Chapter 74: Song Gyujung - (1)
The visit to the Eden Guild was arranged immediately. Lee Daehyuk happened to have no schedule, and Sanghyun was also available.
As soon as he arrived, Kim Miso, who greeted Sanghyun in the Eden Building lobby, carefully spoke up.
"Just in case, I'm telling you now, but even if the Master gets a little emotional, don't mind it."
"It's fine, don't worry. It's only natural to scrutinize external collaborators under a microscope."
Sanghyun shrugged his shoulders.
To maintain a smooth relationship with the Eden Guild, it was necessary to be on good terms with everyone.
Especially with the Master, who held real power in the guild, there was no need to say more.
Of course, it was also true that Kim Yooncheol, Kim Miso's father and chairman of the sponsoring company, had significant influence.
However, Kim Yooncheol did not overstep his authority in every area. He only stepped in when it came to recruiting talent.
Sanghyun suddenly remembered something and asked Kim Miso.
"Wasn't Master Lee Daehyuk a mental-type Player?"
"That's right. He's a difficult Player to deal with. Even I get extremely nervous in front of him, worried he'll dig through my mind."
"Have you ever experienced his skill?"
"No. Not even as a joke has he ever used his skill on an Eden Guild member. But he does have a bit of a notorious reputation."
"Notorious in what way?"
"There was a Player that Master really hated before. It seems he completely wiped their mind on the spot when they met."
"Like a complete format on a computer?"
"Yes! Exactly! Their mind was wiped so clean that they couldn’t even remember their own name..."
"After we meet the Master, be sure to ask me what my name is."
"Oppa! Even as a joke, don’t say such things... I don’t like it!"
"I'm joking, just joking."
Kim Miso, who had suddenly raised her voice in protest, showed a slight blush on her face.
It was an uncharacteristic reaction from her.
Realizing that she herself found it awkward, she brushed her hair aside and changed the topic.
"Oh, right. The Player Union sent a proposal regarding the strategy we used to clear the Black Gate."
"How much did they offer?"
"2.5 billion won."
"What do you think?"
"Not selling."
"Same as my thoughts."
"Crazy people. Do they really think they can buy the correct strategy for such a difficult raid with that kind of pocket change?"
Kim Miso reacted far more angrily than Sanghyun.
If it came to negotiations, she could be entrusted with them. Sanghyun didn't mind if the deal fell through entirely.
"I'll leave that matter to you, Miso. Handle it well."
"Don't worry. I'll risk my life to get the highest price."
"No need to go that far..."
Sanghyun chuckled.
As they continued chatting, they soon arrived in front of Lee Daehyuk's office.
Lee Daehyuk's office took up half of the top floor of the Eden Building, and the surroundings had a noticeably occult-like atmosphere.
The unusual relics and ornaments placed here and there certainly didn’t give off an ordinary feeling.
"It's quite unique, isn't it?"
"Personal taste should be respected."
"Master. Your guest has arrived. This is Shin Sanghyun, the Master of SH Guild."
At that moment, one of the attendants in front of the office informed Lee Daehyuk of Sanghyun’s visit.
The man had a prosthetic right leg, which not only possessed high tensile strength but also seemed like it could be used as a weapon in an emergency.
The side of the limb was sharpened to the point that it looked like just brushing against it would tear through flesh and muscle.
He was likely not only an attendant but also a close confidant of Lee Daehyuk. Possibly even an enforcer who handled the guild's dirty work.
"Let him in."
A cold voice rang out.
Sanghyun gestured to reassure Kim Miso, who sighed deeply in concern, then stepped inside.
Now, it would be just him and Lee Daehyuk.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Lee Daehyuk, performing the duties of the Master of Eden Guild."
"I am Shin Sanghyun. It’s a pleasure to meet you."
"You look much younger than the age I heard. I’d believe it if you said you were only twenty. Hahaha."
"Since this is an important meeting, I took care to freshen up a bit. This is exactly how I normally look."
"I've heard a lot about you, Shin Sanghyun. The Chairman is also interested in you, and most of all, Miso is quite invested."
"Fame is an overstatement. You're too kind."
The typical conversations exchanged during a first meeting flowed.
Sanghyun ignored the initial compliment about his appearance but took the mention of the Chairman and Kim Miso seriously.
The nuance of the words themselves did not sound good.
Sanghyun also knew that Lee Daehyuk had been thoroughly ignored in the process of trying to recruit him.
It would not have looked good to see the chairman and his daughter pushing for recruitment regardless of his will.
However, since he could not show his emotions to his biggest sponsor and her daughter, the target of interest had no choice but to be the scapegoat.
"Last time as well, and this time too, participation in the subjugation battle is fundamentally blocked for external guilds."
"I heard as much."
Sanghyun nodded as if agreeing, but he already knew the backstory.
He was aware that this position had been secured because Lee Sehwa, one of the core forces of the association, strongly desired his participation.
Since there was nothing to boast about in the first place, the act of trying to do so just seemed childish, so he let it be.
Meanwhile, throughout the conversation, Sanghyun was rapidly circulating mana within his body.
This was one of the most effective ways to block the mind-control skills of mental-type players.
"The association said it didn't matter, but for me, there are many concerns."
"Could you clarify exactly what those concerns are?"
