These three are just ridiculous. I am watching the video feed of the three-way duel of Nayun, Suho, and Hajin while walking through my [AI System]. I wish to not rely on my [AI System] interface when it comes to entertainment, so I convince myself that this is not entertainment.
“Wow~! I reckon these three can even pose a danger to a High Rank…” I don’t even know if this munchkin trio is even at intermediate rank. Maybe they're at a high rank already! That aside, it is not a surprise and not a surprise that Chae Joochul is here. His way of descending from above, and arriving at the arena is nothing short of epic.
“But first… This…”
I am wearing my Savant ensemble as I tour the SS Anne Cruise ship incognito.
“Anyone here?” I peek my head to a door, and from where I stand, I see a female Djinn lacking her left arm. “I see… So you are here…” I’ve been doing this clean-up every chance I get.
I use , an ability of my boots to close the distance between me and the Djinn. The Djinn isn’t strong, but this one has a special ability— like me, she is a stealthy type— Sadly, I am superior to her.
The Djinn runs away from my afterimage, as I intersect from her flank. “Where are you going?” I bump into her. The Djinn, a reasonably young woman, screams pathetically at my presence. Her screaming reminds me of the heroines from horror slasher movies.
I summon a dagger from [Witch King] and stab her in her chest. “Unfortunately, I am not a slasher, but a stabber, he he he…” The Djinn scatters into ash. I return to [Under Cube].
That is my 3rd Djinn since the start of the Festival of Heroes. It really makes me think about what Chae Joochul’s purpose for coming here is. The Djinns that keep on coming to Cube are either small fries, or specialized stealth Djinns who are all easily caught within Sinful’s webs.
“Yeonha, how is it?” I enter Yeonha’s containment area.
“Papa!” Evandel comes running to me like a child. Well, she is a child. Lately, she has abandoned calling me daddy and is now using Papa. I don’t know why the change, but I am happy to be her papa.
Yeonha then updates me on the changes in [Surface Cube]. “The SS Anne has the most Djinns hiding from. But since we gave the tip, almost half of them were easily apprehended. There are also other daring Djinns who went from different channels, but they are the ‘smaller’ fries, so they are easily caught. Since you have killed the three strongest executives from their side, the rest should be easy for the Hero Association.”
“I agree,” But what about Chae Joochul? Since showing himself to the public, he has confined the three to SS Anne. “How about them? Is there any way we can contact them?”
“Unfortunately, that will be difficult. SS Anne has too much security. Even their tech capability is strong. Apparently, Chae Joochul has a stake in that ship, thus he can freely come and go from it.”
The SS Anne. It is the first time I have heard this. Well… I know that Pokemon Emerald has an SS Anne, but this is different. On top of Chae Joochul appearing here, SS Anne can also become another variable. “Cube, is there a way for you to sneak into this ship’s system?”
[It depends. Five minutes top, I can hack their system, but after that, they will learn of my attempt, and might react unfavorably.]
“Unfavorably how?” I ask.
Yeonha answers on Cube’s behalf. “The SS Anne might sail off.”
Hmmm… There is no use for us worrying. I cannot see Chae Joochul being a hostile force against us, or even against Nayun. The cold old man might seem uncaring, but I believe he is among the warmest people among the superhumans roaming around.
[I have traced the Chameleon Troupe’s base.]
Now, that is a piece of welcome news.
***
Chameleon Troupe’s hiding place. In a pitch-black abandoned factory without a single stream of light, Chameleon Troupe’s boss is sitting cross-legged on the ground. A series of battles from earlier in the day is being played in his head through Droon's Gift.
Yi Yeonjun smiles eerily as he asks the woman seated on the crate opposite him. “What do you think, Yi Byul? Aren’t they great?”
“They are too strong for their age… I think…” Yi Byul gives her evaluation, doubtful of the true nature of the rising geniuses: Kim Suho, Kim Hajin, and Chae Nayun. “Boss, I think, we should halt recruiting for the Seat of Black.”
Even if they are geniuses, aren’t they too much?
