The Veteran Player Already Knows

Chapter 149 - Declaration of War (1)

The [King of Flies] related event, you see, was one of the events that even Conqueror users would pick as one of the most dreadful scenarios.

First of all, since many of the main and supporting characters were involved, the scale was large, the tasks and difficulty were high, and the risk of ‘failure’ was terrible.

Of course, failing an Ordeal also brought enormous penalties, but let's be honest here.

People dying was a big deal for me, who had transmigrated into this world, but from a typical ‘game player’s’ perspective, most would probably not care. It would be more fatal if something happened to the characters I had painstakingly raised.

In that sense.

If you ‘failed,’ it was no exaggeration to say that this was a branching point that was the culmination of the production team’s bad taste, where all the companion characters you had gotten along with so far would be consumed by demons.

There were dozens of ways to break a Conqueror newbie’s spirit, but one of the most representative and vicious methods was to advise them to forcibly take the King of Flies bad ending route.

You know, that cliché.

The body doesn't listen but the mind is sound, so the companion characters beg the protagonist to kill them. It’s an old cliché, but there’s nothing more effective in terms of causing discomfort.

Of course, I sometimes deliberately watched that ending.

“...”

No, it wasn't because I had some kind of bad taste.

I heard you could do some... interesting things to the companion characters who ended up in that situation. I wanted to practice some of those miscellaneous techniques.

It was something called being a ‘surgeon.’

After honing it to the extreme and actually presenting it in the cyber world, it was immediately listed on the miscellaneous techniques chart with people saying, ‘This is a 5-star one!’

Around that time, my title, having developed 80 percent of the techniques there, was upgraded from a top-tier veteran to an even higher-tier veteran.

“...Hmm.”

“What.”

“No. I was just thinking that you must have been a really terrifying person in the past, Gyu-sik-ssi.”

“...How would you know that?”

“Just looking at your expression gives me that kind of feeling.”

“...”

So how do you do that?

This one often shows an extremely innocent side of her brain in other areas, but she becomes strangely sharp whenever it involves me.

What's the principle behind it?

“My lady has always had a bit of that tendency towards people she’s interested in. It’s easier to think of it as a kind of superpower.”

And Team Leader Kim Jae-han said, popping up from the side.

The ‘Climber Association Central Branch’ we were currently heading to was a bit of an ambiguous place for me to enter alone.

So I had brought B-rank Climber Kim Jae-han, who had been active in various fields recently, to handle the troublesome procedures and processes.

“It’s been a while. It feels like it’s been some time since I’ve seen your face.”

“Well, these days it’s a bit difficult unless you call for me first. Recently, it’s come to the point where I have to ask if I may dare to visit you, Gyu-sik-ssi.”

“Don’t be dramatic.”

I chuckled and walked on.

No matter what, my official rank was the same B-rank as Kim Jae-han-ssi. This person wasn't at a level where he had to grovel before me like this.

That's what I thought.

But my thoughts were reversed just four minutes after entering the Association building.

“C-Climber Kim Gyu-sik-nim! Please, just one visit to our guild...!”

“Here is our guild’s business card! We will treat you with the utmost respect, so please give us a call!”

“Wait your turn, you beggar! You guys have never once surpassed us in the annual comprehensive evaluation, what are you on about!”

“What are you talking about, I remember you guys got a poor financial evaluation last year!”

“This is the Strever Guild from Europe! I-I am a huge fan of Gyu-sik-ssi. Please, just one autograph!”

“...”

Yep.

It was a mess.

When I first entered, everyone was just glancing at each other, trying to confirm who I was.

“Excuse me, is that really Climber Kim Gyu-sik-nim?”

The great chaos erupted because when someone asked Seo Ah-in that question, she reluctantly nodded her head.

This was, how should I put it? It was on a level that couldn't be explained even by seeing a celebrity.

It was a fervor that would make you believe it if someone said Jesus had suddenly descended while people were praying in a church.

“Unexpected. You didn’t know?”

“Pardon?”

“I heard that in the East Asian region, several religions have recently been established that worship you, Gyu-sik-ssi, as a divine messenger.”

“...”

Why on earth is that true?

Why on earth is it true?

The image of a certain religious group’s leader in a nun’s habit, following me around calling me Avatar of the Savior, Avatar of the Savior, flashed in my mind and then quickly subsided.

One such person was enough.

“Gyu-sik-ssi’s schedule is all systematically managed. If you make an inquiry through the Renegade Guild’s official channel, we will provide a precise answer at that time.”

And Kim Jae-han-ssi was clearing up the crowd swarming in front, just like my manager. It was as if this person had expected this to happen from the beginning.

“...”

Well, alright.

Let’s move quickly while this person buys me time.

***

I dashed into the building as if fleeing from the crowd.

