The Neo Dominion's Scheme
Park Heewon gradually accepted that this was the real thing, not some prank or lie, as he listened to the rest of the detailed explanation about the awakening kit.
His initial reaction came close to outright refusal.
Of course he felt the temptation, but the sudden appearance of such an absurd opportunity triggered a commonsense-based sense of rejection.
"Let me say it again: using this doesn't guarantee you'll grow all the way to late-stage Core Formation. It simply creates the possibility."
After several more explanations, the expected result followed. The guy eventually accepted this coveted opportunity. At the same time, as the reality of the situation sank in, he looked utterly overwhelmed with gratitude.
Han Yujin had never once felt dissatisfied about beginning the Su Seon-gye style cultivation method. Naturally, he wanted to repay the friend who had first introduced him to xianxia, sparing him from wandering lost or wasting time.
As for the limit of only being able to reach late-stage Core Formation with no current method to break through it, the guy showed an attitude that it wasn't even worth considering.
Han Yujin briefly considered telling him outright that he had reached the forbidden ultimate among Core Formation cultivators.
Once I reach the True Immortal stage, I'll be able to solve the limit issue somehow.
At the same time, he decided to think about it comfortably. If he possessed this kind of awakening ability and still couldn't find a solution before his friend's lifespan ran out, that would be far more absurd. There was no way the depth of his cultivation was that shallow.
While he was at it, he chose the interior of the Mountain Sea Pearl as the location for using the awakening kit.
When they left the café and he opened the entrance in a suitable spot, the event once again shattered common sense so thoroughly that the guy nearly fell over in shock a second time.
On the other hand, it seemed to make him trust the efficacy of the awakening kit he had received even more.
"You..."
It looked like he wanted to ask what kind of ability he had awakened, but after some thought he closed his mouth. He must have assumed there was a reason Han Yujin wasn't explaining in detail.
He really was a deep and steadfast friend.
Even when viewed through the Six Paths of Reincarnation, while it would have been natural to feel some jealousy or inferiority complex, such emotions were almost nonexistent. His attitude of accepting the situation in an entirely positive light was clear.
I didn't become friends with him for nothing.
He had always possessed an overflowing human charm.
Using the awakening kit was not particularly difficult and did not take long.
However, there were many points to be careful about afterward, especially regarding the training method, so time was needed to explain them thoroughly and ensure he understood.
Thus, after roughly three days had passed inside the Mountain Sea Pearl, all the work was finally complete. Park Heewon, now a genuine awakened one—though still weak—emerged from the Mountain Sea Pearl with a deeply moved expression.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he mentioned the "topic of the world" he had been able to check on his smartphone at intervals. Since the Mountain Sea Pearl's door had not been closed, the connection had remained open.
As he spoke, Han Yujin glanced into the air. To be precise, he was looking at the various news articles floating within the augmented reality interface there.
The reason he could use the augmented reality interface even here was thanks to the artifact spirit Elb of the Main Body Law Treasure. She had perfectly completed her analysis of modern Earth's machines not long ago.
Elb was a fusion intelligence that had taken the clearly mechanical Quantum Phase Nano Chip as her vessel. Therefore, connecting to similar mechanical devices like smartphones and projecting their data through a convenient Galactic Empire-style interface was not difficult for her.
Thanks to that, after completing the Main Body Law Treasure, he had rarely used the Nexus Band even while in the Galactic Empire.
If I study hacking, Elb should be able to handle that too. Anyway...
Shaking off the stray thoughts that had surfaced, he parted ways with Park Heewon.
For the time being, he would need to meet the man periodically and teach him so he could train alone. With sufficient motivation and a sharp mind, it shouldn't take too long.
Afterward, he checked the messages that had arrived on his smartphone through the augmented reality interface Elb had created and contacted Park Seryong.
The topic of the world that even his friend Park Heewon had asked about was precisely the distribution of knowledge and the Awakening Herb.
