Chapter 173
Chapter 173
Translation: godtl
Siege Warfare (1)
Tap tap tap.
A sleek table shook at regular intervals.
The liquor glass placed atop it swayed, spilling its potent contents across the surface—yet no one in the room bothered to point it out.
Soon after—
"Phew... So."
A rough-looking man—one who could easily be mistaken for a gangster—exhaled a cloud of hazy cigarette smoke before speaking.
"What're you gonna do now? Gonna track him down and shank him or something?"
True to his appearance, the man casually uttered terrifying words.
To which—
"As expected, you're the only one who really gets me, hyung."
In stark contrast to the man before him—
"Though I won't just stab him. I'll cut his head clean off."
A refreshingly handsome youth replied with an even bloodier declaration.
The young man smiled, his expression completely at odds with the brutality of his words.
Anyone even remotely acquainted with him would know—
"After all, I need to hang it up at the entrance of Seongsam Town for everyone to see."
—the murderous glint in his eyes beneath that refreshing smile.
Naturally, the thuggish man knew it all too well.
"Hey, you bastard! What the hell do you mean you're taking that seriously?!"
Park Jin-uk spat out the cigarette he'd been chewing on and yelled.
"You know the Awakened Laws, right?! Just drawing a blade in front of that chairman would get you branded a villain on the spot!"
"It's fine. If I draw my sword in front of him, I'll definitely take his head."
"You goddamn psycho!"
Park Jin-uk barely swallowed back another curse at Kim Si-hyeok's reply.
"Haah... Si-hyeok. For once, say something that makes sense!"
He practically pleaded—though it was far from a genuine appeal—with this madman of a junior who only looked sane.
Then—
"And hey. You got family right here. Is that really the kinda shit you should be saying?"
He shot a glance at the elegant beauty sitting beside him before glaring sternly at Kim Si-hyeok.
But—
"Family? Hyung, do you really think that bastard considers me family?"
Kim Si-hyeok merely raised an eyebrow and scoffed.
"Kim Si-hyeok!"
Park Jin-uk's expression darkened further.
"Are you a child?! No matter how pissed you are, there's a limit! Talking like that in front of your own—"
His scolding was cut short.
Or rather, blocked.
By the monstrous junior who had suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Limit?"
"Hyung. After all the shit my brother went through because of that old bastard—you're seriously talking about limits now? Huh?"
Park Jin-uk's mouth remained sealed shut as Kim Si-hyeok hissed through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing.
The fact that he—a top-tier Diamond-ranked Assassin—couldn't even react was secondary.
Even though it was just a single hand covering his mouth—
'This goddamn monster! His strength is downright filthy!'
Park Jin-uk couldn't even shake off his damn junior's grip.
Fortunately—
Though Kim Si-hyeok's hand was firm, that was all.
There was no crushing pressure or pain accompanying it.
In short, he was holding back.
But—
'If you're gonna hit me, just hit me! Why the hell are you holding back when you're already pissed?!'
Unable to react—
Park Jin-uk's pride only cracked further as he remained subdued by his junior's single hand.
Then—
"Kim Si-hyeok. That's enough."
A clear voice rescued him.
It was Lee Yu-jeong.
"You can insult your grandfather all you want, but don't take it out on hyung-nim for no reason."
"Tch."
Kim Si-hyeok scoffed at Lee Yu-jeong's firm tone.
He released Park Jin-uk and took a step toward her.
Immediately—
Swoosh.
From behind, the slender woman who had been quietly observing the situation—
Kang Da-yeong—drew a dagger and moved to Lee Yu-jeong's side.
"Unnie, are you okay?"
Lee Yu-jeong raised an arm, gently stopping Kang Da-yeong.
"Taking it out on him? Did you just say I was taking it out on him?"
"Then you weren't? Did hyung-nim say anything wrong?"
"Wow! Lee Yu-jeong. You really pissed now? Because I insulted your precious old man?"
"Not at all. And that has nothing to do with you being rude to hyung-nim. Don't drag unrelated things into this."
"Oho, acting all high and mighty now. Just because people call you the 'Saintess,' you think you're the real deal or something?"
"You really love showing off how stupid you are, huh? You still don't know I hate that nickname?"
Neither backed down an inch as they glared at each other.
True to their status as two of Korea's hottest Rankers—
Grooooooan!
The luxurious penthouse interior was already being torn apart by their sheer presence alone.
Park Jin-uk and Kang Da-yeong exchanged frantic glances, but that was all they could do.
There was no calming these two monsters.
Then—
Ding.
A saving chime rang from Park Jin-uk's pocket.
It wasn't just Park Jin-uk.
Ding. Ding.
