CH 87

Crack―!

The horrible sound of ribs shattering filled the air.

“Urgh…!” Gang Woo-Chan groaned.

Boom!

Woo-Chan was launched into the distance like a cannonball, rolling across the ground.

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

The spectators were all left in shock, as they could never have imagined that Chang-Sun would overwhelm a veteran Player that way. Although they had heard a lot about Chang-Sun, they had never actually seen him fight.

“The man who was launched away… He’s the ‘Storm Fist’, right?”

“Yeah, he is.”

“He may not be a ranker, but I heard he’s pretty talented…”

“How did Chang-Sun do that…?”

Woo-Chan had been a famous White Tiger Clan Player even before he joined the Future Strategy Department, making what happened even more shocking to the spectators.

“How dare you, bastard…!” Woo-Chan yelled with a frown, unable to accept the result of this fight.

Broken rib pieces dug into his flesh, making it difficult for him to breathe, but the fact that he had been embarrassed in front of so many people nearly drove him mad. Chang-Sun must have cheated! Otherwise, how could he have suffered a crushing defeat against a mere rookie? Thus, he had to crush Chang-Sun in order to stop him from cheating…!

Pah!

Chang-Sun instantly appeared in front of Woo-Chan, saying, “You should have taken your hands off me when I told you to.”

‘W-When did he…?’ Woo-Chan wondered.

[The State ‘Fierce Tiger’ has been changed to the State ‘Cruel Tiger’.]

[The Additional Skill ‘Cruel Tiger’s Venomous Fang’ has been activated, raging against the opponent!]

Chang-Sun seemed determined to end the fight for good, thrusting his fingers toward Woo-Chan. Woo-Chan clenched his left hand in place of his dangling right hand, then counterattacked by throwing a straight punch mixed with his signature skill, [Fierce Wind Spike].

Boom!

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh―!

However, Woo-Chan’s punch was stopped cold as it clashed with Chang-Sun’s fingers, causing his left arm to be deformed hideously. His skill, which created a strong gust of wind, was forcibly canceled, scattering the wind everywhere. Chang-Sun revealed the vicious fang of [Cruel Tiger], biting down on Woo-Chan’s left arm from his wrist all the way up to his shoulder.

“Arrgggh!” Woo-Chan screamed in pain.

The fang had sunk in so deeply that it exposed muscle and bone. Perhaps because Woo-Chan’s left arm seemed as if it would be torn off if the fight continued, Shim Geon-Ho appeared in between Chang-Sun and Woo-Chan before that could happen.

Rumble―!

Clouds of dust rose into the air as Geon-Ho blocked Chang-Sun’s attack.

“Stop,” Geon-Ho commanded as he stopped Chang-Sun’s wrist with his right arm, glaring at Chang-Sun.

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“He’s the one who threatened me first,” Chang-Sun said, pointing at Woo-Chan using his chin.

Geon-Ho said through gritted teeth, “That doesn’t excuse you viciously attacking your colleague, whom you’ll be meeting often from now on.”

“It’s weird,” Chang-Sun said calmly.

“What do you mean?” Geon-Ho asked.

Chang-Sun smiled coldly and replied, “I just heard him say he couldn’t accept me as his fellow department member.”

Geon-Ho said nothing as Chang-Sun continued, “So isn’t it ridiculous to call us colleagues?”

Geon-Ho frowned, as he could tell Chang-Sun was implicitly criticizing him, not Woo-Chan; he was about to snap.

『Why don’t you stop?』

Executive Director Oh spoke in Geon-Ho’s mind; what he meant was, ‘Stop embarrassing the White Tiger Clan.’

Geon-Ho came to his senses, saying, “That doesn’t change the fact that you’re a Future Strategy Department member, so cut it out.”

“Alright,” Chang-Sun said, although he only withdrew his hand after Geon-Ho took a step backward.

The nearby medics, who had been hesitating as they tried to gauge the situation, hurriedly approached and carried Woo-Chan out.

