Chapter 231
Chapter 231
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 231
Chapter Title: Blue House Infiltration
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“...”
A brief silence fell.
Unhyang's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, like a fish out of water.
Then, with a horrified look on her face, she screamed.
“F-Fight!? With who!?”
To Soo-hyuk's ears, it sounded almost like a shriek.
Well, can you blame her?
Out of nowhere, she'd been told they were going to war with a massive guild like Blue Zone.
If someone heard that and stayed calm, that would be weird.
“You're just asking, right? Hypothetically?”
Instead of an answer, a flurry of anxious questions came back, and Soo-hyuk couldn't help but chuckle.
He'd asked seriously, but with a reaction like that, it was hard to stay serious.
“And if it's not?”
“What do you mean, 'what'...?”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. It's just a trendy phrase these days...”
Wordplay in a moment like this. And outdated wordplay at that.
She must be having a hard time accepting reality. All he could do was wait for her to process it.
Soo-hyuk simply watched her patiently. A moment later.
Ugh, Unhyang groaned, dropping her head and clutching it. It seemed she'd finally realized he wasn't joking.
“Not just a verbal spat, right?”
“We're talking life-or-death battle.”
“Ugh...”
Her dilemma deepening, Unhyang plopped down onto her seat and ruffled her hair.
“What do we do... It's dangerous...”
Dangerous?
Soo-hyuk, catching her mutter, asked back.
“Wait, I was asking which side you're on.”
“Is that even a question!?”
Unhyang shot up like a cannonball. Startled by her intensity, Soo-hyuk took a step back.
“Of course I'm on your side, Soo-hyuk!”
“O-Of course?”
“What has Blue Zone ever done for me? Kim Il-su's just Lee Soo-hyuk's friend anyway!”
Not exactly.
It had been over 20 years since he'd cut ties with that bastard. No, cut ties was putting it mildly—they were enemies now.
Of course, he couldn't tell Unhyang that right now. In this atmosphere, saying “Actually, I'm Lee Soo-hyuk” would just sound like a joke.
“Plus, Blue Zone attacked you before, right? Oh, is this revenge for that?”
“No... not that.”
“Then whatever.”
Unhyang nodded, seemingly relieved.
“Got it? I'm on your side no matter what. Blue Zone, Murim Alliance! Even Cheongryang!”
Cheongryang, who'd been quietly sitting by, suddenly felt abandoned.
“Or... even real Lee Soo-hyuk... him...”
Unhyang's voice, bold just moments ago, trailed off. Even so, ditching Lee Soo-hyuk in her heart wasn't easy.
“Anyway, I'm unconditionally on your side! Got it?”
“No reason needed?”
“Who cares about reasons!?”
Unhyang's eyes blazed.
“They must've done something wrong! And if not, so what? If you hate them!”
“Uh...”
“Huh? Why are you backing away?”
He hadn't expected such a fierce reaction. He'd thought she'd at least hesitate a bit.
Still...
A small smile crept onto Soo-hyuk's flustered face.
Feels good.
“Why are you smiling? Oh! This is one of those things, right? Like... what was it? Ah! Friendship test? Please say yes.”
Even as she said it, her voice trembled a little.
But her wish didn't come true.
“No.”
“...Figured.”
Unhyang knew it too. Soo-hyuk wasn't the type to joke about something like this.
More than that, she was aware of Blue Zone.
Vaguely... I knew.
Soo-hyuk didn't belong to any guild. He stuck solely to his path as a streamer and player.
But that didn't fit the Soo-hyuk she'd observed.
He pursued only points and benefits.
And joining a major guild came with massive perks. Especially for someone with his potential.
Blue Zone had offered him insane terms long ago, and they'd only gotten better over time.
Yet Soo-hyuk rejected Blue Zone—and every other guild.
And moreover.
That inexplicable hostility.
Soo-hyuk had always shown an unexplained animosity toward Blue Zone.
Even with his mask hiding his face, Unhyang could tell. She'd seen his reactions off-stream every time Blue Zone emails came up.
And each time, she'd thought.
Maybe...
There might be a secret about Soo-hyuk she didn't know, hidden there.
“I told you once, right? Sticking with me might be more dangerous.”
Unhyang nodded.
When he'd brought her from Shinryeon Castle, he'd said exactly that. But she'd half-doubted it then.
It had felt like words to comfort her.
But it wasn't.
“Guess it really is.”
Blue Zone was a force rivaling not just Shinryeon, but the entire Murim Alliance.
If they actually fought them?
It would be far more dangerous than clashing with Shinryeon, even with Uncheon-geuk there.
“Ugh. No choice, then.”
Unhyang shook her head with a groan and said.
“Let's go.”
“Go where?”
“You asked for help, didn't you?”
“Me?”
“Didn't you?”
“...”
Soo-hyuk shut his mouth. He couldn't deny it.
Truth was, he knew.
