Chapter 220
After Jin Hwaryung had returned, Lee Suhyuk was half-crazed.
The thought that he might lose Shiwoo and Yerang as well made him anxious. He wanted to start searching for them immediately.
‘No.’
Every time he had such an impulse, Suhyuk shook his head.
‘What am I supposed to do right now? Can I even help? Do I know where they are?’
He knew. Even if he went to help them right now, it wouldn’t be much help.
Time didn’t wait for anyone. It was the same for everyone.
Chasing the gap of twenty years was not an easy task, even for Suhyuk.
Moreover, finding Shiwoo and Yerang, whom even Kim Ilsoo couldn’t locate, was beyond his means.
He was just getting ahead of himself.
‘Be patient.’
*Chizz, chizz.*
As he sat with his eyes closed, veins bulged on Suhyuk’s forehead.
‘I just need to avoid making the same mistake as that day.’
He swore they wouldn’t end up like Hwang Gyuseong.
Just as he promised in front of that man, someday, he would gather Shiwoo, Yerang, and even Hyomin and visit Gyuseong’s grave.
For that, he needed to wait.
And build his strength steadily.
But then.
“Ugh.”
Suhyuk held his head in his hands.
A crude drawing and letters. And the corresponding feeble results.
*Puff.*
A thin smoke rose from the ground. It was so small that it was almost laughable.
Sure enough, Jinwoon, who had been watching, clicked his tongue.
“Did someone just fart or something?”
“Well, it wasn’t me.”
“Then it must be me, you idiot?”
“Did I say anything? I was just saying.”
Muttering softly, Suhyuk bent down to recheck the formation he had drawn.
‘Why isn’t it working?’
It was baffling. On the surface, it seemed like a simple drawing, but as he drew it, the whole thing seemed to change at certain points.
He thought he had followed Jinwoon’s demonstration exactly.
‘Should I change my method? Maybe I should give up on the fog…’
*Thud.*
Just then, a dull impact hit him on the head.
“Ouch!”
The sharp pain snapped Suhyuk back to his senses, and he clutched his head.
“Why did you hit me all of a sudden?”
“Don’t have useless thoughts.”
Jinwoon, who had struck him from behind with a cane, scoffed.
“Just follow as I taught you. Just as I taught you. What are you thinking so much for?”
“This is hard.”
“Did you think it would be easy?”
*Whoosh, whoosh,* Jinwoon swung his cane as he spoke.
“Formations are a difficult realm beyond what you think. The symbols are finite, but the forms they can create are infinite.”
“I want only one thing.”
“Talking about the fog?”
“Yes.”
There was only one reason Suhyuk wanted to learn formations.
To create fog.
Lightning changes based on the environment. Cloudy days, rainy days, days with thunderstorms.
The worse the weather, the more the power of the lightning went wild.
But what if he could control that weather himself?
“So if I can just learn this one formation properly.”
“Even that one is not easy. You can’t create it just because you want to.”
“How long does it take for you?”
“Me?”
Jinwoon chuckled.
“For something like you want, I can do it whenever I want.”
At that moment.
*Swish.*
The surrounding scenery changed rapidly. Fog covered the field, and the manor blurred, the surroundings turning white.
Jinwoon, who was right in front of him, became almost invisible.
Seeing the formations Jinwoon created anew, Suhyuk stuck out his tongue in awe.
“This really looks like magic.”
“I believe magic and formations share the same root.”
Indeed, Jinwoon’s formations had a magical quality to them.
“Unskilled mages need magic circles, while slightly better ones need incantations. But the real masters can create magic just by thinking.”
“Is it the same for formations?”
“The principle of needing a form is the same.”
“That’s difficult.”
“Frankly, you have no talent in this area. At this rate, it might take you years.”
Jinwoon’s blunt assessment made Suhyuk’s face darken.
Years.
He didn’t have that much time.
*Swish*—The fog lifted. As the original scenery returned, Suhyuk sighed in disappointment.
If only he could claim this space as his own.
“Do you want a quicker method?”
At Jinwoon’s question, Suhyuk, who was sitting on the ground, nodded.
“Is there such a method?”
“For someone like you, this might actually be better.”
“Then you should have told me earlier.”
“It’s dangerous, that’s why.”
The fact that Jinwoon was bringing it up now meant it was truly dangerous.
However, Suhyuk’s decision did not waver.
“I’ll do it anyway.”
“Are you being chased by something?”
Suhyuk hesitated to answer Jinwoon’s question.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust him, but saying “Actually, I am the real Lee Suhyuk” wasn’t easy.
It would be good if Jinwoon believed him, but the relationship he had painstakingly rebuilt might crumble.
“… Players like me are always in a hurry.”
There would come a day when he would eventually have to tell the truth.
Or maybe, Jinwoon might recognize him first, just like Jin Hwaryung did.
“Because of the next trial?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a pretty common answer.”
At Jinwoon’s grumbling, Suhyuk gave a sheepish smile.
Though he had just blurted it out, it was indeed the truth. To do well in the next trial, he needed a way to control the fog.
“You said there’s only one thing you need?”
*Swoosh*—.After saying that, Jinwoon turned and started walking somewhere.
“And it’s not necessarily a true formation.”
