Chapter 173: The Night's Banquet (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: The Night's Banquet (2)
Outside the Tower of Trials.
Countless people stayed awake until dawn, waiting for the full story of the incident to be revealed.
And for good reason.
Although prominent rankers from all over the world had headed to the 1st floor, the situation inside remained completely shrouded in mystery.
On top of that, in China, the Chunghwa Guild had been wiped out by an unidentified monster.
In a way, it was only natural that everyone's curiosity was exploding.
But right then.
[A new video has been uploaded to the Hall of Fame.]
The long-awaited video was finally up.
And that video...
...was nothing short of astonishing.
[The video begins to play.]
The entity that had turned the city center into a living hell was a giant scorpion clad in a black carapace.
Its majesty was overwhelming.
The players of the Chunghwa Guild, reputedly China's strongest, were torn to shreds.
Of course, the Chunghwa Guild tried to use their numerical advantage to find an opening, but it was all in vain.
One person per strike.
It took less than a few minutes for dozens of players to turn into cold corpses.
But right then,
someone appeared.
...The air shifted.
The incredibly powerful Black Scorpion was brought down in a single blow.
It was impossible to even perceive with the naked eye how the attack had been delivered.
-Shanks' Left Arm: It's Kang Jinhyuk! That guy is Kang Jinhyuk!
-Red Rabbit: No wonder. I was wondering what crazy bastard stepped up.
-Chicken is Murder to Me: If it's Kang Jinhyuk, it's totally possible. Seriously insane. How can anyone fight like that? More importantly, is it for real that he took down that giant scorpion in one shot? This isn't some edited video, right?
-zlrot7885: Not edited. I can't reveal my name, but I make a living editing videos for a famous guild, and there are absolutely no signs of tampering. This is 100% real.
-Deadline Life: Just how much stronger has he gotten in the meantime? lol. At this point, isn't it like a buff kangaroo mixed in among Australian wallabies?
-Wild Goose: Agreed. A kangaroo that could easily hit a 5-ton total on the big three lifts.
A single player had disposed of a monster that even the Chunghwa Guild—which boasted of being the strongest in China, if not the world—had been utterly helpless against. Naturally, the reaction was explosive.
Although the scene where he used the final 'Blessing of the Stars' and the parts involving Goguma had been edited out, this was more than enough to capture everyone's attention.
The icing on the cake was Xiaoting's interview, which followed less than an hour after Jinhyuk's video was uploaded to the Hall of Fame board.
It was an interview secured by a ViewTuber whose main content focused on the daily lives of world-famous rankers, who had personally traveled to China.
"Hey guys, what's up! I took a red-eye flight straight to China this time and managed to get the person at the center of all this attention... seriously, for real! It was incredibly hard to book them. No need for long explanations, let's get right into it."
The popular ViewTuber 'Lemontree', with his hair dyed yellow, waved at the camera.
True to his status as a ViewTuber with three million subscribers, his hosting was smooth.
As the camera panned, a woman with long, straight hair wearing a black suit came into frame.
"I am Xiaoting, the Chief of Staff at the Chunghwa Guild headquarters."
"Hello, Player Xiaoting. Since we're short on time, I'll just ask a few questions that our viewers are most curious about. First, in the video, we didn't see the main raid team, which is the backbone of the Chunghwa Guild, or Player Namgung Cheon. Where on earth did everyone go?"
"I... don't really know either. No matter how hard I tried to contact the higher-ups, I couldn't reach them."
"So they all ran away, is what you're saying."
Lemontree touched on a sensitive topic, but Xiaoting did not deny it.
Because in reality, not a single person from Chunghwa had shown up until the entire battle was over.
"My colleagues who were with me risked their lives to evacuate the civilians, but we were simply outmatched."
No matter how desperately they struggled, they couldn't inflict even a scratch on that despair.
But...
"Thanks to Player Kang Jinhyuk, we were able to safely evacuate the citizens."
"Did he happen to demand any compensation for that?"
"No."
Xiaoting shook her head slightly.
"He said he simply wanted to save people."
There is no need for a reason for one human to save another.
Jinhyuk had left China after adding that single remark.
-Noryangjin Veteran: The sour kimchi in my studio apartment's fridge is about to swell with awe.
-Shanks' Left Arm: Wow. This is what a real ranker is. Truly worthy of being the player I subscribe to. Seriously.
-Red Rabbit: The government needs to back him up. Brother Kang is the best PR Korea could ever ask for.
-Sae Yeong Eon Hwan: Honestly, among players, he's already on an untouchable level. At best, only Unknown or that woman rising in India right now would even stand a chance against him.
-I Eat Well: I heard that the addition of the condition to prevent players from dying in the labyrinth was also thanks to Jinhyuk-hyung.
-Honeybee Princess: I think I'm seriously going to become his fan S2 ㅠㅠ.
-The Fire Truck Doesn't Stop NAVER: Honestly, even as a guy myself, I think I'm falling for him.
-Bring Me a Melona on Your Way: It's goosebumps-inducing that when I searched them, Princess is a guy and Fire Truck is a girl.
Comments praising Jinhyuk poured in like crazy.
Traffic surged to the point of paralyzing the ViewTube servers, so saying any more would just be a waste of breath.
And...
"I guess I am pretty kind-hearted."
Jinhyuk, who was reading through the comments meticulously, nodded.
The people around him complained constantly, calling him a demon or Satan, but...
As expected, only my subscribers truly appreciate my worth.
This was why the old saying that good deeds bring good fortune was never wrong.
