[113] "Repercussions"

[The next day]

[At Shinhwa]

A beautiful limousine pulled up majestically at the main gate of Shinhwa headquarters. Through one of the limousine doors, emerged a tall, elderly-looking man with a long beige beard and carefully combed back hair. His amber eyes seemed to pierce the distance with millennia of wisdom. Beside him, the other man who came down was young and possessed an air of confidence. His blond hair was styled elegantly, falling from left to right, and his amber eyes shone with a captivating intensity.

The two walked confidently toward the reception desk, and the people watching them could not help but look at them curiously.

"Good afternoon, sir... How may we help you today?" the receptionist asked professionally and respectfully.

Veramonte, answered politely with a smile. "We are here to visit your president."

The receptionist frowned and consulted her computer before continuing, "Do you have an appointment scheduled?"

Jurion was somewhat annoyed by the question, but Veramonte raised his hand in a calming gesture and replied, "No, we do not have a prior appointment."

"Excuse me, sir, but the president is not in presently," the receptionist reported. Veramonte frowned slightly, interested to know more. "Do you know when she will be back?"

The receptionist apologized again, "No, sir, I do not have that information at this time."

"Please ask her when she will be back," Veramonte requested calmly.

"Of course, sir..." replied the receptionist as she dialed the requested number.

"A person is asking when the president will be back," she communicated in a serene voice to the person on the other end of the line.

While waiting for an answer, the receptionist turned to Veramonte and politely asked, "Excuse me, sir, what is your name?"

"Veramonte Patrick," he replied politely.

"Veramonte Patrick," the receptionist uttered over the phone, and as she said it, her expression went from serene to surprised. Her eyes widened and her mouth half-opened, unable to hide her astonishment.

Finally, a well-dressed man came down quickly to answer them. "Mr. Veramonte, I'm so sorry for the inconvenience," he apologized, then turned to the young Jurion, "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Jurion."

Jurion nodded in response, and the man continued respectfully, "Would you like to come up to one of our offices for a more leisurely chat?"

Veramonte politely declined the offer, "No, thank you very much. I'm a little pressed for time at the moment. I'd just like to know when the president will be back."

The man arched an eyebrow at Veramonte's determination. "I don't have an exact date, it could be within a week or two. Presently, she is at an academy," he revealed, but his gaze drifted to the receptionist and then back to Veramonte.

Understanding the situation, Veramonte nodded seriously, "I understand. Would you mind providing me with the address of that academy?"

The man felt a shiver run down his spine, but replied, "Of course.... ... ... ..."

....

[At the Korean Awakening Academy]

Andrea stood in a gloomy room, her trembling hands resting on her knees, as she turned her gaze to the wall with an unpleasant and nervous expression. Her leg was shaking uncontrollably, and she covered her mouth, unable to contain the shock she felt. "How could something like this happen?" she asked herself in despair, feeling the situation slipping out of her control.

In her mind, she remembered the four talented young men, the boy named Wooin and that last young man. They were students with outstanding abilities that could easily be compared to the top 10 of his prestigious academy. The prospect that these young men might pose a threat to his status and position filled him with frustration and anger.

"They can compare to the top 10 of our academy," Andrea thought, her eyes exuding coldness and a dangerous desire to remove any obstacle in her path.

Beside her, a man watched her with caution and concern. "What shall we do?" he asked.

Andrea turned to him, repeating the question with a mixture of determination and fury in her voice, "What shall we do?". After a brief pause, her words were cutting and icy, "Of course we'll finish them all off."

The man frowned, his face reflecting the same icy air Andrea projected.

"With Duke's personality, he won't let what that boy did go," Andrea continued, her voice brimming with resentment and vengeance. "Let him take care of that boy," she sentenced, making it clear that she had decided the fate of the Jiwoo in Duke's hands

The man nodded silently, aware that his words could not alter the course of action Andrea had charted.

....

Inhyuk, walking down a hallway of the academy, had Seongha and Giwook by his side when his phone started ringing. Quickly, he answered the call, and on the other end of the line, a man delivered startling and alarming news.

"Mr. Goo, Veramonte Patrick came here looking for the president," the man reported.

Inhyuk could not help but respond, upset and surprised. "WHAT?" which made Seongha and Giwook worried seeing his reaction. "Are you certain?" asked Inhyuk impatiently, wanting to confirm the information received.

Seongha and Giwook looked at Inhyuk with curiosity and caution.

"Yes, Mr. Goo. I didn't dare refuse, so I told him where the academy was located. He is most likely heading there right now, and he was coming with his grandson Jurion Patrick," the man on the other end of the phone explained.

Inhyuk let out a few words of frustration as he paced back and forth, feeling the pressure and urgency of the situation. "Shit... shit," he muttered, as he tried to think of what to do. "Don't worry, you did good. I'll let the president know," he assured, before cutting the call.

Seongha asked, "What happened?"

Inhyuk replied with mystery, "Nothing... if there's a chance, you'll know," before quickly disappearing using his wind skills to move at high speed.

Both Seongha and Giwook were left with their mouths hanging open, watching Inhyuk leave without answering.

