Chapter 697
Swoosh.
Ivankovich and Kiyov sized each other up.
Even without saying it, they were thinking the same thing.
To prove that the old, stagnant, rotten water was being replaced, and a new wind was blowing.
“Well, well, look who it is.”
“Hmm. So you’re Korea’s representative too? It’s not even copy-paste. It’s downright tiresome.”
The mocking voice was directed at Yoo Cheonyeong, who was walking over calmly.
Tall and upright.
Yoo Cheonyeong’s stride, which had been heading straight forward, came to a halt.
The Korean representatives and rankers following behind also turned toward the source of the provocation.
“How insolent…”
“What is the meaning of this sudden rudeness?!”
They were the masters and rankers leading Dangun, Balhae, and Ssaulabi.
Of course they were angry, seeing their Leader, Yoo Cheonyeong, being openly ridiculed.
But.
Responding to the provocation was exactly what the two men wanted.
“Puppies barking while the adults are talking.”
Kukukukukuku!
As Ivankovich released his Mana, a pressure like being crushed under a boulder bore down on them.
“Kkeu-eup!”
“Keok! Kkul-leok!”
Most of the players dropped to their knees on the spot.
As if to display the overwhelming gap. A fight itself wouldn’t even be feasible. With just his aura, more than half had already tucked their tails between their legs.
“And these are supposed to be the rankers of their respective guilds, trembling at just this much.”
“I really don’t know what qualifications such people have to participate in this event. Then again, they might pass in Korea, but on a global scale, they probably wouldn’t even make the rankings.”
The mockery grew even more blatant.
Amidst the noisy commotion, onlookers began to gather one by one. It wouldn’t be long before even the reporters learned of this.
“That’s enough.”
Yoo Cheonyeong quietly warned.
Even under the terrifying pressure, he remained composed.
At some point, a blue aura had coalesced around his feet.
It was a sign that he wouldn’t stand idly by if they crossed the line any further.
“Interesting. Even an old tiger is still a tiger, I suppose.”
At one time, Korea was a powerhouse of Awakened, competing for the top one or two spots even among the G20. With solid large guilds and veterans who had played the original Tower of Trials, they had built a force no one could recklessly challenge.
But at some point, that foundation completely vanished.
As if it were an oasis shimmering in the desert.
‘The exact reason… well, I don’t know.’
It was as if a blank had appeared in memory, as if a massive blot of ink had been spilled over the world’s history.
Anyway, the prestige of the powerhouse called Korea rapidly crumbled. Now, it was nothing more than a third-rate country that watched the moods of other powers and picked up the crumbs from dungeons.
‘All that’s left are that old geezer and a few others, including his granddaughter.’
Ivankovich reached for the sword in his Subspace.
“The competition hasn’t even started yet, so don’t waste your energy from the beginning. I don’t want to get dragged into that vulgarity.”
A sharp woman’s voice cut in from among the Korean representatives.
Not a player.
Yet someone with influence greater than even high-ranking rankers.
It was Seo Jeonghee, one of the emerging nobles.
Next to her stood an executive from the American Awakened Association.
“You people…”
“Ms. Seo Jeonghee.”
For the first time, the two rankers looked troubled.
Unlike Yoo Cheonyeong, Seo Jeonghee was not someone they could touch recklessly.
Injuring her would mean picking a fight with America itself.
Seeing the rankers hesitate, the executive from the American Awakened Association added a word.
“Hahaha. Even from the same country, such different treatment. Indeed, one must read the trends well to avoid being left behind. Like Director Seo Jeonghee here.”
“I find the phrase ‘reading the trends’ unpleasant. My grandparents were American citizens from the start. I, too, have felt a sense of belonging to America since long ago.”
“Hmm. I misspoke. Anyway, you two should also refrain from bullying the weak too much. It’s supposed to be an occasion for the world to come together, after all.”
To dissuade, but not to force.
A show of mediation, made for the sake of appearances.
Everyone present could see the blatant intention.
As Seo Jeonghee and the American Awakened Association executive disappeared, the second round began.
Murmur, murmur!
As the commotion grew, naturally the number of onlookers increased.
Now it was a place where more than a hundred people had gathered.
“What’s going on, did a fight break out?”
“Looks like Russia, Europe, and Korea are about to have a go?”
“Psychological warfare already from the start… how exciting.”
“Exciting, my foot. It looks like a gorilla fighting an ant. They’ll get crushed trying to show off some pride.”
Public opinion was one-sided.
It was only natural.
The achievements known so far and individual specs. And the number of top-tier rankers they possessed. They were simply incomparable.
But right then.
Thud.
A new figure stepped onto that thin ice.
An air of calm, as if he wouldn’t bat an eyelid even if a sword fight broke out right next to him.
It was Chun Yoosung.
⁕⁕⁕
He’d come in high spirits, imagining mouth-watering rewards.
And up to the point of stepping onto American soil through LAX for the first time in a while, it had been fine.
Thanks to Alice, everyone flew first class and received all sorts of service.
But, as expected.
The moment they arrived in a foreign land, a power struggle among the strong awaited them.
A show of force, unchanged from then till now.
The sight of those newbies huddled together was cute in its own way.
‘Must be some so-called emerging rankers or something.’
Jinhyuk chuckled softly as he watched Ivankovich face off against Chun Yoosung.
