Chapter 152
Chapter 152
Chapter 152: Public Opinion (4)
Translation: godtl
"......."
Silence fell over the training ground.
And it was only natural.
"My... Night's Net...!"
Night's Net.
A technique woven from the SS-rank trait, Blessing of the Night, each strand of it matching the destructive power of an average Sword Energy.
And yet, it had been torn apart by a single punch?
Park Jin-uk stared blankly as the remnants of the Night's Net dissipated.
"Hah."
He let out a short sigh and shook his head slightly.
"You've been dodging all this time, so I must've gotten the wrong idea."
If it could be called a misunderstanding, then perhaps it was.
"This is a proper spar, after all. It's only natural for Si-mun to counterattack."
In the two previous exchanges, Si-mun had only evaded.
Unconsciously, Jin-uk had fallen into the misconception that he was the only one attacking while Si-mun merely dodged.
This was likely because—
'He avoided my ambush too easily. I must've let my emotions get the better of me, unlike my usual self.'
The shock of Si-mun effortlessly dodging the ambush of a Diamond-ranked assassin like himself must've played a part.
Wasn't this what they called being ruled by emotions?
After all, his pride had been thoroughly cracked.
'But to get so worked up that I forgot this was a spar...'
I'm a disgrace as an assassin.
As Jin-uk muttered to himself and bowed his head deeply,
"Jin-uk. Uh... since it's just a spar, how about one more round?"
Si-mun approached him with an awkward smile.
"No."
Jin-uk shook his head firmly.
"You've already given me one more chance. I can't keep holding up a busy man like you."
He was probably referring to the Arena Disease cure.
'But I'm not that busy anymore...'
He had long since handed over everything to the Philosopher's Stone and Si-yeon.
Unless it was time to set up a new production line for the cure, there was nothing left for him to handle.
Especially since Si-yeon was now managing even the control of the Mithril Golems.
Still, Si-mun didn't offer any unnecessary comfort.
'Jin-uk wasn't serious about this spar to begin with.'
A top-tier Diamond-ranked player.
Si-mun already knew full well, even from his past life, what kind of power they possessed.
Especially the skills of the Night Hunter, who had been his younger brother Si-hyeok's closest confidant.
There was no way he wouldn't know.
'If he just used his Aura, I'd be in trouble.'
Moreover, the Assassin Class was one that exerted its greatest strength when aiming to kill.
If Park Jin-uk had truly intended to kill him,
even Si-mun wouldn't have been able to win so easily.
Then—
Hey. Oppa? Is the spar over?
A bright voice echoed from the center of his chest.
It was the Philosopher's Stone.
Yeah. Just finished. Why?
Well... it's nothing major, but there are intruders in the penthouse.
"Intruders?!"
Si-mun was startled.
And for good reason—this was the most expensive building in South Korea.
At the same time, it should've been the safest building, home to Kim Si-hyeok and Lee Yu-jeong, two of the hottest Rankers around.
Intruders?
"Si-mun, did you just say intruders?"
"Hey, what the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Perhaps because Park Jin-uk and Go Mal-suk shared the same thought as Si-mun,
they widened their eyes and stepped closer in unison.
Yeah. I didn't want to disturb you, Oppa, so I tried to handle it myself... but I missed one.
"Missed? Where are they now?"
They didn't take the elevator but went for the stairs. Given the building's layout, they're probably—
The Philosopher's Stone's voice cut off abruptly.
Or more accurately, it became inaudible.
Kiiing.
A sharp ringing in his left ear.
Along with it—
Sssssk.
Four streaks of afterimages flew toward his face.
Thud.
"Ugh!"
Si-mun kicked Go Mal-suk aside and immediately arched his back.
Then—
Swoosh!
Exactly as the Future Sight had shown.
Four blue streaks sliced through the air.
At the same time—
"Who the hell dares?!"
A fierce roar erupted as a dark energy brushed past Si-mun.
Screech!
A rough grating sound tore through the air.
Seizing the opening Park Jin-uk had created, Si-mun backflipped to create distance.
And then—
"You...!"
His eyes widened at the identity of the ambusher.
How could they not?
The ambusher was none other than the vice-Guild Master of the Scorpion Guild.
"Kim Jong-jun?"
Kim Jong-jun, a First Generation player who roamed the upper echelons of Diamond-rank.
