The world didn't stay quiet for long.
After the appearance of the Watcher, something inside the System changed.
It stopped reacting.
It started learning.
System Evolution
Across multiple regions, players received a strange notification:
[System Update]
New Growth Path Unlocked
Classification: Sovereign-Type Candidates
Confusion spread instantly.
Seung-Ho stared at his screen.
"Bro… this wasn't here before."
Hwan-Guk frowned.
"Sovereign-Type? That's your thing."
Seo-Ah's expression turned serious.
"No… it's copying you."
Artificial Awakening
In different parts of the world, selected players began to change.
Not Chosen Heroes.
Not normal awakeners.
Something in between.
Their bodies emitted unstable auras—too strong for their level, but lacking control.
Titles appeared above their heads:
Pseudo-Sovereign – Viktor Hale
Pseudo-Sovereign – Aria Kessler
Pseudo-Sovereign – Dae Jin-Woo
Unlike Tae-Hyun…
They had limits.
But those limits were far higher than normal players.
First Incident
One of them—Dae Jin-Woo—lost control.
A dungeon break in a nearby region escalated instantly.
Instead of clearing it…
He overwhelmed it.
Monsters didn't attack him.
They submitted.
Then turned on civilians.
Seo-Ah gasped.
"That's not control… that's corruption."
Tae-Hyun's eyes narrowed.
"The System rushed the process."
Sovereign vs Imitation
Tae-Hyun moved.
In a blink, he appeared at the disaster site.
Buildings were already collapsing.
Dae Jin-Woo stood at the center, surrounded by kneeling monsters, his eyes glowing violently.
"I can feel it…" Jin-Woo muttered.
"I'm above everyone now."
Tae-Hyun stepped forward.
"No."
Jin-Woo turned.
"You're that guy… the original."
He laughed.
"Then let's see who's better."
Clash of Authority
Jin-Woo raised his hand.
Monsters surged forward like a tidal wave.
Tae-Hyun didn't dodge.
Didn't block.
He simply walked.
Every monster that approached him… fell flat instantly.
Submission.
Not forced.
Absolute.
Jin-Woo's smile faded.
"What… is this?"
The Difference
Tae-Hyun stopped in front of him.
"You weren't chosen," he said calmly.
"You were modified."
Jin-Woo roared and unleashed everything—raw power, unstable authority, corrupted control.
Tae-Hyun raised his hand.
And pressed down.
The entire battlefield collapsed under his will.
Jin-Woo dropped to his knees.
His title flickered.
Pseudo-Sovereign → ERROR
System Rejection
The System tried to stabilize him.
[Correction Attempt Failed]
Tae-Hyun looked down at him.
"You can't handle something you didn't earn."
With a single touch—
The corrupted authority shattered.
Jin-Woo collapsed, unconscious but alive.
Freed.
A Dangerous Pattern
Seo-Ah arrived moments later, light spreading to stabilize the area.
"There will be more… won't there?"
Tae-Hyun nodded.
"Yes."
Seung-Ho's voice came through urgently.
"Bro… reports are coming in from everywhere. Multiple Pseudo-Sovereigns are appearing globally!"
Hwan-Guk cursed.
"So the System's making copies of you?"
Tae-Hyun looked toward the horizon.
"No."
His eyes sharpened.
"It's making weapons."
System's New Strategy
A final message appeared worldwide:
[System Directive]
Sovereign-Class Replication Initiated
Objective: Restore Balance
Tae-Hyun clenched his fist slightly.
So this is your answer.
🔥 End of Chapter 28 🔥