Chapter 131 – Suspicion (２)

“….”

Gijun had just arrived at Incheon International Airport with Hwarang’s Superhumans.

The moment his private plane touched down, an uncountable sea of reporters and onlookers swarmed before his eyes.

Their voices, loud enough to make his ears ache, drove home that he was back in Korea.

“Mr. Baek Gijun! Look over here, please!”

“Mr. Baek Gijun, just one word!”

“Mr. Baek Gijun!”

“Baek Gijun…!”

Voices calling his name echoed from every direction.

He’d expected this, but actually facing it left him dazed.

“Wow, you’re more popular than me.”

Woo Jimin grinned as she spoke.

Sure enough, every reporter there was aimed at Gijun alone — not at Jimin, not at Taehyeong.

It made sense, really.

The news had just broken that Gijun, a name only starting to rise, had made his mark in none other than a Level 9 Dungeon.

And not just Korean journalists — reporters from every nation and race across the globe had gathered here, shouting Gijun’s name.

“Go on, say something to them.”

At Jimin’s words, Gijun nodded and stepped forward.

The moment he took that step, the entire area fell silent.

Every pair of eyes turned toward him.

Standing before them, Gijun drew a slow breath and swept his gaze from left to right.

Countless pupils were fixed on him.

Just moments ago, those stares had felt overwhelming, disorienting — but not anymore.

Gijun looked at each of those gazes, one by one, and met them head-on.

An inexplicable joy began to seep up from deep within his chest.

This is the reality I created.

Wasn’t that reality — once only a dream — now unfolding right before his eyes?

At this moment, Gijun felt like he held the whole world in his hands.

At the same time, the words of the Ancient Evil came rushing back to him.

That offer to take his hand.

That promise of becoming stronger than anyone in the world.

Why would I make a crazy choice like that and give up a joy like this?

If Gijun had only ever wanted power, he might not have been able to shake off that creature’s temptation.

But what Gijun wanted wasn’t simply strength.

What mattered more was what you did with it.

So at this moment, Gijun could make his resolve anew.

I have to protect this world.

A thought he would never have dared to entertain in the past.

Could his past self ever have imagined protecting the world?

Back then, he could barely even take care of himself.

But not now.

Now Gijun had power.

And he held information that no one else knew.

Things that only Gijun, alone in this world, was privy to.

So Gijun made himself a promise, one more time: he would use that strength and those secrets for everything he loved.

“I’m Baek Gijun.”

And Gijun spoke.

In that moment, questions from the reporters began pouring toward him.

*

“Home. Finally.”

Gijun had just arrived home and collapsed onto his bed.

After the airport interview ended, he’d headed straight here.

The other Superhumans all had to go to the medical center for treatment — but Gijun was the exception.

As he’d already checked, his body was in perfect condition right now.

It’s surprising, really.

A body more pristine than any top-tier Superhuman in the world.

That was exactly what Gijun’s body was now.

And articles are already flooding in…

Chaos had broken out.

Interpretations ran rampant over every one of Gijun’s words.

Not just his words, either.

His expressions, his glances, his gestures.

People were talking about all of it.

And plenty of it is nasty.

The things said and written about Gijun weren’t all kind, of course.

Many people were slamming him for no reason at all.

Though it was lucky, at least, that Gijun wasn’t the type to be wounded by that.

They’re suspicious of me.

They hadn’t dared say it to his face, but so many articles were full of doubt.

Speculations about whether he really cleared the Third Gate alone.

And plenty calling for a proper verification of his abilities.

Which is only natural, I guess.

Gijun didn’t find their doubts strange.

Even he had to admit — the claim that he’d solo-cleared the Third Gate was half right and half wrong.

I just have to prove it again going forward.

But there was no reason to be discouraged.

His strength had already been proven, and he was confident he’d keep proving it from here on out.

So what was there to fear?

…Wait, is this how celebrities live their whole lives?

He felt a newfound respect for them.

Right now, all this attention was still novel to him.

But if it kept up, he knew it would come with exhausting baggage.

Just then —

Gijun’s smartphone rang.

Jiyun?

A call from Jiyun, right at that moment.

Pleasantly surprised, Gijun answered.

“What’s up?”

[Oppa¹, did you see the Academy alumni newsletter?]

“Huh?”

The alumni newsletter?

Ah, I think I’ve heard that exists…

It was a group for Superhumans who’d graduated from the Academy.

A kind of network where members shared information and used connections to join guilds and such.

But Gijun had never been part of it.

Naturally.

Because to join, you had to graduate from the Academy with top-tier scores.

[Ah, that…]

Jiyun trailed off as she realized that fact.

“No, go on. Tell me.”

[Well, there’s something that just went up in the newsletter. Kim Myeonghwan… you know him?]

“Kim Myeonghwan…”

Gijun recalled the name and narrowed his brow.

There was no way he didn’t know that name.

He was a Superhuman who’d graduated at the top of Gijun’s class.

His memories of the man weren’t pleasant.

Kim Myeonghwan was born with a silver spoon.

The prestigious guild Cheolgun was his family—literally.

