"Oh, who are you?"
The Fragnt owner from Russia was a large man with a bear-like appearance.
A huge scar crossed one of his eyes, and his forearms and other exposed parts of his body were covered in scars of various sizes. He looked more like a ferocious bear that had lived fiercely in the wild for many years than a human.
He smiled slyly at .
"No, I can tell without you answering. You're the one who was gathering the golden light in this land, right? This is surprising. I never expected you to co out to et ."
"What about the others?"
His four pupils emitted an intense glare as he tried to oppress , but I dispersed it all with a light scoff.
"I'm alone. From the beginning, I didn't think I needed companions."
"Did you take all the Fragnts from the others?"
"Of course! And I killed every one of them who owned them!"
He boasted about his actions as if they were sothing to be proud of, widening his single eye.
His smile, stretched so wide that his lips nearly reached his ears, resembled a wild predator, sending chills down my spine.
"I didn't spare anyone, even if they begged for their lives and cried. No matter who it was, even if they gave this golden light unconditionally, I wouldn't have let them go. Do you know why?"
"I'm not really curious."
"It's because I'm a chosen predator."
The owner spoke without listening to my words.
"Why did I gain this power? I know. This power is not just simple strength. Awakeners? Collectors? They are nothing compared to , much more pure and powerful. Yes… this is what you can call divine power. And I obtained it."
If a god must exist in this world, there should only be one.
If soone who received divine power and gathered all that power could beco a god,
It had to be him.
So he killed them all.
"Taking and taking and taking again, I was able to reclaim everything around . The more I did, the stronger I beca."
He looked at . Despite seeing wearing the Mask of Aporia, he showed no signs of fear. Instead, he licked his lips with anticipation for the upcoming battle.
"I wonder how powerful your golden light is. I'm really looking forward to it."
"You ca here to gain power. Is that it?"
"Of course. Why else would I co to this small piece of land?"
"Who put you up to this?"
"What?"
The owner frowned at my words, as if he found them nonsensical.
"Who? Put up to this? ?"
He burst into laughter, finding it absurd.
"Ha ha ha! That's ridiculous! Who could manipulate ? If there was such a person, I would have torn them apart first."
"So, you ca here of your own will?"
"You're asking the obvious. While gathering power, I felt it. There are others like in different places. And I realized one more thing. If I ca here, I could gain even more power. There might be others with similar thoughts."
"You were aware of other owners besides yourself."
"Even if they were on the other side of the world, they emitted the sa intense wavelength as I do. How could I not notice? So, this is a competition. The one who gains power first can beco stronger faster, and with that, they can reach the true position of a god."
"I see."
Thanks to his words, I was able to understand a few uncertain things.
This owner claid that he ca to Korea of his own will, and that others did the sa. However, it seed highly unlikely that they all coincidentally arrived on the sa day at the sa ti.
That could only an one thing.
They were being manipulated so subtly that they didn't even realize it.
"If there's nothing more to gain from you, then there's no need to prolong this pointless conversation."
"What?"
The owner's already fierce face twisted even more nacingly.
Did he think that I was being presumptuous because I hadn't killed him imdiately and had exchanged words with him?
‘What an arrogant fellow.'
I knew that the nacing mask I wore wasn't ordinary, but that was all.
Seeing him look down on and assu I was weaker because I indulged in a few words of conversation, I felt the need to show him the true gap in our power.
And, he would painfully realize who he was being so presumptuous to.
How much rcy he was being shown just by standing here.
"Yes. Co to think of it, there are a few more owners of golden light in this small peninsula besides you."
He sensed the presence of other Fragnts far away. The real deal was in front of him, but there were four more, presud to be his subordinates or followers.
He must be the leader, and the others his subordinates or companions.
"I've decided. I won't kill you right away."
The owner smiled wickedly, baring his teeth at .
"First, I'll cut off your limbs. I'll keep you in a state where you can't live or die, dragging your body around and bringing all your subordinates before you. And in front of you, I'll tear them apart alive."
"…"
"No matter how much they beg for their lives, you won't be able to do anything. Even if you want to die, you won't be able to. And when all their golden light returns to my hands, then you'll shed tears of blood and regret your arrogance now…"
"I've been thinking for a while."
I cut off his words, flicking my fingers.
"You talk too much for your size."
* * *
Flas roared in a separate world, not in reality. Wonderland created by Descartes' power was engulfed in fierce flas.
The ground, as if a bomb had exploded, was marked with countless craters, and the air, still reeling from the aftermath of the battle, swirled violently.
In the aftermath of the natural disaster, I stood on the chest of the Fragnt owner.
"Krrk! Krrrk!"
The owner who had been arrogantly speaking to was in a pitiful state.
His limbs were torn off, nowhere to be seen, and blood continuously gushed from his throat, making it hard for him to breathe.
He glared up at , standing with my hands in my pockets, looking down at him.
"How… how could you…"
He could understand being dragged into a strange world, but the scene that unfolded afterward was beyond his comprehension.
He had fought back desperately, using all his strength, but it was no use.
I threw his own words back at him. I ripped off his arms and legs alive, toying with him.
"How could you have that much power…"
"I have nothing to tell a puppet."
"Please, spare !"
When his life was in danger, the owner desperately pleaded. The grotesque smile he had just monts ago was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a desperate, pitiful sight.
"Please. You've done enough… So please, spare ."
"…Ha."
He had blatantly tried to kill earlier, but now that he was losing, he begged for his life?
His changing attitude was disgusting, but what was more laughable was his lack of resolve.
Begging for life from the person who had put him in this state.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"Eek!"
I bent down, bringing the Mask of Aporia closer to his face. The four pupils burst into a dazzling light.
