The 4th World League
One of the hostages from the London terror attack uploaded a post to a player-related bulletin board, along with a video roughly fifteen minutes long.
Translated, the post read something like this:
"I'm one of the hostages from the London terror attack. Watch this video."
"The players beating down those Muslim bastards aren't Chinese. They're... North? No, I think it was South Korea... Anyway, they are NOT messing around."
"You get to see the insane, impossible moment when the hostages and terrorists swap places in an instant."
The video opened with the rat-tat-tat of gunfire and the voices of masked men screaming, Get down! At this point, you might as well say it had been filmed from the very beginning.
It contained scenes of Xenos in action, and even the voice of one of the Five Emperors as he appeared to negotiate with the assailants. The jittery, hidden shots—filmed in constant fear of being caught—heightened the footage's tension all the more.
And then.
The true highlight began when Baek Jinwoo stepped forward—the moment he tore open his shirt and the men under his command stepped up beside him, declaring they would fight together.
These were the real-time comments.
└ For real, THIS part is insane!
└ How does anyone even think of stepping up in that situation?
└ ...He's craaazy.
└ Who's that taekwondo girl? She's seriously cute?
Once the video's view count passed one billion, the platform went so far as to open a dedicated live chat window.
Those terrorist scumbags smiling is pissing me off.
Ugh, somebody just wreck them already.
Just wait a little. Those bastards are about to become paste.
The fight began quickly. From the very first exchange—his palm hammering down on the head of a hulking giant that swaggered up, forehead thrust out cockily—to Baek Jinwoo slipping past the punches of charging men and lightly returning them in kind, every move was captured as cleanly as a martial arts film.
Was it from this point? Even the person filming stopped hiding and began shooting openly.
THWACK!
With every single strike.
"GYAAAAAAGH!"
"URK!"
As if it had all been choreographed, the giants went flying or shrieked in agony.
????
??????
???
????
????????
???
The live chat window collected countless question marks.
Is that even possible?
Wow.
Those fists aren't human?
For real, his hand speed is f***ing fast. Shouldn't he be a research subject at this point?
For those guys, this is straight-up horror movie level.
And so it went, until they had taken down the ringleader giant and his underlings were screaming unconditional surrender. The video began in question marks and ended in question marks.
He's seriously f***ing strong...
The destructive power is unreal, but isn't he basically a gentleman? He puts them to sleep in one hit lol
Hard to call him a gentleman when there are that many guys wheezing in pain...
Monster
Literally the very embodiment of that overwhelming talent you only see in manga
This is scary as hell, honestly. Even on the Day of Peace, nobody should try getting cute with him
GodJinwoo
Is he that Jinugod? The one from all the 'Jinugod this, Jinugod that' talk?
Yep, he's in the video. He talks to Rachel super casually, like it's nothing
The video and its verdicts spread far and wide.
Jinugod!
Before the 4th World League had even properly begun, Baek Jinwoo had become a global superstar. Naturally, South Korea went into a frenzy.
Especially.
"That's enough, Rachel."
"Drop that cringeworthy title. Just call me Baek Jinwoo."
The scene of him saying this with icy coolness while tearing off his cotton tee was cut into highlight shorts and began spreading far and wide.
└ Damn.
└ Insane! That's f***ing awesome lol
└ Look at Baek Jinwoo being all cool. I'm a guy and even I'm falling for him;;
└ Is he really saying that to Rachel?
└ Jinugod IS pretty cringe lmaoooo
That Rachel.
One of the Five Emperors—and World Rank 1. Presidents, prime ministers, emperors, chancellors, chairmen of the world—the list went on and on. No matter which nation's head of state stood before her, they had no choice but to bow and scrape.
An asymmetric force spoken of in the same breath as a living nuclear bomb! And he had spoken to her like that, so coolly—how could the internet not blow its top!
Even worse. That video—of a man accomplishing what even the Five Emperors could not, through sheer impossible force—whipped national pride into such a frenzy that it blew clean past the lethal dose.
No—at this level, even the term 'national pride' was a misnomer. That was internet slang for people intoxicated by illusions about their own country, praising it blindly and unconditionally!
But this was no illusion. Look at it objectively, and it truly was that impressive.
It stamped into the minds of people all over the world, once more and in no uncertain terms, exactly where South Korea stood—a nation once dismissed as little better than a Chinese vassal state!
Only now were mentions of 'Jinugod' beginning to pop up in every corner of the globe.
People have always loved the strong and been curious about them. Ranking the great commanders of history, or throwing every real-world martial art into a pot to see who would come out on top—all of it for the same reason.
Naturally, a flood of attention turned toward 'Jinugod', and a considerable fanbase formed.
Considerable?
No, it seemed to be well beyond that.
"WAAAAAAAAH!"
"Jinugod! Jinugod! Jinugod!"
"Long live South Korea!"
Insane. A bizarre sight: foreigners in the heart of London chanting for South Korea.
Three days had already passed since the terror attack ended, yet the roar outside showed no sign of dying down.
"You're getting a bit too much attention, aren't you?"
Yoo Jia lifted the curtain slightly and looked down. Somehow the crowd had learned they were staying at this hotel, and a sea of people blanketed the street below. If not for the police and bodyguards ringing the hotel, it might have been a genuine disaster.
"Tell me about it."
Baek Jinwoo's hand was currently in a cast. However hard he had tried to pull his punches, it was almost a miracle he hadn't been hurt worse in such a sudden brawl. Fortunately, there was no fracture or anything of the sort; it seemed a ligament had merely stretched a little.