"Kim Jong-jun! Have you lost your mind?! What the hell is this?!"
Standing protectively in front of Si-mun.
Park Jin-uk, who had enveloped the surroundings with his dark aura, shouted—but that was all.
"Kim Si-mun... you damn brat, how dare you make a fool out of me!"
As if half out of his mind.
Kim Jong-jun, his eyes bloodshot and body covered in blood, glared solely at Si-mun.
"I don't know how you caught onto our operation, but you're dying today."
"Ha! You really must be insane."
At that, Park Jin-uk, who had been standing beside Si-mun, let out a hollow laugh and took a step forward.
"Kim Jong-jun. Who exactly are you planning to kill in front of me?"
Around him, like venomous snakes coiling to strike.
Sssssss.
The inky dark energies sharply raised their heads.
"Right... Park Jin-uk. You're here too."
Like a man deranged.
Kim Jong-jun laughed to himself.
"You got kicked out of the guild, you damn bastard. Did you find yourself a new master already? Well, I guess a dog like you wouldn't change its nature."
"Scratching at me like that won't work, so let me ask you something. You're a Diamond-ranked player—who the hell beat you up so badly?"
As if those words were a trigger.
"That's—!"
Kim Jong-jun, who had been laughing, suddenly flared up, veins bulging in his neck.
But for some reason.
Grind.
Clenching his teeth, he couldn't bring himself to say anything, only continuing to glare at Si-mun with murderous intent.
At that.
"Ah, I see."
Park Jin-uk let out a short sigh, as if he'd figured it out.
"You must've sneaked into Si-mun's penthouse. Judging by your state, you got thoroughly wrecked by the traps."
Though, in truth, the ones who had set the traps were on this side.
He seemed about to say something more.
"......"
But Kim Jong-jun remained silent.
"Stupid bastard. If an Assassin-class gets caught in traps, you should be ashamed. What's with the attitude?"
As Park Jin-uk jeered.
"Shut up! A damn outcast like you, who do you think you're—!"
Kim Jong-jun, eyes wild with fury, lunged.
And with that.
KWA-GA-GA-GANG!
The relentless explosions of battle between two Diamond-ranked Assassins erupted without pause.
Meanwhile.
'Traps?'
Si-mun, who had been quietly listening, tilted his head in confusion.
'I don't remember setting any traps.'
Maybe in his past life, but why would he set traps in this peaceful era, living in the luxurious Ranker Palace of all places?
Then.
"Ah."
He let out an involuntary sigh.
He finally understood why Kim Jong-jun was glaring at him in such a state.
'Philosopher's Stone. Was Kim Jong-jun the intruder you mentioned?'
-Yeah, and about nineteen others came with him.
Of course.
Si-mun, who had been nodding, flinched.
'Nineteen? So twenty including Kim Jong-jun?'
-Yup. If they'd brought some handsome oppas, I might've enjoyed it. But they were all ugly brutes—just pissed me off!
'That's—! Ugh. Whatever, how did you handle them?'
-Well, uh... I-I was kinda awesome? With the Mithril Golem and Si-yeon here, we handled it just fine!
If scrutinized, the answer was rather dubious.
Kim Jong-jun alone was a First Generation Diamond-ranked Assassin, wasn't he?
Naturally, the others who came with him would be formidable too.
Unfortunately, Si-mun didn't have the luxury to doubt that.
The reason was simple.
'What about Si-yeon? Is she okay?'
The child who called him Dad.
His mind was filled with worry for that small, fragile girl.
Thankfully.
-Of course she's fine. Si-yeon wiped them all out from the start.
'What?'
-Eh? Ah! I-I mean! You handed full control of the Mithril Golem to Si-yeon, right? I just helped a bit, and she swept through them all by herself.
There was an undeniable sense of rambling in the response.
'Really? That's a relief.'
Hearing that Si-yeon was safe, Si-mun let out a sigh of relief.
-Still, she's in a pretty gloomy mood.
'Why? Did she get hurt somewhere?'
-Hurt? Yeah, hurt. In her heart. Tsk, I told you to stop fooling around and take things seriously.
The Philosopher's Stone muttered something incomprehensible.
Then.
-Anyway, Si-yeon's fine. You just worry about yourself.
'Me? There's nothing for me to worry about.'
At the Philosopher's Stone's words, Si-mun shrugged.
Kwa-gak-kang!
