My Alter Ego’s Path to Greatness

I leisurely sipped my coffee, browsing the internet.

“As expected, this is causing quite a stir.”

The villain’s attack on the hospital was something I was directly involved in.

So, I was keeping a close eye on the situation…

‘It hasn’t even been that long…’

But the reaction was already much stronger than I anticipated. It seemed like it would escalate into a major incident.

As I was analyzing the online comments with a serious expression,

“Hmm? He’s awake. Earlier than I expected.”

I sensed movement from the next room, where Kang Tae-san had been sleeping.

“You’re awake.”

I had put him to sleep for a more efficient recovery, but he was a sturdy guy, so it hadn’t lasted long.

“Uh… What? I was asleep? Where… Where am I?”

He blinked sleepily, looking around the room with a confused expression.

He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to recall why he was in this familiar place.

This was the house I used to live in before moving.

I hadn’t sold it, since I didn’t need the money. It was my base of operations in Seoul, and it had come in handy.

“Wait a minute…”

But his confusion didn't last long.

He frowned, as if remembering something, and then his eyes widened.

He jumped out of bed.

“What?! What about the explosion?! And Grandma?!”

“Over there.”

I stepped aside, gesturing towards a corner of the room.

His grandmother was sleeping peacefully on a futon, undisturbed by the commotion.

“Whew…”

Kang Tae-san rushed to her side, checking her condition, and then sighed in relief.

He wasn’t a doctor, but her complexion was much better than before, her breathing calm and steady.

He seemed to have calmed down, so we left the room and continued our conversation.

“Are you alright? You shielded us from the explosion…”

“I’m fine. I’m pretty tough, you know. You should work out more. Instead of just sitting in your office all day.”

“What?! Hey, I spend more time outside than in the office! And as the youngest, I have to run all sorts of errands! You wouldn't understand the struggles of a low-level civil servant!” Ɍà₦Ó฿Εs̩

We bickered for a bit, then returned to the main topic.

“So, what happened? I feel strangely refreshed, considering I was caught in an explosion.”

“It was some kind of terrorist attack. Check the news, they’re talking about it nonstop.”

“…A terrorist attack? I thought things had been too quiet lately. Those bastards wouldn’t stay hidden forever. A terrorist attack during my vacation, and now a mountain of work awaits me… This is a nightmare…”

Kang Tae-san, a low-level employee at the Supernatural Management Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Department, groaned and grabbed his head.

He reached for his smartphone to check the news… and then realized it was fried from the EMP blast. He sighed and turned on the TV.

-At approximately 1 PM today, a terrorist attack occurred at a large hospital in Heuksang-dong, Seoul. The culprit first disabled all electronic devices in the vicinity by…

The news report, which had already been broadcasted several times, played again.

A terrorist attack wasn't that big of a deal in itself.

It was a regular occurrence, even with Hahoe Mask’s activities reducing the crime rate.

But this particular incident was attracting a lot of attention.

For several reasons.

-And then suddenly, this bright light engulfed me! Whoa, it was like nothing I’ve ever seen!

-It was truly a spectacular sight. I was looking out the window, and then suddenly, everything became bright, and this light, like a blazing flame…

The news report showed footage of the incident.

The electronic devices inside the hospital had been destroyed by the EMP, but those outside had captured the scene.

“…Wait, we were there? In the middle of that?”

“Yeah.”

Kang Tae-san stared at the screen, muttering in disbelief.

He could understand his reaction.

Seeing it from a third-person perspective, it was a truly spectacular sight.

Goooo—

A brilliant, golden-silver light.

A swirling vortex of light, shaped like a cone, engulfed a specific area, its flames dancing like a living being—.

It was an awe-inspiring scene.

And the news report continued, showing more footage and interviews.

-Hospital Patient: I thought I was going to die. I’m not kidding, the impact threw me against the wall, and I even coughed up blood. I thought it was the end…

-Hospital Visitor: I was knocked unconscious when the first explosion happened. My eardrums ruptured, so I couldn’t hear anything when I woke up. And then suddenly…

-Hospital Security Guard: …Just as I thought I was going to die, he appeared.

Eyewitness accounts from those who had been at the scene.

And their testimonies were all similar.

As the brilliant, flame-like holy power enveloped them, their bodies, on the verge of death, began to recover.

Their depleted energy returned, their wounds healed, and their illnesses faded.

And it wasn’t just one or two people who had experienced this.

It was a miracle, beyond the capabilities of any known cleric.

A divine intervention, a salvation for those facing death and despair.

“…This is unbelievable. There hasn’t been a report of holy power at that level… But there’s evidence. And Grandma and I experienced it firsthand… He’s our savior.”

As Kang Tae-san, knowledgeable about such matters due to his job, struggled to comprehend the situation, the news report shifted its focus to the “holy knight in white armor” who had performed the miracle.

