Chapter 482: The Downfall Of The Coran Union.
Chapter 482: The Downfall Of The Coran Union.
Kim Soohyun and Lee Hyoeul had a strange relationship. They certainly weren't close. In fact, they were closer to hating each other. But the reason Kim Soohyun maintained this precarious relationship with her was because there was something about her he held in high regard.
That something was her decisiveness—or, to put it another way, her ability to get things done. They often clashed when trying to coordinate their opinions, but once a decision was made, she never complained.
No. She would support it, assist with it, and see it through more reliably than anyone else.
Lee Hyoeul demonstrated her capabilities to the fullest in this incident as well. Immediately after Shin Hyuk was dragged to the Central Administration, she publicly broke the story, giving the Coran Union no time to react. Of course, it was only natural that the Eastern clans took the lead.
—This is an official announcement from the Central Administration. The Mercenary Clan's recent assault on the Sleeping Dragon Mountains was not undertaken of their own free will. The Coran Union was pulling the strings from behind, deliberately driving the Mercenary Clan into a notoriously dangerous region to…
At first, the Users reacted with confusion. Not only was the announcement sudden, but until the day before, they had all believed Mercenary and the Coran Union were on good terms.
However, the moment the recording crystal containing the conversation was released to the public, along with the announcement that Mercenary had been used as part of an internal power struggle for the Union's Halo…
—This crystal is the proof. The Union, far from apologizing to the surviving members of the Mercenary Clan, attempted to deceive them once more. First, let's take a look at this crystal…
The Northern Continent erupted.
In incidents like this, justification—determining who is right and who is wrong—is paramount. As such, ugly squabbles often break out over who can claim the moral high ground, but this time, Mercenary held it from the very beginning. In other words, the perpetrator and the victim were already decided.
After the video was released, the public's reaction changed completely. And it was a fiery one. The criticism of thousands, tens of thousands of Users began to rain down on the Coran Union alone.
The Union initially chose to remain silent. Having no justification, they were in a position where they had to endure the criticism. Besides, any action they took now would be met with condemnation regardless. So, for the time being, they would endure the situation and feign self-reflection.
Their plan was to wait until the backlash died down, then issue a public apology while simultaneously creating another, unrelated incident to bury the scandal.
With that in mind, the Union focused its efforts on internal control, quietly observing the situation.
And yet, not even a week had passed before they realized they had to retract their initial stance. They had no choice. Far from quieting down, the incident had snowballed to a point where it was impossible to simply brush aside.
The scandal grew, one thing leading to another. Or perhaps it was just karma? Beyond the current incident, other matters began to be re-examined: the achievements Mercenary had handed over, the continuous stream of slanderous records against Mercenary that had mysteriously originated from Coran, and more. All the other schemes the Union had orchestrated were now being brought back into the light.
The Coran Union had many enemies, and once the Users were fired up, they were unstoppable. Some were genuinely enraged by the incident, some were secretly agitating the crowds under someone's orders, and others simply thought, If not now, when will we ever get to publicly condemn the Union?
But whatever their motives, the result was the same. The Users descended like a pack of rabid dogs. As they endlessly tore, chewed, savored, and reveled in the Union's misfortune, its image plummeted with each passing day. There were even massive protests in Coran, their own stronghold, demanding that the "Rage-fueled Union" step down.
And that wasn't all. A record detailing every last one of the Union's shameful secrets—its origin unknown—was spread throughout the Northern Continent. And the Users who read it, wondering, "What's this now?" were left utterly horrified.
The Union had always promoted Coran under the banner of "We are one family." But a closer look at the record revealed a complete mess. It blatantly exposed how members within the Union checked and attacked one another in ways that could hardly be called friendly competition.
Was that all? In connection with this record, the disappearance of Kim Yongman, a case they thought was buried, resurfaced.
The Union was on the verge of going insane.
What they had intended to be a simple matter of dealing with the Southern Conquest Clan had now spiraled into an incident that threatened to shake the Union to its very core. They were now being called not just the "Rage-fueled Union," but the "Immoral Union."
