Chapter 244: The Most Beautiful Woman and the Strongest Man

Episode 244

Kim Jinsung went to a large hotel in the port city of Elnacon.

The hotel, originally owned by the New Continent government, had recently been occupied by the Baekdu Clan and was being used as their temporary headquarters.

“Hmm…”

Hong Hyeonjin was looking at him with an intrigued expression in the Royal Suite, which was being used as the Master’s office.

“So, what’s your decision? You came all the way here, so I assume you’ve decided to acquire my ability.”

“That’s right.”

He continued,

“I’ve decided to use Gamigin’s ‘Soul Transmigration’ ability.”

“Soul Transmigration… So we’ll both acquire each other’s abilities?”

“Yes.”

A smile spread across her lips. It was different from her usual charming smile.

It was a genuine smile, a smile of pure joy.

“This is like a dream come true. It’s so unbelievable that I’m almost afraid of what might happen next.”

“So you agree?”

“There’s no reason for me to refuse. But I have one question.”

“What is it?”

“Why didn’t you choose Phenex’s ‘Yin-Yang Harmony’ ability?”

She asked, looking directly into his eyes.

“If it were me, I wouldn’t have been so honest and told you about all the options. I would have just pushed for the Phenex ability.”

“Wouldn’t that be rude?”

“So what? How many women would refuse a night with the strongest man in the world, regardless of the reason?”

“…I’m pretty sure you would refuse.”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“…What?”

He thought he had misheard her.

But her expression and tone were serious.

“As the leader of a hunter clan, I wouldn’t be foolish enough to miss this opportunity for the clan’s growth.

One night with you would tie you to the Baekdu Clan.

And if things go well, we could even make you a member of the Baekdu Clan… It would be a huge gain for us.”

He stared at her, his eyes wide with surprise, and then chuckled.

“You’re thinking solely from the perspective of a Master.”

He meant that she wasn’t considering her own personal feelings.

She chuckled too.

Her genuine smile vanished, replaced by her usual ‘business’ smile.

“I gave up on personal happiness when I came to the New Continent. I swore to myself that I would live and die for the clan.

The clan’s sorrow is my sorrow, and their joy is my joy.”

He looked into her eyes.

They were cold and calculating.

‘She’s serious.’

He was about to say something, but then he decided to respect her resolve.

‘She’s just like me.’

She prioritized cold, hard reality over personal feelings, and she always followed her rational judgment.

“Of course, I’m a special case. I’m sure most women wouldn’t refuse your request. You’re the most popular man in the world, after all.”

“……?”

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

She asked, confused by his strange expression.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know how popular you are?”

“……”

“Oh my. You really didn’t know?”

He couldn’t answer.

He really didn’t know.

He had been too focused on surviving in the New Continent to pay attention to the other continents.

“You know that you became a global star after the Colosseum survival competition, right?”

“I know that.”

“Your popularity was skyrocketing by the end of the finals. You were even considered the world’s top prospect.

Your popularity died down a bit after you disappeared to the New Continent, but it surged again after the rumors of your activities as a member of the anti-government group spread.

And do you know how popular you are now, as the leader of the ‘anti-government group’?”

She smiled and continued,

“You’re the most popular person in the world.”

“…Why?”

He asked, confused.

He wasn’t a typical hero. He was practically the leader of the villains, trying to overthrow the existing order.

There were many implications in his two-word question.

She understood what he meant and answered,

“A strong, young, charismatic, handsome, and gentlemanly villain. How many women would dislike that?

You know how popular Yoo Jun-ho was before he came to the New Continent, right?”

He nodded, understanding after hearing the example of Yoo Jun-ho.

Yoo Jun-ho had done everything a villain could do during the Colosseum survival competition.

But his popularity had only increased. After winning the finals, he had become the most popular person in Korea.

Many media outlets had conducted polls to analyze his popularity, and the results were similar.

– He’s a villain, but he’s not cowardly or pathetic. His overwhelming power is attractive.

– He’s handsome, charismatic, and surprisingly gentlemanly. Who wouldn’t like a man like that?

– His natural talent, hard work, and powerful combat abilities, combined with his attractive face and personality, are the driving force behind his popularity.

‘Come to think of it, the evaluations of Yoo Jun-ho back then are similar to what Hong Hyeonjin just said.’

