Chapter 183
Chapter 183
Chapter 183: The True Culprit (5)
Translation: godtl
Kim Mu-yeol let out a light scoff.
"That ridiculous split personality of yours is disgusting no matter how many times I see it."
"It's not split personality—I just act like a total bitch specifically toward you."
"Is that so? I hear even the board members call you the most insufferable bitch under heaven."
Though their conversation remained measured and composed,
it was laced with blades—a flurry of curses and venom.
"Tch. To think we're still doing this at our age—I'm sick of this act after forty damn years. Whatever."
Lee Yeong-hui swept back her short hair and settled onto the sofa.
"You know I've been holding back a lot, right, Mu-yeol?"
She crossed her legs and rested her hands on them,
looking no different from any high-powered career woman—
except for the glint in her eyes.
"Ten years ago, you and Father joined hands to let those lunatics into the country. Did you think I didn't know?"
"Ha!"
Kim Mu-yeol scoffed again.
"And what exactly are you going to do about it, huh? Planning to hold me accountable for sins from back then?"
"Considering I was bedridden for seven years thanks to that, I'd say I've earned the right. So I'll use that as leverage to make you a proposal."
"A proposal?"
Kim Mu-yeol's brow twitched slightly.
Lee Yeong-hui took a sip of her now-cold tea and nodded.
"Kim Mu-yeol, you've got some kind of weakness Si-mun's holding over you, don't you?"
"Don't spout nonsense!"
Kim Mu-yeol's eyes flared at the sudden jab.
Lee Yeong-hui smirked, tugging up one corner of her lips.
"Your reaction alone tells me everything. That nephew you supposedly despise—especially Si-mun, who you went out of your way to torment over Eun-hye—"
"...Lee Yeong-hui. You'd do well not to bring up that name again."
"Oh my, would you look at that?"
This time, Lee Yeong-hui's eyes widened like a startled rabbit's.
"Playing it cool all this time, and you still haven't gotten over her?"
"I warned you."
"Ahahaha!"
Lee Yeong-hui burst into laughter despite Kim Mu-yeol's growl.
"Anyway, the fact that you're bending over backward for whatever Si-mun says speaks volumes."
"Who's bending over backward?!"
"The way you're getting worked up right now says it all."
"Lee Yeong-hui!!"
"Did he swallow his age through his throat or something? Since when did you develop such a loud voice? You used to keep that icy tone all day long."
Perhaps because Si-mun wasn't here—
the killing intent radiating from Kim Mu-yeol was even fiercer than before.
"Anyway, this whole mess made me realize something."
Lee Yeong-hui sipped her tea leisurely, as if basking in a spring breeze.
"Why the hell are you babbling about your realizations to me?"
"I told you. As penance for letting those terrorist bastards into the country, I'm making you a proposal."
She set down her teacup and locked eyes with Kim Mu-yeol.
"Let's do some cleaning together."
"Cleaning?"
"I know you've got connections with those Desperado bastards. And the Continent Guild too."
Kim Mu-yeol's face instantly turned frosty.
"So?"
"Rumor has it you've been cutting ties with the Continent Guild lately. And now that Daniel's dead, I'm guessing you've severed things with Desperado too?"
"...None of your damn business."
"Oh, but it is my business."
Lee Yeong-hui's expression grew equally icy.
"Those bastards have deep ties to Father too, don't they?"
After a brief silence, Kim Mu-yeol scoffed.
"Hmph. So the Continent Guild and Desperado have a lot of little rats hiding in the Seongsam Guild, huh?"
"Must be. Otherwise, there's no way Father could've been assassinated at such a perfect moment."
"True. That old man wasn't the type to leave himself vulnerable. He probably plastered his office with Awakened Defense Systems."
Kim Mu-yeol tapped the armrest and added,
"Now that I think about it, it was strange. Not just the CCTV going dark at that exact moment—the entire Awakened Defense System was deactivated."
"Exactly. But Mu-yeol, you didn't tell the kids about the defense system, did you?"
"No point. Knowing that old man's personality, the switch to control it would've been in his office alone."
"You know Father even better than I do. Are you sure you're not some secret love child of his?"
Lee Yeong-hui chuckled dryly before continuing.
"Anyway, it's true Father deactivated the Awakened Defense System. I checked—he turned it off himself that morning."
