An ordinary family living room, without any particular distinguishing features, furnished with a TV, a sofa, picture frames, and various household items.
“So it begins now. Earlier than I expected.”
In the center of it stood a man with a vague, indistinct impression, crumpling a letter as he murmured in a low voice.
Whoosh—
The crumpled paper vanished from his grasp in an instant, consumed by the flames that rose from his hand without leaving even ash behind.
‘It must be because of that, as expected.’
With an indifferent expression, he lightly shook his hand to cast off the heat, then shifted his gaze to the muted TV screen.
—Howard Industries’ showcase ended successfully not long ago, didn’t it? Many people at home and abroad are showing great interest in their next steps. The general consensus seems to be that major changes across society are inevitable. Professor Seo Jongchan, what are your thoughts on this?
—Er… first of all, the very fact that such a company emerged from our country is a great stroke of fortune. Things may appear somewhat chaotic at the moment, but the economic effects triggered by that alone are not something we can ignore. Above all, new technology is…
Howard Industries, a newly established company that had recently begun to be mentioned constantly across various media outlets.
Their sudden appearance and subsequent moves were extremely unconventional.
As the only company to enter a blue ocean where prosperity was all but guaranteed, and as the sole supplier of goods that everyone could not help but covet, it was impossible to easily predict just how far they might grow.
At this rate, whether one knew the details or not, it would only be a matter of time before they wielded enormous influence not just in Korea, but across the entire world.
‘That would be troublesome. Very troublesome indeed.’
And for them, who had spent long years steadily infiltrating every part of society, that was hardly a welcome development.
Especially if those people were, implicitly, aligned with this country called Korea.
The man closed his eyes where he stood and sank into thought for a moment.
Now that the order had already been given, he had to take action somehow.
But the Korea of today was practically a den of demons where villains could not move carelessly.
To minimize damage and complete the mission under such circumstances, he would need to put in considerable effort in many ways.
‘But things have changed on our side as well.’
Recalling the contents of the order that had been passed down to him, he smiled faintly.
The main point written there could be summed up in a single sentence.
That they were permitted to use any means necessary to accomplish the mission.
It meant that every leash that had been restraining them had been removed.
“…It seems Korea has thoroughly earned their displeasure. Well, that’s good news for me. If all restrictions are gone, there’s no end to what can be done.”
After the full-scale emergence of the Hahoe Mask, the Korean branch of the Beoncheonhoe had been lying low, cutting off their own tails to the very end under the orders of the Yullyeongja, the supreme commander of East Asia.
Now, they began to move again.
***
I gave a faint chuckle and quietly looked down at the object in my hand.
“Well now, who would’ve thought things would turn out like this?”
Inside a transparent bead the size of a thumb, a mysterious haze shimmered.
The beautiful energy, reminiscent of an aurora, undulated and swirled, forming all sorts of shapes. I stared at it blankly for a while before coming to my senses and lightly smacking my lips.
Looking at this object, which was practically a work of art in itself, a sudden sense of regret welled up in me.
‘I have to eat something like this? Ah! What a waste.’
But there was no helping it.
This was precisely the otherworldly elixir I had so long desired—and not just any elixir, but one of the highest grade, surpassing even Shaolin Temple’s Great Rejuvenation Pill.
“I never imagined she’d have something like this.”
Thinking of Thunder Emperor Yun Jiyun, who had gazed in fascination at the lightning-spewing hammer displayed during the showcase—commonly known as “Mjolnir”—I shifted my gaze toward the table.
There lay several elixirs that, while not quite on the level of the work of art in my hand, were still far too valuable to disparage in any way.
All of them were gains obtained from this single transaction.
‘My first customer was exceptionally satisfying.’
The dimension she came from, “Saba Heaven,” was a world dominated by users of Chakra, a mystery that generated specific concepts and phenomena through the microcosm within oneself.
As such, their ability to craft magical tools, which were external objects, had naturally fallen behind. In exchange, the field of manufacturing elixirs that helped enhance one’s own innate abilities had developed to an exceptional degree.
‘That works out very nicely for me.’
I nodded in satisfaction and once again admired the work of art in my hand.
There was no need to ask why she had brought this with her despite knowing that the value of elixirs plummeted on Earth.
‘It’s not that strange for an Awakened to bring back souvenirs from the world they returned from. Thanks to that, I managed to get a few more elixirs besides this one. She must have been completely taken with Mjolnir, because the negotiations went more smoothly than expected.’
Of course, that didn’t mean I squeezed too much out of her.
Whatever anyone said, Yun Jiyun was the representative powerhouse of an allied force with whom I had established a cooperative relationship. If she became stronger, it would not be a bad thing for my side at all.
I admired the elixir for a while, then took a deep breath.
It was a shame, but I had obtained it to eat it in the first place.
Wouldn’t it be putting the cart before the horse if I hesitated merely because of its appearance?
