Chapter 71
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: The True Way to Use It (3)
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I followed Instructor Pi Jinho to an area near Sokcho.
Oh, youre here.
As I stepped into the East Coast Monster Outbreak Response Headquarters, a man with a massive frame greeted me.
Good to meet you. Im Son Seho.
An S-rank superhuman, ranked 76th in the world.
He was the 4th-ranked superhuman in Korea and the guild master of the countrys top guild, the Guardians Pledge.
Im Kang Seoyul.
Jinho, its been a while for you too.
Its good to see you again, sir.
Son Seho was fifty-six this year.
He was a veteran senior to Instructor Pi Jinho, having been a pro superhuman for over forty years.
Lets get right to it, then. Every second counts.
We followed Son Seho.
As we passed through a tent flap, dozens of pairs of eyes fixed on me.
The aura each of them exuded was formidable.
Including Yuhwa, I recognized three of the guild masters present, so it seemed to be a meeting of representatives.
Why was I in a place like this?
Is he the key to this operation?
All I can do is sigh. To think were in a state where we have to borrow a cadets strength for a national crisis.
Half the gazes were negative.
Koreas greatest prospect solving Koreas crisis. Thats a good thing.
Better than asking for help from those savages in Japan or those high-and-mighty bastards in America.
The other half were positive.
Even the negativity wasn't a direct jab at me, like "I can't trust him," or "Some scrub like that?" It felt more like they were lamenting their own shortcomings.
But what can we do? The lightning attribute is essential to handle this.
Son Seho, who had already taken the seat of honor at the center, spoke with a bitter smile.
You two, take a seat over there.
Seeing my tilted head, Son Seho smiled kindly and pointed to a nearby empty chair.
We sat down.
Alright, Ill explain from the beginning.
At that moment, a hologram appeared in the center. It was a report objectively summarizing the current situation.
This morning, we found the cause of the undersea monster flood occurring all along the East Coast.
The hologram displayed a monster in the shape of a giant squid.
The Kraken. A disaster-class monster that has appeared before in Australia.
The disaster-class monster that had half-destroyed Australia.
It was called the King of the Sea, a commander with perfect control over marine monsters.
I see. I understand.
That one word was all it took for me to grasp everything.
Hmm? You understand?
Yes.
The reason why a mere cadet like me had been summoned.
The Krakens main features are its powerful physical defense and regeneration. Its magic defense is pathetic, but it has a formidable resistance specifically to the fire attribute.
I continued, looking at Son Sehos slightly surprised expression.
Since its immune to fire, the only attack that can both suppress its regeneration and inflict fatal damage is lightning magic. Isnt that why I was summoned?
I recalled that the Kraken in Australia had been incinerated in a single blow by the 9th-ranked S-rank superhuman on loan from the US: the Lightning Emperor.
Youre as knowledgeable as they say. You got perfect scores on all your written exams, didn't you?
Son Seho chuckled heartily.
Thats right. Unfortunately, Cadet Kang Seoyul is currently the only superhuman in Korea who can wield the lightning attribute.
Is it difficult to ask for help from the US?
Wouldn't it be better to get help from the US than to rely on me, an unproven quantity?
Its not difficult. Its just that the price wed have to pay them is too high.
Ah.
It was a negotiation between nations, so of course, wed have to give up a lot.
Plus, wed have to pay that Lightning Emperor fellow separately.
At the mention of the Lightning Emperors name, clicks of the tongue could be heard from all around.
Dont even bring up that disrespectful bastard.
I cant even imagine how much it would cost to get him to move.
He was a superhuman famous for his rotten personality, so many people disliked him.
There really wasn't anything to like about him.
Any other questions?
Son Sehos deep eyes pierced into mine.
They were intense eyes that spoke of his long years of experience.
I met his gaze head-on and replied.
Will Guild Master Son Sehos daughter be handling my support?
Son Sehos eyes widened slightly. Then he smiled as if amused.
You really are a quick thinker.
Guild Master Son Sehos daughter, Son Hyerin.
She was a top-tier supporter who possessed a very special buff-type trait called Cosmic Energy.
Even if lightning magic was the Krakens weakness, my meager mana pool wouldnt be enough to damage it.
Thats right. Weve prepared all sorts of support, including Hyerin.
And there was no way Son Seho didn't know this.
I had naturally assumed he would have prepared something to supplement my lack of mana.
You just need to drop lightning from a safe location. If we can just deal with its regeneration, well handle the rest somehow.
Suppressing its regeneration, then.
Exactly.
Just as I thought.
My guess was correct.
This makes it manageable.
If this matter is resolved smoothly, Ill make sure youre handsomely rewarded.
