Chapter 89
Suhyuk glanced around briefly. In the middle of the square. Given the late hour, there was no one around. No presence could be felt; it was just him and the other person here.
The feeling wasn’t good.
“Who are you?”
“Jung Yuhan. I’m with Blue Zone, and I’m a semi-ranker.”
Suhyuk’s eyebrow twitched under his mask. It wasn’t just the Blue Zone affiliation that bothered him. It was the way Jung Yuhan spoke.
He loaded his introduction with flattering words. Putting aside the mention of Blue Zone, he deliberately used the term ‘semi-ranker.’
A semi-ranker would be at least on the 7th floor. And specifically, it referred to players on the brink of reaching the 8th floor.
‘So, he’s got some influence.’
Despite his messy personality, if what he said was true, he wasn’t someone to be ignored. Reaching that level as a player was no small feat.
“What do you think? Are you interested in talking?”
“About what?”
“Don’t play dumb. You must have heard already.”
Jung Yuhan sneered.
“Join Blue Zone. We’ll treat you well.”
“A scout?”
“Yeah. You’ve refused a few times, right? Trying to up your price?”
Having tasted the allure of a large guild, Jung Yuhan assumed Suhyuk’s refusals were driven by a different motive. He figured Suhyuk was trying to increase his value to join the guild.
“The guild has expressed a willingness to consider that. You can discuss it further with the vice guild leader.”
“The vice guild leader?”
“Yeah. Lee Wonjae.”
Lee Wonjae.
The vice guild leader of Blue Zone and a high ranker who had reached the 9th floor. A place that even Suhyuk in his past life hadn’t reached.
Ordinary people couldn’t even dream of meeting Lee Wonjae face to face.
But, ‘That brat became the vice guild leader?’
From Suhyuk’s perspective, Lee Wonjae was like an old lout who used to follow Kim Ilsoo. Though now hailed as a great player who had reached the 9th floor, back then, he was just another rookie.
‘That guy wants me…’
No, more accurately, he wanted the power of lightning. But, “No thanks.”
The more he thought about it, the less he wanted to join Blue Zone. He had no intention of joining any guild, but if it was Blue Zone…
Even if someone held a knife to his throat, he wouldn’t go. That would be betrayal.
‘To those I once knew.’
With Suhyuk’s firm refusal, the smirk on Jung Yuhan’s face faded. Not only did he refuse to join right away, but he also declined to even meet.
Such an answer wasn’t on Jung Yuhan’s list of options.
“… Hey, didn’t you hear me? Do you know who asked for you?”
“Lee Wonjae?”
“Wonjae?”
“What, should I show respect? He’s not my superior. To me, he’s just a stranger.”
It wasn’t a wrong statement. But nevertheless, no one spoke of Lee Wonjae this rudely. They couldn’t.
He was one of the rulers of this vast world. Reaching the 8th floor even in the same era as Suhyuk, he was a living legend among players.
Yet, to speak of Lee Wonjae like this…
“… You must have eaten something bad.”
“I haven’t eaten anything, so I’m hungry. I think I’ve given my answer. Go and deliver the message. I’m off.”
Step-
Suhyuk began walking directly away. But after only a few steps, “Where do you think you’re going?”
Jung Yuhan stopped Suhyuk once again within those few steps.
“We’re not done talking.”
Suhyuk sighed internally, hoping the matter would end here.
Well, if it could be resolved simply through words, they wouldn’t have sent someone like Jung Yuhan. Blue Zone spared no expense, sending a semi-ranker—a valuable asset.
Sending Jung Yuhan meant, they were prepared for physical force if necessary.
“So?”
“You’ll have to come with us.”
“What if I refuse?”
“Your consent doesn’t matter.”
As expected. Suhyuk nodded, half-expecting this outcome. One fortunate aspect was that Blue Zone prided itself on justice.
And Jung Yuhan seemed deeply loyal to such ideals.
“You plan to cause a scene here?”
Suhyuk looked around. While the square was empty, continued commotion would eventually attract attention. And a scene involving a recently famed 4th-floor streamer wouldn’t go unnoticed.
However, Jung Yuhan seemed indifferent.
“Anyway—”
Mid-sentence, the distance in the voice shifted.
“It’ll be over soon.”
Suddenly, the voice was right next to him.
Crackle—.
A yellow light filled the dark square.
Zap—.
Jung Yuhan’s hand grasped at thin air as Suhyuk’s body shot forward, widening the gap between them. Using his lightning agility, Suhyuk had evaded Jung Yuhan’s grasp.
“Over soon? What was that?”
“…”
Jung Yuhan’s mouth closed. Even in the dim light, his face seemed to redden slightly. Quite embarrassing.
“But… you handle yourself better than I thought.”
Jung Yuhan mentally revised his assessment of Suhyuk.
