Chapter 272
Shin Geom’s face was colored with bewilderment.
Suddenly, the Korean guy had said something in English, and then this rough-looking brute started walking over.
Probably cursing in Danish while doing so.
“Yes, hyung-nim.”
The atmosphere, his face, and his body all said that.
‘Yes, hyung-nim?’
That must be a Danish curse.
Shin Geom could tell instinctively.
‘Why the hell is he directing that at me?’
No way.
Shin Geom recalled how Jin Seo-jun had turned around moments ago and said something.
‘Did that bastard twist my words and relay some weird shit to him? What’s “that’s not what I meant” in Danish?’
There’s no way he’d know.
Shin Geom’s body stiffened. Only his pupils trembled violently, betraying his agitation to everyone watching.
A sense of being overwhelmed.
A giant with arms as thick as a waist, well over two meters tall, pushed through the crowd and steadily approached.
No matter how confident Shin Geom might be in real-life fights, there’s a reason combat sports have weight classes.
His body, his instincts, his mind—everything sent warning signals.
That this was a dangerous situation with an unbeatable wild beast closing in.
‘That crazy bastard! That damn mouth of his is the problem!’
In his opinion, Seo-jun’s biggest strength was that demonic mouth.
The problem was that Seo-jun was Shin Geom’s enemy.
“H-hey, let’s talk it out...”
“What? What’s this guy saying? Haha.”
‘English? Fr-friend? What did you say?’
Shin Geom saw a glimmer of hope.
Seeing that it wasn’t fists flying first, the guy was probably demanding an explanation. If he could just talk his way out of it now...
‘Quick, I need to tell him through a translator that I didn’t say anything to you!’
That was the moment.
“Hey, Yon.”
Seo-jun called out to Yon.
“Yes, hyung-nim?”
Shin Geom was taken aback.
Because Yon had supposedly spat out another Danish curse.
Regardless, the two began talking, leaving the frozen Shin Geom behind: Seo-jun in English, and Yon in Danish curse (?) words.
“Forget the whole ‘deal with him’ thing, that was a joke. Just entertain him. Make sure he doesn’t come to me. Got it?”
“Yes, hyung-nim.”
“Good. I like how prompt your answer is. That’s how you respond.”
“Yes, hyung-nim!”
“Alright, go on then.”
“Yes, hyung-nim.”
As Shin Geom watched in real time, his face completely rotting away, Yon kept spitting out Danish curses with a fierce expression (his face was naturally fierce). Around then, Seo-jun stepped back and Yon draped an arm over Shin Geom’s shoulder.
Shin Geom.
He was now feeling something he hadn’t even felt when Seo-jun socially annihilated him.
The threat to his life, that is.
“Hahahahaha!”
Yon laughed.
“Hahahaha……”
Shin Geom laughed along.
Shin Geom’s original purpose had been to show Seo-jun a lesson in the real world.
His revenge, of course, would take place in their main field—the virtual reality where he’d been humiliated.
That was why he had joined the Chronicle of Heroes.
Beduia was impossible.
So even though his reputation was bound to take a hit for participating as a different hero, he’d done it anyway.
Thus, showing him a lesson in reality was also connected to this revenge.
Seizing the initiative and instilling unease in his opponent.
Whether it was sparring, the punch machine, or air hockey, he was confident he could beat Seo-jun.
Even if he admitted he’d lose in sustained focus, his instantaneous performance would be superior.
That was why he had come up here.
As much as he disliked it, he’d said hello, struck up a conversation, and intended to face off fairly and squarely.
But then.
“Hahahaha!”
“Haha……”
That bastard, probably not confident he could beat him in reality, had resorted to this petty tactic.
With that demonic mouth that subtly got under your skin.
‘What the hell did he say?!’
Just as the extremely tense Shin Geom faced Yon, the man suddenly stopped laughing and shoved his face close.
Hiccup.
Feeling a genuine threat to his life, Shin Geom started hiccuping.
Then Yon tapped Shin Geom’s phone, and he meekly handed it over.
Eventually, Yon used a translator to convey his intent.
