Chapter 35: Star, The Bla k Mountain King (1)

The news article’s five-word title appeared on numerous web portals and was mentioned among various internet communities. For days, Chang-Sun and Chang-Sun-related topics were on every web portal’s most searched word lists.

No. 1: Lee Chang-Sun

No. 2: Tyrant

No. 3: White Tiger Clan Sector C video clip

No. 4: The return of Lee Chang-Sun

…

No. 10: The mysterious man L

When you're just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

…

Various comment sections were on the verge of crashing due to the constant flood of comments.

―MyBroReturns: ‘Lee Chang-Sun’ has been ranked number one on the most searched word list for four consecutive days! My bro Tyrant has returned! Noooiicceeee! Turn up the music!!!

―GrimReaper: Is he seriously SSS+++? Man, I feel so patriotic right now. Woooowww! Bartender! Gimme a bowl of makgeolli![1]

―SecondLifeRanker: Everyone who criticized Chang-Sun on the air for being an alcoholic is quiet now, right?

↳Youtubers are already busy taking down their videos criticizing Chang-Sun lol lol.

↳Btw the video of his test is REALLY insane.

↳The Tyrant hater communities say all the videos have been fabricated.

↳The fact that the Tyrant haters are idiots isn’t new.

―OverthrowGovernment: Does anyone still believe the news articles about the Tyrant? Tsk, tsk. How can you not know that the government has fabricated those videos to cover up the Jamsil Gate incident?

↳Hahahahahaha, conspiracy theorists really exist!

↳The major 20 Clans have become idiots instantly lol lol lol and his SSS+++ Magic Grade just became a conspiracy.

↳Hey, just go home, wash your feet, and sleep instead of posting this kind of comment.

―CheonYeongReligion: I’m worried about the Tyrant fans running amok again. They finally calmed down, you know. How are we going to deal with them?

↳God. It just crossed my mind and I’m a little bit scared now.

The public always needed new heroes, and the press always needed new subjects to put in the spotlight. At that moment, Chang-Sun was the best fit for both criteria.

The nickname ‘Tyrant’ was so famous worldwide that even people who were unfamiliar with online games had heard it. However, that hero had tragically become an alcoholic after getting into a fight with his gaming club and being forced to retire. And yet, such a hero had returned brilliantly with a Magic Grade higher than ‘SSS’, a grade that itself only appeared once a decade.

Of course, overseas media companies were busy writing many news articles about Chang-Sun, and Korean media was no different.

―DoubleChapterEdora: The White Tiger Clan’s stock price has skyrocketed over the past three days.

↳Let’s buy their stocks on marginnnnn!!!

↳Let’s gooooo!!!

↳If you guys did that, all of you could end up having a get-together in Hangang River[2], so just make diversified investments to the best of your ability.

―BowlingMan: I heard Lee Chang-Sun was the one who closed the Jamsil Gate. Is it true?

Stories about the Jamsil Gate had slowly leaked to the public, resulting in a common hypothesis that Chang-Sun was the urban legend ‘Mysterious Man L’. It was plausible; Chang-Sun lived in Jamsil, and the time period of Chang-Sun’s awakening overlapped with the Jamsil Gate’s opening. The initial ‘L’ added credibility to the hypothesis. Still, there were people who had dismissed the idea because no official announcement had been made, so public opinion about the Jamsil Gate had been split in two.

Suddenly, however, an interview published by a major news outlet sent the world into an uproar once again.

The survivor had introduced herself as ‘Miss Woo (15 years old)’ and explained in detail what had happened in the Jamsil Gate, the story of which had been kept confidential. The dungeon’s difficulty level had been raised significantly after the sudden appearance of an Administrator, which meant Second Lieutenant Park Hae-Seong had needed to use any means necessary to save as many people as possible. However, Jeon Choong-Jae had satisfied his own greed by manipulating people, but Chang-Sun had fought against Jeon Choong-Jae to save all those people…

Of course, the people involved had only been referred to by their initials or aliases, but some quick-witted internet users soon successfully figured out who they were. As a result, Second Lieutenant Hae-Seong became a star overnight, and Chang-Sun earned the ridiculous nickname of ‘Jamsil Hero’ in addition to ‘Tyrant.’

Due to those incidents, the public’s interest in Chang-Sun grew day by day.

Many press companies put in a great deal of effort to interview Chang-Sun, but their attempts were futile, only causing a great deal of trouble. The White Tiger Clan had begun protecting Chang-Sun from the press perfectly; his family members, who were already known for avoiding the press, likewise refused to cooperate.

Thus, most news articles about Chang-Sun were tabloids. Despite the current situation, people craved news about Chang-Sun, which meant they paid attention to the White Tiger Clan. News about how Chang-Sun had joined the White Tiger Clan after accepting an excellent remuneration package quickly wore out its welcome, and the whole world began focusing on speculation as to how the White Tiger Clan would use Chang-Sun’s talent.

* * *

“Give him to me!” Seo Jeong-Gwon shouted loudly.

“No, I won’t,” Executive Director Oh replied, firmly shaking his head.

