Chapter 130

A drone floated down. Yeo Ju-kyung was saying something. Something about the buff being incredible, asking what on earth happened, telling me to explain in detail.

I couldn’t hear her well.

Even then, I was still looking at the System Messages scrolling up.

I opened the Status Window.

Current Level: 620

Stamina: 960 Strength: 993

Mana: 1327 Perception: 1104

The stats had shot up. The 20% buff effect from the System… had been properly applied.

Except for Stamina and Strength, my stats had soared far past the 1,000 mark. No, even those could be pushed past it now.

-Remaining Level Up Points: 181

-Spending Level Up Points on Strength!

Current Level: 620

Stamina: 1059 Strength: 1075

Mana: 1327 Perception: 1104

KABOOM!

I felt the blood coursing through my veins.

The feeling I got every time a stat broke through the 1,000 mark was indescribable.

The wall that had stood like a great mountain shattered.

Ha.

I thought to myself as I repeatedly clenched and unclenched my fist.

I said it as a joke earlier, but can I even be called human now?

I couldn’t fathom what I was capable of.

Within this dimension, was there any being that could stop me?

If I wanted to… I shook my head, cutting off the thought.

No. I can’t get drunk on power.

Right. This isn’t the time for this. I need to have a talk with the System, no, with that guy named Lu.

It would be great if he was a decent trading partner, but if not…

Waking from my thoughts, I turned my head back toward Yeo Ju-kyung.

At some point, Yeo Ju-kyung had started staring at me with somber eyes.

I could glimpse various emotions. Naturally, a small bit of vigilance was mixed in there.

As befitting her renowned title as one of the Three Sovereigns, she also knew what kind of things I was capable of.

And the fact that there was no one who could stop me.

I forced a smile onto my face.

“Don’t worry.”

“…?”

“I won’t be getting any funny ideas.”

Just as I had done, Yeo Ju-kyung shook her head. The eyes that looked at me again were filled with trust.

“Right. It would be ridiculous not to trust you at this point.”

Yeo Ju-kyung snickered, her face looking much lighter.

“Come to think of it, those guys are in big trouble.”

Those guys?

“The ones who are supposed to fight you.”

“Ah.”

Right, there was that.

The people of the world were living comfortably, not even knowing that the Demon King had come and gone.

No, they weren’t exactly comfortable.

Even as I walked through the Association building, I could feel piercing gazes.

“…Is that really Choi Gi-woong?”

“Wow. Should I ask for a picture?”

“Hey, hey. Don’t go talking to him, just stay put.”

People were murmuring here and there.

“He looks pretty composed, though. Isn’t he supposed to have a big fight with other Awakeners soon?”

“Wasn’t that just for marketing?”

“It’s a bit heated for just marketing. It feels like a battle between nations, after all.”

I looked for the kids amidst the murmuring crowd.

It looked like they had already waged a battle with coffee and cake, as the table was a mess.

“I saved some for you, Oppa!”

As soon as I sat down, Choi Soo-jung handed me some dessert.

A bagel, bread, cake… Isn’t this too much?

“Is there a party going on?”

“It is a party. Hyung is back.”

Kim Soo-gyeom shrugged and joked.

“Really? Rumor has it you were sobbing your eyes out, saying I was dead.”

“What? Me?”

Kim Soo-gyeom denied it, showing his indignation.

“Seriously, every time people said you were dead, Hyung, I was so infuriated…”

“Hey! Don’t you remember how you stubbornly insisted you should be the Team leader because Oppa was dead?”

“Ah, Noona! That was because they were picking on our team so much, I had no choice…”

“Shut up. Oppa, this kid is rotten to the core, I’m telling you. They say you shouldn’t take in a black-haired beast, and they’re right.”

After getting smacked by Choi Soo-jung as usual, Kim Soo-gyeom made an aggrieved face, then started chuckling.

Lee Won-sik, who had been watching them fondly like a grandfather, and Choi Soo-jung, who had been fuming, were soon busy laughing as well.

I watched my team members quietly.

It feels like just yesterday that I brought them to the Association, and now they’re already A-Rank.

They had grown to their limits, just as I had first promised them.

That’s why.

I think it’s time to make a new promise.

“You guys should be hitting S-Rank soon, too.”

“……!”

The eyes that had been bickering just a moment ago began to gleam.

Even Lee Won-sik, who had been sitting quietly like a hermit, snapped his head toward me at my words.

“S…Rank, you say?”

Kim Soo-gyeom lowered his voice as if he had to be careful even saying it.

“Hey!”

Choi Soo-jung yelped in surprise and stopped Kim Soo-gyeom.

“Don’t say it so casually!”

“But, Hyung just said he’d make us S-Rank…”

“I said be quiet!”

Choi Soo-jung covered Kim Soo-gyeom’s mouth. This time, Kim Soo-gyeom obediently nodded.

Was it something to make such a fuss about?

Well, whatever.

Now that they’ve been tempered enough, it’s time to put it to use in real combat.

In other words, becoming S-Rank wasn’t all good news.

Even after I painstakingly explained that they would suffer just as much, the kids were lost in the fantasy of S-Rank and nodded eagerly.

“So you’re okay with it, right? Even if you have to suffer a bit?”

“Of course! We’d go to hell and back!”

Alright, alright.

I got a definite answer.

With good timing, my phone rang around then.

It was Head of department Kim Yoon-joong. I slowly got up from my seat.

“First, let’s take care of that, and then we’ll talk again.”

“That?”

“They say S-Rank Awakeners have arrived in Korea.”

“Ah.”

The whole country was in an uproar because of it, so there was no way these guys didn’t know.

