Cheonma was sent back to China.

Even though they had decided to cooperate with the Secret Society, simply sending Cheonma back was not an easy task.

China was eyeing the resources in the northern part of Korea, the former land of North Korea.

Even if Cheonma failed, it wouldn't end there! They were not the type to give up.

If they failed once, they would send someone else, use another method, or find some other way.

For example, they might find someone from Sinuiju, send them a huge amount of money to buy land near the mines, and siphon off property rights.

They could support a national project, secretly mine resources using that money, and bribe the officials overseeing it so no one finds out.

Or they might send another ability user instead of Cheonma.

There were countless such scenarios, so it was necessary to nip it in the bud.

They had to make sure China could never threaten Korea (South) again, never touch the resources of the Korean Peninsula.

What would it take to do that?

Should they pour something like Gigong Shinpo or Lightning Breath?

That's correct.

If a being with overwhelming power demonstrated its might, making it impossible for any diplomatic protest to be made against that demonstration, and if even the 6 billion people on Earth agree that Cheonma was defeated by no fault of their own...

If Gwang Ik Gong was mobilized and used the "Gwang Ik Gong Beam" to blast Cheonma into the stars, it was over.

[Yes. It's me. Did you see well?]

-That was amazing. I didn't think you could blow Cheonma over 50km with one strike.

At that moment, a call from Gwang Ik Gong came through.

He had been closely monitoring the situation in the north, and as soon as Yumir spread his wings as Gwang Ik Gong, he called me.

-When Yumir spread her wings like that, somehow, they seemed even more golden and bright than the wings I spread in my prime.

[Even if she has a lot of magic power, that overwhelming amount of magic power could become uncontrollable later on. Imagine if that magic power goes berserk and causes a nuclear explosion. The explosion would be bigger than a meteorite hitting the Earth.]

The world would be destroyed.

-Haha, but you'll make sure that doesn't happen, won't you?

[She said she would be patriotic in front of others on the train.]

-...Isn't it your fault that an innocent girl turned out like that?

[Is it my fault?]

-You managed to ignite a burning patriotism in the four vengeful maiden ghosts buried deep underground, so of course, you should take responsibility for turning a normal female college student into a patriot.

I was at a loss for words in response to Gwang Ik Gong's sharp remark, but it was almost 3 minutes now.

[But still, doing it in front of other guys is not right.]

-That's true. Anyway, hyung, thanks. I'll send you a long-term stay voucher for an ocean-view penthouse later, so go and enjoy yourself with Yumir.

[Where is it?]

-You'll know when you get it. Hehehe.

I think I knew where it was.

Even though Gwang Ik Gong was supposed to be dead, he was the kind of man who could stay hidden in a basement in Busan and grasp all situations through media reports.

[If possible, I'd prefer the south rather than the north.]

-Wouldn't a 5-star hotel there be subpar? And it's far from Sejong Island too.

[If it's by the sea, the open southern side is better.]

-True. That doesn't matter, I guess. Got it. I'll be in touch again... Oh, one last thing.

Before the call ended, Gwang Ik Gong asked me with genuine curiosity.

-The white robe, it looks kind of angelic. What exactly is it?

[Archangel of Courage.]

-Oh... Is that a Sephiroth hint? Nice. Thanks. See you.

Click.

The call ended exactly at 2 minutes and 59 seconds. I swiped my Taeguk Watch, and soon, the archangel with brilliant golden wings sparkling in the sky vanished into the dust.

"Ta-da."

And then, she appeared next to me, as if nothing had happened.

[What are you doing?]

"I used a lot of mana, enough for the transformation to wear off."

In a state where the transformation had worn off.

[Anyway.]

I immediately pulled out a durumagi and draped it over Yumir's shoulders. Yumir slipped her arms into it and tightened the belt firmly.

"Wasn't that a very Gwang Ik Gong-like action? I put much more magic power into the bombardment than I thought."

[It was enough. You used up most of your mana maintaining the transformation and reserving enough for teleportation afterward.]

Although she had used a bit of mana during the previous underground battle, Yumir had used most of her mana for her "Gwang Ik Gong cosplay."

[The problem is that it worked too well.]

"...Did I make a mistake?"

[It's not a mistake. Well, it's just something like that.]

I held Yumir in my arms and quickly left the place.

Soon, the sound of a train whistle echoed from Sinuiju Station, and I jumped onto the top of the train, holding Yumir like a princess.

