Chapter 194
Chapter 194
Translation: godtl
"Hmm~."
A low hum.
Though not particularly pleasant to the ear,
it clearly conveyed the humming individual's exceedingly good mood.
A short while later.
"Representative Wei, we've arrived."
A man in a suit and sunglasses opened the car door.
"Understood."
Wei Anhong nodded and promptly stepped out of the vehicle.
'So this is the Korea Awakened Association?'
A building so tall he had to crane his neck to see its top.
The surrounding landscaping, too—
as if reflecting the current Association President's personality—
gave off an immaculately restrained, almost coldly austere atmosphere.
However.
"Hmph. Smaller than ours."
With a scoff, Wei Anhong followed his attendants into the Association building.
Ding.
After a long ascent, the elevator doors finally slid open.
Even then—
Tap tap tap.
Wei Anhong's fingers incessantly drummed against his pocket.
The humming from the car had manifested physically.
"Welcome. We've been expecting you."
A two-meter-tall man waiting ahead bowed his head.
"Haha! If it isn't Secretary Choi! Still living up to the moniker 'Golem,' I see—your imposing stature never fails to impress."
"You flatter me."
Wei Anhong laughed heartily as he shook Choi Chang-wook's hand.
"Then please, come inside."
Choi Chang-wook immediately opened the door.
"Thank you."
Expressing his gratitude, Wei Anhong stepped briskly into the President's office.
Though he plainly saw Si-mun, Kim Si-hyeok, Park Jin-uk, Lee Yu-jeong, and others seated inside—
"Ah! President Kim Mu-yeol! It's truly been ages. The first time since your inauguration, no?"
Wei Anhong directed his greeting solely at Kim Mu-yeol.
Of course, considering the President's position alone,
there was nothing unusual about greeting the Association President first.
In fact, by etiquette and protocol, this was the correct approach.
Wei Anhong, well aware of this—
'Hehe. This should be enough to seize the initiative.'
—cast a sidelong glance at Si-mun's group with a faint smile
before extending his hand toward Kim Mu-yeol.
However.
Perhaps because it had been so long—
"Wei Anhong. Since when did trash like you qualify to shake my hand?"
Caught completely off guard by the Iron Wood King's temperament, Wei Anhong blinked rapidly in shock.
"Eh? Ah... Haha! You've grown quite humorous since we last met."
Forcing a smile, he smoothly continued, but that was all.
"Humorous?"
Kim Mu-yeol's eyes twitched, his displeasure evident.
Under normal circumstances, Wei Anhong would have quickly backed down, but—
"Come now, why so serious? You're the President of the World Federation, aren't you?"
This greeting had been intended to suppress Si-mun's momentum from the outset.
"Naturally, as the leader of a nation's Association..."
In the end, he crossed a line he shouldn't have.
"Tch. A fucking F-rank maggot dares—!"
Sparks of fury instantly flashed in the Iron Wood King's eyes.
But it wasn't just his eyes.
Creeeak.
The potted plants placed throughout the President's office—
their branches abruptly lengthened, lashing toward Wei Anhong.
"What the—!"
"Representative Wei!"
The attendants who had followed him in hurriedly blocked his front.
True to their status as World Federation escorts,
they too were Awakened—
Hum.
Some erected barriers with their energy, others struck down the branches—but that was all.
They stood no chance against a still-active First Generation Ranker.
"Guhk!"
"Ugh!"
Their defenses shattered, leaving them with shallow but painful wounds on their arms and legs.
One of the attendants glared at Kim Mu-yeol.
"What is the meaning of this?! This man is the World Federation's representative! How dare you—!"
"One more word."
Like a razor-sharp blade,
Kim Mu-yeol severed the attendant's speech.
His piercing gaze bore into the man as he growled,
"Go on. Say one more word. I'll carve you into five pieces right where you stand."
The surrounding branches, now encircling them like venomous snakes—
Creak.
Creeeak.
—twitched menacingly at their tips.
Naturally,
"......"
The attendant became as silent as if he'd swallowed his tongue.
Unable to even wipe the cold sweat trickling down his forehead, Wei Anhong—
"P-President Kim? L-Let's all calm down for a moment..."
—raised slightly trembling hands in a feeble attempt to placate him.
