Chapter 171
Chapter 171
Chapter 171: One Strike, Two Kills (4)
Translation: godtl
The highest floor of the Korean Awakened Association.
The president's office was not just chilly—it was suffocating under a murderous atmosphere that weighed heavily on the air.
An atmosphere so oppressive that most wouldn't dare even think of entering.
"S-Secretary General... the, the tea......"
"I'll take it. You may leave."
Choi Chang-wook accepted the trembling secretary's tray at the entrance and closed the door to the president's office.
A heavy silence.
Thud.
Yet, despite the stifling tension that would leave an ordinary person struggling to breathe—
Click.
Choi Chang-wook set down the teacups before the two sources of this terrifying aura.
A blend of the finest Elven Tea.
Its fresh, clear fragrance eased some of the tension coiled in Choi Chang-wook's body.
Without letting it show,
he inhaled the tea's aroma deeply before cautiously stepping back.
"......."
"......."
Though they weren't outright exuding killing intent,
the middle-aged man and the handsome youth were glaring at each other with the kind of gaze that had already slaughtered countless people.
Unconsciously, Choi Chang-wook muttered,
"You two are alike."
At that—
Whoosh.
The gazes of the two men, locked in a silent battle, naturally shifted toward Choi Chang-wook.
Though he was a Top-tier Diamond,
a player who could even aspire to become a Ranker if he played his cards right—
"Ah! Th-That is—!"
Even for someone like Choi Chang-wook, the killing intent radiating from the two men was not something he could easily withstand.
Summoning a flash of wit,
"Y-Your auras! Since both of you are Magic Class, your auras are just naturally similar, is all!"
he blurted out the best excuse he could muster.
Was it a brilliant save?
Whoosh.
The two men's gazes returned to each other.
Despite his face remaining as solid as a golem's,
'That was too close.'
Choi Chang-wook barely managed to steady his pounding heart as he glanced between Kim Si-mun and Kim Mu-yeol, who were still locked in a silent standoff.
'They must both be in foul moods... but they really are alike.'
Of course, if scrutinized closely, the statement didn't hold up.
Kim Mu-yeol, the epitome of cold rationality,
and Kim Si-mun, who could easily be mistaken for a frivolous playboy, were polar opposites in temperament, weren't they?
And yet, somehow,
there was an uncanny resemblance in ways that were hard to put into words.
For instance—
'The aura. Yes, their auras are alike.'
Gritting his teeth,
Choi Chang-wook suppressed the involuntary chuckle threatening to escape.
'Even I have to admit, that's nonsense.'
But still.
'The way they express anger is definitely similar in some way.'
Having served Kim Mu-yeol for many years
and having observed Kim Si-mun since his youth, this was a sensation only someone in his position could perceive.
'If it were Kim Si-hyeok, he would've unleashed his Sword Qi without a second thought.'
Just recently, hadn't he
drawn his Sword Qi right in Si-mun's penthouse?
And that wasn't all.
Though Si-mun might not know it,
even before becoming a Ranker, Kim Si-hyeok had exchanged countless Killing Moves with Kim Mu-yeol.
Compared to that, Si-mun's restrained yet probing anger was strikingly similar to Mu-yeol's.
Choi Chang-wook exhaled a deep sigh inwardly.
'They say enemies resemble each other. Old sayings never lie.'
On top of that,
'And of all people, he had to take after her too...'
In stark contrast to the gentle, pure features typical of the Kim family,
Kim Si-mun's facial structure was anything but ordinary.
Even though they were half-brothers,
by now, no one could guess that the now-famous Si-mun was related to the Sword Saint, Kim Si-hyeok.
'That's why Mu-yeol reacts so strongly to Kim Si-mun, isn't it?'
The Iron Wood King's weakness, now long gone.
With Kim Si-mun, who looked exactly like her, acting in complete opposition,
even the mighty Kim Mu-yeol couldn't help but become emotional in his presence.
And so, Choi Chang-wook watched bitterly as the two men—polar opposites in appearance and nature, yet eerily alike—remained locked in silence.
Then—
"Are you just going to keep your mouth shut like this?"
Choi Chang-wook's bitter gaze instantly sharpened with tension.
"Has age finally caught up to you, Uncle? How many times must I repeat the same question?"
"......."
"Ten years ago. Why did you let the Desperados slip into the country?"
Under normal circumstances, he would've drawn his blade immediately.
Yet Kim Mu-yeol said nothing, only glaring at Si-mun.
"Do you think staring will change anything, Uncle? If you make me ask the same question one more time, you'll regret it."
A smirk played on his lips,
but Si-mun's gaze was no less intense than Kim Mu-yeol's.
