Altain, who had killed Nepas, had perished.
Having lost their leaders in succession, the Demon Clan had no choice but to fall into a state of total disarray.
The demons, who had initially threatened various nations like a tidal wave, were either eliminated by the Subjugation Squad or vanished without a trace.
As a result, those who were aware of the threat posed by the Demon Clan but pursued them for immediate gain faced international condemnation.
Prominent among them were the United States, Russia, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, India, France, and Italy.
In the beginning, their influence was absolute.
Known as the world’s superpowers, their impact was enough to represent the entire globe.
Therefore, even when they made countless mistakes and committed wrongs, no one dared to criticize them.
If a nation other than these superpowers had made such errors, it certainly would not have been tolerated so easily.
But now, the situation has changed.
“The United States, Russia, China, and Japan have gone too far. How long must we tolerate the mistakes of these superpowers? Protecting national interests? Of course, that should be a priority. However, if those interests threaten the entire world, it is only right to exercise restraint. In that regard, these nations have lost control.”
Nations that could not say a word against their arrogance just a short while ago were now engrossed in sharp criticism.
It was inevitable.
These nations, which had faltered and then recently reclaimed their superpower status through the Awakening Potion, had fallen once again.
Once it was revealed that the substance was not an Awakening Potion but an Evolution Potion, they became concentrated targets for the Demon Clan, causing their military strength to plummet even further than before.
They had hesitated, only to be overtaken by those who had supported South Korea.
Spain, leading the way along with Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and Canada, became the new superpowers and did not hesitate to voice their harsh criticisms.
The world is governed by the logic of power.
The existing superpowers could say nothing in the face of criticism from these nations, whose strength now showed a clear disparity.
Of course, it wasn’t like that from the start.
To maintain the pride and prestige they held as former superpowers, they had initially confronted the criticism head-on.
It wasn’t just a war of words; local skirmishes broke out where their military forces clashed.
The result?
A crushing defeat.
The nations once called superpowers were utterly defeated by the emerging nations that had joined their ranks.
This was inevitable because these new superpowers had entered into a certain agreement with South Korea.
While there were mutual defense treaties, the largest part of their strength came from the teachings of Kim Si-won.
Spain and other emerging nations, admiring Kim Si-won’s Martial Power, sent talented Awakeners to study under him, as if they were studying abroad.
Although the duration was not long, the Awakeners who had studied in South Korea gained great enlightenment and spread those realizations upon returning to their home countries.
It might seem like a small thing, but the difference was clear.
It was enough to overwhelm the United States and the other superpowers that had been manipulating the world until now.
Both in terms of justification —
And in terms of Martial Power.
Since the old superpowers had lost on all fronts, they could no longer raise their voices.
“We will renovate our national direction.”
“We promise to change with a completely different direction and system than before.”
Purges occurred against those who had insisted on the old ways.
It was only natural.
Nations that were once superpowers had been overtaken in an instant.
A wind of change blew from within, and a bloody purge took place to hold people accountable.
Large numbers of former power players were purged and lost their jobs, and the hands and feet of all those who followed them were cut off.
In their place, those who favored a completely different direction — being friendly toward South Korea and establishing a system that matched the global trend — gained power.
They did not act with the pride or arrogance of the former superpowers; they were willing to bow as much as necessary if there was something to be gained.
Thus, a new global system was completed.
Spain, which had never let go of South Korea, took the place of the United States, while Brazil took Russia’s place and Argentina took China’s.
The world began to change rapidly.
And at the center of it all was South Korea, the nation Kim Si-won belonged to.
The activities and skills of the Awakeners known as Kim Si-won’s Children stood out, making it clear who was at the center and at the very front of the world.
Their performance was truly dazzling.
They cleared difficulties beyond Very Hard — which had been the exclusive domain of Kim Si-won and Leon until now — one after another, helping to strengthen South Korea’s national power.
Leading this effort was Kim Chaun, who had newly ascended to the presidency.
Internally, there were all sorts of voices calling him an optimist or an opportunist, but he was a man with more ability and insight than expected.
By actively reflecting Kim Si-won’s opinions, he built a pool of Awakeners that surprised the world and began the work of increasing the number of Kim Si-won’s Children through a systematic process.
Thus, a pool of talent was established, and outstanding Awakeners began to be produced under a structured system.
Despite lacking even a single condition to become a superpower, such as population or land mass, South Korea now stood tall as the center of the world.
In particular, the pillars at that center were Leon and Kim Si-won.
Kim Si-won’s top disciple, Leon, was fearlessly breaking through floors of the absurd Shinhwa difficulty.
Because of this, other nations did not dare to be hostile toward South Korea.
It had reached a point where it was practically impossible to climb the Tower while being an enemy of South Korea.
As a result, even the former superpowers, which had been preoccupied with defiance and resistance, had now acknowledged South Korea.
It wasn’t just Leon.
Kim Si-won also began climbing the Tower he had postponed, crushing the Shinhwa difficulty one by one, ensuring South Korea held the status of a nation where the sun never sets.
