Chapter 132
Chapter 132
Chapter 132: A Variable? (2)
Translation: godtl
"You're not joking, are you?"
Even at Si-mun's subdued question,
"You want to hear it, don't you? Then take a seat."
Lin merely wore her usual enigmatic smile.
"......"
About ten seconds passed.
"Phew..."
After silently observing her, Si-mun let out a short sigh and sat down.
In his past life, he wouldn't have believed a word from this fox-like woman from the start.
But considering my current relationship with her... There's no reason for Lin to lie to me about something like this.
She's the type who would have thoroughly investigated everything about me by now.
She must know full well that the incident ten years ago left me with the terrible affliction of Mana Disability.
Therefore, she'd also be well aware of how sensitive this topic is for me—she wouldn't bring it up just to pique my interest.
"Then that means it's true...?"
Mana Disability.
Perhaps because it was the calamity that had completely altered the course of his life, Si-mun felt his heart pounding for the first time in a long while.
Lin, who had been watching Si-mun intently, deepened the curve of her eyes and lips.
"That flushed look suits you quite well. It makes me want to see your face even more overcome with excitement."
"...Should I just get up and leave?"
"Hoho! Just kidding. I'm joking."
At Si-mun's immediate stern expression, Lin winked.
But given the unusual circumstances,
Si-mun merely let out another short sigh and didn't rise from his seat.
Lin savored his reaction a little longer, then spoke just before his patience ran out.
"As you may know, I've been continuing my background checks on you, Si-mun."
"I don't think that's something you should admit so boldly."
"What does it matter? Between us."
"What do you mean, 'between us'—! Ugh... Fine. Go on."
Si-mun shut his eyes tightly, reciting the character for 'endurance' in his mind.
Perhaps because she'd regained her usual composure?
The delight in Lin's sleek eyes was unmistakable.
"Before that, I want to ask you something. Si-mun, how much do you know about that incident ten years ago?"
At her question, Si-mun rested his chin on his hand for a moment.
Then, without missing a beat:
"A terrorist attack by Awakened targeting the upper class, and an incident that further cemented the Desperado's infamy by their reckless use of Arena-produced poisons and items."
His answer was flawless.
"Just as I thought. The Desperado. Those unpredictable lunatics will do anything if the conditions are right. Really... anything."
Lin's tone took on a peculiar inflection at the end.
But Si-mun could sense it.
'Killing intent?'
Her strange tone carried a faint but unmistakable hatred and bloodlust.
'She must have had some conflict with the Desperado.'
It was unexpected.
The Nine-Tailed Fox Lin he knew was someone who truly stopped at nothing to achieve her goals.
In a way, she could be considered similar to his uncle, Kim Mu-yeol.
So it wouldn't be strange if she'd crossed paths with a villainous organization like the Desperado.
But to think she actually had a grudge against them?
He was quite curious, but Si-mun refrained from pressing further.
The reason was simple.
'Because it has nothing to do with me.'
Whatever bad blood she had with the Desperado,
it had absolutely no connection to Si-mun.
His relationship with Lin was strictly business, after all.
'And it's not like I want to get tangled up with them either.'
Just then,
"My, my~. That's quite an unpleasant look you have there?"
A voice dripping with sarcasm reached his ears.
He was well aware that whenever Lin's mood soured or she had an ulterior motive, she tended to turn up the charm.
"You're mistaken. Anyway, why bring up the incident from ten years ago?"
Si-mun quickly steered the conversation away.
"Hmm~."
There was no way Lin wouldn't see through it, but
she merely let out a long nasal sigh and raised one eyebrow.
Without pressing further, she answered:
"To be honest, I was incredibly curious about how you managed to create that cure of yours. Just the quantity circulating through our channels alone brings in... truly absurd profits."
Si-mun nodded silently at her words.
'Being the owner of the Black Market, it's only natural she'd be curious.'
Wasn't the Black Market a place where money could buy anything?
True to that slogan.
The Arena Disease cure, despite its exorbitant price, sold out every time—enough to make anyone greedy.
Of course, she'd want her own production line outside of their deal.
"I understand perfectly. So?"
"As I traced your past activities, I eventually arrived at the incident ten years ago. And guess what? I discovered something quite amusing."
Whether she genuinely found it amusing or not—
Lin smiled, her white teeth on full display.
The sight was so breathtakingly beautiful, like something out of a fashion spread, that even Si-mun—who was no stranger to beautiful women—felt his heart skip a beat.
But the words that followed were far from beautiful.
"That incident... wasn't just the work of some deranged Villains' mindless terrorism."
[Commentator Song! The day has finally arrived!]
[Indeed. I've been counting down the days, so much so that I couldn't even sleep properly.]
The National Arena Program, Korea's largest Arena broadcast channel, was buzzing with feverish excitement.
And for good reason.
[Haha! Same here. Isn't this the final match that determines whether our South Korea advances to the main tournament?]
With Korea's elimination from the qualifiers all but certain—
This was their last hope—the final match of the Platinum Division Special Match, happening today.
