Chapter 292 – I Overlooked It (1)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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A magic-like reversal.

The world could not hide its astonishment at that reversal.

Except for those who call themselves a great nation.

Bang!

The leader of the great nation, Jianwei, slammed his fist on the desk. More than his stinging fist, what grated on his nerves were the foreign press babbling beyond the screen.

The scrolling subtitles.

-The truth revealed like magic……. The cruel bare face of World Unification

-Liu Ouzhunchun, why did he incite the disaster?

-Anonymous ranker, “There is a high possibility that World Unification’s guild members are suffering from status effects”…….

The attendants who were watching the news together by his side speak to him.

“Hasn’t the outside world been babbling like this for a day or two? As always, these are news that will absolutely not reach the eyes and ears of the people. Please do not worry.”

Grind.

Jianwei ground his teeth.

Do I look like I’m anxious out of worry for the people?

They really have absolutely no tact.

‘Liu Ouzhunchun……!’

At this moment, the one Jianwei was afraid of was none other than Liu Ouzhunchun. Because with this, Liu Ouzhunchun was the one whose face was severely crumpled.

Tremble tremble!

Purge.

Purge.

A series of purges.

Thinking about the appearances Liu Ouzhunchun had shown so far, his body trembled with chills. He still couldn’t forget Liu Ouzhunchun’s terrifyingly glaring eyes warning him.

-“Do not offend me, Chairman Jian.”

-“Do you know the reason why I kept you alive?”

-“Because you have utilization value. I hope you do not betray my expectations and deny your utilization value. Because at that time, I don’t think I can guarantee your safety either.”

Goddamn it!

Jianwei was struck with deep regret down to his bones.

‘I raised a tiger cub with my own hands.’

The words that appeared after the Cataclysm.

The one who dominates Arcana will dominate the world.

Jianwei resented himself for being tempted by those words.

Look at the result of providing infinite support to Liu Ouzhunchun and World Unification.

Doesn’t it look like the one dominating the world will be Liu Ouzhunchun instead of himself?

Jianwei had a premonition.

‘At this rate, my life doesn’t have much left.’

Whether Liu Ouzhunchun’s face was crumpled.

Or not.

That didn’t matter.

The important thing was failing to prove his own utilization value.

Didn’t he directly stick his face out in front of the cameras?

That he would consider attacks toward World Unification as attacks toward the great nation.

Didn’t he declare it?

That wasn’t a joke but a stern warning.

But its effect was, as seen, nonexistent.

The reason was simple.

Because the opponent was the opponent.

‘……Lee Ho-yeol!’

The player who showed an even more incomprehensible move than Liu Ouzhunchun’s.

Public evaluations or expectations didn’t work on Lee Ho-yeol.

It is like that right now.

‘I thought I could at least buy time to roll my brain.’

The situation where the Shadow Mercenaries were unexpectedly swept up.

He had the certainty that he could hide the truth of the incident as much as he wanted if he intended to.

Because the massive bribes and connections scattered worldwide weren’t just for show.

That’s why he stuck his face out.

However.

‘Everything was meaningless.’

Lee Ho-yeol, to him……!

Jianwei checked his wristwatch.

There were about five to six hours left until Liu Ouzhunchun’s return.

‘……At the point he returns, I.’

Indeed, will my breath still be attached?

After weighing things, Jianwei came to a conclusion.

Liu Ouzhunchun, before he returns.

To leave his homeland.

‘I have no utilization value to him anymore.’

The fact that I can’t even play the role of a scarecrow.

There was no way a cool-headed man like Liu Ouzhunchun wouldn’t know.

But utilization value is relative.

Why, didn’t you witness the possibility on the screen?

‘Lee Ho-yeol, if it’s him…….’

Because it seemed certain that he wouldn’t submit to someone like Liu Ouzhunchun.

Jianwei was confident.

Liu Ouzhunchun and World Unification’s shameful secrets?

Because there would be no one who knew about it better than himself.

Soon, he opened his mouth.

“Everyone, prepare yourselves.”

“What do you mean, Chairman Jian?”

