Chapter 17 …
I Picked an EX-Class Past Life
There was no helping it.
To her, nothing really mattered except matters related to the Martial God.
That was the sole reason she had come to Korea in the first place.
‘Ah.’
Then, all of a sudden, a forgotten fact came back to her.
One annoyingly troublesome human briefly crossed her mind.
‘Hmm.’
The Mad Dog in China.
That lunatic had ruined Irene’s mood.
It was the hour when people began moving about and the stillness of the night shattered one piece at a time.
In Beijing, China—inside a massive building located there.
At the very top floor of the corporate building belonging to a company called Yonghwaseong (龍畵城).
It was a place no one could enter lightly—whether corporate executives or anyone else.
Only with the permission of the master of this place could one ever step inside.
There, a young man was present.
Lin Xiao, China’s S-rank superhuman, was kneeling on the floor with his head bowed.
“Hmm.”
What looked down at him was someone sitting with legs crossed on a single chair, positioned in a dim space where shadows pooled.
His eyes were an unusual shade of violet, giving off an oddly alien atmosphere.
“So.”
The man with purple eyes spoke while looking at Lin Xiao.
“You met that Martial God yourself, didn’t you?”
At those words, Lin Xiao flinched.
Without lifting his head, he nodded repeatedly.
“…Yes.”
Upon hearing the answer, the violet eyes curved slightly—he was smiling with his eyes.
“You did meet him, sure, but—”
Flutter.
The man lightly flicked the documents he was holding.
“What’s with this ‘100% contribution’ nonsense?”
“……”
“Lin Xiao.”
“Yes……”
“Lin Xiao.”
“Yes, hyung—”
“You useless piece of trash.”
“…!”
Kugugung—!!!
“Ghk…!”
It felt as though the air itself gained weight as something enormous pressed down on Lin Xiao’s shoulders.
It was an overwhelming pressure that couldn’t be explained by something as simple as a massive rock.
“Ghk… ghh…!”
“You embarrass me, and you don’t even know moderation. How could you disgrace me like this? Look at this.”
Thud.
The man tossed the paper he was holding in front of Lin Xiao.
Several article headlines were printed on it.
“‘China’s S-rank superhuman, Lin Xiao. Even he was powerless before the Martial God’s might…’”
“…Ghhhk…”
“Answer me, Lin Xiao. Did you let your guard down?”
“Th-that is—”
“Or was it that ridiculous pride of the Central Plains again? Did you lose your temper over something pointless?”
“……”
“Ah, Lin Xiao. Didn’t I tell you?”
Tap. Tap.
The man continued, lightly tapping the armrest of his chair.
“That martial reincarnations don’t exist only in China. I made it very clear that being born outside China doesn’t make someone a traitor.”
“…But…”
“What matters is power. Whether the Martial God is Chinese or not is irrelevant.”
Clicking his tongue, the man suppressed a sigh.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk… I’d already gone through the trouble of trying to cow the Korean Association President when he visited. Now things have gotten annoying.”
That sly old fox. It had felt good to toy with him back then.
“You’ve completely ruined my mood. How are you going to take responsibility for this?”
“…S-sorry… I’m sorry….”
“No. I don’t need an apology.”
Creeeak.
The man rose from his chair. At that sight, Lin Xiao’s heart plummeted.
“Sincerity matters more than apologies. Don’t you agree?”
“Hy-hyung… please… hyung, please…!”
“One arm should be enough. That should make up for the humiliation I endured.”
A chill ran down Lin Xiao’s spine. It felt like needles stabbing into his skull.
He was serious.
“Shall I pull it out?”
He really intended to rip off his arm.
A chilling hand moved toward Lin Xiao’s left arm, and sensing that, Lin Xiao shouted desperately.
“The M-Martial God…! The Martial God used power similar to yours, hyung!”
The man stopped dead.
“…What do you mean by that?”
“It’s certain… the Martial God… the power he used was martial arts, and… that martial art was similar to yours.”
Similar.
He couldn’t dare say it was the same.
Yet it wasn’t entirely different either.
“Ma-maybe… that Martial God is the one you’ve been searching for.”
“…Hmm.”
The man stepped back from Lin Xiao.
“Really?”
“…Yes.”
“I see….”
Heh heh heh heh.
The man let out a low chuckle. Hearing it, Lin Xiao barely managed to hold back a sigh of relief.
Then—
Baaak—!!
“Kuhk!”
Bang—!
Lin Xiao’s jaw snapped upward as he was slammed into the wall.
Crash.
Watching debris fall, the man spoke to him.
“You brought me information, so I’ll let you off at this. Ah—can you even hear me?”
Lin Xiao appeared to have already lost consciousness.
The man walked back and sat in his chair once more.
“Similar power, huh….”
His interest was piqued.
Could it really be the one he had been searching for, as Lin Xiao claimed?
Just as his curiosity began to boil—
Riiing—!
His phone rang.
Wiping Lin Xiao’s blood from his hand, the man answered.
“Good timing. Come up and clean this trash—hmm?”
Mid-sentence, his brow furrowed.
“What? That rude bitch? Hah?”
After hearing everything, the man burst into laughter.
“Hahahahahaha!”
His loud laughter filled the room.
“Well, well? The woman who wouldn’t budge no matter what—she’s going to Korea?”
The corners of his mouth curled sharply upward.
“Interesting.”
Apparently—
“This doesn’t seem like a coincidence, does it?”
That small patch of land must have something on it.
Slither.
Like a snake’s, the man’s tongue flicked out as he finished his thought.
“I’m going to Korea. Tell them it’s to give my answer to the conversation I had with the Association President.”
He clenched his hand.
Crunch—!
The phone he was holding was crushed to pieces.
“Wait for me.”