“W-wow... I didn’t expect it to be this much. The Climber Association must have seen all sorts of famous people, but to have this kind of reaction. Gyu-sik-ssi, you really are a hot potato these days.”

Seo Ah-in, who was following me, left such an impression, clicking her tongue.

Indeed, as it officially managed all sorts of guilds, the authority and status of the Association were not at all inferior compared to any of the top-tier guilds. So it was understandable to be surprised when the people there rushed in so eagerly.

“That’s true, right?”

“For real. You’re needlessly popular, and a while ago, some actress came out on a broadcast and screamed that she was a fan of Gyu-sik-ssi...”

Seo Ah-in grumbled, then rattled off a list of other celebrities who had expressed interest in me.

Hmm, but.

“...Why do you know all that?”

And the names she just rattled off were all women.

“...Well, they could be competitors?”

“What kind of competition?”

Seo Ah-in, with narrowed eyes, slapped my back lightly.

What? What do you want me to do?

Anyway.

I knew my recognition had risen to some extent, but I hadn’t expected it to be this high.

The guy who rushed up asking for an autograph earlier even introduced himself as being from a European guild.

Lancester was as popular as it was famous and accomplished.

Therefore, I, who had crushed them, would have many people who disliked me for various reasons, and to those belonging to the Western ‘establishment,’ I would be treated as nothing more than a reckless upstart who didn’t know his place.

But even amidst such a current, meeting someone who would boldly declare themselves as ‘my fan’ meant that my influence had expanded to some extent.

‘...Then, I can go ahead and do something.’

I should probably talk to Kim Jae-han-ssi soon and arrange a press conference or something once I finish what I have to do at the Association.

The big one I had been steadily preparing through Seo Ji-an-ssi should be all finished by now, so I should officially set it off.

“We’re here.”

I read the nameplate that said ‘Chief of Staff.’ The name was Estelle.

From the case attached to the front of the office to the decorations near the door, they were not made of ordinary high-end materials.

“Chief of Staff... isn’t that a very high position?”

Seo Ah-in next to me tilted her head and said, to which I nodded.

“Well, she’s one of the most important executives in the Association, in effect.”

By any standard, she would probably be among the top five in terms of importance.

“Uh, I don’t know if it’s okay to just go in like this. Will it be alright?”

Leaving Seo Ah-in, who was worrying if we should have made an appointment, alone.

“Of course, it’s fine.”

“I-is that so?”

“And if she’s not okay with it, what’s she gonna do?”

-!

I kicked the door open.

You know, that move in movies where they break down the door with a kick. I did that with mana.

The door, made of high-quality wood, shattered as if hit by a bomb.

“...Y-you crazy bastard-! What are you doing now?!”

I ignored Seo Ah-in’s shriek from the side and strode into the room.

Compared to what I was about to do, this was just child’s play.

Inside the office, a woman who had been sitting at her desk looking at documents was staring blankly at us.

A monocle. Blonde hair. An appearance that looked to be in her early 30s.

Well, if you thought about it, she could be considered a beauty, but that wasn't very important.

‘...Hmm.’

I tallied the numbers in my head.

As I said earlier, the King of Flies event was a vicious one where you had to successfully bypass all sorts of complex prerequisites and various branching paths to avoid any harm to the player.

In that sense.

What I was about to do was, well.

It was undoubtedly a gamble, and the aftermath would be a bit difficult to handle.

But it would be a single blow that would help me smoothly break through those kinds of difficulties.

“...Who are you people? What is the meaning of this?”

Estelle frowned as she spoke.

Well, it was a logical and natural reaction, and Seo Ah-in also seemed at a loss, but.

“What do you mean, what is this?”

I replied with a smirk.

“This is what I came here for.”

[ Arcane Burst: Modified / Rune Characters: Eternity ]

[ Observation ]

[ Double Pulse ]

[ Shadow Secret Arts: Forceful Blow ]

[ Formless ]

A fatal blow filled with killing intent flew.

The mana bullet that flew in an instant shattered the head of the Association’s Chief of Staff, Estelle.

With a pop, the sight of flesh scattering was almost cartoonish.

Hmm, with a mana stat well over 100, just mixing a few skills into a basic attack like this seemed to produce this much power. Not bad.

“...”

And unlike me, who was making such an assessment, Seo Ah-in, who hadn't even registered what had just happened, stared blankly back and forth between me and the corpse.

“...Uh, you killed, killed a person...? Gyu-sik-ssi...? There's no way he would, no way he would do that...”

“Who killed anyone?”

I smirked and looked at Estelle, whose head was blown off.

As far as I knew, this one wasn't someone who would die so easily.

I just did it because I was a little annoyed at her brazen attitude despite having a ‘prior appointment.’

“Besides, that’s not a person, anyway.”

At the same time.

Dark mana erupted throughout the entire room.