No—if anything, it was even more murderous.
"If you insist on keeping your mouth shut, then I'll have no choice but to force it open—even if I have to use the Death Eye."
The Death Eye, capable of dominating those who wield Dragon Power.
Si-mun intended to use it to forcibly extract a confession.
"Are you really going to stay silent until the end?"
Despite the smile on his lips, Si-mun's gaze grew sharper.
Hmm.
Just as Dragon Power began gathering in his left eye—
"What's your intention?"
Mu-yeol, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"Uncle. I asked for an answer, not for you to question me in return."
"You insolent brat."
Mu-yeol scoffed.
"If you've already uncovered that I smuggled Desperado into the country ten years ago, then the reason should be obvious. Why bother asking?"
His voice was as cold and composed as ever.
Si-mun let out a dry chuckle.
"Indeed. You never make things easy, do you, Uncle?"
Just as Mu-yeol had said.
At the time of the high-society terror incident ten years ago, Mu-yeol had only recently ascended to the position of Association President.
Had he not become President, it might have been understandable.
But to smuggle in Desperado, the world's most notorious villain organization, after becoming President?
'No matter how I look at it, that's unlike you, Uncle.'
He could understand Mu-yeol's hatred for Si-hyeok, the legitimate heir of the Kim Clan.
But to collaborate in a high-society terror attack just to eliminate Si-hyeok, who wasn't even an adult at the time?
By any measure, the losses far outweighed the gains.
That's why—
"I simply can't wrap my head around it."
"Wrap your head around it?"
Si-mun couldn't accept Mu-yeol's answer.
"Isn't that right? Someone like you, who knows exactly what Desperado is, pulling such a stunt at the start of your term as President?"
Perhaps Si-mun's response struck a nerve.
Mu-yeol's lips twitched briefly before he sealed them shut.
Then—
"Have you ever considered the opposite? That I wanted you all dead that badly."
For once, his voice carried emotion—but nothing more.
"Uncle, do you take me for a fool?"
Si-mun let out a hollow laugh, as if the idea was absurd.
"I know you hate us. And I understand why. But what about Yu-jeong and Aunt Yeong-hui?"
"......"
"Fine. Let's say you hate Yu-jeong and Aunt Yeong-hui too."
Si-mun gave a slow, exaggerated nod to the silent Mu-yeol.
He had already learned from Lin, the owner of the Black Market, that Chairman Lee Sun-cheol was involved in the incident ten years ago.
There was likely some connection to Chairman Lee.
But—
"What about the other high-society figures? Do you really think you had a reason to turn them into enemies as well?"
At the time, Mu-yeol had only just taken office as Association President.
Naturally, his relationships with political and business figures wouldn't have been deep.
And yet, he chose to make enemies of them all?
Mu-yeol's sealed lips parted.
"I was young back then."
"......What did you just say?"
Si-mun froze, caught off guard by the unexpected answer.
"Seems like you're the one who needs things repeated multiple times to understand, eh?"
Instead of answering, Mu-yeol merely bared his teeth in a venomous sneer.
"I despise you, Kim Si-mun. And that brother of yours you cherish so much? I loathe him even more. Ten years ago, I couldn't suppress those feelings."
"Ha! Are you saying the great Iron Wood King was swayed by mere emotions?"
Did those words strike a nerve?
Twitch.
Mu-yeol's eyelids spasmed violently.
And it wasn't just his eyes.
"Yes. I was swayed by something so trivial. The greatest stain on my life."
With a face Si-mun had never seen before—
"That damned clan, Kim Si-hyeok, you—and your mother! I wanted to tear you all apart! I wanted to kill every last one of you!"
He slammed his hands on the table and roared with unrestrained fury.
The sheer murderous intent radiating from Mu-yeol's aura—
Wh-what the hell?
Si-mun blinked in stunned disbelief.
But only for a moment.
"What did you just say? About my mother?"
Si-mun calmly repeated the words he couldn't possibly ignore.
Perhaps because his emotions had already erupted—
Mu-yeol couldn't hide his rising panic, his pupils darting wildly.
And then—
"Uncle, you knew my mother?"
Si-mun bit his lip hard.
"......How could I not? She was my esteemed elder brother's only flaw."
"Is that so......?"
Si-mun trailed off, his voice unsteady.
And for good reason.
'Did Uncle know my mother personally?'
His mother, who had passed away shortly after giving birth to him.
He had no memories of her, but he'd heard enough from his father to know what kind of person she was.
'Father said that before meeting him, Mother lived only in a remote countryside village...?'
From the very beginning, my father and uncle had frequent clashes due to their relationship as the legitimate heir and the illegitimate child.
