Chapter 93
Two weeks had passed since the villain attack came to an end.
There had been only one casualty.
Zhi Lianhua.
Although Kang Rahee had been under mind control, she was still treated as the main perpetrator and taken into police custody.
Fortunately, there were enough mitigating circumstances for her sentence to be reduced.
The bigger problem was China's backlash.
Once Suhyeok's identity as a Player became public, he immediately became one of their targets.
And then he suddenly disappeared.
Meanwhile...
Inside a hospital room at Kangjin Medical Center.
"...Where am I?"
The patient who opened his eyes was none other than Hugo.
He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling.
"Why am I lying here?"
The last thing he remembered was the academy president coming to his hideout.
Then he'd been brainwashed.
Everything after that had vanished from his memory.
When he checked the calendar beside the bed, more than four years had already passed.
I don't have time for this.
If I'm here, then something must've happened outside-
He froze.
There was warmth around his hand.
He turned his head.
A blond woman was asleep beside the bed, leaning forward while tightly holding his hand.
His one and only younger sister.
Kang Hana.
"Mmm...."
She shifted and slowly woke.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she checked on the person lying in the bed.
Then froze.
"...You're awake?"
Her voice trembled.
"It's been a long time."
"You haven't been doing well all this time, have you?"
"This isn't how I wanted us to meet again, but..."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I really wanted to see-"
"Oppa...!!"
She suddenly threw herself around him.
Hugo stiffened in surprise.
Then he gave an awkward smile and gently hugged her back.
The younger sister he thought he'd never see again.
The brainwashing that had somehow disappeared.
How had any of this happened?
A short while later, Kang Hana told him everything.
"...So you're saying Lee Janghyeok..."
"No."
Hugo corrected himself.
"That Player, Lee Suhyeok, saved me?"
"And he took care of the Villain Association too?"
"Yeah."
Kang Hana nodded.
"I don't know why, but it looks like he infiltrated the academy and waited for the president to make her move."
"He explained everything in a note."
"He even said you'd been brainwashed for the past four years."
"I see...."
Apparently, information about Villain Association operatives hiding throughout Korea had already been distributed.
The remaining members were wiped out almost immediately.
Even political figures connected to the president had been arrested.
That's not something you can accomplish in a short amount of time.
Even I couldn't do it after ten years of investigation.
How did a Player make all of this happen in only a few weeks?
The documents even contained names Hugo himself had never discovered.
The president had probably intended to use the attack as the starting point to overturn the entire country.
And now...
Hugo would probably be sent to prison too.
He had expected as much.
He'd infiltrated the Villain Association to destroy it from within.
But he had no way to prove that.
Then Kang Hana began rummaging through her pocket.
"Oh, right."
"There's something he told me to give you."
She handed him a note.
It contained several requests.
Protect Jung Woojin.
Protect the Players who would eventually climb to this floor.
Hugo kept reading until he reached one strange sentence.
It told him to open the drawer.
Slide.
"What the..."
Inside was a suspicious envelope.
Hugo opened it.
His eyes widened.
These were records of everything he'd done.
Documents proving his actions.
With this evidence, he could prove the truth behind everything he'd done until now.
He returned to the note.
Then he stopped at the final line.
I hope you recover soon.
Thank you.
Something about those words felt strangely familiar.
Like they had known each other for a very long time.
"I really want to know who he is..."
Hugo muttered.
"But I guess that's impossible for now."
Kang Hana looked at him.
"What are you going to do?"
"I heard he's leaving soon too."
Hugo thought for a moment.
Then smiled faintly.
"Once the trial is over, I'll focus on what he asked me to do."
"That way..."
"When I meet him again, I'll be able to ask him myself."
At that same time...
Four people were eating lunch together at the Korean restaurant run by Suhyeok's mother.
Chomp, chomp.
"Hyungnim, this barley rice is incredible."
Bong Taesu shoveled another bite into his mouth.
"You have to try it with the doenjang stew."
Lee Yumi nodded eagerly.
"Wow, seriously."
"Maybe it's because it's been so long since I had Korean food, but this tastes even better."
Kim Hyuna smiled.
"It's really good."
"No wonder it's this crowded even this early in the day."
The restaurant was packed.
Suhyeok's mother moved nonstop through the kitchen, cooking and serving customers.
After they finished eating and stepped outside, Bong Taesu looked at Suhyeok.
"Hyungnim."
"Are you really fine leaving without saying goodbye?"
"You finally got to see your mother again."
"But you even changed your face, so she couldn't recognize you."
He glanced back toward the restaurant.
Suhyeok's mother was staring in shock at the Coins left on the table.
Taesu asked again.
"We don't know when we'll see them again..."
"Are you really okay leaving like this?"
He was right.
Once they climbed to the 41st floor, there was no telling when they'd return.
They had no idea what awaited them ahead.
