Chapter 162
Chapter 162
Chapter 162: Iron Will (1)
Translation: godtl
On the surface, it was merely the gaze of an elderly man.
"You came back from the dead only to lose even more manners. Do you know how old you are?"
But the aura emanating from those eyes defied all scientific explanation.
It was something akin to an emperor's presence.
The gaze of this man, who had lived his entire life from the position of a ruler, was so intense that one might believe he was an Awakened being.
Yet.
The woman facing that stare showed not a flicker of unease.
Rather.
"You've changed quite a bit since I last saw you. Who knew you'd even crack jokes now?"
She responded with leisurely composure, even smiling faintly.
Chairman Lee Sun-cheol, who had been silently observing her, finally spoke.
"Ruined my twilight years by raising one damn daughter wrong."
After letting out a short sigh, he averted his eyes.
"I'd say you raised me quite well. You even revived a family business that nearly collapsed because it couldn't keep up with the changes. And you've maintained its position as the top in South Korea, haven't you?"
At her words, Chairman Lee's eyes twitched.
"So it's not just your manners. You've lost your fear too."
"Must be the side effects of dying and coming back. Though I doubt there's another daughter as capable as me in this world."
"You—!"
Chairman Lee Sun-cheol sharply turned his head to glare at his daughter.
Lee Yeong-hui scoffed.
"As I've told you before—'even if you couldn't Awaken'—if you keep glaring like that, you'll look just like a high-rank Awakened."
Pretty scary, huh?
As she murmured this, Lee Yeong-hui gave a slight shrug.
It wasn't a shudder of fear but rather one of exasperation, clearly evident in her gesture.
"......"
Faced with his daughter's audacity, Chairman Lee's expression grew even colder.
Eventually.
"You should be quietly recuperating. What possessed you to crawl all the way here?"
Chairman Lee pressed firmly between his brows, trying to compose himself.
To his question.
"I'd love to do just that... but too many things I've built have changed while I was gone. To the point where I have to step in per-son-al-ly."
Lee Yeong-hui, who had been smiling leisurely until now, finally stiffened.
To be precise, it was only the corners of her eyes that hardened.
"Father. What exactly are you scheming?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I knew you'd eventually meddle in guilds and Awakened businesses once I fell ill. You'd never leave a money-making machine untouched. But!"
Lee Yeong-hui's voice gradually rose.
"Wasn't it you who taught me that the Continent Guild can't be trusted?"
"......"
"Of course, I understand acting contrary to your own words. You'd do anything for money. But this requires an explanation."
Lee Yeong-hui tossed a stack of documents onto Chairman Lee's desk with a thud.
"For years after I collapsed, you used Seongsam Bio to collaborate on Arena-related production."
"As you said, it was a business venture for profit."
"I know. But where are the results? Don't tell me there still aren't any?"
Lee Yeong-hui's gaze—no, glare—at Lee Sun-cheol grew increasingly fierce.
"Weren't you the one who would cut losses without hesitation if there were no returns? Why have you maintained this 'collaboration' for nearly a decade without even a single progress report?"
"...It's an investment for the future. Technological advancement doesn't happen in just a few years of tinkering."
"That's exactly why I'm asking. Father. What exactly are you trying to develop that made you break your own word and join hands with the Continent Guild?"
"I didn't realize it bothered you so much. Don't worry. I've already taken care of it."
"That's exactly the problem!"
Bang.
Lee Yeong-hui slammed her palm violently onto the desk.
Though one might expect him to rebuke such rudeness.
Lee Sun-cheol simply watched his furious daughter in silence.
"From facilities to materials and maintenance costs—the budget was clearly approved over the past several years. But there's no trace of the research lab meant for this collaboration?"
"......"
"I can understand secretly operating Arena material facilities. There are records left for those. But this research lab is different."
"I already told you. I cleared it all out because I knew you'd throw a fit like this."
"Father. You've become surprisingly simple-minded in my absence."
At her father's indifferent response, Lee Yeong-hui let out a hollow laugh.
"There's not a single piece of documentation about the lab except for the approval papers, and you cleared it out because you thought I'd throw a fit?"
"......"
"Father. Do I look like a fool to you?"
A blade.
Her sharp gaze and aura reminiscent of Association President Kim Mu-yeol.
Chairman Lee Sun-cheol silently observed his daughter, who truly lived up to her epithet 'Do-hu.'
Screech.
Without a word, he turned his chair to face the window made of solid glass.
Was it because it was still morning?
The city visible outside bustled with countless cars and people.
Lee Yeong-hui watched her father who chose silence.
"Ha... Fine."
She swept her bangs back with a short sigh.
"I didn't come here to get answers anyway."
Was it disappointment?
No, it definitely was disappointment.
Hearing his daughter's familiar sigh after so long, Chairman Lee Sun-cheol quietly slipped his hand into his suit pocket.
"I don't know what you're scheming, but this goes too far. That's what I came to say."
A warning to completely withdraw from all Arena-related business from now on.
Whether by force or by authority.
With the growl of a revived lioness powerful enough to trample him once more.
"I'll take my leave now. Sorry for disturbing your busy schedule."