“I heard someone saying I was a greenhorn who didn’t even properly finish the initiation, so I’d be glad to show you my ability if necessary,” Chang-Sun said simply as he turned to look at the other department members, who were still giving him death glares. Sneering at them as if he were urging them to challenge him the way Woo-Chan had, he continued, “Then, we’ll go ahead first. Let’s go.”

Chang-Sun bowed slightly to Geon-Ho and left with Baek Gyeo-Ul before anyone could stop him.

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ laughs slyly, having the time of his life!]

* * *

“Hahahahaha! Did you see that? You saw, right? That Department Head Shim’s face crumpled up!” Seo Jeong-Gwon, the Raid Team 2 leader, exclaimed as he burst into laughter, his lion mane-like hair dancing in the air.

Just like Geon-Ho, Jeong-Gwon was also on Executive Director Oh’s side; however, Jeong-Gwon disliked Geon-Ho, who occasionally acted as if he wanted to take the position of second-in-command from Executive Director Oh. Such a man had embarrassed himself in front of everyone while trying to discipline Chang-Sun, allowing Jeong-Gwon to have a great deal of fun at his expense.

On the other hand, Moon Yi-Byeol, the Raid Team 2 assistant leader, had a cold expression. In contrast to Jeong-Gwon, who was known to be emotional and belligerent, Yi-Byeol was known for her sharp features and icy demeanor; she was the de facto leader of the team, as she stayed composed in most situations.

Yi-Byeol remarked, “I’m not sure what’s so funny, but it must be if you think so.”

“I’m sure! He’s the same as me!” Jeong-Gwon shouted delightedly.

“I don’t think so,” Yi-Byeol replied, shaking her head.

“Why?” Jeong-Gwon asked.

“Look at yourself. Lee Chang-Sun would be handsome in anyone’s eyes, but you’re not,” Yi-Byeol said, calmly comparing the two.

“What?! What’s wrong with my face?!” Jeong-Gwon snapped.

Yi-Byeol looked vacantly at Jeong-Gwon and asked, “You really don’t know?”

“…Shit! A man shouldn’t be that slender, you know! Men should be bold and strapping like me, you know! Those men are reliable, you know!” Jeong-Gwon exclaimed, fiercely defending himself.

“So are you popular with women?” Yi-Byeol calmly asked.

“I-I’m not interested in dating! Don’t you know MWN[1]?! I like to meet women naturally, and I’ve been a workaholic…!” Jeong-Gwon continued.

“Yes, I understand,” Yi-Byeol said with a nod.

“Fuck! You’re not listening to me again, are you?” Jeong-Gwon exclaimed, pulling his hair.

The more Jeong-Gwon talked with Yi-Byeol, the more he felt that he was suffering a loss. Every conversation they had was like this; Yi-Byeol baffled him with her monotonous responses.

“Anyway! He’s one crazy fellow like me,” Jeong-Gwon concluded.

“He’s still different,” Yi-Byeol insisted.

“What the hell do you mean by that?!” Jeong-Gwon yelled.

“Can’t you see? Unlike you, someone who’s always impulsive, Lee Chang-Sun calculates his every move,” Yi-Byeol calmly explained.

“Huh…? His ferocious attack was calculated?” Jeong-Gwon asked, tilting his head.

“Yes, that’s right,” Yi-Byeol said.

“What do you mean? What does he gain from that? His fellow department members are just going to hate him more and keep acting hostile that way,” Jeong-Gwon said with a frown, unable to understand. Yi-Byeol looked at him as if she thought he was pathetic; Jeong-Gwon snapped, “Shit! Just explain!”

“He got people’s attention,” Yi-Byeol explained.

“H-Huh?” Jeong-Gwon replied, flinching; he still seemed not to understand.

Yi-Byeol sighed lightly and continued, “The media has been constantly talking about Lee Chang-Sun, but there are still many Players who doubt Chang-Sun’s ability. Some even came up with a conspiracy theory about how the head office ‘created’ the idea of Chang-Sun the genius.”

