The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 134

“Kkeueung! I'm getting tired. Shall we take a break?"

A man with a wild mane of golden hair, like a lion's, muttered as he stretched.

At the man's words, a woman who was doing paperwork next to him said in a voice mixed with a small sigh.

"Are you trying to rest already?"

"You'll understand when you get to my age. My stamina isn't what it used to be."

"I don't understand why the stamina that seems to spring up endlessly when you're wandering around dungeons can't even last a few hours when you're sitting at a desk."

Although the intention was blatant, it was not enough to peel off the man's sly smile.

"Then I'll be back in an hour, so you should get some rest too. It's dinner time, after all."

"Sigh, I understand."

Although she nagged a little, she had no intention of stopping him from resting.

Because while helping him with his work recently, she knew well enough how hard he was working.

As the secretary left, the man had someone bring his usual steak to his room, then picked up his smartphone and entered a chat room.

It was a shabby chat room with only ten people, but it was a strange place where the members were all incredibly luxurious.

"Sigh, if I had known it would be this hard, I would have just moved alone without making a guild."

Although he was saying this, he himself knew better that it was impossible.

The government wouldn't have let him, and unlike those who had been on their own from the beginning, Hercules had been a guild master leading a guild since the game.

"Sigh, but it can't be helped."

Right now, the [Kings] were preparing for the coming future in their own ways after hearing Cheon Yuhwa's words.

The reason Hercules had come into the room was also to figure out how they were moving.

Just as Hercules had read through the conversations in the chat room one by one and reached the very last one, a new notification appeared in the chat room as if it had been waiting.

-A new user has been added.

"Hm?"

The moment he saw that message, Hercules momentarily froze.

This was a place created solely for the conversation of the ten of them.

At first, they had used a simple chat program, but now they were so concerned about security that they had created a separate site.

That's why all the people in the chat room, including Hercules, were wary of the existence of this sudden intruder.

Spear: Hmm, is this the place? I was expecting something grand, but it seems there's nothing special. A little disappointing. (◉ω◉)

While they were racking their brains, the intruder spoke leisurely, as if looking around a house.

At that, the people in the chat room were so dumbfounded that they were momentarily dazed.

Poison: Who are you?

The first person to come to their senses was Arachne.

It was a chilling tone, not her usual cheerful self.

She had entered the conversation not as a young girl, but as Arachne, who was called the best assassin in the Pantheon.

Spear: Don't be so wary. You look weak. (´-﹏-`；)

Poison: What did you say, you bastard?

But at Arachne's threat, the sudden intruder just laughed and reacted playfully.

Spear: Well, you're better than the other guys who are just watching the situation because they're scared, so cheer up. (๑•̀ㅂ•́)ﻭ✧

Poison: Stop using that annoying emoticon!

Spear: I don't want to. (๑´ڡ`๑)

Poison: Uwaaaaah!!! I'm going to kill you when I meet you!

It was a statement full of sincerity.

If someone who knew Arachne's reputation in the game had heard this, they would have probably immediately bowed deeply, taken a picture of it, and posted it in the chat room.

Spear: Try it. (≧▽≦)

Poison: What?

Spear: Come find me and try to kill me. ('・ω・')

But the intruder, on the contrary, was provoking Arachne, telling her to find him and try to kill him.

Spear: I came here to pick a fight with you guys in the first place. If you're going to come find me on your own, that's convenient for me. (＾ｕ＾)

At the unexpected words, everyone in the chat room chuckled in disbelief from beyond the screen.

Poison: Do you even know who we are?

Spear: I know. You're the 10 strongest in the world. (；･`д･´)

Poison: And you're talking like that? Are you really crazy to die?

Spear: That's why I'm making this fuss, you idiot. By the way, the translation program here works well. 凸-_-凸

At the emoticon with such a clear intention of provocation, Arachne said nothing.

But the people in the room who knew Arachne's personality noticed that she couldn't answer because she was throwing a tantrum in anger.

Arachne was an assassin, but her basic personality was far from calm and composed.

Strength: You, did you come here to provoke everyone here?

Spear: That's right, you're correct. (︶^︶)

Strength: Crazy bastard.

Spear: I hear that a lot, so it doesn't really hurt. Do you have any other fresh words? (；´Д｀)

Strength: …You have an excellent talent for annoying people.

Spear: I hear that a lot too. (´_ゝ`)

Strength: Hey, where do you live? Let's have a real-life fight right now…

In the end, even Hercules, who was having the conversation, felt as if the blood flowing through the veins of his entire body was flowing backward.

He was used to the challenges from those below him, but he was not used to this kind of provocation, so the intruder's childish provocation was literally a hundred-for-a-hundred hit.

Strength: Hoo, you don't think we won't accept your challenge?

Spear: I don't care. (ㅋㅅㅋ)

Strength: What?

Spear: I'm not interested in a dog that runs away with its tail between its legs even after being ignored like this.

