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On the Internet, Seol-ah, the BnS guild and I were trending topics.

On a popular video streaming site, just like before my return, Seol-ah's match was recorded under the title of 'Appearance of a Goddess' and received many views.

Seol-ah and I were selected as Probies of the Month, and interview requests flooded in from various media outlets.

We refused most of them, but I had to do an interview with Daily Korea, the selection company for the Probies of the Month.

Of course, So Yujin interviewed Seol-ah and me, and she especially showed interest in me.

The business card I received from her after our interview had a note saying we should have dinner later. Before my return, our relationship had started like that, but this time I ignored it.

Although I became famous for a while, my daily life eventually returned to normal.

The only thing that changed was that Yoo So-eun was dispatched to our guild.

'Why the heck?'

[Isn't the President also trying to set you up with So-eun?]

'That's what I meant. Why the heck?'

[How would I know that? Kukuku. At this rate, the harem you dreamed of will be completed!]

'I don't like harem stuff.'

In fact, I didn't care for novels or movies with love as the main theme.

Anyway, I didn't know that what I thought to be a formal thank you from the President would turn out this way.

-…If that's what you think, there's nothing I can do about it. Anyway, please take care of So-eun.

These were the words the President said when parting ways with me the other day.

He also said my match was impressive and asked me to participate in the Korea-China-Japan matches to be held in the second half of the year.

Naturally I agreed since I had already planned to participate, but I figured what he really wanted to ask was for me to take care of Yoo So-eun.

I just couldn't figure out why.

It would be nice if it were by mistake, but considering the look the President and Koh Tae-wook gave me as they left, I didn't think it was.

There was also no precedent for a Management Bureau employee to be dispatched to a specific guild.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

It seemed Yoo So-eun herself was okay with it.

‘To think this woman is the President's daughter...’

"Nothing."

"Psh, boring."

I couldn't shake off the complex thoughts that were swirling around in my head.

[Why are you overthinking it? Just do what you have to do.]

'I'm scared I'll get caught up in something annoying.'

After telling Lee Seong-jin I wanted to get some fresh air, I left the guild.

'Going on a drive to clear my head is the best.'

So, I drove our newly purchased guild car to Daeseong Mountain.

I decided to hunt Stone Golems at the Gate to cool my head off and collect broken cores.

And more than anything else, I wanted to train my Strong Energy through actual combat until I could inject Strong Energy into the fake Demonic Dragon Blade - the name I gave to the imitation weapon I crafted - as quickly as possible.

After the Bone Metamorphosis, it became possible to use Strong Energy, but it still took me too much time to form it.

A few hours later, I had finished.

It took less than 30 minutes to enter the Gate and wipe out all the Stone Golems once I arrived.

I drove them back with Heavenly Demon Replication and sliced them apart with the Demonic Dragon Skywrecker's mighty force.

The Giant Golem that appeared suffered the exact same fate. The title of Two Hearts applied, and my magic power rose again.

While hunting, I had even leveled up thanks to the Shining SOLO effect.

I became level 24.

It was rapid growth, given it had only taken a little over five months after awakening, but I still wasn't satisfied.

I realized the incredible power of the Demonic Dragon’s Eight-Blade Style now that I reached the stage of Harmony. But compared to the Heavenly Demon, I was still too far behind.

Woo Seol-ah, blessed as she was with good skills, had reached level 44 already...

I knew it was ridiculous to compare myself with her, but I was frustrated.

"Whew~. That's all for today."

[You've improved a lot.]

"I'm still far away."

[Are you already thinking about the next Stage? You are too hasty. First, it is essential to fully digest the enlightenment you’ve already made. Not all of the Harmony Stage are the same. Misguided thoughts only get in the way.]

"Alright. I thought hunting would make me feel better, but it hasn't. I'll have to search for that feeling."

[Kukuku. I thought you didn't care.]

I could feel energy chasing me from the moment I entered the Gate.

At first, it was just a weak murderous aura, but after I finished hunting, it became stronger.

[They thought your inner power would be exhausted after hunting. They will appear now.]

Like the Heavenly Demon had said, ten masked assailants appeared at that moment.

The disappearances might be linked to these individuals. I surmised that I'd have to apprehend them for the time being.

I didn't even feel the need to inquire as to who they were, so I summoned my freshly crafted Bone Club from my inventory.

[I was wondering why you hadn't taken it out yet.]

My assailants snorted when they saw my strange weapon.

“Are you Lee Byeong-gi?”

They would indeed have chased me knowing that.

I quietly stroked the Bone Club. It felt good to the touch.

Even just thinking about it, I could feel the corners of my mouth widening with a wicked grin.

***

Oh Young-seok already had a lousy personality, but he was also greedy and had an excess of pride.

I remember that before my return, he forcibly merged with guilds that developed the first potions with threats and violence.

He was known to have given them a huge amount on the surface, but it was said that all their money returned to Oh Young-seok intact.

He would have tried to steal the BnS Vitality Potion in the same way, but he couldn't stand still once his pride was crushed by the defeats in the ranking matches.

