Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: ACT.15 Return of the Kings (2)
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“Has this guy lost his mind...?”
The man who seemed to be the leader clicked his tongue, though he was now a bit wary of me.
He probably wanted to ignore me, but my reaction was so realistic that he couldn't help but be on edge.
I chuckled at the sight of him, his face pale, wanting to run but finding the situation too ambiguous to do so.
The saying that a leopard can't change its spots came to mind.
Seeing how they act the same wherever they go.
‘I knew this kind of thing happened.’
It was something the major guilds would handle, so I hadn't paid it any mind.
I just never imagined I'd be the one they'd pick a fight with.
But looking at the outcome, it turned out well.
There's no way I'm passing up this many walking coin ATMs.
There must be an organization above these guys.
Just as I decided to take them all down here and clean out their superiors as well, I was about to move.
*Thwack!*
“Guaargh!!”
Suddenly, something appeared in mid-air and plummeted down, stomping on the man's head.
His nose must have been crushed, as I could see blood flowing from his face, which was now embedded in the ground.
“W-Who are you?!”
“How dare you...!”
The rest of the group, who had been watching with smirks, were startled and raised their weapons.
The newcomer himself didn't seem to care, greeting me with a relaxed expression.
“Excuse me. You're Kim Se-hyeon-nim, correct?”
A man dressed neatly in a suit.
And what just happened was clearly a teleportation ability, similar to Jun Bo-ra's.
I recognized his face from the game.
I forced the corners of my mouth from turning up, instead letting my expression harden slightly.
“I am.”
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Team Leader Lee Tae-hyeon from the Hongryeon Guild.”
He offered a business card with an affable smile and immediately stated his purpose for coming.
Lee Tae-hyeon of the Hongryeon Guild.
A man famous for his exceptional combat skills, despite not having a direct combat-related ability.
He had a knack for making full use of his ability to quickly contact promising prospects.
“However... this doesn't seem like the best place for a conversation.”
He said with a smile, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surroundings.
At this, the men who had their weapons aimed at him faltered, cautiously sizing him up.
To think a man like this goes around scouting with a smile. In a way, he's a truly frightening person.
“D-Didn't he just say the Hongryeon Guild...?”
“No way. He must be bluffing. Why would a major guild that's been quiet all this time suddenly make a move?”
“But what if it's real...? Our leader was knocked out in one hit.”
“And if he came to scout, doesn't that mean that other guy is strong, too?!”
The confusion mounted.
Amidst it all, the one who had first suggested backing off was furtively looking for a chance to escape alone.
“If the place isn't good, we can just change it.”
I replied lightly to Lee Tae-hyeon, then moved, my sword still in its scabbard.
*Thwack!*
“Gyaahk!!”
As four men screamed and collapsed in an instant, the faces of the remaining ones hardened, finally realizing they had picked the wrong person.
Lee Tae-hyeon watched silently with a faint smile, as if to gauge my skills.
“Ugh!”
“Kugh!”
They weren't strong players to begin with.
Just people who had survived through sheer luck.
There was no way these thugs, who used their menacing looks, large builds, and superior numbers to intimidate others, could block my attacks.
“U-Ugh...”
Perhaps because more than half of them were taken down in an instant, the remaining ones showed no will to fight.
I could have taken down more, but I needed some of them conscious to carry the unconscious ones.
“This was your goal, right?”
I took out the tickets and shook them, drawing their attention.
It was obvious what guys like these would be after.
This probably wasn't the first or second time they'd done something like this.
As I approached with a grin, their faces gradually darkened.
“Oppa, don't tell me you waited for them to approach on purpose for this...?”
“It gives me a legitimate reason to take from them.”
I took the tickets back from the thugs and sent them on their way.
Fourteen tickets, was it?
They must have already used a lot, because it wasn't a very satisfying haul.
They might come at me again seeking revenge, but I'd welcome it.
