Chapter 123

Lee Seok-jae, who just a moment ago was acting like he would pluck the moon from the sky for them, excused himself to go to the restroom.

Im Han-na stared blankly at his retreating figure, then shook her head vigorously.

“Head of department. You just heard that… I see.”

Glancing to her side, she saw that Head of department Kim Yoon-joong was also out of it.

“What was that. Why is he like that.”

“I-I know, right.”

“I heard he was so difficult with other countries. That he squeezed a hefty sum out of the Chinese premier.”

“Uh, yes. That’s what I heard.”

“…But why is he acting like he’d give us the clothes off his back?”

Not only did they get to join the International Awakener Association, but they were also guaranteed executive positions.

Right here, right now.

They had scored a massive haul from a place others couldn’t get into even if they wanted to, all without giving up anything.

“Is it because we’re from the same country, so he’s taking extra care of us… No, that can’t be it.”

Im Han-na trailed off and shook her head.

Its very name was the International Awakener Association; did it make sense for him to favor them just because they shared a nationality?

Besides, there was no way Rachel Carson, Lee Seok-jae’s business partner, would stand by and let that happen.

Which meant that Rachel Carson had also approved of Korea’s entry.

Suddenly, a single word flashed through Im Han-na’s mind.

“Head of department. This, you know. Do you think it might have something to do with Mr. Choi Gi-woong?”

“Gi-woong? Choi Gi-woong?”

“That’s the only possibility, isn’t it?”

“…Well. Maybe so.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong stroked his chin.

“I’ll have to ask that punk when he gets back. Anyway, that bastard. He’d better not be running around causing trouble.”

It might have sounded like he was annoyed, but he wasn’t.

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong was desperately praying for Choi Gi-woong to be alive.

Rumors that Choi Gi-woong was already dead had spread far and wide among the public.

Of course, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong and Im Han-na believed Choi Gi-woong was alive.

But it was also true that they were anxious.

What if he really was dead, trapped in a hell like an SS-Rank Gate?

Such thoughts crossed their minds dozens of times a day.

Shaking his head, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong spoke again.

“This thing. Is it really okay to just swallow it whole? This is beyond good; it’s like winning the lottery.”

“I just got a call from the legal team. They said there are no problems with the membership contract. The headquarters is in an uproar because of it.”

“An uproar?”

“Our terms are so good that they’re checking it five times over for any hidden traps.”

“Ah.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong rubbed his dry face and asked, just in case.

“It’s not going to give us a stomachache if we eat it, is it?”

“It might.”

“What?”

“But we still have to eat it. Are you saying we shouldn’t?”

Im Han-na waved the contract.

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong snapped to his senses with a look of realization.

The reality was that the center of power was consolidating around the International Awakener Association, Lee Seok-jae, and Rachel Carson.

Moreover, with Choi Gi-woong gone, the Republic of Korea was in no position to be picky.

Whether the cup held deadly poison or a hidden trap, they’d be called fools if they didn’t drink it now.

“Right. We have to eat it. We have to eat it first and see what happens.”

The initiation ceremony heralding the start of the International Awakener Association.

At the ceremony held in Washington, officials related to Awakeners from major countries had arrived one after another.

“That person, is that Henry Povil?”

“James Gardner is here too. Over there.”

It was a gathering attended by all the famous S-Rank Awakeners you’d know just by name.

Amidst the friendly atmosphere, Korea was completely isolated.

No one came to greet them, and no one acknowledged their greetings.

The only ones who did were scum like this.

“If it isn’t Executive Director Bae Hyeon-jo. Have you been well?”

“Director Suzuki. I’ve been well. You’re looking good.”

“I didn’t expect Korea to join this association. I would have contacted you beforehand.”

The tone was clearly sarcastic.

As if to say, how could the likes of you be here, the director from the Japanese Awakener Association looked Bae Hyeon-jo up and down.

“The conditions must have been strict. I’m glad it worked out.”

“Well, I’m not aware of the detailed entry conditions myself.”

