need. Hehe. Considering your style, you probably already spread it all over the inte.¡± [Oh.] He knew well about the methods of the association. ¡°You guys don¡¯t extract information from enemies. You already know everything when youe. And making me spit it out like this is just to solidify the information already spread among the people. Hehe. You think I¡¯d be exploited?!¡± [Then, as it has spread among the people, the data we found will inevitably be truth.] It was already the truth. [You kidnap humans, force them into very, and if any born children have abilities, you raise them on the ind. Well-behaved children be obedient ves for you and General Jeokrang, and the unruly ones¡­ end up like this.] I used my abilities to pull a cigarette pack from afar, took out a cigarette, and tore it from side to side. [Turned them into mana powder, didn¡¯t you?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Why? Is it less burdensome to use ordinary humans as ves, but burdensome to admit you turned ability users into mana powder on the spot? Afraid of turning the world¡¯s ability users against you?] Lace didn¡¯t open his mouth until the end. [Is it more frightening than making Koreans of both genders breed forcibly to increase the likelihood of ability-bearing children, or burying everyone trying to expose your deeds, than making humans work in underground farms without proper sleep for even two hours? The outrage of the ability users?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Well, you don¡¯t have to answer till the end. Silence is affirmation.] I stood next to Lace and put my foot on his sternum. [You seem curious about something.] ¡°What¡­?¡± [I see doubt in your eyes. Why do I talk so much unnecessarily?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As I casually put away the bat, Lace turned his head toward me. [Do you think I¡¯m merely a typical viin rambling on? Or do you believe I¡¯m continuing the conversation to extract information from you? Or perhaps to insult you?] ¡°¡­Dirty bastard. To the very end¡­.¡± [All wrong. Of course, I¡¯m the one who should be talking right now.] I lightly tugged at my suit sleeve. As soon as he saw the inside of the sleeve, Lace¡¯s eyes widened, his pupils filling with shock and fear. ¡°You¡­!¡± [In the 21st century, a new era, even viins must adapt to the times.] Whirring. The ThaiWatch kept shing. Like a 2025 model, in a world where mana has developed, the mana watch, resembling a wristwatch but fulfilling all the roles of a gship smartphone, is diligently performing one particr function. [Greet them, Lace. To the viewers of GoblinTV.]
¡°This is it.¡± On a streaming site, a live broadcast video suddenly appeared. Laichai sipped his coffee while watching the freshly started live broadcast. ¡°The world sure has changed. In my time, this wasn¡¯t a thing.¡± The movements were frantic, and the broadcast followed the cameraman¡¯s perspective, whether it¡¯s mounted on the head or the eyes, it¡¯s unclear. What¡¯s notable was that he was in a ce where a viin airstrike happened just 10 minutes ago, and he was the only person who could be filming there. ¡°The Goblin broadcasting live, huh. Heh, more effective than spreading news articles for days.¡± One by one, the viewership starts to increase. Aside from himself, who was already aware and waiting, those numbers growing from dozens to hundreds in the chat expressed all kinds of questions. What was this? What¡¯s happening? Such questions were soon resolved by the appearance on the screen. The Goblin reflected in a mirror. And the sight of him swinging a crimson bat, sprinkling crimson mes on the heads of prisoners in a worse state than humans, like anointing them. [We survived! Ahhh! The Goblin saved us! No more exploding heads!!] Amidst the broadcast, the quick-witted among the ves began voicing their thoughts in the chat. ¡°¡­¡­Wasn¡¯t it General Jeokrang who enved these people?¡± And Laichai, mingling among them, shared the truth disguised as his opinion. ¡°Talking about bombs on their heads, it seems like they¡¯re wearing something simr to bomb nes.¡± ¡°Human trafficking would be better. From what I¡¯m hearing, it sounds like they were killing kids and such.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Heh.¡± Even if it was the military, they couldn¡¯t block a streaming site hosted on foreign servers in real time. And if that site happened to be one where ¡®the secret society¡¯ held the majority stake. ¡°If the inte isn¡¯tpletely blocked, how will the General stop it? Missiles on the ind won¡¯t be enough.¡± Hlorok. Laichai took a sip of his coffee and pressed a nuclear missile button. [Would you like to share the broadcast?] ¡°Yes.¡± To his acquaintances, and to everyone in his contacts. ¡°¡­Sharing something good with you. Heh.¡± He spread the streaming site¡¯s address. And those who connected to the broadcast saw the scene of Lace getting hit on the head by a bat through a shattered window.
[Your current state will spread across the world in 10 minutes.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [The concurrent viewership is already 380,000? In 10 minutes, it might surpass a million, right?] He wouldn¡¯t know. And rightly so, because I started the broadcast the moment I entered the sanctuary of the gods. I began broadcasting without others noticing and even applied a dy, so it was bound to be unknown. [It¡¯s natural for a streamer to talk a lot. The main content is to expose the viin¡¯s sins and beat the viin to death.] I aimed the ThaiWatch at him and raised my bat high. [Ah. From now on, this will be for mature audiences, so the rest will be avable through a recorded videoter. That¡¯s all.] I stopped the recording and then mmed the bat down. Ka¨C¨Cang! Instinctively protecting his head with mana and absorbing the impact of my bat with his own mana, Lace spat out red blood, and his eyes rolled back. ¡°Ke, heuk, keuheuk¡­.¡± [Now, it¡¯s just you and me talking, so let me ask you onest thing.] A question that others shouldn¡¯t hear, one not to be shared recklessly. [Who is Lace¡¯s ¡®demon¡¯?] ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Even amidst a concussion, his eyes flickered, suddenly alert. [Where is the demon who taught you all these methods?] ¡°That is¡­.¡± Just as Lace was about to speak, Pwhoaaaaak!! Lace¡¯s head exploded. Then, footsteps sounded behind me, As if someone was walking in cloth shoes. [¡­¡­To grace us with your presence.] ¡°Nice to meet you, Goblin.¡± The woman with ck hair, wearing a mourning-like ck dress, greeted me with a smile. ¡°The demon you seek from Lace.¡± Elegantly. ¡°She is called ¡®Hyangdan¡¯.¡± Chapter 238: Manufactured Revolution (1) Chapter 238: Manufactured Revolution (1) At that time, at the Phuketmand post. ¡°This, this is¡­!¡± ¡°No, how could this be?!¡± Breaking news wasing in from all over. Citizens, engulfed in fear and chaos, began to search for the truth. ¡°Is it true, General!¡± ¡°General, did you run ve Ind with Lace?!¡± ¡°Heh, heh heh.¡± Outside themand post, the cries of the citizens yed with General Jeokrang¡¯s mustache.¡°Full of doubts. Needless doubts, that is.¡± His voice was steady and overflowed withposure, but he could notpletely hide the difort that was seeping out. ¡°Chairman of the Association, let¡¯s observe the situation for a moment. I need to call the Prime Minister.¡± ¡°Ha, but.¡± ¡°Quiet. I¡¯m on the phone right now.¡± He covered his ear with an old-fashioned earphone pulled from his pocket, gently covering the microphone part connected to the earphone cord as he made the call. ¡°Ah, Prime Minister. What a day. It seems the viins are spreading ridiculous information to overthrow the government.¡± [You don¡¯t mean, the Secret Society would do such a thing¡­!] ¡°Right. Martialw, we need to impose it.¡± [Con¡­con, constitutional amendment? At this time?!] ¡°No, not an amendment!¡± Perhaps it was due to the surrounding noise. ¡°I said martialw, martialw! Issue it immediately!¡± [Understood, General. I will prepare for the constitutional amendment immediately¡­!] ¡°Damn, I shouldn¡¯t have spoken in Korean¡­!!¡± Despite General Jeokrang¡¯s scolding, the Prime Minister said ¡®constitutional amendment.¡¯ The call was suddenly cut off, and no more calls came in. ¡°This damn thing¡­.¡± Even as a general, he couldn¡¯t just act rashly. At a time when all eyes were on him, it was difficult to move his troops independently while others from different forces were eagerly waiting for an opportunity. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Was the Prime Minister pretending to be deaf, meanwhile scheming something shady? If that were the case, this ce was dangerous. ¡°General! What is the truth? We have the right to know!¡± ¡°Did you really capture people and make them ves?! Yes?! And who are these mysterious ability users?!¡± ¡°¡­nder and conspiracy. It¡¯s the viins¡¯ machinations! Why don¡¯t you understand!¡± General Jeokrang threw his earphones on the ground and bellowed loudly. ¡°I¡¯ve dedicated so much to this country, how dare you¡ª¡± ¡°General Jeokrang.¡± Click. The Chairman of the Association drew a pistol. As a tense situation erupted, those in themand post began drawing their guns at each other. ¡°Chairman of the Association. What are you doing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to ask you, General Jeokrang.¡± The Chairman, pale-faced, pointed to therge TV screen brought in with his ThaiWatch and situation panel. ¡°Is it true that you fired missiles at the ind to drown all the kidnapped people and children there?¡± Breaking news kepting in. As if by agreement, various documents and information were being posted by unknown online media outlets. ¡°It¡¯s the viins¡¯ machinations! The truth can¡¯t even be immediately verified; it¡¯s fabricated information! It¡¯s false!¡± ¡°Chairman! Right now!!¡± An Association staff member connected their ThaiWatch to the screen. And then. ¡°Goblin TV¡­? What is that?¡± They saw. [¡­the children¡­ turned into mana powder.] The Goblin, using Lace of his crimes. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Static. General Jeokrang took out a cigarette and lit it. ¡°These damn ability-user brats. Tch.¡± Bang! As the gunshot sounded, a storm of blood began in themand center.
Lace¡¯s demon. Perhaps the one here, who blew up Lace¡¯s head, was the being that made Lace willingly take on the name ¡®Lace.¡¯ [Did you control Lace¡¯s actions while assisting him right beside him? Interesting.] ¡°Oh, you noticed right away. You truly are a Goblin.¡± [Isn¡¯t it trite, the clich¨¦ that the one posing as a figurehead while acting as a secretary or second inmand is the real one?] ¡°I¡¯ve given it some thought.¡± The demon, who called herself ¡®Hyangdan,¡¯ looked shocked and wore a gloomy expression. ¡°Indeed, Goblin. You know more than I gave you credit for.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°Well, you still only know what you know. On the other hand, I know much more about you than you might imagine. Hehe.¡± Hyangdan chuckled softly and unfolded a ck fan. The aura of death was unmistakable, and a ck aura began to spread throughout the room. ¡°For example, that your original name is funnier than you might think.¡± [It seems you know more than I expected. But it appears you¡¯re not omniscient after all.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I pointed to my head. [I don¡¯t know how you discovered my name, but unfortunately, you don¡¯t know everything. If you did, you wouldn¡¯t call yourself ¡®merely¡¯ Lace¡¯s demon but a ¡®god¡¯.] Or, perhaps she was frustrated upon realizing she was merely a viin in a story. [The world is broader than you think.] ¡°¡­To speak like that, knowing where we came from.¡± [I say it because I know.] Merely riding aet to Earth within the Sr System. I wonder if she came from further away than I did, having crossed from apletely different dimension, brought here by an author into a novel world. [Hey. Do you know what this is?] I ignited a me on my goblin bat. The me of essence zed proudly, starting to burn with the number ¡®5700¡¯. [If you understand the significance of this number, I will acknowledge you. But if you don¡¯t, you are just someone who thinks she knows everything.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hyangdan¡¯s expression soured. [There¡¯s no easier opponent than one who believes she is a great being. Consider yourself as good as dead, now that you¡¯ve appeared before me.] ¡°Oh, sorry, but the method that killed Duoexini won¡¯t work on me.¡± Hyangdan folded the fan and stabbed herself in the abdomen. [!!] ¡°The one here is a fake. The real me isn¡¯t here. It¡¯s unfortunate I can¡¯t kill you right here.¡± [¡­¡­Tch.] Did she know about the method that killed Duoexini, the ¡®Room of Truth¡¯? ¡°Why? Did you think I¡¯de face to face with you without any n at all? That¡¯s unfortunate. Hehe.¡± [I¡¯m truly sorry.] It¡¯s probably fortunate that they didn¡¯t discover the use of the ¡®Room of Truth¡¯ in an ¡®unmerged state¡¯. Given the situation, the best course of action was to extract as much information as possible. [Conversing with Lace was pointless. But talking to Lace¡¯s demon might prove to be somewhat beneficial.] ¡°Okay. Then tell me? What does that 5700 mean that you mentioned?¡± [Alright.] Combat was pointless. If she didn¡¯te here to fight. Instead, like with Duoexini, clues must be gathered to draw her out. Like the aggro drawn by Duoexini, figuring out her tendencies so she will appear in her true formter is crucial. [Ask her. Why did she control him under the name Hyangdan, under Lace?] ¡°Well, because I wanted to spread Hallyu.¡± [¡­¡­?] Wait, my brain just froze. Which part of Lace¡¯s actions represented Hallyu? ¡°Korean things are good. Thus, I wanted to spread Korean things in this country. Not only in this country but also created simr entities in other countries.¡± Hyangdan tapped her shoulder with her fan and approached Lace¡¯s dead body, giving it a light kick. ¡°I just contacted heroes with a decent enough name, provided them with the luxuries and pleasures they desired, linked them with powerful people to establish a political base, and ensured that no entity in the country would dare touch that foundation.¡± [Those who pursued the truth were all killed, it seems.] ¡°Not exactly killed, right? They¡¯re all human resources. There¡¯s no better worker than one who has given up resistance andplies. This outfit, even the magic power that created this avatar, all of it was made from such people. Hehehe.¡± She¡¯s insane. I knew she was not human but something demonic from another, but the more we talked, the clearer it became that shecked any semnce of human sentiment. ¡°I just wanted to follow the original model?¡± [What?] ¡°Oh, was that too sensitive for a Korean? Or did it sting a bit inside? Hehehe.¡± [¡­You can¡¯t be serious.] A single possibility flickered through my mind. At the same time, it was utterly preposterous, yet it seemed to underlie everything happening in Phuket. ¡°An unjustw is still aw. That¡¯s what Socrates said.¡± One realization from dealing with a demon from Pandemonium. When they quoted great people, it¡¯s not because they deeply resonated with those words, but rather they misused them to make their ideas look legitimate and justifiable. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good saying. An unjustw is still aw. A bad human is still a human. And¡­ a bad history is still history, a bad culture is still culture. Just as Korea shines brightest now, the dark shadow cast by its history is also Korean.¡± Hyangdan sped her hands and beamed broadly. ¡°Trials make humans stronger. It¡¯s the same. Behind Korea¡¯s current glowing image lies a dark and painful history.¡± [Are you saying you want to implement that exact process in other countries now?] ¡°Exactly! You are indeed a Goblin. You uncovered the darkness of this country quickly because you were thinking the same!¡± I thought about it. But I considered it ¡®crazy¡¯. ¡°From being one of the poorest countries after the Korean War to bing one of the best in the world. If every country could undergo thatpressed process, they would all develop like Korea.¡± [Have you not thought about the blood that will be spilled in that process?] ¡°Oh. Is the Goblin from the Secret Society saying that? Sacrificing the few for the many is nothing, right? If the blood spilled now will be converted into this country¡¯s developmentter. Like Seoul¡¯s Miracle, well¡­ maybe something like Bangkok¡¯s Miracle could happen too. Hehehe.¡± She actually went through with that insane n. Chapter 239: Manufactured Revolution (2) Chapter 239: Manufactured Revolution (2) [Tsk.] After Hyangdan¡¯s escape. [Release the fusion.] [Hmm¡­ It¡¯s a pity. I could have enjoyed that a bit longer. Do you really need someone to talk to?] [Talking to myself does seem somewhat psychotic, doesn¡¯t it?] I disengaged the fusion with Gunggi to facilitate conversation. With Hyangdan¡¯s demon avatar by Lace¡¯s side destroyed, there was no one left in Phuket to threaten us. [It¡¯s a shame. Had I known the avatar was here, I would have investigated further.] [I didn¡¯t know it was an avatar.]I didn¡¯t realize it was an avatar with special abilities. Initially, it¡¯s impossible to discern what beings the new Seven Sins, led by Duoexini, were, what special abilities they possessed, and what their codenames were. However, some things could be inferred. [The Seven Sins, they¡¯re all worse than Duoexini, if not equally bad.] Crazy bastards. One spread demons nationwide under the guise of promoting a hero in traditional Korean attire, while another instigated revolutions in Korean history abroad. [Perhaps the picture Hyangdan drew was¡­ a tyranny overthrow?] [That¡¯s likely. The military, heroes, and even the government. By exposing the tyrant¡¯s unforgivable crimes, they incited the citizens to protest in the streets.] In a way, we were used by Hyangdan. Although the revolution¡¯s spark wasn¡¯t from the people but from external viins, due to the society exposing Lace and the Crimson General¡¯s crimes, eventually, people learned of the tyrants¡¯ misdeeds. Killing those who tried to uncover the truth about the dictatorship. Selecting foreign tourists to be confined on an ind. Forcing Koreans on Subus Ind to procreate. Sending non-Koreans to ¡°God¡¯s resting ce¡± to turn them into ves. Imnting bombs in their heads to prevent them from leaving. And turning their children born there into weapons for their own use. [The Kosians born on the ind will eventually blend into this country as citizens. And then they¡¯d systematically vote, turning the tyrants into mere puppets in power.] [Had it been at least another ten years, it would¡¯ve be a truly dreadful country. A world where only those who colluded with the dictatorship could survive.] [¡­A wonderful world for those who suckle the warm milk they offer.] Of course. Such a future, imagined by those colluding with Lace, will nevere. [Creating a dictator to incite the citizens to overthrow the dictatorship. There¡¯s nothing crazier than that.] [And if a revolution urs outside, would that revolution also be fabricated?] [Exactly. Thoroughly. From the beginning to the end, all orchestrated by Lace¡¯s demon.] Not just because we intervened, but because Lace¡¯s demon wouldn¡¯t have wanted such a future. [It¡¯s all over now.] I set fire to Lace¡¯s head-exploded corpse. I gathered the remaining magic power of Gunggi after releasing the fusion and burned Lace. [Farewell, spearhead of the fabricated dictatorship.] Whoosh. The Crimson me, Gunggi¡¯s me, instantly melted Lace. The zing me burned so fiercely that it didn¡¯t leave even Lace¡¯s charred remains; it melted everything to ashes¡ªmuscles, flesh, and even bones. [If it had been Pandemonium, I would¡¯ve just burned him with real fire and left only his ashes, announcing ¡®Lace¡¯s Mana Powder for Sale!!¡¯ at an auction, right?] [Had you done that, I would¡¯ve quit the society.] [Hehe. Same here. The society¡­ doesn¡¯t go that far.] The mana powder he had absorbed up to now was probably made this way too. Killing ability users, burning their flesh and muscles, and grinding their bones to powder. Whoosh. The mes died down. The fire had consumed everything so thoroughly that there was nothing left to burn, and it faded like a spent matchstick. Now, Lace was no more. While traces of Lace¡¯s existence remained, the entity that was Lace had vanished without a trace. If there¡¯s anything left, it would be the red bloodstains sttered on the carpet from when he was hit with my bat. [He enjoyed hedonism without even realizing he was being manipted. Maybe I should have tormented him a bit more.] [Even the hits intended for defamation caused a bacsh among the people. That should be enough.] By now, the broadcast people were watching would show Lace joyfully getting beaten. And the extent of the violence was just enough for people to feel vicarious satisfaction from seeing Lace being hit. No matter how viinous, it shouldn¡¯t induce doubts like ¡®Aren¡¯t they going to beat him to death?¡¯ or sympathy like ¡®Beating him that much is a bit too much.¡¯ I had learned to temper my use of the bat on many viins over time. Though I couldn¡¯t prevent the magical explosion imnted in Lace¡¯s head by Hyangdan, Lace suffered enough to be tormented nearly to death until then. [Now the problem is Lace¡¯s aplices.] I looked outside the Hero Association building. The crimson mes of a barrier spread across the broken window, obscuring the view inside; everyone outside was restless, eager to know what was happening inside. Hyangdan was the only one who crossed the barrier. Others waited outside for the barrier to disappear. Anxious about what might be happening inside. [Well, it seems they¡¯re not curious.] Gururug. In the middle of Phuket¡¯s streets. [To think they¡¯d bring out a tank.] The tank started moving around the roads. A tank emzoned with a red wolf baring its fangs. [Even using the military to dere martialw and instill fear among the people to incite a revolution.] I lightly flowed mana through my hands. [In this age of abilities, that just isn¡¯t possible.]
Gugugugu. The tank continued along the road. People on the streets quickly moved aside, fleeing from the terrifying tank. ¡°Ah, to all citizens in Phuket, we are currently in a state of quasi-war, and we are searching for the viin ¡®Goblin¡¯ who attacked Phuket.¡± ¡°This is a real situation. Anyone engaging in disorderly conduct will be considered a member of the Secret Society.¡± The old general¡¯s voice, Jeokrang, echoed from sirens all around the roads. ¡°From now on, our 7th Division will purge the reactionaries inside Phuket.¡± On the screens visible to the public, the general with a blood-sttered white beard read out a deration of martialw with an expressionless face. ¡°Do not trust the heroes. Some of the Hero Alliance are colluding with the Secret Society. The chairman of the Hero Alliance was a pawn of the Secret Society. Lace is now struggling against the Secret Society¡¯s executives, Gonggi and Goblin.¡± Next to him, a non-mosaicked corpse, the chairman of the Hero Alliance with bullet wounds all over his body, was rolling on the ground. ¡°All circting videos are forgeries and false. They were pre-recorded by Goblin, and the person being assaulted in the videos is not Lace. Anyone sharing these videos or sympathizing with the Secret Society will be arrested immediately. If they resist, they will be shot.¡± No matter how much one knew the truth. No matter how well one understood the situation. Who could easily speak out when someone pointed a gun at their head and threatened them? If there was such a person¡­ ¡°Yaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!¡± Gugugugu. The tank was speeding along when it suddenly stopped. Above the road where the tanks were lined up, a taxi had stopped sideways, blocking the road. ¡°Shut that barking dog up!¡± A middle-aged man dressed in overalls and a shirt, looking like a typical pot-bellied taxi driver, had blocked the tank. The tanks, aligned in a procession towards the main road, attempted to veer off course, but a taxi driver daringly approached the front of the lead tank, blocking its path. Every passenger leaned out of the windows. Facing just an ordinary taxi driver, the tank gradually increased its speed. Grrrkkk. The confrontation began.
¡°Cough!¡± In a space shrouded in darkness, a woman coughed up blood and rose to her feet. ¡°Cough, hack, cough¡­¡± Her lungs seemed to tear with each cough, as she continuously expelled blood. Yet, even amidst her coughing fits, she managed to tap on her Taeguk Watch, activating the TV and swiftly connecting to an inte streaming site. ¡°Ha, hahaha¡­¡± In the video, A man stood blocking seven tanks. Surrounded by citizens on both sides, the woman clenched her fist, watching as the tank inched closer to the man. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. You, nameless, be the ¡®martyr¡¯¡­! The catalyst of the protest, amon citizen¡¯s death¡­!¡± Drip. Blood trickled from the woman¡¯s lips, yet her smile was wide. She hoped the tank would crush the citizens. That would ignite the revolution¡ª Boom! ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± The tank halted. Its wheels spun, but the tank itself remained immobile. ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± In front of the tank, A man stood, his hand extended towards the tank, shielding the fallen taxi driver. ¡°That man is¡­¡± The camera zoomed in on the man, who was gripping the tank¡¯s metal. ¡°Nguyen?!¡± The hero, Nguyen, had single-handedly stopped the tanks¡¯ advance. Alone. [In an era where ability users surpass military forces, employing the military to enforce a dictatorship is futile.] Applying pre-Cataclysm logic in a post-Cataclysm world is pointless. [Those aliens, they really don¡¯t understand humans at all.] People took to the streets when they feltpelled to act because no one else would. If There was someone who could ensure the safety of the citizens and represent their cause. Then, the citizens would trust and support them. They dered theirmitment to protect safety and bravely stepped forward before anyone else. Their name was ¡®Hero.¡¯ All over Phuket, boys and girls in school uniforms came out and began to subdue the tanks. Chapter 240: Artificial Ending Chapter 240: Artificial Ending The streets, once teeming with tanks, now watched as each one either came to a halt or was destroyed. ¡°Uooooo!!¡± A female student, d in a uniform reminiscent of Sejong Academy, dashed down the street. The tank, previously menacing people by moving its wheels, seemed to sense the girl¡¯s approach and swiveled its long cannon toward her. ¡°Cr, crazy!! You¡¯re not seriously going to shoot that¡ª¡± Kwaaang! Before anyone on the street could react, the cannon fired. Itunched a shell, unmistakably from a tank. Firing in the middle of the street, even if aimed at an enemy, would cause unimaginable destruction.And at a single person? ¡°These crazy bastards!!¡± ¡°Come on¡ª!¡± The high school girl soared into the sky, striking the iing shell with precision. Kwaaang! The impact resonated like the collision of two dump trucks, sending light shooting upwards. Those who looked up witnessed the shell suspended awkwardly in mid-air. Those who looked down saw the girlnding gracefully on her feet after her high leap. At that moment, the gazes of the onlookers converged, and they beheld the girl perched on the cannon¡¯s long barrel, her shoes still on. Thunk. As the girl extended her hand to the side, something dropped into it. It was a crumpled shell, still emitting white smoke, which she grasped with both hands like a basketball and immediately crushed. Even a tank, having just fired a shell, required time to reload. With no threat from the enemy, standing atop the cannon she had just neutralized was a terrifying sight in itself. Step, step. The girl advanced along the cannon, then climbed onto the front of the tank. She then delivered a powerful kick to the middle of the tank, causing it to sway significantly. A several-ton tank rocked by the kick of a single person? Even dismantling the cannon? Despite defying thews of physics, this was not considered an anomaly but rather ¡®normal¡¯ in this context. Those immune to cold weapons. Those immune to modern gunpowder weapons. Beings born blessed with an unknown substance called mana, controble only by those with the ability. Ability users. A high school girl, an ability user herself, quickly neutralized the tank¡ªno, the coup army¡¯s tank. The wheels burst, ck smoke billowed from inside, and she forcibly ripped apart the cannon, destroying the tank. How much money would it have cost to build just one tank? Certainly, more than what it cost to raise this high school girl. Kwaaang! Explosions urred elsewhere too. Though explosions urred in civilian areas, and rioting soldiers fired guns and set off explosives, the chaos was easily subdued. Bullets aimed at civilians were stopped by des of wind. A young child appeared next to the tank, which had abruptly changed direction, and delivered a dropkick, pushing it sideways and stripping its wheels. The moment an officer jumped out of the tank and drew a pistol, aiming at the high school girl who had climbed atop the cannon, she didn¡¯t dodge but received the bullet with her forehead, snatched the officer¡¯s gun, gripped it upside down, and knocked him out with a blow to his helmet. Step, step. Boys and girls, the ability users, subdued and neutralized the soldiers who were older and more numerous than themselves, one by one. They took weapons from the soldiers, knocked them unconscious, and civilians rushed in with ropes or whatever they could find to tie them up. There must have been some who were hurt or killed somewhere. But even if they are soldiers, they are still people. For soldiers to fire guns at civilians or shoot cannons down the street is an act that even they themselves would hesitate to perform. ¡°Retreat¡ª! Return to your unit!!¡± Tanks fled the streets, and soldiers ran away with their guns pointed skyward. Some officers were shouting with veins bulging on their necks, but they could no longer make a sound in the face of the attacking ability users and buried their heads in the dirt. One by one. Ability users began to gather in one ce. The person responsible for leading the military and plunging this street into chaos. The person who fired missiles at the ind known as ¡®God¡¯s resting ce.¡¯ And the one who, along with Lace, had taken control of the entire country. ¡°General Jeokrang, listen!!¡± Boys and girls in various clothes boldly approached the small army upying the center of the square and shouted. ¡°The dead ability users were turned into mana powder and sold off. Is that true?¡± ¡°How can you secretly raise children on an ind! Ability users are not weapons for you to use at will!¡± Tudududududu! Gunshots rang out from inside the square. It was a random shooting aimed at the ability users gathering from all directions, but the bullets caused no bloodshed. Tududuk. The bullets simply fell to the ground. Ability users who were hit by live bullets merely paused for a moment when hit; the bullets could not inflict any wounds on them. ¡°General Jeokrang,e out¡ª!¡± At that moment, the furious screams of the ability users resounded. ¡°Listen up, you monstrous bastards.¡± Along with foul curses, General Jeokrang¡¯s angry voice boomed throughout the city. ¡°I fervently hope you all turn into demons and die.¡± Taang. The indiscriminate curse ended with a single gunshot.
[The star of the old era has set.] General Jeokrang, identified through the inte, was approximately 60 years old. Naturally, he would have children, and those children would have grandchildren old enough to be in kindergarten. Having lived a traditional life and then 25 years through a great upheaval, he wouldn¡¯t have epted it easily. That the military, the organization he had been part of since his youth, could no longer function properly. Someone might say, after seeing it for 25 years, how could you not know, but because he hadn¡¯t changed his thinking for 25 years, the military coup took ce. Now, this country would fall into chaos. How could one sinctly describe the vast chaos that was about to unfold, and the monumental task of managing that chaos? [It¡¯s not the role of a secret society.] Hwaruk! The Crimson me died down. Simultaneously, those who had been waiting beyond the barrier of mes quickly surrounded us. ¡°Stop, Goblin! Hold!¡± Heroes pointed their weapons at us. And among them, now the number one hero of Thand, stood Nguyen. [Does anyone stop just because they are told to?] ¡°How did Lace die?!¡± [What do you mean ¡®how?¡¯ I killed him. Once he bore the name Lace, when I tried to crack his head open, he turned into a demon and waspletely annihted.] ¡°What¡­.¡± I gestured towards the soot scattered across the ground. [It may seem an inadequate end for someone who spent his life turning other ability users into bone dust and sucking them dry, but it¡¯s better than letting him live, at least.] ¡°That is¡­.¡± [Remember, hero. We are viins. Whatever the target, if we deem them ¡®evil enough to kill,¡¯ we show no mercy.] p! Gunggi swung her hand next to him, and a crimson me spread through the air. ¡°Is that¡­teleportation?!¡± [Farewell. Don¡¯t expect anything. Don¡¯t expect us to stand idly if Nguyen, who has taken up the mantle after Lace, bes just like Lace.] I ced my hand on Gunggi¡¯s waist and pointed usingly at Nguyen. [Next, it¡¯s you.] Hwaruk! mes engulfed us in an instant. Opening my eyes again while still embracing Gunggi, I surveyed the new space around us and immediately took off my mask. ¡°¡­I feel this every time, but isn¡¯t it a bit much to drop a line like that and just leave?¡± ¡°What is?¡± Gunggi also changed her outfit and sat at the table. The ce Gunggi, who had learned the ability of teleportation from Yumir, took me to was one of the underground bunkers in Bangkok, Thand. ¡°After all, to others, it would seem like we just vanished, so what does it matter if we went to the bathroom, a motel, or even home?¡± It was designed like a wine bar, and she gripped the smartphone lying next to her, grinning. ¡°Oppa. It¡¯s not just you; it¡¯s the creed of the secret society, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The secret society always did its best. Being quick and decisive was their motto. They handled everything swiftly and urately for world peace, no matter what. ¡°14 nights, 15 days. You weren¡¯t nning to use all this time for the mission, were you?¡± ¡°¡­where Lace¡¯s demon disappeared to.¡± ¡°Oh. Was that part of the mission?¡± ¡°No.¡± I sat next to Gunggi, filled our sses with wine, and lightly clinked sses with her. ¡°That¡¯s forter.¡± ¡°Right. So, you know what we have to do now, right? Brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave the investigation of Hyangdan to the brewers.¡± The rest was. ¡°¡­until we return to Korea, I won¡¯t let you sleep.¡± Just replenishing the spent magic power. ¡°Oppa. Shall I make you a cocktail?¡± ¡°I only know two cocktails.¡± I clinked sses with Gunggi once more. ¡°Sex on the Beach.¡± ¡°¡­and the other one?¡± ¡°Quick Fuck.¡± To the end of the old era. To the future of this country moving into a new era, cheers. And. For the day we killed the devil of Lace somewhere. All for the peace of the world. Chapter 240.5: Yun Hye-ra Temptation Chapter 240.5: Yun Hye-ra Temptation Yun Hye-ra and I made love. It was our usual intimacy, but making love after a day¡¯s work felt uniquely special between us. Smack, smack. As I kissed her, I naturally began to remove Yun Hye-ra¡¯s dress. She might want to keep wearing the beautiful dress she chose, but I preferred her bare beauty over any garment. ¡°Ah, really. Someone might think you¡¯re starving for affection.¡± After exchanging a kiss and as I revealed her chest, Yun Hye-ra stroked my head and chuckled. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re already aroused? Do you enjoy it that much?¡± ¡°It seems I¡¯m not the only one who enjoys it, am I?¡±¡°Yeah, I enjoy it too. Ahh, oppa.¡± Yun Hye-ra¡¯s speech blended formal and informal tones as we kissed again. Our tongues danced together, saliva mingling as we simultaneously held hands and walked into the bedroom. Thud. I gently pushed Yun Hye-ra onto the bed, and she grabbed my shirt as she fell. ¡°Ah, this is frustrating¡­¡± Whoosh. Suddenly irritated, Yun Hye-ra snaps her fingers, and our clothes ignite into mes. My clothes were quite expensive, yet she incinerated them out of sheerziness to undress. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to squandering money.¡± ¡°But the most crucial part didn¡¯t burn, did it?¡± Yun Hye-ra points downward with a teasing smile. ¡°That part, you¡¯ll have to remove, you know?¡± ¡°How should I go about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for the undresser to decide.¡± Yun Hye-ra left the decision to me. I nuzzled into her chest and slowly slid my hand down to her lower body. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± The fabric of her underwear became damp. As it grew wetter, I gently pressed on the increasingly sensitive area with my finger. ¡°Oppa, focus on the breasts¡­ Huuh, yes, suck them firmly.¡± I followed Yun Hye-ra¡¯s wishes, taking her breasts into my mouth and licking her nipples. I sucked fervently, as if drawing out milk, while with my other hand, I softly squeezed and twisted her breast, rolling the nipple between my fingers. ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s perfect¡­ now, inside, right now¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite forward today, Hye-ra.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Yun Hye-ra stroked my head and gestured downwards with her eyes. ¡°I prefer it when you just do what I want right away rather than guessing what I want. Do you prefer that too?¡± ¡°Sometimes that¡¯s good, but when we¡¯re having sex like this, it¡¯s better to be honest.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then don¡¯t just tease the outside¡­¡± Yun Hye-ra held up two fingers and gently tickled the back of my head as she whispered. ¡°Not just the underwear, put it in directly.¡± A woman¡¯s ¡®do it¡¯ could sometimes be annoying, but a request like this was always wee. Schluck. My fingers were already soaked as I pushed them inside her underwear, splitting her vulva to the sides. ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s good. This is really the best¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s something better than my fingers?¡± ¡°Of course, but your fingers are better than mine.¡± Schlick, schlick. Yun Hye-ra clenched her vagina around my fingers as she sighed with excitement. Her hands continued to caress my head, face, and body, feeling as if she were caressing my entire body in return for the stimtion, and I responded by pushing my handpletely inside her underwear. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Ahh, since we¡¯re doing it, let¡¯s do it thoroughly-ahh¡­!!¡± I mercilessly fingered her, moving my fingers in and out, using the back of my hand on her underwear as leverage, pushing my fingers in and out, and then moving them up and down rapidly. ¡°Ahh, ah, harder¡­! With your hand, ahh, let mee first¡­!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t clench your vagina.¡± ¡°Ahh, can¡¯t help it¡­! Uhh, that¡¯s why, can¡¯t help it, so do it harder¡­!¡± ¡°Received.¡± Thump, thump, thump, thump. I pushed my hand in harder than I could with my penis. Pressing the top part of her vulva with my fingers, I swept back and forth along the vaginal walls. ¡°Ah, ah, oppa, I¡¯m getting close¡­!¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Ah¡­?¡± Just as Yun Hye-ra was about to climax, I pulled my fingers out. ¡°Oppa, what are you doing¡­?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hold it in anymore.¡± Ignoring Yun Hye-ra¡¯s dissatisfaction, I flipped her over 180 degrees. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± Despite screaming, she did not resist my strength. Yun Hye-ra, quickly flipped onto the bed, slightly lifts her upper body, her breasts pressing into the mattress like cushions. ¡°Ah, really, if you¡¯re going to do this, you should have started like this from the beginning¡­. Huh?¡± ¡°The height is just right.¡± I pulled Yun Hye-ra¡¯s underwear towards me and slid it down. A sticky trail of vaginal fluid stretched between her vulva and panties, and I pushed it into her vagina as I continued to pull her panties off. ¡°Oh, oppa. Right now, I¡¯m¡­.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Yun Hye-ra was now with her knees hanging over the edge of the bed. Her body precariously perched inside the bed, in a position that could easily result in falling off. ¡°I feel like taking you from behind today.¡± ¡°I get wanting to do it from behind, but why are you moving up from there¡­?¡± Yun Hye-ra turned her head back to look ¡®up¡¯ at me. ¡°Just because the structure allows it.¡± The bed, naturally raised to knee height thanks to the frame and mattress, was in a hotel room that had a level as high as the frame next to it. A beanbag and a small table were ced there, dividing the hotel room into sections with stairs. Standing on that spot, Ipletely remove Yun Hye-ra¡¯s panties, leaving her naked. ¡°Hye-ra, do you trust oppa?¡± ¡°I trust you, but this, this is¡­!¡± ¡°This is a special position just for you.¡± I instantly lifted Yun Hye-ra¡¯s thighs. ¡°Scream?!¡± If the previous scream was for the fun of flipping over, this one was genuinely out of shock. ¡°Oh, oppa, what are you doing¡­ahh¡­!¡± Schlick. I inserted my penis through the opened gap. As soon as it¡¯s in, her vagina tightly mped around it. ¡°Uh, uhh, put me down¡­!¡± But Yun Hye-ra¡¯s voice only trembled. Her lower body waspletely lifted by me, and despite her efforts to touch the ground, it was just out of reach. ¡°Your breasts might hurt a bit. But since your breasts are acting as cushions, it might hurt less.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the pain, at least let me reach the floor with my feet¡­ahh?!¡± Gruuuk. I pushed my penis deeper below, and Yun Hye-ra screamed, clutching the bed sheet. ¡°Ah, ah, hah¡­! If you keep stabbing like that¡­!¡± ¡°Feels like you could die of pleasure, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good¡­! It¡¯s good but¡­!¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going crazy right now.¡± ¡°Mmm, uhh¡­!¡± Yun Hye-ra shook tremblingly, her head buried in the bedsheet. It seemed like she was trying to hold something back, but I was not one to just watch. ¡°Hye-ra, why?¡± ¡°Oh, oppa, just a moment, this position, if it stays like this, ahh¡­!¡± ¡°Feel like you¡¯re going toe?¡± ¡°Really¡­! Just 10 seconds, no, just 5 seconds, let me down¡­! After that, ahh, you can take me like a dog from behind¡­!¡± ¡°You want it like a dog from now on?¡± Wham¡ª I thrusted deeply. Yun Hye-ra immediately raised her head and bit her lower lip, shaking all over. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Pshhhhhh!! What she was trying to hold back, must have been that. She expelled a majestic squirt, soaking the end of the bed sheet, and gradually the lower body I was holding became heavier. ¡°Huuuuh¡­.¡± Yun Hye-ra buried her face forward. I reached down and gently rubbed the front of her clit, wet with droplets, and at the same time, Yun Hye-ra¡¯s lower body went down, and she knelt. ¡°Hah, hah, hah¡­ Ahhhh¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be shy.¡± ¡°Huh, every time we do this, I end up squirting, really¡­!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s exciting.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Yun Hye-ra, her face flushed red, slightly turned her head back. ¡°Am I¡­exciting?¡± ¡°Yeah. I feel like I¡¯m going crazy. My penis feels like it¡¯s going to explode right now.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Yun Hye-ra tightened around my penis, beginning to indulge in it. ¡°Seems like it might be real¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s real. So, Hye-ra, shall we go a little further?¡± ¡°Uh, uh-huh.¡± Following my directions, Yun Hye-ra moved forward, and I ced her knees on the warm sheet that had moved from the edge to her breasts. ¡°Hah, hah¡­.¡± Her upper body buried down while her lower body was raised in a perfect doggy style pose. Watching her back slide down like a slide, I lightly ced my hand next to her hips and slowly moved my penis. ¡°How should I please you?¡± ¡°That, that is¡­¡± ¡°Tell me what you want. I¡¯ll do exactly that.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Yun Hye-ra turned her head forward, answering in a small, ant-like voice. ¡°Oppa¡­ as much as you¡¯re excited, thrust, ahh?!¡± Wham. I thrusted deeply once, forcefully. I pressed my pubic bone against her buttocks, moving my waist back and forth, vigorously thrusting my penis. ¡°Ah, ahh, uhh¡­! Not so hard¡­!¡± ¡°You asked to be fucked as much as I¡¯m excited.¡± ¡°Hah, huh, haaah¡­ really¡­!¡± Yun Hye-ra clutched the sheet. ¡°If you want to have sex with me this much, haah, can¡¯t help it¡­! Oppa, I¡¯ll try my best, haah, as much as I can¡­.¡± Her cheeks, slightly visible through her hair, were quivering at the corners of her mouth, and I kept thrusting my waist until I felt the climax approaching. ¡°Use my body as much as you want, as much as you desire¡­!¡± ¡°More than using it, I want to cum.¡± ¡°Yeah, uh-huh, cumming is fine¡­! You can do it outside, on my back, on my face¡­!¡± Gruuuk. ¡°Cum inside¡­! I love that the most¡­!¡± Yun Hye-ra tightened around me, pleading, and I responded to her request by firmly holding her waist. Pshhhhh!! ¡°Hiiiit¡­!¡± I ejacted inside her, keeping a slight distance from her cervix. I sprayed a hot, sticky white fluid deeper than her vagina. ¡°Ah, hah, uhhhh¡­! Hah, hah. Really, I love this sooooo much¡­.¡± Yun Hye-ra, her face rxed, again buried her head in the sheet, starting to giggle. ¡°The times you cum inside¡­ are really the best¡­.¡± ¡°Whew¡­.¡± Schlick. I pulled out my penis and stood up. Then I walked over to Yun Hye-ra¡¯s side, spread my legs right in front of her face, and sat down. ¡°Haaaa¡­.¡± With a dazed face, Yun Hye-ra ced her hands on my thighs and lifted her head. ¡°Umm, oppa¡­.¡± Schlick. ¡°Oppa, it was delicious, wasn¡¯t it, devouring me? Hah, was it good?¡± ¡°Of course. I want to keep eating.¡± ¡°Heheh. As much as you want, eat¡­ So¡­.¡± Yun Hye-ra kissed the tip of my penis covered in semen, sucking the ns and smiling with her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll wash your ¡®new cockstick¡¯ so you can eat me out.¡± ¡°Will you give me a cleanup blowjob?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference? Hehe.¡± Slurp. ¡°Oppa, do you like it?¡± ¡°Of course, I do.¡± ¡°Heheh¡­.¡± Yun Hye-ra licked the white fluid off my penis, thoroughly cleaning every corner. ¡°Every time I feel how much you enjoy eating me out¡­.¡± Grinning. ¡°Because you¡¯re excited, you want to keep eating me out.¡± Yun Hye-ra began to eat out my penis with her mouth. Afterward. I had sex with Yu Hye-ra until she was utterly spent, in more ways than one. Chapter 241: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (1) Chapter 241: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (1) What was the best way to address the unrest that erupted in Phuket, Thand? It might seem unnecessary to tidy up, but if I were to briefly summarize the events of the night, it would be ¡®the copse of a dictatorship.¡¯ The dictator¡¯s secret military training was exposed. The dictator attempted a coup but was thwarted by an ability user. A hero who had allied with the dictator was ¡®executed¡¯. -Indeed, it¡¯s the Goblin! People cheered for the Goblin. Had the Goblin not revealed the truth, people would not have been confronted with the myriad of sordid truths hidden behind the regime. Just one day.In just one day, Phuket, Thand, was turned upside down. The military¡¯s top brassmitted suicide, and those who were puppets of the military were too preupied with watching their backs in this situation. Amid the chaos in Phuket, the Goblin suddenly disappeared. -Where is the Goblin, and what is he doing? This question was on many people¡¯s minds. -After causing such chaos in Phuket, where is the Goblin now, and what is he doing? -The regime has been toppled; he should take responsibility, not just deal with the perpetrator and leave. That¡¯s what people were saying. To this, the Goblin always responded with the Secret Society¡¯s answer: -Now it¡¯s up to you. Like that. Irresponsible? It might seem irresponsible. But you couldn¡¯t really fault that irresponsibility. Because. I was a Viin.
Thand¡¯s capital, Bangkok. Almost 700km in a straight line from Phuket, but the capital was in turmoil due to the unrest in Phuket. ¡°Starting from the crack of dawn, it¡¯s been chaos. Isn¡¯t that right, Hye-ra?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yun Hye-ra sipped on a fruit smoothie with a weary appearance. Her face still groggy, she couldn¡¯t quitee to her senses, and I adjusted her slipping sunsses and tidied her tousled hair. ¡°Tired?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really strange, oppa.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be the woman who gets energized and the man who gets drained?¡± Yun Hye-ra grumbled at me. She had certainly had her share of trouble dealing with me alone the night before, and even after sleeping, she was still not in good shape. Tired? No. She was still lost in the sensation of the magical power she had indulged inst night, whether Phuket was in turmoil or not, savoring the feeling of magic filling her up. ¡°If I had known this, I would have dragged it out a few more days.¡± ¡°Forgot the motto of the Secret Society? Handle the work quickly and then rest afterward. You know that.¡± ¡°I know, but do you even realize how long we¡¯ve been in Thand?¡± ¡°¡­What, has it been 72 hours?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± Not even three days had passed since the incident had ended. Even just counting the time after arriving in Thand, it hadn¡¯t been three days yet since breaking the illusion created by the demon known as Hyangdan, based on the information obtained from the Zenros escort ship. The day we arrived, I met with Nguyen. The next day, we caused an explosion in Phuket. Now, having rested for a whole day, we are out on the streets enjoying brunch at a cafe, reaching the morning of the third day since arriving by ne. ¡°Now we can finally rx a bit. Both of us are slowly recovering our magic power and enjoying it. Why do you say that? You talked as if we were going to have a great time for the remainder of our stay.¡± ¡°I always feel this, but when I have to handle it alone, it can be really tough¡­¡± ¡°Yet you say that and still don¡¯t call for any other support.¡± ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± Yun Hye-raughed softly, leaning over the table. ¡°If I call someone else, then the time I have with you will be taken away. Why should I give up my time?¡± ¡°You were just saying you couldn¡¯t handle it alone.¡± ¡°Even if I can¡¯t handle it, I¡¯ll enjoy it all by myself. Even if it kills me, I¡¯ll eat to my heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to stretch your stomach by overeating?¡± ¡°I wish I could stretch it, but it¡¯s not possible.¡± Yun Hye-ra patted her stomach. Although being model-thin was certainly not just talk, her body was so perfectly shaped that it seemed non-human, with everything in just the right ce. She possessed S+ level power. Due to Yun Hye-ra¡¯s unique trait where her body wasposed of magical power, the aesthetics of her body were maintained as long as the magic supported it well. ¡°Hye-ra, it seems like your chest has shrunk since before you left.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you refill it overnight?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t use any mana yesterday.¡± Yun Hye-ra frowned while looking at her mana pouch that was ced on the table. It¡¯s a bit sad that her pride in her mana pouch was gone, given that she had a rtivelyrge amount of manapared to other officers. ¡°Ah. The difference between men and women really is something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more about the difference between you and me, isn¡¯t it? Gwang Ik Gong probably feels the same, right?¡± ¡°¡­Should I ask?¡± Yun Hye-ra tapped on the Taeguk Watch she brought from the bunker in Bangkok. ¡°It¡¯s not polite to ask a man about such things.¡± ¡°So what? You might end up in the same situation as Gwang Ik Gong.¡± ¡°¡­That won¡¯t happen to me. I¡¯ll survive to the end.¡± I would cling to life until I could bring these stories back to my original world. ¡°And even if it does happen, it won¡¯t reduce the size of the baseball bat.¡± ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t that maintained by mana too?¡± ¡°With people around to refill the mana, why would the baseball bat get smaller?¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± Yun Hye-ra¡¯s eyes sparkled. As if she had an epiphany, she pped her hands at me. ¡°That¡¯s just like you, oppa. Such an extraordinary idea. Then it¡¯s also possible to quickly erge it by feeding you mana?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I carefully checked Yun Hye-ra¡¯s expression and cautiously floated the idea. ¡°Yumir has that ability.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. Doul learned itst time.¡± In whispers. As it was not possible to speak loudly about it in the middle of the road, I briefly exined the method of mana supply that Yumir had taught and Doul had learned. ¡°Try contacting Doulter. She¡¯ll teach you right away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Should I give Doul a day during the remaining time and learn it to break even?¡± Yun Hye-ra seriously started to weigh her time and skills. ¡°Ugh. Still, I hesitate to call.¡± ¡°Why? Is that a bit much?¡± ¡°No. I just don¡¯t like the idea of losing time with you.¡± ¡°¡­Greedy.¡± ¡°If I just know the technique, I can learn itter.¡± Yun Hye-ra sucked up the remaining smoothie in one go and leaned close to me. ¡°¡­Oppa, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re prefacing it like that, it seems like you¡¯re about to say something serious.¡± ¡°Yeah. Are the kids in Korea okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I immediately realized what Yun Hye-ra was worried about. ¡°Are you worried that the kids will be disappointed because I killed Lace?¡± ¡°Yeah. Originally, I was supposed to handle this side. It wasn¡¯t necessary for you toe too.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just overlook the fact that there¡¯s a Pandemonium.¡± ¡°Still, their thoughts might change, especially Yumir¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I lightly cleared my throat with the coffee in front of me. ¡°Snow White is fine, she¡¯s seen you killing viins in Korea before. But what about tinum Sun? Isn¡¯t this the first time since meeting you that she¡¯s acted in a way befitting someone from the Secret Society?¡± ¡°You worry about everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried because it matters.¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m worried, neither tinum Sun nor Yumir will be my enemies. Yumir is reluctant to kill people, but she would ept it if irredeemable people die.¡± And that¡¯s what I wanted as well. ¡°There should be no hesitation in killing those who deserve it. If someone else could do the killing without dirtying my hands, I would appreciate it. If it can¡¯t be handled legally, I hope someone will take the emotional judgment, even if they must bear the stigma. That¡¯s when Yumir truly bes part of the Secret Society.¡± ¡°What if Yumir tries to keep her hands clean even after joining the Secret Society?¡± ¡°That depends on negotiations with the chairman, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Right. Given her outstanding abilities, it¡¯s natural that her treatment would be different.¡± Yun Hye-ra stirred the leftover smoothie with a straw and smiled bitterly. ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s how I ended up joining the Secret Society too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how everyone bes part of the Secret Society. Whether they were heroes or viins, if they think the order of the Secret Society is ¡®right¡¯¡­ that¡¯s how people start falling into it. ¡­It¡¯s the same with those people there.¡± Thump, thump. The sound of heavy footsteps approached. Despite having cast an invisibility spell, the ground still vibrated noticeably, indicating that despite the sound being blocked, the ground was shaking significantly. Was it an earthquake? No. This was not a natural earthquake but one artificially created by people. ¡°Oppa, if Yumir and the others ever ask if ¡®just killing people is the end?¡¯ make sure to tell them. The Secret Society isn¡¯t just about recklessly killing viins and wrapping everything up without a n.¡± I was a viin, after all. It¡¯s enough to just execute viins, and indeed, I had executed Lace. ¡°Oppa, you¡¯re an executioner of viins, not an anarchist trying to manage chaos.¡± ¡°I know.¡± But the Secret Society was different. I created the situation ording to the Secret Society¡¯s n, and now it¡¯s time for the Secret Society to actively intervene. ¡°We leave theplex political issues to the politicians within the Secret Society, and we just enjoy ourselves.¡± ¡°Woww!!¡± Just as Yun Hye-ra released the soundproof barrier, a roar of cheers erupted from the people marching in line behind us. ¡°The Prime Minister must resign!!¡± ¡°Resign!!¡± Citizens, wrapped in ck from head to toe, filled the streets, protesting. While most were ordinary citizens, they were being systematically led by coborators or consultants of the Secret Society. ¡°The tasks that could be resolved with abilities are all finished. The rest is up to the adults, those who are not ability users.¡± Yes. Yun Hye-ra and I had done our part. The rest was for those born before the year 2000, a matter for the adults in society. Our wandering around Bangkok was not just about recklessly causing incidents and having fun. ¡°Oppa, where shall we go today?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm. How about Pattaya?¡± It¡¯s not that we¡¯re flipping the country upside down and then just going on a vacation as if nothing happened. Absolutely not. The Goblin was not someone who just wreaked havoc and ran away. Chapter 242: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (2) Chapter 242: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (2) Thand was in chaos. Lace had died, but countless people who had been his aplices, especially the generals and officers under General Jeokrang, caused riots, bringing additional chaos. But the greatest chaos was immediately found at the ind called the resting ce of the gods. ¡°I had to manage the high-level addicts there every day. Others managed marijuana and cannabis¡­¡± ¡°If you resisted, you were sent straight to the execution chamber. Everyone who came out of there lost their heads. Something was imnted in their heads, but the Goblin cured it all.¡± ¡°Yes? How did you end up there? Well, if I tell the truth, it¡¯s a bit¡­ Actually, I pretended to be Korean and tried to have fun with the girls at a club¡­¡± First, the ¡®former ves,¡¯ whose hair was all shaved and had numbers burned onto their heads with aser. Everyone was puzzled over what to call these people, but soon they were named ¡®The Escapees¡¯. Some suggested calling them ¡®Baldies¡¯ or ¡®Bold-M.I.A,¡¯ but no matter what, you couldn¡¯t officially call people Baldies in a formal setting.Their hair wasn¡¯t shaved off by their own choice but forcibly by the army of General Jeokrang. ¡°Those who did not listen¡­ were all killed. I didn¡¯t see it directly, but I heard that their organs were harvested and their bodies were buried in the cannabis fields, used as human fertilizer.¡± ¡°Children were selected and bred. They were sent to other ces for adoption. Surely somewhere, receiving military training on a secret ind created by General Jeokrang. When they grow up, they will join the military¡­¡± ¡°Even ordinary kids were like this. What about ability users? The children shown in the files by the investigator, born and raised on that ind. They know nothing about the outside. If we even start to tell those kids about the outside world, we would be executed immediately.¡± In any case, the escapees spoke about everything they had heard and experienced. As there were so many people, and the stories emerging were so shocking, not only Thand but also the internationalmunity was plunged into great confusion. The most serious issue was separate from the escapees; it was the children with abilities who were subdued at the tollgate to the ind. ¡°This is not just child abuse! It¡¯s an affront to human dignity¡­¡± Raising ability users on an ind to be soldiers. ¡°Ah, also, about the ability-using children who were recently rescued. Their education was wrong. Everything they were taught was fictitious; it was brainwashing.¡± ¡°Even the Nazis would admire this and learn from it, calling it ¡®masterful.¡¯ It¡¯s worse than what the Nazis did. How could such acts bemitted?¡± ¡°Think about when they grow up. I always say that heroes don¡¯t necessarily have to contribute to all of humanity, but I never said they should be used as someone¡¯s soldiers.¡± The children had never seen the outside world and had been indoctrinated from a young age, so they couldn¡¯t understand what was socially right or wrong. ¡°Brainwashing ability users from childhood to raise them as soldiers? This only happens in fiction. Is this really happening? It¡¯s disgusting. It¡¯s hard to believe they are the same humans.¡± Truly, it was shocking and horrifying. And at the same time, people began to wonder. If such things happened in Thand. Maybe, such things were happening around them. To that, I wanted to reply. ¡®That is correct.¡¯
We rented a car in Bangkok and headed down to Pattaya, visiting a church a little off the streets of Pattaya. ¡°Hello, brother. Nice to meet you, sister.¡± Even though Thand was predominantly Buddhist, there were churches, and the white-haired old nun we met at the church greeted us with a smile. ¡°You must have had a hard timest night, thank you foring so far.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. The real hardships are yet toe for the people of this country. We are just witnessing them.¡± ¡°After finding and removing cancer cells, the body¡¯s owner must handle the side effects. It¡¯s paramount to find them before they reach the terminal stage. Pleasee inside.¡± ¡°Excuse me, Sister Haniel.¡± Yun Hye-ra and I followed Sister Haniel into the church. ¡°Oh, a visitor!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Korean couple!¡± The children in the church greeted us, cheering and saying hello. Yun Hye-ra and I waved lightly to the children, who politely sped their hands and greeted us with a bow. ¡°The children are quite cheerful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your support. They eat well, live happily, and enjoy everything. The only thing theyck is the love of their biological parents.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t the other sisters giving them love?¡± ¡°Even if they are raised with love, it is less than the bond of blood.¡± Sister Haniel opened the door leading further into the church with a bittersweet smile. The interior was impably clean, needing no repairs, and while there were asional signs of children¡¯s yful graffiti, next to it were murals painted on the wall. ¡°We have modest offerings, but I brewed some tea knowing you wereing. Would you like a cup of cha yen?¡± ¡°That sounds good. Hye-ra, you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have the same.¡± ¡°¡­We also have sikhye and sujeonggwa prepared.¡± ¡°I prefer that.¡± Homemade tea made locally. It¡¯s been a while since we arrived in Thand, but I was beginning to really feel the Thai atmosphere. ¡°Are you two here to check on the children¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°Yes. We were concerned they might be disturbed by yesterday¡¯s events.¡± ¡°They are disturbed. But they¡¯re all smart children. They understand the situation and actually feel sympathy for the children who were on the ind.¡± Haniel sipped her cha yen¡ªThai milk tea¡ªwith a bitter smile. ¡°The children here, perhaps because they use their heads more as they awaken their abilities, tend to be 2-3 years more advanced intellectuallypared to other non-ability users. I¡¯m not sure about other ces¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr everywhere. That¡¯s the case wherever you go.¡± Ability users grew quickly. Even 17-year-old S-ss heroes like Armored Taejo or Baridegi were fully grown adults, their brain development significantly advancedpared to other children their age. It¡¯s no wonder there were proposals everywhere to lower the legal adult age for ability users. Their physical development was just that fast. The children here might look like middle school students on the outside, but many were actually the age of elementary school students. Raising these children required careful attention, but Sister Haniel and others at this church were doing their utmost to provide love and service to the children. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Ah, wee, Gabriel.¡± A young man in priestly robes approached. Nearly 180cm tall, he was of mixed Korean-Thai descent¡ªa Kosian. ¡°I greet you both, heroes. My name is Gabriel.¡± ¡°¡­And your age this year?¡± ¡°I just turned 20, by Korean age standards. My ability rank is¡ª¡± ¡°B-ss. It seems you¡¯ve grown this year.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for noticing.¡± It was slightly embarrassing to see a young man blush at me, but I stood up and offered my hand to Gabriel for a handshake. ¡°Nice to meet you. If you¡¯re not too busy, would you sit with us?¡± ¡°Thank you for the invitation, but I must go now; it¡¯s time for the children¡¯s physical education.¡± Gabriel grimaced, shook my hand, then bowed his head again. ¡°Wee to Thand. Many have been saved thanks to both of you. Goodbye.¡± Gabriel regretfully left the reception room. His gaze was like that of a high school student looking up at a top professional gamer, which was why I had offered him the handshake. ¡°Haha. Just the other day, Mr. Gabriel won¡¯t wash his hands for a while since you shook hands with him.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the hand that has taken lives.¡± ¡°People vary. God understands and forgives, especially since it was the person who ground human bones to drink.¡± Sister Haniel, though a nun, spoke without hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s why she cooperates with the society.¡± If anyone said that even God did notmand them to kill but to repent, they would not cooperate with the society in the first ce. ¡°Sister, if there is anything ufortable or needed, please tell us anytime.¡± ¡°Nothing at all. Well, if there is one thing, it might be this.¡± Sister Haniel pointed with her eyes through the window at the children stepping out onto a spacious courtyard. ¡°I wonder if they would be shocked to find out one day that the society is actually the one makingrge donations to this church. And their dreams and hopes might be shaken.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s best not to let them know.¡± ¡°Yes. Some, like Gabriel, havepletely joined this side, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something to discuss in front of you both. However, I hope the children don¡¯t walk the path of the society.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± The society did its utmost for the growth and development of abandoned children, whether ability users or not. Was it like what General Jeokrang and Lace did, to make them blindly loyal soldiers? Not at all. ¡°How much do the people of the world know? If they knew that orphanages around the world were actually operated by the society.¡± ¡°¡­Since we¡¯re not raising them to be people of the society, it should be fine. Right, Hye-ra?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The society simply supported the children to the best of their ability until they became proper members of society when they grew up. ¡°Even if walking the path of a hero impedes the society, we can¡¯t let the children suffer the same pain we did.¡± The current core members of the society, including the Chief and other senior ability users over the age of 20, strived to prevent future generations from experiencing the humiliations and pains they endured in their childhood. That¡¯s why I was confident. ¡°Everything is for the peace of the world.¡± A world conquered by the society was the path to global peace. Chapter 243: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (3) The executive ranks of the Secret Society wereposed of S+ level and above, yet many of the Society¡¯s temples and coborators, spread across various countries, were not ability users. With their assistance, the Society was dedicated to eradicating darkness from the lowest tiers of society. Believing in dedication and service as their calling, individuals like Sister Hanielra assisted the Society in caring for children,ying the groundwork for a peaceful world someday. Because I was part of the Society, I believed in the righteousness of the Society¡¯s methods. However, there were those who argued against the Society¡¯s methods. Whether they¡¯re merely contrarians or they sincerely believed it. ¡°A reeducation camp for thought criminals.¡± After inspecting the state of the church and sharing stories on the ground, I was reminded of the old tales viins used to recount while driving on the roads of Pattaya. ¡°Hye-ra, what do you think?¡±¡°Lace? Or are you referring to the church?¡± ¡°Yes. You know how viins talk. Taking in orphans and raising them, isn¡¯t it essentially just training agents for the Society?¡± ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s not as if we¡¯re brainwashing them.¡± Yoon Hye-ra, seated in the passenger seat, sorted data on her tablet and responded. ¡°We simply raise them to be members of society. The brainwashing of thought criminals, that¡¯s what others like Lace and General Jeokrang engage in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to hear.¡± ¡°Are you having doubts?¡± ¡°Not doubting. Just reminiscing.¡± ¡°The past?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Perhaps it¡¯s because it¡¯s only been half a year since I embraced the viin life and just three months since the academy semester began, those thoughts still lingered in my mind. ¡°I wonder how we are perceived from a civilian¡¯s point of view, not just from within the Society.¡± Civilian perspective. This objective view prompted one to consider how outsiders view us, not just as members of the Society or a viin organization. From this perspective, the Society appeared no different from viins who raised ability children as weapons. -Eh? But in the end, aren¡¯t they just raising minions for their own Society? I actually heard this being saidst year. Referring to the Society¡¯s actions of taking in and raising orphaned children, viins called it ¡®the brainwashing education of hypocrites.¡¯ ¡°To make all humans fair and just.¡± Sounded quite nice, didn¡¯t it? Somewhere utopian, yet in a way, dystopian. ¡°It¡¯s an ideal goal. But at least most of society agrees with our goals, unlike the others.¡± Yoon Hye-ra sounded tired of exining. ¡°Raising children on an ind to be private soldiers, or grinding the bones of ability users who don¡¯tply, all of it just parts of the darkness in this world. Just like Thand is just one of the countries in the world.¡± The actions of viins varied widely. ¡°There are those who call for the revival of imperialism, and those who create divides based on race or gender. Some truly believe in those ideologies, but the biggest reason is to umte wealth and power. Indeed, there are organizations created for that purpose.¡± ¡°Where are you talking about? There are so many like that.¡± ¡°Germany.¡± ¡°The Neo-Nazis?¡± ¡°Yes. The ones Do-cheol is currently struggling with.¡± Yoon Hye-ra shook her head sympathetically. ¡°She¡¯s having a tough time trying to eradicate them at their roots, but if it were me, I¡¯d have ended it there. Oh right, weren¡¯t you just a low-rank member when you crushed the Neo-Nazis?¡± ¡°I was shocked to hear that the Neo-Nazi organization had been decimated just as I resolved to do something significant.¡± It was one week after my possession. It was a plot device in the original work to demonstrate the greatness of the Society, but also, within a week of possession, it was a message and a realization of the terror of the Society. -Announcement: Copse of the Neo-Nazis. The head of the Neo-Nazis, ¡®the failed art student¡¯, has been sessfully eliminated. The Neo-Nazis copsed. From my perspective, it seemed as if the organization known as Hydra had beenpletely obliterated. Neo-Nazis, a term that conjured images of an organization with a reach extending not only across Europe but also into the US and the UN, were decisively dismantled by the Secret Society, which eliminated the head of the Neo-Nazis. However, the problem lied in the fact that simply removing the head didn¡¯t mean the organization ceased to exist. ¡°Hye-ra, you weren¡¯t there at that time, were you?¡± ¡°No. Do-cheol and Hon-don went. Oh, you know Do-ol, right? Do-cheol was so determined she even called Do-ol for backup to help wipe them out.¡± Yoon Hye-ra¡¯s expression momentarily stiffened. ¡°The Neo-Nazis had established such facilities all over the underground in Germany. We failed to stop them. But with our superpowers, we will prevail. The most superior race in the world is¡­¡± Yoon Hye-ra gave me a cautious nce. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll try not to care¡­¡± ¡°Not Koreans, but us Germans. Korea is merely fortunate to have had a meteorite fall into its sea, nothing more than parasites.¡± ¡°Still shocking to hear, every time.¡± The race that the Neo-Nazis envied. A race that ignited fury among nationalists worldwide, now emerging in an era marked by extreme national pride. ¡°Neo-Nazis jealous of us, haha.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not wrong, is it? Consider how many ability users have emerged in Korea since the meteorite impact. It¡¯s natural for them to feel envy and jealousy. Think of ability users as the new oil.¡± ¡°Comparing people to oil feels odd, but it somehow makes perfect sense.¡± Though we hadn¡¯t discovered oil in thisnd of golden mountains and clear waters since the time Dangun Grandfather founded our nation, we had be a hub for ability users 4,333 years after a meteorite impact. It might be a jest, but people around the globe, whether in jest or earnest, referred to Korea and Koreans as ¡®a nation and a race blessed by God.¡¯ ¡°The reality is just like that. How many S-sses have officially emerged in Korea? Thirty. Including those who died, became viins, emigrated, and others, that¡¯s a staggering thirty S-sses that have surfaced. What about other countries? Japan has the most, with ten.¡± In a world where S-sses were abundant in one country, while other countries struggled to produce even one S-ss. ¡°Brother, it might sound strange, but I think Korea has be quite arrogant now. It¡¯s because Armored Taejo is dubbed an S-ss detector, but in another country, those who are A+ could easily be considered S-ss, and Korea is teeming with them.¡± The whole world was brimming with national pride, but from a viin¡¯s perspective, the appeal of national pride was equally potent. ¡°Just look at Singapore down below. An A+ who was defeated by Armored Taejo and immediately emigrated became Singapore¡¯s sole S-ss.¡± ¡°Right. When you think about it, Korea has indeed produced a significant number of S-sses.¡± In Korea, they were overshadowed by Taejo, but in another country, they became the unparalleled S-ss? Such stories weren¡¯t merely the plots of light novels; they were reality. In this world, that¡¯s the way things were. Korea¡¯s prominence and the Korean Wave were unparalleled globally. In this world engulfed by national pride, all logic was dictated by it. ¡°But why bring this up now? Especiallying all the way to Thand. We¡¯ve aplished what we needed to. Are you thinking of working overtime?¡± ¡°Not exactly overtime, just concerned.¡± ¡°About who? Ah, Lace¡¯s children?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± People who only recognized the world as a sanctuary beneath God. Even those with a bit more knowledge couldn¡¯t make the transition across the bridge. They had an official name, but to distinguish them, people referred to them as ¡®Lace¡¯s children.¡¯ ¡°Taking care of children who have spent their entire lives as weapons in an orphanage wouldn¡¯t be feasible. A separate facility would be necessary.¡± Scattering them across various Thai locations and teaching them in orphanages managed by the Society seemed like a good idea, but having seen it firsthand, I realized it was impractical. ¡°If grouped together, they¡¯ll form cliques, and if left alone, it will feel like being thrown into an ocean. Exactly¡­ like being dropped alone into another world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s like moving from the world of God¡¯s sanctuary to the world of Earth.¡± My situation was simr yet different. Even though I was an adult capable of perceiving and epting changes in the world, it would be an entirely different sensation for them. And the most frightening part of that confusion was that these children were not just ordinary kids¡ªthey were ¡®ability users.¡¯ ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have to call Yumir or step in myself. If the kids lose their mental bnce, they be demons.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It¡¯s a world where even toddlers could turn into demons. That¡¯s why everyone was extremely cautious with ability-user children, but Lace and General Crimson used them as weapons regardless of whether they turn into demons. ¡°How can we solve this issue with the kids? It seems too difficult for the Secret Society to intervene right now.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a way?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Brother, are you hoping that I¡¯ll build up to telling you? Since it¡¯s awkward for you to say it directly, you want me to say it for you, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Perhaps what Yoon Hye-ra was saying might actually be true. I hadn¡¯t thought about it, but perhaps I subconsciously found the right answer. ¡°How to reintegrate children who were brainwashed back into society as its members. That¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking about now, isn¡¯t it? ¡®Rehabilitation.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Mind bleaching by the Sephirot Knights.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Screech. I stopped the car. It just happened to be right in front of our destination, and I stopped the car at the red light and turned to Yoon Hye-ra. ¡°Hye-ra.¡± ¡°Yes, oppa.¡± ¡°Would it be cruel to kill the personality that lived as a weapon and ovey it with the memories of an ordinary human, or¡­¡± One thing. There was a definite way. ¡°¡­would it be more cruel to subject them to marine-style boot camp training for two years?¡± Currently. Heading towards Thand. Intelligence hade in that men in red hats were boarding a ne and flying here. Chapter 244: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (4) Chapter 244: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (4) At the time I was possessed, a certain meme spread like wildfire. -¡°Kid¡­ Fever!!¡± Some people had actually experienced it themselves, while others knew someone who had suffered from it. Certainly, in the unique environment of the ¡®military¡¯, and even among the various incidents urring there, veterans would say, ¡®This is too much¡¯. That was what they called ¡®Marine Literature¡¯. It spread rapidly, and although I didn¡¯t want to know, I somewhat learned about it. -¡°This person isn¡¯t even in the Marines, why do they keep saying fever?¡± -¡°What kind of meme is¡­ugh.¡± The content was quite harsh.It could be described as ckedy itself, and the moment it became ¡®Marine Essays¡¯, it was impossible not to be horrified. So, what about this world? In Thand, where a coup by a teenage general urred, what was the military like in this world where dozens of high school girls had super powers? -¡°Has the military changed?¡± -¡°Surprisingly, it has.¡± -¡°No, why has it changed¡­?¡± The military in this world had changed too much. -¡°Our country has be the best in the world! But should we still use the water carriers from the Korean War era? Let¡¯s change them first!¡± -¡°Tae Chae-jin! Tae Chae-jin! Tae Chae-jin!¡± Perhaps because we¡¯ve be the strongest nation in the world. -¡°If I be a congressman, I will propose aw to raise the soldiers¡¯ sries to at least the level of a 9th grade civil servant!¡± -¡°Tae Chae-jin! Tae Chae-jin! Tae Chae-jin!!¡± -¡°I say this, but realistically it¡¯s unlikely. Ah, even if it¡¯s 800,000 won¡­¡± -¡°Tae Chae-jin! Tae Chae-jin! Tae Chae-jin!!¡± Maybe because a man who screamed to gather soldiers¡¯ votes actuallymitted to his promise. -¡°If I be president, we no longer have to fear North Korea¡¯s nuclear threats! Go ahead,unch a nuclear missile! Gwang Ik Gong will handle it¨C!¡± -¡°Tae Chae-jin! Tae Chae-jin! Tae Chae-jin!!¡± Perhaps it had be possible to deploy ability users against North Korea, eliminating the need to tremble in fear of nuclear missiles. -¡°Mr. President, why are you so determined to change the military?¡± -¡°What if an ability user bes a devil in the military? Can you handle that?¡± -¡°Shouldn¡¯t ability users just be locked up somewhere and given imperial service?¡± -¡°Don¡¯t ability users have friends? No peers around? What if a child suddenly has an ident or gets hurt in the military? What would happen to their mental state?¡± Or was it because the factor of ¡®ability users¡¯ inevitably demanded attention? -¡°We absolutely must not allow ability users to be devils due to military malpractices.¡± -¡°Just cover it up like before¡­¡± -¡°Cover it up? Who would the victims seek for justice? Even a one-person protest could get noticed by a hero, then what would you do!¡± -¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡± -¡°The old ways don¡¯t work anymore! Change the situation! We now live in a world that must be ¡®just¡¯ ording to social norms!¡± It¡¯s a time when one must not provoke the sensitivity of ability users. When ability users unexpectedly saw the dark shadows of society and felt shock and horror, it was a world where their unstable psychology needed to be managed as much as possible. And so, surprisingly, the military in this world had changed a lot. Just by listing three differences in Korea¡¯s military from the original world, you could see how much it had changed. One. Transition to a volunteer military. Two. Civil servant status for enlisted personnel. Reading the novel, I wondered if the draft-dodging author wished the military was like this when he served. Of course, the improvements are just a facet shown in the author¡¯s novel. -¡°Back in my day¡­¡± The military had changed a lot, but the military was still the military, and military generals were always those over 40 or 50. At least those who had just been discharged from the military or were students at the time of the great upheaval began to rise to critical positions within the military. However, changing the most rigid organization was not an easy task. Even the transition to a volunteer system was only seriously discussed and implemented after the fall of North Korea. Anyway, the military in this world had really changed a lot after the upheaval. The role remained the same, but at least the outward appearance had changed significantly. Perhaps it¡¯s because of the third element. -¡°We will provide ces for E and D ss ability users to enter society normally! Now in their early 20s!! We will create an environment where young adults who have just entered the world can easily blend into our society!!¡± This was also rted to ability users. -¡°Early 20s female E and D ss ability users who wish to can be nonmissioned officers in the military!¡± Since the military was one of the ces that had the most frequent and closest contact with ability users. Ah. Really. Where did the madness of this nationalist light novel end? The military had been made as positive as possible with all sorts of settings, and at its core was one word. -¡°Sigh. I want to go to the military and flirt with an E-ss female nonmissioned officer.¡± -¡°Good luck. A friend of mine who was discharged said the civilian employees flirt there every day.¡± -¡°Where else are we going to meet female ability users? We have to go there.¡± -¡°¡­Challenge? Think of it as earning 40 million won a year and give it a try?¡° Exactly. -¡°Hehe. Even having a girlfriend who is a 20s ability user would be a jackpot, and if you marry and have children, isn¡¯t that a total life turnaround?¡± ¡®It¡¯s patriotic.¡¯ All roads lead to patriotism. -¡°Let¡¯s go! In ordance with our age-old traditions, from now on we will practice brotherhood¡­.¡± -¡°Brotherhood?! Shut up!! We barely have enough patriotism, what do you mean by brotherhood! You want to create a devil?!¡± -¡°Ah, no. That¡¯s¡­ That insolent guy¡­¡± -¡°You¡¯re going to do that to someone whose sister is an ability user? You want to be dishonorably discharged for causing trouble?!¡± -¡°Gasp¡­!!¡± -¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, don¡¯t mess with my brother-inw!!¡± And so, patriotism must be maintained, and Marine Literature remained a ssic of history that no longer existed in this world.
Phuket Airport in Thand was crowded with people. It¡¯s always crowded as it¡¯s an international airport, but this time, the crowd was noticeably different. Many journalists who came to cover the massive incident in Phuket were present, along with many others who came to see the aftermath in person. However, most were gathered at the airport to watch the people arriving from far away by ne. ¡°Whew¡­¡± ¡°Are you nervous, Nguyen?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Now officially Thand¡¯s top A-ss hero, Nguyen, who showed heroic actions during the recent massive disturbance and managed the situation, appeared at the airport in a ck suit. Just a few days ago, he was in as in clothes as possible, but now he had to wear a luxury brand suit provided by the association. The top A-ss was the face of the country. Now that Lace had disgraced Thand¡¯s national g, a hero¡¯s face that everyone could sympathize with is needed. Nguyen was fully capable of meeting that requirement. Nguyen himself was prepared to unravel the identity of Lace. ¡°¡­They will be arriving soon.¡± ¡°Yes. You are amazing, Nguyen. How do youe up with these necessary measures for the kids right away?¡± An association employee casually made a remark, causing Nguyen to be a bit concerned. It feels like thatment is asking, ¡®Is that the method the secret society behind you taught?¡¯ It must surely be a paranoid delusion. All of Thand is making Nguyen out to be a hero. But if people were to discover that Nguyen¡¯s heroic actions were staged by the secret society, his reputation would plummet. He must not get caught. The moment he is exposed, the secret society will im they have no connection with Nguyen and will attack him. Because they swore secrecy, Nguyen always had to be extremely cautious. ¡°I once watched a documentary about Korea. Have you heard of the ¡®PD Commandos¡¯?¡± ¡°Of course. Isn¡¯t it uploaded on the inte?¡± ¡°In it, there¡¯s a segment about ces that conduct what¡¯s called ¡®mental training¡¯ for children. It¡¯s about those who teach the importance of unity in society and groups.¡± Thunk. The door to the waiting room opened. Soon, a group of people with suitcases came out, and camera shes started going off wildly. ¡°Screaaam!¡± The women gathered in the waiting room screamed as if seeing a dragon. Like when many cheered for Armored Taejo during the S-ss duel that took ce in Korea, many sent cheers to those who entered the waiting room through the gate. ¡°You¡¯vee a long way. [Red Brassard]. I¡¯m Nguyen Bak.¡± ¡°Thank you foring all the way to the airport. Feel free to call me ¡®Ppaldak¡¯.¡± The muscr young man who referred to himself as ¡®Ppaldak¡¯ smiled innocently. ¡°The official hero name is [Red Brassard], but you can call me Jeong Sang-in. I¡¯m an A-ss hero affiliated with the Hero Association, and currently, a captain in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps.¡± ¡°It feels a bit much to call someone like you ¡®Ppaldak¡¯.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Everyone calls me that. Red sticker. It was originally an armband, but calling it a red armband sounds strange, doesn¡¯t it?¡± He smiled gently as he spoke, but his innocent appearance belied a stature that matched or exceeded Nguyen¡¯s. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s head directly to where the children are. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve been thinking about on the flight.¡± Jeong Sang-in. 21 years old. ssified as A+ in Korea, but if he immigrated to Thand, he¡¯d be celebrated as an S-ss. ¡°To ensure they do not be viins or devils, so that no one, whether it¡¯s a sibling or anyone else, gets killed, I will instill unshakable mental strength in them. I will show you the power of the Marine Corps that catches ghosts.¡± p. Jeong Sang-in pulled something out of his pocket. It was a hat entirely in red, differing from the typical digital patterns, and its angr shape formed an octagon. A man who was both a Marine and a hero. A man who chose the path of a Marine himself despite being an A+ ss ability user under his father¡¯s influence. Click. The moment Jeong Sang-in donned the red octagonal cap, the atmosphere at the airport suddenly fell silent. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Red Brassard¡¯s eyes sparkled intensely. ¡°I¡¯ll thoroughly straighten out Lace¡¯s children. I¡¯ll make sure to beat the ghost of Lace out of their heads.¡± Phuket. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nothing will go wrong. The environment might be different, but aren¡¯t they, and we, all ability users?¡± Ten ability users from the Korean Marine Corps had flown into Phuket. ¡°I¡¯ll teach them the spirit of unity.¡± For the ¡®re-socialization¡¯ of brainwashed children.
¡°An ability user who bes a soldier on his own. There are too many crazy people in Korea.¡± ¡°Crazy? Brother, there are crazy women too. Those female officers following behind, it seems like E and D ss are mixed in.¡± ¡°There are too many crazy heroes in Korea.¡± There are too many who are mad for justice. ¡°Who in the world, especially an A-ss ability user, would voluntarily enlist in the military to serve the country?¡± Even fiction had its limits. ¡°That¡¯s why they call it a hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Those who volunteered to serve the nation and protect its citizens became soldiers. We called such people heroes. Chapter 245: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (5) Chapter 245: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (5) Education was indeed pursued with unparalleled fervor in Korea. In Korea, educational methods from various ces, such as the Finnish or American systems, were adopted. Despite criticisms from other countries about the ¡°ills of Korean education,¡± -Even ability users can¡¯t receive special treatment in the college entrance exam! If you aim to enter Seoul National University¡¯s Busan campus, you must go through the regr admission process! In terms of ¡®fervor,¡¯ no other country could match Korea¡¯s zeal for education. This held true for ability education as well; Korea had established and operated educational institutions that were renowned worldwide and attracted international students. And now, Korea had be the premier country for educating ability users. This is due in part to therge poption of ability users and the country¡¯s extensive infrastructure rted to abilities. -Teacher! He hit me with his superpower! -Oho. I told you, my ability is telepathy.-¡­¡­. -You lied, so should I remove one praise sticker? -No, I won¡¯t do it again¡­. -It¡¯s okay. I used to lie when I was young too. So, can I ask why our hero lied? -More than anything, it¡¯s because those who can understand ability users from their perspective have started teaching them. Adults aged 20~25. -How about deploying newly adult ability users as specialized counselors in kindergartens or elementary schools? You might discover kids hiding their abilities. -Sending them to the ability user kindergarten in Busan would work. My nephew works there as a teacher; I¡¯d like to pair them up¡­. These newly socialized individuals are not entering college but are being integrated directly into professional fields. While others spent their early twenties in college, these individuals had alreadypleted their education up to the college level on Sejong Ind. -Fast-track education is also fine! Ability users are mostly intelligent! -What? Finish a four-year college curriculum in one year? Drop that impossible thought! They can do it because they have the motivation! Society had been hoping for these individuals to enter the workforce, and they, in turn, wished to contribute as members of society. A prime example was this man, ¡®Jeong Gong-in¡¯. A man who grew up as society would expect and dedicated his life to public service. ¡°How can someone be named Jeong Gong-in¡­I can understand his parents¡¯ feelings.¡± There was once also a man named Jeong Gong-in. He was a viin known as Red Scarf and had tried to blow up Seoul. -My child will never be a viin or a demon! Certainly not!! Unlike him, Jeong Gong-in¡¯s parents surely saw him as a normal person, no different from other children. Apart from having special abilities, he grew up to be a normal man, which his name reflected. He truly lived up to his name and became a pride of the Korean Marine Corps. To the extent that he was designated as a re-socialization instructor for children who grew up in limited environments. He was the man chosen by the world to reintegrate brainwashed children found during the turmoil in Thand back into society. ¡°Oppa. So, do all of Lace¡¯s children be marines?¡± ¡°They adopt a marine-like mindset, not necessarily joining the marine corps. But¡­it certainly seems easier to adapt than at a regr educational institution.¡± We enjoyed a drive in Pattaya and then watched a press conference by Jeong Gong-in¡¯s ¡®Red Team¡¯ about the re-socialization process at a beachside hotel on TV. -The cultures of Thand and Korea are very different, but is it really okay to apply Korean marine education? The marines are still part of the military, aren¡¯t they? -In Korea, there is a separate marine camp. It¡¯s extreme training selected from military drills that focus on unity, cooperation, and team spirit. The program doesn¡¯t aim to make soldiers. Dressed not in a military uniform but in a formal ck suit, Jeong Gong-in confidently expressed his beliefs in Korean in front of global journalists. -Some experts believe military-style education is more effective for them. -Which experts are those? -Staff from Korean educational institutions, professors from Sejong Academy¡­ ¡°Oppa, do those people really have enough expertise to persuade the world¡­?¡± ¡°Still, he¡¯s a professor. There might not be a paper or theory immediately applicable to this situation, but it should be enough to persuade people.¡± After assessing the situation in Thand, Korea gathered education experts. Just as when Sejong Academy was established, experts from various fields came together for intense discussions on how to educate ability users. ¡°They¡¯ve concluded. Marine-style education is deemed most appropriate for their re-socialization.¡± -We will do our best. This may not be the perfect answer, but as ability users, we are the closest to understanding their turbulent emotions. Ability users sometimes share the same feelings across borders. ¡°Oppa. Do you trust that Marine?¡± ¡°To trust someone, you need to see their actions, and so far, Jeong Gong-in has shown himself to be a loyal soldier to the country.¡± Information about Jeong Gong-in was avable on the Hero Wiki. ¡°There¡¯s no incident other than when he came down to his hometown and fought 1 against 17 to save a high school student from school violence. Jeong Gong-in is a thoroughly normal hero. He¡¯s the type that society most rigorously scrutinizes.¡± He did notpromise on evil. With Baek Seol-hee, he could persuade her through a honey trap. With Yumir, he could form a cooperative rtionship bypensating for what shecked. Unlike Yoon Iseon, who shared some of society¡¯s ideals and showed its actions, he was not someone who could be recruited into the society. Even if, like Nguyen, they received consulting and assistance from the society, there was no willingness to clean up the darkness within their own country. This made them very awkward for the society to deal with. Just like when I intervened in the confrontation between Yoon Iseon and Hayabusa. While the society¡¯s coborators and associates showed a standoffish attitude, figures like Armored Taejo, Noje, and Toosin were really trying to arrest me or showed guarded actions. ¡°Lucky us. Whether the marine education happens or not, we can still do our work our way.¡± ¡°Exactly. Ah, have we arrived?¡± Yun Hye-ra quickly threw on her coat. ¡°Shall we leave the troublesome kids to the world of light and focus on the world of darkness?¡± ¡°¡­That sounds right.¡± Dressed in a ck dress with a half coat, she reached out her hand to me, and I too put on my coat and joined hands with Yun Hye-ra. ¡°I never imagined Yun Hye-ra would suggest working overtime because she¡¯s afraid of the night.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯d rather work overtime than deal with you alone every day.¡± Yun Hye-ra fiddled with a red mark on her neck and puffed her cheeks. ¡°And doing it when we¡¯re tired from overtime feels better than just doing it patriotically every day, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Indeed.¡± It¡¯s more fulfilling to do it when both were a bit emptied out than when both were full. ¡°Shall we go then?¡± After leaving the children at the marine academy. We were off to address a more serious issue, currently unnoticed by anyone. ¡°To the Ind of the Subus.¡± A ce far from Phuket, and also a destination for those seeking pleasure, attracting more visitors. South of Bangkok, Thand¡¯s capital. An ind that could be quickly reached by boat from Pattaya. Outwardly, it¡¯s promoted as a beautiful ind, but in reality, it¡¯s more severe than the resting ce of the gods. Creak. A small rowboat arrived outside the hotel. The woman who docked the rowboat outside the hotel¡¯s shore didn¡¯t even bother to remove the boat¡¯s keys before vanishing. Yun Hye-ra and I approached the boat and seated ourselves within it. ¡°Shall I drive?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll do it.¡± When else would I have the chance to pilot a boat if not now? Living in this world, experiencing national pride and the world¡¯s darkness daily, was indeed a bittersweet affair, yet it¡¯s always fresh and mystical to encounter things I couldn¡¯t before I was sent to this world. Perhaps what we¡¯re about to experience might ur in reality, but it¡¯s an experience ordinary people wouldn¡¯t easily encounter. ¡°People are so shocked that they all seem to be overlooking one thing.¡± The ruler had vanished, and now they were plunged into chaos on this ind of luxury and pleasure. ¡°There¡¯s another ce more severe than a divine resting ce.¡± Once known as ¡®Coral Ind¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s because the visible ones are children, but where do you think those children came from?¡±
¡°Sigh¡­¡± Red Brassard, Jeong Gong-in, patted his throbbing heart and straightened his posture. Although the setting resembled an interrogation room, he was safe; this was a precaution for the Thai Deputy Prime Minister and the so-called ¡®high-ranking individuals¡¯ observing from beyond the ss window. This was a minimal measure in anticipation of the threat posed by Lace¡¯s abandoned children, or in case they became ¡®demons¡¯. A measure taken in anticipation of corruption to a degree even Jeong Gong-in might find challenging to suppress. And at the same time, a demonstration for the world to see. ¡°Recording standby. Ready, Captain Jeong Gong-in.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bring in the first student.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The door opened. Soon after, a nervous child nced around and took a seat on the chair. ¡°Do you know who your instructor is?¡± Creating an oppressive atmosphere from the outset. It¡¯s not intended to frighten the child, but ording to the investigation, this atmosphere mirrored the behavior exhibited by the guards under Lace in the resting ce of the gods. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± One should not be overly submissive. Children naturally gravitated towards strength, and in the presence of someone as formidable as Lace in a changed environment, their spirits will inevitably be crushed. ¡°They say you¡¯re an A+ from Korea¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. I am Captain Jeong Gong-in, the representative and instructor of the Marine Academy that will be educating you.¡± The irony of being both an educator and a soldier simultaneously. This was deemed necessary because among those high-ranking individuals, there existed a viewpoint that regarded the children as ¡®defeated remnants¡¯. ¡°First question. The demon Lace has been killed. Executed by the Goblin. Do you have anything you¡¯d like to say about that?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll cooperate as much as possible.¡± Perhaps because he was the eldest, the child slowly broached the subject. ¡°But, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask.¡± ¡°A request?¡± ¡°Yes, that.¡± The child barely managed to convey the emotion he had summoned from deep within. ¡°¡­We want to find our mother.¡± Chapter 246: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (5) Chapter 246: Not A Hit-and-Run Protester (5) After setting up our base camp at a hotel on Pattaya Ind, Yun Hye-ra and I made our way to Coral Ind. A sharp sound pierced the silence. The coast was deserted, with only the echo of our presence. Despite our nighttime arrival, meant to shield us with darkness, the cold air and the whispering wind lent the ind an eerie, abandoned feel. ¡°Really now. Just a moment. Turn off the engine, and I¡¯ll steer manually.¡± ¡°How about we approach along the waves?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s assess the situation first.¡± Concerned that the boat¡¯s motor might betray our presence, I switched to using a baseball bat as a paddle, steering us manually toward the coast as soon as the subus ind came into view. ¡°Do you sense any presence around the ind?¡±¡°No, nothing at all. That¡¯s what makes it even more unsettling.¡± Clutching Yun Hye-ra, we dashed toward the sandy beach. A bit of sand clinging to our shoes was the least of our worries. The real concern was the absence of any traces that should have been on the subus¡¯s ind. ¡°¡­There are no signs of anyone trying to escape the ind.¡± ¡°It seems it¡¯s not just here. We¡¯ve scoured the entire ind. Nothing anywhere.¡± There was nothing. Absolutely no trace of anything. Before setting foot on the sandy beach, we had circled Coral Ind by boat, inspecting the coast, but found no signs. ¡°The traces weren¡¯t erased, were they?¡± ¡°Yes. It hasn¡¯t been that long since the incident. Of course, two days might be enough time¡­¡± ¡°If it were human intervention, it would have involvedrge-scale movements that the Secret Society¡¯s surveince would have caught. And if it were erased with the power of abilities, we would have detected residual magical energy.¡± But neither scenario applied. Thus, we had to investigate for ourselves. ¡°Let¡¯s head inside.¡± Yun Hye-ra and I ventured deeper into the ind. ¡°Do you see anything?¡± ¡°No, nothing at all. There¡¯s no sign of anyone, nor any magical reactions, at least not on the surface.¡± We needed to scan deeper inside, but at least near the coast where we approached by boat, there was no sign of anyone. ¡°There could be a being capable of evading our detection, or perhaps something else. But there is something I can feel.¡± Yun Hye-ra swept the dirt ground with her hand. ¡°Brother. Look at this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It seems we were closer to the answer.¡± Beneath a mound of dirt, I sighed at something that seemed wet. That mark was a red bloodstain. It was a trace of blood that seemed to have flowed just two days ago, seeping into the soil. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like the blood of an ability user; rather, it looks like regr human blood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even more problematic. We can¡¯t pinpoint whose it is.¡± Whose blood could it be? From the amount of blood, it seemed like a severe injury, but I couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Considering their tendencies, they probably already escaped.¡± ¡°Yes. Maybe Hyangdan took measures. If not¡­ it seems like the situation was settled simultaneously when we attacked God¡¯s resting ce.¡± We intended to raid one ce and sequentially check others. Lace was dead, Hyangdan had fled, and General Jeokrang hadmitted suicide, so there should have been some leeway. What could possibly go wrong in just two days? While we were recovering magic power to deal with the possible appearance of Hyangdan, could anything significant happen? I naively hoped so. Because without such expectations and hope, what happened on this ind would be no different from what happened elsewhere. ¡°Maybe we should have split up for the attack.¡± ¡°If we had, it would have dragged on aimlessly, and we all might have died.¡± ¡°¡­Right. Since we attacked the resting ce of the gods together, only one of us got their head blown off then, otherwise, it would have been one after another.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something to say about human heads, but like Puyo Puyo, right?¡± ¡°Probably. Even if we arrived as fast as possible in a united state, if we were any slower¡­¡± We wouldn¡¯t have been able to block the signal Lace was sending to the resting ce of the gods with a magic barrier. We wouldn¡¯t have been able to destroy the missiles fired by General Jeokrang. Nor would we have been able to quickly remove the bomb beetles in the heads of those in the prison inside the facility, and then fly at top speed towards Lace to deal with him. ¡°I know in my head that it¡¯s impossible, but my heart feels otherwise.¡± ¡°Oppa, that¡¯s too much of a hero¡¯s thought.¡± ¡°Sometimes I want to be a hero, especially when I see things like this.¡± The bloodstain stretched long on the floor. ¡°When I think these people might live happily in the world we will rule one day, it¡¯s really sad and bitter.¡± ¡°¡­But let¡¯s not give up hope. You never know.¡± This wasn¡¯t just any bloodstain; the elongated trail suggested someone had escaped from inside, and I followed the trail deeper into the ind with Yun Hye-ra. ¡°The thing about viins, they seem much more meticulous and vicious than we think. If we are said to be designated as viins by the government, then these people are truly ¡®evil¡¯ incarnate.¡± The deeper into the ind we went, the more bloodstains there were. And next to the bloodstains, something powdery was fluttering about. Should I call it a human trace? If there were bodies, even headless corpses, it would be the same case as the ves at the resting ce of the gods. But there were no bodies, only bloodstains. One might expect to find at least a piece of human flesh or a body part, but there was nothing. Really, nothing at all. ¡°Oppa, there¡¯s a hotel there.¡± ¡°¡­True to a ce directly managed by Lace and General Jeokrang, it¡¯s a massive facility, almost like a casino.¡± Coral Ind wasn¡¯t veryrge, but it¡¯s sizable enough to house a building. Though smaller than the resting ce of the Gods, considering only VIPs selected by Lace¡¯s gang can enter here, this ce was no less significant than that ind. ¡°The decision on which ind to hit first was made by Nguyen, but we decided to respect and follow that choice. The somewhat good news is¡­ I think the worst oue you were thinking of didn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the worst oue you¡¯re thinking of?¡± ¡°Annihtion.¡± Yun Hye-ra said it nonchntly. ¡°Fearing that the real nature of those on the subus¡¯s ind might be revealed, they might kill everyone on this ind, then either burn or sink the ind.¡± ¡°¡­I thought they would do that.¡± Like most other viins, I thought Lace and his gang would act the same. ¡°Kill everyone on the ind, destroy all the data, blow it up, and then safely escape from the ind themselves¡­ But it seems cutting off heads was more effective than I thought.¡± A decapitated ant, left only with its body, writhes to death following its instinct and pheromones engraved in its body. Since those corresponding to thinking heads were all gone, the person in charge on this subus¡¯s ind had to make a decision. ¡°Considering our actions so far, summary execution seems appropriate, but I need to see the inside situation first to decide how to execute.¡± ¡°¡­Do you start to feel it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The moment we approached the main entrance of the hotel resembling arge casino, the lens inside the CCTV camera turned towards us. [Caught.] [Still, there must be someone, right?] Transformation didn¡¯t take time. We were already transformed, except for the masks, and no one had seen our faces. But what if we were wearing masks? ¡°There are others inside.¡± Boom! I immediately ran towards the main entrance and kicked the door with my foot. The thick iron door fell inside along with its hinges in an instant. The hotel lobby waspletely dark and eerie. It felt like looking at a long-abandoned haunted house, and upon entering, Yun Hye-ra pointed to the central staircase right in front of the main entrance. ¡°It feels like there¡¯s a barrier magician here, right? Seems like the building is made of a material that blocks magic?¡± ¡°Bold ones. Even two S-ss had to enter the building to feel how thoroughly they¡¯ve hidden the magic.¡± I extended the Goblin Bat forward. With the tip of the bat down, I grasped the handle upside down and infused the bat with magic power. ¡°Heavy Gravity Drop.¡± Boom! The bat dropped to the floor as if it weighed tons. It didn¡¯t just fall and roll sideways; it shattered the marble floor instantly and fell through. And the bat kept falling. Down to the basement levels of the hotel lobby. Rumble. After a brief vibration. Crash! The hotel lobby where Yun Hye-ra and I stood copsed downwards. Before itpletely fell apart, we both jumped upwards, pushed the dust away with magic, andnded inside lightly. ¡°Chain Heavy Gravity Drop.¡± I stood over the fallen bat, pressing down hard with the magic of my entire body, pushing the embedded bat deeper, shattering the ceiling of the basement level. ¡°Add one feather.¡± ¡°Oh, what are you saying?¡± Boom! As I reached out to Yun Hye-ra and she grabbed my hand, the space below us plunged down almost to the fourth basement level. And then it appeared. It was like riding an elevator down, at the end of a corridor ahead, a group of people. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s fortunate they¡¯re alive.¡± They appeared. The frightened ones. Women who were more terrified of encountering the Goblin than of being discovered by people. They all seemed to be in their early twenties. No one else was visible. That¡¯s because all here were ¡®ability users¡¯. ¡°¡­Yes, this is reality.¡± A dirty, sordid reality. Using the desires of those who wanted to patriotically employ ability users, a top-secret patriotism program concocted by the strongest of the Hero Association and the military¡¯s top brass. The subus¡¯s ind. Here, ¡®subus¡¯ was a ng for ability users with E-grade or lower magic power. Female. ¡­When everyone was told to walk the path of a HERO, those who chose the path of H and ERO were here. Chapter 247: Not All Ability Users Are Heroes (1) Chapter 247: Not All Ability Users Are Heroes (1) Born with abilities. Society demanded these ability users be ¡®heroes.¡¯ Those who saw this as the natural duty of the chosen will be heroes, and thus, they were considered heroes. However, not everyone desires to be a hero. Some believed that sacrifices for the collective or the group should not be mandatory, and others wished for their personal lives to be respected. These individuals concealed their abilities and continued to live their lives. Over time, their abilities may be known, yet there were still many around the world who chose to hide them. But. There were those who did not meet the societal standards of a ¡®hero.¡¯Born as ability users, yet not quite living up to the expectations society had set. To put it bluntly, what if someone born with mana was slower than a car at full speed? -Can someone who gets hit by a truck and thrown because of their ability still be considered an ability user? -Can someone who can withstand a bullet but sustains gunshot wounds from six consecutive shots be considered an ability user? They¡¯re just a resilient regr person. There were those who failed to meet the societal standards of ability users. They were simply ssified as individuals born with mana, leading lives indistinguishable from ordinary people. Without illness. With robust bodies. With a bit of training, they could marginally surpass the physical capabilities of a special forces squad. Consider a pyromancer whose sole ability was to light a cigarette lighter¡¯s me. Society did not expect even them to step up as heroes. In Korea, these individuals were offered positions like military NCOs, police, emergency room residents, or school security guards, where they could contribute to the safety of citizens in various societal roles. However, this was because Korea offered an enticing incentive for them, unlike in other countries where the situation could be described as ¡®the worst.¡¯ Risking their lives but earning less than minimum wage? No matter how much magical power one possessed, unstable living conditions could easily lead to sumbing to various temptations. For instance, turning into a viin. Or, despite being morally corrupt, exploiting the ¡®new human species¡¯ born with magical power for their inherent value. Just like the ability users in front of me, like subi. [You¡¯re aware that Lace is dead. And it seems the person in charge here has decided to shut this ce down. Probably¡­ you.] I aimed my bat at the oldest woman, a subus who appeared to be around 25. [You are the ¡®Madam¡¯ here.] ¡°Guh¡­!¡± The subi attempted to conceal their identities, but upon my arrival, they had already been signaling to the Madam, recognizing her as their leader. [Not everyone is dead; hiding underground on this ind suggests you were monitoring the situation outside, nning your escape. After all, you are Lace¡¯s aplices.] ¡°This bastard!¡± Madam Subus extended her hand towards me. Her fingernails, sharpened like des and reinforced with magical power, wereunched at me. [It¡¯s futile.] Kaang! The magical projectiles shaped like fingernails didn¡¯t even leave a mark on my mask and deflected to the side, as I nonchntly swung my baseball bat forward. Thud! With a dull sound, the Madam was knocked to the side. Gathering information was crucial, but I could not overlook someone whounched a magical attack as deadly as a bullet at people. [Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s not dead yet.] Resting the bat on my shoulder and allowing the magic to flow, the subi looked on in terror, as if they were next. ¡°People kill-¡± [Begin by targeting the heads of those who scream.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Silence ensued immediately. Understanding that this was not an empty threat, the subi remained silent, exchanging wary looks among themselves. [There¡¯s no need for deceit. I already know everything.] I had already collected all the necessary information. Not only did I have real-time information about what happened on the Ind of Subi from the time we attacked the resting ce of the Gods until now. I had also figured out the routes people used to enter the Ind of Subi and how they had been seducing men. [I am not a hero. I am an executioner.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [But I¡¯m not an indiscriminate mass murderer. I am strictly a businessman, and I only deal with those who hinder the world that the Secret Society intends to lead.] Thud. I lightly tapped the bat downwards. [Those among you who were brought here against your will, who were kidnapped, or who found themselves on this ind upon regaining consciousness, raise your hands.] The subi begin to look around at each other. Not all subi here necessarily deserved to die, as their origins varied. [None?] ¡°Me, me!!¡± One subus hurriedly raised her hand. ¡°I was traveling in Thand, drank some alcohol, and when I woke up¡ª¡± Thud. Next to Madam, another subus fell. Unlike Madam, who was hit remotely, this one was struck directly on the head with the bat. [Meet the bat detector. It can easily detect lies.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [A woman who came here for money even lies. So, how much did you get to be a subus here? An annual sry of about a billion won? Including incentives, it must be several billion.] Working in the lowest societal roles for a meager sry of less than 1 million won a month, living on passion andmitment. Or enjoying luxury and pleasure, earning 100 million won a month, coborating with Lace¡¯s system. It¡¯s not easy to judge their choices as right or wrong. The reasons these subi chose this path varied, and among them were those who were truly kidnapped. [Gunggi. The selection?] [It¡¯s done. Only about 30% of the chicks can be saved.] But if that number was less than 30% of the subi here, the rest must havee here of their own volition. Despite being filled with all sorts of luxury, pleasure, and unspeakable ¡®deaths.¡¯ [Chicks? The things you did here are notmendable. But what would have happened if you hadn¡¯t done those things? You would have been turned into mana powder and sprinkled on top of rice noodles by Lace and his minions, right?] Gunggi¡¯s words were harsh, but they were true. Ability users who didn¡¯t listen turned into mana powder. Just as the children at the resting ce of the Gods ended up that way, so did the Ind of Subi. No matter how powerful they were, when their own lives were at stake, they weighed their lives against others and looked out for themselves. In movies and novels, those who sacrifice themselves for others were considered righteous and heroic, but it¡¯s notmon in reality. After all, they all ended up dead. [How could you resist in the face of death? So, I¡¯ll give you a chance. Chicks, you¡¯ll be reborn. You¡¯ll carry the original sin of this ce in your hearts for life, returning to before you were kidnapped here. Of course, it varies case by case.] [First, I¡¯ll take you somewhere else. And then I¡¯ll assess the chicks. Well, no need to talk more about that in this mess.] Whoosh. Gunggi ignited a small me. Soon, the me turned into a small bird of fire, spreading in all directions, and as I stalled for time, Gunggipleted the assessment, cing a small me bird on each one¡¯s head. [Those with my me above their heads, step forward. Congrattions. You are the ones worthy of being assessed.] ¡°Ah¡­.¡± ¡°What about the rest?!¡± [It¡¯s simple.] I swung the bat over my shoulder. [Everyone else will die.] Thud! As I struck the ground again with my bat, a sphere of magical energy burst forth explosively. Bababang! The sphere, flying in a straight line, began to bounce around the room like an atom, hitting the backs of the heads of all the subi not selected by Gunggi, knocking them unconscious. [Gunggi. Please start with them.] [What about when we escape?] [The usual way.] Escaping by transforming into spirit form was no trouble at all. [Release the information immediately once we¡¯re out. By now, bait should be starting to surface. There will be those among Lace¡¯s minions spread across Thand or those who indulged in pleasure on this Ind of Subi who are pretending to be good and spreading bait.] Surely, information would be circting somewhere on the inte. -There¡¯s a brothel created by Lace on a ce called Coral Ind. -Only VIPs can enter, and ability users turned prostitutes reside there. -And at that ce¡­. [¡­¡­] Gunggi created arge teleportation circle, taking the chicks needing assessment through teleportation, while I, based on intelligence, mapped out the terrain and headed inside. Deeper than the basement, like the entrance to a tomb. There, I saw it. Dozens of square meters of warehouse filled with bookshelves, and on each shelf, small dolls were ced. Whether it was because they couldn¡¯t ce life-sized dolls, or the conditions weren¡¯t right for that. Or perhaps it was a consideration made by Lace for the subi living here so that their mental states wouldn¡¯tpletely break down, telling them not to be demons. The dolls, made like worry dolls, had various names tagged on them. There was no smell of blood or corpses, but I sensed a stronger smell of death here than anywhere else. The number of dolls exceeded hundreds, and the implications of those dolls needed no further exnation. [¡­¡­I hate to empathize, but I can¡¯t help but understand.] The end of this world. The meteor was right, they said. But. Now that I knew an answer more certain than the meteor, it could not end with a meteor strike. [Meteor ending is not eptable.] Like what happened during the Duoexini incident. The original culprits who created this situation must all be executed. [¡­They cannot die a peaceful death.] They deserved the most terrible death imaginable. That was how they must be killed. Whoosh. I lit the end of my Goblin Bat. Momentster¡­ mes engulfed the entire ind, and ck smoke began to billow over Coral Ind. Chapter 248: Not All Ability Users Are Heroes (2) Chapter 248: Not All Ability Users Are Heroes (2) At that moment, In the small meeting room of the Hero Association in Thand, those gathered maintained a grave silence, speechlessly scanning the documents in front of them. ¡°¡­as a mother.¡± When Nguyen cautiously opened his mouth, everyone turned their eyes toward him. ¡°The mothers of these children, it¡¯s practically impossible to find them, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It would seem so.¡± Jeong Gong-in did not disagree. ¡°The children¡¯s ages range from as young as 3 years old to as old as 17 years old. Even if by some miracle we find the mother of a 3-year-old, where would the mother of a 17-year-old be? At most, she¡¯d be 37 years old.¡± ¡°Red Brassard. It doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be 37 years old¡­¡±¡°What if it¡¯s not?¡± ¡°Ahem. It¡¯s somewhat awkward to say directly. The, the possibility might be even lower¡­¡± Bang! ¡°What are you saying! No matter the circumstance, that¡¯s outrageous!¡± Jeong Gong-in shouted, his face turning red. ¡°So you mean to say these viinsmitted acts too heinous to speak of?! How did ite to this¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Red Brassard.¡± Nguyen, having inadvertently provoked the ire of the vice president of the Hero Association, received a sharp look before apologizing on his behalf. ¡°But please understand. This isn¡¯t Korea.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, I got carried away.¡± ¡°No, your reaction is perfectly normal. Right now, we should first discuss how to resolve this situation, then we can talk about what to do next.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The children were looking for their mothers. Fortunately, the education at the Marine Academy didn¡¯t face much resistance from the children. Experts agreed that a military-style education in a controlled environment would be beneficial, and hearing it was based on the South Korean Marine training intrigued the children, which was a positive aspect. Despite growing up on an ind, the children didn¡¯t know how to swim. The survival swimming training for ability users, which began on the first day at the Marine Academy, garnered significant attention. However, the issue extended beyond education to the cooperation terms set by the oldest child and the representative of the group. ¡°Has the father been confirmed?¡± ¡°We are currently drawing the children¡¯s blood and running tests. We can only investigate those whose gic information is registered, but even this will likely make it hard to find the fathers¡­¡± ¡°Tsck.¡± These children were born and raised in a confined environment. And if that confined environment were merely a ce where men and women were locked together, it would be tolerable. However, ¡®God¡¯s Sanctuary¡¯ was not where the children were born. ¡°Nguyen. That other ind you mentioned, ¡®Subus Ind,¡¯ have you still not found its location?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, yes. We¡¯ve thoroughly searched the inds near Phuket and the surrounding area, but we haven¡¯t found the ind suspected to be Subus Ind. However.¡± Nguyen briefly covered his face with his hand. ¡°¡­The minions of General Jeokrang have not yet surrendered, upying a small ind and resisting. They opened fire on a boat trying to enter the ind, and now we are deploying ability users to subdue each ind.¡± ¡°How many inds are there?¡± ¡°So far, we¡¯ve confirmed there are more than seven inds. One of them is even estimated to have about 500 armed personnel¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­! ¡­¡­horrific.¡± Jeong Gong-in was about to re up again but controlled his anger with a deep breath. ¡°If rioters are upying the inds and taking hostages, that¡¯s an even bigger problem. It¡¯s uncertain if the children¡¯s mothers are there¡­¡± ¡°Whether the children¡¯s mothers are Korean, foreign, or Thai, we don¡¯t even know, Nguyen. Is Thand as active in ¡®gic registration¡¯ as Korea?¡± ¡°Not at all. Even in Korea, isn¡¯t gic registration only about 30% of the poption? The only ce that might have achieved 100% registration is China.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ We can¡¯t even look them up by fingerprints. This is driving me insane.¡± Both A-sses bowed their heads in frustration. No matter how much they thought about it, there was no way to find the mother. And even if they did find the mother, would she really be a proper mother? Beep beep beep! In a situation where it was hard for anyone to speak, a sudden emergency signal went off. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± ¡°A massive fire has broken out on Coral Ind in western Pattaya!!¡± ¡°¡­On Coral Ind?¡± Fire. Even an ordinary fire could not be overlooked, but how could those already on edge remain calm? ¡°Get the satellite images!¡± ¡°¡­My God.¡± The live footage of Coral Ind disyed on the screen inside the meeting room was truly horrific. The entire ind was aze. It was as if someone intended to erase the ind itself, not only burning the trees but also every trace of human presence. Was it an illusion? The ck smoke seemed almost like the malicious screams of humans. It looked as if the death throes of dying people were rising with the smoke. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± ¡°¡­Mobilize the navy in the area immediately! It might be that Lace¡¯s aplices have set the ind on fire!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ it¡¯s evidence destruction!!¡± Hurriedly, the heroes deployed. However, the fire showed no signs of subsiding, and only after the ability users generated waves to cover the entire ind with seawater did the mes finally calm. Afterward. About 3 hours after the first sighting of the fire. Agents on the scene discovered that the deep underground of the ind was filled with charred bodies. Judging by the build, they were likely females.
Couldn¡¯t they have been saved? Did it have to be this way? I understood that discussions like these were inevitable, but I acted in ordance with the directives of the Secret Society. Not solely based on the Secret Society¡¯s directives, but also guided by my abilities and conscience, I reached a decision. Eliminate the murderers. The individuals who perished in the fire beneath Coral Ind were murderers. They were not merely individuals forced into killing by bing ves to Lace; they were individuals who killed for profit. And the tally of their victims was far from negligible. Initially, those selected by Gunggi showed potential for reintegration into society, while those left behind were deemed irredeemable, facing either the death penalty or life imprisonment if judged by society¡¯s standards. They perished painlessly, unconscious, never regaining consciousness. Not one awoke during the ordeal to experience the agony of their bodies being consumed by mes; I ensured their departure was as clean as possible. There were harsher methods of execution avable, but I reserved those for the ¡®genuine¡¯ confrontations thaty ahead. After destroying the boat and swimming back to the hotel, ¡°Oppa, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Yun Hye-ra, who had arrived at the hotel before me, greeted me, prompting me to quickly transform back and don a hotel robe. ¡°The women?¡± ¡°The brewers are currently interviewing each one to collect information. But you know¡­ even if you scoop fish out of contaminated water, they¡¯re already infested with parasites. To cleanse them and release them back into the wild, it really requires a great deal of time and effort.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Rehabilitating viins might seem straightforward, but reintegrating those who had been deeply involved in criminal activities back into society was anything but simple. This was particrly true for those who had acquired significant wealth through rtively effortless means, regardless of their initial intentions. Considering their future, it¡¯s hard to ignore the temptation they might feel to use their skills just once to earn what others do in a month. ¡°I gave them a choice: to live as they are, or to lose their memories and live as new humans, mentally bleached.¡± ¡°¡­As heroes?¡± ¡°Is it time for the Sephiroth Knights to step in, or is that a bit much?¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t seriously considered that far yet.¡± While the children at the Marine Academy seemed to be adapting well, those ¡®chicks¡¯ from Subus Ind was a different story. ¡°Mental bleaching is the cleanest method, but whether they want that is another question.¡± ¡°What about those who don¡¯t want it?¡± ¡°The way of the Secret Society is to keep them alive and use them for societyter¡­eh?¡± Beep beep beep. The phone rang. It was my Taeguk Watch, received in Bangkok for operations in Thand, ringing, and I checked the iing number. ¡°This is¡­¡± Click. ¡°The call has been connected.¡± [Oh, nomunication security?] ¡°¡­Everyone knows it¡¯s the Chairman¡¯s number, why would we need that? We¡¯re not in Korea.¡± I set the phone to speaker mode and sat next to Yun Hye-ra. ¡°Reporting in. Together with Gunggi¡­¡± [I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your report. I understand the situation and thought you might be pondering it, so I called.] ¡°It seems the Chairman knows us too well.¡± [Of course. Gunggi certainly, but especially you.] ¡°¡­So you know that your call has brought a new worry for me?¡± [Of course. I¡¯d like to say ¡®don¡¯t see or hear anything bad¡¯, but the Chief of the Secret Society can¡¯t just ignore these things.] The Chairman, the Chief, continued in a serious tone. [Abortion and infanticide. The crime is horrifying, unimaginable to me, but what can we do? These people are still humans of this Earth.] ¡°Just give me the orders, and I¡¯ll handle it.¡± [You and Gunggi don¡¯t need to dirty your hands. The brewers are working hard right now, and we¡¯ve already decided how to proceed.] Ding. A message arrived on my Taegeuk Watch. I tapped the Taegeuk Watch, and a holographic screen materialized in the air. Soon, a PDF file, glowing with blue mana, unfolded before me. ¡°¡­Chief?¡± [Yes.] ¡°Are we really going through with this?¡± [It¡¯s the way of the Secret Society.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± The name of the PDF file was revealed. It was titled: [Irredeemable viins are forcibly rehabilitated for the sake of social order.] The Sephiroth Project. [Killing their vicious viin selves and rebirthing them as new beings. Yes, as angels fitting for the Sephiroth Knights. Hehehe.] Once again, I questioned. [So, it¡¯s like justice through brainwashing?] The Secret Society did not discriminate in its methods. ¡°Maybe we could consider changing the name¡­¡± [No. I¡¯m quite fond of the name Sephiroth Knights. It seems like it might be time to step forward in a new form, or as the Dark Charisma¡ª] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 249: Manufactured Heroes (1) Chapter 249: Manufactured Heroes (1) Conversion of the Subus by the Sephiroth Knight Order. -Do not hesitate to use any means necessary to turn them into righteous individuals. The Chief¡¯s order was issued. Agents of the Secret Society must follow the Chief¡¯s orders, and I decided to execute them asmanded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re getting down to serious business. As expected of Director Do, you follow the Chief¡¯s orders immediately, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Doubts and illusions remained. But once the Chief had made a decision, that was the answer.¡°The Chief said to bring out the Sephiroth Knight Order. That¡¯s all there is to say.¡± Someone might say blindly following the Chief¡¯s orders was not the way, but following her was right because what she said benefited everyone and contributed to world peace. ¡°Even if it means brainwashing, it¡¯s better to rehabilitate them. Their personalities might die, but at least it¡¯s better than dying for real.¡± There was no hesitation. If there was hesitation, it would be like the tension before actually taking action. ¡°Hye-ra, do you have enough magic power?¡± After transforming into a suit, I checked the magic power of Yoon Hye-ra, who had changed from a dress to a normal office suit, by cing my hand on her shoulder. ¡°It seems a bit low on magic power.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough for what¡¯s needed. Why? Want to recharge before we go?¡± ¡°If necessary.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that urgent. We¡¯ve dressed up for once; we can¡¯t just take it off. Let¡¯s handle it after sorting things out. Take it easy.¡± Yoon Hye-ra chuckled as she tapped the hand I ced on her shoulder. ¡°I need to give my body some rest too. Work a bit while at it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s really no need for such consideration.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not consideration? I¡¯m serious. Thanks for thinking it¡¯s consideration. Hehe. Then, let¡¯s go check on the subi.¡± Yoon Hye-ra got up, and I ced her magic-imbued hand on my face. [Let¡¯s go.] With the Goblin Mask pressed down, I gather my mindset as a temple servant. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll guide you right away, Director Do.¡± Yoon Hye-ra immediatelyposed herself as an executive and opened a gate in the air. Whooosh. Apanied by a surge of energy, I crossed through the gate to where the subus fledglings were. The ce was an underground space, reminiscent of the ind where the subi resided. To anyone, it resembled an underground secret base, but with a notable distinction: the interior design was decidedly more ¡®Korean¡¯ than anywhere else. In Pandemonium, researchers in white coats would be amon sight, but this secret base was popted with individuals in a variety of attire instead of white coats. There were nine of them. Courtdies serving in the pce were omnipresent. They were dedicatedly assisting those who had been subi in each room, consulting with them to prevent their transformation into demons or self-harm. ¡°Come this way. Here shees. This is the Thai Bangkok branch, and the person in charge here is known as ¡®Tai Sanggung¡¯.¡± ¡°Gunggi, I am at your service. And, it is an honor to meet you, Goblin.¡± The woman, appearing to be about 25 years old, was dressed in a courtdy¡¯s gache and a green hanbok, typical of a Thai woman, and was unmistakably not a Koryo-Thai. Among Thais, she was exceptionally beautiful, resembling a Thai member of a K-POP idol group in Korea performing a courtdy cosy. [Is she an ability user?] ¡°Yes.¡± [Is that hair, a gache?] ¡°It is real.¡± [It¡¯s not a wig?] ¡°Yes. My ability is only E-grade, but it makes my hair grow fast.¡± The abilities of ability users manifested in a myriad of ways. Aside from generally good physical health, some women have abilities that were limited to specific parts of the body growing quickly. And this woman, Tai Sanggung, joined the Secret Society with such an ability. She held a position equivalent to the president of the Thai Hero Association, known as ¡®Sanggung level¡¯ in the Secret Society¡¯s Thai branch. [You¡¯ve had a hard time. And¡­ how was dealing with the subi?] ¡°There were some diforts, but no major issues in selecting them.¡± [You¡¯ve worked hard. Gunggi.] A peculiarity. There were no men here. Perhaps it¡¯s a consideration of the Thai branch under Tai Sanggung to amodate the subi. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of everythingter. Ahem. So, what¡¯s the result of the assessment? The ¡®discards¡¯?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll report it now.¡± Tai Sanggung pointed to arge screen panel, and soon a 3D map of the underground facility unfolded. In the underground base, each room housed a subus, and the rooms were categorized into red, yellow, and green. ¡°The grades are divided into three. 14 are safe to retain their memories, 48 wish for memory removal, and 21 might need to be ¡®culled¡¯.¡± [That¡¯s quite a few.] Red, meaning 21 that needed to be executed. The specific categories were decided through consultations by Tai Sanggung, the brewer, and the courtdies. [What¡¯s the extent of culling for these fledglings?] ¡°The most typical case would be¡­ self-induced abortion addiction. They were dragged here, but their minds have deteriorated to the point where they can no longer make rational decisions.¡± The decision to ¡®cull¡¯ them was made not out of female solidarity but because their lives could no longer continue as they had been in society. [Bring me all the consultation records for the 21. I¡¯ll check them again before execution.] ¡°I¡¯ll bring them right away.¡± As Tai Sanggung left to fetch the records, Gunggi nudged me in the ribs lightly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to work so hard.¡± [It¡¯s about killing people; it can¡¯t be taken lightly.] It¡¯s the removal of a personality. Even if experts have made the decisions, I, as the executioner, must review them finally. ¡°Here¡¯s the report.¡± Tai Sanggung quickly brought a tablet, and I personally reviewed the records of the 21 ted for execution. [¡­¡­.] Such as the number of abortions exceeding double digits. Seducing men on the streets of Bangkok and eventually sending them to their ¡®God¡¯s resting ce.¡¯ Or killing people because they couldn¡¯t resist threats to kill if they did notply. These actions were so horrific that they might as well be considered ¡®extenuating circumstances¡¯ in the reports. There were numerous severe cases, too harrowing to mention individually or to contemte in detail. [Will this data be reported to the president through Gunggiter?] ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± [Include Goblin¡¯s cooperation when you file it. Attach it as a reference opinion.] Since the Goblin had personally verified it, the Chief did not need to check it herself. ¡°Eh? Uh, what do you mean¡­¡± [If needed, I¡¯ll directly report to the Chief verbally, so there¡¯s no need to review the details of those scheduled for disposal. Anything else?] ¡°Ah, understood.¡± ¡°Director Do. When you say things like that, it makes the staff nervous. They think an audit ising.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Tai Sanggung smiled faintly, observing the situation. I felt a bit sorry, as my role in the Secret Society might be making hard-working people nervous. The direct executioner under the Chief. Comparable to an audit team in apany, but with the authority of an executive. It¡¯s natural for the members to feel tense. Especially since I was involved directly in the approval line. [We¡¯ll start the ¡®personality execution¡¯ now. Lead the way.] ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Tai Sanggung led us with a tablet to the room. Creak. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this already! What more is there to discuss¡­¡± As soon as I entered the room, the subus, about to throw a dish, froze with it in her hand. ¡°Go, Goblin¡­?¡± [Have you ever killed anyone?] I sat opposite the subus, who briefly nced at Tai Sanggung before quickly bowing her head. The nce she sent was as if to say, ¡®Isn¡¯t this different from what was discussed?¡¯ [Why? Did the person who brought you here tell you to be at ease? That whatever choice you make will be respected, that your wishes would be granted?] ¡°That¡¯s¡­ right¡­¡± [Unfortunately, you do not qualify.] ¡°!!¡± The subus tried to rise, but I got up faster than her. [Too slow.] I climbed onto the table and aimed a baseball bat at the subus¡¯s forehead. The subus looked up at me with fear-filled eyes, biting her lower lip. ¡°Pl-please save me¡­! I don¡¯t want to die¡­!¡± [What were you doing when people who spoke like that were talking?] ¡°What do you mean¡­!¡± [You, you¡¯ve killed people directly. Using your ability, you killed those trying toe to the ind.] ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± This woman is a murderer. [It wasn¡¯t just one or two. Under the Madam¡¯smand, you directly drove boats and kidnapped those visiting the ind. You locked up the men underground and tortured the women. Right?] She¡¯s not a murderer shaped by dire circumstances but one who took pleasure in killing; a demon wearing human skin. [If you think it¡¯s unfair that you are dying, raise your hand. And try saying, I did not kill anyone.] ¡°I, I did not kill¡­¡± The subus couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. As if she saw something more terrifying than I, her eyes wavered, and she fell back into her chair. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± [No need for a lie detector or abilities. The truth is right in front of you.] I created illusions. Through hallucinations, this woman saw ¡®those she killed¡¯ before her eyes. And I, using my ability, estimated the number of those she killed based on her memories. The number was enough to fill the room. [Be at ease. You will be reborn. The you of now will die, and you will be reborn as a new being to live for the world.] ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to???!¡± Thump. I struck the subus¡¯s head with the Goblin baseball bat. The illusions filling the room slowly faded away. Their bowing heads, as if regretful yet thankful, were just illusions I saw to ease my own mind. [Then.] I aimed the Goblin bat at the subus¡¯s head again. [The first, ¡®Big Mother,¡¯ is born.] Mind Crash. Now, the subus would die, and a new human, devoid of memories, would be born. Chapter 250: Manufactured Heroes (2) Chapter 250: Manufactured Heroes (2) Erasing a personality was akin to killing a person. I hade to think this way because, as I observed those who transformed into new individuals after their personalities were erased, such thoughts invaded my mind. ¡°Oppa..¡± Yun Hye-ra approached me from the side. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. You¡¯ve erased the memories of about 70 people.¡± [I just swung a bat. The real hardship is borne by the caregivers and the children.] In a room hidden from view, resembling an auditorium, we peered down into the conference room through a ss window. Women with vacant expressions, their heads tightly wrapped in bandages, sat neatly on the floor, each clutching a booklet on their knees, waiting in perfect posture for someone to take the podium. [It begins.]Step by step. Tai Sanggung made her way to the podium. ¡°Ah.¡± Without a microphone, she projected her voice to everyone in the conference room by infusing it with mana. ¡°Until now, you have lived as viins.¡± Soft music filled the conference room. Apanied by the sounds of birds, the gentle strumming of a gayageum left the women staring nkly ahead, their mouths slightly open. ¡°God has given you all a chance. Those who willingly fell into the pit of evil have all perished, but you, who were pushed into despair by others, have been saved. Forget your vile past selves and be reborn anew.¡± Upon hearing Tai Sanggung¡¯s words, the women began to cry. Something within them resonated, though it wasn¡¯t in their memories. ¡°Forget everything about the past. ept it. Losing your memories is a blessing, and soon you will realize that it is a gift from God, meant to bless your new life.¡± Even if memories were sealed and erased, the body remembered through scars, the memory of touch, and even taste. Yet, the experiences of life ahead will surely overshadow those memories. ¡°From now on, you will all live a life dedicated to others. Shedding your ugly selfishness, you will live altruistically, serving others. You will all adopt the title ¡®Big Mother¡¯, discarding your previous names and living under new ones.¡± They were all ordinary names. So ordinary that if you searched for such names on the street, you could find about ten people within an hour with each given name. Some may be called Susan, others Jeannie, Charlotte, or Maria. ¡°The duty of a Big Mother is simple. It is to nurture infants. To feed bottles to children abandoned by their parents from birth, to hold and care for them whenever they cry.¡± Many have had children but never truly raised them. If this could be called a punishment, then it would be to spend their lives nurturing children. ¡°You will all be sent to various ces around the world. Some to orphanages, some to temples, some to churches, and others to social welfare facilities. To care for children who are abandoned on the streets every minute, you will contribute to humanity with love across the globe.¡± Some may not call it a punishment. There were those who say that only death was a punishment, and indeed, many within the organization held such a view. But even they agreed. ¡°We must borrow even a cat¡¯s paw.¡± To not send those who were deemed deserving of death, whose personalities had been killed and brainwashed, to the lower strata of society, would mean that children would continue to die under cold walls. The organization couldn¡¯t manage everything, as the world created too much darkness and evil. ¡°Someday, if you ever find yourselves again. If after a long time, you manage to recover your past selves from the swamp of memory.¡± Even if you found yourself in the deep underground of an ind, having seduced men and killed children, the memories of living as a Big Mother would cover it all. ¡°Though not all misdeeds can be covered by good deeds, at least minimal atonement is possible.¡± For a lifetime. ¡°The end of your life dedicated to nurturing other children wille in due time.¡± Until they fell in love. ¡°Big Mothers will care for children until their dying breath.¡± Or until their bodies aged and could no longer function. ¡°From this moment on, you are mothers, nannies, matrons, and heroes to these abandoned children.¡±
A littleter. Yun Hye-ra and I checked into a different hotel in Bangkok, transformed back, and took a rest. ¡°A machine that works solely for the public good.¡± It¡¯s not a machine, but if a human acted like one, perhaps they should be called as such. It¡¯s not about delving into philosophy, but that¡¯s the reality at the moment. ¡°Brother, think simply.¡± Yun Hye-ra handed me a ss of wine, winking. ¡°The world forces us into this, and we¡¯re choosing the quickest path to dismantle it.¡± ¡°Everything is for the sake of world peace.¡± Cheers. The wine tasted bitter. Not that there¡¯s such a thing as non-bitter alcohol, but today, the drink seemed particrly bitter. ¡°Are there any women in the organization?¡± ¡°No. Only those who retain their memories are going outside to serve as ¡®witnesses.¡¯¡± There were those whose memories remained intact. These women sought to expose their dreadful memories to the world, not for their own healing, but to unveil the truth. -The ind of subi was a living hell. Having former subi testify about the events on the subus ind was more impactful than exposing it through the organization. Simultaneously, we nned to utilize them for specific propaganda purposes. ¡°The subus ind was run by Lace. And behind Lace was a demon from Pandemonium. That name is¡­¡± ¡°The demon who calls herself ¡®Hyangdan.¡¯¡± Behind all these events lurked an absolute evil like Duoexini, a Pandemonium-Upheaval Officer. It might seem obvious, but no information about Hyangdan was found on the subus ind. Nor in any dealings with Lace. Ultimately, we decided to lure Hyangdan out by drawing public attention. If we revealed that Hyangdan was the real culprit, there would surely be a response from somewhere. Then, we could act ordingly. Just like when we caught Duoexini, we needed to create the right situation. ¡°Hyera.¡± ¡°Yes, oppa.¡± ¡°Then, slowly¡ª¡± Beep beep beep. Our Taeguk Watches began to ring loudly. Wondering why they were ringing at this time, I checked my Taeguk Watch, and it was an emergency disaster text sent through the base station by the Hero Association of Thand. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It seems there was an ident in Phuket?¡± We immediately turned on the TV. Although Bangkok is far from Phuket, the live broadcast was transmitting the situation in Phuket, as it was swarming with reporters. [¡­ording to sources, the viins have attempted a massive jailbreak¡­!] ¡°What now?¡± What on earth was happening? The streets of Phuket were more chaotic than when tanks ran through them. [Aaahhh!!] [It¡¯s dangerous! Get away! Damn, it¡¯s the viins!!] Indeed, because there were entities far more dangerous than tanks wreaking havoc. [Hahaha! I¡¯m back out! Nguyen,e out now! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll grind everyone here to dust!!] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Viin Phupatpong, along with other viins casually dressed in prison garb, were wreaking havoc on the streets. They were causing indiscriminate terror, much faster and more precisely than trams. [These bastards!!] Heroes were intervening to handle the situation, but as the battle unfolded in the urban area, civilian casualties were urring in real time. ¡°Hyera, I think I just had a crazy idea.¡± Yun Hye-ra, who was hurriedly sending messages to Brewer and gathering information, turned to me. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°If we go with the mindset of ruining everything, I¡¯d probably be the first to open all the jails.¡± ¡°Who would do such a thing with the intention of causing ruin?¡± ¡°Obviously, the corrupt ones in this country.¡± ¡°Eh, it feels like it¡¯s killing people. Brother, you¡¯re like a ghost.¡± ¡°Not a ghost. Just¡­¡± Just. Such episodes had frequently urred in the original work. Not in Thand, but simr riots had erupted in other countries, resembling those in Thand. In a certain city in New York. The first action taken by a viin group, after seizing control of the city by copsing a football stadium, was to take over a prison and release the inmates. ¡°Whether it¡¯s Hyangdan or anyone else behind this¡­ it won¡¯t just end with Phuket.¡± [Ah, breaking news! Fire at a Thai prison!!] ¡°Wow, a serious riot is about to erupt.¡± If the term ¡®viin¡¯ specifically referred to ability users. From now on, not only viins but also ¡®evildoers¡¯ would begin to flood the streets. ¡°Oppa. I¡¯ve discovered who¡¯s behind this.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­General Jeokrang¡¯s personal guard, left in Bangkok.¡± Yun Hye-ra covered her face with her hands and gritted her teeth. ¡°They¡¯ve opened all the prison doors nationwide, intending to bring the entire country to ruin.¡± It¡¯s not just viins with abilities that were driving this world mad. Chapter 251: Manufactured Heroes (3) Chapter 251: Manufactured Heroes (3) The streets were filled with madness. Violence, screams, and death were rampant. ¡°Uahaha!¡± Viins were using their abilities tomit all sorts of crimes. The fact that these were not just ordinary crimes, but ones that harmed ordinary civilians, was the main reason why the streets of Phuket were in chaos. The only words that could describe this situation was indiscriminate violence. The viins¡¯ attacks spared no one¡ªmen, women, children, even animals and buildings. They just destroyed and killed whatever they wanted. ¡°Aaagh!¡±sh. A middle-aged man, hidden in a cafe, had his arm cut off. Blood spurted, and the middle-aged man fainted, copsing to the floor in shock. ¡°Kihihit!¡± The one who cut off the man¡¯s arm with a sword appeared to be barely twenty years old. ¡°I¡¯ll cut you like butter, so just stay still!!¡± The young man, who would look like a high school student if dressed in a uniform, skillfully wielded a sharp sword and swung it at the remaining arm of the middle-aged man. ¡°Die!¡± ¡°Stop!!¡± Bang bang bang! Bullets flew towards the young man¡¯s sword. ¡°Kuh, my sword?!¡± The enchanted bullets shattered the young man¡¯s sword instantly, and soon, a group of soldiers in bulletproof vests stormed in. ¡°You bastard!!¡± ¡°Aaagh!!¡± The soldiers subdued the young man by force. Even though the young man had abilities, the soldiers easily overpowered him. ¡°This crazy kid¡­!¡± ¡°How can someone so young do something so cruel¡­!¡± Although the young man was an ability user, so were the soldiers. The age difference was just a year or two at most. The soldiers shuddered at the thought that someone just a bit younger than them hadmitted such atrocities. ¡°Ki, hihihit¡­!¡± ¡°Why did you do this¡­!¡± ¡°Why?¡± The young man, with his head pressed to the floor and arms restrained, just keptughing. ¡°Don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯d tell you? Hehehe. This country¡¯s doomed anyway. Before I go somewhere else¡­ I just wanted to do whatever I wanted. Kuhuh¡­!¡± The soldiers couldn¡¯t understand what the young man was saying. ¡°You¡¯ve all killed ants when you were kids, right? It¡¯s the same thing, kuhuh¡­! It¡¯s all about to end, so I¡¯m just doing what I want¡­!¡± The country¡¯s doomed? Going somewhere else? ¡°What the hell are you nning!¡± ¡°Just let it all die and copse! This country¡¯s rotten! It¡¯s going to rot away anyway, so let¡¯s all go down together!¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane¡­! Who¡¯s behind this!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s behind it?¡± He smirked. The young man opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for this moment. ¡°The mastermind¡­ is your mom!¡± Thunk. ¡°You crazy bastard!!¡± A soldier struck the young man unconscious with the butt of his rifle. Although it was partly due to a surge of emotions, it was also because the young man had freed his restrained hands and was about to swing something at the soldiers. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It just grazed me.¡± The soldier, whose ankle had been grazed by the young man¡¯s hand, clenched his teeth as he touched his ankle. Fortunately, the young man¡¯s hand had only grazed his uniform, leaving no injuries. ¡°Damn it¡­ This is Falcon 2! We have subdued the viin attacking civilians! There is a civilian with a severed arm¡­.¡± [No time to rescue! Subdue everyone you see!] ¡°What¡­?¡± The soldiers¡¯ hearts sank at the shocking order from headquarters. ¡°Communication failure,munication failure. This is Falcon 2. Requesting immediate support¡ª¡± [Instead of talking, subdue one more person! That¡¯s the only way to save even one more life right now!!] A desperate scream came over the radio. [There are no support troops to send!] Realizing the situation was getting worse, the soldiers quickly administered first aid to the fallen man¡¯s arm and rushed outside. ¡°Uahahaha!!¡± Someone, leaning out of a car¡¯s sunroof, started shooting wildly in all directions. Bang bang bang bang. ¡°Fireeeeeee!¡± ¡°These maniacs!¡± A quick-footed soldier dashed forward to intercept the car head-on, while another leaped to subdue the man gleefully engaging in a shooting spree. ¡°He¡¯s not an ability user?!¡± ¡°¡­Kuhuh.¡± ¡°Brother! This guy, he¡¯s the serial killer!¡± ¡°Ah, crap.¡± The man apprehended by the soldiers wasn¡¯t an ability user. He was just an ordinary person, incapable of wielding any magical powers. He had simply obtained a rifle from somewhere and began firing indiscriminately. ¡°Damn it. I used to take down cops in the past¡­ damn.¡± ¡°What were you thinking, doing this!!¡± ¡°What was I thinking? Well.¡± The man replied with a guileless smile. ¡°I just wanted to kill one more person before I died.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You know? Our bodies have chips imnted. Very small, tiny microchips.¡± He licked the car window and lowered his head. ¡°¡­Those chips will explode in a few hours.¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± The two soldiers recoiled in shock. The man shook as he observed the soldiers¡¯ reactions. ¡°Kuhuh! Even ability users can¡¯t stand the sound of bombs! Of course, that¡¯s natural. Right? We¡¯re all going to die! Uahahaha!¡± ¡°This makes no sense¡­.¡± ¡°It makes perfect sense!! You erred by imnting bombs in the heads of viins and evil people! Uahahaha!!¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be true!!¡± ¡°You think so, right? I thought so too! But guess what! I saw heads explode in prison!¡± The killer smirked, watching other viins wreak havoc elsewhere. ¡°If we¡¯re all going to die, I need to take as many with me as I can. That¡¯s the only way it¡¯s fair¡­.¡± Phuket Street Was engulfed in utter chaos.
