Ch.203Chapter 8. A Toast to Your Patriotism (4)

The abilities in this world are like trends on Instagram.

What I mean is, they’re similar to those photogenic foods that cafes often sell.

-Why are Riders suddenly trending these days?

-You don’t know? Please DM me for inquiries🙏

-I asked on a knowledge forum, why are you telling me to DM you?ㅡㅡ

Just like when Dalgona coffee was popular and spread through internet video sites with many people trying it, abilities also follow trends.

-This is the era of Riders!

-Nonsense. It’s all a conspiracy by Haeguneul to sell Rider suits. Look at the new products from April. Haeguneul sells those so-called Rider suits to ability users for millions of won per suit.

-Are you suggesting that Goblin has some kind of collusion with Haeguneul?

-Not exactly, but Haeguneul is using Riders as a marketing tactic. Seriously, people. Supply exists because there’s demand. I don’t understand why everyone’s so eager to buy something that looks like a villain who kills people.

-Because… it looks cool…!

Just as many people have adopted the Rider appearance since I first showed up as Doji Rider, this world naturally wants to imitate anything that “looks cool.”

-What? People are becoming more interested in Riders?

-Yes. This is an opportunity. Since there’s already an original, if we mix things up a bit…

-Good. I’ll take responsibility. Proceed.

And “Haeguneul” is the most sensitive to these trends.

-Trends mean money!

Whenever Haeguneul senses an opportunity to drain money from ability users, they immediately commercialize the trend.

-Rider suits for sale! Differentiated Rider suits from E-grade to A-grade!

-Choose your own Rider color! The “Blue Flame” edition combining Iolite Blue and Goblin Black! Create your own suit in your color!

-At Haeguneul Bikes, for an additional 2 million won, we’ll repaint your bike in Rider style. This color is our signature design, using premium synthetic leather and pigments…

Haeguneul doesn’t just dip their toes in the water; they dive in completely.

-Rider jelly for sale!

-That’s a bit much.

Just like they say you can tell if a trend is ending by checking if it’s appeared in convenience stores, when Haeguneul starts making and producing products, it means the trend is nearing its end.

-I’m getting tired of seeing Riders. Isn’t there something else?

In other words, the Rider trend is ending.

After most Riders appear at this Grand Sports Festival, Rider suits will probably be stored away or just become regular clothing.

Why?

-Damn! They said invincible Rider, but they lost!!

-I thought I could win just by wearing a Rider suit…!

-You lost because you wore a Rider suit. Not you, but that person. They have a full-option Rider suit, while yours is just a basic one.

-Argh!!

Because they lost despite wearing Rider suits.

Wearing a Rider suit might make you feel invincible, but when everyone wears one, whether bought from Haeguneul or self-made, it becomes a generic mass-produced item.

-Riders are boring. I’m tired of them.

No matter how unique a piece of clothing is, when everyone wears it, it becomes common.

The trend is over.

And when one trend ends, what begins?

A new trend starts.

-Is there any new technique? Not something that E-grade or F-grade users all use, but something I can call my own…

-MANA ENERGY MAXㅡㅡㅡ!!

-That’s it!!

But I never thought that trend would be the “Divine Summoning” shown by the Dark Charisma from the Sephirot Knights.

[Hmm.]

Far from the large stadium where the Grand Sports Festival was being held, I checked the video of the venue through a used tablet from a blind spot where others couldn’t see me.

[I didn’t expect someone would use something like that already.]

[Well, Susanoo already revealed the principle.]

Taowu, who had merged with me, answered from within.

[Unlike the complicated process of converting magical power into a suit, it’s basically just turning magical power into a huge mass of ether.]

As Taowu said, this technique is something anyone can use if they just shape their magical power properly.

In terms of difficulty, it’s about C-grade to B-grade level.

It’s simply “releasing magical power outward and fixing its form,” “making it enormously large,” and “naturally, it requires tremendous magical power to create something this size.”

Technically, even “summoning a giant stick figure” would be possible.

The drawback is that it uses massive mana to maintain, and the form collapses if the user doesn’t specifically define it.

It’s a skill anyone can use.

