Chapter 191
Chapter 191
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 191
Chapter Title: The Great Clash
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The Great Clash.
The tower's grandest festival and, at the same time, its cruelest day.
Worlds that ranked low in the Great Clash produced countless sacrifices. The weaklings from defeated worlds were devoured by the tower and vanished.
"Mom..."
"It's okay. It'll be fine this time."
Worlds without outstanding rankers clasped their hands in prayer every year when the Great Clash began.
Please let us survive another year.
On the flip side, worlds boasting numerous rankers—ones that could even eye the championship—were the total opposite.
For them, the Great Clash was a festival.
It was rankers' chance to prove their worth and jack up their value. For everyone else, it was entertainment, a spectacle to watch.
"Those guys are total idiots, right?"
Hales spun her oversized hat around her finger as she eyed the participant list.
Among this Great Clash's entrants, Murim's numbers were pathetically low. Their centerpiece, Jin Do-ha, was out with an injury, and a bunch of other key Murim rankers had bailed en masse.
She knew why.
They'd pulled off something utterly insane.
"Did they seriously think they could take down the Heavenly Demon?"
The Heavenly Demon.
A being that belonged nowhere—not even Murim.
He'd originated from Murim, but ironically, he was the one who'd inflicted the most damage on it.
Just look at the results now. Unlike Jin Do-ha, sidelined by injury, and the various Murim sects, the Heavenly Demon had signed up for the Great Clash as bold as brass.
Like he was advertising to the world that he was still going strong.
Nom nom-.
Hales chomped on chicken skewers from a street cart, tapping her foot.
From not too far off came a voice calling her name.
"Hales-nim! Hales-nim~!"
Despite the frantic cries, Hales didn't answer.
The streets teemed with crowds, but none of them spotted her.
"Find me if you can. Baa-."
Flick, pak-.
She hurled the leftover skewer stick, nailing the guild member hunting for her right on the head.
The guild member, smacked out of nowhere, froze in confusion before bellowing.
"Uwaaak! Stop hiding and come out already!"
"No way-."
Hales stuck her tongue out at the hedgehog-haired guy. He was right in front of her nose but still couldn't see her.
She'd perfectly erased her form, her sounds—everything.
Hales could vanish into crowds anytime she felt like it.
"Anything else good to eat?"
In this irritating event that offered nothing but fights, street food was her one joy.
The avenues buzzed with spectators there for the Great Clash and vendors hawking grub to feed them.
That's when, perfectly concealed, she scanned the surroundings.
"Huh?"
Hales' eyes went wide as saucers, her hat bobbing up above her head.
"Something fun."
Soo-hyuk and Cheongryang had been tailing Unhyang since early morning.
"Tang stuff! So many kinds!"
"Huh? This is tasty too? What's it called?"
"Slurp... Baka... Wait, Cheongryang, isn't this your wheelhouse? It's gambling."
"Huge crowd over there—let's check it out!"
Unhyang played like she'd been counting down the days.
Some games had a gambling vibe, but today, she didn't hold Cheongryang back.
The exhausted one, dragged along by the pair, was Soo-hyuk. Street eats and games held zero appeal for him.
Having the time of their lives.
How had she bottled up her love for this all that time?
Watching them from a step back was more entertaining than the festival itself. They'd slaved away stuck to him every day, so he could indulge them this much, no sweat.
Brings back old memories...
"Soo-hyuk, join the fun a bit."
"Pass. Matches kick off this afternoon."
"Uuu~ cheapskate. Fine, just us girls then, Ye-ryeong."
"Yeah, ditch the gloomy guys and let's go."
"Hey? Why me?"
Ye-ryeong, Hyo-min, and Min-jae.
The trio who lived for this festival. Watching Unhyang and Cheongryang frolic stirred up those days bit by bit.
Fun.
Not the festival—just this vibe.
That's when they trailed after Unhyang and Cheongryang, heading off again.
Vrrr-.
Suddenly, the festival grounds shifted hues.
Like a cutscene kicking in, everything blurred to gray. He alone kept his true colors.
Not just the space.
The surrounding din, the brush of passersby against his skin—everything felt off.
"...Magic?"
"Whoa, spotted it right away?"