As Inhyuk moved swiftly, his mind was filled with uncertainty. 'What could a top 10 person want with the president?" he wondered uneasily, realizing the importance and seriousness of the matter. 'I have to give notice as soon as possible, he brought his grandson I don't think it will be a challenge,' he thought, feeling the urgency to inform the president about Veramonte Patrick's imminent arrival.

....

[One day later]

Duke opened his eyes slowly, feeling an intense pain in his body. The room he was in was unfamiliar to him, and as he looked down, he noticed that his stomach and neck were completely bandaged. The memory of what had happened moments before came back to his mind.

He remembered how Jiwoo had appeared next to him, without giving him time to react, and had hit him hard, causing him to crash into the bleachers and lose consciousness.

Humiliation and anger took hold of him as he clenched his fist in fury. 'That boy... I didn't react in time,' he thought in frustration, feeling the desire for revenge take hold in his heart. 'You'll pay me back... for that humiliation,' he muttered with determination, vowing that he would not let Jiwoo get away with his actions.

[A few hours later]

Andrea entered the room and found Duke resting, recovering from his injuries, but his face still reflected seriousness and anger.

Did she approach him and ask, "You woke up? How's your body?"

Duke replied coolly, "Fine..."

Andrea could sense the deep irritation Duke felt about what happened, and commented, "I guess you're furious about what happened... I didn't expect this country to hide the level of its young people so well, and the speed of that last boy, Jiwoo..."

The Duke's face became even more serious and grim, and he stated with determination, "I will take revenge.... So his name is Jiwoo."

Andrea smiled at Duke's determination and added, "I'll make you fight him."

The Duke's gesture became intriguing, raising an eyebrow curiously as he rested his eyes on her. However, she didn't hesitate and continued with determination, "His intervention in the fight has made it clear that you have every right to challenge him in a challenge."

The Duke nodded with determination and replied, his voice firm and confident. "That's what I'm going to do. I'll challenge him right away."

"No," Andrea interrupted, turning her gaze to Duke. "It will be in a week. You need to make a full recovery, we can't afford any mistakes."

"I can beat it any time I want," Duke stated confidently.

"And if you can't?" asked Andrea, causing Duke's body to shudder.

Andrea kept her gaze fixed on the Duke and added with determination. "You saw his speed yourself...you have to be careful."

The Duke clenched his fist in fury and declared. "It was just an oversight... that kid can't compare to my real speed, we're at different ranges."

"Even if I have to use Schnauder's force control, I'll kill him," Duke concluded, a murderous intensity palpable in his words.

Andrea frowned, showing some concern, and said. "Even though we are not in the world academy where you must be cautious... here is Han Seongik, and he is very likely to sense your change."

The Duke frowned and replied. "It's no big deal, he's weak. He won't dare to do anything even if he finds out, since I'm a disciple of Mr. Schnauder."

Andrea nods and thinks. 'He's not even an official disciple, and he's so arrogant' she pauses and answers, "There's something I want to tell you..... you know about Jan's death, don't you?"

The Duke nods with doubt on his face in response to Andrea's question.

Andrea said. "The girl you attacked when you were crazy...she was the one who killed him."

The Duke is shocked and replies. "The young woman who was next to Jiwoo?"

Andrea nods and continues. "From the information we have, her age doesn't differ much from yours. She must be two or three years older, at most. That level of talent is just what we need to get him to join Frame."

Duke is amazed and looks at Andrea with a shocked expression, saying. "Only two or three years apart, and he's that strong?"

Andrea nods seriously and comments. "You may think your talent is better than anyone in your generation, but it's not so with others. You must keep yourself under control. If she had decided to attack you, she would not have been able to save you, and only Mr. Schnauder could stand up to her." He paused and continued. "Also, there were rumors that Kayden has another disciple and that he was in Korea."

Duke asked altered. "Really only Mr. Schnauder could do something, and what does that have to do with Kayden's new disciple Break?"

Andrea confirmed, saying. "Yes, and with great difficulty, since Frame doesn't want to get in trouble with Kayden. Kayden's supposed new disciple is the younger brother of the Emperor of Light. It is said that in that war, Jiyoung was on the same side as Kayden and Ares, but you must know the enemies the two of them had, first we must know if he can survive."

Duke clenches his fist, feeling frustration and anger gnawing at him inside, and says regretfully. "I'll apologize..."

Andrea nods and replies. "Well... I thought I had to tell you. We want to maintain a good relationship with Jiyoung if possible, to bring her to our side. Although the world doesn't know that we're members of Frame, sooner or later, it will come out."

....

[At night]

[Jiwoo room]

Jiwoo enters his room and sees the three cats looking at him seriously. He quickly moves forward and sits down near them, feeling embarrassed.

Kartein looks at Jiwoo seriously and comments calmly. "We haven't had much interaction, but at first, I found you to be nothing like the two of them." Then his tone changes to one of anger and frustration as he adds. "But you're just like them, what the fuck were you doing interfering in a fight?"

Jiwoo lowers his head and mutters. "Mr. Kartein."

"What, Mr. Kartein?" repeats Kartein angrily and continues. "I'll teach you a lesson."