***
Through this, the world realized one thing: hostility toward South Korea led to the abyss, while friendship with South Korea brought opportunity.
“Haap!”
At a training ground where vigorous shouts could be heard, sweat from passion and effort was pouring down from a place where countless people were lined up.
“Trainee 1011, keep your hands straight!”
The place, which strongly resembled a boot camp, was currently the most famous Awakener academy in South Korea — no, in the world.
Siwon School.
The sign looked like something you might see in a generic private academy district.
However, contrary to that humble name, Siwon School was an Awakener academy recognized by the entire world.
That was because the person in overall charge was none other than the greatest Awakener, Kim Si-won.
Furthermore, the chief supervisor there was Leon, who was currently showing his spirit by breaking through to the 15th floor on Shinhwa difficulty.
The presence of these two alone made Siwon School worthy of the title of the world’s largest and best academy.
Initially, there were issues such as the selection of personnel and work paralysis due to the influx of people, but they clarified their policy at that time to minimize confusion.
‘The students who will first enter Siwon School will be chosen strictly based on my personal judgment.’
That was Kim Si-won’s declaration and he kept those words.
Even if a tycoon brought billions —
Even if there was a talent overflowing with potential —
He strictly screened candidates based solely on his own convictions and judgment, and thus, the first generation of graduates was born.
They were the most successful Awakeners recently, having earned the title of Kim Si-won’s Children.
The first generation graduated and displayed their abilities, and through them, the existence of Siwon School became known to the world.
Admission inquiries flooded in from all over the world, not just South Korea.
Of course, that didn’t change anything.
The decision for admission rested entirely with Kim Si-won.
No matter how much talent one had or what extraordinary trait they were born with, they had to taste the bitterness of failure if they could not pass the interview with Kim Si-won.
The people currently sweating were the second generation of students at Siwon School.
In the beginning, Kim Si-won and Leon handled all the education and administrative tasks, but things were different now.
Because —
“Do not talk back to the instructor!”
There were those commonly referred to as instructors.
It was because the first generation graduates had remained at Siwon School to serve as his hands and feet.
While it would have been better to receive direct instruction from Kim Si-won or Leon, doing so would have required a reduction in the number of students.
Therefore, by hiring instructors, they expanded their reach and could accept many trainees at once.
And this hiring of instructors was more practical than expected.
While it was true that Kim Si-won and Leon were outstanding teachers, their level was far too distant.
No matter how carefully the trainees were selected, only a few could keep up with their teachings.
But what about the first generation graduates who had already experienced those difficulties?
They provided customized education to those struggling to learn, making it possible for them to acquire knowledge even faster than before.
Of course, it was not a gentle or flexible method.
“Swing! Any trainee who fails to complete 10,000 swings a day will be immediately expelled!”
“An instructor always keeps their word. If you’re truly curious, you’re welcome not to finish your 10,000 swings.”
The instructors’ teachings were harsher than expected.
They treated the trainees ruthlessly, like a lion dropping its cubs off a cliff — though that wasn’t literally true.
Furthermore, the training content had nothing to do with strengthening or manifesting traits or skills.
Basics, basics, and more basics.
It was nothing but continuous basic training, such as the horse stance, swinging, and thrusting.
Naturally —
“Isn’t this going too far!”
People began to voice their dissatisfaction one by one.
“What is the meaning of this! We practice only the basics every day. What we want to learn is the efficient use and reinforcement of our Traits. It’s not this kind of training that just pushes us to our physical limits!”
It was Mikhail from Russia.
A man in his 20s called the future of Russia, possessing a world-class talent known as Great Strength.
He had been dissatisfied all along.
To bring the world’s best talents here and put them through such basic training.
Basic training was something that could be received anywhere, not just here; it was, quite literally, just the basics.
“Mikhail is right.”
“There’s a limit to how much basic training we should do. If it’s going to be like this, I have no intention of following along anymore.”
Trainees from the United States and China agreed.
In fact, they had been feeling dissatisfied for quite some time.
To call in those recognized as the world’s top talents and put them through basic training for fifteen days.
They hadn’t come here to receive basic training.
They wanted the special techniques possessed by the world’s top Awakeners, Kim Si-won and Leon.
That was why they thought this.
They believed the techniques weren’t being taught because they belonged to nations like the United States, toward which there was a long-standing grudge.
And at that moment —
“…”
The instructors, who normally would have shouted them down, fell silent.
Just as some of the rebellious trainees who sensed something strange also fell into silence —
“Thank you for your hard work.”
The instructors suddenly bowed politely.
It wasn’t sarcasm.
“The exit is that way.”
“We will not see you out.”
They were sincerely telling them to leave.
“No…”
“What is the meaning of this…?”
Just as the flustered trainees were about to protest —
-Whoosh!
With a ripple in space that surrounded them —
-Thump!
Before they knew it, they had crossed through space and were standing outside the gates.
“…”
Dumbfounded, they were able to see the message written at the entrance.
[Expulsion decisions cannot be reversed.]
[Those who have been expelled once may never enroll again.]