No Room for Politics

I wasn't completely clueless about what he was getting at.

It was just so sudden and out of left field that I decided to play dumb.

Might as well hear the man out.

"Um... I'm having a little trouble following this conversation."

"Sudden, isn't it? At twenty-two you're still at an age where politics is a mystery. But I hold that ability of yours in very high regard. You know there's a presidential election this year, don't you? Haha... Come to think of it, you've never even cast a ballot for president with your own hands yet."

So he's trying to recruit me right now?

He's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠going to run for president and wants me under him to go around yelling "Please vote for our candidate Na Ilpyo" or some shit like that?

Fuck, a guy claiming he's running for president can't even scrape together two billion won?

Like hell I'd crawl under a bastard like that.

Not a chance in hell.

Regardless of my thoughts, National Assemblyman Na Ilpyo kept rattling on without pause.

"Young man. Do you know how the current president of this country got into that seat?"

"Well... he won through an election, I suppose. Or are you saying it was rigged?"

"That's not what I mean. It was a Transcendent. That Park Yuri or Ppaguri or whatever the bitch is called—he dragged her in, rode the public wave, and got elected. Transcendent my ass. He swore up and down that if people just trusted him, he'd make Korea the safest country in the world. Look at Cheonji-dong this time. Completely useless. And I'm not just saying that because it's my district."

"Haha... right. But without her, the damage would have spread across all of Seoul..."

So Park Yuri had been sweet-talked into the military by the president?

How had I never known that?

I hadn't paid any attention to presidential elections back in high school, sure.

Anyway, that meant Park Yuri was at least twenty-four or twenty-five.

She'd already been famous as a Transcendent four or five years ago, after all.

"Enough about that. Now look at you. With the power you possess, there's no need to rely on one single monster of a person. If you raised the strength of every Awoken in the Republic of Korea, what then? Our country becoming the strongest in the world wouldn't even be a dream. The entire nation would welcome you with open arms. You'd be a hero!"

Listen to him butter me up.

Sorry, but I'd already heard more than enough of that kind of flattery over the past few days.

And not from some fifty- or sixty-year-old geezer— from fresh, green high-school girls.

"I'm sorry, but I have no interest in politics."

"That's only because you're still too young to understand. Listen carefully: this world belongs entirely to those who hold power. What's your dream? Money? Women? Once you get your hands on real authority, all of that comes rolling in on its own."

He wasn't entirely wrong, but that didn't mean I had any intention of dipping my toes into political games.

Especially not by joining hands with trash like him.

"That's enough. I have a prior engagement this evening. I'm rather busy."

"What?!"

"I'll pretend I never heard any of this. Take the money and go home. Now if you'll excuse me... let's go, Miss Hong Eunyoung."

"Hey!"

"Th-that man..."

"Fine. I'll leave for today. But eventually you'll come under me. Yes—bring that Shin Haneul friend of yours along too. And if it's An Sora, even better; she's already Awoken."

"......"

I stopped mid-step toward the door.

What did he just say?

"Don't tell me... you've already dug into my background?"

"Heh... well. I can't exactly answer that, but do we look like the sort of people who move carelessly? This is all politics—"

Crunch.

I crushed the door handle with nothing but grip strength.

Slowly I turned my head and locked eyes with Assemblyman Na Ilpyo's face.

Sensing the shift in my mood, the man in the suit hurriedly stepped between us.

An aide?

These days even National Assembly aides double as bodyguards, apparently.

"Move."

"Th-th-this gentleman was elected by the votes of the people—"

"Who the hell doesn't know that?!"

Boom—!

Another footprint-shaped crater punched deep into the floor of the room.

"M-Mr. Kang Junghyeok, please calm down."

"How far did your background check go? Don't tell me you plan to take my acquaintances hostage and threaten me?"

"O-of course not. My father may have a rough mouth, but he's not the sort to go that far."

Hnnnng—

I gathered mana.

A dazzling cluster of light flared from my right fist.

Boom—! Thud-thud-thud.

I swung my arm.

The wall my fist touched crumbled into powder and collapsed.

The thick soundproofing walls came down like paper.

Nineteen-year-old Na Seonghyuk, the one whose mana I had stripped earlier, had fled to the farthest corner of the room and was trembling.

His father and grandfather on the sofa were shaking just as hard.

I casually shoved the aide aside.

He crumpled to the floor without putting up any resistance.

"Urgh... M-Mr. Kang Junghyeok."

I walked up to the sofa and looked down at the trembling father and son.

"Listen carefully, Assemblyman. If you try any more stupid tricks, not only you but your entire family will be wiped out. Even if you call a Transcendent then, it won't matter. Ask that son and grandson shivering in the corner why."

Riiip—!

"Eek..."

I sliced the leather sofa they were sitting on open with a knife-hand strike.

Thinking I was about to hit him, Na Seonghyuk's father had a full-blown seizure.

I ignored it and turned away.

Time to leave.

I tossed one last line over my shoulder.

"Gentlemen. If this had been inside a dungeon, I wouldn't have let a single one of you walk out alive. Remember my words."

Bang!

I kicked the door—handle already destroyed, impossible to open—clean off its hinges.

Hong Eunyoung hurried after me.

"Um... Junghyeok-ssi."

"Yes."

"Are you very angry?"

"No. Just a little... irritated."

It was only natural that once my ability became public, countless rich men would come waving stacks of cash.

But that wasn't the only thing I'd expected.

Bugs would swarm too.

I'd already prepared myself for that.

I just hadn't expected a giant piece of trash like this to show up from the very start.

I immediately pulled out my smartphone and called the doctor.

One ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reason only.