In the past, such a reaction would have been unimaginable, but now, with humanity’s memories erased through the ‘Fountain of Oblivion’, it was practically inevitable that they would become everyone’s target.
Alice, wearing a black dress, swished her parasol.
“Fools. Who do they think they’re blocking now? Contractor. Is it alright if I sweep them all away?”
“Be quiet. It would take forever to clean up if everything gets soaked in blood. More importantly, didn’t I tell you not to bully weaklings recklessly?”
“Huh? Didn’t the contractor like bullying weaklings the most?”
“Want me to give you a spin in the centrifuge, after all this time?”
“S-sorry. This one was wrong.”
Jinhyuk and the others exchanged their usual banter.
Naturally.
Hearing such words, they couldn’t just stand still.
“Ha, now even bugs from some unheard-of tiny country are acting up. Do you need to see blood to come to your senses?”
Swoosh!
Ivankovich’s sword bled killing intent.
But just before the blade was fully drawn, Chun Yoosung’s hand twitched.
A sword tinged with green light moved off-beat.
A chill ran through him.
A sensation he had never felt before swept over his entire body.
A flashback.
……If he had swung his sword just now.
No, if his sword had been fully drawn….
‘Dead.’
A pure truth, without a shred of exaggeration or assumption mixed in.
Because Ivankovich had reached a certain level, the result of their swords clashing appeared in his mind with vivid clarity.
“……Not a complete fool, at least.”
Chun Yoosung walked past him.
“What, not gonna hit him? Huh? Say something, you fool swordsaint.”
“Please shut that mouth of yours before I slice you up too.”
“How cold. Still. I don’t dislike that about you.”
Jinhyuk, Alice, and the others also strolled away without hurry.
Only after it was over did those present grasp what had happened.
“Wh-what? Just now?”
“Why did they let them go? Did they show mercy?”
“Something felt off… From what I saw, it seemed like they intentionally avoided a fight.”
Reporters holding cameras tilted their heads in confusion.
“Those bastards…”
Ivankovich clenched his sword again, shame and anger boiling up.
No matter that he hadn’t used his full strength, he couldn’t accept being suppressed by the aura of a mere player, not even a ranker.
But why?
Even as curses rose to his throat, his mouth wouldn’t open.
His feet, too, as if glued to the ground, wouldn’t obey.
“What are you doing? Are you going to let them go like that?”
Kiyov snapped.
“Damn it. I know. I know!”
“If you know, then why aren’t you moving? Damn it. This is why I shouldn’t trust Russian bears.”
Kiyov lunged forward.
Determined to sweep them all away, even alone.
Thud… thud! Kwang!
He kicked off the ground and charged ahead.
But the insolent bastards he’d targeted were already out of sight.
Still, if he rounded that corner, he’d see them again.
It was a shame there were no eyes watching, but for now, restoring his fallen pride mattered more.
“Why aren’t you stopping him?”
Ivankovich asked Yoo Cheonyeong.
The moment the new figures appeared, Yoo Cheonyeong’s imposing aura, which had been like a mountain, vanished as if it were a lie.
“Because there’s no longer any need to fight.”
“What? What does that mean?”
“You’ll see. How futile and insignificant the power you boast of is.”
Leaving only incomprehensible words, Yoo Cheonyeong also walked away.
Right at that moment.
Kukukukukuku!
Kiyov’s Mana erupted.
Finally, the clash was beginning.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa… kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
A single loud, clamorous roar echoed.
The entire building shook violently.
As if a typhoon had swept through, everything was being torn up.
Smoke billowing from far away rolled in and reached right before their noses.
“G-good heavens.”
“At that level, they must be dead?”
“Even so. Mr. Kiyov. Isn’t that too much? Even if it’s a promised nation, this could cause an international issue.”
Worried reactions followed.
⁕⁕⁕
Slap!
“Snap out of it.”
Slap!
“Get up! Kiyov!”
“Uu… ugh?”
With someone slapping his cheek hard, Kiyov staggered and raised himself.
Throb! Throb!
Agonizing pain wracked his entire body.
Before him stood ‘Sam Mayer’, a ranker from ‘Dreadlord’, the largest alliance guild in Europe. Slender, with a long scar on his face.
If there were a real-life killer, this was exactly the vibe.
Rank: 9th.
The ninth strongest man in all of Europe.
“Mr. Mayer…”
“Explain. What happened.”
“Th-that is…”
Kiyov trailed off.
The last thing he remembered was approaching Chun Yoosung.
He drew his sword, ready to smash him in an instant.
But just before reaching him—
The moment he brushed past the shoulder of the white-haired girl, everything turned to darkness.
“……”
As Kiyov kept his mouth shut like he’d swallowed honey, Mayer’s brow creased, murderous.
Kwaaang!
A wall split with a deep crack.
“I heard it wasn’t Yoo Cheonyeong who moved, but some nobodies. Is it true? You got beaten by them?”
“N-no, it’s not!”
Kiyov shouted hastily.
If he told the truth here, it would really be over.
It meant everything he had built up could crumble in an instant.
To take the blame for something he didn’t even know hit him was unthinkable.
Then.
The best course was to shove the blame onto a plausible target.
America.
“The Titan Guild from America interfered.”
This was the only way out.
“It seems certain they have America’s support. I clearly saw Seo Jeonghee and that American executive together with Yoo Cheonyeong’s side.”
The Dreadlord Guild was already looking for any excuse to go after America, a thorn in their side, and this would provide the perfect pretext.