Chapter 674

〈 Chapter 674: Part 2, Chapter 4, Episode 01 〉

It’s been about three days since the conclusion of the Seoul Recovery Operation.

In any other country, three days might be considered a short time, but in this one—where spectacular events can happen within a single day—three days was enough to flip the world upside down.

March 2nd.


When massive monsters swept southward from the north, it felt like Korea was on the brink of chaos. But with defensive lines set up in just a day, people sighed in relief.

March 3rd.


With reconnaissance confirming that 20,000 monsters were trapped in Seoul, numerous economists began discussing the economic value of these beasts.

March 4th.


The crisis in Seoul was all but forgotten as debates raged over whether Light Blade or Seok Harang was stronger. Ranking heroes was important to every hero fan, but the once-mentor-and-rival relationship between the two had grown delicate.

Beyond all that, they represented Korea’s pride, and one of them was always invited annually to give a speech at an event.

The welcoming speech for new students at New Seoul Hero Academy.

As a new semester began, spring breezes started blowing across Korea.

***

<March 5th, 10 AM. New Seoul Oracle Studio Office>

“It’s spring.”

“Yeah, it sure is.”

Yuna sat across from me in the office, looking somewhat wistful. I knew why, so I felt a little guilty but also slightly irritated.

“Yuna, what were you doing around this time last year?”

“Ugh…”

Yuna clearly avoided the topic I brought up. Though I wasn’t trying to torment her, I did have something specific I wanted to discuss.

“I was researching monsters in a lab in America last year. How about you?”

“A lab?”

“Yeah, a place where we studied all sorts of things.”

I pointed to my coat pocket. The magic gun I occasionally used during hunts rested there, though it didn’t see much action.

“Yuna, do you need anything? If you want, I can order it from America and send it right away.”

“Well… maybe some eel essence or something?”

“Are you mocking me?”

“No! It’s just… if you keep getting stronger, how far will you go? Like Snow White Princess or something.”

Yuna subtly changed the subject. She was excellent at diverting conversations when she didn’t want to address the real topic.

“So, Seok Harang has definitely gotten stronger. Still, he’ll need to hide his power for now. Otherwise, Sun Icheol would likely cause more trouble.”

“If SS-ranked heroes increase, won’t there be another push toward Seoul? Maybe even beyond, like toward the Yalu River?”

“Exactly. When the Oslo dimensional gate incident happened in Norway, an SS-ranked hero from London raced across the North Sea and suppressed it. There’d be chaos.”

“You’re talking about Sir Gawein of the Holy Sword, aren’t you? I almost… Hmph.”

Yuna clapped her hands excitedly before cutting herself off. This was the perfect moment to press further.

“What? Why did you stop?”

“Well, it’s just… I’m a big fan of Sir Gawein. Light attribute. Heehee.”

“So, when you dropped out of university after ranking second in the national exam to join the Hero Academy, wasn’t it because of Sir Gawein?”

“Wha?! How do you know about that?!”

“I know everything worth knowing.”

She wanted to make Light Blade her mentor during her interview but ended up being criticized for choosing Gawein as the strongest hero instead. She simply ranked Light Blade as the strongest based on her gut feeling, yet she received the lowest score.

“Since we’re talking about strength, who’s stronger: Gawein or Light Blade?”

“…Hmm, tough question. Are we talking about their current state, their prime, or a hypothetical 1v1 fight?”

“If this gets out on the community forums, it’ll blow up for a month. Why does it scare me when you sound so knowledgeable?”

“Because I know. Currently, Gawein wins outright. In their prime, it’s a draw. In a 1v1, Light Blade wins decisively. End of story.”

I summarized their matchup briefly, based on advice from someone playing alongside me.

[Rule of thumb: Anything over 8 lines should be condensed into 3.]

Even though I could’ve elaborated on why Gawein is currently stronger, why their primes differ, and why the 1v1 outcome varies, a small phoenix beside me simplified it into three concise sentences.

“Oh, speaking of which, if we compare Light Blade and Snow White Princess, who wins?”

“Aren’t you the one who said you weren’t interested in those kinds of comparisons because of the academy graduation speech drama?”

“Ugh…”

The reason Yuna avoided academy-related topics? She officially submitted her resignation and joined our team as staff, moving into Room 101 at Gaon Nori.

“There’s going to be a congratulatory speech at the freshman orientation. Are you curious if it’s Light Blade or Snow White Princess giving it?”

“Yes. Honestly, isn’t everyone in this country dying to know who’s stronger?”

“Currently, Light Blade wins easily. But in six months, Seok Harang will dominate.”

“Huh?”

I relayed the simple conclusion given by my advisor.

“Right now, Seok Harang lacks experience, but once he gains it, he’ll definitely surpass Light Blade.”

“It sounds like our relationship…”

“Yeah, kinda like sex… Not wrong, so let’s move on.”

Yuna declared she’d defeat me in bed within half a year. I pet her head approvingly before steering the conversation back to the graduation speech.

“So, Light Blade will show up. Unless something unusual happens, Seok Harang needs to keep his SS rank hidden.”

“That’s too bad. I wanted to meet Seok Harang and talk sometime.”

“Talk? About what?”

“Just… important stuff.”

Why did that sound so ominous? I sipped a strawberry latte to calm my unease. Time to take control of the conversation.

“Yuna, let’s cut to the chase.”

