<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 67>
Before any event, my mother always reminds me with these words.
“Always think twice. Should I do it or not? If you’re unsure, don’t say anything. Don’t give those who dislike you any reason. Do you understand?”
Well, that’s right.
I often speak impulsively.
Perhaps there’s no one among the existing agents who understands the power of mass media as well as our Mrs. Kim Yeon-hee does.
Both its advantages and its side effects.
Am I not a prime example of that? Although it’s somewhat hazy now, I, or rather the past Park Ki-hyuk, could be considered a victim of the media in some ways.
My mother witnessed in real time how the public’s attention ripped her son apart. Just think of how she must have felt.
Hence, her concerns.
“Calm down your temper, and if you can’t, don’t show it.”
As a dutiful son, I tend to suppress my temper as much as possible. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. I bite my tongue, hold back comments, and think several times before I act.
Of course, there are instances where my personality flares up unexpectedly. A significant reason for intentionally keeping my relationships limited stems from this.
Sometimes, I find my cautiousness towards everything somewhat unfamiliar.
Is this the power of family? I wonder if what the old master used to say—”A person with something to protect becomes flexible”—meant this.
If the old man saw me now, he’d probably be astonished, thinking, “Is this possible?” Are you watching? Your headache of a son has changed.
However, today felt different.
As I was restraining myself, my mother simply stated,
“Do as you wish.”
She tells me to relax. Someone who knows my character so well.
As she looks at me, her gaze is sharp; it reminds me of my father before battle. The safety pin has been removed.
Though my mother would vehemently deny it, in my view, this family’s ambition is a science.
Anyway, I received her permission, so I’ll talk freely as she suggested.
Q. What is the difference between a superhuman and an ordinary person?
“The difference is whether you can feel mana or not. That’s it.”
“Is there a specific way to become a superhuman?”
“No, you’re either born with the ability to feel mana or you aren’t.”
“Isn’t it possible to put in effort?”
“A player who cannot stand on the starting line cannot earn the right to run. Naturally, there’s no ranking then. It’s the same as this. Any effort is meaningless if you cannot feel mana.”
“Is there no chance at all?”
“If you are over 20 years old and your growth period has completely passed, then yes, I can firmly say there’s no chance. You’d be better off focusing on living your life.”
“Wow… Ki-hyuk is so resolute. It’s like you’re a pumpkin.”
“…”
“I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“That makes me even more sorry.”
I awkwardly stared, not knowing when to laugh, while Eun-bitna squirmed.
And the chat exploded again.
– You j*rk, you better not tease Bitna. She already feels old as it is!
– Why isn’t it funny? Haha, it’s like a pumpkin haha, am I the only one laughing?
– Yeah, you’re the only one laughing.
– Hey, stop it.
– No, the pumpkin thing isn’t true. But what cosmetics do you use, oppa? Your skin looks amazing.
– Park Ki-hyuk seems rude. You can tell just by his actions. The horoscope is science.
– The horoscope expert has logged in.
– Good Boy. You’ve got a strong body. I want to be friends with you.
– Sexy! Are you not coming to America? Honey 🙂
Take care of Bitna; your words are too harsh, you’re acting tough, and you lack consideration… Foreigners occasionally chimed in, making the atmosphere lively.
However, Eun-bitna seemed to misinterpret my view of the chat.
“Everyone, Ki-hyuk isn’t like that. This is just a concept! The beauty and the beast concept! No advanced moves allowed! Ki-hyuk, stop looking at the chat. Don’t let mean comments hurt you.”
“I’m fine.”
“Really…?”
Eun-bitna seemed worried, probably recalling the ‘Park Ki-hyuk’ of the past, but I was genuinely okay. What’s there to be hurt about? It’s just from people I don’t know.
“Let’s move on to the next question. Isn’t it inappropriate to use casual language?”
“Uh… I guess that wouldn’t be appropriate?”
“Tsk, this is really unfair. But it can’t be helped.”
“Do it when you do your personal broadcast next time. I use casual language on my personal broadcasts too.”
“I’ll have to do that.”
Continuing with the questions.
Q. What is the strongest magic in the world?
“There’s no such thing. What advantage does magic have?”
“Teacher, can I ask a question?”
“Anytime.”