-Damn it, send the heroes to the viin prison! -Make sure the viins can¡¯t escape! Some heroes will head to the prison holding regr inmates! -Do not let the prisoners escape and plunge the citizens into chaos! Reports were flooding in from all quarters. The information that Brewer and her aides swiftlypiled was being ryed to our Taeguk Watches in real-time. ¡°¡­This is really chaotic.¡± [Gunggi, do you understand the situation?] ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you said, oppa. They are causing trouble with the mindset of letting everything copse, wanting to see this country burn. These are the viins who aren¡¯t ability users.¡± Gunggi bit her nails. ¡°¡­Just like how the mafia would go on a rampage seeking revenge if their boss were killed, these viins are rampaging, iming to avenge the deaths of Jeokrangjanggun and Lace.¡± ¡°Exactly. They¡¯re destroying the country that killed their boss.¡± They are releasing prisoners from jail to create chaos. -Hahaha! Before I die, I wanted to meet you and beep¨C! -Krrrr, what a killer back! -Oh,e on! Even if I have to go, at least once beep¨C isn¡¯t too much, right!! Only one thing. -Damn it! We¡¯re all going to die with our heads exploding anyway, I can¡¯t die alone! We¡¯re all going together, no matter where we were born! Hahahaha! -Humans will die eventually anyway! Whether it¡¯s now orter, everyone dies the same! -Someone, get this out of my head! I don¡¯t want to die!! The confusion wasn¡¯t just about causing a disturbance; it¡¯s the mixture of ¡®lies and agitation¡¯ that led to ughter and riots. ¡°¡­They¡¯ve done something truly horrible. The personal guards of Jeokrangjanggun.¡± ¡°I found it. This is a video from three hours ago.¡± Gunggi pulled up a video on the tablet. In the video, heavily armed soldiers were saying something to the prisoners packed in the jail, just like how I spoke to the ves and children trapped in the Sanctuary of God before. [¡­So, you all have 12 hours left to live.] A death sentence. [Let me repeat. There are chips imnted in your bodies. This is thanks to thew established by the high officials of this country to manage criminals. And those chips¡­ will soon explode.] I didn¡¯t know why they suddenly started talking about the prisoners¡¯ lifespan since the beginning of the video was cut off, but luckily, the soldier reiterated the time limit to hammer it into those who hadn¡¯t heard. [The triggers for your chips to explode have all been activated. The death of the Hero Association¡¯s president, the death of Lace, and the death of Jeokrangjanggun. Congrattions. In about 12 hours, your heads will explode, and you will die.] The prisoners¡¯ expressions hardened. They might want to shout that it¡¯s nonsense, but those who had already shouted that were lying cold on the floor in a pool of blood. [So I give you your freedom. It¡¯s only 12 hours of freedom, but you should do something before you die, right? Whether it¡¯s meeting your parents, finding your family, ormitting another crime. Go ahead and do whatever ¡®your heart desires.¡¯ You may not be ability users, but you can do anything before you die.] The video ended with those words. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The words of the soldier in the video. [People believe that.] Of course, it¡¯s a lie. ¡°It¡¯s the ambiguous time that makes it worse. During that time, you can really do anything.¡± [¡­Indeed.] The riots and disturbances inside Phuket were bing more severe. What¡¯s even more serious was the absoluteck of hero personnel to properly suppress the disturbances in Phuket right now. [Where are Nguyen and Red Brassard?] ¡°¡­Coral Ind. In a straight line, it¡¯s almost like the distance from Seoul to Busan.¡± [The house has been thoroughly robbed.] From the hero¡¯s perspective. This chaos. Of course, it¡¯s not what the Secret Society wanted. [Gunggi. What about the agents?] ¡°They seem to have already entered. ¡­Are you going?¡± [If necessary¡­ I have to step in. Not as Goblin though.] It¡¯s always the heroes who quelled the chaos. [For now¡­.] Beep beep beep. The phone rang again. I answered it immediately. ¡°¡­Chief?¡± [Oh my. Why are you trying to be patriotic while resting?] ¡°¡­¡­.Did you intentionally not inform us? About the intel?¡± [Hehe. If I did, you¡¯d end up working overtime andte nights again. You both need some rest.] The proud voice of the Chief. [Rest assured. No one has died so far. You know, the kids are quite fast.] Even though Goblin and Gunggi had finished their tasks, the agents from the Secret Society deployed here were already taking action. [Your job is not to fight, but to patriotically rx, okay?] Even before we received the news, the Secret Society¡¯s agents were already in action. ¡°¡­Chief.¡± I lightly tapped my Taeguk Watch with my finger. ¡°I¡¯ll work overtime and be patriotic.¡± Chapter 252: Manufactured Heroes (4) Chapter 252: Manufactured Heroes (4) Before the Chief called, I had already anticipated it. This situation. They deliberately didn¡¯t inform me. Nor did they inform Gunggi. If none of Gunggi¡¯s subordinates were informed about this incident, it implied that another team, not under Gunggi¡¯smand, was in action. ¡°Probably now, Doul is on the move.¡± [Yes, Doul has brought his subordinates directly. Everything is under control, so you and Gunggi can rest easy.] ¡°No matter if it¡¯s Thand or Phuket, we can¡¯t just stand by while civilians are suffering like this. I¡¯ll work overtime.¡± [Take a break. It¡¯s not just Gunggi, but you must be exhausted from dealing with the subi.]¡°¡­¡­.¡± I appreciated the Chief¡¯s concern. Indeed, since returning from the coral ind¡¯s underground, I had been mentally exhausted in many ways. The fatigue from killing people. The fatigue from depleting mana. And the fatigue from not being able to ¡®preemptively¡¯ deal with the disturbances in Phuket. All these sources of fatigue were continuously piling up stress, and now, the panic caused by viins stirred by strange propaganda was giving me a headache. But if there¡¯s something causing a headache, the obvious solution was to remove the cause of the headache. ¡°Chairman. Gunggi and I are not that weak.¡± [I know. But¡­] ¡°Do you not trust us, Chairman?¡± ¡°Deputy Director Do.¡± Gunggi nudged me with her hand from the side. I realized my words might have been too harsh, but I couldn¡¯t take back what was already said. ¡°We are prepared. ¡­Of course, if you order us to standby, we will stay cooped up in our rooms. Perhaps something might explode in Bangkok that you haven¡¯t told us about.¡± ¡°Do Ji-hwan.¡± Gunggi¡¯s voice turned cold. I understand why she¡¯s angry, but this needed to be said. ¡°Please tell us as it is, Chairman.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°There¡¯s no way Gunggi did anything wrong, and did I perhaps do something wrong?¡± [You did nothing wrong. Nor did Gunggi. It¡¯s just, hmm, how should I put it¡­ My genuine thought was that both of you should rest while being patriotic. I can handle things on this end. I¡¯m just sorry for not informing you about it.] ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± What did I just hear? ¡°Chief, wait a moment. There¡¯s no need for you to apologize. I must have lost my mind for a moment. How much do you trust us, and I dared to speak such nonsense-¡± [I trust you, but at the same time¡­] ¡°¡­¡­.?¡± Oh. Did I just hear something wrong? [What did you just say¡­?] ¡°¡­Wow, you unconsciously transformed.¡± [Quiet, Gunggi. The Chief is still speaking.] I reached out to cover Gunggi¡¯s mouth. [Chief, once more. Could you please say it one more time?]
30 minutes ago. Tududududu. The bullets shattered the wall in an instant. Inside the room, a middle-aged man was trembling, tightly holding a child who seemed to be about 10 years old. Bang! The door was smashed open, and someone wearing military boots stepped inside. ¡°Hehehe, it¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You, you are¡­!¡± The man holding the gun aimed it at the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man held his daughter tightly to shield her from the gun, while simultaneously turning his body toward the gun and shouted. ¡°Why, why are you doing this!!¡± ¡°Why? There¡¯s no reason. I¡¯m just going to kill everyone who put me in jail.¡± Click. ¡°Kneel. Then I¡¯ll spare your daughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Not doing it right away? Then I have no choice. Goodbye, detective.¡± ¡°St-stop¡ª¡± Bang! The gunshot echoed. At the same time, red blood sttered all over the room. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± In front of the middle-aged man, the man in military uniform with the gun began to copse sideways. Something like a long needle was stuck in the man¡¯s back, and soon a chilly wind seemed to blow through. Thud. The father and daughter fainted. They lost consciousness as if hit by a tranquilizer, and the green wind that entered the room began to morph into the shape of a person next to the soldier. ¡°Hm, hmm.¡± Humming a tune, the woman who emerged from the wind¡ªDoul¡ªpressed the magic needle further into the soldier¡¯s neck. Though no blood flowed, the vitality that had filled the soldier¡¯s body vanished. ¡°Honestly. Falling for strange propaganda. Who nts bombs on themselves?¡± Doul sighed and nudged the soldier with her foot. There were still many viins to subdue, but Doul was not alone here. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Clear, clear, clear. As expected. Everyone¡¯s doing well. Great!¡± Doul stretched, yawning as she did so. Outside, chaos and screams still filled the air, but Doul wasn¡¯t worried at all. Everything was going ording to n. The disturbances, the riots, the chaos across all of Phuket¡ªthey had anticipated it all. The reason for restricting the information and even causing the incidents was to exploit the chaos. ¡°A military coup isn¡¯t a threat to humanity, but a coup by ability users is a huge threat. Hah.¡± Doul fiddled with her Taeguk Watch and grinned bitterly. In reality, the people of Phuket were more afraid of ability users¡ªviins¡ªrunning rampant than of tanks or criminals. ¡°The chairman has quite the nasty hobby. Profiting from chaos is fine, but isn¡¯t this too much? Keeping secrets even from her husband.¡± [What did you just say?] ¡°¡­¡­.Nya?¡± [Cut the nonsense.] Beep. A message appeared on the Taeguk Watch. [Doul. You don¡¯t think I kept this situation secret because I dislike Goblin, do you?] ¡°No, no. I wouldn¡¯t misunderstand like that.¡± Instead of the national g, a yin-yang symbolposed of ck and white appeared, and soon the octagonal emblem began to sh continuously. [Goblin must have known about this situation too. But he probably didn¡¯t expect such arge-scale riot to break out so quickly. That person is surprisingly sensible.] ¡°¡­Well, the Deputy Director is more of a radical hero than a viin, right?¡± [That¡¯s true, but if I had told you, he and Gunggi would have flown from Bangkok to Phuket and prevented the incident entirely. That¡¯s just how they are.] ¡°¡­You¡¯ve changed a lot, Chairman.¡± Doul brushed her forehead with one hand. ¡°In the past, you wouldn¡¯t have called us over here and would have let people die.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°Are you following your husband¡¯s disposition now?¡± [Do you want to be a Buddha right now with your nonsense?] ¡°It¡¯s a joke, a joke. Why are you so serious? Haha. Is it ufortable for him to be called your ¡®husband¡¯?¡± [It¡¯s not that I¡¯m ufortable with ¡®husband¡¯; it¡¯s that he¡¯s the one following me, not the other way around.] ¡°¡­Ah, I see.¡± So it was a matter of direction. Doul barely managed to suppress augh. [If he wasn¡¯t following me, he would have rushed to Phuket as soon as he heard the news. The only reason he¡¯s waiting there with Gunggi is because he trusts me.] ¡°Still, you should have informed us beforehand.¡± [Even now, when I tell you, you¡¯re preparing to go to Phuket immediately. How can I exin that? It¡¯s overwork. What woman treats her husband so harshly? Flying to Thand and burning down two inds, and erasing the memories of nearly 70 people?] ¡°¡­I appreciate your consideration, but maybe the Deputy Director is someone who can ovee such things by being immersed in work?¡± Doul spoke cautiously. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about Deputy Director Do being mentally exhausted, it might be better to tell him the truth next time. He prefers straightforwardness over surprises.¡± [¡­But he must be tired.] The Chief¡¯s voice dropped slightly. ¡°Chairman.¡± Doul continued, trying not tough. ¡°Deputy Director Do and the other executives are all doing their best to assist you. While your consideration is appreciated, sometimes it can be counterproductive.¡± [Then, what should I do? He¡¯s about to teleport to Phuket with Gunggi.] ¡°Um¡­ First, exin why you didn¡¯t tell him, and then say this one thing, and he¡¯ll instantly feel better.¡± Doul whispered softly.
[I¡¯m sorry again for not informing you beforehand. And.] [And?] [¡­You know I love you a lot, right?] [¡­¡­.] Wait a minute. Time stopped. [I¡¯ll make sure to give you overtime payter¡­ Don¡¯t overdo it.] [¡­¡­I love you a lot too, Chairman.] [¡­¡­I know. Just don¡¯t get into trouble while you¡¯re tired! Got it?!] [Of course.] Click. The Chief unterally ended the call. I covered my Taeguk Watch with one hand and took a deep breath. [Gunggi. What do we do?] This was serious. [All my mana is fully restored.] ¡°¡­Wow, look at your eyes shining. Are you that happy?¡± [Yeah. I feel so clear-headed right now that I could work non-stop.] The Chief didn¡¯t tell me about the riot? Because she loved me. She was worried because she loved me and didn¡¯t want me to be exhausted. How could I use her ofcking trust when she didn¡¯t say anything because she was worried about the man she loves copsing? ¡®I totally understand.¡¯ She sent another team because she wanted her man to rest more. There¡¯s no reason to be angry about that. [Gunggi.] ¡°Yes.¡± [Full deployment. We¡¯ll unite immediately. We¡¯ll go as the Sephirot Knights, not as Goblin.] ¡°¡­Union is fine, but if you go as the Sephiroth Knights, you¡¯ll get really tired.¡± [It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t you smell something burning?] No fatigue. [My heart is burning with love right now.] ¡°Ew.¡± [¡­¡­.] Chapter 253: Manufactured Heroes (5) Chapter 253: Manufactured Heroes (5) At that moment, in southern Phuket. ¡°Leader! The prisoners are being taken down one by one! It seems someone is suppressing them right now!¡± ¡°¡­That can¡¯t be. The heroes should be at Coral Ind, shouldn¡¯t they? The remaining heroes must have been subdued by the viins we released!¡± The middle-aged soldier with graying hair frowned as he examined the satellite map on the disy. ¡°Damn it, those viin bastards¡­! Did they escape?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like they escaped. A-grade viins, including Phupatpong, are all advancing towards the Hero Alliance, and other viins are also confronting the remaining heroes of Phuket all over the streets.¡± ¡°Then where the hell did these heroese from?¡± ¡°Well, that¡­¡± ¡°Damn it. It doesn¡¯t matter if ghosts we can¡¯t identify are showing up or not, it¡¯s not important.¡±The soldier, who could be called the leader of the southern corps and the son of General Jeokrang¡ª¡®Chairai¡¯¡ªshouted into his Thai Watch close to his face. ¡°Aah! Imand all troops. No matter what, after attacking the Hero Alliance, rescue our ¡®forces¡¯! If we can just rescue those guys, we can fight again!¡± The screen of themand headquarters pointed to the front of the Hero Alliance. ¡°Tell the viins to somehow break through Jeongguk Heungdo Wang! Damn it, what is this in a foreign country!¡± A woman, Jeongguk Heungdo Wang, was fighting desperately against several A-grade viins. The desperate struggle of a woman guarding the main gate of the Hero Alliance against several prisoners could be seen as admirable, but to Chairai and the rebels, she was a very annoying existence. After all, that woman was from Vietnam. She had nothing to do with Thand, but had intervened in themotion twice, using her abilities while on vacation in Thand. ¡°Damn it¡­! Why doesn¡¯t she just go back to her own country!¡± ¡°General! Urgent news! The heroes are expected to return to Phuket within 30 minutes!¡± ¡°What? Did they take a ne?!¡± ¡°N-no! That¡¯s¡­!¡± The disy screen showed another location. Two screens, one showing a speedboat with several people aboard, cutting through the white waves on the sea. The speed wasparable to that of a sports car on the Autobahn, and it was definitely not a speed that could be achieved by the motor of a speedboat. [Rai Rai Cha Cha Cha!] With a shout, ability users in red octagonal hats were rowing frantically from side to side. The oars looked crudely made, as if they were cut from iron tes instead of being regr oars. But no matter how crude they were, if they were imbued with magic power and rowed by ability users, the story changed. ¡°Damn it, what are those guys doing! Coming to a foreign country and doing this! What are they doing by putting ability users in the military!¡± One could say they were bringing strong ability users aboard the boat, but no one could give a straight answer. Another screen. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± [Rai Rai Cha Cha Cha!!] [I¡¯ming to save you now!] One person was swimming directly in the sea, while another was running on the water. The speed was faster than that of the ability users rowing to the rhythm. Adding a bit of exaggeration, it seemed like it would take less than an hour to cross the sea from Coral Ind to Phuket. ¡°Crazy monsters¡­.¡± For Chairai, who was just an ordinary(?) special forces soldier, those absurd physical abilities made his skin crawl several times. So when those monsters went to Coral Ind, he acted immediately, but now the situation was getting worse, causing a creeping sense of unease. If. If it became a coup d¡¯¨¦tat instead of a revolution, if it just turned into a failed rebellion. Restoring General Jeokrang¡¯s honor and taking over this country would be impossible. ¡°Damn it¡­! Sucking on Korea¡¯s warm teat and just spreading their legs¡­! That¡¯s why there are so many Kosians crawling like ants in this country¡­!¡± No one contradicted his explosive words. It didn¡¯t matter what was important now; they were ¡®purebloodists¡¯ even within General Jeokrang¡¯s troops. ¡°Tell the viins! We must, absolutely must, secure those young ones! Before it¡¯s discovered that we¡¯ve imnted chips in their heads!!¡± Chairai shouted, veins bulging in his neck. ¡°Secure the human weapons and use them to take over Phuket!!¡± It had to be done. Otherwise¡ª ¡°Sir, General!¡± ¡°What now!¡± ¡°The main gate of the Hero Alliance has been breached!¡± ¡°!!¡± Finally. The sound of victory rang out.
¡°¡­It hurts. Damn.¡± The ss window at the main gate of the Hero Alliance shattered. Her body flew towards the ss and crashed into the lobby of the Alliance, with no strength left in her legs. ¡°Hahaha! As they say, there¡¯s no strength against numbers! No matter how much Jeon Heungdao is renowned, it¡¯s just a fancy name!¡± ¡°Annoying gori.¡± ¡°Gori? My name is Phupatpong! Just like your name is ¡®Reina¡¯!¡± Phupatpong stepped inside, trampling on the broken main gate of the Alliance with dirty feet. Other A-grade viins also started entering one by one, licking their lips. ¡°Should we kill her?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a big deal if we killed Korea¡¯s second-ss colonial hero. Huhu.¡± ¡°Talking nonsense when she¡¯s not even dead yet. And who¡¯s the second-ss colonial hero? Hoo.¡± Jeongguk Heungdo Wang, Reina, pressed her trembling legs with her hands and managed to stand up. She couldn¡¯t stand on both legs, so she had to lean against the lobby counter, but she still steadied her breath with determination burning in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not down yet. Come at me, you bastards. Do you think I¡¯d lose to some idiots who got tricked?¡± ¡°Tricked? Who? Us? Haha. Foolish woman.¡± Phupatpong sneered, tapping his temple. ¡°Did you really think we¡¯d believe that nonsense about bombs imnted in our heads?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°If so, that¡¯s unfortunate. We¡¯re the kind who don¡¯t even listen to our parents. We know it¡¯s all lies. But the reason we¡¯re still participating in this rebellion is¡­.¡± Bang! Phupatpong stomped on the ground. The marble floor shattered instantly, scattering pieces everywhere, some of which hit Reina¡¯s body. ¡°It¡¯s just because we want to wreak havoc!!¡± ¡°¡­Even if it means causing civilian casualties?¡± ¡°Civilian casualties? Who cares? It¡¯s not my house that¡¯s getting destroyed, and it¡¯s not my life on the line. Haha.¡± ¡°You¡¯re truly hopeless¡­!¡± ¡°You lost to the hopeless. Haha.¡± ¡°In a one-on-one, you wouldn¡¯t stand a chance¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of the top three things defeated heroes say.¡± Phupatpong thudded forward. ¡°Step aside. Out of respect for a strong opponent, if you retreat now, I¡¯ll only knock you out gently.¡± ¡°And after you knock me out? That guy back there licking his lips won¡¯t stay put, will he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my concern.¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t back down.¡± Reina clenched her fists tightly. Her weapon was broken and her legs badly injured, leaving her with nothing but the strength in her fists. ¡°If I back down here, I won¡¯t be able to face the people who gave me the name Jeon Heungdao¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again.¡± Phupatpong raised his right fist high. ¡°That¡¯s not my concern!!¡± Swoosh!! A magic-infused punch rushed towards Reina. Reina clenched her fists and tried to counter it like a shot put, but the magic in her punch dimmed like a light bulb running out of power. ¡°Oh¡­!¡± At this rate¡ª Crash!! The ss ceiling of the lobby shattered, and a dark figure fell below. The dark figurended on Phupatpong, kicking him in the head. ¡°Aargh!!¡± Phupatpong fell backward, receiving the ss shards directly on his head, even getting his face kicked. Though he protected himself with magic, his face was bleeding from a broken nose and split lips. Thud. Something akin to steelnded on the floor. Wearing silver boots reminiscent of a beast and a suit like steel, holding three sharp-wed file bunkers in each hand, the figure appeared. The head resembled a ¡®dragon,¡¯ and the entire body was pitch ck. ¡°Who¡­ who are you¡­!¡± The viins formed a semicircle, aiming their weapons. The sudden appearance of the armored figure was unlike the popr riders in Korea. [Who am I?] The grammatically incorrect words. Without opening its mouth, the helmet shaped like a dragon¡¯s head, with blood-red eyes, scanned the viins. [Curious. Then who are you?] ¡°Don¡¯t answer a question with a question!¡± One viin aimed his bow at the figure and shot an arrow. Yellow magic formed the arrow that rushed towards the figure, but the wing-like object on the figure¡¯s back came forward and became a shield. ng! The hexagonal shield formed bybining from both sides easily deflected the arrow and then split back to the sides, forming wings again behind the figure. ¡°Th-that just now¡­! The emblem on that shield! It¡¯s that, that!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Sephiroth!! It¡¯s simr to the emblem shown by that Dark Charisma or whatever!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.!!¡± Sephiroth. At that word, the viins¡¯ hearts sank. ¡°T-this crazy¡­! Are you also that Dark Charisma or whatever!!¡± [That name is not mine.] Click. The figure stepped forward, shing sharp silver ws. ¡°D-don¡¯te closer!!¡± [Don¡¯te closer?] The viins attacked the figure, but it stood still in front of Reina without budging. [Weak.] ¡°C-crazy¡­! Is that a magic shield¡­?!¡± ¡°Aaah! Get, get lost! You monster!¡± [Get lost?] sh. [I do not take orders from those weaker than me.] Chapter 254: Manufactured Heroes (6) In this world, many cultural elements have changed since the Great Cataclysm. This had been mentioned several times already, so there was no need to borate further. However, there was one crucial piece of information regarding the Sephiroth Knights. The Tree of Sephiroth had a total of 10 positions. One of these positions wpi;d be taken by the ¡®Dark Charisma.¡¯ The Chief waspletely taken by the Sephiroth Knights. Indeed, settings like Sephiroth, Qliphoth, and angels were sufficient to stimte something in ability users. -Director Do? Bring the other 9 concepts. It will plunge the world into even more confusion. The Chief demanded I bring nine more concepts. The Sephiroth Knights were entirely different from the Secret Society, but the purpose of the knights established through the Dark Charisma was ¡®world peace¡¯ and ¡®justice.¡¯ In other words, the path of a hero.I didn¡¯t know why the Chief suggested various aspects of the hero¡¯s path to me, but I had to conceive and imagine various concepts. But I was neither a writer nor a creator, so how could Ie up with an image? Should I just attach attributes to something usible like the names of fantasy beasts and establish a concept? I thought, then realized my strengths as a reader, a cultural content consumer, and a possessor. Cultures that did not exist in this world. If I applied those here, they would be my originals. As I said before, that was then, and this was now. And to be honest, there was something I wanted to say. There were parts I couldn¡¯t bear while being neither Do Ji-hwan nor the Goblin. Even if I acted strangely, it¡¯s not me. People mightugh and burst out in madughter, whether they were allies of justice or the ck figure in the dragon suit overwhelming viins here. They werepletely separate beings. So, I could ¡®conceptualize¡¯ properly once. Just like when I went wild as the Dark Charisma, I can go wild now. [Is this all? Weak.] I was just a bit stressed from being in Thand. This much was fine. Maybe. Fulfilling a bit of a romance. [Too weak. Not a match.] ¡°Kuh¡­!!¡± I lightly subdued the viins with therge ws, ¡®Dragon Killer,¡¯ equipped in my hands. [I didn¡¯t hit vital points. They won¡¯t die.] ¡°Y-You¡¯re toying with us¡­!¡± [I have something to ask.] Instead of catching the dragon, I stabbed the viins¡¯ legs with ws, making holes in their legs, rendering them unable to move on the ground. [Why do you live your lives like that?] ¡°W-What¡­!¡± [I can¡¯t understand. Being born with abilities, yet living like this. Is that the meaning of your lives?] Like asking a Zen question, I scratched their insides. [Is tormenting and hurting others the purpose and meaning of your lives?] If the original asked these questions in a journey to find oneself, I, sorry to the original, ask these questions to mock and belittle the opponent. [Is trampling life recklessly the purpose of you as humans?] ¡°Y-You bastard¡­! Just because you¡¯re strong, spouting nonsense¡­!¡± Oops. Caught. ¡°You think you¡¯re so great?! You¡¯re just like us!¡± [You think I¡¯m like you?] I strode towards the viin who shouted at me. Pretending to be excited by the viin¡¯s words, I aimed the Dragon Killer at the viin, who was pretending to be emotionless. [No. I¡¯m different. I don¡¯t live my life like you.] ¡°K-Kuh¡­! You say that while sticking those ws into a human and grabbing their cor!!¡± [I didn¡¯t stab a human. I just disposed of trash.] Thud! I mmed the viin I was holding by the cor to the ground with my ws. [Trash needs to be removed. There¡¯s no ce for trash like you in this world.] Blood was gushing out from the hole in his thigh, but an A-rank ability user wouldn¡¯t die from such an attack. [You¡¯re trash. Twisted trash whose purpose in life is distorted. People like you only make this world suffer and darken.] I raised my ws, emitting killing intent. [Trash disposal.] Just as I was about to strike to kill, a shadow jumped out from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t kill¡­!¡± Jeongguk Heungdo Wang, Reina, stood in front of me. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you can¡¯t kill them now!¡± If she knew I was the Goblin, she would have acted differently. But now, as a hero burning with a sense of justice, she blocked me from killing the viin. ¡®Does she know?¡¯ No. Did she notice the Sephiroth Knights¡¯ insignia on the shield I held up? The Sephiroth Knights, in name, were a group advocating justice, but in reality, they were a cosy group of the Secret Society. [Why shouldn¡¯t I kill them?] ¡°The decision to kill or spare them is the role of this country¡¯sw! And killing this trash will only dirty your hands!¡± [¡­¡­I don¡¯t understand. Weren¡¯t you just about to be killed by these people?] ¡°That¡¯s a different issue!¡± [Is that so? Then, I won¡¯t kill them.] I sheathed the Dragon Killer and scanned my surroundings again. ¡®The viins who attacked the Hero Association have been repelled for now. It¡¯s about time Nguyen and the other heroes arrive at the association.¡¯ It¡¯s about time to strike the leadership on this side as well. [I have no further interest here.] ¡°Wait, just a moment!!¡± It¡¯s not Jeongguk Heungdo Wang. It was Phupatpong, who was lying on the ground bleeding profusely after being stomped on by me. ¡°You, you! If we¡¯re trash, what does that make you!!¡± [To find that out, I¡¯m on the move.] p. [Until I find the reason I came to this world.] Using the shield on my back as wings, I infused it with magic power. I didn¡¯t have the ability to fly, but the magical suit created using the Goblin bat and Gunggi¡¯s magic lifted me into the sky. Swoosh. I flew forward, scanning the distance. Deliberately extending both arms forward, I soared through the air like Superman. ¡°Hey, over there!!¡± Some people below spotted me, while others cursed and ran away upon seeing me. Even though I hadn¡¯t shown this form publicly, it was clear that I shouldn¡¯t be messed with. Those who saw me swiftly subdue the A-ss viins that attacked the association building would be even more terrified. The same applied for non-superhumans. Thud! Inded in a ce that resembled a barrack. As soon as my feet touched the ground, the sound of a gunshot echoed, and countless bullets were fired at me. Rat-a-tat-tat. I enhanced the suit with more magic power, forming a protective shield. The bullets couldn¡¯t even scratch the suit. I approached the man gritting his teeth at me, extending the Dragon Killer to his neck. [Found you. The source of the distortion.] ¡°Ugh¡­! You monster¡­!¡± [If I kill you, this chaos will surely end. But first, I have a question.] I deliberately bided my time. I had to stall with riddles until the heroes arrived and I could hand over the ringleader of this coup to them. [Why do you live?] ¡°What¡­?¡± [Do you live to kill people and plunge the world into chaos? Is that your life¡¯s purpose?] ¡°¡­Hmph! Sending someone as insane as you, talking about Sephiroth or whatever! You¡¯re just a monstrously strong fool!¡± Chairai, the coup leader who lied about nting bombs inside viins and prisoners, pointed his gun at me. ¡°The world falls into chaos because of ignorant kids like you! I wonder what kind of parents raised you!¡± [Do you have parents who raised you?] ¡°What¡­?!¡± Chairai¡¯s face turned bright red in an instant. [Is that so. You don¡¯t have any.] I apologized to the original, but there was no better insult. ¡°Die!!¡± Bang! A bullet flew toward my face. Just before the impact of the shot reached my face, I infused my helmet with magic power, deflecting the bullet instantly. [You, too, are someone who cannot give an answer.] Click. I infused the Dragon Killer with magic power. The heroes hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but there was no need for pretense; the man in front of me was destined for execution. Without the coup, the number of people who would have died in Phuket would have been thousands, maybe tens of thousands. [I will kill you, trash, and quell the chaos in this city.] ¡°¡­Ha, haha.¡± Chairai let out a hollowugh. ¡°Why do I live? That¡¯s obvious. For my father¡¯s revenge.¡± [Didn¡¯t you say you had no parents who raised you?] ¡°Yes. Now I don¡¯t. Both of them are gone, and one was betrayed by this country and killed!!¡± [Betrayed¡­?] The absurdity made me momentarily speechless. ¡°Therefore, everyone must die!! I will destroy this country that betrayed my father!!¡± As Chairai continued to shout, something on theputer screen turned red. ¡°Haha. No matter how much of a monster you are¡­.¡± He smirked. ¡°You can¡¯t stop a missile strike¡­!¡± [¡­¡­!!] In the distance. Beyond the night sky, several red lights sparkled. I then stabbed the Dragon Killer into Chairai¡¯s thigh, crippling his leg, and soared into the sky. This. I couldn¡¯t ignore it. ¡°Red Brassard! Missiles are heading towards Phuket!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­!!¡± He could see them. Somehow dragged to theunch site, multiple missiles were arching towards Phuket. A-ss heroes could survive a missile strike. But the missiles were heading towards the city center, the residential areas. ¡°Jenzaaaaaang!!¡± He clenched his fists in frustration at his helplessness. ¡°That, that is?!¡± Something ck was flying towards the missiles. Chapter 255: Manufactured Heroes (7) Looking at this world so far, the world after the Great Cataclysm, there was a thought. Could the existing firearms suppress the ability users? They knew it was difficult, but wouldn¡¯t it be possible if they did it well? Although General Jeokrang had starkly shown how the military had already been ruined by ability users, humans couldn¡¯t truly understand unless they experienced it themselves. There were no official records. There¡¯s no record that said, ¡°We shot a missile at an ability user and killed them,¡± at least none that were known. If there were even one such case, everyone would have stuck missiles into the bellies of ability users, but regrettably, even if it happened, there wasn¡¯t a single case where an ability user was killed. It¡¯s the same now. I brought my arms together.I gathered magic power in front of the Dragon Killer, like a cavalry spear. At the same time, I emitted magic power from my back, spinning my body. [ze Tornado.] I urately thrusted the Dragon Killer into the missile¡¯s nose. The magic de instantly sliced through the steel-d warhead, and swirling mes burrowed into the missile. No matter how long the missile was, if you urately intercepted and destroyed its tip¡­ Even if the detonator exploded and the gunpowder ignited, if you intercepted and tore it apart in the air¡­ And if I prated through the missile before the explosion reached me. BOOOOOOM!! It¡¯s very easy to make a missile explode in the air. [Weak.] Even if the explosion resulted in missile debris scattering in all directions, it would simply melt down from the heat and scatter as ash. No harm to civilians. Only small sparks drifted down, like fireworks embers falling to the ground. [Did you really think you could take me down with just a missile?] I turned my head in the direction I had just flown from. I remain suspended in the air, dispersing the swirling mes around my body to gather magic power. ¡®The situation is almost over.¡¯ Two heroes were running from far away. Nguyen and Red Brassard, the heroes who went to Coral Ind, were rushing to guard the front of the Hero Association. And behind the Association. There were also children who, although armed, aimed their guns not at civilians but at the viins and prisoners causing themotion. ¡®How much training did those kids receive at the Marine Academy to already step forward like that?¡¯ Those kids were probably the ones truly searching for their true selves. Not ves of Lace, but those seeking to be new beings in this world; those kids were the ones. Although I couldn¡¯t directly say anything to those kids right now, I had done my part by saving them and providing an environment for them to live in this society. If I were to do something more, it would be to show the path that ability users must take going forward. ¡®They wouldn¡¯t just fire one shot.¡¯ The aggro was on me now. If the rebel leader, Chaipai, wasn¡¯t trying to blow up the entire Phuket street but was aiming to blow me up, or if they intended to blow up the entire city along with me. If they intended tounch multiple missiles to destroy the entire city. It would be the perfect situation to show the prestige of an ability user. The best would be if they gave up without such an incident, but¡­. ¡®That¡¯s unlikely.¡¯ Viins were always like that, crossing the line whenever they were cornered. Gugu. Beyond the horizon, something shone in the sky. That light was not just one or two, but multiple lights that flew towards me and the city, precisely tracing a parab. ¡®Maximum magic power.¡¯ Ready to receive Doul¡¯s help if necessary, I gathered all my magic power and Gunggi¡¯s magic power. Leaving just enough magic power to maintain transformation, I gathered all the remaining magic power into both hands to create a sphere. The principle was a kind of artificial sun. Within the magic sphere, the atoms of magic power continuously collided,pressed, and synthesized. Even if I didn¡¯t know much about this, Gunggi did. Since I was now in union with Gunggi, actual magic synthesis and producing the desired firepower were handled by Gunggi. All I thought about was what kind of firepower this small sphere could produce and how to throw it. sh. Before I knew it, several missiles came into view. They were clustered together as if they were haphazardly fired, aiming to destroy the Hero Association along with my trajectory. It¡¯s rather convenient. No need to deal with each one individually, just sweep them all at once. It¡¯s time to clearly show the power of S+ rank. It¡¯s time to show that abilities didn¡¯t just kill or oppress others with violence, but could also save an entire city. Of course, it might also instill the perception that ¡®ability users are dangerous.¡¯ But if their existence was protecting them, humanity would trust the ability users. Only one concern. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Original or trantion. I pondered for a moment, but I raised the magic sphere synthesized by Gunggi high up. There¡¯s no time to hesitate. Considering a skill name and missing the timing, letting the missile hit the city? There couldn¡¯t be anything more ridiculous than that. -Follow your heart. If the Chief was obsessed with the Sephiroth Knights, then I should use it ording to the concept of Sephiroth. [Hesed Force.] There was only one thing to do. This gigantic artificial sun that will swallow all the missiles. Just throw it forward. With Gunggi, who I was in union with, I threw the sphere. The massive sphere, shimmering in a crimson light, flew towards the missiles, swallowing them all and causing an even bigger explosion. BOOOOOOM!!! Towards the sky where the missiles wereing from. A huge pir of mes spread out, as if a golden tree was rising. Ah. [Weak.] I was satisfied. ¡°¡­Crazy.¡± A curse came out naturally. It was funny how a curse came out as an exmation without realizing it, but how could such words note out after seeing that scene? Fwoosh. Amidst the exploding mes decorating the air, the ck dragonman was just standing there. As if this was only natural, quietly and still floating in the sky. At some point. Red Brassard, Jeong Gong-in, heard such stories when he first joined the military. That the modern military could no longer counter ability users. For Jeong Gong-in, who had seen soldiers striving for national security under his father¡¯s influence from a young age, it was something that made no sense. No matter how strong an ability user was, could a single person defeat the military? He seemed to see a partial answer to that question now. How would you deal with that? If that thing flew to the Korean Penins and struck Busan with that attack, would the city be safe? Even if we showered it with missiles until it died, would it even die? ¡°¡­Ha, haha.¡± The only fortunate thing was that this monster didn¡¯t seem to intend to harm people for now. That was a great relief. ¡°¡­Wow.¡± Behind me, the children¡¯s exmations echoed. ¡°So cool.¡± The children¡¯s reaction mixed with profanity was just pure admiration for the power. Unlike him, who had to think about political issues and security concerns, the children purely admired the power of the strong monster as an ability user. They could have been jealous, but the disy was so overwhelming that they didn¡¯t even feel jealousy. ¡°Instructor. Can we¡­ be like that too?¡± A trainee asked cautiously. The child, who looked dark with deep dark circles under his eyes, began to have eyes that sparkled with light. The bright lights reflected in his pupils were still the mes and explosions decorating the sky, but the trainee was clearly looking straight up at those lights. ¡°Ah. Of course.¡± Jeong Gong-in clenched his fists. ¡°You too can be like that. In Korea, A-rank ability users have risen to S-rank. Surely you can do it too. You can¡­ start learning from now.¡± In any training, setting a goal was always important. ¡°Sometime, the ones who intercept all the missiles and save the citizens will not be that unknown existence, but you will be the ones to intercept all the missiles flying towards you.¡± And if. If that monster flew instead of missiles, the ones to intercept that monster would also be the ability users. Yes. If modern firearms and the military couldn¡¯tpletely suppress the ability users. ¡°You are ability users, but you will be true soldiers of this country, protecting the security of the nation and the world. Understand!¡± ¡°¡±¡°Yes¡­!!¡±¡°¡° Ability users could be soldiers. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go out to the field now! Arrest the viins and prisoners, and rescue the citizens! Move quickly, Assei! We are soldiers who save citizens!¡± ¡°¡±¡°Ahhhh!!¡±¡°¡° The ability user children, wearing red caps and red T-shirts, ran towards the streets all at once. Not to kill someone. But to save the citizens, just like that existence who intercepted the missiles. Chapter 256: Manufactured Heroes (8) Chapter 256: Manufactured Heroes (8) To some, it might seem like odd behavior, but in the world of abilities, it was known as ¡®style¡¯. Especially if you followed a verified style exactly and respected and mimicked it as closely as possible, you could touch people¡¯s emotions. The fact that I personally achieved it made me very satisfied. More than satisfaction, due to the intense fatigue, I could no longer continue the battle. I was really burned out. I had to destroy several missiles at once, using a bit too much magic power to ensure not a single one fell on the city, and now I was practically incapacitated for battle. To put it metaphorically, it¡¯s like usually keeping my smartphone battery at least 20% charged, but now it¡¯s dropped below 5%. ¡®Did I overdo it?¡¯ I was hovering in midair just in case more missiles came, but even if they did, it would be hard to muster the strength to counter them.¡®If I have to fight more here, I might have to squeeze out everything to thest drop.¡¯ At that time, ourbination might break, and I might lose all my magic power and revert. Fighting was fine. But there were parts that must not be revealed. ¡®It must not be revealed that I am Goblin and Gunggi.¡¯ Someone might see me and think, ¡®Those are actually from the Society!¡¯ but it¡¯s more important that they think, ¡®Isn¡¯t that another leader from Sephiroth!¡¯ rather than thinking I was from the Society. Not being discovered was crucial. To avoid being discovered, I needed to move beyond this space, but in my current state, Gunggi was in no condition to move. ¡®I used too much magic power.¡¯ Space teleportation was not something that could be done easily. In the past few days, Gunggi had been using space teleportation continuously, and although magic power was replenished intermittently, more mana was used than supplied. Fortunately, no more missiles came. Instead, something else approached us. ¡°Abduct!¡± [That¡¯s fortunate.] With a cheerful voice, the green-haired woman behind me, Doul, pushed my back amidst the explosion. Swoosh¡ª As we threw ourselves into the green dimensional portal created by Doul, wended directly in a hotel room near Phuket. [Unity release.] As soon as I reverted, Iid Gunggi down on the bed. ¡°Hah, hah, hah¡­.¡± ¡°Sleep. Rest well.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Having used the technique called Hesed Force and handled all the calctions I should have done, Gunggi was utterly exhausted. Iid her down in afortable position to help her recover some magic power. ¡°Does your presence here mean I don¡¯t need to step up anymore?¡± ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t need to step up in that form anymore.¡± Doul grabbed my face. Just when I wondered what she was doing, she frowned and pinched my cheek. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to use mana until your limit?¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. Didn¡¯t you use mana until just before you reverted?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As expected of Doul. True to her sharp senses, she immediately grasped the state of both me and Gunggi. ¡°The president didn¡¯t tell you to rest for no reason. Tsk. You must have been so hyped after hearing from the president that you went berserk. The one who always leaves 30% mana now has used up all his mana.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I got hit by Doul¡¯s truth bomb. Honestly, I had nothing to say, as even when my magic power was restored, it was almost like a phantom power. If anyone could fill all their magic power with sheer willpower, everyone would be mentally equipped for battle. I brainwashed myself into thinking ¡®My magic power is fully restored¡¯ and fought. Thanks to the president¡¯s words, I got a quick recharge, but because it was a quick charge, I used up more mana than usual. It didn¡¯t put a strain on my body, but I used mana until just before reaching my limit. As a result, I now needed at least a few days of recovery to fight as before. ¡°Wow. Look at this. What are you going to do? Gunggi¡¯s mana pocket has decreased by more than half.¡± ¡°I regret it.¡± Gunggi¡¯s mana pocket was a serious matter. ¡°It really irritates me that the mana pocket and your stamina are still the same size even when you¡¯re reflecting.¡± ¡°Magic power and vitality are different things.¡± My MP ran out, but my stamina didn¡¯t. ¡°The rebel leader?¡± ¡°The subordinates are taking care of everything. The heroes on the streets are subduing the viins now.¡± Doul turned on the TV and pointed to the live broadcast channel. -Oh my! Those children¡­! These are the children rescued from the ind! Kids trained at the Korean Marine Academy are now wearing octagonal hats and rescuing citizens! The reporter¡¯s voice was filled with joy. -Citizens! Can you see this! Heroes are now defeating the viins! Our heroes! Our hope! Hope was evident, and exmations arose that the crisis wasing to an end. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel cheesy when they makements like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think someone who was fighting in full style until just now should be saying that.¡± ¡°My hands and feet don¡¯t cringe, so it¡¯s okay.¡± In fact, if there were recorded footage, I would y it repeatedly for mental satisfaction. The best y. Do¡­. ¡°Um.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about what to call it.¡± ¡°Oh, that? Just call it the Charisma of mes¡­ Oh, just kidding, kidding. But where did youe up with that?¡± ¡°From my mind.¡± I pulled it out from my memory, something that didn¡¯t exist in this world. ¡°Doul. What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Nothing special. As you can see, the rebel leader Chairai¡­.¡± Crunch! The TV made a cheerful sound. The footage showed Nguyen delivering a knee kick to Chairai¡¯s head, who was wearing a pressed helmet, and Chairai fell to the ground with a gun in hand. ¡°They didn¡¯t let him get killed ormit suicide, and they seeded in capturing him like that. Now, one by one, the viins are all being captured. After blocking the missile bombardment, the viins have lost their will to fight. And¡­.¡± Doul lightly tapped her temple. ¡°Chairai lied that bombs were nted in their heads. Once the 70% who fell for the lie realized they weren¡¯t on a timer, they surrendered. Their sentences will increase, and some may even receive the death penalty, but that was their choice.¡± ¡°¡­Choosing death before dying on a timer, or taking as manyrades to the underworld as possible.¡± ¡°Yeah. But now that¡¯s not even possible? Then it¡¯s over.¡± Everything was now over. Iy down next to Gunggi, and Doul gently sat beside us, tapping her Taeguk Watch. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. We¡¯re in the hotel now, so you guys handle the rest. Clean up all the viins. The chairman will step in soon, so make sure there are no more victims.¡± Click. The Taeguk Watch disconnected. I immediately got up and grabbed Doul¡¯s wrist, and she shrugged as if she had expected it. ¡°The chairman stepping in doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯ll use his abilities.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a relief. If the chairman steps in, someone would rush out immediately.¡± Doul pressed my shoulder with her hand again, and Iy back down on the bed. ¡°What did the chairman say about stepping in?¡± ¡°She intends to use the Sephiroth Knights that Director Do has set up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wait a minute.¡± A hypothesis came to mind. ¡°Is he nning to credit all of the Society¡¯s actions to the Sephiroth Knights?¡± ¡°Yes. She let the riots happen with that intention from the start.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It made me realize once again. The Society would use any means necessary. ¡°Creating a situation and acting as heroes. We take the sweetest fruits for ourselves, achieving the Society¡¯s desired oue. Additionally, in the direction Director Do desires the most¡­ And now, it¡¯s starting to be publicized.¡± Doul pointed to the TV. [¡­ording to thetest information, while many viins are being captured one by one, there are many injured but no fatalities counted¡­.] [What do you mean by no fatalities? Does that mean there are many fatalities?] [No, rather¡­ there are none!] Official death count: zero. Thanks to Doul¡¯s team working in the shadows, there were injuries but no deaths. A man whose arm had been severed was being carried to the emergency room with his arm wrapped in bandages, as if someone had reattached it with abilities. And. The TV screen flickered and switched scenes. People would probably say this when they see that scene: ¡°Society¡­?¡± ¡°Not the Society.¡± The Society often made derations with wide-area hacking like that, so they might think it¡¯s the Society, but the one doing that was the Society¡¯s chief, though the official statement was not from the Society. [Humankind.] A gray screen. A mysterious figure resembling a human stood still on the crackling screen. [You are currently facing an unprecedented crisis.] The figure, suddenly appearing, began to speak. [I am ¡®Joan of Arc.¡¯ One who hase back from the future. A returnee.] A mysterious figure iming to be from the future. [Humankind. Find Pandemonium. Find those who create demons. They are behind all incidents. Even this incident.] Joan of Arc bluntly pointed to the culprits. [Humankind. If you do not stop Pandemonium, humanity will perish.] sh. [So I have brought with me from the future, ten apostles who share my will. They are the Sephiroth Knights. The Sefira.] Ten symbols shone behind Joan of Arc. [I am the guardian of Sephiroth. Chosen by the son of the god who created this world, I returned to the past to protect this world.] And behind Joan of Arc, a figure resembling the Holy Spirit spread its arms. [Humankind.] All. [God says, it is time for us to join forces.] It was a show. ¡°¡­Doul. Is that Joan of Arc person our chief in disguise?¡± ¡°No? We hired an actor from Hollywood.¡± ¡°¡­¡­No one will suspect anything.¡± Chapter 257: We Rest Despite The Chaos (1) Chapter 257: We Rest Despite The Chaos (1) It had been three days since the second riot in Phuket, Thand. A lot of things happened, but to summarize it in three lines: One. We eliminated the remnants of Pandemonium. Two. We ced a hero colluding with the Secret Society into a key position within the Thai Hero Association. Three. If we found the demon of Pandemonium, ¡®Hyangdan,¡¯ we just needed to kill her immediately. Other factors were not important issues. Lace was dead, and now Nguyen was the top hero in Thand. The heroes who were aiding Lace were so deeply involved in his corruption that a war crimes trial was necessary. With the army under General Jeokrang wiped out, a massive division disappeared, creating a security vacuum for the country.Until we returned the ves from God¡¯s Resting ce to their hometowns, they were no different from refugees. We needed to continue mental care for the children undergoing Marine Academy training by instructors and officials from Korea. Not only on the Subus Ind but also among ordinary women, we needed to check if Lace created any other dangerous elements. The citizens were anxious due to the two riots in Phuket. Journalists were uncovering and exposing the corruption of the murdered Prime Minister and other politicians. ¡®Those are not my concerns.¡¯ If I had to point out one chaos rted to me, it would be just one. ¡®Sephiroth.¡¯ Everyone was confused about how to organize the process and results of this riot. Amid this, the most important thing everyone agreed on was gathering information on the newly revealed organization. -Looking for witnesses of the Sephiroth Knights! -Who is this person called Joan of Arc? -Who is this incredible being with ten Sephiroth Knights? -Is he truly moving to protect humanity? -Is it true that he came from the future and returned to the past? -Is he a time traveler who mistakenly called himself a regressor? The world was filled with all sorts of chaos, but I did not care at all. Just. ¡°Oppa, how is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s paradise. When did you learn this?¡± ¡°I learned it right after I knew we wereing to Thand.¡± Gunggi and I were just enjoying our remaining vacation. Iy naked on the massage bed, with Yun Hye-ra pressing my body and relieving my fatigue with the Thai massage she had practiced. ¡°Oppa, turn over.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll do the front too?¡± ¡°Do you want me to skip it?¡± ¡°I¡¯mpletely naked right now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal between you and me?¡± ¡°Are you nning to eat me up the moment you see me?¡± ¡°Oh my, you caught me.¡± No matter how chaotic the world was, no matter what worky ahead, we would rest. ¡°Hye-ra, should I apply the oil?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my turn now. Where are you trying to escape by switching?¡± ¡°Even if you say that, you will be the one lying down during the real game.¡± ¡°Hmph. I¡¯ve been adapting continuously for several days, so I¡¯m okay now. I can handle it.¡± Until my magic power waspletely recovered, I had been ordered not to act, so our job now was to do our best to recover. ¡°Really? Truly?¡± ¡°Of course. You know I recover my magic power faster than you, right? You have to face me with just your physical strength, and if I use my magic, I¡¯ll win.¡± ¡°Arrogant words. You think you can win against me? No chance.¡± ¡°Lie down. I¡¯ll give you a proper massage.¡± ¡°Oh my, I said my turn isn¡¯t over yet! And I can massage from above too.¡± ¡°What kind of massage are you nning to give?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll press you hard, so stay still. Hehehe, then, I¡¯ll apply a lot of oil¡­.¡± ¡°What are you doing????!¡± We were really rxed, enjoying a staycation at a hotel in Thand. Even if someone full of magic power appeared and shouted through the window, we focused on our rest. ¡°Did Se-rine? How about joining us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m working right now.¡± ¡°We¡¯re working too. Resting is part of the job. Hurry and finish your work ande.¡± ¡°The work isn¡¯t done until I find the information! Wow, this is too much. Ie back from work, and you guys are getting massages and everything!¡± She looked like she wanted to join, but the problem was that Doul was extremely busy right now. Doul, Hyeon Se-rin, might look like that, but she¡¯s incredibly diligent. ¡°Hey, Yun Hye-ra. Can¡¯t you mobilize your subordinates and gather some information with the Brewers?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done all my work as Gunggi, and my team¡¯s work is also done. Doul¡¯s team should take over and work hard.¡± ¡°Ugh, this is annoying! Why do I have to clean up the mess they made?¡± ¡°Because we ran out of mana.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the Chairman didn¡¯t tell us to stay in Bangkok!¡± ¡°But the Chairman is very satisfied with the results, isn¡¯t she, ¡®ck Dragoon Hesed¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I immediately grabbed Yun Hye-ra, who was making strange noises at me. ¡°Kyaak?!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even officially named it yet, but you¡¯re calling it by the name the world arbitrarily gave it. It seems you need some education.¡± ¡°But people call it Hesed. The technique name you mentioned, ¡®Hesed Force,¡¯ was recorded in audio.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± One of the Sephiroth Knights came to be known as ¡®Hesed.¡¯ -Is he one of the Sephiroth Knights? But what¡¯s his name? -I don¡¯t know. He hasn¡¯t said anything. It seems like he¡¯s searching for something, like the meaning of life. -Didn¡¯t he say his name? Tsk. Let¡¯s see¡­ Found it! Turn up the volume on this video! -Se¡­S? Clearer¡­Hesed Force? Hey! Bring me the Sephiroth-rted documents! Since the concepts of spirituality and angels were pre-existing, people looked up those references and put a dragon yer into the ce of Hesed. -Great! This ¡®ck Dragon Knight¡¯ is now Hesed! -Then what about the other guy? -¡­It¡¯s hard to confirm just by listening to theughter. For now, ce him anywhere. Unlike Hesed, he did give a specific name. And in the other ce was the Dark Charisma. At the center, overseeing the ten Sephiroth, was Joan of Arc, a position filled by an actor hired by the chief. All these were avatars of the Goblin. The remaining eight positions had been somewhat outlined regarding the concept and ¡®form¡¯ they will take. ¡°Director Do, listen carefully. Next time, you¡¯ll unite with me and be a Sephiroth Knight!¡± First, with the executives. Unlike the Dark Charisma, who only received magic power, ck Dragoon Hesed disyed his ability based on Gunggi¡¯s magic property, ¡®me.¡¯ Naturally, if he were to base it on Doul¡¯s magic property, ¡®wind,¡¯ he would show a different form from both Dark Charisma and Hesed. ¡°¡­That¡¯s easier said than done.¡± ¡°Find a concept somehow! Gunggi united with me and took a Sephiroth position; next time, you must unite with me and take one too!¡± Hyeon Se-rin seems eager to act as a Sephiroth Knight herself. ¡°It¡¯s a must! Seeing the imaginative Goblin show new techniques like that, we can¡¯t just let it pass!¡± It made sense because, for them, it¡¯s an indirect experience that helped them understand new ways to apply their abilities easily. ¡°Gunggi immediately learned Hesed¡¯sbat style and techniques, so can I expect something even better from you?¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Yun Hye-ra lightly stretched her arms to the sides. Soon, the mes attached to her hands became giant ws, and the des of fire extended forward. ¡°Jealous, Se-rin? Look at this? I got these right after uniting with Oppa.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Se-rin, why don¡¯t you just eat the Dark Charisma? It¡¯s good too.¡± ¡°Hey! Yun Hye-ra, you gathered magic power with us! I don¡¯t want that! I¡¯d rather have a silent warrior than a freak!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± To win against a rival, she would even go to the underworld in a living body, but beingbeled as a freak is disheartening. Next time, I¡¯d have to show a more impressive side. ¡°Ugh, really! If only I could find that woman Hyangdan, I could unite and act as a Sephiroth Knight too¡­!¡± Doul¡¯s current mission: Pursuit. They needed to find the demons of Pandemonium faster than anyone else in the world. ¡°Se-rin.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Fighting Hyangdan is Goblin¡¯s job, not the Sephiroth Knights.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡± And dealing with Pandemonium should be the job of the Secret Society members, not the Sephiroth Knights. ¡°Although the Sephiroth Knights warned Pandemonium, defeating them is the job of the heroes or our Secret Society. We can¡¯t let the credit go to an avatar for removing the main shadow over Thand.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Therefore. ¡°Hye-ra.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I want to use a mana recovery cheat. Is it okay if it¡¯s not in Thand?¡± ¡°Do we need to stay in Thand anymore?¡± Yun Hye-ra immediately got up, and I also finished dressing. ¡°Call for the private jet. Let¡¯s lie down and slowly return to Korea without using mana.¡± ¡°¡­And me?¡± ¡°Se-rin, you stay in Thand and find information.¡± ¡°Wow, seriously¡­! Next time, call me instead of Yun Hye-ra. Got it? Promise!¡± ¡°Of course. If you find Hyangdan, I¡¯ll match you with a very cool knight.¡± There were still six demons of Pandemonium left. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Ulleungdo.¡± To our mana recovery spot. Chapter 258: We Rest Despite The Chaos (2) Chapter 258: We Rest Despite The Chaos (2) -Hey, they say a coup happened in Thand? -It¡¯s not the first time something like that has happened in Central America. -Hey. Thand is in Southeast Asia, you idiot! -What? A coup in Thand? Ah, I was nning to travel to Taiwan. -Taiwan is not Thand! Sometimes, people didn¡¯t care whether there¡¯s a war or a coup happening in another country. -Have some interest in what¡¯s going on! -Why should I? Does my life change spectacrly if I care? I¡¯m busy just making a living. If it¡¯s America, maybe! I have stocks in NASDAQ, so I care about that. Is there anything worth caring about? -The Korean Marine Captain, Red Brassard, is currently training Lace¡¯s abandoned children with his instructors!-What? Marines? Ugh, isn¡¯t it just spreading their influence to another country? Even if the news talked about this and that, and people on the inte discussed it, it rarely reached the general public. -Anyway, something¡­ Wow! Sephiroth Knights! So cool! -The new article about them is quite decent. Last time, it was just some arrogant guy running wild. -Really? No sense of restraint¡­ is that it¡­? However, when it¡¯s about extraordinary abilities that became global issues, the story felt different. As soon as we got off the ne, people¡¯s conversations, smartphones, and earphones were filled with information about the Sephiroth Knights. Not just in personal conversations, but in the media too. ¡°As soon as we arrived at the airport, the first thing I saw in the lobby was an analysis article on the Sephiroth Knights.¡± Aftering out of Yangyang Airport¡¯s lobby and arriving in Korea with Yun Hye-ra, the first Korean broadcast we saw was a current affairs program on a wall-mounted TV. [Sephiroth, what is it?] To the general public, the term or concept of Sephiroth might be unfamiliar, so analysts were exining what Sephiroth is and who Joan of Arc was in a way that people could easily understand. -So what is Sephiroth, nerd? -The Tree of Sephiroth is a diagram used in the Kabbh, a mystical branch of Judaism¡­ -We don¡¯t need a guy reading from Wikipedia! -Hmph. Just think of it as ten archangels! -Oh, I kind of get it now. That was good enough. -So is the Dark Charisma an angel too? -¡­You could roughly say they¡¯re an angel from the future sent to save humanity. In that sense, aren¡¯t they an angel? If the future is destroyed by demons, God could designate one human as His only begotten son. -Is it like a futuristic version of the Second Coming of Jesus¡­plicated. If a group called the ¡®Red Guards¡¯ caused a terror attack in the U.S., you could infer their purpose and principles from the name ¡®Red Guards.¡¯ But unlike other groups, the Sephiroth Knights were probably good guys. At least they must be angels, meant to fight demons, right? If that¡¯s the case, that¡¯s good. Even though the name might be different, you can guess some of its characteristics from where the name was taken. ¡°Oppa. Are people in Korea interested in the Sephiroth Knights too?¡± ¡°Well, they did show their strength by smashing Susanoo¡¯s head in Busan¡¯s offshore. They must be satisfied knowing there¡¯s another Sephiroth Knight¡­ wait a minute.¡± As we were about to leave the airport lobby, a man holding a red megaphone was shouting loudly. ¡°The Sephiroth Knights are the salvation sent to us by God!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It¡¯s not umon to see someone shouting in crowded ces, but it¡¯s rare in this era of extraordinary abilities. ¡°Believe in God!¡± [Adapted to the era of extraordinary abilities, the S+ rank ability users sent from the future to the past are to deal with the demons. In other words, the demons of this Pandemonium are extremely dangerous and serious threats¡­.] As the man¡¯s shouting ovepped with a woman¡¯s phone analysis broadcast through her speaker, it was clear the effect of the Chief revealing the Sephiroth Knights publicly was significant. ¡°Scary¡­ So a guy like Duoexini caused chaos in Thand too?¡± ¡°I wondered why Goblin went to Thand. Turns out he went to execute Duoexini¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°Judging by theck of mention from society, they probably missed him? Ah, damn. Hope he doesn¡¯te to Korea out of anger.¡± ¡°Hey. Isn¡¯t it fine since we have Dark Charisma in Korea?¡± People were getting agitated. The civilians who heard the stories from the media are worried about various things, but those in Korea were more concerned about the trouble spreading to their country. ¡°Ah, man. Demons appearing is already troublesome enough, but there are even worse demons that require such monsters to step up?¡± ¡°Rx. Duoexini is dead in Korea. One appeared in Thand, so next time it will be another country, right?¡± ¡°Right? Damn. Hope it appears in another country.¡± It¡¯s a natural concern in a way. ¡°Hopefully the neighboring country¡­ haha.¡± ¡°Why are you saying such scary things?¡± ¡°Well, what does it matter? We were already hit once. As long as it¡¯s not us. As long as it¡¯s not meee!¡± No matter how globalized the world was, if there¡¯s turmoil in Phuket, Thand, and missiles fell on the city, it didn¡¯t have a direct impact on the Korean Penins. ¡°Hey, honestly, I want to see another Sephiroth Knight. Aren¡¯t you curious about what kind of extraordinary ability users came from the future?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ It would be nice if we could make their future technology ours. People are already mimicking the Dark Charisma¡¯s techniques.¡± ¡°Exactly. Soon there will be more people wearing ws on both hands. Haha.¡± Even if a meteorite fell on the opposite side of the Earth, if its damage didn¡¯t affect here at all, it would just be an interesting issue to watch. ¡°Oppa. Let¡¯s just go.¡± Yun Hye-ra pulled my hand. Seeing that I was paying attention to people¡¯s voices, she covered my ears with her hands and pulled me along. ¡°There¡¯s no need to stress over hearing that. People would think differently if they directly experienced what happened in Thand. Right?¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± ¡°Oppa.¡± ¡°Sometimes, I get these thoughts.¡± I held Yun Hye-ra¡¯s hand and left the airport. The car prepared by Yun Hye-ra¡¯s subordinates was waiting for us in the parking lot. I put Yun Hye-ra in the passenger seat before sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°They say knowledge is power, but sometimes, knowledge is poison.¡± ¡°Ignorance is bliss?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± That¡¯s how it felt. I had always felt that way whenever I encountered the darkness of this world, but every time I faced this darkness, the ¡®protagonist¡¯ must have had his mentality chipped away. ¡°No matter how strong someone¡¯s mentality is, they still get stressed. I do too. But now, I think I¡¯m more stressed than when I entered the underground ind of the subus.¡± ¡°When you see people who know nothing?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not that it¡¯s their fault, but it feels a bit that way.¡± It might have seemed like the women beside him were healing him, but whenever the protagonist saw the terrible malice of humans in the dark world, I wondered if his heart was truly healed. ¡°Really, the stress is beyond words.¡± Sometimes, I got these thoughts too. ¡°I think it¡¯s right to wipe everything out.¡± The meteor was right. If all humanity could be euthanized simultaneously by a meteor collision and the destruction of Earth, wouldn¡¯t it bring peace to those suffering all over the world? Sometimes I thought that maybe the answer was for everyone to go to the afterlife together harmoniously. But. ¡°¡­Still, wouldn¡¯t the Chairman worry about this more than I do?¡± Thinking about someone who worried and suffered more about this than I did, my thoughts changed. The woman who knew everything about the world, even seeing the future, did not give up on this world. Instead, she created the Secret Society and decided to save the world. She decided to conquer the world herself and unify the system, bringing awareness to the world by revealing the Sephiroth Knights. In that case, I only supported and followed the Chief¡¯s decision. ¡°Hye-ra.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°If the Chief decided not to conquer the world but to destroy it all, what would you do?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Yun Hye-ra, who was booking a ticket to Ulleungdo from the passenger seat,ughed. ¡°Oppa. Do you know?¡± Yun Hye-ra winked at me with an innocent face. ¡°Just a year ago¡­ around this time. Before you started making your name known in earnest, we had that kind of talk among ourselves.¡± ¡°What kind of talk?¡± ¡°Just, wouldn¡¯t it be better to wipe out everything except for one country.¡± Flinch. ¡°All the other executives agreed. Why? Because they had all been betrayed by humans, by nations, by people. They only had thoughts of wanting to wipe everything out.¡± For a moment, my hands on the steering wheel paused. ¡°And now?¡± ¡°Not anymore.¡± Yun Hye-ra¡¯s hand stroked my thigh. ¡°We found a reason to live. Hehe.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s a relief.¡± I gripped the steering wheel tightly. ¡°Oppa. Until we get on the boat, I need to recharge my magic power.¡± ¡°If we get stopped at a checkpoint, sort it out quickly.¡± ¡°If we say we¡¯re going to Ulleungdo, they¡¯ll just let us through, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Stop. ¡­Pass!¡± What was this reality? Chapter 259: We Rest Despite The Chaos (3) Chapter 259: We Rest Despite The Chaos (3) After arriving at Ulleungdo via Sejong Ind by boat. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t need to worry at all. Any injuries? None at all. ¡­Wow, Seol-hee, I didn¡¯t expect you to care not only for my body but also my mind. I¡¯m touched. Next time we meet, I¡¯ll repay you double for thefort you¡¯ve given me. Yeah. You can look forward to it.¡± ¡°Yes, Yumir. Oh, me? I¡¯m more worried about you. The Lace incident. Oh, you did well. Thank you for saying that, and I¡¯m sorry for worrying you from afar. No, no. I¡¯m currently dealing with ¡®this side¡¯ of things, so I¡¯ll contact you after my business trip when it¡¯s convenient. No need toe. Yes. Thanks for worrying.¡± I contacted Baek Seol-hee and Yumir to check in. Since I was still concerned about the affairs of the Secret Society, especially the Goblin, I had to keep in touch with both of them. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Three minutes of phone calls. Sometimes, the need to quickly convey everything within three minutes due to Cheonriyan could be helpful. Though we kept exchanging texts, once I mentioned I was going to ¡®wash up,¡¯ they stopped sending messages.¡°Oppa, are you done with your calls?¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­Where¡¯s your swimsuit?¡± ¡°Why would we need swimsuits between us?¡± Yun Hye-ra dipped directly into the hot spring. Not just dipped, she sat right in front of me, pressing her hips against me. ¡°Why are you pushing that to such an inappropriate ce? What if someone sees?¡± ¡°Who would see us recovering our mana here?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± Ulleungdo. Secretly observing or watching others here was a serious crime. Voyeurism was an act that disrupted patriotism, obstructed Ulleungdo culture, and negatively impacted national security and world peace. ¡°Hum, hum, hum.¡± ¡°Do you like it that much?¡± ¡°Of course. In Thand, we never knew when or where something might explode, or when we¡¯d have to go out again.¡± As Yun Hye-ra said, we had to stay on high alert in Thand. We never knew when someone might cause trouble, and after Hyangdan¡¯s identity was revealed, we had to move even faster. Inparison, Ulleungdo was different. Though incidents still happened here, at least we couldy down all worries for a moment in this ce. ¡°Oppa, can you give me a massage?¡± ¡°Sure. Where should I start?¡± ¡°Mana pouch.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re direct, really.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll do it, right? Right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I held Yun Hye-ra¡¯s mana pouch and pressed firmly, as she requested. ¡°Haah¡­ Oppa¡¯s hands are the best. I feel alive every time you touch me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Though there were no muscle knots, I couldn¡¯t help but feel she was slightly reducedpared to when we left Korea. ¡°You¡¯ve used a lot of magic power.¡± ¡°Yes. Even if I recover here, I might need at least two months of rest without anybat.¡± ¡°Have I called you too often?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s more because I mainly operated in Korea.¡± I received a lot of help from Gunggi. ¡°Since the Dojirider days, I¡¯ve often used Gunggi as my partner. During the Duoexini incident, I received help from Doul, but thinking about it, I¡¯ve been with you a lot this time.¡± Considering the amount of mana used since April and the recent frequent use of high-mana consumption skills like teleportation, she definitely needs a long rest. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to report to the Chairman and take about two months to recuperate here.¡± ¡°On Ulleungdo?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯sfortable for you to have someone here. Ah, of course, I won¡¯t interfere with your patriotism with others. I¡¯ll just take care of the house and recover my mana here.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ll rush in if something triggers.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s hard to raid the Goblin alone, I¡¯ll step in to support.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll support for a bit and then retire immediately?¡± ¡°Oppa, I¡¯m still one of the Four Heavenly Kings.¡± Yun Hye-ra pouted and nudged me with her body. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m amon mob? I¡¯m not a mob.¡± It didn¡¯t hurt much because we were in the hot spring, but Yun Hye-ra kept pushing back, expressing her dissatisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re strong; it¡¯s not that I¡¯m weak. Do you understand? I¡¯m pretty average.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Seeing you unleash your mana every time, I sometimes get confused if it¡¯s Gunggi or Dochul in front of me. ¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°Which mouth is saying such strange things? Hmm? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Not a fire type but a water type¡­ okay, sorry.¡± I patted Yun Hye-ra¡¯s shoulder as she reached back, then hugged her from behind, sping her hands. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be happy if I used my body to the best of my ability for you, but it seems that¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. Oppa¡¯s vitality is just too much. What would you have done if you weren¡¯t a viin?¡± ¡°Who knows. Maybe I¡¯d be working at a host club in Busan.¡± The name Virile Man Do was not in vain. I had built my body and managed it to be like this now, but before that, it was quite a mess in many ways. Even though people talk about how neat I was now, this was the result of my diligent efforts over the years. I was naturally agile, not strong, and my strength was enough to lift and lower a woman with both hands repeatedly. Most importantly, with the support of magic power, strength didn¡¯t really matter. ¡°Like the subi in Thand, I might have be an incubus in Busan, spreading pleasure to many women.¡± ¡°Well, in that case, you might have been dragged to some ind to be a breeder. Or, a more definitive conclusion might have urred.¡± Yun Hye-ra squeezed my hand tightly and turned her head back. ¡°You might have ended up being tied to some S-ss ability user¡¯s leash, stuck at her house forever. How about that? Doesn¡¯t that scare you?¡± ¡°And why would she imprison me?¡± ¡°Well¡­ maybe because she loves you?¡± ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no need to tie me up.¡± I buried my face in Yun Hye-ra¡¯s shoulder and pulled her closer so she couldn¡¯t escape from my embrace. ¡°If a woman loves me enough to risk the rumors of imprisoning a man, I¡¯d just live in her house forever.¡± ¡°¡­Really? Even if you couldn¡¯t go outside?¡± ¡°It would be nice if the house were spacious. Like an 80-pyeong penthouse where I could walk around and exercise without needing to go out.¡± If someone fed, housed, and provided everything for me, there might be no need to go outside. ¡°And if I could assure her I wouldn¡¯t escape, she¡¯d eventually take me out on dates, right? We could walk around together and enjoy the outside air then.¡± ¡°Oppa, you¡¯re really something. How can you think like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an indoor type. As you know, I don¡¯t like going out much.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you go out a lot and have fun?¡± ¡°That was just because there were many things I wanted to try.¡± I just wanted to experience various cultures of another world, this novel-like Earth. Back in the original world, there would be many things I couldn¡¯t actually do, whether because of money or abilities. ¡°You know what I love the most.¡± ¡°Reading novels?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± The four executives and the chief all knew about my hobby. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the best thing about joining the Secret Society?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The chief understands my hobby and is now whipping authors to make them write.¡± They said creativity came from pain. So, did that mean giving pain would produce creative works? A suspiciously purple-haired, wealthy ability user would be wielding a red whip, urging captured writers somewhere. ¡°Thanks to that, there¡¯s been a humanities boom since the beginning of the year. Although it started more in Europe than in Korea¡­ I just hope it bes more active in Korea someday.¡± That red whip, metaphorically money, is being wielded, and somewhere in a basement, writers are creating new worlds with a single keyboard. ¡°I hope literature for children gradually shifts to stories for adults, just like now.¡± ¡°¡­Is that the reformed subus, Big Mother story?¡± ¡°For now.¡± Maybe because my magic power had somewhat recovered, real-world thoughts wereing back. ¡°What¡¯s the role of Big Mothers? Taking care of children, right? So they should create fairy tales for children.¡± The chief was bringing in web novel authors to squeeze out works for my hobby, but what she ¡®truly¡¯ squeezed out were fairy tales for children, including infants. She focused on creating fairy tales that future generations could read, ensuring that children didn¡¯t be demons and fostering their emotional development. A fairy tale book that gave dreams and hopes without unexpected videos popping up was more effective than any video medium. ¡°When the Secret Society rules the world someday, I¡¯ll also¡­ hmm?¡± A text message arrived. ¡°¡­What?¡± An unexpected sender suddenly sent a message. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°¡­A ghost.¡± I pressed my Taeguk Watch and called the sender. [Hello? Ah, hyung. It¡¯s¡­] ¡°Hyung is patriotically serving in Ulleungdo. Hang up.¡± [¡­] Click. ¡°¡­Oppa, that voice just now.¡± ¡°Yeah. It was Gwang Ik Gong.¡± The number one in Korea. ¡°How dare he.¡± Calling during a sacred patriotic act in Ulleungdo. ¡°Oppa, if it were a girl, you would have continued the call.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 260: The Will Continues (1) Chapter 260: The Will Continues (1) Gwang Ik Gong. To speak directly of his power in his prime, he was someone who could aim for mutual destruction when fighting three executives with all his strength. If four executives fought against him, the Secret Society would win, but the executives would need at least half a year of recuperation. In his prime, that was, around the age of 15 when his imagination and fantasies were exploding, Gwang Ik Gong was truly the strongest. This country, South Korea, was able to assert itself on the world stage thanks to Gwang Ik Gong, and the reason the world thought ¡®the end of the world will note¡¯ was also thanks to Gwang Ik Gong. He died a virgin, though. ¡°Oppa. Do you know what people call someone like you?¡± ¡°What do they call them?¡± ¡°Tsundere.¡±¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Yun Hye-ra and I dressed up and entered a club far from the Ulleungdo pension. You might argue about a club in the sacred patriotic ground of Ulleungdo, but we¡¯re in Busan now. Not Ulleungdo. We moved from Ulleungdo to Busan, where Gwang Ik Gong was staying, via spatial transfer. ¡°If you called and ignored it, it would have been fine, but you even asked me to use magic power toe here. Oppa, you¡¯re definitely a tsundere.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Then why did you use spatial transfer toe to Busan to meet Gwang Ik Gong?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t meet him, you¡¯d think I¡¯m heartless.¡± If it were during a patriotic mission, it would be different, but I could overlook a message during the build-up for patriotism. ¡°And that guy hasn¡¯t contacted me sincest year. He suddenly sent a message, so I came because he might want to be released.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he wants to be released¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but you never know with people. He might have been ovee with reality and wanted to leave.¡± ¡°By leave, you mean going to the afterlife, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± If I had any other thoughts, it would be an unattainable dream. Gwang Ik Gong being ovee with reality and wanting to be released? ¡°That¡¯s impossible. We¡¯ve already tested it and know it can¡¯t happen, so he¡¯s staying in this world as a lingering spirit. ¡°We¡¯re about to arrive¡­ we¡¯re here.¡± The door to the room opened. The person who entered was a tall female bodyguard dressed in a ck suit, someone we knew well. A woman with sharp features and short, ck hair. Her magic power was E-rank, but because of her iconic look that couldn¡¯t be hidden even by a suit, anyone can easily recognize her as a woman. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, ¡®Secretary Kim.¡¯¡± Yun Hye-ra and I raised our sses in greeting. ¡°It must have been tough since that guy wanted toe out suddenly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Serving him is my duty.¡± Secretary Kim bowed her head and pointed behind her. And soon, the problematic existence appeared¡­ ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Gunggi Noona. Hi, hyung.¡± A man with blond hair and blue eyes in a ck suit entered. With a refreshing face and a robust physique, he was enviable even to me, a man. His face was as handsome as a celebrity¡¯s, and his physique was excellent, rivaling mine. If God gave everything to one man, it seemed like He poured everything into this man. Except for one thing. God gave this hero everything but did not allow him to satisfy his desires as a man. ¡°Why did youe in your true form when your mana is draining in real-time? You could havee as a child. This ce is run by the Secret Society.¡± ¡°But it would be problematic if a child entered a bar. Haha, are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Worried? No.¡± Next to me, Yun Hye-ra chuckled and mouthed ¡®tsundere¡¯ to provoke me. I lightly ced my hand on her thigh and flicked her thigh. ¡°If you disappear, others will suffer. You can¡¯t die yet. There are still six of the Seven Deadly Sins left.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. I can¡¯t leave until they all disappear. But it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve figured out the minimum energy consumption to maintain this appearance.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself and just switch to energy-saving mode. No one here will say anything to you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m here for a serious talk today.¡± Gwang Ik Gong insisted on maintaining his true form. ¡°The Sephiroth Knights.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re operating under that concept, right? And The Dark Charisma and Hesed ck War Dragon, both are you, hyung.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it ck Dragon¡­?¡± ¡°In Korea, everyone calls it ck War Dragon.¡± ¡°Then we should follow the Korean term. ¡­But is that me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one else in the Secret Society who would do such a thing.¡± That¡¯s true. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you figured that out without any clues.¡± ¡°The Secret Society¡¯sck of response to the appearance of the Sephiroth Knights is obvious.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who realized that the Sephiroth Knights are the Secret Society¡¯s alter ego without any clues.¡± As expected of this man, the ¡®munchkin¡¯ created by the official setting, his intelligence was outstanding. ¡°So, what do you think is the purpose of the Sephiroth Knights¡¯ existence?¡± ¡°To draw out the Seven Deadly Sins and annihte them. If the Sephiroth Knights continue to publicize the dangers of Pandemonium and show hostility, Pandemonium will eventually have to deal with the Sephiroth Knights.¡± ¡°Alright, then why did you bring up the Sephiroth Knights?¡± ¡°Here. Yunhwa, could you show the video?¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Secretary Kim¡ªKim Yunhwa¡ªtook out a tablet and yed the prepared video. The video was of Joan of Arc¡¯s speech, and Gwang Ik Gong pointed to the middle of the video. ¡°I am a being from the future. And I have returned to the past with ten guardians from the future.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s a lie. I also know that it¡¯s another persona you thought up. Not an actual ability user from the future, but a being created from imagination and fantasy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± There¡¯s no hiding it. He truly possessed abilities that rivaled those of the protagonist and the Chief. Which made it even more regrettable. This man¡ª ¡°Hyung. You¡¯re looking at me like that again?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, damn. I swear, before my soul disappears, I¡¯m going to do it at least once. And I¡¯ll definitely call you before I leave for the afterlife.¡± ¡°Instead of calling me, you should whisper a little more love to your partner.¡± I pointed to Kim Yunhwa sitting next to Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°Secretary Kim is 20 years old this year.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°How long are you going to leave her alone?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Do you think I¡¯m leaving her alone because I want to?¡± Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s fists trembled with frustration, but he couldn¡¯t refute it. He¡¯s currently a ghost, constructing his body with mana, yet unable to pass on. ¡°Hey, Hye-ra. What should we do if a very capable member of the Secret Society stole a ghost and vowed to serve him for life, but the ghost doesn¡¯t make the secretary happy?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to kill him, but since he¡¯s already dead, I can¡¯t even do that. Ha, really, what should we do?¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t say it like that. Master is truly trying his best. It¡¯s just¡­ impossible.¡± ¡°What is this? This conversation makes it sound like I¡¯m some kind of eunuch.¡± Gwang Ik Gong drummed his fingers on the table. ¡°I¡¯m not here to talk about that.¡± ¡°Is that so? Is it that youck experience¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, damn¡­ I¡¯m serious about why I came here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious too.¡± ¡°Are you doing this because I interrupted your patriotism with a text? I hope the Goblin wouldn¡¯t be so petty as to scratch me because of that.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m just cheering for Secretary Kim. I thought you had good news, but since you don¡¯t, I¡¯m just disappointed.¡± ¡°Good news? What?¡± ¡°I thought you finally got Secretary Kim pregnant and brought a wedding invitation. That¡¯s why I flew over from Ulleungdo, only to hear about the Sephiroth Knights, so I¡¯m frustrated.¡± ¡°Assistant Director Do, a wedding invitation, that¡¯s¡­!¡± Kim Yunhwa blushed and began to fidget, but there was a ring with golden magic power flowing on her left ring finger. It was a ring given before someone passed away. ¡°Wedding invitation? When I might disappear any day now, should I make a young girl a widow?¡± Only a guy with a sense of justice like you would still be a virgin. I almost said. ¡°¡­Well, fine. You didn¡¯te to deliver a wedding invitation, and you already figured everything out on your own, so let¡¯s hear what you have to say about the Sephiroth Knights. What do you want?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s an empty spot in the Sephiroth Knights, I¡¯d like you to give it to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± His unexpected words made me doubt his intentions. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a persona concept, how can someone who can only fight once say such a thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me who fights. Whether it¡¯s you or someone else, another person bes Gwang Ik Gong.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Simply put, I want the existence of Gwang Ik Gong to be among the ten guardians from the future.¡± Gwang Ik Gong, Kim Jin-ho¡¯s eyes were genuinely serious. ¡°I want to create a belief that even if I disappear, Gwang Ik Gong will continue to protect humanity from the future to the past. So that people can believe in the strongest guardian.¡± ¡°¡­I understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± This guy wanted to be a ¡®symbol.¡¯ Even if Gwang Ik Gong Kim Jin-ho disappeared, the belief in the strongest guardian that this country and the world believe in would continue to exist. ¡°Hyung.¡± Kim Jin-ho nodded to Kim Yunhwa and handed the tablet to me. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about my abilities, so you be Gwang Ik Gong. Be the guardian of humanity, the hero.¡± Chapter 261: The Will Continues (2) Chapter 261: The Will Continues (2) Using abilities is an asset for ability users. Though it might be a bit of an odd analogy, it¡¯s like a restaurant¡¯s recipe. Even if you knew the recipe, it¡¯s not easy to replicate it; knowing the recipe didn¡¯t guarantee the business would thrive. However, just knowing the recipe opened up various paths. That¡¯s how important the know-how of using abilities was for ability users. Just like how ice ability users sat in the front row with their eyes wide open during Baek Seol-hee¡¯s ability lectures, learning the methods and know-how of using abilities from an experienced user was the key to quickly bing stronger in this world. Saying that you would teach all your abilities was like passing on everything you had umted. It¡¯s not a tangible asset, but it¡¯s an invaluable intangible asset that you were willing to pass on to me now. ¡°You are a hero.¡± When Gwang Ik Gong, no, Gwang Ik Gong Punch asked me to be Gwang Ik Gong, that was the first thing I said.¡°Even if it means giving everything to a viin, you want to leave just your name and protect the world?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine even if it¡¯s not the name Kim Jin-ho. If just the name Gwang Ik Gong can prevent viins from running rampant and keep the world peaceful, that¡¯s good enough.¡± There was no pretense in his words. ¡°It¡¯s fine even if it¡¯s just a cosy of Gwang Ik Gong. Just once, it¡¯s fine. Whether people say where is Gwang Ik Gong at this critical time, I want you to inherit the mantle of Gwang Ik Gong.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°Because no one can demonstrate Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s power better than you.¡± There was no hypocrisy to look righteous in front of others. ¡°The S-ss heroes in Korea right now arecking in many ways. Only Gwang Ik Gong can be a symbol of world peace. Just like there¡¯s a Goblin in the dark world, there should be Gwang Ik Gong in the light world.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll ept it just because you¡¯re ttering me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ttery, it¡¯s the truth. Hyung.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± If you thought negatively, you might consider it as sucking up for his own benefit. ¡°No one can replicate Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s abilities as effectively as you. Actually, you might even show it more splendidly than I could. Like when you summoned the giant warrior to strike Susanoo¡¯s crown.¡± ¡°What do you think of that giant warrior?¡± ¡°I think it showed overwhelming power. A pinnacle of strength that no one could oppose. If such a being exists, people can feel reassured. ¡­If I have a personal desire, it¡¯s for Gwang Ik Gong to continue that role.¡± But after talking with him a few times, you quickly realized that it¡¯s a misunderstanding, and you felt ashamed for having such lowly thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about other S-ss heroes. But none of them can follow Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s, mybat style.¡± ¡°Is yourbat style anything ordinary?¡± ¡°Exactly. Maybe I¡¯ve been too shy. It would be difficult to pass it on even if there were a sessor. There¡¯s no one but you. If it¡¯s not you, Gwang Ik Gong ends here.¡± And soon, jealousy towards this man arose from the way people treat Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°Thank you for saying that. To be evaluated like this by an acknowledged perfect being.¡± ¡°You have shown your worth till now.¡± ¡°All I¡¯ve shown is beating demons and executing viins.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s changing. Gradually. Maybe it¡¯s because you met Baek Seol-hee or that friend Yumir. There are many reasons for the change in your mindset, but you¡¯ve changed a lot now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­From a mass murderer to at least giving a chance?¡± ¡°The point is you are giving a second chance. That¡¯s very important.¡± Gwang Ik Gong held out a tablet once more. ¡°You chose the path of a viin for convenience, but you¡¯re closer to a hero than anyone. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re not the absolute good the world desires.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd. You want me to inherit the position of absolute good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine even if it¡¯s just cosy. Even if you pass on Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s role to someone else. Just once, if you could disy Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s power, it would be enough.¡± ¡°As absolute good?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not, it¡¯s fine. In your way, even if it¡¯s while executing a demon.¡± He was truly an extreme character. ¡°I believe in you. Even if the Secret Society uses Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s image, it will be for the peace and order of the world. At least it won¡¯t be used for evil.¡± ¡°You believe in me? Someone who hasn¡¯t made any clear promises yet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I trust you.¡± He¡¯s a true hero who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to give everything to a viin for the sake of justice. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really sad. Truly. That you diedst year.¡± That¡¯s why it¡¯s even sadder. ¡°If you had lived and cooperated with the Secret Society while bing the face of the Hero Association, by now, this country would have been in the hands of the Secret Society.¡± ¡°¡­I appreciate that the Secret Society kept me alive, but I have no intention of joining them. I can coborate with them, but I am a hero of this country.¡± It¡¯s even sadder. ¡°I understand the ideology and path of the Secret Society. But if the Secret Society ever goes down the wrong path, wouldn¡¯t we need someone to stand against it?¡± ¡°The Secret Society is not wrong.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why. For those who think the Secret Society is wrong, it would be reassuring if Gwang Ik Gong appears and takes a stand when the Secret Society makes a big mistake.¡± ¡°¡­You are setting the stage so nicely for the Secret Society to easily use Gwang Ik Gong.¡± ¡°If just the presence of Gwang Ik Gong can reassure people and providefort, this is the only path left for me.¡± To think that such a patriot, such a righteous being, was terminally ill. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s truly unfortunate.¡± As someone living in this country, more than as a viin or the Goblin of the Secret Society, it¡¯s just unfortunate. ¡°Hye-ra.¡± ¡°Yes, oppa.¡± ¡°Can I talk about that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, I can guess what you want to talk about based on the flow. It¡¯s not a secret, so it¡¯s okay to mention it.¡± ¡°Then, ahem.¡± I pushed the tablet towards Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°In the era of abilities, many things are possible. While it¡¯s impossible to resurrect the dead, it is possible to tether a dead person¡¯s soul to the earth.¡± I extended my magical power forward and created a shape. ¡°The Secret Society is currently researching it. Experiments to infuse a human soul into a new vessel.¡± ¡°Possession¡­?¡± ¡°Something like that. And that vessel will be able to both hold the soul and supply magical power.¡± ¡°¡­Android, humanoid, cyborg, homunculus. Whatever name you give it, I¡¯m not sure how best to describe it, but I hope it seeds. Even if I don¡¯t get a chance.¡± Gwang Ik Gong nced at Yun Hye-ra and smiled bitterly. ¡°So this is what you thought up and told me.¡± ¡°Is it a technology that can be used immediately? At least¡­ within half a year.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If not, I might not be able to experience it myself.¡± Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s own calction of his remaining magical power was about half a year. Since he diedst Christmas, he¡¯s been holding on for almost a year. At that point, he would not be able to maintain his consciousness with just magical power and we might have to perform an exorcism before he bes a wraith-demon. Would the technology be developed before that? The budget was sufficient, but time was the issue. ¡°¡­Well, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible, but hoping isn¡¯t a bad thing.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Someone said that we get disappointed because we have expectations in the first ce. But if I¡¯m going to die anyway, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to live with the hope that a cure might be developed, even if I might be disappointedter.¡± ¡°¡­It would be great if I coulde back to life. Even if I don¡¯t have abilities, just appearing as Gwang Ik Gong and participating in events would be fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Even if he lost his abilities, just appearing as the figurehead Gwang Ik Gong at political events would greatly reduce the burden on Baek Seol-hee. ¡°But maybe, you might live a bit longer than half a year.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I discovered a new ability. More precisely, I learned a technique from someone who has been hiding it until now, and if you use it, you might be able to extend your life. Congrattions. Secretary Kim might be able to prolong your life.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°I discovered a magical power supply technique. It¡¯spletely different from the methods used by me or Gunggi.¡± It¡¯s Yumir¡¯s method. ¡°If you want to know that method, now that we¡¯ve met, you should ask for my help. It¡¯s a deal. If you provide appropriate answers to my questions, I¡¯ll tell you how to prolong your life.¡± ¡°So the question is important enough to trade for that method?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I tapped the Taeguk Watch and brought up a screen. ¡°Hyandan. Lace¡¯s demon. What¡¯s the best way to bring out this woman?¡± ¡°A senior executive of Pandemonium, the new seven deadly sins. Any other clues?¡± ¡°None. Except that I believe even bad history is part of Korean history. Using doppelgangers is all I know.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm. Few clues, and the ones there are sensitive. If you knew the location of the main body, you would have already gone to deal with it. In the end, it means you have to do something to draw out the main body.¡± As expected of Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°¡­How about trying to bait with a name?¡± ¡°A name?¡± ¡°Yes. For ability users, names are important. Try baiting with the name Hyandan.¡± Gwang Ik Gong lowered his voice. ¡°¡­If someone insults their nickname and they just stand by, they have to change their nickname.¡± ¡°Specifically?¡± ¡°Well¡­ if you say that the name Hyandan is the name from the story Chunhyangjeon.¡± Gwang Ik Gong folded his arms and tilted his head. ¡°So, do I have to betray Seong Chunhyang¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Exactly.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a try. Sure.¡± If it draws attention, great. If not, oh well. ¡°Before bing Gwang Ik Gong, there¡¯s someone I need to be first.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for listening, but what are you trying to be?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing special.¡± I put my hand on Yun Hye-ra¡¯s shoulder and pulled her closer. ¡°Bangja.¡± Chapter 262: Tactical Nuke Drop (1) Chapter 262: Tactical Nuke Drop (1) Nicknames could be created however you liked. If it¡¯s not a big deal, you could even use a name like ¡®AnyNickname¡¯. But hero nicknames were distinctly different. To a hero, a nickname was as crucial as their life, and if that name became a strange moniker, they would do everything to change it. No matter how kind an ability user might be, if her nickname was ¡®Cliff Rider¡¯, she would sue the person who gave her that nickname for defamation and nder. This wasn¡¯t just limited to heroes. If a viin was called by a weird moniker, they would track down the person who named them and stab them in the back. And most importantly, giving a strange nickname was a surefire way to make someone a so-called ¡®demon¡¯. -Teacher! Has the nickname from the Hero Associatione out yet? It must be a really cool name, right?-Well, um¡­ -Why are you hesitating? Is there a problem? -Calm down and listen carefully. Your hero name is¡­¡®Bald Knight¡¯. -¡­Ugh! I feel like a demon!! Giving someone a strange name was a surefire way to turn a normal ability user into a demon. To protect an ability user¡¯s mental state, the nickname should consider their personality, traits, abilities, and everything else as much as possible. And above all, it should respect their own choice. If they chose their own nickname and there¡¯s no reason they couldn¡¯t use it, it¡¯s natural for them to be attached to that name. In that sense, I decided to seriously explore why Lace¡¯s demon named themselves ¡®Hyangdan¡¯. Hypothesis one: Was there a previous existence that used the name Hyangdan? ¡°Brewer. What¡¯s the result of the investigation?¡± ¡°Zero. Nothing.¡± Summoned to the pension on Ulleungdo, Brewer - Celestia quickly investigated andpiled the data I requested. ¡°There was no ability user with the nickname Hyangdan. I checked not only Korea but also the entire Chinese character cultural sphere, and there was none.¡± ¡°What if the Chinese characters were different or if the pronunciation was changed to Korean?¡± ¡°Not at all. I checked Japan, China, and even North Koreanmunities. There was no ability user named Hyangdan.¡± ording to Brewer¡¯s investigation and my own checks on wikis andmunities, ¡°There are absolutely none. No ability user.¡± There was no ability user with the nickname Hyangdan before. Not someone deceased, nor anyone with different Chinese characters. There simply was no such existence. ¡°The first hypothesis is wrong. Then the second. What if Hyangdan is a ¡®name¡¯ itself? Either a real name or an alias?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s an alias, it¡¯s hard to find, but there were a few with the real name Hyangdan. But they were all ordinary people. Not ability users, not from Pandemonium.¡± The second hypothesis: If Hyangdan was not a nickname but an actual name. It might be strange for the demon of Pandemonium to use their real name, but considering the case of Duoexini, it¡¯s a mistake to expectmon sense from them. You shouldn¡¯t approach it withmon sense. You needed to approach it in a way that matched the sentiments of aliens soaked in national pride. ¡°Really none?¡± ¡°Yes, none.¡± ¡°Then the next hypothesis.¡± The third. ¡°¡­Rted to Seong Chunhyang.¡± Now, we need to seriously explore the ¡®motif¡¯ behind the name Hyangdan. Where did the name Hyangdane from? Naturally, it¡¯s from ¡®The Tale of Chunhyang¡¯. One of our traditional pansori, in the romance story of Seong Chunhyang and Lee Mong-ryong, the maid serving Seong Chunhyang was named Hyangdan. ¡°Pansori practitioners, people researching the tradition rted to The Tale of Chunhyang, the city of Namwon in Jeobuk-do, where The Tale of Chunhyang is set. Anyone likely to use the name Hyangdan there¡­?¡± ¡°None.¡± ording to statistics, the poption of Namwon in Jeobuk-do was about 100,000. Even if we tried to find someone with unusual behavior among those 100,000 people, it was already time-consuming. All the Brewers under Gunggi also investigated and found no relevant data. It wasn¡¯t a matter of time; there simply was no relevant case. ¡°In that case¡­ I have no choice but to consider thest hypothesis.¡± All three hypotheses were off the mark. ¡°The remaining one is¡­¡± ¡°Even after looking at Chunhyang fans, there were no particr points of interest.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± The fourth hypothesis also crumbled. If someone who loved The Tale of Chunhyang had used the name of a character from the story as a nickname, it would have been understandable, but there were hardly any who openly did that. ¡°Apparently, Hyangdan isn¡¯t in the same category as Duoexini. Duoexini was a notorious troll with secondary ounts.¡± ¡°If she were like him, it would have been easier to catch them. Tsk.¡± Now, the only thing left was to use the final resort. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use this method.¡± Finding a specific fish in the vast ocean was difficult, but we had no choice but to bait the ocean and wait for the fish to bite. ¡°Wait a minute, I need to make a call.¡± In the end, I had to use thest resort. Knowing there¡¯s a risk, but still, I had to do it. ¡°Hello?¡± [¡­Ah, hi¡­?] A voice as tiny as an ant. [Uh, um, what¡¯s up¡­? Did our kids do something wrong or anything¡­?] A very introverted, gloomy voice that feared the phone call with me and avoided conversations with people. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m calling to ask a favor.¡± [A f-favor?! From you¡­? To me?] ¡°Yes. Your team under the Director, they need to quickly produce some ¡®content¡¯.¡± [What kind of content¡­?] ¡°Bait content to lure out Lace¡¯s demon, Hyangdan.¡± [A propaganda piece, then?] The voice changed. [How are you going to draw that demon¡¯s attention? Just tell me the method, and I¡¯ll make it and send it as quickly as possible.] ¡°It¡¯s fine to improvise. The quickest thing is text, so let¡¯s start with that and then follow up with illustrations orics as secondary creations.¡± [Director Do, you have everything nned out, don¡¯t you? Tell me.] As soon as it got to work-rted matters, this woman changedpletely. ¡°Do you know The Tale of Chunhyang?¡± [¡­I¡¯ll look into it. It¡¯s a Korean folktale, right?] ¡°Yes. It¡¯s one of the pansori. The n is to adapt the story in a new way to attract the attention of Lace¡¯s demon.¡± If the name Hyangdan came from The Tale of Chunhyang, there should be some reaction to a modern reinterpretation of that story. Whether it¡¯s a positive reaction or, like Duoexini, she writes 5700 characters and then tracks down the creator, I just hoped for some reaction from Hyangdan. If it failed, then at least a new piece of content had been created. Content filled with risky and severe material, enough to make some viewers cough up blood. [Alright. At least give me a simple plot.] ¡°First, let me tell you the title, Director Chaos.¡± One of the four main executives of the Secret Society. A woman designated by the Chief to oversee the ¡®culture¡¯ sector within the society. Chaos. ¡°The title is ¡®Bangja Chronicles¡¯.¡± I requested her to create bait content to lure out Lace¡¯s demon, Hyangdan.
In the darkness. A red-haired womany on the bed, swiping through her smartphone with her thumb, looking for something. ¡°Is there anything interesting that¡¯s new?¡± The woman had a candy in her mouth, wearing only a white tank top and dolphin shorts, lounging on the bed. Her hair was braided like an apple, and there were snack bags ced beside the bed. ¡°Yawn. Is there anything interesting¡­ Oh.¡± Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the new releases. ¡°Oh my, did this person create a new work¡­? I can¡¯t resist this.¡± She took a respectful posture as she examined the new release. ¡°Ah, as expected. Romance is the best.¡± She licked her lips and pressed the cover. ¡°¡­Tsk. Was this drawn with an ability? The drawing has no soul.¡± The cover illustration was technically well-drawn, but it had a subtly unpleasant valley effect. Whether the illustration was drawn using an ability or not was unknown, but the cover didn¡¯t sit well with her, making her shake her head. ¡°The cover is just¡­ Huh?¡± Thump. Her heart suddenly started pounding. On the cover of the newly released work, a young man in white clothes was disying his chest and abs. ¡°Oh my, oh my. What¡¯s this¡­?¡± Her eyes were fixated on the chest, but regaining her focus and looking down, she noticed hastily scrawled text. Bangja Chronicles - The Pir of Namwon¡¯s Virtuous Bombshell - ¡°¡­What is this crappy title? Wait, this¡­!¡± She finally noticed. In the top right corner of the cover, a red ¡®19¡¯ mark was shining. ¡°It¡¯s an adult novel!!¡± She resumed a respectful posture. She wiped the snack crumbs off her hands with a wet tissue, grabbed her smartphone with one hand, and ced the other hand on her belly, maintaining a formal stance. ¡°Bangja was Lee Mong-ryong¡¯s servant¡­ What has this writer done with The Tale of Chunhyang? Who is it? ¡­Night Blossom Latte?¡± Click. She pressed the prologue. ¡°Ah, damn.¡± And she cursed out loud. ¡°Chunhyang had her first experience with Bangja, didn¡¯t even hold hands with Lee Mong-ryong, refused the advances of the local magistrate after Lee Mong-ryong left for Hanyang, and Hyangdan seduced the NTR-ed Lee Mong-ryong with her body¡­?¡± Jerk. ¡°Has the writer gone mad!!¡± The woman, ¡®Hyangdan¡¯, turned red in the face. ¡°How dare they mix NTR and adultery into a pure love story!!¡± Even in creative works. Even in novels. There were things that could never be tolerated. Chapter 263: Tactical Nuke Drop (2) Chapter 263: Tactical Nuke Drop (2) The content of ¡°Bangja Chronicles¡± (by Night Blossom Latte) revolved around an assertive woman named Seong Chunhyang meeting both Bangja and Governor Byeon. From Lee Mong-ryong¡¯s perspective, it¡¯s a thoroughly NTR orare) work. NTR was a crime. To quickly clear up any misunderstandings, in this world, NTRwas is defined as a crime. NTR. Netorare. The act of stealing someone else¡¯s lover. It¡¯s something that also happened in reality, and it¡¯s a genre that often sparked debate about why we needed to see this kind of thing even in creative works. In this novel¡¯s world, this genre was ssified as a crime.Why was NTR a crime? It seemed unnecessary to exin, but it¡¯s because it could significantly negatively impact the mental state of ability users. -Be happy, brother. -Hyuuung!! The protagonist¡¯s respected older brother dies. The protagonist¡¯s crush was NTR¡¯d by the enemy. If asked which caused more mental damage, nine out of ten would say thetter. -Isn¡¯t the death of a family member more impactful? -People dying¡­ I¡¯m used to it. -Oh. The death of a family member was familiar to some, and as many people were born into the world, many also died, so death was not a crime. If dying itself were a crime, then all deceased would be considered criminals. While the death of a person could mentally impact an ability user, death was something that was equally given to everyone, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. But NTR was different. It¡¯s something that shouldn¡¯t happen, didn¡¯t need to happen, but when it did, it felt incredibly filthy, unpleasant, and infuriating, making you want to kill the one responsible. When I was previously in Ulleungdo, a bride who had just had her wedding at the port was NTR¡¯d by her sister. And she became a demon. She became a demon out of rage to kill the man. Regarding this, some people said: -That¡¯s a real-life case, but creative works are different. Isn¡¯t it problematic to censor the realm of art? -What if someone forces such art on ability users? And what if an ability user bes a demon because of an NTR storyline? -It would be¡­ horrific. To protect the mental state of ability users, many different types of cultural content had been censored in this world. There were many things I didn¡¯t want to name, and many things that shouldn¡¯t be mentioned. The most representative of these was NTR. And among NTR, the most taboo was inserting NTR into pure love stories. -Stop pushing unhappy porn on people who live happily! Why are you so desperate to break up happy couples? Why do these gold sun-like things always ruin sweet couples¡¯ rtionships? That¡¯s the general perception. -Even in content, I want to see couples being affectionate, not being broken up and cheated on! I don¡¯t want spicy stories!! And to those who thought that way, I inserted Bangja and Hyangdan, and Governor Byeon into the love story of Seong Chunhyang and Lee Mong-ryong, creating all sorts of chaotic situations. Why had the story of Seong Chunhyang and Lee Mong-ryong been talked about until today? Of course, it¡¯s because it¡¯s a pure love story. Seong Chunhyang didn¡¯t sumb to power and kept her fidelity and integrity towards her beloved man, and Lee Mong-ryong, despite his sess in the past exams, kept his promise to marry Seong Chunhyang. Even under the threat of Governor Byeon, they didn¡¯t waver, Even when seeing Lee Mong-ryong disguised as a failed schr, she didn¡¯t switch, Even if Seong Chunhyang had already been harmed by Governor Byeon, he didn¡¯t abandon her, They overcame all adversities and had a happy ending based on their love and trust in each other, a perfect pure love story! Inserting NTR into such a pure love story? That person deserved to be executed immediately. If someone in this world wrote a strange story with the Chief, I had the intention to rush over and break their skull. However. As the saying goes, when I do it, it¡¯s romance, but when others do it, it¡¯s an affair. While I myself detested NTR, I reached out to NTR to bring out Hyangdan. ¡®Of course, I didn¡¯t read it.¡¯ I merely nced at the first page ofments on Bangja Chronicles¡¯s reactions created by the ves, I mean writers, in the Chaos team and then closed it. -Are you insane? -How could you write something like this? -What if someone reads this and bes a demon? -It turns me on. -Is that guy crazy? As Master Gongsun Qiu Sang says, when five people gather, one must be trash, and the reactions in the first pagements were about 4:1 divided. -It¡¯s just a creative work, what¡¯s the big deal? Some people saw it that way, but most were criticizing the author for turning Tale of Chunhyang into an NTR affair story. Naturally. I asked for this provocative content to be written targeting suchmon reactions. Of course, I told them to adapt it so people wouldn¡¯t get too much of a shock, but the fact that Seong Chunhyang and Lee Mong-ryong don¡¯t end up together is enough to give viewers a culture shock. ¡®It¡¯s not for nothing that I pulled out thest resort.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to create something like this myself. But sometimes you had to do worse things to kill Lace¡¯s demon. -It¡¯s not real NTR in real life, so why such a big reaction over something in a novel? -Reality is worse. In reality, foreign men were captured, enved, had their heads shaved, and bombs nted in their heads, making them work until they die. Those who seemed likely to produce good ability users were used as breeding studs and disposed of when no longer useful. Newborn children were used as soldiers or turned into mana powder. Women were imprisoned in underground facilities on inescapable inds to be factories for producing ability users. ¡®To prevent such realities, finding and killing Hyangdan is the fastest way to prevent creating more demons.¡¯ I judged that spreading an NTR adaptation of a ssic novel as bait wasn¡¯t a big problem to prevent such realities from happening. Right. Even if Imitted such absurd taboos, the Secret Society would do anything for world peace. And that¡¯s what a ¡®Viin¡¯ was. Even if this situation caused confusion and fear for many people¡ª ¡°Oppa, this is interesting.¡± ¡°Hyera¡­?¡± I hadn¡¯t read the content, but Yoon Hye-ra, who had seen the novel, handed me her tablet with sparkling eyes. ¡°What is it? Why is it interesting? Is it because Byeon Hak-do is an ability user? Or is it because this Lee Mong-ryong guyes across as really pathetic¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Bangja Chronicles. It had been adapted to a modern setting. I had thought of the ¡°Joseon Erotic Love Story,¡± but it turned out to be a K-modern romance fantasy. ¡°The world forces Chunhyang to be a virtuous woman, but she lives as her heart desires. I think it¡¯s really cool. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen such a proactive female protagonist.¡± ¡°¡­Wait a minute. Wasn¡¯t this an NTR novel?¡± ¡°Compared to the ssic original, it is NTR. But if you look at just this novel, it¡¯s a romance fantasy about a bold heroine who flirts with several men.¡± ¡°What? Wait, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Oppa, didn¡¯t you look at the content? Didn¡¯t you provide the idea?¡± ¡°I did provide the idea, but I didn¡¯t say it should be modern¡­!¡± In other words, although it took its name from Tale of Chunhyang, this NTR piece written by the Secret Society¡¯s ve writer had turned into a steamy romance story set among modern ability users. ¡°No way. Themunity was in an uproar calling it an NTR piece.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the male perspective. The female perspective is different. Oppa. When is this going to be a drama?¡± ¡°A drama?¡± ¡°Yes. If it bes a K-drama, it would be great, right? Seong Chunhyang and Lee Mong-ryong were childhood friends, then a supporting character like Bangja appears, and the chaebol chairman Governor Byeon insists that Seong Chunhyang should be his woman. If it were made into a web drama, it would be a hit.¡± ¡°What kind of absurd drama¡­ wait a minute.¡± Come to think of it. Wasn¡¯t there no such thing as an absurd drama in this world? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In this world, all cultural content was censored. And because of that, absurd dramas that incited social division and glorified crime have disappeared from TV. -Author, this person needs to die for the drama¡¯s plot to progress, how should we kill them? -Can¡¯t we just say they died of natural causes? -But their age is set at 50. -Then just say they died fromughing too hard while watching aedy show. -Is that okay? -Ah, then what, are you going to say they died in a car ident? That kind of thing could only be filmed before the Great Cataclysm. If you film something like that now, the broadcasting standardsmittee wille to censor it immediately! Stories about people dying could not be used carelessly. When people died on screen, it was almost like re-enactments of safety idents aimed at children. This was the reality of visual media in this era. For those aged 15 and above, there could be some blood, but this world didn¡¯t allow the build-up of strong oppressing the weak to progress the story freely. Lee Mong-ryong being NTR¡¯d from Seong Chunhyang was something that could never be presented as an all-ages work. However. If it was not a desecration of Tale of Chunhyang but apletely new adaptation that took Tale of Chunhyang as a motif? Inparison to the ssic novel and modern novel, it was NTR, but if it seeded in attracting the attention of a woman named Hyangdan by publishing this novel through the Secret Society? Be it aic. Be it a drawing. Be it a drama. Ultimately, it only mattered if we can draw out Hyangdan. ¡°Hyera.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not do anything more or less, just focus on this.¡± Lace¡¯s demon. ¡°We¡¯ll make Hyangdan a K-viin. Hmm¡­ for example.¡± She would hold 5,700 characters and approach the writer. ¡°Even though she is Seong Chunhyang¡¯s close friend, she seduces Lee Mong-ryong, who passed the state exam, with her body¡­?¡± ¡°Then what about Seong Chunhyang?¡± ¡°She still loves Lee Mong-ryong, but Hyangdan gaslighted him. She ims that Seong Chunhyang cheated, slept with Bang Ja, hooked up with chaebol third generation Governor Byeon, and went to Ulleungdo. She defames Seong Chunhyang, then goes on a trip to Jeju Ind with Lee Mong-ryong and sends photos to Seong Chunhyang as if by mistake.¡± ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t you be telling this to Chaos instead of me?¡± A momentter. [¡­Call.] Another novel derived from Bangja Chronicles. The short story ¡°The Viiness Hyangdan¡± began production. ¡°The protagonist, Hyangdan¡­ no, let¡¯s call her Han Dan-yeo.¡± ¡°Why Han Dan-yeo?¡± ¡°Her father¡¯sst name is Han, and her mother¡¯sst name is Dan.¡± ¡°???¡± Following the pure love NTR bombshell. ¡°The ending is she marries Lee Mong-ryong and makes herself the beneficiary of his life insurance, then poisons his coffee.¡± Another bombshell of a K-drama-style kimchi-vored viiness. ¡°The name of the poison is Pong*¡ª¡± Chapter 264: Tactical Nuke Drop (3) Chapter 264: Tactical Nuke Drop (3) NTR. Adultery. Pong Pong. Murder. When I sent the plot of my world¡¯s extreme drama, inspired by the Tales of Chunhyang, it came back as a very neat extreme love triangle drama. -I have written the work as instructed, Manager. Now, webtoons, dramas, and even movies with rtively short production times will be released one by one. -It must have been difficult to produce. Good job, writer. Rather than delivering the message through chaos, it was more convenient for me tomunicate directly with the writer who wrote the problematic text. -Hehe. How could I just lounge around and write when you¡¯re paying me to write this kind of material? I get to write what I want and you pay me well¡­ -What did you say? Write what you want¡­? -Oh, no! That¡¯s not what I meant¡­! Creating an evil woman character like this would be immediately censored otherwise. Hehehe.Collecting only those things that can easily turn people into demons in this world, I created a fictional being called Handan Yeohee and ruined the image of Hyangdan. -Whatever, justpletely destroy Hyangdan¡¯s image. -Just in case, my debut work was a pure love story! -Yet you ended up making a harem in the side story, right? -¡­Because there were readers who wanted a harem! -Wouldn¡¯t true readers want it to stay as pure love? -Arrgh¡­!! What if people didn¡¯t realize that Handan Yeohee was Hyangdan because of the name? -It must have been hard to change the names. -Oh, I just used the names directly. As per your instructions, I adapted the Tale of Chunhyang so that everyone could recognize it, and kept the names of the two main characters. I only twisted Hyangdan¡¯s name slightly to ruin her properly. Of course, the protagonists in the work retained the names Seong Chunhyang and Lee Mongryong. -But why is Bangja¡¯s name Bang Ji-hwan here? -He¡¯s a minor character that women would like the most in the work¡­ -No, I mean why Ji-hwan? -Chaos actively rmended the name. Did you want it to be Bang Ja-hwan or Bang Ja-yong? How about this, Bang Ja-¡­ -Never mind. For some reason, Bangja¡¯s name became Bang Ji-hwan, and he turned into a minor character whoforted Seong Chunhyang. Another supporting character named Byeon Hakdo appeared as a chaebol third generation, supporting Seong Chunhyang economically. -Good job. ¡®Netoratte¡¯. -Excuse me, I have another pen name¡­ -The world calls you that, so why not go with it as your pen name? -I¡¯m a pure love enthusiast! The inte was in chaos. Suspiciously wealthy NTR supporters were showering praise on the writer of Tales of Bangja, Neo Chunhyang Story, and K-Viin Handan Yeohee¡¯s Saga. -Even though writing about adultery and NTR was my job this time, I believe pure love is the truth. -Yet all your works so far have been harems? -¡­.. -Where is the pure love in your work? They¡¯re all harem love, adultery love, even rape love. All of them are things that can easily turn people into demons. Is this the pure love I knew¡­? -If I get to write a new work¡­! Then I will truly write pure love¡­! -Well, fine. I¡¯ll look forward to that next time. For now, send ¡®that item¡¯. Send it through Chaos. -Ah, yes! Please take care of it¡­! With the novel already out in the world, and the storypleted and rapidly reproduced as OSMU, all that remained was to watch the burning issues and wait for the fish to cross the line. Why did the world go crazy? Of course, it¡¯s a creation, but the stories were familiar in modern times, so everyone started over-immersing. Even as it started spreading as web dramas, the situation began to escte rapidly. ¡°Oppa. Did you see the 12-minute web drama?¡± ¡°Yeah. As expected from Chaos. Pressuring the kids below to create a video right away.¡± In the video, E-rank ability user Seong Chunhyang and B-rank ability user Lee Mongryong, who were childhood friends, had a mutual attraction since they were young. But the story we prepared was an extreme drama. In the final ending, Seong Chunhyang decided to start anew, fixing her makeup and cutting her hair, with Bang Ji-hwan and Byeon Hakdo supporting her side by side in a friendlypetition, while Lee Mongryong, in a very erotic outfit, indulges his instincts with Handan Yeohee in a hotel. And theizens¡¯ reactions were exactly what I wanted. -The husband is Bang Ji-hwan. Disagree and you¡¯re wrong. -No, the husband is Byeon Hakdo~ Reality is that tall, handsome, rich people win~ -Seriously, those mentioning weird husbands over the real one, all ¡®Mongryong¡¯ yourselves¡­^^ -Your wife is Handan Yeohee lol. Putting aside the reactions to each character. There was a split in the world, but it didn¡¯t create a demon just yet. What¡¯s important was making a real demon angry. -In the end, Hyangdan is just someone to tear apart, right? Modern reinterpretations of Hyangdan began to gather malice. -Ugh, how can a woman like that exist? I¡¯m scared of meeting such women, I can¡¯t marry lol. -You¡¯re not getting married anyway lol. -Next up is someone marrying Hyangdan. -Next up is a future Lee Mongryong. Men felt a visceral disgust towards Handan Yeohee, who intentionally approached men to ruin them and collect death insurance. -Sisters? I¡¯m so scared watching Handan Yeohee?? I¡¯m afraid there might be such women around?? -Honestly, they¡¯re everywhere if you look closely. Honestly, everyone lives like Handan Yeohee, right? ??¡­. -So these kinds of women make ability users into demons¡­got it¡­Handan Yeohee is here? Disgusting. -What are they saying, meeting other men behind their backs?? -Just because you do doesn¡¯t mean every woman does~ Women intensely expressed their disgust at the idea that others might consider them simr to Hyangdan. Eventually, Hyangdan became the universal viiness. There was a minor problem arising from this. ¡°Oppa, ording to a local newspaper in Namwon, someone has written ¡®adulteress¡¯ next to the Hyangdan mascot character all over Namwon city.¡± ¡°We unintentionally caused trouble.¡± Why did people curse at the viins in dramas in real life? There were stories of actors who yed viins in dramas being cursed out in traditional markets by overly immersed grandmothers. Or an actor who yed a sex offender in a social criticism film performed so well that even his family couldn¡¯t approach him for about a week. It¡¯s okay when it was just a novel, but when it became a y, movie, or drama with real actors, people tended to immerse themselves even more. ¡°Aren¡¯t the actors suffering because of this? Hmm.¡± ¡°If they get paid 1 billion won per episode, they must consider all that. It¡¯s part of the job.¡± ¡°But there won¡¯t be a demoning to kill you at night because you ruined a character that¡¯s the motif of your nickname.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to kill that demon.¡± All of this was to catch Hyangdan. Gugu. A ne flew by in the sky. Over Ulleungdo, heading towards Gimhae, something ck began to glisten and slowly descended to our pension. It looked like a supply crate dropping from the sky, and when itnded, it gently touched the ground as if it floated down slowly. By the power of magic. It was an express delivery sent by Chaos through the society¡¯s private ne. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. This is the bait to lure out Lace¡¯s demon.¡± I opened the box and took out the contents. It was simply a Taegeuk Watch. Not just any Taegeuk Watch, but a specific one. ¡°If I were Lace¡¯s demon, I would go to kill the writer who made Hyangdan like this.¡± ¡°¡­Do you think this bait will work?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m confident.¡± There¡¯s a writer who put me in this world after searching for an ego-searching 5,700-character review on a readermunity, so wouldn¡¯t the characters in his world be the same? ¡°Tracking an online post is no big deal. Hye-ra, how¡¯s the magic power?¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough. Even for fighting.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll handle the fighting. Please take care of the barrier, considering the location.¡± I put the Taegeuk Watch on my wrist and prepared fully for battle. ¡°We should wait for Hyangdan at the most fitting ce for her crimes.¡± Beep, beep. The Taegeuk Watch on my wrist shed a light. With a GPS signal emitting, the location-tracking feature was on.
