Chapter 109

The people who had been nervously preparing for an enemy invasion inside the building looked bewildered when those who had been waiting outside suddenly rushed in and ran towards the living quarters. It would have been understandable if they had been beaten badly and were fleeing, but no one looked injured. Furthermore, if something had happened, the proper procedure would have been to inform leaders first, but no one was doing that. All they were doing was whispering something to a few close returnees. The strange thing was that the returnees who heard these whispers also quickly broke ranks and started packing their belongings. At first, only a few seemed to be doing it, but by the time the squad leaders noticed the unusual situation and acted, most of the returnees had already packed their bags and left.

“Hey! What’s going on?” A squad leader quickly stepped forward and spoke, but the people continued to move, not even pretending to hear him.

“Damn it! Didn’t you hear me ask what’s going on?”

Kwon Jung-hyun was a person who, more than his abilities, was selected as a squad leader because he was from the same family as Major Kwon Hyung-sik, a high-ranking Alliance official. He often harassed female returnees and was generally disliked among the returnees. Normally, they would have just avoided him, thinking it was better to avoid trouble, but today was different.

Yoon Seong-ryeol, the “Boxer of Heskard” who had challenged Jun-sang, thrown two punches, and then retreated, grabbed Kwon Jung-hyun’s wrist, which was reaching for a female returnee’s shoulder, and said in a low voice, “Get lost. Unless you want a beating.” If you’re not smart, you should at least be quick-witted, but this fool, who had become accustomed to being above others in such a short time, didn’t notice the strange murderous intent emanating from Yoon Seong-ryeol’s body. So he shouted back at Yoon Seong-ryeol, “Aargh! Is this old man crazy?! How dare you…” But he couldn’t finish his sentence. Yoon Seong-ryeol’s large fist slammed into his temple like a heavy blow, and he stretched out like a frog.

“Where did this idiotic bastard come from…” Yoon Seong-ryeol briefly considered leaving him to be crushed by the collapsing building. But realizing that having someone die would complicate matters, he hoisted the limp Kwon Jung-hyun onto his shoulder and carried him outside.

This situation wasn’t only happening between Kwon Jung-hyun and Yoon Seong-ryeol.

Meanwhile, while most of the returnees, except for a few subordinate squad leaders who were usually avoided, packed their belongings and came out of the building, Jun-sang contacted Seo-yoon. ‘Come to the Alliance. I have something to entrust to you.’ Although he had revealed his plan to acquire Seeds, Jun-sang had no intention of handling all of it himself. He had no desire whatsoever to settle down and play with money in a situation where he didn’t know what kind of enemies might appear next. Im Seo-yoon was already in the process of carrying out his work, and considering both her abilities and background, she was the most suitable person to entrust with Jun-sang’s Seed acquisition plan.

The acquisition of Seeds was not only for investing existing funds and Seeds to gain greater profits but also, fundamentally, to dismantle the very foundation of the Alliance as an organization. The biggest reason returnees were currently tied to the Alliance was economic hardship, so if they could become self-sufficient, they would no longer need to be bound to anyone. Of course, Jun-sang couldn’t personally intervene to stop them from succumbing to power or other temptations and lending their strength individually, but at least the possibility of semi-forced mobilization by state power, as was currently happening, would be significantly reduced. This would also apply if returnees later gathered to form their own organizations. If Jun-sang displayed overwhelming and transcendent power today, they would have to think twice, even if they wanted to provoke him. Just giving them that moment of hesitation would allow Jun-sang to minimize future annoyances, making it a win-win situation.

Of course, gaining notoriety in this way presented the problem of potential interference from other nations. However, even if they tried to use force, considering the returnees’ characteristic difficulty in using long-distance transport such as airplanes or ships, their only option would be to mobilize existing military or police forces… Frankly, it’s no exaggeration to say that there are almost no means by which the current Jun-sang would feel threatened, unless they were to launch a carpet bombing. In other words, unless they are prepared to wage war in the city, there are almost no means to impose force on the current Jun-sang.

Sometimes, showing strength is a way to avoid a fight. The brief words Jun-sang said to Heness carried these meanings.

As most of the personnel came out of the building, Jun-sang activated his Supersenses. The situation inside the building, hidden by walls, was conveyed to his mind in detail, as if he were seeing it with his own eyes. Jun-sang intentionally repeated short Phase Shifts to move to the building’s roof.

“Oh?”

“H-how did he do that just now?”

“That’s no joke. Is that teleportation?”

Hearing the murmuring of the returnees below, Jun-sang took out Langdazal’s Fury.

“Gasp!” The people unconsciously gasped as two terrifyingly spiked iron spheres, a meter in diameter, suddenly appeared. Those who had been outside the building already knew that Jun-sang had used the ridiculously large iron spheres he now held to literally crush two cars and the main gate, but for those inside the building, it was a completely new sight.

