Chapter 405
Chapter 405
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 405
Chapter Title: Turbulent Era
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An era befitting the term "upheaval."
Two massive guilds collapsed, and a small guild formed from just eight members.
But no one considered it a loss.
It was all because of that guild and the man leading it.
Blue Eyes.
Lee Soo-hyuk.
No one failed to welcome their return.
Upon their comeback, they achieved three feats at once.
They won an unofficial confrontation league match, put a stop to the sacrifices that had long been deemed unavoidable in those matches, and Soo-hyuk even triumphed over the Heavenly Demon in a one-on-one battle.
Afterward, the Heavenly Demon's whereabouts became a mystery.
Dead or alive? If alive, where had he gone?
But unexpectedly, the Heavenly Demon was still at Blue Eyes' guild house.
"How long do you plan to stay here?"
A long-overdue remark broke the suffocating silence in the guild house.
Four members had left to visit old comrades, leaving only Hails, Jin-un, and Unhyang behind. Kindre had returned to his workshop.
"So this is your guild house?"
"It's a temporary one we borrowed for the confrontation league."
"I see."
"......"
"......"
The conversation between the two halted briefly.
An awkward, uncomfortable silence resumed. Jin-un continued glaring at the Heavenly Demon as if he wanted to kill him.
Then.
"I'm sorry."
The Heavenly Demon repeated his earlier apology.
Jin-un, staring at him with a displeased expression, didn't accept it. This wasn't something a few words could resolve.
"At least answer my question from earlier. How long do you plan to stay here?"
"No particular plans. I'm not here for some purpose; I just have nowhere else to go."
"Then where have you been until now?"
"Anywhere. As long as it was uninhabited."
"What, trying to say you've had a rough life too?"
No response came to the sarcasm.
But Jin-un sensed it from the silence. The Heavenly Demon somewhat agreed with his words about a "rough life."
He felt confused about how to process this situation.
Was the Heavenly Demon who killed his daughter the same as the one before him? Could he consider his revenge complete now that he'd eradicated the Heavenly Demon's fiend core with his own hands?
Unable to bear looking at the Heavenly Demon any longer, Jin-un turned his head. That's when he noticed the door slightly ajar.
"Hah."
Startled, Unhyang scurried away.
She seemed just as preoccupied with this side of things.
It was only natural. Though they'd lived apart her entire life, the Heavenly Demon was Unhyang's father.
Their relationship was just as complicated as Jin-un's. She couldn't even enter the room because her fear of the Heavenly Demon hadn't fully dissipated.
At that moment, the Heavenly Demon spoke up.
"I have a question."
The Heavenly Demon's gaze was fixed on the slightly open door.
"Can I join your guild?"
"......What?"
Jin-un stood there blankly for a moment, feeling like he'd been struck on the head.
What had he just heard?
Then.
"Don't talk nonsense, you bastard!"
Jin-un bellowed in fury.
In contrast to his rage, laughter erupted from the living room.
"Pfft!"
The one who burst out laughing was Hails, leisurely sipping her tea.
She had been monitoring the room with magic. Though injured, she wanted to respond immediately if the Heavenly Demon tried anything suspicious.
But far from scheming, he wanted to join the guild.
"Wow, I never even imagined this."
Hails found the situation utterly amusing.
From what she'd observed so far, the Heavenly Demon wasn't plotting anything.
Even now proved it.
Did he not know she was watching? He knew and was pretending not to, calmly saying such things.
Sizzle—.
The half-spilled tea evaporated and vanished.
Hails began sipping her tea again. She was curious about the Heavenly Demon's choice.
'Why?'
Because of Lee Soo-hyuk? Because the Heavenly Demon's fiend core was gone?
It couldn't just be because he had nowhere else to go. Whether complex reasons or one ultimate one, there had to be something.
The Heavenly Demon without his fiend core exuded a completely different aura from before.
His overwhelming presence remained, but the madness and murderous intent were nearly gone. It was as if only the evil human parts had been excised.
Of course, Hails didn't let her guard down.
No matter what, he was still the Heavenly Demon. She couldn't fully trust him until after multiple verifications.
But.
'This could be fun.'
She briefly imagined a guild with the Heavenly Demon.
Lee Soo-hyuk, the grand archmage, the Heavenly Demon. Plus Blue Eyes' old members.
This lineup would be far stronger than the old Blue Eyes.
Right now, no faction in the tower could match them.
And perhaps even...
'The Guardian.'
* * *
Soo-hyuk and the other three returned.
Upon arriving at the temporary house, the four paused in front of the building.
"......What the hell is all that?"
"Reporters, I guess?"
"How many are there, exactly?"
