There is someone else.
Overwhelming beings with power equal to his still remained in the world—beings who had withdrawn from the world, unwilling to reveal themselves.
For a moment, Soohyeok's heart thumped hard.
He wanted to meet them all.
And if possible, he wanted to fight them personally.
Just as strong was his desire to meet worthy opponents—an instinct embedded deep in any true martial artist. Without realizing it, his fighting spirit burst forth in an instant, sending out an aura that crackled through the surrounding air.
Even Vladimir felt a sting in his heart.
"Haha, that's incredible!"
Unable to help himself, he laughed out loud in both surprise and admiration.
"But ah, I shouldn't get too excited. Let's wrap this up. I made it that way, sure, but things got a little messy internally. You know how they say the position makes the person? Well, it brings out the hidden parts too."
Vladimir clapped his hands as he sighed deeply.
"For example, Magnus is like that."
"Magnus?"
"Do you know who the head of Magnus is? It's Albert Crespo."
"Albert Crespo? The Mad Alchemist?"
Soohyeok's expression twisted in shock at the mention of a man both infamous as one of the Universal 8 and known for his deranged alchemy, now connected to a national criminal syndicate.
"That's right. That guy—Albert Crespo—is the hidden leader of Magnus. And someone else has joined forces with him too."
"This is a damn circus. Forget calling them the Universal 8 or humanity's strongest—strip them of all those titles."
"Agreed."
Vladimir shrugged.
"Anyway, that's why I'm saying we need to restructure the Universal 8 a bit. And I'd like you to be one of them… You've got more than enough potential—no, an abundance of it. What do you think? Want to join us? If we work together, I'll fully support your growth—resources, training, connections, everything."
Vladimir extended his hand.
Soohyeok looked down at him for a moment, then shook his head.
"I refuse."
Vladimir's expression soured.
"Sorry, but someone else already wants to make me into a hero. And I'm getting good support too."
"shinwoo? I admit he's talented, but his reach ends within South Korea. We—no, I—operate globally. You know the Aztec Group? That's mine."
Vladimir spread his arms wide, casually dropping the name of one of the world's top five corporations.
"That's what full support looks like. The best environment, everything you need! Still not tempted?"
"Nope. Not tempted at all."
Soohyeok replied coldly, then turned his back.
"That was your third question, right? If there's nothing else weird, I'm leaving."
"W-wait. You're seriously not interested?"
"Right. I hate poison hidden in sweet honey."
With that, Soohyeok flashed a cool smile, waved his hand, and disappeared down the alley.
"Don't try to drag me into your mess. I'll live my life my own way."
And just like that, his presence vanished.
Left alone, Vladimir stood there with his arms still outstretched, letting out a hollow laugh.
"Haha… Ha… Seriously… Man…"
He laughed for a long while, then finally clicked his tongue and let out a long, resigned sigh.
"He's young, but damn sharp and cunning."
Reorganizing the Universal 8, managing the political struggles between dimensions—none of it was as easy as just saying it aloud.
The process would be messy and tedious, which is why Vladimir had approached Soohyeok for help.
But he got rejected.
'He clearly has ambition…'
And yet he wasn't swayed by glittering bait.
"He really does grow on you the more you get to know him."
The smile on Vladimir's lips deepened.
***
Meeting Vladimir taught Soohyeok many things.
And the fact that no deep hostility had formed wasn't such a bad outcome.
Still, if asked whether he liked Vladimir, Soohyeok would have flatly said no.
'That guy's got hundreds of snakes writhing in his gut.'
Even at the very end, Vladimir had been pretending to show goodwill—while laying a trap.
Had Soohyeok taken his hand, it would've become a lopsided relationship with no real mutual understanding—just like with shinwoo.
Of course, Soohyeok was ambitious.
He wanted Vladimir's power, wealth, everything.
With those things, growth and action would've been smooth sailing.
But in the end, it would've been borrowed power.
So he didn't regret saying no.
If he needed something, he'd build it himself.
Borrow someone else's?
That would mean sharing what he had in return.
An idea he utterly despised.
'What's mine is mine.'
That was the nature of Soohyeok's greed.
It was something he would neither lend out nor share with anyone. Vladimir had gravely underestimated that.
If he'd known, he would never have made such an offer.
Of course, to pull this off, Soohyeok needed to earn that right.
'In this world, that right comes from power.'
Power didn't just mean brute strength.
