The Mountain King's Rampage

These bastards are screwing around from the very first set!!

"Director! Director!!"

"Don't follow me!!"

Bang!

Han Jin-chol, representative of Haemu Guild, kicked open the door of the staff waiting room and stormed out. The front desk employees who had been trying to calm him down flinched at his roar and backed away.

Once he was in the corridor, he strode briskly toward his destination. His face was flushed crimson all the way up to his neck, a clear sign of how furious he was.

In truth, he was absolutely livid.

The match had only been underway for less than ten minutes.

The kill score was already 4:0.

In the blink of an eye, it was already 6:0.

As anyone could see, the match was already a complete slaughter with no hope of recovery.

So was Han Jin-chol this worked up because the game was spiraling into oblivion? That was certainly part of it, but not the whole story.

Han Jin-chol was now in his eighth year as a guild representative. Spending eight years in the majors meant he was a first-rate figure in this industry.

A man like him didn't throw tantrums over a single set loss.

So why?

The answer lay at the end of the corridor, in the 'Central Control Room.'

It was the space where referees and Bureau officials monitored the match and controlled the gate. Naturally, entry was forbidden to anyone except Bureau personnel. Robed Bureau agents stepped forward to block his path.

"...Please stop. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed in here."

"Out of my way!"

"Representative Han."

"I said move! I have something to verify!"

"You cannot do this."

"What is this about?"

"What is it? What do you think? Do you people actually believe what you're seeing? Open your eyes and look! The Mountain King—does that make any sense to you?!"

That was it.

The reason Han Jin-chol was so agitated was the Mountain King.

More precisely, it was the Mountain King's absurd performance.

The Sanwang that Han Jin-chol knew didn't play like this. He would ride his wooden spirit Vita, flying across the map at a measured pace, neither too fast nor too slow.

He was an operator who used his exceptional intellect to stay one step ahead, disrupting the enemy's plans while positioning his allies perfectly. He favored extreme macro play.

That was exactly how the Mountain King had played right up until the final match just days ago...

But look at him now.

"That old geezer is running around like a madman!! The old man who used to just fly everywhere is sprinting all over the place!! He's in the middle of a melee, ripping apart our jungle alive!"

It was Han Jin-chol himself who had implanted the assassination strategy into Haemu Guild to establish them as a stable major guild.

The core of that assassination strategy was 'speed' that enemies couldn't even react to, 'activity' that always assembled fights one step faster than the opponent, and 'attack power' that could explosively dump damage in a single breath.

It was a style that quickly cut down isolated targets in chaotic fights for profit, or pressured enemies with superior numbers.

Thanks to this meta that had been popular overseas in Japan, Haemu Guild had managed to stay in the majors despite being a lower-tier team.

Yet right now, the Mountain King on the screen was hunting those very assassins.

A spirit summoner was beating assassins at their own game of speed, and his attack power was overwhelmingly superior.

Most of all, his activity level—which should have been ahead—was actually falling behind.

"...Do you people seriously think this is possible?"

Of course, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even Han Jin-chol had been present at that problematic event in North Korea.

He had witnessed the miracle of the Mountain King growing younger in real time.

When the representatives talked among themselves, they concluded he must have consumed a 'Legendary elixir.' Han Jin-chol had felt a pang of jealousy just days ago when he heard the man had become ten to fifteen years younger.

But there were limits to how much someone could change.

This went far beyond common sense.

Strength, speed, reaction time, magic power manipulation—his entire level had changed.

It wasn't just ten or twenty years. He had returned to his prime, to those beast-like days when ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he and Ma Jang-dong had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠competed for the rookie of the year award, just as the commentator had hysterically shouted.

"...The Mountain King's prime? That was over thirty years ago. Have you ever heard of an elixir that can turn back time by thirty years or more? Because I haven't."

That was something even the Saint who performed miracles could not do.

That was why Han Jin-chol had no choice but to suspect the only rational explanation.

"You people tampered with the 'control rate' during the opening match to create a star. Otherwise, there's no way to explain that performance, is there?"

The battles of top-tier hunters defied all conventional limits.

Some moved at the speed of light. Others could destroy mountains with a wave of their hand.

When ordinary humans witnessed power that broke the rules, they felt not just rejection but outright fear. That was why the Bureau restricted hunters' abilities to make them more approachable to the public, turning these 'wars' into 'sports games.'

The control rate.

In simple terms, it was a balance patch.

"You touched the control rate to push the narrative of the 'legend's return' and make the Mountain King a star, didn't you? Otherwise, how could a sixty-year-old man be bouncing around like that?!"

"Representative, the control rate for the Guild War is absolutely fair."

"That's why I'm saying I want to see it with my own eyes."

From the Bureau's perspective, Han Jin-chol's claim was utterly ridiculous.

The control rate could never be tampered with. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't, and even if they could, they would never take such a risk just to create one star called the Mountain King. If anything went wrong, the very foundation of the Bureau—the League itself—would collapse.

However, Han Jin-chol's voice only grew louder as his eyes burned with rage. The Bureau agents were just beginning to consider using force when a voice rang out from behind them.

"That's enough. Representative, please calm yourself as well."

"!!"

"!!"

Everyone froze at the appearance of the middle-aged woman in a sharp suit.

Because she was none other than Kim Mi-young, the department chief who oversaw the entire League 1 division.

"What seems to be the problem, Representative? No, let me guess. Is it because of the Mountain King's play?"

"..."

"Ha, I came just in case, but it really did turn out like this."

