Episode 31
#31
He wore a face that clearly screamed ‘good person,’ but Choe Sihun couldn’t smile along with him.
The moment he drew near, the mana coiling around his entire body bore down on Choe Sihun.
It felt as if something massive was swallowing him whole.
Sweat pouring down his face, Choe Sihun forced his stiff expression and managed to grip Han Cheol’s hand.
“N-Nice to meet you. I am Choe Sihun, the one who serves as the King of Busan. Please, come in. I’ll guide you to the reception room.”
At those words, Han Cheol merely nodded while maintaining his smile.
When they arrived at the reception room and sat on the sofas facing each other, Choe Sihun spoke to Han Cheol, his face strained as cold sweat trickled down.
“Could you please withdraw your mana first?”
“I apologize. I came alone to a different region, so I couldn’t help but be a little nervous.”
Only then did Han Cheol withdraw his mana along with those words.
Conversely, Choe Sihun couldn’t help but harden his face gravely.
Because he realized Han Cheol’s words were merely said out of courtesy.
‘I was wrong……’
Only then did Choe Sihun realize he had misjudged the situation.
A man with this level of power and military force had no reason to be desperate for anything.
He was a man who possessed enough strength to have already conquered all of Ulsan’s Gates and still have strength to spare.
“You wrote an interesting clause in the contract, didn’t you?”
At Han Cheol’s sudden words, Choe Sihun’s eyes flew wide open.
Had he noticed?
He stared blankly at Han Cheol with a surprised face.
Han Cheol continued.
“First, you said you would permit me to open my facility in Seomyeon, right?”
“Th-That’s…….”
“But from what I know, the situation in that district isn’t very good, is it?”
Currently, a super-large Gate was open in Seomyeon.
It was a Gate that even Choe Sihun, the King of Busan, couldn’t handle and had left abandoned.
The reason he had permitted opening a facility in such a place was probably to verify something.
Namely, how much power I had.
Of course, I found such behavior disagreeable.
When he should be begging for help, he was trying to test my strength instead.
I erased my smile and spoke to him.
“Mr. Choe Sihun, I’ll be frank with you.”
At my words, Choe Sihun looked at me with a nervous expression.
The next moment, his eyes flew wide.
“I don’t mind waging war against Busan. I’ll simply seize Busan and open my facility here.”
At those provocative words, Choe Sihun’s gaze changed.
His hand was already touching the sword at his waist.
“Do you wish for Ulsan and Busan to go to war?”
“You’re the one who provided the reason first. And I think you’re mistaken. It’s not Ulsan and Busan. It’s me and Busan.”
At those words, his eyes widened greatly and trembled.
He truly believed he could wage war against Busan alone.
And that was probably the truth.
Because even now, outside, there were thousands of robots that appeared to be the man’s skills.
“You mean it.”
“Yes.”
Choe Sihun’s expression could only harden completely.
Gulp.
He swallowed his saliva from the tension.
Cold sweat was already flowing down his forehead and across his cheeks.
The difference in military might was too clear, and if they fought him, the damage would only be massive for Busan.
Because Busan wouldn’t be facing a person, but his robots which were his skills.
But the next moment.
At Han Cheol’s words, he couldn’t help but slowly relax his expression.
“But I don’t particularly want to do that.”
Those words were sincere as well.
Now he couldn’t read the man at all.
Choe Sihun carefully lowered his hand from the sword hilt.
He looked at Han Cheol and opened his mouth.
“What is it you want?”
“I told you from the very beginning.”
“Did you really intend to proceed as proposed? The condition where we allow you to open your facility and you clear the demonic beasts from the streets?”
“Yes.”
Choe Sihun let out a sigh, as if something had drained from him, at Han Cheol’s answer.
He couldn’t help but admit his mistake.
He had thought too much and been too cautious.
Such judgment had led to this situation.
As things stood, it was nothing short of his own mistake.
“First, I apologize. It’s true that the contract contained a bit of my personal agenda.”
Along with those words, Choe Sihun bowed his head deeply toward me.
Accepting his apology, I opened my mouth with a firm voice.
“Given the state of the world, I understand your suspicion. But distinguish between enemy and ally. I also don’t wish to go to war with Busan over such a simple misunderstanding.”
“Yes. I have nothing to say. I apologize.”
He bowed deeply, showing sincere self-reflection.
I looked at him for a moment before opening my mouth.
“I’ll remove the condition of cooperating to subjugate the demonic beasts on the streets.”
“Yes, instead, having turned an offer I should have gratefully accepted into nothing due to my delusion, I have no excuse.”
He accepted it humbly, even though he had every right to be bewildered.
From his appearance, I could tell he was reflecting enough on this matter.
Yeah, this should be enough.
Since I didn’t want to be completely at odds with him.
I opened my mouth toward him.
“Yes. Instead, I’ll block the Gate so that no more demonic beasts come out of it.”
“You’ll block the Gate?”
At those words, Choe Sihun looked at me with surprised eyes.
That alone would be enough help for him.
Of course, I planned to give him one more piece of help besides this.
I spoke to him.
“And I’ll subjugate the demonic beasts in Seomyeon and conquer the newly appeared Gate in Haeundae.”
At those words, his eyes widened greatly.
His lips quivered slightly as if at a loss for words, then slowly parted.
“The danger level of that Gate is greater than you think, Mr. Gim Han Cheol. Especially the Gate that appeared at the center of Haeundae Beach was deemed impossible to conquer and left abandoned. I lost…… four comrades there.”
The words that he had lost his last comrades sounded tragic.
Because one of them must have been a precious friend to him.
It was a fact I knew as a player who had played Myeolsok.