And Myeonghwan, propped up by that background, was the type who looked down on anyone he thought beneath him.

Gijun had been one of his targets.

“I know him.”

[Then he’s the one who picked you, Oppa.]

“What?”

This threw him.

Kim Myeonghwan.

A guy he’d never even called, barely exchanged a proper word with—why would he pick Gijun?

“What’s the reason?”

[Well… he wants a friendly spar….]

“Out of nowhere?”

[I don’t know why. Maybe because you got famous and he wants to ride your coattails?]

“…Could be.”

Gijun nodded slowly.

Kim Myeonghwan was the kind who groveled to those he thought lesser than himself—but who bowed his head easily to anyone more impressive.

“But… his pride’s too big for him to come begging to me.”

That was Gijun’s read.

No matter how far Myeonghwan had fallen, Gijun couldn’t picture him kowtowing.

‘There’s definitely something he wants.’

If that was true, there was only one answer.

He wanted to get something out of this friendly match.

‘No way…’

A thought flickered through his mind.

‘He doesn’t believe it?’

One strong possibility.

Myeonghwan didn’t believe in the Achievements Gijun had shown.

‘He thinks there’s exaggeration mixed in.’

It was a plausible guess: Myeonghwan figured Gijun’s feats were padded, so he wanted to expose the truth while claiming the title of beating Gijun in a match.

‘…Actually sounds about right.’

Honestly, even Gijun himself—if he were a third party—would have a hard time swallowing everything he’d done.

And Kim Myeonghwan, who’d studied alongside Gijun at the Academy, would find it even harder.

No, even setting that aside, there was no way Myeonghwan could easily accept the fact that he’d lose to Gijun.

‘Works for me.’

If that was the case, Gijun welcomed it.

‘The suspicious looks haven’t completely disappeared anyway….’

He’d just use this chance to show them for real. Done.

‘Lucky break, since a lot of people are still doubting me.’

As the article from earlier confirmed, people were curious about Gijun’s actual skill.

They wanted to see it with their own eyes, not just hear secondhand rumors.

“Thanks, Jiyun.”

Gijun ended the call with Jiyun, a confident smile on his face.

And then—

Zzzt—!

His smartphone buzzed again.

Woo Jimin.

‘Fast, really.’

Cheolgun must’ve already contacted Hwarang.

Kim Myeonghwan clearly didn’t want to let this opportunity slip.

*

“You made it?”

“Yes.”

Gijun arrived back at Hwarang headquarters.

It’d been a hassle shaking off the reporters camped outside the guild.

Woo Jimin spoke to him.

“I wanted to let you rest a bit. Sorry.”

“Couldn’t be helped. They’re desperate enough to come looking for me like that.”

“…Hmm.”

Woo Jimin hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

“You might have expected this, Mr. Gijun, but I think Cheolgun is doubting your actual skill.”

Gijun nodded calmly.

“Yes, I thought the same. And maybe… they’re planning to steal my Achievement out from under me.”

“So you saw it coming too.”

As she spoke, Woo Jimin held something out to him.

“Information on Kim Myeonghwan. He’s the same age as you, but he’s already got deep roots in this world. Even back in his Academy days, he was raiding alongside active Superhumans, and by the time he came of age, he’d racked up Achievements on par with seasoned veterans.”

Gijun scanned the documents Woo Jimin handed over.

“Impressive.”

“As you know, the Cheolgun Guild also enjoys massive backing from Kim Myeonghwan’s family. If you’re talking pure capital, they’ve got enough firepower to outstrip even our Hwarang.”

Gijun already knew that.

The current Guild Master was just a figurehead.

The real power lay with a single Guild Member: Kim Myeonghwan.

Gijun was genuinely impressed.

He already knew about Kim Myeonghwan’s skill, but looking over his career now, it was plain as day how he’d walked a smooth, elite path every step of the way.

It was the polar opposite of Gijun’s own past.

Maybe this is for the best.

But Gijun didn’t feel the least bit intimidated by that track record.

If anything, it lit a fire of competition inside him.

This was the moment to finally shake off the past.

Back then, this or that…

Sometimes, Gijun caught himself thinking those thoughts without meaning to.

Compared to the past, by now I should be…

Things I couldn’t have even imagined back then… thoughts like that.

So this might be his chance.

A chance to shake off all the regrets and memories of his past.

And if that opponent happened to be a big part of the inferiority complex that haunted those memories, then there couldn’t be a better target.

“What conditions did they set?”

Gijun asked.

Meeting Gijun’s gaze, Woo Jimin couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

There wasn’t a trace of fear or resentment in his expression.

If anything, his eyes were practically glowing.

Reading his mind, Woo Jimin answered.

“The venue is the Academy. The match format is 1v1, single round. They want to settle things clean and fast.”

At that, Gijun smiled again.

The Academy, of all places.

He couldn’t think of a more perfect setting to finally bury his past.

“We get to pick the date. When works for you?”

Gijun said.

“Let’s do it tomorrow. No point dragging it out. People are already dying to know, aren’t they? About what I can really do.”

1. Oppa — an affectionate term a younger woman uses for an older man she is close to; literally “older brother.”