The Hero Returns

Geneva broke out into a cold sweat at Su-hyeun's words. Not even a sliver of sympathy nor mercy could be spied in the latter's cold and hostile eyes.

Geneva sensed the threat of his impending demise from those eyes. No matter how world-renowned he was as a blacksmith, at the end of the day, he was just a regular powerless civilian, not an awakener.

"Y—you're lying…"

Geneva hurriedly forced his trembling body to move. He picked up the remote tossed to the corner of the suite and switched the TV on.

Su-hyeun quietly watched that.

Click—

Beep, beep, beep—

Geneva hurriedly flipped through the channels, hoping to verify what Su-hyeun had meant. After changing channels for a while, his trembling hand stopped pressing the remote's button.

"We heard that Mister Kim Dae-ho, the blacksmith, is currently crafting your armor. Can you tell us what kind of armor it is, Mister Su-hyeun?

"First of all, the materials involved are all extraordinary. A regular blacksmith wouldn't even dare to touch those items."

"Can you tell us what they are?"

"Even if I do, I'm not sure whether or not you'll recognize them. Well, one of them is the item I got in the recent auction…"

Su-hyeun could be seen on the screen.

Geneva's head snapped to the side.

Su-hyeun was also right there next to him.

"What… is the meaning of…?"

"Nothing's impossible in this world. As long as the magical ability called 'skills' exist, the existences called 'awakeners' are capable of turning impossible into reality." Su-hyeun sat down on the opposite side to Geneva, near the bedside table. "The 'me' doing the interview right now is just a shell without any real powers. All it can do is move around a bit and talk. However, people watching through their TV screens wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

Su-hyeun watched his doppelganger's performance through the TV screen before shifting his attention back over to Geneva. "Okay. If I kill you now, there won't be any evidence that could point to me, so would anyone really suspect that I murdered you?"

"Ah!"

With an expression of pure terror, Geneva stumbled and shot up from his spot. He then tried to escape from the suite.

Rumble

However, he had to stop after a wall of flame appeared before his eyes.

"I've been thinking about this on my way here."

Step, step—

After cutting off Geneva's escape path, Su-hyeun began to leisurely walk over to the blacksmith.

"I pondered whether I should kill you or not. The equipment you make will definitely provide crucial aid to our world, after all."

Without a doubt, Geneva was an excellent blacksmith. Until Kim Dae-ho made his appearance, he had been rated as the world's best. It didn't matter what kind of man he was. That fact would never change.

"But when I thought about letting you live, I couldn't help but recall those bastards that I killed earlier."

They were awakeners that specialized in contract killings. Su-hyeun didn't even hesitate for a second before killing them all. They were scums that killed innocent people for money. He believed that they had no right to live.

"I killed them, but must I let you live? Just because you have some skills?"

That would be strange.

"A world where the guilty party goes unpunished…Such a world is better off not existing."

"P—please, spare me! I promise I'll be good…"

"What have you been listening to while I was talking a second ago?"

Su-hyeun extended his hand toward Geneva's throat.

The latter tried to resist that hand, but it was all in vain. No matter how hard he hit, it was like he was striking a sturdy boulder, and Su-hyeun's hand didn't even budge an inch.

Grab

"I don't feel like it."

Su-hyeun's hand finally grabbed Geneva's throat, and then…

Crack!

He squeezed hard and crushed Geneva's neck.

There wasn't even a scream. The neck had been so thoroughly crushed that the victim did not even have the chance to make a sound.

Su-hyeun let go of Geneva's neck. The latter slumped on the floor lifelessly.

Rumble, blaze

Flames erupted on Geneva's body.

Su-hyeun watched the corpse burn away before turning around to leave.

<hr />

Geneva's death.

This incident was huge enough not just for Korea but for the whole world to go into a frenzy.

"It was you, right?" Lee Ju-ho suddenly asked as he came toward Su-hyeun.

Although there was no lead-in, Su-hyeun still instantly understood what the question was about.

