SS rank interruption I
[ MC POV, A few hours before the monarchs become Jin-ah's food....that glutton...sigh ]
I woke up coz my fluffy cozy pillow was missing.....I pat around my bed for a bit in search of it.....sigh...I don't wanna wake up!
*5 mins later*
FUCK IT! I jump up from the bed like someone's put my ass on fire and rush into the washroom to wash my face with ice-cold water, I froze the water with ice-attributed mana, if you were wondering how an EX rank individual can feel the cold with just regular tap water....that's how....
Brrrrrrrrr.....that ought to wake me up! I look up at the divinely handsome face staring back at me in the mirror (AN: bruh, narcissistic much?)
I gotta say...this face is perfect... If I were not actively suppressing my charm, I have no doubt people here would do anything I say without question, it isn't about directly mind controlling, it's just that my subtle movements and actions seem more graceful...the more my charm increases...
Sigh, the woes of being divinely beautiful...no mere mortal can understand my pain.....(I'm just trying to act like a narcissistic individual)
Ugh, I can't do this.....it isn't in my character...anyway on to today's task....getting my S-rank...maybe I can ask for a higher rank? let them introduce one.....in the future with me studying up on mana, we will be able to awaken anyone to at least E rank...that's already much better than a regular human, and there'll be more S ranks popping up in the future.
We need more Ranks to define such powerhouses, the problem is.....how do I show them the gap between S rank and the one above....should I do it by brute strength? Like, lift a continent or two?? or maybe lifting some mountain ranges would be enough? ?
I feel like my common sense is getting skewed a bit here, I shake my head at that....I'll have to find a non-volatile way to convince him, maybe leverage on the fact that he is the vessel for the brightest fragment of brilliant light...still a long ass name though...
I make myself some filtered coffee and switch on the TV, change to the global news channel and see -
{ Good morning, this is Eva Jones live, from Washington D.C. We are currently at the Federal Hunter Bureau, waiting for Deputy Director Michael Connor to make a statement regarding the appearance of another S-class gate, this time at Buffalo, New York. With the sudden exponential rise in gates of higher ranks all around the world, what does this mean for the USA and the world as a whole? We hope the deputy director will provide us with some answers to that question....stay tuned for more... }
They're ramping up.... the rulers are getting impatient.... why? are they not confident in their strength ?.... or have they put all their hopes in Jin-woo?
Jin-woo, someone I've come to accept over time as a real character with aspirations and dreams...I'll tell him about the system and my previous life, I mean I have nothing to hide from him, I'll let Jin-ah decide if she wants to tell him with me...some might say its stupid...but I consider Jin-woo family....and for me, that's enough of a reason.
"...It's time to go meet the Association President and by extension the Rulers" I said while cleansing my body with mana and putting on a baggy T-shirt that said "Supreme" heh....I am...I know and wear black pants with white sneakers to complete the look.
I plan on walking to the association, giving my mind some time to think over things a little.
On my way, I see some people pointing at me and others being brazen enough to click photos of me!
[ Master has high charm value after all, even when controlled, your charm puts you above human standards. ]
Sigh...whatever, I need more publicity starting now anyway... If this helps so be it.....with my actions in the coming conflicts, I would eventually become the face of the hunters all around the world.... sort of like All Might ( definitely more decisive when killing though.. )
Good publicity is a plus, and I intend to fully use it to my advantage, there'll definitely be old foggies out there discontent with me, but having a good reputation among the masses will help then, obviously, I could brute force it...but I prefer not having to fight weaklings at all...especially when I don't need to.
I arrive in front of the Association and sign up for a re-evaluation at the front desk, as I thank her and make my way to the lift, I catch her looking at my back a bit longingly...Ugh....I'll tone down my charm even more then!!
While sitting there waiting for my turn, the guys there look at my outfit and my face and give me the stinkeye.....maybe they think I'm not taking this seriously huh ? To them their lives could be decided by their re-evaluation results....makes sense, I ignore the nervous environment around me and sit there with my eyes closed...
"Hunter with the registered name: Sung-Hyunwoo please come in" I hear an announcement over the speaker, as I get up and make my way in...I'm surprised to find Chief Inspector Woo-Jinchul waiting inside for me...