At that time, on the second floor of an office near Incheon Port. ¡°Huh. This writer¡¯s name is Netoratte?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s what everyone calls them¡­¡± In a room filled with thick smoke, a ck-haired woman swiftly flipped through the paper documents. Next to her, men in Hawaiian shirts exchanged nces, their eyes focusing on a id-shirted man in sses sitting in front of aputer. ¡°Hey, hurry up. The guest is waiting.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­! I¡¯ll find it soon! If I track the IP address where the post was uploaded¡­ oh?¡± The man with sses opened his mouth in surprise. ¡°Um, I found it, but¡­.¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s¡­¡± The man hesitated, swallowing nervously before speaking. ¡°It¡¯s here¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm, let me see. ¡­What¡¯s wrong with this ce?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ uh, it¡¯s hard to exin, um¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± The woman, Hyangdan, tilted her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just an ind near Mokpo?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see, the name is¡­ Angel Ind? So, the writer who wrote Tales of Hyangdan or whatever lives on this Angel Ind, right? Is that correct?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, ording to the hacking data.¡± ¡°Then.¡± Crrunch. The woman smiled as she crushed the metal baseball bat she was holding in her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go see his face. Hehehe.¡± Chapter 265: Tactical Nuke Drop (4) Chapter 265: Tactical Nuke Drop (4) If there¡¯s one good thing about bing a special ability user, it¡¯s the experiences I couldn¡¯t have before. Now, I could freely go to ces I previously deemed ambiguous to visit. ¡°You¡¯vee in here.¡± A ce further west from Mokpo. North of Jindo, where I once fought the Skull Demon alongside Baek Seol-hee. I entered Angel¡¯s Ind alone, wandering an unnamed ind at the very edge of the map. There were few people. Maybe around 300 people on this ind? And even those 300 people were not residents of this unnamed ind.Rumble. People in work clothes were diligently shoveling over the salt pans. Their skin was darkened by the sun, but they silently and diligently worked, scooping out the salt from the pans. ¡°Whack, whack¡­.¡± Despite the hardbor, they couldn¡¯t help but feel nauseous, wiping the sweat off their foreheads with their sleeves while groaning. A quick nce at a worker¡¯s face showed a typical Australian blonde foreigner. ¡°Hey, no whack! Keep going!¡± And a man who looked like a supervisor shouted at the blonde foreigner. Wearing a blue armband, he had a hat with ¡®Haegneul Sr Salt¡¯ written on it, supervising the workers. ¡®It¡¯s truly amazing.¡¯ The ce I knew was full of ghost stories about modern-day very, but here, arge corporation had directlye in and was managing the salt pans as if it¡¯s really Angel¡¯s Ind. ¡°I wasn¡¯t swearing! It was just the sound of the shovel going in, whack!!¡± ¡°Foreigners make an F sound so clearly! Koreans would say ¡®puck¡¯, not ¡®whack¡¯! Are you going to keep whacking while earning 10 million won a month, Carlos?!¡± ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± The grumpy white worker, Carlos, started shoveling again. And watching them, I felt chills down my spine. Everyone working in the salt pans was wearing work clothes with the ¡®Haegneul¡¯ emblem on their backs, and the work allowance was 10 million won a month. ¡®It truly is Angel¡¯s Ind.¡¯ No one suddenly disappeared without a trace. CCTV cameras managed by Haegneul were everywhere, and small boats with the Haegneul emblem patrolled the sea, watching over the salt pans. Aside from being a sea salt farm, it was no different from other farms onnd. Ding, dong, dang, dong. The bell rang. It was precisely 3 PM, and the workers all stretched and began light exercises. ¡°30 minutes break!! If you need to go to the bathroom, don¡¯t do it in strange ces; use the boat! If anyone dumps in the sea again, they will be deported to their home country!¡± The supervisor gave a stern warning and disappeared. I watched the scene from the rooftop of a building inside the ind, sitting in the shade. ¡®What a crazy world.¡¯ On the rooftop of the factory, my reflection showed in the stainless steel vent extending outward. The figure of the Goblin in a suit hidden in the shadows. It meant the steel tes were polished enough for me to reflect in the factory¡¯s vent. Despite the severe corrosion from the sea, it¡¯s so well-managed, indicating how much Haegneul cared about this ind. Indeed, the Angel¡¯s Ind was the Angel¡¯s Ind. Not just a joke, with corporate capitaling in and most of the residents changing, many things on this ind had changed. Was it because of national pride? Was it because of the perception of being the world¡¯s greatest country? Or was it because everyone agreed that the old image should no longer exist in the eyes of the world? -Seoul Republic? Hell? Gotham? What nonsense. There¡¯s no such strange ces in the great Republic of Korea. -Those ces no longer exist~ The entire country changed after the great upheaval~ -Regional discrimination? How can you say such harsh words! We are one nation, and the people of the Republic of Korea! There¡¯s no way we would tear each other down just because we¡¯re from different regions. Hahaha! In this world, the darkness that was abundant before the great upheaval was no longer visible, at least ¡®externally.¡¯ -If you don¡¯t say it doesn¡¯t exist, people in ck robes might visit your home tonight. Be careful. -Keep in mind, maybe it was like that before, but not now. As people of this leading nation, don¡¯t tarnish the national brand with such stories. -Do you want to die as a traitor or live as a patriot? If you look closely, the target had just changed. Just as Haegneul came directly to Angel¡¯s Ind and overturned everything with corporate salt farm management, all the rumors now circting secretly were ¡®things that no longer exist in this world.¡¯ Right. From someone¡¯s perspective, if viewed from an alien¡¯s point of view, ¡®bad history.¡¯ Such things no longer happened in Korea but in real-time in foreign countries, which was absurd in this world. But at least the Republic of Korea shone brightly with national pride. Therefore. I chose this ce. The Subus¡¯s Ind. God¡¯s sanctuary. Whether Lace¡¯s demon named her alias Hyangdan after being deeply impressed by the Tales of Chunhyang or not, most of her actions in Thand were imitations of what was done in the world before the great upheaval. She cultivated coriander and mana powder instead of salt. She just added abilities to the way people were treated like ves. Even if she said it wasn¡¯t rted to the ce before the upheaval, it¡¯s a reasonable assumption that she drew inspiration from the bad image associated with this ce. Good things to Korea. Bad things to foreign countries. ¡°If it didn¡¯t exist, just leave it as it is. Why go abroad to recreate it as if it were Korea?¡± Beep beep beep. The Taeguk Watch started ringing. It seemed about time, and the phone started ringing. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m answering the call.¡± [Is this Mr. Park Bunchung?] ¡°¡­Who is this?¡± Of course, I was not Park Bunchung. No matter how many people in the world lived with unique names that seemed like they needed to be changed immediately, I was not Park Bunchung. Rather, it would be surprising if they called me Do Chang-nam. [Are you the one who wrote the story about Hyangdan? I¡¯m Kim Soo-jung, a web novel PD working at ¡®Mercury Media¡¯.] ¡°¡­¡­Ah, yes. That¡¯s right.¡± For a moment, I wondered if it was real, but I could sense the sinister tone in the voiceing through the phone. ¡°By the way, how did you get my number?¡± [Well¡­ I hacked it.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The true nature was revealed. I immediately hung up, but soon something like a breeze began to blow where I was standing. Sarak. A woman wearing a hanboknded on the rooftop. With her neatly tied ck hair, she looked more like Seong Chunhyang than Hyangdan, and except for her ck hair and ck eyes, she looked like a foreigner in a hanbok. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kim Soo-jung.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ a special ability user?¡± ¡°Yes. I am a special ability user. And also¡­.¡± She smirked. ¡°I¡¯m a demon who came to kill you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who wrote the story about Hyangdan, right?¡± Creak. The woman, who called herself Kim Soo-jung, a demon, cracked her neck from side to side and slowly approached me. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s unforgivable. Mixing NTR into pure love. And on top of that, making a woman like a praying mantis who devours men.¡± ¡°¡­Are you here to kill me just because of a novel?¡± ¡°Just a novel? Ha, don¡¯t you care about the mental state of someone who might go crazy because of your novel?¡± I understood. I was a reader, too. ¡°Because of your novel, a story about love between a man and a woman and a woman¡¯s chastity turned into a pornographic 19+ affair story!!¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why I deserve to die?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°¡­Well, demons really have nothing better to do. And it¡¯s just absurd.¡± I immediately took off the mask I was wearing. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Do the demons of Pandemonium have no thoughts? No intelligence at all?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Who?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I revealed my face. Well, it didn¡¯t matter. The barrier was already set, and all that remained for this woman was ¡®execution.¡¯ [Does this help you understand?] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As soon as I released the hidden magic and put on the mask, Kim Soo-jung jumped up and tried to escape into the sky. Bang! But it was useless. ¡°An invisible me barrier¡­?¡± [I got help from Gunggi. Don¡¯t worry. Gunggi won¡¯t participate in this battle.] Now that this ind has be a ¡®battlefield,¡¯ Kim Soo-jung¡ªLace¡¯s demon¡ªcould not leave until Gunggi¡¯s magic was exhausted. In other words, I must defeat that woman before Gunggi¡¯s magic was fully depleted. ¡°Hehe, interesting. You¡¯ve consumed so much magic, and you think you can win against me?¡± [If I wasn¡¯t going to summon you, I wouldn¡¯t have created such a novel.] ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Lace¡¯s demonughed with her mouth wide open. ¡°So, you created that NTR intrusion novel just to lure me out¡­?¡± [It was very effective. By the way, if you try to escape, Hyangdan won¡¯t end as Seong Chunhyang taking over Yi Mong-ryong. I¡¯ll make sure it ¡®transforms¡¯ properly.] It¡¯s a specialized term only those in the know understand. It¡¯s a word that didn¡¯t circte in this world. ¡°What, what are you going to do¡­!¡± That¡¯s why Lace¡¯s demon was afraid. For her, the demon who knew everything, the fact that there was something she didn¡¯t know was a terror itself. [If you want to know, run away.] ¡°¡­Hehe, okay. Then, if I kill you here, I can learn about that transformation or whatever it is, right? What, will you transform like a rider?¡± [I¡¯ll tell you before you die. But, why are you so confident?] As expected. Just like Duoexini, she¡¯s foolish. [The association fights the enemy by any means necessary. My magic is not fully restored to face you alone.] ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to say, but no matter how much you build it up, it¡¯s just a bluff.¡± [Do you think it¡¯s a bluff? That¡¯s unfortunate.] I lightly tapped the Taeguk Watch with my finger. [Unfortunately, it¡¯s not a bluff.] Soon, a message flew far beyond Gunggi¡¯s barrier, and I leisurely stretched my hand toward Lace¡¯s demon. [Let me introduce.] ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Snap. From a golden circr magic circle, a blonde-haired, gold-eyed woman emerged, tearing open the space. [My special EX-grade partner.] The sure way to kill Lace¡¯s demon, even with my iplete magic. [The Archangel of Justice who I brought to defeat you.] Tactical Yumir drop. Chapter 266: Public Enemy (1) Chapter 266: Public Enemy (1) Pandemonium was humanity¡¯s public enemy. Even before the existence of the Sephiroth Knights came to light, after the 72 demons mass production incident caused by Duoexini, Pandemonium became humanity¡¯s adversary. The justification was on humanity¡¯s side. Now that it¡¯s revealed the devil of Lacemitted horrific atrocities in Thand using Lace, any righteous hero could not help but be outraged. As such, there¡¯s no need to differentiate between heroes and viins when dealing with the demons of Pandemonium. So. -Mir, given the situation, would you like to go demon hunting with me? -¡­It¡¯s definitely not human, right? -Yeah. It¡¯s a demon from outer space.I called out to Yumir. No matter how much earthlings fought, cooked, and scrambled among themselves, they were bound to unite against an alien invasion despite differing ideologies. Since Yumir and I weren¡¯t fighting fiercely against each other in the first ce, I requested Yumir¡¯s support as soon as I returned to Korea. ¡°You coward!¡± [I¡¯ll take that as apliment.] [Coward? That¡¯s ridiculous.] Yumir stepped forward, wielding a red whip. [For a demon that made people ves and killed them ruthlessly.] Appearing in the same form as the Golden Priestess, she immediately attacked Lace¡¯s demon, Hyangdan. Swish! ¡°Ugh?!¡± [There¡¯s no need for long words. It¡¯s over.] Hyangdan was instantly entangled in the whip. Although Hyangdan tried to emit magic power from her body to break free from the whip, the red aura tightly bound her. Just when I thought it might end like this. ¡°Screeeeeech!¡± Hyangdan exploded. What was Hyangdan turned into chunks of flesh, spreading everywhere, covering the entire rooftop. [Ugh.] [It¡¯s not over yet.] [Huh?] [It¡¯s not over.] While Yumir was gagging, I pulled Yumir back and swung my bat forward. As expected, the chunks of flesh on the ground started wriggling and rushed towards us. Smack! [¡­No way.] [It won¡¯t end easily.] The flesh hit by the magic-powered bat rolled to the side. Soon, the chunks of flesh began to bubble up and slowly formed a human shape. ¡°Too bad¡­ I was hoping tond a proper hit while you were stunned.¡± [She¡¯s a duplication ability user. It seems it¡¯s not an illusion clone but rather self-division.] ¡°Oh my, how did you figure it out so quickly¡­?¡± Wriggle wriggle. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me with that smart mouth of yours? What kind of ability do I have now?¡± The divided chunks of flesh started to take shape one by one. Into the form of Hyangdan. Although they looked exactly like Hyangdan, their bodies resembled white mannequins. ¡°If you talk about this ability-¡± [Just barely avoiding an R-rated.] [But with that body, it¡¯s extremely erotic.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Wearing a tighttex suit, thinner than a balloon. ¡°Does appearance matter?¡± [Of course. You can infer abilities from appearances.] Mannequin-like moving forms. [Not only the abilities but also the essence of being a demon. I roughly understand why you enved humans in God¡¯s Sanctuary and Subus Ind.] Although the texture looked like skin, Hyangdan didn¡¯t have that. [Formed only the body without reproductive and nurturing organs. Though a clone, that¡¯s the basic of Pandemonium¡¯s demons.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [No reproductive organs to bear children, no nurturing organs to raise them. Only the body exists.] Like Duoexini, like Hyangdan. [They are not life forms but virus-like beings. Instead of reproducing through both genders, they proliferate by contaminating their counterparts with corrupted mana.] They were all like alien viruses. [They are merely hosts of demon viruses. Their mental influence is the culprit causing mana mutations.] Living in this world, I roughly figured out the backstory not told by the original creator. [If we kill all those demons, perhaps no more demons will be born.] [¡­¡­!] Because the host of the virus was eliminated. [Of course, we also need to eliminate the viruses they spread¡­.] [Just the possibility that no more demons will be born is reason enough for me to act.] ¡°Heh, heh heh¡­. You¡¯re speaking very arrogantly?¡± ¡°But to counter such spection.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you also know that you could be contaminated and turn into demons?¡± The proliferating Hyangdan clones continued their conversation. [Those who cannot reproduce, senselessly multiplying.] ¡°Reproduction? It¡¯s not important. Rtionships formed by carnal desire only hinder true intellectual exchange.¡± [So you dislike NTR* intruding into pure love? Hmm?] ¡°¡­You trash.¡± I was cursed at. But thanks to that, I realized Hyangdan¡¯s trigger point. [You understand romantic feelings but not lust between men and women. Tsk. You wouldn¡¯t know the pleasure of it, would you? For a demon of omniscience.] [It¡­? Are you going to spout nonsense again?] [Are you talking about that? Patriotism? Se-] ¡°Shut up???!¡± Hyangdan screamed. The shrieking of all the clones shook my eardrums. [Ugh. She has the hypervoice ability¡­.] [That means she¡¯s really pissed.] ¡°Heh, heh heh heh. Fine. Yes. I¡¯ve decided.¡± Crack. The clones all twisted their bodies, aiming their sharp ws at us. ¡°Turning you into demons first will be quite entertaining, won¡¯t it?¡± [I have no intention of bing a demon willingly or being forced into it.] Yumir immediately swung her whip. The lengthening red whip flew mercilessly toward Hyangdan¡¯s clones, slicing one in half at the waist. Stter. The cut surface and the spurting red blood made it look like a human was being killed. [Ugh¡­!] [She¡¯s doing that on purpose to mess with your mind.] Yumir probably thought the clones would disperse like mist upon their defeat. So she swung her whip without hesitation, making it look like she had split a real person in two. [It¡¯s fine. That¡¯s not a person.] ¡°Heh heh heh, really?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the proof that the clone killed by Sr tina isn¡¯t a person?¡± ¡°A human split in half would have its innards exposed and blood gushing out like this?¡± Hyangdan continued to provoke Yumir. ¡°Sr tina. If you keep killing like this, you¡¯ll end up killing just anyone.¡± [¡­¡­.] Knowing that provoking Goblin wouldn¡¯t work, Hyangdan aimed to mess with Yumir¡¯s mind to get out of the situation. [If it¡¯s difficult to deal with, I¡¯ll handle it.] [¡­No. It¡¯s okay. I was just momentarily disgusted.] Yumir dispersed the magic power forming the red aura whip and brought out a new weapon. [I¡¯m not going to be fooled by a demon¡¯s trick that makes it look like I¡¯m killing humans by creating human-like forms.] ¡°Oh my, wasn¡¯t Sr tina supposed to purify even demons?¡± [¡­You¡¯re an exception.] Golden gauntlets began to shine on Yumir¡¯s hands. And from the golden gauntlets emerged¡ª [You will die on this ind today.] [Hey.] [Hehe.] Golden ws like those of Hesed, like those of a dragon killer, extended from her hands. From the appearance of the Golden Priestess, only the arms seemed to be equipped with the armament of ck War Dragon, making me think of the original form. [Of all things to imitate, why that?] [Since it can alsounch missiles at once, isn¡¯t it good?] [If you use that¡­.] [Like this.] Stab! [To kill, right?] Yumir mercilessly shed the approaching clone of Hyangdan with the golden ws. [¡­It¡¯s fine. Butter, after it¡¯s over,fort me a bit.] [Of course.] ¡°Hahaha!!¡± All the Hyangdansughed. ¡°Yes! Get used to killing like that! Later, you¡¯ll be able to kill people easily too! And congrattions! Goblin! Thanks to you, Sr tina has started killing!¡± [If killing alien demons is considered murder, the definition of murder is too broad.] I ced the Goblin¡¯s Bat on the ground. Then I lightly tapped the ground twice with the bat and transformed it into a new shape. [Imitating is good, but next time try something less mentally disturbing. For example¡­ this.] Bang! The sound of a gunshot rang out. A finger-sized hole appeared in the clone¡¯s head, and all eyes on the rooftop turned to my finger. [A gun¡­?] [There¡¯s no reason a Goblin always has to carry a bat.] I held the sniper rifle with one hand and fired it forward. Though it looked like a sniper rifle, it was actually the transformed Goblin¡¯s Bat. Bang! I pulled the trigger again. Unlike a real firearm, the condensed magic inside the barrel flew forward like light and embedded itself in the clone¡¯s head. The reason for using a gun was simple. ¡®Shooting with a Goblin¡¯s bat turned into a gun isn¡¯t cool.¡¯ It¡¯s a matter of thought. It¡¯s a matter of perception. Transforming the Goblin¡¯s Bat into a gun to shoot magic bullets wasn¡¯t a problem, but thinking about a bat with a muzzle shooting bullets was more troubling. The end of my gun glowed with magic. The trigger brought judgment upon the demon. [I will execute you, ¡®Gyo Beris¡¯.] God said. Those who were not patriotic. Should die. Chapter 267: Public Enemy (2) Chapter 267: Public Enemy (2) There was a magical power in guns. Every man had probably tried a gun at least once. As a child, he might have shot paintballs at a survival game field. He might have shot airsoft guns or water guns as toys. More importantly, he had shot countless times in the military, and even during reserve training, he had shot at zero-range targets. Though the military was frustrating to think about, the recoil at the moment of pulling the trigger sometimes made a man¡¯s heart race. Manipting the gun to pull the trigger, cing it urately on his shoulder, pulling the trigger, and hitting the target precisely with the recoil hitting his shoulder¡ªall these steps. Every man had felt a thrill down his spine at least once because of that sensation. And now.In this world, I could shoot to my heart¡¯s content things I wouldn¡¯t even encounter as a reservist in my original world. Not an M16 I met at a countryside reserve training site while moving around, but all sorts of guns with history and tradition from before the Great Catastrophe. It¡¯s a shame they weren¡¯t live bullets, but I could shoot something that gave an even more thrilling sensation than live bullets. Magic bullets formed by magic power. Bang¡ª! As soon as I pulled the trigger, the muzzle shes. The avatars of Gyo Berris tried to dodge the direction of the muzzle, but the magic bullets were faster than their bodies. Thud. With a dull sound, another avatar copsed with a hole in its head. And at the same time, as soon as it copsed, its head exploded. Ssh. Blood sttered around. Like a mannequin¡¯s head exploding, the fragments spread around the avatar and scattered on the ground. [If you blow up someone¡¯s head, you should expect your own to blow up too.] The magic bullet, which pierced precisely through the middle of the forehead, does not stop at lodging in the head. A magic bullet, difficult to replicate even with special bullets, has explosive properties. As it lodged in the avatar¡¯s head, it exploded inside ording to my will. ¡°Grr¡­!¡± [If it only pierces, they¡¯ll try to regenerate quickly through the puncture. Blowing it up is better.] Bang, bang. I kept shooting the magic bullets. I kept pulling the trigger with one arm, but a superhuman¡¯s body could easily handle this weight and recoil. It would certainly be easier to aim if I held it with both hands. That was the basics of gun shooting. Even pistols were held with both hands, so how could one shoot a sniper rifle ssified as a rifle with one hand? ¡°Grr, arrogant NTR scum¡­! Just die already!¡± [Sorry, but I¡¯m not the one getting stolen from, I¡¯m the one stealing.] However. [I will block it. At most, it¡¯s just rushing and swinging ws¡­!] ¡°Both of you, just blow up!!¡± Sometimes. ¡°You two, go together!!¡± A man had to give up practicality and pick something else. [It¡¯s dangerous.] [Uh¡­?!] I pulled Yumir with one hand and turned my body. Yumir, whose waist I grabbed, was about to rush forward but immediately entrusted her body to me. Holding her waist, I stepped on the ground and shot forward. Tat-tat-tat-tat. Though it¡¯s a sniper rifle, unlike before, I formed magic bullets with short bursts of magic power, firing them continuously. The avatars rushing towards us halted in ce due to the stopping power of the magic bullets, and soon their bodies started to split apart. Bang!! [Self-destruct?!] [You¡¯re nasty.] While holding Yumir, Inded on the ground just as I had jumped up. [Th-thank you. I never thought they would self-destruct¡­.] [It¡¯s just one of the avatars. Sorry for grabbing you suddenly.] [N-no. Though there wouldn¡¯t have been damage, if I imagine getting covered by that¡­ ugh.] Yumir gritted her teeth at the blood sttered on the ground. At the same time, she extended her Dragon Killer forward and lightly clenched her fist. Bang, bang, bang! Golden w-like des fired forward, piercing the avatars all at once. Not just piercing one, but several avatars¡¯ sr plexuses one after another. Click! As soon as she fired three ws, golden ws sprang out from inside. [Aura de Ejection. I tried imitating what you mentioned in that fantasy novel you sent mest time. How is it?] [Impressive. At this rate, you could even use an Ego Sword in the future.] Certainly, with Yumir, battles were easier. She excelled at manifesting the techniques I taught her, or learned from other media, her own and adapting them. [Leave the front to me, Yumir.] [I¡¯ll cover you from behind!] And thanks to that, I could trust my back to Yumir. I turned my body to face back-to-back with Yumir and spread the magic power flowing through the goblin club-turned sniper rifle to both sides. Zap! With golden sparks, the sniper rifle split into two. Simr to before, but now about 50% darker in color. Bang, bang! Dividing one into two halves the firepower, but naturally, magic bullets fly to both sides. It had to be this way. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sweep away all the Gyo Berris avatars secretly crawling up from below the factory. ¡°Grr¡­. How?!¡± Bang, bang. ¡°The stealth was perfect?!¡± As the heads of the avatars climbing the wall from behind exploded and fell, one of the barely climbed avatars growled at me. [Turning the avatars around to strike from behind, I can see it all.] ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be visible!¡± [Let¡¯s just say, I¡¯m looking five steps ahead of you.] Actually, I figured it out through the Gunggi spread in the sky, but I didn¡¯t have to tell them that. We were in a time attack after all. [Hah!] Yumir swung her Dragon Killer as if scattering it. Golden shes flew like crescent moons, cutting avatars in half, and then spread like X¡¯s, shing along the ground. Sssssh!! ¡°Kyahaaaak!!¡± The avatars touched by Yumir¡¯s magic power melted away. Like Duoexini, Gyo Berris¡¯s avatars turned to ashes and were purified by Yumir¡¯s sunlight-like magic power. [There¡¯s no more reason to hesitate.] With a confident voice, Yumir emitted even stronger magic power. [If they are purified by my magic power and have no human remains, it means you aren¡¯t even human but a demon!!] Yumir swung the Dragon Killer without hesitation, sending shes flying. ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Those who ruin pure love with NTR are the real demons!¡± ¡°You¡¯re more of a demon for helping the goblins!¡± The Gyo Berris, who only knew how to engage in meleebat, tried to get close and self-destruct, but none of them ever seeded. [They are endless.] [Are they infinitely multiplying? Then we should target the main body¡­!] [It¡¯s not infinite multiplication. Each one is connected in parallel. There are many, but the multiplication has an end.] Tat-tat-tat-tat! [If we keep eliminating them, thest one will be the main body. It would be nice if destroying the main body caused the others to die too.] As Yumir advanced, I retreated while continuing to shoot magic bullets to explode the avatars. [Even if there are avatars elsewhere, if all the ones here die because of the barrier¡­.] Zap! I retrieved the magic power forming the gun, reverting it to a club. Then, turning my body sideways, I hugged Yumir from behind and jumped up. Swoosh. Even though I hugged her in a back hug and jumped quite high, Yumir clung to me without any issues. Rather, she extended the Dragon Killer downward. [Not the back, but below.] ¡°This, this¡ª¡± Whirr¡ª Goldensers surged down from the Dragon Killer. The hands of the avatars that had just jumped onto the factory roof from below were purified and began to disappear in Yumir¡¯s light. Bang. Gathering magic power in my feet, I kicked the air, performing a double jump forward while holding Yumir. Yumir continued her barrage of light downward as I slowly descended, holding Yumir and turning my body. ¡°This, this¡­!¡± [Yumir, that¡¯s not how you use it. It¡¯s not a beam cannon.] [How about calling it my unique fighting style?] [¡­Hmm, now that I think about it, that seems right.] If one handled close range, the other handled long range. [Back me up. I¡¯ll take the avatars¡¯ heads off from the front.] [Not smashing the heads?] [Don¡¯t assume I¡¯ll always use blunt weapons.] If Yumir was going to shoot, I needed to change to a form suitable for closebat. [I also use ded weapons.] Click. I formed a magic de at the end of the club, turning it into a crescent de. [It¡¯s cleaner to cut them off rather than having flesh burst when they explode.] Swish! I swung the pole, decapitating an avatar. The avatar¡¯s headless body fell backward, and Yumir aimed her ws at the head flying into the air, firing a beam. Sizzle. The avatar turned to ashes and vanished. Currently, no avatar could inflict damage on us. It might cause mental damage due to the grotesque ughter, but we should be used to it by now. [How long will you keep sending avatars?] ¡°¡­Heh, heh-heh.¡± [Like Duoexini and you, you can only create demons but can¡¯t fight worth a damn.] ¡°Is that so?¡± Smirk. All the Gyo Berris pointed their hands at us. ¡°Then, try fighting against your ownbat style.¡± [¡­¡­!!] [No way¡­!] [Copying?] ¡°It¡¯s not copying, it¡¯s called ¡®mirroring¡¯!¡± Tat-tat-tat-tat. From all directions, the fingers of Gyo Berris started flying at us like bullets. They were as fast as magic bullets, and the way the fingers swarmed seemed explosive. Moreover, theunched fingers spouted red blood drops towards us like beams. In an instant, I figured out Gyo Berris¡¯sbat style. Using avatars to learn the enemy¡¯s pattern and countering it. Gathering data and utilizing it as it was. Just like how they utilized what happened on this angelic ind in Thand, they fought by umting and utilizing knowledge. Bang¡ª! A golden shield unfolded before me. [What now? At this rate, we¡¯ll run out of resources.] Blocking the finger bullets and beams flying from all directions, Yumir asked nervously. [Against such a demon¡ª] [It¡¯s close to infinite.] Click. [For example.] I turned the club back into a gun and aimed it at Gyo Berris. [Using an ability they can¡¯t replicate.] Using an ability that even the devil of omniscience can¡¯tprehend, one that can¡¯t be acquired through the umtion of knowledge. [I have seven magic bullets.] I pulled the trigger. One, two, three. Creating holes in the shield and intercepting the finger bullets. [Six bullets will hit the targets.] I fired the magic bullets again. Four. Five. Six. The bullets pierced through the heads of three avatars. [Thest bullet will prate the demon¡¯s heart.] To the devil of omniscience. [I am the sniper of magic bullets. Come forth, Angel of Death.] I used the power that reached only the ¡®result.¡¯ The seventh bullet, which was guaranteed to kill someone. [Execute. Samael.] Chapter 268: Public Enemy (3) Chapter 268: Public Enemy (3) They said it was the demon of omniscience, but it didn¡¯t know everything. It¡¯s not that it knew everything, but it only knew what it knew. Even if the amount of that knowledge surpassed all the books in the librarybined, it didn¡¯t know the information of the world outside the library. Gyo Berris didn¡¯t know ¡®patriotism.¡¯ Gyo Berris didn¡¯t know the number 5,700. Gyo Berris didn¡¯t know that I was simply a possessor of this body. ¡°Uh, uh¡­?¡± The seventh bullet of Samael¡¯s magic bullet pierced through Gyo Berris¡¯ heart. Being an S+ level entity, like Duoexini, it didn¡¯t die from just one magic bullet.However. This bullet hit Gyo Berris. And Gyo Berris didn¡¯t know ¡®how¡¯ the bullet reached its heart. ¡°How, how did you¡­?¡± Gyo Berris clutched its head. Unlike the other avatars, its brain didn¡¯t explode, but it¡¯s in agony, tearing at its head. ¡°By what method¡­? A magic bullet of causal reversal? Erasing the timeline? Speed beyond cognitive ability? How, how? Where is the process?¡± The alien devil, the devil from outside the earth, was trembling in fear. Confused, it ced its hand over the gaping hole in its chest, tracing the path the bullet took. ¡°How, how? Ah, ugh, aaah¡­!¡± Puhwaaaak! One of the nearby avatars begins to melt from the head down. Whether it¡¯s brain overload or the brain melting down, Gyo Berris¡¯ avatar slowly melted like slime due to the excessive thought process. ¡°A, a magic bullet shooter¡­? A contract with a devil¡­? Not Samael but Jamiel¡­? ording to my information, the seventh bullet flies not at me but towards the lover¡­?¡± It searched for information regarding the magic bullet shooter. Based on all the information in its head, it tried to gather information rted to the magic bullet shooter and the process by which it was attacked. ¡®Foolish.¡¯ It should just ignore it, just think simply, but it couldn¡¯t. This intelligent demon, which stole and made its own the opponent¡¯s attacks, abilities, and history, must find out. It needed to know who the vicious author was, the one who sprinkled NTR in pure love stories, and it needed to know how the magic bullet pierced it. ¡°Uh, ugh, aaah!!¡± Gyo Berris¡¯ avatars started screaming. With hysterical wails, des emerged from both hands like the ws of a werewolf and started charging towards us. Kagagang! It began to w at the golden sphere in all directions, and the sight of it, like a specially developed zombie horde attacking, sent chills down my spine for a moment. [It¡¯s okay. We can hold out as long as needed.] Yumir infused more magic power into the protective shield, as if to reassure me. [Let¡¯s see how things go for now?] [No. Time is not on our side.] Going for a prolonged ground battle was one way, but if we did that, the barrier Gunggi had set up would disappear. [If it seems we can¡¯t gather information here, it will surely flee elsewhere to find it.] Whether it¡¯s a book, a history book, or the inte, it would surely leave to search for information about this ability. [We¡¯re seeing effects. Look at that.] Puhwaaaak. Gyo Berris¡¯ head, which was swinging its ws, melted. Even while attacking us, it used its avatar¡¯s brain to read the trajectory of the seventh magic bullet that hit it and to analyze the ability, causing the avatars¡¯ brains to melt now. ¡°Uh, ugh, aaah¡­! How, how did you do it!! Answer me!!¡± [Want to know?] Between the avatars wildly swinging their w des, Gyo Berris, kneeling, nods nkly. [Then, watch carefully.] I tapped the ground with the goblin bat, which had turned into a rifle, changing its form. Revolver. The magazine had six holes. [Six Pistols.] As I pulled the trigger forward, the first bullet was fired forward. Timed perfectly with Yumir creating a hole, the first bullet flew straight and pierced the avatar. Bang, bang, bang. I continuously pulled the trigger. The second bullet pierced the avatar behind it, and the following magic bullets spiraled towards Gyo Berris. [The sixth.] Before shooting the sixth bullet, I slightly turned my body and swung the gun sideways. Bang©`©`! An avatar threw itself forward to block the bullet flying into the hole, but the magic bullet curved like a curveball, bypassing the avatar. Curving bullet. Its trajectory curved like a crescent moon and urately pierced Gyo Berris¡¯ shoulder. ¡°¡­Ah, hahaha!!¡± Gyo Berris started tough. Simultaneously, the hands of the avatars began to fall off, and soon, from the severed hand stumps of the avatars, gun barrels protruded. ¡°A bullet that ignores thews of physics, amazing©`©`! It¡¯s an unbelievable ability you¡¯d see in a movie!¡± Tudududu! The magic bullet struck the protective shield. Not flying in a straight line or spiral trajectory, but shooting magic bullets at me that curved just like the trajectory I shot. [Wow, insane¡­!] Yumir muttered a short curse. My magic bullet was impressive, but to see it once, get hit by it, instantly figure it out, and replicate it exactly was truly a masterpiece. Even I was envious. I had seen various abilities through many media, but Gyo Berris¡¯ ability to analyze and copy abilities was truly terrifying. ¡®The most troublesome demon.¡¯ For an ability user, having their skills copied means revealing their true capabilities. If we lost Gyo Berris here, it would escape with not just one but three abilities: Dragon Killer, Six Pistols, and Curving Magic Bullet. The more abilities a being possessed, the harder it was to capture Gyo Berris. It¡¯s fitting for a boss that might appear in the second part of the original series. Duoexini with its super-speed movement and regeneration was simr, but its ability was sufficiently otherworldly to be called an alien devil. However. [Thest one. Jamiel¡¯s magic bullet.] Though all six magic bullets in the magazine were fired forward, I pulled the trigger with a chant. Bang. With the firing sound, red blood sttered. ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡± The magic bullet precisely pierced the empty heart again. Since it had already been pierced once, it didn¡¯t cause arge blood stter, but the blood flowing inside the hole sprayed backward. ¡°How¡­? It didn¡¯t even curve¡­?¡± [Do you want to know the answer?] Gyo Berris nodded again. I pulled out the magazine from the revolver and shrugged lightly, keeping only my thumb on the trigger. [I won¡¯t give you the answer you want.] ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± If it was painful not knowing the ability, now it¡¯s time to raise the stress and cause brain overload. [Can¡¯t handle something this simple?] ¡°This, this¡­!¡± [I¡¯ll show you once more. tinum Sun, join me this time.] [¡­¡­.] I approached Yumir from behind and extended my gun forward from behind her. [Hold it.] [Do I infuse it with my magic power?] [Yes.] Click. Golden magic power began to shine in the magazine. Yumir aimed the gun forward with a grip learned at the academy, and I supported her from behind, extending my hand forward. [First magic bullet.] As Yumir pulled the trigger, a goldenser shot forward, blowing away all the avatars in front of us. ¡°A magic concentration bullet¡­! This is absurd¡­!¡± [It¡¯s just overwhelming power.] Surely, if my previous attacks were just the firepower of a pistol. Yumir¡¯s attack was simply a beam cannon. [Second magic bullet.] Yumir slowly twisted her foot to the side, and I moved my body in sync with her step. Ziiiiing. The light of magic power emanating from the muzzle rushed forward like aser beam. The beam ground down the avatars¡¯ necks like a de, and Gyo Berris¡¯ avatars were shredded by the golden de without even having time to melt. ¡°Ha, haha¡­.¡± With just two pulls of the trigger, and after making one circle, all the avatars on the rooftop were destroyed. Smeeeeer. The remnants of the avatars, destroyed by my magic bullets, begin to gather towards Gyo Berris. It seemed like the original body was absorbing what it had proliferated, and the original body slowly rose, beginning to fill the wind hole in its chest with flesh. ¡°This¡­!¡± [Three, four, five, six.] Golden magic bullets precisely hit its limbs. The magic bullets, spinning like circr saw des as they exited the muzzle, rushed towards Gyo Berris. [Origin sh. Well, how is it?] [Next time, rather than using a gun, it might be better to create and throw them by hand.] [Hmm.] sting away both arms and legs, the golden glow on the severed surfaces prevented Gyo Berris from regenerating. Thud. Gyo Berris¡¯ body copses to the ground. Even as a mannequin with severed limbs, Gyo Berris was still muttering something. ¡°Monomolecr Cutter¡­.¡± [Wow. To figure it out right after getting hit. Truly scary. Then.] Click. [What do you think about the seventh bullet?] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Yumir half-pulled thest trigger. Together with Yumir, I ced my index finger on the trigger and pulled it in sync with the signal she sent by pressing against me. Bang. Once again, the bullet pierced the heart in the exact same spot. Gyo Berris, hit by the seventh magic bullet, spewed blood from its mouth and dropped its head to the side. ¡°How¡­?¡± [Hmm.] Yumir deactivates the protective shield. Lowering the gun flowing with the magic power¡¯s glow, she leisurely nodded while embracing me. [Do you still not understand¡­?] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± [Such a simple principle.] There was no process. As I said before. The deadly magic bullet only left the result of killing the opponent by ¡®omitting the process.¡¯ Thinking about the process would only give you a headache. In fact. Yumir didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know either. There¡¯s only the result. To specte. If this ability was ¡®made possible,¡¯ perhaps it¡¯s the will of a god in this world. Chapter 270: Because Life Continues Chapter 270: Because Life Continues All living beings reproduced. No matter the method of reproduction, leaving their genes to the next generation was the species¡¯ task. What about humans? Unlike other ordinary animals, humans sometimes chose to forgo reproduction. There could be various reasons, but most likely it¡¯s the fear of not being able to raise their children happily. However, when they truly met someone they loved, humans lived with the hope that their future would be happier. We lived thinking that our children, our offspring, would be born and grow up to live happy lives. [Demon Gyo Berris. You intended to deprive humans of the opportunity for their descendants to prosper.] ¡°¡­Heh.¡±Gyo Berris stillid sprawled on the ground. Looking up at the sky, with a nk face, only the torso remained as the limbs had been blown off, and it was justughing. ¡°Talking about the magnificence of making children¡­.¡± Gyo Berris sneered at Yumir. ¡°Why are you deliberately choosing the path of pain? I don¡¯t understand.¡± [What?] ¡°If you have children, you can¡¯t do anything freely for 10 months. For the sake of the child, you won¡¯t be able to drink or smoke freely.¡± [Anyway, I don¡¯t do those things.] ¡°Patriotism too?¡± [¡­¡­.] Yumir was silent for a moment. ¡°Disgusting. Why go through the trouble of tearing and ruining your body just to have a child? Your body will be ruined from childbirth. You will suffer from the child after giving birth too.¡± [That¡¯s just pointing out the bad aspects.] ¡°Is that so? If you truly love someone, can¡¯t the two of you live supporting each other without necessarily reproducing? Isn¡¯t that why the term ¡®DINK¡¯ (Dual Ie No Kids) was coined? Just finding a partner to live with for a lifetime is happiness itself. Why go through the trouble of having children and experiencing unhappiness?¡± Gyo Berris¡¯s examples didn¡¯t resonate with Yumir, but the following issue immediately gained her sympathy. ¡°The pleasure of the process of making children can be enjoyed even by demons who have lost reproductive abilities. Mixing flesh, indulging in carnal desires. It¡¯s more convenient. No worries about pregnancy during the act.¡± [You can enjoy pleasure without responsibility?] ¡°There¡¯s no need to take responsibility from the start. Who said it? Humans¡¯ three major desires are appetite, sleep, and sexual desire.¡± Again, Gyo Berris startedughing. ¡°Then, isn¡¯t it enough to just satisfy sexual desire? Isn¡¯t reproductive desire a separate issue?¡± [It¡¯s just a demon¡¯s facious argument that doesn¡¯t understand humans.] ¡°But isn¡¯t it not wrong? Earth¡¯s resources are limited, and with the advancement of medical technology, the poption will increase immensely. Eventually, humanity will fight and struggle over limited resources and bring about mutual destruction.¡± [Since when did demons start caring about humans?] ¡°Since the beginning of the New Era.¡± After the Great Cataclysm. ¡°I¡¯ve observed everything. After falling into the East Sea, I learned about the world. Excessive human reproduction will eventually lead humanity to ruin. It¡¯s even in textbooks. Resource scarcity.¡± [I don¡¯t know why you¡¯ve suddenly be a social studies teacher, but it doesn¡¯t resonate with me.] Yumir extended her hand forward. [No matter what absurd logic you spout, you don¡¯t understand why men and women want to have children. No matter how difficult and painful the environment, people live by having and raising children, worrying about the future. You can¡¯t understand the mindset of those who have children. So, you just roughly piece together any logic. The essence is just your desire for demon proliferation.] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Though it was brought up as a digression. [The starting point of all your logic is not that rational love and spiritualmunion between men and women is paramount. You¡¯re just spewing nonsense to justify demon proliferation.] Though she pitied the demon who didn¡¯t know the happiness of making children, she provoked it. [You¡¯re just bringing logic to fit your wish for demon proliferation. You¡¯re finding reasons to abandon the method of having offspring.] In the end, the essence of this demon was ¡®Gyo Berris¡¯. [If a woman who has truly given birth, raised a child, and suffered tremendously because of the child says so, I would understand and sympathize. But have you ever given birth to a child?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Not to proliferate yourself, not to create something that appears as an offspring entity, but purely through love with a man, have you ever given birth to a child?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [You probably haven¡¯t. Even if you could, you wouldn¡¯t have done it, and you wouldn¡¯t have tried. You¡¯re just a demon, mimicking humans.] In reality, regardless of any other names, this demon might understand the act of sexual intercourse between males and females butpletely failed to grasp the necessity of breeding, reproduction, and nurturing. [No matter what grand scheme you have, you will disappear from this Angel¡¯s Ind. If there¡¯s even a speck of humanity in you, you will endure and remain as a human.] Wiiiing. [If you are human, you will remain. If you are a demon, you will vanish.] A golden aura began to shimmer in Yumir¡¯s hand. [At least a speck, even 1% of you, if there¡¯s any human part, that part will remain. But how about this? I don¡¯t see such a part in you.] A ring of light that spread out from her wrist aimed at Gyo Berris, and her outstretched palm shone with a brilliant golden light. [Anyst words? I will at least listen to your final words.] ¡°Last words? ¡­Is that so? Is it okay to leave somest words? Hmm. If so.¡± Gyo Berris fiercelyughed, sneering at Yumir and me. ¡°Even if your children are born with disabilities, will reproduction still be happiness?¡± [Asking forst words and then spitting out curses. You¡¯re truly a filthy, disgusting demon to the end.] ¡°And.¡± Gyo Berris¡¯s gaze turned toward Gunggi. ¡°A dead one who can¡¯t even have children, trying to¡ª¡± Bang. Bang. Gunshots rang out simultaneously. I pulled the trigger, and Yumir released the magic power she had gathered in her hand, shooting it at Gyo Berris. Fsssh. Gyo Berris¡¯s body disappeared. Just like when Duoexini died, Gyo Berris turned to ash and vanished as if crumbling like mist. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± I took off my mask. Without fully reverting from transformation, I adjusted the magical clothing made for battle into a more ordinary outfit. Gyo Berris. An alien demon, the second. She died without ever understanding the concept of making children. Paaaht. Yumir also reverted from her transformation. For a moment, she waspletely naked, but then she transformed back into her ordinary clothes. ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine if she spouts nonsense at me, but I couldn¡¯t tolerate her doing it to others. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. That.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not entirely wrong, is it?¡± Gunggi patted my back and winked at me. I was trying to ignore it, but Gunggi nodded reassuringly instead. ¡°Is there a problem with letting her know? There isn¡¯t, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Actually, it might be more convenient to let them know. He probably already had some inkling. Now he can be sure.¡± ¡°That¡­.¡± Yumir scratched her cheek and turned her gaze to Yun Hye-ra. ¡°The reason you¡¯re a Yi Maengmangnyang, it¡¯s what I think it is, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Just as you think, that¡¯s what I am.¡± Fsssh. Yun Hye-ra extended her hand forward, and it began to turn translucent as mana flowed through it. ¡°With the power of mana, I can have physical force, but if I use up all my mana, I can¡¯t maintain my consciousness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a ghost¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a dead person. An S-rank abandoned by the nation, returning as a vengeful spirit. Isn¡¯t that amon story in the world of ability users? Such a spirit joining an organization aiming for world domination and trying to overthrow the nation.¡± Yun Hye-ra smiled as she raised her hand in front of her face. ¡°The S-rank viin known for attempting a coup, ¡®ck me Phoenix¡¯, is me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± ¡°My hero name was tainted, and I was treated as a viin, unable to use my previous name. Thanks to the Chief¡¯s grace, I was revived as ¡®Gunggi Yun Hye-ra¡¯ in spirit. That¡¯s who I am.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir¡¯s eyes shook violently. She asked me if it was true, and I had no intention of denying it. ¡°Gyo Berris just said it. That she¡¯s in a body that can¡¯t reproduce. Naturally. Just as demons can¡¯t host new life, the dead can¡¯t give birth to new life either. That¡¯s the same for the other executives too.¡± ¡°Reviving the dead¡­.¡± Yumir didn¡¯t know about Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s condition yet. ¡°No matter how, reviving the dead isn¡¯t just a few people¡­!¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not even reviving. Just a ghost.¡± So, we were ¡®Yi Maengmangnyang¡¯. ¡°The Goblin here is a person, not a ghost. Hehe.¡± ¡°¡­There are many such dead people in the secret society. Those whose social status has been erased. Those abandoned by the nation. Those who have killed their previous identities and been reborn with new ones. But truly dead and revived as ghosts, only four including Hye-ra.¡± Gwang Ik Gong wasn¡¯t part of the secret society, so no count. And his case was different too, so no count. ¡°Since we¡¯re dead, we can¡¯t have children. We can have sex though.¡± ¡°Haha¡­.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t sympathize with Gyo Berris¡¯s words. Why? Because we live with ¡®hope¡¯.¡± Yun Hye-ra hugged me from behind andughed. ¡°We¡¯re trying to be reborn with the help of the Goblin. Hehe.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Yumir¡¯s eyes shook greatly. ¡°Well, don¡¯t think tooplicatedly. The important thing is one.¡± Yun Hye-ra, caressing my stomach from behind, slowly extended her hand downward. ¡°Patriotism knows the answer. So, shall the three of us go to Ulleungdo to celebrate our victory with some patriotism?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Patriotism can solve everything?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± This world was a patriotic novel. Patriotism was justice. Chapter 271: Resurrection Of The Dead (1) Chapter 271: Resurrection Of The Dead (1) ¡°Dear Librarian, how is your health?¡± ¡°It¡¯s much better now. Thanks to the healer with special abilities, Ipleted the hospital treatment safely.¡± ¡°Good. A young man should take care of his health. You¡¯ll be a father in a few years. Don¡¯t worry too much about work. I¡¯ve handled everything, so just do as you used to.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. By the way, there was a master brewer near the ce I went for recuperation. Do you like old-fashioned medicinal liquor? I received it as a gift, but I don¡¯t drink¡­¡± ¡°Ahem. Well, you didn¡¯t have to¡­¡± Even though the parachute appointee was on sick leave for 14 days, there was no big problem. A sick person left their position, but it didn¡¯t cause significant issues. He was absent during the quietest period, and most importantly, bying back and smoothing things over, no major problems arose. ¡°Was there any trouble during my absence?¡± ¡°Trouble? The trouble was overseas. Thand was in chaos. Really, there are so many crazy things in the world.¡±It¡¯s been over a week since Gyo Berris died, but the talk about Thand still shook the world. ¡°Take care. If you feel unwell, contact me. The schrship students on the 2nd basement floor were worried about where you went. Heh heh.¡± After the senior librarian who took over my position went up to the office, I sat at my desk and finally felt like I was back to my routine. Routine. People here must have spent the past two weeks normally, but Thand had a very turbulent two weeks. The chaos in Thand during the two weeks was summarized on Hero Wiki, and it reached nearly tens of thousands of characters. There¡¯s no need to reflect on it again. I was at the center of the incident and directly caused it. And anyway, if I read it now, it will certainly undergo major revisions within 30 minutes, so I just looked at other reactions on the inte first. [Something else is needed to restrain the ability users.] As soon as I entered the inte, a news column caught my eye. It was a provocative piece about the Lace Demon incident, from one of the media outlets specializing in hero stories. ¡°A measure to restrain ability users.¡± This world, humanity, has researched and implemented many restraint measures. However, after the chaos in Thand, public opinion seems to be moving towards seeking ¡®stronger restraint measures.¡¯ [¡­The current situation is so severe that 10 S+ grade guardians from the future havee to the past. Therefore, until all Pandemonium demons are gone, we need to maintain a semi-war mindset¡­.] Semi-war. Were they actually asking the whole world to maintain a semi-war status, or just the heroes? Ultimately, since the chaos was caused by ability users, only ability users could counter it. But not everyone could be on standby like the A+ grade marine captain raising red hats at the Marine Academy in Thand. [¡­We must prepare. Moving after an ident urs is toote. Ultimately, the dead do not return.] The column concluded neatly. All humans felt the fear of death and were afraid of dying. It¡¯s normal for the dead not to return, and once you died, it was the end. But. ¡®If the dead can return, what would this person say?¡¯ If the dead coulde back to life. Not just one or two, but if ¡®theoretically¡¯ all of humanity could die ande back to life. Not as mindless zombies, but as undead or something, retaining their intellect and living ¡®like people.¡¯ For example, if there was someone with the ability to resurrect the dead. -If you want to die, die! I will live! -If there¡¯s a way to be resurrected, why wouldn¡¯t anyone want to do it! -Whether the ce you go after death is heaven or hell, find out for yourself, but I¡¯d rather roll in the mud and live here again! -So, save us! I don¡¯t want to die!! All of humanity would cling to that person. In ancient times, even the omnipotent Emperor Qin mobilized all national power to find the elixir of immortality. If such a method existed, not only the powerful but everyone would demand resurrection rights from the one who had it. And the one with the resurrection right judged like this: -It¡¯s too early for humanity to ept ¡®resurrection of the dead.¡¯ There was a way to resurrect the dead. But if it was revealed to the world, people were not ready to ept it. Great chaos would ensue, so it¡¯s better to hide the truth. In the first ce, it¡¯s not possible to resurrect dozens or hundreds of people. The number of people who can be resurrected is about one per year. And all of humanity would want that one person to be themselves. Even if it meant taking away something very precious from that target. Humans were inherently selfish creatures. Beep beep. The Wiki was updated. A rumor-like paragraph was updated in real-time, and I leisurely moved my mouse to the news sh section. [Lace¡¯s Demon, executed by Goblin.] The Secret Society dered again. The Pandemonium demon, the culprit behind the chaos in Thand, was executed by Goblin.
Evening. After returning from work for the first time in a long while, I went back to my room and called with my Taeguk Watch. ¡°Hyera, how are you feeling? Did you eat?¡± [Yeah. I drank a lot of milk. It feels like my body is full of milk right now.] ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Yun Hye-ra, Gunggi, was currently at a pension in Ulleungdo. Following the same method I used when I talked with Baek Seol-heest time, I reserved a month-long stay at another hotel but was actually staying at a pension. ¡°Call me if you need me. I¡¯ll take the boat to Ulleungdo on the weekend.¡± [No, no. Your friends on Sejong Ind are probably waiting to meet you. I¡¯ve had you to myself for the past 15 days, so it¡¯s fine. I want to focus entirely on recovering now since I¡¯ve been granted leave.] While recovering mana in a mana recovery hot spring, Yun Hye-ra was currently resting under the ¡®leave order¡¯ given by the Chief. [I won¡¯t be able to go out at least until the end of July. Well, you cane if you want, but I can¡¯t give you any magic power?] ¡°What if Ie to give you some?¡± [That¡¯s always wee.] Gunggi¡¯s team was working, but Gunggi herself could not be called upon, and measures were taken to ensure she did not step forward. [If you need strength, you¡¯ll have to call someone else.] Even if I needed Gunggi¡¯s strength, I could not use her magic power at all. In Gunggi¡¯s case, the term ¡®magic power¡¯ could be likened to ¡®the power of existence.¡¯ Although not exactly the same, the context was that if a person who maintained their self with magic power used all of it and lost their self, they would lose their existence was simr. Therefore, Gunggi was on vacation. [Regarding me, I think your officer will exin well. Hehe. Is it today?] ¡°¡­Yes. It seems they will arrive soon.¡± Sparkle. A bead in the room began to sparkle with a golden light. ¡°Speak of the devil. Hye-ra, rest well then.¡± [Yes. Take care, too.] The call ended. After drawing the curtain beside the life-sized ice doll standing by the wall next to the bed, I also drew the ckout curtains on the window to ensure no one could see inside from outside. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± About 10 minutester. As the light in the air began to shimmer, Yumir appeared in light indoor clothes, looking slightly tired. ¡°I¡¯m here. This is for you, teacher.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to bring it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it. I brought it directly from my room.¡± ¡°¡­I thought you bought it since it¡¯s in a stic cup.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Yumir teleported into my room with drinks and snacks in hand. ¡°How¡¯s your mana? Are you okay?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t use much, so I¡¯m fine. Actually, you used more mana than I did. The Gunner of Magic Bullets, Hesed ck Ward, and even Goblin.¡± ¡°You say it so openly.¡± ¡°Hehe. There¡¯s nothing to hide now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± As someone overflowing with mana, she quickly recovered all her energy despite fighting the Pandemonium demonst time. ¡°Do you want some of my mana?¡± ¡°Hye-ra also said that, and now you?¡± ¡°Hye-ra unnie was just setting the mood, but I can actually give it to you.¡± Yumir folded her arms under her chest and lightly shrugged her body. ¡°Do you want some?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to fully recharge through natural recovery rather than getting it from someone else. Last time there was an emergency, so I gathered power in a hurry.¡± ¡°Then, you can use it or drain it as neededter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask if it gets urgent. Besides, your purpose isn¡¯t just to supply mana but to be patriotic, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hehe.¡± Yumir smiled, squinting her eyes. ¡°If you found out, you should ept it quietly, right?¡± ¡°Are you going to study after supplying magic power?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t patriotic study also study?¡± ¡°Sigh. I never thought you would be such a patriotic girl.¡± Where did the protagonist from the original story go, who built iron walls and kept his distance from harem girls? ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m full of patriotism, it¡¯s just that I like doing it with you, teacher.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Just now, you flinched a little, right? Caught you.¡± Ah. In fact, I was not very interested in men, but if it was a woman, I was quite active. ¡°Why so impatient?¡± ¡°I also want to quickly study with you, teacher, and learn the secret of resurrection through patriotism.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s something else.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s something that can be prepared for. Like the Chief of the Secret Society, I can also bind spirits to the ground in case someone dies.¡± Yumir ced one hand on her chest. ¡°Necromancy, Necromancy.¡± In a world of special abilities. ¡°If you don¡¯t teach me, I¡¯ll develop it on my own. If you dieter, I¡¯ll embed your spirit into my body and reincarnate you!¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°¡­¡­And the baby¡¯s father?¡± ¡°Um¡­ you?¡± Of course, it¡¯s possible. ¡°If you impregnate me, maintain the embryo, then die and infuse your soul into the embryo¡­?¡± Resurrection of the dead as well. ¡°As long as the memory isn¡¯t lost, it¡¯s reincarnation!¡± If you understood the principle, ¡®anyone¡¯ could do it. Chapter 272: Resurrection Of The Dead (2) Chapter 272: Resurrection Of The Dead (2) The Chief was able to bind the souls of the dead to the earth. This was called the Resurrection of the Dead (Soul), and since there were no other methods of resurrection, it was simply referred to as Resurrection of the Dead. There were certain conditions to use this ability. First, the deceased must be an ability user. Mana was required to maintain the body after death, that was, the ¡®spiritual body.¡¯ Using this mana, they could maintain their ego and exert some physical force. With S+ grade mana control, they could live a daily life and even engage in battles as they did in life. So, did ordinary people have no chance at all? That was not the case.It was possible for ordinary people too. But could a being who couldn¡¯t feel mana in life suddenly feel it after death? It might be possible with a miraculous probability of 1 in 6 billion, but for the most part, it was impossible. And they would disappear. So, those who can be revived through the Chief¡¯s Resurrection of the Dead must be ability users. Second, it must be done immediately after death. ording to the Chief, the golden time was a maximum of 10 minutes. The Resurrection of the Dead must be used before the soul leaves the deceased body. Whether they screamed ¡®I¡¯m not dead!¡¯ or ept their death, as long as they could maintain their ego, Resurrection of the Dead was possible. Third, they must ept that their soul would be bound to the Chief. The mana used to form the spiritual body initially belonged to the Chief, and the ability to keep the soul bound to the earth was also the Chief¡¯s. To prevent the spiritual body from recklessly possessing someone else¡¯s body, or even if it did, to ensure it could not target the Chief¡¯s body, minimum measures were needed. Thus, the four executives revived by the Chief, the four viins, the four ¡®dead S-sses¡¯ could not possess the Chief¡¯s body. They understand why this was, and the Chief would not revive a traitor as a spiritual body in the first ce. Since they were revived as executives of the Secret Society, those chosen were individuals with the personality to devote their lives and best efforts to conquering the world for the Secret Society. And the most important fourth condition: The Chief¡¯s Resurrection of the Dead could only be used once a year. First, she revived Chaos to her side. Then she revived Doul, Docheol, and Gunggi, establishing the four-executive system two years ago. The most recent use was just before Christmasst year, reviving Gwang Ik Gong, an S-ss in Korea, using the secret of Resurrection of the Dead. These were the instances of the Resurrection of the Dead that the Chief had used so far. Each use consumed so much mana that she had to lie in bed for a month. Although it depended on her efforts, she always lived a limited life. And if those revived ended up using up all their mana for some strange reason and disappeared or acted against the interests of the Secret Society? There was no need to revive them. No reason to revive them. Above all, if she kept the dead bound to her body, one day one of the souls might take advantage of a moment of weakness to seize her body. That was the Resurrection of the Dead (Soul) until now. And then I appeared, creating a new method: Resurrection of the Dead (Patriotism). Unlike the Chief¡¯s method, which allowed for immediate revival, it took at least 10 months to revive. However, instead of existing as a spiritual body, they were reborn with a physical body. So it should be called Resurrection of the Dead (Rebirth). We had established that theory. But we had not yet tested it. The reason was one: The ¡®time¡¯ had not yete. Even if we were to implement it, it would not be possible this year. The Chief had no intention of using Resurrection of the Dead (Rebirth) this year. So it was a bit surprising. Yumir said that if I were to die, she would use Resurrection of the Dead (Patriotism) for me. ¡­Even though it would be a self-rebirth from myself.
¡°¡­So Yumir, you would be my mother then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Come on, teacher. Try calling me mom.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more appropriate to call you ¡®mama¡¯? Since I would be reborn as a baby.¡± ¡°A baby? Ah, oh! Then I¡¯d have to raise you from before you could even walk!¡± As Yumir piled up theories about the Resurrection of the Dead, she finally realized the harsh reality. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯d have to change your diapers and feed you whenever you¡¯re hungry¡­.¡± ¡°If I were reborn with my adult memories, that would be so humiliating I¡¯d probably lose my mind.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ That would be really exhausting. Livingfortably as a spiritual body versus starting over as a baby. At least until you can act independently, it would be extremely tough.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± In many reincarnation stories, especially those starting from infancy, that¡¯s how it was. ¡®No reincarnation story carries on about the early years for more than one volume.¡¯ No reincarnation story narrated the events from ages 1 to 5. They all skipped the hardships of childhood. They might depict parental love or show the mother nurturing them in some shadowy moments, or mention training mana from infancy, creating a magic circle in their heart for a few chapters. But by noter than chapters 6 to 9, they usually started acting like little adults and the main story began. That¡¯s how it was in novels. But this was reality. ¡°Being reborn without memories just means the soul is the same, but it¡¯s essentially a different person. If you want to maintain the same ego, you need to retain your memories. Reincarnating with a physical body involves these kinds of issues.¡± ¡°It¡¯splicated¡­. What if we seal the memories until the age of seven and then awaken them?¡± ¡°Such convenient developments don¡¯te easily.¡± Reincarnating with an ability was alreadyplex and challenging, and adding more conditions would make it even closer to impossible. ¡°Alright, Yumir. Now that we understand the difficulties faced by those involved in the Resurrection of the Dead, let¡¯s talk about ¡®others¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir swallowed hard and adjusted her posture. We had discussed the theoretical aspects of the phenomenon, but now it was time to consider its societal impact. ¡°Assume we can revive one person every year. What means and methods would people use to be that one person?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°With money? The world¡¯s wealthiest would bring all their property deeds to be reincarnated. The person who gets reincarnated would be happy. But what about everyone else?¡± ¡°Humans are envious and jealous of what they don¡¯t have.¡± ¡°Right. If you, Yumir, were potentially my mother, people would whine about it. Not just whine, they¡¯d be so jealous of what they can¡¯t have that they¡¯d want to bring down a meteor on Earth.¡± ¡°Oh, I get that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I paused to sip my coffee. The flower on the decorative cactus was extremely beautiful. ¡°If Resurrection of the Dead were possible and everyone could do it, and if only two women in the world could do it, what would people do?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t say it out loud. But they¡¯d whisper behind their backs, telling them to give birth until all the eggs in their ovaries are exhausted¡ªnot their own children, but continuously birthing reincarnations.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir¡¯s expression grew cold. ¡°What, am I supposed to be a reincarnation factory¡­.¡± ¡°Exactly. But there could actually be people who would say such things. On the dark web.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe such humans exist. It¡¯s really disgusting to think we¡¯re the same species.¡± ¡°Just a hypothetical. Well¡­ there will be such people when the timees.¡± Her eyes showed she was barely tolerating it because it was me saying it. ¡°Setting aside the back-alley people who live to crush others, let¡¯s talk about the brighter side. How many children woulde asking to save their cancer-stricken mothers or bring their dying children for reincarnation?¡± ¡°Hearing something so positive after a big shock feels strange. Anyway, isn¡¯t it odd if it sounds like ¡®you have to give birth to resurrect the dead¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not odd. It¡¯s natural.¡± If anyone said such a thing to the Chief, if anyone said, ¡®Reincarnate me as your son,¡¯ I would go and break their skull immediately. ¡°So, after much consideration, our society decided not to reveal this technology to the world. It¡¯s top secret.¡± The ¡®self-reincarnation method¡¯ Yoon Hye-ra mentioned to Yumir was something we decided to use for ourselves, after our society conquers the world. ¡°All four executives want to live again. Even if they suffer as babies, they all want to live with physical bodies.¡± ¡°¡­Ah! Now I understand. When the sisters said it was good during ¡®Patriotism¡¯ and ¡®Unity¡¯, they meant it that way?¡± ¡°Because they feel the sensation of being alive.¡± Unity, when they possessed my body. Just feeling their physical body move on their own would make them happy. Of course, possessing my body wasn¡¯t easy, and if their ego shed with mine, their ego would waver, and since the Chief wouldn¡¯t stay still, unity only happened under restricted conditions. ¡°So, we decided to find another method.¡± I showed Yumir a picture I had printed in color beforehand. ¡°¡­¡­Is this an SF fantasy game?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s real. In terms of alchemy, it¡¯s a ¡®homunculus¡¯, and in SF future world fantasy, it can be called an ¡®avatar¡¯. Both mean ¡®a human body that a soul can possess¡¯.¡± In the photo. In eachrge circr ss tube, human-shaped beings were submerged in green liquid. ¡°Someday, our society will release the Resurrection of the Dead to the human world. Not immortality, but life extension. One of the four executives, Docheol, is researching that.¡± In front of the ss tubes, a woman with blue bobbed hair, wearing a white gown, was writing something resembling a research log. ¡°Our society, when it conquers the world, will reveal this: new bodies that can extend life. Human souls that can settle in spare bodies. In short.¡± Without oveplicating things. ¡°Our society is creating real dolls that can reincarnate.¡± If the souls of the dead lived in real dolls with all human organs, it could be called the Resurrection of the Dead. ¡°It¡¯s called [Rebirth Doll].¡± By the way. The one who provided this idea. It¡¯s me. Chapter 273: Resurrection Of The Dead (3) Chapter 273: Resurrection Of The Dead (3) At that moment, somewhere on Earth. Rumble. Inside aboratory filled with ss containers brimming with green cultivation fluid. In a spacerger than an average small to medium enterprise factory, a woman walked past the rows of ss containers on either side. Thud, thud. Wearing nearly fluorescent green slippers, a blue-haired woman in a white coat shuffled along, flipping through paper research charts, adjusting her sses, and gritting her teeth. ¡°Tsk. What a pity.¡± The woman clicked her tongue and tapped the data in the charts with a pen. ¡°Customization is key, but for now, we only have default avatars. Ugh, so frustrating.¡±She continued to fidget with her shoulder-length hair and gritted her teeth again. The other researchers following her exchanged uneasy nces as she stood before arger, grander, ss container than the others. ¡°Sigh. The cost to create just this one is so high.¡± Inside the ss container was a girl with golden hair, curled up and floating in the cultivation fluid. Her vacant blue eyes matched the woman¡¯s hair color butcked any sign of life. ¡°Dr. Jang?¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± A man called Dr. Jang stepped forward. ¡°¡®Project Goldwing¡¯ takes top priority over any other project, you understand?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. Our team is giving it our all.¡± ¡°Giving it your all is good, but results shoulde first, shouldn¡¯t they? Compared tost month, it seems like we¡¯re still stagnant.¡± ¡°T-That is¡­.¡± He was a middle-aged man with a balding head, who could only cower before the much younger woman¡¯s authoritative demeanor. ¡°Just give us a little more time¡­.¡± ¡°Time? Alright. What day is it in 2025?¡± ¡°¡­June 6th.¡± ¡°Right. June. Since Gwang Ik Gong died before Christmas, it¡¯s been about five months since this project started. That¡¯s roughly over 150 days, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Dr. Jang and the other researchers hung their heads low. ¡°How much budget was spent over 150 days?¡± ¡°¡­200 billion won.¡± ¡°Right. 200 billion. And what we¡¯ve created with that 200 billion is this. This.¡± Tap, tap. The woman tapped the ss container with her finger. ¡°Creating it is good. The results? Very impressive. It fits the purpose very well. You all have shown excellent results. Here, here, and here.¡± As she pointed, the lights behind the ss containers flickered. ¡°Perfect resurrection dolls. Even E-ss ability users can live in these bodies if they stay within Korea, relying on the natural mana recovery here.¡± Behind her, besides the blonde girl, there were numerous women, all curled up naked in the cultivation fluid. ¡°Amazing, really. While the default male and female bodies still haven¡¯t moved past the base, these cute girls look like something out of a magical girl squad, with their varied hair and eye colors. It¡¯s blinding. Well, the chest armor being E-ss, I understand.¡± Themon point was that they all had small physiques and modest mana pouches. ¡°Once clinical trials are over, they can bemercialized immediately. Truly outstanding, the work of the world¡¯s best schrs. Even the Chief will be pleased.¡± ¡°Heh, hehehe¡­. You¡¯re too kind.¡± Though their eyes seemed vacant, they looked like they could move if their souls were just inserted. ¡°But¡­.¡± Crack. ¡°Why do you keep making cute girls with t chests!!¡± As the woman¡¯s face twisted with rage, the researchers blushed and bowed their heads even lower. ¡°Youin about creating a single male body but go crazy working overtime to make cute girls!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s because¡­!¡± ¡°Are you thinking that people will enjoy it if all the bodies we supply to humanity are just cute girls!¡± Shrrk! ¡°I, Docheol, won¡¯t allow this!¡± Docheol threw the chart to the floor. ¡°Are you nning to turn everyone who resurrects into magical girls!!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not the case¡­.¡± ¡°Then what!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there the most demand for it¡­?¡± Dr. Jang cautiously suggested. ¡°Men will probably want to live as another gender after death, and women would want to live in a prettier, younger form.¡± ¡°Oh, so?¡± ¡°The various cute girl avatars are not due to our preferences, but to anticipate future consumer demand¡­.¡± ¡°You just want to resurrect as cute girls, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The researchers didn¡¯t answer. ¡°¡­Sigh. Seriously, aren¡¯t you guys too much? As a fellow man, isn¡¯t this too much? Even I, as a woman, feel pity.¡± Docheol tapped the ss container holding the blonde girl. ¡°Even if the outer appearance is female, you could at least attach male organs. What are you nning by adding more holes inside? Put some equipment in there?¡± ¡°N-Not attaching equipment, but forming the texture from the inside¡­.¡± ¡°Ugh, perverts.¡± In response to Docheol¡¯s swearing, Dr. Jang and the researchers could only scratch their heads andugh awkwardly. ¡°Hey. You¡¯re trying to resurrect a man who died fighting for the world, and you want to bring him back as a blonde, blue-eyed girl?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s not that we¡¯re cking off or doing a shoddy job. The first sessful case just happens to be the body behind you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Please believe us. We are always doing our best¡­.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. As researchers of the Secret Society, we are always doing our utmost.¡± The researchers lifted their heads proudly. Their faces shone with a strong sense of duty, and seeing this, Docheol sighed deeply and picked up the materials she had thrown on the floor. ¡°Alright. Then show some real results. It¡¯s fine to have bodies ready for S-ss ability users, but we need to match the genders first. Instead of upgrading female bodies grade by grade, develop male bodies as well. How can female bodies be at A-ss, but male bodies aren¡¯t even D-ss? Huh?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Dr. Jang looked at the other doctors. Although it wasn¡¯t intentional, everyone on this team was male. ¡°¡­This is driving me crazy, seriously.¡± Do-cheol covered her face with one hand. ¡°If Gwang Ik Gong is on the brink of disappearing and we don¡¯t have a male body ready, what will you do then?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± The doctors pointed their chins towards the ss container behind Docheol. ¡°Given the situation, it¡¯s not like we can be picky.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Gwang Ik Gong, he will surely adapt well to a female body.¡± ¡°Even a maid outfit¡­.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Docheol closed her eyes. ¡°How did only these perverts gather for the human body production research¡­.¡± Docheol gave up on thinking. ¡°¡­A human body that can be possessed with the power of an ability user after death. It¡¯s terrifying.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a field that began in earnest after Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s death, so there should be a prototype by now.¡± It¡¯s only been about five months, so even if there¡¯s plenty of budget and enthusiastic researchers, it¡¯s too soon to be mass-producing samples.
¡°Whether you call it an android or something else, it¡¯s about putting a soul into a body that is human in all aspects except for the soul.¡± I pointed to Baek Seol-hee¡¯s ice doll inside the curtain. ¡°Theponents of the body are all the same as a human¡¯s. The energy source for the body would be mana instead of electricity, and mana would flow through the body like a liquid instead of blood, but if I can move as I want, isn¡¯t that a form of resurrection?¡± ¡°It might not be the original body.¡± ¡°Right, for now. But if technology advances to the point where every household has a backup of their body data, and it can be produced instantly, it will be different.¡± With ability users able to teleport freely, gic engineering and superpowersbined would surely create clones or whatever. ¡°So we should spread this. Rebirth dolls. The idea of reincarnating in a fertilized egg inside someone¡¯s womb shouldn¡¯t spread.¡± ¡°¡­For people who die before the technology is developed, there really is no other option.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± It¡¯s a harsh and cruel reality, but there were too many things the Secret Society had to worry about. ¡°So always be careful. If people find out we can resurrect the dead, it will cause unimaginable chaos.¡± ¡°I understand. Um¡­ but that rebirth doll, you said it¡¯s identical to a human? Except for the soul.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°If I possess that rebirth doll, I have to live in that body¡­.¡± Yumir touched her body and smiled faintly. ¡°If that body is male, and I die, and the only body avable is male, then I¡¯d have to live as a man?¡± ¡°¡­Although it¡¯s too early to say what¡¯s possible or not with technology, if possession is a one-time thing, you¡¯d have to live in that body until it dies.¡± ¡°Wow, then.¡± Yumir covered her mouth with her hand, surprised. ¡°If people live in new bodies, everyone would try to reincarnate as blonde, blue-eyed girls.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A world full of TS-reincarnated cute girls. In such a world, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad if a meteor hit it. Chapter 274: Resurrection Of The Dead (4) If every ability user had a card that allowed them to reincarnate, they would all use that card to reincarnate. However, since that technology was still in development, it did not apply to those who were dying right now. Even if that person was the world¡¯s strongest, Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°So, if you reincarnate now, you will be a blonde blue-eyed girl?¡± ¡°Yes. Would you do it?¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it better to wait for the technology to develop more, hyung?¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± I came to meet Gwang Ik Gong. Gwang Ik Gong himself wanted to meet me, and I met him alone in a hotel specially prepared for us in Busan ¨C to be precise, it was the three of us including his secretary, Secretary Kim.¡°What do you think, Secretary Kim?¡± ¡°I am determined to watch over Gwang Ik Gong in any form of reincarnation. Even if he is reborn as a baby, I am prepared to raise him as a nanny.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s too much¡­.¡± Gwang Ik Gong waved his hand in disgust, but I understood his sentiment. If something happens to the Chief, I would take care of her even if it means raising her as my own daughter. That was not much different from what Yumir had told me, that if I died, she would give birth to (?) and reincarnate me. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t want to reincarnate right now?¡± Beforeing to meet Gwang Ik Gong, I had a conversation with Dochul. When I had a rare chat with Yumir and asked how the current resurrection technology was progressing, she happened toin while exining the development situation. -The researchers all seem to want to be TS young girls. -But they have set the mana pockets to the minimum. -When I asked if it was an issue of fuel efficiency, they said it was a matter of motivation. -Usually, men would set the mana pocket parameter to the far right. Herint was valid, and I agreed. Most ability users had mana pocketsrger than their own fists. ¡°So, for now, we won¡¯t reincarnate. Noted. I understand your mindset that you don¡¯t want to reincarnate as a woman even if you die.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not exactly what I meant.¡± ¡°What? Do you also hope to be something like a trap?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a trap?¡± ¡°Gwang Ik Gong, trap refers to¡­.¡± Secretary Kim whispered an exnation of a trap. ¡°No, hyung. Do you think I want to be a woman? Do you want to see me go crazy? It¡¯s not that I want to be a woman, but if necessary, I would consider it. Do you think I¡¯m crazy to want to be a trap?¡± Gwang Ik Gong started fuming and would have hit me if I hadn¡¯t rified my words. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I would use a female body to be a trap, but if there is a necessity to prove Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s existence in the world, I would step up.¡± ¡°For world peace?¡± ¡°Of course. If the world needs a female Gwang Ik Gong, I would step up, but if not, I also want to have a choice. Even if I can¡¯t resurrect in my previous body, can¡¯t I at least have the chance to reincarnate in a man¡¯s body?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a reasonable proposal. Noted.¡± He didn¡¯t want to reincarnate as a woman. But if the world needed a female version of him, he would dly be one. What a heroic self-sacrifice that was. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to the main point.¡± ¡°This wasn¡¯t the main point?¡± ¡°Of course not. After hearing about the current technology development, I just asked your intention briefly.¡± Anyway. It wasn¡¯t the main topic of meeting Gwang Ik Gong, but I understood his intention. ¡°Then let me ask Mr. Kim Jin-ho, who is prepared to be a female for the sake of the world, how would you like Gwang Ik Gong to be implemented in the Sephiroth Knights?¡± ¡°Aha, that direction.¡± Gwang Ik Gong shrugged morefortably than before. ¡°I just want to appear naturally to the world. Any state is fine. As my middle-aged self, as my ageless self, or even as an old man.¡± ¡°Any state is fine, what about Gwang Ik Gong as a woman?¡± ¡°If a female entity ims to be Gwang Ik Gong, won¡¯t people think it¡¯s his daughter or disciple?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I felt as if I had been hit on the back of the head by his sensible answer. Living as a viin has made my brain lean that way, making me feel somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Right. Since you¡¯re a person from the future, if an old man or a woman appears, they would think it¡¯s Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s sessor.¡± ¡°Right. Moreover, that future point, isn¡¯t it not yet set in stone how many years into the future it is?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Jean D¡¯Art hasn¡¯t revealed his true identity to the world yet.¡± Only three beings had been revealed. The Dark Charisma. Hesed ck War Dragon. And Jean D¡¯Art himself. If Gwang Ik Gong were to upy one more seat here, it would be most appropriate for him to be the head of the Sephiroth Knights, reflecting his honor and respect. ¡°Then it¡¯s simple. If hyung wants to act as Gwang Ik Gong, unless you can change your face, Gwang Ik Gong with a mask would be the way to go, right?¡± ¡°If I were to step up as Gwang Ik Gong, yes. But there¡¯s one problem.¡± I pointed between Gwang Ik Gong and myself. ¡°I¡¯m not someone overflowing with mana like you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Technically, I can replicate everything, but yourbat style relies on overwhelming firepower. If I were to imitate you, I would need a week¡¯s recuperation to recover mana after each battle.¡± Gwang Ik Gong and I had distinctly differentbat styles. I was a technician who found the opponent¡¯s weaknesses and devised counter-abilities to achieve maximum efficiency with minimal magic power. But what about Gwang Ik Gong? ¡°Even Baek Seol-hee would fall short in firepowerpared to you. If I imitate you, would it really be effective?¡± ¡°But as the Dark Charisma, you smashed Susanoo¡¯s head in one blow back then.¡± ¡°That was because it was the first debut of the Sephiroth Knights. I went all out, borrowing the magic power of three S-ss individuals to make a grand entrance.¡± To put it simply: If I gathered the magic power of Yumir, Yun Hye-ra, and Hyeon Se-rin to summon the Sephiroth¡¯s giant soldier for one strike and exhausted most of my magic power, this man named Gwang Ik Gong could maintain that Sephiroth¡¯s giant soldier for at least an hour while fighting at full power. This guy¡¯s magic power was EX-grade. Even though he died a virgin. ¡°So, I have a proposal.¡± ¡°A proposal?¡± ¡°Yes. Have you considered taking on a disciple?¡± ¡°A disciple¡­? Someone around you who you can rmend to me as a disciple¡­ Ah.¡± Gwang Ik Gong snapped his fingers. ¡°Sr tina?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Perfect candidate. But isn¡¯t she with the Society?¡± ¡°She¡¯s an intern now.¡± ¡°Does that mean she can leave anytime, or that the Society will take measures to prevent her from finding another job if she tries to leave?¡± ¡°The former. The Society wouldn¡¯t risk someone who could rise to an executive level.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Taking Yumir as Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s disciple. There was no more certain way to establish a sessor for Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°I can teach thebat skills. Even if you decide to vanish from this world rather than bing a blonde blue-eyed girl, I can teach her thebat skills. You only have to decide one thing.¡± ¡°Whether to officially recognize Sr tina or not?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I proposed a blueprint to Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°I think Yumir would make an excellent sessor. She knows how to use the Society for justice, and she has a more righteous mindset than anyone. If you hadn¡¯t ended up like this, you would have considered recruiting her as an S-ss colleague in Korea.¡± ¡°I agree. It¡¯s rare to find the ability to purify demons. If that¡¯s the case¡­.¡± Gwang Ik Gong shook his head. ¡°Then Yumir should take on the role of Gwang Ik Gong for the Sephiroth Knights.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What do you think about taking her as a disciple?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Gwang Ik Gong nodded heavily but also looked displeased. ¡°I think Yumir is good enough. When she killed Lace¡¯s demon, Gyo Berris, she performed excellently. She¡¯s still inexperienced, but with more experience, she¡¯ll be a strong ability user.¡± ¡°I know. She¡¯s an incredible gem. I know she¡¯ll be an amazing talent in the future.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s just¡­.¡± With a worried face, Gwang Ik Gong kept scratching his chin. ¡°Hyung, I¡¯m not being old-fashioned. It¡¯s just my personal opinion.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it better for the strongest human to be a man?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± For a moment, my expression hardened, and Gwang Ik Gong quickly waved his hand. ¡°No, I mean, in the current society, that¡¯s more eptable. I don¡¯t know how the future will unfold¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this with the person in question.¡± ¡°Wait, Yumir is a woman. Hyung. Why am I asking her to be Gwang Ik Gong?¡± ¡°I understand. I understand your feelings. But there¡¯s one thing you haven¡¯t thought of.¡± I tapped my Taeguk watch. ¡°Yumir, are you avable for a call?¡± [Ah, yes. Teacher, what¡¯s the matter?] ¡°If you had to be someone¡¯s sessor but had to appear as a ¡®man¡¯ to the world, what would you do?¡± [¡­Is that really necessary?] ¡°Yes.¡± Yumir. [Hmm¡­. I can¡¯t artificially reduce my chest, so I guess I¡¯d have to redesign my suit as full-body armor?] She was willing to be a man for world peace. ¡°Alright. Then¡­.¡± The conclusion was reached. ¡°You are the sessor of the Golden Wings.¡± Now. Gwang Ik Gong was Yumir. [Ah. If I have a daughter, can her son inherit the position of Gwang Ik Gong?] ¡°Hyung¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, it¡¯s not that kind of rtionship.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s your child, it¡¯s approved.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± So it was decided. The deceased Gwang Ik Gong will be reborn. In a new form created by the Society and the Sephiroth Knights, with me and Yumir. Chapter 275: Resurrection Of The Dead (5) Chapter 275: Resurrection Of The Dead (5) I was training Yumir to be Gwang Ik Gong. After teaching Yumir thebat techniques of Gwang Ik Gong, I prepared her for the day she might need to take on that role. Ideally, it would be best if Gwang Ik Gong himself could step up, but he physically diedst year. The S+ rank, the world¡¯s strongest hero¡ªno, the EX-rank hero Gwang Ik Gong, who the world remembered¡ªperishedst year after killing a demon of Pandemonium in a mutual destruction. And now, I was separately training Yumir in thebat techniques of Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°Haaa!¡± With a shout, Yumir soared high into the sky. Although the altitude was limited within the barrier, she spread her wings and flew higher, reaching the ceiling of the barrier. ¡°Here Ie!¡±Yumir raised one hand high. At the same time, several orbs shot out from the golden angel wings spread behind her. Buzz. The orbs rapidly grew in size, and Yumir extended her hand downward as soon as her magic power reached a certain level. ¡°Fire!¡± Paaaang! Aser beam shot out from the orb and flew straight toward me. The golden magic beam flew straight like light, threatening to pierce through my wings and my body. ¡°Too slow.¡± I folded my wings and dropped down. The goldenser passed through where I was, and I wrapped my folded wings around myself like a cloak as I descended. Paaang! I changed direction by striking the ground hard with one wing. Descending almost to the point where my body touched the ground, I spread my wings and slowly gained altitude like an airne. ¡°Gwang Ik Gong is not a mere aerial battery. It¡¯s like a Top Gun.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°It might not be familiar, but think of yourself as a fighter jet!¡± Magic power burst from the wings spread behind me. Just like a jet increasing speed by expelling mes, I increase my speed by releasing magic power behind me. ¡°Haaa!¡± Yumir raised her hand again. This time, she released more andrger orbs from her wings, tracking me with her eyes. ¡°I will definitely shoot you down!¡± Pabababang! Thesers rushed towards me. Some directly targeted me, while others predicted my flight path and shot ordingly. [Isn¡¯t that dangerous~?] The voice ringing in my head was full of mischief, but there was no real tension. [Need help?] ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± Because I could easily dodge without her help. Flutter. I folded my wings and dropped down briefly. As I twisted my body and unfolded my wings again, a goldenser narrowly grazed my shoulder and cut through the air. ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± ¡°You know you haven¡¯t hit me even once yet, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s cheating! How can a person fly so freely like that!¡± ¡°You, Yumir, who overflows with magic power, shouldn¡¯t be saying that.¡± I injected more magic into my wings and flew higher. The color of the magic trailing behind me was close to jade, but the method was clearly that of Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°Got you.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± I dove straight toward Yumir from below and grabbed her waist. ¡°Earth Throw.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a Gwang Ik Gong technique!¡± ¡°Correct. It¡¯s just that no one has used it before.¡± Then, holding Yumir, I made a big circle and descended. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Yumir released magic power, trying to break free from my grasp. But the magic power emanating from my entire body overwhelmed her, and she bit her lower lip. ¡°Tch¡­!¡± I too was restricted. If we fought as usual, Yumir would surelye up with a solution, but under these limited constraints, she was cornered. ¡°How does Gwang Ik Gong fight in closebat?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s toote to respond now.¡± Normally, this would end with throwing her to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± But I gentlynded on the ground, holding Yumir. ¡°Rest for a bit.¡± ¡°Haa, haa, haa.¡± Yumir sprawled on the ground. Although the field was overgrown with weeds, shey there, breathing heavily. ¡°Really, how is that possible¡­?¡± ¡°I learned it. From Gwang Ik Gong himself.¡± I fold my wings andnd on the ground. The ¡®green light¡¯ wings spread behind me were very different in color from the original, but their shape was identical to the iconic ¡®golden wings¡¯ of Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°After Gwang Ik Gong died and was resurrected, he gave me a USB containing hisbat techniques. He had already taken out insurance, asking me to rece him.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Before I entered the academy.¡± While staying in a monthly rental room in Busan, I secretly met Gwang Ik Gong while watching a movie with Baek Seol-hee. At that time, I absorbed all of Gwang Ik Gong¡¯sbat techniques. ¡°Gwang Ik Gong¡¯sbat style can be divided into four categories: long-range, mid-range, and two types of close-range.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a difference in distance?¡± ¡°No, each distance involves different attacks. From there, it branches out into dozens, hundreds ofbat techniques. For example¡­.¡± I spread my wings and ascended into the sky again. ¡°One of the long-range attacks feels like this.¡± I spread my wings. The wings, emblematic of Gwang Ik Gong, resembled angel wings. ¡°Wide-area annihtion type.¡± I created orbs from the wings andunched bombardments. ¡°Gwang Ik Gong Beam, ready to fire.¡± Paaaang! ¡°This part remains unchanged, right?¡± ¡°Yes. At this point, just firing it would be the end.¡± ¡°But you can add one more thing.¡± Massive amounts of magic power gushed out from the light orbs created by the wings. While the magic power simply flew out from the orbs in the wings, the amount was something an ordinary ability user could never withstand. ¡°Although not here, in the city, it can be used like this.¡± ¡°Huh, a mirror¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Facing the sky, I scattered the mirror shards created by the Goblin Bat. Simultaneously, I aimed a magic beam at the scattered mirror shards. ¡°Fire.¡± Paaaang!! As soon as the beam flew towards the mirror, it was reflected off the mirror and flew in different directions. Zzzzzt! Greensers shot out in all directions except where Yumir and I stood, turning the entire field into a mess of magical light. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°You can do it too.¡± ¡°No, I can, but it seems a bit difficult to do it exactly like this.¡± Yumir was in awe of my exact replication of Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s technique. ¡°Teacher, did you get private lessons from Gwang Ik Gong?¡± ¡°Of course not. I just watched and learned by stealing nces. Eventually, I made it my own after he taught me the technique.¡± ¡°Then, teacher¡­¡± ¡°Look.¡± I pointed to my hair. Among the white strands of hair, a single ck streak was showing. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m backed up by Doul, but without that backup, my magic beam wouldn¡¯t be stronger than a handgun shot.¡± ¡°You mean the water stream gets weaker?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly that, but you can interpret it simrly. Just like a water tank needs a lot of water for a strong stream.¡± Currently, I could shoot strong magic beams by borrowing magic power from elsewhere. Specifically, I was borrowing magic power from Doul, Hyeon Se-rin. In the state of ¡®union.¡¯ ¡°Haa. How about you be the next Gwang Ik Gong, teacher?¡± ¡°No. My magic power is not golden.¡± If anything, it was closer to ck. I could manifest the color by borrowing magic power from others, but it¡¯s not always easy. ¡°I can feed you mana every day, teacher, so you can live with golden magic power-¡± Smack. A sharp sound echoed from the back of Yumir¡¯s head. ¡°This girl can¡¯t stop talking nonsense.¡± It wasn¡¯t me who said that. Nor did I hit her. It was another presence that struck her. ¡°Hey. If you keep acting like that, your sisters will scold you harshly.¡± ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­.¡± ¡°No matter how much you want to, you shouldn¡¯t say things like that at such important moments. When it¡¯s time to learn seriously, you have to learn seriously, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That may be true, but.¡± Hyeon Se-rin, who emerged from my body, began to discipline Yumir. ¡°There¡¯s no one else who teaches you this meticulously anywhere else, right? Did anyone at the academy teach you their techniques in such detail? No, right? We take goblin tutoring seriously, so what should we do if you keep saying things like that? Hmm?¡± ¡°Ah, ahaha, sorry, sister¡­!¡± ¡°Does your mana pouch have patriotism in it? Should I squeeze it out? Hmm?¡± ¡°If, if you¡¯re going to squeeze it, why not let the teacher do it¡­ Eeek?!¡± Hyeon Se-rin quickly grabbed Yumir from behind. In an instant, she seized Yumir¡¯s mana pouch and started shaking it, leaving me at a loss for words. Hmm. It was quite impressive. ¡°Uh, sister¡­! Le, let¡¯s make an alliance! Anyway, both you and I will lose if we fight the teacher!¡± ¡°She¡¯s talking about patriotism again. How can a kid have nothing but patriotism in her head? Is patriotism everything?!¡± ¡°It is everything!¡± Yumir began to argue back. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for patriotism, so what¡¯s wrong with having a head full of patriotism! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m being patriotic with someone else, I¡¯m being patriotic with the teacher!¡± ¡°Haa. This kid is really hopeless. Manager Do, say something. You¡¯re the one who turned her into a patriotism parrot.¡± ¡°Good things are good.¡± Honestly. ¡°Learning Gwang Ik Gong¡¯sbat techniques might be less valuable than one act of patriotism. Who knows¡­ you mighte up with new techniques.¡± Practicingbat techniques might be less beneficial than patriotism. ¡°But, I have a hypothesis I want to test.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°Union.¡± Until a moment ago, I was united with Hyeon Se-rin. ¡°It might be possible with Yumir.¡± ¡°Of course, the yin-yang union-¡± ¡°Not with me.¡± But maybe. ¡°You two.¡± What if Yumir and Hyeon Se-rin could unite? Chapter 276: Resurrection Of The Dead (6) Chapter 276: Resurrection Of The Dead (6) For these ¡®former¡¯ maiden ghosts, who were both spirits and in a ghostly state, to gain physical power, they obviously needed magical power. But this was a story based on the world of abilities, and naturally, if we talked about ghosts, gaining physical power typically involved possessing someone¡¯s body. In movies where exorcists were active, just like an evil spirit possessed a girl¡¯s body to act, these ghosts could also possess someone¡¯s body. But did that possession go as they wished? There was a significant problem here. The ghost was an ability user. And that ability user was a being with a highly developed brain, having a cognitive and perceptual range different from ordinary people. Would it be possible for such an ability user to properly possess an ordinary person¡¯s body and brain? Not at all.The body was unstable to ept the mind of an ability user, so even if an ability user possessed it, the body would soon burst. Moreover, if the possessing entity was an S+ grade ghost, at least an S-grade ability user was required to endure the possession. But would such an S-grade ability user willingly offer their body? Unless they intentionally offered their body, or if they did not be a medium like me to allow possession, no ability user would voluntarily offer their body. In other words. If the body had no problem epting the soul of an S+ grade ability user. If the owner of such a body had no problem epting the soul. If these two conditions were met, there was no big problem with possession. But. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this.¡± ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Yumir admired, looking at her green glowing eyes in the mirror. ¡°Why is that? Teacher¡¯s hair and eye colors changed to match Se-rin¡¯s, but not mine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being consumed by Se-rin, and you consumed Se-rin.¡± ¡°Hey. I¡¯m still alive, you know?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. It¡¯s really weird to hear two people talking with one mouth.¡± Unlike when I merged with Hyeon Se-rin, Yumir still maintained her brilliant golden hair. It¡¯s natural. Yumir had more mana than the other four. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect the hypothesis to hit urately.¡¯ Honestly, I didn¡¯t think the possession would seed. I thought it would fail even if we tried. Yumir was the protagonist, and it¡¯s unimaginable to possess the protagonist¡¯s body. But now that it¡¯s actually achieved, I couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. ¡°How do you feel now?¡± ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± ¡°Me? Or Yumir?¡± The voices of both followed each other. As soon as Yumir spoke, Hyeon Se-rin immediately followed, and the trailing voice was Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s. ¡°¡­Hyeon Se-rin, try speaking without using mana. Yumir, you hold your mouth for a bit.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, ah. Hmm. How does it sound now?¡± ¡°Yumir. Without mana, I can¡¯t tell who is who.¡± ¡°Right. Wow, this body is really amazing. Look at the size of the mana pocket.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about mana, right?¡± Hyeon Se-rin, fully possessing Yumir¡¯s body, marveled at her, Yumir¡¯s, body while touching it. ¡°It¡¯s even bigger than when I was alive.¡± ¡°When you were alive, wasn¡¯t it your body?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Still, this size is really enormous. If it were a bit bigger, it wouldn¡¯t be outshone even by the chairman¡¯s full power mode.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, wait a minute.¡± I stopped their conversation. ¡°Se-rin. Could you use some mana to talk?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To me, it sounds like Yumir is talking to herself.¡± If we were to watch this scene in a movie or video, it would seem like the actor ying Yumir was doing a dual role. Even though the voices were the same, the slightly different tones made it hard to distinguish. Unless judged by context. ¡°Really? Ah, can you hear me now?¡± ¡°Now it¡¯s better. How about the feeling? Do you feel alive?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s kind of ambiguous?¡± ¡°Is there anything different from when you merged with me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hyeon Se-rin answered vaguely, then spoke firmly as if this part was certain. ¡°When possessing Yumir, it¡¯s less stablepared to possessing Director Do. I have a sense of unease that I can¡¯t lead.¡± ¡°Oh my, when you possess the teacher, you lead?¡± ¡°Of course. I mean, leading when moving mana, not the body.¡± Yumir stretched her arm forward. It rose awkwardly, as if being forcibly lifted. ¡°Oh. I get what you mean.¡± ¡°Could you exin it so that I can understand too, both of you?¡± ¡°Simply put, it feels like two people lying together on one bed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± What kind of metaphor was that? ¡°The bed belongs to Yumir, but it feels really strange since we¡¯re both on the bed together.¡± ¡°Topare with the teacher, hmm, imagine you and Gwang Ik Gong lying together on the same bed.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I understood. Even though it felt unpleasant, I understood immediately. ¡°There¡¯s no difort if a man and a woman lie on the bed together, but it¡¯s kind of weird if two people of the same gender lie together.¡± No matter how close friends they were, lying together on the bed felt strange. Usually. Of course, I had neverid in bed with another man, but just thinking about it made me feel dirty, so I can understand that feeling without having to experience it myself. ¡°Se-rin seems to feel morefortable in my body.¡± ¡°It could be because she¡¯s used to it, or it could be because someone mentioned that the union is like the union of yin and yang. It might be weird for a female soul to inhabit a male body, but for us, it seems it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not trying to take over the body, but rather to help the owner. Still, do you feel alive?¡± ¡°Well, a little? It¡¯s more ufortable than you, but at least I can lie on the bed.¡± I felt a strange sense of whether to be happy about finding a new host for possession or relieved that it¡¯s more ufortable than me. ¡°Huh, what? Were you worried I might possess Yumir¡¯s body? Afraid Yumir would devour me?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°You¡¯re honest. But I¡¯m still an S+ grade viin, you know? I was a notorious figure in my prime.¡± More than anything, it felt awkward and unfamiliar to hear Hyeon Se-rin speaking to me with Yumir¡¯s face. ¡°What was your name?¡± ¡°Ah, me?¡± Hyeon Se-rin answered nonchntly. ¡°Are you asking about my hero nickname or the name I had as a viin?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know that. I thought you did.¡± Hyeon Se-rin shrugged her shoulders casually. It seemed that during the brief moment when Yumir had a question, Hyeon Se-rin took control of the body. ¡°I used to be called ¡®Tigris¡¯ when I was a hero.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± For a moment, Yumir seemedpletely stunned. And rightly so, the name Tigris was quite famous, especially in Korea. ¡°Uh, excuse me? Se-rin, isn¡¯t Tigris¡­the S+ grade hero from Korea who went missing?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And then went into exile abroad, and was said to have died fighting a viin there¡­.¡± ¡°In Northern Europe, I was known as ¡®Fenrir¡¯.¡± Slither. Hyeon Se-rin began to withdraw from Yumir¡¯s body. Soon, she resumed her original form, and Yumir¡¯s eyes returned to their blue color. ¡°I thought you were talking about Gunggi.¡± ¡°I only mentioned that I was a viin. I only revealed that she was the ck me Phoenix, not about the other executives.¡± ¡°Loyalty? I¡¯m touched. Haha, introducing myself seems fun.¡± Hyeon Se-rin grabbed Yumir¡¯s shoulders, who was genuinely flustered. ¡°By the way, I was 19 when I died, so can I call you sister?¡± ¡°Not really. You were born in 2001.¡± ¡°You¡¯re strict with this.¡± Hyeon Se-rin pouted and stepped back. ¡°Since I¡¯ve introduced myself, shall we talk a bit about the past? Hmm, what should I talk about? Right. How about a story about being born in this country, expelled from it, and bing a tainted existence in this country?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Once you hear the story, you¡¯ll understand why Gwang Ik Gong wishes to remain the hero Gwang Ik Gong. Whether or not Gwang Ik Gong can actually step forward, they want the existence of Gwang Ik Gong not to disappear.¡± Although it suddenly became a heavy topic, Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s voice remained cheerful. ¡°He was a being that shone brighter than anyone but had his feet deep in the dirtiest of waters. Oh, no bad meaning. Just someone who took the initiative to clean up the trash for others.¡± ¡°Telling you to be Gwang Ik Gong is a kind of insurance. Not to inherit Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s position as it is. Just the existence of Gwang Ik Gong alone can be an enormous pressure on some people.¡± ¡°Who on earth¡­?¡± ¡°The darkness of this country.¡± I pointed to the floor. ¡°The shadows hiding behind the light of Gwang Ik Gong,mitting all sorts of atrocities in the name of the country to elevate Gwang Ik Gong.¡± ¡°¡­Are you talking about something like the Illuminati?¡± ¡°Yes. It would be better if it were something like that. This side is even more malicious than the Illuminati. For example¡­¡± ¡°People who force patriotism on others just because they don¡¯t agree, and when they go into exile abroad, they immediately brand them as traitors. Or those who pour hot broth into the noses of people they don¡¯t like using execution squads.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yumir¡¯s expression began to harden. ¡°Do they really exist?¡± ¡°Of course. Just like the demon Lace was secretly hiding in Thand, do you think there wouldn¡¯t be any here?¡± ¡°There are. People who turn S-grade heroes from this country into traitor viins and make them so resentful that they be ghosts seeking revenge even after death.¡± Hyeon Se-rin grinned as she put her arm around my shoulder. ¡°Shadows. Do any namese to mind?¡± ¡°¡­Haegneul?¡± ¡°Correct!¡± Hyeon Se-rin winked and smiled brightly. ¡°They fear Gwang Ik Gong the most. He is the only hero they failed to control, and the hero of this country and the world.¡± ¡°Are you implying there might be a demon behind them¡­?¡± ¡°No.¡± Something scarier than a demon. ¡°It¡¯s not a demon, but a human. There was a human behind them.¡± A human. ¡°From a genuine pro-Japanese family, who went to study in China with the support of the top party, and sold an S-grade ability user baby to North Korea.¡± A traitor viin. Chapter 277: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (1) Chapter 277: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (1) At that moment, underground at the Busan Hero Association. ¡°Ms. Yoon Iseon, I apologize for calling you here during your finals.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Chairman. I finished all my studying for the finals.¡± Yoon Iseon was summoned to the Hero Association. It wasn¡¯t a sudden call; it was a scheduled one. ¡°And on the way, Irin kept mepany, so I had a pleasant trip.¡± ¡°Have you already be close?¡± ¡°Yes. We are not much different in age, and we used to see each other often when I was A-rank. We became friends this time.¡± ¡°I have many things I¡¯m curious about.¡±Baridegi, Tae Irin, subtly nced at Yoon Iseon¡¯s body. The chairman nced at the two and felt he knew why Tae Irin had taken more interest in Yoon Iseon than before. Ah. Even if both were S-rank, the S-rank was just an indicator of overallbat power. There were differences in magic power even among S-ranks. ¡°Chairman?¡± ¡°Hmm. I was just thinking about how to introduce the ce to you today.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like that¡¯s all¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± The chairman¡¯s tant lie didn¡¯t bother the two women much. What mattered was why Yoon Iseon was invited to Busan today. ¡°You said there¡¯s something you want to show me?¡± ¡°Yes. The materials I¡¯m about to show you are top-secret, essible only to S-ranks. It must not be disclosed to anyone.¡± The chairman pointed to the wall of his office. ¡°As you can see in front of you, the photos of S-rank heroes are disyed like this in the chairman¡¯s office, from the 8th-ranked Armored Taejo to the 1st-ranked Gwang Ik Gong.¡± ¡°Yes, I see. I¡¯m there too. Did you leave that space below for more S-ranks to be added?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The chairman, who was about to continue, swallowed with a moved expression. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since someone didn¡¯t interrupt me and even asked questions.¡± ¡°Who else made you that emotional?¡± ¡°I called you here to talk about that S-rank¡­ the ones who no longer exist.¡± Click. As the chairman snapped his fingers, the space below the wall opened to the sides. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± And below, numerous photos were hung. Each distinguished by different colors, the photos were in frames of the same size as the portraits above but were divided into three categories. One. Memorial photos. ¡°These are the S-rank heroes who died in action. You might recognize some faces.¡± ¡°Yes¡­. Someone who passed awayst year is here too. And these¡­¡± ¡°Those who defected. Either naturalized to another country, married and immigrated, or left Korea altogether.¡± One. Under the portraits, a red X marked over the Taegeukgi (Korean g) and reced by another national g. ¡°You know all these faces, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I recognize them. There are active viins, missing persons, and some with uncertain status.¡± ¡°Exactly. The problem is¡­ the number is quiterge.¡± Apart from the current eight. The dead. As well as those whose Taegeukgi was reced by another national g or marked with a question mark numbered over 30. ¡°It¡¯s a funny thing. If you gather the Korean S-ranks spread across other countries, at least 70% of the S-rank heroes within the top 50 worldwide would be Koreans.¡± ¡°Nationality-wise, they aren¡¯t Korean anymore.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± The chairman bitterly smiled and shook his head at Yoon Iseon¡¯s remark. ¡°Do you know why they left?¡± ¡°¡­I heard it was because the country kept harassing them. That¡¯s what I heard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They were harassed. Extremely so. Take Cheonma, who went to China, for example. His parents were driven to quit their jobs. They actually did.¡± ¡°Out of patriotism¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. Patriotism. With the grand logic that if you¡¯re not patriotic, you¡¯re a traitor, they harassed people.¡± Tae Irin, who had been listening quietly, approached one of the frames with a sarcastic remark. ¡°They deliberately pushed heroes to the extreme and decided to keep only those who could ovee the extreme situations in Korea. They treated them like crap, so who would want to stay in Korea?¡± ¡°Ms. Iseon, since you are an adult, I¡¯ll speak frankly.¡± The chairman said seriously, pointing to an unusual number of women in the frames. ¡°People from Haegneul and government officials wille after you. By ing after,¡¯ I mean they will lust after you.¡± ¡°Are you saying they¡¯ll try to seduce me?¡± ¡°Saying ¡®seduce¡¯ is quite a refined way to put it. Well, to put it bluntly¡­.¡± ¡°Why are you beating around the bush, Chairman? Sister, can I speak frankly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll go crazy trying to get you pregnant.¡± At Tae Irin¡¯s straightforward words, Yoon Iseon¡¯s expression immediately twisted. ¡°Get me pregnant?¡± ¡°Yes. Since you are 20 and an adult, people from Haegneul, celebrities, or even male A-rank ability users will try to get you pregnant to have an S-rank baby.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s disgusting. That¡¯s why all these people left Korea.¡± Tae Irin bitterly smiled, pointing to the photos of numerous women. ¡°They not only publicly propose on the person¡¯s SNS but also, if they find out the address, they go directly to the house and y General Hwang, asking for marriage. If the parents run a store, they go there to cause a scene and propose, and if refused, they keep bothering them until they ept.¡± ¡°Although it¡¯s less now, until four years ago, it was really extreme.¡± ¡°Why do they want to make us pregnant?¡± Yoon Iseon barely managed to speak with a stiff voice. ¡°Whether it¡¯s pregnancy or marriage, I will have childrenter when I find someone I love at the age I want. Why are they forcing pregnancy?¡± ¡°Because they think it¡¯s ¡®efficient.¡¯ They worry that if you don¡¯t have children at a young age, there won¡¯t be any S-rank ability users born due tote pregnancies.¡± ¡°Crazy. Just because they don¡¯t get pregnant¡­.¡± ¡°Exactly. I feel the same way as you, sister. In three years, they¡¯ll gather public opinion and go crazy telling me to get pregnant.¡± ¡°But Irin, you¡¯re the president¡¯s granddaughter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a separate issue. Rather, because I¡¯m the president¡¯s granddaughter, they¡¯ll pressure me to set an example for the citizens.¡± Tae Irin ced her hand on her stomach and bit her lower lip. ¡°¡­Luckily, Taejo is working hard on my side, so it hasn¡¯t affected me yet, but soon people will subtly start asking you, sister, if you n to be patriotic.¡± ¡°If that happens, get out of there. And whenever someone asks you to be patriotic,e to us and curse them out. We can listen to yourints.¡± ¡°¡­So you¡¯re telling me not to defect even if someone asks me to be patriotic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And most importantly¡­.¡± Bang, bang. The chairman pointed to the portraits hanging on the ck background. ¡°No matter how much you hate and are annoyed by suchments, don¡¯t be a viin.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Thest category. Cases where Korean ability users became viins. ¡°It¡¯s a bit unfair. The ones who drive heroes to extreme choices are alive and well, while the heroes have to suffer like this.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not true, sister.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not alive and well. They¡¯re dead.¡± Tae Irin pointed to an empty frame with a calm face. There was a lone trace of an S-rank hero with only a name but no photo in the memorial frame. ¡°Tae¡­ Yuhyun?¡± ¡°Yes. Tae Yuhyun. That.¡± Tae Irin¡¯s eyes trembled slightly. ¡°My younger brother, who was sold to North Korea right after he was born. ¡­He was S-rank.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There was a secret not known to the public. A spy secretly sent a child with nuclear missile-level power to North Korea.¡± ¡°W-What¡­ That doesn¡¯t make sense¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as something that doesn¡¯t make sense in this world. It¡¯s reality. And¡­.¡± Crunch. Tae Irin clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. ¡°The person responsible was my and Taejo¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°To be exact, our mother.¡± Tae Irin shuddered as if even mentioning it was disgusting. ¡°After giving birth to me and Taejo, she had a youngest child with S-rank talent and handed him over to North Korea, that crazy woman.¡± Not even an ability user herself. This novel was a nationalist novel. And to stimte nationalism, it aimed to unconditionally show the most Korean things as great. Such parts could be seen as positive stimuli. If it fostered patriotism and a sense of pride in the country, it could be considered eptable. However, to create stimting nationalist settings, the author made very provocative settings for nationalist indoctrination. Instead of standing tall on its own, The story developed by cutting others down and provoking rebellious feelings. Beyond making heroines of various countries belong to the protagonist, the protagonist made the readers feel a nationalist catharsis. Anti-Japanese. Anti-Chinese. Anti-Communist. These three elements were used provocatively to blend into the actual setting. A descendant of a pro-Japanese family, Receiving political, economic support, and protection from the Chinese Red Party during his studies in China, Lastly, to secure his political position, a ¡®woman¡¯ whomitted atrocities in North Korea. ¡°Her name is Min Ji-young. Mother of Armored Taejo and Baridegi Tae Irin. She sold her S-rank child to North Korea.¡± And. ¡°She died.¡± She perished in Pyongyang with the copse of North Korea. ¡°She died, but her ideology remains, shaking the roots of this country.¡± Min Ji-young Theory. ¡°The ideology that the higher the ability rank, the more women should have children every year to increase the number of ability users.¡± Min Ji-young was dead, but her ideology still remained in this world. ¡°Saying that you should have as many children as quickly as possible before you get older and havete pregnancies.¡± Chapter 278: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (2) Chapter 278: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (2) At that moment, in the underground grand training hall on Sejong Ind. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had this many S-ranks gathered together.¡± Baek Seol-hee scanned the three S-rank heroes standing before her. ¡°Tushin, Noeje, and Taejo.¡± Respectively, the 3rd, 4th, and now the 8th-ranked heroes stood in front of her. Not just in uniforms, but in clearbat gear, they faced Baek Seol-hee. It seemed the three had positioned themselves to fight Baek Seol-hee simultaneously. Rather than sending wary nces at each other, they exchanged brief looks and simply fiddled with their weapons. [Ahem. Are you all ready?]The voice of the vice-chairman flowed from the speaker attached to the ceiling. [Many of those present here are looking forward to your performance, especially Snow White¡¯s. They also expect to see new skills from the three of you.] Everyone turned their gaze to the ss wall, where numerous men in suits and aides were standing. [As many of you are here, please demonstrate your powers to the fullest.] They all looked at the interior of the grand training hall with different expressions. Some with anticipation. Some with curiosity. Others with concern. [We will now test the new abilities of Hero Snow White. Ah, yes, the president has a word to say before we begin.] Even though each had different motives in mind, themon factor was to witness Baek Seol-hee¡ªSnow White¡¯s abilities. [Ahem. I will speak briefly to you heroes.] The voice of President Tae Chae-jin, who grabbed the microphone, was quite excited. [I look forward to this. It¡¯s fine if this facility is destroyed, let¡¯s confirm Snow White¡¯s new power to the fullest.] [No, Mr. President¡­!] [Don¡¯t worry about the aftermath. Now, let¡¯s begin.] Beep. With those words, the president pressed a button. [Three.] Soon, a voice announcing the countdown echoed from the ceiling. [Two.] At the same time, mana surged from the bodies of the four in the grand training hall. [One.] Bang!! With the sound of an explosion, the three S-rank heroes charged straight at Snow White. ¡°Sorry, unnie!¡± Crackle! ¡°I¡¯ll finish it in one blow!¡± Noeje was the fastest. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be finished in one blow?¡± ¡°Sorry! My body is faster than my words!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Running at lightning speed, Noeje aimed a swift kick at Snow White. Crunch! With the sound of something heavy breaking, an ice mist sparkled around Noeje. ¡°This is-¡± ¡°It¡¯s an ice bomb! Dodge it!¡± ¡°Instead of dodging, counter it!¡± The mist was the mana of Baek Seol-hee, shattered upon colliding with Noeje¡¯s magic power, causing an explosion around Noeje. Crackle!! The sphere of electricity spread out from Noeje, scattering ice powder. Soon, the ice powder dispersed to the floor and ceiling, slowly starting to freeze the surfaces it touched. ¡°Chase!¡± ¡°Haa!¡± Following the path of the electric strike that Noeje extended forward, Tushin ran down the split middle path. With both fists enveloped in glowing blue mana, he ran straight towards Snow White with blue glowing eyes. Bang, bang, bang!! Thick ice pirs rose from the ground. Though these pirs were taller and thicker than a person, Tushin did not avoid them. ¡°Trucking!¡± Rather, he ran forward as if he had turned into a dump truck. Without slowing down, he sped up and extended his fist forward. Bang, bang, crash!! After breaking through the sessive ice pirs, Snow White was seen leaping backwards behind thest pir. ¡°I¡¯m not going easy!¡± Tushin swung his fist towards Snow White¡¯s abdomen. The full-strength fist was imbued with an immense amount of mana, and Snow White extended both hands towards the fist. ¡°Bloom.¡± ¡°!!¡± An ice flower bloomed from her outstretched hands like a shield. Unlike the merely thick ice pirs, the ice flower gleamed with sharp petals when the fist touched it. Creak! The mana contained in Tushin¡¯s fist was shaved off. Simultaneously, the petals shattered, scattering ice powder that froze Tushin¡¯s fist and arm upon contact. ¡°Where!¡± Thump! Tushin extended his foot once more, releasing mana forward. As the blue light burst forward, Snow White¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and soon mana began to flicker in Tushin¡¯s opposite hand. ¡°Like a bee!¡± Buzz! The mana extending from his fist formed a shape like a bee¡¯s sting, the sharp tip piercing straight into the center of the ice flower. Crunch. ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t Tushin primarily a striker?¡± ¡°Just because you fight with your body doesn¡¯t mean you only use striking techniques.¡± The sharp mana sting passed through the ice flower and reached Snow White. The tip was very shallow, but it touched Snow White¡¯s abdomen. ¡°It¡¯s over, senior.¡± ¡°Who said so?¡± Smirk. Snow White twisted the corner of her mouth, and soon her body began to crumble. ¡°What the¡­?!¡± As Tushin¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the sight of a person suddenly crumbling, arge shadow sprang forward from behind. ¡°Dragon Power!¡± With an unidentified shout, Armored Taejo stood before Tushin, swingingrge steel ws on both hands in an X shape. What was ¡®Snow White¡¯ instantly scattered. ¡°Taejo!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an illusion! Brother, I¡¯ll handle this!¡± Snow White¡¯s crumbled body began to hurl snowballs. Tatata-dang! Snowball bullets started pouring down on Armored Taejo¡¯s body, blocking his path. ¡°Ugh?!¡± The suit imbued with mana sessfully deflected the ice bullets, but the continuous barrage of snowballs from the gatling gun forced Taejo to retreat. ¡°Thruster power, to the max!!¡± Ka-ga-ga-ga-gang!! The motor attached to Taejo¡¯s back started emitting mana. While spewing actual mes below and mana above, Taejo continued to advance despite being hit by the snowball gatling gun. ¡°Uoooo!!¡± Taejo pushed forward through the ice mist, releasing wheels from the heels of his suit to run on the ground, and swung his crossed arms widely to the sides. ¡°Brothers!¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your brother!¡± To the left was Tushin. To the right was Noeje. ¡°Rock Breaker!¡± ¡°Gale Thunder!¡± Both attacked Snow White simultaneously from both sides, who had appeared in the ice mist. Kwaaaaaaang!! A massive explosion of mana urred. The interior of the grand training hall briefly shed as if a shbang had gone off, and a tremendous vibration followed. Gugugugu. The vibration was strong enough to cause dirt to fall from the ceiling. ¡°Haa, haa. There¡¯s no way we¡­ defeated her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Amid the mana mist, Snow White stood with her arms outstretched, catching Tushin and Noeje¡¯s attacks with her hands. ¡°Senior, just like the Goblin grabbed your hand in Gangneung, are you also catching attacks with your hands now?¡± ¡°Wow, this unnie got tougher¡­! Who was your master, the Goblin?!¡± ¡°¡­I just blocked it.¡± Despite having caught the two attacks with her hands, she didn¡¯t have a single scratch, and both of them bit their lower lips before twisting them into a grin. ¡°We were blocked by her!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still 3 against 1!¡± ¡°Uooo!¡± Between the two S-ranks, Armored Taejo extended his hand forward. ¡°Final Taejo Attack!!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± From Taejo¡¯s outstretched hands, three sharp ws extended like des. The steel des made of alloy, imbued with Taejo¡¯s mana, aimed directly at Snow White¡¯s- ¡°Taejo War Dragon!¡± Puuuuck! ¡°¡­Huh?¡± He stabbed her in the abdomen. ¡°Ugh, aah?!¡± Red blood sttered to the sides, and Taejo stomped the ground hard to suppress his momentum. ¡°N-no?! What, what is this?! Aaaah!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Do you think the senior would be hurt by that?! By you?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Drip. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Un¡­nie?¡± Red blood flowed from Snow White¡¯s mouth. At the same time, her white shirt started to turn red, and the eyes of the three S-ranks began to shake violently. ¡°N-no, right? No, she blocked our attacks, and now she gets stabbed by Taejo¡­?¡± ¡°Doctor! Get a healer here!!¡± ¡°Hey, hey!! Don¡¯t panic! If the knife shakes, she¡¯ll get more hurt!!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Snow White, with a knife in her stomach, sighed with a disappointed look. ¡°What if the attacked person tries a suicide attack?¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°Boom. You¡¯re all dead now.¡± [First mock battle concluded. First mock battle concluded. The winner is Snow White.] As the yful announcement echoed, the voice resonated from the entrance of the grand training hall. ¡°Un¡­nie?¡± ¡°Introducing Snow White¡¯s new ability. It¡¯s ¡®Clone¡¯.¡± Grabbing the microphone, Snow White casually ced her hand on the shoulder of the clone with a stabbed abdomen, causing its body to crumble. ¡°Senior, what just happened¡­?¡± ¡°I was up there until just now. I created a clone and controlled it remotely.¡± [Fantastic, truly fantastic. Ms. Baek Seol-hee.] p, p, p. Apuse echoed in the hall. [As long as you can maintain the clone, you can do anything with it! Haha!] [Fantastic. Haha, Snow White can still fight even if she¡¯s pregnant with a clone! No more worries! Haha!] [Using the clone for¡­ well, never mind.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee looked up with a slightly sulky face before turning her head forward again. ¡°I can create a clone and fight with it.¡± ¡°Senior, then¡­.¡± ¡°You have to help me. Just in case, if I ever get married or have a child, and I need to fight with the clone¡­.¡± Smirk. ¡°The main body protects the child, and the clone fights.¡± ¡°Unnie, then¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Snow White raised her head proudly. ¡°I¡¯m nning to have a child before I get older.¡± [The government will actively support Ms. Baek Seol-hee¡¯s pregnancy ns!] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [You three, please continue to assist Ms. Baek Seol-hee in controlling her clone! Ensure that Ms. Baek Seol-hee can have a child with peace of mind!] All around the world. An S-rank hero wanting to have a child is a top national priority. Chapter 279: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (3) Chapter 279: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (3) The training session at the grand training groundsted for about an hour, and it ended safely without anyone getting hurt. Baek Seol-hee created two clones, and the duel against the three S-sses became a 3-on-3 battle. The result was Baek Seol-hee¡¯s overwhelming victory. Even with three S-sses teaming up against her, Baek Seol-hee secured the win. Afterwards, in the briefing room. ¡°Ahh.¡± Holding the microphone, Baek Seol-hee, apanied by her clone dressed in the same uniform, cleared her voice. ¡°The new ability I have developed is called ¡®Clone¡¯.¡± Clone.A power to control a separate physical body, as seen in movies andics. Many characters in various media used cloning techniques, but very few ¡°ability users¡± could actually create clones. ¡°Snow White, did you really create a clone¡­.¡± ¡°Questions.¡± When the bald minister spoke, Baek Seol-hee interrupted him with a firm voice. ¡°I will take questions intermittently after the presentation is over.¡± ¡°Mm¡­!¡± Although the minister, who was less than half her age, was openly rebuked, no one defended him. ¡°Minister Kim.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. President.¡± ¡°Let Miss Baek Seol-hee ask for questions if she needs any. Just wait patiently.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Although the minister could be dismissed with a mere gesture from the president present at the meeting, Baek Seol-hee, who had subdued three S-sses with her skill and power, was irreceable. ¡°Now, let¡¯s continue with the exnation. My clones and I are connected by mana, and if the distance exceeds a certain limit, the clone bes an ice statue, like a sculpture.¡± Snap. As soon as Baek Seol-hee snapped her fingers, the clone turned into an ice statue. ¡°The closer the distance, the more mana I can infuse into the clone, allowing it to use more magic power. This data has been confirmed through experiments, but it varies greatly depending on the condition. For detailed data, please refer to the handouts.¡± ¡°Uh, I have a question, senior.¡± Despite being rebuked once, there was one who raised their hand persistently. ¡°What is it, Taejo?¡± ¡°Is it possible to connect with the clone even if you are on the other side of the Earth? Like awork?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that far. The maximum detectable range is up to 10 km. Beyond that, the clone just bes an ice sculpture.¡± ¡°Then if you ce clones every 10 km, could you control them from Busan to Seoul?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee tilted her head slightly at Taejo¡¯s question. Was it possible? She had never tried it before. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Baek Seol-hee immediately sent a message. ¡°Uh, Miss Baek Seol-hee? Who are you contacting?¡± ¡°A personal ability consultant. I met them online.¡± After quickly writing and sending a rather long message, Baek Seol-hee grabbed the microphone again. ¡°Armored Taejo, your suggestion seems better than I thought.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Haha, actually, one of my abilities is¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve got a reply.¡± Cutting off Armored Taejo, who seemed excited to speak, Baek Seol-hee checked the message. ¡°¡­Theoretically possible. However, it would require infrastructure to be set up in advance and continuous maintenance to prevent mana depletion. It would be inefficient without hubs to recharge or send mana to the clones while traveling around the country.¡± ¡°Huh¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a thought process. Rather than just whether it¡¯s possible or not, considering if it¡¯s practically effective.¡± Everyone in the conference room marveled and clicked their tongues in admiration. ¡°Humph. Then, back to the topic of clones.¡± Baek Seol-hee, feeling somewhat proud, cleared her throat and grabbed the microphone again. ¡°The most important role of the clone is to present myplete self externally when I cannot show myself publicly. The first reason I mentioned to you all. That is¡­.¡± Bang bang. ¡°Pregnancy.¡± At the sight of the word disyed on the screen, everyone in the conference room felt awkwardly embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m approaching my mid-twenties this year. While some here are well past fifty, from an ability user¡¯s perspective, I can be considered an ¡®aunt.¡¯¡± ¡°Uh, saying 25 years old is an ¡®aunt¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Oh. Didn¡¯t you say at a drinking party before that women who give birth after their 30s have high-risk pregnancies?¡± ¡°Mm! When did I ever say that¡­!¡± Although the minister¡¯s face turned red, he did not actively deny Baek Seol-hee¡¯s words. ¡°¡­Well, yes! I did say that! It¡¯s my personal belief, so I¡¯m not ashamed at all!¡± ¡°You can speak directly into the microphone.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. The next content aligns with your belief.¡± Baek Seol-hee calmly moved to the next slide. ¡°In 2020, ording to the statistics you submitted during your time as a congressman, the chances of high-risk pregnancies and birth defects increase after the age of 30. You actually submitted and spoke about this, right?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Clicking his tongue briefly, the minister nodded heavily with an embarrassed face. ¡°¡­Yes, I said that.¡± ¡°Yes. While there are differing views between ordinary people and ability users, there¡¯s not much difference. After all, even an ability user is still a woman. It¡¯s healthier to have a child while you¡¯re younger rather thanter.¡± Several men, including the minister, nodded unconsciously. Even President Tae Chae-jin just sat silently, his eyes fixed on the graph showing birth rates in the 20-24 age range. ¡°It benefits both the country and the world for ability users to have children early. Sure, there are debates about whether ability users are being treated like breeding stock, viting personal freedom, or the issue of power gaps if an S-ss gets pregnant.¡± Gradually, the expressions of the president and the ministers began to harden. Was it because Baek Seol-hee was talking about real issues? Were they worried that people would say such things if Baek Seol-hee got pregnant? No. ¡°I have a question, senior.¡± ¡°Go ahead, Tushin.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you originally of the opinion that heroes should have the right to choose to be pregnant?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± They couldn¡¯t understand why Baek Seol-hee was saying this. ¡°People say so on the inte.¡± When Baek Seol-hee moved to the next slide, posts andments from variousmunities appeared. The ministers frowned and bowed their heads, but soon the screen zoomed in, making the posts andments visible to everyone. ¡°They call me the leader of the Hero Gold Misses. There are many ability users in other countries who haven¡¯t had children by 25, but I don¡¯t know why they call me their leader.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you¡¯re the strongest, senior?¡± ¡°I think so too. Since the oldest and strongest woman hasn¡¯t had children, they see me as the leader of the Gold Misses. Truly.¡± Tap tap. Baek Seol-hee tapped the screen with her hand and shook her head. ¡°I want to tell these people they¡¯re gravely mistaken. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to get pregnant or that I hate men. It¡¯s just that as an S-ss ability user, I¡¯ve chosen to protect this country, fulfilling my duty for national defense.¡± ¡°But now it¡¯s different.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s clone stepped forward and continued her words. ¡°Now, even if I¡¯m pregnant and behind the scenes, the clone can take on the role of Baek Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Moreover, I can hide the pregnancy, and even if it¡¯s known, it won¡¯t appear as if the pregnant woman is fighting.¡± ¡°No matter how important fighting viins is, it¡¯s not ideal for the world to see a pregnant woman inbat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Everyone agreed. Even if the world was on the brink of copse, it¡¯s inhumane to ask a pregnant woman or a child to fight viins unless it¡¯s ast resort, like dropping a nuclear bomb on a city without evacuating civilians first. ¡°In other words, now that I¡¯ve mastered clone control, the various issues that arise from pregnancy can be mitigated. That¡¯s the introduction.¡± ¡°¡­How long is the main point?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that long. Shall I summarize the conclusion briefly before we proceed?¡± Baek Seol-hee took a deep breath, cing her hand on the clone¡¯s shoulder, and continued. ¡°If pregnancy isn¡¯t a big problem, I¡¯d like to choose the man I want to have a child with.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡± For a moment. The ministers, who were nodding, tilted their heads as if a fishbone got stuck in their throats. ¡°Pregnancy¡­?¡± Something seemed missing. ¡°Wait. Miss Baek Seol-hee. You don¡¯t mean¡­.¡± ¡°Even if there¡¯s a minor legal issue, right?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s the main point.¡± President Tae Chae-jin adjusted his posture and looked at Baek Seol-hee with a serious expression. ¡°Are you asking us to use the National Assembly to make something currently illegal, legal? Like a special Baek Seol-heew?¡± ¡°As expected, Mr. President.¡± ¡°Okay. So what exactly is the specialw you want?¡± ¡°What I want is.¡± Baek Seol-hee nced around the conference room. ¡°Legal protection for the man I choose and the child to be born. First,¡± She boldly opened her mouth, with a confident expression. ¡°If I want the genes of a married man, is adultery the first priority, or is ¡®patriotism¡¯ the first?¡± ¡°¡­¡­As a former jurist, let me ask you one thing.¡± Tae Chae-jin asked without changing his expression. ¡°Is the man a foreigner?¡± ¡°A Korean born in Korea.¡± ¡°Ah, then it¡¯s settled.¡± Tae Chae-jin stood up from his seat, cing his right hand on his left chest, and answered. ¡°Patriotism is always right.¡± Chapter 280: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (4) Chapter 280: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (4) After the presentation ended. The people in the conference room were divided into two groups. Ability users and non-ability users. The S-ss ability users, led by Baek Seol-hee, headed to the break room, while the President, ministers, the Vice President of the Hero Association, and other relevant officials remained in the conference room. ¡°¡­First.¡± The President cautiously brought up the topic. ¡°If anyone has heard any rumors about Baek Seol-hee dating someone or meeting someone recently, please raise your hand.¡± No one raised their hand. ¡°If anyone knows anything, please speak up.¡±¡°Mr. President, there¡¯s nothing. There¡¯s no man around Baek Seol-hee. After Duoexini diedst time, even the gift she bought for Cheok Jun-kyeong was confirmed to be just for her younger brother.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Really? Not a single instance?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s more likely that she¡¯s secretly meeting someone out of our sight. Someone we don¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± If an ability user used their ability to deliberately hide their identity, could we really recognize that person? ¡°Minister Park, what about wiretapping or something like that¡­¡± ¡°We can check if we issue a warrant to the telpany, but will they provide those records?¡± ¡°Not talking about doing it legally, but if we discuss it behind the scenes?¡± ¡°¡­There will be significant repercussions. Besides, if the President doesn¡¯t know, doesn¡¯t that mean ¡®Cheonriyan¡¯ also doesn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± The President scratched the back of his head. ¡°Indeed, if I knew it through Cheonriyan, I would have directly asked you for more details.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you testing us?¡± ¡°Hey, there are no opposition people here, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The people in the conference room looked at each other and nodded. ¡°So no one really knows, right? Hmm?¡± ¡°At least we¡¯ve confirmed one thing. Baek Seol-hee¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s just say ¡®crush¡¯. That crush is a married man.¡± ¡°An affair¡­¡± Everyone smacked their lips. ¡°Whoever that lucky guy is, to be married and receive love from Snow White. Haha, the world is truly amazing.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t something tough off. Baek Seol-hee, who never mentioned pregnancy before, brought it up directly in front of us, implying we should handle the legal issues.¡± ¡°Yes. That makes it scarier. A woman who has always lived by the rules, now being driven crazy by love. That¡¯s what love is.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ How did she get involved in such aplicated love affair?¡± The people here were not ability users. But their life experience was far richer than others, having seen more people than anyone else. ¡°Baek Seol-hee seems to be deeply in love with her crush. She¡¯s prepared to be a mistress and even create a legal escape route to protect the man.¡± ¡°She even asked us to ensure the child¡¯s protection. This means if there¡¯s a custody dispute, she wants to protect the child. Regardless of who the married man is, or who his wife is, we must protect Baek Seol-hee and her child.¡± ¡°The nation protecting a mistress and her illegitimate child. Haha, people would have a field day if they heard this.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s a woman who defeated three S-sses by herself.¡± ¡°Then we have to help her. Even if she kidnapped and raped a normal young man, we should turn a blind eye. She¡¯s showing such determination about her pregnancy.¡± There was onemon thought among everyone. ¡°We must never provoke Baek Seol-hee. When we nagged her about dating, getting married, and having kids, she didn¡¯t listen at all. Now, suddenly, she¡¯s cooperating with us, which means she¡¯s so in love that she¡¯s willing to die without that man. I know this well.¡± The President shivered and shook his head. ¡°¡­Fortunately, Baek Seol-hee is a patriot. She¡¯s not a crazy woman who would sell out her country and child. Whoever her crush is, we need to support and respect her decision.¡± ¡°But, if the man isn¡¯t an ability user¡­¡± ¡°Hey! If Baek Seol-hee says ¡®I¡¯m not doing this anymore,¡¯ what will you do then?¡± The President banged the table and shouted at the minister. ¡°She voluntarily brought up pregnancy, and if we respond with ¡®Oh, an ordinary person?¡¯ or ¡®Oh, a C-ss?¡¯ how do you think she¡¯ll react? We¡¯ve already deduced the affair; does the ability rank matter?¡± ¡°If he¡¯s a married man, he¡¯s at least in histe twenties. We already know most of the married ability users.¡± ¡°¡­Is there a possibility we missed some young married ability users?¡± ¡°No, there isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Damn¡­! Is it fortunate that she¡¯s willing to bear a child?¡± Baek Seol-hee was going to have a child. Even if it¡¯s a married man¡¯s child, she wanted to raise it. ¡°Amon court issue is now a national issue. Damn, it¡¯s crazy. Is that guy insane? If Baek Seol-hee asked for an affair, I¡¯d divorce and marry her.¡± The ministers smiled awkwardly at the President¡¯s words, but no one shook their head or disagreed. ¡°We just have to trust her. Ah, would Baek Seol-hee marry an unworthy person? His only w is being married. And what if he¡¯s not an ability user? Baek Seol-hee is S+, so she¡¯ll at least give birth to an A-ss.¡± ¡°But what if his rank is low¡­¡± ¡°Ah, let¡¯s not think about that. One is better than zero, and opinions can change after having a child. One can be two and three, right?¡± ¡°If she has more than one child, that alone is a blessing¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just solve the legal issues. If the media catches a whiff, we¡¯ll find out who the wife is and spin it in Baek Seol-hee¡¯s favor. Understand?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± A conclusion was reached. ¡°Listen well. No matter who Baek Seol-hee dates or who she loves, as long as he¡¯s a ¡®Korean man¡¯¡­¡± Vrrrr. Suddenly, the door opened. Without giving the secretaries a chance to intervene, everyone¡¯s attention turned to the person who entered the conference room. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I left my cup behind earlier.¡± ¡°Taejo¡­¡± The President¡¯s face flushed as Taejo came in to retrieve his steel mug left on the table. No matter how S-ss he was, no matter if he was the President¡¯s grandson, ordinary people didn¡¯t just walk into a conference room in the middle of an ongoing meeting with the door closed. ¡°Haha. What serious discussion are you having? Oh, is it a serious discussion¡­?¡± ¡°What were you talking about?¡± ¡°Just battle strategies. How to use clones.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not interested in those talks, so I just came out. Hehe.¡± Except for someone like Armored Taejo. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, let me ask. Do you know who Baek Seol-hee is seeing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Taejo sipped his coffee, remaining silent. Everyone¡¯s heart sank at his ambiguous attitude. ¡°Do you really know? Hmm?¡± ¡°Let me be clear, it¡¯s not me. It¡¯s not Jun-gyeong, nor is it Tousin. And I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Anyone you suspect?¡± ¡°There is one person.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°You might be shocked when you hear it. Especially you, Grandfather.¡± ¡°¡­Is it someone I know?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Taejo nced around the room and cautiously opened his mouth. ¡°It might be a shocking story for you adults, but are you ready?¡± ¡°Anything is fine. Just tell us.¡± ¡°Then¡­.¡± Standing at the entrance with his cup, Taejo cleared his throat. ¡°I think¡­.¡±
At that moment, in the break room. ¡°What? Me and Irin? What kind of crazy talk is that?¡± Baek Seol-hee scoffed at Lee Jun-young and Kim Yun-ji¡¯s questions. ¡°Say something that makes sense.¡± ¡°Unni.¡± ¡°Nunim.¡± ¡°I know saying nonsense is a global rule, but Irin is¡­.¡± ¡°A girl.¡± ¡°A minor.¡± ¡°¡­Both.¡± Baek Seol-hee covered her face with her hands at the questioning looks from the two. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s Korean, not a girl, and an adult. Except for being married, he¡¯s a decent person.¡± ¡°Unnie. Are you covering up the truth by saying he¡¯s married? I¡¯d rather believe you¡¯re a lesbian.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather be a lesbian and fight for patriotism with the adulterer¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Pfft¡­!¡± Lee Jun-young almost spit out his soda. ¡°Noonim, please don¡¯t say things like that¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a way of speaking. You¡¯re suspicious of me too, aren¡¯t you? What? A minor? Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it true? Ever since you went to Sejong Ind this year, you suddenly started talking about patriotism.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Well, noonim, could it be a forbidden rtionship between teacher and student¡­ugh?!¡± Crackle. ¡°Hey, Kim Yun-ji!¡± ¡°Stop saying crazy things. It¡¯s a crime to be with a minor!¡± ¡°Saying someone¡¯s a lesbian is different frommitting a crime against humanity!¡± ¡°Guys. Can¡¯t you just ept that the person I¡¯m seeing is married?¡± Baek Seol-hee chuckled at the argument between the two S-sses. ¡°Whoever the man is, just think positively. Even if I have a child, I won¡¯t force you to participate in public events. I have clones, after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°And.¡± Baek Seol-hee nced up at the ceiling. ¡°Even if a demon from Pandemonium appears, you won¡¯t have to worry about Gwang Ik Gong stepping in. I can handle it with my clones, even if I¡¯m pregnant. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could help out a bit. Yun-ji?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If I get permission, I¡¯ll introduce you to someone. Someone who can greatly help you with your abilities. And if you guys reach S+ ss¡­.¡± She grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll take real parental leave. I won¡¯t leave the country, and everyone won¡¯t have to worry.¡± Chapter 281: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (5) Chapter 281: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (5) ¡°I just suggested a possibility.¡± Taejo threw the bomb and walked out. As he closed the conference room door and stepped outside, intense reactions began to erupt from within. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Of course. No matter how open-minded people were about ability users, there were things they could ept and things they could not. The bomb Taejo dropped was one of those things. Baek Seol-hee and Tae Irin dating? Not just dating, but Baek Seol-hee hiding her affair with Tae Irin by pretending to be married?Baek Seol-hee getting pregnant, implying Tae Irin as the father? ¡°Heh.¡± The conference room was thrown into chaos in an instant, but Taejo suppressed hisughter and changed his expression. Beep beep beep. Then, he called someone. He waited longer than expected, thinking it might be an important conversation, and strolled down the corridor with his smartphone, waiting for the other person to answer. [Hello? What¡¯s going on?] ¡°I said you were going to have a baby with Seol-hee noona.¡± [What crazy nonsense are you talking about? What did you do?] ¡°Well.¡± As Taejo exined the situation. [I¡¯m going to sue you. For defaming my unnie.] Tae Irin immediately turned serious. ¡°Not you, but Seol-hee noona?¡± [Of course. How could you make such a nasty joke? Are you crazy?] ¡°Yes, I¡¯m crazy. But this covered up ¡®my thoughts¡¯.¡± Taejo headed towards the bathroom. ¡°I think I know who the adulterer noona mentioned is.¡± [¡­Who is it?] ¡°I¡¯m only telling you. Listen carefully, little sister.¡± As those following him guarded the bathroom entrance, Taejo ced his hand on the sensor in front of a toilet stall. Whoosh. ¡°¡­Goblin.¡± In a barely audible voice, Taejo whispered so that no one could hear. [¡­¡­Brother, are you out of your mind?] ¡°No, I¡¯m sane. It¡¯s not Tushin or Cheok Jun-gyeong. This is the conclusion I¡¯ve reached.¡± [No matter what, iming that someone who always fights with you would be pregnant with Goblin¡¯s child?] ¡°Shh. Lower your voice. Your voice is louder than mine and might leak out.¡± Taejo moved to the sink and turned on the water to create noise. ¡°Have you ever talked about the Goblin with noona?¡± [¡­Not really, except when we¡¯re on a mission together?] ¡°Just watch her expressions and gestures when she talks about him. You¡¯ll get it? Little sister, even though you¡¯re a woman, I know more about women.¡± Taejo pulled his hand back. ¡°When she talks about him, she tries to hide it, but her eyes are filled with hearts. If there was an ability user who could see emotions, they¡¯d see heart-shaped auras around her every time she talks about him.¡± [Sigh. So you think you¡¯re an expert on women and figured out it¡¯s the Goblin?] ¡°Of course. And there¡¯s another clue¡­.¡± Soon, the stream of water trickled down. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the data from today¡¯s duelter. You might understand better if you fight directly, but if you still don¡¯t get it, I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m telling you this because you¡¯re my sister.¡± [¡­Isn¡¯t this serious? Even if it¡¯s S-ss, nning to have a viin¡¯s child might lead to her bing a viin.] ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Based on what I saw back then, it¡¯s certain.¡± There was conviction in Taejo¡¯s voice. [You¡¯ve discovered something incredible. But you know not to spread it around, right?] ¡°That¡¯s why I linked it to someone. Acting like I was joking.¡± [You weren¡¯t joking; you were serious about 30% of it to mess with me.] ¡°Not 30%, more like 50%.¡± [Geez. Never mind. I¡¯m going to meet Lee Sun unnie at the caf¨¦ now, so keep your mouth shut and don¡¯t cause any trouble.] ¡°As if I would¡­ Hey, hey!¡± Click. The call abruptly ended. ¡°Ah, damn. I had something to ask.¡± Taejo scratched his head and walked out, heading straight to the break room. Creak. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Baek Seol-hee was the only one in the room. She was calmly using her smartphone, but Taejo sensed she hastily turned it off as he entered. Was she watching a date video or something? Even though it was in view of the CCTV, the angle of her smartphone wasn¡¯t aligned with the CCTV camera, so she might have been looking at pictures. ¡°Where are hyung and noona?¡± ¡°Tushin and Raije went to fight my clone 2:1.¡± ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t you go see it yourself?¡± ¡°I can control my clone well enough from this distance.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing. Could I do that too?¡± ¡°You¡­ I don¡¯t know. You could create a clone with steel, but¡­.¡± ¡°Hey, noona.¡± Taejo thought about consulting Tae Irin but, seeing no one else enter the break room, clenched his fist. ¡°Could I meet that guy you¡¯re nning to have a child with?¡± ¡°¡­Why do you want to meet him?¡± ¡°I just want to test my current skills.¡± He wanted to fight with all his might if they met again. ¡°I haven¡¯t even told you he¡¯s an ability user, so how can-¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Just because. Oh, right. I have a question, noona.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°About the Goblin.¡± She remained calm. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°He defeated two of Pandemonium¡¯s demons.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± But the moment he mentioned Goblin. ¡°It¡¯s pretty amazing. Eliminating demons immediately when they do bad things.¡± ¡°¡­Well, Pandemonium¡¯s demons are a bit of an exception.¡± ¡°Right? Should I try mimicking the Goblin¡¯s appearance this time? Like when he entered the ind sanctuary. It was really cool.¡± ¡°What¡¯s cool about that?¡± Look at the moment he praised Goblin. ¡°Why don¡¯t you seriously explore that thing you copied during the battle earlier, Hesed Dragon or whatever it¡¯s called?¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s better to steal from the Goblin than those unidentified guys iming to be from the future. He¡¯s like aplete ability user package.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Well, I can¡¯t deny that. But don¡¯t you hate the Goblin?¡± ¡°I hate him as a viin, but I personally think he¡¯s amazing as an ability user.¡± It might be just a guess, but Taejo tried to subtly probe Baek Seol-hee¡¯s feelings towards Goblin. ¡°¡­Right. He would be a decent human being if he weren¡¯t a viin.¡± Though she spoke nonchntly, everything was clear to the romance expert, Armored Taejo (17 years old). ¡°If I ever meet Goblin, I want to ask him what kind of techniques I need to train to be recognized as a real S-ss evaluator.¡± ¡°Would a viin teach you that?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Should I offer him money?¡± The more they talked, the more Baek Seol-hee spoke about Goblin than usual. A woman. If she didn¡¯t like someone, she wouldn¡¯t even open her mouth. ¡°Oh, by the way, I heard you made weirdments linking me with Irin?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such things carelessly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It just seemed like it was giving the elders a headache.¡± ¡°If you say things like that, you¡¯ll hear simr things back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Taejo felt a chill down his spine but bit his lower lip, trying to ignore it. ¡°¡­Right? I¡¯m sorry, noona.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why? Ah, do those kinds of talks make you ufortable? Sorry, I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I deserve it for saying those things. Hahaha¡­.¡± Taejo gave an awkwardugh. ¡°But noona, I have another question.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°¡­If Goblin and Gwang Ik Gong fought, who do you think would win?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Who do you think would win?¡± ¡°Um, Goblin?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Seeing that Baek Seol-hee did not show any displeasure at his choice, Taejo quietly drank his coffee. As if suppressing something rising from within.