[The form one creates differs from person to person, but I never expected someone would create such a general.]

Behind Ray Huang, a giant general showing only its upper body roared toward the sky.

Though different in size, it resembled the giant divine soldier of Sephirot that I had used to smash Susanoo’s head with my fist.

It was smaller, and only emerged from the ground up to the solar plexus.

[Don’t tell me this is going to become the new trend.]

[Probably? Like he said, it feels like a “finishing move.” Though he calls it an ultimate technique.]

Finishing move.

Ultimate technique.

Something ability users can’t resist.

[But there’s one thing I’m really curious about.]

Imitating the Dark Charisma? That’s fine.

Summoning a being with three fathers as a war god? That’s fine too.

What I’m really curious about is:

[Isn’t he a gunner?]

Someone who doesn’t use spears or halberds, but still holds a pistol while summoning Lu Fengxian as a divine spirit?

Doesn’t that seem inconsistent? I thought.

-You’re the Marksman, so why are you summoning Lu Fengxian?

Yoon Yi-seon pointed that out.

[…Hmm.]

[Isn’t this dangerous?]

[I think I should go.]

Sometimes.

It’s better to quietly bury questions in your heart.

* * *

“What… did you say…?”

“You’re a gun user, right? Wasn’t Lu Fengxian a warrior who used that, what was it, a Fangtianhuge halberd?”

“…….”

Ray Huang’s words stopped completely.

He stood with his mouth agape, looking stunned like a child who just learned Santa doesn’t exist.

“No, I, what I mean is…”

This made Yoon Yi-seon flustered instead.

“…If it were me, I’d summon someone from Hong Kong action movies who uses guns. Why Lu Fengxian?”

“Ugh, uugh…!”

“And if we’re talking Three Kingdoms, wouldn’t someone other than Lu Bu be-“

“UOOOOOH!!”

Ray Huang let out a roar.

The magical bullet he had shot into his own head didn’t wound him, but his state clearly changed after shooting himself.

“Lu Fengxian is powerful! Invincible! Humanity’s strongest warrior!!”

As if determined to focus only on that thought.

The gun shot to his head seemed to have shaken his brain, making him focus all his thoughts on summoning Lu Fengxian while abandoning all other rational thought.

“Powerful! Invincible! Supreme! This is the life of the war god Lu Fengxian! I’ll show you! Lu Fengxian’s martial prowess!!”

Like a mechanical soldier who had directed all thought circuits toward “combat,” Ray Huang aimed his gun forward with crazed eyes.

“DIEㅡㅡㅡ!”

“!!”

It was absurd enough that he openly shouted “die” during a match, but equally absurd was the ethereal giant Lu Fengxian spreading his arms as if about to do something.

Click, click.

“…A robot?”

Ratatatatata!!

As Lu Fengxian’s chest armor opened wide to both sides, countless holes appeared inside, and magical bullets began firing forward.

“What kind of Lu Fengxian is this?!”

“Silence! Kneel before the absolutely invincible war god!!”

Ratatata.

As purple magical bullets filled the sky, Yoon Yi-seon turned her gaze toward the judges’ stand in dismay.

The judges were also panicking, and the bullets were now high in the sky, about to rain down.

“Receive Lu Fengxian’s gunfire! The thousand halberds covering the sky, this is Mancheonhwau (Painting Rain Across the Sky)! Hahaha!!”

Pabapat!

The form of the magical bullets suddenly changed in the sky, and they began pouring down like rain in the shape of Fangtianhuge halberds.

“Judge!”

Yoon Yi-seon quickly looked for a judge, but President Kim Seok-dae, who had already entered the judges’ stand, grabbed the microphone and declared:

-No issue with ability use. Continue the match, student Yi-seon. This too is a trial. Kekeke.

“Oh, really…!!”

Yoon Yi-seon bit her lower lip and stared at the sky.

Among the countless halberds raining down, she discovered a single “path” through the bombardment.

That path guided her like the wind itself.

“……!!”

Yoon Yi-seon dashed forward along that path.

Simultaneously.

Whoosh.

The three fox tails burning behind her back each split into three, spreading into nine tails.