Chapter 10 …
EX-Class Reincarnation
Clang clang clang.
From somewhere, the sound of turning gears echoed. A damp, dimly lit space. Someone walked through it.
It was a man of enormous build. His face was hidden behind a mask, but even that couldn’t conceal the sheer size of his body.
“Ke ke ke ke ke.”
He laughed, whatever amused him so. The laughter reverberated through the room.
After walking for a while, he approached a door and knocked on it.
Thump thump thump.
“Hey.”
Thump thump thump.
No answer came, no matter how many times he knocked.
“Heh, really now.”
Just as it seemed he might give up,
BANG—!!!
He smashed the door with a single punch. Dust rose, revealing the inside. There was a single bed, and on it lay someone.
“…Hah.”
The person on the bed frowned at the suddenly flying door.
“Are you crazy?”
“You should have answered. If someone calls and you don’t respond, what else am I supposed to do?”
With a playful tone, the young man sat up. At the same time,
Fwoooosh!! Dark flames erupted from his hand. Seeing this, the giant man grinned.
“You’re using so much strength, are you okay, patient?”
“If you’re here to play around, get lost.”
“Ahahaha. Play around? Such harsh words for someone who came out of concern.”
“Concern? From you?”
“Of course. Our mighty Firestarter got hit by a newly awakened chick. How could I not be worried?”
“….”
Gnash.
The young man gritted his teeth at the giant’s words.
“You’re in bad shape. Did you sell off one of your arms somewhere?”
The young man, who originally had both arms, was now missing one.
“Even with one arm, I can take care of someone like you.”
“I suppose. But what now?”
The giant laughed grotesquely.
“I don’t plan to fight the patient, you know?”
“…What do you want, then?”
The young man, as if to end the pointless conversation, spoke. Hearing this, the giant pulled a sheet of paper from his chest and tossed it to him.
“This is from the boss.”
“…The boss?”
Hearing the word, the young man frowned.
“Our precious magician caused quite a scene. The message is to stay out of trouble for three months.”
“….”
“I told you not to fool around, didn’t I?”
“Shut up.”
“Yay yay.”
The giant mockingly mimed zipping his mouth shut.
“I delivered the message, now I’m leaving.”
He waved his massive hand as he started to leave the room.
“Oh, right.”
The giant paused, turned back, and looked at the young man.
“That rookie. Is he any good?”
“Rookie.”
Hearing that, the young man’s eyes flared red.
Fwoooosh—!!!
A wave of heat engulfed him.
“Giant.”
Hostility dripping from his voice.
“Don’t you dare touch him.”
“Oh, scary. Why? Have you grown attached to him in such a short time?”
“He’s my prey. Don’t touch him.”
“Ahahaha.”
At those words, the giant laughed roughly.
“Ah, what a shame. Can’t help feeling sorry for that little one.”
If that madman became obsessed, it would be endless. Poor kid.
What was his name again?
‘Park Jin-woo? Or Lee Jin-woo?’
The name didn’t matter much. What mattered was that he had interfered with the plan, so he was worth noting.
“Don’t worry. We’re not interested in that rookie.”
For now.
‘Was it called “Mushin”?’
A monster had suddenly appeared. Right now, the group’s attention was focused on that figure.
“The rookie can handle himself. We’re not interested.”
Bang.
The giant disappeared.
“….”
Left alone, the young man’s eyes glowed red.
“…He’s any good, huh?”
The young man smirked slightly at the giant’s words.
“Quite an interesting guy.”
A guy you’d almost want to burn alive.
A few days after sending the message,
I was still at the hospital under the pretext of recovery.
Even now, the internet was full of chatter about Mushin.
[Divine Superhuman Mushin. Could he really be Korean?]
[New S-class. Or even SS-class potential.]
[If Mushin is Korean, the country might become the first to have two SS-class superhumans.]
[The Superhuman Association warns that Mushin, an unregistered reincarnator, could be dangerous.]
“People are jumping the gun.”
I turned off the screen, having grown tired of the knights’ chatter. A country with two SS-class superhumans already?
The public had already labeled Mushin as an SS-class reincarnator.
The association noted that he was unregistered and needed to be approached with caution.
‘…They must be starting to track him.’
The moment Mushin appeared online, the association began identifying everyone who awakened within five days of that event.
Some assumed Mushin had been active for a while; he was just late to the network. Considering his power, he might have been active for years.
‘Judging by public opinion, I’m still safe.’
No one knew I was Mushin yet.
‘Not bad.’
I let out a sigh of relief. Then.
“Jin-woo.”
Someone called me. I looked up—it was my teacher.
“Oh, teacher.”
“How’s your body?”
“I’m fine. How about you?”
“I’m fine too.”
Though she smiled, she didn’t look fully recovered. I heard she had only recently awakened.
“…Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine. But you—are you truly okay? I heard it was dangerous.”
“I’m fine too.”
I flexed my biceps to show that I was okay.
Hahaha.
My teacher laughed at my comical pose.
“Jin-woo.”
“Yes?”
“You worked hard. I saw your efforts.”
“….”
Caught off guard by the praise, I smiled awkwardly.
“It’s nothing. It was what I had to do.”