After finishing the skill transfer to Yumir to some extent. I headed to Busan to meet Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°Oh, you actually came?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been meeting quite often recently. Why do you keep summoning a busy patriot?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about the progress, and there¡¯s something else I want to discuss.¡± ¡°You¡¯re barely recovering your mana and practically dying in real-time, and you still want to meet me?¡± ¡°Meeting you for a day is worth spending three days of my life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Should I just not talk? I knew what he¡¯s saying wasn¡¯t meant in that way, but my ears and brain kept interpreting it differently. My brain might be rotten, maybe from too much exposure to such thoughts, but Gwang Ik Gong also has a problem for making me think this way. ¡°How¡¯s the teaching going with Yumir?¡± ¡°Of course. With about three more months of training, she¡¯ll be able to mimic Gwang Ik Gong perfectly.¡± ¡°Three months¡­ You can barely make it in time.¡± ¡°Is it because of the World Cup?¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± The Ability Users World Cup. It¡¯s also known as the nationalpetition, a setup for the protagonist to show off his power to the world, defeat male heroes, and win the attention and love of female supporting heroines. ¡°Even Snow White wouldn¡¯t want to rece Gwang Ik Gong in a world event.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I asked you to rece Gwang Ik Gong for that reason.¡± ¡°But still, you¡¯d want me to, right?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± There, Gwang Ik Gong must show his ¡®presence.¡¯ ¡°So, why did you call me today?¡± ¡°Here, take this.¡± Gwang Ik Gong handed me something from his pocket. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A burner phone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a smartphone registered under my name. Since I haven¡¯t been dered dead yet, it¡¯s my secondary phone.¡± ¡°Why are you giving this to me?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Gwang Ik Gong continued. ¡°I want you to help correct ability users under my name. For the development of ability users.¡± He was sincere. ¡°If Gwang Ik Gong advises on abilities, people will take it seriously. If the world¡¯s best gives advice, even if it¡¯s annoying, they should consider it an honor.¡± ¡°¡­So you want me to be an advisor for the country¡¯s ability users?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re raising Yoon Iseon, and in less than half a year, you¡¯re making Yumir like Gwang Ik Gong. Be an ability consultant for this country¡¯s ability users.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s in it for me?¡± ¡°The more S-sses there are, the sooner Seol-hee nuna can retire, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡± ¡°One more thing.¡± Gwang Ik Gong tapped his smartphone. ¡°I deposited 200 billion won in a Swiss ount I created with this phone. It¡¯s your starting fee. Take it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I epted the request. Chapter 282: Your Abilities Dont Swing At All (1) Chapter 282: Your Abilities Don''t Swing At All (1) Gwang Ik Gong was dead. Therefore, a sessor was needed to rece Gwang Ik Gong. Someone who, just before being killed by a viin, instinctively thought ¡°Save me, OOO¡± and could think of someone other than Gwang Ik Gong. However, it was not easy to find such a sessor, someone who could rece the position of the ¡®untouchable hero¡¯ that was Gwang Ik Gong. Gwang Ik Gong was not only incredibly strong, but the sense of justice he disyed was more excellent and magnificent than anyone else¡¯s. But could a figure who had always been a perennial second-inmand rece the position of number one? This question arose, and one work showed the answer to this question. The second-inmand was always challenged. And the second-inmand, who tried to follow in the footsteps of number one, could not maintain the prestige of number one even after bing number one.Gwang Ik Gong was invincible. The number one, the world¡¯s strongest hero, must never be defeated. A hero who was not defeated by anyone, thus giving hope to all humanity. -Gwang Ik Gong has arrived! Even if viins rampaged on the other side of the world, the arrival of the world¡¯s strongest hero instilled confidence that the incident will be resolved. But what if we assessed the current state of the seven S-rank heroes in Korea? There¡¯s no need to speak of the others; even Snow White - Baek Seol-hee - could potentially rece Gwang Ik Gong. -If Gwang Ik Gong is dead, then who is the next strongest? -There are several candidates, but in Korea right now, there¡¯s Snow White. -Snow White. Indeed, if it¡¯s her, she could aim to be Korea¡¯s strongest hero. Her abilities were getting stronger every day, and if she focused a bit more on improving her abilities, she could be the guardian of this country in a different sense than Gwang Ik Gong. -But hasn¡¯t Snow White never won against Goblin? Here¡¯s where the problem arose. -Can she definitely win if she fights Goblin? -Gwang Ik Gong never fought Goblin either, so isn¡¯t it unknown? -Hey. If Goblin could beat Gwang Ik Gong, he would have fought and won already. And he would have conquered Korea. That¡¯s not the case. The reason Goblin spared Gwang Ik Gong was that he was nning tounch bird missiles against the meteor that summoned the meteor. -Even if they kill Gwang Ik Gong, the Secret Society can conquer the world, so why keep him alive until now? The reason the Secret Society spared Gwang Ik Gong was to prevent the hassle that could arise from the great chaos in the world if Gwang Ik Gong were eliminated. The world with Gwang Ik Gong was more peaceful than the world without him. Gwang Ik Gong, the Secret Society, and Baek Seol-hee all knew that. -I¡¯m going to get pregnant. But Baek Seol-hee was different from Gwang Ik Gong. -While Gwang Ik Gong can serve the country by working hard for about an hour, I have to be a nonbatant for 10 months. She was a woman, wanted to have children, wanted to be a mother, and chose to love one man. -Surely you don¡¯t expect me to rece Gwang Ik Gong, right? As an ability user, I might manage somehow, but I¡¯m a woman. I have to give birth. If I end up having a child in myte 20s or even 30s, will you take responsibility? Strictly speaking, the constant pressure to date, marry, and have children led to the rebellious and illicit pregnancy, but no one could me Baek Seol-hee. -You all told me to have children, so I tried, and now you want me to rece Gwang Ik Gong? If I can¡¯t get pregnant or something goes wrong during childbirth, will you take responsibility? No one could speak harshly to Baek Seol-hee. -Rather than bing the world¡¯s strongest and a symbol of peace, I want to be a mother to a child. Oh, no, I¡¯d prefer triplets or maybe three siblings. If Baek Seol-hee said no, it was no, and the reason was with her. -Still, as a patriot¡­. ¡°I¡¯m saying I¡¯ll be patriotic, so why is it a problem? Isn¡¯t childbirth the true way to be a patriot in this low birthrate era?¡± ¡°Still¡­.¡± ¡°Not even the president can interrupt my maternity leave.¡± Such a situation would unfold. ¡°¡­This is my opinion on Seol-hee noona¡¯s current state. In other words, Seol-hee noona cannot rece Gwang Ik Gong right now.¡± Of course, this was Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s assumption about the future. Baek Seol-hee might not react like this, but if she had a child, she would change her life for the child. ¡°Whether it¡¯s the Sephiroth Knights or whatever, it¡¯s good to train Gwang Ik Gong, but at some point, a real next generation who can rece Gwang Ik Gong is needed.¡± Therefore, they must be trained. ¡°Women have the variable of pregnancy, but men don¡¯t.¡± Among the ability users, they need to train someone smart and dedicated to the country like Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°I hope you train a man rather than a woman.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Brother, it¡¯s not that you prefer women over men, right?¡± I failed to manage my expression at Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s suggestion. ¡°The reason the world¡¯s strongest needs to be a man is not for any other reason, but because they are rtively free from maternity leave. It¡¯s better for the mother to be with the child in the early stages.¡± Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s Confucian view seemed somewhat valid. ¡°The mother raises the child at home, and the father works as a hero outside. Naturally, a mother¡¯s heart leans more toward the child in the early stages; it¡¯s only natural.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying women should stay home and watch the kids?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a sexist remark; I¡¯m saying this considering the future matters with Seol-hee noona.¡± Gwang Ik Gong pointed to hisrge phone in front of him. ¡°Think about it. If you train an ability user, would it be more convenient for you if it¡¯s a man or a woman?¡± ¡°From my perspective¡­.¡± ¡°A woman, right?¡± ¡°Well.¡± To put it bluntly, I found women morefortable. ¡°Baek Seol-hee, Yumir, Yoon Iseon. Just with these three, you¡¯ve already proven your skills in nurturing female ability users. Seol-hee noona has adopted Goblin¡¯sbat style and even mastered her cloning technique, and Yumir is learning Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s techniques. Not to mention, you raised Yoon Iseon, who was an A-rank, to S-rank.¡± Talking with the women, I made them even stronger. ¡°Is it just those people? Even the executives of the Secret Society developed new abilities under your influence, and they seem to have learned from each other through skill exchanges. Didn¡¯t Gungi nuna also learn Yumir¡¯s teleportation?¡± ¡°Doul learned it too.¡± ¡°I thought that noona¡¯s skill was just high-speed movement, but she mastered teleportation as well. Anyway, look at this. You can teach female ability users better than anyone else.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to nurture male ability users?¡± It seemed like he wanted me to focus on raising female ability users specifically. The inconsistency implied that there was a connecting solution. ¡°So, I want to make a proposal.¡± Gwang Ik Gong drew a picture on the table. ¡°There¡¯s no rule that says only one person should consult under the name of Gwang Ik Gong. You and I can consult together using this app.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°[Geumbit Narae].¡± An app with Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s golden wings spread out on both sides. ¡°Regarding the registered ability users here, Gwang Ik Gong will consult on their abilities.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll mainly handle the consulting for the registered people. You should focus on female ability users, especially those who could be S-rank. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a man or a woman, but ideally, care for the male ones too.¡± ¡°So.¡± Now it was clear. ¡°While taking care of other people¡¯s abilities through this app, you want me to pick the promising ones and make them S-rank?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And for that, you¡¯ll give me a 200 billion won down payment plus extra allowances?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do I look that easy?¡± ¡°Brother.¡± When I sharpened my tone, Gwang Ik Gong lowered his voice and pointed below. ¡°This proposal is not for you.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for the chairman, who will always be watching over you and knows this situation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t mind if you recruit the people you make S-rank or S+ into the Secret Society. Just make sure to increase the S-ranks significantly, to the point where Taejo gets pushed down to around 30th ce. Or make an S-rank detector as good as Taejo.¡± ¡°Huh¡­.¡± Half a year. It had been nearly half a year since Gwang Ik Gong died. ¡°Why are you doing this now?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ve changed too.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You were somewhat hell-bent on killing everyonest year. But now, you¡¯re quite different.¡± ¡°¡­Different?¡± ¡°Yes. You could say you¡¯ve found a reason to protect the world. And you¡¯ve shown it through your actions.¡± Gwang Ik Gong stared at me. ¡°Even a dark hero is still a hero. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­I guess. But I¡¯m a viin.¡± Not a hero. A viin. ¡°Aren¡¯t you someone who speaks pleasantly like this? Are you okay with it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. When there¡¯s someone offering a carrot, there should also be someone wielding a stick.¡± ¡°Bad cop, good cop strategy, huh.¡± Good cop was obviously Gwang Ik Gong. Bad cop was obviously me. ¡°If you provide feedback on strengths, I¡¯ll point out the weaknesses.¡± ¡°Right. If I¡¯m Gwang Ik Gong, then you be ¡®Heuk Ik Gong.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A chill ran down my spine momentarily. ¡°Brother. If this works out well, your chairman will be very pleased.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Hey, Kim Jin-ho.¡± I picked up Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s smartphone. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d do such a bothersome thing just because I get paid and the chief likes it? Too bad.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s face turned to confusion. As if he heard an unexpected answer. ¡°Are you rejecting it?¡± ¡°Listen carefully.¡± Holding the smartphone, I aimed it at Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°I don¡¯t discriminate against men in this matter.¡± I didn¡¯t only raise women. ¡°Who should I start with? Taejo? Cheok Jun-kyeong? Tushin? Or Gwang Ik Gong? Okay, let¡¯s start with you.¡± Never. ¡°Your golden wings don¡¯t swing at all.¡± ¡°¡­Is this the start of the consulting?¡± ¡°Yes. First.¡± I put down Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s smartphone and pressed my Taeguk Watch. ¡°Let¡¯s get the dual employment permit first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What? Why? I¡¯m an employee. Isn¡¯t it natural to get the chairman¡¯s permission before proceeding with the project?¡± Chapter 283: Your Abilities Dont Swing At All (2) Chapter 283: Your Abilities Don''t Swing At All (2) -Go ahead. Any money you earn from your side job, use it as your pocket money. She epted Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s proposal. Issues rted to server problems,munication issues, and so on would be handled by Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°Teacher, is this the app?¡± Yumir showed interest while browsing through the smartphone under Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s name. Especially, while looking at the UI of the app called ¡®Golden Wings¡¯, she showed great interest in the Golden Wings project. ¡°With just this, the number of S-ss heroes will increase, and there will be more righteous heroes.¡± ¡°For now.¡± The increase in the number of heroes that the Secret Society had to deal with was a problem forter, but for now, it¡¯s definitely a good thing to have more capable and righteous heroes.¡°It¡¯s like having more people like Nguyen in Thand. Previously, we just waited for them to get stronger on their own, but now we can guide them directly.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Can I try it too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even up on the app store yet.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you share the APK file? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking anyone else, I¡¯m asking as Sr tina.¡± ¡°Do you have any concerns?¡± ¡°Yes. I have concerns about my abilities.¡± Yumir took out her smartphone, and I helped her install the app on her phone. ¡°Create an ount, register as a member¡­ Ah.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You need to register with a Hero Association ID¡­.¡± We hit a snag from the start. ¡°If I register with my Yumir ID, I¡¯ll be ssified as D-ss, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But if a D-ss hero starts consulting with S-ss heroes, everyone will think it¡¯s strange, right?¡± ¡°Basically, the Q&A is one-on-one, but if someone looks into the database, they¡¯ll think it¡¯s odd.¡± Since we¡¯re discussing things in the world of light, Yumir has to talk about her D-ss concerns at least in the app. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ask directly? What¡¯s your concern?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about winning against the Patriot Master with patriotism.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. You just have to gain experience to improve your skills.¡± ¡°Then can I try it now?¡± ¡°Go ahead. But I have work to do, so I can¡¯t focus.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. The good thing about being an ability user is that you can do patriotism and ability research at the same time.¡± Yumir immediately grabbed her Taeguk watch and smartphone, then pulled my wrist as she threw herself onto the bed. Creak. The bed sheet went down momentarily, and Yumir climbed on top of me, cing her arm on my chest as she started pressing on her smartphone diligently. ¡°This feels really strange. We¡¯re looking at each other like this, but there¡¯s a smartphone between us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing it now.¡± ¡°Teacher, you¡¯re holding your smartphone too.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s my job.¡± I turned the screen. On the screen that looked like an administrator¡¯s ount, the information of the members who joined the app started appearing one by one. ¡°¡­What is this? They¡¯re all S-ss.¡± ¡°Since messages were sent under Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s name, they all joined.¡± This was the power of Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°When Gwang Ik Gong says he¡¯ll provide ability consulting to S-ss heroes, at the very least, they have to join to avoid offending him.¡± ¡°These people still don¡¯t know that Gwang Ik Gong is dead, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­But it¡¯s hard to look at you like this. Mir, let¡¯s change positions.¡± Yumir got up, and I sat against the headboard of the bed. Yumir came and sat in front of me, and I reached out and held my smartphone in front of her. ¡°This way we can look at it together.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt your neck to put your head on your shoulder and look?¡± ¡°If youe down a bit more, it should be fine.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Maybe it¡¯s better to just befortable.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay with anything, but it seems like you¡¯re alreadyfortable.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Yumir pulled my knee, creating a support for my arm, and I ced my hands on her thigh and knee while continuing to operate the smartphone. ¡°Ah, I want to consult about my concerns. I hope ck Wing responds.¡± ¡°¡­It seems I can create an ID with the administrator ount, write down the ID and password.¡± ¡°Oh, really. Wow, Gwang Ik Gong is amazing, creating such convenient features. Then the ID is¡­.¡± Sta74 lwisymr69@@ ¡°¡­What¡¯s this lw?¡± ¡°Legal Wife.¡± ¡°Fine, do as you please.¡± I had no intention of interfering with the ID and password. As soon as Yumir created the ID with the administrator ount, she joined immediately and entered the Golden Wings app to write her concern. ¡°Want to learn duplication?¡± ¡°I want to do duplication y like Seol-hee unnie. Unlike Seol-hee unnie, who just used duplicates as a background, I¡¯ll be different. Hehe.¡± ¡°Did Seol-hee talk about it?¡± ¡°She bragged a lot. Showing off what she filmed and provoking me.¡± It seemed that they became closer than I thought. It was ironic that they were having an affair with a married man, but since the cheating man was me, I decided to just go with it. ¡°Just set up the camera and record it.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work. If you record it with a camera, it won¡¯t capture the right feel. It needs to be shaky and have the camera pointed like someone else is recording to feel alive. It should make the viewers feel like they¡¯re the ones holding the camera, right?¡± ¡°So you want to learn duplication too?¡± ¡°Yes. If I learn duplication, I think I can win against anyone in the Patriot Front. Hehe. And I can definitely get Seol-hee unnie¡¯s attention too.¡± It¡¯s good that Baek Seol-hee and Yumir were getting along well. ¡°So what¡¯s your answer?¡± ¡°The first option is skill exchange. You learn duplication in exchange for teaching the other person a skill they want.¡± It felt meaningless to write this down since I was reading her concerns, and replying to her concerns seemed pointless since Yumir was watching. ¡°If you teach Baek Seol-hee a skill she¡¯s interested in, she might teach you the duplication ability. Look at this.¡± Ding The administrator app alerted me. ¡°Baek Seol-hee also wants to learn teleportation.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ What will you reply to Seol-hee unnie?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give her the same answer I gave you.¡± I replied exactly the same way. Teaching the person who wanted to learn duplication the know-how and learning teleportation from them. ¡°What if they say they don¡¯t want to teach? What will you reply, Teacher?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say they¡¯re not desperate enough and to ask again when they are.¡± If she truly wanted teleportation ability, ¡°By the way, does Seol-hee unnie know who this Ilchim Gap is?¡± ¡°Seol-hee knows.¡± ¡°What about Iseon?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t told her yet.¡± Beep Yoon Iseon posted her concern. ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± Yumir justughed while licking her lips after seeing her concern. ¡°Iseon had these thoughts?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Teacher, what¡¯s your reply?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not a question about abilities, it¡¯s hard to give a proper answer, but I¡¯ll have to say something.¡± I whispered lightly into Yumir¡¯s ear and bit her ear gently. ¡°Stop putting red medicine on your friend¡¯s fan heart.¡± ¡°Ah, ouch.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see? Read it yourself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put your ear to it¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop if you read it.¡± ¡°Ugh, my friend keeps trying to give me red medicine, what should I say¡­!¡± ¡°Cut it out.¡± ¡°Aw¡­.¡± Yumir pouted as soon as I moved my mouth away. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to let Iseon experience something good.¡± ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± ¡°How good it is to have a romance with Do Ji-hwan while being patriotic.¡± ¡°Are you trying to have an affair with the Goblin too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an affair. They have different charms. It¡¯s like eating cream pie pure or with toppings. Eating half pure and half with toppings isn¡¯t an affair.¡± ¡°Am I a cream pie?¡± ¡°You share the delicious part. Ah, cream pie is more on my side¡­ ouch.¡± I pulled my smartphone and tapped Yumir¡¯s forehead once. ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± Ding A new alert sounded. This time, it was a question from someone I hadn¡¯t expected at all. ¡°It¡¯s Baridegi? I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be interested in this.¡± ¡°Gwang Ik Gong is like a bamboo forest. If you ask Gwang Ik Gong, you expect understanding.¡± Baridegi¡¯s question. -My brother is frivolous. How can I make him mature? ¡°She¡¯s quite kind, considering she treats him like a brother.¡± Given her birth and background, it didn¡¯t seem that way, but as twins, she seemed to take good care of him. ¡°¡­Oh, the reply is up.¡± ¡°Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s answer. It¡¯s great. Very standard and exemry.¡± I didn¡¯t read it. Summarized in three lines: cherish your only family, he cares about you a lot inside, I¡¯ll talk to him separatelyter, so keep an eye on him. ¡°What does ck Wing say?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± From the perspective of someone who knew the original work, ¡°Armored Taejo acts like a fool but isn¡¯t really one.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still young, but in novels orics, there¡¯s often a character like that.¡± A goofy character. A frivolous character. They build such an image publicly but were very serious behind the scenes. ¡°Like how I seem like just a parachute teacher but am actually a Goblin, Armored Taejo is simr.¡± ¡°¡­¡­No way.¡± ¡°No way. Mir, didn¡¯t you say this was a bamboo forest where only Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s secrets are shared? Secrets not known to anyone but Gwang Ik Gong.¡± ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t I not be seeing this, Teacher?¡± ¡°No. You need to see it too.¡± Since she¡¯s the protagonist, she shouldn¡¯t lose her mind and throw a meteorter. ¡°The person in question just posted a question. And¡­ it¡¯s the perfect question.¡± ¡°¡­No way.¡± Yumir¡¯s expression hardened as she read Taejo¡¯s question. ¡°Is this really a question from Taejo?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a side of Taejo that he doesn¡¯t show even to his sister, Tae Irin.¡± It¡¯s a side he only shows to Gwang Ik Gong, perhaps Taejo¡¯s ¡®true self.¡¯ Taejo¡¯s question was simple. -Three days ago, I discovered a gold mine in the old North Koreannd, and the Chinese and Russian guys caught the scent of gold. It looks like S-ss traitors mighte out. Can you join this time? ¡°He¡¯s not just a bright kid.¡± ¡°Uh, well¡­.¡± ¡°Just think of it like that. The closestparison would be, yes.¡± A National Intelligence Service ck (hero) agent. ¡°If Tae Irin is a white agent, Taejo is a ck agent.¡± Chapter 284: Your Abilities Dont Swing At All (3) Chapter 284: Your Abilities Don''t Swing At All (3) At that moment, in the small conference room of the Busan Hero Association. ¡°Hey, everyone¡­.¡± The seven S-ss heroes gathered in the association, under the president¡¯s instructions, were all focused on their smartphones. Normally, there should be eight S-ss heroes, but one seat was always vacant. Always. ¡°So, how are Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s responses? Do you like Golden Wings?¡± A moment of silence ensued. Despite being assertive S-ss heroes, no one spoke easily about Golden Wings, an ability consulting app developed by Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s been a while since Gwang Ik Gong kindly exined things like this.¡±Baek Seol-hee was the first to speak. The president silently sighed in relief and gestured for Baek Seol-hee to continue. ¡°Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s words may not be the absolute truth, but they are close to the right path. Personally, it was a great help. I could approach my concerns from different perspectives. However¡­.¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°The answersing from this ckened Gwang Ik Gong concept are a bit harsh.¡± Baek Seol-hee, who had put down her smartphone, began to openly express her frustration. ¡°The concept of being blunt, factual, and offering unsolicited advice seems rather strange. It feels like someone else is speaking.¡± ¡°Right. When I asked if this was necessary, Gwang Ik Gong insisted on including this feature.¡± The president disyed some data on the TV screen. ¡°Feedback can¡¯t always be positive. Good feedback involves pointing out ws and leading towards betterment, not personal attacks.¡± ¡°Even if the feedback is sharp?¡± ¡°Gwang Ik Gong deemed it necessary and included the feature. I respect his decision. If he thinks ¡®ckened Gwang Ik Gong¡¯ is needed, there must be a reason.¡± ¡°President, do you trust Gwang Ik Gongpletely?¡± Cheok Jun-kyeong asked, looking at his smartphone. ¡°Did Gwang Ik Gong really make this app?¡± ¡°Are you doubting it? The answers don¡¯t seem like him?¡± ¡°No, the answers are precisely Gwang Ik Gong. The concept of ckened Gwang Ik Gong is new, but¡­ never mind. So, will Gwang Ik Gong continue to act as an ability consultant for now?¡± ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t it beneficial?¡± It was beneficial. Everyone fell silent again. ¡°¡­It is, but sometimes one harsh truth can outweigh a hundredpliments if you hear it from ckened Gwang Ik Gong.¡± Baek Seol-hee shook her head as she tapped her smartphone. ¡°No matter how much you lock it before opening, when you see the warning pop-up, you get curious and open it. And then you get hurt by the blunt truths.¡± ¡°Seol-hee, were you hurt? What did you ask?¡± ¡°That¡¯s private. If it¡¯s something you can easily tell others, it¡¯s not something you¡¯d ask Gwang Ik Gong about in the first ce.¡± Baek Seol-hee waved her hand, looking around. ¡°It seems like everyone got their answers. Is this the end?¡± ¡°For now. If everyone¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll continue the Golden Wings consulting and gradually expand the participants. However, future participants will be extremely limited.¡± The president pointed to the screen as the S-ss heroes either listened or ignored him. ¡°It looks like a pyramid scheme, but the structure is simr. Each of you will find one or two people. You don¡¯t have to. But it would be nice if you rmend those you think could be S-ss.¡± ¡°So, Golden Wings is¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a kind of ¡®S-ss Club.¡¯¡± A group that only S-ss or potential future S-ss heroes could join. ¡°Golden Wings can only be downloaded and joined through your rmendation. You have to give them a referral code, and Gwang Ik Gong has to approve it for them to join.¡± ¡°President.¡± ¡°Yes, Tushin. Do you have a question?¡± ¡°Why not make it public to everyone?¡± Several heroes smirked at Tushin¡¯s innocent face. ¡°If it¡¯s a good app, introducing it to others could benefit everyone.¡± ¡°Does Gwang Ik Gong answer everyone individually?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°Not everyone will ept the answers as they are. President, may I speak?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Nje raised his hand. ¡°epting Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s advice is fine, but some may see it as unsolicited advice. Whether it¡¯s good or bad, speaking from another¡¯s perspective isn¡¯t always right.¡± Noje threw his smartphone forward in a sarcastic tone. ¡°No matter how great Gwang Ik Gong is, he can¡¯t meddle with other people¡¯s abilities arbitrarily. Is he omniscient? No, he¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Did you receive an unpleasant answer? Why are you so annoyed?¡± ¡°Tushin, Noje is irritated because of the harsh truths.¡± Cheok Jun-kyeongughed, causing Noje to scowl immediately. ¡°What? Are you done talking?¡± ¡°You¡¯re upset because Gwang Ik Gong hit the nail on the head. You want to argue, but you can¡¯t because it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Are you provoking me? Ah, did you also get stung by Gwang Ik Gong? Seems like you opened Pandora¡¯s box and got a harsh response from ckened Gwang Ik Gong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Cheok Jun-kyeong¡¯s smile froze at Noje¡¯s words. ¡°What did you ask? I can share. I asked how to acquire Seol-hee¡¯s cloning ability. Want to hear the answer? He told me to research different approaches because her ability and mine are different. I asked for methods, but he hasn¡¯t replied yet. What did you ask?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Look at this. You¡¯re poking without being able to answer. Why? Are you mad? Want to have a go? I¡¯ll tten you likest time.¡± The atmosphere was gradually bing tense, but the president just scratched his cheek. ¡°Why do those two fight every time they meet¡­¡± ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know? That person-¡± ¡°Stop it, Yoonji.¡± As Baek Seol-hee¡¯s voice carried mana, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly calmed down. ¡°Jun-kyeong, don¡¯t take out your bad mood on others. If Gwang Ik Gong upset you, why are you taking it out on Noje?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you have aint, why don¡¯t you fight Gwang Ik Gong instead? Or should I handle it?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Cheok Jun-kyeong lowered his head but still couldn¡¯t shake off his bad mood. ¡°Uh, everyone? We¡¯re not here to fight; we¡¯re here to exchange skills and opinions for a good cause¡­¡± ¡°President. The intention is good. The process is good too. But.¡± Cheok Jun-kyeong tapped his smartphone with a sharp voice. ¡°A person who hasn¡¯t shown his face for almost half a year suddenly does this. Can we really trust it? Is it really Gwang Ik Gong? Or is it the government employing people to do something?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the government using this to indoctrinate people through the responses?¡± ¡°Cheok Jun-kyeong, watch your mouth.¡± Tae Irin, who had been silent, stood up. ¡°Are you saying the government is ying games with Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s name? If they did, the president would be the first to oppose it.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t trust the government, it¡¯s not good to doubt everything. Something starting with good intentions, do you have to spoil it from the start?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Cheok Jun-kyeong looked around, but no one responded to his words. ¡°I¡¯m not saying this for other reasons. Good intentions? I acknowledge that. But is this really Gwang Ik Gong?¡± ¡°Cheok Jun-kyeong.¡± ¡°Here, who has seen Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s face in the past three months? No one, right?¡± No one answered. ¡°If it were Gwang Ik Gong, he would have exined this directly, not introduced it through the president. He didn¡¯t even attend the events in May; Seol-hee did everything. Honestly, I have a suspicion in my mind.¡± ¡°Are you asking if Gwang Ik Gong is alive?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Cheok Jun-kyeong stared at the president with a tense face. Everyone else also looked at the president, who closed his eyes heavily. ¡°Gwang Ik Gong is¡­¡± ¡°He must be alive. Who else could provide such professional answers?¡± Taejo slowly opened his mouth. ¡°You have paranoia. Do you think the political world is hiding Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s death?¡± ¡°Have you seen Gwang Ik Gong?¡± ¡°Why would I? There hasn¡¯t been any national upheaval. If there had been, our great Gwang Ik Gong would have judged it wasn¡¯t worth stepping in.¡± ¡°Why are you like that too?¡± Tae Irin snapped at Taejo. ¡°What kind of answer did you get?¡± ¡°Oh, just.¡± Taejo looked at his smartphone and chuckled. ¡°I suggested having a patriotism party with beautiful women from China and Russia in a mountain vi, but he told me to do it alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°He said to call others if necessary.¡± Everyone fell silent. ¡°Oh, my.¡± Taejo shrugged as he threw his smartphone forward. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know the joy of patriotism and lives like an orchid. Why worry about whether he¡¯s alive or dead? He¡¯ll appear like light to save the country when it¡¯s on the brink of copse.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yawn. President, can I leave now?¡± ¡°Yes. But¡­ that¡­ take it easy.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry.¡± Taejo made a mock slicing motion across his neck and smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll be thorough with contraception.¡±
¡°Teacher, so this man, his promiscuity¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s his personality. He likes patriotism.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But he uses even that.¡± Ding. An rm rang. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± ¡°Look at this.¡± A reply was posted. -Can you rmend someone to invite to the patriotism party?- Chapter 285: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (1) Chapter 285: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (1) The question of Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s existence. The cultivation of a substitute for Gwang Ik Gong. Securing several S-rank individuals. Amid various anxiety-inducing elements, I finished investigating the part where Taejo sought advice from Gwang Ik Gong. ¡°Certainly, Taejo has strengths in this area.¡± The ability to manipte iron. More broadly, the ability to control metal. Naturally, using and applying this ability allowed one to identify underground resources. And right above Korea, there was a rtively resource-rich area.The formernd of North Korea. Now, Hwanghae-do, Pyeongan-do, and Hamgyeong-do had truly been incorporated into the territory of this world¡¯s Republic of Korea. For convenience, everyone called it the formernd of North Korea, and although it was a minority, people still lived here. And it turned out that this ce had more untapped resources than expected. Compared to the south. ¡°If we can extract the resources in the ruinednd of North Korea and it brings economic benefits, then it certainly has value. Yumir, this is one of the contents in the report you submitted.¡± ¡°How do you have my report?¡± Yumir clung to me, trying to snatch the smartphone that contained the report I was reciting. ¡°I¡¯m a faculty member.¡± ¡°But I submitted the report on paper.¡± ¡°It was scanned and uploaded as a PDF file.¡± Yumir¡¯s report topic was ¡®Utilization of the Northern Land of the Korean Penins.¡¯ ¡°The formernd of North Korea is and of opportunity, and if utilized well, Korea can achieve greater economic development.¡± This perspective was written from the viewpoint of someone who had lived abroad, not someone who had lived in Korea. ¡°Thend north of the demilitarized zone is full of possibilities. Yes, it¡¯s a ce everyone drools over because there are no people, resources are abundant, and there¡¯s nothing to hinder them.¡± I spread a satellite map on the screen. ¡°That¡¯s why manypanies are now expanding northward. This marks the beginning of the northern pioneering era.¡± ¡°The person discovering the underground resources is¡­¡± ¡°Taejo. He utilizes his abilities to aid the nation, particrly in the economic sector. This is the ideal way the country hopes ability users will be employed, right?¡± This map, showing the entire Korean Penins, delineated the territory of the Republic of Korea in this world, with its sovereignty extending clearly to the Amnok River and the Duman River. All the resources within this vast territory belong to Korea, and both the government and Haegneul were actively developing these resources. Leading the effort was Taejo. ¡°Externally, it seems like he¡¯s staying in Busan, but in reality, he often travels to North Korea to locate resource veins.¡± ¡°I thought he was just a child.¡± Having directly encountered Taejo, Yumir knew well what kind of person he was. ¡°Think simply. If there¡¯s a Taejo who purely enjoys ability battles as an S-rank detector, then in his shadow, there¡¯s also a Taejo who is a patriot using his abilities to help the national economy.¡± ¡°How can such a person exist simultaneously? Is he dual personality or something?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± It¡¯s just that humans were peculiar beings. ¡°And if you look into other S-rank individuals, you¡¯ll find many interesting cases. It¡¯s not just Armored Taejo.¡± ¡°¡­Will you tell me?¡± ¡°If necessary.¡± The deceased Gwang Ik Gong. The adulterous Snow White. The Secret Society spy Yoon Iseon¡ª¡®Firefox¡¯. Tosin, Thunder King, Cheok Jun-kyeong, and Baridegi all had their own secrets. The difference was whether those secrets were as political as Taejo¡¯s or more personal, depending on the person. ¡°Teacher, do others know about Taejo¡¯s dual nature?¡± ¡°No. Only Gwang Ik Gong and the President.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ If it weren¡¯t for the Gwang Ik Gong app, I would have lived my whole life thinking he was just an S-rank detector.¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t tell anyone, okay?¡± ¡°Of course. Oh, does anyone in the Secret Society know?¡± ¡°As far as I know, the executives all know. But below the executive level, it¡¯s top-secret.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never tell. Not even to I-seon. Unless she figures it out herself.¡± I was revealing information to Yumir because she was a woman who kept her mouth shut. Though she sometimes went on a rampage to make things advantageous for me, it¡¯s not a major concern as it involved matters between me and the nation. And in the end, the story often flowed in a direction that turned out well. ¡°Then I need to talk about Taejo being dispatched to the north as a ck agent of the National Intelligence Service. Let me ask you, Mir. Do you know the cause of North Korea¡¯s downfall?¡± ¡°Do you mean the official or unofficial cause?¡± ¡°Unofficial.¡± Officially, it was known that a nuclear explosion urred in Pyongyang. A nuclear missile was transported to Pyongyang, and then it identally exploded underground. ¡°I heard about it from youst time. Taejo and Tae Irin¡¯s younger sibling, an S-rank baby, was sold to North Korea by a woman named Min Ji-young.¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t go into the details, but anyone would understand at once if they heard it.¡± I disyed Min Ji-young¡¯s picture on the screen. She looked like a beautiful woman you might see on social media, with nothing particrly strange about her appearance. ¡°Wow, she really looks like she has a bad personality.¡± ¡°Is that a prejudice or are you judging by the photo?¡± ¡°Judging by her face.¡± ¡°Facial features can be telling. Yes, that ill-natured woman sold her S-rank baby to North Korea. Why would she do that?¡± ¡°Did North Korea offer her an unimaginable amount of money?¡± ¡°Simr. Instead of money, they agreed to give hernd. Well, there¡¯s no need to go into the details of their transaction; let¡¯s just look at the result.¡± Conclusion. ¡°They took the baby and executed Min Ji-young.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡°Yes, she was betrayed. By North Korea. And the baby who lost his mother went berserk. And died. Along with the entirety of Pyongyang.¡± I disyed another picture. It was a vast in with a crater resembling a meteorite impact, which was once Pyongyang. The width was so vast that it looked like a nuclear bomb had exploded underground. In reality, it was a mana nuclear bomb that had exploded. ¡°This is how North Korea was destroyed, and the North Korean people, having no ce to live, spread out up and down. The surviving North Koreans now reside in Kaesong Special Administrative City, and except for very special cases, they are not allowed to cross Panmunjom and the DMZ.¡± ¡°Ability users, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Only if a family member awakens an ability can the family cross together. Only the direct family members.¡± There were talks about cruelty orck ofpassion, but the government of this country did not ept all the refugees, which could number in the millions or even tens of millions. Instead, they gathered them in Kaesong and built homes using abilities, making sure they could live there so that the UN wouldn¡¯t have any human rights issues to raise. ¡°There are still people living in the northern region besides Kaesong. They live self-sufficiently, farming and surviving in the region, ensuring no one from other countries can intrude.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something. I feel like I¡¯m seeing a very dark side of things right now. These are details not covered in the Academy sses.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a reality you will never see on Sejong Ind. The logic is simple. If you say you feel sorry for those people, the immediate response is, ¡®So, will you take them into your house and let them live there?¡¯¡± ¡°Wow. That really leaves you speechless.¡± ¡°Yeah. The former North Koreans know that too. And there are those who incite conflict against them.¡± I expanded the map. Gradually, it began to spread out like a world map, and two countries started to sparkle in red. ¡°China and Russia are eyeing thend of North Korea.¡± ¡°But the territory belongs to Korea, right?¡± ¡°The territory belongs to Korea, but thend documents andndowners are different. Not all thend is state-owned; individuals can buynd with money. While Chinese people can¡¯t buynd in Jeju Ind, they use Korean agents to buynd and live there like a vacation home.¡± ¡°Does that really happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just an example.¡± An example that couldn¡¯t happen in this world. ¡°Think of Pyeongan-do, Hamgyeong-do, and Hwanghae-do in the same way as Jeju Ind. How does that sound?¡± ¡°¡­Using agents to infiltrate foreign capital, it¡¯s simr to the case in Gangwon-do, right?¡± ¡°While Gangwon-do is for patriotism, this side is for resource plundering.¡± Even if it¡¯s only a small amount of resources, they were still resources. ¡°The chairman has given the order. We are to support Taejo.¡± ¡°Is Taejo part of the Secret Society?¡± ¡°No. He¡¯s not part of the Secret Society, but we are helping him. Dealing with other S-rank individuals.¡± I promised Taejo support as ck Wing Gong. I proposed to call another man to assist, and Taejo epted the proposal. ¡°In that sense, I have to go up to Pyeongan-do with Taejo for a while.¡± ¡°The country is moving, but can you go, Teacher?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going as an invited man.¡± I disyed two employee IDs on the screen. ¡°As a person of Haegneul.¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s one for me too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There were two employee IDs. One was mine, and the other was Yumir¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯ve finished your final exams, and it¡¯s vacation time.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Think of it as a trip for the two of us, going up tomorrow. You¡¯ll have to do some work as a Haegneul person, though.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir turned her head to the side with a serious expression. ¡°Uh, what about that person?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The ice doll, who was staring at the wall, just kept looking at the wall silently. Chapter 286: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (2) Chapter 286: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (2) Baek Seol-hee was a hero, but she was also currently a professor at the Academy. The Academy¡¯s undergraduate students were on summer break, and without a seasonal semester, she had three options for her break. One was to act as a hero. She had spent about 15 weeks focusing on nurturing the next generation at the Academy, so until the second semester started, one of her activities was to work as a hero in Busan. Another option was to teach at the Academy¡¯s middle and high school levels. Although she had taught adults well, there were many middle and high school students who also wanted her teachings. From the perspective of using Baek Seol-hee¡¯s time, which was monopolized by university students, for middle and high school students, the middle and high schools wanted her to be a special lecturer. Thest option was to enjoy the break as the undergraduates do, literally to ¡®enjoy¡¯ the vacation. Besides personal research, she could enjoy her time until the start of the second semester at the Academy.As a hero, she could always step up and use her abilities, so she could freely do things she couldn¡¯t do during her 15 weeks as a professor. There were various things to do. She could binge-watch movies or dramas that she missed in the first and second quarters. Or, she could dedicate herself to serving the country in other ways. Or, she could be patriotic. As she prepared for the undergraduates¡¯ final exams, she eagerly awaited the vacation. Having already dered her intentions to the government, Baek Seol-hee was very happy to spend about 2.5 months of summer until the second semester started on September 1st with someone. However, she received news that was like a bolt from the blue. ¡°Professor Baek Seol-hee. Please take care of the summer semester.¡± She was given a task that was not really a task. ¡°A summer semester? Are you telling me to create and run additional sses?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Baek Seol-hee, who had been called separately to the Director¡¯s office, couldn¡¯t believe the contents of the documents handed over by the Director sitting in front of her. ¡°Are you saying that only selected students from the Academy will undergo special training? Did I hear that right?¡± ¡°You understood correctly, Professor Baek Seol-hee.¡± ¡°¡­Who are the selected students?¡± ¡°We will have to look at each one from now on. Haha.¡± The Directorughed heartily. ¡°Vacation doesn¡¯t just mean a period of rest. ¡®Vacation¡¯ literally means ¡®putting down academics,¡¯ but that¡¯s only when you¡¯re away from the field of learning. The cultivation of academics must continue, and those with abilities need to further cultivate their abilities.¡± ¡°¡­Are you saying this special training will take ce on Jeju Ind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. As a senior hero, we hope you will teach the juniors how to use their abilities more intensively.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± A sigh escaped her unconsciously. Having already expressed her displeasure, Baek Seol-hee started showing her outright dislike without hiding it. ¡°Did you hear anything from the President?¡± ¡°The President?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I haven¡¯t heard anything about Professor Baek Seol-hee yet.¡± The School Director was startled at the mention of the country¡¯s President but could only be embarrassed. ¡°Is it absolutely necessary for me to go?¡± ¡°We have sent a cooperation request document to the government and the Hero Association. Without Professor Baek Seol-hee, this summer semester¡¯s special sses will be in vain.¡± ¡°Will that really happen just because I¡¯m not there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was frustrating. She felt suffocated. Just saying ¡®I won¡¯t do it¡¯ was not an option because the educational n, which seemed to have been written by the Director himself, was too ideal and exemry. So if she had to pick on another part¡­. ¡°It¡¯s not fair to go with only a select few instead of the entire Academy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s unfair and that it will create discord among students? That selecting students could create a sense of inequality?¡± The Director mentioned the points Baek Seol-hee wanted to make herself. As if he had already anticipated her objections or had heard them from someone, the Director immediately countered. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve heard that since nning this. Even Professor Lisa La Lakshmi had something to say about it. Haha.¡± ¡°No matter how much I talk, it doesn¡¯t work.¡± Next to Baek Seol-hee, the rtively tan-skinned, beautiful Professor Lisa held the documents in front of her. ¡°Ultimately, the Director wants to put all his efforts into this National Competition.¡± ¡°The National Competition is a battle of S-ss heroes, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, but if the number of S-ss heroes increases before the National Competition, it changes the story, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me.¡± Baek Seol-hee scanned the Director¡¯s eyes and read his thoughts. ¡°Are you trying to find cases like Yoon Iseon, who was A-ss but rapidly grew into S-ss?¡± ¡°Of course. If new S-ss heroes like Iseon appear, the number of ability users who can participate in the National Competition will increase. This is for the national interest and an act of patriotism.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± For the National Competition. ¡°More S-ss heroes mean more potential winners. Although Armored Taejo is the gatekeeper of the S-ss, students like Yoon Iseon who can defeat him may emerge. We must win. We hope that students from the Academy will achieve good results.¡± Increasing the number of S-ss heroes eligible to participate was an effort to increase the likelihood of winning, meaning they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to change the education process for the sake of Korea¡¯s victory. ¡°Are you saying that even if it means taking away the Academy undergraduates¡¯ vacation and turning it into a training period, you want to cultivate ability users for the National Competition?¡± ¡°Of course. Not only I, but everyone wants this.¡± ¡°Who? The Director?¡± ¡°No. Someone even more significant.¡± The Director pointed his index finger towards the ceiling. ¡°The people want this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The Director would want it too. Not only that, everyone, regardless of political affiliation, wants this. Winning the National Competition, or rather the World Cup, is a critical issue. If Korea does not win the World Cup held in Korea, it will cause severe problems.¡± The Director pulled out one of the printed documents and ced it in the center of the table. ¡°Currently, over 50 S-ss heroes around the world have entered personal training to prepare for the National Competition. Among them, a significant number are expatriates from Korea.¡± ¡°Calling them expatriates¡­!¡± ¡°Those who have defected or changed nationality are not patriots, are they? Professor Baek. They betrayed you. They betrayed the country. I don¡¯t think you are defending such people.¡± ¡°¡­Are you trying to argue with me, Director?¡± As Baek Seol-hee openly frowned, the Director momentarily paused. ¡°That¡¯s not the case. It¡¯s just that if such people win¡­.¡± ¡°Do you think I or Gwang Ik Gong can¡¯t win?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. Of course, you will win. You will take first and second ce. But only the two of you achieving results won¡¯t be enough.¡± The Director continued with a voice full of fervor. ¡°From first to eighth, no, if there are 30 S-ss heroes, from first to thirtieth. All should be Koreans lined up in order.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The S-ss ranking in Korea should be the global S-ss ranking. And the number shouldn¡¯t just be eight; it should increase. This way, Korea will achieve overwhelming results in internationalpetitions!¡± The Director¡¯s eyes burned with passion. ¡°Help us make it so that not only the quarterfinals but also the round of 16 and the round of 32 are filled with the Korean g fluttering.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee quietly closed her eyes. ¡­ ¡­ And then. sh. She opened her eyes. When she opened her eyes, a familiar man and woman were clinging to the bed together. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Wee, unnie.¡± The two greeted her nonchntly, but Baek Seol-hee immediately controlled her doppelganger to pull the nket covering them. ¡°Wow.¡± Baek Seol-hee immediately felt annoyed. ¡°While someone suddenly got annoyed, you two were patriotically cozy?¡± ¡°Want to join?¡± ¡°Should we move aside?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee felt a moment of irritation at Do Ji-hwan¡¯s suggestion but soon felt better. ¡°I¡¯m meeting with the School Director. I¡¯ll finish talking with him soon ande here.¡± ¡°Should Ie pick you up?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll text you when I arrive, soe to my room. I¡¯m in the Director¡¯s office now.¡± ¡°Did the Director say something upsetting?¡± ¡°He wants me to create a summer semester special training camp in Jeju Ind for A-ss and B-ss heroes.¡± Baek Seol-hee exined the situation through her doppelganger. The two listened seriously to Baek Seol-hee¡¯s words, deep in thought. ¡°Unni.¡± ¡°Yes, Mir.¡± ¡°How about living on Jeju Ind for a month, matching the camp schedule?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Will youe?¡± ¡°It seems like you can¡¯t avoid it now. Teacher, what do you think?¡± ¡°Ulleungdo is better than Jeju Ind, but¡­ it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Do Ji-hwan shook his smartphone towards Baek Seol-hee. ¡°I¡¯ll find a ce to stay in Jeju Ind for a month, so just agree for now. And we¡¯ll discuss it in detail when you get back.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Baek Seol-hee closed her eyes again. And then, back to the Director¡¯s office. ¡°Professor Baek Seol-hee¡­?¡± ¡°Fine. But, I have conditions.¡± Baek Seol-hee flicked the paper with her finger. ¡°If I do this, I¡¯ll take a leave of absence for the second semester.¡± Chapter 287: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (3) Chapter 287: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (3) Baek Seol-hee¡¯s clone woke up. After a brief conversation, it disappeared immediately. ¡°¡­ That was startling. Did that really just happen?¡± ¡°For someone who was startled, you seemed pretty calm.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because you were nervous, which made me actposed.¡± I was just calm, but Yumir was tense all over, like a woman caught in an affair. ¡°No matter how strong you are as the tinum Sun, it must be nerve-wracking to get caught fooling around with a taken man, huh? Even when learning Gwang Ik Gong¡¯sbat techniques, you weren¡¯t this nervous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it didn¡¯t matter if I failed then, but now, I could hurt Seol-hee unnie¡¯s feelings. I don¡¯t like hurting other people¡¯s hearts. By the way, you don¡¯t think she overheard us talking about Taejo, do you?¡± ¡°Probably not.¡±Yumir, Taejo, Gwang Ik Gong, and her were discussing the old North Koreannds when Baek Seol-hee suddenly appeared. Meanwhile Yumir and I were having a conversation and stopped midway, which seemed to make Baek Seol-hee ufortable. ¡°She seemed like she had something toin about but got angrier because you were there. Also, stopping the conversation suddenly probably didn¡¯t help.¡± ¡°Still, when the teacher suggested patriotism, she immediately calmed down.¡± Indeed. No matter how angry Baek Seol-hee got, she could now quell her anger with just one dose of patriotism. Patriotism was the answer, and patriotism could subdue any anger. Although whether that patriotism was genuine was something we couldn¡¯t openly question. ¡°You¡¯vepletely tamed her with patriotism.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s the charm of a beauty scheme.¡± Most of Baek Seol-hee¡¯s problems could be solved with patriotism. She was supposed to stay in Jeju Ind for about a month, like a summer camp, but I managed to quell herints by agreeing to go there myself. And after a moment of solemn patriotism, her anger would vanish, and she would greet the next morning energetically. ¡°By the way, a seasonal ss? And an elite special training? Being asked to participate as a training instructor makes it hard to refuse.¡± ¡°Unnie, really. She could just say no.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t help it.¡± The logic of the world and the flow of light novels are like that. ¡°Umida can¡¯t be helped.¡± Umida. It¡¯s Japanese. ¡°In modern light novels, a summer sea event is a must-have.¡± It was also part of the original story. In fact, a summer camp in a light novel about academy characters was essential. Specifically, a ¡®swimsuit service scene¡¯ could not be left out. If a serious story with deaths unfolded in the main story? Then the protagonist and heroines momentarily forgot the fights and go to the pool for some fun. Was there no big episode? Then a new main episode was bound to happen at the sea. Needed conflict between the protagonist and the heroine? For that, there was always a scene where the protagonist and heroine walked alone on the beach at night, talking. This plot was mainly used in light novels with illustrations, animations, andics, but this patriotic light novel followed the same trend. Even with absurd reasons, the world made sure to have a summer camp. Whether it¡¯s a trip to Jeju Ind or a cruise, the world created episodes to show heroines in swimsuits. It¡¯s reality, but as it¡¯s within the novel world, this rule couldn¡¯t be avoided. ¡°Teacher, isn¡¯t the Academy Director a bit strange?¡± ¡°He is.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it to the point of execution?¡± ¡°It sounds really awkward when you say that.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s messing with Seol-hee unnie¡¯s mental state. For a ridiculous reason like a summer term. Maybe not kill him, but at least knock him out¡­.¡± Crunch. Yumir moved her hand as if she was tearing something apart. ¡°And rip it out. Or burn it.¡± ¡°¡­It might be better to just kill him.¡± ¡°Shall I go do it?¡± ¡°Leave it. The Director has been doing weird things for ages. Hemits strange acts under the name of patriotism education, so there¡¯s no need to worry too much. And¡­ we need him. To lure out the demon of Pandemonium.¡± ¡°Oh, using the Director as bait?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yumir immediately understood my words. ¡°There are people trying to use the director. We¡¯re narrowing down the candidates. They haven¡¯t taken the bait yet, but agents from Sejong Ind¡¯s Secret Society, including Brewer, are gathering information. If a demon like Lace approaches the director¡­.¡± sh. I sliced the middle of my smartphone with my finger. ¡°Just chop it off.¡± ¡°Got it. The director is a scarecrow. For now, we¡¯ll leave the director alone. Then¡­.¡± Yumir subtly stood up. ¡°To care for Seol-hee unnie¡¯s mental state, shall we do something special?¡± Maybe because we had sorted out our conversation, or perhaps due to the intuition that Baek Seol-hee would soon appear. ¡°Teacher, let¡¯s sacrifice ourselves for Seol-hee unnie today.¡± ¡°Sacrifice?¡± ¡°dly offer yourself. To Seol-hee unnie.¡± Yumir excitedly manipted mana and started creating some items. ¡°You know, Gwang Ik Gong would be really sad if he saw that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a Gwang Ik Gong technique, though? It¡¯s just an application of magic power.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just using the technique to form golden wings and creating a different shape.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± The color of the magic power was golden. The shapes were things I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to describe. ¡°With this, Seol-hee unnie can blow away all the stress she got from the Director in one go.¡± Swish. ¡°Everything, for the sake of patriotism.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir waved the magical item she had created at me.
The conversation ended. Baek Seol-hee immediately returned to her room and threw herself on the bed for a moment. ¡°With the Academy Director treating people like that, no wonder everyone wants to leave this country.¡± Baek Seol-hee covered her face with her hands. She wanted to erase the Director¡¯s face, which kept flickering before her eyes. ¡°Who would want to take sses forcibly set up during vacation?¡± Although she had only been working as a professor for about three months, Baek Seol-hee had once been a student. And as a student, naturally, she wanted to enjoy her vacation. However, now she was in a position to take away the students¡¯ free vacations. ¡°Using the students¡¯ desperation to force them into training¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee nced over the printout she was holding. The list of students who would participate in the training camp was already densely organized, with none of the A-ss students missing, despite her being named a rmender. ¡°They say they¡¯ll give benefits to the participants, but who wouldn¡¯t participate when they say you¡¯ll be disadvantaged if you don¡¯t?¡± Using someone¡¯s family situation as leverage. Using schrships as leverage for others. And for some, using the experience of sparring with S-ss ability users as leverage. ¡°¡­If you open a camp with a rmendation letter for the nationalpetition academy undergraduates, who wouldn¡¯t want to join? Seriously.¡± And for others, the opportunity to challenge something more honorable than anything else. The chance topete on a world stage, representing the country with the g on their chest. ¡°¡­Even if they lose 0-6 against an S-ss in the preliminaries, it all bes valuable experience.¡± If the nationalpetition¡¯s preliminary rounds wereposed of 64 participants, with 50 being S-ss? Then the remaining 14 wouldn¡¯t get a bye; instead, they¡¯d fill those 14 spots with A-ss participants. Even an A+ ss would get a chance to fight an S-ss in the group stages. In that opportunity, an A+ ss could awaken to S-ss. Who knows? Maybe they¡¯d be like Yoon Iseon or Firefox. ¡°Ah, this is frustrating.¡± Baek Seol-hee pounded the paper material with her fist. ¡°I just want to start vacation right away and y until the end of the year.¡± ¡°Unnie, by ¡®y,¡¯ you mean patriotism, right?¡± Yumir, who came out of an opened space, entered Baek Seol-hee¡¯s room with light steps. ¡°Hey. Do you think all I do is patriotism?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to watch movies patriotically. Like you were doing earlier.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t watching movies patriotically, though.¡± ¡°Then what were you doing?¡± ¡°Ability consulting.¡± ¡°¡­Constructive.¡± Baek Seol-hee took off her Taeguk Watch and held Yumir¡¯s hand. ¡°I should go. Ji-hwan won¡¯te here, right?¡± ¡°No. Today, we¡¯ll do it in the teacher¡¯s room. As for the Taeguk Watch¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving a clone, so you don¡¯t have to stay here.¡± ¡°Wow, awesome.¡± In Baek Seol-hee¡¯s room, a clone dressed in a suit was sitting upright on a chair. ¡°When the emergency alert goes off from the Taeguk Watch, that reacts?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go. Can you do more?¡± ¡°I can, but I prepared a surprise gift for you, unnie.¡± ¡°¡­Surprise?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go over together first?¡± Under Yumir¡¯s guidance, Baek Seol-hee carefully extended her hand through the golden dimensional gate. Swoosh. The first thing she saw upon crossing the space was a dark room. The familiar silhouette indicated it was Do Ji-hwan¡¯s room, and soon, breathing sounds began to be heard. Ssh, ssh. ¡°¡­Wow.¡± Baek Seol-hee swallowed. On the bed. Do Ji-hwan, lying on the bed in just a shirt and pants, had golden glowing handcuffs on both hands. ¡°To think of making handcuffs with magic power. You really¡­.¡± ¡°Unnie.¡± Buzz. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a picture.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± With those words, Baek Seol-hee let go of thest thread of her rationality.
Meanwhile, somewhere on Earth. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A ck-haired woman stared at the video that had arrived on her smartphone with an expressionless face. ¡°Hmm.¡± Her golden eyes glinted as she analyzed the video with the precision of an intelligence analyst. ¡°¡­Even these two might not be enough¡­.¡± In the video: As the white-haired woman copsed, the Goblin rushed towards the camera. The camera fell to the floor, and the blonde woman was quickly devoured by the Goblin. ¡°We need more. More. Alive women, S-ss women¡­.¡± Crunch. ¡°If not, we¡¯ll die¡­.¡± Chapter 288: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (4) Chapter 288: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (4) At that time, in the President¡¯s Office in Busan. ¡°Are you insane?! Are you out of your mind?!¡± An angry voice echoed outside the office. The secretaries outside were all startled, as it was rare for him to lose his temper. ¡°Who are you to make Snow White an instructor! Huh?! What were you thinking, what?! Education?! To increase the number of S-sses? Damn, you fool!¡± The one shouting was none other than the President, and the reason for his anger was Snow White. ¡°Just because Snow White is a professor at the academy, you think you can do whatever you want as the director?! How could you do such a thing with an S-ss hero! Have you lost your mind?!¡± And the target of his anger was none other than the academy¡¯s director. ¡°Did you mark Baek Seol-hee as an instructor in the education n without even getting Snow White¡¯s permission? Wow, you¡¯re quite the powerful person! Just because Snow White is young and treats you with respect as the director, you think you¡¯re above her?! Do you think the world¡¯s ability users call you director because you¡¯re actually something?! Get your head straight! Snow White is doing you a favor by being a professor, you can¡¯t just do whatever you want!¡±There was no bomb like this verbal bomb. If the person on the receiving end were to hear these words directly, they would probably go crazy just from the words alone. ¡°Just you wait until tomorrow! Damn¡­!¡± Click. The call ended with a rough sound. President Tae Chae-jin, who had been breathing heavily with his fist clenched, took a deep breath. ¡°Such a useless act¡­!¡± ¡°Grandfather.¡± The young man sitting on the office sofa, Taejo, sipped the ck tea in front of him and nced through the documents. ¡°Is the director getting fired?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t dismiss him myself. Tsk.¡± The President leaned back on the sofa. ¡°What if Baek Seol-hee suddenly quits everything?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough to just get rid of the director?¡± ¡°Yeah. I wish I could just fire him. Sigh. Maybe he doesn¡¯t know better? Tsk.¡± The President nced at the secretaries, who were watching nervously, and swallowed his words with a sip of tea. ¡°When the truthes out, the director will probably go crazy too. He¡¯ll wonder what kind of madness he¡¯s done. Sigh.¡± ¡°Well¡­ the director is lucky; it might actually turn out well.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, Seol-hee noona might like going to Jeju Ind.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? She nned a vacation during the break, but something came up.¡± ¡°Who says she has to work all the time? In Jeju Ind, if you get Seol-hee noona her own room, even a separate pension far away, she¡¯ll rest well on her own.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± The President stroked his chin at Taejo¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. If we loosen the eyes around her¡­¡± ¡°I know a nice pension in Seogwipo, grandfather.¡± ¡°You little rascal¡­ Ahem. You can be useful at times like this. So, where is it?¡± ¡°In Seogwipo. I¡¯m an expert in this¡­ Oh. This isn¡¯t why I came.¡± Taejo straightened his posture. Soon, he grabbed the back of his neck and rubbed his throat with his thumb, and the President gulped down the tea and stood up. ¡°Secretary Jang. I need to talk to Taejo alone for a bit, please step out.¡± ¡°Understood. Call me when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± As the secretaries left, Taejo immediately activated his magic power. ¡°Noise canceling. Ah, ah.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter? Is it North Korea?¡± ¡°Yes. One each from China and Russia, S-sses areing.¡± Taejo¡¯s voice became respectful, though his posture remained rxed. ¡°But Gwang Ik Gong is not stepping in directly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Cheok Jun-kyeong¡¯s paranoia is worsening. Other S-sses are the same, and so is Irin.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know¡­ No, you shouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Is it something serious?¡± ¡°Just know that he can¡¯t step outside. That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Taejo put his feet on the table. ¡°Understood. If you say so, Grandfather, I won¡¯t ask further.¡± His expression and posture were that of a gangster, but his voice was calm andposed. ¡°But I can¡¯t handle two crises alone. It¡¯s fine if I lose, but if people start asking where Gwang Ik Gong is, we won¡¯t have an answer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Instead, they said Gwang Ik Gong would send someone. Who is it?¡± ¡°What?¡± At Tae Chae-jin¡¯s question, Taejo tilted his head. ¡°You don¡¯t know either, Grandfather?¡± ¡°Gwang Ik Gong is sending someone? Who?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡± Taejo frowned for a moment, then rubbed the back of his neck again. ¡°Oh, I mean, this time, I n to have some clean fun. There won¡¯t be anything like Yuliana. There hasn¡¯t been any trouble for two months¡­.¡± Creak. The office door opened. The one who entered, with a worried look, was Baridegi, Tae Irin. ¡°Grandfather, are you okay? I heard you were really angry.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, Irin.¡± ¡°Did Taejo cause trouble again?¡± ¡°Hey. Tae Irin. Do you think I always cause trouble?¡± ¡°Either causing trouble or about to cause trouble.¡± Tae Irin sat opposite Taejo. ¡°Did you perhaps meet an idolst week?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the four-member girl group idol.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.That.¡± Taejo made a finger gun and pointed it at Tae Irin. ¡°What can I do if a guy is too attractive and girls flock to him? I mean, it was just a brief encounter in the restroom¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Tae Irin covered her face with her hands. Her face suddenly turned red, and even the earlobes visible between her hair turned bright red. ¡°What? Why? Normally, you¡¯d be yelling by now. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing. Grandfather, it¡¯s not because of this, right?¡± ¡°This is the first I¡¯m hearing of it. Irin, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine¡­.¡± Tae Irin fanned herself as she stood up. ¡°Since I see you¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll be going. Taejo, if I hear that idol is pregnant or anything like that, I¡¯ll really kill you.¡± ¡°What, pregnant?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the main vocalist! If she¡¯s gone, the group will die!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Main vocalist? I thought she was a sub. Wow.¡± After the fuming Tae Irin left. ¡°Taejo.¡± ¡°Yes, grandfather.¡± ¡°The idols you wanted to take this time, were they by any chance those idols?¡± ¡°Well, um.¡± Taejo shrugged his shoulders. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just one, it¡¯s a group.¡± A momentter. Another roar echoed in the office.
After reserving a pension in Jeju Ind in front of Baek Seol-hee. ¡°See youter!¡± With a vigorous step, or rather a slight limp, Baek Seol-hee left through Yumir¡¯s space transfer, and I weed another peaceful morning. ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m fine.¡± Yumir, who had seen Baek Seol-hee off, was exhausted and threw herself onto my bed. ¡°I haven¡¯t cleaned it yet.¡± ¡°With a bit of magic power, it bes clean instantly.¡± Poof. Yumir, lying spread out, patted the bed, and soon the bed sparkled with golden magic power and became as fresh as if it had been sun-dried. ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Can you tell me more about going to North Korea with Taejo?¡± ¡°We got cut off talking about it yesterday.¡± Because Baek Seol-hee¡¯s avatar slowly turned her head, we couldn¡¯t properly discuss our ns to go to North Korea with the ck agent Taejo. ¡°ording to the information secured by the society, an idol group will perform a constion show.¡± ¡°Idol?¡± ¡°Yes. A four-member girl idol group made up of ordinary people. We will cross the Panmunjom with them, hold a concert in Kaesong, and some broadcasting staff will move further north separately.¡± ¡°Blending in with ordinary people. That¡¯s clever. But why an idol group? Wow, that¡¯s so pure.¡± ¡°Taejo met the main vocalist of that group.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir froze while scrolling through the idol group¡¯s music video. ¡°Are we using Taejo?¡± ¡°It could be that Taejo is using them, or they¡¯re using each other, or they just happened to fall in love. What¡¯s important is that we will follow as staff from the broadcasting station, part of the Haegneul Studio¡¯s security team.¡± There¡¯s no one easier to blend in than security personnel. ¡°Hmm¡­ Is Taejo officially joining us? Is he going to North Korea officially?¡± ¡°No. Taejo and we are on the same team. He¡¯ll hide his identity and follow us. Without anyone from the governmenting along.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is that possible?¡± ¡°We made it possible. Money makes anything possible.¡± We used money to get information. We used money to connect with the security team members who would be with Taejo. We even provided funds for the security team members to flee abroad if things went wrong. ¡°The money spent just to grease the wheels for our infiltration is over 16 billion won.¡± Yumir¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°Do we really need to spend that much to infiltrate?¡± ¡°If we can create an environment where Gwang Ik Gong doesn¡¯t have to step in for just a few days of travel, it¡¯s worth it. These two will surely cause trouble, wanting to mess with Korea.¡± I pulled out two photos. ¡°Who do you think the S-ss ability user agents dispatched from China and Russia, aiming for the old North Korean gold mines, will be?¡± ¡°¡­Traitors?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They are the ones who hold the most resentment towards Korea. Do you recognize one?¡± ¡°The Heavenly Demon.¡± The Heavenly Demon from China. ¡°Who¡¯s this woman? I¡¯ve never seen her before.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a terrifying woman.¡± The blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty with a typical East Asian face floated beside the Heavenly Demon. ¡°She¡¯s an S-ss viin from Russia.¡± ¡°They¡¯re using a viin?¡± ¡°Yes. Viins are perfect for this kind of job.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t she Korean?¡± ¡°She was a viin in Korea, then fled to Russia and continued her viinous activities there. ¡­She¡¯ll be executed as soon as we get the chance.¡± Her name is¡­ ¡°Rasputin.¡± Chapter 289: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (5) Chapter 289: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (5) Dawn. The morning has arrived. Yumir and I swapped ces with the agents in the underground parking lot near Busan Station. The agents, now disguised, boarded the car and left. ¡°How is it, Jeon Yeong-hui?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to remember the name, Hyeon Cheol-su.¡± Yumir and I became members of the security team. Both Yumir and Ipletely transformed our appearances using our abilities. ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay to talk normally when you set up a barrier with magic power?¡± ¡°No, act thoroughly. That¡¯s the basic mindset of an agent.¡±Although Yumir dyed her hair ck and changed her face with her ability, she wanted to be herself and Do Ji-hwan when we were alone. Maybe it¡¯s still awkward for her, or she didn¡¯t like being called Jeon Yeong-hui. ¡°Even when we¡¯re alone. They say Jeon Yeong-hui and Hyeon Cheol-su are lovers.¡± ¡°Even if we¡¯re in a romantic rtionship, we must maintain professionalism. Once the mission ispleted, we have to return the identities to the agents. Let¡¯s not ruin our reputations.¡± ¡°How about we make it official? If we spread rumors about patriotism¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say weird things.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± Or maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s ufortable to be patriotic alone with me. ¡°As a bodyguard, act like one. Act professionally. We learned that at the academy.¡± ¡°Just because I¡¯m an E-rank.¡± Yumir was E-rank. Now she¡¯s upgraded to D-rank, but at the beginning of the academy, she received training appropriate for E-rank. The academy trained E-rank students in advance for jobs suitable for their rank in society. Bodyguard work was one of those jobs. ¡°I¡¯m the senior, you¡¯re the junior. And another member joining us is ¡®ck¡¯. So, there¡¯s no need to feel awkward. Got it?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t we supposed to be four?¡± ¡°It changed on-site. I was informed just before we boarded the car.¡± ¡°Ugh, a variable.¡± It¡¯s just a minor variable. In fact, it¡¯s more convenient. ¡°Don¡¯t be weirded out by ¡®ck Taejo¡¯s¡¯ appearance. Got it?¡± ¡°It might feel weird because of preconceived notions.¡± ¡°It may be unsettling, but just go with it. Now, let¡¯s join the team.¡± ¡°Hee-ing.¡± Though Yumir whined, I remembered clearly when she was an agent for the Hero Association. Yumir was practical. She would act professionally and never troll. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Yeong-hui.¡± ¡°Yes, senior.¡± After checking our suits again, we joined the ¡®security team¡¯. ¡°Hyeon Cheol-su. Jeon Yeong-hui. Did you two juste back from kissing in the car?¡± ¡°Sorry, team leader.¡± ¡°No, no. Just joking. Everyone else seems tense.¡± The security team leader, Park Tae-sik,ughed and pointed to the other team members behind him. ¡°Let me introduce him. Mister K. His name is ¡®Kim Tae-sik¡¯. You can guess where he¡¯s from, right? It¡¯s the National Intelligence Service.¡± They were clearly aware of one person, a ¡®ck-haired young man¡¯ wearing ck sunsses like the other agents. ¡°Nice to meet you both.¡± Yumir flinched in surprise. I was also a bit startled because his deep, serious voice was entirely different from the frivolous, patriotic young man¡¯s voice we knew. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Please follow my instructions in the field unless it¡¯s an SA situation.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He clearly looked like an NIS agent. Originally, NIS ck agents usually dressed like journalists or ordinary people with checkered shirts, but now Taejo looked like an NIS agent straight out of a Korean crime movie. ¡°Then, let¡¯s move to our respective zones.¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s head to the train.¡± As soon as we moved with the security team, everyone disappeared to their positions. ¡°Hyeon Cheol-su. Did you volunteer for this mission?¡± When everyone was gone and only our ¡®team¡¯ remained, Kim Tae-sik-Taejo carefully asked. ¡°Yes. I volunteered for the national interest.¡± ¡°You might die. I heard you two are getting married this year.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for the country.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Kim Tae-sik nodded heavily and followed next to me. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll tell only you two. The security team will go to Gaeseong, but you two and I will go further north with a small team. To Sinuiju.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir¡¯s eyes wavered for a moment. Her gaze questioned why the destination differed from what I previously mentioned, but fortunately, Taejo didn¡¯t notice that. ¡°Before we talk, do you two¡­by any chance.¡± Taejo tapped his wristwatch with the Taeguk symbol while heading to the site with us. ¡°Do you know how much gold is needed to make semiconductors?¡±
At that time, Harbin. A street lined with shabby, old buildings. The concrete walls were cracked as if they could split at any moment, and the street was strewn with trash. It wasn¡¯t just trash. Homeless people, covered in what looked like piles of garbage, were using old nkets and newspapers to protect themselves. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡± Their actions were like those of zombies, but there were no zombies in modern times. Demons existed, but zombies had not yet appeared, so there was no way for zombies to exist. However, they certainly acted sluggishly like zombies, repeating the same actions without any purpose. It was nothing special. They were just drugged, and the drug was opium. ¡°Hehe, Great Leaderrade¡­.¡± Mumbling nonsense to themselves, their focus was not on reality but on an illusion. Among these people filling the street, several ck vehicles were heading across the street towards a warehouse. Screech. As the cars stopped and the doors opened, blonde women stepped out. They were all wearing ck suits, their faces covered with sunsses and masks, and each had a sword at their waist. It was clearly strange for people who should be carrying guns to be carrying swords, but if you could see the magical power shining in their eyes behind the sunsses, it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all. A 17-year-old female high school student with abilities stronger than a tank, and these women were ¡®agents¡¯ who evolved from those high school students. Clunk. Thest blonde woman to get out of the car leisurely headed into the warehouse. Unlike the other agents, she wore only a light and transparent dress and calmly pushed the warehouse doors open. Screech. As the warehouse doors opened, sunlight seeped into the space. Inside the warehouse, where only the venttor was running, ck-haired men and women were mingling, all wearing shirts with various patterns, gathered in groups of four ying mahjong. ¡°Hello, traitor?¡± The blonde woman approached a ck-haired woman who was waiting alone with a mahjong set in front of her. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°Oh my, can you kill me?¡± It was clearly a meeting between Chinese and Russians, but the conversation was led by people speaking Korean. ¡°How about killing themon enemy first, then killing each other?¡± ¡°Have you watched too many noir movies? You sound like you¡¯re trying to impress Snow White.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t life boring if you live too inly? Since you¡¯re named ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯, why not ditch the suit and wear a ck robe like in martial arts movies?¡± ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re called ¡®Rasputin¡¯, so why aren¡¯t you dressed like a monk?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because.¡± The blonde woman, Rasputin, lightly lifted the hem of her dress with both hands. Cheonma immediately frowned at that action, but Rasputin giggled and sat opposite her. ¡°So, why did you call us this time?¡± ¡°Why ask when you already know?¡± ¡°I want to hear it from your mouth. Come on, brief me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your minion. Hey, I was an officially recognized S-rank in Korea, and you were rated S-rank in Russia.¡± ¡°Both of us are traitors, so what¡¯s the point of arguing?¡± It seemed like a tense situation, and the subordinates were ready to attack each other, but the ones having the conversation werepletely calm. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point. A gold mine was discovered under ake in Pyeonganbuk-do. It¡¯s a very high-purity gold mine.¡± ¡°A gold mine? Even if it¡¯s gold, isn¡¯t it insignificant if it¡¯s buried in North Korea?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just gold.¡± Cheonma flicked her finger, and soon a subordinate ced a ck steel case on the mahjong table. ¡°Take a look. What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oh. This is interesting.¡± ¡°With something like this, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s enough reason for us to join forces?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Rasputin licked her lips and reached out towards the gold. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t havee down here if I didn¡¯t intend to cooperate.¡± ¡°Good choice. Then, our teams have one task.¡± Boom! The Heavenly Demon lifted her leg high and then smashed the mahjong table with it. ¡°To infiltrate and understand the nature of the gold mine.¡± Swoosh. Beneath the split mahjong table, a holerge enough for a person to enter appeared. ¡°And to steal the gold from the mine.¡± ¡°What about the split?¡± ¡°Absolutely 50:50, so no one feels shortchanged.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Rasputin looked down the deep hole and licked her lips. ¡°If it¡¯s not a losing split and we¡¯re taking something from Korea, there¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t do. Especially¡­.¡± Hehe. ¡°If it¡¯s gold that can be infused with mana.¡±
¡°After the great upheaval, the world has changed.¡± ¡°Since Sejong Ind emerged, the resources around the area have gradually changed over time.¡± ¡°Yes. We will protect the gold mine in North Korea.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the purest gold in the world and can manage mana most efficiently.¡± ¡°To put it a bit fantastically¡­.¡± ¡°We need to protect the ¡®Magical Stone Vein¡¯.¡± Chapter 290: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (6) Chapter 290: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (6) The world changed drastically, and so did the resources. Mana became the most precious thing in this world, and the only way to obtain mana artificially was through mana powder. So, where could one get mana? The surest way was to live near Sejong Ind and absorb the mana contained in the air. Other than that, there were not many ways to obtain mana¡ª But there were. Although no one knew before, people began to discover methods one by one. -Mana started to dwell in minerals in Korea! A meteorite fell into the sea.And it began to slowly spread mana toward Korea along the seabed¡¯s veins. From Sejong Ind, through the East Sea, along the mountain ranges in the eastern part of the Korean Penins, mana began to slowly scatter throughout the penins. At first, no one knew. As the world was changing with the birth of ability users, everyone was busy stabilizing the world. Moreover, only ability users could verify such things. By chance, an ability user discovered that all kinds of resources extracted from Korea had a higher mana utilization than those from other countries, and only now in 2025 had the full-scale resource development begun. -Hey! There¡¯s mana in the coal from Gangwon-do! -Call the workers! Call the ability users! Start mining the mana stones now! In reality, they were different from the fantasy mana stones. In hunter stories, mana stones were often depicted as a next-generation energy source, traded at astronomical prices. But the mana stones in this world were just items that could efficiently utilize mana. They simply contained mana, making it easier to store or infuse mana when processed. Then. What if we made items for ability users with these? -Wow! Mana infuses into my sword so quickly¡­! -Guns made with mana stones are easier to shoot mana bullets with than regr ones. This is a revolution. -The semiconductors in the Taegeuk Watch utilize metal infused with mana, achieving insane performance¡­! It canst a week on a single charge! Efficiency began to soar. Using metals imported from abroad, products made with resources mined in Korea boasted far more efficient and economical capabilities than existing ones. In extreme cases, a smartphone developed in Korea with Korean resources could perform three times better, have a battery life seven times longer, and weigh half as much as one developed in South America with South American resources. Naturally, everything made in Korea was more efficient and effective. Moreover, even raw materials imported from abroad would absorb mana over time when left on Korean soil, so everything became better after passing through Korea. For instance. In the underground military zones restricted to civilians, there wererge-scale ¡°jangdokdae¡± (traditional Korean fermentation jars) embedded in the ground. If steel melted in these jars, the items made from that steel after being re-forged became stronger and more resistant to rust than regr steel. Eventually. As time passed, one thing became certain. Korea was no longer a resource-poor country. Rather, it became a country that grew stronger in terms of resources over time. Thus, the whole world was targeting Korea. Not only for the ¡°human resources¡± from Korea. But for all the resourcesing from Korea, even the fermented soy sauce in the jars. Made in Korea. Everythingbeled with this phrase was now rted to ¡°mana¡± and ¡°abilities.¡±
At that moment, in the VIPpartment of the special train for transporting VIPs, the ¡°New Mugunghwa-ho.¡± ¡°Sisters. They¡¯re all gone.¡± As soon as the woman wearing a hanbok spoke, the women in the VIPpartment all rxed from their stiff postures. ¡°Sigh. Really, how did we end up in such a mess.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t we just quietly go to Busan for the music show? Why perform in Kaesong, of all ces?¡± ¡°Ugh, this is so annoying. We can¡¯t just quit being idols either.¡± The women, known as the idol group ¡°Star Flowers,¡± looked at thepartment with somewhat gloomy faces. ¡°Is there really no one around? No one can hear us, right?¡± ¡°Are you worried? Or should we talk at the hotel in Kaesong?¡± ¡°Talking after we get to the hotel will be toote. Let¡¯s just assume no one is here and talk now.¡± The one who seemed to be the leader carefully took out something from the inner pocket of her hanbok jacket. ¡°Sister, did you bring it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The woman carefully pulled out a box so that others couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Oh, sister. What¡¯s with the Hasan?¡± ¡°A cigarette case? Couldn¡¯t you bring something more convincing?¡± ¡°You little brats. Be grateful for this.¡± The item looked like a cigarette case. But as soon as the leader opened the cigarette case, the expressions of the other three women changed. ¡°Wow¡­ Did you unwrap and stuff them all in? What if they get contaminated?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to put a few more in by removing the packaging than to put fewer in. And this isn¡¯t a real cigarette case. It¡¯s an imitation with stic lining inside.¡± ¡°You should have just brought a patriotic box.¡± ¡°If we get caught with that, our idol lives are over. Besides, you were the ones who asked me to prepare this.¡± The leader pointed at the round items inside the cigarette case, fuming. ¡°Being an idol smoking cigarettes is less serious than ¡®treasonous acts.¡¯ You know that.¡± ¡°Sister. But what we want to do is not treason but patriotism.¡± ¡°¡­So, I prepared it.¡± The leader put the mock cigarette case back into her pocket, formed a ring with her fingers, and poked through it with her other index finger. ¡°I¡¯ve loaded the patriotism needle in there.¡± ¡°¡­Crazy. Are you really going to do it?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t have this, that person won¡¯t help us. So what else can we do?¡± The other women silently nodded at the leader¡¯s words. ¡°And don¡¯t worry too much. It¡¯s not domestic. It¡¯s Japanese.¡± ¡°¡­What difference does that make?¡± ¡°Domestic ones are too thorough in their effects, strictly enforcing the intended purpose. To avoid what we want to avoid, it¡¯s better toter im it was Japanese.¡± ¡°Sigh, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll just trust you. ¡­.That.¡± The women smacked their lips. ¡°Really, is it true? Being with an S-ss ¡®idol¡¯ is really like heaven?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than heaven.¡± The leader crossed her legs and smirked. ¡°It¡¯s like paradise. It will be an experience like no other.¡± ¡°Even with that?¡± ¡°Of course. Why? Do you want to try without it?¡± ¡°¡­Obviously.¡± The women¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Even with an E-ss ¡®idol,¡¯ it¡¯s so good that they can¡¯t get over it. Imagine what it¡¯s like with an S-ss. You¡¯d feel like you have the whole world. I asked because you¡¯re my precious ones. It wasn¡¯t easy.¡± ¡°¡­Hehehe.¡± The women only chuckled lowly. ¡°After the performance in Kaesong¡­. In the hotel room, like a storm¡­. Hehehe¡­.¡± It wasn¡¯t augh you¡¯d expect from idols, but the womenughed lewdly, eagerly waiting for the train to arrive quickly. Kim Taejo-shik entered thepartment with Yumir Jeon Yeong-hee. The train¡¯s structure waspletely different from the Mugunghwa-ho or KTX, more like a special tourist train you¡¯d see in old European movies. Like those trains where little wizards bought random vored jelly beans. There was a long corridor to the side, with seats arranged to face each other on both sides. Yumir and I sat in the reverse direction, while Kim Taejo-shik sat in the forward direction, taking up onepartment. And right behind us, the idol group ¡®Star Flowers¡¯ was having a conversation, or rather, conspiring. ¡°Tsk.¡± Kim Taejo-shik smacked his lips as if he didn¡¯t like it. ¡°Shall we go talk to them?¡± ¡°No. If they realize we¡¯re listening, it¡¯ll cause trouble. Let¡¯s pretend we don¡¯t know.¡± No matter how quietly they spoke or how loudly the train ran on the tracks, ability users could hear whispers from the next room. Especially if it involved secretly pricking a patriotism balloon to be a patriot. How did we know? Because the two people we disguised ourselves as were ¡®ability users.¡¯ Though ssified as D-ss and E-ss, which was insufficient for hero activities, their ability was superior to any bodyguard when considering their role as idol bodyguards. ¡°¡­Probably after the performance in Kaesong, we should act separately in the hotel at night.¡± Kim Taejo-shik pointed his chin backward. ¡°It might be ufortable for all three of us to be in the same room, so please understand.¡± ¡°Is that part of the mission too?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s my personal hobby.¡± Kim Taejo-shik smiled faintly with an embarrassed look. It seemed he wanted to enjoy his hobby before heading up to Sinuiju, momentarily putting aside his role as a ck agent. ¡°It¡¯s not something we should ignore, but not something to report either. We should respect the idols¡¯ privacy. As a fellow man, I support you. Be patriotic.¡± ¡°Patriotism¡­ Well, it¡¯s not really that. It¡¯d be a problem if an idol suddenly got pregnant.¡± ¡°Oh my. Are you being patriotic?¡± Yumir said. ¡°Patriotism is your specialty, brother.¡± ¡°¡­Hey.¡± She suddenly made a strangement beside me. ¡°Even if your magic power is low, your patriotism is S-ss, brother.¡± ¡°¡­Oh?¡± And Kim Taejo-shik. ¡°Is that true?¡± He began to show immense interest in me, who previously had none. ¡°When a woman says that, it¡¯s usually true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not S-ss.¡± ¡­¡­Interesting. If used well, this could make the mission easier? ¡°It¡¯s Special EX-ss.¡± ¡°Excuse me, Hyun Cheol-su.¡± Kim Taejo-shik smacked his lips with his tongue and lowered his posture. ¡°Shall we discuss the future and development of our nation during our journey¡­?¡± Chapter 291: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (7) Chapter 291: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (7) ¡°First, let me ask you. Mr. Kim Tae-sik, do you think physicality is more important, or is technique more important?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about one-on-onebat.¡± ¡°Oh, right?¡± It naturally referred to a confrontation between people. It was a constructive conversation aimed at improving skills, with no inappropriate content. ¡°I believe physicality is important.¡± Of course, that would be expected. He¡¯s an ability user, an S-ss, and young.¡°Yes, I also think physicality is important.¡± ¡°Oppa¡¯s physicality is Special EX level.¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± I covered Yumir¡¯s mouth with my hand. ¡°Mmmpf.¡± ¡°There is a term called ¡®Deal Overwhelming.¡¯ It means overwhelming with sheer force, which is possible only with overwhelming physicality. It¡¯s a given. But Mr. Kim Tae-sik, have you ever faced someone with equal physicality?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You can speakfortably. If it¡¯s awkward, I can start with my story first. Would that be okay?¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hear it.¡± As far as I knew. Taejo had faced many A-ss opponents but has never faced an S-ss. What? Hadn¡¯t he faced numerous S-sses with his status as the S-ss detector? No one would say such a thing. Unless they were a demon like Duoexini or Kyobaris who didn¡¯t understand human emotions. ¡°I have faced beings with equal or even greater physicality than myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°My opponent had superior stamina and endurance. They were difficult to overwhelm with strength or durability alone. What helped me ovee that was technique.¡± ¡°What kind of technique?¡± ¡°Preparation.¡± I extended my hand forward with my palm facing up. ¡°Mr. Kim Tae-sik. Have you ever gone straight into a decisive battle while relying solely on physicality?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Before entering a decisive battle, have you ever lightly worn down your opponent?¡± ¡°Uh, um.¡± Kim Taejo hesitated, rubbing his chin with his hand. ¡°Have you often used the mana in your body to tire out your opponent before you got tired?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Initially, there might not have been any reaction, but at some point, when your opponent¡¯s posture crumbled like a breaking dam, didn¡¯t you then press down even harder with your physicality?¡± ¡°Huh¡­.¡± Taejo¡¯s mouth hung open. ording to the information from the Secret Society, Taejo relies on his S-ss physicality to overpower opponents with magic. ¡®It¡¯s obvious just by looking at him.¡¯ Even without watching leaked videos, it¡¯s clear. Although they exist in the Secret Society¡¯s database, I can tell Taejo¡¯s tendencies without watching other people¡¯s videos. ¡°Someday, you will face an opponent of the same grade. If you try to overpower them with physicality and get overwhelmed, you will be momentarily flustered. What you need then is technique and preparation.¡± ¡°Specifically what?¡± ¡°For starters¡­.¡± Taejo brought his thighs together and ced both hands on his knees, his eyes sparkling. His intense enthusiasm almost made meugh out loud. ¡°Can you do mind-reading?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°If not, actively reading your opponent¡¯s thoughts is also a method. Asking them directly.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Taejo tilted his head. ¡°Do they answer if you ask?¡± ¡°Usually, they don¡¯t. But if you keep asking, sometimes they do. It¡¯s likely that your opponent wants you to do such actions.¡± I reached out to Yumir. ¡°Ask them to attack here, to ease their offensive, to strike harder. If you continue, your opponent will eventually be disarmed.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± ¡°And most importantly, you need to make your opponent enter the decisive state first.¡± I lightly clenched my hand and thrust two fingers inside. ¡°You mustn¡¯t force your way into their openings. When your opponent can no longer bear it and starts to panic, when they unconsciously open up, that¡¯s when you strike.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Until now, you¡¯ve probably done it forcefully without such a process. But you still won.¡± ¡°So.¡± Taejo began to grow impatient, his posture serious. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°¡­¡­This is tough.¡± It was frustrating. ¡°I can¡¯t exactly show you a demonstration.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Yumir, in her transformed state,ughed quietly. ¡°The train hasn¡¯t even passed Daegu yet, right? It¡¯s still a long way to Seoul, and it doesn¡¯t stop in between.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°An hour should be enough for a face-to-face lesson.¡± ¡°But what if¡­.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Taejo raised both hands, nodding vigorously. ¡°I will only watch. I will only take note. I may look like this, but I am not the kind of person who takes someone else¡¯s woman.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes, really.¡± ¡°No, I mean, that¡¯s true, but are you really that eager to learn just by watching?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This man. He was too serious. And Yumir beside him was just as serious. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I knew. No matter how much visual material you showed in theoretical education, it was meaningless if there was no practical training. Taejo will undoubtedly use what he learned here on his partner back in Gyeongseong, but for now, he would only learn by watching a practical demonstration. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Was this okay? This wasn¡¯t in the n. But. Yumir¡¯s suggestion couldn¡¯t be wrong, so this was not the wrong path. ¡°Mr. Kim Tae-sik.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, I need to consult with my girlfriend.¡± I pulled Yumir outside.
At that moment. The two men and women in the car met again at a quiet motel. ¡°This ce is¡­.¡± ¡°A no-tell*?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the shelters of the Secret Society.¡± The red-haired woman, ¡®Brewer,¡¯ guided the real Hyeon Cheolsu and Jeon Yeonghui through the shelter that looked like a motel. ¡°If the situation goes wrong, we will take you overseas immediately. To the U.S. or wherever you want. If you want to go to another ce besides the immigration candidates you mentioned before, we will arrange it ordingly.¡± ¡°Um, I have a question.¡± ¡°Yes, please ask anything.¡± ¡°¡­If things go well.¡± Hyeon Cheolsu held Jeon Yeonghui¡¯s hand. ¡°Oppa. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°Hu. Alright. ¡­Then.¡± His hand was trembling with tension, but it seemed to calm a bit when Jeon Yeonghui sped both hands over his. ¡°If everything goes smoothly, can we return to our original positions?¡± ¡°Of course. After all this is over, the two ¡®top agents¡¯ will organize the materials and tell you everything. What conversations took ce, who ate what with whom, everything. Please rest assured.¡± There was no hint of anxiety in Brewer¡¯s voice. ¡°The Secret Society has no failures or mistakes. We are merely borrowing your positions for a while and will return them cleanly.¡± ¡°If a demon appears or something goes wrong¡­.¡± ¡°Even if something goes wrong, there will be no harm to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief, but¡­.¡± ¡°Then, please have afortable rest.¡± As Brewer closed the door and went out, the twoy down on the bed, seemingly relieved of their tension. ¡°Sigh. Is this really okay?¡± ¡°Oppa. It¡¯s fine. If things go wrong and we have to leave for another country, they said they would give us 20 billion each.¡± ¡°Maybe we should have asked for more money?¡± ¡°¡­Maybe. Let¡¯s check it out first.¡± Beep. As they turned on the TV with the remote beside them, arge TV on the wall showed a train heading north. -¡­The train carrying the girl group Star Flowers is heading towards Kaesong for a musical performance¡­. ¡°So, there are Secret Society agents on that train instead of us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Is that true? The man who was supposed to be our teammate¡­being Armored Taejo.¡± ¡°It must be.¡± ¡°Oppa.¡± Jeon Yeonghui bit her lip. ¡°What if, Armored Taejo tries to take the person disguised as me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Armored Taejo, they say he¡¯s promiscuous.¡± ¡°¡­Come on. Would an S-ss person try to take someone else¡¯s woman? It would be more convincing if he aimed for all four idols at once.¡± ¡°But rather than idols¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, he¡¯d prefer an ability user. But Yeonghui, would he try to take someone with a boyfriend?¡± Even if he was an S-ss hero. Even if he was Armored Taejo, he wouldn¡¯t do such a despicable thing. They had no choice but to believe that. ¡°Yeah. No way¡­would a man with a fianc¨¦e do that?¡± ¡°He has a fianc¨¦e, but he still sees other women.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Was it because they were in a confined space? Or was it because someone else was moving in their ce? ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay. Everything will be fine. There won¡¯t be any problems.¡± Watching the train heading north, the two just hoped everything would end without major issues.
¡°What are you really nning to do?¡± ¡°Oppa. The bait is almost taken. We just need to show him.¡± It¡¯s driving me crazy. Yumir was stepping up actively, and Taejo was showing interest. ¡°Even if there¡¯s a lot of time left before the train reaches Seoul.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better because it¡¯s not us? And ording to the data you gave me, these people aren¡¯t exactly good people.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just acting based on what these people ¡®would do.¡¯ These people actually did such things, right?¡± Yumir wasn¡¯t just making baseless ims. These two did engage in such activities. If they hadn¡¯t, Yumir wouldn¡¯t have suggested such a crazy n. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Then, we have our answer.¡± Yumir was confident. ¡°We¡¯re going to show Mr. Kim Tae-sik the perfect harmony of physicality and technique. This might change his life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Was this really okay? ¡°Hey.¡± I grabbed Yumir¡¯s shoulders. ¡°If something goes wrong-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll join the Secret Society. For sure. As a full member, not an intern.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hoo.¡± Decision. ¡°If something goes wrong, I¡¯ll take full responsibility for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If Taejo tries to touch you even a little, I¡¯ll transform immediately and cut off his wrist. If that¡¯s okay, let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°¡­It should be fine.¡± If the protagonist was this confident, I had no choice but to trust. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s show what patriotism is.¡± I went back to thepartment with Yumir. Kim Taejo was sticking close to the entrance of thepartment, and I sent Yumir inside and locked the door. ¡°Then.¡± Click. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the demonstration.¡± Of course. ¡°How to send an enemy away with one hand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Yumir tilted her head beside me, but I just extended one hand forward. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°No, I mean, it looks like you¡¯re about to do something¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing it. Training.¡± No actual game. ¡°What did you imagine? What I¡¯ll show you is hand techniques for one-on-onebat.¡± I pointed my middle and index fingers into the air. ¡°Called, Ninja Arts.¡± Flick flick. ¡°Did you think I would show patriotism right here on the train?¡± Chapter 292: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (8) Chapter 292: Departure Of The Patriotism Train (8) Yumir was a patriot. To be precise, she liked and enjoyed patriotism. After her first experience with patriotism, Yumir fell deeply in love with it. Baek Seol-hee also liked patriotism, but one act of patriotism quickly relieved her pent-up frustrations, while Yumir liked it openly. More than anything, as her first experience was done outside, she was no ordinary woman. She was not Korean but a foreigner¡ªCanadian. She was not someone to be judged by Confucian values. Moreover, the two men and women we were borrowing appearances from were quite open about such directions, so such actions did not greatly interfere with this couple¡¯s ¡®usibility.¡¯ But.No matter how much. No matter how much she had transformed into another woman¡¯s body. ¡®That¡¯s not right.¡¯ Was it right to use that body to show such actions in front of another man? ¡®To do it in front of Armored Taejo? That¡¯s not eptable.¡¯ No. That¡¯s an uneptable act. If someone hoped to see acts of patriotism directly in a train seat, that¡¯s something that couldn¡¯t happen here. ¡®Even if the Chief requests it, I can¡¯tply.¡¯ It was a story that would only ur in ces meant for adults, and right now, this ce was full of dreams and hopes with people leading the future. You couldn¡¯t do such acts ¡®directly¡¯ in public ces. Even if it was not a public ce, you couldn¡¯t show it directly. Unless someone put a bomb ne around your neck and threatened to kill the hostage if you didn¡¯t act patriotically, you couldn¡¯t do such acts. Why? ¡®Because I¡¯m not Do Ji-hwan right now, how can I do such a thing?¡¯ I was not Do Ji-hwan right now. ¡®Transformation NTR is uneptable.¡¯ My appearance was not Do Ji-hwan. No matter how Yumir and I both transformed into different appearances, I couldn¡¯t show doing patriotic acts with this appearance. If I hade here as Do Ji-hwan, that would be fine. Whether Yumir transformed or not, whether we kissed or not, it would be with Do Ji-hwan. But right now, my appearance was not Do Ji-hwan. If I acted patriotically with Yumir in my current state, Yumir would be doing it with another man, even if it¡¯s just the appearance. In short. It¡¯s NTR. It¡¯s okay to act patriotically secretly in public ces; you could even reveal your patriotism in Gwanghwamun Square in an invisible state with a barrier. Even a pseudo-NTR was uneptable. Therefore. We only did what could be done in public ces. No matter how much we borrowed the bodies of the couple and transformed, we didn¡¯t do such acts. If someone expected public obscenity on this patriot train, I¡¯d like to tell them to put that thought away. Instead. ¡°This is how it¡¯s done. Understand?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Should I also mimic the angle of the fingers?¡± ¡°The fingers like this. Make them like a hook. Yes. Lift them. And the wrist snap like this.¡± ¡°Like, like this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I waved my hand in the air. Taejo followed my hand movements with a serious face, asionally copying the position I changed my hand to. ¡°Good. You are indeed amazing. This much with the hand should suffice.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Taejo kept twitching his fingers. He continuously flexed the joints of his fingers, making a hooked hand and releasing it repeatedly, like a professional thief showing off finger snaps on the street. I passed on my finger movements to the air. ¡°Now that your hands are flexible, you should be able to handle enemies with these flexible hands when fighting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Taejo scratched his chin with his hand and tilted his head. ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d show it directly.¡± ¡°We¡¯re on a mission; we can¡¯t do that. Especially in a ce like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± This guy. He was expecting it. At the same time, he looked slightly disappointed. Even though he already realized that I was an amazing technician just by my fingers, the real thing had to be shown elsewhere. ¡°I¡¯ll show you at the Gaeseong Hotel. But I can¡¯t show it directly; I¡¯ll show it through the silhouette behind the canopy curtain. Recorded on video.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. No matter what, showing it directly is a bit much.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Taejo looked confused. He was trying to figure out how much truth there was in what the man named Hyeon Cheolsu was saying. Yumir would have caught on with a ¡®maybe¡¯ look when I first said it, but unfortunately, Taejo didn¡¯t seem that sharp. ¡°Mr. Kim Tae-sik.¡± I corrected my posture. Yumir, next to me, continued to stroke my forearm, which I had kept raised, with both hands, while Taejo looked at me, trying to ignore Yumir¡¯s fingers moving on my arm. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to exin in detail the circumstances between my future wife and me. The silhouette at best¡­.¡± ¡°Oppa, how about calling another ¡®instructor¡¯ then?¡± To help the still unaware Taejo, Yumir directly provided support. ¡°If it bothers you, you can call another female instructor to show you oppa¡¯s technique directly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ms. Jeong Yeong-hui?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Oppa just doesn¡¯t want other men to know about our private matters. I oppose it though.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Taejo¡¯s expression began to harden. ¡°Yeong-hui, are you telling me to cheat?¡± ¡°Oppa, do you think I¡¯d get jealous if Tae-sik helps with patriotism? Everything is for the country, for the nation. Gwang Ik Gong would acknowledge it too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± He alternately looked at Yumir and me with a serious face, then suddenly pped his hands as if he realized something. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Phew. ¡°Ah, ha ha ha. I see. I should have asked more questions.¡± Good. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, both of you. I didn¡¯t understand that there were parts that are difficult to discuss directly.¡± It seemed he finally noticed. ¡°So,ter when I go to the Gaeseong Hotel, I n to have a light afterparty with the idol group at the back.¡± The Taejo who had been focused on the lecture on interpersonalbat just a moment ago disappeared, and Taejo (ck) started asking seriously. ¡°If Yeong-hui is okay with it, can I ¡®invite¡¯ Cheolsu to that afterparty?¡± Invite. That¡¯s the keyword. The one who set that keyword was none other than Taejo himself. ¡°Yeong-hui, are you okay with it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay with anything if oppa is okay with it.¡± At first nce, it sounded like a very dangerous story, but this was all a process for mutual identity verification. ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Kim Tae-sik. I¡¯ll line up at the back during the afterparty.¡± ¡°¡­Hoo, hoho.¡± Taejo nodded lightly with a relieved face. ¡°I look forward to it.¡± ¡°Of course. As the invited man, I will do my best.¡± It came exactly as Taejo joked. ¡°Much better. Then.¡± Taejo took his stance again with a serious face. ¡°¡­If I¡¯m going to deal with two beauties from China and Russia, how should I handle it?¡± Finally. ¡°Cheolsu, can you handle both of them? Both are S-ss in terms of physicality.¡± ¡°Kim Tae-sik. I am an invited man of Special EX-ss.¡± We could finally get to the main point. ¡°Two? Four? From now on, I¡¯ll teach you the technique to handle even five.¡±
Late at night. Gaeseong, Hotel. ¡°Whew.¡± Yumir threw herself onto the bed. ¡°When is Kim Tae-siking?¡± ¡°He¡¯s noting. He went separately to have a drink with the idols.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± sh. Gold light leaked out of Yumir¡¯s body, and soon she returned to her original appearance. ¡°Haa¡­.¡± ¡°Is it okay to undo the transformation so casually?¡± ¡°Oppa, you also undid your transformation as soon as you entered the room¡­Oops.¡± Yumir covered her mouth with her hand. ¡°Is there any eavesdropping-¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°Oh. Indeed. If there was, you wouldn¡¯t have undone your transformation in the first ce.¡± ¡°You undid your transformation after seeing me do it, right?¡± The fact that I undid my transformation meant it was that safe. Even if we were assigned the same room as Taejo, we could control other risk factors enough. ¡°And we can notice before Taejo arrives, so just transform immediately when I signal. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­Ugh, I hate it. Not being able to act patriotically as much as I want.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just do it.¡± Yumir made a sad face, and Iforted her by tidying her messy hair with my hand. ¡°If I had just shown it, Taejo would havepletely worshipped you as a professor by now.¡± ¡°No.¡± I grabbed Yumir¡¯s cheeks and pulled them sideways. ¡°If you really want to show it, do it in front of Baek Seol-heeter, or do it when you¡¯re with the executives of the organization. Taejo might like such things, but I don¡¯t like inviting or being invited by other men.¡± ¡°Then how about I invite another woman? You can¡¯t have an invited man, but an invited woman is okay, right?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s good enough to join the organization.¡± If securing talent for the organization with this body was possible, it¡¯s a cheap trade. I just hoped the woman Yumir brings wasn¡¯t a frivolous one. ¡°But you, inviting a friend to me instead of introducing her? What if your friend gets eaten by Goblin?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m inviting her. You¡¯re the one who made me like this, oppa.¡± Huh? ¡°Oppa?¡± ¡°Oops. Hehe, just oppa, okay?¡± ¡°When did you call me teacher and now it¡¯s oppa?¡± ¡°Which do you prefer?¡± ¡°Call me whatever¡¯sfortable.¡± ¡°Then, only when we¡¯re alone, oppa¡­. Hehe.¡± Yumir, sitting on the bed, licked her lips and started unbuttoning her shirt. ¡°Then, shall we¡­.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­Should I just go out for a bit?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see about thatter.¡± It was good to do. But now was not the time. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit bothersome, but we might actually get invited.¡± Currently. ¡°If Taejo finds it hard to handle many alone, he¡¯ll call me. So, be on standby for five minutes.¡± Using the Goblin Bat, I was monitoring the situation ¡®upstairs¡¯ like CCTV. No matter how S-ss Taejo was, he couldn¡¯t detect my and Yumir¡¯s magic power. ¡°When a rescue signales to the Taeguk Watch, you have to run immediately. So¡­Hey.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay until then.¡± Yumir hugged me from behind and reached her hand around to my front. ¡°You can¡¯t do it in a transformed state, and no other man can be present? Is there anything like that now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Logical. ¡°Yumir, the more you say strange things, the weirder the situation gets¡­.¡± I reached out one hand to Yumir¡¯s head. ¡°For now, let¡¯s just shut up.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I pushed Yumir¡¯s head down. Chapter 294: Enlightenment From Patriotism (2) Chapter 294: Enlightenment From Patriotism (2) In martial arts novels, there was something called enlightenment. This enlightenment could be obtained from various things, and this ¡®various things¡¯ was really quite diverse. One might gain enlightenment from a beggar met on the street, from the principles of nature, or through the rtionship between men and women. And here, there was a man who had gained enlightenment as an S-ss ability user. ¡°Is that a new ability?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the first time showing it to others.¡± Taejo pointed to the steel hands attached all over his body. ¡°With multitasking, I can move up to four of them freely.¡± As soon as Taejo finished speaking, the four hands, excluding his original ones, started moving freely.Seeing those movements, which were exactly like a real person moving, I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by Taejo¡¯s newly developed ability. ¡°Excellent. You¡¯ve gotten stronger.¡± ¡°Even so¡­ But, what about your girlfriend¡¯s energy?¡± ¡°Oh. I scolded her a bit yesterday.¡± Yumir silently lowered her head. To be precise, she was leaning against my shoulder, sleeping soundly, worn out by fatigue. Although transformed, there wasn¡¯t a single red mark or wound on her body, but it was inevitable that she was dozing off in the morning due to physical fatigue. Last night, I had given her a long sermon about discussing patriotism in the first-ss train, and Yumir promised never to talk about it again. ¡°Maybe she was feeling a bit weak recently, or she just wanted a new stimulus. I might have gone a bit overboard in scolding her.¡± ¡°Violence is¡­¡± ¡°I just lightly tapped her with a stick.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Perhaps because he was a man, Taejo understood immediately. ¡°It could have been a big problem. I almost made a huge mistake by inviting her.¡± ¡°When I saw them this morning, it seemed like they had all visited heaven.¡± ¡°Yes. I worked hard to ¡®massage¡¯ the four of them. Thanks to that, my ability control has be more refined.¡± ¡°A massage?¡± ¡°A massage. Loosening muscles, pressing firmly, and relieving tension.¡± Seeing the four steel hands moving slickly on Taejo¡¯s body again, I was convinced he was indeed S-ss. Taejo the Fingering Master. With six hands, the possible applications of these hands would be endless. He could wield weapons in each hand and fight like a real Asura. If he fired guns with each hand, six bullets would fly simultaneously. He could control the four hands remotely using wires and make them move freely. Most importantly, the ¡®four¡¯ here referred to hands that could move independently, and if he used all hands the same way, the number would reach dozens. ¡°Mr. Hyun Chul-soo. I have a concern.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I want to officially reveal thister.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Having already shown me his ability to manipte metal, Taejo had no intention of hiding that he was Taejo. ¡°Is the concern perhaps about how to present the ¡®trigger¡¯ for this enlightenment?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Taejo¡¯s eyes started to sparkle. As I grasped his concern immediately, he looked at me with hopeful eyes, wondering if I had the answer. ¡°I think people might find itughable if I say I developed this ability out of patriotism.¡± Well. In this world, the omnipotent patriotism theory worked quite well, so would people find itughable if he said he developed his ability out of patriotism? There might be something like that written on the Hero Wiki. ¡°Mr. Kim Tae-sik. I understand your concern, but there¡¯s one clear thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Developing an ability out of patriotism, and needing an ability for patriotism, is indeed the true progress of an ability.¡± I had already confirmed two cases. One was a woman who learned teleportation with the sole purpose of sneaking into a man¡¯s room unnoticed. Another was a woman who, out of jealousy, developed the ability to clone herself so she could always be in my room. ¡°It might be a bit inappropriate to mention it directly, but there are quite a few cases of developing abilities out of patriotism. They just keep the truth hidden from everyone.¡± I mimicked zipping my mouth shut. ¡°For now, ask those four to keep it a secret. But you¡¯ll have to give them regr hush injections.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Come to think of it, this man seemed to have a fianc¨¦e. Well, he¡¯d manage. If she were going to be a demon, she would have already turned into one during the gene thief Faygreen incident. ¡°And you¡¯ll need toe up with a reasonable excuse. I have two suggestions for the most appropriate exnations.¡± ¡°Two?¡± ¡°Yes. One is to reveal the original source. Whether it¡¯s a movie, a novel, or aic, you can say you developed this ability after seeing it in some media.¡± ¡°The traditional method.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Developing abilities through media. If an ability user officially said, ¡®I got the motif from here,¡¯ it generally wouldn¡¯t cause much problem. There was a serious copyright issue, but in this world, the use of abilities by ability users was given more importance than copyright issues. Of course, if an ability user perfectly or 99% urately mimicked the fictional abilities seen in media and then denied it, they would be criticized. ¡°Then do you have any suitable examples?¡± ¡°Yes. Doctor Octopus. Inspector Gadget. Asura Man.¡± ¡°¡­What are those?¡± ¡°Taejo.¡± He was seventeen years old this year. A boy born after the 2002 World Cup, although that event did not exist in this world. ¡°Mr. Kim Tae-sik. Don¡¯t look at me with that ¡®what the heck is that, old man¡¯ gaze. I¡¯m just someone who studies pre-cataclysm media and has a lot of that information in my head.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certainly not extremely old or anything like that. I¡¯m also an ability user, born after the great upheaval.¡± Do Chang-nam. I only followed ssic files, but I didn¡¯t age ording to those ssics. ¡°I just mentioned old materials. Understand?¡± ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re saying to im the motif came from those ssics?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way, but there¡¯s an even easier method.¡± I stretched my hand out to the side. ¡°Say you awakened your ability in a crisis. For example, if a baby was about to fall off a bridge, what would a person instinctively extend to save the baby?¡± ¡°¡­A hand?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Ah. So you¡¯re saying to stage a crisis and make it seem like you awakened your ability in that crisis.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Taejo pped his hands and nodded. ¡°I understand. Thank you for the advice. Ah, and.¡± Taejo extended one of his Asura hands, created by his ability, towards me. ¡°I look forward to working with you. I feel like we¡¯ll be meeting often.¡± ¡°I look forward to it as well.¡± I deliberately shook his Asura hand with my ordinary hand, devoid of any magical power. It felt hard as steel andcked warmth, but the nervousness was evident from the hand I shook. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Mr. Kim Tae-sik. Let me tell you one important thing that ability users should be cautious about.¡± Squeeze. Warm energy flowed from Yumir, who had extended her hand behind me, and into my hand. I infused my hand with mana without showing Yumir¡¯s influence as much as possible. ¡°Just because you learned a new ability doesn¡¯t mean you should recklessly show off that power.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°An ability is just an ability. No matter how innovative, remember that it can always be countered.¡± ¡°You are¡­more remarkable than I thought.¡± Indeed. Since I countered his S-ss handshake effortlessly. ¡°Who are you? I¡¯ve never heard of someone like you.¡± ¡°You might have heard of me. But I¡¯m just someone who doesn¡¯t reveal himself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a man invited to Sin?iju, and this is my girlfriend.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No point in asking more details as I wouldn¡¯t answer anyway. Under my silent pressure, Taejo finally rxed his Asura hand and sighed. ¡°Haa. There are too many S-sses in this world.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± That line sounded like it could lead to corruption. ¡°Fine. Whether there are unknown S-sses or whoever you are doesn¡¯t matter. If I get in trouble while fighting Chinese and Russian S-ss beauties, I¡¯ll hand over the baton to you.¡± ¡°You might end up just watching from the side.¡± ¡°Even if that happens, what matters is not my pride, but the resources of thisnd.¡± Taejo fiddled with a c can marked with a Taegeuk pattern and opened the lid. ¡°I don¡¯t care if my pride is shattered. What matters more is the pride of this country.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± How. How could such a righteous person be born from the viin Min Ji-young? ¡°Tonight, we will depart for Sin?iju. We n to move separately by vehicle, not by train, and we¡¯ll arrange a vehicle for you two.¡± ¡°Finally.¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve received intel that they might cross the border as early as tonight¡­or tomorrow.¡± This matches our understanding. Indeed, as a ck Agent, Taejo wasn¡¯t just a fool. ¡°I have a few more things to ask you before we head to Sin?iju, hyung.¡± ¡°¡­Hyung?¡± ¡°You¡¯re more patriotic and knowledgeable, so I¡¯m asking you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you want to know?¡± ¡°That.¡± Taejo licked his lips and asked cautiously. ¡°¡­How did you get permission from your girlfriend to be with other women?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Later. ¡°As a man with a fianc¨¦e, how should you get permission to be with other women-¡± During the time heading to Sin?iju, I gave Taejo various bits of advice about rtionships between men and women. Chapter 295: Enlightenment From Patriotism (3) Chapter 295: Enlightenment From Patriotism (3) After a while. In the afternoon, inside an old freight train heading from Kaesong to Sinuiju. ¡°Living to see the ruined old North Koreannd through a train journey like this.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Yumir and I took seats in a different special cabin from Taejo, preparing for what would happen in Sinuiju. As it was discovered that we were extraordinary ability users and since Taejo was in another cabin, Yumir and I, having released our transformations and set up a barrier, sat facing each other in our original forms. ¡°Have you ever been here before, oppa?¡± ¡°I came once on a mission, but it was just for the mission. This is my first time taking a leisurely train trip like this.¡± Sinceing into this world, I had experienced another new thing I couldn¡¯t in my original world.Leaving the Korean Penins by train. Of course, we hadn¡¯t left the penins yet, but going up to Sinuiju was a new experience in itself. ¡°What about you, Yumir?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time traveling by train with a man.¡± ¡°You¡¯re subtly appealing there, but that¡¯s good.¡± I pulled Yumir¡¯s cheek as she sent me a suggestive smile. ¡°Don¡¯t do that when others are around. Only when we¡¯re alone or with women who can safely talk without masks on. Understand?¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± ¡°And your answer?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Although she showed a bit of dissatisfaction, Yumir nodded her head enthusiastically afterst night¡¯s definite ranking arrangement. ¡°I did it because I thought you would like it, oppa.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Make sure to remember that.¡± I faced Yumir. ¡°It may look like I freely build rtionships with you and Baek Seol-hee, but I have clear boundaries too. What you suggested on the train clearly crossed that line. Got it?¡± ¡°It¡¯splicated.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothingplicated about it. Just think simply that I¡¯m a very selfish trash viin guy.¡± ¡°A selfish trash viin¡­ Ah!¡± Yumir immediately understood thebination of words. ¡°So, it¡¯s okay for you to meet other women and be patriotic, but I can¡¯t even hold hands with another man?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing. The mindset of ¡®I can cheat, but you all must only look at me.¡¯¡± It sounded like the epitome of a trashy guy, but I once had this perspective. As a single reader. From a unicorn¡¯s standpoint. As an author who attempted to distribute heroines, I was even ready to cast an ultimate 7,800 skill rather than the 5,700 skill. And aftering to this world. Meeting the Chief and four executives, I didn¡¯t abandon that unicorn mindset. ¡°Mir.¡± ¡°Yes, oppa.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay for someone like me to wish for that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not like Taejo, who messes with dozens or hundreds of people. The number of people I¡¯ve had a deep rtionship with isn¡¯t even in the double digits.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Yumir¡¯s previously ambiguous expression brightened for a moment. ¡°I thought all the S-sses from other countries, especially those cooperating with the society, had their gates opened by Goblin¡¯s Bat.¡± ¡°No.¡± While I couldn¡¯t speak for the Goblin¡¯s past as a yer, the women I had met since deciding to live as Do Ji-hwan could be counted on both hands. Even just the five people from the society already filled one hand, leaving only a few fingers unupied. But still, it was not wrong. ¡°I thought you had already messed with women like Nadeshiko or Jeongguk Heungdo Wang.¡± ¡°It seems you had a big misunderstanding. I¡¯m not that promiscuous.¡± ¡°I heard Nadeshiko wants the Goblin¡¯s child, so I thought it was already done.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But if she wants it and it benefits the society, you¡¯d do it, right?¡± ¡°Depending on the situation.¡± Originally, I entered the academy for the beauty strategy. I couldn¡¯t deny that. ¡°But I¡¯m a man of principles. The women I meet, I do so with permission. Unlike Taejo, who acts without any restraint and even overturns his fianc¨¦e¡¯s attire, I report everything. I even send videos.¡± ¡°So, cheating with permission isn¡¯t cheating but aorase y?¡± ¡°Where did you learn such a professional term?¡± ¡°It was detailed in the Hero Wiki during the Hyangdan incident.¡± ¡°Click.¡± In the process of dealing with demons, I didn¡¯t hesitate to use any means, and now this karma wasing back. Maybe that¡¯s why Yumir acted that way. ¡°Yumir, I¡¯ll say it again. I don¡¯t like you holding hands with another man.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t like showing our contribution to the nation¡¯s birthrate to another man.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s okay to show it to women who also contribute to the birthrate?¡± ¡°Yes. And¡­ I don¡¯t want you to be with other men anymore.¡± As I spoke openly, Yumir¡¯s lips curled up as if they might touch her ears. ¡°Tell me one more thing. Something decisive, just one more thing.¡± ¡°I.¡± Holding Yumir¡¯s shoulders, I faced her. ¡°I hope that the man you date in your life starts and ends with me. I wish I were the only one in your life. If another man has to settle in your heart.¡± I ced my hand on her chest where her heart would be. ¡°That should only be our son born between you and me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wow.¡± Yumir ced her hand over mine on her chest. ¡°Anyone listening might think you¡¯re the protagonist of a pure love novel. Even though you¡¯re someone who meets this girl and that girl with the permission of your main wife, sending videos of your patriotism. But.¡± Yumir reached her hand behind my neck and lifted her body slightly. ¡°That¡¯s why I like it even more.¡± A warmth touched my lips. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t look at anyone else, you¡¯ll keep looking at me, right?¡± That warmth wasn¡¯t cold, nor did it taste like blood, it was just soft. ¡°If it¡¯s not permitted, you won¡¯t look at other women either.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I want to take it.¡± Yumir¡¯s eyes curved like crescent moons. ¡°I want the ce of the woman who can hold you like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something you can easily get. It¡¯s not something you can have no matter what you do to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can learn bit by bit. Then¡­.¡± Just like before, Yumir, smiling brightly, ced her hand on my shoulder and stood up. ¡°Oppa is in your original form, I¡¯m in my original form, no one else is here, and we set up a barrier so no one can see us, right? Then, it¡¯s okay here, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In terms of location. There was no problem at all. ¡°You¡¯re addicted.¡± ¡°You made me like this, oppa, so take responsibility. When I see you, it keeps throbbing here¡­ um, how should I say it? It keeps fluttering here¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ugh. My head. ¡°It must be a serious addiction.¡± The original protagonist seemed uninterested in such things despite having a harem, but now that Yumir had known a man, she seemed to no longer be the original protagonist. ¡°Do you like it that much?¡± ¡°Yes. If possible, I¡¯d want to slow down rtive time and enjoy it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Create a barrier where time flows faster inside than outside, enjoy everything with you, ande out satisfied to find only 3 minutes have passed outside.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really serious.¡± ¡°See, it¡¯s you who made me like this, oppa?¡± When the person in question told me to take responsibility, what could I do? ¡°You¡¯re making me worried that you¡¯ll actually develop such a technique.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll develop it. At a ce of your choice, where 30 minutes inside the barrier feels like only 3 seconds outside. I¡¯ll call it ¡®Hyper Patriotism Time¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­Taejo developed the Asura¡¯s Hand through patriotism, now you want to be a god who controls space-time through patriotism.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Seeing herugh like a puppy, how could I say anything? Maybe. This was Yumir¡¯s self-defense mechanism to relieve dissatisfaction and frustration after seeing the world¡¯s evil and filth. ¡°Mir, have you ever thought about destroying the world?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This filthy world, with a thought of mutual destruction.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Yumir twisted her lips slightly. ¡°Well, it¡¯d be a lie to say no. But whenever I do.¡± She clutched my hand tightly. ¡°After being with you, I want to find better things in this world.¡± As expected. I finally understood. ¡°Yumir, if I¡¯m wrong about you, correct me right away.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lewd.¡± ¡°Someone awakened my true nature.¡± ¡°And you like being with me too much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wrong. The phrase ¡®being with you¡¯ is wrong. There¡¯s no one else I do it with, so ¡®with you¡¯ is misleading. It makes it seem like I¡¯mparing it with someone else.¡± ¡°You crave me all the time to the point that we have these conversations.¡± ¡°Then, you know what to do, right?¡± Yumir looked up at me with golden, sparkling eyes and pointed behind me with anticipation. ¡°The barrier is perfect. Before we reach Sinuiju-¡± ¡°¡­There are 10 minutes left.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yumir¡¯s face crumpled in an instant. Click. It was probably an illusion, but it felt like a meteor counter went up. ¡°Mir.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°After we arrive, I¡¯ll tell Taejo we¡¯re 30 minuteste, so let¡¯s focus on work right after, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Hehe. Oh, by the way.¡± Yumir whispered to me with a slightly apologetic face. ¡°¡­If you make it feel like 10 minutes is 30 minutes, I¡¯ll endure it.¡± ¡°¡­I need to be three times faster.¡± It was probably an illusion, but it felt like the meteor counter disappeared. Yeah. Think positively. I was controlling the being who was able to destroy the world with the Goblin¡¯s Bat and patriotism. ¡°Mir, what will you do if I die or disappear?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, maybe drag the sun and blow up the earth?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± For the peace and survival of the world. Today, I engaged in an affair. Chapter 296: Enlightenment From Patriotism (4) Chapter 296: Enlightenment From Patriotism (4) We were in Shinuiju, more precisely, we had arrived at our destination. The ones who got off the special room were only around ten people, including myself, Yumir, and Taejo. They were all staff members who came along for the idol group¡¯s unique performance, and of course, they were all ¡®ability users¡¯. [Yumir. This way.] I used a telepathy-like ability to convey my intentions to Yumir through mana. [Are all these people ck Agents?] [Yes. Their ability levels vary widely¡­ but in reality, there are only two A-rank fighters and one S-rank fighter.] Excluding the two of us, this described the remaining eight. Except for Taejo, who was S-rank, the only fighters among the rest were just two A-rank individuals.[The E-rank and D-rank ones are probably all operators or support agents. If they go intobat, they¡¯ll likely use the weapons inside that container.] One by one, without drawing suspicion, they moved towards the container. All of them, like seasoned agents, began to gather at the container in positions where they wouldn¡¯t be caught on satellite or CCTV. [Let¡¯s follow them.] Yumir and I also moved to the container. ¡°Um?¡± ¡°Those two¡­?¡± As soon as we entered, the others tilted their heads in confusion, and soon their eyes turned to the person responsible for resolving this situation. ¡°They are special guests I invited.¡± Even with Taejo¡¯s words, the others did not hide their suspicious looks. Since we still appeared as Hyeon Cheolsu and Jeon Yeonghui, they would see us as D-rank and E-rank, not S-rank and EX-rank. ¡°Chief. Even so, bringing bodyguards¡­.¡± ¡°They are not the real ones. They came to rece the real ones. They were personally sent by Gwang Ik Gong.¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± In an instant, everyone¡¯s gaze changed. As soon as the name Gwang Ik Gong was mentioned, the suspicious looks disappeared, and they began to look at us with a mix of admiration, trust, and a bit of envy. [Their expressions changed as soon as Gwang Ik Gong was mentioned. But why are they jealous of us? Because we¡¯re a couple?] [Because Gwang Ik Gong sent us. Gwang Ik Gong trusted us for this mission.] [That¡¯s really impressive. The influence of Gwang Ik Gong.] Even unidentified people could be trusted just with a bit of endorsement from Gwang Ik Gong. Since it was ck Taejo who said it, these agents had no choice but to trust us immediately. [But is it okay to reveal that we¡¯re not really Hyeon Cheolsu and Jeon Yeonghui?] [It¡¯s fine. As long as they don¡¯t find out we¡¯re members of the Secret Society. And in the worst case, even if they find out we¡¯re Goblin and Golden Priestess, it doesn¡¯t matter.] [Because Gwang Ik Gong sent us? To borrow even a cat¡¯s paw? Shifting the me to Gwang Ik Gong?] [Yes.] I didn¡¯t feel guilty about it. He told me to use his name if necessary, and the reason I participated in this operation was, of course, because of his request. [Later, people will use us. Especially from China and Russia.] [How could they ask Goblin for support, leaving aside the Golden Priestess?] [Yes. But if Gwang Ik Gong is involved, the story changes.] [Ah. If Gwang Ik Gong requested help from Goblin, then the world will condemn China and Russia, right?] [Smart.] How could they ask Goblin for help? Once the requester became Gwang Ik Gong, the sentence transformed into: How could they mobilize such vicious scum to do evil things that necessitated requesting the Goblin¡¯s help? The benevolent influence of Gwang Ik Gong was absolute. ¡°Hmm. Everyone is gathered.¡± When all ten people had gathered inside the giant container box set up near Shinuiju Station, Taejo ced his hand on themand table inside the container, which was set up like a situation room, and put on a headset with a microphone. ¡°Ah. I have control. From now on, I, Armored Taejo, willmand the Gold Mine Defense Operation.¡± Kim Tae-sik revealed his true identity. The other ability users were not particrly surprised. They probably already knew. Unlike what we learned through intelligence, the seven agents who came here with Taejo were likely all ck Agents like him. ¡°Before the operation, salute the g.¡± The Taegeukgi fluttered on the monitor. Everyone ced their hands over their hearts, and no music yed. ¡°For the endless development and glory of the nation and people.¡± Instead, ck Taejo solemnly recited a prayer-like statement towards the g. ¡°We are the hidden guardians who protect the nation and people. We dedicate our bodies to ensure those living in the light cannot see the darkness in the deep shadows. For the future people of Korea who will live on thisnd.¡± ¡°Honor.¡± ck. They were the ones who did the dirty work of the nation, the work the nation could not do ¡®openly¡¯. Of course, there were two kinds of ck. One was pure ck, with no impurities. And the other was the filthy ck, mixed with all sorts of things. If asked which side Taejo belonged to, he was closer to the pure ck. If it were the filthy ck, I wouldn¡¯t have brought Yumir along. When dealing with them, there would be blood and gore everywhere. ¡°¡­Then, to your positions. Ah, what will the code names for you two be¡­?¡± ¡°Code names, huh. Hmm.¡± I thought for a moment. Looking over everyone here, there wasn¡¯t anyone particrly suspicious. The two unidentified A-ranks and the agents were all loyal to the nation. And sometimes, for the sake of the nation, those who did not hesitate to aim their guns at the nation¡¯s enemies. In that case, it might be good to throw out some ¡®bait¡¯. ¡°Since I can¡¯t give you specifics, let¡¯s call her ¡®Gold¡¯ and me ¡®Gray¡¯.¡± Yumir gave me a look that said, ¡°Why am I Gold?¡± ¡°¡­Why gold and gray, specifically?¡± Taejo also seemed curious. Unlike Yumir, who innocently seemed to be saying, ¡°I¡¯m tinum,¡± Taejo and the others appeared to be imagining all sorts of things based on Gold and Gray. That was likely why they asked. ¡°You¡¯ll understand whyter. When it¡¯s our turn to step in.¡± They would eventually see why Yumir was Gold and why I called myself Gray. It¡¯s not because I stood on the boundary between ck and white, but simply because my name was Gray. ¡°Rest assured. As long as we¡¯re here, no one will die.¡± ¡°¡­I hope it doesn¡¯te to that. Then, let¡¯s start the operation.¡± Taejo grabbed the microphone and pointed at the map. ¡°We¡¯ll confront the enemy at the gold mine here. The enemy won¡¯te to the surface.¡± Red dots were pointing towards Shinuiju from across the Yalu River. The arrows crossed the border and prated deep into Shinuiju, but the northern part of Shinuiju, visible in the satellite image, was as peaceful as could be. ¡°Right now, they¡¯re thinking of digging tunnels to get here.¡± The distance from the enemy¡¯s presumed base beyond the Yalu River to the target was only 40km. Someone might say, how could they dig a tunnel for 40km, but with ability users, nothing was impossible. ¡°We¡¯ll intercept them at the entrance of the gold mine, underground.¡± ¡°Are we not intercepting them directly?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t just one or two tunnels.¡± When Taejo snapped his fingers, the red arrows instantly multiplied. ¡°We¡¯ll defend directly from the gold mine, using it as a base. Once we defeat the two traitorous beauties from China and Russia, the rest will flee on their own. Now, let¡¯s begin ¡®No Touch Operation¡¯.¡± No Touch. Like how you shouldn¡¯t touch someone else¡¯s woman. You shouldn¡¯t mess with another country¡¯s resources.
