Chapter 552: Establishing the Hierarchy (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 552: Establishing the Hierarchy (4)
Wang Wiryong stared up at the empty sky where Park Min-woo had just departed, his expression utterly devastated.
It was a complete defeat.
Falling to his knees in overwhelming shock, he realized that in his current state, he didn't stand a chance.
'The Mage in White. He saw right through my sword technique.'
He was a natural enemy.
This wasn't a simple defeat in a clash of raw power. Park Min-woo had seen through the very foundation of the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique to bring him down. The realization brought an indescribable sense of misery. Knowing his entire arsenal lay bare in the palm of his opponent's hand, Wang Wiryong had lunged forward in a desperate, spiteful frenzy—yet he still hadn't been able to land a single blow on Park Min-woo.
He had no way of knowing the truth about Park Min-woo.
He had no idea that this was a fight where he was destined to be at a disadvantage from the very start.
Park Min-woo was his natural enemy in the truest sense. Wang Wiryong, who had once known no limits, had his wings clipped yet again following his defeat by Roman Dmitry. But this felt entirely different. Back then, because his opponent was the Heavenly Demon Baek Joong-hyuk, he had accepted the loss as a matter of course. Now, the moments he had just experienced felt like an absurd dream.
How on earth did Park Min-woo know the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique?
Roman Dmitry might have taught him, but in truth, the details didn't matter.
The only thing that mattered was the reality of his defeat.
Whether Park Min-woo had been taught the technique or not, Wang Wiryong had to accept the harsh reality of his devastating loss. Worse still, though he couldn't be entirely certain, it felt as if Park Min-woo hadn't even exerted his full strength. Despite the blood trickling down the mage's head, his face had shown no signs of desperation or urgency; he had controlled the flow of the duel from start to finish. Realizing he had been so utterly crushed without even forcing his opponent to reveal his limits, Wang Wiryong couldn't help but think, 'I was merely a frog in a well.'
Long ago, he had heard tales of the Mage in White.
Back when the man was first hailed as a hero of South Korea, Wang Wiryong hadn't paid much attention to his exploits.
Why?
Because the mage hadn't seemed like an obstacle to his ambitions.
Believing himself to be the best in the world, Wang Wiryong had been confident that nothing could stop him when the day finally came to realize his grand vision. Looking back now, it was nothing but a foolish delusion. Even putting aside an anomaly like Roman Dmitry, had he not just been casually dismantled by the Mage in White? The world was vast and unpredictable. Just like the Mage in White, there could be countless other powerhouses out there whom he knew absolutely nothing about.
He accepted reality.
He accepted his current standing.
He was merely one of many strong individuals.
In his future journey following Roman Dmitry, if he allowed himself to grow overconfident, he would only regress.
'If His Majesty Emperor Roman Dmitry hadn't appeared before me... I would have blindly attempted to conquer the continent, only to be crushed by a brutal reality. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. To have realized the truth even now.'
He gritted his teeth.
With great effort, he forced his battered body up.
It was then that a familiar voice drifted over.
"…M-My Lord."
It was Xiao Long.
He was staring at Wang Wiryong in sheer shock.
* * *
While Wang Wiryong and Park Min-woo were sorting out their hierarchy, Xiao Long and the guards had been waiting anxiously.
The situation felt ominous.
Though they heard explosions echoing in the distance, they didn't make the mistake of rushing over unbidden. Wang Wiryong had strictly ordered them to wait.
After some time, a heavy silence fell over the area.
Xiao Long swallowed hard.
He prayed that the figure approaching from the distance would be Wang Wiryong.
But…
'No way…'
It was Park Min-woo.
The Mage in White was walking toward them, his face stained with blood.
Spotting Xiao Long, he let out a smirk.
"Watch your step from now on, you bastard. Unless you want to get fucked over playing the tough guy."
At those words, Xiao Long's heart sank.
The fact that Park Min-woo had returned alone, combined with the smug confidence written all over his face, could only mean one thing: he had emerged victorious in his clash with Wang Wiryong. Though Xiao Long wanted nothing more than to slice off Park Min-woo's head right then and there, his priority was checking on his lord.
"Damn it."
Whoosh!