Alice, who was standing next to him, stared at Jinhyuk with an incredulous expression.
"You, kind-hearted? You can't be serious. Especially coming from a sweatshop boss like you."
Her gaze looked as if she had just heard something utterly unspeakable.
"How can you say that when there's no place that cares about employee welfare as much as our company..."
"What welfare? You work us to the bone without paying a single cent! Frankly, even the goblin slaves bound to the Ataraxia Family get paid more than that."
"..."
Damn. He had no comeback for that.
But backing down here would cement his reputation as a legendary sweatshop boss.
Jinhyuk quickly squeezed out a rebuttal.
"Don't you see how hard I struggle every single day for my employees' growth? I'm working so hard so we can all prosper together, you know?"
"You're just dragging us along as sidekicks and exploiting us for your own growth."
"..."
Blocked again.
This damn mosquito had been hanging around him so much that she knew all his internal affairs inside out.
This was why whistleblowers were the most terrifying.
In that case...
"Do you actually have any proof that I did that? Don't frame an innocent man with mere words; show me some objective evidence."
The presumption of innocence. The principle of evidence-based trials.
Excellent legal principles existed in this world.
"Listen to you talk about evidence. If we gathered the testimonies of everyone you've forced into slave contracts, even the judge would weep tears of blood. And I didn't know this, but I heard you even tricked and exploited Goguma?"
"Mogi!"
Goguma also puffed out his cheeks and wagged his tail from side to side.
This probably meant he was angry.
With a witness stepping forward, he was now completely cornered.
However, there was one thing even Alice had overlooked.
That in this world, there was always the option of bribing the witness.
"Our dear Goguma. You've had a really hard time, haven't you? Yes, yes. I know all about it."
Jinhyuk gently stroked Goguma's head.
Before anyone noticed, a large chunk of a magic crystal was clasped in his right hand.
It was a 'Green Magic Crystal' purchased from the Coin Exchange for a whopping 100,000 coins.
When he sprinkled seasoning tailored to the taste of ancient species using 'Isekai Restaurant', a truly perfect snack was born.
A brilliantly shining green wave reflected in Goguma's pupils.
This would be impossible to resist.
"Mogi!"
Drool trickled down from Goguma's mouth.
"Hey! It's cheap to bribe him with food!"
Alice yelled.
Of course, it was futile.
Crunch! Munch!
Because Goguma, already completely captivated by the magic crystal, was holding it tightly with both hands and chewing away busily.
"Goguma. Did I exploit you?"
"Mogi?"
"No, right?"
"Mogi!"
That settled it.
* * *
By the time Jinhyuk entered the ballroom with Alice, the interior was already packed to the brim with a massive crowd.
'Oho.'
All the VIPs are actually here.
Jinhyuk let out an exclamation of admiration.
Unlike the first ball, which consisted only of players, this time, major heavyweights from the middle floors had descended in droves.
In particular, the residents of the 'Empire', which had proudly claimed the top spot after pushing aside its rivals, were of a completely different caliber.
From Penheimer, a Sword Master...
...to one of the only three 8th-Circle Archmages in the Empire, a High Priest serving the goddess Peris, and even Alfred, known as the Iron Chancellor.
The true power brokers of the Empire had all gathered in one place.
If they each just did a quick self-introduction, the players would absolutely lose their minds.
This wasn't even an imperial wedding. Frankly, he had never imagined he would see a lineup of this caliber on the 1st floor.
Furthermore, the Murim faction had also gathered a formidable lineup.
Although Moyong Su, a member of the Five Great Clans, was absent, young masters who appeared to belong to the Namgung Clan, Wudang, and Mount Hua Sects caught his eye.
Then again,
no matter how furious they were, they couldn't just throw away the opportunity to recruit players.
Especially now, when the utility of their 'Chunghwa' card had plummeted.
Other than them, spirits and minor factions were also visible.
The Third Faction...
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
They were a peculiar faction composed of intelligent monsters, being neither residents nor players.
Like Caracal of the Frostblade Tribe whom he met at the Freshwater Lake, or Andrea, the owner of the mental ward—they were non-human species who had joined forces to exert influence over the Tower.
They're certainly an attractive faction.
Although they weren't mainstream, there was no doubt they had their own unique advantages.
It was then.
In the distance, he saw Cheon Yu-seong and Teresa entering the ballroom.
Teresa in a black dress, contrasting sharply with Cheon Yu-seong in his white suit.
Is she still feeling the aftereffects?
Teresa, looking somewhat exhausted, was clearly different from before.
Perhaps...
"You of all people should know, right? What it means to corrupt a saintess."
Alice voiced Jinhyuk's thoughts for him.
"...Yeah. It could be a double-edged sword."
He knew.
That it wouldn't be easy.
But...
"It's absolutely necessary."
From the moment they crossed the 20th floor, players would experience a completely unknown realm.
It meant they could never climb higher through ordinary methods and growth.
Therefore, to survive, they needed to become stronger.
"Right. Well, I'm sure you have your reasons."
"What's this? You actually trust me?"
"You might be devious, but you always make the right decisions. Besides, shouldn't there be at least one person who believes in you?"
Hmm.
This was actually a bit touching.
True, even though Alice always grumbled, she had always supported his decisions.
Even while he had to climb the Tower in solitude...
...she was probably one of the very few companions he could truly open up to.
"In that sense, let me ask you a favor."
Jinhyuk placed something on the table.
And...
"Is this... by any chance?"
Seeing it, Alice's eyebrows furrowed into an inverted V-shape.