Does the Golden Dragon Dream of the Invincible Legion (4)

“I missed you, baby…!”

“Give it back. No orb for two months.”

“You can’t take it! I can’t do this alone!”

Baek In-ha, having been reunited with the Shinfeng orb after a long time, hugged it and rolled around with it like it was indeed a baby, preventing Kang Shin-hyuk from retrieving it.

“Whoo, I’m a human wind power plant!”

“Ha, I want to take it back…”

Kang Shin-hyuk wondered for a while if it was worth putting the Guardian Golden Dragon on this guy, but eventually, he sighed.

“You know a bit about my traits, right?”

“I know that it’s a buff type.”

“Yeah, then, take care of what you’re given.”

There was no way Baek wouldn’t know since he worked with Masked Bacchus. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, summoning his power, and activated the Guardian Golden Dragon on him. Baek felt it and tilted his head.

“Why? Are we fighting right now?”

“No, I’ll be keeping it up all day from now on.”

“Oh? Can you do it?”

“I should be able to.”

“Crazy…”

To receive the effect that long meant Baek would remain in that strengthened state throughout the day.

“No, wouldn’t it be dangerous to get caught like this?”

“It won’t since I don’t use magic. Just wear it even in school.”

“Still, why the hell… Well?!”

At the next moment, Kang Shin-hyuk was shocked to hear Baek’s next words.

“Does it evolve other people’s traits?”

“How did you know?!”

Baek seemed proud of his own reasoning ability in response.

“No, your traits have evolved twice as far as I know, but your trait is a buff-type. So, I wondered if that buff included a permanent effect.”

“What a sharp guy.”

“But until now, you’ve only been able to cover yourself in it, and you’ve discovered that you’ve already evolved other people’s traits by accident. That means… Some people have already evolved!”

Kang Shin-hyuk was stunned. He somehow already guessed that his three friends from the orphanage had awakened and that Eleanor had evolved into an SSS-class trait.

“Shinyuk, I’m a little moved. As soon as you knew, you came to me? Oh, such sincere friendship…”

“Oh, screw off.”

The first reason why he buffed Baek In-ha was simply that there was a contract between them, that they would cooperate as a part of Masked Bacchus. Of course, it was a simple contract, but he knew Baek was a man of good faith who wouldn’t violate it.

“Calm down. Why is your head so good all of a sudden?”

“Oh, I’ve learned a few things from my grandfather about business management…”

Baek looked tired suddenly as he responded that way, but soon his expression became refreshed as he suddenly realized something.

“But this buff is very good. I’m tired of being overworked and not sleeping properly these days.”

“That’s right; it’s natural because of the correction given to your body’s status. Still, it doesn’t restore fatigue; only the maximum has been increased, so don’t overdo it. School is about to start.”

“Well, it’s more difficult because it’s the beginning of school.”

Baek, holding the Shinfeng orb, fell off the sofa and rolled over to the window. If this weren’t his room but Kang Shin-hyuk’s, he would’ve hit him.

“Look, sir.”

“What?”

“That.”

He reached the window and flipped the curtain. What could be seen through it was a view of Shinyoung at night. It was impressive to see the towering main building shining in the moonlight.

“I mean, in the new semester, there will be talented people there. The brightest people picked from Korea.”

“How refreshing.”

Baek held the orb in one hand as he spread his other arm wide and spoke in an exaggerated voice.

“If we could bring all those talents to Baekyang, wouldn’t Baekyang stand out in the world beyond Korea?”

“Did you have such a passionate dream?”

“No.”

At Kang Shin-hyuk’s skepticism, Baek raised his arm.

“It’s actually grandfather’s delusion. Isn’t it that Korea is the strongest right now, and their superhumans are the strongest?”

Kang Shin-hyuk agreed with Baek. Shin Eunah, who was the first in the rankings, had retained her position. Kang Shin-hyuk had been updated to the No. 2 spot, and Bridget Poulsen, having gained recognition for her abilities, quickly rose to No. 4. The Dark Curtain, Jang Jinmyeong, who was ranked No. 3, was pushed back to fourth place by Kang Shin-hyuk, then to fifth by Bridget, so he must’ve been fuming right now. Not that it mattered.

“However, the position of being in the student council is the best for selecting talents and attracting them to Baekyang. I’m thinking about that too.”

“Indeed.”

Shinyoung was like a miniature version of the superhuman society. In fact, there were quite a few cases where the connections created there lasted for a lifetime. If Baek In-ha, Baekyang’s successor, played an active role as the student council president and gained recognition from the students, then he had the right conditions to attract new talents. In fact, Kang Shin-hyuk had a similar thought, so he nodded at Baek.

“Of course, it would be best if you could find the strongest… Do you have any thoughts on entering Baekyang as the Life and Death Puppeteer?”

