Its appearance had changed significantly and the distance was great, but Shin Sooa could tell.

Who that dragon was, and who its master was.

Shin Sooa broke into a bright smile.

“Kangrim…!”

Yorongi, carrying Seo Kangrim, was flying through the sky at high speed.

Amidst the biting wind lashing across his face, Seo Kangrim looked down.

Shin Sooa and the rest of the members were sprinting toward the finish line with everything they had.

‘Everyone made it safely.’

Bena, upon confirming that the other clowns were being driven back, quickly used an item to flee.

Seo Kangrim had known the clowns were retreating, but concern still lingered.

Only when he confirmed with his own eyes that the members were safe did his heart finally settle.

‘I can’t sense any more Sal energy either.’

Relieved, Seo Kangrim gripped Yorongi’s mane.

Having confirmed their safety, it was time to move on to the next objective.

He issued a command to Yorongi.

“Block everything ahead. Except our members.”

“Keureureung!”

The moment the words left his mouth, Yorongi’s jaws snapped open.

Flames flickered within its maw.

People screamed in horror as Flame Bullets rained down from the sky.

[Special Ability ‘Flame Bullet’ activates!]

[Special Ability ‘Whirlwind’ activates!]

“Aaagh! Damn it, what the hell is that dragon!”

“How do we block that!”

There was no way to block the Flame Bullets, nor anyone capable of attacking Seo Kangrim in the sky.

The lead vehicle was narrowly dodging Flame Bullets as it raced forward.

But the effort of evading the Flame Bullets was steadily slowing it down.

[Only a short distance remains to the goal!]

The final course was nearing its end, and the finish line came into view.

Seo Kangrim had closed the gap with the leaders, but was still trailing behind.

As Yorongi gritted its teeth and accelerated harder, the announcer was shouting.

[An intense race is underway both in the air and on the ground! It’s about time for Seo Kangrim to come down!]

The rules required breaking the ribbon stretched across the finish line to be recognized as crossing the goal.

Flying through the sky, Seo Kangrim inevitably had to descend.

“Yorongi, go down.”

“Keureung!”

As the goal drew near, Yorongi went into a steep dive, flying low enough that its belly nearly scraped the ground.

The nail-biting chase continued, and then a deafening roar tore through the air from behind.

-Waeaeaeaeng!

Dokgo Jun glanced at the rearview mirror and smirked.

“So someone else had taken it.”

The vehicle in hot pursuit was none other than Aldebaran.

The very one Seo Kangrim and Dokgo Jun had been riding just moments ago.

Aldebaran was plowing through every vehicle in its path.

[That’s the vehicle Seo Kangrim was riding—Aldebaran! It appears another participant has stolen it!]

Aldebaran’s speed continued to climb, closing the distance with the leaders.

Before long, it was running side by side with the front-runners.

And right above it, Yorongi was flying in tight formation.

Just one corner stood between them and the goal.

Seeing that, the leaders stomped harder on the pedals to pull ahead—and in that moment…

-Kwaang!

Unable to control its speed, one vehicle slammed into the car beside it.

The ricocheting vehicle collided with Yorongi, triggering a massive chain reaction.

In an instant, the surroundings were swallowed by billowing dust and smoke.

The monitors and jumbo screens showed nothing but hazy smoke.

[A collision just before the goal! Has anyone made it across? This year’s champion is…!]

Flames and smoke rose from every direction.

The collapsed arch decoration of the finish line, the devastated course.

And through it all, someone was slowly rising beyond the finish line.

He was clutching the severed finish line ribbon in his hand.

Black hair and black coat tails fluttered alongside the ribbon.

Seo Kangrim’s face filled the screen.

[—The first to cross the goal is Seo Kangrim, Rat Zodiac Camp!]

Seo Kangrim’s face was plastered across the massive jumbo screen at the finish line.

And behind him, the trailing runners began streaming in one after another.

The announcer shouted with fervent enthusiasm.

[Tied for second place are Shin Sooa, Dokgo Jun, and Yoo Harang! The honors go to the Tiger, the Rat, and the Rabbit respectively! And coming in fifth place is…!]

Rankings were determined down to twelfth place.

Every member of the Flying Tiger Sect had placed.

As Shin Sooa looked at Seo Kangrim with relief, Dokgo Jun tapped her on the shoulder.

“See? I was right, wasn’t I?”

Dokgo Jun gazed at Seo Kangrim on the screen with an enigmatic smile.

“I told you. He’s the protagonist.”

As if he had heard those words, Seo Kangrim turned and walked toward where Dokgo Jun stood.

But his gaze landed not on Dokgo Jun.

Seo Kangrim quickly assessed the condition of Shin Sooa and the rest of the group.

“Is everyone all right?”

“Yes. We’re fine. Nothing major happened.”

Shin Sooa said in a light tone.

The others too had only minor injuries or magic power depletion—everyone was safe.

Relieved by that fact, Seo Kangrim blinked his dry eyes.

‘The Eye that Sees Boundaries has deactivated now, too.’

Right after the clowns withdrew, the Eye that Sees Boundaries had vanished.

With no Sal energy to be sensed, it should be safe to relax.

He spoke as he headed for the exit.

“Let’s get out of here first. We should get treated right away.”

