Chapter 22: The World Strikes Back
They didn't wait.
Less than twelve hours after Tae-Hyun's declaration, the world made its decision.
Global Retaliation Begins
From multiple continents, System-authorized strike teams deployed simultaneously.
They weren't ordinary guilds.
They were called Chosen Units—players directly boosted by the System itself.
Artificially enhanced stats
Fixed level caps pushed to the maximum
Exclusive skills granted only by System approval
The message was clear:
If the Sovereign cannot be controlled… he will be suppressed.
The First Wave
The first strike didn't come from the city.
It came from the sky.
System-controlled portals opened above the outskirts—clean, geometric, and unnatural.
Out stepped Chosen Heroes, their bodies glowing with artificial light.
Blue nameplates. Perfect stats. Empty eyes.
Seung-Ho's hands trembled as he analyzed the data.
"Bro… these guys aren't human anymore. The System rewrote them."
Hwan-Guk snarled.
"So they're tools."
Seo-Ah's light expanded instinctively.
"They're targeting civilians… not us."
Tae-Hyun's gaze hardened.
"That's the System's favorite trick."
Sovereign Command
Tae-Hyun raised his hand.
The pressure alone caused several Chosen Heroes to stagger.
"Evacuation pattern Alpha," he ordered calmly.
"Seo-Ah, full domain. No exceptions."
Her Sanctified Sanctuary exploded outward—larger than ever before.
Entire districts were sealed in golden light
Civilians vanished into safe zones instantly
Enemy attacks curved away automatically
The Chosen Heroes reacted.
Too late.
First Clash: Sovereign vs Chosen
The System issued a command.
[Directive: Eliminate Sovereign Entity]
The Chosen Heroes attacked in perfect synchronization.
Fire, lightning, gravity, spatial cuts.
Enough power to wipe out a nation.
Tae-Hyun stepped forward.
"No."
One word.
Reality bent.
Their skills collapsed mid-activation, rewritten by sheer dominance.
He moved.
Not fast.
Not flashy.
Absolute.
One punch shattered a gravity core
One step erased a spatial lock
One glance caused a Chosen Hero to freeze in terror
Hwan-Guk watched in disbelief.
"Bro… he's not fighting them."
Seo-Ah whispered.
"He's… overriding them."
The System Panics
For the first time, the System hesitated.
[Error]
Chosen Unit resistance detected
Cause: Unclassified Authority
Tae-Hyun grabbed one Chosen Hero by the collar.
"You gave up your will," he said quietly.
"So don't complain when you lose your future."
He released his grip.
The Chosen Hero collapsed—not dead, but disconnected.
Their blue nameplate faded.
Worldwide Shock
Across the globe, control rooms erupted.
Chosen Heroes losing connection
System buffs failing
Live feeds cutting out when Tae-Hyun appeared
Lee Min-Seok slammed his desk.
"This isn't suppression… this is rebellion!"
A System Administrator Avatar began forming somewhere unseen.
Aftermath of the First Strike
The battlefield fell silent.
Every Chosen Unit retreated—or collapsed.
Seo-Ah descended slowly, shaking.
"They were people… turned into weapons."
Tae-Hyun nodded.
"That's why this ends with the System."
A new message appeared, only for him.
[Administrator-Level Intervention Approved]
Avatar Deployment: Imminent
Tae-Hyun smiled—not warmly.
Good. I was getting tired of proxies.
He turned toward the horizon where the air itself was tearing open.
"Now the System sends its favorites."
🔥 End of Chapter 22 🔥