Ch.604Chapter 23. Patriotic General Do Ji-hwan (8)

The ability awakening manifests differently for each person.

Correction.

It manifests differently in each creative work.

Sometimes black hair turns golden.

Sometimes the costume changes completely.

Sometimes new tattoos appear on the body.

That’s what’s happening now.

We were contemplating how to deliver this form of “enhancement” known as awakening to people.

-How can we use Managold without being accused of relying on equipment?

Everyone knows Managold is good.

But if everyone uses it, there’s no advantage.

At least during the World Cup period, we planned to gain benefits using Managold.

For America.

And for those cooperating with the Syndicate.

We wanted to give the gift of “awakening” to Goblin Mark Three, Seonbital, and eventually the original Goblin, as well as other heroes cooperating with the Syndicate.

Not just specialized weapons, but “external cores” usable by everyone.

I requested this from Tae Jo, and Tae Jo made a contract with our Syndicate.

The condition was, well, permanently erasing the data about Tae Jo’s parents.

Though Haeguneul had transformed into something new, the data they possessed remained intact, and we succeeded in removing all confidential materials that could be considered Tae Jo’s weakness from Haeguneul headquarters’ server room.

Of course, we can’t touch human memories.

We can’t immediately address those who remember the facts in their minds, or those who somehow obtained and kept newspaper clippings about the incident.

However, we were able to remove Tae Jo’s invisible shackles by securing various bombs and data about heroes that Haeguneul possessed.

Thanks to that, Tae Jo cooperated with us more actively than before.

I asked Tae Jo to create something new with additional Managold secured from North Pyeongan and Hwanghae provinces, and Tae Jo actively agreed to transform the Managold into a new type of external core.

That’s the secret of awakening.

Actually, using special abilities is just manifesting new techniques.

The enormous magical power required to realize those abilities comes from using the mana contained in specialized weapons and external cores.

The truth lies beyond, but what appears externally is quite different.

For example:

-I wasn’t planning to bring this out.

-S-suddenly my hand turned golden…! W-what is this! A black dragon tattoo inside my left arm’s bandages…!

-Burn, Black! Flame! Dragon!

-I-impossible…! There’s no way you could produce such firepower!!

Such performances are possible.

In reality, they’re just wearing Managold—or rather Managraphite since it’s black—shaped like a dragon on their left hand.

It’s just attached to the body like a sticker tattoo that can be easily applied and removed.

Unlike Goblin’s golden orb, it’s not in sphere form but tattoo form, yet with Tae Jo’s precise craftsmanship, there’s almost no mana loss.

Instead of making Managold into a core or mana stone in circular form, it’s made like a mesh and attached to the body like a tattoo.

The inspiration for this idea came from “Haeguneul.”

Specifically, the Managopper mesh that Haeguneul’s ability users, including the execution squad, wrapped around their cradles like protective gear.

Our Syndicate decided to use their idea.

It wasn’t patented, and our Syndicate’s mindset is to adopt enemy technology if it’s good.

Therefore, we decided to materialize external cores differently for each person according to their preferences.

Me?

Obviously the golden orb.

Having discarded the golden orb used elsewhere, I acquired a new one, and thanks to that, I can use AA-grade mana with two external cores containing A-grade mana amounts on both sides.

-What should I use? Can you make me golden gauntlets? People will just think they’re unusual gloves, not external cores.

One SS-grade red ability user wanting to wear golden gauntlets instead of a black flame dragon on the left hand to shoot flames.

-Make mine a magazine. If I extract mana in bullet form from the magazine, it’s theoretically an infinite magazine. No need to deliberately fire one or two shots.

One SS-grade white ability user embedding the external core not in the body but in their favorite weapon to eliminate the need for reloading.

-I’ll go with glasses. Hehe, these are god-glasses. Take off glasses to get stronger? Sorry, but if laser beams come from glasses, who would dare…. Oh, gold-rimmed glasses. Then…ugh…! Then, is underwear possible too? Um, ah, I’m not saying I want to add padding….

One SS-grade blue ability user adjusting the external core into ordinary clothing to deceive others.

-Make me a plug-type that can be inserted inside the body. I’ll send you the data. …What? Got a problem?

One SS-grade black ability user trying to hide the external core in such an extreme place that even the creator was shocked.