A blinding flash and deafening explosion erupted from the front.
That murderous battle wasn't his own—it was Kim Jong-jun and Park Jin-uk clashing.
"Hey. You okay?"
Go Mal-suk had approached without him noticing.
Seeing her slightly darkened expression, Si-mun recalled how he had kicked her earlier.
"Mal-suk. Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to kick you—it was just so sudden I didn't even realize."
"No. If you hadn't kicked me, my head would've been cleanly severed. I just..."
But the shadow on her face seemed to stem from something else.
"...Damn it! Not again!"
Watching Kim Jong-jun and Park Jin-uk's battle, Go Mal-suk clenched her fists, biting her lip hard.
"Mal-suk, why are you—"
Just as Si-mun tried to speak—
Kiiing!
A streak of afterimage pierced toward his and Mal-suk's throats.
There was no need to wonder why.
Wuung.
Si-mun, his right fist wreathed in Tyrant Emperor Break, immediately lashed out at the afterimage.
Zzzreng!
A violent ringing erupted, strong enough to send hair flying from the shockwave.
Kim Jong-jun, mid-battle with Park Jin-uk, had suddenly thrown a Hidden Weapon.
"That bastard Kim Jong-jun!"
Park Jin-uk, seeing this, spat curses with fire in his eyes.
The assault of his night-infused daggers grew even more vicious.
Si-mun quickly checked on Mal-suk.
"Mal-suk. You alright?"
"...Yeah."
Her face looked anything but alright.
As Mal-suk lowered her head, her expression darkening further, Si-mun's eyes turned icy.
'I was holding back out of respect for Jin-uk's pride, but...'
Night Hunter Park Jin-uk.
A Top-tier Diamond Assassin, he was a higher-ranked player than Kim Jong-jun, who was merely upper-tier.
And wasn't Kim Jong-jun already injured?
From the moment the fight started, Park Jin-uk had been overwhelming him.
Given time, Kim Jong-jun's defeat was inevitable.
That's why Si-mun hadn't intervened.
'But I can't let this slide if he targets Mal-suk.'
The Hidden Weapon had clearly aimed for him first,
but there was no way a player of that caliber wouldn't have accounted for it piercing through.
Hadn't the afterimage from Future Sight shown Mal-suk's throat being impaled too?
Kim Jong-jun had thrown that weapon intending to take out Mal-suk—who had nothing to do with this—along with him.
But that wasn't the only reason Si-mun was furious.
'Not twice... I won't let it happen twice.'
His past life.
Mal-suk's head, rolling to his feet.
Her face, still laughing boldly even then—overlapping with the present.
"Kim Jong-jun...!"
Rage boiled over in an instant.
And Si-mun didn't suppress it.
Taat!
He kicked off the ground.
Wood-deuk!
His fists, now fully clad in Dragon Body Transformation, surged with murky energy.
As if waiting for this—
A dark crimson aura abruptly flared in Kim Jong-jun's eyes as he fought Park Jin-uk.
"Got you!"
Shuaaa!
A Sword Qi of the same color, impossibly massive, swung down.
"This bastard! Where'd this sudden power come from?!"
Ka-ga-gak!
Park Jin-uk was forced back by the abrupt force.
Kim Jong-jun didn't waste the opening.
"Kim Si-mun!"
With fire in his eyes, he charged straight at Si-mun.
And then—
'What... is that?'
Si-mun's eyes widened at the dark crimson energy coiled around the man's claws.
A moment later—
"Ha... So you're involved here too?"
Si-mun let out a dry laugh, locking eyes with Kim Jong-jun—who, true to his rank as a Top-tier Diamond Assassin, was already inches from his face.
"Die!!"
The moment those claws shot toward his throat—
"Kneel."
Si-mun murmured softly.
"Ugh! Ugh!"
A choked sound.
A somewhat gaunt middle-aged man, gagged, thrashed violently—but that was all.
"Stay still, you bastard!"
Ssuuu...
Dark energy coiled tightly around his entire body, writhing like living chains.
"Ugh!"
The man's face flushed red as he trembled in agony.
Park Jin-uk, watching him with clear disdain, turned his head the other way.
"Sir Si-mun. The CCTV footage will catch everything anyway. Why not just kill him?"
There, Si-mun and Go Mal-suk were setting up a broadcast camera.
