Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Shifting Winds
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The day after the broadcast ended.
Unhyang came down to the first-floor lobby early in the morning and checked the Players community.
It was a post with over 100 recommendations and tens of thousands of views.
The video attached to the post captured the final moment: Soo-hyuk spinning through the air and slicing Pelius's neck.
"Whoa..."
She had watched it live, but seeing it again still left her in awe.
The speed was so blinding it seemed like he vanished from view for a split second, but that wasn't what amazed her.
It was that final stunt—flipping upside down in midair and swinging his blade.
'How does he slice the neck so precisely from that position?'
There were plenty of players who could move at high speeds.
But few could truly harness that speed as their own.
If you couldn't control it and just charged ahead blindly, you were no different from a rampaging bull.
And most players Unhyang observed—even the so-called rankers—fell into that category.
Yet...
'He moves that fast without a single mistake.'
While sprinting at that velocity, Soo-hyuk executed a leap—and not just any leap, but one with a full 180-degree flip.
The world he saw must have been completely inverted.
And in that chaos, he precisely severed Pelius's neck.
To Pelius, it probably felt like Soo-hyuk vanished in an instant.
'If it were me...'
She pondered for a moment.
Could she have pulled that off?
With that speed, using a skill from an item she'd just gotten for the first time...
No, even if she were familiar with the skill, it would be the same.
'Maybe one in three tries. That's how clean it might be.'
And that essentially meant it was impossible.
Tactics or techniques with only a one-in-three success rate were useless in real combat.
"Insane... for real."
The sharper your eyes, the more you'd be continually stunned.
Watching Lee Soo-hyuk's stream brought back the thrill of seeing Blue Eyes' Lee Soo-hyuk long ago.
Slurp—.
Finishing her thoughts, Unhyang took another sip of tea.
Then she scrolled through more community posts.
The corner of her mouth twitched upward.
Just yesterday, netizens picking at Lee Soo-hyuk's actions had turned their arrows around.
This wasn't the only post.
Several more targeted the players trying to ride his bus.
Unhyang called Kit.
—What? You calling this early?
"What else?"
—Right. Lee Soo-hyuk the streamer, huh. What else would you call me about.
A yawn mixed into the end of his words. It was faint, but Unhyang's ears caught it.
"Pulled an all-nighter?"
—Ah, yawn. Yeah.
"Yawning again."
—Stuff came up.
"This is Team Leader's handiwork, right?"
The reason Unhyang called John Tail so early.
It was the public opinion shifting way too fast.
—Those posts?
"Yeah. You knew right away, so spot on."
—Half right.
John Tail didn't deny it.
—Anyway, even if it wasn't me, it would've blown up eventually. Those guys are worse than I thought.
According to the posts, definitely.
Not just bus-riding—they backstabbed teammates mid-trial, bolted without sharing loot.
Even a famous scammer was in the mix.
—Guys like that boldly try bus-riding for a reason.
"How'd you do it?"
—Tracked 'em down. One by one.
"Every single one?"
It was an answer that made her click her tongue.
That's why he pulled an all-nighter. Digging up past deeds with just names and faces meant manual labor through records.
You wouldn't do it without certainty they'd have dirt.
And John Tail had that certainty.
—From experience, guys blatantly trying to screw over streamers and mooch? Ten outta ten aren't first-timers.
Certainty they were repeat offenders.
—Public opinion was: maybe they were hardworking innocents, not bus-riders.
"Right."
—Our job? Prove they're dirty trolls we all hate.
Unhyang stuck out her tongue.
She knew John Tail was seasoned, but this fast?
—So don't lose faith in Lee Soo-hyuk the streamer. He didn't do wrong.
"Huh?"
Unhyang tilted her head at the odd comment.
"Why would I be disappointed?"
—Just in case.
A small sigh came through the kit.
—You seem happier since becoming his manager. Used to just burn salary before; now you're working.
"Me?"
—Yeah. So stay his fan, no disappointments. Managers should be the streamer's biggest fans, I think.