The respected Boss, Yi Yeonjun laughs, thinking that Yi Byul’s words are just too funny.
Kim Suho’s swordsmanship is just like what they have heard. His sword strikes are light like a feather, but carry a heavy destructive power, and connect fluidly to the next move. Each of his movements is natural like flowing water. His swordsmanship is so well-polished and sharpened that it seems more suitable to call it a sword art than swordsmanship.
Next is Chae Nayun whose swordsmanship is the exact opposite of Kim Suho. While her swordsmanship is as equally or maybe even more destructive, her sword strikes are heavy like a mountain, carry a destructive touch as if a caress, and though it cannot connect fluidly and can only flow in one direction— it can flow endlessly. Each of her movements seems to have come from various life and death experiences which makes her mysterious.
But the most mysterious of them all is none other than… Kim Hajin.
“Kim Hajin, how about that kid? What do you think of him, Yi Byul?” Yi Yeongjun smiles with mischief.
“I… I dread him. The bullet he is able to unleash… It is dangerous. It is the bane of any demi-human. Gyeong himself admitted that he is not confident that he will go out unscathed from an attack like that… If it is Kim Hajin, he is the best candidate we have… He has no family, no affiliation, and he is alone. He is an orphan, making him the perfect candidate, but for some reason, I feel uneasy about him.”
“Uneasy? How?” Yi Yeongjun has a moderately big build, but not as much as Cheok Jungyeon. Still, he has an imposing figure that will make everyone around him to be uneasy. But when he is with Yi Byul, he is strangely gentle and affectionate. “Is it love at first sight? Do you feel some kind of magnetic romantic attraction from him? What is it? Is it falling in love? Have you fallen in love?”
Yi Byul frowns at his words, finding them too out of place. “Falling in love? No.” She bluntly answers.
In her own reasoning, how in the world will she fall in love with a kid? “Boss, I am uneasy, because his potential is too immeasurable. With Kim Suho and Chae Nayun, we can at least predict the trajectory of their growth, but this Kim Hajin… He might usurp your position if we recruit him!”
From a three-digit rank, Kim Hajin has risen to fight on equal grounds against someone like Kim Suho and Chae Nayun. It speaks of how explosive Kim Hajin’s growth is. In Chameleon Troupe, they follow the rule of the strongest, and while Yi Yeongjun sits on the throne of being the Boss, it might come to a time when his authority will be challenged.
“Ha ha ha!” Yi Yeongjun laughs boisterously. “You still call me Boss. You should at least call me Dad when we are alone, my little Byul.”
Yi Yeongjun has been Yi Byul’s foster father since she lost her parents. Thus, it is not wrong for her to call him dad, but that is only true when they are not at work. “It is not even funny. Back then when I was little, you don’t like me calling you that, but now… You suddenly changed… What use is there in being kind? Jain is complaining about the charity foundation you set up. Gyeong also won’t like it if we recruit Kim Hajin. The guy hates sharpshooters. Khalifa is going behind our backs, having secret meetings with whoever that is…”
“I am not being unnecessarily kind. This world is tainted, and so we shall purge it… This is my dream, Yi Byul… And that remains unchanged.” Yi Yeongjun stands up, comes to Yi Byul, and pats her on the head like an affectionate father. Yi Byul remains seated in the crate, gazing upwards only to see Yi Yeongjun’s manic smile.
“So…” Yi Byul is pouting, but she doesn’t swat Yi Yeongjun’s palm. “What is the plan?”
“We follow the script…” Yi Yeongjun removes his palm from Yi Byul’s head and moves away. “And this Sinful… This Savant got my interest…”
Yi Yeongjun is the kind of man who would love to see the world burn. That day will come, but not any sooner. Meanwhile, it is Yi Yeongjun’s highest priority to prepare for that day. “The Judgement day… Isn’t that just perfect?” He whispers to himself, thrilled by the thought of a purged world.
Alfir Gyeong is Yi Byul's nickname for Cheok Jungyeon. In the TNE Universe, superhumans are generally called 'Demi-humans' which is the counterpart of meta-humans in DC Universe.