Minor or not, everyone was injured.

The moment they emerged from the Great Demon Realm and returned to the real world…

Seo Kangrim winced at the blinding light that stabbed at his eyes.

Dokgo Jun saw this and chuckled.

“Seo Kangrim, you’re going to be busy from now on.”

Countless reporters were positioned in front of the Great Demon Realm entrance, firing off camera flashes.

People shoving cameras in his face like madmen.

News of Seo Kangrim’s victory was spreading across the nation.

* * *

[The first to cross the goal is Seo Kangrim, Rat Zodiac Camp!]

Fate Protection Bureau Team 1 Leader’s office.

Seo Kangrim’s face was displayed on the large monitor there.

Broadcast alongside the “1st Place” caption, his face was utterly expressionless, devoid of any trace of joy.

Kang Dohyun let out an inward sigh of relief at the sight.

‘It ended safely.’

He had been anxious from the moment the race began, when Seo Kangrim drew the Deserted Island card and was eliminated.

Though that was nothing compared to when the Clown Troupe had crashed the event midway.

‘Still, the Clown Troupe crashed the event—is it really fine to just sit here?’

Despite the Clown Troupe’s appearance, he was still on standby at the Bureau building.

Kang Dohyun glanced at Seomun Yongnyeo and asked.

“Is it really enough for our team to just stand by?”

“I already told you. Team 2 will handle it.”

Seomun Yongnyeo was seated on the sofa, watching the screen with relaxed composure.

She didn’t seem particularly surprised by the Clown Troupe’s attack.

Kang Dohyun fell silent for a moment before asking.

“Did Team 2 know the Clown Troupe was coming? Why wasn’t our team informed?”

It had been handled well enough, but it was still a fairly large-scale terrorist act.

He found it puzzling that only Team 2 had been informed.

If he had known in advance, he could have at least given Seo Kangrim a warning.

Seomun Yongnyeo spoke without taking her eyes off the monitor.

“It was the Bureau Director’s order.”

“Did the Director perhaps… foresee the attack?”

“Yes. She said the scale wasn’t large enough to warrant our deployment.”

At the mention of the Director’s prophecy, Kang Dohyun bit his lip slightly.

Prophecy ability users were few in number, and even when they did foresee events, their visions were often vague.

Even when they sensed danger, they could only offer warnings like ‘be careful near water’—rarely could they pinpoint specific circumstances or dates.

‘But the Director is different. Her prophecies are far too precise.’

The Director had foreseen that the Clown Troupe would appear on a specific date at a specific location.

An ability user of that caliber would be rare even if you searched the entire country—perhaps only the Director herself.

The Director’s powerful prophetic ability was a vital weapon for the Fate Protection Bureau.

Kang Dohyun had thought so too until recently, but the situation had changed somewhat.

‘Seo Kangrim suspects the Director. Could he also be caught in her prophecies?’

Just how far into the future could the Director see?

If she could foresee the future with such precision, she might also know about Seo Kangrim—or himself.

‘Could that be why she didn’t inform Team 1…?’

The suspicion flickered briefly before Kang Dohyun shook it off.

It was all speculation.

Then Seomun Yongnyeo spoke.

“Why don’t you head home. You’ve been on edge the entire time you’ve been watching the race. Thank goodness Seo Kangrim is safe.”

True to her words, Kang Dohyun’s face had been pale from the moment the race began.

When Seomun Yongnyeo gestured for him to go, Kang Dohyun quietly left the office.

His steps on the way out were slightly heavy.

‘If Baekyoung really is the Bureau Director or a key figure, things are going to get complicated.’

He might have to fight not just Baekyoung, but the entire Bureau.

Her whereabouts hadn’t even been discovered yet, but the worries were already piling up.

He stepped out of the building, trying to focus on the present.

As he walked outside, a short shout reached him from the direction of a café.

“Aaagh! Why the hell is that bastard Seo Kangrim in first!”

People seated on the café terrace were peering at a screen.

Not just them, but most people were watching the live broadcast of the race.

The person next to him spoke with a pitying look.

“The Clown Troupe crashed the event—does that really matter?”

“Of course it matters! Do you know how much I bet!”

He gritted his teeth, then suddenly spoke as if something had occurred to him.

“The Clown Troupe got involved, so shouldn’t all the bets be voided?”

“Doesn’t seem like it. The payout amounts were already announced earlier.”

“Ah, I’m ruined! I bet on the Eastern Branch cadet thinking they’d win!”

“I at least made a little by betting on the Rat Zodiac Camp. Though I picked Dokgo Jun for first place…”

The monitor displayed the results of the second Great Demon Realm along with the race odds.

There was one fact that the participants in the Twelve Zodiac Race were unaware of.

Gambling was being conducted on the outcome of the race.

Just like horse racing.

While the awakened ones fought their bloody battles in the Great Demon Realm, the outside was like a war zone too.

Just then, his phone rang.

“[Hey, it’s me.]”

Seo Kangrim’s voice came through the other end.

Hearing that calm voice brought both relief and a twinge of irritation.

“Are you safe?”

“[I dodged the reporters and got out. Anyway, listen.]”

Seo Kangrim asked in a flat tone.

“[You bet everything on me, right? What’s my payout?]”