Chapter 135
Chapter 135
Chapter 135: Germany Match (3)
Translation: godtl
[They're pouring in!! Attacks are raining down from all directions!!]
[Ah! From saw blades to electricity and deadly poison! What on earth is that now? Blades coated in something resembling lava are tearing through the German team! Their barriers are being sliced apart!!]
[The German team is helpless against the relentless onslaught from all sides!]
The two men from the National Arena Program, their faces flushed with excitement.
Choi Gang-yeop and Song Jae-kyung shouted without pause, their veins bulging in their necks.
And for good reason.
"What the hell is thisss?!"
"And why is Kim Si-mun the protected target again?! Why?!"
The stage for the Special Match—the Abandoned Railway.
The thirty players who had been certain of victory were now—
"I—I can't hold on any longer!"
"Argh! The barrier—!"
"Perry! Damn it!"
—being mercilessly slaughtered by the mechanical onslaught pouring from every direction, utterly defenseless.
But there was one strange thing.
[Once again, the blades are avoiding Kim Si-mun! The massive hammer missed him too!]
[The cannonballs are the same! Even those projectiles—whether arrows or bolts—miraculously veer away from Kim Si-mun alone!]
The ruthless mechanical attacks, raining down indiscriminately, were inexplicably avoiding Kim Si-mun.
[Before the Defense System's attacks began, it clearly announced Kim Si-mun as the "Priority Protection Target." How on earth did he become a protected target?]
[I'm curious about that too, but honestly, I'm even more baffled that such mechanisms were hidden in the Abandoned Railway in the first place!]
Song Jae-kyung, the commentator, couldn't hide his astonishment.
Choi Gang-yeop nodded as if he understood.
[Since you retired at Platinum, Commentator Song, you must have plenty of experience with the Abandoned Railway.]
[That's right. I've been through the Abandoned Railway at least ten times.]
The Transport Battle, a game mode that appears from Platinum-rank onward.
Song Jae-kyung, a former Platinum player, had experienced the Abandoned Railway more than most.
But.
[But even so, I had no idea mechanisms like those were hidden in the map walls!]
Just look at those merciless machines on the screen.
These so-called "Defense Systems" were a map feature even Song Jae-kyung had never encountered before.
No wonder he couldn't contain his excitement.
And he wasn't the only one shocked.
Whoa... look at that firepower. Even the barriers linked by the healers are getting shredded.
How the hell are they supposed to survive that lol? Even Diamond-tier healers would struggle.
XD So the Abandoned Railway had this hidden all along?
Isn't this completely new info? With that kind of power, there's no way it wouldn't have been discovered before.
It's definitely new. I lurk on foreign forums like crazy, and even they're freaking out.
Viewers across the nation watching the National Arena Program were equally stunned by the sudden appearance of the Defense System.
But the biggest question was:
But why isn't Kim Si-mun getting attacked?
It said he's a "protected target." Did he pick something up?
Yeah, but why is he the only one?
Kim Si-mun, untouched by the Defense System's attacks.
Amid the relentless mechanical assault, he stood there, utterly unfazed.
It was impossible not to wonder why.
Didn't Kim Si-mun do a Dwarf-related Special Arena on his stream before? Maybe that's why?
Right! When that Dwarf girl showed up!
Yeah, didn't he fix some kind of machine back then? Is that the reason?
They're just hoarding all the good info for themselves. Is watching Kim Si-mun's stream a full-time job now lol?
The guy above is just salty. We caught you, you jealous XD.
Without a moment's pause.
The chat window scrolled upward relentlessly, faster than one could blink.
And the middle-aged man with a square jaw who had been watching the National Arena Program.
"This is truly... It exceeds expectations every time I see it."
He absentmindedly stroked his well-groomed beard, which extended neatly along his jawline to his sideburns.
Beside him, the middle-aged Black man, Colin, kept glancing sideways at Derek, whose gaze remained fixed on the screen.
In those eyes was an emotion unbefitting the Vice Guild Master of American Dream, the world's second-strongest guild.
It was brimming with unease.
And for good reason.
"Who would've thought such a hidden piece was buried in the Abandoned Railway?"
The man couldn't tear his eyes away from the broadcast.
Because Derek was the leader currently steering American Dream.
His gaze shifted toward one corner of the screen—the chat window scrolling at breakneck speed.
For an ordinary person, it would be impossible to follow without pausing, but—
"Hoh. So that happened in a Special Arena? Well, if it's a Special Arena, I suppose that makes sense."
The superhuman physical abilities of a Ranker allowed him to effortlessly read the chat at that speed.
"Haha! That's right! The one who wiped out the Abandoned Mine map was also Kim Si-mun!"