“You see, magic clearly has classes. For example, 1st class magic missile and 8th class hellfire. There is a hierarchy between them, so is that wrong?”
“We need to look at what the standard is. If the class is what measures the ‘strength’ of the magic… Then yes, that’s wrong.”
Even if I sh**t a magic missile, it’s strong when I do it, and if a weak person shoots hellfire, it’s weak.
The power of magic can vary significantly depending on the sorcerer’s level. Even the same spell can have vastly different strengths, so it would be unreasonable to call such a variable condition a standard.
“If a class is to make sense, the criteria should be ‘magnitude of the spell’ or ‘difficulty of implementation’. It’s clear that the formula for magic missile is easier than that of hellfire.”
“Ki-hyuk, the lady’s worried about you; do you know what you just said? You’re directly denying the class system that represents the modern magical world. That’s a massive statement. Look at the chat. There’s a revolution going on right now.”
“I always say this: ‘Nothing is certain in this world.’ There’s a reason for flowing water, and there’s logic behind the blowing wind. The earth we stand on is constantly moving too. If you think a system created by humans can be perfect, that’s arrogance. We humans are never perfect.”
“Wow… Ki-hyuk has grown up. A real man. No brakes. Impressive…”
Q. Have you ever thought of a female colleague on your team as a woman? For example, Jin Yu-ri?
“Jin Yu-ri, just go to sleep.”
Q. A few days ago, a man died from ‘Drug Shock’. There have been over sixty deaths reported this year. What does Mr. Park think about this?
“What is Drug Shock?”
“Drug Shock. One of the ‘upgrading techniques’ developed in the American ‘Messiah Palace’.”
A human who returns from d*ath overcomes all limits.
Through a ‘near-d*ath experience,’ they can artificially induce a state of near-d*ath and awaken from it, overcoming limits and elevating their status. This is called Drug Shock.
…What is this unusual nonsense?
“I don’t understand what you mean. Who on earth said this nonsense?”
“Uh, what? Nonsense? Woof woof?”
“Yes, it’s like a barking dog.”
Seriously, it had been a long time since I heard something so ignorant throughout my magical life.
“Sometimes, when someone dies and comes back to life, they might experience an elevation in their skills. They preserved themselves in the face of d*ath. By overcoming that, the level of their soul is raised.”
“Hmm? So, it means it works, right? Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Not at all. Listen carefully. What I just mentioned is a genuine crisis. An artificially created crisis? You’re already wrong. How can a crisis be artificially manipulated? They even acknowledge it themselves. ‘Near-d*ath experience’. Doesn’t it sound odd to have ‘d*ath’ and ‘experience’ together?”
“Oh! The important part is that it should be natural, right?”
“Yes, near-d*ath experience. I don’t know how that occurs, but claiming that elevating your skills comes from overcoming an artificially manipulated d*ath? I think that’s impossible.”
“Wow, but Drug Shock is like a symbol representing America’s ‘palace’. Many people cross over to the U.S. every year to get that. I know several who reported success.”
“Well, I’m hesitant to talk about the level of that success. However…”
“However?”
“I hope you don’t cling to surface-level results. Growth achieved artificially, without sufficient struggle and effort, leads to side effects. In any form.”
After that, more questions continued.
How tall are you? What’s your weight? Did you have plastic surgery? How do you use magic when you have Mana Deficiency Syndrome? It’s rude to talk about magic while using a sword; can you show us your swordsmanship just once?
At first, it seemed like a waste of time, but as it went on, it turned out to be quite fun.
Is this what they call being attention-seeking? I might have some of that trait in me.
Even so, one should always practice moderation.
It was nearing time to wrap up, and I received the last question.
Q. I heard that there are experiments regarding ‘Collapse Phenomenon’ in Korea. I heard you participated in this; could you elaborate on it if it’s alright?
“I think this might be about the operation I undertook.”
“What? What operation?”
“It’s called the Kingmaker Operation…”
“Wow, Kingmaker. Creating a king? Just hearing the name of the operation fills my heart with grandeur. Can you explain Kingmaker?”
“Hm…”
“Why? Is it difficult? It shouldn’t be.”
“No, it’s not that it’s difficult. But the time is tight, and I think the story will get long.”