In fact, Han Jin-chol wasn't the only one. Nearly everyone watching this match was stunned by the Mountain King's return to his prime.

Even the usually neutral Kim Mi-young found it unbelievable. How much more so for everyone else?

"...Do you really need to see it?"

"I must confirm it. You saw it too, Chief. That is impossible!"

"Sigh. Fine. I don't want to start the opening match with a scandal. However—"

The chief's eyes sharpened.

"This is the only time. And whatever you see, you will acknowledge it and explain yourself later."

Don't give people more ammunition for rumors.

At Kim Mi-young's signal, the robed agents began chanting a spell. Magical characters floated across the door for a moment before it opened.

Inside the dark room, magical characters flowed like a galaxy.

And at the center of those characters floated a glowing orb.

"Hey, 'Administrator.' Show me the Mountain King's control rate, will you?"

At the chief's words, the orb spun once and 'recognized' her. Then strings of magical characters raced across its surface before a number appeared...

"!!"

"You know what this number means, don't you, Representative?"

A control rate of 90%.

It meant the Mountain King currently visible on screen had begun the match with ninety percent of his power restricted.

This was the maximum restriction the Bureau could apply, and currently, only one person in Korea was under this level of control.

The rank one hunter, the Divine Archer.

"Listen carefully, Representative. Our Bureau does not interfere with what you do outside the gates. Whether you consumed a Legendary elixir or received a miracle shower, as long as it isn't a serious crime, we will never intervene."

So do not question the Bureau's fairness again.

This is a warning.

"What are you still doing here? The match looks like it's about to end."

"..."

Han Jin-chol shuffled away, looking utterly pathetic.

Meanwhile, the match on the screen was racing toward its conclusion.

.

.

Twenty-three minutes into the match, Mir Guild had pushed down every tower and left only the nexus standing.

The Mountain King calmed his young teammates.

"Don't get excited. There's only one step left. Stay focused and let's finish this cleanly."

"Hehe, it looks like Grandpa is the one who got excited. You basically soloed the whole game."

At Yu Ri-ra's playful voice, the Mountain King and the entire team widened their eyes in surprise.

A moment later.

"Bwahahaha!"

"Pfft!"

"Hahaha."

"Heh."

Starting with the Mountain King, everyone burst into laughter.

"Ri-ra is right. I got too excited and went a little wild after so long. I'm sorry."

"No, it was amazing!"

"You were incredible."

"I admit it. You looked pretty cool today."

Park Su-bin beamed with sparkling eyes, Kim Yu-shin gave a thumbs-up, and even Baek Yeon-woo awkwardly offered praise.

The mature attitudes of his young teammates created a warm, fuzzy atmosphere, but as always, it was Yu Ri-ra who broke the awkwardness.

"But Grandpa, when are you going to show us 'that'?"

"You rascal, you want me to pull that out now?"

"Why not? It's the debut match of the New Mountain King. Let's end it with a big firework!"

At Yu Ri-ra's words, the Mountain King let out a hearty laugh, then looked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠around. His young teammates all nodded at him.

He still had many weapons left. Showing one here wouldn't be a problem.

So he might as well go all out.

His young teammates were pushing him forward. They were giving him courage.

In that case.

"Alright. Let's finish this in style."

At the Mountain King's gaze, the miniature Vita winked.

Smoke screens, cover, traps, automated turrets—every defensive measure possible had been deployed.

It was the best possible decision in a disadvantageous situation, and their fighting spirit was worthy of a major guild. However, everyone's thoughts came to a screeching halt the moment a massive tree burst through the ground.

"...B-block it!"

Someone shouted belatedly, but it was already too late.

The massive tree had already grown as large as a house, its canopy bursting into full bloom.

The primordial tree.

The child of the nine goddesses.

It was the final evolution of Vita, who had become the Administrator of the World Tree.

"Vita."

It was the World Tree itself.

White magical characters danced along the trunk that had risen from the earth.

The moment it filled with light—

Flash!

A white catastrophe struck.

* * *

Haemu Guild waiting room.

While the raid team that had been completely dismantled by the Mountain King—body and soul—sat in stunned silence, Han Jin-chol and the raid leader burst through the door.

"Alright, everyone! Snap out of it!! It's only one set!"

"It's okay, it's okay. We can still do this. Everyone gather up! We're changing the strategy!"

Though he had obtained the information through sheer stubbornness, what Han Jin-chol learned from the Bureau was significant.

Now that they knew the Mountain King was on the same level as the rank one Divine Archer, playing by the book would be insane.

Plan B was scrapped. Plan C was scrapped.

At this point, they had to gamble by rewriting the entire board.

The opponent's greatest weakness!

"This kid right here. Baek Yeon-woo."

"Starting now, Haemu Guild is going to tear apart the top lane."

Haemu Guild's choice was the top lane.

The Guild War was a team game. No matter how strong one individual was, if another part of the team collapsed, the outcome remained uncertain.

"Jeong-seok, you can do it, right? I believe in you!"

"Yes. I'll show you what I can do."

Park Jeong-seok smiled at Han Jin-chol as the man massaged his shoulders.

Meanwhile, at that exact moment, Lee Shin had his hand on Baek Yeon-woo's shoulder as well.

"Yeonu, Yeonu. You 'saw' plenty, right?"

"Yes."

"Then."

Lee Shin grinned wickedly.

"Go slice them up."

Baek Yeon-woo smiled more brightly and innocently than ever.

"Yes."