After the shocking 'Incinerator Incident,' the way his classmates looked at Cheon Do-hyeon changed completely.
The contemptuous gazes that had once followed him disappeared, replaced by something resembling fear of the unknown.
[Is physical strength trained to its absolute limits really no different from magic?]
The students whispered among themselves, sneaking glances at Cheon Do-hyeon's back muscles.
"Well, if someone hit me with muscles like those, I bet it'd hurt more than my magic."
Some students even began doing push-ups during every break, hoping to become like him.
"Oh! You're doing push-ups?"
"How many can you do?"
"About three?"
"...I can really feel the wall between us. I can barely manage one."
Cheon Do-hyeon had little interest in school life, but the changes were too obvious for him to miss.
Some of his classmates had even begun to admire him.
Lunchtime.
"Um... Do-hyeon. Would you like this?"
A male student sitting in front of him hesitantly placed something on his desk.
A crescent-shaped bread roll and a carton of banana milk.
Cheon Do-hyeon absentmindedly picked up the bread before tilting his head.
"Thanks. I'll enjoy it. But why are you giving this to me?"
The boy pushed up his glasses and smiled shyly.
"I used to give them to Byeong-hak, but now I figured I should give them to you instead... Hehe."
Cheon Do-hyeon stared silently at the boy.
A small, frail build. Shoulders hunched in submission.
A boy who'd chosen to offer 'tribute' to survive.
Some might have pointed fingers at him and called him pathetic, but Cheon Do-hyeon had no intention of doing so.
In terms of outward appearance, the only similarity between them might have been their chromosomes.
Yet Cheon Do-hyeon felt a sense of kinship with him.
Just as he'd chosen to struggle relentlessly to survive, this boy had chosen to keep his head down and submit.
Glance.
Cheon Do-hyeon checked the name of the boy who'd given him the bread.
'Kim Jun-pyo.'
That was his name.
"Jun-pyo. Don't buy things like this anymore. If anyone ever tells you to buy them bread, come tell me. Got it?"
He placed his hand firmly on Kim Jun-pyo's head, which had been shaved down to eighteen millimeters and felt as prickly as a chestnut burr.
"As of today, you're officially retired from being a bread errand boy. Understand?"
At those words, Kim Jun-pyo's eyes widened like saucers.
For a moment, he tried to determine whether Do-hyeon was joking or being serious.
But when he met Cheon Do-hyeon's earnest gaze, his eyes grew misty.
Bow—
"T-thank you, Do-hyeon. And I'm sorry. When you were being bullied, I couldn't do anything to help you."
His shoulders trembled slightly.
He looked ready to burst into tears at any moment, so Do-hyeon quickly pushed him back toward his seat.
"That's enough. Go back to your seat. I prefer being alone."
The boy hurried back to his desk, his face overflowing with gratitude.
For some reason, Do-hyeon felt strangely unsettled.
He'd spent his entire school life being called a No-Ma and a Tin Can.
And for the first time, Cheon Do-hyeon found himself wondering what it would've been like if he'd had even one friend who could offer him comfort and courage.
Someone who might have done for him what he'd just done for Kim Jun-pyo.
He turned his gaze toward the window and was about to stuff the bread in his hand into his mouth when—
"Oh~ Cheon Do-hyeon. That was pretty cool."
A playful voice came from behind him.
He didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.
The class president, Kim Seung-yeon.
She naturally claimed the seat in front of Do-hyeon and turned the chair around to face him.
"So you're a cooler guy than I thought?"
Kim Seung-yeon's dark eyes sparkled unusually brightly.
"...If you're here to pick a fight, keep walking."
"As if. I've finally found out, you know? This big sister of yours had a really hard time."
Kim Seung-yeon puffed herself up proudly.
"You found out?"
Those were words that immediately caught his attention.
Cheon Do-hyeon had asked Kim Seung-yeon to investigate something.
The identity of the person truly backing Kim Byeong-hak.
The mastermind hiding behind the organization known as the Golden Wheel.
Frankly, he'd expected the investigation to take a long time, if it was even possible.
But Kim Seung-yeon was far more capable than he'd anticipated.
"Who is it?"
The look in Cheon Do-hyeon's eyes changed.
"Hold on."
Kim Seung-yeon leaned back slightly, deliberately keeping him in suspense.
"You promised you'd tell me. You're going to keep your promise, right?"
"Just tell me who it is."
"Keep your promise."
"...I said I would."
Kim Seung-yeon glanced around before leaning closer and whispering.
"Jang Gi-han. The second son of the Iron-Blooded Jang Family. He's the one behind it."
