The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 89

"Is it a little hard to believe?"

As the two remained silent, Lee Shin tilted his head and asked.

It wasn't that he didn't understand their feelings.

It was just a means to tease the two who were frozen.

"...Hahaha, hyung-nim, of course. Of course. Did you think we would fall for such a lie? Isn't that right, Hyun-seok?"

"Yes? Ah, yes. Of course. We won't fall for it. Hahaha."

Eun Yeon-woo, despite feeling like his heart was about to explode from the sudden situation, managed to raise the corners of his mouth and laugh, albeit awkwardly.

Seeing Eun Yeon-woo, Lee Hyun-seok also managed to raise the corners of his mouth and laugh along.

But nothing changed.

Their minds were still complicated, and their laughter even trembled with a rising sense of anxiety.

'The scale of the story is too big.'

This was the cause of their anxiety.

For example, let's assume that someone living an ordinary life received information about the lives of tens of thousands of people.

What kind of reaction would that person show?

It's simple.

Before taking any action, they would be crushed by the weight of the words 'tens of thousands of lives' and become intimidated, unable to make any move.

The situation of the two was similar to that.

The scale of the story, which was far beyond what they had imagined, was causing their hearts to shrink with anxiety.

"Hahaha."

"Hahaha."

"Hahaha."

And the result was right now, a slight escape from reality.

Stop-

"It's not a lie."

And there was no way Lee Shin would allow such an escape from reality.

"Haaaaa... Why on earth did you tell us such a story?"

Eun Yeon-woo, who was forcibly brought to his senses by Lee Shin's shock therapy, asked, letting out a sigh full of sincerity.

A faint resentment flickered in Eun Yeon-woo's eyes as he looked at Lee Shin.

"Eum... To put it simply, it's because I'm worried about you guys."

"..."

At Lee Shin's words, the two said nothing and looked at him.

Eun Yeon-woo clicked his tongue in annoyance at the fact that his anxiety had been correct, and Lee Hyun-seok just stared blankly at Lee Shin from the back seat.

"First of all, I've decided to participate in the plan to attack [Dawn]. Of course, it's impossible to back out now."

In fact, it wasn't impossible at all.

Since it was a matter that Lee Shin had gotten involved in because he wanted to, if he said he would leave, Kim Jae-hyun would wave his hand without much thought.

He might even be happy about it.

'But these guys don't know that.'

And it was impossible to doubt it.

Because according to common sense, it was common sense that it was difficult to get out easily once you were involved in such a heavy matter.

"Well, the fact that I participated in the plan was welcome. As you guys know, an interesting incident is always welcome to me, right?"

Ahaha-

Lee Shin said with a light laugh.

"But after thinking about it a little, there was something that bothered me."

"Haa... Are you saying that's us?"

"Yes, exactly."

At Eun Yeon-woo's drained mumble, Lee Shin nodded.

"It's a commonly imaginable story, isn't it? A man who is hostile to a huge dark organization, a villain who takes hostages to get a hold of that man's weakness, a man who is torn between his precious person who was taken hostage and his own purpose."

Shrug-

Lee Shin, who had spoken up to that point, shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"But my parents were killed by a robber, so I don't have any proper family. I think I had a cousin, but honestly, he's a complete stranger, so I don't really care what happens to him. But..."

Lee Shin said, looking at the two.

"You guys bothered me a little. Especially you, Yeon-woo. You're also involved with [Wonderland]."

"Damn it, I shouldn't have come here just because they paid a lot of money."

Lee Shin watched Eun Yeon-woo curse his past self for a moment, then turned his gaze to the dazed Lee Hyun-seok.

"Ah, for reference, Hyun-seok, you're not exactly safe either. You have a slightly weaker connection to me than Yeon-woo, but since you were with me for about a week, you've probably been marked."

At those words, Lee Hyun-seok snapped to his senses and looked at Lee Shin.

Lee Shin calmly delivered the finishing blow.

"Rather, among us, you're the most dangerous. Yeon-woo and I don't have any family we're particularly attached to, but you have a precious family."

Hahaha-

Hahaha-

At Lee Shin's words, Eun Yeon-woo and Lee Hyun-seok could tell.

That what Lee Shin had said so far was by no means a joke or nonsense.

"Fuck."

"Fuck."

And the fact that they had just stepped in a huge pile of shit.

"Well, don't worry too much. They said they would assign someone from [Wonderland] to you."

He had never said such a thing, but it didn't really matter.

Because in the first place, what Lee Shin was saying now was only about 90% true, and the remaining 10% was a lie.

The two, without knowing that this was actually shadowboxing with no real enemy, were seriously thinking about something with their faces hardened.

***

Vroom-

In the car where a silence of several tons was hanging, the only free person, Lee Shin, hummed a tune and said playfully.

"Well, don't worry so much. I couldn't think of any good ideas on how to save you if you were taken hostage, so I decided to just give up on you!"

"You say such trashy things so confidently."

Lee Shin, lightly ignoring Eun Yeon-woo's words that were tinged with a subtle hostility, said.

"But at least I've thought about what to do with you guys before that."

"Oh! What is it?! You must have installed a bunker in a safe place, right? Right?"

Lee Hyun-seok shouted in excitement, but Lee Shin just shook his head.

"Hmm, I don't really recommend that. It's like advertising that you guys are a weakness, and I can't guarantee that you can hide thoroughly."

"B-but..."

"Crucially, after destroying [Dawn], the remnants that weren't dealt with might remember you and target you."

"...Then what should we do from now on?"

At Lee Shin's series of rejections, Lee Hyun-seok asked in a desperate voice.