“Damn, why do you keep saying no? He’s truly something, you know?! He needs a mentor like me to make his life much easier!” Jeong-Gwon yelled, his voice filling Executive Director Oh’s office like a train’s horn.

Massaging his temples, Executive Director Oh watched his unwelcome guest Jeong-Gwon, who had been pestering him for four days in a row. Although he desperately wanted to kick Jeong-Gwon out of his office, he could not do so; he knew Jeong-Gwon would return right away and throw a tantrum on the office floor.

Despite his muscular stature, Jeong-Gwon kept whining like a five-year-old child continuously asking for a lollipop.

“There’s no way his life will be easier. You’ll make his currently peaceful life hell,” Executive Director Oh remarked, clicking his tongue.

“Ah, hyung! Give him to me!” Jeong-Gwon screamed, seemingly having lost all his patience.

Although he had promised to never call Executive Director Oh ‘hyung’ while they were working in the Clan, Jeong-Gwon had just done so. In truth, they were cousins who were as close as brothers, because they had often met each other since they were children. It was also Executive Director Oh who had made Jeong-Gwon a Player, before Jeong-Gwon went down the wrong path due to his violent temper.

That was why Jeong-Gwon felt comfortable enough around Executive Director Oh to throw such a fit. He was determined to have Chang-Sun on his team. After deciding to recruit Chang-Sun at the testing site, he had been trying to achieve his goal the entire time.

Naturally, Executive Director Oh remained firm, replying, “No, I won’t.”

“Arrggghh! Why can’t you just let me have him if your dongsaeng is this desperate to have Chang-Sun on his team?!” Jeong-Gwon protested.

“We’re working in the Clan right now, so behave, or else I’m going to strip you of your rank as a team leader,” Executive Director Oh replied, glaring at Jeong-Gwon.

“Shit! Why do you keep saying no?!” Jeong-Gwon exclaimed, stamping his foot.

“I told you multiple times, I can’t do anything because more press than I can handle is focusing on us,” Executive Director Oh said, lightly massaging his eyes after throwing his glasses onto the desk. He continued, “Besides, he already applied for the Future Strategy Department and said he’d resign if things don’t work out his way, so how am I supposed to make him join Attack Team 2?”

“Still…!” Jeong-Gwon attempted to protest once more.

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“Besides, our Guardian strongly wants to make Chang-Sun his priest, so what would happen if he quit the Clan? Are you going to deal with our Guardian’s anger?” Executive Director Oh asked solemnly.

As the matter of their Guardian had been brought up, Jeong-Gwon could say nothing in protest, silently expressing his annoyance instead. Executive Director Oh felt a migraine coming on; if only his aunt had not asked him to take care of that little rascal as her dying wish…

‘That rascal’ was already over fifty, but he was still acting like a child, making Executive Director Oh’s life difficult. He would have kicked Jeong-Gwon out of the Clan if not for the other man’s talent as a player.

‘I have no other choice, because he’s still pretty useful… I’ll have to give him a good carrot,’ Executive Director Oh thought, tapping his desk. His life was already difficult enough because the Highoff Clan’s remnants had gone into hiding; he was left in disbelief that had to deal with such a trivial thing.

‘[Peter’s Key]…! I could only excuse giving this matter less attention if I knew the exact whereabouts of the key. Tsk!’ he thought while trying to piece some facts together. Eventually, he asked with a smile, “Did you think I would just stand by even though you’re that interested in Lee Chang-Sun, though?”

Just then, Jeong-Gwon’s angrily puffed-up cheeks deflated a little. He quietly asked, “…Then?”

“When Chang-Sun finishes his training period and leaves probation, he’ll be one of our own, so I can send him on missions I choose. Who’s going to work together with him the most in those missions?” Executive Director Oh replied softly.

“Ah!” Jeong-Gwon exclaimed, his expression brightening after he realized what Executive Director Oh meant.

‘Simpleton,’ Executive Director Oh thought, desperately holding back his desire to say the word out loud. Instead, he snapped, “So stop bugging me and get lost! I have to get some work done!”

“Hehehehe. Hyung, you know I love you a lot, right?” Jeong-Gwon replied with a silly smile.

“You don’t have to love me! Just get out!” Executive Director Oh replied, pointing at the door.

Jeong-Gwon giggled as he ran through the door. Afterward, Executive Director Oh thought he could finally rest—at least, until Jeong-Gwon suddenly returned to his office.

“Ah, I have one more question,” Jeong-Gwon began with the same goofy grin.

“What now?!” Executive Director Oh asked, massaging his temples.

“Where’s Lee Chang-Sun? I tried really hard, but I couldn’t find him,” Jeong-Gwon said, hopping around Executive Director Oh’s desk.

“Is that any of your business?” Executive Director Oh replied with a sigh.

“Come on, don’t do this. Let’s share information,” Jeong-Gwon said, nudging Executive Director Oh.

“I figured you would look for him, so I already locked him up in the place you hate the most,” Executive Director Oh replied; this time, he was the one grinning.

“…?” Jeong-Gwon quietly tilted his head in confusion, unsure what place Executive Director Oh was referring to.