A hero who had appeared in a moment of crisis, defeated the villain, and saved countless lives.

Who was he?

What were the limits of his power?

And where had he gone now?

Of course, the terrorist attack had still caused significant damage.

No matter how powerful the holy power, it couldn’t resurrect the dead.

But it had prevented a greater disaster and saved countless lives, its overwhelming power leaving a deep impression on the citizens.

The news report ended with a member of Pantheon’s Korean branch praising the divine being, but the topic continued to trend online.

I checked the online communities on my smartphone.

-I smell it… The scent of a true powerhouse returning to Earth! And to Korea!

-Wow; So Earthlings can reach that level with holy power? I heard it’s incredibly difficult to level up in that field.

-I’m a cleric. Judging by the holy power displayed on Earth, he would be Archbishop level in his original dimension. Truly inspiring faith. In that spirit, I’d like to share the teachings of Tarakmin…

Most of the comments were filled with anticipation and excitement for the mysterious holy knight.

There were countless gods in countless dimensions, each with their own unique characteristics, so not all clerics who wielded holy power were benevolent.

It wasn’t uncommon for clerics of evil gods to become villains.

So, the appearance of a powerful holy knight, saving lives from a terrorist attack, was a welcome sight.

For ordinary citizens, living in constant fear and uncertainty, the more powerful and benevolent heroes, the better.

Thanks to Hahoe Mask, another powerful returnee, the crime rate had decreased significantly.

And unlike Hahoe Mask, who used the ominous dark magic power, the holy knight’s power was seen as pure and righteous, further fueling the public's enthusiasm.

-If he’s that strong with holy power, he must be one of the top 3 in Korea, right? Maybe he can even defeat Hahoe Mask, that dark mage?

└No way, he’s strong, but there’s a limit. He probably can’t use that much power before collapsing.

└Are you blind? Did you even watch the video?

└Are you new here? Have you seen Hahoe Mask’s achievements? Don’t compare a newbie to Hahoe Mask.

└Yeah, so where’s your Hahoe Mask now? Did he die somewhere? lol

└You must not live in Korea. No wonder you sound so strange. It’s an obvious troll.

└[Deleted comment]

The debate between Hahoe Mask’s fans and his detractors even escalated into online arguments.

‘They’re fighting over nothing.’

Of course, to me, with both of them being my avatars, it was just a pointless waste of energy.

I browsed through the comments, gauging public opinion, and stroked my chin.

-I drew a composite sketch of the hospital paladin based on eyewitness accounts. It’s just the armor, though.

└Whoa, that’s cool. Upvoted.

└It looks pretty cool. But how did he appear and disappear so suddenly while wearing that? It must be some kind of expensive magic tool.

-Paladin-nim, please help! My mother is very ill. I’ll offer you a generous reward…

-I’m a writer for MBS Broadcasting. If anyone has seen him elsewhere, please contact us…

It was a strange feeling, seeing his popularity skyrocket despite the lack of a proper photo or video.

And this wouldn’t just be limited to online communities.

Various organizations, both domestic and international, would be searching for him.

‘They won’t find me, though. I made sure to thoroughly contaminate the area with holy power.’

No matter how diverse the supernatural abilities in this world, it would be impossible to extract any useful information from such a dense and pure spiritual energy signature.

He had used “Blessing: Leap” to travel between the hospital and the restroom, so there wouldn't be any physical traces either.

‘Summoning Heinrich would have been the most efficient way to deal with the situation… but it wasn’t necessary.’

The Revolutionary incident had just ended.

He had used “Interdimensional Transfer Formation Summon” to send Hans back to Auterica, so summoning Heinrich then would have resulted in a few days of downtime.

‘Right after the Pope’s funeral…’

And it was easy enough to summon him occasionally to create an alibi.

I closed the community site and shrugged.

“Ah… Come to think of it, my team knows Grandma was hospitalized there. And they know why I took a vacation.”

Kang Tae-san muttered, staring at his broken smartphone.

He seemed to be imagining the interrogation he would have to endure if it was still working.

As the youngest member of his team, present at the scene on the day of the incident…

Even if he had been unconscious from the start, his seniors would relentlessly question him, hoping for even the smallest clue.

“…I’ll get a new phone later.”

Of course, that wasn’t an option for someone in his position.

He reluctantly got a new phone, and as expected, he was immediately bombarded with messages and calls.

At least his team understood his situation and didn’t cut his vacation short.

“Aaaagh—! I hope they’re not looking for me too! Please, just register yourself, righteous paladin-nim! You’re supposed to uphold the law…! Don’t follow Hahoe Mask’s path…!”

Kang Tae-san shuddered, imagining his bleak future.

‘Sorry.’

I left my friend to his fate and returned home, putting an end to the unexpectedly long outing.

I thought it wouldn’t be bad to use Heinrich more often in the future.

Now that he had made his debut.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!