At first, the owner thought the mask was rely threatening, but when he faced the four pupils, his complexion turned pale.
Not out of fear, but because he was losing too much blood from his wounds.
"At least have so backbone."
"I… I…"
Before the owner could make an excuse, his head exploded.
* * *
While I was fighting the Fragnt owner, the mbers of White Flower Managent faced their own enemies in different places at the sa ti.
First, in the sea of Jindo.
Ten people landed on the coast. They were from Australia, a party mixed with various races.
"Is this the place where the owner of the golden light is?"
"What should we do? Recruit them to our side first?"
"Stop it. They have five people, but more than twenty golden lights. Even if they share them equally, each one would have four. Why would they side with people like us who only have one?"
"Then what?"
"We need to band together and take them down. They're scattered anyway, so we should take this opportunity to defeat them individually."
While everyone was having this conversation, a voice ca from above.
"Finally here. I thought my neck would break waiting for you."
"What?!"
"Who are you!"
They had assud there was no one here, but an uninvited guest's voice surprised them.
Everyone looked up toward the cliff. A white-haired girl, with a black cloak billowing in the sea breeze, looked down at them.
"Who am I?"
Seo Sumin, now a full-fledged Collector, stood with the Dark Dragon Sword at her waist and a custom-made baseball bat on the opposite side, arms crossed. A confident, competitive smile spread across her face.
"I am the Heavenly Demon Seo Sumin."
With that, the energy of the Seven Demonic Black Sky Divine Art surged from her, engulfing the surroundings.
"I am your opponent."
* * *
The Fragnt owner from Europe was a woman, alone.
Dressed entirely in black, she moved silently and stealthily like a shadow.
Her specialty was assassination. She had killed other Fragnt owners one by one, taking their Fragnts with this power.
She expected the sa outco when she set foot on Korean soil, but she faced a major obstacle right from the start.
A dragon.
A dragon made of blue lightning quietly observed her. Though it didn't roar, the intense electricity it emitted and the overwhelming presence it exuded could kill her instantly.
However, there was soone with a far greater presence than the dragon.
A woman stood there in a modernized, flowing white martial arts uniform, holding a pure, elegant sword.
The aura she exuded was incomparable to the dragon behind her.
Srrng.
The Fragnt owner drew daggers in both hands. Since she had been discovered, a fight was inevitable. Her emotionless gaze fixed on Kang Hye-rim.
Kang Hye-rim also stared at her, sword in hand, with a gaze that could freeze anyone.
There was no need for words between them.
The two figures simultaneously launched off the ground and collided in mid-air.
* * *
Five people appeared in the waters off the coast of Busan.
They moved swiftly upon landing, checking for any witnesses and identifying the direction of the nearest city.
"No one within a 3km radius."
"This place is quiet and good for moving stealthily."
"Let's move quickly and eliminate the golden light owners."
The five had worked together as a team for this task. As a special team of a private military company (PMC) from the United States, the golden light was both an opportunity and a blessing for them. They realized there were others like them and killed them, absorbing their power.
Having absorbed all the ones in Arica, they aid to seize the remaining ones in Asia.
At that mont.
Bang!
A bullet from sowhere pierced the head of one of the five team mbers.
Before the body hit the ground, the remaining four quickly took cover.
"What's going on! You said there was no one within a 3km radius!"
"I checked three tis! There was no one!"
"Then what is this!"
"Everyone shut up. Did you hear the shot?"
"The sound? No."
"Damn it."
The leader of the group, a black woman, clicked her tongue.
"This insane attack ca from beyond 3km."
"What?"
As expected, Yoo Young-min, who had been watching their actions from a great distance, lifted his eye from the scope.
"They reacted quickly even after a surprise attack. They're not ordinary people. From their gear and uniforms, they must be rcenaries used to rough situations."
This was troubleso.
The opponents weren't just simple Fragnt owners; they were specialists in warfare.
For Yoo Young-min, who handled firearms, they were the worst possible opponents.
In fact, they quickly assessed the distance and direction from which the initial shot had co and began calmly approaching, coordinating their movents.
Even so.
"It doesn't seem like we'll lose."
Yoo Young-min grinned as he pulled the trigger.
* * *
While everyone was plunged into war.
Kwon Jia stood on a mountaintop overlooking the city of Gangneung.
‘What's this? It's about ti they passed through here.'
She didn't care whether there was one opponent or many. The only thing on her mind was how quickly she could finish this and return.
Failure was not an option. She didn't deny the possibility, but she was confident. Even considering that, she didn't think she would lose.
‘I feel unusually good today.'
After casually adjusting her sword, she turned her head.
She sensed an approaching presence. Finally, they had arrived. Kwon Jia drew her sword and waited for the opponent to appear.
‘…There are many of them. I'm surrounded.'
She sensed over fifty presences. Narrowing her eyes, she realized they were clearly targeting her.
Had they discovered she was waiting here? But fifty was too many, even if there were a lot.
As she pondered, one person stepped in front of her.
"…You."
Recognizing the man, Kwon Jia's mind grew even more complicated.
"The leader of Unleashed, Jin Cheong-woon…"
"We've t before, haven't we?"
Jin Cheong-woon waved at her with a smile, like he was greeting an old friend. Kwon Jia couldn't fathom what he was up to.
No, it didn't matter. Once she recognized the enemy in front of her, her course of action was clear.
"It's a pity Kang Yu-hyun isn't here."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I avoided him on purpose."
"What?"
"The person I wanted to et is you, Mad Dog Kwon Jia. Or should I call you this?"
Jin Cheong-woon grinned and pointed at her.
"Owner of the Codex ‘Bookmark'."
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