“The time has come to redesign the future.”

Jianwei only left excellent and loyal attendants by his side. If it’s them, there’s no worry about information leaking. The cause was entering into action thinking like that.

“If you understood, make your move.”

The attendants’ eyes sink.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Did you not understand? There is no future for me here.”

“Could that be possible?”

“……?”

At the changed tone, Jianwei looked at the attendant and flinched.

For some reason, those eyes were murky like dead fish eyes.

Like a doll, as if being manipulated by someone, ‘brainwashing’…….

‘Wait, brainwashing……?’

The TV audio suddenly passing by his mind.

The Zero Mountain Range that surfaced through magic.

The voice of World Unification’s player.

-“Tell me what you want! Do you perhaps want World Unification’s internal information? If so, use me! I am no longer Liu Ouzhunchun’s puppet or such……!”

Jianwei stuttered.

“H, How did you guys get your hands on them too……?!”

But what returned was not an answer.

“Let go. Let go. You bastards!!”

Merely the fierce hands of the attendants suppressing Jianwei from both sides.

Even if it wasn’t sincere.

What was revealed on the outside was boundlessly blind loyalty.

“To think you would consider betraying our liege.”

“I am disappointed in you, Chairman Jian.”

“Please wait quietly for our liege’s disposition like this.”

“……!!”

Flump.

Jianwei’s legs completely gave way.

*

Squeak─

I stepped out of the Mage Tower’s office with light steps.

While the world was in an uproar.

If you ask what I was doing in the office.

“An exploration regarding the strange.”

That’s right.

I was internet surfing.

Because I was slightly worried about that.

‘Just in case there are people who recognize Claudi.’

Naturally yet fortunately.

The interest regarding Claudi was put on the back burner for now.

It was thanks to my glib tongue stepping up hotly.

‘Because I detonated the bomb called World Unification.’

Of course, cleaning up the mess was always my job.

After entrusting the Shadow Mercenaries to Belier.

I went straight to Marcelo.

Because I thought Marcelo would naturally know.

Even regarding a magic that could replace CCTV.

As expected, Marcelo responded to my expectations.

‘They must be burning up inside quite a bit?’

The bare face of World Unification.

It was far uglier than my expectations.

Liu Ouzhunchun, I couldn’t bring myself to like him somehow…….

“The stench of rot was vibrating.”

Certainly.

Should I say there was a reason for that?

Thanks to that, the doubts remaining about the Shadow Mercenaries were also resolved.

‘Because World Unification was the one who threatened them first.’

The world is not a flower garden.

The world of players even more so.

Because the world of players is one where if you aim for someone’s life, you must also be prepared to lose your own life. In that sense, I, Lee Ho-yeol, generously understand the Shadow Mercenaries.

‘Still, for a mastermind, they were quite gentle.’

The worst and most heinous criminal group of the Arcana continent.

But was it because World Unification was there with them?

Relatively, the Shadow Mercenaries appeared as a group overflowing with loyalty.

It wasn’t that my arm bent inward, the world’s evaluation didn’t differ much either.

Henderson and Rakkid.

Even after seeing the two men being helplessly attacked.

Because the sight of the Shadow Mercenaries rushing at the Great Evil spread to the world.

‘What’s good is good.’

I mean I didn’t unnecessarily want to dig into things and cause trouble.

However.

Who was Granfel.

A possessor of knife-like pride without a single inch of concession.

A possessor of an annoying personality that couldn’t gloss over anything roughly. Therefore, my destination after exiting the office naturally had to be the Healing Magic School’s separate room.

Tap.

At my presence overflowing with existence, a familiar face flinches.

It was the Healing School’s skilled mage, Klee.

Flop, Klee bowing her head down.

“Chief Lee, I am seeing your face after a long time!”

I generously responded to her formal greeting.

“You have been working hard, Klee Odia.”

“Not at all!”

Although there’s no one in the Mage Tower who doesn’t work hard, excluding that detestable cat (Tower Master). Among them, the Healing School has had a lot of hard work recently. From how to purify the evil fruit swallowed by the dragons to healing the Shadow Mercenaries.