Suhyeok suddenly remembered what Kim Hyuna had asked before they came to the restaurant.
...Mister.
Are you really not going to see my sister before we leave?
She's probably somewhere nearby right now.
There was no need for Suhyeok to seek her out.
It wasn't just Kim Mihyeon.
Lee Seha and the other companions who had died before him in his previous life were the same.
They were living ordinary lives in this world.
To them, Suhyeok was someone who didn't exist.
That was precisely why he couldn't settle here.
He had to keep moving forward.
Step. Step.
Suhyeok continued walking as though it meant nothing.
"This isn't the world we originally lived in anyway."
"There's no point."
The four eventually reached the portal leading to the next floor.
It was located on a mountain owned by Kangjin Group, allowing them to avoid being tracked.
Leon, comfortably sprawled over Bong Taesu's shoulder, suddenly spoke.
[ By the way, what exactly is that new Authority you got, nya? ]
[ We kind of forgot about it while everything else was happening, nya. ]
It was the Authority that had unlocked the moment Suhyeok absorbed the Fragment of the Primordial God.
[Trait ‘Apostle (EX)’ has unlocked its second Authority.]
[1. Portal]
[2. Simulation]
[...]
Simulation.
Just like Portal, it was an absurd ability.
[Authority - Simulation]
‘Simulation’ automatically activates when combat is judged to have begun. It may also be activated manually.
When Simulation activates, time stops.
The user is presented with the optimal available choices.
An ability that stopped time.
Even a sudden ambush would be treated as combat, giving Suhyeok a chance to prepare before the threat reached him.
More importantly...
It said it would provide the optimal choices.
It might reveal paths Suhyeok himself couldn't see.
Portal was already ridiculous.
This one is just as absurd.
I don't know what the remaining Authorities are...
But I can still become much stronger.
They soon arrived in front of the portal.
Suhyeok placed a hand on the blue crystal.
Hummmm.
The surroundings trembled faintly.
[Portal to the 41st Floor opened.]
[Confirmed Players: 4.]
[Four Players will now be transferred to the 41st Floor.]
Flash!
Light erupted.
The scenery changed.
"Whoa...."
Bong Taesu stared around in amazement.
"I-Is this really the 41st floor?"
"This is completely different from anything we've seen until now!"
Lee Yumi looked around in confusion.
"This is a first for me too."
"It feels like we walked onto some kind of movie set...."
A massive manor built in the style of the Central Plains stretched before them.
Even their clothes had changed into traditional martial-arts attire.
The world of the 50th floor was Murim.
A world of martial arts and martial artists.
A world where the Demonic Cult and the Martial Alliance existed.
Even the famous Five Great Clans everyone knew from martial-arts novels were real.
The Namgung Clan.
The Sichuan Tang Clan.
And the others.
"This really feels like a dream!"
Bong Taesu ran around the manor like an excited retriever.
"I feel like I actually entered a martial-arts novel!"
"I always wanted to visit China when I was little!"
"Hahaha!"
He was clearly the most excited.
Suhyeok, however, was looking toward the roof of one of the manor buildings.
There he is.
A rabbit beastman wearing a black martial robe stood there with his arms crossed.
Then he leapt lightly into the air.
Hop!
He landed in front of them.
"Ahem."
"Pleasure to meet you."
"I am Gu Soryong, Administrator of the 50th floor."
"I hope we get along well!"
He clasped his fists in a martial greeting.
Bong Taesu immediately brightened and returned the gesture.
"A pleasure, Young Hero Gu!"
"I am Bong Taesu!"
"Hahaha!"
Gu Soryong laughed.
"You're much more spirited than the others."
"Young Hero Gu, those robes suit you perfectly!"
"Hahaha! And you wear yours quite naturally too!"
The two immediately fell into their own world, complimenting each other enthusiastically.
Kim Hyuna and Lee Yumi watched them with exasperated expressions.
"So."
Suhyeok cut in.
"What do we need to do on the 41st floor?"
"Ah."
"I haven't explained that yet."
Gu Soryong straightened.
"You will be sent to either the Demonic Cult or the Martial Alliance."
"Your individual mission will differ depending on which side you're assigned to."
"Keep that in mind."
It was completely different from Suhyeok's previous life.
Back then, they hadn't been sent to the Martial Alliance or Demonic Cult.
They had been marked as targets by an assassination organization and forced to survive.
Doesn't matter.
I needed to visit both places anyway.
In his previous life, Suhyeok had learned martial arts from both the leader of the Martial Alliance and the Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult.
It had been an extraordinary opportunity.
Their martial arts were completely different.
So were their philosophies.
I wonder if they're both still doing well.
It'll be good to see familiar faces again.
This was earlier than he'd met them before.
But that might actually work in his favor.
There could be other opportunities he'd missed in his previous life.
"But before that..."
Gu Soryong raised one finger.
