Chapter 263
Chapter 263
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 263
Chapter Title: 263화
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 263
Chapter Title: Revelations and Proof
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Soo-hyuk and Ye-ryeong emerged from the dark map.
It would take some time for the information to be compiled and disseminated. Even if the dark map operated quickly, matters involving the Poison King demanded careful handling.
"Should we trust her?"
Soo-hyuk turned his head at Ye-ryeong's sudden question.
"What?"
"That you're Lee Soo-hyuk."
Lee Soo-hyuk was dead. Unlike Ye-ryeong and Si-woo, his body had been recovered, cremated, and mourned by people for a long time.
"It's weird, no matter how I think about it."
"Anyway, few people knew my face, so it doesn't matter."
"That's true, but..."
"She didn't seem suspicious at all. More importantly, it's your testimony as a former comrade."
Ye-ryeong nodded.
Indeed, Arantia hadn't shown any suspicion toward Soo-hyuk. She had met him a few times, being close to Ye-ryeong.
High rankers like Arantia possessed exceptional intuition. She had focused first on the aura and presence emanating from Soo-hyuk, rather than his appearance.
In that regard, he had nearly caught up to the old Lee Soo-hyuk.
Unless it was a former comrade, noticing the difference would be difficult.
"But treating this as sellable information is a separate matter."
In any case, Soo-hyuk was different from before.
Having reached the 8th floor, he met the conditions to claim he was the real Lee Soo-hyuk, but it still lacked full persuasiveness.
Moreover.
"Besides, Kim Il-su would never acknowledge you."
There were countless people in the world who would lead the charge in denying Soo-hyuk's existence.
Blue Zone, spearheaded by Kim Il-su, along with high rankers from Murim World like Jin Do-ha and others.
As long as the high rankers who controlled this tower's power denied Soo-hyuk's existence, gaining recognition as Lee Soo-hyuk would never be easy.
"Yeah. The moment they acknowledge me, all that guy's past deeds turn to bubbles."
"Right. He was practically a fairy-tale hero all by himself."
"...Teasing me?"
Ye-ryeong's expression, which had been giggling at Soo-hyuk's words, suddenly darkened.
Ye-ryeong's feet stopped. Soo-hyuk, who had walked a few steps ahead, turned back to look.
"That guy Kim Il-su... He even accounted for us reappearing."
Soo-hyuk immediately understood what Ye-ryeong meant.
"Gyeong-seong?"
Ye-ryeong nodded heavily.
After the inter-guild war incident, Gyeong-seong had colluded with the demon race and become a traitor who betrayed Blue Eyes.
Because of that, Kim Il-su had donned the mask of a loyal comrade who turned a blind eye to a friend's betrayal. Both Lee Soo-hyuk and Hwang Gyeong-seong had been etched into history exactly as Kim Il-su had scripted.
"We have to set everything straight again."
"Our words won't carry much weight."
Blue Eyes' image had been ruined by the inter-guild war incident.
"People will believe Kim Il-su more than us, who vanished alongside Gyeong-seong."
"Yeah."
"Dark Map can't sell unverified information. If we want to spread it through Dark Map, we have to provide the proof ourselves."
"I know."
Ye-ryeong gave Soo-hyuk's nonchalant response a puzzled look.
"What's with that reaction?"
"You've been barking up the wrong tree since earlier."
"Me?"
"Proving who I am is my job. Not something for you to worry about."
With those cryptic words, Soo-hyuk smiled faintly.
"I'm not acting recklessly without a plan, so no need to worry too much."
"Then just say it like that—why make it so complicated?"
Ye-ryeong felt relieved.
She had been concerned about Gyeong-seong, but if Soo-hyuk had something in mind, it would be fine. Soo-hyuk always kept his word, no matter what.
"More importantly, about earlier."
"Yeah?"
"What Arantia asked. How you survived there."
"Oh, that? Didn't I mention it yesterday?"
Ye-ryeong started walking again.
"The Heavenly Demon helped."
"...The Heavenly Demon?"
"Yeah. Surprising, huh? We were done for—captured and killed—but he showed up out of nowhere."
From Ye-ryeong's explanation, Soo-hyuk realized why she hadn't answered Arantia's question.
'Anything tied to the Heavenly Demon... is tough to bring up.'
The enemy of all players.
The Heavenly Demon was an existence everyone feared. He was also the root of the terror they had to overcome.
There was no benefit in leaking anything to Dark Map that might make them seem aligned with the Heavenly Demon.
"Guess I should thank him later."
"Oh, right—he's the one who told us your location too?"
"Yeah."
"...Coincidence?"
It was a natural question. Soo-hyuk had been thinking the same.
Saving his comrades, and helping them reunite.
If it were just one thing, it could be coincidence. But two? That changed everything.
It implied fate, inevitability, or someone's deliberate intervention.
"Ah, right. Speaking of which..."
Then, as if it had just occurred to her, Ye-ryeong asked.
"That Unhyang girl—what's her relationship with the Heavenly Demon?"
"The Heavenly Demon?"
"...?"
Ye-ryeong looked puzzled at Soo-hyuk's reaction.
Soon realizing her slip, she hurriedly clamped her mouth shut.
But.
"Tell me more about that."
The cat was already out of the bag.
A dining table so quiet it was suffocating.
Clink-.
Si-woo realized for the first time how loud the sound of utensils clashing could be.
He had eaten alone with Ye-ryeong for what felt like an eternity. But he had never experienced this level of silence during that time.