"Tch."
With a voice as sharp as a blade, the Iron Wood King's gaze turned toward Wei Anhong.
"A mere upstart who wormed his way into that seat dares—"
His piercing glare could flay flesh.
"Just because you've sat in that Alliance representative's chair for a few years, you think you can stand equal to me? Wei Anhong, have you lost your mind in my absence?"
"Association President, there seems to be a misunderstanding—"
Wei Anhong desperately tried to placate the Iron Wood King's fury, but—
"It's not just you. Most of the worms squatting in those representative seats are the same."
Once ignited, his wrath wasn't easily extinguished.
"Leeches who climbed to their positions through connections, yet strut about as international dignitaries—your gall has swollen beyond measure."
A frost-laced sneer.
"In the old days, you'd all have been vermin crushed underfoot without a soul to mourn you."
The murderous glint in his eyes—as if he might tear Wei Anhong apart this very moment—finally sealed the Chinese representative's lips.
Sealed them by sheer necessity.
'D-dangerous.'
Kim Mu-yeol, the Iron Wood King.
Because right now, his switch had been well and truly flipped.
And—
Given that his temperament differed little from the sovereign Wei Anhong served—
'Alliance representative or not—nothing matters! One wrong move and I'll genuinely die!'
Wei Anhong was certain he stood at the crossroads of life and death.
Hadn't this blade of a man abandoned even his own family—
All for the sake of his authority?
'I—I should grovel immediately, but—'
Was it because his stats had stagnated since becoming a representative?
Under the Iron Wood King's overwhelming killing intent—
Shudder.
Wei Anhong's body refused to function properly.
Then—
"Association President. Please show some mercy."
A saving voice slipped into his ears.
A handsome man with features as striking as his tone—
Kim Si-mun.
"It's been so long since we last met—he's just excited. Representative Wei didn't seem to have ill intentions, did he?"
Yet Wei Anhong's tension didn't ease.
And for good reason.
'Not the Sword Saint—why him of all people?!'
Famous, yes, but ultimately just a Platinum.
Not a Ranker on par with the Iron Wood King like Kim Si-hyeok or Lee Yu-jeong.
This was like fanning flames in a burning house.
Or so—
Wei Anhong thought.
"Tch. Fine. For Jong-ri Chu's sake, I'll let it slide this once."
Clicking his tongue, Kim Mu-yeol retracted his wrath like pruning bonsai branches—though his grip on Wei Anhong's windpipe remained.
'What in the—'
Wei Anhong's eyes bulged as he glanced between Si-mun and Kim Mu-yeol.
'The Iron Wood King actually listened to some Platinum upstart?!'
For someone who knew Kim Mu-yeol well, this was unbelievable.
But the fact remained—Si-mun had pulled him from the jaws of tyranny.
"Th-thank you!"
Bowing deeply toward Kim Mu-yeol, Wei Anhong hastily took his seat.
"Ahem! Then let's skip the formalities and get straight to the point."
He prepared to conclude matters swiftly and escape this place.
Loosening his tie slightly, Wei Anhong spoke.
"I trust the official document sent to the Yggdrasil Guild arrived safely?"
"You mean this?"
Si-mun slid a file across the table.
"Correct. Were there any clauses that seemed unclear?"
"The clauses were perfectly clear. The document itself is the problem."
"That is—"
Wrinkles formed between Wei Anhong's brows as he hesitated.
The reason was simple.
"But—isn't the Yggdrasil Guild Master the Sword Saint?"
Throughout this entire exchange, Wei Anhong had been addressing Kim Si-hyeok, the Sword Saint—
Yet it was Kim Si-mun answering in his stead.
The transition had been so seamless that Wei Anhong only now noticed.
'Now that I think about it, the seating arrangement is odd too.'
Si-mun sat directly across from him—the Alliance representative.
The Sword Saint, the Guild Master, was to Si-mun's right.
The Vice Guild Master, the Night Hunter, to his left.
To any observer, Si-mun occupied Yggdrasil's representative seat.
As if sensing his confusion—
"Ah. This matter has been entirely delegated. It has nothing to do with me."
Kim Si-hyeok waved a hand dismissively.
Wei Anhong's expression grew increasingly bewildered.