At that moment. Gu-gu-gu. The sound of a drill echoed continuously. Dust swirled, but the ability users quickly dispersed it with a wave of their fans. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you dig any faster?¡± ¡°This is already a pretty fast pace.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Cheonma, who had directed a sharp voice at Rasputin, rolled up her sleeves. ¡°Shovel.¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± The man in a suit next to her handed over a shovel, and Cheonma approached the machine digging ahead with the shovel in hand. ¡°Hup!¡± As soon as mana enveloped the shovel, Cheonma began digging out the dirt by swinging the shovel left and right. Faster than the excavator, a tunnel wide enough for ten people to easily pass through began to form at a pace that seemed like a blur. ¡°Wow, impressive. Showing off your mana? You could just leisurely leave it to the machine.¡± ¡°No time. Let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°Still got that Korean rush, huh? Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Rasputin climbed onto the excavator. ¡°Take it easy. Take it easy. We won¡¯t bete if we go once the machine¡¯s done. Got a date in Beijing or something?¡± ¡°Need to finish quickly and get to training. Unlike you, I have to win in the nationalpetition.¡± ¡°Oh my, win?¡± ¡°Unlike you, I only need to beat two people.¡± ¡°Those two being Snow White and Gwang Ik Gong?¡± ¡°Hmph. I¡¯ll win.¡± Cheonma continued to shovel out the dirt. ¡°Definitely.¡± ¡°Huh. So, you¡¯re saying you can beat all the other S-ranks? What if someone like Tosin shows up?¡± ¡°If she shows up, she shows up. Do you think those under Tosin can beat me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a few years old story.¡± ¡°Hmph. I don¡¯t care what S-rank shows up. I¡¯ll win. I¡¯m Cheonma.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Well, hope they¡¯re men.¡± Rasputin, legs spread wide, caressed therge, thick drill of the excavator. ¡°Ye-rin. If it¡¯s a woman, she¡¯s yours. If it¡¯s a man¡­ I¡¯ll take him?¡± ¡°You crazy viin. You¡¯ll get your head smashed by the Goblin.¡± ¡°Looking forward to it.¡± She smirked. ¡°If I be the first ability user to seek Goblin¡¯s favor.¡± Chapter 297: Gold Rush (1) Chapter 297: Gold Rush (1) Shortly after, near a mountain lodge in the forest. ¡°Allow me to introduce them. Since the two of you have been given the names Gold and Gray, you should be called by codenames as well. You can call me Taejo, and please refer to the others by their aliases.¡± Taejo, who had brought us along with two A-rank agents to a secluded mountain lodge, introduced the two agents to us. ¡°It¡¯s better if they introduce themselves directly, right?¡± ¡°Yes! I am Han Jeong-woo, the team leader of the Anti-Terrorism Special Unit, Team A of the National Intelligence Service¡¯s Ability Management Division, codenamed ¡®Giparang¡¯.¡± ¡°I am Ryoo Ijin, the team leader of Team B in the same division, codenamed ¡®Ssangeo-goong¡¯.¡± The two A-rank agents greeted us with respectful postures. Since Taejo showed us respect, it was natural for his subordinates to follow suit. [Those people seem very interested in us, just like before.][They were sent by Gwang Ik Gong. They must be curious about what kind of S-rank we are, since they don¡¯t know who we are.] Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, an unknown S-rank entity always sparked interest. What kind of abilities did they have? Was there an S-rank that was unknown to this country? Were they really Korean? Even without reading their minds, I could see all the spections running through their heads. [But it seems like you are also quite intrigued by them. Do you know them?] [I knew there was such a team, but I didn¡¯t know the people.] [Wow, so we¡¯re learning new information this time?] [Yes.] It was quite new to hear their aliases and names, which didn¡¯t appear in the original work and hadn¡¯t been confirmed by the Secret Society. ¡®I knew the team existed, but I didn¡¯t know their appearance, names, or codenames.¡¯ Since the National Intelligence Service¡¯s ck agents were closely guarded to prevent information leaks, even the Secret Society found it difficult to obtain information about them. I knew such people existed, but I couldn¡¯t pinpoint their abilities, appearance, or names. ¡®I should inform Brewerter. Although contact with National Intelligence Service agents is difficult, this information might be useful in the future.¡¯ Who would have thought I¡¯d gain such information here? Coming all the way to Sinuiju was worth it. ¡°Nice to meet you. We would also like to reveal our true selves, but¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine! You two are on a more important mission than us. There¡¯s no need for you to reveal anything to us.¡± Giparang waved his hand with a vehement refusal. ¡°But it¡¯s the National Intelligence Service.¡± ¡°Normally, we would need to know, but since you were sent by Gwang Ik Gong, it would be rude for us to demand such information.¡± Despite his words, there was a faint glimmer in his eyes, hoping we might reveal something. Of course, there was no need to reveal anything when he was explicitly stating otherwise. ¡°There will be a time when you¡¯ll find out. When that timees, just think, ¡®Ah, that¡¯s who that person was.¡¯¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep the information confidential to ensure nothing leaks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Anyway, they¡¯d definitely find out soon. ¡°Taejo. What should we do?¡± ¡°You two should wait here at the lodge. Feel free to use any resources avable here. Also, there¡¯s a detonation device to bury the underground mine within this lodge.¡± Taejo pointed to a spot under the three-seater sofa inside the lodge. ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult to show you now, but if you checkter with magic power, you should be able to locate the detonation device. If something goes wrong, please use the detonation device to copse the mine.¡± ¡°Even if there are people inside?¡± ¡°Yes. We will escape on our own.¡± What the heck. ¡°The explosion won¡¯t be an ordinary one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a magical explosion, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°What if the mountain copses?¡± ¡°We will create a hole to escape through the sky.¡± I didn¡¯t know the size of the mine, but the amount of explosives required to intentionally copse a mine must be enormous. Even amidst such an explosion, without asking or questioning, they wanted us to copse the mine. ¡®Why does this feel so unfamiliar?¡¯ Seeing Taejo with ck hair instead of the usual blond bratty kid gives a strange feeling. When we talked about patriotism on the train, I thought he was just different in appearance but the same inside. But now, seeing his serious demeanor for national loyalty, it¡¯s quite unfamiliar. ¡°If an explosion urs, you two should immediately go to the container and head to Kaesong with the support agents. Although it might be inconvenient, a freight train ready to depart for Kaesong is waiting at Sinuiju Station.¡± ¡°If the mission seeds, can we take a special train back as we did on the way here?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± At Yumir¡¯s question, Taejo nodded with a bright smile. If things went wrong, it would be a freight train. If the mission seeded, we could returnfortably as we came. ¡°Then follow me. I¡¯ll introduce you to the mine we need to protect.¡± Taejo and the two A-rank agents stepped outside the lodge. ¡°I will transfer ess to the lodge to you. Mr. Gray, please bring your Taeguk Watch here.¡± ¡°This is Mr. Hyeon-cheol¡¯s Taeguk Watch, is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine. We can handle itter.¡± Taejo extended his hand, and I matched my Taeguk Watch with his. ¡°By the way, it suits you well. Mr. Gray, you definitely look morefortable in that role rather than being respectful.¡± ¡°Although I wear a mask, there¡¯s no reason to hide my skills.¡± ¡°¡­¡­! Indeed. I understand. The ess has been shared. Now, when you enter the lodge, just present the Taeguk Watch in front, and it will open. As for Ms. Gold¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay close to my brother, so no need to worry.¡± They left nothing to chance, even down to the smallest consideration. ¡®Is it a split personality?¡¯ Maybe Taejo had a split personality, with the bratty Taejo and the ck Taejo. In everyday life, the bratty side roamed freely, but at a certain keyword, the consciousness of the patriotic ck Taejo put the brat to sleep and took over. It¡¯s possible. It¡¯s not a joke; many ability users actually had split personalities. ¡°Please follow me this way.¡± While I was pondering Taejo¡¯s personality, he ran ahead towards the mountain. Although he moved faster than an average person¡¯s sprint, no one fell behind, and we quickly reached the mountain base. ¡°When descending, follow this path. This iron gate will also open if Mr. Gray presents his Taeguk Watch to the sensor.¡± A metal gate was visible inside a crevice, just big enough for one person to pass through. Taejo ced his Taeguk Watch on the sensor attached to the gate, and soon the gate split open and disappeared into the rock crevice. [Brother, this was made with ability, right?] [It looks like a rock on the outside, but it¡¯s all metal. It seems to be Taejo¡¯s work.] [When did hee up to Sinuiju to create such a facility?] [It¡¯s probably been a while.] After the fall of North Korea, when refugees tried to break through the DMZ, it¡¯s likely that Taejo and other ability users went north and created these devices. [Unlike Baridegi, who was an academy student, Taejo didn¡¯t enter the academy and stayed in Busan.] [So he actually came up to Sinuiju, explored resources, and built these facilities?] [His ability is metal maniption. Instead of bringing equipment piece by piece, creating such facilities on-site with avable metal is faster and more efficient.] The path down to the mine was a pitch-ck cave. Without the long iron rail handles extending sideways, we would have stumbled even with the Taeguk Watch¡¯s shlight illuminating our way. ¡°The condition is like this because it¡¯s far from Seoul. Over there in Gangwon-do, people cane and go like it¡¯s a coal mine¡­.¡± Taejo muttered as he continued walking, seemingly embarrassed by the unstable facilities. ¡°It must have been tough. Developing abilities alone is already busy enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± A faint chuckle escaped Taejo. Even without detailed words, Taejo would understand what I meant by this much. The time others spent developing their abilities, this man had to use that precious time for the nation. During the period when he should have been learning public education or ability training at the academy, Taejo was probably called wherever there was a need for metal and had to use his abilities. Although using abilities can also be considered ability training, considering Taejo¡¯s frequently used skills, it¡¯s likely that repetitive simple tasks urred. His main skill being steel maniption¡ª ¡°Stop.¡± I quickly called out to Taejo, who was about to move forward, and tapped my Taeguk Watch. ¡°It seems there are already people inside. Are they the agents who were deployed first?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Click. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be anyone inside.¡± ¡°In that case, they must be uninvited guests.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As soon as the shlight was turned off, Taejo lowered his voice even further. ¡°You two should head back to the lodge¡­.¡± ¡°There seem to be two S-ranks. Why don¡¯t we go in together?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Taejo¡¯s eyes flickered momentarily at Yoomir¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Then, Giparang. Sangeo-goong. Both of you, switch tobat mode as soon as we enter.¡± Click. As soon as Taejo touched the back of his neck, a ck iron powder-like substance covered his head. ¡®Oh.¡¯ sh. In the darkness, Taejo, wearing a helmet like a ck tiger, leapt forward in an instant. [Brother. That¡­.] [Yes.] For a moment, I saw it. The ck iron powder crawling up like ants from below his neck. [It¡¯s a bit excessive for just hiding his identity.] Taejo¡¯s helmet. [If he goes in like that¡­.] He looked like a rider. No matter if it was the National Intelligence Service¡ªactually, because it¡¯s the National Intelligence Service in this world and an ability user. ¡®If they give up their theme, they are not ability users.¡¯ Living for style and dying for style. Because he was a man. Chapter 298: Gold Rush (2) Chapter 298: Gold Rush (2) 5 minutes ago. ¡°Huaah!¡± A group of ability users emerged through a narrow hole, stretching and catching their breath as soon as they entered the joint space. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. Is this the right ce?¡± ¡°The GPS location matches here.¡± Although catching their breath inside the underground cave meant inhaling dust, they were relieved just to have reached their destination after digging a fairly long tunnel. ¡°Is this really the ce? There¡¯s nothing here. It¡¯s supposed to be a gold vein, right?¡± Rasputin surveyed the entire cavity. The fairly wide cave looked more like a natural cavern than a human-made mine, with no signs of human intervention.¡°It¡¯s a gold vein. It¡¯s just undeveloped. The reserves are¡­¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be. How could such gold remain until modern times? It must have been taken during the Japanese upation.¡± ¡°The ability to do so is what makes us special. Come this way.¡± Cheonma shone a shlight inward, infusing her fist with magic power. ¡°Hap!¡± With a short shout, she thrust her fist forward, and soon, dark blue magic power shot out like a punch and flew forward. Boom! The fist-shaped magic projectile flew across the air, hitting the wall and exploding. Soon, the wall shook violently, dust poured down, and the light from the shlight began to glint gold through the crumbling wall. ¡°¡­Crazy. Is that really gold? Unbelievable.¡± ¡°You might not have known, but such things do happen. This time, I¡¯m sharing the information generously, so take note.¡± Cheonma approached the wall she had breached and lightly tapped the glittering gold lump beyond the camouge wall. ¡°Have you heard the saying ¡®money can be duplicated¡¯?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what people say when money gets deposited into ability users¡¯ ounts?¡± ¡°Right. Now imagine converting that money into gold. The answer is simple, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What, like alchemy?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Thud, thud. Cheonma continued tapping the wall next to her, causing more gold-colored minerals to glitter through the crumbling surface. ¡°Crazy, is all that pure gold? How is this possible?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s right to question ¡®how¡¯ in the era of modern abilities?¡± ¡°No, but still, this is not normal. If this is a gold mine, how could we extract it this way? It would be a waste.¡± Rumble. Soon, the entire wall crumbled down. As the camouge wallpletely copsed, the inner wall of the vast cavity glittered entirely with gold. ¡°¡­¡­Even if we bring fiverge containers from the port, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡± ¡°Would five be enough? What if it¡¯s deeply embedded underground?¡± ¡°Crazy. How is this possible?¡± With only the shlight and smartwatch lights in the underground cave, it was hard to be certain, but it looked like huge chunks of gold glittering like the giant golden Buddha statues found in temples. ¡°This is insane. What is this?¡± ¡°Looks like nothing has been confirmed yet on the divostok side. But we have.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to tell us, just say it straight. What is this? How does the whole ground glitter like pure gold?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s infused with magic power. It might be because it¡¯s a resource buried in the great Koreannd. There are various possibilities, but for now, we call it ¡®resource assimtion.¡¯¡± ¡°Resource assimtion?¡± ¡°The surrounding resources transform into very expensive and valuable resources.¡± Cheonma, speaking as if unsure if this was correct, ced her hand on the gold. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whether it¡¯s someone with the ability of alchemy randomly altering the resources in thisnd, or whether it¡¯s the magic power spread by a meteorite that fell into the East Sea turning the world upside down.¡± ¡°Haha. At this rate, all kinds of gems might emerge from North Korean soil in the future.¡± ¡°Right. Who knows,ter, oil might gush out from the sea off Taean. Well, let¡¯s think about those phenomenater.¡± Thud, thud. Cheonma tapped the gold lump again. The solid sound seemed to resonate deeply within the gathered group¡¯s hearts. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly cut this out and take it. Let the researchers figure out the principlester. Now, move-avoid!¡± Just as Cheonma¡¯s shout echoed, something flew from the darkness. Thwack! The sound of something sharp piercing flesh. The sound, like an arrow shot from afar embedding into a body in a historical war movie, echoed throughout the cavity. ¡°Ugh!¡± The ability users fell. All the fallen ones had ck arrow-like objects embedded in their knees, and those beside them pulled out the arrows. ¡°ck¡­steel¡­?¡± ¡°Who are you!¡± [You don¡¯t need to know.] ¡°¡­Just by seeing your ability, I can tell who you are.¡± Swish, swish. A man in a ck suit walked out of the darkness. Wearing a helmet slightly different from a motorcycle helmet, like a rider¡¯s helmet sold at Haegneul, the man with ck gloves slowly revealed himself from the darkness. ¡°Long time no see, Taejo.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°There¡¯s no one else in Korea who can manipte metal so well besides you, right?¡± [It¡¯s quite tiring to be recognized just by using an ability. Being famous has its drawbacks.] sh! A burst of orange light exploded in the air. The light shot up to the ceiling and stuck to the wall, soon bathing the entire cavity in an orange hue, illuminating the interior brightly. [If you¡¯ve defected, you should live quietly in your own country. Whye all the way to Korea to steal resources?] ¡°Oh my. Isn¡¯t this North Koreannd?¡± [Are you uneducated? Thisnd has been Korean territory for a very long time. The North illegally upied it.] ¡°It¡¯s better not to learn such things through brainwashing education.¡± [Tsk. This conversation is going nowhere.] ¡°You didn¡¯te here to talk, did you?¡± Cheonma inteced her fingers and stretched them forward, while Rasputin stepped out beside her, extending both arms to his sides. ¡°Do you think you can handle us both?¡± [What nonsense is that, from someone who isn¡¯t even S-ss.] ¡°¡­Still an arrogant brat.¡± Buzz. The blue crystals emanating from Rasputin¡¯s hands began to take shape. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can still talk like that after being crushed by me. Huh? I¡¯m looking forward to seeing the mighty Taejo cry.¡± The ether-glowing crystal looked like a long club. Its end had a sinister shape, difficult to describe in words. [Sorry, but I¡¯m more about making others cry than crying myself.] Taejo tilted his head from side to side, then stretched his hand forward. [I¡¯ll let you make the first move.] Pow! No sooner had Cheonma and Rasputin disappeared from their spots than the battle of the S-sses began.
[Oppa. That guy seems to be imitating you.] [Imitating me?] [He¡¯s like Goblin Mk.2. The way he talks and his lines are all simr to Dodjirider.] [¡­Maybe.] Just as he was feeling a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, Taejo became Taejo Rider, provoking Cheonma and Rasputin. [There are more enemies than expected. Shouldn¡¯t we go support them?] Yumir¡¯s concerned voice echoed in his ear. Facing so many ability users, including two S-sses, with just Taejo and two A-sses seemed like a daunting task. [While the S-sses are engaged, the other A-sses are tied up with the other A-sses over there.] [That¡¯s right.] [Then, in the meantime, won¡¯t all those gold chunks¡­ be taken away?] Crack!! The entire cavity turned into a battlefield. Taejo faced Cheonma and Rasputin, while Giparang and Sangeo-Gung fought the A-sses from China and Russia. And in the meantime, ability users, estimated to be around E-ss, wielded magic-infused shovels, hacking at the gold vein. Thud, thud. The bright gold chunks fell away as easily as tofu. Even though it¡¯s gold, and no matter how soft the iron in the shovel was, it posed no problem for an ability user who infused ¡®mana¡¯ into the shovel and enhanced their body with mana. If they didn¡¯t clear this up quickly and chase them away, all that gold would be smuggled overseas. [It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s one dangerous enemy, but we have enough power to handle it.] [Is the dangerous one Cheonma?] [Yes.] A woman who was purely an S-ss within Korea. In other words, someone beyond Taejo¡¯s S-ss baseline. [Rasputin was below Taejo. It was only after she went to Russia and got the name Rasputin that she was ssified as S-ss. In Korea, she would be considered A+ ss.] [But she could have gotten stronger since then. Rasputin is one of the top three in Russia. And if she¡¯s teaming up with Cheonma¡­.] [It looks disadvantageous for Taejo.] On the surface. In a situation where battle was imminent, Yumir seemed ufortable with the idea of Taejo getting hurt or dying after showing his other side. Like attracts like, and birds of a feather flock together. No matter how Canadian she was, Yumir was now almost half Korean. [Yumir. Being S-ss is ultimately determined by the Hero Association, right?] [Yes?] [That judgment is based on overallbat ability, including the ability to save people as a hero. But there¡¯s one aspect that¡¯s not measured.] Something that could not be openly discussed in the light. [Lethality.] Chapter 299: Gold Rush (3) Chapter 299: Gold Rush (3) Each person¡¯s abilities were different, but among these varied abilities, there was one most specialized for the modern era of 2025. For example, there was the metal maniption right in front of our eyes. Ka-ga-ga-kang! Metal tes flew through the air. Metal shards buzz around like bees, stabbing with sharp stingers like needles. ¡°Annoying!¡± Cheonma stomped hard on the ground, shaking it, while Rasputin leapt up with suppression rods in both hands, swinging them in arge X-shape. ¡°Die!!¡± Without mercy, she swung the rod, aiming to smash Taejo¡¯s head.However, Taejo leaped backward to distance himself from them, simultaneously extending his hand forward. Cha-kang! A sharp sword extended from his hand toward Rasputin¡¯s crown. The silver de not only has the form of steel but also spins like a saw de. ¡°Hmph!¡± Rasputin took it head-on. Tilting his head slightly backward, he thrusted it forward, ramming his forehead into the de. Metal de versus human forehead. Surprisingly, it was the de that broke. Pa-ji-ji-jik!! Orange sparks flew, and the de started to crumble. Without even a scratch or a red mark on her forehead, Rasputin, with just mana enveloping her body, destroyed Taejo¡¯s de. ¡°Do you think you can beat us with your power?!¡± [You¡¯re just a Cheonma bus rider.] ¡°Shut up!¡± Whether it¡¯s his original personality or he had truly mastered fighting like the Goblin. ¡®Even Rasputin alone cannot defeat Taejo.¡¯ His skill in provoking the opponent with words was superb. And his skill in proving those words with actions was equally superb. ¡°You, I¡¯ll kill you-¡± Swae-eak! As something silver glistened and flew from Taejo, Rasputin quickly turned her head to the side. ¡®Even an S-rank would naturally get scared.¡¯ No matter how high-ranking, if something sharp flew towards their eyes without protective goggles, they had two choices. Dodge it. Or deflect it. Rasputin couldn¡¯t deflect it and twisted her body excessively to dodge the attack. [Hmph.] ¡°Damn it!¡± It was only one attack, but it was clear who was moreposed. Though Rasputin continued her attack, Taejo blocked them all with the surrounding metal chunks. [You should stick to being an S-rank in Russia.] Taejo reached out and pulled his hand forward. Rasputin frowned but soon stepped back, still frowning. ¡°What the¡­!¡± Kwaaak. As Taejo clenched his fist, Rasputin¡¯s belt began to tighten. The metal buckle was pulled from both sides, and the leather belt began to constrict Rasputin¡¯s abdomen excessively. ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± Suh-reok! The belt was cut. The leather was sliced by Cheonma, who had sharply shed Rasputin¡¯s back. ¡°At the start of the battle, you should have taken off all the metal pieces.¡± ¡°Cheonma¡­!¡± [Tch.] Cheonma threw away her smartwatch, standing only in light clothing, and stepped forward toward Rasputin. ¡°Watch carefully. This is the dignity of a true S-rank.¡± Kwa-aaaaang! Steel des erupted from the ground, but Cheonma didn¡¯t dodge them. The des only managed to cut her fluttering clothes, breaking upon touching Cheonma¡¯s white skin. ¡°Your weakness is already exposed.¡± [¡­¡­!] Taejo stepped back, crossing his arms in an X shape in front of him. At the same time, molten metal rose over his arms, forming a thick shield, but Cheonma lightly jumped forward, undeterred. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!¡± Cheonma kicked off her shoes, leaping barefoot towards Taejo¡¯s shield. [!!] Kwa-aaaang! With a sound like a person being hit by a dump truck, Taejo flew backward with his shield. In an instant, his body was in the air, and Cheonma lightlynded, immediately chasing after Taejo. Bang, bang-bang, bang! ¡°Cheonma¡¯s consecutive strikes.¡± [Some strange technique¡­!] ¡°Yes, you can¡¯t block it, right?¡± Every time the rapid consecutive strikesnded, a loud explosion echoed. With just her bare fists swinging, explosions resounded, shaking the entire cavity. Pa-ji-jik! Each strike on Taejo¡¯s shield caused his shirt to tear explosively, blood dripping from under his helmet. ¡°Hey, kid. This is what happens when you mess with your elder sister. Got it?¡± [¡­¡­Fighting recklessly.] ¡°It¡¯s not reckless, it¡¯s called a difference in ss.¡± Cheonma gentlynded, extending her hand forward. ¡°You have more magic power than me? No, right?¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°I¡¯ll just take half of those gold pieces. Then it would be simple, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± [What did you say?] ¡°Those two.¡± Ka-aaaaang! ¡°Gah!¡± With a fierce sound, the two A-rankers were quickly cornered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it, cowardly¡­!¡± Dozens of ability users from China and Russia, armed with shovels, rifles, and their own weapons, were cornering them. ¡°Let¡¯s kill those two and keep our mouths shut. How about that?¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°Originally, there was only the leftover gold, except for what we were taking. Isn¡¯t that simple then?¡± [You¡¯d kill people over a lump of gold?] ¡°Just a lump? Hey, who knows what will happen with that gold? If you bury it in the ground, who knows if it will turn the minerals around it into gold? Right?¡± [¡­Then even more so, I cannot hand it over.] Taejo staggered forward. [Never!] He reached out his hand towards the rifle. As long as it was made of metal, if he didn¡¯t infuse it with mana and grab it, then surely- [What¡­?] ¡°It¡¯s stic. Do you think you can handle stic too?¡± [¡­¡­!] ¡°Not the shovels!¡± Taejo reached for the shovels lying near the gold mine, but Cheonma kicked towards the direction Taejo¡¯s hand was reaching, causing a gust of wind. The shovels that were floating in the air quickly fell to the ground. ¡°Too bad. It¡¯s just your bad luck that your perfect counter came along.¡± [Do you really want to take resources from another country that badly?] ¡°We¡¯re just sharing among people living on the same.¡± [Really? Too bad, but there are ways to not share.] Taejo raised his hand behind his neck and then extended it forward again. [I¡¯d rather blow it all up than give you even a speck of gold.] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Click. As Taejo pressed something like a switch, Cheonma and Rasputin crouched down and stepped back. But. Nothing happened. [¡­¡­.] ¡°What is this? A bluff?¡± ¡°Hey. In these situations, something usually blows up in like 10 seconds or so.¡± The tension was high, but nothing happened. Surprisingly, only time passed. ¡°¡­Is this just one of those things? Like, a bomb was nted but the detonator didn¡¯t go off or something?¡± ¡°Or the switch was really just a bluff. ¡­Considering the situation, that doesn¡¯t seem likely. Phew, got scared for nothing.¡± [¡­¡­.] Taejo slowly lowered his hand. Then he tilted his head up towards the ceiling, cing his hand on his face. Pah-sus-sus. The ck iron dust that made up his helmet clung to Taejo¡¯s gloves, revealing his face, soaked in sweat and with blood dripping from his mouth. ¡°What, are you trying to do something with your face?¡± ¡°No, I was just trying to focus a bit more¡­.¡± Taejo smirked and took a step back. ¡°Don¡¯t call it cowardly, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Whiiiing. A wind blew. A cold wind that shouldn¡¯t be blowing from deep underground. ¡°What the hell is this-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Taejo just lightly shrugged his shoulders- sh! Soon, from the hollowed-out gold lump, a golden sphere emerged. The golden light, big enough to fit two peoplefortably, shone brightly like the sun in the cave. Soon, the sphere split open, and footsteps echoed from inside. ¡°What is that¡­?¡± ¡°A knight¡­?¡± The being that appeared was an ability user they had never seen before. But the appearance was somehow both unfamiliar and familiar. ¡°Wait, why is thating out here?¡± ¡°tinum¡­ Sun¡­?¡± [Esacta.] A blonde woman stepped forward with an unknown phrase. Though she wore a mask, unlike the Golden Priestess, she was dressed in a ck suit and yellow shirt like an officedy, with her golden hair shining brightly - she was undoubtedly the famous demon purifier, tinum Sun. ¡°Why is tinum Sun here¡­?!¡± [You don¡¯t need to know that.] ¡°This¡­!¡± [But if you really need a reason, it¡¯s because if that gold falls into your hands, you¡¯llmit all sorts of evil deeds with it. And you could create demons with it.] ¡°How is that even possible?!¡± [Why do you think it¡¯s impossible? Too bad.] tinum Sun stepped forward, clenching her fist. [A Korean protecting Korea¡¯s resources, is there a problem?] ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯re Korean too? Fine, I have a proposal.¡± With a tense face, Rasputin stepped forward. ¡°How about ¡®Talco¡¯?¡± [¡­What?] ¡°Talco. Literally. Leave Korea.¡± Grin. ¡°If you meet Russian men, you won¡¯t even think about Korean men.¡± [Not that I want topare, but your words are quite unpleasant. Well, you won¡¯t be able to return intact anyway.] Click. [I¡¯m not the only one here.] ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Cheonma¡¯s expression hardened. At the same time, Rasputin¡¯s face hardened. The faces of all the ability users from China and Russia hardened. ¡°Why, why are you here¡­!!¡± [Why am I here?] The masked being. Suspiciously, he worerge ck armor. With giant ws on both hands. [You cannot be allowed to open the gate of Qlipoth.] Chapter 300: Gold Rush (4) Chapter 300: Gold Rush (4) Wait, the appearance was dyed. Originally, I should have burst out the moment Taejo pressed the device, but instead of Taejo¡¯s intention to copse this entire cave, we responded by stepping forward ourselves. Honestly, even if 10 S-ranks came, I wouldn¡¯t be afraid. It seemed that Taejo had also considered blowing up the cave, but there was no need for that. It¡¯s enough to blow up the enemy. The slight dy was due to the concern about ¡®how should we appear¡¯. -Yumir, what do you think about the Dark Charisma stepping forward? -Then I¡¯m not going out. I¡¯ll just lend you magic power from behind, so go alone. -¡­¡­.After a moment of silent contemtion for the unintentionally snubbed Dark Charisma by Yumir. I set up a few tactics with Yumir, then immediately transformed into Hessed ck War Dragoon. The message to Taejo through this is clear. Gwang Ik Gong was connected to the Sephiroth Knights. I thought it might be an appropriate hint to let them know that one of the Sephiroth Knights is Gwang Ik Gong¡ªor a descendant of Gwang Ik Gong. Thus, I intentionally took the appearance of a Sephiroth Knight in front of Cheonma and Rasputin. ¡°What is this thing called the ¡®Gate of Qliphoth¡¯¡­?¡± Cheonma tilted her head, and Rasputin bit her lower lip as if something came to mind. What was Qliphoth? In contrast to Sephiroth, if Sephiroth were angels, then Qliphoth were demons. In other words, they were beings like demons to the Sephiroth Knights. It was okay to give Taejo a hint through the appearance of the Sephiroth Knights, but I was worried about the justification for stepping forward, so I came up with a random one. There was a demon in this underground. [I will not let you open the gate.] As Hessed, I equipped ws on both hands and charged forward. ¡°Where!¡± Cheonma immediately rushed towards me. My body tilted forward, and Cheonma¡¯s face drew closer as she also lunged forward. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to fight you! Hessed!¡± Cheonma grinned as she brought her face closer to mine. At the same time, she swung her right hand over her shoulder, gathering magic power to thrust her fist at me. [What meaning does this fight have?] ¡°Pleasure!¡± Although I tried to bewilder her with a usible question, Cheonma began to smile even more broadly as I easily twisted my body to avoid her attack. ¡°The joy of winning a fight!¡± [Is that your distortion?] As her name implied, Cheonma was indeed addicted to battles. The reason she fought with Tosin over the seast time was because she preferred hand-to-handbat. [Then, I will correct that distortion.] ¡°!!¡± Facing Cheonma, who was striking me with bare hands and feet, I thrust the Dragoon Killer forward. Thunk! The de pierced the side of Cheonma¡¯s clothes. The de only pierced the clothes, but unlike the time she kicked Taejo¡¯s de with her bare foot, Cheonma¡¯s expression changed dramatically. ¡°This¡­!¡± Unlike Taejo¡¯s steel, this was not just steel, but a ¡®magic de¡¯ that looked like steel. Naturally, it was a sh of magic powers. The de of the Dragoon Killer was sharply honed, and it could easily cut through the mana shield protecting the body, even if it was Cheonma¡¯s shield. [Rest assured.] After pushing the Dragoon Killer further in. [I don¡¯t intend to kill you.] ¡°!!¡± Releasing my grip on the Dragoon Killer, I grabbed Cheonma¡¯s clothes. [But I don¡¯t intend to let you go either.] ¡°!!¡± Cheonma, who was suddenly grabbed by me, infused her feet with magic power and tried to kick me. If she kicked me as she was, it wouldn¡¯t just break my leg bones; it would sever my leg entirely. [Where do you think you¡¯re going?] So, I took a big leap with one foot on the ground. Cheonma¡¯s kick swung widely below, and as she descended, I took the upper position. [Too slow.] Boom! I shot magic power from my back and mmed Cheonma vertically into the ground. Grabbing her clothes with one hand, I pressed her abdomen with my fist, and with the other hand, I thrust the Dragoon Killer¡¯s de into both sides of her neck. Crunch! Red blood began to flow from both sides of her neck. As the de cut through the mana shield protecting her body, thin blood started to flow from Cheonma¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡± [Stronger opponents than you¡­ No, I don¡¯t even need to say more.] Subtly hinting that there were far stronger opponents than Cheonma, I pushed the Dragoon Killer further into both sides of her neck. [If you move, your head will fly off.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± No matter who, the neck was thinner than the head. In special cases, Cheonma¡¯s neck might be thicker than her head, but that¡¯s not the case here. As such, with the de embedded right next to her neck, there¡¯s no way to escape. ¡°¡­Why did the Sephiroth Knights appear?¡± [You don¡¯t need to know.] ¡°Is the ¡®Gate of Qliphoth¡¯ a gate through which demons emerge?¡± [¡­¡­.] I wanted to say, ¡°Don¡¯t you even know that?¡± but remaining silent seemed like a good way to awaken her mind. ¡°Ha, a demon being born inside that gold lump? That¡¯s nonsense¡­ no, wait. Could it be¡­!¡± Cheonma was talking to herself, answering her own questions. ¡°From the future¡­?¡± She then provided the reasoning herself for why the Sephiroth Knight Hessed woulde all the way here to stop anyone from touching the gold mine. ¡°So that¡¯s it, that¡¯s how it is¡­.¡± Just as I was about to speak, feeling that my line had been taken. Boom! A cloud of dust rose as something crashed into the wall. ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­!¡± [You¡¯re weak.] Through the dust, Rasputin, bleeding from the head, was panting, while Yumir, with golden magic power wrapped around one foot, leisurely lowered her foot and dusted her hands. [You, who couldn¡¯t even reach S-rank in Korea, trying to defeat me. Ridiculous.] ¡°You, damned¡­!¡± [What? Thinking of bing a demon because you feel like you¡¯re losing?] ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± Ah. That hit the mark. Striking the anger, the shame, and the inferiorityplex of the ability user perfectly. Reaching for a cheat because you think you¡¯d lose. It was a statement that dealt a serious blow to the mind of an ability user, and naturally, Rasputin sublimated her anger into magic power and stood up. ¡°I will devour you, Demon Purifier¡­!!¡± Whirring. Magic power began to emerge from Rasputin¡¯s body. The mass of magic power gushing out from under her fluttering dress wriggled like tentacles, and the tentacles shot out between her legs and rose upwards. [Ugh.] Yumir openly expressed her disgust as soon as she saw it. Everyone else felt the same, but Rasputin, who had revealed her magic in such an obscene form, confidently stroked the tentacle-wrapped column with her hand. ¡°Why? This is the secret to why I got the name Rasputin. The man who monopolizes the love of Russian women. Once you taste this, even men go crazy for it.¡± [Are you in your right mind?] ¡°Of course. I¡¯m in my right mind. Thisnd made me this way.¡± Rasputin grasped the spirally twisted bundle of tentacles with both hands as if holding a Gatling gun. As she turned to the side and aimed the bundle of tentacles forward, it looked as if she was about to shoot a real Gatling gun. ¡°I¡¯ll do everything you want in this damned country.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°Hey, do you know what my original alias was? It was ¡®Crystalizer.¡¯¡± Before bing Rasputin, her first alias was Crystalizer. Now, it looked like tentacles, but to someone who didn¡¯t know tentacles, it would look like writhing crystals. ¡°But you, the men of this country, insulted my ability! Calling me Tentacle Girl! Saying a woman carries tentacles around!¡± [Uh, um.] ¡°I will take revenge on this country that insulted my ability! And with these tentacles, I will punish all those who insulted my ability¡­.¡± Slice. The tips of the tentacles split open to the sides. Instead of opening vertically like a snake¡¯s mouth, they opened slightly to the sides like a crab¡¯s mouth. ¡°With these tentacles, I will vite their filthy minds!¡± [Ugh, really¡­!] ¡°Rolling Vulcan!!¡± Ratatatatatatata??????!! Countless magic bullets began to pour out like a mountain, firing rapidly from the ends of the writhing crystals. The barrage of bullets was unfortunately a murky color. I grabbed Cheonma and leaped back, pulling out the Dragoon Killer. ¡°What, what¡­!¡± [Firing something like that indiscriminately. Tsk.] Why was Rasputin treated as a viin? Why did Rasputin never show herself publicly? The reason was clear from her technique. Ratatatatat. The murky magic bullets scattered in all directions soon melted and covered the ground. Like squid ink sttered everywhere, the white mana crystals flowed like liquid, sticking to everything they touched. ¡°My ability: crystallization of magic power, viscosity of magic power. And¡­.¡± ¡°Ha, ha, ha!¡± ¡°My newly developed unique ability.¡± One by one, those inside the cave began to breathe heavily and copse. The Chinese ability users, dressed simrly to Cheonma, all grabbed their lower parts and fell, while the ability users who came with Rasputin casually approached and started cuffing them. ¡°It¡¯s a neurotoxin. Instead of paralyzing the body¡­ You get it, right? If you¡¯re a woman.¡± [¡­¡­!!] Smirk. As Yumir flinched and limped, Rasputin¡¯s face twisted grotesquely. ¡°We¡¯re taking all the gold here. Sephiroth? Qliphoth? I don¡¯t care about those-¡± Bang. A lump of gold flew at Rasputin¡¯s forehead. A heavy lump, like a golden baseball, fell to the ground, and the one who threw it was none other than Yumir. ¡°How, even for an S-rank-¡± [Such drugs don¡¯t work on me. Because-] Yumir nced at me before extending her hand towards Rasputin. [I¡¯m always addicted.] A light as bright as the sun instantly enveloped Rasputin. Chapter 301: Gold Rush (5) There was a saying, ¡°immune to all poisons.¡± It¡¯s mainly used in martial arts novels, referring to a state where one developed resistance to all poisons and no poison could affect them. The poisons used in the world of supernatural abilities, those utilized through magical power, were slightly different. Fundamentally, supernatural abilities were based on the premise that one¡¯s ability affected the opponent¡¯s ability, and the opponent, even unconsciously, tried to resist that ability. If it¡¯s an ability that was ¡®not recognized¡¯ at all, the resistance was weaker. To counter an opponent¡¯s ability solely with instinct and the body¡¯s basic defense mechanisms, one¡¯s ego must be incredibly strong. There must be a belief, almost like faith, that no poison could affect them under any circumstances. However, if there existed a being who could disregard such things, it was naturally because their basic magical power was at an EX level, nullifying the opponent¡¯s abilities through mere survival instincts. That being was Yumir.Yumir¡¯s magical power was so strong that no poison used by the opponent could affect her. Unless Yumir herself recognized that she was ¡®affected¡¯ by the poison, she remained unaffected by it. Therefore. ¡°No, this is impossible¡­! How can a woman always be in a state of heat?!¡± ¡®That¡¯s not it.¡¯ Rasputin, trembling violently, pointed angrily at Yumir, but Yumir just shrugged her shoulders nonchntly, standing rxed. [Well, I understand your poison. You scatter it around. Probably, those behind you are all resistant to the poison. Or, they¡¯ve been poisoned once before, or have directly epted the poison.] ¡°This, this¡­!¡± Ability users became genuinely flustered in two situations. One was when their ability didn¡¯t work at all. The other was when their ability waspletely understood by the opponent. [These ability users who came along on this mission, all of them have been directly infused with your magical power using those tentacles, right? So only the Russians have developed resistance.] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± [From the beginning, you intended to betray China. You couldn¡¯t trust each other and were nning to betray them after crossing the Amnok River, weren¡¯t you?] ¡°¡­¡­There was a spy.¡± Rasputin¡¯s tentacles tremble. ¡°Yes! There was a spy! Information leaked out! That¡¯s why you appeared! Bringing the antidote, you great scoundrels!¡± Her face contorted rapidly as she started answering her own questions about the current situation. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that, how could you be standing here like this!¡± Rasputin naturally thought so because she didn¡¯t realize that Yumir figured out all their ns and the situation just by ¡®intuition¡¯ based on circumstances. Deducing the correct answer just by observing the situation on the ground is really impossible. As Rasputin said, it¡¯s more convincing that we got the information through an internal spy, developed resistance to the poison, and came to this ce. ¡°But, you wouldn¡¯t have known this!¡± Rasputin¡¯s tentacles started to wriggle. The tentacles, which had multiple barrels like a Gatling gun, repeatedly contracted and expanded, transforming into a single giant pir in an instant. [Ugh, do you have to shape it like that?] Yumir takes a step back in disgust at the sight of Rasputin¡¯s giant tentacle. ¡®It¡¯s a form intended to shake her mental state.¡¯ It was only natural for Yumir to step back in disgust. The shape was so intimidating that neither women nor men would dare to attack the tentacle or think of ¡®receiving¡¯ what it ejected. While a cannonball from a fish-head rocket could be blocked with a shield, avoiding the white, sticky liquid from a turtle-head rocket is the best course of action. ¡°Increase sensitivity by 100 times!!¡± Fwoosh!! The tentacle cannon wielded by Rasputin starts spewing immense magical power. It may be a magical bullet, but it¡¯s a powerful magical barrage reminiscent of a fire hose from a fire truck, and its appearance leaves no room for other thoughts. Since it was fired with such intention, I grabbed Cheonma¡¯s neck and jumped far back. ¡°Let, let me go¡­!¡± [Didn¡¯t expect this, did you? Are you poisoned?] ¡°Shut up¡­!¡± Cheonma, with her face flushed red, bit her lower lip and struggled to escape from me. Being betrayed by Rasputin itself wouldn¡¯t be embarrassing. The Chinese ability users were probably nning to betray the Russians as well. But being helplessly affected by Rasputin¡¯s poison, someone she thought was weaker than her, an S-ss who became one after being detected by an overseas S-ss detector, hurts her pride. [I¡¯m sorry, but I have no intention of curing your current state.] ¡°What¡­?¡± [This poison has no antidote. You either solve it yourself, get help from another person, or get baptized by Rasputin¡¯s tentacle; otherwise, the poison will keep eroding your body.] Since the poison in the form of mana has already entered Cheonma¡¯s body through her respiratory tract. Even if Rasputin was killed, Rasputin¡¯s mana would permeate the bodies of the poisoned ones like cancer cells, continuously causing abnormalities in their bodies. [The method to detoxify is simple. If this poison artificially stimtes ¡®pleasure,¡¯ you can ovee it through stronger natural pleasure.] ¡°What kind of nonsense is that!¡± [It¡¯s a truly effective method, that¡¯s why I¡¯m saying it. I don¡¯t lie.] ¡°¡­Is it true?¡± Cheonma, breathing heavily, looks up at me with a worried face. ¡°Is, is that really the only way? No other methods?¡± [None.] ¡°Damn¡­! Without even thinking of looking into other ways¡­!¡± Since she thought of me as someone from the future, she probably believed that what I said was a solution obtained from the future. ¡°Dammit¡­!¡± [And I have no intention of helping you.] ¡°Who¡­ who would ask for help from someone like you, an unknown future dweller¡­!¡± [Instead, there is someone over there who can help you.] I grabbed Cheonma and threw her backward. Cheonma, who flew helplessly through the air, slowly came to a stop in midair, supported by a ck iron hand that reached out to catch her. ¡°Huh, what¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Cheonma slowly descended to the ground,nding safely away from the white mass of magical power. Taejo used the iron that clung to his body to form Asura¡¯s arms and caught Cheonma with them. ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­.¡± Unfortunately, Taejo was also poisoned. Although he hadn¡¯te into direct contact with the deadly poison Rasputin had spread, the underground space, which was almostpletely enclosed, allowed the poison to permeate through the respiratory system. [Handle it yourself.] After throwing Cheonma to Taejo, I jumped forward and stood next to Yumir. [Are you okay? Do you need help?] [I¡¯m not interested.] Yumir asked. She was curious if I was giving Cheonma to Taejo by throwing her in that state. She looked puzzled, as if wondering why I wouldn¡¯t just take Cheonma myself, but I shook my head firmly. [Cheonma can¡¯t ride a unicorn.] [¡­Ugh.] Yumir¡¯s eyes narrowed momentarily. [Are you that kind of person?] [Just think of it that way. I¡¯ll exin in detailter.] It seemed like I was implying that I despised those who couldn¡¯t ride unicorns, but it was better than exining everything in detail. The important thing was dealing with Rasputin. ¡°Heh, hehehe! Yes, you two! You must have a rtionship, huh?! The fact that tinum Sun keeps getting poisoned, it was you!¡± Rasputin, whose eyes were filled with madness, aimed the tentacle cannon at me. Inside the split muzzle, the white magical power was swelling, aiming straight at me. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere with my mission???!¡± Fwoosh!! A massive amount of white mana was fired at us. Without even having time to dodge, Yumir faced the rapid barrage that spread in all directions, covering the entire cave. [Tsk.] [I¡¯ll block it.] Yumir extended her hand forward, creating a golden hemisphere. The golden shield, spread like an umbre, blocked the barrage, and the white mana scattered to the sides of the shield. [She¡¯s really an unpleasant type to deal with.] [She deliberately takes that form to erode the human spirit.] I lightly tapped Yumir¡¯s back. [Are you okay? You¡¯re not just holding on, right?] I wondered if she was actually poisoned but enduring it with willpower. [Yes. It seemed like it was trying to enter through my breath, but I immediately blocked it with my mana.] [That¡¯s a relief.] I was momentarily worried, but it seemed Yumir was indeed fine. [Well, it¡¯s true I¡¯m addicted to someone.] [¡­¡­.] I lightly tapped Yumir¡¯s shoulder from behind and extended the Dragon Killer forward. [I won¡¯t kill you, so don¡¯t worry. But¡­] Click. [For some people, it might hurt as much as dying.] I aimed the Dragon Killer¡¯s de precisely at Rasputin, pulling the trigger connected to the handle. Bang! Three des flew forward, slicing through the barrage and heading straight for the inside of Rasputin¡¯s tentacle cannon. And then. Thud! The Dragon Killer pierced right through the center of Rasputin¡¯s tentacle cannon, which had split apart. Chapter 302: Gold Rush (6) Chapter 302: Gold Rush (6) Rasputin fell. Before the Dragoon Killer that dug into the tentacle fort, Rasputin, who had been pouring all her energy into the tentacles, fainted from mental shock. [Maybe I went a bit too far.] Seeing the foam at her mouth and her copsing over the mana lump she had scattered, I felt a bit sorry. But if Rasputin had not been taken down, those above¡ªKiparang, Ssang¡¯eogung, Taejo, Cheonma, and the many suffering Chinese people¡ªwould have been ravaged by Rasputin¡¯s tentacle cannon. [The rest¡­ there¡¯s no need to say.] I stretched the Dragoon Killer sideways. I pulled the trigger on the side where the de had not yet been restored and shot the Dragoon Killer into the air. [Go.]The des flew around like bees with their own will, piercing the hearts of the Russians. Of course, they did not die or bleed. It just gave the visual effect of having their hearts pierced by the de, simultaneously shocking them so they could not use mana and fainted. [That was scary. Even if it was a miss, I thought you were killing them.] [They are opponents I can handle without killing.] I did not kill people carelessly in front of Yumir. Though they were viins who came to steal resources, if they hadmitted acts akin to Lace¡¯s demon¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t know yet.¡¯ I needed to find out through the Society¡¯s database what Rasputin and her gang had done to decide whether to kill or spare them. Until then, I just needed to prevent them from using their abilities recklessly and stop them from awakening alone and bing demons in their own worlds. The ability most suitable for that was not mine or Yumir¡¯s, but the man moving Asura¡¯s arms diligently over there. [Taejo.] ¡°¡­¡­.Ah.¡± Taejo, who had been moving Asura¡¯s arms to detoxify Cheonma, turned his gaze to me. ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­.¡± Cheonma was not in a state to converse right now. Even against four opponents, Taejo could move the ck iron hands easily, focusing all his hands on one person. Moreover, he was concentrating on removing the remaining toxins from Rasputin inside Cheonma, so how could Cheonma be in her right mind? [It would be nice if you could push the ground with metal once. And trap all the ones here in ¡®our¡¯ ce.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [What¡¯s wrong?] ¡°Uhm¡­.¡± Taejo tilted his head and alternated his gaze between me and Yumir. ¡°Just asking because I¡¯m curious. Since no one is here right now¡­¡± Bang! Taejo¡¯s Asura hand mmed down on Cheonma¡¯s head. Cheonma fainted, and Taejo checked if anyone around was conscious. ¡°Are you¡­.¡± [To discuss that, we need to resolve this first.] I tapped my left wrist, and Taejo nodded, extending his hand. ¡°Disassemble. Divide. Unite.¡± Crackle! Metal fragments gathered from all directions, forming a sphere in front of Taejo. Those metals were all pieces of smartwatches, traces of all electronic devices in this space. ¡°Clean up.¡± Taejo ced the sphere on the ground and, through mana maniption, created a broad nk. He started sweeping the ground with it, pushing the white mana staining the ground towards the tunnels dug by the thieves. ¡°Now, there¡¯s no one here to hear our conversation. Can I ask now?¡± [Of course. If it¡¯s about Gwang Ik Gong-] ¡°Goblin, right?¡± [¡­¡­.] What? Did this guy always have such keen insight? [What makes you think that?] ¡°Seeing tinum Sun¡¯s reaction to you¡­?¡± [How does that mean I¡¯m Goblin?] ¡°Because the person tinum Sun likes is Goblin, and tinum Sun looks at you that way.¡± Taejo¡¯s eyes were filled with certainty. As if his belief was the truth, without a hint of doubt. [If I am Goblin, does that mean the supporter sent by Gwang Ik Gong is Goblin, implying Gwang Ik Gong is allied with Goblin?] ¡°I don¡¯t know the connection between you two, but I judged based on tinum Sun¡¯s gaze. It¡¯s more usible to think that Goblin is Hessed and acting, rather than tinum Sun looking at a being called Hessed from the future with loving eyes.¡± Taejo pointed to his eyes with a tense voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know much else, but I can always tell who a girl likes by looking at their eyes. Even just from CCTV footage.¡± [Maybe we talked too much.] It seemed that I shared too much with Taejo on the train. [Is this my fault?] [Seems like it. Next time, how about wearing a visor that covers your eyes?] [Shouldn¡¯t I have avoided looking at anyone right from the start when I boarded the train in disguise?] Yumir¡¯s eyes curved into a crescent shape. [Should we erase his memory? Even as an S-rank, it¡¯s possible.] ¡°Wa, wait a moment. Hold on. I have no intention of fighting you two.¡± As Yumir rolled up her sleeves and gathered her magic, Taejo hurriedly stepped back to create some distance. ¡°Let¡¯s help each other out as fellow Koreans. For now. Okay?¡± [I¡¯m not Korean.] ¡°¡­No way.¡± [I¡¯m just an international novice bride aspiring to be Korean.] [You¡¯re very open about it.] I lightly ced my fist on the back of Yumir¡¯s head, deactivating my transformation as Hessed and putting on a suit. [It¡¯s been a while, Taejo.] ¡°¡­As expected. Revealing yourself means there¡¯s a bit of room for discussion, right?¡± [I¡¯m not interested in talking to Armored Taejo, but I think it¡¯s worth talking to ck Agent Taejo, who is willing to self-destruct for the national interest in a ce like this.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Taejo smiled. ¡°Just one more question. If I touch that gold mine, will a demon pop out?¡± [It¡¯s just a story made to cause confusion.] ¡°Then, I can use it, right?¡± [Of course.] ¡°¡­Phew. Then.¡± Taejo sighed deeply with relief and approached the gold mine. ¡°First, I will restrain everyone here.¡± Gugugugu. As Taejo ced his hand on the gold mine, the entire mass of gold began to move. [Wow.] [The most expensive bulldozer in the world.] The gold spread across the entire width of the cavity, moving like a squeegee. The white mana lumps pushed by the gold were driven towards the tunnels dug by the thieves, and the fainted thieves lying on the ground were swept behind the moving gold. ¡°¡­Come, golden prison.¡± With an incantation added to Taejo¡¯s ability, the gold quickly formed a giant hexagonal box that swallowed the thieves. Inside each box, as big as a one-room bathroom, were all the ability users, and I leaned my head against Yumir¡¯s ear as I watched. [That¡¯s Taejo¡¯s ultimate killing power.] [¡­If he doesn¡¯t make a space for air, they¡¯ll just die.] [Right.] The technique shown by Armored Taejo, ¡®Iron Casket.¡¯ The motif of that casket, Crown Prince Sado, starved to death inside it. If the casket were made of wood, one might be able to breathe, but what if it were covered with metal tes, leaving no air? Naturally, they would die of suffocation first. Even if they were ability users, they would die fromck of oxygen if they couldn¡¯t escape from inside. Once all the mana in their bodies was exhausted, they would really die. ¡°¡­It¡¯s done.¡± [It¡¯s understandable for Rasputin and Cheonma, but trapping Kiparang and Ssang¡¯eogung as well?] ¡°If others knew, it would be aplicated situation.¡± Taejo imprisoned everyone in a golden cage. Even before, when I revealed my identity, we could have talked, but Taejo became even more cautious. ¡°Did you test me?¡± [Huh?] ¡°Appearing as a member of the Sephiroth Knights, and previously revealing yourself as Hyun Chul-soo. Did you test whether I could notice your true identity based on these discrepancies?¡± [¡­¡­.] No. Strictly speaking, I didn¡¯t n to reveal myself as Hessed. I intended to appear as a member of the Sephiroth Knights to suggest that ¡®Gwang Ik Gong and the Sephiroth Knights have some rtionship.¡¯ ¡®I missed the timing.¡¯ When I tried to present another concept of Sephiroth, a big problem arose. -Oh, isn¡¯t this closer to silver than gray? The moment I thought it seemed more like silver than gray, my mind wavered, thinking of myself as gray. Because of that, I couldn¡¯t focus my ability as well, and eventually, I had to bring out ¡®ck War (Gray) Dragoon.¡¯ It was a mistake. But I could have made an excuse that Hessed became a serious character only when he wore armor. The fact that my identity as Goblin was revealed is purely because of Yumir. [I would have let it slide if you hadn¡¯t noticed, but now that you have, I can¡¯t just let it go.] ¡°¡­If you revealed yourself because you want something from me, let¡¯s talk. I don¡¯t know what kind of conversation it will be.¡± Taejo clenched his fist and manipted the gold to create a square table and three chairs. ¡°If it¡¯s a story that benefits this country, I¡¯ll dly cooperate.¡± [Let¡¯s hear it, then?] [¡­¡­.] This guy. He made chairs that put Yumir and me side by side instead of a round table. Well. It didn¡¯t matter much. [Taejo.] This was also the Society¡¯s way. [Are you willing to join forces with the Society for the sake of this country?] Chapter 303: For The Nation (1) Chapter 303: For The Nation (1) There were two S-rank individuals and dozens of ability users around, but there was no major problem in having a conversation. [I¡¯ve set up a barrier. Now we can talk without being overheard, and even if anyone wakes up, they won¡¯t be able to break through the shield.] Yumir created a separate barrier in the negotiation room, gathered everyone in the golden prison, and covered it with a shield. ¡°That is¡­.¡± [You shouldn¡¯t show off your skills recklessly in front of the tinum Sun. They¡¯ll steal all your techniques like that.] [Isn¡¯t that something you shouldn¡¯t be saying?] Yumir used her magic power to create a shield that mimicked the abilities of Taejo. Unlike her usual circr shield, she created a golden shield that perfectly matched the shape of a steel safe and then sat in the negotiation room¡¯s chair without showing any signs of fatigue. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±[Not at all. I have quite a lot of mana.] ¡°Of course. You fly around space so easily, you must have an abundance of mana. I envy you.¡± That was genuine. Even if Taejo himself barely had S-rank mana, no matter how rich you were, you¡¯d envy someone who had more assets than you. [Surprisingly. The more I see, the more I think. Given the appearance of Armored Taejo, I¡¯d expect jealousy and envy. Almost like having a split personality.] ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s simr.¡± [Hm?] ¡°It¡¯s not strange to have a split personality.¡± Oh. Was this for real? [Really? Split personality? Are Armored Taejo and ck Taejo different individuals?] ¡°Strictly speaking, they are not different individuals. ¡­If I were to talk about my circumstances, I¡¯m revealing everything about myself. Even my sister doesn¡¯t know, only the President knows this secret.¡± Taejo made a bold move. With a face full of tension, he clenched his hands, alternately looking at me and Yumir. ¡°Is this enough?¡± [Ah¡­.] I removed my mask. ¡°It¡¯s absurd to ask someone to trust you just because you remove your mask, but at least it¡¯s enough to show a gesture of trust.¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re going to do that.¡± Yumir also removed her mask. Now, both Yumir and I hadpletely revealed our appearances. Later, if we happened to pass by each other and went, ¡®Huh?¡¯ we might meet, but Taejo showed a relieved expression as soon as he saw our faces. ¡°Thank you, both of you. For trusting me. I won¡¯t tell anyone your identities, not even the one here.¡± Taejo tapped his temple with his index finger. It likely referred to his ¡®child¡¯ self. ¡°Is it really split personality?¡± ¡°Yes. Strictly speaking, I am the real one, and the unruly one outside is another personality I created.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Yumir was amazed, sticking out her tongue. ¡°Isn¡¯t that very dangerous?¡± ¡°It is. In the worst case¡­ the chance of bing a demon doubles.¡± Two personalities. One body. No matter which side was in control, if one became a demon, the other side¡¯s consciousness had no chance to intervene. Because the body had already be a demon. Even so, the reason for splitting the personality and creating an imaginary one to live in the world of light waspelling. ¡°Self-protection. Active in the underworld. Which one do you value more?¡± ¡°¡­The Goblin seems to know everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not knowing everything. Just knowing what I know.¡± The reason I could understand Taejo¡¯s feelings was because I had encountered many characters in simr situations through various works. ¡°If I had to quantify it, it¡¯s about 70:30. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing. Rather, it¡¯s an effort to protect your family through it, isn¡¯t it? To avoid hurting your remaining family.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say anything. Do you know everything?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that the pieces of the puzzle I had vaguely thought about until now havee together. The clues fit perfectly, and I just brought the solution from the many possibilities I had considered before.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Yumir poked my side with an ambiguous expression. ¡°Instead of talking like you know everything, can you exin it in a way I can understand?¡± ¡°It will be a dirty story. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Is it dirtier than that?¡± Yumir pointed to the ground near the tunnel covered in white mucus. Even though he manipted the gold to push the walls and wiped away all traces, he couldn¡¯t clean up the traces left while cleaning the traces. ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of dirtiness. It¡¯s the evil that urred during the development of this country, something you wouldn¡¯t have encountered normally.¡± ¡°If I were to give a recent example¡­ it¡¯s simr to the case in Thand.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Yumir¡¯s expression instantly hardened. ¡°Could it be a demon¡­.¡± ¡°Sometimes, humans are more demon-like than demons. They do such heinous things that even Satan would be shocked.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an interesting expression. Even Satan would be shocked¡­. Well, it seems true. If the world knew, it would expose the country¡¯s dark side. Still, do you want to hear it?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± At Taejo¡¯s question, Yumir nodded calmly. ¡°No matter what happened, even if you split your personality, I will support and encourage you for choosing the path of a ¡®hero¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Taejo¡­ sir?¡± ¡°No. Hm, something.¡± Taejo bowed his head briefly, then took a deep breath. ¡°Truly, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard such touching words. May I call you sister-inw?¡± ¡°S-sister-inw?¡± ¡°Why are you calling her sister-inw?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve already decided to call you brother.¡± ¡°That was on the train¡­ ha, fine. Call me whatever you want.¡± It was morefortable that way, too. ¡°Baridegi doesn¡¯t know that ck Taejo has a split personality. Does she even know about ck Agent?¡± ¡°She knows that I do something separately behind the scenes. But she doesn¡¯t know that the personalities arepletely different. Only my grandfather and the President know. From the moment we nned this, from the moment I split my personality, it was something I consulted with my grandfather and did.¡± When Taejo ced his hands on the table, two golden statues popped up. ¡°At 12 years old, five years ago, Taejo made a choice. To protect his own identity, to prevent the situation where he might be a demon, he created a ¡®fabricated¡¯ Taejo by manipting his past memories.¡± In other words, it was because there was an emotional turmoil that was unbearable. ¡°Our parents had twins. We also had a youngest sibling. And they all died.¡± How did they die? That ¡®how¡¯ was what made Taejo split his personality. ¡°Do you know anything about it?¡± ¡°Brother, do you know?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I knew it well. Because Tae Irin of Baridegi was a heroine. And through investigating the heroine¡¯s past, I learned the truth about her parents. ¡°I know from the information gathered by the secret society and what I¡¯ve learned, and also through spections about the profile and the cause of the incidents. It¡¯s not 100% certain, but I¡¯m 99% confident.¡± On the father¡¯s side, through the knowledge of the original work. On the mother¡¯s side, through the intelligence obtained in this world. ¡°Min Ji-young, your mother tried to sell the children she had with your father to North Korea.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Taejo smiled bitterly. ¡°My youngest sibling, whose name I only knew, whose face I never saw, who I only knew was born, is dead. She was foolish despite being my biological mother. She thought North Korea would treat her well, even though she wasn¡¯t an ability user. Well, she probably didn¡¯t predict it easily. It¡¯smon sense that a child needs their mother.¡± ¡°Humans die because of actions beyondmon sense.¡± ¡°Do you know how they died? Why they died?¡± ¡°¡­I assume it was due to an imprinting attempt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Taejo clicked his tongue and let out a hollowugh. Soon, several golden statues appeared on the table. A baby in a cradle. A woman lying next to the baby. Soldiers in uniform. And a female soldier who resembled the woman. ¡°North Korea killed Min Ji-young and tried to rece the baby¡¯s mother. They didn¡¯t know that an S-rank baby was intelligent enough to realize that their mother had been switched and murdered.¡± Whoosh. Golden balloons spread from the baby doll and enveloped the area, soon forming a huge crater on the table. Like a satellite image of Pyongyang. ¡°That¡¯s how I lost my younger sibling and mother. Of course, this wasn¡¯t the reason my personality split. The split personality was¡­ due to my father.¡± Taejo¡¯s biological father. The son of Tae Chae-jin. The person who no longer existed. ¡°Do you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Only spection.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re going to reveal the correct answer anyway, you might as well say it. Sister-inw might feel ufortable hearing it, but¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen.¡± Yumir clenched her fist, and I ced my hand over hers, gripping it tightly. ¡°Habsburg.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Yumir tilted her head, as if wondering what that meant, while Taejo closed his eyes as if the sky was falling and lowered his head. ¡°It must have been an attempt, even if it failed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Not you, but your younger sibling.¡± Taejo¡¯s parents. Thebination of Taejo¡¯s father and mother. Including Taejo, Tae Irin, and the nameless baby who died, they produced a total of three S-ranks. Three in session. ¡°Min Ji-young was old, so to have more S-rank children, they sought younger blood.¡± ¡°Yes. So¡­.¡± Taejo created a box with his hands on the table. ¡°I call my technique ¡®Steel Safe¡¯ instead of something else. Although the direction is different, it¡¯s a symbol of filth.¡± The Steel Safe. The first person that was confined and killed with that technique. ¡°The day my younger sister first bled, I killed my father.¡± Chapter 304: For The Nation (2) Chapter 304: For The Nation (2) How far could a human cross the line? We had already confirmed this through countless creations. Even without creations, we could asionally see the actions of demons disguised as humans through the news. Whether it¡¯s for money, power, or any other reason, humans would sometimes abandon ethics to achieve what they saw as ¡®profit¡¯. Even if it meant abandoning familial bonds. Even if it meantmitting atrocities. ¡°Do you know about the Habsburg family in medieval Europe?¡± Taejo carefully began to speak to Yumir, whose expression was hardened and who couldn¡¯t speak properly. ¡°In medieval Europe, bloodlines were highly valued. And to keep that bloodline from leaking out, they practiced inbreeding repeatedly.¡±¡°Inbreeding, you mean¡­?¡± ¡°It means exactly what it sounds like. Siblings became spouses, aunts became wives, and sometimes sons became husbands. I¡¯m not here to talk about the rise and fall of the Habsburg family, but history tends to repeat itself.¡± Taejo fiddled with the golden sparkling figurines. ¡°Let¡¯s think objectively. If the first twins were born, and both were S-ss, what would the world expect from this couple? Wouldn¡¯t they naturally have the obvious expectation?¡± ¡°¡­That the third would also be S-ss?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As Yumir made a face as if she was about to throw up, I ced my hand on her back and stroked it gently. ¡°You can¡¯t react like this already. We¡¯re about to discuss something even more serious.¡± This story was poison for Yumir. It could trigger her disillusionment and anger towards the world, potentially leading her to raise her ¡®meteor counter¡¯. While I was jokingly using the term ¡®meteor counter¡¯, it essentially meant mental exhaustion. Disillusionment, disgust, and distrust toward humans. And the futility of knowing that she had been, and would continue to be, protecting such humans at all costs. All these emotions would culminate, leading Yumir to choose the ¡®mutual destruction¡¯ ending. There were two ways. Either trap her in a cage where she couldn¡¯t see the world¡¯s filth, or slowly submerge her face into the swamp until eventually, her whole body sank. The most ideal oue was for her to see the bottom of the swamp and still spread her wings to fly towards the sky. Yumir was now at the stage of dipping her feet in the swamp. ¡°The same situation urred with my parents. They kept trying to have children, but it didn¡¯t go well.¡± ¡°Wait, when you say it didn¡¯t go well, you mean they just had trouble conceiving, right? It¡¯s not what I¡¯m thinking, is it?¡± ¡°What are you thinking?¡± I asked while patting Yumir¡¯s back. ¡°Tell me. No matter what you¡¯re thinking, I won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That if they weren¡¯t S-ss or ability users, they were not allowed to be born.¡± ¡°tinum Sun.¡± Taejo gave a bitter smile with a calm face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Your thoughts are correct.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°They were ¡®disposed of¡¯ at birth. The Haegneul was behind my mother, and my father had a close rtionship with Haegneul as well.¡± ¡°By ¡®disposed of,¡¯ do you mean they were killed? There¡¯s no case where they were sent to an orphanage or adopted overseas?¡± ¡°Yes. They were all killed. Until thest one, until an S-ss was born.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir grabbed the table with her hands. Her grip, imbued with mana, crushed the metal, leaving handprints. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s in the past. It¡¯s something that happened before, and we can¡¯t change it.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Hoo. But, just hearing about it is so overwhelming. Knowing this, you¡­.¡± ¡°I first learned about it when I was 11. It must have been. They had a child at least once a year, sometimes every two years, and then I identally overheard them arguing.¡± A memory of a middle-aged couple came to mind. They pointed fingers at each other, veins bulging on their necks, as they argued furiously. ¡°I can¡¯t have any more. We¡¯ve already failed every time. They fought like that. It was the first time I saw them, who were always bright in front of us, fighting like that.¡± ¡°¡­At least they wouldn¡¯t show such arguments in front of their S-ss babies.¡± ¡°Yes. By that time, it was forbidden byw.¡± The golden figurine seemed to be viewed slightly from below, probably because it was Taejo¡¯s memory¡ªa scene seen by an 11-year-old child secretly peeking. ¡°But eventually, I saw it. Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t caught. If I had been caught, this man wouldn¡¯t have tried to do such a terrible thing.¡± This man¡¯s trauma from knowing the truth was now being reenacted by his ability. ¡°It was summer. That man chose another woman instead of his vanished wife to have an S-ss child. Half of it was in the name of his wife.¡± ¡°Crazy¡­.¡± Like a miniature. ¡°Where did the S-sse from? It wasn¡¯t from the woman, but from his blood. The woman must have had an affair, and my genes contained the potential to produce an S-ss.¡± ¡°He¡¯s out of his mind.¡± ¡°Yes, he was out of his mind.¡± The more specific the memory, the more vivid the figurines on the table became. ¡°Summer night. The man finally tried to do it. He sneaked into the room where my sister was sleeping, and luckily, I arrived in time.¡± On the bed. A monster lunged at the sleeping girl. And behind the monster, a small boy reached out his hand towards it. Crack. Something like a box, reminiscent of a delivery box, encased the monster with iron tes. ¡°The Iron Box of Steel actually has this function too. But it was never revealed to the world.¡± Crunch, crackle. The golden box started to shrink in size. Sounds of something pounding could be heard from inside, but the box continued topress, andpress some more, as if it would shrink until it reached its limit. It shrunk to the size of a slightlyrger than a travel suitcase. The box did not shrink any further, and the boy fell to his knees. ¡°No one knows. No one. Except for what I saw and the SD card in the old smartphone inside the box.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!!¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to discuss it with my grandfather. Eventually, my grandfather learned everything, and the man disappeared, thanks to the help of many people.¡± Two people appeared next to the box. ¡°Those people, could they be¡­.¡± ¡°Gwang Ik Gong. And the other one is¡­ a deceased S-ss hero.¡± Both were faces I recognized, and they were discussing something serious before they eventually destroyed the boxpletely. ¡°And I sealed myself. Whether it was due to childishness, or because I was afraid of telling my sister the truth, or because I was afraid of being branded a patricidal murderer, I couldn¡¯t bear it at that time. So, I divided myself.¡± The boy split into two. One was a rambunctious child who thought he was special. And behind him, crouching in the shadows, was another boy who just watched the rambunctious child andughed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s amon story in the world of abilities, isn¡¯t it? Haha¡­.¡± Taejo waved his hand forward, making all the figurines disappear. ¡°When my grandfather called me and deactivated the hypnosis, I woke up¡ª¡± ¡°How could¡­.¡± Drip, drip, drip. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Tears streamed down Yumir¡¯s face. She lowered her head, unable to look at Taejo, covering her mouth with her hands, and tears fell onto her clothes, soaking them. ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s all in the past¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Cry.¡± I hugged Yumir and patted her, nodding once to Taejo. The one who wanted to cry, who should cry, was not just Yumir. ¡°¡­They say a man cries three times in his life. I¡¯ve already cried twice, so I only have one stack left.¡± ¡°Crying more than three times doesn¡¯t affect your life at all.¡± ¡°¡­Have you ever cried?¡± ¡°Of course. Even sad movies make me tear up.¡± I was not as sensitive as Yumir, but I was quite emotional. ¡°Crying or expressing emotions in any way is a good thing. For you, it must be that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯m a man too. When you¡¯re in someone¡¯s arms, you can forget all your worries and concerns, even if just for a moment.¡± To forget sadness, humans became obsessed with something. Whether it¡¯s work, people, or rtionships. Even if he divided his personality, there weren¡¯t many ways to relieve the underlying resentment in the subconscious of this man. His method was patriotism, that¡¯s all. This man. ¡°Yuliana Fayegreen. Do you remember the woman who stole your genes and ran away?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°You could have contacted America and had her arrested at the airport, but you went all the way to Gangneung yourself. There must have been a reason for that, even if it wasn¡¯t you, it was the other you outside.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Whether it was Armored Taejo or ck Taejo, both were ultimately Taejo. He couldn¡¯t stand gene theft, so he flew to Gangneung himself, exhausting most of his magic power. To somehow stop Yuliana¡¯s departure and meet her directly. ¡°Did you ask her?¡± ¡°I wanted to, but when I saw her face, that thought disappeared. This guy.¡± Taejoughed softly, touching his cheek with his index finger. ¡°I was disappointed, but I still touched her because I liked her.¡± ¡°¡­How about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Taejo scratched his head. ¡°Those things, they were all done by another me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°In the past two years, I¡¯ve rarely been out-¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡± I continued to pat the now somewhat calmed Yumir and reached out my hand to Taejo. ¡°Live in the world of light. Don¡¯t live in the shadows anymore. Leave the darkness to society, and live enjoying what you deserve. Patriotism, S-ss, whatever. Don¡¯t leave your life to Armored Taejo anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Carrying the darkness of the world.¡± This might sound a bit cheesy. ¡°It¡¯s the job of adults.¡± Chapter 305: For The Nation (3) Chapter 305: For The Nation (3) It¡¯s not that anyone would say anything, even if you extended your hand out of pity or sympathy. ck Taejo, no, the real Taejo, proved himself. He ensured that he wouldn¡¯t turn into a demon in any situation, using an internal safeguard to prevent himself from darkening. Such a man couldn¡¯t be left to live as a mere kid or an S-ss Scanner forever. Of course, I had taken advantage of and guided such situations. Firefox, Yoon Iseon, made a splendid debut using Armored Taejo in the process of bing an S-ss. But Taejo himself would understand that. Armored Taejo had shown some childish behavior. I think that¡¯s better.Thinking of himself as a sinner, killing his own self and only acting in important matters for the nation, is not good for a child. In terms of age, he was 17. He was just a high school freshman. No matter how different ability users were from ordinary people, Taejo still needed to enjoy his adolescence a bit more. For Taejo¡¯s healthy mind. ¡°I refuse.¡± Taejo tly rejected my proposal. ¡°Why? If you think I¡¯m not treating you as an adult, that¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. I understand the sentiment behind your words. But I have no intention of letting go of the matters happening behind the nation¡¯s scenes.¡± Taejo clenched his right hand into a fist and ced it over his chest. ¡°To dedicate myself to the nation. To do my best. To step up where others can¡¯t. This isn¡¯t something someone orders me to do; it¡¯s something I want to do.¡± ¡°Are you not brainwashed by someone?¡± ¡°No.¡± I nced at Yumir. At least in matters like this, Yumir was better at reading people¡¯s minds. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Yumir wiped away tears, looking moved. The look in her eyes as she gazed at Taejo wasn¡¯t one of those drafted for a memorial service on Memorial Day but one of genuine respect for those who have dedicated themselves to the nation. ¡°Oppa, this person is really amazing.¡± ¡°Is that so? Not just treating him as a kid because of his age. Indeed, that was my mistake. I apologize.¡± ¡°No need to apologize.¡± Taejo bowed his head, looking apologetic. ¡°Really¡­ it¡¯s amazing that you grew up so upright. Even though I didn¡¯t have much influence on your life, I feel grateful.¡± ¡°Many people helped me. Especially my grandfather¡­ the President helped me a lot.¡± ¡°The President?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Taejo smiled faintly, fiddling with his wrist. ¡°Since my affairs could cause great harm to me and Irin if revealed to the public, he became the nation¡¯s highest authority.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t tell others. If it¡¯s revealed that the President, who should work for the nation, became President to protect his family politically, there will be huge political attacks in the National Assembly.¡± ¡°I never intended to reveal your past anyway.¡± Even Min Ji-young¡¯s affairs were kept quiet by both parties. At least until Haegneul was pushed to the brink of destruction and all the documents in Haegneul¡¯s cab were spread to the world, the story about Min Ji-young would nevere out. Even more so about Taejo¡¯s father. ¡°And Gwang Ik Gong has also considered me in many ways, and many people have cherished and loved the unruly Taejo on the surface, so I¡¯ve managed to get by without any major issues.¡± Although Taejo was called an S-ss Scanner, at least his poprity in Korea wasparable to that of any idol. A character like a troublemaker or a mischief-maker, a hero who drove both fans and haters crazy, was rare in Korea. ¡°I think it¡¯s better for the unruly Taejo to step up. There is a big reason for this¡­.¡± Taejo created eight chairs at the table. ¡°S-sses are all serious or introverted, so we need at least one person who can show active and outgoing performances.¡± Ah. ¡°Gwang Ik Gong bears the weight of being the world¡¯s strongest. Snow White has long surpassed her Ice Princess image. Tosin is overly serious, Cheok Jun-kyeong is gloomy, and Baridegi, though my sister, is quite eerie. The only active one is Lightning Emperor, and the newly promoted S-ss Firefox is more like a serious leader due to her role as the student council president.¡± ¡°In other words¡­.¡± ¡°If I also be heavy-hearted, all of Korea¡¯s S-sses will be gloomy.¡± Taejo smiled brightly, pointing to his hair. ¡°Dyeing my hair blonde, acting yful, and being a bit cheeky - having one person like that livens up the atmosphere. Especially if that person is the youngest, the ¡®lowest S-ss.¡¯¡± ¡°Is there a need to go as far as being a clown¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Taejo smiled awkwardly and created new chairs next to the eight chairs. ¡°It would be nice to have such S-sses, but what kind of country is this? It¡¯s a Confucian nation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Confucian nation. With just those words, I understood how Taejo lives brightly and cheerfully as the ¡®S-ss Scanner¡¯ on the surface while bearing his own crown of thorns. ¡°You were bearing your own crown of thorns.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°To hide the bloodstains on your back, always showing a smiling face to everyone, you were such a true hero.¡± Indeed. Heroes in Korea who were ssified as S-ss weren¡¯t heroes for no reason. Staying in Korea despite the numerous negative experiences ck Taejo had faced there, even though it would be frustratingly foolish, was because they were truly suitable to be called ¡®heroes.¡¯ Indeed. I couldn¡¯t be a hero like them. To show the same spirit of sacrifice as them, I was too selfish and self-centered. ¡°I¡¯m envious.¡± ¡°¡­Hearing that from the Goblin makes me a bit embarrassed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sincere. Regardless of age, I want to say I respect you as a person.¡± ¡°If you put it that way¡­.¡± Taejo scratched his head and smiled faintly. That expression, typical of a 17-year-old high school freshman, made me smile. Suddenly, Yumir poked my waist from the side. Was there something she wanted to say, or had Cheonma or Rasputine to their senses? I tensed for a moment, but Yumir looked up at me with half-closed eyes. ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°Are you trying to seduce a man now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such dangerous things.¡± I lightly grasped Yumir¡¯s head. ¡°As a man, I just think he¡¯s amazing and admirable. I¡¯m heterosexual.¡± ¡°I think so too¡­ As a big brother and a person with abilities, I think he¡¯s amazing, but that¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°¡­But you¡¯re seducing him right now!¡± Even though I emphasized that both Taejo and I were patriots seeking harmony, Yumir still red at me, grumbling. ¡°If Taejo were a woman, you¡¯d definitely be hitting on him by now. Right?¡± ¡°But he¡¯s a man.¡± ¡°Right.¡± If he were a woman, maybe, but since he¡¯s a man, it wouldn¡¯t happen in the first ce. ¡°And making him one of us means establishing a ¡®cooperative rtionship¡¯ with the Secret Society, not a romantic rtionship.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I was speaking to Yumir, but it was also directed at Taejo. ¡°Taejo, if what we¡¯ve talked about so far was as a fellow Korean and a man, from now on, I¡¯m speaking as the ¡®Goblin of the Secret Society.¡¯¡± Admiring Taejo¡¯s patriotic side was one thing, but what¡¯s important was the matter at hand. ¡°How you live is your choice, but from now on, let the Secret Society handle such matters. The government will deal with things south of the demilitarized zone. But if something happens north of the demilitarized zone that must not be discovered by anyone, call us.¡± ¡°The Secret Society?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s not wrong. The Secret Society exists everywhere. And it¡¯s not you joining hands with the Secret Society.¡± Thud. I took out the Goblin Bat. ¡°When they try to steal the resources of the Korean Penins, it¡¯s just a coincidence that members of the Secret Society happened to be there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already discussed this with Gwang Ik Gong.¡± Strictly speaking, not at all, but since I was the ck me King and Gwang Ik Gong hadn¡¯t stopped me, there shouldn¡¯t be a big problem. ¡°There are countless ways to handle it without revealing you¡¯re with the Secret Society. If killing them is one, erasing their memories and throwing them over the border is another. If not, we can do ¡®ideological education.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­Like the Sephiroth Knights did?¡± ¡°Yes. Or as some people say, putting them in a drum with cement and burying it.¡± Yumir¡¯s expression soured, so let¡¯s skip that. ¡°Imprisoning them in the Secret Society¡¯s prison is another way. What do you suggest?¡± ¡°¡­If we kill them, it will only provoke other countries. For me, it¡¯s enough to just drive them away¡­.¡± ¡°If you do that, they¡¯lle back here.¡± I extended a hand to Taejo. ¡°Leave it to me. Let¡¯s make a deal. The Secret Society will handle them. You clean up what¡¯s left here and return with all your agents alive.¡± ¡°¡­How will you solve it?¡± ¡°There are many ways. First.¡± It¡¯s a matter of choosing a method. ¡°Let¡¯s kidnap all the thieves here through the dimensional gate.¡± ¡°Where are you taking them¡­?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Whatever method we choose, the first step was clear. ¡°To the sorting center.¡± Chapter 306: The Method To Sift Gold (1) Individuals with abilities, no matter how seemingly insignificant, were valuable resources in the world. Just one ability user could manage the security of an entire city, so even an E-rank ability user could not be killed recklessly. Therefore, it was necessary to check each of these thieves trapped in the golden rice chest one by one. [Ah, this is Goblin. Please mobilize the brewers for sorting.] [Got it. I¡¯ll sort them out right away.] Just like sorting out subi in Thand, it was necessary to sort each ability user individually. If they were irredeemable and deserved execution, then execute them. If they could be saved, handle them ordingly. Fortunately, with a group of about a few dozen people, there was no significant issue in sorting, and the brewers in Korea were experts in this kind of sorting.[I¡¯m back.] [Good job.] Yumir crossed the dimensional gate with Taejo and brought him to the society¡¯s ¡®sorting room.¡¯ Taejo, who entered the heart of the society with Yumir, had a tense face and was busy looking around. [Doesn¡¯t it feel like a spy infiltrating the enemy camp?] ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not my intention¡­.¡± [It¡¯s okay.] Yumir started taking care of Taejo affectionately in her own way. [He said it¡¯s okay. But don¡¯t be too much. If you want to run away, just tell me. I¡¯ll open the gate to Kaeseong.] [Whose side are you on, sister-inw?] [I¡¯m on the side of good people. Hehe.] Although their paths differed, it seemed Taejo, who had suffered since childhood, felt a kind of camaraderie with Yumir. It wasn¡¯t that she was swayed by the term sister-inw. [You came at the right time. It¡¯s time to start the highlight.] [Highlight?] [Yes. We¡¯ve finished sorting everyone except for two.] I received a tablet from the brewer standing next to me and handed it to them. [Those who participated in this operation simply by the country¡¯s order will have their memories erased and their magic power reset.] ¡°Resetting¡­ magic power?¡± [It¡¯s like inducing a temporary Zenros. Simply exhausting their magic to the limit. It will take a long time for them to recover their magic.] I pointed to the people tied to chairs beyond the ss wall. -Ugh¡­ -Huff, huff, huff. They all looked as if they were suffering from exhaustion. ¡°Is this torture?¡± [It¡¯s not torture. It¡¯s a process of emptying. There¡¯s no pain.] ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Taejo quickly realized why the people were suffering. -Just kill me already¡­! -Stop, stop, I don¡¯t want to go any further¡­! [We gave them drugs to make their patriotism peak until their mana is emptied.] [It looks like we¡¯re making them drink poison.] [It¡¯s not poison.] Next to me, the brewers were boiling something like a tonic and forcibly feeding the ck liquid from a jar to the ability users tied to chairs, but it was not poison. -Argh¡­! Just give me poison¡­! No, stop¡­! Though it looked like poison, the tonic was actually a special medicine that induced the extraction of mana from their bodies. [It seems like the medicine makes them release mana every time they feel a peak.] [You saw through it exactly. That¡¯s correct.] Why hide it? The medicine was designed to make them release mana instead of sperm during ejaction. ¡°I can¡¯t believe such a medicine exists¡­.¡± [Why? Are you disillusioned?] ¡°I think it¡¯s an effective way to incapacitate the opponent. It¡¯s possible to subdue them without causing pain.¡± [That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no pain. If there¡¯s any difort, it¡¯s just the continuous feeling of fatigue.] The medicine¡¯s efficacy, based on the Chief¡¯s extensive abilities and knowledge, was extreme. Normally, they would just administer a truth serum or the brewers would use any means necessary to investigate, but considering the ¡®guest¡¯s¡¯ watchful eyes, they chose this method. [And now it¡¯s time to face those who aren¡¯t affected by the medicine. I will interrogate them myself. Would you like toe in or watch from above? I personally rmend watching from outside.] [Who are you going to see first?] [Rasputin.] ¡°¡­I¡¯ll watch for now.¡± [I¡¯ll stay outside too. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason for your suggestion.] Following my gesture toward the interrogation room, Yumir and Taejo moved to the ss wall overlooking the room. [Good choice.] Creak. As soon as I entered and the door closed, the smell hit me hard. Though not an actual odor, the lingering scent of magic was simr to the chemical smell of night-blooming flowers. [Tsk.] ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Like someone confined in a mental hospital, Rasputin was tied up in a white strait jacket. ¡°So the society was behind Korea, too. As expected. All the chaos in Europe was just a smokescreen?¡± [The society is everywhere. And since Goblin has been active in Korea since March, why wouldn¡¯t the society be here?] ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the great Goblin toe and catch innocent people instead of the demon he¡¯s supposed to hunt.¡± [Capturing viins, not just demons. Viins who dare to steal resources from other countries.] I sat in the chair inside. I felt irritation at the sight of Rasputin¡¯s third leg, protruding above the ankle of her restraint suit. [Must you keep drooling?] ¡°I¡¯m trying my best to escape here.¡± [Haven¡¯t you ever thought about the difort it causes others?] ¡°The difort is on your end. It¡¯s learned difort, like thinking cockroaches are dirty and filthy.¡± [That¡¯s sophistry.] Rasputin might try to win the argument, but she can¡¯t escape these restraints. [No matter how much you drip mana through the tentacle-like third leg under your suit, it doesn¡¯t matter. The fact that it¡¯s leaking like this is proof.] ¡°Tsk¡­.¡± Normally, she should have solidified the mana properly and used it as a whip-like tentacle. But the fact that Rasputin¡¯s mana was oozing and dripping meant she couldn¡¯t use her crystallization ability to form tentacles or anything else. [Give up. You are already marked for ¡®execution¡¯.] ¡°¡­What did I do wrong?¡± Rasputin¡¯s face contorted wildly. ¡°What, bing a traitor? Seeking asylum in Russia? So what? Korea didn¡¯t recognize my worth; they treated me like a viin! I just went to where they appreciated me¡ª¡± [You think the Society is foolish? Do you think we don¡¯t know about your crimes?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± With a few light gestures, Rasputin¡¯s expression hardened. Yumir and Taejo, watching from above, didn¡¯t hide their disgust and fear towards Rasputin, possibly being exined by the brewers next to them. Especially Taejo, who looked ready to burst in and punch Rasputin in the face. And rightly so, this woman. [Sexual assault using your abilities, repeatedly. Not just once or twice, right?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She¡¯s a rapist. [The form of your mana tentacles, it¡¯s obviously for that reason. It¡¯s distasteful for me to even say it, but think of me as a prosecutor investigating your crimes and tell me.] I tapped my smartwatch, projecting several photos in front of Rasputin. [You used your mana tentacles to forcibly prate the men who called you a tentacle woman. They all passed out with torn backs, and though they¡¯re alive, they suffer, living with diapers.] ¡°Hey, Goblin.¡± Rasputin shrugged andughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it merciful enough that I didn¡¯t kill them for daring to call an S-rank ability user a tentacle woman?¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°How dare a powerless person insult an S-rank? Huh?¡± Rasputin tapped the floor with her foot, as if it was obvious. ¡°This world belongs to ability users now. The powerless should live under the protection of ability users. And they dared to call me a tentacle woman?¡± [You seem quite ustomed to those tentacles now.] ¡°The world made me like this. I wasn¡¯t like this initially!¡± Rasputin raged, her anger fueling her mana and causing it to surge. The third leg between her tightly bound legs began to wriggle and emerge from the restraint suit. ¡°They made me a tentacle woman!¡± [Do you think that justifies rupturing their backs?] ¡°Of course. I am an ability user.¡± [Then, you must be prepared to face an ability user like me.] ¡°¡­What?¡± As I stood and grabbed my belt, Rasputin¡¯s eyes widened in fear. ¡°Wait a minute. You don¡¯t mean¡­ No, wait¡­! That¡¯s a crime-¡± [I am a viin.] ¡°You crazy bas-¡± SMACK! I struck Rasputin¡¯s head with my bat. Her head drooped, and the rigid third leg that had been tearing through the restraint suit drooped, the crystallized tentacle melting into a sticky substance. [Analysisplete.] If Taejo was an S-rank analyzer, I was a viin analyzer. [You are sentenced to ¡®reincarnation¡¯.] The traitor Rasputin was dead. [At least an A+ rank ability user who strives for world peace is more useful to the world than an S-rank viin who prates men¡¯s backs with tentacles.] She would be reborn. [From now on, you will be a border guard defending the Amnokgang and Tumen Rivers.] As the frontline guardian. [Wee, Soldier.] Chapter 307: The Method To Sift Gold (2) No matter how worthless a being might seem, the Secret Society recycled them if possible, depending on their utility. The S-ss Rasputin from Russia was decided to be recycled as a Guardian. After undergoing re-education with all her previous memories erased, she will be a solid and loyal member of the Korean Penins Guard, shing her teeth with a thumbs-up. [With this, even Korea can rest easy. A former S-ss being is now protecting the Penins.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± From now on, those who dared to cross the border would be met with resistance. An A+ level ability user who was suspiciously diligent in guarding the border. If someone was merely lost, they would be knocked unconscious and sent back outside the border. But if someone approached with malicious intent, they would be sent back with a giant hole in their body by this mysterious ability user. In Russia, the viin Rasputin had disappeared, but that had nothing to do with the steadfast Guardian, who was guarding the border. Because Rasputin died today.[It¡¯s like having an A+ level person stationed at the northernmost part of the Korean Penins, guarding the border constantly. The government should find this quite beneficial.] ¡°This is the way of the Secret Society.¡± Taejo pointed to what used to be Rasputin, now being dragged to the education center by the Brewers, after the room was cleaned and all her magic power was drained. ¡°In situations where heroes can¡¯t always step in, they provide support, establish cooperative rtions with heroes, and make the necessity of the Secret Society recognized.¡± [There¡¯s no better way to highlight the necessity of the Secret Society than solving manpower shortages.] For Yumir, the response to tinum Sun online. For Taejo, the measures against those vile ones who coveted the resources of the Korean Penins. ¡°What do you want? I don¡¯t think you¡¯d do this just because you¡¯re moved by my past. Are you after¡­ gold?¡± [It would be nice to get some gold, but what we desire most is a state of no turmoil.] The Secret Society gained by providing what the opponent desired, whether it¡¯s a hero or a nation. [About 10kg of gold as payment should suffice. However, the exposed gold mine needs to be disposed of.] ¡°Disposal?¡± [I¡¯m saying you should go ahead with your n to blow up the gold mine. Make China and Russia believe that ¡®the gold mine was destroyed¡¯ or ¡®the gold mine was worthless¡¯.] ¡°But in reality¡­.¡± [The gold mine is still intact, and depending on the circumstances, you can continue extracting gold from it.] The word ¡°extraction¡± felt quite awkward, but in the case of the Shinuiju gold mine, ¡°extraction¡± is fitting. [Taejo, the fact that the amount of gold has increased, is that true?] ¡°¡­Yes. The amount of gold has increased since I first discovered the mine.¡± Currently, the resources of the Korean Penins were multiplying. Like nts, these resources took root deep in the ground, absorbing mana as nutrients, and then converting these nutrients into matter, increasing the material over time. In theory, the underground resources of the Korean Penins were ¡®infinite¡¯. It might be due to the impact of the meteorite, a feeling that even the world was embracing resources for the sake of the great Republic of Korea. Even the Secret Society had noticed this part and was taking maximum precautions to prevent this information from spreading. But information didn¡¯t always stay contained just because we were cautious. [This is the first gift. Take this list and sort it out as you see fit.] ¡°This is¡­.¡± [These are the spies within Korea identified through thieves. There are a few in the Ministry of Industrial Resources and some legitors involved innd development. There are also a few in the Haegneul Construction group.] ¡°It seems it was leaking everywhere¡­ sigh.¡± Taejo squinted as he took the file I handed him. ¡°Government officials, who are supposed to work for the country, are selling information to other nations¡ªChina and Russia, no less.¡± [No matter how important the country is, in the end, money going into one¡¯s pocket is more important. They were probably nning to stash away gold nuggets in a warehouse after robbing the mine.] ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it quietly.¡± Soon, the information about them would spread. Whether it¡¯s through the scandals secured by the Secret Society or the corruption held within the National Intelligence Service, the process would gradually unfold until everything was settled. ¡°Sigh. If only everyone worked for the country.¡± [Less than 0.01% of 50 million people can live like that, especially if they are civil servants.] No matter how much this world tried to pick those who work hard for the nation, patriotism was often shaken by greed for money. [For some, the satisfaction of working for the country might be worth less than a fat wallet.] In a country where even ability users received low paypared to other nations, it was not easy for a regr civil servant to resist the temptation of massive wealth. Of course, those who leaked information about the gold mine to foreign countries were higher-ranking officials, but their ¡®treason¡¯ was still deeply connected to money. ¡°In any case, this makes it harder to move¡­.¡± The more people involved, the more variables arose, and when trust and faith were broken, it became more difficult to mobilize people. This time, Taejo brought only eight people to guard the gold mine with agents from the National Intelligence Service. Knowing that two S-sses wereing, only eight people were sent to suppress information leaks. Sometimes, life taught you that such efforts were wasted in absurd ces. ¡°¡­It seems more people are turning to the Secret Society. After all, there¡¯s no worry about such issues with them.¡± [That¡¯s the Secret Society¡¯s greatest advantage.] The agents of the Secret Society were all ¡®crazies,¡¯ united by a strong sense of mission to work for the Secret Society and for the peace and conquest of the world. Because of this, it¡¯s hard to imagine information leaking from the Secret Society¡ªexcept in Korea. ¡®Damn nationalist light novels.¡¯ Even the Secret Society, which conquered the mighty America, had instances where Korean members betrayed the Society when it meant that the great Republic of Korea¡¯s resources might be leaked, rather than guarding them. ¡®If an operation within the Secret Society progresses to a disadvantageous situation for Korea, there is almost always a traitor from within.¡¯ Just as in the past, not long after I entered Sejong Ind, there was a foolish Secret Society agent who tried to use the Goblin to benefit Korea. If the Goblin were to steal the kimchi jars from a Jonggak family¡¯s storeroom, there might even be agents within the Society who would leak the Goblin¡¯s identity. -World conquest is fine, but I still can¡¯t betray my country! -No matter how deeply I¡¯ve involved myself with the Society, I can¡¯t harm this nation! This was why Korea had been so difficult to conquer. Even when trying to conquer Korea, suspicious information leaks frequently urred, creating frustrating situations, making it unlike conquering other countries. The original n was to leave Korea as the final grand finale of world conquest, but if things start to unravel like this, the story changes. [Taejo, if you have the support of the Secret Society, you can stretch outfortably and live safely in Busan. Trust the Society.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± One by one, even S-ss heroes were made to join hands with the Society. Starting with Gwang Ik Gong, Yoon Iseon, who became an agent of the Society, was given a position, Baek Seol-hee was corrupted into an affair, and now, Taejo was being informed of the usefulness of the Society. [If you are worried about the gold mine, there is one way to handle it properly. Brewer, bring it here.] ¡°Yes.¡± The Brewer brought the pre-prepared item and ced it in front of Taejo. Taejo fiddled with the ¡®miniature¡¯ ced in front of him, inspecting it inside and out, then tilted his head in confusion. ¡°A train¡­?¡± [If you¡¯re worried about leaving the gold here, you can transmute the gold into a train and transport it on the railroad.] ¡°But for that, we need people-¡± [Why not just make it a train? There¡¯s no need to carry it, just create a train made of gold.] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Taejo¡¯s mouth hung open in astonishment. [Were you thinking of loading it onto freight cars? That¡¯s a shame. If you leave just enough gold to make it seem like the mine is almost depleted, and then extract the rest to create a train, no one will suspect a thing.] ¡°The exterior¡­.¡± [Of course, it should be painted. With magic. Make it look like a regr train. Covering the gold with something is a basic tactic in concealment. Of course, this isn¡¯t a crime¡ªjust applying some techniques used in crimes for our purposes.] Neither China nor Russia would notice a thing. From Shinuiju down to Kaesong, and heading towards Busan or somewhere else in Korea, the whole train made of ¡®gold¡¯ would be unnoticed. [Your ability is metal maniption. You¡¯re not limited to just making small objects; you can create something like this as well.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Once you understand the structure, making it is quick. After embedding the form into your mind through the miniature, you can scale it up to the size that fits the railroad and make it run.] Taejo was capable of doing that. [Blow up the mine, deceive the enemies into thinking the mine is nearly depleted and unprofitable, and the actual gold can be transformed into a freight train and sent down south. This way, China and Russia won¡¯t bother targeting the Shinuiju gold mine again.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Taejo, think of itfortably.] I approached Taejo and gripped his shoulder firmly. [You¡¯re just making a model a bit bigger. It¡¯s something you can definitely do.] ¡°¡­A train?¡± [Of course.] Taejo can do it. [If a train doesn¡¯t suit you, how about a tank¡ª] ¡°I¡¯ll make the train.¡± Creating a golden train using his ability. In a world where anything was possible with imagination. ¡°I¡¯ll make it. The golden train.¡± Chapter 308: The Method To Sift Gold (3) Taejo was handed a model and guided to a room where he could take a moment to rest alone. Except for being slightly small, the room resembled a suite in any hotel. Taejo dragged his tired body to the bed andy down. Beep beep. The Taeguk Watch, handed to him as he entered the room, began to sh. He wondered if he should answer the call, but it was probably okay since the watch had been given to him. [Captain, are you okay?] At Kiparang¡¯s voice of concern, Taejo couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± [Where are you now? I¡¯lle to pick you up!]¡°I¡¯m in the safest ce in the world, so don¡¯t worry and take care of the agents. Stay with Ssangeo Pce.¡± [Are you sure you¡¯re really okay?] ¡°Yes. The mission ispleted. Up to the ¡®obstruction.¡¯¡± Kiparang¡¯s deep sigh of relief could be heard from the other side of the receiver. [I was really worried. Sigh. When I woke up, all that was left was a piece of paper, and the only people in thepound were me and Ssangeo Pce. I even checked the underground tunnel to see if you had escaped, but all I found was some weird sticky mucus¡­] ¡°I took care of everything and brought them separately. Rest assured.¡± [That¡¯s a relief, but, what was it¡­ that¡­] Kiparang¡¯s voice became as quiet as an ant. [How did Hessed and the tinum Sune to support us?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As Taejo pondered how to answer, he was momentarily surprised by how convinced Kiparang was that it was indeed ¡®Hessed.¡¯ As expected of Goblin. A man more thorough than anyone in keeping his identity hidden. If he ever revealed his true identity, it would be because revealing it would bring some benefit¡ª It must be because there was ¡®trust¡¯ that his identity would not be recklessly exposed. ¡°It seemed like they were sent by Gwang Ik Gong.¡± So Taejo decided to just follow Goblin¡¯s lead and shifted the credit to Gwang Ik Gong. [Then, could it be that Hessed, the Sephiroth Knights, and Gwang Ik Gong are somehow rted? Maybe they¡¯re trying to ept even the Sephiroth Knights from the future as members? Or could one of the Knights be the future Gwang Ik Gong?!!] ¡°Are you a novelist?¡± [Well, my dream is to be a novelist. No, but really, if Gwang Ik Gong is in a cooperative rtionship with the Sephiroth Knights¡­] ¡°Let¡¯s not think too deeply about it. Even though we have some time now, we need to move quickly.¡± Not wanting the conversation to drag on, Taejo swiftly cut off Kiparang¡¯s imaginative musings. ¡°All agents will withdraw at exactly 04:00 tomorrow. Ten minutes before withdrawal, you and Ssangeo Pce will use the explosives in the lodge to destroy the mine, then join the freight train at Shinuiju Station to move to Kaesong. Got it?¡± [I¡¯ll follow the instructions. If an enemy appears, we will abandon¡ª] ¡°That won¡¯t happen, so just join the train after the explosion. You¡¯ll know it¡¯s the train you need to board as soon as you see it.¡± [What?] ¡°Let¡¯s end the call. I have some things to handle for the retreat preparations.¡± [Ah, yes! I¡¯ll see you shortly!!] Beep. The call ended. After checking the time on the Taeguk Watch, Taejo calcted the remaining time until the agreed-upon hour with Kiparang. ¡°¡­Plenty of time.¡± He confirmed the structure of the model, then manipted the metal lump based on it to create an identical copy. Except for the fact that it¡¯srge, this was no problem for him. What just bothered him was Goblin¡¯s proposal. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± In the mirror, his hair was ck. As he lightly twisted his hair with his fingers, the charcoal-ck soot fell away, revealing the sparkling blonde underneath. His blonde self. He covered it again with soot, hiding himself within. For someone who has lived with a dual personality for years, he was offered a proposal to live as himself. As Taejo himself. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Taejo fiddled with the Taeguk Watch and pressed the phone app. A bit scared, a bit fearful, but he had no choice but to ask. Beep beep. [What is it?] The person who answered the call spoke with a somewhat cold voice. [Calling at this hour. Shouldn¡¯t you be hanging out with a four-member idol group in Kaesong right now?] ¡°Sis.¡± [¡­Huh?] The sharp voice carried a tone of surprise. [You¡­?] ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± [¡­¡­What¡¯s with the suddenness.] The woman¡¯s voice momentarily softened, and the sharp edge in her tone eased significantly. [Are you on a mission?] ¡°Yeah. I think I¡¯ll be back once it¡¯s over.¡± [I see¡­ You¡¯re not hurt, right?] ¡°No. I¡¯m not hurt, but I have something I want to talk about.¡± Taejo brushed his bangs with his hand. Soon, the soot fell away, and his blonde hair began to shimmer. ¡°Can I¡­ live as myself?¡± [¡­That¡¯s not something you need to ask permission for. It¡¯s your decision.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Whether you return to your original self or give everything to that cursed¡­ cough¡­ that person, I¡¯m still your fianc¨¦e.] ¡°Then¡­ ah, 3 minutes.¡± [What are you talking about? You¡¯re on the phone with me.] ¡°True.¡± Taejo smiled faintly and ced his hand on the Taeguk Watch. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I get back.¡± [¡­I guess I should prepare both a farewell and a wee party. I¡¯ll be waiting.] ¡°Yeah.¡± Click. The call ended. After taking a deep breath, Taejo sat down at the desk and looked down at the train model in front of him. ¡°¡­Disassemble.¡± Click. The parts of the assembly model were dismantled one by one and floated in front of Taejo¡¯s hands. He examined each part, repeatedly assembling and disassembling the train several times. ¡°Golden Train¡­.¡± Knock knock. There was a knock on the door from outside. Wondering if there was something to be conveyed, he opened the door and stepped out to find a red-haired woman in a hanbok holding two boxes. ¡°Sir Goblin asked me to deliver these items to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was¡­ A toy-like train that would likely cost at least 20 million won. ¡°And if there is one thing he wanted me to ry as advice.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°He said, don¡¯t obsess over each part, just make it move. He¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Understood.¡± As soon as he received the boxes, the brewer left, and Taejo immediately opened one. ¡°¡­¡­Golden Train, huh.¡± Gulp. Taejo looked at the parts inside the case, licking his lips at the picture drawn on the box. ¡°Even if I have to go back in, I have to make this.¡± Just¡­ For the development of his abilities. They say Hitler had a Golden Train. What that meant was that there was a legend that the Nazis secretly loaded gold onto a train and hid it somewhere. Whether it actually existed or not was unknown, but if you looked through human history, there were many such cases. A Ruler Who Hides Gold. Given that gold was universally valuable, it was natural for all humans to go crazy when they saw it. ¡®The amount of gold left in the mine is more than I expected.¡¯ Enough to create a whole Mugunghwa train, or if he was exaggerating a bit, even link four carriages. If it¡¯s an endless vein of gold, just leave the root part and turn the rest into a train. Create the Golden Train, paint its exterior, set it running on the tracks, have it follow the train with the agents leaving Shinuiju, then after it crossed south of the DMZ, dispose of the massive Golden Train, and then Taejo could decide the course of his life. ¡°¡­That¡¯s the scenario. How does it sound?¡± ¡°Surprising.¡± ¡°What¡¯s surprising?¡± ¡°That you exined it to me and asked for my opinion.¡± I guess she thought I would only inform her about the n to send the train full of gold to Busan. ¡°My opinion is that anything you decide is okay with me.¡± ¡°Even an intern can give their opinion, right?¡± ¡°If I had to add my opinion, I¡¯d say¡­ hmm, I just wonder about the part you haven¡¯t exined yet¡­?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Cheonma.¡± Yumir pointed out the weak point in my Golden Train n. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re sending Rasputin and the Russian viins to the border defense force through ¡®resocialization.¡¯ The same goes for the illegal border-crossers from China¡ªthose with bad crimes will be turned into ¡®Guardians¡¯ or something like that. But there¡¯s still a small number left, including Cheonma. What will you do with them?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­Send them back with this?¡± Yumir took out a photo of the exhausted mine, and I snapped my fingers at her. ¡°Exactly. Cheonma will be sent back.¡± ¡°Why? Because she¡¯s a real S-ss beauty?¡± ¡°Do you think I favor all S-ss women? Rasputin and Cheonma have different professions.¡± ¡°Professions¡­ ¡®Hero.¡¯¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Rasputin was a viin. She was a viin in Korea, and she was a viin in Russia. Whether she went missing or not, Russia couldn¡¯t openlyin. But Cheonma was different. ¡°China spent a ridiculous amount, 500 trillion won, to buy an S-ss ability user. If such an ability user went missing in the northern part of the Korean Penins? The People¡¯s Army would immediately invade.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no People¡¯s Army.¡± ¡°They can make one. Isn¡¯t the world all about ying tricks?¡± The opponent was China. ¡°Cheonma will be sent back. But we¡¯ll make sure they can¡¯t covet the underground resources of the northern Korean Penins anymore.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°With overwhelming power.¡± If there was one truth that had always worked. ¡°Can a small country stand against a big country?¡± The overwhelming power difference became usible. ¡°With Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s ultimate move, we¡¯ll send Cheonma flying to Manchuria.¡± I extended my fist to Yumir. ¡°Be Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s punch.¡± ¡°¡­But Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s ultimate move isn¡¯t a punch.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Chapter 309: Cheonma Lee Yerin (1) After informing Yumir of the n to be Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s punch: -Then, I¡¯ll start the production right away. -We just need to keep the wheels turning. -I¡¯ll do my best to make it look like a proper train. -Good. tinum Sun, with Taejo, head to the gold mine. In the meantime, I¡¯ll make other preparations. Yumir returned to Shinuiju¡¯s gold mine with Taejo and began the production of the golden train. Since there was enough time before leaving with the agents who came with Taejo, I took the opportunity to find another room to remove another source of anxiety. Creaaak. As soon as I opened the door and entered, the room was filled with the rich aroma of Pu¡¯er tea.[Quite different from Rasputin¡¯s attitude.] ¡°A grade-S should have dignity.¡± Cheonma Lee Yerin. She was not restrained in any way and was calmly sitting in a chair, sipping tea. ¡°Without any restraints, there¡¯s nothing more shameful than getting caught again after causing amotion, right?¡± [You seem to know well.] Unlike the fierce resistance of Rasputin, Cheonma calmly acknowledged her defeat. ¡°So, Mr. Hesed.¡± [It¡¯s Goblin now.] ¡°Mr. Goblin, who deceives the world as Hesed. What are you going to do with me now?¡± [What do you think I¡¯ll do?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± When I answered her question with another question, Cheonma calmly adjusted her posture. ¡°¡­Hmph. Kill me.¡± [I didn¡¯t expect to hear that line here.] ¡°What?¡± [No, it¡¯s nothing.] It was a bit ridiculous to hear Cheonma uttering a line that a knight captured by a group of orcs in a fantasy would say. [Why are you asking me to kill you?] ¡°After subduing me like this, you¡¯ll erase my memory and turn me into a factory for mass-producing ability users, right?¡± That¡¯s odd. There were fewer subversive books in this world to maintain the mental stability of many, yet Cheonma seemed strangely knowledgeable about such matters. [A factory for mass-producing ability users?] ¡°Yes. Just like what happened in Thand, you¡¯ll imprison me somewhere, cut off my limbs, and turn me into someone who produces an ability user every ten months. You¡¯ll erase my memory, put something over my head, and make sure I live in eternal happiness without ever waking up to reality!¡± [Why would we do such a devilish thing? The Society doesn¡¯t engage in such actions.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She didn¡¯t seem to believe me at all. She wasn¡¯t brainwashed, but given that she took her family and defected to China because she thought Korea was a mess, one could say she had a flexible mindset. Yet, it¡¯s suspicious how her mind was filled with only demonic thoughts. ¡°Then, are you nning to sell me to the Korean government? Who¡¯s the buyer? Tusin? Cheok Jun-kyeong? Or maybe Taejo? Or all three?¡± [Do you have a lust demon in your head?] ¡°It¡¯s not a lust demon, it¡¯s just reality.¡± Cheonma, with a face full of resignation but also brimming with internal resentment, gritted her teeth at me. ¡°If a woman is an ability user, isn¡¯t Korea the ce where they¡¯ll try to get her pregnant no matter what?¡± [If you only look at the bad sides, that¡¯s all you¡¯ll see. Isn¡¯t it the same with China, the country you defected to?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Cheonma bit her lower lip. For the first time, she seemed genuinely upset by my remark and lowered her head. [There¡¯s a saying. There¡¯s no paradise where you flee. You left for China for your family, but you probably saw simr things there as well.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Are you giving me information with the things you just said?] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Cheonma raised her head. Her brown eyes began to tremble seriously, and her pupils started to fill with shock. ¡°W-what are you talking about?¡± [That¡¯s how I see it. Humans canmit actions more heinous than demons. There were real demons in Thand, but humans can act like those demons.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Demons are everywhere. What happened in Korea could happen in China too. Well, anywhere humans live is the same, right?] I was convinced. This woman was shaking right now. [You¡¯ve got the money, so you have to live up to it, but every time you enjoy that money, it weighs on you.] ¡°What weighs?¡± [Thest remaining conscience.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It¡¯s not just about her defeat; the root of her defeat lied in the anxiety of not knowing where she was headed. [If you start to think that the enormous amount of money you¡¯ve received is sucking someone¡¯s blood, it bes hard to use that money easily. But when you see your family enjoying happiness, living blissfully ignorant because of that money, you¡¯re likely to turn a blind eye.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [You seem to have a lot of worries. Your eyes were clear when fighting, but now that you¡¯re not, they¡¯ve be clouded.] ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t meddle in someone else¡¯s life if you¡¯re not going to solve their problems.¡± [If I had a solution to clear your 500 trillion won debt and shed your traitor image, would you join the Society?] Flinch. Cheonma¡¯s finger twitched for a moment. [I know you well, Lee Yerin. After your family was nearly killed by the Korean government, you fled to China with them, only to realize that China is no different from Korea.] ¡°¡­The Society¡¯s intelligence is impressive. So, knowing that, are you just sitting back and doing nothing?¡± [We¡¯re not doing nothing. The Society always does its best, but priorities exist.] ¡°¡­In the past, I would¡¯ve argued immediately. How can there be priorities when people are dying right now?¡± Cheonma was , surprisingly, hot-tempered. But she was also a cold, calcting woman. ¡°It¡¯s because of that ¡®Pandemonium¡¯ demon or whatever, right?¡± [Yes.] Apparently, having witnessed what happened in Thand, Cheonma seemed to have her own understanding of the Society¡¯s actions. [With a chronic shortage of manpower, we prioritize eliminating demons over humans.] Why couldn¡¯t we intervene in East Asia¡¯s affairs immediately? Considering the events with Duoexini in Thand, the conclusion that it was more ¡®reasonable¡¯ to subdue demons before humans made sense. [The Society¡¯s top priority for elimination is demons. Next are humans who act like demons. But the Society is always gued by a chronic manpower shortage.] ¡°That¡¯s because you guys are converting people into heroes.¡± [If you know that much, this conversation will be easier.] I ced two pills in front of Cheonma, one on the left and one on the right. ¡°Red pill, blue pill?¡± [I¡¯m giving you a choice.] ¡°What is this, Goblintrix? You¡¯re telling me to choose?¡± [¡­You know about that? That¡¯s quite a ssic.] ¡°It¡¯s famous.¡± Cheonma reached out her hand toward the red and blue pills. ¡°So, Mr. Dofius. Why are you treating me like this?¡± Cheonma started staring intently at me. ¡°You guys could erase my personality, change my nationality, and turn me into a loyal servant for Korea. But instead, you seem to want me, as I am, to willingly change my mind.¡± [Because if you move on your own, it¡¯s easier to bring everything down naturally.] ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what your target is, but.¡± Cheonma grabbed the blue pill in her hand. ¡°At least, rather than bing a brainwashed soldier controlled by someone without a self, I¡¯ll live, even if it¡¯s disgraceful.¡± She crushed the blue pill with her grip and put the red pill in her mouth. ¡°¡­Candy?¡± [It¡¯s strawberry-vored. By the way, the other one is blueberry-vored.] ¡°Wasn¡¯t this supposed to awaken my consciousness, open my mind to a new world, or something like that?¡± [Too bad. This world isn¡¯t a cyber realm; it¡¯s reality.] Even though this world was created based on a nationalist light novel, it was still very much reality. [Since you took the red pill, I¡¯ll tell you. The path that you¡¯re most concerned with, the path that will allow you to cover all your actions as ¡®patriotism.¡¯] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Ultimately, the Society intends to overturn this country as well. Just like America, it will be transformed into a ce ruled under the Society¡¯s control and order. There are some obstacles, and it will take time, but eventually, we will lead the world to peace.] Even if that method was extreme, twisted, or involved deceiving the masses. [The world doesn¡¯t know why you abandoned Korea and defected.] ¡°Are you going to reveal that? ¡­No. If that happens, my parents will copse again.¡± Cheonma¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°If they found out their only daughter did something like that¡­.¡± [Don¡¯t worry. That will never be revealed. You just need to perform as a ¡®hero¡¯ like everyone else.] ¡°¡­What exactly are you nning?¡± [To put it simply, you¡¯ll be an internal whistleblower.] I lightly tapped the spot where the red pill had been ced. [You¡¯ll actually be a dark hero who volunteered to cover yourself in filth for justice.] ¡°¡­Exin in detail.¡± [You¡¯ll be a hero in China and expose China¡¯s ws one by one. When the Society eventually overturns China, Cheonma will boldly stand at the forefront. As a ¡®hero.¡¯] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Even if you have to bear filth for a few years, there is a path to reim your honor and be a hero once again. That¡¯s if you join hands with the Society.] I extended my fist toward Cheonma. [You, join me in this mission.] Ah. Was I setting myself up to die and letting Cheonma blend into it? ¡°So, what is this mission exactly?¡± [¡­Ahem. Well.] The operation name. An unimaginable identity. [¡­A coborator with pro-Japanese forces who turns out to be a secret independence fighter.] Betrayal was washed away by patriotism. Chapter 310: Cheonma Lee Yerin (2) Everything depended on the oue. If there was evidence, a witness, and belief, anything was possible. Indeed, in such cases, it would be truly moving. But sometimes, things were created to suit human needs. What was it? A good story. Just like how some of the viewer stories broadcasted on the radio were creations by certain writers, if Cheonma cooperated with our society, we could create as many good stories for her as needed. [The fact that she went to China was actually to destabilize China from within, investigating all sorts of abnormal and hical actions urring there. After safely relocating her family, she reveals all the facts. There¡¯s no better way to clear her name than this.] ¡°¡­Have you already put several people through the wash?¡± [In some cases, we¡¯ve done it for real, and in others, we¡¯ve run simtions.]Our society was filled with experts from all walks of life. The scenarios they created together became reality as long as Cheonma decided to cooperate with the society, or at least coborated with it. [How about it? Rasputin was an irredeemable trash viin, but you¡¯re different. Though the world has thrown trash at you, you¡¯re someone who can wipe it off and be reborn in a new form.] ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡± Cheonma covered her face with one hand. ¡°Even if everything endspletely, I won¡¯t live in Korea.¡± [Wherever you choose to live is up to you. If you decide to live in the United States, our society will help set that up. Of course, you¡¯ll have to contributebor to cover some of the financial aspects.] ¡°If it¡¯s something like that, I can ept it. ¡­Hoo, fine. Since I¡¯ve already made my decision, I guess I have to walk this path. Let¡¯s keep talking about this ¡®washing¡¯.¡± The person who had been anxious just moments ago was gone, and now Cheonma had regained herposure. ¡°So, what exactly do I need to do?¡± [Nothing else. Just continue as you are. Of course, since you¡¯ve had a major failure this time, the authorities won¡¯t be calling you in for a while. And you do have a valid reason.] Beep. I projected a screen into the air with my Taeguk Watch. [National Competition. If you say you¡¯re going into seclusion to train for the Ability Users¡¯ World Cup in October, no one will be able to criticize you. After all, China spent 500 trillion to bring you in just to try to win thispetition.] ¡°You¡¯re telling me to disappear under the pretext of training until the National Competition?¡± [Yes.] ¡°And if I hold out until then, will anything change?¡± [Many things will change. And even if you don¡¯t win the National Competition, as long as you achieve a respectable result, the authorities won¡¯t be able to criticize you directly.] They brought her in for 500 trillion to win. But even if she didn¡¯t achieve a result, they couldn¡¯t ask her to return the 500 trillion. [As long as you don¡¯t get eliminated in the group stage, entering the quarterfinals or semifinals should be enough to justify the 500 trillion. For example, if there are 7 Koreans and 1 Cheonma in the quarterfinals.] ¡°¡­After Korea, China. Even just that would mean I¡¯ve fulfilled my role?¡± [Yes.] In a nationalistic world, Korea always took first ce, so even taking second ce would mean Cheonma has fulfilled her role. [From now until the National Competition, just focus on your training for ability enhancement and keep a low profile while monitoring the situation. When the timees for our society, or anyone else, to make China shine the brightest, that¡¯s when you¡¯ll step forward and act like a ¡®hero¡¯.] I drew arge circle with my finger, then sliced it into several small pieces. [That will be the time when your reevaluation and the ¡®washing¡¯ truly begin.] ¡°¡­Interesting. Well, if you need me that much and are considerate, I don¡¯t see why I shouldn¡¯t do it. But, there¡¯s a condition.¡± Cheonma tapped the table twice with her hand and stood up. ¡°I want my past to be buried, and I want all those whomitted heinous acts against me to be punished.¡± [That¡¯s entirely possible. We can resolve it through our society¡¯s judgment, not through legal means. However, for that to happen, we need to know exactly who did what.] I had a rough idea. There were documents about what she went through that I roughly understood. Some information the society had gathered, and some from the original novel. [There can¡¯t be any errors in our society¡¯s judgment. If you use someone who is innocent, we will eliminate you.] ¡°What if they are guilty?¡± [Then, naturally, they¡¯ll be dealt with ording to our society¡¯s methods, depending on the severity.] ¡°¡­Alright. First, take off your Taeguk Watch.¡± [You want to keep thispletely secret? Fine.] I removed my Taeguk Watch and ced it outside the room, then put my goblin bat on the floor and released my magic power. [I¡¯ve created something like a barrier. A soundproofing field is up, so no one will be able to hear what we discuss inside. It¡¯ll be a conversation known only to you and me.] ¡°¡­Alright. That¡¯s good. It¡¯s not a good thing to reveal one¡¯s weaknesses to others.¡± Cheonma sat back down with a noticeably more rxed expression. ¡°Still, since you¡¯re a goblin, I think I can talk morefortably.¡± [Doesn¡¯t it bother you that I¡¯m a man?] ¡°¡­? What does that matter?¡± Cheonma tilted her head in confusion. I also frowned momentarily in puzzlement. Although my expression was hidden behind the mask, Cheonma looked me up and down, half-closing her eyes. ¡°Do you really know what happened to me?¡± [If there¡¯s any error in the information I have, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to correct it?] ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s see just how far your society¡¯s informationwork reaches.¡± Cheonma gestured provocatively at me, and I recalled the information, settings, and dialogues regarding her as the heroine of the original novel. [Let¡¯s be blunt. You¡¯re not a virgin.] Cheonma could not ride a unicorn. Because she¡¯s not a virgin. [This stems from the actions taken in Korea to forcibly impregnate S-ss women. You ascended to S-ss, but it was a rather ambiguous S-ss. That¡¯s who you were.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Your family was burdened with debt, driven to bankruptcy, and all the weight was ced on your shoulders. If you, as an S-rank, didn¡¯t bear a child, not only you but your entire family would suffer.] Someone threatened to kill her family if she didn¡¯t be pregnant. ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s possible to threaten an S-rank, no matter how insane the person is?¡± [If they thought they could handle an S-rank, then yes, they would consider it possible.] I held up three fingers. [Public opinion. Family taken hostage. Patriotism. A disaster born from the mindset of an old fool who believed that for the sake of the nation, for the sake of family, one could make a personal sacrifice.] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Cheonma twisted the corner of her mouth as if the mere thought made her feel disgusted and irritated. ¡°I was told to bear an S-rank for the country. When I refused to listen, they threatened my family, and eventually, the woman who exploded fled to China, something they never imagined.¡± They thought she would choose the country over myself because she was Korean. They thought she would never defect to another country because she was an S-rank. They thought she wouldn¡¯t run away to another country alone because her family was in Korea. She left with her family. [You chose China because it was the only country that could protect you when you defected and, at the same time, deliver the biggest blow to Korea. Isn¡¯t that right?] ¡°Yes.¡± [And now you¡¯re encouraging other Korean ability users to leave Korea.] ¡°¡­Rather than using the term ¡®escape,¡¯ could you call it ¡®defection¡¯? ¡®Escape¡¯ feels a bit off.¡± Cheonma crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. ¡°I¡¯ve been through too much with this country, so I¡¯ve been telling the other S-ranks to do the same. Does that count as a crime too?¡± [That would depend on the extent of what you¡¯ve been through. Whether it can be excused or not would hinge on that.] ¡°So what I went through was being forced to bear a child because I¡¯m an S-rank female ability user?¡± [It didn¡¯t end with coercion. Weren¡¯t you also forced?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Cheonma straightened her posture. ¡°Yes. I was forced.¡± She uncrossed her arms, leaned forward, and lowered her voice, cing a hand next to her mouth. ¡°But you, you¡¯re a bit creepy, aren¡¯t you?¡± [¡­¡­What?] ¡°When you say ¡®forced,¡¯ were you thinking of something like this?¡± Cheonma made a circle with her fingers and repeatedly pushed her other hand through the loop. ¡°Like this?¡± [¡­Weren¡¯t you forced in the name of patriotism?] ¡°I was. Coerced. But what you¡¯re thinking of is quite different. If I had really gone through something like that, I would have be a demon who killed every man in sight.¡± [¡­¡­.] I felt slightly dizzy. [I was talking about a case thatmonly urs elsewhere, but it seems your case is quite beyond my understanding.] From what I knew, to be blunt, this woman was not a virgin. She was forcibly coerced by Korean politicians to bear a child, was threatened, her family was held hostage, and she attempted to defect. [Let¡¯s clear up any confusion. Excuse me, but let me ask. Weren¡¯t you raped by a man?] ¡°You¡¯re really blunt.¡± Fortunately, Cheonma didn¡¯t show a strong aversion to my question. ¡°I was raped.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°But it wasn¡¯t by a man.¡± [¡­¡­?] ¡°It was by a woman.¡± Cheonma shook her head in disgust. ¡°My first experience involved a cold lump of silicone.¡± Chapter 311: Cheonma Lee Yerin (3) My head hurts. It seemed like I was experiencing a gestalt copse. For a superhuman, when the brain stopped, it was like their abilities momentarily stopped as well. I almost involuntarily reverted to my original form. [What?] ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. You seem to have some deep-seated prejudices. Just because someone was vited, does it always have to be a woman by a man?¡± Even while talking about herself, Cheonma shrugged her shoulders, as if she found my reaction amusing. ¡°Sexual assault isn¡¯t just about a strong manmitting it against a delicate woman; that¡¯s a societal prejudice. A man can assault another man, right? Likewise, a woman can assault another woman.¡± [¡­¡­Were you, perhaps, attacked by Rasputin?] ¡°It wasn¡¯t Rasputin. But it was something simr to Rasputin. It wasn¡¯t even a superhuman. Just an ordinary woman with a bit of power.¡±Cheonma tapped the table with her fingers, revealing her disgust. ¡°So keep it a secret. If my parents find out, they¡¯ll be shocked and might even copse. Even just knowing that it happened to me at the hands of a man would be shocking enough.¡± [Wasn¡¯t there a threat made to make you have a child?] ¡°All that matters is the birth, right? A child doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be born through sexual intercourse between a man and a woman.¡± [So, did they perhaps use a superhuman who could make two women have a child together?] ¡°What? Haha, your imagination is really vivid this time. There are test tubes, you know, test tubes. They could just grab any man and perform artificial insemination.¡± [¡­¡­That seems more likely.] It was far more realistic, scientific, and logical than the idea ofbining two XX chromosomes. But when all of this came together, it just filled me with confusion and fear. [So you were attacked by a woman, and that was the trigger for you to take your family to China?] ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly a trigger. It was something I could endure, as unpleasant and disgusting as it was. It was something that could be resolved if I just endured it.¡± [¡­Then what was it?] ¡°That crazy woman started targeting my family.¡± Ah. She was a devoted daughter. Of course. When I think about it, even in the original story, she approached the male protagonist without much hesitation as a heroine. She never showed signs of hating men, and there was never a mention of her dating or being with a man before. Of course. There was one possibility. This woman could be lying. But my gut feeling told me that what she said wasn¡¯t a lie. It¡¯s just a feeling, but my intuition told me that Cheonma wouldn¡¯t lie about this. She had told me the whole truth and sincerely shared her past with me. Just as ck Taejo once told me his old story, this woman was doing the same. [¡­Well, fine. I won¡¯t ask for specific details about how that woman attacked you. Is what you want the removal of that woman?] ¡°She¡¯s dead, so even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t remove her. What I want to remove are the people who directly harassed my family, not that woman.¡± [And you?] ¡°If I could, if I could find her grave, I¡¯d dig up her corpse and twist her neck, maybe even make a campfire with it.¡± If you could? [Are you saying it¡¯s impossible because this woman is hard to reach? No, wait. You said she¡¯s dead, didn¡¯t you?] ¡°Yes. She¡¯s a woman whose corpse can¡¯t even be found. Even if I wanted to find it, I couldn¡¯t. So if I were to seek revenge, it would only be against the henchmen who tried to kidnap my family and the assassins who tried to kill them.¡± [¡­¡­.] She couldn¡¯t even take revenge on the woman who did such terrible things to her. What kind of¡­ ¡°Shall we stop with the depressing talk now? I think I¡¯ve told you enough of my story. Oh, do you have any other questions?¡± [¡­Just a personal question.] I was not particrly curious, but I wanted to be sure, so I could leave a 7,800-characterment asking the author how they could create such a cruel setting when I returned to the original world. [With a man-] ¡°Never done it. I¡¯m not really into that. Geez, Goblin, men are all the same. Were you curious about that?¡± [For now. If I ever face the god who created your destiny, I¡¯ll ask how they could create such a fate.] ¡°Thanks for that. ¡­Hmm, so, do you want to know who else vited me? Should I tell you?¡± [Just say who. If it¡¯s not human, like a demon or a machine, I¡¯ll break them with my Goblin bat until there¡¯s nothing left.] ¡°Oh, that won¡¯t work.¡± Cheonma raised both hands above her head, crossing her index and middle fingers as she wiggled them like a rabbit toward me. ¡°If this breaks, it¡¯ll be hard for me to make a living.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°I¡¯d love to see the face behind your mask. Maybe I¡¯ve already hit the Goblin?¡± [¡­¡­.] I wanted to kill the author. A whileter. [Cheonma agreed to cooperate.] After sending Taejo to Sinuiju Station, I introduced Cheonma to Yumir. [We¡¯ve decided to form a cooperative rtionship with the society. The price is to turn the treacherous traitor into a patriot.] ¡°Nice to meet you, tinum Sun. Could we have a sparring match sometime?¡± ¡°¡­¡­How many S-sses are you charming in a single day?¡± Yumir puffed out her cheeks and gently nudged my chest with her fists. ¡°If they¡¯re an S-ss beauty, you just have to flirt with them, right? Huh?¡± [That¡¯s not it.] ¡°Did you perhaps use the Goblin bat to persuade them? Hmm, though it doesn¡¯t seem like you did¡­.¡± [Just because I talked with a beautiful woman, don¡¯t always assume it¡¯s like that.] ¡°Mmph.¡± Since I couldn¡¯t share the details about Cheonma with Yumir, I covered her mouth with both hands to stop her from saying anything further. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. More importantly, tinum Sun, rest assured that I have no interest in the Goblin¡¯s bat. I¡¯m not the shameless type who steals other people¡¯s men.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. I have no intention of ruining the rtionship with the consultant who¡¯s kindly helping to clean up my image over some sexual issue.¡± Cheonma drew her own line, reassuring Yumir in her way. ¡°And besides, such matters would also be an insult to the Goblin. If word got out that the Goblin was involved with a traitorous woman, it would seriously damage his image, don¡¯t you think? It would be different if it were a patriotic woman.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that after you change your image to that of a patriot, you might target him?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see when the timees.¡± Cheonma kept teasing Yumir with a yful smile. I wondered if she disliked women, but considering that she once attempted a gold heist with Rasputin, it seemed Cheonma was very particr about how she judges people. ¡°Well then¡­ shall we get ready?¡± Viiing. Cheonma started making various gestures with her hands. ¡°Cheonma Divine Fist.¡± In a manner reminiscent of using ninjutsu, she prepared some sort of ritual with her hands and then took a deep breath before thrusting her fist downward. ¡°I¡¯m all set. How about you?¡± [We¡¯ll start as soon as the timees. ¡­But let¡¯s make one thing clear.] With the Goblin bat slung over my shoulder, I approached Cheonma and ced my hand on her shoulder. [Goblins despise those who lie. Everything that has happened here and every word spoken is based on my trust in you. If you ever speak carelessly, I¡¯ll be the one to execute you.] ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s quite a terrifying threat.¡± The fact that Hesed was the Goblin. That the society was currently helping Taejo. There¡¯s plenty more that needed to be kept hidden, and more would likelye to light, but if Cheonma ever leaked information, I¡¯d execute her immediately. [I trust you, Cheonma. Don¡¯t betray that trust.] ¡°Of course. You should know that betraying me wouldn¡¯t be fun for you either.¡± No matter what her past was, breaking the promises made with the society or viting the contract with the Goblin would be a crime unrted to her past. [It seems it¡¯s about time-] Kwaaaang!! An explosion rang out. The ground started to tremble along with the sound. [It¡¯s time.] 3:49 AM. Though it was slightly earlier than the scheduled detonation time, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to assume that the st was set off a minute early to ensure total copse. Paaaah! A golden light shed from the direction of Sinuiju Station, cutting through the darkness, and I immediately turned my gaze back to Cheonma. [Then.] Saaaa. Concealing my form through astral projection, I quickly left the scene. Soon after, Cheonma brushed her hands lightly downward and dashed into the explosion. And then- Whoooosh! Leaping back as if she had sprung from the ground, Cheonmanded where I had been standing. ¡°¡­It seems the voice won¡¯t carry to the satellite, so let me ask you this. What are the odds of ¡®defeating¡¯ me?¡± Despite being fine just moments ago, Cheonma, now covered in dirt, looked toward the smoke and asked the air¡ªasked me. ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell me the most important part. Is Taejo nning to blow me away with something like gold or-¡± Flutter. A pair of golden wings emerged from the dust. Draped in a white robe, a figure with fluttering golden wings began to slowly ascend into the sky. ¡°¡­¡­Ah, is that it? There¡¯s no shame in losing to someone stronger.¡± Humpphh. Cheonma pushed off the ground and leaped. Running through the air, she stretched her fist towards the golden wings hidden in the dust. And then. Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! An indescribable, golden barrage of magic power swallowed Cheonma whole. The trajectory, the bombardment, crossed the air and flew far to the north. Along with Cheonma. One strike. With just one strike of magical bombardment, Cheonma became a star in the night sky. Chapter 312: Its Not Shameful To Lose To A Stronger Opponent (1) Cheonma was sent back to China. Even though they had decided to cooperate with the Secret Society, simply sending Cheonma back was not an easy task. China was eyeing the resources in the northern part of Korea, the formernd of North Korea. Even if Cheonma failed, it wouldn¡¯t end there! They were not the type to give up. If they failed once, they would send someone else, use another method, or find some other way. For example, they might find someone from Sinuiju, send them a huge amount of money to buynd near the mines, and siphon off property rights. They could support a national project, secretly mine resources using that money, and bribe the officials overseeing it so no one finds out. Or they might send another ability user instead of Cheonma. There were countless such scenarios, so it was necessary to nip it in the bud.They had to make sure China could never threaten Korea (South) again, never touch the resources of the Korean Penins. What would it take to do that? Should they pour something like Gigong Shinpo or Lightning Breath? That¡¯s correct. If a being with overwhelming power demonstrated its might, making it impossible for any diplomatic protest to be made against that demonstration, and if even the 6 billion people on Earth agree that Cheonma was defeated by no fault of their own¡­ If Gwang Ik Gong was mobilized and used the ¡°Gwang Ik Gong Beam¡± to st Cheonma into the stars, it was over. [Yes. It¡¯s me. Did you see well?] -That was amazing. I didn¡¯t think you could blow Cheonma over 50km with one strike. At that moment, a call from Gwang Ik Gong came through. He had been closely monitoring the situation in the north, and as soon as Yumir spread his wings as Gwang Ik Gong, he called me. -When Yumir spread her wings like that, somehow, they seemed even more golden and bright than the wings I spread in my prime. [Even if she has a lot of magic power, that overwhelming amount of magic power could be uncontrobleter on. Imagine if that magic power goes berserk and causes a nuclear explosion. The explosion would be bigger than a meteorite hitting the Earth.] The world would be destroyed. -Haha, but you¡¯ll make sure that doesn¡¯t happen, won¡¯t you? [She said she would be patriotic in front of others on the train.] -¡­Isn¡¯t it your fault that an innocent girl turned out like that? [Is it my fault?] -You managed to ignite a burning patriotism in the four vengeful maiden ghosts buried deep underground, so of course, you should take responsibility for turning a normal female college student into a patriot. I was at a loss for words in response to Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s sharp remark, but it was almost 3 minutes now. [But still, doing it in front of other guys is not right.] -That¡¯s true. Anyway, hyung, thanks. I¡¯ll send you a long-term stay voucher for an ocean-view penthouseter, so go and enjoy yourself with Yumir. [Where is it?] -You¡¯ll know when you get it. Hehehe. I think I knew where it was. Even though Gwang Ik Gong was supposed to be dead, he was the kind of man who could stay hidden in a basement in Busan and grasp all situations through media reports. [If possible, I¡¯d prefer the south rather than the north.] -Wouldn¡¯t a 5-star hotel there be subpar? And it¡¯s far from Sejong Ind too. [If it¡¯s by the sea, the open southern side is better.] -True. That doesn¡¯t matter, I guess. Got it. I¡¯ll be in touch again¡­ Oh, onest thing. Before the call ended, Gwang Ik Gong asked me with genuine curiosity. -The white robe, it looks kind of angelic. What exactly is it? [Archangel of Courage.] -Oh¡­ Is that a Sephiroth hint? Nice. Thanks. See you. Click. The call ended exactly at 2 minutes and 59 seconds. I swiped my Taeguk Watch, and soon, the archangel with brilliant golden wings sparkling in the sky vanished into the dust. ¡°Ta-da.