Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: A Coming Storm
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“I have a friend I’d like to introduce you to.”
After receiving Wang-sik's call, Han Young-im canceled her previous appointments and arranged a meeting. But even she, who had been preparing, was surprised when Seo I-ryeon arrived with him.
The pleasantries were one thing, but Seo I-ryeon went a step further and solved one of Han Young-im’s major concerns.
“From now on, I’ll be your exclusive model.”
Once she learned that the Guseong Group was part of Mad Castle, Seo I-ryeon accepted the modeling contract.
“I’m a member of Mad Castle too, after all. I’ll do everything I can.”
It wasn't just about helping; she had officially joined as a member of Mad Castle. Wang-sik confirmed her words.
“She’s actually an original member. We’ve been together since we escaped Azelan.”
When Wang-sik held out his fist, Seo I-ryeon bumped it in response.
“From my perspective, this is wonderful. I look forward to working with you.”
“Oh, and this.”
Seo I-ryeon handed over a document.
“This is my entire fortune. I’ve set aside ten percent for myself, so please don’t worry and put the rest to good use.”
“Are you donating it?”
“It was money I originally saved to give to Wang-sik. Since he wouldn’t accept it personally, I decided to donate it. Please manage my future income as well.”
“Your agency won’t be happy about that.”
“Could the Guseong Group manage my agency from now on? It’s my company, anyway.”
Seo I-ryeon's agency was a one-person operation, making her its effective owner.
“We’ll prepare everything without any issues. In that case, may we officially announce that you’re a member of Mad Castle?”
“Yes. I’ll be the public face from now on. I don’t mind being the spokesperson, either. But I’m still going to continue singing, so please adjust my schedule accordingly.”
“So, missions only for essential matters. Did I understand that correctly?”
“That’s right.”
The two women finished their arrangements right in front of Wang-sik.
“I told you to live more freely.”
“I’m doing what makes me happiest. I like this. Meeting my friends today made me even more certain.”
Wang-sik knew he couldn't stop her.
“Alright. This is a huge help. Mad Castle will become a world-class team.”
With Seo I-ryeon joining, the impact of their name would grow even stronger.
“Well, I should get going. My manager is waiting, so please discuss whatever you need with him.”
“You could stay a little longer.”
“I have a date today. Even if I can’t win his heart, I can still make memories.”
“I’ll be rooting for you. The fight isn’t over yet.”
“Thank you.”
For that day, Wang-sik cleared his schedule for Seo I-ryeon.
That time also gave Wang-sik a moment to breathe.
‘Before things get intense again.’
Knowing this, he savored the respite that had arrived like a gift.
In any case, he had kept his promise to Kang Il-seop.
When he returned to the base after enjoying his day off, Min Ha-na was waiting for him.
She handed him a box and told him about the Royal Club.
“What do you want to do?”
“Honestly, I don’t like it. I’m thinking of returning this and cutting ties.”
“Cutting ties is fine, but there’s no need to return that.”
“Huh? You want me to just take it and run?”
“Why not? The moment you accept a gift, it’s yours.”
“That’s true, but still…”
“It’s fine. That guy Decan isn’t petty enough to ask for it back.”
“He probably doesn’t think I’d just take it and run, though.”
“That’s why you win. You get something out of it, and all that guy gets is pissed off. It’s a perfect victory.”
The conclusion was a bit strange, but practically speaking, he had a point.
“I heard you were having a lot of trouble finding custom-fit items anyway, so just take it. It’s not something you can get easily.”
He wasn't wrong.
After the Guseong Group formed a dedicated team for Mad Castle, the first thing they looked into was item sets tailored to each member's abilities.
At first, they focused on S-rank items, but with little success.
There were good items available, but none that were a perfect match for their abilities.
Since S-rank items were rare to begin with, they eventually had to give up.
They lowered their standards to A-rank, but even then, it was hard to find good items on the market.