But—
"Then let's proceed with the discussion. You'll need to leave soon anyway."
At Si-mun's urging, Wei Anhong quickly nodded.
Who knew when the Iron Wood King's brutal mood might shift again?
"Ahem! Then circling back—what exactly is the issue with the document itself?"
Wei Anhong straightened his collar and flashed a sly smile.
That face—knowing full well yet pretending ignorance—must have been utterly grating.
Moreover, it was a smile deliberately crafted for that very purpose.
"Literally. It seems the official document is 'incorrect.'"
Si-mun responded with an unruffled smile, not a hint of disturbance in his expression.
"The World Federation I know isn't an organization foolish enough to do something like this."
At that—
"Foolish? Do you realize the danger in what you're saying right now?"
Wei Anhong's eyes turned sharp.
That word—"foolish"—
was no different from a direct insult toward him, the one who had proposed the motion in the first place.
"This is slander against the World Federation's decision. How dare you act so brazenly!"
But as if Wei Anhong's words held no weight—
"Hmm. It should be about time now..."
Si-mun muttered while fiddling with his phone.
"You—!"
Just as Wei Anhong was about to explode at the blatant rudeness—
Ring ring.
A ringtone sounded from his pocket.
Wei Anhong irritably pulled out his phone to turn it off, but—
'It's the Federation.'
Realizing it was a call from the Federation, he—
"My apologies for a moment."
—offered a perfunctory apology before answering.
"What kind of bullshit is this?!"
He immediately spat out curses.
'The motion's been withdrawn?! What kind of nonsense is this?!'
What was the point of him being here now?
Withdrawn? Just like that?
Then, suddenly—
'Wait. Could it be...?'
A suspicion arose.
And it wasn't unfounded.
'It was the same with Lee Yu-jeong back then, wasn't it?'
He had experienced this before.
'Back then too, everyone had agreed beforehand. But on the day the motion was supposed to pass, they suddenly changed their tune!'
Even during Lee Yu-jeong's Villain designation, the motion had been withdrawn right before passing.
Practically no different from the current situation.
Then—
'You'll probably have to head back soon anyway.'
Si-mun's earlier words flashed through Wei Anhong's mind.
Naturally, his gaze turned toward Si-mun.
Only after seeing that inexplicably eerie smile did he—
"Ah..."
—finally grasp how the situation had unfolded.
"Th— No, I'll go myself."
Wei Anhong bit his lip hard, hung up the call, and—
"It seems we'll have to reschedule this meeting for another time."
—shot up from his seat.
"Naturally."
Si-mun nodded as if it were the most ordinary thing.
Though Wei Anhong's suspicions were gradually solidifying into certainty,
handling this absurd situation took priority.
"Then, I'll take my leave now."
With a stiff bow, Wei Anhong strode out of the Association President's office.
From behind him—
"Representative Wei?"
A clear, melodious voice called out.
"I do hope we'll meet again."
With those cryptic words from Si-mun ringing in his ears,
Wei Anhong stepped out.
Despite the exhaustion from back-to-back international trips,
Wei Anhong stormed down the hallway with unrelenting strides.
"Not a single country abstained? They all voted for withdrawal?"
His flustered assistant, struggling to keep up, adjusted her oversized glasses and nodded hastily.
"Y-yes. All representatives reportedly agreed to withdraw the motion this time."
"Ha!"
Wei Anhong let out a hollow laugh.
And for good reason.
'Withdrawing a motion requires a majority vote. But not a single country opposed it?'
A 100% agreement rate?
In all his years as China's representative,
he had never experienced anything like this.
'Kim Si-mun... What the hell did you do?!'
That sharply handsome face—
even a man would admire those striking features—now struck him as unbearably disgusting.
"Also, Germany and the U.S. are acting unusually."
"What do you mean?"
Wei Anhong's eyes twitched as he turned to his assistant, who was struggling to keep pace.
She kept adjusting her slipping glasses and answered in a timid voice.
"From what I overheard earlier from Sergei, Germany and the U.S. have started discussing... your resignation."
"What?!"
Even in the hallway of the World Federation, an international organization,
Wei Anhong's voice rose without restraint.
'These bastards...! Not only did they all agree and then back out, now they're trying to kick me out too?!'