¡± And then, she appeared next to me, as if nothing had happened. [What are you doing?] ¡°I used a lot of mana, enough for the transformation to wear off.¡± In a state where the transformation had worn off. [Anyway.] I immediately pulled out a durumagi and draped it over Yumir¡¯s shoulders. Yumir slipped her arms into it and tightened the belt firmly. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that a very Gwang Ik Gong-like action? I put much more magic power into the bombardment than I thought.¡± [It was enough. You used up most of your mana maintaining the transformation and reserving enough for teleportation afterward.] Although she had used a bit of mana during the previous underground battle, Yumir had used most of her mana for her ¡°Gwang Ik Gong cosy.¡± [The problem is that it worked too well.] ¡°¡­Did I make a mistake?¡± [It¡¯s not a mistake. Well, it¡¯s just something like that.] I held Yumir in my arms and quickly left the ce. Soon, the sound of a train whistle echoed from Sinuiju Station, and I jumped onto the top of the train, holding Yumir like a princess. [You¡¯ve covered the golden train with steel.] As soon as Inded, the ground beneath my feet shook. Like a dog¡¯s paw print on cement, my shoe print pushed aside the iron dust on the train¡¯s surface, revealing the gold underneath. ¡°Impressive.¡± Taejo, who had rushed out from inside the train corridor, greeted us. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve learned something I shouldn¡¯t have, but I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut.¡± [I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.] Although I tantly feigned ignorance, there was no way that ck Taejo wouldn¡¯t have noticed Yumir¡¯s condition, especially considering Armored Taejo might not have. [The important thing is¡­.] ¡°Gwang Ik Gong is alive. And not just alive.¡± Taejo scratched his cheek and gave an awkward smile toward Yumir, who was ncing at me nervously. ¡°¡­With even stronger firepower than in his prime.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Yumir covered her mouth with her hand, surprised. ¡°¡­Was it a bit too strong?¡± [Yeah.] Overwhelming power. Yumir had cosyed as Gwang Ik Gong and proven Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s strength. She just overdid it a bit. [But it¡¯s all good.] At that moment. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Cheonma opened her eyes. For a moment, it felt like she had lost consciousness, and in fact, she had. If it weren¡¯t for the body¡¯s instincts and the physical reaction of her body to protect itself with magic, she might have died. ¡°¡­¡­Ha.¡± Looking around, the sight was unbelievable. The forest was destroyed. It was as if something like a meteor had fallen diagonally and rolled hundreds of times across the forest, as if a god had brushed his thumb across the map, leaving a long road through the forest. And at the end of that road was herself. ¡°¡­Crazy.¡± She reassembled her memories before she lost consciousness. She had certainly charged at Yumir. She charged at the one pretending to be Gwang Ik Gong. After fighting with Hesed Goblin, she had gathered all the magic power she could muster and ran forward with all her might. Cheonma Divine Technique - Cheonma Reigning Step. And with all her strength, she unleashed Cheonma Divine Fist with both hands. But that fist, in front of the overwhelming bombardment of magic power, became nothing more than a star in the night sky. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Her smartwatch was destroyed, so she couldn¡¯t even check her location, and her clothes were beyond tattered, more like rags. Fortunately, the underwear peeking through the rags still maintained its form, but it was clear her appearance was a mess. ¡°Ha, haha¡­.¡± A hollowugh escaped her lips. ¡°The world is truly vast.¡± She already knew there were many strong people in the world, but every year, new strong individuals kept emerging. She enjoyed fighting against such strong opponents, and while it felt great to achieve victory over them, being overwhelmed by such immense power left her with only a hollowugh. ¡°¡­But still.¡± Cheonma clenched her fist toward the night sky. ¡°I can reach it.¡± Not yet. It was different from when she extended her fist toward Gwang Ik Gong, who seemed to have no blind spots and waspletely unreachable. She could reach it. If she became stronger, and if the female Gwang Ik Gong remained stagnant, she would surely be able to reach it. So¡ª ¡°Cheonma!!¡± People came running from afar. The ability users, dressed in the same martial arts attire as Cheonma, were shocked when they saw her and quickly offered her their coats. ¡°This, this is¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Cheonma politely declined their coats, pulling her tattered clothes tighter around herself. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about a little underwear showing?¡± ¡°But, still¡­!¡± ¡°Just surviving is fortunate enough. Give me the watch. Contact the Association President.¡± Cheonma stretched out her trembling hand, and the ability users quickly manipted the smartwatch to call someone. ¡°Hello, President.¡± [Are you okay?!] ¡°¡­Somehow, I survived. The others were captured, and I don¡¯t know what happened to them.¡± [Sigh¡­.] The deep sigh of the Hero Association¡¯s China branch president echoed through the line. [It¡¯s okay. If you¡¯re alive, we can meet again. Surely they wouldn¡¯t kill heroes in Korea. It¡¯s a relief you made it back alive, and what came out of this is more valuable than gold.] ¡°More valuable results¡­?¡± [Yes. The fact that Gwang Ik Gong, who had been in seclusion until now, took action.] Cheonma shivered. [Korea now clearly sees you, sees us, as a real ¡®threat.¡¯ You, specifically, have be a threat that neither Japan, the United States, nor any other country could manage.] The situation matched perfectly with something someone had said, sending chills down her spine. [Cheonma. We¡¯re truly d to have you on our side. As soon as you return¡ª] ¡°I need to train. Please contact my parents. After one meal, I¡¯d like to go somewhere for some personal training. What was it called¡­ closed-door training?¡± [Closed-door training! Excellent! Even if we have to clear out Kowloon Walled City, we¡¯ll prepare a training ground for you!] As the situation unfolded exactly as expected, she could onlyugh hollowly. [In the nationalpetition, the only one who can win against Gwang Ik Gong is none other than you, Cheonma!] ¡°¡­Thank you for your encouragement.¡± Cheonma gripped her wrist and forced a smile. ¡°In the end, though, I lost to Gwang Ik Gong.¡± [Haha. Raise your head, Cheonma.] The Association President responded with a heartyugh. [Losing to a stronger opponent is nothing to be ashamed of.] Chapter 313: Its Not Shameful To Lose To A Stronger Opponent (2) Gwang Ik Gong threw a punch, and drained of magic power, Yumir boarded Taejo¡¯s golden train. ¡°It¡¯s incredible.¡± Everything was golden. Although camouged with iron on the outside, the interior cabins were all gold. The chairs were gold, the windows were gold, even the hallways connected to the cabins were gold. [It must not have been easy to forge all this.] ¡°Thispartment is specially prepared for the two of you. The rest are just empty spaces; this is the only cabin.¡± [¡­¡­.] Taejo made a separate cabin just for us.Turning a lump of gold into a train and even coating it with iron to disguise it must have been headache-inducing, not to mention crafting an interiorpartment. [There was no need to go this far.] ¡°This seat is specially arranged for you to restfortably all the way to Gaeseong. It would be concerning to travel in the cargo train with others.¡± That made sense. The people up front would certainly be very attentive to our identities, and misunderstandings would make it anything but restful. ¡°They might mistake you for Gwang Ik Gong, brother.¡± [It¡¯s not unknown to them; they¡¯re certain. They think the person brought by Taejo is not just endorsed by Gwang Ik Gong but is Gwang Ik Gong himself. Yumir is his aide.] We pretended to be a couple and Taejo treated us with extreme honor. At the same time we also subdued Cheonma and Rasputin, who were at an S-level. Although the members of Giparang and Ssangeogung might be confused by information only known to them, what¡¯s important was the figure who had boldly appeared in this region called Sinuiju. The underground fight with Hesed and Sr tina? Only those who were underground knew of it. But the entity that showed overwhelming power against Cheonma on the surface was now known worldwide. Thick golden streaks visible in satellite photos, as if someone had scribbled on Earth. [The whole world has been turned upside down.] -Gwang Ik Gong has appeared! -Gwang Ik Gong is alive! -Is Gwang Ik Gong a god? Stronger than before, with overwhelming power! -All the conspiracy theorists who said Gwang Ik Gong was dead or too injured to appear outside should hang their heads! It didn¡¯t matter why he appeared in Sinuiju or against whom he used his abilities. Just the fact that Gwang Ik Gong had shown himself meant world crime would decrease for about a month, and ability users wouldn¡¯t dare turn into devils. The fear that Goblin would appear and execute them if they became devils was less than the fear that Gwang Ik Gong woulde and wield his golden wings. A symbol of peace. That¡¯s the power of being Gwang Ik Gong. Just appearing once sparked a glimmer of hope and bestowed despair upon viins and devils. ¡®That¡¯s why we must be more cautious.¡¯ The moment it¡¯s known that Gwang Ik Gong was dead. Many would lose hope. World stock markets would crash instantly, the Kospi will copse, the Nakdong River¡¯s water level would rise, and everyone would unt their power in disputes. Viins and devils would run more rampant. Therefore. [Someone else stepping in for Gwang Ik Gong must never be disclosed to anyone.] I threatened Taejo. [Very few know this. Not to your family, not even to those you trust more than yourself. Not even to your other side, the armored Emperor.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [I don¡¯t know about Cheonma, but I¡¯ve ced a prohibition on him. The moment he tries to disclose it, the society will execute him. And the same goes for you.] I casually ced the Goblin bat to the side. [Even if it means the Goblin has to kill Taejo.] ¡°That¡¯s fair. Protecting the secret about Gwang Ik Gong is more important than silencing Taejo.¡± Even Taejo himself acknowledged how crucial Gwang Ik Gong was. ¡°Did you target this?¡± Taejo fiddled with his hair. ¡°Knowing this makes it impossible for me to pass my consciousness to a madman.¡± [I didn¡¯t specifically target it, but if it makes you anxious, you naturally have to keep quiet.] ¡°Isn¡¯t this a threat?¡± [I am a viin.] ¡°Ha.¡± Taejo chuckled emptily. ¡°How do you n to swiftly resolve everything like this?¡± [Handling multiple things in one go is my specialty.] I threw a punch towards Taejo. [Live. Cheonma isundering herself to live again as a patriot, and you don¡¯t need to bear the burden yourself. I can get the washing machine running for you too if you want.] ¡°What?¡± [Isn¡¯t this the perfect time? The reckless Armored Taejo suddenlyes to his senses one day. You have a just cause.] I disyed a photo of someone on my Taeguk Watch. [After being defeated by Firefox Yoon Iseon, the former madman Taejo will be a diligent one.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Returning from being dyed blonde to natural ck hair signifies themitment of a wayward being to follow the correct path.] Like a blonde gal suddenly washing out her dye and letting down her hair to appear like a pure ck-haired girl, Taejo can certainly change too. [The world is going to change, drastically and soon. And so will the political situation in Korea.] ¡°That is¡­.¡± [Korea¡¯s S-rankers, too, will see a drastic change in their lineup.] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Taejo¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Is that a hint¡­?¡± [You can take it that way. Until now, there have been seven in the system. With Yoon Iseon added, it became eight. But how long will this eight-person systemst?] Gwang Ik Gong had already disappeared, leaving only his chair behind. Snow White nned to retire due to pregnancy, and other S-rankers were also expected to change for various reasons. ¡­If things went as originally nned, at least one of them was certainly destined to die. [Taejo. You are still young. You have limitless potential and talent.] From the original context, from what I had observed, and even Goblin¡¯s intuition clearly stated it. [You¡¯re not just another S-rank reader; you¡¯re meant to be at the pinnacle of S-rank.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [As a man, shouldn¡¯t you aim to be the strongest?] No matter how much he decided to shoulder the burden, he wouldn¡¯t want to live as a lifelong S-rank sensorbeled as naive. [If you choose that path, I¡¯ll help you. I may be too busy to assist actively, but at least when you¡¯re stuck, I can offer a word of advice.] ¡°That one word, in terms of a game, would it be like a hint you check when you¡¯re stuck?¡± [That¡¯s one way to think about it.] ¡°Alright.¡± Taejo straightened his posture and bowed his head. ¡°After I return to Busan, I¡¯ll think more deeply about it. And after making a decision, you¡¯ll naturally learn what it is.¡± That¡¯s a relief. After all, deciding one¡¯s life course based on a few words here is too difficult a matter. After returning to Busan, he would contemte on his own, consult with his grandfather, and perhaps even discuss with his sister, pondering repeatedly until he reached a conclusion. Whether the naive Taejo continued to live as he was now. Or lived as his true self. [If you, as a man, make a decision after careful consideration, I wee whatever decision that may be.] ¡°Thank you for saying that. ¡­Dawn is approaching.¡± Outside the window. Darkness was fading, and dawn was beginning to break. ¡°As soon as we arrive in Gaeseong, I¡¯ll head straight to Busan with the idol team. There¡¯s still some time until then, so you two can rest properly until¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll rest somewhere else, not here.¡± Yumir drew a circle in the air, and Taejo nodded understandingly. ¡°Understood. Onest thing before we go.¡± Taejo clenched his fist. ¡°Regardless of what decision I make, or what being I be, if it results in my disappearance from this world.¡± Taejo looked at me and bowed his head solemnly once more. ¡°Please take good care of my sister.¡± [Ah.] I extended a fist towards Taejo. [I promise.] At that moment, in a pension on Ulleungdo. ¡°Is Gwang Ik Gong resurrecting?¡± Soaking in an outdoor hot spring, Gunggi chuckled while checking the inte reactions on her tablet. ¡°Gwang Ik Gong here, Gwang Ik Gong there. It¡¯s all about Gwang Ik Gong.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± Next to Gunggi, Doul flicked water at her and grinned. ¡°Even you and I ultimately couldn¡¯t defeat the strongest in the world who has now reappeared. Though, not in person.¡± ¡°Stronger than himself. ¡­Serin.¡± Gunggi locked eyes with Doul, her expression serious. ¡°Gwang Ik Gong has now be a being beyond our reach forever.¡± ¡°No, not really. There¡¯s one way.¡± Doul leaned close to Gunggi, whispering in her ear. ¡°How about it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmm. Indeed. That way exists. Ah, but I am¡­.¡± ¡°What are you two whispering about?¡± sh. Through a golden dimensional gate, two men and women appeared. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Hello, sisters.¡± The two executives, holding Yumir and the Goblin, smiled slyly. ¡°A way to defeat Gwang Ik Gong.¡± ¡°How are you nning to win?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll win with a contest that every Korean acknowledges.¡± The two women grabbed the Goblin¡¯s ankle and pulled him into the water. ¡°¡°A child¡¯s victory.¡±¡± Chapter 314: The Golden Legacy (1) While addressing the concerns of the S-ss individuals, I resolved the issue of the underground resources in Shinuiju. In return for mybor, I received 10kg of gold. Using Yumir¡¯s teleportation, I returned to the Ulleungdo pension to check the condition of the gold. ¡°As expected.¡± When I let the Goblin Bat flow inside, magic power began to seep into the gold. ¡°This is as anticipated.¡± Unlike me, who felt the heterogeneity of this gold directly through magic with the Goblin Bat, the other three S-sses seemed unable to directly feel the value of this gold. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°This gold can be made into ¡®Magic Stones¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±At the mention of Magic Stones, all three immediately adjusted their posture. Even the two who definitely knew about Magic Stones did so, but Yumir also straightened up and perked up her ears in the same way. ¡°Yumir, do you know what Magic Stones are?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an item from fantasy novels, a stone that contains mana. You asked about itst time, I think.¡± ¡°Right. Just confirming it again. Because that Magic Stone is right here before us.¡± I then raised the Goblin Bat high and struck down towards the gold. ¡°Transform.¡± As I swung the Goblin Bat down hard, I visualized the structure in my mind. Discarding all other stray thoughts, I focused solely on one form to create a new object. From what was just a 10kg lump of gold, into a new form I conceived. ¡°¡­How is it?¡± ¡°A gold bat?¡± A gold bat, simr to the Goblin Bat, a baseball bat, had been created. ¡°Did you master the ability to manipte metal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s limited to gold. The bat seems to be just gold as it is.¡± Despite the three¡¯s expressions that questioned why such a thing was made, I was certain that this bat was definitive proof that gold could be transformed into Magic Stones. ¡°Hyeon Se-rin, grab this and try infusing mana into it. And then swing it just once.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Hyeon Se-rin took the gold bat. ¡°What¡¯s so special about this¡­ Oh!¡± Initially skeptical, her eyes changed immediately once she infused it with magic power. ¡°Seems like it could send the pension flying, so is it okay to swing it towards the open air?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Hyeon Se-rin faced the balcony and swung the bat fiercely towards the open sky. Shwiiiing¡ª!! The de-like wind gathered in the bat flew towards the sky. If anything had been within range, even a flying airne, it could have been sliced by this wind de. Hyeon Se-rin fiddled with the baseball bat, her eyes sparkling. ¡°Can you make this into a sword?¡± ¡°A sword might be a bit tricky.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It depends on what kind of sword. Should I make you a golden rose sword?¡± ¡°A rose sword¡­? Are you going to add a pattern too?¡± Tsk. ¡°That¡¯s a joke. I¡¯ll make you the sword you use. Put the bat down on the ground.¡± Hyeon Se-rin ced the bat on the ground, and I struck down with the Goblin Bat again. Bang. With an explosion of magic power, the golden baseball bat instantly transformed into a new form. ¡°Wow. Se-rin¡¯s sword?¡± ¡°This is quite¡­¡± Transformed into the form of a straight sword that Hyeon Se-rin often used, she picked up the sword and tested it by moving it around in her hand. ¡°Se-rin, how is it?¡± ¡°The efficiency of the mana infused into the weapon is no joke. If you put in 100 mana, about 99 of it seems to embed itself directly. It¡¯s be a sword that can truly contain magic power.¡± ¡°Other minerals could also contain magic power. But if you ask if they are as efficient as this, then of course not.¡± Other minerals could contain magic power. But forcing them to hold it ultimately leads to its evaporation. If you put magic power into an ordinary gold bar, that power would seep into the gold and evaporate into the air before even a day passes. But this gold could hold onto the magic power proportionate to its mass. ¡®The mass of the gold remains the same, only its form can be changed.¡¯ Using the ability to release mana with the Goblin Bat to create objects, I could change this gold into any form I knew, whether it¡¯s a baseball bat or a de. The difference from Taejo was that while I could recreate actual forms on a 1:1 scale stored in my brain¡¯s cloud like blueprints, Taejo could freely manipte and create forms as he wished. An advantage I had was that I had many such blueprints stored in my cloud. ¡°Originally, I had something else in mind to make with this¡­ but I guess I¡¯ll have to make a few more things.¡± ¡°What are you nning to change it into?¡± ¡°Something that looks like a weapon.¡± Bang. Once more, I swung the Goblin Bat, changing its form. Technically, it¡¯s ¡®creating,¡¯ but the magic power imbued in the gold read my thoughts andpletely transformed the gold. ¡°What¡¯s that, ance?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± I held the handle of the weapon, which was simr to a cone, with both hands. ¡®The Keyde based on the Dissonance de.¡¯ It¡¯s called a de, but its tip wasn¡¯t pointed; it¡¯s more like the end of aser turret that emitted something, though uniformly golden without any peculiar colors, and it didn¡¯t spin or chant like the original. ¡®Indeed, my memory is still intact.¡¯ Whether it¡¯s a replica or not, just having created it brings a sense of aplishment and satisfaction. ¡°Yumir. What do you think this is used for?¡± ¡°Um¡­ to concentrate magic power, gather it at the end, and then shoot it at an enemy?¡± ¡°Exactly. Want to give it a try?¡± ¡°My magic power is depleted right now.¡± ¡°Just the feel of it. Try infusing just a bit of mana.¡± Yumir, holding the cylindrical sword I handed her with both hands, aimed it at the sky like Hyeon Se-rin had done. ¡°Um¡­. Fire!¡± Pshh¡ª! The magic power Yumir channeled inside gathered at the tip of the sword and shot towards the sky. It was just a mundane magical artillery strike, nothing like the original attack, and the cylinder didn¡¯t even spin. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Um¡­ It feels like if I gather mana inside, I can collect and shoot magic power more easily?¡± ¡°Right. So, what can we create using this gold?¡± The three ability users looked at each other. ¡°¡­A specialized weapon?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± It might not necessarily be called a specialized weapon, but naturally, every ability user wanted their own unique weapon. Of course, they existed. However, unlike weapons made with modern technology, objects created using this ¡®Mana Gold¡¯ mined from the Korean penins were of apletely different dimension. ¡°If we use the gold secured from Shinuiju, we can create all sorts of mana weapons and tools. It¡¯s akin to processing Maseok.¡± ¡°But there were already things like that before, right? It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve discovered a new technology.¡± ¡°True. Even Taeguk Watches use these minerals. But what do you think it would be like if such weapons became moremon and everyone started using them?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Yun Hye-ra swallowed her saliva. Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s hair seemed to bristle like cat ears perking up, and Yumir seemed lost in thought as she gazed at the gold. ¡°It means we can create weapons that can be used efficiently without needing to shape them from mana every time. Especially for someone like me who uses a firmly fixed form of weapon.¡± That¡¯s the story of the Goblin Bat. ¡°And this could be used in such a way, too.¡± I cut a chunk out of the gold with magic power, then shaped it into a new form using the Goblin Bat. ¡°A bead?¡± ¡°Yes. It looks just like a bead, but now if you blow mana into it, it bes a magical orb.¡± I tossed the hollow magical orb into the hot spring. Yun Hye-ra and Hyeon Se-rin pped as the magical orb dropped into the water. ¡°A mana battery¡­!¡± ¡°A real magical orb¡­!¡± ¡°So, um, that means¡­ you can charge mana in there and use it?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± The applications were endless. It¡¯s impossible to summarize all the possibilities in just a few lines. ¡°From now on, we can store mana in this gold and use it urgently when needed.¡± ¡°¡­Or normally use magic power, and when about to transform back, use the power stored here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s another way.¡± Most importantly, ¡°Being able to temporarily produce firepower greater than one¡¯s limits is crucial. Perhaps we could even create a weapon capable of delivering more firepower against Gwang Ik Gong.¡± It¡¯s clear that an incredible weapon could be made, despite its shiny gold appearance. ¡°Hey, Director Do. Isn¡¯t this, like, a train-sized shipment currently heading to Busan¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be taking care of that?¡± Seeing goods bred desire. I also wanted to create new objects using gold. After creating a splendidly golden fragrant sword, I wanted Yumir to swing it to show a more intuitive bombardment of magic power than Gwang Ik Gong¡¯s attack. But, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve forgotten something. This gold belongs to South Korea. The 10 kg we have was legitimately transferred as a payment forbor.¡± This world thrived on national pride. ¡°If you try to steal or take South Korea¡¯s gold, it¡¯ll immediately start working against us.¡± As soon as any action harmful to Korea was taken, unfortunate events would befall the association. ¡°Hye-ra, are there any goldsmiths among the brewers?¡± ¡°Yes. Should I gather them?¡± ¡°Yeah. Right now it¡¯s a gold train, but we¡¯ll start cutting it up and disposing of it properly.¡± The moment the disposal of this gold was decided, ¡°We buy immediately when it hits the market. We need to buy it all.¡± It must be purchased legitimately. That was the only way to stay out of trouble in this country. ¡°Or after eliminating the viins trying to steal it, we take care of the loot.¡± If not obtained through legitimate means, the will of mana and national pride will surely punish the unjust. Why turn back? Why act soplicated? The answer was simple. ¡®I can¡¯t be a traitor.¡¯ Manipting or exploiting national resources was the act of a traitor. Chapter 315: The Golden Legacy (2) At that time, in Seoul. Even though the capital of South Korea has changed from Seoul to Busan, Seoul still retained major national infrastructure. Although everything had now moved to Busan, the government buildings left in Seoul were being thoroughly managed by the government and the military. And now, at the ambitious dawn, around 3 AM when no subways ran, the Yeouido National Assembly Station was controlled by suspicious men in ck suits. Even homeless people, and even agents with special abilities, were prevented from entering, creating a restricted area where no one could enter. And inside that restricted area was none other than the President of this country, Tae Chae-jin. He, along with the Chairman of the Hero Association, Jeong Gong-in, opened the screen door at the National Assembly Station and went down to the railroad, following the shlight of the Taeguk Watch. Only the sound of footsteps echoed underground. After walking for a while, the two soon discovered a dark-colored train illuminated by light.¡°Is that it¡­.¡± ¡°You have had a long journey, both of you.¡± A familiar voice. But the tone was polite, and the gait emerging from the shadows was neat and modest. ¡°Grandfather. And Mr. Chairman.¡± The one who appeared was Taejo with ck hair. From head to toe, Taejo¡¯s appearance in all ck clearly showed he was ¡®ck¡¯, but his actions and tone of voice quickly revealed what kind of Taejo he was. ¡°I will lead you inside.¡± With a flick of Taejo¡¯s hand, metal tracks wereid out in front of them, and the President and the Chairman followed the metal rails Taejo had created and boarded the train. Click. After climbing aboard the train with the aid of the Taegeuk Watch¡¯s shlight, the President and the Chairman were astonished by the interior. ¡°Is this¡­.¡± ¡°Really, all gold?¡± ¡°Yes. That is correct.¡± The exterior was that of a train, but in reality, it was a massive gold nugget shaped like a train. As the doors closed and all connections to the outside were sealed, Taejo swept away the metal covering the interior, revealing the glittering golden interior. ¡°We sent the train carrying the idol group that joined for camouge to Busan, and this train was separately maintained at Seoul Station for a while before being brought here.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it discovered¡­? Amazing. I didn¡¯t expect you to bring it from Sinuiju like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Gwang Ik Gong.¡± At Taejo¡¯s words, the President and the Chairman¡¯s expressions hardened. ¡°¡­Yes. Gwang Ik Gong. He actually showed himself in Sinuiju.¡± That was the information the world knew. But because of information that only the President and the Chairman knew and Taejo did not, they couldn¡¯t speak carelessly. They had already exchanged texts secretly. Was it true that Gwang Ik Gong appeared? Could Gwang Ik Gong now be active? And eventually, they asked the person involved. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d go to Sinuiju to help you.¡± He said he went to Sinuiju. Taejo was about to confront Cheonma and Rasputin, and it turned out he was to confront Cheonma. ¡°¡­Really, was it Gwang Ik Gong?¡± ¡°Yes. Where else would you find another Gwang Ik Gong?¡± ¡°Taejo, is that true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Taejo nodded nonchntly. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t Gwang Ik Gong who stepped forward, who else could it be? In South Korea, no, in the world, who else could have that kind of magic power and strength to defeat Cheonma?¡± ¡°But Gwang Ik Gong is¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Taejo tilted his head at the nce of the two men, blinked a few times, and then tightly closed his eyes. ¡°Is that so¡­.¡± Talking to himself, he reached his own conclusion. ¡°Grandfather. Mr. Chairman. The important thing is that we¡¯ve let the world know that Gwang Ik Gong is still alive.¡± Whatever the conclusion, it was more important to let the world know that Gwang Ik Gong was still a viable force. ¡°Why did Gwang Ik Gong cover his face? Why did he appear in a new form, wearing a hood? No matter how much you zoom in with the satellite cameras, his face isn¡¯t visible because of the hood. None of that is important.¡± ¡°Right. The important thing is that he destroyed Cheonma in one strike.¡± ¡°Of course. ¡­Honestly, as an administrator, I¡¯d like to know more, but the person involved will tell us when the timees.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he tell you, Mr. Chairman?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. President. It seems like these young folks are up to some cunning tricks.¡± The President and the Chairman stared hard at Taejo, but he just shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I know nothing.¡± ¡°Talking like that when you know everything. Ugh. Am I supposed to go around saying ¡®the President knew nothing¡¯ after the incident happens?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the suicide rate more important than the approval rate?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s important. If we lower both the approval and suicide rates, what¡¯s the importance of the approval rate? Ugh.¡± The President thumped his chest in frustration. While the situation was understandable, curiosity remained. ¡°Alright. Who is Gwang Ik Gong? Is he the real Gwang Ik Gong? Let¡¯s set that aside. How much gold is important?¡± ¡°Altogether, it¡¯s about 500 tons.¡± ¡°500 tons!¡± An enormous amount. Though it was thought to be incredibly heavy because it looked like a train, the astonishing amount made both the President and the Chairman¡¯s mouths fall open in awe. ¡°500 tons? So in cash, that would be almost 30 trillion won?¡± ¡°At least 30 trillion won. If we use this to create new added value¡­ Ha, it seems we won¡¯t be short of gold for semiconductors.¡± ¡°Ah, Mr. Chairman, why are you already thinking of it as national money? This is the gold mined by Taejo.¡± At the President¡¯s remark, the Chairman narrowed his eyes and nced back and forth between the two descendants. ¡°Are you trying to create a slush fund for your grandson? Are you trying to silence me?¡± ¡°How about taking about 100 kg?¡± ¡°100 kg? If there are 500 tons, you should at least give a ton truck¡¯s worth.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is it really okay to exchange national assets so freely?¡± At Taejo¡¯s words, the President and the Chairman smiled awkwardly and stroked the gold inside the train with an uneasy touch. ¡°It¡¯s just a saying. Taejo, I think it was good to entrust this to you. If it were others, surely about 10% would have been skimmed off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. What¡¯s 10%? They might have skimmed off half, dividing up several gold bars among themselves.¡± ¡°¡­Not 10%, but about 10 kg was indeed skimmed off.¡± Taejo took out 10 kg of gold from the wall. ¡°Gwang Ik Gong took 10 kg of gold.¡± ¡°Gwang Ik Gong? If he was going to take some, why only that much? Perhaps he¡¯s making a small gold statue?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably just something he took as a souvenir. About 10 kg fits perfectly in a sports bag.¡± ¡°Indeed. Why would Gwang Ik Gong, of all people, need to skim off gold for money?¡± 10 kg. Such a small amount that both the President and the Chairman did not think much of it. ¡°Taejo, where do you think this golden train should go?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s not siphoned off separately, I believe turning all this gold into national property is the right thing to do.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± No one could siphon it off. Not Taejo, not the President, not the Chairman. Even if someone did, any amount more than the 10 kg taken by Gwang Ik Gong would certainly cause problems. ¡°Let¡¯s think more deeply about how to use it. Of course, we can¡¯t keep it hidden underground in Yeouido forever, nor can we return it to Sinuiju, so for now, it must be hidden where no one can find it.¡± ¡°Where should we move it? Moving along the rail would avoid others¡¯ eyes. Just tell me the ce, and I will drive it straight to that station.¡± ¡°Take it to Busan for now. And to the military base in Busan¡­ah, if it¡¯s in a military base, there will be those trying to lick up even the gold dust.¡± The President scratched his head in confusion. ¡°Ah, gold creates problems too. Right now, we¡¯re hiding it, but over time, its true nature will be revealed.¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re worried about me, rest assured.¡± Taejo clenched his fist and ced it on his chest. ¡°This Taejo will remain silent for the safety and peace of the nation. There will be no frivolous talk from me in the future.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Thank you, Taejo.¡± The President tilted his head slightly, and the Chairman tapped the gold with his hand and grinned. ¡°Taejo, you¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin separatelyter, Grandfather.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The President¡¯s eyes flickered shallowly, but soon he closed his eyes heavily and then turned his head to the side. ¡°Is that so? Then¡­.¡± A tear welled up in his eyes slightly. ¡°Understood. If that¡¯s what you wish, then so be it. If there¡¯s a safest ce, it must be the basement of a trusted hero¡¯s house.¡± ¡°¡­Mr. President?¡± ¡°Ah, well. Someone who manages in case of an emergency should handle this golden train.¡± ¡°Still¡­erm. Understood. Since Taejo said he won¡¯t talk about this train carelessly, I trust him.¡± The Chairman cleared his throat and bowed his head. ¡°But if the worldes to know about this gold, how should we exin it then? Everyone knows that resources are depleted in the northern part of the Korean penins. If they find out this much resource is still left, even if Gwang Ik Gong steps in, they will keep causing disputes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If Gwang Ik Gong steps in, it could mean that there are still resources left. ¡­Then. Maybe we make it a one-time event.¡± The President fiddled with his chin and tapped the Taeguk Watch, hanging three holographic photos on one side of the car. ¡°This should serve as a good enough excuse for the true nature of this gold nugget, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What. Why. What.¡± The President grinned nonchntly at the Chairman¡¯s gaze. ¡°They say the Nazis also hid a golden train, it¡¯s the perfect excuse.¡± The three photos depicted three portly men who looked suspiciously alike. ¡°Roughly, let¡¯s say it was slush funds amassed by sucking the people¡¯s blood.¡± Chapter 316: The Golden Legacy (3) I hammered out various items from 10 kg of gold, which I didn¡¯t just pilfer but earned through legitimatebor, using the Goblin Bat. The essence was the transformation of magical power. The principle behind this transformative alchemy was based on using the Goblin Bat to change its form, fitting mana into a new mold, thereby altering the gold to change its form along with it. The giant lump of gold that appeared before us was actually moving in very fine particles, as small as grains of sand, changing its form. Although I couldn¡¯t manipte it with the ease of all seasons like the ancestors did, if I could precisely envision a set shape, I could change the gold as much as I wanted. ¡°Manager Do, what is this now?¡± ¡°I just made it.¡± Before us stood a bipedal Tyranno robot, its short arms pointing forward. I took some design elements from the Mechtyranno we saw in a movie with Baek Seol-hee, but fundamentally, it felt like this golden Tyranno could transform at any moment.¡°Manager Do, it feels like watching a kid in elementary school y with y, making various things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine to say. It actually feels like that.¡± Yun Hye-ra made her remark with a slightly sour face, but how fun is was to be able to create whatever I wanted? ¡°What will you make next? A Gold Saint?¡± ¡°Creating armor would need to be custom-fit to the person¡¯s body, which is a headache to think about, so let¡¯s skip that. It¡¯s much easier to weave directly with mana.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re making another uniquely shaped weapon?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be unique.¡± I struck the gold again with the Goblin Bat. ¡°Do you know this one?¡± ¡°Blue Dragon Crescent de?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s made of gold, it should be called the Golden Dragon Crescent de.¡± Putting aside whether the Blue Dragon Crescent de actually existed, the weapon was widely recognized in media, and I had seeded in forging it in gold. ¡°10 kg should be no big burden to wield as a weapon, right?¡± ¡°It would be fun if there were an ability user who took it as their concept. For physical enhancement-type ability users, the weapon bes their identity. Hey, Serin, want to try holding the Blue Dragon Crescent de?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a blue dragon, why should I use it?¡± Hyeon Se-rin grumbled as she spooned a big bite of yogurt in the kitchen. ¡°How about the White Tiger Crescent de?¡± ¡°It feels like a knock-off of the Blue Dragon Crescent de. I hate it. If you really want to give it away, send it to Do Cheol.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not closebat or physically enhanced.¡± ¡°¡­Over here.¡± Yumir, sipping coffee on the sofa, cautiously raised her hand. ¡°Does the concept have to match exactly?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Look at this.¡± The innocent question from Yumir led Yun Hye-ra and Hyeon Se-rin to sit next to her, poking her mana pouch yfully and squishing her from the side. ¡°For an ability user, the concept is as important as their identity. It¡¯s mixed up because of Manager Do, but concept is verrry important.¡± ¡°To lose one¡¯s concept as an ability user is to die, and it could be a step towards bing a demon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yumir seemed unconvinced by their words. ¡°Is it that important¡­?¡± For Yumir, who had changed concepts from a knight in golden armor to a magical girl, to a ck suit agent, and now to the archangel Gwang Ik Gong, it was just a matter of tilting her head in confusion. ¡°A concept, just change it to fit the times, right? Like a teacher.¡± ¡°Hey. Even goblins have their own uniqueness.¡± ¡°The Sephiroth Knights might not have alle out yet, but once all ten are filled, do you think more wille? No. Those ten are it. Once a concept is set, it should continue.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Yumir tilted her head, puzzled. ¡°Yumir. Those who have cannot understand those who don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can be anything, use any ability, and hold any concept, but most must stick to one concept based on their ability.¡± Yumir and others were quite different. ¡°You can always take on a new form as you wish, so there¡¯s no strong aversion to abandoning a concept.¡± ¡°Remember before? FakeRider. He seriously believed he was a Rider, but when that concept was denied a patent, he immediately became a demon. What Serin said wasn¡¯t just a joke or a throwaway line.¡± ¡°To lose a concept means death?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In this world, that statement was no joke. ¡°Not just physically enhanced ability users, but they put their own ¡®uniqueness¡¯ into it. Cheonma is a prime example.¡± Was there a being with overwhelmingly strong physicality? That being proveD their individuality by expressing their costume as their own. This was the age of abilities. Lack of uniqueness and personality only led to extinction. ¡°Even demons who came from outer space created characters obsessed with national pride, and when those characters copsed, they died.¡± Duoexini died the moment he abandoned national pride. Lace¡¯s demon died the moment it failed to know everything. ¡°Whether you set your ability based on your concept or lead your ability in the direction of your concept, there¡¯s a difference in sequence for everyone, but if you have this, setting a concept shouldn¡¯t be difficult.¡± I aimed the Goblin Bat at the Golden Dragon Crescent de and transformed it into a new form. ¡°Simply changing it like this, what do you think it would feel like?¡± ¡°¡­Like a warrior friend of a fish that just leaped out of the deep sea?¡± ¡°Yes. A trident signifies a warrior of the sea.¡± If one imagined a trident shining in golden light, it felt as if the costume should also include a tight suit with scales. ¡°Spear fighting can be learned anyhow, and just mimic thebat styles of spear-wielding characters from movies orics. Now, think about this.¡± I returned the gold to its original lump form. ¡°I¡¯m just an ability user whose specialty is magic release. I haven¡¯t decided on a costume yet, and it¡¯s tricky to pin down a concept. But now, right in front of me, there¡¯s this very stylish weapon made of gold?¡± Click. I changed it into a new form. On top of the sword handle, a golden skull fiercely grinned, and magical power leaked from a double-edged sword engraved with runes. ¡°But what if using that weapon was part of a really cool character? What would be the best approach then?¡± ¡°¡­Match the weapon to your own concept?¡± ¡°Exactly. It bes very easy. Especially if the weapon isn¡¯t something that easily breaks or gets damaged, and it¡¯s made of a mineral like magic stone that is imbued with mana.¡± Right now, I¡¯ve only made a sword, but I feel like making a helmet to press onto my head immediately. These three didn¡¯t know, but if someone knowledgeable saw this, they¡¯d think that the Gold King always had to exist and everyone would want to follow suit. ¡°It¡¯s not cosy¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The age of abilities. And an era where the abilities of characters from creative works became reality. ¡°Imitating the media from creative works is indeed the easiest way to be strong in this world. Whether it¡¯s opera, legends, myths, or even actual history.¡± After checking the data once more on the Taeguk Watch, I hammered the gold with the Goblin Bat to create another weapon. ¡°¡­Wow.¡± Yumir marveled. Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s eyes sparkled as she adjusted her posture, and Yun Hye-ra licked her lips and swallowed. The gold naturally became two swords in front of me. Not just ordinary swords, but if one were to exaggerate a bit, they were longswords reaching a true length of 2m¡ªfrom the tip to the end of the handle. Normally, a sword split in half would symbolize defeat. But this sword was different. ¡°Yumir, what is this?¡± ¡°Just a pair of really long swords¡­?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Yun Hye-ra pinched Yumir¡¯s cheek. ¡°How dare you say that! Haven¡¯t you studied Korean history?¡± ¡°I have a Grade 1 in Korean history, though!¡± ¡°Then how do you not know this? You just studied online courses and certification books, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t on the exam?¡± ¡°That¡¯s serious, very serious.¡± Even Hyeon Se-rin joined in scolding Yumir. ¡°You said you¡¯d be a Korean bride, but it seems you¡¯re still Canadian.¡± ¡°Uh, uhh¡­ what is it?¡± ¡°A national treasure designated by the Cultural Heritage Administration.¡± ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t on the exam.¡± Yumir¡¯s eyes began to wobble. It must have felt unjust to be ganged up on by the three Koreans, but if she knew what these two longswords were, Yumir would immediately bow her head. ¡°This is the Samcheok Seocheon Mountain Undercolor, and this is the Ilhwi Sotang Blood me Mountain Under.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± She must have heard it somewhere. ¡°That, perhaps, maybe¡­?¡± Yes. Since they shine in gold, it¡¯s hard to recognize due to the different color. The characters are written in Chinese characters, not Hangul. ¡°General¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Admiral Yi¡¯s sword.¡± Yumir blushed and bowed her head deeply. ¡°Though it¡¯s a ceremonial longsword, what would happen if an S-ss ability user wielded it?¡± ¡°If swung once, it would dye mountains and rivers with blood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± And what if mana was imbued in the weapon? Gold from the Korean Penins, a metal capable of holding mana. ¡°If you imbue it with thunder and swing it, that bes the Thunder Breath; if you imbue it with a wind de and strike down, that bes the Qi Gong Cannon.¡± Chapter 317: The Golden Legacy (4) To ability users, a concept was equivalent to personality and could be considered synonymous with ¡®self¡¯ or ¡®ego.¡¯ Regardless of the total amount of mana, it was ultimately the mental strength that utilized this mana. If the power of thought and imagination was strong, and the self was well-established, one could maximize their power. In adopting a concept, there was nothing better than myths and legends. For example: If I were Greek and had the ability to control lightning. -I am Zeus!! Visualizing oneself throwing lightning bolts like Zeus, the absolute god from Greek mythology, and adopting that as one¡¯s ability. What if born with lightning powers but in Northern Europe?-I am Thor! Just create a hammer, surround it with lightning, and swing it at the enemy. Emting figures from myths, legends, or history¡ªthose hailed as ¡®heroes¡¯¡ªis also a way for ability users to establish their ego. -I am the reincarnation of a German hero! -Oh, which hero? Perhaps, Siegfried¡­? -St?rke liegt nicht in der Verteidigung, sondern im Angriff!! -¡­¡­Wait, trante that. Uh, national power is not in defense but in aggression¡­? Adolf¡­this crazy neo-Nazi ability user!! Well, there were some issues in 2025, but in modern times, many ability users have adopted their country¡¯s heroes as concepts. So. It¡¯s the same with Korea; what if Korean ability users adopted concepts of being reincarnations of past heroes, messiahs, or actual descendants continuing the legacy? -Listen well. Your ancestor was a Hwarang from the Si Dynasty. -Hwarang? So, do I have to put on makeup and dress up with flowers? -Yes. Isn¡¯t Hwarang cool? -Wow! So, who was this ancestor? -Gwanchang. -¡­¡­. There were meaningful research results and some effects were achieved. Then there was a problem. -What if we lose? In the era of abilities, what if an ability user, having adopted the concept of a national hero, was defeated by someone? So far, there hadn¡¯t been major battles, but in the unseen parts of the world, conflicts among ability users urred frequently. Especially when an outspoken viin turned out to be stronger than expected. What if a hero, adopting a legendary hero¡¯s concept, was defeated? Extremely. -Call the main house Chungmugun. On the left, Samcheok Mountain Sword, on the right, Ilhwi Cleanse Sword. The main house¡¯s ability rank is A-grade, capable of shing any enemy in a single blow. Let¡¯s assume there was a fictional ability user called Wonakma (20 years old). -Wow! Chungmugun! Super strong. -Kuh, the spirit of Korea! Patriotism is surging! National prestige would rise. The people would be ecstatic. But. Really just in case. It shouldn¡¯t happen, but. Just in case of just in case. -Tomo. Chungmukun. Iga Ninja Desu. -Kuhuk¡­!! I, defeated by a Japanese¡­! -Watashi wa S-grade desu. Soshite anata wa risou jyanai. Uuensang desu. -Kaaak!! If an A-grade national hero was defeated by an S-grade from another country. -Lost¡­? -It can¡¯t be. Chungmugun¡­lost? -Losing is okay! Yeah, you can lose! But to a Japanese? The fall of the hero would lead many to despair. -Uuuuuu! What is Chungmugun! -Don¡¯t go around saying you¡¯re a Korean hero! -Next news. The Association of Chungmugimbap Lovers is using the A-grade hero Chungmugun of trampling on national honor and ethnic pride¡­. Immediate criticism and censure would pour down on that hero. The entire nation would verbally abuse and criticize him, and the hero might just turn into a devil. So, ability users didn¡¯t casually adopt concepts. They added their own originality simply. Or they might think of someone else¡¯s image but name it differently. Or they didn¡¯t establish a hero¡¯s concept until they reached S-grade to ensure they didn¡¯t lose to anyone. Yes. If one could truly reach at least the genuine ¡®S-grade¡¯, then. -Wow! Lightning Breath! Wow! Qi Explosion Cannon! -Kuhuh, that¡¯s the real Admiral Yi! -Admiral Yi¡¯s award, Ikeeaaaaa! -No, you¡¯re Japanese. -Admiral Yi¡¯s award, Kakkoiieeee! -Ah, I don¡¯t care. Win! If one had the skills to avoid losing easily, then they earned the right to bear that name and concept. ¡°He who wishes to wear the crown must bear its weight. Adopting someone¡¯s stature as one¡¯s own means proving oneself through skills and actions.¡± If one decided to bear the history of another, there came a corresponding responsibility. ¡°So, such weapons are conceivable and usable in reality, but one must not use them carelessly.¡± ¡°Really¡­ If you use this and lose to someone from another country, especially a Japanese, you¡¯ll be scolded tremendously.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just about getting scolded; you¡¯d have to leave Korea.¡± ¡°Well, then.¡± Yun Hye-ra and Hyeon Se-rin looked at the two swords I held with a regretful expression. ¡°¡­Still might want to use them.¡± ¡°Apart from diplomatic or political issues, I honestly want to try it.¡± The two executives showed interest. As they were S-grade, they could handle the history embedded in the swords. ¡°So, Manager Do. Are you saying you¡¯ll make all weapons, whether they¡¯re fantastical, mythological, or historically significant treasures, out of this divine gold?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I returned the two swords to their original state. Though they turned back into 10 kg of gold, the aura emanating from them seemed more solemn and dignified. ¡°Mana Gold, 500 tons. I¡¯m not sure how much we can purchase, but based on what we¡¯ve acquired, we should first create specialized weapons for our society¡¯s executives.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Their ears perked up. ¡°Specialized weapons¡­¡± Yun Hye-ra, not having a particr weapon of her own, salivated at the thought of possessing her own new weapon. ¡°I already have one that I use regrly?¡± ¡°What about a sword that can¡¯t be broken and a pistol that can shoot magic bullets with firepower akin to artillery?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hyeon Se-rin, who primarily used guns and swords, was dazzled by the potential efficiency of these new weapons. ¡°What about me, sir?¡± ¡°You can do anything. Just decide on a concept, and it can be tailored to fit. Whether it¡¯s a golden bracelet for the Golden Priestess or a magic stick for a magical girl.¡± Thinking about Yumir¡¯s previously used techniques, an appropriate item came to mind, but it was difficult to mention right now. ¡°For now, most of this gold will be sent to our society. After the society studies it, it will be used as research material to explore other uses of gold.¡± ¡°Most of it?¡± ¡°Everyone should carry at least one mana potion.¡± The beads that fell off the 10 kg block are now sizzling under an open-air hot spring. While putting eggs in hot spring water doesn¡¯t easily make boiled eggs, the Mana Gold submerged in this mana hot spring will absorb mana to its maximum capacity. ¡°Once the societypletes its research, I won¡¯t be transforming them with a magic wand. Instead, the society¡¯s technology will process them into newly manufactured items, like weapons currently avable in the market or those based on media.¡± ¡°For instance¡­¡± ¡°Like weapons from games or movies.¡± Such things existed in this world. All sorts of weapons created by human imagination before the great cataclysm. Although theycked the depth of a nation¡¯s history, their recognition could arguably be an advantage since many in this world are aware of them. These were the ideal specialized weapons for ability users. If my experiences and knowledge from my original world are slightly added, an originality unique to this world could be created. ¡°King Arthur¡¯s sword of victory. With the delicate body of a woman¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Why is King Arthur a woman?¡± ¡°Arthur¡­ Isn¡¯t that the king of Britain? Why is Arthur a woman?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°¡­Imagine an ability user, a woman, wielding King Arthur¡¯s giant sword with no issues. If we use this gold, we can create such a magic sword.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the kind of weapons I intend to create. Call them specialized weapons or epic weapons; the terminology can be thought ofter. The important thing is the gold itself, imbued with mana. Economically¡­ honestly, it¡¯s hard to gauge.¡± Wasn¡¯t Cheonma¡¯s annual sry 500 trillion? ¡°500 tons of Mana Gold might be worth at least 900 trillion, right?¡± ¡°Um, sir.¡± Yumir frowned and gave me a sleepy re. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell Taejo about this, did you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­So, buying it is¡­¡± ¡°Just buying it at the price of gold. 500 tons¡­ well, let¡¯s say about 30 trillion.¡± After all. ¡°The value of an item is only apparent to those who recognize it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a scam?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a scam. It¡¯s just that we didn¡¯t share the information.¡± I took good care of everything for Taejo, but I didn¡¯t inform him about the efficiency of this Mana Gold. ¡°Taejo couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of the value of this Mana Gold¡­¡± ¡°He is.¡± That¡¯s the case because. ¡°Taejo can manipte this Mana Gold at will, but precisely because of that, he¡¯s more unaware. Whether the metal easily absorbs mana or not, Taejo can manipte it freely.¡± ¡°Wow, sir, you really¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a viin. An agent of the society. Ourpany needs to buy all this Mana Gold, and naturally, buying raw materials cheaply is only logical.¡± Everything was for the society. ¡°And this. It¡¯s gold, but since it¡¯s gold imbued with mana, calling it by a different name wouldpletely change the feel, right?¡± ¡°What would you call it?¡± ¡°The name is.¡± I picked up an orb slightly filled with mana from the hot spring. ¡°Orichalcum.¡± 500 tons. ¡°I¡¯m not a scammer.¡± Chapter 318: The Golden Legacy (5) Gyeongbu Expressway. On the road from Seoul to Busan, a ck luxury sedan sped down the highway at dawn. ¡°President Tae.¡± Sitting in the back seat is the president, Tae Chae-jin. He cautiously began speaking to Taejo, who was ¡®holding¡¯ the steering wheel, looking at him through the rearview mirror. ¡°The Taeguk Watch is off.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Taejo reached for the ck box, turned it off, and then raised his hand to the vehicle¡¯s air conditioning, generating magic power. Crackling.¡°Emergency situation, emergency situation. Emergency¡­¡± As soon as the sound of electricity crackling was heard, Taejo stopped talking about the emergency and shut his mouth. The vehicles on the road, including the presidential convoy, showed no signs of distress. ¡°If you don¡¯t turn it on quickly, a national emergency will ur within five minutes.¡± Tae Chae-jin chuckled and leaned forward as Taejo, holding the steering wheel, spoke. ¡°Then I guess I just need to say everything within five minutes. What¡¯s going on with you?¡± ¡°Just, I heard such things after going up this time. How about living as you from now on?¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Still thinking about it.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Tae Chae-jin chuckled at Taejo, who was still looking straight ahead, focusing only on the steering wheel and dashboard. ¡°Seems like just thinking is enough. I¡¯d wee it. Maybe you should have done so earlier.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a secret from Irin.¡± ¡°What if people suddenly notice the change?¡± ¡°If I say I¡¯ve matured a bit, I can probably get away with it.¡± ¡°True. There¡¯s no fixed time for a man to mature. Still¡­¡± Tae Chae-jin looked at Taejo with a sympathetic face. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how long you can keep it a secret.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there secrets that must be kept secret for a lifetime?¡± ¡°Are you nning to carry it alone your entire life?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something only I need to bear. Of course, as long as grandfather is still alive¡­¡± ¡°I wish I could take it all on myself. Tsk.¡± The atmosphere grew heavier, but time was running out, and they both remained silent for a moment. ¡°Your position will be difficult. The previous you caused too many troubles.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. The past is just the past; I just need to adopt a new concept.¡± ¡°Do you have something in mind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret. I¡¯ll show youter. But more importantly.¡± Beep, beep, beep. As soon as the speeding signal sounded, Taejo slowed the car to a steady speed. ¡°When I return to Busan, I¡¯ll confess to my sister that I¡¯ve decided to live as myself.¡± ¡°Are you going to marry?¡± ¡°If my sister wishes so.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll really get to see grandchildren.¡± ¡°Great-grandchildren, rather.¡± ¡°Even though he¡¯s your biological father and my biological son, just consider that guy as nonexistent. You are my son, and I am your father.¡± ¡°¡­Then.¡± Taejo grimly smiled and pressed his foot back on the pedal. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will be a grandson or granddaughter, but I¡¯ll leave the naming to you, grandfather.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± ¡°It seems about a minute left¡­¡± Taejo nced nervously out the window, and Tae Chae-jin ced his hand on the turned-off Taeguk Watch again. ¡°Anyway, this position of being president¡­¡± ¡°Before turning it on, let me say just one more thing.¡± Taejo tapped the steering wheel with his fingers, steadying his voice. ¡°I intend to be patriotic.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°From now on, what I¡¯m about to say, it seems like others could hear it too¡­uh, ahem.¡± Taejo blushed and started raising his voice. ¡°¡­¡­Grandfather.¡± The young man who had been respectfully addressing him as ¡®grandfather¡¯ disappeared, and a bright-voiced young man cautiously began to speak. ¡°I, I had such a thought this time.¡± ¡°¡­What thought?¡± ¡°The saying that a hero had four wives.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I thought choosing just one might be a sin in this world. Maybe I¡¯m betraying my country.¡± His voice was serious, still focused on driving, but the content gradually became lighter and more frivolous. ¡°I was with four girls from a girl group in Gaeseong this time?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If they all retire within a year and have to go to the gynecologist, I can¡¯t just pretend it never happened.¡± ¡°You¡­.¡± ¡°If I take responsibility, that¡¯s okay, right?¡± Taejo briefly made eye contact with Tae Chae-jin through the rearview mirror. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯ll discard them if they¡¯re not S-grade. Raising a born child with love is fine, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Did you start thinking this after hearing about Snow White?¡± ¡°Men tend to have it easier than women, especially in the realm of hero activities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s tru¡­sigh.¡± Tae Chae-jin turned his gaze out the window. Beep-beep. The Taeguk Watch went off. A protective vehicle in the nextne quickly followed, and a window with heavy tint rolled down, revealing a middle-aged man with ck hair pointing at the Taeguk Watch. [Mr. President. Is there something wrong?] ¡°Nothing much. Just had a family meeting.¡± [¡­Understood. If there¡¯s no major issue, the Taeguk Watch should be¡ª] ¡°I know.¡± [What were you discussing?] ¡°Do I need to report everything to you? Damn it, just hang up!¡± Tae Chae-jin angrily closed the Taeguk Watch. The car next to them slightly slowed down, while simultaneously, Taejo lightly pressed the pedal and increased the speed. ¡°Getting angry like that isn¡¯t good for your blood pressure.¡± ¡°What raises my blood pressure is¡­sigh, it¡¯s you, you rascal.¡± Tae Chae-jin answered in a resigned voice, as if trying to suppress his anger. ¡°So, what prompted you to suddenly be a patriot after diligently using the ¡®traitor box¡¯ until now? Huh?¡± ¡°Patriotism is national strength.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not just saying that because you want to meet different women, are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Taejo firmly shook his head. ¡°If there¡¯s a woman whom I believe could carry on my lineage, I want to take responsibility.¡± ¡°Four wives?¡± ¡°Could be more.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­¡± ¡°Taking responsibility is all that matters.¡± Tae Chae-jin almost burst out with serious curses, but Taejo continued speaking without changing his expression. ¡°I don¡¯t n on having children recklessly, without responsibility. If a woman genuinely likes me without any ulterior motives, and we share love that results in life, I would like to raise that life.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t just be one woman.¡± ¡°I saw in America, they say if you¡¯re a capable alpha hero, it¡¯s your born duty to spread your genes among several women.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­! Sigh, no. Fine, if you say you¡¯ll take responsibility, what can I say?¡± Tae Chae-jin threw up his hands, then fiddled with the Taeguk Watch again. He didn¡¯t touch the cover part but frowned and quietly cleared his throat. ¡°¡­So, what do you need?¡± ¡°Yes. Nothing else¡­ Can we get aw enacted?¡± ¡°The separation of powers prevents the president from enacting legition.¡± ¡°But, you always say the opposition and government should work together for something meaningful.¡± ¡°Does this have anything to do with national interests, S-ss Hero Armored Taejo?¡± Tae Chae-jin, chuckling respectfully, watched the president¡¯s actions as Taejo awkwardly smiled and gripped the steering wheel tightly. ¡°With ability users increasing, we might be able to form a baseball team just with grandchildren.¡± ¡°You rascal, how many¡­ ahem.¡± Tae Chae-jin coughed and swallowed his words. ¡°Alright. Whatw do you need?¡± ¡°Limit polygamy to S-ss heroes.¡± ¡°Some ask to recognize adultery-induced births, others want polygamy legalized. So, how many wives do you intend to take?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Taejo clenched his fist tightly, then briefly looked down. ¡°As many as I can take responsibility for¡­?¡± ¡°Ha, haha. This way, all S-ss will be patriots.¡± ¡°The legal age for ability users was lowered to 17, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the legal age, but society¡¯s ethics still say 20.¡± ¡°Anyway, they are adults.¡± Taejo nced at his ck hair in the rearview mirror, then very cautiously opened his mouth. ¡°Grandfather. If Irin bes a patriot¡ª¡± ¡°What the heck?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense are you talking about! What¡¯s that young one talking about patriotism for already! Do you think Irin is that kind of person?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­So, if Irin bes a patriot, and there¡¯s an S-ss ability user involved, what do you think?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°A man who can definitely take responsibility for Irin.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Taejo hesitated, then quickly spoke. ¡°What about a man like the Sephiroth Knights?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡± Tae Chae-jin, momentarily angered, crossed his arms and tilted his head. ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t exactly say it first since you¡¯re her brother.¡± Tae Chae-jin stared ahead with wide eyes. ¡°Until dirt covers my eyes, it can never happen until Irin herself brings that man home to live with for life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± The path of a patriot was long and arduous. A break decided upon after a lengthy meeting. ¡°Phew.¡± I entered the hot spring again with the three women. Not so much for bathing but for recovering magic power. But. ¡°Sister. So, the teacher was telling Taejo how to handle several at once.¡± ¡°That makes sense. He did face several.¡± ¡°I miss those times. Maybe we can gather like that again for the end-of-year party?¡± Yumir, Yun Hye-ra, and Hyeon Se-rin chatting about the melee tired my ears. ¡°Just when I was filling up the mana orb to recover some mana¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s usual to chat while resting. Isn¡¯t that right, Iseon?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ah. ¡°Over there.¡± At the pension. ¡°Called it a patriot party, and what is this¡­¡± Yoon Iseon hade to visit. Chapter 319: Ulleungdo Patriotic Party (1) Chapter 319: Ulleungdo Patriotic Party (1) The pension on Ulleungdo belonged to the Secret Society. Even within the Society, it¡¯s not a ce just anyone can enter, but I was the one who set the criteria for ¡®anyone.¡¯ In other words, if I wanted to invite someone, they coulde here. Just like how Baek Seol-hee experienced her first true patriotic act here, anyone who wished to coulde here. So, I invited Yoon Iseon. She didn¡¯t take off her Taeguk Watch and boarded a boat to Ulleungdo, but rather flew straight to the pension using Yumir¡¯s dimensional portal. She also deserved to enjoy a rest here. Unlike Yumir, who was an intern, Yoon Iseon was a full-fledged member of the Secret Society. ¡°Iseon, enjoy yourself to the fullest.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no better ce to recover your mana than here.¡± Yun Hye-ra and Hyeon Se-rin, sitting next to me, beckoned Yoon Iseon toe closer. Their gestures were like those of viinous henchwomen trying to corrupt a hero, and in fact, these two (former) virgin ghosts were persuading Yoon Iseon. ¡°Hey, Do Ji-hwan is really tasty.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it too?¡± ¡°Am I a spring potato?¡± I lightly pressed the backs of Yun Hye-ra and Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s heads with my hands, but they continued to persuade Yoon Iseon as if my attack didn¡¯t bother them at all. Well, that makes sense; there are two people, but only one body. ¡°Yumir.¡± ¡°Yes, Iseon.¡± ¡°I came to soak in the hot springs, but I¡¯m so shocked right now.¡± Yoon Iseon stared intently at Yumir, who was sitting right in front of me, and looked her up and down. Her mana pouch and everything below it were submerged in the hot spring water, but there was no need to exin what was beneath it. When you reached the S-rank level, even with just mana-assisted vision, you could easily see through transparent water. Just as you could see the bottom of clear waters in ces like Guam or Saipan, you could easily see through the bubbles in the hot spring. In other words. Yoon Iseon could see. The reason why Yumir was currently clinging to me. And the reason why she was sitting on top of me while I sat cross-legged. ¡°Really, it¡¯s the very embodiment of shock and awe. I never imagined the Secret Society would be like this.¡± ¡°More patriotic than you thought?¡± ¡°Is this for the sake of the nation?¡± ¡°Of course. The elders say that in this era of low birth rates, having and raising children is the ultimate act of patriotism.¡± It¡¯s a saying that¡¯s like the slogan of this country, this era, this world. ¡°Iseon, did you know? Up until about 2,000 years ago, Korean statisticians thought that if the low birth rate and aging poption continued, Korea¡ªthe Korean people¡ªwould naturally go extinct in about 3,000 years.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t surviving for 3,000 years be considered a long time?¡± ¡°But now it¡¯s different. After the Great Cataclysm, the birth rate has exponentially increased. Statistically, it¡¯s now more likely that other ethnic groups will go extinct.¡± ¡°Koreanization of the entire world? Oh,e on.¡± Yoon Iseon let out a hollowugh and pointed at the three women clinging to me. ¡°Blonde, white-haired, and red-haired beauties, but they¡¯re marrying Korean men and the children they have are considered Korean¡­.¡± ¡°Said the pink-haired one.¡± ¡°Yumir, don¡¯t speak. Every word you say sounds like a moan.¡± ¡°A moan? Haha, that¡¯s just because my body is warm¡­.¡± ¡°You mean the hot spring water is warm?¡± ¡°Huhu-hung.¡± Yumir shrugged her shoulders and leaned back. Due to the angle, I couldn¡¯t see Yoon Iseon face-to-face, but Yumir twisted her body slightly, leaned her head back over my shoulder, and made eye contact with Yoon Iseon again. ¡°Teacher, aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± ¡°I have nothing to be embarrassed about.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m confident in my body. There¡¯s nothing about my body to be ashamed of.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯repletely different from when you¡¯re at the library and when you¡¯re at the hot springs.¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural to behave differently when you¡¯re cosying as a regr person and when you¡¯re acting as a Society executive.¡± When you were in a ce where you had to care about people¡¯s gazes, you naturally behaved with decorum. But in a ce where you could fully express yourself, acting freely was better for mental health. ¡°Still, Iseon, I won¡¯t force you. Just make the right judgment regarding these two executives¡¯ proposals.¡± ¡°If I ept their proposal, what will you do, teacher?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t act patriotically, you¡¯re a traitor. If you¡¯re going to keep living in Korea, you have to be patriotic.¡± ¡°Ha¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon tilted her head back and looked up at the sky. ¡°Who would have thought¡­.¡± ¡°Iseon, we¡¯re not asking to take over your body or anything. We¡¯re just saying, if we¡¯re going to do it anyway, why not make it more efficient by ovepping.¡± ¡°Yeah. If you¡¯re ufortable, you don¡¯t have to ovep with me. You can ovep with Hye-ra. Hye-ra¡¯s a fire type too.¡± ¡°Hey. Does that really matter in this situation? The important thing is to enjoy it as it is. It¡¯s Iseon¡¯s choice; forcing her wouldn¡¯t be right.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, I like anyone, really. Hee-hee.¡± Yun Hye-ra and Hyeon Se-rin spoke nonchntly, but they were pressuring Yoon Iseon with their eyes. ¡°Is this what they call workce bullying?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more like an unfairmand from a superior?¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, they¡¯re superiors from another department, so you don¡¯t have to follow their orders. Yoon Iseon is directly under me.¡± That¡¯s how the hierarchy worked. That¡¯s why the two executives could only make requests to Yoon Iseon, not force her. Force her to do what? To be patriotic. ¡°Iseon, no matter if the other party is Director Do, the first time can always be painful, you know? Should I do it for you instead?¡± ¡°I can do it for you too. It¡¯s just that the first time is scary, but if you try again, it¡¯s something you can handle. Hmm? You just need to stay still and feel it.¡± ¡°It seems like the level of conversation is getting higher.¡± ¡°We were speaking indirectly, but the level was already at its peak, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Indeed. Though we¡¯re talking in somewhat refinednguage, considering this was an outdoor hot spring where others might hear us, we¡¯re actually directly discussing the atmosphere and foundation of this ind. Korea. An ind where the Taegeukgi fluttered in the wind. A ce where the red and blue, the yin and yang, merged into one to create harmony. The patriotism practiced here was, in many ways, the most effective. ¡°Excuse me, Teacher.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You said Taejo did it with four idols at once, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± I told Yoon Iseon. It¡¯s not really a secret; it had already caused a huge gossip frenzy just because the newspapers reported that Taejo stayed at the same hotel as four idols. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°You saw it on SNS, didn¡¯t you? The four of them posted pictures with the Taegeukgi, each holding one-fourth of it, and forming the four trigrams.¡± Taejo spent the night with all four of them. It¡¯s hard to say anyone was at fault because Taejo, as a figure, was the most approachable S-rank man for female idols, actresses, famous celebrities, and ability users. ¡°Times have changed a lot. It might be that the patriarchal Confucian values have been revived. A capable man keeping multiple women.¡± ¡°Oh, but there are cases where it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Right. Over in South America, there¡¯s an S-rank woman who lives with multiple men.¡± ¡°If you think about it that way, the world might truly be moving toward an era of genuine gender equality. Amazing.¡± A time when both men and women with abilities could enjoy everything. Though the term ¡®ability¡¯ was often associated with special powers or superpowers, in modern capitalist times, there were instances where capitalists, even if they married one person, didn¡¯t live with just one partner. Therefore, ¡°It¡¯s true that we now live in an era where it¡¯s not strange for ability users to live with multiple partners.¡± ¡°So, Teacher, are you saying it¡¯s okay for you to be surrounded by three women because it¡¯s the trend of the times?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so much the trend of the times, but rather, this is the easiest and fastest way I can contribute to world peace.¡± Taejo¡¯s case might be a bit promiscuous and extreme, but it¡¯s not a huge problem for me to be seeing multiple women. ¡°If you¡¯re not smart, you have to solve things with your body. What¡¯s the easiest way to be patriotic? Contributing to the increase in the birth rate, of course.¡± ¡°¡­¡­So.¡± Yoon Iseon pointed at Yun Hye-ra and Hyeon Se-rin. ¡°No matter who, are they suggesting that they possess my body and have a rtionship with you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Teacher, do you want to be patriotic with me?¡± ¡°If you want it.¡± Since she¡¯s a member of the Society, and my team member, I had no reason to refuse. ¡°If you don¡¯t love me, but you¡¯re interested, then satisfying your curiosity isn¡¯t a bad thing.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a married man.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m an ability user. It¡¯s all done with ¡®consent¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­This is getting moreplicated. So.¡± Yoon Iseon pressed her fingers to her temples and pointed at Yumir sitting in front of me. ¡°Are the two executives going to possess Yumir¡¯s and my bodies respectively, so that two bodies can enjoy pleasure as four people?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, Iseon.¡± ¡°As expected, you¡¯re smart. You didn¡¯t be S-rank for nothing.¡± The two (former) virgin ghosts, now slowly persuading Yoon Iseon, licked their lips as they leaned in closer to her. ¡°Think of it as helping your older sisters feel rejuvenated. Hmm? We¡¯ll assist you with everything, so just share with us for a little while. How about it?¡± ¡°Want some help with handling fire? I was one of the top three me masters in the world, and I still am. I can share my expertise.¡± ¡°I can teach you in detail how to handle a goblin club.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon was wavering. I just focused on Yumir and respected whatever choice Yoon Iseon would make. ¡°Ah.¡± Yumir gave me a sly smile, then turned to Yoon Iseon and spoke with a grin. ¡°Now that I think about it, my first time wasn¡¯t with Teacher, but with the Goblin.¡± Ssh. ¡°Hey.¡± Yoon Iseon grabbed Yumir¡¯s shoulder tightly. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°If you press that hard¡­.!¡± Bubble bubble. The hot spring water momentarily bubbled. Chapter 320: Ulleungdo Patriotic Party (2) Yoon Iseon was a severe Goblin fanatic. She favored the idol known as Goblin and joined the Secret Society following his suggestion. So when Yumir casually dropped a bombshell in front of her, Yoon Iseon couldn¡¯t help but explode. ¡°Did you really do that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ignoring Yumir, who was lying face down in a corner with her head bowed, Yoon Iseon came right up to me and began questioning. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something to discuss in front of others. After all, it was Yumir¡¯s ¡®first time.¡¯¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s important.¡±Hyeon Se-rin approached Yumir, who was lying down, helped her into an upright position, and pressed her cheeks with her hands. ¡°You really should tell us how it happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh my, if you don¡¯t speak up, we¡¯ll make it even more difficult for you.¡± Yoon Hye-ra also approached and started to torment Yumir, who was stubbornly keeping her mouth shut. ¡°Why are you so sullen? You were the one who brought it up.¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯ve done it, I¡¯m regretting it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you need to stop doing things like that.¡± How many times had Yumir suddenly rushed into things? She still didn¡¯t seem to realize that these actions could lead to her self-destruction or crossing a line. Of course, the fact that it¡¯s rted to our ¡®patriotism¡¯ or confined to that was certainly a positive thing, but once again, Yumir had caused trouble. ¡°Yumir. I can¡¯t let this slide. Tell us in detail. Did you do it with the teacher, or did you really do it with Goblin?¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­.¡± As the three of them stared at her from different directions, Yumir looked at me. It wasn¡¯t a signal for help but a signal asking if it was okay to speak. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. As long as you are.¡± ¡°Th-Then.¡± Yumir cleared her throat and straightened her posture. Meanwhile, I took a short break and grabbed the two dragon orbs lying on the ground, gathering mana. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± After taking a deep breath, Yumir said. ¡°On Sejong Ind, outdoors, on a cliff overlooking the sea, I created a chair with mana and did it there.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± As expected from a sudden action expert. At Yumir¡¯s explicit and revealing words, not only Yoon Iseon but also the two women who had been egging her on unknowingly took a step back from Yumir. ¡°F-First time¡­ outdoors?¡± ¡°Th-The cliff¡­ oh, maybe there was a cave below the cliff or something, right?¡± ¡°No. It was just right on top of the cliff overlooking the precipice.¡± ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Yoon Hye-ra alternately looked at me and Yumir, letting out a hollowugh. ¡°You two really went all out from the start, huh?¡± ¡°Why are you surprised? I was just confirming the effect of the barrier.¡± I pointed to the empty sky. ¡°Even though we¡¯re out in the open like this, looking up at the night sky while chatting, we can still talk freely about the Secret Society, thanks to that barrier.¡± Visual distortion, invisibility, soundproofing. Even if you looked at it from satellite images, it didn¡¯t look any different from the surroundings, and even if someone came to investigate, they wouldn¡¯t sense anything unless they directly touched the barrier. It¡¯s like a magic mirror; you couldn¡¯t see inside from the outside, but you could see everything outside from within. Within that barrier, what happened was nothing more than a patriotic act for boosting the birth rate and international peace. ¡°So, so, what exactly did you do outside?¡± ¡°Um¡­. We were both transformed at the time, into the tinum Sun and the Goblin.¡± Yumir extended her hands forward and began rubbing them together with her wet hands. ¡°We just opened up the necessary parts and clung to each other. Since we were in clothes, it was easy to get out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­And the mask?¡± ¡°It felt something like this.¡± I ced my hand on my face and activated my mana. Soon, a Goblin mask, like the one Yumir wore, appeared, covering my lower face up to my nose. ¡°We had to make eye contact.¡± ¡°Wow¡­.¡± ¡°And the mouth?¡± ¡°Um¡­ did we use our mouths?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t forget that.¡± ¡°Hehe, we did it so many times afterward¡­. Oh, but, Iseon.¡± Yumir reached out her hand toward Yoon Iseon. ¡°But, I only did it with the Goblin once. That first time.¡± ¡°And after that?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been sneaking into the teacher¡¯s house every day¡­?¡± Yumir wiggled her fingers in embarrassment. ¡°Hmm, hmm. That¡¯s amendable attitude. Doing it every day is not enough.¡± ¡°Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for the Secret Society¡¯s work, and if we were still alive, I would seriously be by your side 24/7.¡± ¡°What are you saying? You weakling.¡± ¡°¡­I can do it three times more than you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of fighting over meaningless things?¡± After mediating the argument that was about to start between the two officers, I turned to Yoon Iseon. ¡°If you want to do it with the mask on, I can do that. But if you use mana while doing it, it¡¯ll be a bit tough.¡± ¡°Tough, how?¡± ¡°Using mana activates your body, so it¡¯ll be much more sensitive than usual.¡± ¡°Oh, then what I did back then¡­?¡± ¡°The sensitivity would have been quite high. Of course, you were using mana too, so the conditions would have been the same.¡± Even if it¡¯s between ability users, there¡¯s a big difference in whether one used mana to enhance the body or not. ¡°Teacher. So, how do you usually do it?¡± ¡°Without mana.¡± ¡°¡­What happens if you do it with mana?¡± ¡°You¡¯d practically die. It¡¯s like passing out and falling asleep.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, excuse me.¡± Yumir¡¯s face turned pale for a moment. ¡°When I pass out usually¡­.¡± ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s when I use mana, but most of the time, I don¡¯t. But there¡¯s also this, right? You¡¯re just more sensitive.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Yumir sank into the water. She buried her face halfway in the water, only her eyes visible above, as she quietly closed her mouth. ¡°So, Iseon. What do you want to do?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Give me a moment.¡± Yoon Iseon stood up. ¡°¡­Transform.¡± And then, as she activated her mana, Yoon Iseon¡¯s body began to glow pink. Saaah. As the mist cleared, Yoon Iseon grewrger. Her hair color darkened, and Yoon Iseon fully transformed into a fire fox, bing a form that could rival the other three without any shame. ¡°Teacher, how do I look?¡± ¡°You look beautiful.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit embarrassing when you say it so bluntly.¡± ¡°Is it really embarrassing when you¡¯re showing it off so openly in front of me?¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Yoon Iseon sat down next to me. Our shoulders touched, and I could feel her rough breathing right beside me. ¡°I usually try to keep calm, but she keeps showing off like that, and it made me a bit mad.¡± ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Ask me anything.¡± Yoon Iseon, still ring at Yumir, who was still submerged in the water, turned her head towards me. ¡°¡­Is it considered adultery if I do it with Director Do after doing it with the Goblin?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Then, isn¡¯t Yumirmitting adultery?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Yumir jumped out of the water. ¡°How is that adultery!¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing it with both the Goblin and Do Ji-hwan. That¡¯s a two-timing adulteress.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± ¡°Is that how it is?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It might be.¡± Yoon Hye-ra and Hyeon Se-rin joined Yoon Iseon in ganging up on Yumir. ¡°E-rank student Yumir is having a fling with Librarian Do Ji-hwan, and tinum Sun Yumir is having a fling with Viin Goblin. What an octopus!¡± ¡°Did you know about this?¡± ¡°I knew, but from what I heard, she was testing the waters until her identity was fully revealed.¡± ¡°That was the same for the teacher, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± I confidently raised my hand. ¡°I two-timed both Yumir and tinum Sun.¡± ¡°¡­If the teacher admits that, I be an adulteress!¡± ¡°You¡¯re already an adulteress. Everyone here who¡¯s patriotic with me is an adulteress.¡± Baek Seol-hee, Yumir, Yoon Hye-ra, and Hyeon Se-rin¡ªall of them were patriotic adulteresses. ¡°Well¡­ still, don¡¯t be too harsh. Yumir approached because she knew Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ this is like giving someone a disease and then giving them the medicine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you provoke the wrong person for no reason, Iseon.¡± I ced my hand on Yoon Iseon¡¯s head. ¡°Whether it¡¯s the Secret Society or ability users, I have only one thing to say.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Act ording to your heart.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon closed her eyes for a moment at those words, then looked at me with a determined face. ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to Jeju Ind this time.¡± ¡°¡­You too?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard today that I¡¯m also going for the summer camp.¡± I see. So Yoon Iseon was joining us on Jeju Ind. ¡°You¡¯re going to Jeju Ind too, right, teacher?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon fidgeted with her fingers before extending one hand toward me. ¡°Is it okay if my first time isn¡¯t on Ulleungdo but on Jeju Ind?¡± ¡°¡­Is there a difference?¡± ¡°Yes. Well, it¡¯s a bit awkward to say this, but¡­¡± Yoon Iseon made a resolute face, briefly ring at Yumir before speaking again. ¡°¡­When I started dating a guy, I wanted to go on a trip to Jeju Ind with him.¡± ¡°A romantic dream.¡± ¡°¡­Is that not possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. But I have one question.¡± I removed my mask and asked Yoon Iseon. ¡°In Jeju Ind, do you want to do it with Do Ji-hwan, or with the Goblin?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want. What do you want?¡± ¡°Then.¡± Yoon Iseon hooked her pinky finger with mine and slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Dating with Do Ji-hwan, marriage with the Goblin.¡± ¡°¡­Two-timing?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to go all out this time.¡± Yoon Iseon twisted her lips into a smile as she looked at the stunned Yumir. ¡°Teacher, you know that, right? Unlike Yumir, I¡¯m still a newbie.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I was a high school girl untilst year.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ah. ¡°Isn¡¯t something new better than something used?¡± Now I understood why people say you shouldn¡¯t mess with an otaku¡¯s favorite character. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°T-Teacher¡­!¡± Yumir, trembling and looking like she was about to cry, ced her hand on her chest and opened her mouth. ¡°I still have one new thing left¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± Thud. I threw the dragon orb at Yumir¡¯s forehead. ¡°There¡¯s no need topete over that!¡± Whether the meteor counter went up or not, I had to say this. ¡°If you want to do that, you can do it whenever you want!¡± ¡°¡­Oh my, really?¡± Yoon Hye-ra blushed and looked embarrassed. ¡°Then, shall we¡­ What are you doing? Why are you reacting like that?¡± ¡°¡­Nyang hyang hyang.¡± Hyeon Se-rin awkwardly turned her gaze away. ¡°Well, you know.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Hyeon Se-rin. ¡°¡­Even a patriot cany down their patriotism and have fun sometimes, right?¡± Chapter 321: Ulleungdo Patriotic Party (3) When a man and a woman meet and get married, they give birth to an ability user. Wasn¡¯t thatmon sense for a married couple? This had be the truth of this world after the Great Cataclysm. The meeting of a man and a woman was simply for the purpose of having children. Everything was deemed necessary for childbirth, for raising future leaders of the industry. Thus, the term ¡°DINK (Double Ie No Kids)¡± did not exist in this world. Even if there were such couples, the term itself wouldn¡¯t exist, as it didn¡¯t form arge enough group to establish a social phenomenon or terminology. However, not every meeting ended in marriage and childbirth. -I¡¯m going to date freely, and then get married. -Do you really have to have children just because you get married? Can¡¯t I be someone who doesn¡¯t need to have a child?-A couple can enjoy their time together before having children. Some people pursued freedom, some pursued rtionships, and some pursued love, dying having children. -Hey! Having an ability user is like hitting the jackpot, why wouldn¡¯t you want to have one! The younger you are, the higher the chances of having an ability user! -But I¡¯m not mentally or financially prepared to raise a child. -The state will raise them, so what¡¯s the problem? -What if a non-ability user child is born? Will you raise them? Will you buy a house and all that? -Kuhm¡­! Sometimes people gave up due to economic circumstances. Anyway. These people were often jokingly called unpatriotic or traitors, but it¡¯s not that they reallycked patriotism; it¡¯s more of a self-deprecating joke among themselves. And to dy the process of epting a new life, they had resorted to various methods, from traditional to medical. ¡°Well, yeah, I did it from behind.¡± One of those methods was exactly what Hyeon Se-rin is talking about. ¡°What do you mean from behind?¡± ¡°What do you think? I imported firearms.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, right? You¡¯re not talking about what I think you¡¯re talking about, right?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­?¡± It seemed Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s shoulders shrugged. The three women blushed and looked back and forth between Hyeon Se-rin and me, exchanging meaningful nces. ¡°Hey, Director Do. Could you exin?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit awkward to say it myself, but one of the unique advantages of those who form their bodies with mana is this.¡± This was true. ¡°It was fine doing it from behind. No special preparation was needed.¡± ¡°Huh. You should rify your words. You mean there was no difference whether you prepared or not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Well¡­ that¡¯s how it is. If I were told to do it with Hye-ra right here, I could do it right away. Without any prior preparation.¡± ¡°¡­No, I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± Yun Hye-ra turned her head away, but her ears were still perked up. ¡°Hey, unnie. When did you even do that? Huh?¡± ¡°Not while I was alive, after I died. Well, that¡­¡± Hyeon Se-rin fiddled with her lips, then looked at Yoon I-seon with a meaningful smile. ¡°Was it on Jeju Ind¡­?¡± ¡°Jeju Ind?¡± ¡°Oh, right. You might not know much about it. What kind of ce Jeju Ind is.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not saying¡­¡± The rtively innocent Yumir and Yoon I-seon didn¡¯t understand Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s words, but Yun Hye-ra immediately stiffened her face and red at Hyeon Se-rin. ¡°You went to Jeju Ind with him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Anyway, we can¡¯t have children with this body. We just went to test it out. There are plenty of drugs, tools, and devices there for that. I didn¡¯t do anything special, just¡­¡± Hyeon Se-rin clenched her fists with both hands, then wiggled them next to her face. ¡°I just tried a little cat y, nyang.¡± Ulleungdo was a sacred ce of patriotism. And most of the people who visited here were newlyweds or couples in de facto rtionships who were about to get married. Of course, even if that¡¯s not the case, they could still travel to Ulleungdo, but it¡¯s rare for people to visit a ce where the cost per night exceeded one million won with a light heart. So, where would be the best ce for couples to travel to on the ind? Considering the couple¡¯s budget, Jeju Ind would be appropriate. It¡¯s a ce you had to fly to, and it had been well-established as a tourist destination for a long time. It was more stable than overseas, and if the cost of traveling abroad and to Jeju Ind was simr, Jeju Ind became the most suitable ce. But then, a problem arose. Ulleungdo was a ce where you went to seal the deal. Then what about Jeju Ind? ¡°The Ma of adultery¡­.¡± Late at night. A silver-haired woman, Baek Seol-hee, sat alone in front of theputer, clicking the mouse while staring at the monitor light. Jeju Ind. It had been said that there were three things abundant in Jeju Ind. There were many women. There were many stones. And there was also a lot of wind. That¡¯s right. Wind. Jeju Ind has be the sacred ce of wind, the Ma of adultery. Of course, some might say, ¡°What are you talking about? How could that wind be that wind? Talk sense.¡± But just like any forced fit, Jeju Ind has be the sacred ce of wind. -True_story_of_a_tangerine_country_trip. -Story_about_having_fun_in_Jeju. -Climbed Hasan with my partner¡­ ¡°Tsk.¡± Baek Seol-hee clicked her tongue as she browsed through the materials about Jeju Ind, biting her lower lip. ¡°Why did this ce be like this?¡± Jeju Ind was just a tourist attraction, so why did it turn into a ce like this? There might be various reasons for this, but the main reason is probably that it¡¯s arge ind, slightly detached from the Korean Penins. Jeju Ind was an ind, a resort, and a tourist destination. When people traveled, it was usually to go abroad, but Koreans couldn¡¯t easily travel overseas. Just look at the incidents in Thand. Kidnapping Koreans to use them as breeding stock¡ªsuch cases didn¡¯t only happen in Thand, did they? In ces with even slightly poor public security, passports disappeared, and people couldn¡¯t return home. Even those traveling abroad for business did so in pairs, only going to ces with safe security, so how could people freely travel overseas? To get the feeling of traveling, Koreans chose Jeju Ind instead of going abroad. You often saw four men traveling around Jeju Ind instead of Southeast Asia, meeting four women who also came together at a guesthouse, and enjoying tangerine soju by the sea. Some people said this: Jeju Ind had be the ind of the insiders. As the youth districts in Seoul deteriorated, and the high-ups looking at Busan¡¯s Haeundae caused young people to seek other ces, Jeju Ind became the ce they found, where they could escape the gaze of others without much economic burden. ¡°Patriotism on the penins, and let loose in Jeju, huh.¡± Baek Seol-hee tried to suppress the grin that formed as she read the slogan someone had jokingly thrown out. ¡°An ind where you can enjoy freedom between men and women without the burden of having children.¡± If you want to have children, then go to Ulleungdo. If you want to enjoy a fun trip and make memories between men and women, go to Jeju Ind. After the Great Cataclysm. Jeju Ind reestablished itself as a tourist destination in this way. During the chaos of Korea¡¯s capital moving from Seoul to Busan, as Korea stepped forward to lead the world, and as people became reluctant to go abroad. Jeju Ind, in order to solidify its position as a tourist destination, opened up various things. What exactly was opened up can be better understood by visiting the ce. ¡°So, the sacred ce of adultery.¡± They said that even a Confucian schr loosened his hatstrings in Jeju Ind. Even ady from a noble family lightly loosened her jacket in Jeju Ind. Most visitors to Jeju Ind came with simr purposes, creating a tacit understanding among them. Most importantly, because rtively fewer ability users were born in Jeju Ind, people with such intentions flocked there. Why did Sejong Ind, Ulleungdo, and the cities near the East Coast see a sudden rise? Why was the capital moved from Seoul to Busan? It¡¯s because many ability users were born near Sejong Ind. However, Jeju Ind showed a lower birth rate of ability users than Seoul in such statistics. Some said: -It¡¯s because the Tangerine Country isn¡¯t actually Korea, but foreign, that the birth rate is lower. -No, isn¡¯t it more like they¡¯re telling us to enjoy ourselves freely without worrying about pregnancy here? -¡­Genius? But once someone changed their thinking and shifted the paradigm, Jeju Ind turned into a free and open ind. ¡°If you want to have children, go to Ulleungdo or Gangwon-do. Why go to Jeju Ind?¡± Baek Seol-hee nodded heavily. ¡°So, Jeju Ind isn¡¯t a ce to go to have children.¡± If Ulleungdo was a ce where two went and three came out, Jeju Ind was a ce where one met one, and two came out. To put it nicely, it¡¯s not a ce for patriotism, but a ce to meet people to be a patriot. Jeju Ind was. An ind filled with the wind of freedom, love, and passion. For some, it might be a ce where they could lose their minds. Though somewhat dizzying, it is definitely a meeting ce. And those heading to Jeju Ind were called this: ¡°Dolphins.¡± Chapter 322: Xs Island Chapter 322: Xs Ind At that moment, in the Sejong Ind Academy¡¯s principal office. ¡°Damn it, damn it¡­¡± Principal Kim Seok-dae of the Academy was muttering to himself, scribbling red ink over a notebook. ¡°Resign, resign, no, get impeached¡­¡± The name he was writing on the nk paper was none other than Tae Chae-jin. Given his unusual surname and even more unusual first name, there was no need to guess who Kim Seok-dae was cursing. ¡°How dare he, to me, the principal of a world-leading educational institution¡­!¡± As he wrote the name Tae Chae-jin repeatedly in red ink, the paper became more red than nk. Knock, knock, knock.A knock sounded from outside. Principal Kim Seok-dae put down his pen, ced the notebook in the drawer, and straightened his posture. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Excuse me, Principal.¡± Creak. As the door opened, the rich aroma of coffee filled the room. ¡°Let¡¯s talk over a cup.¡± ¡°Professor Lisa La Lakshmi, please,e in.¡± Late-night coffee might seem odd, but for Kim Seok-dae, who lived his life with coffee, it was just another beverage. ¡°So, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I came to discuss the summer camp on Jeju Ind.¡± He grabbed the mug with a grim face as the beautiful professor, Lisa La Lakshmi, who hadete at night, took a seat, drawn by the aroma of coffee. ¡°Do you also think I made the wrong choice?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the politicians who misunderstood your educational philosophy, not your decision.¡± ¡°Right? As fellow educators, we understand each other.¡± The principal shrugged his shoulders and sipped his coffee. ¡°What does the president know about education? He can¡¯t even teach his own kids properly¡ªone of them constantly causes trouble, another brought in a daughter-inw who¡¯s selling the country, and his grandchild, well, he¡¯s an idol fooling around with four other idols.¡± It was almost a personal attack, but the principal didn¡¯t stop his criticism. ¡°And yet, he dares to spout nonsense to me, the principal of Sejong Academy, the leading institution in global education. Tsk, we need to gain independence fast. If this ce bes an institution independent from the Korean government, those fools will finallye to their senses.¡± ¡°I truly hope so. For that to happen, we definitely need an ¡®S-ss Professor¡¯ who can dedicate their life to Sejong Academy, not Korea.¡± Lisa La Lakshmi opened a file on her tablet and handed it to the principal. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into other S-ss ability users with the potential to be professors, aside from Baek Seol-hee. Yoon Iseon, the student council president, seems the most suitable, followed by Baridegi Tae Irin.¡± ¡°What about the men?¡± ¡°They are impossible. They all have their own affiliations, and the one affiliated with the Hero Association¡­ we¡¯re trying to persuade him.¡± Lisa La Lakshmi gently rubbed her Taeguk Watch. ¡°Although he doesn¡¯t specialize in education, he¡¯s still in his early twenties, so he can learn educational theory. While you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll guide him as an associate professor, helping him rise to full professor and eventually even to the position of vice principal.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a brawler, can he really handle it?¡± The tablet disyed a close-up of a young man who appeared humble among the profiles of eight people. ¡°Hisbat style may be crude, but S-ss ability users are generally capable of earning a master¡¯s or doctorate with ease. If we teach him, he¡¯ll do just fine.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so, I¡¯ll fully support your decision. Just make sure he¡¯s well taken care of so we can enjoy a celebratory feastter. Ha ha.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lisa La Lakshmi smiled softly as she scrolled through the tablet¡¯s screen. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll invite him to Sejong Ind and work on building a close rtionship. Meanwhile, please ensure that this summer camp proceeds in the most positive direction possible. It¡¯s frustrating to follow the whims of those who know nothing about education, but you never know.¡± ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°Perhaps the students might fall in love on Jeju Ind and end up staying at the Academy as pregnant students.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± The principal stroked his beard with a twisted smile. ¡°Whether it¡¯s a summer semester or a summer camp, when you gather young men and women together for a few days, something is bound to happen.¡± Everything was¡­ For the sake of bringing people together. ¡°Being stuck on an ind? No, no. Jeju Ind is vast. As long as they attend sses properly during the week, they¡¯re practically free in the evenings and weekends. What do you think they¡¯ll do?¡± ¡°Of course, they¡¯ll explore Jeju Ind.¡± ¡°Just explore? They¡¯ll meet people, of course. Heh heh.¡± The principal pulled up a map of Jeju Ind. Then, after a quick search, he typed in a keyword. Beep, beep. Various establishments matching the keyword began popping up along the coastline. ¡°Taverns, pubs, bars¡­ With so many ces selling alcohol, how could they possibly resist? Heh heh.¡± Every spot along the road was lined with drinking establishments. At the end of a trail along the stone wall, there was a guesthouse designed like a brothel. Although its interior was as sleek as a hanok vige, what went on inside was hardly suitable for public discussion. ¡°Professor Lisa La Lakshmi, back when I was in Sinchon, Seoul¡¯s college town was packed with students. Selling booze to students alone could buy you an apartment in Seoul.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it still the same? Just now, it¡¯s Haeundae, not Sinchon.¡± ¡°Yes, but Seoul is ruined, and Busan is already oversaturated. So where do you think those who once sold alcohol went? It¡¯s only natural for merchants to gather where peoplee to y. Heh heh, with so many lodgings and bars on Jeju Ind, do you think the students will stay idle?¡± The principal picked up his mug and stood up, gazing out the window. ¡°They might enter alone, but they¡¯ll leave in pairs. That¡¯s Jeju Ind for you.¡± ¡°¡­There are cases where it bes three.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s going too fast.¡± If by any chance¡­ ¡°If a man and a woman enter Jeju Ind, fall in love, and return to the maind with three?¡± He shook his head. ¡°If two ability users fall in love and match, what a waste it would be if they didn¡¯t? Tsk, tsk. It¡¯s fine if they match, but if they¡¯re going to have a child¡­¡± The principal turned his body toward the north, beyond the window. ¡°They should go to Ulleungdo to do it. Of course.¡±
¡°¡­The Ma of Meetings.¡± Baek Seol-hee bit her nails as she kept clicking her mouse. ¡°While teaching these A-ss students, they¡¯ll probably go around meeting people too. I¡¯m sure of it. And if that happens¡­¡± A photo on the wiki suddenly caught her attention. ¡°Someone might be a demon again.¡± Along with the continuously updated data on Pandemonium, incidents involving the appearance of demons around the world were beingpiled. ¡°¡­But what if they don¡¯t be a demon? If everything ends constructively and naturally, with no problems?¡± Baek Seol-hee got up and threw herself onto the bed. ¡°Even the students participating in the summer semester seek natural encounters. Why shouldn¡¯t I? Right?¡± With a confident smile, Baek Seol-hee began searching for other materials using her Taeguk Watch. ¡°I need a justification. A justification.¡± Baek Seol-hee now had all the authority. Regarding the educational program, she had enough authority to make suggestions about some parts of it. So¡­ ¡°¡­Legally.¡± If there¡¯s any subject in the educational program that required the help of a ¡®librarian,¡¯ she could summon him without any suspicion. ¡°Ah. Would it be too much to ask him toe to Jeju Ind just for work¡­?¡± Baek Seol-hee fiddled with her Taeguk Watch, pausing just before making a call. ¡°¡­No, not now. It¡¯s toote.¡± Before she realized it, the time was already 3 a.m. While she was up all night working on the educational program, there was a good chance that he was quietly asleep. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him tomorrow morning.¡± Baek Seol-hee smiled brightly as she found her justification. ¡°¡­Bingo.¡± Jeju Ind Library. ¡°A justification is something you can always make up if you need to.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes lit up as she manipted her Taeguk Watch. ¡°If I get his approval¡­¡± She smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll get an official certification on Jeju Ind and prepare for retirement.¡± If he gave his approval¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to stir up a scandal that will turn the country upside down.¡±
Night had fallen. While the four women were sound asleep in the bedroom, I stepped outside and entered the open-air bath. Without submerging my body, I nted my feet on the floor and extended the Goblin Bat forward, channeling my magic power. Ssh. The golden orbs that had emerged from the water began spinning around the Goblin Bat. ¡°Is there enough magic power?¡± The Mana Crystal was filled with sufficient magic power. Seeing how quickly it had been charged in just a few hours, I could probably mass-produce Mana Crystals like this in the future. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I won¡¯t be able to use them all. But if they are used in that ce, these golden orbs will surely be a great help. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate if I don¡¯t have to use them, though¡­.¡± Ssh. I pocketed two moderately sized golden orbs. The rest fell back into the open-air bath, and I attached the two golden orbs to the side of the Goblin Bat. Reinforcement and tuningplete. ¡°If I run out of mana, I can borrow it from somewhere else.¡± And with these two golden orbs, these Mana Crystals, I would be a new me. ¡°Transformation.¡± Whoosh. The wind blew southward. Chapter 323: Imitation (1) June 23rd, 3 a.m., somewhere in Seoul. ¡°Haak, haak, haak¡­.¡± Arge young man, bleeding from his head, runs through the alley. He limped up a slope, leaving drops of red blood behind as he climbed. ¡°S-Save me¡­! I don¡¯t want to die¡­!!¡± Buildings styled like traditional Korean houses lined both sides, but no lights flickered from any of them. Even as the young man desperately screamed for help, no one answered. Were they all asleep? Perhaps.If he were just a normal young man, maybe they would help, but when an ability user like him was injured like that, people hesitated to report it, fearing they¡¯d get involved. ¡°S-Somebody, please¡­!¡± Humans were the most selfish when their lives were in danger. There might be some who would step forward for others, but those who had something they wished to protect would only bow their heads in silence. Like a father holding his frightened child tightly under a nket, trying not to make a sound. Or an elderly mother asking if they should call the Taeguk Watch, with a middle-aged woman harshly retorting, ¡°What if we get involved?¡± Or perhaps a young man, alone in a basement apartment, trembling as he clutched a survival bag near the entrance, fearing the building might copse. Everyone valued their own life. And even if there were someone who would throw their life away, no one would willingly step forward for that young man. Aee-aee-aee-aeng. The siren echoed throughout Bukchon Vige. The rm, signaling the appearance of a viin, had been ringing for a while, and emergency disaster messages had already been sent to citizens¡¯ Taegeuk Watches, notifying them of the situation. A-rank viin ¡®Nuts Crusher,¡¯ currently moving past Anguk Station, heading towards Samcheong-dong. Anyone could guess it. That young man, bleeding and fleeing, was none other than the A-rank viin who had terrorized Seoul for the past few days. ¡°Ugh, ugh! Please, please¡­! I don¡¯t want to die!!¡± The young man, Nuts Crusher, knocked on door after door. But none of the doors opened. One might think that since he was an A-rank ability user, he could just break in with force, but he couldn¡¯t use his magic. ¡°Ugh, ugh, ugh¡­!!¡± Thud. As soon as he heard something fall, the young man copsed to the ground and began crawling. Scrape, scrape, scrape. The sound of something dragging on the ground grew closer, and the young man continued to flee from it. ¡°S-Save me! Please! I won¡¯t do it again!¡± What was the young man begging for his life from? The people holding their breath couldn¡¯t help but feel a creeping curiosity rising inside them. ¡°I¡¯ll never do it again! I¡¯ll live with remorse! Please, have mercy! Aaaaargh!!¡± It seemed that whatever he was begging for was now attacking him. ¡°Ggghk¡­¡­.¡± With a sickening crack, Nuts Crusher could only let out a choking groan. ¡°P-Please¡­! O-Okay¡­! I-I¡¯ll work for you! I¡¯ll be a viin under the Secret Society!¡± The Secret Society? For a moment, people perked up their ears. Even though the media tried to control information, it was strange not to know who the Secret Society was. ¡°Y-You¡¯re a viin too! I-I¡¯ll be your subordinate! Please, Goblin, please!!¡± Ah. The people realized. What was happening to Nuts Crusher now. ¡°W-What did I do wrong¡ªAaaargh!!¡± St. The sound of something bursting. Zap, the crackling sound of electricity, and Nuts Crusher screamed in pain more unbearable than death. ¡°You, ba¡­.¡± Thud. With a dull sound, Nuts Crusher could no longer make a sound. Aee-aee-aee-aeng. As the siren rang out, the heroes, arriving a littlete, saw it. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± A man lying in the alley, his body in a horrific state. His head was bleeding profusely as if he had been hit with something heavy, but what looked even worse was the sticky, unknown substance seeping out from between his legs. The thick stench of blood. ¡°¡­This is Detective Kim Yun-hwan of the Jongno Police Department¡¯s Ability Division. Reporting from the scene. Nuts Crusher¡­ is dead.¡± The agents who arrived at the scene reported the situation via their Taegeuk Watches and covered Nuts Crusher¡¯s body with a jacket. ¡°The cause of death¡­ appears to be multiple trauma-induced shock. Yes. He was struck on the back of the head, but there¡¯s another wound. Yes, that¡¯s right. It seems he was killed the same way hemitted his crimes.¡± Nuts Crusher. A-rank viin. His main crime was rendering numerous men sterile. ¡°He got what he deserved. He¡¯d been crushing others¡¯ eggs, and now¡­¡± ¡°Goblin did it!!¡± A window opened, and a child in pajamas rushed out onto the balcony and shouted. ¡°Goblin did it!!¡± ¡°Hey!!¡± The person, who appeared to be a parent, hurriedly covered the child¡¯s mouth and took them inside. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll have to investigate further, but it appears to be the work of Goblin.¡± Viin Nuts Crusher. Deceased. The killer, no, the executioner. Goblin. There were many viins in Korea. More precisely, there were many individuals designated as viins in Korea. Being an ability user didn¡¯t automatically make someone a viin. Anyone deemed anti-government or a threat to national interest wasbeled as a viin. Among such viins, who was the most notorious? The Red Scarf who scorched the asphalt of the Gyeongbu Expressway with fire? Pepper Cutter, who would cut up any man in sight? Or perhaps the demon Duoexini, who threw the whole world into terror? There might be many infamous viins, but the most famous one is Goblin. No matter what actions he took, Goblin was undeniably a viin, as designated by this country. Therefore. ¡°Goblin isn¡¯t a viin; he¡¯s a dark hero! Mmph, who are you guys?!¡± If anyone dared to say that, people in ck suits would immediately step in to suppress them. Starting with the Goblin-induced ¡°Rider Syndrome,¡± a social atmosphere emerged, pushing the notion that vicious viins should be executed. Because of that, the state had officially ssified Goblin as a viin who disrupted societal order. Even if. Some might know Goblin¡¯s true nature, understood his principles, and argued that his actions ultimately contribute to world peace. In the end, Goblin could only be a viin. At least in this country. And no one had known the whereabouts of that viin since the unrest in Thand. If anyone had information on Goblin¡¯s location or activities, they were urged to contact the National Ability Counter-Terror Special Forces immediately. ¡°Hey! Goblin has appeared in Seoul!!¡± The moment they received the report, the heroes rushed out, only to find nothing but shadows. He¡¯s elusive. Even today, Goblin, who executed a viin, disappeared without a trace. ¡°Announcement. A-rank viin ¡®Nuts Crusher¡¯ is dead. When the body was found, he had be a ¡®Zenros,¡¯ bleeding from his head, uh, and, well, his¡­ testicles were ruptured¡­.¡± ¡°Serves him right.¡± I sipped on a beer as I sat in my Seoul apartment, reviewing the data on the viin Goblin had taken down. ¡°Nuts Crusher¡­. Judging by the cause of death, it¡¯s obvious what kind of viin he was.¡± Real name: Kim Mu-hwan (23 years old, Hero). An A-rank ability user, who, during a battle, had his genitals crushed, resulting in the destruction of both testicles. Although ability users didn¡¯t undergo military physical exams, if he had, he would¡¯ve been ssified as Grade 5 and exempted due to the loss of both testicles. He seemed to be suppressing his anger and working as an A-rank hero in Gyeonggi Province, helping maintain local peace. But in reality, he wasmitting viinous acts behind the scenes. Recently, all of a sudden. [Mr. Do? I found out the reason for the hero¡¯s downfall.] ¡°That was quick. As expected of Brewer. So, what¡¯s the reason?¡± [You know that idol group Armored Taejo was involved with? He was a hardcore fan of one of them. His house was full of posters and all kinds of merch.] ¡°Ah, I see. He took out his NTR frustrations through viinous acts.¡± The pieces quickly fell into ce. ¡°Kim Mu-hwan was stressed due to his loss of testicles and found sce in idols. But when his favorite idol got involved in a scandal with Armored Taejo, he expressed his rage by crushing the testicles of civilians.¡± [Then he got executed by Goblin. That¡¯s the current consensus.] ¡°¡­Tch.¡± He deserved to die. Considering that a few people had already died of shock after having their testicles crushed by him. ¡°Ah, hold on. I¡¯m getting a call. It¡¯s Baek Seol-hee.¡± [Got it? I¡¯ve told you everything, so handle it well.] ¡°Handle what?¡± After hanging up with Brewer. ¡°Yes, Ms. Seol-hee. This is Director Do of the Ability Counseling Center. Have you eaten?¡± [There¡¯s no one around me right now.] ¡°¡­Ah, I see.¡± I answered Baek Seol-hee¡¯s call. [Ji-hwan, it¡¯s really not you, right? You¡¯re not using some cloning ability or anything like that, right?] ¡°Of course not.¡± I tapped my fingers on the Taeguk Watch. ¡°You¡¯re the one holding the video that proves my alibi, aren¡¯t you?¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°The nation itself is proving my innocence. Why are you still like this?¡± [But¡­.] ¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about, but at the time of the crime, I was in bed with you.¡± At the time when Nuts Crusher was forcibly turning young men across Seoul into Grade 5 (exempt) by destroying their testicles. ¡°That video, it¡¯s on your phone, isn¡¯t it?¡± [¡­¡­I was just asking to be sure.] I had been with Baek Seol-hee. To be exact, we were discussing the situation in Jeju Ind. [That Goblin who appeared in Seoul¡­.] ¡°Obviously.¡± A fake. Chapter 324: Imitation (2) It¡¯s the way of the world that fakes were created when something became famous. When the King of Pop was shaking the world, people dressed up like him and took pictures with tourists for money. There was even a famous trot singer whose name was slightly altered, singing the original singer¡¯s songs at various events and getting paid for performances. When a product became popr, the world often saw knock-offs that slightly modified the original and then sold them. This world was no different. As soon as the Rider craze began, everyone started copying the Riders. Just like when Haegneul began selling Rider suits, ending the trend, it¡¯s inevitable for knock-offs to emerge when something became famous. But. This was the first time I had seen something this bold. ¡°A copycat of the Goblin, huh?¡±A fake Goblin appeared. Not just someone cosying as Goblin, but someone following the Goblin¡¯s principles of action. A person imitating the Goblin, the Viin Executioner. ¡°This is troublesome.¡± ¡°Why is it troublesome? Why not take this opportunity to retire Goblin and leave everything to the fake¡­ the ¡®doppelg?nger¡¯?¡± Hyeon Se-rin, who hade up to Seoul with me, handed me a can of beer, grinning. Clearly, this was the first time she had encountered something like this, so she must be naturally intrigued. ¡°It¡¯smon to imitate a viin¡¯s ability or costume around the world, but it¡¯s the first time someone¡¯s copied a viin¡¯s ideology and behavior. And an S-ss viin, at that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s such a headache.¡± I clinked my can against hers, then quenched my thirst with the cold beer she gave me. ¡°Even though Goblin¡¯s actions seem easy to imitate, there aren¡¯t many who can pull off something like this.¡± I pulled up the CCTV footage that Brewer had hacked and obtained on myptop. ¡°Sa-save me, ugh¡­.¡± Nuts Crusher, who had begged for his life until the end, died of shock as soon as his core was destroyed. Though he had already been bleeding profusely and was suffering from severe blood loss, his strong will to survive,bined with the mana left in his body and sheer mental fortitude, had kept him going. However, the moment his core was broken, he died from the shock. The one who destroyed his core was the Goblin. Though it was hard to see clearly in the darkness, his ck hanbok fluttered in the shadows. ¡°Not the formal-suited Goblin, but the hanbok-wearing Goblin. He¡¯s really copying well, isn¡¯t he? Haha, maybe he¡¯s a fan?¡± ¡°Even if he¡¯s a fan, this kind of imitation is a problem.¡± I pointed to the CCTV footage. After killing Nuts Crusher, the fake Goblin slowly retreated into the darkness as soon as the lights came on. Then, he vanished into a blue mist. Though it wasn¡¯t clearly visible due to the CCTV¡¯s blind spots, the faint glimpse of his disappearing form and the trace of magic were captured in the video footage. ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange that he¡¯s even imitating the ability to turn into a spirit?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ you¡¯re right. Spiritualization is an ability that we only realized after possessing Section Chief Do.¡± All of my abilities to escape the scene in ether form and as a spirit were abilities I had learned from the four executives. ¡°For him to use an ability that we only unlocked after thoroughly examining our bodies¡­ huh, maybe he¡¯s a Goblin from the future?¡± ¡°No way. Don¡¯t say such unsettling things.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re seriously worried?¡± Of course, I was. If that fake Goblin was a Goblin from the future, could I be certain it was really Do Ji-hwan? Could it perhaps be Do Chang-nam, the original Goblin from the story? Unlike the pathetic, degenerate C-ss viin Do Chang-nam, Do Ji-hwan became an S-ss viin while walking the path of a Viin Executioner. His principles and ideology were those of Do Ji-hwan, not Do Chang-nam. In other words, if that guy really came from the future, he was Do Ji-hwan. ¡®Which makes it even stranger.¡¯ Would a future version of me hide his identity? Even if the world copsed, even if something major happened, would I hide my identity? ¡°Sigh. Imagining all this is causing quite a problem.¡± ¡°Just take it easy. Whether that guy is you from the future or whatever, we¡¯re on Section Chief Do¡¯s side in the present. Got it?¡± Hyeon Se-rin came up behind me while I was sitting in my chair and hugged my head, resting her chin on my crown. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that overthinking can cause hair loss.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t happen.¡± There¡¯s no known case of an ability user suffering from hair loss, but having enough stress to cause it? I¡¯ll pass on that. ¡°Alright. No need to overthink this. I¡¯ll just keep it simple.¡± Whatever his identity was, I should just focus on what¡¯s happening right in front of me. ¡°If there¡¯s a copycat, the original has to step in.¡± As much as I was a Viin Executioner, I really didn¡¯t want to be med for a murder I didn¡¯tmit. ¡°Se-rin. Sorry, but you¡¯ll have to stick with me around Seoul for a while.¡± ¡°Why apologize? This is my specialty.¡± Hyeon Se-rin pressed the beer can to my lips. ¡°Seoul is my home turf. All you have to do is follow me.¡± While Hyeon Se-rin briefly stepped outside to prepare. ¡°Chairman?¡± [Ah, I was just about to call you. Are you alright? You must¡¯ve been shocked, right?] ¡°¡­Not so much.¡± I had called out of frustration, and herforting voice instantly calmed me. ¡°Chairman. Do you know anything?¡± [Do you want a 100% certain answer, or a 99% guess?] ¡°If 100% is foresight, then give me a 99% guess.¡± Chairmen, or chiefs, were all-knowing. But just like alchemy, every special ability involved an equivalent exchange. [It would be moreforting to know through foresight.] ¡°If you read the future once and things change, wouldn¡¯t everything fall apart anyway?¡± Foresight was a dangerous ability. Not only did ite with a price, but once you acted upon the future you¡¯ve seen, the course of that future changedpletely. ¡°If it were a situation too serious for me to handle, the Chairman would have already contacted me, right? But since that¡¯s not the case, it must just be a simple petty criminal.¡± [Isn¡¯t the scariest thing in the world a petty criminal?] ¡°That¡¯s only ¡®self-proimed.¡¯ If not, the impersonator is just an S-ss viin. Someone imitating Goblin.¡± [Exactly. I think so too.] We were in sync. It wasn¡¯t the worst-case scenario; we both agreed on a more usible one. [We¡¯re doing everything we can to figure out who it is. If there¡¯s an S-ss ability user who¡¯s recently gone into hiding, someone active in Korea with a significant interest in Goblin, or an S-ss user with spatial abilities like Yumir.] ¡°The candidates are¡­.¡± [Unfortunately, they¡¯re still shrouded in mystery.] ¡°That¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s just an S-ss ability user, I can handle it.¡± [There¡¯s also a possibility it could be a demon from Pandemonium¡­.] ¡°If it¡¯s a copycat demon, I can deal with that easily, so don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s also Do-ul and Se-rin.¡± I had already killed the demons Duoexini and Lace. Even if a doppelg?nger-like demon appeared here, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Oh, wait¡­ my apologies, it¡¯s be a habit.¡± [Haha. It¡¯s okay to be cautious about Cheonriyan. Better to make it a habit with me than to make a mistake with someone else while on the phone.] As I was about to close my Taeguk Watch after nearly three minutes, I remembered that this was a special Taeguk Watch sent by the Chairman. [Don¡¯t feel too burdened. After all, when we reveal the copycat, it might turn out to be someone you know or someone we should recruit into the society. Maybe you¡¯ll have another ¡®affair¡¯.] ¡°Chairman, are you assuming it¡¯s a woman?¡± [It¡¯s not an assumption, just a feeling that the will of the world might point in that direction.] ¡°Then it¡¯s a woman.¡± There¡¯s no reason for it. It¡¯s just the Chairman¡¯s intuition. ¡°If it¡¯s a man, I¡¯ll beat him up first. If it¡¯s a woman¡­.¡± [How do you n to handle the impersonator¡¯s execution?] ¡°Well, I¡¯ll think about that when the timees.¡± [A gentle beating with a baseball bat might be enough. Haha. I don¡¯t mind if you have more affairs with beautiful women.] ¡°Chairman, ¡®affair¡¯ might be a bit much¡­.¡± [Mistress?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [Just kidding. Haha. Everything¡¯s done with my permission, so I don¡¯t have anyints. But.] The Chairman paused briefly at the end. [¡­If you ever meet a woman behind my back.] ¡°I would never do that, absolutely.¡± [¡­If you did.] The Chairman¡¯s voice became increasingly sharp¡ª [I¡¯d cry, you know?] ¡°¡­That would never happen. I¡¯d rather die.¡± I was serious. ¡°I will never make you cry.¡± [You¡¯ve made me cry several times already.] ¡°¡­I did?¡± [In bed, in the car, at the hotel, outside, on the stairs, and also¡­.] ¡°Ahem. That¡¯s not the kind of crying we¡¯re talking about, is it?¡± What did I think it was? [Haha. Alright. Anyway, don¡¯t feel too pressured about the copycat. The important thing is for you to secure more S-ss members for the society.] ¡°Of course. The operation is proceeding smoothly. Once we take care of the fake, I¡¯ll immediately execute the n I proposedst time.¡± [Project ¡®XXX¡¯?] ¡°Yes.¡± Everything is done with the Chairman¡¯s approval. ¡°I¡¯ll carry out the ¡®pregnancy attack¡¯.¡± [Approved.] I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain After receiving approval from the Chief for the project in Jeju Ind. I headed out into the midnight streets with Hyeon Se-rin to gather information about the fake Goblin. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like we can go up to Jongno District, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. The ce is packed with people.¡± Even if this world¡¯s Seoul had fallen, even if it had be a city with barely 5 million people after the capital¡¯s reversal, it was still a ce where a lot of people lived. In such a ce, if no one else but the Goblin appeared? Of course, people would gather like moths to a me. ¡°Hello, this is Lee Ki-woo from Wooki TV! Today, it seems a Goblin has appeared¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, the scene is bustling with Seoul citizens and people from all over the country. The Hero Alliance is currently¡­.¡±The ce was filled with cyber wreckers, the Hero Alliance, reporters, and, above all, a mass of Seoul citizens. There were so many people upying the road that even the vehicles that needed to enter for scene preservation couldn¡¯t easily get through. ¡°Ah, move out of the way¡ª!!¡± A sharp, irritated scream echoed. At the overpowering sound, suddenly everyone¡¯s electronic devices lost signal for a moment, and all eyes turned to the person who caused the noise. ¡°Thunder Emperor¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯re from the Hero Alliance! For the investigation, citizens, please cooperate!¡± Standing on top of the SUV, marked with the Hero Alliance¡¯s logo, holding a red megaphone and shouting with a scowl, was none other than the S-ss hero, Thunder Emperor Kim Yun-ji. ¡°Oh my, Yun-ji¡¯s here?¡± With a weing expression but cold eyes, Hyeon Se-rin looked at Kim Yun-ji while draping her arm over my shoulder. ¡°What brings such a great S-ss hero all the way to Seoul? Hmm?¡± ¡°Well, since the A-ss hero in charge of the southern part of Gyeonggi-do died as a viin, they probably sent her here temporarily to settle things.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Even though he was executed, when you thought about it, it was a national disgrace. An A-ss hero, who wasn¡¯t just a regr hero but the representative in charge of a region, was actually a malicious viin who went around destroying men¡¯s privates? Compared to the A-ss marine instructor in Thand boosting national prestige by teaching Korean Marine education to young athletes, this wasn¡¯t just tarnishing the country¡¯s image; it was smearing it with filth. Of course, public order was shaken, and people couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. With heroes acting like viins, it¡¯s no wonder the citizens were terrified. To calm things down, obviously, someone greater than an A-ss hero, an S-ss, was needed. Kim Yun-jiing to Seoul wasn¡¯t that strange. It¡¯s just that, for Hyeon Se-rin, who came to Seoul with me, this wasn¡¯t exactly a wee encounter. ¡°Hmph¡­ As if it wasn¡¯t annoying enough that someone who steals other people¡¯s stuff came to Seoul. Guess we¡¯ll have to be more careful with the signals.¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have any problems with ours, right?¡± ¡°Still, we need to be cautious. Not being caught might make us stand out even more.¡± ¡°True.¡± If there was a dry spot on a wet canvas, naturally, that spot would stand out. Thunder Emperor just unleashed an EMP with her power, as if to dere herself one of the most influential beings in modern society. ¡®Just as troublesome as Taejo.¡¯ The one who manipted metal. The one who controlled electricity. In today¡¯s modern age, the ability to manipte metal and electricity freely was an enormous advantage. Unlike Taejo, who could turn hundreds of tons of gold into a golden train or wielded simr physical power, Thunder Emperor could destroy every electrically powered system, which was incredibly powerful. ¡°If you don¡¯t cooperate and clear the way, I¡¯ll drain the batteries of all your Taeguk Watches and smartphones!¡± Though she¡¯s a hero, she made a threat nastier than any viin¡¯s, causing the people to grimace as they reluctantly stepped back, allowing the Hero Alliance¡¯s vehicles to finally make their way through. ¡°Still as prickly as ever, that personality. Director Do, what do you think of a woman like that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make a judgment without knowing someone like her, but she doesn¡¯t leave a positive impression.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not just bad-mouthing her because I dislike her, right?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s an objective opinion.¡± I ced my hand on Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s shoulder and gave her aforting pat. ¡°If she¡¯s a hero, she should kindly exin things to people and ask them to move voluntarily. Using powers to threaten civilians isn¡¯t right.¡± Though she was called an S-ss hero, in reality, she was closer to an S-ss ability user. The only reason she was called a hero is probably that she¡¯s not a viin. An S-ss fixer employed by the Hero Alliance. That¡¯s the best way to summarize Kim Yun-ji¡¯s role. ¡°How about we slip through the crowd and sneak in? We still need to investigate, right?¡± ¡°There are too many people for a proper investigation. Even if we tried using astral projection¡­.¡± ¡°Rather than getting caught by Thunder Emperor, we should investigate somewhere else, right?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a better idea.¡± I handed my smartphone to Hyeon Se-rin. ¡°Investigating the scene is important, but after that, we need to check the bodies, don¡¯t we?¡± Just like in every crime scene investigation drama. ¡°Seoul Haegneul General Hospital.¡± ¡°Ugh, I really hate this.¡± Thunder Emperor, Kim Yun-ji, jumped over the restricted area tape and shook her head at the bloodstains covering the scene. ¡°Detective, what do you think? As a man, seeing what was done to another man.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a position to say much, but as a man, I think he deserved it.¡± The man in the gray coat, Detective Park, who had crossed the restricted area tape alongside Kim Yun-ji, scribbled on his smartphone with a stylus as he responded to Thunder Emperor¡¯s question. ¡°Even if he was, you know, impotent, and even if his favorite idol had a scandal, how could he do something like that?¡± ¡°Scandal¡­ Well, considering the whole idol group was involved, it must¡¯ve been quite a shock.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m not one to speak on such matters, but as someone old enough to be your father, let me offer some advice, Thunder Emperor. Be careful of romance scandals.¡± Detective Park scratched his head as he scanned the nearby alleys. ¡°If rumors spread about Thunder Emperor getting married or seeing a man, there¡¯ll be plenty of guys jumping off bridges.¡± ¡°¡­What am I supposed to do, y along with this? People are going on about patriotism. Should I make a public announcement like ¡®I¡¯d like to meet this man,¡¯ instead of being caught in some sudden photo?¡± ¡°That might actually be better. Otherwise, we might end up with someone going dark like Nut Crusher.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Thunder Emperor twisted her lips and rubbed her fingers together. ¡°People like that, going dark on their own¡­ Ha, never mind. Let¡¯s just get on with the investigation.¡± Thunder Emperor stood in front of the white sticker and raised her hand high. ¡°So, this is where the Goblin executed Nut Crusher, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Like this.¡± Thunder Emperor created a blue mana orb in her hand, ced it on the ground, and stomped on it, crushing it. ¡°Ahem.¡± Those investigating the scene instinctively shrank back at the action. Detective Park gulped nervously, but Thunder Emperor went ahead and stomped on the second orb, shattering it too. ¡°If someone of the Goblin¡¯s caliber was involved, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to take down even an A-ss viin¡­ But something seems off.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®off¡¯?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s hard to exin.¡± Thunder Emperor used her foot to sweep the remnants of the two shattered orbs and continued to tilt her head in thought. ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s vague. If you think of anything, let us know. Us old-timers aren¡¯t great at finding evidence in ability crimes.¡± ¡°Got it. Hmm¡­¡± Thunder Emperor remained standing where the Goblin had been, lost in thought for a long time. ¡°¡­¡­¡± She stared intently at the blood-spattered asphalt, deep in contemtion, like an egg that had just been cracked open. We arrived at the hospital. The ce was already crowded, with men in ck suits blocking the way and controlling the entrance to keep outsiders out. [This is easy.] Hyeon Se-rin and I used astral projection to slip past the Hero Alliance agents unnoticed. No one had any idea we were there. [Where is it?] [Basement.] Based on the information we gathered through Brewer, I located where the body was being kept. We couldn¡¯t use the elevator, so we took the emergency stairs down to the basement, where we found ck-suited agents standing at the end of a dark hallway. ¡®Excuse me.¡¯ We passed through the wall and entered the room. Though it cost some mana, it was worth the expenditure. In the middle of what looked like a surgery room, a white coffin was ced. The coffin bore the symbol of Haegneul, and inside ity Nut Crusher, dressed in white burial robes, his eyes closed. [Haegneul¡¯s funeral service is impressive. Even for an A-ss viin, they treat him like a client.] [They¡¯d getints if they didn¡¯t provide the service. Plus, I heard Haegneul sponsors businesses. They couldn¡¯t just let him go without something.] They probably donated hundreds of billions for an A-ss hero, and now he dies as a viin? [They¡¯ll try to squeeze everyst penny out, even if they have to sue the deceased or their family to get the money back.] [Big corporations are even worse.] [That¡¯s the Korean style.] That¡¯s Haegneul¡¯s story. [Alright, let¡¯s check. Hyeon Se-rin, you don¡¯t need to watch.] I materialized only my hand and lifted the burial robe. And confirmed it. [How is it?] [It¡¯s there.] What shouldn¡¯t have been there was gone, but something else remained. [The rod is intact, only the orbs were crushed.] Whoever the fake was, I didn¡¯t know. The Goblin wouldn¡¯t do such a thing! I wanted to ry fan Yoon Mo¡¯s cry to the fake. He¡¯d just smash the head or break everything to pieces! That¡¯s right. The fake specifically crushed only the ¡®orbs¡¯. [The culprit is a woman.] A man wouldn¡¯t mess with another man¡¯s parts. But if they¡¯d decided to break them, they wouldn¡¯t have done it this way. ¡®Even if they shot a gun and hit the target, then visited the hospital to bash it twice with a hammer, they wouldn¡¯t hand-pick only the orbs to crush.¡¯ If they were going to destroy it, they¡¯d go all the way up and leave no trace, like the lower half of a mannequin. If they wanted to make him permanently impotent, they would¡¯ve turned him into something like a mannequin, leaving no trace behind. Nut Crasher? They¡¯d repay him in full. They¡¯re trying to leave a message, since he was going to die anyway? Not sure. [So, the culprit is¡­] [Don¡¯t joke around.] [Caught me.] [Do you know who it is?] [Yeah.] It¡¯s definitely a woman. [What¡¯s the evidence?] [The wound.] It¡¯s not about where it was crushed. It¡¯s about how it was crushed. [Judging by the type of wound, the culprit is-] creak. The door to the morgue opened. Chapter 325 Chapter 325 After receiving approval from the Chief for the project in Jeju Ind. I headed out into the midnight streets with Hyeon Se-rin to gather information about the fake Goblin. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like we can go up to Jongno District, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. The ce is packed with people.¡± Even if this world¡¯s Seoul had fallen, even if it had be a city with barely 5 million people after the capital¡¯s reversal, it was still a ce where a lot of people lived. In such a ce, if no one else but the Goblin appeared? Of course, people would gather like moths to a me. ¡°Hello, this is Lee Ki-woo from Wooki TV! Today, it seems a Goblin has appeared¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, the scene is bustling with Seoul citizens and people from all over the country. The Hero Alliance is currently¡­.¡±The ce was filled with cyber wreckers, the Hero Alliance, reporters, and, above all, a mass of Seoul citizens. There were so many people upying the road that even the vehicles that needed to enter for scene preservation couldn¡¯t easily get through. ¡°Ah, move out of the way¡ª!!¡± A sharp, irritated scream echoed. At the overpowering sound, suddenly everyone¡¯s electronic devices lost signal for a moment, and all eyes turned to the person who caused the noise. ¡°Thunder Emperor¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯re from the Hero Alliance! For the investigation, citizens, please cooperate!¡± Standing on top of the SUV, marked with the Hero Alliance¡¯s logo, holding a red megaphone and shouting with a scowl, was none other than the S-ss hero, Thunder Emperor Kim Yun-ji. ¡°Oh my, Yun-ji¡¯s here?¡± With a weing expression but cold eyes, Hyeon Se-rin looked at Kim Yun-ji while draping her arm over my shoulder. ¡°What brings such a great S-ss hero all the way to Seoul? Hmm?¡± ¡°Well, since the A-ss hero in charge of the southern part of Gyeonggi-do died as a viin, they probably sent her here temporarily to settle things.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Even though he was executed, when you thought about it, it was a national disgrace. An A-ss hero, who wasn¡¯t just a regr hero but the representative in charge of a region, was actually a malicious viin who went around destroying men¡¯s privates? Compared to the A-ss marine instructor in Thand boosting national prestige by teaching Korean Marine education to young athletes, this wasn¡¯t just tarnishing the country¡¯s image; it was smearing it with filth. Of course, public order was shaken, and people couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. With heroes acting like viins, it¡¯s no wonder the citizens were terrified. To calm things down, obviously, someone greater than an A-ss hero, an S-ss, was needed. Kim Yun-jiing to Seoul wasn¡¯t that strange. It¡¯s just that, for Hyeon Se-rin, who came to Seoul with me, this wasn¡¯t exactly a wee encounter. ¡°Hmph¡­ As if it wasn¡¯t annoying enough that someone who steals other people¡¯s stuff came to Seoul. Guess we¡¯ll have to be more careful with the signals.¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have any problems with ours, right?¡± ¡°Still, we need to be cautious. Not being caught might make us stand out even more.¡± ¡°True.¡± If there was a dry spot on a wet canvas, naturally, that spot would stand out. Thunder Emperor just unleashed an EMP with her power, as if to dere herself one of the most influential beings in modern society. ¡®Just as troublesome as Taejo.¡¯ The one who manipted metal. The one who controlled electricity. In today¡¯s modern age, the ability to manipte metal and electricity freely was an enormous advantage. Unlike Taejo, who could turn hundreds of tons of gold into a golden train or wielded simr physical power, Thunder Emperor could destroy every electrically powered system, which was incredibly powerful. ¡°If you don¡¯t cooperate and clear the way, I¡¯ll drain the batteries of all your Taeguk Watches and smartphones!¡± Though she¡¯s a hero, she made a threat nastier than any viin¡¯s, causing the people to grimace as they reluctantly stepped back, allowing the Hero Alliance¡¯s vehicles to finally make their way through. ¡°Still as prickly as ever, that personality. Director Do, what do you think of a woman like that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make a judgment without knowing someone like her, but she doesn¡¯t leave a positive impression.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not just bad-mouthing her because I dislike her, right?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s an objective opinion.¡± I ced my hand on Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s shoulder and gave her aforting pat. ¡°If she¡¯s a hero, she should kindly exin things to people and ask them to move voluntarily. Using powers to threaten civilians isn¡¯t right.¡± Though she was called an S-ss hero, in reality, she was closer to an S-ss ability user. The only reason she was called a hero is probably that she¡¯s not a viin. An S-ss fixer employed by the Hero Alliance. That¡¯s the best way to summarize Kim Yun-ji¡¯s role. ¡°How about we slip through the crowd and sneak in? We still need to investigate, right?¡± ¡°There are too many people for a proper investigation. Even if we tried using astral projection¡­.¡± ¡°Rather than getting caught by Thunder Emperor, we should investigate somewhere else, right?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a better idea.¡± I handed my smartphone to Hyeon Se-rin. ¡°Investigating the scene is important, but after that, we need to check the bodies, don¡¯t we?¡± Just like in every crime scene investigation drama. ¡°Seoul Haegneul General Hospital.¡±
¡°Ugh, I really hate this.¡± Thunder Emperor, Kim Yun-ji, jumped over the restricted area tape and shook her head at the bloodstains covering the scene. ¡°Detective, what do you think? As a man, seeing what was done to another man.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a position to say much, but as a man, I think he deserved it.¡± The man in the gray coat, Detective Park, who had crossed the restricted area tape alongside Kim Yun-ji, scribbled on his smartphone with a stylus as he responded to Thunder Emperor¡¯s question. ¡°Even if he was, you know, impotent, and even if his favorite idol had a scandal, how could he do something like that?¡± ¡°Scandal¡­ Well, considering the whole idol group was involved, it must¡¯ve been quite a shock.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m not one to speak on such matters, but as someone old enough to be your father, let me offer some advice, Thunder Emperor. Be careful of romance scandals.¡± Detective Park scratched his head as he scanned the nearby alleys. ¡°If rumors spread about Thunder Emperor getting married or seeing a man, there¡¯ll be plenty of guys jumping off bridges.¡± ¡°¡­What am I supposed to do, y along with this? People are going on about patriotism. Should I make a public announcement like ¡®I¡¯d like to meet this man,¡¯ instead of being caught in some sudden photo?¡± ¡°That might actually be better. Otherwise, we might end up with someone going dark like Nut Crusher.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Thunder Emperor twisted her lips and rubbed her fingers together. ¡°People like that, going dark on their own¡­ Ha, never mind. Let¡¯s just get on with the investigation.¡± Thunder Emperor stood in front of the white sticker and raised her hand high. ¡°So, this is where the Goblin executed Nut Crusher, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Like this.¡± Thunder Emperor created a blue mana orb in her hand, ced it on the ground, and stomped on it, crushing it. ¡°Ahem.¡± Those investigating the scene instinctively shrank back at the action. Detective Park gulped nervously, but Thunder Emperor went ahead and stomped on the second orb, shattering it too. ¡°If someone of the Goblin¡¯s caliber was involved, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to take down even an A-ss viin¡­ But something seems off.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®off¡¯?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s hard to exin.¡± Thunder Emperor used her foot to sweep the remnants of the two shattered orbs and continued to tilt her head in thought. ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s vague. If you think of anything, let us know. Us old-timers aren¡¯t great at finding evidence in ability crimes.¡± ¡°Got it. Hmm¡­¡± Thunder Emperor remained standing where the Goblin had been, lost in thought for a long time. ¡°¡­¡­¡± She stared intently at the blood-spattered asphalt, deep in contemtion, like an egg that had just been cracked open.