These three are just ridiculous. I am watching the video feed of the three-way duel of Nayun, Suho, and Hajin while walking through my [AI System]. I wish to not rely on my [AI System] interface when it comes to entertainment, so I convince myself that this is not entertainment.
“Wow~! I reckon these three can even pose a danger to a High Rank…” I don’t even know if this munchkin trio is even at intermediate rank. Maybe they're at a high rank already! That aside, it is not a surprise and not a surprise that Chae Joochul is here. His way of descending from above, and arriving at the arena is nothing short of epic.
“But first… This…”
I am wearing my Savant ensemble as I tour the SS Anne Cruise ship incognito.
“Anyone here?” I peek my head to a door, and from where I stand, I see a female Djinn lacking her left arm. “I see… So you are here…” I’ve been doing this clean-up every chance I get.
I use , an ability of my boots to close the distance between me and the Djinn. The Djinn isn’t strong, but this one has a special ability— like me, she is a stealthy type— Sadly, I am superior to her.
The Djinn runs away from my afterimage, as I intersect from her flank. “Where are you going?” I bump into her. The Djinn, a reasonably young woman, screams pathetically at my presence. Her screaming reminds me of the heroines from horror slasher movies.
I summon a dagger from [Witch King] and stab her in her chest. “Unfortunately, I am not a slasher, but a stabber, he he he…” The Djinn scatters into ash. I return to [Under Cube].
That is my 3rd Djinn since the start of the Festival of Heroes. It really makes me think about what Chae Joochul’s purpose for coming here is. The Djinns that keep on coming to Cube are either small fries, or specialized stealth Djinns who are all easily caught within Sinful’s webs.
“Yeonha, how is it?” I enter Yeonha’s containment area.
“Papa!” Evandel comes running to me like a child. Well, she is a child. Lately, she has abandoned calling me daddy and is now using Papa. I don’t know why the change, but I am happy to be her papa.
Yeonha then updates me on the changes in [Surface Cube]. “The SS Anne has the most Djinns hiding from. But since we gave the tip, almost half of them were easily apprehended. There are also other daring Djinns who went from different channels, but they are the ‘smaller’ fries, so they are easily caught. Since you have killed the three strongest executives from their side, the rest should be easy for the Hero Association.”
“I agree,” But what about Chae Joochul? Since showing himself to the public, he has confined the three to SS Anne. “How about them? Is there any way we can contact them?”
“Unfortunately, that will be difficult. SS Anne has too much security. Even their tech capability is strong. Apparently, Chae Joochul has a stake in that ship, thus he can freely come and go from it.”
The SS Anne. It is the first time I have heard this. Well… I know that Pokemon Emerald has an SS Anne, but this is different. On top of Chae Joochul appearing here, SS Anne can also become another variable. “Cube, is there a way for you to sneak into this ship’s system?”
[It depends. Five minutes top, I can hack their system, but after that, they will learn of my attempt, and might react unfavorably.]
“Unfavorably how?” I ask.
Yeonha answers on Cube’s behalf. “The SS Anne might sail off.”
Hmmm… There is no use for us worrying. I cannot see Chae Joochul being a hostile force against us, or even against Nayun. The cold old man might seem uncaring, but I believe he is among the warmest people among the superhumans roaming around.
[I have traced the Chameleon Troupe’s base.]
Now, that is a piece of welcome news.
***
Chameleon Troupe’s hiding place. In a pitch-black abandoned factory without a single stream of light, Chameleon Troupe’s boss is sitting cross-legged on the ground. A series of battles from earlier in the day is being played in his head through Droon's Gift.
Yi Yeonjun smiles eerily as he asks the woman seated on the crate opposite him. “What do you think, Yi Byul? Aren’t they great?”
“They are too strong for their age… I think…” Yi Byul gives her evaluation, doubtful of the true nature of the rising geniuses: Kim Suho, Kim Hajin, and Chae Nayun. “Boss, I think, we should halt recruiting for the Seat of Black.”
Even if they are geniuses, aren’t they too much?
