Chapter 78: An Unexpected Encounter - (1)
"Song Taejung."
"Yes?"
"Gyujung hasn’t been looking well since this morning. Go help him up and take him out."
"Yes. Understood. Actually, I did feel the same way, but..."
Lee Daehyuk, quick to catch on, spoke, and Song Taejung immediately picked up his words.
Song Gyujung had suffered such humiliation that he couldn’t even lift his head from the floor.
Lee Daehyuk was desperately making excuses to salvage Song Gyujung’s utterly crushed pride.
Lee Daehyuk, Song Taejung, and Song Gyujung—
All three of them knew the truth.
They had been completely defeated by Sanghyun. They just couldn’t bring themselves to admit it.
"Everyone thinks so, right? Shin Sanghyun was really incredible, but Gyujung wasn’t in top condition either."
Jo Jinho, Shin Taeri, and Kim Miso simply nodded instead of replying. That reaction was enough.
Lee Daehyuk’s words reached Sanghyun as well, but Sanghyun didn’t bother correcting him.
After all, Song Gyujung was still at the top of the swordsmen in the Eden Guild.
As a master, he didn’t want to completely crush the effort to restore his confidence.
'Considering I let him land a few hits, it ended well enough.'
Sanghyun smiled as he looked at the number 350 displayed on the monitor. Song Gyujung’s was 100.
He hadn’t aimed for a perfect game, but this was still a landslide victory over a named player.
Taking into account the level difference and expectations, Song Gyujung had essentially been stripped bare.
Step. Step.
Sanghyun walked toward Song Gyujung and reached out a hand to help him up.
"Step back!"
However, Song Taejung, afraid that Sanghyun might harm his older brother even though the match was over, reacted dramatically.
When Sanghyun shrugged, showing that his hands were empty, Song Taejung looked embarrassed.
As a result, he only made his brother look even more pathetic. Lee Daehyuk had just scolded him for scoring an own goal, and yet, he had messed up again.
"I don’t need your help."
Smack!
Like brother, like brother—Song Gyujung irritably slapped Sanghyun’s hand away and stood up on his own.
For a moment, his legs gave out, and he stumbled, looking utterly ridiculous.
The contrast between his pathetic state and Sanghyun’s composed, confident demeanor only made him seem even more pitiful.
'Well, I already knew what kind of person he was.'
Sanghyun smirked, making sure Song Gyujung could hear, before turning away.
Then, as if disposing of trash, he casually kicked Song Gyujung’s fallen twin swords aside.
Had Song Gyujung shown proper courtesy, Sanghyun would have returned the weapons politely. But since he had discarded his dignity, Sanghyun saw no reason to treat him differently.
Song Gyujung’s face darkened as he picked up his swords, which had rolled on the floor.
"Hyung!"
"Shut up, you brat. I have hands, I have feet, don’t I?"
With no one else to vent his frustration on, Song Gyujung lashed out at his younger brother and left the area.
Song Taejung kept glaring at Sanghyun, revealing his killing intent.
However, as soon as Sanghyun met his gaze head-on, he averted his eyes like a scared puppy.
The fear and terror imprinted by his brother’s crushing defeat had transferred directly to him.
At that moment—
Lee Daehyuk, who had already crossed the training grounds, approached Sanghyun and spoke.
He watched Song Gyujung’s retreating figure with an expression full of disdain.
"I can’t deny your skill. That was truly impressive. Honestly, it was shocking."
Having seen and felt it with his own eyes, he couldn’t deny it.
It was true that Lee Daehyuk had not been fond of Sanghyun, an outsider. However, he had no intention of ignoring undeniable talent.
"Not at all. Luck was on my side, and as you said, Song Gyujung didn’t seem to be in the best condition."
Sanghyun accepted Lee Daehyuk’s words humbly, smiling.
With that, Lee Daehyuk’s setup had ensured that Song Gyujung suffered humiliation twice over. A bitter conclusion.
"Regarding the upcoming raid in Kaeseong, you can coordinate with Miso. I have high expectations. I hope to see great things from you."
"Thank you for your consideration, and I sincerely appreciate Eden Guild’s kindness."
"Think nothing of it. I’ve instructed Miso to fully support you. You can rest assured."
"Thank you."
"Then, I’ll take my leave."
Lee Daehyuk promptly departed.
Regardless of his recognition of Sanghyun, it seemed he was leaving to console Song Gyujung.
Of course, a guild master’s words wouldn’t heal a wound this deep. It was too severe for that.
"Oppa, you’re insane. Just insane. I know you’re looking for strong opponents, but to actually defeat Gyujung oppa..."
Kim Miso looked at Sanghyun with an expression full of admiration, as if she were gazing at someone far above her.
Her gaze did not see him as an equal.
She had watched the fight without bias. Sanghyun was truly a remarkable person.
Even if she challenged Song Gyujung a hundred times, she was sure she wouldn’t win once.
But Sanghyun didn’t just endure for ten minutes against him—
He ended the fight within ten minutes.
"Even considering the circumstances, it’s shocking that Sanghyun managed to defeat Gyujung, whom I could never overcome."
"There’s a lot to review from today’s test. At least for me."
Jo Jinho and Shin Taeri each added their thoughts. Ultimately, they were congratulating Sanghyun on his victory, filled with admiration.
