Chapter 95
On the outskirts of the city on the 6th floor, there was a wide open space. In that place, the number of Blue Zone players that started gathering one by one had soon exceeded a hundred.
Among them, Cha Minwoo’s face was full of discontent.
“Why the hell is there so much work?”
Just recently, he had descended to the 3rd floor, and now something else had come up on the 6th floor. While they were already short on time to focus on climbing the tower, the guild kept assigning them tasks.
Moreover, “Based on such baseless rumors, too.”
This particular task displeased him more than any other.
“The guild must have verified it to some extent before calling us.”
Next to Cha Minwoo, as usual, was Hwiyung. Unlike Cha Minwoo, she was quite attentive to rumors. Cha Minwoo’s brow furrowed at Hwiyung’s words.
“Does that even make sense?”
“Why wouldn’t it?”
“It’s one thing that there might be survivors in Blue Eyes. But teaming up with demons, what’s that about?”
This rumor had two shocking elements. The first was that there might be survivors in Blue Eyes. The second was that these survivors might have allied with demons.
“What’s the reason for joining hands with demons?”
“For power.”
“Exactly.”
“That’s why it doesn’t make any sense. Huh?”
Cha Minwoo spoke passionately, half-angry.
“Who were the members of Blue Eyes? Each one of them was as skilled as our guild leader. Not to mention Lee Suhyuk.”
“They must have needed greater power.”
“What reason would they have for that?”
“Not everyone has a reason.”
Cha Minwoo couldn’t refute Hwiyung’s answer. That was true. Just as not every player climbed the tower for a reason, not every player sought power for a noble cause.
And that was no different for the members of Blue Eyes.
“More importantly, there’s no way the vice guild leader would come all the way here for something unverified, right?”
“…True.”
At those words, Cha Minwoo nodded, thinking of the man who would soon make an appearance here.
From the 9th floor to the 6th floor.
Lee Wonjae, the vice guild leader of Blue Zone, was descending.
A giant of his stature wouldn’t move without reason.
Especially considering the number of players ordered to gather here had well exceeded a hundred.
“If it turns out to be true…….”
The demons.
If it was confirmed that they had allied with demons, there was only one course of action, no matter how formidable Blue Eyes was.
“They must be dealt with. Absolutely.”
Saying that, Cha Minwoo looked around. Perhaps. They had come here to fight against Blue Eyes.
***
A long day of rest. It was time to recover his condition. Once the tension eased, every muscle in his body cried out. The aftereffects of using Lightning were not insignificant.
‘If I had used the Lightning Lord too, I would have been bedridden for several more days.’
In the morning, looking out the window, Suhyuk slowly stretched his body. The visible fatigue level had significantly decreased. His physical condition, as he felt directly, wasn’t bad either.
The day of complete rest had paid off. When he went down to the first floor for a meal, a familiar face was waiting for him.
“Are you awake?”
Un Hyang.
She was having a meal with Cheon Ryang.
“Would you like to join us? We ordered a lot.”
Cheon Ryang’s invitation was sincere. There was indeed a lot of food. Simple menu items like bread, eggs, and bacon, but enough for four or five people. With no reason to refuse, Suhyuk sat down, and Cheon Ryang shrugged his shoulders.
“We are eating on the company’s money.”
It seemed she had predicted what Suhyuk might be thinking. Cheon Ryang’s words were an explanation for why they had ordered so much. As they gathered for the meal and started eating, Un Hyang asked when they were somewhat full.
“Are you really going to do it?”
She added a subject that followed.
“Marathon.”
Marathon.
An idiom meaning to complete something from start to finish once you’ve begun. In the context of the trial, it meant a content where the stream wouldn’t end until he completed the trial on that floor.
“Once you declare it in the stream, it’s hard to back out. If you break a promise once, the viewers will start doubting the streamer.”
“I understand.”
“Are you really okay with it? Knowing how long the trial might take.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Suhyuk. He had the incredible record of passing the 4th floor trial in just three days. Undoubtedly, he would achieve results faster and more surely than the average players.
But even so, the Marathon content was no easy task. Premature challenges often led to ruining one’s condition and the stream’s longevity, or end up breaking promises to the viewers.
Moreover, “We don’t even know what kind of trial is waiting.”
The trial of the 5th floor was different from the 4th. Since not all players took the same trial, there was no way to know what trial awaited until it began.
“Anyway, I won’t be starting immediately, so it’s fine.”
“What?”
Un Hyang widened her eyes in surprise at Suhyuk’s answer. Although he seemed like he had to move to the next floor immediately, he now said he wouldn’t start right away.
“I have someone to meet first.”
“A friend?”
Until now, Un Hyang had never seen Suhyuk meet anyone. He hadn’t even mentioned any family or friends. So it was surprising to hear he was meeting someone.
“Not a friend exactly…”
Suhyuk paused, contemplating how to describe the relationship, before answering.