Sanghyun asked directly.
The way he was trying to build up to the main topic before getting to the point seemed extremely clumsy.
It felt like watching someone desperately trying to wrap things up nicely because they didn't want to be the villain.
In the end, he would have to say what needed to be said. Whether he beat around the bush or said it outright, the conclusion was the same.
"This route is the section with the least prior investigation. Therefore, basic skill proficiency must be ensured."
"So there’s a condition?"
"Yes. We need to be assured of a certain level of survivability before we can safely have you with us."
"Because if I die there or cause disruptions to the association's and guild's plans, it would be a problem?"
"Exactly. From the guild’s perspective, if we think conservatively, Shin Sanghyun is not a constant factor but a variable."
"So the conclusion is?"
"We need to conduct a test. So far, I've only heard about you, but I haven’t confirmed it myself."
"Who will I be facing?"
He had expected this, so he wasn’t particularly surprised.
What Lee Daehyuk said wasn’t entirely wrong either.
If an accident occurred because of him, it would ultimately be Lee Daehyuk, who brought him in, who would bear the responsibility.
Of course, he didn’t believe it was a purely objective test, but it was a justification that left him with no way out.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, another door inside the office opened, and a man stepped in.
The moment their eyes met, Sanghyun understood why this situation had been set up.
'Song Gyujung. Song Taejung’s older brother.'
Song Taejung, who had been humiliated due to Sanghyun's achievements in the Gaeseong subjugation battle.
Since he couldn’t redeem himself with his own abilities, it seemed he wanted to suppress Sanghyun in a different way.
"Nice to meet you. I’m Song Gyujung."
Unlike the overly frivolous Song Taejung, Song Gyujung bowed politely to Sanghyun with a respectful gesture.
Song Gyujung ranked higher in the guild hierarchy than Jo Jinho.
While Jo Jinho was ranked third among swordsmen in the guild, Song Gyujung was ranked second.
Even though Sanghyun didn’t know his exact level, he was aware that Song Gyujung was over level 500.
'But he never made it into the top five named swordsmen.'
Sanghyun knew Song Gyujung’s fatal weakness.
Despite his calm appearance and polite demeanor, his fighting style was extremely hot-tempered and reckless.
At any rate, he had encountered a truly troublesome opponent.
Of course, since it was a test, he would be provided with the necessary protective gear and safety measures.
If it were an ordinary spar, he wouldn’t mind losing and would take it lightly.
But this time was different.
He had to pass this test to participate in the subjugation battle and enter the desired gate.
Even if Lee Sehwa had made the request, if he were found unfit in the internal evaluation, she would not be able to force his participation.
After all, Lee Sehwa was just another member of the subjugation team, not the final decision-maker.
Sanghyun alternated his gaze between Song Gyujung and Lee Daehyuk before speaking.
"I’m Shin Sanghyun. I look forward to working with you. Now, what test do I need to pass?"
Lee Daehyuk responded with an indifferent expression, as if it were nothing significant.
"Ten minutes. You just have to safely defend against Song Gyujung’s attacks for exactly ten minutes. That’s the condition."
'Just defending against the attacks of a high-level player who wields dazzling twin swords? He makes it sound so easy.'
Sanghyun scoffed inwardly.
However, despite his amusement, he bit his lip, knowing that this test would not go smoothly.
Some time later.
News of Sanghyun’s test against Song Gyujung at the special training ground adjacent to the building reached Kim Miso, Jo Jinho, and Shin Taeri as well.
As soon as he heard the story, Jo Jinho reacted with fiery anger.
"What? You're putting Gyujung against Sanghyun as a test? Hey, what kind of test is that?"
"I was told that the Master would only have a face-to-face interview with Sanghyun oppa..."
"Song Taejung, you petty bastard. If this isn't asking him to take revenge for you, then what is?"
"Should I go and stop it? If I step in, or even call my dad, I can definitely put an end to this!"
"No. This is a separate issue from our personal feelings. It's an annoying situation, but it's not something we should interfere with."
"Why?"
At Kim Miso's question, Shin Taeri, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, spoke up.
"Once the Master is convinced by the verification, there will be nothing to worry about afterward."
"Ah..."
"I think it's best to properly verify things while we have the opportunity. It's the right thing to do for Sanghyun as well."
At Shin Taeri's words, Kim Miso nodded. Seeing this, Jo Jinho also added his thoughts.
"If you intervene and cancel the verification now, Shin Sanghyun will end up looking ridiculous. It could stain his entire career, making him seem like a coward."
"I understand what you mean. I wasn't thinking it through."
Shin Taeri quietly smiled and ran a hand through her hair before speaking.
"It won't be easy."
"Who?"
"Who else? Gyujung oppa, of course."
She had already experienced Sanghyun's outstanding skills firsthand not once, but twice.
Song Gyujung was undoubtedly one of the top talents in the guild. His name alone was well-known.
But Sanghyun was no less capable.
More than anything, Shin Taeri focused on the fact that Sanghyun always adapted to situations with outstanding improvisation skills.
"This will be interesting."
Shin Taeri's eyes, which rarely sparkled, shone today like glass beads.
Even if he lost, Sanghyun had nothing to lose. In fact, it felt like he would gain an incredible amount instead.