Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Protagonist (3)
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“Hey, could you please cut back on the cursing? That's all bad karma too...”
“Yeah, your mom.”
“No, you can't talk to the King of the Ten Hells like that...”
“If it bothers you, send me to hell then. Oh wait, you can't? My life's already hell.”
After unloading on the Ultra Mighty King, Yi So-young stared into the mirror.
She had to step back several paces just to fit her massive frame into view, and her previous form was almost entirely gone.
“Goddamn it.”
Her height had ballooned to 245 cm.
Forearms that far surpassed any bodybuilder, veins bulging prominently.
And a ripped six-pack starkly visible on her exposed midriff, with no clothes that fit anymore.
“How the hell is this a woman?!”
As she bellowed in rage, her reflection twisted in kind.
The sight was like some demonic fiend, making the Ultra Mighty King quietly avert his gaze.
“Don't say that. Your chest is way bigger than before, isn't it?”
“It's not fat—it's muscle! Why the hell did this happen?!”
“Hmm, from what I saw, it's connected to that ring.”
“What about this ring?!”
She tried to pull off the hero's ring.
But it clung tightly to her sausage-thick fingers and wouldn't budge.
“First off, I took a close look at your soul, So-young. Turns out in your past life, you were an Asura.”
“An Asura?”
“The three-headed, six-armed yokai—a battle race that lives in Asura realms. One of the ring's powers draws out the soul's hidden strength, so your past life's imprinted power emerged, and your body reacted to it...”
Frightened by Yi So-young, whose face had gone from demonic fiend to full-on Asura, the Ultra Mighty King subtly changed the subject.
“...Still, having a hidden origin secret makes you feel like a real manga protagonist, doesn't it? Y'know, like the TV said? Lee Seung-hoon is the final boss of this world right now, and you're chosen as the protagonist to take him down.”
“We've got magical girls too. Princesses. Why an Asura?!”
While the two bickered, Baal was watching the news on his smartphone.
[Uniforms unite everyone's hearts like nothing else. Humanity must now unite under philosophy.]
Hair slicked to the side.
A small mustache.
A sharp black uniform.
[For humanity's future!]
And even the salute reaching for the sky.
Baal felt a sense of wrongness from Lee Seung-hoon, who now perfectly embodied a dictator.
‘This is seriously off.’
He'd chalked it up to coincidence so far.
According to the info provider, the wall-mounted TV, he'd only promoted philosophy, literature, and art—the real chaos came from people's overzealous loyalty.
“But now he's stepping up for real.”
Like a true dictator.
The Lee Seung-hoon Baal knew had firm convictions but respected others', so he'd never force them like this.
‘If he were truly authoritarian, he'd have wrecked the world ages ago.’
If he'd wanted, he could've revoked community restrictions and spammed endlessly.
Rounded up everyone whose life looked tough by his standards and shipped them to another world.
Used quest tickets to boost his abilities, then leveraged infinite wealth with the equal exchange scale to reshape the world to his liking.
‘But he respected others' beliefs, so he didn't. He stuck to goodwill and conviction, but learned a lesson watching humans corrupt their own greed with it.’
This coercive display contradicted everything before.
“Well, humans change, so it could happen.”
“Phew, finally calmed her down. What're you doing by yourself?”
“Observing Lee Seung-hoon's changes.”
“Oh, that? Isn't it just final boss stuff?”
The Ultra Mighty King mimicked Lee Seung-hoon.
They'd all long since confirmed the world's full setup via the info provider, the wall-mounted TV.
“Everyone thinks they're the world's protagonist, but I'm quitting that role! From now on, I'm the final boss!”
“Does that mean Lee Seung-hoon has fallen to mental corruption? He chats fine with the Blue Moon, though.”
“Nah, he accepted it. He set up this whole situation as the reserve King of Hell, remember? He even said he'd take the final boss spot himself.”
Lee Seung-hoon's convictions: live humanely.
And ensure humanity survives the entities.
The current world satisfied both.
“It aligns with his beliefs. He has to become the final boss. It was his own proposal too. So he embraced the power and fate of a final boss, and that's what shaped him now.”
“Makes sense then. So that's his vision of a final boss. And all he does in that getup is spread philosophy, literature, and art.”
“I'm relieved too. Was worried it'd be mass slaughter or something. But that's all just speculation. Could be he's not some destined final boss—he might just like it that way. Guy's so unique, wouldn't be weird if he's rampaging thinking it's for humanity.”
“Or maybe the fate dragging him to final boss status made people misinterpret his words, creating this world. Eh, doesn't matter either way.”
Baal closed the news and logged into the 「World Racing Association」 to check the last race schedule of the year.
[World Final Years Racing 2025]
[2025 Final World Racing Championship]
[Date: December 31, 2025]
[Eligibility: Top 1-3 racers from each country]
[Venue: Lee Seung-hoon Leader Town Racing Track]
Yi So-young was currently ranked 2nd in Korea.
“Time to end this damn world.”
Yi So-young gripped the steering wheel.
『Aaah! The day is finally here! The final world championship to cap off 2025! Hosted by racer Lee Seung-hoon himself! Every entrant is a powerhouse!』
A bizarre encounter with the TV monster.
Mini Kings of Hell and mini demons summoned from a foggy temple.
Suits whose faces couldn't be made out.
A ring that drew out her soul's past-life power.
A golden race car that couldn't be destroyed and absorbed all crash impacts harmlessly.
Strange pills that made her an ace racer.
