episode_0024

24.

Staggering-.

Fortunately, this time I didn’t fall down, and managed to regain my balance.

But that didn’t mean everything was back to normal.

The newly acquired magic within Seonghyun’s body was surging with a force that seemed to overwhelm his body.

“Armin… never come near me. Don’t touch me, understand?”

Armin nodded.

Even if he hadn’t said those words, Armin wouldn’t have dared to touch Seonghyun.

No.

He couldn’t.

The overwhelming magic surrounding Seonghyun felt like a typhoon, ready to sweep anyone who came too close.

If that level of power… is at least on par with the Dragon Lord…

How…?

Armin’s thoughts drifted away with Seonghyun’s deep breaths.

“Whew-.”

Seonghyun immediately sat on the ground and began to manipulate the magic.

The enlightenment gained from the recent battle.

And the need to adjust to the growth of his magic and body.

First, the magic.

Due to the increased level of his body, the pathways through which magic flowed had become stronger and wider.

Could it possibly expand further? That was the question.

Seonghyun guided the newly increased magic towards the center.

Come this way.

Swoosh-.

Guiding the magic carefully.

The Taeguk welcomed the new magic as if embracing it.

Normally, it would take a long time to digest new magic.

But Seonghyun’s work didn’t require much time.

This was due to the unique nature of his magic.

The Taeguk, which embraced all, began to swallow the newly formed massive magic.

To be precise, it was a process of unification.

The scale was greater than the magic accumulated so far.

But the purity was different.

The Taeguk, a culmination of constantly refined energies.

Even if the size of the energy was smaller, it couldn’t be consumed by chaotic clusters of magic.

Seonghyun adjusted the pathways of magic and guided the flow of magic meticulously for the Taeguk to absorb it efficiently.

Of course, it wasn’t an easy task.

That’s why.

Seonghyun utilized the enlightenment he had gained.

Embrace the pure energy. Forge the impure energy into life.

And unify.

This enlightenment was also passed on to the Taeguk.

As the Taeguk became a more perfect circle, the speed at which it absorbed magic increased.

“Hoo-.”

Having absorbed all the magic, it seemed like the urgent fire had been extinguished.

Seonghyun exhaled deeply.

The breath contained residual magic, filling the entire resting space with a dense energy, as if witnessing the primordial dragon swallowing and exhaling magic to cycle the world.

Armin stared at Seonghyun, seemingly forgetting how to breathe.

Although they hadn’t spent much time together, the experiences they shared had created a deep bond between them.

Armin couldn’t help but feel a strong affinity towards Seonghyun, like peeling an onion to reveal a new side of him.

Compared to the prince in fairy tales, Seonghyun seemed even more magnificent and extraordinary.

If one were to compare… a god?

Armin imagined Seonghyun smiling in light attire.

In that moment.

Armin’s face flushed red.

‘What am I even thinking? Ugh!’

As he held his face, Armin looked up to find Seonghyun standing right in front of him.

Seeing Seonghyun’s face up close, Armin’s face turned even redder.

“What’s wrong? You keep holding your face, I thought you were in pain so I came over, but your face is all red?”

“Ahh!”

Armin immediately ran away from Seonghyun.

Burying himself in the blanket to calm his pounding heart, Armin closed his eyes.

The sound of his heartbeat echoing in the darkness where nothing could be seen.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

As the sound grew louder.

Armin finally admitted to himself.

‘What do I do… I think I like this person.’

Just one day.

It took Sung Hyun only a day to tease Armin.

Although Sung Hyun was filled with other thoughts.

*Squirming noises*.

‘Hmm… I want to fight soon.’

*Squirming*.

He wanted to go out and slaughter dragons right away.

But it would take time for his body to fully recover.

For now, he found more joy in watching that cute creature.

When he first opened his eyes, Sung Hyun saw Armin staring blankly.

Armin’s pupils seemed unfocused, as if he was imagining something.

So Sung Hyun approached him, intending to surprise him.

But suddenly, Armin blushed and buried himself in the blanket.

‘No way. Really?’

No! It’s a reasonable suspicion.

‘It’s only been a day since we met, right? And I was the one who threw the spear first?’

Not sure what’s going on.

But for now.

‘Let’s just watch that squirming creature.’

Twisting and turning in the blanket, he wanted to bite it every time it peeked out.

‘So cute.’

Unbeknownst to himself.

Sung Hyun also began to develop feelings for Armin.

***

Summoned by Zeus, Hermes headed straight to Olympus.

Bowing his head to Zeus sitting on a magnificent throne, Hermes spoke.

“Did you call for me, Father?”

“Oh, right. I thought it was about time. So I called you. By the way, are you using my lightning well?”

Hermes smiled at Zeus, knowing everything.

“Did you know all along?”

“Huh? Sung Hyun didn’t tell you? Anyway, raising those sons of mine, they said they were useless. It fits perfectly. Giving hints, developing skills, granting coin shop privileges, giving lightning. Isn’t that enough? And yet, not even a thank you for me?”

Huh? What did he just say? Develop skills?

Confused, Hermes looked at Zeus.

Zeus laughed.