The more Derek spoke,
And the more his interest in Kim Si-mun grew,
"......"
Vice Guild Master Colin couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
There was no helping it.
'There's still been no contact from Kim Si-mun's side...'
Setting aside how they had dismissed him in the past as just another Asian,
From donations on his personal stream to private outreach through the Yggdrasil Guild,
Their love calls to Kim Si-mun had continued, yet so far, they had yielded absolutely nothing.
'Damn it!'
Colin bit down hard on his thick lips.
'I never imagined Derek would take this much interest in him!'
Colin himself acknowledged Kim Si-mun's excellence.
Thanks to Andrew, they had belatedly realized his worth, and after scrutinizing the reports in detail,
They found that there wasn't a single prospect in the entire world who could match his performance.
But was that all?
'For some reason, hidden pieces are frequently discovered around that player, Kim Si-mun.'
Hidden pieces.
True to their name, they were so rare that they might appear once or twice a year at most.
Yet Kim Si-mun had been uncovering them in succession, in less than half a year.
That alone was enough to highly evaluate his abilities as a player, but—
'And then there's that power he displayed earlier, putting Leoni Wolf—who had gained the favor of a Constellation—to sleep...'
Leoni Wolf, who had received the power of a Constellation.
Even through the screen, the dazzling force she radiated made it clear to Colin that she was no ordinary opponent.
Likely, every player watching the match—including Derek beside him—had sensed it too.
And yet, Kim Si-mun had put Leoni Wolf to sleep without even laying a hand on her.
What did that imply?
'Kim Si-mun must also have the backing of a Constellation.'
Just like Leoni Wolf, Kim Si-mun must have the patronage of some Constellation.
If so, his monstrous growth and combat prowess made perfect sense.
But—
'What if Kim Si-mun doesn't have a Constellation's backing...?'
Even if Kim Si-mun didn't have a Constellation's support, nothing would change.
No—it would make him even more extraordinary.
'If he suppressed Leoni Wolf in that state without any help from a Constellation... Then we must recruit him at all costs, no matter what it takes!'
Without the aid of a Constellation.
Meaning he had overpowered a player wielding a Constellation's power with nothing but his own strength.
Perhaps Colin was thinking the same thing?
"Hmm... Colin. Judging by the look in your eyes, I think we're on the same page."
Derek stroked his beard in satisfaction as he spoke.
"We'll need to completely revise our scouting approach for Kim Si-mun."
"Of course. I'll send the head of our recruitment department to Korea. He has even higher authority than I do when it comes to recruitment."
"That would be good. But it still won't be enough."
Like a scene from a movie, Derek continued—
"Kim Si-mun is at minimum a rising star backed by a Constellation, or something equivalent. He's practically guaranteed to be a future Ranker."
He gazed at Si-mun, who was leisurely strolling through the barrage of attacks.
"Many countries besides ours will likely be after Kim Si-mun. We should consider setting up a guild branch in Korea to maintain continuous recruitment efforts."
"Understood."
"And if necessary..."
Derek paused briefly.
[Ahh! Player Max! He's making one last desperate stand, even using Veil of Concealment, but it's futile!]
[Is there some kind of infrared detection? The Defense System is targeting him with pinpoint accuracy even through the Veil of Concealment!!]
[Meanwhile, Player Kim Si-mun looks as relaxed as if he's out for a stroll!]
[Ahh! The healer squad has been completely wiped out! At this rate, they won't last much longer!]
He silently watched the National Arena Program's broadcast, which was filled with lament after lament.
The screen showed the German team rapidly collapsing after their healers were wiped out.
"I'm also considering going to Korea myself, so give the recruitment department head a heads-up."
"What?! You're going personally?!"
Colin's eyes widened in shock.
And for good reason.
"Uh... Derek? Isn't that a bit excessive? You've never personally gotten involved in recruitment before. Wouldn't it be better to just... quietly eliminate him if necessary?"
Colin barely swallowed the rest of his words.
"Better to what?"
Derek flashed a dashing smile as he pressed for an answer.
"Ah, the Arena! Right! I figured you'd want to squeeze in another Arena match!"
Colin barely managed to string together a response.
Was Derek satisfied with that answer?
"Well, aside from sleeping, I do dedicate all my time to the Arena. I know it's been tough on you, bro."
With an even broader smile, Derek gave Colin a light pat on the shoulder.
"W-what are you talking about?! You're the man leading the world's greatest guild—of course you should be focused on growth!"
Colin forced a wide grin while inwardly wiping the cold sweat from his chest.
Derek patted his shoulder once more before turning his gaze back to the screen.
"Fuck! Is this even a game anymore?!"
With the final scream of Max, the German team's assassin-class player—
[And with that, the Platinum Division Special Match comes to an end!]
