[77] "Visiting Shinhwa"

[In Shinhwa]

The office is spacious and bright, with a desk strategically placed in front of a large window offering a breathtaking view of the city. To the left of the desk is a set of comfortable armchairs and a table, where a young man with white hair and green eyes, and a beautiful woman with black hair and eyes are seated.

"I would like to know what is the reason for your visit," Jiyoung asked in a firm voice but showing no emotion on his face.

Ares smiled for a moment before speaking, "I would like to have a conversation."

"A conversation?" Jiyoung said with a neutral tone of voice and without showing much emotion on his face.

"Yes, a friendly conversation. Don't worry, I'm not here to challenge you," Ares said as he stroked a beautiful dragon resting on his legs.

Jiyoung fixes her attention on the dragon, watching its every move carefully, while Silvia also directs her gaze towards the creature. Suddenly, Jiyoung is transported to a dark and mysterious place, where she comes face to face with the imposing dragon.

The beast exhales a terrifying power that causes Jiyoung to feel a shiver run through her body and a cold sweat begins to break out on her forehead. The atmosphere is tense and oppressive, and fear grips Jiyoung as she gazes in awe at the dragon's magnificence and ferocity.

"Miss Jiyoung," a voice roused her.

"Yes?" replied Jiyoung, stunned by the interruption and thought. 'That beast...'

"I heard something interesting," Ares said with a smile.

Jiyoung raised an eyebrow and before she could say anything, Ares added. "Apparently, my little younger brother has caused you quite a bit of trouble."

"Little brother?" Jiyoung repeated in amazement as he thought. 'You have a younger brother and he's here?'

"Yes, did you forget my last name, Miss Jiyoung?" said Ares calmly.

"Last name," Jiyoung said, and then thought. 'Ares Seo... it can't be.'

Jiyoung looked with a shocked face at Ares.

"Exactly... Jiwoo Seo is my younger brother," said Ares.

"Really?" asked Jiyoung, with a shocked expression on her face.

"Why would I lie to him?" Ares replied with assurance in his tone of voice.

"I heard from him that you've treated him very well... and I hope he won't cause too much trouble for my little brother," Ares said with a smile on his face.

"No... don't worry, he hasn't caused us any trouble," Jiyoung said with a calm tone in his voice.

"Well, I also came for two other reasons, the first was for my brother and the second is if you want to accompany me to the Korean awakening academy, where my brother is currently staying" said Ares.

Jiyoung felt a shiver run through his body and couldn't help but ask, "With all due respect Mr. Ares, why do you want to go to an awakened youth academy?"

"You know rumors are flying and it is said that there will be a showdown between the unaffiliated and affiliated, and my brother, Jiwoo, will fight there," Ares explained.

Jiyoung is shocked thinks. 'How did Ares know about the academy? It's supposed to be top secret, is he really interested in watching some young guys fight or does he just want to see his brother.

"Would you like to join me?" repeated Ares.

"Sure..." replied Jiyoung with coldness in his eyes.

"Lastly, I recommend you not to get involved in the affairs of other organizations in this country, as this might trigger chaos in your own country, even if you are considered the number one awakened in South Korea's ranking," Ares said in a deep voice.

Jiyoung raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?".

Ares smiled and replied. "Sometimes it's best not to get involved in internal affairs of another organization other than your own. One never knows who the other organizations in your country deal with, Miss Jiyoung."

Jiyoung raised an eyebrow and clenched her fist with determination. "I would like to make a request of you and I hope you will accept it," she said earnestly.

"Ahh, sure, tell me," Ares replied curiously.

"I would like you to accept my challenge," Jiyoung said defiantly.

A big smile formed on Ares' face. "The truth is, I had no intention of fighting anyone for a while, I wanted to focus on my personal life. But if someone challenged me, I can't refuse," he said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Jiyoung, you are currently not powerful enough. You still have a long way to grow. However, I will show you the power of someone who is considered one of the most powerful awakened in the world today so you can get an idea of how far you should go," Ares continued confidently.

....

On top of an imposing building stands Ares, erect and firm, surveying the city at his feet with a defiant and confident gaze. On the other side, on top of another nearby building, stands Jiyoung, with graceful posture and gaze fixed on Ares, as if waiting for something.

The cool evening breeze enveloped the scene, while the lights of the city reflected on the faces of Ares and Jiyoung and on the windows of the nearby buildings.

Suddenly, an intense light burst forth from Ares' body and expanded dizzyingly, encompassing everything it encountered around it.

Jiyoung was surprised at Ares' great spatial isolation, but he kept his stance firm and his gaze defiant, showing no fear at that supernatural spectacle.

"You can attack me anytime, Miss Jiyoung," Ares said with a smile, as he waved his hand as if inviting his opponent to try to defeat him.

Jiyoung nodded with determination, her gaze fixed on Ares, and in a fluid gesture, she began to levitate in the air. She focused on her right hand, channeling all her energy into it.

A glowing aura began to surround her, and the strength emanating from her body was palpable. It looked like she was ready to launch an attack with all her might.

Concentrating on her target, Jiyoung continued to channel her energy into a ball of wind that she was forming in her right hand. Gradually, the ball began to grow in size and power, and became a glowing sphere that seemed to contain the force of a hurricane.

Jiyoung made a quick and precise movement, and threw the wind ball towards Ares with determination. The sphere streaked through the air with incredible speed, raising a trail of wind and energy in its wake. There seemed to be nothing that could stop its advance towards the opponent.

