Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Translation: godtl
The River of the Underworld (1)
[Welcome to the Galaxy Arena.]
A familiar notification greeted him.
[This Arena's event is 'Transport Battle,' and the number of participants is 100.]
[The Arena will begin once all participants have gathered.]
A series of familiar messages followed.
It seemed several players were already waiting for the match to start.
"Huh? Isn't that Kim Si-mun?"
"What? No way—holy shit! It really is him! Is he even allowed to enter the Arena right now?"
"He already caught the criminal, so what's stopping him?"
The players who had been waiting first recognized Si-mun and immediately began murmuring among themselves.
But Si-mun had no time to spare them a glance.
The reason was simple.
—Si-ha!
—Bro! What's going on? Broadcasting in the middle of this king-level situation?
—Are you okay, Si-mun-nim? You're not hurt, are you?
—No! Oppa! Don't go to America! T_T
—Just going to America... T_T If I were him, I'd have already immigrated for real.
—Fr, I wouldn't even have the face to stop him.
The moment he connected to the Arena and turned on the broadcast, countless viewers welcomed him.
The sheer volume of attention was staggering.
[2,244,278 viewers currently watching]
Surpassing the 1.4 million viewers from the last Arena, the Black Smeltery, the numbers had already soared past 2.2 million.
'I figured the viewership would increase, but...'
Si-mun let out a dry chuckle.
Between the domestic uproar and the immigration rumors, it was no surprise.
—America always welcomes heroes!
—Kim! Just come over already!
—Shouldn't we Asians stick together? Come to the Continent Guild!
—Our Yuto is a huge fan of the Sword Saint. Wouldn't it be great if you came to Japan?
—Allah values talent. The Middle East can also recognize your worth.
A significant number of foreign viewers had also flooded in.
And so—
[3,544,958 viewers currently watching]
Only after surpassing 3.5 million viewers did the numbers finally stabilize.
'Looks like there's no achievement for hitting 2 or 3 million viewers.'
With a hint of disappointment, Si-mun licked his lips and smiled.
"Everyone, welcome. Given the circumstances, it feels like it's been a while since I've seen you all."
Just that single remark was enough.
—Hngghh! Si-mun-nim! Don't gooo T_T
—What? You want him to stay in Korea after what happened?
—Great men belong in greater waters. Little brother, come to the Continent!
—Japan isn't that small, you know? WWWW
—Keep talking all you want, but the reality is he's already signed with the American Dream~ XD!
The chat exploded at an overwhelming speed.
With over 3.5 million viewers, it was only natural.
'At this point, only Awakened would even be able to read this.'
The speed at which the chat scrolled was beyond imagination.
'I should probably set some limits.'
Si-mun immediately opened the Arenia settings and enabled slow mode for the chat.
Instantly—
—Ooh! Instant relief!
—He turned on slow mode, huh.
—King Si-mun... He could probably read it all himself...
The chat's scrolling speed noticeably slowed.
Si-mun adjusted a few more settings.
"Since everyone's giving me so much attention, I've temporarily enabled slow mode and added a chat cooldown."
Then, he continued.
"The reason so many of you tuned in must be because of what happened recently."
The moment Si-mun openly addressed the incident—
—O.O 'That incident' has arrived!
—Dude, is it okay to broadcast now? Is everything settled?
—Bro... Even if you go to America, I won't stop you.
—Yeah, we all understand.
—Kim Si-mun, hurry up and come to America.
Even with slow mode on,
the chat surged once again.
Si-mun skimmed through the messages.
"I'm sure you're all aware of the circumstances, so I won't elaborate. I'll just give you the conclusion. The public pressure left me no choice but to consider immigration..."
Trailing off with a faint, melancholic smile,
he paused briefly before speaking again.
"But it seems my move to America will be put on hold. The Association President went out of his way to step in."
—FR? Is this FR?
—5252! I knew it!!
—King God General Mu-yeol... I believe in you!
—No, bro... You can go... Just go...
—You're not Korean, are you?
The chat immediately erupted into chaos.
Especially—
—?? Didn't he already sign?
—Mr. Kim must still be too young to understand the importance of contracts.
—If he's talking about it this openly on stream, the recruitment process probably isn't fully finalized yet.
—Right. He did say it was 'on hold.'
—But it's still just on hold, right?
—Exactly. He didn't outright say he won't go to America.
The chat messages from viewers who appeared to be American rapidly accelerated in speed.
And then.
