‘At the time, I just thought that since such things were happening in reality, I should take it as it is, but now I know the story behind it. Secrets really did exist…’
Yang Min-seo nodded as if acknowledging something.
She decided to alter her approach.
Instead of just actively recruiting Shinnoda, she concluded that recruitment was now absolutely necessary.
And deep down, Yang Min-seo was touched.
Shinnoda’s ‘Future Divination’ skill.
It was no exaggeration to call it his secret ace.
Revealing something like that so willingly…
“I’m really grateful that you trust me this much. I absolutely won’t disclose it.”
“Yeah. I trust Min-seo. The reason I brought this up is because you guys at the lab are holding something. I saw it causing a great calamity.”
“A calamity?”
Yang Min-seo was perplexed.
This project was entirely her initiative—a major accomplishment that would solidify her position within the group.
“That’s a Leviathan monster’s egg. The creature itself might not be very powerful, but it’s an underwater monster, making it difficult to handle.”
“The lab is already taking steps so that the monster won’t hatch. Regarding that…”
“No, the issue isn’t the creature hatching. The problem lies with the mother who laid that egg. She’s near the waters off Busan.”
Yang Min-seo froze at Shinnoda’s words.
If what Shinnoda said was true, the eggs retrieved from the waters off Busan actually belonged to someone—a mother who wouldn’t take long to realize her eggs were gone.
“The expression on your face shows you’ve caught on, huh? That’s right. The Leviathan will invade Busan. It can create a giant tsunami with a skill. Busan will become a sea of water; many people will die.”
“Th-That… Our lab had no idea. Moreover, it’s hard to believe that a single monster could cause a tsunami.”
“You might find it hard to believe, but…”
“No. I believe you. Since Noda has trusted me enough to reveal his secret ace, the Future Divination skill, it would only be right for me to believe you completely.”
Yang Min-seo, visibly moved, took Shinnoda’s hand and met his gaze—an intentionally deliberate action.
“Min-seo…”
Their eyes met.
Shinnoda was touched by Yang Min-seo’s trust.
‘This wasn’t going to be easy.’
Yang Min-seo had anticipated significant difficulty in persuasion since Isiah, unlike her, seemed to have a deep fondness for him.
He celebrated the unexpected success inwardly.
And their intertwined hands deepened the somewhat flirtatious ambiance in the upscale hotel room, making it seem like an intimate rendezvous between two young lovers.
Shinnoda, too, found no reason to refuse her, as Min-seo was quite a handsome young lady.
“I think that when it comes to Noda…”
Yang Min-seo was about to declare something significant.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
At that moment, someone began pounding on the door.
The two ignored it.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
It was clear the visitor had a serious purpose.
“Hey, did you sell the doorbell?”
Shinnoda had little choice but to get up in annoyance, completely shattering the romantic moment.
“Open the door! We know you’re in there!”
When Shinnoda grabbed the doorknob to open it, an awkward Korean utterance could be heard from outside.
As expected, being interrupted was infuriating.
“You will die now.”
The instant Shinnoda opened the door, an axe came flying toward him.
Thanks to its detection at an almost zero distance, avoiding it was out of the question.
The axe embedded itself into Shinnoda’s shoulder.
“Grrrr…”
Next, a sword shot toward his neck.
Shinnoda immediately ducked and quickly stepped backward.
‘All enemies are B-rank!’
He sized up the situation as he steadied his stance.
There were five opponents, all at least B-rank. They were clad in leather-like lightweight armor and wielding axes and short swords.
“Enemies are here!”
Shinnoda alerted Yang Min-seo, who had been observing the scene and immediately unsheathed her sword from its sheath placed on the side.
“Polymorph!”
Without time to draw his weapon, Shinnoda shouted a spell to boost his defense.
Scales erupted from his skin, ripping apart his clothes.
The intruders wasted no time and rushed forward, their axes and swords striking wildly.
Clang.
The sword aimed at his heart was stopped by his arm, and the axe aimed at his neck was thwarted by the red scales rapidly covering his body.
The axe embedded in Shinnoda’s shoulder fell off as the scales pushed it away.
“His arm didn’t sever?!”
“The neck has scales…!”
The intruders mumbled in Chinese.
Before long, Shinnoda’s body was completely covered in red scales, transforming him into a menacing red dragon knight, leaving the intruders visibly shaken.