‘With this, I’ll be able to take one step closer to completion.’
As soon as I finished taking a deep breath, I immediately pushed it into my mouth.
For the sake of sprouting divinity while holding the energies of as many worlds as possible.
Along with the tremendous energy that burst forth explosively inside my stomach, I sank deep into my inner self.
***
Sunk into the chair in her office, Yun Jiyun looked at the bracelet around her wrist and let out a quiet exclamation of admiration.
“It really is amazing. How on earth did he get something like this? No, did he say he made it himself?”
A slender golden chain engraved with mysterious patterns, and a small hammer-shaped ornament hanging at its center.
After staring at it for a while, she lightly shook her wrist.
Crackle—
At the same time, a fierce burst of sparks erupted inside the office for an instant, and a short-handled hammer appeared in her hand.
However, though the phenomenon was flashy on the surface, thanks to her extreme level of elemental control, it had no effect whatsoever on the electronic devices inside.
Still seated in her chair, Yun Jiyun swung the hammer through the air a few times.
But it did not take long before the brow of her satisfied expression slowly creased.
“…It looked cool when I was watching it, but does it feel a little odd for me to swing a hammer myself?”
Her primary field was, without question, the handling of thunder and lightning.
It wasn’t as if she had never handled weapons such as swords or spears, but a minor weapon like a short hammer was unfamiliar even to her.
She had impulsively bought it out of some inexplicable attraction, but now that she had regained her composure, she wondered if she had been a little hasty.
‘…Well, the magical tool’s abilities apply even in bracelet form anyway.’
And as could be seen just from its inherent abilities, this was originally a weapon more suited for throwing.
The magical tool itself had hit correction and retrieval functions, so if it was her, someone who manipulated electromagnetism at will, she could probably move it however she wanted like a guided missile.
It would also compensate for the inevitable lack of physical force she had as a lightning mage, so the synergy was flawless.
‘And above all…’
Holding the hammer, she half-closed her eyes.
Bright yellow sparks flickered within her slightly lowered gaze.
Her senses, synchronized with the lightning enveloping the hammer, began to expand continuously.
Crackle—!
The mystery known as Chakra was an ability to intervene in a phenomenon itself and handle a power unified with it.
Just as a user of water Chakra became stronger where there was water, and a user of darkness Chakra became stronger in darkness, she could become even stronger with the aid of lightning energy.
‘Lightning of tremendous purity. To think such a thing could be contained in an artificially made magical tool. And it’s not even disposable, but rechargeable? I never imagined there could be a human capable of such a thing.’
In a way, that thought was not wrong.
This Mjolnir was a collaborative work created by a dwarven blacksmith and a dragon enchanter, who had spared no precious materials and done their utmost.
Even amid such thoughts, her senses continued to heighten.
The minute magnetic field stretched far beyond the Association building into the surrounding area, taking the place of her five senses, while the electrical signals throughout her body, including her brain, were amplified, processing information at a level impossible for an ordinary human.
A strange sense of omnipotence came over her as she placed a far wider range than usual within her “domain,” faster and more easily than before.
At that, the corners of Yun Jiyun’s mouth rose slightly.
‘…This is good. This alone is worth the price of the elixir. Besides, I did bring one more souvenir with me anyway… No, wait. What is that?’
Thanks to that, she was able to detect them.
The presence of suspicious people making suspicious movements with suspicious objects inside her domain.
The magnetic field replacing her senses identified what those objects were.
With her thoughts accelerated to a degree incomparable to normal by the amplified bioelectricity, she quickly assessed the situation and, without the slightest hesitation, put her thoughts into action.
Crack! Crackle!
A place several kilometers away from her.
“G-g-g-ggh—!”
“Kgh! How…!”
“Grrrk!”
Several men, each carrying a large backpack as they cautiously moved through an alley, were struck by sudden sparks and stiffened as they were electrocuted.
They were returnees who had held themselves in some esteem in their own way, but the current that pierced through their pitiful magic resistance with laughable ease was more than enough to rob them of control over their bodies and their consciousness in an instant.
The men stood like logs amid convulsions, then collapsed one after another.
The large backpacks they had been transporting nearly struck the ground as well.
Vmmm—
But the metallic substances inside became magnetized and were caught by the magnetic field flowing around them, fixing them in midair.
And immediately after that.
“How did people like this get their hands on this…?”
Yun Jiyun, who had arrived before anyone knew it, crossed the alley with a rigid expression and headed toward them.
Then, following what her senses indicated, she opened one of the backpacks and carefully checked inside.
“…Bombs.”
And not crude homemade bombs, but a backpack full of explosives that anyone could tell had been properly manufactured.
If she had not paid particular attention to electrical control while electrocuting the carriers, this entire area would likely have become a sea of fire in an instant.
‘First of all…’
She immediately took out her smartphone to report this situation.
