BXBX NOVEL Chapter 218: – The Prelude to Danger
One significant change recently was that…
“Eup!”
“Wow, you dodged this?”
I had been training alongside our Ego Stream members.
“Why are you suddenly testing your abilities, even though you’ve been coaching us all this time?”
Choi Sehee asked as she threw lightning attacks at me while we practiced in a forest near my home.
“Just in case.”
I replied with a shrug.
…Actually, the news of the recent arrest from the day before had put me on edge, which was the real reason behind my decision. Nevertheless, I had been thinking about enhancing my abilities for some time now. As society continued to become more chaotic, it was essential to be prepared in advance.
With that in mind, I decided to test my evasion ability. When Choi Sehee launched lightning attacks at me, I used my teleportation to dodge them.
The results were impressive.
“…You dodge really well.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. I mean, I really went all in at the end but how did not a single one hit you?”
Choi Sehee, still panting from the training, had beads of sweat on her forehead. Even though the weather was chilly, she seemed to have anticipated the physical exertion and dressed lightly.
“Phew… That was exhausting.”
“I’ll heal you up. Both of you, wait a second.”
Ha-yul said, extending her hand, and a warm, comforting energy enveloped both Choi Sehee and me.
“Phew, I feel much better now. Thanks.”
Choi Sehee, who had been struggling earlier, let out a relieved sigh. I also felt much lighter than before and flexed my muscles. Indeed, Ha-yul was the best. It might be a bit imbalanced to receive healing from someone of Ha-yul’s treatment, but as long as she was satisfied, it was fine.
With the training concluded, we had a conversation as we walked back home.
“I mean, you’re really good at teleporting. It’s almost like you have a sixth sense. Do you even need more training?”
“That’s right, Da-in. It was incredible to watch.”
“Really?”
I took a moment to reflect on my performance earlier, especially when I had been dodging Choi Sehee’s lightning bolts. I had reasonably good control, given the substantial energy consumption associated with teleportation. However, I realized that occasional practice was necessary to maintain my skill, as I had felt a slight dizziness in my head after the recent bout. Thankfully, Ha-yul’s healing had largely alleviated that issue.
“…Nevertheless, I should practice teleportation occasionally to maintain my ability. If I don’t use it often, I might lose my edge.”
I could accumulate some stacks and train with moderate-distance teleports.
“True. That’s why I also periodically use my abilities.”
Choi Sehee nodded earnestly.
…Actually, I had a feeling she just enjoyed blasting everything with lightning.
Anyhow, teleportation was working just fine. I considered my other abilities, like telekinesis, but it was best used for firearms or weapons. It was relatively weak on its own.
That left me with Behemoth.
I placed my hand on my chest and awakened Behemoth.
Kkuing–?
The creature stirred as if waking from a dream. I reached into my inner clothing, where a black, tentacle-like appendage was attached.
As I clenched my fist, the creature in the air grabbed it. Now, I appeared as if I had a massive, black armored arm, reminiscent of a heavy armored knight. I aimed a punch at a nearby tree.
Boooom-!
The tree collapsed with a thunderous crash.
…Oops, sorry. Well, many of its fellow trees had already fallen during training, because of the aftershocks from Choi Sehee’s lightning strikes. It should be fine.
While I was lost in thought, Choi Sehee regarded the massive black Behemoth-gauntlet attached to my arm with interest.
“What’s this? Are you finally going to make use of that black… whatever it is?”
“I’ve been using it, and now I’m going to explore various ways to utilize it effectively in combat.”
Kkuing~
I released the black tentacle once again and wrapped it around my chest like a bulletproof vest. This was Behemoth, the crystallization of my knowledge from the HanEun Group’s underground lab. It was an unfortunate biological weapon, normally serving as a shield, but it was time to learn how to control it better.
Because…
“…”
As Choi Sehee and Ha-yul continued chatting while walking through the forest, I suddenly gazed up at the sky. With the world becoming increasingly chaotic in the mid-to-late stages, and the emergence of named villains and the Wolgwanggyo incident looming on the horizon, it seemed prudent to take good care of my own body.
Upon reaching the mansion, Ha-yul and Choi Sehee separated to attend to their respective tasks. Ha-yul was visiting her brother, while Choi Sehee and I continued walking towards one side of the mansion.