“Min-seo, just defend.”
“Yes.”
Considering all the enemies were at least B-rank, Shinnoda excluded Yang Min-seo from the fight, fearing she might only get in the way.
From an interdimensional pocket, Shinnoda pulled out ‘Gungnir’.
The intruders eyed the spear warily as it was revealed.
“That’s no ordinary spear!”
“It’s a magic-grade item. Pull back!”
A shockwave immediately hit Shinnoda, unleashed by one of the intruders using a skill.
With no other option, Shinnoda was thrust backward.
The intruders pulled out guns from their holsters and began firing, showing no hesitation.
The gunfire rang out, continuing until the magazines were empty.
“AAAAAAAHH!”
Although the guns were aimed at Shinnoda, Yang Min-seo screamed loudly, filled with the fear of being hit herself and witnessing Shinnoda’s death. Without a mana coat, even an awakened one not at S-rank could find themselves on the brink of death after being shot.
“It doesn’t make sense.”
“Wha, he’s still standing despite being shot?! He’s some kind of monster.”
The intruders gasped in astonishment as the red-armored knight remained unscathed. The floor was covered with spent bullets.
They were members of the Hwasan Group’s Assassination Unit.
A team that enforced internal discipline within the Hwasan faction. If someone broke the rules or tried to defect, their punishment was severe or fatal. This operation, initially tasked to another unit, couldn’t be dispatched due to their annihilation by communists.
“We heard he’s just a high school student…”
“His equipment must be good.”
“True. Don’t be afraid. Regardless of how he obtained such quality gear, how strong can a mere child be?”
Thus encouraged, the team leader turned to his subordinates, puzzled by their pale faces.
“Why?”
Suddenly, a sharp pain in his chest.
His torso felt damp, and his vision began to blur.
“Khhhh…”
Blood trickled from the leader’s mouth as he finally noticed the spear embedded in his chest, traveling so fast he couldn’t perceive it in time.
“Outer Heavens (天外天)…”
His last thought before death.
‘Gungnir’ automatically retracted from the corpse, returning to the red dragon knight’s hand, terrifying the remaining members of the Assassination Unit.
“Overload.”
Magic runes activated across his body.
The engravings across his body glowed as mana surged through them, emanating a red light through the gaps in the armor.
“Is it my turn?”
Shinnoda gripped his spear tightly, extending the other hand forward to deploy telekinesis.
One member of the Assassination Unit was dragged toward him, struggling in vain.
“AAAAAAH!”
The spear pierced the eyes of the struggling member, driven straight into his skull as Shinnoda twisted the blade, reducing his brain to mush.
“hee hee…”
Blood trickled from the victim’s nose as life left him, and he slumped lifelessly to the floor.
“H-HAAAAAAAAHH!”
The Assassination Unit fell into panic, realizing they faced a far greater threat than expected. Accustomed to preying on the weak, they lacked refinement.
“This is a trap!”
“We need to inform the leader!”
Yang Min-seo, watching the battle behind Shinnoda’s broad back, couldn’t help but be impressed.
With the ‘Divine Eye’ skill, she had already gauged their ranks as roughly B-rank.
‘Impressive. He’s more than just someone with a fraudulent Future Divination skill. He was destined for greatness. If someone inherits the bloodline of kings, it must be someone like Shinnoda.’
Even if Shinnoda were at A-rank, that was already exceptional. The average A-rank individual wouldn’t be able to face five B-rank members alone. There was definitely something extraordinary about him.
‘Shinoda… if he were to be my man…’
For the first time, Yang Min-seo felt genuine romantic attraction to a man, which was quite unusual for her calculated nature.
“GURK.”
“CRRHH.”
The crimson dragon knight pressed forward relentlessly, slaying each member of the Assassination Unit one by one.
In just a few minutes, only one member remained alive.
“Mercy, please. Have mercy.”
Poorly articulated Korean, using any words that came to mind. It was a phrase Shinnoda had heard often while clearing out Korean-affiliated criminal groups in Busan.
The last member trembled in fear, his panicked state causing his body to shiver uncontrollably. The other members, including the leader, were unable to withstand even a single blow from the masterful warrior before them, leaving the last soldier feeling no hope for survival.
“I need to interrogate this one.”
The fate of the final Assassination Unit member was sealed.
