Chapter 4: For a Peaceful Life (1)
Hanul Academy.
One of the world’s top ten superhuman academies and by far the best academy in Korea.
It had teachers who were former high-rankers, support from successful graduates, and an excellent curriculum.
People believed that graduating from Hanul Academy guaranteed success as a superhuman.
Parents with gifted children did everything they could to get them admitted.
The competition among parents was fierce.
“My child… what do we do?!”
“How could the academy fail to protect them?! And you call yourselves the world’s best Superhuman Academy?!”
“What was the Dungeon Management Bureau doing? How could they fail to predict this?!”
“Have they figured out who was pulled into the dungeon yet?”
“I hope many teachers were inside… or at least active superhumans…”
Since it was graduation day, many parents were present.
Their cries of worry echoed everywhere.
The reporters watching them quickly began writing articles.
[Hanul Academy, which proudly called itself the world’s best…]
Hanul Academy couldn’t even prevent a dungeon outbreak. Can it really be called the best…?]
They eagerly published articles criticizing the academy.
As reporters crowded around the school entrance, an elegant luxury flying car arrived.
Everyone’s attention shifted toward it.
“Who’s that?”
“Did the Superhuman Administration already send someone?”
“Wait… that car…!”
While the reporters wondered who had arrived, the flying car, already approved by the academy, passed through the barrier and entered the campus.
“The atmosphere feels strange.”
“A dungeon has appeared.”
A woman hidden behind the car’s dark-tinted window looked toward the dungeon.
She had snow-white skin, black hair, and striking red eyes.
Her secretary immediately reported the situation.
“A dungeon appeared at Hanul Academy about fifteen minutes ago.”
“Oh?”
“The Dungeon Management Bureau is currently identifying everyone who was absorbed.”
“Do we know what type of dungeon it is?”
“It’s a Spirit Realm Underwater F-92 dungeon.”
“Oh, they’ve finished identifying the people inside.”
“Show me.”
[Spirit Realm Underwater F-92 (High Rank)]
[Superhumans: Kang Cheol-min, Kim Kyung-ho… Total: 114]
[Civilians: Kim Sun-hee, Nam Jeong-hyun… Total: 41]
“There are quite a few civilians.”
“The casualties will be severe.”
“It was a graduation ceremony.”
“Many family members attended.”
Anyone with soul power above 10 was considered a superhuman.
Sometimes a superhuman’s parents were ordinary people.
Sometimes ordinary parents gave birth to a superhuman.
Soul Power was strongly influenced by genetics, but it wasn’t guaranteed.
Just because someone’s child attended a Superhuman Academy didn’t mean the parents were superhumans.
“They’re probably already dead.”
“Yes.”
“Even if they can swim, an underwater F-92 dungeon likely won’t have enough air to breathe.”
F-92.
The “F” stood for Field, meaning a vast open area.
The number represented how much of the dungeon was occupied by a certain element.
An Underwater 92 dungeon meant that ninety-two percent of it was filled with water.
At most, only eight percent could contain breathable space.
And even that wasn’t guaranteed.
The remaining eight percent might not contain air at all.
“Tell the Planning Team and the Public Relations Team to prepare support for the victims’ families.”
Even in a life-or-death situation, she was already thinking about company publicity.
The secretary hid his discomfort and respectfully answered,
“Understood, Chairwoman.”
The flying car landed in an open area after passing through the crowd.
Even amid the chaos, many people stared at it.
“Who’s that?”
“What an incredible car.”
“I’ve never seen that model before.”
“Was it custom-made?”
The door opened.
Someone everyone had only seen on the news stepped out.
“That’s Chairwoman Lee Jung-ho!”
“Why is she here?”
“Is it because of the dungeon?”
“I heard her grandson attends this academy.”
“She must have come for graduation.”
“She looks incredible.”
“She’s in her seventies?”
“People who make contracts with legendary beings don’t age.”
“And the Spirit King is one of those legendary beings.”
Many people forgot about the dungeon and focused on her instead.
She was the contractor of the Fire Spirit King.
The head of one of Korea’s Four Great Superhuman Families after the Great Cataclysm.
