Chapter 92
The short stream ended. The content of the stream was simple. The stream wasn’t aimed at the viewers but at a specific someone.
“Do you think they saw it?”
Un Hyang asked with a worried voice.
“Considering the late hour…”
“Someone would have seen it. It’s just a matter of time, but the message will get through.”
After ending the stream, Suhyuk walked back to the dormitory with Un Hyang.
“Major guilds value their reputation above all else. And this incident is the perfect way to tarnish that reputation.”
“Why not just expose everything? It would feel so satisfying.”
“It would feel great, but…”
Suhyuk shook his head.
“From that moment, Balhae and Blue Zone would be enemies. Me included.”
It was still too early for that.
“Instead, it was a warning—never to try such a prank again. Using the medium of a stream.”
Streamers.
The power of this profession lies in its ability to rapidly disseminate information to a wide audience.
And that power is precisely why major guilds hesitate to mess with companies like Balhae easily.
The same was true for Suhyuk.
“Well, the team leader will handle the details.”
He had informed John Dale about the incident. Handling this was not Un Hyang’s job as a mere manager. Even though her skills were remarkable, she wasn’t at the level to confront a major guild.
This was a time for words and strategy, not brute force. In that aspect, Suhyuk had considerable trust in John Dale.
“True. The team leader is exceptionally good at handling such things.”
Though it sounded dismissive, Un Hyang also trusted John Dale. He was someone who could survive even in hell with just his tongue. Essentially, he played the most crucial role in this incident.
“Can you stream tomorrow?”
“I’m not significantly injured. Just a bit tired.”
Suhyuk honestly replied about his condition. There were no direct injuries or damages from his fight with Jung Yuhan. The heavy fatigue weighing on his body was entirely due to the backlash from using lightning.
‘What would have happened if the fight continued?’
He continued the battle in his mind. Jung Yuhan, intent on killing. Suhyuk planned to quickly settle the score using the Lightning Lord.
The time given was about 10 seconds.
Could he have beheaded Jung Yuhan within that time?
‘I don’t know.’
It seemed both possible and difficult. Faring this well against a semi-ranker was commendable, but it left him thirsting for more.
‘I still have a long way to go.’
He needed to reach a level where his weapon could be real power, not just a stream. To climb higher and gain more strength as quickly as possible.
“I’ll stream. And I’ll take the trial too.”
“You could take a day off…”
Un Hyang’s voice trailed off, showing her concern. As they continued walking.
“Oh, right.”
Un Hyang recalled something Jung Yuhan had mentioned and spoke up.
“This might be a bit trivial and unverified, though.”
“Trivial?”
“Yes. Should I not mention it? It’s related to Blue Eyes.”
Suhyuk’s eyes widened.
“No, please. Tell me.”
A firm answer, almost burdensome in its intensity. Un Hyang, not expecting such a proactive reaction, replied in a slightly awkward tone.
“Well, they say there’s a survivor from Blue Eyes.”
Thunk-.
Suhyuk’s foot came to an abrupt halt. The sounds of the world disappeared, leaving only Un Hyang’s voice in his ears. It felt like his heart stopped, turning cold and rigid alongside his legs.
“A survivor?”
“Yes? Yes.”
“Where… Where is that place?”
His words stumbled out, and his heart started beating several times faster, as if making up for the earlier pause. Seeing Suhyuk’s serious reaction, Un Hyang answered hesitantly.
“Ah, I didn’t hear where exactly.”
And with her next words, Suhyuk’s complexion turned pale behind his mask.
“But that survivor is said to be colluding with demons…”
*
The next day.
A notice was posted on Suhyuk’s streaming station.
『Due to personal matters, the streamer will take a day off today.』
Unexpected news of a break. Naturally, the reactions of the viewers were intense. They thought it would only take another day or two to get to the next floor, but now this sudden break.
– Taking a break just like that…
– So what’s the personal matter?
– Is it because of the attack yesterday?
– Don’t leave us in the dark, lOLOLOL
– LOLOLOL LOL Promises are meant to be broken, I guess?
“Sigh-.”
Un Hyang, sitting alone at a cafe and reading the comments, sighed.
Seeing such comments on the notice she personally posted made her feel uneasy. But if she felt frustrated, what about the viewers who didn’t know the situation?
Who would have thought he’d suddenly declare a break?
‘The facts haven’t even been confirmed yet…’
Un Hyang lightly thumped her own head.
“Ugh. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
The source of the information was Jung Yuhan. Un Hyang had seen Jung Yuhan boastfully exaggerate himself before. In other words, his credibility was low.
‘Why is he so obsessed?’
Yet, despite the lack of credibility, Suhyuk reacted more seriously than ever.
“There’s a survivor from Blue Eyes.”
“That survivor is said to be colluding with demons…”
Suhyuk’s gaze changed at these two points. And both times, it was in response to stories related to Blue Eyes.
