Episode 169
Susssssuk.
Taehyun canceled his hiding.
The place I stopped by was the rooftop of the school.
“It’s still the same here.”
Late February.
It was still chilly, but the air was clear.
I climbed up to the end of the railing.
As soon as he disappeared, reporters were seen wandering around the school.
Eat.
I started laughing without realizing it.
I remembered the past, or rather, my past life.
I’ve been beaten countless times here.
The opponent is a low-level skill awakener without a player license.
When I think about it now, I can’t help but laugh. They’re so delicate and weak.
This life was different.
It started here.
Taehyun had his first feast here on the rooftop.
Bae Hyuk-soo’s C-grade skill ‘Stone skin’.
Next, Kim Myeong-gyun’s D-grade skill ‘Paralysis’ and Lee Jeong-jae’s C-grade skill ‘Monarch’s Heart’.
The three skills are still fused and used as main skills.
“At that time, I never thought it would happen like this.”
Although he was said to be a growth type, Taehyun was in grade E at the time.
And in less than a year, he grew to an unprecedented AAA level and became one of the first SS-level players.
“A lot has happened.”
Grade E. Grade D. C grade. Grade B. Grade A. AA grade. AAA grade.
Looking back, every moment was a turning point.
There would be many such hardships in the future.
When Taehyun was lost in his own reminiscences.
I felt someone coming up to the rooftop.
The magic I felt in my body was very familiar.
“As expected, you were here. Taehyun Kim.”
“what. long time no see.”
Taehyun greeted the man who had just stepped onto the rooftop.
It was Lee Jeong-jae.
“Long time no see…? “You… you talk so well… so much.”
Lee Jeong-jae spoke as if chewing with a distorted face.
I felt like I wanted to rush at any moment.
“why? “Did you come here to start a fight?”
Taehyun said it indifferently.
gulp.
Lee Jeong-jae swallowed dry saliva without realizing it.
The rooftop had a special meaning to Tae-hyun, but it was also a place where Lee Jeong-jae had significant trauma.
‘Damn you…’
Unlike himself, who had been stagnant for the past year, Taehyun has constantly grown.
Attacking Taehyun, who has achieved ridiculous heights, would be tantamount to suicide.
Nevertheless, the reason I came here was to overcome trauma.
The primal fear that Taehyun planted in his body.
Fear of predation.
This is the graduation rooftop to escape from that.
Lee Jeong-jae forced a smile.
It was a distorted smile.
As soon as I started laughing, I burst out laughing without realizing it.
“Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk of of
course
Taehyun looked at him with a strange look as he started to laugh alone.
“Is this a crazy concept all of a sudden?”
“Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk huh ht…yeah, maybe that’s the case. This is all….”
“It’s because of me?”
Wow.
When Taehyun hit, Lee Jeongjae gritted his teeth and glared.
‘Tsk tsk. ‘Pathetic bastard.’
Hyuksu Bae. Kim Myeong-gyun. And Lee Jeong-jae.
I knew that the three people who were preyed upon by Taehyun did not come to school.
I didn’t feel any sympathy or anything.
‘These guys would have found another scapegoat even if it wasn’t me.’
An eye for an eye. This includes:
You just reap what you sow.
Before he knew it, uncontrollable magic flowed out of Lee Jeong-jae’s body.
“Kim Taehyun… don’t look at me like that. Lee….”
Lee Jeong-jae spoke clearly in a stern voice.
Taehyun looked at him pitifully.
“Is it true that you keep saying that?”
“Ugh….”
“Stop talking nonsense, tell me why you came here, and get out.”
“I will take revenge. All of this shame I received…”
“I told you not to talk nonsense, so you still talk nonsense?”
“Ugh…!!”
Lee Jeong-jae grabbed his neck due to the deadly force released from Tae-hyun’s body.
Although it only lasted about 1 second that Taehyun cried out for his life.
Lee Jeong-jae had to fall with such shock that he felt like he was going out of his mind.
The gap was shown by not even moving a finger.