Wei Anhong clenched his fists tightly, his entire body trembling.
He had expected friction with the United States—that much was predictable.
"But Germany joined in too, you're saying?"
"Y-yes, that's correct!"
Germany, one of the leaders of Europe—surely not?
Of course.
'Europe has always maintained a somewhat close relationship with the U.S., but...'
For them to take the initiative like this meant they were acting entirely of their own volition, independent of American influence.
Above all else.
'Miller. That woman isn't the type to spearhead something like this.'
From what he knew of her.
Despite her prominent seat at the front of the conference hall, Germany's representative Miller was hardly the proactive type.
In fact, since her appointment.
Hadn't the number of proposals she personally put forward been few enough to count on both hands?
Then this wasn't Miller's doing.
'Don't tell me... Valtenberg made a move?'
The faction that sponsored her and secured her position as representative.
This could only mean Valtenberg's influence was at play.
"Damn it all...! What the hell is going on here?!"
Wei Anhong spat out another curse through gritted teeth.
After taking a moment to steady his breath, he roughly swept his bangs back.
Whatever the case.
'This is dangerous.'
He'd tried to swallow the Yggdrasil Guild whole, only to end up choking on it instead.
And now, not only was the proposal being withdrawn.
'If I'm forced to resign here as well...'
Losing everything he had was a given.
The Continent Guild itself would suffer catastrophic damage—that much was obvious.
And naturally.
'Master Jong-ri Chu will never forgive me!'
His ruthless lord would never let this matter slide.
'I can't let that happen!'
Having arrived at the conference hall without realizing it.
Bang!
Wei Anhong shoved the door open violently and strode inside.
Instantly.
Over two hundred pairs of eyes locked onto him.
As if they'd been in the middle of badmouthing him when he abruptly interrupted.
"......"
"......"
An oppressive silence weighed down on Wei Anhong's shoulders.
Noticing this.
'You sons of bitches!'
Clomp.
Gritting his teeth.
He marched toward his seat at the front of the hall with a piercing glare.
As he moved.
A few uneasy glances came his way—including from Sergei, Russia's representative, and other allies—but that was all.
'If the vote was unanimous, then those bastards must have agreed to withdraw the proposal too.'
In the end, they'd betrayed him.
Wei Anhong didn't even glance their way.
Thud.
Reaching his seat, he spoke without sitting down.
"I'll be direct. What is the reason for withdrawing the proposal?"
The silence persisted.
In response.
Bang!
Wei Anhong slammed his palm down on the desk.
His eyes glinting sharply as they swept across the assembly.
"Did I! Not just! Ask you a question?!"
He bit off each word as if chewing them.
Under normal circumstances.
Such a display from a major power's representative would have carried considerable weight.
"......"
"......"
But the gazes that met his now were utterly different from before.
Somehow strangely dismissive.
Yes.
The kind of looks reserved for an outcast.
And over two hundred such stares were directed at him.
From across the room.
"Ahem."
The black man seated closest to him—Marcus—finally broke the uncomfortable silence.
First.
"Representative Wei, it seems you're once again out of the loop."
His following words were no better than the mocking silence that preceded them.
"Representative Wei. The proposal has already been withdrawn. What's the point of questioning it now?"
Marcus continued without so much as blinking.
Wei Anhong's expression grew even fiercer.
"Of course there's a point! Everyone agreed to it! The proposal passed, and I personally went to South Korea because of it!"
"Ah. Is that what's bothering you? Don't worry. We were just discussing giving you an extended vacation."
Marcus shrugged with feigned innocence.
At this.
"You goddamn black bastard!"
Wei Anhong finally exploded.
"You were the first to agree to that proposal! What kind of bullshit are you spouting now?!"
"Whoa! Representative Wei, you seem agitated. Calm down—"
"Who the hell are you to tell me to calm down?!"
Perhaps because the dam had already burst.
"You're all the same! You backstabbing pieces of shit!"
Wei Anhong's words came out unfiltered and unrestrained.
"You were all too eager to agree when it came to sharing the Growth Buff, but now what? A retraction?"
The fiery accusation spread through the entire conference room.
"Was the proposal a joke to you? You voted without a second thought when it suited you, and now you're spouting nonsense?! How dare you call yourselves representatives of a nation?!"
