Chapter 58: A Nostalgic Home
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 58: A Nostalgic Home
[Breakline Acquired by Square Garden.]
[Former Breakline Clan Leader Park Sung-jun Indicted: The Filthy True Face of a Power-Hungry Hero.]
[Square Garden Spends Big on Prospect Shopping, Acquires Breakline Outright.]
[Korea’s First D-Rank Clan Leader, Jeong Yeon-woo.]
[Square Garden Clan Leader Lee Ru-da: "Breakline holds infinite value..."]
If you were to name a mid-sized clan that’s on everyone’s lips these days, Breakline would be the first to come up.
From the D-rank prospect suddenly skyrocketing in rank and breaking world records, to me—the face of the organization.
People were already fascinated by Breakline’s trajectory, and this time, the powder keg finally exploded.
Between Square Garden’s acquisition of Breakline and the criminal charges against Clan Leader Park Sung-jun, you couldn't go anywhere on the internet without seeing a post about us.
But they really could’ve left out that one article.
"Korea’s First D-Rank Clan Leader." It’s hilarious just hearing it.
When Park Sung-jun was refusing to sell, claiming he was still the leader, the big players kicked him out and appointed me as the Clan Leader for... what, three minutes? Just so they could close the deal with Lee Ru-da.
The moment I signed the papers, Breakline was absorbed into Square Garden, so my brief stint as Clan Leader vanished into thin air.
Well, technically, there are administrative procedures, so it’s not like we were absorbed the second I put pen to paper. I suppose I was officially the Clan Leader for about three or four days.
Being a Clan Leader might satisfy one's desire for honor and power, but it also means losing your freedom of movement.
Even that ill-tempered Colonel Park was losing his hair trying to run a unit; why would I want the headache of running a clan?
I intend to live a free and happy life in this world.
I’ll let Lee Ru-da handle the annoying stuff while I work hard at being a Hero and live the good life.
Anyway, with the absorption into Square Garden, we found ourselves temporarily out of work.
We’ll have to wait for the paperwork to clear before we can sign new contracts with Square Garden and resume our Hero activities.
Vrrr— Vrrr—
Ugh, here we go again.
Since I’m not officially part of Square Garden yet, the jackals are constantly calling me, trying to scout me while they still have a chance.
Yoon A-young and Kwon Ye-jin are getting bombarded with calls too. Yoon A-young has just given up and keeps her phone turned off.
Kwon Ye-jin, on the other hand, seems to enjoy the attention. She gleefully takes every call, chats them up, and then pulls the ultimate dick move by telling them she’s not interested right before hanging up.
Regardless, everything wrapped up smoothly.
The "pigs" sold their shares to Square Garden for a tidy sum, Park Su-jin got both her revenge and her money, and the employees of Breakline became employees of Square Garden.
It was funny—some people were panicked or even angry when they heard Breakline had been sold, but the moment they heard the buyer was Square Garden, they started cheering as if they’d never been upset.
The Heroes, in particular, were thrilled, bragging about how they were now part of Square Garden...
But I’m not so sure. Lee Ru-da is going to trim the fat, and I have no idea how many of them will actually survive the cut.
Still, I have to look out for my own people.
Lee Ru-da is currently interviewing the key figures of Breakline to sift through the talent.
Since she’s doing this for the entire staff, not just the Heroes, it’s a massive undertaking.
As one of those key figures, I made sure to give her strong recommendations for the people worth keeping.
Tactical Support Team Leader Sung Hee-na, Han Ju-hee—who became my manager—and even Won Tae-hun, who helped me out.
It’s a bit sad that out of all those employees, I could only find fewer than ten worth recommending, but what can you do? Breakline was just that rotten.
The ones I felt bad for were Kim Yun-ah and Baek Bo-min.
Kim Yun-ah held too high a rank; despite her competence, she couldn't just transition into a department head role at Square Garden.
However, she ended up leaving the clan entirely to work under Park Su-jin.
I wonder if they had a deal in place already.
People and their complicated webs.
Then there’s Baek Bo-min.
Since she was just an intern, her position was awkward.
Nevertheless, Lee Ru-da decided to hire her officially and place her under Han Ju-hee.
To help everyone adjust to the new clan, she plans to run teams composed of former Breakline staff plus one additional Square Garden employee for the time being.
She’s better at this than I am, so I don’t need to worry.
Thanks to all this, we’re essentially on vacation.