[And I'm sure we're not the only ones. Many viewers must have been anxiously waiting for this day as well.]
[Absolutely. Just look at the viewers' reactions right now!]
The National Tournament.
Or any Arena matches of similar scale—the National Arena Program always kept the chat open during broadcasts.
This wasn't unique to Korea; other countries' Arena broadcasters did the same.
Most international matches didn't allow players to stream individually.
Perhaps because the match was available across multiple platforms—
The National Arena Program's chat was flooded with an overwhelming barrage of messages, faster than one could blink.
[Wow! The chat is even more heated than yesterday!]
[It looks several times livelier. Probably because of yesterday's victory.]
As commentator Song Jae-kyung said—
The volume of messages was several times higher than during yesterday's Special Match against Palestine.
[I get it. Who among us could've predicted we'd win against Palestine?]
[Right. The prevailing opinion back then was,"Even Kim Si-mun can't win 8 against 30!"]
Eight versus thirty.
After a sudden mass withdrawal of national team players, public sentiment toward the Special Match had been overwhelmingly negative.
Song Jae-kyung shuddered slightly, as if he didn't even want to recall that time.
[It's still vivid in my mind. When Palestine added the Activity Range Restriction option...]
[Ahh! That shock is unforgettable.]
MC Choi Gang-yeop also sighed deeply and nodded fervently at Song Jae-kyung's words.
This wasn't just a broadcast reaction—it was genuine.
[But a miracle happened for us. And isn't it worth hoping for another one today?]
[True. No matter how strong Germany is, if we recall Kim Si-mun's performance yesterday— Ohh! The coaches from both teams are entering!]
Song Jae-kyung's commentary shifted abruptly.
The broadcast screen now showed two middle-aged men stepping forward.
Just like in the Palestine match, they stood facing each other across the altar at the center of the arena.
Then—
[The region and event for the National Tournament Special Match will now be selected.]
A hologram-like system window floated above the altar.
After a few moments of waiting.
[The location for the Special Match has been selected.]
[The selected location is 'Abandoned Railway'.]
[The selected game mode is 'Transport Battle'.]
New system messages appeared.
"Abandoned Railway......"
"Transport Battle?"
The moment the two coaches confirmed the location and game mode.
[Selecting roles for the Transport Battle.]
Rattle.
Along with a series of text, a sound similar to the effect of a Special Random Box was heard.
Soon after.
[Selection complete.]
[Korea has been assigned the defensive role.]
[Germany has been assigned the offensive role.]
The roles for the Transport Battle were finalized.
"I'll use an Option Addition Ticket."
As if he'd been waiting for this moment,
the German coach pulled an Option Addition Ticket from his pocket and threw it toward where the system window was floating.
Swoosh.
The Option Addition Ticket melted away like snow.
[Option Addition Ticket has been used.]
[Please specify the additional option.]
Then.
"I'll use the Reserve Personnel Addition Option."
The German coach calmly activated the Reserve Personnel Addition Option.
[Reserve Personnel Addition Option has been used.]
[The maximum number of players for the German team has increased.]
"W-what, Reserve Personnel Addition?!"
Coach Jang Yun-seok's mouth fell open.
[Um... Commentator Song? Did I hear that wrong? Did the German side just choose to add reserve personnel...?]
[I'm utterly dumbfounded too... but you heard correctly. The system window clearly states 'Reserve Personnel Addition.']
[Haha... Just who are they planning to add by choosing such an option?]
The two hosts of the National Arena Program looked utterly bewildered.
The viewers watching felt the same.
-Reserve Personnel Addition? Are they out of their minds?
-Even if it's just 8 more players, we have Kim Si-mun here...?
-Why are you all so shocked? We should just be grateful that Si-mun's warmed up now.
-What are you talking about? Germany isn't some low-tier country. They wouldn't choose that option without a plan.
-Yeah, they must have something up their sleeves, right?
-And is that 'something' really enough to justify letting Si-mun warm up? They're just adding one more Platinum, for crying out loud.
-Exactly lol. When he single-handedly wiped out Palestine's 30 players, why add a Platinum who isn't even Diamond? Lmao.
The chat was in complete chaos.
With so many viewers, opinions varied,
but there was one common thread.
The burning question of why they'd increase the number of participants when even targeting Si-mun alone wouldn't be enough.
However.
[The National Tournament Special Match will now begin.]
[The location is 'Abandoned Railway,' and the game mode is 'Transport Battle.']
Despite the match starting smoothly without any other option-based targeting.
"......"
Si-mun's stiff expression refused to ease.
Perhaps because of this?
"Um... Mr. Si-mun, are you alright?"
"If you're worried about the additional personnel, don't be. We can at least find out who they added."
"That's right. I have an A-grade Stealth trait. And since the map is underground, I can definitely scout them out!"
Lee Sang-min and the other Korean players spoke confidently.
It wasn't just to lift Si-mun's dark mood.
"Thanks to our last victory, our guilds have fully lent us S-rank equipment."
"Plus, even though it was rushed, we've completed training for a 7-player formation. We'll at least pull our weight!"