"Something happened that required such a response," he replied.

"What I knew wasn't everything that happened?"

The incident involved Geneva hiring someone to slander Kim Dae-ho's product. Because of that incident, Su-hyeun publicly broke one of Geneva's products and advertised Kim Dae-ho's instead.

An eye for an eye—that was how far Su-hyeun was prepared to take the matter to up until now.

"But, why? Did that idiot try to have uncle killed?" Lee Ju-ho asked.

"You really are quick-witted, you know that?"

"That's not the only thing I'm good at. In any case, that's what happened, right? Then it all makes sense."

Lee Ju-ho nodded his head as if he already expected this.

Su-hyeun glanced at him. Then, while scratching his head, muttered, "I don't know if I did the right thing, though. I can't help but wonder whether I should've just let him go or not."

"Why would you?"

"Because he's needed."

"By whom?"

"You know, by everyone."

Su-hyeun was really conflicted about this. Conflicted about whether he should not have killed Geneva.

Even now, his misgivings lingered.

Was killing that man the correct decision? If he had let Geneva live, wouldn't all the weapons that he will create save even more lives in the future?

As usual, it was too late to regret after a choice had been made. That also applied now.

"No, you did the right thing. It was the right call," said Lee Ju-ho after lightly tapping Su-hyeun's shoulder. "I get what you're thinking about, but didn't I tell you this already? You don't have to agonize over this by yourself. Besides, you told me that you wanted to see a world where good people can live freely, didn't you?"

"…I did."

"Sure, that was a bit cringe-inducing, but I still like the sound of it. How wonderful would a world like that be? It might end up as nothing more than a dream, but if we keep working toward such a world, we might eventually get closer to it, right? The world won't change overnight but gradually, after all."

"Is that how it is?"

"Yeah, it is. That's why you shouldn't regret stuff like this. You did the right thing. No doubt about it."

Lee Ju-ho's words managed to bring a thin smile on Su-hyeun's lips.

Sometimes, this guy really came across as his real older brother. A man who was both idealistic and realistic at the same time. That's why he was someone similar to Su-hyeun, yet also different. That was Lee Ju-ho.

He lightly patted Su-hyeun's shoulders a couple of times and continued. "Besides, we don't really need a bastard like Geneva when we have someone even better, right?"

Right after saying that, Lee Ju-ho used his chin to point in front of them.

That was when Kim Dae-ho made his entrance while dragging his rather stiff figure. Currently, they were in South Korea's biggest item exhibition center, where the blacksmith was about to make his first public appearance.

The occasion was to introduce the items of famous awakeners, and then let the reporters interview the blacksmith responsible for crafting them, as well as other well-known celebrities.

Su-hyeun had come here with Kim Dae-ho so that he could officially introduce the name of "Kim Dae-ho, the blacksmith."

"H—hello… to… you all. I, I'm called Kim… uh, Dae-ho…"

"Looks like he's really nervous." Lee Ju-ho watched Kim Dae-ho trying to introduce himself while standing on the platform out in front. "This really doesn't suit him at all." He chuckled softly.

Su-hyeun watching the proceedings alongside also started chuckling.

The announcer introducing Kim Dae-ho must have thought that this couldn't go on because he quickly called for Su-hyeun's entrance next. It was a bit sooner than scheduled.

"Well, see you later."

"Right. Break a leg."

"Thanks."

While feeling a bit refreshed inwardly, Su-hyeun stepped forward into the light.

And this was how a blacksmith called Kim Dae-ho became known throughout the world.

<hr />

"Next time, don't ever call me out for stuff like this."

After the event in the exhibition center was over, Kim Dae-ho returned to his workshop with Su-hyeun. That's when he said those testy words.

As his complexion was still red, he must have been really tense back then. As a matter of fact, he was even redder right now compared to when his entire body was enduring the blazing heat from the furnace of his workshop.

"Big brother Ju-ho will give you a call every now and then. When that happens, try to spare about two hours of your day for him, please."

