The Iron Wall's Judgment
In the grand conference room of the Lee Do Group.
The space was so vast that the word "grand" hardly seemed sufficient. Only four people sat within it.
It should have felt completely empty, both physically and visually.
But the presence of a single individual filled the entire room and still had room to spare.
Lee Sang-byuk.
He was the master of this empire.
“Hm.”
Lee Sang-byuk flipped through a newspaper while wearing his gold-rimmed glasses.
In front of him, a dignified middle-aged man was sweating profusely as he gave his presentation. Something about operating profits, and the reasons they had placed second in the first-half regular evaluation…
It was almost pitiful to watch him sneak glances at the tiny numbers scribbled on his palm, terrified of making even the slightest mistake.
Who would ever believe this man was the president of Lee Do Hotel, the undisputed leader in Korea’s premium luxury hotel sector?
The presentation finally ended. A heavy silence fell over the conference room.
Then came the first words to break it.
Lee Sang-byuk spoke indifferently, his eyes still fixed on the newspaper.
“Hotel. How long you been with me?”
“I first met you when I was a deputy manager. This year makes it thirty years.”
“Thirty years… That’s about right.”
“…Chairman?”
“I gave you three chances, didn’t I? Ah, no need to answer. You already said everything you wanted to. The important thing is that you wasted all three of those chances. Thirty years of our relationship—that should be enough to settle the score, yeah?”
“C-Chairman!!”
“Hotel. No.”
With a rustle, he turned the page and delivered his verdict.
Get out.
The middle-aged man—who until moments ago had been the president of the hotel—opened his mouth to plead, then tightly shut it again. Instead, he straightened his clothes and bowed deeply with respect.
“…It was an honor to serve you.”
As his subordinate of thirty years walked out after bidding his final farewell, Lee Sang-byuk never once lifted his eyes from the newspaper.
What? People say Lee Shin and Lee Myeong-hwan are ruthless? That they’re maniacs and madmen?
Compare them to something worth comparing.
Brilliant minds, fanatical obsession with being the best, an instinct for sniffing out profit like a ghost. And on top of that, a cold heart that could discard thirty years of loyalty without batting an eye.
The final evolved form of those so-called maniacs and madmen was none other than Lee Sang-byuk himself.
“Automotive.”
“Yes.”
Lee Chan-bin, president of Lee Do Motors, lowered his head.
“That hotel guy—wasn’t he one of yours? You not managing your kids properly?”
“I’m sorry.”
“The things you’ve been doing lately aren’t impressive at all. What, is it too much for you? You want to stop managing the hotel? Just say the word. There are plenty of people out there dying to take it off your hands.”
“That’s not it. I will make sure this never happens again.”
Next, his gaze shifted to Lee Young-bin, seated directly across from him.
“Vice Chairman, you’re not without fault either. You’re a vice chairman, for God’s sake. When it comes to group matters, you should be helping first and foremost. Instead, you quietly swept things under the rug because it wasn’t your faction?”
“I’m sorry.”
“You think I don’t know? How you’ve been going after people like you’re catching rats. The electronics division must’ve had some success with their new royal phone model. Now you’re riding that momentum and want to clean up the annoying ones, right? Isn’t that it?”
“…I’m sorry.”
Tsk tsk.
Lee Sang-byuk clicked his tongue.
“You lot. Did I ever tell you not to form factions? Did I ever tell you not to fight? I told you to do it. Competition is good. Go ahead and find someone in this country who loves competition more than I do.”
Fighting was allowed. Beating and stealing from each other was fine.
But.
Like this.
With a rustle, the newspaper rolled across the table toward the two men.
On the paper sprawled on the floor was a two-shot photo of Lee Shin and Lee Myeong-hwan.
“Look at these kids. No one even taught them, yet they’re already charging at each other the moment their eyes meet. I’ve been living for the fun of watching how fiercely those brats fight lately.”
The faint smile on Lee Sang-byuk’s face turned cold once more.
“This is exactly what I wanted to see from you two. An open, honest, head-on confrontation.”
“We’re sorry.”
