Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Blue Zone's Response
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Located on the 9th floor was a certain office.
Lee Won-jae arrived there for work and sat down in front of a large, wide screen.
Despite his packed schedule, the reason he'd come all this way was the commotion that had unfolded just before dawn today.
"Start it."
At Lee Won-jae's single command and gesture, the people in the room sprang into action.
Soon, an image appeared on the screen. Beyond it sat a man from a distant world—one who could never reach this place—facing Lee Won-jae directly.
John Tail.
Team leader of Baehae Entertainment's management division.
He was someone Lee Won-jae would never normally exchange words with.
But.
"It's an honor to meet someone of your stature like this."
Ridiculously enough, Lee Won-jae now had to cater to his mood.
So.
He forced a wide smile onto his usually stern face and replied.
"No, no. I'm the one who's pleased. I've heard you're the top contributor who built Baehae up to this level."
"Top contributor? Come on, I'm just a salaried worker."
They confirmed each other's faces through the screen. Lee Won-jae glanced down briefly at the report on John Tail.
'An elite background. A waste to be stuck in a small outfit like this.'
The report detailed everything about John Tail that Blue Zone's intelligence could uncover overnight.
He hadn't been a successful Player himself. But his achievements were far from negligible—enough that dismissing him would be a mistake.
'Worked as a strategist for the "Mado" Guild until 15 years ago. A guy who strategized for a massive guild, now just a team leader at some tiny company...'
Baehae was a big company. But no matter how enormous the dinosaur, from the heavens above, they all looked about the same size.
John Tail was different.
He'd been a bird soaring in the same skies as them. Though he'd failed as a Player, he'd once been a core member running a guild.
The claim that he was Baehae's top contributor was no empty flattery.
"I've heard plenty about you too, Vice Guild Master. From way back."
"You're making me blush."
"Weren't you the one who contributed the most to building Blue Zone to this point, right after Guild Master Kim Il-su? A living legend."
Lee Won-jae's eyebrow twitched upward.
Right after Kim Il-su. It sounded like praise, but something about it grated on his ears.
This conversation's going nowhere good. Lee Won-jae shifted the direction.
"We're getting off track. Shall we talk about what happened yesterday?"
John Tail nodded, correcting him.
"Not yesterday. This morning's incident."
The atmosphere shifted in an instant.
"We're truly regretful about that. Not just me—our streamer feels the same."
Twitch.
Lee Won-jae's brow furrowed.
He'd hoped for a bit more humility, but John Tail's tone was surprisingly aggressive.
'Should I put the fear of God in him?'
Lee Won-jae sized up John Tail slowly over a brief moment.
'...Not the type to buckle.'
Strength wasn't just physical. Even through a screen, the man's unflinching demeanor showed he was mentally tough.
Half-baked threats would backfire with someone like this—turning a resolvable issue into a bigger mess.
"We haven't made any official statement on stream yet. But given the other party, we couldn't just ignore it. Haha."
His laughing words dragged on, but the intent was clear.
Not yet.
John Tail was subtly signaling they could reveal the truth about the incident anytime.
"Seems like there's a misunderstanding."
"Yes. I think so too. But the fact that your Player attacked our streamer is undeniable..."
John Tail trailed off, then met Lee Won-jae's eyes directly.
"If anything like this happens again, we'll have no choice but to assume intent."
And that meant.
Touch our streamer again, and we'll blow this wide open.
15 minutes.
John Tail thought this mere 15-minute call was the longest 15 minutes of his life.
After superficial pleasantries ended the video call, he exhaled deeply, releasing the tension he'd bottled up.
"Phew—."
He'd acted confident, but of course he'd been nervous.
The opponent was Lee Won-jae.
Blue Zone's number two.
Even Baehae Entertainment's CEO would have to bow to him.
"Good work, sir."
"Yeah. Whew... Glad it was video. Face-to-face, I'd have choked and died."
Gulp.
John Tail downed the water his staff handed him in one go. As the thirst eased, his mind cleared a bit.
"Still, that was impressive. You're probably the only one in our company who could talk to Lee Won-jae like that."
"Had to. Of course I did. Who do they think they are, thugs? Touching our streamer?"