He looked ready to tear someone apart on the spot.
Wei Anhong, pointing fingers and delivering his impassioned speech with unchecked fury.
Yet, no one seemed offended by his unrestrained words.
Rather—
"A representative of a nation? Well said, Representative Wei."
Looks of satisfaction poured toward him.
"And yet, here we have a so-called national representative spewing racial slurs and verbal abuse at an international gathering?"
Marcus, the representative of the United States, smiled deeply.
"I, Marcus, believe that Wei Anhong, the current representative of China, should resign from his position..."
He pressed the button on his desk.
"What do you all think?"
Beep.
A green light lit up above Marcus' head.
As if in response—
Beep beep.
Green lights flickered on above the heads of every representative in the room.
Even the Russian representative, Sergei, who had been gauging the mood, along with the other representatives friendly with Wei Anhong—
Beep.
—quietly turned on their green lights.
The result was unanimous, just like the vote to retract the proposal.
The ornate door clicked shut.
Thud.
Wei Anhong, a middle-aged East Asian man, collapsed onto the floor.
His unfocused eyes drifted aimlessly through the air.
Then—
Ring ring.
A phone rang.
Not his own.
"R-Representative, your phone...!"
It belonged to his clueless female secretary, who had somehow followed him inside.
Wei Anhong's dazed eyes flickered to the screen of the phone she held out—
"Ah."
In an instant, clarity returned.
"G-Give it here!"
He snatched the phone from her hands.
Tremble.
With hands shaking like aspen leaves, he answered the call.
Into his ear—
I've heard the report.
A voice as deep as an abyss slithered in.
Just moments ago, Wei Anhong had been half out of his mind—but the voice on the other end instantly snapped his spirit back into place.
"G-Great Master Jong-ri Chu!"
Though there was no one else in the room except the secretary, Wei Anhong bowed at a perfect right angle while holding the phone.
Yet, even in his dutiful posture—
I told you to suppress Simdrasil's Growth Buff, and this is the result?
The voice on the other end showed no sign of brightening.
"I-I apologize! This lowly one was inadequate—!"
And now you've even been stripped of your representative status, I hear?
"T-That was—!"
You disappoint me, Wei Anhong.
Wei Anhong's mind couldn't even process how Jong-ri Chu already knew.
The only reason I placed an F-rank Silver like you in that position was because you had a halfway decent brain.
"P-Please forgive me! Just one more chance—I'll fix this somehow!"
He groveled desperately, as if his hands could turn into feet to beg harder.
But it seemed even that was unwelcome.
Enough. Someone else will handle the fallout. You are to return home immediately.
With that unilateral command, the call ended.
Clatter.
The phone slipped from Wei Anhong's grip.
Despite the order to return without further reprimand—
Wei Anhong trembled like a man facing execution.
"Ugh..."
His entire body shook violently.
The reason was simple.
'I-I'm dead! If I go back, I'll definitely die!'
Not a single person who had returned to the Continent Guild after failing a mission had ever survived.
If he went back now, he'd disappear without a trace, just like the others.
'I have to run!'
He had no idea how long he could evade the Continent Guild's pursuit.
But maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't bother wasting manpower on an F-rank Silver.
Wei Anhong hastily pulled out a travel bag and began stuffing it with clothes and belongings from the room.
'I still have the funds I've accumulated through years of lobbying. I'll hold out as long as I can with that!'
The money had been thoroughly laundered, so there was little risk of being flagged in the system.
If he laid low for a few years, the Continent Guild would likely stop looking for him.
Just as he resolved himself and turned to leave with the bag—
Sshhk.
Cold metal pressed against his sweat-drenched neck.
"Representative Wei, you truly are a loyal man. So quick to act on the Guildmaster's orders."
A familiar voice.
When he turned his head—
"Shall we head back to the homeland now?"
The once-clueless secretary now wore a smile dripping with bloodlust.
Thud.
His travel bag hit the floor.
Dragged away by the slender hand of his secretary, Wei Anhong—
—could only tremble in silence.
Why was this happening?
As he was being dragged away, a sudden thought flashed through his mind.
"Please. I hope we can meet again."
Si-mun's farewell words rose unbidden in his memory.