Naturally, items like these were not something one could easily obtain.
And it was even more incomprehensible that such things were in the hands of people who looked so unimpressive.
In Korea, where even firearms were strictly controlled, such a large quantity of explosives?
After quickly relaying the situation to the relevant authorities, she turned her gaze to the unconscious carriers.
Now that the immediate fire had been put out, she intended to wake them up and interrogate them.
No matter how much she was called a hero, she too was a veteran warrior who had survived hellish battlefields.
Torturing them with electricity, in a way that would not show outwardly and would not cause serious damage to the body, was child’s play to her.
Of course, ever since returning to Earth, she had deliberately avoided such thoughts in order to obey law and order—
‘…I feel uneasy. Normally, I’d just leave this to the experts, but for some reason, I feel like something big is about to happen…’
The intuition of a transcendent who instinctively sensed the flow of causality was not something to be ignored.
Of course, unless one was a prophet, it was said to be nothing more than a vague feeling. But how many times had that vague feeling saved her life?
Just as she steeled herself and was about to act.
Rumble—
“Kyaaaah—!”
Boooom—!
“Uwaaaah!”
From a distant place she would not even have perceived had her senses not been so heightened came loud explosions and the screams of people.
Hearing them, Yun Jiyun flinched, her body going rigid.
‘I was too late…! It wasn’t just here!’
The Republic of Korea, which had recently been enjoying unprecedented peace.
Across Seoul, its capital, indiscriminate bombings began to break out.
***
The situation in the Ganghwan Realm was progressing smoothly.
Experts dispatched by the various forces, regardless of whether they belonged to the Orthodox, Evil, or Military factions, spread across the continent and swiftly gathered with the aid of the Maoshan Sect Taoists—or rather, the techniques used by the monsters of Geumodo.
Among them were forces that had sent riffraff as if merely trying to save face, and others that kept feigning ignorance while making excuses about their difficult circumstances... but for the moment, there was no choice but to let it slide.
The situation at hand was too urgent to scold and press them now.
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I intend to let it slide after this is over.’
This was not some group project where freeloaders got a free ride, and he had no intention of forgiving such shameless opportunists.
To begin with, he had not even made requests of those whose forces were truly small and whose situations were genuinely difficult.
Yet if they still chose to protect themselves—what was that, if not greed to seize hegemony atop the peace others had won by bleeding for it, using the strength they had preserved?
‘I absolutely won’t stand to see that.’
Blood for blood.
In the end, they would pay the appropriate price.
One way or another.
‘Let’s see, the situation with the Demon Cultists is... The Heavenly Demon is fine, and the rest are in good shape too.’
Hans had no intention of stepping forward in this matter.
The final boss of the Demon Cultists was solely the Heavenly Demon.
Hans would take on the task of adjusting the board from the shadows, just enough to keep the damage from growing too great.
‘I could make it so there’s no damage at all, but...’
He had agonized over and over about how to handle this living-room theater rehearsal.
In truth, if he set his mind to it, he could simply wipe the Demon Cultists clean away and restore the Dragon Heart.
All the villain bosses had already been defeated by him, and every key to resolving the situation was in his hands.
‘But I can’t do that. That would only be a stopgap measure.’
My goal is not simply to restore the Dragon Heart.
It is to bring “peace” to this land full of hatred and conflict, twist the flow of the world, and harvest an enormous amount of karma.
But would peace come to this land just because the Dragon Heart was restored?
Hard to say. These were people who had survived for more than twenty years after the Imperial Palace Bloodshed with blades pointed at one another.
So how could they possibly forget all their grudges and old debts and peacefully socialize just because someone suddenly said, “Everything is over now, so let’s all get along!”
‘They absolutely need a common enemy to bind them all as one. And they also need the process of joining forces together to bring that enemy down.’
The resentment that filled this land was a problem they all had to solve by combining their strength.
Peace gained without any sacrifice would not last long.
To put it simply, this curtain was the climax necessary to seize the future of the Ganghwan Realm.
‘If you call it arrogant, I have nothing to say. But what of it, at this point? At least I’m adjusting things so they don’t completely collapse.’
This was a world that would have been destroyed long ago without him.
And yet, when he was going to such lengths to prepare safeguards and even set the stage, shouldn’t they at least be prepared to shed blood for their own future?
‘The forces gathered for the final battle are all hegemons of their respective regions. If their wills become one, the smaller forces will have no choice but to follow that will.’
If they still insisted on doing something foolish even in that situation, then what could be done?
They would have to be eliminated.
‘Now, show me your will. Show me your sacrifices for this land...’
And immediately after my thoughts reached that point.
I found myself stopping without realizing it.
Because the flow of thought I sensed within myself felt far too alien.
‘Wait, was I like this before?’
But before I could even finish that thought—
“Hm?”
Suddenly, my gaze turned toward the window.
“What the hell is this now?”