Evolving Divinity

- Joint operation between the Association and Geumgang Guild!

- The demons' stronghold has been purged.

- America's Rustpell should take notes from the Association and Geumgang Guild.

The news that one of the demons' strongholds had been wiped out set the whole world abuzz.

Among ordinary people, anyway.

Those in the upper echelons were reeling from the classified intel: one of the kings of the demons had been slain.

"So it really was Han Min-joon, then?"

"That would certainly make it possible."

"He's a monster who could force even that Rustpell to take a step back."

Han Min-joon, Guildmaster of Geumgang Guild, the man who killed Envy.

"That Woo Sang-shik fellow is impressive as well."

"Isn't he just?"

"How did an A-rank hold his ground against a king head-on?"

Team Leader Woo Sang-shik, who had faced Envy directly.

"Korea's Association President deserves credit too."

"How did he even conceive of an operation like that?"

"If it were me, I would have requested American support."

Bang Hak-shik, who commanded the operation and killed the most demons of anyone.

In high circles, those three names kept coming up again and again.

And at that very moment, those three were gathered in the Association President's office.

"So? How is he doing?"

"He's still unconscious, but the doctors say he should wake before long."

"I see…."

At Team Leader Woo Sang-shik's words, the Association President let out a breath of relief.

The memory of the purge a few days ago was still vivid.

Who would have thought he was that extraordinary?

Woo Sang-shik and Han Min-joon had both lost consciousness midway through.

And neither of them, they said, was the one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who killed Envy.

"Hak-shik, are you sure about this, though?"

"You're the one who suggested we do it this way."

"That's true, but…."

Concealing Han Jin's identity.

It had been Han Min-joon's proposal.

He claimed the boy wanted to keep his identity hidden.

The Association President and Woo Sang-shik had no choice but to agree.

"I just feel a little guilty about it."

"If he truly wants his identity kept hidden, then this is for his own good."

"Guildmaster, the President is right about that."

Perhaps because the two of them had hashed it out beside him, Han Min-joon didn't bring the subject up again.

"Incidentally — Team Leader Woo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sang-shik, is the compensation I mentioned fully prepared?"

"Yes, sir."

With that, Woo Sang-shik handed the President a document summarizing the rewards.

"This looks more than sufficient."

Reviewing the list, the Association President wore a satisfied smile.

"What on earth is this compensation, anyway?"

"Tell me what your guild is preparing, and I'll tell you."

"Ahem."

Han Min-joon cleared his throat and let the moment pass.

"I do wonder what reaction he'll have when he receives it."

The dead of night.

A clear full moon hung in the sky.

"Why am I in a hospital?"

And I opened my eyes in a hospital bed.

Completely out of nowhere. No warning whatsoever — my eyes just opened.

I looked around and, sure enough, it was a hospital.

I don't remember being brought here….

No matter how I racked my brain, I couldn't recall being transported to a hospital.

Then it hit me why my memory was blank.

Right — I saved those two and passed out from the recoil of Limit Break.

That had to be it. There was no other explanation.

But what happened to Envy?

I had sent her plummeting, and she should have been buried under the building's wreckage.

The question was whether anyone had actually confirmed the kill.

I should check, even now….

I tried to force my body to move — and couldn't.

I didn't notice at first, because leaning against my bed, my mother was fast asleep.

"Ha…."

With her sleeping right there, moving carelessly and waking her would have been cruel.

The real problem was whether Envy's death had been verified.

Just then, system messages appeared.

A cascade of level-ups and achievement notifications. On its own, that would have been reward aplenty.

But the system apparently deemed it insufficient, because the messages kept coming.

Divinity up by 95?

Divinity had suddenly surged by 95, hitting 100 — and capping out at its limit.

And the instant it reached 100, a flood of information poured into my head.

So this is Divinity….

My head was still struggling to process everything it had absorbed when yet another system message appeared.

Three rewards came with the message.