The area in front of the guild house was packed with people.
Over half held notepads and pens. Some even shamelessly shouted toward the guild house.
"Mr. Lee Soo-hyuk! Just one comment on defeating the Heavenly Demon, please, just one word!"
"I'm from CN Text! Mr. Lee Soo-hyuk, Mr. Kim Si-woo, Ye-ryeong..."
"Hey, stop shoving!"
"What the fuck, you punk?"
It was like a marketplace. They screamed themselves hoarse at the guild house, which offered no response.
A truly pitiful sight.
'They won't hear anyway.'
A sound-blocking spell surrounded the guild house, likely Hails'. It had been noisy for quite a while.
Unaware of that, the reporters camped out, desperately seeking an interview. Most looked disheveled, unwashed for days.
Then.
"Oh?"
Soo-hyuk spotted a familiar face.
Big Mouth.
"Be right back."
Whoosh—.
He cloaked himself with the Black Soul Ring and slipped through the noisy reporters. No one noticed him.
Amid the crowd, Soo-hyuk approached Big Mouth.
"Mr. Big Mouth."
"Ah, why are you calling m—."
Big Mouth, in the midst of the reporters, flinched.
He hadn't spotted Soo-hyuk, yet he knew who called him.
And his lack of reaction showed his quick wits.
"Follow me quietly."
Big Mouth quietly followed Soo-hyuk. They entered a cafe a short distance from the guild house.
The two ordered drinks and sat.
"You could have just messaged me."
"I did message you."
"Pardon?"
Soo-hyuk checked his kit, half-expecting it. Sure enough, messages from Big Mouth and others awaited.
"You're right. I've been out of it."
"No worries. How busy have you been? You're probably the busiest person in this tower right now."
Fighting the Heavenly Demon, collapsing from exhaustion. Then straight to avenge Kim Il-su, followed by visiting friends' graves.
A hectic schedule, every part critical.
Fortunately, he had a way to make it up.
"An interview, right?"
"Yes. Is it possible?"
Soo-hyuk smiled at the tense Big Mouth.
"First, one question."
Big Mouth nodded curiously.
"Of course."
"When we first met, I made a promise. If you helped me, I'd ensure you got satisfying scoops from then on."
He remembered it well.
Back then, he'd thought it impossible.
But soon learned how wrong that was.
"Did I keep my promise?"
Big Mouth's heart raced at the question.
This incredible man remembered a promise he'd forgotten. He'd singled him out amid all those reporters to honor it.
"Beyond perfect."
"Glad to hear it."
Only then did Soo-hyuk address the interview request.
"Please take good care of it."
"Whew—."
Big Mouth sighed in relief as tension eased. Soo-hyuk asked.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just unexpected."
"Unexpected how?"
"The Lee Soo-hyuk I investigated hated interviews. Getting a word out of you was like plucking stars from the sky... If you're forcing this because of that promise, you don't have to."
Remembering the old days, Soo-hyuk chuckled.
True, back then reporters clinging like leeches annoyed him. He'd even considered wiping them out.
There were many reasons for his uncooperativeness, but the main one was simple.
He hadn't seen the need.
"I didn't know back then."
But now was different.
"How much people liked me. What I meant to them. Or that I had limits alone."
A lesson learned from failure, not success.
The biggest difference between past and present Soo-hyuk.
"As the former top streamer, I've received people's attention and help to return here. So things have to change. Right?"
"Ah......"
Big Mouth scribbled furiously in his notepad before asking.
"Can I use this in the interview article?"
He'd already started the interview, it seemed.
Soo-hyuk smiled at his professionalism.
"Of course."
The interview began.
Most questions were what many people wondered about Soo-hyuk.
Some were things he wanted to say.
Like about Gyeo-seong.
"Gyeo-seong didn't betray us. He didn't ally with demons either. The skill he used just happened to have similar properties to those of the demons."
"So, you're saying there's no collusion with demons?"
"Plenty of players use other races' powers. Draygon, Peleos, Mahi... Think of it like them."
Big Mouth guided the interview considerately, avoiding deep probes into sensitive topics like the Heavenly Demon or Unhyang.
"Last question. What's your plan going forward?"
This one was safe too.
He could share if he wanted, or say no plans.
"Two things, but one’s a secret, the other I can share."
His willingness to reveal one made Big Mouth's eyes sparkle.
A reporter's instinct screamed scoop.
"The secret intrigues me more, but I doubt I'll get it. What's the other?"
"It's probably what everyone's been waiting for."
Soo-hyuk gifted Big Mouth another intriguing scoop.
"Before the next confrontation league starts, Blue Eyes will raid the Guardian."