Min Ha-na was eventually supplied with two items, including an accessory, and Sa Seon-gi was given boots and gloves, but their stats weren't satisfactory.
“Getting custom-fit items isn’t easy. When an opportunity comes, you have to take it.”
That was how Wang-sik had acquired his current armor, Peradora.
Something worth giving up everything else to obtain.
That was what a perfectly matched item was.
“Alright. I’ll do as you say.”
“Speaking of which, Min-jae said he had something to talk to you about regarding this. Want to go see him?”
“Should we?”
Since the topic had come up, they were about to head through the gate to the Azelan Continent.
But before they could move, someone came through the gate first.
“We were just about to head over.”
Wang-sik trailed off mid-greeting. Oh Min-jae’s expression was grave.
“What’s wrong?”
“An S-rank Acute Gate is going to appear.”
“What?”
An S-rank Gate was surprising enough, but an acute one?
Nothing like it had ever appeared before. But that wasn't all.
“It’s going to be the biggest S-rank Gate in history.”
“What on earth happened?”
“Sodovan came to see me. He said the reason he couldn’t visit for so long was because of a new gate the Magic Tower was preparing. They must have gathered a huge amount of investment. He even offered me a chance to invest.”
From the Black Mage Guild to the Architect Guild, significant progress had been made in gate research.
“It’s a gate the Magic Tower created to show off their power. The person in charge is Kailerd Falcon.”
“Falcon?”
“Yes. An 8th-Floor Mage of the Magic Tower.”
Even Sodovan, a 5th-Floor Mage, received treatment comparable to nobility wherever he went.
But this was an 8th-Floor Mage.
Even ignoring his rank, Falcon was renowned as the continent’s foremost authority on gate research.
He had garnered even more attention after his master, Lilia, had devoted herself solely to research for nearly ten years.
“But is it even possible to make an S-rank Gate acute?”
“They took something that shouldn’t be possible and exploited it. They’re using mana amplification on an S-rank Gate to make it unstable. Then they researched how to turn that instability into an acute manifestation.”
Instead of stabilizing the danger, they had weaponized it.
This was not something to be taken lightly.
“They succeeded?”
Min Ha-na asked with an anxious expression, grasping the situation.
“Yes. There are going to be a lot more acute gates from now on.”
“Those crazy bastards!”
Min Ha-na finally exploded in anger.
It was only natural for her to despise gates.
“So they’re starting by opening an S-rank Gate as an acute one? And since it’s been amplified with mana, there will be even more monsters.”
“The unstable form will drive the monsters into a frenzy. It seems they’re preparing to deploy monsters that can actually withstand it.”
“Is there any way to stop it before it’s complete?”
“No. The reason he came to me was for additional investment funds. The initial investment was already filled by nobles. If it weren't for my relationship with Sodovan, I wouldn't have even gotten a chance.”
“When is it scheduled to open?”
“It will happen within a month.”
There was too little time.
“I knew it was too peaceful.”
The price for a few days of leisure was far too high.
“You invest as much as you can and find out even a little more information.”
“I already told him I would.”
“Good. Then let’s get ready.”
Leaving many unspoken words behind, they began preparing for the disaster that would strike in a month.
The name Mad Castle became known to the world two weeks later.
—Mad Castle Research Institute Develops Gate Meter.
—Distribution of Gate Meter Confirmed in 80 Countries.
—Today’s Showcase Host is Seo I-ryeon.
As a multi-faceted and shocking announcement, it garnered a great deal of attention.
Amidst everyone’s interest, Seo I-ryeon took the stage at the scheduled time.
With the world’s eyes on her, Seo I-ryeon began with a statement that defied all expectations.
“Welcome to the introduction of Mad Castle. First, I would like to extend my gratitude to the Guseong Group, Mad Castle’s sole sponsor.”
It seemed like a normal greeting, but it held symbolic meaning.
It implied that the Guseong Group sponsored Mad Castle, not that Mad Castle belonged to the Guseong Group.
