Chapter 38
I’m translating the chapter into natural English and converting every in-universe reading element into the required styled HTML blocks. I’ll keep the prose fluent, preserve the glossary terms, and make sure the output starts exactly with `CHAPTER_TITLE:`.CHAPTER_TITLE: Chapter 38
After I finished talking with Irene, I went back to my room.
I hadn’t really done anything, so I had no idea why I felt this tired.
...I’m worn out.
If I had to pin down the reason, there was only one.
Maybe I shouldn’t have met him.
Yu Jin.
Just facing that bastard had left me strangely drained. Yes, just meeting him had done this much.
I let out a sigh. It felt like a thorn buried deep inside me had burst out on the breath.
For a fleeting moment, I even had the illusion that my throat was being scraped raw.
That was the feeling I had.
“...Tch.”
I had plenty to think about, and I couldn’t understand why I was wasting time on this. To think I was still being dragged around by something so far in the past.
“Get a grip.”
I exhaled the words like a vow, then flicked my finger.
I am entering the Reincarnator Network.
God of War has entered.
I glanced upward. The timer hovering over the system window was still there. Still short.
Countless posts flooded the screen. I read through them one by one. If nothing caught my eye, I clicked the search bar at the bottom and typed in God of War.
“...Huh?”
As I kept reading, I narrowed my eyes. You could change your network nickname? That was possible?
I looked around in surprise, then clicked the nickname written as God of War.
“Huh? Wait, what? There really is one?”
There was an edit function beside the nickname, shaped like a pencil. So you really could change your network name...?
If that existed, I should have used it ages ago—
The edit is unavailable.
“Excuse me?”
What?
God of War does not wish for it.
The edit is unavailable.
...
The edit was blocked.
I let out a thin breath. God of War didn’t want it?
I’m the one who wants it.
What kind of nonsense was “God of War doesn’t want it”?
Was my past life and I in different positions?
I narrowed my eyes.
Tch.
I clicked my tongue and searched for something else. This time I typed in terrorist, and although not as many posts appeared as for God of War, there were still plenty.
The most recent one was...
Just a few hours ago.
I opened it first.
Unregistered superhumans. Yes, that was right. Most terrorists were unregistered superhumans. That was how people saw them, and that was how I’d always seen them too.
...But that might not be the case anymore.
That was no longer true.
They can fool the Association’s eyes.
O Ji-min. Or was it the Shadow Star? The fact that an S-class superhuman had disguised himself as an A-class and infiltrated the Knight Order came to mind.
That means my old assumptions are useless.
If they could deceive the Association and get in, then the word unregistered had become meaningless.
“Haa.”
I thought it over.
“If O Ji-min really is a terrorist...”
What was his objective?
“There are only two possibilities.”
The answer was obvious without even looking.
“...Either the Knight Order itself, since it’s the anti-terrorism unit,”
or.
“...me.”
It was possible his target was simply me. Considering the way they’d directly attacked the Association last time, that seemed plausible.
I wasn’t sure whether they were really after me in particular, but that only made one thing clearer.
A trap.
Set a trap.
I didn’t know what they wanted, but if they were superhumans who chose to act as criminals anyway—
Krk.
My fingers dragged across the tabletop. The hardened fingertips of a superhuman left scratches in their wake.
What did my expression look like right now? I didn’t know. And I didn’t particularly want to.
“Set the trap, then go hunting.”
Clear them all out. I held tight to the purpose I’d taken on as a knight.
My gaze dropped again.
I was studying another post carefully when I saw it.
The reactions were skeptical.
I stopped reading at that.
Tracking magic?
That actually makes sense...
It was an S-class relic, after all. If it was something managed by a nation, it made sense to place measures on it so it couldn’t be lost.
No matter how often items didn’t disappear inside gates, you never knew what could happen.
...If that bracelet really does have something like that on it.
China might come looking for me.
Though if that were the case, wouldn’t my skill have already caught it?
Korca’s Mirage. Since it had the power to detect nearly every kind of abnormality, maybe it would have been able to avoid a tracking spell on the bracelet.
I closed the post there. The timer was almost up anyway.
“...Hmm.”
Then I looked at the bracelet on my wrist.
It was the thing I’d obtained from China’s wild dog.
“...Tch.”
Not quite a hot potato, but I honestly had no idea what to do with it.
There didn’t seem to be any obvious use for it.
“...As long as it doesn’t cause trouble, I guess.”
All I wanted was for this bracelet not to start any incidents.
That was all I hoped for now.
Unfortunately, I’d learn soon enough that life never made things that easy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Morning came, and after finishing my usual training, I headed out.
The training that started before dawn only ended as the sun began to rise, and I made my way toward the tall building standing in the middle of the city.
I stopped in front of the large building and approached, and from the door ahead, a voice sounded.