He kicked off the ground, rushing forward in a desperate hurry.
Anxious thoughts flooded his mind, but Xiao Long fiercely tried to deny them. Who was Wang Wiryong? He was a legendary figure, a descendant of the Heavenly Demon Cult who had conquered China. Having inherited the same martial arts, Xiao Long deeply respected Wang Wiryong's strength and had sworn absolute loyalty to him.
For such a man to lose to a mere Mage in White…
For the hope of the Murim to be defeated by someone who behaved as crudely as a common street thug…
He could accept Roman Dmitry.
Kneeling before the master of the Heavenly Demon Cult was only natural, but losing to the Mage in White was beyond what he could tolerate.
He denied reality.
He refused to accept it.
Yet, when he finally arrived at the scene, he found his idol collapsed on the ground.
"…M-My Lord."
It was just as he had feared.
His lord was in a wretched state.
Wang Wiryong had lost.
Xiao Long was utterly speechless.
Seeing Xiao Long staring blankly at him, Wang Wiryong let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
"I lost to the Mage in White. The condition of our duel was that the loser would accept defeat and serve the winner, acknowledging them as the second-in-command to Emperor Roman Dmitry. Xiao Long, I will honor our agreement. The Mage in White is the second-in-command of the Korean Empire, and from this moment on, we must treat him accordingly."
"…Does that mean you are simply accepting defeat?"
"No."
Wang Wiryong's eyes turned fierce.
He acknowledged his defeat.
However, accepting the present reality was entirely different from accepting his future.
"I accept the result, but this defeat will be my last. Through this, I have realized that I was merely a frog in a well. I, who prattled on about conquering the continent, was nothing but a trivial existence. There is no telling how many other powerhouses like the Mage in White exist in this world. In the Heavenly Demon Cult, those who grow complacent regress. Therefore, I will rise above this defeat and reclaim my rightful place."
Everyone has a different way of handling defeat.
Some despair.
Some give up.
And some rise above it.
Wang Wiryong chose to use defeat as nourishment.
In the new Heavenly Demon Cult that Roman Dmitry would build, he had no intention of yielding the spot right next to him to Park Min-woo.
That position belonged to him.
The Wang family, who had upheld the will of the mural for generations, were the ones truly worthy of standing by Roman Dmitry's side.
Only then did Xiao Long look relieved.
"I, too, will become stronger. I will make sure to grow powerful enough so that I will never be a burden to my lord, who will surely become the true second-in-command of the Heavenly Demon Cult."
* * *
Leaving the two Chinese figures behind, Park Min-woo walked away with a spring in his step.
The sky seemed exceptionally blue today, and a grin kept slipping past his lips every time a cool breeze blew.
"Hehehe."
Wang Wiryong.
He had finally dealt with that thorn in his side.
Although those venomous eyes suggested the man wouldn't back down easily, the important thing was that the hierarchy had been established. If Wang Wiryong challenged him again later, he would just beat him down again. What mattered to Park Min-woo was that the spot next to Roman Dmitry was his. No one else could claim the title of second-in-command.
He saw people passing by on the street.
Normally, people would recognize the Mage in White and approach him, but this time, Park Min-woo initiated the conversation.
"Excuse me, everyone. Do you happen to know who Wang Wiryong is?"
"Yes, that's right! The Chairman of China. The very man whose name comes up first whenever people talk about the First Sword of the Continent. Well, I just defeated him! I, Park Min-woo, have defeated Wang Wiryong and proven that I am the second-in-command of the Korean Empire, right after His Majesty Emperor Roman Dmitry!"
"Hahaha, he's nothing special. With me, Park Min-woo, here in the Korean Empire, why should we care about someone like Wang Wiryong?"
His tongue was practically itching.
He couldn't help but go around spreading the news.
To ensure the rumor spread as far and wide as possible, Park Min-woo went out of his way to blabber to everyone he met.
People were astounded.
A duel between Park Min-woo and Wang Wiryong—it was a massive scoop.
If Park Min-woo were some nobody, they might have doubted it, but a figure of the Mage in White's stature wouldn't go around talking nonsense. The rumors spread like wildfire. Every time he saw people whispering to one another, Park Min-woo's steps grew so light he felt as if he were floating on clouds.