As expected, my assailants, now without their masks and covered in blood, belonged to the Phoenix Guild.

A few of them were familiar hunters I had worked with in the Phoenix Guild before my return.

Brrrrr-

[What are you doing?]

I happily trembled.

That satisfaction +50% option brought me the greatest pleasure. I even felt my face getting hot, and to put it bluntly, I almost wet my pants.

Because of that, the complicated thoughts swirling in my head and my frustration were gone.

The Heavenly Demon spoke to me while I enjoyed the afterglow of combat.

‘Oh, it's just that my hands are tingling.’

[Hmm! I agree it wasn't bad.]

I got the sense the Heavenly Demon, who shared my senses, had the same thought I did.

[By the way, one of them speaks Japanese.]

Come to think of it, there was one guy who shouted, "Yamate!" while I beat them up.

He passed out with his nose bleeding. Looking closely, his pants were also damp.

[Somehow, I don't think he fainted due to the beating.]

‘…I don't like that. If I woke them up now, he wouldn't understand me, so I'll have to hand everyone over to the Management Bureau.’

I searched their pockets just in case but found nothing.

In the process, I noticed a tattoo on the back of the Japanese man’s hand. The Heavenly Demon saw it and said.

[This is the mark of the Wu-Tang Clan.]

‘Wu-Tang clan?’

[Right. It's a little different, but I'm sure of it.]

‘Hmm, as far as I know, the Wu-Tang Clan completely disappeared during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, which took place between 1965 and 1968.’

I explained the simple historical knowledge I knew to the Heavenly Demon.

After the Cultural Revolution ended and martial arts became commercialized, the Wu-Tang Clan's branches gathered to restore the Wu-Tang Clan. However, their martial arts skills were mixed with miscellaneous things and were said to no longer be the same.

After hearing my explanation, the Heavenly Demon's voice dropped low.

[The Wu-Tang Clan that Cheong Su boasted so much about has finally become as good as ruined.]

Cheong Su. He seemed to be referring to the Immortal who helped to expel him.

‘Could this man be related to the new Wu-Tang Clan?’

[I don't know...]

The Heavenly Demon became quiet.

I couldn't stay like this forever, so I hit the assailants’ Restraining Points and gathered them outside the Gate before calling Lee Seong-jin.

I informed him of the attack and asked our guild members, including Yoo So-eun, to be careful.

After a while, staff from the Hunter Management Bureau arrived, and I guided them to the unconscious thugs.

All the while, I was displeased with Oh Young-seok of the Phoenix Guild.

‘So, he's going to provoke me like this.’

[What are you going to do?]

‘I had to bump into him once anyway. Now this has happened, shall we shake the Phoenix Guild first?’

[Do you have a plan?]

‘It's not a plan, but I'll cut off their funding avenues one by one.’

[Funding, huh?]

‘I'm going to destroy the Gates they need to collect regular potion ingredients. Although the demand has decreased due to the BnS Vitality Potion, it is still selling well. And….’

[And?]

‘Before returning, Oh Young-seok broke a Summoning Stone while sorting out one of the Gates he was managing and accidentally got a title there.’

[Now you'll get it.]

‘You're right.’

It wouldn't have much effect on me, but I didn't want to let Oh Young-seok get it. After he got this title, he became confident in everything.

Anyway, Oh Young-seok would feel keenly that he messed with someone he shouldn't have.

‘They say strike while the iron is hot, so I'll leave now.’

[I wonder what title it is.]

***

1:00 am.

The place I arrived was near the Gate created in Haeundae, Busan. Literally, it was just called Haeundae Gate.

I felt tired from driving for 7 hours from Mt. Daeseong in Hwacheon, Gangwon-do, to here, but I got rid of that fatigue with quick Energy Training.

[It's pretty far. It would be impossible for you to cross this distance with the Heavenly Demon Air-Stride.]

That meant it would be possible for him.

"Martial arts skills are advantageous, but there's no need when you can make good use of the modern conveniences of civilization."

[You're right about that.]

The Haeundae Gate in Busan was a small Gate created a long time ago, and the monster that appeared inside was a Sandworm that hurt several people during the First Cataclysm.

Their bodily fluids were also used as ingredients for common potions. Before my return, the Gate closed with the appearance of advanced potions.

This Gate was also used as a training ground for the Phoenix Guild.

I hid inside the Gate, avoiding the eyes of the management staff using my stealth skill.

Inside the Gate, fine sand went on endlessly like Haeundae Beach, but there was no sea.

According to the Heavenly Demon's prediction, this place was likely a desert in the Second World.

As soon as I entered the Gate, I sensed the Sandworms wriggling here and there beneath the dunes.

I hated furry caterpillars, and these worms resembled them.

When I recalled that image, I shuddered with a different feeling than I had earlier.

They were wriggling bugs, but they moved swiftly in the sand, so I decided to draw them in and take care of them all at once.

I began traversing the desert to lure them.

It took an instant for the golden sands to turn into a sea of black fur.

[I think I know what title he got.]