That blonde, insolent bitch.
Thinking of that displeasing face—
The only SS-rank superhuman in China,
Wei A-jun smiled.
Three days had passed since I’d been abruptly discharged.
It felt like a typhoon of events had blown through.
[An international summit is expected to be held regarding this gate incident…]
[The Association remains silent regarding Irene’s entry into Korea…]
[According to insiders, it won’t be long before it’s revealed—connections between the Korean Superhuman Association and Irene…]
Scrolling through the flood of media articles, I glanced down.
[The Martial God once again achieved 100% contribution in this gate. His true identity?]
[An overwhelming figure even S-rank Lin Xiao couldn’t look up to.]
[Is this the birth of a new SS-rank?]
“……”
There were far more articles than before—every single one about the Martial God.
Even days after the gate incident ended, it was still like this.
The heat hadn’t died down at all.
The birth of a new powerhouse always ignited people like this.
Thanks to that—
‘All articles about me are gone.’
Stories about Lee Jin-woo, the young hero of Yeouido, had noticeably died down.
Whether that was fortunate or not was hard to say.
“Mr. Lee Jin-woo.”
I turned at the sound.
“Yes.”
It was Jeon Yuseon.
“Are you nervous?”
“Nervous? Uh… not really.”
When I answered with an awkward smile, she nodded.
“I felt it last time too—you seem quite broad-minded.”
“No… it’s just that it doesn’t feel real yet.”
I was riding in a car provided by the Association, heading toward the center of Seoul.
And all for—
‘My knighthood inauguration ceremony.’
The knight position I’d obtained during my talk with the Association President.
I was being parachuted straight in.
They said they’d be awarding something like a plaque to the Hero of Yeouido.
‘They work fast.’
I got a message the moment I was discharged—telling me the ceremony would be held three days later.
‘…Hmm.’
I looked out the window.
The Association hadn’t said anything about the man who’d been watching me.
Were they pretending not to know?
It was strange, but I didn’t press the issue.
‘For some reason…’
[■ Hero’s Super Senses (S)]
I felt like that was the right call.
“We’ll be arriving shortly.”
The 기사 (escort) in front spoke. Looking ahead, I could see a massive building looming.
‘That’s it.’
The Seoul branch of the Korean Superhuman Association.
The place known as headquarters.
‘…Wow.’
It was my first time here.
Unless you had a reason, it wasn’t somewhere you could easily visit.
And now I was going there.
‘The place I’d wanted to enter so badly.’
As I stared in amazement, the car passed straight through the Association’s main gate.
Click-click-click!
Camera shutters erupted.
Looking around, I saw reporters lined up everywhere.
Only then did I start to feel the pressure.
“Please get out.”
Jeon Yuseon spoke.
We had already arrived.
I got out of the car and was guided inside—a small waiting room.
“Later, the Association President will mention you. When he does, come out through that entrance.”
She pointed to a door in the waiting room.
I nodded.
“Yes, understood.”
“Then.”
She left with a nod.
From the speakers mounted on the wall, a familiar voice rang out.
—In this Yeouido terror incident—
It was President Baek Hyun-ho’s voice.
He must already be on the podium.
After some brief, formal remarks—
—When even the Association failed to act properly, someone risked their life amid danger to save civilians.
I felt it.
It was time.
—That is why we are gathered here. Please give a big round of applause and support for Yeouido’s young hero…!
“Now.”
At the staff member’s cue, I stepped through the door.
“This is Superhuman Lee Jin-woo.”
Click-click-click!
The shutters exploded again, along with deafening applause.
Pushing through the noise, I stood before Baek Hyun-ho.
“Thank you for protecting the citizens.”
“…It was nothing.”
I received the certificate first.
As I took it, Baek Hyun-ho stepped beside me with a microphone.
“And in addition.”
The applause gradually subsided.
“Through this incident, everyone in the Association—including myself—has come to deeply realize the seriousness of the situation.”
His expression turned solemn.
“As many have criticized us for, the current Association has many shortcomings. That is precisely why we wish to use this moment to create meaningful change.”
The man who had been smiling moments ago now wore a firm expression as he placed a large hand on my shoulder.
“Here and now, I announce the establishment of a new knight corps.”
The murmuring stopped instantly.
‘…A new knight corps?’
This was news even to me.
“A corps dedicated solely to counter-terrorism—not gate response or domestic security. And—”
Tap, tap.
He patted my shoulder.
“We plan to enlist Superhuman Lee Jin-woo, the Hero of Yeouido, into this knight corps as a knight.”
The murmurs erupted again.
—A knight?
—Without even taking the exam?
—A brand-new knight corps?
—Counter-terrorism only…?
The reactions weren’t good.
Then—
“Furthermore.”
Baek Hyun-ho raised his voice, silencing the crowd.
“We have also invited the individual who will serve as captain of this knight corps.”
Captain.
The one who would bear responsibility for the unit.
“The one who will shoulder this crucial role and work alongside Lee Jin-woo to protect peace is—”
Click.
My super senses picked something up.
The sound of heels echoed from afar.
‘Huh.’
My hair stood on end.
I’d felt this before.
‘No way…?’
I turned toward the sound.
“She has traveled from afar, knowing of Korea’s danger.”
Baek Hyun-ho continued.
“One of the current SS-rank superhumans, and a symbol of the United States.”
At last, brilliant blonde hair appeared at the entrance.
Her expressionless face turned toward me—and for a brief moment, I saw the faintest curve at the corner of her lips.
Irene looked away and faced the audience.
Every mouth in the room fell open.
As if he’d expected this, Baek Hyun-ho smiled.
“This is Hale Irene.”
The momentary silence shattered.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
The sound of cameras went completely wild, filling the space.