"...I've heard that name before."
The Iron-Blooded Jang Family.
The Iron-Blooded Jang Family (長家).
A massive conglomerate that monopolized magical construction and heavy industry in South Korea.
And a son of such a prestigious family was involved in something as petty as drug distribution?
"A bastard like that runs a drug business for fun?"
Cheon Do-hyeon stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Isn't that fact itself a weakness for them? If someone tipped off the media, wouldn't the problem take care of itself?"
"Why are you so naive? Do you seriously think a single word about this would appear in the media? If anything, the person who reported it would disappear without a trace. That's the kind of world we live in now."
Kim Seung-yeon was right.
It was a world where money and magic stood above the law.
"I see... Good work, Kim Seung-yeon."
At least he'd learned what he wanted to know.
Jang Gi-han of the prestigious Iron-Blooded Jang Family.
Fear was greatest when its source remained unknown.
Now that he knew who was behind everything, he only needed to figure out how to respond.
'If things get bad, I'll just take out the head first.'
Just as he was thinking that—
"Hand it over."
Kim Seung-yeon slapped her palm down on the desk.
She was demanding payment for the information.
"Show me."
He'd promised to reveal the nature of the power he'd used against Kim Byeong-hak's gang if she uncovered the information.
'Right. That was our deal.'
However, Cheon Do-hyeon firmly shook his head.
"Not right now."
"What? Shit, are you kidding me?"
Kim Seung-yeon's face twisted in irritation.
"I'll give you demerit points! I mean it!"
"I'll show you. Soon."
Cheon Do-hyeon flicked his hand dismissively, as though shooing away a fly.
Enraged by his attitude, Kim Seung-yeon lunged at him.
Their brief scuffle filled the surrounding area with noise, drawing the attention of their classmates.
"Don't those two seem a lot closer lately?"
"Yeah. Since when did they get so friendly?"
Following the shocking Incinerator Incident, Cheon Do-hyeon's daily life had begun to change, if only a little.
On his way home from school, Cheon Do-hyeon stopped walking when he sensed someone following him.
"Why are you following me?"
"What are you talking about? I'm going home too."
Anyone could see that she'd been following him, but Kim Seung-yeon answered shamelessly.
"...."
One thing he'd learned from talking to her several times was that there was simply no way to beat Kim Seung-yeon in an argument.
Cheon Do-hyeon shook his head helplessly and was about to resume walking when—
SCREEEECH—!
Three black sedans pulled over roughly along the roadside.
Their doors opened simultaneously, and men in black suits poured out.
There were at least eight of them at a glance.
The energy emanating from them carried a danger on an entirely different level from the school delinquents.
A middle-aged man approached at the front, straightening his suit.
A golden wheel-shaped brooch was fastened to his lapel.
'The Golden Wheel...!'
What he'd been expecting had finally arrived.
Cheon Do-hyeon grabbed Kim Seung-yeon's shoulder.
"Class President. Get your ass home."
"What? Hey, those men... Gasp!"
She spotted the Golden Wheel insignias on the men's suits, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Hurry up and go. You'll only get in my way."
"Hey! What are you going to do all by yourself?!"
"I said go!"
Cheon Do-hyeon grabbed her bag, spun her around, and shoved her firmly from behind.
The force sent Seung-yeon stumbling forward.
"Run."
When he barked the order again, Kim Seung-yeon squeezed her eyes shut and finally began running.
Several men behind the leader attempted to pursue the fleeing Seung-yeon, but he stopped them.
"Leave the girl alone. That bastard is the only one we're here for."
His hair was cut short and slicked back with pomade.
Every gray strand gleamed as though it had been meticulously coated.
The man looked Cheon Do-hyeon up and down and let out a quiet exclamation of admiration.
"I don't think I've ever seen a human this thoroughly trained in this day and age."
He was flattering Do-hyeon, but Cheon Do-hyeon was equally impressed as he examined the man.
Although he wore a suit, his well-developed chest muscles were obvious.
His arm and leg muscles, in particular, were impossible to conceal.
"You're Cheon Do-hyeon, aren't you?"
The man spoke informally despite their having never met.
That irritated Cheon Do-hyeon.
"What if I am?"
"Come quietly. Someone is waiting for you."
"Don't feel like it. Tell whoever wants me to come here himself."
"...It seems you will not listen to reason. Boys, load him into the car. Just make sure he is still breathing."
""Yes, Boss!""
The man turned his back indifferently, as though he saw no reason to get involved personally.
Then the men waiting behind him began releasing their Mana simultaneously.