We arrived at the hospital. The ce was already crowded, with men in ck suits blocking the way and controlling the entrance to keep outsiders out. [This is easy.] Hyeon Se-rin and I used astral projection to slip past the Hero Alliance agents unnoticed. No one had any idea we were there. [Where is it?] [Basement.] Based on the information we gathered through Brewer, I located where the body was being kept. We couldn¡¯t use the elevator, so we took the emergency stairs down to the basement, where we found ck-suited agents standing at the end of a dark hallway. ¡®Excuse me.¡¯ We passed through the wall and entered the room. Though it cost some mana, it was worth the expenditure. In the middle of what looked like a surgery room, a white coffin was ced. The coffin bore the symbol of Haegneul, and inside ity Nut Crusher, dressed in white burial robes, his eyes closed. [Haegneul¡¯s funeral service is impressive. Even for an A-ss viin, they treat him like a client.] [They¡¯d getints if they didn¡¯t provide the service. Plus, I heard Haegneul sponsors businesses. They couldn¡¯t just let him go without something.] They probably donated hundreds of billions for an A-ss hero, and now he dies as a viin? [They¡¯ll try to squeeze everyst penny out, even if they have to sue the deceased or their family to get the money back.] [Big corporations are even worse.] [That¡¯s the Korean style.] That¡¯s Haegneul¡¯s story. [Alright, let¡¯s check. Hyeon Se-rin, you don¡¯t need to watch.] I materialized only my hand and lifted the burial robe. And confirmed it. [How is it?] [It¡¯s there.] What shouldn¡¯t have been there was gone, but something else remained. [The rod is intact, only the orbs were crushed.] Whoever the fake was, I didn¡¯t know. The Goblin wouldn¡¯t do such a thing! I wanted to ry fan Yoon Mo¡¯s cry to the fake. He¡¯d just smash the head or break everything to pieces! That¡¯s right. The fake specifically crushed only the ¡®orbs¡¯. [The culprit is a woman.] A man wouldn¡¯t mess with another man¡¯s parts. But if they¡¯d decided to break them, they wouldn¡¯t have done it this way. ¡®Even if they shot a gun and hit the target, then visited the hospital to bash it twice with a hammer, they wouldn¡¯t hand-pick only the orbs to crush.¡¯ If they were going to destroy it, they¡¯d go all the way up and leave no trace, like the lower half of a mannequin. If they wanted to make him permanently impotent, they would¡¯ve turned him into something like a mannequin, leaving no trace behind. Nut Crasher? They¡¯d repay him in full. They¡¯re trying to leave a message, since he was going to die anyway? Not sure. [So, the culprit is¡­] [Don¡¯t joke around.] [Caught me.] [Do you know who it is?] [Yeah.] It¡¯s definitely a woman. [What¡¯s the evidence?] [The wound.] It¡¯s not about where it was crushed. It¡¯s about how it was crushed. [Judging by the type of wound, the culprit is-] creak. The door to the morgue opened. Chapter 326 Chapter 326 When an ability user died, their corpse was managed more strictly than anything else. In this sentence, various words could be inserted in ce of ¡®anything.¡¯ The most representative example would be the word ¡®resource.¡¯ An ability user had died. If the deceased ability user was not a hero but a viin, especially one who pretended to be a hero, gave people hope, and then was revealed to be a viin, bringing despair to them. Something must be done anew with this viin¡¯s death to avoid resentment. So, whether they were a viin or anyone else, the corpse of an ability user was considered the most important ¡®resource¡¯ managed by the Hero Association. Even if it was just a corpse. But.¡°Tsk tsk. Coming up to Seoul after such a long time only to see a corpse.¡± Hyeon Se-rin and I exchanged nces as we looked at the people who entered the morgue. It¡¯s someone we knew. There¡¯s no one in South Korea who didn¡¯t know this man. Choi Ho-jung. Chairman of Haegneul, one of the leading groups in Korea. Even though he was well past sixty, he still looked as fit as a man in his forties, regardless of what kind of delicious things he had been eating. ¡°You bastard.¡± That man was cursing at the corpse of the deceased ability user. Even though it was wrong to insult a corpse, no matter how dead they were. ¡°After pocketing 50 billion won, all you do is act like a viin? Rotten scum. Do you think I gave you that expensive sponsorship money for that¡­.¡± Considering the economic losses to Haegneul and the nation caused by Nuts Crusher¡¯s viinous actions, and what would happen in the future, it¡¯s probably natural for this man to curse. ¡°What¡¯s the family¡¯s reaction?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t even want toe up to Seoul.¡± ¡°What about insurance?¡± ¡°No human could have the face to ask for death insurance, could they?¡± ¡°Of course. Even if they get the insurance, they¡¯ll get sued by the families of the people their child killed. Tsk tsk¡­.¡± For Chairman Choi Ho-jung, everything boiled down to money. ¡°Did you already pull this guy¡¯s ads and rece them with something else?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Our group¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°Just remove them entirely. For at least a week. Let¡¯s not run anything before or after the news or dramas for about a week either. Damn¡­.¡± ¡°But that will cause massive losses¡­.¡± ¡°Do you want those losses, or do you want to stand in front of the cameras and read an apology?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± The other middle-aged man who came in with Chairman Choi Ho-jung cleared his throat and turned away. ¡°Anyway¡­.¡± While the chairman¡¯s group was discussing the economic losses, I checked the condition of the group that came in with Hyeon Se-rin. There were no ability users. So, no one here would be too sensitive if we talked about things using mana. [There¡¯s nothing to worry about right now, right?] [Yeah. Even if someone catches us, it wouldn¡¯t be strange. We have an excuse.] An excuse. The fact that Goblin and Doul were present in this morgue. It was the same reason that S-ss ability user Raijie bothered toe up to Seoul. The corpse of an A-ss ability user. The corpse of a viin. A resource. ¡°So, the head of the Hero Association¡¯s Seoul Branch?¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Chairman!¡± A middle-aged woman with a stern face stepped up behind Chairman Choi Ho-jung. ¡°How does the government n to handle this viin?¡± ¡°We will follow the wishes of the bereaved family, ording to the guidelines¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that flowery talk.¡± ¡°¡­The President is more concerned about public order and peace in southern Gyeonggi Province after the loss of Nuts Crasher than about the body itself. He doesn¡¯t want any trouble arising from the corpse issue.¡± ¡°That makes sense. So, we¡¯ll handle it ¡®as usual,¡¯ right?¡± The chairman gave a sly smile. His eyes on the corpse didn¡¯t see it as a dead person but more like the body of a cow electrocuted by lightning. ¡°It¡¯s not like he died fighting a demon or a viin. He was just a scumbag who tormented the weak and got his head smashed in by Goblin. If we quietly bury a body like his, it would cause even more problems, right?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. People from China or Japan will surelye to dig up the corpse. Viins might do the same. Even Goblin¡­.¡± ¡°You fool. If Goblin wanted to suck the life out of an ability user¡¯s corpse, he would have done it right then and there. Why would he leave the body behind? If Goblin had dismembered and drained the corpse, it wouldn¡¯t be Goblin but something disguised as Goblin. Tsk tsk. Anyway, it¡¯s best if this corpse disappears quickly.¡± As if making excuses, the chairman started toe up with a reason. ¡°And the body of a viin like this is best used as fertilizer for the national economy, isn¡¯t it?¡± He smirked. ¡°As per the manual, Haegneul Sangjo will cremate the viin¡¯s body.¡± Cremation. Burning the body to ash. The reason is obvious: to extract the most important resource from an ability user¡¯s corpse. ¡°Report as soon as the mana powder refinement process isplete. The morticians areing up from Busan to Seoul now, so start the ¡®dissection¡¯ as soon as they arrive.¡± The corpse might look human, but it¡¯s not human. ¡°Cut this part, and cut that part. Make sure not to spill even a single cartge.¡± It was a resource more valuable than gold. ¡°If it¡¯s the corpse of an A-ss ability user, it should be worth at least hundreds of billions. Tsk, if only he hadn¡¯t been executed¡­ We could have sold it for trillions.¡± Chairman Choi smacked his lips. ¡°Of all people, he had to die at the hands of Goblin.¡±
We safely left the morgue and took a short break in an alley not far from the hospital. ¡°It¡¯s a world gone mad, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Yeah. Haegneul never seems to change.¡± Hyeon Se-rin and I sipped on drinks from a vending machine while reflecting on the conversation that had taken ce in the morgue. ¡°Do Chief. Do you know the real reason I joined the Secret Society?¡± ¡°Because they brought you back from the dead?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it, but the bigger reason I threw my second life into serving the Society?¡± ¡°The dignified death of an ability user.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Hyeon Se-rin snapped her fingers and smiled faintly. ¡°When an E-ss ability user dies, turning that body into mana powder alone would fetch tens of billions. Tens of billions! If you move it around discreetly, using brokers here and there, it could easily exceed hundreds of billions.¡± Mana powder was essentially a doping agent for ability users. To put it bluntly, it was a drug. Creating drug powder was illegal, but if someone extracted drugs from a dead body, it¡¯s the government¡¯s job to handle the corpse before that happened. However, no country easily ¡®erased¡¯ the body of an ability user. ¡°When I was in Northern Europe, well, I won¡¯t say where exactly. I don¡¯t want to shatter your illusions, Chief.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve been breaking illusions since the moment I opened my eyes in this world.¡± ¡°Hmm. d to hear that. Anyway, over there¡­ when an ability user dies, the state turns them into mana powder and makes other ability users inhale it.¡± As if just thinking about it disgusted her, Hyeon Se-rin crushed the empty drink can in her hand. ¡°I understand it. To be stronger, weak nations will do anything. It makes more sense to focus resources on one A-ss ability user rather than having a pile of C and D-ss corpses. It¡¯s logical.¡± Logically. ¡°But does it really have to be that way? Huh? Ability users are people too. Can¡¯t they just be buried somewhere peacefully when they die? Can¡¯t they even have rest after death? Sigh, really.¡± ¡°Is that why you joined the Society?¡± ¡°Yeah. The Society¡­ at least they don¡¯t turn ability users into mana powder when they die.¡± Strictly speaking, they did turn them into mana powder. But instead of turning them into strange candy to be consumed like others, the cremated remains were ced somewhere no one could exploit them, or if the person permitted it, they were erased from the world entirely. The Society ensured that no one could recklessly desecrate the corpse of an ability user, or any human for that matter. ¡°Chief, if you had been the one to execute Nuts Crusher, what would you have done with the body?¡± ¡°I would have left it as it was.¡± ¡°Right? There¡¯s no point in turning the ones you execute into mana powder.¡± Those executed by Goblin left no mana behind, even if their bones were ground into powder and inhaled. The mana had already drained away. Unless it¡¯s right after the execution, the mana in the bodies I executed didn¡¯t remain in the bones; it returned to nature. ¡°That reminds me. When you went after Red Scarf, but the government¡¯s dogs got to him first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± That was probably when I handed over the bike to Baek Seol-hee. That was several months ago. ¡°Today, they¡¯ll probably start the dissection process. They¡¯ll try to extract the mana powder as quickly as possible before any more leaks out.¡± Then. Even if the person was executed by Goblin. If they extracted the mana before all of it leaked out? If they tried to salvage whatever mana remains? ¡°Really, why are people so desperate to cling to even the ashes of the dead?¡± ¡°If another method arises, things might change a little.¡± If there was something else besides mana powder, fewer people would bother with it. It was impossible to get rid of it entirely, though. ¡°Someone once said, human greed has no end, and we keep repeating the same mistakes.¡± ¡°The second part doesn¡¯t quite fit the situation¡­ or maybe it does.¡± Hyeon Se-rin raised her hand to her face and used her power to create a mask. ¡°Really, do they want to be that strong?¡± ¡°Their mentality is that as long as they win, nothing else matters.¡± I too pulled down my mask and gripped the Goblin Bat tightly. [A-ss ability user¡¯s corpse. And a viin at that. There¡¯s no way scavengers will leave it alone.] Presently. [They¡¯reing.] Unknown magical powers were converging on Seoul¡¯s Haegneul General Hospital. [Time to clean up the maggots gathering around the corpse.] Chapter 327: Imitation (5) No need to overthink it. Mana powder was a drug, and there was approximately 10 kg of it in the middle of Seoul. This drug not only brought extreme pleasure to ability users but also enhanced their mana. Weren¡¯t you not supposed to touch a corpse? The state was strictly managing it and keeping guard, and it reached S-rank, so would it be possible to secretly stash it? Those who thought like that didn¡¯te here. And even if they did, those who thought, ¡°If it seeds, it¡¯ll be a jackpot,¡± rushed over here. Bang. A small gunshot rang out.A bullet fired from a silenced pistol lodged into the forehead of a man sneaking into the alley. ¡°Guh-huh.¡± The man wearing a baseball cap copsed to the side. Though he sprawled alone in the alley, hispanion quickly fled backward. [Where do you think you¡¯re going?] I immediately sprinted forward and swung my goblin bat at the back of the fleeing man¡¯s head. Smack! The sound of my blow hitting the back of his head was louder than the gunshot, but aside from these two men, there was no one else around. [Did you kill him?] [No way. I held back.] Even though they were D-rank and scavengers trying to dig up corpses, I didn¡¯t kill recklessly. [He¡¯ll probably feel like he¡¯s dying when he wakes up with a headache, though.] I tossed the man who had been shot in the forehead by Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s bullet next to the other man, and then I ced them both against the streetlight post and tapped my bat on the ground. [We¡¯ll figure out the restter.] After tying the two men to the streetlight post with ck rope generated by my goblin bat, I dashed in the direction Hyeon Se-rin pointed, running up the wall of a four-story apartment building. [Hey, do you always have to run up the wall like that?] [I need my hands free for weapons.] [You can just grab a pipe or railing to climb.] [Even if I had to put my hands in my pockets, I¡¯d still run up buildings using just my feet. It¡¯s a matter of style.] [Isn¡¯t that just showing off?] [It¡¯s not.] It¡¯s simply a skill. [You¡¯re even moving around like me now.] [¡­Well, I admit it looks cool.] Hyeon Se-rin leaped forward. I matched her pace as we jumped from rooftop to rooftop. We didn¡¯t roll with any acrobatics. As if nothing was an obstacle, we darted from building to building, searching for the ¡°flies.¡± [There¡¯s another one over there.] [Is it just one? I¡¯ll handle it.] Hyeon Se-rin immediatelyunched herself to the side. Swish! Like a bullet, Hyeon Se-rin kicked off the air and swiftly closed in on the woman in the trench coat, striking the back of her neck before she could react. ¡°Guhk.¡± The woman copsed. Unlike the others we¡¯d dealt with before, I could sense B-rank mana emanating from her. [Didn¡¯t I tell youst time? Striking someone¡¯s neck like that won¡¯t knock them out.] [It¡¯s my special skill.] [If it¡¯s a skill, there¡¯s nothing I can say. But¡­ tying her up might be tricky.] I checked the condition of the woman Hyeon Se-rin had knocked out. Since she hadn¡¯t used up any mana, she¡¯d definitely regain full use of it when she woke up. Using B-rank restraints on a B-rank was a waste. So there was another way to deal with this. [Wow, what a scummy viin you are.] [If I can¡¯t restrain her with magic, I¡¯ll use society¡¯s norms. At least I kept some decency.] I ripped the woman¡¯s clothes off, leaving her only in her underwear, and pushed her into a corner where no one could see. [She¡¯s an adult. She should take responsibility for her actions.] I checked the wallet inside her trench coat and tossed it behind her back. [She¡¯s a woman who spends all her B-rank earnings on drugs. No sympathy necessary.] [You really can¡¯t be a hero, can you?] [I wouldn¡¯t have walked the viin¡¯s path if I wanted to be a hero.] I tapped the smartwatch on my wrist. It wasn¡¯t a regr Taeguk Watch. This was a special item made just for me, immune to the satellites up in the sky. If I had to name it, I¡¯d call it the ¡°Secret Watch.¡± [There are still a lot of worms out there. Some are even trying to grab Nut Crusher¡¯s corpse to suck thest bit of mana out of it.] ¡°This looks like a case for a viin report.¡± Someone appeared atop the wall. ¡°A man and a woman chatting after undressing a woman? Ha, this is rich.¡± [Are you going to report us?] ¡°Well¡­¡± Bang. ¡°If I tried, I¡¯d be dead before the report goes through. That lovelydy there has a gun to my head. How could I report?¡± [Don¡¯t call her ¡®lovelydy.¡¯] ¡°What, she¡¯s not? Didn¡¯t you use to let it slide?¡± [I¡¯ll let this one slide, but just call her my lover, not ¡®lovelydy.¡¯] ¡°You¡¯ve got some weird new concept going, but fine, it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± Wearing a loose, flowing white robe that swayed like a shaman¡¯s, the figure looked like a medium or fortune teller. [What are you doing here? Are you trying to act like a worm too?] ¡°That¡¯s what I should be asking you.¡± A sly grin spread across her face. ¡°Aren¡¯t we pros at stepping up for national interests?¡± When the fortune teller took off her mask, the face of a rather young girl was revealed. ¡°Countries all over are ying tricks to steal the corpse, so are you saying the Secret Society is nning to smuggle out Korean resources?¡± At that time, Ganghwa Ind, Incheon. Ssh, ssh. On the northern side of the ind, a group of people in diving suits emerged from the water with small sshing sounds. Wearing diving suits that covered them head to toe, they each had a single oxygen tank strapped to their backs and began approaching a copsed hut near the beach as they started to remove their suits one by one. ¡°Ugh, this is so annoying. We used to be able to just enter through Incheon Port.¡± ¡°Stop talking about the past. Things could get even worseter on.¡± The people who had taken off their diving suits were young Asian men. Although they were speaking Korean, their appearance didn¡¯t quite match, making it hard to say they were Korean just by looks. ¡°If it gets worse, where do we go?¡± ¡°Daedong River.¡± ¡°Daedong River instead of Nakdong River? Damn, it¡¯s tough enough crossing the sea, and now we have to run from Pyongyang to Seoul? Jeez.¡± ¡°Watch your mouth.¡± One of the men, nowpletely naked after removing his diving suit, pulled out a stic bag attached to the back of his suit. ¡°Get dressed.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± The young men all changed into clothes from the stic bag. Since they were already wearing shoes inside their diving suits, they dressed themselves in underwear, thin shirts, and dress pants pulled from the bag, making them look presentable at the very least. ¡°Our target is at Haegneul General Hospital in Seoul. The target is in the basement. Even if we can¡¯t get everything, getting just a single rib would count as a sess.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going for sess, why not aim big? Human bones barely weigh 40kg even if you take them all out, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Human bones don¡¯t weigh 40kg. Even if you take them all out, it¡¯s not that much.¡± ¡°¡­Have you actually taken them out before?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± The man, who seemed to be the leader, gathered the diving suits into one ce and extended his hand towards them. Rustle. The ground under the diving suits sank, creating arge pit, and soon the pile of dirt that had built up around the hole copsed, burying the suits underground. It was an obvious manifestation of superpowers. Naturally, these people were ability users. ¡°Listen up. If we seed, it¡¯s A-rank, but if we fail, we¡¯re headed to South America.¡± ¡°And what if we run into Goblin?¡± ¡°Goblin wouldn¡¯t kill people just for trying to steal viin mana powder.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it possible the execution standards have gotten stricter or something? Heh heh.¡± ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°¡­Of course not.¡± The young men strapped smartwatches to their wrists and looked southeast. ¡°If we seed, we could be someone like Cheonma, and if we fail, the Party will probably bail us out after a few months in prison.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­As long as we don¡¯t die.¡± The young men put on ck masks and headed toward the nearby vige. ¡°Remember. Remember.¡± ¡°No Chinese.¡± Three sedans were parked near the te-roofed house, an unusual sight for the countryside. The young men approached the cars and opened the doors. ¡°Huh? Boss, this one¡¯s locked.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not the prepared vehicle.¡± ¡°Oh. Damn¡­ not a fan of sedans.¡± ¡°Quit whining and get in.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The young men got into the cars and naturally started the engines. And the cars began driving southeast, towards the end of Ganghwa Ind. ¡°Ah, this is Seong Dogong. Seong Dogong here. Please respond.¡± [You¡¯rete. Get to Seoul as fast as possible. The festival has already started.] ¡°A festival, you say¡­ wait.¡± Screech. As they were crossing a bridge off the ind, the group stopped the car and looked at a figure standing on the bridge. ¡°¡­What is that?¡± There, on the bridge. A shadowy figure stood. Upon closer inspection, they could see it holding something that looked like a de or a piece of metal in its hand. ¡°What is that, exactly¡­? A Grim Reaper¡­?¡± Step, step. The figure, with a ck robe fluttering like that of a Grim Reaper, walked toward the car, gripping a sharp dagger. ¡°Are you guys here for the A-rank mana powder too?¡± ¡°This voice¡­¡± As the voice echoed¡ª Slice. The de shed through the car, cutting it in half. ¡°Damn, get out!¡± The young men leaped out of the car, clenching their fists and preparing for battle. ¡°Why is that guy here¡­!¡± ¡°Viin or not, that belongs to Korea.¡± The Grim Reaper-like figure walked out from the shadows into the light cast by the headlights and said, ¡°I won¡¯t let you hand it over to the Chinese.¡± The man had dark skin. ¡°Damn it, why is a ck guy¡ª¡± ¡°A ck guy?¡± Slice. ¡°No.¡± Red blood sttered onto the man¡¯s ck skin. ¡°Even if Nut Crusher was a viin, he¡¯s still Korea¡¯s viin.¡± ¡°And since foreign countries are eyeing the corpse, we have no choice but to step in.¡± ¡°Yeah, we have to handle this.¡± The girl spread her arms to the sides, brought her hands together, and bowed. ¡°I, Seon Mudang of Hwalbindang, am requesting a temporary alliance with the Secret Society¡¯s Goblin and Doul.¡± Seon Mudang, the girl, pointed toward the sky. ¡°First and foremost, we must prevent the corpse from being taken out of the country, right?¡± Chapter 328: Imitation (6) There was an organization called Hwalbindang. There was no need to go into too much detail about this group; it could be summed up in one line: Thergest viin organization in Korea. Outwardly, they advocate for justice, iming to steal from the wicked and distribute wealth to the poor. Their most concrete action was preventing the outflow of Korea¡¯s resources to foreign countries. Whether it was people, wealth, abilities, or information, Hwalbindang worked to prevent anything from leaving the country. Even the corpses of A-ss ability users. The ones who made this possible were the executives of Hwalbindang¡ªthe 3 Leaders. One of them was right before us, the S-ss viin, [Seonmudang].[Form an alliance?] ¡°Yeah. Even the Secret Society must be troubled. You¡¯ve started something big, and now people keep trying to get their hands on the corpses.¡± [You¡¯re suggesting we handle the ones after the Mana Powder together?] ¡°Of course. You¡¯ll cooperate, right?¡± Seonmudang reached out toward me. Her small hand stretched forward from under the white cloth, and the face of this ck-haired girl was filled with unwavering conviction. [Indeed, it seems that not only Korean but even foreign ability users are scrambling to lick corpses.] She was confident we would cooperate. [However, I refuse.] ¡°Huh¡­?¡± [We will act on our own. There¡¯s no reason to cooperate.] ¡°What? You caused this mess, and now you¡¯re telling us to clean it up?¡± Seonmudang, looking at me in disbelief, turned her gaze to Hyeon Se-rin. ¡°Sister, is this right?¡± [¡­Hmm. Hold on, strategy time. That¡¯s fine, right?] ¡°You don¡¯t get long. One minute.¡± Seonmudang puffed her cheeks and stepped back. I immediately turned to Hyeon Se-rin, and we exchanged mana while holding hands. -She seems to be misunderstanding something. -Seonmudang has the reputation of a killer, and she¡¯s acting just like it. -We only have a minute. Let¡¯s get to the point. -Hwalbindang believes that the Goblin is real. Hyeon Se-rin, is it in our interest to reveal this information now? -If it were someone else, we should keep it hidden. But with her, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s reveal it. We reached an agreement. I released Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s hand, and Seonmudang¡¯s expression, which had been ring at me, softened for a moment. [Before we proceed, let me confirm one thing. Who do you think killed the Nut Crusher?] ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you?¡± [What if it wasn¡¯t?] ¡°¡­The news said it was you.¡± Seonmudang tilted her head. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, then who could disappear like that?¡± [It was probably someone with a simr ability.] ¡°Someone skilled enough to take down an A-ss? But we¡¯re talking about an S-ss viin.¡± [There could be someone who developed such an ability. Now, you.] I pointed my finger at Seonmudang. [You¡¯re awfully rude for someone so young to be speaking informally.] ¡°Wow, look at the Goblin acting all old-fashioned, like some Confucian patriarch.¡± [You think this is being old-fashioned?] [We¡¯re not in a position to be polite to each other. Leave this to me.] Hyeon Se-rin put her hand on my shoulder and stepped forward. [Yu-jeong, I can vouch for him. It wasn¡¯t him.] ¡°Hmm¡­¡± [We¡¯re here to find the real culprit too. In the meantime, we were handling the ones trying to steal Mana Powder.] Hyeon Se-rin spoke warmly to Seonmudang¡ªNam Yu-jeong. It had to be that way. Though both were S-ss viins, they were once S-ss heroes who fought side by side in Korea. Hyeon Se-rin chose exile, while Nam Yu-jeong chose to join Hwalbindang. And until then, they had been very close friends. Close enough not to reveal each other¡¯s true identities to their organizations. ¡°If you¡¯re saying that much, I¡¯ll trust you. But even so, foreigners are stilling here to steal corpses. Will you help us?¡± [You¡¯re speaking to mepletely differently than you did to Doul.] ¡°So what if I am?¡± [¡­] Though she acknowledged the formality, the atmosphere remained awkward. Was this the attitude of an active Korean high school girl? [Fine. The important thing is that I¡¯m the Goblin, and you¡¯re Seonmudang. What is Hwalbindang¡¯s goal? To secure Nut Crasher¡¯s corpse?] ¡°No. Our goal is to eliminate those trying to steal the corpse. If someone tries to take the body, it means they want to use it for evil purposes.¡± [I see. So Hwalbindang¡¯s stance remains the same. Understood.] The reasons Hwalbindang got involved: First, to prevent the outflow of resources abroad. Second, to stop the exploitation of corpses by the so-called ¡®higher-ups,¡¯ or to carry out their justice. ¡®Theirmitment to their ideology is admirable.¡¯ If they were just viins seeking personal gain and causing chaos, the Secret Society would have already stepped in and destroyed Hwalbindang. However, at least for the executives, their leader aimed to walk a path that, while different from the Secret Society¡¯s, was simr in nature. The kind of people who would call Hong Gil-dong or Im Ggeokjeong viins deserving of death were likely corrupt officials who had their wealth stolen through ill-gotten gains. [If that¡¯s really the only reason, there¡¯s no need for the Secret Society to treat them as enemies.] ¡°So, are you going to cooperate?¡± [No. We won¡¯t cooperate.] I stepped back, and Hyeon Se-rin also stood beside me with a bitter smile. ¡°Sister?¡± [Sorry, but I¡¯m with the Secret Society. I can¡¯t align with your ideology.] ¡°Sister, we¡¯re not bad people¡ª¡± [You¡¯re letting Koreans pass through, right?] Seonmudang¡¯s expression shifted from that of a rejected puppy to one full of mischief. [Foreigners can¡¯t steal Korea¡¯s resources, but if Koreans steal Korean resources, that¡¯s a different story.] [Why are you smiling so meaningfully? Am I wrong?] ¡°No, I just realized the Secret Society operates on a global scale.¡± As Seonmudang raised her hand to her face, a ¡®mask¡¯ covered her features. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with Koreans using Korea¡¯s resources, right?¡± [¡­¡­.] Hwalbindang was an organization that the Secret Society had no immediate ns to interfere with, but they saw it as a necessary evil that would need to be uprooted one day. It was a necessary evil. ¡°If we don¡¯t stop them, there will be people trying to smuggle corpses abroad, and then we¡¯ll lose national resources.¡± [Do you trust the government? What if they misuse Nut Crusher¡¯s corpse?] ¡°Could they? With Hwalbindang around? With us here, how could they dare to secretly steal the body? If they did¡­they¡¯d be punished. For sure.¡± Considering that their presence at least kept corruption in Korea somewhat in check, they were difficult to eliminate right away. The same went for Haegneul. Haegneul and Hwalbindang. Both were ultimately doing their best for ¡°Korea¡¯s benefit,¡± so in this nationalist worldview, touching or dismantling them would cause quite a bacsh. We had to acknowledge that having Hwalbindang meant there were fewer traitors selling out the country. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that you won¡¯t cooperate. So, what¡¯s next? Are we going to fight?¡± [There¡¯s no reason to waste energy fighting you. Doul feels the same.] [Yeah, and you wouldn¡¯t win against me and the Goblin anyway.] She came here to cooperate because she knew she couldn¡¯t win. If things went south, she might have to fight that woman over there. Crackle. Blue lightning flickered in the dark night sky. Hyeon Se-rin and I turned our gaze toward the rooftop of Haegneul General Hospital, where the lightning struck. [Is it starting?] ¡°Tch¡­!¡± Seonmudang kicked off the ground. As if trying to get away from the hospital¡¯s vicinity, she quickly fled the area. [She¡¯s quick to run. Well, that¡¯s probably why she hasn¡¯t been caught yet.] [What? Are you disappointed that she¡¯s the same S-ss viin as you?] [I¡¯m too old and beyond that kind of disappointment.] [Really? I thought you hated being grouped with other S-sses.] [Even if she¡¯s an S-minus-minus ss, S-ss is still S-ss.] Seonmudang was considered S-ss because she received that title before Taejo evaluated her. In terms of actualbat power, she might be at the lowest level of S-ss, but she sure ran like a typical K-high school girl rushing to get in line for lunch. Crackle. Dark clouds began to gather over Haegneul General Hospital. With one arm around Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s waist, I raised the Goblin Bat high into the air with my other hand. [The smart thing to do when facing a real S-ss attack is to avoid it if you don¡¯t think you¡¯re S-ss.] As I infused a bit of magical power into the tip of the Goblin Bat¡­ sh! Suddenly, countless bolts of lightning began to rain down from the sky in every direction. BOOOOM Blue lightning crashed down in multiple ces. Between the roads stretching from the hospital, and through the gaps between buildings, the bolts struck. Aaaaaah¨D¨D!! Ugggggh!! With every lightning strike, painful screams echoed. Those who took the lightning directly to the crown of their heads would be electrocuted and fall to the ground. On the rooftop of Haegneul General Hospital. As he adjusted his long, dark blue hair, which shimmered in the electric light, the Thunder Emperor reached out to the sky once again. ¡°These druggies really have no sense of fear.¡± Crackle. The moment the lightning shed again, the sound of people copsing could be heard from all directions. ¡°¡­They won¡¯te to their senses until lightning burns their scalps down to the roots. Tsk.¡± The Thunder Emperor rubbed the back of his neck and turned his head. The ce where the lightning struck. A man in a suit, holding a white-haired woman in his arms, with a ck bat raised toward the sky. The face was clearly that of a Goblin mask. ¡°Tch.¡± The Thunder Emperor smirked as he eyed the electric charge gathering at the end of the Goblin¡¯s bat. KABO With an irritated flick of his hand, he summoned a massive bolt of lightning. But the direction was¡­ Aaaaaaaaah!! Kuh, Haaah!! ¡­in the opposite direction of the Goblin. Chapter 329: Imitation (7) At that moment, in the Hero Association Office in Busan¡ª ¡°That¡¯s the dignity of an S-rank.¡± Chairman Jeong Gi-jo smiled in relief as he watched the lightning shing on the TV screen in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that we can trust at least the Thunder Emperor, no matter what.¡± ¡°Are you saying that others cannot be trusted?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that the other heroes can¡¯t be trusted.¡± Clicking his tongue at the Deputy Chairman¡¯s words, Jeong Gi-jo added a caveat and lifted his mug containing a tea bag, nodding toward the screen. ¡°Is there anyone else suited for defense other than someone who can urately strike viins within range like that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s the one who sets up ice walls, and the one who builds steel walls, isn¡¯t there?¡±¡°The one who sets up ice walls is about to retire, and the one who builds steel walls frequently gets pierced by stronger opponents. When you¡¯re putting up an electric barrier like that, no one can move a muscle.¡± The Chairman lightly sipped his tea, put down the mug, and pointed to the top of his head. ¡°How can you stop lightning falling right above your head?¡± ¡°And if they die¡­¡± ¡°Each person gets struck by just enough lightning not to die. Even an E-rank can survive being struck by natural lightning, so why wouldn¡¯t ability users survive lightning created by magic?¡± Natural lightning vs. ability-created lightning. If asked which one is stronger, the answer is obviously the former. Lightning created by abilities is ultimately a magical attack with lightning properties, and as long as you have enough magic power, you can neutralize or endure the attack. ¡°When I was younger, there were viins who got electrocuted by a million volts every single day.¡± ¡°They still do that these days.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, really? Guess they¡¯re still getting zapped and not dying, huh.¡± ¡°If people got electrocuted to death in cartoons rated for all ages or seven-year-olds, would it still be a children¡¯s cartoon?¡± ¡°That makes sense. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d still be around these days.¡± The Chairman, reminiscing about the past, stared at his mug for a while, lost in thought. ¡°When I was a kid, I thought everything in the world would go smoothly. Whether schools transformed, robots rose from the ground, or trains transformed, I thought super robots would appear and defeat the viins.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t really rte to that.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to get sympathy. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°But you were hoping I¡¯d understand¡ª¡± ¡°Ahem. More importantly, is the body of Nuts Crusher secure?¡± The Chairman cleared his throat and changed the subject. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been anyone infiltrating the building, right?¡± ¡°No, sir. Six A-rank agents are hiding on-site. No one has sessfully entered the hospital.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Fewer of them than expected.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it thanks to them?¡± The Deputy Chairman opened his tablet, disying some data, and handed it to the Chairman with a stern face. ¡°This is intelligence from various regions. Judging by their ruthless actions, it must be them.¡± ¡°Chairman, since they eliminated thieves from abroad, perhaps we should¡ª¡± ¡°A viin is still a viin.¡± The Chairman projected the tablet¡¯s video onto the screen. -Aaargh! Please, spare me! -I don¡¯t spare anyone. That¡¯s who I am. -Who the hell are you? -The one who eliminates all those who try to steal Korea¡¯s resources. Swoosh. On the CCTV footage, a grim reaper-like figure swung his sword, cutting down the resisting ability user. -I am the King of Yuldo. Magic sparkled on the de, and the man¡¯s face reflected in it was darker than his traditional hat and robe. ¡°¡­Are you suggesting we loosen the regtions on people like that?¡± ¡°Haha, Chairman. But thanks to them, we don¡¯t have to get our hands dirty¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying we should acknowledge and release people who kill like that, just because things are troublesome or dangerous?¡± At the Chairman¡¯s sharp voice, the Deputy Chairman bowed his head. ¡°I understand the desire to do whatever it takes for the national interest. The country is already operating units like that, so I can¡¯t say we shouldn¡¯t do it at all. But you¡¯re suggesting¡­ using them as the Association¡¯s force?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Deputy Chairman straightened his posture and lowered his voice. ¡°Chairman, the Hero Association is an independent organization separate from the government¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that talk more than a dozen times already.¡± ¡°Please, listen one more time. The Hero Association is an international organization. No matter how much we are in Korea, we don¡¯t need to be concerned about their opinion. Aren¡¯t all the S-rank heroes affiliated with the Association?¡± ¡°If they had to choose between the country and the international association, the S-ranks would surely choose the Association.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying we should bring those who choose the Association to our side. If the government ever deres martialw¡­¡± ¡°Ridiculous.¡± The Chairman cut off the Deputy Chairman¡¯s words abruptly. ¡°Don¡¯t go around talking like that. If the government deres martialw, it¡¯ll be because the Hero Association or some other organization has privatized S-rank viins and tried to be a military force. Are you hoping for the Association to be the target of martialw?¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t remain suppressed and dependent on lower institutions of this country forever, can we? This is the age of abilities. We can¡¯t continue being subject to the government¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Just do your job. Looks like we have a call from the Thunder Emperor.¡± The Deputy Chairman closed his mouth and bowed his head, while the Chairman activated the Taegeuk Watch to connect with the Thunder Emperor. ¡°So, how is it?¡± [It¡¯s all taken care of. I¡¯ll confirm the rest after entering the hospital.] ¡°Will you be alright?¡± [I¡¯ve connected all the circuits to the nearby CCTV. As soon as any unidentified ability user appears, I¡¯ll shoot lightning indoors. The fortress isplete.] ¡°Then the answer is clear. There¡¯s even an emergency generator in the hospital basement, so feel free to use it.¡± [Understood. I¡¯ll contact you if anything unusual happens.] Click. Once Thunder Emperor¡¯s rigid report ended, the Chairman turned his head back to the Deputy Chairman. ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s a relief to have at least one hardworking person like that, isn¡¯t it? Hmm? I know what you¡¯re worried about. You¡¯re concerned about the decrease in the number of S-rank heroes, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Chairman. I feel uneasy.¡± The Deputy Chairman, with a frightened face, pointed to the eight portraits hanging on the wall. ¡°After Baek Seol-hee mentioned her ns for retirement, I suddenly started worrying that those portraits might start falling one by one.¡± ¡°¡­Even so, would she really retire so suddenly?¡± ¡°You never know with young people these days. What if Thunder Emperor, out of the blue, gets involved with a guy and announces she¡¯s retiring due to pregnancy¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± The Chairman nodded with a face full of relief. ¡°Thunder Emperor doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend.¡± ¡°¡­¡­But she could have a secret lover, like someone we know.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have that either. Thunder Emperor is, you know.¡± The Chairman whispered in a very low voice. ¡°She¡¯s never dated.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Thunder Emperor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really.¡± Thunder Emperor, Kim Yoon-ji, nced at the lightning she had fired outside the hospital through the CCTV and casually responded to the hospital director¡¯s greeting. ¡°At this point, no one will dare target the body. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡°Ah, would you like to take a break, perhaps¡­.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t leave the premises, so could I borrow the staff break room for a bit?¡± ¡°No, no, we can¡¯t offer just that when someone of your stature is here. There¡¯s a vacant VIP room avable. Dr. Kim here will guide you.¡± ¡°¡­He looks familiar.¡± ¡°Haha, he¡¯s my son.¡± The hospital director introduced his son to the Thunder Emperor, patting his son¡¯s shoulder with a friendly smile. ¡°He¡¯s thirty years old this year¡­.¡± ¡°Just let me know where to goter. I should check the basement for any intruders and inspect the body.¡± ¡°¡­Of course.¡± Thunder Emperor exited the makeshiftmand center within the hospital and pushed through the crowd as she headed toward the basement. ¡°Wow, noona! You¡¯re amazing!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Noona¡¯s working right now, so I¡¯ll give you an autograph after I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me an autograph!¡± ¡°¡­Oh, really?¡± ¡°I just want you to smile! You look like an angel when you smile!¡± ¡°Oh, I see. You¡¯re really good at lifting and dropping people¡¯s spirits.¡± Smiling at a young boy in a wheelchair with a furry hat on his head, Thunder Emperor took the emergency stairs down to the basement. There was no one around. The basement was a restricted area to begin with, and no one was allowed inside. Step, step. The Thunder Emperor walked down the hallway and arrived at the morgue. As soon as she ced her Taegeuk Watch against the door, the door, which had been glowing red, opened to the sides, and the Thunder Emperor entered the morgue, reaching out toward the body of Nuts Crusher ced in the center. Sssrrk. As the white cloth was pulled back, the face of Nuts Crusher was revealed. His head,pletely devoid of color, was heavily crushed on one side. Creak. The door closed. And at the same time, there was a ck sound as the door locked, apanied by a faint crackling noise. Thunder Emperor blinked her eyes slowly, then reached her hand forward¡ª [What are you trying to do?] Stopping whatever she was about to do, the Thunder Emperor withdrew her hand as the voice came from behind. ¡°What are you here for? To finish him off? Are you going to kill someone who¡¯s already dead?¡± [That¡¯s what I should be asking, Thunder Emperor.] Step, step. [You could¡¯ve kept things simple, but you went through all this trouble. However, I have a more pressing matter.] The owner of the voice stood in front of Nuts Crusher¡¯s corpse, on the opposite side of Thunder Emperor, locking eyes with her. [What are you trying to do with electrolysis on a dead body?] [You¡¯re not just damaging the body¡ªyou¡¯re nning to burn it to ashes, leaving not even a trace of bone behind?] [Go ahead, if that¡¯s what you want.] The Goblin made a circle with his fingers. [But in exchange, I¡¯ll have to take something in return.] ¡°If you¡¯re talking about hush money¡­.¡± [The value of a name.] Thunder Emperor¡¯s expression twisted. [You used the Goblin¡¯s name to kill someone, didn¡¯t you?] ¡°What do you want in return?¡± [That.] The Goblin pointed his finger at the Thunder Emperor. [The most valuable and precious thing you have.] Chapter 330: Imitation (8) To get straight to the point, the impersonator was the Thunder Emperor. I realized it after seeing the wounds on Nuts Crusher. It was this woman who overfilled Nuts Crusher¡¯s peanuts with excessive magic power, causing them to explode. Although the traces of the explosion were extremely horrific, part of the wound had faint remnants of what looked like a lightning strike. The lingering echo of magic power. Just like when Baek Seol-hee hit me with her fist before, leaving a cold sensation on my left hand, attacks from elemental ability users leave such marks. [This may not be the ideal ce to ask a bunch of questions, but in fact, this is a perfect ce for a quiet conversation. No onees here.] [I¡¯m not particrly curious as to why you killed Nuts Crasher. It¡¯s only natural for a hero to eliminate a viin. But the method you used¡­ that is quite intriguing.]That¡¯s also why I came here. [Why did you impersonate me?] ¡°Am I going to be executed for impersonation?¡± [Depending on the circumstances.] The Thunder Emperor touched her face with her hand. At this moment, she appeared as a typical woman, wearing a ck suit and a white T-shirt ¡ª the standard uniform of a Hero Association agent. But when she was disguised as the Goblin, eliminating Nuts Crusher, she wore the Goblin¡¯s mask and outfit. I had so many questions personally. Where did she get that disguise? If it was created with magic power, how did she make it? How did she disappear without a trace under people¡¯s eyes when she was done? Could it be that she reached the level of ¡®spiritualization¡¯? And ultimately, did she wear the Goblin¡¯s disguise for the reason I think she did? [Now, will you pay the price? Or will you simply answer my questions?] ¡°If I offer my most valuable thing, can I keep wearing the Goblin¡¯s disguise in the future?¡± [Hmm?] ¡°¡­I needed the Goblin¡¯s mask.¡± The Thunder Emperor calmly pressed her Taeguk Watch with her hand. As the rm on the Taeguk Watch was about to go off, she suppressed it with her magic power, consciously deactivating the electromaic defense field surrounding her body. ¡°To eliminate these kinds of viins.¡± [I understand the need for a mask, but I want to hear it directly from your mouth.] ¡°¡­There are too many viins in this country.¡± Kim Yoon-ji clenched her fists, staring down at Nuts Crusher as though ready to kill him again with her gaze alone. ¡°It¡¯s not just the viins from the Secret Society. There¡¯s also Hwalbindang, Jeolheomdan, the National Roe Deer Union, Anti-Nation Gang¡­.¡± Their names may sound strange, but it¡¯s precisely because they had such strange names that they were even more dangerous viin groups. Each one had at least one or two A+-ss or S-ss viins who were the strongest of their group. And in their own way, they all engaged in viinous activities. In some form or another. ¡°I want to eliminate these viins more proactively.¡± [By killing thempletely?] ¡°Exactly.¡± [Why?] ¡°Because there will be no aftermath.¡± This woman¡­ she shared the same mindset as me. ¡°It¡¯s much more beneficial to eliminate them without leaving any loose ends. Especially with viins like these. You, of all people, should understand, right?¡± [Ah, yes. I understand. Instead of leaving room forplicationster, if it¡¯s a threat to world peace, the correct answer is to deal with it thoroughly. But why are you acting like this now? You¡¯ve been silent until now.] ¡°¡­¡­Yes, I have.¡± Kim Yoon-ji clenched her fist tightly and reached toward Nuts Crusher. ¡°Not anymore.¡± [Was there some kind of turning point that made you borrow the Goblin¡¯s mask?] ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯m not sure I want to talk about that just yet.¡± The Thunder Emperor scratched her head and lowered her gaze. ¡°I figured it out.¡± [What did you figure out?] ¡°The truth of this world. The secret of this country.¡± [What do you mean by such ominous words?] Suddenly, chills ran down my spine as I wondered what she was talking about. ¡°When a viin dies, they turn into mana powder. But when they survive and are captured¡­¡± The Thunder Emperor. ¡°¡­They be a murderous weapon, loyal to the nation.¡± It seemed she had uncovered a fragment of this country¡¯s dark secret. [I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.] ¡°No, you do know. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been killing viins who deserve the death penalty, eliminating all of them through executions. So they could die as humans, not as ves.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°Execution squad.¡± Finally, that name was spoken. ¡°Not only capturing viins to use as the nation¡¯s workforce, but turning them into mercenaries for wars in other countries.¡± [You only realized this now, after bing an S-ss?] ¡°!!¡± The Thunder Emperor turned her head. [A state-run assassination squad. A group that kills all those who rebel against the nation in the name of national interest. And you only found out about their existence in 2025?] ¡°¡­I waste, but I figured it out.¡± Behind her, standing with half-closed eyes and a gun aimed at the back of the Thunder Emperor¡¯s head, was Hyeon Se-rin. [So, you¡¯ve finally seen what lies beyond the flower garden, Princess?] ¡°¡­And if I have?¡± [Well, if that¡¯s the case.] Hyeon Se-rin retrieved the gun, then patted the Thunder Emperor¡¯s shoulder as she draped her arm around her. [If you¡¯ve decided to feel the deepest part of the abyss yourself, I have no reason to dislike you more.] [Still, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve started liking you.] ¡°¡­I¡¯ll show you. How I¡¯vepletely changed, unlike before.¡± [¡­¡­.] I felt like I should add something, but instead, I restrained myself by tapping the bat on my shoulder. [Alright. So, where did you learn that? The information about the Execution Squad must have been thoroughly hidden, even from S-sses.] ¡°Yeah. If I had lived in the flower garden forever, I¡¯d never have known. But¡­ I managed to find out somehow.¡± Who told this woman about the dirty side of the country? ¡°Hwalbindang told me.¡± Of course, it must have been someone who wanted to overturn the dark side of this nation. [Am Gil-dong.] At that moment, in the outskirts of Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. Thud! Inside a deste factory, a small light flickered amidst the piles of machines. It wasn¡¯t the light of a smartphone but a match. The face of the person who lit a candle in the middle of the darkness with that match stood out as unusually dark, even in the shadows. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± As the candlelight brightened the surroundings, several ability users who had been resting were sprawled out around the ce. Themon feature? All of them were wearing hanbok. And to varying degrees, they all had traces of blood on them. ¡°Anyone hurt?¡± ¡°No. What about the boss?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± A man dressed like a grim reaper loosened his hat strap and sat down on a chair. Although his ck clothes were also stained with red blood, it was barely visible on his face, hidden by the darkness. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t you think we¡¯re living too much in the dark? Can¡¯t we at least live with some light?¡± ¡°If the lights go on in this factory at this hour, they¡¯ll show up immediately. The hounds of those corrupt officials, who want to turn viins into ves.¡± ¡°Hah, couldn¡¯t we just fight them right away?¡± A shaman lying on the floor corrected his posture and asked. ¡°We¡¯re not scared of them. Isn¡¯t it about time we started pressuring them with our strength?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because even though they¡¯re scum, they¡¯re still necessary to suppress the other viin scum. If the authorities disappear, all that¡¯s left iswlessness.¡± ¡°Boss, then¡­.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± Drip, drip. With the sound of blood dripping, a ratherrge young man entered the factory. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Ugh, clean up that blood on your stake, will you?¡± ¡°¡­Ah. Sorry. I got a little carried away beating them to death.¡± The young man, Malttuk, wiped the blood off his stake with his sleeve and plopped down on the floor. His mask, too, was stained with red blood, and it wasn¡¯t hard to guess how he had beaten his opponents to death. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The foreignersing down from Gangwon-do are all dead. No survivors.¡± ¡°¡­Good. That way, there¡¯s no chance they¡¯ll be cored by corrupt officials again.¡± Click. ¡°Before they be the government¡¯s dogs¡ª¡± sh! Suddenly, artificial lights began to flood the inside of the factory. As the factory was filled with light, everyone quickly put their masks back on and stood up. [Hwalbindang! We know you¡¯re in there! Surrender your weapons ande out peacefully!] ¡°That voice¡­.¡± ¡°Chuncheon¡¯s Fire Pir. A traitor.¡± Malttuk¡¯s half-closed eyes narrowed beneath his mask. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± ¡°¡­Too bad. I thought we might be able to make contact if we waited here.¡± ¡°Make contact?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Hwalbindang¡¯s leader, Am Gil-dong, gripped the crescent-shaped de with both hands. ¡°We just recruited a new executive¡­ Tsk.¡± Crash! At the sound of shattering ss, something came raining down like a barrage of arrows. Literally, a rain of arrows. Each arrow was imbued with magic power, piercing through the piles of machines and leaving holes in them. ¡°They must¡¯ve brought archers instead of shooting guns to avoid making noise.¡± ¡°Likely. It seems even government agents have shown up. What should we do?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t fight public officials. Our target is¡­¡± Am Gil-dong stabbed his sword into the ground. ¡°¡­the corrupt officials.¡± With a scraping sound, the ground split in two, and Hwalbindang members leaped underground. [It seems the Korean viins had their own episode here in Korea¡­.] Well, it didn¡¯t really matter. The important thing was that it was me who was having this conversation with the Thunder Emperor right now. [By saying all this, are you implying you¡¯re siding with the Secret Society instead of Hwalbindang?] ¡°Yes.¡± [Why the Secret Society?] ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± The Thunder Emperor scratched her cheek and answered. ¡°¡­I¡¯m wondering if there¡¯s a way for me to serve this country, even if I die, even after death.¡± Chapter 331: Imitation (9) The people of the world had one question. The four executives of the Secret Society. Originally, they didn¡¯t intend to use such nicknames, but the Korean government named them after the four evil creatures from Chinese mythology. Gunggi. Doul. Docheol. Chaos. Were these four S-ss viins suddenly created? Were they suddenly made into S-ss ability users by the secret organization known as the Secret Society?No. Some of them were originally S-ss ability users, and some started as B-ss and grew stronger until they reached S-ss, but none of them appeared out of nowhere as S-ss. In other words, they had a history as humans. Although that history had been erased and disappeared at some point, they were undoubtedly people of this world, born after the year 2000. Their names and aliases, everything they had before they died, had vanished and left no trace, but they remained in people¡¯s memories. Hyeon Se-rin was one of them. There were people who remembered this S-ss ability user, Doul Hyeon Se-rin, also known in Northern Europe as ¡®Fenrir.¡¯ And there was a problem that arose between people¡¯s memories and the existence of the Secret Society¡¯s Doul. -¡°Fenrir, wasn¡¯t she dead?¡± The fact that a dead person was walking around alive. Some might think this: The government must have covered up their death! Or, just before death, the Secret Society took them and revived them! Or, they truly died, but now they¡¯vee back, saying they never actually experienced death! However, those who witnessed their deaths thought differently. Hyeon Se-rin did, in fact, die. The government covered up the information because the target was dead, erasing all data about them. They mobilized every method to confirm the kill. They didn¡¯t leave even the corpse behind,pletely erasing it from the surface. It was not that someone else wearing Fenrir¡¯s dead skin was born with the name Doul - Hyeon Se-rin. No, it was the dead brought back to life. Resurrection of the dead. And this woman, the Thunder Emperor Kim Yoon-ji, imed to have witnessed Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s death. So it was only natural for her to feel strange. No matter how much she looked at it, this person using Fenrir¡¯s powers was alive and well, moving around. Many possibilities could be considered, but it seemed the Thunder Emperor was keeping the possibility of a ¡°resurrection¡± in mind. [So you¡¯re saying that under the condition of cooperating with the Secret Society, they¡¯ll revive you when you die?] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± [Why?] ¡°¡­Because I want to personally resolve the issues happening in the world beyond the garden, even if I¡¯m dead.¡± It seemed this woman had had some kind of awakening in a ce we were unaware of. Not everyone had a great spiritual awakening only in ces where I could see them or know them. There were times when they awakened and realized things on their own, in ces I couldn¡¯t witness. This was one of those times. ¡°Is it possible?¡± [Why do you think you were brought back from the dead?] I bluffed slightly. [Sorry, but the Doul standing there is not who you think they are.] ¡°What¡­?¡± [Our Secret Society is a viin organization. We will use any means necessary for world peace.] Hyeon Se-rin looked at me with questioning eyes, but I suppressed her doubts with my gaze. Trust me. Hyeon Se-rin may know more about this woman than I did, but I had the knowledge of a reader. The Thunder Emperor was a logical type. You had to approach her with logic, not emotion. [Doul is actually a clone.] ¡°¡­What?¡± Kim Yoon-ji¡¯s mouth opened in shock, and Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A clone¡­?¡± [Yes. A copy created from the original. Not the real Fenrir. They were cloned based on the genes the Secret Society secured from Fenrir before his death.] ¡°The Secret Society has the technology to create S-ss ability users¡­¡± [That¡¯s right.] I didn¡¯t lie. Cloning technology existed, but the Chief didn¡¯t use it. Instead, they were researching artificial bodies capable of holding the souls of the dead. Although it took 10 months to produce and there was no guarantee an S-ss will result, the Secret Society had long since secured the technology to create S-ss ability users. [It seems you¡¯re thinking of a necromancer, someone who raises the dead, but unfortunately¡­] I didn¡¯t deny it. I just expressed my regret. [So even if you die, reviving Kim Yoon-ji as a puppet of the Secret Society with necromancy is impossible.] [It¡¯s unfortunate. Whether you¡¯re sincere or not, the Secret Society can¡¯t grant your wish.] At least not for now. [What will you do? Will you still cooperate with the Secret Society? All we can do is use Kim Yoon-ji while you¡¯re alive for the benefit of the Secret Society, and when you¡¯re dead, create a clone to continue serving our will.] With a slight hint of threat, I pressed the Thunder Emperor. Even with such threats and the maniption of truth, if she still wanted to join hands with the Secret Society¡­ By now, there must already be a ck dot in her thoughts, which once resembled a white canvas. The hatred toward the nation and the copse of trust must be slowly spreading like ink on that canvas. [If you still want to cooperate, I can lend you the Goblin¡¯s mask. However, when ites to the target-] ¡°There¡¯s a condition.¡± [¡­Huh?] ¡°If my clone is created, make sure that it dies¡­ for this country.¡± There was no hesitation in Kim Yoon-ji¡¯s eyes. ¡°I am an S-ss hero of this country. While I am alive, it¡¯s only natural that I live for the nation in the light, and even after I die, I want to continue living for the nation, even as a clone.¡± [What has this country ever done for you? Hasn¡¯t it always hidden its dirty shadows from you and made you look forward?] ¡°It¡¯s not about what the country has done for me. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Kim Yoon-ji ced her right hand over her left chest. ¡°I simply want to do something for this country. If up until now, I¡¯ve walked the path of a ¡®righteous hero,¡¯ from now on, it will be different.¡± [Do you have a rough n? Borrowing the Goblin¡¯s mask and killing viins, is that your method?] ¡°That¡¯s right. If I merely subdue them, they¡¯ll end up in the execution squad. I think it¡¯s better to cleanly die rather than be a killing machine while alive.¡± [That¡¯s a difficult mindset to understand.] At my words, Hyeon Se-rin also slightly nodded. While I knew information that Hyeon Se-rin didn¡¯t, Hyeon Se-rin was somewhat familiar with Kim Yoon-ji and was curious about why she suddenly became so gray. Just because someone who was in a flower garden saw the dirty mud, it didn¡¯rt mean they¡¯d willingly crawl into that mud to clean it up. [Tell me your true motive. The reason for all of this. Something that both I and Doul can ept.] ¡°¡­Saying that I¡¯ve seen the abyss might not be convincing enough. Fine. I¡¯ll give you an answer with this.¡± Crackle. Kim Yoon-ji ced her hand on Nut Crusher¡¯s corpse and summoned her magic. Both Hyeon Se-rin and I silently watched her actions, and soon we realized what she was trying to do with her abilities. Crackle. Nut Crusher¡¯s body began to wither. At the same time, it started to deform, and soon the stench of decay and burning began to waft out. [Really, if you¡¯re going to do something like this, give me a warning first.] Hyeon Se-rin waved her hand lightly, causing the gas emanating from Nut Crusher¡¯s body to gather in one spot. As I watched her use wind to iste the stench, Kim Yoon-ji channeled more magic into her hands. And soon, that magic revealed its effect. Whoosh. With ck smoke, the sound of something melting from the inside could be heard. It was the sound of theponents making up a human bodypletely disintegrating. The corpse was no longer a corpse but something burnt away from the inside by electricity and magic. Like smashing a walnut with a hammer, Nut Crusher disappeared into a handful of ashes. [What are you doing?] ¡°Just making sure the body isn¡¯t desecrated.¡± Kim Yoon-ji withdrew her hand, looking satisfied as if she hadpleted her task. ¡°Hwalbindang sent me some documents. They¡¯ve been destroyed now, but the information was true. After seeing it, I decided to borrow the Goblin¡¯s mask.¡± [What was it?] ¡°It might be disgusting¡­¡± [I¡¯ve seen plenty of disgusting things already.] Even in Thand, that was the case. [I¡¯ve seen the dark side of the world for a long time. The abyss you¡¯re thinking of might be the gateway to hell. Tell me, which hell are you talking about?] ¡°¡­The process of handling the corpses of viins who weren¡¯t executed. Viins who don¡¯t go to prison but disappear without a trace. Among them, Hwalbindang confirmed that someone was stealing the bones of ability users.¡± [Did they make mana powder with it?] ¡°¡­It would¡¯ve been better if they ground it into powder and consumed it as medicine.¡± Kim Yoon-ji frowned as she continued. ¡°They boiled viin soup.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°They imed it was good for the body, that consuming mana powder would increase the chances of giving birth to an ability user. They used the bones of dead viins¡­¡± To birth ability users. ¡°There were crazy people boiling the bones of dead ability users and eating it like dog stew.¡± Chapter 332: Imitation (10) Humans were capable of doing anything for their own gain. If it involved sess, health, or money, they could even sell their own family. Living in this world, we heard all sorts of stories on public news channels, but there were times when seeing atrocities made my blood boil. This was one of those times. [Human Bone Soup.] It was beyond disgusting; it¡¯s grotesque to the core. Of course, as a viin now, with a foot in the dark world, it was only natural I encountered such things often. But even so, facing something like this in the modern world, simr to what happened in the ancient Inca civilization or the Mayan empire, was truly unpleasant. [You¡¯ve gotten weak.][What?] Hyeon Se-rin let out a bitterugh at the mention of Human Bone Soup. [Goblin, sometimes I feel like you¡¯re surprisingly less resilient in these areas. Even after that chaos in Thand?] [Even if the depth is the same, each time the number of cases increases, my head spins. What do you mean by weak?] [Back in the day, it wasn¡¯t Human Bone Soup. It was consumed in capsules. As powder.] ¡°Insane.¡± The Thunder Emperor also spat out in disgust. Of course, there was no need to exin what that white magical powder inside those capsules was made of. Even more disturbing was that this happened in the ¡®old days¡¯ when Hyeon Se-rin was active, and not a decade or more ago, but just a few years back. The more I thought about it, the more I hated this world. I hated humanity. But I mustn¡¯t think like that. I took a deep breath inwardly. Grasping my shaken mental state, I recalled the words the Chief once said to me regarding such matters. [If cancer cells are clinging to the body, you have to remove the cancer cells, but you can¡¯t kill the whole person.] Whether they ate Human Bone Soup or sprinkled bone powder like pepper, how many of such people could there be across the world? The truly insane ones should be picked off and executed, but not the good people who couldn¡¯t even afford a bowl of ox bone soup or ginseng chicken soup and were just trying to survive another day. Not unless the whole world had fallen to the level where everyone was eating Human Bone Soup. [Right. You can¡¯t burn down all of Joseon¡¯s eight provinces just to catch one flea. Isn¡¯t that right?] Hyeon Se-rin tapped Kim Yoon-ji¡¯s back, siding with her. [You did well. Nut Crusher may be a viin, but he wouldn¡¯t have wanted his bones boiled with herbal medicine and eaten by rich people. Goblin, have anything to say?] [Do you know anything about those who ate the Human Bone Soup?] ¡°¡­ording to the information I gathered, it seems Hwalbindang already killed them.¡± [Tsk.] I was about to smash their heads, but unfortunately, it seemed that I couldn¡¯t. But. [Doul. Even if it¡¯s fake, if there are those who believe it¡¯s real, it¡¯s still a crime, right?] [Of course. Even if it¡¯s fake drugs nted by the police, the buyer still gets arrested. The intent to buy is what matters.] [Good. Thunder Emperor. Since we¡¯ve already incinerated Nut Crusher¡¯s body, we¡¯ll follow your n from here.] ¡°¡­What?¡± I put down my bat, reversed its magic, and reached out my hand toward the Thunder Emperor. [We will support your n. If there¡¯s anything dirty involved, our society will take care of it.] ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± [Why?] ¡°¡­I was just going to say that the body spontaneouslybusted.¡± The Thunder Emperor scratched her cheek with an awkward smile. ¡°That¡¯s why I borrowed your mask, Goblin.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°I was going to pin it on you, Goblin¡­¡± [Hmm.] It made sense. Given my actions up until now, no one else but Goblin could destroy bodies without being caught on CCTV. [Fine. I¡¯ll set up the scenario for you. Oh, but don¡¯t misunderstand one thing.] I pointed the hand I had extended toward the Thunder Emperor¡¯s face. [It¡¯s not that I¡¯m moving to help you. It¡¯s simply our role to clean up filth once we know it exists. Don¡¯t forget, there¡¯s still a debt to settle for impersonating Goblin.] ¡°Of course. You said I had to give up what¡¯s most precious to me, right? Then.¡± Kim Yoon-ji nced briefly at Hyeon Se-rin, then raised her hand to sp mine. ¡°I¡¯ll give you myself.¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°After I die, you can use my cloned body or whatever. Just on the condition that you use it for the country. In exchange, I¡¯ll give you everything I have.¡± Kim Yoon-ji¡¯s eyes, the blue glowing eyes of the Thunder Emperor, were sincere. ¡°Help me cut out and burn away all the cancer cells of this country.¡± [Fine. Then, you¡¯ll have to participate in a little y.] I pointed to where Nut Crusher¡¯s body had been. ¡°A y¡­?¡± [Don¡¯t worry. As always, just fulfill your role as a hero, in the way of our society.] I extended one hand to the side, creating the Goblin Bat. [How about I show you a little magic?] A magic trick where people disappeared.
¡°Yaaawn.¡± The director of Haegneul General Hospital, Kim Jung-hwan, fought off the drowsiness creeping in as he gulped down more coffee. ¡°Father, drinking like that at night¡­¡± ¡°I have tost until dawn. We don¡¯t know who might attack during the night.¡± The hospital was in a state of emergency. Even though the Thunder Emperor was protecting them, viins like the corpse collectors were running rampant, getting as close as 500 meters from the hospital entrance, including an A-rank viin. ¡°This is driving me crazy. What¡¯s so special about those corpses¡­?¡± ¡°They probably want to birth ability users. ording to rumors, the chance of a regr pregnant woman giving birth to an ability user skyrockets if she takes mana powder.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all medically unverified nonsense. Because of such superstition¡­ geez.¡± The director grimaced like someone who had just heard the logic of a pseudoscience believer, downing the rest of his coffee. ¡°Well, even if it¡¯s just a folk remedy, if it works, I¡¯d at least want to try¡ª¡± Beep¡ªbeep¡ªbeep!! Viin alert. The director spat out his coffee at the shrill, dizzying sound, far worse than any before, and jumped to his feet. ¡°Th-this sound¡­!¡± ¡°Goblin!!¡± Outside the hospital. On the main street approaching the hospital, an S-rank viin wearing a mask¡ªGoblin¡ªstood. Step, step. He casually walked towards the hospital entrance with a Goblin Bat slung over his shoulder, as if he were just visiting. Crackle! The hospital¡¯s CCTV cameras outside all sparked and sizzled simultaneously. But the electricity spiraled around Goblin, forming a vortex before dispersing and scattering onto the asphalt road. ¡°Even the protective shield¡­!¡± Crash¡ª! The ss shattered as a woman surrounded by blue lightningnded in front of the hospital entrance. ¡°Thunder Emperor!¡± Kneeling with one knee on the ground, her other fist pressed into the floor, Thunder Emperor, cloaked in blue lightning, stared directly at Goblin. Tension was thick in the air. Perhaps they didn¡¯t need to exchange words. Was there some mutual understanding between S-rank viins? No. There was no need for words. There was only one reason why Goblin had appeared here. ¡°Send people to the basement, now! We must block them somehow!¡± ¡°If the Thunder Emperor is breached¡ª¡± ¡°Just hold them off! No matter who arrives from Busan, we need to buy time!¡± The director rushed out in a panic. ¡°Damn it!¡± The power was out in the elevator. No matter how many times he pressed the button, there was no response. Of course, no one would dare take the elevator with Goblin here, but the director gritted his teeth as he stumbled forward. ¡°Huff, huff¡­!¡± ¡°Director!¡± ¡°Protect it at all costs!!¡± Running down the hallway and descending the emergency stairs, the director nced through the windows, watching the distant sh between Goblin and the Thunder Emperor. Crackle! The Thunder Emperor hurled lightning from afar, but Goblin effortlessly deflected it all with swift swings of his bat. ¡°Huff, huff¡­!¡± By the time he reached the first floor, Thunder Emperor had been pushed back into the lobby. She unleashed a web of lightning like a spider¡¯s web, desperately trying to prevent Goblin¡¯s advance, but Goblin blocked all her attacks by swinging his bat aggressively. He was determined that no lightning would touch him, swatting it away with relentless precision. ¡°Huff, huff¡­!¡± The director took advantage of the opening and reached the basement. In front of the morgue, several agents from the Hero Association were already stationed, which brought him some relief¡ªuntil¡­ Swish. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Something ghostly descended from the ceiling. Itnded lightly on the floor and calmly walked forward. The association agents, shocked, pulled out their guns with rm on their faces. ¡°It¡¯s Goblin¡ª!¡± Bang, bang, bang. Magic bullets rained down on Goblin. But he just kept walking forward, pushing aside anyone who blocked his path, striding confidently into the morgue. ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± ¡°Director!¡± The director was struck in an unfortunate ce by a magic bullet. It felt like a fastball had mmed into him, the pain so intense that he nearly cked out, but a single thought cut through the agony, keeping him conscious. He stumbled forward. ¡°N-no¡­! If we lose the corpse, the Chairman¡ª¡± Crackle. ¡°¡­A matchstick?¡± Inside the morgue. [Fire and Justice.] With Goblin¡¯s cryptic incantation, the inside of the morgue ignited in mes. Chapter 333: A Truth Made Of Lies I once watched a movie. In it, someone who umted wealth through dishonest means was taken down by magicians, who used magic to deliver a major blow. The magicians then disappeared as if by magic, although it wasn¡¯t magic in the real sense. This might be a spoiler, but in this world, there were no movies like that after the great upheaval. ¡®Honestly, switching corpses isn¡¯t that much of a unique trick.¡¯ Pretending to be dead wasn¡¯t particrly special. It was only special in how it¡¯s done and in how you made it look like someone died. Whoosh. It burned. The body of Nut Crusher melted away along with the fire.This wasn¡¯t a fire caused by magic, but a real me consuming Nut Crusher¡¯s body. ¡°Open the door!!¡± Bang bang bang! Someone outside was banging roughly on the mortuary door. As I strengthened the door with magic and set up a wind barrier while united with Hyeon Se-rin, no one coulde in. ¡®No one below S-rank can get through.¡¯ Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s magic and skills were being deployed by the Goblin. Who could possibly break through that? No one below S-rank could break it, and even if an S-rank were to arrive, running like lightning¡ª Crackle! As soon as the Thunder Emperor touched the barrier, she was thrown back. She ran down to the basement from the first floor through the emergency stairs but couldn¡¯t enter easily because of the barrier. ¡®What amazing acting.¡¯ In reality, she could break through if she wanted to. If I were in the opposite situation, I would have either broken through the wall or climbed up to the ceiling to create a hole to reach the basement. There would be other ways. But humans tend to have limited thinking in urgent situations. When there was a door, and it¡¯s being blocked, people became obsessed with breaking through the door. And during that moment, Goblin inside would do whatever he needed to. ¡°You, you crazy bastard! Do you know how much that¡¯s worth?!!¡± A man, who appeared to be the hospital director, shouted at me as his wig fell off and blood poured from his lower half. ¡°If you sell that, at least¡ª¡± [It would be worth trillions of won. And if sold for more, you could get an even higher price.] I reached into the burning body of Nut Crusher and pinched a bit of white powder that looked like bone ash. [Even if you just put a small amount of this in a capsule, you could sell it for tens of millions. Not to mention, if you grind down the bones of a guy this big, imagine how much mana powder you¡¯d get. Don¡¯t you think so?] ¡°You, you¡­!¡± [Don¡¯t think that money makes the world go round.] Whoosh. [Sometimes, there are things more important than money.] I added more mes until Nut Crusher¡¯s body waspletely reduced to ashes. Lighting matchsticks one by one, I tossed them like kindling onto Nut Crusher¡¯s body. Of course, this Nut Crusher corpse was fake. I didn¡¯t bring a mannequin because I didn¡¯t want to raise the suspicion of the agents outside. It was just an illusion created by mana. But if it looks like a corpse on the outside and a little bit of showmanship was added, anyone could be fooled. [Thanks to you all, I was able to get rid of the flies drawn to the corpse in one go.] ¡°You¡­! Did you use us!!¡± Not exactly. I just came to deal with the fake Thunder Emperor, then built the foundation, and let you fill in the rest. ¡°Did you leave the body on purpose so the scavengers woulde?!¡± The ones who were filling in the gaps were those who could only see the situation from that angle. Those who judged everything through the lens of greed rather than human decency. [So what if I did?] There was no need for long exnations. Nut Crusher¡¯s body was burned, the traces of magic were erased, and all that¡¯s left is for the mes to die down. [Can you even catch me?] I raised the matchstick. While suppressing the heat of the mes with Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s power, the moment I lifted the match, the sprinkler system activated. Whoosh. Water began to pour down on the spot where Nut Crusher¡¯s body had been. Avoiding the water, I backed away toward the wall. Flick. As I released the magic I had ced on the door, I phased through the wall using my spirit form. There was a storage room behind the mortuary wall, and as soon as I passed through, I exited the building. A ce with no crowd. A ce where no one would be rushing toward. I casually walked through the corridor and out of the hospital. No one noticed us, and no one could follow Goblin¡¯s tracks. Just like a phantom, Goblin burned Nut Crusher¡¯s body and slipped past Thunder Emperor and the association agents.
Three hourster. After releasing our spirit form in a suitable ce and changing into ordinary clothes, Hyeon Se-rin and I returned to the house in Seoul to check how society was epting the ¡®truth¡¯ through the Hero Wiki. [Nut Crusher]. -This document is currently ssified as ¡°Viin.¡± Be careful when reading. -This document can only be edited by the ¡®Day Shift Officer¡¯ who is currently logged in. Be careful not to cause any document conflicts. [Nut Crusher¡¯s Execution and Cremation Incident]. (New) ¡°Chaos everywhere, huh?¡± Hyeon Se-rin approached me, handing over a cold can of beer. ¡°You¡¯re going to meet the Thunder Emperor soon. Is it okay to be drinking beer right now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like we have to meet right away, right? Thunder Emperor is getting beaten down by people as we speak.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no shame in failing to stop Goblin.¡± ¡°But she lost, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Well, she agreed to deal with it, so I¡¯m not particrly bothered.¡± We would eventually meet Thunder Emperor again, not necessarily now, but at a quieter time. I continued reviewing the records kept by the officers who sorted through the incidents and idents even in the middle of the night. -¡­In the end, Goblin used Nut Crusher¡¯s body to handle the thieves who were trying to steal the corpse all at once. After the body had outlived its usefulness, he personally entered the hospital and set it on fire. ording to the testimony of a field agent (link: HeroTN Live, coordinates), it was burned until nothing but ash remained. ¡°It yed out ording to the scenario.¡± We burned a fake corpse, but people didn¡¯t know it was fake. Perhaps even if we had burned a mannequin, as long as the smell wasn¡¯t noticed, people would have been fooled. ¡°For an impromptu n, everything fit together surprisingly well. It was more sessful than I thought.¡± ¡°In that case, cheers?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I clinked my can with Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s, celebrating the sessful operation for the moment. ¡°So, the next step is making a deal with the Thunder Emperor?¡± ¡°Are you recruiting her as a member, or are you nning to make her a hired hand?¡± ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m going to do some patriotic act against the Thunder Emperor? Weren¡¯t you the one who didn¡¯t like him in the first ce?¡± ¡°I disliked the princess in the flower garden, not her.¡± Hyeon Se-rin chuckled bitterly while watching a live broadcast of Thunder Emperor, Kim Yoon-ji, bowing at a press conference. ¡°Back when she was just a clueless little girl, of course I didn¡¯t like her. But now, seeing her try to change the world and enter the slums, it¡¯s natural to be concerned.¡± ¡°Still taking care of your S-rank junior?¡± ¡°Of course. If she decides to join the Secret Society, I¡¯ll have to reveal that I¡¯m not just a doppelganger, but the real me.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Though Hyeon Se-rin said she was just testing Kim Yoon-ji¡¯s resolve, if she ultimately became loyal to the Secret Society, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to bring her fully into the fold, even revealing Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s involvement. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect we¡¯d recruit another S-rank into the society.¡± ¡°You seem happier than usual.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I washed down the refreshing coolness of the beer. ¡°For once, we seeded in recruiting someone through action. I¡¯m happy.¡± Not by using a honey trap. Not by scandal. ¡°As a viin of the Secret Society, I managed to recruit an S-rank purely based on ideology and belief. How could I not be pleased? The people I recruited within the academy¡­ ugh.¡± Suddenly, a shiver ran down my spine. It was all good when I lured them in with a seductive approach and turned them into patriots for the country, but two of them ended up turning into blind zealots as a side effect. The only remaining hope now would be Yoon I-seon, the new S-rank¡­ ¡°When we go to Jeju Ind, do you think I-seon will try to be patriotic too?¡± ¡°Considering someone showed her the manual up close, probably.¡± At the pension on Ulleungdo, I had shown Yumir, Yun Hye-ra, and Hyeon Se-rin exactly how yin and yang merge into one. -They, they never taught us this so clearly at the academy¡­!! Through a demonstration outside the academy, she learned how humanity thrived and prospered. If what you learned in the academy was the bright side of preparing futureborers, the reality of the world outside the academy was cold, dirty, and harsh. ¡°Se-rin, if we¡¯re going to recruit the Thunder Emperor for sure, we¡¯ll need to set the stage, right?¡± ¡°What kind of stage? Judging by the look in your eyes, it seems like you¡¯re nning to get rid of all those guys who were about to make bone soup. Didn¡¯t you say you had to go to Jeju Ind?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to go. We can just call them.¡± To Jeju Ind. ¡°If we put mana powder up for auction at a hotel in Jeju, won¡¯t the fliese swarming there?¡± ¡°¡­Are you nning to call everyone to Jeju Ind?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Summoning tactical nukes. ¡°Let¡¯s start by calling chaos.¡± The one with the most mana among the executives. Chapter 334: Hyeon Se-rin (1) ☆ ¡°Let¡¯s go to the pension.¡± ¡°Suddenly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not sudden. It¡¯s just difficult to stay here any longer.¡± Although the house in Seoul had various items, it¡¯s safe to say that there were almost no living necessities here. Correction. There were basic living necessities, but they were somewhat more inconvenient than in a hotel. The amount of items here was as small as when I first moved into the officetel, and the fridge was only stocked with chicken breast and other diet foods. It was enough for a day or two, but staying here longer would be troublesome. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it.¡±¡°But I¡¯m not.¡± Hyeon Se-rin replied while lying on the sofa,zily eating mint chocte ice cream. Since the fake Goblin incident had been somewhat sorted out, there was no particr reason to stay in Seoul. ¡°And I just took over a one-month rental at a pension.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Jeju Ind.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± At the mention of Jeju Ind, Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s ears perked up. She put down the spoon she had scooped up arge bite of mint chocte with and nced at the screen I had synced to the TV, her eyes twinkling. ¡°Is this the ce?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a pension in the Seogwipo area. The surrounding management is well-maintained, and since it¡¯s a ce that primarily serves overseas VIPs, you don¡¯t need to worry about the facilities.¡± ¡°True, I¡¯ve heard that in Jeju, you have to be most careful about those things.¡± Even in Korea, as it was a popr travel destination, the likelihood of strange devices being installed was high. CCTVs were naturally installed all over Jeju Ind. No matter how much international criticism was thrown at Korea for its excessive use of CCTV infringing on privacy, CCTV continued to increase daily under the guise of maintaining public order and catching criminals. We needed to go in advance and take care of those things. ¡°Then, we won¡¯t need to fly in right away¡­ You¡¯ll have to join as a staff memberter.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Was it because they needed an assistant staff member for the Jeju Library tour?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Since Baek Seol-hee wanted to bring me to Jeju, I had to be dispatched to the Jeju branch as a librarian assistant for her summer course, ¡°Learning Abilities through ssics.¡± ?? ¡°You really lucked out. Not only Baek Seol-hee but also being selected as staff apanying a group of A-ss students to Jeju.¡± ¡°I was just dumped with the task. Who would want to work during the students¡¯ summer break? The university library is the quietest during the students¡¯ summer break.¡± In other words, when I officially entered Jeju, I would have to move along with the staff from Sejong Ind. ¡°Oh, is that so? Hmm. The others must be bitter. They sent a rookie librarian with no expectations, and now, that librarian will have a fling with Baek Seol-hee in Jeju.¡± ¡°Foolish are the ones who miss opportunities when they arise.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t the reason a librarian was needed because you¡¯re a librarian?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Baek Seol-hee deliberately created a library-rted program to justify having a fling with me in Jeju. ¡°Poor students. They have no idea their professor created an extra course just to have an affair, and they¡¯ll be studying that.¡± ¡°If that professor gets pregnant from the affair, she won¡¯t be teaching in the second semester. Wouldn¡¯t that be good for the students?¡± ¡°I heard Baek Seol-hee¡¯s sses are easy. The course evaluations are really good.¡± ¡°No matter how good the professor is, university students won¡¯t be happy about being called in during the summer break, even if it¡¯s Baek Seol-hee.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s true.¡± Anyway. It seemed she¡¯s nning to retire after our encounter in Jeju, but if she was willing to go that far, I had no reason to refuse. ¡°I just meant whoever goes first should pick the mostfortable room.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ then.¡± Hyeon Se-rin grabbed my hand and buried her face in the back of my head. ¡°How about we teleport right now?¡±
At the same time, in a staff residence on Sejong Ind. ¡°Hand over your teleportation ability.¡± ¡°Did you leave it with me? Figure it out and learn it on your own.¡± A white-haired woman and a blonde woman sat across from each other at a table, ring at one another while drinking coffee. ¡°Let¡¯s help each other out, okay? Your sister is asking nicely.¡± ¡°Is this a request? It sounds more like a threat. If I don¡¯t teach you how to create dimensional gates, you¡¯re going to drag me to the summer semester by force, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°As a student learning for free, shouldn¡¯t you be happy to participate?¡± ¡°No way. I¡¯m going to Jeju Ind on my own, book a ce, and live there for a month.¡± The professor and the student stared each other down, with sharply opposing opinions. ¡°You and the teacher can work together during the day. I¡¯ll be busy catching guys and having fun at night.¡± ¡°You do realize that¡¯s a pretty dangerous statement, right?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m only ying with one guy, so what¡¯s dangerous about it?¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re nning to just y around the entire break and not study your abilities?¡± ¡°Of course, I should y during break. What else is there to do? I¡¯m still 20, after all.¡± Crack. Baek Seol-hee gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. ¡°Are you seriously bringing up age? Huh? My physical age is 20 too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so important about that? You can¡¯t even call the teacher ¡®oppa¡¯ after all.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s hands shook in frustration, but she had no retort. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to make a clone.¡± ¡°And what good will it do me to learn that?¡± ¡°You can make a sandwich with one in front and one behind.¡± Yumir sipped her coffee, avoiding eye contact, and staying silent. ¡°You can use a clone to attack from below, and your real body can attack from above. Think about it. If you make the clone do a bit of the dirty work, your real body can enjoy things with no stress, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± ¡°How about it? Sounds good, doesn¡¯t it? You won¡¯t just be doing this, will you? Of course not.¡± Baek Seol-hee poked her fingers deep into the middle of the tall cup. ¡°You also need to do this.¡± She started rubbing her hands together in an exaggerated motion. ¡°Hey, using clones isn¡¯t something bad. You¡¯ll still be doing the real thing with your true self.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± ¡°If you use a clone, you can turn a 1-on-1 situation into 1-on-2, or even more. Of course, the real thing needs to be done with your true body, but if your clones are around, the opponent will have to focus on more than just the 1-on-1.¡± ¡°Hng¡­.¡± Yumir bowed her head, contemting deeply. ¡°And the best thing about learning to make clones: what I mentionedst time¡­ I¡¯ll show you properly now.¡± Baek Seol-hee pulled out her smartphone and yed a video. ¡°You can even record things like this. What do you think?¡± ¡°Sis, you¡¯re really just¡­ an absolute vixen¡­.¡± ¡°Shut up. You¡¯ll be the same soon, so stop acting all innocent with me.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­.¡± Yumir licked her lips as she watched the subtle movements in the video. ¡°If you teach me teleportation, I promise I won¡¯t take you to the summer camp as a work-study student. You¡¯ll have the whole break to yourself. I¡¯ll also teach you how to make clones.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. Okay, let¡¯s make a deal. After I learn teleportation, no barging into this room without permission.¡± ¡°Of course. We wouldn¡¯t want to ruin the mood by teleporting in right in the middle of something fun.¡± ¡°You have to text before teleporting and get permission from the person.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Atst, the two women reached a dramatic agreement.
¡°Is this the ce? Looks nice.¡± Hyeon Se-rin unzipped her white windbreaker, revealing her light clothing underneath. ¡°¡­I was wondering what you were wearing under that. A swimsuit?¡± ¡°Of course. Before the other staff arrive, how about we check whether every corner of the pension is safe before you head off to Sejong Ind?¡± Hyeon Se-rin crossed her thumb and forefinger. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re in Jeju Ind together. We¡¯re not just going to sleep and leave, right?¡± She began wiggling her fingers seductively, shaping them into a heart. Today¡¯s proverb: ¡°The quietest cat is the first to jump on the stove.¡± Chapter 334.5: Hyeon Se-rin Doul The pension was quite spacious. With six rooms on the second floor alone, even the smallest room had a bedrge enough for two people to lie downfortably. However, more important than checking those things was catching the signal sent by Hyeon Se-rin immediately. ¡°Haha, are you already in heat?¡± ¡°The one in heat is not me, but you.¡± I grabbed the waistline of the leotard swimsuit Hyeon Se-rin was wearing. ¡°You¡¯re wearing something like this and asking for sex, and if this isn¡¯t being in heat, then what is?¡± ¡°So, what if I am in heat?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to relieve it for you. First of all¡ª¡±¡°The ce, have you decided?¡± Hyeon Se-rin removed her hood, walked over to the kitchen, and sat on top of the empty table, beckoning me over. ¡°How about here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll probably think about it every time I eat hereter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we¡¯re doing it here. Other people might do it in the room, but¡­.¡± Hyeon Se-rin spread her legs wide and reached her hands behind her. ¡°You¡¯ll think of me every time you eat something delicious here.¡± ¡°Good grief¡­.¡± ¡°Come on, put it in. I was wet all the way from Seoul.¡± ¡°Anyone hearing that might think you flew in by ne. But¡­.¡± I approached Hyeon Se-rin and, despite her eager expression, painted it with betrayal and embarrassment. ¡°Hey! W-wait, that¡¯s dirty, nyaah¡­!¡± ¡°Your moaning still sounds like a cat in heat.¡± ¡°T-this is just, ngh¡­!¡± Hyeon Se-rin slowlyy back. I matched her movement by holding her thighs with both hands and continued with the act that had betrayed her expectations. Lick. ¡°Ahh. You¡­. licking a woman like that, do you think she¡¯d like it¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like it this way?¡± I lifted my head as I licked her, catching a glimpse of her face between her raised breasts. She slightly tilted her head, looking at me, then covered her face with her chest. ? ¡°Ugh, seriously¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one doing the licking, not anyone else.¡± ¡°I was going to give you some forey¡­.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re lying on the table, just behave and let me devour you, Se-rin.¡± Sluurp. I lightly sucked on Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s pussy. It wasn¡¯t about sucking the fluids, just making noise, giving the impression through the touch alone. ¡°Hyaah¡­. Haah, you, really, you¡¯re such a perv, ngh¡­.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s the one dripping sweet nectar while being sucked?¡± ¡°Hah, hah. You, if it weren¡¯t for this body of mine¡­.¡± Hyeon Se-rin sat up again. The moment she ced her hands on her leotard swimsuit, it melted away like mist, revealing her white, bare body. ¡°If I had a human body, would you still lick me like this?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­Ngh.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s a ghost¡¯s or a human¡¯s, as long as it¡¯s Se-rin¡¯s, I¡¯ll lick it anytime.¡± ¡°Crazy¡­.¡± Hyeon Se-rin chuckled dryly but responded by gently patting my head with both hands. ¡°Will you lick other girls too?¡± ¡°If they ask for it.¡± ¡°Then why do you lick me without me even asking for it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­.¡± I spread Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s thighs further apart and buried my face in her mound, tilting my head back. ¡°Licking is your favorite, isn¡¯t it, Se-rin?¡± ¡°When you put it like that, I sound like some queen bee¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about a figure of speech, I¡¯m talking about Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s fetish.¡± Lick, lick. ¡°Haah, ngh, if you keep licking like that, ahah¡­.¡± As soon as my tongue lightly grazed her opening, Hyeon Se-rin instinctively grabbed my head in response to the pleasure building up. Lick, lick, lick. Ignoring her, I continued licking. The shape and feel of her body were just like any other human woman, but the taste of her fluids was sweet, like fruit juice or syrup. ¡°How many other girls have you licked to get this good¡­?!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no difference between this and kissing.¡± ¡°Who said you could, ngh, kiss me down there¡­?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you climb up on the table and offer yourself up?¡± ¡°I did offer it, ngh, but¡­.¡± Hyeon Se-rin made a sad face as she lightly tapped my head. ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong, you fool¡­!¡± ¡°Heh.¡± As she kept tapping my head, I quickly rose up and pressed her back and chest down onto the table. ¡°I did it wrong on purpose.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Se-rin, you don¡¯t know your own body as well as I do. You taste better when I lick you first before having sex.¡± I ced myself in front of Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s entrance. The height of the table was perfect for me to enter her, and the tip of my penis lightly rested against her opening. ¡°And one more thing.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that¡­?¡± ¡°My saliva is like a love gel, making you more sensitive.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, whatever¡­.¡± Hyeon Se-rin pouted and turned her head to the side, but her pale skin had already flushedpletely red. ¡°Fine, just do it already. I told you, I was wet all the way from Seoul. My pussy is going to dry up at this rate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I wetted it with my tongue. And your pussy dry up? It¡¯s more like a flood.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m Hye-ra or something?¡± ¡°If Hye-ra heard that, she¡¯d be hurt, you know?¡± I gently pushed in the tip while pressing down on her pelvis with my thumb. ¡°You¡¯re so wet that as soon as I put it in, it went all the way in. Can you feel it?¡± ¡°Hah, hah. No, I can¡¯t¡­?¡± Hyeon Se-rin tensed up, squeezing her pussy to block my entry. ¡°No matter how wet I am, there¡¯s no way your dick goes in that easily, ngh¡­!¡± ¡°Can you feel it pressing right at the end? The tip is already pushing deep, right?¡± ¡°The pressing part is you doing it, ahhh¡­!¡± Even as I tried to push my dick deeper, Hyeon Se-rin kept resisting, squeezing her pussy. At the same time, instinctively, with experience, she tried to create distance by climbing up onto the table. ¡°Wait, wait¡­. How about just doing it from behind¡­? Hm?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, because¡­.¡± ¡°Is it because you can¡¯t take all of my dick inside?¡± My dick throbbed at her suggestion. ¡°Is this theplex you can¡¯t tell anyone about, Se-rin?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± When I pressed her lower abdomen with my thumb, Hyeon Se-rin cursed and grimaced as if I had pressed a switch. ¡°Say more and I¡¯ll kill you¡­!¡± ¡°Sure, my dick is a little long, but Se-rin¡¯s pussy is shorter than others, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You really¡­!¡± Press. I thrust my dick deeply once more and held her pelvis, preventing her from running away. A woman¡¯s pussy could stretch to amodate a man¡¯s dick, but Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s had already stretched to its limit. Even with my dick going in deep, there was still room for two more finger joints, so I understood why she felt embarrassed. That was why she was more sensitive to the tongue. Because her pussy was shorter, her erogenous zones were concentrated around the entrance. ¡°Still, I¡¯d love to finish inside you, Se-rin.¡± ¡°You, you can finish inside, but if you want to put it all the way in and out, doing it from behind would be better¡­.¡± ¡°I feel like I mighte just from pushing into your pussy.¡± ¡°Ugh, seriously¡­.¡± Hyeon Se-rin bit her lower lip in resignation, and I grabbed the hands she had reached out to stop me with. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not letting go.¡± I grabbed Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s wrists and pulled her hands down to her lower abdomen, causing her chest to arch upward. As much as I wanted to bury my face in her breasts, I held her hands tightly to provide the right stimtion for her. ¡°How does this feel?¡± ¡°N-no¡­! It¡¯s too sensitive, ngh¡­!¡± Swish, swish. Although I wasn¡¯t thrusting deeply, the movements made her more sensitive than when I was licking her earlier, and she shuddered. ¡°Can you feel it? Every time I go in and out, I¡¯m pushing in different directions?¡± ¡°Ngh, you pervert¡­!¡± ¡°Yeah, I am. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to keep having sex like this.¡± I pushed my dick in deeply and then pulled it all the way out. As the tip brushed past her entrance and almost withdrew, I immediately parted her pussy again, pushing back inside. Squish, squish. ¡°Ah, ngh, if you keep teasing like that, ah, I¡¯m going toe¡­!¡± Although I wasn¡¯t thrusting violently, the slow, teasing strokes caused Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s breathing to grow more erratic. ¡°Ah, hah, haah¡­! You¡¯re torturing me with your dick¡­! If you keep teasing like this, ngh, I¡¯m really going to keep, ugh, trembling¡­!¡± Her slightly raised hips trembled, causing her breasts to shake. Normally, in this position, her breasts would shake back and forth, but now, it was more of a tremor from her approaching climax rather than the movement of her body. ¡°Se-rin. I¡¯m going to put it in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s already in, ah, ngh, put it all the way inside¡­ ah, ah¡­!¡± Just beforeing, I positioned the tip of my dick at the entrance of Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s pussy and tensed my legs. Throb. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s going in, ngh, that hot feeling, ah, it¡¯s filling me up¡­.¡± The thick stream of cum filled Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s pussypletely, and she half-closed her eyes, concentrating all her senses on her pussy as she gasped softly. ¡°Haaah¡­. Hey, do that¡­ do that thing.¡± ¡°This?¡± I gently lifted Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s lower body, ignoring the afterglow of ejaction, and pressed my dick deeper inside. ¡°Ngh¡­.¡± Like pushing the plunger of a syringe, I pressed my dick in, pushing the cum deeper into her pussy. ¡°Haaah¡­.¡± Hyeon Se-rin tightened her pussy in sync with the position of my dick, and soon, I reached her deepest point. ¡°This, this is amazing¡­.¡± Tears welled up in Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s eyes as she tilted her head to the side, a soft smile on her lips. ¡°Hey, you know how guys just want to thrust it all the way in¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to try my best today, so¡­.¡± Squish. ¡°¡­How about we try to go even deeper?¡± Hyeon Se-rin pointed to the pussy just below her belly button and smiled faintly. ¡°If we angle it just right¡­ don¡¯t you think your dick could reach the second part of my pussy¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re crossing a line now.¡± I yfully flicked Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s lower chest with my finger and buried my face in her breasts. ¡°I¡¯ll finish inside as much as you want, but just rx and enjoy it without hurting yourself.¡± ¡°Okay¡­.¡± Hyeon Se-rin wrapped her legs around my back and held onto me tightly. ¡°Make my pussy stretch to fit you perfectly. I¡¯ll take it all in, down to the root¡­. Hehe¡­.¡±
Later. ¡°Ah, ahh¡­! More, more¡­! I can stretch more, ngh¡­!¡± ¡°Harder, harder¡­! It¡¯s fine, just keep finishing inside me¡­!¡± ¡°Hah, hah, hah¡­. Ahh, it¡¯s going in deeper¡­?¡± I kept thrusting my dick into Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s pussy, continuing the pussy-expanding work until dawn. Chapter 335: Hyeon Se-rin (2) Morning hade. Throughout the night, I scoured every nook and cranny of the pension with Hyeon Se-rin. Thankfully, there were no strange devices, magic, or functions inside the pension. The CCTV locations were clearly visible at a nce, and the number of cameras we checked matched the footage. There were no hidden cameras in the bathroom, living room, or any other rooms¡ªnone at all. Someone might say, ¡°But what if something was recorded, and even an ability user was captured?¡± If that ability user became enraged after finding out their footage was leaked, suffered a mental breakdown, and turned into a demon? Of course, the national loss would be significant, and the government was doing everything it could to prevent such crimes in advance. Even if it was not an ability user, crimes like body cam phishing or video leaks were being prevented as much as possible.But would those who attempted to film such things cared about how their victims reacted? As recording devices be more prevalent and with the current age where anyone could record FHD videos with just a smartwatch, miniature cameras small enough to fit into wristwatch parts are easily circted on the market. I thoroughly searched every corner of the pension. I even climbed onto beds, sofas, and the kitchen table, searching. Snooze, snooze. Hyeon Se-rin was sleeping soundly next to me, as if she had passed out. Since she stayed up all night with me, going from ce to ce, she must have been exhausted. After tidying her messy hair, I quietly left the room to let Hyeon Se-rin sleep peacefully and started preparing breakfast for her. Sizzle, sizzle. Using ingredients from the fridge, I cooked soup and made some side dishes while I popped in my wireless earphones to listen to the news. ¡°-¡­Regarding the muttion of the Nuts Crusher¡¯s body, Haegneul General Hospital has expressed deep regret. The director of Haegneul General Hospital, Mr. Mo, has resigned to take responsibility for the situation. However, he is under suspicion of having stolen bones from an ability user¡¯s body in the past. The Hero Association is¡­¡± The major issues were twofold. One was the aftermath of the Nuts Crusher case. Although it¡¯s not exactly a ¡°bacsh,¡± everyone involved in the case who could be exposed to the media was being dealt with in various ways. Some were being ousted. Others were being arrested. ¡®The scavengers have quietly been apprehended, and there¡¯s no mention of Hwalbindang.¡¯ Information was being controlled. The fact that Goblin defeated Thunder Emperor and mutted his body was too widely witnessed to be hidden. However, the massacre carried out by Hwalbindang in the Seoul suburbs remainspletely unknown. R ¡®Are Haegneul and Hwalbindang still thinking they can use each other?¡¯ When one side concluded that they could overpower the other, that they could now handle it, or that it was no longer necessary, the media would undoubtedly begin to make noise. Whether it was about the cruelty of Hwalbindang. Or the filth of Haegneul. In the end, neither of them was helpful to the future ruled by the Secret Society. And then there was the other issue. ¡°-¡­ording to reports, Sejong Academy ns to hold a summer semester across the entire ind of Jeju for about three weeks starting on the 7th of next month, with four S-grade ability users participating in this luxurious ability user training camp¡­¡± The summer semester. ¡®It¡¯s going to attract quite a crowd. If anyone manages to capture even a single scene of someone swimming, it¡¯ll be a jackpot.¡¯ As the media began to officially talk about it, Jeju Ind would soon be bustling with people wanting to catch a glimpse of the academy¡¯s students and professors. July was traditionally the peak season for Jeju Ind tourism. With swimming pools in every hotel and numerous beaches, people eagerly snuck around to catch a glimpse of the ability users¡¯ physiques. ¡®Wait. Four S-grades?¡¯ Besides Baek Seol-hee and Yoon Iseon, there were two more? I looked up information rted to that¡ª ¡°What? You¡¯re preparing all by yourself?¡± Hyeon Se-rin, in her cat pajamas, rubbed her eyes and walked out to the living room from the bedroom. ¡°Ugh, you should have told me. I would have helped.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve just slept in and rxed for once. I¡¯m still preparing. You can sleep more.¡± ¡°Doing this is better than sleeping.¡± Hyeon Se-rin hugged me from behind as I was checking the seasoning of the bean sprout soup and rubbed her face against me. ¡°This makes it feel like you¡¯re my husband, Mr. Do.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re going to bring up the Chairman again and say, ¡®I can do something else besides being your husband,¡¯ right? I know, I know. Tsk. I¡¯m done with that.¡± Hyeon Se-rin stepped back, pping me on the butt. I thought about saying something, but considering the trouble she went throughst night, getting off with just a p on the butt was a bargain. ¡°Tsk. If I had known, I would have definitely secured you before the Chairman got involved.¡± ¡°The bus has already left. You¡¯re way toote.¡± ¡°Ugh. I want to go back in time. Right when Goblin started to change¡­ wait, about a year ago?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about right.¡± It wasst July 1st when I was transported to this world and possessed Do Chang-nam¡¯s body. Almost a year had passed since then, and now Goblin was apletely different person. ¡°He wasn¡¯t like this before.¡± ¡°People change. Especially men. Once they mature, even more so. And Hyeon Se-rin standing right here isn¡¯t the same as the old Hyeon Se-rin, is she?¡± ¡°A woman¡¯s past should stay buried. It¡¯s not meant to be dug up and examined, you know?¡± Hyeon Se-rin suddenly spoke formally, her expression serious. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve been reconnecting with people I knew in the past, like Thunder Emperor and that self-proimed Shaman, the me they knew and the me now arepletely different.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± There was no way the S-grade hero who was once steeped in nationalism and Doul, Hyeon Se-rin, could be the same person. Just like Do Chang-nam and Goblin were nowpletely different beings. ¡°I know very well that you¡¯ve be apletely different person. That¡¯s why we can talk so kindly like this. Otherwise, how could we face each other and greet the morning together?¡± Hyeon Se-rin, as if understanding something, mumbled and copsed onto the table. ¡°Is that about ¡®that woman¡¯?¡± ¡°There are so many women in the world, if you just say ¡®that woman,¡¯ no one will know who you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Your childhood friend.¡± I shrugged my shoulders as I ced the dishes on the table. Even though Hyeon Se-rin was conscious of what she said and nced at me nervously, I didn¡¯t think there was any problem with her mentioning that woman. ¡°Hyeon Se-rin. Why? Do you think I would hold a grudge because you killed one of my old acquaintances?¡± Not at all. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that at all. In fact, I hadpletely forgotten about it until now.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you really close with that woman?¡± ¡°We might have been close. Maybe she thought so. But.¡± After finishing the meal preparation, I ced my finger on my temple. ¡°Even if she joined the Secret Society because of me, I can¡¯t forgive a woman who betrayed the Society.¡± ¡°¡­I thought you became a librarian because that woman liked books.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Bing a librarian was just something I chose because I like reading books. Thinking that I chose the path of a librarian because a woman from my past liked books? Absolutely not. She might have been part of Do Chang-nam¡¯s story, but in Do Ji-hwan¡¯s story, she was just an annoying traitor. ¡°That woman, to me, is less important than Ermina Steinfeldt or Juliana Fayegreen¡­ No, to be precise, she¡¯s not even worth remembering. If you hadn¡¯t brought her up, I wouldn¡¯t have even recalled her.¡± ¡°¡­But Jeju Ind is.¡± ¡°Where that woman died. Oh,e on. I told you, I don¡¯t care about that.¡± I patted Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s head as I met her downcast eyes. ¡°Whether she was a childhood friend or a close acquaintance, I don¡¯t care about a woman who betrayed the Society at all. I¡¯d rather spend that time reading another book to devise and create new abilities.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. Gosh, if only unity could demonstrate my true feelings, I¡¯d unify with you right now to show you.¡± Hyeon Se-rin perked up her ears and sat upright. ¡°I think I said something unnecessary.¡± ¡°Exactly. It was unnecessary. That woman isn¡¯t important at all, so why did you even bring her up¡­ Ah.¡± Suddenly, a tingling sensation ran down my spine. ¡°Should I use her this time?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a traitor to the Society, but before she disappeared, she was an A-grade ability user at the Academy. Great. After we eat, let¡¯s go find her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I¡¯d use anything that can be useful. Even if it was someone like Do Chang-nam¡¯s childhood friend, who was supposed to be the heroine in the original story, and a heroine belonging to the Secret Society. ¡°After we burned the remains and sealed them in a drum, unless someone tampered with it, she should still be there. If anyone had dug her up, the Brewer would have reported it.¡± She was already dead, after all. Killed by Hyeon Se-rin. Before I could kill her by smashing her head, Hyeon Se-rin had shot a bullet through her skull and finished her off. ¡°Even though using the dead might seem a little cruel, if it contributes to national security and world peace, she¡¯d be happy about it.¡± That name was. ¡°Seon Ga-eul, of course.¡± There was once a childhood friend of Goblin, Do Chang-nam. She was supposed to be the original story¡¯s heroine, destined to be NTR-ed by the protagonist. What a shame. She died before the original story even started. Correction. We killed her. Hyeon Se-rin did. ¡°Those who insult the Chief and betray the Society, I will never forgive.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter [NaN]: ?? New! Donation Section - Support early translations! In thements section of the novel, you could often see these kinds of remarks: -¡°Author, your novel should follow a no-romance path.¡± -¡°There really doesn¡¯t seem to be a need to keep increasing the number of heroines.¡± -¡°Ugh¡­ I really hate it when the heroines keep whining.¡± -¡°Let¡¯s just kill off all the heroines and any other women before they can even be heroines, right?¡± Heroine Pre-Death. This was a term that meant to exclude romance in the novel. No woman should be a heroine, no heroine should interfere with the protagonist¡¯s narrative, and if there was even a hint that a woman might be a heroine, readers propose killing her off before it happens. It was up to the author to ept or reject this. And the nationalist light novel author didn¡¯t kill off all the heroines¡ªinstead, they were all incorporated into the protagonist¡¯s harem.Even the heroine who tried to enhance her mana by inhaling mana powder. Even the heroine who tried to beat the protagonist in group practice and win herself. Even the viinous heroine who murdered people recklessly. -¡°Is the author a horny beast or something?¡± -¡°Every female character with XX chromosomes automatically bes a heroine, huh?¡± Although the readers had harsh reactions, the author stubbornly dragged all the heroines along until thetter half of the story. Well, I got it. The more heroines there were, the easier it was to unfold stories involving them, and the more individual episodes you could tell for each heroine, driving the plot forward. And I also understood that the author wanted to show how these heroines met the protagonist, fell for him, and then reformed themselves. Even if ¡°gap moe¡± wasn¡¯t the right word here, maybe that was what the author was aiming for. ¡°But if that was the n, they shouldn¡¯t have ended it with a meteor ending.¡± After portraying the heroines in such a terrible light, they didn¡¯t even wrap up the foreshadowing properly and ended with the protagonistunching a meteor? Instead of the meteor destroying the Earth, it should have wiped out the final boss, followed by a neat, happy ending. They could have at least released side stories for the main heroinester on¡ªwould that have been too much to ask? ? As a former reader, I couldn¡¯t contain my anger over that. And that anger had now been reced by the fact that I¡¯ve entered this world as Do Ji-hwan. And presently¡­ I was somewhere on Hasan Mountain in Jeju Ind, in the middle of the mountain where I once visited when I was actively operating as the Goblin. ¡°Ugh, seriously, it feels like a ghost is going to pop out.¡± ¡°What do you expect when a ghost tells another ghost that there¡¯s a ghost?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a woman I killed. What if she¡¯s lingering as a vengeful spirit, holding a grudge?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something called ¡®expelling malicious spirits.¡¯¡± Hyeon Se-rin, who had changed into her executive outfit and was now wearing a white coat, crossed her arms and shuddered. She wasn¡¯t particrly feeling cold, but she did seem a bit uneasy about facing the remains of the woman she killed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. If that woman does show up as a vengeful spirit, she¡¯lle after me before shees after you.¡± ¡°Are you saying she has more of a grudge against you than the one who actually killed her?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Because she was the Goblin¡¯s heroine. She had been Do Chang-nam¡¯s childhood friend, and before the original story began, she had been something more than just a potential romantic interest for Do Chang-nam. ¡°She probably thinks I abandoned her, and the betrayal would¡¯ve stung deeply. That¡¯s why she did what she did.¡± Not an official rtionship, but a heroine who had gotten close to the stage right before dating. ording to the original setting, and at the time of possession, that¡¯s how it was. But as I decided to live as Do Ji-hwan, I slowly began to distance myself from that woman. ¡°If the man she thought of as a potential boyfriend dumped her and started hanging out with more beautiful and capable women, wouldn¡¯t she naturally be furious? From her perspective, she might have felt like she had supported him all her life.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a little strange for me to be asking this now, but weren¡¯t you two actually dating?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± If the original story was to be believed, we weren¡¯t dating at all. And even if we were, considering the things she said to the protagonist in the future, it¡¯s clear the rtionship wouldn¡¯t have been normal. ¡°At least as an adult and as a viin, it¡¯s true that she had certain¡­ rtions.¡± ¡°Did she?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I can say for sure.¡± In the rtionship with Do Chang-nam that led to this, from my perspective as Do Ji-hwan, I saw Seon Ga-eul both from a first-person and omniscient point of view, and I reached my conclusion. ¡°To her, I was like an insurance policy, someone she could always keep by her side. I wasn¡¯t as valuable as a new car, but if she needed to, she could switch to someone better and still get a good price selling me off, so to speak.¡± Seon Ga-eul was, to put it bluntly, a promiscuous woman. Maybe the author thought they needed at least one character like that among the heroines, or maybe it was because she was part of a viin organization. Either way, the author turned Seon Ga-eul into someone born in Korea but with a mindset that was far too liberal for a so-called Confucian girl. -¡°Oh my gosh! Protagonist-kun¡¯s bat is amazing!¡± -¡°I don¡¯t even think about the Goblin¡¯s bat anymore¡­!¡± -¡°I¡¯ll be Protagonist-kun¡¯s woman! Ah, my belly is filled with Protagonist-kun¡¯s magic power¡­!¡± From a reader¡¯s perspective¡­ That woman existed solely to demonstrate that the protagonist was far superior to the Goblin, to emotionally drag the Goblin down, and to turn him into a devil. In other words, she was simply a heroine designed to give readers a taste of NTR. Even though it hadn¡¯t happened yet, even from this point in the past, considering her lines, personality, and actual conversations with Do Ji-hwan, there was no reason to feel any regret or guilt. Above all¡­ ¡°Se-rin, do you think a virgin ghost would be stronger, or just a vengeful spirit who was murdered?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me that¡­ Wait a minute. Are you saying¡­?¡± ¡°I can say this with certainty. Seon Ga-eul is no virgin ghost.¡± If she had be a vengeful spirit, she was just a murdered ghost, not a virgin ghost. And that was not because of anything I did. ording to her background, her first wasn¡¯t Do Chang-nam, but¡ª ¡°Anyway, I made sure with my own eyes that she couldn¡¯t be a virgin ghost. So, you¡¯ll definitely be stronger as a virgin ghost. I confirmed it from two different angles¡ªboth spiritually and physically.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°One, I checked it firsthand. And the other, I confirmed it from a distance¡ªphysically.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Hyeon Se-rin grimaced and waved her hand in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s a bit of an ufortable story. That woman¡­ I felt it when I killed her too, but what exactly was she?¡± ¡°A master maniptor. She kept throwing bait everywhere and figured that the biggest and easiest catch, with the plumpest flesh, was me.¡± To some, this story might sound unpleasant, but that was exactly the kind of person she was. ¡°But Director Do? There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. That woman was A-rank, and you were only C-rank back then. Why was she so hung up on you?¡± ¡°I might have been C-rank in ability, but other things were Special EX-grade.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Hyeon Se-rin quickly understood. ¡°Yeah, being A-rank gives you plenty of choices when ites to men. So, is this the ce?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn Deep in the mountains stood a dpidated old house, the kind where survivalists might live. The type of house where, if people came up to film a vlog about exploring abandoned ces while making ramen, one of them might go missing. ¡°Who¡¯s there¡­?¡± An old man in a shabby vest appeared, leaning on a cane, eyeing us warily. He seemed to rx slightly when he saw Hyeon Se-rin, but he was still focused on figuring out who we were. ¡°Hello, sir. Is it alright if we do a bit of filming here? We¡¯re from ¡®DJ Journal¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­Sure, filming is fine, but be careful. In about 30 minutes, the ability patrol will be passing through this area.¡± The old man left, and I pointed toward the inside of the house for Hyeon Se-rin. ¡°You¡¯re quite the negotiator. Can you handle this in under 30 minutes?¡± ¡°I can finish it in under 3 minutes.¡± I entered the abandoned house and struck the living room floor with the Goblin Bat. ¡°It¡¯s sealed with magic, after all.¡± Rumble. As the magically reinforced concrete bunker opened up, arge drum appeared inside. The drum was filled with cement, and I pointed the Goblin Bat at the cement and lightly activated my magic. Thunk, thunk. ¡°Ugh, this isn¡¯t going to summon anything nasty, is it¡­?¡± ¡°No. Unless you want me to summon an exorcist or Baridegi?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not that scared, okay?¡± Hyeon Se-rin took a deep breath and steadied herself while I pulled out an object that clung to the tip of the Goblin Bat like a ma, hidden deep inside the cement. ¡°This is a very special item that scavengers all over the country would kill to get their hands on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ just a thermos.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what it looks like. As long as it works well, that¡¯s all that counts.¡± I opened the stainless steel thermos, revealing a suspicious-looking stic bag inside. The bag contained a small amount of white powder, about the size of a clenched fist. ¡°Fortunately, it seems there are no evil spirits.¡± ¡°And zombies¡­?¡± ¡°The body was burned; only the ashes remain. There¡¯s no way it could be a zombie.¡± ¡°Do you have any regrets?¡± ¡°None.¡± For world peace. And for my own, the Goblin¡¯s, peace of mind. ¡°Hah, so that¡¯s it? Do you just prefer younger women? You think those women are really going to stick around? They¡¯ll use you and toss you aside like some broken bat! You¡¯re just a tool to them, you fool!¡± Based on the interactions I¡¯d had with her as Do Ji-hwan, I killed Seon Ga-eul without hesitation. Because¡ª ¡°The event that ultimately led the Goblin to fall as the final boss was NTR.¡±* Before the Goblin became a demon. As Seon Ga-eul moved on to the protagonist, a package had arrived in front of the Goblin¡¯s door. Inside it was a USB containing something that turned the Goblin into a demon¡ªa horrifying piece of content. ¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± Chapter [NaN]: In thements section of the novel, you could often see these kinds of remarks: -¡°Author, your novel should follow a no-romance path.¡± n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om -¡°There really doesn¡¯t seem to be a need to keep increasing the number of heroines.¡± -¡°Ugh¡­ I really hate it when the heroines keep whining.¡± -¡°Let¡¯s just kill off all the heroines and any other women before they can even be heroines, right?¡± Heroine Pre-Death. This was a term that meant to exclude romance in the novel. No woman should be a heroine, no heroine should interfere with the protagonist¡¯s narrative, and if there was even a hint that a woman might be a heroine, readers propose killing her off before it happens. It was up to the author to ept or reject this. And the nationalist light novel author didn¡¯t kill off all the heroines¡ªinstead, they were all incorporated into the protagonist¡¯s harem. Even the heroine who tried to enhance her mana by inhaling mana powder. Even the heroine who tried to beat the protagonist in group practice and win herself. Even the viinous heroine who murdered people recklessly. -¡°Is the author a horny beast or something?¡± -¡°Every female character with XX chromosomes automatically bes a heroine, huh?¡± Although the readers had harsh reactions, the author stubbornly dragged all the heroines along until thetter half of the story. Well, I got it. The more heroines there were, the easier it was to unfold stories involving them, and the more individual episodes you could tell for each heroine, driving the plot forward. And I also understood that the author wanted to show how these heroines met the protagonist, fell for him, and then reformed themselves. Even if ¡°gap moe¡± wasn¡¯t the right word here, maybe that was what the author was aiming for. ¡°But if that was the n, they shouldn¡¯t have ended it with a meteor ending.¡± After portraying the heroines in such a terrible light, they didn¡¯t even wrap up the foreshadowing properly and ended with the protagonistunching a meteor? Instead of the meteor destroying the Earth, it should have wiped out the final boss, followed by a neat, happy ending. They could have at least released side stories for the main heroinester on¡ªwould that have been too much to ask? ? As a former reader, I couldn¡¯t contain my anger over that. And that anger had now been reced by the fact that I¡¯ve entered this world as Do Ji-hwan. And presently¡­ I was somewhere on Hasan Mountain in Jeju Ind, in the middle of the mountain where I once visited when I was actively operating as the Goblin. ¡°Ugh, seriously, it feels like a ghost is going to pop out.¡± ¡°What do you expect when a ghost tells another ghost that there¡¯s a ghost?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a woman I killed. What if she¡¯s lingering as a vengeful spirit, holding a grudge?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something called ¡®expelling malicious spirits.¡¯¡± Hyeon Se-rin, who had changed into her executive outfit and was now wearing a white coat, crossed her arms and shuddered. She wasn¡¯t particrly feeling cold, but she did seem a bit uneasy about facing the remains of the woman she killed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. If that woman does show up as a vengeful spirit, she¡¯lle after me before shees after you.¡± ¡°Are you saying she has more of a grudge against you than the one who actually killed her?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Because she was the Goblin¡¯s heroine. She had been Do Chang-nam¡¯s childhood friend, and before the original story began, she had been something more than just a potential romantic interest for Do Chang-nam. ¡°She probably thinks I abandoned her, and the betrayal would¡¯ve stung deeply. That¡¯s why she did what she did.¡± Not an official rtionship, but a heroine who had gotten close to the stage right before dating. ording to the original setting, and at the time of possession, that¡¯s how it was. But as I decided to live as Do Ji-hwan, I slowly began to distance myself from that woman. ¡°If the man she thought of as a potential boyfriend dumped her and started hanging out with more beautiful and capable women, wouldn¡¯t she naturally be furious? From her perspective, she might have felt like she had supported him all her life.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a little strange for me to be asking this now, but weren¡¯t you two actually dating?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± If the original story was to be believed, we weren¡¯t dating at all. And even if we were, considering the things she said to the protagonist in the future, it¡¯s clear the rtionship wouldn¡¯t have been normal. ¡°At least as an adult and as a viin, it¡¯s true that she had certain¡­ rtions.¡± ¡°Did she?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I can say for sure.¡± In the rtionship with Do Chang-nam that led to this, from my perspective as Do Ji-hwan, I saw Seon Ga-eul both from a first-person and omniscient point of view, and I reached my conclusion. ¡°To her, I was like an insurance policy, someone she could always keep by her side. I wasn¡¯t as valuable as a new car, but if she needed to, she could switch to someone better and still get a good price selling me off, so to speak.¡± Seon Ga-eul was, to put it bluntly, a promiscuous woman. Maybe the author thought they needed at least one character like that among the heroines, or maybe it was because she was part of a viin organization. Either way, the author turned Seon Ga-eul into someone born in Korea but with a mindset that was far too liberal for a so-called Confucian girl. -¡°Oh my gosh! Protagonist-kun¡¯s bat is amazing!¡± -¡°I don¡¯t even think about the Goblin¡¯s bat anymore¡­!¡± -¡°I¡¯ll be Protagonist-kun¡¯s woman! Ah, my belly is filled with Protagonist-kun¡¯s magic power¡­!¡± From a reader¡¯s perspective¡­ That woman existed solely to demonstrate that the protagonist was far superior to the Goblin, to emotionally drag the Goblin down, and to turn him into a devil. In other words, she was simply a heroine designed to give readers a taste of NTR. Even though it hadn¡¯t happened yet, even from this point in the past, considering her lines, personality, and actual conversations with Do Ji-hwan, there was no reason to feel any regret or guilt. Above all¡­ ¡°Se-rin, do you think a virgin ghost would be stronger, or just a vengeful spirit who was murdered?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me that¡­ Wait a minute. Are you saying¡­?¡± ¡°I can say this with certainty. Seon Ga-eul is no virgin ghost.¡± If she had be a vengeful spirit, she was just a murdered ghost, not a virgin ghost. And that was not because of anything I did. ording to her background, her first wasn¡¯t Do Chang-nam, but¡ª ¡°Anyway, I made sure with my own eyes that she couldn¡¯t be a virgin ghost. So, you¡¯ll definitely be stronger as a virgin ghost. I confirmed it from two different angles¡ªboth spiritually and physically.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°One, I checked it firsthand. And the other, I confirmed it from a distance¡ªphysically.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Hyeon Se-rin grimaced and waved her hand in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s a bit of an ufortable story. That woman¡­ I felt it when I killed her too, but what exactly was she?¡± ¡°A master maniptor. She kept throwing bait everywhere and figured that the biggest and easiest catch, with the plumpest flesh, was me.¡± To some, this story might sound unpleasant, but that was exactly the kind of person she was. ¡°But Director Do? There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. That woman was A-rank, and you were only C-rank back then. Why was she so hung up on you?¡± ¡°I might have been C-rank in ability, but other things were Special EX-grade.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Hyeon Se-rin quickly understood. ¡°Yeah, being A-rank gives you plenty of choices when ites to men. So, is this the ce?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Deep in the mountains stood a dpidated old house, the kind where survivalists might live. The type of house where, if people came up to film a vlog about exploring abandoned ces while making ramen, one of them might go missing. ¡°Who¡¯s there¡­?¡± An old man in a shabby vest appeared, leaning on a cane, eyeing us warily. He seemed to rx slightly when he saw Hyeon Se-rin, but he was still focused on figuring out who we were. ¡°Hello, sir. Is it alright if we do a bit of filming here? We¡¯re from ¡®DJ Journal¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­Sure, filming is fine, but be careful. In about 30 minutes, the ability patrol will be passing through this area.¡± The old man left, and I pointed toward the inside of the house for Hyeon Se-rin. ¡°You¡¯re quite the negotiator. Can you handle this in under 30 minutes?¡± ¡°I can finish it in under 3 minutes.¡± I entered the abandoned house and struck the living room floor with the Goblin Bat. ¡°It¡¯s sealed with magic, after all.¡± Rumble. As the magically reinforced concrete bunker opened up, arge drum appeared inside. The drum was filled with cement, and I pointed the Goblin Bat at the cement and lightly activated my magic. Thunk, thunk. ¡°Ugh, this isn¡¯t going to summon anything nasty, is it¡­?¡± ¡°No. Unless you want me to summon an exorcist or Baridegi?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not that scared, okay?¡± Hyeon Se-rin took a deep breath and steadied herself while I pulled out an object that clung to the tip of the Goblin Bat like a ma, hidden deep inside the cement. ¡°This is a very special item that scavengers all over the country would kill to get their hands on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ just a thermos.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what it looks like. As long as it works well, that¡¯s all that counts.¡± I opened the stainless steel thermos, revealing a suspicious-looking stic bag inside. The bag contained a small amount of white powder, about the size of a clenched fist. ¡°Fortunately, it seems there are no evil spirits.¡± ¡°And zombies¡­?¡± ¡°The body was burned; only the ashes remain. There¡¯s no way it could be a zombie.¡± ¡°Do you have any regrets?¡± ¡°None.¡± For world peace. And for my own, the Goblin¡¯s, peace of mind. ¡°Hah, so that¡¯s it? Do you just prefer younger women? You think those women are really going to stick around? They¡¯ll use you and toss you aside like some broken bat! You¡¯re just a tool to them, you fool!¡± Based on the interactions I¡¯d had with her as Do Ji-hwan, I killed Seon Ga-eul without hesitation. Because¡ª ¡°The event that ultimately led the Goblin to fall as the final boss was NTR.¡±* Before the Goblin became a demon. As Seon Ga-eul moved on to the protagonist, a package had arrived in front of the Goblin¡¯s door. Inside it was a USB containing something that turned the Goblin into a demon¡ªa horrifying piece of content. ¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± Chapter 336: One Who Deserves To Die (1) Chapter 336: One Who Deserves To Die (1) In thements section of the novel, you could often see these kinds of remarks: -¡°Author, your novel should follow a no-romance path.¡± -¡°There really doesn¡¯t seem to be a need to keep increasing the number of heroines.¡± -¡°Ugh¡­ I really hate it when the heroines keep whining.¡± -¡°Let¡¯s just kill off all the heroines and any other women before they can even be heroines, right?¡± Heroine Pre-Death. This was a term that meant to exclude romance in the novel. No woman should be a heroine, no heroine should interfere with the protagonist¡¯s narrative, and if there was even a hint that a woman might be a heroine, readers propose killing her off before it happens. It was up to the author to ept or reject this. And the nationalist light novel author didn¡¯t kill off all the heroines¡ªinstead, they were all incorporated into the protagonist¡¯s harem.Even the heroine who tried to enhance her mana by inhaling mana powder. Even the heroine who tried to beat the protagonist in group practice and win herself. Even the viinous heroine who murdered people recklessly. -¡°Is the author a horny beast or something?¡± -¡°Every female character with XX chromosomes automatically bes a heroine, huh?¡± Although the readers had harsh reactions, the author stubbornly dragged all the heroines along until thetter half of the story. Well, I got it. The more heroines there were, the easier it was to unfold stories involving them, and the more individual episodes you could tell for each heroine, driving the plot forward. And I also understood that the author wanted to show how these heroines met the protagonist, fell for him, and then reformed themselves. Even if ¡°gap moe¡± wasn¡¯t the right word here, maybe that was what the author was aiming for. ¡°But if that was the n, they shouldn¡¯t have ended it with a meteor ending.¡± After portraying the heroines in such a terrible light, they didn¡¯t even wrap up the foreshadowing properly and ended with the protagonistunching a meteor? Instead of the meteor destroying the Earth, it should have wiped out the final boss, followed by a neat, happy ending. They could have at least released side stories for the main heroinester on¡ªwould that have been too much to ask? As a former reader, I couldn¡¯t contain my anger over that. And that anger had now been reced by the fact that I¡¯ve entered this world as Do Ji-hwan. And presently¡­ I was somewhere on Hasan Mountain in Jeju Ind, in the middle of the mountain where I once visited when I was actively operating as the Goblin. ¡°Ugh, seriously, it feels like a ghost is going to pop out.¡± ¡°What do you expect when a ghost tells another ghost that there¡¯s a ghost?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a woman I killed. What if she¡¯s lingering as a vengeful spirit, holding a grudge?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something called ¡®expelling malicious spirits.¡¯¡± Hyeon Se-rin, who had changed into her executive outfit and was now wearing a white coat, crossed her arms and shuddered. She wasn¡¯t particrly feeling cold, but she did seem a bit uneasy about facing the remains of the woman she killed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. If that woman does show up as a vengeful spirit, she¡¯lle after me before shees after you.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Are you saying she has more of a grudge against you than the one who actually killed her?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Because she was the Goblin¡¯s heroine. She had been Do Chang-nam¡¯s childhood friend, and before the original story began, she had been something more than just a potential romantic interest for Do Chang-nam. ¡°She probably thinks I abandoned her, and the betrayal would¡¯ve stung deeply. That¡¯s why she did what she did.¡± Not an official rtionship, but a heroine who had gotten close to the stage right before dating. ording to the original setting, and at the time of possession, that¡¯s how it was. But as I decided to live as Do Ji-hwan, I slowly began to distance myself from that woman. ¡°If the man she thought of as a potential boyfriend dumped her and started hanging out with more beautiful and capable women, wouldn¡¯t she naturally be furious? From her perspective, she might have felt like she had supported him all her life.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a little strange for me to be asking this now, but weren¡¯t you two actually dating?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± If the original story was to be believed, we weren¡¯t dating at all. And even if we were, considering the things she said to the protagonist in the future, it¡¯s clear the rtionship wouldn¡¯t have been normal. ¡°At least as an adult and as a viin, it¡¯s true that she had certain¡­ rtions.¡± ¡°Did she?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I can say for sure.¡± In the rtionship with Do Chang-nam that led to this, from my perspective as Do Ji-hwan, I saw Seon Ga-eul both from a first-person and omniscient point of view, and I reached my conclusion. ¡°To her, I was like an insurance policy, someone she could always keep by her side. I wasn¡¯t as valuable as a new car, but if she needed to, she could switch to someone better and still get a good price selling me off, so to speak.¡± Seon Ga-eul was, to put it bluntly, a promiscuous woman. Maybe the author thought they needed at least one character like that among the heroines, or maybe it was because she was part of a viin organization. Either way, the author turned Seon Ga-eul into someone born in Korea but with a mindset that was far too liberal for a so-called Confucian girl. -¡°Oh my gosh! Protagonist-kun¡¯s bat is amazing!¡± -¡°I don¡¯t even think about the Goblin¡¯s bat anymore¡­!¡± -¡°I¡¯ll be Protagonist-kun¡¯s woman! Ah, my belly is filled with Protagonist-kun¡¯s magic power¡­!¡± From a reader¡¯s perspective¡­ That woman existed solely to demonstrate that the protagonist was far superior to the Goblin, to emotionally drag the Goblin down, and to turn him into a devil. In other words, she was simply a heroine designed to give readers a taste of NTR. Even though it hadn¡¯t happened yet, even from this point in the past, considering her lines, personality, and actual conversations with Do Ji-hwan, there was no reason to feel any regret or guilt. Above all¡­ ¡°Se-rin, do you think a virgin ghost would be stronger, or just a vengeful spirit who was murdered?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me that¡­ Wait a minute. Are you saying¡­?¡± ¡°I can say this with certainty. Seon Ga-eul is no virgin ghost.¡± If she had be a vengeful spirit, she was just a murdered ghost, not a virgin ghost. And that was not because of anything I did. ording to her background, her first wasn¡¯t Do Chang-nam, but¡ª ¡°Anyway, I made sure with my own eyes that she couldn¡¯t be a virgin ghost. So, you¡¯ll definitely be stronger as a virgin ghost. I confirmed it from two different angles¡ªboth spiritually and physically.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°One, I checked it firsthand. And the other, I confirmed it from a distance¡ªphysically.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Hyeon Se-rin grimaced and waved her hand in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s a bit of an ufortable story. That woman¡­ I felt it when I killed her too, but what exactly was she?¡± ¡°A master maniptor. She kept throwing bait everywhere and figured that the biggest and easiest catch, with the plumpest flesh, was me.¡± To some, this story might sound unpleasant, but that was exactly the kind of person she was. ¡°But Director Do? There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. That woman was A-rank, and you were only C-rank back then. Why was she so hung up on you?¡± ¡°I might have been C-rank in ability, but other things were Special EX-grade.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Hyeon Se-rin quickly understood. ¡°Yeah, being A-rank gives you plenty of choices when ites to men. So, is this the ce?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Deep in the mountains stood a dpidated old house, the kind where survivalists might live. The type of house where, if people came up to film a vlog about exploring abandoned ces while making ramen, one of them might go missing. ¡°Who¡¯s there¡­?¡± An old man in a shabby vest appeared, leaning on a cane, eyeing us warily. He seemed to rx slightly when he saw Hyeon Se-rin, but he was still focused on figuring out who we were. ¡°Hello, sir. Is it alright if we do a bit of filming here? We¡¯re from ¡®DJ Journal¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­Sure, filming is fine, but be careful. In about 30 minutes, the ability patrol will be passing through this area.¡± The old man left, and I pointed toward the inside of the house for Hyeon Se-rin. ¡°You¡¯re quite the negotiator. Can you handle this in under 30 minutes?¡± ¡°I can finish it in under 3 minutes.¡± I entered the abandoned house and struck the living room floor with the Goblin Bat. ¡°It¡¯s sealed with magic, after all.¡± Rumble. As the magically reinforced concrete bunker opened up, arge drum appeared inside. The drum was filled with cement, and I pointed the Goblin Bat at the cement and lightly activated my magic. Thunk, thunk. ¡°Ugh, this isn¡¯t going to summon anything nasty, is it¡­?¡± ¡°No. Unless you want me to summon an exorcist or Baridegi?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not that scared, okay?¡± Hyeon Se-rin took a deep breath and steadied herself while I pulled out an object that clung to the tip of the Goblin Bat like a ma, hidden deep inside the cement. ¡°This is a very special item that scavengers all over the country would kill to get their hands on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ just a thermos.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what it looks like. As long as it works well, that¡¯s all that counts.¡± I opened the stainless steel thermos, revealing a suspicious-looking stic bag inside. The bag contained a small amount of white powder, about the size of a clenched fist. ¡°Fortunately, it seems there are no evil spirits.¡± ¡°And zombies¡­?¡± ¡°The body was burned; only the ashes remain. There¡¯s no way it could be a zombie.¡± ¡°Do you have any regrets?¡± ¡°None.¡± For world peace. And for my own, the Goblin¡¯s, peace of mind. ¡°Hah, so that¡¯s it? Do you just prefer younger women? You think those women are really going to stick around? They¡¯ll use you and toss you aside like some broken bat! You¡¯re just a tool to them, you fool!¡± Based on the interactions I¡¯d had with her as Do Ji-hwan, I killed Seon Ga-eul without hesitation. Because¡ª ¡°The event that ultimately led the Goblin to fall as the final boss was NTR.¡±* Before the Goblin became a demon. As Seon Ga-eul moved on to the protagonist, a package had arrived in front of the Goblin¡¯s door. Inside it was a USB containing something that turned the Goblin into a demon¡ªa horrifying piece of content. ¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± Chapter 337: One Who Deserves To Die (2) Chapter 337: One Who Deserves To Die (2) How vicious of a woman was Seon Ga-eul? It was exhausting to even speak of it, so I shall summarize it in one sentence: A young Min Ji-young. Considering what kind of woman she was, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯s a huge problem that she was being used to lure those who would feed off her mana powderced corpse. Thus, we must formte a very meticulous n using her. The Chief had already approved the progress of the n, and now, all that¡¯s left was to execute it as nned. Before that, to prepare for the major shockwave that would hit this country, I had already arranged a meeting with a certain entity in Jeju Ind. [Hello.] ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± Seogwipo City, Jeju Ind. From the spacious living room with a clear view of the sea beyond the veranda.A woman with tangerine-colored hair, wearing only a white shirt and dolphin shorts, looked at me in shock as she stirred a pot of ramen using a textbook titled ¡®The Principles of Abilities¡¯ as a stand. [I¡¯m not here to execute you. But, you¡¯ll still have to die.] ¡°Hey, exin that a little.¡± Ji Chun-hyang put down her ramen, straightened her clothes, and knelt before me. She looked like an ordinary woman with an average build, but she was actually an A-ss ability user who protected Jeju Ind. [Do you want me to make this long, or short?] ¡°Can I listen while I eat ramen?¡± [Of course.] I sat on the couch, turned on the 80-inch TV in front of Ji Chun-hyang, the A-ss hero, and the protector of Jeju Ind¡ªKim Min-young. [Let¡¯s talk while we watch. First-] Oh, yeah¡ª On the screen, a foreign man, shirtless, was biting a woman¡¯s neck, who was dressed in a gown. I turned my head to the right out of curiosity, and despite what was on disy, I was surprised to see a 15+ rating mark in the corner.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om [Is this what the movies are like these days? And you¡¯re watching that while eating ramen?] ¡°Uh, no. It¡¯s just a movie. What¡¯s wrong with seeing that in a movie?¡± [I seem to havee at a bad time. Sorry for interrupting your movie, but this is an assignment from the Society.] ¡°Ugh. Just give me three minutes.¡± Ji Chun-hyang finished the rest of her ramen in one gulp, put the pot away in the kitchen, and headed straight into the room. Srrrk, srrrk, whoosh. ¡°Next time you visit, please don¡¯t just appear through the window like that. Knock first.¡± After getting changed, brushing her teeth, and tidying up her outfit, Ji Chun-hyang, now in a proper suit, stood upright and bowed. ¡°If you¡¯re telling me to die, at least give me a reason. Even if it¡¯s a mission from the Society.¡± [Project Jeju. You didn¡¯t read it, did you?] ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± [You haven¡¯t checked your email.] I pointed to the TV, and Ji Chun-hyang tapped on her Taegeuk Watch, scanning the TV. ¡°Ah.¡± Unread emails, 999+. Ji Chun-hyang blushed as she skimmed through her inbox, soon finding the email written like spam. ¡°I¡¯ll check it right now.¡± [Listen while you check it. It¡¯s simple. You, an A-ss ability user and hero, need to act dead.] ¡°Dead¡­? For about two weeks, pretending to be dead?¡± [Exactly.] With a hardened face, Ji Chun-hyang scanned the message up and down. ¡°So, in short, you want me to pretend I was killed by a demon? Then, capture those whoe after my remains, and use them to set up another trap?¡± [That¡¯s right. It doesn¡¯t have to be you, but I¡¯d prefer it. The rmendation came from me.] ¡°The guardian of Jeju Ind has died.¡± [That¡¯s the point.] The guardian of Jeju Ind was in by a demon. Naturally, the world would look for someone stronger than an A-ss, and there happened to be one such person. [An S-ss professor will fill in the gap when they arrive with their students on Jeju Ind. But it¡¯s not easy for a neer to guard a vast ce like Jeju Ind.] ¡°Well¡­ Even for an S-ss, no one can protect Jeju as well as I can.¡± This woman. It was no exaggeration to say she was an S-ss, at least when it came to Jeju Ind. Her overall abilities may be A-ss, but on Jeju Ind, she was S-ss. Her ability and Jeju Ind¡¯s environment allowed her to perform at an S-ss level here. ¡°But if I die, won¡¯t the situation be chaotic and even more unstable? Especially if we don¡¯t know which demon killed me.¡± [Everyone will know. We¡¯ll frame it as if an A-ss woman killed on Jeju Ind became a rampaging ghost.] ¡°Who?¡± [Seon Ga-eul.] ¡°Ugh¡­¡± At the mention of Seon Ga-eul¡¯s name, Ji Chun-hyang frowned openly. ¡°So that¡¯s why you came to me¡­¡± [You have a bad history with that woman. The justification is solid.] ¡°The justification is solid, but getting beaten by that woman is a bit¡­! Couldn¡¯t I just be executed by the Goblin instead?¡± [That would be like admitting to a crime as bad as being a Nut Crusher.] ¡°Ugh¡­¡± [If that were the case, I¡¯d have to kill you for real. Just take the medicine.] I ced a capsule in front of Ji Chun-hyang. [If you take it, you¡¯ll fall into aatose state. Technically, you won¡¯t be dead, but you¡¯ll appear like a vegetative patient¡ªalive but unconscious. You have nothing to worry about.] ¡°Do I have to listen to people gossiping about me right in front of my face? What if I¡¯m lying in the hospital or in a coffin, and they say strange things about me, and I hear it all?¡± [Just think of it as earning money every time you¡¯re insulted. A lot of capital has been invested in Project Jeju, so the amount you¡¯ll receive will be considerable. More importantly¡­.] Whisper, whisper. I quietly presented something that would catch Ji Chun-hyang¡¯s interest. ¡°¡­Is that for real?¡± [Yes. You¡¯re not nning to stay an A-ss forever, are you? It¡¯s time to step up to S-ss and take down Armored Taejo outside of Jeju Ind.] ¡°But that¡¯s not because of my ability; it¡¯s because of my equipment¡­.¡± [Ah, equipment is also part of your specs and abilities. Don¡¯t belittle it.] No more conversation was needed. I raised the Goblin Bat and pointed it toward Ji Chun-hyang¡¯s back. [So, are you ready to be struck down by an evil spirit?] ¡°W-wait a minute! Before I die¡­ or faint!¡± Ji Chun-hyang clutched the capsule in her hand and pointed at the TV. ¡°I at least want to faint with some dignity!¡± [Alright.] I pointed at the TV. [We¡¯ll make it look like you copsed while training your abilities.] Whack! Without hesitation, I swung the Goblin Bat at the back of Ji Chun-hyang¡¯s head.
At that time, in the park of H Apartments in Jeju City. Crash! ¡°Kyaaa?!¡± ¡°What, what was that?!¡± ¡°A viin?!¡± People ying tennis in the park flinched and looked around at the sudden sound of shattering ss. ss shards falling from the sky were about to hit them, and in their panic, they shut their eyes tight, shielding their heads. ¡°Haaaap!¡± A patrolling officer in uniform quickly summoned his magic power, swinging his fist through the air. The gust from his punch hit the falling ss, shattering it further and directing it towards the flowerbeds, away from the people. ¡°Th-thank you!¡± ¡°Over here, quickly! Damn it, this wasn¡¯t just any ss breaking! It was shattered by an ability user!¡± The officer quickly assessed the situation and looked up to check where the ss had broken. From the first floor to the top floor, the ss of the balconies¡ª ¡°The top floor? No way! Isn¡¯t that where Ji Chun-hyang lives?!¡± Ki-hahahahaha!! A chilling, eerieughter. Everyone in the park was frozen in ce by the ghastly wail, feeling a cold shiver run down their spines as they looked up. ¡°What¡­what is that?¡± White mist was pouring out from the top floor. It looked like a ghost was escaping, the mist spiraling around the top floor a few times before disappearing. ¡°That floor¡­isn¡¯t that where Ji Chun-hyang lives?¡± ¡°Try contacting Ji Chun-hyang¡¯s Taegeuk Watch! Damn it, she¡¯s not answering!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go up! Hurry!¡± Rumble. Clenching their fists, the officers sprinted up the stairs in a rush. On the top floor, after climbing dozens of flights of stairs, an eerie and unsettling scene unfolded from the hallway. ¡°A viin¡­?¡± ¡°No, could it be a demon¡­?¡± ¡°No way. Could it be that Ji Chun-hyang has be a demon¡­?¡± w marks, as if left by a wild beast, were scattered all over the walls. The front door was open, and the officers cautiously entered Ji Chun-hyang¡¯s apartment, risking their lives. Gasp?! In the middle of the living room. Ji Chun-hyangy copsed, her body battered and bruised, as if she¡¯d fought a life-or-death battle. ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­!¡± Next to the shattered ss window, something was written on the ss wall. The letters, smeared with blood, looked like something a serial killer would leave to announce their first murder. -I¡¯ve returned. ¡°W-who¡­.¡± ¡°W-wait a minute¡­! That symbol!!¡± Next to the message, a symbol was drawn, representing a certain woman. A circle. With eight lines extending in different directions. And, of all colors, it was red. ¡°[The Witch of the Rising Sun]!!¡± Siren sounds ring ¡ª Aeeeeeeeeen!