It was natural.

Lee Hyun-seok was someone who cherished his family so much that he would give up everything to protect them.

Even now, if he hadn't heard that Lee Shin had assigned a bodyguard to Lee Hyun-young, he would have tried to run back to his sister's side.

Looking at the anxious Lee Hyun-seok, Lee Shin opened his mouth as if it were very simple.

"You build up your skills."

Thwack-

"To protect the peaceful life you want."

Thwack-

"To the extent that you can protect your beloved family."

Lee Shin's finger pointed at Eun Yeon-woo and Lee Hyun-seok in turn.

And the faces of Eun Yeon-woo and Lee Hyun-seok, who heard Lee Shin's words, slowly soured.

"Of course, I know full well that this is no different from saying you can get into Seoul National University if you study mainly Korean, English, and math. But no matter how I think about it, this is the best way. Even though it may not look like it, this is a conclusion I came to after seriously thinking about it."

Lee Shin said, and waved the hand that wasn't holding the steering wheel as if to say, 'listen'.

"Now, think about it. You guys did enter a dungeon, but you entered as my supporters, right?"

"...That's right."

"Well, the dungeon you entered recently is a little concerning... but that can be included in the margin of error. Since with your personalities, you would have only gone below LV.2 intermediate."

Lee Hyun-seok quietly nodded his head in affirmation of Lee Shin's words.

"But your skills are at a level where you could be active as a player and make a name for yourselves. In other words!"

Lee Shin raised his finger to emphasize.

"It means that if they attack, there's a high possibility that they will attack with the prejudice that you are weak."

"That certainly makes sense."

Lee Hyun-seok nodded at Lee Shin's words.

"Common sense would tell you that supporters are weak. So if you guys get stronger than you are now, you'll at least be able to escape."

"..."

"Haa, damn it."

When all the talk was over, Eun Yeon-woo spat out his words as if chewing on them.

"First of all, I understand that we've stepped in shit because of you, hyung-nim."

"Hmm, well, it's certainly because of me."

Lee Shin readily agreed with Eun Yeon-woo's words.

"And I also understand that we need to improve our skills."

"Oh, you're quick to grasp the situation."

"Then how are we going to do that now?"

Eun Yeon-woo's question was valid.

Although they could grow by simply catching monsters, the situation didn't seem so leisurely.

At that, Lee Shin said confidently.

"It's okay. I've prepared a teacher who is perfect for you guys."

At Lee Shin's boast, both of them exchanged glances with anxious eyes.

But that silent discussion eventually leaned towards giving it a try for now.

In the first place, they didn't really have a choice.

It was Lee Shin who had a connection to the huge organization called [Wonderland], and for them, Lee Shin was their only lifeline.

Screech-

As they made their way through the mountain, they arrived in front of a dungeon.

"Ah, hyung, you're here?"

There, they met a handsome man with refreshing green curly hair.

***

"Now, then, I'll explain the special plan I have in mind for you guys."

Lee Shin said, looking at the three people in front of him.

'I made them sit like that with the meaning of getting to know each other since they'll be living together for a while, but now that I've sat them like that, it reminds me of spinach kimbap.'

Lee Shin was about to start his explanation, letting the trivial thought that crossed his mind pass by.

"Excuse me, hyung?"

Baek Hyun-woo spoke faster than Lee Shin could.

"Huh? What's up all of a sudden?"

"Could you please explain what this situation is?"

Lee Shin nodded.

He had already expected this reaction from Baek Hyun-woo, so he had already prepared for it.

"You're going to train even if you're alone anyway. I heard from Jae-hyun that you just hole up and train alone."

"Uh... that's true, but."

Since it was true, Baek Hyun-woo nodded for now.

"Then just do it here with us. You were supposed to grant me one request in exchange for fighting me anyway."

Since this was also true, Baek Hyun-woo nodded once more.

"It would be more useful for you to have a proper fight with me rather than just imagining things on your own. Since at your current level, entering a dungeon is meaningless anyway."

Since it was all true, Baek Hyun-woo quietly shut his mouth.

There are those who can barely keep up with school classes, and there are those who finish the school curriculum by just skimming through the textbook once and then move on to the next grade's material.

The [Kings], including Baek Hyun-woo, were a special case among them.

If the current world was at the level of the lower grades of elementary school, they already had skills that would be more than enough to graduate from university.

Eun Yeon-woo and Lee Hyun-seok, who had grasped the general situation from the current conversation, looked at Baek Hyun-woo with eyes full of sympathy.

Since they had also experienced it several times, it didn't feel like someone else's problem.

"Haa, yes, well. If it's just a simple help, I'll just help you."

After a few exchanges, the one who gave up first was Baek Hyun-woo.

Baek Hyun-woo nodded his head limply as if to say, 'whatever happens, happens', and Lee Shin, satisfied with that, this time pointed at Eun Yeon-woo and Lee Hyun-seok and said.

"Now, then, next is you guys. Let's aim to at least reach the wall of LV.3 this time."

"Yes?"

"What?"

The two reacted as if it were nonsense, but Lee Shin ignored them.

"Ah, and you two, watch carefully when Hyun-woo and I spar. The abilities are different, but since it's a superpower, it won't be a loss to watch. Lastly, since you'll be living together for a while, introduce yourselves to each other."

"...I'm Baek Hyun-woo."

"...I'm Eun Yeon-woo."

"...I'm Lee Hyun-seok."

A thought crossed the minds of the three of them that they would somehow be able to get close to the person in front of them soon.

Because employees at the bottom usually get close by badmouthing their boss.

(End of Chapter)