The same notification sound rang from the phones of Kim Si-hyeok and Lee Yu-jeong, who had been turning the place into a wreck with their sheer presence alone.
Park Jin-uk quickly checked his phone and uttered the magic words:
"S-Si-mun-nim started streaming!"
"......."
"......."
As if their fight had never happened.
The overwhelming pressure from the two Rankers vanished in an instant.
Clatter.
Only the shattered fragments of furniture and half-broken glass cups remained as proof of the earlier bloodlust.
Kim Si-hyeok and Lee Yu-jeong glanced at their phone screens, then glared at each other again.
Of course, the screens displaying Si-mun's stream remained on.
"Alright, alright! Calm down. Let's just wrap up this conversation quickly. Aren't you gonna watch Si-mun-nim's stream? Huh?"
Park Jin-uk continued weaving his magic words, pacifying the two monsters.
The effect was immediate.
Si-hyeok and Yu-jeong obediently plopped down onto the half-destroyed sofa.
And then—
"Senior. I'm sorry for losing my temper. I got carried away."
To everyone's surprise, Kim Si-hyeok even apologized.
Without so much as a hint of his usual What the hell's gotten into you? attitude.
"Si-hyeok-ah. I get where you're coming from, but for god's sake, rein in that temper of yours."
Lee Yu-jeong chided him gently, invoking Kim Si-mun's name again as if to soothe him.
"If you keep acting like this, one day Si-mun-nim will find out, you brat!"
"Yes, Senior. I'll be more careful."
Like a well-trained beast,
Si-hyeok nodded meekly before turning his gaze back to Yu-jeong across from him.
"You really don't have any feelings for that old man, right?"
"None. Not a shred."
"Yeah? Then don't stop me if I cut his head off."
"I can't do that."
"......Hey. Are you messing with me right now?"
Si-hyeok's expression darkened again.
Yu-jeong answered impassively.
"I'm not joking. Grandfather... I'll be the one to deal with him. Not you."
"What?"
It was an answer none of them expected.
Not just Si-hyeok—
"Y-Yu-jeong-ah."
"What are you talking about?"
Park Jin-uk and Kang Da-yeong also stared at her in shock.
Yu-jeong's expression remained unchanged as she replied:
"Exactly what I said. I'll be the one to end Grandfather. That's how it should be."
Kang Da-yeong immediately grabbed Yu-jeong's shoulder.
"Yu-jeong-ah! The Chairman is your grandfather!"
"I know. That's exactly why I should be the one to do it."
For the first time, emotion flickered across Yu-jeong's face as she looked at Da-yeong.
"Oppa, Mom... all of them. Grandfather is the one who made them that way."
"Yu-jeong-ah......"
It was a vicious mix of betrayal and rage.
"Unnie, you know how desperately I've been searching for the culprit behind that incident."
At Yu-jeong's growling tone,
Da-yeong couldn't say anything—she only bit her lip hard.
She, more than anyone, knew
what the incident from ten years ago meant to Yu-jeong.
"I've known for a long time what kind of person Grandfather is. But the incident from ten years ago—!"
Yu-jeong swallowed a shaky breath, unable to continue.
The veins on her pale neck bulged visibly before fading, over and over.
Finally—
"Hah... It's fine, Unnie. Hating Grandfather is something I'm used to."
After steadying her breathing, she forced the corners of her lips upward.
At the sight of that trembling smile, Da-yeong gripped Yu-jeong's shoulder tightly.
But that was all.
"Yu-jeong-ah. No matter how much you hate him... he's still family."
"Family? Unnie, it wasn't Oppa."
She couldn't stop Yu-jeong.
"It was me. Of course Mom was a target, but Grandfather was aiming for me from the start!"
"......."
He had tried to kill his own daughter, Lee Yeong-hui.
And his granddaughter, Lee Yu-jeong, was no exception.
Lee Sun-cheol—the patriarch of their family.
How could anyone console Yu-jeong after learning that?
Squeeze.
Da-yeong's grip on Yu-jeong's shoulder tightened.
As if trying to envelop the emotions radiating from her touch,
"Unnie, I'm okay."
Yu-jeong gently clasped Da-yeong's hand.
"If anything, I feel lighter. I finally found the culprit who's been tormenting me all this time."
"Yu-jeong-ah. Maybe we should tell Vice-Chairman-nim—"
"Not Mom."
Yu-jeong shook her head firmly when Da-yeong mentioned Yeong-hui.
"I only have bitter memories of Grandfather... but that's not the case for Mom."
Yu-jeong knew.
Her mother, Yeong-hui, had chosen love over status, which led to her falling out with Grandfather.
But before that, they had been incredibly close.
'She always told stories about Father and Grandfather.'
Like any mother and daughter,
they had always talked about the men in their family.