“Ha! Those idiots are poor judges of character,” Jeong-Gwon scoffed.

“Still, this punitive expedition is bound to be high-profile, as all the five major Clans in Korea have assembled, including the Council,” Yi-Byeol said.

When Yi-Byeol’s explanation reached that point, Jeong-Gwon finally realized what was going on. He smiled crookedly and said, “So, many bastards would have picked a fight with him.”

“That’s right,” Yi-Byeol said with a nod.

“Chang-Sun didn’t want to deal with them, so he crushed Woo-Chan on the spot?” Jeong-Gwon continued.

“Exactly,” Yi-Byeol replied.

“Well, no idiot would pick a fight after they saw Chang-Sun defeating the Storm Fist unless they’d been shot in the head,” Jeong-Gwon remarked. He crossed his arms and nodded contentedly, continuing, “Damn! He has rational judgment and is vicious…! He really is like me!”

Yi-Byeol’s gaze turned ice-cold. She had gone through so much trouble to explain the situation easily and in detail, and yet Jeong-Gwon had reached an absurd conclusion once again. She thought that perhaps comparing Chang-Sun to Jeong-Gwon, who was famous within the White Tiger Clan for his ignorance, was an insult to Chang-Sun.

However, she could not say that to her superior, so she nonchalantly turned to look at Chang-Sun instead. The curious looks and sneers thrown his way had changed into expressions of fear and vigilance. Meanwhile, standing next to Gyeo-Ul, Chang-Sun did not seem to care about what was going on.

‘…A sly snake,’ Yi-Byeol thought. To her, Chang-Sun somehow resembled a snake—a cunning and vicious hunter.

* * *

No one approached Chang-Sun except Gyeo-Ul. Shin Geum-Gyu and Shin Eun-Seo, Chang Sun’s two other acquaintances, went elsewhere with the other trainees, following the instructors’ lead. Chang-Sun had not summoned them as he believed they still needed actual combat experience, unlike Gyeo-Ul.

‘I’m not worried because I have my eye on them,’ Chang-Sun thought, tapping his temple.

Although the Shin siblings were not aware of it, Chang-Sun had tagged them with a ‘Surveillance Rune’, which was a low-rank rune that would alert Chang-Sun if they fell into danger.

Chang-Sun felt very comfortable in his current situation, in which others kept their distance and remained on guard against him; he liked not having to deal with useless quarrels. He disliked having useless interactions with other people in the first place.

At the moment, many commanding Players, including the White Tiger Clan executives, were planning their final strategy with the Council agents before starting the punitive expedition. Chang-Sun planned to take a break until the end of the meeting, thinking to himself with a nod, ‘I need to continue reviewing the fight I had against the Hongsal King.’

The Changgwi Cave curse would activate again in about thirteen hours. As it would not be easy to get the [Everlasting Ice Crystal] within that time, Chang-Sun thought it would likely be better to review the Hongsal King’s attacks and come up with counterattacks.

At that moment…

Rustle.

“Mis… ter,” someone said faintly from behind Chang-Sun, making him turn around to see who it was.

That ‘someone’ walked hesitantly toward him. She was a small, relatively young teenage girl, but Chang-Sun thought she looked somewhat familiar. Gyeo-Ul stood awkwardly off to one side and looked back and forth between the girl and Chang-Sun, unable to guess their relationship.

“Do you… remember me, by any chance?” the girl asked.

Chang-Sun belatedly remembered who the girl was, saying, “Woo Hye-Bin.”

The girl was the middle school student whom Chang-Sun had saved from Jeon Choong-Jae and Mephistopheles in the Tutorial Dungeon.

[The Celestial ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ is pleased as she watches the two of you, saying that two people who were fated to meet have met again.]

“You remember me! Phew, that’s a relief. I was worried that you would have forgotten me…” Hye-Bin said, her expression brightening.

Chang-Sun smiled faintly and said, “I do remember. It just took a while because you look very different now, but why’re you here…?”

“I became a Player, and I’m with the Sword of Ohsung Clan now,” Hye-Bin explained.

