Chapter 97
Chapter 97
Translation: godtl
'This is unfolding even more easily than I expected.'
At the Ranker Palace training grounds.
As Si-mun headed toward the same place where he'd previously sparred with Go Mal-suk, his gaze lingered on the two men walking ahead of him.
'I never imagined Kang Hwa-wi would take the bait this easily.'
One of them was a short, stocky man.
The corner of Si-mun's lips curled upward as he watched Kang Hwa-wi.
'Who would've thought he'd openly provoke Si-hyeok right there in front of everyone?'
The guild growth buff.
From the moment this was secured, the hilt of the sword was already in the hands of Kim Si-hyeok, the "external Guild Master."
And yet, in front of all the gathered prospects—
To blatantly provoke the younger brother like that...
'To go as far as threatening him under the pretense of "settling old grudges"... The Continent Guild hasn't changed a bit since back then.'
Could they really have been so oblivious to the fact that they weren't in any position to make demands?
Even in his past life, Si-mun had felt it—the sheer audacity of the Continent Guild's arrogance was truly staggering.
But.
'Seo Wi-ryong is a different story.'
He couldn't simply dismiss the entire Continent Guild as uniformly arrogant.
The tall, well-built man.
Seo Wi-ryong's basic demeanor aside—
He clearly understood the position they were in.
That's why, when Si-hyeok reduced their recruitment slots and the others erupted in anger, he was the first to stand up and apologize.
Regardless of his martial prowess, he was a man with sharp discernment.
And yet.
'Even so, Seo Wi-ryong never became the Continent Guild's representative ranker.'
Si-mun nodded faintly as memories from his past life naturally resurfaced.
'So that incident from my past life really was true.'
There was only one occasion when the Continent Guild—one of the two towering pillars of power alongside the American Dream—had its majesty shaken.
Namely—
'The Continent Guild's purge. Though they called it a "revolution."'
An incident where the guild staged its own revolution, claiming to eliminate internal dissidents and unite as one people for a new leap forward.
In truth, it was less a revolution and more a purge—leaving only the faction loyal to Fist King Jong-ri Chu.
'It was quite a shocking event.'
After the official Arena began.
The Continent Guild, having gone beyond colluding with the political sphere to outright swallowing the Chinese government whole, committed legally sanctioned mass murder.
This inhumane incident was brought to light by a handful of survivors who barely managed to escape China, but—
It was quickly buried under the overwhelming influence of the Continent Guild, which had already devoured the nation.
The incident was suppressed so swiftly that some even dismissed it as slanderous propaganda against the guild.
But Si-mun, who had scoured every piece of information while recovering from his mana disability, remembered clearly.
The Continent Guild had legally executed its own guild members.
And.
'The leader of those survivors was none other than Seo Wi-ryong.'
He distinctly recalled the news that the survivors had been led by Seo Wi-ryong.
Moreover, both the survivors and the purged faction had belonged to the previous Guild Master's faction—the Moderates.
Therefore.
'If I crush Kang Hwa-wi here, it'll deal a significant blow to Jong-ri Chu as well.'
From the very start, assigning two recruitment slots to the Continent Guild had been part of this plan.
At this time, the guild was embroiled in a factional struggle between the current Guild Master and Jong-ri Chu.
'But Jong-ri Chu becoming Guild Master is an unavoidable future.'
The extent of Jong-ri Chu's influence within the Continent Guild was already evident from the assassination attempt on Si-mun alone.
Sending a Diamond-tier guild member as an assassin to another country practically confirmed his position as the next Guild Master.
However, Jong-ri Chu hadn't yet ascended to the Guild Master's seat.
If his faction's Kang Hwa-wi suffered a major loss here, while the opposing faction's Seo Wi-ryong reaped the benefits—
What if Seo Wi-ryong grew even stronger thanks to this guild growth buff?
'That alone would serve as a considerable check.'
With the throne of the world's strongest guild within reach—
Allowing the opposition to gain strength during such a critical time would be far from welcome.
Naturally, Jong-ri Chu would lose the leeway to scheme against Si-mun's side.
'In the end, Jong-ri Chu's growth would slow down as well.'
And with that, the influence of the dragonkin conspiring with him would also diminish.
'After all, when it comes to massive powers, attacks from within are far more lethal than those from outside.'
It's the same principle as facing a mighty beast.
To oppose them directly, you'd need comparable strength.
But if you weaken them from within—through disease or poison—you can bring them down even without matching their power.
"Now that's what I call killing three birds with one stone."
