< Kang Tae-san (1) >
The situation in the Ganghwan Realm was flowing smoothly without any significant variables.
The final war fought by the major powers of the continent brought them together in strength.
The victors were the Martial Arts and Monster Alliance, and the defeated Heavenly Demon Church met a glorious end, with all but the Heavenly Demon himself being vanquished on the spot.
Even the Heavenly Demon was sacrificed to rebuild the Dragon Heart and disappeared from the world, leaving only the feeble remnants of the Demon Cult who did not participate in the war.
‘…In fact, Hans stole him right after the ceremony ended.’
After all the trouble I went through to create him, would I really let that go to waste!
The Heavenly Demon was in essence the strongest Undead Hans possessed.
No matter how much backup was provided through the carefully prepared stage, the fact that he fought evenly against several Transcendent Beings wouldn’t change.
‘With that kind of power, he’ll be a great help in the future. Especially to that Buncheon Head.’
That was the most crucial point.
To prepare for this rehearsal, all resources were focused on creating the Heavenly Demon Jiangshi, so the process of turning the Secretary into an Undead was lagging behind, but finishing the major tasks meant it wouldn’t take long.
The remaining tasks were all minor details that Hans wouldn’t even need to personally handle.
‘Hugo is currently returning to Yungjoong with the Zhuge Family…’
His heroic exploits comparable to the masters of the Current Realm had greatly impressed many.
With infinite stamina, overwhelming inertia, glamorous techniques, outstanding performances, and dedicated sacrifices, he gained the grand title of “Heavenly Dragon Sword Alliance,” building strong connections through grateful encounters.
‘And that will greatly assist future activities. There’s no better condition to operate openly than this.’
Of course, he didn’t intend to just stay cooped up within the Zhuge Family.
It would be much better to travel the entire continent, slaying evil and spreading his reputation.
‘Once I clean up those who didn’t cooperate in this event and the irredeemable trash… I can then focus on restoring the aftermath and stabilizing public sentiment.’
I smiled contentedly and stroked my chin.
Just thinking about the Karma that would accumulate through that process made me feel prosperous.
Various factions and monsters that had risked their lives to battle the absolute evil leading the world to destruction.
They had developed strong bonds through this ordeal, and I trusted they would work towards mutual harmony even without my intervention.
Considering their positions, capable of making significant statements in their factions, it wasn’t a difficult task.
‘Most importantly, the main base of the Demon Cult and its remnants still remain.’
The residual unknown threat would only strengthen their ties.
If I periodically revealed enough presence to keep them on their toes, the effect would multiply.
And that Karma would be returned to me, as I was the primary contributor to creating such an environment.
Just like now.
『Karma Accumulated – 9,574,649』
As I caught sight of the changed figure for a moment while lost in thought, my lips curled upwards.
The rise in numbers was frighteningly steep, almost as if the decimal points on a stopwatch were increasing in real-time.
‘This will probably last quite a while.’
Karma points were awarded based on the impact I had on the world, measured numerically.
In other words, these points were merely an advance payment received before the reconstruction efforts even began.
Considering the changes that would unfold in the Ganghwan Realm, it was akin to securing a solid pension.
‘How should I use this?’
Having experienced various events and gradually building up my status, I started to feel an inkling.
It wouldn’t be long before I could use “Unique Skill Enhancement” again.
‘The next enhancement requires 2 million points.’
A sudden leap from 1.5 million.
At this rate, the next enhancement might require 2.5 million, or perhaps even 3 million.
Thinking about it, the nearly 9.6 million Karma points didn’t seem so abundant, but…
“Well, I’ll probably gain that much again by then.”
I didn’t worry much about that matter.
While currently executing a dual-track strategy in Auterica and Ganghwan Realm, the amount of Karma consistently supplied to me was significant.
As if to prove it, even with the fixed expenditure of “Growth’s Leap (7 days) (200,000)” consumed continuously by both the main body and avatars, the accumulation rate had surprisingly increased.