A reward from Son Seho.
They were magic words that could conjure motivation out of thin air.
I will do my best.
* * *
The Kraken was said to be leisurely swimming in the middle of the East Sea. Thanks to that, we were currently flying to a nearby location by helicopter.
But could you even call this a helicopter?
Why is it so quiet?
Perhaps because it was a special-purpose helicopter powered by mana.
You seem relaxed.
As I was looking around the helicopter, the woman sitting next to me spoke.
Son Sehos daughter, Son Hyerin.
Not at all. Im extremely nervous. You, on the other hand, seem very composed, Ms. Son Hyerin.
No, Im very nervous too.
Hmm.
She didn't look it at all.
To describe Son Hyerin in one phrase, she was a sheltered young lady. She had the image of someone who would live in a quaint European castle, arranging flowers.
She also seemed to be spacing out a bit.
Hyerin always has that expression.
Yuhwa, who was sitting opposite us, chimed in. She was assigned to be my guard in case anything unexpected happened.
The other superhumans, including Pi Jinho, were heading to the destination in other helicopters.
Shes a bit of a ditz. If she entered a spacing-out competition, shed definitely win first place.
What about me?
Yuhwa and Son Hyerin were the same age.
They were classmates at the Korean Superhuman Academy, and Id heard they were quite close.
Well, despite her personality, her skills are incredible. You can trust her.
...Is that a compliment?
Son Hyerin asked with the same expression and the same tone of voice.
Somehow, I was starting to feel relaxed myself.
Anyway, her power is going to be beyond your imagination. You can go all out.
Yuhwa smiled brightly.
This was likely what Yuhwa wanted to say.
Even if you reveal a little of your hidden power, you wont be suspected.
Not that I had any such thing.
Okay.
Still, I affirmed it for now.
In truth, Son Hyerins Cosmic Energy was a buff skill considered top-tier among the top-tier.
It was practically flawless, aside from its 30-day cooldown.
They said that an A-rank superhuman who received Cosmic Energy would have stats comparable to a newly-minted S-rank.
An E-rank nobody like me would gain power approaching that of a B-rank.
Add to that the single-use magic amplifier provided by the association (I heard one of these costs 5.2 billion won), and I would be able to use a super-powerful Heavenly Punishment that surpassed the one from the Great Labyrinth.
One minute to target destination! The other teams have almost arrived as well.
The pilot announced our impending arrival.
Alright, lets get ready. Hyerin.
Okay.
At Yuhwas words, Son Hyerin firmly grasped my hand.
The energy of the entire universe will aid you.
With those words, which exuded a quirky charm, a bright light flowed into my body.
*Thump-*
My heart pounded heavily.
My blood vessels pulsed violently, and my muscles expanded.
The mana within my veins spun wildly, increasing in volume.
A remnant of power more intense than when I held an Ancient Relic coursed through my entire body.
...So this is [Cosmic Energy].
It truly felt like the entire universe was helping me.
All done.
Son Hyerin let go of my hand.
The duration is fifteen minutes. Be careful.
Yes.
I knew.
We have arrived at the target destination! The assault teams are also ready!
We then reached our destination. The helicopter switched to hover mode, fixing itself perfectly in the air, and the door opened.
*Whoooosh-!*
A fierce wind swept over me. I let the wind wash over me as I looked down. I could see a giant squid frolicking amidst the blue sea.
Isnt the distance a bit too far?
As Yuhwa said, it certainly was a bit far.
They said theres a high chance of being detected if we get any closer.
From this far away?
Yes. They said the analysis was based on the battle in Australia, so it should be accurate.
Good heavens.
Yuhwa was once again astonished.
Its fine. Distance doesnt matter.
Heavenly Punishment.
The judgment of the sky.
Beneath the heavens, there are no blind spots.
Then Ill begin right away.
I held the single-use magic amplifier and took a shallow breath.
I was already wearing Manas Grace. An incredible amount of mana, unlike anything I had ever felt before, was flowing through my body.
*Crackle-!*
Sparks flew from the magic amplifier in my hand.
*Crackle, crackle!*
Growing ever more intense.
As it absorbed my mana, the lightning energy grew stronger.
...
I heard someone gasp behind me.
I paid it no mind and continued to focus my mana.
*Crackle-crackle-crackle!*
Just as my once-full mana pool began to show its bottom.
Here it goes.
The lightning flickering in my palm ascended into the sky.
*Clang-*
Simultaneously, the magic amplifier shattered into pieces.
*Ruuuuuumble-!*
Thunder rumbled from the sky.
Thunder from a clear blue sky without a single dark cloud.
