Chapter 145

Chapter 145: Movement (1)

Translation: godtl

Crunch. Crack. Shatter.

Black, thick metal—or perhaps rock formations of equivalent hardness.

Whichever it was, these unbelievably solid materials were being carved apart in real time.

And for good reason.

Grrrind. Crrrunch.

A golem with hands even larger than Sargas in his Manifestation form was digging through them.

Moreover—

'A golem made entirely of solid dragonium... That's incredible.'

If its entire body was forged from dragonium, there was nothing more to say.

And atop the head of this colossal golem—

"Let's go! Boom boom! Rumble!"

As if riding an amusement park attraction.

A child was cheering excitedly while flawlessly controlling the massive golem. That alone spoke volumes.

'Si-yeon's golem control is exceptional.'

Perhaps because she was a manufactured golem herself.

Si-yeon, who had once controlled multiple golems for delicate tasks like crafting the cure.

When it came to golem control alone, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was a step above Si-mun himself.

'Well, of course. Whose daughter is she, after all?'

Si-mun smiled warmly as he approached Si-yeon.

His daughter being exceptional was just how ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it should be.

"You little rascal! Trying to play dumb and slip past me?"

Si-mun pinched Si-yeon's soft, plump cheek.

"Eeeek!"

"So, are you going to tell me why you followed me into the Arena or not?"

Si-yeon's cheek stretched like sticky rice cake under his fingers.

But Si-mun wasn't about to let it slide.

"Si-yeon."

His gaze was firm as he looked at her.

"Sniff... Daddy, Si-yeon sowwy!"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she threw herself into Si-mun's arms.

"Oof!"

The small, soft sensation wriggled against him.

Even Si-mun's hardened resolve began to soften.

'Really now...'

They say no parent can win against their child.

The stern expression on Si-mun's face melted away on its own.

Still smiling, he gently stroked Si-yeon's head nestled in his arms.

"Si-yeon, Daddy's not scolding you because I'm angry. I'm just worried."

"Worwied?"

"Yeah."

Then, kneeling to meet her eyes:

"Special Arenas are places even Daddy gets nervous in. If Si-yeon gets hurt there, it'll hurt Daddy too."

"Daddy huwt?"

"Of course."

What parent wouldn't feel pain if their child got hurt?

Si-mun nodded firmly.

"Daddy huwt... Si-yeon no like Daddy huwt."

With a determined expression, Si-yeon clenched her tiny fists.

Touched, Si-mun stroked her head again.

"So, Si-yeon, promise me you'll always tell Daddy before entering an Arena from now on, okay?"

"Mm!"

She nodded vigorously before diving back into his embrace.

'So this is what raising a child feels like.'

The warmth in his arms seemed to seep into his very soul.

Si-mun chuckled, rocking side to side as he hugged Si-yeon even tighter.

Snuggled in his arms, Si-yeon—

"Daddy..."

With a terrifyingly cold expression—

"Won't let you... hurt. Never."

—murmured under her breath.

"Hm? Si-yeon, what did you say?"

Just as Si-mun tilted his head to look down at her—

Crumble. Crash.

The sound of something collapsing rang out.

Unlike the stifling, acrid air of the Black Smeltery, a refreshing breeze greeted Si-mun and Si-yeon.

(Though compared to other maps, the air was still somewhat oppressive.)

"We're outside."

Even while talking to Si-mun, Si-yeon hadn't stopped controlling the golem.

At some point, the golem had broken through one of the Black Smeltery's fortress-like walls.

Only under the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sunlight outside did Si-mun finally realize—

'Wait a second.'

He could now see the full form of the golem they were riding.

'This looks just like Sargas.'

To be precise, it resembled Drakka, a muscular upper-level Dragonkin.

But what was even more surprising—

"What the? It doesn't have legs?"

The golem that had been carrying them and tunneling through walls this entire time had no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lower body at all.

