NOVEL NEXT chapter 51
Chapter 51. Elemental Advantage
– Boom!
In an instant, a colossal fireball shot forth from Kim Mu-ho’s fingertips, accompanied by a thunderous roar.
– Whoosh!
That fireball, reminiscent of a falling star, was imbued with a terrifying magical power that was evident at first glance.
Even a powerhouse like Kai Renert, of SS rank, would find himself reduced to mere bones if struck by such an attack.
Naturally, Kai Renert met the assault with a similar counter.
– Boom!
Just then, a water tank nearby shattered, sending tons of water soaring toward Kai Renert.
And then.
– Splash!
The fireball from Kim Mu-ho collided with the mass of water conjured by Kai Renert in midair.
– Whoosh…
Though they were not merely fire and water, but fire and water infused with magic.
– Hiss…
At their core, they remained simply fire and water.
‘This will work!’
Kim Mu-ho’s fireball was consumed by Kai Renert’s torrent, extinguished at last, and Kai Renert felt a surge of confidence.
Certainly, Kim Mu-ho’s magic was stronger than his own, but it was not enough to transcend the barriers of elemental affinity.
“Heh…”
Kai Renert, now brimming with bravado, let out a wild laugh.
“Ha ha ha ha!”
After a moment of maniacal laughter, he spoke.
“What a predicament! Here I am, so confidently coming to rescue my son, only to find myself on the brink of death.”
“……”
“Curse the fate that brought you to me, Kim Mu-ho. I acknowledge your strength, but you’ve stumbled upon an opponent with a rather favorable elemental match-up.”
As he spoke, Kai Renert prepared his final strike.
After all, there was no benefit in dragging out a fight against a monster like Kim Mu-ho.
– Boom!
Soon, dozens of water tanks within the derelict factory began to burst in succession, unleashing torrents of water that surged toward Kim Mu-ho.
– Crash!
It was a sight so overwhelming, as if a colossal dam had unleashed its torrent.
How powerful must Kai Renert’s magic be to command such a volume of water all at once?
‘Impressive…’
Even Kim Do-jin, who had been watching, squinted in acknowledgment.
– Pahak!
At last, dozens of tons of water crashed down upon Kim Mu-ho.
But it was in that very moment.
“Hmph.”
With a light snort, a fierce blaze erupted from every inch of Kim Mu-ho’s body.
– Pahak!
Yet that flame was small, quickly engulfed by the deluge of water pouring down.
However.
– Chwahak!
Astonishingly, that tiny flame did not extinguish.
On the contrary, it began to evaporate the very torrents of water.
“…….”
The surreal sight of it transforming everything into steam left Kai Renert in utter disbelief.
“How can this be…?”
Kai Renert, who had poured every ounce of strength into smashing dozens of water tanks, could not help but be horrified.
What expression would one wear upon seeing a matchstick’s flame remain unquenched despite the use of countless fire extinguishers?
“…….”
Kai Renert stood speechless, staring blankly at Kim Mu-ho, who approached him, his entire form ablaze.
“What does compatibility matter?”
Finally halting before Kai Renert, Kim Mu-ho seized his throat with a vice-like grip.
“You little wretch, daring to not know your place.”
Kai Renert could not refute those words.
It was true he had lost sight of his standing, especially as his neck was being scorched.
“Kuahhh!”
Kai Renert screamed in agony, desperately pulling every drop of water around him to douse the flames consuming him.
“Kerghack!”
But it was a futile struggle, and soon the flames spread across his body, beginning to burn and melt his skin.
“Who sent you to pull this kind of stunt?”
Kim Mu-ho briefly let Kai Renert’s feet touch the ground and loosened the noose around his neck, eager for an answer.
“Ugh!”
Yet Kai Renert remained silent, prompting Kim Mu-ho to click his tongue in frustration.
Not long ago, the culprits behind the attempted kidnapping of Chairwoman Kate had also refused to speak about their superiors; he suspected Kai would be no different.
“If you don’t talk, you’ll die.”
It was not a threat, but a statement of fact.
Kim Mu-ho tightened his grip around Kai Renert’s neck and reignited the flames consuming him.
“Grurrr…”
Even amidst the excruciating agony of being burned alive, Kai Renert ultimately refused to utter a word, and in the end, he perished.
– Thud.
Kim Mu-ho released his grip as he watched Kai Renert’s neck snap weakly.
– Thump!
The price for daring to misjudge his place before Kim Mu-ho, and for touching his child, was death.
“……”
Kai Renert’s charred body lay still, and from its center, a thread of mana flowed out, visible only to Kim Do-jin.
– Swoosh.
Kim Do-jin absorbed the mana, clenching and unclenching his fist, managing his expression.
‘An unexpected harvest. To think I would feast on such high-level psychic power.’
And then it happened.
“Are you alright?”
Kim Mu-ho extinguished the raging flames engulfing his body and turned to Kim Do-jin.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
Kim Do-jin replied, glancing at the distant corpse of Jin Seo-hyun.
“……”
Their gazes met for a moment before returning to the intact figure of Jin Seo-hyun standing beside them.
