"You said dragging your real body all the way to this supposedly dangerous foreign land wasn't necessary. But the reality's a bit different, huh?"
'This guy's totally beyond spec.'
This wasn't just some "hyper rookie" being monitored in case he might qualify for Universal 8. He was way beyond that.
Completely outside the norm — Soohyeok was so far above the level even Vladimir, a being not of this world, couldn't have predicted it.
Even if his physical capabilities were slightly inferior, his mental magic was a brute-force method that overwhelmed opponents by sheer spiritual pressure. Crude but powerful.
Frankly, there might be fewer than three people on Earth who could withstand it.
And someone who could shrug it off as easily as Soohyeok? That was unheard of.
Even Baek Muhak of Universal 8, a fellow Korean, wouldn't be able to escape the moment he got hit by it.
So naturally, Vladimir never expected he'd need to bring his real body into play.
"Maybe your magic just sucks."
"Don't kid yourself. I swear, there's probably only one person on this entire planet stronger than me."
"Guess you just had bad luck, then."
Soohyeok answered bluntly, cold and evasive.
Vladimir's face twisted with frustration.
"Come on, why are you being like this? It's not like I didn't give anything in return. You got your answers, so how about sharing a little in return? Give and take, you know? Beautiful balance of exchange. Ever heard of it?"
"Too bad. I don't really feel like sharing warm feelings with some vampire who tried to subdue me right off the bat."
Soohyeok's gaze was sharp, his mind constantly calculating.
'This is bad. I can't cut his "threads" to suppress his power…'
He'd already tried the new method he picked up in the Tranon dimension while Vladimir was unconscious. It didn't work.
Even if he severed the flow of force tied to the system around Vladimir's body, it reconnected itself.
Soohyeok had two theories why.
First, maybe it's because Vladimir was fundamentally a supernatural being, one who didn't rely on the system — like how Soohyeok's martial arts work.
Or, like Vladimir said, maybe this body really is a fake.
Either way, he was up against a troublesome opponent.
"Seriously, your eyes are terrifying. But listen, I really don't want to be your enemy here."
Vladimir raised both hands with a smile. His expression and tone held no hostility.
But Soohyeok couldn't take that at face value.
Vladimir was strong. If he brought his real body, things could flip.
Still, no amount of thinking was giving Soohyeok a clear answer.
Problems like this always boiled down to a single, tried-and-true solution.
'In the end, I just need to reach Harmony Realm as fast as possible.'
Get stronger.
Strong enough that no one could pose a threat to him ever again.
The Harmony Realm existed on that plane — the highest level attainable even in the mysterious Hwan Continent, overflowing with martial arts, sorcery, illusions, and curses.
It was the ultimate stage, the realm of superhumans who surpassed human limits.
Once he reached it, he wouldn't need to waste time worrying about things like this anymore.
It was the path he'd always aimed for. There was no reason to hesitate.
The satisfaction of reaching even a glimpse of the peak for a short time — less than half a day — was already fading.
'Greater power brings greater freedom.'
His desire blazed anew.
And with it, the atmosphere around Soohyeok shifted in real time.
Vladimir, watching him, couldn't hide his admiration.
'This guy's the real deal.'
He could see which direction Soohyeok's mind had turned.
To Vladimir, most humans were foolish and petty. Always greedy, always wanting shortcuts. He hated the arrogance of those without merit.
And most humans fit that category.
But once in a while, someone like Soohyeok came along.
Still human — but undeniably different. The kind of people history remembers as legends.
"God, this is thrilling."
Vladimir muttered, hugging his own shoulders.
Soohyeok winced at the creepy gesture and turned his back.
He'd made up his mind.
There was no reason to spend another minute in the same space as Vladimir.
"H-Hey, wait a sec!"
Vladimir called after him, flustered as Soohyeok walked away.
But Soohyeok didn't stop.
"Hey! Come on, just talk to me for a second! Seriously? You're really gonna do this?!"
Vladimir kept shouting, but Soohyeok kept walking.
He turned around a concrete pillar in the underground parking garage and vanished.
Vladimir stood there, dumbfounded for a moment, then scowled and began limping after him.
"Wait! Let's go together!"
***
Early morning.