Yeong-hui had spoken about what kind of man her father was.
"She used to tell me how kind Grandfather was before Father married into the family."
She spoke without hiding her nostalgia for those times.
And so.
"I'll do it, unnie."
This was something she had to take upon herself.
At Lee Yu-jeong's resolute attitude, Kang Da-yeong reluctantly turned her head away.
"Hey. I'll handle it."
Kim Si-hyeok, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up.
"If you step forward, it becomes patricide. Just leave it to me."
"In a situation where we're becoming Villains anyway, what does a little patricide matter?"
"Yu-jeong. You don't need to act tough."
"I'm not acting. I genuinely don't care. He's hated me my entire life, after all."
Having returned to her original appearance, Lee Yu-jeong glanced at the smartphone broadcasting live—showing Si-mun interacting with viewers.
Seeing this, her expression softened momentarily.
Then.
"Since Oppa is broadcasting right now... this would be the perfect time."
She rose from her seat.
"What the hell! Are you kidding me?!"
"Even if we're on Kim Si-mun's side, this is too much!!"
Beyond mere panic—
Nine Players expressed outright horror.
Yet.
[Current Location: Fortress of Savagery.]
[Assigned to: Siege Team.]
[Objective: Eliminate all defending forces or capture the target point.]
The System impassively continued stating only what it needed to say.
"We're screwed! Completely fucked!"
"Haah... I should've just been on the enemy team..."
"This is your fault, you bastard! Spouting nonsense about being on the same team and all!"
The Players despaired.
Yet the very person at the center of it all, Si-mun, remained not just calm but almost cheerful.
The reason was simple.
'I thought they'd at least impose restrictions on my abilities. To think they'd just adjust the numbers and call it a day.'
His primary stat, Transmutation Power, alone stood at 212.
Converted to levels, that was equivalent to Level 212.
Moreover, his Bound Stats—Demonic Energy, Dragon Power, and Death Energy—were each half that at 106.
Of course, Death Energy wasn't particularly useful at the moment.
But it still provided minor perks like basic resistance to necrotic effects.
Thus, his total Bound Stats alone amounted to 318.
Adding his Transmutation Power of 212 to that...
'With Transmutation Power's efficiency, my total stat value reaches 530...'
Converted purely to levels, that was equivalent to Level 530.
Even excluding Death Energy, which had minimal impact here,
his stats still reached a monstrous 424.
An unbelievable spec for someone supposedly at Level 117.
But.
'They're not nerfing this?'
The Galaxy Arena settled for just adjusting the numbers?
And not only that—
'They even generously gave me nine teammates?'
Shouldn't it have been at least 199 against 1?
At this thought, Si-mun's brow furrowed ambiguously.
"Well, it's good for me, but... this oddly hurts my pride."
The Galaxy Arena should know his specs better than anyone in this world.
To adjust the balance this loosely?
But perhaps this was just Si-mun's own perception—
-?
-Why would your pride be hurt now?
-Wait... is it because of the balance adjustment?
-Do you think the current team adjustment isn't enough?
-No f*cking way! LMAO, you're joking, right?
-Bro... this isn't the time to worry about pride... we're screwed!!
The chat exploded instantly.
"Your pride is hurt? Are you seriously saying that after seeing the balance adjustment?"
"Hey, Mr. Kim Si-mun, if anyone should be uncomfortable with this imbalance, it's us!"
"Mr. Kim. Seeing you in person, you're incredibly arrogant."
"Even for a Magic Class user, isn't this too much? We're upper Platinum here."
The nine Players remaining with Si-mun also raised their voices, eyes blazing.
Correction—eight Players.
"......"
A neatly dressed, pretty boy.
Wearing a school uniform utterly out of place in the Arena, and even more incongruously,
carrying a long Japanese sword on his back, he silently observed Si-mun.
Then.
Step.
The boy took a step forward.
At this—
"That guy..."
"What? He's on our team too?"
"Well, he's been soaring lately. With ten of us, they must've given us an elite squad."
The Players who glanced at the boy whispered among themselves.
Thud.
The boy, who had been walking, paused briefly.
Then.
"Elite squad?"
As if he'd heard something utterly absurd.
He turned back with a face full of displeasure.
"Why would you call this an elite squad?"
At the boy's reaction, the Players exchanged flustered glances before responding.
"Yuto, just you and Kim Si-mun alone are already top-tier in this match."
"We're not exactly pushovers either, you know."
"Right! If you tally our combined MMR, it's probably higher than the 190 on the other side—"
"Ha!"
As if he couldn't bear to hear more.
Yuto cut them off with a scornful laugh.
"I'll acknowledge Kim Si-mun. That much I can concede."
His words carried a maturity that didn't match his youthful appearance.