“What happened?”
Kim Mu-ho seemed to already have an inkling, and Kim Do-jin demanded an explanation from Jin Seo-hyun.
“It’s my doppelgänger.”
Soon, the expression on Jin Seo-hyun’s face, as he answered, appeared bitter.
Though a mere doppelgänger, it was not just any copy; it possessed a unique self, much like a human clone.
“I see… So the person I’ve seen all this time was…”
“All of them were me. I sent No. 4 today for an urgent matter, but I never expected this to happen… I apologize.”
Kim Do-jin pondered the secret behind Jin Seo-hyun’s unusually exceptional work efficiency and continued to ask questions.
“But you were an Awakened? I felt no magical energy; I thought you were an Unawakened all along.”
“Yes. Concealing my magical energy is one of my superpowers.”
Jin Seo-hyun possessed three superpowers in total.
The first was the ability to create doppelgängers with independent selves.
The second was the ability to hide his own magical energy.
And the third was the ability to store energy in objects.
It was thanks to this ‘energy storage’ superpower that he had been able to face Kai Renert with a gun just moments ago.
Whenever he found a moment, Jin Seo-hyun transferred his magical energy into bullets, using those accumulated bullets to confront enemies in times of need.
In a way, one could say he possessed a superpower that was almost cheating, as he could stockpile strength indefinitely.
‘More capable than I thought.’
Kim Do-jin was in the midst of reevaluating Jin Seo-hyun.
“But why were you targeted by such a person?”
This was no ordinary villain; it was an SS-class villain who had personally attempted abduction.
Kim Mu-ho asked with a serious expression, and Kim Do-jin shook his head in response.
“I’m not sure. I suspect it might have been when I got involved in the recent kidnapping of Director Kate that I fell onto their radar.”
“Is that so…?”
Kim Mu-ho stroked his chin, lost in thought.
His designer suit had been completely burned away, leaving only the special fireproof combat suit he wore underneath.
“……”
Kim Do-jin glanced at Kim Mu-ho for a moment before turning his thoughts back to the incident.
‘What now?’
Fortunately, this time he had managed to escape the clutches of that nameless, colossal villain organization.
Yet, in the process, one of Jin Seo-hyun’s doppelgängers had met a tragic end, and it was hard to expect they would remain safe moving forward.
Once they had set their sights on a target, they wouldn’t easily give up; how on earth were they supposed to respond?
‘Damn it…’
Why, amidst the struggles for vengeance against Cheonsangseok, must such a problem arise again?
Kim Do-jin shook his head, cursing his own misfortune.
Yet… as he pondered, he realized that these two matters were not entirely separate.
‘Cheonsangseok is the director of the Order, the very heart of the hero faction. The organization targeting me now is the largest villainous group in the world, opposing him… Perhaps I could pit these two factions against each other?’
If he could turn this crisis into an opportunity, it would be nothing short of perfect.
‘Alright. I need to investigate this villain organization further…’
With this new goal set, a sharp glint began to shine in Kim Do-jin’s eyes.
* * *
“What?”
Catherine Vanas could hardly contain her bewilderment upon receiving her subordinate’s report.
“Kay Renert is… dead?”
Catherine Vanas, a military figure of the secret organization ‘Levathain,’ was a rare seer, capable of glimpsing the threads of the future.
Thus, she had earned the trust of the leader of Levathain, successfully executing numerous operations using her foresight.
Yet now, she faced a significant failure, having lost a key officer, the commander of the Shadow Brigade’s fifth unit.
“This can’t be…”
Catherine Vanas muttered in disbelief before asking, “Who on earth killed him?”
The subordinate, bowing his head, answered swiftly.
“Kim Do-jin’s father, Kim Mu-ho.”
At the sound of that name, Catherine Vanas understood.
If it was indeed Kim Mu-ho, then no matter how formidable the commander of the Shadow Brigade’s fifth unit was, he stood no chance.
The real issue, however, was how Kim Mu-ho had managed to interfere with her operation.
‘Where did things go wrong? What variable did I overlook?’
Revisiting the failed operation could wait for later.
For now, she needed to devise a countermeasure.
‘Should I send even an SSS-class officer?’
Of course, that idea was quickly dismissed.
A being of such immense power would easily trigger the magical detection devices, making it likely that Kim Mu-ho, and perhaps even Kim Jin-myung, would be drawn into a confrontation.
—
Given that the failure of this operation would surely lead to heightened vigilance, taking such risks was out of the question.
After all, kidnapping Kim Do-jin wasn’t worth pouring so much effort into.
‘Using brute force has become difficult. Then… should I resort to seduction?’
As Catherine Barnas pondered, a viable plan flickered to life in her mind.
It was to utilize the spy she had embedded within ‘Ark.’
Coincidentally, Kim Do-jin was notorious for his fondness for women, so this strategy didn’t seem half bad.
‘Right. I’m not sure if it can be prepared immediately, but I should test the waters.’
With her decision made, Catherine Barnas wore a satisfied smile.
She believed, without a doubt, that although it might take some time, the spy would ultimately succeed in luring Kim Do-jin.