Ch.177Chapter 7. Crisis into Opportunity (1)

4 AM.

“…This sister is really tough.”

Ymir clicked her tongue at the hero’s tenacity as she peered through the hole she had opened in space.

“So that’s what it takes to live up to the hero name—sticking to a villain that persistently. Impressive.”

She had been facing Do Ji-hwan alone for nearly half a day. Even though Do Ji-hwan was only using his pure physical abilities rather than his “full power,” the fact that Baek Seol-hee was enduring such strength through willpower alone proved she hadn’t reached S-rank for nothing.

“Well, I suppose dealing with people who get on her nerves has probably improved her patience and willpower considerably.”

She closed the hole again. It seemed they had lost track of time and might be waiting for Ymir to arrive.

“The teacher plans to call me when Sister Seol-hee surrenders, but she’s determined not to give up. I might need to rest tomorrow morning… or rather, this morning. Ugh, what a hassle.”

Ymir stretched and shook her head.

“She could just think about it simply like I do. But I guess that won’t work? Our positions are different.”

Ymir pondered the differences between herself and Baek Seol-hee.

The biggest difference between them was probably the “timing”—when they realized that the Goblin and Do Ji-hwan were the same person.

Ymir had figured it out quite early and, after considerable effort, succeeded in establishing a relationship with the Goblin.

But Baek Seol-hee was different. While her relationship with Do Ji-hwan might have developed faster than Ymir’s, the Do Ji-hwan (Goblin) aspect was another story.

She was just beginning to see the man called Do Ji-hwan from a new perspective.

As such, her feelings toward the Goblin and her feelings toward Do Ji-hwan should have been in conflict—

But that emotional conflict had been thoroughly pounded and packed down by Do Ji-hwan himself, who had taken a club to every corner of Baek Seol-hee’s heart.

“Right. No matter how tough she is, she can’t keep enduring what I couldn’t.”

Ymir was confident that Baek Seol-hee was completely done for, now that the various desires and cravings that had been creeping up inside her had been well-managed with a club.

If others were to suspect Do Ji-hwan now? Baek Seol-hee herself would be the first to shield him.

It wasn’t that Baek Seol-hee knew for certain that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin, but it was essentially 99% revealed anyway.

“I was like that too.”

Suspicious but unable to be certain. Since the other person wouldn’t directly confirm “I am the Goblin,” she would maintain that state unless something forced his identity to be revealed.

And if she were to meet the Goblin later and do something…!

“Maybe I should suggest to the teacher that he kiss her with just the lower part of the Goblin mask removed? She might realize ‘This… this is Ji-hwan’s lips!’ by the feel of them. Hehehe.”

Ymir pressed the bed sheets as she imagined the two of them together.

“Cleaning… done!”

While one person was passionately serving her country by making a mess of the room, Ymir had tidied up Baek Seol-hee’s room more neatly than a five-star hotel.

“Phew.”

Wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead, Ymir turned on the TV. Since her Taeguk Watch was currently in Do Ji-hwan’s room, she had nothing else to pass the time with besides the TV.

“…Hehehe.”

Ymir was struggling to contain the laughter bubbling up inside her.

“When Sister faints, I’m next, right?”

It was the natural order. No matter how much Baek Seol-hee endured, she couldn’t overcome Do Ji-hwan, and then Do Ji-hwan would be alone, cooling himself in the breeze, trying to calm his heated passion while staring out the window.

That’s when she would make her move. When he was all fired up.

“It’s just like a flat-rate data plan… hehehe.”

If Ymir and Baek Seol-hee were using the same plan…

Even if Baek Seol-hee used quite a bit of the flat-rate time, Ymir could enjoy the plan at the most “essential” moment.

“After putting Sister to sleep here, should I go for a drive with the teacher? Should we go to Ulleungdo? Hmm, what should I do? Should we skip class and go abroad?”

Unlike Professor Baek Seol-hee, student Ymir’s time was just beginning.

But then.

“Huh?”

Beep beep beep.

As soon as she turned on the news, Ymir witnessed a bewildering scene being broadcast live.

“What’s going on there?”

What appeared to be a school playground. A young man had piled up heaps of scrap metal appropriately on the field, and people from all directions were pointing cameras at him.

“Come out, Goblin…?”

The person responsible for the sign that literally said “COME OUT, GOBLIN!!” was none other than “Armored Taejo.”

“What’s he doing?”

Armored Taejo stood with his arms crossed in the middle of the playground, simply waiting.

“I can’t check the internet… Hmm, what should I do? Should I go interrupt them and explain the situation?”

Poke.

Ymir opened a space as if peering through a hole in rice paper.

“…This won’t work.”

The movie had reached its climax. At this crucial moment in the narrative structure, the peak of the film that was even more important than the conclusion, turning off the movie or disrupting immersion would only earn Ymir curses.