"But the rest of you? No. You're nothing but dead weight dragging down our MMR."
His gaze swept over the players, brimming with contempt.
"So stop trying to lump yourselves in with 'us.' It's disgusting."
Naturally, this provoked an immediate uproar.
"W-what did you just say?!"
"You little brat!"
"You think you're hot shit just because Masamune endorsed you? Huh?!"
The eight players' eyes bulged as veins throbbed at their temples.
Yuto, however, smoothly ignored their rage and turned toward Kim Si-mun.
"It's been a while, Mr. Si-mun."
"Indeed it has, Yuto."
"No need for formalities. You're significantly older than me."
Si-mun silently nodded at Yuto's casual approach—a stark contrast to how coldly he'd regarded the other players.
"I felt it during your Platinum Debut Match too—you always bring the unexpected wherever you go."
Yuto's eyes held genuine warmth as he looked at Si-mun.
Si-mun blinked, perplexed.
"Uh... do I?"
"You don't even notice it? Well, I suppose that makes sense for someone of your caliber."
Yuto seemed to be operating under some private misunderstanding.
"The strong are always composed. I completely understand—even that remark you made earlier."
He nodded solemnly to himself, then suddenly—
"But..."
His gaze darted around as if searching for something.
"Is... that child not here with you?"
"Child?"
Si-mun tilted his head briefly before realization dawned.
"Ah! You mean Si-yeon."
His face brightened the moment he thought of her.
"That's right. Si-yeon. That was her name."
When Yuto nodded in confirmation, Si-mun couldn't suppress a proud smile.
'So Yuto's a fan of Si-yeon too. Well, our Si-yeon is pretty adorable, after all.'
Sweet, cheerful, and with looks that could charm anyone—children were universally lovable regardless of race or nationality. It was only natural she'd have international fans.
Si-mun didn't bother hiding his swelling pride.
"Si-yeon's busy, so she couldn't come this time."
"Busy?"
"Yeah, she's been helping me with some work lately."
"What kind of work could possibly keep someone like her—"
"Ah, she's making something with her sister. Got completely absorbed in it."
"W-wait, sister?!"
Yuto's expression twisted into something increasingly disturbed.
Whatever had shocked him so deeply—
"That child... working with that sister of hers on something...?!"
His pupils trembled violently, like a horror movie protagonist's.
Si-mun scratched his cheek awkwardly.
'Does he have his own little world going on in there?'
It would be a lie to say he wasn't bewildered.
'Well, in his past life, it was his affiliations that were the problem. The kid himself was fine.'
Knowing Yuto's past life well, Si-mun didn't mind his gloomy demeanor.
Then—
Whoosh!
A scorching heat tore through the air as something came flying from the distance.
A fireball, launched from the towering Fortress of Savagery.
'A siege weapon firing all the way out here?'
Si-mun frowned.
'Must be a balance adjustment giving them extra range.'
He raised a finger toward the incoming fireball—then lowered it.
The reason was simple.
Because Yuto's sword, now free of its earlier gloom—
Swish!
—had already cleaved the massive, presumably 5-star fireball clean in half.
BOOM!
The explosion sent a wave of blistering heat that tousled their hair.
"Well, that settles it. Just the two of us will spike the Arena's difficulty, but clearing it like that could be fun in its own way."
Yuto's words made no sense to Si-mun again.
Before Si-mun could respond—
"Cut the bullshit!"
A voice thick with malice cut in.
The eight players who'd been assigned to their team.
"Who said anything about clearing with you?!"
"I'm not playing with you brats!"
"Me neither! Little shits with no manners!"
"Fun my ass! It's 10 versus 190!"
"This is why kids are the worst. They think they're hot shit."
"Kim Si-mun's no better. Talking like he's buddies with that freak."
Their necks bulged with fury.
Yuto tilted his head at them.
"What do you mean?"
"What do we mean?! Are your ears broken already, brat? We said NO!"
"Why? Scared because we won't carry you? Too late now!"
"It's not like you'll make Diamond anyway. Win or lose, I don't care~."
"Though if you grovel hard enough, I might consider buffing you."
"Even if we crush Kim Si-mun too, we might consider a siege buff."
At the players' blustering threats about not participating in the Arena, Yuto let out a quiet chuckle.
"Being young isn't necessarily good, but it seems growing older doesn't automatically make one better either."
"What?"
"More importantly, when did I ever say it was ten against one hundred ninety?"
At his words, the eight players blinked in confusion.
"I said 'just two,' didn't I?"
Yuto repeated his earlier statement once more.
"You little—!"
"From the very beginning, we weren't even in your—"
Before the eight players could finish voicing their outrage—
"If you understand, then that's enough."
Swish.
"Please die."
Eight heads simultaneously soared through the air.