[The winner is South Korea! With this, they've secured their Seed Rights for the main tournament!!]
The Platinum Division match between South Korea and Germany had concluded.
"No, we're currently doing everything we can to manage the situation..."
A somewhat gaunt, ordinary-looking middle-aged man held a phone to his ear.
"Yes, we're reviewing the articles now."
But the man's rough voice matched his fierce eyes as he stared at the bright monitor.
[Seed Rights Secured! Advancing to the Main Tournament and Grabbing the National Buff—All in One Go?! The Miracle of the Special Match!]
[The Eight Heroes Who Saved the Nation, and Kim Si-mun—The Miracle's Key Player!]
[Kim Si-mun:"This Was a Team Effort"—A Display of Humility]
[Germany in Shock—Leoni Wolf, Platinum Division's #1:"This Match Was Invalid! I Refuse to Accept It!"]
[Reevaluating the Association President's Insight and Response! Choi Chang-wook, the Golem:"It Was Simply a Necessary Measure for Victory"]
[Is the Platinum Division's Weak Performance Due to Corrupt Guilds? Spotlight on Former Platinum National Team Members Stripped of Qualifications.]
A strikingly handsome young man.
Articles filled with Kim Si-mun's photos densely packed the monitor screen.
"...My apologies. I have no face to show you."
The middle-aged man holding the phone to his ear involuntarily grimaced.
His face was etched with anger, bewilderment, and a tinge of fear.
Then—
"Yes, of course. I'll handle it without fail. Please trust me, hyung-nim."
Only after repeating this posture several times could he finally end the call.
"Damn it!"
The moment the call disconnected, he immediately hurled his phone at the monitor.
Crash!
The phone didn't just pierce through the monitor screen—it embedded itself into the wall behind.
The impact made the nameplate on the table—[Scorpion Guild Vice Guild Master Kim Jong-jun]—sway precariously.
"Huuu..."
As if trying to suppress his rage,
Kim Jong-jun clenched and unclenched his fist several times before pulling out a cigarette from his pocket.
Click.
A burly man who had been watching from a distance quickly approached to light it.
After taking a few deep drags and exhaling, Kim Jong-jun blew out a stream of white smoke and spoke.
"Du-sik."
"Yes, hyung-nim."
"The media?"
Despite having just seen the flood of online articles,
Kim Jong-jun deliberately asked Kim Du-sik again.
He knew the reason all too well.
"Well... since they secured the Seed Rights, the media is currently buzzing about Kim Si-mun and the Platinum Division's performance..."
Kim Du-sik answered with uncharacteristic caution for his massive frame.
"But... they're also gradually bringing up the players who were stripped of their qualifications before the match."
Immediately afterward, Kim Du-sik hunched his imposing shoulders.
Though it looked utterly ridiculous,
his reaction was wise.
"Goddamn it!!"
A rough curse erupted alongside a burst of Qi Wave.
True to the fury of an enraged Ranker,
Crash!
Glass bottles and other fragile items rolled across the floor as if struck by a violent gust.
"That bastard Kim Mu-yeol! Not content with stabbing us in the back, he had to push things this far?!"
Kim Du-sik shuddered under the murderous aura of a Ranker.
Struggling to steady his trembling body, he cautiously spoke up.
"U-upon investigation, all the media outlets mentioning the disqualified national team players... were affiliated with the Association President's side."
"Of course they were! That selfish, meticulous bastard would even raise a blade against his own family if it served his interests!"
Kim Jong-jun stabbed his half-smoked cigarette into the ashtray with force.
"He's probably trying to divert attention from his arbitrary dismissal of 23 national team members. And as a warning to us—daring to raise our heads against him."
That cunning, ruthless son of a bitch.
Muttering this, Kim Jong-jun tapped the ashtray with his fingers.
"Du-sik."
"Yes."
"How many guilds did Kim Mu-yeol purge?"
"Eleven in total."
"Eleven... All guilds with First Generation veterans, right?"
"Yes."
The corner of Kim Jong-jun's mouth twisted upward.
"Call them all."
"All... of them?"
"Yeah. If we stay like this, we'll just keep taking hits from Kim Mu-yeol, won't we?"
Kim Jong-jun's gaze turned toward the shattered window.
Beyond it—
"That bastard's been running wild ever since he became Association President. Maybe it's time someone from the same generation puts him in his place."
The towering building of the Korean Awakened Association loomed in the distance.
"And Kim Si-mun. That damn bastard has caused us too much trouble."
At those words, Kim Du-sik's thick neck twitched.
"Well... he has taken down quite a few of our promising players."
"We'll settle both scores this time. After contacting all the guilds, gather our media outlets."
"Yes, hyung-nim."