"Oh?"
A flicker of interest crossed Kim Mu-yeol's cold eyes.
"So he knew Daniel was coming?"
"At the very least, it's certain he was expecting a visit from someone connected to that side."
"You mean there's someone that suspicious old man trusted enough to personally disable the Defense System for?"
Lee Yeong-hui pulled out three syringes filled with dark red liquid from the designer bag beside her.
Kim Mu-yeol tilted his head at the sight.
"What's this?"
"One was in the secret drawer of the chairman's office, the other two were found in Father's room. They seem to be made from Arena materials..."
Yeong-hui pantomimed inserting and removing a syringe from thin air.
Mu-yeol immediately grasped her implication.
"It doesn't go into the inventory."
"Right. The info window doesn't appear either. Da-yeong said these seem like something Dr. Choi Woo-seok provided."
"...May I see them for a moment?"
Mu-yeol's expression abruptly turned grave.
Yeong-hui obediently handed over the syringes, and Mu-yeol examined them with intense scrutiny.
Soon after.
'They're similar.'
His brow furrowed involuntarily.
'Jong-ri Chu. These bear some resemblance to the DS that bastard gave me.'
Though hard to describe,
he definitely sensed they shared similar base ingredients.
'Now that I think about it, the DS he gave me was this same dark red color too.'
The color alone could be coincidental,
but the way the dark red liquid continuously rippled—
like dye dissolving in clear water—
was identical to the DS he'd ingested.
Trait Enhancer DS and Jong-ri Chu.
And for some reason, Kim Si-mun who knew about his experiments.
These clues flashed through his mind.
'Could it be... related to why my traits don't work on Kim Si-mun?'
His eyes widened slightly.
'Jong-ri Chu. What the hell have you been doing?!'
Grip.
Mu-yeol's hand clenched involuntarily around the syringe.
Watching him silently, Yeong-hui spoke with her usual smile.
"Hey. You'll break it at this rate."
Snapping back to his senses at her words,
"Hmm. I don't know what these are made of, but they're clearly no ordinary experiment materials."
Mu-yeol set the syringe down casually—but that was all.
"Right?"
Yeong-hui, who'd grown up with him since childhood, couldn't be fooled.
Yet instead of pressing further,
"Want one?"
she offered with a sly grin.
"...You'd give it to me?"
"We've got three anyway. Wouldn't it be more efficient to have the Association researchers analyze it too?"
"Well, yes, but..."
Mu-yeol studied Yeong-hui with suspicious eyes.
But her smile remained as composed as ever.
Or more accurately—
"Then I won't refuse."
—because he was the more desperate one.
Mu-yeol immediately pocketed the syringe.
The corner of Yeong-hui's mouth twitched upward.
Smoothly concealing this, she continued,
"Anyway. I suspect this is why Father was killed by those bastards."
"That might be the case."
"It almost certainly is. Dr. Choi, who made these, died while trying to stow away with the Continent Guild's help."
Mu-yeol's face instantly hardened.
"How do you know that?"
"I saw the footage. The confession video Si-mun brought back from Dr. Choi."
"...Choi Chang-wook! That son of a—!"
"Don't get too angry. I did carry Chang-wook on my back when he was little, after all. Anyway."
Yeong-hui waved her hand dismissively.
"I can't tolerate outsiders meddling in our family affairs. Killing Father is absolutely unforgivable."
Her eyes turned icy as she spoke.
"So you want me to help you get revenge? Sorry, but as you said, I drew the line with them long ago."
"'Drew' the line, not 'cut' it, right? If you refuse, I'll take that syringe back."
"You—!"
Mu-yeol glared at her fiercely.
But—
"...Fine. But you'll handle any Seongsam Guild underlings yourself."
In the end, the more desperate party had to yield.
Seeing this, Yeong-hui extended her hand.
"Naturally. So we have a deal?"
"One question."
Mu-yeol stared at her outstretched hand.
"Why not tell your daughter or Kim Si-mun? They're young, but they're far more capable than you are now."
Was the question unexpected?
Yeong-hui's eyes widened momentarily.
Then—
"Ah, right. You wouldn't understand since you don't have children."
She smiled softly.
"Because I'm a parent."
"A parent?"