‘Moreover, there’s also a special benefit acquired this time.’
In fact, the points gained from achievements were mere bonuses.
The real importance lay in the benefits that accompanied them.
Just like when I first accomplished the feat and obtained “Dimensional Teleportation Circle summoning,” the newly acquired “Savior” also held immense potential.
‘Ignoring all limits that arise from a different dimension…’
It was a powerful reward that could potentially free me from the majority of the restrictions that had held me back until now.
Now, Hans could operate Undead troops freely without dimensional limitations while performing Jiangshi transformations in Auterica.
He could also use magical equipment from one world in another without restrictions, as well as utilize modern artifacts that were previously impossible to transport.
Truly a privilege unimaginable by other Awakened Beings.
‘Of course, I’ll need to verify how far that applies as time goes on.’
Given the situation, I felt a tinge of regret for the high-tier Jiangshis I had freely let go in the Ganghwan Realm, but that feeling didn’t last long.
After all, it was also true that such an investment allowed us to successfully finish the rehearsal.
“Hmm, I wonder if collecting ten million points this time will yield something.”
So far, I had accumulated around 9.6 million points.
Based on the current trend, it seemed I would easily reach ten million in just a few hours.
‘No, since I’ve already hit it once, it might not matter? Since there’s no immediate need, should I try to gather up to 20 million? If I move a bit decisively, it shouldn’t take too long…’
Just as I found myself caught up in thought.
Ding-a-ling—
My smartphone, which I had thrown on the table, began ringing.
It was my public contact as Seong-hyun, not the exclusive one for the dark side.
Of course, with such a limited network of relationships, there were only a few people who would contact me.
“Hey, are you alive? If you’re free, let’s meet up after a long time.”
As expected, the voice I anticipated came through the phone.
The only remaining connection of light in my life, my friend, Kang Tae-san.
“Actually, I have something important to say.”
His tone, now low and serious, solidified my expression.
It sounded like he had some trouble.
*
“Wow, it’s been ages! At this rate, I might forget your face!”
I looked at Kang Tae-san, who greeted me at our meeting place, a bit displeased.
Contrary to the serious voice I had heard over the phone, he seemed perfectly fine, just waving his hands tiredly as usual.
“…Yeah, great to see you. But what’s up? I thought something major happened.”
“Oh, that? I’ll tell you later. For now, sit down. Boss! Two orders of crispy and seasoned chicken, and two beers, please!”
I nodded and took a seat.
If there wasn’t a big problem right now, I could afford to take my time.
“Ah, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. That damn terror attack has made me suffer so much… I don’t care about leaving right on time, but I wish I could at least sleep at home.”
Kang Tae-san vented as he downed his beer with the chicken.
Just recently, there had been a large-scale terror incident in Seoul.
The astronomical financial losses and unprecedented human casualties caused Korea to suffer for a while.
Naturally, as a member of the Crime Investigation Division of the Supernatural Management Bureau, he had to deal with the aftermath of this incident, and today was the first day off he had after finally getting some work wrapped up.
‘Considering how quickly they dealt with it, I hadn’t expected it. However, it makes sense since the entire country was focused on it.’
Although such large-scale incidents were rare, terror attacks, in general, were not uncommon.
Society had become quite accustomed to them, and this bar was still operating normally despite being just a few blocks away from the site of the attack.
Moreover…
“Hoo, if it weren’t for the self-defense group, I’d still be trapped in work hell like a slave.”
“Really? There’s been a lot of chatter on the internet lately. They’re saying something like they should be formally recognized with qualifications or something.”
“Oh, we’ve said that too. But I don’t think it will pass. With corrupt officials among us, giving authority to those who can act freely without responsibility will definitely create problems later on.”
Self-defense groups, who had no legal authority but moved autonomously to maintain order.
While they would normally be subject to punishment for engaging in private retribution, their contribution during troubled times had been of great assistance to society.
‘Looks like Jin So-Ran is doing well.’
As I listened to Kang Tae-san’s complaints while sipping my beer.