This time, there was no emoticon that he had been using continuously, as if he were serious.

At that moment, the Kings felt a common emotion.

One was curiosity about this person who was provoking all of them like this.

The other was annoyance towards the intruder who was touching their pride and blocking their retreat like this.

Spear: Well, I'll come find you guys later, so let's see then. If you're curious about me, talk among yourselves. (≧▽≦)

Strength: …What do you mean by that?

At Hercules's words, the intruder said as if it were a matter of course.

Spear: What do you mean? I came here with a proper invitation. Then who do you think gave me the invitation? Well, I think there might be someone else who has noticed my identity, though. (･`д･´)

With those final words, the intruder disappeared from the room as if to say he had said everything and it was up to them to figure it out now.

But the fire the intruder had created, far from subsiding, burned even more strongly.

Poison: Who invited that guy!

Strength: If you come out obediently, there will be no bloodshed, so come out quickly.

These two, in particular, were active in finding the culprit.

Watching them, the trio of mages who had invited the intruder, Lee Shin, into the room were dumbfounded.

They were dumbfounded that Lee Shin's ploy was such a childish provocation, and they were dumbfounded that the provocation was so effective.

But soon, their dumbfoundedness turned into a sense of hopelessness.

Because they were reminded that they now had to explain in front of them, who were throwing a tantrum in annoyance, that they were the very ones who had invited Lee Shin into this room.

'He's a guy who becomes a headache just by being involved.'

The three had come to understand a little why Alice hated Lee Shin so much.

***

Eun Yeonwoo glanced at Lee Shin, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to him, with anxious eyes and opened his mouth.

"It hasn't been that long since you parted with those people, but you're already trying to cause trouble, Hyung-nim."

"Hm? I have no intention of causing trouble on a grand scale enough to be called an accident."

From Lee Shin's perspective, this was a pure truth without a single lie.

All he had done was a childish and petty provocation.

Well, the things that would happen due to Lee Shin's provocation would not be so childish, though.

While Lee Shin was smiling widely in anticipation of the coming future, Eun Yeonwoo tapped his own lips and said.

"It's really strange, but after Hyung-nim smiles like that, something always happens."

"Right, it's really strange. I don't particularly have that intention, but incidents seem to flock to me."

Should this be called good luck or bad luck?

At Lee Shin's nonchalant words, Eun Yeonwoo clicked his tongue softly as if in surrender.

'How can a person be so eager to dig into incidents and accidents? He's earned a lot of money and has a decent house, can't he just live quietly in a suitable place.'

For Eun Yeonwoo, who liked comfort and peace, it was difficult to understand Lee Shin's actions and thoughts.

"Hah, I understand. If Hyung-nim says so, then it must be so."

But despite the various complaints swirling in his mouth, Eun Yeonwoo eventually chose to keep his mouth shut and slowly nod his head.

Because he himself knew that he had come too far to escape from Lee Shin's shadow.

He had gained a lot under Lee Shin's shadow so far, and there were infinitely many things he could gain in the future.

That's why Eun Yeonwoo had no intention of leaving Lee Shin's shadow on his own.

And it didn't seem like Lee Shin's personality would let him go nicely either.

The Lee Shin Eun Yeonwoo had seen so far was a person who liked to torment them next to fighting.

On top of that…

"Hyungs, would you like some of this?"

"Sure."

"Thanks."

Eun Yeonwoo, ridiculously, felt a sense of comfort and enjoyment as he looked at the two who had come under Lee Shin's shadow with him.

Even though the comfortable and peaceful day he had been thinking of and the day that was unfolding under Lee Shin's shadow now were as different as heaven and earth.

'I must be crazy too.'

Even while muttering self-deprecatingly like that, a small smile hung on Eun Yeonwoo's lips.

Nyam-nyam-

Whether he knew Eun Yeonwoo's thoughts or not, Lee Shin just ate the whole potato Lee Hyunseok had given him, dipping it in salt.

"It seems we're about to arrive."

While they were spending time in their own ways, Lee Shin muttered leisurely, looking at the front.

"Really? We arrived faster than I thought. Hyunyoung, we've arrived, so wake up and look over there."

"Hwaaam~ What, we're already here? I'm still a little sleepy."

"I can see it over there."

"Right, it seems more lively than when I saw it in the pictures."

At that, the four in the back seat, who had been dealing with the enlightenment they had gained through their conversations with the [Kings] in their own ways, gathered at the window.

Joker had followed Crowley in the morning, so he was not here now.

Lee Shin felt it getting more and more boisterous and looked at the city in front of him.

Beyond the window, a vibrant city was flashing, emitting heat like the flames of a furnace.

That was one of the three hottest cities in Korea right now.

A place where various craftsmen who make all kinds of weapons in real time were gathering.

The place where the World Dungeon with the dwarves, the craftsmen who sing with flames and clash with steel, was located.

The city of craftsmen, which could be called the center of the Korean item industry right now.

It was Daegu.

(End of Chapter)