Chapter 160
The morning of the Counter-Fight dawned.
Cha Minwoo ate his toast while searching for articles about himself on his kit.
『Cha Minwoo, will he become the new star of Blue Zone?』
『Lee Suhyuk of the new generation, Cha Minwoo. Reaches the 8th floor.』
『Guild master Kim Ilsoo has high expectations for Cha Minwoo…』
Articles about himself reaching the 8th floor. For the Counter-Fight, Cha Minwoo had completely cleared the 7th-floor trial. If it were a while ago, the articles would have been full of praise.
The public’s reaction would have been the same.
However…
– The next-generation Lee Suhyuk is just a second-rate Suhyuk?
– Cha Minwoo LOL, when was that LOL?
– When’s the fake Suhyuk’s stream starting?
The public sentiment was different from before. He knew it well.
The appearance of the new Lee Suhyuk had shocked the public greatly.
‘It was the same for me.’
Cha Minwoo himself had watched Lee Suhyuk’s stream, too. To be honest, he thought no matter how good Lee Suhyuk was, he would be similar to the other players called geniuses. But he was mistaken.
‘He’s not just a reincarnation of the real Lee Suhyuk.’
Streamer Lee Suhyuk was beyond the word genius. His play made many geniuses look like fools, including Cha Minwoo himself.
“Ugh.”
Clack—.
As Cha Minwoo roughly pushed his kit to one side of the desk, Hwang Kyuseong asked.
“What’s wrong? You’re in a bad mood?”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Then why were you so excited about passing the trial?”
Observing Cha Minwoo’s expression, Hwang Kyuseong asked with a smirk.
“Is it because of that streamer by any chance?”
“…”
Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words. This was one of those times. Having watched Lee Suhyuk’s streams during his downtime, Hwang Kyuseong nodded as if he understood.
“He is good. Still, don’t let it get to you. Do you know how many rankers have been ruined because of that?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Cha Minwoo had no means to explain this feeling of insignificance in words. He wasn’t sure if it was due to deprivation or wounded pride.
“You’ve got talent too.”
Cha Minwoo made a surprised face at Hwang Kyuseong’s casual remark.
“So hold your head high, man.”
“Didn’t expect you to say something like that.”
“Why? How did you think I would be?”
“You usually bring people down.”
“If it’s that, I can still do it now.”
Perhaps because they had been in each other’s company for an extended period, the two were able to engage in much friendlier conversations.
Even so, Cha Minwoo still hadn’t fully trusted Hwang Kyuseong.
“… I still can’t make up my mind.”
“Is that so?”
“The vice guild master suggested that I spend time with you to determine who you are, but until now, you haven’t shown me anything.”
What Hwang Kyuseong had done so far was simple.
Eat, sleep, play.
It was to the extent where even a loafer wouldn’t compare; he basically did nothing.
Questions continued to arise.
Was the man before him truly Hwang Kyuseong?
Was he really one of the Blue Eyes members like Lee Suhyuk, the legend who was said to have died?
“If I were the real Hwang Kyuseong?”
Despite asking this, he didn’t try to prove it.
“If it’s true that Ilsoo betrayed you, would you really be able to stab him in the back?”
“… Yes.”
“Why?”
This was not a conversation they should have had on the day of the big event. It was something they should have talked about when they first met.
Although it was too late, he was grateful. It was better late than never.
“Because he also stabbed a comrade in the back. And that comrade was my idol and hero.”
It was a simple calculation.
Cha Minwoo joined Blue Zone out of admiration for Lee Suhyuk. He joined Blue Zone for one reason alone: because Kim Ilsoo was once Lee Suhyuk’s comrade.
But if Kim Ilsoo truly betrayed Lee Suhyuk?
Then there was no reason for him to remain in the Blue Zone.
“You must be quite a fan of his.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Fan? Hah. I’m his friend.”
“That’s the most impressive thing you’ve said to me.”
“Impudent little guy.”
Hwang Kyuseong rose from his seat and tousled Cha Minwoo’s hair with his large hand.
Walking to the window, he looked down at the crowd outside and spoke.
“You will know who I am once the task begins.”
Even now, he knew he was no ordinary player.
The skill he’d seen when Hwang Kyuseong overwhelmed Lee Wonjae in an instant was enough to believe the legends of Blue Eyes. Without witnessing it firsthand, he wouldn’t have believed it in the first place.
Nonetheless, there was another reason he couldn’t trust him fully.
“If you truly are Hwang Kyuseong, and Brother Ilsoo is a traitor to Blue Eyes… why have you remained hidden?”
“That question again?”
“I’ll keep asking until I get a clear answer. I won’t fully believe you until then either.”
It was a question he had asked multiple times.
And each time, Hwang Kyuseong evaded it with vague responses.
“Not believing is mutual.”
Cha Minwoo was taken aback.
For the first time, Hwang Kyuseong gave a different answer.
“I don’t trust anyone.”
His eyes, looking out the window, reflected countless people.
“… No one.”
* * *
There were two hours left until the preliminaries of the Counter-Fight.
Cha Minwoo arrived at the stadium where the Counter-Fight was to be held.
The stadium for the Counter-Fight preliminaries was a rough and unrefined arena.
Unlike the main event, this arena featured simple games and stretched for several kilometers.
