Cho Hyun-seok’s residence began to collapse.
It had been exposed to the final high-powered 【Burn】.
Even during the interrogation, the pillars and ceiling gradually crumbled.
Crack, crunch.
Kang Hyun finished his questioning.
He shook the blood off his hands.
“You really don’t know who’s coming through?”
“Kill… me… please… kill….”
“Are you still not coming to your senses?”
Cho Hyun-seok was covered in wounds and burns.
His appearance was far more grotesque than before.
“You really don’t know? You said ‘invasion.’ That means someone is definitely coming through.”
“Please… just kill me….”
“Tsk.”
Well, he hadn’t expected much in the first place.
If information had leaked through someone like this, another organization or the government would have already found out.
Still, there was some gain.
“Invasion… you say.”
It meant a real offensive was beginning.
Not just a dungeon anomaly, something more sinister was at play.
“Ugh… ju… just kill me….”
Without a word, Kang Hyun beheaded him.
Slice—
Then, he placed the head on the table.
Though he had undergone demonic transformation, traces of Cho Hyun-seok’s former face remained.
‘There’s no better proof of betrayal than this.’
Just to be thorough, he stuffed the printed documents into the severed mouth.
“【Burn】”
Fwoosh—
Flames quickly engulfed Cho Hyun-seok’s house.
Kang Hyun picked up his rough stone sword—Kyle’s Dark Slayer.
Perhaps because of the firepower it had just displayed, its weight felt rather satisfying.
‘Familiarity is always good.’
If he wielded it in earnest?
That alone would make him much stronger.
As he stepped out of the collapsing house, Kang Hyun suddenly halted.
‘Ah, my mana.’
The last attack using Dark Slayer had drained a significant amount of mana.
The weapon had pushed its firepower beyond its limit.
‘I have to set up the Blessing tomorrow at noon.’
Well, he could just eat a Dried Sacred Water Elixir to recover.
He still had some leftover random boxes—surely, one of them would contain what he needed.
Ghost turned his back on the burning house and disappeared into the darkness.
###
The next day.
[World Quest]
[Time Limit: 1 day 23 hours 43 minutes]
With only two days left on the countdown, the Korean government made an announcement.
<Korea’s Perfect Clear Awakened, hereafter referred to as EX, has accumulated fatigue from a series of five consecutive clears in a single day. Due to this, today’s Blessing installation will be temporarily paused…>
Watching the news, Kang Hyun clicked his tongue.
“This is ridiculous. Not a single one?”
“Why are there so many other elixirs instead!?”
“They’re all yours.”
“Ahhhhh!”
Forcing Aden’s mouth open, he shoved the valuable elixirs inside.
Aden struggled in protest.
And just like that, another batch of precious elixirs disappeared into Aden’s stomach.
<…Therefore, we ask for the understanding of the nations that were scheduled to receive Blessing installations.>
Kang Hyun turned off the TV.
His luck was just terrible.
Then, his phone rang—it was Chief Choi.
<Are you sure you’re okay?>
“Yes. I just used a bit too much mana last night.”
<You’ve had it rough. My god, human demonic transformation…>
“It’s not like there’s no precedent on Earth.”
It had just been hidden well.
That damned Abyss was always lurking in the shadows.
<If Cho Hyun-seok had been left alone, things would’ve been disastrous.>
“Anyway, I’m taking today off.”
With the countdown nearing its end, an invasion looming, and the need for him to take action soon—
He figured he might as well train today.
“Make sure to pacify the nations that were expecting Blessing installations.”
<That’s the government’s responsibility, so don’t worry and rest easy.>
Choi Young-ho was confident.
But in reality, chaos was erupting.
Not just in Korean media but worldwide, news outlets were in a frenzy.
<EX Trapped in a State of Exhaustion—What is the Future of Earth?>
<Italy, Which Was Scheduled for Blessing Installation, Suffers 300 Deaths in a Dungeon Anomaly… Coincidence or Omen?”>
<Did the Korean Government Overwork EX? Where Does the Responsibility Lie?>
With tension and fear escalating, people desperately sought someone to rely on.
And that someone was EX—the only one with a track record of clearing World Quests.
But now, news that he had collapsed from overwork had surfaced.
And with only two days left on the countdown.
The crisis that had been quiet until now was bubbling back up.
<You’re really not sick, right?>
“Come on, Chief, you already heard it straight from me. I’m fine.”
<I know, but if something actually happens to you… I’ll be in serious trouble…>
“I’ll leave for Italy first thing tomorrow morning. Just manage the public sentiment until then.”
<Y-Yes. Please rest well.>
To rely so much on a single person…
This wasn’t a good sign.
You should know how to protect your own country.
Kang Hyun had barely hung up on Chief Choi when—
“Open your mouth.”
“N-No more elixirs….”
“I said open!”
“Aaah! If you eat too many elixirs, you’ll die!”
“That’s why an elixir expert like me is helping you. This is a great opportunity for you, you know?”