[Breaking News! Kim Si-mun Not Emigrating to the U.S.?]
[Emigration to U.S. on Hold? Kim Si-mun's Real-Time Status!]
Once again, articles set South Korea ablaze.
[Top Prospect Kim Si-mun Staying in Korea?]
[Kim Si-mun: Premature to Conclude "On Hold" Status]
[Iron Wood King Kim Mu-yeol's Influence? Kim Si-mun Mentions Association President!]
[American Dream Remains Silent on Kim Si-mun's Emigration Hold Announcement]
[Scorpion Guild Vice Master Kim Jong-jun Fully Detained by Association, Citizens Protesting in Front of Association Building!]
The monitor was densely packed with articles.
The blonde beauty staring at them.
"Haa......"
Removing the square-framed glasses she always wore, she pressed firmly between her brows.
"Damn it."
With that quiet curse, her delicate fingers ran through her neatly arranged hair.
Anyone who knew her would undoubtedly be shocked to see her like this.
Indeed.
"Manager... Eek! S-sis!"
A man who opened the door and entered.
Oliver approached the woman with a startled expression.
"What's wrong? Have you finally lost your mind?"
Olivia Denson.
Head of the Recruitment Department at American Dream.
A Diamond-rank powerhouse who once dominated the Arena alongside Guild Master Derek.
Her alias, Winter Queen, wasn't just due to her combat prowess—
It also came from her unchanging, ice-like demeanor.
But now?
"Yes... I'm losing it... I'm completely losing my mind!"
Disheveled hair and attire.
A voice tone and gaze that had lost all composure.
Wasn't this too far removed from the Winter Queen known to the world?
The only saving grace was—
"Ah, so you've seen it too. The articles about Kim Si-mun."
—that there was at least some understanding of why this ice-cold sister had broken down like this.
Before this terrifying sister could go on a rampage,
"Listen, sis. You still can't go casting magic spells everywhere. We're in Korea—it's tough to block the media here. Unlike in the U.S., we don't have connections there."
Oliver quickly stepped in to mediate.
Fortunately, a shred of reason remained.
"I know that much. Stop making a fuss."
With trembling hands, she splashed water on her face and glared back at the monitor.
Oliver, who had somehow ended up beside her, glanced at the screen.
"I actually came because of this news."
He dragged a chair over and plopped down next to his sister.
"Team Leader Oliver? This is a workplace. I'm your superior."
"Come on, is now really the time for that? Kim Si-mun's gone and said it himself—just tell me, sis."
Oliver snorted at Olivia's quiet warning.
Propping his arms on the desk, he rested his chin heavily and stared at his sister.
"What kind of offer did you make to get him to agree to this nonsense?"
"......"
"Did you set up a meeting with the Constellations for him? Or promised to go easy on our prospects next time?"
Was it because he couldn't separate work from personal matters?
Or because he was outright prying?
After glaring at Oliver with displeasure for a while, Olivia let out a small sigh.
She clicked her mouse.
On the screen.
-"Well, everyone. That's all I have to say for now, so I'll focus on the Arena. The managers are here, so don't worry about the chat."
The man who had reduced the mighty Winter Queen to this state.
Kim Si-mun was continuing his broadcast with a somewhat pitiful, forced smile.
But no amount of acting could deceive Olivia's eyes, honed from discovering countless talents.
'Pretending to struggle? That despicable...!'
Grind.
Unconsciously, Olivia clenched her teeth.
But what could she do?
"Sis. If you keep this up, I'm leaving."
It was her own fault for being unable to refuse Kim Si-mun's terms.
Taking a deep breath, Olivia finally spoke.
"Kim Si-mun's condition wasn't anything like that."
"Then what was it?"
"A growth buff."
"Growth buff?"
Oliver tilted his head.
Then—
"Ah! You mean the Sword Saint Guild's buff?"
His eyes widened as he looked back at Olivia.
"Exactly. Kim Si-mun said this—soon, the growth buff's effects will increase, and the rental fee will be adjusted accordingly."
"Adjusted... You don't mean they're raising it even more, do you?"
"Why wouldn't they?"
"Wow! That's downright thievery! Raising it even more is too much!"
"But that's not all. What Kim Si-mun proposed was waiving three months' rental fees and granting us an additional recruitment slot."
By the time Olivia finished speaking, Oliver's eyes had widened to twice their normal size.
"W-wait, seriously? Three months waived plus an extra recruitment slot?"