“Laugh.”
‘Laugh?’
Then the next sentence was translated.
“Because of your friend, I got called out by that monster again. Hahaha. Laugh, friend. Hurry up.”
Shin Geom raised the corners of his trembling lips.
“Follow me.”
“Hao (good).”
“While smiling.”
“Hao.”
The two went down the stairs.
Out of Seo-jun’s sight.
To the second floor, then the first.
After reaching a secluded corner of the party building, Yon briefly looked around.
Who was he looking for?
Shin Geom wondered.
Then Yon spoke to him.
“Listen carefully. That friend is a monster. A monster, I tell you. If possible, you... should just give up on the Chronicle of Heroes. Sigh.”
That friend.
Was he talking about Seo-jun?
As the tension eased, Shin Geom was about to talk back.
“No...”
“Fine. Do whatever you want with the Chronicle. But what’s important is, if you approach him again, that monster will definitely make me... that again.”
That something.
Gulp.
Yon swallowed.
Shin Geom swallowed too.
“So, listen well, friend. Don’t approach him any further today. Just stay out of sight. Then you and I will never have to see each other again in reality. Got it?”
Shin Geom slowly nodded.
***
- What the hell happened!
- Why is Yon speaking Korean, streamer!!!!! Tell us now! lol
- With the streamer, seeing him called “hyung-nim” is just the natural order of things, any problem with that?
- For real lol
- Another urban legend is born lol
- What on earth happened yesterday lol
Seo-jun contentedly watched Yon’s retreating figure as he disappeared with Shin Geom, then turned his gaze to the camera.
“I really don’t know. Why is he suddenly acting like that?”
- Don’t know???
- lol Come on, you know, streamer, geez lol
- Did he take him to that gym??
- He didn’t just beat him up without asking questions, right? No way.
Seo-jun shook his head.
“No. I really didn’t do anything. What did I do yesterday, you ask? I just rested at the hotel. I don’t even like going outside.”
- Okay, urban legend location: hotel for now
- Targets: two people
- Anomaly: a Finn started speaking Korean
- He’s always at the center of the weirdness lol
- The viewers are really united on this lol
Oh dear.
“Sigh. Anyway, I have no idea. So where did Tae-woo go? I don’t want to be streaming. I’m on vacation, you know.”
- Vacation: world’s best content
- There’s someone who comes to the Chronicle as a vacation?
- Our streamer is being introduced on famous foreign info YouTubes too!
- Whoa
- He’s truly world-class now!
- I’ll be satisfied as long as there’s no school violence controversy, seriously lol. I’m genuinely worried now lol
- For real lol
“You’re ignoring me. I’m taking reports on Tae-woo’s location.”
As soon as he said he’d take reports, Seo-jun was able to locate Tae-woo.
Because the chat immediately sent his location, as if they already knew.
“Ah. He’s in front of the punch machine?”
Seo-jun immediately moved to where the punch machine was.
He’d already scouted the area once, so his movement was unimpeded.
“Hey. Take it.”
Seo-jun tapped the shoulder of Tae-woo, who was standing in line.
“Yeah. Wait just a second. It’s my turn after three more people. I’ll take it after I hit that.”
“You said you were looking for someone to play air hockey with.”
“But I can’t resist this.”
“Why?”
“Apparently the scoring on this punch machine is super strict? The highest score is still under 900.”
“I see.”
“I have to show them.”
- Oh, streamer, you should do it too!
- Can’t resist the punch machine lol
- Show us! Show us! Show us!
- This really can’t be resisted lol
- The streamer is so lean lol, probably no real-world power?
- What score will he get?
Seo-jun read the chat and smiled. He just smiled.
And Tae-woo, while reading the chat, saw Seo-jun’s smile, and as if getting goosebumps, he quietly rubbed his arm.
He deliberately held his tongue so as not to provoke Seo-jun.
Tae-woo knew better than anyone what would happen if Seo-jun stepped up.
During that time, Seo-jun’s senses caught a gaze fixed on him.
