episode_0195

2025.

The date has now entered May, and a lot has happened since the beginning of the year.

In particular, in April, there was a huge incident such as the ‘Duokshini Incident’, and some of the Zenroth that resulted from it were kidnapped by an unidentified organization called the ‘Knights of Sephiroth’.

Numerous people died or went missing.

When people died, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, but when a dark charismatic figure slowly appeared and kidnapped people from the convoy guarded by two S-class people, I couldn’t help but talk about it.

-Where is our monthly kick guy?

10 billion per month.

It is a symbolic number.

It is a symbolic number in many ways because it has a 1 in front of it.

In fact, since this 10 billion won, or 120 billion won per year, goes into the national treasury and ‘taxes’ rather than other money, anyone who spends this much money must be able to get their money’s worth.

But where is that person?

-Has anyone seen Gwangikkong since last Christmas?

The man who is said to be Korea’s S-class hero and the world’s strongest is not showing himself on the outside.

Even at official government appearances, only Snow White was often seen, and for some reason, Gwangikkong did not make an appearance.

Of course, I definitely stepped forward when I had to.

When an S+-class demon appeared in North Korea in 2024, he suddenly appeared while other S-classes were being pushed back and showed his dignity by cutting down the demon with a single sword.

Even before that, in 2022, he showed the ability to easily defeat three S-class enemies from another country with just a golden sword.

So, on the Internet, opinions were clashing, with people saying ‘Can Gwang-ikgong not show up for something like this?’, and at the same time, ‘Would Gwang-ikgong come out to this extent?’

“Mr. Seolhee. Are you in contact with Gwangikgong?”

“No. Not really.”

“I guess so. I don’t use a smartphone or wear a Taegeuk watch, because I’m an analog person born in the millennium. I’m still using a feature phone, so I don’t text often.”

The president of the association entered the elevator inside the association with Baek Seol-hee.

“I was wondering if I should contact you too. It was like that in the past, and it’s still like that now.”

Beep, beep, beep.

“I’m always sorry to Seolhee. Since Gwangikgong did not go out, Seolhee continued to engage in external activities.”

“It’s okay. Well, since you are number 1, it would be nice if you participated in national events often.”

“…That’s a horse with bones.”

As I pressed the floors of the elevator here and there as if entering a password, the color of the elevator button changed and the elevator began to go down.

“Until last year, I just didn’t go out because it was annoying. You can curse at Gwangikgong until then.”

“Is it different this year?”

“Okay. There is a secret that only the President, I, and Assistant Secretary Kwang Ik-gong know, and that the other S-classes do not know.”

Rattling.

The elevator goes down deeper than the basement of the association building.

The president of the association took off his sunglasses and wiped them with his sleeve, his expression hardening as if he was preparing for something.

“People in the world don’t know. No one knows. The reason I’m telling this to Seolhee now is because I don’t know what will happen in the future.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“It means that Seolhee may have to step forward as Korea’s No. 1 S-class hero to the public.”

It rattled.

The elevator stopped.

As soon as the president of the association stepped forward, lights began to come on in the long hallway.

Flashing.

A long passage opens underground.

Baek Seol-hee was not particularly afraid of coming down to the basement, but the president of the association swallowed his saliva and became nervous.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s okay. Phew. Really, it feels like hell every time I come down here.”

“…There’s no such thing as a grave, right?”

“Well.”

The president of the association smiled and stepped forward.

“Perhaps it is the tomb of someone who has already died.”

“President of the Association. Don’t talk in circles, tell me right away. Don’t show off as an old man.”

“…….”

The president of the association, who was walking forward, froze.

“Damn. When you’re older, don’t talk like kids these days. huh? Back in my day, whenever we watched a game or something like that, the village chiefs would leisurely tell us about the legends of the village.”

“Skip.”

“Damn, there wasn’t even a conversation skip button back then.”

“Then please tell me quickly. At 2x speed.”

“A time when you had to wait for the entire audio to be played without even fast-forwarding!”

The president of the association frowned and pointed to the end of the hallway.

“So, you want me to tell you what’s popular with kids these days? A simple three-line summary?”

“I’m glad we could talk.”

“Chet…. Later, when you have a child, I will tell you everything. Your mom just treated your uncle like this.”

“Rather than an uncle, won’t you be a grandfather by then, Chairman of the Association?”

“You really, ugh. He knows he won’t age.”

“Because he is a talented person, he will continue to look like this even when he gets older.”

“Kak.”

The door, which was built like a bomb shelter, was fully padlocked, and the president of the association stretched out his Taegeuk watch in front of the door.

“Yes, it’s a good thing when you get older. If only you don’t get younger.”

“…….”

“Let me summarize Gwangikgong’s current status in three sentences.”

I’m sorry.

The iron door that was dozens of centimeters wide opened.

“Gwang Ik-gong suffered a serious injury while fighting a demon in December last year.”

“…No way.”

“And the result.”

When the door opened, an ordinary house appeared inside the bomb shelter.

“It ended up like this.”

“…….”

Inside the bomb shelter.

“…Uh, um, hello. This is Gwangikgong’s son.”

“Gwangikgong is 23 years old, what kind of nonsense is this? Hey Jinho Kim. Is it you?”

“……Uh, um.”

A small boy with blond hair and golden eyes who looked like a kindergartener was wearing pajamas and holding a wine glass.

“No, why did you suddenly bring that older sister? Brother.”

“Keuheuk…. You are the only one who calls me hyung.”

“Speak quickly and don’t make strange dramas. What is the situation now?”