Sanghyun replied,
"If my counterattack at the end had failed, I would have lost immediately. I was lucky."
"If you don’t have skill, luck alone isn’t enough to win. There’s no point making excuses that don’t even make sense."
"Ugh, that’s true."
Sanghyun scratched the back of his head at Shin Taeri’s sharp remark.
He really had relied too much on the ‘I was lucky’ excuse.
He recalled that he had said something similar when he won against Shin Taeri in their five-bout duel.
“See you again on the day we go to Kaeseong. I have a lot to think about today.”
“Take care of your condition.”
Jo Jinho and Shin Taeri greeted Sanghyun and left first.
As they walked away.
[There is a weakness in Gale Strike. You just didn’t know about it, Oppa.]
[Even if it exists, you know how hard it is to find the focal point, don’t you?]
[Anyway, Sanghyun succeeded. We couldn’t.]
[That’s a fact.]
From their continued conversation, he could overhear their review of the training session.
Either way, it felt good.
He had thought several times that he might lose, but things worked out well.
It was a moment that reaffirmed that level did not necessarily guarantee victory.
“Oppa, if you have a preferred raid route, let me know. Since the Master personally guaranteed it, there won’t be any issues.”
“Thanks for considering it.”
“What do you mean? You were acknowledged for your skills, so what is there for me to say?”
“Still, it’s thanks to your goodwill and Eden Guild’s consideration. If it’s okay, can we discuss it right away?”
They say to strike while the iron is hot.
Before things got delayed, Sanghyun planned to secure the strategy route for the gate he truly wanted.
‘Will of the Charge. And a guaranteed artifact of at least Unique grade…’
Just in terms of artifact value, it exceeded 25 billion won. The skill was also worthy of being called S-rank.
“Then shall we head to my office?”
With a bright smile, Kim Miso naturally grabbed Sanghyun’s sleeve and pulled him along.
After that.
The discussion proceeded smoothly, and Sanghyun was able to get exactly what he wanted.
It was a solid reward for completely shutting out Song Gyujung.
Since he had won, he was able to secure a high-value location. It was a pleasant butterfly effect.
That evening.
On his way home, Sanghyun first stopped by Hyunjeong Market.
He intended to sell four artifacts he had obtained from killing Tory, which didn’t suit him.
Since they were all Platinum-grade, they could each be sold for at least one billion won. It wasn’t a burden.
He had no intention of asking for a premium, but they also wouldn’t be sold cheaply.
The options were enticing enough for assassin players similar to Tory.
‘Not many people today.’
When Sanghyun entered the Hyunjeong Building after parking, he was greeted by an unusually empty lobby.
Thanks to that, he could take the elevator without waiting and pressed the button for the Platinum floor.
At that moment.
“Wait a moment.”
A woman grabbed the closing door and smoothly stepped inside.
‘Oh?’
It was Han Hyunjeong.
Han Hyunjeong, who was now over forty. But seeing her in person, she looked at least ten years younger.
Her outfit was far too simple for someone who owned a building on prime land.
She wore a white T-shirt and blue skinny jeans. They were unbranded, ordinary clothes.
Since her clothes were thin, her muscular and completely fat-free arms were prominently displayed.
It was a solid physique that could only be maintained through extreme self-discipline.
If one were to feminize Sanghyun’s own body, sculpted through rigorous training, it would resemble hers.
“Oh my? I never expected to meet the hottest rising name in the player world here like this.”
Recognizing Sanghyun, Han Hyunjeong smiled and extended her hand for a handshake.
He expected her to have attendants or bodyguards, but she was alone.
“It’s an honor. I never thought I’d meet the owner of the market in person like this.”
Sanghyun shook her hand.
It was interesting that she recognized him first.
In his previous life, his entire connection with Han Hyunjeong had been seeing her from a distance once.
His reincarnation had made him truly realize how much his life and status had changed.
He was no longer surprised that so many people recognized him.
“I hear the Association, the guilds, and even foreign organizations are showing great interest in you these days? To be honest, I’m quite interested too.”
“Is that so?”
Han Hyunjeong, after all, had a guild she sponsored.
It was well-known that she was the biggest sponsor of the ‘Porter Alliance,’ which represented the rights of porters.
Because of this, porters were very favorable toward her and her organization, Hyunjeong Corporation.
To put it positively, they had a good relationship. To put it negatively, they were entirely dependent on her.
“Sanghyun.”
“Yes?”
“If you don’t mind, would you like to have a brief tea time in my office?”
It was an unexpected offer, but not a bad one.
In Sanghyun’s memory, Han Hyunjeong’s future was one of continuous upward growth.
Even after the great upheaval of the player world in 2040, she thrived with her unique political acumen.
She was involved in various social activities and maintained her status as a reputable figure. Moreover, she was certainly not an evil person.
She had extensive connections and considerable social influence as an individual.
If he formed a relationship with her, it could be beneficial in many ways.
‘A sturdy rope must always be marked.’
Opportunities to build connections should be seized when they arise.
There were already people lobbying hard just to get a tea session with Han Hyunjeong.
For her to offer her time first meant the ball was in his court.
“Sounds good. Let’s have a cup of tea.”
Sanghyun readily accepted the proposal.
What exactly did she want to say to him, as one of the key players in the player world?
It wasn’t immediately clear, and that made his heart race with anticipation.