He'd seen plenty working at Baehae for years, but this was a first.
A massive guild that prized face above all risking it to target a streamer directly.
They knew the fallout if it failed.
'They must've been that desperate for Lightning.'
It made sense.
Blue Zone was practically Lee Soo-hyuk's successor guild. Its symbolism alone accounted for much of its current status— basking in his halo.
Why else obsess over the Thunder Cave?
To claim Lightning, the skill that symbolized him.
And yet.
'Of course they'd covet it. All of them.'
The name. The talent. The symbolism of Lightning.
This Lee Soo-hyuk was like the original's reincarnation. Even wore the same mask for streams.
Though that was just his broadcast gimmick.
'Should be quiet for a while, at least.'
No massive guild could defy public opinion forever. Beyond Blue Zone, other giants existed who they'd have to watch.
If Baehae made this an issue and targeted Blue Zone, those guilds would get dragged in too.
But.
'...For a while.'
He couldn't assume they'd stay silent indefinitely.
The bigger Lee Soo-hyuk grew, the more they'd circle.
Sweeter fruit drew more pests.
"Today's stream is off, right?"
His staff confirmed.
"Yes. He seemed pretty shaken."
"Yeah. After something like that, who wouldn't be."
Reality differed vastly from trials. Same fight, but real combat meant death.
Overcoming that fear separated top Players, but first real battles left aftershocks for everyone.
"Tell him to rest up. Overcome this, and he'll be even greater..."
"S-Sir."
"Yeah?"
"He's starting the stream. Lee Soo-hyuk."
John Tail's words cut off, eyes widening.
"What?"
And in that moment.
Lee Soo-hyuk's stream began.
It was a bit late in the afternoon.
An unexpected alert.
Viewers flooded in, feeling like they'd received an unforeseen gift.
-SH
- Wasn't it off today?
-GID
-Panties off~!
The chat was deafening even without sound. Once enough viewers gathered, Soo-hyuk turned on his mic.
"Sorry. I'm a bit late."
-No prob
-Something happen?
-Glad you're here
"Hard to go into details. But for those feeling antsy, here's a hint: it's related to this morning's stream."
-Ah... that...
-Oh;
-Spooky ㄷㄷ
-Gotta understand
He'd announced the ambush on his way home post-stream. Given the severity, viewers didn't press further. A few prying ones got shut down naturally.
-Challenge today?
At the anticipated question, Soo-hyuk nodded.
"Yes. I'll clear it today."
-Time's tight tho
-If you win without losing a round, possible
-Looked rough at the end yesterday;;
Higher scores meant tougher matches. Natural, but Soo-hyuk's ramped up extra.
40 points per round, but difficulty doubled.
Fwaah—.
The air shifted, revealing the arena. A familiar sensation now.
A winding path.
Cliffs on both sides, abandoned moldy houses scattered about.
The crate was big enough to hug with arms outstretched. One carried it while others defended—that was the core mission.
"What is this?"
"A bug?"
"Hey, Lee Soo-hyuk?"
The now-familiar reactions.
One recognized him, eyes bulging. Chatting would drag things out needlessly.
No time for talk. Today, focus on rushing to the next floor over stream pacing.
Thud.
Soo-hyuk grabbed the crate outright.
"Wait, hold on."
"We need positions first—"
In that instant.
Crackle—.
Lightning burst from Soo-hyuk's feet.
Boom!
His teammates were flung far back. He exploded forward, dashing to the goal in one leap.
"What the—?"
"Already here?"
The enemy team gaped at Soo-hyuk.
Just 30 seconds in. Yet he'd reached halfway—their spawn.
Distance closed fast.
No time to think.
"Block him!"
"Steal the crate!"
"Thinks he's fast, but alone with the crate... what can he—"
Thump.
Then.
Soo-hyuk tossed the crate upward.
Two hands free, briefly.
Moments later.
Flash—!
A yellow arc sliced four Players' throats.
"Yeah."
Thump.
The tossed crate landed back in his hands. Pivoting toward the goal, Soo-hyuk replied to unheard protests.
"Pretty confident. Way more than you think."