[You've covered the golden train with steel.]

As soon as I landed, the ground beneath my feet shook.

Like a dog's paw print on cement, my shoe print pushed aside the iron dust on the train's surface, revealing the gold underneath.

"Impressive."

Taejo, who had rushed out from inside the train corridor, greeted us.

"I feel like I've learned something I shouldn't have, but I'll keep my mouth shut."

[I don't know what you're talking about.]

Although I blatantly feigned ignorance, there was no way that Black Taejo wouldn't have noticed Yumir's condition, especially considering Armored Taejo might not have.

[The important thing is....]

"Gwang Ik Gong is alive. And not just alive."

Taejo scratched his cheek and gave an awkward smile toward Yumir, who was glancing at me nervously.

"...With even stronger firepower than in his prime."

"Ah."

Yumir covered her mouth with her hand, surprised.

"...Was it a bit too strong?"

[Yeah.]

Overwhelming power.

Yumir had cosplayed as Gwang Ik Gong and proven Gwang Ik Gong's strength.

She just overdid it a bit.

[But it's all good.]

At that moment.

"......."

Cheonma opened her eyes.

For a moment, it felt like she had lost consciousness, and in fact, she had.

If it weren't for the body's instincts and the physical reaction of her body to protect itself with magic, she might have died.

"......Ha."

Looking around, the sight was unbelievable.

The forest was destroyed.

It was as if something like a meteor had fallen diagonally and rolled hundreds of times across the forest, as if a god had brushed his thumb across the map, leaving a long road through the forest.

And at the end of that road was herself.

"...Crazy."

She reassembled her memories before she lost consciousness.

She had certainly charged at Yumir.

She charged at the one pretending to be Gwang Ik Gong.

After fighting with Hesed Goblin, she had gathered all the magic power she could muster and ran forward with all her might.

Cheonma Divine Technique - Cheonma Reigning Step.

And with all her strength, she unleashed Cheonma Divine Fist with both hands.

But that fist, in front of the overwhelming bombardment of magic power, became nothing more than a star in the night sky.

"......."

Her smartwatch was destroyed, so she couldn't even check her location, and her clothes were beyond tattered, more like rags.

Fortunately, the underwear peeking through the rags still maintained its form, but it was clear her appearance was a mess.

"Ha, haha...."

A hollow laugh escaped her lips.

"The world is truly vast."

She already knew there were many strong people in the world, but every year, new strong individuals kept emerging.

She enjoyed fighting against such strong opponents, and while it felt great to achieve victory over them, being overwhelmed by such immense power left her with only a hollow laugh.

"...But still."

Cheonma clenched her fist toward the night sky.

"I can reach it."

Not yet.

It was different from when she extended her fist toward Gwang Ik Gong, who seemed to have no blind spots and was completely unreachable.

She could reach it.

If she became stronger, and if the female Gwang Ik Gong remained stagnant, she would surely be able to reach it.

So—

"Cheonma!!"

People came running from afar.

The ability users, dressed in the same martial arts attire as Cheonma, were shocked when they saw her and quickly offered her their coats.

"This, this is...!"

"It's fine."

Cheonma politely declined their coats, pulling her tattered clothes tighter around herself.

"What's the big deal about a little underwear showing?"

"But, still...!"

"Just surviving is fortunate enough. Give me the watch. Contact the Association President."

Cheonma stretched out her trembling hand, and the ability users quickly manipulated the smartwatch to call someone.

"Hello, President."

[Are you okay?!]

"...Somehow, I survived. The others were captured, and I don't know what happened to them."

[Sigh....]

The deep sigh of the Hero Association's China branch president echoed through the line.

[It's okay. If you're alive, we can meet again. Surely they wouldn't kill heroes in Korea. It's a relief you made it back alive, and what came out of this is more valuable than gold.]

"More valuable results...?"

[Yes. The fact that Gwang Ik Gong, who had been in seclusion until now, took action.]

Cheonma shivered.

[Korea now clearly sees you, sees us, as a real 'threat.' You, specifically, have become a threat that neither Japan, the United States, nor any other country could manage.]

The situation matched perfectly with something someone had said, sending chills down her spine.

[Cheonma. We're truly glad to have you on our side. As soon as you return—]

"I need to train. Please contact my parents. After one meal, I'd like to go somewhere for some personal training. What was it called... closed-door training?"

