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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 34
「Seo Dojun, recently named the eighth S-Rank Hero of South Korea, is receiving significant attention from the Hero Association due to his young age—just twenty-three. According to Association officials, his abilities are already considered on par with the existing S-Rank heroes…」
The TV was buzzing with coverage about Dojun, South Korea’s newest S-Rank Hero. It was only natural—inevitable, even.
In this era, heroes had become the face of national power. To reach S-Rank, the pinnacle of that power, was no small feat. Both domestically and internationally, the hype wasn't about to die down anytime soon.
Several broadcasting networks had gone all in with special programs like:
“Seo Dojun: Who Is He Really?”
“Inside the Life of Seo Dojun!”
“The Untold Past of South Korea’s Eighth S-Rank Hero!”
But hard facts were scarce.
The Hero Association hadn’t released anything beyond his name and age. Most importantly...
“Have you reached out to him?”
The voice belonged to a man in his 70s, though he looked more like someone in his late 50s—thanks, no doubt, to years of rigorous self-care.
Watching the TV, he asked the question quietly.
Sitting beside him was a man in his mid-40s, who responded right away.
“I’ve tried contacting him, but he hasn’t responded. He’s currently in Brazil.”
“I see...”
A faint smile tugged at the old man’s lips.
“I never liked how gentle that boy was... But I guess becoming a hero’s finally toughened him up.”
“Are you seriously planning to bring him back?”
The younger man asked.
The old man looked at him silently for a moment.
“Are you against it?”
“What I think doesn’t matter. I just doubt he’d be willing to return.”
The old man clicked his tongue, clearly displeased.
“Willing or not, he WILL come back. He’s my blood. And now that he’s one of only eight S-Rank heroes in the entire country? No matter what it takes, we must bring him back.”
“Yes, Father.”
Though Seo Jeong-jin, the younger man, replied respectfully, the dissatisfaction on the older man’s face was obvious.
This was Seo Gyeong-cheol, the chairman of T Group, South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate.
“You better get your head on straight. That boy—both you and I MUST protect him. If you know why our T Group fell to second place in the business world, then you should also know better than to harbor even a shred of resentment toward him.”
Seo Gyeong-cheol hadn’t been shocked when he found out that the grandson he’d cast aside, Seo Dojun, had become an S-Rank Hero.
No, his mind had gone straight to ambition. If he could bring Dojun back into the fold, T Group could reclaim its #1 position—not just domestically, but globally.
And Seo Jeong-jin, knowing full well what kind of man his father was, didn’t dare object.
“Also, make sure your wife knows not to pull any more stunts. We’re keeping a lid on it for now, but it’s only a matter of time before people find out he’s part of our bloodline. If a scandal breaks out and things get messy, tell her that neither Min-chae nor Min-hee will see a single won of inheritance.”
“She won’t make trouble anymore.”
“What the hell are you watching and hearing all day? Don’t tell me you really don’t know your wife’s been itching to destroy that boy ever since he left this house? People deserve to be treated based on who they are NOW. And that boy—he is MY grandson!”
Seo Gyeong-cheol’s voice rose in anger, but Seo Jeong-jin remained composed.
“Whatever she tries, the boy’s far beyond her reach now. The kind of thing you’re worried about… it’s not going to happen.”
“Tch. You think I don’t know that? But if he’s still keeping quiet even after all that’s happened, it means he hasn’t completely closed the door on coming back. Stirring up trouble won’t help anyone.”
“I’ll handle her myself.”
Seo Jeong-jin's calm vow seemed to appease Seo Gyeong-cheol, for now.
“Be ready for when he returns from Brazil. No matter how powerful someone is on their own, they can’t accomplish great things without proper support. The company will back him in full—make him the figurehead of a Hero Guild. The best in South Korea.”
It wasn’t unprecedented.
P Group, a company that used to be ranked fifth, had skyrocketed in influence after a member of their founding family awakened as an S-Rank Hero. They'd established a Hero Guild with that person at the forefront, and the synergy between wealth and power had catapulted them to the top of the corporate ladder.
As a result, T Group, once #1, had been forced to cede that throne.
And the gap was only widening.
The explosive synergy of an S-Rank Hero and a financial powerhouse was a game-changer—beyond imagination.
Other conglomerates had caught on and were scrambling to create Hero Guilds of their own, but unless they had an S-Rank to lead the charge, the efforts were largely ineffective.
T Group had been trying too, but without an S-Rank, they’d gotten nowhere.
Now, the very bloodline they’d discarded had produced one.
Seo Gyeong-cheol was prepared to do whatever it took to bring him back.
But—
’Bring that filthy bastard back into this house? Over my dead body!’
Just outside the room, Hong Hee-joo had overheard the entire conversation.
Clenching her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms, she barely restrained her fury.
Back in her room, she immediately made a phone call.
- Director Hong, is something wrong?”
The man’s slick, sleazy voice was one she could never get used to. But she swallowed her disgust and said—
“This time it has to work. He has to die. You’re sure Seo Dojun won’t make it back from Brazil, right?”
- Still obsessing over that? Don’t worry. He won’t be returning.”
“You better keep that promise…”
There was a glint of pure madness in Hong Hee-joo’s eyes.
＊ ＊ ＊
September 1st, 2025.
This was the date set by the Brazilian Hero Association to begin the operation to shut down the Rifte. Heroes who agreed to participate in the mission were required to arrive in São Paulo, Brazil, no later than three days prior.