‘There are so many things I requested of them.’

But as expected, who is Granfel?

Because he lives a more tiring everyday life than anyone.

An iron man who can confidently give guidance to anyone.

“Nevertheless, thou shalt not neglect your research.”

“Of course, Chief Lee!”

“Because thy research has more than enough value for it.”

Always adding a superfluous remark at the end of a praise.

There truly is no detestable superior like this…….

It’s a relief Klee has a good personality.

Soon, as I opened the door to the separate room, patients lying on sickbeds could be seen.

A total of nine.

All of the Shadow Mercenaries except for Kitch.

Only Wolf, the sole person who regained consciousness, had raised his body.

“Are you not overexerting yourself yet.”

“……!”

At my voice, Wolf hastily turns his head.

Then opens his mouth quietly.

“Why did you take us in, General Commander……?”

Wolf turned his head but is unable to raise it.

Seeing that, Wolf must also be guessing it.

The Great Evil’s request related to me, Claudi.

‘No, there’s really nothing to worry about that?’

In the first place, in the Shadow Mercenaries of those days, not a single member of the current group including Kitch existed, right? No matter how much Granfel prioritizes procedures, there is flexibility.

‘It means there’s no intent to hold guilt by association.’

Furthermore.

‘There’s nothing good about digging into that unnecessarily……!’

Because in the end, all the culprits will surely trace back to my dark history……!

Let’s not mention that boundlessly dark past anymore, Wolf.

I spoke carrying such intention.

“I shall not hold you accountable for the responsibility.”

“……Why?”

“Did Kitch, your commander, not already shoulder the responsibility.”

“!”

Since Wolf didn’t seem to have the thought of backing down easily either, mentioning Kitch appropriately would be for the best. Of course, even if I meet Kitch in the future, I don’t intend to hold her accountable for the responsibility though.

Yet Wolf still couldn’t raise his head.

“Is that so……? But we do not have the qualification to accept the General Commander’s grace. If you get involved with the boundlessly ugly us, it will surely become a flaw for the General Commander.”

Then he continues speaking.

“It is like that just now. Even if there was a purpose and circumstances. We took the lives of adventurers. If that fact becomes known to the world…….”

Oh, that?

Man, there’s no need to worry about that either.

Because even if they try to drive public opinion for hundreds of days, thanks to Marcelo’s magic showing the truth existing at that time. No matter how much bribes people have eaten up, they probably won’t have anything to say for a while?

Why, because right now, a headwind was blowing.

-How do you endure when someone’s threatening you with a knife next to you?

-Fr World Unification those guys totally brought their deaths upon themselves first

-If they don’t disguise themselves they try to kill them, if they do they try to kill them……

-Shouldn’t we investigate the players who went missing in the Zero Mountain Range a bit more specifically on this?? I mean if you met those guys without a guild, you would’ve died a sudden death??

What was more certain than internet public opinion was the reaction of World Unification and China.

Overshadowing the ambitious declaration spat out by the supreme ruler.

Now that their bare face was revealed, they weren’t putting out any reaction.

So I spoke confidently.

“There is nothing to worry about that either.”

“……Pardon?”

“You guys will not become a burden to me.”

……Hearing this carefully, it sounds like a really nice thing to say but.

‘This is just showing off, right?’

To my ears, who knows the Granfel-style way of speaking better than anyone.

I couldn’t help but hear it differently.

But for some reason, Wolf dropped his head once again.

Then he muttered quietly.

“……At this rate, it will be difficult to repay you even if I put in effort for a lifetime.”

Of course, as I said, what Granfel wants is a certain conclusion.

So I had to hear the exact circumstances.

I also had to ask definitely about the Shadow Mercenaries’ course of action perfectly moving forward.

Vrrrt─

But at the ringing vibration, I paused my speech for a moment.

Vrrrt. Vrrrrrt. Vrrrt.

A ceaseless vibration.

A familiar interval of notifications.

Just from that, I realized its seriousness.

……This persistence is definitely the enemy!