* * *
Cheon Ryang received a call from John Dale while lying on the floor.
“Yes, I answered politely for Un Hyang as well.”
-Why are you answering for Un Hyang?
“It’s my fault for having a rude friend.”
-Yeah, she can be pretty rude.
The two nodded together. Despite their words, Cheon Ryang, who was lying on the floor, asked, “So, why are you calling?”
-Un Hyang’s resignation has been put on hold. You guys, stop causing trouble.
“My apologies.”
-You sound insincere. Are you really being polite?
At this, Cheon Ryang abruptly stood up and looked around, as if John Dale might be watching from somewhere.
“Oh, yes… Definitely.”
-Why does your voice sound shaky?
“Anyway, thank you for holding her resignation. By the way, about my resignation…”
-That’s going to be processed soon.
“No!”
Cheon Ryang, who had been lying down, jumped up.
On his way to Divine Dragon Group, he had bravely sent an email to his team leader declaring he was quitting the Balhae Entertainment company.
-But why? You said it was detrimental.
“A cat must have sent that.”
-Bullshit.
John Dale’s words made Cheon Ryang feel relieved.
The John Dale he knew wouldn’t speak like that to a resigned employee.
-Are you guys okay?
John Dale’s question made Cheon Ryang look out into the yard.
“Yes. Fortunately.”
He couldn’t say it, but if John Dale knew where they were, he would be shocked.
This place was probably one of the safest locations in the tower.
To break into this place, you’d need someone like the Heavenly Demon or the Great Mage.
-I didn’t know you had such circumstances. I thought you had a story but…
“You don’t need to worry too much. It seems like we’ve handled it well for now.”
-Then why isn’t Un Hyang answering the call?
“Maybe she just didn’t answer because it’s from the team leader.”
-What?
The stress in John Dale’s voice was palpable even over the phone. Well, anyone’s head would hurt if they had an energetic subordinate like Un Hyang.
-When’s the next stream? The higher-ups are asking how long the break will last.
“It might take a bit longer. Streamer Lee Suhyuk seems to have some things to handle here.”
-Handling things? Well… given the situation, the audience’s opinion isn’t too bad.
“Un Hyang mentioned that Streamer Lee Suhyuk always has to show his best side.”
-So?
“Right now, streamer Lee Suhyuk is preparing to become the best. So, it will be fine.”
When Cheon Ryang said that, there was a moment of silence. Thinking he might have made a mistake, Cheon Ryang cautiously called out to John Dale.
“Team leader?”
-Why do you, your speech is starting to resemble Un Hyang’s?
“Me? In what way?”
-Talking about Streamer Lee Suhyuk.
“Oh.”
Cheon Ryang chuckled at John Dale’s remark.
Without realizing it, he had started to speak like that too. And he vividly remembered when that change began.
“You don’t need to ask so much.”
“You are already my comrades.”
Even if it was the same word, the weight it carried could be different. Some people said “comrade” lightly, without much thought.
But Suhyuk’s comradeship was different.
When he said “comrade,” it bore a heavy and passionate weight.
More importantly, he proved that word through his actions and results.
How could one not believe in him?
“It’s inevitable to resemble her.”
-So, that guy has something appealing about him.
“Yeah. It’s no joke.”
Cheon Ryang was certain.
As a streamer or as a player, he would surely cause an enormous impact on this tower. An even bigger, more powerful wave than now.
-That’s fortunate. I have some good news.
“Good news?”
-Yeah. It’s huge news.
There was a hint of laughter in John Dale’s voice.
He wasn’t one to get excited often, so what could have gotten him this worked up?
-Do you know who the richest player in the world is?
* * *
Suhyuk stood in front of the door.
Beyond it, there was nothing, just the door itself.
Facing it together, Jinwoon spoke.
“I once captured and imprisoned a divine beast.”
A divine beast.
They were different in nature from monsters, another kind of being that existed in the tower.
Unlike regular monsters, divine beasts were known to possess intelligence or divine power.
“I couldn’t tame it, so I trapped it in a Illusion Formation.”
“Is it inside here?”
“Yes.”
Suhyuk stared at the door with a curious look.
Typically, an Illusion Formation was a kind of illusion. It was so realistic that if accepted as reality, it gained physical power.
However, according to Jinwoon, there was a real entity beyond this door.
“It took over the Illusion Formation I created, making it its own.”
Suhyuk was astonished by Jinwoon’s explanation.
After being trapped in the Illusion Formation, it made it its own.
“Is that even possible?”
“Because it’s a divine beast, not a monster.”
The being that had created its world within Jinwoon’s Illusion Formation was no ordinary entity.
Having sufficiently warned Suhyuk, Jinwoon asked.
“Any quick path is dangerous. Are you still sure?”
“What should I do inside?”
“You didn’t even hear my warning.”
Jinwoon clicked his tongue, as if he had expected that response. After a brief hesitation, he answered Suhyuk’s question.
“The divine beast trapped here is a Young Azure Dragon.”
Azure Dragon.
Suhyuk had only heard of it, never seen it.
Yet Jinwoon had captured one.
“Did you say you needed to learn how to make clouds?”
With his hands behind his back, Jinwoon looked at the entity beyond the door.
“If it’s that, no one knows it better than that creature.”