"Team Leader, don't tell me..."
A sudden thought made her ask.
"You didn't do this for me?"
—Partially. He handled himself well too.
Half-affirmation.
Unhyang fidgeted with her face, suddenly self-conscious.
What kind of face did she have before to hear this?
—Gotta go. Oh, off-stream today?
"Yeah."
—Sending support funds. Treat Soo-hyuk to something nice. Tell him next video drops tomorrow. Bye.
Click—.
The call ended with news that would make Soo-hyuk dance for joy.
"...What."
Unhyang scratched her head and muttered.
"Thanks, I guess."
After finishing the trial and stream, Soo-hyuk slept until late morning.
His schedule had been nonstop. Hunt, return, tournament, straight to Thunder Cave—no breaks.
And that continued even today, when he'd decided to rest.
'What the hell is this.'
Frowning at the sparkling blue gem between his fingers, Soo-hyuk scowled.
'No clue what it's for...'
Thunder Cave's difficulty was no joke. Questionable if it was meant to be cleared.
Monsters from the entrance, dragon trial.
Pelius at the end—if he hadn't gotten stats and Min-jae's shoes beforehand, victory impossible.
'A dungeon set that tough on layer 3 won't give junk.'
Like Lightning's Heart, this had to have a use.
Problem: finding it wouldn't be easy.
One hint only.
'That cutscene...'
The man gazing at the jade throne with the orb—viewers didn't see it.
He might know the orb's secret.
'If I could find that guy.'
But where?
Hard on layer 3. Cutscene and layer 3 were centuries apart, not decades.
Scratching his head amid worries, Soo-hyuk sighed.
"Guess... stick to the plan."
Lightning's Heart and this reward—unobtained in his past life.
And he knew plenty about lightning.
Lightning Trial didn't end per layer. It continued upward.
So.
'Head up.'
No intention to linger on layer 3.
Not saying Schneider was wrong, but many players with conditions rushed up for reason.
Above all, he was impatient.
Wanting Kim Il-su's head ASAP, then reunite with comrades.
"Hoo—."
Endless pondering yielded nothing, so he stowed the orb in inventory.
Thought of swallowing like Lightning's Heart, but no—this wasn't the trial; too risky.
Knock knock—.
A visitor at the door then.
Obvious who.
Only one seeking him in this life.
Donning his mask nearby, Soo-hyuk replied.
"Come in."
Clunk—.
Unlocked door opened halfway; Unhyang peeked at Soo-hyuk.
"Lunch?"
She added,
"The expensive stuff."
A lavish spread at a fancy restaurant.
Seafood delicacies galore: arm-thick shrimp, thick T-bone steak, steaming soup, unnamed grilled dishes.
Ambiance and food screamed high-end.
'Been ages since something like this.'
Lately, points obsession meant skimping on food.
Thanks to Unhyang for this.
"Isn't this too much?"
"Company card—eat big and bail."
"That okay?"
"Team Leader said treat Soo-hyuk to pricey and tasty."
Didn't say pricey, but she took it that way.
"Dig in. Want more? Round two."
"Then I won't hold back."
Food was delicious. Personalities meshed; no awkwardness.
Topics: streams, other streamers—conversation flowed.
As the meal wound down,
"Oh, right. Next video."
Only after dessert did Unhyang recall John Tail's words.
"Uploads tomorrow, probably."
"Tomorrow? Quick."
"Company's hyped. Soo-hyuk's buzz is insane lately."
Nom—.
Unhyang shoveled ice cream casually, but it hadn't sunk in for Soo-hyuk.
"Really?"
"Yeah. No one in our company grew this fast except Pak Soo-hyuk."
Pak Soo-hyuk.
Baehae Entertainment streamer: comedy over skill.
Possible future collab partner.
But.
"Speaking of."
Sighing deeply, Unhyang asked with a worried face.
"How about rethinking a collab with Pak Soo-hyuk?"