Perhaps this was the seasoned intuition of someone who'd survived the regular Arena as a Level 1?
Satisfied with how smoothly everything was proceeding, he gave a satisfied nod.
In the waiting area adjacent to the sparring grounds.
State-of-the-art Arena equipment filled the space—from unreleased sparring suits to high-tech goggles—all arranged in neat displays.
"Sword Saint, is there truly no way you might reconsider the terms?"
Seo Wi-ryong, who had been fiddling with the equipment, ventured cautiously.
"If you would only revert to your previous offer, I, Seo Wi-ryong, would repay this kindness with anything in my—"
"No."
Kim Si-hyeok's refusal was absolute.
"One spot is reserved for Player Seo Wi-ryong. As for Player Kang Hwa-wi's position, we'll grant it if he can defeat one of our guild members."
"Sword Saint..."
"If that's unacceptable, Player Seo Wi-ryong may join alone as originally planned. I won't entertain further discussion."
"...Understood."
A faint sigh escaped Seo Wi-ryong as his uneasy gaze shifted toward the opponent the Sword Saint had designated—Kim Si-mun.
'Player Kim Si-mun... Can Brother Gang really defeat someone like him?'
A shadow fell across Seo Wi-ryong's handsome features.
'Purely in terms of class matchups, a martial combat specialist like Brother Gang should dominate a Magic Class user, but...'
While Magic Classes were undeniably prestigious,
they typically struggled in one-on-one combat against martial artists.
No matter how you sliced it—Memoryze this, special effects that—landing meaningful hits ultimately required casting time.
And against martial artists whose strengths lay in blistering speed and fluid combos, finding even a moment to cast was near impossible.
But.
'Player Kim Si-mun... That man doesn't cast at all.'
A finger snap.
That's all it took for Kim Si-mun to unleash devastating magical firepower.
Truth be told, Seo Wi-ryong knew exactly what kind of player Si-mun was.
As one of Continent Guild's Rising Stars, monitoring promising talents across nations was part of his job description.
Naturally,
'That man's broadcasts... They left me speechless with awe.'
Si-mun's streams were no exception.
And from Seo Wi-ryong's perspective,
'The strongest rising talent right now isn't from our country or America—it's Player Kim Si-mun.'
Continent Guild boasted numerous Rising Stars.
Likewise, American Dream—living up to its reputation as the strongest nation—teemed with talents like Andrew Burns.
Each was a prodigy capable of making Platinum Debut Matches look effortless.
Yet after monitoring them all, Seo Wi-ryong knew:
The most formidable rising star was none other than Korea's Kim Si-mun.
Anyone who studied rising talents as meticulously as he did would surely agree.
"Haah."
Seo Wi-ryong exhaled sharply.
'Hu Yeon-ryong... That man's eye for talent never fails.'
Officially just an undercover scout covering Korea,
Hu Yeon-ryong had once been a legendary recruiter who scoured the globe.
Seo Wi-ryong had read his reports on Kim Si-mun too.
Drawing parallels to when Sword Saint Kim Si-hyeok himself was a rising star, Hu Yeon-ryong had repeatedly—vehemently—recommended recruiting Si-mun.
'Yet for some reason, the higher-ups showed no interest.'
Continent Guild's leadership had dismissed Hu Yeon-ryong's urgings, saying they'd "wait and see."
Regret washed over him in waves.
That was exactly the kind of talent Continent Guild needed most.
Moreover,
'Forgive me for saying this, Brother Gang, but your chances of losing are far too high this time.'
A crushing sense of impending defeat weighed on him.
While Kang Hwa-wi was a notable rising star in Continent Guild, beyond class advantages, he had nothing to match Kim Si-mun.
But what could he do?
The moment they'd crossed the Sword Saint, their fate was already sealed.
As these thoughts swirled,
"Seo Wi-ryong, no need for that look."
"Brother Gang."
Kang Hwa-wi approached, already suited up in sparring gear.
"Don't bother hiding it. I know you traitorous bastards think I'll lose to that small-fry from a minor nation."
"...Forgive my bluntness, Brother Gang, but I genuinely can't be confident in your victory. That man is strong."
"Pah! I know he's made some waves in Korea, but that's all."
Kang Hwa-wi snorted, cracking his thick knuckles with a series of pops.
CRACK.
The sound of bones grinding.
Then, with a smirk:
"I've got a secret weapon bestowed by the Spear King himself. Just sit back and watch."
A crimson glint flickered momentarily in Kang Hwa-wi's pupils.
At that.