The "刀" in the word for force referred to more than weaponry—it encompassed authority, wealth, intelligence. All sorts of influence beyond physical might.
Soohyeok planned to acquire as many types of power as possible.
Too many predators lurked, ready to pounce the moment he exposed a single weakness. He couldn't afford to lower his guard.
Fortunately, he was confident.
Dozens of ideas buzzed through his mind.
Had he been nothing more than a brute, Soohyeok would never have been called the Absolute Ruler of the Fantasy Continent.
He was a warrior by nature—but also a sovereign in the making.
The Martial Emperor.
This world, called Earth, still did not know the full origin of that title.
By the time those rising thoughts had solidified into a few clear plans, Soohyeok found himself back near his home.
His once sharp gaze softened in an instant.
Meeting Vladimir had been an unexpected addition to his day, but today still held something far more important.
Climbing the stairs of the villa, Soohyeok stood before the front door and let out a deep breath.
"Hoo…"
After steadying his heart again and again, he finally inserted his key into the lock.
Click.
"Soohyeok, is that you? Where did you go so early without saying a word?"
As the locked door clicked open, Soohyeok saw Han Junghee walking out of the kitchen, drying her hands.
With her usual warm smile, his mother waved him in.
"Come eat first. Your dad and Sooah already left for work."
"Yes, Mother."
Soohyeok nodded and followed his mother into the kitchen.
"I made stew this morning. Since it's my day off, how about we go for a walk together after breakfast?"
Watching her cook from behind, Soohyeok nodded again.
"Sounds good. But, Mom…"
"Hmm?"
"There's something I need to confess."
Han Junghee slightly turned her head to meet his gaze.
She left the cooking unfinished and sat down across from him. What followed was a long, uninterrupted story.
Because they were family, he didn't want to hide anything. He told her honestly—how he awakened the moment he opened his eyes, how he hid that fact and became a hunter registered with the Awakener Association, and everything that followed.
Throughout it all, Han Jeonghee simply nodded. But Soohyeok could clearly see her pupils trembling now and then.
'I'd like to tell her about the Fantasy Continent too, but…'
He decided it was pointless.
It was in the past.
There was no need to bring up the hardships of those days and leave scars in his parents' hearts.
Because they were family, he didn't want to hide anything. But also, because they were family, he didn't want to expose them to pain unnecessarily.
So he shared what he could, in a way that hopefully wouldn't make her worry too much.
After a brief silence, Han Junghee stood up.
"My throat's a little dry."
She gave a small smile to the concerned Soohyeok, then opened the fridge and drank three full glasses of cold water in a row.
Seeing that fiery display, Soohyeok was reminded of Sooah not long ago—she too had chugged several glasses of cold water when she first found out about his awakening.
'Like mother, like daughter.'
In that tense moment, he found himself amused by the thought. Just then, Han Jeonghee slammed a glass of cold water down in front of him and poured him a drink.
"Here. My son must be thirsty too."
"Ah, thank you."
As Soohyeok continued his story—something he hadn't expected to be easy—he felt more nervous than when facing Park Moogi or Vladimir in battle.
He really was thirsty, and the cold water soothed him as it went down.
"Want another glass?"
"I'm okay."
At her question, he shook his head.
Han Junghee finally put the nearly empty water bottle back in the fridge and sat back down across from him.
She opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, then tried again—several times, lips moving but no sound coming.
Finally, after some time had passed, she spoke:
"…You've been through a lot, my son."
Her first words were full of comfort.
"You must've carried such a heavy burden on your own, trying to protect us. It must've been so hard to keep it all inside."
"No, really, I was fine."
Her gentle voice resonated in his chest.
That comfort—coming before any scolding or worry—was more powerful than any internal energy. It overflowed through him.
It showed how much she truly cared for him.
Because they both cherished each other, such a moment was possible.
"And… sooah supported me in her own way, too."
"You said Sooah already knew, right? That's good. It's easier to endure hardship when you can share the weight."
Han Junghee let out a small laugh, recalling how Sooah had been singing praises about Awakeners lately.
"You two… Just like my kids to be so sly. Looks like you planned this well."
"Haha…"
Soohyeok scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I can even tell why you told me before your dad."
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
Soohyeok flinched a bit—her gaze was sharper than he expected.
"R-Really, I've already passed the most dangerous stages. Like I said, I'm one of only six 12th-rankers in Korea. Ordinary monsters aren't even a challenge for me anymore."
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]