He thought to himself and scratched his cheek.

Was he really that handsome and gentlemanly?

‘…Well, I’ll find out after everything is over.’

He planned to enjoy a carefree life after achieving his goals.

He would visit his hometown in Korea, travel to resorts he had never been to before, and spend his fortune freely.

“Thank you for the information. But it’s not relevant right now.”

He stood up from the table.

“We don’t have much time. Let’s get started. Do you have a training room?”

“Yes, follow me.”

She stood up and walked towards the door.

She glanced at him and thought to herself,

‘This is the first time I’ve been rejected by a man.’

It was a new experience for her.

She had never failed to win over a man before.

She had everything: beauty, youth, wealth, a good family background, talent, and a charming personality…

‘Well, he’s a better man than me.’

She had to admit it, even though she didn’t want to.

There were a few women in the world who were similar to her, but there was no one who could compare to Kim Jinsung.

‘Maybe Yoo Jun-ho…’

The image of Yoo Jun-ho, alive and moving even after being decapitated, flashed through her mind.

She had a sudden premonition that Yoo Jun-ho, who had become even stronger since the Colosseum, might be the only one who could stand in Kim Jinsung’s way…

* * *

*Knock knock.*

“Come in.”

The door opened after Yong Hangil’s voice.

Yoo Jun-ho, his face tired, entered the room and sat down on the sofa with a sigh.

“…Did you fail?”

Yong Hangil asked, looking at his expression.

He shook his head.

“It was a partial success. Only the Taiwan Clan and the Laos Clan agreed to join us.”

“What about the Singapore and Jakarta Clans?”

“They refused. It seems the information we got from the intelligence agency was accurate.”

“You mean the information about them joining the Chinese alliance?”

“Yes. They completely ignored us during the meeting. It seems they only attended out of courtesy.”

“Those two-faced bastards…”

He clicked his tongue and then asked,

“So we couldn’t even gather ten clans?”

“Seven, to be precise. The problem is that there’s almost no chance of any more clans joining us, and even the seven clans that agreed to join us might leave at any moment.”

“Hmm… Is it that bad?”

“Our competitors are China and Japan.”

Yong Hangil sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.

“This is all because of the Birmingham Clan. That Richmond, he triggered the alliance’s collapse.”

A week after ‘Pandora’s Day’,

the Birmingham Clan had made a shocking announcement: they were officially leaving the alliance. As everyone had expected, Richmond couldn’t continue working with the Alpha Clan, who had killed Henry.

The Alpha Clan, the core of the alliance, immediately protested, but it had little effect on the other clans. The Alpha Clan’s ‘monks’ were the ones who had caused the Birmingham Clan to leave.

The problem was that it was the beginning of the alliance’s disintegration.

With the Alpha Clan’s leadership weakened and the anti-government alliance’s constant terrorist attacks and instigations, the alliance clans could no longer trust each other.

Without a unifying force and trust, the alliance was doomed to fall apart.

The scattered clans started forming new alliances with those they could trust.

The Korean Clan had also acted quickly and succeeded in forming an alliance with seven clans, including Taiwan and Triunfo.

The problem was that there were over ten such alliances.

The seemingly unbreakable cartel of the Center Zone had been shattered into over ten alliances in less than two weeks after the Birmingham Clan’s withdrawal.

“This is only benefiting the anti-government alliance…”

“They’ve already started moving.”

“Who? The anti-government alliance?”

“Yes.”

He continued,

“I just received a report that the Baekdu Clan, led by Hong Hyeonjin, has entered the B Zone.”

“The B Zone? Who cares?”

He asked, voicing his honest opinion. The B Zone, which had already been considered an abandoned area, was now a useless piece of land with no strategic value.

“Entering the B Zone isn’t a problem. But they encountered Antuna’s group on their way there.”

“Antuna? The Master of the Aztec Clan?”

“Yes.”

The Aztec Clan was a Major Clan representing Mexico, and Antuna was its current Master.

“They clashed as soon as they met, and the two Masters had a duel.”

“Hong Hyeonjin? Antuna must have toyed with her.”

“I thought so too, before I heard the report.”

Yong Hangil’s eyes widened.

“…Don’t tell me Hong Hyeonjin defeated Antuna?!”

He nodded.

“Yes. She beheaded him in less than a minute.”

—

(To be continued in the next episode)