“Is that so? Well, isn’t it obvious? I suppose Yeo Ju-kyung has finally decided to hand over the Buff Stones. You’ve made a good choice. Of course, you should. Isn’t this all for the sake of everyone’s peace?”

A sneer spread across the director’s face.

He looked like a victor who had snatched away the Buff Stones they had cherished so dearly.

On top of that,

“By the way, Mr. Choi Gi-woong is not here today either. Shouldn’t he have come, at least for today?”

“…I heard he has a busy schedule. I don’t know the details myself.”

Executive Director Bae Hyeon-jo shrugged and stared at the director with ice-cold eyes.

“By the way, Director, you seem to have a great deal of interest in another country’s Awakener.”

“Isn’t he a precious resource to us all? I apologize if I offended you.”

“Still, there’s no doubt that Korea is a truly amazing country.”

An official from the Chinese side, who had approached at some point, sidled up to them.

“As soon as Choi Gi-woong disappeared, a prominent figure like Lee Seok-jae appeared. You must be pleased.”

As if anyone treated Lee Seok-jae as a Korean.

Lee Seok-jae, under the protection of Rachel Carson, was more strongly viewed as an American.

They were deliberately poking at that sore spot.

“Well then, we’ll see you in a bit.”

The scoundrels bowed their heads and returned to their seats. It wasn’t just Japan and China.

One after another, the officials glanced toward the Korean side and snickered.

Words like Yeo Ju-kyung’s Secluded Training and Choi Gi-woong’s death drifted over in snippets.

The implication was that without those two, Korea was nothing special.

The words, serves you right for being so high and mighty with your Buff Stones, were practically shoved into their ears.

Hwang Mu-yeol, staring into the eyes of the hyena-like crowd, let out a hollow laugh.

“My goodness. It’s not like they’re bullying elementary school kids. What’s with this childish behavior? Should I go over and rough them up a bit?”

“Don’t. It’ll just get noisier.”

Executive Director Bae Hyeon-jo shoved his hands into his suit pockets and chuckled.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been treated like an outcast like this.”

Neither his position as an executive director of Ilseong nor his title as the Mercenary King held any sway here.

There was a truckload of Awakeners stronger than Hwang Mu-yeol, and founders of companies with higher corporate values than Ilseong were overflowing.

“I wonder if it would have been different if the Association President was here.”

“I don’t know. There are places in the Middle East and Europe that don’t acknowledge the Three Sovereigns.”

Hwang Mu-yeol shrugged.

“Well, it would have been different if it were Choi Gi-woong, though. The Hunting Grounds, the Buff Stones. Has that guy ever caused just one or two incidents?”

Heh heh, Hwang Mu-yeol laughed, but his face turned cold again.

“It’s been a while since I’ve missed someone this much.”

“Oh, Executive Director. Did you hear about that? They said they found something strange on Jeju Island.”

“Something strange?”

“I didn’t hear the details either, but according to the Oracle’s investigation, a single Monster was found Sealed there.”

Hwang Mu-yeol lowered his voice drastically.

“Well, they say it holds an energy even stronger than Abraxas. It seems… quite unusual.”

Just as he was about to say more, applause erupted.

It was the arrival of the stars of the event, Rachel Carson and Lee Seok-jae.

The S-Rank Awakeners from various countries, who had been acting so stiff-necked just moments before, welcomed them with sparkling eyes.

“This Skill Book thing must be incredible. It’s the first time I’ve seen Henry Povil make a face like that.”

“It’s the only way for Awakeners whose growth has stalled to start growing again.”

Executive Director Bae Hyeon-jo glanced over at the Korean Association’s side.

He, who had nothing to do with the Association, was being ignored like this; he wondered how Head of department Kim Yoon-joong was faring.

He naturally expected a funereal atmosphere, but…

Bae Hyeon-jo tilted his head.

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong and Im Han-na. They were smiling with incredibly suspicious expressions.

“Am I really going?”

Peter scratched his head roughly.

“You can do it. Don’t let it show.”

“Haa. This is crazy. I’m going crazy. Telling me to become a Demon. Haa.”