Strictly speaking, the last one is closer to “yellow,” but since they prefer black and it matches their concept, calling them a black ability user isn’t a big issue.

Gauntlets-equipment.

Magazine-weapon.

Glasses frames and underwire-clothing.

OO OOO-inside the body.

With external cores in such different forms, they can freely use their power as SS-grade ability users.

Naturally, heroes cooperating with our Syndicate should also be given such opportunities.

Just as Baek Seol-hee has a ring-shaped external core that’s also a specialized weapon, other heroes decided to use some external cores too.

And when using external cores, they decided to create an appearance like using an “awakening skill.”

But.

“I never thought Managold could be spread so thinly to create patterns.”

I secured the “awakening emblems” that Yoon Yi-seon and Kim Yoon-ji decided to use as external cores.

Thinner than paper, they were simply metal crafts.

After taking them from the two and placing them where they wanted to attach them, the awakening emblems placed right above the abdomen didn’t fall off.

“See this? An external core that assimilates with the wearer? That Tae Jo, he created something amazing.”

Without any adhesive, they clung to the two’s abdomens like Haeguneul’s seals parasitizing their hosts.

Then they blended with the surrounding color.

There was some dissonance, like placing an irregularly shaped drawing paper cutout on white A4 paper, but even I could barely distinguish it unless I brought my face close enough for my breath to touch the abdomen.

“Ha, hahaha….”

“…I thought it was a good idea.”

Yoon Yi-seon and Kim Yoon-ji awkwardly laughed at the external cores positioned below their navels.

“Try using mana. Let’s see what it looks like.”

“O-okay….”

Whirring.

“Holy.”

As soon as the two used mana, it began to swirl around the external cores attached to their lower abdomens.

Not the mana inherently contained in the external cores, but mana tinged with their colors began to sparkle and emit light from inside the external cores.

“Anyone can see that design. I can accept Kim Yoon-ji’s bluish sparkle since she’s the Thunder Empress, but Yoon Yi-seon, you….”

“W-what’s wrong with it being pink?”

“You could have at least made the shape a bit different. This is too…sigh….”

I should stop talking.

This isn’t that kind of tattoo.

It’s not like menhera girls sticking stickers based on what they saw in erotic books, nor is it like the tattoos engraved on a princess knight captured by an orc king in fantasy.

It’s merely an external core that uses mana when they use their “awakening skills,” and will be known to the public as the “emblem of awakening,” a symbol of power.

“If you do this, people will think all women who awaken by having sex with Do Ji-hwan get something like this.”

“Hmm…. I think standardizing might be good? What do you think, unnie?”

“I don’t think the shape matters much. What’s important is performance. There’s no need to wear lots of accessories on the body; if it’s this simple to attach to the body, we can attach more.”

“That’s… a bit much.”

Having one at the bottom is already something, but having tattoo-like things glowing all over the body?

“When you have children later, do you want to hear your child watching an awakening video and saying, ‘Mom, what’s that glowing thing on your body? I want one too!’?”

“Ah.”

“Hmm….”

Even imaginary pregnant women wouldn’t want their children calling them tattooed women later.

“I’ll think of another method. And first, I’ll find the creator, beat him up, and then think. Fortunately…I’ve located him.”

Snap.

“Ymir. Prepare for a surprise attack.”

“Yesss.”

I called Ymir and immediately crossed through a dimensional gate toward what was known as Tae Jo’s workshop.

A factory in Gyeonggi Province.

Like someone working with semiconductors, Tae Jo, dressed in a white clean room suit, was carefully shaping Managold, stretching and shrinking it like honey threads while looking at a tablet.

“Tae Jo.”

“!!”

Tae Jo jumped in surprise and hurriedly gathered the tablet he was looking at.

“Master, it’s here.”

“Well done, Ymir.”

“Ah, aah!!”

Tae Jo desperately reached for the tablet Ymir brought.

“That’s not-“

“Isn’t this Yirin’s?”

“…….”

Setting aside the display full of pink glowing tattoos.

The white tablet was clearly Tae Yi-rin’s-

“It’s mine, brother.”

“…….”

“It’s my tablet….”

Tae Jo, in an agonized voice, reached out his hand.

“Since it’s my tablet, if you could just return it….”

“The account auto-logged into this tablet says the owner is Tae Yi-rin?”

“…….”

Tae Jo closed his eyes.