Among the self-defense groups active in Korea, the most significant force was undoubtedly the Blood Alliance.
Thanks to Heinz II, they had completely dominated the underworld, not just controlling vampires but also mobilizing their subordinate organizations to strengthen their crackdown on serious crimes.
‘Most of the ones moving here are probably influenced by the Blood Alliance, except for a rare few acting solo.’
With their overwhelming combat power, disciplined organization, and endless financial resources, this was all possible.
Normally, those who would take advantage of the chaos would instead tighten their grip and hunt other criminals, which is why there hadn’t been much trouble despite the scale of the incident.
“There are companies offering donations… Oh, did you hear? Howard Industries dumped a staggering amount of money into the affected areas. I can’t believe how much money a startup has! It sure makes my job easier, so I’m not complaining.”
While exchanging various chit-chat, our chicken and beer were slowly running low, yet Kang Tae-san still hadn’t mentioned that “important thing.”
‘What on earth is he stalling about?’
Just as I was about to ask him again—
“Hey, but at first, I thought it was just my imagination, but… you seem different? Your appearance, your vibe, everything.”
“Hmm?”
His words caught me off guard for a moment.
‘Different…’
Unconsciously, I stroked my face and repeated that phrase within myself.
But there wasn’t really any need to think deeply about it.
The reason why he felt that way was obvious.
‘Is it because of the Holy aura?’
The faint holy presence born within me.
Thanks to managing nearly ten avatars and distributing their ranks accordingly, there wasn’t too much noticeable change, but there was no escaping some aura emanating from me.
‘Still, to notice that while I’m using “Existence Denial”… This guy has a good instinct!’
Perhaps it was due to our long-standing connection that he felt some dissonance.
As I lowered my hand, which had been meant for my face, and stroked my chin while pondering how to respond.
With sharp eyes observing me, Kang Tae-san’s expression suddenly brightened as he snapped his fingers.
“Ah! I got it! You’ve been taking care of yourself lately, right? Your skin looks so radiant and glowing. If you have something good, share it with me too!”
He’s making such a fuss over nothing.
Of course, it’s true that my skin improved thanks to the immense energy and holy presence…
‘Well, does it even matter?’
It’s a bother, so let’s just stick with that.
“I’ve been exercising too. In this day and age, appearance is competitive. You better stop making excuses and just get some sleep. Your skin looks dry, and those dark circles are down to your chin; what kind of skincare is that?”
“No, I want to sleep well if I could! But if I don’t do something, wouldn’t things just get worse? Staying idle only makes things worse!”
With another big sigh, Kang Tae-san kept grumbling.
I had no idea how the conversation had drifted this far, but if he had something truly important to say, I figured he’d mention it without me having to pry.
Giving up on asking any further, I chuckled lightly and decided to keep things casual.
“Well, what’s the point of managing now? You don’t even have anyone you want to impress.”
The moment I said that, it felt like a bit of damage came my way, but it was probably just my imagination.
Unlike him, it was not that I couldn’t meet girls; I simply wasn’t.
“Oh, about that…”
But that was.
My mistake.
With an awkward smile, my long-time buddy evaded my gaze.
The moment I sensed something unsettling in his response.
“Sweetheart! There you are!”
A cheerful female voice approached us.
Of course, it was not directed to me.
“Oh, you’re here, sis?”
“Sorry, sorry! Something came up right before I got off work, so I ran late.”
“It’s fine; we were about to change seats. By the way, this is my friend I mentioned. We’ve been together for over ten years, so we’re practically family.”
“Hello! I’m Mi-young Park. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Kang Tae-san was now engaging in a warm conversation with a lovely woman right in front of me.
I barely kept my composure as I managed to greet her and turned to my friend, my eyes filled with the demand for an explanation.
“Uh… um, it just happened.”
“······.”
My buddy scratched the back of his head sheepishly while the woman next to him intertwined her arms with his.
A moment of heartbreak for a lifelong singleton like Seong-hyun Han.
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