Seryu Group.
One of the most influential corporations in Japan.
Ever since the Tower first appeared ten years ago, they had been quietly growing in size, and before long, they began aggressively recruiting Japanese players.
As a result, they had expanded their reach massively and now controlled a major pillar of the economy.
“Seryu Group?”
“Father, the New World, the revival of the Azure Dragon, the power of the Four Divine Beasts is needed. Phoenix. Kidnapping. Korea.”
Seijiro, completely out of it, kept questioning relentlessly.
However, proper conversation was no longer possible.
He merely repeated a string of fragmented words.
Still, a lot could be discerned.
First, Bbyak’s ability.
Purification meant burning away the evil nature of a person itself.
It was the reason Taejin’s entire body was burned.
It was why Seijiro had lost his mind and collapsed.
They were evil in their very existence.
The difference with Mitsuru was the same.
She had not done anything evil herself.
She had been mentally controlled by the parasite.
Now, with her memories lost, only the good image from her past remained.
But this man had committed far too many wrongs up until now.
His entire mind was burdened with karma.
In other words, when his evil heart was purified, the largest chunk of his true nature disappeared.
That was why he had become an empty shell.
His unfocused pupils shook his body from side to side.
The man, completely broken, answered all questions obediently.
Seeing his half-open pupils was somewhat pitiful, but after all, he was still a criminal who dared to threaten Seolha.
To feel sympathy for a criminal was foolish.
“What exactly is the parasite?”
“Hokchung.”
That was when it happened.
After his final answer, Seijiro suddenly stopped breathing, lost consciousness, and died right there.
His soul slipped away.
“He’s dead.”
Dohyun confirmed the lack of pulse.
He was no longer a person of this world.
“Still, we learned a lot.”
“Yes. We at least know who’s behind this.”
Though they couldn’t extract more information, this was enough.
It had become clear who their enemy was.
***
The next morning.
From early dawn, reporters crowded in front of the Association.
Why?
Because it was time to start the counterattack in earnest.
If you receive a preemptive strike, you must return it twofold.
And the one to open the first act of retaliation was none other than Seolha.
The impact of a single word from her was beyond imagination.
She was the perfect enemy to announce Seryu Group’s atrocities to the global media.
“Hello. I am Choi Seolha, affiliated with the Korea Player Association.”
Seolha appeared amidst the flashing cameras.
With a cold glance scanning the surroundings, she gripped the microphone.
“I am not here to talk about personal success or records today.”
Her usual warmth was gone, replaced by a cold and composed demeanor.
Her clear and precise pronunciation overwhelmed the crowd.
“This is not merely about corporate tyranny or corruption. This concerns humanity, social justice, and a dark conspiracy threatening the entire world.”
She took a breath.
Then she began summarizing what had been briefed.
“Yesterday afternoon, I was the target of an assassination attempt.”
The press conference hall buzzed at her first words.
An assassination attempt?
It was unbelievable.
Who would dare?
And in Korea, no less.
Attempting to assassinate the world’s number one ranked player?
“During the defense of the Gate, a bullet was fired at my head, and through cooperation with the Association, we have secured evidence and identified the culprit.”
As Seolha continued, the flashes from cameras grew louder and more intense.
The climax revealing the mastermind behind it all was near.
After a moment of silence, Seolha spoke again.
“The Seoul Gate collapse incident, the attempted assassination of an Association official, civilian assaults, and the attempted murder of a player—these are all acts committed by the Japanese Seryu Group.”
Click-click-click —
Without looking back, Seolha left the conference room after her final words.
“Player Choi Seolha, is everything you just said true?”
“Are you saying the Seryu Group approached Player Choi Seolha?”
“What kind of bullet was used in the assassination attempt?”
A flood of questions poured in, and the one answering was Dohyun.
Dohyun stood before the reporters, attaching photo evidence densely filled with bullets and other proof.
“For the mental and physical stability of Player Choi Seolha, I will be taking the questions.”
“Is it true that all of this was orchestrated by the Seryu Group?”
No sooner had he said this than a bespectacled reporter pushed a recording device forward.
“Yes. We have received a confession from the culprit, and have confirmed that he was a hitman employed by the Seryu Group.”
“Then why did they target Player Choi Seolha?”
“The Seryu Group is using the parasite called Hokchung to brainwash and control talented players. We speculate this is why they tried to approach Player Choi Seolha.”
Meanwhile, Dohyun said nothing about Bbyak.
“What exactly is Hokchung?”
“It is a parasitic monster species occasionally found at Gates. If ingested by a living creature, it can steal the soul. It has been strictly designated as a first-class prohibited species.”
“What has the Korean Association done so far? If the number one ranked player, Choi Seolha, was threatened, isn’t it possible that there are spies inside the Association already?”
A sharp question from another reporter.
There was indeed a spy within the Association.
It was Mitsuru.
Moreover, she might not be the only one.
It didn’t necessarily have to be a Japanese person.
There was even a possibility of kidnapping citizens through the parasite.
That was why Dohyun had arranged this press conference.
It was not just a warning directed at the Seryu Group.
