While undergoing the Cheonji Examination, I learned a fair bit about how to fight against those with psychic powers.

 

The first rule of fighting a psychic adversary is to focus solely on their physical form. All I can see is their body. So whether the ground twists or the trees shake, ignore it all and concentrate on the enemy before you.

 

A psychic sent something flying while averting their gaze. Cracks formed on the surrounding buildings, but I ignored them.

 

And then, a straight punch.

 

“Asura Blood Fist!!!”

 

Typically, psychic adversaries lose consciousness after that. Objectively speaking, my punch packs quite a wallop.

 

I’m the guy who beat up high schoolers as a grade-schooler and took on 13 bullies in middle school for bothering my sister. 

 

Until the day of the spiritual awakening in middle school, I even received offers to join national teams in various sports. Truly, the strongest middle schooler.

 

“Ugh, what kind of power is this?”

 

I casually lifted my smartphone.

 

Immediately the man covered his eyes.

 

Without hesitation, I knocked him down.

 

But some, even with closed eyes, follow my movements. That’s when I use the second method of combating psychic adversaries.

 

The second method is this: I clasped my hands together, pretending to do something.

 

“Is he using a technique?!”

 

The opponent also quickly clasped his hands, ready to do something.

 

This is the second weakness of psychics.

 

“Dare you use your hands in a fight against me?!!”

 

Psychic fighters sometimes join their hands, probably performing hand signs or seals like in comics.

 

But joining hands during a fight is a foolish act.

 

I love it when my enemies do such foolish things.

 

Only three left.

 

The sight of rocks floating nearby seemed troublesome.

 

Damn, I’m weak against that type.

 

That’s when I use the method I developed today.

 

The third way to crush psychics.

 

“I declare as the God Hand of Thieving Extreme, the ability to steal active spiritual powers. I will now steal all your active abilities.”

 

“No way!!! Can he really steal someone’s powers?”

 

“But he made a vow. That means it’s a truth acknowledged by the heavens!!!”

 

“Everyone, release your powers!!!”

 

If they release their powers, they’re all mine.

 

Thus, I dealt with the remaining three.

 

Phew, that’s exhausting.

 

“So, what now?”

 

I looked at the struggling squad of people with special abilities on the ground.

 

“This has gotten too big.”

 

If they’re getting thrashed by me, they must be just low psychic trash.

 

I think they’re called the local evil mafia.

They may be called the local mafia, but they are definitely top-tier psychics.

 

'Admittedly, if I say she has the power to predict lottery numbers, it’s understandable they’d go crazy and attack.'

 

I don’t know how these local scoundrels found out about her powers, but they didn’t seem like they’d give up easily.

 

I dragged a few who looked like leaders to Louisville.

 

To know your enemy is the key to victory.

 

I planned to interrogate, or rather, interview them.

 

“Alright, guys. Time to wake up.”

 

As I cranked up the wake-up bugle sound, the subjects began to stir.

 

“Where is this? Where? Ugh. Ugh. Please.”

 

“No, no, no, no, no.”

 

“I want to get out, I want to get out, I want to get out.”

 

Why are they reacting like this?

 

Seeing the peculiar responses of the ones who had woken up, I... well, let’s say I gently stroked their cheeks instead of slapping them.

 

“Ahh. Feels like I’m going to die. A little more, please.”

 

“Ah, I almost died. Seriously. Like being attacked by evil spirits.”

 

“Hehe. Ha.”

 

Their faces relaxed in relief.

 

What’s with that expression? They seem to enjoy getting slapped by a guy.

 

Could they all be masochists...?

 

No, could this also be the power of my God Hand?

 

“BL tag is not allowed!!!”

 

Absolutely not.

 

I shook my head and began the interview.

 

“Where are you guys from?”

 

“It’s classified.”

 

“I declare as the TS God Hand who can transform macho men into cute girls, that I will obliterate the fire egg of anyone who doesn’t answer today.”

 

At this, the bound man started making a fuss.

 

“Wait, wait!!! I am the only son of my family!!! Let’s negotiate!!! No TS, please!!!”

 

“Everyone who undergoes TS initially says no, but in the end, they all like it. Now, become a cute girl and start streaming...”

 

“We are from the Heavenly Ordeal Sect!”

 

Heavenly Ordeal Sect? Never heard of it.

 

Reading my thoughts, the man said,

 

“Never heard of it? If you haven’t, I can’t tell you.”

 

“What was I saying? Oh, right, becoming a cute girl and starting streaming is the norm, so start with the broadcasting equipment...”

 

“I can’t tell you because of the vow! But I’ll tell you everything else that I haven’t sworn not to say!”

 

Okay, that’s more like it.

 

“Where is your headquarters?”

 

“Seoul Special Metropolitan Central District, Seonghwa Road 64-gil, underground.”

 

“Captain!”

 

I casually raised my hand to silence the others.

 

“Why do you want to take Nayu?”

 

“I can’t say. But I really feel like telling you!”

 

“Will you continue trying to take Nayu?”

 

“If Miss Nayu fulfills her duty, we might consider having her stay with us.”

 

Miss Nayu, huh?

 

They start using honorifics as soon as they learn Nayu can read lottery numbers and is a powerful spirit-powered person.

 

“No, Miss Nayu will come to us on her own. The time is not far.”

 

“What do you mean the time is not far?”

 

“The time for Miss Nayu to fulfill a vow she made.”

 

“A vow is a promise made to the heavens.” I wondered what sort of promise Nayu had made with the heavens.

 

It’s obvious, isn’t it? What Nayu’s ability is. Predicting lottery numbers. She must have promised to do that later for them. I’m not exactly sure, but that’s my guess.