The massive lioness retreated.
Click.
As the sound of the door closing echoed,
Chairman Lee Sun-cheol brought the handkerchief he'd taken from his pocket to his mouth.
And then.
"Cough!"
Lee Sun-cheol let out a short, rough cough.
Immediately after, he roughly tossed the handkerchief aside and pulled out his phone.
"Dr. Choi. It's me."
The pure white handkerchief that fell to the floor with a soft thud.
"Yeong-hui caught the scent. We need to hurry."
Was thoroughly soaked in dark crimson blood.
The tall buildings of Gangnam.
The top floor of the Awakened Association was filled with unusual tension.
The reason was simple.
"What did you say?"
Association President Kim Mu-yeol.
The only person who could shake this blade-like man had personally come to visit.
Moreover.
"I asked you to issue a lockdown order for parts of Cheorwon. As compensation for my participation in the national team last time."
Hearing his request made the atmosphere grow even heavier.
"Do you have any idea how ridiculous what you're saying sounds right now?"
But Si-mun acted as if it wasn't an unreasonable request at all.
"It's called a lockdown, but I just need the area temporarily blocked off. To prevent any leaks."
He merely shrugged lightly.
"I roughly searched the location. It's a sparsely populated mountainous area. Should be easy to block."
"What business could you possibly have in such a place that you'd demand a lockdown?"
Kim Mu-yeol frowned as he voiced his doubts.
Then.
"Don't tell me, is it Desperado again?"
His eyes momentarily widened.
Fortunately.
"It's not them."
Si-mun waved his hands in denial.
"Are you sure? Last broadcast, you screwed with Death Lord's little sister."
"Malik doesn't even care about his sister anyway."
"Well, that's true."
Kim Mu-yeol nodded slightly at Si-mun's words.
The infamous sibling duo of death, Malik and Malina.
But contrary to their reputation as a pair,
the two siblings weren't actually that close.
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say big brother Malik didn't care about his younger sister.
"Malik. That twisted bastard doesn't care much about the living."
Death Lord Malik.
True to being a Ranker-level Necromancer, he was the type who only cared about the dead.
As that thought reached its conclusion...
"...But."
Kim Mu-yeol's brow furrowed once more.
"How the hell do you know about that?"
Desperado.
True to being the world's most notorious villain organization, very few had connections to them.
'Even I, who sponsored them, have only met their core members once or twice...'
Unless it was someone like Kim Mu-yeol himself, who had secretly sponsored them,
obtaining information about Desperado was nearly impossible.
Si-mun replied with perfect nonchalance,
"I saw it on broadcast and made an educated guess."
"Broadcast? Malik hardly ever speaks unless absolutely necessary."
"I'm just good at reading people. Actually, I'm the one who's curious here."
Si-mun deftly turned the suspicion back on him.
"How does Uncle know Malik's personality so well?"
"Well..."
Caught off guard by this counterattack,
even the mighty Kim Mu-yeol hesitated momentarily, but only for a moment.
"I'm a Ranker, unlike trash like you. I've fought Malik in the Arena many times—of course I'd know."
"I see. I was worried you might be secretly working with them, just like with the Continent Guild."
Si-mun nodded with an innocent smile.
"......"
Was that cold sweat he felt? Or just his imagination?
Choi Chang-wook, who had been silently listening nearby, was definitely sweating.
'H-how does he know that...'
Though his stone-faced expression remained unchanged,
inside his shirt, hot flashes and cold sweat were pouring down.
Kim Mu-yeol wasn't faring much better.
'This damn monster and his instincts.'
Though not as rattled as his right-hand man Choi Chang-wook,
Kim Mu-yeol's heartbeat had spiked momentarily.
Then—
"Pfft. You really know how to spout nonsense."
He smoothly regulated his breathing and spoke.
"Haha! Isn't it fun? The president of a nation's Awakened Association having ties to the world's largest villain organization."
"You can't shake me with that kind of baseless talk."
"Of course not. It was just a joke. I was mimicking those journalists. Now that I've been on the receiving end, I see how vicious they can be."
Si-mun laughed with childlike innocence, matching his uncle's tone.
But Kim Mu-yeol didn't miss it.
'This bastard... Surely he doesn't actually know about the Desperado sponsorship...?'
That subtle undercurrent in Si-mun's smile.
Suppressing his unease, Kim Mu-yeol pressed on.
"So. Are you going to tell me why you need the information blocked or not?"
"I might be wrong about this. I'll check first, and if my hunch is correct, I'll let you know, Uncle."
"...Really?"
Surprise flickered in Kim Mu-yeol's eyes.
Naturally.
Though he was pressing for answers,
if Si-mun kept his mouth shut, there was nothing he could do, wasn't there?
Yet this scheming nephew was offering to talk on his own?
'He's definitely not doing this for my sake...'
An uneasy premonition that digging deeper might trap him crept in,
but—
'Who knows. It might be related to something that nullifies my traits.'
Given how Si-mun had him by the throat in multiple ways,
Kim Mu-yeol had no choice but to find out.
"Fine."
He nodded silently.