As the scandal escalated, even their few remaining allies began to turn their backs one by one. Dissent erupted from within. Users began to leave in droves, criticizing the leadership's careless handling and incompetent response, saying that if they were going to do something, they should at least not have gotten caught.
Finally, seeing no signs of the storm subsiding, the Union decided to break its silence and make a move. Of course, it wasn't a move they wanted to make. If they remained silent any longer, it would be tantamount to admitting everything. They were more or less forced into it.
*
A massive crowd had gathered like a cloud at Barbara's Warp Gate. Park Taejin had just stepped out of the portal when he took one look around and pressed a hand to his forehead.
The Union's current situation was extremely delicate. They needed to release an official statement, but things were not looking good.
Jo Seongho's release of the unedited video was a devastating blow. If not for that, they could have just played dumb, claimed they knew nothing, and pinned it all on Shin Hyuk. But the video's implication of "You all knew, didn't you?" was now branding not just Shin Hyuk, but the entire Union as accomplices.
So, in the end, they decided to stall for time. They hadn't admitted to anything yet. But they hadn't denied it, either.
Since they had already coordinated their story with Mercenary to some extent, their plan was to first announce a thorough investigation to show they weren't directly involved. Then, later, when the time was right, they would shift the blame to Shin Hyuk and issue a public apology.
The problem, however, was that these damn Users wouldn't leave the Union alone. The daily protests in Coran alone were enough to make his ears bleed. And how the hell did they find out he was coming to Barbara today?
Hearing the Users who had staked out spots in advance clamoring with questions, Park Taejin squeezed his eyes shut. He was suddenly facing an impromptu press conference.
He tried to cut through the entrance quickly, intending to refuse all questions, but the Users surged to their feet and blocked his path. His attendants secured a minimal amount of space, but dozens of arms clutching recording crystals shot out from the left and right.
“User Park Taejin-ssi! What are your thoughts on this incident?”
“Nothing has been confirmed yet. We are also trying to uncover the truth at the Union level.”
“Does that mean you were unaware of this incident? Are you saying Lord of Southern Conquest acted alone? But the video mentioned that other clans in the Union were aware of it.”
“As I said, nothing has been confirmed yet. The conversation just happened to turn out that way. The reason I came to Barbara today is to meet with the Lord of Southern Conquest and hear the details from him. Everything will be announced after the exact truth has been revealed. In any case, let's stop here. I'm very displeased right now.”
“Park Taejin-ssi, you're running away.”
“Where do you think you're shoving that crystal! Stop filming! Fucking stop filming! I'm getting pissed off, for fuck's sake, I told you not to film!”
Finally, Baek Du-san exploded with harsh words and shoved the people around him away. The Users who fell cried out in indignation. Leaving their shouts of “We have a right to know!” behind him, Park Taejin hurried away.
Shin Hyuk was currently imprisoned in the Central Administration's underground building, which was the former Golden Lion Clan house. The basement held a prison that had been used for the Western Continent prisoners two years ago, but it was now used to manage Vagabonds and criminals.
However, Park Taejin was forced to stop again. On both sides of the road leading to the Central Administration, Users with white headbands tied tightly around their foreheads were waiting for someone. They were all staring at Park Taejin.
The moment their eyes met, the User at the very front began to beat a drum and shout.
“Why is the Southern Free Alliance silent on this matter! The Union is no longer qualified to lead Coran! Step down, Rage-fueled Union! Step down! Step down!”
“The Union must apologize to Mercenary! Step down, Immoral Union! Step down! Step down!”
The bastards who had been protesting in Coran had followed them all the way to Barbara. What's more, the rhythm was surprisingly catchy, and the surrounding crowd slowly began to join in. Park Taejin bit his lip. But he couldn't lose his temper here, so he forced it down. He practically ran to break through the street before more Users could gather.
But the Users didn't let him go. They trailed right behind him, continuously beating the drum and chanting for him to step down. Park Taejin gritted his teeth.
These sons of bitches...
*
The underground prison managed by the Central Administration had a peculiar structure, unlike any other ordinary prison. A straight passage ran through the center, with rooms for inmates on either side.