They weren't on terms to casually discuss hidden lovers in such detail.
Moreover.
'It seems there's no turning back with Mu-yeol now...'
A childhood memory surfaced—of my father lamenting over drinks that he could never grow close to his only brother.
But for my uncle to mention my mother in that manner?
'No matter how much one resents their elder brother, they wouldn't hate his lover to that extent.'
Si-mun's brow furrowed.
'There must be something I don't know...'
Then.
As if organizing his thoughts.
Si-mun gently closed his eyes.
'But in the end, it all happened before I was born. What meaning does it hold now?'
Only one thing was certain at present.
'Ten years ago, my uncle tried to kill both me and Si-hyeok through that incident.'
Incidentally, he had harbored such hatred toward my mother that he momentarily exuded killing intent.
And driven by that vengeance, he even smuggled Desperado into the country.
Right.
That was the crux of the matter.
'In that case—'
Kiiing.
Si-mun reopened his eyes.
Odin's Eye, now fully activated, fixed its gaze precisely on Kim Mu-yeol.
Ttak.
From the flick of his fingertip, a sword imbued with scorching heat took form.
'There's no choice but to end things with my uncle here.'
The moment the murderous intent in Si-mun's grip on the sword hilt grew as viscous as Kim Mu-yeol's own—
"Wait!"
A towering two-meter figure stepped in front of Si-mun.
It was the Golem, Choi Chang-wook.
"Si-mun, sir. Please calm down and hear me out first."
"Hear you out?"
Si-mun tilted his head slightly.
But Choi Chang-wook had spread his arms wide—not in an offensive stance, but clearly in mediation.
"Fine. Let's hear it."
Retracting Laevateinn, Si-mun replied.
Chang-wook quickly continued.
"That day—President Mu-yeol never intended to target you, sir."
"Choi Chang-wook!"
A razor-sharp voice cut in from behind.
Under normal circumstances, Chang-wook would have immediately bowed his head toward its source.
"On the contrary, he sought to ensure your safety, sir."
Chang-wook stubbornly pressed on.
In response—
"Choi Chang-wook!!"
Crreeak.
Amid Kim Mu-yeol's furious roar, the branches of the potted plants arranged throughout the Association President's office shot forth like blades.
"Enough."
A soft, youthful voice.
At Si-mun's words, the branches poised to tear through Chang-wook froze mid-air.
"Uncle. Calm down. We're in the middle of a conversation."
Si-mun soothed Kim Mu-yeol with a gentle smile.
The astonishing part?
Whether it was the sincerity in Si-mun's voice or something else—
Sluuump.
Kim Mu-yeol genuinely slumped back into his seat.
Though perhaps not all of his heart had been swayed.
"Y-you...!"
Beyond shock, Kim Mu-yeol stared down at himself with hollow eyes.
Si-mun averted his gaze from his uncle.
"So?"
He turned back to Choi Chang-wook, who looked just as dumbfounded.
"Huh? Ah! Right!"
Under Si-mun's gaze, Chang-wook hastily collected himself and continued.
"The Association President only permitted Desperado's illegal entry on the condition of your safety, sir."
"My safety as a condition?"
Si-mun's eyebrow arched.
"Uncle. Is that true?"
Si-mun stared at Kim Mu-yeol with eyes full of doubt.
"......"
Naturally, Kim Mu-yeol offered no reply.
But no answer was needed.
Kiiing.
'So it's true.'
The Death Eye activated in his left pupil.
It pierced through Kim Mu-yeol's silence, confirming Choi Chang-wook's claim.
Si-mun turned back to Chang-wook.
"So my uncle did smuggle Desperado in after all?"
He didn't ask why his safety had been demanded.
Perhaps that part surprised Chang-wook too.
"W-well... There was no other choice."
After briefly gauging Si-mun's reaction, he continued.
"Even if the Association President hadn't arranged their entry, someone else would have."
"Ah."
Si-mun let out a small sigh.
"Since they'd get in through someone anyway, better to keep them within your sight?"
"You see right through it, as expected. Correct. Those lunatics aren't ordinary—keeping them visible was deemed safer."
At Chang-wook's affirmation, Si-mun rested his chin on his hand and replied.
"And that 'someone else' would naturally be Chairman Lee Sun-cheol."
"H-how did you—?!"
Chang-wook jolted in shock.
"You brat... How could you...?"
Kim Mu-yeol likewise stared at Si-mun in disbelief.
Then—
"I see. Did Choi Woo-seok confess everything?"
"Yes."
Though the Black Market's master had separately informed him first.
Si-mun swallowed his next words and gave a light nod before rummaging through his coat pocket to pull out his phone.
