Chapter 252
Chapter 252
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 253
Chapter Title: The Grand Expo
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As expected of an event hosted by Han Se-yeon, the scale of the expo was tremendous.
Luxurious lighting illuminated the venue.
State-of-the-art facilities were set up everywhere around, as if to flaunt their capital.
It was an overwhelming sight that could leave anyone's jaw dropping just from looking around.
"Wow. There are so many people~"
Choi Seo-yoon kept gazing around without stopping, exclaiming in awe from beside me.
It was true—a massive crowd had gathered.
Hanseong Pharmaceuticals had advertised it as the largest expo in history, but plenty of people had come out of curiosity about what announcement Han Se-yeon would make.
"...So what do we do now?"
There were still seven hours left until Han Se-yeon's presentation.
Our team's topic was "Leadership and Strategy in Corporate Power Struggles."
Since the goal was to hear her presentation, there wasn't much to kill time with beforehand.
I'd heard there were new product unveilings from other companies, but they didn't spark much interest.
Then, a sudden curiosity struck me.
"Where'd everyone else go?"
Yoon Ha-young and Song Seung-ah. And the first-years. I hadn't seen them since earlier.
"They're checking out the surrounding booths and said they'd meet back here in six hours."
"...I see."
Thinking about the incident that was about to unfold made me a bit worried about Yoon Ha-young acting separately.
Especially since the culprits behind this incident were none other than demons.
...Though it probably wouldn't matter much.
She had the [Anti-Demon Stone Bracelet] to reduce demons' interest in her.
Just then, Choi Seo-yoon sidled right up to me and grabbed my lapel.
"Sunbae, instead of just standing here, let's check out the booths."
"Booths?"
"Yeah, there are tons of them. From EB Group all the way to that super impressive Hanseong Development booth."
Choi Seo-yoon pointed here and there excitedly as she continued.
"And I researched the schedule and map last night to plan a route? Sunbae, just follow me and trust only me."
Choi Seo-yoon linked arms with me, as if saying to rely on her alone.
Her thrilled expression left me briefly dumbfounded, then I chuckled.
"Sure, lead the way."
If it killed time, it was fine by me.
And so, I followed Choi Seo-yoon through the convention center connected to the Hanseong Hotel.
With practically every major global corporation in attendance, it was no exaggeration—we moved nonstop, constantly on the go.
Darting from booth to booth like that, we soon arrived at the Hanseong Development one.
"Look at this. It's the 'V-Watch' coming out next year."
Choi Seo-yoon pointed to a small watch on display. A booth staffer approached with a friendly smile.
"It's a watch that measures the wearer's mana usage. It also includes mana emission detection and smart linking functions."
"It measures mana usage?"
Choi Seo-yoon's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Feel free to try it on."
"Really? Okay then, sunbae, you try it."
Choi Seo-yoon took the watch and held it out to me.
"Nah, I'm good."
"Come on, just try it once."
She forcibly slipped it onto my wrist.
I examined the watch now on my wrist from every angle.
The way it snugly wrapped around felt comfortable.
"The operation is a bit tricky, so let me explain it slowly..."
Before the staffer could finish, I pressed the switch on the V-Watch.
After a few button presses, a small light emitted from the V-Watch.
At the same time, I channeled mana into it.
Woooong....
A blue light poured from the watch face, and a voice emanated from within.
[Mana from the wearer has been detected.]
[Would you like to register as user?]
The staffer stared at me with a blank face.
"...Uh, um? Have you used a V-Watch before by any chance?"
I'd used it before regression.
It had plenty of convenient features for wizards, so I'd used it often.
Seeing it again after so long brought back a wave of nostalgia.
"No. I just pressed randomly..."
That was when it happened.
"Oh. Impressive. You handled a pre-release product like it's second nature right from the start."
A voice came from behind.
The booth staffer bowed politely to someone behind me, looking shocked.
Choi Seo-yoon glanced back too and froze in surprise for a moment.
I recognized the voice, so I could guess who it was without turning.
I slowly turned around.
As expected, Han Se-jin, head of Hanseong Development, was gazing at me with a gentle smile.
Then, as he looked at my face, bewilderment flashed across Han Se-jin's expression.