"Are you asking me to attend another occasion like that?"

"Well, if you really hate it, then it can't be helped."

"Fine, fine. I might as well go back to Yangpyeong instead, eh?"

Although the older man sounded like he was annoyed, Kim Dae-ho's actions made Su-hyeun nearly burst out into a loud peal of laughter, so he tried his best to suppress it.

The current Kim Dae-ho cut a much brighter figure after moving into the city compared to back when he was living alone out in the sticks.

Su-hyeun, having finished his task of accompanying Kim Dae-ho back to the latter's home, lightly pounded on the armor that he wore beneath his street clothes and spoke.

"I should be on my way now. Thank you for the armor, I'll treasure it."

Kim Dae-ho sneaked a glance while making a slightly sad expression after learning that Su-hyeun was about to leave but still managed to spin around to leave himself. "Okay, then. Take care of yourself. I'm gonna go back to work now."

"Uncle."

Su-hyeun's call prompted Kim Dae-ho to stop and quickly turn his head to look back. "Argh, what is it now?"

"I'm always grateful for your work."

"Eh?" Kim Dae-ho blinked his eyes several times looking flustered before quickly averting his gaze. "Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and go, you fool." Keum, keu-heum

"I will."

Su-hyeun watched Kim Dae-ho enter the workshop.

He knew why the older man decided to come to Seoul. He wasn't told of it during this lifetime, but he definitely had heard the reason in the past.

"Let me lend you a hand so that the ideal world you longed for becomes a reality."

That was the reason why Kim Dae-ho came to Seoul in the past timeline. It was also why he decided to reveal his creations to the rest of the world.

I'm also grateful during this lifetime.

Su-hyeun bowed deeply in the direction of Kim Dae-ho's disappearing back before turning around to leave himself.

That's why things will be different this time.

<hr />

Su-hyeun increased his speed.

From the moment he passed the 43rd floor right up until now, he cleared the trials and climbed the tower at a rate far quicker than ever before.

It wasn't that difficult to do so. Due to the effect of the title "Hero," fighting against monsters became so much easier, and the increase in the overall stats, including strength, played a key role.

"Ah!"

That screech came from the boss of the spider den. The theme of the current trial was the rescue of trapped people.

Rumble, sizzle

Boom, ka-boom!

Su-hyeun entered the den of spiders and began burning away every single spider web these monsters had cast. People trapped in these webs were not affected, however. One of the advantages of the divine Flame was that, as proficiency got higher, the skill could differentiate between allies and enemies, and burn only the latter group.

"T—thank you so much."

"We're saved! We're alive!"

"Thank you. Truly, thank you…"

People freed from the spider webs gathered around Su-hyeun.

"Take that path to escape and you'll be fine. I've already taken care of the spider queen as well, so the village won't be threatened again," said Su-hyeun.

He opened up a path for them to escape.

And once all the people had been freed…

[You've acquired 1,500,000 achievement points.]

[You've attained the highest accomplishment points.]

[You have perfectly cleared the trial on the 49th floor.]

[Achievement ranking is being aggregated.]

[Ranked number 1…]

…

Messages announcing that he had cleared the trial popped up.

The trial of the 49th floor didn't even take him three days.

His current condition wasn't too bad. No, he was at peak condition—his body was now sufficiently warmed up, and his concentration was in a heightened state as well.

Let's challenge it right away.

Maybe the difficulty wasn't high enough compared to his actual skill level because, besides the achievement points, he didn't receive a whole lot of other rewards this time.

But it didn't really matter to him. He wasn't expecting much from a "regular" trial that wasn't even one from a 10th-numbered floor, to begin with.

Step, step—

Having arrived in the 50th floor's world, Su-hyeun continued to move forward while thinking of challenging the trial right away. Of course, there was someone he needed to speak to first before that.

"So, you've come."

It came from a tramp-looking man sitting on a simple folding chair by the corner of the plaza.

"Yes, I'm here."

It was the gatekeeper.