From behind a burly man stepped a woman sharing Soo-hyuk's colors.
Average height, glasses outsized for her face. Billowy white robe.
But the real standout: the hat hovering way up above her head.
"Think he'll clock me too?"
"Hales...-nim?"
No missing her. He'd crossed paths in his past life.
She's grown up.
Her looks hadn't shifted much. Generously, she seemed 2-3 years older, tops.
But her vibe? Night and day.
Past-life Hales had this awkward innocence; now, she radiated pure Archmage aura, title and all.
"How'd you know?"
"Space-severing high-end magic. That quirky hat. Glasses. Oh, and it's Great Clash day."
"Huh, true. Too on-the-nose?"
"But why yank me here outta nowhere?"
"Boredom. I'm dodging folks right now."
Hales had always been a wild card.
"Love your stream. You're a beast—floor 8 already?"
Stream again, huh.
No malice. Unlike the Heavenly Demon, she wasn't villain stock.
Likely just hooked by his broadcast.
Anyone who'd known old Soo-hyuk would bite.
"Join our guild?"
Hales' eyes lit up.
There it was—the pitch.
Guild recruit.
From Hales herself.
Taking her hand meant massive clout, ironclad backing.
Maybe enough to square up to Kim Il-su on day one.
But...
"No chance!"
The instant Hales proposed, a shout rang out.
Clang-!
Glass-shattering racket. No actual glass, though.
"I don't care how big a deal you are—Soo-hyuk-nim's off-limits!"
Unhyang, who'd cracked Hales' spell partially, planted herself in Soo-hyuk's path.
Panting hard, fuming mad.
But sadly, she only half-got it.
She grasped the offer—not the offerer.
"Huh?"
Unhyang's eyes bugged out soon after.
Hardcore Lee Soo-hyuk stan with a Great Clash obsession—she ID'd her instantly.
"Ha...les?"
"No long-winded intro needed."
"Uwaa..."
Unhyang's jaw dropped.
Top dog alive? Heavenly Demon. His sole nod in this era? Hales, right there.
Only one to breach his domain.
"Bu...t..."
Unhyang snapped to quick.
"You can't have Soo-hyuk-nim!"
"Who're you to say?"
"I-I'm... his manager!"
"Manager?"
Hales cocked her head.
This kid's the manager?
She glanced at her fractured magic space.
Looked busted open like real glass. External brute force.
This manager sniffed out magic high-rankers might miss.
Dispelled part of it, barged into forbidden turf.
Some random manager packing that heat?
And...
"Gotcha. You're..."
Hales' eyes narrowed.
"The kid Shinryeonseong stashed away."
Instantly, ferocious pressure erupted around Hales.
Air choked thick. Closest hit, Unhyang felt apocalypse smack in the epicenter.
Ground crumbling below, fiery meteors raining from skies.
Her martial arts? Useless against untouchable calamity.
"Enough?"
Soo-hyuk's voice yanked her back to reality.
"My manager didn't screw up big. No guild plans here."
"Oh?"
Soo-hyuk's interjection melted the pressure like a dream; Hales went placid.
She ping-ponged glances between streamer and manager, murmuring.
"Odd pairing."
"Pardon?"
"Nothin'. Cute, though."
Her face screamed jackpot entertainment. Soo-hyuk was baffled.
After a beat of thought, Hales thrust out her tiny hand.
"Guild scratched. Friends instead? Shake on it!"
"Friends sounds great, but..."
Ties to Hales' league? Priceless beyond points.
Snagging it easy thrilled him—but questions loomed.
"This is really just 'cause my stream's fun?"
"It was fun, yeah."
"More to it?"
"Back in the day, I crushed hard on a bro who looked just like you."
"......?"
No shot.
Me?
Yup.
"Then bam—he croaks before I confess."
Drip drop-.
That's when.
Soo-hyuk's facial mask began peeling away.
He slapped a hand to hold it—futile.
Cracks spiderwebbed; hands couldn't fix it. Shatter incoming.
Glance over: Hales' staff glowed in her grip.
"Super sorry. Proper apology later. But..."
Utterly baffled, she asked.
"You aren't that bro, are you?"
Crack-.
Soo-hyuk's mask slipped free.