“An old man.”
***
A small village located in a secluded corner of Murim. Even within that village, Suhyuk set foot in an abandoned house located quite a distance away.
“This old man’s taste hasn’t changed.”
It was an old, dilapidated house that looked like it could collapse at any moment. Suhyuk spoke toward the precarious door that seemed ready to fall with a single gust of wind.
“Anybody home?”
There was no answer. He called out several more times, but again, there was no response. As he tentatively reached out and pushed the door, it creaked loudly and swung open.
For a moment, Suhyuk stood there, contemplating.
What should he do?
“Why aren’t you coming in?”
It was then that a cranky voice came from nearby. The owner of the voice seemed close, but he couldn’t see them.
Of course.
“Entering without permission means I can’t return, right?”
Everything visible in front of him was fake. The old, crumbling abandoned house. It was all the work of the man who had just spoken.
“You don’t seem to be just anybody.”
“Could you open the door?”
Suhyuk took a respectful stance. He was a guest and had come to make a request. Now was the time to match the mood of his host.
After a short moment,
Wung-.
The inside of the dilapidated door shook. The formation partially dissolved, creating a path.
“I’ll at least see your face. Come in.”
“Thank you.”
Suhyuk bowed his head and entered through the door. Thankfully, the cranky old man seemed curious. He had worried about being turned away.
‘Well, if that had happened, there wasn’t much I could do.’
He didn’t have the strength to force his way through this door. Not just now, but even his former self wouldn’t have found it easy.
Contrary to its appearance, this place was like a massive fortress. Without the owner’s permission, one could never enter carelessly.
Just setting foot here meant he was halfway to success.
Thud-.
Upon entering, Suhyuk felt the air change around him. Like entering an examination site, his senses altered, and the surroundings transformed.
The crumbling house vanished without a trace, revealing a spacious estate. Various vividly colored plants exuded a sharp, pungent aroma.
And at the center of the estate, a large man stood in a fluttering robe, his wrinkled face stern.
“How did you find this place?”
Suhyuk couldn’t answer immediately. This was the place he intended to visit first upon reaching the fifth floor. He needed it, but he also had hoped to meet him again.
Although the man wouldn’t recognize him.
‘You haven’t changed.’
Suhyuk could recognize him, so they could rebuild their relationship.
“Are you not going to answer?”
When Suhyuk delayed his response, the man pressed him for a reply. Knowing the man’s impatient nature, Suhyuk hurried to speak.
“I heard a rumor.”
“A rumor?”
“Yes. That a very extraordinary person lives here.”
It wasn’t a particularly satisfying answer to alleviate curiosity. But there wasn’t much else he could say.
Few knew the man’s presence here, and most of those that did were either not beneficial to mention or weren’t credible. Fortunately, Suhyuk knew this man wasn’t someone who cared much for reasons.
“So you must also know what kind of person I am.”
“I do.”
“And that I don’t meet just anyone.”
“Yes.”
Suhyuk also found it puzzling. As the man said, he wasn’t someone who would meet just anyone. The man Suhyuk knew had exacting standards, barely permitting a conversation. It was almost a fluke that Suhyuk had met him years ago.
‘I didn’t have high expectations.’
But he had come with a sliver of hope. Who knew it would be this easy to get the door open?
What words should he start with?
Looking at the man standing before him, Suhyuk finally pretended not to recognize him and spoke.
“I would like to request a task from you, sir.”
*
25 years ago.
Suhyuk had been wounded in a fight against the demons, his body covered in blackened blood stains from severe burns. It was by far the worst injury he had ever suffered. He was separated from his comrades, with no one to support him.
At that moment, he thought he might die soon.
“It’s a wonder you’re not dead.”
A mysterious man appeared before Suhyuk. In one hand, he held a brush, and he wore a fluttering robe. His vision was blurred, so he couldn’t see the man’s face clearly. As he slowly lifted his head, he felt the man’s gaze observing him as if studying him.
“Let’s see… the wounds should be bearable. Burns? That’s peculiar. Did you inflict them on yourself?”
The man instantly assessed Suhyuk’s condition. He knew that Suhyuk had harmed himself using Lightning. He knew he was half dead.
“What… who are you, sir?”
“Sir?”
The man chuckled at Suhyuk’s address. He seemed like a strange person. But Suhyuk had no one else to rely on at that moment. Suhyuk reached out his hand.
“Are you asking for help? Hmph.”
Despite the somewhat reluctant tone, the man immediately grasped Suhyuk’s extended hand. Supporting his body and examining his wounds, the man spoke.
“If I’m going to help, I might as well do it properly.”
With those words, Suhyuk’s consciousness slowly faded.
“So, you help me too.”
That was how it all began. The first meeting between Suhyuk and the man.
TL’s Corner:
Someone related to formations, is he related to Jaegal family?
Since it’s murim and and the man held a brush.