Ch.651Chapter 25. Let it Unfold (1)

-The number of foreign ability users who entered through Gimhae Airport alone is a staggering 10,000, with ability users gathered from various countries….

-While Japan is represented by Nadeshiko, Hayabusa, and Susanoo, the Japanese Ministry of Defense ultimately failed to withdraw the Cheonghaesong’s participation….

-Regarding the entry of Chinese ability user Heavenly Demon Lee Ye-ryeong through Incheon Port, protesters have come forward….

With just one week left before the World Cup opening ceremony.

Ability users arriving from various countries wanted to settle into their accommodations to adjust to their respective time differences(?), but the situation was far from ideal.

-Koreans are petty! Are you trying to lower the condition of our country’s ability users by putting your citizens up front?

-Well, I’m Korean, aren’t I? Isn’t it disgusting when people who abandoned Korea for other countries come back just for the World Cup?

-When you put it that way, I don’t have much to say, but isn’t this going too far!

Until now, countries had been making Korean A-class and S-class ability users their own heroes by granting them asylum or naturalization.

However, when the World Cup season arrived, this resulted in many bewildering situations.

-Pure foreigners are fine! But black-haired foreigners are not!!

-Citizens, please calm down….

-Why should I welcome those who sucked up my tax money since childhood, then ran off to other countries for money after growing up on those taxes?!

The public was outraged because those who seemed like they would never return to Korea were now saying they would come back.

One might argue that it shouldn’t be a big issue to let them enter for the World Cup, but citizens couldn’t bear to see these people crawling back after acting as if they would never set foot on Korean soil again.

Why were they trying to enter Korea?

Even for the World Cup, why were they so eager to enter Korea while representing other countries?

One. To secure more of the mana flowing through Korean soil.

The mana flowing through earth veins and filling the air is precious to ability users.

Therefore, citizens didn’t want these people to abandon the Korean peninsula and then use the World Cup as an excuse to covet Korean mana again.

Two. Fear they might secretly steal “Mana Gold” from former North Korean territory.

The existence of “Mana Gold” was officially revealed, known to be used by Lord of Radiant Wings’ new ability “Mecha Lord of Radiant Wings” and some S-class ability users.

Everyone learned about the vast potential of minerals in the northern Korean peninsula that could store mana.

Therefore.

-Those bastards aren’t coming for the World Cup! They’re planning to sneak around mines during the World Cup and steal all of Korea’s Mana Gold!

Citizens didn’t want these people to publicly claim “No, we would never do that” while secretly combing through former North Korean territory to steal minerals.

Three. Most of those who left Korea and became S-class abroad had close ties with the now-fallen Haeguneul Group.

While they abandoned their nationality when seeking asylum, they maintained their capital, and Haeguneul created close connections with these defectors to establish ties in their new countries.

According to rumors, in the case of an A-class ability user called [Yoga Fire] who was handed over to India, the Indian association received an enormous sum as a brokerage fee through Haeguneul agents and secured business rights within India.

When this rumor was confirmed true, citizens who shuddered at the mention of Haeguneul openly expressed their displeasure at the return of Haeguneul associates.

Four. Particularly in the case of women, they were rumored to be targeting relationships with the Patriotic Hero.

There were rumors that those who left Korea claiming they hated Korea and Korean men and preferred foreign men were now trying to enter Korea to meet someone.

That someone was none other than Patriotic Hero Do Ji-hwan, and there were stories that they hoped to awaken as “true S-class” or something beyond through a night with the Patriotic Hero.

Citizens expressed disgust at these blatant desires, concerned that if the Patriotic Hero formed relationships with these national traitors, it might mentally destabilize the three S-class women who had retired due to pregnancy because of him.

While citizens vehemently protested against these black-haired foreigners entering the Korean peninsula, they couldn’t continue demonstrating at airports and ports indefinitely.

-Coming through~

As Baek Seol-hee had previously demonstrated with her ability, ability users from various countries successfully entered the Korean peninsula by using their powers to evade protesters.