The streets were already bustling as the day began for countless city dwellers.
Even while walking, everyone was absorbed in their own thoughts. When standing still, their smartphones—products of a convenient world—helped kill the boredom of daily life.
In truth, there was little reason or room to spare attention for others.
Yet, sometimes, people did look.
Soohyeok and Vladimir were that kind of case.
An Asian and a white man.
But that in itself wasn't the issue.
The issue was—they were both ridiculously good-looking.
The difference was, Soohyeok had a masculine, stoic image, while Vladimir was closer to the typical "pretty boy." Even if his clothes were a little dirty and his hair a mess, his face was striking enough to shine through all that.
And they weren't being quiet, either.
"Look, I'm telling you, there's no reason for us to be enemies. I like you. I respect the arrogance of someone who's truly qualified. Personally, I think it's cool. Honestly, you're the best Korean—no, best East Asian—I've ever met."
"I'm not joking, Soohyeok. I've met some pretty incredible Asians before, but… I don't know. You're different. Special, maybe?"
Vladimir's loud chatter only drew more attention.
People began to eavesdrop more blatantly on their conversation.
"Hey, isn't that Vladimir?"
"Seriously? The Vladimir? From Universal 8?"
Someone recognized him immediately—and that was all it took.
"Oh my God, that is Vladimir!"
"Who's that next to him?!"
"No idea. But they seem close."
"Is he… hitting on him?"
"But they're both guys?"
"Wait, is Vladimir… into dudes?"
All the chatter and speculation swirled around Soohyeok's head like a cloud of gnats.
"Anyway, I'm thinking seriously about our relationship. I mean…"
Vladimir's voice kept going, like a dagger straight to the brain.
"Kyaaah!"
A group of high school girls at a bus stop screamed like they'd just seen a K-pop idol.
Soohyeok frowned and abruptly changed direction.
Naturally, Vladimir followed close behind.
"Huh? Hey, let's just talk for a second! Why are you so touchy?"
"Take one more step and I'll kill you."
Soohyeok muttered in a low, gravelly voice.
He was genuinely angry.
"Well, it's not like I have a choice. If I don't stick this close, you won't talk to me," Vladimir said with a cheery grin.
Soohyeok really, really wanted to gouge out those glittering ruby-red eyes smiling back at him.
But there were too many eyes on them.
And like he'd already acknowledged, Vladimir's body wasn't his real one.
Killing him wouldn't solve anything.
"…What do you want?"
Soohyeok sighed, finally speaking.
"To talk. Aren't you curious how I found you?"
"There's more than enough information floating around. If I wanted to dig, I could've found you too. Bumping into you like this? Just a matter of time."
Soohyeok replied casually. There was no reason to waste time questioning something that obvious.
"Okay, then… what about my purpose?"
"Just shut up for a second. I really hate noisy things. Let's change locations."
At his gruff words, Vladimir smiled and made an "okay" sign with his fingers.
"Cool, cool."
Despite all the eyes on them, Soohyeok and Vladimir moved faster. They weaved through alleys and twisted backstreets for about ten minutes until no one was following anymore.
But even then, Soohyeok wasn't satisfied. He kept walking until they hit a dead-end alley.
And then his brow furrowed again.
"…What now?"
He muttered in a sigh.
Sitting crouched in corners of the alley were high schoolers in uniforms, smoking.
They stared at Soohyeok, startled—but only briefly.
Then, they frowned the same way he did.
"Tch. What? Never seen someone smoke before? Just keep walking."
A boy squatting on the left spat roughly and glared.
"Wait, hold on. They're both hot though?"
One of the girls smoking nearby tugged at the boy's sleeve, trying to calm him.
"Are they actors? I feel like I've seen them somewhere. Damn, they're really good-looking. Is this real life? Why are you guys even here?"
Another girl chirped, full of energy.
Then a boy leaning against the right wall flicked his cigarette to the ground and scowled.
"Ugh, f*. If you're gonna leave, then do it already, assholes."**
As he cursed, he rolled up his sleeve—veins bulging—and revealed a large snake tattoo coiled around his upper arm.
Soohyeok blinked, dumbfounded.
"Hah…"
A dry laugh escaped him.
"Whew…"
Vladimir also let out a long sigh.
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]