'So it's been moving and digging with just its two arms all this time?'

Of course, for a golem of this size and material, it wasn't impossible.

'Controlling it must have been incredibly difficult...'

Using just two arms to handle both movement and excavation was an extremely challenging task.

Si-mun looked down at Si-yeon nestled in his arms with astonished eyes.

Si-yeon, nestled innocently in his embrace, suddenly glanced around and then—

"Hiyaaa!!"

—spotted something and abruptly raised her short arm.

Naturally, Si-mun's gaze followed, and—

"O—Oh, Noble One!!"

"Ah! You're safe!"

"Father! Thank you!"

The Dark Elves who had escaped the Black Smeltery had gathered behind a barricade of ore piles.

"Si-yeon, let's go down."

"Mm! Clank-clank! Awesome!"

Under Si-yeon's control, Si-mun descended toward the Dark Elves via the golem's hand.

He briefly glanced at the pile of ores.

'Must be the golems I transmuted.'

Golems forged from the materials being transported along the Transport Path.

Fortunately, it seemed the transmutation had dissolved after they were fully formed.

"Noble One! Are you injured anywhere?!"

A female Dark Elf approached—Dayna, her face full of concern as she scrutinized Si-mun before suddenly dropping to her knees.

"To dare leave behind the companion of our Father... Please, strike me down!"

"Don't say that, Dayna."

Si-mun grasped her shoulders and helped her up.

"You left on my orders."

"But—!"

"I hate to say this, but if you had stayed, you would've only been a burden. That Dragonkin, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sargas... he wasn't ordinary."

Si-mun smiled gently, even winking one eye at the end.

Dayna wasn't oblivious to the consideration behind his words.

"Truly... I have no words but... thank you...!"

Tears streamed down her trembling eyes.

"D-Dayna?"

For Si-mun, living his second life, this was nothing short of astonishing.

"I will repay this debt without fail!"

With her tearful farewell—

[Hidden Quest 'Toward the Black Smeltery' has been completed.]

[You have gained the absolute favor of the Dark Elf race.]

[You have earned 10,000 Achievement Points.]

[As a reward, 'Black Smeltery Component (?)' has been granted.]

Messages announcing the end of this Arena floated into view.

Meanwhile.

—H-holy shit!

—Bro... I think I pissed myself...

—What kind of magic was that?!

—This... might be impossible?

The viewers who had witnessed everything—from the Black Smeltery's infiltration to Sargas's demise—were in complete chaos.

Especially—

—A Hidden Boss getting wrecked that easily?

—Hidden Boss? LMAO, did you not see its size? That was clearly a raid boss.

—And King Si-mun two-shot it...

Sargas's final moments had delivered an overwhelming shock to the audience.

Naturally.

—Big doesn't always mean raid boss... but that thing was definitely on that level.

—22 (Sargas) was insane.

—FR, this makes no sense. Even a Diamond-tier party would struggle.

—The problem is, Kim Si-mun solo'd something even a Diamond party would struggle with.

Si-mun, who had always displayed overwhelming combat prowess.

The Undefeated Sargas had—

—Look at it the other way. I've never seen anyone dodge all of Kim Si-mun's attacks before.

—Nah, anyone Platinum-tier and up would've noticed. In close combat, Si-mun was outmatched by Sargas.

—Yep. He just spammed ranged attacks while abusing stealth.

—Well, no shit! He's a Magic Class, of course he'd lose in melee against a hulking beast like that. What, you expected him to win?

—Fair point LOL.

—hadn't they fought on equal footing?

—His sheer firepower is brain-melting LOL. Guys, Kim Si-mun is a Magic Class, remember? LOL

—But in the end, even Sargas got 'Si-mun'ned.'

—What the hell was that magic? I've never seen homing lightning before.

—No way he controlled a lightning bolt mid-flight... right?

—Bro, can you react faster than a flying lightning bolt?

—Don't let your guard down. You're dealing with Kim Si-mun here!

