Generation Shift
I stared at Valentina, thinking, Generation shift? What the hell is this woman talking about?
"Honey, you have a bad habit of undervaluing yourself. I get it, of course. You've spent so long keeping your head down, and now you've suddenly got all this power—it's hard to adjust, right? But everyone's the same. Hunters are all lottery winners, big jackpot or small. I think there's a reason you got this power. Anyway, we'll talk about that later~ The point is, to lead all these women—and even more in the future—you've gotta show what you're capable of, yeah? That's the only way we'll trust and follow you~~"
She was spouting terrifying words in that cutesy, coquettish tone. Fine. I figured I had my own role to play if I wanted to lead all these talented women. But wasn't this too sudden? Even so, telling me to go one-on-one against Jo Dong-geun, Korea's former top hunter who once ruled the nation?
Sure, I knew I was an S-rank hunter now, with massive mana reserves inside me. But I didn't have enough skills to unleash it properly yet. And I lacked real experience wielding them effectively. Embarrassing as it was to admit, 99% of my experience points had come from sex.
"Are you insane, sis?" Kim Eun-bi piped up in protest. "Jo Dong-geun's no ordinary guy. What if oppa gets hurt? You think he's your personal property or something?"
As soon as she spoke, the other women jumped in like they'd been waiting.
"Yeah, you can build up your power gradually. What's the rush for something this reckless?"
"Even without buffs, we can't ignore Jo Dong-geun's abilities. Who knows what variables might pop up."
Predictable complaints erupted. But Valentina showed no sign of backing down.
"Everyone, quiet~~" She spread her arms wide, and they all shut up at once, like their mouths were sealed with honey. Probably sorcery.
"Any woman who says that doesn't deserve Sung-gi. Our duty is to trust and follow him."
The women couldn't utter a word. Sorcery again, no doubt. It wouldn't last long—I knew the basics of sorcery myself. Without a doll, a sudden cast like that wouldn't be very potent. In this brief window, Valentina was forcing my hand.
The choice was mine anyway. She grinned at me without a care in the world. Seeing that expression left me feeling oddly deflated.
Fine. No backing down now. Sure, if everyone here teamed up, taking down that one guy would be a breeze—but that defeated the purpose. A fine offering. Like Valentina said, maybe not a full generation shift, but with their help propelling me to S-rank, this was my chance to shift from relying on them to protecting them—a major turning point.
"Got it." I stepped forward.
The speechless women's pupils dilated in unison. I turned to them and shrugged.
"I'll be back."
"That's my honey!" Valentina beamed, pointing at the dimensional rift her sorcery had torn open.
"Come back safe, honey!"
Sigh. Life doesn't always let you do what you want. Your desires might pull one way, but reality's walls force you into unwanted paths. I'd awakened ten years ago, full of dreams for just a few months. Then years of false hope... Now that I finally had power, not using it would render all those years meaningless. Those ambitions and dreams from back then—I could finally make them real. This fight was for me too.
I stepped into the gaping purple dimensional rift.
Now that their mouths were free, the women shouted.
"No!"
"Don't go, Sung-gi!"
Their voices didn't reach me. I'd realized this was my mission. Miss this chance, and my life wouldn't pivot. I could manage, but my heart wouldn't rest easy.
I'll kill him with my own hands. I clenched my fist. The bastard who toyed with my women. If I didn't end him here, there'd be endless repercussions.
I reached into the rift.
Swoosh— It pulled me in like a powerful magnet. First my hand, then my arm, torso, head, and legs—all sucked through. The cries of "No!" and "Don't go~~!!" from behind faded into a muffled echo.
"Hm..." I looked around.
Having passed through the wall, the space wasn't much different from where I'd started. Just a bit darker, tinged purple, with a single veil separating me from the women. And right where I'd landed stood Jo Dong-geun, as if it were the most natural thing. His face twisted in rage, he loomed there solidly. The wounds from his car exploding had mostly healed. As expected—even a few days of debuffs couldn't fell a true powerhouse. He was still stronger than other S-rank hunters.
"You..." Jo Dong-geun glared at me with eyes red with fury. "Now I get it. The puzzle that never solved itself. You were the final piece."
"What're you talking about?" I frowned.
Puzzle? A moment's thought gave me the answer. He'd been wondering why Kang A-jin sided with Kim Seol-bi and came after him. And why they'd kidnapped Jo A-young. If Kang A-jin saw him as someone to take down out of justice, she'd have acted long ago. It didn't add up—and it hadn't.
"It was you."
"Hahaha!" Jo Dong-geun laughed, looking relieved.
"No idea how you charmed those women, but impressive. Truly outstanding!"
He seemed calmer than before. Seeing me come alone must've eased his mind. Impressive how he kept his confidence no matter the moment. That arrogance had made him Korea's number one—and without this mess, he'd have stayed there.
Generation shift... I revisited Valentina's words. Even without me, it would've happened eventually. Obvious what the future held with trash like him gripping Korea. Awakening was random luck, like hitting the lottery overnight. How you wielded it depended on your character. Absolute power and authority. Having it myself made it crystal clear.
Impossible otherwise. Without me, he wouldn't have been cornered like this. Not arrogance—I alone could kill him and change the future. My abilities had set this stage.
"So, what do you say?" Jo Dong-geun grinned wide, pointing beyond the veil with a finger. "Those women misunderstand men. Sure, you've brainwashed some. But men's instincts are conquest. Fight! Predation! Possession! I'll acknowledge you match me in power. But even you can't claim it all. I've held the throne for years, built something. Team up with me, and things get easy. I don't make right or left hands, but you... I could give you the spot on my right."
Sincerity flickered in his expression. He even pointed to his right side.
"Hahaha." Absurd.
Serious even now? He really thought I'd become his right-hand man?
Anyone normal might waver. Every Korean had some image of the mighty Jo Dong-geun. Who wouldn't be tempted by a seat at his right hand? He was right—if I tried muscling into his years of achievements, it'd be tough. Easier to enjoy power beside him and wait for a chance to strike.
But he didn't know. He acknowledged my power but arrogantly assumed I couldn't surpass him. If he'd judged coldly, he'd have knelt.
"Yeah, let's join hands. Thousands of those women couldn't match plotting our future together. You know that, right?"
Misreading my laugh, he blabbered nonsense.
"Fuck."
"Huh?"
"You psycho bastard."
"Huh?"
"You want me to turn into a nutjob like you?"
"Wha—?"
I spread my arms wide. Flutter, flutter, flutter—the talismans flew through the air.