He seems to be a bit surprised by the way I look, but quickly recollects himself.....and puts his hand out for a handshake while introducing himself...good I don't swing that way bruh...
"Good morning, Hunter Sung... I am Chief Inspector Woo-Jinchul here to escort you to meet the Association Chairman Go-Gunhee"
"Good morning to you as well, and please call me Mag....as you can tell, I am not a native.....I was adopted by the loving Sung family" I say with a soft smile on my face while returning the handshake.....no test of strength happened here....meh.
"Ah I thought it was like that, your looks aren't exactly common you know? I understand that it must be frustrating to be stared at like an animal in a zoo here, by the way why Mag?" he says while smiling awkwardly....
"Hahaha! You get used to it after some time... Mag is short for Magnus, the orphanage I grew up in found a name tag attached to my basket, pretty convenient I'd say" I said with a shrug while following him out of the room.
"Ah....Understood" He says, I can see that he's trying to be considerate "Let us take this lift up" He then says standing in front of an elevator and pressing the button to go up .
While waiting for the lift, we make small conversations regarding the global gate situation....I sense Go-Gunhee waiting in his room looking out the glass sheets into the city....the old man must be reminiscing about something.... he turns and looks straight at me while slightly smiling with a knowing look...that was...expected...I didn't conceal my gaze after all
Reaching outside his room, Woo-Jinchul opens the door and gestures for me to go in
I step inside the room, and President Go turns around with an expectant smile on his face and says with a powerful and melancholic voice - "You must be Magnus, it is a pleasure to finally meet you O'Fragment of the Great One."
Whoa, fragment of what? This Great One stuff was new... Time for questions....
"Greetings, am I speaking to the brightest fragment of brilliant light or Go-Gunhee right now?" I ask in a slightly serious tone of voice.
"You are speaking to the fusion of us, O'Fragment of the Great One. You see we spiritual beings cannot reside here without a host and after millennia of searching for the one with the same ideals as me, I found Go-Gunhee, ever since then there has been only the fusion of us." says the President while offering me a seat, he sits down once I have...
"Understood, and what is this about being a fragment of the Great One? " I ask a bit curious about where this is going...
"Ah yes, I shall answer your questions regarding this.... as it is one of the reasons I prolonged my life on this plane, waiting for your arrival... Long ago, the Absolute Being created multiple planets with life, her every breath and movement filled our universe with energy, and then she created us.... gave us sentience... to rule over her creations and guide them towards growth and development as a whole....." He makes a pained expression while clenching his fists so tightly that they start to bleed.....
He continues "But some of us weren't content to be what they called 'watchmen' and rebelled against her, thus forming the Monarchs and Rulers of today.....We were winning....until 'he' appeared that is...They call him Crimson..... A fitting name as, wherever he walks, the world bleeds. He devours worlds, leaving nothing but crimson ruin in his wake."
He takes a deep breath and continues " The Absolute Being was sealed away through some means by the third party that intervened and with her sealed, the mana disappeared too, the rulers fought to unseal her, and the monarchs submitted to Crimson.
We don't know how they sealed her, but what we do know is that the seal is slowly weakening, as more and more mana begins leaking out.... it is terraforming the planet to be what it once was.....the beginning of everything..."
"The world of beginnings" I said....somehow it resonated with me....as this beautiful life of mine began on this planet...
"Hahaha! Aptly named! As expected of you O'Great One" He says while clapping his thigh and laughing boisterously...
"Before she was sealed, she told us not to worry about it for some reason and left behind a message for you" He says while grimacing and making a slightly weirded-out face.
"Oh, what is it ?" Curiosity piqued, I sit at the edge of my seat.
Go-Gunhee cleared his throat, then blurted out in a rushed, embarrassed voice, "H-hurry up and find me D-d-daddy!" He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with stifled laughter.
I blinked, processing the nonsensical message. Was this some ancient code? A hidden test of my divine knowledge? Or just the ramblings of an old hag sealed away who clearly missed watching soap operas?
It took me a while to process this nonsense...What the fuck was that ??
"Uh... that's it?" I asked cautiously, unsure if I should be offended or impressed by the cosmic equivalent of a toddler's scribble.