Thanks to their win against Palestine, the players had received substantial support from their guilds.
And though it was only a day, they'd even trained for a formation optimized for a small team.
Of course, the skill gap against a powerhouse team and the numerical disadvantage of 30 players wouldn't be easily overcome.
But the morale of the national team, having tasted victory once, was far higher than during the Palestine match.
Si-mun gave them a small smile and nodded.
"That's reassuring. Let's do our best in this match too."
Yet, Si-mun's heart remained heavy.
Not because of Germany's sudden strategy of adding reserve personnel.
About the Reserve Personnel Addition,
just yesterday,
Lin—who had unexpectedly dropped by to treat him to dinner—had already told him everything.
Moreover, she had even uncovered who was involved.
The problem was.
'The Continent Guild...'
It was the truth behind the incident from ten years ago that she had uncovered.
'Right. I can accept that the Continent Guild was involved. Setting aside the fact that they're that kind of bunch to begin with, they were already funding the Desperado back then.'
The Desperado—the world's largest villain organization.
And wasn't the Continent Guild one of the forces backing them, allowing them to run rampant as they pleased?
So when Lin first mentioned that the Continent Guild was connected to the incident ten years ago, Si-mun wasn't particularly surprised.
But the next name that followed was another matter entirely.
'Chairman Lee Sun-cheol...?'
Lee Sun-cheol.
The chairman of the Seongsam Group, a figure who wielded influence over South Korea's business world.
Given that the terrorist attack ten years ago had targeted Korea's upper class, he, too, had been a victim of the incident at the time.
Yet, he was involved in it?
Even more—
'Just take Aunt Lee Yeong-hui, for instance—she collapsed from the aftereffects of that very attack...'
The reason the Seongsam Guild had been able to reign as Korea's strongest even after the emergence of the Galaxy Arena.
Do-hu Lee Yeong-hui, the one who had built the Seongsam Guild as it was today, had also suffered full-blown Circuit Reversal due to that terrorist attack ten years ago, hadn't she?
And she wasn't the only one.
'If it hadn't been for me back then, Si-hyeok and Yu-jeong would have...'
Lee Yu-jeong, the daughter of Do-hu and the only granddaughter of Chairman Lee Sun-cheol himself.
And even Kim Si-hyeok, his own younger brother.
Had he not been there, both of them would not have escaped unscathed from that attack either.
At the very least, they would have suffered from Arena Disease or disabilities of similar severity.
The Arena-made artifacts and poisons those bastards had detonated back then were no different from biochemical weapons.
'Wait a minute... Now that I think about it, weren't Auntie and I the only ones who contracted Arena Disease from that incident?'
Though the opportunity of awakening didn't discriminate between commoners and the wealthy.
Among the upper class who had been targeted in the attack, there had been quite a few Awakened.
Yet, out of all of them, only Auntie and he—just the two of them—had suffered from Arena Disease.
And not just any diseases, but severe ones like Mana Disability and Circuit Reversal.
Back then, he had simply chalked it up to bad luck.
'There's something more to this.'
Now that he knew who was involved, his perspective had changed.
Just as Si-mun's thoughts deepened—
[Transport target has been generated.]
[Either safely transport the target to the destination or eliminate all other players.]
—the system window jolted him awake.
Si-mun steadied his breathing with a light exhale and cracked his neck from side to side.
'For now, focus on the Special Match.'
Even if he had uncovered those involved.
He still didn't know exactly how they were connected.
Clack.
Si-mun ran his fingers over Paracelsus' Cylinder mounted on his left arm.
Then—
Screech.
Three black Transmutation Circles melted into the surroundings of the mineral cart generated atop the rusted rails.
Before long, the air shattered like glass.
Grrrrr.
Kwoooong!
A horde of Demonic Beasts—composed solely of Hellhounds and Dark Grizzlies—poured forth.
"Ooh!"
"They're here!"
Despite their uniformly ferocious appearances.
The faces of the national team members brightened considerably.
They had already experienced firsthand just how dependable these savage beasts were as allies.
Whine.
Si-mun grinned and stroked the head of the Hellhound rubbing its face against his waist.
Its pitch-black fur, smooth as the finest velvet.
Tingled against his fingers.
'It would've been nice to have Fell Bats too, but flying-type Demonic Beasts aren't much use underground.'
Sigh...
Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Si-mun gave the Hellhound's head one more rub before turning to move—
[The Constellation 'Baal' lets out a displeased groan..."Hmm..."]
Baal's sudden reaction struck.
Kuuuuung—
An overwhelming pressure bore down on Si-mun's entire body.
And he wasn't the only one affected.
Screeeech!
Kwooo!
The summoned Demonic Beasts shrieked in unison.
Then—
Drip.
"Cough!"
A sound like something snapping rang out, and a mouthful of blood burst from Si-mun's lips.
But Si-mun didn't react to the sudden hemorrhage.
Or rather, he couldn't.
Because—
"Si-mun-ssi!"
"T-The Demonic Beasts...!"
The Demonic Beasts that had just been summoned were turning to ash in real time, vanishing before their eyes.