HUMMMMM—
The air vibrated violently.
Fire, ice, binding, and lightning.
The phenomenon was caused by the simultaneous chanting of spells from several different elements.
At that moment of mortal danger, something his grandfather had once told him flashed through Do-hyeon's mind.
—Do-hyeon, do you know the first thing you must do before a fight? It is to choose a place where you can win.
A wide roadside, where he couldn't even properly conceal himself, put him at a disadvantage.
There was no room to avoid their coordinated attacks.
Furthermore, there was a risk of exposing his full capabilities.
Therefore, the first thing to do was run.
DASH—!
"Huh? He's running! Catch him!"
The men were bewildered when the bastard who'd seemed ready to confront them suddenly turned and fled.
As he ran, Cheon Do-hyeon circulated his internal energy through his Cultivation Art.
His figure rapidly pulled away, as though he were using a technique that shortened the distance between places.
"He's heading into the alley!"
"Damn it!"
They'd taken the bait.
The alley was a narrow space where he could obstruct their line of sight.
It was also a place where they couldn't take advantage of their superior numbers.
"Stop right there, you bastard!"
One of the men, eagerly giving chase, was the first to enter the alley.
"Where the hell is he?!"
He'd been right on Do-hyeon's heels, yet the boy had suddenly vanished as though he'd evaporated into thin air.
As the man looked around, he heard a faint rustling sound from above.
By the time he instinctively raised his head, it was already too late.
CRUNCH—!
Cheon Do-hyeon had been hiding against the wall.
He dropped from his position, driving his knee directly into the man's face with the full momentum of his fall.
The sound of a nasal bone shattering rang out, and several teeth went flying through the air.
The man didn't get up again.
"There he is!"
"You bastard!"
Do-hyeon casually brushed off his knee.
But before he could recover his posture, the remaining pursuers came charging toward him.
Just as Cheon Do-hyeon prepared to flee again, one of the approaching men slammed his hand against the ground and shouted.
[Earth Bind]
RUMBLE—!
The asphalt split apart, and enormous earthen vines erupted from the ground.
Each vine was as thick as an average adult man's thigh.
As the Earth Bind spell attempted to seize Cheon Do-hyeon's ankles, he didn't dodge.
Instead, he lowered his stance and extended his hand directly toward the approaching vines.
[Great Art of Star Absorption]
CRUNCH—!
"W-what the hell?! Urgh!"
The earthen vines, which should've been as hard as stone, crumbled into loose sand at a single touch from Cheon Do-hyeon.
He'd instantly devoured the Mana maintaining the spell formula.
As a result, the mage who'd cast the spell suffered backlash from its destruction.
His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed backward.
"The magic... broke?"
While the men were still reeling in confusion, Cheon Do-hyeon rapidly closed the distance to one of the pursuers who'd lost his concentration.
Because they had the advantage in numbers, the man apparently hadn't expected Cheon Do-hyeon to attack first.
His reaction came too late.
"W-whaaa?!"
In that brief instant, Cheon Do-hyeon, who'd lowered his stance, unleashed a heavy uppercut powered by the full strength of his legs.
CRACK—!
The man's jaw snapped sideways, and he tumbled across the ground.
That made three.
As their comrades began falling one after another, the increasingly anxious men started recklessly casting spells inside the narrow alley.
"Damn it! Flare!"
"Ice Ball!"
Flames and freezing energy filled the alley.
There appeared to be nowhere to escape.
Of course, their nearby comrades would suffer damage as well.
But apparently convinced that this would be enough to subdue Cheon Do-hyeon, the men wore vicious smiles.
However, the moment Cheon Do-hyeon extended his hand, those smiles instantly turned to expressions of horror.
A technique he'd become capable of using smoothly after the Great Art of Star Absorption reached the Third Star.
[Great Art of Star Absorption - Reflection]
A black vortex appeared in Cheon Do-hyeon's palm.
The spells that had been surging toward him with such force were immediately sucked into the vortex.
And that wasn't the end.
When he extended his hand once more, the black vortex spat out the magic it had swallowed.
"!!!"
"U-AAAAAAARGH!"
FWOOSH—!
CRACKLE—!
Screams filled the alley as the men were engulfed by the very spells they'd cast.
A short while later, Cheon Do-hyeon slowly emerged from the thick smoke.
He casually brushed the dust from his school uniform.
At the entrance to the alley, a man stood waiting for him.
It was the man who'd ordered the others to capture Cheon Do-hyeon.
The one the black-suited men called Boss.
"...You bastard."
"See? That's why I told you whoever wanted to see me should come here himself."