Chapter 162
Bang, pop-pop-pop!
Fireworks exploded in the sky. Although it was still midday, the lights from the fireworks were intense and beautiful, displaying an array of colors like a rainbow.
“Sttttretch.”
Watching the fireworks, Hwang Kyuseong clenched his hand into a fist.
The veins on the back of his hand stood out as if they were about to burst. Just as ominous dark energy began to emanate, Lee Wonjae, standing beside him, stopped him.
“Not now.”
“I know.”
No matter how excited he was, he wasn’t that much of an idiot. If he revealed himself right now, it would result in the worst possible outcome.
Knowing this, he was somehow able to suppress the dark energy and murderous intent that were about to burst out. He needed to calm down. When he saw him, he mustn’t rush out immediately.
Just as he resolved himself, he saw a familiar silhouette amid the fireworks. The face was half-covered by a mask. His former comrade who had betrayed him. And his old friend.
‘Kim Ilsoo.’
The veins in his eyes burst. As anger surged, his vision turned red, and he felt his entire body heating up.
He was right in front of him. He felt like he could grab him by the collar and tear out his throat within seconds if he set his mind to it.
But what his rage and instinct told him to do was different from what his reason commanded.
“You must endure.”
Grabbing his throat right now was impossible. If that had been possible, he would have already rushed out, but Kim Ilsoo was not someone who would be taken down so easily.
If he ruined the opening ceremony, that would be the end. All the numerous rankers, spectators, and everyone else here would turn into enemies in an instant.
‘It’s difficult.’
Suppressing the murderous intent and dark energy, he clenched his teeth. At this moment, stopping himself from rushing at Kim Ilsoo felt more arduous and intense than any battle he had ever fought.
But no matter how difficult, he had to do it. He couldn’t let one single mistake ruin the 20 years he had endured. During such moments, Hwang Kyuseong always thought of one person.
‘… You too.’
If it were Lee Suhyuk.
‘You would have done the same, right?’
* * *
“Sttttretch.”
The veins on the back of his hand stood out. He had never felt so grateful for the mask covering his face. If it wasn’t for that, everyone watching the stream would surely have noticed something was off about his face.
‘Of all people, this bastard…’
He felt an overwhelming urge to tear off the remaining half of Kim Ilsoo’s face. The effort it took to suppress this impulse caused cold sweat to drip down his back.
He was thankful to Cha Minwoo. If Cha Minwoo hadn’t informed him beforehand, he might have reacted uncontrollably the moment he saw Kim Ilsoo.
“Good afternoon.”
Kim Ilsoo began the opening ceremony.
“My name is Kim Ilsoo.”
Gulp-
The moment he heard “his name” from “his voice”, the fury that he had barely suppressed welled up in his throat.
He had to endure it.
Currently, he doesn’t have the power to approach him. He needed more time. He had to become stronger. This time, he would definitely make the lightning his own.
He needed to find at least one of his comrades who might still be alive; only then would he be ready to fight him.
“It is an honor to be invited to today’s opening ceremony. Actually, this isn’t the first time. I stood here ten years ago too…”
Kim Ilsoo’s speech continued. He forced himself to listen to and let his voice flow through one ear and out the other. Concentrating on it would only make him angrier.
At that moment.
“Do you believe that rumor?”
Thanks to Cha Minwoo initiating a conversation, Suhyuk was able to divert his attention.
“What rumor?”
“The rumor about the traitor in Blue Eyes.”
-Suddenly?
-Isn’t that an old story?
-It’s been around for a long time. It’s just resurfaced recently.
The story about a traitor in Blue Eyes had surfaced repeatedly over the years. However, each time it emerged, it would subside again until recently when the rumor fully surfaced, entangled with the demons.
“Do you mean the rumor that the traitor allied with the demons?”
“Yes.”
Cha Minwoo wanted to hear Suhyuk’s thoughts. And so did the viewers eagerly watching. After a brief contemplation, Suhyuk opened his mouth.
“I believe it halfway.”
“Why just halfway?”
“I do think there was a traitor, but I don’t believe they allied with the demons.”
There was no problem with this answer since it was just a personal opinion. What Suhyuk wanted was Cha Minwoo’s reaction. Then, Cha Minwoo responded to his question.
“I… think the same way.”
Though he hesitated a bit, it didn’t seem like an empty statement. If he indeed had been with Hwang Kyuseong, he must have heard the whole story.
From this point, making sure the viewers couldn’t hear, Suhyuk turned off his microphone and spoke.
“If Kim Ilsoo had betrayed Blue Eyes, what would you do?”
Suhyuk saw it clearly. At his question, Cha Minwoo’s eyes wavered significantly. The viewers clamored since they couldn’t hear but now was not the time to worry about that.
“…Is it okay to talk about such things on air?”
“No. That’s why it’s muted now.”
“Is that so?”
Cha Minwoo chuckled lightly before answering.
“If that were true, I wouldn’t be able to stay there anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because I joined the guild admiring Lee Suhyuk.”
At that moment, what Suhyuk saw in Cha Minwoo’s eyes was pure and sparkling. For a very brief moment, Suhyuk saw Un Hyang in his eyes. Their eyes looked completely different, but somehow there was an overlapping aspect.
“I wanted to become like him. Embarrassingly, at first, I thought I could really become like that.”
Cha Minwoo’s smile, which had started cheerfully, turned bitter as he spoke those words.