“You seem to have a lot to say. Alright! Then, shall we have a casual conversation between father and son?”

With Zeus speaking like this, Hermes had no intention of being polite.

“No, Father! Was that you?”

“That me? How would I know if you don’t use the subject? I never taught you that.”

This guy knows everything and still plays jokes?

Hermes glared at Zeus with blood vessels popping on his face.

Zeus’s mouth was smiling, but his eyes were cold.

“I’ll break your face.”

Stop here. If you go further, the father as a god will come out.

Hermes took a deep breath.

“Phew… Father, did you develop Sung Hyun’s skills? Wasn’t the plan to raise Sung Hyun as the next Heracles? Why suddenly do such a thing?”

Zeus stroked his beard.

“Hmm.”

“You guys probably didn’t know, but since Sung Hyun turned twenty, his fate was erased.”

But.

“I roughly expected that to happen. I didn’t know when or how, so I couldn’t respond. I didn’t need to. I saw the future Sung Hyun.”

So he didn’t bother to delve deeper into the being that erased Sung Hyun’s fate.

Because he saw that fate would return.

But.

Until then, Sung Hyun had no fate. This was fatal for him.

For an ordinary person, that would be the end at that point.

But Sung Hyun overcame that phenomenon with his talent.

With overwhelming talent, it wasn’t just about surviving by any means. It was about excelling as an investor.

It was a clear example of not needing fate, as he showed it himself.

However.

He didn’t know when fate would come back to him.

Until that day.

Zeus momentarily pursed his lips. He looked at Hermes.

“My son, you know how Seonghyun always wanders around, right? The day Seonghyun went to your world. That person came to find me.”

Lady Gaia? How did she…

“But that person…”

Zeus’s golden eyes shone.

“Yes, but that person should have been asleep for that day.”

On the day Seonghyun was summoned, Zeus watched Seonghyun as if watching a daily drama.

Watching Seonghyun go to save Hayato from being bullied.

Zeus chewed on popcorn.

“Haha, that’s how a hero should be. A hero can’t just pass by the weak. What else would a hero be?”

Thunk!

Someone tapped Zeus on the shoulder.

Impossible.

Was it something from another dimension? Already? How?

Zeus tensed his whole body and looked behind him.

There stood a woman with brown and green eyes.

“Gran… Granma?”

Thwack!

Gaia’s palm struck Zeus’s head.

“Don’t call me that way. It makes me look old.”

How? Gaia must have sealed herself in preparation for that day, right?

No, more importantly, you are old, aren’t you?

“What’s going on?”

Instead of answering, Gaia pointed with her finger somewhere.

That direction… Seonghyun…?

“Who do you think erased that child’s fate?”

No way?

“I did.”

Why?

“Do you know? That child’s talent should not end just as a descendant of Heracles.”

Look at how things will turn out in the future.

When Zeus turned his gaze back to Seonghyun at those words, a light shone.

Suddenly!

“Damn, it’s now?”

Thud!

“Use kind words.”

Zeus glared at Gaia.

“So, what are you going to do now? Seonghyun has been summoned. I have to go do what I prepared as well.”

“This should explain it. Just watch for now.”

As Gaia waved her hand, Seonghyun’s figure in the forest appeared.

“Granma? What’s this?”

“Just watch for now. The reason I came to you is here.”

A tiger the size of a house appeared behind Seonghyun and kicked Seonghyun.

Zeus almost shouted to dodge, but he could endure it after seeing Seonghyun’s quick reaction.

Does this make sense?

Seonghyun, who has never had a proper battle experience, dodges the attack of such a strong tiger like that?

Without even looking? Just by instinct? Something was strange.

Then Zeus finally understood what Gaia wanted to say.

“I see. The reason Granma erased Seonghyun’s fate.”

And because of that talent, he inherited the fate of Heracles.

“Yes.”

However.

“Isn’t that level of talent not enough?”

“It’s not enough at that level. But you know, Seonghyun is currently in a different dimension where the system is being applied. You understand what I mean, right?”

Zeus swallowed his saliva.

He could enhance his talent.

Especially if it was before awakening, he would receive even greater adjustments.

Even before awakening, it was a talent that would become Heracles. And that talent would grow even more?

If he could. Seonghyun would…

However.

“Will the universe allow that?”

“No, it won’t. That’s why I came to where you are. Get ready. For the moment Seonghyun tries to awaken.”

At that moment, on the monitor, Seonghyun managed to dodge the tiger’s attack and was about to fall off a cliff.

“Let’s begin. 3… 2… 1.”

Gooooo-.

Gaia and Zeus simultaneously exerted their power.

First.

Zeus covered the eyes of the universe.

Desperately.

To prevent the universe from confirming Seonghyun.

Because of that, untimely lightning began to strike throughout the universe.

At the same time.

Gaia bestowed upon Seonghyun the causal power for his talent to grow within the system.

The amount was substantial, but considering the results it would bring about.

This was nothing.

And so, the growth of Seonghyun’s characteristics, which had been rejected at first, began.

Thus, Seonghyun was granted a new destiny.

And that destiny… was of a kind even Zeus himself would hesitate to assert.