The chat scrolled relentlessly.

The chat exploded even more fiercely at Si-yeon's appearance.

And the blonde woman who had been observing all this...

"Incredible."

She pushed up her square-framed glasses slightly and let out a small sigh of admiration.

The man beside her looked at her with somewhat surprised eyes.

Impeccable office suit, not a single strand out of place in her tightly pulled-back blonde hair.

Just from her appearance alone,

Anyone could tell she was an extremely meticulous person.

But that wasn't why the man was surprised.

'She hasn't shown that kind of admiration for any player recently except Kim Si-hyeok and Lee Yu-jeong...'

Kim Si-hyeok and Lee Yu-jeong—Korea's once-in-a-generation talents.

The blonde woman was reacting exactly the same way she had when she first saw them in their rising star days.

So,

"Sis, is Kim Si-mun really that impressive?"

The man asked out of pure curiosity, but...

"Oliver. This is the workplace."

The reply was ice-cold.

But perhaps he was used to this situation?

"My apologies. Department Head Olivia, is this Kim Si-mun player truly that remarkable?"

He smoothly rephrased his question with practiced ease.

"...Team Leader Oliver. How many times must I say it? Keep your personal and professional lives clearly separate."

The woman called Olivia simply glared at Oliver.

After that brief warning, she turned her eyes back to the screen.

And then,

"Extraordinary. So extraordinary it's bordering on miraculous."

Her gaze fixed on the screen, she answered Oliver's question.

'Sis actually used the word "miraculous"...'

Oliver chewed over Olivia's rare outburst of admiration.

'Well, even just watching the broadcast, his combat prowess defies logic. Seeing him in person must be even more unbelievable.'

Even though Arenia was created with technological support from the Galaxy Arena system,

At its core, it was still just a medium that relayed the actual events one step removed.

Naturally, there was bound to be a difference between watching through a broadcast and seeing it live.

There was a reason why national team selection matches and such had live audiences.

And as the recruitment team leader for American Dream,

The world's strongest guild,

Oliver knew this fact all too well.

"Team Leader Oliver."

As if determined not to miss a single moment,

Olivia continued without taking her eyes off the screen.

"I know what you're thinking. But let me tell you this—that Kim Si-mun player will exceed whatever expectations you have."

At a careless hearing, her words might sound dismissive.

In reality,

Oliver, who knew her personality well, was fully aware that she was indeed dismissing him.

"Department Head. I've been at this for seven years now. I know what I need to know."

His voice turned sulky as his lips jutted out.

A somewhat childish reaction for a man in his thirties,

But given Oliver's handsome features, it came off as somewhat endearing.

"...Watch your fucking mouth. Oliver, before I knock those teeth out."

Was it because they were siblings?

Olivia had already torn her eyes away from Si-mun's broadcast.

Her gaze wasn't just cold—it was downright glacial as she glared at her younger brother.

But more shocking than her icy reaction was...

"Knock... teeth? What does that mean?"

Oliver focused on the unfamiliar phrase she'd just uttered.

"It's Korean for that shit-stained mouth of yours sticking out."

Olivia answered without the slightest hesitation.

At his sister's dedication—even dragging Korean into the mix just to curse at him properly—

"Ha..."

Oliver let out a hollow laugh of admiration.

"Isn't Korean supposed to be notoriously difficult? When the hell did you learn curses like that?"

"The first thing you learn in any language is the swear words."

At Olivia's firm reply, Oliver's eyes sparkled.

"Ah~ So that's how you pick up languages so quickly, sis?"

He tried for a winning counter, but...

"Exactly."

His sharp-witted sister wasn't having any of it.

"Which damn bastard keeps puckering their lips and acting cute all the time? I can't just kick their teeth in every single time, can I?"

"......"

Not only did she parry his attack, but she also landed a solid counterpunch.

Oliver, who had tried to mount an offense, ended up losing even his initial investment.