“But after seeing you, I realized it. Ah, it wasn’t me.”
“You mean me?”
“I told you, didn’t I? That I watched your stream. I was surprised. To think such a talent really exists. It gave me a glimpse of what Lee Suhyuk must have been like.”
His words hit a sensitive spot. Lee Suhyuk found himself unwittingly uncovering such truth.
“That’s why I wanted to meet you by all means. And I wanted to have a fight with you.”
“Is that why you entered this Counter-Fight?”
“Yes. To be honest, I felt that if it wasn’t now, I’d never have another chance to win.”
Lee Suhyuk laughed at this statement. Despite being hidden behind a mask, Cha Minwoo could tell Lee Suhyuk was smiling.
“You have a roundabout way of asking for a fight.”
“Is it difficult to ask?”
A passion burned in Cha Minwoo’s eyes. He acted as if his entire life as a player had led up to this very moment. In any other situation, such behavior might have been burdensome, but now it was rather welcome.
The more desperate Cha Minwoo was, the more valuable he would be as a card to Lee Suhyuk.
“It’s not difficult at all.”
“Really?”
“As long as you grant me one favor, I’ll fight you a hundred times if you wish.”
“A favor?”
“Yes. Let me meet one of your other teammates.”
Cha Minwoo wore a puzzled expression. It was a rather out-of-the-blue request. Moreover, it was something he couldn’t grant. Before the operation commenced, no one was to meet Hwang Kyuseong.
“Sorry, but that’s difficult.”
“I must meet him.”
“Why, when you don’t even know who he is…”
“I know him.”
“…!”
Cha Minwoo’s eyes widened.
As the sudden silence fell, the viewers began clamoring in confusion.
-Why did it suddenly go mute?
-Are they discussing some secret?
But at that moment, the chat was invisible to Lee Suhyuk.
Lee Suhyuk was taking a gamble.
He hoped Cha Minwoo would be the person he expected him to be.
“How do you… No, why do you wish to meet with him?”
“I have something important to tell him.”
“And what might that be?”
“It’s something I must tell him personally. It won’t harm him or you, I promise.”
Lee Suhyuk was desperate. This desperation had begun with the appearance of Kim Ilsoo.
‘If the person next to him truly is Kyuseong…’
Utilizing Cha Minwoo would be the fastest way to meet him. Quickly, Lee Suhyuk glanced around at the audience.
Finding Hwang Kyuseong among such a crowd was not an easy task. It wasn’t like he would be wandering around in the open yard of the Blue Zone, making it impossible to spot him even if he tried.
“It is urgent.”
If Hwang Kyuseong were here, he would also be watching Kim Ilsoo’s opening ceremony just like himself.
If that were the case, it was no coincidence.
The reason Blue Zone sought Hwang Kyuseong and why Hwang Kyuseong willingly cooperated with Blue Zone to come here. Only one reason came to mind.
Suhyuk’s gaze turned to Kim Ilsoo, who was continuing the opening ceremony.
“He’s here to target that guy’s neck.”
There was a problem within the Blue Zone. Someone was eyeing Kim Ilsoo’s position and aspiring to become the new master of the giant guild. There was only one person who seemed capable of such ambition.
“It must be Lee Wonjae.”
Lee Wonjae, the vice-guildmaster of Blue Zone. He was someone Suhyuk had encountered a few times before. He had followed Kim Ilsoo for a long time, was exceptionally clever, and possessed as much ambition as talent.
If he was using Hwang Kyuseong to target Kim Ilsoo’s neck and planning to become the new master of Blue Zone.
Then, it made sense why Hwang Kyuseong, who despised Blue Zone so much, was with them.
If that were the case.
“I must stop it.”
Time was still on their side. Suhyuk was confident that, given more time, he could become stronger than before.
First, he had to meet him. Somehow, he would find a way. He might even reveal to Hwang Kyuseong that he was truly Lee Suhyuk. But there was no time.
They didn’t know when things would start.
Therefore, Suhyuk had to understand what kind of person Cha Minwoo was, and find a shortcut through him to meet Hwang Kyuseong.
Suhyuk waited for Cha Minwoo’s answer.
Depending on his answer, they might find Hwang Kyuseong quickly, it might take several days, or in the worst case, they might never find him.
His answer came after a long time.
“… Alright.”
Then Cha Minwoo hurriedly added.
“But I have a condition.”
“What is it?”
“If I win, reveal what’s behind your mask.”
It was an unnecessary proposal. There was no secret behind Suhyuk’s mask that he was so curious about. Suhyuk’s secret was not just a layer beneath the mask but much deeper.
“Alright. Let’s do that.”
“It’s a promise.”
“Your side too.”
Therefore, it was a condition he could accept.
No.
He would have accepted it even if asked to reveal his precise identity.
Suhyuk was confident of winning.
“Then from now on…”
Just then, the opening ceremony ended.
After finishing his long speech, Kim Ilsoo declared the festival to the audience who had been waiting for a long time.
“I announce the start of this year’s Counter-Fight.”
Boom, boom, boom, boom-!
Fireworks exploded even more magnificently as if to mark the finale. The opening ceremony ended, and it was the signal to start the preliminary rounds.
Whoosh, the entire stadium was engulfed in light. The stands blurred, and the participants in the competition started disappearing one by one.
Cha Minwoo, burning with his fighting spirit even before the start, said.
“Let’s meet at the center.”
And so, Suhyuk and Cha Minwoo’s figures vanished.