The stands began to fill slowly. Though there was still plenty of time before the event started, they were already half-filled.
Cha Minwoo and Hwiyung stood at the top of the empty sections and looked down.
“With this much space, you could even hold a war here.”
This was the first Counter-Fight they were participating in. However, now wasn’t the time to feel excitement or anxiety about it.
“What about the guy who used to hang around with you?”
Her question about her partner in the Counter-Fight was answered by Cha Minwoo.
“He’s with the Vice Guild Leader.”
“You know, this is pretty much a coup d’état if you think about it.”
“I know.”
“If Hwang Kyuseong isn’t who he says he is, we’re all dead. You know where he was found, right?”
Cha Minwoo nodded.
“Possibly.”
“Do you truly trust him?”
Instead of answering her directly, Cha Minwoo recalled Hwang Kyuseong’s words:
“I trust no one.”
He himself also did not trust anyone. Despite that, Hwang Kyuseong had left the forest.
He had stepped out of the protection of the demons he was with and revealed his presence to the world after twenty years, seeking revenge against Kim Ilsoo.
“… I wonder.”
“No matter how much I think about it, it feels strange.”
“Let’s stop thinking about it. I’ve thought about him enough.”
“No, not him. I mean the Vice Guild Leader.”
“The Vice Guild Leader?”
“Yes. What could he be thinking? What if we tell the Guild Master because we don’t trust him?”
It wasn’t something Cha Minwoo hadn’t considered.
Should they inform Kim Ilsoo about this? This silence could be seen as aligning with Vice Guild Leader Lee Wonjae.
Lee Wonjae hadn’t killed them despite knowing about Hwang Kyuseong’s existence.
It wasn’t purely out of trust. He surely had other calculations.
“Who knows. I don’t…”
At that moment, Cha Minwoo’s gaze shifted to below the stands. He stared intently and then fell silent, his eyes wide with surprise.
Seeing Cha Minwoo’s reaction, Hwiyung followed his gaze.
“What are you looking at?”
Where Cha Minwoo was looking, two people stood at one corner of the stands.
Both had noticeable appearances.
One was an incredibly beautiful woman, the kind you rarely see. The other wore a familiar mask.
“People still wear masks like that.”
It was a mask often seen around the time the Counter-Fight started.
Twenty years ago, many people used that mask as a kind of nostalgia.
Even though new heroes had emerged over Lee Suhyuk’s name as time passed, there were still people who wore such masks occasionally.
“…They’re not just spectators.”
“Then who?”
“I need to check.”
Cha Minwoo strode towards them.
Cha Minwoo walked over.
Lee Suhyuk, who stood with Un Hyang at one side of the audience seats, noticed him.
“He’s coming this way.”
Lee Suhyuk had worried about what to say, but he didn’t need to. The moment Cha Minwoo spotted him, he headed straight in Suhyuk’s direction.
Un Hyang, who was also paying attention, lowered her voice and asked, “This can’t be a coincidence, right?”
Of course, she was quick to catch on. There wasn’t enough time to give a detailed explanation. Besides, even if there were, not everything could be explained.
“I’ve been wanting to meet him once.”
That was all Lee Suhyuk could say for now. Fortunately, Un Hyang didn’t demand a detailed explanation.
He felt grateful to her for that.
For a moment, he considered that, someday, he might tell her everything.
‘She’d probably faint.’
A small chuckle escaped from his mask. He wondered how she’d react if she believed he was actually the reincarnation of the real Lee Suhyuk.
“Huh? Are you laughing?”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Looked like you were laughing—”
In the brief exchange, Cha Minwoo drew near.
“Could we talk for a bit?”
“As much as you like.”
Lee Suhyuk didn’t refuse. He responded as if he had been waiting for this.
Noticing this, Cha Minwoo’s eyes sparkled.
“You are, Lee Suhyuk the streamer, right?”
“Yes.”
“Fancy meeting you here. I’m Cha Minwoo.”
“You’ve introduced me well. Nice to meet you. This is my manager—”
“I’m Un Hyang.”
Lee Suhyuk and Cha Minwoo shook hands. Over time, Cha Minwoo’s gaze towards Lee Suhyuk grew even more intense.
“I heard you’re participating in the Counter-Fight.”
“You watch my stream?”
“Yes. I’m a loyal viewer.”
No wonder.
Seeing how he had come looking for Suhyuk, he had suspected it might be the case. In fact, part of the reason he wore a mask was to make it easier to interact like this. It worked, allowing a natural connection to form.
“You haven’t been streaming recently.”
“It’s because I’m preparing for the Counter-Fight.”
“As I thought.”
Nodding as if he’d guessed right, Cha Minwoo finally voiced the purpose of his greeting.
“I’m participating in the Counter-Fight too.”
“I heard the news as well.”
“I’m determined to earn a spot in the finals.”
There wasn’t just one spot in the finals. Players who performed well in the preliminaries earned direct entry to the final of the next Counter-Fight.
Despite that, there was only one reason why Cha Minwoo brought this up.
It was a declaration that he wouldn’t lose if they met in the tournament.
“Let’s do our best together.”
Was that not the response he expected?
Cha Minwoo’s expression briefly twitched at Lee Suhyuk’s words.
Regardless, Suhyuk got to the point he was curious about.
“Are you alone?”