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Chapter 14
The next morning, the day of the Formal Assembly.
Doom—! Doom—!
With the deep pounding of a massive drum, the host of the assembly, Kim Junghun, appeared to open the ceremony.
“We offer our declaration to His Majesty who watches over us from the heavens!”
Before the main rites began, the participants first had to offer formal greetings to the Sovereign, the ruler of Joseon.
The nobles, dressed in full ceremonial attire, turned their gazes upward, toward the invisible heights of the royal court, and offered their bows with solemn reverence.
“Following His Majesty’s will, the descendants of the heroes who shall defend Joseon have gathered here today!”
“Before this glorious event begins, the people of Joseon pay their respects!”
“May His Majesty live a thousand years and forever watch over this land!”
“Watch over us—!”
Echoing the chants of the elders presiding over the event, all the gathered nobles bowed their heads in perfect unison.
A bow offered toward the main throne hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, far above, toward the Sovereign watching from the heavens.
Every head of the ruling aristocratic families of Joseon lowered themselves toward the unseen sky, paying homage in full formality.
“Kim Chang-woon.”
Once the most important ritual concluded, just as the day’s main event, the group sparring match, was about to begin…
My older brother, Kim Hyunwoo, had somehow made his way close to me and glared with sharp contempt.
“You dare to show your face at this sacred event, even though you’re an incompetent disgrace? Do you feel no shame?”
“Eligibility for the Formal Assembly isn’t based on ability but on lineage. Even someone as incompetent as me knows that, so why bother asking?”
“……!”
Clicking his tongue with disdain, he quickly lost interest in me.
He must’ve realized that saying more would only raise his own blood pressure.
As the ceremony wrapped up and everyone returned to their seats—
“You there.”
At the familiar voice, I turned to see Yu Sang-hyeon waving at me.
Unlike yesterday, he now held a hint of guarded caution in his demeanor.
It seemed he had done some digging on me in the meantime.
“I didn’t expect the one who entertained my daughter to be from the Andong Kim clan.”
“A man of the Andong Kim clan… Is that what I am? Hm, who knows.”
As I replied, I motioned toward a group.
They were my kin, yet they walked off toward one corner of the event grounds as if I were invisible.
“General, do you really think my clan sees me as one of them?”
“……I see. That says enough.”
Seeing that, Yu Sang-hyeon eased his expression, seemingly understanding the situation.
An illegitimate child. On top of that, a powerless one.
There was no need to explain how someone like me would be treated in the family. It was painfully obvious.
“Would you care to sit with me? Being in this far-off land, I find myself lacking company for conversation.”
“To share a seat with the commander of the Iron Tiger Corps is an honor. But… are you sure it’s alright to associate with someone like me?”
“Being disregarded isn’t a one-sided affair. Who would welcome a noble like me, holed up on the frontier of Hamgyeong Province?”
Yu Sang-hyeon scratched his head awkwardly as he spoke.
As he said, someone from the Hamgyeong frontier like him wasn’t exactly a welcome presence among the central court nobles.
‘He should’ve stayed buried out in the sticks. Why crawl his way back into the capital now?’
‘Is he trying to barter his daughter just to claw into the center of power? Pathetic.’
‘The Iron Tiger Corps? Are we really supposed to tolerate those filthy clanking machines parading around the capital? Has Joseon truly lost all its order?’
And so on.
The glances directed at him were filled with scorn, ridicule, and, beneath it all, a thread of fear.
“Yet you still chose to come all the way here…”
“Because of my daughter, Arin.”
Sang-hyeon replied with a heavy heart.
“Since the First Monster War during the reign of King Gwangjo, our Iron Tiger Corps has defended the frontlines of Joseon. The Royal Guards ceased support long ago, and our supplies and reinforcements have been scarce at best… but we’ve managed, somehow.”
“……”
The Iron Tiger Corps—a specialized monster extermination unit created to support the superpowered Royal Guards.
Made up of powerless individuals without Abilities, they hunted monsters using high-grade artificial prosthetics.
Unlike the Royal Guards, who accepted only those with awakened abilities, the Iron Tiger Corps was a progressive force where anyone, regardless of class, could enlist.
‘But after the rise of the political oligarchy, the nobility began twisting that system.’
A military unit open to all classes.
The aristocracy took advantage of that clause and slowly corrupted the Corps from within.
