Chapter 81: Star, The Changgwi Cave (6)

Inside a limousine crossing Gangbyeon Expressway…

“Here is the report you asked for last night.” Woo Yeong-Geun’s secretary said, handing him a document from the passenger seat.

Yeong-Geun, the Sword of the Ohsung Clan Personnel Director, read it in detail. Although the report was just a few pages long, he read it as if each letter was one page.

<‘Yeti Hill’ was about to be sold to the Blacksmith Clan due to the Dungeon’s infamous difficulty level, so security has been loose. They seized the opportunity…>

<…The currently identified number of people that infiltrated ‘Yeti Hill’ is over a hundred. They are using the snowfield’s terrain, making the search difficult…>

<…Due to the trait of the Phantom Demon Jeong Yoo-Jin, the Highoff Clan Leader, the search will turn out to be more difficult…>

“…Why did those bastards have to come to

our

Dungeon, out of all the other uncleared Dungeons in the world?” Yeong-Geun grumbled in annoyance.

He usually spoke politely, even to the young employees in the company, and was known to be a gentleman. However, he couldn’t be one today. Since the big scandal broke, it had done nothing but annoy him and the Clan.

―The Highoff Clan remnants have broken into the Dungeon.

In the same way as the other Clan, the Sword of Ohsung Clan owned several uncleared Dungeons due to various circumstances, and ‘Yeti Hill’ was one of them. The Dungeon was very difficult to clear because of its terrain. It was a snowfield, and a constant blizzard raged over it. Players couldn’t use their skills properly once they were inside, and they were unable to see clearly and hindered by the Dungeon’s icy weather.

The problem was that ‘Yeti Hill’ wasn’t financially valuable, so the Sword of Ohsung Clan didn’t feel the need to go through the trouble of clearing or pioneering the Dungeon.

‘Well, it’s actually pretty valuable, since a Dungeon that has [Cold Iron] and [Ice Crystal] is rare,’?

Yeong-Geun thought.

?

[Cold Iron] was a rare mineral that began to have the ice attribute as it absorbed ice energy from deep underground. [Ice Crystal] referred to crystals that were formed as the mix of moon energy and snow’s ice energy froze up. Both minerals were priceless treasures for wizards, alchemists, and Players with the ice attribute.

However, the terrain of ‘Yeti Hill’ was nightmarishly rough, and thus searching for the ore veins of [Cold Ironl] and [Ice Crystal] was difficult. And above all, the Yetis in the Dungeon couldn’t be taken lightly. The fact that they roamed freely even during blizzards and quietly appeared like ghosts to take their targets’ lives was known worldwide.

To sum up, ‘Yeti Hill’ was the Sword of Ohsung Clan’s big white elephant, and it was why the Clan attempted to sell the Dungeon to the Blacksmith Clan, the production Clan. No matter how hard the Sword of Ohsung Clan members tried, it wasn’t cost-effective to pursue the Dungeon’s resources.

All the Clans had to do was sign the contract, but the traces of the Highoff Clan remnants, who had turned Korean society upside down, were found on ‘Yeti Hill’ including the executives like the Clan leader. Of course, the Blacksmith Clan members declared they weren’t going to sign the contract until the Dungeon was safe once again. In the end, the Sword of Ohsung Clan had to conduct their own investigation to find out the truth under the Council’s supervision, and that was why Yeong-Geun was acting like this right now.

‘A subpoena, huh?’?

Yeong-Geun thought discontentedly.

The Council made a big public announcement regarding the matter and recruited volunteers to suppress the remnants completely. Many of the Council members had volunteered, and even the White Tiger Clan also actively offered to help, promising to send not only their Attack Teams but also their probationers. Aside from them, almost all the five major Clans in Korea had announced that they would join the punitive expedition or help, so the Sword of Ohsung Clan naturally became anxious.

The more public attention they received, the more criticism the Sword of Ohsung Clan would receive as the owner of ‘Yeti Hill’. The Council also subpoenaed Yeong-Geun to explain how could the Clan have let this happen and to silently pressure the Clan to actively participate in the upcoming expedition.

‘If I say I reduced security since the Dungeon wasn’t valuable and it was about to be sold…then I’ll only get criticized more.’?

Yeong-Geun buried his face in his hands, wondering how he should deal with this matter. He couldn’t stop worrying about it.

“Don’t get angry or else you’ll have more wrinkles on your already wrinkled face.”

Just then, he heard the curt tone of voice and chuckled. “I think I still look pretty young, you know.”

“You still can’t hide your age.” The sixteen-year-old middle school girl, who looked exactly like Yeong-Geun, commented sarcastically as she sat right next to him, wearing a school uniform.

“…There are many women who like your uncle, you know,” Yeong-Geun spoke sulkily.

“Who wouldn’t like a chaebol?” The girl shrugged.

Yeong-Geun couldn’t think of anything more to say, becoming gloomy as he did whenever the girl made such sarcastic remarks.