 

“Even if I ask, Miss Nayu will just feign ignorance. That vow Miss Nayu made, was it really of her own will?”

 

“...That is Miss Nayu’s obligation.”

 

As I thought, these thugs coerced her into it. I can’t let them take Nayu.

 

Okay, I think I get it.

 

Here’s the truth.

 

Nayu possesses the strongest, most beautiful, and mystical ability in the world to predict lottery numbers. These thugs threatened her and made her vow to predict the lottery numbers for them later. So, when her ability activated today, these scoundrels rushed over in a frenzy.

 

Then a man standing next to the boss spoke up.

 

“You seem like an insider, you must have heard of the Heavenly Ordeal Sect? Don’t oppose us. Even the Ilwol-Oakmoon Sect respects our Heavenly Ordeal Sect.”

 

“I’ve only recently learned about that Ilwol-Oakmoon Sect.”

 

“What? Someone should at least know a little about a huge faction like Ilwol-Oakmoon Sect?”

 

But I didn’t know.

 

There was a reason for that.

 

It was advice given by my younger sister.

 

'Oppa, you must never let anyone find out you’re different from others. If that happens, it’ll be dangerous for both you and the world. Oppa, you must never reveal that.'

 

My sister was the best shaman I knew.

 

Her words were never wrong.

 

'To stay undetected, keep your distance from other shamans, avoid eye contact with sorcerers, don’t listen or inquire about them. Knowing someone means attracting their attention. So, let’s just continue living a normal life together. Eating in the same house. Sleeping together. And...'

 

My sister is gone now, but her words remained with me.

 

Keep distance from other spirit-powered individuals.

 

Don’t try to learn about them.

 

I’ve lived by that ever since.

 

'Damn it. If only I wasn’t born without supernatural abilities, things wouldn’t have gotten this twisted.'

 

The reason I moved into Louisville, the cheapest place in Seoul, was also due to that. No one would think a resident of a rundown apartment like Louisville could be a powerful spirit-powered individual.

 

But in Louisville, there was the Golden Legend Card, Nayu.

 

“Still, maybe Nayu will be okay?”

 

Upon hearing this, one of the men shouted.

 

“What do you mean ‘Nayu will be okay’? Nayu is the property of our Heavenly Ordeal Sect.”

 

“Who’s calling whom their property? Did this guy come from the Joseon era? Get lost.”

 

“I will never submit to you! Even if you turn me into a cute girl! Even if you dress me in girlish clothes to corrupt me! Even if you make me experience being scouted naked while walking down the street! I will never submit!!! So, try it if you dare!!!”

 

“?”

 

“?”

 

What kind of madness is this?

 

Could it be...?

 

I kicked them away and shouted.

 

“Get lost!!! Whether it’s the Heavenly Ordeal Sect or whatever, my life’s turnaround, no, Nayu is someone you’ll never take away!!!”

 

And with that, I drove away the pathetic thugs of the Heavenly Ordeal Sect.

 

 

Nayu lay quietly on the ground, listening.

 

From the basement came the voices of the men.

 

Among them, one voice was familiar to Nayu.

 

“Nayu listens to the voice.”

 

It was the voice of a man named Yoo Hajin.

 

The man who taught the world to her, who fought against everything, and showed her how to live without fighting. Despite facing numerous attacks, he endured it all for her.

 

And the man who protected her from the Heavenly Ordeal Sect.

 

That man was now standing up to the Heavenly Ordeal Sect to protect her. With his capabilities, he must know what kind of force the Heavenly Ordeal Sect is.

 

The Heavenly Ordeal Sect. A group that shields people from the heavenly retribution that falls upon those who anger the heavens. Thus, they had close ties with high-ranking individuals in politics and finance. They manipulated the Heavenly Punishment and controlled wealth and power, deterring anyone from daring to challenge them.

 

Of course, Yoo Hajin was unaware of the gang’s true influence.

 

But Nayu didn’t know that.

 

“Nayu... inexplicable... chest pain...?”

 

Nayu clutched her chest.

 

She had never felt such pain before.

 

She had never felt this pain even when fighting against the Noble One.

 

Somehow, as a shaman resonating with the heavens, she felt this was a pain she shouldn’t be experiencing. So Nayu closed her eyes tightly and calmed her emotions.

 

As a representative of the heavens, may she hold no personal desires.

 

May she absorb the heavenly retribution that falls upon the common people of the world.

 

And through this, may she eventually return to the heavens.

 

Nayu endured the heavenly retribution falling upon her with her eyes tightly shut. It was so painful, so unbearable that she wanted to scream, but she persevered. She wanted to cry from the pain, but she endured.

 

Because that’s the duty of a shaman of the heavens.

 

“Nayu, sleeping on the street again? You’ll harm your body. Does your head still hurt today? Shall I put you to sleep like yesterday?”

 

A gentle voice reached her.

 

Ah, it was that man’s voice again.

 

“Nayu smiles broadly.”

 

When this voice was heard, the heavenly retribution didn’t strike, and the pain ceased. Even the warmth of a kind hand made her feel good. Feeling guilty about this warmth, Nayu murmured.

 

“Nayu expresses concern.”

 

“Huh? Why are you worried about me?”

 

“Nayu shows great concern!”

 

And that dawn, a massive amount of Heavenly Ordeal Sect members gathered to eliminate the person, who dared oppose the Heavenly Ordeal Sect. It was an excessive attack, even for the Heavenly Ordeal Sect. Three of their leaders collapsed just to initiate this attack.

 

A unified white divine punishment instantly fell towards the man’s room.

 

The man murmured as he faced the strike that even the heavens would fear.

 

“Did I complete yesterday’s quest?”

 

Thus, the man began the most serious contemplation of his day.