Knight Lee Jinwoo. Assigned to the newly established Knight Order.
Identification confirmed.
Please enter.
The door recognized me and opened on its own. I looked at it with interest, then stepped inside.
There were already a great many people gathered within.
“Ah! Y-You’re here!”
Someone waved at me. It was Park Deokin.
“Hello.”
“You made it. Hahaha.”
Park Deokin, who had passed the Knight Order selection. But he wasn’t the only one. Everyone gathered here had passed the previous knight interview.
“I really was grateful last time.”
Park Deokin thanked me again.
“Hm?”
“...I really didn’t think you’d pick me. Honestly, I didn’t even imagine I’d make it to the interview stage.”
“Ah.”
“I don’t know how I can ever repay this kindness...”
“No, you don’t need to repay me. I picked you because you were worth picking.”
If the Eye of Enlightenment told me something, I had to recruit them. This wasn’t just any talent; he had the makings of an SS-class superhuman.
How to bring that out was another matter.
But it meant his potential was that high. At least, that was what the skill had shown me.
While I was talking with Park Deokin—
“Sounds like you’re having an interesting conversation.”
A high voice cut in from the middle.
The woman in sunglasses, the Black Night Witch, Ye Jiram.
“...Ah.”
“Hi?”
“Hello.”
“B-B-Black Night Witch...”
Whether he recognized Ye Jiram or not, Park Deokin jolted in fright. At the reaction, Ye Jiram snorted.
“What? You look like you just saw a ghost. Do I look that scary?”
“N-No... I-I just got surprised.”
“You’re surprised by everything.”
Leaving Park Deokin to hunch in on himself, Ye Jiram turned her gaze to me.
“Nice to see you?”
“Hello.”
“You’re not nearly as startled as he is?”
“Ah... should I be?”
Should I have been startled now? I was still mulling that over when—
“What? Hahahaha!”
Ye Jiram burst out laughing.
“Look at this guy. You’re fun. I felt that last time too, but you’re kind of interesting.”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard that. Thank you.”
“It wasn’t exactly a compliment, but whatever. Anyway, let’s see each other more often, okay?”
Not happening.
I had no real desire to get tangled up with the Black Night Witch, who was famous for her temperament.
...I still don’t know why she’s here, either.
She was the sort of person who had worked independently, just like Jin Yeonhui. So why had she bothered joining the Knight Order?
That had been on my mind when—
“Why? Is it weird that I’m here?”
Apparently gifted with terrifying perception, the Black Night Witch pierced straight into my thoughts.
“...A little?”
I answered honestly, and the corners of her eyes curved slightly.
“I just figured it was time I lent the country a hand or something.”
That was complete and utter bullshit.
That was the first thought that came to mind when I heard it. It was nonsense. She didn’t even look like she was trying to make the lie convincing.
“You don’t believe me.”
“Ah, sorry...”
I wasn’t exactly gifted at acting, so my reaction must have shown.
“Doesn’t matter. Believing me or not isn’t important. Either way, take care of me, okay?”
As if she had no interest whatsoever in my feelings, Ye Jiram brushed her hair back and moved away. At that very moment—
Hero’s Super-sensory has activated.
☐ [Objective 1] — [0/x]
☐ [Objective 2] — [0/x]
🎁 Reward: [Reward]
Huh?
With a tingle, the skill activated. My head turned.
There was Jin Yeonhui there.
...What is it?
She wasn’t looking at me. So why had the skill suddenly triggered?
What the hell?
While I was rolling my eyes at the strange situation—
“...Good morning.”
A woman with a thoroughly exhausted look appeared.
Hale Irene, the strongest on Earth, had arrived.
The moment she appeared, everyone in the room held their breath.
“Haaam.”
Yawning, Irene moved toward the podium.
“...Thank you for coming so early.”
She said it in a voice that held not even a scrap of emotion.
“Congratulations on being chosen.”
“...”
“...”
Wow. She really had no soul.
How could a person be that transparent? It was impressive, in a way.
“The reason I called you this morning isn’t anything special...”
The reason everyone had gathered here was because Irene had summoned them the previous day.
“I was told to choose a squad leader...”
Squad leader.
When the atmosphere changed at those words—
“Anyone want to do it? Raise your hand.”
Irene said it with ridiculous casualness.
And then—
Someone’s hand shot up at once.
Faster than anyone else’s, too. The problem was...
“...Huh?”
That hand was mine.
It had gone up without my permission, completely on its own.
“Hey. Why did—”
“Accepted.”
“Excuse me?”
Irene looked at me and said that. What was she talking about?
Is this woman...?
Was she seriously using magic to force my arm up? I stared at Irene in disbelief when—
“Well now. Isn’t that a little much?”
A voice cut in, interrupting her.
A young man with a bright smile.
...O Ji-min.
It was O Ji-min wearing Kim Jincheol’s face.