The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 155

Kwang-!

The door to the [Lion] guild master's office opened violently, making a loud noise.

At the sudden loud noise, Hercules frowned fiercely.

His usually dormant wild nature had been sharply awakened by his battle with Lee Shin, so Hercules's pupils were sharper than usual.

"…What, did something bad happen?"

But Hercules's pupils, which had the dignity of a king of beasts, turned into those of a gentle lamb as soon as he recognized that the person who had opened the door and entered was Plain.

"Hah, it's nothing."

"But daughter, your appearance right now is…!"

"I said it's nothing, didn't I?"

"…Alright."

At Plain's hysterical reply, Hercules quietly closed his mouth.

Because he knew from past experience that there was nothing to be gained by provoking a daughter like this.

"Hoop… Hah…"

At Hercules's reaction, Plain, who had noticed that she had been too sharp, took a small breath to compose herself and then spoke again.

"I'm sorry, I think I was a little on edge."

"Hmm, no, it's okay. It can happen. It seems you've just come back from a dungeon, and it's natural to be on edge after fighting in a dungeon."

At Hercules's words, Plain shook her head.

"I didn't come back from a dungeon. I came back from fighting that guy, Lee Shin."

"What? You came back from fighting that guy?"

Hercules, who was startled by Plain's sudden words, jumped up from his seat.

Such an overreaction was not a one or two-day affair, so Plain, the person in question, was indifferent.

"Anyway, that's not what's important."

"Not important! You got so dirty from fighting that guy and…"

"Lee Shin, that guy. While he was fighting with me, he suddenly said he was bored and disappeared from the guild."

"What? That guy disappeared?"

Plain ignored Hercules's words as if to calm him down and continued to speak.

And the one who reacted to Plain's words was not Hercules, but Diz, who had been quietly sketching in a sketchbook in the room.

"Huh? You were here? That's great."

Plain, who had noticed that Diz was there, took out a piece of paper from her pocket and held it out to Hercules.

"Here, this is the letter that guy left. He said to read it when the guild master and Diz-nim are together."

"When we're together?"

At Plain's words, Hercules frowned as if he was reluctant, but he couldn't overcome his curiosity and unfolded the paper, and Diz also naturally went next to Hercules and looked at the paper.

Pajik-!

And he immediately regretted unfolding this paper.

-I'm the winner and you're the losers. Got it? You losers?

There was no way Lee Shin wouldn't have felt and thought what they had felt and thought.

This was a message to confirm that.

A message close to an arrogant declaration that he would have definitely won if the fight had continued without any variables.

And at the same time, it was a provocation to be stronger the next time they met.

Kkugit-!

Hercules, without realizing it, tore the paper with his aura, and Diz instantly burned the torn paper.

"Where is this bastard now?"

"I don't know. Seeing as he disappeared suddenly, we have to assume he's already left America."

The two frowned deeply and made a plan to catch and torture Lee Shin.

And Plain, who had half-guessed that the two would react that way because she had seen the paper in advance, trudged out.

"Vice-Guild Master, are you alright?"

"How is the Guild Master?"

"Shall I get you something to drink?"

As she came out of the guild master's office, the guild members flocked to Plain as if they had been waiting.

She understood.

Because their heads would be complicated in many ways due to the events that had happened today, they would want to get any information that could reassure them.

"Hoo, assemble."

But that was only an understanding in the realm of reason, not an understanding made in the realm of instinct.

"Assemble!!!"

The guild members, who had noticed that Plain's mood was very low, quickly took their positions and looked at her with tense faces.

"I roughly know what you are all thinking. But the information about that is not something I can simply tell you, so I cannot tell you. Also, I ask you all to be careful with your words."

"Yes!!!"

At Plain's words, the guild members answered loudly.

Although she was a vice-guild master who was younger and smaller than them, there was not a single eye of disrespect among the guild members looking at Plain.

"But it's not that I don't understand your anxiety. So I will resolve your anxiety in a different way."

"Yes!!!"

At Plain's words, the guild members answered loudly, even with a look of resignation on their faces.

It was the result of training.

"Your anxiety is all caused by a lack of skill. So today, we will have a time to build up our skills by dealing with dungeons and villains. If you understand, hurry up and get ready and assemble."

"Yes!!!"

Her confident appearance, completely different from the one she had shown in front of Lee Shin, showed that she was also a lion who had inherited Hercules's blood.

Plain, who had confirmed the guild members scattering like startled cats, clenched and unclenched her hand and was lost in thought.

The spar with Lee Shin was overwhelming.

She had not been able to land a single attack on Lee Shin, who was reading a novel.

'The next time I meet him, I'll have to land a proper blow on that shameless face to feel relieved.'

And to achieve that, she had to become much stronger than now.

'He came much faster than I thought.'

And so, Lee Shin, the protagonist who was receiving the attention of the three, was now visiting [Wonderland] for the first time in a while.

'Originally, I was planning on coming here after taking care of the mages too.'

But the three mages were busy making various things, so they had said not to come and had not tried to face Lee Shin.

If it were just that, he would have just barged in and caused a scene, but they had shrewdly taken off the choker that was the coordinate of the artifact, so he couldn't go there either.

'I thought it would be fun because they said mages fight using various things.'

Right now, Lee Shin was aware that he had become strong enough to pose a threat to the Kings.

Of course, the moment the Ten Kings reached LV.4, this difference would disappear again, but at least for now, that was the truth.

'But I don't think I can beat this one.'

Lee Shin smiled widely, thinking of Cheon Yuhwa.

There would be a simple difference in level.