‘In terms of talent, he surpasses even Lee Suhyuk in his prime.’
That was the assessment of streamer Falcon Eye. Jung Yuhan had thought it was overly generous praise from someone within the same company. And he wasn’t alone.
Many players believed there was some manipulation in Suhyuk’s scarecrow trial results. But, Jung Yuhan wasn’t foolish enough to deny what he witnessed firsthand.
“Though it’s embarrassing…”
Hiss—
Magic quickly spread from Jung Yuhan’s feet.
Flash—!
Suhyuk, who had tensed momentarily, realized he didn’t need to dodge. It wasn’t the type of skill to evade or block.
“You should appreciate the vice guild leader’s foresight.”
Step—
Jung Yuhan took a step towards Suhyuk.
“To see this far ahead.”
The surrounding sound echoed oddly. As if hitting a wall and bouncing back, it sounded stifled. Suhyuk seemed to understand the nature of the skill.
‘Silence. A field-type skill that silences and blocks sound.’
Quickly analyzing the skill, Suhyuk realized that escaping this situation had just become more difficult.
‘This is a nuisance.’
Normally, causing a bit of commotion would be enough to drive the opponent away. After all, spreading this situation wouldn’t benefit them.
‘Subtle tactics won’t work.’
The opponent was a semi-ranker.
7th floor. Nearing the 8th floor, in fact.
Even considering Suhyuk’s own abilities, overcoming someone who had cleared three more trials than him wouldn’t be easy.
Crackle-.
He summoned the lightning within his body.
With Selfish Sacrifice in effect, the lightning’s output increased.
‘Summon the lightning and draw upon the power of the item.’
Sling-.
Drawing his sword, the red blade of the magic sword gleamed.
The Nameless Magic Sword. It was obtained after clearing the 1st floor, a creation by the famed blacksmith Kindre. Though he hadn’t yet used the item to its maximum potential, now wasn’t the time for holding back.
—
『’Lightning’ activated.』
『’Nameless Magic Sword’ absorbs user’s stamina.』
『All stats increase proportionally to the stamina consumed.』
His muscles felt as if they were being torn apart. Simultaneously, his body felt light, paradoxically filled with overwhelming power.
『’Selfish Sacrifice Lv6′ resists damage from ‘Lightning’.』
『’Selfish Sacrifice Lv6′ resists damage from ‘Nameless Magic Sword’.』
His endurance, built up over countless streams, kept Suhyuk going. Normally, he would use his skills conservatively, ensuring he could withstand the strain.
But now, ‘This isn’t the time to be cautious.’
Fighting the opponent before him required pushing his limits.
『’Selfish Sacrifice lv6′ failed to resist.』
『’Heart of Lightning’ resists damage from ‘Lightning’.』
His entire body tingled.
Yet, the power surging through him filled him with confidence.
The past two days of grueling trials had been worth it. The stats he gained while ranking up amounted to 37. The 4th floor trials focused on securing a player’s basic stats.
And for Suhyuk, those stats were crucial.
“You should have come two days earlier.”
Step-
Suhyuk’s eyes glowed golden as he walked towards Jung Yuhan.
“Then maybe you could have won.”
***
In front of the dormitory. The early morning air was chilly. Un Hyang paced back and forth near the building, unable to stay inside.
She was waiting for Suhyuk, who had just ended his stream, and her mood wasn’t great.
“Ah, what should I do…”
Blue Zone’s attempts to recruit Suhyuk had become quite aggressive. Though Suhyuk had expressed his refusal to her, human feelings could be unpredictable.
If Blue Zone offered conditions that were impossible to reject, ‘What should I do as his manager?’
A manager’s role was to act in the best interest of the streamer. That’s what she had learned from John Dale. Even if the streamer clashed with Balhae Entertainment, a manager should be on the streamer’s side.
And based on that principle, “Should I let him go…?”
Blue Zone was a huge guild. No matter how good the streaming profession was, they were a massive force that ruled this world. Balhae Entertainment was just a large company with a foothold in that world.
If it was Lee Suhyuk, with his talent, he was sure to rise high within Blue Zone. Moreover, while Jung Yuhan’s demeanor was slimy and unpleasant, Un Hyang liked Blue Zone as a guild.
After all, its guild leader was once a companion who wrote legends alongside Lee Suhyuk.
‘For the streamer’s benefit…’
After much contemplation, “I should tell him…”
Un Hyang decided to inform Suhyuk about what happened today. The company might not like her decision, but so be it.
“Sigh-.”
Even after making the decision, she didn’t feel any better. In fact, her expression grew darker.
If her actions led Suhyuk to join Blue Zone, if he had to stop streaming due to non-compete clauses or simply because he no longer needed to, she felt she’d regret her decision.
“Maybe I shouldn’t tell him… Huh?”
Just as she was wavering internally, her ears perked up.
“Suhyuk-nim?”