Olivia, watching her younger brother's reaction, subtly curled the corner of her lips.

"And I never say things I don't mean."

With a satisfied gaze, she turned her attention back to Si-mun's broadcast.

"Oliver, no matter how long you've been rolling around in the recruitment department for seven years, you still can't fully grasp Kim Si-mun's worth."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

Just then, the Dark Elf Dayna was shedding tears on screen.

"You're saying that even after watching this scene?"

Olivia adjusted her square-framed glasses as she continued.

"Well, I suppose it's understandable. You're only Platinum, after all."

"Ouch, that really stings my pride. I'm in the upper ranks of Platinum, you know?"

"And yet, you're still just Platinum. If we're going by that logic, I'm in the upper ranks of Diamond, aren't I?"

"......"

Oliver was left speechless once again.

His sister's words were infuriating, but—

The gap between Platinum and Diamond was enormous.

And within Diamond, the upper ranks were practically within sight of becoming Rankers.

Olivia turned her gaze back to the screen on the wall.

"I've only felt this way a handful of times. The most notable examples were ten years ago, when our current Guild Master Derek and Jong-ri Chu were in their Platinum days."

"Huh? You're comparing Kim Si-mun to the Guild Master?"

"It's not a comparison. The Guild Master was exactly at that level back then."

"O-oh, I see......"

Oliver nodded quietly at his sister's response.

Well, she does have ten years of Arena experience.

His sister Olivia had once been one of American Dream's most promising talents alongside Guild Master Derek.

She was one of the few players who had witnessed his rise up close.

Of course, the words that came out of his mouth didn't quite match his inner thoughts.

"Guess I should trust the living relic who's pushing forty, whether I like it or—"

Thwack!

A leg came crashing straight down on his skull.

It was originally meant to be a high-heel strike, but—

Oliver, with his Platinum-level combat reflexes, barely managed to shift the impact point to his shin.

Of course—

"Guh—hk!"

A kick from the upper Diamond ranks was a bit too much to handle even with that countermeasure.

"Wh-who the hell are you trying to kill?!"

Oliver clutched his throbbing temple and shouted, but—

"You asked to be killed, so I'm obliging. And even if this is just a branch office, it's still a workplace. Let me remind you again—keep your personal and professional lives separate."

Her words fell on deaf ears.

Wiping the tears prickling at his eyes, Oliver glared at his fierce sister.

"Separate my ass! So, how are you planning to recruit him?"

"The Guild Master gave direct orders, didn't he? To recruit Kim Si-mun by any means necessary."

"He did. That's why I, the head of recruitment, personally came all the way to establish this branch in Korea, isn't it?"

The head of American Dream's recruitment department establishing a branch office herself?

This was unprecedented in the guild's history.

Oliver looked at Olivia with slightly widened eyes.

"So you have Guild Master-level authority for this recruitment?"

"To be precise, even higher. When it comes to recruiting Kim Si-mun, even the board of directors can't interfere with me."

Considering that the board could normally override even Guild Master Derek's decisions—

This was the most powerful authority ever granted in American Dream's history.

"And... there's some good news too."

Her desk, as impeccably organized as her personality.

She glanced at the monitor on it, a slight smirk tugging at her lips.

Did Oliver already know what was on the screen?

"Ah, it's fascinating, isn't it? They're from his own country, yet they're practically foaming at the mouth to tear him down."

Oliver shrugged and shook his head.

"The circumstances of the privileged, or perhaps just petty jealousy. Either way, it's nothing but good news for us. It's the perfect situation to exploit."

Olivia's emerald eyes swiftly scanned the Korean news articles on the monitor.

"In my experience, people like Kim Si-mun don't care much for material wealth like money..."

She flashed a rare smile as she looked at her younger brother.

"But they absolutely despise dirty tricks. In Korean... yes. They call it jeongtteoreojineun jit—disgusting behavior."