This much was nothing. Borrow his summons' power and it would heal in no time.
"I don't know what great deed I did to deserve all that."
Never mind anything else. He just wished they would stop with that Jinugod nonsense.
Eyes squeezed shut, Baek Jinwoo cursed his middle-school self. His edgelord phase was the sin. The sin!
"You did do something amazing, though..."
Even now, just thinking back on it made Yoo Jia's heart lurch. Terrifying terrorists. The hair-trigger moments she had felt right before the clash.
"Have you always been this good at fighting?"
"Hardly."
Baek Jinwoo smirked. Fighting? He had never had time for that, between all the gaming.
"But one thing's for sure..."
Baek Jinwoo's gaze swept the room. Every guild member sat cross-legged, training their breathing technique, while Hungyo watched over them with devoted care.
Perhaps because they had witnessed Baek Jinwoo's overwhelming display? They were training harder than ever, eyes blazing.
"I don't think I can afford to neglect martial arts anymore. All I ever heard about was the Day of Peace, the Day of Peace... This time, I truly felt it for myself."
Players had to be strong too. Only then could they be perfectly safe.
I need to look into more ways to guard against guns, snipers, cannons, that sort of thing.
The most shocking thing this time had been, without question, the Shield Release. The item itself was surely rare, but Baek Jinwoo refused to leave even the smallest gap open.
I have to train more.
He didn't yet know what martial art Hungyo would recommend, but he was more than willing to learn it.
"WAAAAAAH!"
"Baek Jinwoo! Baek Jinwoo!"
"JINU-GOOOOD!"
The crowd outside was still at it. Honestly, you'd think they'd get tired. The hero who saved London from terror, after all?
Attention isn't a good thing.
Attention was tantamount to vigilance. Luring the enemy into complacency was part of strategy—and now he would have to fight with that card off the table!
Well, whatever. Whether they were wary or not, he could simply crush everything anyway.
A rough analysis of last year's match footage suggested there was no need for such big worries. What mattered was combat sense in unexpected situations, and control.
"Yoo Jia, stop worrying about what's out there and practice your breathing technique."
"Me too?"
"Yes. Do this and you'll get healthier and live longer. Probably."
"Oh! Then I'll do it! Honestly, I've been wanting to try for a while now!"
"Hungyo."
"Yes, My Lord!"
"Recommend a mind method or cultivation technique that suits Yoo Jia."
"As you command, My Lord!"
Baek Jinwoo watched Hungyo bow his head in deep deliberation, then closed his eyes.
"Siii... hoo!"
He drew in a breath and let it out.
Yes. Until the League, breathing techniques it is. That was the best course.
December 31st. Early morning!
Countless players were streaming toward the Grand Hall of the London Player Zone.
Ka-chika-chika-chika-CHIK!
Only a handful of licensed individuals from around the world could bring cameras inside, and they broadcast the scene live.
"It's Moscow Man!"
"Wow, he really is built like a bear."
"Russia's one of the runner-up favorites too!"
Alexandr Beskov. The enormous man strode into the Grand Hall, leading Russia's national team.
"Mr. Beskov! Who's your pick to win it all this time?"
"Is it true you'll be forming an alliance again this time?"
The reporters fired off questions in English, but he gave no answer. Escorted by his bodyguards, he slipped away into the Grand Hall.
In total, 92 nations entered. 920 players.
Afghanistan and Pakistan, the nations implicated in the terror attack, were absent. The great powers had declared that any attempt to participate would see both countries reduced to the Stone Age—and so, left with no choice, they could not join.
Honestly, they had no grounds for complaint anyway. Every last one of their national team members had been part of Zahir Shu's armed group.
[Time is running out!]
[Each nation's 10 players must enter the Player Zone in 'London', United Kingdom, before the opening!]
[Failure to enter within the allotted time will result in automatic disqualification!]
Tick, tock! Time flowed on.
Nations around the world were filming the scenes in London and broadcasting them live.
"Yes, we've confirmed that all of our proud South Korean national team members have entered safely!"
"That's right. Somehow, our national team has already become the main event of the League before it's even begun."
"Captain Baek Jinwoo's performance was tremendous. Will he really deliver the semifinal miracle he promised the nation? All eyes are watching."
"Honestly, he's already raised the nation's prestige as it is! Hahaha! I mean, the whole world is already chanting South Korea's name!"
South Korea was no exception. As always, they had stationed professional MCs and casters, and paid a steep price for the broadcast rights to the Grand Hall.
"Mom, Dad! Over here!"
Baek Ajin had gone so far as to gather every last resident of YooBaek City. Families of the guild members and staff. On top of that, she had handed out invitations—one per person—drawing together quite a crowd.
"Sit here. Starting today, it's a festival for nearly three weeks."
Unlimited food! Unlimited drinks and alcohol! A giant projector, and even a guesthouse!
It was Yoo Jia's idea: cheering together would bind the residents even closer.
"Come along now, Hong Ari's mother, this way please! Jaehyuk's father! Right here! Yes, this spot!"
Naturally, the rankers' own families were there as well, and in preparing the festival they had broken the ice and grown quite close. And so YooBaek had completed its own brand of preparations for watching the League!
And then.
At last, noon arrived!
The System's message appeared before everyone's eyes.
At last.
It was the beginning of the 4th World League.