Someone's tears that unleashed insane power when added to the engine.
『Entrant No. 1! Korea's No. 2! A comet who burst onto the scene, overtaking all with her golden vehicle and dominating ranks! Her car trails a comet's tail when she races! Gold-Tail racer! Looks scary, but probably has a kind heart! She's a woman, not a man! Yi So-young!』
“Fuck.”
After that, a short yet endless time training to become a racer.
Her skills grew fast, but she lost her old form and became this monster.
『Entrant No. 7! A broadcaster by trade!? And this tiny girl is actually an adult!? Fans say dark-skinned Vtubers are naturally gifted in everything! No idea what that means, but Korea's No. 3 racer! The broadcast monster devoured by her “Tteol-tta-eo” concept, impossible to interview! Virtual racer Yi So-hee!』
She just wanted to return the world to normal.
That was the only thing in Yi So-young's heart.
『Final entrant No. 31! Our leader! The one who taught us philosophy's depths, literature's value! Who showed art's beauty, humanity's unity and potential! Korea's No. 1, world's unbeatable racer, the invincible Lee Seung-hoon!』
The announcer's cry signaled the start of the race.
“Please.”
She floored the accelerator.
“Let us go back to the normal world.”
Compared to the prep time, the result came in a flash.
The race wasn't over, but in just 10 minutes, everyone but Yi So-young and Lee Seung-hoon was out.
“Push harder! Fighting! Floor it a bit more and you'll catch up!”
“Ooh! The end's in sight! Not much left!”
Mini Ultra Mighty King and mini Baal chattered at her side.
Yi So-young ignored them, slamming the pedal and wrenching the wheel like a maniac.
“Raaaaagh!”
A momentary 15G gravitational acceleration.
A physical force no machine spirit could endure—but her body, awakened with Asura blood, handled it effortlessly.
“Not much left! Catch up just a bit more!”
“Right ahead! Reverse at the end like a true protagonist!”
“Both of you shut up!”
The goal was right there.
The finish line too.
With victory or defeat staring her down, she shed tears.
‘I don't wanna be the protagonist! I don't wanna be special!’
Must get into a better college than others.
Work at a better company.
Marry a better man.
Only then can you be special, live happily—they said.
It always puzzled her.
Only 4% get into Seoul unis? So the other 96% live unhappy lives?
Good jobs mean conglomerates—14% of jobs? So 86% live poor?
Good guys based on salary? Minimum 100 mil won? Only 6.4% of 20-30s office workers hit that, even fewer single—so over 93% have unhappy, worthless marriages?
“Why the gaslighting that not being special means a life worse than an extra?!”
Just get a normal job, work hard.
Embezzle a bit from the paycheck sometimes.
Gossip about shitty bosses.
If lucky, jump to a better gig.
Meet someone compatible, flirt a little.
Date if it feels right.
Even if looks, personality, income aren't perfect, enjoy making it work.
Can't buy a house outright? Slowly pay the loan while living.
Sure, it'll be tough, but have kids and raise them.
“Living normally! Not being the protagonist—is that such a crime?!”
Final corner.
One meter from Lee Seung-hoon.
Tears streaming, she yanked the wheel.
“So give me back my normal daily life!”
But she couldn't overtake.
Just a few centimeters short.
In that instant, the talisman around her neck glowed.
The one from the Ultra Mighty King, letting her borrow help from racers in the afterlife.
『Whoa! This world after so long!』
『Ahh, a chance to race the highways of the living again!』
Unknown ghosts on bikes and sports cars tried to join her on the track.
『Wait, isn't that the guy?!』
『It's him!』
『Ugh, the bastard who forced us to reincarnate!』
『Time for revenge!』
But spotting Lee Seung-hoon, they charged him instead, hurling their bodies at his car.
『Don't know the situation!』
『But I see the finish line ahead!』
『Better reincarnate again!』
『Than watch you win!』
Was it their assault?
Lee Seung-hoon's car slowed just a touch.
“Ah.”
And...
“Finally.”
The world changed.
‘Damn.’
The worlds split.
The track and cars I'd been racing vanished to a parallel world in my right eye's view, and I returned to reality's Göbekli Tepe.
‘Final bosses push with conviction and ego, only to lose to the protagonist right at victory.’
So I'd prepared for defeat.
But now that it happened, I couldn't hide the regret.
‘So close.’
A world safe from entities was within reach.
‘Guess it's people's choice and result, so I'll accept it.’
Should've told the truth after all?
I chuckled despite myself. If I'd revealed the world's truth and they'd listened, fate would've picked someone who didn't believe as protagonist.
‘Probably?’
‘Yeah.’
I waved to my racing-world self fading away.
‘How's it feel?’
‘Not bad. Defeat feels refreshing instead. Final boss perk?’
‘Canon is final bosses survive and reform—maybe that's why it's cathartic?’
‘Sorry more than that. Stuck you here.’
‘Nah. Enjoy it for me.’
‘Thanks, me.’
‘Take care, racer Seung-hoon.’
Sending off my other self, original reality returned.
“Failure.”
“Looks that way.”
The enhanced 「Center of the World」 welcomed me.
She appeared as a translucent hologram, just like in the 「Card Battle」 world.
“There's still work left.”
“It's not over yet!”
And two more figures appeared.
“Lee Seung-hoon, regretfully, we'll destroy this entity.”
“Reserve King of Hell? This is confiscated!”
Baal and the Ultra Mighty King—powerful entities.