Jun-sang slowly raised the iron sphere so they could see it well, then slammed it down towards the entrance leading to the rooftop.

CRASH!

Again, no second strike was needed. Langdazal’s Fury, which had the effect of increasing damage by two hundred percent when destroying facilities, pulverized the rooftop entrance with a single blow. Kim Jong-kyung, Kwon Hyung-sik, and Kim Jong-kyung’s son Kim Sung-jin, who had been trembling with anxiety in the uppermost floor of the training center, still unbriefed, were startled to the point of fainting when the building shook with a sudden roar.

“What’s happening?”

“I’ll find out.” Kwon Hyung-sik quickly picked up the phone and first contacted Kwon Jung-hyun. However, by that time, Kwon Jung-hyun had already been knocked unconscious by Yoon Seong-ryeol and was lying sprawled on the lawn outside the building. When he couldn’t reach Kwon Jung-hyun, Kwon Hyung-sik clicked his tongue, got up, and headed towards the door. But the moment he grabbed the doorknob, the building shook again with another loud roar. The three, startled, ducked their bodies, and apparently deciding it was too dangerous, quickly exited the office and entered the corridor.

Outside the windows, they saw people with their mouths agape, looking up. Major Kwon Hyung-sik quickly opened the window and poked his head out. But from his position, he couldn’t properly see Jun-sang. Kwon Hyung-sik turned his head again and shouted to the people below, “Why is everyone outside?!”

Only after hearing his voice did the people realize that Kwon Hyung-sik and Kim Jong-kyung’s father and son were still inside the building, and forgetting their ill feelings toward them, they shouted loudly, “Come out!”

“Hurry and come out! It’s going to collapse soon!”

Kwon Hyung-sik couldn’t help but be dumbfounded. He was about to ask what they meant when… the ceiling section at the end of the corridor to the left suddenly collapsed with a roar.

“Gasp!” Seeing that, the three didn’t dare to argue further and quickly ran towards the emergency exit.

After confirming through his Supersenses that the three were escaping through the emergency exit, Jun-sang descended to the top floor of the building through the collapsed corridor. Jun-sang stood in the corridor, estimated the building’s area, and then unleashed Dual Storm.

CRASH-CRACK-CRASH!

The two rotating iron spheres ground down the entire building itself. Reinforced concrete, wires, and interior materials exploded and were destroyed the moment they came into contact with the iron spheres, like fireworks. When the swirling storm finally ceased, the people realized that half of the training center’s top floor had vanished.

“Huh…” Yoon Seong-ryeol unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck. To think he had punched such a person without knowing anything… What else could it be but being crazy to die? Suyeon also felt a chill down her spine. Although something about him always made her well up and act, she hadn’t realized he possessed that much power.

The people realized. If he had used his full power against them, no one among them would have survived. Jun-sang slowly moved to the center of the building. And once again unleashed Dual Storm to destroy the remaining half of the top floor, then activated Supersenses to check if anyone remained inside the building. After confirming that Kwon Hyung-sik and Kim Jong-kyung’s father and son, who had remained in the building until the very end, had exited through the emergency exit, Jun-sang prepared for the grand finale.

“Whoosh…”

First, he equipped the Martial Artist combo. The people were already far away from the building. Jun-sang confirmed that Kwon Hyung-sik and Kim Jong-kyung’s father and son were running towards where the returnees were, then quietly activated Impact Strike. And slowly counted.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Finally, upon reaching full charge, Jun-sang raised a gigantic iron sphere high and brought it down on the building he was standing on.

At that moment, the people saw. A single bolt of lightning strike the training center from the dark sky. The lightning instantly pierced the building’s framework and penetrated the ground.

RUMBLE!

The bedrock, unable to withstand Jun-sang’s power, shook violently. The building had already turned into something like crushed tofu, with only the corner pillars far from Jun-sang’s position remaining undestroyed.

Ah. Was this truly human strength?

“Whoosh…” Jun-sang walked slowly out of the collapsed building, emitting white smoke from his body. The people, seeing Jun-sang, who had already returned the two iron spheres and was walking out bare-handed, realized again. That everything they had witnessed was real.

Jun-sang slowly walked to the front of the platform. He was currently not using Gaze of Fear or Evil Eye. But the moment they met the gleaming light in his eyes, the people froze like statues. Fear? No. It was a thrill. A thrill for the strong man who had proven through himself that humans could become so powerful.

Then Jun-sang opened his mouth. “Did you see?”

The people answered, unconsciously, “We saw.”

Jun-sang nodded and said again, “Did you feel it?”

This time too, the people answered as if possessed, “We felt it.”

Jun-sang slowly looked around at the people and continued, “Then, do not forget. Do not forget that you survived that grueling tutorial.”

“Ah…”

“Do not forget.”

“…”

“You are victors.”

The moment they heard those words, the people unconsciously clenched their fists.