“No one else could have done it. Only you. Surely your parents….”
The teacher paused mid-sentence. I smiled faintly.
“Yes, I think they would agree.”
“…Yeah.”
“When will you be discharged?”
“Probably tomorrow.”
“…Tomorrow?”
Already? She had been severely injured, lying down for three straight days.
“You’re healthier than you look.”
I laughed at her imitating my pose earlier.
‘…Right, I shouldn’t forget.’
Though she looked fragile, she was a B-class superhuman. Her recovery would be faster than an ordinary human.
“Will you return to work immediately?”
“I suppose so. I can’t take a break if there’s no one to teach the students.”
I nodded at her words. Few can teach superhumans. I’d heard instructors at the superhuman school basically did it as volunteer work.
‘Being active as a superhuman probably pays better.’
Yet they chose to teach students anyway. Truly voluntary work.
Then.
“And you, Jin-woo?”
My teacher asked.
“I…”
Every time someone asked, I always answered the same. My unchanging response.
“I’ll become a knight.”
“….”
My teacher looked at me as if she already knew. I had given this answer dozens of times, even when told it was impossible.
“I see.”
Unlike before, there was no worry in her eyes now.
“You can definitely do it.”
“….”
I swallowed hard at her trustful words.
“…Thank you. I’ll make sure to succeed.”
I forced a smile. Through the deep winter, it felt like I had finally taken a step into the next season.
After finishing my conversation with my teacher, I returned to the hospital room.
‘When will I be discharged?’
Unlike my teacher, I would need to stay a few more days.
‘My body’s fully healed, though.’
Nothing really hurt. A little stiffness could be resolved with simple stretching.
‘…I wasn’t that badly injured anyway.’
I wasn’t crushed by anything like my teacher; I had only fainted. I could leave anytime.
‘Feels like they’re holding me back.’
It almost seemed like they didn’t want me to leave yet.
“Hmm.”
It was slightly uncomfortable, but I didn’t think much of it.
‘When else would I get a hospital room to myself?’
Rent was tight; when else could I use such a fancy hospital room alone?
I decided to enjoy it.
“Well then…”
I plopped onto the bed. There were still an hour or two before mealtime or checkups.
“Time to try this…”
I waved my fingers while lying down.
Ding.
An alarm sounded, and something popped up in front of me.
It was the item I had received as an achievement reward not long ago.
[■ Mushin’s Training 1 (EX)]
[■ Use it? Y/N]
“…Hmm.”
An EX-class item. Just the name hinted it was connected to my past life.
‘Looks like it’s a usable item.’
Pressing it would activate it. So.
‘What happens if I use it?’
I wondered. It said “Training,” but didn’t explain what would happen.
‘Well.’
It must be meant to be used, so I cautiously pressed Y.
The moment I did:
[■ You have accepted the use of Training 1.]
[■ Ticket consumed.]
[■ Gate is being unlocked.]
“Huh?”
A gate?
[■ EX-class Gate. Mushin’s Mindset has been unlocked.]
[■ Enter the Gate.]
Alarms flooded the screen, and my consciousness began to blur like last time.
When I opened my eyes again,
“…Where am I now?”
I was standing in an area I could never have imagined.
While Lee Jin-woo was entering the gate,
Shiiik.
Someone was watching the feed from a camera in his room.
“…Zoom in more.”
It was the association superhuman, Nokyeon Sword, Jeon Yu-seon.
The screen zoomed in.
Jin-woo, lying on the bed, propped himself up and then lay back down.
A trivial action.
‘…Nothing noteworthy again.’
Yu-seon narrowed her brows. She had been monitoring Jin-woo for days, but nothing unusual appeared.
The association head had ordered careful observation, but Yu-seon didn’t see much value in it.
‘It seems meaningless.’
The head’s insight had rated Jin-woo’s grade as not particularly high.
So Jin-woo was indeed a low-tier superhuman. No need for excessive surveillance.
‘Of course…’
However, the destructive power on display didn’t match a low-tier superhuman. Yu-seon was aware of this.
‘Skill aside, the protective device’s explosion played a big role.’
The association had concluded that the surrounding protective device’s blast, rather than Jin-woo’s skill, caused the observed effects.
‘That must be it.’
It was the association head speaking—someone experienced in everything.
‘Could it be that the head—’
Was he suspecting this young superhuman was Mushin? The awakening timing and Korean nationality matched.
‘No way.’
Yu-seon had seen Mushin in action. His level was completely different. Presence, strength, everything. How could Jin-woo be Mushin?
‘He must be suspecting something else.’
An irregular—still an unannounced special superhuman. That must be it.
As Yu-seon rationalized this, her phone rang.
Vwoooong.
“This is Jeon Yu-seon of the Association. How can I help…?”
The voice on the other end made her frown.
“…Who is this?”
She thought she misheard.
“…Irene has applied to enter Korea? Suddenly… what? Eh?”
Irene—the current symbol of the U.S., one of the world’s only three SS-class reincarnators, and the strongest among them—was suddenly trying to enter Korea.
“If permission isn’t granted… she’ll just break through? What is that.”
And by an extremely aggressive method, no less.