His gaze then shifted to Choi Chang-wook standing beside him.
"Choi Chang-wook."
"Yes, I'll make the arrangements."
Having heard the entire conversation,
Choi Chang-wook bowed without hesitation.
"Then I'll leave it to you. I'll mark the address for you."
Si-mun stood up with a polite nod.
As Si-mun exited the president's office,
"...Should we tail him?"
Choi Chang-wook immediately asked in a hushed voice.
Kim Mu-yeol smirked as he rummaged through his pockets.
"And if we do. Are you confident he won't notice?"
"Th-that's..."
"Enough. Even you can't fool that bastard anymore."
"Eh?"
Choi Chang-wook's eyes widened in shock.
After all, wasn't he a Diamond himself?
Perhaps it was his wounded pride.
"Association President. No matter how much of a combat specialist I am..."
Choi Chang-wook tried to continue, but—
"Tsk. That's exactly why you still can't become a Ranker."
Kim Mu-yeol clicked his tongue and cut him off.
"Didn't you notice something different about that bastard?"
"...Yes."
"Then my words should be clear enough. Don't waste manpower needlessly."
"Understood."
Before he knew it, Kim Mu-yeol had already pulled a cigarette from his pocket and placed it between his lips.
Or rather—
He was about to.
"Association President?"
Before Choi Chang-wook could instinctively reach for his lighter with both hands to ask—
Kim Mu-yeol had been staring blankly at the cigarette between his fingers for a while.
The warmth, the soft touch, even the sound of laughter—
Gradually, his pupils grew distant, as if ensnared by a phantom.
Something flickered in his mind.
In the end—
"Tsk."
Kim Mu-yeol irritably stuffed the cigarette back into his pocket.
Gangwon Province, Cheorwon.
True to its reputation as one of the coldest regions in South Korea—
"Nice and cool."
Despite it being June, the temperature remained pleasantly mild.
"The scenery's great too."
—That's right. Definitely different from Seoul.
Kim Si-mun, enjoying the natural landscape—something unseen in the city—alongside the Philosopher's Stone, turned his head.
Behind him stood numerous figures clad in black suits.
They were personnel sent by his uncle, Kim Mu-yeol, from the Association.
At the very front stood a two-meter-tall man.
"Vice President Choi. I'll leave it to you, then."
"Yes. Don't worry and go ahead."
After signaling to the Golem, Choi Chang-wook—
Whoosh.
Si-mun dashed swiftly through the forest using Human Transmutation.
Before long, he arrived at a clearing.
"Huh? There's nothing here?"
Glancing around, he tilted his head in confusion before pulling out his phone to check Yu-jeong's message.
'Strange. According to Yu-jeong's intel, it should be here...'
There was no way Yu-jeong's information could be wrong.
Given how detailed it was—
It must have been intel sourced from within the Seongsam Guild itself.
In that case—
'It must be hidden.'
As expected of an unregistered facility, it had to be concealed.
Kiiiiing.
A sharp ringing echoed from Si-mun's left eye.
Before his vision, layer upon layer of dazzling golden magic circles revealed themselves.
Activating Odin's Eye, he peered downward.
"Just as I thought."
Like a blueprint—
Intricately constructed passages and spaces deep underground came into view.
And—
'Is that... a person?'
A single figure darting through those passages at high speed.
Whoosh.
Without hesitation, Si-mun flicked his fingers.
Immediately, the surrounding soil and rocks clumped together, transmuting into the shape of a drill.
Rrrrrrr.
In an instant, it bored through the ground, descending rapidly.
Behind the drill, a space as luxurious as a high-end building's elevator formed.
"Hup!"
Si-mun leaped straight into that space, plunging deep, deep underground.
How many minutes had passed?
CRACK!
As the drill made contact with the facility's walls—
A rough, violent grinding noise, unlike before.
Instead of reinforcing the drill with more Transmutation Power—
Whoosh.
Si-mun transmuted the concrete surface—presumably the facility's wall—into the shape of a door.
Then—
Clunk.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Simultaneously—
"This time, it's there!"
A furious voice accompanied the sharp sound of tearing air.
Swish.
Si-mun naturally tilted his body, narrowly avoiding the flying dagger.
Thud.
Grabbing the wrist of the person he had spotted earlier with Odin's Eye, he flipped them over.
Given the considerable speed at which the dagger had been thrown—
"Eek!"
The ambusher, unable to regain balance, went flying through the air.
At that moment—
"Huh?"
"Y-You?!"
Both Si-mun and the airborne ambusher widened their eyes in shock.
Si-mun quickly reached out, grabbing the woman's ankle midair and yanking her down—
Whoosh.
Transmuting the floor into a soft cushion, he slammed her onto it.
Squelch.
The texture was so plush it was hard to believe he had transmuted it from solid ground.
The woman, who had braced for a harsh impact, blinked rapidly before hurriedly sitting up.
Thus—
"Kim Si-mun? Why are you here...?"
She stared at him as if she had seen a ghost.
And Si-mun, equally stunned—
"You're Kang Da-yeong, right? Yu-jeong's secretary."
—met her gaze with wide eyes.