Just as everyone was mesmerized by the strange sight.
*KRA-KAAAAAAABOOOOOOM-!*
Kyaaah!
Eek!
Ugh!
A deafening roar tore through the air.
* * *
...
...
At the response headquarters, where they were watching the situation through the helicopters camera, only silence reigned.
...C-Krakens death confirmed.
The operators report snapped everyone back to their senses.
Dead?
Even with the top-tier buff skill Cosmic Energy, that level of power was absurd.
It was comparable to the Lightning Emperor.
What are the mana readings?
Son Seho swallowed his surprise and asked the operator.
Could Kang Seoyuls mana have been higher than they thought?
Excluding the amplification from the magic amplifier, his inherent mana itself is just slightly above the graph for a B-rank superhuman!
At those words, everyone was once again shocked.
He can use magic of such ridiculous power with B-rank mana?
Just how outstanding is his mana utilization?
His mana intensity could be off the charts.
Even if it was weak to lightning, a large monster was a large monster, and a disaster-class monster was a disaster-class monster.
It might be a different story for the Lightning Emperor, but for it to die in a single blow from a mere B-rank superhumans magic was something that defied common sense.
...So hes a genius in everything except his stats.
As Son Seho numbly scanned the chart again, a radio call came in.
*Ksssh*... This is Observation Team 2.
The static from the radio gradually cleared.
The radio went down for a moment due to a pseudo-EMP phenomenon caused by powerful mana. The Kraken is currently silent. Should we proceed?
Son Seho let out a hollow laugh.
Tell all standby superhumans to return. Report that the situation is over.
Situation over... sir?
Thats right.
* * *
The situation was safely concluded.
Once the Kraken died, the marine monsters that had been ceaselessly storming the land began to quickly disappear.
Today, Friday.
Finally, all alerts were lifted.
There was considerable material damage, but almost no human casualties.
Among them, there were zero fatalities.
The people praised the swift and precise response of the government and the superhumans.
And the one who received the most attention and cheers was, of course, me.
...Im not even surprised anymore.
I shook my head as I looked at the online news articles.
[Koreas Lightning Emperor, Who Dealt with the Kraken in a Single Blow.]
[No Prospect Has Ever Shown Such a Dazzling Career Path.]
[15 Reasons Why the Nation Pins Its Hopes on Kang Seoyul.]
It felt like throwing dry tinder onto a dying flame.
...Then again, I wondered if getting more popular now would change anything.
I didn't really care.
Ancestor, look at this post.
Jia held out her phone to me.
[The Sensational 5 Seconds: I Calculated the Mana Intensity, Utilization, and Density of the Lightning Strike (Tentative Name) Used by Kang Seoyul Based on Its Mana Content.]
...What is this?
It was a truly pointless post.
Perhaps because it was officially announced that the lightning strike that killed the Kraken had B-rank mana content.
The number of people doing such useless calculations had increased.
According to this calculation, your mana intensity or mana utilization easily surpasses that of an S-rank superhuman.
As if I were a dragon or something.
Its just because the Kraken possessed the Evil attribute.
Honestly, I could only say that killing the Kraken in one hit was a stroke of luck.
The Evil attribute, which was weak to lightning? It was practically served up on a platter for Heavenly Punishment.
The Kraken simply couldn't withstand the double weakness and disintegrated back into nature.
Sigh. The practical exam got canceled again. I need to raise my ranking quickly.
I let out a sigh.
Huh? Didnt you hear?
Jia tilted her head.
Hear what?
The Chairman is giving you a certificate of commendation this time.
...Whats the point of getting an award? Thats only helpful for getting a job after graduation.
It was a useless reward for me.
The same went for the governments certificate of appreciation.
The certificate comes with extra academic credits.
Huh?
It comes with what?
You really didnt know? The governments certificate of appreciation has them too.
For a moment, I was dumbfounded.
...Really?
Yes. You can think of them as bonus points given to cadets who contribute to society or raise the schools prestige.
...There was something like that?
They said the new rankings would be compiled today, so they should be out soon.
Jia fiddled with her smartphone.
Ah, they came out thirty minutes ago.
She then handed the phone back to me.
[1st. Shin Jia.]
[2nd. Ha Siyeon.]
So far, it was the same.
The important part was below that.
Whoa.
[63rd. Kang Seoyul]
I had suddenly jumped up forty-four places.
The shocking thing was that this wasn't the end.
Next week, after you receive the Chairmans award and get the bonus points...
Jia smiled brightly.
Youll probably land somewhere between 30th and 40th, I think.
...
Was raising my rank always this easy?
...What have I been doing all this time?