Go-Gunhee looked right at me with a straight face... that barely contained the grin that threatened to break out and said - "Cryptic right? Perhaps the Absolute Being had a daddy kink?"
I deadpanned at that... "Perhaps the Absolute One needed therapy."
.
.
Okay time for some answers now, I sit up straight and ask him - "Alright so how do you know that I'm this prophesized being?"
Go-Gunhee leans forward, his gaze unwavering. "It's more than just stories, Magnus. When you arrived, a wave of pure mana swept across the planet. An echo of your essence resonated with us, beings born of her power. It's... undeniable."
"Hmm....so there is actually a tangible connection between her and me" I ponder over this for a moment...and then raise my head and look at him with determination - "Do you know where she's sealed?"
"Yes", he says while pointing downwards, I follow his gaze and my eyes widen from understanding.....she is sealed inside the planet.....
"How do we access this seal?" I ask him a bit eager to meet this person, daddy issues be damned.....
Go-Gunhee leans closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You've to beat it out of Crimson… but be careful Magnus, there's more to him than meets the eye. He works like a puppet, controlled by an unknown hand, driven by an insatiable hunger for destruction. His purpose feels… incomplete, almost artificial."
Hmmm...now that is a bit troublesome, it's like a boss behind a boss behind a boss...anyway nothing I can do now except be alert and continue my research, when he comes out from wherever he is, I'll beat the answers outta him! .....My life is supposed to be slice-of-life and adventure dammit, so I'll leave these worries to future me.....
"Alright then, President. I'll free her... I promise, and can I expect to get an S rank evaluation?" I ask teasingly, it's absurd that I'd have to start from there...but its understandable, I'll just demonstrate my strength at some gate in the future...
"You will be given the S rank and the privileges that come with the title Magnus." He says while smiling slyly.
"Understood.....Now extend your arm please, Go-Gunhee," I requested, my voice firm and gentle.....I'll heal him up a bit....
Hesitantly, the President complied..... As my fingertips pressed Go-Gunhee's wrist, a flicker of surprise crossed my face. I saw it all then - the faint tremors in the older man's hand, the telltale paleness under his skin. These weren't just signs of fatigue, but signs of a life nearing its end.
A wave of warmth emanated from my hand as mana flowed into Go-Gunhee. I saw the man flinch, then gasp, as damaged soul threads were mended and failing organs revitalized. Strength returned to his once frail limbs, the vibrancy of youth slowly bringing light into his eyes....being the vessel of a ruler isn't so easy...it weighs on the soul and weakens the body as one grows older...
Go-Gunhee blinked, bewildered. "But... I..." he stammered, the words catching in his throat.
"You deserve this," Magnus interrupted softly. "Your wife must be worried sick. Don't you want to see her smile again, without the shadow of grief hanging over her?"
Go-Gunhee's weathered face crumpled, and for the first time, Magnus saw a crack in his stoic facade. Shame and guilt flickered in his eyes. "I had accepted my fate," he murmured, "but you're right. I was so caught up in my duty that I neglected the smaller joys in life... the ones that truly matter."
He looked at Magnus, a hint of teasing in his gaze. "No wonder they call you the Great One."
My eyes twitch at that....Old Man, you're asking for a beating....
A chuckle escaped his lips, lighter than Magnus had ever heard. "Thank you. You've given me a second chance, not just for myself, but for my loved one as well."
I tossed him a vial filled with shimmering blue liquid "Use this on your wife old man, you can't be the only one enjoying youth again..."
Go-Gunhee's surprised laughter filled the room, the sound lighter than any burden he carried. This was a man reborn, ready to face the future with renewed vigor, all thanks to a kindness offered by the enigmatic Fragment of the Great One.
"I will I will, Hana would be so happy!" The man felt the weight on his shoulders lighten up considerably, he looked towards me and says
"How about we fight on the front lines someday?" He puts his right hand over his heart and hears a powerful rhythm, an eager smile on his face..
"Sure! The sky above the sky emerges again huh?.....But you better train a bit old man, you've gotten rusty....don't you feel that? It seems a Monarch has descended on Seoul" I say smiling gently when I receive word from Jin-ah about it through Beta.....heh she can finally reach SSS with his soul and mana as the nutrients....she must be drooling, my cute little glutton hahaha~
"Huh?!"