‘My Hye-Bin…! My adorable niece is gone!’?

Yeong-Geun thought sadly.

After the Jamsil Gate incident, his niece Woo Hye-Bin was no longer bubbly, instead becoming very cold. Yeong-Geun had thought she might be experiencing PTSD at first, but psychiatrists hadn’t gotten any abnormal findings after a series of tests.

In fact, the psychiatrists had made an assessment that she had become mentally stronger than in the past when she had suffered from anxiety, so in the end, Hye-Bin continued her daily life without getting treatments aside from regular therapy sessions.

Normally, she would have been in school, but she had submitted documents to excuse herself from school today and joined Yeong-Geun after hearing the news that the White Tiger Clan would actively join in the punitive expedition against the Highoff Clan; she was wondering if Chang-Sun was also going to join the expedition. Since Yeong-Geun was bound to feel reluctant about her request, he told her he would let her know after the meeting.

“You? No way,”?

Hye-Bin spoke coldly.

However, Hye-Bin tagged along, meaning she couldn’t trust her uncle.

‘Sure, I might not be trustworthy because I’m the one who opposed the idea of her becoming a Player the most, but I would, of course, react that way as her uncle…!’?

Yeong-Geun thought indignantly.

He had let the White Tiger Clan take Chang-Sun and stopped Hye-Bin from becoming a Player, making his niece hugely disappointed(?) in him. The problem was that Hye-Bin’s parents, Yeong-Geun’s brother and his wife, fully supported their daughter’s decision.

‘What kind of parents would let their only daughter who isn’t even a high school student become a Player…!?Argggh!! I’m going to go insane!’?

Yeong-Geun wanted to pull out his hair.

Their parenting policy had always been noninterference, so they would naturally react that way. However, Yeong-Geun felt like he was going to go nuts as he tried to take care of his cynical niece.

‘Ahh…I’m so depressed…’

Yeong-Geun heaved a sigh, massaging his aching temple.

“We’re here.” The secretary informed them as the limousine arrived at their destination, the Council’s office near the Seoul City Hall.

Click!

“What are you doing? Let’s go.” Hye-Bin spoke as she got out first from the limousine with an expressionless face.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.” Yeong-Geun stopped himself from heaving a long sigh and straightened his wrinkled clothes. His face hardened because although he was a worried uncle, from this point on he represented the Sword of Ohsung Clan.

He was a businessman before he was a Player, and gaining the upper hand in negotiation while maintaining a poker face was the business principle he had learned ever since he was a child. When he got off the limousine, he was blinded by the sunlight from the unusually clear sky, so he created a shadow with his hand as he said, “Let’s go.”

Hye-Bin and Yeong-Geun’s entourage soon followed him.

* * *

[The remaining time is 6 minutes 11 seconds.]

“My name is…!”

Slash―!

“I’m… Urgh…!”

Thud!

The Hongsals that confidently stepped forward died one after another. Most of them stated them name, but none of them was memorable for Chang-Sun.

[Acquired the ‘Biwi’ factor!]

[Acquired the ‘Biwi’ factor!]

…

In the end, Changgwis were thrown into a state of a big shock.

“How-how…?”

“Another general has been killed…! How many generals have died…?”

“Four…no, five if we include ‘Thon’...”

“Unbelievable…!”

“That human was definitely not that strong…!”

The eight Hongsal generals, who protected the Hongsal King, were feared by the lower Hongsals, but whenever they stepped up to fight against the human invader, they were massacred. Still, perhaps due to their pride, the generals used Rolling-Wheel combat technique, but they never attempted to join forces.

‘I…won again.’?

Chang-Sun thought.

However, the most shocked one was Chang-Sun.

[HP: 250/810]

[Magic: 315/1,520]

[Your HP and Magic have fallen below 30%.]

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

[Your Fatigue Count is over 70. You are advised to take a break.]

…

[The Authority ‘Kalokagathia’ has been activated!]

[Calculating the gap between you and your enemy based on the consumed HP, Magic and the Fatigue Count.]

[The calculation is in progress.]

…

[The goddess’ blessing has been activated to close the gap between you and your enemy!]

[The buff has been activated!]

Paah!

Minerva’s bonus reward, [Kalokagathia], was more effective than Chang-Sun had expected. The authority’s options, [Indomitable Bravery] and [Overcome Hardships], had both been activated, replenishing his stamina that had depleted due to the long battle, and relieving his mental fatigue, giving him the power to overwhelm the enemies.

[The Celestial ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ gleefully watches you, who never yields despite the continuing battle!]

Thanks to the authority, Chang-Sun had not only cut off the head of Ryu, whom Chang-Sun had thought would be difficult to deal with in his current condition, with a single stroke, but he had also taken out the general-class Changgwis, thanks to his ability to ‘see’ their attacks.