We’ve been running hard because of Park Sung-jun, so it’s fine to take a moment to recharge.
"Snap out of it and focus."
Lee Ru-da glares at me coldly while holding a tumbler.
I noticed the other employees use mugs; I wonder why only Lee Ru-da uses a tumbler? It’s not like she’s drinking something from a cafe.
I’m curious, but that’s not what’s important right now.
I turn my eyes back to the contract in my hand.
It’s an honor to be the first person to sign a contract with the new Breakline.
"I’ve adjusted it to your liking. Tell me if there are any additional clauses."
Man, big corporations really are the best.
As a major clan, Square Garden’s terms were on a completely different level compared to Breakline’s.
I’ll have to deliver results to match, but the salary, benefits, and bonuses are incomparable.
"Give me the authority over party composition. My party members can't be reassigned without my consent, and if there’s a Hero I want, I should be able to bring them in."
"That’s a pretty arrogant demand. Do you think a D-rank is in any position to ask for that?"
"That’s why you brought me here, isn't it? You want me to do things my way and get results. I just need to prove it through tactics and dungeon clears, right?"
Lee Ru-da crosses her arms and stares at me.
The way she crosses her arms emphasizes her already large chest, which is a nice view.
Even if this is a world that loves men, my balls aren't big enough to openly flirt with an S-rank. While I’m busy stealing glances, Lee Ru-da finishes her thought and uncrosses her arms.
What a shame.
"I’ll make it so that no Hero in your party can be reassigned without my personal intervention. However, the power of appointment ultimately rests with me. There’s public perception to consider, and there may be cases where Heroes need to be redistributed for necessity. You can make appointments, but they must go through me."
In other words, I have to ask permission first.
It’s actually a form of consideration from Lee Ru-da; a D-rank acting like they own the place is a quick way to get on everyone’s bad side.
Since she wants my Supporter tactics, she probably won't block the Heroes I want to recruit anyway.
"Also, give me authority over the Ops."
"Are you saying you won't accept help from the Situation Room?"
"No, I need their help. But I’ll handle the operating, and I want command over the Situation Room."
"So you want to give direct orders to the Situation Room as well as in the dungeon. Can you handle that?"
"I’m not that greedy. I plan to give everyone a certain amount of discretion. It’s just that I need the Situation Room to follow my orders explicitly when necessary. Plus, I’ve had some bad experiences."
I had given orders on-site not to record with the drones, only to find out later that Park Sung-jun had been filming me in secret.
That fact came to light during the investigation following his downfall.
If I had taken Kwon Ye-jin in for presence training and a drone had followed us, it would have been a disaster.
Of course, the ultimate authority lies with the Clan Leader, so if Lee Ru-da ordered them to record in secret, the Situation Room would follow her over me, but it’s better to have it stated.
Since Park Sung-jun had committed so many backhanded deeds, Lee Ru-da nods in understanding.
"It’s only natural to be suspicious after what you went through. Have it your way. But try to trust Square Garden at least a little."
How touching.
She could have been offended, but instead, she grants my request and asks for my trust. She’s cool.
"It might be hard right now, but I hope that as you work with us, you’ll come to trust us... and eventually, truly become one of us."
You see that, Park Sung-jun?!
This is what a proper clan looks like!
If you had been even half as decent as Lee Ru-da, I might have stayed with Breakline until the day I died!
I hadn't thought much of it, but hearing Lee Ru-da say that makes me feel a bit choked up.
A sense of belonging is incredibly important.
Belonging comes before loyalty; even if you aren't fiercely loyal, if you feel like you belong, you’ll integrate into the organization and work proactively for its sake.
This might just be her way of boosting Hero morale, but for now, I want to believe her.
With that thought, I sign the contract immediately.
"Ah, since Yuna is currently C-rank, she can't be in your D-rank party."
"Yes, don't worry about that. Once we start active duty, I’ll climb one step a day just like before. I’ll be C-rank within two weeks."
"Reliable as always. But will it be alright having two Supporters?"
Because Park Sung-jun blasted my dungeon clear videos everywhere to hype me up, I’m now fully perceived as a Supporter.
The most recent video of the Volcano Path clear has spread worldwide, making me famous and sparking interest in the Supporter role.
Seeing me handle the Fire Moray’s fireballs alone, neutralizing ground effects that are the hard counter to Attackers, and allowing Yoon A-young and Kwon Ye-jin to focus entirely on offense, the internet has dubbed me with a respectful nickname:
SM Master. Or Spanking Mania.