The respected Boss, Yi Yeonjun laughs, thinking that Yi Byul’s words are just too funny.
Kim Suho’s swordsmanship is just like what they have heard. His sword strikes are light like a feather, but carry a heavy destructive power, and connect fluidly to the next move. Each of his movements is natural like flowing water. His swordsmanship is so well-polished and sharpened that it seems more suitable to call it a sword art than swordsmanship.
Next is Chae Nayun whose swordsmanship is the exact opposite of Kim Suho. While her swordsmanship is as equally or maybe even more destructive, her sword strikes are heavy like a mountain, carry a destructive touch as if a caress, and though it cannot connect fluidly and can only flow in one direction— it can flow endlessly. Each of her movements seems to have come from various life and death experiences which makes her mysterious.
But the most mysterious of them all is none other than… Kim Hajin.
“Kim Hajin, how about that kid? What do you think of him, Yi Byul?” Yi Yeongjun smiles with mischief.
“I… I dread him. The bullet he is able to unleash… It is dangerous. It is the bane of any demi-human. Gyeong himself admitted that he is not confident that he will go out unscathed from an attack like that… If it is Kim Hajin, he is the best candidate we have… He has no family, no affiliation, and he is alone. He is an orphan, making him the perfect candidate, but for some reason, I feel uneasy about him.”
“Uneasy? How?” Yi Yeongjun has a moderately big build, but not as much as Cheok Jungyeon. Still, he has an imposing figure that will make everyone around him to be uneasy. But when he is with Yi Byul, he is strangely gentle and affectionate. “Is it love at first sight? Do you feel some kind of magnetic romantic attraction from him? What is it? Is it falling in love? Have you fallen in love?”
Yi Byul frowns at his words, finding them too out of place. “Falling in love? No.” She bluntly answers.
In her own reasoning, how in the world will she fall in love with a kid? “Boss, I am uneasy, because his potential is too immeasurable. With Kim Suho and Chae Nayun, we can at least predict the trajectory of their growth, but this Kim Hajin… He might usurp your position if we recruit him!”
From a three-digit rank, Kim Hajin has risen to fight on equal grounds against someone like Kim Suho and Chae Nayun. It speaks of how explosive Kim Hajin’s growth is. In Chameleon Troupe, they follow the rule of the strongest, and while Yi Yeongjun sits on the throne of being the Boss, it might come to a time when his authority will be challenged.
“Ha ha ha!” Yi Yeongjun laughs boisterously. “You still call me Boss. You should at least call me Dad when we are alone, my little Byul.”
Yi Yeongjun has been Yi Byul’s foster father since she lost her parents. Thus, it is not wrong for her to call him dad, but that is only true when they are not at work. “It is not even funny. Back then when I was little, you don’t like me calling you that, but now… You suddenly changed… What use is there in being kind? Jain is complaining about the charity foundation you set up. Gyeong also won’t like it if we recruit Kim Hajin. The guy hates sharpshooters. Khalifa is going behind our backs, having secret meetings with whoever that is…”
“I am not being unnecessarily kind. This world is tainted, and so we shall purge it… This is my dream, Yi Byul… And that remains unchanged.” Yi Yeongjun stands up, comes to Yi Byul, and pats her on the head like an affectionate father. Yi Byul remains seated in the crate, gazing upwards only to see Yi Yeongjun’s manic smile.
“So…” Yi Byul is pouting, but she doesn’t swat Yi Yeongjun’s palm. “What is the plan?”
“We follow the script…” Yi Yeongjun removes his palm from Yi Byul’s head and moves away. “And this Sinful… This Savant got my interest…”
Yi Yeongjun is the kind of man who would love to see the world burn. That day will come, but not any sooner. Meanwhile, it is Yi Yeongjun’s highest priority to prepare for that day. “The Judgement day… Isn’t that just perfect?” He whispers to himself, thrilled by the thought of a purged world.
Alfir Gyeong is Yi Byul's nickname for Cheok Jungyeon. In the TNE Universe, superhumans are generally called 'Demi-humans' which is the counterpart of meta-humans in DC Universe.
