Ch.570Chapter 22. The Price of Labor (2)

No matter how well a copy is made, it cannot remove the color of the original.

“Haha, I’ve copied the hero of justice! Go, my clone! While the train is held hostage, attack the hero… Wait, why are you saving the hostages?!”

“I am the hero of justice [Dark]! The sense of justice within me is crying out to save the citizens!!”

“Argh, did I make the copy too perfect?!”

A clone is ultimately a copy of the original.

Even if you cover it with a different color or change its color, you cannot change the roots of what the original possesses.

In fact, if you could do that, would it even be called a clone anymore?

In that sense, the relationship between Taejo and Black Taejo might appear to make Black Taejo seem more mature to anyone watching, but whether it’s Black or Armored, the essence of ‘Taejo’ remains unchanged.

[Even with emotional control, such constructs collapse in front of the original—that’s the charm of a clone.]

“Charm, you say?”

[Of course. Look. Thanks to that, now there’s a proper ‘opportunity to retreat’.]

Whether the family insult was factual or not, whether it caused damage or not.

“How dare you insult my family?! Unforgivable!!”

Armored Taejo releases a massive burst of magical power.

“I’m angry now—!!”

Flames erupt.

Not just red flames, but golden flames explode and rise from Armored Taejo.

[Super Armored Taejo has appeared.]

Though it’s neither electricity nor qi, the flame-like heat haze rising from his body would make anyone think so.

Taejo’s awakening.

Though different in nature from his metal manipulation ability, it’s possible to somehow make it fit.

If manipulating metal requires melting it, then intense heat would be necessary.

Or that heat—the anger from being insulted—is being released in the form of flame-like magical power. That explanation works well enough.

“Urgh…!”

What matters is the momentum and atmosphere.

“I only spoke the truth!”

Black Taejo points his staff forward in panic.

The black iron Jindo dogs all rush forward and leap at Super Armored Taejo, but Super Armored Taejo simply stands still and extends his hand.

“Melt.”

Sizzle!!

The black iron Jindo dogs melt instantly upon contact with Super Armored Taejo’s flaming hand, splattering across the ground.

“You bastard!”

Black Taejo points his staff with a reddened face, releasing magical power like an explosion.

“Come forth, Golden-Jindo!”

Metal quickly takes form behind Black Taejo.

It’s about 50% smaller than what confronted Cheok Jun-gyeong on the bridge earlier, but the mana flowing through its golden patterns glows more intensely than before.

“Kill that brat—!”

With a sincere cry, the Golden-Jindo charges forward.

It leaps off the ground, rushing with its jaws wide open as if to devour Taejo whole.

“Taejo—”

Armored Taejo simply clenches his right fist, forming steel knuckles over it.

Whoosh.

The heat haze above it gradually begins to burn red, like anger rising to its peak.

Kyaaaak!!

“Punch—!!”

The moment the Golden-Jindo swallows Taejo.

As soon as Taejo’s fist makes contact with the Golden-Jindo, it disintegrates into powder.

It melts away from the point of contact, its massive form scattering to the ground like blood on either side of Taejo.

“…Kuhuk.”

Black Taejo coughs.

He begins to bleed red from his mouth, as if severely injured somewhere.

“You….”

“My little sister told me.”

Taejo extends his fist forward, his face completely unharmed.

“She said to always throw a punch at anyone who insults family.”

“……”

“I don’t care that you’re my clone. You stole my ability? Honestly, it’s annoying, but I can tolerate that much. But!”

Taejo stomps his foot hard, releasing magical power.

“Using my parents as an insult is something I cannot forgive—!”

Whoosh.

The scattered metal particles slowly begin to rise.

Swirling from below like a vortex, they form pillars and start attaching to the steel bird that Taejo had been controlling.

Tap, tap, tap.

The bird grows larger as it becomes covered with metal particles.

Those particles are from the scattered Jindo dogs that Black Taejo had controlled.

“You…!!”

“Don’t think I can’t control what you can control—!”

With Taejo’s shout, the steel bird flaps its wings widely.

“Soar, Black Wings!!”

A black hawk with dark armor soars vertically.

Its sharp beak gleams in the moonlight as it flies high and flips its body.

Screeeech—!!

Then it dives.

Spreading its wings wide, it falls like a hawk hunting its prey.

That prey is, of course, Black Taejo.

“Urgh…!”

Black Taejo points his golden staff at the Black Wings and begins to emit magical power.

“It’s useless! No matter how much you use my ability, I am the original!”

“Urgh…!”

“Disappear, fake! Along with your insults!!”

BOOM—!!

The moment Black Wings reaches Black Taejo, Taejo’s anger explodes in a massive blast.

Whooooosh—!!

The wind from the explosion reached even us at a distance, and was strong enough to push the Association’s helicopter hovering in the sky.

Rumble….

Silence falls over the battlefield.

As the smoke gradually subsides, a black-haired young man emerges from the dust mixed with metal particles and dirt.