"On either side" meant that the fronts of the cells were made entirely of reinforced crystal, allowing a clear view inside—a feature left over from when they used to sell prisoners from the Western Continent as slaves. The structure was almost like that of a red-light district, where potential buyers could see and choose for themselves.
In one of those underground cells, a man was crouched in a corner. His face was buried in his knees and thus hidden from view, but an aura of gloom so thick that anyone would click their tongue in pity emanated from him.
That's right. The man was Shin Hyuk.
Since being dragged to the underground prison, Shin Hyuk had denied all charges during several interrogations. He believed that as long as he denied the accusations, the Union would somehow quell the incident. And in truth, that was the only path left for him. If he had admitted to it, he might have been publicly executed by now.
But now, Shin Hyuk was feeling a despair deeper than anyone else in the world. A short while ago, Park Taejin had visited him under the pretext of a meeting and had filled him in on the situation.
It was far more serious than Shin Hyuk had anticipated. So much so that it was impossible to resolve without someone making a sacrifice. In the end, unable to bear the frustration, he had screamed, asking why they had let things get this bad, but Park Taejin's retort, which came back like an echo, plunged Shin Hyuk into a swamp of despair.
'Do you even have the right to say that! Whose fault is it that things ended up like this in the first place! This isn't just a problem for the Southern Conquest Clan! Do you have any idea what it's like inside the Union right now? More than half of the subordinate clans have turned their backs on us, and over a hundred members have left! Do you get it? Do you?! On top of that, people in Coran are demanding we step down! You think that's all? The Haemil Clan is openly provoking us, expressing their intent for a clan war! All because of your pathetic greed! Everything's been ruined!'
'Anyway, just wait quietly. It's not like we're sitting around doing nothing. But if I were you, if it were me... I would have taken responsibility for this situation. For the sake of the Union.'
Park Taejin's final words before leaving were laden with meaning. And Shin Hyuk, realizing that meaning, could only fall deeper into despair. In short, the best way to resolve the current situation was for him to take all the blame.
But Shin Hyuk couldn't do it. Having climbed so high, he would rather die than give it all up now. This position of second-in-command was something he had seized after countless hardships. And right before his eyes, within arm's reach, was the position of number one. If he had just managed to secure the Halo, the Southern Conquest Clan would have become the undisputed leader of the Union.
But how on earth…
“How...”
…did things end up like this? Shin Hyuk muttered under his breath and leaned weakly against the wall. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails broke the skin.
He was at his breaking point, but a single, thread-like sliver of hope remained. So he wanted to get out, no matter what. He wanted to get out and kill the bastard who recorded the video, he wanted to crush Mercenary, he resented the Union for letting things get this bad, and he hated Park Taejin for pressuring him to confess.
He just hated everything.
A trickle of blood was now flowing from Shin Hyuk's hand.
It was then.
Clank.
“Hey. You have a visitor.”
A guard opened the door and announced the visit. But Shin Hyuk didn't even lift his head, let alone move. The guard clicked his tongue, entered the cell, and expertly pulled up Shin Hyuk, who was covered in restraints. As the guard supported him and forcibly dragged him out, Shin Hyuk finally came to his senses and spoke in a seething voice.
“Who is it? The Union?”
“No.”
“Then it's a reporter. I refuse. I have nothing to say.”
“Not a reporter either, so stop your whining and come along. You're killing me here.”
At that, a flicker of life returned to Shin Hyuk's eyes. In the past, he would have punished a mere guard for such insolence, but that wasn't important right now. Not the Union, and not a reporter? Then who on earth had come to see him?
The question was answered only after he arrived at the visitation room. Shin Hyuk stared blankly, blinking, at the User sitting calmly on the other side of a crystal window. It was the first time he had met him face-to-face, but he had seen the face many times in records.
Just as he confirmed the emblem on the man's right breast—a sword and shield on a red background—a low, cold voice drifted over from beyond the window, laced with a hint of amusement.
“So we meet for the first time. You're the Southern Conquest's Lord, Shin Hyuk?”
And Shin Hyuk, following his instincts, opened his mouth.
“Mercenary... Lord...!”