"Young Hero Lee must make a choice he wasn't able to make before."
Snap!
He flicked his fingers.
A massive blue message appeared, illuminating the entire manor.
[All Constellations of the Tower enter Lower Administrator Leon's channel.]
At last.
The moment of choice had arrived.
Countless stars appeared in the air, floating and glittering.
Bong Taesu stared upward.
"Whoa...."
"No matter how many times I see it, that's incredible."
"How many are there?"
Lee Yumi smiled faintly.
"Of course there'd be this many."
"Look at everything he's done so far."
She glanced upward.
"Though some of them seem interested in us too."
Kim Hyuna reached toward the stars floating above their heads.
"Hehe."
"It's nice that they're interested."
"But it looks like we aren't actually allowed to choose."
There were around twenty Constellations gathered over the three of them.
Most likely, they were Constellations that had already been removed from the main competition.
Ding!
[Choose one Constellation.]
[A special stage will be created based on the mythology of the chosen Constellation.]
Is it finally happening???
I've seriously been waiting for this!!!
I'm setting off fireworks right now. Should I do it?!
(looking shy but expectant) Ahem, hurry and choose! Hurry!
Give it up already lol you guys stayed silent when he was in danger.
Think about it. If you were the host, would you choose yourselves? Seriously?
Hmm. That's fair. I wouldn't choose me either.
LMAOOOOOOOO
Fastest acceptance I've ever seen lol
Everyone was full of anticipation.
Suhyeok slowly scrolled through the list.
There was only one reason the Constellations were so desperate to be chosen.
The more widely their myths spread, the more their Rank increased.
But Suhyeok had already decided who he would choose.
Now, Leon.
At Suhyeok's signal, Leon immediately began panicking.
He pulled at his fur, shut his eyes tight, and shouted in a trembling voice.
[ U-Ugh... I still don't know if we should really do this, nya...! ]
[Constellation ‘Forgotten Constellation’ sponsors 5,000,000 Coins.]
Silence.
Five million Coins.
An absurd sponsorship amount.
How many Constellations would casually spend that much?
W-Wait... five million Coins???
Is that even possible?? Who the hell is that???
That amount would be a massive loss... Is there really a Constellation willing to pay that much?
I've never even heard that modifier before... Who is this??
No one seemed to know the identity of the Forgotten Constellation.
Naturally.
Because it wasn't actually a Constellation at all.
It was Leon.
The story began three days earlier.
They had used Portal to return to the Forgotten Temple on the 25th floor.
After the Primordial God's death, Peridot had inherited the legacy he left behind.
Meaning...
She had gained access to at least a portion of the Primordial God's Rank.
Of course, all she could currently do with it was sponsor Coins and send messages.
But that was precisely what Suhyeok needed.
Are you really sure about this, nya?
If the Constellations find out, we're screwed, nya!
And you already took the entire betting pool too, nya!
They had earned more than five million Coins from the bet.
Suhyeok hadn't been concerned.
It doesn't matter.
There's nothing for them to trace.
B-But still!
If we go even further, someone's definitely going to get suspicious, nya!
Can Peridot even handle this alone, nya?!
Leon had desperately looked toward Peridot for help.
She had calmly shaken her head.
No.
I can't handle it by myself.
This level of Rank is still too much for me.
If I had something comparable to an Administrator's Rank assisting me, perhaps....
Silence followed.
Then Leon noticed everyone looking at him.
He nearly jumped out of his fur.
W-Why are you looking at me, nya?!
I don't want to do it, nyaaa!!
Just kill me instead, nya!!!!
And that was how they'd ended up here.
[ I-If we get caught, forget becoming a Mid-Level Administrator! My head is going to roll, nya...! ]
[ There's no turning back now, nyaaa!! ]
Ignoring Leon's whining, Suhyeok made his decision.
[Constellation ‘Forgotten Constellation’ selected.]
[Player Lee Suhyeok has completed his choice.]
[The special stage will open on the 49th floor.]
There was no way to know what awaited him there.
But he would likely be able to continue viewing the Primordial God's memories that had been cut off before.
Perhaps those memories would reveal the locations of other scattered fragments.
Suhyeok turned toward Gu Soryong, who was calmly waiting.
"The choice is done."
"So where am I going?"
"The Demonic Cult or the Martial Alliance?"
"Please wait a moment."
Gu Soryong smiled.
"The selection on our side will finish shortly too."
The moment he finished speaking, messages appeared before all four of them.
[Player Lee Suhyeok has been assigned to the ‘Demonic Cult’.]
[All remaining Players have been assigned to the ‘Martial Alliance’.]
The three others looked startled when they realized Suhyeok alone was being sent to the Demonic Cult.
Gu Soryong didn't seem concerned.
He simply clasped his fists in farewell.
"Then..."
"May fortune favor you on the martial path."
FLASH!