[The evil spirit of Seon Ga-eul curses the guardian of Jeju Ind.] The first phase of Project Jeju. [Ji Chun-hyang has fallen, and the perfect defense is no longer in ce. Naturally¡­ the predators will start making their way to Jeju Ind.] The copse of Jeju Ind¡¯s security. [It¡¯s time to start spreading the rumors. The Witch of the Rising Sun, Seon Ga-eul¡¯s spirit, is searching for her body. Her soul has be a demon, and she¡¯s seeking her buried remains somewhere on Jeju Ind.] I ced the thermos on the rooftop of a hotel in Seogwipo. [Whoever obtains Eldritch¡¯s Life Vessel will also gain A-ss mana powder.] I rested my foot on the thermos, no, the Life Vessel. In this world. [An A-ss ability user who went missing has returned as an evil spirit. A spirit powerful enough to incapacitate the guardian of Jeju Ind.] Those who drank the mana powder of the strong. [Seon Ga-eul¡¯s ability, an A-ss power¡­ If they can make her bone powder their own, they wille, no doubt.] They could make that person¡¯s abilities their own. [A discarded evolution capsule lies here. There¡¯s no way those viinous scum won¡¯te for it.] Chapter 338: One Who Deserves To Die (3) Chapter 338: One Who Deserves To Die (3) When you went on a trip to Jeju Ind, you could see tangerines ced in every shop. It was partly because they grew a lot of tangerines, and also because they shared them and promoted them to tourists. However, in this world, Jeju tangerines had a different meaning. An amulet fruit. A viin-repelling fruit. What did that mean? It meant that the fruit was used as a tool to repel thieves or viins who entered homes. ¡®There really are all kinds of different abilities in this world.¡¯ There was no shortage of abilities.N?v(el)B\\jnn Some abilities couldunch sonic attacks by screaming, others could create ice wherever they want, and if you had enough magic power and imagination, you could create anything. And sometimes, there were abilities that made you think, ¡®How can such an ability even exist?¡¯Kim Min-young, known as the hero Ji Cheon-hyang has such an ability. ¡®An ability to control tangerines.¡¯ When I first heard about it, Iughed in disbelief. Maybe the word ¡°tangerine¡± I knew referred to some kind of special weapon or ng in this world? No, it wasn¡¯t. It was just tangerines. The actual fruit that people ate, the ones that overflowed on Jeju Ind because there were so many of them. -Hahaha, do you really think controlling tangerines makes it special? -What if that tangerine flies through the air and hits you in the face? -Uh¡­ will the tangerine explode on my face? -It¡¯s infused with magic, so it¡¯s stronger than a regr baseball. Not only I, but people in this world alsoughed. But thatughter soon turned into awkward chuckles, and the world was shocked and terrified by Ji Cheon-hyang¡¯s overwhelming ability control. Ji Cheon-hyang¡¯s power spread throughout Jeju Ind, and she was able to control the tangerines all over the ind. And by using those tangerines, she could strike down viins in Seogwipo from the northern part of Jeju Ind. -Are you joking? How can such an ability even exist in this world? -In a world where teleportation is possible,ying tangerinendmines or making tangerine ymores is just up to the user¡¯s imagination, right? Thus, Jeju Ind found peace under the power of Kim Min-young of Ji Cheon-hyang. If she had controlled something like metal, like Armored Taejo, people might have epted it more easily, but the fact that it involved food¡ªespecially Jeju¡¯s tangerines¡ªmade it a bit hard to believe. However, her ability to maintain peace on the ind was so exceptional that she earned the title of S-ss, at least limited to Jeju. -Think of it as an ability to control nts. It¡¯s just that tangerines are what she controls best. Plus, she¡¯s a member of the Secret Society. -Ugh¡­ The Secret Society easily recruited this unique ability user. The impression I had of her at first was no different from what everyone else in this world had, and people lived safely under Ji Cheon-hyang¡¯s power while mocking and belittling her ability, saying, ¡°How can someone¡¯s ability be tangerines, haha.¡± -There are no bad abilities in this world. The Secret Society wees your power. The Secret Society brought Ji Cheon-hyang in, and she became one of them. While waiting for her missions from the Secret Society, she dedicated herself to maintaining peace on Jeju Ind¡­ ¡®I feel a little sorry.¡¯ Beep, beep, beep. I looked at Kim Min-young of Ji Cheon-hyang lying in the hospital bed through the window, feeling a pang of guilt. Using a Magic Power Control Capsule, which even worked on A-ss ability users, she was now in a state where her magic was reduced to the minimum, just enough to keep her alive. Of course, not just anyone could use something like this. No matter how powerful the Magic Power Control Capsule was, if the person resisted even slightly, it would be nothing more than powdered medicine. An ability user¡¯s self-awareness was their defense. The only reason Ji Cheon-hyang was lying there so quietly was because she allowed herself to ept the capsule. -Do you think someone is targeting me after I take this? -If someone wanted your power to be the ruler of Jeju, maybe. -You¡¯re teasing me, right? -I wouldn¡¯t say it if there wasn¡¯t a reason. But don¡¯t worry. If someone is targeting you, your subconscious will trigger a defense mechanism. There are Hero agents guarding your hospital room as well. -There¡¯s nothing as untrustworthy as people. -I¡¯ll have a box of Habong tangerines ced in your room. -Well, in that case¡­ Next to Ji Cheon-hyang, as if protecting her, was arge Habong tangerine, sitting there like a barrier. Now, if anyone dared to sneak in at night and draw a weapon toward her, the Habong would fly like a magic bullet and crush the viin¡¯s face. Ji Cheon-hyang was this powerful. But such a being was ambushed while doing research on her ability at home, and she couldn¡¯t resist? It was like she had been cursed, and we had a pretty good idea of who the attacker was. [It¡¯s about time the bait is taken.] [If they don¡¯t take it, Ji Cheon-hyang will just look like a fool.] Together with Hyeon Se-rin, I waited leisurely outside for people to bite on the bait about the breakdown of Jeju¡¯s peace. And then¡­ [We got a message from the brewer. Two S-ss ability users are on their way.] [They took the bait.] Just as expected. Two S-ss ability users were boarding the ne heading to Jeju.
At Gimhae Airport, in the first-ss section of a flight to Jeju. ¡°Do you think evil spirits really exist?¡± ¡°How can you say that?¡± Tae Irin, also known as Baridegi, twisted her lips in response to the question from Kim Yoon-ji of the Thunder Emperor, who was sitting beside her. ¡°My alias may be Baridegi, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can actually see spirits.¡± ¡°Then why are you called Baridegi?¡± ¡°You already know. It¡¯s because I¡¯m the god of medicine.¡± Tae Irin pointed to her fingers while Kim Yoon-ji leaned back in her seat, lowering her head. ¡°Right, right. I just hope you can treat Ji Cheon-hyang as soon as we arrive.¡± ¡°You talk as if I¡¯m going to fail. Sis, if I fail to treat her, Jeju Ind will be in a state of emergency.¡± ¡°A curse that not even an S-ss can heal¡­¡± Kim Yoon-ji fiddled with her Taegeuk Watch as she checked some documents on theptop in front of her, tilting her head. ¡°A-ss. Born in 2001. She¡¯s practically a prodigy.¡± ¡°Missing¡­ one year since her presumed death¡­ almost nine months? If she¡¯s been secretly honing her abilities on Jeju Ind during that time, it¡¯s possible she became an S-ss without anyone knowing.¡± ¡°Or she became an S-ss demon.¡± The woman in the photo had sharp eyes, dark makeup, and gave off a fierce impression. One peculiar detail: the confidential documents they received from the National Intelligence Service had a ¡°traitor¡± mark attached to them. ¡°Have you met this woman in person?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve only seen her in pictures. She didn¡¯t attend the Academy. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met her. In person. How should I describe her? Hmm, like a very intimidating sister-inw. If she¡¯s be an S-ss demon, she¡¯ll be a real pain to deal with. Do you think I can exorcize her with lightning?¡± ¡°Sis. There¡¯s a bigger problem than that.¡± Tae Irin lowered her voice and spun the map of Jeju Indid out in front of her with her hand. ¡°The two of us have to take care of the entire Jeju Ind right now.¡± ¡°We have to. Otherwise, everyone will sneak in and head to Jeju.¡± Kim Yoon-ji chuckled, pulling the map closer. ¡°Shanghai. Okinawa. Fukuoka. All the international airports near Jeju are gathering suspicious nes full of shady people. Can the Navy track down and subdue all of them? Red Brassard is in Thand right now, too.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Tae Irin scratched her head in frustration. ¡°This is driving me crazy. How long has it been since the Nut Crusher incident, and now this happens? No, this is even worse. Nut Crusher was executed by the Goblin¡­¡± ¡°But the Witch of the Rising Sun is just a dead person?¡± ¡°Yes. And in the worst-case scenario, if the [Voodoo Kingdom] from South Africa somehow made Seon Ga-eul into an evil spirit¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there are all kinds of possibilities. We only have one job. Before Seol-hee unnie arrives, we need to eliminate the scavengers heading to Jeju as quickly as possible. And¡­¡± Kim Yoon-ji, with a meaningful look, ran her hand over Seon Ga-eul¡¯s profile picture. ¡°We need to find where this woman is buried and take care of her body as soon as possible.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh. Who would do something so stupid? Killing an A-ss ability user and not even properly disposing of the body.¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe it was suicide.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± A demon? Did shemit suicide and be an evil spirit? Or did someone else resurrect Seon Ga-eul¡¯s soul and use dark magic? Or had she been hiding for nine months and returned as an S-ss demon? No one knows. But what was clear was that, because of all these possibilities, flies from all over the world were swarming to the scent of the corpse. ¡°Ugh, disgusting scavengers.¡± If it was an evil spirit, they wanted to remove it. If it was a viin, they would want to kill it. ¡°Before the Goblin executes them, they want to kill it themselves and steal its power¡­¡± And, to be stronger. Everyone was heading to Jeju Ind. Each in their own way.
And at Incheon Airport. ¡°The flight to Jeju Ind¡­ is canceled?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry. Due to the current situation on Jeju¡­¡± ¡°Ah, this is troublesome¡­ I¡¯ve already booked a hotel.¡± A woman with orange-colored hair and sunsses ced her hand over her chest, smiling awkwardly. The airline staff clicked his tongue as he looked at her, wondering if she was hiding two basketballs under her chest, which wasrger than her head. The woman sighed and turned away. ¡°Alright. Thanks for letting me know. I¡¯ll find another way to get there.¡± ¡°Uh, miss? What about your refund¡­?¡± ¡°Take care of it for me. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s only one ind. Oh, here they are.¡± The woman beamed and waved her hand at a ¡®ck-haired¡¯ woman approaching from afar. ¡°Hye-raaaa!¡± Chapter 339: One Who Deserves To Die (4) Chapter 339: One Who Deserves To Die (4) Jeju Airport. Whiiiiing. The Hero Association¡¯s private jet arrived at the airport. The crowd, already gathered at the airport, waved at the private jet, and the two S-rank ability users who emerged from it waved back at the people. ¡°Wow, there are a lot of people today¡­¡± ¡°Now that Ji Cheon-hyang is down, they¡¯re putting their trust in us. Of course, it helps that we¡¯re S-rank.¡± Tae Irin carefully scanned the crowd, lowering her voice. ¡°Sister, be careful. You never know who might show up.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the specters?¡±¡°That¡¯s part of it, but a crazy S-rank might suddenly target the specter¡¯s corpse too. Like the Secret Society, for instance.¡± Secret Society. At those words, Kim Yoon-ji¡¯s heart sank for a moment. ¡°Y-Yeah, right. We should be careful about the Secret Society.¡± She felt immensely guilty. After all, through a secret route, Kim Yoon-ji had already been informed about the current situation. A n was being set in motion on Jeju Ind. And through that n, the Bone Eaters would be wiped out in one swoop. Goblin had secretly passed on the information that something was being schemed on Jeju Ind, but only Kim Yoon-ji knew this; Tae Irin was still unaware. ¡°Got it? If something strange appears, let me know right away. I may not be the best inbat, but I¡¯m still an S-rank spec¡ª¡± ¡°Kraaaaagh!¡± Suddenly, a monstrous roar echoed from the direction of the waiting room. The two S-rank ability users instantly dashed towards the source of the sound, where a figure was in the midst of turning into a demon. ¡°No way, turning into a demon this abruptly¡­!¡± ¡°We can thinkter! Demons don¡¯t exactly give warnings, you know!¡± Kim Yoon-ji immediately charged at the demon, her entire body surrounded by electricity. The demon, slowly losing its human form, reached out its sharp ws towards a woman lying on the ground, but Kim Yoon-ji flew at the demon,nding a dropkick. ¡°Kiiiiiik!¡± The demon copsed instantly. Kim Yoon-jinded lightly on her feet, protecting the fallen woman, while Tae Irin, who had followed behind, extended her magic towards the demon. ¡°Seal¡­!¡± ¡°Grrrr¡­!¡± A white hexagonal cube formed around the demon. As it tried to resist, it suddenly stopped moving, hanging its head low. The demon, now as still as a broken-down machine,y motionless within the cube. ¡°K-kill it!!¡± The woman Kim Yoon-ji had saved screamed, pointing at the demon with a voice filled with hatred. ¡°That demon tried to kill me!!¡± ¡°What was your rtionship with the demon?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­!¡± The woman stumbled to her feet, quickly distancing herself from the demon trapped in the cube. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on! It suddenly turned into a demon and attacked me¡­!¡± ¡°Are you an ability user?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an ability user!!¡± Tae Irin found the woman¡¯s frantic screams suspicious, but she couldn¡¯t grant her request. ¡°We don¡¯t kill demons recklessly.¡± ¡°Why not?!¡± ¡°Now, the priority is to suppress demons and send them to Daejeon.¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is that?! That demon tried to kill me! I was just standing there, doing nothing¡­!¡± ¡°CCTV confirmed. Was he your boyfriend?¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± Kim Yoon-ji, who had hacked into the CCTV with electricity to check the footage, looked down coldly at the woman. ¡°A regr woman cheated on her ability user boyfriend with an ordinary man, which caused the ability user to lose control and turn into a demon. You triggered this transformation.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! It¡¯s a misunderstanding! He just misunderstood¡­!¡± ¡°If that were true, you shouldn¡¯t have lied from the start.¡± ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­!¡± With a face twisted like an evil spirit, the woman pointed her finger usingly at Kim Yoon-ji and Tae Irin. ¡°You, how can you not sympathize with me as fellow women?! What did I do wrong?!¡± ¡°Before we are women, we are heroes who protect everyone.¡± Kim Yoon-ji pointed at the woman for the Hero Association agents who were running over, and they immediately handcuffed her, dragging her away. ¡°¡­Irin, can you keep it stable?¡± ¡°Yes. Until we get to Daejeon, I¡¯ll keep it in a ¡®dreaming state.¡¯ Even demons can dream¡­ of fulfilling their desires.¡± Tae Irin nced at the demon with a conflicted expression. ¡°Before, we used to just kill them, but knowing this¡ª¡± Fwoooosh¡ª! Suddenly, a golden dimensional portal opened on the ceiling of the airport. As if appearing wherever there was a demon, a woman dressed as the Golden Priestess stepped out from the golden portal. ¡°tinum Sun!¡± Pwoof! The moment tinum Sun reached her hand inside the cube, the demon inside slowly began returning to its human form. ¡°¡­Hye-ji¡­¡± With his hair turning white, the Zenros man groaned as if in the throes of a nightmare before copsing to the ground in exhaustion. [The One Who Appears Wherever a Demon Is. See you then.] tinum Sun lightlynded on the ground, waved her hand, and disappeared. ¡°Wow, amazing! She¡¯s still active, tinum Sun!¡± ¡°Our hero who always shows up wherever there are demons, even to save them¡­!¡± The citizens recorded her as she leaped towards the ceiling and vanished, using their Taegeuk Watch to capture the moment. Kim Yoon-ji tilted her head as she watched her disappear. ¡°Ha Mountain¡­?¡± For a moment, Kim Yoon-ji sensed someone¡¯s gazeing from the direction where tinum Sun had vanished. It felt as if someone was watching her. ¡°Sister! Could youe over here for a moment?¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± As Kim Yoon-ji organized the situation around the Zenros man, she thought. Jeju Ind. There were more cases of ability users turning into demons here than one might expect, and there was onemon reason. Adultery.
¡°I was waiting at the airport to meet Thunder Emperor, but instead, Patriot Parrot showed up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the Patriot Parrot, okay?¡± Yumir had arrived on Jeju Ind. Not by ne, but through teleportation. After purifying the demon, she immediately left to join Hyeon Se-rin. ¡°I¡¯m here to respond seriously this time, you know?¡± ¡°Really? But Mir, I heard you gave Director Do a really hard time when you went to Sinuiju.¡± ¡°Not this time.¡± At Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s warning, Yumir clenched her fist with a determined look on her face.N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Anyway, after all this is over, I¡¯m going to your brother¡¯s pension to rx for a whole month, so you don¡¯t need to worry about that right now, right?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re going to restter?¡± ¡°Exactly. I work hard now, andter, I¡¯ll y with all my strength.¡± ¡°Do you really need to put so much effort into ying? Well, whatever. The more strength, the better. If you¡¯re here as an intern for the Secret Society instead of as a hero, I have no reason to refuse.¡± I weed Yumir¡¯s participation. ¡°But don¡¯t expect the viinsing to Jeju to act human. These guys will harm civilians if it helps their goals.¡± ¡°All the more reason to subdue them thoroughly. To prevent any incidents.¡± Yumir picked an orange from a nearby tree. ¡°¡­I do wonder if it¡¯s really right to turn an A-rank hero into a nonbatant and cause this situation.¡± ¡°I ask for your understanding.¡± ¡°We¡¯re using the rats as bait to catch the ones spreading the gue. Don¡¯t be too ufortable about it, Mir.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not difort exactly, it¡¯s just¡­ We created this situation, but now that everyone¡¯s rushing to Jeju because of the mana powder, it feels weird.¡± Whooooosh. Waves crashed against the cliffs with considerable force. The sound was that of nature, but there was also a very faint artificial noise mixed in. [They¡¯re already here.] Hyeon Se-rin, Yumir, and I all masked our faces. Huff, huff, huff. Soon, two men who appeared to be Korean climbed up the cliff. Wearing only swimsuits, they hadn¡¯t drifted here. They had swum all the way from the South Sea to secretly infiltrate Jeju Ind. ¡°We made it! Haha, now we¡¯re going to loot Seon Ga-eul, we¡¯re gonna be the Bone Eater!¡± [Too bad.] ¡°¡­Huh?¡± As soon as the two men reached the top of the cliff, they saw me and stood there, mouths agape. ¡°Why¡¯s Goblin here¡­?¡± [I was waiting for scum like you, the Bone Eaters.] m! I immediately swung my Goblin bat, knocking one of them out, then grabbed the other by the cor. [Do you really want Seon Ga-eul¡¯s ability that much?] ¡°O-of course¡­! It¡¯d be strange if I didn¡¯t! With that ability, you could rake in truckloads of money!¡± The man started shouting in frustration. ¡°That might not matter to an ability user, but for regr people, it¡¯s salvation!¡± [Not sure about that. Doesn¡¯t the ability vanish when the user dies anyway?] ¡°Even so!!¡± The man clenched his fist and pointed usingly at my mask. ¡°She¡¯s already a demon! Whoever loots her body owns it, so why are you getting in the way? Oh, wait! You Secret Society guys are trying to get to Seon Ga-eul¡¯s corpse first, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re trying to steal her ability!¡± [Sorry, but we¡¯re not interested in that ability.] ¡°I¡¯m interested! Seon Ga-eul, her ability is¡ª¡± [I said I¡¯m not interested.] m. I swung the Goblin Bat again, knocking the man out. Both meny unconscious on the ground, and I neatly gathered them in one spot. [Come to think of it, what¡¯s Seon Ga-eul¡¯s ability that makes everyone want it so badly? Just because it¡¯s A-rank? I heard it¡¯s only a physical enhancement type.] [It¡¯s nothing special. It just messes with people¡¯s minds.] A power that could be terrifying depending on who heard about it. [Hypnosis.] Chapter 340: One Who Deserves To Die (5) Chapter 340: One Who Deserves To Die (5) Brainwashing. Hypnosis. Mind control. These abilities, which made people think in wayspletely against their will, were terrifying just by hearing the words. They could be considered among the worst. In this world, the foundation of abilities was ¡°thought power.¡± The power of thought was the power of ability users, and manipting thoughts allowed you to make an ability user do anything. Of course, whether it was brainwashing or hypnosis, once it was broken, retaliation was inevitable. But, as in most works of fiction, such brainwashing was rarely easily undone. The hypnosis technique possessed by Seon Ga-eul was mainly used on sleeping individuals. While the target was asleep, she whispered her desires into their ear, causing them to lose their sense of self.¡°Could you do the dishes for me, please?¡± ¡°Could you throw away the food waste for me, please?¡± ¡°Could you make the apartment under joint ownership with me, please?¡± As the will to serve Seon Ga-eul quietly embedded itself into the unconscious mind of the sleeping man, he became her ve without even realizing it. Do Chang-nam, however, didn¡¯t seem to be one of Seon Ga-eul¡¯s ves. Seon Ga-eul had turned many men into her ves, but it seemed she wanted to approach Do Chang-nam with a pure heart. But I wasn¡¯t Do Chang-nam. I was Do Ji-hwan, and knowing about Seon Ga-eul¡¯s ability, I kept my distance from her, citing personal training and mission work. Then Seon Ga-eul lost control, and with Hyeon Se-rin, I killed her on Jeju Ind.
¡°Many people are aware of Seon Ga-eul¡¯s ability, hypnosis,¡± After taking care of the Bone Eaters that swam up from the sea and reporting it to the Hero Association, we left the cleanup to the association agents and the three of us returned to the pension. ¡°It¡¯s not on the Hero Wiki, but it¡¯s information that everyone who knows, knows, right?¡± Yumir asked. ¡°Yeah, you can find it for sure on the dark web.¡± In the world of light, information about deceased individuals was documented as objectively and dryly as possible. Because they were, after all, deceased, there was a certain degree of consideration when listing their information. But the dark world was different. The men who had been harmed, manipted, and abandoned by Seon Ga-eul¡¯s hypnosis harbored immense malice toward the so-called ¡°Witch of the Rising Sun.¡± Seon Ga-eul¡¯s body, her preferences, and the abilities she used¡ªall this malice was uploaded to the sea of information, and anyone who wanted to know about her could easily find out through the dark web. Her hypnosis ability. ¡°Some people call it ¡®gaslighting.¡¯¡± ¡°Gaslighting?¡± ¡°Yeah. It continuously eats away at the target¡¯s mind, making it seem like they¡¯re under brainwashing.¡± It was not exactly the right thing to say in Korea, but it was simr to how this country emphasized loyalty and patriotism through ideological education, forcing you to devote yourself to the nation. The question was, did you educate people to be loyal to the country, or did you make them give everything¡ªliver, gall, bank ounts¡ªfor one woman¡¯s gain? ¡°Where is this hypnosis ability now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Witch of the Rising Sun died, and it disappeared with her. I didn¡¯t keep anything. When I killed Seon Ga-eul, I burned all the remnants of magic powder along with her remaining magical energy.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s inside that urn¡­?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Just bone dust, no more valuable than a simr amount of flour. It¡¯s been preserved, so even if you eat it, it would do nothing. And if you drink it, you¡¯d die from poisoning.¡± I rubbed my fingers together as if sprinkling a pinch of salt. ¡°If someone from the government or an organization gets hold of that bone dust, they¡¯ll try to analyze it. They¡¯d quickly realize what¡¯s in it and know that whoever killed Seon Ga-eul was filled with incredible malice.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Nothing special. I just mixed a bit of potassium cyanide into the bone dust. Even an ability user would drop dead after inhaling it, and for an ordinary person, it¡¯s ten times the lethal dose.¡± ¡°Potassium cyanide¡­ When I looked it up, it came up as cyanide.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Yumir looked at me with a slightly bitter expression. ¡°Teacher, when you talk like this, I really get the sense that you¡¯re a viin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trap no hero would ever set or even think of.¡± Even I could admit that it was extremely wicked. It was staged as if an evil spirit that defeated an A-ss hero was on the rampage, smashing the skulls of those trying to take the spirit¡¯s remains. And when they finally got the urn, they died from inhaling the bone dust. ¡°People should know not to secretly steal someone else¡¯s urn and lick it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just licking it; it¡¯s death, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve done something that deserves death, you should be punished for it. It¡¯s not like anyone forced them to inhale bone dust. Sure, I made it tempting, but I didn¡¯t set up the situation as some kind of social experiment, did I?¡± ¡°Then what was it for?¡± ¡°Even without a social experiment, it¡¯s to deal with those desperate fools who would scramble to inhale any mana powder the moment they hear about it, no matter where in the world.¡± Just then, data arrived on my Taeguk Watch. It was information gathered by Brewer. The report contained real-time details about individuals intercepted and arrested across Jeju Ind,piled for the Hero Association¡¯s Jeju branch. The names and abilities of those captured were briefly summarized. ¡°It¡¯s a real mess. Do they want that hypnosis ability that badly?¡± ¡°Hypnosis ability¡­ What kind of miracle does it perform that makes people desire it so much?¡± ¡°To put it extremely, it enables things that modern medicine and science can¡¯t solve.¡± It was akin to a ¡°mystery of the human body.¡±
At that time, the Ability Crime Countermeasures Committee was gathered in Busan¡¯s Blue House. ¡°Is this all the information we have on this woman named Seon Ga-eul?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. She¡¯s a graduate of Sejong Education Institute. After graduating, she traveled across the country meeting various men. She registered as a hero but barely engaged in any actual activity¡­ a drifter.¡± ¡°Then she went to Jeju Ind and died.¡± The president and themittee members were reviewing the documents about Seon Ga-eul with serious expressions. ¡°Does this woman really possess such an ability?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. ording to those who have experienced it, they reported significant changes.¡± ¡°A woman who gave men hope for money¡­ But why did she be the Witch of the Rising Sun?¡± ¡°She was trying to cross over to Japan. She boarded a ship from Jeju Ind with ns to reach Japan but disappeared during the process.¡± ¡°A woman trying to cross over to Japan alone¡­ Just thinking about it gives me a headache.¡± The president pressed his temples and gritted his teeth. ¡°I understand. No matter who inherits her ability, it¡¯s clear that it will cause serious social unrest. Whether it¡¯s her, a ghost, a demon, or a lich, the investigation is ongoing, but what happened to Ji Cheon-hyang is a fact. Raise the crisis level and send more agents from the association to Jeju Ind. Gather as many people from the south as possible.¡± ¡°But that would leave a security gap¡­¡± ¡°As unpleasant as it is, we¡¯ll have to trust those Hwalbindang scum.¡± The president shook his head in frustration, as if he couldn¡¯t stand his own words. ¡°Damn it. As if other problems weren¡¯t enough, now we have this on top of everything¡­ Ugh. How many people have been caught entering Jeju Ind illegally so far?¡± ¡°More than 20 ability users have been officially identified. They¡¯re temporarily locked in the Iron Chest, but we can¡¯t hold them for long. ording to internationalw¡­¡± ¡°So after a week, they might be released and sneak back onto Jeju Ind? Ugh, what a nuisance. Why is this ability¡­ No, I get it. It¡¯s an incredible ability.¡± The president rubbed his neck. ¡°If I had that ability, and if I gave speeches to the entire nation every day for just a year, I could create the worst viin who controls the entire poption in the name of ¡®for the country.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re approaching this politically, but some people have considered it from a different angle.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Baldness.¡± Suddenly. ¡°As a way to ovee it.¡± The atmosphere in the meeting room grew even more serious.
¡°To be extreme, if you whisper in someone¡¯s ear every night for about six months, their hair roots will revive, and their hair will grow long again.¡± In the era of abilities. ¡°Grow, hair, grow. It sounds like a joke, right? But it¡¯s real. While you can¡¯t kill cancer cells through self-hypnosis, you can revive dead hair roots.¡± ¡°So the reason why viins all over the world are after Seon Ga-eul¡¯s hypnosis is to ovee baldness?¡± ¡°Not just baldness, but baldness as well.¡± Though it was said as a joke, the real terror of hypnosisy in the fact that the hypnotized individual became utterly dependent on the hypnotist. ¡°It¡¯s a joke, but in reality, she¡¯s a woman who instills ¡®hope¡¯ in people.¡± You could do it. What kind of hope those words gave depended on who was saying them. ¡°Hope Hypnosis. Belief bes reality.¡± Well, that was the kind of ability it was. ¡°Imagine if a man had that ability and whispered in a woman¡¯s ear. What do you think would happen?¡± In the end, abilities could either be a force for protecting people, a means of salvation, or a tool for dominating someone, depending on who wielded them. ¡°Illusions are shattered.¡± The power of hypnosis could sometimes manifest as the strongest force. That was the case in this twisted world, where the character¡¯s hypnosis ability was influenced by the Korean Wave (Hallyu). Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Although various situations had arisen, the chaos unfolding on Jeju Ind right now was still a ¡®manageable¡¯ situation. The bone suckers, corpse looters, and scavengers appearing here and there weren¡¯t serious enough for the government to issue an emergency statement. Simply block the ind, strictly control the entry of civilians, and arrest anyone who shows up, except for those already registered as having entered Jeju. With this level of control over Jeju Ind, situations that were hard to exin in words had started urring. ¡°No, honey. So, what I¡¯m saying is¡­¡± ¡°Leaving the ind shouldn¡¯t be a problem! We didn¡¯t even enter the ind after the incident happened!¡± ¡°Damn it. This is driving me crazy. What should I do?¡± Men and women, rmed by the lockdown of Jeju, were gathering at the airport, anxiously pacing back and forth. ¡°Everyone, please follow the association¡¯s instructions for now. At this moment¡­¡±¡°What, are we at war? It¡¯s not even like that!¡± ¡°You could say we¡¯re almost in a state of quasi-war¡­¡± ¡°Then even more so, shouldn¡¯t civilians like us be allowed to leave Jeju?¡± Although the association and the government were trying their best to calm the people, the anger of the crowd showed no signs of subsiding. ¡®It¡¯s understandable.¡¯ Everyone here wanted to leave the ind quickly, and while their appearances and vibes were different, they all fundamentally shared the same anxiety. ¡°Damn! If we identally end up turning into demons, will you take responsibility for that?!¡± And now they were flipping the me. It made sense. Staying here too long might inadvertently lead to someone turning into a demon. A worker stuck on Jeju Ind? If they called theirpany to exin the situation, they might get a scolding, but it would likely end with them using a few days of their vacation. A traveler stuck on Jeju Ind? Even though the lodging costs were piling up, the hotels weren¡¯t suddenly charging more because flights were canceled due to an A-ss viin in the Republic of Korea. Food supplies weren¡¯t running out. Two S-sses were already on the scene and performing well, so there was no major safety issue. Of course, there was fear about what the Witch of the Rising Sun might do, and in what form she might appear, but since the heroes were there, things were rtively under control. The problem was simply not being able to return to their original locations quickly. And they feared that this situation might leave someone emotionally scarred, which could potentially cause them to turn into a demon. ¡°Yeah, right. Honey, do you really think I would do that? I seriously just came to Jeju to eat ck pork. With whom? Of course, with a friend I know!¡± ¡°Oppa, don¡¯t you trust me? Do you think I came to Jeju to meet random guys like this?¡± There was no logic. It was just full of lies and excuses to get out of the situation. ¡®Of course, that¡¯s how it is.¡¯ Lying wasn¡¯t a crime, but staying silent without lying can be. ¡®My partner, my spouse went to Jeju without telling me? It would be strange not to get pissed.¡¯ What other reason would there be toe to Jeju? To have an affair, enjoy infidelity, or as someone crudely put it, to have a one-night stand. ¡®There was even an incident at Jeju Airport right now.¡¯ The demonization of ability users. The death of a family member or close friend was undoubtedly the biggest factor that affects their mental state, but in a situation like this, where ¡®infidelity of a lover¡¯ urred, it also took a severe toll. ¡°It¡¯s really a mess because of infidelity, what a mess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that the one whomitted the affair is guilty; the fact that their partner bes a demon because of it makes it even worse. Infidelity isn¡¯t a crime, but when it leads to someone bing a demon, that¡¯s definitely a crime.¡± Hyeon Se-rin, who hade to the airport to people-watch, smiled brightly while observing those caught in the chaos of infidelity. ¡°There are no people easier to recruit and persuade than ability users whose minds are shattered by infidelity. Hehehe.¡± ¡°When the world should be providing mental care, society is offering it instead. How ironic.¡± From the perspective of the Secret Society, it was a golden opportunity when someone got emotionally hurt because of these cheating men and women. ¡°The most dangerous time is when someone is shaken by rtionship issues, but approaching them in that crisis and bringing them into the fold of the society is the best.¡± The best recruitment method of the Secret Society was to approach a mentally shaken ability user and bring them over, especially when the situation was naturally urring, not artificially created by the society. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not about romantic issues, when pushed to the edge, everyone weakens, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°It feels so raw, hearing that from someone who¡¯s been in such a situation themselves.¡± ¡°Hehe. More importantly, it seems like it¡¯s about to start¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, just in time, there it is.¡± Hyeon Se-rin and I immediately triggered our magic and transformed. Soon, a man dressed like an ordinary office worker, holding a briefcase, appeared behind the crowd gathered at the airport. He clearly looked troubled, as if he was having difficulty catching a flight, but¡ª [Can you hear me?] [Yes, I¡¯ll let you hear it too.] As Hyeon Se-rin channeled magic, the sound of the wind carried to my ears. Soon, I began to hear an eerie noise that shouldn¡¯t be heard in such a ce. Tick, tick. The sound of a timer. The ticking of an analog second hand, a sound you rarely hear these days, made me immediately run forward and throw my Goblin Bat. Thunk! The batnded squarely on the back of the man¡¯s head. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± As the man copsed, people nearby screamed one after another, and I quickly sprinted forward, stepping on the man¡¯s back, grabbing the briefcase before it hit the ground. Swish. Hyeon Se-rin swiftly sliced the briefcase with her sword as it soared into the air. Then. Boom!!! An explosion erupted in the sky. Everyone at the airport ducked in shock. In the meantime, I retrieved my Goblin Bat and bound the man¡ªthe bomb terrorist¡ªwith magical restraints, scanning the area quickly. ¡®Where is it?¡¯ Some people were filming me, but I wasn¡¯t looking for those who pointed their Taeguk Watches at me. Despite the bomb threat, and the fact that we acted before dozens of casualties urred, I was searching for someone who wasn¡¯t panicking, someone who remained calm. Correction. Someone who was panicking. Not because they were almost killed, but because the Goblin appeared and the suicide bombing had been thwarted. [Found you.] I jumped over the crowd, grabbing a woman by the back of the neck as she was about to enter the women¡¯s restroom and threw her to the ground. Thud! It was a bit of a rough move, and everyone around looked startled, but when they saw what spilled out of her bag, they all fell silent. Habong. It might seem odd to see a Habong, but what mattered was that this Habong had rolled out of an ultra-expensive designer bag worth millions. [What kind of woman carries a Habong in her luxury bag?]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Crunch. I extended my Goblin Bat toward the Habong, wrapping it in mana. Soon, the Habong began to wriggle, and something abnormal started to ooze out from within. Screeech. It was like a bug. It resembled arva breaking out of an egg before turning into a demon. [Yes. I knew you woulde.] ¡°St-stop-¡± St! I swung the Goblin Bat towards the woman¡¯s head, knocking her unconscious. If she had emitted even the slightest trace of magic, if I had sensed any trace of demonic presence, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to smash her head in. ¡®Are they trying to roll the seeds of demons inside fruit?¡¯ Arge-scale bomb terror attack. Followed by the demonization of several people. Humans were mentally at their weakest in extreme situations, and the easiest method was always human death. Artificially creating that death is the method of those who are the most demonic. ¡®Pandemonium wouldn¡¯t miss such an opportunity.¡¯ Demons were always seeking the chance to strike at humanity.
¡°Hmm, what a shame.¡± A red-haired woman fiddled with her tie, pouting her lips. ¡°I was nning to wipe out all the cheating couples and turn them into demons, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± She gripped the Habong in her hand like a baseball and tossed it into the air. As it exploded mid-air, rather than orange pulp, a thick, blood-like crimson liquid sprayed out. ¡°If they¡¯re going to be useless while alive, it¡¯d be better for them to die and help the living. What a shame, what a shame.¡± [Stop the nonsense.] Beep. A low voice crackled from the wireless earphone tucked into her ear. [Keep causingmotion so the VIP can pass through. Whether it¡¯s demons or viins, it doesn¡¯t matter. Even if Seon Ga-eul¡¯s ghost is a trap, we can still turn the trap in our favor.] ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯re handling that many people, though.¡± [Even if we don¡¯t handle them, as long as we kill them all, it¡¯s fine.] Crackle. As soon as the screen on the woman¡¯s Taeguk Watch flickered, a video began to y. [The more S-ss gather in Jeju, the better. We can wipe them all out at once.] A threat loomed over Jeju Ind. [We will erase everything in Jeju, along with the demon fortress.] A massive shadow began to waver in the distance. Chapter 342 Chapter 342 It had been about two weeks since I arrived on Jeju Ind. Although more time had passed than expected, the evil spirit had not been exterminated during that period. Two weeks. Two S-ss operatives were dispatched, most of the association¡¯s agents had crossed over to Jeju Ind, and even the ind was sealed off from the outside world as they scoured the entire area in an effort to exterminate the evil spirit Seon Ga-eul. The evil spirit had not been eradicated yet. ¡°This is troublesome.¡± I climbed to the roof of the abandoned house halfway up Hasan Mountain, rolling the urn containing the remains of Seon Ga-eul with my foot, desperately waiting for someone toe. ¡°If this isn¡¯t resolved soon, the training might not even happen.¡± Maybe I hid it too well.Or perhaps I ran away so effectively that no one could follow the movements of the evil spirit. ¡°Being too skilled can be a problem.¡± I stopped the ghostly figure resembling Seon Ga-eul, which was spinning in circles near me. ¡°We¡¯re so good at what we do, it¡¯s hard to even drop a clue. What do you think?¡± [What do you mean, what do I think?] Crackle, crackle. The ghost resembling Seon Ga-eul paused midair and soon revealed its true form in front of me. ¡°I¡¯m quite satisfied with the current situation.¡± It was Doul, Hyeon Se-rin. Hyeon Se-rin, who was disguised as the evil spirit Seon Ga-eul, was the one responsible for all themotion currently happening across Jeju Ind. Attacking the A-rank ability user Ji Cheon-hyang in an orchestrated ambush. Assaulting numerous other ability users afterward. Even attacking the henchmen of Pandemonium, who were nning to cause terror against the people. All of this was orchestrated by the Secret Society. Of course, the Goblin and Doulbo, that was, the members of the Secret Society, were also actively operating on Jeju Ind to exterminate the evil spirit and demons. In other words, we were stirring up trouble on one side while, on the other, we were eliminating the very cause of the disturbance. We were doing this tedious work because the rewards for us were significant. ¡°Mir, how many Scavengers have been officially subdued so far?¡± ¡°ording to the association¡¯s official announcement, 394.¡± Yumir, who was sitting on a sofa ced on the rooftop, checked her Taeguk Watch for the data and replied. ¡°Unofficially, the number of Scavengers whosending we prevented is about 500. Including the oveps, we captured around 200 Scavengers on Jeju Ind. So in total, about a thousand people have crossed the sea and tried to sneak into Jeju Ind in the past two weeks.¡± ¡°A real headache.¡± A thousand. Around a thousand illegal entrants tried to sneak into Jeju Ind over the past two weeks, all aiming to lick Seon Ga-eul¡¯s bone-mana powder, which we¡¯re currently storing on the roof. Since air travel was blocked, they couldn¡¯te by ne. But people from the South Sea, Tsushima, Okinawa, Shanghai, or even from submarines passing through the nearby straits secretly swam over to Jeju Ind. ¡°Mir, remember the data I sent youst time?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°You saw those red dots near Marado, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°All of those are submarines.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even submarines from various nations have gathered on the seabed south of Jeju, sending only their Scavengers ashore. There was no need to exin how formidable Seon Ga-eul¡¯s ability was, given how much attention it had drawn. In short, the bait had worked well enough. ¡°Should we stop pretending to be the evil spirit now?¡± ¡°Huh? Weren¡¯t we doing that to keep drawing attention?¡± ¡°That was the n, but since no one has found us, we should stop. The game of hide and seek where the seeker has been unable to catch the hider for two weeks¡­ at this point, it¡¯s no longer hide and seek but a missing person report.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°I guess hiding too well can also be a w. So, should we start leaking some information to hint at our location?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a shame that guy didn¡¯t take the bait¡­ but wait, I need to make a call.¡± I excused myself from the two and moved away to take the ¡®video call¡¯ that had juste in. ¡°Yumir. Hyeon Se-rin. Once I¡¯m done with the call, I¡¯ll be ready forbat, so you two get prepared as well.¡± ¡°Is someoneing?¡± ¡°Yes. The data has been passed to Se-rin, so review it together.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ looks like information that only goes to the higher-ups.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I jumped down from the building to create some distance, then manipted my Taeguk Watch to ept the iing video call. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve answered the call.¡± [You¡¯rete.] ¡°I apologize, Chairman.¡± [Not Chairman right now.] The person on the other end of the call. [You have a more affectionate title you usually call me, don¡¯t you?] ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± They began pressuring me. ¡°¡­Honey?¡± [Hehe.] The Chairman. The Chief. [That¡¯s right, darling.] My wife.
¡°Right now, he¡¯s on the phone with her, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If it wasn¡¯t her, there¡¯d be no reason for him to sneak off like that.¡± Yumir and Hyeon Se-rin nced in the direction where the Goblin had disappeared, giggling softly. ¡°Hmm, what should I say? Seeing him like that, he really looks like a henpecked husband.¡± ¡°He is. The reason he¡¯s working so hard for the Secret Society is entirely for the Chairwoman¡­or rather, the Chief.¡± ¡°What about you, unnie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the same.¡± Hyeon Se-rin picked up a tangerine from the desk, splitting it into four sections with her hands. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the Goblin, the executives would probably still be fighting amongst themselves over who would be the first to earn the Chief¡¯s favor. And the one who does would¡­ thanks to the Chief¡¯s miracle, be the first to be revived.¡± ¡°Would be?¡± ¡°The situation changed thanks to the Goblin.¡± Hyeon Se-rin tossed two sections of the tangerine to Yumir. ¡°Before, we thought only one out of the four could be revived, but thanks to the Goblin, we¡¯re confident that all four can be brought back to life, though the order may vary.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Last year, thepetition among the executives wasn¡¯t about achievements but about being the first to resurrect. Now, the only difference is who gets to be ¡®unnie¡¯ first. There¡¯s no more reason to fight.¡± ¡°Is it really okay to tell me all of this?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re an intern, but you¡¯re also Director Do¡¯s subordinate and a loyal partner.¡± ¡°It sounds a bit weird being called a ¡®loyal partner¡¯¡­ but well, I get the gist.¡± Yumir lightly tapped her temple with her index finger. ¡°I remember something you mentioned before, teacher. When a baby is born, if a human soul enters the child, that soul can reincarnate. That¡¯s how unnie can be reborn, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it.¡± ¡°So, there¡¯s no need for the executives to fight. As long as the woman who can ¡®give birth¡¯ doesn¡¯t die, as long as her body remains capable of having children, the unnie cane back to life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the start of a second, no, third life, beginning from infancy. Hehe.¡± Hyeon Se-rin chuckled and popped a piece of tangerine into her mouth, gesturing to her now semi-transparent body. ¡°It¡¯s the same for you. If you die, the Chief will save your soul out of affection, and you¡¯ll be rebornter. From infancy, of course. Though there are other ways too.¡± Hyeon Se-rin tapped her foot lightly on the floor where the urny. ¡°You could inhabit something like a pre-made artificial human, homunculus, or spirit doll. Although still in the research and development stage, time is tight, but if you trust the Chief, everything will be resolved.¡± Hyeon Se-rin sped her hands together as if she were a devout believer praying. ¡°Trust in the Chief. Even the dead shall rise again.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­¡± ¡°And you should be grateful to the Chief. It¡¯s thanks to her that you¡¯re able to be with the Goblin like this.¡± Poke, poke, poke. At Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s suggestive finger gestures, Yumir scratched her cheek and smiled awkwardly. ¡°She¡¯s someone who permits affairs? I¡¯ve thought about this for a while, but¡­ does she have a preference for that sort of thing?¡± ¡°Half of it.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°She has a mix of preferences, but it¡¯s pretty much as you¡¯re thinking. Your instincts are sharp, aren¡¯t they?¡± Hyeon Se-rin walked up to Yumir, draping her arm over her shoulder and whispered softly. ¡°The Chief, in fact¡­¡±
[The bait from Japan has been taken. ¡®That man¡¯ will probably head to Jeju Ind. ¡®Mr. Wanyong.¡¯] ¡°Are you concerned about me?¡± [Of course. That crazy monster, Japan¡¯s strongest viin, ising for my husband¡¯s head, after all.] Despite her worried words, the Chief¡¯s eyes were full of confidence in me. [I¡¯ve also sent Chaos, so don¡¯t lose.] ¡°I won¡¯t lose. Even if he¡¯s Japan¡¯s strongest viin.¡± It was not like I¡¯d be fighting him alone. ¡°If the fight seems tricky, I¡¯ll call Se-rin, Yumir, and I¡¯ll also get help from Chaos. If necessary, I¡¯ll even ask the Thunder Emperor for support.¡± [Ah, that¡¯s it. But just this once.] ¡°Yes, just this time.¡± [Hahaha, this is exciting. Once we get through this crisis¡­] The video call screen froze. She must have floated the camera into the air. [You¡¯ll devour them all, right?] ¡°¡­What?¡± The Chairwoman¡ªthe Chief¡ªsmiled mischievously at me. [Yumir, Hyeon Se-rin, Chaos, and the S-rank Thunder Emperor. Make them all yours. Then film it and send it to me, okay? The process of them bing the mothers of your children¡ªall of it. That¡¯s what I want.] ¡°Wait, all of them?¡± [Oh my? After impregnating me, you¡¯re going to talk like that?] ¡°¡­Well¡­¡± [You ate something more valuable than wild ginseng, so you¡¯ll have to take responsibility, won¡¯t you?] ¡­ [Honey.] Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Currently, the Chief has reduced her magic power to its lowest, entering a lightweight mode. Using the divine power to revive a dead person, which could only be done once a year, caused her considerable strain. Naturally, turning an ability user into a spirit was not an easy task, but the Chief¡¯s abilities worked more easily when dealing with women. Correction. Resurrecting a man into spirit form was an exceedingly difficult task. However, the Chief epted my request, using immense magic power to bring Gwang Ik Gong back to life. As a result, she needed to rest for about a year, and the appearance of her resting state was what I was facing now in this lightweight mode. Her hair color had shifted from its original golden hue to mostly ck, and her body shape differs significantly from the original form. The onlymon feature, even in her minimized state, is the one aspect that hasn¡¯t changed, something adjusted to remain unaffected even in a low-power state¡­.¡°Chairman.¡± [Yes, Goblin.] ¡°I am a fraud victim.¡± [¡­¡­Pfft.] No matter what the Chairman said, I must make this one point clear for my honor. ¡°You told me you were an adult.¡± [I am. A Saint Chief.] That ¡°adult¡± wasn¡¯t referring to the saintly kind of adult. ¡°I was asking if you were considered an adult.¡± [Then why didn¡¯t you ask in English back then, instead of Korean?] ¡°No, seriously.¡± She never let a word slip by. [Seriously what?] ¡°You told me it was legal, but now you¡¯re making me look like someone whomitted a crime, which is very troubling.¡± [It was legal, though? By U.S. standards in 2024, the rtionship between you and me was one between two consenting adults.] ¡°But we¡¯re not in the U.S., are we?¡± [It¡¯s not the U.S., but both you and I are viins anyway. Do you think we need to follow thew?] From the start, she never intended to lose. Even though I was deceived in other areas, she was someone who couldugh off jokes from her subordinates, yet she was exceptionally stubborn about this matter. ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Don¡¯t nder me.¡± [nder? Ahaha, regardless of what you say, you know it¡¯s over once it¡¯s happened more than once, right?] Tch. When she said things like that, I truly had no rebuttal. [If you did it unknowingly once, it¡¯s a mistake, but after knowing, you did it several times. You even liked it more.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± [Also, the reincarnation of the four S-ss virgin ghosts depends on your mindset.] ¡°That has nothing to do with¡­. Ah, never mind.¡± I raised my hands toward the floating screen. ¡°I¡¯m a Pedo Viin. I¡¯ll ept the Chief¡¯s judgment.¡± That was right. At first, I didn¡¯t know. But even after finding out, I continued my rtionship with the Chief, and it was the same now. When I realized it, it was already a fait apli. That was, the most profound and certain emotional expression between a man and a woman had taken ce, and an oath had been made. I admitted it. I was a viin. [Goblins love novels the most, and after that, patriotism. Am I wrong?] ¡°No.¡± [Oh my, why?] ¡°The thing I love the most is you, Chief.¡± [Wrong. It¡¯s not love; you¡¯re in love with the Chief, aren¡¯t you?] ¡°As expected of the Chief. Everything you say is correct.¡± And the Chief used this aspect of my nature to urge me to continue living as a viin. [Then go secure more living S-ss women with your bat bomber. Project Jeju, keep working on the beauty tactics.] ¡°Why women, of all things?¡± [Isn¡¯t it obvious? What effect would flirting with a male have?] ¡°Your logic is wless. I cannot refute it.¡± [If you did refute it¡ª] ¡°Then you¡¯d ask me if I was going to go seduce men instead.¡± The Chief favored efficient personnel cement. [Let¡¯s be honest, you¡¯re not going to go around seducing men, are you?] What the Chief expected from Do Ji-hwan was to recruit S-ss heroes into the Secret Society. She assigned me to ces where I could recruit talent most easily and effectively. [Of course, you can use your full strength to help a nation in crisis.] After killing Lace¡¯s demon in Thand, suppressing the military coup beneath it, and creating chaos with Hesed, would I bring the A-ss hero Nguyen to our cause? [When a hero¡¯s personal beliefs are shaken, you can approach them with sweet words and lure them in.] With about a year of Goblin-like actions, someone would feel the need for a Goblin, be inspired by the Goblin¡¯s ideals, and be drawn into the Secret Society. [But still, the easiest way for a Goblin to persuade a hero is by using beauty tactics, isn¡¯t it?] Or should I just infiltrate the academy, swing my bat around, and bring in female S-ss heroes through illicit patriotism? [There¡¯s no need to take the hard path when the easy one¡¯s right there. Especially when it¡¯s directly tied to your psychological stability and peace.] In terms of difficulty, overwhelming the situation as a Goblin Bomber was by far the easiest route. [So, go ahead and enjoy it. It¡¯s an extramarital affair, but it¡¯s not really one, as the legal wife permits it.] Under the Chief¡¯s permission. [Anyway, whether your firstborn will be a son or a daughter, I don¡¯t know, but that child is mine.] ¡°Can¡¯t you tell if it¡¯ll be a daughter or a son?¡± [Oh my, that¡¯s no fun. Do you think our ancestors knew anything before having children?] The reason I could freely form improper rtionships with other women wasn¡¯t just because of the norms of this world but because I had already settled everything with the Chief. ¡°I understand. But please know this: no matter what you think of me, I have given you all of my firsts.¡± I was not sure about my previous life as Do Chang-nam, but as Do Ji-hwan, I had given the Chief everything. ¡°Everything about the reborn me, Do Ji-hwan.¡± [I know. Hehe.] My body, my mind, and my soul. ¡°Even now, it feels like enough, but if I involve more people¡­.¡± [Mr. Do? If there¡¯s an overwhelmingly strong being, what¡¯s the easiest way to beat them?] ¡°If you can¡¯t fight alone, you fight together with many.¡± [Exactly. The same goes for me. You just have to convert your magic power into stamina. Like how heroes gather a party to challenge the Demon King.] So that was it. Was I the Demon King? [You¡¯re the Demon King of the bed. A terrifying patriotism demon swinging the cursed Goblin Bat. And the heroes gathering to face that demon? That¡¯s us. Hehehe.] ¡°Usually, the hero¡¯s party is wiped out by the Demon King.¡± [But if the hero party has about 10 members, it¡¯s a different story, right? If you gather more heroes besides the summoner who holds your soul, that is. Hehehe.] ¡°Do the summoner¡¯s summons count among those 10?¡± [They might, or they might not.] ¡°Sigh. Got it. But¡ª¡± There was one thing I have to say. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡± [Oh,e on. That excuse doesn¡¯t work anymore.] ¡°Why not?¡± [You know how it is. If you unknowingly snort bone powder the first time, you get leniency. But if you knowingly snort it several times after that, even Goblins execute that enemy. It¡¯s the same logic.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± I was a viin. [Hehe. Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. Just think of it like this.] The Chief smiled brightly at me and pointed her index finger toward me. [I told you, didn¡¯t I? You ate ginseng, but it was me who fed it to you.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± [Wasn¡¯t it delicious?] ¡°Yes.¡± It was a taste I had never experienced before. Because it was my first time. ¡°But you keep calling it ginseng¡­.¡± [I was talking about medium-sized ginseng.] ¡°¡­¡­Is that so?¡± [Yes. Oh, of course.] Smirk. [I¡¯m 17 years old right now, though.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± I was a Goblin of the Society. I was someone who cannot betray the Society.
After finishing the call with the Chief. ¡°What did the Chairman say?¡± ¡°She told me to recruit every S-ss woman I could find into the Society without question.¡± I ryed the Chief¡¯s words as they were, and both Hyeon Se-rin and Yumir pointed at their Taegeuk watches with puzzled expressions. ¡°The video?¡± ¡°She said to take pictures or videos and send them.¡± ¡°The directive hasn¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°There is a change.¡± I spread both hands in front of them, flexing all ten fingers before closing them again.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°She said the more heroes there are to defeat the Demon King, the better.¡± ¡°Is the teacher the Demon King?¡± ¡°She called me the Patriot Demon King.¡± ¡°Ah, that makes sense. The Demon King of the bed, swinging the fallen holy sword like a club.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yumir¡¯s words made my head throb for a moment, but since she wasn¡¯t wrong, I just smiled and let it pass. ¡°Anyway, now that we¡¯ve heard the Chief¡¯s orders, all that¡¯s left is to break the board that was set up through Seon Ga-eul.¡± ¡°And while you¡¯re at it, are you nning to recruit some S-ss women?¡± ¡°Not necessarily, but if the opportunity arises, why not?¡± Currently, there are two S-ss female heroes on Jeju Ind. ¡°Thunder Emperor Kim Yoon-ji and Baridegi Tae Irin. One of them has agreed to join the Society, but the deal hasn¡¯t been sealed yet. This time, I¡¯ll make sure to get the final stamp.¡± I would make sure to secure one of them on our side. ¡°We¡¯ll ovee the trial together and recruit them through our patriotic affair.¡± It was a perfect n. And fortunately, the trial was already crossing the sea toward us. ¡°A traitor who fled to Japan, an S-ss viin, is swimming over to Jeju Ind.¡± The S-ss viin, who was hypnotized by Seon Ga-eul, betrayed the nation and fled to Japan. Now, he wasing to Jeju to retrieve Seon Ga-eul¡¯s bone powder. His name? Okamoto Yasuo. Chapter 344: The Gathering Madness Show (4) Chapter 344: The Gathering Madness Show (4) At that moment, at Seongsan Ilchulbong. ¡°Seriously, this is driving me crazy.¡± Two women, Baridegi and the Thunder Emperor, stood atop Seongsan Ilchulbong, sighing as they watched a dark shadow slithering beneath the water¡¯s surface at sunrise. ¡°Those lunatics.¡± ¡°Sis, don¡¯t curse. They might hear you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying it so they can hear. Does this even make any sense?¡± The Thunder Emperor growled in frustration as she watched things slowly rising from the water¡¯s surface. Swooosh. Something was rising, cutting through the water.It was clearly, as everyone¡¯smon sense dictated, a whale. Pwooosh. With a sharp spout of water, the strange whales aimed to dock between the peaks of Seongsan Ilchulbong and settle on the beach. It was clearly not the behavior of ordinary whales. ¡°What, what is this? Why are theying this way?!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not normal! Damn it, what¡¯s the navy doing that they¡¯re not stopping the whales?!¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re whales!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± The ability users of the association, who had been setting up barricades on the beach, screamed and fled as the herd of whales crashed straight into their defenses. ¡°Damn those bastards¡­!¡± ¡°Sis! No! If they really are just whales, you¡¯ll get in trouble!¡± ¡°Do you expect me to just sit here when it¡¯s obvious what¡¯s inside?!¡± As Baridegi held back the Thunder Emperor, who was preparing to fire lightning at the whales, the whales, their bodies covered in scars, thrashed their tails left and right as they crashed headfirst into the sandy beach. Swooosh! The whales slid onto the beach, their heads crashing into the sand as they plowed forward. Unless humans intervened or the tide reached their mouths to sweep them back into the sea, there was no way they could return to the ocean. It wasn¡¯t a natural urrence unless they were deliberatelymitting mass suicide onnd. Although whale suicides were not unheard of, a herd sliding ashore like this on Jeju Ind was a rare sight. This was, of course, not a natural phenomenon, but the work of humans. Screeech! The head of one whale split open. Like a clean cut from a sharp de, the whale¡¯s head split in two, and a man leisurely stepped out from inside. ¡°That bastard!¡± The Thunder Emperor cursed as shended in front of the man. As she fell, she unleashed her lightning upon the man, but he easily deflected it with a swing of the typical katana at his waist. ¡°Tsk, tsk. What are you trying to do now?¡± ¡°Shut up, you traitor!¡± ¡°A traitor? I merely naturalized to Japan for the sake of my love.¡± The man, dressed in a ck suit with slitted eyes, arrogantly rested his katana on his shoulder. ¡°Domo, Thunder Emperor-san. I am Yasuo.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re in Korea, speak Korean!¡± ¡°You understood my introduction, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Oh,e now. You¡¯re not seriously going to attack a ¡®refugee swallowed by a whale,¡¯ are you?¡± The young man shrugged, and soon, ability users began emerging from holes in the whales all around. ¡°You see, we were just boating off Okinawa when, lo and behold, these whales swallowed us up.¡± They were all dressed in traditional Japanese attire and looked like typical Japanese people. ¡°Next thing we knew, oh my! We¡¯d arrived in Jeju. As refugees, you¡¯ll let us stay, right?¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense.¡± Baridegi leapt from the peak andnded on the beach in an instant. ¡°My, my, I-rin! It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth. Don¡¯t call my name so casually.¡± ¡°How cold. You used to follow me around so eagerly.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, show some respect. S-ss viin, Okamoto Yasuo. Or should I call you by your real name, Lee Jae-min?¡± ¡°Oh dear, oh dear. You¡¯re being so harsh on someone who¡¯s only here to retrieve my dear friend¡¯s remains. And to exorcise a ghost, of course.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you just saying you got swallowed by a whale?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just the official story. I-rin, if you don¡¯t stand aside quietly, there won¡¯t be a violent sh, will there?¡± ¡°Hmph¡­! International viin or not! Even if you brought your entire team, the justification is on our side! Everyone, prepare for battle!!¡± At the Thunder Emperor¡¯smand, everyone on the coast picked up their weapons and readied themselves for battle. ¡°How disappointing.¡± ¡°What should we do, boss? Kill them all?¡± ¡°Whoa, hold on. We can¡¯t kill them. If we do, Gwang Ik Gong from Busan will fly over and wipe us all out.¡± Yasuo chuckled wickedly as he rested his sword on his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s just y nice and meet at our respective destinations. Now, everyone¡­¡± Click. ¡°Set them free!!¡± Yasuo and five other ability users assumed the same pose and got into position. ¡°¡±¡°¡°¡°Transformation!! Mushi Ranger, on!!¡±¡°¡°¡°¡°N?v(el)B\\jnn
[Is that the Super Ranger from the maind?] [This is so embarrassing.] Under the pretext of a field trip with Yumir, we hade to catch the biggest bait rted to the Seon Ga-eul case, only to witness an utterly cringeworthy scene. [Mushi Rangers? What the hell is that? Are they all bugs or something?] [Each ability user¡¯s ego is unique. Let me teach you something more.] I pointed to the five Super Rangers, each glowing in red, blue, yellow, green, and pink. [When someone is consumed by their concept, it means their ego is clear and distinct.] [So, does that make their abilities stronger?] [Of course.] In this world, the stronger one¡¯s ego, the more powerful their abilities be. It was often described as ¡°the ability to impose one¡¯s will on the world,¡± and those guys were currently making their presence known. [But science is still science.] ¡°Yasuo, Iza Mairuuu!¡± Swinging a katana around like the wind, the Red Ranger, Yaions, was charging at the Korean Hero Association agents, shing at them wildly. ¡°Kraaaah!¡± ¡°Sung-hyun! You traitor!¡± ¡°Heh, heh, keep cursing me! More, more!!¡± Yaionsughed louder as he kicked one of the agents in the chest. ¡°Curse me all you want! Hahaha!¡± ¡°You piece of trash¡­!¡± ¡°And what are you going to do about it?!¡± The Thunder Emperor swung her lightning-covered spear at Yaions, but he deflected it with his katana. ¡°I¡¯ll live however I want, so what¡¯s it to you?!¡± ¡°Do you have no conscience?! Are you even human?!¡± ¡°Would you rather I be a demon or a monster?!¡± He shot back at the Thunder Emperor, not letting her get thest word. [He¡¯s really irritating. Does he want to be cursed at that badly¡­?] Yumir shook her head as she watched Yaions. [They said he¡¯s an S-ss viin, but that guy¡¯s not a hero, right?] [Technically, he¡¯s a viin affiliated with Japan. Do you know about the Yakuza?] [Japanese mafia?] [Something like that. They act like Super Rangers, but in reality, they¡¯re Yakuza members ying the role of Japan¡¯s enforcers. And their leader is that guy, Yaions. He became an S-ss viin by enhancing his powers through treason.] [Treason¡­?] Boom, boom, KABOOM! Explosions echoed around us. The fight between the Thunder Emperor and Yaions had turned into a full-fledged one-on-one, but the viins that hade with Yaions weren¡¯t just ordinary ones. [All five of those people were originally Korean.] [I don¡¯t get it. Why did they defect to Japan? With their strength, if they stayed in Korea, they¡¯d be as popr as two S-ss heroes.] Bang! Baridegi fired her enchanted bullets, sniping at the remaining treasonous Rangers. Though they struggled to close the distance with her, Baridegi was alone, and there were four of them. ¡°You cowardly people!¡± ¡°Angry? So what are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so mad, why don¡¯t you try stopping us!¡± As two S-ss Rangers distracted Baridegi, the remaining two A-ss Rangers methodically took down the Hero Association agents, one by one. ¡°Are you insane?! Do you really think you¡¯ll get away with this?!¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be doing this if we thought we wouldn¡¯t!¡± They weren¡¯t interested in talking. They were only provoking further anger from their opponents. [They really know how to get under people¡¯s skin.] [That¡¯s their strength.] [Huh?] [Their ego is based on treason.] These people gained power from the anger of Koreans. [Their joy, their pride, and the enhancement of their abilities alle from enraging others. Naturally, betraying Korea and antagonizing Koreans only makes them stronger.] An ability user would do anything to be stronger. Even if it meant defecting to Japan, changing their name to a Japanese one, and making themselves objects of Korean hatred, all for the sake of growing stronger. [Yumir, you gain strength from the desire to purify and save corrupted souls. I gain power from my resolve to execute the wicked.] [Wait, no way¡­] [That¡¯s right. They gain power from making others angry.] That was how they thought. [And that¡¯s why they¡¯re viins.] They were sadomasochists of sorts. And for them, their betrayal of Korea manifested as this ¡°patriotic traitor¡± act. [Technically, the Secret Society wouldn¡¯t normally get involved. But these guys are one of the Society¡¯s dirty little secrets.] [What do you mean?] [It was a viin from the Secret Society that created these traitors.] Through hypnosis and gaslighting, a single S-ss viin and four A-ss viins were brainwashed into abandoning their Korean nationality and defecting to Japan. [We realized toote that continuous hypnosis could turn potential heroes into treasonous viins. By the time we figured it out, they had already crossed over to Japan.] Seon Ga-eul manipted them into defecting. That was why she was called the Witch of the Rising Sun. Shemitted patriotic gaslighting, causing Korea to lose valuable resources¡ªtwo S-ss and three A-ss talents¡ªto Japan. -I sent them to Japan so the Secret Society could more easily control Korea!! A treasonous legacy left by a woman who acted on her own, without the Chief¡¯s orders. [Time for me to step in.] I donned my goblin schr attire, rather than my usual gentleman outfit. [As the Executioner of Viins.] [Are you going to kill them?] [If they do something worthy of death, I might.] However, [If their crimes aren¡¯t that bad, I¡¯ll spare them.] I pressed my mask firmly with my hand, then leapt forward. sh. As soon as I passed through the golden dimensional gate, I saw Yaions swinging his sword, as if he were about to unleash some kind of ultimate move. ¡°Wind slic¡ªhuh?¡± SMASH! Before he could react, I brought my Goblin Bat down with all my strength. Chapter 345: The Gathering Madness Show (5) This world. Among ability users, there was one taboo you must never break. For example, attacking someone while they were transforming. For example, delivering a finishing blow and saying, ¡°Did I get them?¡± For example, attacking someone when they were preparing a move and announcing the name of the technique. Anyone who disrespected the romance of an ability user would suffer a fate worse than death. When you thought about how abilities ultimately manifested the imagination and romance of the user, disrupting that romance was like viting a sacred rule. Screech¡ª However, I broke that taboo without a second thought.Just as Yaions was about to use some wind-based technique or whatever it was called, I opened a dimensional gate right in front of him and struck his crown with my Goblin Bat. ¡°Urgh, guh¡­!¡± Yaions staggered backward in shock. His hand holding the sword trembled violently, and he nearly copsed to the ground. ¡°Damn¡­!¡± But, as expected of someone stronger than the Thunder Emperor despite everything, Yaions managed to stay conscious, even after taking a direct hit to the head. [As expected of an S-ss. You don¡¯t go down with just one strike.] ¡°Goblin! Why are you suddenly here¡­?¡± [Goblins are everywhere. Didn¡¯t you know I was already operating on Jeju Ind? That¡¯s unfortunate.] ¡°Why are you saying such things¡­?!¡± ¡°Yasuo!!¡± The other Rangers rushed over to help Yasuo, supporting him. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­! Ugh, it was just a cowardly sneak attack! But more importantly, why are you here?!¡± [I¡¯m a viin, but I¡¯m a Korean viin.] Someone once said: The most notorious viin in the world said this as he pointed a gun at a Nazi viin. [As a Korean, I can¡¯t stand by and watch viins who betray Korea to side with Japan, of all ces.] I felt the same. ¡°Korean¡­?¡± [That¡¯s right.] ¡°Huh, haha¡­! Finally, finally, you reveal your true identity! Yeah, if you weren¡¯t Korean, there¡¯d be no reason for you to act like this in this country!¡± Yaions, with blood dripping from his mouth, pointed his sword at me. ¡°Now that I know you¡¯re Korean, I can¡¯t hold back anymore!¡± Whoosh¡ª Yaions¡¯ sword was once again surrounded by wind. ¡°Come forth, Divine Wind! Slice through my enemy!¡± The name and technique reminded me of an ability user I knew, but his fighting style was entirely different from the one I remembered. ¡°Kama Itachi!!¡± Yaions shed his sword from the ground upwards, sending a powerful gust of wind cutting through the earth towards me. The speed was so fast that by the time I said ¡°slow,¡± it had already reached me. As expected of an S-ss user, the speed was immense. [Too slow.] Behind me, a golden shield spread out, protecting me. The de of wind grazed the shield and scattered to the sides, splitting the ground around it. ¡°tinum Sun¡­! Even you¡­!¡± [With everything in chaos on Jeju Ind right now, instead of cooperating, you¡¯re making things worse. What are you doing?] Yumir stood beside me, extending her hand toward Yaions and the other Mushi Rangers. A red aura swirled around her wrist, and ropes extended from her hand, ready to subdue the Mushi Rangers at any moment. [Your actions are disturbing the peace. I cannot allow this. I will subdue you.] ¡°Foolishness¡­! Are you Korean too?!¡± [Before being Korean, I¡¯m a citizen of Earth. I cannot stand by and let someone threaten the peace of this world.] ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then take care of the Goblin next to you first!¡± Well, he wasn¡¯t wrong. It was true that right now, the members of the Hero Association¡ªthe Thunder Emperor and Baridegi¡ªwere keeping their distance but still targeting both us and the Mushi Rangers from afar. Whether you were a Japanese viin or a Korean viin, a viin was a viin. You were only called a viin of a certain country based on where you mostly operate, but viins were universally opposed everywhere. ¡°Surely, you¡¯re not going to show some nationalistic favoritism and go after those of us who are Japanese first just because we¡¯re foreigners?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re a hero of Korea, you should prioritize subduing the Korean viin first!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to say that, being a Japanese viin!¡± The Thunder Emperor scolded Yaions, but technically, under internationalw, Yaions had the upper hand. ¡°The Goblin¡¯s viin rank is higher than mine! Surely, you wouldn¡¯t attack us ¡®just yet,¡¯ especially when the Goblin, who recently killed Nut Crusher, is still atrge?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The Thunder Emperor clenched her fists, trembling with anger. The Thunder Emperor was the one who killed Nut Crusher, but the me was now being pinned on me. [ording to internationalw, priority goes to subduing the viin who hasmitted the most recent crime or holds the highest rank. Rather than someone who mightmit a crime.] A person who snuck in on a whale, plotting something on Jeju Ind. In contrast, I was the one who killed Nut Crusher, a Korean ability user¡ªviin or not¡ªand burned the body. From a general perspective, it was obvious even to a child who the more heinous and malevolent person was. Except, of course, if you were a Korean child, when viewed from the perspective of the rest of the world¡¯s children. [You¡¯re manipting the situation by using social norms, hero ethics, and your own code of conduct to your advantage. Typical behavior of a neo-Japanese sympathizer.] ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re just a piece of trash who goes around killing people!¡± [I¡¯m merely executing those who are less than human.] If this stalemate continued, it was clear that Yumir and I would be at a disadvantage. ¡°tinum Sun! You¡¯re no different! Acting alongside that Goblin only makes you a viin like him!¡± [¡­] ¡°You im to purify demons, but all you do is serve Korea! How absurd!¡± [I don¡¯t only show up in Korea, you know?] ¡°But you only appear wherever the Goblin goes! It was the same in Thand! You¡¯re neither a Korean hero nor a global hero! You¡¯re just a woman who¡¯spletely enthralled by the Goblin, body and soul!¡± He struck a nerve. [Enough with the nonsense.] Before Yumir could react andsh out, I stepped in front of her and extended my hand to stop her. [No matter what he says, this time, we¡¯ll work together.] [¡­Fine. Let¡¯s clean up Jeju Ind first, and then we¡¯ll settle ¡®that business.¡¯] There was no ¡°business¡± to settle. We were just feigning cooperation for now, as our interests happen to align in this situation. ¡°Hmph! Do you really think that pathetic act will fool anyone? The Thunder Emperor! Baridegi! Take care of these viins!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t order me around! You¡¯re viins too!¡± ¡°We may be viins, but right now, we¡¯re just ¡®refugees!¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense¡­!¡± The Thunder Emperor nced at me and clenched her fist again. Technically, for the Korean Hero Association to avoid bacshter from the Japanese Hero Association or from Japan itself¡ªsuch as usations of ¡°Does Korea protect its viins just because they¡¯re citizens?¡±¡ªthey had to attack the Goblin. If the Thunder Emperor and Baridegi didn¡¯t attack us now, Korea could be attacked by Japanter. [tinum Sun. Let¡¯s move the stage ¡®there.¡¯ Open a dimensional gate. Viins deserve an appropriate execution ground.] [Understood.] Paaat. Yumir opened a dimensional gate in front of me. I stepped up to the gate, raising my Goblin Bat and aiming it at Yaions. [Let¡¯s settle this one-on-one. There are some things we need to discuss.] ¡°Hah¡­! Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to?!¡± [Oh, really? In that case¡­] I quickly surveyed the surroundings and then began backing toward the gate. [I was the one who killed her.] I imbued my voice with magical power. The sound, amplified by Yumir¡¯s magic, reached only Yaions. [Seon Gaeul.] With that one phrase, I stepped through the gate. sh. My vision brightened for a moment as I teleported to the rooftop where Seon Gaeul was buried. I immediately gripped my Goblin Bat and assumed a stance. 3, 2, 1. ¡°Onoreeeeee!!¡± Yaions burst through the gate, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he swung his sword at me. ¡°Dieeeeeee!!¡± [You¡¯ve be quite Japanese.] ng! I blocked his attack just as the gate closed behind him. ¡°You [Yes. I killed her.] Though someone else actually did it, even if they hadn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve killed her myself. [The traitorous broker, the Witch of the Rising Sun, the betrayer of the Secret Society. Seon Gaeul, it was me who killed her.] ¡°You [You must havee to Jeju to retrieve her remains. And while you were at it, you probably nned to dispel her spirit and take her powers. Do you know her ability is hypnosis?] ¡°Shut up, shut up, shut up!!¡± With each shout, Yaions swung his sword, trying to kill me. Although it looked like wild shing, his attacks were actually precise, aimed directly at my neck. ¡°I can never forgive you for killing my sister!!¡± [Right. She must have whispered sweet promises to you, didn¡¯t she? Saying that if you crossed over to Japan, you¡¯d live together.] ¡°Shut upppp!!¡± Yaions roared so loudly it echoed through the mountains, his ragepletely overtaking him. [She said the same thing to me.] ¡°What¡­?¡± For a moment, Yaions¡¯ eyes wavered. ¡°What did you say¡­?¡± [Oh dear. Didn¡¯t you know? You weren¡¯t the only one she flirted with.] I casually rested the Goblin Bat on my shoulder. [Did you ever sleep with her?] ¡°Th- [No, no. Don¡¯t answer like a child. What I¡¯m asking is¡­] Poke poke. I jabbed the bat into a hole in the wall. [Did you ever do that?] ¡°Onoreeeeeee!!¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om [Judging by the look in your eyes, I guess you got that far, huh.] I deflected his sword strikes as I continued speaking. [Would you like to know who took her first?] Now. He wouldn¡¯t be able to leave this ce. [If you defeat me, I¡¯ll tell you.] ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll kill you!!¡± It was one-on-one. Well, not for me. ¡®I never said I was her first.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t lying. Chapter 346: The Gathering Madness Show (6) Paaat! The golden dimensional gate closed. The two S-ss viins, Goblin and Yaions, disappeared without a trace inside. ¡°W-what¡­!¡± ¡°Where did you send our leader?¡± [Who knows.] The Mushi Rangers erupted in anger at the actions of tinum Sun, who had closed the dimensional gate. However, tinum Sun nonchntly pointed at the empty space where the gate had vanished. [It¡¯s somewhere on Earth, I suppose.] ¡°You bastard¡­!¡±¡°How dare you send our leader¡­!¡± Paaat! The Mushi Rangers charged at tinum Sun all at once, but tinum Sun easily dodged their attacks, creating distance between them. [If you want to find them, go ahead. I still need to finish getting rid of the evil spirits in Jeju Ind.] ¡°What¡­?¡± [You¡¯re looking for something, right? I know where it is.] Everyone¡¯s attention was now on tinum Sun. ¡°You know where Seon Ga-eul¡¯s remains are?¡± [Yes, I found them. I was going to destroy them, but as soon as I found out you wereing, I came straight here.] ¡°If you know where the remains are, tell us! Now!¡± Baridegi stepped forward, approaching tinum Sun. ¡°You¡¯re not like Goblin, are you?¡± [I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t want to be a viin.] Surprisingly, tinum Sun didn¡¯t avoid Baridegi¡¯s approach. Baridegi came so close, almost within one meter, close enough that if she stretched out her hands and feet, she could grab tinum Sun¡¯s wrist. But even then, tinum Sun didn¡¯t move from her spot. [But I¡¯m not sure about you either. Just like I don¡¯t trust those Mushi Rangers trying to steal the remains, I¡¯m not confident about what the Hero Association would do if they got their hands on them.] ¡°Of course we would-¡± [The Goblin said he would destroy the remains.] ¡°!!!¡± Baridegi¡¯s hand stopped for a moment. She now had an idea why this woman was temporarily aligned with Goblin. ¡°Do you n to destroy Seon Ga-eul¡¯s remains?¡± [Of course. I believe they shouldn¡¯t exist.] ¡°Why?¡± [If someone were to use that ability and hypnotize someone to ¡®be a demon,¡¯ there¡¯s a chance they would.] ¡°A hypnosis that turns people into demons¡­ No one would do such a thing¡­!¡± [Are you absolutely sure?] At tinum Sun¡¯s words, Baridegi bit her lower lip. It was hard for her to say with certainty that such a thing would never happen, based on what she had seen and heard. [There are abilities in this world that are helpful, and others that are more dangerous. I think hypnotic abilities fall into thetter category. So, I can¡¯t just sit back and let that be.] §² ¡°tinum Sun. I have just one question.¡± The Thunder Emperor stepped up beside Baridegi, standing protectively next to her, and confronted tinum Sun. ¡°Are you on the same side as Goblin?¡± [For now, yes. At least when ites to destroying Seon Ga-eul¡¯s remains.] ¡°¡­I see.¡± Crackle. ¡°If you¡¯re on Goblin¡¯s side, that makes you an enemy of the Association, at least for now.¡± [¡­] ¡°But our current mission is to stabilize Jeju Ind. My top priority as Thunder Emperor Kim Yoon-ji is to restore peace to Jeju Ind, not chasing after you.¡± ¡°Sister Yoon-ji!¡± ¡°Irin.¡± The Thunder Emperor ced a hand on Baridegi¡¯s shoulder and pointed toward the sea. Baridegi closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, turning her gaze to the remaining four Mushi Rangers. ¡°¡­I will arrest the viins who illegally entered Jeju Ind.¡± ¡°What about that woman?! She¡¯s just as much of a-¡± Whoosh. Suddenly, a dimensional gate opened in the air, and tinum Sun slipped through it. ¡°Chase-¡± The gate closed before they could chase her. ¡°Wow. Her speed is incredible, even I couldn¡¯t follow her. As expected, tinum Sun is amazing.¡± The Thunder Emperor scratched her head, feeling a bit awkward as she pulled her hand back from the now-closed gate. ¡°Ah, headquarters. This is Thunder Emperor. We¡¯ve lost Goblin and tinum Sun. But I¡¯ll arrest the remaining Mushi Rangers immediately.¡± ¡°You, you scum¡­! Acting so obvious¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the ones who acted obvious. You secretlynded on Jeju Ind, hiding from the navy by controlling an innocent whale.¡± Crackle. The Thunder Emperor gathered electricity around her body once again as she stood in front of them. ¡°Protect Jeju Ind. That is our duty as heroes.¡± Boom! ¡°You damn viins.¡± From the sky, blue lightning fell.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Sometimes, when I provoked an opponent to shake their mentality, I wondered. ¡®What if this turns them into a demon?¡¯ Shaking someone¡¯s mental state meant increasing their chances of bing a demon. Even those with strong mental fortitude could be demons if their most sensitive nerve was hit. That was how it was for Yaions too. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely kill you!!¡± [If you kill me, you won¡¯t get the answers you want.] ¡°I¡¯ll make you talk first, then kill you!!¡± Every time Yaions swung his killing sword at me, his murderous intent brushed against my skin. The de¡¯s wind scraped my entire body, cutting my robe with every pass. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely kill the one who killed my noona!¡± His rage fueled his murderous intent. His fury amplified his magic power, and the clear intent to kill me became his most powerful weapon. ng! Engaging him directly wasn¡¯t favorable. Even though our weapon skills were evenly matched, each sh sent sparks flying, and the de wind attacked my entire body. ¡°Kama Itachi!¡± Once again, Yaions mmed his sword into the ground. At the same time, he shed upward, and three sharp waves shot out from his de. [Too bad.] I struck the ground with my goblin bat, summoning my magic. A massive concrete pir rose before me, and the sh waves vanished as they collided with the pir. ¡°What the¡­! Are you controlling concrete?!¡± [It¡¯s just an ability.] I merely created a shield in the form of a pir using my magic. Whether it was because it was dark or because the form was too realistic, Yaions didn¡¯t realize the pir was just a magical creation. With just the Goblin Bat, I created a massive pir that rose from the ground. [Do you not know that the woman you cherish so much has been seducing other men?] ¡°Shut up!¡± [If you didn¡¯t know, now you do. And if you knew, remember it again. The woman who whispered love into your ear and suggested crossing over to Japan was nothing more than a queen bee, a femme fatale.] ¡°!!¡± Yaions¡¯s eyes filled with bloodshot rage. ¡°That, that can¡¯t be¡­!¡± [But you know, don¡¯t you? One of the people who went to Japan with you had also traveled with Seon Ga-eul to Jeju Ind.] ¡°S-shut up!¡± [Seon Ga-eul even went to Ulleungdo with another man, though she told you she was going on a trip to Seoul with friends.] ¡°Stop it! Don¡¯t insult her!¡± [It¡¯s not an insult; it¡¯s reality. Even if you charge me with defamation, it would still be factual defamation.] In denial of the truth, Yaions shook his head furiously and aimed his de at me. ¡°She¡¯s not some tramp!!¡± [No, she is. That woman even tried to hypnotize me and manipte me with her body. That¡¯s why I killed her.] ¡°N-no! Shut up! That can¡¯t be true!¡± [Do you really believe that? Do you think she was pure?] He was wavering. And that wavering revealed Yaions¡¯s true feelings. [You know it. You weren¡¯t her first.] Because he knew. Because deep down, he believed that what I was saying wastrue.¡¯ [She wasn¡¯t just experienced with men; she was still seeing other men even while she was with you, not just ability users, but older men too.] ¡°Ugh, argh¡­!!¡± That man, he was not turning into a demon right now. Despite shaking his mental state this much, there was no sign of demonization, which meant he was aware of what I was saying. [I simply took care of a viin who was using her body to disrupt world peace by seducing men.] Because he knew that what I was saying was the truth. [Let¡¯s end this soon.] And then. [Also, if you¡¯re going to use that name and title, don¡¯t use such techniques.] Whoosh. The wind blew. In an instant, Yaions staggered, his gaze shifting to the ground. ¡°What¡­?!¡± [You¡¯re stepping on remains.] ¡°!!¡± Yaions¡¯s eyes trembled. In the middle of the rooftop, the ground had cracked slightly due to the battle, revealing an old piece of cloth between the broken concrete. That clothing was undeniably familiar to Yaions, something Seon Ga-eul had worn when she was alive. [You stepped on a grave.] ¡°You¡­!¡± His eyes, his magical power, trembled with fury and confusion. The trust Yaions had in Seon Ga-eul, who had guided him until now, wavered as he learned about her past actions. That unease and wavering shook the magical power that strengthened his body. [On the grave of the femme fatale who tried to use you.] And using that wavering, I broke the will of the brainwashed man before me. [Let me finish this, to clear your mind.] Whoosh. As soon as I gave the signal, a gust of wind roared from the grave. ¡°!!¡± Caught off guard by the sudden tornado, Yaions stumbled backward, trying to escape. And from the ground beneath Yaions, a glowing green magical power circled out like a magic array. ¡°What¡­?!¡± [Cyclone.] Whoosh! The green wind swirled up from below,unching Yaions high into the sky. [Now, let me show you true science.] Gripping my Goblin Bat tightly, I leaped forward. [Remember this, you who were bitten by a femme fatale.] The green wind beneath my feet served as a springboard, propelling me forward. [Your name deserves a matching fighting style.] Whoosh. Guided by the wind, I arrived. ¡°Damn you!¡± sh. Even as Yaions was hurled into the air by the cyclone, mentally shaken, he still swung his sword at me with a single-minded intent to defeat me. ¡°I got him¡ª!¡± [Too bad.] I had arrived. The one that Yaions shed wasn¡¯t the real me, but a clone. The real me had already arrived. [There is no victory for someone who wanted to be the protagonist of a femme fatale¡¯s story.] As Yaions raised his sword, still staring in the direction where he thought I was running from, I stood behind him. [Look at this, this is true science.] Yaions was now floating in midair. At some point, the Goblin Bat in my hand had transformed into a sword. ¡°You I unleashed three consecutive strikes. [Final Breath.] With three swift shes, I cut Yaions down. [This is the ss of a master.] Chapter 347: The Gathering Madness Show (7) After swinging the final breath. Yaions knelt. His body bore the marks of des swung from three directions, and blood was streaming from his wounds. Like a samurai about tomit seppuku, Yaions closed his eyes. As an S-ss, he realized that no matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t defeat me. And at the same time, the will to resist was broken. There was no longer a reason to run wild to obtain Seon Ga-eul¡¯s remains. ¡°Kill me. I¡¯ve lost.¡±He admitted his defeat in our one-on-one duel and humbly epted death. There was the death of a superpowered being, but also the death of a fool in love, which he epted at my hands. ¡°You are strong, Goblin. It is truly unfortunate that such power is used for this country.¡± [I¡¯m not using it for this country. I¡¯m using it for the nation the Society will rule.] ¡°What? Ha, haha. You say amusing things. Well¡­ there¡¯s nothing more for a defeated dog to say here.¡± The man, who had renamed himself Okamoto Yasuo, spread his arms wide and looked up at the sky. ¡°Dawn is approaching. With my death, dawn wille to thisnd. A fine day to die.¡± [Who said I would kill you?] ¡°What?¡± [I¡¯m not going to kill you. I won¡¯t.] Yaions¡¯s expression twisted. But I was not someone who killed recklessly. [You may be a viin, an S-ss viin from Japan, but you¡¯re also a victim of Seon Ga-eul.] [If I had intended to kill you, you wouldn¡¯t have lived to see 2025.] I didn¡¯t summon him here, where Seon Ga-eul¡¯s urn was, with the intent to execute him. If I wanted to execute him, I would have crossed into Japan earlier, raided his base in Okinawa, and crushed his skull. [The man I would kill is the fool lost in nostalgia for Seon Ga-eul.] Yaions shut his eyes tightly without saying a word. [You betrayed your country and sided with Japan because you were under her hypnosis.] I pulled out the urn from the shattered ground. ¡°That is¡­¡± [It¡¯s all over now. At best, this is just rotten bone powder, no good even for your health.] The thermos¡¯s end was split by the de of the wind, and the white powder inside spilled into the winds of Jeju Ind. The powder, carried by the wind, ascended into the sky, as if achieving enlightenment, scattering into the dawn sky. [The evil spirit is already gone.] ¡°Ah¡­.¡± [Before you arrived, we had already dealt with Seon Ga-eul. The witch of the Rising Sun will not reappear in thisnd.] ¡°Is she really dead? If only I hade sooner¡­ could I have met her?¡± [Who knows? I can¡¯t say for sure.] While Yaions immersed himself in his thoughts, I nced toward the distant gaze that watched me. ¡®They¡¯re probably thinking I¡¯m lying about Seon Ga-eul¡¯s death.¡¯ The two women watching from afar looked bewildered. Their eyes practically said, ¡°Stop lying, already.¡± ¡®It¡¯s not a lie, though.¡¯ As I always said, I only lied when necessary. This time was no exception. ¡°How did Ga-eul noona die?¡± [She kept gaslighting me until the end. Telling me we should live together forever. That if we teamed up, we could aim for an executive position in the Society. That we could conquer this country together.] ? That was what she said. Not in June of 2025, but inte autumn of 2024. [Doesn¡¯t that sound familiar?] ¡°¡­She whispered the same to me. Even as an evil spirit, I bet she said those things. She was always someone looking out for her own survival.¡± Yaions had a skewed view of Seon Ga-eul. ¡°But still, I loved her. Damn it.¡± It was Seon Ga-eul who tinted his vision with rose-colored sses, hypnotizing him into thinking only of her. [Are youing to your senses now?]N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°¡­Was my love for her a lie?¡± [You should know the answer better than anyone. Let me ask you this.] I pointed the Goblin¡¯s bat toward Yaions¡¯s chest. [When you think of Seon Ga-eul, does your heart race?] [When you love someone, even after death, thinking of them should make your heart ache and race. You revisit memories, reliving those cherished times, savoring the love.] No one was as blind as a superpowered being in love. [Love is the most powerful emotion for a superpowered being.] Even if it was with a viin or an illicit lover, love could drive a hero to the brink of scandalous retirement. Love was that powerful¡ªfor anyone, not just superpowered beings. [You gave Seon Ga-eul that fiery moment of love.] At one point, this man fell in love with Seon Ga-eul. He thought her sweet whispers were love. Though they were merely words meant to use him. [But does your heart burn as intensely now as it did when you decided to betray your country, change your name, and be Japan¡¯s dog?] ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± [Compare your past self with who you are now. You were Lee Jae-min, who decided to immigrate to Japan following Seon Ga-eul¡¯s proposal. Now, you are Okamoto Yasuo, married to a Japanese woman and an S-ss viin among the Okinawan yakuza. How does your love for her feel now?] [Let me drive the nail in for good. Do you still love Seon Ga-eul?] ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t love her.¡± With great difficulty, Yaions opened his mouth to speak. [Why can¡¯t you love her anymore?] ¡°Because I discovered who she really is.¡± [Exactly. Once her hypnosis broke after her death, and you saw her true self, your love faded.] His love faded, regressed, and began to be forgotten as he gradually realized the truth behind Seon Ga-eul once the hypnosis broke. [If you could still love her, even after seeing her flirt with other men and brainwash them, if you chose to stay by her side regardless, you might have been considered the ultimate romantic. But isn¡¯t your heart now directed toward someone else?] On Yaions¡¯s left ring finger, a ring shimmered. It was a simple silver couple¡¯s ring, but it looked cheap, unlike the typical wedding bands often seen in Korea. [Under hypnosis, you became Japanese. Water that¡¯s been spilled can¡¯t be retrieved. The moment you abandoned your nationality for love, you had no choice but to live as a Japanese citizen. And while I could execute a viin of Japan¡­] I withdrew the Goblin¡¯s Bat. [I can¡¯t treat you differently from the others. If you¡¯d killed a soldier or civilians whilending on Jeju Ind, you and yourrades¡ªthose ¡°Mushi Rangers¡±¡ªwould have been killed on the spot. The Goblin¡¯s Bat has no mercy for murderers.] [Whilending on Jeju, you killed no people but did kill whales.] The question was: Had Yaions and the Mushi Rangersmitted atrocities severe enough to warrant execution? They hadn¡¯t. They weren¡¯t demons, nor had they done anything unforgivable. [Therefore, I will pass a suitable judgment on you. Now, confess your sins.] ¡°What?¡± [What do you think your sins are?] Slowly, Yaions got up from his kneeling position. He wasn¡¯t going to fight, but like a condemned man standing on the gallows, he steadied his breath and answered. ¡°Being deceived by a femme fatale into giving up my nationality. Illegally entering Jeju Ind. And¡­ allowing hatred and contempt for my homnd to be the source of my strength.¡± [You know well. But you left out the most serious sin.] ¡°¡­Wanting to hear just one thing from the woman who never truly loved me.¡± [What was that?] ¡°I wanted to ask her if she loved me.¡± A feeling of pity arose, and I let out a sigh. Even now, as we talk, remnants of his longing for Seon Ga-eul linger. [It seems your head is still not entirely cleared.] ¡°Calling it a head instead of a brain¡­ How crude.¡± [If a beast like you,pletely obsessed with a woman who tried to manipte him, stands before me, should I call that a human head or a beast¡¯s skull?] ¡°¡­So, I¡¯m nothing more than a pitiful beast still clinging to a woman.¡± [Exactly.] Finally, Yaions realized the ugliness of his own actions. [Now do you understand what you must do?] There was a reason I was sparing this man. [I¡¯m a busy person. I don¡¯t have the time to swing my bat at every love-struck fool still mesmerized by someone like Seon Ga-eul.] ¡°Are you telling me to do that?¡± [Exactly. Go and enlighten those who are still fixated on her. Reveal the truth about Seon Ga-eul to them.] I pointed the Goblin¡¯s Bat in the direction of Japan. [Tell those buffalo fools still dreaming that they were Seon Ga-eul¡¯s first, to wake up and face reality.] ¡°¡­That¡¯s the reason you¡¯re sparing me.¡± [Of course.] I despised troublesome tasks. After all, I had an important mission: to recruit S-ss talents on Jeju Ind for the sake of my nation. [Let them know that the woman they loved, the one they thought was so special, was nothing more than a queen bee who toyed with hundreds of drones.] Chapter 348: The Gathering Madness Show (8) Yaions was tasked with dealing with the men still fixated on Seon Ga-eul, those who couldn¡¯t forget her. This time, he truly understood his feelings, and since he learned the truth about Seon Ga-eul, he wouldn¡¯t act out because of her anymore. [Then, disappear.] Paaaah¡ª As soon as I signaled, a golden magic circle unfolded behind Yaions, and a gust of wind blew him beyond the magic circle. ¡°Whew.¡± I took off my mask and reverted from my transformation. Even though I wasn¡¯t naked since I was still dressed in my clothes¡ªunlike the schr Goblin with his fluttering hanbok¡ªI converted my magic power and adjusted my breathing, now in my usual suit attire. ¡°Good job. Thanks again for bing the one who ¡®killed¡¯ Seon Ga-eul out of the blue.¡±¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± I high-fived Hyeon Se-rin, who was approaching. The gust of wind that lifted Yaions into the air wasn¡¯t from my power, but from Hyeon Se-rin¡¯s, and Yaions never realized she was here. Even if he had, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered. The issue wasn¡¯t who killed Seon Ga-eul, but why Seon Ga-eul had to die. ¡°Teacher. As you instructed, I threw him back to the ce from before. Are you sure that¡¯s fine? Do we really not need to check?¡± ¡°Of course. There¡¯s no enemy easier to subdue than one who doesn¡¯t use their sword.¡± Yaions¡¯s will had already been broken. He would leave Jeju Ind with Mushi Rangers or order his subordinates to surrender and peacefully allow the association to detain him. ¡°It¡¯s not shameful to be captured by Korea¡¯s two S-ranks. They¡¯ll act ording to internationalw.¡± ¡°¡­Internationalw.¡± Yumir furrowed her brow as she mulled over the words ¡®internationalw.¡¯ ¡°Teacher. ording to internationalw, if a superpowered individual illegally invaded another country, the capturing nation can detain them for a week, right?¡± ¡°Yes. From the moment of capture.¡± One of the internationalws. If a hero from one nation invaded the territory of another ormitted a crime, the capturing country could detain the individual for only a week¡ª168 hours¡ªbefore releasing them back to their homnd. R¨¤????§¦s? It was ridiculous. It defiedmon sense, and you¡¯d want to scream that it didn¡¯t make any sense, but this was one of the corews of this world. ¡®Aw designed to irritate the protagonist.¡¯ Even if a superpowered individual from Country A rampaged in Country B, because they belonged to Country A, Country B could only detain them for a week of investigation. Did it seem nonsensical? It was. In this world, everything illogical or twisted existed to present challenges to the protagonist, a device of the author. ¡®It¡¯s going to cause a big headacheter on.¡¯ Even based on the original plot and the current state of this world, it was just as much of a headache. Just look at the people flocking to Jeju Ind, eager to gnaw on Seon Ga-eul¡¯s bones¡ªthey could create all the havoc they wanted in Korea and be released in a week. The risk was worth it, considering the immense return. ¡°Well¡­ since we¡¯ve taken care of the biggest nuisance, shall we finish up the rest?¡± This show was over. With Yaions dealt with, once Seon Ga-eul¡¯splete death was announced, all issues regarding the hypnosis ability would be resolved. ¡°Teacher, how do you n to handle it? Are you going to announce it to the media that the Goblin killed Seon Ga-eul?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. We don¡¯t have to step forward. As long as one person regains their senses, everything will be resolved.¡± To announce that the evil spirit was exorcised, all you needed was for the one tormented by the spirit to wake up. ¡°All we need to do is wake the princess of the tangerine fields from her slumber.¡±
At that moment, near Seongsan Ilchulbong. ¡°Kyaaaah!!¡± The Mushi Rangers copsed one by one in agony, and finally, thest of them knelt. ¡°Space-flow Sword Technique¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Crack! A bolt of lightning from the sky struck the man wielding the long sword, forcing him to one knee. ¡°Kugh, as expected of the Thunder Emperor¡­! But defeating us won¡¯t be the end! Our leader, ¡®Yaions,¡¯ will soon defeat the Goblin and return!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Crackle! The Thunder Emperor directed another bolt of lightning at the ranting Mushi Rangers. They convulsed as if having a seizure, then copsed limply on the ground. ¡°Everyone, restrain them. I¡¯ll personally take them to Jeju City.¡± ¡°No, unnie. You rest. I¡¯ll take them to Busan. You need to rest. You¡¯ve used a lot of magic.¡± Beads of sweat formed on the Thunder Emperor¡¯s forehead, and Baridegi wiped the sweat away with her sleeve, speaking with concern. ¡°I¡¯ll go. You fought against one S-rank and three A-ranks at the same time.¡± ¡°You helped me fight too.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to stay in the rear and not intervene? It was 1 vs. 4. Got it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t ask a healer to step forward and fight. One injured person is enough. Besides¡­ I didn¡¯t even get hurt.¡± Crackle.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The Thunder Emperor pointed at her wrist, where a flicker of lightning shone, smiling. ¡°Look, the spot where I was cut. No wound at all, right?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s more than that. The cut part seems to have disappeared entirely.¡± ¡°Haha, what are you saying? That¡¯s not it. Don¡¯t worry¡ª¡± Crackle. Magic power flickered. It wasn¡¯t from the Thunder Emperor¡¯s lightning; a golden magic circle spread in the air, and sparks of magic shimmered. ¡°tinum Sun?! No way¡ª¡± Thud! A blood-covered man copsed headfirst onto the ground from within the dimensional gate. He fell unconscious, and it wasn¡¯t necessary to say that this person was the S-rank traitor and the very Yaions they had been searching for. ¡°Combat re¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯re going back.¡± The Mushi Rangers, who had slowly started to rise, gaped in shock at their leader, Yaions¡¯s words. ¡°N-no! Captain, what are you saying?! Going back?!¡± ¡°¡­What we were looking for isn¡¯t here. All that¡¯s left is something that¡¯s been turned into a rag after passing through many hands.¡± ¡°W-what did you say¡­?¡± ¡°Seon Ga-eul¡¯s remains have already been removed.¡± ¡°!!¡± Everyone realized the situation. ¡°Could it be the Goblin¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Did the Goblin kill her?! Damn it, that bastard Goblin¡­!¡± ¡°Stop! There¡¯s no point in fighting any longer¡­ tch.¡± Ssssss. A breeze began to blow. Toward Seongsan Ilchulbong, a wind carrying the scent of tangerines started to blow ind, at a time when the sea breeze should have been stirring. ¡°This scent¡­ no way!¡± ¡°Unni!! We¡¯ve got a message from the association!¡± Baridegi opened a hologram through her Taeguk Watch. On the screen was a somewhat pale-looking woman, her eyes wide open, with her hair and eyes now tinged with the color of tangerines, clenching her fist forward. [¡°The curse has been lifted. Now, Jeju Ind is once again under my control.¡±] ¡°Ji Cheon-hyang¡­!¡± Swooooosh. Toward the sea, although it was close to dawn, the dark sky was now covered with ominous clouds. Something wriggled and started to fill the sky, approaching the battlefield, and the Mushi Rangers, seeing ¡®it¡¯ in the sky, lost their will to fight. ¡°W-what, wh-what the hell¡­!¡± ¡°N-no, this can¡¯t be¡­! I mean, we knew, but isn¡¯t this a bit too much?!¡± From the sky. Massive clumps of tangerines, like jumbo jets, were flying through the air. Instead of jet fuel, they were oozing juice, and the clustered tangerines seemed ready to fire something toward the ground. ¡°Aaaah! I-I don¡¯t want to die like this! Thunder Emperor, just strike me down with your lightning!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯d rather die than be taken down by that¡ª¡± Puhwaaaaaa!! The tangerines exploded in mid-air, and a rain of juice began to fall from the sky. [¡°Rain of Mandarin.¡±] Had it not been tangerines, had it been fire or ice, it would¡¯ve been a breathtaking spectacle to behold. But. It was tangerines. The juice of organic Jeju tangerines, grown on thisnd, began to burst and rain down on the viins. And the moment the viins were hit by the tangerine rain, they all closed their eyes and bowed their heads. Though they were just tangerines, tangerines imbued with magic power became ¡®magic bullets¡¯ in the shape of tangerines. ¡°¡­It¡¯s just tangerine-shaped grenades falling.¡± Krrraaaang!! ¡°¡­Or maybe it¡¯s an airne.¡± Thunder Emperor, holding Baridegi, swiftly moved back as the jumbo jet of tangerines calmly descended upon the Mushi Rangers.
¡°It¡¯s going off all over. Habong ymores, all across Jeju Ind.¡± I felt a chill down my spine at the magical reactions I sensed from all over Jeju Ind. ¡°If you¡¯re a superpowered individual, you¡¯d want to go down fighting gloriously, even if you lose. But what if tangerinese into y?¡± ¡°Tan¡­.¡± ¡°Gerines¡­!¡± Vrrr. As the tangerine helicopter floated across the sky, I couldn¡¯t help butugh in disbelief. ¡°Well, it seems that regional specialty ability users are indeed quite impressive.¡± Ability, terrain, and the people¡¯s trust in heroes. The result of that perfectbination was Ji Cheon-hyang, who had awoken from her deep slumber, using her powers to fill Jeju Ind with the scent of tangerines, burying all those who hade to gnaw on Seon Ga-eul¡¯s bones. ¡°Yumir, listen carefully. In this world, any ability, no matter how absurd, can be realized as long as there¡¯s enough imagination and magic power.¡± ¡°Haa. Yes, that¡¯s really true. Ha, haha. How is controlling all the tangerines on the ind more unreal than teleportation¡­?¡± Yumir posed a fundamental question about the workings of this world, but since this was a world where superpowers were created by materials from outer space, there was no helping it. Later on, someone else would appear, not with tangerines, but with something else as their specialty. ¡°Wiki¡­ It¡¯s a relief. Thanks to the breadcrumbs I scattered in advance, everyone is recognizing Ji Cheon-hyang¡¯s awakening as ¡®the curse of Seon Ga-eul being lifted.¡¯¡± Ji Cheon-hyang had resurrected. The curse was lifted. The power of the evil spirit had weakened. The evil spirit¡­ was dead. ¡°Teacher. But how is that possible? Look, over there, those tangerines are clumped together and running across the ground like horses.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t think of them as tangerines, think of them as metal or ice. It¡¯s easier that way.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re tangerines.¡± ¡°So what if they¡¯re tangerines?¡± I peeled a Habong and offered Yumir a piece. ¡°Whether it¡¯s tangerines or whatever, as long as we defeat viins and protect the citizens, it¡¯s all good, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°To hear such a reasonable statement from an S-rank viin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s true.¡± Yumir took a big bite of the Habong, chewing thoughtfully. ¡°Should I try something like that? Not with tangerines, but with something else. Maybe watermelons or melons.¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s stopping you.¡± If she dropped watermelons instead of meteors, I was all for it. ¡°But it won¡¯t work just like that. You need that.¡± ¡°That? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I pointed my thumb toward my chest. ¡°It¡¯s love.¡± Chapter 349: The Gathering Madness Show (9) ¡°Uwaaaah!!¡± Ji Cheon-hyang stretched and threw herself onto the bed. Even though she was an ability user, when her magic power was limited, her body naturally stiffened from lying in the hospital bed for a long time. However, before her body could loosen up, she had used her ability to the fullest to subdue the illegal intruders. Her ability: controlling tangerines. The maximum range of her ability covered the entire ind of Jeju. To be precise, her power extended across the whole ind of Jeju and even some parts of the surrounding sea. In Jeju, a ce famous for tangerine production, her ability was practically on the level of an S-ss god. Now, that god has returned. Beep. Ji Cheon-hyang turned on the TV with her Taegeuk watch.After adjusting her posture, worried that someone mighte in through the balcony window again, she carefully listened to the news anchors to understand the situation. [¡­the ¡®attempted ind infiltrators¡¯ who were captured in Jeju and transferred to Busan are currently locked in the iron cell created by Armored Taejo, but after a week, there have been more attempts to sneak into Jeju¡­.] ¡°Damn national citizen protectionw.¡± On channel A, heroes from the Hero Association, including Thunder Emperor and Baridegi, were condemning the so-called ¡®Bone Suckers¡¯¡ªillegal Jeju infiltrators captured by them. [Their goal is to obtain the remains of Seon Ga-eul, the ¡®Transfer Train¡¯ ability user, and secure her power. Although her ability is called ¡®Victory Support,¡¯ considering she¡¯s an A-ss user¡­.] ¡°Support? More like brainwashing. Tsk. Only those who know the real story would call it support. It¡¯s true, though. Support, hypnosis. Anyway¡­ confirmed that no additional information about Seon Ga-eul has been leaked.¡± Even during her time lying in the hospital, she had cross-checked several times with the people who entered the room. The public still knew only the basic information about Seon Ga-eul. An A-ss ability user. A hero, though not very active in hero activities. A woman who often met men. About seven months ago, she suddenly disappeared. People spected she was dead, and in fact, she appeared as an evil spirit in Jeju. She even cursed Ji Cheon-hyang, but Ji Cheon-hyang broke the curse and awoke from a long sleep. Ssssh. As she turned the Taeguk Watch, the channel changed. [¡­some rumors suggest that Hwalbindang or the Secret Society might be involved, but the Hero Association maintains its original stance of not coborating with viins unless the world is truly on the verge of destruction¡­.] ¡°The involvement of Hwalbindang and the Secret Society is just rumors. Confirmed.¡± Ji Cheon-hyang browsed the inte to confirm the information. -Still, even though Seon Ga-eul went missing and those nasty rumors spread, since she was a Korean hero, Hwalbindang should step in, right? ?Nasty rumors? If having three-digit male friends makes her nasty, then celebrities must be out of control. ^^ ?How do you even know that? It''s not like all the men she slept with certified it. ?Ga...! ?Next, please. Even ability users don''t wear out like normal people. ^^ ?...Ping! ¡°Rumors about Seon Ga-eul still floating around, confirmed. Nothing about her exile to Japan or the hero defection being revealed yet. Confirmed.¡± Seon Ga-eul remained just an ordinary A-ss ability user. The only odd thing was that people often saw her dining or having tea with men or being alone with them. -Oh, maybe she was just trying to get married? What''s so strange about an A-ss woman looking for a spouse? Wasn¡¯t she 24 years old? That''s the prime age for marriage. -Is 24 the prime age for marriage? -She''s an ability user! Back in my day, by 24, people already had five kids! -This isn''t the farming era anymore; it''s the age of ability users.... -You fool! If you started having kids at 16, you''d have ten before you hit 25! -Wisdom of the elders, indeed! ¡°The ¡®nasty rumor¡¯ is still viewed as people¡¯s misunderstanding of her trying to get married while being a single woman. Confirmed.¡± Nothing more, nothing less. ¡°Ah, Seon Ga-eul¡­ She was quite something.¡± Ji Cheon-hyang shook her head and rose from the bed. ¡°Testing all those men, then seeing that Goblin was about to ascend to S-ss, she tried to cozy up to him by ying the childhood friend card. Ugh, an opportunist. She died well, died really well¡­ If I had known she was buried in Jeju, I would have nted a ton of rotten tangerines around her grave.¡± Crackle, crack. Ji Cheon-hyang walked to the kitchen, turned on the stove, and poured water into a pot. ¡°Now that Seon Ga-eul is dead, the men who were bewitched by her wille to their senses, and since I¡¯m free from the curse, people will know she¡¯s dead¡­.¡± [¡­Yes, that¡¯s right! There¡¯s suspicion that this chaos was caused by a viin organization¡¯s evil plot involving Seon Ga-eul¡¯s spirit. Though their true motives remain unknown, they are likely targeting the tangerine empress of Jeju, Ji Cheon-hyang¡­.] ¡°My title is Ji Cheon-hyang, and Tangerine Empress isn¡¯t my hero name. It¡¯s just what people call me.¡± Hearing the reporter on channel C refer to her as the Tangerine Empress didn¡¯t bother her too much. ¡°Is that guy my fan? Hmph.¡± Feeling pleased, she ced the ramen she quickly cooked on the kitchen table and sped her hands together. ¡°I wish Jeju would grow even bigger. That way, people would expect even more from my exploits.¡± The sight of the tangerine jets falling toward the beach in front of Seongsan Ilchulbong was nothing short of magnificent. No one knew who filmed that dramatic moment, but it ended up inspiring both hope and despair in others due to her tangerine bombardment. -Uwaaah! What should we do? Without Ji Cheon-hyang, how will we handle all these rotten tangerines? -Is that really the issue? Isn¡¯t there something more important? -Ah, right! The viins! Ugh, I haven¡¯t seen a viin in Jeju for a while, but now that Ji Cheon-hyang has fallen, we realize how important she was. Only after the flower has withered... Woah! Look, the tangerines are flying in the sky! Ji Cheon-hyang is alive! To the people of Jeju, the tangerines left in front of their homes and the trees on the streets had be even more reliable protectors than the police. -Damn it, what¡¯s happening?! -The Tangerine Empress has been revived! It seems the curse has been lifted! -Tch, damn useless evil spirit! Damn it, retreat! Even though it''s an A-ss corpse, with the Tangerine Empress awake, stealing the remains is impossible! If you don¡¯t want a tangerine bomb exploding in your face, run away now!! Viins who had secretly infiltrated Jeju Ind now faced despair as they realized that a being capable of monitoring and responding from every corner of the ind had returned. With Ji Cheon-hyang¡¯s revival, peace returned to Jeju Ind, just as it had before. ¡°Hmph, so¡­ have I dealt with everything? Can I finally rest now?¡± [Not a chance.] Whoosh. Even though she was sure the balcony window was locked, a masked man was sitting on the living room sofa. [The Jeju Project isn¡¯t over yet.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± [In fact, it¡¯s just beginning.]
I came to say a word of thanks to Ji Cheon-hyang for her hard work, but as soon as I arrived, her expression twisted¡ªshe had just started to cook ramen. [Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not here to put you to work. You can just rx and eat your ramen while you listen.] ¡°Ah, really?¡± [Of course.] ¡°Wow, thank you! Oh, would you like to have some ramen before you go?¡± [¡­¡­.] At Ji Cheon-hyang¡¯s forbidden question, I shook my head, and her innocent expression soured slightly as she clicked her tongue in disappointment. ¡°If I ask you againter, will it be toote?¡± [I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.] ¡°Heheh. I have eyes and ears all over Jeju, you know. There¡¯s nothing I don¡¯t know.¡± [Except for ces without tangerines. Isn¡¯t that right?] ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± Even on Jeju Ind, there were ces without tangerines. Whether they removed the tangerines or erected a barrier, there were plenty of ways to avoid Ji Cheon-hyang¡¯s watchful gaze. [Just keep doing what you normally do. The incident with Seon Ga-eul¡¯s evil spirit was only a prelude to therge-scale crisising in July.] ¡°How big are we talking?¡± [As you already know, more than ten S-ss individuals will gather here on Jeju Ind. And they¡¯ll be fighting a war over something.] ¡°Seon Ga-eul¡¯s remains?¡± No. Not Seon Ga-eul¡¯s remains, but something just as valuable and expensive. And, unlike Seon Ga-eul¡¯s remains, it¡¯s not hidden away in some remote mountain¡ªit¡¯s something that will legally draw people here.] What that was, Ji Cheon-hyang would find out when the summer semester officially began. [But the situation will unfold simrly to the one with Seon Ga-eul¡¯s remains. More people will start vying for it, and all you have to do is bomb the viins who cross the line with your tangerines.] ¡°Even the Secret Society?¡± [Of course. What we want is for you to maintain your image as a hero.] The Secret Society never puts heroes in a position where working with them would cause problems. [If you feel someone has done something unforgivable, you can detonate the tangerines right in front of me.] ¡°Not that it¡¯d hurt you anyway¡­.¡± [It¡¯s not about hurting me. What matters is the fact that you attacked the Goblin.] ¡°Got it. But what exactly do you mean by ¡®unforgivable¡¯?¡± [For example.] I pointed to Ji Cheon-hyang¡¯s hand, which was holding chopsticks as she took a bite of ramen. [Eating a tangerine right after finishing your ramen.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Chewing a tangerine, Ji Cheon-hyang pouted and grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s still better than eating mint chocte¡­.¡± [Wait. What did you say?] ¡°I said, eating tangerines with ramen is better than eating toothpaste.¡± [¡­¡­.] At times. An ability user¡¯s strong ego manifested in ways that others couldn¡¯t easily ept. [Do you seriously eat tangerines as a side dish?] ¡°I mix them into my rice, you know?¡± [¡­¡­.] ¡°It¡¯s way better than putting pineapple on pizza, so why are you making that face?¡± An unyielding, powerful ego.N?v(el)B\\jnn Chapter 350: The Wild Show For Attention Afterpleting the final check on the uing events at Ji Cheon-hyang¡¯s house, I returned to the pension. On the way back, I gathered information and data on Ji Cheon-hyang, which the original work didn¡¯t provide. I could fully understand the background of her twisted eating habits. ¡°Why do you look so pale, oppa?¡± As soon as I returned to the pension, I met Yumir, who was cooking. She was preparing some stir-fried rice in the kitchen, and there was no trace of anything resembling ¡®fruit¡¯ among the vegetables she was using. ¡°I had a conversation with someone who has a truly horrible diet.¡± ¡°A horrible diet¡­? Who are you talking about? Se-rin unnie?¡± ¡°Mint chocte isn¡¯t that horrible.¡± I tried tounch an attack on her personal taste as soon as she left the room, but Yumir would surely freak out if she heard it.¡°Ji Cheon-hyang, she puts tangerines on ramen and takes a big bite.¡± ¡°¡­Did you say oysters?¡± ¡°Tangerines.¡± Even Yumir, as if she had heard it wrong, filtered it through her brain and asked again, but she had heard correctly. ¡°Oranges? Mandarins? That kind of tangerine?¡± ¡°Yeah. And eventer, when she mixes rice into the ramen, she also stirs in the tangerines.¡± ¡°Oppa, is it possible she has some sort of limitation that forces her to do that to maintain her S-rank ability?¡± Yumir turned off the heat for the stir-fry and asked me seriously. ¡°The ability where you have to mix tangerines into your rice to keep your powers¡­ If that¡¯s the price she pays to protect Jeju Ind, oh my¡­ That¡¯s just¡­ tragic.¡± In this world, abilities were a matter of imagination bing reality. However, among the various abilities in fictional works, there were some cases where abilities came with a ¡®risk.¡¯ For example, you might have to pay some kind of price whenever you use your power. Or, excessive output might cause your body to revert to a younger state due to overuse. In fantasy stories about abilities, it wasmon to set some kind of drawback for using powers. ¡°To protect a region as a hero, she has to eat tangerine rice for all three meals? That¡¯s just too much.¡± If you thought about it like that, was Ji Cheon-hyang¡¯s habit of mixing tangerines into her rice a drawback of her ability? Half right, half wrong. ¡°Yumir, just because she controls tangerines doesn¡¯t mean she has to put tangerines into everything she eats.¡± ¡°R-right?¡± Yumir, nervously touching a peeled Habong, was on edge. ¡°O-oppa, this isn¡¯t going to explode like shrapnel or anything, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already secured the area around the pension with Se-rin, so nothing will happen. Also, we¡¯ve removed all the magical connections from the Habong.¡± ????§£??? ¡°Are all tangerines connected with some sort of magic?¡± ¡°They¡¯re connected by scent. It¡¯s like a kind of cor¡­¡± ¡°A cor? Orange-colored?¡± ¡°Think of it like awork. A tangerinework. Again, the only reason it¡¯s tangerines is just the nature of it. Just like how objects with electricity have maic fields, these tangerines have a specific scent that spreads out like a wave.¡± I finished peeling the Habong and ced the segments in front of Yumir. ¡°If objects with electricity have maic fields, then these tangerines create a field based on their unique scent. Ji Cheon-hyang controls all the tangerines across Jeju Ind through that scent. You¡¯ve seen the extent of her power, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve realized how powerful regional dominance-type heroes can be.¡± It hadn¡¯t been long since Yumir went out as tinum Sun, but she witnessed firsthand the control Ji Cheon-hyang had over Jeju Ind. ¡°Even though the Hero Association officially announced that Seon Ga-eul was defeated, all those bone suckers thatnded on Jeju were imprisoned in tangerine jails. Some of them were put inside rotten tangerines, too.¡± ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s powerful enough to select and attack with tangerines based on their freshness across the entire ind. But that doesn¡¯t mean her obsession with tangerines is some kind of ability drawback.¡± I popped a big piece of the Habong into my mouth. ¡°She¡¯s just a freaky eater. She loves tangerines that much.¡± ¡°Tangerines¡­.¡± ¡°Remember what I mentionedst time? Each ability user manifests their powers differently, and the biggest influence on these abilities is mental.¡± ¡°Yes. Magic power is something you¡¯re born with, but abilities are developed in the mind. You taught me that over dinner the other day.¡± Now moreposed, Yumir resumed cooking and continued talking with me. ¡°A child who awakens their powers usually does so because they¡¯ve undergone intense brain activity, demanding something strongly even as a child. In most cases, it¡¯s manipting specific objects or using magic power as an energy source.¡± ¡°Ji Cheon-hyang has been controlling tangerines since she was a baby. Do you know why?¡± ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t on the Hero Wiki.¡± ¡°It was a survival instinct.¡± I bit into the Habong peel, squeezing out the juice from inside. ¡°A baby who was abandoned, unable to nurse from her mother, instinctively tried to squeeze out juice from the abundant tangerines on Jeju Ind.¡± ¡°A baby?¡± ¡°Yeah. A baby. Most ability users who awaken at a young age do so under extreme conditions.¡± It was one of the bitter stories in this world. It was not umon here for an abandoned child, unaware they were born with magical power, to awaken their abilities as a baby and grow up in an orphanage. ¡°And that¡¯s why in this world, raising a child is the utmost priority. It¡¯s a national and global duty not just to have children, but to raise and educate them for the future.¡± ¡°So¡­ if you don¡¯t take good care of them, they might grow up to wrap tangerines in ramen noodles?¡± ¡°Well, if you put it as a joke, yeah.¡± She had to control tangerines to survive. They were the only things abundant around her. ¡°Before anyone found her, before any adults came, she survived on tangerines. For her, tangerines were baby food, lifeblood, and sustenance. So, Yumir, when you have kids, you¡¯ll have to be devoted to raising them.¡± ¡°Someone has to be there to take care of the child, no matter what¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡± Even outside the world of abilities, someone always had to be there to care for a child. In a world of abilities, the difficulty of childcare rose even more. ¡°As you live in this world, there are times when you really feel it. This world is full of so much filth and corruption.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± Yumir did not disagree. ¡°Sometimes, I seriously wonder if this is the right way to live. There are moments when I feel like we should just blow everything away together.¡± A meteor ending. ¡°But every time I think like that, someone keeps flickering in front of my eyes. Someone who must have seen far more of this filth than I have, yet still pulls themselves together to clean it up.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°You, oppa.¡± Yumir ced the food she cooked on the table and sat down across from me. ¡°Instead of burning down the house because trash is scattered everywhere, you taught me, more than anyone else, that no matter how much trash there is, we need to clean up just the trash. And you¡¯re showing me that firsthand.¡± Swoosh, swoosh. ¡°Just like how having bones in fish doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t eat it.¡± Yumir reached for the fish she had grilled herself and effortlessly removed the bones,ying the soft flesh in front of me. ¡°If we neatly remove and discard the useless parts, the world can be beautiful. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°¡­Yeah. That¡¯s the ideology and the way of the society.¡± And that was why I, too, was loyal to the society. As a ¡®reader¡¯ who once loved this world more than anyone, even when the author discarded it by dropping a meteor, I worked for the society because I wanted to protect the world I once cherished so much. That, without a doubt, was love. ¡°We ended up talking about this while discussing tangerine rice. Anyway, when you have kids, raise them well. Otherwise, they¡¯ll grow up eating tangerine rice. Got it?¡± ¡°Are you dissing me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that the background of tangerine rice is sad, but that¡¯s beside the point. Would you want your child to grow up picky and eat tangerine on rice instead of meat?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Yumir clenched both fists in determination. ¡°How could I let my precious son do something like that?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ve already decided it¡¯s a son?¡± ¡°Hehe, oppa.¡± Yumir smiled brightly as she ced a piece of fish on the rice I scooped. ¡°You¡¯re not denying that it¡¯s your child, oppa?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I just shrugged my shoulders lightly.
At that moment. Somewhere along the dark, shadowy Olle Trail in Jeju Ind, a white-haired woman¡ªHyeon Se-rin¡ªwas silently waiting for someone. Rattle, rattle. The sound of wheels scraping over the gravel of the Olle Trail drew near as a woman with orange hair, dressed in a suit, pulled arge suitcase towards her from afar. ¡°Rin-ah!! Unnie¡¯s here!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯rete.¡± Hyeon Se-rin covered her face with her hand, smiling at the grinning woman. ¡°What took you so long?¡± ¡°The cross-country hike?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I walked all the way from Seoul without getting caught.¡± ¡°¡­You walked?¡± ¡°Yep! Didn¡¯t want to waste my magic power.¡± ¡°Ah, haaa¡­ No.¡± Hyeon Se-rin started to say something, but pressed her temple with her hand and closed her mouth. ¡°¡­So, did you bring the item?¡± ¡°Of course. Our section chief personally asked for it, so I brought it myself.¡± Tap, tap. The woman¡ªChaos¡ªtapped the suitcase with her hand, her lips curling into a smirk. ¡°A globally anticipated auction item. Something all the S-ranks will drool over, apletely legal item for sale.¡± Click. As the suitcase opened, the moonlight peeled away the shadows inside, revealing whaty within. ¡°The Phoenix Feather.¡± Inside the suitcase was a feather glowing blue like mes. ¡°It¡¯s a one-time consumable item, but if it can revert your body to how it was 10 seconds ago, anyone would drool over it.¡± It was the relic of a hero, containing the ability of time reversal (10 seconds). ¡°What do you think the bidding price will reach?¡± Chapter 351: Everyone Gather (1) ¡°Everyone, Tamna-guk is safe!¡± There was a brief incident involving an evil spirit¡¯s resurrection on Jeju Ind. Paradoxically, this event drew attention and ultimately made Jeju safer. The Nut Crusher incident in Seoul. The Witch of the Rising Sun¡¯s evil spirit incident in Jeju. In the past three weeks, these two incidents led to the arrest and detention of many viins. ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯ll sue you under somew or another!¡± ¡°At least until the summer term is over, these trash will remain locked up.¡± ¡°What? That handsome voice, if it¡¯s the voice I know¡ªaaagh!! T-this is the Steel Coffin?! W-wait! You n to lock me up like a criminal!!¡± The lower-tier criminals dragged to Busan were all confined in the steel coffin made by Taejo.¡°From now on, this golf course will temporarily serve as a detention center for special ability criminals.¡± ¡°Haha, Minister. Thisnd is owned by the Army¡­¡± ¡°This is a direct order from the President.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The government repurposed the military golf course, setting up a temporary detention center with modr concrete prisons erected right on the turf, creating a strange spectacle. Around 500 viinous criminals were imprisoned. The viins captured during the Nut Crusher incident would remain in prison throughout July at least, and those who illegally entered Jeju would also stay there under the pretense of investigation. Despite the Thunder Emperor guarding the body of an A-ss ability user, 500 people still tried to take it. Although anxiety was widespread, paradoxically, as long as they were locked up in Taejo¡¯s armored prison, other areas became safer. S-ss or not, the dangerous criminals acting for their own gain were now imprisoned. And since no one had escaped from that prison so far, the security in Korea was arguably even better than before the incidents. ¡°Think about it: capturing 500 viins with just Nut Crusher and the missing A-ss woman. That¡¯s a win, right?¡± People were relieved, and that sense of safety naturally extended to areas that needed extra attention. ¡°The summer term can proceed normally.¡± After much uproar at Sejong Academy, where they wondered if they needed to look elsewhere due to the disturbances in Jeju, the summer term officially began. ???????¨§s
First-ss cabin, flight to Jeju Ind. ¡°If there¡¯s anything ufortable, please let us know.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s more ufortable if you keep talking, so please leave.¡± ¡°Ah, understood. Have a pleasant trip to Jeju.¡± The flight attendant, affiliated with the Hero Association, bowed at a 90-degree angle toward the woman sitting in first ss, Baek Seol-hee, and immediately left. ¡°Whew.¡± ¡°Um, sunbaenim?¡± ¡°You can just call me unnie. What is it?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Sitting in the adjacent seat, Yoon Iseon pulled out a notepad and wrote something down, handing it to Baek Seol-hee. ¡°You were looking at someone at the airport earlier. Do you know them?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Baek Seol-hee scanned her surroundings. Besides the two S-ss ability users in first ss, no one else was present. However, just behind the first-ss cabin door, a bunch of A-ss students with perked ears were seated. Even right in front, the co-pilot was a D-ss ability user, having received sufficient aviation training to work as a co-pilot. No matter how quietly they whispered, everyone could hear the conversation. ¡°Do you have a pen?¡± ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Yoon Iseon quickly handed over the pen she was holding, and Baek Seol-hee swiftly wrote something at the bottom of the notepad. [The non-ability staff are on another flight, right?] [Yes. They¡¯re divided between two following flights.] The note exchange continued. Those who caught a glimpse of the notepad exchange between the two felt frustrated by the analog-style conversation, but none dared to ask. Since they were exchanging notes, it was clear they didn¡¯t want others to know what they were discussing. Considering it might even be a state secret, no one questioned their conversation lightly. [Do you perhaps have someone you¡¯re interested in?] [Yes, I do.] ¡°Jin¡­.¡± At Baek Seol-hee¡¯s blunt response, Yoon Iseon almost identally replied aloud in surprise. [Really? Who is it? Do I know them?] [Yes. You know them. So¡­] As Baek Seol-hee was about to hand over the notebook, she leaned over the seat and grabbed Yoon Iseon¡¯s wrist. ¡°It¡¯s mine, okay?¡± ¡°¡­O-of course.¡± Yoon Iseon, smiling with her mouth but not her eyes, realized something. Baek Seol-hee had a good idea of the rtionship between her and the man she had openly confessed her feelings for.N?v(el)B\\jnn [I¡¯ll cheer for you. He¡¯s a good guy. Except for the fact that he¡¯s only interested in novels.] ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± The coldness swirling around Baek Seol-hee gradually faded. ¡°Thank goodness. You¡¯re not my enemy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Did she think of her as a rival? Yoon Iseon wondered how much Baek Seol-hee knew about her rtionship with that man and quickly came to a conclusion. [But unnie, that librarian teacher, he¡¯s definitely hiding something. Be careful.] ¡°Snrk¡­!¡± Baek Seol-hee let out a quietugh at Yoon Iseon¡¯s sincere concern. ¡°Iseon.¡± ¡°Yes, unnie.¡± ¡°Unnie already knows everything, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon was relieved. This woman, while she acted like she was perceptive, only thought that she was the one who was perceptive. She was notpletely oblivious, but to get the truth from someone who was determined to hide it is a difficult journey. The Goblin had said this: Baek Seol-hee, Snow White, was a pretty pure woman. If you wanted to deceive her, you could, but if you kept deceiving her for too long, she¡¯d feel a huge sense of betrayal once the truth came out. ¡°So, if you ever think you¡¯re in danger, just say you know the Goblin. You can bluff and say you support Baek Seol-hee, that you cheer for her, and that you¡¯re just a fan of the Goblin and don¡¯t think of her romantically.¡± That¡¯s the advice the Goblin gave on how to handle Baek Seol-hee. And Yoon Iseon thought again. [Do you like that man, by any chance?] [If you¡¯re asking if I like Do Ji-hwan romantically, of course not.] That¡¯s something only the Goblin, the man Do Ji-hwan, could do. It was because she couldn¡¯t see Baek Seol-hee¡¯s eyes, the ones she directed at another woman who could be a rival. [That¡¯s understandable since that teacher is married.] Yoon Iseon found her excuse to escape. [He rmended me books and talked about special abilities, which helped me develop mine. I thought him being a special ability consultant might be better than a librarian.] She just got close to him because he helped her develop my ability, nothing more. So there was no need to think of her as a rival. ¡°Hm.¡± At Baek Seol-hee¡¯s rxedugh, Yoon Iseon felt more at ease. [You must have gotten pretty close to know that he¡¯s married. He¡¯s not the type to talk about such things easily.] But when she saw Baek Seol-hee¡¯s hastily scribbled words, a chill ran down her spine. ¡°U-unnie.¡± No way. This woman, ever since beforeing to Jeju, had alreadye with the determination to ¡°cause trouble.¡± [Are you nning onmitting adultery?] ¡°Iseon.¡± Baek Seol-hee smiled brightly and wrote her reply leisurely in the notebook before passing it to Yoon Iseon. [Unnie hasn¡¯t been able to properly date a guy for 25 years. I fell in love at first sight, so won¡¯t you help me out a little?] [Unnie, the one who said she was nning to retire and have a babyst time, that was really about Teacher Do Ji-hwan? The married librarian Do Ji-hwan?] ¡°Iseon.¡± Baek Seol-hee grinned as she looked out the window. ¡°Jeju is going to be such a nice ce. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yoon Iseon had a feeling. [Are you upset because you couldn¡¯t board the same ne? Or was it because the n to meet on the ship was ruined when it got changed to a flight?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Baek Seol-hee¡¯s ears were starting to turn a little red. [Unnie, should I set something up for you?] ¡°¡­¡­Hm?¡± [As your ability consultant, let me act as the intermediary.] ¡°¡­Iseon. Can I really trust you with this?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Yoon Iseon nodded calmly. ¡°What unnie wants to do is ultimately the best for the peace of this country.¡±
¡®So, the ne actually took off.¡¯ Maybe I wasted too much time in Jeju. We almost ended up heading to Ganghwa Ind or some other ind instead of Jeju, but fortunately, the flight for the summer term flew directly from Sejong Ind to Jeju. Originally, the n was to travel to Jeju by cruise ship. While Sejong Ind canunch nes, it didn¡¯t have an airport. So we had to bring the ne from Gimhae,nd on Sejong Ind, and then fly to Jeju. Cruise ship? There might be stowaways. No way. There were people swimming into Jeju from the sea. Didn¡¯t you think a ship would be risky? And so, the ship n was scrapped. -If you see me on the ship, pretend you don¡¯t know me, okay? I¡¯m going to look at you meaningfully, like I¡¯ve fallen in love at first sight. -Titanic, is it? The protagonists of the movie also found true love and happiness, didn¡¯t they? With that, the cruise ship romance was nned, but I had to board the regr employee flight in economy ss, which was meant for non-ability users. ¡®This feels awkward.¡¯ If it were before the possession, this would¡¯ve been the seat I always took. Butpared to the private ne seats I used while flying as the Goblin, it felt incredibly strange. ¡®Experience sure does change a person¡ª¡¯ ¡°Excuse me.¡± A woman approached and sat beside me. ¡°This seat is open, right? I¡¯ll sit here.¡± ¡°¡­Professor Lisa La Lakshmi?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Professor Lisa, who should¡¯ve been sitting in first ss, sat next to me with an annoyed expression. ¡°Why all of a sudden¡­?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Professor Lisa unbuttoned the top button of her tight shirt and let out a chuckle. ¡°I figured it¡¯d be better to sit next to a handsome younger man than a bald professor snoring in first ss¡­ don¡¯t you think?¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!