“Ah,” Chang-Sun said with a nod.

At the time, Hye-Bin had received Mephistopheles’ false brand and successfully Awakened to some extent. By the time the Dungeon Closure had taken place, she had become quite competent. Well, that was to be expected, as Chang-Sun himself had taught her.

“I hoped you would lead an ordinary life instead of becoming a Player,” Chang-Sun said, smiling bitterly.

Although he was indifferent to most other people, the thought of children learning to use swords due to the circumstances had always saddened him, whether he was on Arcadia or Earth.

“It’s not what you think…!” Hye-Bin exclaimed, planning to say she was fine and explain why she had begun to live as a Player.

However, someone else suddenly appeared before Hye-Bin could take one more step forward. He was a Player who seemed to be her bodyguard; he wore black sunglasses, as well as a suit bearing a small badge in the shape of the Sword of Ohsung Clan’s symbol.

“Miss Hye-Bin,” the bodyguard said

“…What happened?” Hye-Bin asked, glaring sternly at the bodyguard. She had ordered him not to approach while she talked with Chang-Sun, but he had violated her instruction.

Nonetheless, the bodyguard just bowed, seemingly undeterred; he replied, “The director has been urgently looking for you.”

“Uncle? Why so suddenly…?!” Hye-Bin trailed off, biting her lower lip.

The bodyguard bent forward and whispered in Hye-Bin’s ear, worried that Chang-Sun would hear him.

Hye-Bin turned expressionless like a doll, her demeanor turning rather serious for her age. She bowed to Chang-Sun, saying, “I’m sorry, Mister. Something came up in the Clan…!”

“I’m fine, so go. It was good to meet you,” Chang-Sun said.

“…I’ll come back later,” Hye-Bin said, sounding determined.

Chang-Sun nodded, and Hye-Bin bit her lower lip hard and ran swiftly toward the group of the Sword of Ohsung Clan Players with her bodyguard; she moved at spectacular speeds despite her young age. It seemed she had constantly trained hard after she was separated from Chang-Sun.

‘He seemed to be a pretty high-ranking Player,’ Chang-Sun thought.

The bodyguard was a veteran Player who had to be anywhere between Level 30 or 40. Such a man would be a valuable asset in a Clan; the fact that he was Hye-Bin’s bodyguard meant she was considered important to the Sword of Ohsung Clan.

‘Wasn’t the Ohsung Group president’s surname Woo?’ Chang-Sun thought. Although it could be a coincidence, he somehow had a feeling that was not the case. ‘Well, I don’t really care, because at least she seemed to be happy.’

After losing her friends, the young Hye-Bin had just cried and cried, but she had grown up a great deal over the past months. That fact left Chang-Sun sad and relieved at the same time; he hoped she would never go through such a traumatic experience again.

“Gyeo-Ul,” Chang-Sun called out after organizing his thoughts.

Gyeo-Ul’s eyes shone as he realized how cold Chang-Sun’s tone was. Chang-Sun normally spoke that way when he was about to start something. Thus, Gyeo-Ul brightly answered, “Yes, hyung.”

“Get ready,” Chang-Sun instructed him.

“Okay!” Gyeo-Ul exclaimed, starting to draw out his shadow.

Chang-Sun looked up slowly. The bodyguard had whispered to prevent Chang-Sun from hearing his words, but Chang-Sun had heard them all. The bodyguard’s words still seemed to ring in his ears.

“The Highoff Clan’s assistant leader, who was assumed to be inside the Dungeon, has been located nearby and our Players are on pursuit.”

The Highoff Clan assistant leader had shown up; Chang-Sun could not let other people take away such an important person. It was time to begin a new hunt.

1. The raw was ‘자만추’. These are common terms in Korea regarding dates, where people are divided into two categories: 자만추(자연스러운 만남 추구) refers to someone who likes to find dates naturally. (These kinds of people usually date their friends or random people they’re attracted to.) 인만추(인위적인 만남 추구) refers to someone who likes to find dates through blind dating. ☜