It became a dumping ground for soldiers with no power base, commoners, outcasts, and even disgraced political prisoners.
A human landfill for those exiled from Joseon itself.
That was what the Iron Tiger Corps had become.
“As commander of the Iron Tiger Corps, I have a duty to defend this land of Joseon. Until my last breath.”
“……”
“But I… I don’t want to pass this cruel duty on to my daughter.”
With a sigh heavy with fatigue, Yu Sang-hyeon spoke.
“Is that why you came to Hanseong*?”
“Yes. I came here hoping to find a decent marriage match. That’s why I’ve been buttering up those ink-stained scholars.”
Yu Sang-hyeon gave a bitter laugh as he spoke.
“Arin. I just want my daughter to grow up in a good environment, to see the finer things in life… and to live peacefully.”
“I see.”
I never imagined I’d come to understand the Iron Tiger Commander’s true feelings like this.
Dying and coming back to life really does come with all kinds of strange experiences.
“…Well, damn.”
But that thought only lasted for a moment.
“I’m saying far too much to someone I’ve only just met.”
“To be honest… I wasn’t quite sure how to respond either.”
“Hahaha, is that so? My apologies. It’s just that this is the first time my daughter’s had a friend, so I must’ve gotten carried away.”
As he said that, Yu Sang-hyeon flashed that familiar, warm smile of his.
To open up like this to someone he’d barely met…
Should I call him simple-hearted? Or just naïve?
Watching him, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
‘Because…’
I already knew.
That peaceful life.
That safe environment.
Yu Sang-hyeon’s hope for his daughter was something that would never come true.
‘And the one who doomed that hope… was none other than you.’
The decision to send your daughter into the den of Hanseong’s aristocrats.
That single choice would lead your beloved daughter to spark a revolution that would set all of Joseon ablaze.
To avenge the murder of her father during the Formal Assembly.
“By the way, General…”
“Hmm?”
The moment was right. His guard was down now.
Keeping my tone light, I addressed Yu Sang-hyeon.
“About the food your daughter had yesterday…”
“Ugh.”
The sudden mention of food clearly startled him. Flustered, Yu Sang-hyeon quickly pulled up his interface.
“I’ll pay right now. Let’s see… expense records…”
“No need. Instead of paying for the meal, I’d like to ask a favor.”
Still, thanks to this conversation, I was certain now.
About Yu Arin, the hero who would ignite a revolution.
And what I needed to do to survive that revolution.
“A favor?”
“Yes.”
I will save her father, Yu Sang-hyeon, the commander of the Iron Tiger Corps.
“It’s a simple favor. But also… a very strange one.”
I will rescue him from his destined death.
And I will change the future.
* * *
BOOOM—!
“Kuaaaagh?!”
A single bolt of lightning struck the earth with explosive force, sending the surrounding spectators flying like fallen leaves in a storm.
“I-I yield! I forfeit!”
“This is my limit as well.”
“What kind of power is that…?!”
Noble youths staggered and collapsed, drained of their aura energy.
And all of their eyes were locked on one figure, Kim Hyunwoo.
Lightning crackled around him, and a pressure heavy enough to crush space itself radiated from his body.
Not only could the other aura users not harm him, they couldn’t even get close.
“That’s a monstrous level of power. With that kind of power, he could easily take on five Royal Guards at once.”
“And the nature of his power is excellent. Lightning and wind—an unbeatable combination.”
“A true gem has emerged from the Andong Kim clan.”
As Kim Hyunwoo dominated the center of the dueling arena with overwhelming might, one noble after another declared their surrender.
Eventually, only one challenger remained: Cho Seong-hwan, the eldest son of the rival Pungyang Cho Clan.
As he focused his mind, a violent wind whipped up around him, swirling like a typhoon.
It was a aura power of the wind attribute, a hereditary trait passed down through the Jo family.
“Wind-attribute aura energy, huh…?”
“Well, I might as well put up a fight. Don’t you think?”
Eyes gleaming with fierce competitiveness, Cho Seong-hwan pointed his sword.
The typhoon-like winds roared louder as his concentration deepened.
“Interesting.”
Murmuring to himself, Kim Hyunwoo retracted the aura energy he had scattered across the field.
This wasn’t just a place to show off his strength, it was also where one could identify potential threats who might stand against him.
And in that sense, Cho Seong-hwan, who dared face him head-on, was worth testing.
So then—
“Let me remind you of your place.”