Then—
"It's true! Even that research lab was directly ordered by Chairman Lee Sun-cheol!"
Along with a familiar voice—
"And that's not all! From smuggling domestic Villains out of the country to—"
On the phone screen, a middle-aged man could be seen passionately ranting against a dimly lit background.
Mu-yeol unconsciously muttered under his breath.
"He blabbed everything..."
"Correct. With this much, it shouldn't be too difficult to bring down Chairman Lee Sun-cheol, right?"
At Si-mun's question, Mu-yeol's face stiffened.
"Don't tell me... you're asking me to cut down that old bastard's head?"
"Something like that. For now, we just need to drag him down from his position. Additional punishment can come later."
Si-mun grinned.
To which Mu-yeol retorted,
"Why don't you do it yourself?"
"Ah~ How could a worthless commoner like me possibly manage that?"
"Hah!"
Was it disbelief?
Mu-yeol snorted and glared at Si-mun, who was still smirking.
"You just don't want to dirty your own hands. Besides, no matter how much evidence we have, bringing down that old monster won't be easy."
"If you want another reason, it's also because of the connections your uncle has in politics and business circles."
Si-mun took a sip of the now-cold tea.
"For decades, he's reigned as the elite among elites. The mere thought of exposing the weakness of someone we never dared to challenge—how mouthwatering is that?"
Mu-yeol stared silently at Si-mun without responding.
Then—
After downing the cold tea in one gulp, he slammed the cup onto the table with a thud.
"Fine. I've figured out one of your schemes. Separate from your revenge against Chairman Lee Sun-cheol, you're trying to sever my ties with that old man."
Just like how he had severed ties with Jong-ri Chu of the Continent Guild in the past.
"You want me to be the one to stab the old bastard in the back first, after all this time of holding hands."
This time, Si-mun didn't answer.
Only that infuriatingly smug smile of his spoke for him.
Mu-yeol gritted his teeth.
"As if you're testing my loyalty to you. Kim Si-mun, do I look like your dog to you?"
"Why put it so harshly? Uncle."
"Shut up!"
Bang.
This time, Mu-yeol slammed his fist onto the table.
Shards of the shattered teacup cut into his knuckles, drawing blood, but—
"Answer me. What's the real reason you're pushing this onto me?"
Mu-yeol didn't even blink as he glared at Si-mun.
"From the start, Kim Si-hyeok, Lee Yu-jeong, or even Lee Yeong-hui could've handled this just fine, couldn't they?"
As Mu-yeol said—
Bringing down Chairman Lee Sun-cheol wasn't something that had to be done by him.
"Especially if you left it to those two mother and daughter. It'd be smoother, wouldn't it? They're not the type to defend him just because he's family."
Same blood, same group.
Yet, among the upper class, they were rare ones with an exceptional sense of duty.
No matter how close the blood ties, they would never forgive Lee Sun-cheol.
"I... know that."
Memories of his past life—painful ones—flashed through Si-mun's mind.
The last image of Yu-jeong he had seen in those shocking news reports resurfaced.
'Back then, I tried everything to find her... but I never could.'
Si-mun's smile twisted strangely.
He took another sip of the cold tea and met his furious uncle's gaze.
"I just... don't want to involve those three in this."
"What?"
Was the answer unexpected?
The venom in Mu-yeol's eyes faded into bewilderment.
"I mean it. Especially Yu-jeong and Aunt Yeong-hui—it'd be practically filial impiety. I don't want to force them into that."
"You—"
"So, Uncle. Let's settle this between us. It's not like either of us has anything left to lose in this, right?"
Materially or emotionally.
At Si-mun's bitter smile—
"......"
Mu-yeol fell silent.
But unlike the quiet stillness—
'Let's settle this between us, Mu-yeol. After all, neither of us has anything left to lose, right?'
Like déjà vu.
His pupils trembled violently at words he felt he had heard somewhere before.
And then—
'Who else but that bitch's spawn! Playing the saint till the very end!'
The shift to rage was instantaneous.
Something scalding surged from the pit of his stomach all the way up his throat.
Mu-yeol clenched his eyes shut, forcing down the boiling emotions.
If he acted on this feeling right now—
He could very well end up strangling the life out of that damned nephew of his.
'Even in death, you—!'
In Kim Mu-yeol's blazing pupils, the distinct features of a handsome man came into focus.
An afterimage he could never forget superimposed itself over the man's face.
And then—
"...I understand."
The emotions that had been seething like molten lava cooled in an instant.
Who was it that said it?
The past repeats itself.
And so, Kim Mu-yeol—
"I'll end this matter here."
Had met the same death twice.