[Closed-door training! Excellent! Even if we have to clear out Kowloon Walled City, we'll prepare a training ground for you!]

As the situation unfolded exactly as expected, she could only laugh hollowly.

[In the national competition, the only one who can win against Gwang Ik Gong is none other than you, Cheonma!]

"...Thank you for your encouragement."

Cheonma gripped her wrist and forced a smile.

"In the end, though, I lost to Gwang Ik Gong."

[Haha. Raise your head, Cheonma.]

The Association President responded with a hearty laugh.

[Losing to a stronger opponent is nothing to be ashamed of.]

[=Chapter 313: It's Not Shameful To Lose To A Stronger Opponent (2)=]

Gwang Ik Gong threw a punch, and drained of magic power, Yumir boarded Taejo's golden train.

"It's incredible."

Everything was golden.

Although camouflaged with iron on the outside, the interior cabins were all gold.

The chairs were gold, the windows were gold, even the hallways connected to the cabins were gold.

[It must not have been easy to forge all this.]

"This compartment is specially prepared for the two of you. The rest are just empty spaces; this is the only cabin."

[.......]

Taejo made a separate cabin just for us.

Turning a lump of gold into a train and even coating it with iron to disguise it must have been headache-inducing, not to mention crafting an interior compartment.

[There was no need to go this far.]

"This seat is specially arranged for you to rest comfortably all the way to Gaeseong. It would be concerning to travel in the cargo train with others."

That made sense.

The people up front would certainly be very attentive to our identities, and misunderstandings would make it anything but restful.

"They might mistake you for Gwang Ik Gong, brother."

[It's not unknown to them; they're certain. They think the person brought by Taejo is not just endorsed by Gwang Ik Gong but is Gwang Ik Gong himself. Yumir is his aide.]

We pretended to be a couple and Taejo treated us with extreme honor. At the same time we also subdued Cheonma and Rasputin, who were at an S-level.

Although the members of Giparang and Ssangeogung might be confused by information only known to them, what's important was the figure who had boldly appeared in this region called Sinuiju.

The underground fight with Hesed and Solar Platina?

Only those who were underground knew of it.

But the entity that showed overwhelming power against Cheonma on the surface was now known worldwide.

Thick golden streaks visible in satellite photos, as if someone had scribbled on Earth.

[The whole world has been turned upside down.]

-Gwang Ik Gong has appeared!

-Gwang Ik Gong is alive!

-Is Gwang Ik Gong a god? Stronger than before, with overwhelming power!

-All the conspiracy theorists who said Gwang Ik Gong was dead or too injured to appear outside should hang their heads!

It didn't matter why he appeared in Sinuiju or against whom he used his abilities.

Just the fact that Gwang Ik Gong had shown himself meant world crime would decrease for about a month, and ability users wouldn't dare turn into devils.

The fear that Goblin would appear and execute them if they became devils was less than the fear that Gwang Ik Gong would come and wield his golden wings.

A symbol of peace.

That's the power of being Gwang Ik Gong.

Just appearing once sparked a glimmer of hope and bestowed despair upon villains and devils.

'That's why we must be more cautious.'

The moment it's known that Gwang Ik Gong was dead.

Many would lose hope.

World stock markets would crash instantly, the Kospi will collapse, the Nakdong River's water level would rise, and everyone would flaunt their power in disputes.

Villains and devils would run more rampant.

Therefore.

[Someone else stepping in for Gwang Ik Gong must never be disclosed to anyone.]

I threatened Taejo.

[Very few know this. Not to your family, not even to those you trust more than yourself. Not even to your other side, the armored Emperor.]

"......."

[I don't know about Cheonma, but I've placed a prohibition on him. The moment he tries to disclose it, the society will execute him. And the same goes for you.]

I casually placed the Goblin bat to the side.

[Even if it means the Goblin has to kill Taejo.]

"That's fair. Protecting the secret about Gwang Ik Gong is more important than silencing Taejo."

Even Taejo himself acknowledged how crucial Gwang Ik Gong was.

"Did you target this?"

Taejo fiddled with his hair.

"Knowing this makes it impossible for me to pass my consciousness to a madman."

[I didn't specifically target it, but if it makes you anxious, you naturally have to keep quiet.]

"Isn't this a threat?"

[I am a villain.]

"Ha."

Taejo chuckled emptily.

"How do you plan to swiftly resolve everything like this?"

[Handling multiple things in one go is my specialty.]