[Random S-rank skill.]

[Skill Creation.]

[Random Legendary+ elixir.]

All three were useful to me.

The S-rank skill and the Legendary+ elixir went without saying.

As for Skill Creation, it let me convert one of my techniques into an actual skill.

And a skill converted that way could be made into a skill book.

When I eventually go public with my footwork, I'll register Basic Footwork as a skill.

It was a reward for later use, but for now, it was plenty.

First and foremost, I owed thanks simply for being alive.

I hadn't caught how much it had climbed earlier, when things flew by too fast — but I'd gained a full fifty levels.

My stat points went up too.

Probably because I'd undergone my Second Body Reconstruction mid-battle, the stat gain had jumped from 20 to 30.

The points I'd spent on the Body Reconstruction had come right back to me.

Feeling good — might as well claim my rewards.

I claimed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the S-rank skill first.

Evolution.

A skill name I'd never heard in my life.

The effect was vague — but I understood it immediately.

The moment I checked the skill's information, the skill activated on its own.

A stat that had hit its limit.

That was Divinity, which I'd just seen in the messages.

Are you kidding me.

I'd pulled something absurdly good — almost unfairly so.

Even I hadn't expected it to let me break through a limit on the spot.

After a moment's wait, my body began to radiate a blinding light.

Amitabha….

Not that my head had vanished or anything, but for a fleeting instant I genuinely felt as if I'd become a Buddha.

Yeah, that's not it.

The light quickly subsided.

Once it had faded, I checked my stats.

And there it was — information I hadn't been able to see moments ago.

That said… something about this feels gross.

The power of a god.

They called it a fragment, but having that kind of force lodged inside my body didn't sit well with me at all.

Still… if I can use it, I will.

This was no time to be picky about water or fire. Distasteful or not, anything usable had to be used.

This battle had taught me that much, at least.

I had survived this time on pure luck — and if my opponent had been anyone other than Envy, I would have died without question. That was the plain truth of it.

"Jin-ah…?"

Just then, a voice called to me from beside the bed.

I turned my head to see my father stepping in through the door.

"Mom's asleep."

"Ah."

Seeing my mother sleeping, he approached carefully and sat down beside me.

"How's the body holding up?"

"Completely fine. I'm sturdy, you know."

"Sturdy, he says…."

After that, my father said nothing for several minutes.

An awkward silence.

Some time drifted by, and then he spoke again.

"Jin-ah, there's nothing wrong with taking on work people ask of you. But your body is yours to look after."

"I know…."

I did know.

Survival of the fittest. The weak die; the strong live.

That's what the awakener industry was.

And my father had been the first to pull his foot out of that world.

"As long as you know, that's enough."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. If you know, it's fine."

With that, my father pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Your father is proud of his son. Proud that you looked after others, even inside that law of the jungle."

I said nothing in reply.

What he was saying now was meant for me — but it was also a quiet lament he was offering to himself.

"Protecting someone takes real courage. I never had that kind of courage."

I simply listened, silent.

No reaction, no words. Just listening, quietly.

"That's why I'm proud of you, son. It seems you've grown past me."

In that moment, I reached out and patted my father's back.

He had been afraid, all this time.

Afraid of losing someone again, like in the past.

Afraid that someone might be me.

"I'm okay."

I gave him just that one line.

And a single tear traced its way down my father's cheek.

For parents who worry, this is all the reassurance they need.

There was no need to relay every hardship I'd endured, one by one.

All I had to do was tell them I was fine, and comfort the people who worried for me.

"Jin-ah…?"

Just then, my mother's eyes opened too.

She looked at my father, still holding me, and gave a small chuckle.

"Jin-ah, you've worked hard."

Rather than words of worry, she told me I'd endured, and wrapped her arms around me.

My parents' embrace healed my weary body and mind.

This time, I will protect it.

This warm embrace I'd never known in my life before regression.

In this life, I would keep it safe.