It wasn't about having things to say or not. Si-woo and Ye-ryeong had chattered endlessly when words flowed, and silences had never felt awkward.
But.
'Why is it so quiet?'
Throughout the meal, Unhyang hadn't uttered a single word.
Was she feeling awkward? Or lost in thought?
Si-woo's gaze drifted to Unhyang's chopsticks. She had been poking at her empty bowl for a while now.
'What is she doing?'
Maybe out of awkwardness?
'Can't take it anymore.'
Finally, Si-woo opened his mouth.
"Um..."
"Um, I'm the daughter of the Heavenly Demon."
"...?"
What?
It took time to process the sudden declaration. Her first words in ages, dropped mid-meal, were that she was the Heavenly Demon's daughter.
He wondered if it was a joke, but Unhyang's reaction was something else.
"Whew... I said it."
She exhaled a deeply held breath, looking utterly tense. It didn't seem like a prank at all.
That explained her silence—she must have been agonizing over whether to say it.
"The Heavenly Demon?"
"Yes. The Heavenly Demon."
Unhyang bowed her head like a guilty child.
Si-woo crossed his arms, pondered briefly, then muttered in disbelief.
"Did that guy even have a daughter?"
"Pardon?"
"No, he seemed so devoid of blood or tears—I just wondered if he had a daughter."
Jin Ha-ryeong came to mind. The man who swung his sword expressionlessly, slaughtering people without a flicker. The idea of family didn't suit him.
He'd look better in a flower palanquin. It was hard to imagine anyone less suited to having family.
"And I thought Manager-nim was Un Cheon-geuk's daughter..."
"I grew up believing that too."
"Sounds like a complicated backstory."
Si-woo didn't pry for details. Seeing him calmly resume his meal, Unhyang grew flustered instead.
It was an unexpectedly blasé reaction.
"That's it?"
Si-woo chewed his rice and asked back.
"What more should I do?"
"Not that, but... you don't seem surprised at all..."
In Si-woo's eyes, Unhyang looked anxious and flustered.
She had probably expected him to be disappointed or look down on her.
"Soo-hyuk probably knows anyway, right? No matter whose daughter Manager-nim is, if she were a bad person, Soo-hyuk wouldn't hang around her."
"Soo-hyuk-nim doesn't know yet."
"...?"
This was unexpected, and Si-woo was caught off guard.
"He doesn't know?"
"Yes."
"Then why tell me?"
"I was planning to tell him now."
At her curt reply, Si-woo realized why she'd been so quiet until then.
"Were you practicing on me?"
"I'm sorry..."
"Haha."
He knew he shouldn't laugh, but a hollow chuckle bubbled up from deep inside anyway.
Judging by her reaction, she must have agonized endlessly over whether to reveal it.
"Just say it."
Unhyang asked with a face full of worry at Si-woo's casual toss.
"Is it really okay?"
"It'll be fine."
"But what if you're disappointed in me..."
"People sometimes lose objectivity about themselves."
Soo-hyuk naturally came to mind.
The foolish sight of him worrying if they resented him.
"Even the smartest person turns foolish when it comes to their own matters, and their judgment clouds."
The Soo-hyuk Si-woo knew was brilliant. If he'd just taken one step back, he could have realized his comrades didn't resent him.
But Soo-hyuk couldn't.
Because the fear and guilt were too overwhelming.
"If I'm okay with it, Soo-hyuk will be even more so. If not, tell me. I'm still stronger, after all."
"Pfft."
A small laugh escaped Unhyang's lips at Si-woo's joke.
"Ah, sorry."
"This is your only chance. Later, you can't beg off. I won't be able to hold him back then."
"No, no! It's fine. That won't happen!"
"Really? What a shame."
Unhyang gave an awkward smile at Si-woo's teasing. It was so different from what she'd expected that she didn't know how to react.
Jin-un, and now Si-woo.
Everyone was reacting differently from what she'd imagined.
A few days later, Soo-hyuk and Ye-ryeong returned.
After their long trip to the distant dark map, they headed straight for Si-woo.
"How'd it go?"
"The talks went well. For now."
"For now?"
"They have to verify the facts before they can sell the info. It'll take some time."
Si-woo nodded at Soo-hyuk's explanation.
"How long?"
"Verifying the facts won't be hard. What comes after will need time."
"Can we trust them?"
"No need to worry too much. Arantia's the type to do anything if it benefits her. And right now, siding with us is in her interest."
"True. Arantia's greed rivals Clementine's, after all."
Clementine.
A familiar name surfaced. Come to think of it, there were talks of a collab stream with him soon.
"Speaking of which, where's Manager-nim?"
Unhyang was nowhere in the house. Soo-hyuk glanced around, then sensed a presence pacing outside, far off.
"She flew out the moment you two arrived."
Not figuratively—she had literally flown out the window, ignoring the door. She seemed more than a little startled.
Gazing out the window Unhyang had flown through, Si-woo muttered in a voice laced with amusement.
"No need to be that tense."
"Tense?"
"There's something."
Si-woo held back. This was a story best told by Unhyang herself.
"Go on. Didn't you have something to discuss with Manager-nim?"
Outside the window, Unhyang was watching them, her resolve firm. Through the glass, Soo-hyuk and Unhyang's eyes met.
"Yeah. I do."
As he walked toward her, Soo-hyuk recalled the stories Ye-ryeong had shared on the way here.
"A talk."
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