Peter, scratching his head, trudged out of Elsland as if he had no choice.

After confirming he was completely gone, I created a mirror.

Modres was dead.

There was no need to go around telling the residents of Elsland that he was a fake Reincarnator.

I just had to naturally take his place.

That’s why I used Polymorph first.

Ddddeuk-

My face in the mirror changed to look like Ian’s.

Then, my expression twisted bizarrely.

It wasn’t that the magic had gone wrong.

No, if anything, it worked too well.

The magic was cast so perfectly that the me of a few days ago would have gained a new enlightenment just by seeing it.

Right.

That’s the problem.

I had expected it, but. The Supreme Magic was too outstanding.

The Mana in the air was dancing for me, and my Mana Heart, now a Dragon Heart, was nagging me, saying it was ready to fight at any moment.

In the midst of it all, only I was unprepared.

How should I put it? It felt like I tried to take a vitamin but ended up swallowing an Elixir.

This is way, way too much.

If I control this wrong, there’s going to be a disaster.

It was the same with the next spell.

“Create Barrier.”

I now understood why they called Supreme Dragon Language Magic true Dragon Language Magic.

The word that left my mouth touched the Dragon Heart. The Dragon Heart pumped, manifesting the word that had burst out into the world.

Like this.

Jjeojeojeojeok-

The Barrier of Elsland, which had been cracked and on the verge of shattering just moments ago, became even denser.

My expression as I watched it was similar to when I had used Polymorph earlier.

Really. The effect is so good that I can’t get used to it.

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

With this, I might even be able to use Dimensional Travel magic.

As soon as I had the thought, my Mana reacted.

Ddddddddd-

The space in front of me began to split vertically.

In the aftermath, the books and artifacts around me shook as if hit by an earthquake.

No.

Not yet.

I quickly cut off the Mana.

If I had used any more spatial magic here, I might have created a black hole.

Haha.

A black hole.

-Master. You are in danger.

Sure enough, Durandal, in his Staff form, warned me.

-If you keep this up, you won’t be able to control your power.

“I know.”

He probably meant that other people were in danger, not me.

Because immense, uncontrollable power always leads to accidents.

-Your voice is full of confidence. Master. Do you have a solution?

I do.

Dragon Language Magic was a technique developed for combat against Demons.

Meaning, if I repeat combat endlessly, I’ll naturally get used to it.

The stronger the opponent, the better.

Like the Demon King, for example.

But I don’t know where the Demon King is, so that’s a pass.

It’s not a perfect solution, but I’ll have to use a temporary measure.

“I need to get some sleep.”

-Sleep?

I need to find out just how Ian controlled Supreme Magic.

I quickly made a spot and lay down.

In the past, I would have struggled desperately to fall asleep, but thankfully, that problem was now solved.

-Past Life Lucid Dream (EX) is being cast!

Now that I’ve mastered Supreme Magic, I’m no longer on a time limit.

-You are peeking into Ian’s life!

-You can select a point in time. When would you like to return to?

Reaching EX-Rank made this possible.

To the time when he was learning Supreme Magic.

I repeated it in my mind and closed my eyes.

The very next moment.

Hwaak!

My body went limp like a waterlogged cotton ball, and at the same time, I felt like I was being sucked somewhere.

This feeling. It’s been a while.

With that, I blinked.

“Supreme Magic is tricky to handle.”

Clear proof that I had entered Ian’s body.

My mouth moved on its own.

My gaze was the same. It moved on its own. In front of me was a swarm of… Demons?

“It won’t be easy. It took me 300 years to master it completely.”

It was Saint Ajadun’s voice. Ian spoke without turning his head.

“Let’s give it a try. The activation word is…”

It was the very next moment.

“Annihilate.”

The instant that single word left Ian’s mouth.

The swarm of Demons in front of me vanished into blue particles in a single moment.

My head turned to the side. I could see Saint Ajadun. He was staring at Ian with a disgusted look on his face.

Ian shrugged.

“Well, I said it was tricky, not that it was difficult.”