He openly turned his head and met the eyes of the owners of that gaze.
It was Bernard and the others who had been there that day.
Seo-jun gave them a light nod in greeting before speaking to his viewers.
“Ha, everyone. I can’t know the score.”
In English.
The reason was to see the reaction of those watching him.
Everyone who had been there looked startled.
Since many viewers wouldn’t understand, he repeated it in Korean.
- lol Guess you’ll find out now, since you don’t know your score from the rigged machines!
- You don’t have any muscles, mister lol All bluff, no
- Even Yon said he wouldn’t get 999 on that
- Yon did? Whoa
Seo-jun chuckled and looked around.
People who knew him wore expressions of deep contemplation over whether to stop him or not.
They were troubled.
Some simply avoided the area.
Tae-woo stayed quiet, still careful not to provoke Seo-jun.
Only the viewers who didn’t know the details of the first urban legend.
- Mister! Show us already then lol
- No way this guy can get a crazy high score on a punch machine
- What if he has insane real muscle strength?
- He beat Yon, right? lol That’s why he gets called hyung-nim
- He probably won with technique. Like an armbar or a throw, stuff like that lol
- For real lol You think the streamer beat Yon on a punch machine? Haven’t you seen Yon’s muscles? Haven’t you seen him in person?
- But is the punch machine purely about strength?
They kept egging him on.
Seo-jun said, “Then I’ll show you if you guys pay for two punch machines.”
- Why should we????
- For real lol
- He’s getting more and more shameless lol
“No, if I hit it, they’ll all break. Since you’re the ones asking me to do it, they’ll break, so you should pay for them. Instead, if they don’t break, I’ll treat you to chicken with that amount of money. Deal?”
Sigh.
A sigh came from Tae-woo beside him.
- Deal!
- Let’s go!
- Quick, pool money and set a mission!!!!
- The streamer thinks this is virtual reality lol
- But why pay for two?
- Dunno, just set the mission!!!!
- We won’t lose anyway!
- The Season 100 safe asset (the other 99 all went bankrupt). Is this one really safe?
That day’s party.
“Oh, is that guy the Korean?”
“He really is handsome.”
“Looks like he’s going to try the punch machine. Think he can top 900?”
BAM!
“……”
“……”
“Sigh……”
Thanks to the viewers covering Seo-jun’s deficit, it ended successfully.
***
One day before the start.
In a hotel room a short distance away from the participants’ lodgings, Chinese Team Leader Wang met with one person who was not among the fifty official participants.
Team Leader Wang was a deeply patriotic man.
Because of that, he was one of those who disliked Shin Geom’s disgraceful behavior the most.
In this trial, there were hidden participants the users called masterminds.
Stopping these participants’ continental invasion would be the users’ main objective.
So, during the meeting to decide those participants, Team Leader Wang strongly recommended a particular Chinese person.
Because a Chinese person’s disgrace should be covered by another Chinese person. And for revenge.
His opinion was accepted.
Not because of Team Leader Wang’s personal patriotism, but because that participant had the stature fitting the role and had agreed to participate.
“It’s almost time, Team Leader Wang.”
“That’s right.”
“Shin Geom made another spectacle of himself, I see.”
“Isn’t that precisely the difference between a pro and an amateur?”
The man’s name was Li Chuan.
His pro name was Climax.
He was a legend and currently one of the top pro gamers in China, someone who disliked Shin Geom as much as Team Leader Wang did, and had secretly come to Korea.
“First, I’ll ambush that petty country’s streamer and eliminate him. Historically, Korea has never been a match for us.”
“There’s no need to go that far. But you must definitely secure the spotlight. Your position and role allow for it.”
“I’ll do that.”
Team Leader Wang smiled with satisfaction.
‘If he ambushes first and gets counter-eliminated, it could go beyond a simple disaster and throw the entire Chronicle into chaos, but... it’s Li Chuan. Climax. And on top of that, he’s in a position to launch a surprise attack.’
Thus, surviving this Chronicle of Heroes would be incredibly difficult. On a whole different level from before.
And finally.
D-day arrived.