With a short declaration, Kim Hyunwoo unleashed his aura ability.
Thunder and lightning tore through the heavens and the earth.
The sheer force of it made the spectators’ knees tremble in awe and fear.
“Not bad at all.”
That power—
As he watched Kim Hyunwoo exert dominance over the entire crowd, a satisfied smile appeared on Kim Junghun’s face for the first time in a while.
“The synergy between the two attributes is quite effective. And he seems to have no trouble controlling it. If we raise him properly, there’ll be no issues with his development.”
He wasn’t speaking like a father admiring his son, but like a farmer evaluating a well-fattened livestock specimen.
Yet the elders of the clan surrounding him, oblivious to the dehumanizing tone, were busy echoing his words with enthusiasm.
“Lord Kim is absolutely right! Master Hyunwoo’s power is truly overwhelming!”
“Indeed! We raised him with the full might of the clan’s resources—this is proof of that legacy. As expected, reputation doesn’t lie.”
“Just look at Lord Cho Gang-woon over there! Hahaha—what a sour face!”
“……”
Old men, fawning like sycophants just to live another day longer.
As Kim Junghun let the internal contempt roll around in his mind, his eyes caught one particular figure in the crowd.
Yu Sang-hyeon, Commander of the Iron Tiger Corps.
When he first heard that the tiger from the borderlands had come crawling into the capital, he had a hard time guessing the man’s intentions.
Now, though, it hardly seemed worth worrying about.
Then, he glanced at the seat beside him—
‘It’s empty. Someone was sitting there just a moment ago…’
To leave one’s seat so carelessly during such an important event…
Who was it?
KWA-BOOOOM—!
“Kuaaaagh?!”
A bolt of lightning struck the center of the dueling arena, and Cho Seong-hwan, who had been charging toward Kim Hyunwoo, was flung away like a ragdoll.
Declared: incapacitated.
And with that, Kim Hyunwoo had defeated every noble heir gathered at the Formal Assembly.
“It’s over.”
Not a single one of the next generation’s nobility could stand up to that boy.
That meant the reign of the Andong Kim clan would last at least one generation longer.
So thought Kim Junghun as he began to rise from his seat.
BEEP—!
With a buzzer’s chime, a young girl stepped into the arena.
A girl, no older than twelve.
As the crowd noticed that her name hadn’t been on the original list, their attention shifted toward her.
“Who’s that child?”
“Yu Arin… The daughter of Commander Yu Sang-hyeon of the Iron Tiger Corps. I hear her aura aptitude test just finished, so she arrived late.”
“They’re sending a hatchling who just awakened her powers into the Assembly?”
“She’s a borderland commoner’s child—of course they’re desperate.”
Though the elders muttered their insults under their breath, Kim Junghun showed no visible reaction and simply sat back down.
“If she has power, we must see it for ourselves.”
With that quiet murmur, Kim Junghun motioned with his hand, and the dueling screen displayed the command for the next match.
A single latecomer had entered the stage.
Having just sheathed his blade, Kim Hyunwoo looked at the unexpected intruder with displeasure.
“A girl from the borderlands, huh. I get that you’re in a rush, but you should probably go home.”
A short warning.
But Yu Arin tilted her head and asked innocently,
“Why? Isn’t this the place where people fight?”
“……”
An utterly guileless remark.
Kim Hyunwoo let out a slow sigh.
“She thinks this is some playground game.”
A newly awakened hatchling crashing into the middle of an already finished Formal Assembly.
He didn’t even bother drawing his actual blade, instead, he had a subordinate bring over a wooden sword.
Something like that didn’t even warrant his real weapon.
‘The moment she feels a sliver of aura pressure, she’ll panic and run off.’
With that assumption, Kim Hyunwoo activated his power without hesitation.
Fwoosh—!
In an instant, his body transformed into lightning, charging straight behind the girl’s back.
If he could press the blade to her nape, it would be his unquestionable victory.
No human reaction speed could follow his own. It was settled.
Or so he thought.
But the very moment Kim Hyunwoo closed in on the girl’s back—
“……!”
His eyes widened.
For a single, chilling reason—
The girl’s round eyes were staring directly back at him.
‘Danger?!’
Shu-PAK—!
Startled, Kim Hyunwoo immediately leapt backward.
It wasn’t that the girl had taken a defensive stance.
It wasn’t that she’d released any aura power.
No—his body had moved on its own.