Kayden asserts Kartein, preventing him from advancing towards Jiwoo, and says. "Let go of me... I'll teach him a lesson."

Kayden nods to Kartein and says. "How are the waters?"

"Fine... they didn't tell me anything," Jiwoo replied harmlessly.

"They'll probably challenge you...", Ares commented.

Jiwoo looks at Ares doubtfully and asks. "Why?"

Kartein, even more upset, moves madly trying to get loose from Kayden and exclaims. "What do you mean why, interfering in a fight, and you say because...damn, you're crazy!"

Jiwoo scratches his cheek slowly, not fully understanding the situation.

"Breathe... calm down," Kartein says to himself, trying to relax, then continues, "I'm sure those guys must be pretty pissed off about what you did."

Kayden smiles and comments. "They sure must want to die, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Crush them...," Ares said.

"Yes, I will," Jiwoo replied with a harmless look.

"HAHAHAHAHA," laughed Kayden and Ares devilishly.

Kartein looks at this trio and mutters. "These maniacs for fighting... they're the basket cases."

After a brief moment of laughter, Jiwoo shared gloomily. "My friends are seriously injured."

Ares frowns and looks at Jiwoo.

Kayden, showing a curious gesture, raised an eyebrow and asked, "You mean those unaffiliated?"

Jiwoo nodded regretfully and expressed, "Yes, they said my friends provoked them, but in reality they are not like that."

Kartein looked at the grief-stricken Jiwoo and commented. "It is usual, they surely seek to provoke them to provoke their anger."

Kayden nodded sympathetically and added. "That's most likely why the quartet intervened, even though they had no intention of fighting."

Grimly, Jiwoo lowered his head and whispered. "Why does it have to be like this?"

Han Seongik is walking along the path of the academy, admiring the scenery, when he suddenly sees Jiwoo running in his direction.

When Jiwoo arrives where he is, he greets him with difficulty as he catches his breath. "Good evening, principal," he manages to say between shaky breaths.

Han Seongik smiles and comments. "I see you don't stop training for a second."

Jiwoo scratches his head and replies. "Mr. Kayden said I was going to be challenged, so I'm excited. To lower my anxiety to fight, he asked me to train."

Han Seongik frowns and says. "I see you already know..."

"Know what?" asks Jiwoo, not understanding.

Han Seongik smiles and says. "I already got word that Duke challenged you, and they want the fight to be in a week."

Jiwoo is surprised and asks. "So fast... But isn't he injured, can he heal that fast?"

"They provided the date themselves and assured that he had more than enough time to heal. The doctors at the academy also confirmed it," Han Seongik said.

Jiwoo smiles innocently and comments. "Well... I love fighting."

"Aren't you nervous?" commented Han Seongik, surprised by Jiwoo's enthusiasm.

"A little, but I have more enthusiasm for the showdown," Jiwoo replied, clenching his fist.

Han Seongik thinks. 'It's just like them. To have a showdown with someone like Duke, who is recognized by the world, I would be nervous and scared, but he wants to fight.'

"Do you know something, director?" commented Jiwoo.

Han Seongik looks at him and asks. "What thing?"

"When I wasn't in Korea, my brother and my teacher took me to a place where there are spectacular young men who are disciples of strong people," Jiwoo explained. "I'm talking about their masters having powers comparable to the top 50, 40 and there's even a woman with powers comparable to the top 10 in the world rankings."

Jiwoo paused, looking at Han Seongik, then continued. "I went through hellish training during those three weeks. All I was doing was training with Mr. Kayden. And with the young men I learned plenty of new things and gained experience."

Han Seongik looks at Jiwoo in amazement as thousands of questions cross his mind.

"I learned that no matter who I go up against... I won't lose, whoever it is, I will win," said Jiwoo with a voice full of confidence.

Han Seongik looks at Jiwoo in amazement and opens his eyes in shock when he sees that on the right side of Jiwoo the figure of Kayden with a blue aura is formed, and on the left side, with a golden aura, the figure of Ares is formed.

Han Seongik sighs and smiles, "I see... that's the mentality that any awakened person should have. Having confidence in your own abilities is key."

Jiwoo smiles and Han Seongik continues. "I'll help you train."

"Really?" says Jiwoo in surprise.

"Yes, you are a student of my academy who was challenged. I will help you train, I guess your teacher is busy," Han Seongik replies.

Jiwoo, with a hesitant and unsure expression, doesn't answer right away.

"You don't have to worry, I'm sure your master would agree to let me help you train when he's not here," Han Seongik comments, seeing the uncertainty in Jiwoo.

Jiwoo scratches his head and thinks. How do I say Mr. Kayden and my brother are here?' But then, making a reverence, responds. "It will be my pleasure."

Han Seongik smiles, while Jiwoo thinks. 'My brother is tougher and said Han Seongik was weak, but he was able to rank in the top 50 of the world ranking. Also, both Mr. Kayden and Mr. Kartein said he was quite powerful and is a melee fighter just like me...from their teachings I can learn a lot.'

....

If you want to help me and have extra chapters, join my Patre at.

I'm on chapter 143.

https://patreon.com/WriterFan

patreon.com/WriterFan