It seemed like they just didn’t bring it up, probably because of me.

“You know we believe in you, Oppa, right?”

“Then why?”

“It’s just…”

Choi Soo-jung added, with a look that said, ‘isn’t this a bit much?’

“You’re getting up like you’re just going for a walk.”

“Ah, right.”

Unlike the rest of the country, which was in a frenzy, my mind was elsewhere.

If it were about digging up the System’s secrets, that would be one thing.

But fighting humans on this side…

It’s too easy.

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong, who had been staring gravely at his phone, looked up.

“Where have you been?”

“I was a little late catching a Demon King.”

“A De—what? No. That’s not what’s important.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong shook his head and spoke hurriedly.

“The atmosphere inside is heated. Bunch of crazies.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong whispered, looking into the press conference hall packed with reporters.

He was showing me the articles flooding his phone.

[Will Choi Gi-woong show his face as the International Awakener Association President? -Korean Awaken]

[Choi Gi-woong becomes International Awakener Association President immediately upon return. Position at risk if he fails to show his skills at the Sparring Match tournament –TVL]

[Is it confidence, or a reckless move? Can he beat all the S-Rank Awakeners from the International Association?]

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong clicked his tongue after even checking the comment reactions.

“It looks like we can’t get past this without a proper explanation.”

“You think so?”

It certainly seemed that way.

Just looking at the eyes of the reporters who had swarmed me on the way here told me as much.

It seemed Han Seung-hoon had really done a number.

Sure enough.

“By the way, you. Do you happen to know where Han Seung-hoon is?”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong asked, his eyes narrowed.

“Head of department Han Seung-hoon? I’m not sure.”

When I hastily denied it, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong tilted his head.

“The way this blew up, it looks a lot like Han Seung-hoon’s handiwork… Anyway, you’re saying you don’t know?”

“No. I don’t.”

“That aside, you. You’re not really planning on fighting all of them, are you?”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong glanced at the conference hall once more.

“The atmosphere right now is flowing like some kind of national competition. Just in case, and of course I trust you. But there’s always a ‘what if,’ you know? If you slip up even a little…”

Kim Yoon-joong shuddered, as if he didn’t even want to imagine it.

“It would be ridiculous to call it off now, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s why. How about you just be humble and pick just one of them to fight?”

“Let’s just go with humility. ‘I’ll do my best,’ ‘I won’t be attached to the results,’ ‘this is just a Friendly Sparring.’ There’s a lot you can say.”

Looking at Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s face, I could pretty much guess the atmosphere inside.

I shook off the clinging Head of department Kim Yoon-joong and entered the conference hall.

As soon as I sat down, reporters raised their hands.

I gave the chance to the white man in the very front.

“Dana White from Project New Human. First, on behalf of everyone here, I’d like to sincerely congratulate you on becoming the President of the International Awakener Association.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as I accepted the congratulations, the real attack began.

“The Friendly Sparring tournament you’ve opened is now five days away. Eleven S-Rank Awakeners, including Henry Povil, have arrived in Korea. I’m curious about your thoughts on this.”

Flashes went off. I wondered what to say, then just decided to be honest.

“I don’t have any particular thoughts.”

“…You don’t have any particular thoughts.”

The reporter’s eyes glinted like a predator that had snatched its prey.

“Some are viewing this sparring tournament as a test for your position as Association President.”

“A test.”

“There are quite a few voices saying you should step down from the Chairman position if you fail to win the sparring tournament.”

Right. In the world of Awakeners, martial prowess is more important than anything else.

I nodded.

“I agree.”

The reporter’s expression brightened immensely.

As if the prey that took the bait had walked right into his trap.

Meanwhile, Kim Yoon-joong, watching this from behind, slapped his forehead.

“The sparring tournament is composed of 12 S-Rank Awakeners, each representing their country, competing to determine who is superior. Are you confident about winning?”

“No.”

The reporter tilted his head.

“No… you say?”

“I’m talking about the format of the sparring tournament. That’s not it.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The eleven Awakeners will be facing me, alone.”

As soon as I finished speaking, a silence fell.

This time, not even a flash went off.

The reporter who had thrown the bait at me was just blinking with a dumbfounded look, as if wondering if he’d heard me correctly.

When I glanced to the side, Kim Yoon-joong was chuckling faintly, as if he had given up on everything.

As if to say, let’s see how far this goes.

“Uh… um. Then, defeating Chairman Choi would be…”

The reporter barely managed to speak.

I shook my head once more.

“No. That’s not it either.”

“What?”

“If the eleven Awakeners can land even a single attack on me.”

I stared straight into the camera and said,

“I will step down from the Chairman position cleanly.”

-Anyone see Choi Gi-woong’s interview?

-Crazy bastard. The. Great. Woong.

-What’s with that confidence lolol

-Can you even call this confidence? He just blurted it out recklessly. Choi Gi-woong’s still young, so he’s full of hot air.

-FR. If he says this and loses, it’s going to be humiliating as hell. What? He loses if he gets hit even once?

-On the other hand, if he wins, wouldn’t that be epic?

-LMAO does that even make sense? And it’s not that amazing. He’s just setting up an insurance policy because he’s afraid of losing. There’s no winning against a mob. If even three S-Ranks ganged up on him, Choi Gi-woong would get wrecked.

-This is it. He’s gonna lose anyway, so he’s just piling on the insurance to make it less embarrassing. But this is even more embarrassing. It’d be better to fight like a man and get his ass kicked.

-But I am curious. What kind of confidence made him say this? They say it’ll be broadcast live, so I’m definitely watching.