"Brother Gang?"
Seo Wi-ryong called out in surprise, but that was all.
"What is it?"
"N-nothing, it's nothing."
He shook his head under Kang Hwa-wi's gaze—no different from usual, buried deep in his fleshy face.
"If you're ready, shall we proceed?"
A clear voice rang out from behind.
At Kim Si-hyeok's summons, Kang Hwa-wi strode roughly onto the sparring grounds.
'Did I see wrong just now? Brother Gang's eyes...'
Seo Wi-ryong watched Kang Hwa-wi's retreating back with uneasy eyes.
Beep.
With the familiar mechanical tone, multiple layers of protective barriers overlapped around the sparring arena.
A wave of protective mana spread across the floor.
Like gentle waves lapping at a shoreline.
Feeling the sparring ground's protective waves lapping at his ankles.
'How should I end this?'
Si-mun gazed impassively at Kang Hwa-wi standing stiffly.
'Best to finish it in one stroke, all things considered.'
Wasn't the whole point of this match to discredit Jong-ri Chu's prized prospect?
To make him lose his recruitment slot by provoking the Sword Saint's displeasure,
Only to rush about desperately trying to salvage the situation before suffering a crushing defeat?
'The Jong-ri Chu I know wouldn't just sit still.'
The Spear King Jong-ri Chu was never one to tolerate failure.
Of course, a promising prospect was invaluable to any guild.
They might try to keep Kang Hwa-wi despite everything, reluctant to waste their prior investments.
'If they insist on keeping him, all the better for me.'
With the position of Continent Guild's Guild Master at stake,
Bringing such disgrace and damage to the guild—
If Jong-ri Chu tries to shield his own faction, even he'll face severe backlash.
'Then naturally, opposing factions would gain strength, restricting Jong-ri Chu's growth.'
Either way, this could only benefit Si-mun.
'Shouldn't have dared to attempt assassination. Had you stayed quiet, I wouldn't have moved against you so soon.'
Imagining Jong-ri Chu's rising fury, Si-mun let out a soft chuckle.
Perhaps misinterpreting that expression—
"How dare...!"
Kang Hwa-wi's face flushed crimson as he glared at Si-mun.
Then—
"You dare mock me, Kang Hwa-wi, when all you did was flail about in some backwater country?!"
Whoosh.
Despite his bulky frame, Kang Hwa-wi shot forward with considerable speed—
Twice as fast as when he'd lunged at Riko in the Ranker Palace lobby.
Then—
"I'll teach you some manners!"
A thick palm hurtling straight forward.
Watching it, a peculiar light flashed in Si-mun's eyes.
'Heart-Piercing Palm... Long time no see.'
Kang Hwa-wi, who would later become a Continent Guild Ranker.
His signature technique, Heart-Piercing Palm, was a palm strike devised by a First Generation Continent Guild Ranker,
A skill embodying the essence of penetrating force that ruptured organs from within.
But.
'Not a difficult technique to counter if you know the trick. Especially for someone like me with high energy reserves.'
Si-mun didn't assume any stance.
Instead, he deliberately squared his shoulders, straightening his posture.
At that—
"Hey!"
"What are you doing?!"
Anxiety crossed the faces of the spectators, including Park Jin-uk and Go Mal-suk.
Even with protective gear,
Taking a prospect's technique head-on was dangerously reckless.
"Yu-jeong."
"Yeah."
At Kim Si-hyeok's glance, Lee Yu-jeong responded briefly.
A faint white Holy Power shimmered in her hands.
But her Divine Magic wouldn't be needed.
Thud.
Kang Hwa-wi's palm struck precisely—
Right over Si-mun's chest, directly at his heart.
A move radiating clear lethal intent despite being a spar, but before anyone could protest—
"What?!"
Even after taking Heart-Piercing Palm dead-on,
Si-mun stood unmoving, like a boulder facing a breeze.
"H-how...?!"
The shock seemed overwhelming.
Kang Hwa-wi stood frozen, unable to even retract his hand.
"My turn now?"
Si-mun smirked at him, then—
Snap.
With a flick of his finger,
He planted his palm squarely on Kang Hwa-wi's unprotected chest.
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted—orders of magnitude beyond Kang Hwa-wi's earlier technique.
Simultaneously—
Flutter.
The sound of fluttering fabric.
Not fabric, actually, but Kang Hwa-wi's flabby flesh—regardless.
Sent flying through the air like laundry in the wind,
THUD!
Kang Hwa-wi crashed heavily into the ground with a resonant impact.