Before Jiyoung's attack could hit Ares, his body was covered with a golden shield of light that protected him from the attack. The ball of wind slammed into the shield with great force, causing a wake of wind to sharpen throughout the air.

The impact was spectacular. The ball of wind hit Ares with great force, causing a wake of wind that flared through the air.

A large explosion shook the top of the building, causing parts of the building to shatter.

The dust generated by the explosion began to slowly dissipate, and before Jiyoung's eyes, Ares was enveloped in an aura of bright, radiant light, not showing a single scratch.

Jiyoung was surprised to see that, despite the magnitude of the attack, Ares was still smiling confidently and assuredly.

The lack of counterattack on Ares' part puzzled Jiyoung, who realized that his attack had been parried with a simple shield.

Raising an eyebrow in amazement, Jiyoung realized that Ares had incredible power and thought to himself. 'This is the power of someone who made the top 11 of the world rankings run away?'

Suddenly, four beams of light shot out from Ares' body, aimed directly at Jiyoung. Quickly, Jiyoung stepped back and, concentrating her energy, launched four blasts of wind that impacted against the four light attacks, forming four powerful explosions.

"Good reflexes," said a voice behind Jiyoung, catching her off guard.

Jiyoung quickly turned to face Ares, but it was too late, as Ares had launched a punch surrounded by light towards her.

With quick reflexes, Jiyoung created a wind barrier with both hands to stop the attack, but the shield cracked under the force of the impact and sent her flying backwards, crashing into a nearby building.

Ares descended into a destroyed building, inspecting the damage he had caused with his attack, he looked towards the building split in half, where Jiyoung impacted.

Jiyoung emerged from the rubble, coughing and trying to catch her breath. Although she was injured, she had not lost her determination, got up and prepared for the next round.

Jiyoung carefully demonstrated Ares' skills, and couldn't help but think that his speed was impressive and his defense, almost impenetrable.

Ares turned to Jiyoung and challenged, "Show me your most powerful attack, attack me with everything you've got!"

Jiyoung frowned, surprised by the request. Nevertheless, he focused all his energy into his most devastating technique, and a huge green aura shot out from his body, cracking the buildings in the area in its path. As he prepared to deliver the final blow, his eyes glowed with an intense greenish glow, demonstrating his determination and strength.

"Blade Storm!" exclaimed Jiyoung, as a terrifying gust of wind formed and headed towards Ares.

Ares demonstrated with a smile on his face at Jiyoung's powerful attack. 'It's more powerful than I expected,' he thought as he raised his hand and a large beam of light shot towards his opponent's technique.

The two attacks collided with overwhelming force, forming a shockwave that shook the ground and destroyed much of the buildings in the area.

The deafening sound of the collision will damage throughout the area, causing nearby buildings to crumble and windows to explode into pieces.

The energy released by the two attacks expanded forcefully, creating a cloud of dust and debris that enveloped Jiyoung and Ares inside.

Suddenly, Ares' attack continued its path towards Jiyoung, taking the latter by surprise.

However, Jiyoung quickly recovered and, in a nimble move, created a wind barrier to protect herself.

Jiyoung held her wind barrier tightly, concentrating on repelling Ares' attack. However, the force of his opponent's attack was too strong and gradually weakened his shield.

Suddenly, the wind shield shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving Jiyoung unprotected against Ares' attack. But just when it seemed all was lost, something surprising happened, the beam of light that was heading towards Jiyoung disappeared at the last moment.

Calmly, his hands behind his back and breathing normally, Ares descended from the sky and stood in front of Jiyoung. "How did you find the confrontation?" he asked.

"Yes... I was able to get a feel for his strength, thank you," Jiyoung said as she looked at Ares.

"Miss Jiyoung," Ares began in a serious and stern tone of voice. "I have to say that I'm a little disappointed. rumors are flying around about your great talent overseas and I expected more from you. Maybe it was me who had too high expectations."

Jiyoung kept silent, but he clenched his fist tightly and felt his face blush despite the cold face he was showing.

Suddenly, Silva appeared at high speed and landed on Ares' shoulder deftly. Ares pointed to his arms and Silva quickly descended and curled up, trying to sleep in his lap.

....

[At the same time in other places]

[At the awakened academy]

Inhyuk and Seongha stand erect behind Giwook, their hands folded behind their backs, the instructors' steady gaze is directed towards the six young men in front of them.

The instructors, in a firm and confident voice, inform the youths that they will have to face the affiliates.

Hearing this, four of the youths besides Jiwoo and Wooin, show signs of fear and nervousness, their faces tighten and their eyes show a mixture of surprise and concern.

The instructors, aware of the youngsters' reaction, adopt a calmer and more reassuring posture, trying to instill confidence in them.

Unlike the other youths, Jiwoo and Wooin seem to be more interested in the confrontation, their eyes shining with determination and a gleam of excitement, as if they are eagerly awaiting the confrontation, their posture is more relaxed, demonstrating a self-confidence.

The instructors inform the boys that their training will intensify significantly during this week.

....

[Jiwoo's room]

"So you're going to face those affiliated guys," said Kayden as he watched TV.

"Yes, Mr. Kayden," Jiwoo replied.

"I'm a little nervous," Jiwoo added, although his face showed motivation and enthusiasm.

"Calm down, you'll have a lot of fights in the future. Do you know who you're going to fight?" asked Kayden, looking at Jiwoo.

"Not yet. They said they would give a list first," replied Jiwoo.

"Ahhh, well, then the only thing left is to train. You're going to suffer like never before," Kayden said with a demonic grin.

"Yeah," Jiwoo replied cheerfully.

....

2166 Words.

Next Chapter "One week"