"Got something on your conscience? I'm coming over for a mana test right now."

"Yes. This time I want you to measure my own mana. It feels like it's increased quite a bit."

Right now my mana was publicly known as B-10.

Only Senior An and I knew the real figure.

Time to update the information.

I felt the need to cut down the number of swarming bugs at the root.

"And spread the results of this test far and wide. I won't care what kickbacks you take along the way."

"I'm counting on you. I can come right now, yes?"

A-10.

Except for Transcendents, no one would be able to touch me alone.

Go ahead and try.

My ability isn't just about mana quantity.

After hanging up with the doctor I immediately called someone else.

What was she doing right now?

It hadn't even been a few days since I'd last seen her face.

"I miss you. Let's meet today."

"Haa... then I guess I'll have to call Miss Baek Hwayeon or Miss Lee Donggeul instead. Goodbye—"

"You just asked if I was crazy."

"So you'll meet me?"

The irritation that had been simmering cooled a little.

This girl was surprisingly cute when you looked closely.

"Then get ready. I'll text you the place and time soon."

I felt a little sorry toward Kim Isol.

I needed to push our Synchronization Rate to 100 percent as fast as possible.

Things had been going so smoothly since I entered the Academy that I'd gotten too comfortable.

Time to pop the bubble and keep the tension sharp.

This world wasn't that easy to handle.

I needed to get stronger before even more annoying problems showed up.

The three female Awoken who had once been my team members at the old company.

Lee Donggeul currently held the highest Synchronization Rate.

Baek Hwayeon, thanks to her archery training at the Academy, would be the most useful if I borrowed her abilities.

The reason I deliberately chose Kim Isol over those two was simple.

She was a close-range dealer.

As a close-range dealer her defense was higher than the others.

Her body was specialized for movement, so her reflexes were sharp and her evasion speed naturally high.

To make full use of the ability that erased an opponent's mana, I first needed to raise my own survivability as high as possible.

If I'd had a female ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠acquaintance who was a tank with Potential 7 or higher, I would have prioritized her.

Since I didn't, Kim Isol was the optimal choice available to me right now.

Purely in terms of efficiency.

That didn't mean I was forcing myself with someone I disliked.

Her looks were close to my ideal type, and her personality was...

Let's leave that story there.

We'd already arrived.

"It's been a while. Have you been well?"

"Ugh..."

The moment Kim Isol saw me she furrowed her brow.

Why?

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No..."

Her gaze was fixed not on me but behind me.

Secretary Hong Eunyoung.

I'd needed a car to come up from the Academy to Seoul.

Far more convenient than a taxi; there was no reason not to use it.

"It's fine. She's going back and will pick me up again tomorrow."

"Hmph... who said anything?"

"You're the same as ever."

"What is..."

"Nothing. Let's go eat dinner."

"H-here? This place has to be insanely expensive."

"It's fine. I've got money."

"No. I'll pay for my own share. It's not our company anymore. No corporate card either."

"Then treat me."

"What?"

"Treat me. Awoken make good money, don't they?"

"I can't... I'm already struggling because of the penalty fees."

So she really was quitting to follow me.

With the leash of mana improvement around her neck, it was only natural.

"I'll pay. Have you already left the company?"

"Not yet... I'm quitting tomorrow. I've already prepared the full penalty fee."

"If you're short, just say so. I really do have a lot of money."

"What about the company? Starting a new one costs a fortune, doesn't it?"

"Are you worrying about me right now?"

"...Yeah."

A snort of laughter escaped me.

That little hellion Kim Isol, worrying about me?

She immediately snapped back at my laugh.

"I-I'm just worried because you're unreliable! I already quit my company for this side—if it fails, I'm screwed."

"It won't fail. Don't worry. You're terminating the contract because you trust me, right?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

We traded pointless conversation while finishing dinner.

Top-tier hotel, as expected.

Worth every won.

While eating dessert I thought it over.

This was the first time I'd come to a hotel with Kim Isol fully intending to go all the way.

Last weekend when I'd brought Hong Eunyoung up I'd been shameless, but what about today?

Had Kim Isol come out expecting things to end up like this?

"Isol-ssi."

"Yeah."

"I've already reserved a room."

"...?"

"If you don't want to, just say so."

"B-but... it's so sudden..."

"You said you're quitting the company. Our company only plans to take elites. Don't we need to raise the parts that are lacking?"

"That's true, but..."

Why did she keep glancing around?

Worried someone she knew might see us?

I'd always thought this girl was surprisingly conscious of other people's eyes.

From the very first meeting with the whole "I need to pee" thing...

Well, anyone would have been self-conscious in that situation.

"You're coming up, right? Or should I call the others instead?"

"Kgh... why do the other girls keep coming up?!"

"It'd be a waste. Do you know how much one night at this hotel costs?"

"Is it okay to throw money around like that? What about the company?"

"Don't worry. I'll handle it."

In front of Senior I'd acted spoiled, yet in front of this girl I spoke as if nothing was wrong.

Who the other person was made a huge difference.

Without even realizing it, completely different actions and speech came out of me.

"Shall we go? That enormous potential of yours—tonight I'll awaken every last bit of it."

"......"

I quietly stood and held out my hand.

Kim Isol stared up at my face for a long moment, then finally took it.

Cheeks already flushing red.

A shy expression.

We stepped into the elevator.

The narrow space, just the two of us, filled completely with the sound of a racing heart.

"They told us not to use mana carelessly outside of dungeons... but I ended up using it without thinking."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean I can hear every single beat of your heart, Isol-ssi."

"......"

Her face turned so red it looked ready to burst.

Together we headed for the suite.