But then, a passerby remarked,
"If that's true, are you going to be okay? Wang Wiryong is not the type of person to just back down after a defeat. He faced numerous crises when unifying China, but each time, his sheer tenacity pulled him through to victory."
Those words grated on his ears.
His light steps gradually slowed down. Eventually, he stopped in a quiet, secluded spot and fell deep into thought.
"Right, there's no way that bastard will just give up. He'll definitely pull all kinds of shit to try and overtake me again. If it were a simple contest of strength, it wouldn't be a big deal. But the problem is that, no matter what, there's a solid connection called the 'Heavenly Demon Cult' linking Emperor Roman Dmitry and Wang Wiryong. Just like how school ties, blood ties, and regional ties rule this world, that single connection might threaten my position."
Anxiety began to creep in.
Now that he had defeated Wang Wiryong, he needed to put a definitive end to this.
He needed a unique weapon of his own to counter that Heavenly Demon Cult connection.
'Yes, that's it!'
A brilliant idea flashed through his mind.
Before putting his plan into action, Park Min-woo first summoned Baek-il.
* * *
The mages of Baek-il gathered in one place.
Park Min-woo shared his thoughts with them.
"As you all know, as of today, Baek-il has been selected as the official Royal Guards of Emperor Roman Dmitry. We are the face of the Korean Empire, and we will serve as the living proof of His Majesty Emperor Roman Dmitry's prestige."
Until now, Baek-il had pursued justice.
But ever since they met Roman Dmitry, Park Min-woo had subtly and cleverly brainwashed them into believing that Roman Dmitry was justice.
"Emperor Roman Dmitry saved this world. He resolved the Great Disaster and punished Russia for its evil deeds. What must we do for him? We must become stronger. We must grow far more powerful than we are now. Above all, we must never lose ground to the forces of China. The Korean Empire must be recognized as a mighty power through the strength of Baek-il, which is made up of native Koreans. How humiliating would it be if China were considered the peak power of the Korean Empire? From now on, I will teach you high-tier magic. If you trust and follow me, you will undoubtedly become stronger than you are now!"
"For the Korean Empire!"
"We will follow you with all our hearts!"
Everyone cheered enthusiastically.
It was a plausible pretext, and the mages of Baek-il were completely swept up in it.
In truth, Park Min-woo had never sincerely trained Baek-il during all the time he had run the group.
He had simply felt there was no need to do so until now. But with the clear justification of Roman Dmitry, the story had changed. Baek-il was entirely his own force. To counter Wang Wiryong's China, he needed to raise their power, and the members of Baek-il possessed plenty of potential for growth.
In particular…
'Jang Yun-tae. His talent isn't bad, but…'
One man caught his eye.
Though he was dense and seemed to ruin things every time, in terms of pure magical talent, Jang Yun-tae was the best in Baek-il.
Actually, he wasn't so bad.
He only made mistakes because he tried too hard, and he was a man genuinely captivated by power. Besides, when he thought about it, the fact that Jang Yun-tae knew Park Min-woo was more of a scumbag than people thought was actually an advantage. Unlike the others, he could teach Jang Yun-tae the Black Magic that had been Emperor Alexander's strength.
'Right. I'll observe him for a bit. It wouldn't be a bad idea to raise him as a counterweight to guys like Xiao Long.'
He dismissed the mages of Baek-il.
Now that their mental preparation was complete, it was time to put his pre-planned scheme into action.
To others, it might seem like a trivial matter, but Park Min-woo wanted the symbolism that would come with this new change.
The building he arrived at was none other than the Incheon Government Office.
It housed the department handling city administration, and Park Min-woo had paid them a sudden visit.
Whispers broke out.
"It's the Mage in White."
"What is the Mage in White doing here?"
All eyes turned to him.
Who was the Mage in White?
A hero of the Korean Empire.
The representative mage of the nation.
Since he was a figure who had achieved brilliant exploits in the recent war, people followed his every step with rapt attention.
He came to a halt.
Then, he spoke confidently to the employee behind the counter.
"I'm here to change my name."
Everyone's eyes widened.
A name change?
This was truly out of left field.