The Gate opened near Haeundae Beach.
That place was a Gate that played an important role in the Busan episode of Myeolsok.
But I hadn’t said I would conquer it simply out of sympathy for him.
If the Haeundae Gate was left abandoned like this, it was only a matter of time before Busan literally disappeared, which was why I said it.
I looked at him again and spoke.
“Of course, I’m not doing this for nothing. Don’t conquer any of the Gates in Busan; hand them over to me. I’ll manage them.”
“Yes? What do you mean—”
“During the process of my management, there won’t be any casualties of the sort you’re worried about, Mr. Choe Sihun. I can say that with certainty. And no matter what happens, I will conquer the Gate in Haeundae.”
Naturally, I wasn’t doing this purely out of goodwill.
Because this activity would provide a means to earn points.
Rather, it was an action that benefited me, so I was merely clearing Seomyeon.
Soon, having heard my words, Choe Sihun looked at me with a blank expression for a moment.
He stared with his mouth agape in astonishment, then opened his mouth.
“……Are you serious?”
“I’m saying this because I’ve judged it to be sufficiently possible.”
In that moment, the look in his eyes as he gazed at me changed.
“That’s not it, I mean…… Is it truly possible for you to conquer the Haeundae Gate?”
In his second question, an inexplicable gleam dwelt in his pupils.
I nodded and answered definitively.
“Yes. I’ll make it possible.”
At those words, his head bowed deeply.
He had worn a blank face for a moment, then slowly raised his head again and opened his mouth with an expression of incomprehension.
“May I ask why you would go this far for us?”
He asked me cautiously.
He was still cautious.
No, perhaps this changed world had made him this way.
I answered him.
“I can say one thing with certainty. I’m acting this way because I also stand to gain, and there are no schemes like those you’re imagining during this process. So don’t doubt me any longer. If your purpose is the same as mine.”
At those words, Choe Sihun’s eyes widened greatly.
Soon, he squeezed his eyes shut, bowed his head deeply, and slowly rose from the sofa.
Many thoughts entered Choe Sihun’s mind.
It was a complicated feeling, but he knew that complexity stemmed from self-reproach.
But for now, he set aside those complicated feelings, for there was something he needed to do immediately.
He bowed his head respectfully toward Han Cheol and opened his mouth.
“Once again, I apologize for my earlier discourtesy.”
* * *
Before returning to Cheongong Island, Choe Sihun made one last request of me.
“I…… have a request.”
“A request?”
“Yes, please take me with you when you conquer the Haeundae Gate.”
Along with those words, I looked toward the Gate located at the beach near Haeundae.
It was a Gate so massive that it was visible at a glance even from this distance.
The problem was.
[0/4]
The fact that only four people could enter such a massive Gate.
“My skill should be sufficient help.”
Certainly, considering his skill, it would be enough help.
No, I had planned to take him along from the very beginning.
Because even using the loophole that only I could use, that Gate wasn’t one that could be easily conquered.
It was that kind of Gate, and it wasn’t a Gate tasked with an important part of the episode for nothing.
That was why now was the time when I needed one more combatant with power and skills.
I nodded and answered.
“Very well. Though it’s not exactly in exchange, I intend to fill the remaining slots with personnel from my side. Let’s proceed with the Haeundae Gate conquest tomorrow. I’ll clear out the demonic beasts in my assigned area by then.”
“Yes? Is it possible in just one day?”
“I haven’t grasped the exact situation either, but it should be possible. So prepare yourself in the meantime. I’ll come again tomorrow with my party.”
“Yes, I understand…… And may I ask one last question?”
At those words, I turned my head toward Choe Sihun and looked at him.
Choe Sihun asked me respectfully with a serious face.
“Someone with your strength could have easily seized this position. So why didn’t you?”
I was dumbfounded by those words.
It seemed he saw me as some kind of usurper or invader.
On the other hand, I could understand his thinking.
Because with my strength, taking his position would certainly be easy.
However, since it wasn’t something that would benefit me, I left him with these words.
“Because you are a good king.”
“Yes? Me?”
“The citizens of Busan must support you. There would be nothing to gain from me seizing that position.”
The survivors of Busan, specifically the strong ones, were already following him.
Even if I eliminated him and took the King’s seat of Busan, the backlash would be severe, and I would merely lose a capable individual.
There was no need to forcibly take a throne I couldn’t control.
“I see…….”
“I understand why you are so guarded and suspicious after the world changed like this.”
At those words, Choe Sihun’s eyes widened greatly.
After a moment, he showed a bitter smile and opened his mouth.
“……I was completely mistaken about this. Once again, I apologize for my earlier discourtesy.”
He bowed his head respectfully toward me.
I simply nodded and returned to Cheongong Island.
Meanwhile, Choe Sihun, confirming that I had disappeared, soon let out a sigh.
“So…… did the talk end well?”
Gim Jihyeong approached such a Choe Sihun.
She asked Choe Sihun with a slightly worried face, and Choe Sihun nodded and opened his mouth.
“Yes…… I was foolish. I was short-sighted……”
At those words, Gim Jihyeong, who had shown a surprised expression for a moment, soon smiled bitterly.
Choe Sihun looked at the spot where Han Cheol had disappeared for a moment, thinking about something, then opened his mouth to Gim Jihyeong beside him.
“Ms. Jihyeong. I have something to say.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“If that man…… truly accomplishes that……”
Hearing the words that followed, Gim Jihyeong looked at Choe Sihun with a surprised face and spoke.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, I will do so.”
He nodded solemnly with clear eyes and continued.
“If he accomplishes this, I will follow him.”