Basically did.
From the moment he'd brought it up, he'd known. If he said he was fighting someone—even Kim Il-su—Unhyang might not turn away.
He'd said it anyway, knowing it was shameless, hoping for her help.
Normally, he'd refuse.
This is my fight.
But the words wouldn't come.
“...Thank you.”
Any other fight, if it was just his battle, he'd gladly pay the price—even a second death—without dragging her in.
But this wasn't just his life on the line.
Siwoo and Ye-ryeong. Maybe even Hyeo-min.
The scenes flashed in his mind: witnessing their deaths with his own eyes. A moment that must never happen.
He knew it was selfish.
Unhyang had no ties to their past.
Even knowing that...
Even if it made him selfish and cowardly, her help was incredibly welcome.
“Really... thank you so much.”
“No need to thank me.”
Unhyang smiled brightly.
“I'm just repaying what I owe.”
Soo-hyuk nodded at her consideration not to think of it as debt.
It felt reassuring. He knew her skills well from fighting together.
With her help, they might fend off even the worst-case scenario.
And on top of that.
“Since we're at it, one more favor.”
“Favor?”
“Yeah.”
The reason he'd first brought this up with her was something else.
“Could you teach me a few martial arts techniques? Easy ones are fine.”
“Huh?”
Unhyang looked baffled.
Not because it was hard.
“What for? You won't even need them.”
“Not me.”
With his answer, Soo-hyuk pointed to his own face.
The real face of Lee Soo-hyuk, without the mask.
“But this guy will.”
“...?”
Blue House was a small city on the 8th floor.
Or rather.
Blue House was a city and not a city. It served purely as Blue Zone's guild house.
“The sky's annoyingly blue as always.”
Looking up at the sky over the city ringed by blue walls, Blue Zone ranker Baek Jo-min muttered.
A utterly boring day.
Watching clouds drift by, he wrinkled his nose.
“Why the sudden order to tighten security? What's dangerous about this place?”
Blue House was one of Blue Zone's two flagship guild houses.
The core of Blue Zone, home to nearly 10,000 rankers and close to 100 high-rankers.
Yet Blue Zone had issued a security alert for such a place.
“What's weird about bolstering security? Forgot? We're at war with the demon race right now.”
His fellow guard picked up.
“Plus, most high-rankers left for the Guardian raid. Makes sense to reinforce the watch.”
The Guardian raid.
It was the long-standing goal not just of Blue Zone, but all major guilds.
The being blocking the path to the next world. They'd failed to conquer it countless times.
After repeated failures, no attempts in three years. Rumors swirled they'd given up.
But then.
Blue Zone, Murim Alliance, and other giants declared a joint Guardian raid.
“I know. I get it, but...”
Baek Jo-min grumbled unhappily.
“If I hadn't slipped up last trial...”
“Quit whining. And if you hadn't? You'd drag the guy who just hit floor 9 into a Guardian raid?”
“He qualifies, doesn't he?”
“You think Guardian's some yard dog?”
“Still a monster.”
“And that's why the top brass have been struggling for 20 years. Can't you see?”
“That's what I don't get. It's not the Heavenly Demon or anything. Why fear that thing?”
“Shut it, man. If someone hears...”
Their gazes shifted together with his colleague.
“Here comes another one.”
“Yup.”
One outsider approaching Blue House.
Seeing the black-haired man, Baek Jo-min clicked his tongue.
“Black hair again.”
“Korean blood? Japanese? Chinese?”
“Doesn't matter. All Earthlings look the same.”
As the man approached, Baek Jo-min asked.
“Name?”
“Jeong Chan-young.”
“Korean, huh.”
Baek Jo-min pulled out his player kit and logged the name. But soon, he tilted his head.
“No records?”
“Just hit floor 8. Came straight here.”
“In such a hurry why?”
“Heard there's a guild selection trial tomorrow. Good terms for joining.”
Baek Jo-min frowned at the answer.
“Selection trial?”
“Yes.”
“That's for picking rankers for key guild positions. And you, fresh on 8, want in?”
“Too hard?”
“Hard? Dream on, punk. Who the hell even are y—”
“Hey.”
His colleague's intervention cut Baek Jo-min off. He was crossing the line.
Their job was to log and guide visitors to Blue House. Evaluations were for higher-ups.
“Ugh. Fine.”
“Can I go in?”
“Blue House is open to all. Welcome.”
His tone didn't match the words.
As Baek Jo-min stepped aside, the man headed into the city.
Blue sky. Blue walls to match.
Gazing at the blue world, Soo-hyuk—mask off, new name on—muttered.
“Selection trial, huh...”
A sort of screening to pick Blue Zone's key positions.
Countless rankers flocked here for it.
Even with high-rankers gone for the Guardian raid, security stayed tight.
“Smart play, our Il-su.”
A sly smile spread across Soo-hyuk's face as he eyed the small city of Blue House.