Chapter 62
Chapter 62
Chapter 62: The King's Eye (2)
Translation: godtl
Kim Si-mun's face stiffened.
It couldn't be helped.
Even with his Trans-Gold tier specs, Dragon Body Transformation, and Odin's Eye—
The Naga before him was an overwhelming existence capable of crushing him effortlessly.
Perhaps sensing Si-mun's wariness,
"Hohoho. No need to be so tense. I have no intention of crossing blades with you."
The Naga gestured smoothly, as if to reassure him, her beautifully sculpted lips parting.
Of course,
the sharp fangs glinting between those lips and the cold glint in her eyes did nothing to ease his nerves.
But one thing was certain—
'She's... sincere.'
Strangely, Si-mun could instinctively tell that the Naga's words were genuine.
As if they had been lifelong companions,
her gaze alone conveyed undeniable truth.
The Naga's smile deepened as she observed Si-mun's realization.
"No need to be surprised. It's only natural that you'd recognize my sincerity."
'Natural?'
Si-mun tilted his head slightly.
Then it dawned on him—
what the Naga meant by the "King's Eye."
'Could it be because of the Death Eye?'
After absorbing the Blood of Tiamat,
the Death Eye had manifested within Odin's Eye.
Come to think of it,
the sudden paralysis of the previous Nagas had all occurred
the moment they locked eyes with him—
or more precisely, with the Death Eye.
'I had no idea how to use it... but to think it works like this.'
Even if they were the lowest tier among Nagas with only two arms,
Nagas were still the highest class of Dragonkin.
For someone who wasn't even Diamond-tier to paralyze such an elite Dragonkin?
That alone spoke volumes about the terrifying caliber of the Death Eye.
But one thing bothered him—
'I don't think it'll work on her.'
For some reason, he strongly felt
that his paralysis ability wouldn't affect this Naga.
Had she read his thoughts?
"Hohoho, how bold. Even with the King's Eye, yours is incomplete. Yet you dare to test it against me?"
By all accounts, her words should have been offensive.
Yet,
both outwardly and inwardly,
the Naga radiated nothing but pure goodwill.
Si-mun stared at her with slight surprise.
"You can read my thoughts too?"
"To be precise, it's more like empathy. Even I cannot peer into the mind of one who possesses the King's Eye."
Which meant—
'If I want to, can I block this empathy?'
From the sound of it,
the Death Eye seemed to hold some kind of "advantage" specifically against Dragonkin.
'Let's try it.'
Focusing his will into his left eye,
he concentrated on severing the connection.
"How remarkable."
The Naga gazed at him with genuine astonishment.
"To grasp its function so quickly from just that brief exchange..."
Si-mun instantly knew—
he had successfully blocked her emotional resonance.
The Naga's sharp eyes swept over Si-mun and his surroundings.
"Indeed. Now I understand why you wield the power of Olympus despite possessing the King's Eye."
'Ah... that's a different story.'
Technically, Astrapē came first, and the Death Eye later.
But Si-mun didn't bother correcting her assumption.
"Hmm."
The Naga's brow furrowed slightly as she glanced at the void.
"I see. This is an Arena, isn't it? Then you must be a Player."
Si-mun nodded.
"That's right. Did the Galaxy Arena say something?"
"How sharp. Indeed. They were trembling like frightened rats, terrified I might say something out of turn."
The Naga scoffed openly at the Galaxy Arena.
Her cruel smirk widened as she chuckled softly, then turned her gaze back to Si-mun.
"Bearer of the King's Eye. May I ask your name?"
"Kim Si-mun."
"Kim Si-mun? Ah, I see. So it's you."
Her smile deepened further upon hearing his name.
"The one who humbled those arrogant Dragon Emperors—not once, but twice."
'Twice?'
Si-mun tilted his head in confusion.
Then—
'Wait, is she talking about Marnel?'
Realizing what she meant, Si-mun calmly met her gaze.
"It seems you're aware as well. Yes, the incident where you twisted the Fate Line of the dwarves. The Black Smeltery suffered considerable losses because of it."
'Fate Line? Black Smeltery?'
Unfamiliar terms poured out,
but Si-mun didn't interrupt.
"I couldn't help but wonder—had we met you sooner, would things have been different? Even after all these years, I still..."
Her melodious voice carried an inexplicable mix of nostalgia and regret.
After sinking into silence with a solemn expression for a while, she let out a light, hollow laugh and raised her head.
-"Well, spilled water won't return to the jar."
Her casual remark carried the weight of resignation.
-"Thanks to your actions, the Five Dragon Emperors have begun to move. Their messenger, a dragon named Defina, has stepped forward."