As the project moved forward in earnest—forming ties with large corporations to establish training centers and begin cultivation—the work of leaking information to the media and shaping public opinion began alongside it.
Yet not long after the work started, just when it seemed to be proceeding smoothly, it suddenly faced an enormous backlash. All kinds of claims erupted, plunging everything into extreme chaos.
At its core, the outcry insisted that such important knowledge and items must not be distributed recklessly and absolutely must not be leaked abroad.
Why rush something this critical? The corporation involved was suspicious because its major shareholder was someone from another country. If the qualification standards for trainees were this lax, wouldn't other nations simply steal it openly? There were even voices condemning Han Yujin's decision as an act of treason—selling the nation's core interests for money.
The Law Soul Sublimation Law Decision is missing. It's only the basics of the basics.
The same applied to Wonryeok Mudo; the core Origin Heart Technique for creating and controlling Origin Power had been excluded from distribution for now.
From Han Yujin's perspective, if even this level of foundation wasn't widely spread throughout the world, it would instead hinder his "grand plan" later on.
However, to others, even this stripped-down knowledge appeared to be viewed as an incredibly shocking and priceless treasure. The same went for the Awakening Herb, of course.
It was understandable, but he hadn't expected the reaction to grow this intense.
At a luxurious and quiet Japanese restaurant where they met, Han Yujin asked Park Seryong exactly that.
"Hmm."
Politicians instinctively tried to use any incident to boost their approval ratings. In that sense, this matter must have looked quite appetizing.
Yet something about the flow of events felt even more off, as if someone was orchestrating the entire board from behind the scenes.
There was no clear evidence, but it was intuition born from experience.
Just then, Park Seryong spoke.
"That's right."
He had even received another card recently. This time he had not reported it to the Ability Management Bureau.
"I knew of their existence because they tried to recruit me long ago. This time, they approached me again, offering to resolve the current situation."
Park Seryong continued with the details.
While picking up pieces of sushi and eating them, Han Yujin had idle thoughts such as how many rice grains are in this one? Nevertheless, with the insight of a Core Formation cultivator, he absorbed every word without missing a single detail and nodded.
Han Yujin ate another piece of sushi and nodded.
Han Yujin set his chopsticks down.
It can't be that other races are involved, can it?
Because of the Eternal Goddess Cult incident, he had no choice but to consider the possibility. Of course, it remained only a possibility for now.
It was a monologue that required no answer. Naturally, Park Seryong remained tactfully silent and waited for what would come next.
"Even the upper echelons of the Korean government have their own informants... Hmm..."
It seemed this was no ordinary group of awakened supremacists, but an organization with considerable depth.
That was exactly why it piqued his interest.
Quite... tempting.
If it was not an organization created with the involvement of other races, and if it was not too deeply twisted or corrupt, perhaps he could seize it instead and put it to good use.
Park Seryong did not answer, but nodded as if in complete agreement.
It was both flattery and a genuine belief.
Staying hidden only meant it was beneficial to do so. And if hiding was beneficial, it meant they could not handle the consequences of stepping into the open.
Even if there was another reason at an extremely low probability, that in itself only pointed to their limits.
"Moreover, instead of simply waiting for that 'deepest darkness' opportunity, they could have created it themselves."
If they possessed power greater than mine—that is, at the Nascent Soul level.
Therefore, the possibility of devouring them in reverse was also very high.
As he spoke quietly, as if reaching a conclusion, Park Seryong asked cautiously.
"Perhaps. In that case, they would have tried to step forward as saviors and failed. The idea of establishing a New Order amid the chaos of collapsing systems is sound, but without properly understanding the opponent's level, it's nothing but a gamble."
Through his own awakening ability, Han Yujin had already determined that they had clearly failed.
Whether they had underestimated their opponent or simply had no choice because they didn't know where the true calamity lay, it only proved the limits of their power.
After thinking in silence for a moment, he spoke.
Han Yujin laughed as if the idea amused him.
They would come to regret daring to try to orchestrate a board with someone like him.