After Returning, My Abilities are Infinite

Episode 121. If you want to live, you have to work. (3)

Sorting out the Returnees was not difficult. Sung Hyun-woo didn’t even need to read their memories. They expressed their feelings very bluntly.

When they were asked whether they would help humankind, some good individuals readily accepted, although no one mentioned compensation. Some asked what they would get in return, and some were reluctant to use their powers and wanted to rest.

“Hm… Okay, you can do that.”

Most of them could choose freely. It was no use provoking them. However, we did not provide the privileges that a few Returnees demanded.

If they weren’t satisfied with their current lives compared to the strength they had, they could accept my offer. They could carry out their duties as an Awakener, receive compensation, and live a more abundant life than others.

Most Returnees could not adapt to living like ordinary modern people.

It made sense. There was no way that someone who was a hero, emperor, or ruler in another world could get used to living as a cog in a machine called society.

They had always been special. Even though they said they were tired and wanted to live a normal life, they held a different kind of light in their hearts.

So naturally, the Returnees joined the Association or joined other guilds as Awakeners. Some of them met new loved ones and lived happily, while others fled and became villains.

Although a lot of time passed, many people still looked at them with unwelcoming eyes. But the Returnees were slowly merging in as members of society.

“…You are very smart, aren’t you?”

Tap, tap.

Said the man reviewing the documents on the table, the Interim President of the Association. He laughed half-heartedly.

The way the Association was currently dealing with the Returnees was the method I suggested earlier. The ‘Response Measures’ that I wrote up when we didn’t have any information yet.

“I can’t believe you planned this without any information on the Returnees……. It’s unbelievable. Yes, you’re much better than the elite Analysts at the Association. No, you’re better than all of them combined.”

The Interim President of the Association laughed incredulously. He had been constantly compared to Kim Min-jae. But after successfully dealing with the Returnee Situation and responding seamlessly, he was being praised as a hero.

That he was competent enough to have been the Vice-President for so long. That he was fit to be Kim Min-jae’s successor. That he responded calmly as if he had known beforehand.

“You’ve created a situation where they have no choice but to help us. You saw through their desires, and pretending to guarantee their freedom, you’ve turned them into our puppets.”

“…….”

“Association President Kim Min-jae didn’t die for no reason. He tried to kill you, so he had to die. You weren’t a lucky punk. President Kim Min-jae was the unlucky one since he didn’t know what was lurking in you.”

The way the Interim President of the Association looked at me was quite different from the first time we met.

“Who are you?”

“…….”

“I can’t tell at all. Have you sold your soul to the devil? How can a person…….”

“Think whatever you like.”

Facing him, I slowly stood up from my seat.

“If you can’t tell anything about me, you should know more certainly that you need to keep your promise. Because, if you don’t, you’ll never know what will happen.”

“……!”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

The Interim President couldn’t take his eyes off me until I turned around and opened the door. It was as if he was possessed by something.

* * *

“…Why did he ask me to come here instead of our usual place?”

Kim Seung-hyun scratched his head and looked up. It wasn’t the usual large and well-equipped gym, but an old and shabby one that looked like it was built a long time ago.

“Hmm… there must be a reason.”

The reason he came here was Jeong Si-woo’s text. The text asked him to come to a training facility at the address he sent instead of their usual training place. So, Kim Seung-hyun changed direction and drove for an additional hour and 10 minutes to get here.

“Si-woo, where are you? You told me to come here.”

Kim Seung-hyun shouted as he looked around.

“Are you here to see Jeong Si-woo? Too bad. I’m the one who called you here.”

But Jeong Si-woo wasn’t the one who answered.

“Didn’t he tell you? Come this way.”

“Huh…uh?”

As he turned around, Kim Seung-hyun’s face slowly stiffened. After all, the man who answered wasn’t someone fit to be in a place like this.

“Why, why are you here?”

“He helped me once, so I said I would help him with anything if it were something I could do. He didn’t even think twice and asked me for help.”

Thud, thud.

He walked casually towards Kim Seung-hyun and poked him in the chest.

“He asked me to help you. To train you into a hunter who wouldn’t lose to anyone anywhere. He asked me to sharpen you based on all my know-how and experience if I thought I had received a big favor.”

“……!”

“He’s not the kind of person who would ask me to train you just because you’re his friend……. So, I wanted to see how talented you were myself. That’s why I called you here.”

Crack.

And with those words, various weapons appeared from his back. It looked like all objects within the range of cold weapons had been summoned. Kim Seung-hyun faltered at the terrifying sight.

“Hunter Kim Seung-hyun. I’ve heard rumors about you, and I’ve seen you a few times. But I never felt anything decisive. A talented and righteous shield. That’s what I thought of you.”

“…….”

“But maybe Jeong Si-woo saw something in you. After listening to him, I became curious about what might be hidden inside of you.”

“Oh….”

Crack!

The man pulled out one of the weapons stuck in the ground. Then, he handed it to Kim Seung-hyun.

“Hold a weapon instead of a shield.”

“What?”