But beyond that, Cheon Yuhwa was too familiar with Lee Shin in many ways.

'Well, since she said she's a regressor, it's natural if you think about it.'

Thinking that, as Lee Shin entered [Wonderland], Kim Jaehyun bowed his head slightly and greeted him.

"It's been a while."

"Yes, it's been a while."

After saying that, Kim Jaehyun stood up from his seat with discipline.

"The Guild Master said to bring you. Please follow me."

"Really?"

At Kim Jaehyun's words, Lee Shin followed him obediently with a smiling face.

Lee Shin thought that since Cheon Yuhwa would have heard the news about him, she would naturally be preparing for a fight with him.

But Cheon Yuhwa, whom he had found with Kim Jaehyun's guidance…

"Y-you're here?"

Unlike usual, she was wearing a short black skirt that slightly revealed her thighs and a pure white blouse, and she greeted Lee Shin with a slightly flushed, shy, and awkward face.

"…What is this situation?"

At the unexpected situation, Lee Shin muttered with a dazed face without realizing it.

***

"Hah, everything else is somehow moving within range, but only this guy is moving more and more selfishly. Looking back after returning to the past, it seems he's running wild even more selfishly…"

While Lee Shin was playing with Plain, Cheon Yuhwa, who had heard the news that the fight with Hercules and Diz had been stopped in the middle, was agonizing.

Dalgeurak-

"The problem won't be solved just by racking your brain like that, so stop it. Here, it's a chocolate cake."

"It's not like I'm doing this because I like it."

Cheon Yuhwa muttered with a sullen expression, eating the chocolate cake.

"Well, then think hard."

"What's with that tone… Then do you have a good idea?"

"Hmm… it's not that I don't."

"Eh? Really?"

At Kim Jaehyun's nod to her casually thrown words due to her complicated mind, Cheon Yuhwa looked at him with startled eyes.

"Yes, it's not that difficult a method, so most people would have thought of it right away… but thinking about it again, it's not strange that you wouldn't have thought of it, miss."

"…What are you saying?"

As Cheon Yuhwa said with a slight glare, Kim Jaehyun said as if it were nothing.

"It's simple. You meet and talk, and ask what you're curious about."

"…You're telling me to meet and talk with that guy?"

As Cheon Yuhwa made a face of disbelief, Kim Jaehyun retorted as if asking what was so unbelievable.

"Yes, if there's something you don't know, isn't it common sense to ask? It's not like you two are enemies."

"No, that's certainly true, but…"

Cheon Yuhwa, who was about to refute something, closed her mouth at Kim Jaehyun's very reasonable argument.

"No, but I tried to have a conversation, but that guy…"

"You haven't tried."

"No, I said I tried…"

"At least not in this world."

Cheon Yuhwa, who had finally noticed what Kim Jaehyun was trying to say, fell silent.

Kim Jaehyun, who saw a glimpse of her past self in Cheon Yuhwa's sullen, closed-mouthed appearance, chuckled and said.

"Well, I understand your situation, miss, since I'm not unaware of it. You've used your experience from the future in many useful ways, so you can rely on it and be swayed by it."

"…Did I look like I was being swayed?"

"A little."

At Kim Jaehyun's honest answer, Cheon Yuhwa was about to get lost in thought, but he didn't let her.

"Besides, since you've been working for the group since you were young and haven't been able to meet any proper men, let alone friends, it's understandable that you wouldn't have thought of the idea of meeting a man one-on-one and having a conversation."

"Huh? Jaehyun, what did you just say?"

Cheon Yuhwa looked at Kim Jaehyun with eyes that said 'did I hear that wrong', and he shrugged his shoulders slightly and met her eyes shamelessly, as if asking 'did I say something wrong'.

"Anyway, what I want to say is that there is such a method. To be honest, it doesn't matter if you don't listen. My role is only to give advice, and the choice is yours, miss."

As Kim Jaehyun took a step back like that, Cheon Yuhwa looked at him with a resentful expression and then sighed.

"Hah… alright, I get it. I'll follow your words."

"Really?"

"Yes, I still don't think it's a good idea, but since I can't think of anything else besides what you said, I have no choice."

"Hmm, I understand. Then please get ready."

"Huh? For what?"

At Kim Jaehyun's sudden words, Cheon Yuhwa said with a puzzled expression.

Watching her, Kim Jaehyun smiled lightly, as if teasing.

"A young man and woman meeting one-on-one, talking, and spending time together."

The smile on Kim Jaehyun's lips was a blatant sneer that an older brother would have for his younger sister.

"People usually call that a date."

"…Eh?"

At Cheon Yuhwa's rare, foolish reaction, Kim Jaehyun's shoulders shook a few times, as if he couldn't hold it in.

"Why are you so surprised? Like someone who's never been on a date before."

"No, I! I mean, that! And, you! Have you ever been on a date?"

At Cheon Yuhwa's desperate struggle, Kim Jaehyun chuckled as if it were pathetic and said.

"Look at my face. Do I look like someone who's never been on a date with a woman?"

At Kim Jaehyun's words, Cheon Yuhwa closed her mouth.

Because Kim Jaehyun was a handsome man that anyone would admit to.

Watching the dazed Cheon Yuhwa, who had been perfectly countered, Kim Jaehyun said slyly.

"Well, think of it positively. It's better to enjoy a date like this, even if it's light, than to have never been on a date at your age."

After saying that, Kim Jaehyun called people to dress Cheon Yuhwa and do some simple makeup, then told her to wait in the guild master's office.

And that was what had happened until Lee Shin had come to visit [Wonderland].

(End of Chapter)