“…”

Now she’s invoking her right to remain silent. Fine, I’ll be direct.

“The friend who came yesterday.”

“Ugh…”

“Her name… wasn’t it Cheryl?”

“It’s Su Ri now! She’s Korean, planning to join a guild, and she’s a second-year at the academy, so stop being interested!”

“Too late. Interest already piqued.”

How could I not be interested? Rescuing a tragic heroine and transforming her into a radiant magical girl defending justice is my duty.

“I wanted to use my magic stick to bring out her brilliance.”

“Bro, don’t tell me you’re hitting on Su Ri too?”

“Why not? Aren’t you two friends, and wouldn’t it be awkward if you both sucked me off together?”

“That’s not the point! And honestly, if you’re saying that, would you stop flirting?”

“That’s impossible. A commander who doesn’t flirt with heroines has no qualifications.”

Besides, Su Ri, the heroine numbered 004, personally appeals to me.

‘Fire Attribute A Rank isn’t just some random dog’s name.’

Maximum growth potential for fire attributes is level 88. With a little extra magic power, reaching S Rank is a breeze. As a noble fire attribute, she’s someone everyone wants to invite.

And as a rare foreign heroine in Korea, her model-like figure, golden hair, tanned skin, and voluptuous body are irresistible.

“Yuna, honestly, I’d love to welcome her as a teammate—and maybe share some sexy times? Let’s spread those legs.”

“Do you really think I’d help with that?”

“In exchange, if you spread your legs, I’ll let you use me however you want for a day.”

“…What?”

I gestured to myself. Yuna looked conflicted.

“Uh… No, I can’t…”

“Think positively, Yuna. If you introduce Su Ri to me, then you get to…”

I grabbed her shoulder and gave a thumbs-up.

“Have both me and her as friends!”

“Are you serious?!”

Got scolded.

***

<Meanwhile, New Seoul Hero Academy Dean’s Office>

“This is troubling. You’re refusing to give the congratulatory speech?”

“I’ve done enough. It’s time to step back.”

Light Blade casually sipped tea while Dean Won Dae Hak fidgeted anxiously.

“Please, sir. Can’t you reconsider? The students would love to hear from you.”

A huge fan of Light Blade himself, the dean desperately hoped he’d grace the ceremony, but Light Blade showed no interest. While everyone craved his wisdom, one cannot force someone who refuses.

“Won’t you at least give a reason? Is this because of Snow White Princess?”

“…”

“Sir, I understand your respect for Snow White Princess, but you must consider the feelings of the audience.”

“Feelings?”

“Yes. Compared to a legendary figure who rose from D Rank through countless trials to S Rank, Snow White Princess might seem underwhelming. Worse, her presence could demotivate students who feel overshadowed by innate geniuses.”

Light Blade shook his head.

“No, that’s not true. They’d admire her, not resent her.”

“Sir! Don’t you understand young minds? At this age, they’re incredibly sensitive. Especially since these are people taking their first steps as heroes.”

“Times are changing. The new generation looks up to Snow White Princess. So what if there’s a gap? Let them recognize their limits and set goals to overcome them. Ask Snow White Princess to give the speech.”

The dean and Light Blade talked past each other. The dean sighed deeply as Light Blade recommended Snow White Princess.

“Fine. If that’s your wish…”

“Discuss it well with Snow White Princess.”

After resolving the uncomfortable issue, they exchanged pleasantries until the topic shifted to second-year students at the academy.

“Doesn’t this year’s curriculum include guild internships?”

“Yes. We’ve changed the month-long intensive training in June to twice-weekly sessions. The reason being…”

“To give them real combat experience in Seoul.”

“Exactly. Opportunities to gain stable battle experience with the help of heroes and hunters are rare.”

Dean Won Dae Hak sent holographic data to Light Blade, showcasing profiles of second-year students. Light Blade noticed something amiss.

“There’s one less student than last time?”

“Ah… Well…”

“Did something happen?”

“One student dropped out. It’s the first time for the academy, so we were surprised, but perhaps it was the right choice for the student. Sometimes, you can’t hold onto things that aren’t working.”

“Yuinah…”

An academy dropout. Clearly, there must be a significant reason behind leaving.

While reviewing various profiles, Light Blade stopped at one.

“Who’s this?”

“Oh! That’s one of our promising students. An immigrant from abroad who’s contributing greatly.”

“…Suri?”

“It’s Su Ri. Her Korean name is Jung Su Ri.”

“Jung Su Ryeong?”

“…Jung Su Ri. Good timing. Su Ri, say hello.”

A fiery-haired woman placed her teacup down and bowed deeply. Light Blade sensed a powerful aura emanating from her. Inside her burned an unquenchable flame.

“My name is Jung Su Ri. My specialty is fire magic, and my role is rear mage.”

***

“What’s missing from us, Yuna?”

“Well, I know what we lack, but I’m not sure what you’re missing.”

“We need a backline DPS. You’re like a totem, and the other two need to focus on dealing damage, creating complications.”

“What about Gaon?”

“Gaon doesn’t fit. Siren is our secret weapon, and Gaon isn’t quite enough to fill our gaps.”

What exactly do we need? The answer is simple.

“We need racial harmony.”

Our all-Eastern bed needs at least one Western addition.

“I can’t resist a blonde-tanned-big-breasted fire-magic user.”

In my hand fluttered a paper reading <Urgent: Recruitment Application for Hero Academy Student Guild Internship>.