Some lightly jumped over the protesters.

Some created new roads above the protesters, mimicking what Baek Seol-hee had done.

Others distracted the protesters with decoys while the real ones landed elsewhere and smoothly entered their hotels.

One by one, the number of ability users officially reported to be in Korea easily exceeded 10,000.

Among them, the number of officially recognized “S-class” individuals surpassed 300.

-Wait, until just a year ago there weren’t this many! How did this happen so suddenly?!

People were shocked.

Even considering how many A-class and S-class users had unintentionally been “exported” from Korea, how could there be so many S-class users now?

Korea itself currently has only 8 S-class users, and three of them are on pregnancy leave. How could this happen?

How did the number of S-class users increase so dramatically just before the World Cup?

The increase in S-class users meant that Korean S-class users would have to face countless opponents in the “Individual Ability User Competition” at the World Cup.

With everyone participating in the “Fierce Battle” that only allowed S-class participants, Koreans who had been quietly waiting to claim the championship trophy and citizens anticipating that moment were dumbfounded.

-S-class isn’t something you put on sale! What is this nonsense?!

People were appalled and began searching for the cause.

And they discovered a shocking truth.

-So… they were all hiding their S-class status until right before the World Cup?

-An ability user registered as C-class was actually S-class?

-Someone who was persecuted as B-class in Korea went abroad, received the blessing of a foreign spirit, and awakened as S-class? What kind of nonsense is that?!

All around the world.

Hidden S-class users emerged in droves, declaring their intention to participate just five minutes before the World Cup fierce battle candidate submission deadline.

These were people with no previous records, whose profile pictures alone looked intimidating.

-T-this is invalid!

Many protested against the sudden participation of these S-class users in the World Cup, but.

-There are no legal issues with the procedure.

Procedurally, there were no problems with them.

-This is a regulation proposed by the World Hero Association and the person who was the standing advisor of the Ability User Selection Committee at that time. It was also approved by the chairman of the Ability User World Cup Committee.

Candidate submissions were accepted until one week before the World Cup opening ceremony.

According to the committee’s decision that some might “awaken” with strong determination for their country’s victory right before the World Cup, an unprecedented 150 S-class “heroes” registered worldwide just one week before the candidate registration deadline.

-Who made this garbage regulation?! John Steven?!

-It was a Korean, actually.

-Who was it?!

-Someone you all know well….

* * *

“Choi Ho-jung, Haeguneul. It’s you again.”

I praised the scene of disrespect for the deceased that was heating up internet communities.

“Ho-jung’s mess-ups are still affecting the World Cup.”

“The World Cup has been in preparation in Korea for a while. Haeguneul must have been up to something, right?”

Ymir grimaced as she browsed through the “S-class Hero Bomb Registration Incident” page on the Hero Wiki.

“To think there were this many S-class users in the world. Hahaha….”

“Why?”

“They were probably similar to me, right? People who couldn’t reveal their abilities carelessly, or people who thought being a hero would cause too many problems?”

Ymir had hidden the fact that she was a hero.

I don’t need to explain the reason again, but I do want to say this:

“Not everyone in the world has a kind and angelic heart like yours.”

“……”

“Secret weapons cultivated by nations. Dark heroes who operated while hiding their hero status. Hunters employed by countries for enormous sums under the title of hero. Villains who wear the mask of a hero through plea bargains.”

The identity of the suddenly increased foreign S-class ability users:

“They’re spies that Haeguneul extracted from Korea and sent abroad, then prepared for the World Cup competition… to do something with the esports betting.”

“Betting… gambling?”

“Yes. Legal gambling, but still.”

In other words.

“They’re match-fixing contractors.”

Remnants left behind by Haeguneul.

“Ymir.”

“Yes.”

“If you bet on beating them, could you become rich?”

And our Syndicate will create a situation where we definitely win against these match-fixers.

“As soon as the tournament brackets are released, I’ll distribute strategy guides against the match-fixers.”

“…Who’s distributing them?”

“A wish-granting goblin.”