“Mad Castle is an Earth Defense Force formed not to protect a single nation, but the entire world.”
Seo I-ryeon spent ten minutes explaining Mad Castle’s ideology and future direction, but public opinion didn't take her words at face value.
A multinational guild created by the Guseong Group.
That was the general assessment.
Perhaps it was a natural reaction.
Even with Seo I-ryeon’s image, it wasn’t easy to change fundamental perceptions.
The only surprising element came at the end of her introduction.
“As a member of Mad Castle, I too will do my best to protect the Earth.”
The fact that Seo I-ryeon was a member of Mad Castle.
Given her past actions, people thought that perhaps this organization might be a little different after all.
“Now, I will explain the details of the Gate Meter.”
As the test results of the Gate Meter were revealed, the audience, composed of reporters, began to stir.
They had anticipated something significant when the export agreements with 80 countries were announced, but the data presented exceeded all expectations.
“At this point, you’d have to call it an essential item.”
Not only did it incorporate dungeon technology applied to gates, but the margin of error for monster readings was less than three percent.
Previously, they could only estimate based on the maximum mana capacity of a gate, but that changed with this upgrade.
By measuring the gate’s mana level and the mana levels of living creatures separately, they could now perceive the difference.
This allowed for a much more accurate assessment of the monsters’ power levels.
After calmly finishing her explanation, Seo I-ryeon looked into the cameras broadcasting live to the world and said:
“Mad Castle wishes to establish peace treaties with all nations. We hope that there will be no restrictions in protecting the Earth, transcending all borders. As you watch Mad Castle’s future actions, you will come to understand our meaning.”
The final mention of peace treaties was distorted depending on who was listening.
A demand for special privileges and the right to participate.
No one yet accepted Mad Castle’s intentions as pure.
In the end, the only thing gained from the showcase was the fact that an essential defense item, the Gate Meter, had been developed.
“You did a great job.”
Her manager, Park Jeong-pal, who was waiting below the stage, draped a blanket over her shoulders.
“They don’t seem to believe it yet, do they?”
“No, ma’am. It seems they perceive us as just the company that made the Gate Meter.”
Park Jeong-pal had also become a member of Mad Castle through Seo I-ryeon and continued to act as her manager.
He appeared ordinary on the outside, but he was a B-rank Awakened.
“Where is Wang-sik?”
“He should be on a plane by now.”
“Well, he’ll handle things just fine.”
Seo I-ryeon followed Park Jeong-pal’s guidance and headed to the waiting room.
At the same time.
In the skies above the West Sea of South Korea.
“So you’re saying an S-rank Acute Gate will appear soon?”
“That’s right.”
“And how do you know that?”
“I wasn’t aware this was a place that investigates the sources of its information.”
At Wang-sik’s words, the other S-rank hunters on the plane nodded.
Here, they shared information that was verified as true, but they didn't question the sources that revealed an individual’s power.
“So you want us all to stop it together.”
The Royal Club's plane hit a patch of turbulence and shook once. Still, no one was surprised.
“What does everyone else think?”
“A gate of that magnitude must be stopped, of course. But there’s one problem.”
E Suo-lin looked at Wang-sik and spoke.
“Can we really trust the word of someone who isn’t one of our members?”
At her words, everyone’s gaze turned to Wang-sik.
It was pressure to join the Royal Club. Only Gregory scowled in discomfort; the others wore similar expressions.
“What do you say? Care to join our childish gang games?”
Feeling the pressure, Wang-sik let out a long sigh.
“What a load of bullshit. You pathetic bastards.”
Wang-sik met their sharp gazes and spoke.
“You’re trying to negotiate with this when who knows how many people could die? Do you want everyone to die so only you guys are left? Who are you going to rule over then? If you want to act like kings, protect your people first. That’s how you earn the right to look down on others.”
Wang-sik knew he couldn't expect anything from them.