"...Who are you?"
He quickly regained his composure and bowed slightly.
"Ah, sorry about that. I mistook you for someone else. You look just like someone I know. Haha."
He must have briefly confused me with Kim Jin-woo.
Having known Kim Jin-woo, seeing "Kim Sun-woo" for the first time would naturally elicit that reaction.
"No, it's fine."
At my response, Han Se-jin smiled faintly and spoke again.
"Now that I see your face, I know who you are. Kim Sun-woo, right? The recent Seongmu Championship winner."
"Yes."
"Indeed. I never imagined I'd run into both Seongmu protagonists here. I saw Lee Seo-jun nearby earlier too. Even chatted with him since I'm a fan."
The original story's first meeting between Lee Seo-jun and Han Se-jin had gone as planned.
"Ah, right. I haven't introduced myself. You might know, but—"
Han Se-jin extended his hand to me.
"I'm Han Se-jin of Hanseong Development."
"I'm Kim Sun-woo."
I shook his hand.
After meeting Han Se-jin, time flew by.
Choi Seo-yoon and I spent it experiencing various things at the expo booths.
We happened to run into Lee Seo-jun and Shin Young-jun at a film company's booth, where they were watching a movie while wearing weird glasses, and naturally ended up tagging along.
...And so time passed until 7 p.m.
Between sightseeing and grabbing a meal, the main event of the day—Hanseong Pharmaceuticals' presentation—was right upon us.
"So, did you have fun today?"
On the way to the Hanseong Pharmaceuticals presentation hall.
Song Seung-ah, now rejoined with us, said to Choi Seo-yoon.
"What?"
"I mean, you must've wandered around everywhere."
"...Yeah, we did. But why do you care?"
"It's okay to be curious. Why are you so prickly?"
We walked along, chatting idly like that.
Then a small commotion stirred nearby.
—Huh? It's Han Se-yeon. Sword Ghost is with her too?
—Really? Where?
—Over there, left aisle where the crowd's gathering. Wow. She's even prettier in person.
At Han Se-yeon's name, everyone's gazes turned that way like they were spotting a celebrity.
Shin Young-jun spotted Han Se-yeon moving in the distance and let out a small sigh of admiration.
"Man, Han Se-yeon is seriously amazing, huh? She's not much older than us, but she's giving speeches in front of all those people, and word is she prepared this whole plan almost single-handedly?"
Choi Seo-yoon nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. I feel like I'd be too nervous to do it."
"...She is impressive."
Thinking about it, it was unbelievable.
Han Se-yeon's age this year was just 22.
With only one or two years of social experience, showing that level of execution and leadership made her a cheat character on par with Lee Seo-jun.
Maybe even more so.
Just then, another voice nearby made my mind go blank for a second.
—But who's that guy next to Han Se-yeon?
—Isn't that the PL Group chairman?
PL Group chairman?
I hurriedly shifted my gaze to where Han Se-yeon was.
Sure enough, as people said, a man was approaching her and speaking.
Moments later, they passed through the aisle and disappeared somewhere.
"Gotta hit the bathroom quick."
"...Suddenly? You said no earlier when I suggested it."
Shin Young-jun said.
"Got urgent all of a sudden."
Sensing my urgency, Shin Young-jun's expression turned serious.
"...Must be real bad. Big deal? Hurry back. Presentation's starting soon."
"Yeah. Go ahead without me."
With that, I bolted off.
—Hey? Dude! Kim Sun-woo! Bathroom's not that way!
Shin Young-jun's shout came from behind.
But I ignored it and kept running forward.
This time, a small mutter: 'Kim Sun-woo must really have to go bad.'
Using [Stealthy Steps], I arrived where Han Se-yeon had gone.
A "No Entry Except Authorized Personnel" sign hung there, but I ignored it and went in.
Walking the long corridor, I spotted a man conversing with Han Se-yeon at the far end.
I hid behind a corner bend and used [Character Insight].
Name: □□
Age: 67
Race: Demon
Status: Relaxed
Mana Rank: S+
Interest Level: 0
A demon with invisible name and S+ mana rank.
It was who I suspected.
The "Demon King," lord of all the world's demons.