"A... a dragon?"
The word "dragon" struck him as far more tangible than "Dragon Emperor."
And how could it not?
Excluding the Dragon Emperors themselves,
dragons were the worst of the dragonkin—a fact Si-mun, with his past life's memories, knew all too well.
'When a dragon appeared, entire cities would vanish without a trace.'
And not just any cities—those teeming with players.
Si-mun's expression naturally darkened.
Perhaps misinterpreting his reaction, the Naga continued.
-"Judging by your reaction, it seems you've already fallen victim to that wench's schemes. Yet you remain unharmed... Well, it's no coincidence you possess the King's Eye."
The Naga had drawn her own conclusions,
and from her words, Si-mun gained one certainty.
'Those Chinese bastards—they've definitely joined hands with the dragonkin.'
The suspected alliance between China and the dragonkin, which he'd only vaguely speculated about until now.
Though it seemed unlikely they'd detected his Stigmata and sent assassins because of it,
'China definitely hired Desperado using the dragonkin's influence.'
The motives might differ,
but the intent and process aligned perfectly with his predictions.
-"Don't let your guard down. Even I acknowledge Defina as a true dragon. No matter how capable you are, she won't be an easy opponent."
"Naturally."
Si-mun nodded matter-of-factly.
To face a dragon, you'd normally need at least a Diamond-tier party.
And if this Naga acknowledged her strength,
she'd likely require a Ranker-level party to handle.
Not to mention her prowess in the underworld.
The fact that she could intervene across dimensions to attempt assassination was proof enough, wasn't it?
-"Hmm. The Council's interference grows tiresome."
Crackle.
The Naga frowned,
and simultaneously, mysterious sparks erupted across her body.
-"There's much more I wish to discuss... but it seems we must part ways. They're throwing a tantrum, demanding I withdraw immediately."
With graceful movements, she approached Si-mun.
Even as her massive serpentine body remained distant,
her mere approaching presence should have been enough to freeze him stiff.
Yet, whether due to the Death Eye's power, Si-mun remained perfectly calm.
The Naga pressed her lips to the back of Si-mun's left hand.
[Naga Princess Ashaz bestows the Naga royal lineage factor upon you.]
[Your aquatic capabilities in Dragon Body Transformation have been enhanced.]
[The Death Eye's influence over Naga has increased.]
Message windows cascaded before his eyes.
As Si-mun's eyes widened in surprise, the Naga's gaze softened into a gentle curve.
-"A token of my sincerity to the future King. Next time, I hope to know your true name."
"You already know my name—"
-"I speak of your draconic true name. Only with it do higher dragonkin achieve their complete form."
He had no chance to ask what that true name might be.
Crackle.
The sparks intensified, and Princess Ashaz's form began to flicker like a fading signal.
It looked exactly like when Si-mun was reverse-summoned after completing a Special Arena.
-"Ah. There's one last thing you must remember."
Just as her lovely voice grew faint,
-"Show no mercy to any dragonkin who witness your Death Eye."
With those chilling words laced with killing intent, Ashaz vanished completely.
Simultaneously,
[The special event has concluded.]
[The Gold-rank Debut Match will now conclude.]
Si-mun, too, was enveloped in light and disappeared.
The Gold-rank Debut Match—hotter than the seasonal Olympics in their heyday.
Considering how Galaxy Arena's rise had diminished interest in traditional sports,
it wouldn't be strange if every Korean, Awakened or not, was paying attention.
And in reality, they were.
[The long-awaited Gold-rank Debut Match! What were the results?]
[Shocking! The Gold-rank Debut Match winner was actually a solo player?]
[From the Rising Archipelago's first special event to the appearance of Diamond-tier monsters!]
[The emergence of a powerful future Ranker candidate. Could they surpass the current generation of stars?!]
[A freshly promoted Gold defeating a Diamond? Top players are stunned!]
[What will the next Platinum Debut Match bring...?]
A relentless flood of sensational headlines.
Internet news, TV broadcasts, Galaxy Arena programs—
after the Gold Debut Match concluded,
countless platforms dissected every detail.
Naturally, public interest only grew hotter with time,
and Korea's top guild, Seongsam, was no exception.
"Young Mistress, are you really going to leave things like this?"
Park Min-cheol, the personnel manager of the Seongsam Guild.
Given the scope of his responsibilities, he was practically the vice Guild Master—and with boldness to match.
Thud!
"At least say something!"
He slammed his hand on the Guild Master's desk, raising his voice with uncharacteristic audacity.