... ...
Seriously, stop with the nicknames.
In truth, rather than what a Supporter actually does, the thing that became most famous was me shooting them in the ass.
Instead of saying "Supporters are amazing" or "What incredible tactics," most of the comments on my videos are people saying they wish Jeong Yeon-woo would hit their butts too.
I mean, I did do it half for fun, but I didn't expect it to get this much attention.
"Yes. Hero Lee Yuna’s support style and mine are polar opposites. And as the party grows, we’ll need more Supporters anyway."
Since people are only just starting to try putting Supporters in parties, whether it’s Square Garden or the US, they’ve only been building tactics around a single Supporter.
The more Supporters you have to protect, the more the party’s offensive power drops and the longer battles take. In a world dominated by Attackers, adding even one Supporter to a party is seen as a burden.
Without asking for details, Lee Ru-da nods as if she understands and takes the contract. She extends her hand for a handshake.
"Welcome to Square Garden. I look forward to working with you, SM Master."
Oh, come on.
When I grimace, Lee Ru-da lets out a small laugh.
Since she usually wears such a cold expression, even a tiny change in her face makes her look incredibly lovely.
I take her hand—which is surprisingly soft for an S-rank Hero with such immense power—shake it, and then leave Square Garden.
With the unexpected hiatus, we decided to take a short break.
Until the absorption of Breakline’s facilities is complete, they don't belong to anyone, so we can't even use the training grounds.
Kwon Ye-jin, who had been bouncing between clans before finally landing at Breakline, said she hadn't been home in ages and was going to visit.
She’s from Daegu, so she could have visited whenever she wanted if she’d put her mind to it. The fact that she hasn't gone once until now probably means she was embarrassed.
Given her personality, she likely wanted to return home with her head held high.
And now, having proudly made it into the Top 10 Prospect rankings and joined Square Garden—one of Korea’s Big Three—she probably went home itching to brag.
Looking at her N-Star, it’s full of photos at rest stops with her Thunderblue.
She’s wearing sunglasses and posing like she’s driving a luxury sports car.
Well, it helps promote our party, and she moves fast in the dungeons, so I don't mind.
As for me, I’m planning to head home as well.
Even though I’m more famous than almost anyone in Korea right now, I haven't received a single call from home.
I’m the black sheep of the family.
The original owner’s high school years were the absolute worst.
He was bullied by the students around him and even raped because of his pretty face.
Treated as little more than a plaything, the original owner eventually developed severe social anxiety and rarely left his room.
Because he hid all of this from his family, they couldn't help but find him frustrating.
He wouldn't answer when they asked what was wrong, and he lived like a shut-in.
What does a high school shut-in do all day if he’s not going to school? He just stayed in his room on the computer, barely washing, only coming out to eat or grab snacks in the middle of the night.
Naturally, his family’s perception of him only grew worse.
I remember a memory of his younger sister coming out of her room because of a noise in the kitchen late at night, looking at him with eyes full of pathetic disgust before going back inside.
Why did he let it happen if he was an Awakened?
He awakened late, but more importantly, most of the people tormenting him were Awakened too.
They’re all successful Heroes now.
They’re probably looking at the famous me right now and snickering, saying, "I’ve fucked that guy before."
It’s a relief none of them are in Square Garden, but just you wait. I’ll crush you all just as thoroughly as I did Park Sung-jun.
The one who pulled the original owner out of his shell was Yoon A-young.
He owed her a great debt, but I don't need to tell you the rest of the story about how he was traumatized in that dungeon.
Even so, the fact that she kept talking to him, even if she was a bit prickly, shows that Yoon A-young is a good person.
I look at the door of the old apartment and punch in the passcode.
My body seems to remember it; my fingers move automatically, and the cheap electronic beep signals that the lock is disengaged.
"Mom? Why are you back so ear—"
The original owner’s younger sister, dressed in comfortable lounge clothes, starts to walk out but her expression turns icy the moment she sees me.
I suppose I should be used to that look by now.
I don't know why everyone looks at me like that.
"Hey..."
I try to greet her, but she doesn't even listen. She just turns her head and disappears back into her room.
What a brat.
Even if she hates her brother, she could at least acknowledge him after he’s been gone so long.
I look around the cold, empty living room, shrug my shoulders, and step inside.