Enemies who don't understand the difference in our weight class can be used to my advantage.
I gave seven tickets to each of the twins and then glanced at Lee Tae-hyeon.
“That was quite entertaining. Hahaha. It seems there was no need for me to intervene. You're just as the rumors say.”
Lee Tae-hyeon laughed cheerfully.
I had been quite active.
It would be stranger if rumors hadn't spread among the existing guilds.
It was obvious what he was going to say next.
“To get straight to the point, we would like to scout the much-rumored Kim Se-hyeon-nim for our guild.”
“S-Scout...?”
Jo Min-woo muttered, his eyes wide.
Seeing this, Lee Tae-hyeon's lips curled up slightly.
“So these children are the party that travels with you, Kim Se-hyeon-nim. If you wish, you are welcome to bring them to the guild as well.”
He said it as if doing me a favor, but his words held several ulterior motives.
There's a saying that to win over the parents, you must first win over the child.
He was dangling bait for the children, trying to elicit the response he wanted.
Was that all?
My own achievements overshadowed them, so rumors hadn't spread, but the twins were also showing a much higher growth rate compared to other players.
Especially Jo Min-ah, who had awakened an S-rank unique ability.
His plan was to get a buy-one-get-one-free deal, winning over and recruiting other promising prospects.
I stroked my chin, pretending to think for a moment before answering.
“The Hongryeon Guild... the one Jeon Do-jin-nim was a part of, and one of Korea's five great guilds. Did a team leader really come in person just to scout me?”
“Wouldn't that be obvious? This is a matter of great importance.”
Lee Tae-hyeon adjusted his glasses and smiled faintly.
Normally, a team leader doesn't come for scouting in person.
The only time a team leader makes a personal visit is for one reason.
When they need to meet a big shot.
A promising talent who shows signs of becoming the face of the guild in the future. When they need to recruit a top-class rookie.
“You must have heard I was here from Choi Yeon-soo.”
“That's correct. He seemed indifferent at first, but his expression changed in an instant, and he told me.”
I had entrusted Choi Yeon-soo with my management, telling him to handle things as he saw fit.
I wasn't going to join any other guild, so I had told him, 'Handle it at your level.'
Naturally, the mid-to-low-tier guilds would have been filtered out, and I had even added that he should refuse the five great guilds unless it was a matter of certain benefit.
He wasn't the type to misunderstand my meaning.
So, for him to have arranged a meeting with me meant...
“...I'll hear you out.”
“An excellent decision.”
Lee Tae-hyeon snapped his fingers, and a table and chairs suddenly appeared.
Just as I thought, it's a different type of teleportation from Jun Bo-ra's.
Jun Bo-ra can't move objects she isn't touching like that.
“You're not surprised. Usually, when I summon something like this, people are amazed, saying it's the first time they've seen a summoning ability.”
“It's not summoning, it's teleportation. Teleportation based on the principle of swapping the positions of two objects.”
“You figured that out just by seeing it once?”
Lee Tae-hyeon clapped his hands in admiration.
“Correct. I have a Type-B teleportation ability. Unlike Type-A, which pushes aside what's at the destination, my Type-B swaps places with what's there. Type-B is rare, so even veteran players often don't know about it. You're quite something.”
“Huh? Then how do you teleport?”
“It may look like there's nothing there, but there's air, isn't there? If I swap my position with the air at my destination, it looks like normal teleportation. It's a simple principle.”
I picked up one of the drinks prepared on the table and took a sip.
This table and chairs. And even the refreshments on top.
It seemed he had set everything up in advance before coming to meet me.
What does he plan to do when the conversation is over? Surely he's not going to leave all this here?
“Kim Se-hyeon-nim. You know Jeon Do-jin-nim, I presume.”
As I sat down, Lee Tae-hyeon glanced at me, then cleared his throat and changed the subject.
“We accomplished something great together. Of course I know him.”
