Chapter 265: The Strongest Reinforcements (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 265: The Strongest Reinforcements (3)
A massive ruin raid involving as many as three guilds.
Since they were targeting a core area of the 15th floor, the eyes of the entire world were drawn to it.
Especially since Kang Jinhyuk, the ranker at the center of all the buzz, was participating.
It was only natural that every online community and portal site was flooded with related posts.
"Phew..."
A cloud of cigarette smoke drifted upward.
After the popular broadcast program Climbing the Tower of Trials was canceled due to an unsavory incident, the KDS Broadcasting Station sought a major overhaul through internal restructuring.
Rather than clinging to the past and falling behind, they rebranded and launched a newly revamped program.
The Veteran Lives Alone.
Targeting top-tier rankers and guilds, it delved into their daily lives as well as their activities inside and outside the Tower.
It was a show that literally dug up everything about them.
What set this program apart from the rest was that whenever a major guild went on a raid, a PD who was also a Player would personally join the raid.
"Right... The appeal was delivering a vivid, firsthand look at the raids of famous figures whom viewers could otherwise never easily see."
Jung Bum-hee, the team leader at KDS in charge of The Veteran Lives Alone, reflected on the past few months.
There had been many crises and hardships, but they had somehow endured and made it this far.
The ones who had contributed most brilliantly to that success were, of course, Jinhyuk and Unknown.
Although it was impossible to squeeze a PD into the raids those two conducted, simply summarizing information about them had brought in massive viewership.
'Korea... no, the entire world should be grateful. If not for those two, we wouldn't be living our daily lives in such peace.'
The ship had been sailing so smoothly, but...
Just a short while ago, a problem arose.
All broadcasts from inside the ruins had suddenly stopped.
Since they couldn't even contact the PD sent as a special correspondent, they were completely cut off from any information.
The comment section exploded.
"Dammit! Unless you all want to feed your families by running goblin raids for the rest of your lives, figure out what's going on right now! I don't care if you have to blow up the Tower of Trials or track down the bastards who built it—use whatever means necessary to get in touch with our correspondent!"
Jung Bum-hee roared.
Unable to suppress his frustration, he grabbed his pack of cigarettes, but it was already empty.
I really need to quit chain-smoking. Good grief.
The atmosphere in the control room froze at his furious reprimand.
'Damn. I know he's frustrated, but this is so unreasonable...'
'If we knew how to do that, we would've built another Tower ourselves.'
'Overtime again today, huh.'
But right then.
A "NEW" notification popped up on the empty channel list.
"W-what is this? How on earth..."
The employee monitoring the screens muttered in disbelief.
"Team Leader! You need to see this!"
* * *
[The broadcast has been enabled.]
"Mooosquiiitooo..."
"Wait. Don't you remember what Master said? He said if we mess up, he'll send us all to the zoo."
"Hey. The stream is live."
"Huh? It really is. Shh! Everyone, quiet!"
"Everyone shut up. My head hurts."
Multiple voices could be heard whispering and murmuring.
Because it was a private account, it was impossible to tell exactly who had started the stream. But who was speaking didn't matter.
What mattered was what they were showing.
The first thing captured on screen was the Gandhara Guild launching an assault on the Olympus Guild.
The scene of them turning their blades against their allies was broadcast without any filtering.
"Oh no..."
"They targeted the area where the porters are, of all places."
Sorrowful sighs escaped from the staff inside KDS as they watched.
No matter how strong the Olympus Guild was, it was impossible for that particular group to stand against Gandhara's main raid team.
A bloodbath was as clear as day.
But right then.
Figures with silver hair and red eyes blocked their path.
True to those words, two more live streams turned on.
After the faint clattering of bones, a giant, red-skinned Apostle appeared, along with a familiar elderly man blocking its path.
How could anyone not recognize him?
The figure who was always mentioned whenever the strongest in Korea was discussed.
The Apostle of Wrath swung its greatsword like a madman, but Yu Cheon-yeong held his ground without yielding an inch.
No, he wasn't just holding his ground.
As the essence of the Hwarang Heart Method, condensed to its absolute limit, manifested through his hands, the giant Apostle actually began to be pushed back.
"I-it's Elder Yu Cheon-yeong. I thought he didn't enter the Tower, so why is he there?"
"To think I'd live to see something like this..."
Amidst the shock and awe, as everyone's eyes were glued to the live streams.
[A whisper request has arrived.]
A message arrived on Jung Bum-hee's personal status window.
A message at such a crucial moment? Naturally, he had no intention of even looking at it.
That is, if the sender's name hadn't been Kang Jinhyuk.
Tremble!