“No, I’m planning on growing Masked Bacchus in the future.”

“…What?”

Baek was surprised to hear that.

“Wasn’t that Claire romancing you? What was it like that?”

“No, it’s because Masked Bacchus is in a pretty good position right now. Maybe it’s because it has solidified a good image from the start, and in fact, even though it’s an unofficial organization, people don’t try to dig deeper. It is optimal for moving freely.”

Considering that he would continue to be a member of the Hero Universe in the future, it was unpleasant to be bound by the regular activities that guilds and the association required. Of course, their formation was spontaneous, but he was convinced that his future would be deeply connected with Masked Bacchus.

“But… Hasn’t the identity of two representatives already been revealed?”

“Don’t you think about the other people who belong there, including you right now?”

That was… Baek tilted his head but soon nodded.

“Yes. The identity of those two is so sure that they don’t even ask about the other members. Still, problems arise when the scale increases.”

“No, if we continue to keep track of our activities while expanding the range, we will be untouchable. It’s already like that.”

In fact, in Africa, R… Eleanor played a huge role, so everyone wondered where she was from, but no one was digging deeply into it. That was because she already belonged to the group led by the Death Puppeteer, and doubting her was the same as doubting Shin Eun-hyuk, the current No. 2. Rather, it was the same as doubting the person who managed him, Shin Eunah, the current No. 1. In other words, Masked Bacchus was like Shin Eunah’s cartel. Who would say anything?

“In the end, it’s just pressure with force!”

“How good is it?”

“It’s good…”

“Moreover, it was decided today, but this time Eli will be recognized as No. 7 in the international rankings. There are three top rankers in the team called Masked Bacchus. Would the association even want to touch this group?”

“Are you crazy? Even other countries would have to wrap it up.”

“That’s right.”

The Superhuman Association wouldn’t dare touch Masked Bacchus in the future. Who would risk losing their golden goose?

“Moreover, being able to work while hiding your identity means that even if you already belong to another group, you can wear a mask and participate. Like you, Baekyang’s next master. Therefore, the pool of talent recruitment is very wide.”

“…What is it? Can’t I get out of there?”

“Yes. Of course, if you inherit the guild later and grow busy, I don’t intend to ask you to participate every time.”

“Wait… Just like that?”

Baek also understood what he was trying to say.

“Can you bring talent from other guilds that way? Signing a contract such as giving them armaments and helping them develop their trait, you bring them in and use them only when they aren’t engaged in guild activities.”

“Even if they belong to a different group, what if we gather several people who can wear masks on an irregular basis?”

“For example, on the day I’m missing, someone else can fill in that gap.”

“That’s it.”

Baek admired his friend. Of course, there was the condition that they had to comply with the contract, but if it went as planned, a special strike team composed of only the best members would be completed.

“Shinyuk, I have an important question.”

“What?”

Baek looked at him seriously.

“It’s an important question for people in multiple groups to join under one name… Is the purpose of Masked Bacchus the public good?”

“Yes.”

That was a question he could answer without hesitation.

“From the moment I entered Shinyoung, my objective was to kill as many monsters as possible. Oh, of course, I plan to distribute personal income from our activities thoroughly.”

“I know that well because I also played as a team member. Yes, it is…”

Baek nodded again.

“Assuming you have the means to control your teammates, I see it as a very good tool. Especially to set aside all other conditions and build a team of only strong people.”

“I’m thinking of giving the right to assemble at least once a year. To prioritize Masked Bacchus over the group they belong to when it really matters.”

No, maybe when such a moment came, the team members would flock to Masked Bacchus. The moment Kang Shin-hyuk thought of was a crisis of the entire planet.

“That’s a good idea. Let’s think about other terms and conditions slowly from now on. I also learned a lot about contracts during the vacation.”

Kang Shin-hyuk laughed as he listened to Baek. He really was an insider when it came to this stuff.

“Thank you.”

“I’m grateful. So will my trait be SSS-rank?”

Kang Shin-hyuk nodded without hesitation, thinking of Eleanor.

“It depends on what you do.”

“Ha, let’s go together all our lives.”

“Oh, get off.” Baek avoided Kang Shin-hyuk’s kick and suddenly turned around.

“Will you add Hye-na too…?”

“If she signs a contract and listens carefully, then maybe in the future.”

But for now, it was impossible. He didn’t want a crying girl who hated him on the team.

“You won’t do anything weird to Hye-na?”

“No.”

“By the way.”

“What else?”

“Since when did Eleanor get a nickname? Eli?”

“Ah… That’s…”

Perhaps the night would actually be long. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and aimed for Baek’s occipital region, hoping that he might forget everything.

Well, after starting school, everyone would find out, anyway.