As Baek Seol-hee’s voice subsided coldly, the boy, Kim Jin-ho, cleared his throat and pointed at himself.

“It’s nothing special, it’s just that I died and came back to life.”

“……?”

“This is not human flesh now.”

Jinho Kim put his hand into his other arm.

“Hiik…?!”

“It’s not a ghost. It’s similar to a ghost, but for now, it’s maintaining its form with magical power.”

“Well, what is it? What the hell…?”

“What. He died and came back to life?”

Jinho Kim spoke casually and sipped wine.

“I am now in Jibakryeong on the Korean Peninsula. That’s how it happened.”

“……Is this also an ability? Whose ability is it?”

“Uh, that is.”

“Total number of imamangryang.”

The president of the association pointed to Kim Jin-ho, whose complex face was blurred like a ghost.

“The commander saved that guy’s life.”

December 20, 2024.

Gwangikgong Kim Jin-ho is dead.

“The goblin survived because he asked the commander to save him.”

“……Goblin, why?”

“That is.”

Yes, he survived.

“I don’t know.”

* * *

“Gwangikgong Kim Jin-ho is dead. No more. But I live like a fool.”

“Hey. Any ability is possible, but isn’t lion revival a bit like that?”

As soon as he was told about the current status of the Gwangyukgong, Ymir immediately looked at him with a straight face.

“Teacher, the joke is not funny. It doesn’t make sense that the world’s strongest hero is dead. Now.”

“It doesn’t make sense…”

“It cannot exist in this world! I know!! I know, but it still has its limits!!”

Ymir started to get angry.

“Then does it make sense to turn a demon back into a human?”

“That’s not what you’re saying! If you die, it’s over! If I die!”

“Okay. It’s over when you die. It can’t be revived. Usually.”

It’s only in card games that you can be resurrected from the grave with a single magic card, and if that actually happened, the whole world would be shocked.

“We can do it.”

“…….”

“However, not everyone can be resurrected. Even if you resurrect it, it leaves you in a spirit state, so it can’t be said to be a complete resurrection. It’s like The Exorcist. It’s about bringing the soul.”

“Oh my god. What kind of organization is this?”

“An organization that is omnipotent but still lacks the physical time to suppress the ugly desires of humans around the world?”

If there is enough time, one day, the alliance will unify the world.

It remains to be seen whether that time will be one year or five years.

And it is physically unknown whether this will be possible before the year changes or before someone has a mental breakdown and slams a meteorite into the Earth.

“No, then why did Gwangikkong die? There must be a reason.”

“I was killed while dealing with an S-class demon on the other side of the world, in a place no one knows.”

“Why?”

“Due to lack of horsepower.”

“When did something like that happen? Why didn’t I know? No, I don’t think I even saw something like that?”

“Of course, it was a quiet war that was not known to anyone.”

The other side of the world.

There was a time when, in a quiet place where no one knew, as many as 17 members of the lowest S class gathered together and engaged in a bloody fight to the death.

“7 S+ level demons. 10 S-class talented people. Regardless of whether they were heroes or villains, I rushed in with the intention of killing all the demons.”

“……I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Because it was handled quietly and without anyone knowing. If that had been known, the world would still be in great confusion. Well, it was resolved well and it’s in the past, so it’s not that important now.”

“What did you do at that time?”

“We fought together. I broke the heads of two S+ level demons.”

“…….”

“Why are you looking at me like that? Oh yeah. I almost died. But you’re alive. Then it’s done.”

It happened last year.

If it were important, it might be important, but what matters now is only the impact it has on the present.

“Anyway, Jinho Kim died at that time. I am currently living in a state of despair, and now I am in a situation where I can only come out when I really have to risk my life. Using magical power means using your will, which means using your own existence.”

“Mana is life force?”

“Okay. If you run out of mana, you really die. The soul disappears.”

“……Oh my god.”

Ymir’s expression hardened.

“Then, the reason why he did not appear and why Gyeolsa is active in Korea like this…”

“You saved Gwangikkong’s life. Although it is a soul.”

“…….”

“The organization is infiltrating more parts of the world than you think. Could it be that an S-class hero somewhere is actually an employee of a society? Although it’s not Korea.”

“That means it will exist in other countries.”

“That’s right.”

Yes, it is Ymir.

It’s rewarding to say it because you immediately understand what you were trying to convey.

” Jinho Kim is the only one who died and came back to life.”

“Why did you save me? There would be no reason for the teacher to save the man. A woman wouldn’t know.”

“If I were a woman, do you think they would have let me live unconditionally?”

“Yes.”

This is prejudice and a slander.

I’m not some kind of girl.

“Why are you asking me why I saved the life of the black man?”

“Yes.”

“I heard the will from the side. ……hey. It’s Ymir. This should never, ever be said anywhere. It’s a more serious secret than Do Ji-hwan being a goblin or Gwang Ik-gong being dead and in a ghost state. Got it?”

“……What is it?”

Ymir pricked up her ears, and I told her a secret into her ear.

Whisper quietly.

“……!!”

“From a young age, I spent my whole life fighting villains as a hero, lived my whole life as a dog for the country, and in the end, I fought 1:1 with an S+-class demon for the Earth and humanity and ended up becoming one. After hearing the will right before I died, I had that thought.”

The reason why I asked the general manager to save Gwangikgong.

“Just.”

that.

“He was such a nice and kind guy. Full of justice. Even though he died.”

I just did it because I felt sorry for him.

“It was so pitiful and pitiful.”

A hero who devoted his entire life to his country and the world dies like that.

“Yes.”

“It was sympathy.”