It was also a message to the corrupt Korean Association.
“Based on all the evidence I have gathered so far, I vow to root out the rotten core that dared to threaten the citizens of Korea.”
***
The largest player community in Japan was now burning with outrage.
The cause was obviously the press conference held by Seolha and Dohyun.
It had already spread worldwide.
The atrocities of the Seryu Group.
In vain, even ordinary Japanese citizens were being insulted and dragged into the scandal.
“Seize and search! This isn’t just about the Seryu Group. Investigate all companies related to players thoroughly and return their members to the Association.”
“That’s nonsense. It’s the Seryu Group. A major corporation that accounts for 10% of the Japanese economy and 60% of the player market.”
“Stagnant water only rots. The Seryu Group has already been exposed worldwide. It wouldn’t be surprising if they collapse soon.”
A heated debate broke out among users.
Most criticized the Seryu Group.
No matter how patriotic you are, there was no excuse for what they had done.
Many believed that the reason behind their aggressive recruitment of players and the frequent mysterious disappearances was this very cause.
Of course, some still defended the Seryu Group and blamed the Korean Association and Seolha.
“This is a conspiracy by the Joseon traitors.”
“I think this is a conspiracy too. Why would the Seryu Group go all the way to Korea to kidnap players? It just doesn’t add up.”
However, the problem didn’t end there.
Retaliation had begun in earnest.
First, Korea.
All exports and rentals of any items were halted.
Korea’s policy, with its high average rank and floor count, dealt a heavy blow to Japan as well.
Especially now, when the 50th floor had become so important.
“My American friend told me that the item James lent during the 50th-floor climb was from a Korean company.”
“The 50th-floor climb is already complete?”
An interview had just been uploaded.
It was a sudden blow.
The United States had become the second country in the world to complete the 50-floor climb.
One floor a day, accomplishing the feat in just three days.
The credit, of course, went to Somi’s Phoenix’s Flower Bracelet.
Without the bracelet, it was unimaginable.
“Seriously. I asked my friend to translate the original, and they did it right away.”
The translated interview was uploaded soon after.
To summarize:
What happened in Korea was regrettable.
They want to help Korea, which played a huge role in the 50-floor climb.
They intend to meet directly with not only the company but also the Association.
They will also issue a formal statement through the Japanese Association.
“This is a big deal. So that item really is Korean-made.”
“The number of Japanese rankers was already small, and now they can’t even climb the 50th floor?”
“Whoever did it, what is the government doing? They better come up with countermeasures fast.”
“If they can’t climb the 50th floor, they’ll be eliminated. Everyone should leave Japan quickly.”
The fallout from James’s interview was unexpectedly huge.
For a group proud to be East Asia’s pride, this was a severe shock.
James, who had previously only cleared the 47th floor, completed the 50th floor in just three days with the help of one item.
The effectiveness was now proven.
But the problem was Korea’s export and rental restrictions.
Soon, other countries would follow and complete the 50 floors.
But what about Japan?
They would be eliminated.
Couldn’t they do it without the item?
If that were the case, they would have done it already.
They were still too immature.
Unless a revolutionary, legendary-grade item appeared, it was unlikely.
And this was not the end.
No one knew how Korea would act next.
They could even use the rental ban to restrict exchanges with other countries.
They couldn’t deny it.
The few pieces of evidence revealed by the Korean Association clearly pointed to the Seryu Group.
Of course, the Japanese Association was just as troubled.
The staff sitting around the meeting table wore grave expressions as they discussed countermeasures, but nothing came of it.
In truth, the Japanese Association was weaker than others.
When the Tower first appeared, many companies recruited players.
They didn’t even know the exact number of registered players.
They only roughly estimated based on taxes collected or the amount of Shinsu mined.
Most players were practically no different from company employees.
But now the situation was different.
The largest player company, the Seryu Group, was shaken.
No matter how much they requested help from other countries, everyone was just watching Korea’s reaction.
“Damn, that damn item is that important?”
“You never know. If you use that item to climb the 50th floor, you’ll definitely surpass other countries.”
They were right.
Just as no one could mess with a powerful nation, a country that produced many top-ranked players held power even in the international Association.
It wasn’t like the old days where money and lobbying solved everything.
Now was the era of the players.
And with the 50-floor climb becoming a reality, it was even more pronounced.
“What about the Seryu Group?”
“What do you mean? They’re denying everything.”
“And the commissioners?”
“Same. Who hasn’t taken something from the Seryu Group in Japan?”
Silence fell.
No answers came.
The only remaining option was to deliver an apology and compensation through the Korean Association.
It would likely cost a fortune.
If it went as far as the International Court of Justice, the compensation might exceed their expectations.
But what could they do?
There was no proper answer.
This time, they had to swallow their pride.
At the moment when they were about to contact the Korean Association, the door to the meeting room was kicked open.
Someone appeared.
It was Takehiko.
The boss of the Seryu Group had appeared personally.
Without a word, he took his seat.
Then, with a fierce glare, he spoke.
“Two weeks from now. I will climb the 50th floor.”