Therefore.

“I cannot forgive a youngster who interrupts the sacred time of patriotism.”

After checking the location shown on the news, Ymir reached for Baek Seol-hee’s Taeguk Watch and placed a golden orb on it.

“…This way she can check it when the alarm goes off.”

Beep.

A message arrived.

[It’s over.]

She wondered who had texted Baek Seol-hee’s Taeguk Watch, but it was none other than Do Ji-hwan.

Whoosh.

Ymir crossed through space toward the room.

“You sent that to me, right?”

“Yeah. It’s over.”

“……”

Baek Seol-hee was unconscious. For a moment Ymir worried she might be dead, but she had merely lost consciousness, not died.

And Do Ji-hwan too.

“Teacher, right now on the news, some kid is trying to provoke the Goblin.”

“…Let me see. It’s true.”

“That….”

“The Goblin isn’t free enough to spar with some kid. Leave him be.”

“But, Armored Taejo is….”

[If you don’t come, you’re bald!]

“……”

“……”

Do Ji-hwan openly frowned.

“Still a child after all… tsk.”

“Um, how should we…?”

“Ignore it.”

Do Ji-hwan dismissed it casually as he took out a tissue to wipe the sweat flowing from Baek Seol-hee’s forehead.

“Adults have their own circumstances.”

“…Then.”

Ymir slyly extended her hand forward.

“I’ll go.”

“…You?”

“Yes. As it happens, there’s something I want to test too.”

“…You’re not planning something strange, are you?”

“Whether it’s strange or not, you’ll see when you watch, won’t you? Hehe.”

This worked out perfectly.

“Transform.”

Ymir’s body began to sparkle with rainbow light.

* * *

At that time, at an abandoned school yard in Yeongdo, Busan.

“Tsk. Maybe it’s because it’s dawn. I thought if it was the Goblin, he’d sleep during the day and be active at night.”

Armored Taejo felt a chill down his spine in the chilly weather.

It wasn’t that ability users particularly felt temperature differences in their core, but there was no point in just walking in when so many people had gathered.

“He needs to come out. So I can show my newly developed special technique, my ‘Taejo’s Heavenly Song’…!”

Taejo wanted to prove himself. After suffering a major defeat in Gangneung, he wanted to prove how much his skills had improved.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the chance to prove it during the Dueoksini incident. Not many demons had appeared in his assigned area near Busan, so he had only managed to capture small fry in his steel cage without making any notable achievements.

Like Snow White and the Goblin, he needed to hunt S-class demons together to build recognition.

Unfortunately, that hadn’t happened.

So the only way to prove his strength was to demonstrate it directly.

For that, he obviously needed an S-class villain as an opponent. There was no point in asking other S-class heroes to fight him, and asking A-class heroes to help him demonstrate his techniques would just be bullying.

Therefore, to prove that he had become much stronger, he needed an S-class powerhouse.

A powerhouse recognized by everyone.

Beep beep beep.

His Taeguk Watch rang. Taejo was about to close the Taeguk Watch panel as soon as he saw the name displayed.

-Hey.

-Answer it.

-You’ll die if you don’t.

“…Ah, whatever.”

[What nonsense is this while I’m sleeping? Go home right now!]

“Did you call after getting contacted by Grandfather?”

[Go back immediately, you idiot! What S-class hero challenges a villain to a fight at 4 AM?!]

“Some people eat hamburgers at 3 AM, so what’s the big deal?!”

[That’s completely different! And what bored S-class would come out to face you—]

Crackle!

A golden circle formed on the playground. Armored Taejo unconsciously covered his Taeguk Watch with his hand, and soon gulped as he saw who walked out.

“Oh wow….”

Step, step.

A black coat like a formal suit on the inside.

A white coat like a cape on top.

And on the head, just like during the Gold Buddha incident, someone in gold with a white hood and mask emerged from the opened space.

“…Platinum Sun?”

[S-class. Rank 7. Armored Taejo.]

A clear voice flowed from behind the mask as Platinum Sun extended both hands to the sides.

Whirr.

Golden swords rose from Platinum Sun’s hands.

If the previous appearance when facing demons was the Gold Buddha with traditional elegance, the current design looked like a magical girl who had become a civilian employee in a magical world.

[Making such a racket in the quiet dawn hours. Are you in your right mind?]

“What, what…! I called for the Goblin!”

[The Goblin is busy right now.]

“What? How would you know…?”

[And he’s not free enough to respond to such low-grade provocation.]

Click.

[I’ll be your opponent. Draw your weapon. At a time when everyone else is sleeping, no.]

Platinum Sun’s voice gradually filled with anger.

[I cannot forgive the crime of interrupting patriotic time.]