Chapter 23: Vanquisher (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: Vanquisher (1)
On the top floor of a mysterious skyscraper, a place closer to the sky than the ground.
Inside a luxurious room, four women were seated at a round table. Their hair, shimmering in different colors, emphasized their individuality and dominated the room. Each possessed a beauty that could, without exaggeration, be called nation-toppling.
“So.”
The woman with long, sky-blue hair was the first to speak.
“You’re saying it went well?”
She elegantly crossed her legs, folded her arms, and scanned the other women.
The one who responded was a woman with black hair braided to one side. She casually lifted her wrist to look at the obsidian bracelet she was wearing.
When the light blinking on the bracelet finally went out, Ha Sion smiled in satisfaction.
“Looks like it just finished. Perfect.”
“That’s a relief. This will change his combat style.”
The woman with sky-blue hair nodded and said.
She respected him completely, but she also believed he wouldn't hesitate to take a better path if one presented itself.
“Of course. Who do you think did the tuning?”
A woman with a bob cut, radiating a faint, holy aura, spoke up.
Her fingertips had been slowly caressing a cross that lay on the desk. The cross had a presence far too great to be a mere ornament.
As if to say, ‘Just look at this,’ she stroked the cross repeatedly.
“Are you showing off?”
When the woman with sky-blue hair asked with a smile, the short-haired woman gave a subtle nod.
“Of course.”
The short-haired woman chuckled and pushed the cross forward on the desk with her fingertips. Her gesture was filled with unconcealable pride.
“Hae-in had an official certificate issued by the Cult in my name. It explicitly states that I’m the ‘Owner.’”
She lifted the cross, showing off its faintly glowing surface as she continued.
“Thanks to that, the old geezers at the Cult couldn’t say a word—they just nodded.”
Even so, she carefully traced its outline with her fingertips, as if handling a precious treasure.
“Really… he didn’t have to go that far….”
Her words trailed off, her expression melting into ecstasy.
“Will you shut up?”
A sharp voice suddenly cut through the room.
A woman with black hair tied back and crimson eyes spoke coldly.
“Let’s talk about something productive, please. Is the Holy Water supply contract still a long way off?”
At that, the short-haired woman slowly turned her gaze.
“That side of things is still the old geezers' territory, so it's a bit difficult.”
She tilted her head slightly and placed the cross back on the desk.
“But it’ll be done soon.”
“Good.”
The black-haired woman gave a curt nod.
“Still, for him to buy up the stocks right after Kang Yu-sung died and the price dropped…”
Yu Hana remarked in quiet admiration.
Her eyes held a mixture of pure surprise and joy.
“It’s Jung Hae-in, after all.”
Kang A-rin replied. Her voice was filled with pure trust in him.
“After killing that bastard Kang Yu-sung, he pinned it all on the Mines.”
She gave a short laugh and continued.
“He drives up the stock price, saves Hae-in some trouble, and makes money. How great is that?”
The other women in the room quietly nodded in agreement.
They all wore expressions of considerable satisfaction.
“That’s why.”
Kang A-rin continued, lightly tapping the table with her fingertips.
“If you remember anything, tell us everything.”
Her voice, soft yet firm, echoed in the room.
“You know we can never fully repay the debt we owe him, no matter what we do, right?”
They were few words, but the room instantly fell silent.
Her words hung in the air, heavy like a lingering echo.
*
“Wow, again?”
[Glory Arcadia Signs Exclusive Holy Water Supply Contract.]
The two organizations have been interacting quite actively lately.
Kang Yu-sung dying so soon was a stroke of genius.
It seemed to be part of the snowball effect created by his death.
Thanks to that, my bank account was snowballing today. A smile spread across my face as I watched the numbers climb rapidly.
“Nice.”
It’s been one good thing after another recently.
Today is Friday.
With just one day to go until the weekend, my steps felt light.
Of course, it's not like I rest on the weekends… but maybe because my body was a student's again, my mind seemed to have reverted to that of a student as well.
‘I need to get the Dongbaek Sword… and negotiate the price with the Cult….’
Besides that, there were all sorts of other things to do. The list of opportunities I'd compiled was piled up like a mountain; even if I went after one a week, it wouldn't be enough.
On top of that, it was about time I passed on a suitable martial art to Seong Si-woo….
I don’t know if that bastard has made up his mind yet.
He rejected the team members last time and is just being a stubborn ass.
If he insists on using a sword….
‘Maybe I need to beat him some more.’
Anyway, I’ll think about that when the time comes.