“We’re so—”
“Sorry, sorry—I’m sick of hearing it. Then don’t do things worth apologizing for.”
For the first time, Lee Sang-byuk lifted his head and looked at his two sons.
His cold eyes pierced them.
“Don’t show your children such a pathetic sight. Once you get old and lose face, it’s over.”
If you understand, get out.
At those words, the two men bowed and left. Soon after, Yu Cheol-ong entered and took his usual place beside Lee Sang-byuk.
“Cheol-ong.”
“Here it is.”
Without needing further instruction, Yu Cheol-ong immediately pulled out a newspaper from his coat.
The moment Lee Sang-byuk took it, his face brightened as if by magic. The front page featured Lee Shin and Lee Myeong-hwan. The article had been edited to look like the two were shouting at each other, as if they were in the middle of a fight.
“Heh heh, look at this, Cheol-ong. Why are they dragging an innocent old man like me into it? These grandchildren’s antics have pulled me in too.”
“You look delighted.”
“Delighted? I’m laughing because it’s so absurd. These young ones have the nerve to use the media like their personal advertising billboards.”
“It reminds me of when you were young, Chairman.”
“…Are you trying to insult me?”
At Lee Sang-byuk’s hearty laughter, Yu Cheol-ong laughed along with him. It had been so long since the chairman laughed this freely. He felt grateful to the two young masters for giving him such a gift.
“Kids really should have this kind of spirit. Don’t you think?”
“Recklessness is the privilege of youth.”
“Exactly. This is what I truly wanted to see. Spirit. Recklessness. Out of all those children, only these two—Shin and Myeong-hwan—show it.”
When you grow old, there aren’t many things left to laugh about. This was truly satisfying.
Then, as if something had occurred to him, Lee Sang-byuk scratched his chin.
“I want to see a bit more…”
“…Should I contact the media outlets?”
“Now that’s dangerous talk. You really know how to say scary things.”
What era did he think this was to talk about pressuring the media? Lee Sang-byuk was not that kind of crude person.
“Double the advertising fees for every media company that put the kids on their front page.”
He was a grandfather with a lot of money.
An enormous amount, in fact.
“Heh heh, this is already fun, isn’t it?”
DNA is real.
[ 36Round Raid. The winner of the hard-fought battle is ‘Mir Guild’ ]
[ Record difference of just 1 minute. Monster hunting and bonus points totaled to a ‘5-point’ victory ]
[ “Five points is practically in the realm of luck.” Is Lee Shin crying? Is Lee Myeong-hwan laughing? ]
[ Finally, the 40th Round final conquest battle. Afterward, rivalry matches until Round 50 ]
[ Dynasty’s Lee Myeong-hwan: “All preparations are complete. I will definitely win the final raid and break Mir Guild’s record.” ]
[ Mir Guild Representative Lee Shin: “Dynasty has a critical weakness. They might stand a chance in a rivalry match, but they can never beat us in a raid (conquest battle).” ]
[ What food is best to eat while watching the 40th Round last raid? ]
[ Nutrition Professor: “For heart-pounding matches, you should eat food that’s good for digestion…” ]
40Round.
LV6. The Flower Blooming from a Corpse Pile.
Boss. ‘Named Flora Carnivora.’
The Dynasty raid team charged into the barrage of whipping tentacles.
“Stick together!”
“Push forward!!”
Just as the gate’s name suggested, the carnivorous flower had taken root atop a mountain of corpses, blooming into a colossal blossom.
Its primary attack came from tentacles generated along its stem. At the center of its grotesque, tooth-filled flower was a magic circle—a necromancy spell.
The magic circles, brimming with power, all glowed at once. Ominous purple beams of light. It was the necromancy spell Death Beam.
At the same time, the scattered raid members converged into one spot. Starting with Hwarang Kim Yu-shin at the front, the tanks slammed their tower shields into the ground.
A shield scrum formed like a fortress wall. The death beams slammed into it.
Screeeeech◎◎#%◎#&&%―!!
A high-frequency shockwave assaulted their ears. The hands gripping the shields felt like they were burning.
Even so, they did not stop.
“Right foot first.”