“……!!”

Taejo, who had deactivated Super Armored Taejo’s flames, was startled.

If this were being broadcast on TV, the whole world would be witnessing Taejo’s ‘shock’.

“You…!”

Tap, tap.

In the midst of the smoke, Black Taejo was standing on both legs.

He appeared fine on the outside.

His golden staff wasn’t broken, and he was still glaring at Taejo.

But beneath the hand covering his face.

“A… machine?”

Crackle, crackle.

Something that looked like broken machinery was visible.

“You, what exactly—”

“Unfortunately, playtime is over, meow.”

Whoosh—!!

Cutting through the smoke, a female villain in a cat mask appeared before Black Taejo with a green wind.

“Retreat, meow, TZ-039.”

“…….”

“Didn’t you hear meow? Do I have to ‘ask’ nicely?”

“…Roger.”

Black Taejo covered his face with the fedora the woman handed him.

“You’re strong for a kid, meow. Maybe kids do grow up after all?”

“You…! What are you?!”

“I’m the mysterious cat-girl assassin, meow.”

Bang!

As soon as Hyun Fenrir struck the ground with magical power, a great green wind rose and the two disappeared.

They probably vanished from the camera’s view.

“Phew.”

But she’s right next to me.

Still holding onto Black Taejo’s back, who was covering his face with the fedora, she had created wind to deceive people’s eyes and escape the scene.

[Good job.]

“Whatever. He did all the work.”

The meowing woman disappeared in an instant.

“I didn’t expect you to act so passionately. Hey Taejo, have you ever thought about joining the Syndicate? If you join my team, I’ll take good care of you.”

“…No thanks.”

All that remained was a senior hero looking proudly at Black Taejo, who stood with his fedora lowered and a tired expression.

“You were amazing, really.”

Later, when they review the battle from beginning to end, they’ll understand.

From the moment the two Taejos faced off until now, all the metal was controlled by Taejo.

Creating the black iron Jindo dogs to attack.

Countering with steel wings and making them fight each other.

Gathering the black iron Jindo dogs to create the Golden-Jindo to attack.

Deactivating the magic power the moment it touched Armored Taejo to make it seem like it exploded from Taejo’s attack.

Gathering the metal particles around Armored Taejo to create Black Wings, sending it high into the sky, and making it dive down on himself to create an explosion.

All of it was controlled by Taejo alone using his metal manipulation ability.

Yoon Hye-ra?

She merely swung her fists in time with Taejo’s movements.

For the original’s victory.

And….

“But Taejo, that wasn’t part of the plan, was it? The skin.”

[Surprise.]

“What?”

[To deceive the enemy, deceive your allies first. The expression at the moment of an unexpected scenario has a different, more vivid quality than pretending to be surprised.]

I ordered it.

[You can remove it now.]

“Hmm….”

Black Taejo deactivated the metal fragments attached to his cheek that looked like broken machinery.

Black Taejo’s characteristic white skin was fully revealed, and Hyun Se-rin chuckled and shrugged.

“You’re really determined to fool people, aren’t you? Now you’re even dropping hints that the clone was actually a machine?”

[It’s their fault for being fooled.]

Black Taejo just created a tattoo on his cheek.

[And even if people are fooled and believe it, we can make it a fact later.]

Even if android technology doesn’t exist now, when it’s eventually perfected and revealed to the public, everyone will exclaim “Ah!”

[So the Syndicate’s technology for cloning ability users has finally been revealed to the world.]

That’s how.

[The Syndicate’s technology is the best in the world. We have technology that’s 10 years ahead of everyone else. Both in abilities and in their application.]

Our Syndicate can have an image like that of a ‘technologically advanced nation.’

[Good work, Taejo. Is there anything you want?]

“…I don’t want anything.”

Black Taejo wiped the tomato ketchup from the corner of his mouth with his thumb.

“But I’m hungry, so let’s go eat. Um, do you like hamburgers?”

[…….]

* * *

Whir, whir, whir.

The helicopter landed on the ground.

Though it landed as far as possible from where the metal dust had accumulated, black particles flew to the helicopter due to the propeller’s effect, hitting the faces of those disembarking.

“Taejo!”

Association President Jung Ki-jo covered his mouth with his hand as he ran toward Taejo.

“…….”

Taejo stared blankly ahead, merely clenching and unclenching his fist.

“A-are you okay?”

“……Sigh.”

Taejo swept back his bangs with his hand, exhaling deeply.

“That was close, seriously.”

“…….”

There was something slightly feminine about his tone, but the Association President decided to keep quiet as he observed Taejo’s blazing eyes.

“Heh, hehe….”

There was something familiar about the way he laughed while covering his face with one hand.

“W-wooooo—!”

The Association President was distracted by the cheers of men in the distance.

Black Taejo had left.

“Th-that’s….”

But the suspicious men he had pinned to the ground were still bound there.