I threw a punch towards Taejo.

[Live. Cheonma is laundering herself to live again as a patriot, and you don't need to bear the burden yourself. I can get the washing machine running for you too if you want.]

"What?"

[Isn't this the perfect time? The reckless Armored Taejo suddenly comes to his senses one day. You have a just cause.]

I displayed a photo of someone on my Taeguk Watch.

[After being defeated by Firefox Yoon Iseon, the former madman Taejo will become a diligent one.]

"......."

[Returning from being dyed blonde to natural black hair signifies the commitment of a wayward being to follow the correct path.]

Like a blonde gal suddenly washing out her dye and letting down her hair to appear like a pure black-haired girl, Taejo can certainly change too.

[The world is going to change, drastically and soon. And so will the political situation in Korea.]

"That is...."

[Korea's S-rankers, too, will see a drastic change in their lineup.]

"......!"

Taejo's expression hardened.

"Is that a hint...?"

[You can take it that way. Until now, there have been seven in the system. With Yoon Iseon added, it became eight. But how long will this eight-person system last?]

Gwang Ik Gong had already disappeared, leaving only his chair behind.

Snow White planned to retire due to pregnancy, and other S-rankers were also expected to change for various reasons.

...If things went as originally planned, at least one of them was certainly destined to die.

[Taejo. You are still young. You have limitless potential and talent.]

From the original context, from what I had observed, and even Goblin's intuition clearly stated it.

[You're not just another S-rank reader; you're meant to be at the pinnacle of S-rank.]

"......."

[As a man, shouldn't you aim to be the strongest?]

No matter how much he decided to shoulder the burden, he wouldn't want to live as a lifelong S-rank sensor labeled as naive.

[If you choose that path, I'll help you. I may be too busy to assist actively, but at least when you're stuck, I can offer a word of advice.]

"That one word, in terms of a game, would it be like a hint you check when you're stuck?"

[That's one way to think about it.]

"Alright."

Taejo straightened his posture and bowed his head.

"After I return to Busan, I'll think more deeply about it. And after making a decision, you'll naturally learn what it is."

That's a relief.

After all, deciding one's life course based on a few words here is too difficult a matter.

After returning to Busan, he would contemplate on his own, consult with his grandfather, and perhaps even discuss with his sister, pondering repeatedly until he reached a conclusion.

Whether the naive Taejo continued to live as he was now.

Or lived as his true self.

[If you, as a man, make a decision after careful consideration, I welcome whatever decision that may be.]

"Thank you for saying that. ...Dawn is approaching."

Outside the window.

Darkness was fading, and dawn was beginning to break.

"As soon as we arrive in Gaeseong, I'll head straight to Busan with the idol team. There's still some time until then, so you two can rest properly until...."

"We'll rest somewhere else, not here."

Yumir drew a circle in the air, and Taejo nodded understandingly.

"Understood. One last thing before we go."

Taejo clenched his fist.

"Regardless of what decision I make, or what being I become, if it results in my disappearance from this world."

Taejo looked at me and bowed his head solemnly once more.

"Please take good care of my sister."

[Ah.]

I extended a fist towards Taejo.

[I promise.]

At that moment, in a pension on Ulleungdo.

"Is Gwang Ik Gong resurrecting?"

Soaking in an outdoor hot spring, Gunggi chuckled while checking the internet reactions on her tablet.

"Gwang Ik Gong here, Gwang Ik Gong there. It's all about Gwang Ik Gong."

"Isn't that obvious?"

Next to Gunggi, Doul flicked water at her and grinned.

"Even you and I ultimately couldn't defeat the strongest in the world who has now reappeared. Though, not in person."

"Stronger than himself. ...Serin."

Gunggi locked eyes with Doul, her expression serious.

"Gwang Ik Gong has now become a being beyond our reach forever."

"No, not really. There's one way."

Doul leaned close to Gunggi, whispering in her ear.

"How about it?"

"......Hmm. Indeed. That way exists. Ah, but I am...."

"What are you two whispering about?"

Flash.

Through a golden dimensional gate, two men and women appeared.

"Oh, you're here?"

"Hello, sisters."

The two executives, holding Yumir and the Goblin, smiled slyly.

"A way to defeat Gwang Ik Gong."

"How are you planning to win?"

"We'll win with a contest that every Korean acknowledges."

The two women grabbed the Goblin's ankle and pulled him into the water.

""A child's victory.""