“It’s bitter! So bitter! It’s disgusting! Pfft!”
“Oh? This brat dares to complain to his master… huh?”
His phone rang again.
“Chief?”
<The President of Italy has just arrived in Korea.>
“What? Why? I told you, I’m doing it tomorrow.”
<Last night, 300 people died due to an anomaly collapse. He’s in a hurry.>
“Hah…”
“I hate elixirs! I hate bitter things!”
One weakling after another.
Kang Hyun wasn’t sure if they could even survive this invasion.
###
Chaos engulfed other countries.
Meanwhile, Korea remained relatively relaxed.
So much so that the internet was filled with trivial debates.
└Who’s the strongest among the Three Great Divines?
└What the hell is that, you nerd?
└Obviously, Ghost, Perfect Clear Awakened, and an S-rank Word Mage.
└Does Perfect Clear even belong in that group? They’re only D+ rank.
└Once they reach S-rank, they’ll be the strongest of the three. That’s a fact.
└Are you underestimating Ghost, the one who killed the toughest man alive?
└Without EX, our country would be doomed right now.
└If EX grows to their full potential, they’ll be the strongest in the world. That’s a fact.
Naturally, the discussion boiled down to Fully Grown Perfect Clear Awakened vs. Ghost.
└Just take the S-rank Word Mage out of the equation.
└Yeah, they haven’t really proven themselves.
└Honestly, the only thing they’ve got is inheriting the hero’s legacy.
└And even that hasn’t been fully confirmed.
└Unlike the British successor, Thea hasn’t even acknowledged them.
└Exactly lol. The UK’s successor got official recognition from Thea.
└Where even are they right now?
For a while, the Korean internet remained peaceful.
Then, a stone was thrown into the still waters.
└Breaking News! Japan’s S-rank says our Word Mage is a weakling!
└?
└Here we go again.
└What kind of nonsense is this?
Japan’s S-rank Awakened, Moonshadow Warrior.
An enigmatic figure whose face, name, residence, and even gender remained unknown.
In a world where famous Awakened were treated like celebrities.
Moonshadow Warrior cultivated an air of mystery.
At least, that’s what they believed.
But others saw them differently.
The public’s perception of Moonshadow Warrior.
An internet addict who couldn’t resist posting impulsive and provocative comments.
<An S-rank from stopping a measly F-rank collapse?>
<And they claim to be the Hero’s successor? Kyle’s successor?>
<This guy’s full of crap lmao>
<A narcissist who’s just cosplaying as a hero lmao>
As always, their comment was pure attention-seeking.
But being an S-rank, they had a massive following.
Normally, Moonshadow Warrior’s ramblings didn’t gain much traction.
But this time, fueled by anti-Korean sentiment, the post went viral.
└Who the hell is this guy?
└Weren’t they also a Hero’s successor?
└Nope. Fake. Just pretending to be one.
└Unlike the British successor, they weren’t acknowledged by Thea.
└So now they’re lashing out out of inferiority.
└We’re the only ones allowed to criticize our Word Mage.
Upon seeing this, Aden exploded with anger.
“What the hell! Who do they think they are! A fake successor talking like this?!”
“Oh, so that’s the so-called Sword Saint successor?”
Kang Hyun, mildly interested, checked the post.
His expression darkened.
Unlike the Sword Saint in his memory, Moonshadow Warrior seemed like a shallow, boastful figure.
“Well, I wish I could see his face later.”
“Well, I’d like to meet them in person someday.”
“Master! They’re insulting you!”
“Ignore them. Let’s just open the random boxes.”
“This is absurd! All they have is Sword Saint, and they’re claiming to be a Hero’s successor—”
“Disciple.”
Kang Hyun’s voice cut through her rant.
“…Yes?”
He wasn’t angry, nor was his voice particularly stern.
Yet, Aden instinctively shut her mouth.
“That’s enough. Come open the boxes.”
“…Yes, Master.”
The Sword Saint—an accomplished warrior, yet never acknowledged as a Hero.
Aden had little interest in those who weren’t heroes, but—
‘She shouldn’t speak carelessly.’
To Kyle, the Sword Saint had been a dear friend.
Still, Kang Hyun didn’t scold her.
Aden hadn’t meant any harm.
She was just momentarily caught up in the heat of the moment.
“But wait, we have more boxes?”
“10-clear reward. So, they’re Silver Boxes.”
“Oh! It’s been a while since we got Silver!”
But neither Kang Hyun, who brushed off the Moonshadow Warrior incident, nor Aden, who fumed over it, could predict what was about to happen.
“Only two. Let’s open them.”
“Drumroll please!”
With this invasion, the true nature of the Word Mage would be revealed to the world.
Ding!
[You have unlocked a new Word of Power.]
“Ah, a piece of junk!”
“Argh!”
Not only Japan, but the GSA, nations around the world, and even Thea itself—
They would all witness the Word Mage’s power.
[Time Remaining: 0 days 23 hours 59 seconds]