"Yeah. Hmm, should I say it's because you're an adult to me?"
Lee Yeong-hui tilted her head quizzically.
She stared at Kim Mu-yeol with an odd expression.
"No. Let's just say you're a parent too for now. That seems more accurate."
At her following words, Kim Mu-yeol's brow furrowed deeply.
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
"I can't be certain. And honestly, I'm desperately hoping this is nonsense too~."
"What kind of drivel are you spouting now? Did you finally lose your mind after your father died?"
"Right? I wish I could just go completely crazy."
Lee Yeong-hui stretched languidly.
She sprawled across the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"I could find out if I really tried... but if it's true, I think Eun-hye would be a bit terrifying."
She murmured the words quietly.
"So I'll leave this as your homework. Figure it out yourself."
"You crazy bitch."
[The Truth Behind Lee Yu-jeong's Confession - Was She Threatened by Daniel?]
[Void Energy Detected in Do-hu's Body - Believed to Be Daniel's Doing]
[Association Announces 'Mobilizing All Methods to Ensure Do-hu's Safety']
The screen was filled with news headlines.
"Everything's flowing exactly as expected."
After confirming the reports, Si-mun smiled contentedly and pocketed his phone.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened.
Si-mun strode down the luxurious hallway and pushed open a large door.
"Daddy!"
Pitter-patter.
A beloved voice greeted him.
Si-mun spread his arms wide and embraced the child who came barreling toward him.
"My princess. Were you having fun playing?"
"Mm-hmm! I played with Stone Sister, Mal-suk Auntie, and the golems!"
Si-yeon rubbed her cheeks against him vigorously.
"Really? That sounds like fun!"
Si-mun affectionately rubbed his cheek against hers in return, then looked up at the woman following behind.
"You must be busy with the Arena. Thanks for looking after Si-yeon."
"Looking after her? She was playing just fine on her own."
Go Mal-suk waved her hand dismissively.
"So, did you resolve the Yu-jeong situation?"
"Yeah."
"Well, judging by the news, it seems pretty much wrapped up."
Go Mal-suk nodded nonchalantly.
"Then I'll be going."
With a brief farewell, she turned to leave.
"Mal-suk-ah."
For some reason, Si-mun felt an odd sense of dissonance and called out to her.
"Is something going on with you?"
"Nothing's going on. What kind of business would a shut-in like me have, just grinding the Arena all day?"
She shrugged as if it were nothing.
But she continued walking away, showing only her back.
Si-mun, who knew exactly what that behavior meant, simply said:
"Alright?"
He didn't try to stop her.
Knowing Mal-suk's personality, giving her space when she was like this was the best approach.
"Mal-suk-ah."
Just as in his past life,
"You don't always have to do something to be someone's strength."
He offered her a brief send-off.
"......"
At his words, Go Mal-suk paused mid-step before continuing toward her room.
Her stride was as bold and confident as ever.
But seeing her tightly clenched fists, Si-mun thought:
'Honestly, she's such a softie inside.'
He chuckled softly and shook his head.
Then,
"Alright! Si-yeon? Should we go to the lab with Daddy?"
"Mm-hmm! I'm gonna play house with the golems!"
Carrying the enthusiastically nodding Si-yeon, he headed to the laboratory.
Creak.
Clink.
Amid the familiar sounds of work,
-You're back?
The Philosopher's Stone in the flask greeted Si-mun.
-You must be tired today. Rest a bit.
Si-mun made a slightly baffled expression.
And for good reason.
"...Hyun-ah, if anyone saw this, they'd think you never left the house."
Wasn't the Philosopher's Stone always with him, nestled against his chest?
One.
-Ehh~ You worked hard and came home. Isn't it nice to be welcomed?
"Yeah. I guess you're right."
At the Philosopher's Stone's cheeky remark, Si-mun couldn't help but laugh.
-So is the Yu-jeong situation completely resolved now?
"Yeah, pretty much."
-That's an odd way to put it?
The Philosopher's Stone tilted its head (figuratively) and floated closer.
-Yu-jeong didn't kill her grandfather, and we found the real culprit behind the incident ten years ago.
"That's exactly why I said it."
Si-mun stroked his chin lightly.
"The true mastermind behind the incident ten years ago—I don't think we've uncovered everything yet."