With trembling hands, Jung Bum-hee clicked on the status window.
Jung Bum-hee stammered in response, but Jinhyuk continued with what he had to say.
– As you can see, I know how to bypass the barrier erected in the ruins. Which means I am the only Player capable of broadcasting live right now.
Being the "only one" was undoubtedly an overwhelming advantage.
And the reason he was bringing this up...
Jung Bum-hee swallowed hard, his throat dry.
...It was here.
Just as expected, a trade request demanding an unimaginable price.
Jung Bum-hee's mind raced.
If it were cash, he would have accepted no matter how high the amount, but 100,000 Magic Crystals and 5 million Coins was enough to shake the entire broadcasting station to its core.
In reality, even if their Player employees worked themselves to the bone broadcasting major guild raids to gather resources, accumulating that much was incredibly difficult.
But...
'If we secure the rights to broadcast this raid, the impact will also be beyond imagination.'
Just running a few ads would cover it.
No, this was an opportunity to make the name KDS known worldwide.
In fact, wasn't everyone in the company and all the viewers already going wild?
'I can't approve this deal with my authority alone. At the very least, the Director... no, the President himself has to make this call.'
The problem was that there was no time. They didn't have the luxury of going through the bottom-up reporting process to get approval step-by-step.
Jinhyuk wanted an answer right now. And the company had to deliver that answer immediately.
'So it all rests on me.'
Aggressively. Unconventionally. Breaking the existing mold.
The higher-ups had valued those traits in him, which was why they made him the team leader of this program.
It was then.
"Player... Teresa is here too! It's the third live stream!"
Another gasp of astonishment erupted.
"Do you mean Teresa from Europe? The one from the Rosenberg family?"
"Yes. Uh... but I think we might need to put a 19+ rating on this one. There are some rather... difficult-to-watch scenes."
Dealing with just one of these would be overwhelming, but with such massive events occurring simultaneously, they were completely losing their minds.
The Gandhara Guild's betrayal, the intervention of the Demonic Humans, Yu Cheon-yeong's official debut battle, and even Europe's hero, Teresa.
Jung Bum-hee bit his lower lip hard.
His hesitation didn't last long.
"We're taking these broadcasting rights. Summon everyone on standby. Notify the higher-ups and tell them all to get to the office immediately. I'll take full responsibility, so don't complain."
"A-at this hour? Call the Director?"
"Director, President, Chairman—tell them all to get down here! Do you think we'll get praised if we say we didn't contact them because we didn't want to disturb their sleep?"
Not a chance.
On the contrary, they would be roared at for lacking the wits to report when the very fate of the company was on the line.
"U-understood."
The employee, face pale, began scrolling through the contacts on their smartphone.
The broadcast that carried the fate of KDS had begun.
* * *
Rumble, rumble!
The atmosphere vibrated violently from the clash of mana against mana.
"Ugh!"
A deep groan escaped the mouth of the Apostle of Wrath—no, Repels.
His opponent was merely a single, decrepit old man.
And yet.
Why on earth!
Was he, the one possessing the greatest combat power among the Seven Apostles, being pushed back?
"This is impossible!"
Repels raised his greatsword high once more.
[Repels activates Lv.32 'Painful Wound'!]
An ability that inflicted double damage upon wounding an opponent.
The greatsword was already immensely powerful, but now it had become a deadly weapon capable of inflicting fatal wounds with even a mere graze.
However.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
No matter how powerful a weapon was, it only mattered if it actually hit the target.
"Ugh! This... this can't be... this shouldn't be happening!"
Repels swung his greatsword wildly in all directions.
With terrifying sounds of tearing air, the sword drew chaotic arcs through the empty space.
"Attacks laden with emotion are easy to read. That is why I told you—the years we have accumulated are different."
"Cut the bullshit! You humans live for barely a hundred years, but I have existed for more than double that! The experience you've accumulated is nothing before me!"
"No."
Yu Cheon-yeong shook his head.
"Looking at your sword path, you have merely enjoyed toying with enemies weaker than yourself. That is neither years nor experience. It is simply being drunk on your own power and letting your abilities rot."
However.
"I have fought against my own limits."
To overcome that wall.
To reach a new realm.
He had silently built himself up, day by day.
And the result of that...
[Yu Cheon-yeong activates Lv.40 'Annihilating-Spirit Returning Kick'!]
...was this.
Boom, boom, boom!
The energy manifested through his waist traveled down his thighs and calves.
When the energy, surging as if about to explode, fully bloomed through his heel...
...its form was like a giant scythe wielded by a colossus.
"Aaaaargh!"
Repels raised his greatsword, which now seemed so pitifully small, high into the air.