Those three days were designated for receiving detailed operational briefings and included morale-boosting events like success-encouragement parties hosted by the Brazilian government and the Hero Association.
However, on August 21st, a group of heroes unexpectedly arrived early in São Paulo.
“Who was it?”
“It’s Hero Hyun Jooyeon from the Republic of Korea, and her party.”
“The ‘Flower of Asia’?”
Upon hearing the name Hyun Jooyeon, the President of the Brazilian Hero Association, Daniel Lopez, immediately uttered her nickname.
Hyun Jooyeon was widely recognized as one of South Korea’s top heroes, and even across all of Asia, she was considered the most popular. Internationally, she was often referred to as “The Flower of Asia.”
It was a nickname that emphasized her looks more than her abilities, and unsurprisingly, Hyun Jooyeon wasn’t particularly fond of it.
“That’s correct.”
“Did all the Korean heroes arrive? True to their reputation for being diligent and disciplined, they’ve come early.”
The assumption had been that, since this was technically a foreign operation—even if it was in their best interests—most heroes wouldn’t arrive until August 28th.
So from Daniel Lopez’s perspective, the fact that South Korean heroes showed up a full week early was nothing short of delightful.
“Not all of them. Only Hyun Jooyeon and her party have arrived ahead of time.”
“Is that so? Still, it’s not a bad thing for us. Saves time. With this many participants, disseminating all the operational info would’ve been difficult anyway. Let them rest for a day.”
“About that… before we could even hold them back, they caught the next flight to Belém.”
Daniel Lopez looked at his aide as if trying to make sense of the nonsense he just heard.
Under the pressure of Lopez’s intense gaze, the aide responded with a tense expression.
“They said it was a preliminary field check. Just… wanted to have a look around…”
“Sightseeing?”
Lopez’s face twisted into a grimace at the word.
Seeing this, the aide hurried to add—
“They did promise to be back by the 21st, no matter what.”
“Huu… You said they went to Belém?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Daniel Lopez reached for a file on the corner of his desk.
As he flipped through the folder titled ‘Rift Shutdown Operation Application,’ his brows furrowed.
“Are you telling me the Flower of Asia and her group are heading to Santarém?”
“...I only realized afterward that was the site they applied for.”
Daniel Lopez glared at his aide with eyes sharp enough to kill. Then, in a low, chilling voice, he gave an order—
“Make sure—under no circumstances—they are allowed to enter BA014 Rift.”
At Daniel Lopez’s icy command, the aide simply nodded like his life depended on it.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Mr. Seo Dojun, what's your secret?"
The question came smoothly from Jeong Injoo, leader of the Silken Lily Guild.
Dojun turned and stared at her, puzzled, as if to say, ‘What are you even talking about?’
"I’m talking about Jooyeon. How on earth did you win her over? You know she’s never even had a boyfriend before—total rookie. But even so, she’s not the type to fall for just anyone. So seriously, what did you do to reel her in?"
At Injoo’s question, Dojun’s eyes drifted toward Hyun Jooyeon.
She was chatting with members of the Silken Lily Guild, looking as calm and collected as ever. But then, as if she felt his gaze, her eyes briefly met his. She blinked in surprise—then quickly looked away. That reaction… it wasn’t nothing.
“Dating, huh…”
Dojun found himself wondering when he last had anything close to a real relationship. Only two women still lived in his memory.
The first: Meisil Grain, the young lady of House Grain, a noble family.
They’d had a sweet, innocent thing going in their late teens, back in their Imperial Academy days.
The second: Lewenda Reshlian, Lady of House Reshlian, whom he dated more seriously in his early to mid-20s, during his time in the Imperial Capital’s knight corps.
Meisil was his first love, all blushes and soft memories.
Lewenda… he’d genuinely thought they would build a future together.
Sure, there were other women in between—daughters of noble houses, commoners here and there—short flings that left no real mark. But when it came to women who had stirred the feeling called love in him, it was just Meisil and Lewenda.
’…Ah, there was Veronica too.’
He’d met Veronica during the world’s final descent into ruin.
When the world was drowning in darkness and blood, when everything was falling apart, she had been the only one by his side.
Fighting monsters, surviving the collapse—she hadn’t been a “last love” so much as his only refuge in that hell.
Veronica had been born a commoner, but she was skilled enough to enter the Knight Academy on pure merit. Tougher than most men, fearless to the end. She’d stayed by his side until her last breath—a comrade, through and through.
"Mr. Seo Dojun."
Dojun snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Jeong Injoo’s voice calling him back to the present.
“So… what’s the secret?”
“Bees come to the honey, not the other way around.”
“......”
Jeong Injoo’s face twisted in shock.
“Oh my god… That might be the single cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”
She dug furiously at her ear as if trying to physically remove the cringe from her brain.
Dojun, completely unbothered, kept looking at Jooyeon.
Even in a world that had already ended, he’d met more women than most could count—but even in that lineup, Hyun Jooyeon’s looks were nothing to scoff at.
She had a solid personality, good abilities.
And for someone like Dojun—who’d been through brutal betrayal and didn’t trust people easily—the fact that he could even partially trust her said a lot.
Of everyone he’d met, she ranked the highest in terms of reliability.
“Yeah… she’s not a bad pick.”
That was Dojun's honest opinion about Jooyeon.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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