“Phew, I need to take a shower right away. Are you going to shower too?”
“Of course.”
“Afterward, let’s have some banana milk over there. Sounds good?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, come down in about fifteen minutes.”
After parting ways with Choi Sehee, I made my way to the mansion.
I felt the cool breeze and the path ahead, my thoughts returning to the reason I had decided to significantly power up my abilities today. It was because today marked the turning point in the original storyline.
The event in question was the Wolgwanggyo Incident, which was set to happen later today.
I continued walking, anticipating that it would likely occur in a few hours.
***
Under the dark night sky, a massive, azure portal opened in the heavens. Numerous gates appeared, one after another, filling the sky. From these gates poured countless monstrous creatures. The cities below were engulfed in flames, and the air echoed with the screams of people.
At the center of it all stood a cackling old man.
The era of humanity had ended.
“Now, a new god will come to save us!”
With that proclamation, the rifts in the dimensions tore open, and monstrous creatures launched an assault on the world, attacking from the otherworldly portals that stretched across the sky.
“…”
After completing my training with Choi Sehee and returning home, I showered and joined her on a nearby bench, where we sipped drinks and chatted. But when I returned to the living room, I found myself sitting on the couch, gazing at the TV screen.
Today was the day.
In some part of the world, a portal would unexpectedly open, and a few monsters would emerge. While one could dismiss it as just another villain’s superpower, some particularly powerful individuals among the metahumans would sense something unusual about it. The energy emitted felt too alien to be considered a mere superpower. It could even be seen as a prelude to a much larger event.
Of course, such thoughts might be nothing more than wild imagination, and most people would likely ignore them.
“At least Katana will be different.”
That’s right. I had already warned Katana during our previous encounter about the possibility of dimensional boundaries collapsing, allowing creatures from other dimensions to cross over.
In any case, today would be the day, and I couldn’t help but watch the TV, my thoughts consumed by the impending event.
So, I waited for a few minutes. Finally, a breaking news alert appeared.
[Breaking News! Something strange is floating over the skies of France. Let’s take a look!]
“…”
And there it was, on the screen, an eerie spectacle. A massive circular shape, about twice the size of a human, suspended in the sky. However, it wasn’t simply floating; it seemed as though the sky itself had been “shattered.” Beyond the portal, you could see space or something that resembled space. It was pitch-black, with tiny points of light visible, giving it an otherworldly appearance.
Around the portal, there were swirling blue energies.
As I watched this scene unfold, the anchor continued to report.
[Yes, and according to local reports, two monsters have emerged from this location. Fortunately, heroes were able to suppress them before any casualties occurred.]
Images of lifeless monsters appeared on the screen, creatures that looked like a mix of blue, purple, and black, resembling reptiles but clearly not of this Earth. While the anchor spoke, emphasizing that it was the work of a villain, my thoughts kept drifting.
[The local association has categorized this incident as a villain’s act and is currently searching for the perpetrator responsible for using this ability. Meanwhile, netizens have been sharing reactions like ‘fascinating’ and ‘terrifying’…]
As the news segment concluded, I turned off the TV.
“Phew…”
In the end, it was unfolding just like in the original storyline. I let out a sigh and rubbed my eyes.
It was clear that Wolgwanggyo was behind this. They were probably researching ways to create dimensional breaches, and today marked their first successful attempt.
Of course, even without them, these gates would eventually open. The silver lining was that there were still several months left. It should be enough time to prepare and counteract the situation proactively.
“…I should grow the PMC kids faster.”
Even if I tried my best to prevent it, some breaches would inevitably occur. When the time came, there was no way Stardus could defend all of South Korea on her own, not in the original storyline or now.
In other words, I needed to train PMC kids to handle these monsters. Perhaps it was time to think about how to connect them with Stardus through Lee Seola.
As I contemplated the future, a sense of unease crept over me, particularly when I thought about Stardus.
…Yeah, it’s fine if Wolgwanggyo is opening gates, we have plans for that anyway.
What’s far more important is…
“…”
I couldn’t shake the lingering worry about Stardus and that emotional moment she displayed during the previous attack. It was a significant concern that needed to be addressed.
…Since I’m meeting her soon with Lee Seola’s help, I’ll have to wait for that.
“Haa…”
But it still worried me. In fact, it was more unsettling than the situation with Moonlight Bridge.