Chapter 173: The Night’s Banquet (2)
Outside the Tower of Trials.
Countless people had spent the whole night awake, unable to sleep, waiting for the full story behind the incident to come to light.
It couldn’t be helped.
Some of the most formidable rankers from all over the world had headed to the first floor, yet the situation inside had been completely shrouded in darkness.
And in China, the Zhonghua Guild had been wiped out by an unidentified monster.
It was natural that everyone’s curiosity was at its peak.
But then, at that very moment.
[A new video has been updated to the Hall of Fame.]
The long-awaited video was uploaded.
And the video was…
shocking, to say the least.
[The video starts playing.]
The giant scorpion, cloaked in black armor, had turned the city into hell.
Its daunting presence.
Players from China’s strongest, Zhonghua Guild, were torn to shreds.
Of course, the Zhonghua Guild tried to use their numbers to create an opening, but all efforts were futile.
One by one, with each blow.
Dozens of players turned into corpses within minutes.
Yet again, at that moment.
Someone appeared.
…The air shifted.
The Black Scorpion, which had been so formidable, fell in a single strike.
Moreover, it was impossible to discern how the attack was made with the naked eye.
-Shanks’ Left Arm!: It’s Kang Jinhyuk! That person there, it’s Kang Jinhyuk!
-Red Rabbit: I knew it. I was wondering which crazy guy would step forward.
-For Me, Chicken is Murder: If it’s Kang Jinhyuk, then it’s possible. He’s insane. How can someone fight like that? And did he really take down that giant scorpion in one hit? Is this even real, not some editing trick?
-zlrot7885: No editing. I can’t reveal my name, but I make a living editing videos for famous guilds, and this video hasn’t been touched. 100% legit.
-Deadline Life: How much stronger has he become in the meantime, haha. By this point, it’s like there’s a grown kangaroo among the baby wallabies, isn’t it?
-Goose Goose Gaggle: Agreed. Capable of hauling 3 to 5 tons, that kangaroo.
China.
No, not just China, but rankers around the world who even left Zhonghua Guild helpless were naturally met with enthusiastic reactions.
Editing out the final scene of the ‘Blessing of the Stars’ and the part about the sweet potatoes was enough to captivate everyone’s attention.
The icing on the cake came less than an hour after Jinhyuk’s video was uploaded to the Hall of Fame—with an interview that followed by Xiaoting.
A popular beauty YouTuber who focuses on the daily lives of famous rankers had acquired an exclusive interview during her visit to China.
“Brothers, hello. This time, I’ve hurriedly caught a dawn flight straight to China to procure an interview with the person at the center of attention…really! No need for a lengthy intro, let’s dive right in.”
‘ Lemon Tree,’ the blonde YouTuber, waved at the camera.
As befitting a YouTuber with 3 million subscribers, their presentation was smooth.
When the cameras switched, a woman with long hair dressed in a black suit came into view.
“I’m Xiaoting, the secretary-general of the Zhonghua Guild headquarters.”
“Hello, Player Xiaoting. We don’t have much time, so I’ll just ask a few of the questions that our viewer brothers are most curious about. First, the video didn’t show Zhonghua Guild’s main strike team or Player Namgung Cheon. Where did everyone go?”
“I’m…not sure myself. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t reach anyone at the top.”
“You mean they all fled.”
Lemon Tree touched on a sensitive topic, but Xiaoting didn’t deny it.
After all, none from Zhonghua had appeared until the fight was over.
“The colleagues with me threw themselves into evacuating the civilians, but it was beyond us.”
No matter how desperately they struggled, they couldn’t even inflict a scratch of despair.
However…
“Thanks to Player Kang Jinhyuk, we were able to evacuate the citizens safely.”
“Did he demand any sort of compensation for that?”
“No.”
Xiaoting shook her head slightly.
“He said he just wanted to save people.”
There doesn’t need to be a reason when one human saves another.
Jinhyuk had left China after adding merely that sentiment.
-Noryangjin’s Landlord: The fresh kimchi I left in my room’s fridge is starting to get majestic.
-Shanks’ Left Arm!: Wow. As expected, that’s what a real ranker is. Worthy of my subscription. Truly.
-Red Rabbit: Should be pushed at the national level. Like Kang. No better PR for Korea.
-Everything’s Return: Among players, he’s already an insurmountable existence. Barely the Unknown or that woman rising in India could even come close.
-Good Eater: I heard even the Labyrinth added conditions to prevent player deaths thanks to Brother Jinhyuk.
-Honey Bee Conductor: I think I’m becoming a fan of oppa S2ㅠㅠ.
-Stop Not, Fire Truck NAVER: Honestly, even as a guy, I think I could fall for him.
-Here Comes Melona: Chilling how when you search for it, Conductor is a guy and Fire Truck is a girl.
Praises for Jinhyuk flooded the comments at a frenzied pace.
When even the ViewTube server was paralyzed from the traffic, further talk was just lipservice.
And then…
“I am rather kind, aren’t I.”
Jinhyuk nodded as he meticulously read through the comments.
The folks around me grumble about being devils or satans.
‘It’s just that the subscribers are the ones who truly recognize my value.’
That’s why living kindly brings blessings, as the old saying goes.