Si-mun adjusted the lens toward the restrained Kim Jong-jun and smiled.
"There's a better method than killing him."
"A better method? Don't tell me—are you planning to extract a confession?"
"Exactly."
Si-mun nodded.
At that, Park Jin-uk's jaw dropped.
"Sir Si-mun. Having observed Kim Jong-jun for many years, I can confidently say this man will never talk."
"I know. Even under torture, he wouldn't break easily. Besides, extracting a confession through torture would create another set of problems."
This wasn't the Middle Ages.
Torture in the 21st century? In Korea, no less?
And broadcasting the footage to the media?
'That'd be an instant oh-shit moment.'
No matter how much Kim Jong-jun had tried to assassinate him, such methods would be unforgivable.
Even public opinion, which had been on Si-mun's side, would turn against him in an instant.
Park Jin-uk knew that all too well.
"Then how do you plan to get a confession out of him?"he asked, his face etched with disbelief.
"Right. There's CCTV footage anyway. It must've caught everything—him breaking into your place. Why not just kill him and release that?"
Go Mal-suk, who had been helping set up the equipment, chimed in with a nod.
"If you're worried about murder charges, you shouldn't be. The moment Kim Jong-jun used his abilities with intent to kill, any action you take would be considered self-defense."
Awakened were incomparably stronger than ordinary humans.
Thus, separate laws had been established for them.
This was a globally proposed law by the Awakened Alliance, uniformly applied across all nations.
So killing Kim Jong-jun as he was now wouldn't pose any legal issues.
"If you're uncomfortable getting your hands dirty, I'll do it for you."
Park Jin-uk even offered to handle the execution himself.
But Si-mun only shook his head with a faint smile.
"No. That would only cut off the tail. I want to uproot the entire thing—to ensure this never happens again."
"I see. So you're looking at the forest, not just the tree?"
"Well, if you put it that way, yes. If we only get a confession, the Scorpion Guild won't be able to easily disavow Kim Jong-jun."
Kim Jong-jun's position as Vice Guild Master would certainly embarrass the Scorpion Guild, but that was it.
He wasn't the Guild Master, after all.
If the Scorpion Guild claimed this was Kim Jong-jun's independent action and protested their innocence, the guild itself would likely survive.
And that was an outcome Si-mun absolutely did not want.
'With Kim Jong-jun possessing Dragon Power, there's no better opportunity than now.'
As long as the Death Eye worked on Kim Jong-jun, the Vice Guild Master, this was a rare chance to secure both justification and practical gains.
'I should wipe out the Scorpion Guild entirely while I'm at it.'
Beyond their past trolling behavior.
Before the official Arena battles—where lives would truly be on the line—began, the Scorpion Guild had to be eliminated.
Only then would the casualties in the official Arena decrease.
Moreover—
'I can take care of the other guilds involved in this incident all at once.'
If Kim Jong-jun, who had attempted assassination, spoke up himself,
Si-mun could sweep away the other guilds that had been spreading misinformation about him.
Si-mun approached Kim Jong-jun and removed the gag.
Then—
"You fucking lunatic! You think I'll spill my guts just because you want me to?"
Despite his restrained state, Kim Jong-jun's voice erupted with venomous curses, almost comically defiant.
In fact—
"Cut the bullshit about confessions and answer my questions instead!"
He was the one shouting back, just as Park Jin-uk had feared.
"How the hell did you restrict my movements? What kind of trick did you pull?"
Even if they tortured him,
he wouldn't budge an inch.
"This bastard! Even now, when it's all over—!"
Just as Park Jin-uk was about to tighten the Night's Net binding him further—
"Ghk—!"
Kim Jong-jun's head snapped back violently.
The reason was simple.
"Mr. Kim Jong-jun, don't throw a tantrum."
Si-mun, who had closed the distance in an instant, had grabbed his hair and yanked it back harshly.
Then—
"As for how I subdued you—you'll find out soon enough, whether you want to or not."
Snap.
His smile deepened as he flicked his fingers.
Bzzzt.
An unknown energy rippled from Si-mun's hand.
Then, as if inhaling a drug—
Hssss—
Si-mun drew it in.
When his eyes opened again—
Screeeech.
"Now, Kim Jong-jun? Let's hear you bark."
With a piercing tinnitus—
"Who else is involved? Spill everything."
An irresistible command bored into Kim Jong-jun's eyes.