I was on my way to the Heavenly Martial Hall, where I had a class today.
Its name was the Heavenly Martial Hall, but surprisingly, it was a lecture hall for theory classes.
What's more, they said an active hero had been specially invited to give a lecture today.
I was actually looking forward to it, since I'd never seen another top-tier hero in person.
The time was nine in the morning, sharp.
Arriving right on time is the mark of a good student, isn't it?
-Creeak
I opened the back door of the Heavenly Martial Hall.
-Slam!
And slammed it shut again.
“What the fuck?”
What the hell is that guy doing here?
I wondered if my eyes were deceiving me.
I cracked the door open again and carefully peeked inside.
Despite the loud noise I'd made closing the door, all the students' eyes were fixed on the hero on the stage.
A man with slicked-back hair, wearing sunglasses even indoors.
The specially invited hero was someone I knew. Very well, in fact.
Our eyes met.
He was wearing sunglasses, but I could feel his gaze on me precisely.
Then, he grinned, showing his gums.
He was the very same man who had requested an analysis of Seong Si-woo before,
Park Gwang-cheol.
*
The professor in charge of the theory class pointed to him standing beside the podium and said,
“He took time out of his busy schedule for us today, so please give him a warm round of applause.”
-Clap, clap, clap, clap!
The lecture hall filled with a thunderous ovation.
“Hello, everyone. I'm Park Gwang-cheol.”
Park Gwang-cheol said, slightly lifting his sunglasses.
His one sentence was met with a flood of cheers from men and women alike.
It was understandable. He wasn't just a hero; he was a star beloved by the public.
He smiled and said,
“My affiliation… I'm sure you all know it. I'm with Vanquisher.”
As soon as he finished, another round of applause and cheers erupted.
Watching the scene, I sat down and let out a small sigh.
Then I sent a message to Sion.
[Jung Hae-in]: Sion, Mr. Park Gwang-cheol is here.
A reply arrived not even five seconds later.
[Sion]: Huh? Where?
[Jung Hae-in]: In front of me.
[Sion]: ?? Why is Uncle Gwang-cheol there?
That’s what I fucking want to know.
[Jung Hae-in]: I don't know, something about a special guest lecture....
[Sion]: Ah, I think I heard something from Grandpa? Something like, who wants to go~ who doesn't~
So he's the one who ended up coming.
[Jung Hae-in]: He's been staring at me ever since I walked in. What do I do?
[Sion]: Ugh... that sucks. Good luck....
I ducked my head low and focused on my desk.
Not standing out was my top priority.
But contrary to my worries, he conducted the class with surprising diligence.
He even continued the lecture by mentioning newly established theories.
Objectively, his lecture was interesting. Even I was getting drawn into it.
“Oh, look at the time. Shall we take a ten-minute break?”
Park Gwang-cheol said, checking his watch.
Usually, when a lecturer announces a break, students would rush out of the classroom.
But today, no one was leaving.
Just then, a female student shyly raised her hand.
“Sir, may I ask a question?”
“Yes, of course.”
Park Gwang-cheol answered cheerfully.
“It's not related to the lecture….”
“Hey, that's fine.”
“Then… how does one join Vanquisher?”
She was the one who asked, but she was really just voicing the question for everyone.
That question was surely on every student's mind.
After all, even Seong Si-woo, sitting in the very front row, was waiting for the answer with sparkling eyes.
The team led by the Old Man, Vanquisher, is one of the best teams in the world.
But befitting their fame, they are also famous for being extremely selective about new members.
Therefore, joining Vanquisher was synonymous with proving oneself to be a top-tier hero.
Unfortunately, however, I rarely had any dealings with them while playing the game.
‘In the original story, they were wiped out in the beginning.’
In the early stages of the original story, Vanquisher is annihilated in a surprise attack by the Mines.
They were merely a tool to herald the tragic beginning of the story.
-The world's greatest hero team has been annihilated.
Their deaths were described in that single, short line of text.
They existed to emphasize the overwhelming strength of the enemy and the despair of the situation.
But.
‘Things are different now.’
I slowly exhaled.
That incident hasn't happened yet.
And this time, I can stop it.
Because I have enough information and a plan.
If I can prevent their deaths, they will surely become a great asset in the future.
But honestly, that wasn't the only reason.
At some point, they had stopped being mere characters in a story I had written.
Vanquisher, once represented by a single line of text, was now deeply woven into my life.
For Sion's sake.
No.
For my own sake.
I would not let them die.
No matter what.