The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 130

"Have you ever been to a place like this?"

"No."

"Me neither. This is my first time in a place like this."

Alpha, who had now changed her name to Lee Sieun, and Beta, who had followed Alpha's name and changed her name to Lee Jieun, said with sparkling eyes.

"I'm glad you seem to like it. I came here thinking you probably hadn't been to a place like this after hearing your stories."

Eun Yeonwoo said lightly and entered the shop.

While Lee Shin was enjoying a drinking party with Merlin, Oz, and Crowley, indiscriminately devouring the various foods Eun Yeonwoo had made.

Eun Yeonwoo, along with Lee Hyunseok, Lee Hyunyoung, Lee Sieun, and Lee Jieun, had decided to go to a nearby pub.

It wasn't a great place for a deep conversation, but it was a good place for just chatting.

It was a bit paradoxical, but this kind of noisy atmosphere was more suitable for conversation than a quiet one.

On top of that, there was the slightly dim lighting, alcohol, a drink for Lee Hyunyoung, and crispy fried snacks.

It would be the perfect atmosphere for building a sense of closeness.

At first, they were fascinated by the strange atmosphere of the pub, but they brought up the stories they had been talking about at home and continued their conversation.

"No, that guy Smile is sometimes like that! He has eyes that don't seem to see people as people!"

"Ah, Hyung definitely gives off that kind of vibe sometimes. Should I say it's like looking at a character in a book?"

"I think it's more accurate to say it's like looking at a character moving in a game."

Since they had already shared their rough stories at home, everyone participated in the conversation without any particular barriers.

"Right! And recently, he even came at Alpha and me… I mean, Sieun and me, telling us to fight to the death!"

"Smile was scary then."

"Ah, we've experienced that too, so we know."

"The growth rate definitely shoots up, but Hyung-nim's method is too painful. Physically and mentally."

"Does Lee Shin Oppa torment you that badly?"

"Yes, so badly that you keep seeing your life flash before your eyes."

Lee Hyunyoung thought Eun Yeonwoo's words were a joke and lightly dismissed them, but it was a truth without a single lie.

The other four knew it from experiencing it with their own bodies.

The five's conversation topic was still Lee Shin.

Perhaps because the person named Lee Shin was so bizarre and unpredictable, their stories about him kept pouring out.

But it wasn't like they only talked about Lee Shin.

"So after escaping from the organization called [Dawn], you've been living quietly with the purpose of revenge."

"That's right. That's why I said this is my first time in a place like this. There was nothing to gain from standing out, so we mostly ate at home."

"Hmm, it's hard to say we're normal either, but you guys are even more so."

As they talked more and the atmosphere ripened, they slowly began to ask about each other and share their own stories.

They were curious about each other's lives, which they had lived in ways they couldn't have imagined.

Just as the snacks that had filled the large plate were reduced by half.

"Found you!"

Suddenly, someone from outside the shop shouted loudly and came in, approaching their table.

At that, not only the five of them who were talking, but also the other customers who were drinking at their own tables, focused their gazes on them.

'An enemy?'

Eun Yeonwoo cautiously brought his hand to his waist where his dagger was and looked at the man approaching his table.

A man with a decadent feel, created by the combination of his black hair slicked back with a headband and his dark circles.

Just as Eun Yeonwoo was looking for an opportunity to swing his dagger.

"Joker?"

"How did you get here? Didn't you say you'd take care of things in Japan and come?"

At the words Alpha and Beta uttered, Eun Yeonwoo stealthily retrieved the hand that was heading for his dagger and stood up, ringing the golden bell on the table.

"It seems our party came in a bit too loudly after having a drink. As a token of our apology, I'll be paying for everyone's drinks today!"

"Wooooo!!!"

"You're the best!!!"

Eun Yeonwoo nonchalantly changed the flow of the atmosphere and then returned to his original table.

Joker sat in an empty chair and talked about something with Beta.

"[Wonderland] helped out more than I thought, so I just came right after you guys left. I came to Korea like that, but then I heard that Smile said you guys were hit on by some guys and dragged away…"

"…Us?"

Not only Alpha and Beta, but also Lee Hyunseok and Eun Yeonwoo, who were eating snacks and listening to their conversation, looked at Joker with disbelief.

"Ah, no, I also thought there was no way, but you guys weren't answering your phones, so I was worried."

"Huh? A phone call, what do you mean? The phone didn't ring… uh?"

At Joker's words, Alpha and Beta, who realized their phones were missing, were startled and hurriedly fumbled through their pockets.

Watching them, Eun Yeonwoo said nonchalantly.

"Ah, Hyung-nim probably took those. I had something similar happen to me before."

"You too?"

"Yes, he snatched a notebook from my pocket without me noticing."

At Eun Yeonwoo's words, the two let out a sigh of relief.

Logically, it was a situation where they should be angry or dumbfounded, but the relief that came from the fact that the culprit was Lee Shin and that they hadn't lost their phones held them back.

"Um, who is this person?"

At that moment, Joker, who had been quiet, asked Beta.

"He's an acquaintance of the person you call Smile. I became friends with Jieun today."

"…Jieun?"

"Ah, Alpha changed her name, so I just changed mine too."

"Alpha did?"

"Yes, to Lee Sieun."

Joker, who had heard that much, let out a light sigh as if he could roughly guess.

"…I can roughly guess the intention behind the name."