The gap between the two had widened that much.
“But because of affection, I don’t use my skills. “Please reform and make a new life.”
Before you know it, Lee Jeong-jae is crawling on the floor.
Taehyun looked down at him for a moment and walked towards the rooftop entrance.
Now it was time for reporters to arrive here.
“Woo…Woo….”
Saliva flowed from the mouth of Lee Jeong-jae, who was kneeling.
It was difficult to control my trembling body.
At that time, Taehyun suddenly stopped walking and looked back at Lee Jeongjae.
“hey. But can you still use ‘Heart of the Monarch’?”
Lee Jeong-jae’s face distorted once again.
“Oh, I guess that doesn’t work either.”
Taehyun was going down the rooftop without any regrets.
* * *
A minute has passed since Taehyun disappeared from the rooftop.
less less less less.
Lee Jeong-jae continued to tremble.
‘Why… I’m also an S-class awakened person, so why am I like this…’
Lee Jeong-jae tried to suppress his trembling body.
The body that was out of control did not listen.
At that time, a new man came up to the rooftop.
It was Lee Jeong-su.
Behind him, bodyguards who were grade A players came in one after another.
“….”
Lee Jeong-soo looked down at his son kneeling.
The bodyguards all turned around.
The rooftop began to be controlled.
“You’re showing an unsightly side.”
“Ah, father…”
Lee Jeong-jae raised his head at the unexpected voice.
A new fear appeared in both eyes.
“I can’t believe the heir to the great Taesan Group is showing himself like this… Have you not been beaten yet?”
Lee Jeong-su took a step toward Lee Jeong-jae.
“Oh, father, please…”
Lee Jeong-jae stumbled back without even being able to stand up.
Jerk. Jerk. Jerk. Jerk.
Every time Lee Jeong-soo approached, Lee Jeong-jae shook his body violently.
“I’m sorry, I was wrong. Please save me!! “Father, please…!!”
Lee Jeong-jae closed his eyes tightly as he saw Lee Jeong-soo approaching right in front of him.
The pain that would follow was vivid.
However.
Suddenly.
I felt a different tactile sensation than I thought.
Lee Jeong-su’s hand was placed on Lee Jeong-jae’s head.
“…?”
“It’s been a lot of hard work. “Son.”
“Oh father…?”
Lee Jeong-jae looked at Lee Jeong-soo with incomprehensible eyes.
“I have prepared a gift for you.”
Lee Jeong-su smiled and took out a potion.
It was a potion mixed with red and black.
“Drink.”
“yes…?”
Despite Lee Jeong-jae’s question.
“After eating this, you will become my son again. “Come on.”
Lee Jeong-su once again poured the potion.
“What is this….”
Lee Jeong-jae’s words could not continue until the end.
Sigh.
Lee Jeong-su’s hand slapped Lee Jeong-jae’s cheek.
Lee Jeong-jae’s body rolled around on the floor helplessly.
“You bastard. “I can’t understand it in good words.”
“Father…”
“Don’t even call me father!!”
Lee Jeong-soo took off the belt he was wearing.
Sigh.
“Even after being humiliated like that!!”
Sigh.
“Even after being trampled like this!!”
Sigh.
“I can’t believe you still have that mindset!!”
Sigh. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh.
Lee Jeong-su is a person with the body of an S-class player.
There was no way that Lee Jeong-jae, whose growth had stopped, could endure the continued beatings.
After a while, Lee Jeong-jae’s body sank to the floor.
He fainted.
Lee Jeong-su shoved a potion into Lee Jeong-jae’s mouth.
Grumble. Grumble. Grumble.
gulp.
The liquid in the potion was completely emptied.
“You become my son again. Jeongjae.”
Jeongsoo Lee smiled as she looked at her son’s face, which had begun to swell.
gulp.
The bodyguards who had been standing back the whole time swallowed their saliva one by one.
* * *
Several months have passed since Taehyun’s graduation ceremony.
It is generally a difficult time for many things to happen, but it was a period in which an unprecedented amount of things happened in the world.
