Ch.608Chapter 23. Patriotic General Do Ji-hwan (12)

[Fellow citizens.]

The President, standing at the central podium of Busan World Cup Stadium for a national address, speaks through the TV screen.

[We have completed our preparations. One month from now, the preliminary rounds of the Ability User World Cup will begin.]

The President is naturally referring to the “topic on everyone’s mind” – the Ability User World Cup.

If there’s a reason this World Cup discussion is happening now, right before a holiday, it’s because the entire country of South Korea has been anxious since the last Lunar New Year until Chuseok.

[We’ve been through many challenges. There were numerous incidents too difficult to address directly, and each time, the world looked at us with skepticism.]

Indeed, is Korea safe enough to host the World Cup?

[They said that Korean territory is too small for the Ability User World Cup. They claimed that while it might be suitable for A-class battles, the Korean peninsula is far too small to serve as a battlefield for S-class confrontations.]

That was actually true.

If two S-class users fought with full power, they could easily destroy a city center with a population of 100,000. Would it really be safe to build a World Cup stadium on the Korean peninsula?

Not at all.

If an earthquake caused by an S-class battle collapsed a nearby apartment complex, the World Cup itself could be suspended.

People were anxious.

They couldn’t bear to lose the World Cup host rights to another country, especially for the first Ability User World Cup where “S-class” users would participate.

[Some suggested the Manchurian plains. Others mentioned the Red Square. Some even proposed Greenland.]

And that anxiety manifested as “reasonable and appropriate justifications” from various countries trying to prevent Korea from hosting the World Cup while attempting to seize all the benefits for themselves.

China, Russia, the EU, the entire world claimed they had the most suitable environment for hosting the World Cup.

[They argued that rather than destroying Korea’s beautiful mountains and rivers, it would be better if their own lands were damaged. They said there were no civilian homes within a 10km radius, so even if that entire area were destroyed, there would be no problem.]

When an area within 10km of the blast center is completely devastated, how many places on the Korean peninsula could minimize civilian casualties?

Where on the Korean peninsula could you find a location suitable for a World Cup stadium – accessible to many people, allowing spectators to enter and exit directly, and without major construction issues?

Some suggested the former North Korean territory.

But developing that area into a World Cup stadium was absurd.

[For the past year, our greatest goal was to create a ‘safe stadium.’ Safety must be secured for ability users to perform at their full potential.]

Simply put:

[We needed to prepare a stadium where there would be no problems even if S-class users clashed at full power, allowing them to truly demonstrate their abilities without worrying about spectators and citizens.]

This effectively prevents excuses like “I couldn’t use my full power because I was worried about injuring the audience.”

[And now, we have a stadium where everyone in the stands will be safe no matter what battle occurs inside.]

The President spread his arms.

Immediately, a massive ice wall appeared, separating the field from the spectator stands.

The ice wall was so thin and transparent that one could see through it even more clearly than through transparent glass.

[Now, we have obtained the safest stadium in the world. No matter who fights inside, citizens will not be harmed by battles within the stadium. My fellow citizens!]

The President clenched his fists and exclaimed.

[South Korea is safe!!]

* * *

“That pose actually made me start feeling anxious.”

“You shouldn’t be anxious. I went out of my way to create the world’s safest stadium.”

Baek Seol-hee twisted the corner of her mouth while pointing at the President’s speech on TV.

“If Baek Seol-hee just goes around Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan making barriers, S-class users can fight to their heart’s content. That’s all we need.”

“I think they’ll be more interested in testing their techniques against the ice wall than fighting each other.”

“Hmph, let them try. My wall will never collapse.”

Baek Seol-hee raised her magical power with a confident expression.

“It’s not meant to be a punching bag for S-class practice, but to protect citizens in the stands.”

“True. When you’re protecting something, you’re stronger than anyone. Thanks to that…”

I found a suitable comment from the community to show her.

“People are saying things like this.”

[KIWOO_TYPE_CHOI]: Isn’t the super-safe World Cup stadium only possible because Baek Seol-hee awakened during pregnancy? Without her, the World Cup would probably be held in China.

“Hmph, people clearly understand it’s all thanks to me.”