Ellis, sitting beside him, made a stunned expression, looking at Jinhyuk.
“You think you’re kind? You’re not serious, are you? Pray tell, with the guise of a business mogul.”
As if she had heard something she shouldn’t have, her eyes were full of incredulity.
“How can you say that… Our company cares about employee benefits like nowhere else…”
“Working for nothing but frugality, what sort of welfare is that? Bluntly speaking, even the goblin slaves bound to the Ataraxia family receive more.”
“……”
Damn it. I’m rendered speechless.
But if I back down now, my notoriety as a diabolical supervisor will go down in infamy.
Jinhyuk quickly squeezed out a retort.
“Can’t you see how hard everyone is working for their growth? We’re all trying to live well, aren’t we?”
“But all you’re doing is exploiting them for your own growth.”
“……”
Blocked again.
This damn mosquito knew too much by sticking around all the time.
I guess this is why insider whistleblowing is so feared.
Then…
“Prove it. Don’t just accuse someone, show me objective evidence.”
Presumption of innocence. The principle of evidence.
The world has brilliant legal principles.
“Evidence, such sounds fancy. Even just gathering testimonies from those you’ve enslaved would make a judge cry. I didn’t know, but apparently, you’ve even exploited sweet potatoes?”
“Mosquito!”
Even the sweet potato puffed up its cheeks, waggling its tail to and fro.
This probably meant it was enraged.
A witness had come forth, making it an undeniable situation.
But Ellis had overlooked one thing.
The possibility of bribing a witness.
“Our sweet potato. It’s been tough, hasn’t it? Yeah, I know all about it.”
Jinhyuk gently caressed the sweet potato’s head.
Suddenly, a large green magic stone appeared in his right hand.
Purchased for 100,000 coins at the coin exchange, the ‘Green Magic Stone.’
When sprinkled with seasoning to suit the taste of ancient species from ‘Another World’s Restaurant,’ it became the perfect snack.
The shimmering green wave danced in the sweet potato’s eyes.
It would be hard to resist.
“Mosquito!”
Drool flowed from sweet potato’s mouth.
“Hey! It’s not fair to tempt with food!”
Ellis yelled, though it was futile.
Crunch! Crunch!
The sweet potato, which had succumbed to the magic stone, confidently chewed, tightly holding the stone in both hands.
“Sweetie. Did I exploit you?”
“Mosquito?”
“Right?”
“Mosquito!”
That settled it.
＊＊＊
When Jinhyuk and Ellis entered the ballroom, the place was already bustling with a massive crowd.
Hmm.
‘Looks like all the VIPs have gathered.’
Jinhyuk muttered in awe.
Unlike the previous ball, which consisted of only players, this time, the key figures of the mid-layer had all come down.
Especially the residents of the ‘Empire’ who had beaten their rivals and proudly claimed the top spot.
From the swordmaster, Penheimer.
To one of only three 8th-circle archmages in the empire, and a high priest serving Goddess Feris, as well as Alfred, the ‘Iron Chancellor.’
The critical players of the empire had all gathered in one place.
‘The players would go mad just to be introduced one by one, that much is for sure.’
It was unimaginable to expect to see such a lineup on the first floor, not even at an imperial wedding.
Moreover, the martial world had brought quite a powerful lineup.
Although Moyong Su-ya from the Five Great Clans was absent, young masters who seemed to belong to the Namgung clan, as well as those from the Murim and Huashan, were notable.
Well,
No matter how outraged they were, they couldn’t waste the chance to recruit players like this.
Especially now that the card called ‘China’ had significantly reduced value.
Apart from those, there were also attendees from the spirit factions and smaller forces.
‘The Third Force…’
Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.
A peculiar force made of intelligent monsters, neither residents nor players.
Like Karakal from the Frostclaw Tribe he met at Damsu Lake or Andria, the owner of the asylum, they were creatures of different kinds who had banded to wield influence in the tower.
‘Surely an appealing faction.’
Though not mainstream, it had distinct advantages.
That’s when he saw it.
From afar, Cheon Yuseong and Teresa were entering the ball.
Matching Cheon Yuseong’s white suit was Teresa in a black dress.
‘Is the aftermath still affecting her?’
Teresa, looking somewhat exhausted, had clearly changed from before.
Maybe…
“If you know, what does it mean to let the saint fall?”
Ellis spoke Jinhyuk’s thoughts aloud.
“…Yeah, it can become a double-edged sword.”
I’m aware.
It won’t be easy.
But…
“It’s something I need to do.”
Beyond the 20th floor, players embark on utterly unknown territory.
Ordinary methods and growth no longer suffice to climb higher.
Thus, survival necessitates becoming stronger.
“Right. Well, you must have your reasons.”
“What’s this? You’re putting all your faith in me?”
“Hmph, you may be crafty but you always make the right calls. Plus, shouldn’t at least someone believe in you?”
Hmm.
Is this slightly touching?
Anyway, while Ellis always grumbled, she always supported the decisions I made.
Even while enduring a solitary climb up the tower…
…she might be considered one of the few comrades I could confide in.
“In that spirit, I have a small favor to ask.”
Jinhyuk placed something on the table.
And…
“That is…really?”
Seeing it, Ellis’s eyebrows scrunched into an unmistakable frown.