"Do you really think I'd deceive the guild and participate in this madness without good reason?"
Olivia's voice had regained its usual composed tone.
"Ha... No wonder you agreed. No—these are terms you can't refuse."
She shot a sidelong glance at her muttering younger brother before turning her attention back to Si-mun on the monitor.
"But that's not the truly important part."
"That's not it? What else is there?"
"Team Leader Oliver? As I always say, please use your head for once."
"You're the one who does the thinking. I need to conserve mine."
"You little—!"
Olivia's hand shot up, and Oliver quickly recoiled.
The only way to close this distance was to either abandon Si-mun's broadcast or resort to magic.
"Sigh..."
Taking a deep breath, Olivia massaged her temples while staring at the monitor.
"That absurd growth buff change—it wasn't the Sword Saint who mentioned it, but Kim Si-mun himself. What do you think that implies?"
"Well... Uh, what? No way?!"
Ignoring her younger brother's shocked expression, Olivia kept her gaze fixed on the screen and spoke quietly.
"That's right. The Yggdrasil Guild's growth buff 'doesn't come from the Sword Saint—it comes from Kim Si-mun.' He proposed this entire charade while feeding me that information."
Olivia emphasized the Sword Saint and Kim Si-mun with particular weight.
Given that the Yggdrasil Guild Master was currently listed as the Sword Saint, this was classified as ultra-top-secret intel.
Information so critical that even the lofty Winter Queen wouldn't be able to ignore it.
"I see... So that's why you..."
Oliver understood this perfectly well.
Moreover—
This revelation meant Kim Si-mun's value had just skyrocketed another tier.
No.
To an immeasurable degree.
"So sis, what do we do now? This isn't something guild shares can solve, is it...?"
Oliver's voice sounded slightly dazed.
"...I don't know either, you little shit."
Even Olivia, usually sharp as a blade, had let her guard down completely.
'Just how the hell are we supposed to recruit this guy?'
Gnashing her teeth, she glared at the source of this entire mess on the screen.
[All participants have been matched.]
As all 100 players were matched—
[The location is 'Styx, the River of the Underworld.']
Beneath a pitch-black sky stretched a gloomy river so sinister that the living would instinctively recoil.
Calling it a river was almost an understatement—it was massive enough to be considered a sea.
"Ugh! The River of the Underworld?!"
"If it's the Styx, we're screwed the moment we fall in, aren't we?!"
"Did you just rank up to God? Falling into any underworld river means instant death, dumbass!"
Most players grimaced and voiced their complaints upon seeing it.
But Si-mun didn't have the luxury to grumble like them.
[Additional condition: 'Cooperation' has been added.]
[All participants will form teams of two.]
With the new cooperation rule—
The player who would team up with Si-mun was summoned beside him.
"Huh? You—?"
And he was—
"Long time no see, Kim Si-mun."
Someone who had fought alongside Si-mun in the Arena several times before.
Si-mun clasped the muscular man's outstretched hand.
"Long time indeed, Mr. Choi Jin-su."
A future high-ranker.
A rising star of the Myth Guild and the owner of the SS-rank Beastification trait—Choi Jin-su.
"I saw the news. Are you alright?"
"Yes. Fortunately, I'm fine. The aftermath is being handled smoothly too."
"Well... Even for a Diamond, if it's you, I doubt there'd be any issues."
"Haha! Just got lucky, that's all."
"Got lucky?"
Choi Jin-su repeated with a peculiar tone.
Before the two of them—
[The Arena begins now.]
[Transport target has been generated.]
[Please safely deliver the transport target to the destination point.]
As the Arena's announcement signaled the start—
Splash.
A somewhat crude and weathered-looking ferry appeared by the riverside.
A ferry just spacious enough for two people.
Inside it—
Clatter.
Lay the small orb that was their transport target.
'That's...?'
Si-mun's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the orb.
And for good reason.
'A Soul Core?'
It was identical to an item currently sitting in his inventory.
Meanwhile.
At Si-mun's penthouse.
This place, which should have been filled with warmth as usual while watching Si-mun's broadcast, was instead—
"......"
"......"
Frigid. A heavy atmosphere had settled over the room.
And the two rankers responsible for this mood were—
"Uncle. Aren't you busy dealing with those pathetic guilds? What brings you all the way here?"
"You insolent brat. There isn't a single place in this country where I, Kim Mu-yeol, cannot go."
Their faces remained cold as they glared daggers at each other.