‘Does it have something to do with him wearing the mask?’
She didn’t believe he wore the Lee Suhyuk mask just for popularity. But neither did she think he was weak-minded enough to be shaken by an unconfirmed rumor.
Then suddenly, she recalled the conversations they had while drinking a few days ago. When she mentioned it seemed like he was chasing something, Suhyuk had brushed it off, not wanting to answer.
She thought they had grown closer. But he was further away than she had imagined.
***
Suhyuk secluded himself in his room, staring intently at his kit. Since his reincarnation, he had never spent an entire day just searching through the kit like this.
And, just like then, the reason remained the same.
‘Could someone else still be alive?’
Thump—
Since yesterday, it felt like his heart was hammering in his ears.
‘Could it be Shiwoo or Yerang?’
He had cast four people away using an item. Out of those, he suspected two might still be alive. Namely, Shiwoo and Yerang.
‘No. That can’t be.’
Suhyuk shook his head.
Demons.
They were strange creatures that appeared sporadically in this world, capable of traversing floors like players.
Communicative with humans, capable of ascending and descending the tower, and growing stronger similarly to players.
Some players claimed that they were the nemesis they would have to fight in ‘the battle to come.’
Countless players had died at their hands. Demons, much like how players hunted monsters, actively hunted players.
Long ago, one of his comrades had been killed by their hands.
‘Shiwoo and Yerang, of all people, wouldn’t do that. If they were alive, they wouldn’t.’
Revenge aside, they were demons. Shiwoo and Yerang particularly harbored deep hatred towards demons.
So, that left two. If anyone would willingly join hands with demons, there was one person who came to mind.
‘Could it be…’
Suhyuk scrutinized the kit’s screen closely. His search terms were ‘Blue Eyes’ and ‘Demons.’ He hoped to find any related information, even if it was just a rumor.
After hours, switching keywords and conducting hundreds of searches, Suhyuk found a few posts.
▶ (Conspiracy Theory) Was There a Traitor in Blue Eyes? ◀
『I heard this from a friend, so it’s not confirmed yet. But there seems to have been someone in Blue Eyes who teamed up with the demons.』
How many rumors like this had he seen?
Surprisingly, it wasn’t hard to find related information. In fact, they were more akin to fanciful stories rather than solid information.
Unverified sources and mere hearsay. Due to its implausibility, it didn’t gain much traction. However, the content aligned closely with what Jung Yuhan had said.
‘Is there someone else with a big mouth like Jung Yuhan? Or…’
Another possibility.
‘Someone wants this rumor to spread.’
Even though Jung Yuhan was a semi-ranker, Blue Zone had plenty of equally skilled members. If this information were highly classified, Jung Yuhan wouldn’t have known about it.
Moreover, a major guild like Blue Zone wouldn’t handle crucial information so poorly.
Click—
Suhyuk turned off the kit and stared up at the ceiling. He felt he had gleaned all he could from the small screen.
‘No matter how much I look at this, it’s pointless.’
Regardless of how many survivors there were, there was nothing he could do about it right now. It was time to stop wallowing. He had to climb higher.
Suhyuk stood up.
***
Inside the drapery shop, where carcasses of livestock hung like grim decorations, a man lay on the ground, blood dripping from his body, his eyes rolled back.
In front of him stood Yerang, holding a thin knife in one hand, her expression grave.
“Is this real?”
The question was directed towards Shiwoo, who was in the back. He shook his head while freezing the man’s wounds, ensuring he wouldn’t die immediately.
“I can’t be sure. It doesn’t seem like a lie, though…”
“If he’s lying after all this, he’s not human.”
It had been hours of interrogation. No, to say interrogation was an understatement; it was essentially torture.
Yerang was confident. If someone could lie after enduring so much, they were not to be found anywhere.
“The problem is whether what he knows is actually true.”
“Could it be a trap?”
“At this point, wouldn’t that guy know we’re alive?”
Yerang nodded at Shiwoo’s words. Certainly, considering the recent signs from the tournament on the 3rd floor and how various players had been frequenting their base. There had been unusual signs lately.
Kim Ilsoo had caught wind of their presence. By now, he was almost certain of their survival.
“He might’ve laid the bait, expecting us to bite.”
Someone else could be alive. To Shiwoo and Yerang, that was a bait with an irresistibly sweet scent. Even if they knew there might be a sharp skewer hidden within, they couldn’t help but bite.
“That guy’s mind, back then and now…”
Yerang clicked her tongue in disgust. Even though they were comrades once, she never thought he would act like this.
“So, are we not going?”
Yerang sighed at Shiwoo’s question. It was an obvious question with an obvious answer.
“Of course.”
They had to check. Even if there was only a one in a thousand, one in a million chance.
“We have to confirm it.”
If someone was alive, they had decided to go, even if it was hell.