“Jeon Do-jin-nim has returned to the guild.”
“Returned?”
“For us, it's a welcome development. In any case, the first thing Jeon Do-jin-nim did after his return was to recommend you, Kim Se-hyeon-nim. He said a major rookie of your caliber would never appear again.”
Jeon Do-jin's backstory was that he had 'grown tired of the player life, left the guild, and retired.'
Befriending Jeon Do-jin and receiving his help in various ways was something I had always done.
And yet, he had never once announced his return, not until I reached the 00th ending.
...Why? Is this connected to how the events in Dongdaemun turned out completely different from the original story?
I unconsciously fiddled with the handle of my cup.
Jeon Do-jin is an S-rank player. His return would undoubtedly have a significant impact.
“If it were just about being strong, there are plenty of people like that. But to be truly considered great, strength alone isn't enough. You need a brain that knows how to use that strength efficiently. A character that earns the absolute trust of those around you. An impact so great that even your rivals can't deny your excellence. Kim Se-hyeon-nim, you possess all of these things. Uniquely so, even among the top-ranked rookies we're trying to recruit.”
The other rookies he was referring to were likely Hwang Chan-jin, Han Hyeok-jun, and Jun Bo-ra.
Broadening the scope, Jo Min-ah, who awakened an S-rank unique ability, would also be included.
Though I don't know how much the rumors have spread.
‘There aren't that many S-ranks, surprisingly.’
While you can technically raise your rank with enough coins, gathering that many is practically impossible.
The usage fees aren't fair.
The fee you have to pay increases in proportion to the rank of your stats and abilities.
If you raise them haphazardly without a plan, you'll get hit with an exorbitant fee you can't pay, often forcing you back to being an ordinary person.
That was why even among the first-generation players, who had been at this for much longer, there weren't many S-ranks.
‘In that respect, not having to pay fees is a huge advantage.’
I can just raise my stats and ranks as soon as I get coins.
My growth rate was bound to be overwhelmingly faster than others.
“As I mentioned earlier, if you wish, your companions may join as well, Kim Se-hyeon-nim.”
Lee Tae-hyeon subtly tried to sway the twins.
It probably wasn't just about the twins.
If he had met and spoken with Choi Yeon-soo, he would have realized that Yeon-soo also has considerable potential in other areas.
But I have no intention of joining any guild.
I crossed my arms and leaned back.
Seeing my lukewarm reaction, it was Lee Tae-hyeon who grew anxious.
“Are you aware of the famous players in our Hongryeon Guild?”
“I wonder.”
“Hongryeon has three S-rank players. Guild Master Lee Min-hwa-nim, the returned Jeon Do-jin-nim, and...”
Lee Tae-hyeon cleared his throat as he was about to name the third person.
“And, while not an S-rank, we have someone we can boast about, Tae Jin-kwon-nim, who is called the Great Master. Among the artisan players who can create special equipment capable of standing against demonic beasts, Tae Jin-kwon-nim is called the very best.”
He changed the subject.
It didn't matter since I already knew the information anyway.
When I deliberately feigned surprise, Lee Tae-hyeon continued with a confident smile.
“We will provide you with several pieces of C-rank equipment made by him. A more special C-rank, with quality different from other C-rank gear.”
It was an exceptional offer.
Equipment doesn't have a rank displayed when you check its information.
People just classify it arbitrarily based on performance.
The Sa-in-cham-sa-geom I'm currently using is classified as B-rank, so considering we haven't even reached Chapter 10, getting equipment like that is quite good for this stage.
Since most players are still using their initial gear or something they bought carelessly from the shop, the difference a single C-rank weapon makes is quite significant.
Anyone else might have already been hooked and taken the bait.
Up to this point, it's been his pace.
Now, it's my turn to take the pace.
“But he can make A-rank items, can't he?”
As I spoke nonchalantly, the corner of Lee Tae-hyeon's mouth twitched.