“Being a shield to protect people is certainly noble. You were impressive at that time when you sacrificed yourself to protect others. But how long are you going to stay defensive? Even if a massive wave strikes and a storm sweeps the city, will you stand in front with a single shield?”

Kim Seung-hyun gulped. He was right. Kim Seung-hyun had been feeling the limitations of merely defending.

Tying the opponent’s feet and holding on. Buying enough time for people to run away.

Was that really why he trained for so long to become a hunter? No. He wanted to become a hero because he wanted to restore peace by destroying everything that was ruining and harming the world.

“No matter how big your shield is, you can’t protect everyone. Don’t stand in the front with an iron shield to protect people, but become an Iron Man yourself. That’s how I protected humanity on the front line.”

Abandon your current ways. If another hunter had said so, he would have never listened. But coming from the man standing in front of Kim Seung-hyun, it was different.

“Grab the spear. Let’s take a look.”

Lee Hyun-seung.

The world’s strongest hunter was saying that he would train him with all his know-how and experience.

* * *

-Thank you for doing this.

“Hmm. Well, he’ll do well on his own.”

After texting Lee Hyun-seung, I put my cell phone in my pocket. Kim Seung-hyun’s ‘basic skills’ that would serve as his foundation were already roughly completed. Now it was time to develop them further.

‘He doesn’t need to learn shield techniques anymore.’

Once his body movements and physique were conditioned, he didn’t need to use a shield anymore. Because when Kim Seung-hyun was a Martial God, his main weapon wasn’t a shield.

If he had been a defensive hunter, he would never have earned the title ‘The Strongest Human’ in the first place. His real strength would awaken when he grabbed a different weapon.

‘Lee Hyun-seung is full of weapons. And… frankly, his ability to handle weapons surpasses mine.’

While I may be better at teaching, what Kim Seung-hyun needs now is not the best education. He needed to fight against an overwhelming opponent and gain experience in the process.

Kim Seung-hyun would grow even in situations where others would despair. He was a guy who became endlessly stronger like that in my past life. I didn’t need to worry about Seung-hyun Hyeong anymore.

‘Hyun-woo is practically completed… Lee Jin-woo’s strength depends more on his weapons than his ability. Han Yeon-soo won’t be able to grow further, and if Zhang Wei builds up his stamina, he’ll be perfect. So, all there’s left is Seung-hyun Hyeong and Yoo Ji-yeon.’

Han Yeon-soo was already a hunter close to completion. There was room for members of -The Queen’s Army- to become stronger as they fought against the Great Overlord… But not now.

Sung Hyun-woo was supposed to be called a ‘Disaster’ anyway. As long as he knew how to control his emotions, he could unleash enormous power if he properly exploded.

Zhang Wei’s ability was also formulated by suffering extreme, near-death pain. And there was no need to even mention Seol Ah-rin, who was halfway on our side.

‘I should also think about how to make Yoo Ji-yeon stronger.’

With that, I stopped thinking and opened the door.

“Oh, you’re early!”

“…Are you alone?”

“Yes!”

“…I told them not to leave you alone.”

“I’m not a kid! I can be left alone.”

Seol Ah-rin was alone in the empty lodging. She was laughing, watching TV, with all sorts of objects strewn on the floor. Thankfully, nothing was broken. Well, I could leave the cleaning to Hyun-woo when he comes back.

“Okay then. Enjoy playing by yourself. I have a lot of work to do.”

I sat on a table chair next to Seol Ah-rin, opened up my notepad, and wrote down a plan on how to train Yoo Ji-yeon.

The Tower Master? No, no one could explain magical theories to Yoo Ji-yeon. Then, should I do it? No… Honestly, after I learned about Moorim, I focused too much on martial arts rather than magic. I was too behind compared to her. Then how… Sigh.

“What are you working so hard at? Yoo Ji-yeon? magic?”

“When did you come all the way here? You should watch TV.”

“I’ve been watching the same thing for the fourth time. Even I get sick of watching it over and over again. Here, let me take a look—”

“Hey, wait….”

Seol Ah-rin snatched my notepad. I reached out to get it back, but instead of retrieving it, I realized again that there was a barrier around her body.

Damn it; it’s so hard. My fingertips were numb.

“What? Why did you write so many things about making someone else strong? You’re super weak yourself.”

“…….”

“Don’t use this. You have to pay attention to yourself first.”

Rip.

Seol Ah-rin tore my notes. Oh, that was a very detailed plan…….

“You have that, you know. The thing you took from me. Or should I say copied from me?”

“……?”

But the next moment, Seol Ah-rin unexpectedly mentioned something.

“The Great Legacy. You copied that great ability, but why haven’t you used it?”

Tap.

Her small hand touched my arm.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know how to use it?”

“…….”

Seol Ah-rin’s clear eyes at me. I could see my reflection in her eyes.

“Do you want me to teach you?”

The Third Disaster.

The most powerful and dangerous villain. The unfortunate woman who couldn’t break away from her past glory.

She was offering to teach me how to use the most ‘powerful force’ that was the essence of her power.

“…What?”

I answered in a dazed voice.

This, right now.

What the hell was happening?