"You said the matter regarding Player Kim Si-mun would be entirely left to your discretion, didn't you?"
Yet despite Manager Park's forceful demeanor...
"......"
The woman before him—a stunning beauty with an air of pure innocence—Lee Yu-jeong, merely stared blankly at the monitor in front of her.
Only the faint twitching of her fingers betrayed that she was still conscious, a habit she exhibited when lost in deep thought—something Park Min-cheol knew well enough to step back and fall silent.
Yu-jeong's unfocused eyes scanned the real-time news articles flooding in.
'I knew Oppa was strong, but...'
Ever since meeting Si-mun at the Galaxy Agora, Yu-jeong had made sure to catch every one of his broadcasts.
As a Ranker herself, she had been certain that Si-mun was already at a Platinum-level player's caliber even back in his Silver days.
Kim Si-hyeok had been of the same mind.
Whenever the two met, the first thing they'd discuss was Si-mun's latest stream.
But.
'I never imagined he'd be this strong.'
This was excessive. No, beyond excessive.
The winner of this Gold Debut Match had already been predetermined.
That was just how Debut Matches worked.
Prospects backed by massive guilds with every resource at their disposal.
Naturally, the victor was decided long before the match even began.
This time, the expected winners had been either the Yu siblings from the Scorpion Guild or Choi Jin-su from the Myth Guild.
But the result had defied all expectations.
In a Debut Match where everyone participated in full three-man parties, he had entered alone—and taken first place.
Even Yu-jeong and Kim Si-hyeok, hailed as once-in-a-generation talents in Korea, had only managed to win back in their day by teaming up as a duo.
And more than that—
'A Gold-rank player taking down a Naga that easily? That's impossible.'
Not just any Gold, either—a freshly promoted one.
Having never even fought in a Gold-rank Arena match, he might as well still be Silver.
And yet, an Upper-level Dragonkin—a Naga—that shouldn't appear below Diamond, let alone Platinum?
He'd taken it down.
'Even with Oppa's specs, this is... Unless he underwent some growth before the Debut Match?'
Setting aside her personal connection to Si-mun and judging purely objectively—
The level she'd seen from his streams up until now made facing a Naga impossible.
The Status Window and stats in the Galaxy Arena weren't just for show.
The baseline stat disparity alone was overwhelming.
No matter how exceptional his traits or class, bridging that gap shouldn't have been possible.
Yet Si-mun had done it.
'Though, the Nagas' movements were a bit off too.'
They definitely hadn't been nerfed to Gold-rank standards.
Their movements matched the eight-armed Nagas she encountered in her own Arena runs.
What Yu-jeong focused on was the moment Si-mun clashed with the Naga.
'They definitely froze for an instant, didn't they?'
Brief as it was—
Any player worth their rank would've noticed it.
Right before engaging Si-mun.
The Nagas had halted mid-motion, as if paralyzed by some venom.
'And that lightning magic was anything but ordinary every time I saw it.'
Even with only two arms—
To instantly kill a warrior-type Naga in a single strike?
That was absurd firepower for a player who'd just been promoted to Gold.
Not to mention that long, fork-like weapon that seemed to summon tidal waves—
'Aaaah! I'm dying of curiosity here! Seriously!'
An intense itch of curiosity prickled at her fingers and toes.
Knowing Si-mun's personality—
He'd probably tell her if she asked.
But prying into another player's abilities was considered rude, and she didn't want that either.
'I want to know... everything about Oppa.'
Part of it was her desire to grow closer.
And part of it was the slim hope of uncovering even a small clue to curing Mana Disability, an Arena Disease.
Maybe it could lead to progress in her mother's treatment.
Yu-jeong, acting uncharacteristically, grabbed her head and shook it side to side before abruptly turning to glare at her phone.
'Right! Now that I think about it, Senior Jin-uk said he was going to meet Oppa!'
He'd mentioned it was for business.
'Which means Kim Si-hyeok will tag along too.'
No doubt about it.
He would've watched the Debut Match just like she had.
'If they start talking there, Senior Jin-uk might bring it up with Oppa first.'
Despite his cold alias, Night Hunter—
Park Jin-uk wasn't the type to rein in his curiosity.
Yu-jeong immediately began tapping her phone screen and spoke up.
"I'll meet Player Kim Si-mun myself, so Manager Park, don't worry about it and focus on your other tasks."
"Huh? But... sigh Understood."
After a long silence, Manager Park Min-cheol was momentarily startled by the abrupt response.
Bowing his head, he quietly withdrew.
Lee Yu-jeong checked Park Jin-uk's reply and immediately grabbed her coat.