"Right?"

"Yeah, I should probably change my name later too."

Changing their names was not such a simple matter in a situation where their very existence was that of illegal immigrants, but considering the [Wonderland] behind them, they could do that much easily.

Eun Yeonwoo looked at Joker for a moment and then asked.

"Do you have a lot of pent-up feelings towards Hyung-nim too?"

"Haaaah…"

At Eun Yeonwoo's single remark, a sigh much deeper than the one from a moment ago flowed from Joker's mouth.

Eun Yeonwoo's networking skills were very effective again today.

***

"By the way, how was the mask and quiver I fixed up for you when you actually used them? I had quite a bit of fun making the quiver, so I'd like to hear your thoughts."

At Crowley's words, Lee Shin recalled the two artifacts he had received before going to deal with [Dawn].

[Smile]

-Unique.

-The appearance of a black mask with only a white smile drawn on it evokes a strange feeling.

-[Concealing Mask] Always active. This mask will hide your face and at the same time, hide your presence.

-[Happy Smile] Always active. Those who see this mask will be captivated by the smile drawn on it.

-[Mind-Hearing Ear] Always active. It conveys what the other person wants to say into your head.

[Hundred]

-Unique.

-A container that can hold a hundred spears. It was made by a person who is both an excellent craftsman and an excellent mage.

-[Hundred] Always active. It can hold a hundred spears of the same shape inside.

-[Lightweight] Always active. It reduces the weight of the spears inside the container.

-[Excellent Fit] Always active. This container clings to the body so as not to be uncomfortable for the wearer.

"[Smile] and [Hundred]? Crowley, you made those?"

"Yes, Alice asked me to fix them up, so I did."

Crowley said while lightly eating a fried snack.

It looked the same as the fried snacks sold at a snack bar, but when Crowley ate it, it looked like a high-end dish from a restaurant, not a cheap snack.

"Uhm, first, [Smile] was excellent. It hid my identity well, and I also received help I didn't know about in Japan."

"Then what about [Hundred]?"

As Crowley asked a bit persistently, Lee Shin looked at Merlin and Oz.

At that, the two, who were smiling as if in a good mood and putting the food on the table into their mouths, said while mumbling.

"That guy always asks for impressions like that after making an artifact for someone. By the way, this tteokbokki is delicious!"

"He says it's to further develop his artifacts by listening to the opinions of various people. This fried dumpling is delicious too."

It certainly seemed like Crowley was a little flushed right now.

"I heard you wanted to hold a hundred spears, so I made it with reference to the quivers used by archers, but was there anything uncomfortable?"

"Probably not in general. The performance was excellent, and the fit was good too. If I had to pick a drawback, it would be that it's hard to draw?"

"Uhm? Ah, I see. Unlike arrows, spears have a basic length, so it would be hard to take them out from the waist."

At Lee Shin's words, Crowley said in a slightly flushed voice.

"But seeing as you say 'in general,' it seems you want something more."

"You've gotten to know me well in such a short time."

Lee Shin smiled widely and continued.

"I found it a bit inconvenient that I couldn't draw multiple spears at once."

"Hm? I heard you were using it for throwing, but is there a need to take out multiple at the same time?"

"Yes, I need it. I sometimes throw multiple spears."

"How? You have to take a stance to throw a spear."

"Right?"

Oz and Merlin, who were eating fried dumplings next to him, chimed in, curious.

At that, Lee Shin said lightly.

"I throw the spears up all at once and then kick the ends of the spears with my feet to send them flying."

"Isn't it more convenient to just shoot one at the enemy than to do that? Then it seems you should upgrade the spear, not the container that holds the spears."

"Ah, I don't throw spears at monsters, but I throw them when I'm breaking things like buildings."

The expressions of the three who heard Lee Shin's words became strange.

"You throw spears to break caves or nests, or to break obstacles?"

"If you're going to use it like that, isn't it more rational to use a bomb?"

Lee Shin, who heard that question, shook his head as if they didn't know anything.

"If you use a bomb, there's no 'hand-feel'."

There was even a sense of determination in Lee Shin's attitude as he said that.

"…"

"…"

"…"

The three who heard Lee Shin's words recalled past memories.

-Puhahaha! If you have power, most things will take care of themselves!!!

-If you have one sword, you don't need anything else. I will go to the end with just one sword.

-Hah, the sight of nature running wild, beautiful… this is art.

-Owa! Look at that snake over there! It's so flashy, it looks like it has a dangerous poison, I have to try eating it!

-Hmm, it's become tattered at some point. I should heal it and then hit it again.

-Wooo! A tiger jumps out with every kick!!!

'…Thinking about it, those guys were like this too when we first met them.'

The Ten Kings they had seen were strangely twisted and had something that others couldn't understand.

But they who said that were also one of the Ten Kings, and thus, they were also wonderfully twisted in their own ways.

Woooong--!

While they were talking, a huge wave of aura flowed from the backyard.

"Hm? What's with this one?"

"Ah, I called her. It seems she came because of that."

"Really?"

But they did not make any particular movement.

It was a familiar energy.

"Yo, it's been a while."

Lee Shin lightly waved his hand at Cheon Yuhwa, who had entered the house from the backyard.

"Hah…"

And looking at Lee Shin, Cheon Yuhwa let out a sigh with a complicated feeling of whether to be relieved or annoyed.