By pure instinct, he had judged this girl as dangerous and retreated without thought.
“Did Master Hyunwoo just… retreat? Why?”
“Retreated? I didn’t even see anything happen!”
The crowd murmured in confusion, unaware of what had transpired.
But the high-ranking power users…
And the Royal Guards stationed in case of emergency…
They were speechless.
“That girl—just now…!”
“She reacted at that speed?!”
“Impossible. A human shouldn’t be able to…”
But that, too, only lasted a moment.
Kim Hyunwoo lifted his gaze to meet his father’s.
There was Kim Junghun, staring at the girl, not at him, with widened eyes.
His previously calm expression now distorted.
And with it, the wave of aura power that had earlier surged across the arena… flared again.
GOOOOO—!
‘It must’ve been a fleeting illusion.’
His aura power was among the strongest in the history of the Andong Kim clan.
There was no way someone could keep up with him.
‘Judging by her reaction speed, she must be a body-enhancement type aura user. If that’s the case, even if I go all out, she likely won’t suffer serious injury.’
At the same time, Kim Hyunwoo had another thought.
And if she does get hurt, so what?
She’s just some borderland girl. No one would care even if she died.
There was no need to hold back.
Only one thing mattered now—
He had to show his power before everyone.
To make it absolutely clear who the true master of Joseon was!
KWA-RRRRRRRRRM—!
Having made his decision, Kim Hyunwoo moved immediately.
Lightning began to whirl around the girl, binding her in place, while his body transformed into living electricity and spun rapidly around her.
“Ohh!”
“To chain those two techniques together—how can someone his age already do that?!”
Gasps and awe erupted from the crowd as they witnessed the scene.
A circle of electricity encasing Arin.
If she took that impact head-on, not even a tactical-grade prosthetic body would survive unscathed.
With that conclusion in mind, Kim Hyunwoo released his aura energy at full combat output and charged straight at her.
KWA-KOOOOOOOM—!
“…Huh?”
A moment later, silence fell over the entire arena.
“……!”
The girl had taken Kim Hyunwoo’s charge directly.
More precisely, she had caught the wooden practice sword he had swung down from above, barehanded.
Without even looking at the shocked expression on Kim Hyunwoo’s face, Yu Arin opened her mouth in an innocent tone.
“Oh, I caught it!”
And in the next moment, she casually hurled Kim Hyunwoo’s body across the arena, straight into the wall.
KWA-KWAKWAKRANG—!
“Kuaaaagh?!”
“W-What was that?!”
Just that one throw had triggered the stadium’s protective systems to burst apart.
Aura power? No—it wasn’t that.
It was pure strength.
The recoil and shockwave from Yu Arin’s throw tore through the layered energy shields like wet paper.
“This is insane!”
“Danger! Danger!”
“All guests, please stand behind me! Hurry!”
The Royal Guards rushed in to absorb the remainder of the shockwave and prevent further disaster.
How much time had passed in that chaos?
No cheers. No applause.
Only silence remained in the hall, where the unconscious body of Kim Hyunwoo lay sprawled across the shattered floor.
“Pretty shocking, isn’t it.”
While everyone was still staring at the duel between Arin and Hyunwoo—
There was one man who was not watching.
Kim Chang-woon was not looking at the duel.
His eyes were on Kim Junghun, head of the Andong Kim clan, and the elders of the aristocracy seated around him.
Those once-imposing figures, rulers who placed the world beneath their feet—
Now sat frozen, eyes wide open as if they had seen something they were never meant to witness.
“T-That power… Could it be…?”
“No. No, that’s impossible…”
What had surfaced in their eyes was unmistakable: fear.
And the reason was clear.
The golden light radiating faintly around Yu Arin.
They remembered.
From ancient records—from history.
They had seen something just like that once before.
The very power possessed by the King of Joseon, still seated high upon the Throne, watching over them—
Gwangjo Yi Cheolheon.
His aura force.
****
-Young Master. This is Moo-yeong.
As Kim Chang-woon stared at the arena still wrapped in silence, a voice came through the communicator in his ear.
-We’ve received the package from the ‘collaborator.’ Production has already begun at the agreed location.
“Good. Tell our collaborators…”
He leaned into the mic and spoke calmly.
“According to plan—begin the operation.”
[TL: Hanseong- Btw it's actually the old name of Seoul. ]
---The End Of The Chapter---
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