She was also the chairwoman of a company leading the otherworld industry.
Naturally, she attracted everyone’s attention.
“Tsk.”
“What are they doing gathering so close?”
“What if a second absorption starts?”
Dungeons absorbed nearby life force to break the prisoners’ restraints.
That was why people had been pulled inside when the dungeon appeared.
Once enough life force had been collected…
A second absorption occurred.
After breaking their chains, the prisoners tried to escape.
They used the gathered life force to explode the dungeon.
That phenomenon was called a “dungeon break.”
When a Dungeon Break occurred, the imprisoned monsters escaped.
Driven mad, they destroyed everything they saw.
To prevent that, people shouldn’t gather near an active dungeon.
“Go see why the academy hasn’t started controlling the crowd.”
“Yes, Chairwoman.”
Ignoring everyone’s attention, Lee Jung-ho quietly observed the dungeon.
She looked completely relaxed, as though everyone’s stares were only natural.
Then someone approached her.
“Big Sister.”
The newcomer had wavy brown hair and clear blue eyes.
The moment Lee Jung-ho saw her, her expression hardened.
“Yoo Sung-hee.”
If Lee Jung-ho were the contractor of the Fire Spirit King…
Then Yoo Sung-hee was the contractor of the Water Spirit King.
Fire and water.
Natural enemies.
Their families had been famous rivals for generations.
“I didn’t expect you to come here personally.”
Yoo Sung-hee smiled gently as she approached.
Lee Jung-ho greeted her with a cold expression.
“The future contractor of the Fire Spirit King is here.”
“It’s only natural I’d show this much interest.”
“Aren’t you putting too much pressure on the child?”
“If he can’t handle even this much, he doesn’t deserve to become my successor.”
Legendary-level Soul Power.
Outstanding control.
There was a reason she had brought Lee Shin into her family.
“Don’t push him too hard.”
“He might run away like your son.”
“Oh?”
“And what if he fails like your daughter?”
“Your own children all failed too.”
Failed.
Neither woman’s children had succeeded in making a contract with the Spirit King.
Yoo Sung-hee’s daughter lacked enough soul power.
Lee Jung-ho’s youngest son, who possessed the highest soul power among her children, had run away from the family.
Neither family had passed on its glory.
The two women stared silently at each other.
One smiled warmly.
The other remained expressionless.
Their personalities couldn’t have been more different.
The people nearby watched with interest.
The heads of the Fire Spirit family and the Water Spirit family are standing face to face.
That alone was enough entertainment.
“You two are still acting like this at your age?”
A man casually stepped between them.
He wore a modernized hanbok and a stylish fedora.
Yoo Sung-hee greeted him warmly.
“Father.”
“Did your meeting finish?”
“Yes.”
“The energy inside the dungeon is fading.”
“It looks like it’ll be cleared soon.”
“By the way…”
Kang Mu-jin, Yoo Sung-hee’s father, turned toward Lee Jung-ho.
She greeted him respectfully.
“It’s good to see you again.”
“How have you been?”
“It’s been a long time, Jung-ho.”
“Is your older brother doing well?”
“Too well.”
“He rarely stays home.”
“Haha.”
“That’s normal for Spirit King’s contractors.”
“My wife still looks so young that standing beside her makes me look like her father.”
His cheerful tone almost sounded careless.
Yoo Sung-hee clicked her tongue in embarrassment.
“Father…”
“You’ve already undergone rejuvenation.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“That happened decades ago.”
“I’m old now.”
“People probably think we’re father and daughter instead of husband and wife.”
Others might have considered it a humble brag.
But neither Lee Jung-ho nor Yoo Sung-hee did.
Both had experienced countless difficulties because they stopped aging after making contracts with the Spirit King.
Hm?
Suddenly…
Her soul trembled.
Sensing something unfamiliar, Lee Jung-ho ignored the conversation and looked toward the dungeon.
Someone is borrowing the power of our contract.
She felt the flames connected to the contract burning intensely.
Faster than ever before.
Only one person could possibly draw that much power right now.
Lee Shin.
The one currently inside the underwater dungeon.