“If that’s the case, it’s fine. We’re ready to hear it! Right? Everyone, press 1 for agreement! Look, they want to hear it.”
“Well then…”
It’s nothing special, but if they’re so eager to hear.
I recounted the story without holding back.
*
Kim Yeon-hee, who had been watching from beside the camera, covered her mouth and smiled.
‘Of course.’
Park Ki-hyuk might not realize it, but this scene, where he explains the Kingmaker operation, was entirely directed by Kim Yeon-hee.
Her son is remarkably indifferent to the achievements he has earned on his own. More precisely, he sees them as unimportant.
So he talks about the ‘Kingmaker operation’ that would astonish the world as casually as buying ice cream at a convenience store.
‘In just a few days, he’ll probably forget the operation name.’
It had been the same when she gifted him an ‘artificial spirit stone’ for her birthday.
Anyone could do it with a bit of thought, it was just a matter of perspective, and it wasn’t even worth boasting about; he was modest.
Look at it now. The world changed because of the artificial spirit stone.
Just a month ago, Phobos featured the artificial spirit stone as ‘an invention that changed the course of humanity’. The artificial spirit stone has indeed delivered a massive shock to the world.
All of this was the result of Park Ki-hyuk’s efforts, and Kim Yeon-hee felt immensely grateful and proud of her son, who had grown so well.
Especially since she hadn’t been able to help him properly when he was struggling.
But now, this admirable son’s achievement is being devoured by the association’s old-timers, the hyenas of the union?
Does Kim Yeon-hee feel heated or not?
‘We shouldn’t touch the children.’
As I mentioned before, if I had stayed quiet, I would have considered yielding.
Kim Yeon-hee was a good adult who understood that just as her own child is precious, so are others’ children.
Her son, who overcame the curse of Mana Deficiency Syndrome, is now thriving, while this year’s fourth-year students aren’t receiving attention due to him, and Kim Yeon-hee felt a twinge of guilt because of it.
This was why she refrained from excessively meddling in the investigation team’s affairs.
Instead, she was actively promoting to highlight the kids’ achievements.
But that was always meant to mean ‘yielding.’ It was definitely not a statement implying it was okay to take away.
‘Now, everyone knows.’
Whether it’s the association or the union, all those waiting to monopolize credit have become akin to a dog chasing a chicken.
Their tactics are predictable.
They probably set up journalists right when the investigation team returned.
Amidst a dazzling stage, the sounds of camera shutters rain down. It would seem as if a Hollywood-style gala is being prepared, and the naive investigation team would be bewildered.
Under the pretext of representing the flustered investigation team, they’d step onto the stage and praise their own amazing decision-making while elevating themselves for providing national-level support for the investigation team’s ‘clumsy’ operation.
Meanwhile, they’d savor the delicious parts among themselves, leaving the investigation team with nothing but the word ‘success.’
This way, the children once again become scapegoats of adult politics.
Kim Yeon-hee is thoroughly fed up with this adult politics as a grown-up. You shouldn’t mess with the kids.
That’s why a new game board was entirely set up.
To ensure that the children could receive attention. So that my son could receive acknowledgment too.
‘Now the journalists will make their entrance.’
As she powered on her pad, just as she had predicted, articles began pouring in real-time.
All of it was Kim Yeon-hee’s handiwork.
Notably, from across the ocean in America.
New York’s Wall Street, the center of the world economy and Kim Yeon-hee’s field, is keenly focused on Korea, pouring out the term ‘Kingmaker’ in competition.
I can guarantee you that right now, journalists around the world are rushing to book flights to Korea after reading this article.
In this situation, they want to claim the children’s achievements?
They’re bound to face backlash.
With so much attention focused, trying to take it away is a foolish move, more foolish than a moth flying towards a storm.
Those who regard power as their life would certainly be aware of such risks, so everything has returned to its rightful place.
“You have to receive a reward commensurate with the effort.”
A truly neat conclusion.
The proposition that seemed so self-evident has been upheld. Kim Yeon-hee was finally able to smile with satisfaction.
Now, there’s no need for her to remain.
Kim Yeon-hee turned away, feeling relieved as she looked at her son.
……
…
But Kim Yeon-hee didn’t know.
“Oh no…”
After she turned away, the sleeping angel awakened.
And this angel was destined to astonish the world.