-Why? Chairman Lee Sun-cheol led the operation, and Desperado carried out the terror... Ah!
"Got a hunch about something?"
The Philosopher's Stone let out a small sigh.
Is it because of the Mana Disability?
"Correct."
Si-mun nodded.
"Because it's still unclear why Arena Disease struck after that incident ten years ago."
You seem to have some suspicions about that, though?
"Hyun-ah. Remember when you treated Auntie?"
Auntie?
The Philosopher's Stone tilted its head briefly before its large eyes sharpened with realization.
Right! Dragon Power!
"Yeah. We obtained Dragon Power while treating her, didn't we?"
Considering that...
So you're saying that, separate from Chairman Lee or Desperado, the Dragonkin were involved?
"They targeted Auntie, Si-hyeok, and Yu-jeong. I don't think this was just the chairman's personal grudge."
At the time, Lee Yeong-hui was a renowned Ranker.
On top of that, Si-hyeok and Yu-jeong were rising stars, their awakening potential drawing as much attention as his own.
From the perspective of a third party—or even a foreign power—it was the perfect opportunity to cripple Korea's future.
And...
Then the one who benefited the most from this must be the culprit. Looking back, even considering your past life... it's got to be Jong-ri Chu, right?
There was only one person capable of scheming like this.
But.
"Not necessarily."
Si-mun shook his head.
"Any nation would prioritize its own interests first. Just look at the World Federation."
Even the Awakened Alliance, supposedly safeguarding global peace, was subtly undermining each other, scrambling for every scrap of advantage.
True. On the day Yu-jeong's case was first brought up, they almost unanimously tried to label her a Villain, didn't they?
Wasn't Lee Yu-jeong's Villain designation proof enough?
No matter how much she confessed, the speed at which they moved to brand a national Ranker as a Villain was suspiciously fast.
Then do you have a country in mind?
"If we nitpick, the list would be endless. But focusing just on Desperado, there's one obvious candidate."
In his past life, Desperado had eventually been eradicated.
But until then, they had maintained their position as the world's strongest Villain organization.
And behind them stood—
"Private sponsors like my uncle, and... nations like China and the U.S."
To be precise, the two guilds representing those countries: the Continent Guild and American Dream.
The Philosopher's Stone's eyes widened.
You're not suggesting American Dream was involved in the incident ten years ago too, are you?
"Wouldn't be surprising. The Continent Guild was just more blatant, but American Dream wasn't exactly clean in my past life either."
Surviving until the end on Earth wasn't just about strength.
Secretly backing an organization like Desperado from the shadows was proof enough they weren't saints.
And crucially—
"Derek, the Guild Master of American Dream, isn't exactly a good person."
Only someone who had lived until Earth's final moments would know that.
Derek, hailed as America's superhero.
The kind of man he truly was.
Well, you'd know better than me. I regressed right after my manifestation.
"Still, let's take this step by step."
Si-mun stretched lightly, rolling his neck.
"For now, wrapping up the major domestic issues is enough."
He glanced at the bustling crafting zone.
"Need any help from me?"
Mm. Just check in when we're making the prototype for the trait immunity treatment.
"Got it. Then I'll go sort out my rewards."
Nodding, Si-mun headed to his station.
"First, let's complete the mission."
Si-mun completed Black Goat's mission.
[Constellation Black Goat's mission has been completed.]
[5,000 Achievement Points acquired.]
Since meeting Daniel, Black Goat had been unusually quiet.
Even now, with the mission complete, there was no reaction.
'Probably lost in thought.'
Si-mun decided not to pry.
'I'm curious about that "Chaos" being, but she'll tell me when the time comes.'
Knowing Black Goat, she'd speak up when ready.
Instead, he focused on the rewards.
'Perfect timing. I was running low on Achievement Points lately. Sweet.'
Ars Magna alone consumed a whopping 5,000 points.
Sure, he'd hunted the Nemean Lion Cub and recovered some, but his recent expenditures had been staggering.
"Adding last Arena's rewards on top of this..."
A grin spread across his face.
Just as Si-mun was about to check his Arena rewards with satisfaction—
[Congratulations. You have qualified to participate in the 'Provisional Regular Arena' by meeting the conditions.]
"What?!"
A startling message popped up before his eyes.