Baek Seol-hee pointed westward with a triumphant expression.

“I feel quite sorry for China. They must have bet everything on Korea failing to secure a stadium and built one themselves.”

“They’ll just have to keep the facility they worked hard on for a year as a landmark. Or use it for other sports.”

Although the World Cup is scheduled to be held in Korea, it won’t actually take place in Korea proper.

For that one possibility, China had built a special stadium for ability users on their already vast land.

It was essentially based on the expectation that “what’s the point of a World Cup if S-class users can’t use their full power on the Korean peninsula?” But that expectation was shattered by pregnancy-awakened Baek Seol-hee’s ice wall.

“Thanks to Baek Seol-hee creating a safe wall instead of participating in the World Cup, S-class users from around the world are gathering on the Korean peninsula.”

“It’s all thanks to me, right? Hmph.”

“Yes. Even those who initially refused to participate are now joining. Yoon Yi-seon and Kim Yoon-ji’s confrontation, and Baek Seol-hee’s ice wall that remained firm even during that mana explosion. No true S-class user could see that and not be inspired.”

The spectacular battle between two people who obtained their awakening skills.

The supreme ice mage who contained the firepower of those two.

Although people aren’t directly challenging Yoon Yi-seon, Kim Yoon-ji, or Baek Seol-hee, they must be curious.

Would their attacks reach Baek Seol-hee’s ice wall?

Could they even scratch Baek Seol-hee’s ice wall?

“Congratulations. You’ve just issued a challenge to the entire world.”

“Isn’t winning the World Cup the challenge?”

“In addition to the original quest, an achievement quest has been added, so everyone’s feeling the pressure. If they don’t come now and just talk big from the sidelines, it’ll just be seen as pathetic excuses from a mediocre person.”

They didn’t participate in the Korean World Cup.

And if such a person claims “I would have won if I had participated,” it would be meaningless given the current Korean World Cup.

“A battlefield where they can use their full power. When have heroes ever experienced such combat? Completely uninhibited.”

“True. They probably haven’t had many chances like that even against villains, and even when fighting villains at full power, they couldn’t go all out because they had to worry about nearby citizens or buildings.”

“Right. Those who participated in experiments conducted by national military forces might have tested their powers to some extent, but even that would have been incomplete.”

Until now, heroes haven’t had proper outlets for their desires.

They’ve developed their abilities and mana power, but haven’t had the chance to showcase them brilliantly to the world.

Therefore, this World Cup will be a “festival of ultimate techniques” for each ability user.

Just as Yoon Yi-seon and Kim Yoon-ji summoned giants of magical power as their ultimate techniques and struck at each other, people will want to show off their abilities and skills in the most spectacular and legitimate venue possible.

Having drawn attention, those attracted by it will begin to appear one by one.

“One month until the preliminaries. Heroes will start arriving from overseas for local adaptation soon.”

Those from Europe and Africa, being farther from the Korean peninsula, would have been the first to board planes.

“Most will be heroes, but some will be villains who made deals with governments, or hunters employed by governments.”

Many more S-class users than previously known might come.

Their purposes vary.

Officially, they all claim to be proving their strength and bringing the World Cup to their homeland, but…

Just as ability users have different powers, their reasons for coming to the World Cup also differ.

“In that sense, Seol-hee, you know you can’t monopolize me for a while, right?”

“Ugh…”

“If you want to send a clone, that’s fine, but I won’t be responsible if it bursts during the act.”

“I could stay in the next room to immediately retrieve the clone if it bursts.”

“That doesn’t sound good for your mental health. Is that your thing?”

“No, it’s not!”

Baek Seol-hee vehemently denied it, but she would be unable to perform the national anthem with Do Ji-hwan in person for a while.

“Tsk… Are you really going to do it with Yi-seon and Yoon-ji?”

“Of course. And if you want to join us, you’re welcome to participate as a clone.”

Like we did on Jeju Island.

“Four is more fun than three.”

We’ll be performing patriotic acts.

“Playing the role of catching villains trying to sabotage the World Cup.”

We’ll help make the World Cup successful by eliminating those trying to ruin the national event, alongside heroes who have retired due to pregnancy.

“Catching those who disrupt national order is patriotism.”