Considering his personality, he had always gone through the Clan’s head office as if it were his front yard; he could not fathom what Executive Director Oh was talking about. However, it seemed he would get no more information no matter how he asked.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chang-Sun entered the White Tiger Clan’s Fierce Tiger Library with the guidance of Executive Director Oh’s subordinate. It was totally different from the library that the Clan opened to the public; it did not contain any ordinary books, instead containing spellbooks and weapon skill books.

“Wasn’t Heoju also a troublemaker in Heaven?”Thanatos asked Chang-Sun.

“He was,” Chang-Sun replied with a nod.

“Then what are the followers who have his blessing like?” Thanatos asked gently

“They’ll also have… made many enemies,” Chang-Sun realized.

“They haven’t just made many enemies, but also completely destroyed their enemies’ pride. After pillaging and seizing those foes’ treasures, they gathered and opened a grand exhibition, advertising their trophies as a way of spreading their Guardian’s glory,” Thanatos replied, shaking his head.

Describing Heoju and his followers as peas in a pod, Thanatos had smiled coldly. The ‘grand exhibition’ he had mentioned was in the Fierce Tiger Library. The Clan had gathered and recorded the goods they had seized from the people they fought.

The Fierce Tiger Library was a monument to commemorate the Clan’s victories; among other things was filled with various kinds of books. Naturally, it contained some beginner skill books and spellbooks. Apart from that, it contained ancient books from another world, containing weapon skills that had been passed down for generations, as well as Fortune Books that contained the teachings of various Celestials. It even had several high-level skill books. In addition, even though they were often considered miscellaneous items, several heroic epics were also stored within.

All the books were divided into seven categories, and those categories required different levels of clearance for the Clan’s employees. As Chang-Sun was just on probation and had not even finished his training, he would normally only be able to access the Tier 7 Library; however, until a week before the training period, he had been granted special permission by Executive Director Oh to access up to the Tier 3 Library.

“Judging from the fact that you told me about the exhibition, I have something to gain from it, don’t I?” Chang-Sun asked Thanatos.

“It’s not easy to recommend anything specific because I don’t know what kind of skill tree you’ll end up building… but I can give you a list of useful skills,” Thanatos replied, stroking his chin.

“I’ll just pick on my own,” Chang-Sun said, scratching his head.

“There is one skill you’ll definitely be interested in,” Thanatos said, lifting a finger.

“What’s that?” Chang-Sun asked with great interest.

“The movement skills of ‘Sagittarius’,” Thanatos replied with a grin.

Chang-Sun had been completely dumbstruck when he heard Thanatos’ response.

‘Sagittarius’ Rukbat was the fastest Zodiac. His six movement skills enabled him to move at the speed of light. They were no ordinary Authorities; rather, they were Divine Authorities, the envy of countless Celestials.

[Traceless Steps].

[Sky Soaring].

[Reed Crossing].

[Vaulting Shadow].

[Leaf Treading].

And…

‘[Avatar’s Descent]…’ Chang-Sun thought, recalling Sagittarius’ last movement skill.

If Sagittarius ever found out that Heoju had one of his movement skills, he would be more than capable of waging war against Heoju and the Clan under him. However, that had not happened, which meant Sagittarius did not know. Perhaps even Heoju did not know he had committed such a ridiculous act.

“Where did you hear that information from?” Chang-Sun asked with great curiosity.

“Who do you think?” Thanatos replied, smiling cheekily.

“…A ,” Chang-Sun replied.

In any event, there was no way Chang-Sun would ever let one of Sagittarius’ movement skills sit in the Fierce Tiger Library after discovering its location. That was why he had never tried to learn any movement skills, even though he had been steadily pursuing a variety of offensive and weapon-related skills.

‘I have to acquire [Avatar’s Descent] from this library, but it won’t be easy,’ Chang-Sun thought, taking a quick look through the library.

[Avatar’s Descent] was the Authority that had made Rukbat one of the Zodiacs, ‘Sagittarius’. It was a Divine Authority he had created even before he had become a star by stealing a glance at the , ‘Deus Ex Machina’. He had witnessed the using their signature Authority, [Sovereign’s Descent], in the ancient past of the universe—a time that looked nothing like the current universe.

Whenever Sagittarius used [Avatar’s Descent], he could instantly gain control of a certain region in space and project his divinity within it, enabling him to act as an absolute being within that space.

From what Chang-Sun had heard, the rest of the Zodiacs did not like even allowing Sagittarius into their general vicinity.

‘If I can just get my hands on that Divine Authority… No one will be able to stop me after I transcend and awaken my divinity,’ Chang-Sun thought, clenching his fists.

Thus, he had to have the Divine Authority. However, there was one problem…

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ observes your every movement.]

…Heoju himself was watching Chang-Sun.

1. The raw was ‘국뽕이 차오른다. 주모! 여기 한 사발 주이소!’ This is a very popular meme in Korea. Whenever a Korean feels incredibly proud of someone from Korea, they say they’ve gotten ‘국뽕’ (literally ‘high on patriotism’.) They express their happiness by calling out to ‘주모’, an integral part of the Korean traditional pubs, which are called ‘주막’. ☜

2. Hangang River was once known as a famous suicide spot. ☜

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