His name not appearing was due to the setting that the "King" has no name.
Before earning the title of king, he'd been called by other nicknames.
Confirming the presence of the king—one of the original story's major villains—right before my eyes made my heart pound.
All sorts of thoughts flooded my mind.
Why was the king here?
According to the original, he doesn't attend this expo.
Even if events were accelerating, the king's involvement felt like too big a change.
As I pondered, I enhanced my hearing with mana to eavesdrop on Han Se-yeon and the Demon King's conversation.
—It's a secret from Vice Chairman Han Se-jin, but I'm personally rooting for you. The execution you've shown is the talk of our group too. In a good way, of course.
The king was conversing with Han Se-yeon while disguised as PL Group Chairman Jung Tae-won.
But the content was a bit unexpected.
It felt like he saw potential in Han Se-yeon and was thinking of switching from Han Se-jin.
—Thank you. It's an honor that you see it that way.
Han Se-yeon replied with a businesslike smile.
—Ah, and here's my card. If you ever need any 'special help,' feel free to contact me anytime.
Hearing that confirmed why the king had approached her.
He'd seen potential in Han Se-yeon, whose execution had been amplified even further by my involvement.
And the 'special help' he just mentioned probably meant collaborating with demons like Han Se-jin.
Fortunately, it didn't seem like the king planned to sabotage the event himself.
—Well, I'll head to the audience seats now. Looking forward to your presentation later.
—Yes, nice meeting you.
The king opened a nearby door and vanished somewhere.
Not sure if it was my imagination, but his words about looking forward to her presentation during the event sounded like anticipation for how she'd handle the upcoming incident.
Left alone with Sword Ghost, Han Se-yeon sat on the bench right beside her and let out a deep sigh.
She looked tense ahead of the presentation.
Seeing that, I realized she felt the pressure too.
It was a human side she rarely showed others.
—Uncle Sugi, mind if I'm alone for a bit?
—No.
—...Just five minutes.
—...Understood.
Jang Su-gi entered a nearby door.
Left alone, Han Se-yeon pulled out her smartphone from her pocket and made a call somewhere.
With the Demon King gone, eavesdropping like a stalker felt off.
...Time to head back to the original spot.
As I turned to go back.
Bzzz.
My pocket smartphone vibrated.
Startled by the suddenness, I used Outsider's Benefit to check the caller.
[Han Se-yeon]
I glanced back at Han Se-yeon on the bench, who was making the call.
She gripped her smartphone tightly, staring anxiously at the floor.
I'd wondered who she was calling.
It was me.
Just in case, I spoke quietly enough not to be heard.
"...Yeah, Se-yeon-ssi."
—Ah, hello? Are you busy right now, Jin-woo-ssi?
Han Se-yeon said with a small smile.
"No. Got nothing going on."
—You heard the news, right?
"Yeah, you're presenting today... It's soon, isn't it?"
—Yes, about ten minutes left till the presentation. I'm suddenly nervous, so I called needing some courage.
Han Se-yeon leaned back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling.
Then she murmured quietly.
—...I don't want to mess this up. I really want it to succeed.
Hearing that stirred deep conflict in me.
I wanted to say it'd go well, that she'd do great, to cheer her on.
But knowing the incident about to occur, I couldn't bring myself to say it.
"Se-yeon-ssi."
Instead, I said something pointless that might sound weird.
"Suppose. Just suppose. If things don't go as you think for Se-yeon-ssi. Maybe it all falls apart completely."
My words must've seemed out of nowhere—doubt flickered on Han Se-yeon's face.
"...Still, don't get too disappointed or blame yourself."
—...Pardon?
"It's not the only chance you'll get. Meaning, no need to feel burdened. Take it easy. You've got the talent, Se-yeon-ssi. Even if you don't show everything today, people will recognize you eventually."
Han Se-yeon fell into thought at my words.
Somehow, my own advice felt embarrassingly corny, making me too shy to peek at her face.
I ducked back behind the wall, leaning against it.
—Jin-woo-ssi, thanks for the kind words. The pressure's way less now thanks to you.
Fortunately, it hadn't come off badly to her.
—Oh, right. Jin-woo-ssi, I said I'd give you a gift last time? How's next weekend?