In step with Hwarang’s movement, the front line advanced. One step. Another. Their slow advance looked exactly like a fortress wall marching forward.
Meanwhile, the dealer line was led by Ssaurabi Kang Han-bi and Electro Jeon Jin-woong.
“Keep your heads straight!! Don’t make a single mistake!! I won’t let anyone embarrass me!”
“This is the last raid! If we lose to ‘those guys’ again today, we won’t even get a chance for revenge! Let’s show them the pride of a major guild!”
Uwooooooo!!
Dealers shot out from both sides of the formation. Even as the enemy’s onslaught continued, they charged forward without hesitation.
Recognizing the threat, the carnivorous flower’s stem trembled violently before firing tentacles in every direction.
Starting with the bundle of lightning shot from Electro’s hand that incinerated the tentacles, swords, spears, and spells followed. The dealers swung their weapons, slicing through the tentacles.
The destructive power of the death beams began to weaken. At that moment, a white aura descended over the wall of shields the tanks had formed.
Blessings, hastes, muscle enhancements, reflex improvements, and all kinds of other buffs and shamanistic spells enveloped the tanks.
The tank line lifted their shields in unison, revealing themselves.
Hwarang, at the forefront, erased the thinned death beam with his bare hand and charged forward. The tanks followed right behind him.
“Let’s go.”
The raid team closed in from all sides.
Even as ghouls rose from the corpse-covered ground and reached out, even as a tidal wave of tentacles crashed down.
They burned with fighting spirit. They spared nothing of themselves.
They were in League 1. They were a major guild.
To lose to a team from the 4th Division? It was an unimaginable disgrace.
Therefore, they absolutely could not lose!!
Lightning struck. Tentacles swept across the ground.
When the magic circles all unleashed their spells at once, the air became packed with shields. The ghouls summoned by the carnivorous flower bared their teeth, only to be crushed beneath a golem’s foot.
Tadadadadadadadadadadada
The distance was rapidly closing.
Perhaps sensing the crisis, the carnivorous flower raised its bud and let out a scream.
For a moment, shadows covered the ground. When someone looked up, the entire sky was filled with magic circles. So many that they even blocked out the light.
Pattern.
Hell Path.
Magic circles that flickered as they drained mana.
A critical, imminent crisis.
It was then. A single streak of light shot through the chaotic battlefield.
It was Kang Han-bi’s dagger.
His plan was to split the battlefield and strike the main body directly.
The carnivorous flower noticed and immediately fired an unprepared magic circle. A thin purple beam successfully deflected the dagger.
But—
Thud!!
Hwarang Kim Yu-shin appeared out of nowhere and kicked the falling dagger.
With a kick so agile it was hard to believe he was wearing full plate armor, the dagger was sent flying behind the carnivorous flower.
At that exact moment, Kang Han-bi shot forward like a bullet to where the dagger had been. He was already in position. Light flashed from the gap in his scabbard.
Draw.
Slice—!
A petal was severed.
The flower screamed.
All the magic circles were canceled.
And finally, Hwarang reached the stem and drove his sword into it.
“Kill it!!”
Swords and spears stabbed in from all directions.
Flames burned the stem. Ice spears pierced through it. Dark clouds had gathered in the sky at some point, and lightning rained down.
Rumble—Kwaaaaaang—!!
Thus, the carnivorous flower’s blossom rolled across the ground, and the gate signaling clear opened.
The raid team that returned through the gate immediately asked the nearest front desk staff, as if they had rehearsed it.
“What about Mir Guild?!”
“The score?!”
“Did we win?!”
And a short while later.
“God daaaaaamn it!!”
40Round.
LV6. The Dungeon of the Disgraced Knight of the Dead.
Boss. ‘Death Knight Yulant.’
·
·
Park Su-bin stood atop the crumbling corpse of the death knight.
Draped over his fluttering mink coat were the ‘arms’ of a milky-white giant.
「???」, 「Mechanic」, 「Magic Power Understanding (S)」(New!!), 「Double Casting」(New!!)
【 You have reached the stat limit that can be raised with ‘Points.’ Stats can now only be increased through ‘Training’ and ‘Items.’ 】