[The Skill ‘Tiger Kill’ dominates the battlefield!]

With his energy replenished, he gained control over the battlefield quickly. There were over a thousand Changgwi, but they weren’t able to endure Chang-Sun’s energy. [Tiger Kill] mixed with [Kalokagathia] was sharper, fiercer, and heavier than ever. Reminding the Changgwis of the word ‘vigor’, his presence on the battlefield was peerless.

‘Minerva and Heoju are the deities who are polar opposites of each other…but they might just be a good match.’

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ thinks unpleasantly of ‘someone’ for trying to damage his masterpiece.]

[The Celestial ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ looks at ‘someone’, who is trying to make a hero into a villain, with contempt.]

‘They’re still on bad terms with each other.’

Chang-Sun thought.

Thud!

As he slammed the ground with his Nameless Spear, he yelled, “Next!”

Then he turned to the being that had begun to only watch him from afar some time ago, urging it to come out.

* * *

“Your Highness…!”

“Seon, it’s your turn now.” The Hongsal King ordered.

“B-but…!”

“It’s your turn.” The Hongsal King repeated firmly.

The Hongsal called ‘Seon’ turned pale. Although it was considered strong on the second floor as one of the eight generals, the sight of its five colleagues being helplessly slaughtered put a deep fear within it.

However, Seon couldn’t refuse to fight, as it would surely be killed by the Hongsal King if it said no. It had only two options: One was to fight, and be killed by the human in one blow. Another was to hesitate and be killed by the angry Hongsal King.

‘Soon, I’ll also…’

‘I’ll end up just like Seon.’

The remaining two generals watched nervously, holding their breath. Even if Seon glanced at them, they turned their heads in another direction, pretending they didn’t notice. No one volunteered to fight on Seon’s behalf, so in the end, it went out to fight against Chang-Sun with a heavy heart, hoping Chang-Sun’s strength had dwindled.

The Hongsal King watched Seon’s back with an expressionless face. General-class Changgwis were important assets, including Ryu and Seon, but his current priority was to figure out Chang-Sun’s capabilities.

‘That human continues to get stronger.’?

The Hongsal King noticed.

He was well aware of how the humans blessed by Celestials grew powerful much faster than any other monsters, but that still could not explain the insane rate at which Chang-Sun was gaining strength.

‘As if he’s ‘regaining’ the power he ‘lost’...!’

As Chang-Sun fought against the generals one by one, his combat ability had increased exponentially, so the Hongsal King couldn’t determine the full extent of his ability and limits. Identifying an enemy before going up against them was the most basic tactic, so even if he had to make some sacrifices, he needed to figure out everything about Chang-Sun.

‘Failing to capture the?Cheongsal?King is sad, but I made the right choice in returning to the second floor immediately. If I had let him roam around freely, the whole second floor would have burnt down.’?

The Hongsal King thought.

At first, he had called his subordinates idiots for failing to protect the second floor, but he now understood why they had failed. Just then…

‘…Hmm?’?

The Hongsal King tilted his head when he saw Chang-Sun looking in his direction.

‘No way…’?

the Hongsal King squinted.

‘Is he looking at me?’

Despite the distance and numerous magical barriers covering Red Palace, Chang-Sun was somehow looking in the Hongsal King’s direction—no, directly at the Hongsal King.

“…?” The Hongsal King looked closely at Chang-Sun, who was suddenly fidgeting, when suddenly…

Swish―!

“…!”

The Hongsal King widened his eyes as an arrow flew toward him like lightning. Chang-Sun had shot an arrow at the Hongsal King using [White Sparrow Bow], which he had gotten from the Jigwi’s nest.

[The Authority ‘Perfect Marksmanship’ has been activated!]

“Oh-oh, my…!”

“Your Highness…!”

The Changgwi guards belatedly noticed the arrow and hurriedly tried to take action, but the arrow was already right before the Hongsal King’s face. Since Chang-Sun had used the authority, there was no way the arrow was going to miss.

Clash!

Boom―!

The Hongsal King quickly turned sideways and deflected the arrow using his dagger, but…

[The Skill ‘Explosion Storm’ has been activated, exploding the arrow!]

Boom―!

Swish, swoosh, swish!

The arrowhead abruptly exploded, and shrapnel scratched the Hongsal King’s right cheek. Blue blood began flowing down from the wound.

Drip!

“Hup…!”

“Impossible…!”

The guards froze up and trembled, as they had a duty to protect the Hongsal King from all harm. Under usual circumstances, they could have been executed for failing to protect him.

However, the Hongsal King quietly touched his cheek with his fingertips without saying anything. He felt the blood wet his fingers, and the burning pain on his cheek. From afar, he could still see Chang-Sun, who was still looking in his direction and aiming his [White Sparrow Bow].

The Hongsal King’s eyes were burning.

?‘He found me, huh?’

Badump!

Badump!

His eyes burned with joy, not anger.