I knew he was talented…
But to borrow this much power…
Those related to a contractor could also borrow the Fire Spirit King’s power.
Even so…
None of them had ever drawn this much.
He’s grown a lot while I wasn’t watching.
To control flames of this level before even making a contract…
What would he become afterward?
He already possessed all three essentials.
An exceptional soul.
A powerful body.
Remarkable control.
I’ve never seen anyone this talented.
Bringing him into the family was the right decision.
He was the grandson of her youngest son, who had left the family.
Originally, she never intended to accept him.
But his talent had changed her mind.
Her youngest son had also been gifted.
Yet Lee Shin surpassed him completely.
Soul Power: 96.
No young superhuman without any contract should possess such a number.
Fewer than one hundred people in the entire world had Soul Power above 90.
Above 95?
Not even ten.
And every one of them had already formed contracts with higher beings.
Since Soul Power increased after making contracts…
Lee Shin’s natural Soul Power of 96, before any contract at all, was unprecedented.
The difference between 95 and 96 alone was enormous.
Once he formed a contract with the Spirit King…
I can’t wait to see how much stronger he’ll become.
A smile of anticipation appeared on Lee Jung-ho’s lips.
She quickly covered it with her hand.
Smiling at the scene of an accident would only create unnecessary trouble.
At this rate…
The day I completely reclaim my company isn’t far away.
Once Lee Shin became the contractor of the Spirit King…
Once he officially became the family’s successor…
She would recover all the influence that had been stolen by her greedy, foolish nephew.
Excitement flashed across Lee Jung-ho’s red eyes.
At that very moment…
The dungeon collapsed.
Everyone who had been absorbed was expelled.
“So…”
“It really can be changed.”
[Contribution Results]
Lee Shin: 49%
Eugene: 48%
Sun Woo-yeon: 3%
Lee Shin looked at the result.
It was completely different from the webtoon.
This was the result that occasionally appeared in Hard Mode.
More accurately…
the result you had to achieve.
So I really am inside Hard Mode.
In the webtoon, the graduation dungeon was where the protagonist and rival switched places.
In the game, it served as the tutorial.
That meant the outcome was normally fixed.
An overwhelming victory for the protagonist.
Only Hard Mode, where you played as Lee Shin, allowed the possibility of a draw or even a victory.
But true to its name, Hard Mode was extremely difficult.
Just as players always complained…
It felt as though Lee Shin had a hidden bad luck stat.
Something always interfered at the most important moment.
As if Lee Shin could never surpass the protagonist, Eugene.
But I overcame it and won.
That means the future really can be changed.
Then…
Did he really need to keep living that way?
A life spent desperately trying to defeat Eugene.
That wasn’t the life he wanted.
It was the life his family wanted.
Lee Shin’s family and Eugene’s family were rivals.
Their competition represented the pride of both families.
Even if he personally had no desire to fight…
He had to do it for his family.
That was the price for saving his little sister.
Rin…
Lee Shin thought of his only family.
He had entered the family to protect her.
In the webtoon, Lee Shin lived exactly as the family demanded.
In the end…
He still lost the only person he cared about.
He fought desperately to protect her.
Yet all his efforts ended with her death.
Lee Shin understood why the webtoon version of himself became the final boss.
If he had suffered the same fate…
He would have become the same.
I joined this family to save Rin.
If they can’t save her…
Then I don’t need to keep obeying them.
From now on…
He would no longer live according to the family’s wishes.
Today marked the end of his role as the protagonist’s rival.
From now on, instead of competing…
He would focus on business.
And he would live peacefully with his little sister.
To do that…
First…
I’ll take control of the family.
As long as the family remained above him, he would always be forced to compete with Eugene.
So he would simply take the family for himself.
Then no one could control him anymore.
Their eyes met.
Crimson eyes.
Eyes filled with the King’s power.
Eyes that no fire spirit could resist.
Fire could never oppose a greater fire.
That was an absolute law among spirit contractors.
In that case…
I’ll make a contract with a Divine Fire Spirit.
Then I’ll become the new pinnacle of all Fire Spirit Contractors…
…and inherit the family.