This is because all but one unexplored dungeon in the world has been conquered.
This was the result of a fierce competition between the US and New Korea.
And that last place.
The unexplored dungeon in Mexico City was just about to break.
Coo coo coo coo coo goong.
Druddudduddudduk.
The dungeon shook and a gate was created, and a group of people came out through it.
It was a new Korea attack force.
Among them, four players representing New Korea.
Seongjin Park. Kwak Si-yang. Kwon Kang-hyuk. Lim Ayoung.
Their popularity was unusually high.
“Everyone turn on the cameras!!”
“Please look here!!”
“Please do an interview!!”
Reporters from broadcasting stations and newspapers from all over the world shouted.
It was a historic moment that will be remembered in the future as a day symbolizing peace.
and.
The last person to mark this historic day came out of the gate.
It was Taehyun.
Cameras that had been waiting without reporting on others gathered around.
“It’s Taehyun Kim!!!”
“Everyone turn the camera to that side!!”
“Kim Tae-hyun player!! Please look here!!”
Taehyun usually doesn’t like media interviews, but today was different.
The last unexplored gate on Earth has disappeared.
What that meant was clear.
‘Abyss Rush. ‘I’m 7 years ahead of my previous life.’
Now, numerous players will jump in to reveal the Abyss.
When I was thinking about that and assessing what would happen in the future.
A woman blocked Taehyun’s path.
It was Yoon Mi-so, whom Tae-hyun hired as his personal assistant.
She used a skill against the reporters who were rushing towards her.
Tiring.
[Skill Lion’s Roar (A) has been activated.]
“Let’s sleep!! Reporters!! As I said before, I will only accept five questions. Please consider the circumstances of the players who have just cleared the dungeon!! “If you do not follow the order, we will file a formal complaint later!!!”
The area suddenly became quiet.
“Secretary Yoon, you are doing a good job.”
“What. More than that, congratulations on conquering the dungeon, CEO. “Should we take a short break from the press conference?”
“no. “They must have been waiting a long time, so let’s get started right away.”
Secretary Yoon shouted once again using the lion’s hooves, and after a while, the reporters began asking questions.
“Player Kim Tae-hyun. Currently, the number of unexplored dungeons conquered is on par with that of the United States. “What do you think about this?”
“I think it is a good process and result for the development and prosperity of humanity.”
It was a standard answer to a standard question.
“Player Kim Tae-hyun. “I heard that you have a personal relationship with player Lim Ah-young… Is this true?”
“It’s not like that. “He is a colleague.”
A sigh flowed out.
Surprisingly, there were many cases where Taehyun and Im Ah-young were pushed.
“Player Kim Tae-hyun. “Are you aware that President Ji Jin-hee Ji has introduced a new licensing system?”
“I do not know. “I came back from the dungeon.”
“Oh, according to the new system…”
Taehyun shook his head at the woman who was trying to explain.
“He is someone who cares about his players and his people more than anyone else. “I believe that whatever he does, it will be right.”
Unconditional trust in Ji Jin-hee.
At that sight, gasps erupted from everywhere.
“Player Kim Tae-hyun. “I was selected as an SS-level license supervisor. Please tell me what you think.”
“I will do my best as this is an important position.”
“A little longer….”
“We will select candidates thoroughly based on their skills.”
“….”
In an instant, it was the last questioner’s turn.
“Player Kim Tae-hyun. “Who is the first person you want to meet when you leave the dungeon?”
The question was of a lower level than expected, causing sharp looks from all over.
“Um… it’s difficult to tell you directly due to personal privacy reasons.”
“Then at least the gender…”
“Hey. “You call that a question?!!”
“If you’re going to do that, hand over the right to ask questions to me!!”
“Oh, it’s a man. That’s it.”
“….”
“….”
“….”
Taehyun moved to his seat, looking at the quiet area.
“I will conclude my answer with this!!”
Secretary Yoon Miso, embarrassed, followed Taehyun at a brisk pace.
